Friday Morning Devotion (You are the Translation)

Posted on June 8, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

But you will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. — Acts 1:8

One of the things that has interested me in conversing with Bible translators is their intense diligence. These men and women will spend hours and days over a single verse until they get just the wording that they believe conveys the right meaning. Many of them are volunteers, most are not that well paid. They go into distant countries, learn new languages, some invent alphabets, and then they slave over the documents trying to produce a translation of the Bible.

Why do they do all this? Generally, they do it because they believe they are handling God’s words of life and that people will learn about God through the words that they put on paper. They see it as an tremendous responsibility.

Those of us who are not in the trenches with them find it easy to criticize. I can spend a few hours with the work product of years, comparing key texts with Greek or Hebrew, and then come forth and pronounce it good or bad. I try not to do that. I try to give credit where it is due and disagree respectfully, but there are those who find it very easy to criticize something they themselves are not interested in doing.

I was reminded of the type of effort involved in a telephone conversation yesterday. We were discussing the manuscript of my forthcoming book, and I commented that in reality, a Christian putting God’s word into action may be the only translation some people will ever read. Now that is not original with me, though I can’t find the original source. (I’d be delighted if someone told me who first said that via the comments or e-mail.) But it set me to thinking again.

I have spent the past week working on details of the manuscript and internal format for a book, one that will represent one aspect of my teaching. Yet I work over sentence after sentence, asking myself how well this will convey the ideas I want to convey. I know it will not be perfect. Nowhere close to that, I’d imagine. But I want it to be the best I can make it, given time and resources. There in my own sphere I’m a bit like those Bible translators, asking time after time whether a passage truly conveys the right meaning.

But in our text today Jesus says, “You will be my witnesses.” That’s “YOU!” It’s not the Bible translation that I choose, or the books that I write. All of those things have an impact, but the key is that I am to be the witness.

I think I’d rather have my Bible be the witness. That’s a bit easier. I’d even be happier if my witness was limited to the printed word. I tend to make humorous small mistakes in speaking or in first draft writing. Once my writing is editing and printed, it stays the same, and at least it doesn’t introduce new mistakes.

My life? Not so much! But God comes around at me again, and the Holy Spirit convicts me with Acts 1:8: “You are my witness.” How accurate a picture of the gospel do people get from looking at me? Do they learn about Jesus by seeing the way I live. Do I have a forgiving spirit that will teach them about grace? Do I believe in redemption so much that I will give them repeated chances? Do I care about both truth and love so much that I always speak the truth in love?

Think of it this way: Do I put the kind of effort into the translation of the gospel message in my life that those translators put into their Bible versions?

Think about it! But while you do, also remember God’s grace—to you, even when your witness falls short. Be a witness to God’s grace in your life as well. Where you and I are weak, He is strong.

Posted in Acts, Bible Books, Devotional | 1 Comment

Thursday Morning Devotion (Making Stupidity Look Good)

Posted on June 7, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

One who is slow to anger is very intelligent,
But a short tempered person makes stupidity look good. — Proverbs 14:29 (HN)

While I was thinking about this devotional this morning I looked at a couple of things on the internet. Now those of you who don’t blog may not understand this, but perhaps you can compare it to a slow conversation. I had written a blog entry yesterday that responded to something another blogger said that I thought was wrong. This morning, I saw what appeared to be his reaction, and it was quite insulting. A comment on his opponents had been combined with an article on loving the word, with the implication that those of us who didn’t agree with this man doctrinally loved God’s word less than he did.

My initial reaction was to jump on him. Yes, we disagree with some vigor. Yes, we write strongly about it. But the implication was unnecessarily insulting. Queue the “righteous anger” sound track now!

Fortunately, I didn’t follow my initial inclinations. It turns out that the two parts were put together by an error in the code on his site, and this was not intentional. I was able to discover this by looking around. I wish him well in getting the error fixed.

It’s easy to get provoked by the smallest things at church, at home, in the workplace, on the road, or wherever we find ourselves. Once tempers have flared, it’s hard to take things back. You fail to take account of all the reasonable explanations for someone else’s behavior, and immediately assume the worst. Very likely you’ll let an insult fly in return, and once that happens, it will be hard to rewind things back to the original incident which might have been quite innocent, yet was misunderstood.

Or it might have been a real incident, a real insult. Even so it’s good to take the time to measure what has happened and decide what is the best response. I don’t know about you, but I know that my initial reaction to someone who is annoying me is not my best choice. I rarely think immediately, “I need to let this situation cool down. Let’s wait for some wisdom from God.” I should, but I don’t.

This is a case when you should make a universal decision, a principle you’re going to follow in every case. When you feel anger coming on at something someone has said or done, determine that you are going to take time to consider it before you react. You might even have to end the conversation politely and then return to the issue. But get control of your temper first.

Much of the time you’ll find that there is no need to do anything after that. If you let the words or deeds go by, there is no problem. Sometimes something wrong has to be dealt with. It may be your children who have provoked you, and discipline is required. Wait until you are certain that any action you take in discipline will be designed to guide and train, rather than to provide you with vengeance.

It’s a good way to look very, very intelligent without needing to acquire one more point of IQ. Just take a little bit of time before you let out your angry retort.

Don’t make stupidity look good!

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Proverbs | Comments Off on Thursday Morning Devotion (Making Stupidity Look Good)

Wednesday Morning Devotion (Toying with the Message)

Posted on June 6, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

17For Herod had sent and seized John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18Because John told Herod that it was wrong to take his brother’s wife. 19And Herodias hated him, and wanted to kill him, but she couldn’t. 20For Herod was afraid of John, because he knew that he was a righteous and holy man. But he kept John locked up, and listened to him, even though he was deeply troubled by what John said. — Mark 6:17-20

For the last couple of days we’ve talked about listening when God has a message for us. Today’s text gives us an example of listening, but not a good one!

People who have come to me for prayer or have Bible questions very often are looking for guidance from God. They want God to tell them what to do. But I’ve noticed that while some genuinely don’t know what the right thing to do is, with a little discussion and thinking, most actually do know, but they’re hoping to hear something else. I remember once myself that I was diligently seeking guidance from the Lord. I knew I hadn’t heard anything, not so much as a vague impression. Then suddenly one morning in my time of prayer it hit me. There was a right thing to do and a wrong thing, and I needed no other guidance. I simply hadn’t looked at the problem from the proper angle to see that one of the options I was considering was wrong.

Herod is in a situation that is troubling to him. He’s done something wrong and John the Baptist has called him on it. As a powerful ruler, Herod didn’t have to put up with such things. He could call for the accuser’s head and thus deal with the accusation. But Herod does what we often do. He sets it aside and doesn’t take action. Herodias wants John dead, but Herod won’t do it. Why?

I think it’s clear that Herod knows that John the Baptist is right. He knows that John is a godly man. So he compromises. He doesn’t act on what John has said to him, but he also doesn’t execute him. He goes and listens to him, even though he’s troubled by what he hears. By keeping the messenger locked up he keeps the message locked up, and he doesn’t have to act. So he toy’s with God’s messenger and God’s message.

Now there’s such a thing as (patiently?) waiting on God’s timing, but there’s also procrastinating when you know what is right. While you procrastinate, you may be thinking that you haven’t rejected God’s message. No, you’ve just set it aside to think about. You’ll do the right thing, but you’ll do it later.

Beware of Herod’s trap. Somewhere, sometime, you are going to act on the message. You may just let it slide into oblivion, or you may be trapped, like Herod, into forcefully rejecting both message and messenger. God’s word doesn’t go back to him empty, but accomplishes what he sent it to do (Isaiah 55:11). That doesn’t mean that you get the blessing, however. God’s word may accomplish its mission through somebody else.

Do you have any of God’s messages or messengers held in prison? No, I know you don’t have a jail to lock them up physically. But are you procrastinating about things that you know are right? Let the word out of prison before you are manipulated into carrying out an execution!

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Mark | Comments Off on Wednesday Morning Devotion (Toying with the Message)

Tuesday Morning Devotion (Listening to People We Don’t Like)

Posted on June 5, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

1He went out from there and came to his home country, and his disciples followed him. 2And when it was Sabbath, he began to preach in the synagogue, and many were amazed when they heard him. They said, “Where did this guy get these things, and what is this wisdom that has been given to him, and the these miracles that happen through his hands? 3Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Justus and Jude and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended by him. 4And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and among his relatives and in his household.” 5And he wasn’t able to perform any miracles except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed because of their unbelief. Then he traveled in the surrounding villages teaching. — Mark 6:1-6

We normally teach and preach this passage from the point of view of the prophet. Poor prophet! Can’t get heard in his own country. And it’s true that it’s very difficult for anyone with any expertise to get heard by people who know him well. The people who remember you when you were in the church nursery in diapers have a hard time respecting you as an expert, particularly in spiritual matters. The bigger the claims, in that case, the less likely they are to be accepted. Or so it seems.

But what about the other side, the family, friends, and neighbors who refuse to listen? Yesterday I wrote about listening to God, and asked whether we were ready to listen to God as Abraham did. I asked if we would be willing to do what Abraham did and move out of our homes without knowing where we’re going, just because God has spoken.

Even though that sort of idea tends to scare us, and sounds somewhat like insanity, there’s a certain dignity to it. “I heard God’s voice,” someone says, “And I’m doing just what he said.” It sounds so pious and close to God.

But supposing God wants to speak to you through that child you cared for in the nursery? What’s going to happen then? Will you say, “I knew you when you were in diapers,” and miss the message God has for you? What if God wants to speak to you through a teenager in your church? Will you be so busy remembering all the annoying teen behavior that you can’t hear the message God has for you? What if the messenger is a homeless person who has come to you for help? Will the economic status of the messenger shut your ears?

I think this is critical, because in my experience God is much more likely to tell us something through a person we’re involved with in daily life than he is to speak with a voice from heaven. I’m not talking about the person who puts on a solemn “prophet face” and announces “thus saith the Lord,” followed by a supposedly divine message. Rather, I’m thinking of the person who says something to you and you suddenly know that you really needed to hear that.

Sometimes we’re eagerly waiting for a voice from God, or someone to show up with the proper credentials, such as degrees or the endorsement of anointed leaders, when God has been speaking to us through the normal, subtle channels he prefers, and we just haven’t been listening. Remember that the most thunderous messages of the prophets were reserved not for the especially deserving, but rather for the stubbornly unhearing and disobedient. Elijah was not sent to the 7,000 faithful in Israel, but to Ahab, who rejected God’s voice to the last.

What does God have to do to get your attention?

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Mark | Comments Off on Tuesday Morning Devotion (Listening to People We Don’t Like)

Monday Morning Devotion (Listening to God’s Voice)

Posted on June 4, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

(1) YHWH said to Abram, Leave your homeland, your relatives, and your father’s household and go to a land that I will show you. (2) And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your reputation great, and you will be a blessing. (3) And I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you, and all the peoples of the earth will be bleassed through you. (4) And Abram went as YHWH had commanded him, and Lot went with him. — Genesis 12:1-4a

Note from Henry – Thanks for your prayers over the weekend. Jody came back with a good report, pumped up and ready to do the next thing, whatever that is.

Have you ever really thought about this verse? I know I was well into my experience as a Bible teacher before I did. Today I was editing the manuscript for my forthcoming book When People Speak for God, and I worked on these paragraphs:

But when God tells Abraham to leave his country and go to a place he didn’t know, he was hearing a voice. He may have been having a vision. We don’t know. But whether it was an ordinary voice, or a voice in a vision, he heard a voice. But he didn’t have any written scripture. Because he followed the voice that he heard, we have scripture. There are many, many people in the Bible who heard voices. If you are disturbed by people hearing voices, you probably should choose something other than the Bible as your reading material. . . .

Think about this: If you heard a voice, one you thought was audible and not just in your head, and it told you to pack all your earthly goods and put them in a moving van and move, but told you that you would be told your destination after you drove the moving van out of the driveway, how would you react?

If you’re a Christian, and you said, “No way,” you may need to think a bit about your use of the Bible. That is precisely what Abraham did. Jesus followed what his Father told him, and walked right into crucifixion. Are you comfortable in their company?

Those are some pretty good questions for me, and they come from the preface. I wrote the paragraphs, but now I have to ask myself this: Have I really heard those questions?

You see, Abraham didn’t have the benefit of the Bible against which to compare what he heard. According to Joshua 24:2, he was worshiping other Gods at this time. He had next to nothing to go on so as to be sure he was hearing what God said, yet somehow he became convinced he was hearing from God and that he should obey. No wonder his faith was counted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6)!

How do I match up? Well, I dither about whether God is really speaking, and then I wonder about the timing, the finances, what the neighbors will think, what my family will think, and on and on. By the time I get around to doing, it can easily be too late.

Now I’m not suggesting that God’s normal way of doing things is to order people to move without a plan. Lots of people have thought they had such an order from God and they disrupted their families and their own lives, and eventually found themselves in serious trouble. That’s why the Bible also calls for wisdom. Right after you think God is telling you something, it’s a great idea to claim the promise of James 1:5 and ask for wisdom!

But what I do ask you to think about today is this: Is God willing to talk to you today, as you work, play, think, and talk? Are you willing to listen and obey when you do know that it is God speaking?

We’re often afraid to admit we hear God speak, because that sounds a bit like insanity. But if it is insanity, then it’s a form of insanity that has been common to people of faith at least since Abraham. Perhaps it’s time to get comfortable with it.

God is speaking. Are you listening?

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Genesis | Comments Off on Monday Morning Devotion (Listening to God’s Voice)

Friday Morning Devotion (Of People and Pigs)

Posted on June 1, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

11Now in that area there was a large herd of pigs being watched. 12And it begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, so that we can enter them.” 13So he permitted them to do so, and the unclean spirits left the man and entered the pigs, and the herd swarmed over the cliff into the sea. There were about 2,000 of them and the drowned in the sea. 14And the people who were tending them fled and reported it in the city and in the countryside, and people came to see what had happened. 15And they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been tormented by the demons, who had been possessed by the legion, sitting healed and mentally healthy, and they were afraid. 16And those who had seen it told them what had happened to the man tormented by demons and to the pigs. 17And they began to beg him to leave their region. — Mark 5:11-17

Note: Jody is away this weekend at Rockledge UMC teaching at a women’s retreat. Please be in prayer for her and all involved in that event. – HN

This passage has always interested me, and it seems to have interested quite a number of commentators as well. Why on earth would Jesus give the demons a break? Why allow them to go somewhere they wanted to go? Why would he inflict that economic damage on the owners of the pigs?

I don’t really know all the answers here, though I can make some suggestions. Jesus knew he wasn’t giving the demons a break. He knew that these evil spirits were incapable of being anything but evil and that they would destroy their new homes. Further, this action demonstrated the destructive, even self-destructive nature of evil. Evil flaunts selfishness, but in the end the self is not made better, or happier. The self is destroyed.

But what I want to ask today is this: How much disruption of your life are you willing to tolerate so that people—your community—can be healed?

You see, whatever the reason that Jesus chose to let the demons go into the pigs, the result was that the people of the area were confronted with two things. First, there was a man whom nobody could tame, but Jesus has healed him totally. The contrast is powerful between what he was before Jesus and after Jesus. He has the perfect testimony. Before Jesus I was breaking chains off and destroying myself. Jesus came and healed me. Now I’m in my right mind, mentally healthy. Second, however, there was the absence of a couple thousand pigs.

So what would you do? People are being healed on the one hand, but your livelihood is being destroyed on the other. Don’t hedge by asking whether Jesus couldn’t do things a bit less disruptively. He could, and he did. Many times. But what this story confronts us with is healing accompanied by the disruption of our lives. Given that choice what would you do?

The Gerasenes made their choice pretty clear. Verse 17 tells us that they begged him to leave. “It’s OK that you healed this guy, but we can’t stand to lose any more pigs!” was their thought. So Jesus left, and told the healed man to bear witness.

Let’s keep the lesson basic and simple for today. How much disruption of your day are you willing to tolerate if you are called to reach out to one person with the love of God today?

Give God an honest answer, and then watch for his call.

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Mark | Comments Off on Friday Morning Devotion (Of People and Pigs)

Thursday Morning Devotion (Those Small Goals)

Posted on May 31, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

Therefore, leaving the beginning of the message of Christ, let us carry on to maturity . . . — Hebrews 6:1a

I keep on running toward the goal for the prize of God’s high calling in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:14

Note from Henry: Jody and two friends will be leaving tomorrow to go to Rockledge UMC, Rockledge, FL to teach at a women’s retreat. Please be in prayer for all three of them, and for all who will attend this retreat as well as for Rockledge UMC, their pastor Ted Wood, and retreat organizer Liz Bishop.

There’s a great deal said in the Bible about goals. Life itself is filled with the need for goals. Whether we think about it or not, we constantly set goals and then take actions to fulfill those goals. It can be as simple as going from one room to another, getting to work this morning so you can earn that paycheck, or getting in the car and going shopping for the groceries.

We often don’t think about those goals because we’ve gotten into the habit of doing them, and they are just things we do because, well, we’ve always done them. It doesn’t matter whether we enjoy them or not, they have to be done and we automatically set the goal and take those little steps that are required to fulfill it.

But each one of us probably knows somebody whose thinking and goal pursuing has failed at some point. It might be a friend or relative who no longer bothers to get up and go to work, or perhaps has become consistently late. Perhaps it is someone who has gotten depressed and no longer sees the purpose in those simple actions.

In our daily lives, a key element in “keeping on running toward the goal” is keeping the goal in sight. There are two elements in this: 1) The long term goal and 2) All the smaller goals between. If we lose sight of either element, we’re going to tend to get discouraged. In climbing a mountain, for example, it’s easy to get discouraged if you think of all the miles of climbing and all the obstacles to be overcome. But if you keep thinking of the peak, which is where you want to go, and then focus on just the next obstacle, soon you’ll find yourself at the top. That’s a good feeling!

I’m sure you all know this about our physical lives, but I want to apply it to our spiritual lives. This is something we all know so well physically that many of you may have even been asking yourselves why I would hammer on such an obvious point. But do you apply it so simply to your spiritual disciplines?

First, what are your spiritual goals? What is God’s call for your life? If you don’t know, make it a goal to find out. That will serve as a guiding star for the moment. Then ask yourself what needs to go into that. Let’s suppose that you decide you need to know your Bible better, to spend substantial time with the Lord in prayer, and to reach your neighbors for Jesus. What do you do next?

Now’s the time to set the smaller goals. Break down the big stuff. “Reaching my neighborhood for Christ” is a good goal, but it won’t happen by wishing. Neither will any of the others. So let’s break these down just a bit.

I often tell people I have no five minute a day plan for knowing your Bible. But I do have a plan that starts at five minutes. If you aren’t reading your Bible daily, and would like to know your Bible, set a goal of becoming a Bible student, but then break that goal down. An intermediate goal might be to read your Bible through in a year. But many people get discouraged at that. How about starting at five minutes a day. Make your initial goal be to open your Bible once a day and read for five minutes.

You want to be a prayer warrior and spend hours in prayer, but you don’t know how to do it. How much time do you spend with God now? I’d suggest taking on one new prayer discipline. (See my previous devotion on this.)

But let me cut the goal of reaching the neighborhood for Christ down to size. Today I want to talk to just one person in my neighborhood (or at work, on the internet, wherever you’re called to be) about Jesus. But supposing even that goal sounds too big. Don’t get discouraged or beat yourself up. Perhaps you’re wondering just how you can get into a conversation about Jesus with your neighbor. Break that down. 1) Watch and listen to learn your neighbor’s wants and needs. 2) Find a way to fulfill one of those needs. 3) Get into a friendly conversation about a topic that interests you both. 4) Bring up Jesus when it comes naturally to you. Now for today, just concentrate on the first step. Your goal for today can be this: I’m going to listen to what my neighbor (or coworker or even family member) has to say, looking for a way I can make their life better.

Now remember the bigger goals. You have an intermediate goal of being a witness for Jesus, and a long term goal of reaching your neighborhood. But those bigger goals will only be accomplished one step at a time.

Posted in Devotional | Comments Off on Thursday Morning Devotion (Those Small Goals)

Wednesday Morning Devotion (The Greatest of These)

Posted on May 30, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

12For now we see dimly in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know partially, but then I will know in the same way that God knows me. 13And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is love. — 1 Corinthians 13:12-13

In a humorous science fiction series of my acquaintance (Keith Laumer’s Retief, for those interested), one of the diplomats remarks that there is nothing quite so dull as power struggles amongst the powerless. He’s saying it as a snotty put down, but if you think about it a bit, it’s a very good spiritual statement. We, the spiritually powerless, so often spend our time on power struggles.

Yet that was the state of affairs in the church in Corinth. People were fighting over who had baptized them, how wise (or not) they were, how many spiritual gifts they had and how important those were, and about their freedom which had turned into license, yet was still regarded as a sign of spiritual superiority.

In chapter 12 Paul has reminded them that it all came through the Holy Spirit, acting according to his will, because they had come to Jesus. There was one Spirit working in all of them, and they were all part of one body. All of these silly reasons why one person was superior to another were a waste.

Before I go on, let me remind us all that it’s easy for us to read Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth and think of how different things were in that church. It’s far away and it’s leaders have passed on, so they’re fair game for criticism, right? But many of our churches are quite similar, and I suspect that very few churches don’t share some element of the Corinthian problems.

Once overseas I had just completed teaching a series at a small church, during which a congregational argument had been aired. To my translator, it seemed like a small thing, and she was a bit embarrassed that it had been aired in front of me. On our way back following the final session she said to me, “These people are different. They’re not like your members in your big American churches. They get into fights over the silliest things.” I must confess I just couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. I could remember many disputes every bit as silly in my own church at home, even ones I’d been involved in myself.

We all have this weakness. Most of us probably will be wondering precisely what I think the Corinthians were wondering by the end of chapter 12. I think they were asking themselves just how they could tell who was the most important if Paul rejected spiritual gifts, spiritual freedom, baptism, wisdom, and pretty much everything else. “Just how are we to tell who’s the most important, Paul?”

And Paul’s answer? The most important thing is that you don’t care who is the most important. That’s why he says he’s showing us a better way in chapter 13. I am going to make a wild guess here, and suggest that as Paul described the importance of love in verses 1-3, there were some people listening to the letter as it was read in church who said, “OK. I can deal with this. I have lots of love. It’s us loving folks who are the most important.”

Then as Paul describes what love is, they had to realize that if they had the love that Paul was describing, they wouldn’t care who was the most important. The most important people don’t know or care that they are the most important. They just let the Holy Spirit live through them.

And then the final blow to pretensions. Shouldn’t faith be regarded at least as equal in importance? After all, it’s through faith that we grasp God’s gift and become connected to God in the first place. No, sorry, faith doesn’t make you more important. In fact, faith stands with love, but it isn’t the greatest. Well, then hope. We have to know what we’re hoping for in order to keep going. Surely hope is the greatest thing. No, hope is good, but it’s not the greatest.

Love is the greatest. When we see God face to face, faith will have run it’s course. Faith, by then, has received grace and brought us to the conclusion. When we’re seeing God face to face, we no longer need it. And what do we hope for, except for that great moment when we do see God face to face. No, at that final moment hope will have run its course. Our greatest hope will be fulfilled.

There will be nothing left but to be encompassed by our Father’s great love, love that knows no boundaries and no ranks.

Think about that!

Posted in 1 Corinthians, Bible Books, Devotional | Comments Off on Wednesday Morning Devotion (The Greatest of These)

Tuesday Morning Devotion (Love and Childishness)

Posted on May 29, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

11When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12For now we see dimly in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know partially, but then I will know in the same way that God knows me. — 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

Though Jesus says we must approach the kingdom as children, there is a childishness that we must avoid. Paul is warning us about that in this passage. The childlike attitudes that Jesus commends include simplicity, teachability, and a willingness to seek God’s love and approval.

Paul, on the other hand, is talking about childishness. Throughout his first epistle to the Corinthians he has been addressing various types of childish behavior, the need to be right, the need to be better and more important than other people, quarrels, and lack of discipline.

What the Corinthians were focusing on in their spiritual life was the things that made them look important, or made them seem better than other people. Now Paul is telling them that truly spiritual people are characterized by love. Love doesn’t need to have it’s own way. It looks out for others. It doesn’t keep accounts of the wrong things that are done.

Another characteristic of childishness is a focus on the moment, on things that are temporary and will fade away. But looking for people who had the gift of prophecy, for example, and regarding them as more important than others, the Corinthians were demonstrating spiritual childishness. By making an issue of the special knowledge of mysteries that they had, they were again demonstrating spiritual childishness.

But God was calling them to grow up. They needed to understand that all of that was temporary, that the real thing was God, his love, and maturing into that love. When Jesus returns in power, all of the special knowledge, all of the special gifts and talents, all of our prophecies will be as nothing. We will all be in God’s presence, what need will we have of knowledge?

In his own way, Paul is calling us to take an eternal view. What is most important in your life? Are you spending your time on things that are of eternal value? Those looks of wonder that people give you because of your skill are things of the moment. The acclaim you receive as a leader in your church or workplace is temporary.

The relationships you develop with them and the love you show them is what will last. When you see God face to face, nothing else will matter.

Posted in 1 Corinthians, Bible Books, Devotional | Comments Off on Tuesday Morning Devotion (Love and Childishness)

Monday Morning Devotion (Love is Boring)

Posted on May 28, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

4Love is patient, love is kind. It’s not jealous or boastful. It’s not self-important. 5It doesn’t behave indecently, nor does it seek its own way. It doesn’t get provoked. It doesn’t plan evil. 6It doesn’t rejoice in injustice, but it rejoices with the genuine. 7It endures all things, believes all things, hopes all things, is patient through everything. — 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is righteous, whatever is lovely, whatever gives a good report, if there is any virtue or any praise, think on these things. — Philippians 4:8

I hope you’re at least mildly shocked by the title, and perhaps are reading just to find out what I could possibly mean.

No, I don’t think love is boring. But the way our culture functions, one could get the idea that love—divine love as described in our passage—lacks interest. I say that because I have been observing what we talk about and what we listen to. Yesterday my pastor commented on his news viewing in the morning. There had been two stories of celebrities and their troubles that led the news. Only then was there a story about our troops in Iraq and their sacrifice. And this was the Sunday before Memorial Day. When I started my breakfast this morning and turned on the news, one of those same celebrity stories he mentioned was the topic of discussion. Now I don’t know it’s priority because I didn’t even think to look at the clock, but it was the first thing I saw as I turned on the TV.

Reports after the O.J. Simpson trial indicated that a large majority of people polled indicated that they were exceedingly tired of hearing about O.J. and his troubles, and that they would like the media to talk about something else. At the same time, however, the largest audiences on television were being produced by—you guessed it—anything whatever about Simpson.

There’s a big disconnect between what we claim to like, usually because we know we ought to like it, and what we actually watch or listen to. Is our first topic at church Jesus or the things that we can be doing for his kingdom? All too often, the first topic of conversation is something negative that we heard about another church member. When we turn on the television set do we look for information? Do we look for good things that are happening in the world, or do we look for the most exciting violence and the best celebrity gossip?

When someone asks us whether we value the work of a celebrity more or that of our troops sacrificing overseas or here on the home front for our freedom, we will almost always say we place a higher value on the troops. They are risking their lives. But if you look at where the money goes, you know that as a nation we value the celebrities more. Now I understand that each celebrity has many fans who contribute to their wealth and fame. I’m not suggesting that every soldier needs to be a millionaire. But I do think that the way we talk and the way we spend our money does not suggest that the real heroes have the highest priority.

If your television news station spent a day reporting only acts of love, would you watch? Do you think their ratings would be high? I would like to say yes, but I suspect more of us will say we’d watch than would actually get around to doing it.

If love is of the first priority, if all else is nothing without love, should not love as Paul and Jesus defined it be the most important, the most fascinating, and the most sought after thing in our lives?

To the natural man, love is boring. The natural man seeks celebrity. To one filled with the Holy Spirit, love is fascinating.

Posted in 1 Corinthians, Bible Books, Devotional, Philippians | 1 Comment