A personal Christmas gift

Player of the Year, Sam Bradford
I’m wondering! It is two days before Christmas. Being a person who tends toward self-centeredness, what is the best gift I could give myself?

Salvation? No. God gave me that. I didn’t earn it or do anything to achieve it.

Same thoughts regarding my very special wife. (We are celebrating our eighth wedding anniversary today. She deserves some kind of medallion of recognition for putting up with me that long.)

The best gift to give myself (and possibly you to yourself)? Patience, endurance.
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma quarterback who recently won the Heisman Trophy and just yesterday was voted Player of the Year by the AP, said it well. Posted on an FCA website are his words: “Probably the biggest things I learned were just the power of patience and perseverance, and knowing that everything God does, He does for a reason. He knows what He’s doing. It’s not our job to question what He’s doing with our lives. He has a purpose for it, and we just have to trust Him and know that His plan is the right way.”

Sam spoke these words prior to becoming the latest Heisman winner. He had learned these lessons from experience. He redshirted his freshman year, strugglig in his first months at college. As a redshirt, he had to sit back and watch as his friends competed on the field and shared their experiences together. All Bradford could do was watch and wait and try to trust the Lord whom he served. Little did Bradford know what was ahead. He remained faithful during the waiting period and clung to what he knew to be true - that God had a plan for his life.

Patience, perseverance, endurance.

The Book of James, chapter one, verses 2-4, challenges us with, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Patience, perseverance, endurance, a gift we can give ourselves for Christmas. Waiting expectantly, even with joy, through a tough time, knowing God can use it in our lives to build a strength of character not available in comfortable times.

Merry Christmas. Will be posting again after the first of January.
P

A Christmas Gift

Trying to brush aside the materialism of the Christmas season during my meditation time this morning, I thought, “If I were giving the baby Jesus a gift, what would it be. Don’t have a lot of money, so couldn’t buy him an expensive gift. Aging and related malady has consumed the vim and vigor of youth, so can’t give Him as much energy as I’ve previously had available.

Time is my most accessible commodity now. I could present Him with my that.
But time itself is not a gift. It’s what I would do with that time.

And there is that word “do” again. A life-long pattern of “doing” – perform, achieve, conquer – typical male pursuits – but mine laced with a driving need to be recognized, to be approved, to the extent that it became idolatry. (The worship of something other than God.)

Appropriate doing is important. (“Whatever you do, do heartily as unto the Lord.”) But the best gift I can give the baby Jesus this year is a life of “being”. A life emphasizing not outward conduct but inward godly attitudes. Living from the inside out. Yes, the outside of the cup should be clean, however it is the inside of the cup that still contains too much pride, self-sufficiency, selfishness (I could go on). This needs continued cleansing and purging as I grow in my walk with The Father, slowly becoming more and more like Him.

This not only is best for me and best for Him, but it also averts the “exterior holiness” that emphasizes what to do and what not to do, leading to a prideful spirit that separates people rather than unites.

For me the process begins with prayer. “Father, create in me a clean heart that lives out the Holy Spirit controlled life best described in Galatians 5:22-24 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

My prayer continues with, “Father, continue to cleanse me of resentment, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, factions, self-centeredness (I could go on). Live through a clean vessel today, Father. Show me who needs your love and encouragement through me today.”

That is the best gift I can give the Baby Jesus. How about you?

The Strength of Brokenness

One of my ministry opportunities: chaplain of the NNU basketball team - a fantastic group of young men and coaches.

My computer was down the last couple days. The Geek squad to the rescue. However the series I started a couple days ago, will be interrupted by a week in San Antonio with Kris and family, and Fletcher and his. So we'll continue that series in January. The next couple days will be separate topics, beginning today with some great words adapted from Os Hillman.

It has been said that the world sees broken things as useless and throws them away. God sees broken things as very valuable and uses them greatly for His Kingdom work.

There is an oxymoron throughout the Bible. It says that brokenness is strength. How can this be? How can brokenness be strength? In order to use men and women to their fullest extent, the Lord has to break His servants so that they might have a new kind of strength that is not human in origin. Broken of self will, self sufficiency, pride and anything else that keeps us from living the Christ life. It is strength in spirit that is born only through brokenness.

Paul was broken on the Damascus road. Peter was broken after Jesus was taken prisoner. Jacob was broken at Peniel. David was broken after his sin with Bathsheba. The list could go on of those the Lord had to break in different ways before they could be used in the Kingdom.

When we are broken, we see the frailty of human strength and come to grips with the reality that we can do nothing in our own strength. Then, new strength emerges that God uses mightily. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Do not fear brokenness, for it may be the missing ingredient to a life that emerges with a new kind of strength and experience not known before. Pray for a broken and contrite heart that God can bless.

Two teachers; Two Learners; Two kinds of pain

Bella Rose, Barron Olaf's elder by 14 months is making the adjustment well to the intrusion of her space.

I've enjoyed being challenged by Wayne Cordeiro's book Divine Mentor. It has prompted me to do an indepth study of a wise man versus a foolish man and the ramifications. Herewith, the next few posts.

Life provides us two effective teachers: Wisdom or Consequences. Our choice of teacher determines the kind of person we are. A prudent wise person chooses the teacher “wisdom,” the foolish simpleton selects the teacher “consequences.” As these two kinds of people embrace two kinds of teachings they experience two kinds of pain. The wise prudent practices the pain of self discipline to gain wisdom. Wisdom has an initial price – discipline, obedience, consistency and time. Wisdom learns from the experiences of others, beyond their lifetime and beyond their own experiences.



The primary source for wisdom garnered from others is the Bible – viewing the successes and failures of Biblical characters along with following Biblical guidelines that lead to successful living and dying. The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true. It shows us what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out. It helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point fully equipped to do good to everyone. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 LB


On the other hand, the foolish simpleton avoids the pain of discipline and embraces the pain of regret learning only from consequnces. Rather than experiencing the initial pain of self discipline, the pain is an after-effect occurrence As some would say, “learning the hard way.” The result can produce real suffering and acute pain.


The pain of self discipline to learn from the “wisdom teacher” or the pain of regret which results from learning from the teacher “consequences.” Our choise – moment by moment.

We'll pursue the topic more in tomorrow's post.

ENCOURAGEMENT

My son, Ray II, proud father of newborn Barron Olaf.


Everyone needs encouragement. In his book Encouragement Changes Everything, John Maxwell states, “And everyone – young or old, the successful or less-than successful, unknown or famous – who receives encouragement is changed by it. As Mark Twain said, ‘One compliment can keep me going for a whole month.’”

“Encouragement’s impact can be profound. A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change his life. A word of encouragement from a spouse can save a marriage. A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach her potential. Like Zig Ziglar says, ‘You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.’”

To encourage people is to help them gain courage they might not otherwise possess – courage to face the day, to do what’s right, to take risks, to make a difference. And the heart of encouragment is to comunicate a person’s value. When we help people feel valuable, capable, and motivated we sometimes see their lives change forever – and then see them go on to change the world.

Isaiah 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
December is a timely placement for this Scripture. The Burwicks' have a paraphrased version that we're excited about.

For unto us a grandson is born. Unto us a grandson is given and his name shall be called Barron Olaf Burwick, mighty warrior, king of Norway, head full of golden red hair, with the Burwick chin cleft.

Ray II and Holly gave us our first Burwick grandson, Sunday Dec.14th. 7 pounds 11.6 ounces, 19 1/2 inches. Mother and baby are doing well. Father is exhausted :-)

Middle name is from his father and grandfather's middle name of Norwegian heritage.

Please join us in praying that from a very young age he will be a mighty warrior for God - loving on and encouraging others in their quest for God.

"Father, we commit this young baby man to you to accomplish the task which you are setting out for him to accomplish. Protect him from anything that would dissuade him from that pursuit. Bless his mommy and daddy (and his grandparents) as they model a walk with You for him. Draw him to yourself at a young age. May he fall in love with Jesus. Amen."

Healthy Self Examination - How To

Daughter Gretchen and her two children bungy jumping. Scarey! Just like self examination. What will I find?

Finishing the series, let's see how healthy self examination begins? Look at David's intention of Psalms 26:2 Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
Or Psalms 51:6-7 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

David is not speaking of morbid introspection. God must be allowed to examine our innermost being. Somber self-analysis, a continual feeling of one's emotional pulse, leads to greater self-centeredness that masquerades as holy struggle to mature in Christ. Instead, it is usually a means of avoiding responsibility.
One person told me, "I must spend three hours a day in prayer, making sure there is no sin in my life." I was impressed - until I learned that her prayer time became a convenient excuse for not doing house work which she terribly detested.

God-directed self scrutiny has an inner - upward - outward focus, from self to God to others, It is an uncovering of that within that stifles our dependency on and freedom in Jesus Christ. The inner gaze reveals pride, selfishness, hurt, hate, guilt, insecurity and a host of other varmits that knaw at the underpinnings of our faith and joy in Christ - the inner focus.

God examines us through four different media: direct search, by His countenance, by the Word and through people.
1.) God's direct search:
Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.
This describes that gentle prick of conscience that we sometimes sense. God says: "Ray, you're not loving your wife like she deserves. Cut out that selfishness. Love her like I've loved you."
God, search my heart!

2.)God's countenance:
Psalms 90:8 (Amp) Our iniquities, our secret heart and its sins which we would so like to conceal even from ourselves, you have set in the revealing light of your countenance."
Do you set aside time most every day when you're alone with God - studying the Bible, praying, being quiet? As we sit in His presence, His countenance enlightens our innermost being, revealing that which needs change or growth.

3.) God's Word:
2Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
and
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Most of us spend so little time in the Word, we're not only ignorant of its teachings and principles but deaf to its probing power that excises spiritual cancer like a surgeon’s scalpel. I personally don't see how we can get along without at least 30 minutes most every day spent in concentrated Bible reading, study and prayer.
God examines us by direct search, his countenance, the Word and

4.) By people.
Hebrews 3:12-13 (Amp) Therefore beware brethren; take care lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart - which refuses to cleave to, trust in and rely on Him - leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God. But instead warn (admonish, urge and encourage) one another every day, al long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened into settled rebellion by the deceitfulness of sin - that is, by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamour of his sin may play on him.
Do you have a friend or a support group that helps you with accountability, who out of care and love can gently confront you when something is blocking your growth?

It has been said that a friend is one who won't get in your way..... unless you're headed down. Are you blessed to have a friend like that? If not, endeavor to build a relationship that calls for mutual accountability.
As we allow God's scrutiny to continue in our lives and we respond, there is less self-centered dysfunction, and a greater filling of God's character within - more joy, peace, contentment, wisdom and everything else that God says is available to us.

Revelation 3:19 (Amp) Those whom I dearly and tenderly love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten, that is, I discipline and instruct them. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal, and repent - changing your mind and attitude.

The inner focus becomes a Godward embrace to gain healing and empowerment from Him to more effectively minister to others - loving on and encouraging them.

Teen murder

Summer backyard beauty gives us hope through the non-growing season!

Approaching the end of our series on healthy self examination, I' reminded of counseling a teenage boy who was heavily involved in his church. He was wrestling with issues like speaking in tongues, why God wouldn't heal him of a minor ailment and other religious concerns.
I could never get him to face the volcano of rage toward his parents. I am not reporting a counseling success story. His picture appeared in the local newspaper some time ago - murder. He refused to look inward. A young waitress was the recipient of his displaced rage.

SCRIPTURE’S ADVICE
To make sure I'm not just suggesting some self examination pop-psychobabble, let's look at Scripture to see what it says about penetrating the darkness within.
Leviticus 16:29-30 (LB) This is a permanent law: you must do no work on the twenty-fifth day of September, but must spend the day in self examination and humility.....for this is the day commemorating the atonement, cleansing you in the Lord's eyes from all of your sins.
This comes from the Old Testament. Let's check what the New Testament would indicate.
1 Corinthians 11:25-34 gives us the Holy Communion context. Paul here exhorts us to examine ourselves before taking communion. He says some people had not and their sin had caused sickness and even death.

Covered sin is nothing to indulge. Paul further teaches:
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?
Are you and I really Christians? Does our life reflect Christ even at home?

I like Verner's test of a Christian in his book "Fire in Coventry."
In my church we don't give pamphlets to people nor have missions. We just send one or two Christian families to live in a village. When people see what Christians are like, they want to be Christians themselves.
I don't think Verner is criticizing church missions programs. He is suggesting that our brand of Christianity must be contagious. If it isn't - check up on yourself. Are you really a Christian? Would there be enough evidence to convict you and me of being Christian in court?

7- The Tell-Tale Heart

Pray for John, my prayer partner's son, soon to be deployed to a Hot Zone.

When I think of living in darkness, not wanting to face inner pain or inadequacy (or sin), I'm reminded of Edgar Allen Poe's macabre short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart."

A homicide victim is buried beneath the floor of the murderer's house. The man is so confident about the clandestine killing that when interrogated by the police, he seats himself in a chair directly over the burial location.

“In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease.

But his coolness evaporates as the conversation continues. Soon he senses a strange pounding noise in his head. The pounding seems to be coming from beneath the floor where the corpse is located. He is sure that it is the beating of the dead man's heart. He wonders why no one else notices what he is hearing.

No doubt I grew very pale; but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased - and what could I do?...I talked more quickly - more vehemently; But the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations, but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? Oh God! what could I do? I foamed - I raved - I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. Was it possible they heard not?

Finally with a shriek the darkness dweller confessed: "Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! - tear up the planks! - here, here! it is the beating of his hideous heart!"

A severe example of a darkness dweller - a clear picture of guilt - covered sin.

King David describes the same scenario with a transparent exposure in Psalms 32:3-5 LB:
There was a time when I wouldn't admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, I will confess them to the Lord and you forgave me.
All my guilt is gone.

Sin causes misery, but notice David is saying his dishonesty about his sin made him miserable. There's a cure for sin - repentance. No cure for covered sin. Result - misery.
David's son, King Solomon added this twist to the message:
Proverbs 28:13 A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance. (LB)
Sin covered, not acknowledged, unconfessed, unrepented, not only leads to darkness and lack of joy, peace, contentment, etc, but also contributes to or causes a host of diseases.

Oh, the value of healthy self examination. "Search me O God..."

Who Me? 6 CAMOUFLAGED GARBAGE

Special friend, Steve Mountjoy

One of the mosts interesting (and successful) counseling cases I experienced during private practice days was a very sweet, loving middle-aged Christian lady who had an uncontrollable compulsion to think extremely vulgar thoughts toward God. This is an example of the "darkness dwelling" which we've been addresssing the last five posts.

She was one who was in church every time the door was open. She taught in a Christian school. She volunteered as a secretary part time for the pastor. The list could go on and on about her spiritual activity. She in fact desired to be a Godly woman. I was most impressed with her humility and her teachability. What a sharp woman. We'll call her Martha.

Why would she have such vulgar thoughts toward God? Her psychologist just told her to quit going to church and reading her Bible, that was just exacerbating the problem. She didn’t want that prescription.
Her counseling began. We endeavored to pierce through the darkness hiding her obscure inner garbage. (If she had been aware of any rubbish in her life, she would have definitely dealt with it. She was that desirous of righteous living.)

Her story involved the pastor of her church. He was the type of church leader who thought he had the last word on everything. He was boss. She was a compliant person. He would ask her to bring work clothes with her to the office periodically. After she had performed secretarial chores for an hour or so, he would ask her to change into grubbies so they could perform some janitorial tasks. He would leave her office and go to his. She would change clothes and they'd be off to do some type of cleaning.

This went on for some time until one day "Martha" was looking for something in the pastor's office. As she was searching the storage closet, she ran across a hole in the wall. About half-inch in size. She peered through the hole and found that it gave her a panoramic view of the office in which she worked. She couldn't believe it. Her pastor watching her undress through the hole in the wall. Being the compliant person she was, plus being indoctrinated to believe the pastor was always right, she deeply stuffed the anger.

Her husband, being the same kind of compliant personality, encouraged her repressing technique of handling emotions and just suggested she not disrobe in the office anymore. They chose not to say a word to the pastor. To suggest to her that she resented her pastor was hard for her to swallow. "A good Christian just doesn't get angry," was her premise.

The pastor situation was just the surface issue. We peeled off onion layers of rejections, hurts and bitterness over the next five counseling sessions. I was amazed to see the devastating trauma through which she had lived. Her childhood was horrendous. Her dad left the family for another woman when Martha was eight years old. Her mother became a prostitute, bringing the men home with her. Not only would she view the panorama of sexual acts but was also exposed to participation herself. She came through this childhood ordeal without losing her sanity because of a neighbor lady who took her to church. This was her oasis - the only place where she felt loved and accepted.

Martha's pain and resentment had been unknowingly displaced on God causing the vulgar thoughts toward Him. AS counseling progressed, facing and processing the pain within, she became free. Periodically, she would have a dysfunctional thought and realize that she was either not facing a current anger, or a deeper hurt was surfacing that needed a deeper level of processing.

Martha is an example of the darkness dweller that wears religious masks to avoid facing the garbage within. She was not even aware of what she was doing, but the destructiveness was devastating.

Rationalizing, attacking, rearranging, wearing religious masks - all examples of darkness dwelling. If these destructive, self-protective devices are not faced and stripped away, positive self esteem, joy, peace, contentment, physical health and much more is forfeited. Fellowship with the Father is the greatest loss.

Edgar Allen Poe is up next!

Who Me? 5 THE "BUTCHER KNIFE PROPHET"

Granddaughter Gabriella Scoleri

One of my former clients gave me permission to use his story regarding healthy self examination. He entitles it "a white robe over nasty underwear."

The Lord had seemingly given "Pete" (not his real name) the gift of prophecy. He would sense that God would be telling him to go to Fort Walton Beach, Florida (a trip of about 5 hours from Birmingham). He was to go to a certain pier where he would meet a man with a red baseball cap. Pete was to minister to him.

Sure enough, after the long drive, Pete would pull up to the pier and there stood a man in a red baseball cap. A conversation was initiated and it was obvious that God had sent Pete to encourage, comfort and instruct the man.
This kind of experience happened frequently.

However, as Pete so graphically described, "I had concentrated on my spiritual gift and had a blind eye to my character." He was in my office because he had just taken a large hunting knife and out of a fit of rage, destroyed $3000 worth of furniture and threatened to kill his wife.

Rather than allowing his gaze at God to penetrate through his fig leaves, and reveal garbage within, Pete kept busy with religious activity ... a white robe over nasty underwear. Hurts, hates, guilt, selfishness, insecurity and other "nasties" lay submerged for years and finally exploded through the destructive blade of the butcher knife. A religious mask to keep from healthy self examination.

Rationalize, attack, rearrange and religious masks all utilized to prevent facing oneself. Do any of these apply to you? It’s often more comfortable living in darkness but, is the payoff worth it?
A challenge we all have: we can sweep the streets and make them look clean. But until we climb down into the sewer and clean out the filth beneath the streets, we're obscuring God's production of his qualities and fruit in our lives.

Tomorow's post describes a strong church lady with vulgar thoughts toward God.

Who Me? - 4

Healthy self examination begins with gazing at God sufficiently to see what is within ourselves that is not of God and needs change - that needs growth. Most of us don't want to look inward and there are some who are constantly naval gazing. When we begin to look inward there still is a tendency to want to escape what we’re observing about ourselves. One or more of four avenues are taken.

1. RATIONALIZING
My wife says to me "Ray, you're being too harsh."
If I want to stay in darkness, not facing the light of what she just said, I'll rationalize: "Hey, Theresa, I'm not as harsh as I once was." (As if that gives me three points and victory.) But I'm not facing and resolving the destructiveness of harshness at that moment. I'm choosing to stay in darkness by rationalizing. The result? No change. No growth. Probably a little more guilt.
Can you give an example of this in your life?

2. ATTACKING/BLAMESHIFTING
Attacking is another favorite trick to keep out of the light. "Ray, you're being too harsh," my wife says. "Well, Theresa, how about you? You're always ..." and I get off on some tangent about her. Blameshifting. I don't have to face me if I can place the bee on her. Can you give an example of this in your life?
Rationalizing, attacking/blameshifting and some folk rearrange rather than come out of the darkness and face the light and grow.

3. REARRANGE
"My husband is treating me unfairly; I'll just get a job and not have to be around him that much."
"My wife is a nag; or, my husband is so controlling, I'll work longer hours to avoid her (his)unpleasantness."
"I'm single. Lonely. I'll stay busy."
Rearranging, coping, rather than facing the light, looking within and making attitudinal changes necessary. It is easier to change circumstances than alter attitudes. Does this apply to you? And lastly:

4. WEARING RELIGIOUS MASKS
Rationalizing, attacking, rearranging and now, wearing religious masks is examined as the fourth type of darkness dweller. (Men like darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil)
Rather than facing troubling issues within, it is easier to be religious. Be in church every time the door is open. Tithe. Bible studies, witnessing classes, choir, meetings galore ... nothing wrong with these individually, but in masse, it spells avoidance. Like the Pharisees, very religious, but oblivious to the garbage within.
Which of these four best characterizes you?
Next post will describe a person who wears religious masks as an escape.

Who Me?–3 Yes, You Ray

Enjoyed visit with Gretchen in Orlando

Healthy self examination has been the theme of these last posts. An interesting phenomenen happened yesterday in my time of solitude with God. It was as if God said, “Let Me help you experience about that which you are writing.”

I had written in my journal about feeling inadequate in my speaking lately and it wasn’t about stuttering. I felt that I was too quick to give answers in the small groups in which I participate and I didn’t feel like I was doing a good job giving the devotionals to the NNU basketball team. A gray clould seemed to be hovering over my head.

The Lord so gently told me (and who else would have said the following to me?), “Ray, you’re back into spiritual pride. You’ve memorized a few books of the Bible. You’ve been having a consistent Bible/prayer time with Me for 62 years. You’re back to thinking you’ve got all the answers for people in your small groups and you’re teaching at the basketball team, not sharing with them.”

I’m grateful that God is so gentle in his confrontations. No condemnation. Just a, “Here’s something Ray that is hurting you. Repent.” And that I did immediately. It was amazing to sense the gray cloud disappear instantly. God is so good.

I’m not an arrogant, cocky, prideful person. But I think spiritual pride is uglier. In a sense it is playing God in other people’s lives. So, back to the Scriptural theme of this series – Isaiah 6:1-8.: behholding God’s majesty and holiness. Seeing our “woe is me.” Repentance. Cleansing. Ready for service. Next post will focus on what we tend to do rather than repent.

Who me? - 2

Grandson Dominick sits by a stack of Idaho potatoes in Orlando restaurant.

Continuing a series on "Healthy Self-examination": we have a tendency to resist seeing that about ourselves which is impeding God's working deep growth within ourselves. Our natural tendency is to cover the ungodliness within by living in darkness. John describes it in
John 3:19-21 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil."

Crime is more rampant in the evening hours. Darkness cloaks its activities. Men love darkness .... How would your personalize these thoughts? Are you one with very little self examination; too much or morbid introspection; or an adequate self perception. One way to answer this is to ask someone close to you how they perceive you.

THE BEGINNINGS OF DARKNESS DWELLING
Adam and Eve started this darkness\denial process, covering themselves with fig leaves and hiding behind a tree. They set a pattern that we all tend to follow. We'd rather camouflage the sin within, live in darkness and not face ourselves or God.

Denial is more comfortable. Looking inward can be painful. Even depressing. Why bother to examine oneself if it just leads to greater awareness of selfishness, pride, resentment or unbelievable sorrow.

Yet, if that awareness shows us dysfunctional thinking or behavior, and gives us a greater thirst for God's answers, then the temporary pain of looking inward brings ultimate payoff. A quiet growth in grace and character. A cleaning out of the garbage within. A greater freedom, peace, joy, contentment, wholeness. A more healthy self perception. Praise the Lord. That is what is available to us as Christians.

But it begins with gazing at God sufficiently (Isaiah 6:1-4) to see what is within ourselves that is not of God and needs change. Consistent time in God's Word and asking God to illuminate our minds is of utmost importance. When we begin to look inward there still is a tendency to want to escape what we’re observing about ourselves. One or more of four avenues are taken. We'll begin our next post at this point.

Who, Me? Healthy self examination

World's Greatest Wife in Cozumel
Being with a dear friend recently is prompting these next few posts. He is a very bright young man who desires to be a strong Christian. Studies Scripture consistently. Does a wonderful job of teaching But doesn't want to hear anything negative about himself - from his wife or anyone else. He doesn't want to face his inner baggage ( that we all have). Consequently his selfishness and rudeness based in some deep childhood challenges is hurting his family deeply.

He's not one to pray Psalm 139: 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Search me O God – not excessive naval gazing introspection but allowing God to search us. Being open and available for His inspection. The results coming from the HOly SPirit directly or from someone that God chooses to use as His messengere.

Isaiah chapter 6 has always been a great challenge for me. The first four verses depict the grand awesomeness of God. 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“I saw the Lord,” said Isaiah. He pictures the awesome majesty of God. Then, verse 5.
"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live
among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

In some fashion Isaiah saw God. He observed the holiness of God. His gaze at God's holiness, revealed Isaiah's "unholiness" in contrast. "I am unclean," was his response.

Job had the same experience.
Job 42:5-6 " My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." Basically, both Job and Isaiah are saying "when you indeed see God, you are made aware of the lack of God in your life - your ungodliness." His purity reveals our impurity.
"Oophda," as the Norwegians would say, "I don't know if I want to view God if the result is seeing my inadequacy, my inner garbage." So often that is the life theme we live out. We don't want to look inward.
I’m reminded of John Calvin's challenge: you don't know God if you don't know self and you can’t know yourself without knowing God. And part of knowing self is to see the garbage within that needs purging – the stuff that tears down healthy self perception. That obstructs living the abundant life Jesus promises in John 10:10.

All of us tend not to look inward. We excuse it by saying “I don’t believe in naval gazing.” However, Jeremiah 17:9 tells us: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? My friend Jack, is not open to see the deceitfulness of his heart, hurting himself, his family and his profession.
More tomorrow.

Died – Brought Back

Meet Marco from Canada. It has been a long time since I have seen a person so hungry to increase his walk with God. What a great time we had together discussing God's Word. He studying to be a medical missionary.

Have you ever seen a person die and be brought back to life? Two weeks ago, we were visiting church in Orlando with my daughter and her family – First Baptist. Probably 3000 people in attendance. Shortly after the opening music finished, I notice a commotion in the middle of the sanctuary. I saw a man pounding on the chest of someone lying in a pew. Two doctors were on the man instantly and reported no breathing and no heart beat. Dead!

As the pastor saw what was happening he called the audience to prayer. Have you ever been in a crowd where a large throng was centered in prayer toward one issue? Wow! You could just feel the presence of God moving in the room.

Soon the group dispersed so I figured an ambulance had taken him away. A situation like that has a way of heightening one’s sensitivity to mortality.

At the close of the service the pastor was handed a note. Reading it he said, “Here’s a note from the chaplain of the hospital stating that the gentleman was sitting up and talking." Everyone clapped and cheered.

The following Sunday, the pastor was going through his pre-preaching comments and in so doing walked back to the middle of the sanctuary. He put his arm around a man and said, “this is the man who we prayed for last week. He had had a 100% blockage in one artery, 90% in another and 70% in the third. They inserted stints and he’s not only here today but came early to teach his sunday school class.” The crowd erupted with praise to God for His touch on the man.

The pastor went on to say that a doctor told the man that if he had been in any other place – home, golf course, wherever, he wouldn’t have been saved. And of course everyone laughed at the double meaning of “saved” in the church. What an inspiring experience.

My daughter Gretchen and husband Kevin.

CONNECTION

Theresa and I, two of 2500 people on a 12 story ship three football fields long.

Just got back last night from time with daughter Gretchen and family in Orlando, plus a cruise from Tampa to Grand Cayman to Cozumel and back. It’s good to be back on “terra firma”. The best part of the trip can be described as “connection.”

Connection with Gretchen who brings me so much joy, with her family, with the Herbers and Marco Habib on ship -where mutual ministry took place, and with my wife Theresa – 23 ½ -7 time together.

Connection can be instant these days with laptops and email. What happens if the laptop isn’t charged? I lose connection. What happens if I don’t maintain connection with the above mentioned people? Fellowship and intimacy connection is lost.

Same goes with God. A consistent morning connection with Him is of utmost importance. Through Scripture God pours His Word into my spirit, and I am recharged. It gives me the opportunity to hear the quiet, small voice that directs my steps. If I "get connected" with a morning discipline of solitude with Him, I hear what His choices are for me for the day. That early morning connection allows me to focus on God's purposes, not mine.

As I spend time with God I reconnect with the awareness of His love, grace and mercy, for His empowerment to live above circumstances for that day – to enjoy a day of gratitude and expectancy that God is in control, no matter the circumstances. CONNECTION!

Great to be back.

Prosperity in Afflictions

Os Hillman writes about Prosperity in Afflictions."The second son he named Ephraim and said, 'It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.'" Genesis 41:52

When Joseph was elevated to rule over the Egyptian kingdom, he revealed some profound truths gained from the experiences of his years of adversity. He named his first son, Manasseh for, he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household" (Gen. 41:51b). His second son was named Ephraim because, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

Whenever God takes us through the land of affliction, He will do two things through that affliction: 1) He will bring such healing that we will be able to forget the pain, and 2) He will make us fruitful from the painful experiences.

God does not waste our afflictions if we allow Him the freedom to complete the work in us. His desire is to create virtue that remains during the times of testing so that He can bring us into the place of fruitfulness in the very area of our testing. He has never promised to keep us from entering the valleys of testing, but He has promised to make us fruitful in them. He is the God who turns the Valley of Achor (trouble) into a door of hope (see Hos. 2:15).

If you are in the valley of affliction, now is the time to press into Him. When the time comes to bring you out of this valley, He will heal your memories and bring fruit from this very time.

I'll be back with you after Thanksgiving. Have a great and thankful season...all your life!

God Appoints Suffering - 4

Stephen Saint, son of Nate Saint who was murdered by the Aucas, has this to say about God’s purpose in suffering. People who suffer want people who have suffered to tell them there is hope. They are justifiablly suspicious of people who appear to have lived lives of ease. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the reason that Jesus suffered in every way that we do, while he was here. 1 Peter 2:21 This (your) suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your esample. Follow in his steps.

Saint’s view of suffering:
1. God uses suffering as a punishment.. Various Biblical passages refer to God using adverfsity as punishment. In our desire to see God as a God of love, mercy and grace, we at times forget that He is also a God of justice.

2. The blind man of John 9 was made blind by God to demonstrate His power when the man was healed.

3. James 1:2-4 indicates that suffering can build perseverance and strength of character to those who cooperate with God in their trauma.

4. Humility. God wouldn’t take away Paul’s thorn in the flesh, according to 2 Cor.12:7, to keep Paul from becoming prideful.

It is normal to want to avoid suffering. However life at times is tough. I like the following verse after James 1:2-4. “If you lack wisdom, ask God for it.” In context it appears that God wants to be asked what the value of the suffering is for the person at the time. Is it for character growth? Is it to nurture humility instead of self centered pride? To demonstrate God’s power? Punishment?

If “all things work together for good to those who love God and are committed to Him” then we need to ask Him how the current struggle is a good thing. Sometimes the answer is supremely clear. At other times, obscured. My children had to ask themselves why they lost their mother “prematurely”. The answers haven’t been real clear and the full good of it may never be known. But the point is, when going through a rough time it is best to ask God “how” or “what” instead of “why me, God?”

I personally think that God uses suffering in my life most of all to depend on Him. I tend toward self-sufficiency. But all self-sufficiency can do it produce my best. Where dependency on God produces “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” or, “Glory be to God who by His mighty power at work in me is able to do far more than what I could ask or dream of…”Eph.3:20.

Suffering can make Others Bold

Continuing our series on “God Appoints Suffering for His Servants,” Piper’s third premise is that others can be made bold.

“God uses suffering of his missionaries to awaken others out of their slumbers of indifference and make them bold. When Paul was imprisoned in Rome he wrote of this to the church at Philippi, “Most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Phil. 1:14). If He must, God will use the suffering of his devoted emissaries to make a sleeping church wake up and take risks for God.”

Piper tells of the five lives taken by the Auca Indians. Their wives demonstrated such a source of strength that many were moved to a deepening dedication to God. Scores of books have been written, movies made and speeches given that have produced much missionary zeal in the hearts that have been touched.

The execution of Wycliffe missionary Chet Bitterman by the Columbian guerrilla group M-19 in 1982, unleashed an amazing zeal for the cause of Christ. In the following year of Chet’s death “applications for overseas service with Wycliffe Bible Translators doubled and the trend has continued.”
John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

God Appoints Suffering - 2

Examining John Piper’s works on “Why God Appoints Suffering For His Servants,” his second premise is a stretch. Biblical, but hard to grasp. “Suffering makes your cup increase.”

“By enduring suffering with patience, the reward of our experience of God’s glory in heaven increases.” He cites 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

“Paul is not merely saying that he has a great hope in heaven that enables him to endure suffering. That is true. But here he says that the suffering has an affect on the weight of glory. There seems to be a connection between suffering endured and the degree of glory enjoyed. Of course the glory outstrips the suffering infinitely, as Paul says in Romans 8:18, Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

“Jesus points in the same direction in Matthew 5:11-12 God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.

Piper then quotes a long passage of Jonathan Edwards, summarized by “It will be no damp to the happiness of those who have lower degrees of happinness and glory, that there are others advanced in glory above them: for all shall be perfectly happy, every one shall be perfectly satisfied. Every vessel that is cast into this ocean of happineess is full, though there are some vessels far larger than others; and there shall be no such thing as envy in heaven, but perfect love shall reign through the whole society…”

Piper closes the monologue with, “Thus one of the aims of God in the suffering of the saints is to enlarge their capacity to enjoy His glory both here and in the age to come.”

One of the conundrums of the Christian walk: what is the after-life really like upon death and for eternity? By faith we can say with the song writer, “I don’t know about tomorrow, but I know Who holds my hand.”

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

Why God appoints suffering for His servants is a chapter title in the book “Suffering and the Sovereignty of God,” edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor. It is an interesting Reformed perspective on the topic that I thought might stimulate our thinking.

“Why did God appoint for Paul to suffer so much as the prototype of the frontier missionary? He is sovereign. As every child knows he could toss satan into the pit today if He wanted to and all his terrorizing of the church would be over. But God wills that the mission of the church advance through storm and suffering.”

Piper list six reasons for the Christian to suffer, the first being SUFFERING DEEPENS FAITH AND HOLINESS.
He reminds us that God disciplines his children through suffering producing deeper faith and deeper holiness. Hebrews 12:10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.
Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus experienced the same thing. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered
Clarifying Christ’s role: Heb.4:15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Piper says that the process through which Christ demonstared deeper and deeper obedience was the process of suffering. For us there is not only the need to have our obedience tested and proven deep, but also purified of all remnants of self reliance and entanglement with the world.

Paul describes his own experience in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.

Suffering weans us from the world, sets our hope fully on God alone, and is the primary means of building compassion into the lives of His servants.

I don’t like the process of brokenness that comes from suffering but I sure enjoy the product!
More on suffering in our next post.

God is Love

A week in Kentucky with Ray and Holly and the three granddaughters was great. It is exciting when you see your children growing in the Lord. Holly is due in three weeks with my first Burwick grandson - name to be Barron Olaf. Barron meaning "young warrior" or "noble man" and Olaf meaning "ancestor - five kings of Norway were named Olaf including St. Olaf. So, Barron is going to be a noble young warrior in line for kingship!

While there Barron's sister gave her dad a flu bug which he so kindly passed on to me that, fortunately, hit me as I arrived home. Consequently a bit late on the postings.

AS I approach the year of 70, if there is one thing I'm still learning, it is GOD IS LOVE. I knew that cognitively, but as I look back on life's experiences, hindsight is 20-20. He was always there even in the toughest times. During the trauma, it seemed as if He had gone on vacation. Death of a baby. Death of a wife. Being fired. Stuttering. Parkinson's and more. Looking back God lovingly used all the trauma in my life to fashion the current Ray. I read the following in some forgotten book:

One day C. H. Spurgeon was walking through the English countryside with a friend. As they strolled along, the evangelist noticed a barn with a weather vane on its roof. At the top of the vane were these words: GOD IS LOVE. Spurgeon remarked to his companion that he thought this was a rather inappropriate place for such a message. "Weather vanes are changeable," he said, "but God's love is constant.""I don't agree with you about those words, Charles," replied his friend. "You misunderstood the meaning. That sign is indicating a truth: Regardless of which way the wind blows, God is love."
Even in suffering, the topic of which we'll explore in the next few posts.

Deveoping Self Discipline 4

In concluding our study of self discipline: some more subtle discipline traits can be addressed and incorporated in the growth process. Take pride in accepting responsibility, finish what you start, be on time, keep your word, accept constructive criticism, practice self denial in areas of food, exercise and entertainment, develop a joyful and grateful attitude.

Lastly, the spiritual dimension. Be aware of the spiritual warfare we face in the quest for growth. Study Ephesians 6 to learn how to be victorious in that battle. Also, could we go so far as to say that resisting the Scriptural command to be “self-controlled” is sin. Is a repentant spirit a significant attitude to portray in our quest for building self discipline?

Proverbs 21:5 tells us: Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. The NIV Study Bible elaborates, “Faithful completion of mundane tasks is a great accomplishment. Such work is patiently carried out according to a plan. Diligence does not come naturally to most people. It is to a result of a strong character. Don’t look for quick and easy answers. Be a diligent servant of God.”

Practicing self discipline requires enormous effort, just like breaking any other addiction. Hard work consisting of a strong will and a consistent endeavor eventually produces the rewards of a disciplined life. Just like any other skill learned, the initiation is difficult, but the more it is practiced, the easier it will become. The way of progress in self discipline is neither swift nor easy.

Addicts at times relapse – slipping back into their pattern of escape. If or when this happens to you. Shake it off. Again resist succumbing to the addiction to ease, to instant gratification. You will enjoy the resulting life style that gives you a huge advantage in life.

I would encourage us all to develop the discipline of solitude – spending quality time with God each day in prayer, Bible, journaling, memorizing Scripture, worshipping. The discipline of deepening intimacy with the Father is a stability in life beyond measure, especially during this time of world wide economic upheaval.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

I' check back with you in a week. Will be in Kentucky.

Developing Self Discipline 3

The fifth consideration in developing self discipline: PRIORITIZE. Instead of operating under a week’s schedule, some prefer to function with daily “do-lists.” Getting the more tedious or difficult tasks accomplished first sets the tone for an anticipation of finishing with easier responsibilities. This plan should provide some “down time” for times of relaxation.

May I suggest that much TV viewing is counterproductive to rejuvenation. Keep your entertainment dimension productive, creative and stimulating with a worthwhile hobby, reading a good book, taking a walk, listening to uplifting music, conversing with someone.

Consider also emotional issues regarding self discipline. Do you believe lies about yourself like, “You don’t deserve the success that comes from discipline?” Or, “You’ve never been a disciplined person. You’re wired that way because you are an artistic free style person.”

One person wrote saying, "An exercise I have appreciated involves learning to listen to my inner voice which is really a composite of the voices of my parents, my sister, my teachers, my culture, and my interpretations of those voices. The source of the lies often originate in this arena.
I divide a sheet of paper into three columns. In the first column I write and will rewrite a truth that I want in my life. An example might be: I live my dreams from my authentic heart. In the second column I wait to hear my inner voices responses which might be, you have no heart. Then I write the truth again I live my dreams from my authentic heart. Again in the second column I write the responses like your dreams are stupid. I keep going rewriting the truth and then writing the responses until I uncover the core issue(s) or the voices stop. Then in the third column I will give a truth that counters it, such as Yes, I have a new heart that was given me by Jesus Himself, or my dreams may need tweeking to be more realistic, but I am working on them and my dreams are a wonderful part of me."

The same can be done with self discipline. Lies can be “you won’t be successful so why start," or “I’m like my dad and he was never disciplined, so why should I try?”
I believe the process involves digging deep until the core issue(s) are revealed, put away and truth is faced and implemented.

Another emotional issue that could be thwarting your development of self discipline is “passive aggressiveness.” You might have had a parent who consistently criticized you for not having a disciplined life, producing anger toward that person. Instead of expressing that anger to the parent (and collect more criticism), you bury the anger into the subconscious. So a way to express the anger subtlely is to make them mad by doing the opposite of what they want you to do.

More tomorrow

Devloping Self Discipline - 2

Step #3 in the process of developing the trait of self discipline: SCHEDULING

Sunday night is a good time to plan for the week. Create a grid on a sheet of paper – days of the week across the top, hours of the day down the left side. Insert your activities in the designated spots according to day and time. Build a foundation around these four areas: work, play, relationships and God connection. Call your accountability partner each night for a few seconds, reporting in on the effectiveness of your day’s schedule. Some tweaking of the schedule may be necessary.
The simple reality is that if you don't control your time, everything (and everyone) else will.

The fourth consideration: short term goals. Instead of saying, “Saturday afternoon, I’m cleaning up the garage.” It would be better to plan and hour on the task or have as a goal to work on organizing one portion of the garage. A friend of mine is currently in that process. His comments: “I didn’t think there was instant gratification in self discipline. But I’m finding great satisfaction in getting one corner of my garage cleaned up and looking forward to expanding the area. I’ll soon be able to get my car in here and work on it.” He is finding the short term goal accomplished gives him the satisfaction motivation to continue to the large goal of the entire garage organized and clean.

Do the small things and soon the big things will be conquered.

More on Monday!

Developing Self Discipline

Some thoughts now to those who want to improve their self discipline. To improve their effectiveness in living. To develop the ability to concentrate, focus on goals and consistently stay within parameters they have established for success. To break the addiction to ease.

As difficult as it is to break that addiction and to begin Developing Self Discipline, the person who walks with God has the promise of 2 Timothy 1:6-7 “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

God has given His children a spirit of power, love and self discipline. We are instructed to “fan the flame” – to cause those gifts from God to grow. The process begins with:

1.”Ya gotta wanna.” Own the destructiveness of the addiction. Face the pain of regret. For example, if I don’t break the addiction to ease regarding physical exercise and memorizing Scripture, my mind and body will be affected. In a sense, I’m sinning against my own body and that can affect others close to me.

Many find themselves saying, “But what do I do if even after facing the pain of regret, I still don’t have the motivation to expend the effort to grow in self discipline?” As a follower of Christ, we can go to Him and say, “God, I seemingly can’t muster up the wherewithal to begin this task. Would you empower me to “want to?” Philippians 2:13 tells us that God not only helps us obey but also helps us want to obey. And we pray that long, theological prayer, “HELP! God, I want to be a more effective disciple of yours. HELP."

2. As the process continues, consider having a helper. I’ve never observed a person with low self discipline ever change significantly without an accountability partner. James 5:16 tells us, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

Connect with a person who can shoot straight with you in an encouraging way. “Joe, tomorrow I’m setting as an objective to have 15 minutes in Bible reading and prayer and 15 minutes of a brisk walk.” A quick 30 second reporting in phone call ensues the following night stating the day's results. The process is repeated until a little change is observed which can signal the “reporting in” procedure can be every other night, until connection once a week or once a month is sufficient.

More on the process in tomorrow's post.

Self Discipline - a Balance

One person I interviewed regarding self discipline and addiction added a dimension that was interesting. "As you work on building self discipline," Steve said, "don’t become obsessed with it. Make sure you have moments for luxurious time for yourself."

He also suggested to see Christ’s model of self discipline as directed to two arenas – Christ’s discipline was people oriented not production geared, and was focused on the advancement of The Kingdom.

My experience counseling those who lacked self discipline was that unless they became obsessive about scheduling and structure to begin the growth process, they didn’t make the switch. It seems to break the addiction to ease, one has to obsess on self discipline for a time – say, 30 days – until it becomes the beginnings of a habit. Then back off some and allow oneself to enjoy the luxury of spontaneous time. This regimen may not be a necessity for all people. Starting easy and building up discipline worked for some. But obsession for 30 days is the approach that I’ve observed that brings the quickest change.

Regarding Christ’s motivation for discipline being relational Kingdom building, I must confess that my high discipline score has for most of my life been production oriented for approval and recognition. I suspect there‘ll be a smidgen of that contaminating the rest of my life, but the preponderance of self discipline now is relational oriented. And the results are so much more gratifying – a shift from “see Ray run. See how fast Ray runs.” To “who could benefit from Ray’s love and encouragement today?” Not perfect, but growing in that direction.

Discipline: Parable of the Wise, Foolish Virgins

Matthew 25 :1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

As you read different commentaries on this passage, the interprtations vary. I’d like to add my perspective.I believe the five foolish virgins represent for us the foolishness of lack of self discipline. They were too lazy to prepare their lamps for the responsibility of escorting the bridegroom to his new venue.

Various Christian colleges have bemoaned the fact that their freshmen students are Bible illiterate. They didn’t buy sufficient oil for their lamps. They didn’t discipline their time and themselves to have a consistent time with God in His Word. As christians they were unprepared to face the challenges of leaving home and beginning the stage of adulthood.

When I was in counseling full time, I’d frequently see a client begin a life of self discipline – exercise, consistent time with God, the discipline of bringing negative thoughts into captivity, etc. They were becoming free. A few months after the cessation of counseling, some would return and say, “It’s not working any more. I’m back to the old problems.”
My first question I’d ask them, “How are you doing with a consistent time with God?” Invariably they’d make a statement something like, “I got so busy I just didn’t have time to be in prayer and Bible study.” Like the five foolish virgins, they were unprepared to meet the challenge. Romans 12:2 was no longer in effect. (“Be transformed by the renewing of the mind.)” Their transformation had been aborted because they had stopped renewing the mind. They were living with the pain of regret instead of enjoying life because of the pain of self-discipline.

Life’s two teachers: wisdom and consequences. To achieve wisdom for effective living and dying requires the pain of self discipline. (The five wise virgins.) Rather than wisdom, many choose to live by consequences and experience the pain of regret. The five foolish virgins.) Their addiction to “ease” relegates them to miss out on the blessings of wisdom.

Self Discipline and addiction - 7

To demonstrate a spirit of self discipline in our area, let me share with you an article in the Idaho Press Tribune, 10-13-08, written by Bruce Mason.
“Barak Watson rolls out of bed early, throws on the gear, slips on the socks, ties those shoes and it’s time to start running. Ten miles. Twelve miles. Arms pumping, legs churning. Fifteen miles. Shoes thumping, lungs heaving. Seventeen miles. Chest burning, body screaming ‘uncle.’ Eighteen miles. Now he’s done running.

“Welcome to regimen of the No.1 Class 4A cross country runner in Idaho, who runs as many as 20 miles in one day, 75-80 miles in one week, and enough miles in one month to challenge an automotive vehicle.

And get this, his legs aren’t his best asset. His heart is. Humility. Empathy. Compassion. It’s all instilled inside this homeschooled senior kid whose character is as phenomenal as his first-place finishes.”

His coach labels Barak as one with a Christian heart… a never-quit attitude. Fighting to the end. Grinding with every last ounce of energy.. Pushing. Pushing. The article goes on to give more of his training regimen and prospects for the future.
Watson says, “I’ll ask the Lord if he’ll finish me all the way through.” His coach believes he’ll be able to run with anyone in the country.

The self discipline word that leaps out at me here is the word, “focus.” We’ll be looking at ways to build self discipline later and “focus” will be one aspect.
Go all the way, Barak.

Self Discipline and Addiction - 6

The contributor to yesterday's blog continues.

"I have more questions. When is it feel good time?
Is self discipline a destination or some thing to take with us on the journey of life? Maybe its just a matter of setting short term goals end to end to reach a long term desired outcome. Not looking too far forward, I’m hoping to break down my long term goals into what can be accomplished today.

“Is it as simple as picking up the clothes on my closet floor everyday? Or not putting them there in the first place?
“I’m beginning to see that nothing long term is accomplished without self discipline and that is a continuing part of my drug recovery.
“How can I possess something I know nothing about? It is hell learning something at the age of 50 when I should have learned this when I was 6 or 7.
“I’m going to define self discipline as the ability to enjoy something you must do or don’t want to do because in the end, doing right is a reward in it self. The reward? A life changing for the better – prayer, praise and worship life, home life, love life, work and hobbies all involves some sort of discipline.”

He goes on to say that the book “Richest Man Whoever Lived” says that the root cause of laziness is self-centeredness, conceit, ignorance and irresponsibility.

I like the way this contributor to the blog is wrestling with his addiction to ease. He has broken the hard addiction to meth. Now it’s time for the self discipline to become a habit, rather than the addiction to ease, self gratification.

We’ll be going through steps of correction later.

Self Discipline and addiction - 5

One person emailed yesterday, "Should we really classify everything as an addiction? Why not call it sin??”

Good point. “TO him who knows to do well and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.”
Question: what do you do with sin? Answer: repent. Does that solve the self discipline dilemma? No! If I’m an alcoholic I can repent til I’m blue in the face. But that doesn’t rid me of the addiction to alcohol. Repentance is but the first step in the recovery process. And so with self discipline. If’ I’m addicted to ease, the easy way out, to self gratification, that habit must be aggressively attacked and a plan of action followed. (Which we’ll look at in some upcoming posts.)

One person writes saying, “What lies beyond the curtain of self discipline? A changed life? Or should we be so dramatic? Isn’t it as easy as Nike says, “Just do it.” But why can’t I? Is it fear? Fear of what? A great fear of failure overwhelms me at the onset of any project at which I’m not proficient. It sometimes keeps me from moving forward – except at work where I need to perform. I’ve had a lifetime of failure and don’t want to bring anymore upon myself. Fear of failure is definitely a significant cause for my lack of self discipline.”

He is basically saying, “if I don’t start something, I can’t set myself up for failure. So I'll take the path of ease and not even try.”

He goes on to say, “Do I feel unworthy of experiencing the results of self discipline? Or is it worse? Maybe I’m just lazy.
“No that’s not it. I can and do work hard – very hard. But only when there is a reward at the end - a paycheck or praise from someone.

“Is it low self esteem? Lack of maturity? Both? Maybe my expectations are too high for myself so I don’t attempt to begin. (Fear of failure again?)

“If self discipline is an ongoing thing – never ending. Where is the reward? There just is no instant gratification in self discipline. “Oops! Not always true. I took all day Saturday to clean part of my garage. There is a space for me to move around. That was gratifying. I guess it just wasn’t instant because it took me a few hours to accomplish the partly finished task. I sure felt good about it though."

We’ll wrestle with more of his thoughts tomorrow.