It Doesn't Have to be Intentional to Hurt

    Brock has been the easiest of our three kids during their teenage years. He has a good heart and loves his parents and is good to his siblings.
    But as a little tyke, he was more than a handful! He was into everything under the sun, broke all of his toys and a lot of things around the house.
On the rare occasion that he napped, Linda would often quip, “Don’t worry, he’s just recharging.”
    When he was three or so, he was buckled into his car seat next to his sister. All of a sudden we heard this blood-curdling scream from Erica and Brock’s little boy voice, “Lolly Eeah! Lolly Eeah!” (Translated: “Sorry Erica”)
    We don’t know how he did it, but somehow, while still buckled in, he opened the back seat trap door that led to the trunk, pulled the jumper cables into the back seat, and attached one end to Erica’s arm. Hence, the blood-curdling scream.
    It wasn’t malicious. He wasn’t trying to hurt her. But it wasn’t thought through entirely well, either. The poor girl had a jumper cable scar on her arm until she was 15.
    You don’t have to be malicious to hurt other people. But you do have to think carefully about your words and actions to avoid it. Much of the time, we hurt because of carelessness or thoughtlessness. It may not be an intentional injury, but for the injured party, it hurts nonetheless.
    That’s why our words need to be chosen carefully, and our actions and choices must be made with others in mind. If we live without thinking, everyone around us winds up being the recipient of jumper cable like incidences, while we just keep defending ourselves claiming that we meant no ill-will. That’s not enough. We need to intentionally do good, encourage one another, and think about our words and actions that affect others before we do and say things we do. Kindness is not something that just happens. It’s something we have to do on purpose.
    “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:29 NLT).

Love Finds a Way

    Larry Swilling loves his wife. They’ve been married for fifty-eight years, and he wants to keep her for as many more as possible. So when he learned that she was having kidney failure (she was born with only one) and would need a transplant soon to stay alive, he was heartbroken. He knew that at her age (76) she wouldn’t be on top of the waiting list. So he decided to take matters into his own
hands, and went out looking for a donor. He made a large sandwich board sign that read, “Need kidney 4 wife”, and wore it walking through town for 15 miles the first day, in 97 degree heat. A couple

of days later, he walked 54 miles wearing the sign. When a local news media team saw him, they stopped and interviewed him and the story went viral. Within a few days, over 2,000 offers came in, but none were O-positive, his wife’s blood type. Until a 41-year-old woman in Virginia Beach read about the story and offered hers.
    Larry’s wife has her kidney and is alive and well, and Larry still has his wife. Do you think Sue Swilling knows that she is loved? I don’t think there is any doubt.
    A couple of things come to mind, not the least of which is the way some guys treat their wives compared to this man. Larry Swilling is a real man. He loves his wife and and is willing to sacrifice for her, not only with his own discomfort, but as a demonstration in front of the world. How far would you go to save your wife’s life? How far would you go to let her know that you love her? Does the way you treat her in the day-to-day lead her to believe that?
    But I saw an even greater message in this story. Larry’s love drove him to the extremes of creativity and personal sacrifice. God’s love for us did so in an even greater way. He devised a way to restore us, and he found a suitable donor in his Son. If Sue Swilling ought to know that she is loved, you and I ought to know that in an even greater way.
    “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
    “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

What To Do About Syria?

    This whole Syria thing is quite the conundrum. Like you, I saw the video images of the mass of innocent people writhing in pain after being exposed to some kind of chemical substance. Our government seems very certain that the chemical attack (and we do know it was an attack from someone) originated from Bashar al-Assad and his regime. Of course, Assad denies it was him and blames the Syrian rebels (those who were killed in the attack). It is now estimated that over 110,000  people have died since the civil war began.
    It’s been debated on a national level for years as to how America should respond. After all, we should do the right and noble thing. And wouldn’t it be right to protect innocent civilians? Of course!
    But how? That’s the problem. Most reliable sources estimate that since the civil war began, so many Al Qaeda and other Islamisists (those devoted to making Islam the only political and religious authority) have flooded to the aid of the Syrian rebels that American support could lead to a scenario in that country worse than the way things have been. There have also been documented cases of major war crimes committed on the part of the rebels. And now Russian President Vladimir Putin is claiming that he will send Assad’s regime a missile defense system to protect them from an American retaliation. Who knows what any response on our part could lead to?
    So seriously, how can we help the innocent people in Syria who are being caught in the crossfire (and not just a few of them)?
    I don’t know. I really don’t know. Our government, the United Nations, American allies, none of them know either. We feel like we have to do something, but what? I really don’t know. And by the looks of things, I’m not convinced anyone does.
    Jesus Christ is the only answer.
    In this very dark land, overwhelmingly Muslim, torn apart by war and now devastated with all-out economic collapse, a people who want nothing to do with the only real answer for them, could only be rescued by turning to him.
    And that is happening right now in record numbers. As tens of thousands of refugees are flooding near-by Lebanon, Lebanese Christian churches (where religious liberty is also severely limited) are responding with care like no other group. And their churches are burgeoning with former Syrian Muslims who have been overwhelmed by the love of God being expressed by Christ-followers (the concept of a “loving” God is foreign in pure Islam). Even Lebanese Muslims are taking note of the sincerity of the Christians in their country and many are softening to their message.
    I hate war and everything about it. I hate sickness and disease, hardship and relational turmoil. But this one thing I have learned: In the deepest of darkness, even a little light shines bright. Now, these once tiny lights in Lebanon are brightening the landscape of a very treacherous part of the world. And God is being glorified by every new believer who is embracing him through the faithful witness of those who love Jesus.
    Let’s pray this leads to an avalanche of evangelism in that part of the world!

Like a Band-Aid

    Patience is a virtue and slower is usually more steady. But sometimes, the worst thing you can do is go slow. I learned that the hard way.
    I used to ride my bike everywhere. It was my mode of transportation. I always had a banana seat stingray bike, fashioned after Schwinn’s famed “Apple Crate,” though always a cheaper version.
    I also loved watching motocross on TV and the motorcycle stunts and jumps they used to show on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. My favorite was Evil Knievel. I dreamed of doing jumps like his.
    During spring break one year (I was 7 or 8), I spent the week at my Uncle Ralph’s farm. I brought my bike but found that there were not too many places to ride it. But I did see what appeared to be a perfect bike jump. It was a concrete retaining wall, about four feet high, that held up a slope on one side of the barn.
    I thought that would be the perfect spot for me to learn how to jump my bike. But I had never done anything like it, I’d only seen it done with motorcycles on TV. So for my first attempt, I figured I’d better take it slow. I didn’t want to get hurt!
    You can imagine what happened as I slowly approached that four foot drop-off and my front wheel went down. As soon as I started to go over I thought, “How stupid, you have to do this fast!” I felt so foolish in the middle of the fall that I started laughing while I was going over...I just felt so stupid.
    My uncle caught what I had done out of the corner of his eye, and seeing me laughing, he must’ve thought I was self-sadistic or something, and he ran over to see if I was ok, then yelled at me and took my bike away. He asked, “Did you do that on purpose?” Well, yes, but I didn’t intend for that result!
    That wasn’t my last bike jump, but it was the last one I did slowly. There are some things that are best done quickly, jumping a bike, removing a band-aid, getting used to cold water. Sometimes it's just better to go after it and do it fast.
    That’s how the Bible tells us to deal with sin. Lingering around temptation never works. Trying to slowly back off a habit leads to stronger addiction. Dealing with sin in our lives has to be like a band-aid. There’s a little pain initially, but removing the temptation quickly and replacing the activity immediately is the only way.
    If you are having sex with your girlfriend, you’ve got to stop altogether, cold turkey. You might even need to break off the relationship for a while (after all, you started on the wrong foot anyway). If you are living together and not married, you’ve got to move out. If you’ve been getting drunk, you’ve got to stop drinking altogether. Been getting high? Change your hang-outs and the people you are hanging with. Gossiping? Probably need to change your friends. It’s what we call in the Biblical counseling world, “radical amputation,” a concept we get from Jesus. That’s what he was talking about when he said, “If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off...” (Matthew 18:8 ESV).
    Yes, sometimes it’s better to go slow. But sometimes it’s not. When it comes to habitual sin, there’s too much at stake. Make the change, and do it right away!

Time to Take a Load Off?

     A few years ago in New Zealand, a sheep wandered from his shepherd and hid out in a cave. He managed to live for six years without detection and amazingly, without becoming dinner for a predator. But all during that time, his wool continued to grow. When he was finally discovered after stumbling out of the cave he had been hiding out in, he could barely walk, his wool had become so overgrown.
    In just a half hour, he was rid of the mass of weight that had been burdening him down (60 lbs. of wool, enough to make twenty men’s suits).
    In the article I read, Dave Thomas, head of sheep studies for the University of Wisconsin said that a Merino sheep like Shrek will grow wool indefinitely.
    When God created sheep, he had people in mind. Sheep cannot survive for long without a shepherd. They were created to be cared for.
    And you are no different. Our lives involve the accumulation of multiple burdens, burdens that need the caring shears of a shepherd to offload us. As sheep were created with a shepherd in mind, we were created with the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20) in mind. You and I were created for God, and we cannot live life to its fullest without him.
    I think of Shrek (the name of the sheep) as a wandering Christian. He wandered off to make his own way, and found himself in isolation, danger, and overburdened. It was not until he returned to his shepherd that he was freed, fed and safe.
    Is it time for you to return?
    “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 ESV).

You Are NOT Invited

    Social media has changed a lot of things. Many of us try to fight it, but it is here to stay. And for those under 40, it is the way communication happens. If there is a party, it’s promoted on social media. In a number of circles, even wedding invitations go out online.
    This last week I read about a trend influenced by social media, that has taken a surprising “traditional” turn. Evidently, because so many wedding invitations were going out on Facebook, etc., people were receiving them who were not supposed to be invited. One wedding party had twice the number of intended guests at their reception because some had mistakenly thought they were invited on Facebook.
    So a new trend has now emerged. Couples are actually sending out formal “You Are Not Invited” cards via traditional mail. I’m not kidding. Could you imagine getting a wedding announcement telling you NOT to come? They try to put it as nicely as possible. Here’s one example:

“We’ve had to be pretty brutal in chopping down our guest list. I’m so sad that you won’t be there with us on the day, but we look forward to catching up afterwards!”

    Nice or not, there would be a kind of “sting” of rejection accompanying such a card, no matter how decorative the stock that it is written on is.
    Well, there is a wedding coming up that you can know you will not receive such a notice. In fact, you have been invited, and so have your friends, co-workers and relatives. Jesus is planning a wedding reception in heaven for all those who will join him. It’s called, “The Marriage Feast of The Lamb.” And Jesus wants you there, along with anyone you can bring. Here’s what he said, “Go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see” (Matthew 22:9 NLT).
    Rejection is a reality we have to face in this life. But for the next...eternal life, you need not. Jesus invites you to come. He’s not rejecting you. Please, don’t reject him!

Do You Want to Be Disableld?

    I’ve had a set-back in my running schedule. Pretty big one, actually, as I am currently having to use crutches just to walk around. From running eight miles one day, I am now hobbling around on crutches the next. It was a bit humbling when I stopped in at Sam’s Club and the host tried to get me to take the electric scooter/shopping cart. I refused because I knew that my lovely wife beside me would have a picture of it on Facebook the minute I got on.
    But it’s given me a new appreciation for those with disabilities. I’m so accustomed to good health and mobility that losing it is unnerving. I want to get back running again, but we have some in our church who just want to walk again.
    That’s why it blew me away when I read an article this week of a woman who dreams of becoming a paraplegic. Yes, you could say it’s her life’s goal. Chloe Jennings-White is an able bodied woman who longs to lose the use of her legs. She says that she’s dreamed of becoming a paraplegic since visiting a disabled relative when she was four years old.
    And she’s tried hard to make it happen. She purposely took up extreme sports in hopes of a debilitating accident. She once rode her bike off a ledge, looking for just such an impairment. She was injured, but not badly enough. When she realized that she could have hit her head and died, or broken her neck and lost the use of both legs and arms, she decided to pursue a more controlled means to disability––she sought the help of a surgeon to sever the nerves to her legs. She found one willing to perform the surgery, but doesn't have the $20K necessary for the operation.
    I know...crazy. And that she is. They even have a name for her “psychiatric disorder” describing this bizarre desire. I’m sure all of my friends who would love to be able to walk, wouldn’t mind having a conversation with her.
    But as awful as this sounds, I know a lot of Christians who appear to have a similar inclination. While having been given the freedom of Jesus’ gift of salvation, and called to a life of walking in the Spirit, they continually choose to confine themselves to a spiritual or religious wheelchair, living in and for an iniquitous life in this dark and debilitating world. When we should be climbing mountaintops, many are content to inch themselves up and down wheelchair ramps.
    God has so much more for you! You have been healed! You’ve been raised up! Enjoy God to the fullest and leap for joy for the life he has provided you. Walk in the Spirit! – Galatians 5:16