Choosing to Start with Faith
The well-known British philosopher and atheist, Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), was supposedly asked later in his life how he would explain his beliefs if God confronted him after he died. It is said the man quickly replied, “Not enough evidence, God! Not enough evidence.”
I have often wondered how much evidence it would take to convince him, or any atheist, of God’s existence. What kind of proof is necessary to satisfy anybody that there is a personal God? It seems that belief in a deity or some kind of spiritual reality is more a matter of human will than anything else. If I do not want there to be a God, then I am likely to find the means to explain away any “evidence” that might be presented. But, if I do desire a God (of any kind), I am apt to see all kinds of things and happenings as evidence pointing to the likelihood there is a Supreme Spiritual Being and reality outside myself.
The choice of faith makes the difference.
But What Am I Assuming?
The word “faith” often gets a bad rap. It is typically relegated to the ranks of the unthinking, naive, and even disingenuous. Mark Twain, the famous 19th Century American author supposedly said, “Having faith is believing in something you know ain’t true.” Whether or not this was his final conclusion, his statement sums up how many people pass faith off as insensible and even moronic.
Beliefs and faith (or lack of faith) run very closely with what we presuppose — those attitudes of the heart from which the process of belief begins. If I assume that miracles cannot happen (because it offends my intellect), then I will naturally conclude, when reading the Bible, that a good part of it is imaginary and made up. On the other hand, if I assume miracles are possible (because I sense there is much in the world that my little brain cannot understand), I can therefore write off much of atheist Richard Dawkins’ writings as shallow propaganda. My starting point determines the direction I go and where I end up.
Read MoreChoosing to Go Slow
So much of the truth revealed through the scriptures is counterintuitive. At face value it does not make sense. One of the results is that we have to stop, think about it, and go a little deeper. For example:
- To save your life, you must lose it.
- To live, you must die.
- To get, you must give.
- To genuinely love, there are things you must hate.
And there is one that is not explicitly found in the scriptures, but nevertheless is in there:
- To go farther you must go slower.
Yes! In the big picture of life “slow” is good and often the absolute best way to do things.
In our culture, here in the USA, we admire speed and often exalt it as the highest value. If something can be done faster, it’s better.
- Why do some of us push the accelerator to the floor to get to the next traffic light?
- Why are many restaurants rated according to how quickly they deliver food to our tables or to our doors?
- Why do we look for the shortest check-out line?
- Why are computers and phones praised and marketed according to their speed connecting us to the internet?
Go ahead; I bet you can add many more to this list.
Sometimes the preference for swiftness is to save money. Completing a four-year college degree in three years rather than six has strong monetary motivation. But most often the issue is that I just do not like waiting. I want to see things happen sooner rather than later. Waiting is another topic that I have written on more than once (Choosing to Wait). Here I want to talk about how valuing the slowness of a process can enrich our lives and better prepare us for eternity.
Read MoreChoosing to NOT Cheapen God’s Reputation
Online debates typically resolve nothing. And yet they continue and get ever more heated. There was one I saw awhile back that bantered back and forth over whether it was okay to say, “Oh, my God” as an exclamation. The discussion included strong opinions on how wrong it is to exclaim “Jesus Christ” when a person is not referring to Him at all but only expressing emotion. There were multiple references to the 10 Commandments, particularly the third one concerning not taking God’s name in vain. One comment, however, summed up many people’s view: “Let’s not make a big deal of this [taking God’s name in vain]. I’m sure God is secure enough that he can handle mere words that come out of people’s mouths.”
Mere words?
I agree with this comment in that God is secure in Himself, the most secure being in all of existence. But I disagree that the third commandment, which says we should not take God’s name in vain, is not a big deal. Even though the 10 Commandments are found in the Old Testament (Exodus 20), Jesus affirmed every one of them in one way or another. He even added His own commentary to some, making them even stronger. So, a Jesus follower needs to understand the heart behind these commandments because they seem to have been important to Him. Even in the prayer He modeled for us we say, “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed (or holy) be your name.”
Read MoreChoosing My Habits
It was my high school Spanish teacher who challenged an old axiom I had heard all my life.
“Practice makes perfect.”
This little phrase had been a mantra that I had assumed must be in the Bible somewhere because I heard it so much. It was the challenge used to keep me at my piano lessons (which I eventually quit). It promised great results for my plans to become a famous artist (which I gave up on), and pushed me in sports (for which I eventually lost interest). Consistent practice was hard. But it was supposedly the pathway for developing good habits and accomplishing all the things I dreamed about!
Of course, the other side of the coin is true also: practice what you claim to value (even when you don’t feel it). Most good fruit in a person’s life results from good practices established that turn into good habits. Practice matters. We cannot honestly separate what we habitually do from who we are.
My Spanish teacher, however, popped the bubble. She said, “Only perfect practice makes perfect.” Her point, I assume, was that if I practice Spanish without correcting errors of pronunciation or syntax, I’m only reinforcing mistakes and will forever sound like a careless, ignorant Gringo. In other words, mediocre practice produces mediocre results.
It’s Too Hard
She was right, of course. But I took this rebuke to heart in the opposite direction she intended. It didn’t motivate me to study Spanish. Why even try? I knew I was not self-disciplined, and this language thing was not coming naturally. Disciplined practice was suddenly overrated! This thought became a foundation stone for giving up on many other practices for many years to come. “If I can’t do it perfectly, why even try?” But ironically, I was living out her words in a way I didn’t realize.
I was practicing and becoming very proficient in defeatism and making excuses. For a while, though I did not recognize it as such, this was the “disciplined” mindset to which I gave myself. I felt that there was nothing I could do to a standard of perfection. Interestingly, there is a body of psychological studies behind these kinds of mindsets and how habits (good and bad) are formed. It can be quite interesting. . . and spiritual.
Read MoreChoosing to NOT Feel Sorry for Myself
Ever been treated badly? Abandoned? Insulted? Ignored? Forgotten? Replaced? Taken for granted? Or just feel like you never get a break and nothing goes your way?
Join the club!
I have felt the sting (and sometimes the gut-punch) of all these abuses and misfortunes in my lifetime. I have not always responded in the healthiest way: anger, accusation, and resentment have been common. But my favorite go-to for a good part of my life has been the cuddly-soft emotional blanket of self-pity.
The word “pity” comes from a Latin word that means “dutiful respect” or “devotion.” Its roots are closely related to the English word, “piety.” To show pity to others fundamentally refers to “dutifully showing respect” for the pain or suffering of those around us. But when this pity turns inward, we “dutifully” give ALL our attention and energy to the care and comfort of OUR OWN wounds and bruised feelings. The more we indulge in this type of “self-care,” the more it becomes an engrained pattern. We have less time and energy to direct compassion toward others as well as to respond to what God desires to show us.
Read MoreChoosing to Obey
Often, the secret to success with any endeavor is learning the basics of a needed task and trusting the tried-and-true process. I believe this can apply to almost any skill. I remember my dad teaching me to wash a car: always start at the top and work down. That basic idea seems to work well for almost any type of cleaning.
Learning to drive a car at age 16, I thought I was a pro within the first couple days. Practicing regulating my speed and judging braking distance felt too basic after my first week behind the wheel. I was itching for “Indy 500” experiences. However, after nearly running off the road while taking corners, almost rear-ending cars in front of me, and having a head-on collision on a dirt road, I finally adjusted my thinking. Maybe it would be good to master the fundamentals before testing how fast I could drive.
Another example was learning to write. My teachers provided the parameters and rules of composition. Correct spelling, no run-on sentences, organized paragraphs, proper punctuation, etc. But it all felt so restricting. I had story ideas and deep thoughts that I needed to get on a page. My teachers, however, were turning papers back to me with big red question marks next to most the paragraphs. Were they just too slow-witted to recognize brilliance? After a while, it hit me that I needed to learn to write more clearly. And that meant, among other things, applying the rules they were talking about. My ability to express myself grew as I took their directions seriously.
The Disgusting Word
Living within restrictions or boundaries feel unpleasant to most of us. We look for ways to get around them. It is a growing part of our culture to perceive restraints – particularly restrictions that limit self-expression – as wrong, and even, evil. And thus, the word “obey” can send waves of disgust, fear, and instant rebellion through many. Yet, learning to work within rules and instructions are so often the key to success and satisfaction.
When a person’s default is to resist limits or authoritative guidance, he or she has a hard road ahead. Obedience is a skill that when properly applied contributes to success. Sure, there are constraints that need to be challenged, unfair rules that should be discarded. Not all boundaries contribute to flourishing. But many are there to help us flourish. We need to make sure we first understand why there are limits present in the first place before we start blindly disregarding them.
Read MoreChoosing the Process Over the Product
“Christianity doesn’t work.”
I’ve been told this more than once. Someone explains why he’s giving up his faith, and it usually has something to do with him not getting what he feels he needs. Typically, references are made to unanswered prayers; troubling questions without satisfactory answers; doctrines that don’t make sense; and of course, there is always that person or group of people who claim to be Christians and are jerks. He simply does not want to be associated with such ignorance or insensitivity anymore. His position is often summed up with a statement like, “Neither the world nor my life has improved because of Christianity. In fact, it’s made everything worse. So I’m moving on.”
So, what makes something workable and worth sticking with it? I don’t know if it’s a Western thing or just a human thing that leads so many in my culture to judge something or someone according to how everything turns out. It is my tendency. If I have an itchy scalp, the question for the new shampoo I’m purchasing is, does it take the itch away? If it doesn’t work it’s not meeting my felt need, and it’s not good for me. This is how I, and I’m sure most people, judge consumer products.
But is it the right way to look at all of life?
Read MoreChoosing to Give Myself
The word ‘love’ in English is quite pliable. I can say that I love my wife and I love pizza, and most people will not accuse me of reducing my spouse to a mere platter of pepperoni nor looking to marry an Italian meal. The word can refer to a need (a plant “loves” water) or enthusiasm for a particular thing or activity (my son “loves” the Minnesota Vikings). It can also describe a profoundly tender affection for another (I love my children). In addition, it can reference almost every positive feeling between the two extremes. This flexibility, however, can sometimes lull us into not thinking about what we mean when we use the word. For a follower of Jesus, care in what we say we love and particularly in what we do love has important theological, and eternal, implications.
When I talk about the concept of love with others, I like to point out that it is much more than a feeling. It is a type of choice. Most people agree with this in theory but then get a bit uncomfortable when we examine how we apply the term. When we use phrases like “falling in love,” or “falling out of love” there’s no getting around the idea that we’re talking about an emotion that acts independently of our will. It can be here one moment and gone another. Such usage leaves the impression that we are helpless victims to this thing we call love. So much of today’s understanding of relationships (romantic and otherwise) is centered on what we feel about a person at any given moment. All the fluctuation in our feelings can stir up deep insecurity in relationships, not to mention crass cynicism. Love does not seem very stable.
A More Durable Understanding
The biblical presentation of love, however, talks about something more reliable than good and affectionate feelings. How else should we interpret Jesus’ command to “love one another” (John 15:12)? He tells His followers to do it, no qualifications, or exceptions. Most people realize that feelings cannot be commanded to come or go. Instead, feelings tend to follow our beliefs, our choices, and what we focus our attention on. The love Jesus is talking about, therefore, must be something we choose to engage with regardless of what we may or may not feel. It is a matter of obeying Him.
A definition I find helpful for this understanding of love is choosing to give the highest good to another. It is what God does for us and what he tells us to do for others. Sometimes the words that carry the meaning of love the best are I still choose you.
Read MoreChoosing to Resist an Adulterous Heart
The first time I remember contemplating the word “adultery,” I wondered why it was called that. My conclusion, as a child, was that it was a word to describe the many things that adults do. Though I did not understand it, at the time, this homemade etymological explanation made sense to me. The world of adults was still mysterious. It wasn’t till I was a teen that the more specific meaning became clear. The word “adultery” was then replaced with a more contemporary term, “having an affair.”
But opportunities to ponder expressions of the word did not go away. Movies and stories referred to it. I eventually heard of colleagues and friends having extra-marital affairs, occasionally calling it adultery. But my understanding of the meaning had to be expanded when I ran across something Jesus said to those following Him:
“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah’” (Matthew 12:38-39 ESV).
How could an entire generation of people be adulterous?
Recently, I returned to wrestling with this question. The word, used as an adjective in this verse, doesn’t seem to refer to sexual unfaithfulness. So, what’s behind it?
Read MoreChoosing to Not Give Up
After my face was smashed into the sweaty mat several times by a brute bigger than me I changed my mind. That was enough, and I gave up the thought of becoming a wrestler. The high school coach had said he could make me a champion, but one practice was enough. Sure, I was young and wanted to prove my strength and sense of manly confidence. But there was nothing glorious about this. The air in the room was stifling hot with the scent of body odor permeating everything. I walked out of that wrestling room seeing nothing worthwhile in submitting myself to such an abusive workout every day for an entire season.
I look back now and wonder what I could have become if I had believed the coach enough to persevere. A different perspective has taken hold over the years. Wrestling now seems to be a poignant metaphor for life. And the longer I seek to follow Jesus, the more wrestling images come to my mind. But, at the same time, it doesn’t seem right. Shouldn’t my expectations of the Christian life be that of royalty sitting at a table having all that I need or want served on a silver platter? I am a child of the Creator and King of the world after all. I have been given the assurance of ruling with Christ and judging angels!
Uncomfortable and Confused
This seems to be the tension of following Jesus. He came to earth to make me a child of God (John 1:12), and has even said that I will one day share His glory (Romans 8:17). So many promises have been made that reinforce the idea that I am a favored child and should expect nothing less than good gifts from my Heavenly Father (Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1; James 1:17). But then there are promises of sharing in Christ’s sufferings (Philippians 3:10-11). I am called to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), persevere through trials and temptations (Romans 12:12), and remain faithful even if it means an early death (Revelation 2:10).
I am left with two pictures of what I can expect my life to be like as a follower of Jesus, but they stand in tension with each other. It appears that the images of royalty and promises of glory are true. But there is a process of preparation for getting there. There is something that God desires to form in us. And the image of wrestling is an effective metaphor for understanding what that is.
Read More
Choose This Day 