“Read that story again, Mama!” If you have children and read to them, you’ve often heard this. I bet—once upon a time—you even said it. I know I drove my mom crazy, pleading for my favorite stories when I was little.
It seems we never tire of stories that bring us joy and comfort. It’s not that we don’t know the story; we just want to be reminded of it again. Author Samuel Johnson wrote, “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.”I woke today with a deep need for reminding of some specific verses from Psalms 37.
“Do not fret,” the Psalm begins. That’s the feeling I woke with today. At first, I thought I felt angry, but I could think of no object for my anger. It was a nebulous fretfulness, evidence that my heart needed to be unburdened.
Are you fretting? What about? Speak it. Breathe it into the ears of God and let Him bear the burden. It’s His joy to help us obey His commands.
“Trust in the Lord, and do good;dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” (Psaml 37:3). Trust that God cares. Trust that He wants to help you. Trust that He is good, powerful, and full of loving-kindness and tender mercies. These reflections will help us move on to the good works He’s prepared for us.
In my unsettled state of mind, I thought I had failed to pay some bills that were now past due. I have to feed on His faithfulness because I am not always faithful. After confessing my neglect, I went to pay the bills. I discovered I had paid the bills after all. I was less of an airhead than I thought I was. How silly I was to fret!
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Part of delighting in Him is appreciating His will. As we do, His will becomes ours, and He faithfully does His will in and through us. This is why when we “commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:4).
One of the things I’ve fretted over is getting a Bible study I wrote published. I feel like it’s do-or-die. I’ve put it off too long. But my anxiety hints that I’m believing a lie and not trusting God’s timing and His power to bring it to pass or, in this case, press.
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way” (Psalm 37:7).
Ahh—rest—that’s what I need. Rest and patience. I used to think impatience was the opposite of patience until I read Ecclesiastes 7:8, “The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” I’m struggling because I’m proud and want things done on my timetable. Repentance requires me to wait humbly, to wait with a quiet spirit. The truth from this verse I memorized with my granddaughter sums it up best, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.”
Yes, I needed reminding. Thank You, Abba, for reading me these verses from Psalm 37 again!
Jesus tells us if we do things for the praise of men, we have our rewards, but if we do something for His glory, we have eternal rewards. With that in mind, it seems evident that desiring to be praised is carnal. That’s what I would have said a few weeks ago before I had an epiphany.
I love it when the New Year begins with a new understanding of the Lord and how He designs us. Every January, the church I serve celebrates our partners in the gospel (missionaries). Each Sunday, we have a different guest challenge us from the pulpit on some aspect of the Great Commission. This year author Elliot Clark was one of our speakers. Our theme was Counting the Cost, but Elliot challenged us to go beyond the cost and count the reward as he expounded on 2 Corinthians 1:12-14.
In this passage, Paul tells the Corinthian church that in the day of the Lord Jesus, there will be a time of boasting about one another. To put it another way, we’ll have an Atta-Boy party. I’ll thank God for my friend Judy’s faithfulness in sharing the gospel with me. Hopefully someone will thank God for my obedience to write because something I wrote helped them in their faith. But any praise we receive will be for God’s glory, not because we seek recognition from people. God made us in His image, and by His grace, the good works He appoints us to do are praiseworthy.
Later in 2 Corinthians chpater nine, Paul praises their generous giving and tells the Corinthians he thanks God for them. In Romans 13:7 nkjv, Paul writes, “Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (italics mine). Owing honor means more than honoring a position. We honor great writers with Pulitzer prizes. We honor brave soldiers with medals and Super Bowl-winning teams with parades.
It’s appropriate to honor hardworking, faithful people. It’s good to say, “Congratulations on a job well done!” In Hebrews 11 the Word of God praises the righteous works of faithful men and women; that’s why this chapter is known as the Hall of Faith..
The fact that people appreciate receiving thank yous and accolades emanates from the fact that God made us as His image bearers. He takes great joy in our praise of one another.
However, sin corupts every godly quality with a dark side. Take, for instance, perseverance and stubbornness. It’s the same quality; the only difference is whose will you are bent on doing. The only difference between people-pleasing and pleasing God is whose praise you want. Do you want the kind with an expiration date¾the recognition of men? Or would you instead seek God’s glory and receive the praise of God and all His children for all eternity? I know Whose glory I’m aiming for, and it isn’t mine. Or is it?
God praises His children. I want to hear my Heavenly Father say, “Well done, faithful Daughter. Well done!” His glory is our glory.
By the way, thank you for spending time with me here. I hope you find encouraging words of life in what I write. I hope you see the truth of Jesus more clearly. Keep going for His gold!
Before humans wrote—they drew—the quest to express and record thoughts in visual form launched early. The first written languages consisted of symbols, not letters. Early Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts bear witness; the written Chinese language utilizes characters representing words. With over 50,000 characters (an educated Chinese person knows about 8,000), it’s a complicated language entirely based on symbols. Even in an age of prolific literacy, art remains full of symbolism. Symbolism helps us see and learn beyond letters.
Christians have a long history of redeeming symbolism. We tell stories and teach Biblical truth through symbols. The Lord instituted Passover, and the shedding of a spotless lamb’s blood pictured the Messiah’s redemptive work on the cross.
The Apostal Paul in Athens pointed to the monument erected to the unknown God and made the One True God known. Imagine the challenge of teaching illiterate people in ways they can see. Symbolism does that. We use symbols, like the colors in the wordless book, to teach preschoolers.
We use evergreen Christmas trees to teach them about everlasting life.
St. Patric used shamrocks to teach the triune nature of God. He also pointed to an ancient Irish symbol for eternity, the circle (also representative of the sun), and taught the eternal nature of the true Son of God—Jesus—the Light of the World. The early Christians in Ireland redeemed Celtic knots to decorate crosses. They created trinity knots to expand the teaching of good theology.
As St. Patrick’s Day decorations fill our communities this year, let’s be mindful and ready to talk to others about the rich Christian heritage symbolized in so many of them. St. Patrick spent his life in Ireland making disciples; using the decorations around us to do the same seems like a great way to honor him and celebrate the holiday. Let’s redeem a day that has devolved into drunken parties and share the message of salvation with those around us
. “In the knowledge of this faith in the Trinity, and without letting the dangers prevent it, it is right to make known the gift of God and his eternal consolation.” St. Patrick
/(h)yo͞oˈmilədē/ noun: 1. a modest opinion of one’s own importance, 2. an absence of pride or self-assertion, 3. To accept, with gratitude, a cup of coffee when you’d prefer tea (or vice versa. Teri’s 2022 definition), 4. The cup of tea you drink after you’ve acquired the taste for humble pie (Teri’s 2023 definition).
Happy National Be Humble Day!
(celebrated every year on February 22nd)
I confess I suffer from the self-inflicted wounds of pride. I confess my pride injures those around me. That’s why humility may become an annual tea party on my website in February. God loves me and has dished me up slices of humble pie in so many flavors that God’s recipes make Baskin Robins look like a vanilla ice cream shop. And by His grace, I’ve acquired a taste for this painful pastry that most people detest.
Through God’s chastening, patience, and love, I have learned to embrace the things that keep my pride in check. Have you?
The canyon between humility and humiliation spans the distance between Heaven and hell. These two things are polar opposites. Humiliation is the awful feeling of shame and failure. It is God’s great blow to the arrogant (Psalm 119:21). God humiliates the proud. When He does, there are two responses: sparks of anger, self-justification, and retaliation or contrition and repentance, which is God’s preferred result. God humiliates to produce humility.
Humility, on the other hand, reveals the confidence of the righteous. Humility receives correction with gratitude (Proverbs 12:1 & 15:10). It secures a believer in the fact that God works all things—even humiliating things—for our good. It is the confidence that every trial perfects our patience and equips us to serve others more effectively.
Humiliation may lead to humility, but it is not the same thing. To feel humiliated and never humbled creates a living hell for the arrogant and everyone around them.
Humility knows there are no second-class saints; they don’t view other sinners as less than or unworthy of compassion. The humble realize the seed for every sin rests in their soul; like St. Paul, they claim they are the chief of all sinners ( 1 Timothy 1:15). Christ displayed perfect humility when He laid down His life for us (Romans 5:8).
The humble make peace. The humiliated stir up strife with anger (Proverbs 15:18).
Do we feel humbled or humiliated by degrading circumstances or admonishment? Trust me, if you don’t learn to enjoy humble pie, our Father will keep serving you slices in unending flavors. Take these lessons to heart on Be Humble Day. Let’s not eat any more humble pie than we have to.
I love invitations. Last year, I issued many invitations to several events: a girlfriend getaway with my three oldest friends, my book launch party, and Bill’s and my 40th wedding anniversary party. The people who showed up to celebrate with me made these events spectacular. Receiving invitations is equally delightful. I received invitations to several weddings and baby and bridal showers. I bet you enjoy invitations too. We feel included—wanted—when someone invites us to be at an event or even to just go for coffee.
The Lord issues many invitations in Scripture, but one of the most popular we find in the book of Matthew. “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Who hasn’t felt worn out, burdened, or overworked?! If you’ve never felt that way, please, write a book. I want to read your secret. But until that book gets published, let’s learn how to receive this sweet invitation from the Lord.
First, how do we come to Him? By faith (Hebrews 11:6). And not a simple belief in God in general, the demons believe in God and tremble (James 2:19). No rest for them! Look at the last part of Hebrews 11:6, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Do you believe Jesus is God, and He rewards those who seek Him? If not, you need to seek Jesus for salvation. Believe He is the one and only way to God the Father. He says to us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This includes you. If you’ve never trusted Jesus to forgive your sin and give you new life, you can never come to Him for rest or anything else. I pray you will stop right now and ask Jesus to save you.
For those of us who have a relationship with Jesus, how do we enjoy His presence?
As followers of Jesus, we’re encouraged to read our Bibles, pray, attend church, and do Bible study. And while all of that is good advice, it’s easy to reduce our role as a disciple to a to-do list. We check the boxes but often don’t feel connected. Boredom sets in for some. Others become rigid in their practice and legalistic about what a Christian must do. It can also induce guilt if we don’t get our devotions done. Jesus doesn’t want to be put on our to-do list or reduced to disciplines. He calls us into a relationship as His disciple, His friend, and, best of all, His sisters. Devotion to Christ isn’t a 30-minute quiet Bible reading and prayer time. Devotion to God is a new, restful, abundant way of living.
Think about relating to your siblings. Do you share memories with them? Do you have fun and enjoy meals together? Do you disagree with them at times? Did you ever fight? Jesus wants these same interactions with us. He invites us to come to Him as a person. It’s okay to wrestle with God. Jacob did! If religious exercises have burnt you out, His invitation is for you. We cannot reduce friendship to a chore and expect it to be satisfying. That’s what the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time had done and what they expected others to do, earn their way to be with God. But Jesus is inviting us to come to be with Him.
The Lord creates us all differently, with unique spiritual love languages. In his book Sacred Pathways: Developing your Soul’s Path to God, Gary Thomas identifies nine different ways people love God and draw near to him (these are all ways Jesus related to His Father). Here’s a summary:
1. Naturalist: John 6:3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, Mat. 6 Look at the birds of the air, and the flowers of the field. He wants us to pay attention to how He uses nature to illustrate His truth. Do you like going outside to be with God? Do you see your Creator most clearly in creation?
2. Sensate: Consider how God lead Solomon to build the temple. Think about the beautiful sights, sounds, and incense fragrance. We heard Jesus remind us to look. The Bible tells us to taste and see the Lord’s goodness. Jesus at the last supper said this wine is the new covenant; this bread is my body. When you taste good food, do you taste the goodness of God? Do you draw near God when you see beautiful things or hear beautiful music?
3. Traditionalist: Luke 2:41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. Do stained glass, the ritual of communion, and witnessing a baptism transport you into God’s presence?
4.Ascetic: Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed. Do solitude and simplicity provide the best space for you to relate to God?
5. Activist: Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, “It is written my house shall be a house of prayer, and you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Do you sense God’s delight as you stand in a protest for the right to life or against racism? Do God’s justice, and a desire for justice energize you?
6.Caregiver: John the Baptist sent his followers to ask if Jesus was the Messiah. Listen to Jesus’ answer in Mat. 11: 4 – 5, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” And don’t forget the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000. Do you love cooking and cleaning, and serving people in need? Jesus did too!
7.Enthusiast: Luke 19:37-40 reveals Jesus defending the celebration of His deity. In the law God gave to Moses, the Lord created feasts that included loud music, great food, and celebratory worship. Do you love to party with God at Christian concerts and worship services? Do you enjoy celebrating Him by dancing or singing?
8. Contemplatives: Listen to Christ’s prayer in John 17“As You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Can you hear His contemplation of the mystery of the trinity? Do you love just pondering the character of God? His love? His majesty? His power?
9. Intellectual: In Luke 2:46, we find Jesus sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Jesus, the Living Word of God, studied with the rabbis. Do inductive Bible Study and a good exposition of the Bile simulate you to worship?
This list is not exhaustive. God is infinite, and as a result, we experience His presence in many ways. Rest in how He created you to enjoy being with Him. Maybe you prefer singing Scripture to reading it or meditating deeply on a tiny phrase rather than reading large portions. Variety is vital in every good relationship, and our relationship with God is no different. Meet with Him in various ways at different times. But do come to Him!
What does He invite us to? Rest! Yes, but what kind of rest? For years I’d come to this promise and stop at the end of Matthew 11:28 and beg the Lord to let me sleep or nap or stop spinning plates. Then I wondered why He didn’t seem to be listening to me. I’d ask, not receive, and wonder if God was a promise keeper. But I discovered the problem wasn’t God. He didn’t give a faulty invitation. The problem was me. As James puts it (James 4:3), I was asking amiss. I coveted my concept of rest, but that’s not what Jesus offers.
Jesus offers us a paradox, a holy mystery of abundant living. Listen, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29 – 30). He wants us to rest while we work. To learn to be gentle as we work, not stressed out and impatient (which I so often was and at times still am). Harshness results from hurry. I once heard a Bible scholar say the one word he believes best describes Jesus is unhurried. Are you unhurried?
Unhurried is unworried. When we’re anxious, we’re not resting. Jesus never worried about time. Jairus’s daughter was dying or dead, but instead of rushing off to Jiarus’ house, Jesus stopped to assure a critically ill woman that her faith made her well, not the hem of His robe. She came to Him weary, spent, and completely depleted, but she reached out to touch Him and found rest and restoration. She met the person who took the time to know her personally. Wow! And then Jesus strolled to Jiarus’ to raise his daughter from the dead. No matter how long God seems to take, He is never too late. Can you settle your heart on that reality and learn to work at His pace, not yours? That’s what He’s inviting us to, His “unforced rhythm of grace” (as it’s paraphrased in the Message Bible).
I’m learning to come to Jesus in more ways and more often than just once a day. I’m learning to listen for His still, small voice and feel the rhythm of Him walking beside me as His easy yoke embraces me to work with Him. I’m being His child and walking with Him. As I do, I’m finding the rest I craved for so long. I’m being His child and walking with Him.
I know this blog is long, but I trust that if you read it unhurried, you will discover and receive the fantastic offer Jesus sets before us every moment of every day!
Two days ago, my husband and I marked the forty-year milestone in our marriage—a ruby anniversary. That’s right; the 40th anniversary is the ruby anniversary. I wonder if that makes me a real-life Proverbs 31 woman. After forty years of marriage, am I worth more than rubies? Our anniversary celebration brought back bitter-sweet memories of planning a surprise party for my parents’ 40th in 2000, twenty-three years ago.
My parents, David and Janet Donaldson, May 2000.
I’m so thankful God put it on my heart to do this for them. I called all their friends and relatives from across the country and invited everyone. I asked those who couldn’t come to please send a card. My folks had no idea what I’d been up to. The looks on their faces were priceless. My parents never celebrated a 50th. My dad passed away six years later at the age of 67. So young!
My husband turned 67 a few months ago. We realize life comes with no guarantees, so we threw a big ruby bash with a 1940s ruby slipper vibe. We’ve spent the last decade living in Kansas, and no doubt my “red shoes encouraged, but not required” personal comment to family members and a few friends met Dorothy’s approval.
My middle daughter gifted me with a stunning, custom-designed red satin dress. I had been looking online for a new affordable dress, and she said, “No, Mom. It’s like a second wedding dress. I want it to be special.”
More remarkable than her expensive present was the clean feeling of fidelity my husband and I share. I did not wear white to our wedding forty years ago because the chastity it symbolizes was not mine to give. I didn’t come to Jesus as a virgin and would not misrepresent myself in a covenant ceremony. By God’s grace, I am a chaste bride.
Celebrating our 25th anniversary, I wore a white and silver top. All of our children were single in 2008.
While wearing this “second wedding dress” brings me joy, honesty brings me even greater pleasure. My husband and I speak honestly and openly about our sexual relationship. It was not always that way. We both carried baggage into our marital bed; most people do. Even virgins can struggle to find or give marital pleasure to one another. If only we were honest! We could learn to cry and pray with our spouses as we work out these difficulties. Bill and I learned to do that, and you can too!
Celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary in forties fashion!
Then there’s the joy of holiness. Chaste couples enjoy the pleasure of worship in their marriage bed. God intended sexual intimacy between a husband and wife to culminate in fireworks and out-of-body ecstasy. It may not happen every time, but when it does, my hubby and I are not the only ones saying, “That was good!” The Lord declares, “It is good,” too.
Intimacy creates a safe place to find joy. To share yourself, and expose yourself unashamed with the only person you trust implicitly for a lifetime, satisfies a soul more than the world’s cheap imitation.
Our bodies change over time; we will never be as firm and attractive as we were in our 20s and 30s. Fidelity develops a more profound attraction over time. The covenant commitment makes wrinkles appear softer, flab appear firmer, and even sag seems sumptuous. Fidelity in lifelong matrimony is magic, sheer miraculous joy!
Bill and Teri with their youngest two grandbabies.
Let’s keep our vows. Let’s live in the joy of fidelity God intends for us. It’s not easy, and sometimes we need help. Bill and I sought counseling when we sometimes struggled to be mutually satisfied in our marriage bed.
If you are struggling in your marriage, seek godly Biblical counseling. Let someone help you and your husband learn to enjoy what God intended for your pleasure. And if you or your spouse have violated your covenant through adultery, don’t despair. I repeat. Do. Not. Despair! Our God provides forgiveness and restoration. He pursues His unfaithful bride. The Lord even called the prophet Hosea to marry the prostitute, Gomer, to illustrate His unfailing love and forgiveness. By God’s grace, He restores even the most hopeless relationships and helps us forgive sins that seem unforgivable.
It is a new year. Let’s celebrate with a renewed commitment to fidelity.
If you’re struggling and want me to pray confidentially for you, please email me at [email protected].
Lord, let the wonder of Your unfailing love shine into a world that desperately needs to understand the joys of staying married. Let our marriages reflect the beauty of our covenant-keeping Savior.
I remember my grandpa reading through the Bible at dinner time. “And So and So begot Whose It, and Whose It begot What’s His Name . . .” His idle attempt to read the text without pronouncing names made us chuckle. But as a mature believer, I’ve discovered a gold mine in these genealogies. The Gospel of Mathew begins with the ancestry of Jesus.
I delight in reading and reflecting on this portion of Scripture at Christmas time. In the first five verses, three of Jesus’ “mothers” are named: Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. Through these women, God built the household of King David and our Savior. Their stories remind us not everyone is born into a family of faith. Their lives reveal God’s redemption—bringing them into Christ. Their testimonies encourage us, as God’s people, to be mindful of our relationships with the lost.
Tamar ~ neglected by God’s people
Tamar experienced the neglect of God’s chosen people. Judah failed to give his twice-widowed daughter-in-law in marriage to his third son. Judah blamed Tamar for the death of his two older sons. He feared that his third son would die too if he gave her to him as a wife. He failed to keep his promise to care for her. However, God did not fail her.
Tamar knew justice required Judah to give her a son. Tamar understood what Judah owed her and took bold measures to secure her future. God honored her risqué attempt to raise an heir to Judah. The Lord vindicated Tamar with twins—a replacement for both of Judah’s boys.
Consider your present circumstances. As God’s child, are you neglecting to keep a promise you’ve made as Judah did? If so, this is the perfect time to repent and give what you promised. Is God waiting for you to take a bold step of faith like Tamar and claim His promises? Do! God will bless your effort.
Rahab ~ walled off from God’s people
Next, we find Rahab, a pagan prostitute, separated from God’s people by the walls of Jericho. The Lord loved her and sent two spies from Israel to her. She trusted God and sheltered them. As a result, Rahab received the security of a promise kept. By faith, she tied a red thread to her window as the spies instructed her to do. The scarlet strand signaled Israel’s armies to spare her and those under her roof.
Have we ventured far enough into enemy territory to bring in those walled off by the world? Let’s be willing to share the good news of Jesus’s first advent with those held captive behind the gates of Hell.
Ruth ~ estranged from God’s people
After Rahab, we come to Ruth. She originated in Moab. Moab began as the descendants of “righteous” Lot, but by the time Israel came into the Promised land, the Moabites had forgotten their relationship with Abraham. These people were estranged from each other.
The Moabites refused to feed their hungry relatives. Ironically, Naomi’s family went looking for bread in Moab during a famine in Israel. After Naomi’s husband died, her sons married Moabite women. Ruth became her daughter-in-law. Then Ruth’s husband dies. Ruth (whose name means friend) commits to caring for Naomi. Naomi needed Ruth’s friendship, and Ruth needed to return to the blessings of God’s people. Naomi (whose name means pleasant) attracted Ruth to return to Israel. Does our countenance attract those turned off by the church? Ruth was faithful to her family. Are we devoted to our church family by caring for each of them?
I’m thankful the Lord pieced these women into His family. It reminds me that when I was lost, Jesus brought me in too!
As we read through the genealogy of Jesus’s female ancestors, may God inspire us with their examples this Christmas. Let’s pay attention to the neglected, walled-off, and estranged souls around us. Let’s remember why God sent His Son into the world this Christmas. Like God, let’s intentionally bring outsiders into our celebrations.
“And Jesus said to him, “. . . the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:9 – 10
The love we give to others, the influence for good we have in another’s life, and the deep, meaningful friendships we make by investing and taking an interest in people; this is the wealth I want to accumulate. It means I must be aware of the people around me and learn to anticipate their needs. It means I need to make an effort to remember names. It amazes me how a stranger serving me responds with delight when I read their name tag and address them by name. We all long for appreciation as an individual who matters. When we choose to learn someone’s name, it speaks volumes to them. I discovered this when Bill and I came to Grace Baptist Church.
Before moving to Kansas, I got a copy of the church’s picture directory and began studying it. I looked at the faces of people I’d never met and prayed for each one by name. The Lord blessed that effort. Over and over again, different members of Grace shared their surprise at how quickly Bill and I remembered their names. They were impressed with how many other people we remembered and knew. All I can say is that I made a small effort, but God multiplied the results. He gets the glory!
God reveals His heart for people by knowing the number of hairs on our heads and knitting each one of us in our mother’s womb. By declaring us His image-bearers, He valued people above all other created beings. The Lord deems us worthy of a priceless redemption bought by the blood of Christ. He paid top dollar for broken merchandise. Now, if that doesn’t make us feel loved, nothing will. And if that doesn’t motivate us to see the value of others, nothing else can. Since God finds people that worthwhile, shouldn’t we? Simple practices like remembering birthdays, favorite colors, and food preferences honor people. Understanding their goals, sorrows, and fears reveals how much we value them. Relationships—thriving, loving relationships—make us truly wealthy.
Let’s grow grand in our relationships by accumulating friends and investing in people. Let’s not be misers when it comes to being generous with people. Let’s get really rich!
Comparisons spill out when we welcome a new family member. “Look, she has her mama’s eyes.” “I see her daddy’s dimpled cheeks.” “She has Aunt Jenny’s red hair.” We search those precious newborns for family resemblance. We. Just. Do.
Last year my oldest daughter gave birth to her fifth; my youngest daughter welcomed her first. Yeah! Two new grandbabies for me! The babies were born three weeks apart. Both baby girls weighed the same. Dark hair covered both heads, and both babies have a raspberry birthmark on their backsides (not the same spot but the same size). I call them identical cousins, but they aren’t.
They differ in several ways: eye color, activity level, even their reaction to a dirty diaper. God wove these similarities and differences into my granddaughters just as He does the whole human family.
Back in the ‘90s, I watched Arsenio Hall’s T.V. show. His facial expressions and jawline mesmerized me because these features reminded me of a friend from high school. Yet, Arsenio is African-American, and my friend descended from Irish stock. Despite their contrasting hair and skin tones, their similar facial features reveal their connection. Physical similarities that ignore geopolitical boundaries confirm our sacred union as one human family. We all bleed red. We all need love. We all descended from Adam.
God creates each of us in His image. Reflecting His multi-faceted majesty requires infinite diversity; hence, human diversity is divine. God diversified languages to force people to populate the whole world.
God’s judgment at Babel drove people to migrate across the globe (Genesis 11). Different weather conditions and food supplies began to shape different cultures. Adaptation transformed the physical features of people in varying regions. Unfortunately, humanity is a sinful race.
We constructed class and racial systems to claim superiority and oppress other people groups. We deny the truth with these false contrivances; God created all people in His image. The grievous sins of classism, racism and ethnic supremacy grieve God. Jesus calls us out of that darkness.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:38
In the proceeding passage, Paul acknowledges our differences and establishes our value. No one is less than human in Jesus’s eyes.
As followers of Christ, we witness God drawing people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. But do we embrace the diversity of those cultures? Pastor Irwyn L. Ince Jr. shows us how it’s done in his brilliant book The Beautiful Community.
I traveled through Ethiopia, visiting churches. A remarkable transformation in their worship occurred when a Marxist regime expelled foreign missionaries in the ‘70s. Without the influence of westerners, the Ethiopian churches cultivated their own style of worship.
I enjoyed listening to drums and the lilting of women praising God. The women often keep time with the music by stomping their feet and rocking their hands back and forth as though they held precious truths. I felt compelled with joy to join in the lilting during one service. Dark, smiling faces turned toward me. They had never heard a white woman lilt, but they seemed pleased that I did. By embracing their form of worship, I embraced them. With their smiles, they welcomed me.
“In order to be in community, we have to experience belonging, a sense of being at home.” Irwyn L. Ince Jr. The beautiful Community (page 84). My Ethiopian brothers and sisters made me feel at home.
How well do we welcome minorities in our local churches? “It is the church’s job to find ways to affirm the full humanity–the royal dignity–of all people, especially those others are inclined to despise.” (Irwyn L. Ince Jr.). Let’s be mindful to include, rather than ignore, minorities in our midst. We need to be mindful of what Pastor Ince calls “minority fatigue.” Let’s love minorities by extending hospitality; let’s show interest in them by asking about their culture. By reaching out, we set the stage for a beautiful community—a foretaste of Christ’s coming Kingdom.
Have you ever tried soothing an overtired infant? The baby struggles to keep her eyes open for fear she’ll miss some new delight. Big yawns interrupt her fussing, but she refuses to rest her head on your shoulder—experienced moms know when children reach an overtired state. Ironically, we often fail to spot the clues in ourselves.
Realize the need.
Everyone needs rest, not just children. How I wish someone would make me take a nap when I get cranky. But when we’ve reached a grumpy state, it’s because we failed to sufficiently ahead of time.
God knew the people He made in His image were prone to God-complexes. We insist that we don’t need breaks. We’re so proud at times, thinking our families and jobs won’t function without us. Tired people inflict more damage than good to themselves and those they serve. So, God wove rest into the rhythm of time from the first word He spoke, “Let there be light.”
Embrace God’s rhythms.
Creation commenced from the rhythm of light and darkness—a time to rest and work. While the Bible is silent in recommended hours of sleep, the design of days beginning with night indicates a good day starts with good sleep.
“It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:2
Sound sleep is a gift from God (I hear the chorus of moms with newborns shouting, “Amen!”). But how often do we sacrifice sleep for entertainment or stay up way too late or rise excessively early to squeeze in more work—work that exceeds the blessed boundary of a healthy bedtime. We feel guilty about what we don’t get done and covet more hours in a day than God appointed. After all, we should not be lazy. Yet, isn’t a lack of submission to our God-ordained limitations similar? Both emanate from a lack of self-control. God requires diligence in work and rest.
Not only did God inject rest as a daily routine, but He also instituted a weekly day of rest. He calls it Sabbath—a time to cease usual chores and reflect on the One Who made us. A weekly Sabbath sustains good living. Whether it’s Saturday or Sunday isn’t the point. The point is one day a week of rest refreshes people. And one day of worship puts God on the throne and us in our proper place.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Set time apart.
A day set aside to rest in the Lord reminds us to abide, live, in His power.
God even designated seasons of rest in Israel’s annual feast calendar: extra sabbath days as part of the feasts, the seventh month, the seventh year, and the Jubilee. Israel ignored these blessed seasons of rest, and the Lord sent them into exile for their disobedience.
“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.But you would not,” Isaiah 30:15
Trust God for extended breaks.
Taking extended breaks helps everyone. We need vacations and holidays off. We might even need an extended leave of absence to rest and recuperate. Illness and demanding jobs suck the life out of us. Resting restores us.
I’m grateful for churches we’ve served that saw the value of allowing my husband (the pastor) to have sabbaticals, seasons of rest from the daily harness of pastoral ministry. We just came off a three-month sabbatical (It ended January 31). This break allowed my husband to convert his doctoral dissertation into a book. It also freed us to settle his parent’s estate and enjoy extended family visits over the holidays. We were able to see both of our new granddaughters. Our sabbatical was busy and full but full of different responsibilities. It allowed us to return to church ministry restored by the change of pace.
In the busy years of childrearing, my sweet husband saw the toll this work took on me. Once or twice a year, he made sure I got away alone for refreshment. At this point, I know some of you are thinking, “that’s nice for you, but I can’t do that.”
Really?! If God wants you to have rest, He will supply it. When God is willing, He makes a way. Trust Him to provide the rest you need. Israel failed to enjoy God’s sabbaths and their disobedience lead not only to exhaustion but defeat, and exile. Let’s not make the same mistake.
As God’s daughters, let’s learn to work from overflow not overwhelmed. Let’s learn to rest.
