Nemo and Marlin

As I am writing this, my daughter is fast preparing for tonight's festivities. Tonight is Halloween, and she, like many children around the world, is getting ready to dress up in her favorite character and go out trick or treating. This is one of her favorite holidays because she gets to dress up like her favorite characters. Her first costume was that of an angel. Then she Hannah Montana. Last year, she was a cheetah girl. For those of you without young daughters, that's not an animal, but a TV show. I've been exposed to so much since she was born.

This year, she's going in her karate school uniform. Her mom and I were pretty surprised because she usually wants to get dressed up as one of her characters in one of her shows. We prodded her so much that she said, "OK, I will go as Nemo." Ecstatic that she changed her mind, I said that's great sweetheart. Then she continued, "daddy, you will be Marlin. Mommy can be Coral, aunty Mo will be Dory and uncle Lind will be Nigel." These were all the characters from the movie Finding Nemo, one of her current favorites. Needless to say, she will be going as the karate girl because we couldn't find a Dory costume for her aunt. She probably figured this was the only way to make us stop asking her to change her mind.

A friend recently shared her frustrations about her husband who believes that Halloween is the devil's holiday. He doesn't believe they should celebrate it. My friend says that the problem is, they have three children who love Halloween. What should she do? It seems like they have this argument every year. It brings up and interesting question for us Christians. There are many churches that believe this, that we shouldn't celebrate Halloween because it has pagan roots and seems to celebrate the devil and evil spirits. On the other hand, it has become such a national holiday that to deny our children the opportunity to celebrate is hard on them.

I am reminded of one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Paul said to the Corinthians that "everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial." Our church holds a Jesus Treat, where we encourage kids and families to come out for a night of bible games, food and trick or treating. We think it's a safe environment for the kids to come and enjoy fun and fellowship and also to learn about Jesus.

I don't believe in dressing up my daughter in a devil costume or a ghost costume. But I do believe that we can turn this pagan holiday towards the glory of God by allowing families to come together and fellowship. As long as I don't have to dress up as Marlin.

Making plans

We continued our study of the book of James in our Bible Study last night. This book is so rich and full of life lessons. We have taken a chapter a week. And often times I feel a week is not sufficient to cover each chapter. Tonight we looked at chapter four. James has so many valuable insights that I'll just cover one of them that we had discussed. Perhaps I will cover another one tomorrow.

One of them is life's certainty is its total UNcertainty. James reminds us that 'we do not know what will happen tomorrow.' We often go through life expecting that we'll wake up in the morning. We think we're in the middle of the race or the beginning. But you never know. I shared a few months ago about a soldier here in our community who survived two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan only to come home and die while on a picnic with his family at a lake. God holds all our lives in the palm of His hands and He decides when our race is over.

We love to make plans about our lives. We plan everything. We plan our day. We plan our week. We take long term plans and short term plans. We also set goals way down the line. Again, it's very presumptuous of us to do this because God hasn't promised us tomorrow.

That often leads to disappointment when our plans and dreams don't materialize. James tells us our disappointment is rooted in assuming our plans and dreams will be fulfilled. We think just because WE have prepared and WE are ready, then the plans should fall into place. We sometimes forget to run our plans before God for His approval. In every aspect of our lives, we ought to say, 'If the Lord wills it, we shall live and do this or that.' There's nothing wrong with writing plans. Just make sure you write your plans in pencil, then give God the eraser. Be blessed.

Letting go

I spoke with someone recently who was having trouble forgiving someone from her past. She was still holding on to anger and bitterness towards that person. Her trouble was that she knew that as a Christian she is commanded to "forgive those who have transgressed against her." But it was just too hard. She felt that if she forgave, she was letting her tormentor get away with their actions all over again.

I reminded her of Paul's words to the Ephesians to 'be kind to one another, forgiving each other as God in Christ forgave you.' Paul told the Ephesians that it was essential for their Christian walk to be able to forgive each other. After all, Christ died to forgive all of us.

Forgiveness isn't forgetting, excusing or smoothing over the past. When you forgive someone, it doesn't mean you have to forget the past. It doesn't mean you have to be best friends with that person. Instead, forgiveness breaks the cycle of anger and bitterness.
It is love's toughest work and love's biggest risk. Forgiveness isn't about the person being forgiven. Forgiveness is about the person that was wronged. You aren't letting them off the hook. They will have to answer to God for their actions. To forgive is to set a prisoner free. And that prisoner is you.

Our purpose

Do you sometimes feel burned out? You may want to run the good race and stay on the course, but you often feel beat down by life. I spoke yesterday about my pastor's message about running the good race and staying on the course. One person texted back about being burnt out. They wanted to run for the Lord, but people got in their way. Their spiritual walk was inhibited by people, often people who were fellow Christians.

The words of Zechariah 4:6 may offer some encouragement: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.' We often rely on our own power, our own abilities, our own wisdom. We often elevate ourselves and devalue God. It needs to be said over and over: It's not what we do for the Lord, but what He does THROUGH us that gives purpose to our lives. God has called us to be witnesses for Christ.

God has a plan for each of us. Some He has called to be teachers. Some He has called to be farmers. Some are called to be encouragers, others to be warriors. The secret to contentment is to know what purpose God has called us for. No one calling is more important than another.

So live out your purpose, whether you're a light in the corner or a lighthouse on a hill. Each of us has an important purpose that God wants us to fulfill.

Keep running

Our pastor's message yesterday was about running the good race. He said too often we treat life as a sprint, wanting to speed things up with little patience for delay. He talked about the different stages of life. We go through all the early stages rushing to get to the next one. And before you know it, you're sitting there wondering where all the time went. When you're 14, 16 can't come soon enough so you can get your license. Then it's 18 that can't come soon enough with your freedom. But then he said, when you get to be his age, 58 on Wednesday he reminded the whole congregation, you sit back ask where did all the time go.

He said instead of looking at life as a sprint, we should treat life as a marathon. Its a long journey where there will be peaks and valleys. There will be days when you want to divorce your wife, quit your job and want to move away. He said there will be times when you feel the climb is too steep, when you hit life's bumps. It may be an illness, getting laid off, or a problem your children are going through. There will be times when we have to slow down, crawl if we have to.

But the important thing is to keep running. Keep working on those relationships. And when you feel your breath catching, ask God for a second wind. God always grants us a second wind. And a third, a fourth. How many ever we need. He will constantly renew your strength when you ask. Stay on the course and run the good race. We won't stop running until we stand before our creator and give an accounting for our lives.

Just as you are

A person asked me once what kind of people went to my church. I answered sinners. The person was surprised. I don't think that was the answer they had expected.

There's a story about an artist who wanted to paint homeless people to highlight their struggles. He found the perfect model on the side of the road. He pulled over and asked the man if he could paint him for his project. The homeless man agreed and the artist gave him some money and said to be at his studio tomorrow morning.

The next day the homeless man arrived, all cleaned up with new clothes and his beard shaved. He was, after all, having his portrait drawn. When the artist walked in, he was so disappointed He told the homeless man, "I can't use you now, I need the you from yesterday."

Jesus takes the opposite approach. He asks us to come to Him just as you are, admitting that we're sinners deserving judgement. It's humbling, but it's the only way we can receive the forgiveness that Christ died for on the cross. Jesus didn't die for the righteous, He died for the sinners. If you need to be forgiven and restored to Christ, come to Jesus just as you are. Remember, sinners are the only people that can be saved.

Life's unfair

Our Constitution says that all men are create equal. But experience teaches us that life treats some people better than others. There was a story in the local paper about a drunk driver that hit a car with a woman and her three kids. The woman and two of her kids dies. The drunk driver walked away without a scratch. The woman was on her way to pick up her husband from work.

Some work hard yet remain poor while Paris Hilton seems like everything is handed to her. Why do some people get born rich while others are almost subjected to a life of poverty and struggles. If looking at the circumstances of others makes you resent the unfairness of life, change your focus. Look to Jesus and think of the unfairness He went through. He died for the very people that wanted Barabbas to be freed. He died for the people that had shouted hosanna on Sunday, but crucify Him on Thursday.

Life's unfairness is temporary. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, perfect fairness will be ours to enjoy forever in heaven. Resentment comes from looking at others. Contentment comes from looking at God.