Thinking Christians

One of the great things about real Christianity is that it calls us to sincerely engage our minds and always check out the facts. Unlike those who say that “faith is something that is to be embraced in spite of the truthfulness of the particulars,” the Bible tells us we’d be better off without it if its message is nothing more than inspiriting stories or fables to live by. In referring to the historic basis for New Testament theology 1 Corinthians 15 emphatically asserts that if the accounts of Jesus are not factual then “preaching is useless,” “faith is futile,” the apostles are “liars” and we are a pathetic bunch of deceived people that the rest of the world should “pity” (vv.14-19). If we are going to base our lives and daily decisions on the ministry and teaching of Jesus Christ, then we’d better accept the challenge to be “thinking Christians” who understand that “faith” feels much more like a well-reasoned confidence than an emotional wishful thinking.

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Thankful Always?

First Thessalonians 5:18 requires that Christians “give thanks in all circumstances.” While to some this may seem crazy or at least a strange kind of spiritual masochism, the Bible has good reason for directing us to be grateful even when life hurts. For starters, Christians affirm that God is sovereign has good intentions when he enlists trials and pain in the lives of the children he deeply loves. As we parents interact with our young children (assuming we are humble enough to accept that we are God’s “kids”) we should quickly recognize that pain is often a strategic path to healing, maturity and prosperity in this world. If only our kids could see through their immaturity that the bad tasting medicine, the hassle of homework, or sting of discipline will eventually yield great benefit, then perhaps they, like us, could learn to complain less and even find the strength to be grateful in the face of circumstances that are less than fun.  May God give us the maturity to “give thanks” in good times and bad.

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Family and Warfare

The familial terms like “Father,” “brother” and “sister” which are used in the Bible to describe the Christian experience remind us of the importance of love, devotion and connectedness that ought characterize our congregation. But it is important that we are not led to believe that all our Christian expectations should settle on feelings of cozy, docile family room gatherings. Remember that the Scriptures also utilize balancing analogies for the Christian life which employ terms like “Captain,” “fellow soldiers,” “Master,” “servants” and “athletes.” These images transport our minds and expectations from the family room to the battlefield, the harvest fields and fields of strenuous exertion. Add to that our understanding of the prophetic schedule which promises a future age of rest and reward preceded by the current age of kingdom advancement and struggle with the flesh and the devil. While we all long for the days of relaxing together at the ultimate family reunion, for now we are brothers and sisters fighting to do what is right as we strategically assault the gates of hell with expansion of our Lord’s Church.

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Three Kinds of Prayer

There are three primary settings for biblical prayer which should have priority in our lives. The first is a focused type of scheduled prayer (Mt.6:6). This is the kind where, like Daniel’s three times a day or Jesus’ predawn appointments, we plan to meet with God for a significant session of “pouring out our hearts before the Lord” (Ps.62:8). The second setting for prayer is a team effort. This is when we meet with other Christians in groups to help one another direct our thoughts, intercessions and thanksgivings to God (Ac.12:11). Praying with others allows us to share one another’s burdens (Gal.6:2) and prompts us to express requests and concerns to God that would have never otherwise crossed our minds. A third setting for prayer can take place in your life right now. It is the kind Paul called “praying continually” (1Th.5:17). These are the comments and request that should punctuate our lives as we reach out to our omnipresent God amid all the events and activities of our day (cf. Neh.2:4-5). Let’s make all three a priority as we seek to deepen our relationship and communication with the living God.

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Vindication

The “problem of evil” with which we intellectually grapple and are personally burdened will one day be a distant memory. God will “take his great power and begin to reign” (Rev.11:16). The world’s attempts at society will be set aside as heaven observes with relief: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (v.15). As Isaiah had foreseen God himself will “make the crooked straight” and “the rough places plain” (40:1-5). But in the meantime we are forced to wait for this great day of biblical vindication. Slander, deception and misunderstanding may rule the day but God prompts us to rest assured and not lose heart. Jesus told us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn.16:33). For now, as Peter directed may we “commit ourselves to our faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1Pt.4:19).

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Fleeting Life

Talk about perspective! The lyrics of Psalm 39 boldly prompt the worshipper to consider the brief nature of his or her time here on earth. Verses four and five read: Show me, O Yahweh, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. While that may be a depressing part of the Bible for our youth-idolizing culture, God isn’t trying to make us feel bad, his goal here and elsewhere is to get us to reprioritize our lives and motivate us to invest wisely with the days we have left. Consider the book of Ecclesiastes that reminds us that our short lives are often wasted chasing after things that, in the end, amount to nothing. Today, it is variously reported that the average American lifespan is approximately 75 years. That’s only about 27,394 days. It is enlightening to do the math and see how many days you have already spent and how many days you might expect (but not presume) to have left on this journey. If you do the math, don’t get depressed! Get motivated to make each remaining day count. Let us consciously invest in things that matter for eternity. May this daring perspective drive us to step up and stop waiting to make a difference for Christ!

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Intellectually Engaged

Jesus told us that we are to love God “with all of our mind” (Mt.22:37). Of course, he listed other aspects of our humanity with which we are to love God, but this one (our mind) may seem odd, especially in a day when many people perceive their relationship with God to be an emotional or purely “spiritual” endeavor. If we don’t recognize the responsibility to fully engage our minds as we seek to draw near to God we will surely miss out on what it means to really love God. While his transcendent nature may have several aspects which are “beyond tracing out” it is the “depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God” that call our limited minds to bow in respect and adoration of the inscrutability of our amazing God (Rom.11:33). So whether it’s at a Bible study, in a worship service, or during a prayerful walk in the park, make sure your brain is never checked out as you aspire to connect and commune with our great God.

For more devotionals sermons and resources go to http://www.focalpointministries.org/