Why Be Good?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10

What good works have you done this day?

       How about this week...?

Many people perceive Christianity as a list of rules, particularly a list of "thou shalt nots". Sadly, even many Christians seem to, in a more pious way, embrace this same perception as those outside the church do. Some, maybe a majority of, professing Christians seem to think that if we avoid doing anything evil, then that makes us good Christians. We should be fine, that should be enough - if we can just steer clear of the "thou shalt nots".

No WONDER the rest of the world thinks that's what Christianity is about. That's what we LIVE like it's about!

One of my favorite pastimes is Dungeons & Dragons, a fantasy storytelling game. In that game, each character has an alignment that determines their personality, and one aspect of that alignment is where they stand on the spectrum between good and evil. There are three options: Good...Neutral...Evil. If even the designers of a secular game can see the obvious truth that "not being evil" does not necessarily make a person "good", then why do we as Christians assume that we can just try to not be evil and that's good enough to call ourselves followers of Christ?

Throughout scripture, we are called, encouraged, and even commanded to DO GOOD. The verse above is a perfect example, but consider these, as well:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16

      - If we don't do good works, works that cause men to glorify God, we are not obeying the direct instructions of Christ. We are not doing what He SAID.

Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? - John 10:32

       - If we don't do good works, then we are not following what Jesus DID, either.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works - Hebrews 10:24

        - If we don't do good works, then we deprive other Christians of an example of how they should do good works. 

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold , glorify God in the day of visitation. - I Peter 2:12

         - If we don't do good works, we also deprive non-Christians of their opportunity to see and to glorify God.

The book of James tells us twice that faith without works is dead. (James 2:17 and James 2:20) What good is a dead faith? We are not, and never could be, saved by works. But works are the evidence that we are saved. 

Clearly, the Christian life was never meant to be lived coasting along in some easy state of just-good-enough or simply-not-being-evil. We are supposed to be doing good works on a daily basis. Most of the rest of our non-believing neighbors shoot for (and usually hit) the target of "don't do anything overtly evil or grossly immoral". We need do to better than that. 

When people look at us, they need to see us being actively, peculiarly, unreasonably GOOD.

Light in the Darkness

And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
-John 1:5

Think about light...and darkness. Even a tiny, tiny light looks bright if we're in total darkness. Even the strike of a tiny match can look bright against a backdrop of dark. So how is it that the darkness that pervades this world didn't comprehend the Light when He arrived?

I think the answer lies in the nature of that darkness. Satan is behind the darkness in the present world. And the idea that God would Himself come to earth not as a King or a Judge but in the form of a tiny baby would be totally incomprehensible to Satan. Satan's sin was, originally in the first place, deciding that he would be like God. He wanted the glory, the worship, and the praise that belongs only to the Creator, not to any created being. The idea that God the Son would set aside, for awhile, that very glory and venture to earth in a humble form, acting out of love for His creations probably never even occurred to Satan even as a remotest possibility. It would be a completely foreign concept to him.

So the darkness did not comprehend the Light that came to earth in the form of a man. Fully God...but fully man, as well. An act of love like that was so unusual and inexplicable that it took the kingdom of darkness completely by surprise.

As followers of Jesus, we ought to be imitating Him and the way He came to earth. Obviously, we don't imitate the actual act of incarnation. But we ought to act...out of love...in ways that are so surprising that the dark is taken off guard. When we pour out the love of Christ on other people and seek to do His will, it ought to make us act in ways that leave the powers of darkness reeling with confusion. In addition, forgiveness, love, and compassion exhibited in situations that logically call for anger, strife, and indignation should leave unbelievers scratching their heads and wondering, "Where did that come from?"

The darkness shouldn't be able to comprehend some of the actions the we take if we are walking in His light.

Unfortunately, often the darkness doesn't comprehend our actions, but it's for an entirely different reason. Sometimes, the darkness doesn't comprehend our actions because it doesn't even notice our actions. If we as Christians look, act, and behave like everyone else around us, then the darkness isn't going to notice us at all. Darkness inside of darkness doesn't show up at all. If we watch the same movies, go to he same places, indulge in the same pleasures, have the same pass-times, and generally act in the same manner as non-believers, then we look just like the rest of the darkness.

We shouldn't completely cut ourselves off from the world and live in seclusion because then we won't reach anyone with the message of God's love for them. Honestly, though, that's not a problem for most of us. Most of us are very in tune with the world, and it's past time for us to quit living so in tune with the world that we're not just in tune...we're playing the exact same notes.

NOW I Believe

And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

Picture by George Hodan from PublicDomanPictures.net.

I Kings 17:24

As you read the verse above, realize that the woman speaking to Elijah was a widow and had only one living relative that we know of: her son. And that son had just died and been raised from the dead by the prayer of Elijah. And so she tells Elijah "NOW I know that you are a man of God".

This seems like a very reasonable response on her part...until we consider what has happened in this chapter, of which this is the very last verse. In this chapter, the widow, her son, and their house-guest, Elijah had been living for many days, in the midst of a drought and resultant famine, on a bit of food that was only enough for one small supper. The widow had been preparing to make this tiny bit of meal and oil into a last meal for her and her son when Elijah arrived, and since his arrival, they'd made that same bit of meal and oil into cake...after cake...after cake and had been sustained on one meal's worth of food for "many days".

So, why hadn't she said, "NOW I know"...days ago?!?

Is it because she was stubborn, just like we are? What does it take for us to finally get around to saying now I believe God will do what He says He will? Is it because we are waiting for some huge sign...and overlooking the many blessings God has given us? How long do we persist in a sin that we know is wrong until we finally repent and do what God is leading us to do?  Are we waiting for some miraculous revelation to use personally...when the instruction He has given us is already clearly addressed in His Word?

We should consider, as we are being stubborn about accepting what God is showing us, what the cost might be. The woman in this story was eventually given a sign big enough for her to believe...but look at what she had to go through. She watched her son fall ill and die, and she suffered through that as any mother would.

Would the widow...and her son...have gone through that agony anyway if she had believed at first? Perhaps, or perhaps they only went through it because she kept stubbornly resisting what God was making plain to her, so He gave her a sign she couldn't ignore.  We can't know the answer to that, but what we can know is that if God has revealed something to us that we should first believe and then act on that belief.  There is no advantage to delaying that action. If God has put a calling on our hearts to change our behavior, habits, or character or to take a specific action, then the time to do that is NOW.

As At This Day

Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

I Kings 8:61

 

This verse is part of a beautiful prayer offered by Solomon at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. (If you want to read the entire prayer, it is found in I Kings 8:22-53.) When Solomon prayed these words before the congregation of Israel, they were experiencing a very high spiritual peak. After years of planning, gathering of costly materials, and construction, the Temple was finally ready to be dedicated to its use as a holy place. The Temple itself, made with gold, silver, and brass, was a tangible and physical reminder before them as they listened to Solomon’s prayer.

Solomon took this opportunity to bless the people of Israel by encouraging them to continue following God’s statutes. He knew they would fail to do so, and he knew that at times they would not follow as they should. Just a few words previous, in verse 46, he had said “for there is no man that sinneth not”. He was wise enough to know that it is easy to be faithful, thankful, and resolved to follow God’s statutes when you’re at a high point, celebrating, listening to inspiring words, and surrounded by throngs of other faithful people. His blessing for the people ends with a reminder, a plea to them to follow God when times are tough, when they’re living in a foreign land, when they’re surrounded by people who don’t believe (or even by people who persecute them for believing).

We should learn the same lesson. It’s easy to sing praises if you’re surrounded by believers. It’s easy to say “Amen!” at the end of a beautiful prayer. It’s easy to resolve to break that sinful habit when you’re sitting in a pew being inspired and feeling God’s presence.

But it’s not so easy to praise when your car breaks down on the way to work. It’s not as easy to talk about God when you are surrounded by people who disagree or maybe even mock you. It’s not easy to follow God’s laws when the object of a sinful temptation is right there in front of you instead of being an abstract idea that you’re contemplating overcoming from the spiritual safety of a pew.

We should remember, when we are feeling in the spiritual “mood” in church that faith is not a mood. Faith is shown in daily obedience to God’s statutes, and we shouldn’t check our obedience at the door of the church on the way out. We should keep God’s commandments, even on the dark days, “as at this day…” where “this day” is the mountaintop spiritual high.

Seating Arrangements

But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.
-Luke 14:10

This weekend, our family went to a wedding for my cousin. We arrived half an hour early with three kids in tow, along with three little pants/vest/tie suits for them and dress clothes for my husband and I. Of course, with half an hour, we should have plenty of time to get ready and get seated.

Anyone who has kids just laughed. Seriously? Thirty minutes to get children into Sunday clothes? Not to mention both adults. No matter how spacious the public bathroom, you simply can't accomplish this feat. It's like trying to herd cats to cross a river...nearly impossible.

So, very soon before the service was to start, we had dropped off the two littlest at the nursery and had the grade-schooler in tow. We signed in the guest book. Our eldest was so excited to see a wedding. He'd never been to one before. (Well, not one he was old enough to remember.) And so I was disheartened when one of the ladies near the guest book table asked if we'd head over to a specific side so the crowd would be balanced. And I'm not even sure whether it's the bride or groom's side, but of course we'd be happy to that. But then it hit me...

...we took entirely too long to get ready, arrived too late. And we were not going to be able to see very well. Well, that's how it goes sometimes. I'm just a cousin, and I knew my cousin was sure to have many other immediate family and close friends...ones with enough sense to show up earlier...already seated. And the wheels started turning in my head. Maybe if we sat somewhat toward the back, but near the center aisle, then at least we could put the little boy on the outside of the row and he could see the excitement of everyone walking down the aisle, get a good look at the bride as she entered, and maybe even peek his little head out the side of the pew to watch most of the ceremony, even if it was a long way off. Alright...that sounded like a plan.

When we entered the sanctuary, we were met at the door by an usher...the bride's sister's husband. And I was about to open my mouth to ask if we could sit on the aisle at the back when he offered me his arm and said, "You need to come up here. There's a special place reserved for you." I was so grateful and overjoyed about this. We were walked right down to the third row, past all the friends and more extended family and other acquaintances, seated next to another cousin and her family. We could not have asked for a better seat. We were able to see everything, even the expression on people's faces. Our son watched the entire thing with intense attention, absorbing all the excitement.

That's how it is with God. When we come to God, we're hoping humbly that He'll just give us a seat. Maybe we can get somewhere in the venue or at least in the vicinity of His love. If we can just get into the party, after all our history, we'd be content to just sit as a wallflower and be thankful to be there or maybe just edge a little closer so we can get a little glimpse of the action. But God doesn't work that way. When we approach God, He greets us with open arms. He won't let us sit off over at the fringes of His love. No matter our background, God has prepared a place specifically for us. No matter what we've done, He says to us, "Friend, move up to a better place."

What Should We Pray For?

Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

What should we pray for, then?

The answer is easy...anything we need! Whether it is a big need or a small need or a need someone else has expressed and asked you to pray with them about, God cares about your needs. In fact, the Bible tells us that God knows what we need before we ask. (Matthew 6:8) He wants us to ask...but he already knows what we need.

So we can be confident when we pray, knowing that we are doing something that God has commanded us to do, something he wants us to do, and something that is effective. How do we gain confidence in prayer? How do we go from someone who mutters a hasty, "Thank you for our daily bread," when they're asked to pray before a meal to someone who can pour out their heart in prayer whether in public or private. How does prayer go from being an exercise in awkwardness to something that's as natural as a fish swimming in water?

That answer is also easy...practice. We should be praying every day, talking to God. Maybe the first...or hundreth...time you approach God, you don't have a clue what to say. Maybe you wonder why you have the right to even ask Him for anything or wonder if He cares what you have to say or what your needs are.

You should let your mind be at ease about those things. When you don't have a clue what to say, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Romans 8:26 says "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." If our prayers are halting or timid or we think they are not eloquent...that's okay. God sees your heart, and he hears the groans of the Holy Spirit. You may not think you have the smooth-sounding words of the practiced prayer warrior who spoke in the pulpit last Sunday before the offering plate was passed, but that doesn't matter. You're not being judged based on the way others pray, and in fact if God were judging us on our eloquence, even the most silver-tongued orator would not evenbegin to approach His standard of eloquent, so what difference does it make if you or I are a little less eloquent that that person? I wonder...from God's perspective, would there even be a measurable difference?

When you wonder why you have the right to ask God for anything, it is because He told us to...repeatedly. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you." (Matthew 7:7) The book of James tells us, "ye have not, because ye ask not." (James 4:2)  John tells us "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask , we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." (I John 5:14-15) We can and should ask of God because we're told to.

So next time you need something...whether it's a material need, wisdom to deal with a situation, a change of heart in someone you have to deal with...whatever the need, bring it to God and approach Him with your request with confidence.

When Should We Pray?

I Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

Once we've established that we ought to be praying, then that leads to other questions. One of those is when should we pray?

Do we pray only at church? Do we pray at a set time every day? Maybe just at mealtimes? Maybe at bedtime? Is any specific time required...or are they all just suggestions? Psalm 55:17 says "Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray..." Does that mean we're required to pray three times a day? (Conversely, does three times a day get us "off the hook" and that's all we need to pray?)

The answer is that Christianity doesn't have any set times or amounts that we need to pray. Many families do give thanks before each meal, and that's a good practice because it gives a specific time to be in particular thankful. But there's no requirement to be prayerful at that exact time. Like many things in Christianity, when to formally pray is a matter of conscience.

However, though Christianity doesn't have set times to pray, there is a very high standard for Christians about prayer. Like many things in the New Testament, the requirement under grace gives more freedom and no strict law...while at the same time holding an even higher standard than any law could. In this case, the standard is "Pray without ceasing."

So what does that mean? It seems impossible on the surface, but God would not give us a command that is impossible. Obviously, we're not to be bowing our heads and praying in a spirit of deep communion twenty-four hours a day. For one thing, many hours are spent asleep, which is certainly not time spent in prayer. And if we try to pray with closed eyes and head bowed while we're driving down the road, we'll end up with our front bumper communing with the rear bumper of the next car.

I shied away from writing about this verse at first becasue, honestly, it's a spiritual discipline that I'm not very strong in. But I believe what this verse means is that we should always be in a spirit of prayer. When something bad happens, instead of trying to figure out how to solve a problem ourselves, our first response should be prayer, asking God for wisdom to address the situation or for provision. When something good happens, our first response should be, "Thank you, God!" And when we have a pause in life's routine, instead of letting our minds wander aimlessly, we should turn our thoughts to God.

What a difference it would make in our lives if we spent our days always ready to pray at the first opportunity!