That’s The Way To Do It

•October 23, 2014 • 3 Comments

We all do things for different motives.  Often we are trying to help, sharing knowledge or experience, or passing on advice; it is possible that sometimes we are guilty of manipulation or even gentle coercion, maybe (dare I say it) even nagging, trying to bring someone else round to our point of view.

Perhaps sometimes it seems that the end justifies the means, but is that necessarily the case?  Is there a better way?  A right way?

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (CEV)

Paul’s Work in Thessalonica

2 My friends, you know that our time with you wasn’t wasted. 2 As you remember, we had been mistreated and insulted at Philippi. But God gave us the courage to tell you the good news about him, even though many people caused us trouble. 3 We didn’t have any hidden motives when we won you over, and we didn’t try to fool or trick anyone. 4 God was pleased to trust us with his message. We didn’t speak to please people, but to please God who knows our motives.

5 You also know that we didn’t try to flatter anyone. God himself knows that what we did wasn’t a cover-up for greed.6 We were not trying to get you or anyone else to praise us.7 But as apostles, we could have demanded help from you. After all, Christ is the one who sent us. We chose to be like children or like a mother nursing her baby. 8 We cared so much for you, and you became so dear to us, that we were willing to give our lives for you when we gave you God’s message.

Paul is keen to impress upon the Thessalonians that he did things the right way and with the right motives.  He brought the gospel to them straight.  With no gimmicks, no tricks, no outlandish claims.  He didn’t dress the message up to be what they wanted to hear, and he wasn’t doing it for his own glory.  He just brought what God had asked him to say.

Are we so trustworthy with God’s message?  Can I be trusted to bring it straight?  Without additions, fuss, wild claims or any compulsion to ‘look at me and what I’m doing’.  Do I let God’s message speak for itself without feeling I have to make it something more?

Because God’s word stands – as is.  It is powerful and life-changing all by itself.  Can God trust me to share it?

Lord,
I come as I am,
just as I am,
nothing fancy,
no bold claims,
just wanting to get things right
to do them your way.

Lord,
may I go with your word,
just as it is,
no gimmicks,
no tricks,
no pointing at me.
May your word
stand in its power
and change lives
through you.

Lord Thy Word Abideth

Posted in bible, faith, God, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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What is Success?

•October 22, 2014 • Leave a Comment

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

There is nothing finer than trees growing by a river.  With constant nourishment for their roots, they flourish and grow magnificently.

Psalm 1  (CEV)

The Way to Happiness

1 God blesses those people
    who refuse evil advice
    and won’t follow sinners
    or join in sneering at God.
2 Instead, the Law of the Lord
    makes them happy,
    and they think about it
    day and night.

3 They are like trees
    growing beside a stream,
trees that produce
fruit in season
    and always have leaves.
Those people succeed
    in everything they do.

4 That isn’t true of those
    who are evil,
    because they are like straw
    blown by the wind.
5 Sinners won’t have an excuse
    on the day of judgment,
    and they won’t have a place
    with the people of God.
6 The Lord protects everyone
    who follows him,
    but the wicked follow a road
    that leads to ruin.

Sometimes it seems as though the opposite of what this Psalm says is true – that those who do the wrong things get on in life, whilst those who try to do the right thing can seem to struggle.

But ‘Doing the Right Thing‘, following God’s ways is about more than instant gratification and apparent wordly success.  It’s about being grounded in God, following his way, and looking to those things of ultimate worth with him; allowing him to feed us and nourish us and following his ways.  God’s ways may not always look “successful”, but that depends on where you look for your success, and who’s judging it.

Psalm 1

Posted in bible, faith, God, hope, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Do The Right Thing

•October 21, 2014 • 2 Comments

Generally people go through life trying and wanting to do the right thing.  We do not want to be at odds with others, the community, the law – we want to get life right.

Most of what God asks of us can be summed up as ‘Doing the right thing’.  I guess the difficulty is knowing what the ‘right thing’ is!

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 (CEV)

Moral and Religious Laws

19 The Lord told Moses 2 to say to the community of Israel:

I am the Lord your God. I am holy, and you must be holy too!

15 Be fair, no matter who is on trial—don’t favor either the poor or the rich.

16 Don’t be a gossip, but never hesitate to speak up in court, especially if your testimony can save someone’s life.

17 Don’t hold grudges. On the other hand, it’s wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting. 18 Stop being angry and don’t try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.

God asks us to be holy, as he is.  That sounds very scary – and difficult.  For I am not God,  I have lots of human tendencies that make being holy very difficult.

In its widest sense, being holy means being dedicated to the service of God.  Perhaps that feels more attainable.  To work towards God’s ways and his work.

Ultimately what God asks of us is to live in his values, standards and way of love.  Here he adds some specific pointers to those ways: don’t gossip, speak up for someone in trouble, don’t hold grudges, stop being angry, don’t take revenge, love others and love yourself.  I don’t know which one of those you have most trouble with, or which you most need to hear today.  But they are all what God asks and requires of us.  These things are doing the right thing.  They are God’s ways.

Can they become my ways too?

Lord, I long to be holy,
to live in your ways,
to love as you love,
to stand up for right,
to be angry at the right things,
to be dedicated to you.
Give me your strength
to live your ways
I pray

Posted in bible, community, faith, God, justice, Lectionary, life, Religion, theology
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