Be a Waterbuck

Earlier this week my husband and I spent a few days at Hlane Royal National Park, a game reserve about an hour and a half from our home, in celebration of our forty-seventh wedding anniversary. 

We enjoyed being surrounded by God's amazing and varied creation.

On Tuesday we decided to take a game viewing drive with one of the rangers.  Our ranger was a fount of information about the animals we saw.  

One of the many interesting animals was the waterbuck.  What our guide told us about this animal led me to think, hence this post.

When the waterbuck is being pursued by a lion he runs for the water.  As he nears the water he secretes an oily substance that coats his body so that he becomes somewhat water repellent.  In addition this substance has an odor and causes the meat to taste terrible.  When the lion gets wind of that scent he stops his pursuit knowing that even if he did manage to catch the waterbuck it would be inedible.

We as Christians need to be like the waterbuck.  Our enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking to devour us.  When we are being pursued we should run straight to the Lord.  We should have so much of God's word within us that it becomes our protection.  The Holy Spirit within us will bring scripture to our minds when we are under stress.  

Of course the comparison fails at one point (at least).  The waterbuck does not have to do anything to be able to secrete the oily substance that protects him.  It is part of his design.  We must deliberately plant the word of God in our minds and hearts so that it will be there when we are under attack.  

Be a waterbuck.  Run to the Lord.  Seek the protection his word can give.

 

 I Don't Have Time

Quite a few years ago my husband was asked to perform a wedding for a couple in Dover, Ohio.  Since he had to be there for a couple of days his host family took him to see some of the sights.  The place that made the greatest impression on him was the Warther Museum.  Some time later when we were in the area we went together to visit the museum. 

The Warther Museum was once the home of Mooney and Freida Warther and their five children.  Mooney worked in a steel mill and his wife worked hard taking care of the children, growing a huge garden, teaching community classes and collecting buttons.  

Both Mooney and Freida were very busy people but they found time for their creative hobbies.  Mooney had taught himself woodcarving as a young child after finding a rusty pocketknife while caring for the cows.  Freida had been given her mother's button box (as the oldest girl in the family this was the Swiss tradition) and also collected many thousands of buttons through the years.  

Mooney went on to carve amazingly intricate and accurate carvings of trains among other items.  Freida began laying out the buttons in beautiful quilt-like patterns.  The museum is filled with their work.  There is a building completely dedicated to Freida's button creations. 

When my husband visited the first time he was able to take a guided tour.  One of the visitors asked the tour guide how Mooney and Freida had time to pursue their hobbies while also working so hard.  The answer, "They didn't have television."  Now we would also add that they didn't have social media or the internet.

This all came to mind during a discussion we had after breakfast this morning.  I asked my husband how his class went yesterday evening.  He expressed some frustration over the fact that his students come to class unprepared which means time must be taken during the class period to read the material.

Sadly, this is a common problem.  Christians who claim to love the Lord and express their desire to grow spiritually often do not take the time to prepare for Bible class.  

In a recent sermon it was mentioned that if a school child spent only two hours per week in school it would take them ninety years to get the same number of hours that a child in this country would spend in school from the ages of 5 to 18.  Imagine if that child also refused to prepare his lessons.  Even if they spent the hours for those ninety years, they would still be under-educated.

James tells us, So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. James 4:17 (ESV).  Could we go so far as to say that for those who know they should prepare for their Bible classes and who don't are sinning?

Consider what you are teaching your children if you make certain they do their schoolwork but don't even check to see if they have prepared for their Bible class.  What example are you setting if you are always unprepared for Bible class?

We like to say that we just don't have time.  Mooney and Freida had the same 24 hours in a day as we have.  You have time to do the things you really want to do.  It is easy for Satan to tell us that we are too busy to read our Bibles, prepare our lessons and pray.  

(By the way, if you are ever in Dover, Ohio, I strongly urge you to visit the Warther Museum.  It is worth it.)

(The picture above on the left is an older picture of Mooney working on a carving.  You can see some of his trains in the background.  The picture on the right is of some of Freida's button pictures.)

 Fat or...?

I happened to catch a glimpse of a blog post title the other day, "Are you a fat Christian?"  I did not read the post but the title made me chuckle.  I assume what the author meant by a fat Christian was a Christian who didn't do much of anything and so became spiritually "fat"  the way we can become physically "fat" if we sit around and don't do much of anything.  I really don't know for sure but it did lead me to ponder.

Can a Christian be spiritually fat and still be a Christian?  Can someone who claims to believe that Jesus came to earth as a man, lived a life of service, died a criminal's death in our place and then rose again to live forever carrying our name before the throne, be spiritually fat and still be a Christian?

Consider how a young woman would feel if the young man she was interested in declared his love for her but then rarely if ever called her to chat or invite her out on a date.  How would she feel if he criticized her choice of clothing or hairstyle, but continued to state his love for her?  How would she feel if he didn't show up when she invited him to her birthday party?  What if he said that he didn't come because he wanted to watch a sporting event instead?  This is nonsense.  She would know for certain that he did not love her.  Those words would be completely worthless to her.

Consider the words of James where he says, 

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  James 2:14-18 (ESV)

James is trying to show how illogical it is to say that you believe in something if you do not act in accordance with that belief.  Earlier in James he tells us that true religion takes care of the orphans and widows (1:27).  There is no true faith in Christ if there is no service.

Do not take this to mean that somehow we can be saved by our works.  Absolutely not.  There is nothing we can do to save ourselves.  We are saved by the grace of God.  That grace and the joy of realizing what it has done for us compels us to serve.

James says that faith without works is dead.  I would have to say that there is no such thing as a "fat" Christian.  That so-called Christian is dead.

(My apologies to the author of the post with the title that sparked these thoughts.  I may have gone off in a completely different direction.)

Humility

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)

The opposite of pride, humility is a virtue.  But how many of us really understand it?

Maybe it helps to talk about what humility is not.  It is not a talented musician denying his talent.  It is not a beautiful woman claiming she is ugly.  That is more like hypocrisy!

As is true of all virtues we look to Jesus Christ to see what humility truly is.  Stop and think about who Jesus is.  John 1:1-5 makes it clear that he is creator.  "Without him was not anything made that was made."  Yet, the creator became a creature, just like us.  He is King of kings, yet he became servant of all.  He is Lord of lords yet he wrapped himself in a towel and washed the dirty feet of his disciples.  He lived a completely sinless life yet he died the death of a criminal in our place.  He is ruler of all yet he became obedient.  

There is true humility.  Maybe you are a talented musician.  Then rejoice in the one who gave you that talent and use it in His service.  Be willing to reach out to the littlest child who wants to see your instrument or hear your voice.  

I am reminded of two events which occurred years ago while we were living in Nigeria.  My husband had call to visit a Christian businessman at his office.  While there the man offered my husband something to drink as is the custom. He then called to his secretary in the next office to get a drink for my husband.  The woman came into the office, walked around the desk and went to the small refrigerator next to the man's desk.  From there she brought out soft drinks for my husband and the businessman.  

On another occasion a rather large group of men were gathered for a meal in the home of one of the missionaries.  As I recall these were men who had been invited to speak at an event we were  having.  Among them was the medical doctor who was certainly the most educated among them.  As these men sat at the table waiting for the meal to be served the doctor noticed the basin and pitcher that had been prepared for carrying to each of the guests so they could wash their hands before eating.  He quietly got up, put a towel over his arm, picked up the basin and pitcher and carried it to each person at the table allowing them to wash their hands. 

If the creator of the universe can wash feet, you can clean up someone else's mess.. 

If the King of kings can live on earth as a poor carpenter you can give up some "stuff" so that those who have never heard the gospel can have a chance.  Maybe you can even leave your comfortable home and get outside your comfort zone and become a servant like Him.

Casting

Some time ago in my scripture memorization I came to this verse, "Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." (I Peter 5:7 ESV)

As I memorized this I thought about it a lot.  That word "casting" caught my attention.  I thought of the different uses of that word.  Fishermen use that word for the act of putting the bait out in hopes of attracting a fish.  We talk of casting a ballot when we vote in an election.  Dictionary.com says it means "to throw or hurl" or "to throw off or away."  

As I thought about the different ways we use the word I came to realize that a fisherman casts his bait and (if all goes well) he never gets it back.  The voter casts his ballot and never sees it again.  

When I applied that to this verse I came to realize how very poorly most of us fail in this regard.  We will take our anxieties to the Lord and share them.  We never really let them go.  We might give them up for a time but we tend to pick them up again.  

We are supposed to cast them off.  Throw them off.  Not only that but we are supposed to cast them upon Him.  What an amazing thought.  He invites us to give up all those anxieties and let him carry them.  He cares that much!

Next time whatever it is that is causing you anxieties raises its head remember that your Lord can carry them all.  You can live free of anxieties because he can handle them.  Now that is true freedom!

Don't Fret--Delight

A friend sent me Psalm 37:4 this morning.  As Christians we tend to really appreciate this verse.  I wonder how many of us think of the context?

Psalm 37 begins with the words, "Fret not yourself over evildoers."  The first eleven verses of the psalm contain five commands not to worry about evildoers.  Don't fret, don't envy them, refrain from anger.  These words urge us to be calm in the midst of evil.

The world is full of evil.  Wars, oppression, immorality, wicked governments, lukewarm Christians.  Evil is all around us.

Through it all this Psalm encourages us to focus on the Lord.  Verse 3, "Trust in the Lord...," verse 4, "Delight yourself in the Lord...," verse 5, "Commit your way to the Lord...," verse 7, "Be still before the Lord...."  

Then there are the promises.  Verse 6, "He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."  Verse 9, "For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land." Verse 10-11 "In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.  But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace."

Evil is all around us.  We can easily begin to fret.  But think of these precious words and don't fret--delight!

 

         The Great Sin

I have been reading C.S. Lewis's book Mere Christianity lately.  I am pretty sure that this is actually a re-read, but it has been a long time and I am enjoying it as if it was the first time.

I recently read the chapter with the same title as I gave this blog post.  

If you were to say which is the "great" sin.  What would you say?  Blasphemy?  Murder?  Adultery?  Divisiveness?

C.S. Lewis says that the great sin, "the essential vice, the utmost evil, is pride."  "Pride leads to every other vice:  it is the complete anti-God state of mind."

Wow!  What a thought.  Aren't you thankful that you do not have any pride or self-conceit?  Think again.

Consider the following passage from the book.

...if you want to find out how proud you are the easiest way is to ask yourself, "How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove their oar in, or patronise me, or show off?"  The point is that each person's pride is in competition with every one else's pride.  It is because I wanted to be the big noise at the party that I am so annoyed at someone else being the big noise....Now what you want to get clear is that pride is essentially competitive--is competitive by its very nature--while the other vices are competitive only, so to speak, by accident.  Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man...It is the comparison that makes you proud:  the pleasure of being above the rest.  

Do you really listen when others talk?  Do you ask them questions and truly listen to what they have to say?  Or are you always thinking about what you are going to say as if your words are so much more important than anyone else's?

Later in the chapter Lewis says,

...it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began.  Other vices may sometimes bring people together: you may find good fellowship and jokes and friendliness among drunken people or unchaste people.  But Pride always means enmity--it is enmity.  And not only enmity between man and man, but enmity to God.

Of course, the opposite of pride is humility.  Humility is a virtue we as Christians desire since we see it modeled in Christ himself.  Here is the final paragraph in the chapter.

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step.  The first step is to realise that one is proud.  And a biggish step, too.  At least, nothing whatever can be done before it.  If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.