Mismatched Values

James 1:22-27 ESV

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. ...

Before school, my son came up to me and began his morning soliloquy on the importance of living a debt-free life. I chuckled as I could see his father's influence overflow from his lips.

So often, we impart our values on our children without even knowing it. Some of these are what we want our children to learn from us, such as the importance of a debt-free life. However, sometimes, we send messages to our children that do not correspond to our true values. For instance, yesterday, a car almost ran into me and I called them, “stupid.” My daughter asked me, “Mommy, who is stupid?” I immediately retracted my statement and told her that the person was not stupid, but they simply made a mistake which almost caused us to be in an accident. However, had she not said anything, I would not have corrected my rhetoric. I was convicted that I had not acted in a way that tries teach my children to value all people.

What messages could someone's current actions be sending to a child? Each week, when a parent decides to skip church, they subtly are saying to their child, fellowship with the Body is not THAT important. When someone uses foul language, they are in essence saying that Colossians 3:8 doesn't matter. When one speaks words against someone, you are telling them that it is really okay to slander your brother.

What values do you want to instill into your children? If you don't have children, what values do you want others to see in you?  How consistently do your actions match your values?  For instance, if I truly valued living a healthy lifestyle, it would be logical that I would eat leafy greens, not eat my weight in Kit-Kats, and I would exercise in moderation.  In the same way, if we hold true to our values, our actions will be consistent with what we believe.   However, f they are not, we serve a God of grace, who wants nothing more than for you to turn from the wrong path, get back on track, and move forward.

Amazing Grace Part One: Peace With God

One of the most beloved, most sung hymns of all times is "Amazing Grace." Perhaps it is the simple melody that draws people to the song, but I believe there is more to it. The story behind the song shows the depth of the lyrics. John Newton, the man who penned the humble words to the song, was an abused servant to a slave trader in the 1700s. However, in 1748, he was rescued and ultimately became the captain of his own ship, which ironically, carried on the slave trading business. As a result of his upbringing, he likewise mistreated the slaves he carried. However, one night, during a voyage home, his ship was hit by a formidable storm. In distress, Newton cried out, "God have mercy upon us," though he was not religious prior to his exclamation. However, it was in this moment, he began to realize the depth of God's mercy and grace. He later journaled that it was through the storm that God began to speak to him and began to show grace to him. While he did not immediately give up the slave trading industry, he did begin to treat them humanly. Eventually, Newton surrendered to the ministry where he began preaching and writing hymns. His life was changed because of grace.

Grace is an amazing thing. It is favor undeserved, unmerited, unwarranted. Newton did nothing of His own accord to deserve grace. He simply accepted the gift given and responded with a lifestyle of worship.

Romans 5:1 states, "Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God's glory." It is our faith in the work of Christ that gives us our right standing before God. The result is peace. Often times, Christians do not embrace what it really means to have peace with God. We still believe that God is out to get us or He is looking for us to make a mistake or that we must do something to prove our love for Him and earn His favor. The Greek term for peace indicates a state of relational harmony or reconciliation. As a violinist, the word picture that comes to mind is one of an orchestra playing in perfect tune and timing. The result is music that is stirring to the soul. So it is with our relationship with God: beyond words. Because of the work of Christ, we are able to enjoy a completely harmonious relationship with God the Father, where there is no discord.

So what happens when we go astray? How does this affect our peaceful relationship? Often times, similar to a violinist who gets distracted and loses their place in the music, we falter in our walk with God. What once was a beautiful song now sounds disjunct and out of line. Yet, because of Christ, reconciliation with God is not a work that must be accomplished over and over again. It is a state of being that has already been established when we first believed. Therefore, we can look back up at our Conductor, find our place, and keep moving forward. Yes, there may be missed opportunities and consequences we face because of our disobedient choices and God may discipline us out of love, but make no mistake, the relationship is able to continue.

This concept of being able to keep moving forward is hard to grasp. Therefore, when we "fail God" we sometimes simply give up, lose hope, and continue going down the wrong path, assuming there is no way out. The adversary want you to believe these lies. The truth though is that as a believer, the work of Christ has already made me acceptable to God no matter what! That is grace. Romans 5:2 states that through Christ we obtained access into God's grace in which we now presently stand. We have therefore entered into a new realm of living where grace rules rather than law and condemnation. Thus, we can stand and rejoice in the hope of God's glory. It is because of grace, this unmerited realm of a favorable peaceful relationship with God we have through Christ, that we may one day share in His glory and His likeness (Moo, Romans, 304).

Many times we think that we are on the journey alone and when we fall short of God's glory, we fall alone. But that is not grace. That is not the gospel. That is not Immanuel: God with us. In Immanuel is our hope. In Christ we are alive to God and dead to sin (Rom. 6:11). In Christ, there is no condemnation (Rom. 6:23). In Christ, we are wise (1 Cor. 4:10). In Christ, we are able to stand firm (2 Cor. 1:21). In Christ, we are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). In Christ we are children of God (Gal. 3:26). In Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).

Unfortunately, we often look at our relationship with God the same way we look at human relationships. We think that what we say or do affects how He feels about us. However, through Christ, we receive grace and our status of peace with God is unchangeable. Though we may falter and stumble, it is not going to alter how He loves us or how He desires a relationship with us. In those times of weakness, instead of giving up on the hope of glory that we already rightfully possess in Christ, we simply need to look back up to God for direction and get back in harmony with His will. When we do, Amazing Grace will never have had such sweet a sound.

The Gift of the Thorn and the Gift of Grace

The theme God has been teaching around me lately has been grace. I was recently looking over 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 which says, "Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord for Him to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast the more gladly about my weaknesses, so Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake , I delight in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, I am strong."

Some of you may know of my recent "thorn in the flesh." For the past month or so, I have dealt with small pieces of bones jutting out of the back of my gums. It has been annoyingly painful to say the least. Yet, this had me thinking about Paul's thorn. Many scholars and laymen alike have debated about what his thorn was exactly. Some have suggested poor eyesight, migraines, or epilepsy. Others think it could have been a temptation he continually struggled with. No matter the case, people have spent many hours on the subject. As I was looking at the theories, I began to think how typical it was for us as humans to focus our attention on the thorn rather than on grace. Yet, God had a lot to teach me about this passage.

In order to prevent Paul from becoming too arrogant in his ministry, God allowed something to be given to him. This was not something that Paul actively did or deserved, but he passively received it. I can imagine what Paul was going through. Previously, he discussed the ministry the revelation he had received. Now, he is the recipient of some troublesome circumstance that has somehow affected his ministry. It was of great turmoil to him, so much so, to the point of petitioning to God three times to take it away from him. His frequency represents the fervency of his request to God. However, God's response to him is that His grace is enough. This all sufficient grace is also a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). So here, Paul has been gifted with a thorn in order to keep him humble, yet also gifted with the grace to endure and overcome the thorn. The reason is further explained when God says, "my power is made perfect in weakness." The thorn reminds us that we cannot do it on our own, but grace reminds us that we do not have to and that through God's power, we can accomplish anything. Paul's response to this revelation is that he will boast more so that he might experience more of Christ's power, indicating that he would experience more of the humbling gifts of the thorn in order to receive the gift of the grace and power of Christ.

I cannot tell you how many times I sit and dwell on the "thorns of the flesh", rather than acknowledging that God's grace is enough. I see the thorns as a curse rather than as a blessing and I often resent God rather than praising Him for the opportunity to show His power through my weakness. Yet, when we look back at how good God's grace, His favorable care towards us, is it makes the thorn seem like nothing more than a small splinter in the grand scheme of His plans for our lives.

I do not know what your thorn is right now, but I would challenge you to look at it as a way for God to display the power of Christ in your life. Everyone, Christian and non-Christian alike, handle the good times well. It is how you handle difficulties that will show the world the difference Christ has made in your life because when you are weak, He is strong. I pray that the Lord will give you the strength to persevere in whatever thorn you may be facing, whether it is a circumstance, health concern, a family issue, persecution, bullying, or a temptation. I pray that the power of Christ and the grace of God will be enough for you to joyfully conquer each day.