30

Jump Start # 1694

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1694

1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

 

After a few opening comments, the apostle Paul immediately begins to dive into the multiple problems found within the Corinthian church. The situation was messy. It could cause most elderships today to run screaming. Where does one begin. Nearly every page of Corinthians, introduces more problems and more reasons to think that this congregation wasn’t going to make it.

There are some lessons that we ought to see here:

First, the problems in Corinth were people problems. They always are. Different ways of seeing things, hurt feelings, judgmental attitudes, not accepting plain Biblical teachings, all of these problems point back to weak hearts, weak faith, and weak understandings. As long as there are people around, and that’s what a church is, then there will be problems. A church without problems is dead. A growing church, bringing in new people all the time, will have problems.

 

Second, the problems at Corinth didn’t come quickly. Most problems develop over a period of time. Some may see it immediately but most don’t. Things just get worse and worse, until everyone knows about the problems. Division, as ugly as it is, usually doesn’t not begin that way. It starts with some not liking or agreeing with others. That takes time. Then it develops to avoiding and talking negative about “them.” That spills over into the suggestions to separate and ignore the others. This isn’t accomplished in a day. That is important to understand. It takes time for the problem to develop and it takes time to correct the problem. Once the problem is fully manifest, everyone wants a quick and easy solution. Maybe a three-point sermon, someone suggests. It will take much more than that. Changing attitudes and healing hurt feelings and offering apologies and forgiveness takes time. It takes private discussions. It takes teaching. It takes patience.

 

Third, Satan loves church problems. He smiles when we are all upset with one another. So often, when there are problems, the focus shifts from what ought to be done, to each other. Sermons change. Momentum stops. Worship becomes tense. What a church was doing, especially in reaching others, shifts to the problem. The problem becomes the focus of all thoughts and discussions. Satan loves this. What a church ought to be doing, stops. Members take sides. They turn on each other. In many occasions, some fall through the cracks. Some quit because of the problems. Some go elsewhere. The teaching programs are disrupted. Sometimes the leadership falls apart. Even preachers leave because of the problems. People think the worst about each other. Satan smiles. In some places, the damage won’t be reversed. New congregations are formed, often within miles of the other one. They act as if each other do not exist. It takes generations to repair the damage that is done. Young people grow up being told that the other group is wrong. They don’t know why, or what caused it, but they are given death threats if they ever visit “the other place.” The people that were involved in the troubles pass away. No one remembers why there are two separate congregations so close to each other. No one is brave enough to suggest a merger. That won’t happen. Even though one congregation dwindles down to less than ten people, they will hold out and hold on. Like a captain going down with the ship, stubborn hearts refuse to pass the olive branch of peace. So, two church buildings have to be air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. The small group lacks men who can lead. They are forced, because of size to go to the “one room schoolhouse” way of teaching kids classes, with a five-year-old in the same class with a middle school kid. It’s a pitiful situation. And it will continue until the last person can no longer attend the small group. The problems of generations past has killed the good that the church could have been doing. Folks in town, who do not know anything, can’t understand why there are two of the same kind of church so close to one another. It makes no sense. And Satan smiles.

 

Fourth, the direction of 1 Corinthians, is dealing and changing the problems. One by one, the apostle deals with these things. It’s not easy. The solutions will test their faith. But never is the suggestion made to start another congregation. That’s the American solution. I can’t get along so I will just find those who agree with me and we’ll start a new place. You won’t find that anywhere in the Scriptures. Someone who didn’t get along in Corinth, didn’t have another option. There was no other place. Division wasn’t going to be allowed.

 

Fifth, many problems, not all, but many, are caused because we think too much of ourselves and too little of others. Our feelings get hurt. Someone didn’t not include me. I wasn’t asked. Me. Me. Me. When that is the center of the problem, it shows a deeper faith issue. Deny yourself is what Jesus said. The greatest is the servant is what Jesus said. Get over it. Man up. Stop thinking and talking so much about yourself. What are you doing for others? How are you helping others? How are you showing Christ? Keep your opinions to yourself. Be a team player, which means you don’t get the ball every time. It’s not about you. We, preachers, must learn this lesson. Too many problems center around preachers. Shame on us for that.  Take yourself out of the focus of the problem. Unite, don’t divide. Don’t use social media to blast those you don’t agree with. Keep Christ before your eyes and in your discussions. There is never a time to leave Christ out of the discussion.

 

Problems—they tax all of our energy. Some have work problems. Some have problems at home. But problems down at the church house can be the worst. It ruins worship. It leaves us feeling worse not better. It makes us dread seeing each other. It leads to some simply quitting.

 

There will be problems. What you do with them, makes all the difference.

 

Roger

 

29

Jump Start # 1693

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1693

Acts 24:25 “But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, ‘God away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.’”

 

Our verse finds the apostle Paul in prison. The apostle had been arrested once again for preaching that Jesus was the Christ, which means the Messiah. The Jews were fed up with him and that message. They brought charges against Paul to the Roman governor Felix. After a few days, Felix summons Paul and allowed him to speak about the faith in Christ Jesus. This is where our verse is found.

 

Notice from Paul’s perspective:

 

1. He didn’t small talk nor avoid the topic of why he was arrested. He preached Christ to Felix.

2. He didn’t try to make all of this one big misunderstanding. He didn’t try to find a way to get out of prison. He didn’t make this about himself.

3. He didn’t say things to make Felix feel good. He didn’t drop names. He didn’t butter Felix up.

 

Notice the perspective of the message:

 

The text identifies three things that Paul talked about, righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.

 

1. He didn’t talk about how nice Heaven will be, nor paint a picture that we will all be there.

2. He didn’t avoid talking about application. These three things were missing in Felix’s life. Roman governors were not known to be righteous. Immoral, yes. Ruthless, yes. Corrupt, yes. But, righteous, no. They were not known to have self-control. Anger and hastily made decisions were common. And a coming judgment is something that this Roman would not have thought about. His biggest fear was keeping Rome off his back and his next move up the political ladder.

3. The message was exactly what Felix needed to hear. It prompted a personal response. It wasn’t theories and logic and ideas. It was a message that landed on his front porch.

 

Notice Felix’s perspective:

 

1. He became frightened. I doubt he expected that. Had he known that he would not have called Paul in. He was expecting a nice message that was probably boring. Instead he was hit with righteousness, self-control and the coming judgment.

2. He sent Paul away with the thought, “when I find time I will summon you.” He never did find the time. The next verse tells us that two years past. In two years he never found the time. Then he was replaced. He moved on. He didn’t find the time.

 

This one verse speaks volumes about what we expect and what ought to be preached while in worship services. Some go to church on Sunday because that’s what nice people do. They give up an hour and they want the benefit of a nice message, a pat on the back and an encouraging message to keep it up. And for many, this is exactly what they get. Week after week, it’s “You’re ok and I’m ok.” If that’s the case, why even go? Are we simply needing our egos built up? Do we feel that God is saying the same thing that the preacher is saying? What good people we are. What a nice crowd this morning. What nice, nice, nice things.

 

Paul didn’t do that. He told Felix what would help him with God. He told Felix what would prepare him for Heaven. He told him the truth. Righteousness, self-control and being judged by God are life altering messages. Those things would prompt changes. Those things would make a person move closer to God. Felix became frightened. It wasn’t the message he wanted. He never came back. Some will do that today. They come wanting to laugh. They come wanting to hear nice things. When they are challenged. When the message is too personal, some stop coming. Some get mad. Some find another place and another preacher that will say nice things. The “ear tickling” preaching is still very comforting and popular today. The line is long to hear such preachers. They are viewed as great. They entertain. They make people feel good. They know just how to win a crowd. But righteousness, self-control and a coming judgment don’t make it into their sermons. Too stiff. Too much doctrine. Too negative. Too demanding. Crowds won’t like it. It might even scare some.

 

Paul told Felix what he needed. Felix didn’t want to hear that. When I find the time, I will summon you. When I’m not so busy, I’ll come to church. When things slow down, I’ll visit. The response of Felix is repeated every week. It’s an easy excuse, just like a soft bed. It’s easy to get into it, but hard to get out. It takes effort. It takes will power. It takes an understanding that I need God’s message. I need to be righteous. I need self-control. I need to know that I will be judged by God.

 

Help us to have the heart that when I am scared, I will continue on with the Lord. When I must change, I will continue on with the Lord. When I hear a message that is personal and it bothers me, I will continue on with the Lord.

 

Finding time…there is no such thing. Everyone has the same amount. There is no bank that you can go to and borrow more time. You can stock pile some time for another day. We all have the same. The professional and the student. The young mother and the retired person. Same amount. Everyday. It doesn’t change. There are not some days that we get a few more hours. Nope. Finding time, really means, priorities. It means adjusting schedules. It means doing what you want to do. You find time to watch the shows you love on TV. You find time to text, email and keep up with others. We can waste time by doing a bunch of nothing or being so disorganized that we can’t find anything. But listening to God’s message, it’s not about finding time for that, it’s about wanting to. If you want to, you will.

 

Felix didn’t want to. And he didn’t. And unless there was something that we don’t know about, he went on his way, busy in the Roman political system and died and never believed in Christ. And thousands are doing the same thing today. Too busy for God. Don’t want to change. Don’t want commitment. They live busy lives and one day they die. They die never believing in Christ.

 

Paul and Felix and four words: righteousness, self-control, coming judgment. Paul spoke the truth. Felix ran in fear. And we are left wondering what we would do. Would we say what Paul said? Would we run like Felix did?

 

You and me and four words: righteousness, self-control, coming judgment.

 

Roger

 

28

Jump Start # 1692

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1692

Acts 17:2-3 “And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’”

  Did you watch the presidential debate Monday night? It was promoted as “The debate of the century.” Early numbers report that 85 million people watched part or all of the debate. Moderator Lester Holt, who is a member of the Manhattan church of Christ, has been criticized as leaning too much to one side during the debate. Discussing differences, whether political, social or even religious is not something unique to our times and our country. Our verse today shows the apostle Paul doing that very thing in Thessalonica. The expression, “reasoned with them,” actually means to debate.

 

Religious debates were once very popular in the 1800’s and early part of the 1900’s. Scores of people saw clearly what the Bible taught because of those debates. When one side misused verses, was inconsistent or simply could not answer solid Biblical arguments, the truth prevailed. But times have changed. Religious debates have fallen to the wayside in an age of getting along and tolerance. Folks do not try to Biblically prove that they are right any more. They simply do what they want, with or without Bible authority.

 

Our verses today remind us of some great principles that are helpful to us.

 

First, Paul’s habit, or custom, was to reason with people from the Scriptures. He went to the Bible. That was normal for Paul. We could learn from this. Keep pulling that Bible out and keep checking things in it. That’s what we must do. We reason from feelings. We reason from what makes sense to us. We reason from what we like. We reason from history. Our reasoning needs to come from Scriptures. Jesus also had “custom.” He went to the synagogue, Luke tells us, as was His custom. When Judas came with soldiers to arrest Jesus, he knew the place where the Lord would be. Jesus was in the garden praying. He had been there often. Judas knew. Do you have spiritual customs? Do you start the day with any spiritual routines? It might help your walk with the Lord to do that. Some, are reading these Jump Starts as a part of their daily custom. We are glad to be a part of your day and your walk with the Lord.

 

Second, Paul was patient. The text tells us that he reasoned with them for three Sabbaths. Three Sabbaths means three Saturdays, that’s three weeks. Paul wasn’t one and done. He stayed and taught and taught. Many folks need to hear things more than once. Don’t be in a hurry. Explain and teach carefully. The following verses reveal the outcome. It says, “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and a number of leading women.” It paid off. The three Sabbaths of teaching and explaining things worked. People saw the truth. People become convinced. They were believers. There may be that person in your family that hasn’t been persuaded. Don’t give up. It may take time. Be patient. Teach. Show. Illustrate. Pray.

 

Third,  Paul reasoned. To reason means to debate. That very idea means some had other ideas. Some were challenging Paul. Some shot arguments back at him. This is the process of learning and conversion. Expect some push back. Some stop when this happens. Some assume that they are not interested and they end the discussion way too soon. The “debate” atmosphere means an exchange of ideas. A point is countered. That counter point is countered. Back and forth. Reasoning does not have to be loud, ugly or name calling. Some have a sour taste when it comes to debating because of what they have witnessed in the past. I don’t think Paul had a formal debate, with set time and a moderator, and a detailed proposition that he was defending. That is too often our image of a debate. Paul was simply teaching. Some were questioning what he said. Paul answered their questions. When they challenged Paul, he answered those challenges. Moms and dads do this all the time with their teenagers. The kid wants to stay up late on a school night. Parents think it’s time to go to bed. An exchange of reasoning takes place. We don’t view that as a debate. We simply call it parenting, but it’s similar to what Paul was going through. It’s what you experience when you are in discussions with co-workers and family members about spiritual things.

 

Fourth, Paul reasoned and explained things from the Scriptures. That’s the powerful point there. His proof was not what he thought, felt, or experienced. It wasn’t about him. The word of God was the final answer. Paul didn’t get into this, “Here’s how I see it,” nor, “I think it ought to be this way.” His arguments, his reasoning, his proof, came from the Scriptures. This means that he knew the word of God. He knew how to use it accurately. He knew how to explain it. He knew how it showed that Jesus was the Christ. There is way too much, “I think…” today. There is too much reasoning from nonbiblical sources today. Paul’s answers and Paul’s line of thinking came from God’s word. To argue with Paul meant you were arguing with God. To disagree with Paul meant you were disagreeing with God. We need to stop comparing churches. It’s not which church is doing more, is bigger or is more active. Reason from the Scriptures. Notice also, Paul didn’t just state a verse, he gave evidence. He proved that Jesus had to die. We can use verses like Dr. Hook’s magical medicine pills. Just read this verse and that solves everything. Satan used a verse in the temptation of Jesus. He misused it, but he put it out there. Paul explained things from the Scriptures. The Bible leads us to Jesus. The Galatians were told that the law was a tutor to lead us to Christ. That’s the way Scriptures work. When explained and understood properly, they reveal with will of God.

 

Shouting, getting upset, threatening, attacking one’s character—none of those things prove that a person is right Scripturally. Don’t twist things to make things say what you want them to. Don’t be dishonest in explaining things. Let the word of God work on a honest and good heart. It will do the job.

 

Reasoning. Explaining. Teaching. Defending. Showing. These are the common components of teaching God’s word. It worked back then for Paul and it still works today. Don’t run because someone challenges what you say. Spend some time showing why you believe what you do. Use that Bible of yours. Let them read verses in their own Bible.

 

Presidential debates give me a headache. Biblical discussions, on the other hand, can lead to changes lives and hearts that are walking with the Lord.

 

Roger

 

27

Jump Start # 1691

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1691

 

1 Timothy 3:15 “but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

 

Household—that word is used three times in 1 Timothy 3. It is first used to describe the character of an overseer or bishop. He is one who manages his own household well (v. 4). This is qualified with the expression, “keeping his children under control with all dignity.” It is used again in this chapter to describe deacons. They are to be good managers of their children and their households.

 

The way God uses the word “household” is what we would call family. Our family. Our families are influenced, guided, led, taught by parents. Mom, dad and the kids—that makes up families.

 

The third time the word “household” is used, our verse today, refers to the church. The household of God, which is the church. Paul was writing so one would know how to conduct himself in the church. He is not talking about running through the hallways of a church building. “The church,” refers to the saved. How are we to conduct ourselves with one another. He is driving at relationships. God’s household is much larger than one congregation. It’s made up of all the saved everywhere. These words describe the nature of how we are to interact, relate and respond to other Christians.

 

Now some thoughts:

 

It is easy to assume that the “household of God,” is nothing larger than the congregation we belong to. This is where most of our interaction with other Christians take place. Some can even see other congregations as rivals or in competition with each other. We all belong to God’s family. We are all in this together. We are trying to help God’s family, everywhere. Because we are of God’s household, we are all connected and related to each other through the blood of Jesus.

 

What hurts one part of the family, will hurt all the family. We understand this at home. A teenage daughter shouts at her mother, leaves the dinner table in a huff and slams her bedroom door, it affects the rest of the family. When a toddler has a melt down, it affects the rest of the family. When mom and dad are not getting along, it affects the rest of the family. We don’t see this spiritually. We don’t realize that if we hurt some spiritual family members, it hurts all the family. This is illustrated especially in two ways.

 

First, some get upset and they race to social media to air their complaints and trash talk fellow Christians. Are we not all of the same family? You hurt the family when that is done. Or, worse, they just leave in a mad fit, find another place to worship and spend the next few months telling anyone that will listen about how terrible the Christians are at the former place. Are we not all one family?

 

Second, preachers can be guilty of this without realizing it. They leave a congregation, making a mess, hurting others, to go to another congregation, often because the pay is better or the situation is better, and vast amounts of the Lord’s money is wasted moving these people across the country here and there and they leave a trail of bitterness and hurt feelings. Are we not all one family? You can’t hurt one part of the family without the rest of the family being affected as well.

 

  Third, there is something very special about family. Family reunions. Family vacations. Family that comes together at the holidays. We all have neighbors, co-workers, and friends, but nothing beats family. There is something special about family. You have a unique bond. You are blood. You know things. Fewer things can bring joy to one’s heart than the laughter and good times with family. Fewer things, likewise, hurt as much, as when family turns on you or is disappointed in you.

 

I find it interesting that the Holy Spirit used the same word, “household,” that was used to describe the family of both the overseer and the deacon, to describe God’s people. We are connected. We are special. We have a history. We love each other. Like the physical family, there are some things that we just don’t tell others. We support family. We are there to help family. Some of these concepts are hard to grasp in our times today. So many families are scattered, broken and dysfunctional. Murders take place among family members. The largest area of identity theft is among family members. Our brokenness, has resulted in families not being as strong nor as important as they once were. Family has been replaced with friends. Some do not even like their family. This makes the concept of “brothers” and “sisters” harder to appreciate, when we do not like our physical brothers and sisters. Family reunions are pretty much a thing for senior citizens. Younger folks don’t have the time nor the pull to connect with cousins that live in another state. These feelings trickle down to how we view one another in the church. We come on a Sunday morning, we smile at some, but take our place in a pew, much like a movie theatre, and we hope no one sits too close to us. We worship. We gather up our things and we go home. Done. Finished. Little thought given to those very people that we sang with and bowed our heads with. Announcements are made about some needing help. It doesn’t move us. We hear of those who are sick or having surgeries. Nothing is thought about that. Fellowship deteriorates into strangers who sit beside one another and barely know a thing about each other. This is not the way God intended it to be. Worse of all, this sad picture is found far too many times in our congregations, and rarely is there any thought of others outside our congregation. The household of God has shrunk to just the few strangers I see when I walk into the church building.

 

Independence and autonomy of congregations has led to isolation among too many of us. We don’t know and we don’t care what is going on with others outside of our immediate congregation. It is interesting that the book of Revelation was addressed to seven churches. All seven read about each other as they are described in the opening chapters. The books of Galatians, Ephesians, Corinthians became circulated letters that we even read about today. We learn about Tychicus, Epaphras, Onesimus—names that were associated with certain regions but became known by all the family of God.

 

There was a song in the early 70’s, “We are family, all my brothers, sisters and me.” And so we are. We are family. We need to help each other. We need to be there for each other. We need to get that family concept going again. The blood of Jesus ties us all together. The blood of Jesus makes us all one. It’s time for some to stop pointing fingers and extend the warm handshake of friendship. The enemy is not us.

 

Conducting ourselves in the household of God. There is a lot to that expression. Chew on that a while. Think about that. How are you doing with that? God’s family. You are a part of that. Amazing. Incredible. Comes with responsibilities toward others. Comes with privileges from Heaven. Sons and daughters of God, that’s who we are. Let’s act that way!

 

Roger

 

26

Jump Start # 1690

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1690

Matthew 18:3 “and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.”

  Jesus said the words of our verse today as he called a child over to Him. The Lord did this to answer the disciples question about position. They wanted to know, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” This will not be the only time that they wonder about this. We want to be # 1. We want to be recognized, praised and paraded about as the greatest. We want to believe that the company, the church, or, even the world, can’t function well without us. As famed boxer Ali proclaimed, “I am the greatest.” That thinking doesn’t work in the kingdom. Jesus doesn’t have any place for that. Become like a child, that’s what impresses the Lord.

 

Last week, I got a great lesson in this verse. My wife and I went with our daughter and her husband and their two-year-old to Disney. We spent three days at Disney. It was crowded. It was hot. It was Disney expensive. But none of that mattered because we were more excited to see the expression on a two-year-old’s face and her experience than anything else. There was one ride that we rode over and over because that’s what she wanted to do. We met so many princesses, I didn’t know who many of them were. We ate in the Beast’s castle for dinner and had Mickey Mouse waffles for breakfast. Our little two-year-old did great. She went to sleep in her mother’s arms and never had any melt downs. All through those three days at Disney, I kept looking at the little two-year-old and thinking about this verse. Be like her.

 

Here are a few things I learned.

 

Adults worry too much. At the end of the day, tired of a full day, the two-year-old could go to sleep. I found myself waking up at five in the morning, thinking about Jump Starts to write, sermons to preach, up coming presidential election, things I need to do at home, money, and people. It’s hard for adults to let go. It’s hard for us to sleep well. We can’t live like a two-year-old and just play every day. Some try that and it doesn’t work. We have to be responsible. We have to live in a grown up world, but there is an innocence that we seem to lose because of all the problems in the world. More shootings. More racism. More things wrong. Those thoughts keep us up at night and they bring fear and misery to our days. They keep us from enjoying the simple things. We worry too much.

 

  Adults lose the sense of awe. I think this is one reason why everyone loves Disney. It is a magical place. It brings the child out of us. There was a moment, standing in a long line waiting to meet a princess, that we saw a group of ducks walking about in the grass. Our two-year-old was fascinated by those ducks. She pointed, talked to them and was amazed. She did the same thing when she saw princess. She pointed, got her picture taken and was amazed. It makes me wonder if we have lost the sense of awe when it comes to worshipping our God. Have we seen everything? Has it become normal or even old to us? Is there nothing that makes us point in amazement. I think one memory from this trip that I will never forget, is the expression on the two-year-old’s face and the sparkle in her eyes when she saw things for the first time. There was nothing like that. I hope that I will have that same look when I see Heaven. The Psalmist spoke of the awe of God. We can get so wrapped up in the mechanics of worship that we fail to see who we are worshipping. What an amazing God that we love and follow. Have you considered just what God has done to your life? It doesn’t matter how hard you have had it, God has been there. You have been blessed. Prayers have been answered. He has never left you. He has never given up on you. He has loved you even when you were out in the wilderness of sin. Then there is that cross—that old rugged cross. What He did for you is amazing.

 

  Adults have issues with trusting. Princesses are beautiful but to a two-year-old they can be overwhelming. She would point to them and get excited, but when one actually came over, immediately our granddaughter would turn to her mommy and want her mommy to hold her. Most of the pictures with the princesses have my daughter holding the two-year-old. She wouldn’t stand there on her own. But in her mommy’s arms, everything was ok. The world was fine in her mommy’s arms. In the airport, on the plane, on the bus to the park, as long as mommy was right there, all was ok. She had no idea what state we were in. She didn’t know anything about the costs of this trip. She didn’t even know that the princesses weren’t real princesses. None of that mattered. She was having a great time and all was ok, because mommy was right beside her. Wow! If we could only live that way with God. Fear. Worry. Unsure. Just reach out to God. We feel that we have to know everything. We want to figure things out. We want solutions. We have to know why. And in thinking this way, we eliminate the need to be close to God. Become like a child. I wonder if Jesus was driving at this trust factor. A rich kid and a poor kid can play together and they don’t care about or even understand who has what. A black kid and a white kid can play together and they don’t get bogged down about racism. Kids can get upset with each other, say mean things, and within the hour are back playing together. They don’t keep things in. They don’t hold a history. There is something there that adults simply can’t get. We remember. We get bothered. We separate because of differences. Someone says something mean and you won’t find us sitting down together an hour later. We’re done. It’s over.

 

Become children. That’s the greatest in the kingdom. It would do well for all of us to spend an afternoon with a two-year-old. You don’t have to go to Disney. You can just walk about in the backyard. So pure. So trusting. So innocent. So kind. Become like that.

 

Thanks, Brynnlee, you helped me see some things that I had forgotten!

 

Roger