22

Jump Start # 3230

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3230

1 Timothy 6:6 Godliness is great gain when accompanied with contentment.”

Yesterday we introduced some thoughts about contentment. We looked at what contentment is not, some common myths about contentment. That’s all good, but we need to understand what contentment is and more so, how do we get to that in our lives. Unsettled, unhappy, unsatisfied, that’s the state when people are not content. And, looking at the opposite of those words, settled, happy and satisfied, that well describes what being content is. This is an attitude and a choice. It comes from within. This is why a jailed apostle can speak of being content. It’s not the external circumstances but the internal peace that comes from Christ that makes all the difference.

I’ve known people who rarely left the county that they were born in, had very little in their lives, but were the most thankful, joyous and generous people I have ever met. My grandparents were that way. Their home was small. His jobs were meager. But their hearts were as big as the world. They did what they could for others and for the kingdom. I never heard them complain. I never heard them say, “I wish we could travel.” But what I saw was a deep faith in the Lord and a contentment that they had been blessed. Here I am, in a big house, multiple cars, TVs, I travel, and I often think that they had something that I don’t.

So, how do we become content?

First, it begins with reshaping your thinking. Contentment is looking at life vertically, not horizontally. Content comes from realizing how good the Lord has been to you. You don’t look at others. You don’t see that others are more blessed and you are less blessed. Contentment is a heart condition. It’s not about how many gifts I receive, but how thankful I am. Satisfied or searching. Rested or restless.

Paul tells us in Philippians that he learned the secret. This is something that we are taught and we must embrace. It’s not natural. It doesn’t just happen. Our culture doesn’t support nor encourage this. You must want this. You look at the apostles. You look at the Lord. Then you look in the mirror. Little room to complain. No place to make demands.

Second, remembering the cross. The cornerstone of contentment is the cross. The cross makes us free. The cross brings us salvation. The cross restores our friendship with God. The cross makes Heaven more than a wish, but a reality. My worth, my net worth, is not a number that can be written on a piece of paper. I am a child of the King. I am a son of God. Heaven is my home. Dropping names of people, places and merchandise does not change who I am. Those are only tools and opportunities for which I shall be held accountable for. Physical things are like food, great for the moment, but it just doesn’t last.

What if you had a red nose like Rudolph? Do you have to be a hero to be content? Do you have to like everyone else before you can be content? The answer is “No.” You are made by God. Jesus died for you. Jesus came to the misfits, the broken and the rejected and the outcasts. Diseased. Social shunned. Ignored. Jesus saw value in everyone, even though others didn’t.

Third, if you never received another blessing the rest of your life, God has been good to you. In Acts 16 we find a bloodied and beaten apostle singing praises to God late at night. How could he do that? He was thankful. He was blessed. He was content. Paul helps us to understand this in Philippians four. There we are to think right (8), pray often (6), put worry on the curb (6), walk with the Lord (7) and allow God to protect you (7).

You may go through life with a red nose, or being the ugly duckling, or the klutz of the family. You may not save Christmas day, be the hero of the hour, or even fit in with everyone else. You may find that you have more in common with Zacchaeus than anyone else. But remember, the Lord came to his house.

Red noses, like Rudolph, some learn to live with it, even laughing at God’s sense of humor. Others, walk through life trying to hide it and deny it, being ashamed, making excuses, living miserably and wishing they could be like everyone else. Life is not a DVD in which we can fast forward through the parts that we do not like.

We are all blessed by the Lord and have been given a second chance. A child was reciting Ps 23 before his Bible class. He said, “The Lord is my shepherd and that’s all I need.”

Well said…well believed.

May these thoughts help us at this holiday season.

Roger

21

Jump Start # 3229

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3229

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

Everywhere we look it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The radio stations play Christmas songs. The stores are lined with Christmas things. Homes are decorated. Hallmark is in full swing of Christmas movies. And, one of the traditional shows we watch every year is Rudolph the red nosed reindeer.

Poor little Rudolph didn’t fit in. His nose glowed a bright red. The other reindeers made fun of him. Rudolph doesn’t like his red nose. He runs away. He meets an elf named Herbie who doesn’t like making toys. He’d rather be a dentist. Neither are happy with the way things are in their lives. They make their way to the sad island of misfit toys—toys that no one wants.

And, what a parallel we ought to see in our lives. So many are not content, as our passage describes, with their lives. People say, “I need a better job, or a larger house, or a newer car. I don’t like the look of my hair, my nose, my feet. I need to lose weight. I need something else.” Dissatisfaction is at the root of all of those statements. I’d be content, someone says, if I made more money. The lack of satisfaction breeds jealousy and envy. It makes one feel that they have been cheated and left out. Misery is what always follows dissatisfaction.

Now, there are some things that we ought never to be satisfied with or content with.

  • Believing that sin is ok. It’s not ok, especially with God. Wrong is never right. Sin can be exciting and enticing, but it always fails as a poor substitute for what God offers.
  • Status Quo: just doing what everyone else is doing ought never be the standard. Be diligent, press onward, take pains with these things, be absorbed in them are Biblical expressions about doing all that we can. Our measure is not what the average person does. It’s not even what the typical member does. We must do all that we can, being the best that we are capable of being.
  • Excuses: these are offered to justify not doing what one ought to be doing. An excuse is a pass that allows us to not attend, not be righteous, not be diligent. Life may be hard, but God expects us to do what we can.

There are four common misunderstandings about contentment:

First, some believe that contentment is found in external things. If I could only get away…If I could only have…and what is misunderstood is that contentment comes from within the heart of a person. External things may put a smile on our face for a short while, but it never lasts. Jesus said that life does not consist of possessions (Lk 12:15). Our times has the largest homes, most gadgets, conveniences and choices than any other generation. You’d think that this would be the most thankful and content people. But, that’s not what we find. Listen to how your co-workers talk. Look at what you see in stores. We brought nothing into this world when we were born. We didn’t even come with any clothes. No name. No possessions. And, when we leave this world, we’ll be put in a box and placed in the ground. Our enemy is not possessions, it’s the inability to be satisfied.

Second, some believe that less is better than more. Minimalism is the belief that purging your life of things will bring freedom, joy and happiness. Less is better than more. That’s the idea. Wrapped around this thinking is the subject of things. It is the belief that fewer things brings more happiness. But once again, it is placing an internal subject, contentment, on external things, stuff. Less stuff, better off. A poor person with very little can have the love of money and not be content. It’s not about what you have, but what has you. We wouldn’t say less education is better than more. Less health is better than more. Less people in church is better than more. Freedom comes from do you own things or do those things own you.

Third, belief that contentment is off in the future somewhere. Have you ever heard of a content college student? He is unsettled. He needs to finish his degree. He needs to get a good job. He needs to find a place to live. He needs to meet someone and get married. Then, and only, then, he can begin to be content. It is assumed that the retired person is the most content person because they don’t have the worries and hassles of works, schedules, traffic and raising a young family. And, it is believed, as long as bills hang over your head, you can’t be content. With this reasoning, someone who takes out a thirty year mortgage is declaring that he can’t be content for the next thirty years.

The flavor of the N.T. writers is that contentment was a present condition of the heart. It wasn’t out there somewhere in the future. It was something in the present tense. Paul, writing from a Roman jail, could express his contentment.

Fourth, there is a misconception that contentment means not wanting anything more. Yet, the apostle who declared that he learned the secret of contentment, wanted to go to Spain (Rom 15). He also wanted his books (2 Tim 4). He wanted the thorn in the flesh to leave him (2 Cor 12). Contentment does not mean you do not improve yourself nor have any dreams, goals or ambition. A person will never change unless he is motivated to do so.

We have shown several things that contentment is not. Hopefully, tomorrow, I will continue with this and detail what contentment means. We ought to pray for a content heart.

Roger

20

Jump Start # 3228

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3228

Proverbs 18:24 “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

The holiday season is upon us. As I write this, I have Christmas songs playing in the background. I’m one who could listen to those songs year round. So many great things happen this time of year. Holiday movies, Christmas cookies, the thrill of wrapping presents, and getting with family. Home for the holidays can be very delightful. But for some it is stressful. Some dread it. For some, it takes about all year to recover from such things. And, the reason for this is because of relationship issues. A survey asked if you could have one other person with you on a deserted island who would it be? More than half, 54%, chose a pet over another person.

And, home for the holidays is stressful because we do not pick our family. And for some, what a mess they are.

  • The Never-Pleased-Dad who is never satisfied with what you do. Never one to give a compliment, he only sees the failures and mistakes in your life.
  • The Constant-Nagging Mom who continues to treat you like a child, even though you are grown, married and have your own children. Negative is her only mood. She doesn’t like how you decorate your house. She doesn’t approve of how you are raising your children. And, to every meal, she brings a large heaping of guilt.
  • The Name-Calling-Brothers who act as if they have never grown up. Teasing, ridicule and meanness is what they are all about.
  • The Nit-Picking Sister who is the drama queen of the family. She majors in making mountains out of mole hills and getting into everyone else’s business. She won’t let things be still. She stirs, irritates, and projects her opinion on every subject. She creates problems where there are no problems. She’s all about herself. She loves to drop names, talk about who is kissing who in Hollywood and the latest fashions. Worldly, secular, and indifferent to everyone else, that’s the dear sister.
  • The Nutty Cousin who doesn’t have a filter on his mouth or a moral bone in his body. He has been through so many marriages the family has lost count. He’s loud, opinionated and generally wrong on about every topic he brings up. He thinks he is an expert on religion, even though he hasn’t darkened a church building in decades.
  • Neurotic grandpa who might say anything at any moment. He can be prejudice, narrow minded and rude all at the same time. He always wants to talk about politics, which no one else wants to listen to.

With such a mess, it’s hard to want to go home for the holidays. Some don’t. And what we must remember is that some people make no effort to get along. They expect you to agree with them. They want to share their opinion but they don’t care about what others have to say. Some change through the years and what we find is that we have very little in common with them. We may share the same last name, but that’s about it. And, some relationships are toxic and harmful. It’s like hugging a porcupine, there’s going to be a lot of pain doing that.

Our verse reminds us that friends are made by choices, family is not. There are some bonds we have spiritually that our physical family may not understand, appreciate, nor like. What can you do? You are expected to be there? You know it’s going to be bad. It always is. Stressful, strained, and toxic—what do you do?

First, realize that you cannot change grown adults. But neither do you have to give approval to sinful behavior. Establish boundaries and limits. I love the quote, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.” Dr. Henry Cloud’s book on establishing boundaries is a great place to begin. As the conversation swiftly turns to gossip, try to change the subject. What you are not comfortable revealing, don’t. Some people just want to know because they are nosey.

Second, continue to let your light shine. Speak well of the church and what the Lord has done for you. You might have meaningful conversations one-on-one, away from the noise at the table and all the chatter of things that do not matter. Talk to that teen and ask him how things are going. Remember to let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

Third, prepare for the trip by having a plan and saying a prayer. Talk to your kids about what might take place and prepare them. On the way home, try to find blessings to talk about.

I know families where nearly everyone is a believer in Jesus. What a wonderful blessing that is. I also know families in which only one person is a Christian and everyone else is everything else. It’s hard. But maybe God has placed in you situations like that to show Jesus. You might be the only person that shows Jesus to them.

Home for the Holidays—it can be tough. Make sure that you’re not the cause for someone to dread coming together.

Roger

19

Jump Start # 3227

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3227

2 Corinthians 7:6 “But God who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus.”

A young preacher called the other day. He was discouraged. He was thinking of quitting and doing something else. He needed to vent and I happen to have a couple of big ears to listen. The shepherds where he was at were dragging their feet on this and that. He thought he should have gotten a better raise. He felt that he wasn’t appreciated. Should he move? Should he quit?  He talked. I listened. I could tell he was feeling really down. I know those feelings all too well. I have been there myself. Elijah in a cave, that’s what it’s like. Gloom and despair fill the skies when one is down in the dumps.

But this is much bigger than a younger preacher who is discouraged. From time to time all of us get in that valley. People disappoint us. People don’t keep their promises. People let us down. What we think ought to happen, doesn’t. And, for some that journey through the blues of discouragement lasts a long, long time.

Discouragement can be the final nail in the coffin that buries a marriage. Discouragement is a leading cause of why some walk away from the Lord or shift to another congregation. I heard a preacher begin his sermon with, “I am really depressed today.” It was hard to stay with him because of that opening statement. When discouraged a person begins to look for the exit door. Out of preaching. Resigning as a shepherd. Walking away from a marriage. Walking away from the Lord.

How does one get encouraged? How do you pull yourself out of the blues?

First, it’s up to you. Much too often we expect the church, the sermon, the shepherds or someone, anyone, to help us get back where we ought to be. There is a great illustration from the life of David that helps us. He was being chased by crazed king Saul. He returns home to find his family has been kidnapped. The men with him are so distraught, discouraged and defeated that they consider killing David. The passage says that “David strengthened himself.” That’s the key. There wasn’t anyone else who was going to do this. And, when we expect, wait and want others to pull us up out of the pits of pity and despair, it often doesn’t happen and then we sink even deeper in that dark hole.

What can you do to encourage yourself? What can you do to help your spirit? What can you do that will give you a better feeling in the Lord? That’s where you must start. Stop waiting for others and do what you can to help yourself. Changing the atmosphere helps. Switching your thoughts to something else helps. As long as we keep dwelling on how bad we feel, we will feel bad. Find something positive to do. Pray.

Second, keeping the Heavenly perspective always helps with getting the right balance in your thinking and your emotions. Remember Jesus. People walked away from Him. People falsely accused Him. And, that ole’ rugged cross, who can forget that? People let you down? They did Jesus. People hurt you? They did Jesus. People disappoint you? They did Jesus. But Jesus has never let you down. Jesus has never hurt you. Jesus has never disappointed you. You don’t follow people, you follow the Lord. The Lord has always been there for you. The Lord has been good to you. His blessings continue to flow. His forgiveness and grace is always available. Trust Him. Love Him. Follow Him.

Find a hymn and sing to yourself. It will bring that Heavenly perspective to you. Count your blessings and be thankful. Realize Satan wants you to walk away. Satan wants you to give up. Satan wants you to think more about yourself and your feelings than others.

Third, the Lord knows the good that you are doing. No one else may. No one else may appreciate what you are doing, but God does. What you are doing is right and good and you need to stay at it. A cup of cold water given to another, who would even mention that? God does. He saw. He knew. Only the Lord knows the hours you poured into writing a sermon or developing a meaningful class. Only the Lord knows the effort you put into making food for someone else. God knows and isn’t that all that matters. The right hand does not have to know what the left hand does.

Fourth, the Lord doesn’t want you to be discouraged. You won’t find a passage that gives a green light to being in the dumps. What we do find are verses about being thankful or rejoicing or building up one another. When Paul was depressed, God sent Titus. When Elijah was hiding in the cave, God told him to get out and appoint someone as king. Jumping back into the work that we do in the kingdom gets our minds off of ourselves and it keeps us busy doing great things.

What did I tell that young preacher who called? He had to make the decision for himself. I told him that most preachers get discouraged. I said I long have thought about quitting every Monday morning. But Tuesday rolls around and there are things to be done. I then reminded him of the apostle who was treated as the scum of the earth. Then I asked him about all the people he has helped through the years. What would it be like for him to quit because he didn’t feel like he was treated fairly. God has and God will treat him fairly.

I don’t know if brethren, especially shepherds will ever understand the emotions and the heart of a preacher. Some treat the relationship like a cold business. Some brag about all the benefits they get at work or at retirement and never once think of the preacher who gets a monthly check and nothing else. When he is finished, there won’t be anything for him and he will be replaced as quickly as possible. That’s the world of preaching. Many can’t take it. Many get so discouraged they get out. But when we realize the enormous good that is being done worldwide in the kingdom, and that souls are being saved eternally, and that God understands, the preacher quietly keeps these thoughts to himself and labors on. He knows he is doing what is good and noble. He knows that the Lord knows.

I also told this young preacher that the grass always looks greener elsewhere. But that grass still has to be mowed. Every job and every church has things that can discourage you. One can focus on those things or one can focus upon his blessings.

The young preacher continues to preach.

Roger

16

Jump Start # 3226

Posted on December 16, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3226

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

  As the apostle Paul was working through the layers of feelings, issues and troubles that Jewish brethren had towards the Gentiles, our verse was a reminder that in Christ we are all one. Now, that looks great on paper, but when one tries to practice this, often maintaining unity is much harder than any one anticipated.

We see this in the family. After services, he says, “Where do you want to go to eat?” All the kids have different suggestions. One wants chicken strips. Another hates chicken strips. One wants soup. Another hates soup. One wants a hamburger. Dad is thinking steak. Mom is thinking something healthy. And, the littlest one only wants ice cream. And, before a decision is made, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth take place.

Now, magnify and multiply our opinions, backgrounds, experiences and likes and dislikes and we ask, “How is it possible for a church to be in unity?” Throughout the N.T. letters we find expressions such as, “one mind,” “one accord,” “one voice,” “same love.” But too often, the fellowship can look more like mom, dad and the kids trying to decide where to eat. And, by the time a place is picked out, someone is mad, someone refuses to eat, and the atmosphere has a dark cloud hanging over it.

There are some things that ought to help us:

First, understand that we are not all going to see things the same way. There will be differences. How many songs ought to be sung. Just throw that question out for discussion one Sunday. Everyone has an idea. What’s the best way to serve the Lord’s Supper? Should a church be involved with electronic banking? Which translation is the best? Should services open with a prayer or a song or a greeting or a reading of a passage?

Second, what we do with disagreements shows a lot of what we are made of. Do we declare everyone who disagrees with me a false teacher and in error? Do I want them to do that towards me if I disagree with their opinion? Like the kids in the car, we can pout. We can leave. We can try to win people to our side, like a politician at election time. Or, as the Ephesians were told, we can be subject to one another. For two minds, two hearts, two opinions, two ideas to become one, there must be a coming together. Pressure, bullying, threats are not the Biblical manner of dealing with differences. One may get their way, but the “one mind, heart, voice” stuff won’t be there.

Third, good communication, love for one another and a whole bunch of Jesus sure helps. Kids remember who got to choose the last time. They keep track of those things. Disciples don’t. The spirit of the disciple is the spirit of Jesus. God has shown us a pattern to follow. Within that pattern, are certain judgments. As long as one stays within the pattern, the judgments are allowable. And, many of these judgments are personal and individual. As one walks with the Lord, he’ll find others, right along side of him, that may be walking beside him, not behind him, nor in front of him. This beside me concept means he will not place his foot in the exact spot I place my foot. Does that make me uncomfortable? Does that mean one of us must change? As we both follow Jesus, side by side, we will have different ways, or judgments, that we feel are necessary to be with the Lord.

Unity is not about me changing you, so you will look like me. Nor is it you changing me to be more like you. It’s both of us trying to be like Jesus. And, what better way to see this than in how God used the personalities of those who wrote the Bible. All the Bible is from God. It is inspired. However, the books do not read the same. Straightforward Proverbs and James do not read like Romans or Ezekiel. God used the personalities of each writer to express His will. There is one central message, yet the Bible writers were not the same. And, such in a congregation, we each follow the Lord, but what that means is different. I like to get to the church building hours before we start on Sunday. Some slide in at the last second, literally. Is my way better? No. It works for me. Could I switch and slide in at the last? I’d be a nervous wreck if I tried that. What works for me is not what works for others. We can try to change each other or realize that we are both worshipping God and we are both here before things begin. As long as we both stay Biblical and right behind the Lord, we can be in unity.

Getting along and getting along well is a mark of maturity, spiritual strength and love for the Lord. Some places are like that family in the car trying to decide where to eat. Others, seem to run much smoother and operate with an understanding of how great it is to serve the Lord.

Much to think about here…

Roger