Goodness

I love to cook and bake. Trying new recipes and making up my own tasty concoctions is what I call fun. My family enjoys that I have this hobby as well. My husband especially loves it when I use the Crock-pot. In his words “It’s a magical pot!” Well, at least that’s how they feel most of the time, there is what has been dubbed "the 1%."

A few days ago I created an extremely delicious looking chicken pot pie. The sauce was thick and creamy and filled with chicken, carrots, peas, onions and some nose tickling, yummy smelling herbs. It was topped off with golden brown, flaky biscuits. The whole house was bathed in the aroma of creamy, bubbly, splendidness and the dish looked gorgeous. The children came into the kitchen to watch me prepare it and there were smiles on their faces as they licked their lips in anticipation. Finally, it was time to gobble up the goodness!

Plates were piled high, the blessing was said, forks were raised, and mouths eagerly received the food. Suddenly, eyes closed, lips curled, forks dropped, and my loving husband gazed across the table and said “This is really bad isn’t it?” We all agreed and were very grateful that there was instant oatmeal in the pantry.

What went wrong? How could this happen? This dish was not destined to be in the 1%! It was beautiful. It was made with love. It smelled like a warm hug (if that has a smell). It had all the right stuff and it was really good, until we tasted it.

As it just so happens, it was entirely my fault. I think the recipe called for 2 teaspoons of thyme … it got 2 Tablespoons … maybe more. I tried to correct it but the more I tried to scoop it out the more incorporated it became. I decided it would be fine since it still smelled and looked so good. The problem was I had defined goodness superficially. I didn’t stop and consider that the real definition of goodness, when it comes to cooking, is how good it tastes.

I am quite convinced that I fall into this trap often when it comes to what the definition of goodness is in my Christian life. I think I am a fairly good gal. I do all the stuff I am supposed to do. I go to all the right places and say all of the right things. I give to those in need. I open up my home to people. I care for my children and my husband. I offer my time and energy to my friends. I don’t give into the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21) and I know all about the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).  My good deeds seem numerous at times and I try to fill my home with all the good things I can but, am I full of that fruit that is of the Spirit? Am I full of that goodness? 

When Jesus was asked by the rich young man “what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16) Jesus tells the young man that there is only one who is good and that to have eternal life he must keep His commandments. There is momentary joy; the young man already does all the good stuff. He already keeps all the commandments. He thinks he is all set and asks “What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20) Jesus tells the young man that he cannot merely keep the commandments and go through the motions. Jesus says that he must give up all that he has. He has to sacrifice what he thinks is important; in this case his vast wealth. He must make Christ and following Him in His ministry the center of his life. His deeds, no matter how amazing, really don’t do anything to secure his eternal life if they are void of devotion to “God who is the source of all good, including eternal life” (ESV Study Bible note). This proves to be too much for this young man and he goes away saddened by the thought of such a great sacrifice (Matthew 19:22). 

This young man was a good guy by the standards of the law. He did all the good stuff and went to all the good places. He knew all the right things to say and all the commandments to keep. But he was not full of goodness. I know this may seem to be a harsh thing to say about the rich young man but if we are honestly looking at what the text says, the logical conclusion to draw for him and for me is that even if I am doing all the good stuff and I do not fill my heart and soul with devotion to Christ, I am not full of goodness. My question then is the same as the apostles after this event. 

“‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ Then Peter said in reply, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.’” (Matthew 19:26-29) 

Much like my beautiful chicken pot pie, I am deeply flawed on the inside. Even in the midst of all the good I may profess or that may be seen outwardly I am not good enough. My words are not always seasoned well, I am broken, and I struggle. I may do many things that look good to those around me but there is only one who is truly good. Through Him, eternal life in heaven is possible, not easy but possible. His goodness was made known to us through the tremendous act of love through Christ on the cross. Unless “I have been crucified with Christ,” and “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20) I cannot be full of true goodness and I cannot receive the inheritance of eternal life. If I am willing to leave behind whatever earthly distraction stands in the way and follow Him then I will be full of goodness, not my own but, the goodness of God. 

Dear Mom,

I want you to know I saw you. I remember what you did. You didn't think I was paying attention or that I would see what happened but, you were wrong. I remember it all and it did something to me that I thought you should know about.

I saw my father trust in you. I saw him gain strength from your love and support. I saw you do good for him. It taught me how to be an excellent wife.

I saw you work willingly to care for your family and for any who entered your house. I saw you as you kissed me goodnight after spending all day in that willing work only to leave your lamp on all night as you did more work while I slept to help provide for your household. I saw you smile though you wanted to cry sometimes from your weariness. It taught me what a woman’s duty to her family is.

I saw you clothed in strength and dignity as you opened your arms, your heart, and your life to anyone that needed you, especially to children, even when they were not always kind to you. I saw you love me and my brother and still have room to love the house full of children that were not technically yours but, to you, they were. I saw you care for poor and needy people in your community, even when things may have been tight in our own home, because you knew that God would provide our needs for us. It taught me to be strong in the Lord and do good to all even though I may feel as though I am the one in need. God will take care of me.

I saw my father gain respect in the church and in his service to the community. I saw you there beside him. I saw that you were a big part of why he was and is the man he is. I saw him praise you. It taught me to show respect to my husband so that he may be respected by others.

I saw you speak wisely and kindly to the children in Bible class about God’s love for them. I saw you teaching them to love and revere His words because He loves them so. It taught me to hold God’s words in my heart and share them freely with all of His children.

I saw you mom. And these many years later, as I have been reflecting on the excellent wife that God’s word speaks of in Proverbs 31:10-31, I see you are that woman and what you have wanted for me all along is to be the same wife, mother, and woman that God says I should be.

I saw you mom. You taught me mom. And now, I want you to know that you are blessed. “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” (Proverbs 31:29)

One In Christ

Today I am posting something that was a collaborative effort between my 13 year old daughter and myself. This is the speech she delivered for 8th grade girls speech this year at the Lads to Leaders convention. She worked hard on finding, researching and studying the passages used. She made extensive notes about what the words from the Bible meant and I was her assistant in finding her words to describe what she had discovered. Needless to say, I am very proud of all of my children and I want to take this opportunity to show you just one of the reasons why. Happy reading!

"I am an individual. On my own, I am capable of doing many things. However, as much as I may want to, I cannot do everything. I love to play the violin. I have always thought that the violin that is beautiful to play and to listen to. I never realized how amazing it could be until I joined an orchestra. At first, I wondered how this odd sounding part that I was learning would end up sounding like music. It was nice but it sounded incomplete, unfinished, and unpolished. I soon discovered it was only one part of the entire piece of music. Violins, violas, cellos, double basses and a few other instruments gathered together. We all had different parts that alone sounded like a bit of a mess at times but then, my teacher raised her baton and motioned us to play all of our different parts at the same time. I couldn't believe my ears! It was absolutely amazing. When all the instruments came together with their different parts it created a harmony that I could never produce on my own.

Ephesians 4:1-7 says “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience and love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

In this passage, Paul is writing about the importance of unity in the “body” of Christ and the blessings of grace and hope being a part of that body gives. He urges the Ephesians and all Christians to examine their attitudes toward the work for the Lord and be sure that they are humble, gentle, patient, loving and eager to replicate the oneness of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit and to be unified by the assurance that one hope, one faith, and one baptism brings. This was a real problem for the church of the first century and, if we are honest with ourselves, it is a real problem for us today.

Like I said before, I am an individual and I am quite content to remain an individual on most days. I love my friends and family but at times I just want to do it myself. I am overwhelmed by popular figures in music, television, and movies that encourage me to just be me and to forget about everyone else because I am really all that matters. I am told to focus on my own unique talents and abilities and rely solely on them because me, my, and mine are the only things that will ever really matter. However, as a Christian, it is my responsibility to fight against a selfish attitude and focus on the oneness of Christ and His Church. That’s really hard to do. That is why Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit to remind us that Christians, while we do all have different gifts from God that are to be celebrated we must share our resources and work together. On many occasions in his writings Paul uses the example of a body to describe Christ’s church.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 we read “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member where would the body be? There are many parts, yet one body.”

Every Christian is different and we all possess different talents, but, this does not divide us as the world might have us believe. We are to use these differences and work together toward a common goal. This can be really difficult to accomplish even when we realize it’s what we need to do. Especially when our different personalities clash, but we are not exempted from striving toward unity just because it is hard.

Christians are to experience a bond with one another which unites them in common fellowship. God did not design us to live out our faith in isolation. He designed the church to function as a community of believers, a body with Christ holding us together as our head. Ephesians 4:15-16 says: “We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”   

I love the violin. I love the music that I can make on my own it’s good and I enjoy learning my part. But, when I play with the entire orchestra it is more than good, it transforms into something beautiful and powerful. It makes more sense and accomplishes the goal intended by the composer and the conductor. I can do so much for Christ and His church on my own and it’s good to do that. But, when I work with the entire body, it is more than good, it transforms into something beautiful and powerful. It makes more sense and accomplishes the goal intended by God The Father, His Son, and His Holy Spirit."

Watch Where You're Swinging That Thing!

After many visits to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory during our tenure in Louisville, KY we have quite a collection of the souvenir mini bats that guests receive as they exit the factory portion of the tour. I am not really sure we need all of these bats but I can see how they may prove useful in the event of a home invasion as a source of self-defense. They are good for whacking around a wadded up piece of paper or one of those little bouncy balls you get for 25cents out of those vending machines out front in the family restaurant down the street. They are also a source of fascination for my 22 month old. If one of them gets left down low where he can grab it the situation can turn from cute to madness in a matter of seconds.

Here’s how it plays out:

The one year old spies the bat laying in the most conspicuous place it could have been placed by an older someone in the house. His eyes light up. He leaps like a bolt of lightning from a storm cloud and grabs the bat with both hands. He holds it and examines it for a few minutes as he marvels at the object he is holding. The two older children enter the room and see him with the bat. They think it’s pretty cute. “Awww, mommy look, he’s fascinated with the bat. Do you think he’ll like to play baseball when he grows up?” They get down on his level and try to explain what he is holding and how to use it. He doesn’t really care or understand but they have given him just enough information about the bat. “You are supposed to swing it, like this bubby.” Then the scene changes very quickly. “No, No bubby! Don’t hit sissy! No! Don’t hit bubby! Mommy! AHHHHH! Run away!” There is an intervention by me, a removal of the deadly weapon, and screaming by the one year old because he sure was having fun smiling and swinging his new toy. Crisis averted and lesson learned by the older ones about placing objects that may be used to cause blunt force trauma out of the reach of their baby brother. Well, learned for a week or so but that’s another blog post altogether.  

I reflect on this and other situations like it that occur on a fairly regular basis in my house and I wonder if we do things like this even when we should be past it or know better as mature Christians? I am sure I have been guilty of this in my youth as I was just beginning to pick up and marvel at the Word. In my exuberance I may have unwittingly hurled a misused passage or several in the direction of someone intending to show my skill but instead inflicting hurt and damage that may have taken quite some time to recover from. I am prayerful and hopeful that I have grown and am growing in knowledge and understanding of God’s Word every day of my life but I know I still have a long way to go.

Until I reach the unreachable heights of total and complete knowledge of the scriptures I have learned to be more careful with it. It’s not just any old book that can be tossed around and picked apart by my own opinions or used to prove some point I want to forcefully make in your face without taking into consideration how it may impact the one to which it was delivered. The contents of the Holy Bible are too powerful and meaningful to merely swing them around wildly with no understanding of what they are, what they say, and what they do to people.

The apostle Paul reminds the preacher Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14-17 to remain rooted in his acquaintance with the “sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” Timothy is further encouraged to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” in 2 Timothy 4:2.

   

The Bible is what God has spoken to this world that He created. It is what He expects His people to go to and be acquainted with in order to competently teach others and to be equipped to do His good work. It is to be used to preach His word in many occasions for both encouraging and correcting, for many different reasons, and is to be taught with patience. His words are the source for what is right and what is wrong and the source of my access to my Heavenly Father and the rest he offers to all of His children. Striving to enter that rest comes with an understanding that God’s word will cause change in a dramatic way in my life. “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. ” (Hebrews 4:11-13). His word is alive and it has the ability and the right to cut into my life, intrude on my thoughts, and inform how I should view the world.

This is all very encouraging to me to stay faithful to His powerful word but it is also something that causes me to be cautious with how I deliver this message to people who may not know anything about this mighty sword. This is where the tough part comes in. His word is a sword and I, as a Christian, am called to wield it (Ephesians 6:10-20). Not only am I called to carry this sword into the world I am supposed to carry it with the most unruly and hardest to tame part of myself, my tongue. “No, human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:8-10) I am now doubly convinced of the level of care I should take with this message I am entrusted with.

My 22 month old was very happy swinging his bat around with his limited information of how to use it but if, as he grows, he never learns more about what it can actually do and only continues to swing it wildly he will hurt himself and nearly everyone around him. Likewise, as a Christian I had better understand the power of what God’s word contains and strive to get it right as I carry it into the world. It is a sharp object after all. I want to make sure I am wielding it in the right way so that it cuts away what it should instead of hacking those who would receive it to bits hurting myself, nearly everyone around me, and most importantly doing damage to how the world views God in the process. Remember, Timothy was encouraged not only to preach the word but to do so with patience. He was also told that the way to do this was to use the very breath of God given to him in the sacred writings of scripture to equip and train himself. I have the same responsibility today.