Fireworks aren’t needed to serve the Lord

fireworks

© 2007 Michelle Simmons

Fireworks. In the tri-state area where my family and I call home, there are times it seems there is no reason needed for folks to shoot off fireworks. Tonight happens to be New Year’s Eve and the last day of 2017. Already around the world, scores of people are celebrating the beginning of a new year. Each nationality has a different way of celebrating the arrival of the new year. Within the United States, we gather with family and friends and share a meal. And during that meal, many will discuss their resolutions — the plans they have to live the new year differently than the last.

Fireworks? Are they necessary?

The short answer is no, they are not necessary. But just as with anything else, we can find a philosophical application that will explain them. Fireworks have, since the ancient days in China, been used in war and celebration. In war, the ancient Chinese would use them to scare their enemies. But in celebration they were used to mark a definitive moment in history. Tonight, around the world, as midnight ushers in 2018, the world celebrates, with fireworks, the end of the old year and the beginning of a new year with all the promises it will be better than the last.

Fireworks aren’t needed in our faith

Tomorrow many of us will set out with the intentions of doing things differently this year. While in graduate school, one of my neighbors would observe the arrival of the new year by shouting out into the apartment complex courtyard. He would shout out what his resolutions were. A few of those resolutions were about his faith. The Lord doesn’t want us to use verbal fireworks to announce our intentions. In fact, the Lord doesn’t want us to do anything beyond what the Bible teaches.

The apostle James wrote, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (James 1:22-25). The Lord intends us not to just talk about our faith; He wants us to be active participants in it!

Fireworks can be a distraction

Within the gospel of Luke, Jesus tells about two men praying in the temple. Jesus taught, Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:10-13). The pharisee was distracted by his own fireworks to the extent he couldn’t see the condition of his heart.

He was so busy proclaiming his spirituality that he could not see the real condition of his heart. He couldn’t see beyond the loud booms and bright flashes of light of his own proclamation to see the sincerity of the publican’s prayer. The publican wasn’t praying so that everyone can hear. He wasn’t telling the Lord what he planned to do. He was simply seeking the Lord in a heartfelt and sincere prayer.

Continued on the next page.

Resting and waiting upon the Lord (Part 3)

resting and waitingResting and waiting on the Lord is something that I still struggle with daily. As I shared last time, it is also the smartest thing we can do. It is easy to become so involved with things around us that we often neglect to simply rest and wait. We become tempted to act when we see  injustice, suffering, or other problems which must be solved. But we see within the Bible a verse that reminds us to do just that: Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass (Psalms 37:7).

The last part of the verse

The first two parts of the verse have been pretty straight forward in what the Lord wants us to do. The first part, Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, reminds us there are times when we simply need to take a step back and let the Lord handle things. The next phrase of the verse, fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, is another reminder that we don’t know enough about anyone else’s situation in life to pass judgment. We often forget this and rush to judge others by an artificial standard we’ve constructed. It is a faulty judgment because we base it on our standards.

The third part of this verse, because of the  man who bringeth wicked devices to pass, is another reminder for us. And like the other reminders, too often we forget this important one. This part of the verse is about those who are bent on doing evil – doing things in direct opposition to the Lord. If we are honest with ourselves, we pay more attention to them than what we really need to.

Setting the right priority

Since I began studying the Bible more seriously in 2006, I’ve learned that when the same thing is recorded in two separate places it’s really important. David understood the importance about not worrying about the wicked and their plans. David understood a precept which Jesus would later teach during His earthly ministry: And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do (Luke 12:4).

The same teaching is recorded in the book of Matthew, but with a slight twist: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). We should be more worried about what the Lord sees within us than what those who want to do evil have planned. The most severe thing that evil can do to a believer of the Lord is to kill the body. And as Christians, we know what happens at that moment: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

We still have an obligation to share the gospel

A while back ago I was told by a college student that she never shares the gospel with people she believes are too evil to receive Christ. As followers of Jesus, it is not our responsibility to decide with whom we share the gospel. We are simply commanded by Jesus: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). There are no qualifiers, no rules of who we are to avoid. Just a commandment to spread the gospel.

The apostle Paul understood something about our divine mission: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). I’ve seen too many well-meaning Christians who believe that every time they share the gospel there’s no success unless a profession of faith is made. This is not at all what should drive us. We are simply the conduit through which the Holy Spirit works.

The ultimate fate of the wicked should be our concern…

but it shouldn’t become such a preoccupation that we lose focus. We all know people who become preoccupied with making sure the wicked “get what’s coming to them.”  God even reminds us several times in the Bible that it’s not our place to make sure the wicked are punished. We don’t have that responsibility. Once we have shared the gospel with those who are bent on being wicked, our scriptural responsibility is complete.

God’s set this standard back in the Old Testament: Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:18). It has never been the responsibility of humankind to seek revenge against another. Instead, we are to love others as we love ourselves. And it should be this love that drives us to share the gospel with them. Paul reminds us of this important teaching: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:19).

We share the gospel and our responsibility stops there. We are not to do anything other than that. No revenge, no setting up scenarios to get even. We must simply share the love of Jesus with them. This can become a true test of our faith in Jesus. We must allow the Lord to be God without reservation or second guessing.

There’s no need to worry

When we worry about what awaits others, regardless of if our view is right or wrong, we are letting God know how we think He should handle others. It’s difficult knowing there are people out there who treat others with such contempt and hatred. There are people out there who have intentionally hurt us or those we love. And it becomes easy for bitterness and worry to preoccupy our minds with thoughts of what we think what they deserve.

David wrote, But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness (Psalms 9:7-8). We don’t need to worry about what awaits the wicked. The Lord has already prepared for their judgment – and unlike what fills our hearts, it is a righteous judgment. Solomon expounded on this very thing in more detail: I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work (Ecclesiastes 3:17).

Resting and waiting upon the Lord

The Lord’s desire is for us not to fill our days with worry or stress. He doesn’t want us to waste our time trying to figure out ways to get even or to punish those we believe who need it. There are times He simply wants us to wait (not do anything without His guidance) and trust (this means commit our entire being under his Lordship) upon Him. Again, the verse for this series reads: Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass (Psalms 37:7). We could free up so much of our mind and wasted energy if we just followed God’s advice and wisdom.

 

 

 

 

 

Resting and waiting upon the Lord (Part 2)

fret

© Parys, Dreamstime Stock Photos

Resting and waiting on the Lord is difficult to do. As I shared last time, it is also the smartest thing we can do. It is easy to become so involved with things around us that we often neglect to simply rest and wait. But we see within the Bible a verse that reminds us to do just that: Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass (Psalms 37:7).

A three-part verse

This verse lends itself to be divided into three parts. Last time, I shared how the first part, Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him… is a reminder. It is a reminder of the need to take a step back, rest, and wait for the Lord to work on our behalf. Today, the second part of the verse, fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way is a reminder of our tendencies to waste time and energy. We spend so much energy and time trying to come to our own understanding of the things we see or think we understand.

Fret not yourself because of others…

I’ve taught at the college and university level since 2004. Each semester, I have met young folks who are angry at the wealthy. They assign values to wealthy people who are not only unreasonable, but often wrong. And some of these same college students will gladly tell anyone who asks they identify as Christians. But by the very deed of hating the wealthy, they violate one of the Lord’s greatest teachings.

We shouldn’t focus on the wealth, prosperity, or popularity of others. When we do this, we take our eyes off the Lord. We become distracted and cannot see clearly. Solomon, with all his God-given wisdom, understood how attempts to understand the source of wealth can lead to real spiritual battles. Even in his day, there were those who asked “why them, Lord?” and “why not me, Lord?” And just like people today, they didn’t stop there. Some began to imagine ways to gain wealth and others condemned the wealthy.

Solomon had a clear understanding of the source of all wealth

Within the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon had a clear understanding of where all gain their wealth. The first verse reads, Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God (Ecclesiastes 5:19). Within this verse, we see that wealth is a gift from God and the ability to enjoy that wealth is also a gift. The second verse reads, A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease (Ecclesiastes 6:2).

One man is wealthy because he has gained wealth through his labor and the Lord rewarded his efforts by allowing him to become wealthy. He has the ability to enjoy all that he’s earned – a gift of the Lord. The other man is wealthy and gained it though the Lord’s blessing. But instead of being able to enjoy it, he doesn’t. He continues to value the wealth more than his own life.

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