Serving the Least of These-A Meeting with Rodney

Today was just one of those days..our little boy did not sleep well last night and I was up late signing various documents for my job so the little sleep I did get was more than what my wife got. So we were both very tired, and our little boy did not nap at all today! yikes! All this was a recipe for me suggesting that we get out of the condo and go get something to eat, since it was 6:30 by the time I got home.

We went to Moe's Southwest Grill, which is VERY tasty and quickly becoming a favorite of mine simply because of how fresh the food is and how fast they make it. We ate our dinner and went outside when a homeless man, who we later found out was named Rodney, approached us and asked us for money for a meal. We paused and then asked him what he would like from the restaurant we were just in, he told us, so we got him a meal and a drink; while my wife was inside ordering it, he said he needed money to get to a shelter he knew of close by and I gave him a few bucks for the bus ride.

He stated he had no family and could not hold a job because he had been sick; he stated just yesterday he found out he had Parkinsons. I did notice a slight shake in one of his hands. A cynical person might have said that while he may have been poor, even homeless, the rest of the story was contrived or something to that effect.

However, these are the lost we are called to reach out to, these are the "least of these" that Jesus wants us to show his grace and love to. I am glad that my son was there to meet Rodney and to see that such folks are NOT outcasts or untouchables, or worst, people to ignore. To be sure, most people do not wish to be MEAN to the homeless, they are simply an inconvenience or a "strain" on their routine or finances. We must remember that before Christ, we were all lost in the sea of our own sin. It rather amazes me that the same people who would state that we need to preach the Gospel to everyone because we don't know who God has chosen or not chosen to be the "elect" (which is the truth, of course, no matter whether you are Calvinist/Reformed or Arminian), are the same people that have a predisposition to think that all people (homeless or otherwise) asking for help as Rodney did above are devious and are not to be trusted. Many say, never give them money, offer to buy the thing they request; while in some cases this might be prudent, is there never a time to simply give the money and leave the rest in the hands of God? Will He not deal with them at the proper time?


Showing Rodney a small amount of grace through the purchase of a meal and a ride as well as praying with him, I hope and pray that the Lord continues to guide Rodney to a knowledge of Him and Jesus whom He sent. May we all continue to be inspired to serve those that come across our path for the glory of the One who saved us from the depths of our sin!

On Friendship

So moving back to the area has been a whirlwind and things are starting (somewhat) to get into a pattern of things. My wife and I both have come to a realization that while we are "back" in one sense, it's not really true for the most part. We're living in a city adjoining where we used to live and we don't really know anyone. True, she's got some online contacts in the area and I'm getting to know people at work (sort of) but no real connections as of yet. There is some promise in the church we've been attending for two weeks now, but that all hangs in the balance as we consider our house search.

Having moved back and forth across the state, I've come to some realizations about friendships. Like many other things, you only get out of them what you put in; however, it would seem to me that not all friendships are created equal, or to put it differently, some friendships are valued more than others. Recently I have put out some contacts to folks (from various times in my life) but have not received much response. And looking back, I realized that in some cases I initiated most of the contact, yet with others, I did not probably do the work to maintain contact; could be they were too busy..who knows. But I wonder if, being human as we are, one side might value the friendship more than the other; subconsciously, if we are the side that does not value it as highly, we might be courteous and giving but then let it go or allow geography or life to excuse us out of it.

I say this only as an observation because I do not think we set out to do this to others, but we simply prioritize our social obligations; geography plus the pressures of life often make it very difficult to maintain a friendship with a former neighbor or co-worker (though having lived with my college roommate for four years, we manage to talk at least once a month).

Friendship is something slowly grown, maintained and kept like flowers in a garden; often we are casual with our "friendship," maintaining our real friendships as we would on Facebook. I have close to 400 "friends" many of whom are contacts I made throughout my life, but not really friends. Real friendship takes work and time that, I confess, I don't often have. Many might blame technology or the fast-paced nature of society and the world around us, but we shouldn't get off that easy. That excuse just covers up the heart of the matter--our selfishness. "It's my time and I can do with it what I want!" Or we take on friendships not for their own sakes but what it can do to advance us either socially or professionally. And yet we are surprised when an actor or famous person dies of an overdose or dies penniless; everyone "liked" that person, but no one truly knew him or her, not like a true friend would.

Value your friendships and be faithful to those who are put across your path; they might really need it, and you may find you need it too.

Wait Until Your Father Comes Home...

(yes, I am still alive...I often have things that cross my mind that I'd LIKE to blog about, but rarely have the coherence/time to put them down into a post such as this one. Now, back to your scheduled program...)

Have you ever been talking with a group of friends or even colleagues at work about your childhood and you get around to the subject of discipline? It might go something like this:

Person 1: "Boy my dad really put the fear of God in me."

Person 2: "Yeah, I'd back talk my mom and all she'd have to say was 'wait until your father gets home' and that would straighten me right up."

I've been reading a book called Grace Based Parenting by Tim Keller that has made me really analyze the traditions of discipline, even as it plays out in the Christian community. Even as Christians, we have the above conversation, even I admit to having it with other folks, even believers, and we almost during the conversation boast about a discipline that may not have been grace-filled or biblical.

I'm going to make a strong statement: discipline that is NOT based in Christ's love, His grace and His Gospel is abuse. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines abuse as a "corrupt practice or custom." Thus, abuse is the corrupting of a practice or custom that may be considered normal or acceptable. Another definition is the improper use of something, which could also be applied here.

Now, before certain parents (who would be against spanking) start pointing fingers at other parents (who would agree with the spanking of children), saying "see, you shouldn't spank your kids, that's abuse!" Please hear me. This abuse goes deeper than the method used; our motivations and our heart drive our parenting behavior and methods. In application, I could easily see one parent who combines love and discipline through the method of spanking and yet another who does not spank but abuses the child emotionally and verbally.

Our goal in discipline should ultimately be (after correction and discipline) restoration and the preaching of the Gospel to our children; God in His goodness provides access to Him through Christ to whom we can repent of our sins. Even though we are His, our sin creates a barrier to Him in that it builds up a wall in our relationship with Him. So too is it with our children; even if the act is not against us directly, the disobedience is ultimately against God and we must (as stewards of the blessings of children that God has given us), direct them to Christ and mend the wall that has built up between our children and us. We do so by showing them grace, love and mercy throughout the disciplinary process.

Lord, let us search our hearts and examine ourselves while being good stewards in leading and guiding our families!

Being Transparent with the Body of Christ

Our Pastor David had some very good closing words during his pastoral prayer yesterday that really got to me; he spoke of putting on that fake smile, like everything is okay when it really isn't. Oftentimes he pointed out that in church settings, if someone doesn't have that "mask" on, we get really uncomfortable that they're being so real, open and broken before us (almost to the point where we don't want to associate with them). Sometimes I have to fight the urge to put on that face during that linger time we have after the service, but I was able to be honest with some people yesterday that no, things were rough at home because both my son and wife were sick (thankfully I think both are on the upswing!) and in trying to care for them I was really weary.

I could have smiled and said (in response to "How's it going?"), "pretty good, how about you?" and continued on with the small talk/chatter that often accompanies that start to a conversation. But if we can't be real in church, to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, who can we be real with? Is our response those at work understand us better? Or the guys at the bar? If so, then we need to prioritize the relationships where we are being real with people (and others in the church have a role to play in that as well, in changing their attitudes towards others).

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I am praying very hard that soon after the start of the year that I can find a mentor in life to help guide me (and keep me accountable) in my spiritual walk as well as in life in general. It has been difficult at times over the past few months to gauge where I am at (if at times I even know what day it is), in the busyness that is my life. I am very quick to help and listen, but oftentimes not as quick to ask for it; as a result, I can feel a little weighed down emotionally, as I do at times right now. Christ's grace has sustained me, but I need His means (meaning His people).

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In other news, my wife and I sat down on Saturday and hammered out our first monthly budget, EVER. After reading Dave Ramsey's book, Total Money Makeover, we have been motivated more than ever before to attack our debt and eradicate it from our lives. It will be long and hard, and we will have to make sacrifices, but I want several things from this: 1) for my children to be able to live without the burden of debt and to see what it means to live without debt; 2) to be able to save for kids' college and our retirement (read: my career change--I don't think I'll ever retire); and 3) to be able to give more than I ever have before.

This last one is one I am looking forward to more than anything else; there are times I want to give to someone or something but can't because my debt has restrained me from giving like I would want to. So as Ramsey says, we will live like no one else, so that one day, we WILL live like no one else. Pray that God will guide us through this.

More to follow.

Our Worldview and Our Identity in Christ

As my wife and I await the arrival of our child, we have the fortunate chance to be studying Ted Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart in our Sunday School class. In it, it speaks of addressing the heart or sin issues that underlie the child's behavior--understanding not only the what of the behavior, but the why.

This week I was thinking of the importance of the Gospel in raising up a child in the way that he should go but in addition the importance of the Gospel in forming that child's worldview. We certainly cannot prepare a child for EVERY single situation that the child might face, nor can we shield the child from every bad thing. A proper and full understanding of the Gospel is key to giving the child the tools and framework he needs by the time he leaves home.

To give an example (and this may be a sore spot for some), the subject of drinking. Simply telling a child that he shouldn't drink alcohol because it is not a good thing as a stand-alone statement will not service them at all, not only because (as I read it) it is not borne out in the scriptures but it is not within any framework. Taught within the framework that we are put on this earth to glorify God and enjoy him forever, coupled with scriptural references to moderation (and not drinking to excess) and not causing another brother to stumble, a child can see what is proper for the situation and what is not. Giving a child precepts upon which he can address a situation is important in living the rest of his life--rules simply prefaced with "because I said so" (though there is a place for that at times) will not ultimately stick when the pressure and heat of life come upon the then-grown up adult.

How does this connect with our identity in Christ? A proper understanding of the Gospel informs the child to find his security and who he is in Christ, not in the things or pleasures of this world, or the affections or attentions of others. Even in Christian homes do children grow up to be insecure, for they are not shown the full riches of the Gospel (this is more rooted in an incomplete understanding of our adoption in Christ, but that is another post)! I admit that until I came to Reformed Theology I did not fully comprehend grace or the sovereignty of God; for me it adjusted my worldview where worry was no longer a part of who I was and my desire for glorifying God (through the continuous help of the Holy Spirit) became stronger because of this new understanding.

Preach the Gospel to your kids daily by your words and actions, confronting their hearts and shaping their minds so that they might give glory to God as a first response, even when they have left the home.

Let us make this our prayer, modeling it for our children (taken from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Readings):

"Lord, help me to glorify thee; I am poor, help me to glorify thee by contentment; I am sick, help me to give thee honour by patience; I have talents, help me to extol thee by spending them for thee; I have time, Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve thee; I have a heart to feel, Lord, let that heart feel no love but thine, and glow with no flame but affection for thee; I have a head to think, Lord, help me to think of thee and for thee; thou hast put me in this world for something, Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose: I cannot do much, but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into thy treasury; I am all thine; take me, and enable me to glorify thee now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have."

What Do You Treasure? (Part One)

Last week our pastor preached on the passage in Matthew 6, where Jesus spoke of earthly treasures and instead of clinging to those so tightly, we should "lay up" treasures in heaven.

He then gave us some diagnostic questions to think about over the week, and I thought that I would post and give some comment/answers to them (from my personal viewpoint).

1. What makes you feel rich? What makes you feel poor? Is your answer to this question articulated primarily in monetary terms? What makes you feel full, satisfied, and successful? Conversely, what makes you feel empty, exposed, uncomfortable?

This one is quite a question indeed, and I think most of us do, on some level, answer it in terms of money. Sure, I'm no Scrooge McDuck, but part of living in America tempts you to look over to your neighbor and say, "Gosh I wish I had a better car" or house, etc. I admit that at times I feel poor because of a type of lack of security by degree. Now what do I mean by that? I have a car, but it has TONS of miles on it and I wonder if it breaks down at any point? I do have fleeting moments where I think of how much I earn and wish I was earning more, but for me it's more of stuff that money can buy that can make some folks (me included) feel a little poor.

But now to the flip side--as for feeling rich, I feel rich in the relationships that I have with others. I am extremely blessed in my family life in that I deeply love all of my family and that most if not all know and love the Lord--I am not estranged with anyone in my family, and unfortunately these days, many people cannot say that. These riches far outweigh any feelings I may have of feeling poor, because at the end of the day, knowing you are loved not only by your Heavenly Father but in your earthly relationships can buoy any sense of loss or lack.

Feeling successful or empty, I think, is often rooted in America's sense of wanting to be secure: you graduate from high school/college, you get a good job, get married, have kids, have a great house, cars, etc. If we look around to see that some have what we want, we wonder what we have done wrong, or if someone has what we have, only better, we feel as if we have failed. It would be easy for me to say that as an attorney, I should be making more money or have a better job, but I have to be content to be where God has placed me at the moment. God really showed me this through the whole job search process as well as John Piper's book, Don't Waste Your Life.

2. What must you get in order to make life sing? Is the answer a physical thing? A large comfortable home? Successful children? Financial Security? A satisfying work life? Good grades at school? Cool parents? Answer honestly – where does Jesus Christ fit into the song of your life?

Looking at this question, I had to think about it hard--at different times of my life (as the Holy Spirit worked on me), some of the above were the answers to the question. I can remember during the first two years of college how I studied SO HARD and yet struggled to get grades that I was satisfied with; it was only after the passage on not worrying in Matthew 6 really got through to me that I got my best grades in my whole time in college. I've never really cared about stuff or houses or even financial security (because I simply look at money as a means to live and buy things I need--this is why it's not as hard for me to give it away).

In thinking about it honestly, I'd have to say being an important part in other people's lives--service would I guess be one of my stronger love languages and I really like to help others, so that makes my life sing. I have to confess, however, that Jesus is not always at the forefront of this as He should be. If I was honest, deep down I wonder if it was to obtain recognition or praise, and I have to fight this, examining why I do things. I struggle much with having a daily quiet time and studying the Word as I ought (see my post on resolutions for the New Year!), so as to keep Christ my focus in my actions.

3. What do you think about most often? How often do you think of money? How often do you think of heaven?

I have to say that I think of money in two circumstances: when something needs to be paid or bought, or if some special need comes up that I think that we can fill. I don't often dwell on money (as in "man, we need $___ to do this or that") for more than a short time--my wife and I have been married a short time but have seen God's provision time and again.

I think of heaven somewhat often, though perhaps not in a glorifying way. What do I mean? Well, I think it is great to think of heaven, but not when you are thinking of it in an escapist way: Paul spoke of "to live is Christ, to die is gain" and that these present sufferings are in no comparison to our future glories in heaven. I am prone to more often think of heaven when I am troubled or in pain, asking the Lord to "take me Lord Jesus" and in a sense, asking Him to rescue me from this God-ordained suffering that will in fact refine me for His purposes. It's something I have to work on, thinking of heaven in a Christ-like attitude, "Thy will be done."

Rather than make this post longer than it already is, I will do the second half of the questions in another post. Feel free to comment, I always enjoy discussion!

Smearing Our Brethren on the 'Net

I was reading my morning Spurgeon this morning, and he points out that we should not make it our business to "help the Devil dishonor the Church."

Spurgeon quotes from Leviticus 16:19, which states the following:

You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life [1] of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

The KJV translation that Spurgeon quoted specifically states that we should not be a "tale-bearer," and it means that we should not go around spreading stories, true or not, that would damage the reputation of the person who is the subject of that story. Paul was very specific about those who gossip (see Romans 1:29-30).

The thing that has struck me most since I have been blogging and reading blogs on the internet is how easy it can be to vilify the individual (be that person a Christian or not) when telling a story about something that they have done or a belief that they hold to. Spurgeon goes on to state that we should most certainly rebuke sin, but this is to be done to his face (not to "rail" behind his back) so that you may restore that brother to Christ.

The internet provides a medium in which individuals can attack (and even appear to attack without meaning to) individuals personally rather than dealing with the sin or error itself (recent debates over doctrine on some blogs, I fear, have tried to rise to personal attacks and the medium is not personal so it easily lends itself to that).

Sin and error must be dealt with in the Church, but we must be careful in dealing with both that we do not take the extra step of trying to destroy the Body by our methods. We are the Body of Christ and they will know that we are Christians by our love for one another--this does not mean that we cede any essential doctrine or we water down the Gospel. May it never be.

Reproof and correction, at its base, should be motivated by a love and restoration for the other person, not a motivation to point out fault and claim "see, I told you he or she was [fill in the blank]!!!" Because we can all claim we are the greatest of sinners, and to smear another brother or sister in Christ in our blogging (and even worse, in more private conversations and emails) causes us to puff ourselves up and we do damage to our witness and the cause of Christ.

To echo Spurgeon, I would plead that our talk and actions be infused with the doctrine of the Gospel and our hearts be broken for those who commit sin and error. Make it a point that if someone tells you a tale or gossips about someone else, let it stop with you--glory in Christ and do not glory in pulling your brother down.

We've Come a Long Way, Baby

Last night was the 10th anniversary of my wife and I's first date. Ten years ago, my wife and I attended a social function at our college called "Artist Series" where the college would bring in theatrical or music acts for an evening, so that folks would not have to go anywhere (Lexington, KY was not far away, but not much to do in Wilmore!) The theater company performed Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and we had a blast.

Fast forward to last night, and you'd think we'd go out and have a big dinner, right? Nope. We're easy to please--we got Chinese takeout (about $40 worth--it's the ONLY way to go. it's like having your own buffet!) and watched TV that we had saved on our DVR. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that are the most satisfying.

Christ and Temptation

I really struggled with how to label this post, then I simply looked at the sermon notes and stole from the pastor (sorry David!).

Pastor David's sermon on this topic was fantastic, so I thought that I would blog on the topic. Very often we can be tempted into thinking that we somehow have it harder than those that came before us--whether it's our circumstances, our work, or in this case, the things we are tempted with. I mean, in the modern culture, we're traveling a mile and minute and have everything (good or bad) available at our fingertips (or computer screen)--so we have to have it worse, right?

The sermon broke down into two parts: the Three Objections people usually give when it is stated that Christ as our high priest is not only our mediator but sympathetic in our sufferings and temptations, and second, the importance of Christ sympathizing with us.

The first objection that one might pose is that Jesus was not really or truly human--Pastor David had a GREAT illustration--the character Data on Star Trek: Next Generation. (For those not familiar with the show or the character, he was an android/robot who looked totally human, but you would touch an arm or a part of his head and a panel would open to show he was truly a robot) Some would argue that Jesus may have seemed human, but wasn't really. But this is diametrically opposed to the theology of Jesus being fully human and fully God--he suffered, bled and died on the Cross. The illustration used was in Hebrews 2:17, where the writer-preacher stresses that "he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."

The importance of Christ being fully human is this: being sacrificed on the Cross as fully human, he was the second Adam and enters the Holy of Holies as THE High Priest who can make propitiation for our sins.

The second objection (which we as Christians may allow in our own minds) is that Jesus doesn't really understand temptation. We may look at Christ and say, he's too good of a person, he's perfect, he's not really been tempted.

The third and final objection we may often find ourselves saying is, "well, but Christ didn't live in the 21st century--he didn't face drugs, pornography, internet, or TV!" But as Pastor David pointed us to in Matthew 4:1-11, Christ was tempted in the desert with three types of temptations: first, to put earthly desires above spiritual needs; second, to purposefully test the principles of God's Word; third, to compromise God's Word for apparent personal gain.

The first temptation is simply giving into the flesh or indulging your desires, whether it be food, sex, or buying _______ (fill in the blank). (Please note that any of the previous list may not be bad in and of itself but our motivations and attitudes in desiring it may make it so) When we do this to the detriment of our spiritual needs or even instead of them, we sin against God. Christ was tempted in the desert to turn bread into stone, so he was tempted to tend to His hunger but resisted by replying that we are called to live on the Word and not on bread alone. Just imagine it: he had not eaten for 40 days! And yet he resists the temptation--we cannot say that he has not been tempted to give into the flesh!

The second temptation is testing God's Word--it is VERY easy to be a "let's pull a verse out of the Bible" Christian. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God, but it is bound together in a book made up of 66 different books. God, in His providence, wove it together in inspiring the men who wrote those words and it works together! We cannot pull out a verse which says that God loves us and promises us good things and then cry "unfair!" when we have not received a gift of this or that. We must go in the same Word and see that we are called to trials and suffering--and yet God does love us. This segment of Christ's temptation is very important, as with the first temptation, Satan is quoting truth from Scripture, but notice that Christ is quick to point out that while God does protect us with His angels, we are not to test Him by flinging ourself off a mountain or even taking our car and driving off one! (note that Satan does not come at the Lord Jesus with lies or deceit but truth misapplied--this is how he can tempt us in the next and final type of temptation)

The third temptation is compromising God's Word for apparent personal gain. We cannot again pull a verse out of the Bible to suit our desires. We cannot take one verse and twist it, thereby going against a principle in one part of His Word with some action on our part and yet say, "well, God loves me so I'll be fine," or "this is what this really means so this makes it okay." This is why understanding hermanuetics (how to read/interpret the Bible) is so important, and more than that, the importance of being in a church community with good teaching. Bible verses, like words/sentences in any other book, have to be read in context and there is an intent that the writer of those words uses, but that is another post. All this to say, Christ was offered the kingdoms of the world and all its power, but he quickly rejected Satan and stated that we are called to worship the Lord and Him alone. So, Christ was offered the world--I think that he can identify with our temptations.

Now, to the second part of the sermon--it is important for us to understand that Jesus sympathizes with us to let us know that we are not alone, that we can share it with him if we can't share it with anyone else. Our Savior had the weight of the elect's sins on His shoulders and before that was tempted with great things--He understands your suffering and your temptations!

So in understanding this, what should it cause us to do? Sympathize with our brother or sister and be REAL with one another--as Pastor David put quite well, to take off the Sunday face-mask. If we can't be real with our brothers and sisters in Christ, who can we be real with?

Being transparent is the last barrier to true Christian community and with it makes a bond that cannot be broken.

Praise our God and Savior who sympathizes with us in our temptations!

Sharing the Gospel

(before I really start this post--I did NOT want to get up this morning--ever have that feeling of deep exhaustion where you could likely hit the snooze button at least 5 times? I was there this morning!)

The Holy Spirit has a way of convicting God's elect of certain truths and He's been putting a specific thought in my mind of late. Namely, why do I get so excited about sharing a song I heard or food I have eaten with someone, and not have the same passion when it comes to sharing the Gospel?

Because sharing the Gospel would cost me something--reputation or status, I might get embarrassed, someone might look at me as foolish (some may say they don't care what others say, but deep down we do!), etc. Sharing the latest song I heard or restaurant I've been to--if someone says, "well, it was just okay" in response, I might be a little disappointed but it's no skin off my nose.

However, when I share the Gospel, I am shining God's truth into their lives, a truth which stands against all else and is THE answer, not just one among many. The Gospel as it told throughout Scripture should define us and we should more than want to share its life-giving power with others--but we don't because we are paralyzed by what someone else would think of us!

Lord, help us to remove our inhibitions from sharing the Gospel and proclaim your Word and its truth to all we encounter, speaking the truth in love!

(I'll be blogging later on my pastor's EXCELLENT sermon from yesterday as well as my recent small group gathering where we discussed Presbyterian views on baptism--so stay tuned!)

Being Prepared for Every Good Work

Last night I was reading in Titus 3, where Paul was giving Titus instructions on dealing with certain issues in the church. When I ran across the statement, "be prepared for every good work," I got to thinking, how are we to prepare?

For starters, we have to be in the Word daily and praying to the Lord. Joshua 1:8 states that we shall "meditate on it day and night, so that you are careful to do all that is written in it." Psalm 119:48 says, "I will lift my hands up toward your commandments, which I love and I will meditate on your statutes." To love God's commandments to us, we have to ask to Spirit to change our attitudes towards others. Have you not been in a certain mood when you get up that if you were confronted by someone that needed compassion, you would say, "not today! I don't have time for it." Even with worship on Sunday mornings we must fight against an attitude which says, "well, I've been pretty good about going, I'm tired today, I think I'll skip today--I'll be there next Sunday."

From the moment that our feet hit the ground in the morning, we have to pray to God that He will help us to serve others (a certain song comes to mind from Audio Adrenline, called This Day). Even as Christians, we must fight against our flesh that is self-centered and self-serving. My former pastor once told me that the opposite of this is finding your happiness in someone else's happiness, and this is most applicable in marriage--if both people in a marriage do this, their bond will grow stronger.

Now an objection will be raised, "hey, I'm saved by grace--you make it sound like these works are a requirement." The answer to both questions is yes and yes--God did call us by His grace to faith in Christ, justifying us by Christ's blood. But the next question is what did He call us to? A life that is closed off from others, a life that is comfortable where we only interact with other Christians? In James 2 and 3 where James, the brother of Jesus, writes about a hypothetical person showing him (James) that he has faith, but James has works, James is NOT saying that works are more important than faith but rather they are an outflow of the saving grace of Christ. This is why he indicated that faith without works is dead--a faith that has no desire to do such things, to share the grace that Christ has given, is not alive and perhaps not faith at all. In being born again, we are transformed in our innermost desires--we go from wanting to SIN all the time, to wanting to serve God (though the action can sometimes be long in following--Paul mentions this in Romans 7:15-19).

The natural consequence of true, genuine faith is a desire to do the works that Titus 3 is talking about--having a spirit of readiness to do good works that proclaim the grace and glory of God is all that is needed. (This means that once this post is read, it does not mean we are to instantly run out and DO as much good as we can--we pray that the Spirit would work on our hearts) There is no special skill set that the Bible speaks of that enables someone to do these works, but it only calls us to rely on Him. Please don't misunderstand--this does mean a requirement of serving on every committee at church as a matter of Christian duty. Overcommitting yourself for the cause of Christ to the detriment of your relationships, even to your personal time with God does not serve Him well at all.

I work in a building across from a shopping center, and I was going to get a bite to eat at a KFC in that center this past week, and God in His providence had me delay until a certain time, and I was able to help an elderly couple get their son, a 6 foot 6 war veteran who was quite disabled, back into their car. Did it take a little time out of my day? Sure it did. But these are the kind of opportunities that are out there that God can use to share His gospel--as fallen as the world is, even non-Christians can be surprised when someone does something good for them. When they ask why you did it, you state that Christ first showed you love and grace, and that He is the reason for your act.

So, read the Word, meditate on it, and pray that God will help you to be prepared for good works when the opportunity arises, giving you a humble and compassionate attitude. You may be the means of grace God intends to use in someone's life today. These acts in and of themselves do not save--but they are apart of our sanctification. God is gracious in giving us these opportunities by removing selfish attitudes and tendencies through these good works towards others.

Lord, help us to be more aware of the those who have needs around us.