Stand Up And Cheer

Psalm 86:12
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

The standing ovation stopped the game.

On Sunday, Maggie and I attended the last home game of the Cincinnati Reds. Tim worked as an usher, and we met some of the regulars in his section. The Reds have had a good season and have been fun to watch. They've added new players to the roster and have one outstanding player who has hung with the Reds for seventeen years.

When Joey Votto appeared on the field for his first at bat, the crowd rose to their feet, clapped, cheered, and may have cried a little. This player has been with the Reds his entire major league career. At the end of this season, his contract is finished. As fans, we don't know if he will return, so our response was to show appreciation for all he has done for the team. When all the fans rose to their feet and applauded, the energy shook the atmosphere. It was fun to be a part of his recognition and to see the humbleness of this faithful player.

I wonder what it would have been like for Jesus if people had reacted to Him that way. If those closest to Him and those who met Him realized He was the Son of God, would they have loved Him more, or praised Him as one worthy of praise? From the scripture, it appears Jesus' humbleness would have stopped any outcry or ovation, but no one is more deserving.

The times I think about what Jesus has done for me, how He has carried my burdens and sin on His shoulders, I thank Him and praise Him. Do I do this often enough? Probably not. Praise doesn't have to wait for a Sunday church service.

 Praise the One who gave His life for yours—every day. He deserves the glory.

Walking With God

James 4:7-10

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Have you ever walked away from God? 

There was a time, years ago, when I inched farther and farther away from God. Let me tell you—it was a dark and lonely place. I went through the motions—going to church, praying empty prayers, and smiling when I didn’t feel like it, then God pounded on the door of my heart and called me to come back home. He pursued me, and I answered. I grieved over the distance I’d placed between God and me, over the sins in my life, and the sorrow in my heart. You know what? God opened His great big, beautiful arms to me and welcomed me back to Him. Ever since that day, I’ve not stepped away again. Instead, I’ve found comfort, peace, strength, joy, and hope in the arms of the Lord, and He has blessed me with opportunities to share His great love.

The book of James holds many nuggets of wisdom and truth. “Come near to God and He will come near to you,” is a promise I can count on. I’ve experienced His closeness in my life, and I’m thankful for God’s constant presence. I’m also thankful for Jesus and His grace, for forgiveness and His unfailing love.

In this month of Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for the Bible which gives me wisdom, God who holds me close, and Jesus who gave His life for my sins so I can someday meet Him in heaven.

This world is not an easy place, but with the Lord by our side, we will thrive.

Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.

Staying Humble

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. -Colossians 3:12

Some days I learn a lesson by making a mistake. 

Last week on Wednesday, I posted a painting of a beautiful goldfinch, 

which I mistakenly posted as my mom's painting.

My daughter Maggie reminded me she had painted that beautiful bird. 

So this week, I humble myself as I post the lovely house finch my mom painted.

I find as I get older, I still have much to learn, 

mistakes to make, and humbleness to experience.

That's okay, because I want God to keep teaching me in my humility.

 

Value Others

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

What would the world look like if we truly valued people?

My granddaughter, Dylan, and her best friend, Emma, have played doubles tennis together for three years. The day I dropped Dylan off for her first practice, she was the only student who showed up. A few days later, more girls joined, and she had recruited Emma to play with her.

In the last three years, I’ve watched these young ladies grow in the game. They’ve improved their serves, thought through their strategies, and learned to slam the ball, when needed. Their prowess on the court has grown from uncertain to confident. And more importantly, they’ve learned to trust each other. They don’t play for themselves or try to steal the limelight. Instead, they encourage each other and value the other one’s skills. I love watching them because they play as a team, dependent on one another. As a matter of fact, their whole team cheers for and champions each other.

What would the church look like if we did that?

Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians to encourage them and to advise on how to live life together as believers. His writing emphasizes the opposite of the ‘me first’ mentality. Instead, he instructed the people of the church of Philippi to humble themselves as Jesus did when He lived life on earth. 

Jesus humbled Himself to the point of being a servant to the people He met. He didn’t bang His chest and command attention. Instead, He lifted people up with His words, He washed the feet of the disciples, and He healed the broken and wounded. Jesus, by example, taught how to love other people and placed great value on everyone. 

Be a team player and encourage each other.

See the Need

Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

I love the song by For King and Country called Relate. They asked the question of how we relate to a variety of people, and that we all experience heartache and joy even if it is in different ways.

When I worked at the college library, I met a lot of people who were different than me. Yet we all had many things in common. We all experienced heartache, joy, anxiety, stress, love, hope, and the list could go on. Our lives were varied, yet we could relate to one another in some way.

I remember a student who visited the library daily. He saw the world through a different lens than most of us. He didn't like his routine to be interrupted, and he wanted to sit at the same computer and stay on the track he created for himself. Fortunately for me, I got to know him and found he cared about life as much as I did. He may not have functioned the same as me, but he had similar feelings, dreams, and experiences.

In Philippians, Paul has written a letter to the church in Philippi. He is simply asking them to see each other through God's eyes as valuable contributors to the Kingdom of God. As a believer, I know God has called me to love others, to see souls, and to encourage where I can no matter who God places in my path. He asks me to be humble and place others burdens before mine. In our busy world, it's not easy to stay focused on the needs of others, but God wants me to cherish others and seek to help in any way I can.

Look beyond the outside of people, see them with God's eyes.

She Washed His Feet With Her Tears

Luke 7:44-47
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Washing another person’s feet is a humbling experience.

At church camp, the counselors and teachers taught us to experience the times that Jesus lived. In Jesus day, folks wore sandals or walked barefoot on the dusty roads. They didn’t wear the latest model of tennis shoes or work boots. As a greeting and welcome to visitors, the host provided water and washed the feet of their guests.

Our camp teacher paired us up, and we removed each other’s shoes and rinsed each other’s feet. I’ll admit as a teenager I thought it a bit weird, but the act increased my understanding of the ancient times.

When a Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner, he failed to provide water for Jesus’ feet. Jesus never complained or questioned, but when the woman who stood in the shadows approached him, he welcomed her. She bowed before him and cleansed his feet with her tears. The tears may have been carried in a jar where she collected them, or she may have cried over him. Either way, she humbled herself before Jesus and as an act of worship poured perfume over his feet.

The most beautiful part of the story is Jesus’ offer of forgiveness. Because the woman humbled herself and believed in Jesus as Savior, he forgave her sins on the spot. She walked away free of the burden of her past into a life of gratitude and love.

She loved much, because she was forgiven of much.

Jesus arms are open to invite you in. He loves us so much and wants nothing more than for us to believe and live for him.

Be the person who loves much.

Deserve or Serve?

Ephesians 6:7 

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people

As I close in on the last days of working at the college, I'm reflecting on the many tasks I've had as technical services manager in the library. This week, in particular, has been filled with events and activities. Some generous folks in the county donated money for beautiful new study rooms to be built in the library. On Wednesday, many of us buzzed around like bees to put the final touches on the rooms and the library so we could honor the donors at a special event, planned for the afternoon. We cleaned, set-up tables, decorated, and prepped food. My co-workers and I served. We honored people who deserved to be appreciated and thanked.

I'm thankful there are people who do good and deserve appreciation. But even more, I love when those folks are humble and don't want the praise. Our library donors just wanted to make a difference. They didn't seek praise, they didn't want attention. Instead through their attitude they served our students.

When I place the words serve and deserve beside each other, the difference jumps at me. Do I quietly help others or do I seek attention because I think I'm worthy?

Paul wrote to the Ephesians to serve as if they are serving the Lord himself. That's not an attitude of deserving, instead, Jesus wants us to have an attitude focused on serving. Humble, giving, and grateful, Jesus helped others even though he deserved to be served. 

May my heart be filled with the desire to serve.

The Servant's Heart

Galatians 5:13

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 

Have you ever been involved in planning and implementing an event? At work, I’ve joined with a team to put together a retreat, author visit, or conference day. In my experience there are usually one or two people in the background who tie up loose ends, pick up pieces, make food, and make the execution of the event look seamless. If you’ve ever gone to a theater production you know someone created the backgrounds, sewed the costumes, and developed the marketing. At the end of a movie, a long list of folks who work in the background scrolls across the screen.

God loves the servant’s heart. In Galatians 5, people argued over the old laws. Paul said, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” He encouraged the people to stop arguing and start serving. The Lord wants his followers to meet the needs of others with a humble heart, without drawing attention to themselves, while glorifying Jesus. What a great blessing to meet needs without limelight. Praise God for freedom and grace that give opportunity to serve.