Love God 3

Matthew 15:21-24

We are all likely familiar with the frustration of waiting in a doctor’s office. We are aware of the patience needed to finally be seen by a physician. While patience is an admirable quality, the “perseverance” mentioned in 2 Peter 1:6 does not translate to be patience. Patience can be understood to be the quiet tolerance of the passing of time. But perseverance is the acceptance of circumstances joined with the active pursuit of change.

As an example of perseverance – the attitude that we must add to our faith, goodness, knowledge and self-control – we have the story of the Canaanite woman. Like the story of the Good Samaritan, there is information implied by the words. The Canaanite woman was not Jewish.

Why does the woman come to Jesus? What was Jesus’ response? What did the disciples want? How do you feel about Jesus’ responses?

There are many different interpretations of why Jesus ignored the woman as he did. He may have been testing her devotion and authenticity. He may have truly wanted to focus on the Jews, but changed his mind. He may have been teaching a lesson to the woman, to the disciples, or to us.

If there is anything we can take away from this story it is the need for perseverance in our faith. The woman was not part of the ministry of Jesus yet she was willing to make herself vulnerable, to risk the rejection she received, by confronting Jesus. She was willing to endure being snubbed by Christ and the disciples to accomplish a greater good.

As Christians we must realize our need to grow in our faith, to move from being good to being great. That requires that we put ourselves at risk. That requires that we move forward, refusing to accept where we are as the end of the journey.

We must have faith and goodness. And to that we must add knowledge and self-control. Then we must add perseverance – the deliberate and sometimes slow movement forward in faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you live out perseverance in your faith?

Great Church 2

2 Peter 1:5-7
Our son is the senior conductor of the school’s brass band and has recently finished with the week-long “camp” where the freshmen members learn how to be part of the band. His comment toward the end of the week was that the freshmen were starting to “get it.” They were figuring out the moves and the music.

Things like the marching band take some time to develop. You don’t walk out on the field and simply start playing and marching perfectly. It takes time and effort to grow and develop, to mature.

Peter continues to make comment on the growth of our faith. What do we add to our faith? What do we add to goodness? What other attributes should we strive for?

As believers in God and believers in Jesus Christ we begin with faith. We have a confidence in the existence of God and in His goodness. We have a basic belief in the gift of Christ as our Savior.

This is the starting point. And from that base we add the qualities of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. As we grow in our faith, as we mature toward perfection, we learn to be good – that is, we learn to value what is not evil and we learn to live as people who embrace the beneficial aspects of life.

Once we are secure in our faith and in attitudes of an honorable and morally pure life, we can work at increasing our knowledge, our awareness and understanding of our faith and in the ways of God. As we continue to grow and become better Christians we learn to control our baser urges and desires. We learn to remain strong in our faith in spite of challenges and adversities, and we develop our abilities to practice a godly, holy life that produces acts of kindness and mercy.

The life of a faithful believer should be a life that is always growing and improving. It should be a journey that makes us better and better people, more able to live out our faith and share God’s love. The maturing Christian should always strive to “get it,” to understand more fully what our faith is all about and how to live it.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Give your faith an honest evaluation. Where are you in the progression Peter lists? How can you move on to the next level?

Results 3

John 14:12

Many things get better over time. When I was in school my education was much better, more in-depth and thorough than the education my parents received. Technology improved and the ability to provide information was better.

Today our children are receiving an even better education than my wife and I received. When they come home with stories of the capabilities and equipment the school possesses I am amazed. Their school work is so much more challenging and beneficial than what I went through.

Faith can be like that in many ways. We are called by Jesus to live out our faith in God, and that challenge may be very intimidating to many people. We may feel that we cannot do great things with our faith, but Jesus has given us some assurance.

In John 14 the disciples have questioned Jesus about their relationship with God. It is then that Jesus explains that the work he has done exhibits the love of God. What does Jesus say about those who have faith in him? What promise does he give?

Jesus was able to do incredible miracles in his ministry here on earth. He was able to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and provide comfort for so many in need. But that ministry had to come to an end because Jesus would give himself over to be crucified and eventually return to the Father in heaven.

But that does not mean the good and holy ministry of Jesus has to end. Rather, the ministry of Jesus must continue, and it must continue with us. The result of our faith is to live out the ministry Jesus began.

Jesus has told us that if we have faith in him, if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then we will do the ministry he started. We also will help those in need, offer forgiveness, and provide comfort and guidance.

And the amazing thing is that Jesus says we will do even more than this. Our ministry can go beyond the incredible work that Jesus did on earth. We may feel that we are not good enough or capable enough to do the good work of Jesus, but he assures us that the result of our faith – true faith – will give us the ability to do even greater work than Jesus did. What is essential is that we really believe and that we live out our faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you continue the ministry of Jesus?

Grow 5

James 1:4

When my brother and his wife bought their first house my sister-in-law was discouraged because the place was not what she wanted it to be. There was a great deal of work that would need to be done to get the place where they wanted.

Her father explained that getting the house of your dreams takes time and work. It doesn’t all come at once. Eventually, however, the vision of the perfect place could become a reality if they applied themselves.

James has some advice for those who have faith. What is required for maturity? What will we have when we reach spiritual maturity?

Just as our plans and desires for our home, our job, even our families may not come in an instant, our faith requires some work. We will all face trials and troubles. Many will challenge our beliefs and our ability to stand firm in our faith.

This is to be expected. It is also something that, in some ways, we should welcome. The ability to withstand the challenges of faith and the perseverance to carry through will help us grow stronger. In time we will reach the maturity, the completeness we desire in our faith.

And with that wholeness, that perfection we seek, we will not lack what we need. As we become more complete in our faith, as we grow, the act of being a Christian, of being a true believer will become easier for us. We will have more abilities to fight the fears that inhibit us, the doubts that hinder us.

With a strong faith, a faith that has persevered through the challenges, we will be more ready to accept the responsibilities of being a child of God. With a more complete faith we can more easily resist the temptations of life and our own fears and selfish desires, and live a much more holy existence.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can help you persevere in your faith?

Grow 4

Romans 12:2

We’ve all heard the saying, “If I knew then what I know now.” Looking back at my childhood, teen years, years in college – even the first years of married life – I can sometimes cringe with the foolish decisions I made. I get angry with the “me” of the past and how timid I was, how easily manipulated and intimidated by others.

With maturity and growth – physical, mental and emotional – comes more abilities and a stronger faith. As I grow physically older and more experienced I am more able to deal with the situations of life and I am better at standing firm in the face of adversity.

In his letter to the Romans Paul offers encouragement on spiritual maturity. What should believers NOT do? What should we do? What will we be able to do when we are transformed?

Our faith and our relationship with God is a journey, a growth process. Just like our bodies and minds, our beliefs and spiritual abilities take time to grow and develop.

When we are immature in our faith we can be easily manipulated and led astray. But with time, through experiences and Biblical study, our faith can grow into a deeper maturity. We gain strength and ability in our souls as we move forward in faith, as we stand the trials and challenges in life.

If we can apply ourselves to our spiritual growth, if we can nurture our souls and work to be stronger Christians we can be renewed in our spirit. We can have a stronger faith and greater abilities at living out our faith. We can grow to be more like Jesus in our attitudes and actions.

And with that growth we become more complete. We become more whole as believers. The more mature we grow as believers the closer we come to the perfection Jesus calls for in Matthew 5:48. We become more able to live according to the perfect will of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can your faith be transformed into a more complete faith?

Grow 3

Jonah 3:5-6

Ministering to the dying is one of the biggest challenges I face as a pastor. I don’t always know what words to offer someone faced with death. Several years ago I was trying to offer comfort to a person who was terminally ill. In our conversation about death he smiled at me and said, “I’m anxious to see what lies ahead.”

The conversation was much easier after that. This man facing death displayed more spiritual maturity than I had, more than I had even seen in almost anyone else. When we are spiritually mature, spiritually complete – perfect – then we are able to do more good.

We saw Jonah have his faith mature when he went through the ordeal of being swallowed by a big fish. Now that his faith was matured beyond what it was Jonah was able to serve God. How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s preaching? How did the king respond?

Just ahead of this passage we learn that the city of Nineveh was a very important city. It was so large that it required three days to pass through all of its streets. The task of preaching to this city was a frightening and daunting one for Jonah. He did not feel up to the work.

But because of his ordeal on the sea, the ordeal of being swallowed by a fish, but also the realization that God saved him, Jonah matured and moved closer to the perfection we are called to. His faith grew. His faith came closer to wholeness and completeness.

With this stronger faith Jonah was able to actually go to the huge city of Nineveh and preach a message of repentance. The result was that all the people of the city actually listened to this stranger. Even the king heard the message and responded by dressing in sackcloth and ashes as a sign of penance.

We too must mature in our faith. We should grow. Or faith needs to become stronger and more complete. With a stronger faith we can accomplish more for the kingdom of God. We can be more willing to step forward and dare to do good in God’s service. And that work can change lives.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What will it take for you to do more for God?

Grow 2

Matthew 5:48

As our children grow up we have fewer and fewer instances where my wife and I have to tell them, “You’ll understand it when you get older.” They are getting older and indeed understanding more and more of what goes on around them and what goes on in society.

Like children, we as believers need to grow up in our faith. Complete understanding, the ability to trust whole-heartedly, complete dedication to serving God and sharing the good news of Jesus does not come automatically but must increase over time. As Christians we should be growing day by day.

In Matthew 5 we have the famous “Sermon on the Mount,” a profound set of teachings from Jesus. What does Jesus call us to be? Who should we imitate?

As mentioned before, the idea of being perfect may not exactly mean that we are completely holy as Jesus was holy. The perfection we are called to may not enable us to heal the sick and walk on water. The word “perfect” as it is used here can be translated as “mature, whole, complete.”

So, we are called to be mature in the same way that God is mature. We are called to be whole and complete just as God is. Such a command seems harder to define than the more familiar definition of “perfect.”

To be as mature and whole as God would mean that we have a complete confidence in the goodness of God. It would mean having a broader world-view, the ability to see the world as a whole and not just as separate pieces with one group fighting against another (This comment comes at the end of the command to love our enemies).

To be perfect as God is perfect would mean that we have the ability to love all people. To be complete would mean that we have reached spiritual maturity, able to live a life in complete faith and trust to God, and able to commit ourselves completely to His kingdom.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What new strength has been added to your faith?

Grow 1

Jonah 2:8-9

I was discussing the work of writing sermons with a group of pastors a few months ago. One of them, Bob, said that after preaching his first sermon he asked his wife what she thought about it. She offered a few constructive criticisms, suggesting ways it could have been better. Bob said, “That was the last time I ever asked for her opinion.”

Taking correction and criticism can be very difficult, even if the suggestions are well-intentioned and aimed at making us better people. But changing and growing is all part of becoming more mature, and it is no less important than in our faith life. We are called to grow in our faith, to mature, to reach completeness – which the Bible sometimes calls “perfection.”

Most are familiar with the story of Jonah. He is a prophet called by God to preach to the city of Nineveh so that the people might repent and be spared God’s wrath. But Jonah is immature in his faith and runs away from where God wants him. Eventually he ends up in the belly of a big fish, usually referred to as a whale.

While in the big fish Jonah matures. What realization does Jonah have? What does he pledge? What is his final comment?

Being swallowed by a big fish is pretty bad, but it could have been worse. He could have drowned. The fish actually saved his life.

And in that realization Jonah grows spiritually. He realizes that if he had been obedient he wouldn’t be in a tough spot. He realized that even though he is in a tough spot, it could be worse. God has spared him death.

The thought of being called to perfection can be intimidating. But if we see “perfection” as spiritual wholeness it might not be quite so daunting. Like Jonah we need to be spiritually mature enough to repent, mature enough to obey God and mature enough to submit to His will. In that we will grow to a more developed and complete faith.

Then, as spiritually whole and mature believers, we can fully recognize the grace and salvation that comes from God. As mature believers we can sing songs of thanksgiving to God and be willing to make good on our vows and pledges to the Lord.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you make your faith grow?