FreeTruth

"Rejoice O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment." (Ecclesiastes 11:9)

You know what I'm learning as a father? Sanctification cannot be legislated into the life of my children. It's been difficult for Theresa and I to watch our oldest son take the inevitable steps toward independence. When Peter John was little, he was happy batting wiffle balls with an oversized bat, or falling asleep before a Beatrix Potter video, or watching planes come into Chicago's O'Hare Airport in daddy's arms. A promised ride to McDonalds for lunch (along with jumping in those colored balls) was something to look forward to the entire previous day!

Things have changed.

This summer (besides work), it was the beach, Applebee's, and a Fried Chicken Wing Joint down in Beach Haven that was all the rage.

As a man very close to 50, I find myself more suspicious than ever of a world I feel I know less and less. Too often I transfer that suspicion to my son, who seems to enjoy being out and about, engaged in "things of the world." When I let these fears and suspicions (which aren't rational) lay hold on me, I'm always proven wrong. PJ returns home on time, cheerful, and, (I know him well enough to say this), innocent. I then reproach myself for my untrusting heart, feeling foolish that I was very nearly ready to yank the car keys out of his hand, and reprimand him for his sin and guilt.

My son is not "seeking the Lord" with all his heart. He's the first to acknowledge it. The sports, the friends, and the sunny beach-- followed by a bowl of spicy wings afterward-- this has his attention now. And aside from a very short devotional time in the morning, I am not likely to find him meditating on scripture in his room, or praying.

The verse from Ecclesiasties has always intrigued me. "Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes." It seems to encourage a carefree, honest, "grab for the gusto" kind of existence. The kind of life my teenage son is living now. One thing I find in this verse is a healthy safeguard against hypocrisy. Enjoy yourself, young man, and do what you like! Don't pretent to be something you're not! But there is a caveat. The last phrase (which seems to support the meaning I have inferred above), is a warning. "But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment."

I suppose I understand why our 18 year old son prefers frivolous dinner table banter with his friends, and being at the beach more than pondering a portion of holy scripture. He doesn't seem to realize that we live in a fallen world. He hardly notices the suffering all around him.

But God knows how to deepen young men, and we leave it to Him. I suspect difficult circumstances, and assorted sorrows will drive him eventually to seek the Lord more than he does at present. In less than a week he will leave his comfort zone. We're dropping him off at a school near Pittsburgh, in unfamiliar surroundings with 640 other college freshmen, and leaving him there. This begins a new chapter, filled with joys, and hopefully a sufficient dose of sorrow too. In the end, whatever it takes, he must come to know the Lord, and to see all else as child's play.

Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit... and only God can do the work of God.

Labels: Change and Growth, christian life, Guest Post, Sanctification

This morning, Steve's sermon pointed us to the "staggering command to live worthy of gospel" (Philippians 1). My wife and I have recently discussed, with concern, just how short we feel we have come in aiding the development of faith in our children, and a more meaningful commitment to the gospel. Today's message was a reminder of the "staggering" importance of these things.

We arrived home from church today later than usual. Immediately upon entering our home, I found that my 7 year old had turned on the TV, and in the next room, one of our teens was turning on the computer. With less evenness in my tone than usual, I "instructed" them to immediately turn them off. I consider it a failure on my part that such distractions are so readily available in our home.

If our children are to "live worthy of the gospel," surely they must first develop an interest in the gospel. And to develop an interest in the gospel, they must first begin to think about the gospel. YouTube, Facebook, the Phillies, and March Madness (and even Rubik's Cube lately), though there may be a place for such, surely have done more to distract, even numb their minds from better things. We consider ourselves to be "godly parents." Why have I allowed this?

Paul's hope for the Philippians was that they would engage in the same conflict that he himself was involved in. Paul lived worthy of the gospel! He did not allow his mind to be distracted from the gospel, or from the conflict it inevitably brings.

Bishop J.C. Ryle once said, "The cause of true religion has gained a great step in a parish, or congregation, or family, when people begin to think. Thoughtlessness about spiritual things is one great feature of the unconverted. It cannot be said, in many cases, that they like the Gospel or dislike it; for they do not give it a place in heir thoughts."

I used to think the title Ravi Zacharias gave to his radio broadcast was a little peculiar: "Let My People Think." It's making more sense to me now. Jesus himself said that we are to love the Lord our God with all... our mind.

Pastor Steve challenged us to address one thing at a time. Our family is going to take this seriously. Too much time has been lost. I think we may begin by honoring the Sabbath principle better than we have.

Labels: Change and Growth, Godward Living, Guest Post

So I had someone ask me yesterday if I knew how to use the shift key. Apparently some might be a bit bothered by the absence of capitalization in my blog so far. No offence intended! I know the person who asked me about this was concerned for the effectiveness of my blog, and I am truly grateful. I've had reasons for my non-use of caps, and am still pondering the pros and cons of a future use of the shift key for blog and ministry purposes. But so as not to distract for the moment: the shift key is functioning today!

Reflecting on the shift key has made me think about shift; the experience of change, alteration, new direction, an embrace of new things, new ideas, new adventures, new priorities.

Please know up front that I'm aware that many today are change addicts: they've never met a new gadget, game-plan, or guru that they haven't liked and then tried for five minutes. They press the shift key after every five letters. Such change addiction is a crippling life and heart concern.

But that said, I think all of us humans are notoriously change resisters (if you think about it, it's because of an unchanging fear of being bored or appearing boring, that even the change addict resists exchanging his change addiction for something a bit less changeable). As I've come to see it, there's no real virtue in change resistance. Change is good, so long as there's reason for it. In fact, growth, by definition, is change. Using life's shift key is really a good thing.

Over the next few days, I'm going to indulge a little reflection on shifts that have happened in my life. I'll leave it to you to decide whether they've signaled growth or not. But for now, can I offer a few clues as to when I think it's time to use life's shift key? Here are a few "it's -time-to-change" signals:

1. When the Bible says one thing and you're believing or doing another, it's time to change.
2. When a new direction or style will do more people more good over the long haul--so long as it is not unbiblical, it's time to change.
3. When a shift of approach will connect to the lost more effectively (without compromising the essence of the gospel), it's time to change.
4. When the old ways no longer enlarge your mind, stir your emotions, and stretch your comfort zones, and have instead become mindless, dull, passionless, and comfortable, it's time to change.

What do you think? I'd love to know. Hey, there's a change I'd love for more of you to make. Click comments, type a few thoughts, click anonymous if you don't have an account, and send your reply. It's more fun if you include your name in the typed thoughts, but it isn't necessary.

Go ahead. Use life's shift key and log in your response.

Labels: Change and Growth