Sticks and Stones

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words….”

While it is true that sticks and stones may hurt, Proverbs declares the greater potential danger is found in our words: “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Solomon speaks of the power of our speech. He reminds us that a timely word brings tremendous peace and a sense of value, while an unkind expression will often fuel a hurricane of emotional and spiritual devastation, many times leaving a shipwrecked relationship in its wake.

The realization of this truth should lead to the conclusion that as Christians we must be mindful of Paul’s exhortation to “not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Yet sadly, this is all too often not the case. If we were to be honest with ourselves, we would be forced to acknowledge that the critical disposition, or critical spirit is at an epidemic proportion in the church today.

The reality is that it is all too easy to drift away from the biblical command to “encourage one another and build each other up” and find ourselves walking with a critical disposition. Romans asks the question, “Why do you criticize and pass judgment upon your brother? Or why do you look down and despise your brother?” The critical disposition is a familiar trap Satan uses to rob us of our joy and cripple us relationally.

Romans declares that if we continue to walk with a critical disposition that we are worthy of death. Jesus instructed us as His followers to bless those who curse us and to extend forgiveness to those who wrong us, stating in Matthew 6:15 that if we walk in bitterness and unforgiveness that our eternal destiny is in question. It would seem wise then to take a look at the sources of the critical spirit and explore a biblical solution to this vexing problem.

One of the first questions to consider is what is a critical spirit. It can best be described as an ongoing attitude of criticism and fault finding. The fuel for the critical spirit can come from a variety of sources:

• Lost Grace – previous experiences where we either did not receive forgiveness or have not offered forgiveness will energize the critical spirit. It is a profound truth that “hurt people, hurt people!” Many times the lack of grace in our homes growing up will nurture a critical spirit that manifests itself once we reach adulthood. (Hebrews 12:15)

• Personal Insecurity – A natural response to feeling devalued is to draw attention to what we perceive as negatives of others. We see ourselves as unworthy, unattractive or inadequate and find that pointing out the weaknesses of others works as an anodyne to keep us from having to deal with our own pain.

• An Unyielded Mind - The prevalent response in the world around us to the weaknesses of others is it capitalize on the opportunity to criticize, poke fun or otherwise speak negatively about the person. As Christians we are not to act that way and are instructed in Romans 12:2 to not follow the pattern of this world.

• Immaturity – The immature believer who has not progressed in their own faith remain overly dependent upon the faith in others. The danger of becoming critical of the flaws in those around them as a defense to their own shortcomings is great.

• Satan - The Devil specializes in capitalizing on unhealthy behavior. He constantly uses any of our weaknesses to influence a complaining or critical disposition in us.

The source of our battle with the critical spirit is many times obvious. Finding a solution can prove much more challenging. Not because the solution is difficult to find, but because of the discipline necessary for the solution to prove effective.

Dr. David H. Fink, a psychiatrist for the veterans administration, wrote an article for Coronet Magazine, entitled, “Release from Nervous Tension” in which he outlined his research into the causes of mental and emotional disturbances. From over 10,000 case studies, he discovered that there was a common trait with all his patients who suffered from severe tension. They were habitual fault-finders, constant critics of people and things around them. Those who were free from tension, were the least critical. His conclusions were that the habit of fault-finding is a prelude or mark of the nervous, or the mentally unbalanced. Those who wish to retain good emotional and mental health, should learn to free themselves from a negative and critical attitude.

We can rightly conclude that it is in our best interest to walk free from a critical spirit, recognizing the damage it does to our earthly relationships, our heavenly relationships, and our own sense of well being. Victory is found in the daily reminder that we are no longer our own, that we were bought with a price. God’s Lordship must include both our hurts and our thoughts. We have to continually push back the patterns of this world and welcome the transformation that results from allowing God to renew our mind. If you find yourself feeling victimized by the words of others, follow the biblical directive to not only forgive them, but to bless them. The freedom that is found in extending the blessing is truly amazing. If an honest examination of your own conversation and attitude reveals a tendency toward the critical spirit determine to remind yourself daily of God's directives and commit to discovering the source of your critical spirit, realizing that it does not originate in the failings of others.

Remember this, the Bible doesn’t promise peace to those who dwell on the faults of others! It says that “the Lord will keep them in perfect peace, whose minds are stayed on Him!” Let’s let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart be found acceptable in God’s sight.

By the way… you look great today!

Generations

The emerald green landscape of the Irish countryside and the breathtaking beauty of the "Giants Causeway" welcomed me to the land of my forefathers this past week. I visited the home of a hero of the faith in John Knox and learned of the tremendous religious conflict that has scarred this amazing region. I walked the pathways of Garvins past and took in the views of those who sacrificed much so I could enjoy the many blessings that are mine today. It was an amazing journey.

I am convinced that each one of us have an inherent affinity for the homeland of our ancestral heritage, and I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Ireland and Scotland, the land my of my family in previous generations. It is good to be home and I am navigating the issue of jet lag fairly well. Travel delays and lost luggage brought some frustration and some well needed reflection. My journey from the United States to Ireland and then Scotland was the reverse of my ancestors. My travel time to Ireland and Scotland was just under one day, their venture a significantly greater story. I wonder...

I wonder what the thoughts of William Garvin were when he voted in the General Assembly of Scotland in favor of the national covenant called the "Kings Confession" Scotland denounced the practices of the Pope and embraced the reformation of the church. I would love a window into the life of John Garvin who moved his family from Dunbarton, Scotland to Armagh, Ireland as part of King James' initiative give more Protestants land in Ireland to bring greater protestant influence to the region. It would be wonderful to know the thoughts of Rev. Samuel Garvin who brought his family to Pennsylvania in 1763 answering the call for the need of a "Covenanter" pastor. I find myself wondering aloud of the many in my family's history whose stories I may never uncover, and am so grateful for this history of my family that has been recorded. Their journey to America and the journey in their faith serves as a solid foundation on which my children can build our family heritage.

The Garvin family story is not unique. The many who have sacrificed in your family history, who sacrificed much and stood bravely in the midst of overwhelming obstacles affords you the opportunity to freely be who you are today. The question and challenge for us is what will future generations say about our journey. Will they speak of character and courage? Will they tell of sacrifice and significance? Will they discover faith and faithfulness?

My renewed commitment today is to honor my family name... not just the name Garvin, but the name of my Heavenly family:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-20

Reflections on The End of Summer

A quick glance at today’s thermometer and one would find it hard to believe that end of Summer is soon upon us. Before we know it our neighborhood streets will once again be filled with busloads of school children, talk of Friday night football games will enter the conversations, and life will return to a sense of normalcy. If you are at all like me this time of year is always bittersweet. While I love all of the activities of summer, I welcome the routine that September brings.

I am convinced that we all have a desire for adventure, but are driven to stability and consistency. We long for something new and different, yet are profoundly creatures of habit. This seeming contradiction speaks to how God has wonderfully designed us. Created in God's likeness we have within our spiritual DNA both the desire and the ability to create. Reflecting the unchangeable nature of God's character we gravitate towards consistency. These two contrasting qualities have the capacity to provide strength as we walk in healthy relationship with Christ and endeavor to maintain the personal discipline Scripture requires. Satan, recognizing the potential tension between these two characteristics, attempts to utilize this tension to bring confusion and compromise into our journey. He endeavors to stifle our creativity or leverage it to draw us away from God. He will try to convince us that consistency offers no enjoyment and remind us of our inevitable missteps as we pursue the consistent life.

The refreshing news is that God will faithfully reveal His presence and power in both the creative and the consistent aspects of our life. God's plan for each of us reinforces His creative nature that is within each of us, the Holy Spirit brings a wonderful sense of self-control into the situation, and the grace of God is a consistent covering when we fall short in creativity or consistency.

The heat index is currently 105 degrees, I look forward to a change in the weather pattern... I wish Summer could last forever!

You've Got To Grow No Matter How Tall Your Father Is

In my personal reading this morning there was a thought that spoke volumes to me: "Nothing in your past guarantees that you will continue growing toward your potential in the future--not positions attained degrees earned, experience gained, awards received or fortunes acquired." It echoes the old Irish proverb, "You've got to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather is." It is all too easy for us to allow our past victories or failures to define us, and to live in past pain or former glory. No matter where we come from in our journey, where we go from here is our choice.

Moving forward requires a willingness to grow and an acceptance of change. Most people fight against change, especially when it affects them personally. Tolstoy said, "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." The ironic thing is, change is inevitable. Everyone has to deal with change, yet the growth change offers is optional. You can chose to grow through life's changes or you can fight it. If we are unwilling to change or grow we will never reach our full potential.

My prayer for you is that God will place within you a willingness to grow and change in whatever ways necessary to reach your full potential in Christ... because He has great things in store for you.

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:14-19

The Just Shall Live...

It is no great secret that I am a sports fan, and this is my favorite time of year in sports. Major League baseball is rapidly approaching the playoffs, college football is in full swing, and Sunday afternoons are filled with NFL highlights... life if good. Yesterday afternoon, as I watched the Chicago Bears make a great comeback against the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, I found myself pondering why some team overcome challenge and adversity while others start strong only to fade as they approach the finish.

For each of us the landscape of life is filled with the all too painful reminders of those whom we appreciated and even admired who eventually stumbled short of the finish line. There are sports heroes who have admitted cheating, government servants who have fallen from grace, and businessmen who have bilked retirees out of their life savings; each attempting to circumvent the process to insure personal victory. As painful as these personal failures are none seems to cut so deep as when one of our spiritual role models falters in the faith and compromises their testimony. We are reminded of the saddest of all scripture when it is said of Samson, "but he did not know the Lord had left him."

What causes us to falter in the race? Hebrews 11 declares that without faith it is impossible to please God, and lists a biblical hall of fame; those who understand the formula for finishing strong. The answer is found in the realization that "every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of heavenly lights." We find great comfort in the realization that it is not us, rather it is God in us that brings strength and success. The poison the enemy regularly uses to sidetrack godly people is pride. Satan loves to use the miraculous provision of God, that which should be an anchor for our faith, as the birthplace of pride. We can quickly lose sight of the hand of God in our life and begin to believe that the success we experience is a result of our wisdom, abilities, and efforts.

Let me offer this thought: If we continually live our life in such a way that God has to come through, it keeps our focus on Him. If we chose simply to function at the level of our resource and ability it become all too easy for the focus to be on us. The truth is we serve a God of the impossible. As I reflect on our ongoing facilities expansion, and ponder the next steps we must take as a church, I must confess to you that it seems like a mountain compared to our earthly resources.... it is a good thing that God offers us mountain moving faith :)

Living Without Regret

I am fascinated by flight. I have logged hours in experimental airplanes, private planes, a sea plane, and countless commercial jets. Still, I always look forward to each new flight. Flying allows you to rise above the storms of the day, passing through the clouds to a beautiful sunny sky. The view from the cockpit gives a bird ’ s eye view of the incredible landscape that God has created. The time spent in the air is but a fraction of what the trip would require if we were resigned to travel by land.

Kent Couch, a 47-year old gas station owner from Bend, Oregon shares my love of flight. Quite possibly, he shares this love a bit too much! -- Last weekend, Kent Couch settled down in his lawn chair with some snacks - and a parachute. Attached to his lawn chair were 105 large helium balloons. Destination: Idaho. Nearly nine hours later, Kent came back to earth in a farmer's field near Union, Oregon; short of Idaho but about 193 miles from home. Couch is the latest American to emulate Larry Walters - who in 1982 rose three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons. Walters had surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair. Walters paid a $1,500 penalty for violating air traffic rules

All too often we are challenged with the reality that, if we had the opportunity to relive a moment or rethink a decision we would choose a markedly different course. Life is filled with many “ it seemed like a good idea ” moments and “ what was I thinking ” evaluations. The good news is that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. When I think of a man blocking the flight plan of Los Angeles International airport in a lawn chair it makes me chuckle, yet if I were to begin the list of my decisions that lacked a little wisdom I expect it would be frighteningly long. How do we walk in wisdom in order to avoid regret? Here are five quick thoughts:

• Lean on God ’ s Understanding – We are reminded that if we trust in God even when it seemingly does not make sense to us, that He will always keep us on the right path. While God ’ s ways are often not like our ways, they are always the best way.
  

• Listen to Godly Counsel – Scripture challenges us with the truth that there is wisdom in much counsel. I am grateful for those who have walked this path before me who are willing to warn me off the pitfalls and share with me the joys I will find along the journey.
  

• Learn For the Past – It is true that we will inevitably make some poor choices. There is amazing comfort in the truth that all things work together for good for those that love God… God will use those failures to refine our faith and develop our character if we give them to Him.

• Look to the Future – Many times we find our regrettable decisions are a direct result of impatience. Be confident that God has joy and blessing for you in each step of the journey.
  

• Live In The Present – We learn from our past and have faith for our future, but today is our focus.

Let the wisdom of God be the guiding force in your activities and attitudes this week. Let each situation offer a learning opportunity and each encounter provide a growth moment. Finally, if you find yourself with some free time and you notice your lawn chair….. just walk away :)

The One With Experience Is Never At The Mercy Of The One With Theory

This morning I awoke to an absolutely flawless midsummer day in Chicago. My family and I are enjoying a few days away together, and my day began with devotions on the balcony in the midst of a beautiful sunrise. As I pondered the promises of God I had just read in scripture, the strong sense to call a missionary friend that serves a half a world away gripped me. A quick calculation of time zones convinced me that it was not too late to call, so I searched for the number and rang his phone.

God's Word reminds us that "The righteous shall live by faith." If this biblical principle is true (which I am completely convinced it is) then our missionaries are profoundly righteous. The thought of leaving family and familiar for the sole purpose of sharing the reality of Christ to a foreign culture is amazing. When one adds to the equation that the missionary makes this journey based on the faith that friends will be led by God to financially partner with them makes this proposition all the more remarkable. The reality that so many of our missionaries are in politically volatile environments with our economy presently in a tumultuous state magnifies the faith journey.

I am convinced the perpetual position of faith that our missionaries place themselves in is the fuel for the miraculous, and is the major factor in why they see God "show up" on a much more regular basis than the typical Christ follower.

My morning phone call from Chicago found a missionary who was at that moment on another phone line talking with a mutual friend. He was soliciting prayer, asking the friend to pray for God to send someone his way to help with a crisis need. My friend has experienced this scenario countless times, yet was still amazed at the profound timeliness of God.... and God's people when we are obedient.

There are some that would discount scenarios such as this as mere coincidence, as would I if they were a rare occurrence. Yet, for those who place themselves squarely in the middle of a faith journey, dependent upon God's provision through "supernatural coincidence" the reality of God's response to faith is clear. The experience of God making the impossible possible and consistently meeting the need through truly remarkable means offers up a faith building reminder that God is in the midst of our situations and always has our answer if we simply look to Him.

The life that God has called each us to is one of wonderful adventure, divine opportunity, and miracle moments if we simply choose to respond to His leading and place ourselves in a position of faith. Far too often we are content living a life where we merely theorize about faith, debating the depths of God's involvement and privately wondering if the stories are true. Be encouraged today, God is still in the miracle working business. If you need further proof, pick up the phone or send an email to one of our missionaries.... just don't be surprised when God places you right in the middle of their miracle!