More Than Good Advice

As my church has been going through a sermon series on the book of Proverbs, I've been reading a chapter a day. (It works out grand because there are 31 days in July, and guess how many chapters in Proverbs? Why yes! 31 exactly.) My view of the book has been that it's a collection of random sayings that are slightly more inspired than the Chinese proverbs, or quotable quips from classic authors. The Proverbs, in my eyes, were God's how-to's for sticky situations and social scenarios.

However, upon reading them this time around and hearing the book preached on each week, I've come to hold a different view of the Proverbs. This inspired book is more than the good advice I gave it credit for. It's a portrayal of wisdom: who she is, what she looks like, and how to win her.

There are so many things in life I enjoy... financial security, a stable home, physical health, the approval of others, and friends and family. Yet walking through the day to day with all those things isn't the ultimate goal. No matter how many blessings I experience in life, there is still something more worth acquiring than security, stability, and stuff: wisdom.

A pastor described wisdom as the ability to navigate life in a God-honoring way. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that wisdom is an important spiritual characteristic as well as being straightforward and down-to-earth help. For example, Proverbs 3:30 says:

"Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm."

In one verse, God points me to spiritual character (patience, self-control, and joy) as well as a practical follow-through (don't become irritated with someone with no cause--a lesson I could work on from now until I'm 100 years old!).

 Navigating life is tricky... and my life is pretty simple compared to the experiences that many go through. If I desire to develop tact, grace, and a God-honoring way of living, I better be seeking wisdom. And for that, Proverbs is a good place to start.

Genuine Callings

Living out the Christian faith looks differently for different people, since God calls us to fill various roles within the church. Some individuals will pursue more intellectual work, teaching or writing or speaking. Others serve with their hands in jobs ranging from construction to sign language interpretation. Homeschooling moms devote most of their time to educating their children. Still others boldly preach the Gospel far from home. That's one of the beautiful things about Christ's church: everyone has widely diverse gifts. If each of us were forced to have the same education, career, and family life, it would be sad! Not to mention unhelpful.

Scripture encourages various manners of serving. In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, Paul says, "Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one." The author encourages quiet, virtuous living for the Christian. At the same time, the Bible clearly supports mission work and evangelism: "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:18-20). To me, these two can seem contradictory. And God says both are good ways for the believer to serve Him.

Yet lately, there seems to be a pressure to be called in a certain way. Those who make an immediate, visible change in the world are seen as dynamic, godly Christians than the ones who follow Christ in a quieter life. We glorify the paths that are risky and radical above the simple and ordinary callings. Being a missionary in a foreign country takes more bravery and devotion than I can ever imagine. I admire the men and women I know who give their lives to spreading the Gospel in other nations. Still, maybe my personal respect for missionaries doesn't make their calling more genuine than the one called to witness to a neighbor just down the street.

Anthony Bradley, in his WORLD Magazine article, wrote: "Perhaps the best antidote to these pendulum swings and fads is simply to recover an mature understanding of vocation so that youth and youth adults understand that they can make important contributions to human flourishing in any sphere of life because there are no little people or insignificant callings in the Kingdom." Perhaps I shouldn't redefine "true" Christianity as one unique type of ministry. Instead, I should acknowledge that God's callings are always intentional, and fit into His good and perfect will.

God-ward Gaze

One of my favorite passages is Psalm 34. As I read it the other day, I was struck by how the author's perspective is completely transformed when he looks at the Lord. Throughout the book of Psalms, a common theme is looking to the Lord in both good times and bad. When the Psalmist is rejoicing and safe, he sings praise. When he's in trouble, he cries out to the Lord. Over and over, God protects and delivers from trouble. This in itself is amazing! But the work of God doesn't stop there. Beyond just keeping us safe, the Father uses these troubles to get us to look to Him. Psalm 34:5 says that the ones who look to the Lord are themselves altered. God is so gloriously good that we become radiant just by gazing in His direction, and our whole countenance changes to reflect Him.

Further on in the Psalm, we are encouraged to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (verse 8). So many things that we taste and see day to day are good. Fresh morning sunshine, the warm aroma of brewed coffee, the love of family, a breathtaking sunset, a fun roadtrip, and the luxurious taste of rich chocolate all bring us delight (particularly chocolate!). And yet all these lovely things in life are like the yellow brick road leading to the very source of all this beauty: God Himself.  It brings us real and good joy to be near the Lord... just enjoying Him is refreshing.

In his book Eyes Wide Open, Pastor Steve DeWitt wrote: "Every created beauty was created by God to lead our affections to Him... We enjoy the divine music of beauty, but our enjoyment often stops there. The greatest wonder is not the music itself but the Musician, not the creation but the Creator. He is beautiful." All the beautiful things that bring us pleasure are just a hint of the overwhelming beauty of the Father.

C.S. Lewis said: “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

The Psalmist tells us to "taste and see that the Lord is good" because He is beautiful, and we get to delight in that beauty! Just by turning to him, we are changed. "Those who look to him are radiant." God's beauty is lasting and satisfying, beyond the things in life that bring us pleasure. Surely this is reason to enough to join with the Psalmist and "glory in the Lord" and "exalt his name together."

Psalm 34

1 I will extol the Lord at all times;

 his praise will always be on my lips.

2 I will glory in the Lord;

 let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the Lord with me;

 let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

 he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;

 their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

 he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

 and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;

 blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,

 for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,

 but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me;

 I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 Whoever of you loves life

 and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil

 and your lips from telling lies.

14 Turn from evil and do good;

 seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

 and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

 to blot out their name from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

 he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

 and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,

 but the Lord delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,

 not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;

 the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The Lord will rescue his servants;

 no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Everyday Miracle

It's hard to find the right way to communicate to others how I feel and what's going on in my life. My words tumble out in a jumbled, hodge-podge fashion. But God knows in even more detail than I do, and doesn't even need me to speak perfectly precise and clear sentences for Him to understand.

Last night was one of those moments that God knew just what I needed, even when I didn't. He coordinated all the ins-and-outs to make a blessed moment happen.

The story goes like this:

After work, I somewhat randomly decided to study downtown. As I sat on a bench just outside the center circle of Main Street, a group of Christian guys and a girl came up and asked if I had a moment and they could pray for me. I cheerfully said yes! And requested they pray for me to be an encouragement to others, even when I'm stressed with school and my tendency is to become inwardly-focused The Lord gave them just the right words to sweetly lift my spirits and truthfully challenge me. When they heard I am a student, one of them reminded me to keep my precious, intimate time with the Lord as a priority over homework deadlines. Like clockwork, God had that reminder come on a day that I had pushed aside my quiet time. The fellow believer advised me to let every burden I felt to stay where it belongs: at the foot of the cross. Much of my anxiety is caused by my attempt to solve everyone else's concerns while living up to a self-imposed standard of mistake-free living. When these bold brothers in Christ prayed for peace and the joy of God to fill me up, I was truly blessed. Jesus used them to give me a timely glimpse of how time with Him is the most important rest and refreshment I can ever imagine.

As we stood in a circle on busy Main Street, we held hands and prayed. We said goodbye and they left. I sat back down, picking up my homework, and they were gone when I looked up.

I believe I have a Father in heaven who cares for me. I believe God works miracles to touch His children, and sometimes those miracles look a lot like everyday people, reaching out to pray for a stranger.