Welcome to New Songs from the Heart 2011!
My last (pre-Christmas) post talked about how we sabotage the true spirit of Advent by wishing for a quick ride to our "ideal" image. Perhaps I also should have noted a deeper source of the problem; we set that ideal (and its timeline) by our own judgment, and try to reach it by our own strength. If this is a stumbling block at Advent, it's all the more so in early January. Just about everyone, Christian or not, starts each year determined to get all the bugs out of her life by next December--then, typically, lets the resolve die of neglect by February. Most New Year's Resolutions lists are motivated by an optimism that, if not exactly blind, could certainly use a strong pair of glasses. If exchanging old habits for new ones was a hard struggle in 2010, why should the coming of 2011 make it any easier?
New year or no, we still live in the same old world. And we aren't going to make it--or ourselves--any different.
Am I saying everything is hopeless? Not at all. I'm saying that we forget Who really does the work of making the world--and us--new. That we too easily get impatient because He refuses to work according to our orders. That our resolutions and plans fail because we make them without consulting Him, or try to achieve them without acknowledging our dependence on His strength. He is the One Who will "make everything new" (see Rev. 21:1-5)--in His time.
Since much of our frustration stems from forgetting God is in charge of everything, today's poem takes a look at Him in a wide variety of aspects: Trinity, Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier--and ultimate Consummator and Ruler.
O, Master of Heaven, Creator of all,
Who brought forth the world by the sound of Your call,
It was Your command that made everything grow:
Your power is far greater than mortal can know.
O, Christ, Blessed Savior, Redeemer of all,
What joy leaps within us when we hear Your call!
It was for our sins that Your life-blood did flow:
Your love is far greater than mortal can know.
O, Marvelous Spirit, Enlightener of all,
While You dwell within us we never can fall.
You’re working to make us as pure as the snow,
With wisdom far greater than mortal can know.
O, Lord of all being, great Ruler of all,
We long for the day of Your summoning call.
With time passed away, still Your rule on will go:
And we’ll see Your face, and pure joy we will know.
Showing posts with label eternity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eternity. Show all posts
Friday, January 7, 2011
Friday, November 5, 2010
O, God of Love and Purest Grace
In many ways, material blessings are a spiritual disadvantage; it's easier to "long for the better country" of Heaven (cf. Heb. 11:13-16) when earth has little to offer. The person who has everything he needs in terms of health, family, money, and possessions may find himself in the position of the "rich young ruler" of Mt. 19:16-22--desperately wanting the riches of eternal life but clinging with even greater desperation to the riches of this life.
Had the ruler looked at what he would gain rather than at what he would be giving up, his decision might have been different. Likewise with us: too many Christians never advance beyond the lukewarm stage of commitment because they keep getting stalled by visions of what they have to lose. And forgetting that the day will come when they have to give it up anyway. When our works are tested by fire on the Day of Judgment (1 Cor. 3:11-15), there is going to be a lot of embarrassed squirming among believers who lived for worldly success and left themselves with nothing eternal to show for it.
With that in mind, I encourage you to read today's poem as a prayer for Heavenly vision.
O, God of Love and purest Grace,
Who saves the soul from sin,
Guide us through all our earthly days;
Provide Your strength within.
O, God of Power and endless Might,
Whom none can ever thwart,
Fill us with will to choose the right,
That we may not fall short.
O, God of Joy and Source of Song,
Great Maker of all things,
Lift up our hearts our whole lives long,
As all Creation sings.
O, God of Peace and Source of Rest,
Come, guard Your children’s ways;
Convince our hearts Your way is best,
And help us sing Your praise.
O, God of Hope and Lord of Time,
Who brought the world to be,
Come, be our Strength, and we will shine
Through all eternity.
***
Katherine Swarts's poetry book Where Light Dawns, based on this blog, is now for sale at $10/copy. Send inquiries to kswarts@ix.netcom.com, or, if you're in Houston on November 6, look for Katherine's booth at the Grace Presbyterian arts and crafts fair.
Through all eternity.
***
Katherine Swarts's poetry book Where Light Dawns, based on this blog, is now for sale at $10/copy. Send inquiries to kswarts@ix.netcom.com, or, if you're in Houston on November 6, look for Katherine's booth at the Grace Presbyterian arts and crafts fair.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Time Rushes On
In our hectic society where workaholism is worn like a badge of honor, the phrase "killing time" evokes fewer positive connotations than it once did. Still, it's surprisingly easy to achieve the best--er, worst--of both worlds. Few could dispute that when priorities are out of balance, keeping busy and wasting time can go together like computer monitors and pixels. Conversely, it's possible to be seemingly idle and still be making good use of one's time; most Christians understand that rest and prayer are vital components of the life that best accomplishes God's will. Sadly, this is perhaps the area where Christians most ignore what they know in favor of living like the rest of the world.
It's been said that few people die wishing they'd spent more time at the office--the obvious implication being that most people sacrifice the building of relationships on the altar of making money. But there's more to wise use of time than that. The employee who balks at working late in a one-time emergency because he'd be late for a Friday night party, the stay-at-home mom who chastises her twenty-five-year-old for moving out because she knows of no use for her life beyond caring for him, and the model family man who never thinks about building a relationship with God are all as skewed in their priorities as the executive who effectively lives at the office. And everyone with skewed priorities has the same core problem: thinking in terms of "what I want" rather than "what God wants of me." Surprisingly few people take to heart the truth that God's will deserves top place on our priority lists; even most of His sincere followers complain about "not having time to do everything," failing to realize that it isn't God who asks people to do more than they're capable of.
Someday we all will run out of earthly time. When we stand before God for our final pre-Heaven examinations, how many of us will be able to say, as Jesus could, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4)? And for those forced to admit to completing considerably less, what kind of excuse will it be to say, "Well, at the time, it seemed more important to complete what I and other human beings gave me to do"?
Time rushes on:
We grow older, not younger;
Time rushes on:
Autumn gives way to frost;
Time rushes on,
And the tears of a lifetime
Never can bring back
The days we have lost.
Time rushes on:
Live each day to the fullest;
See to the work
God has set for your tasks;
Never say, "Wait,"
For His timing is perfect;
He knows the best time
For each thing He asks.
Time rushes on:
Soon life's time will be over;
Dozens of years
All will come to their end;
See to God's work,
So, when you stand before Him,
You may rejoice in
His "Well done, My friend!"
It's been said that few people die wishing they'd spent more time at the office--the obvious implication being that most people sacrifice the building of relationships on the altar of making money. But there's more to wise use of time than that. The employee who balks at working late in a one-time emergency because he'd be late for a Friday night party, the stay-at-home mom who chastises her twenty-five-year-old for moving out because she knows of no use for her life beyond caring for him, and the model family man who never thinks about building a relationship with God are all as skewed in their priorities as the executive who effectively lives at the office. And everyone with skewed priorities has the same core problem: thinking in terms of "what I want" rather than "what God wants of me." Surprisingly few people take to heart the truth that God's will deserves top place on our priority lists; even most of His sincere followers complain about "not having time to do everything," failing to realize that it isn't God who asks people to do more than they're capable of.
Someday we all will run out of earthly time. When we stand before God for our final pre-Heaven examinations, how many of us will be able to say, as Jesus could, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4)? And for those forced to admit to completing considerably less, what kind of excuse will it be to say, "Well, at the time, it seemed more important to complete what I and other human beings gave me to do"?
Time rushes on:
We grow older, not younger;
Time rushes on:
Autumn gives way to frost;
Time rushes on,
And the tears of a lifetime
Never can bring back
The days we have lost.
Time rushes on:
Live each day to the fullest;
See to the work
God has set for your tasks;
Never say, "Wait,"
For His timing is perfect;
He knows the best time
For each thing He asks.
Time rushes on:
Soon life's time will be over;
Dozens of years
All will come to their end;
See to God's work,
So, when you stand before Him,
You may rejoice in
His "Well done, My friend!"
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
God Is Working His Way in Us
"Most Christians who need counseling have one thing in common," writes Jay E. Adams in his booklet Christ and Your Problems. "Their conversation is studded with the word 'can't.'"
Most experienced counselors, Christian or otherwise, would agree that "I can't" is frequently the lazy person's euphemism for "I don't want to bother trying; I don't want to do my share of the work." When a Christian talks this way, it also implies a lack of faith: "I don't believe God is strong enough to change me, or fair to expect me to change, or going to be much help in the process."
But there's another side to the "I can't do what God wants me to do" complaint. Many of us are willing, even eager, to change; come to the point of admitting we really can't do it unless God works in us; announce our full surrender to His will in the matter--and then, when we don't see instant and obvious perfection as a result, sink into discouragement over how often we still fall short. We even start to suspect that God is annoyed with us for not trying hard enough.
Perhaps we're trying too hard--trying to rush ahead of Him in the process. When it comes to spiritual growth, God is fond of the slow-and-steady approach; our problem is that our limited perspectives have little eye for slow progress. It's like losing weight after having been obese and sedentary for years. If the dieter chooses any reasonably healthy approach, the excess fat will come off bit by bit, ounce by ounce; and with new muscle building up at the same time, the scales may not even show much weight difference. It can be easy to conclude, "It's been nearly a month and every day I look the same as the day before; I'm not making any progress at all"--until someone we haven't seen in weeks greets us with, "I hardly recognized you; you look so much thinner!"
God does plan to make us perfect--in eternity. But why does He let us struggle so much in the here and now? Perhaps because the first sin to arise in humanity, and the last to be conquered in the individual, is pride. Like the Israelites in Dt. 8:10-18, who were prone to take personal credit for God's physical blessings, we might easily be tempted to start considering ourselves fully responsible for leaps-and-bounds progress--and slide into the same trap that caught the Pharisees, who in trying their best to "be good" turned themselves into the lowest of sinners.
The only proper approach to changing for the better is full submission to God at all times--and that includes willingly accepting His chosen pace.
God is working His way in us
By paths that we cannot see;
God is using each circumstance
To make us all we can be:
Nearer and nearer comes the day
When He’ll bring us His full, true light,
And our hearts will be pure for endless days
As we worship the Lord of might.
God is working His way in us:
Though struggles seem hard to bear,
God is building our lasting strength:
Doubt never that He does care.
Nearer and nearer comes the day
When He’ll call us up to His side,
And our hearts will be pure for endless days
As we rest in our holy Guide.
God is working His way in us
To purge us from love of sin;
God is cleaning our minds and souls
To wash out all taint within:
Nearer and nearer comes the day
When He shall bring us home at last,
And our hearts will be pure for endless days,
With the hardships of life all past.
God is working His way in us:
So let us fulfill each task
That He gives us to do for Him:
He sends all the strength we ask.
Nearer and nearer comes the day
When He’ll send out His final call,
And our hearts will be pure for endless days,
And our Lord will be All in All!
Most experienced counselors, Christian or otherwise, would agree that "I can't" is frequently the lazy person's euphemism for "I don't want to bother trying; I don't want to do my share of the work." When a Christian talks this way, it also implies a lack of faith: "I don't believe God is strong enough to change me, or fair to expect me to change, or going to be much help in the process."
But there's another side to the "I can't do what God wants me to do" complaint. Many of us are willing, even eager, to change; come to the point of admitting we really can't do it unless God works in us; announce our full surrender to His will in the matter--and then, when we don't see instant and obvious perfection as a result, sink into discouragement over how often we still fall short. We even start to suspect that God is annoyed with us for not trying hard enough.
Perhaps we're trying too hard--trying to rush ahead of Him in the process. When it comes to spiritual growth, God is fond of the slow-and-steady approach; our problem is that our limited perspectives have little eye for slow progress. It's like losing weight after having been obese and sedentary for years. If the dieter chooses any reasonably healthy approach, the excess fat will come off bit by bit, ounce by ounce; and with new muscle building up at the same time, the scales may not even show much weight difference. It can be easy to conclude, "It's been nearly a month and every day I look the same as the day before; I'm not making any progress at all"--until someone we haven't seen in weeks greets us with, "I hardly recognized you; you look so much thinner!"
God does plan to make us perfect--in eternity. But why does He let us struggle so much in the here and now? Perhaps because the first sin to arise in humanity, and the last to be conquered in the individual, is pride. Like the Israelites in Dt. 8:10-18, who were prone to take personal credit for God's physical blessings, we might easily be tempted to start considering ourselves fully responsible for leaps-and-bounds progress--and slide into the same trap that caught the Pharisees, who in trying their best to "be good" turned themselves into the lowest of sinners.
The only proper approach to changing for the better is full submission to God at all times--and that includes willingly accepting His chosen pace.
God is working His way in us
By paths that we cannot see;
God is using each circumstance
To make us all we can be:
Nearer and nearer comes the day
When He’ll bring us His full, true light,
And our hearts will be pure for endless days
As we worship the Lord of might.
God is working His way in us:
Though struggles seem hard to bear,
God is building our lasting strength:
Doubt never that He does care.
Nearer and nearer comes the day
When He’ll call us up to His side,
And our hearts will be pure for endless days
As we rest in our holy Guide.
God is working His way in us
To purge us from love of sin;
God is cleaning our minds and souls
To wash out all taint within:
Nearer and nearer comes the day
When He shall bring us home at last,
And our hearts will be pure for endless days,
With the hardships of life all past.
God is working His way in us:
So let us fulfill each task
That He gives us to do for Him:
He sends all the strength we ask.
Nearer and nearer comes the day
When He’ll send out His final call,
And our hearts will be pure for endless days,
And our Lord will be All in All!
Friday, December 5, 2008
"Thy Kingdom Come"
Anyone who has ever read the Gospels is familiar with the phrases "Kingdom of God" and "Kingdom of Heaven" (one or the other of the two expressions occurs nearly 100 times in the NIV New Testament). And your church may well be one of the many that each week pray "Thy Kingdom come" as they recite the Lord's Prayer. Yet how many of us, living in today's free and prosperous societies, are really as eager to see the coming of the Kingdom as were the early believers? Is our honest reaction to the idea of Christ's return "the sooner the better," or do we secretly hope He waits at least a decade or two so we won't be kept from enjoying the dream trips or perfect retirements we're saving for? Do we really look forward to seeing all evil and pain permanently driven out, or do we harbor misgivings that a perfect world might be a little boring, devoid of drama and excitement?
In this current world (not to mention in any great work of fiction), success and satisfaction depends so heavily on winning against powerful odds that, notwithstanding the pleasure we take in a day to relax or a "happily ever after" ending, many of us find it hard to imagine permanent rest as an altogether good thing. Someone has even written an allegory where the hero goes after death to a place where every wish is instantly granted--and eventually comes to realize that he is not in Heaven but in hell. No, most of us don't really want to spend forever lying on a couch eating bonbons, or "sitting on a cloud strumming a harp."
But is that really all there is to Heaven? After all, there was work--presumably including some hard work--in the world before the Fall (Gen. 2:15). Nor does the thrill of competition and challenge require real enemies as opponents: ask any child who has had a wonderful day playing outdoors with friends. Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the children and the childlike (e. g., Luke 18:16); wouldn't the experience of Heaven, then, be like a child's concept of the perfect day--full of freedom to play hard, to laugh with pure delight, to enjoy the company of friends and to make all the noise and expend all the energy one pleases? The eternal, dour church service many people imagine as Heaven--which seems superior to hell only in being the lesser of two evils--could hardly be more different.
We don't yet know many specific details about Heaven. But we can be certain that those who go there will never compare it unfavorably with the present life.
There are kingdoms of wealth
And kingdoms of power
And kingdoms where pleasure reigns,
But only the Kingdom
Beyond this world
Is free from the sin that stains.
Each of us would rule
As a king or queen
And would build our own throne of pride,
But the greatest Kingdom
Has but one King,
And we must be servants inside.
There are kingdoms of greed
Where deluded souls
Would see God grant their every whim;
There are "pinnacle kingdoms"
All built on show
And in going out on a limb;
There are kingdoms galore
Where for earthly gain
People bow to the devil's ways;
But let me fix my eyes
On the Kingdom of God,
Who alone is worthy of praise.
In this current world (not to mention in any great work of fiction), success and satisfaction depends so heavily on winning against powerful odds that, notwithstanding the pleasure we take in a day to relax or a "happily ever after" ending, many of us find it hard to imagine permanent rest as an altogether good thing. Someone has even written an allegory where the hero goes after death to a place where every wish is instantly granted--and eventually comes to realize that he is not in Heaven but in hell. No, most of us don't really want to spend forever lying on a couch eating bonbons, or "sitting on a cloud strumming a harp."
But is that really all there is to Heaven? After all, there was work--presumably including some hard work--in the world before the Fall (Gen. 2:15). Nor does the thrill of competition and challenge require real enemies as opponents: ask any child who has had a wonderful day playing outdoors with friends. Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the children and the childlike (e. g., Luke 18:16); wouldn't the experience of Heaven, then, be like a child's concept of the perfect day--full of freedom to play hard, to laugh with pure delight, to enjoy the company of friends and to make all the noise and expend all the energy one pleases? The eternal, dour church service many people imagine as Heaven--which seems superior to hell only in being the lesser of two evils--could hardly be more different.
We don't yet know many specific details about Heaven. But we can be certain that those who go there will never compare it unfavorably with the present life.
There are kingdoms of wealth
And kingdoms of power
And kingdoms where pleasure reigns,
But only the Kingdom
Beyond this world
Is free from the sin that stains.
Each of us would rule
As a king or queen
And would build our own throne of pride,
But the greatest Kingdom
Has but one King,
And we must be servants inside.
There are kingdoms of greed
Where deluded souls
Would see God grant their every whim;
There are "pinnacle kingdoms"
All built on show
And in going out on a limb;
There are kingdoms galore
Where for earthly gain
People bow to the devil's ways;
But let me fix my eyes
On the Kingdom of God,
Who alone is worthy of praise.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Visions of Heaven
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving--and I'm very thankful that, after ten days and three service calls, the cable problems that cut off my Internet service have at last been fixed. We don't need to suffer major tragedies to be convinced we live in an imperfect world; nearly every "normal" day has at least one frustrating moment that can tempt us to curse life.
God's refusal to completely remove hindrances from our existence is, whether we appreciate it or not, for our own good. Not only does struggle build character (cf. Heb. 12:5-11); it keeps us from getting too fond of this world where we are "aliens and strangers" (1 Peter 2:11; Heb. 11:13). Jesus said that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Mt. 19:24, NIV), almost certainly because the rich are comfortable enough already and have trouble picturing even the Kingdom as being better. If relative comfort in this world can hinder a person's spiritual progress, how much damage might total comfort do?
Not that knowing this makes discomfort that much easier to bear. We needn't actually reach the point of being suicidal to have moments when we want to scream (or groan), "Take me out of this world; I can't stand it any longer!" This isn't necessarily a wrong attitude, if we're motivated by a genuine longing to see God's eternal Kingdom come (cf. Rom. 8:18-25), rather than by a selfish desire for personal relief. In fact, most Christians spend too much time praying about individual problems--and too little time praying for the return of Christ, which will put a permanent end to all problems and establish God's total rule once and for all.
From then on, every day will be Thanksgiving.
When, in this life, you have trouble,
And are crushed under evil's great load,
When every day is a struggle
And each hour brings new holes in your road,
Lift up your eyes to the Father
And ask Him to show you the view:
He still gives visions of Heaven,
Where everything will be made new.
When, in this life, you have plenty
And the load set upon you seems light,
When every day seems all beauty
And each hour brings new joys fresh and bright,
Still keep your eyes on the Father
And ask Him to show you the way:
He still gives visions of Heaven,
Far grander than earth's loveliest day.
Life, at its best, is but fleeting;
Yes, and life, at its worst, soon will end;
But Christ, through His death, has defeated
Death's dark power, for all who call Him Friend.
Lift up your eyes; it is coming,
That Day of God's glorious Light,
When all our visions of Heaven
Forever will change into sight!
God's refusal to completely remove hindrances from our existence is, whether we appreciate it or not, for our own good. Not only does struggle build character (cf. Heb. 12:5-11); it keeps us from getting too fond of this world where we are "aliens and strangers" (1 Peter 2:11; Heb. 11:13). Jesus said that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Mt. 19:24, NIV), almost certainly because the rich are comfortable enough already and have trouble picturing even the Kingdom as being better. If relative comfort in this world can hinder a person's spiritual progress, how much damage might total comfort do?
Not that knowing this makes discomfort that much easier to bear. We needn't actually reach the point of being suicidal to have moments when we want to scream (or groan), "Take me out of this world; I can't stand it any longer!" This isn't necessarily a wrong attitude, if we're motivated by a genuine longing to see God's eternal Kingdom come (cf. Rom. 8:18-25), rather than by a selfish desire for personal relief. In fact, most Christians spend too much time praying about individual problems--and too little time praying for the return of Christ, which will put a permanent end to all problems and establish God's total rule once and for all.
From then on, every day will be Thanksgiving.
When, in this life, you have trouble,
And are crushed under evil's great load,
When every day is a struggle
And each hour brings new holes in your road,
Lift up your eyes to the Father
And ask Him to show you the view:
He still gives visions of Heaven,
Where everything will be made new.
When, in this life, you have plenty
And the load set upon you seems light,
When every day seems all beauty
And each hour brings new joys fresh and bright,
Still keep your eyes on the Father
And ask Him to show you the way:
He still gives visions of Heaven,
Far grander than earth's loveliest day.
Life, at its best, is but fleeting;
Yes, and life, at its worst, soon will end;
But Christ, through His death, has defeated
Death's dark power, for all who call Him Friend.
Lift up your eyes; it is coming,
That Day of God's glorious Light,
When all our visions of Heaven
Forever will change into sight!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Life That Counts
The program title and topic are long lost to my memory, but I clearly remember the "two key questions" the speaker asked:
1. If you knew you would die in a year, how would you invest your available time?
2. Why aren't you investing it that way now?
These are not questions for which most people should be satisfied with the first answers that come to mind. To illustrate why not, my personal "first answers" were: 1) I would try to cram in every book, trip, and activity I ever wanted to experience; 2) I am doing it that way already--and probably shortening my available time with the self-inflicted stress that comes from constantly thinking in terms of "when will I finish this so I can start on the next item?" But behind the cynicism and frustration that haunts so many of us in this area, lies the fact that most people spend their lives neglecting their dreams for more "practical"--and boring--matters.
It's strange how afraid we are of the deeply significant and the breathtakingly beautiful. One can understand why people procrastinate on starting boring or unpleasant tasks; but why do the majority behave the same way when it comes to the things they should want most? "I'd like to use the wedding china for dinner, but I suppose I should wait for a special occasion." "I really feel called to this ministry, but I should wait until I have more in savings." "I could write a great book, but I just don't have the time now." "I really should give my life to God, but there's plenty of time for that."
The "plenty of time" excuse is heard so often that one wonders if most human beings expect their earthly lives to last forever. Some apparently do; there are people who take seriously the idea of scientifically extending life spans to several hundred years, perhaps prolonging life indefinitely. But what would they do with those extra centuries? Anything more significant than the working-at-a-dull-job, just-surviving-day-to-day existence of today's typical American?
The Bible says (e. g. Luke 16:11) that few people are trusted with big things until they have proven themselves able to handle little things. It's safe to assume that those "things" include not only money and abilities, but hours and years as well.
And it's also safe to assume that God doesn't give us our dreams to be wasted.
There are those who dream of an endless youth
That their science may soon create,
Those who wish to live for a thousand years
Or forever evade death's gate.
But it's not a question of when you die
That tells what to your life amounts;
And it's not the time that you have to use,
But the way it is used, that counts.
God allots to each every hour of life,
And He knows just how much you need;
And ten selfless years have more life in them
Than ten decades of idle greed.
So take all your time and then use it well;
Live each day like you had but one
On this earth--but look to eternity,
And pray, "Lord, may Your Kingdom come!"
1. If you knew you would die in a year, how would you invest your available time?
2. Why aren't you investing it that way now?
These are not questions for which most people should be satisfied with the first answers that come to mind. To illustrate why not, my personal "first answers" were: 1) I would try to cram in every book, trip, and activity I ever wanted to experience; 2) I am doing it that way already--and probably shortening my available time with the self-inflicted stress that comes from constantly thinking in terms of "when will I finish this so I can start on the next item?" But behind the cynicism and frustration that haunts so many of us in this area, lies the fact that most people spend their lives neglecting their dreams for more "practical"--and boring--matters.
It's strange how afraid we are of the deeply significant and the breathtakingly beautiful. One can understand why people procrastinate on starting boring or unpleasant tasks; but why do the majority behave the same way when it comes to the things they should want most? "I'd like to use the wedding china for dinner, but I suppose I should wait for a special occasion." "I really feel called to this ministry, but I should wait until I have more in savings." "I could write a great book, but I just don't have the time now." "I really should give my life to God, but there's plenty of time for that."
The "plenty of time" excuse is heard so often that one wonders if most human beings expect their earthly lives to last forever. Some apparently do; there are people who take seriously the idea of scientifically extending life spans to several hundred years, perhaps prolonging life indefinitely. But what would they do with those extra centuries? Anything more significant than the working-at-a-dull-job, just-surviving-day-to-day existence of today's typical American?
The Bible says (e. g. Luke 16:11) that few people are trusted with big things until they have proven themselves able to handle little things. It's safe to assume that those "things" include not only money and abilities, but hours and years as well.
And it's also safe to assume that God doesn't give us our dreams to be wasted.
There are those who dream of an endless youth
That their science may soon create,
Those who wish to live for a thousand years
Or forever evade death's gate.
But it's not a question of when you die
That tells what to your life amounts;
And it's not the time that you have to use,
But the way it is used, that counts.
God allots to each every hour of life,
And He knows just how much you need;
And ten selfless years have more life in them
Than ten decades of idle greed.
So take all your time and then use it well;
Live each day like you had but one
On this earth--but look to eternity,
And pray, "Lord, may Your Kingdom come!"
Friday, September 19, 2008
Lord of Time
All of us have memories we wish we could wipe out, or better yet, go back and do differently. All of us have moments when we would like to be anywhere but in the present situation. And all of us have at least occasional fears regarding an uncertain future.
It's hard to say what's hardest: dealing with the wounds of the past; coping with the struggles of the present; or conquering worry about the future. All three really feed on each other. "Lord of the Past," a popular Christian song in the early 1990s, talks about how the past can make the present miserable--and probably implies that the feelings and actions of the present affect the future. Past sin begets present agony. Present "just this once" begets future habit. Worrying in the present about the future can have especially unpleasant results; once fretting becomes a habit it soon grows into a compulsion, and the failure of past worries to materialize is more likely to add guilt for being so "ridiculous" than to actually lessen anxiety about the future.
"Live in the moment" is the standard pop psychology remedy--and can even be said to have Scriptural warrant (cf. Mt. 6:34). But if we try to conquer past, present, and future by our own willpower, we invariably fall short. God is the only One Who can be trusted with things to come and Who can turn even the worst past into a beautiful present and future (cf. Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28).
Things work out best if we make Him Lord of our time.
Our God is Lord of all past times--
So take courage, all you with regret:
However black your past deeds,
However many
Your lost opportunities,
There is hope for you yet.
Our God is Lord of the present--
So take courage if all life seems bleak:
However small your best deeds,
However scanty
Your best opportunities,
God gives strength to the weak.
Our God is Lord of the future--
So take courage; though you cannot see
How the life you are living
Can bear a harvest
From what you have been given,
God knows all that will be.
Our God is Lord over all time--
The Beginning and the End is He:
All past guilt He shall banish,
And He guards the future
Until time shall vanish,
Swallowed in eternity.
It's hard to say what's hardest: dealing with the wounds of the past; coping with the struggles of the present; or conquering worry about the future. All three really feed on each other. "Lord of the Past," a popular Christian song in the early 1990s, talks about how the past can make the present miserable--and probably implies that the feelings and actions of the present affect the future. Past sin begets present agony. Present "just this once" begets future habit. Worrying in the present about the future can have especially unpleasant results; once fretting becomes a habit it soon grows into a compulsion, and the failure of past worries to materialize is more likely to add guilt for being so "ridiculous" than to actually lessen anxiety about the future.
"Live in the moment" is the standard pop psychology remedy--and can even be said to have Scriptural warrant (cf. Mt. 6:34). But if we try to conquer past, present, and future by our own willpower, we invariably fall short. God is the only One Who can be trusted with things to come and Who can turn even the worst past into a beautiful present and future (cf. Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28).
Things work out best if we make Him Lord of our time.
Our God is Lord of all past times--
So take courage, all you with regret:
However black your past deeds,
However many
Your lost opportunities,
There is hope for you yet.
Our God is Lord of the present--
So take courage if all life seems bleak:
However small your best deeds,
However scanty
Your best opportunities,
God gives strength to the weak.
Our God is Lord of the future--
So take courage; though you cannot see
How the life you are living
Can bear a harvest
From what you have been given,
God knows all that will be.
Our God is Lord over all time--
The Beginning and the End is He:
All past guilt He shall banish,
And He guards the future
Until time shall vanish,
Swallowed in eternity.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
And the Seasons Come, and the Seasons Go
What does mid-July mean to you? For most of us in Houston, Texas, USA (those of us too old for summer vacations, anyway), it evokes less-than-ideal weather images: 90-plus-degree days, 90-percent-plus humidity, frequent thunderstorms, and the year's first hurricane warnings.
To compensate, we get mild winters, beautiful spring days, and cool autumn weather. Everyone has a favorite time of year--and individual reasons for preferring it. And at less favored times, we can comfort ourselves that--sure as rain will eventually stop and morning will eventually come--humid summers will give way to mild autumns, gray winters to bright springtimes. As God said to Noah, "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease" (Gen. 8:22, NIV).
Of course, even the earth will not endure forever. The day will come when "the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.... But in keeping with [God's] promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:10, 13). Terrifying as the picture of the world coming to an end looks at first glance, we as Christians are commanded not to fear the prospect. Quite the opposite, we are to "look forward to the day of God and speed its coming" (v. 12, emphasis added).
Whether any of us see that day come during our earthly lives is ultimately irrelevant. The important thing is that we will see it, and that God will bring us a new, eternal, perfect earth.
Where bad weather will never be a problem again.
Sure as snow melts in spring and the world turns green,
Our Savior, our Christ, on this earth was seen.
And the seasons come, and the seasons go;
We will age and die, but the earth remain--
Till the fire of our Lord drives out all woe,
On that Day our Christ comes to earth again.
Sure as summertime days do grow long and warm,
Our Father, our Lord, keeps us safe from harm.
And the seasons come, and the seasons go;
We will age and die, but the earth remain--
Till the fire of our Lord drives out all woe,
On that Day our Christ comes to earth again.
Sure as autumn leaves fall and the trees turn red,
Our Savior, our Lord, rose up from the dead.
And the seasons come, and the seasons go;
We will age and die, but the earth remain--
Till the fire of our Lord drives out all woe,
On that Day our Christ comes to earth again.
Sure as winter snow falls and the world turns white,
Our Lord and our God is eternal Light.
And the seasons come, and the seasons go;
We will age and die, but the earth remain--
Till the fire of our Lord drives out all woe,
On that Day our Christ comes to earth again.
To compensate, we get mild winters, beautiful spring days, and cool autumn weather. Everyone has a favorite time of year--and individual reasons for preferring it. And at less favored times, we can comfort ourselves that--sure as rain will eventually stop and morning will eventually come--humid summers will give way to mild autumns, gray winters to bright springtimes. As God said to Noah, "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease" (Gen. 8:22, NIV).
Of course, even the earth will not endure forever. The day will come when "the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.... But in keeping with [God's] promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:10, 13). Terrifying as the picture of the world coming to an end looks at first glance, we as Christians are commanded not to fear the prospect. Quite the opposite, we are to "look forward to the day of God and speed its coming" (v. 12, emphasis added).
Whether any of us see that day come during our earthly lives is ultimately irrelevant. The important thing is that we will see it, and that God will bring us a new, eternal, perfect earth.
Where bad weather will never be a problem again.
Sure as snow melts in spring and the world turns green,
Our Savior, our Christ, on this earth was seen.
And the seasons come, and the seasons go;
We will age and die, but the earth remain--
Till the fire of our Lord drives out all woe,
On that Day our Christ comes to earth again.
Sure as summertime days do grow long and warm,
Our Father, our Lord, keeps us safe from harm.
And the seasons come, and the seasons go;
We will age and die, but the earth remain--
Till the fire of our Lord drives out all woe,
On that Day our Christ comes to earth again.
Sure as autumn leaves fall and the trees turn red,
Our Savior, our Lord, rose up from the dead.
And the seasons come, and the seasons go;
We will age and die, but the earth remain--
Till the fire of our Lord drives out all woe,
On that Day our Christ comes to earth again.
Sure as winter snow falls and the world turns white,
Our Lord and our God is eternal Light.
And the seasons come, and the seasons go;
We will age and die, but the earth remain--
Till the fire of our Lord drives out all woe,
On that Day our Christ comes to earth again.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Eternal Life
A bit more on my all-week textbook project, mentioned in yesterday's blog. The overall topic was controversies surrounding the aging population, and the book included sections on social attitudes, government programs, economic implications--and whether aging is something humanity will have to put up with forever.
The idea that careful diet, advances in medical care, and other revolutionary health practices might soon make 150-year life spans possible has received a fair amount of media attention lately. But some people are aiming much higher than that. Someone has even written a book with the subtitle Live Long Enough to Live Forever, and at least one Ph.D. is pushing the idea (noted in the cover blurb of his own book) that "people alive today could live to be a thousand years old." Providing science can find the key to unlock the biological mechanisms of aging.
It's unnervingly reminiscent of the ancient satanic lie: "You will not surely die.... you will be like God" (Gen. 3:4-5, NIV). And nearly everyone pushing the "live a thousand years" agenda seems to believe that human ability and character are sufficiently godlike to overcome all difficulties. Ask one of these crusaders if multiplying the human life span by ten wouldn't seriously exacerbate the already considerable problems of overpopulation and natural resource exhaustion, and the reply is invariably something like, "I'm sure we'll be able to deal with that when the time comes."
Yet for all their hubris, the "live forever" types are right about one thing: deterioration and death are not "good and natural" parts of life. Death is an "enemy," a curse, a byproduct of sin (see 1 Cor. 15:21-26, 54-57). God never wanted us to die as a matter of course.
Neither, however, will He excuse our arrogance if we attempt to solve the problem without His help. Though most indefinite-life advocates admit that even if humanity becomes immune to aging it probably will not become immune to death, they seem unable to see that (even from the most strictly fundamentalist young-earth viewpoint) a thousand years isn't really all that long. Genesis 5:1-27 lists seven men who came very close to that goal--the youngest of them lived to 895 years, and two passed the 950 mark--and yet the record of each ends with "and then he died." Which covers just about all anyone now knows or remembers about most of them.
Ironically, the one man in that passage who was spared the "died" footnote--Enoch, verses 21-24--had only 365 years on earth, far less than half of the next youngest age. One might say that he was too good for earth; he was so close to God that God took him into heaven without forcing him to go the long, hard route. Enoch had no need for some medical process that would "cure" the deterioration of aging, nor to measure "living forever" in terms of chronological physical years. He knew what all true Christians know: that the only way to truly live forever, to become permanently immune not only to death but to all the problems of life, and to find "forever" so fulfilling that he would never tire of it, was to give himself completely to God.
With that and the one other exception of Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-18), the privilege of being taken to heaven without dying seems to have been reserved for those believers who will remain on earth at Christ's return. But once we trust Christ for eternal life, we need never fear death again.
And it won't matter whether our earthly lives last 150 years or 150 months.
Ever since the day when Adam bit into that fatal fruit,
Setting off a chain reaction, letting deadly sin take root,
Human life has been but fleeting, and a sense that death is sure
Casts its shadow on our living, mocks our longing to endure.
Ever since the day when mortals dared equate themselves with God--
Though He is the great Eternal, and we are but earthly sod--
People gave themselves to searching for some magic that would hold
A sure key to youth forever, sought more eagerly than gold.
And the Lord, Who sits in heaven, laughed to see such deadly pride;
But He also looked in pity on each mortal soul that died,
So He set a plan in motion, far beyond our human skill,
That would free from death the humble, those who sought to do His will.
Ever since the day our Savior breathed His last upon that Cross,
And then rose to life eternal, where He could restore our loss,
Though our bodies fade and wither, then return again to dust,
Yet our souls forever after live with Him Whose love we trust.
Still today, the proud and haughty, in this world of human fears,
Seek to find that magic potion and to live a thousand years--
Yet a thousand years pass quickly, even on the earthly scale.
Let us trust instead the promise of the One Who cannot fail!
The idea that careful diet, advances in medical care, and other revolutionary health practices might soon make 150-year life spans possible has received a fair amount of media attention lately. But some people are aiming much higher than that. Someone has even written a book with the subtitle Live Long Enough to Live Forever, and at least one Ph.D. is pushing the idea (noted in the cover blurb of his own book) that "people alive today could live to be a thousand years old." Providing science can find the key to unlock the biological mechanisms of aging.
It's unnervingly reminiscent of the ancient satanic lie: "You will not surely die.... you will be like God" (Gen. 3:4-5, NIV). And nearly everyone pushing the "live a thousand years" agenda seems to believe that human ability and character are sufficiently godlike to overcome all difficulties. Ask one of these crusaders if multiplying the human life span by ten wouldn't seriously exacerbate the already considerable problems of overpopulation and natural resource exhaustion, and the reply is invariably something like, "I'm sure we'll be able to deal with that when the time comes."
Yet for all their hubris, the "live forever" types are right about one thing: deterioration and death are not "good and natural" parts of life. Death is an "enemy," a curse, a byproduct of sin (see 1 Cor. 15:21-26, 54-57). God never wanted us to die as a matter of course.
Neither, however, will He excuse our arrogance if we attempt to solve the problem without His help. Though most indefinite-life advocates admit that even if humanity becomes immune to aging it probably will not become immune to death, they seem unable to see that (even from the most strictly fundamentalist young-earth viewpoint) a thousand years isn't really all that long. Genesis 5:1-27 lists seven men who came very close to that goal--the youngest of them lived to 895 years, and two passed the 950 mark--and yet the record of each ends with "and then he died." Which covers just about all anyone now knows or remembers about most of them.
Ironically, the one man in that passage who was spared the "died" footnote--Enoch, verses 21-24--had only 365 years on earth, far less than half of the next youngest age. One might say that he was too good for earth; he was so close to God that God took him into heaven without forcing him to go the long, hard route. Enoch had no need for some medical process that would "cure" the deterioration of aging, nor to measure "living forever" in terms of chronological physical years. He knew what all true Christians know: that the only way to truly live forever, to become permanently immune not only to death but to all the problems of life, and to find "forever" so fulfilling that he would never tire of it, was to give himself completely to God.
With that and the one other exception of Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-18), the privilege of being taken to heaven without dying seems to have been reserved for those believers who will remain on earth at Christ's return. But once we trust Christ for eternal life, we need never fear death again.
And it won't matter whether our earthly lives last 150 years or 150 months.
Ever since the day when Adam bit into that fatal fruit,
Setting off a chain reaction, letting deadly sin take root,
Human life has been but fleeting, and a sense that death is sure
Casts its shadow on our living, mocks our longing to endure.
Ever since the day when mortals dared equate themselves with God--
Though He is the great Eternal, and we are but earthly sod--
People gave themselves to searching for some magic that would hold
A sure key to youth forever, sought more eagerly than gold.
And the Lord, Who sits in heaven, laughed to see such deadly pride;
But He also looked in pity on each mortal soul that died,
So He set a plan in motion, far beyond our human skill,
That would free from death the humble, those who sought to do His will.
Ever since the day our Savior breathed His last upon that Cross,
And then rose to life eternal, where He could restore our loss,
Though our bodies fade and wither, then return again to dust,
Yet our souls forever after live with Him Whose love we trust.
Still today, the proud and haughty, in this world of human fears,
Seek to find that magic potion and to live a thousand years--
Yet a thousand years pass quickly, even on the earthly scale.
Let us trust instead the promise of the One Who cannot fail!
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