Worry

Mum to teenage daughter: Now you’ve not to worry about....
Teenage daughter to Mum: Don’t you tell me not to worry!
This exchange will sound familiar to many, but it is one which did happen in our family. With the best intentions, ‘Mum’ was trying to help by telling her girl she didn’t need to worry, but the problem was that Mum was one of the biggest worriers herself. The advice was misjudged, and is now a bit of fun family folklore! Can you relate to that?

Matthew chapter 6 has these words: But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And then this....“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? I have come to love this chapter!

It’s kind of hard not to worry in these days given the economic climate, the state of the decaying morality in high places, our own health, and the health of those we love, the downward spiral of a once trusted government, and the list could go on. It is a very strange and special person who is not touched at one time by some situation or circumstance, which pushes us through concern and anxiety, right to worry itself.

We live in a nice, cosy, theoretical church and personal faith place, where we never have to put our faith to the test in anything big. So, how about putting theory into practice in a safe thing like our worry? Chances are the things you and I worry about are not life threatening, or even close. So, let’s have another look at Jesus words in Matthew Chapter 6, and see if we can prove them to be right? Ready?... OK....GO....

Once Saved

The word ‘saved’ in church circles isn’t used so much anymore, but I still feel it is a descriptive word which is hard to replace. On that theme, one of the great differences, even divisions, between Bible believing scholars is the doctrine of eternal security. This is neatly shrunk into the phrase, ‘once saved always saved’, which is in contrast to the other side of the coin which is that you can be saved at one time, and yet ultimately lost. To put it another way, you can lose your salvation, or to be more accurate, relinquish it by choice (your choice, not God’s). The favourite verses in support of the ‘once saved’ thinking is found in Romans.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39 (NIV)

I love the concept of being secure in the love of God, but am I untouchable? Can I choose to opt out of that security? I notice that the verse talks about nothing being able to separate us from the love of God. It does not talk about our salvation. It is easy to understand the eternal love of God, and our own pastor has just finished a series on the love chapter of 1 Cor 13, and what a series of inspiring insights. It is not just that God is a God OF love, but He IS love. I like that. But does God’s constant love to me absolve me from my own responsibilities? Can I stray away from God’s love? No, but can I stray away from my God given responsibilities? Yes, I think I can, and so bring a level of judgement on myself.

What do you think Jesus meant in Luke Chapter 9v62?
Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 (NIV)

Since all scripture is inspired, we cannot ignore either of these verses, or any other for that matter, so it would do us well to take note of them. Here’s another one to think about:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Tim 4:7,8 (NIV)

I see the key words in this verse as our responsibility, and I think Timothy agrees. Words like, ‘fought’ and ‘finished’, and ‘kept’. These are for us to work on, and strive for during our life here on earth. We only have this life to do that, and we should recognise and embrace the opportunity and challenge. So, during this race, are we happy to be watching, or running? Remember the old saying, which the old saint Ella Barclay reminded us of often, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Jesus will last”. Let’s live as though we believed it, and keep our eternal accounts short! Once saved, always saved? I am not sure about the doctrine, but I do know I have to take responsibility for my own eternal destination, and not rely on a commitment decision I made over 50 years ago as a child.

Keys

When I was a boy, we played street games, and ran around the neighbourhood in safety, along with a small army of other boys and girls, post war, and parents did not worry. They didn’t shout at us for making a noise, or getting excited. They had come through a war, and were just glad that their ‘babies’ were able to grow into troublesome schoolkids, and hopefully young men, and women. They knew the way it could have been, and could do little to change the course of history!

Not so the kids! We had a way out. If we were playing chase, or hide and seek, or kick the can, and we thought we were caught out either early or unfairly, we were allowed (under the rules of play) to put our thumbs up and shout ‘Keys’, or in my case the local word was ‘Bawlees’ (no, I don’t understand the word either) and this allowed us to play on as if we hadn’t been caught that time. It was a way out of our problem. How good it would be if we could do that in real life now, as older and more mature citizens, but we can’t. That was just a childish game, and there is no way we can put our thumbs up now, as adults, and shout ‘Keys’, or I have had enough. I have been caught out either unfairly or early.

Hold on. Don’t we believe in the God of the second chance? Didn’t Moses, Joseph, Jonah and the apostle Peter all get the chance to put their thumbs up, and a gracious God allowed them to play on in spite of their failings? In each of these cases, and many others recorded in the Bible, the end of the story was so much better, and I would suggest all because they had been given that second chance, and that thankful spirit within drove them on. We know the end of the story.

When (not if) you feel at the end of your rope, and can’t go on the way things are, put your thumbs up, say sorry (or in church terms, repent), and allow God to forgive your failing, and then you can carry on, so that the end of the story can be made right, better and clear. That may be important, first of all for you, but also for others who had been watching on the sidelines wondering how it would all end. Yes, I believe in the God of the second chance, and have had to use it myself. Haven’t you? Or maybe you need to play your ‘keys’ right now.

Mum's Worth

Declan Hainey didn’t deserve to die in poverty and squalor, not even having reached his second birthday. It wasn’t his fault he lost out on love, and his tiny, scrawny, emaciated body wasn’t found in time to save him. Not his fault that he had been left in his own waste, among cider bottles and the trappings of a drug crazed mother. Not his fault for being here in the first place. Unwanted at birth and unnoticed at death, hidden away in his personal prison for months to stop the abuse being seen and reported by anyone who might have got into the house where he spent his whole life, and ultimate death, not ever knowing what love was. The love of a mother. That’s all it would have taken for the story to be have been so different. Only another ‘dead’ person could fail to be moved by the story of this tragic and short life of this little boy. I would not be the only person who shed a tear when the story of Declan Hainey was finally told.

Mums, if you are reading this, don’t ever fall into the trap of thinking your contribution to your children’s lives is without worth, or that nobody notices or cares. Our society has sold us on the notion that motherhood is something less than it is. You are strange unless you are a ‘working mother’ and being productive, as if raising children is not a valuable activity and calling, in its own right. I would suggest that there is no higher calling on this earth, than the unfailing love of a Mum for her child, or children. It surpasses all other forms of love, and I believe is closest to the heart of God.

Who kisses the hurt away, whether a skint knee, or a wounded heart (at any age)? Who makes sure her children are taught right from wrong, and sets the example? Who brings the family to church faithfully and regularly, and without fanfare? (Yes it is noticed!) Who is best placed to recognise the pain and hurt of another child? Who goes without, in order that her own can have, whether it is clothing, or even food? Who loves enough to scold with a hug and through tears? At whose knees do many children learn to pray, and form a trust in a loving God? There is no substitute for a Godly Mum. Not a mother, because any woman can be a mother, but it takes a special heart to be a ‘Mum’, and some Mums have had a particularly difficult home life of their own.

So, for me, where do I find the greatest earthly example of the love of God? In a word, it’s ‘Mum’. Thankfully, very few are like Declan’s ‘carer’ (that was how the court described her, neither mother, nor mum) and thankfully, these are not the norm for motherhood, but it serves to remind us of the greater value of a loving and Godly Mum, whose worth only increases with time, and even to adulthood and beyond. Let’s be ever thankful to God for our Mums. In honour of my own Godly Mum, and Mum to my Godly children. A Godly Mum’s legacy never dies.

Independence

I am a Scot, living in Scotland, and consider myself Scottish, but yet British at the same time. I do not see this as a contradiction, although some might. The subject of Scottish independence is on the news agenda again, and getting a lot of air time. Let’s face it, the outcome either way will affect each of us who live in the United Kingdom. Yes, I see our joint identity as a United Kingdom. The news item grabbed me because there appear to be three choices which may be put to the Scottish population. Independence Yes or No, which is an easy one to understand as you will either be in favour of the idea or not. The other choice being discussed is referred to as Devo Max, or Indi Lite. A kind of half way house, and neither one nor the other. Not wholly Scottish and not fully British.

I don’t want to make a political point here, but I see a clear parallel in our Christian lives and faith. Particularly the Indi Lite option, after all you know where you stand when someone either agrees or disagrees with you, and your belief. Christians or Atheists? The differences are obvious, but what about an equivalent ‘Christ-Lite’ version of faith? Do we see evidence of this around us now? How about this for a thought? Are we trying to be ‘Christ-Like’ or ‘Christ-Lite’?

The standard God sets us is high. 1 Peter 1v15 says “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” This is no light or easy target. It is a gold standard, but according to the Bible, with God’s help, it is reachable. Do we maybe settle for a ‘Christ-Lite’ version of our faith sometimes, because it suits us?

It’s a very personal question, but do you see areas of your life as more ‘Christ Lite’ than ‘Christ Like’? I know I do! The words of Revelation 3v15,16 are given to us as a warning. ”I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Makes me want to work harder at being ‘Christ Like’, how about you? After all, this vote is eternal!

Befriend

To befriend is more than being a friend to someone. It’s an active, deliberate and conscious action to make friends with someone who until then, has not been a friend. It happens in school, and in the playground. You know, it’s the point where you think it is a good thing to try to make someone feel included. Included. That’s a big concept, and one we as Christians should be good at, after all it is a basic part of Jesus’ command that we love one another, and love your neighbour too.

There is another aspect to befriending someone, in that it’s not always your first choice, and can involve stepping out of your comfort zone. It means taking that risk, perhaps in the knowledge that your other ‘friends’ may not agree, or accept your choice in the same way you do, but they are not the reason you would do it, right? It goes deeper. Can you go back in your mind to a time when someone took the risk and befriended you? That person possibly ended up as one of your closest, or very best friends, or bff (best friends forever for those who do not know the jargon).


I well remember when I was much younger, being given a lesson in the game of ‘pairs dominos’, when an older and wiser man told me, ‘always play the hand you want to get back’. Hmmm. We all want someone to be our friend, so all we have to do is be the friend that we would like someone to be to us. Easy? No. Rewarding? Yes, and certainly so. Human nature proves it time and again. So next time there is a new face at church, or you see someone who obviously ‘needs a friend’, why not do the decent thing and befriend them. You won’t regret following Jesus’ command and example, that I can guarantee! After all, Jesus words on the subject are: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:13-14a.

Missing In Action

(Some Blogs are ‘routine’, but this one sits heavy on my heart.)

The words of a song by Steve Green, and also recorded by our local singer Alistair McAlees, provide a backdrop to the need to care for our wounded soldiers, who might just be missing in action, and yet hardly missed at all. The lyrics are:

See all the wounded
Hear all their desperate cries for help
Pleading for shelter and for peace
Our comrades are suffering
Come let us meet them at their need
Don't let a wounded soldier die

Chorus:
Come let us pour the oil
Come let us bind their hurt
Let's cover them with a blanket of His love
Come let us break the bread
Come let us give them rest
Let's minister to healing to them
Don't let another wounded soldier die

Obeying their orders
They fought on the front lines for our King
Capturing the enemy's stronghold
Weakened from battle
Satan crept in to steal their lives
Don't let a wounded soldier die  
 
‘Old soldiers never die, they just fade away’ goes the old saying, and so true. They do their bit in service, then some fall while in action, and we turn our backs on their need for help and comfort. We say we are not able to help, however we certainly can talk about them, but not directly, more at them from a safe distance. Who knows the battle they were fighting when they fell? Were they on a battlefield we had not faced? Are we so safe and secure that we will never fall, or need that same oil poured into our wounds?

Might I suggest that the title could read, ‘Missing Inaction’? Is it right that we do nothing? The song reminds us that this soldier may just die, and twice! Can we let that happen, or should we at least try to pour some oil, instead of vinegar, on those wounds? But how will I know who they are, I hear you ask? Oh, you will know someone who is hurting. Another clue is they might not be at church recently. I suppose one of my questions is this: Am I happy to let other soldiers do the fighting, while I am sitting in the Officer’s Mess? And anyway, I will go to the funeral, and might even say a few words on their behalf. Is that not enough? For my part, I don’t think so. The wounded soldier might just be you, or me, in the future. As we embark on a new year, I trust and pray this will not be the case, as we keep short accounts with our Lord.

Moving Forward

It’s now time to get down to some serious resolution thinking for the coming year, but before we do that we need to have a glance over our shoulders to see where we came from, and what has happened to affect our lives. Everyone, without exception, can see the past. It can be pleasant, and a great memory maker which will be relived time and again in the future. Or it can be a year which we wish we could forget, and perhaps forever be painful. The common characteristic for both bad and good things which happen to us, is that they will never be fully forgotten, no matter how hard we try.

However, the past can also be used as a measure of what we could and should do in the future. The coming year doesn’t have to be a repeat of the past one. Even good years can be made better, with God’s help. Making our next year better than the last, needs God’s help even more to guide and help us make our best decisions. So, as we stand on the threshold of this coming year, we can make it better than where we stand now.

Making resolutions can be a repetitive thing, re-making last years’ hopes all over again, so why not be different this year and include God in your thinking? Ask for His help in deciding which changes are realistic, and can be achieved, and not just pipe dreams. Maybe some resolutions can be seen as a ‘wish list’ instead of those things we are prepared to work at to make happen. That’s where our faith, and the reality of our relationship with God comes in.

For me it comes down to a heart felt and sincere prayer for help to make the next year different and better than before, but only made possible with God as my helper. That sincere prayer will stop me from making silly resolutions I can’t possibly keep, and allow me to be a better person as I lean on my Saviour, who is after all, an all powerful source of help.

Happy New Year as you move forward into 2012!

Pondering

Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned... (Luke 2:19,20a).

The shepherds went back to work, and the stable was quiet. Mary and Joseph are left to themselves again. Have you ever wondered what was going through their minds? The clue is that Mary ‘pondered’, probably turning over in her mind the events of the past few months, culminating in the birth of her baby boy, and in her eyes, the most beautiful son in the world. She didn’t know all that lay ahead, and for any parent, that can be a blessing, but she was sure of her past. She had been visited by heaven itself, and was sure of His place in history.

It’s a good thing to ponder, and especially after the bustle of Christmas, and before the New Year. Your house may be quiet, and visiting family all gone home, so you have some time to think. This is a good time to ponder about anything and everything that affects you and your family. It’s not quite New Year, when we traditionally make those dreaded resolutions, but we can start to form our thoughts for what you want to happen next!

Mary pondered, and so should we. Mary was secure in her experience of God’s hand on her life, and we should be too. There is no better way to face the unknown, than with the certainty that God steps into the ‘fog’ with us, and has our hand. Mary’s life was never smooth, but she stayed secure in her conviction that her son was a very special visitor, and she was privileged to be His mum. She was there from the beginning, right to the end. She was the best example of a Mum we can have in this life, and worthy to be respected. And the world’s greatest story ever told, began when Mary pondered. So, while you can, as it is quiet, and with God’s help, get pondering!

(In memory of Godly mums past, and present, with thanks)

The Loner, the Lonely

Christmas is a jolly and happy time where we all have a perfect dinner, with perfect friends and a perfect family. That’s what we see all around us, on TV, in the movies, and in the shop window displays. This a time for people in minimal units of two. Couples and family units, but not on your own. It isn’t portrayed that way, and it’s not supposed to be like that.

I suggest there are two kinds of ‘singles’ out there at this time of year, each trying to melt into the background, but perhaps feeling a bit conspicuous. It is good to get them straight in your minds, because they are quite different groups of people.

The ‘loner’ is usually that way by choice. The reasons can vary, but they are ok with being on their own, as long as you don’t disturb their world by thinking you can help or change them by including them in your festivities. They will fully enjoy the evening, and enter into the meal, games and fun. However, chances are they will leave the party the same way they entered, still a loner, and content to be so. The Christmas get together will not trigger anything to make them want to be a different person. The loner is not lonely.

The ‘lonely’ on the other hand are usually in this condition through circumstance, some self made, and some not. Widows, orphans, military wives spring readily to mind, but that is not a complete list. You will know someone in that category yourself, or you may be one yourself. An invitation is a struggle to accept. Entering into the spirit of the party does not come easy, and they will often be there, but their thoughts are elsewhere. Strangely, this group of people will probably love Christmas, know the real reason for the season, and have many happy memories tucked away, but these same memories may possibly be the same reasons they cannot fully enjoy the festivities now. The lonely by nature are not loners, but may feel like it, especially at Christmas. Also, the lonely would wish their state to be temporary, but on the other hand, the loner would be content to stay as they are.

The good news is that both types can be treated in similar ways. With care and understanding. You will know people who obviously fall into each category, and all you have to do is treat them with Christian love, while accepting they look at the season through different eyes. Age is no restriction, and there will be folks in these groups from their teens through to older age. Some will even withdraw to their ‘own place’ to deal with that synthetic part of the season, and even be relieved when it is over. Beware of the lonely smilers, as these are the hardest to recognise, and so may slip under the net of your awareness. If you can’t understand this place, I am glad, because it means you are not in this number. So, be glad and enter into the Christmas season fully, and unreservedly. This is a special time, and always will be, in one way or another. So from me to you, have a Blessed and Happy Christmas!