What’s in your middle paragraph?
This week’s devotions are based on the Week 1 “Explore God” – Does Life Have Purpose? (WATCH HERE)
Have you ever read someone’s obituary? Or have you ever had to write someone’s obituary?
As a pastor, I have done a number of funerals and memorial services. A thought that catches me every time I read an obituary is, “How will my life be summarized in 2-3 paragraphs?” Really it’s one paragraph because the first is all the details about birth, schooling, work, etc. The last is all the family members that have passed or still alive. It’s the middle paragraph that lists the accomplishments, impact, or noteworthy accomplishments of the individual.
So what will fill your middle paragraph?
In my observation, the middle paragraph is filled with statements about one’s career and possibly any awards that were received. If one served in the armed forces, these years and medals of recognition are given. An individuals hobbies are mentioned as things they enjoyed when they were working and of course the impact they had on their family (if positive). Are our personal accolades and achievements what give life purpose?
They are helpful as they mark ways that we have added value to others, to our workplace or to our community as a whole.
But even these accolades that fill the middle paragraph are meaningful and significant, for every accolade that is listed, there are probably a handful that came to a disappointment. We can spend years on a career, thousands on an investment, hours on a relationship only to have those go bust, broke, or bye-bye.
When they do, they can leave us with the thought, “What is the purpose of life?”
King David before his son Solomon mused about the seeming chase of life that is short and at times seemingly insignificant. He penned in Psalm 39:4-6 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. 6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
Too often the material and temporal things in which we focus our life’s purpose disappoint us or let us down. What we thought was so important and made a priority for a period of our life, ended up not being the satisfaction you thought it would be.
To be sure, I am not trying to put a kibosh on ambition, goals, and making a difference and impact in the short span of years we are given. However, we must be aware that when all of life’s purpose is wrapped up in the temporal, we are being blinded to a bigger meaning and purpose that only God can give.
The Apostle Paul wrote: 2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Temporal ambitions can blind us from eternal purpose. The two are not mutually exclusive, but they must be ordered in priority.
Unfortunately, many of the middle paragraphs of obituaries mention nothing of faith and the impact of God’s Spirit in the life and through the life of the deceased. The accolades are nice, but they will pass with time. The impact of the Spirit of God and and the cross of Jesus are eternal. In this the temporary has eternal purpose.
Apply: Take a moment to write your obituary. How do you capture life’s purpose? Is there something you write that you are yet to achieve or focus on?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for all the opportunities I have in life. Help me never to forget that my temporal existence is wrapped up in your eternal purposes. AMEN.
Does Life have purpose?
This week’s devotions are based on the Week 1 “Explore God” – Does Life Have Purpose? (WATCH HERE)
Have you ever seen your breath?
In central Texas, this occurrence is not as frequent as in the midwest, but it does happen. On a cool (or cold) winter day one can go outside and breathe. The warm air from your lungs hits the cold air around you and the moisture in your breath quickly condenses to make micro droplets in the air which you see briefly before they evaporate and are gone.
While this may be “cool” for a moment, we don’t give much thought to it.
King Solomon did. It was the picture that came to mind as he contemplated the meaning and purpose of life. If you think about it, it is an odd picture for one who had great wisdom, wealth and relationships to describe the significance of life with the fleeting nature of one’s breath on a cold morning.
But he did.
Ecclesiastes 1:1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
The word translated, “Meaningless” is the word for breath…seen briefly and then gone. While a breath has its significance, it fades in comparison to the countless other realities happening around.
So why would Solomon at the end of his life conclude that life has little meaning or significance? He continued to begin the book of Ecclesiastes:
3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. 11 There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.
Have you ever felt like Solomon? Perhaps the optimism of youth fades to the “reality” of age and one can reflect back on life and wonder, “What was the purpose?” Or one can struggle at a young age to find acceptance and wonder, “Is it all worth it?”
Philosophers and many others have contemplated the meaning of life. Many of them have come to similar observations as King Solomon. It would make sense that if I just viewed life from a human experiential point of view, it can seem rather meaningless.
So what gives life any sense of meaning and purpose?
Like with anything that is fashioned by a creator, the creator is the one who gives the object, invention, or construction meaning. A building doesn’t determine its purpose, the creator of the building determined its purpose before it was built. So it is with us.
God, our designer and creator, is the one who inherently gives us and our lives meaning and purpose.
Solomon finished his inspired reflections with this:
Ecclesiastes 12:12-13 Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. 13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
This week we will explore the meaning and purpose God has given to you and begin to ask a different question. Instead of asking, “What is the purpose of my life?” I ask, “God what is YOUR purpose for my life?” Enjoy contemplating this question today!
Apply: What do you notice when you switch the question from “What is my purpose?” to “God what is your purpose for me?”
Prayer: Lord, we know you make all things for a purpose. In my journey with you this week, open my heart and mind to understand more deeply your purpose for me and my life. AMEN.
Semper Paratus!
This week’s devotions are based on the introduction week of “Explore God” (WATCH HERE)
Semper paratus.
Long before the United States Coast Guard adopted this phrase as their motto and the song by the same name was penned in 1928, the phrase was used by the Apostle Peter. Just for fun and anyone who knows Latin, here’s 1 Peter 3:15 from the Latin Vulgate:
Dominum autem Christum sanctificate in cordibus vestris parati semper ad satisfactionem omni poscenti vos rationem de ea quae in vobis est spe
And the translation:
But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy everyone that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you.
Anyone who understands the importance of their work will take time to prepare themselves so that whenever they are called on to perform, they can function at their best.
Military…trains for months and years to be ready for any mission they are sent on.
Sports…athletes train for years to give their best contribution to the team when they are asked to perform.
Musicians…practice tirelessly so they can play the finest of music when a concert calls.
The list goes on. Everyone who understands the importance of their craft and realizes the privilege they have to participate in that craft prepares so they are semper paratus…always prepared.
So Peter realizes and passes on to us the importance of being prepared to “satisfy everyone that asketh you a reason of that hope which is you.” (Got to love the King James English!)
So are you prepared? If someone would ask you today the reason you find hope in Jesus, what would you say? Would you be clear or fumble through it?
The great thing about being prepared to give a reason for the hope we have is simply as soon as God’s Spirit works a confident trust in Jesus as your Savior and you realize that instead of heading to hell you are heading to heaven, you have everything you need to be ready to give a reason for the hope you have!
Perhaps it’s as simple as taking time today to ask the question, “What difference does it make in my life that I am a Christian?” “What hope do I have because of Jesus that others in the world don’t?”
Over the next weeks our “Explore God” series is intended to do two things. First solidify in our own hearts and minds answers to life’s key questions. And second to be better prepared to give an answer to all who ask these questions of us. I pray the messages and the devotions are a blessing to you!
PRAYER: Lord God, thank you for all the hope you have given me through Jesus your Son. Help me semper paratus to give a reason for the hope you have given to me when ever someone asks. AMEN.
Watch your tone!
This week’s devotions are based on the introduction week of “Explore God” (WATCH HERE)
It’s not what you said. It’s how you said it.
Have you ever received this comment or said it to someone?
Inflection and tone are ways the communicate what is going on in the heart over what comes out of the head.
One can say, “I love you” with tenderness and genuine emotion as you look into the eys of your spouse.
One can say, “I love you, too!” with anger and bitterness in response to someone who cut them off in traffic or did something that you didn’t think you deserved.
We can do the same thing when we witness.
“Jesus loves you!” spoken with a tone of love and care to a person in tears who just realized for the first time they were fully forgiven comes from a heart of love.
“Jesus loves you!” spoken to a person you just had a disagreement with and have resentment and anger but perhaps Jesus still loves them communicates very differently.
How we give a reason for the hope we have is equally important that what we say when we communicate the hope we have in Jesus. The Apostle Peter knew that the temptation when speaking with conviction about our faith was to do it in a way that was forceful and disrespectful. So he said this:
1 Peter 3:15-17 But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
The tone of our voice can communicate the status of our heart. People can still speak against the words we share, disagree with what we stand for or speak maliciously against our good behavior. However, they will be in the wrong, not you. For in communicating the hope we have in Jesus with gentleness and respect will leave our hearts with a clear conscience before God and mankind. We have given them no reason to speak against us. If they do, they are the ones in the wrong.
Remember, what we communicate comes from our minds. How we communicate comes from our heart. Both have to be prepared to engage in conversations that may have opportunity to be rude and contentious, but our hearts and minds are covered with the armor of God so that we can speak the truth in love, with gentleness and respect.
Apply: Consider past situations where you have spoken with a lack of gentleness and respect? What has been the outcome compared to a time where you were able to speak with gentleness and respect.
Prayer: Lord, fill my heart with your love so that my words are always true, seasoned with gentleness and respect. AMEN
Be afraid of the right thing!
This week’s devotions are based on the introduction week of “Explore God” (WATCH HERE)
As we remember this week the terror attacks on 9/11/01, memories not only turn to those who lost their lives in the planes or in the collapse of the buildings, but to the fire fighters, police and emergency personnel who lost their lives rushing into the buildings while everyone was rushing out.
It takes a special person to do this. It takes the ability to put fear aside for the sake or rescuing those that are themselves afraid, hurting or dying. The cause of bringing aid is bigger than the fear of personal harm.
9/11 magnified this attitude of not only the first responders of New York City, but those around our country whose greater fear is not helping someone in need versus not getting injured or killed themselves.
Is it too far of a stretch to say we need the same attitude when we seek to witness to our faith and give a reason for the hope we have?
Yes. We do.
How so?
Often what keeps our conversation silent and our words inside is a fear of how people will react to us, treat us, or view us. Our fear comes from how WE will be treated and that fear can keep us from doing anything.
But what happens when, like first responders, we stop fearing what is going to happen to us and rather fear what will happen to the person if we don’t say something or do something?
We have a firm belief in the reality that all who believe in Jesus are going to spend eternity with him. We also believe that all who do not believe in Jesus will spend an eternity apart from him in hell.
I don’t want someone to experience that. I want them to be rescued and enjoy life with Jesus.
So we must say something…regardless of what may happen to us personally. As children of God entrusted with the treasure of the Gospel, it is what we are here to bring to others.
We can’t control how others will react or treat us. We can control a) if we are prepared to give a reason for the hope we have and b) if we take the opportunity to share that hope when the opportunity comes.
The apostles were great examples of ones who set aside fear of personal harm and simply were compelled to speak of Jesus. Here’s one example early after Pentecost:
Acts 4:18 Then [the Sanhedrin] called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Pray for even a greater fearlessness than the NYPD and fire department, and with the Spirit’s help boldly speak of the hope we have in Jesus…the people hearing it need it!
Apply: Perhaps take a moment today and reflect on this question: When I think about witnessing about Jesus do I fear more what will happen to me more than what will happen to the person to whom I am speaking? Or the other way around?
Prayer: Spirit of God, give to each of us a fearless boldness to witness to the hope we have in Jesus!