We can all be winners in the living of life

Another Super Bowl has come and gone.  This last one came and had a little trouble going.  

A priority to host our life group from church for dinner and Bible study in our home at the same time as the game required a blackout on watching the big sports event until our guests were leaving.  It was a surprise to find that the game had been delayed by a power failure at the New Orleans Superdome, leaving lots of action left to watch before the winner would be declared.

It was certain, however, that one of the teams would win and the other would lose.  This rule in athletics and our obscession with sports has contributed to our buying into this win/lose concept in life in general.  If I win, you have to lose.  

The only passage which I have found in the Bible which gets close to the win/lose concept is found in the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:24ff:  “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”  He goes on to speak of the enthusiasm and effort he himself is expending in living the Christian life.  He did not want to become disqualified for the prize after he had preached to others.

In this passage Paul is mandating intensity in our running the Christian race.  But even though he says it is like a race in which only one wins the prize, the context reveals to the disciple that all who qualify can win the prize.  It ought to encourage us to know that the Bible teaches that it is possible for all of us to win in the business of living.  In fact, the Bible mandates not only our seeking a win for ourselves, but we are commissioned to make an effort to help others win.

It was a joy to discover some years ago a voice for the win/win philosophy in the acutely competitive area of business.  Stephen Covey was being paid large sums of money to instruct people trying to “get ahead” in business to “think win/win.”  I never got to hear him, but found his refreshing message in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  His words:  “In our inter-personal relationships, we should strive for every transaction we have with each other to be a win/win situation for each person.”

If we persist in the “I win/you lose’ approach to life, we will come to share in the loss we have promoted.  If I destroy you, ultimately I will be destroyed.  Dr. Benjamin Franklin understood this when, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, he said, “We must all hang together, else we shall all hang separately.” 

Perhaps this can best be illustrated in the home scenario.  If parents win and kids lose, what happens to the family?  When kids rebel and get their way, refusing to assist parents in their God given responsibility of home leadership, just how much is their winning worth?  When the family is fractured or bruised, how can anyone claim a win?

Selfishness is always at the root of the win/lose philosophy.  I want what I want, when I want it, no matter what it does to anyone else, leaves the battlefield of life strewn with unattended wounded.  On the contrary, the win/win philosophy is rooted in selflessness.  Yes, it does take care of self, but always with a view to bringing others along for the win.  

Early in the Bible (Gen. 4:9) Cain asked God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  The answer to that question is given in many ways in Scripture.  Perhaps Galatian 6:2 answers it best:  “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – 

Phil. 2:4

Joe Baisden

Belton, Texas

When Encountering Fog...

Can you remember the last time you were traveling somewhere and came up on a heavy fog?

A weather man can give a "meterological explanation" for how fog develops.  My knowledge of fog is less sophisticated. But, what I do know is that you can't see through it.  And...it really slows down your travel time!

Not all fog is visible.  Can you remember the last time you found yourself in a spiritual fog?  Just like a visible fog, spiritual fog can settle over our lives slowly and quietly.  And, it affects how we travel through life.

The Book of James was written to Christians who were living in hard times.  Questions about God, the significance of faith, arguments within house churches, and painful trials and fatigue settled in over their lives.  Faith, peace, courage and wisdom had come to a crawl in their lives.

It is said that sunlight creates conditions whereby fog dissipates and eventually lifts.  The same is true spiritually.  Perhaps that's why James penned these words:
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word,which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

"Be slow to speak and slow to anger."  Good advice when entering fog.  Our nature is to go quickly...everywhere.  "Foggy" moments warrant slowing down, getting quiet in our spirits and allowing God to speak to us.  "Slow to..." is often a prelude to blessing.

Be quick to hear.  It's often the last thing we want to do.  Jesus said, "Take care how you listen."  So many blessings can be found and pains averted by simply listening to wisdom.

Put aside the junky stuff.  Our hearts can get gummed up with all kinds of things.  The kind of stuff that empowers spiritual fog and makes a bad situation worse.  Pride speaks to our hearts and we listen.  The word of God is usually close by but only humility can allow it admittance into our hearts.

Be a doer of the word.  Engaging the word provides insight and perspective that helps us see the road ahead.  It gives us the counsel and direction we need to move out of the fog into the spiritual express lane.  James says such a person will be blessed in what he does (v. 25)

Are you encountering a foggy patch of road?  Perhaps these words from James can be just the thing to help you move around it and into a place of strength and blessing.

Father, we need your word to help us through the foggy times in our lives.  May we always surrender ourselves to the wisdom of your word.  It is truly a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  Amen.

Randy Daugherty
Stephenville, Texas

A Word for the Streets...Really

A few days ago I had lunch with a couple of friends and we spent a good part of the time talking about evangelism.  One of them made the remark that believers spend a fair amount of time discussing the need to share our faith and strategizing about how to “connect with people” but at the end of the day there is still an awkward disconnect between our intention and follow-through. The other friend weighed in with a few comments on approaches we’ve taken in the last twenty five years, i.e., soup kitchens, friend days, giving away clothes, seminars on various topics, etceteras.  But then he said, “We are doing some really good things but I often wonder how much “message” is actually getting through to the people in the streets.”  Perhaps you have had similar thoughts.

The early church was a people with a message.  And, they knew their message.  Scripture doesn’t say anything about gallop polls in the first century.  In one street episode after another the Book of Acts shows the early church engaging people with the gospel message.  And, whether it was – to borrow from Paul – “in season or out of season”, they shared the good news about Jesus Christ and His kingdom.  To be sure, the message was packaged in different ways depending on who was being addressed (Acts 17:1-6; 22-32).  Nonetheless, the message was “in the streets” to the point that they got slammed with the indictment: “These men have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). 

Modern notions of cultural advancement notwithstanding, I don’t think human nature has changed since the first days when the gospel was preached.  I think what Jesus said about human beings and, what Paul, or other apostolic writers said about the gospel as truth and our need of it as sinfu people is as true today as it was when the gospel was first preached. 

Each time I read the book of Acts I see the early church “in the streets.”  It was a deliberate effort on their part.  They talked with people.  They asked questions.  They reasoned with people (Acts 17:2; 19:8).  They presented the story about what God had done in Jesus Christ as not only good news but the best news a person could hear.  It was God’s call to them.  The way they talked about God in Christ brought people to decision.  A decision, after all, was the point of the conversation.  Early Christian preaching was done with an eye toward “doing something” with the message (Acts 13:44-48; 18:6; 22:18; 26:24-29).

That luncheon a few days ago got me to thinking.  I wonder if we spend too much time trying to “figure out” people instead of simply engaging them in conversation about such things as what they believe about what it means to be human, or to live well, or what they think about Jesus? 

I’m reminded of Paul’s words to the Corinthians urging them to drop the cultural sandpaper and stop putting a “high buff and polish” on the gospel.  He says, “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).  He goes on to say that some people understand the message and some people don’t (1 Cor. 2:14-16).  In fact the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor. 1:18).  But God is well-pleased with the foolishness of the gospel (1 Cor. 1:21). 

We’ve had some great conversations about everything from worship assemblies to women’s role to what we put on the pew cards.  We’ve fine-tuned welcome committees and snappy advertising slogans (which are everywhere nowadays).  We’ve done demographic studies, completed surveys ad infinitum, embraced small groups and put annual baptismal goals before congregations.  The reality is our congregations are shrinking.  We have shown maturity in a number of areas, but the question remains:  are we really “on message?”   Do we know it?  Do we really care about it?  Do we have the courage to speak it?    

I have mixed emotions as I think about our conversation over lunch a few days ago.  It thrilled me and bothered me.  I was encouraged by new ideas and new possibilities but, equally as much, it reminded me of something that we dare not out grow as a people, namely, being people who know the story about Jesus and who are willing to take it into the streets every day. 

What do you think?  Acts 8:5 says “And they went everywhere preaching the word.”  I pray that text becomes characteristic of us soon. 

Gracious Father, open our eyes to see the cracks in conversations that provide us opportunity to share your love, mercy and calling with someone.  Give us courage to say simply and gracefully what you would have us say so that the power of your gospel can have the opportunity to bring someone to Christ.  Thank you for allowing us to be your ambassadors every day.  Through Jesus who makes all things new….Amen

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas