You shall be called… the restorer of paths to live in. – Isaiah 58:12
This time of year we are inundated with doctrines about Christmas and Jesus. Astoundingly, most of it is not coming from churches and pastors.
The largest source of doctrine and theology during this season comes from the media. Movie after movie and song after song lay claim to the “true” meaning of Christmas. Usually it has something to do with love, hope, family, discovering the real you, or finding joy in simple things.
“Learning is easy for you.” I have lost count of how many people have said that to me over the years, but the truth is, I have to work at it like most people. I do not have an Eidetic memory where I remember everything I see, but I have acquired a few skills over the years that help make the process easier and more enjoyable. I have also discovered that almost everyone can learn these skills.
The man we often refer to as the “jolly old elf,” wasn’t always so jolly. There is a real historical moment where Saint Nicholas wasn’t only NOT laughing, he actually became rather belligerent. What could have upset this man known for great generosity and kindness so much, that he would snap?
The year was AD 323 when Constantine – at the height of his power – received a very disturbing letter concerning a dispute that had broken out in the Christian Church. After many years of great suffering and persecution at the hands of Nero, Diocletian and others, the Church had finally found peace and even favor, under the first Christian Emperor. Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus would later write, “for us all was joy and gladness.” The historian Eusebius called the period, “a bright and most profound peace.”
In my last article, I introduced the topic of mental malware and our need to be more observant of the negative self-talk that undermines our lives. If you missed it, you can catch it here. Today, as promised, I am going to offer some practical instructions on how to change our programming from bad code to good. But first, we will take a look at the big picture.
In the cosmic view of things, there is a Designer and a Hacker. The hacker is first seen in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) manipulating and challenging the code the Designer had provided His creation.
I admit it – I’m a geek. Moreover, I was a geek before it was cool to be a geek. I clearly remember many youthful days when my mother would come home from work to find another digital clock, radio or appliance in pieces as I worked to reverse engineer or repair whatever went wrong. Eventually, I even learned how to put them back together and sometimes, I can even repair them.
After obtaining a certificate in electronics and a computer degree, I embarked on more productive efforts in my field of intrigue and began to teach as well. In ministry, I often wished I could fix people as easy as I could repair bad components or buggy code.
As the smoke of a thousand fires ascend toward Heaven, the American Church struggles to find answers to its latest crisis of faith. What does the election of Donald Trump really mean to those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ?
Does this latest political upheaval portend disaster for the causes of justice and racial equality? Does it spark hope for slowing or ending anti-Christian bigotry, transgender bathrooms, and abortion? It would appear that it completely depends on the perspective of the person you ask.
While Democrats, Republicans, and also-rans work hard to dissect the implications of the recent elections, I hope that we as Christians do not spend so much time debating partisan politics that we miss the opportunity to evaluate our own recent behavior in the ever-penetrating light of Scripture.
In a pre-election blog, I wrote about my deep sadness over the political divides in the Church and the unchristian-like character that the election fights illuminated. My sadness continues in the post-election gloating and fear-mongering that I have seen from both our pulpits and our pews.
Last time, we looked at three blockers that keep us from living happy successful lives. If you have not yet read part 1 or would like a review, you can find it here.
Today we look at four more ways that the gratitude we should experience in our lives gets stopped by our thoughts, words, emotions and actions.
Continue reading “Thanksgiving Can Change Your Life – Part 2”
Sometime around the first century BC, Cicero the Roman Consul is credited with saying, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Nearly five centuries later, Saint Ambrose would add, “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” As old as these quotes are, the art of thanksgiving is still much older. We see the practice all the way back in the very first book of the Bible.
A quick scan of scripture will quickly reveal the importance of thanksgiving to God, but like almost everything, what is important to Him is also very beneficial to us. Studies have shown that grateful people feel better about life, are more energetic, more successful, healthier, more generous, better thinkers, have better relationships and much more.
Most of us intuitively or experientially know that being thankful makes us better people, so why is it sometimes so difficult to put on an attitude of gratitude? If we listen closely, we will probably hear ourselves saying things to ourselves and others that is counter-productive to a heart of thanksgiving. Over the next two blogs, I will unveil seven blockers that turn what should be a thankful heart into a grumbling one.
Continue reading “Thanksgiving Can Change Your Life – Part 1”