It’s about We

 

“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” [Jas 1:9-11 ESV]

 

“You’re supposed to be sick, so act like it!”  My mother hollered up the steps.  My brother and I were jumping on his beds.  We were home sick from school with the measles but neither of us had a serious case.

 

Society expects certain behavior for our station or circumstance.  I was once told that I was not acting like I needed financial assistance.  Hmmm.  Is there a behavior that is appropriate to our lot in life?

 

I read James 1:9-11 on the hottest day of the year so far. “Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower…as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers.”  (The Message)  Fortunately, my little pot of wildflowers didn’t read The Message that day because they bloomed like crazy that day.

 

Rather than complying with expected behavior perhaps we are to rejoice in what God has given us, all of us, in the moment.  It’s not about the separation of groups.  Life is about community. Witness is about “We.”

 

My granddaughter has a collection of cooperative board games.  My husband and I were raised in the competitive gaming model.  We didn’t enjoy these games until we read the instructions well.  The goal of the game was to get the chickens into the safety of the coop before all the sun cards were played.  This meant the three players, two old competitors and a future world changer, discussed the strategy for each of us to play to get those chicks in the nest before sundown.

 

Perhaps this game should be a model for Life.  We should cheer for everyone who makes a difference in the world, regardless of how small.

 

The game of Life is about We.  We all succeed or really there is no success.  Success as the world defines it, prosperity, is fleeting.  Heat, cold, evil can end the prosperity.  God’s plans are eternal and for all.

 

How does that thought lead us to behave?  Our circumstance should not dictate our response or behavior.  Rather, our trust in God’s control and care.  Our wildflowers are survivors amidst the record breaking heat because occasional rain has blessed them and the caretaker, me, has a dependable schedule for watering.

 

In spite of the scorching environment, bloom where planted, we, like the wildflowers, need to stick together.  I think the wildflowers flourished under the excessive heat because they would not alone! Together we rejoice in God, His provision, His love, His faithfulness.

 

Presumptuous we are

 

“For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;” [Jas 1:7 ESV]

“he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. “[Jas 1:8 ESV]

 

I walked into my kitchen to find my dinner guest cleaning and rearranging my cupboards.  I was at a loss on how to react. We didn’t know each other well. In my mind, she was presumptuous. There must be a right of privacy of cupboard.    She accepted my hospitality only to invade my privacy.

 

When I read James 1: 7-8 I felt uncomfortable.  The first note in my journal was “it takes gall to ask the one you rejected for help. We are presumptuous.  We ignore God’s offer of relationship and then blame Him when life goes awry!”  

 

We ask God to be in our lives. Yet, when it comes to “cleaning our spiritual cupboards” we consider God to be the intruder.  We are quick to accept God’s forgiveness and blessings.  Yet, when a single circumstance displaces our happiness or comfort, we are even quicker to blame God.  Too often we demand that God fix the situation, even when we made the mess.  That seems presumptuous! Perhaps that is being double-minded.

 

Have you noticed how many in our society have a self-absorbed world view with little regard for the impact their actions have on others?  They want more than what they have, address their personal needs first, create drama to get their way and play the victim card often.

 

When my plan for life is interrupted with an unwelcome event or condition, I choose my response. The options are trust in God or devise my own scheme to alleviate the problem.

 

I learned a valuable life lesson from my mom when she had cancer the first time. A very close family member was venting frustration with Mother’s situation exclaiming “WHY?  Why you?”  Mother calmly replied, “Why not me?  Who am I that I should receive special treatment?”

 

My mother’s perspective on her situation has been a life lesson to me.  My response to similar situations has been, at least my goal, is not to presume God loves me more than others nor does He promise me a “rose garden” easy life.  Rather, God is with me always, yes, always, and He is in control of the entire situation.

 

The Greek word translated double-minded is “dipsychos”.  It means two spirited and vacillating in opinion or purpose.  It is used only twice in the New Testament, in verse 1:8 and again in James 4:8.

 

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. “[Jas 4:8 ESV]

 

This verse reminds me of the cure for my double-mindedness.  

o   First, draw near to God. Go to God and tell Him about the situation and how you feel. Listen to what He says in response.

o   Cleanse my hands.  Just as Pontius Pilate washed his hands of the crowds’ clamor for Jesus’ death, I need to wash my thoughts and actions from viewing my life circumstances the way the entitled worldly do.

o   Purify my heart.  Review my motive for my choice of view of life circumstance.  Am I only thinking of myself and how this interruption will affect me, and only me? Or am I trusting God’s sovereignty and plan for my life and those I affect?

 

Let’s engage:

§  Do you have a cupboard that needs to be cleaned?

§  Have you ever felt like you were entitled and did not receive what you sought?

§  Have you ever felt the effect of someone else’s thirst for entitlement?

 

 

Affirmation

I approached the basket, as instructed, and choose the paper star on the top of the pile. Immediately I turned it over to read my Star word. The speaker had introduced the practice of selecting a word to guide the year on Epiphany, the day tradition recognizes the visit of the Magi visiting the Christ Child. 

“Affirmation” was my Star word. I smiled and knew it was significant. 

I’ve wrestled with my calling for several months. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, to be published. My mom instilled the idea when she acknowledged my potential. Her qualifications to judge were she was an avid reader, and she was my mom! 

In 2013 I started a blog and wrote three to four times a week. I was an early riser and used the quiet morning to read, study and ponder the book of Deuteronomy. I had two puppies at the time who served as my alarm and accountability partners. My husband was working out of town. 

Years later, in full retirement, I should have been able to keep up writing. I should have four or five books completed. I’ve had thoughts and ideas. I’ve outlined and dreamed. But laziness and doubt have held me hostage. I’ve contributed to writing challenges several times but never been selected for publishing. 

Doubt is a formidable opponent. Wallowing in doubt will erode self-confidence, focus and sense of accomplishment. (There’s nothing that rewards me more than the ability to “check the completed box”.)

Last year I resolved to start blogging again. I chose the book of James and returned to make pattern of reading a verse or two, considering what the verse said to me in my day and penning a meditation. Then James 1:6 and my pondering on doubt sucked the “wind out of my sails”! 

I was confronted with my “church-lady” sounding simplistic ruminations of doubt and how to handle it. I’ve been stuck in neutral ever side. I’m too legalistic to skip the verses. I’m too fearful to admit my vulnerability. Perhaps my dream is past, over and/or not achievable. Yet I could not “Elsa it” (let it go). 

Now I have this star shaped slip of paper with this word glaring at me, pricking my heart. I smiled because I knew it was the compass needle pointing me to the answer. I checked an online dictionary for the definition of affirmation. One of the definitions: nod head. God has nodded His head at me and is waiting for me to nod in return. 

While doing my daily lesson for my online bible study group, I faced the question “Is God really calling me or is this something I want to do?” (Before the Throne, p. 76) 

The video testimony at the women’s conference included Habbakuk 2:2. My heart felt that prick again. This verse in The Message encouraged me(emphasis added): 

• Write This 

• Write what you see 

• Write it out in BIG BLOCK LETTERS 

• So it can be read on the run 

• This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. 

The Habbakuk verse gave me these instructions: 

o BLOG. For now, I should be blogging. I rarely read anything on the internet that is more than 500 words, so I don’t need to be more verbose than 500 words; 

o SIMPLE. K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Servant- I’m not a theologian. 

o APPLICABLE. Share usable thoughts for everyday life, not drastic circumstances. 

o SOW. Use that degree in Botany! Sow into others seeds of encouragement 

One of my most recent acrostics: 

T he 

R eason 

I 

B log is 

E ngage, Encouragement, Excitement, Enthusiasm 

“Every word of the Bible can speak to you on any day and in many ways.” Jan Sipe’s “Any, Many Principle.

So I resolve, again, to let the words of the Bible speak and to share what I hear to encourage, excite and enthuse others.  

Feel free to join my Facebook group- Sunset Jan's Blog (Jan Sipe) or email me at Jansipe2013@gmail.com.  The group gives us a measure of intimacy so we can apply our learnings together.

Stuck at a Crossroad?

 “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” [Jas 1:6 NIV]

Why would one ask for something from a source that is questionable?  Before one asks, wouldn't one have faith in the ability of the giver to deliver?  Sounds like an exercise in philosophy.  I'm not much for such deep thinking.  

Asking and doubt often appear together in life.

I like to keep it simple.  I start with a reliable dictionary definition for doubt.  Somewhere in my wanderings in the online dictionaries and encyclopedias, I discover that the Latin source of the word for doubt means to be of two minds, double minded, to stand at the crossroad.

Life challenges (those times that may not go the way you wish or go in a surprising direction) are like standing at a crossroad with at least 2 paths or options. Simply put, I have the choice to believe God has the best plan for me OR I can choose following my skewed human logic.

Perhaps it's human nature to want the cake and eat it too. Reason tells me that having cake and eating it are incompatible since once I eat the cake, I no longer have it.  There it is again, philosophy creeping into my pondering. 

When considering a decision or pausing at a crossroad of choice, in the face of another life challenge, I'll be tossed in both directions (because I can't have my cake and eat it too) until I'm "seasick" (then cake isn't appealing at all!).  Seasickness, car sickness and air sickness are conditions I have a lifetime of experience Motion sickness tablets are a staple in my travel kit.  I enjoy adventures so much more with the security of those little tablets.  They very rarely fail me.

I have faith in those motion sickness tablets because of my past experience.  Likewise, I have faith in God's love and care reflected in the plan He has for me because of the times He has provided, delivered and held my hand.  My mom's advice for seasickness was not to look down at the waves but look up to the horizon.  

The horizon gives stability.  When in doubt, look up!

Doubt, to me, means I need to make a choice.  To choose faith in God or faith in myself.  Unfortunately, due to the influence of worldly desires, selfishness and often laziness, I stand at that crossroad of choice for far too long. I’ve stood at a crossroad of obedience for many months.  I’ve been reminded that researching how to “have it both ways” mean I’m standing at the crossroad going nowhere.  

I’ve wavered for months with posting this musing.  It’s harder to choose the path than I make it sound. (Frankly, I need a motion sickness tablet!) God’s path is stability and the choice for me.  

These months have taught me to choose, and stop my wavering. Choose God’s path because He loves you and me. Choosing God’s path will be the spiritual motion sickness tablet—the seas of life will be calm. 

Let's engage:

What is your favorite cake?

Is doubt a bad thing?

When have you chosen God’s path in a time of doubt?

 

 

 

Need Wisdom, Ask...

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. [Jas 1:5 NIV] The screen in the car said "No key detected." I was holding the key in my hand in the car. My conclusion: dead battery in the key fob. Ahh the challenges of modern life. Fortunately I was at home with another key fob available.

I was able to use the automobile with the extra fob. Later I'd resolve the battery issue. Who will I call to advise me in my situation? In the olden days of movies and TV, the recommendation was "Ask Dad, he'll know". It was the theme of many of the earliest TV shows (which I watched on reruns, I'm not that old!). Young George Bailey in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" followed said advice when he encountered a Life threatening issue. My dad has been the source of many gems of wisdom. Who did I call for assistance with my dead key fob? The internet. I confess to being of the self-reliant mind who copes with the life's challenges through the internet with the attitude "how hard can this be?" Indeed, after multiple viewings of a demonstration video, I purchased the appropriate battery and installed it. The hardest part was getting the fob opened --that's the reason I had to watch multiple times! This verse in James makes me question my self reliance and trust in unknown sources of technology. Too often when a challenge is presented, do I go to the web first instead of asking The Father? The internet is full of non-trustworthy sites. Just this week I thought I was doing some research into a medical issue and ended up with an annoying subscription. I went to the source for assistance--the creator of the device. A quick trip to the support tab and I had eliminated the annoyance. Too often, even in spiritual matters, I use the internet and other earthly sources of information rather than going to the source, The Creator. The Father who knows all, is all and I have decades of proof of his love, dependability and wisdom. He, as the Creator of all, is absolutely trustworthy. Let's Engage: What was the last bit of wisdom you looked to the internet to provide? How did it go? What criteria do you use to seek wisdom in daily life? How has God given to you generously?

Perseverance

'Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:4NIV

So perseverance has a purpose, a specific work- maturity and completion. In the chaos of our everyday life, purpose and order sounds appealing. But I do like a bit of chaos, the unexpected. Makes me feel like I live on the edge. Chaos lives in my kitchen, first drawer on the left. Realistically the scariest event is sorting through the "junk" drawer. My mom had a junk drawer full of the essentials, like tape and scissors and the obscure, like string and leftover screws. Naturally, if Mom had one, I feel the need to have a fully stocked junk drawer. Periodically I take the safety of my fingers, (knives, nails and other sharps have been known to inhabit the junk drawer) and sort it out and thin the contents. Actually, my husband has a low tolerance for chaos so he regulates the volume of my junk drawer. There was also treasure in my mom's junk drawer. Gum, candy and coins were inevitably found in the bowels of the non-essentials. (When we heard the bell of the popsicle truck, we started rummaging for ice cream money!) Most of my jobs, those I received compensation and those I don't, involve multi-tasking. Handling more than one deadline or crisis became a regular occurrence. To survive I waged war against the panic creeping chaos to take charge. Here's my standard plan: Repile it or make a list and prioritize. Ask "what in front of me is on fire?" (urgent) Take a breath- one of those yoga cleansing breaths- in through the nose out through the mouth. Take the next right step starting with the fire! Spiritually when I face one or more of those many trials, I do the same thing, but hopefully in different order I take a breath in the form of a prayer to God to take control. I'd to say I do this first but usually this step happens after I've patched, procrastinated or pretended I'm in control of the situation. I'm still working on letting God take control of my everyday life. I put the trials in perspective to the span of eternity. Finally I ask God what is the next right step and do it. I rarely hear a succession of steps. I only need my next act. I still remember the advice of my piano teacher - learn the music note by note, line by line. Eventually the whole piece is mastered once each note is mastered. His other meaningful words were "Playing Chopin is good for you." Translation- Sometimes those hard things make you better. A bit of chaos builds perseverance, so embrace a bit of chaos....the treasure of perseverance awaits. Let's engage: I'm persevering through my faith journey day by day. How about you? (The piano lessons ended decades ago and the talent is lost-it's not like riding a bike.) How you handle the scary everyday trials of life? Do you have a junk drawer? Tell me two essential items in your drawer.

What Do I Know?

"because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James1:3 NIV I circled "you know" when I read this verse. Do I know? What do I know about perseverance? I'm not an athlete or an artist who practiced or trained. I'm not sure I've worked for something for a really long time.

The story behind the curious photo: I was assigned to be the photographer at the church cook-out. When the rain came, the cooks stayed with the fire. I got in the car. Who persevered through the circumstances, me or the cooks? How do I know? I usually check The Message for a fresh perspective. “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”‭‭ James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭MSG‬‬ (Bold added by me.) I made a decision when I was 22 years old that I wanted God on my life journey. I remember standing in the baptismal water thinking "it's you and me God". Looking back, I can't imagine facing life without God. Perhaps my faith journey is the closest I've tried to endure. Over 30 years ago, I had a diagnosis of a serious disease. Amazingly, I only experienced a few of the symptoms and some even disappeared. Then 19 years ago I heard the dreaded "C" word- cancer. There were a few centimeters hiding behind golf ball sized scar tissue. A radiologist being diligent saved my life. Then again I've heard a life changing diagnosis. I continue to get good reports of a well managed challenge. I like to think God has kept my life health challenges on the small side so I can learn more about trust or perseverance. How can I be sure God is with me in those life challenges? Past experience. I judge on past actions and life choices. God is consistent so I can put my trust in His plan and His promise to never leave me alone. I need to hang with God and not try it on my own. My quick trip into my favorite reference, Strong's Concordance, gave me a bit of insight into the word "know". More than one of the definitions listed helped me. "Be sure." "Be Resolved." I conclude that I do know God has "my back" in my life on Earth. Maybe perseverance is repeating it over and over as a reminder, as an anchor for my journey. I am resolved and sure due to past experience which will carry me through my future. To be resolved is my choice to depend on God rather than risk following my inadequate planning. Let's Engage: What jumps off the page for you? Think of 3 times God has had your back? Take time to thank Him. Jot down a few words of praise for your bulletin board. What have you learned about perseverance from a life challenge?