Posts By Dteb
“For Sharon on Our Fifty-First Wedding Anniversary”
“You’re more likely to be diligent about something if you love doing it. The etymology of diligent reflects the fact that affection can lead to energetic effort.” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/diligent-2020-01-28, accessed 08-04-24)
Today, my bride and I celebrate fifty-one years of marriage. I do not love her as much as I did on August 4, 1973. I love her so much more. And as special as our fiftieth anniversary was, the fifty-first is even more so. In fact, every day is a wonderful day to celebrate this wonderful lady of mine.
However, I love words. They are so much easier for me to craft than actually being consistently present, kind and loving toward my sweetheart. So, I’ve decided that I am not going to merely give you some sweet words. I am going to give you some useful actions, actions based on diligence.
I just learned today that there is a likely connection between love and diligence. Apparently, the Latin-based word “diligence” was one of the Latin words that could be used for “loving”. This was a strange thought for me. I had always considered diligence as a synonym for “grinding it out,” for sticking with a difficult or unpleasant task. Diligence as a component of love? Oh my, that changes everything!
So, here is my anniversary present for my beloved Sharon: diligence. I will be diligent in being present for you and with you. I will be diligent in being grateful to and for you. I will be diligent in helping with the laundry and doing the dishes. I will be diligent in pulling weeds out of our garden and flower beds. I will be diligent in taking good care of our little (dog) girl Laylah. I will be diligent in allowing you to finish your sentences. I will be diligent in figuring out what forms of diligence are especially important to you.
This is the year for loving diligence and diligent love.
“Being Forgiven, Feeling Forgiven, and Other Considerations”
I have not always lived my life well. In fact, I have done things that have greatly harmed others and myself. These harms are in the distant past now, but they often feel horribly contemporary to me. No doubt, they also feel horribly contemporary to others as well. My children in particular are deeply hurt by my past behavior, even when it did not directly impact them. They will quite likely never forgive.
Over coffee, I was talking about my doubts about my forgivable-ness to a friend of mine this morning. We love one another enough to speak truth into one another. Of course, truth initially hurts, as all truly good things do. My friend said, “I think your children will never forgive you. That may be part of why you don’t believe that God can forgive you.” I didn’t want to hear that, but I know my friend is right.
But then, my friend added two more wisdoms.
“It may be that the consequences of your children’s lack of forgiveness and their rejection of you help you to avoid going back to your old behavior.”
The second wisdom that my friend gave me was this: “There is forgiveness and then there is the feeling of being forgiven. You may not feel forgiven until Heaven.”
And here is my takeaway from a profoundly uncomfortable and healing conversation: If my children’s rejection and my feeling of being unforgiven helps me to avoid lapsing back into old patterns, I am well-contented with such rejection and such feelings. The price of integrity is high, but integrity—at any price—is a bargain. Or, better yet, integrity is a great investment.
“Clutter”
Clutter is a huge problem in my life: books and articles that I haven’t read (or have read, but won’t read again), basketball shoes, items in the garage that I have scavenged, but am not using, things of sentimental value that I never look at—the list goes on and on. Why do I hang onto things that just get in the way? Are these things really that important to me?
And then there are the internal things that I hang onto, hopes that have no hope of ever coming to fruition. The hope that I might see my children again is top of mind on this Father’s Day and most other days as well. The regret for how badly I’ve lived my life in the past. Missed opportunities. Resentments toward others.
Clutter has a million different faces, all of them ugly.
But in this moment, I can begin to declutter. In this moment, I can clean my desk. In this moment, I can throw away the cut flowers that I tried to salvage, even though they were over a week old. In this moment, I can celebrate the fact that I have children, even though I will never see their faces again. I can throw regrets into the garbage can where they belong. Today’s joys and pains are enough. So are my tasks for today.
John the Revelator had a vision of Heaven. It is recorded at the end of the Bible in Revelation 21-22. He saw many lovely things there. He didn’t mention seeing clutter.
DTEB, “Of Fools and Plagues: The Danger of a Critical Attitude”
DTEB, “The Danger of a Critical Attitude”
Prov. 10:18 “The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever utters slander is a fool.” (English Standard Version, bold font mine for emphasis)
Num. 14:36 “And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land—
Num. 14:37 the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the LORD. (English Standard Version, bold font mine for emphasis)
Do you talk badly about people behind their backs? I did not think I had this problem until I went to church this morning. One of the many things I love about my church and my pastor is that I almost always come home both encouraged and encouraged to change.
This morning, my pastor began a series of sermons on the life of Joseph as recorded in Genesis 37-50. To my delight, he started with where we all ought to begin: Joseph had some problems, and he had some lessons to learn. I suspect we all need to read the story of Joseph and our own story that way.
Here is the early part of Joseph’s story:
“Gen. 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
Gen. 37:5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Gen. 37:9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.” (English Standard Version, bold font mine for emphasis)
Pastor Todd pointed out that there were potholes on Joseph’s road to finding and following God’s will for his life. Pastor also pointed out that these potholes were largely of Joseph’s own making.
Often, we tend to read Joseph’s story backwards. We begin (in our minds at least) with the fact that Joseph is an ancient rags-to-riches story. By the end of the story, Joseph seems both successful and like a nice guy, so we tend to read his perceived nice-guy-ness back into the earlier parts of his story.
However—and I am trying to think of a nice way to say this—the truth is that, early in his life, Joseph was a jerk. Sorry to burst your biblical bubble.
Consider, for example, the following comment by the narrator in verse 2: “And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.” It is easy for us to say, “Well, so Joseph brought his father a bad report about his brothers. That’s probably because they were doing something bad!” However, the biblical text itself doesn’t say that Joseph’s brothers were doing anything bad. Of course, we could also say that the biblical text doesn’t say that they were not doing anything bad either.
Here is the thing, though: the Hebrew word translated “report” in verse 2 has negative connotations for the one who is doing the reporting. The Hebrew word (transliterated dibbah) suggests a slanderous or defamatory report. Slander does not suggest that Joseph was bringing a truthful report concerning his brothers. He was a tattletale, and his tales weren’t necessarily factual reporting.
This same Hebrew word for a slanderous or defamatory report occurs only 9 times in the whole Old Testament. Three of these uses occur in the verses that lead off this post. According to Proverbs 10:18, the person who practices slanderous speech is a fool.
In Numbers 14:36-37, it gets even more serious. When the people of Israel were on their way to the promised land, the spies who brought back a bad report concerning the land to Moses and the people of Israel died of a plague. So, if we don’t want to be a fool or die of a plague, it might be good to not speak badly about people, things, and places.
Of course, we might make some excuse for Joseph. After all, he was only seventeen. He was just a teenager. Okay, some allowances might be made for him.
On the other hand, I am over four times seventeen. As the pastor spoke, I felt the Holy Spirit saying to me, “You struggle with this, you know?”
Ouch! So, today and every day, I need to be more careful about how I speak about others. In this election cycle this might be especially important. But I don’t have to be talking about politics for this to be an issue. I need to avoid this in connection with everyone. After all, I don’t want to be a fool or die in a plague. I would rather you would not experience those things either, dear reader.
“Even a Sliver of Light”
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:6, English Standard Version)
I missed the total eclipse yesterday. There were a number of good reasons for this, but knowing that there are good reasons for something doesn’t negate the disappointment. Where we live, the sun was probably 98% obscured by the sun, but there was still a lot of light.
However, taking a break from weeding the flower beds, sitting with my sweetheart in our driveway, and basking in the premature early twilight—these were sweet realities. And one more thing: We both were amazed by how much light even a little sliver of the sun could give us.
Perhaps there is a parable in there for all of us. Of late, I’ve been struggling with depression. The passing of time and the passing of blood clots to my lungs and brain and heart can cast a shadow on even a basically happy person like me.
But there is God and there are good and beautiful things in this universe. And perhaps even a little experience of God and God’s goodness is enough to shed all the light I need, even when nearer things obscure most of the light for a little while.
Perhaps even a sliver of light is enough.
“The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process”
“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
2 Kings 5:8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (2 Kings 5:1-14, English Standard Version)
One of the pastors at the church my wife and I attend is a young man named Tyler. He preached the sermon yesterday and did a stellar job. I was a preacher for a long time. I myself was not always stellar, but I can recognize a really good sermon when I hear one. Tyler’s sermon yesterday was a really, really good sermon.
He said many helpful and intriguing things, but one point that he hammered away at is the fact that there is often a process when it comes to miracles. As Tyler pointed out, Naaman had a bad case of a very serious disease: leprosy. While his healing was miraculous, there were things he needed to do to set himself up to experience this miracle. Naaman had to travel to the prophet Elisha. He had to overcome his pride. He had to dip seven times in the Jordan River.
I do believe in miracles, but I also believe that, very frequently, miracles are preceded by a process. Sometimes the process is simple and brief. More often, we are preparing for the “sudden” miracle for a big chunk of our lifetime. This preparation, this process, does not make the miracle less miraculous. Perhaps, instead, the process makes the miracle even more amazing and more appreciative.
Sometimes, the process is the miracle.
“The Power of Encouragement—Even for Old People”
“But encourage each other every day while it is ‘today.’ Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (Hebrews 3:13, New Century Version)
Yesterday, I was walking at a nearby park. There was a large group of young people some of whom were running while other young people were cheering them on. I was walking, thank you very much, but I did applaud some of the young people who were running. But then, one of the young men looked directly at me and said, “You’re doing great! You can do this!”
I immediately started running full tilt. I ran fast, but not very far. I pumped my fists in the air as if I had just finished first in an Olympic race. The young people cheered. I have no idea if they were making fun of me or not. I don’t even care. From my standpoint, it was a sweet moment.
A little encouragement goes a very long way. I am afraid that our culture encourages us to discourage, rather than to encourage. But who says that, just because our culture elevates bringing people down, Christ-followers should join the discouragement train? Do we really think it makes us cool to pour ice water on others?
I used to be a terrible discourager. I was not at “home on the range, . . . where never is heard a discouraging word.” I was full of lots of discouraging words. I do much better these days, and I am so thankful to God for the improvement. Is there still room for improvement? Absolutely! But I do so much better than I used to do.
Perhaps it might be helpful if I (and everyone else) got up in the morning and one of our first prayers was this: God, please help me to be an encourager today. And please help me to enjoy the encouragement that others give to me.
You’re doing great! You can do this!
“Endurance”
“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, English Standard Version)
The Christian life is sometimes portrayed as a race in the New Testament. More often, it is spoken of as a walk rather than as a race. Being an old guy, I appreciate the walking analogy more than I do the race analogy.
However, I have run a couple of marathons. A marathon is more about endurance than speed. So, I appreciate the emphasis on endurance in the metaphor of the race in Hebrews 12:1. This verse and its surrounding context suggest that I ask myself some hard questions.
- Am I committed to God and this race for the long haul?
The Christian life is not a sprint. No one achieves holiness overnight. In fact, no one achieves anything if that person is not committed to the long haul. I can testify to this personally: I’ve tried a lot of short-term diets. I always gain weight when I go into any eating regimen with a sprinter’s mindset.
The truth is that nothing worthwhile is a quick fix. Good marriages, good job skills, education—all these and many more—are a “long obedience in the same direction”, as Eugene Peterson wrote in one of his books by that name.
So, the pursuit of God and of godliness are not for sprinters. Instead, this pursuit is for people who are endurance runners. This is not because God is trying to torture or evade us. We need endurance in our quest for God and godliness because, apart from such endurance, we are busy running away from God.
2. A second question I did to ask is this: Is this the race I am supposed to be running?
This might sound too simple to even ask, but it is much more important than it might seem at first. When I ran The Flying Pig Marathon, the course was already mapped out for me. I did not have the option to run anywhere I decided to run.
Yet far too often when it comes to the life that is called “following Jesus”, I seem to act as if Jesus ought to follow me. “Here is what I’m doing, Jesus. Please bless what I have decided to do, even though I haven’t consulted you.” Now, of course, I don’t generally actually say this verbally, but my actions scream it out loud. The “race that is set before us” is not the race I set for myself.
3. A third uncomfortable question I need to ask myself is the following: Do I have a running companion? Better yet, do I have running companions?
Hebrews 12:1 speaks of “a great cloud of witnesses”, and chapter 11 has detailed some of the faithful men and women who ran their faith race with endurance. Now, they are in the stands cheering us on. But in another sense, they are also our fellow-runners. We draw strength from their races as we run the one mapped out for us by God.
And then there is Jesus. Jesus ran the race set for him and we look to him for guidance and encouragement. Furthermore, there are many verses in the New Testament that speak of Jesus being with us even after his earthly life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We don’t run our race as pious particles. We run with Jesus as our LORD, but also as our companion. And if we can’t run, we can walk. And if we can’t walk, we can crawl. No matter our speed, no matter if we are running or walking, or crawling, we can do so with endurance, knowing we can count on Jesus being with us every step of the way. His endurance with us and for us is also our endurance with and for Him.
“The Limits of Non-Judgmentalism”
“Matt. 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
Matt. 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, English Standard Version)
This morning, in my virtual 12-step meeting, we discussed the topic of judgmentalism. There were many wise and helpful comments made.
A couple of people pointed out that judging—even when you don’t have a lot of facts—is not always a bad thing. In fact, there are times when swiftly judging people or circumstances might keep us alive. If someone pulls a gun and waves it around, it might be wise to make a quick judgment. One person pointed out that there are times when judgment might be better called “discernment”.
But the consensus of the group seemed to be that judgment was a bad thing. One of my fellow-addicts said that he used to judge people by the cars they drove. If a person drove a fancy car, they were a “jerk”. (I cleaned this up a bit, compared to the word my 12-step friend actually used.) Then, he met a guy who was the nicest guy in the world. The guy was driving a BMW the first time they got together for coffee. They became good friends.
Of course, I was thinking about what Jesus said about judging. As Oswald Chambers pointed out long ago, Jesus had a very simply admonition for those who are inclined to judge: DON’T! To quote a more recent philosopher, Bob Newhard, “Stop it!”
As we were talking in my group, I suddenly realized that I had been adding something to Jesus’ command that isn’t actually there. I had been adding to Jesus’ words, which is probably not the wisest thing in the world to do. Jesus said, “Don’t judge.” I had understood this to mean “Don’t judge others.” I looked at the Greek New Testament for Jesus’ command. To my shock, it doesn’t have a direct object. There is no word “others” in this verse.
Now, in the immediate context, it is clear that Jesus is referring to not judging others. So, I was not totally off-base in my interpretation. However, I wonder why Jesus didn’t make it clear from the get-go that he was talking about judging others. Of course, it is always hazardous to speculate as to why someone didn’t say something. Still, I wonder. Is it possible that Jesus was saying that we should not even judge ourselves?
In fact, the Apostle Paul does say it this way in a letter to Corinthian believers. Paul says, “I don’t even judge myself.” (1 Corinthians 4:3-5) It may be that Paul was unpacking and applying this saying of Jesus.
In any case, here is what I’ve noticed: The more I judge myself in a harsh and unhealthy way, the more I tend to judge others in the same way. Perhaps I just get tired of judging myself and project my self-blame onto others. It is also possible that judging others is simply more fun.
I think I need to take a break from judging myself for a while. After all, it is God who is ultimately the Judge. And God will judge me with love, fairness, and compassion.
There is also a persistent rumor that God judged all the sins of all the people of the whole world at the cross of Christ. If that is true, then we need to get off our own backs as well as everybody else’s back.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Witnessing Versus Being Witnesses” September 19, 2024“Acts 1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, Acts 1:2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after […]
- “A Bathroom Prayer for Hurting Hands” September 11, 2024A week ago Sunday, my hands were hurting so badly at church that I went to the bathroom to run hot water over my hands. Arthritis perhaps, or carpal tunnel, or general orneriness—I don’t know why my hands hurt, but they do. They have for years. So, while I was running hot water over my […]
- “Waiting and Seeking” September 10, 2024“Lam. 3:19 ¶ Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! Lam. 3:20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. Lam. 3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Lam. 3:22 ¶ The steadfast love of the LORD […]
- “A Pastor or a Teacher?” September 8, 2024I went to the Asbury University President’s Brunch yesterday morning with Sharon. It was billed as a non-fundraiser. I have learned to be skeptical of such claims. However, it really wasn’t a fundraiser! It was a wonderful time. The university paid for everything, including valet parking. It was good to meet new people, all of […]
- “Even When We Mess Up” September 8, 2024One of my students in the Luke-Acts course I’m teaching right now online made a very perceptive comment in a post to another student’s work. She and the other student, Mackenzie, agreed on an excellent point: God can even use our mess-ups for his purposes and glory. Here is Victoria’s comment: “Mackenzie, your perspective on […]
- “On Playing Chimes and Being Jesus” September 6, 2024“John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (English Standard Version) One of my students did […]
- “A Confrontation in a Kroger Parking Lot” September 4, 2024My wife was waiting for a lady to pull out from a parking spot in a Kroger parking lot. She had waited for quite a while, but when the lady finally pulled out, another “lady” who had just come around the corner from the other direction whipped into the parking space. My wife is not […]
- “The Crushing Debt I Owe to God” September 3, 2024“A Sinful Woman Forgiven Luke 7:36 ¶ One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Luke 7:37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought […]
- “Only Two Kinds of People?” September 1, 2024“Psa. 5:1 ¶ Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Psa. 5:2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. Psa. 5:3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning […]
- “On Being a Good Ad” September 1, 2024I was buying candy corn for a friend at Ollie’s the other day when I eavesdropped on an interesting conversation. The lady behind me said to the cashier, “This is a really good store with good prices, but I didn’t even know it was here. You should advertise more!” The young cashier replied, “If we […]
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