Monthly Archives: October 2023

“Invitations, Not Commands”

On October 13, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I have a confession. As you may well have noticed, almost all my posts are stolen from other people. I usually give the giver credit. Sometimes I forget the source. As someone has said, “Originality just means that you’ve forgotten your source.” (See what I did there? As someone has said, . . .!) Today’s post is based on an early-morning phone conversation with my friend Jack.

He was telling me that in a prayer group, they were telling one another stories about a wonderful friend who was their priest. He had just died, and they were remembering what a good impact he had on each of them. As they shared, Jack realized that this priest and everyone else who had had a good influence on him had one thing in common: “The people who are the solutions, the people who have helped me to grow, are people who have given me invitations, not commands.” That was a wonderful insight that Jack gave me. That Jack included me in this group who give invitations rather than commands was also quite wonderful.

But my mind is prone to wander—as well as to wonder—and my mind turned in the direction of Jesus. This is not a bad form of wander or wonder, in my opinion.

Certainly, Jesus gave commands. At least, they were in the imperative in the original Greek of the New Testament. That is to say, they were in the imperative grammatically. But I wonder if it might be more helpful, and even more accurate, to think of Jesus’ “commands” as invitations.

“Come follow me!” Jesus said to many. Invitation or command? Perhaps both, but I suspect that the disciples thought of it more as an invitation. Were there hard things in following Jesus? Absolutely! There still are hard things about following Jesus. Most invitations involve some difficulties. The more important the invitation, the greater the difficulties.

But the bottom line for me is this: Who is better to follow than Jesus is? And my answer, when I am thinking straight, is pretty straightforward: No one!

My wife is a fantastic cook. When she calls me to come and eat, it is a command in form, but in content and in spirit, it is an invitation to experience joy and to be nourished. So it is with Jesus. So, in some measure, it is with certain friends as well. But I believe that Jesus is the Great Inviter.

Thank you, Jack! I love you too!

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“A Long Slow Series of Clicks”

On October 11, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Follow me!” (Jesus)

“I believe in you, Jesus.” (Me)

“Good! Now follow me!” (Jesus)

A friend of mine has gotten super-serious about recovering from addiction. He used to feel that he was “terminally unique.” God loved everyone else in the universe, except for him. He felt like a mistake.

And then, my friend wrote something in his email report that I will never forget, something that will haunt and prod and help me to my dying day. “Thankfully by some grace of some power bigger than myself that I don’t understand, something clicked eventually, and it’s been a long slow series of clicks since then.”

Something clicked. Yes! But there are also those long, slow subsequent clicks. Recovery from addiction, learning Spanish (or anything else), the quest for wisdom, dieting—any good thing you can name—involve something clicking. But more importantly, all good things involve a number of slow clicks.

I once read something to the effect that, for too many people, “the Christian faith is often a sudden spasm followed by a long lethargy.” (Or was it “. . . followed by a long paralysis”?) That is not really the Christian faith, but a pale imitation of it. It is sometimes called “easy believe-ism”, but I prefer to call it just plain false.

Jesus did not speak simply of believing in him. He also spoke of following him. It was one of the main ways in which Jesus spoke of the life to which he was calling his disciples, then and now. With only one exception, Jesus’ call to be his disciple/s is in the present tense in Greek. The present tense connotes ongoing, repetitive, life-style actions. A good question for disciples of Christ to ask every day and many times during the day is this: Am I following Jesus right now?

May we all keep clicking along in our followership today!

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“Redeemed”

On October 9, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Is. 44:21        Remember these things, O Jacob,

                        and Israel, for you are my servant;

             I formed you; you are my servant;

                        O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.

22         I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud

                        and your sins like mist;

             return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Is. 44:23          Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it;

                        shout, O depths of the earth;

             break forth into singing, O mountains,

                        O forest, and every tree in it!

             For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,

                        and will be glorified in Israel.” (Isaiah 44:21-23, English Standard Version)

At our worship service yesterday, the praise team sang a song that always goes for my heart and tear ducts: “Redeemed”. (The song was written by Mike Weaver and Benji Cowart and performed originally by Big Daddy Weave.) Here are the lyrics:

“Redeemed”

“Seems like all I could see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me “son
Stop fighting a fight that’s already been won”

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, now I’m not who I used to be
I am redeemed, I’m redeemed

All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret
But when I hear You whisper, “Child lift up your head”
I remember, oh God, You’re not done with me yet

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, now I’m not who I used to be

Because I don’t have to be the old man inside of me
‘Cause his day is long dead and gone
Because I’ve got a new name, a new life, I’m not the same
And a hope that will carry me home

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, ’cause I’m not who I used to be

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, yeah, I’m not who I used to be
Oh, God, I’m not who I used to be
Jesus, oh I’m not who I used to be
‘Cause I am redeemed
Thank God, redeemed
Thank God, redeemed”

I do believe that God has bought me back and brought me back from the evils I had been enslaved to in the past. I am indeed not the man I used to be. And that is very good news!

However, I often feel the weight of the chains. Sometimes I think that I willingly feel their weight. Why? I don’t know, but I have some suspicions.

Suspicion # 1: I am afraid that, if I don’t hang onto some of my chains, I might get overly confident. As one of our twelve-step sayings goes, “You can always go back for some more pain.” I think that I might go back if I forget how painful “back” really is to me and to others.

Suspcion #2: I might be just wanting to get attention and sympathy. Ouch! I have to write things down sometimes to see how sick they actually sound—and also, how true they sound.

However, no matter what the reason is that I hang on to my sordid past, God calls me to walk through this day in a way that honors God, is helpful to others, and in a way that I can enjoy. That means traveling light. So, just for today, I am indeed shaking off these heavy chains ’cause I’m not who I used to be. I am redeemed!

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On October 2, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

DTEB, “Delight in Doing What God Wants”

“Psa. 40:0       To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Psa. 40:1         I uwaited patiently for the LORD;

                        he inclined to me and vheard my cry.

2           He drew me up from wthe pit of destruction,

                        out of xthe miry bog,

             and yset my feet upon a rock,

                        zmaking my steps secure.

3           He put aa new song in my mouth,

                        a song of praise to our God.

             Many will bsee and fear,

                        and put their trust in the LORD.

Psa. 40:4         Blessed is the man who cmakes

                        the LORD his trust,

             who does not turn to the proud,

                        to those who dgo astray after a lie!

5           You have multiplied, O LORD my God,

                        your ewondrous deeds and your fthoughts toward us;

                        none can compare with you!

             I will proclaim and tell of them,

                        yet they are gmore than can be told.

Psa. 40:6         hIn sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,

                        but you have given me an open iear.1

             Burnt offering and sin offering

                        you have not required.

7           Then I said, “Behold, I have come;

                        in the scroll of the book it is written jof me:

8           kI delight to do your will, O my God;

                        your law is lwithin my heart.”

Psa. 40:9         I have told the glad news of deliverance2

                        in mthe great congregation;

             behold, I have not nrestrained my lips,

                        oas you know, O LORD.

10         I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;

                        I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;

             I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness

                        from the great congregation.

Psa. 40:11       As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain

                        your mercy from me;

             your psteadfast love and your faithfulness will

                        ever preserve me!

12         For evils have qencompassed me

                        beyond number;

             my riniquities have overtaken me,

                        and I cannot ssee;

             they are tmore than the hairs of my head;

                        my heart ufails me.

Psa. 40:13       vBe pleased, O LORD, to wdeliver me!

                        O LORD, xmake haste to help me!

14         yLet those be put to shame and disappointed altogether

                        who seek to snatch away my life;

             let those be zturned back and brought to dishonor

                        who delight in my hurt!

15         Let those be appalled because of their shame

                        who asay to me, “Aha, Aha!”

Psa. 40:16       But may all who seek you

                        rejoice and be glad in you;

             may those who love your salvation

                        bsay continually, “Great is the LORD!”

17         As for me, I am cpoor and needy,

                        but dthe Lord takes thought for me.

             You are my help and my deliverer;

                        do not delay, O my God!” (Psalm 40, English Standard Version)

I read the following as part of my 12-step readings for today:

“And in the willing of God’s will there should be gladness. You should delight to do that will because when you do, all your life goes right and everything tends to work well for you in the long run. When you are honestly trying to do God’s will and humbly accepting the results, nothing can seriously hurt you. Those who accept the will of God in their life may not inherit the earth, but they will inherit real peace of mind.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have a yielded will. I pray that my will may be attuned to the will of God.” (From Twenty-Four Hours a Day © 1975 by Hazelden Foundation.)

To delight in doing the will of God—what a concept! I’m afraid a lot of us, even mature believers who ought to know better, tend to think of God’s will as a stern thing. God’s will can certainly feel that way at times.

And yet, I have noticed that, when I do what I know or suspect to be God’s will, things do indeed go better for me. It as if God loves me better and knows me better than I love and know myself. I’ve often tried following my own will. I still do a good bit of the time. It never seems to end well.

Maybe I should remove the “as if” qualifier from my previous sentence about God’s love for and knowledge of me. Maybe I should also remove the word “maybe” from my preceding sentence.

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“Estimable Acts”

On October 1, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

Sometimes, in twelve-step meetings, we talk about the importance of self-esteem. I had a sponsor some years ago who encouraged me to do estimable acts. I didn’t think that I could do any highly estimable acts, but he was too smart and quick for me. As soon as I blurted out my low opinion of my abilities to do high and heroic stuff, he said, “Well then,” he said, “do some lowly estimable acts.”

The word “estimable” has two meanings: “capable of being estimated” and “worthy of esteem”. I estimate that the second meaning is the richer of the two.

So, I decided to do some estimable acts today. Here is a partial list:

Esteemable Acts

  1. Did 12-step report.
  2. Recorded audio from  12-step book and sent it out to a few friends.
  3. Graded several assignments for my class.
  4. Did several Spanish lessons.
  5. Printed off a journal article that one of my students is using for his paper. It promises to be worth reading.
  6. Fed the dog.
  7. Fed myself some good, nutritious food.
  8. Walked and ran two miles.
  9. Laylah went with me.
  10. Played with the toy fox with Laylah.
  11. Did stretches and weights.
  12. Went to a virtual 12-step. meeting.
  13. Replied to a friend’s email report.
  14. Read some Scripture.
  15. Read a bit of Cohick’s good commentary on Ephesians.
  16. Made my bed.
  17. Made Sharon’s bed.
  18. Cleaned up the dog’s poop.
  19. Gave the dog a treat for pooping.
  20. Shaved.
  21. Mowed the yard.
  22. Planted an apple core in the backyard. (I doubt it will prosper, but who knows?)
  23. Hosed off the lower deck.
  24. Did dishes.
  25. Took a shower.
  26. Texted with a 12-step friend.
  27. Dusted a bit upstairs.
  28. Took a call from a friend. (I promised him I would post a blog post today. By golly, here it is!)

Yes, I know: these are very simple mundane things. Fair enough! But perhaps most of the estimable things in the world are simple mundane things. Maybe these simple things are what makes the world a livable place.

What teeny tiny estimable acts are you doing these days? To have healthy self-esteem, there is no substitute for doing estimable acts.

. . . The End (or maybe not!)

After writing the first draft of this, I couldn’t post it immediately because my website was being uncooperative. So, I sent it as an attachment to the good friend whose phone conversation gave me the nudge I needed to write and post. He wrote to thank me and used the word “esteemable” instead of “estimable”. I am not the best speller in the world, so I thought to myself, “Huh! Apparently the word can be spelled either way.”

So, I did what most of us do these days, for better and for worse: I googled the words. At the website https://thecontentauthority.com/blog/esteemable-vs-estimable, I discovered that, at least according to one fellow word nerd, there are two separate words with related but different meanings. Here is what this site says:

“Esteemable is an adjective that describes something or someone who is worthy of respect or admiration. It can also refer to something that is considered valuable or important. For example, a person who consistently demonstrates honesty, integrity, and kindness can be described as esteemable. Similarly, an accomplishment that required significant effort and skill can be considered esteemable.”

. . .

“Estimable is also an adjective that describes something or someone who is deserving of respect or admiration. However, it specifically refers to a quality or characteristic that is worthy of esteem or high regard. For instance, a person who possesses estimable qualities such as intelligence, creativity, and leadership skills is highly regarded and respected by others. Similarly, an action or achievement that demonstrates exceptional skill or talent can be considered estimable.”

So, in light of all this, I would say that my friend used the right word for the deeds I did which are esteemable.

I thought about changing the title and replacing all the estimables, but decided not to do so. Why? The reason is that I suspect that people who have estimable characteristics and character also do esteemable actions. And the converse is also true, I think. People who do esteemable actions are or become estimable. I am trying to become one of those becomers!

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