A Little Wooden Cross

Once when I was still driving trucks all over the country, I had some time to sit and read and think and pray. I found a little piece of wood broken off from a pallet and began to whittle on it and decided to make a small cross that I could wear. So, with this little piece of wood and a little piece of string I fashioned a small cross. On the cross I wrote the scripture reference Luke 9:23-24.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 

Of the 3 references to this statement that we find in the Gospels, this is the only one that says, “daily”, and that spoke to me and still does.

The idea of daily taking up my cross seems harsh, and yet though it is referred to often I don’t know if I have ever heard it explained in a practical way.

This morning, in my quiet time, I went to a familiar passage in James 1:2

My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, (good news bible)

Other translations say “Count it all joy”.

That idea of all joy really struck me. Something in me rose up in rebellion against that idea. Turns out I’ve been pretty much of a grump for a long time. Things irritate me and I get grumpy. The weather is unpleasant and I get depressed. People are offensive and I get impatient. Circumstances are difficult and I get burdened down. These are just a few kinds of trials and I have had the exact wrong attitude. Scripture says Count it all joy.

The cross that I wear around my neck is to remind me to put my natural reactions on the cross that should be active in my heart, with joy.

This is a way for me to take up my cross daily.

Nothing Will Stay Hidden

My daughter told me that she heard the perfect description of me. She said that I am so slow that it takes me 2 hours to watch 60 minutes. She might be on to something.

So, this morning, in Luke 12, I got two whole verses beyond where I was Friday. Jesus said,

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. (Luke 12:2-3)

When I saw this, I was impressed with how lightly we seem to take the words of Jesus. Jesus says nothing is covered that shall not be revealed.

If I really believe this, will my daily life be different? How many times do I make comments, on the side, only for certain ears? Well those words will be proclaimed from the housetop. If you think politicians and celebrities are scrutinized and exposed by the media and the grocery store magazines, that’s nothing to what awaits each of us.

Jesus also says,

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)

This is not a new idea for me, but it seems I need to be reminded often of the truth that I know. Our words may be a lot more important than we realize. I believe this is true.

Thinking about this I remembered that Jesus said that he didn’t speak on his own but from the father (John 14:10). Those born again of God have God’s Spirit to guide us. Let us each one learn more diligence in our speech to speak only as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

Finding Grace to Repent

This morning as I was writing and praying, I thought of the article that I shared back in November of last year. I wrote about not being discouraged but instead to be asking and seeking and knocking. These very active tense verbs are a real challenge for me.

As I was thinking about this, I remembered a story that Jesus told about a man with two sons in Matthew 21:28-31.

But what do you think? A man had two sons; and he came to the first and said, Son, go work in my vineyard today. He answered and said, I will not. But afterwards he repented and went. And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir; and did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?

It is not the ones who say that they will be asking and seeking and knocking that are doing the will of the father but those who are doing it.

For myself, I see that I have been like the second son when it comes to ‘doing’. I need to be seeking the grace now to not only be saying that I will obey and do.

For me this involves writing and sharing what I write more often. My thoughts are most assuredly not always profound and probably not always correct, but I believe that I should be sharing them here regularly. So, I ask that you would pray with me that I might find the grace to repent and do.

Thank you

It's in the Air!

Several months ago, I began to learn about sourdough bread and to bake it. When you make sourdough bread you begin with what is called a starter. You can purchase a starter either on line or from some local establishments, but if you’re a little patient, you can very simply make your own. By combining flour and water and refreshing this mixture daily, after ten days or 2 weeks your mixture will come to life and then you have sourdough starter, which is a leavening to make your sourdough bread. After a little reading and more You-Tube watching, I found out the spores that create the leavening are in the air. Combining the flour and water and refreshing them daily, simply gives them a place to grow.

For the past several days I have been looking at Luke 12, in my morning quiet time. This morning the first statement of Jesus came to life for me, (kind of like the sourdough).

he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 

My first question is, did Jesus say “first of all”, or were those the words of the narrator, Luke in this case? I don’t know and it’s not necessarily the issue at hand.

For me the thing that came to life is this idea of beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

BEWARE, that is a pretty ominous word, especially these days when broccoli may cause cancer and using a wooden pencil can cause brain damage (I just made those things up). But seriously every time I turn around it seems I hear of something new that will cause me harm. When Jesus said “beware” he was very serious and I should take it that way, very seriously. One of the literal translations that I use says, “Take heed to yourselves.” Jesus tells me to look at myself.

THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES WHICH IS HYPOCRISY, hypocrisy is the leaven. According to my little Webster’s Dictionary, hypocrisy is pretending to be something you are not and especially refers to pretending virtue. As I thought about it, I also imagined that it could be taking an attitude of superiority.

As I thought about this a little bit, I realized that, just like the mold spores that come to life in the flour and water mixture, this hypocrisy comes to life in me in a moment, when I don’t expect it. When someone makes an improper lane change, I can become very self-righteous. When someone ends a sentence with a preposition, I can become positively pharisaic. There are way too many applications of my instant hypocrisy. It seems it’s in the air just looking for a place to grow.

Actually, the spores are already in my heart growing and when they manifest themselves by my actions it is an opportunity to repent of my self-righteousness and purge out that leaven.

Let us BEWARE and TAKE HEED TO OURSELVES and purge out the leaven of hypocrisy.