Tag: Change

Posted on

Why I Journal My Devotions

Many of us in ministry are word people. We like words. We play with words. We enjoy reading words. And we enjoy writing words. But some of those we minister to are not, and what seems natural to us needs to be encouraged. I have journaled my devotions for decades because I believe there is great benefit in writing down what I’m learning. But let me give you four reasons why I believe journaling can benefit your quiet time.

Journaling Helps You Remember; God Has Written (Mal 3:16)

God writes stuff down. The Book of Life is a written record of all those that are believers. Malachi 3:16 tells us that God keeps a record of those that fear Him. And the Bible is God-written literature. Why all this writing from God? Certainly one reason is that God knew we would forget an awful lot if it wasn’t written down. If God writes things down for our benefit, then maybe we should too. As I sometimes tell people in my church, God didn’t reveal himself through pictures in a comic book. He did it through the written Word. Writing is good.

Journaling Clarifies Your Thoughts; It Helps You Meditate

It’s easy for me to read a designated passage for the day, listen to Scripture on my phone, and even read my through-the-Bible reading for that day and not remember much if any of it. Sometimes I’m listening to the Bible, and I realize I don’t even know what passage I’m hearing. But reading a passage and then staring at a blank page forces me think about it. If I have to write something down, then I need to meditate on it. I have to understand it. If I want this passage to influence my relationship with God, my prayers, I must know what it means. I cannot get by with just reading it.

Journaling Leaves a Legacy; It Lets Your Children Know You

What a blessing your journals can be to your kids someday. They can read that you had real spiritual struggles, but also loved God passionately. The dates might even give them context about certain times in their lives when you were pleading with God and found him faithful. What they read can be a legacy of your spiritual journey. Letters used to give insight into our parents, but most don’t write letters anymore. Your devotional journal can give that insight.

Of course you don’t have to wait until you’re dead. Sometimes I text my grown children little diary items and what I was thinking at the time from previous years that showed up in my journal.

Journaling Encourages You; It Records Your Spiritual Progress

Laura and I started a written record years ago of family stories (it’s 19 pages!). When I read it, I’m surprised how many cute and funny things our children have said that I’ve forgotten. By what they said, I can even measure their spiritual progress over the years. They said funny things about theology when they were kids; now they say serious, worshipful things.

It’s great to be able to look back over your devotional journals and see what areas were struggles, how you understood God’s Word, and how you’ve grown. You can see it in black and white.

For the past few years I’ve made it a goal to read my devotional journal from 10 years ago, so I’m reading 2016 this year. This practice has been an encouragement to me. Here’s an example. In 2013 I was journaling about Abraham obeying God and leaving Ur not knowing where he was going. In my journal on Jan 21, 2013 I said this…

“God sends Abraham out without telling him where he is going to end up. He just needs to trust God for the destination. I wouldn’t do that. Abraham was a man of faith. He believed God.”

And I knew I lacked that faith in 2013. I had never left one ministry job without knowing where I was going next. Until 2023 when Laura and I said goodbye to a beloved ministry months before we knew where we were going. In 10 years God grew my faith. What a blessing to read that from 2013 and know God had changed me. Ten years later I was willing to step out by faith—sort of like Abraham.

We forget our spiritual struggles. Our journals can be a record of the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification in us.

Maybe you’re not a writer; don’t worry about getting your grammar correct or even using full sentences. Write down what you’re thinking and learning about God. It can invigorate your devotions and reap dividends even years later.

Posted on

Why Can’t I Throw Away this Stick?

Nostalgia as Idolatry

Somedays I wish I were more like my youngest son. He seems ruthlessly pragmatic about his possessions. If it’s not helpful… if he doesn’t need it anymore, he gets rid of it. Frankly, it bothers me sometimes. He has thrown away old sports uniforms and Ts from running races. When he graduated from the Air Force Academy, I asked that he give us his Parade Dress uniform since he would probably have chucked it. He was planning to give it to us because he knew Laura and I would want it, but if we didn’t… it would have been in a dumpster at USAFA. (His Parade Pants did end up in the dumpster.)

Maybe he gets it from my wife. Every time we’ve made a ministry move, she has used that to downsize, and I’m thankful for that. I’ve occasionally had to protect some items from her trashing—like a blanket celebrating my sports team’s Super Bowl win! How dare she even consider that! 😉 But mostly I’m thankful that we don’t have a garage full of stuff that we don’t need or use.

I’m not like them. I’m very sentimental. I attach emotional meaning and feeling to objects. I’m nostalgic. Those items represent happy times to me. I have a twig on my shelf that my son (the same son!) carved for me when he was probably 7. He’s 26 now. It’s actually not very good. All he did was sharpen both ends and put some scratch marks on it. And I’ve put it on a bookshelf in three offices I’ve had over the years. I cannot throw it away.

This stick has traveled a thousand miles!

When we vacationed with our kids, we took pictures at state signs and National Park signs. My kids endured that—especially the state signs. Why? Because I’m sentimental. I wanted to remember the good times. We took so many that some we took twice because I didn’t remember we’d already gotten that state sign.

Sentimentality, nostalgia, is not necessarily wrong. I’m glad that I remember fun times with my kids as they were growing up. But I think there can be some problems with being too nostalgic. It can drift into sin.

We remember things as better than they were. I guess that’s a blessing from God that our minds tend to sanitize our memories (one of my seminary professors stated it that way). We remember our family as being happier and our growing up years as being less sinful than they were. But even in the best of families, sin intrudes.

How is this sin? Well, it can be an evidence of pride. I don’t need to change. My family doesn’t need to change. My church doesn’t need to change because everything is great the way it is.

Don’t some churches do this? All the best times are in the past. Every little change (two services, how a classroom is used, what stuff is on the platform, when the offering is taken, and etc.). All of those can trigger people wishing things were the way they used to be. Church members can have an emotional attachment with the way things were. It might be why change is so difficult for some. They just want things to stay the way they were. But maybe you remember them as better than they were. Maybe you need to be uncomfortable for your church to grow.

We neglect enjoying the present OR We are discontented with the present. If I’m always remembering the “good old days,” these present days don’t seem to measure up. I miss out on what God is doing right now. I miss out on how he has showered his grace on me at this moment. It’s an idolatry of the past. I am wired to be very sentimental. I guess you could say that’s a form of gratefulness for the past, but it’s really idolatry of the past. It often means a longing for the past and a discontent in the present. Real gratefulness for life is probably more present tense than past tense.

When my oldest daughter graduated from University, we took dozens of pictures–it seemed every permutation of people possible. After her gown was turned in and on our one thousand mile drive back home, we realized we had not gotten a picture of her with her Mom and me–her parents! My daughter and I cried, yes cried, on the way home. My wife said, “What are you crying about? The entire family is together.” She was content; I was not.

Remembering should lead to gratefulness, not discontent. It did for the Psalmist. 

I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; I will certainly remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your work, And on Your deeds with thanksgiving. Ps 77:11-12

And it’s one reason why we remember Christ’s sacrifice in the Lord’s Supper.

...and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 1 Cor 11:24

We get our eyes off Christ. This is the big problem.

Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.... Phil 3:13

Certainly the Apostle Paul forgot past suffering and sin (3:8-10), but he also forgot his past heritage and accomplishments (3:4-7). He forgot the so-called good times so that he could gain Christ. He was running a race; he didn’t have time to look back.

If nostalgia makes me thankful for every perfect gift from God (Jam 1:17), then it’s helpful. If, however, it makes me long for the gift more than the Giver, then it’s taking my eyes off of Christ.

So, Father, help me to be grateful for today. It’s a gift from you. Keep me from idolizing the past. And maybe help me become more like my son and love your Son more.

Posted on

What a Blanket Taught Me About My Heart

Have you heard of Pendleton Blankets? I hadn’t until a few weeks ago. Laura and I were at a regional pastors conference in Cannon Beach, OR. It was our first time to this conference and we met another couple who had been in this church association in the Pacific Northwest for about a year—just like us. While talking about places to see, the wife mentioned that Pendleton Blankets were made in Oregon. We hadn’t heard of them, so she told us how they are American-made wool blankets with creative designs that sell for $300 to $550 and are made by Pendleton Woolen Mills in Pendleton, OR. It’s a company that has a history in the Pacific Northwest—they’ve been making blankets since 1909, and they have a special niche for National Park blankets. Their Glacier National Park blanket began production in 1916. You’ve probably seen it on TV or in a movie.

It was an interesting conversation, but, honestly, I’ve never thought about the blankets we have in our house probably ever.  

We were driving home and serendipitously saw a Pendleton Outlet so we stopped. We saw the blankets (and shirts, coats, and sweatshirts, but especially the blankets). The sales lady offered to roll out any blanket we wanted. This is not the type of store where you can unroll a blanket yourself. We left the store without spending any money. That was a victory.

I don’t think I’ve ever coveted a blanket before. As long as it kept me warm, I’ve never given it a thought. My wife has wanted a particular duvet or quilt or bedspread because it fit the aesthetic she has created in a particular room, but that’s not really been of interest to me.

Until now. As we drove away I really, really wanted a Pendleton blanket. I settled on the Zion National Park one because I liked the colors, the simple design, and our family has visited that park.[1]I’ve since changed my mind and coveted another design. My heart got me again! When our kids were in our house, we visited lots of National Parks. I wanted that one, but I would have been “happy” with the Glacier NP or the Grand Canyon NP or even one of their other designs. I could see it nonchalantly tossed across our downstairs sectional, beckoning to be used on a cold winter night.

We had a several hour drive to get back home, and after I imagined how I would get one, I started to reflect. I went from never having heard of a Pendleton blanket to coveting one pretty quickly. Literally a fortnight ago I didn’t know they existed; 13 days ago I had to have one!

My heart, like yours, is discontent and covetous. Now maybe you’re still not tempted by Pendleton blankets. Good for you. But I know you have your custom designed desires too. I know this because James says so.

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. James 1:14 (NASB95)

“His own” translates the Greek word from which we get our English word, idiot. It doesn’t mean stupid in Greek. No, it means a person that goes their own way. James is saying that we have designer desires. Things that tempt us that don’t necessarily tempt others. Maybe you live for respect and affirmation more than your spouse does. Maybe you love custom cars. Lots of people couldn’t care less about custom cars. Maybe you like Pendleton blankets. Turns out I do.

And what’s amazing is my heart can go from apathetic/content to covetous in about 90 seconds. Jesus is good, but a Pendleton blanket seems even better. I know it’s silly, but that’s how my heart is wired by my sin. Yours is too.

Haven’t you heard about the accomplishment of a child in another family and suddenly you wanted your kid to accomplish that too? Maybe you never thought about your kid winning the Inter-Oregon Cheese Princess title before (I made it up), but now you want the acclaim that comes with having a Cheese Princess in the family. Only you’re saddled with a talentless kid that could never be a Cheese Princess. 😉

Or maybe another mother is relating the thoughtfulness of one of her children, and you want that same thoughtfulness to come from your own child. But your child isn’t that thoughtful. In fact, he seems especially selfish. He would never do what this other kid did, but now you want that. And you’re soon discontent with your child–you know, the one God gave you.

Or it’s a vacation in a location you never even heard of before but one of your Facebook friends posted her pictures, and now you can’t be content with going to Wisconsin again. I don’t know what your Pendleton blanket is—I didn’t even know what mine was until two weeks ago, but I know you will have one. You will be tempted. Your heart is wired for greed, for covetousness, just like mine. The only difference, according to James 1:14, is what we covet.

My heart is twisted. When I covet a Pendleton blanket, my heart doesn’t find satisfaction in what Jesus has already provided me. It doesn’t find satisfaction in Jesus. I forsake the fountain of living water and pursue a broken cistern that can’t hold any water (Jer 2:13).

Father, help me find satisfaction in Jesus. May my quickly covetous heart remind me that Jesus is better. May Pendleton blankets remind me that I have all I need in Jesus.

…In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11a (NASB95)

References

References
↑1 I’ve since changed my mind and coveted another design. My heart got me again!
Posted on

Getting Hangry

My wife has accused me of getting hangry. I thought it was a more recent word, but its first recorded use was over 100 years ago. It’s an example of a portmanteau—a blending of two words to create a new word. It’s someone that gets irritated when they get hungry.

She sees it before I do, but I know when she sees it because in the midst of my “impassioned” words she says something like, “Well, let’s get you some lunch.” Which normally is not a response that would be expected to the topic of discussion. 😉 And, ironically, is sometimes something that I get angry about.

So… is my problem my hunger? I don’t normally eat breakfast, so I do get hungry by lunch. But is my problem hunger? Or is it that my hunger exposes my heart?

This is an actual picture of my wife and me having dinner in the ’50s. 😉

Pretty much anything Paul David Tripp writes I want to read. He communicates biblical truth so clearly and practically that all of us can understand it. This is never more true than in his 22-year-old book, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands. In preparing for a discussion group this week I read this quote again.

Why do people do the things they do? Is my problem fundamentally an informational one? Will a well-researched, logical set of insights provide the solution? Or is my problem fundamentally experiential? Will dealing with my past solve my problem? Is my problem fundamentally biological? Will helping me achieve chemical balance solve my problem? Or is there something beneath all these things that is more deeply wrong with me? Scripture’s answer to this last question is a clear, resounding, “Yes!”[1]Paul D. Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2002), 9.

And of course our problem is sin—sins done by us, done to us, and the effects of sin in our world. We are sinners and sufferers.

But what I love about this quote is how he addresses several popular models of counsel. Some think you just need the right information to change. If you just know certain things, you will be different. This is how our world thinks about the sin of racism. Just know that our differences are really only skin deep and you will treat that other person with kindness. And certainly information can help. There is no virtue in ignorance.

But racism is sin so just more information isn’t enough to change us. That actually diminishes our need of Jesus. We have to be changed by Him.

Or is your problem your past? Well biblical counselors believe that the past can influence your present. We’re not robots going through life unaffected by what we’ve experienced. We just don’t believe that Freud was right in putting all the emphasis on your past. That’s not where the action is according to Scripture. The action—why you do what you do—is in the heart (Mk 7:14-23).

Or is your problem medical? Do you struggle with life because your brain is wired wrong and needs some chemical intervention? Whether that’s helpful or not is a question for another blog, but that’s not your fundamental problem. Biology cannot make you sin. If it could, then why did Jesus need to die for you?

All of those (ignorance, experience, biology) are actually outside influences on your soul. They can influence you, but they cannot control your response of right or wrong. They can make obedience harder, but they don’t make it impossible.

Just like my hunger doesn’t make kindness impossible. It’s important that we realize our fundamental problem is sin. When we do, the gospel becomes more and more precious to us.

References

References
↑1 Paul D. Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2002), 9.
Posted on

Just Smile More

I was greeted in the dining hall line that day at Bible College by a friend who was smiling big. That was notable because she wasn’t really known for her smile. That’s not a criticism. Some people, like my wife, have a beautiful, sparkling smile that they share with everybody. [That’s her in this blog.] Others are more like me—I have to think about smiling. My resting face is a scowl. This friend’s smile was between my wife’s smile and my own. Maybe the reason we were friends is because we shared similar senses of cynicism and sarcasm.

But she was smiling brightly and told me why. “A friend told me that I needed to smile more and be happier and so I am.” I probably said something like, “Oh, sounds good” and we got our food. On the inside I might have been thinking, “good luck with that.”

I’ve thought about that simple exchange over 30 years ago just recently. Some Christians—I am one of them—have the tendency to mistakenly believe we can change ourselves with just the right amount of willpower. Not smiling enough? Just work at smiling more. Spending too much time on social media? Just stop it. You can do it. Struggling with pornography? You don’t need to tell anyone. You can defeat this on your own. And wouldn’t that be better than admitting your sin to a friend and asking for help?

We do need to put effort into our growth. The New Testament is clear on that.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phil 2:12–13 (ESV)

Work out your salvation means to put effort into your growth; to work hard at change. But it’s always God’s work in you that actually results in your work making you more like Christ. 

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 1 Cor 15:10 (ESV)

Paul gives us a grace sandwich. It was God’s grace—but he worked harder than anyone—but it was the grace of God. The lazy Christian is not a growing Christian. We have to work.

But you have never changed yourself. It is always the Spirit through Scripture that changes you. So if you’re struggling with a besetting sin, it’s better for you to pray more than to work more. Prayer shows dependence upon God. Of course you need to do both: pray and work. But it’s God’s work that makes your work effective. We don’t even want to change (Phil 2:13) unless God changes us. He has to give us even the desire to change (“to will and to work”).

Why is this so important? Why write a blog on a smile from 30 years ago? Because this view of sanctification emphasizes me and my work, not God and his work. It’s a gospel problem because the gospel doesn’t go far enough. It gives me a future, but I don’t really need it right now. I’m able, through my own willpower, to change myself. Not very happy; decide to be happy and presto, I smile more.

You and I need the gospel for our salvation, but also our sanctification. Your salvation should work out in your sanctification. The gospel changes you (2 Cor 5:17) and keeps changing you. Are you stuck? Don’t put on a big smile. Work hard and ask God to make your work effective.

I’ve written on imitations of biblical growth that aren’t real growth here.