Growing Spiritually

Someone once said, "There is no treading water in the Christian life, you're either swimming or sinking." I believe that. Christians must ask themselves before they make choices, "Will this benefit me spiritually?" This is our next question in our topic of biblical decision-making. This is a good question. In fact, in two places in First Corinthians, the apostle Paul uses the similar language: "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any(First Corinthians 6:12)." In other words, though something may be permissible to the world or society, that doesn't mean it is good for my life as a Christian. The other verse is found in 10:23- "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify." As part of your decision-making process, ask yourself, "Will doing this help me grow spiritually? Will it encourage and built up those around me? Will it produce fruit for the Kingdom?" If the answer is "no," it's probably not a good choice. More to come. Blessings.

Making the Right Choices

Biblical decision-making has a number of touch points in order to keep us making the right choices. I'll be highlighting them during the next few weeks. For example, in making a decision large or small, the first question you should ask yourself is, "Does this action or choice glorify God?" "Would He be pleased with this decision or action"?

Speaking of which, what does it mean to glorify God? Well, we'll start with this because it is, after all, our chief good. Ecclesiastes 12:13 states,"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." OK-- so how does this play out in our lives? How do we glorify God? Here's an easy acronym to remember: "A.C.T.S."

A- adoration. When we set out to give God all His due worship-- when we proclaim Him above all else, God is pleased. It is like a sweet fragrance to the Lord when we please Him (Psalm 141:2; Ephesians 5:2).
C- confession. As we confess our daily transgressions (and we all make them), the Scriptures tell us that He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Confession means we realize that we've done wrong are asking for forgiveness; and in doing so we receive it, as 1 John 1:9 states. But also, as we confess, it removes any hindrances between us and God, especially as we pray and seek answers from Him. Unconfessed sin can stand in the way of that.
T- thanksgiving. A grateful heart brings honor to God because we acknowledge Him as the provider of all our blessings. "Every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17). Also, when we give thanks, we are being obedient, for the Lord tells us to give thanks in everything, for this is His will (1 Thess 5:18).
S- subjection. When we put God in His rightful place: on the throne of our lives, we glorify Him. To see Him high and lifted up, as Isaiah wrote, is also to rightly see ourselves in our needy state like the prophet, who cried out "Woe is me for I am undone! For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts." (Is 6:1-5). He is our King and we are His subjects. As such, we are dedicated to Him, standing ready for His service. What an honor! So remember A.C.T.S., Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Subjection, as a help to keep us in check in giving God His due glory in all that we say and do! Back to the question, before you make that decision, take that step or utter that next word, ask: "Does it bring glory to God?" God's Word says "humility and the fear the Lord, are riches and honor and life." (Proverbs 22:4). Next time, we'll look at another question in helping guide our decisions.

It's Been Too Long...

Sorry for the long delay. I've spent most of the last year and a half helping to open an eastern campus of our church, called Island Christian Church in Holtsville, Long Island. Located in Brookhaven, this is one of the fastest growing towns in the region, with over 500,000 residents. The church opened on September 12, 2010, and has been humming right along, drawing new people, along with the dynamic launch team that has been with us since we started planning this in 2009. Interestingly, the church meets in a hotel, The Crowne Plaza at exit 63 off the LI Expressway. This was a way of getting started without having to worry about finding a building of our own-- at least not right away. So if anyone wants to come check it out, services are Sundays at 10:00 am. You'll be blessed!

Meantime, I'll be starting to post regular workplace entries next week. My topic for the immediate future will be on Biblical decision-making. Please tune in. Again, sorry for the long delay.

What Does God Say About Your Work?

Have you ever thought about what God's position is concerning our work-- what most of us do about 70% of our waking hours? Even for Christians, that is not an easy question to answer. I mean, the Bible is pretty clear about it, but not everyone knows what it says, and even if we do, it's often difficult to apply. One of my favorite passages is found in Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Just those verses alone tell us that our ultimate "boss" is Christ-- in fact, even our boss's boss is Christ, whether he/she realizes it or not.

It stands to reason, with so much of our time spent at work, God does have a plan for us. Here's a couple of points to ponder in bringing your faith to work. The first is based on the above verse. If we truly believe that we are indeed working for Christ, then we will experience new meaning for our work. God cares about your work! Whatever it may be. Secondly, it gives you the opportunity to live out your faith. You may be the only Bible your co-workers ever read. Finally, living our your faith at work will help with the overall stresses that come with work. Try taking your Bible with you and read it during lunch or other free times during the work day. Talk about an energy boost! Go ahead, give it a shot!

What is the chief good? Part 2

Again, we're looking at the Book of Ecclesiastes, which was written by Solomon in the most prosperous time in Israel’s history, when that nation was at the pinnacle of its wealth and power. Sound familiar? Idolatry was the worship of false gods in Solomon’s day, which is the same today—only our false gods are material things and status.

So, if acquiring things or pleasure are not the chief good, what about acquiring wisdom? Is that the chief good? No, because the Preacher discovered that, while there was relative value of wisdom, it passes as well—“it is all vanity” (2:14, 19, 21).

During his sermon, the Preacher (a believer) is taking on the guise of a secular person (under the sun)—a phrase used 30 times in the Book. “Under the Sun” is used to describe life here on earth. The Preacher’s motive is to lead the reader along, demonstrating the futility of life under the sun.

A pivotal section in our quest of discovering the chief good appears in Chapter 3. In verse 11, the Scripture says that God has also “set eternity into the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” That is to say, we humans cannot figure out what life is all about on our own. The Preacher admits in the end that life doesn’t make sense outside of God—and will never fully make sense (in this world, anyway), because we are not God. For those who continue to live “under the sun”, the Preacher has a simple message: “You will surely fail to find what satisfies” (6:1-2).

Is the chief good our labor or work? Many people put most of, if not all their stock into their jobs and careers—especially those in “prestigious” roles, such as corporate executives, lawyers and doctors, even ministers! The Preacher tells us that we are entitled to enjoy what we do, as long as we realize that our labor and earnings are also a gift from God (5:18-19). Those verses helped me a great deal as a Christian in the corporate world. That God wants me to savor the fruit of my labor, as long as I remember that it is His gift. I remember a line in the movie, “Chariots of Fire”, the story of Olympic runner Eric Liddell. As a Christian, he was questioned on how he justified being a humble servant of God as well as being a fierce competitor. Aren’t those two things diametrically opposed to one another? His response was perfect, for he explained that it was God who made him fast and when he runs, he feels His pleasure. That should be the attitude of every Christian!

What about righteousness or morality—is that the chief good? “Do not be overly righteous” (7:16) is not saying don’t be too holy; rather, the Preacher is warning about pseudo-religiosity and “showy” forms of worship—the same things that Jesus warned the Pharisees of His day about (Matt 6:5, 16).

We’ve discussed both sides of life—the promise of pleasures so alluring that some people devote their entire lives to their pursuit; and the haunting realization that those pleasures ultimately do not satisfy.

So what is chief good? Here’s a hint, the quickest way to answer the question is to turn to the end of the Book of Ecclesiastes: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is a man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (12:13-14). The Preacher’s intent was that we should learn from his mistakes. One who had it all—materially, intellectually, spiritually—that when he sought the chief good, God was at its core.

One caveat: If we call the chief good something that we do, then who gets the glory? We need to acknowledge that what makes it the chief good in the first place is not the deed itself, but the fact that it is the result being obedient to the Lord. Everything flows from that.

What is the chief good?

Given the current state of our nation and world, I believe this question has more relevance now than in recent memory. For those who place a high priority on achievement, acquiring possessions and power, needless to say, worlds have been rocked of late. Even Christians struggle with the idea that their “worth” is based on performance and tangible results.

When considering the question: “What is the chief good?” the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible deals with that question like no other. First of all it was presumably written by a man who had acquired more in the way of power and possessions than anyone who ever lived—before or since. Of course, I am referring to none other that King Solomon.

So back to the question—what is the chief good, and is there more than one? For now, here are a few things that it isn’t. It is not excess or acquiring possessions. Solomon knew that. In fact, there was nothing in this life in the way of material possessions that he could not have (2:10). Ecclesiastes gives much space to discussing what the chief good is not. It calls all those material things and pleasure seeking as “vanity”. The Hebrew word translated vanity does not mean, “pride”, but “vapor”—a metaphor suggesting that life is both fleeting and futile. In other words, like a vapor, life is quickly passing. Many people have translated “all is vanity” to mean, “all is meaningless”, but I don’t think that is what Ecclesiastes is saying. The book does not deny the meaning of life, but really has more to do with what is quickly passing. If we are to understand that the message of “the Preacher”, as Solomon referred to himself, is that life is a fleeting thing that needs to be savored as a gift from God, we are on the right track. That is why there can only be one chief good, the answer to my first question. With that said, I was wondering what others might think is the "chief good"?