Month: January 2021

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the King. 1 Peter 2:17

It has long been said that life is what you make it. We can enter into each day with dread and fear, or we can enter each day with expectation and joy. In these times, it’s really difficult to keep our focus on the positive and start each day with habits that add to joy rather than detracting from it.

A habit is a settled or regular tendency or practice. Most of us have habits that we don’t even realize have become part of our daily routines because we do them without even thinking of it. If we already have these habits, maybe it would be good idea to make some of them holy habits so that we can not only do things for ourselves but for others.

Three holy habits that I am trying to incorporate into my daily life are compassion, respect and kindness.

Compassion is the reaction one feels deep within – like a kick in the gut. When we see sad news such as children starving, someone hurting, senseless killings, or everyday tragedies, it’s too much for us. The question is, what can we do? The need is so overwhelming that we can’t begin to meet it! However, God would have us show compassion to others.

The motto for our church for years was Compassion Into Action. I love it because even though it’s great to feel compassion, it does very little good unless we are moved to put it into action. Abraham Lincoln says: We must do for others what they cannot do for themselves, but we must not do for them what they will not do for themselves. In other words, show compassion but also extend hope.

The next holy habit is respect. We live in a rude world in this day and time, and it is only getting ruder. Common courtesy isn’t so common anymore, and, respect for people, property, and opinions is at an all time low. No matter where we go in this life or who we meet, we take our attitude of respect with us. Respect is what can make our daily encounters with others terrible or wonderful. Every one doesn’t have to think alike, dress alike or believe alike, but everyone does have to respect others.

The world right now isn’t setting a very good example of respect, but our Lord tells us that we should respect and honor all men and women. We all want to be respected by others and treated with dignity, so we must treat others as we would want to be treated.

Kindness is a given in this world. God cares about people, so we should care as well. Even if we feel uncomfortable reaching out to others, everyone has the ability to give a smile, a wave, or a kind word. Everyone responds to kindness in some way. Masks are making a smile difficult, but look to the eyes and see the kindness there.

As we go about incorporating holy habits in each of our lives, remember compassion, respect and kindness are some of the habits that show to others that we know God, and that we are willing to share and show our faith.

He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:10-12

The year of our Lord 2020 has certainly afforded the opportunity for us to ask many questions. We have asked things like, “What is Covid 19? What do we do? Why would God let this happen? Where is God? Why weren’t we prepared?” and so many others.

I began to wonder, what if we could ask God one question and be guaranteed that He would answer? What would we ask? I would probably want to know why there is suffering? I would want to know why good and faithful Christians suffer? I would ask if we are penalized for trying to do good?

The pollster, George Barna, actually asked this question in a national survey, and the primary response to it was: Why is there pain and suffering in the world?

At some point in our lives, we will all face pain and suffering. It might not be all physical, but it is a guarantee. In the above scripture, Job was a good and godly man, yet all ten of his children died tragically in a single day. His wife wanted him to curse God and die, yet Job never betrayed God with his lips. He grieved deeply, but he never gave up on God. Even though I know he had lots of questions for God that went unanswered, he remained faithful.

This year we have personally lost several friends, relatives, and watched as many have suffered, yet God is still faithful. There have been times when God has seemed at his farthest away, but in those times, He is often the nearest to us. He helps us see the integrity and joy in the lives of those we love.

He has been near to us as we have take the time to remember the lives of our friends and relatives and all the joy they brought into our lives. Randy’s uncle Fredrick died recently, and the occasion marked the last of the brothers and sisters in the Mickler of Madison family. We remember this gentle doctor for all the babies he birthed in the community, his love of baseball, his beautiful voice, all the sports games he announced, his love of his family and friends, and all the people who loved him. He was excited to arrive in his heavenly home! He was always faithful and steadfast.

We lost our dear friend, Paul, this year after a battle with Parkinson’s. My question rears its head yet again. Although in the end, he was confined to a wheelchair and covid had sequestered him, he never lost his sense of humor, his love of family and friends, his love of his Men’s Club, his enjoyment of a mellow cigar, and his appreciation of a good scotch. He stayed faithful and encouraging.

Our friend Randy died this year as well. The question that I would ask is, “Why do good people have to suffer?” Yet, when we remember the assurance he had, the career he enjoyed, the stories he told, his love of family and friends, and his laughter, we feel joy for him and his new home. He stayed faithful and was always reassuring.

Our sweet friend, Debbie, died this year as well from cancer. There again, is the question of suffering. Yet when we remember her, we only see her laughter. her love of children, and her love of fun! This family have been friends since our daughters were in school together. Our daughters roomed at Ole Miss together, and we spent lots of good times in the grove. I can still see Debbie preparing her famous drink recipe, and us all laughing at the name of it. She always stayed faithful and upbeat.

Everyone of us has a name that is dear to us that could be inserted for the names I have listed above. The short answer to the question of why is there pain and suffering in the world appears to be: “Christ’s first coming was to save us from the penalty of our sin. His second coming is to save us from the presence of sin and restore paradise lost.”

The real question for us this day is, do we allow ourselves to give in to adversity or do we hold on to integrity as Job did? We either fall apart or we draw nearer to God. My prayer is that we draw closer and feel His presence and allow Him to comfort us until He answers our one question personally.

All things are possible for one who believes. Mark 9:23

A challenge is defined as a call to take part in a contest or an objection to the truth of something, often with demand for proof.

The times in which we are living are presenting some challenging days. We have watched as a devastating virus spreads through our nation and our world, we have lived through a contentious election, and now, in the aftermath, we are witnessing protests which are threatening authority, democracy, and our way of life.

Challenging days bring with them different feelings and emotions. We’ve heard people express anger, disbelief, fear, anxiety, and sadness. It seems as if there is a mountain that has been placed among us, and despite all our efforts, we as a people can’t make any progress in moving it!

Jesus said, Whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

If you have ever traveled out west, you know that when you behold the enormity of the Rocky Mountains – the height, the depth, the width -of them, no human mind can conceive asking them to move out of the way!! The closer you get, the more insurmountable they seem. Asking that mountain to move is a challenge far beyond human capability.

It’s noted that Jesus never physically moved or relocated a mountain in His ministry, so He was talking about the mountains of problems and challenges that we create or are thrust upon us in this life.

So, how do we as Christians go about doing our part to move the mountains in these challenging days? In the scripture above Jesus speaks only once about our need for faith, but three times He mentions our need to speak His word. Why is that? Because if we don’t have enough faith to move our mouth and speak God’s word, we won’t have enough faith to move these mountains in these challenging days and every day.

A dear friend reminded me lately of the ways our church came together in every tragedy since 911 to pray for God to move the mountain we were facing. As soon as tragedies of 911, the Gulf War, and Columbine occurred, the church came together for Holy Communion to speak God’s word and invoke His power to remove the mountains of fear, anxiety, lawlessness, and tragedy. There was much peace afterwards because we had renewed faith that God would listen to His people. We left with assurance that God would hear our prayers and move the mountains.

Something really wonderful happens when we verbalize God’s Word. Our ears hear it, our mind is renewed, our focus is changed, and our faith rises up within us. If we just hold onto that renewed faith, refuse to be discouraged or budge, and keep on speaking God’s word aloud, the mountain will begin to move.

Let’s put all the thoughts and doubts of our natural mind aside and stand on God’s promises. We must keep declaring, “We may not know how or when, but we know this mountain is moving.”

Keep the faith and remember, Before you can trust, you have to listen. But, unless Christ’s word is spoken, there’s nothing to listen to. Romans 10:17

Make me to know Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. Ps. 25:4

It seems impossible to me that it is time to usher in a brand new year! Of all my many years, this is the first time I can ever remember being joyful about the end of a year! This year of our Lord 2020 has afforded us all challenges we never in our lifetime thought possible. Through it all, we have stayed faithful and most of us can find blessings even in the tragedies and hard times.

We are now standing on the threshold of a brand new year of the unknown. A new year that brings uncertainty, changes, experiences, and needs. Who knows what we will find as we move through it? We can’t see what loss, sorrows, or trials lay before us, but we can know for certain that God is with us through it as He has been in the past.

This year in place of the usual resolutions to lose weight, exercise and improve my life (most of which I don’t seem to be able to keep anyway), my New Years Resolutions are many, but there are two on which I want to improve! The number one resolution for me this year is to get out of the comfort zones or ruts in my life, and encourage those around me to do the same. The second resolution for this year is to find the joy in life and all the circumstances surrounding it.

Two of the biggest fears in life are failure and criticism. No matter how hard we try to overcome them, they have a habit of showing up when we think of branching out of our comfort zone. If we think back on times we have branched out and risked failure and criticism, we learn that most times failure doesn’t do any permanent damage – it actually makes us stronger.

An unknown poet once wrote: I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I couldn’t fail; the same four walls of busywork were really more like jail. I longed to do some things I’d never done before, but I stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor. I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much, I said I didn’t care for things like dreams and goals and such. I claimed to be so busy with things inside my zone, but deep inside I longed for something special of my own. I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win; I held my breath and stepped outside and let the change begin. I took a step, and with new strength I’d never felt before, I kissed my comfort zone goodbye, then closed and locked the door.

The last year has presented many opportunities to lose the joy in life. Many of us have lost relatives, dear friends, cherished church members, and prayed with those who have experienced and are experiencing COVID first hand. We have sequestered, quarantined, worn masks, and socially distanced. We have hoarded toilet paper, paper towel, cleaning supplies, and food. We have lived in fear of the virus, and we have, on occasion, allowed it to suck the joy out of our lives.

This year, it is my goal to replace the fear with joy. Just like the angel said, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10 In the midst of the fear of 2020, we only had to look, and there was joy everywhere. Everyone has experienced joy if we only go back and recall special times.

Our joy was evident as our extended family celebrated weddings, we rejoiced at the birth of a much anticipated child, we got together at the lake and held a mini family reunion, we met new and interesting people walking, we watched children learn to ride bikes, we celebrated seeing other friends on Zoom, we lit candles in a group of friends while singing Silent Night on Christmas Eve, we spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, we reached out to those sequestered and laughed and talked, we have celebrated the little things in life, we’ve found new interests and began new traditions, we rejoiced at news of a vaccine, we learned that most things are unimportant, and we have learned patience knowing God will provide.

As we usher in with the new, there will always be memories, both sad and happy, of the old year, but we must always look for the joy.

Oswald Chambers said it best, this year be willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God.

Happy New Year and remember, Heaven is not beyond the clouds, it’s just beyond the fear. Garth Brooks