Communication

A Thanksgiving Meditation

Communication, Relationship with God, Relationships /

There are dimensions of thanksgiving however, that transcend the plain of human reciprocity and move into the realm of the divine. How do we thank someone for something for which it would be impossible to repay? Perhaps it is a parent or other significant person who have invested their lives in benefiting ours. How do we thank someone for the provision of a critically dependent need which we ourselves could never meet? Maybe it is an opportunity, finances, wise advice or simply the emotional support that lifts you from defeat to victory.

Thanksgiving in such circumstances expresses itself best through a humble and grateful acceptance. In many cases it is appropriate to declare our heartfelt thanksgiving through a public affirmation of honor or esteem for our benefactor.

This realm of thanksgiving is of course most fitting in giving praise to God for all He has provided for us. We can never repay Him for the extravagant grace showered upon us as His undeserving and dependent children. But yet He delights to hear the expressions of our thanksgiving and praise for every thing He has done for us. And so with the psalmist it is worth making a commitment to constantly “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” (Psalm 100:4 NIV)

But there is yet one other dimension of thanksgiving that transcends them all. It might be called the highest form of praise. And that is thanking someone, especially God, for something you trust them yet to do. Saying “thank you” in advance is an expression of faith. That “thank you,” no matter what the circumstances, releases faith. “Thank you” becomes “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) It communicates appreciation more for the person and their trustworthiness, than for the thing given. The Giver becomes the treasure more than the gift. That is the ultimate “thank you” any of us can give.

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Making Peace With Your Past

Communication, Holy Spirit Aha's, Overcoming, Relationships /

When was the last time you ran into someone you preferred not to see? What thoughts went through your mind and what emotions did you feel? How did you handle it?
We all have people like that in our lives. In fact it happened to me just recently. I was surprised at my reaction. Stuff from the past I had either forgotten or thought I had dealt with surfaced. I found myself swallowing hard, composing myself and mustering up the grace to make friendly conversation. But there was a reserve in my heart and a measure of self protection that was unsettling for me.
Afterward I could not help but sense that God had engineered the encounter to get my attention and that it was not a mere coincidence or happenstance that I was faced with relating to that particular person. In fact having just given a message (Connecting the Dots) about the Jewish patriarch Isaac making peace with his past, I had been sensitized to the necessity of that process in my own life.
Isaac’s story in Genesis 26 of his conflict and rejection at the hands of Abimelech, king of the Philistines, is really not unlike any of our stories when our relationships with people go south. It thrust him into a season of adversity and adjustments that God ultimately used for good in his life. My previous blog posts on “Connecting the Dots in Adversity” and “When Adversity Forces a Defining Decision” chronicle that journey.
What I discovered when I gave my message was that Isaac’s story was not complete without the closure God forced upon him after he had settled and forgotten all about Abimelech. Abimelech shows up unexpectedly, accompanied by both his personal advisor and the commander of his army. Talk about an intimidating encounter and one that Isaac would have preferred to avoid. All of the past hurt and personal offense surface immediately and Isaac reacts with “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?” (vs. 27) He wasn’t as adept at hiding his emotions as many of us can be when confronted with the remembrance of past wounds in relationships.

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Before you jump to conclusions…

Communication, Growth & Development /

Jesus knew that perception is not always reality. Appearances and our perceptions can often deceive us. However, rendering a “right” and accurate judgment of a given situation is not always easy. It requires spiritual discipline, careful investigation and a healthy dependence upon the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth, sent to lead us into all truth. (John 16:13) This is especially applicable when it comes to dealing with reports of questionable behavior in others.

I don’t know about you, but frequently I hear things that people have said or done that stir a righteous indignation within me. It is not just limited to people I know personally. A case in point is the news story of the high profile hit and run that is presently providing fodder for heated expressions of public opinion in the media. At such times, we would all do well to be reminded of the judging precaution Jesus gave us. “Do not judge by appearances.”

What does He mean by that? How do we judge with right judgment? The best way to understand that is to look at how He Himself judges. And what better place to look than in the first books of the Old Testament where we see Him in action and giving instruction in rendering right judgment. Here then are three judging precautions that can save all of us from jumping to conclusions.

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Being civil in an uncivil world

2 Comments / Communication, News & Reflections /

“You’re an idiot and you talk too slow!” the talk radio host blurted out as he hung up on the caller. He hadn’t even let the guy on the phone finish his question, a reasonable question, before refusing to consider it, insult the man and move on to his next caller, someone the screener now made sure agreed with the political views of the show host. I do not listen often to talk radio, particularly political talk radio, except to monitor from time to time what the hot topics of the day are.

That exchange, which I heard recently, epitomized for me the polarization in our nation right now, not only politically, but also ethically and religiously.

That divisive and acrimonious spirit is demonstrated by an incivility and a refusal to dialogue constructively or offer any real effort at resolving our differences. Sadly, the state of civil discourse in our land has fallen on hard times. We have political parties who cannot work together to solve our budget issues. We have lock-outs and walk-outs, firings and hirings based on political persuasions, and protests and litmus tests for those who don’t agree with us.

What is it that keeps us from coming to the table with mutual respect to seek answers together as to what divides us? There are no ready, all inclusive answers to that question. In part however, it is that we have categorized those who disagree with us as the enemy. When someone is the “enemy” we hesitate to have civil discourse with them lest we appear to be compromising our convictions, acknowledging our weakness or surrendering to their point of view. And so we fall into the trap of doing what author G.K. Chesterton termed setting up “false devils” by labeling as evil those who disagree with us, thereby dismissing anything they have to say. Therefore, if they are an “idiot” why spend any time talking to them?

When I took logic in college I was warned about the ad hominem fallacy. In general that debate tactic is an attempt to negate the truth of a person’s claim by pointing out a negative characteristic in the person advocating it. For instance, if a person talks or sounds funny, we choose not to listen because we don’t like the way they are saying it – e.g. they “talk too slow. ”

The “false devil” characterization like setting up a false god, invariably leads us astray. We cut ourselves off from hearing and seeing what God may want to reveal to us about them or through them.

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Why I hesitate to criticize other ministers

2 Comments / Communication, Relationships /

“Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.” Psalm 105:15 (NIV)

Jesus warned us that we should not judge by external appearances. (John 7:24) That is very good advice when it comes to forming opinions about and criticizing those who purport to serve Him, especially ministers. For one thing God chooses some very unusual people to represent Him. Have you noticed? If not, look in the mirror, you may be one of them.

He makes no apologies about choosing “the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.” In fact He delights to use lowly and even despised people so that no one may boast before Him. (1 Corinthians 1:27-19) The genius in all of this is that we cannot put God in box when it comes to profiling His representatives. It forces us to recognize that they are but mere clay vessels through whom His redemptive truth and grace are flowing.

That explains to me why some of the individuals He chose as prophets and the things He asked them to do seemed so weird. Consider Elisha cursing the youth who were ridiculing his baldness, Ezekiel lying on his side for over two years and Hosea marrying a prostitute. (2 Kings 2:23-24, Ezekiel 4:4-8 & Hosea 1:2)

This reality should give all of us pause when it comes to criticizing those who minister on God’s behalf, whether it’s a prophet, an evangelist, pastor or teacher.

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