Tag: Christian Living

Articles I have written specifically dealing with areas of Christian living.

The Grace of Gratitude

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Holiday, Theology

–November of 2003

The Grace of Gratitude

According to a medieval legend, two angels were once sent down to earth, one to gather up petitions and the other to collect thanksgivings.  The first angel found petitions everywhere.  He soon returned to heaven with a huge load of them on his back and a bundle in each hand.  The second angel had no such easy time.  He had to search diligently to find even a mere handful to take back to heaven.

Admittedly, legends can be farfetched and unrealistic or they can be painfully accurate.  This one, however, is much too accurate for comfort.  We would all have to admit that the high-stakes scramble for more of this world’s good has robbed the church of her voice of thanksgiving.  Our long period of materialistic comfort has made us easy in Zion and unaccustomed to the exercise of humble gratitude.

The Apostle Paul knew the importance of gratitude to the Christian as well as the subtle danger of ingratitude.  Listen to the music of gratitude that plays through his epistle to the Colossians:

Chapter one, verse 3:  “We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus.”

Chapter one, verse 12:  “…giving thanks unto the Father.”

Chapter two, verse 7:  “…abounding…with thanksgiving.”

Chapter three, verse 17:  “…giving thanks unto God and the Father by Him.”

Chapter four, verse 17:  “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.”

Paul’s hymnody of thanks seems to center in chapter three, verse 15 when he says, “And be ye thankful.”

Paul’s strong imperative to “wear a garment of gratitude” is anchored to three firm convictions in the Apostle’s life.

Paul saw gratitude as a required grace.  Not a luxury but a necessity, not an option but a conviction.  Paul placed it among the required rather than the elective classes in the school of Christian experience.  I have a debt to be grateful!

I owe it to God to be grateful.  He has given me life, eternal life and the opportunity to do something with it.

I owe it to others to be grateful.  A sour, complaining spirit spreads gloom.  However, a joyful, cheerful spirit brings sunshine and smiles wherever it goes.

I owe it to myself.  Your physician will tell you that a mean, bitter, thankless spirit harms our health and robs us of life.  But of greater concern is what ingratitude does to us spiritually.  Of the thirteen plagues that came upon the children of Israel in their wilderness journey, eleven of those were punishment for murmuring against God.  In Romans chapter one, Paul charts the awful journey from godliness to godlessness.  He says in verse 21 that part of the root cause for such deviation is a spirit of ingratitude, “Neither were they thankful.”

Gratitude is also a ripening grace.  A more literal translation of Paul’s words would be, “and become ye thankful.”  We must seek the grace of gratitude and cultivate the grace of gratitude until we are “abounding with thanksgiving.”  This is not an easy task.  None will ever overflow with thanksgiving until they see that gratitude is an inner disposition towards life that must be worked at.  Life has its mix of good and bad – of the difficult and the delightful; but it’s up to us as to how we respond to that mix.  Some people in examining a bush unhappily see only the thorns; others rejoice in the fragrance of its roses.  The lens through which we view life is so important.  Jacob saw his days as “few and evil.”  He described the loss of Joseph and the famine that reunited them with these words, “all these things be against me.”  However Joseph looked at life through the lens of gratitude and described the same time period with a different set of words completely.  Joseph said, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”  We see exactly what we discipline ourselves to see in life, and looking through the lens of thanksgiving will ripen us.

If it often said among Christians that our reward is in the world to come.  However, gratitude is a rewarding grace.  It has its own reward for us right now.

Gratitude exalts God.  Very few things honor and glorify God more than the sweet fragrance of a thankful soul.  It expels gloom and ushers in sweet peace and blessed hope.  More than once the child of God has used thanksgiving to drive back the clouds of sorrow and gloom.  Gratitude encourages graciousness.  It gives us the politeness of soul and graciousness of spirit that can’t be purchased for any amount of money.

Let’s declare war on whimpering and complaining!  Let’s put away from us forever the grumbling and fault-finding that is such a blight on the church today!  Reach into the closet of God’s grace and adorn yourself with the garment of gratitude!  It will make a difference!

Trouble Never Triumphs

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Theology

–October of 2003

Trouble Never Triumphs

Psalm 34:19

Occasionally, the Lord allows us to see a biblical truth illustrated in real life.  Sharon Makcen is a fine Christian woman, a phenomenal pastor’s wife, and a mother of three boys.  Her husband, Greg, became ill a few months ago with an illness that couldn’t be diagnosed.  As Greg’s life slowly ebbed away, Sharon sat with doctors as they offered no answers and little hope.  I was with Sharon when the primary physician told her he didn’t know what was wrong and didn’t know what else to do but to transfer her husband to a major university hospital where specialists could work with him.  The doctor, who was a Christian, then asked if he could lead the family in prayer.  After prayer, Sharon stood in the middle of the room and spoke these words with great conviction, “I know God’s way is best.  I have perfect peace in my heart.” A few days later, Greg died.  After the funeral, Sharon spoke those same words again, “God’s way is best; I have peace in my heart.”

In the days since, the words of Psalm 34:19 have been ringing in my ears.  “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”  The Psalmist did not say that God’s people would never have pain, heartache, or trouble.  Instead, the Psalmist said that the person who puts their trust in God will find that trouble is never the last word, never the final answer.  Paul said it this way, “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not is despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; stuck down, but not destroyed.”  (II Corinthians 4:8-9)

From the deep despair of a Nazi concentration camp, Corrie Ten Boom asked her sister Betsie this question, “Betsie, why has God let this happen to us?” to which Betsie replied, “Corrie, we are here so that the world may know that there is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.”

Betsie and Sharon found that in walking with God, trouble never triumphs. And when our day of trouble comes, we too will find the same.

Evaluating My Relationship Portfolio

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Education, Ministry

–April of 2003

Evaluating My Relationship Portfolio

People who work closely with the stock market have been carefully evaluating their investments over the last few years.  They want a balanced portfolio that will yield both short-term and long-terms gains.    I have been evaluating my investments as well.  Not those in the stock market, but those I make in peoples lives. I want to make sure I’m investing in those relationships that matter most.  (For those who are following, this is my third New Year’s Resolution.)

Life makes tremendous demands on our time and energy.  If we aren’t extremely careful, we will invest a significant amount of time in things that mean the least to us and have the smallest impact for long-term good.  At age 46, I’m realizing how quickly time is slipping away and how few years I have left to invest the talents God has given me. That forces me to be more discriminating in how I invest my time and in whom I invest it.

First of all I want to invest my time and energy in those people who want the investment I can make in them.  People who are passionate about improvement, have a teachable spirit, and have allowed me to develop the kind of relationship with them that makes it possible for me to be a blessing.  To those that are older, I want to be a source of consolation in loneliness, strength in weakness and encouragement in the dark moments of life.   To those that are younger, I want to be what Paul was to Timothy and Barnabas was to John Mark.  To those that are my peers, I want to be a “friend that sticketh closer than a brother”.

I also want to invest in my larger family.  I want to be a good son, son-in-law, brother and uncle. I want to make a serious contribution to the well being of each member of my family.  It’s so easy to take them for granted or just make them a part of holidays and funerals.  I want to give a listening ear, a word of encouragement, a warm embrace and any other means of support available to me to give.  This will take time, but it is time I want to give!

A large part of the stewardship of my time will be given to my sons.  I’m their father, and I refuse to neglect that role.  They will have my time, my heart, my prayers, my counsel, my support, and my ear.  I will proof term papers, talk sports, or sit on the edge of the bed and talk half the night if it builds bridges and makes them better.  I’ll teach, preach and nag (if necessary) until certain values and traits are theirs.  I’ll see to it that they educate their minds, discipline their bodies, value hard work, love their country, respect their elders, act with manners, and treat their mother like a queen (or face the consequences).  This will require and has required a huge amount of time, but I’m going to give it to them.  They’re mine, they deserve my best, and I will not let them down.

A special portion of my time will go to my wife.   Ruth and I have shared so much life in the past 24 years of marriage.  We’ve experienced an abundance of love and happiness.  Together we’ve poured an unbelievable amount of time into the lives of our children and plan to continue doing so until God calls us home.   Together we have pastored, promoted, and presided over various aspects of God’s work.  We have shared sorrow, stress, and misunderstandings.  We haven’t always agreed, but we’ve always been committed to loving and going on.  Ruth has allowed me to invest a huge amount of time in others without complaint.  Yet, I want to invest more of myself in her– more quality time.  I want to invest in our marriage, so we are planning to attend a marriage seminar.  I want her life to be filled with more bright spots, so I’m going to invest in more special moments.  I want a greater degree of “soul connection,” so I’m going to invest in more time to listen and pray with her. Our relationship matters and I want my commitment to it to reflect its importance.

Sooner than I realize, I will answer to God for my stewardship.  When I report on my investment in people, I want to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Spirituality

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Theology

–March of 2003

Spirituality

In last year’s winter issue I shared my list of New Year’s Resolutions and pledged to write an article on each one.  The second of those resolutions was a commitment to enlarge my understanding of spirituality.  My findings are offered to you in this article.  So that you can understand what I mean by spirituality, let me offer you a working definition that Klaus Isslar gives in his book, Wasting Time with God.

Christian spirituality involves a deepening trust and friendship with God for those who are in Christ Jesus.  More specifically, it is an ever growing, experientially dynamic relationship with our Trinitarian God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–through the agency of the indwelling spirit of God.

The Bible assumes it to be self-evident that we can know God intimately.

Leaping out from almost every page of scripture is a God who affects us and is affected by us.  The Old Testament reveals a God that speaks, pleads, loves, works and manifests himself to His people.  He walks with Adam and Eve in the garden, eats with Abraham by his tent, and argues with Moses on the mountaintop.  The gospels give us a front row seat as the eternal Son wraps the garments of human flesh about him, steps onto the stage of life and interacts with man.  Yet, to many, the idea of being intimate with God is still mystical and illusive.  A certain distance remains in their relationship.

 How can we develop spirituality?

Dallas Willard in his book, Renovation of the Heart, says, “The perceived distance and difficulty of entering fully into the divine world and its life is due entirely to our failure to understand that “the way in” is the way of pervasive inner transformation and to our failure to take the small steps that quietly and certainly lead to it.”  The following is what I perceive to be those essential steps.

 Spiritual formation is a deliberate choice.

Like any friendship, you must work at developing friendship with God.  It has to be a priority in your life. The psalmist David passionately wanted to know God above all else. He described his pursuit of God with worlds like: longing, yearning, thirsting and hungering. Jacob’s passion for God kept him wrestling with God all through the night.  To the Apostle Paul nothing mattered more; it was the first priority, total focus and ultimate goal of his life. (Matt. 5:6, Phil. 3:10, James 4:8)

 Spiritual formation is a team effort.

Spiritual development happens experientially as we walk with Jesus Christ.  He invites us to step into the “yoke of training” with Him.  “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me…” (Matt. 11:28-30)

Furthermore, we need not be limited by our own experiences to deepen our knowledge of God.  Much can be learned through the stories and experiences of other believers.  Thus, to know God more fully can only come about within a growing and God-knowing community of saints. (Heb. 10:24-25)

 Spiritual formation takes time.

Holy character is developed in a crock-pot not a microwave.  Most of my readers will have to have a change in lifestyle before they ever know God more deeply.  To spend time in reflection, meditation and solitude is a waste of time to most American Christians and in our Western culture wasting time is a sin.  But if we want to model the public life of Jesus then we must follow the pattern of his private life (Luke 5:15-16).

 Spiritual formation requires authenticity.

The Saints of Scripture were honest with God about their feelings.  Abraham was allowed to question and challenge God over the destruction of Sodom.  David made accusations to God of unfairness, betrayal and abandonment.  Jeremiah confronted God with the charge of being tricked.  God can handle that kind of honesty and in fact encourages it.  True intimacy is built on disclosure and openness.

Spiritual formation engages the mind.

One of the freedoms we have as human beings is the power to select what we will allow or require our minds to dwell upon. A mind that is filled with holy influences will be a mind that is strong in retaining the knowledge of God.  Read good books!  Discuss and debate what you’ve learned.  Keep your mind on the stretch for spiritual development.   There have been many great saints who had no formal education, but there were and are no great saints who have not educated their minds in the deep things of God. (Romans 12:1)

 Spiritual formation needs our emotions.

J.I. Packer wrote, “ We must not lose sight of the fact that knowing God is an emotional relationship, as well as an intellectual and volitional one, and could not indeed be a deep relation between persons were it no so.”

  Spiritual formation uses all the means of grace.

The capacity to remember and abide in God’s presence comes only through steady training.  The classic spiritual disciplines provide that training.  Saints through the ages have used the following disciplines to develop spirituality in their lives: meditation, communication, fasting, journaling/reflection, prayer, accountability, and practicing the presence of God.

 How do we know if we are making progress?

Successful spiritual formation in Christ will be evidenced in our lives.  We will be enabled to walk increasingly in the wholeness, holiness, and power of the Kingdom of God. Yet a vital part, maybe the most vital part, of spiritual formation is not seen but sensed.  Sensed not in our successes but in the keen awareness of what is yet to be done. A man who is being spiritually transformed is like a man carrying a lantern before him on a long, or not so long, pole: the light is in front of him, always lighting up fresh ground and always encouraging him to walk further.

Developing spiritual intimacy with God is a lifelong and eternity-long adventure.  One that is well worth the journey!

“What’s In It For Me?”

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Ministry, Theology

–October of 2002

“What’s In It For Me?”

Over the years I have interviewed a number of people for ministry positions.  Some as potential pastors and missionaries, others for a position here at the college.  I’ve made it a practice to listen very carefully for some form of the question, “What’s in it for me?”  I have found this to be a pivotal question that often reveals the kind of person who gives themselves only if there is an equal return to them.  They aren’t prepared to invest themselves in the lives of others for the sheer joy of making a difference.  They lack the servant spirit.

What this question reveals is becoming increasingly important as our American culture becomes more and more obsessed with materialism.  The quest for the larger house, the faster car, the more expensive wardrobe has become the pre-occupation of not only the general population but many in Christian ministry.  Given the fact of our economic prosperity, the pressure of contemporary culture, and the natural pull of a sinful heart, it’s too easy for a person today to become a creature obsessed with security and comfort, and incapable of throwing himself into a higher cause.

This dilemma is as old as sin itself.  Adam and Eve thought there was something more for them.  Lot’s lust for real estate in the Jordan Valley cost him more than he ever wanted to pay.  Paul addressed this problem from his jail cell in Rome.  He warned the Philippian Christians about those who preach Christ “out of envy and strife” (Phil. 1:15).  The word translated “strife” does not literally mean strife.  It’s the Greek word erithea and basically means a payment made to advance a person’s own interest.  Paul was describing those who preach the gospel for their own gain.  He told the Philippian church that the antidote to this self seeking was to have the mind of Christ — the attitude of soul that does nothing out of selfish ambition but finds joy in the opportunity to pour out one’s life for others.

Does the gospel offer deliverance from this self-serving focus?  It did for Timothy.  Paul told the Philippians that Timothy would “naturally care for your state” in contrast to those who seek their own interest.  It did for Paul.  Paul’s word to the Corinthian church was “for I am not in this job for what I can get out of it, but for what benefits I can bring to the many, that they may be saved” (Barclay’s translation).

Can grace so “re-orient” our hearts until the primary focus of our life is no longer our own but that of others?  Can we be truly cleansed from the question “what’s in it for me?”  The Bible makes it clear that we can.  As a matter of fact, it’s at the very heart of the gospel’s power to make us like Christ.