summer 2010

Five things to love about summer

1. The feeling of toes in warm sand

2. The smell of suntan lotion

3. The sound of sprinklers

4. The taste of ice cream on a stick

5. The smiles of my children

What’s the deal with the Bible stories I never heard about?

I mean, I grew up in church, I memorized John 3:16, I can recite the Old Testament, and yet, this remarkable book of God’s keeps surprising me.

Perhaps it’s the fact that I am not a scholar or these stories aren’t in ALL four gospels or perhaps they contain something controversial that my simple mind is missing.

Still, it’s rather surprising, entertaining and enlightening. Take for example, today in John chapter 12. I read of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus coming back to his house for the Passover, and riding the colt into Jerusalem. Lots of visual pictures from my memories, Sunday school posters, plays, palm leaves, real and construction paper….it’s the next passage that got me.

Greeks wanted to see Jesus, they talked to Philip, Philip talked to Andrew, Andrew talked to Jesus and then….there’s these wonderful words of Christ predicting his own death and a voice answering him from heaven. Jesus says, “Father, glorify your name.” God says, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” Wow! How could I not even know of this exchange?

Is it just not as incredulous as “This is my son, in whom I am well pleased.”? Harder to explain than Noah’s Ark? Perhaps I just didn’t read the Bible enough as a kid and relied on my Sunday School teachers too much.

Thanks, God, for always surprising me. For more details, see John 12.

"Well-liked by All"

Christian parents,

Do you want everyone to like your children? Think about it carefully. Yes, this is a trick question. It points back to you.

Do you want everyone to like you? Think about it carefully. Yes, this is a trick question. If the answer is yes, you are living for the wrong purpose. This is not a good goal, not in your personal life, and certainly not in parenting.

The goal of your life should not be "She was well-liked", and yet, we get sucked into this people-pleaser trap, much to our own detriment. Inevitably, you are placing your sense of significance in the hands of people. I have bad news for you. People mess up all the time. Do you know you can't even completely rely on yourself?

Yes, it's true. You will let yourself down. You've seen it in your past and it will likely happen again.

So, where does your significance lie? In the hands of others? Or in the hands of a gracious God? Are you striving for "Well done, good and faithful servant, " ?

Back to parenting. Do you want everyone to like your children? Should this be your desire? No.

"...building a significant purpose into your children invariably guarantees that some people won't like them." -Tim Kimmel, Grace-based Parenting. What? Someone not like my child? Yes, and you need to be okay with that. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter trials of many kinds...."

Do not push your child to be "well-liked by all". That is not where you want their significance to be based. Jesus loved all, but was not loved by all. If they're goal is to be "well-liked", they will not stand up for their faith. If you are striving to be "well-liked by all," your children will strive for this as well.

Set your goal higher, for you and for them. Strive to please God and not man. "well done, good and faithful servant," instead of "well-liked by all."