I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith – 2 Timothy 4:7
John Maxwell wrote, “Quitting is more about WHO you are than WHERE you are.”
As a pastor, can I open up and share with you my heart? You might not like it, but I hope God will use what I have to say to reach one or two of you out there.
In ministry, I often come across Christians who START well, but they invariably do not finish in the same way they start. Here are a few examples:
Some get excited about serving in a ministry, but then stop serving and end up leaving it to others without saying a word.
Some get excited about coming to church, then after a while, they stop coming and upon being contacted they mentioned they had left and gone somewhere else.
Some share how God is moving them into a particular calling, and then when they do not see the results they expected, choose to throw their calling to the side for something else.
Some start off so well that they are chosen to be leaders in the church, but then you look around for them and they are gone! Not a word. It is as if the Rapture occurred and only they have been taken!
I see this so often that I had to take a few minutes this morning and talk about it. We are great at starting, but so lousy when it comes to finishing the race.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with leaving church and finding another one to attend. But it would be nice to say, “Goodbye,” since relationships were formed during a period of time. To do so is the Christian thing to do. Would Jesus just get up and depart leaving a string of good and unfinished relationships along the way?
I remember when Paul was about to leave the church at Ephesus in Acts 20. He called to him the elders of the church (v. 17), he encouraged them and reminded them of his ministry; he informed them of his plans, warned them of coming dangers, weep and embraced them, prayed with them, and then he left (cf. vv. 18-38). Paul started the church at Ephesus, and when it came time to leave, he finished well by leaving well. He valued the relationships formed and wanted the church he served to know just how important they are to him and that distance and location would not be an issue between them since they serve an omnipresent God.
We need to finish well!
This past Easter was another example of how we do not finish well. We know as Christians, based on years of experience, that there are two Sundays out of the year where the unsaved tend to frequent the church – Christmas and Easter. However, I was surprised to hear how many took off on Easter Sunday in order to spend time with their families. Many of whom were leaders in the church with key responsibilities.
So Sunday came, and we had a lot of visitors and guests, but the laborers were few to help take care of them. Those who did sacrifice their time had double the load. And they had families and loved ones to be with to, but they chose to give Easter to the Lord and to be in church for the sake of the lost. You see, there are two things Jesus will probably say to us when we see Him in heaven: “Welcome home and who did you bring with you?”
God is not opposed to spending time with family. God gave you your family for a reason and wants you to love them and build relationships with them. But not to give one to two hours out of twenty four on Easter to serve the body of Christ and to be there for the sake of those who are lost is another example of not finishing well.
I even came across one example in which one spouse was so mad at another because one wanted to attend the Easter Service and serve the Lord, while the other wanted the spouse not go to church and attend a family gathering instead. I thought to myself, “How easy it is for us to allow Satan to make us stumble over some of the most spiritually important issues in life. It is as if we have lost our bearings or our spiritual compass has been damaged.”
Unfortunately, in many ways starting is the easy part. Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, “The great majority of men are bundles of beginnings.”
What about you? Are you merely a starter? When the enthusiasm for a new idea fades, when the passion cools, when the odds against you increase and the results diminish, when it looks as if success is impossible, will you maintain your intensity and keep going? Are you tenacious?
Quitting is more about who you are than where you are.
Everyone faces difficulty when working toward a dream. And if someone fails, he can make excuses for what went wrong, how the unexpected happened, how someone let him down, how circumstances worked against him.
But the reality is that the external things do not stop people. Those who achieve their dreams don’t have an easier path than those who do not. They just have a different internal attitude about the journey. The great artist Leonardo da Vinci once declared, “Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed on a star does not change his mind.”
The one who achieves the dream sees the journey differently.
Instead of thinking, “Not enough people believe in me. I’ll never make it,” he says, “My belief in myself is enough; I can make it.”
Instead of, “It’s taking too long to realize my dream,” she reminds herself, “Dreams are realized one day at a time.”
Rather than, “Enough is enough! I’ve taken enough hits!” she declares, “I’ve come too far to give up now.”
Instead of, “I don’t have the strength to hold onto my dream,” he tells himself, “Hold on a little longer. The darkest hour comes just before the dawn.”
Novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe said, “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
And I love how H.E. Jensen expressed an achiever’s way of thinking: “The man who wins may have been counted out several times, but he didn’t hear the referee.” The only real guarantee for failure is to stop trying.
We love to start things, but are so poor in finishing. As a pastor, I see this so often that it becomes mind boggling! This not only happens in church, but also in marriages. Look at the alarming divorce rate today among those who profess faith in Christ. When I was working in the market place as a Human Resource Director, I had seen this done over and over. We hire people for jobs. They start off well. Then something else distracts them and they do not show up for work. Upon investigation it was discovered that they had found another job and was too ashamed to say anything about it. Out in the world I can understand this occurring, but in the church among believers who claim to know Jesus. This astounds me! What about you?
Can I make a simple suggestion: Please do not start anything in life and even in the church without doing what Jesus commanded. What did Jesus teach? Jesus said, “Before you build a tower, FIRST sit down and count the cost.” Why? So that others (Christians and unsaved alike), won’t say, “This man began to build, but he was not able to finish” (Luke 14:28-30).
So when things go wrong, when the obstacles seem too great, when the difficulties get to be too much, when your dream seems to be impossibly far away, your job is to simply keep going. If you stop, it won’t be because of what happens AROUND you. It will be because of what happens IN you. Choose to see things differently. Success is probably closer than you think. Just keep moving forward. We’re a team, right? And the body of Christ is depending on you to help bring in the harvest.
All hands on deck!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
What To Believe?
Upon entering a little country store, the stranger noticed a sign saying "DANGER! BEWARE OF DOG!" posted on the glass door. Inside, he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor near the cash register.
He asked the store's owner "Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware of?"
"Yep," the proprietor answered, "That's him."
The stranger couldn't help being amused. "That certainly doesn't look like a dangerous dog to me," he chuckled. "Why in the world did you decide to post that sign?"
"Because," the owner replied, "before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him."
Now and then I come across people who spiritually trip over Jesus and Christianity. I am not talking about unsaved people, but those who profess to be Christians. And a good reason for this is that many people within the church do not know the essentials of the Christian faith. If someone were to ask you, “What are the essential core beliefs of the Christian faith that under no circumstances can never be compromised,” what would your answer be? We ought to know such things, otherwise we too can trip over Christianity.
Here are seven essentials beliefs that, if you call yourself a Christian, you MUST believe in every one of these truths.
1. God Exist (Heb. 11:6).
The bible teaches that without faith in God, a faith that “must believe that He is,” it is impossible to please Him. This is the starting point. No person can ever be said to be a Christian who does not believe that God exists.
2. God is a Trinity (Matt. 28:19).
When Jesus gave to His church the assignment of fulfilling the Great Commission, He said, “make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name (singular) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Right at the very start of introducing someone to Jesus and starting them on the road of walking with Christ is an essential understanding of knowing that the Lord is one God who exists in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. Jesus is both God and Man (Philip. 2:5-8).
You must believe that Jesus is God. Why? Otherwise you will be tempted to think He had a beginning. You must also believe that Jesus was born a man. Why? Otherwise you will be tempted to believe that Jesus was nothing more than a good person with a noble cause. Paul said that Jesus “existed in the form of God,” and “emptied Himself” (i.e. became a man) “being made in the likeness of men.”
John put it this way: “Every spirit (or person) who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every person who does not confess Jesus Christ is not from God; and this is the spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:2-3).
If Jesus had not been God, then He would have been your average sinner who did not die for the sins of others, but for his own sins. If Jesus did not become man, how in the world would it be possible for us to know the Father, since it is the Son who reveals the Father to us (John 14:9)?
4. Jesus died for our sins and three days later resurrected (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
The fact that Jesus died is indisputable. The fact that He arose from the dead is undeniable. Yet people trip over the resurrection of Christ all the time, because they do not make the association that Jesus did all this for them! Paul said that if Jesus was not raised from the dead than our faith is useless and so is our preaching (1 Cor. 15:14). In fact, believing in the resurrection of Christ is so critical, that one cannot be saved without such a belief (cf. Rom. 10:9).
5. The Bible is God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
There is no other source on this side of heaven greater than, or equal to, the Word of God. God did not inspire men, but the Scriptures. Every word is God-breathed or God-given and therefore totally inerrant and infallible. You and I can trust the Word of God completely. Only God’s Word has the ability to “save your soul” (James 1:21). No person can call himself an evangelical Christian who does not believe that the Bible is the Word of God.
6. Jesus is coming back for us (John 14:1-3).
Jesus made a promise that He would one day return for His bride. You can be certain that if He kept His promise the first time and was born into this world, you know He will also keep His promise and come again, this time as a conquering king (Rev. 19:11). Don’t let anyone, especially mockers tame your passion to look for and wait patently for the return of Christ (cf. 2 Pet. 3:1-9).
He is right on schedule. He will not be late. Will you and I be ready?
7. Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).
No man comes to the Father but through Christ. Believing this is paramount. There is no salvation in any other name under heaven given to men (Acts 4:12). Believing that there are more ways to heaven than Jesus is why the popular road to heaven today is wide rather than narrow (Matt. 7:13-14). God’s truth is always narrow. Don’t fall for the notion that you have to keep an open mind on this issue. No you don’t! You want your doctor to have an open mind when he or she operates on you? You want your pilot to have an open mind when he flies the plane you are riding on? You want your spouse to have an open mind regarding who he or she ought to love and care for? Then why would we want an open mind regarding the most critical and crucial issue in life – our eternal destiny? Jesus is the only way PERIOD! That settles it!
Now why are these things important to believe? Why is it essential to understand the truth about Jesus? Because to do so is how lives are transformed forever!
From the pages of The Wall Street Journal comes the story of a Polish man named William E. Wallner who became a Lutheran minister in Prague. Author John Murray writes: "By 1939, Wallner was leading a Lutheran parish in Prague. Shortly after Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia, a doctor in Wallner's parish was sent to a Nazi concentration camp...The doctor, a Jewish convert to Christianity, encouraged his fellow prisoners 'to die bravely, with faith in their hearts.' As a result, the doctor became a target of Gestapo officers.
"Although struck with an iron rod until one of his arms had to be amputated, the doctor would not be quieted. Finally... 'one Gestapo officer beat the doctor's head against a stone wall until blood was streaming down his face.' Holding a mirror before the doctor, the Gestapo officer sneered: 'Take a look at yourself. Now you look like your Jewish Christ.'
"Lifting his remaining hand up, the doctor exclaimed, 'Lord Jesus, never in my life have I received such honor—to resemble You.' Those would be his last words on Earth.
"Distraught by the doctor's proclamation, the Gestapo officer sought out Wallner that night. 'Could Pastor Wallner help him, free him from the terrible burden of his guilt?'
"After praying with him, Wallner advised, 'Perhaps God let you kill that good man to bring you to the foot of the Cross, where you can help others.' The Gestapo officer returned to the concentration camp. And through the aid of Wallner and the Czech underground, he worked to free many Jews over the years that followed." In fact, he helped save more than 350 Jewish children from death at Nazi hands."
The power of Jesus can transform lives -- a Polish minister, a Jewish doctor, a Gestapo officer. He can even transform you and me.
He asked the store's owner "Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware of?"
"Yep," the proprietor answered, "That's him."
The stranger couldn't help being amused. "That certainly doesn't look like a dangerous dog to me," he chuckled. "Why in the world did you decide to post that sign?"
"Because," the owner replied, "before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him."
Now and then I come across people who spiritually trip over Jesus and Christianity. I am not talking about unsaved people, but those who profess to be Christians. And a good reason for this is that many people within the church do not know the essentials of the Christian faith. If someone were to ask you, “What are the essential core beliefs of the Christian faith that under no circumstances can never be compromised,” what would your answer be? We ought to know such things, otherwise we too can trip over Christianity.
Here are seven essentials beliefs that, if you call yourself a Christian, you MUST believe in every one of these truths.
1. God Exist (Heb. 11:6).
The bible teaches that without faith in God, a faith that “must believe that He is,” it is impossible to please Him. This is the starting point. No person can ever be said to be a Christian who does not believe that God exists.
2. God is a Trinity (Matt. 28:19).
When Jesus gave to His church the assignment of fulfilling the Great Commission, He said, “make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name (singular) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Right at the very start of introducing someone to Jesus and starting them on the road of walking with Christ is an essential understanding of knowing that the Lord is one God who exists in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. Jesus is both God and Man (Philip. 2:5-8).
You must believe that Jesus is God. Why? Otherwise you will be tempted to think He had a beginning. You must also believe that Jesus was born a man. Why? Otherwise you will be tempted to believe that Jesus was nothing more than a good person with a noble cause. Paul said that Jesus “existed in the form of God,” and “emptied Himself” (i.e. became a man) “being made in the likeness of men.”
John put it this way: “Every spirit (or person) who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every person who does not confess Jesus Christ is not from God; and this is the spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:2-3).
If Jesus had not been God, then He would have been your average sinner who did not die for the sins of others, but for his own sins. If Jesus did not become man, how in the world would it be possible for us to know the Father, since it is the Son who reveals the Father to us (John 14:9)?
4. Jesus died for our sins and three days later resurrected (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
The fact that Jesus died is indisputable. The fact that He arose from the dead is undeniable. Yet people trip over the resurrection of Christ all the time, because they do not make the association that Jesus did all this for them! Paul said that if Jesus was not raised from the dead than our faith is useless and so is our preaching (1 Cor. 15:14). In fact, believing in the resurrection of Christ is so critical, that one cannot be saved without such a belief (cf. Rom. 10:9).
5. The Bible is God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
There is no other source on this side of heaven greater than, or equal to, the Word of God. God did not inspire men, but the Scriptures. Every word is God-breathed or God-given and therefore totally inerrant and infallible. You and I can trust the Word of God completely. Only God’s Word has the ability to “save your soul” (James 1:21). No person can call himself an evangelical Christian who does not believe that the Bible is the Word of God.
6. Jesus is coming back for us (John 14:1-3).
Jesus made a promise that He would one day return for His bride. You can be certain that if He kept His promise the first time and was born into this world, you know He will also keep His promise and come again, this time as a conquering king (Rev. 19:11). Don’t let anyone, especially mockers tame your passion to look for and wait patently for the return of Christ (cf. 2 Pet. 3:1-9).
He is right on schedule. He will not be late. Will you and I be ready?
7. Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).
No man comes to the Father but through Christ. Believing this is paramount. There is no salvation in any other name under heaven given to men (Acts 4:12). Believing that there are more ways to heaven than Jesus is why the popular road to heaven today is wide rather than narrow (Matt. 7:13-14). God’s truth is always narrow. Don’t fall for the notion that you have to keep an open mind on this issue. No you don’t! You want your doctor to have an open mind when he or she operates on you? You want your pilot to have an open mind when he flies the plane you are riding on? You want your spouse to have an open mind regarding who he or she ought to love and care for? Then why would we want an open mind regarding the most critical and crucial issue in life – our eternal destiny? Jesus is the only way PERIOD! That settles it!
Now why are these things important to believe? Why is it essential to understand the truth about Jesus? Because to do so is how lives are transformed forever!
From the pages of The Wall Street Journal comes the story of a Polish man named William E. Wallner who became a Lutheran minister in Prague. Author John Murray writes: "By 1939, Wallner was leading a Lutheran parish in Prague. Shortly after Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia, a doctor in Wallner's parish was sent to a Nazi concentration camp...The doctor, a Jewish convert to Christianity, encouraged his fellow prisoners 'to die bravely, with faith in their hearts.' As a result, the doctor became a target of Gestapo officers.
"Although struck with an iron rod until one of his arms had to be amputated, the doctor would not be quieted. Finally... 'one Gestapo officer beat the doctor's head against a stone wall until blood was streaming down his face.' Holding a mirror before the doctor, the Gestapo officer sneered: 'Take a look at yourself. Now you look like your Jewish Christ.'
"Lifting his remaining hand up, the doctor exclaimed, 'Lord Jesus, never in my life have I received such honor—to resemble You.' Those would be his last words on Earth.
"Distraught by the doctor's proclamation, the Gestapo officer sought out Wallner that night. 'Could Pastor Wallner help him, free him from the terrible burden of his guilt?'
"After praying with him, Wallner advised, 'Perhaps God let you kill that good man to bring you to the foot of the Cross, where you can help others.' The Gestapo officer returned to the concentration camp. And through the aid of Wallner and the Czech underground, he worked to free many Jews over the years that followed." In fact, he helped save more than 350 Jewish children from death at Nazi hands."
The power of Jesus can transform lives -- a Polish minister, a Jewish doctor, a Gestapo officer. He can even transform you and me.
Friday, April 22, 2011
What is Good Friday?
Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is celebrated traditionally as the day on which Jesus was crucified. Assuming that Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday, should Christians remember Jesus' death by celebrating Good Friday?
The Bible does not instruct Christians to remember Christ’s death by honoring a certain day. The Bible does give us freedom in these matters, however. Romans 14:5 tells us, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Rather than remembering Christ's death on a certain day, once a year, the Bible instructs us to remember Christ’s death by observing the Lord’s Supper. First Corinthians 11:24-26 declares, “...do this in remembrance of me...for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
Here is another question: Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” First Peter 3:18 tells us, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” Therefore, because of what the death of Jesus had done on our behalf, it is said to be “good.”
Many Christian churches celebrate Good Friday with a subdued service, usually in the evening, in which Christ’s death is remembered with solemn hymns, prayers of thanksgiving, a message centered on Christ suffering for our sakes, and observance of the Lord's Supper. Whether or not Christians choose to “celebrate” Good Friday, the events of that day should be ever on our minds because the death of Christ on the cross is the paramount event of the Christian faith.
Traditionally, believers come together on Good Friday to take Communion. It is Communion that points believers to the death of Christ and enables us to remember what He did to secure our eternal deliverance on the cross.
But here is the blessing. We come together to “remember” the death of Jesus on the cross (Good Friday), but three days later we ALL come together to “celebrate” Jesus’ resurrection (Easter). Today is Friday, but hallelujah, SUNDAY’S COMING!
This is why the gatherings on Good Friday are traditionally small in number compared to Easter. There were only a hand full of believers present at the death of Christ. But when Jesus arose three days later, the numbers grew!
Bill and Gloria Gaither captured the essence of the resurrection of Christ with these words to a song:
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.
And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
Christians ought to be the most joyful people on this planet. We serve and worship a risen Savior who is alive! Do we really understand this? Do we really know Him? If so, it will spill out from our lives onto others in waves of joy!
The Bible does not instruct Christians to remember Christ’s death by honoring a certain day. The Bible does give us freedom in these matters, however. Romans 14:5 tells us, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Rather than remembering Christ's death on a certain day, once a year, the Bible instructs us to remember Christ’s death by observing the Lord’s Supper. First Corinthians 11:24-26 declares, “...do this in remembrance of me...for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
Here is another question: Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” First Peter 3:18 tells us, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” Therefore, because of what the death of Jesus had done on our behalf, it is said to be “good.”
Many Christian churches celebrate Good Friday with a subdued service, usually in the evening, in which Christ’s death is remembered with solemn hymns, prayers of thanksgiving, a message centered on Christ suffering for our sakes, and observance of the Lord's Supper. Whether or not Christians choose to “celebrate” Good Friday, the events of that day should be ever on our minds because the death of Christ on the cross is the paramount event of the Christian faith.
Traditionally, believers come together on Good Friday to take Communion. It is Communion that points believers to the death of Christ and enables us to remember what He did to secure our eternal deliverance on the cross.
But here is the blessing. We come together to “remember” the death of Jesus on the cross (Good Friday), but three days later we ALL come together to “celebrate” Jesus’ resurrection (Easter). Today is Friday, but hallelujah, SUNDAY’S COMING!
This is why the gatherings on Good Friday are traditionally small in number compared to Easter. There were only a hand full of believers present at the death of Christ. But when Jesus arose three days later, the numbers grew!
Bill and Gloria Gaither captured the essence of the resurrection of Christ with these words to a song:
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.
And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
Christians ought to be the most joyful people on this planet. We serve and worship a risen Savior who is alive! Do we really understand this? Do we really know Him? If so, it will spill out from our lives onto others in waves of joy!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Is Parenting a Good Investment?
When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her – Ruth 1:18
I am a parent. Therefore, let me talk for a moment to you who are also parents.
Is parenting a good investment? How would you answer this?
Well, one way of thinking about it would be whether children wind up being economically beneficial. By investment, do you mean that once they grow up, your children end up making enough money for you to recover much of your principal? I doubt this is often the case. The amount of money you spent on your kids versus what you get back in monetary form is way below your principal investment, right?
But perhaps children are a different sort of investment, where you put money in to get something else of even greater value such as admiration, pride and respect. So, maybe it is better to say that parenting is more of a wise purchase than an investment.
When you think about it, children aren't enough of a benefit to justify the cost. So what's the purpose, then? Well, you get to grant another being in existence, nurture, devotion, and sacrifice, all of which they will never fully appreciate. And that is precisely why you don't become a parent because it's a good investment. You become a parent because it's a God-like investment. Make sense?
This then leads me to discuss Naomi situation from the Book of Ruth. Naomi had two sons both of which died (Ruth 1:5). She was then left with two daughters-in-law. One left her and the other remained. Her name was Ruth. This was a good thing. For it means that Naomi would not remain “ruthless” for the rest of her life! (Pun intended!)
But seriously, when Ruth chose to remain with her mother-in-law, Naomi, it was as if all of Naomi’s investment that she had lost in her sons had come back to bless her through Naomi, her one daughter-in-law who chose to remain with her.
Sometimes we do not get the kind of investment return we hoped for in our children. Just look at Adam and Eve. What kind of investment return did they receive from Cain? Perhaps, this is the reason why it is beneficial to have more than one child. If one or more goes south, there is still hope for the next one.
But let’s switch gears for a moment and think of parenting from God’s perspective. Has the Lord gotten a good investment return on you? Are you paying back the principal that the Lord has sacrificed for you?
We parents do take a risk when we have children, don’t we? Sometimes the risk is worth it and sometimes we do not see the kind of results we had hoped for. But every parent still must take the risk and make the investment into their children no matter how costly it can be.
As a parent, I am responsible to raise my kids in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). This is my duty and calling. My children have their own free wills. What they do and how they live is all their responsibility. If I make a sacrificial investment into their lives, I have done what every parent is called to do. I may be blessed to see some of my investment return to me in the form of godliness, service unto the Lord, godly grandchildren, and God-honoring marriages. Sure, I do not expect to see nearly the financial principal that I had put into raising them. But if all I do see is that they are walking with the Lord, I have considered myself blessed as a parent. For my children to live a good and law abiding life is not enough. They must go beyond that and live for the Lord.
Here is a scary thought: Perhaps if we do not witness a good return on your investment with our children, could it be that we have not been the kind of examples in our walk with God by which they could mimic?
I am a parent. Therefore, let me talk for a moment to you who are also parents.
Is parenting a good investment? How would you answer this?
Well, one way of thinking about it would be whether children wind up being economically beneficial. By investment, do you mean that once they grow up, your children end up making enough money for you to recover much of your principal? I doubt this is often the case. The amount of money you spent on your kids versus what you get back in monetary form is way below your principal investment, right?
But perhaps children are a different sort of investment, where you put money in to get something else of even greater value such as admiration, pride and respect. So, maybe it is better to say that parenting is more of a wise purchase than an investment.
When you think about it, children aren't enough of a benefit to justify the cost. So what's the purpose, then? Well, you get to grant another being in existence, nurture, devotion, and sacrifice, all of which they will never fully appreciate. And that is precisely why you don't become a parent because it's a good investment. You become a parent because it's a God-like investment. Make sense?
This then leads me to discuss Naomi situation from the Book of Ruth. Naomi had two sons both of which died (Ruth 1:5). She was then left with two daughters-in-law. One left her and the other remained. Her name was Ruth. This was a good thing. For it means that Naomi would not remain “ruthless” for the rest of her life! (Pun intended!)
But seriously, when Ruth chose to remain with her mother-in-law, Naomi, it was as if all of Naomi’s investment that she had lost in her sons had come back to bless her through Naomi, her one daughter-in-law who chose to remain with her.
Sometimes we do not get the kind of investment return we hoped for in our children. Just look at Adam and Eve. What kind of investment return did they receive from Cain? Perhaps, this is the reason why it is beneficial to have more than one child. If one or more goes south, there is still hope for the next one.
But let’s switch gears for a moment and think of parenting from God’s perspective. Has the Lord gotten a good investment return on you? Are you paying back the principal that the Lord has sacrificed for you?
We parents do take a risk when we have children, don’t we? Sometimes the risk is worth it and sometimes we do not see the kind of results we had hoped for. But every parent still must take the risk and make the investment into their children no matter how costly it can be.
As a parent, I am responsible to raise my kids in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). This is my duty and calling. My children have their own free wills. What they do and how they live is all their responsibility. If I make a sacrificial investment into their lives, I have done what every parent is called to do. I may be blessed to see some of my investment return to me in the form of godliness, service unto the Lord, godly grandchildren, and God-honoring marriages. Sure, I do not expect to see nearly the financial principal that I had put into raising them. But if all I do see is that they are walking with the Lord, I have considered myself blessed as a parent. For my children to live a good and law abiding life is not enough. They must go beyond that and live for the Lord.
Here is a scary thought: Perhaps if we do not witness a good return on your investment with our children, could it be that we have not been the kind of examples in our walk with God by which they could mimic?
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