In the article “Happiness is overrated” writer Elizabeth Heathcote comments on positive thinking “My beef is less with the details of positive psychology and more with the way it functions. By lending academic credence to the idea that we can be better, shinier and happier if we just try, it has turned happiness into not only something we should expect, but yet another must-have commodity that you are failing if you don’t achieve”.
Happiness is a gift, a result of something good that has happened to us. We cannot manufacture it. It is pure gospel – something that is a result of something happening to us. When we try to turn it into law – something we must do, “don’t worry, be happy”, then we miss out on it.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
"A friend of mine was walking down a street in Minneapolis one day and was confronted by an evangelical brother who asked, “Brother, are you saved?” Hal rolled his eyes back and said, “Yes.” That didn’t satisfy this brother, so he said, “Well, when were you saved?” Hal said, “About two thousand years ago, about a twenty minutes’ walk from downtown Jerusalem.” This is the gospel message. It’s just as important for Christians to believe for their sanctification as it is for pagans to believe for their justification; for it is the same message, the same salvation, the same work of God. It’s just as important for the evangelical church today as it was for the reformers in the sixteenth century. Without this simple, but mind-boggling message, there is no hope, not for the sinner nor for the saint."
I did a lot of driving on the motorway last weekend and I saw quite a few policemen on the road. One thing I always notice with myself and other drivers is how everyone's speed drops by about 10km/hr at the sight of a police car. The sight of the law convicts us.
But what’s more interesting to me are people’s reactions to the amount of Police presence on our roads. Whenever there is a news item about speed cameras or Police check points, reporters always seem to be able to find someone who says “What a waste of taxpayer’s money. Why aren’t the Police going after real criminals?” It is easy to downplay our sin when it doesn't seem to hurt anyone. "I'm in a bit of rush, why won't this guy get out of my way, I'll just overtake him, it's only a single yellow line." But who knows when our next "little" offense will be ours (or someone else's) last? In 2010 over 300 people diedon New Zealand roads. Many of the road deaths were caused by overall good citizens who in one crucial moment choose to be careless and break the law with devastating consequences. Hence the Police concern about the issue.
God’s standard for measuring our goodness is infinitely higher than our own. Jesus commands us to “Love our neighbour as ourselves”. If I truly loved my neighbour I would follow the 2 second rule, I would keep to the speed limit, I would drive to the conditions, I would not allow myself to be distracted by my mobile phone etc, etc, etc. But my actions show that I do not love my neighbour as I should, rather I love to rush when I am late and many times I feel like I am the most important car on the road.
The Police will not forgive me for my traffic offenses (and rightly so.) I'll have to pay the fine, but my offenses against God are much greater, with a fine too great for me to pay. Its such good news that someone else has already paid this fine for me and I am no longer under Gods condemnation. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4)
So the Hub and I were watching obscure Disney movie “Treasure Planet” the other night and I had a law and grace moment.
(****Spoiler Alert****)
Near the end of the film, would be hero Jim has just discovered the evil Captain Flint’s hidden booty. He climbs aboard a ship wreck lying amongst the gold and sees the Captain himself sitting there guarding his treasure. Captain Flint would be pretty threatening if it were not for the fact that he has no flesh on his bones. This guy’s been dead for a long time. Jim soon discovers that the whole place has been booby trapped and... cue the adventure of a lifetime!
Captain Flint had worked his whole life to gain all the treasure in the world and went to great lengths to stop anyone taking it but ultimately he lost it all; death took it from him. Jesus warns us about a man who stored up for himself great wealth on earth but he died with nothing because his riches were given away to someone else and he had rejected the greatest treasure of all; peace with God.
How can you get peace with God? You can’t, Jesus got it for you by taking the punishment you deserve for you on the cross. Because of his death you can no longer be God’s enemy, instead He will adopt you into His family and you can be with Him forever. If you think that sounds like good news, you own a treasure no one, even death, can ever take from you.
I walk past a sign outside a personal trainer’s offices on my way to and from school. The sign reads
“Choice, not circumstances, determine your success”
I think the sign sums up exactly what I call the “law of physical fitness”. All the authorities on the law of physical fitness tell us that if we work hard to be fit and eat the right food then we will reap the rewards: more energy, longer life and rock hard abs. There is no good news for the person who does not keep the law of regular exercise and a healthy diet; who hasn't watched The Biggest Loser?
Perhaps surprisingly for some, the Bible talks very little about caring for our physical bodies. Probably because at the time of the Bible’s writing fast food wasn’t available and everyone did a full 12+ hours a day in the fields trying to grow their daily bread. What the Bible does talk about is the condition of our hearts, not the beating red one, but the essence of who we are.
As Christians living in a world that glorifies both McDonalds and super skinny models it is hard to resist the idolatry of being obsessed with appearance. We need to keep in mind that the fittest athlete in the world today may have gained the world but he will die when he least expects it. The only good news for all you athletes, slobs, anorexics, yoyo dieters, and healthy average Joe’s is that Jesus died for ALL of your sins including gluttony, laziness and self obsession. His death on your behalf means that when you die God will give you eternal life with Him in a perfect resurrected body that will never again struggle with the idolatry of outward appearance.
In Christ alone will you daily find the security to say with Him “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt 6:31-33)
I love fancy dress parties. They are so fun! Seeing each person as they come in completely transformed and sometimes unrecognizable is so exciting. So when we received an invitation to a 70’s and 80’s party at a friend’s church I started planning our outfits. I was thinking classic 80’s for myself; tapered pants, loose white blouse tucked in, teased hair, loads of makeup. My ideas for the Hub were a little more over the top; he could grow a mustache, wear a Hawaiian shirt and channel Magnum P.I. Or I could half cut his hair mullet style, or he could sling a gun or two over his shoulders and be Chuck Norris… OK I’m getting carried away, you get the idea.
So I presented my ideas to him thinking that he would be thrilled. Well the reception was less than enthusiastic and I threw a minor tantrum. Don’t fret, we worked it out and I reconciled myself to his outfit: a Pac-man tee (and pants). But the whole thing left a sour note in my mouth, why was I so upset about such a small thing?
Tim Keller has taught me to look behind every sin for the idol lurking in the background. When I looked behind my disappointment with my husband I found an idol alright; the idol of coolness. I realized that part of the reason why I like going all out for fancy dress parties is so that people will think “wow, I wish I could be as bold as her, she is so cool”. And so I was frustrated with my hub because he was not allowing me to fulfill that desire. Lame huh.
James tells us that quarrels and fighting come from the evil desires at war within us . The solution he gives us is to humble ourselves before God. That is to realize that we desire lame things like being cool more than God and those closest to us and that God has every right to punish us for that.
But that’s not the end of the story. When we humble ourselves James promises that God will exalt us. How will He do this? He already has through Jesus Christ! By believing that Jesus died for us on the cross we receive His righteousness and that is always pleasing to God. It is only the love of the true God for us that will crush our idols. Amen!
*****Watch the youtube clip to the end before reading this post****
I’ve been doing a Bible study with a friend and we came to this passage in the book of Luke:
(Jesus speaking) “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6: 46-49
So Jacqui, what are you trying to say about Japan? Are you saying that the reason they had an enormous tsunami is because they are under Gods judgment? NO, that’s not what I’m about to say and that’s NOT why I wanted you to see the video.
Jesus wanted His listeners to imagine a house being swept away by huge, scary floodwaters. Well you don’t have to imagine anymore, because you just watched it happen. You also saw what happened to the man filming it; he was safe because he was literally standing on a big rock.
When God’s judgment does come to this world (and it comes to all of us at our deaths) it will be as unrelenting as a tsunami through a city. The only people who will be safe on that day will be those who built their house on a rock, that is, Jesus explains, only those who followed His teachings. “Do to others as you would have them do to you… If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also… Love your enemies! Do good to them… Do not condemn others… Forgive others… Lend to them without expecting to be repaid… etc… etc… etc…” Luke 6:36.
That doesn’t really fill me with a lot of hope. I can see that those are all good things to do, and I would like to be that kind of person, but if that’s what building your house on the rock means then you can forget sand, my house is built on a foundation more like rotten marmalade jelly, or something. There’s a huge storm coming and unless someone rescues me, I haven’t got a chance…
But that’s just it. There was someone who built their house on the rock by following all of Jesus teachings completely, one hundred percent. It was Jesus himself. He’s got a big ol' house up there on that rock and there is plenty of room inside. Room for anyone who looks at their badly built, junk homes with no foundation and realizes that the flood is going to wipe them out.
When you realize you need to be rescued from sin, Jesus will save you. Finally you will be safe on the “rock” of His perfection, as safe as the guy filming the video was from the tsunami.
