FINDING GOD

Trying to describe God can be a challenging prospect. There are so many sides to His personality, and He’s so much greater and more profound than we’ll ever be able to grasp. Besides, each of us is at a different stage in our personal growth, and our relationship with God changes over the years.

For instance, my two-year-old daughter, Audrey, seems to know God as a friendly gentleman with a long white beard who keeps an eye on things from behind some clouds. Jesus usually shows up in her books as a baby in a manger or a shepherd counting sheep.

It’s fine that children relate to God in simple ways. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” Still, I’m looking forward to Audrey growing in maturity to the point that she can experience many more of God’s attributes, such as His wisdom, His power to heal, His comfort, His help in time of trouble, and so on.

Although none of us can ever fully understand God, we can find clues in His Word to help us get to know Him better. Most importantly, the Bible tells us that God loves each of us fervently, even though He knows all the wrong stuff we’ve done. His love is permanent, unconditional, and complete. “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become—because He made us. He invented us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.—C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)

—

James 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Psalm 147:3 (NIV)
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

DEBT FREE

Sérgio was going through a severe financial crisis. He had taken out a large loan in a foreign currency, but a wild fluctuation in the exchange rate had raised his debt to more than double the value of everything he possessed.

Sérgio’s main creditor was his father-in-law, a very wealthy man. One day he told Sérgio, “I know you’re going through rough times, and I want to help you. You don’t have to continue the monthly payments on the money you borrowed from me. Actually, I’d like to forgive the debt altogether.”

That would have given Sérgio enough financial leeway to renegotiate his other debts and keep his company afloat, but Sérgio refused the offer.

“I can’t let you do that, sir. It’s a matter of principle. I must pay back all I owe you.”
The old man tried to reason with his son-in-law.

“What you’ve been paying monthly doesn’t even cover the interest on the money I loaned you. Besides, you are married to my only daughter. When I die—and it won’t be long—all I have will be hers and yours. This is not a matter of principle, but stupid pride.”

However, Sérgio stubbornly continued in his futile attempts to restore to his father-in-law what he had borrowed from him. In the end, Sérgio went bankrupt and lost his company and almost everything else.

Of course, we should do what we can to pay our debts. But Sérgio was like many people who refuse the pardon God so generously offers, who insist on trying to make restitution themselves. They try, through good works, sacrifice, and self-denial, to repay the unrepayable, when they could start writing a new story for their lives by accepting Jesus’ payment for their mistakes.

Jesus offers a full pardon to every man, woman, and child. All we have to do is accept it.

Receive God’s free pardon by simply asking and inviting His Son, Jesus, into your life:

“Thank You, dear Jesus, for dying for me and forgiving me. I open my heart to You and accept Your gift.”

He paid a debt He did not owe;
I owed a debt I could not pay;
I needed someone to wash my sins away.
Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.
—Ellis J. Crum

—

Mark 16:16 ESV / Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

James 2:24 ESV / You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Acts 2:38 ESV / And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

MY YEAR WITHOUT CLOTHES

Well, not literally. I can explain.
At the start of last year, I made (and ended up keeping) a resolution to not purchase any new clothes or shoes that year. My reasons were a combination of,

1) I didn’t need more shoes and clothes. I’m not one of those shopaholic types, and with a combination of going to plenty of garage sales, occasional online shopping, and having lots of girlfriends around to swap with, I already had a lot of stuff!

2) I had recently read about a growing movement of people who had decided they would only own 100 items. I did some quick calculations and decided that wasn’t exactly for me, but I admired the concept. And
3) I had exactly zero set aside in savings at the time, and I wanted to change that.

As it turned out, I ended up getting more new clothes and shoes within that year than I had in the previous several years, despite not buying any of them. Yep, it’s true. It was a combination of visits with my mother, sister, and sister-in-law—all of whom had a stash set aside for me—and gifts from other friends. Granted, not everything was brand new, but some was—and it was all new to me. So, the happy news is that I got variety in my wardrobe and shoe-drobe (shouldn’t that be a word?) without having spent a penny on it.

I woke up this morning thinking about that decision and that year and how well it all went. I strongly suspect that it was somehow connected to the minor panic I’ve been experiencing over the last few days in thinking about my current financial situation. I’ve recently relocated, bringing about a lot of changes in my life, and I’m facing some, shall we say, challenges. I have a lot of experience in being frugal, I’m disciplined in my budgeting and spending, and I think that with a little caution I’ll be okay.

Anyway, I suppose my “year without clothes” came to mind because God was reminding me that, as I like to say, “Stuff works out.” During that year, spending less time and money pursuing the acquisition of things didn’t actually result in wanting for anything. If in the near or distant future there is a month, or even a year, when I have to do without buying a certain thing, could I maybe trust God to bring it along in some unexpected way? I think so.

I often feel I don’t have a lot to show as far as manifestations of God’s involvement and activity in my life. I love Him, we spend time together, and I know His presence is always with me … but once in a while someone asks me to tell them about “something wonderful or a miracle God’s done for you,” and I kind of hem and haw and usually can’t think of anything offhand.

I used to feel horrible about that, until I came to accept that my life is probably one of those where God just doesn’t work in a “showy” way. He’s entitled to that, and I’m not entitled to expect Him to treat me in a particular way. But then, there are sweet little things like this, where I can see with hindsight that God could very well have had a hand in how things played out. I can’t quite bring myself to believe that He cared as much as I did about me getting more shoes, but He at least did care about helping me realize that if I trust Him, I’ll always have what I need, and sometimes even what I want—even if it’s not through the channels I expect or because of my best-laid plans.

Another thing I came to realize during my “year without clothes” was how much I had in many ways. For example, I had a job at a time when a lot of people didn’t. I’ve never been homeless. And contrary to what you might have thought when reading the title of this article, I’ve never had to run around without clothes either! I’ve had things pretty good.

On the practical side, this experiment also kept me from having even more stuff than I do, which was good, because as it was, I had to trim down when I moved earlier this year.
All in all, I’ve felt richer since then.

—

2 Timothy 3:17 ESV / That the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV / All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV / And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers

THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

About a year ago, I sprained my ankle quite badly coming out of the movie theater and needed to go to the hospital for an x-ray and to have it properly bandaged. Thankfully, nothing was broken, but the swelling lasted a few days, and it was some time before I could walk normally.
Later, when I was reflecting on this unexpected mishap, the main thing that struck me from all that had happened was the kindness of strangers. Here is what I mean:

When I first tumbled down the stairs, the pain was excruciating. I was also scared and in shock. Right away, a man appeared—a complete stranger, at the right time and place—and helped my husband, Brian, pick me up and carry me to the car, all the while talking to me and comforting me in a very soothing voice. When we got to the car, he left, just as suddenly as he had appeared.

Then, as we were discussing the route to the emergency hospital, a young couple, whom we had never met before, approached our vehicle and offered to lead the way. Once we reached the hospital, they stayed until I was done with my x-ray, in case we needed their help for anything, especially considering my husband isn’t fluent yet in the local language. Mind you, it was past midnight, and they were strangers to us, but it was comforting to have them around and to talk with them while waiting.

Then another thought started forming in my mind as the timing of it all became rather significant to me. This incident took place on the eve of the Easter weekend. And thinking on the “kindness of strangers” that we experienced, I couldn’t help but see the similarity to what Jesus did for humanity on this day so long ago. Only in His case, He didn’t just carry an injured person to a hospital, or even stay on to make sure she was okay—this Stranger went all the way, by giving His life for people who didn’t even know Him.

And then I recognized Him in the strong arms of the kind man who helped my husband carry me, and in the reassuring smiles of Martin and Anastasia who stayed with us into the night to make sure I was all right. He lives on in each loving deed.

—

Ephesians 4:12-13 ESV / To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Ephesians 4:11 ESV / And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV / 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.

2100

Two thousand one hundred! Not a date but a number. Bono, the lead singer of rock band U2, known for his anti-poverty campaigns, notes that this is how many mentions of poverty there are in the Scriptures: “That’s a lot of airtime.” In the introduction to the Poverty and Justice Bible, the Bible Society adds, “A concern for the poor and an emphasis on just and fair behaviour flows through the Bible like a river. It underpins the laws of the Old Testament and resounds through the words of the prophets; it forms a core part of all that Jesus said and did and shapes the activities of those who followed him.”

The poor come to all of us in many forms. Let us be sure that we never turn our backs on them, wherever we may find them. For when we turn our backs on the poor, we turn [our backs] on Jesus Christ.—Mother Teresa (1910–1997)

Hearts and minds
Many of the world’s current problems of inequality and poverty have their origins in a loss of empathy. Author and psychologist Daniel Goleman observed, “When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection—or compassionate action.”

The good-hearted understand what it’s like to be poor; the hardhearted haven’t the faintest idea.—Proverbs 29:7 MSG

The justice connection
When the Bible talks about “the poor,” it’s not only referring to those who are destitute but also the downtrodden, oppressed, defenseless, and unrepresented. There is a clear connection in its pages between poverty and injustice, while justice is linked to honesty and fairness.
The Bible offers practical examples, such as giving a fair wage to employees and sharing part of our income. Jesus also suggested making friends with those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble.—Deuteronomy 15:11 MSG

See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern.—Micah 6:8 CEV

The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good.—Abigail Van Buren (1918–2013)

What can I do?
Even with limited resources, there are always ways to make a difference. We can share our time, we can be fair and honest at work, we can speak up for those who have no voice of their own.

Dear Lord,
Help us to follow your example,
by looking out for those who each day feel that they are marginalised,
who cannot find hope,
who believe that they have little to offer,
who are overcome by the challenges of poverty.
Help us to widen our horizons,
to make space for the stranger,
to watch out for those who feel invisible,
to give time to the outsider,
to talk to the person facing silence,
to restore justice and value.
Give us the courage to undertake this, the determination to join with others in seeing grace in every human face, and the faith to embrace the opportunity.
—A prayer for justice from the Church Urban Fund

Christian hope … enables us to act humbly and patiently, tackling visible injustices in the world around us without needing to be assured that our skill and our effort will somehow rid the world of injustice altogether. Christian hope, after all, does not need to see what it hopes for (Hebrews 11:1). … Rather, it simply requires us to trust that even the most outwardly insignificant of faithful actions—the cup of cold water given to the child, the widow’s mite offered at the temple, the act of hospitality shown to the stranger, none of which has any overall strategic socio-political significance so far as we can now see—will nevertheless be made to contribute in some significant way to the construction of God’s kingdom by the action of God’s creative and sovereign grace.—Craig M. Gay

—

Psalm 41:1 (NIV)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.

Deuteronomy 15:11 (NIV) There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Isaiah 58:6-7 (NIV)
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

SEEING JESUS

In a series of experiments conducted a few years back, dogs were given the command “shake,” and they were normally happy to do so whether they got a reward or not. However, researchers found that if the dogs saw that another dog was being rewarded and they weren’t, they began hesitating to obey the command and eventually stopped cooperating altogether. The dogs knew when they were being treated unfairly, and they didn’t like it. If even dogs can understand when something isn’t fair, how much more will people know when they’re being treated unfairly!

Deuteronomy 25:13–14 warns us, “Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy and one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small.” Very simply, God is saying, “Treat others fairly and don’t cheat.” However, I think there’s a broader application as well.

How often do we walk around with different weights in our bags? How often do we measure out great amounts of kindness to those we care about yet very little to those we have a more difficult time getting along with or don’t know as well? How often do we show partiality to some and indifference to others?

We offer a smile and a kind word to a friend but a cold shoulder to that annoying classmate.

We’ve got a ready helping hand for a buddy when he needs it, but our schedules are all booked up when the request comes from someone we don’t care about.

We’re happy to loan or even give money to a friend in need, but we try not to see the homeless person on the street corner.

While there are reasons why giving or helping or treating others equally isn’t possible in every situation, very often we’re simply falling prey to partiality. Instead of asking ourselves, “Why should I help this person?” or, “Why should I show kindness to this person?” we should be asking, “Why wouldn’t I?”

While it’s logical to assume that Jesus had a closer relationship with His disciples, for instance, than with some others, when we examine His life, we find that He treated everyone—from government officials to outcast lepers, from religious leaders to simple day laborers—with respect and consideration. Even more impressive, His fairness and kindness extended even to those who treated Him poorly, those who abused and mocked Him, and even those who killed Him!

In my case, I find acting with impartiality difficult, because it means that I have to forget myself completely. It’s human nature to be constantly calculating and weighing things out in the recesses of our minds to see what returns we might get on each investment of self. We’re naturally more inclined to be partial to those who are likely to return the good will, the favor, or the kindness. If we’re unlikely to get anything out of it, it’s easy to walk away.

Mother Teresa is someone who didn’t make such calculations. Her giving was to the poorest of the poor—people who had nothing to offer her in exchange for all she did. She also interacted with celebrities and heads of state, and one thing I find stunning about her life is that she treated each one with the same respect and love. She didn’t reserve better treatment for those whom the world deemed more “important.”
One day she asked a visiting bishop, “Would you like to see Jesus?” Then she took him to see a man lying on a black pallet. The man was sick and gaunt, and his body was crawling with vermin.

Before the stunned bishop, Mother Teresa knelt down and wrapped her arms around the poor man. She held him close and said, “Here He is. Didn’t He say you’d find Him in the least person on earth? Mother Teresa considered everyone to be equally deserving of love, because she saw Jesus in each one.

Jesus has told us that whatever we do (or fail to do) for even the “least of these,” we have done (or failed to do) to Him. It’s rare that we are called upon to love in such extreme physical conditions as Mother Teresa faced; more often we are faced with the unkindness of others, or our own prejudices or indifference. No matter what challenges we face, though, unconditional love should be our aim, so that when Jesus tells us, “What you did to others, you did to Me,” it’s something He’s happy about.

—

Ephesians 4:32 ESV / Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Mark 6:34 ESV / When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

Genesis 6:6 ESV / And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

TINY WORLDS

I remember learning about the word “microcosm” when I was in fifth grade. As homework, our teacher handed each of us a 36-inch string and told us to make a circle on the ground. Then we were to look at everything within the circle, study it, and see what lived in our tiny world.

From then on I was fascinated with little worlds. I spent hours sitting in the grass creating environments for ants and little bugs. I made chairs out of leaves and gowns out of petals. I made tiny roads and houses out of twigs. But mostly I just watched.

I took my string everywhere, and suddenly I saw the world with new eyes. Lawns, pebble-strewn pathways, rock ledges with carpets of moss—all I had to do was make a circle and I could create a new world. Well, not exactly “create,” but I could modify existing worlds and try to improve them.

Today I hear of tragedies in the news and weep over the headlines. I listen to political debates and wonder if people will ever agree, or if they are so absorbed in their arguments that they’ll never see the things they have in common.

I wish I could change the world. I wish I could make it a cleaner, more beautiful place. I wish I could end war and violence. I wish good will really could fill the earth. I was pondering this as I took my morning walk. Then I remembered the little girl in fifth grade, and I realized that while I cannot change the entire world, I can make my little world a better place. I cannot change everyone’s heart, but I can influence the person walking beside me.

I can create a microcosm of peace in a world of tempests. I can make my home a haven of calm in the midst of storms. I can take steps to make my surroundings more beautiful. God may not have given me a huge world to change, but I can change my tiny world by finding ways to fill it with God’s love each day.

—

Proverbs 27:17 ESV / Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV / Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Proverbs 13:20 ESV / Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

THE GOOD CONDUCTOR

British writer Bernard Hare tells the true story of an incident that changed his life, transforming him, as he described it, “from a selfish, potentially violent hedonist into a decent human being.”

Back in 1982 when he was a student living in London, he was informed that his mother had been taken to the hospital and was unlikely to survive the night. He left immediately to make the journey up to the north of the country.

It was a trip that would require a change of trains, and he realized from the timetable that he would be twenty minutes too late for the connection. It was late evening and these were the last trains of the day. The chances of getting all the way to the hospital without resorting to hitchhiking or car-theft were slim.

He was in such a state of anxiety and distress that he did not welcome the gentle inquiries from the train conductor, who was trying to find out what was the matter with this obviously distraught young man. But he discovered a little later that the same conductor to whom he had responded so curtly radioed ahead and arranged for the connecting train to be delayed to give Bernard time to catch it. This unexpected act of kindness made it possible for him to be at his mother’s side when she died.

When Bernard realized what the conductor had done, he sought him out on the train to offer his heartfelt thanks. The conductor replied, “Not a problem. If you feel the need to thank me, the next time you see someone in trouble, you help them out. That will pay me back amply. Tell them to pay you back the same way and soon the world will be a better place.”

Bernard continued, “Even now, I can’t think of [my mother] without remembering the Good Conductor on that late-night train to Peterborough. … [I’ll] give you the same advice the Good Conductor gave me. Pass it down the line.”

We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.—Howard Zinn (1922–2010)

—

1 Corinthians 16:14 ESV / Let all that you do be done in love.

John 13:34-35 ESV / A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1 John 4:8 ESV / Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Announcement

West Malaysia Youth Council @ KL
Date: 28-29 Aug
Closing Date: 14 Aug
Details: Please contact Corp Officer.

Bye Bye Calories (ZUMBA) 
Date: 9 Sept (Sat)
Time: 7am - 9am
Venue: TSA Penang Children's Home
Details: Please contact Bro Terry Tan

Penang Open Day 
Once again, your help is needed to sell the coupons and setting up stalls.
Please look for Corps Officer for more information.
Date: 30 Sept (Sat)
Time: 9am - 1pm
Venue: TSA Penang Children's Home

A WORTHWHILE LIFE

We are unlikely to have Abraham’s calling to become the father of nations. Not many of us have the strength of Samson to bring the perpetrators of evil to justice. It is rare to be given the responsibility, like Esther, of safeguarding the people of our nation. And most of us don’t have the fearlessness of the prophet Daniel, risking life and limb for our faith, or even the vigor of the apostle Paul, who evangelized almost the entire known world of his day.

Most of us are more like those unnamed individuals scattered throughout the gospels, like the men and women who sat on the grass listening to Jesus, enjoying the meal of loaves and fishes, and hopefully letting His words sink into our hearts and change our lives. He’s given us a lot to chew on, that’s for sure.

We don’t need to do something outstanding or showy with our life in order for it to be worthwhile. The secret is finding out what God’s calling for us is and how we can best fulfill it. Some of the most meaningful lives are built by doing little things in countless little ways.

Dear God, give me faith to believe, love to put others before myself, trust to share with those in need, strength to do what needs to be done, patience to offer a listening ear, and kindness to pay attention to those around me.

I would like to be a more selfless, caring person, like You. Please come into my life and fill me with Your Spirit of love, so I can learn to think more about others. Help me to live a worthwhile life, not necessarily through some great accomplishments, but through a collection of small, loving, and meaningful actions, day after day—not for glory or reward, but because I want to follow in Your footsteps, as the one who went everywhere doing good.

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.—Author unknown, often attributed to Mother Teresa (1910–1997)

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?—

—

Romans 9:21 (NIV) Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

Acts 13:15 (NIV) After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

Acts 10:38 (NIV) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

WHEN NOBODY NOTICED

It was a dull and rainy day as I sat at the window of a small brick row house in Leicester, England, watching the rain form small rivers on the window pane. A friend was letting me stay at his house while he was away and I helped care for a terminally ill loved one. It was a half-hour bus ride from the house to the Leicester Royal Infirmary, where I spent most of my days.

I had saved up for this trip, taking a two-week unpaid leave from work, and allowing for a few extra days in case I needed to stay a bit longer before another relative arrived to take my place. However, two weeks had already turned into three, and the relative was still delayed. I was beginning to run short on cash and secretly started to worry how much longer I was going to be able to continue on my present shoestring budget.

That evening, I called my friend Myriam and explained the situation.

“I’m on my way!” she said. “I can take a week off from work and will be glad to join you.”

I picked Myriam up at the bus terminal the following evening. It was pouring rain, but I was so thankful to see her that I hardly noticed. Her arrival was an answer to prayer, and I felt God reaching out to me and my sick loved one through her presence.

Not only did Myriam help out financially—she did a grocery shopping and rented a car, which made it easier for us to get to and from the hospital and to take our patient on short outings—but she also provided much-needed moral support. I had reached an emotional low, after daily witnessing the suffering in the cancer ward.

“How will I ever repay you?” I asked when I hugged Myriam good-bye.

“Don’t worry about that! I’m just glad I was able to help.”

When I had thought nobody noticed my desperate situation, God showed me that He did, by touching the heart of a friend who responded and came to my rescue. This experience reminded me of how much good there is in so many people.

The next time God nudges my heart to be a “good Samaritan” to someone in need, I know I’ll feel more inspired to answer the call, remembering how much Myriam’s help meant to me.

—

Ephesians 4:32 ESV / Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Luke 6:35 ESV / But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Proverbs 11:17 ESV / A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.

THE VALUE OF HEALTHY LIVING

Staying healthy doesn’t happen automatically. It takes effort, and also usually involves some sacrifice, some reordering of priorities and forgoing certain things that would be enjoyable but not good for us. Long-term health is a lifelong investment, but it’s a wise one. Better to invest a little each day in strengthening our bodies than to neglect them and suffer serious health problems.

In health matters, as with many other things in life, God usually won’t do for us what we can and should do ourselves. He expects us to take care of our bodies, and He often won’t override the negative consequences when we could have made healthier choices but didn’t.

Ground rules
Thankfully, God has laid out some pretty straightforward rules for staying healthy. These fall into three main categories: spiritual, emotional, and physical. The key to the spiritual aspect is in staying close to God, in finding and following His plan for our lives as best we can. An important key to the emotional aspect is in maintaining a positive attitude, which reduces stress, worry, fear, and other negative emotions, all of which take a toll on our health and happiness. The physical aspect is pretty much summed up in what some health experts refer to as the three pillars of physical health: “Eat right, sleep right, and exercise right.”

“Eat right” comes down to following a few fairly simple guidelines—simple, but not always easy. Changing poor eating habits takes determination and planning, but you’ll probably be surprised at how quickly you develop an appetite for the right kinds of food and lose your appetite for the wrong ones.

“Sleep right” may sound easy enough, but many people try to operate with a sleep deficit. It’s true that some people need less sleep than others, but the pressures of modern living push many of us to try to pack more into our days by sleeping less than our bodies need to be in top health. That’s being shortsighted, because we get more out of our waking hours when we’re rested.

For people who aren’t in the habit of exercising regularly, that’s an easy one to neglect. It’s hardest to dismiss the need for sleep, because the effects of trying to go without sleep are felt immediately. On the other hand, much like the effects of a poor diet, the results of insufficient exercise can be slower in coming. Exercise helps our bodies cleanse and repair themselves. It also strengthens muscles, bones, and internal organs, boosts our immune systems, and helps us maintain an acceptable weight. There is scarcely a living cell in our bodies that doesn’t benefit from regular exercise of the right kind.

Personalized program
The ground rules are universal, but because age, body types, and personal preferences vary greatly, what will work best also varies from person to person. Each person’s needs also change over time and as other factors enter in. So how do you know what’s right for you? Many “authorities” offer conflicting information and advice, and sometimes a certain kind of diet or exercise is widely acclaimed for a time, but discredited later. Whose program do you follow? Only your Creator truly knows what’s best for you, and He wants to work with you toward optimum health.

Why not ask Him to show you what changes to make in your diet or exercise plan? One of the ways He has of letting you know is through your body. For example, that soreness that gets a little worse each day could be a sign of overdoing or not performing an exercise correctly.

Keeping fit is a lifestyle
The goal is to make getting proper diet, sleep, and exercise lifelong habits—not just something we do for a few days or a few weeks until we lose a few inches from our waist or drop a clothing size or two. Unless we correct the bad habits that brought on those extra inches, they will soon be back. This is why diets and exercise programs that promise quick results are largely unsuccessful: They focus on the short term instead of lifestyle choices that bring long-term changes. In some cases, it’s worth undertaking a short-term program to get healthier or lose weight, but then you need to build new long-term health habits if you want to hold on to the ground you’ve gained.

If you’re serious about switching to a healthier lifestyle, the first questions to ask are, “How can I make eating, sleeping, and exercising right my daily norms?” “What changes do I need to make in my mindset or lifestyle?” and, “What specific health program is best for me?”

Replacing poor health habits with good ones takes determination, study, and planning at first, but the payoff soon makes it self-sustaining; we feel so much better that we want to keep doing the things that make us feel that way.

—

1 Timothy 4:8 ESV / For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV / Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Proverbs 24:5 ESV / A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

REMEMBERING MARTHA

My neighbor Martha passed away this week after a long battle with emphysema. I will miss Martha and have found myself thinking about her a lot these past few days.

When my husband Dan and I moved into the neighborhood, Martha invited us over for tea and cookies. We sat in her immaculate living room and talked about our family and the volunteer work we had been doing in Mexico. It felt like home, and I was thankful to have a neighbor like Martha who was concerned that we’d feel welcome.

I’ve looked out my window nearly every day for the past eight years and said a prayer for Martha. I’ve felt a responsibility to keep an eye out for her well-being and be there for her if she needed me.

Martha was alone, you see. She had no children, and her husband had already passed away. As her health declined this past year, Dan would collect her newspaper each morning and place it by her door so she could easily reach it. One day I noticed her gardener mowing her lawn. Then the sound got louder, and I realized he was mowing our lawn as well. Martha motioned to me from her doorway and told me she was thanking us for Dan’s kindness.

I admired Martha’s impeccable garden and was honored when she asked me to take care of her plants while she went on vacation. Martha’s plants were like her pets. She lavished love and care on them and they thrived.

The other day, Martha’s best friend came over. We talked for a few minutes, and she explained that Martha had set up a trust and the bank would be taking over her house. I asked about the plants and she advised me to collect them and look after them, because once the officials from the bank came and locked up the property, the plants in the backyard would be lost. Once again, I felt honored. Martha’s plants had brought her so much joy, and now they would bring joy to me and my family.

Martha taught me a lot, and I want to be sure that her legacy of kindness and friendship, like her plants, lives on. In the future, I will make a point of welcoming people into our neighborhood. I won’t pry or be invasive, but I’ll let them know I’m here if they need anything. We all need a good neighbor from time to time.

—

Romans 13:4 ESV / For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

Matthew 7:1-2 ESV / “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

1 Timothy 5:8 ESV / But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

TINY WORLDS

I remember learning about the word “microcosm” when I was in fifth grade. As homework, our teacher handed each of us a 36-inch string and told us to make a circle on the ground. Then we were to look at everything within the circle, study it, and see what lived in our tiny world.

From then on I was fascinated with little worlds. I spent hours sitting in the grass creating environments for ants and little bugs. I made chairs out of leaves and gowns out of petals. I made tiny roads and houses out of twigs. But mostly I just watched.

I took my string everywhere, and suddenly I saw the world with new eyes. Lawns, pebble-strewn pathways, rock ledges with carpets of moss—all I had to do was make a circle and I could create a new world. Well, not exactly “create,” but I could modify existing worlds and try to improve them.

Today I hear of tragedies in the news and weep over the headlines. I listen to political debates and wonder if people will ever agree, or if they are so absorbed in their arguments that they’ll never see the things they have in common.

I wish I could change the world. I wish I could make it a cleaner, more beautiful place. I wish I could end war and violence. I wish good will really could fill the earth. I was pondering this as I took my morning walk. Then I remembered the little girl in fifth grade, and I realized that while I cannot change the entire world, I can make my little world a better place. I cannot change everyone’s heart, but I can influence the person walking beside me.

I can create a microcosm of peace in a world of tempests. I can make my home a haven of calm in the midst of storms. I can take steps to make my surroundings more beautiful. God may not have given me a huge world to change, but I can change my tiny world by finding ways to fill it with God’s love each day.

—

Proverbs 27:17 ESV / Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV / Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Proverbs 13:20 ESV / Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

CANDLE ON A CANDLESTICK

Manifesting God’s love to those whom He places in our path each day is at the heart of Christian life. Writing about this, the apostle Paul went so far as to say, “the love of Christ compels us” to do so. In whatever specific ways God leads each of us to reach our part of the world with His love, He has called us to be “the light of the world” and to “let [our] light shine before people, so that they will see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father who is in heaven.”

Throughout the centuries—in fact, since the earliest days of Christianity—Christians have often reached the world through becoming known as a “force for good” in their community. Even when others didn’t necessarily embrace the Christians’ faith or understand their religion, or when the Christians were persecuted and maligned, their kind deeds and good works shone brightly before all men, resulting in people wanting to know what made them so different from much of society. As the apostle Peter instructed, “Live such good lives among the [unbelievers] that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”

As we each strive to reach out and offer a helping hand in our local communities; as we provide assistance—spiritual or practical, or both—to those God puts in our path; as we do our part to bring His love to others and to better their lives in whatever ways we are able, our good example will grow and serve as a “candle on a candlestick.”

By reaching our neighbors, and translating our faith into tangible actions that express our love and concern, we can be living examples of God’s love. Even if you don’t have a lot of time and resources, you can still reach out to your community and take the initiative to fill a need, showing solidarity when possible, and an interest in the welfare and quality of life of others. In so doing, you’ll be putting God’s love into action.

Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you. Not because they are nice, but because you are.—Author unknown

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931)

—

2 Corinthians 5:14 (NIV) For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

1 Peter 2:12 (NIV) Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Matthew 5:15 (NIV) Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.