Human Distinctions; February 15, 2023

Posted on February 16, 2023 by jgarrott

Philemon 1:10-11 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

Paul could at times be diplomatic to the point of being manipulative, and this letter is probably the prime example of that. It would be hard to fault any detail of it in terms of Paul’s goal of freedom for Onesimus and reconciliation between him and Philemon. This letter is clear evidence that there was nothing racial about slavery throughout most of human history. I’m reminded of a song from the musical play Finian’s Rainbow that says, “When the idle poor become the idle rich, you’ll never know just who is who and who is which.” In the US we have the image of Black slaves from the Civil War period, but race was simply not an issue in the 1st Century. Regardless, here we have the matter of Paul asking Philemon to accept Onesimus not as his slave, but as his brother in Christ. It is quite possible that One­simus was born into slavery, because “Useful” seems like an odd name to give a child, and that’s what “Onesimus” means. Regardless, relationship with Christ as Lord and the resulting status as a child of God clearly trumps any previous distinctions. That’s important to remember today, when people deceived by the devil are trying so hard to divide people on the basis of anything at all. Actually, slavery today is more widespread than it has ever been, though it’s not technically legal in the vast majority of countries. Whatever previous distinctions might have existed, in race, income, social class, or anything else, they become meaningless when covered by the blood of Christ. It has become a cliché, but the ground is truly level at the foot of the cross.

Growing up as a Caucasian in Japan I was both aware of race and aware that it was unimportant. On my first visit to the US, just before I turned four, I encountered my first Black person, and am told I insisted on speaking Japanese to them because in my experience, anyone who had darker skin than my parents had to be Japanese! In the over 70 years since then I have encountered people of many races, not to mention social distinctions and everything else. It is my continuing conviction that however real those distinctions might be at any given moment, in the final analysis they don’t matter at all. The Japanese language has many social distinctions built into it, depending on whether the person addressed is “above, equal, or below” the speaker, as well as interrelated degrees of formality. The fact that I ignore most of that makes my Japanese distinctive, but I think most people find it attractive. Everyone is my equal, which they find refreshing! The thing is, my desire is that they all become my siblings in Christ, just as Paul was trying to do with Onesimus and Philemon. The world is a much better place when we are all family!

Father, thank You for how much this church is indeed family, as various visitors and observers have noted. May we be an accepting, ever-growing family, bringing more and more into the eternal salvation given to Your children alone, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Words; February 14, 2023

Posted on February 15, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Timpthy 1:2 To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

This chapter has several verses that are long-time favorites, but it struck me just now that this verse, which from our perspective seems like a somewhat stylized greeting, was actually anything but that. The Biblical evidence is that Paul had no one who was more “family” than Timothy, just as he calls him here his beloved son. You don’t write platitudes to someone like that! And that means that Paul didn’t consider his blessings, spoken or written, as formalities but as genuine impartations of the things mentioned. We take such things so lightly! How many people really think they are imparting blessing when they say, “Bless you,” after someone sneezes? We are not at all on the scale of God, who spoke the universe into being, but our words are not without meaning and impact. There are some who take this too far and get all hyper about “negative confessions” and the like, but the fact remains that God has given us the privilege of speaking His words after Him, and His words certainly have power. What we say and write to people is important. Recently social media have made it all too easy to broadcast our words to the world, but rather than considering the weight of that we tend to “run off at the mouth” and do all sorts of damage. It is very true that as James pointed out rather forcefully, words without actions are meaningless, but that doesn’t mean our words are unimportant. The old saying, “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is actually quite untrue. Sometimes wounds from words last far longer than physical injuries. We need to speak and write intentionally, to convey the grace and love of God rather than anything less.

As I have written multiple times before, I am a man of words, and so this strikes very close to home. Frankly, I need to be reminded of it all too frequently! I have certainly hurt people with my words, at times intentionally, and I have no excuse for that. Growing up I felt very inadequate in sports and socially, and I covered that up with words. Now, as a pastor and teacher, you could say that I make my living with words. I need to be careful that my words impart value, yes, blessing, whatever the context. When Facebook notifies me of birthdays I seek to respond with genuine blessings, and the feedback indicates I often succeed. Even there I need to be careful I don’t just use “boiler plate” blessings, but sometimes, as Paul wrote to Timothy, even those can be genuine. In my preaching and my teaching I need to be open with all that God has poured into me, so that it may in turn accomplish God’s purposes in the lives of those who hear me. I have no power for good in and of myself, but God can use me as His agent, and that is good indeed.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the gift of words. May I make the use of that gift that You intend, communicating Your grace and love without distortion, for the blessing of all and for Your glory Thank You. Praise God!

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Ikigai; February 13, 2023

Posted on February 14, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 3:8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

The Japanese of this verse uses an expression that I have recently seen taken up in multiple English articles, pointed out because there isn’t an equivalent English expression. Ikigai essentially means “a reason to live,” in other words, something that gives meaning to life. Frankly, a sad number of people seem to lack this. What Paul is talking about here is the sense that his efforts had born fruit, that he hadn’t labored in vain. That’s important for anyone. Countless people come to the end of their lives and realize their priorities had been all wrong and thus their accomplishments were essentially meaningless. People who prioritize career over the people closest to them often end up in that boat. Fathers who are “successful” but have no real connection with their children are in this category, as are women who place career ahead of motherhood. Dennis Prager has a question he often asks: “If you could have a guarantee of one or the other, would you choose a successful marriage or a successful career?” It’s not that both are impossible, but that only one is guaranteed. The fact that he gets about half of one answer and half of the other shows how skewed society’s priorities are. Paul wasn’t married, but his priority was raising up disciples for Jesus Christ, so hearing that the believers in Thessaloniki were standing firm was indeed an ikigai for him. He knew that they would outlive him, which gave meaning and continuity to his own life.

Of course this applies to me. Japan is known as a “graveyard for missionaries” because the “return on investment” seems so low, and indeed many missionaries have given up and left. I’m grateful my parents didn’t do so, and actually chose to be physically buried in this country, though they happened to die in the US. Yesterday’s message was an encouragement to me, though I was the one speaking it. As I said, in over 40 years of being a pastor, in the US and Japan, I don’t know that I have led as many as 40 people to initial commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. However, my gifting and calling is as a Teacher, and I have indeed led numbers of people to greater commitment and maturity in their faith. Considering the size of this congregation, the number of ministers that have gone out from here is rather remarkable. Beyond that, there are many lay people who are very secure in their faith, and that is precisely what Paul is talking about here. I do indeed have an ikigai for which I am very grateful. I am sharply aware that it is not because of my own strength or wisdom, but because God has been so gracious as to work through me, often enough in spite of me! I am to focus on faithfulness, and leave the results up to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for encouraging me through the message yesterday. I do pray that everyone under my care would grow strong in their faith and relationship with You, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fathers; February 12, 2023

Posted on February 13, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Paul describes pastoral ministry in various of his letters, and all of them are worthy of meditation. The framework here is that of a father with his children. For some that clicks beautifully, but for many not so well, because we have experienced a wide variety of fathers. I subscribe to a newsletter called Fatherly, and just yesterday it had a very good article (actually a reprint from a couple of years ago) about the massive impact for good a present, involved father has on their children, and how damaging it is when that is missing. Suffice to say, Paul is talking about a good father! However, when our own father left a lot to be desired, the lack of a model can make it challenging to say the least to be a good father to our own children, physical or spiritual. In such cases in particular, meditation on what Paul wrote can be very instructive and helpful. I get the impression he had a good father! Here we have three elements mentioned: encouragement, comfort, and discipline. (The discipline might not seem so obvious here, because he isn’t talking about genetic children.) Fathers, and pastors, should certainly encourage their children. Sadly, that is often not the case. Fathers need to tell their children that they have ability, which they do, and praise them for jobs well done. That doesn’t mean praising something done carelessly, without real thought or effort, and it does mean encouraging them to do even better, but it very much means not putting them down for their efforts. Then there’s comfort. Life is rough, and everyone runs into problems that can seem devastating at times. Fathers, and pastors, need to be available as a shoulder to cry on if needed. Many fail in that area. We aren’t to run from emotion, either our own of that of our children, but be fully present and open and honest. That will produce secure children! And then there’s the matter of discipline. Writing here about pastoral ministry, Paul says “living lives worthy of God.” In other words, straighten up and fly right! In our human foolishness we all need that. Physical children certainly do, and so do spiritual children. However, we aren’t to be legalists, punishing for the sake of punishment. Acting that way would mean that we ourselves wouldn’t be living worthy of God!

As both a physical father and a pastor, I’ve got a lot to think about here. I was greatly blessed to have a wonderful, though not perfect, father. Actually, there are no perfect fathers apart from God! As someone with Teacher gifting, I have tended toward giving instruction as opposed to encouragement, and that’s not always been good. I’ve got to appreciate, and give thanks for, less than perfection! And actually, that applies to myself as well. I’ve got to give everything my honest best, as unto the Lord, (Ephesians 6:7) but doing that, leave the results in His hands. I’m neither a perfect father nor a perfect pastor, but God uses me in spite of that, and I’ve got to be at peace with it. I think I do moderately well at giving comfort, but there’s always room for improvement. Discipline is always tricky, and as my physical children have grown that is now entirely in the form of advice and encouragement. That could be said of my spiritual children as well, because I can’t exactly spank my church members! However, as I will be doing this morning, I need to urge them on into ever-growing maturity in Christ, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your patience with me, and for giving me patience with my physical and spiritual children. May I be the father and pastor You want me to be, for the blessing of my children and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Perspective; February 11, 2023

Posted on February 12, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

The joy of the Lord doesn’t depend on circumstances. The Bible is full of examples, and we hear about many even today, where people are filled with what seems to the world like a completely illogical joy. That’s because people who know Jesus, who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, don’t live by this world’s logic. Once we have tasted the spiritual dimension, the glory of the love of God, if you will, then as the chorus says, “the things of earth will grow strangely dim.” It’s not that we don’t pay attention to the physical realm or that we think it’s unimportant, but rather that we understand that the things of God are far more important. To be honest, it’s difficult and even rare to maintain that perspective 100%. The things of this world can be very effective at demanding our attention. And frankly, the easier we have it in this life, the harder it is to focus on the next. That’s why believers undergoing active persecution are often far more vibrant and joyful than believers in, say, the US or Japan. However, that doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless for believers in “easy” locations. Paul’s famous statement about being able to handle anything included “easy” stuff too. “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13) We just need to work a little harder to keep our focus on what is really important, instead of on all the distractions that surround us.

I try to keep track of persecution around the world, and some of it is quite horrendous. More believers were martyred in the 20th Century than in the previous 19 put together, and the 21st Century is at an even higher pitch. At the same time, I feel like I have experienced no persecution for my own faith and have lived in comparative luxury, even though my income isn’t high enough to have to pay taxes on it. I am blessed on all levels, and have no excuse not to be joyful! Even so, things like a broken wrist, and even quite trivial things, can set me off and make me grumpy. How shallow! When the Lord has told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice, I have no excuse not to do so! I am experiencing healing in my wrist day by day, for which I am quite grateful, but at the same time, as I mentioned to my wife this morning, I’m tired of pain, even though my accident was just over two weeks ago. That makes me sharply aware that I am far from perfect, but I have the comfort of knowing that God is still working on me. (Philippians 1:6) I can’t do it on my own, but as Paul said, I can do it through Him who gives me strength.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for the healing I’m experiencing, and that I can type with much more freedom now than even a few days ago. That’s just in time for the article I’m to write that’s due by the end of this month! I pray that I would make the use that You intend of everything You bring my way, whether ability or opportunity or trial or anything else, so that Your purposes may be accomplished in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Maturity; February 10, 2023

Posted on February 11, 2023 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:28-29 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

What a beautiful, accurate description of the job of a pastor-teacher! You could say that evangelists are obstetricians in the family of God, but then you need pediatricians also. It’s wonderful and essential for people to be born again, but it’s pathetic when they remain spiritual infants, always dependent on others and hardly knowing how to feed themselves. Hebrews has a very pointed rant about that in Hebrews 5:11-14. The difficult thing for the pastor is that every believer is at a different place in their spiritual journey – and that includes the pastor! I realize the Greek can be translated either way, but I think some people might be thrown off by the word “perfect” in this verse. I prefer the way the Japanese says “mature,” as in “adult.” None of us is ever perfect this side of heaven, but we can certainly aim for maturity. Many of the evils of society come from people failing, or refusing, to grow up. A mature person recognizes responsibility and doesn’t run from it. They are accountable, ready to answer for their behavior. Everyone benefits from good parenting, from people who will encourage them to grow in every area while teaching them responsibility and accountability. That’s the job of a pastor, and I can testify that it’s no easier with spiritual children than it is with physical children! It’s hard work, but as Paul says here, God supplies the necessary wisdom and energy, if the pastor is open to receive it.

Since I am a pastor with the primary motivational gift of Teacher, this job description is spot on for me. How well I do it is for God to decide. I joke that the reason I stay youthful is that I never mature, but I hope and pray that is never more than a joke. I too need to be fully adult in all my decisions and actions. That isn’t to say that I’m not to have a childlike delight in things; that would make me frumpy and uninteresting. There’s a huge difference between being childlike and childish, even though linguistically the words might seem to be identical. I am to remain always a child of God, delighting in my Daddy and all He does and provides for me, but I am to be as mature as possible in my stewardship of all of that. I am to desire and seek for people to be born into the family of God, and I am to encourage and appreciate those who are called as spiritual obstetricians, but I am not to put myself down for not having that particular gifting. This congregation has never been big in numbers, but several have gone from here into fulltime ministry, and others have been notable for their maturity. Producing such people is my job description, and like Paul, I’m to work at it with all of God’s energy, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I feel like I am to share this with the congregation, but some of the concepts and distinctions aren’t going to be easy to express in Japanese. I ask for wisdom and anointing in preparing the outline and especially in delivering the message, so that each hearer may be encouraged and strengthened to go on to full maturity, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Thinking; February 9, 2023

Posted on February 10, 2023 by jgarrott

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

The whole letter to the Philippians is so loving, joyful, and practical! “Favorite verses” abound, making the choice of what to write on difficult. However, this verse particularly strikes me at the moment. We live in the Information Age indeed, and we are constantly bombarded with things to see and think about. The big issue becomes filters, for our eyes, minds, and hearts. The Holy Spirit will guide us in this, but we need to seek and be open to that guidance. None of the evil in the world today is new, but in the past it was a little easier to avoid it, at least. For example, there have always been drug addicted, mentally unstable people in the world, but these days in some cities you can hardly step out of your house without encountering them. Likewise, moral perversion has always been around, but recently it’s even being promoted in schools. And that doesn’t even get to political corruption, which is being exposed with depressing regularity. The thing is, constant exposure to all of that tears us down. It’s easy to say, “Fix your eyes on Jesus,” (Hebrews 12:2) and that is important, certainly, but we need to get more granular, and that is what Paul is doing here. Rather than saying, “Don’t think about such and such,” He is telling us what we are to think about. It’s like the story of the man who was told he would have something wonderful if he could only not think about a white horse, and he suddenly discovered that was all he could think about. Negative commands can be very important, as in the 10 Commandments, but positive commands are generally easier to follow. It’s interesting to note that when Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, both of the ones He cited were positive. (Matthew 22:35-40) In the sea of negative filth in which we find ourselves, we need to be proactive in filling our minds and hearts with the positive, just as Paul says here.

As I noted at the time, using my wife’s computer in the hospital I realized that YouTube was giving me different suggestions than what I was used to, and it hit me that the algorithm gives you more of whatever you click on. My wife had been wiser in her clicks than I had been! Since then my own desktop computer has “cleaned up” a good bit, because I have been more careful and conscious in my clicks. That said, simply paying attention to the news can be pretty depressing. The recent earthquake in Turkey is a case in point, and the news has generated a lot of prayer. On top of that there’s the constant barrage of political news, very little of which fits into the categories Paul mentions in this verse. I have recently been unsubscribing from various newsletters that seem calculated simply to stir me up and get me angry. I don’t need to focus on that junk! As I started out by saying, I need to let the Holy Spirit be my filter on all levels, so that my responses and my actions will be what my Father desires, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s certainly timely! Help me so live that when people think of me it will fit into Paul’s categories, drawing those people into the relationship with You that is transforming me, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Credentials; February 8, 2023

Posted on February 9, 2023 by jgarrott

Philippians 3:7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

We take pride in many things, but most of them aren’t worth it. We evaluate ourselves and others on the basis of things that make no difference at all in eternity. It took a lot to wake Paul up to that reality, but the lesson really did strike home. It is only when we get our priorities straight that we are able to see things as they really are. From this verse on through verse 14 Paul lays out what his priorities have become, and it is a magnificent blueprint for any believer to follow. Most people don’t start out with the sort of credentials Paul had, so that’s all the more reason to understand that we are saved by grace through faith, and not on the basis of anything else. (Ephesians 2:8-9) What Paul is saying in this verse is not that he isn’t grateful for all the advantages he had, but rather that on the eternal scale they were meaningless, because all of us are totally dependent on the grace of God. Knowing Jesus trumps everything else!

I feel a great deal of empathy for Paul, because I’m in the same sort of position as a 4th-generation minister, a missionary and the son of missionaries. My wife was in a Baptist History class in college and the teacher had been talking about W. O. Carver, who had greatly influenced Southern Baptists toward foreign missions, and toward recognizing that God calls and uses women as well as men in His work. In the middle of that lecture he happened to look out the window and notice me walking across campus, and he stopped and told everyone to go to the windows to see the youngest grandson of W. O. Carver, right there on campus. Among Japan Baptists, many older people still get reverential when they hear mention of my father’s name. That sort of thing just about did me in with personal pride, feeling that any church was blessed if I so much as walked in the door, and God had to deal with me pretty strongly about it. Thankfully He is merciful, and didn’t just squash me! All that said, verses 7-14 are my personal testimony, and I am deeply grateful.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace toward me. I certainly didn’t choose my ancestry, nor even the circumstances under which I was raised. Some things about Your Word seem totally obvious to me, when others can’t seem to grasp them. However, I am very aware of what Jesus said: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48) If I fail to apply the truth I know, I’m only deceiving myself. (James 1:22) Help me be the steward You want me to be of all that You have poured out on me, to build up the Body of Christ for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Living Out Salvation; February 7, 2023

Posted on February 8, 2023 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Verse 12 has provoked a lot of discussion over the centuries since it was written, and verse 13 has been taken as comfort for an equal period, but I think we need to take the two together to understand either one. Christian life isn’t passive; we are actively involved, and we don’t want to get it wrong. However, we don’t need to be anxious about it because God does the “heavy lifting.” It’s kind of like I tell people about marriage: it’s an incredible blessing, but nothing is automatic; you have to work at it. Many people think of salvation as something God has done  entirely on His own, which is in a sense true enough, but we need to be intentional and appreciative in our reception of it. We aren’t “entitled” to salvation! People who expect the world to be presented to them on a silver tray are never happy, and Christians who expect everything to be rainbows and butterflies are the same way. There can be no salvation apart from the grace of God, as Paul so memorably proclaimed in Ephesians 2:8-9, but we are to be active participants in that salvation, seeking always to grow in our faith and obedience, recognizing and doing all the things God desires of us. (Ephesians 2:10)

I have used verse 13 as part of my faith declarations for over 40 years now, but my understanding of verse 12 has really grown in that period. I have no fear of somehow “missing heaven,” but I don’t want to miss any opportunities to serve my Lord while I’m here. When I am in tune with Him I discover that He has set up “appointments” for me all over the place. Yesterday I was at a clinic for physical therapy for my wrist, and one of our close neighbors here at the church spotted me and wanted to come over and talk, to the great surprise of the clinic staff. We have interacted with him for the 24 years the church building has been here, and I borrow his tiller to work my vegetable garden, but he’s never been to a worship service, much less committed himself to Christ. He’s well past 80 now, but I don’t think God’s given up on him and I shouldn’t either. I don’t know what appointments the Lord has set up for me today, but meeting them is part of why He chose to save me, so I need to be active in my obedience, for His glory.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace. Thank You for the privilege of serving You. Help me indeed fulfill every purpose for which You saved me, drawing others into Your family as well, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Christ’s Attitude; February 6, 2023

Posted on February 7, 2023 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

The Japanese links the magnificent description of Christ’s attitude in verses 6-11 explicitly with what Paul has said in verses 3-4. That’s not to say that those are different, but I like the way this verse stands by itself in English. We should never forget that Jesus Christ is our example, our standard, if you will. When we remember that, all room for personal pride is gone, because we measure up to that standard only to the degree that we abide in Him, fully submitted to His Spirit. We have no room to complain about anything that is asked of us, because whatever it is it couldn’t approach what He did for us. We tend to complain about all sorts of things, when Jesus left the glory of heaven to become a human being for our sake, and it wasn’t just for a casual visit. He put up with diapers and skinned knees and all the mess of being a child, and then did hard physical labor as a carpenter, sweat and all. On top of that, when He started His public ministry He was not only opposed by the authorities, even His own family thought He was crazy. Betrayed by one of those closest to Him, He was put through a humiliating show trial and then scourged. A significant percentage of those scourged died from the shock and blood loss involved. And then He was crucified, stripped naked and nailed to a cross in the cruelest manner possible. Some martyrs today go through some pretty horrible stuff, but it still doesn’t top what Jesus went through for us. That He was willing to go through that to procure salvation for us is the attitude that we should always keep in our awareness, so that by His grace it may also be reflected in us.

I come back to this from time to time when I am tempted to complain about some part of my life experience. I could never top Jesus! The Bible doesn’t touch on it, but He also suffered loss, since Joseph had evidently died by the point He started His public ministry. I wonder if He wished for permission to heal Joseph, even though it was not yet time for Him to be revealed? He never married, though He was a healthy man, so He dealt with all the issues of chaste sexuality. Any way I look at it, I’ve got nothing to complain about! However, I’m not to dwell on what He suffered so much as glory in what He has provided for me. His suffering was certainly not in vain, and He will not waste any suffering I go through either. We not only have the promise of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” we also have Paul’s comments about “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24) Precisely what that second reference means has been hotly debated, but I do know that if anything I suffer could be useful to God in His plan, then I’m willing, even if I don’t see how it works. I indeed want to have the attitude of Jesus Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the small taste of suffering I am having. It doesn’t compare to what Cathy has been and is going through, but it’s a blessing. Help me also submit such things as my frustration with computer issues to You, knowing that they too are totally insignificant compared to what You put up with in children who won’t listen to You. May I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice, just as You have told me to do, whatever is going on around me. Thank You. Praise God!

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