Paradoxes; October 29, 2019

Posted on October 31, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Proverbs has several verses that reference this sort of thing, but it also has several that encourage planning ahead. There is a real tension between making plans and accepting what happens, and we’ll never get away from it in this life. It’s the tension between free will and the responsibility/accountability that comes with it, and the sovereignty of God and the faith and trust that should engender. There are many such tensions in life! One of the most striking to me is the one between our already having been included in Christ by faith, and yet not being made perfect in this life. I think God planned it that way so that we would keep growing and not be static. We try to avoid stress and resolve conflict, but with either of those we fail to grow as human beings. Understanding that should be a big comfort and encouragement, so long as we remember that God is ultimately still God, and He’s got it all worked out in the end. Conservative commentator Bill Whittle uses the phrase, “mental horsepower,” to describe what we lack to be able to grasp the mysteries of the universe, and this is certainly one of those. We are to use everything we’ve been given, but at the same time exercise faith in relation to what we don’t have. We don’t necessarily like it that way, but that is the path God has laid out for us to be “conformed to the likeness of his Son, (Romans 8:29) for His glory alone.

This is an issue that has grown in my awareness over the years. Going back to the original verse, I’ve never been much of a planner, and that has made problems for me and for others. However, I am blessed with faith that God is genuinely God, and not just some human construct that we use to explain things. I get frustrated with the paradoxes of life at times, wanting to be more Christlike myself and wanting those in my care to be so as well. I’ve got to be at peace with the reality that my vision is limited by being squarely in the flow of time, so I can’t see the solution to all the issues that God has already worked out. I tell people that we should plan to live to at least 100, and for the generations to follow, and at the same time live so that we would have no regrets to leave today. That’s easy to say and not so easy to do! As I’ve already said, I tend to fall short in the planning department, and if God were to take me home today I’d be anxious for my wife and others. I too need to keep growing! However, in all my struggles I need to keep remembering that God’s grace is sufficient, (2 Corinthians 12:9) for me and for everyone else, and He’s going to work everything out for good, and for His glory. (Romans 8:28)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for everything that happened yesterday, and for all Your plans for today. As I go hand out Gideon Bibles this morning I pray that the young people would not only be glad to get them, they would read them and discover You through them, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Parenting; October 28, 2019

Posted on October 31, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

Anyone who has raised children should be able to agree with this to at least some extent. I say should, because sadly, some parents are blind to this reality. It all comes back to our fundamental view of humanity. One side says that we are born pure, and that everything undesirable comes from outside influences. The other side says that we are born with a bent to rebellion, and left to ourselves make a mess of things. That position is called belief in original sin. The irony is that politically, the first group tends toward belief in government control, and thus big government, whereas the second group tends toward a desire for as little government as possible. If people are by nature good and pure, then people should be in charge. If people are by nature rebellious and sinful, then God should be in charge. It’s that simple. An honest religious person will see that they themselves aren’t good enough to rule over others without a LOT of guidance from God, but a humanistic person will tend to feel that their ideas are best, so of course they should be in charge. The rubber really hits the road in the parent/child relationship, because the parent is naturally in charge, particularly in the early years, yet may feel – and be – entirely inadequate for the task. Parenting should teach us a lot about God! We desire the best for our children, yet don’t know how to provide it. When we think of “the best” in material terms (which is very common) we really make a mess of things, because what children need most is the security of unconditional love that cares enough to discipline them. That goes back to this verse. Frankly, applying discipline is hard work, and some parents just get lazy, farming out discipline to school teachers or even the police. If all parents did their job, we wouldn’t need police, and would hardly need teachers!

As a father and grandfather, I have certainly seen this first hand. I am proud of my daughters, but I certainly agree with the writer of this Proverb! I have found, and seen in others, that when boundaries are set early and properly, the various corrections needed are much easier than when those boundaries are not defined. I would certainly not call myself a perfect parent, but I know the perfect Father, and that has made a huge difference. I have found that guiding my children’s growth has been a major part of Father God growing me! I still find “pockets of folly” in my own heart, and at times need God’s “rod of discipline” to clean them out. Right now my active parenting is mostly in relation to my being a pastor, and thus a spiritual father. Discipline frankly can get complicated and messy in a church setting, but I must not shy away from it. I don’t have the necessary wisdom, but God does, and I need to be a willing instrument in His hands.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You did yesterday, in the service and afterwards. Help me keep my eyes on You and rejoice, even as You had me preach yesterday, so that the plans of the devil may be defeated and Your will be done fully, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Priorities; October 27, 2019

Posted on October 28, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 21:21 He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor.

It’s interesting to me how many verses in Proverbs bring to mind Jesus’ famous statement in Matthew 6:33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” If we seek things according to God’s priorities, then we gain what we think we want on top of that. The Japanese here says “sincerity” rather than “love,” and “righteousness” rather than “prosperity,” but the impact is the same. Our minds and bodies think we need and want all sorts of things, but if we choose to make the things of God our first priority, it’s amazing how things straighten out. That’s a good thing, too, because our physical and emotional desires are clearly temporal, affecting us on this earth, whereas the things of God are eternal, valid for this life and the next. David rightly recognized that God’s love is better than physical life itself, (Psalm 63:3) and we do well to remember that ourselves. Advertising is designed to generate feelings of need, and the devil is a master “ad man.” Just as succumbing to commercial advertising can bankrupt us financially, succumbing to the devil’s “ads” will certainly bankrupt us spiritually. In both cases it takes a clear mind and heart to choose what is real and good, and let go of everything else.

This certainly applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I am uninterested in a lot of the stuff the world chases after, but I am just as human by nature as anyone else. I’ve got to choose to have Jesus’ attitude, as Paul tells us so powerfully in Philippians 2:5-8. I am to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness on every level, not allowing myself to be distracted by all the glitter – or the trials – the devil tries to use to get my attention. I have tasted enough of the goodness of God that you would think I would be immune to other things, but that’s sadly not the case. I am daily dependent on the Holy Spirit to guard and guide my heart and mind. If I fail to remember that, I am at risk of going wildly astray, and I certainly don’t want that.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I need it more often than I realize. As Cathy’s dream in the night demonstrated, we are very much at war, and our enemy never “plays fair.” Help us both put on and keep on Your whole armor, (Ephesians 6:13-18) and stay submitted to You, so that the devil may indeed flee (James 4:7) and Your kingdom be established, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Revenge; October 26, 2019

Posted on October 28, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

Revenge is an honored tradition in Japan, One of the most famous and best-loved historical tales is The Storehouse of Faithfulness, known in English as The 47 Samurai. The central figures are honored for sacrificing their families and their lives to pay back a deadly insult to their feudal lord. This verse is the antithesis of that. Paul famously quoted Deuteronomy 32:35 to say, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) The Bible is remarkably consistent! However, we have a very natural desire to pay people back for the bad they do to us. The problem is, that easily becomes a vicious cycle, and on the larger scale has generated wars throughout history. When we let God be in charge of our honor we escape that cycle, and instead enjoy the abundant blessings that He has prepared for those who love Him. Some conflicts, such as the Allied side of WWII, seem to have plenty of moral justification, but in contrast, the triggers for WWI seem from this perspective to have been almost entirely old-fashioned revenge. (Actually, the actions of the victors in that conflict planted the seeds of WWII by being so harsh on the Germans, but that is complicated enough to have fostered several books, so I had better drop the subject.) The whole point is to remember that God is God, and thus allow Him to be in charge of every area of our lives. Jesus discussed the ramifications of this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. That was so radical that we are still awed by it, and argue over whether it is even possible, when it could be said to be no more than an amplification of this verse.

I have never been particularly vengeful, but I have to admit that I lashed out at some people I felt were mean to me in school. When I felt slighted because of my lack of athletic ability or social acumen I tended to use words as weapons to ridicule them in return. I am definitely not proud of that! Much more recently, I have amazed some of my Japanese friends by declining to take a defensive posture, even, against someone who told some pretty vicious lies about me. I chose to let my life speak for itself, and let God defend me. I know I have far more peace as a result! I am always to speak the truth in love, knowing that Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). Sometimes people will be offended by that, and sometimes cut to the heart. I am to leave that in God’s hands and never hurt intentionally. We have the proverb, “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” but life is far sweeter when we serve up warm helpings of God’s love and grace. The ultimate “revenge” is to turn an enemy into a brother!

Father, thank You for Your grace in liberating me from a vengeful attitude. May I indeed draw people into Your family by my words and actions, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Coaching; October 25, 2019

Posted on October 27, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 20:5 The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters,
but a man of understanding draws them out.

This strikes me as being at the core of the Coaching that I’ve been studying for the past couple of years. Coaching differentiates among teaching, counseling, and coaching, with something of a sliding scale of authoritarianism. Teaching essentially says, here are the facts, so listen up. Counseling says, wouldn’t this be a better way to do that? However, Coaching tries to get the person to realize the facts themselves, rather than having them inserted from outside. In the long run, that is demonstrably the most effective method of effecting real change. Teaching and counseling are certainly not wrong, and are often very helpful, but for deep-seated issues they can feel like bouncing a tennis ball off a concrete wall. It is when the person himself has an Aha! moment that things really start to change. Frankly, that can be very difficult to bring about. The only one who can really get in there and accomplish that is the Holy Spirit, so prayer is essential on the part of the Coach. We need to speak the truth in love at all times, but always with the prayer that those to whom we speak will recognize the truth themselves and speak it to themselves and others. When that happens, there will be real deliverance, healing, and growth.

It has been very important and helpful that I’ve been exposed to this Coaching concept, because by gifting I am a Teacher – the most authoritarian of them all! I am used to being the one who is right, period, and that can cause all sorts of negative reactions. Especially as a pastor, that can be very undesirable. The ideal situation for me is when people come to me desiring to be taught. That can be enjoyable indeed for me, at any rate. Both as a school teacher and as a pastor, I find people run quite a gamut in that area, from those who are wide open to those who are like black walnuts, which literally need to be run over with a car to crack the shell, and even that doesn’t do it sometimes. I also do a good bit of counseling, particularly in marriage. When there is felt need, some people can soak that up like sponges, but others are like a dishcloth that is so full of oil that it’s hard even to get it wet. Coaching, properly done, is effective for everyone, and that is my goal and prayer. In distinct contrast to Teaching, I must not come across as having all the answers, but as one who is still growing myself. Just as a sports coach perhaps can’t actually do the things they are training the athlete to do, I don’t have to be perfect to be a good coach. I will be at my most effective when I realize that I am as much in need of the grace of God as anyone else, but His grace is not only available, (Hebrews 4:16) it’s all we need. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for exposing me to the concept of Coaching. This morning I will be teaching a classroom full of student nurses. Help me not just lecture, but also draw out of them the “deep water” You have already put there, so that they may be equipped and energized to serve as You intend, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Continuing Education; October 24, 2019

Posted on October 27, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 19:27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

One of the essential keys to a good life is to keep learning. We see both extremes: people who decide they’ve got it all together and won’t listen to a thing, and old people who continue to listen, learn, and grow. There’s no question which of those is more pleasant to be around! There is too much to learn for any individual to have a handle on everything, but human pride messes up practically everything it touches. We can be convinced of the truth of our current position, but we still need to be willing to hear differing opinions. That’s why the phrase we’re hearing a lot these days, “the science is settled,” is so dangerous. Genuine science is never “settled.” Quantum physics turns what we learned in high school on its head, but our cell phones wouldn’t work without it. The same applies in theology, though not in the same way. We always have more we can learn of God, so we need to keep pressing in for deeper understanding and fellowship. That’s why Paul so famously said he wasn’t perfect. (Philippians 3:10-14) It’s when we decide that we’ve got it all that we really get stupid, as this verse essentially says. That’s a major reason for the disastrous fall of church leaders at times. No leader is so high as to be beyond accountability, but sadly, some people fail to get that message. When we stop listening, we stray, just as this verse says.

I am very thankful that many people in my life, and all that I would call mentors, have been or are people who never stop learning. My paternal uncle was a biochemist who died at 92, having been in his laboratory just a week before his death, sorting and categorizing compounds for chemotherapy that he and his assistants had created over the years. He was listening to, and learning from, his assistants even then! I’ve lost track of all the awards he was given over the years, but he never “rested on his laurels,” but kept learning. That’s how I want to be! It was an enormous encouragement when the speaker at a conference recently pointed me out as a genuine disciple of Christ, because I kept learning. How could I do anything else? But if I take pride in such things I essentially nullify them. Jesus is the only perfect one, and He is my example and goal.

Father, thank You for continuing to lead me and open my eyes and heart to more of You. Thank You for the fun of learning more things about this world you’ve created, too. May I indeed keep learning and growing until I “know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) Thank You. Praise God!

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Personal Responsibility; October 23, 2019

Posted on October 25, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 19:3 A man’s own folly ruins his life,
yet his heart rages against the Lord.

This is so common! Time and time again I have seen people who were mad at God, not recognizing that it was their own choices and reactions that got them into the situation they so dislike. I couldn’t begin to count how many people I have dealt with who chose resentment over humility, “more of the same” over genuine reform. It can be quite tragic, really. We see women who go from one abusive man to another, rather than stopping to consider their own part in the mess that is their life. We see men who get obsessive over something, whether it is video games or drugs or any of a number of things, and then blame anyone or anything else (God, really, as this verse says) for their situation. Everyone encounters things in life that require wisdom and humility to overcome. Jesus was very up front about that but He also told us to rejoice, because He has already won the battle. (John 16:23) The devil is already out to get us; we don’t need to play into his hands by our reactions to the challenges of life. God allows all of this because He wants mature children, not immature brats. It is in facing challenges of all sorts and overcoming them that we grow to be like the perfect Son of God. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

As a pastor, dealing with people like this is part of my job description, and frankly, it’s one of my own major challenges. As has been said, the difficulty of pastoral ministry is the people! However, I remember my own foolishness and how God has been so gracious to me, and it helps me pass that grace on to others. My heart has broken many times over people who fail to understand Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” They operate in a strictly humanistic framework, even when they claim to be Christians. By failing to start with God, they lack understanding of what is really going on in their lives. They somehow think they have to “fix everything” themselves, and naturally get depressed and/or angry when that doesn’t happen. I have come to expect accusations of all sorts when I’m dealing with such people. I’m certainly not perfect and I say and do the wrong thing at times, so I must maintain humility, but I also need to remember that these people are really railing against God. I’ve got to keep speaking the truth in love, regardless of the immediate response, and trust the Holy Spirit to work those words into the heart of the person in His timing. At the same time, I’m reminded of a secular saying: “You can’t fix stupid.” I need to pray God’s mercy on us all.

Father thank You for this reminder. You know who came to mind as I was writing that. I do ask Your grace and mercy for each of those people, and wisdom in relating to them, so that the works of the devil may be destroyed (1 John 3:8) and people set free, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Words; October 22, 2019

Posted on October 24, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 18:20-21 From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

This chapter has lots of pithy aphorisms that really strike home, so I was at something of a loss as to what God wanted to say to me this morning. I settled on these two closely-related verses, and then when I typed them in Japanese, my mind was blown. Verse 20 is essentially the same in the two languages, but verse 21 is rendered as, “Death and life are controlled by the tongue. Loving one or the other, a person eats the fruit.” That puts an entirely different twist on things! In English we read the “love” as being directed toward the tongue, but the Japanese says we love either death or life. That agrees with many other passages throughout the Bible, as well as with experience. We all know people who can’t let go of something, even if it leads to their destruction. The point here is that what we say has great influence over that. Paul tells us that confessing Jesus as Lord with our mouths is the key to eternal life. (Romans 10:10) Words alone don’t do the trick, as Jesus made clear, (Luke 6:46) However, as this verse says, what we say has a huge impact on who and what we are, as well as our destination. Speaking out in faith can sometimes sound foolish, but it is an act of loving life rather than death.

I was attracted to these verses because I am a man of words. I have a gift for them, as my father recognized when he inscribed a dictionary to me. When I had a vocal polyp about a year ago it was a real issue, because I make my living by talking, as both a pastor and a teacher. That makes me really relate to verse 20! However, I must be careful that my words lead to life, both in myself and in my hearers/readers. Some of the scariest words in the Bible to me are something Jesus said. “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37) I’ll have a lot of accounting to do! That’s all the more reason to speak the truth in love at all times, just as Paul said. (Ephesians 4:15)

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. Help me indeed speak and write words of life and not death at all times. As I pray every time I stand in the pulpit, I ask You to speak through me so that it won’t just be my words that come out of my mouth, but Yours, accomplishing everything for which You send them. (Isaiah 55:10-11) I ask that not only for when I’m in the pulpit, but for every moment of my life, so that I may be Your instrument indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Focus; October 21, 2019

Posted on October 24, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

This bit of wisdom has been confirmed by a number of studies over the years. Attitude has been shown again and again to be the single most consistent predictor of health outcomes. The human immune system is remarkable to say the least, and to a large degree it is governed by our attitude, our emotional state. The thing is, the more we are focused on ourselves, the harder it is to have a healthy attitude, either physically or emotionally. I frequently tell parents that raising their children to be self-centered is condemning them to lives of unhappiness, but when the parents are self-centered, they have trouble really getting the message! Jesus’ designations of the 1st and 2nd Commandments (Matthew 22:37-38) is a perfect example of how God’s rules are for our good, and not to bind us. Loving God with all that we are is the perfect antidote for being self-centered, because we realize that God, not ourselves, is the center and reason for everything. Then, loving our neighbor as we love ourselves puts it on the human level, again focusing us outward rather than inward. If we are fully obeying those two commandments, we will indeed be cheerful and healthy! All sorts of things can act toward crushing our spirits, but in every case the right response is to lift our eyes and hearts first to God, knowing that He loves us regardless of what is happening in the short term (and yes, our whole lives are short term, compared with eternity). When we have that firmly established, then we are free to be open channels of His blessing to those around us, and that feels very good indeed.

I am reminded of what I have heard of my mother’s last days. She was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer after surgery for a brain tumor showed that, despite the location, it was a lung cancer tumor. The original tumor was never identified, but it was certainly aggressively metastatic, to the point that by the time she died, her body was visibly bumpy from all the tumors. It wasn’t long after the brain surgery that the hospital sent her to a nursing home, because there was nothing further they could do. Because of the brain issue she steadily lost her memory, but the nurses at the nursing home reported that she was always kind and appreciative toward them, despite her condition. In other words, she was acting as a conduit of God’s love and grace to those around her all the way to the end. That is truly obeying the 1st and 2nd Commandments. With an example like that, I have a high standard to reach! I deal with people all the time who cannot see that the mess they are in is largely of their own making, because they have been ignoring the 1st and 2nd Commandments. When we focus in on I-my-me-mine we wall ourselves off from the incredible abundance of blessings that God has planned and prepared for us. I’ve got to keep remembering that myself, even as I seek to communicate it to others.

Father, You know my recent challenges in this area. I don’t have the wisdom to deal with each person and each situation, but You do. Help me be so focused on You that Your wisdom, love, and grace can operate freely in and through me, for the salvation of those to whom I minister and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Generations; October 20, 2019

Posted on October 23, 2019 by jgarrott

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.

For whatever reason, this verse jumped out at me yesterday when I just glanced at today’s reading. Having some myself, I can understand the statement about grandchildren. Several years ago our older daughter gave us a wall plaque, that hangs today in my wife’s work room, that says, “Grandchildren are a reward for not killing your own children.” Having raised a daughter of her own, I think she understood that plaque very well! There is a Japanese proverb that says something like, “Grandchildren give two joys: when they come for a visit, and when they leave.” I really enjoy my grandchildren when I get to be with them, but age brings issues of stamina, both physically and emotionally. I would be thrilled if I weren’t separated from my grandchildren most of the time by the Pacific Ocean, but lifestyles and such definitely change over time.

The second half of this verse also resonates for me, because I am greatly honored to be my father’s child. (The Japanese says “fathers,” rather than the more inclusive “parents.”) However, I can certainly take no credit for any of my father’s accomplishments. The thing is, even someone who didn’t have the sort of father I did can take glory in Father God. My physical father’s accomplishments are certainly insignificant compared to Father God! Actually, everything my father did was by the grace of God, so I can’t think of my physical father without thinking of Father God. Thinking of my own blessed situation in this area brings to mind the whole area of the “father wound” so many people have because of their father’s issues. The whole issue of parenting is at the root of many of society’s problems today. As a pastor and teacher, I am a father figure to a lot of people, I think. I am to be God’s agent to them, allowing His grace and strong love to flow through me to heal them, as they learn what it is to have Him as Father. I don’t have the wisdom for the job, but He does, and I need to trust Him to guide me for the sake of many, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You know the challenges that lie ahead of me, and I know that You are more than up to them. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, whatever is going on, so that Your will may be done for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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