This is a guest post from Dr. Terry Dorsett, director of missions for the state of Vermont.  It is reposted here with his permission.  The pictures and headings have been added to his original post.

We’ve Been Known as the Baptist Boycotters

For many years churches were known for what they were against. This negative position often turned off non-believers. Many people felt being “against” stuff was partly responsible for why some churches were no longer growing. Such churches were accused of being intolerant of others and since intolerance has become the greatest “sin” of our postmodern culture, churches became “bad” in the minds of many people.

People often know what we are against.  What are we For?

In the last ten years, many church leaders have seen the weakness of only being known for what they are against. Many Christian leaders have restyled their message in a positive way. They look for ways to talk about what they are for instead of what they are against. Instead of being “against abortion,” churches are now “for” adoption and helping single moms. Instead of being “against’ alcoholism, they are “for” helping people celebrate recovery. Instead of being “against” same sex marriage, churches are now “for” traditional marriage. Instead of telling their parishioners to boycott a particular company, they tell them to buy chicken sandwiches from a specific fast food chain.

This positive way of expressing a biblical viewpoint is beginning to impact how people “in the middle” think of the church. Many people have not thought through the issues themselves and rely on someone else to tell them what to think. Because most people prefer to be for something, instead of against something, that group in the middle was not attracted to the negative positions that many churches previously offered. Now that many churches have changed the way they talk about the issues, the massive middle finds that it actually agrees with the church on many issues after all. The positions themselves have not changed much, just the way those positions are expressed.

Those Who Espouse Tolerance Have Zero Tolerance for Tolerance

Though the people in the middle may appreciate the church’s more tolerant way of expressing their views, the radical left does not. If anything, it has made those on the far left even more angry and hateful toward Christians. Perhaps those on the far left realize their positions are weak and self-focused. They only way the radical left could promote their weak ideas has been on the back of someone whom they made the “enemy.” Now that the enemy has become the hero, the radical left must become even more vicious in order to draw an ever shrinking number from the middle to their bizarre views.

In a recent exchange with a friend on the far left, I expressed surprise at how bigoted and intolerant his views were about Christians. After all, for years he has told me to be “more tolerant.” But in a clear case in which he was showing bigotry toward Christians simply because they were “for” a cause he did not like, I pressed him on his own lack of tolerance. His response was, “Tolerance is overrated.” Thus revealing his true feelings about tolerance.

The far left has no plans to practice toward others the tolerance they have preached for so many years. Instead, they will increasingly become known as Christo-phobic, anti-Christian, anti-god, hate mongers. I say, let them win the “anti” war. We already know all that will gain them is a loss of the middle and a marginalization of their ideas. To my friends on the left, “hate” away. I am still for all things good and wholesome.

Someone asked me recently, why don’t I post politically charged messages on FaceBook like my other conservative friends frequently do (This was actual not a conservative asking).  My initial response, thinking back to it, was a cop-out, and I’m sorry that I didn’t think before responding with some lame reply that didn’t really give an answer, and probably was more of an excuse than a valid reason. 

The fact is, I have heard the call to get on the bandwagon.  I do feel passionately about things, and, though I’m not a fan of labels, I am generally conservative politically.  The reason I don’t “like” all the postings that slam the president, or “share” as many politically conservative images and slogans as my other friends is because that is not where my priorities are found.  The message that I am most concerned with posting and getting out there is…well, these lyrics from a song I heard several years ago say it as well as I could:  

It’s not conservative or liberal,
However they’re defined;
It’s not about interpretation,
Or the judgment of the mind;
It’s the opposite of politics,
Power or prestige;
It’s about a simple message,
And whether we believe.

Chorus:
It’s still the cross,
It’s still the blood of Calvary;
That cleanses sins,
And sets the captives free.
It’s still the name,
The name of Jesus,
That has power to save the lost;
It’s still the cross.

Here’s a Video of the Song from YouTube if you want to watch it:

See, for me, the most important message I have to share has little to do with politics or who occupies the oval office.  Not that those things are not important, it’s just that they pale in comparison with the significance of the message of the cross of Jesus Christ.  The hope for our communities, for our state, for our country is not found in the alabaster building in our capital cities, but in the message of the love of God for rebellious children, demonstrated in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (Romans 5.8).

So, I have family and  friends who are conservative and liberal, and they share those views in a variety of ways on the social media sites.  What I am most concerned with, however, is have they met Jesus Christ, the one whose name has the power to save the lost?  That’s the status update I most wish to see.  That’s why I share the messages I do and let the other ones pass by.  This is what matters most to me.

Blessings!

Recently I had to write a lengthy paper as part of my coursework in the Master’s Degree program I am in.  I completed the paper, proof read it, made several revisions, read it again, revised a little more, and finally I was satisfied with what I had produced.  As part of the courses I am in I have to submit my paper to a tutor who is tasked with helping improve my writing.  This is because I have not been in college in so long that I have gotten sloppy when it comes to the technical aspects of the writing process. 

Well, when I received my reviewed paper I was disheartened to see so many reviewer’s comments concerning what I had estimated to be a good paper.  I wondered how I could have possibly missed so many errors.  Then I realized, it is a matter of perspective.  I was so close to the project and the document that I was prevented from seeing what needed to change in the paper.  Wording that seemed fine to me as the author needed to be adjusted to fit the format of the project.  Formatting that looked correct to me as I read through it, in the eyes of a skilled editor needed to be fine-tuned.  By submitting my paper to the scrutiny of someone with a different perspective things I had missed were able to be identified and revised.

Jesus told His followers, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” (John 16:13 Holman Christian Standard Bible)  I wonder if this different perspective might be part of the Spirit’s role in our lives.  He offers us the opportunity to submit our lives to His review, because He’s able to see things from not only a different, but a divine perspective, and then enable us to see areas in us that may need a revision.

People can be difficult at times.  No surprise.  Spend enough time around certain people and, as one of my friends once put it, “you will lose your religion.”  We all find times in our lives when we have to deal with people who have different values, methods, beliefs.  Perhaps the words that they use are not words that we would use.  Maybe the way that they do things is not the way that we would do things.  The temptation might be to label that individual a “difficult person” and attempt to distance yourself.

 

This past week I was faced with dealing with a “difficult people” (I know I should have written person, don’t be difficult)   It doesn’t get any easier just because I am a Christian or because I am a pastor.  We do not become immune to the desire to strangle some people.  What is different, or can be, is the way that I choose to respond or react to a person who is rubbing me the wrong way.  In the past few days I was truly put to the test, and I’m not entirely sure that I scored very high. 

As most of you know, the temperatures were soaring earlier this week.  I am not built for heat and humidity.  Working out in the heat has taken a toll on my physically and emotionally.  I understand why when the mercury rises there is a corresponding rise in domestic dispute police interventions.  Couple the heat index with people who seem to intentionally press the stress buttons and there is the makings for disaster. 

There are many ways to respond/react to situations like that, and most of them would simply aggravate an already raw circumstance.  My response this week was two-fold.  First I prayed, and I prayed hard and sought strength and wisdom from God.  I was at the end of my own resources physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Without God’s strength I was a sitting duck.  (sounds a little like Ephesians 6.10-12)  In addition I prayed for the “difficulty” I was facing.  Honestly, there were times in my prayer that I asked God to intervene in a “biblical” way, thankfully God doesn’t take orders from me.  Mostly, I prayed for myself to have the patience to maintain my composure and to be able to manage the stress the situation was causing.  God answered!

The second thing I did was control my tongue.  We learn so many little slogans in our lives, but some of them are really good ones to remember and employ.  Among those is the slogan, “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.”  The urge inside me was to lash out.  I wanted to complain and say exactly what I thought of the difficult person.  I could pretty easily justify my reaction and no jury would have convicted me.  However, my reaction would not have honored God in my life, nor would it move the people I am working with any closer to knowing Him.  Over and over again the slogan, “if you can’t say something nice…” played through my mind. 

Finally, after I had walked a short distance from the situation, spent time praying, and remembered those words of wisdom, I was able to return and not be confrontational or complaining, rather cooperative and connected.  The difficult person didn’t act any differently, but I was able to experience peace, indescribable inner peace that passes all understanding, and to continue to do what I needed to do.

Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.  Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity.  And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.                                                      [Colossians 3:12-15 (HCSB)]

I would like to say with confidence that I will always respond to difficult people and situations this way.  I can’t, because like everyone else, the flesh is still a powerful force in life.  So, I implore you to pray for me to respond as Christ in the middle of stressful and difficult situations, and to practice what Paul wrote here.  To rest in God’s strength in the realization that my own strength will never be enough. 

Oh, and to continue to remember that “If I can’t say anything nice…” because the world is already full of discouraging and disgruntled speech.  I want to speak encouragement, inspiration, and the message of Messiah wherever I am.

Teach Us To Pray

Think back into your school experience. For some of us that might require thinking WAY BACK. From among your teachers which ones do you remember and who made a real impact on your life? What made their influence in your life so significant?

As I look back I remember a number of teachers, but among those who really impacted my life…now even twenty five plus years removed…is Mrs. Johnson. She taught English when I was in high school. She has long since retired. She impacted my life in part because she didn’t give up. I know that I probably gave her fits at times, but she was understanding, and she knew how to work with teenagers. Now I’m returning to college to get my Masters in Teaching English. I wonder what she would say.

Jesus was a great teacher, the greatest in history. His lessons have changed the course of lives and nations. This is one reason that it’s truly significant that the only recorded request of His disciples asking Him to teach them something is when they requested that He teach them to pray. In response Jesus gave them a model to follow in what we commonly refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Two Promises Concerning Prayer

God Hears our Prayers!

1 John 5:13-15
¹³ I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
¹⁴ Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, HE HEARS US.
¹⁵ And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

Consider that this means that the Sovereign King of Creation hears us as we pray in accord with His will!

Have you ever spoken to someone and received no response or reply? Perhaps your husband is seated in his recliner and you mention something to him about your plans for the coming weekend, but he simply sits there silently. No reply…no response…nothing. (Note: wives are not immune to this either.) How do you feel when you speak but are not heard? Now, how does it feel to know that God—the King—hears you when you pray?

Do you ever try to make a call on your cell only to find you have no service? Maybe you are in the middle of a call and the signal drops and you lose the call. With prayer there are no dropped calls. God always has service and you always have signal. There is great comfort and strength that comes from knowing we can trust God to hear us.

God Answers prayers

Four Possible Answers

He May Say “Yes.” (Neh 2:1‑6)

Nehemiah 2:1-6
¹ During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
² so the king said to me, “Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
³ and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
⁴ Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven
⁵ and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
⁶ The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.

Nehemiah prayed, and he made a request—actually two requests—as he approached the king, Artaxerxes, and THE KING, Jehovah. Nehemiah’s requests were met with affirmative replies and he was able to set out and begin repairing the wall around Jerusalem.

He May Say “No.” (2 Cor. 12:7‑10)

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (HCSB)
⁷ especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.
⁸ Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me.
⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.
¹⁰ So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Wouldn’t you think that if God was going to say yes to anyone it would be Paul. Yet Paul’s own experience here tells us that God doesn’t always do what His people want Him to. No one likes to hear “no” from anyone, but loving parents understand that “no” is often a necessary response to the requests of our children. God, who loves us more than any parent ever could loves us enough to tell us no when He needs to. Do we trust God enough to accept that answer?

He May Say “Yes, but not yet, wait.”

If you have ever had the chance to see a huge orchestra play a concert you know that the dozens (perhaps hundreds) of instruments combine together to produce amazing sounds. However, who controls all of that? One person, the conductor. With a wave of his baton and a gesture of his hands, even a glance from his eyes, he coordinates and orchestrates the instrumentalists and together they make the music.

God is our conductor, he’s orchestrating our lives and putting things in order. At times He replies to our requests by telling us to wait on Him. Wouldn’t it be silly for the trumpet section of the orchestra to say to the conductor in the middle of a concert, “We just got this new music, let’s play it right now.” The conductor would wisely tell them to wait until everyone had a chance to practice it and get it ready to perform. God, also must wisely (and remember that God’s answers are wiser than our prayers) tell us to wait.

He May Say “Yes and here’s even more.”

2 Chronicles 1.7-12

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁸ Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place.⁹ Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

¹¹ God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, ¹² therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have. ”

Solomon was given a “blank check” by God. He could ask anything, and unlike some of our shallow promises, God could really deliver on the anything. I have often wondered what I would ask for if God offered me the same option. I would like to hope I could be noble, like Solomon, but I don’t know for certain. When Solomon asked God to grant him wisdom God’s answer was “Yes.” But He didn’t just say “Yes.” In addition to that which Solomon asked for, God bestowed on him the things that he didn’t ask for as well. “Yes, and here’s even more.” God can answer and in His answer to our prayers blow away our expectations.

· God Hears

· God Answers

But, are we not having our prayers heard and answered because we aren’t praying? The hearing and answering is promised, but our part is that we are engaged in praying. We need to do more than talk about it…learn about it…think about it…

we have to DO IT.

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

Prayer, we talk about it, teach about it, sing about it, think about it… but are we doing it? We say that it is important, but are we doing it? We ask for it from others, but are we doing it? We promise it to friends and family, but are we doing it? Perhaps it’s time for us to return to the basics of prayer for a bit and be reminded about what it is and why we should…no, must engage in prayer.

A while back I asked someone to pray and they quietly told me that they weren’t comfortable doing it because they really didn’t know how to pray. Fact is that we all know how to pray, we just don’t call it praying. We use words like communicating or interacting, even dialoguing, but not prayer.

Fact is, prayer is essentially the same thing we do with each other but our audience is God instead of another person. All the elements of communication are present, but the person is our Lord instead of our friend, spouse, co-worker…etc.

The disciples took notice of something they saw Jesus doing. They saw Him doing it a lot. He prayed. What they saw in Him prompted them to ask Him to teach them how to do what He was doing.

Luke 11:1-4
¹ He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
² He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say: Father, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come.
³ Give us each day our daily bread.
⁴ And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation.”

A Quick Definition: What is Prayer?

• Webster – Words of worship or request
• Communication with God
• Communication is:
• Sharing ideas
• Requires talking & LISTENING

The Request: “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1)

With all that Jesus could have taught His disciples, the only recorded request we have for Him to teach something is to teach them how to pray.

It was common for religious leaders to teach their followers how to pray. Being taught how to pray meant that the followers had a certain solidarity with their teacher and that their prayers were expressing the teacher’s basic teachings. The disciples had been learning from and experiencing so much with Jesus. To be able to pray as their Master prayed would give them assurance of expressing themselves correctly to God.

                                                       – Life Application Bible Commentary

What would YOU ask Jesus to teach you today?

How Can Jesus teach US to pray?

• We can’t sit at his feet and learn like the disciples could.
• We have two precious gifts the disciples didn’t have:
• The complete Scriptures
• Full of examples of prayers
• Full of teachings on prayer
• The Psalms are virtually a prayer journal
• The Holy Spirit
• John 14:15-17 Jesus sent him to teach us
• Rom. 8:26-27 He intercedes for us

A LOOK AT THE MODEL PRAYER

From as far back as I can remember I have been able to recite “The Lord’s Prayer.” We learned it and could repeat it, and we used it every Sunday as part of our worship experience in church. The pastor almost always introduced it with words like this: “Let us pray as our Lord taught us saying: Our Father…”

However, why did Jesus give this to His disciples in response to their query? It wasn’t the exact words, but rather the design of the prayer that He wanted them to learn and us to discover. I could probably spend several weeks on just picking apart and dissecting the lessons Jesus gave in this prayer, but let’s just give it a survey today and get a start looking at what the Lord wants us to know about the gift He has given us in prayer.

Prayer Begins with God

God provided prayer

I have a cell phone in my pocket. It is really only useful if other people have phones. Consider what it would be like if I were the only one on the planet who had a phone. It would be cool, but totally useless. God gave us prayer because in creating us He desired to have connection and communication with us. From way back in the book of Genesis we see the picture of God’s connection with His creation. He walked with and talked with them. People called upon the name of Yahweh. He spoke and listened and provided us with the opportunity to engage in the same.

God made prayer possible

We are “made in His image.” This reveals that as we are able to speak, listen, communicate, and share information, so is He. We get those attributes from the creator.

God made prayer profitable

Sin had broken the lines of connection with God like a downed limb severs phone lines. Through faith God has reconnected the lines and made prayer not only possible, but profitable. That means that we do not pray in vain, but rather our prayers can accomplish things. God listens and answers prayers.

Prayer Focuses on God (Luke 11:2-4)

Going back to my memorized prayer from the King James it says:

OUR FATHER who art in Heaven, hallowed be THY NAME THY KINGDOM come, THY WILL be done On earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For THINE is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

Look at the number of times and ways that the prayer focuses on God.

• His Name
• His Kingdom
• His Will
• His provision
• His forgiveness
• His Leading
• His deliverance
• His power and glory (added from the parallel in Matt. 6:13)

So, to Summarize this Teaching on Prayer:

• Prayer is communication; requires talking and listening
• We can learn to pray
• +Study Scriptures – Read it
• +Prayer practice – Just Do it
• +Read the prayers of others
• +Write out your prayers

Prayer begins with God

• His idea
• He made it possible
• He made it profitable

Prayer focuses on God

A Closing thought:

Have you ever been going through the buffet line and come to the mashed potatoes and discovered that there are only enough left for two servings and there are four people behind you. What do you do? Most likely you pass them over so that those behind you can have some. After all, that’s the polite thing to do.

Someone mentioned on Sunday that she finds it hard sometimes to pray for her own needs. She, like many of us, lift up the needs of friends, family, and others. We pray for healing where healing is needed, strength for those who need strength. We bring all these needs before the Lord, but when we think about our own needs we stop short of praying for ourselves. Our thought is that we don’t want to burden the Lord, He has enough other things to take care of. It’s sort of like those depleted mashed potatoes. We see God’s resources as limited like that plate on the buffet table instead of by faith accepting that God’s resources are unlimited.

As I write this I’m actually in a classroom with papers scattered here and there, chairs somewhat disheveled, and a semi-organized pile of class-work on the desk in front of me.  I am a substitute teacher and I have the responsibility this week of covering for a sweet young teacher whose family has suffered a tragic loss.  As a result of this sudden tragedy the teacher was not able to leave detailed lesson plans because she, and rightly so, could only be concerned with getting to her family and uniting with them in the crisis they had just encountered. 

From the start I realize that I cannot do very much to help her with the grief and heartache, regardless of how much I would like to.  What I can do is attempt to make this period of sorrow as bearable as I am able in the area I am able by doing the best I can filling-in for her in the classroom and providing a degree of continuity for the students.

This is the role of the substitute, or as some have identified the position, a guest-teacher.  Most often I am called on to cover for a teacher who might have an appointment, or a training event.  In these occurrences I usually find well organized and detailed plans.  The instructor has had ample time to prepare for their absence and at times even negotiate benefits or consequences with the student in reference to their behavior.  On occasion a teacher falls ill and needs coverage with limited warning, plans are often emailed to the school secretary or a colleague of the teacher to deliver to me. 

Then, in situations such as this, there is no warning and the pain and grief of the circumstance do not provide for the provision of plans as the teachers life is thrown into chaos in the crisis.  The substitute’s role here is to do all I can to make sure that the teacher has nothing to worry about here, and to provide the kids with continuity in the class room. 

I am thankful for the experience I have had in preparing lessons and teaching, and I am especially grateful for the relationship I have with the school and faculty here and for the support that they provide to each other—especially visible in the concern for this teacher and her family—and to the guests in their building.

Many Blessings and Prayers for the Teacher I’m Covering and her Family!

By the time you are reading this article I will have had the privilege of uniting two very good friends of mine in marriage. It’s a wedding I thought would take place several years ago, but I am grateful to be part of it this weekend.

The new husband, Tim, is truly a man after God’s own heart. From the moment he became a follower of Jesus Christ he has sought to learn and know more on a daily basis. His incredible FAITH has seen him through incredibly difficult times, including a battle against a cancerous tumor in his brain. Financial struggles, family issues, and personal challenges have faced Tim in the years since he met Jesus in the shallow end of my swimming pool. Each one was hard, but FAITH in Christ, even as a new believer, held Tim up and carried him through.

The new bride, Mary, has also had her share of struggles through the years. A single mom,  she was left to raise two young boys on her own. Again, it was FAITH, not just knowledge or belief but dependence and trust, that carried her through, and she has been a remarkable mom and faithful follower of Christ.

Hebrews chapter 11 talks about FAITH so much that I have subtitled this section of Scripture “FAITH-BOOK.” Over and over again the phrase “by faith” is repeated. As the author unpacks the stories of some of the patriarchs of Judaism we see the critical role that FAITH played I their journey. The fact is that we need FAITH in our lives. This is so much more than just knowing about God. FAITH that will carry us through is true dependence and trust.

Face tomorrow and the next day BY FAITH.

Yesterday I wrote following some contemplative moments in a third grade class.  Today I write following a day subbing in a High School math class, and I feel really ignorant.  It’s ironic that the majority of times I fill-in for High School or Middle School classes it tends to be in the Math or Science departments because that has always been my weakest subject pairing.  Today I got to “teach” in the pre-calculus and Geometry classes. 

It was my responsibility to administer a worksheet simplifying expressions in one class and an end of unit exam in another class.  As I handed out the papers to the students I had a nervous stomach fearing that inevitable moment when a hand would go up and one of these scholars would have a question about their work.  I cannot express how relieved I was when another adult entered the room who knew math.  She was able to answer the questions and help the students as they needed her to.  The very apparent truth is that I am ignorant about the things they were working on.  Not that I hadn’t done them, I had, but it had been years…many years, and those memories are archived away in some recess in the back of my mind

.

Most of the students had little or no trouble doing what was expected.  They are using this stuff everyday while they are in school.  The formulas, operations, and all came naturally and quickly to them.  As I took a copy of the test and tried my best to work out some of the problems personally (and in secret so I wouldn’t embarrass myself) I only succeeded in further confirming that I had no idea what I was doing.  I couldn’t even make a close guess on some of the multiple choice answers because none of them were what I had come up with.

It strikes me that this is why it is so critical for us—followers of Jesus Christ—to make it a daily habit of reading and studying our Bibles and regularly praying and communicating with our Heavenly Father.  I am actually ok with being a little ignorant when it comes to understanding Pre-Calculus and Geometry—that isn’t really limiting me very much.  But, I don’t want to be ignorant about the God Things in my life, that would have very significant negative impacts on me.

The AWANA verse comes to mind—glad I’m not ignorant there. 

2 Timothy 2:15
¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.

If I were pitted against these students in a Math challenge I would be slaughtered.  They have been studying this and working it almost daily for this past school year.  I would not be able to be “approved” in this area and I would most assuredly be “ashamed” of my grade.  This class of high school students have—for the most part:

• Studied Diligently
• Advanced and been approved by their instructor
• Have no fear of being shamed by my performance over theirs
• They know how to handle the knowledge they’ve acquired

Likewise, therefore, when it comes to the Spiritual things, we have to be careful to make a daily practice of them.   While we are here this is our homework and classwork.  We read and study the Bible to learn, know, and follow the will of God in our lives.  We spend time in prayer and communion with God to discover more about Him and about ourselves.  We practice what we find to become more and more proficient at it.  Like the formulas and equations these kids have mastered we memorize Scriptures so that we can recall them when we need them.

In the end, this is the area I most desire to be approved and not ashamed in.

“But I am concerned that one day I will say or do something and have her mimic me to my shame instead of my delight.”              – Papa Dave

I am watching in awe the growth and development of my grand-daughters.  Over the past weekend we spent some time with each one.  It amazes me what they are learning and how fast they are growing.  My oldest just turned one recently and her cousin will join her ranks in another two months.   Like every proud grandparent I have pictures galore.  Here are a couple of my favorites.

When I think about how much they have learned in the short time they’ve been with us it leaves me reeling.  Today I’m even more stunned because I’m working in a third grade class.  Obviously the contrasts between the development of these 8-9 year olds is far advanced over the toddlers, but this is just a few years away.  These two little girls are going to learn so much in the next few years that it makes my head spin.

Something else I notice about them is that they love the learning process.  Amaria and Jaydan both reach, touch, taste, grab, see, listen, and shake anything they can get their hands on.  We are constantly having to pull things from their remarkably strong clutches.  In mere microseconds mystery items move from the floor to the fingers to the mouth.  They are not phased in the slightest by how gross we might think something is…they are exploring and learning their world, and they love it.

This Leaves me with a Couple Thoughts:

First, I wonder when and how we lose that passion for exploring and learning.  The excitement of those little ones seems a distant memory for even these young elementary students.  Obviously I’m glad that they have outgrown the fetish of putting everything they touch in their mouths…that would just be nasty.  But I would love to see them mentally stretching for things that are just out of reach, grabbing things that are new and interesting, and as eager to experience and explore as they were when they took those first cautious steps.

Sadder still is that at my age—young as I am—I too have lost much of the passion for exploration and learning that I know I must have had before my first birthday.  I enjoy learning things, but my interest and excitement doesn’t hold a candle to the brightness that crosses the face of my grandchild when she has learned something.  I want to recapture that enthusiasm in my own explorations.

Second, I need to be more mindful of the lessons I am teaching.  Today I have come to the personal realization that, because they are learning so quickly, and because they are learning so thoroughly, I have to be extremely aware and careful of the lessons I am passing along to them.  The things I do and say in front of them will quickly become a part of their experience and education.  It’s a humbling and terrifying thing.  As I think back I remember how swiftly the language and demeanor I passed along to my children became part of who they are.  It’s true, they will more quickly do what they see you do and say what they hear you say then they will do or say what you tell them to do or say. 

There is a song I learned years ago in Sunday School that admonishes me to:

• O be careful little eyes what you see
• O be careful little eyes what you see
• There’s a Father up above
• And He’s looking down in love
• So, be careful little eyes what you see
• O be careful little ears what you hear
• O be careful little hands what you do
• O be careful little feet where you go
• O be careful little mouth what you say

What I’m mindful of today is that it isn’t just the little eyes, ears, hands, feet, and mouths that need to be careful, but even more so those who are bigger, older, more mature need to be keenly aware as well.  We hold so much sway with these little ones.  Right now it’s a fun game to hold my hands up and watch my grand-daughter mimic me.  But I am concerned that one day I will say or do something and have her mimic me to my shame instead of my delight.

Today my grandchildren will learn more than I will learn.  In ratio they will probably easily learn 10 or 20 times what I will learn.  My hope and prayer is that the lessons they learn will be positive and helpful.  I know they will learn some of the uglier and more painful lessons of life eventually, but in the meantime I hope that I can help provide them with lessons that will see them through those harder lessons.

Enjoy the Learning!