I Prefer Paper Towels

"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

 Do you remember the childhood Sunday School song, "This little light of mine"?  Most do.  I certainly do.  Not only have I always enjoyed singing it, but it has always impressed a great truth upon my heart: God wants me to stand out for Him and I therefore shouldn't be afraid to shine for Him, lighting the way to Him for others.  Such a simple song carries quite a punch when we really think about it.

Did you also take notice, however, to the emboldened words above?  Christ, in His parable, I believe is alluding to a distinction between two audiences who are to behold our light: those "in the house" (a phrase very well known to the House of Israel), and all other "men."  We could parallel this today in the age of His grace as believers, Christians,  and unbelievers, non-Christians. 

Paul draws upon this when he spoke to the Corinthians as he was about to explain their calling in Christ to be His ambassadors (i.e. shining lights as representatives in a foreign land).  He tells them, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences" (2 Cor. 5:11).  We stand with our light evident before 3 individuals or groups here: first God, then believers ("manifest in your consciences," the Christian recipients of the letter) and finally unbelievers (the "men").

Why do I go through all of this today?  Simple. It's because I believe, deep down - where the rubber meets the road - we most often forget about at least one of these "target" audiences.  One month, we may be super burdened for the "lost" or those who haven't placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the payment for their sins.  As we focus to that end, we easily lose sight of the other areas God desires us to focus on as well - fellow believers and Him!

Don't get me wrong, please!  Focusing and having a deep burden of the Lord for any of these 3 groups of people is a wonderfully good thing.  Let's not, however, substitute good things for the greatest things.  Three times, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to "walk worthy" of all God has given us and desires of us (Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:12).  To walk worthy literally means to be balanced, walking "in line" with what I've been given and what's required of me - just like the circus act walking "in line" balancing on the super-sky-high tight rope!  If they are to slip and walk out of line - we know what would happen.  Praise the Lord for nets!  Praise Him even more for His grace that provides a safety net for us when we fall out of line of walking worthy of our calling.  His net saves us, protects us and allows us to get back on the tight rope, walking in line with Him again.

This being said, our lives are to be balanced all around.  We mustn't focus on encouraging fellow believers alone - a good thing, but also focus on our own relationship with the Lord and helping those who don't have a relationship at all with God to seek one!  Balance.

Confession is good for the soul, so here goes:  I'm out of balance.  I like to focus on 2 of the 3 groups to the demise of the other.  I've been doing a lot of thinking about this lately.  I believe it's because I've come to prefer paper towels.  Let me explain.

Paper towels are known for being absorbent.  They soak things up.  I know that my God "soaks up"  all of the time I offer Him.  He greatly delights in the offering of my open heart to Him (Ps.. 51:17; 1 Sam. 15:22).  This must be first and foremost.  As we center upon this relationship - our Source for all things - we are then able to turn outward and share all that God has done and is doing in our lives.  Likewise, there are those around us who, like paper towels, soak up what we share regarding the Lord.  This, most often, happens to be fellow Christians.

Paul likens us to "earthen vessels" in 2 Corinthians 4:7 - clay pots, mud jugs.  As He fills us with His truth,  grace and empowerment, it overflows from our vessel to those around us.  Just as in the kitchen when we have something overflow from our cup to the counter beneath, we use a paper towel to soak it up.  I like paper towels because they make my job easier.

Spiritually speaking, God's working in our lives overflows and those around us see this.  They can either reject this or they can receive it - soaking it up!  In my personal experience, the group of people that this most often applies is fellow Christians, believers who have an open heart to God, desiring to soak up His truth and comfort.  I love to "spill" my spiritual heart around these people because they are paper towels; they will soak it up and receive it, appreciating it (like you, however is reading this blog right now).  What I don't like is messes - sharing what God is doing and it falling on deaf ears.  I don't like leaving spilled drink on the counter.

Truth is, however, that whenever we are sharing Him to both the lost and found, we can't control how they receive it.  We are asked to moreover be "faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2).  We must be thankful for the paper towels that God sends along our way through the years.  We must focus on our relationship with Him, allowing Him to shine through us, overflowing to those around us despite who receives it or not.  Remember, water can't be soaked up if it's never spilled.  We are asked to be faithful to spill - share His love, His gospel and His Word with fellow believers and those who yet need His salvation.

I am burdened to not only spill in safety from now on - that is only near paper towels who will soak up my overflow.  I desire to shine for Him to those who are dead in their sins, blinded from the goodness and salvation of God.  I pray for boldness in standing for Him towards those that are "without."  I pray for His strengthening and empowerment.

One final perspective...

I've spilled things before in the kitchen.  I get busy, side tracked and get moved away from the spill before I get to clean it up.  That is to say, someone else comes along and absorbs the spill with a paper towel and I didn't even know about it.  In a very real way, this is how things work when we share Christ with others - both believers and non-believers.  We plant the seed - make the spill, but "God gives the increase" in His timing.  He is the One that works in the others hearts to receive what we've shared (1 Cor. 3:5-7).  Let's each desire to be faithful in "planting" and "spilling" Jesus Christ to those in our world.  Leave the results to Him.  Let us be faithful.

P.S.  Thanks for being a paper towel.  You encourage me.

My Time

We live in a very self-adoring, glorifying and centered society.  At one point in recent years (I'm not sure if it's the current slogan or not) you could "get it your way" at Burger King.  Numerous ads through the years have been launched touting, "This is my time"  to succeed, lose weight, gain the victory, become number one, etc.  With overwhelming media bombarding our homes, hearts and minds at every turn and angle joined with the ever quickening pace of digital technology at our all-too-ready fingertips, it seems as if there if very little recourse for the soul that seeks to stand apart from the crowd and not focus merely on themselves. 

As a member of such a society, I must plead guilty to having succumbed to such a philosophy and attitude from time to time.  Okay...moment of honesty, here....I share this attitude with the world around me far more than I ever truly realize!  I plead guilty, indeed, for it is against God's desired and designed way for us to live our lives before Him and the world around us! 

Satan shared this same "self" sin; in fact, it was the very reason that he fell from God's esteem and rebelled against the Creator of all.  Isaiah recounts his demise to which we can also succumb: "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (Is. 14:13-14).   Lucifer then infected Adam and Eve with his sick syndrome enticing them to disobey God's simple command so that they too could say, "[I wil] be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5).  Sound familiar?  It's the same exact phrase expressed from the soul of Satan!  As a result, this same destructive legacy has been passed to each and every human descending from Adam and Eve - which would be us all (Rom. 5:12, 19).  

Now we can see our present world through the filter of God's Word.  The way things are is not how they should be!  God desires that we, as the redeemed through Christ's blood, should seek the things of others above ourselves according to the pattern of Christ, Himself (Phil. 2:3-11).  Now, we come to the truly personal stuff.  

Yesterday, I started a new semester of classes.  As much as I haven't been looking forward to the crazy schedule, the added stress and the long commutes, I truly have been eager to learn the inner-workings of the human body (I'm taking Anatomy and Physiology).  Being the first day of school, I truly was expecting a decent day.  Boy, was I naive to what was to befall me! Let's get an overview:

• Candace and I bickered over driving directions and traffic maneuvering through Orlando, morning rush hour traffic (a fault more to my credit than hers)
• Being just a few minutes late for our first class (see bullet 1)
• standing in line for over an hour and half for the 1 book we couldn't get before hand, nor get anywhere else as it was specific to our school and class (gotta love college textbook racketeering - another blog, another day)
• sitting in a huge mound of peanut butter and proudly touting my "sticky buns" for several hours until Candace noticed I hadn't completely cleaned the entire mess up (PTL, however, that at least I can finally fit into the jeans again after all of the Christmas goodies)
• my new cup that Candace got me for our Anniversary fell on the ground and shattered all over - it was my favorite!
• and so many other "little things" that added up to a whole bunch of frustration!

As I walked in the rain across campus muttering in my mind (man, they don't make movies this dramatic do they?)  I grappled with the Lord in my spirit.  Didn't I deserve at least a good first day of class?  My plans were far greater for the day; I expected to get a lot more accomplished in my coursework than  dirty jeans.  "My time is much more valuable and precious than this," I thought.

Through this all, my Great God, brought conviction to my troubled heart.  What is your time?  My time is short, fleeting and uncertain. Who has given you this time? You have, Father. Why? To glorify You in all that I do and share Your truth, light and salvation to all the world.  What are you doing with this time, however?  I'm not redeeming it.  I'm pitying myself, focused on my desires and not Yours.  How can this change?  I need Your power strengthening me.  I need You to work through me to do all that is required of me by You and the world that is around me...like life. 

Hallelujah - my God delivered me and rushed my hardened heart with His grace, peace and strength!  Don't get me wrong - I still found myself muttering as each progressively stupid thing happened to me, but I took it back to my Father and placed it before Him, looking for Him to help me through it.  He did. 

In the time since, I've done some studying in His Word regarding the philosophy of "my time" that I was carrying in my heart.  This phrase is found in Scripture only 4 times.  The majority of them, 3, are all in reference to Jesus Christ as He referred to "my time" (cf. John 7:6,8; Matt. 26:18).  The final remaining one does indeed refer to men, but in a contrary way, "Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?" (Ps. 89:47).  A very striking picture is presented here for us.  The time that is given to us individually is short and subject to great vanity.  Our time, however, in Christ is to be "redeemed" (2 Cor. 6:1-2; Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5) as it belongs to Him. 

I now offer the same question to you, that the Lord purged my heart with yesterday:  "What are you doing with My time?" 

Don't make me repeat myself...repeat myself!

Fill in the blank:  How many times have I told you to...not to...!  We've all most assuredly been on both the giving and receiving end of such statements. 

Countless parents in exasperation have echoed their repeated caveats to seemingly deaf ears.  Siblings have thrown down the gauntlet using such exclamations.  Tired and exhausted spouses reveal their frustration with an unspoken but an unmistakeably communicated "I can't handle this one more time!" 

I understand the desperation that is so easily accompanied with such statements.  We quickly grow weary of repeating ourselves.  In the context of this frustration, I share with you a truth that has so greatly convicted my heart today.

"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.  To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it safe." - Phil. 3:1

A verse popularly and frequently visited by parents, teachers and pastors alike regarding the overall importance and value of  repetition and review, these words sprang into new colorful, meaningful and impacting form within my heart and mind this morning.  The point is well understood that it is quite advantageous for the recipient to here the statement multiple times.

As I'm currently a student again, I am living this daily.  Candace and I have left lectures so thoroughly perplexed about what was just presented we would jokingly say, "I'm so lost, I don't even know what I'm confused about!"  We needed review and repetition (along with several heaping portions of clarification).  I remember the professor, upon our inquiring, becoming so frustrated because we at times just couldn't grasp what he was saying.  He would therefore give up and move on, leaving us to our confusion. 

The Apostle Paul comforted the Phillipian saints, "Don't worry.  It's no problem to me at all to help you grasp this most essential spiritual necessity for your life!"  Literally, he said that it is "not grievous."  My revelation came in the realization that when I am forced to at times repeat myself, I all too often find it exceedingly grievious.  I am put out by it.  It inconveniences me.  Dare I say that it offends me; I'm better than this, right? 


I specifically refer to my interactions in my marriage.  Overall, I would view myself as a gentle, tender and caring man, sensitive to the needs of my wife - at least in the big things.....sometimes...well, at least that's my heart's intent.  The problem, as it usually is, lies in the small things, the seemingly insignificant day to day happenings. 

Reality, however, reveals that I can be gruff, coarse, callused and insensitive, whether intentional or not, towards those closest to me in my life, particularly my wife.  Do situations like this take place in your home? 

Spouse 1:  We talked about that last week, don't you remember?
Spouse 2:  Nope, I'm sorry.  Could you please refresh my memory?
Spouse 1:  (With great and dramatic sighs) I guess, but I can't believe you don't remember. We were...

To my shame, I have played the role of Spouse 1 all too many times.  In those moments, my attitude and actions cry out that simply repeating myself "indeed is...grievous"!  In the end, I boil this all down to selfishness.  Yes, at times, Spouse 2 may be culpable to an extent for not remembering, nevertheless we are accountable to Lord for our attitudes and responses.  Sadly enough, most of these scenarios are so insignificant.  In fact, I've even gotten bent out of shape simply because my wife couldn't hear me due to her physical surroundings (i.e. too much noise to where she literally could not hear me).  I know it's ludicrous, but the conviction of the Holy Spirit testifies that I indeed have gone there before.

It's my prayer for both you and myself that we would continually adapt Paul's non-grievous mindset when we deal with loved ones in all things, in the significant and trivial alike.  

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." -Col. 4:6 

The Martyr List

Martyr-  a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause

Throughout the annals of history, countless men and women have endured great loss and suffered much affliction on behalf of others including the greatest payment of death.  Martin Luther and William Tyndale are but two outstanding examples standing along side many of the great Apostles of the Scriptures. 

Occasionally (OK, you've got me - far more often than I'd like to admit on paper), I like to add myself to the list, particularly at home.  Now of course I've never suffered death on behalf of my Bride.  In fact, I have yet to ever truly endure physical pain as a service to her (beyond the many DIY projects gone horribly wrong, that is).  Nevertheless, my list of service deserving of martyrdom merit rivals Fox's Book of Martyrs and is daily being revised and edited! 

How then do I join the hallowed halls of martyrdom?  Easily.  Every time my love sweetly asks me to do something I really don't want to do, yet I still do it, points appear on my imagined spiritual scorecard.  When I let her believe that she is right even though I know she is dead wrong I earn double miles on my account.  And so on...

Exaggerated, perhaps, but in the heat of the moment, my pulsing emotions and racing thoughts  certainly travel along these lines helping me to arrive at such ludicrous conclusions!  How then, could I possibly rise above such a vicious, downward spiraling cycle? 

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  - Rom. 5:7-8

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:...[who] being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." -Phil. 2:4-5, 8

By the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.  According to the testimony and pattern of Christ as set forth for us by Paul's pen.   Jesus Christ is the Martyr - the One who lived a perfect life, undeserving of death, who yet willingly suffered death upon our behalf.  We, who were wicked, vile and dead in our sins - the complete opposite of all He created us for and to be - were absolutely undeserving of His great and sacrificial love, yet He has lavishly bestowed it upon us, freely!  It's according to this mold that my Father asks me to fashion my life and home.

The call of God's grace reaches deep within our souls, touching every facet of our lives.  God has not specifically nor on a daily basis asked us today to be His martyrs, physically dying for Him.  Indeed it could happen; however, He desires something far greater and yes, more difficult - to physically live for Him as a servant. 

Would you join me in endeavoring to follow Christ's example of servant hood sans martyrdom?  Will you serve Him during the day at work or school? at church with your fellow brothers and sisters?  at home with your spouse, children or parents?  There's no need to keep a list (at least of what you've done) but rather bear in mind what He has already done for us.  Let's serve Him, no strings attached.