My bout with the chicken pox was temporary and the scabs eventually healed. However, the Bible tells the story of a man who had leprosy, a neurological disease that affects the nerve endings and usually leads to significant disfigurement if left untreated. Luke, the medical doctor and Gospel writer, describes the man as being “covered with leprosy” (Luke 5:12). His body was fully involved with the disease and we can extrapolate that his appearance was greatly affected and that he had been suffering from this disease for a long period of time.

Even though those with leprosy in the ancient world were banished to live outside the town or city in leper colonies and were considered “untouchables,” Jesus broke through the cultural and societal barriers to demonstrate compassion toward the diseased man. Luke tells us that “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man” (Luke 5:13). Most of the pictures I have seen that depict this story usually show Jesus touching the top of the man’s head. Nobody knows exactly where Jesus touched the man, but I can’t help but think that Jesus grabbed this man’s hands, parts of the body that had lost all touch sensation due to the destruction of the nerve endings. With the touch of Jesus, dead nerves were immediately healed; fingers that were lost due to infection immediately reappeared. Luke tells us that with the touch of Jesus and the words, “Be clean!”, the leprosy left the man immediately (v. 13).

Such is the power of Jesus Christ. With His miraculous touch, lives are instantly changed. And the reality is He wants us to be on the lookout for outcasts who need a touch from Him as well. Who are the outcast, isolated, untouchable people in your sphere of influence? Are you willing to reach out and make a compassionate connection and help share the transforming love of Christ?

Be encouraged in your “reaching out” mission!

*John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, was born from elderly parents (Zechariah and Elizabeth) who had previously given up on having a child because Elizabeth was “barren.” (Lk. 1:7)

*God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. Mary was most likely 12-14 years of age when she was given the announcement that she was going to give birth to a son. In addition, Mary was probably illiterate since the overwhelming majority of people in the first century were not able to read or write. She lived in the insignificant small town of Nazareth in relative obscurity and poverty. The odds of her being selected for such a special role in salvation history were definitely stacked against her from a human perspective, yet the “upside-down” nature of God’s Kingdom has been authoritatively defined by God: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord (Isaiah 55:8). Finally, Mary was told that she would conceive the Son of the Most High while still a virgin, a miracle that brought forth a Savior who lived his life on earth as the God-Man (100% God; %100 human)—a reality that that has been giving theologians headaches for a few thousand years.

Almost right in the middle of Luke1, as if he knew the recorded events in his Gospel sounded impossible, Luke writes, “For nothing is impossible with God” (Lk. 1:37). Skeptics take note: the Savior was born of a virgin. This Savior did eventually die on a cross. This Savior did rise from the dead. And it all began in the craziest way, in a most unlikely place, to a very unlikely group of people: the elderly, the barren, the uneducated, the poor, the small town nobodies, and oddly enough, a virgin.

And so as we read Luke, we are drawn into reflection regarding our own lives: our insignificant upbringings, our vast distance from fame and fortune, our endless lists of human inadequacies and various forms of barrenness. Right into this milieu of “impossibilities” the Holy Spirit shows up and communicates that “nothing is impossible with God.” The Lord can surely use the poor, the humble, the broken, and the barren, for this is how His glory and greatness is revealed. Those who are destitute know how to be dependent, and it is precisely the dependent people God is searching for because He can only fill vessels that are not full of themselves.

Paul, the apostle, understood the nature of God’s ways when he wrote:

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. (1 Cor. 1:26-30)

God wants to use you this Christmas season to be a living example of God’s grace. He wants to shine through your inadequacies, provide for your deficits, satisfy your hunger, and allow your life to blossom even in barrenness. These are they types of “unthinkable” and “impossible” things Jesus is up to in our lives. What a reason to celebrate!

One of the ways sin affects our lives is that it distorts our perception of reality. Because of our fallenness, we look at ourselves, others, and the world through eyes that have been thoroughly corrupted by the deception, distortion, and destruction of sin. Years ago, my daughter, Abbie, struggled greatly with her vision and, prior to being officially diagnosed with a condition called amblyopia, she lived in a visual blur. I will never forget the day she finally received glasses to correct her vision problems. Immediately, after putting on the corrective lenses, Abbie’s face lit up with joy and she marveled at the wondrous color and detail that was previously unknown. Her reality changed. Instead of walking hesitantly with her hands outstretched in front of her to give advance warning of upcoming objects, she began to walk with a greater sense of boldness and purpose. Clarity of vision led to courageous forward movement.

Theologian R.C. Sproul has defined truth as "that which corresponds to reality as perceived by God, because God’s perception of reality is never distorted. It’s a perfect perception of reality." Distorted, sin-marred reality can only be transformed by the Truth, Jesus Christ. When we come to Christ in faith and surrender to Him, our entire lives are made new, including our vision of reality; we begin to see the world through the eyes of Jesus. Blurry, hesitant lives are transformed into passionate, focused, clear, courageous lives.

Through my years of ministry, I have seen how important it is for people to live with a truthful perception of reality, and I have witnessed how a person’s growth in Christ equips one to see life situations more truthfully and clearly. However, because we are called to grow until we die, we need to realize that our perceptions will never be perfect in this life. Nonetheless, it is vital for us to recognize the distortions we battle against so we can continue to grow in Christ and in our relationships with others. Two of the more prevalent distortions of reality that we struggle with can be called The Messiah Complex and The Victim Complex.

The Messiah Complex is characterized by a person thinking too highly of oneself and can be exemplified through phrases such as: "I’m the only one who can do this job right;" "Nobody else is capable of doing what I’m doing;" "If anything is going to get done around here, I’ll have to do it." The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Rome, writes about the importance of believers maintaining a proper self-understanding based in reality when he writes:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Rom. 12:2-3)

According to Paul, a believer’s self-understanding involves sober judgment, a truthful assessment of one’s life that eliminates pride and the incessant need to conform to the world’s view of the individual—a destructive view that sees each person in a god-like fashion, capable of defining truth in a purely personal, individualistic, and relativistic manner. In the ancient world, Greek philosophers used the world "logos" to describe ultimate reality and truth. John, in the opening of his Gospel, writes: "In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). In this verse John is communicating to us that Jesus Christ is ultimate truth and reality. We can only truly understand who we are when we understand who He is. God is God. There is one Messiah and his name is Jesus Christ. As we keep our eyes focused on Jesus we will be able to think of ourselves with sober judgment and resist the Messiah Complex.

Another popular distortion of reality against which followers of Jesus must battle is the Victim Complex. This complex is marked by destructive, negative thoughts, such as: "Everyone is out to get me;" "Nobody understands me;" "God cannot use me because of what I’ve been through in the past." Essentially, individuals with a victim complex have too low a view of oneself and they have forgotten the incredible value they have in Christ. In describing this complex, I in no way seek to deny that there are people who have truly been victims of crimes and abuse and various forms of evil. However, my point is to state that these experiences should not define the reality and identity of Christ followers. It is interesting to note that in Romans 12, in the verses following Paul’s command to "think of yourself with sober judgment," he writes a powerful portion of the letter that calls people to selfless service in the church, the body of Christ. Those struggling with a victim complex often refrain from the use of their gifts due to deep, powerful feelings of inadequacy and self-pity. The Bible calls us out of the false, victim mentality and says:

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Rom. 12:6-8)

Christians who find themselves struggling with the victim complex need to daily surrender their negative thoughts to Christ and, in the process of surrendering, remember their true, real identity as beloved children of God. God’s desire is for us to freely use our gifts for His glory in the church and in the world, and this freedom will only be experienced as we discover our true, undistorted identities in Him.

There is a story told of a northern man attending a slave auction during the time of the Civil War.  At the auction, the man purchased a young slave girl.  As they walked away from the auction, the man turned to the girl and said, "You’re free."  With utter amazement she responded, "You mean I’m free to do whatever I want?"  "Yes," the man said.  The girl then asked,  "And to say whatever I want to say?"  "Yes," the man replied.  The girl continued by asking, "And to be whatever I want to be?"  "Yes," the man said yet again.  Then the girl stopped walking and looked into the man’s eyes and inquired, "And even go wherever I want to go?"  "Yes, you may go wherever you desire," the man stated.  Then, the young girl, with tears of freedom in her eyes, stared at the man and said, "Then I will go with you."

The Bible tells us that we have been purchased by Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection: "You are not your own; you were bought at a price" (1 Cor. 6:19).  He has paid the penalty for our sins so we can experience true freedom, the gift of redemption.  However, once we experience this miraculous freedom, we realize that our desire is to live for Him, not ourselves; we want to please our Master. 

Ever since the first century there have been false teachers who have misrepresented God’s gift of redemption to somehow support a life-style that is contrary to the gospel and the holiness of God.  In other words, the sacrifice of Christ is diminished in value, grace is "cheapened," and there is a prevailing attitude that communicates this fallacy: "It doesn’t really matter how you live because God has forgiven you anyway."  The Apostle Peter encountered this heresy among some early church teaching and he warned the church with these words:

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.  They will secretly introduce heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  (2 Peter 2:1-2)

The title sovereign Lord in this passage can also be translated Master.  Those who deny the Master who redeemed them will experience the judgment of God.  The purchasing power of Christ should not be treated lightly.  The truth of the gospel is that those who were once slaves to sin become slaves to righteousness through faith in Christ.  The Apostle Paul puts it this way:
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.  (Romans 6:17-18)

Redemption is about transferring slaves to new owners.  Those who have placed their faith and trust in Christ, the great Redeemer, experience abundant life and freedom through a new type of enslavement to a Master who loves, forgives, heals, strengthens, and empowers. 

Our lives are not really our own—we are owned by the One who cried out from the depths of pain on the cross: "It is finished!"….which is another way of saying, "You are free!"

Last summer my family spent a few days in Chicago during our vacation.  My daughter, Abbie, loves to learn about history, and because she has read numerous books about World War II and the Holocaust we decided to visit the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.  As we walked into the dimly lit museum lobby, I was immediately struck by the atmosphere.  The walls were stark concrete.  The light fixtures hanging from the ceiling resembled shower heads.  We had just entered a lobby created to resemble a gas chamber. The designers of the museum wanted to establish the mood of the building immediately upon visitor arrival—and it worked; it was a profound, powerful, sobering moment. 

Our museum tour was led by an intelligent, energetic Jewish woman who began the orientation by telling us, "We must remember.  We must remember."  Throughout the tour, there was an emphasis on connecting the past to the present and the future.  If we completely forget the past, we are in danger of repeating the atrocities of history.  The museum’s website contains the slogan: Remember the past, transform the future.

As humans, we have a propensity to forget things.  We need to be constantly reminded. The word "remember" occurs 166 times in Scripture, an obvious indictment of our leaky memories.  An important part of the Christian life is remembering the power and promises of God.  We easily forget how powerful God is and we begin to doubt His ability to save us.  We forget, or simply ignore, the myriad of promises contained in His Word.  The Apostle Peter, during his last days, was focused on reminding Christ followers about their wondrous faith and salvation.  He didn’t want them to forget what Christ had done for them because he knew that, in the process of forgetting, they would become discouraged, skeptical, and unbelieving.  Peter writes:

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.  I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.  And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. (2 Peter 1:12-15)

Remind you…Refresh your memory…Remember these things.  It’s hard to miss the point! 
 
If you are feeling discouraged today, take a few minutes and remember what God has brought you through in the past.  His faithfulness has carried you to this present moment.  As author Frederick Buechner has written, "To remember the past is to see that we are here today by grace, that we have survived as a gift."  Moses, one of the greatest leaders the world has known, knew the power of remembrance when he said to the people of Israel, "Remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.  You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out" (Deuteronomy 7:18-19).

Present life and future hope are fueled, in part, by remembering the awesome display of God’s saving power in the past.  If our God was faithful before, He will remain faithful today and forever…  

Remember that!

I have always been inspired by elderly people who exhibit a teachable spirit and a willingness to pursue lifelong learning, even in their final days.  My late grandmother, Martha Miller, was one such individual who continued to grow spiritually right up to the time when she passed away.  There is something refreshing about people who have not become complacent in their lives or stagnant in their faith journeys.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to continuous growth; there is always more of Christ to know.  Disciples are lifelong learners.

The Apostle Peter, in his second letter, exhorts Christians to see their lives as providing ongoing opportunities for growth and maturity.  Even as Peter was nearing the end of his own life (see 2 Peter 1:13-14), one of his main concerns was for people to understand they have been created to grow until they die.  In our culture, a life of ease and retirement is often celebrated as the only possible preferred future.  Scripture, on the other hand, teaches us to grow, persevere, and press forward with ever-increasing passion, fervor, and urgency by firmly resisting the temptation to "take it easy." 

I would like to encourage you to assess the spiritual growth trajectory of your life by looking at the following truths that are found in 2 Peter 1:

1) Spiritual growth begins with faith.

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (vv. 1-2).

Peter uses an interesting phrase in these verses: received a faith.  The author is saying that faith has been allotted to us, not because of anything we have done to deserve it or earn it, but simply because God has chosen to bless us with the very gift of faith.  Thus, in response to this amazing gift, the follower of Jesus Christ is called to live by faith, not by sight. Without faith it really is impossible to please God.  Without faith it is also impossible to grow and be transformed by the power of God.  If you want to grow until you die, you must place your faith in Christ alone. 

2) The divine power necessary for our ongoing spiritual growth dwells within us.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:3-4).

These verses are incredibly important for us to understand if we are to experience ongoing spiritual growth.  First, Peter tells the church that the power of God’s Spirit is sufficient for their lives and will empower them for godly living.  There are no "secrets" to growth; the Spirit of God moving in the lives of Christ followers yields abundant fruit.  Jesus said these words about the ministry of the Spirit: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17).  Next, Peter connects the promises of God (found in Scripture) with participating in the divine nature and escaping the corruption in the world.  In other words, when we surrender to the power of God’s Spirit and saturate our minds with the Word of God we are placed in a position of growth and are given the power to resist the temptations we encounter. 

3) True knowledge of God results in an eagerness to experience continual spiritual growth.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Knowing God is not simply the accumulation of facts about the nature of God, but rather a deep, personal, intimate knowledge of God and a radical trust in Him.  The more we get to know God, the more we want to know Him.  The more we get to know Him, the more we want to please Him; our lives are characterized by an eager desire to obey our King, and as our knowledge of Him grows, our lives begin to take on the character of Christ: goodness, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, love. 

Earlier today, I was reading some pages of theologian J.I. Packer’s classic book, Knowing God.  In the book, Packer writes some important reminders about what it means to know God:

All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me.  I know Him, because He first knew me, and continues to know me.  He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when His care falters….There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me.  

Friends, you may not realize it, but you have been called to preach the Word.  Sure, you may not be a pastor like me, but you are still commanded to preach.  In reality, we are all preaching something all the time through our words and actions.  A huge question we would be wise to reflect on is this: When people see our lives, what are the sermons we are presenting to the world?  Don’t forget: our lives are sermons.

The Apostle Paul commanded Timothy to preach the Word (see 2 Timothy 4:2).  Notice how Timothy was not instructed to preach self-help or some kind of watered-down version of Scripture that might come across as more palatable to the hearers.  In fact, Paul warned Timothy with these words:

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim. 4:3-5)

In our current mass media age, people can find information that will support whatever lifestyle they want to pursue.  There is no shortage of teachers who are dispensing messages in conflict with the Word of God.  We encounter these types of messages all the time, and we, just like Timothy, are called to "keep our heads in all situations" and not allow the false teachings to lead us off course. 

When Paul told Timothy to preach, he was literally saying "proclaim the Word."  I like the word proclaim better than preach in this context because I have noticed that in our culture "preaching" seems to refer to the activity of only certain people—namely, pastors.  Thus, proclaiming seems to carry less cultural baggage and it communicates that all God’s people have the responsibility of proclaiming the greatness and sufficiency of Christ through their words and behavior.

It is important to note that after Paul commands Timothy to preach the Word, he communicates when the Word should be preached:

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season… (2 Tim. 4:2)

In other words, we are to proclaim the Word when it is convenient and when it is not convenient.  Each moment of life offers an opportunity to present Christ.  Each new day opens the door for a new sermon to be lived.  The challenge is to see all of life’s moments—the joy-filled seasons and the painful dessert seasons—as powerful opportunities to proclaim that life, truth, peace, forgiveness, and salvation are found in Christ alone.

Today, when you interact with your family, remember to proclaim the truth of God’s Word through your life.

When you are having a tough day at the office and it seems inconvenient to live out your faith, remember to stay faithful in your proclamation.

If the kids are healthy, the bills are all paid, and the house is clean, remember to be consistent in your proclamation. 

Preach the Word.  Whether it’s convenient or not; whether the time seems right or not; whether we are tired or well rested; whether we are sick or healthy; whether we are working or unemployed….preach the Word.

This past Sunday we continued the Final Words teaching series by looking at 2 Timothy 3. Specifically, we focused on the importance of spending quality time studying and meditating on God’s Word.  The apostle Paul wrote these powerful words to Timothy about the vital role of Scripture in our lives:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

Here are four challenges for each of us in the days ahead as we strive to be more disciplined in our study of Scripture:

1) Avoid the danger of gaining information without experiencing transformation. We can know a lot of details about the Bible, but if we don’t study with the intent of allowing the Holy Spirit to truly speak to us and change us, we are guilty of falling into the camp of those who are "always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth" (see 2 Tim. 3:7).

2) Make the reading of Scripture the #1 priority in your day.  We must fight for our time alone with God.  Times of quiet and meditation in the course of the day rarely happen unplanned; we must be intentional about putting the study of Scripture at the top of our daily "to do" lists.  On Sunday I challenged the church to fast from technology for at least one day this week and spend that time in the Word.  By fasting, we are saying that our relationship with Christ is more important than Facebook, email, laptops, ipods, and ipads.

 
3) Read and meditate on the words of Psalm 119 this week.  Psalm 119 is the longest psalm (and the longest chapter) in the entire Bible and the focus of the prayer is the word of God.  As you read the psalm, write down all the references to the word or law of God.  Here are just a few of them:

"How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to your word." (v. 9
"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (v. 11)
"My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word." (v. 28)
"I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word." (v. 25)
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (v. 105) 

4) Read your Bible before you read other Christian books.  There are many wonderful Christian books and devotionals, but none of them are the Word of God.  Use Christian resources as supplements, not as replacements for Scripture. 

In the days ahead, I look forward to hearing stories about how people’s lives are being changed by the power of God’s Word.  Immerse yourself in the pages of Scripture this week, participate in the "Facebook Fast," and see what God can do with a humble heart that submits to the authority of His Word!

In the days following September 11, 2001, rescue and recovery workers tirelessly removed debris from the 10-story mound of World Trade Center rubble using 5-gallon buckets so they could sift through the debris in a careful way.  Some of the workers stayed on the "bucket brigade" lines for 12, 16, and 18 hours at a time, painstakingly transferring thousands of pounds of material one bucket after another.  While this job was incredibly challenging, the men and women who selflessly served in this way were living examples of endurance and they demonstrated a remarkable capacity to press on in the face of adversity.  When the World Trade Center cleanup effort was finally completed after 8 months, more than 108,000 truckloads of debris had been removed from the site.  It is amazing to think that the cleanup began 5 gallons at a time with a group of committed people who simply wouldn’t quit.  They endured.   

Some of the Apostle Paul’s final words to Timothy include an admonition to stay the course and persevere in the life of faith.  Here are some truths we can learn from 2 Timothy 2 about endurance:

Grace is the foundation of endurance…

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.." (2 Tim. 2:1)

Often times, when we think of enduring, we consider our endurance to be possible only if we have enough strength, motivation, physical training, and tenacity to "make it happen."  Shockingly, when it comes to enduring in our relationship with Christ and in our lives of mission in the world, it is God’s grace that strengthens us.  Sure, we are called to stay connected with Christ through community, prayer, worship, service, and the study of Scripture which all serve to strengthen our spiritual lives, but it is God’s grace that provides the foundational strength to keep going—even when it seems like taking another step is going to be too difficult.

Endurance requires an ongoing assessment of priorities…

"Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.  Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.  The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.  Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." (2 Tim. 2:3-7)

Staying committed to anything over the long haul requires a ruthless assessment of our priorities.  As the old hymn says, we are "prone to wander:" we wander into relationships that are not pleasing to God; we wander into materialism; we wander into trivial pursuits…the list of potential wanderings goes on and on and these diversions pull us away from Christ.  Paul illustrates endurance by mentioning soldiers, athletes, and farmers. The people of the ancient world would have been very familiar with the deep commitment to priorities that these groups of people would exemplify. Those who want to endure will demonstrate the ability to prioritize life.  If soldiers don’t have the right priorities, they will lose their lives.  If athletes wander from the training regimen and lose sight of the rules, they will lose the contest.  If a farmer wanders from work, there won’t be food on the table.  When was the last time you assessed your priorities and took an honest look at how you are spending your time?  If you want to endure, you will take the time for self-assessment.  

Endurance is the result of focusing on Jesus Christ…

"Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.  This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal.  But God’s word is not chained." (2 Tim. 2:8-9)

The greatest thing we can do when we are struggling to press on is "remember Jesus Christ."  The writer of Hebrews put it this way:

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:2-3)

When we consider the endurance of Jesus, we are given strength to press on.  When we meditate upon the perseverance of Christ, we realize that we too are called to persevere.

Our endurance is an inspiration to others…

"Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." (2 Tim. 2:10)

Paul understood that his actions affected many other people; he firmly grasped the "ripple effect" of life.  Paul knew that his endurance was necessary for the furthering of the gospel and the strengthening of the church.  To put the matter bluntly: people’s eternal lives were at stake when it came to Paul’s endurance and he didn’t want to be responsible for leading people astray.  When you press on in the face of adversity, you put yourself in a position where you can literally inspire others to keeping moving forward.  What an amazing privilege and responsibility!

Recently I was inspired by reading about the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile foot race that takes place in mid-July in California’s Death Valley.  The race starts at 282 feet below sea level and ends at an elevation of 8,360 feet.  The temperature during the race can reach 120 degrees—in the shade!  Needless to say, many of the runners who start the race don’t end up finishing; however, many are able to endure and finish.  People who are able to battle through such adversity inspire me.  Even though I will never run the Badwater Marathon, I am running the race of faith in Christ and I want my life of discipleship to be inspiring to those around me.  I hope you want to inspire others too.

Several weeks ago I was driving to Lakeland Regional Medical Center to visit someone from Crossroads.  En route I approached a lighted intersection when the signal turned yellow and I was instantly forced to make a split-second decision: Do I slam on my brakes and risk ending up in the middle of the intersection?  Or, do I apply a little pressure to the gas pedal and cruise on through the intersection?  Well, in my attempt to do the Lord’s work in a timely and efficient fashion, I applied some extra pressure to the gas pedal and proceeded on my way.

A few weeks after this incident, I was shocked when I received a "Notice of Violation" letter in the mail.  The letter contained a few incriminating photos depicting my vehicle (the camera photo even showed my Chicago Cubs license plate holder) cruising a bit too late through the intersection.  I soon realized that, presented with the same driving dilemma in the future, slamming on my brakes would definitely be the cheaper option.  As a stared at the photos of my violating behavior, I was overcome with a sense of shame.  I did not want this to happen again.

Shame is an interesting and powerful emotion.  It can serve both constructive and destructive purposes.  It can be experienced in a deserved way, as in my situation described above;  or, it can be experienced even when it is undeserved.  Let’s briefly look at each type of shame:

Deserved shame is what we feel when God has been dishonored in our lives.  The purpose of this type of shame is to lead us to a place of repentance and, ultimately, to a place of obedience.  The shame that resulted from my traffic violation has instilled in me a greater desire to pay more attention when I am approaching an intersection.  The Bible mentions deserved shame and its corrective purpose in our lives.  Specifically, the Apostle Paul, in one of his letters to the church in Corinth, writes, "Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame" (1 Cor. 15:34).  The shame referred to in this verse, and other similar ones in Scripture, is a healthy shame that calls us to account and redirects us toward God. 

In contrast to deserved shame is undeserved, or misplaced shame.  This type of shame is often cultivated in: secular culture (by presenting Hollywood type images of beauty and health that are unattainable and thus shame producing), graceless religion (through the presentation of a legalistic righteousness that is shame-based), and "hard to please" parents (through unrealistic expectations).  These three forces may be feeding misplaced shame in people’s lives and keeping them from experiencing true freedom in Christ. 

Some of the Apostle Paul’s final words to Timothy (see 2 Timothy) revolved around the issue of shame; namely, an exhortation to "not be ashamed" or fall into the trap of living under the weight of undeserved shame:  "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner" (2 Tim. 1:8).  Paul did not want Timothy to shrink back from his mission on account of the suffering that Paul was experiencing or on account of the persecution that was sure to follow a life aligned in obedience to Christ.  In short, Paul was concerned that needless, undeserved shame in Timothy’s life—resulting from faulty thinking that suffering and the gospel can’t coexist— would hinder the advancement of the gospel.

Remember, deserved shame leads us closer to Christ through confession and repentance of sin.  Undeserved shame leads us away from Christ because we end up losing sight of God’s incredible grace.  Let’s not be ashamed of our faith in Christ.  Let’s not be ashamed of the gospel.  But, by all means, let’s allow deserved shame to draw us back into the deep, abiding relationship that Christ longs to have with us—a relationship of grace.