What Matters

Correction (Proverbs 9)

Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.  (Proverbs 9:8)

No-one likes being corrected.  I never enjoy having my error pointed out.  But the truth is that real growth is not possible without loving and wise correction.  We really can learn from our mistakes.  More than that, we do well to have others we trust help us see and analyse the mistakes we make in order to transform our blunders into opportunities for growth.

I am blessed to work alongside people who will, when the occassion requires it, help me to acknowledge and learn from my stuff-ups large and small.  I have professional supervisors who help me reflect on both my successes and failures in ministry, drawing new wisdom from both.  And of course my family, most especially Sue, help hold a mirror up so that I gain clarity on how I live life.  But all this is of no avail if I do not listen to the gentle rebuke, the loving correction when it is offered.

I am still prone to aggressive defensiveness when I am corrected.  But, by the grace of God, I am getting better.  No-one, least of all me, enjoys discipline and correction when it comes - but I am learning it really does produce a harvest of righteousness.  So Lord, keep my heart soft and malleable and my mind and life open to the loving correction you bring into my life through the ministry of others and the wise counsel they offer me.  Thank you for the growth you have brought into my life.  I look forward with anticipation the further growth you will bring.

Memorising Wisdom (Proverbs 7)

Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.  Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.  (Proverbs 7:2-3)

I used to travel too and from work by bus.  It was a 50 minute or so journey from my home to the city.  Often I would read and sometimes I would listen to my Walkman (remember those!)  Other times I would pull out some palm cards with verses of scripture written on them in my almost indecipherable scrawl and read them over and over again, seeking to memorize them.  I can still recall and state a lot of those 50 or so verses 20 years later.  They have served me well along the way.

The psalmist says that God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  It follows then to acquaint ourselves with that lamp and its light so that we use it wisely and well.  Melissa recently returned from Willow Creek where she learned that surveys prove without any shadow of doubt that the most effective spiritual discipline towards growth is regular bible reading.  It is not rocket science; as we immerse ourselves in the word of God it offers us, together with the Holy Spirit, the promise of being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

I am so thankful for the way in which the scriptures have fed, challenged, encouraged, changed and transformed me.  After 30 years reading them, I am still amazed by the capacity of these ancient words to become a living word in season for me.  Again, the psalmist says, 'Blessed is the man...whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it fruit in season.'  (Psalm 1:2-3a)

What God Hates (Proverbs 6)

There are six things the Lord hates, seven things that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush to evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

There exists in the U.S an expression of Christianity that is an contrary to all that Christ lived, died and was raised for.  Self-declared Christ-followers have held up placards that declare, 'God hates fags!'  What an abomination!  God loves all people, without exception.  Such distortions of the gospel can, and sadly have fueled homophobic attacks.  This passage from Proverbs points out the things that God truly detests.  I am struck by the relational nature of the sins that are singled out.  When we sin, someone is hurt - either a family member or friend or even stranger.  And of course, God is hurt.

Sin is an abuse of relationship.  For example, when I look with haughty eyes I think of myself more highly than others, when I lie - I deceive, when I stand by silently when innocents are killed or the poor die from preventable hunger or disease, when I plot and scheme and stir the pot - in all these ways I trample the gift of relationship that we receive as God's image-bearers. 

This list, uncomfortably close to home in so many ways, encourages me to guard my heart - to submit my will daily to God (Proverbs 3:5-6).  With God's help I am called to overcome the tendency in me to sin.  And with God's help I will.

Satisfying Breasts (Proverbs 5)

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.  A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.  (Proverbs 5:18-19)

Man, I love the bible!  How could you not, when it is so full of practical, straight-forward and unblushing advice.  There is a popular and dangerous misconception that the bible is anti-sex.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The bible glories in God's gift of our sexuality.  The wisdom literature (Proverbs, Song of Songs) in particular is full of joyous (and at times graphic) admonitions to enjoy the fullest expression of our erotic love with and for our marriage partner.

As it warns against the deadly consequences of adultery, Proverbs affirms the sanctity (and fun!) of the marriage bed.  And I say a loud, and satisfied 'amen' to that.  Sue and I just celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary.  We have been married half our life.  We started dating just before our 14th birthdays.  Here is the really cool thing and the gift of God we celebrate; both of us would say we love each other more today than ever.  Both of us would say we enjoy each other more now than ever.  I am captivated by Sue's beauty and yes, I am satisfied by her breasts. (I figure if the writer of Proverbs can be straight-forward, than so can I)  We take perverse delight in embarrassing our teenagers with our affection for one another.  'Ooh, gross!', I hear them say.  But we figure one of the best things we can do for our kids is model a loving, affectionate and self-giving marriage relationship.  I only hope and pray God blesses them as he has us.

Wisdom to Flourish

Our world is full of information, but short of knowledge.  And where knowledge exists, often real wisdom is in short supply.  Where can we find the wisdom we need to flourish in life?  Listen in as we start a new series in 2011 exploring the uncommon wisdom of God: Download Wisdom to Flourish  Or read the manuscript here:Download Wisdom to Flourish Manuscript