HOW ARE YOU?

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen…”  (2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NIV) 

"How are you?"

That familiar question makes me smile as I consider the possibility of giving a totally honest answer after living with cancer for the last two years.

Many times the question comes from a stranger, such as the waiter who introduces himself at our table in a restaurant. The answer is more about making him feel comfortable than about my current health. So I automatically say, "Fine, thanks," even when I'm not so fine.

When a good friend or family member like my son-in-law asks, "How are you?" I sometimes go for the obvious, smart-alecky answer. "I have cancer," I say with a grin, "but otherwise, I'm great." To that, my son-in-law rolls his eyes and vows never to ask me that question again.

Many times the question comes from well-meaning people who care but don't need a lengthy description or a boring tale of woe. Last week at church, soon after I got home from yet another hospital stay, several people asked, "How are you?"

This is when the question challenges me the most. How do I give a current, appropriately honest answer? After all, when cancer enters a person's life, it changes how she is. I liken it to living within a picture frame with a persistent dark cloud on the horizon. But cancer also brings the odd gift of making today's sunshine preciously important, so that day I answered the question this way: "I'm good for today… and today that's good enough for me."

Next week or next month, the appropriately honest answer might be different, so I ask God's help in seeking the right words.

Father, I want the answer to "How are you?" to point back to You. Please give me the words that reflect my faith. 

-- Carol Kuykendall in “Daily Guideposts 2009”

#6360 

Editor’s Note: For a follow-up to this post, go to https://guideposts.org/positive-living/health-and-wellness/living-longer-living-better/the-amazing-way-this-couple-beat-cancer-together/

JESUS MEETS US ON THE WAY

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him… As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if He were going farther. But they urged Him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So He went in to stay with them. When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him…” (Luke 28:13-16, 28-31a NIV)

There are times when all of us long for the companionship of Christ. When we are facing some deep loneliness that seems to darken the brightest day, some great sorrow that has broken our heart and changed our lives, or some heavy burden that comes through no action or fault of our own. At times like these we long for the presence of one who speaks our name, understands our plight, and can break the hold of loneliness, sorrow, despair, and burdens we bear.

There are other times when we are at the peak of our powers and all is going well that we want someone to walk with us, to share our challenge, excitement, and reward of the path we have chosen. We desire a companion who can appreciate the challenge and victory of life in the days when all is well.

There are still other times when we need a companion to whom we can say thank you. There are those times when we are overwhelmed with gratitude. We know that the goodness we enjoy is not just the result of our good work but that someone else had a hand in our well-being, comfort, and success.

At times like these it is good to remember that the risen Christ walks beside us – awaiting our invitation to stay with us, break bread with us, interpret life for us, give us hope, and share in our thanksgiving. May we, like the disciples before us, have our eyes opened to recognize Christ as He comes to walk beside us this day. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#6345

GOD’S GENTLE WHISPER – Part 2 of 2

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV)

I have two practices at the beginning and end of the day that help me listen to God’s “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12)…

My evening practice is a time for self-reflection or what some call “the daily examen.” For my nighttime ritual, I simply review my day and ask the Holy Spirit to help me accurately assess my relationship with God, myself, and others. I typically ask myself three questions:

• Is there anything I need to celebrate?
• Is there anything I need to confess?
• Is there anything I need to change?

Sometimes this means getting up and making a note to do something in the morning or even sending a text. It’s the ongoing work of keeping my heart clean and removing anything that hinders my inner world. The gentle whisper of God recalibrates my soul.

So, whether it’s early in the morning or late evening, God’s whisper is transformative. And it’s the space between, in the everyday-ness of life, that the whisper gets lived out. I cannot tell you the number of times that something God has spoken into my heart becomes a word for someone sitting in my office seeking [pastoral] counsel at 2 pm. Afterward, there is a sense of God’s confirmation that I am hearing from God not just for myself but for the well-being of others.

-- Jorge Acevedo in “Everybody Needs Some Cave Time: Meeting God in Dark Places”

#6243

GOD’S GENTLE WHISPER – Part 1 of 2

The Greek philosopher Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This is the wisdom of the Bible, too. Paul gave Timothy, the young pastor of the fledgling church in Ephesus, this sage advice, “Keep a close watch on how you live” (1 Timothy 4:16a). This is an invitation for all followers of Jesus to perform an honest evaluation of their lives, including their relationship with God, themselves, and others. Put more simply, it’s the command in scripture to love God and love neighbor as we love ourselves.

It’s been said that we need to be careful and watchful over our soul when we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (HALT). This phrase finds its origins in the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Its wisdom echoes Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV): “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” For me, I have two practices at the beginning and end of the day that help me listen to God’s “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12).

My morning practice is a Bible reading and reflection time in which I journal the whisper of the Spirit for my life. This 30- to 45-minute-long exercise has sharpened my ear to God’s gentle whisper more than any other discipline. I have observed in my life and the lives of others that daily Bible engagement more than any other practice helps Christ followers grow in their faith. 

-- Jorge Acevedo in “Everybody Needs Some Cave Time: Meeting God in Dark Places”

#6242

AN ASSET ON OUR JOURNEY

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”  (Psalm 119:105 NIV)

In the nineteenth century, mail delivery in parts of the western United States was done by riders on horseback.  This service was called the Pony Express.  They went to great lengths to reduce the weight their horses had to carry and thereby increase the speed of the mail delivery.  They streamlined the saddles, enlisted teenagers of small stature as carriers, and disallowed rifles - all to cut every ounce of weight possible.

Yet each rider carried a Bible, even though the Bible and a rifle were not much different in weight.  Apparently, the personnel of Pony Express believed the Bible was more valuable than a rifle.  Even though they knew excess baggage was detrimental, they realized the importance of having the Bible with them.

As we make the Christian journey, we may find baggage filling our life.  But allotting room for God's Word during our journey is essential.  If we make no room for the Scripture in our day, we are carrying too much.

God's Word is not a weight but an asset on our journey. 

-- Kenny A. Noble, submitted by a subscriber in Wisconsin

#6224

DOUBT VERSUS UNBELIEF

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”  (Hebrews 3:12 NIV)

The Greek words for doubt carry the idea of uncertainty. They have the connotation of being unsettled, of lacking a firm conviction. Doubt is not the opposite of faith but the opportunity of faith -- the growing pains of an eager, seeking spirit. The true enemy of faith is unbelief, but doubt is a necessary leg of the journey of faith. It stands at the edge of past understandings and stretches painfully for new frontiers. To doubt, then, is to be human…

Most of us need to reinstate that word doubt as a friend, not an enemy. But there’s another word we need to examine: unbelief. We might say that doubt asks questions; unbelief refuses to hear answers. The former is hard miles on a good journey; the latter is the dead end, a refusal to travel any farther…

Christian writer Mark Littleton found a simple formula [for dealing with doubt]. It goes this way: “Turn your doubts to questions. Turn your questions to prayers. Turn your prayers to God.” 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down” 

#6222

 

FAITH THAT TRANSFORMS

Faith is much like a journey -- it’s not just about reaching a destination but about the transformation that happens along the way. Here are the journey markers:

BELIEVE – Faith starts with belief. It is more than knowing about God -- it is trusting in His love and promises. As John 3:16 reminds us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Belief is the first step of surrender, a foundation on which everything else is built.

BEHAVE – True belief changes how we live. As James 2:17 says, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” When we trust in God, our behaviors shift -- we serve more, love deeper, and reflect His character in our choices. Walking with Christ is a daily transformation, shaping us to live according to His purpose.

BELONG – Faith isn’t meant to be walked alone. Romans 8:15 declares, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.” In God’s family, we find acceptance, encouragement, and a place to grow. We don’t just believe and behave -- we belong to something greater.

BECOME – Faith is a journey of becoming. 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks of transformation: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory.” As we believe, behave, and belong, we grow into who God created us to be -- more loving, more faithful, more like Him.

God invites us to believe in His truth, behave in obedience, belong in His family, and become transformed by His grace. Through this process, we step into the fullness of His plan.

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of source

#6132

GOD GIVES PERSEVERANCE

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”  (Hebrews 12:1b-2a NIV)

Clearly, we need perseverance in order to run the race God has set before our lives. We especially need perseverance to keep the faith and keep running when the world feels out of control. Importantly, though, you and I do not need to be the source of that perseverance. In fact, we shouldn’t be. We can’t run very far or keep going very long on our strength alone.

That’s why God gives perseverance to His followers. As we determine in our minds to keep the faith, He fills us with all that we require to keep going – to keep running.

There is an amazing promise found in the book of 2 Peter that I want to make sure you know about: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (1:3 NIV). Right there in black and white, God has promised to give you everything you need to live an authentic, impactful life as a member of His kingdom. And one of those things you need is perseverance. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”

#6024

MAKING DISCIPLES IS A JOURNEY – Part 1 of 2

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

Making disciples of Jesus Christ is not instantaneous. It takes work. Faith formation is a constant movement of God’s people who are desiring and seeking to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

In our “we-want-it-now” world, we often look for quick fixes and instant results. However, the process of making disciples is a journey that requires patience, dedication, and intentionality. It is a journey that involves the heart, mind, and soul, and it is deeply rooted in our desire to seek and know God in Christ more intimately.

Faith formation is the work of small groups. Small groups are vehicles for those who desire God and who seek to be molded by God. This molding happens when people strive to strengthen their faith through prayer, Bible study, Christian conversation, and service. Small groups provide the best place for this molding to take place. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources

#5955

FINISHING WELL – Part 2 of 2

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”  (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV)

The Christian life is a long-distance journey. We need to finish well. Here is the second thing we need to say about that.

As you encounter people and culture around you, “give ‘em heaven.” You’ve heard the opposite phrase. That’s what many people give us. It is so easy to imitate them and do the same. But Jesus calls us to a better way. So give ‘em heaven!

It was sometimes said in the past that Christians were so “heavenly minded that they were no earthly good.” The story of church history has actually proved opposite. It is only when we have perspective, when we have the big story in mind, that we are so heavenly minded that we are most earthly good! Why? Because we know what values stand at the center of the universe and what really matters to God…

As we bless others in the name of Christ, may they catch a glimpse of a better land and a more lasting kingdom. By the grace of God and the Spirit’s power, may they be wooed through our lives and our corporate witness into joining us on this journey. Yes, yes… give ‘em heaven! Give ‘em heaven!

-- Adapted from “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half” by Donald W. Sweeting & George Sweeting

#5905

FINISHING WELL – Part 1 of 2

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He 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 sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)

The Christian life is a long-distance journey that requires a marathon mind-set. There are challenges and opportunities in following Christ. We need to finish well. There are two things we need to say about that.

First, no matter your age, you’re not dead yet! There is still time to write the story of your life and build a legacy. Who knows how long you have. Is it one year? Is it five? Is it twenty? Is it forty? You do not know how many days God has numbered for you.

As long as you have today, make it count. Don’t wait for some future to start living for Christ. Do so now. You belong to Him. So, given all that He has done for you, give yourself wholeheartedly to Him. Find the joy that is found in Christ today! Use what you have left for Christ and His kingdom. Persevere. Go the distance. By the power of the Holy Spirit, commit yourself today to live the rest of your days without regret. 

-- Adapted from “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half” by Donald W. Sweeting & George Sweeting

#5904

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.”  (Revelation 3:20 NIV))

Loving God is different from loving doctrine. Doctrine (true ideas about God and His ways) is important. It is crucial that our minds are as soundly converted as our hearts. But in the end, ideas are just ideas; whereas God is alive -- a flame of love, a presence, a power, a reality, a person. Ideas can be embraced, but God can be loved. Once ideas are accepted and one’s life is conformed to them, the matter is over. But when God becomes the center of life, the story has just begun. How will it unfold, where you will be led, who will play a part in your life, what task you will be asked to undertake, where you will go -- all of that will emerge in the context of your relationship with God…

The Christian life is no static holding action; it is an amazing, serendipitous journey. To live it out is our calling in life. As we do so, we become what we are meant to be: whole people, holy people, conformed to the image of Christ. This is our great and wonderful task in life. 

-- Richard Peace in “Learning to Love God”

#5731

THE SAFETY NET

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”  (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV)

In his book “Falling Into Greatness,” Lloyd Ogilvie relates this story about the purpose of safety nets to trapeze artists: “A friend of mine, a high flier in the circus in his youth, tells me that the secret of becoming a successful trapeze artist is in overcoming the fear of falling. ‘Once you know that the net below will catch you, you stop worrying about falling,’ he said. ‘You actually learn to fall successfully! What I mean is, you can concentrate on catching the trapeze swinging toward you, and not on falling, because repeated falls in the past have convinced you that the net hurts only if you stiffen up and resist it. The result of falling and being caught by the net brings a mysterious confidence and daring on the trapeze. You fall less. Each fall makes you able to risk more!’”

For me faith-based small groups have been my safety net. They have encouraged me to take greater risks in my journey of following Christ, knowing that they are there to catch me if and when I fall. They have supported me in my calling to go into the ministry, throughout my years of serving Christ in the local church, and now in retirement. They have been there through the ups and downs of life, each time encouraging greater leaps of faith, and catching me when I do fall. At the same time, I have been part of that safety net for others as they live out their journey with Christ.

If you are not part of a Christ-centered small group, talk to your pastor or church leaders. They can help you get the support you need to fly high. 

– Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#5697

SACRED INTERRUPTIONS

“Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.”  (Matthew 8:14-15)

We are not alone. I firmly believe it, partly because I have experienced God’s presence in my life directly as well as through my encounters with others. I’m an extrovert and I’ve always loved people. I truly enjoy meeting people and getting to know them. For the last several years of my life, I have been a full-time singer/songwriter. It seems like I spend a lot of my time coming and going. As I read the stories of Jesus, I notice that He interacted with lots of folks in His comings and goings. People interrupted Him with requests, needs, and questions. He seemed to have the gift of perspective, recognizing priority and importance even in the interruption. He made time to deal with whatever or whoever He bumped into along His journey. Certainly His destination was important, but given His ability to stop and to give, the journey may have been just as significant as where He was headed. 

-- Celia Whitler in “On the Way to Somewhere: Stories and Songs for the Journey”

#5600

A JOURNEY TOWARD GOD

“Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’”  (Luke 19:8-9 NIV)

When the Word became human, Jesus Christ lived the same relationship in a human mode and it is in this relationship that we are called to share. Like the Word, like Jesus in the flesh, we are invited to live our life here on earth as a journey toward God.

Throughout the Gospels there are two salient aspects of the identity of Jesus. He is from the Father, sent by God to accomplish a task. Secondly, the human journey of Jesus is one that leads back toward God. It is this movement back toward God that is opened to believers of all generations. In following Jesus, we are shown the way that leads toward the Father. Our life is not aimless; it has destination. We have not been left to wander in the desert; the Shepherd has come to seek what is lost and bring us home. 

-- Michael Casey in “Toward God” 

#5564

KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS

“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”  (Jude 20-21 NIV)

The [disciples] all had a good beginning with Jesus. Their signs of loyalty, fidelity, and faithfulness came often in their brief time with Jesus. And yet in many of the crucial times for Jesus and for them, the truth is that they drifted astray. They lost sight of Jesus and His way and focused on themselves and their way….

The bad news [today] is that individuals, congregations, and denominations can drift away. It happens so easily. It happens the moment we take our eyes off Jesus Christ. The moment we lose our center we begin to lose our way. We know it does not have to be that way because every day we can keep our eyes upon Jesus Christ and ask for guidance and grace to remain faithful. The good news Christians share is that Jesus Christ is able and willing to guide and enable us on our journey toward our true home with God. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#5521

KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS

“Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”  (Hebrews 12:1,2)

The problem with most of us is that we want to overcomplicate this process. We assume that something as valuable as a faith refill ought to cost us something, so we try to acquire it through physical effort. We squeeze even more religious activities into our already overcrowded schedules. We restart our daily devotional (for the ten thousandth time). We run out and buy the latest Christian best seller and start highlighting it with a yellow marker… And, of course, we recommit (again, for the ten thousandth time) to taming that nasty little habit we’ve managed to keep a secret for years.

But it never works. It NEVER works.

Because frenzied activity, even if well-intentioned, saps our strength and dulls our senses. It fills our lives, not with faith but with noise that drowns out His still, small voice. Worst of all, it makes us numb to His often feather-like touch. 

-- Mark Atteberry in “Free Refill: Coming Back for More of Jesus”

#5478

IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT

Each of us is told in the Scriptures to walk in step with the Holy Spirit. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) The command is to be in step with the Spirit. It does not tell us to be in step with one another.

Because the Lord leads His children by the same Word and by the same Spirit, much of the time our individual paths will converge. At other times our paths will only be parallel. Sometimes, as the Lord takes each of us through our different lives with different sets of experiences, our paths will differ greatly. Yet, through all of it, His motive is the same. It is not to conform each of us to each other but to conform each of us to Christ. We do not become more like Christ by becoming like each other. Just as a hand and a foot are not the same and cannot best complete the body by becoming alike. Each part in its difference is equally important in form and function and each best serves the well-being and wholeness of the body because of those differences.

When believers in Christ hold in common conviction the same core foundational beliefs, conduct their individual lives by the same Scriptures, and walk in step with the same Spirit, they are part of the Body. They are part then, too, of one another whether or not they attend the same church fellowship. 

-- Susan Kemenyas

#5427

CHRIST-CENTEREDNESS

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”  (Colossians 2:8 ESV)

Our journey toward balance and centeredness is a lifelong journey. While we may join others as we travel, and while fellow travelers may provide valuable support, our journey will belong to us and will be unlike any other person's. 

We will encounter obstacles, both from within ourselves and from the outside world. We will face forces that hinder our growth and seek to mold us into images that do not fit. 

But if we work to discover who we are, if we desire to come into relationship with God with our authentic selves, we can then find and live from Christ, our center. 

-- Kimberly Dunnam Reisman in “The Christ-Centered Woman” 

#5371

HIS CALL IS TO FOLLOW

“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.  ‘Follow me’, He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.” (Matthew 9:9 NIV)

Unfortunately, many of us start [our faith] journey with enthusiasm but fail to sustain it. Our faith goes on cruise control as we start seeking comfort and not a calling. It doesn’t help that too often in our churches we pigeonhole Jesus safely behind the altar rails and communion tables of our tame religious traditions, teaching people to revere Jesus instead of following Jesus sacrificially every day in the trenches of life. Jesus’ call is not to revere; His call is to follow. When we do so, reverence will naturally result. 

-- Mike Slaughter in “Renegade Gospel: The Rebel Jesus”

#5048