The power of words

Cary Friedman in his superb book “Wisdom from the Batcave” brings up a fascinating idea in chapter 9 of his book.  He writes, “When a person of few words actually does decide to speak, his words are considered much more seriously.”

Obviously, Friedman’s case study is Batman.  The Caped Crusader is definitely not chatty and talkative, thus when he does finally speak, his words have more force.  You know people like this, don’t you?  I know I do.  Those people who are usually quiet, so whenever they do finally speak, your ears perk up.  It’s an interesting thing to contemplate.

Let me issue an important disclaimer: I’m not in any way whatsoever implying that people who talk a lot are inferior to those who are quieter.  I know that some people are more talkative than others, and this is not a bad thing in and of itself.  This whole issue comes down to a person’s innate personality.  Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are.  Don’t put on a show and try to be someone that you aren’t.  If you are talkative, be who you are; if you are the strong, silent type, be who you are.

Having said all this, it’s important to evaluate the words that we speak.  As Friedman notes in this same chapter, “Words can never be retrieved.”  Whatever your personality, the Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).  The Bible says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit the hearer” (Ephesians 4:29).  The words we speak can either edify or they can devalue.  Are your words life or death?  Are they wholesome or unwholesome?  Words are so incredibly powerful.

Kevin

"Consider it all joy whenever you encounter trails"?

James 1:2 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, whenever you encounter various trials.”  I was listening to a sermon, unfortunately I can’t remember the name of the preacher (I listen to a lot of sermons), but he commented that James 1:2, taken at face value without reading the subsequent verses, is a very odd sentiment.  I don’t know about you, but when I encounter various trials, I don’t gleefully rub my hands together and enthusiastically shout, “I’m in a trial.  This is great!” 

Once again, as that pastor commented, we have to read on.  Verse 3: “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (NASB).  I like the way J.B Phillips translates verse 4: “But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find that you have become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots.”  Ladies, I know it sounds like he's only talking to men here, but this certainly applies to you as well!  

I always try to be empathetic regarding the trials that you, the reader, might be going through upon reading these words.  As I’ve said before, you might be going the most demoralizing trial you have ever faced in your life as you read this.  For you to contemplate thinking of it as something good and beneficial seems ridiculous, absurd, and perhaps even insulting.

I understand where you are coming from, but we have to go back to the Word and what it says.  In many places in the Bible (not just James 1), we learn about how God uses trials in our lives for His purposes. For just one example, I recently obtained great comfort from 1 Peter 1:7: “These [trials] have come so that your faith…may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

Granted, on a human level, we may never understand why God allowed us to go through these ordeals.  Consider Job; he never got his answer as to why he was suffering so acutely.  But you and I must trust God in the midst of the ordeal.  Job himself said, “Though he slay me, yet I trust him” (Job 13:15; NKJV).  May that be the sincere heart cry of all of us!

Kevin

Change is inevitable

Entering the new month of August gives me a chance to reflect on 2011 again.  This year has really been a year of change.  For me to try to describe all the various things that have changed this year would take a long time.  The fact of the matter is change is inevitable. 

For example, I have worked at Chick-fil-A for many years, but the company is always unveiling new, innovative ideas.  These ideas are always wonderful and exciting, to be sure.  At the same time, sometimes these new ideas make me feel like a new employee with all the new training and the learning curve that it presents! Change is inevitable.

I thought about devoting an entire blog installment to expressing how happy I am that the NFL lockout is over, but I thought, “Everyone already knows that without me even saying it.”  We are now in the era of time where we see a lot of wheeling and dealing of NFL players.  Pick a team and you’ll see many changes to every roster.  Just look at the changes to the Philadelphia Eagles as a great example.  To me it just reinforces the idea that change is inevitable.

However, I find great comfort in the fact that no matter what changes we experience in life, God Himself will not change.  He says this in the book of Malachi (3:6) “For I am the Lord; I do not change.”  God is faithful, consistent and reliable.  When it comes to God, change is not inevitable!

Let me conclude with a quote from A.W. Tozer in his classic book “The Knowledge of the Holy.”  He writes, “In this world where men forget us, [or] change their attitude toward us as their private interests dictate…is it not a source of wondrous strength to know that the God with whom we have to do changes not?”  Amen belongs here!

Kevin

Remembering a man of God

Today is a noteworthy day.  It was on this day, back in 2002, that a man of God named Rick Ferguson went to be with the Lord in Heaven.  You get the idea of just how much of an impact this man had on me personally when you consider all the times I’ve mentioned him in this blog.

I once wrote a paper about Rick for a Colorado Christian University academic paper.  In my paper, I referred to how Rick was a very snappy dresser; I actually called him a “conservative James Bond” because He was impeccably dressed every week.  For many years, my family and I had the privilege of sitting under Rick’s teachings.  Rick was articulate, bold, passionate, sincere, and humble.

 

When Rick had what could be called his “homecoming” nine years ago, we had a ranged of mixed emotions.  While we as a congregation celebrated the godly life he led, and the fact that he was with Jesus in Heaven, we were also still tremendously sad.  In fact, I’m feeling sad again now, just mentally re-living this season of my life.

If you are interested in getting an idea of the heart for Jesus that this man had, I would strongly recommend that you read his book “The servant principle” (by Rick Ferguson with Bryan McAnally).  This is a fantastic book that you can get for a reasonable price at amazon.com.

I still miss Rick.  But I thank God for the impact that he made on many lives, including mine.  I concluded my CCU paper by saying, “I hold the view that I will see my beloved late pastor one day again in Heaven!  What a day that will be!”  Amen to that.

Kevin

My "Captain America" review

I watched “Captain America: The First Avenger” starring Chris Evans as Captain America today.  I'm certainly not an official movie reviewer by any means, but I wanted to give my personal opinion of the film. 

Let me start with the good points.  There are positive messages conveyed in the flick.  For instance, Steve Rogers (Captain America’s alter ego) is literally a ninety-pound weakling at the beginning of the movie.  But he is chosen, because of the heroism that he exhibits, to be injected with a “super soldier serum.”  This serum transforms him into Captain America.  Thus a big underpinning of the movie is the clear message that someone can be a hero because of who he is on the inside, not necessarily because he fits the physical stereotype of a hero.

A second positive aspect of the film is Steve Rogers’ humility.  Contrary to other characters we’ve seen, Rogers never goes around prattling on endlessly about how wonderful he is.  Rather he follows the advice of Proverbs 27, to let another man’s lips praise him. 

As for the unfavorable elements, let me caution parents that this movie is not at all for young children.  It is rated PG-13.  While thankfully the language is very minimal, there’s more blood than I would have liked to see.  Plus the main villain, Red Skull, might frighten younger viewers. Secondly, in one disappointing scene, a despondent Rogers tries to get drunk, and realizes that because of the super soldier serum, he can’t.

However, having said this, I don’t set my expectations on seeing a perfect movie in Hollywood.  The fact is, there are definitely some compelling reasons to watch this film.  Heroism is to be applauded and you certainly get to see it in Captain America.  In short, if you enjoy viewing superhero movies, you should enjoy watching this flick.

Kevin

God is in control

It’s a tremendous comfort for me to know that God is in control.  Of course, we don’t always understand why things happen the way that they do, but this doesn’t negate the sovereignty of God.  If we could get to place where we realize God is in control, no matter what, it would set us free. 

The Bible tells us that God puts men and women where He wants them.  Acts 17:26 says that God “has determined their [that is, humankind’s] preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (NKJV).  In other words, God planned it so that you would live at this point in history.  He chose where you would live, the employment that you would have, the school that you would attend, and so on. 

I don’t believe that God makes mistakes.  For example, it’s not as if God wanted me to change my job years ago, and yet He forgot to orchestrate the events that would have led me to a job change because He was too busy doing other things.  No, God has me in the job He wants for me; I am where I'm supposed to be right now.  Revelation 3 says that God is the one who opens doors that no one can close and closes doors that no one can open.  Sometimes we humans believe that we can actually pry open a door that God has closed.  Not according to Revelation 3!  We may kick the door, or knock on the door until we drop from exhaustion, but we will not open a door that God doesn’t want us to walk through.

To me, understanding God’s control is a tremendous relief.   You say, “I’m going through the worst storm I’ve ever gone through in my life right now.”  I empathize with you.  Life can be very difficult at times.  The reality is, there are no simple answers when it comes to trying to understand some of the adverse circumstances we face, so I’m not going to attempt to give one.  I do know that God is in absolute control.  He knows what He is doing, even if we don't have the slightest idea.

Kevin

A wonderful character from the Bible

I thank God for the men and women from the Word of God that we can learn from.  One person that is a big inspiration for a lot of Christians is Peter.  This is a man that at one point told Jesus, “Lord, I am willing to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33) and yet just a few verses later, three times Peter disavows any knowledge of even knowing Jesus (Luke 22:54-62).  This is a regrettable episode in the life of Peter, but it’s not the end of the story.

Peter looks like a different person in Acts 2.  He presents a thrilling sermon on the day of Pentecost and, as a result of his bold preaching, thousands of people put their faith and trust in Jesus (verse 41).  The lesson we gain from Peter is this: if we’ve failed, we don’t have to let it define us.  We can repent of it and move on.  We can still be used by God.

I think I’ve previously mentioned that I am a 30-year-old virgin.  But I know that unfortunately this is not everyone’s story.  In fact, every time I mention abstinence my mind quickly goes to the man or woman who tried to live a life of sexual purity and ultimately failed.  I’m sure that some of these dear people subsequently have reasoned, since they have failed, they will stay on the road of sexual promiscuity.

To the person who thinks this, I would point them to Peter.  This is a man that failed, but he didn’t let his failure define him.  He repented, and God forgave him (God will do the same thing for us; see 1 John 1:9).

Of course, this principle doesn’t just apply to the person who has failed in the sexual realm.  Perhaps you have struggled with gluttony, laziness, or anger in your past.  Once again, let Peter’s story encourage you.  Everyone makes mistakes in one way or another.  Peter was so afraid of what people would think that he lied and said that he didn’t even know Jesus.  Yet he moved on from that episode and went on not only to boldly proclaim the truth in Acts 2, but also to bless countless generations, including ours, with his letters of 1 and 2 Peter.  Like Peter, God wants us to move on to a life of obedience and service to Him. 

 

Kevin Bauer