The Edge

Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh are locked in a battle for making the US Olympic team for the 100 meters. I watched with amazement the women’s 100 meter final at the Olympic trials this week as these two athletes finished tied for third place. The top three finishers will go to the Olympic games, so whoever prevails goes to London, the loser goes home. At first it was assumed that there was a 1000^th of a second difference between the two, but the official photo finish taken at 3,000 frames a second shows both of the women’s torsos crossing the line at the same instant. This weekend there will be a runoff race between them.

This race had to be reset due to a false start because one racer’s finger had crossed the line prior to the starter’s gun being fired. At first that didn’t seem significant, it was only a little finger! But when you view it in terms of the tie these two women ended in one can see that an advantage of any kind can make the difference.

You and I are locked in a battle of greater significance, it is the warfare for our salvation. There is an edge that is available to us that we must take advantage of, and it will determine the winners and losers:

Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 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 3:13-17 (New International Version)

Let’s look carefully at these verses. Evil people and imposters are spiraling down (going from bad to worse and being deceived) while righteous people are rising up. What are the distinguishing characteristics between the two?

Evil people are deceived. They wrongly assume the way they have taken in life is correct and they lead others down their perverse path. But let’s focus on what righteous people do to win…

First, they continue in what they have learned. Continue is the Greek word “menō” . It means to abide. It is a state of relationship. It is the same word that Jesus used in John 15 when He commanded us to abide in Him. So, Paul says our edge is to continue (abide) in what we have learned and been convinced of.

Convinced. It seems some people are not completely convinced of the things they believe, starting up their walk with God and then pulling back, dropping out of the race. So what keeps a person convinced?

Paul gives two keys. The first is to follow the godly example of others. Paul told Timothy that he knew those who he had learned from. You will follow the influential people around you. Choose wisely who holds sway in your life. You will mirror their values and practices. If you select godly people as your influencers you will imitate their ethics and ideals, their faith. If you unwisely choose ungodly people (the deceived ones going from bad to worse) you will follow their path, being deceived.

The second key is the scriptures. Sure, this may seem cliché-ish, you hear it all the time…”read your Bible and meditate on it”. Let me urge you not to take this for granted. Paul says here that the scriptures are “useful” for training in righteous living. “Useful” means “to give the advantage”. So what is being said is that the scriptures in your life gives you the edge in living by teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.

The end result is that you will be completely equipped, ready to do every good work that God has in mind for you. That’s finishing the race strong.

So, we have the edge in life. Are you living on the downward spiral or the upward edge?

Who’s influencing you? Do you need to make a change in this area?

Are you being fed daily on the scriptures, or are you anemically trying to run life’s race?

What needs to change now to get the advantage in your favor? Doing so makes the difference between winning and losing, going forward to not.

Going for the un-catchable

I like driving my cat crazy with my laser pointer. She chases that little red dot across the room and up the wall. I let her get close, then zip it away in a different direction. We love poking fun at her because she simply doesn’t get it…she’ll never catch that little dot. She’s running in circles chasing an illusion. Finally she gets mad and stalks off angry. Not long after I entice her to do the whole pointless exercise again.

I read today in Ecclesiastes 1-3. In 2:11 Solomon says: “when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Solomon’s like my cat!

This is the cry of one very frustrated guy. He opens his book by saying "Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 1:2) When he says everything, believe me, he tried everything. Read chapters 1-3 to see that he dove headfirst into life. Everything he did he put 100% into it, whether it was good or bad.

Here’s a partial list of his endeavors: He achieved the highest level of education and learning, he pursued every form of pleasure imaginable, he abused alcohol, he completed massive personal and public building projects, he became a billionaire (the richest man in the world), he bought a zoo, he had complete political power, and he had unlimited sexual partners. Here’s how he described it: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.” (Ecclesiastes 2:10a) You would think that would be great but in verse 17 he sums it up: “So I hated life”.

What!? He hated life after all that? You see, Solomon had been chasing an illusion. After all of the striving he came to the conclusion that he was going the wrong way: “God has set eternity in the hearts of men.” and “I know that everything God does will endure forever.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11,14) He realized had forsaken eternal things in favor of empty temporal pleasures.

Like my cat, we chase from one thing to another thinking we can grab that illusive prize, only to find it was out of reach or meaningless. What will it take for us to finally stop running and set our hearts on eternity?

Jesus said “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) He is saying the key is to change what we pursue.

Are you are frustrated with life, are you are chasing and not catching lasting meaning? None of us will be satisfied until we alter the object of our pursuit. God has set eternity in our hearts, the kingdom. That is the objective, not the elusive goals of this life. If we would narrow our focus to seek Christ’s kingdom Jesus promises to fill in everything else we need in life.

Life is simpler than we make it. The purpose is within reach and easier to grasp than we realize. If we would abandon chasing after the wind, which we will never catch, and take up seeking God’s kingdom, which is available to everyone, how happy and fulfilled we will be!

Here’s the challenge for today. Find one thing to let go of that lacks meaning and reinvest that time and effort into that which is eternal. Pursue the kingdom through getting closer to Jesus and ministering to others. You will be amazed at the difference.

What is your experience in this? Sharing what you’ve learned will help us all.

Drifting away

I think it’s in my nature to drift from God. Left to myself I have that “wandering sheep” tendency that Isaiah spoke of… “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6 English Standard Version)

I’m reading in Proverbs 28 and 29 today and Solomon had several statements about this.

He said that we have a inclination to hide our sins, harden our hearts, trust in ourselves, reject correction, give into our anger, speak without thinking and allow pride to rule our thinking. (Proverbs 28: 13,14,26; 29:1,11,23) Drifting from God is incremental, not a sudden catastrophic event. I take my own way when I don’t allow the Holy Spirit to correct me. Pride, uncontrolled speech and bursts of anger are simply the fruit of that. Little by little I’m not where I was or should be with Jesus.

I read of a man named Robert Robinson who over 125 years ago wrote the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” as his spiritual autobiography. He later become an anointed Methodist preacher, but then drifted away from God. Years later and in a horrible state he shared a carriage with a young woman who was reading in a hymnal. He asked her to speak aloud what she was reading. She read the words to the hymn that he had penned during a much better time…

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

In tears he responded “Madam, thank you for reading those words for me. I am the poor… unhappy soul… who wrote that text many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the same feelings I knew then.”

It’s a sobering thought to think that a man so consumed with God could wander so far from Him. So, what is the answer for you and I to keep our hearts close to Christ?

Solomon’s warnings are coupled with promises. In Proverbs 28:14 he warns against hardening one’s heart, and promised that one who fears the Lord will be blessed. In verse 13 he reminds us that those who confess and renounce sin finds mercy. And in verse 30 he adds that “He who walks in wisdom is kept safe”.

Here’s my takeaway: My nature is prone to wander, but God offers transforming power as I humble myself before Him. If I allow God to keep me tender, remain teachable, if I walk in the fear of God and freely confess my sins and weaknesses He will empower me to walk safely in His wisdom.

I’d like to hear from you. How has God helped you reign in the “wandering heart”? What advise can you give for others reading this? And, are there some out there who are far from where you want to be with God? Let’s start a conversation.