People Suck

If you really stop and think about it, people suck. I’m not talking about specific people or any particular individuals. I’m talking about all people. You know, mankind.

People have been sucking since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve, living in a beautiful garden with every one of their needs satisfied, still decided to disobey God and eat of the forbidden fruit. That sucked for everybody. In Noah’s day, people sucked so much, that God decided to destroy all of them, except Noah’s family. And Noah’s family began sucking as soon as they got off the ark. (Read Genesis 9:18–27: Noah got drunk and one of his sons started disrespecting him.) People then sucked again in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16 – 19:29). Even God’s chosen people—those He led out of bondage in Egypt—sucked so much that he thought about striking them down (Exodus 32:1–14). Don’t even get me stared with that one.

People sucking isn’t just an Old Testament phenomenon. When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, humbly riding on a donkey, people shouted, “Hosanna,” and proclaimed his kingdom (Mark 11:1–10). Not long after that, those same people shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Mark 15:1–15) They sucked! Later, after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, after the apostles went out among nations, Paul began forming churches all over the place—but he had to write letter after letter to these wayward churches about their behavior (read 1 Corinthians through 2 Thessalonians). People were sucking all over the New Testament. And people still suck today.

And because I know that people suck, I realize that I’m probably the chief sucker. Although as a Christian, I try my best to lead a God-centered life, sometimes my thoughts, actions, and deeds can be the worst. The Bible acknowledges that even a righteous man will sometimes fall. So what does it all mean? Is all hope for mankind lost? Absolutely not. I am extremely humbled by Philippians 2:5–11. Jesus realized that people sucked from Day One. Yet, that didn’t stop Him from coming down here to save us. Even when people were sucking horribly while He hung from the cross dying, he looked on us with compassion and love.

I am so glad that Jesus still loves us in spite of the fact that we suck! What are your thoughts? Leave a comment!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I was speaking to someone recently and mentioned how much I love the Easter holiday season. Christmas is great, with our focus on the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But for me, Easter really sums up what it’s all about. Jesus came, he loved, and he conquered all with his death and resurrection.

Much like Christmas, Easter has suffered through American commercialism. Chocolate bunnies, hard-boiled dyed eggs, and baskets filled with colorful plastic grass have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. I am told that these are simply remnants of pagan springtime observances. And just like gift-giving and tree-decorating during Christmas, I am also guilty of taking part in some of the worldly Easter rituals, such as raiding the mall for the perfect Easter outfit and overdosing on those soft, chewy, marshmallow chicks. I have to admit, the secular version of Easter is pastel-colored and pretty sweet.

But the religious observance of Easter isn’t quite so intuitive to non-Christians or beginning Christians. Years ago, when I asked my Sunday School class to describe the holiday, the answers ranged from, “It’s when Jesus died for us,” to “When they beat up Jesus and hung Him from the cross.” Death, blood, and suffering don’t sound like much to celebrate. Over the years, I’ve tried to help children understand that what makes Easter so great is that in spite of it all—HE ROSE. Easter isn’t just about Jesus’ death; it’s about Him taking on our sin and overcoming death to bring us everlasting life. (On that note, while I absolutely loved Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, I felt a bit shortchanged that after such a great build up to the crucifixion, there was so little screen time given to the resurrection. Oh, Hollywood.)

Spiritually, I think what I love most about Easter is the impact it has on us individually. While Christmas is all about “peace on earth and goodwill towards men,” Easter is a more introspective holiday. It’s about recognizing that all that Jesus went through was for you. He loved you so much that He sacrificed all for you. He paid the price for your sin so that you wouldn’t have to. And when He rose, He overcame death with all power in His hands. All you have to do is accept Him as your Lord and Savior and He will freely give you an inheritance in the Kingdom.

Christmas is about the birth of Christ and the hope that baby Jesus brought to the world. Easter is the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus brings to our daily lives. When I think about that, I am reminded of how great this holiday season truly is.

Say What?

These days, we have more ways to communicate than ever before. We can talk on the cell phone, leave a voice mail message, send an email, chat on the internet, send an instant message, or even give instant updates on Twitter. But with so many ways to say it, do people really have more things of substance to say?

In Colossians 4:6, in speaking about how believers should carry themselves around others, especially strangers, Paul instructs, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Sometimes we should stop and ask ourselves if our conversation with others—even our friends—is seasoned with salt. Or is it peppered with unholy talk, such as gossip, lies, and discouragement?

With so many communication options in front of us, people of God, let’s remember to use them to His advantage:
• Send an uplifting email to a friend that you’re praying for
• Text message a distant family member just to let them know you love them
• Share your favorite Bible verse, or verse of the day, with your Facebook friends
• Discover a new way to spread the Word of God with today’s technology

And don’t forget—you always have instant access to the greatest Communicator of all, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. He’s always looking forward to hearing from you!

Spoiled Rotten

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” This is the promise that Paul reveals in Philippians 4:19. But as my pastor once said during a sermon, “Sometimes people get so caught up in the blessing, they forget Who the blessing came from.”

As Christians, we have an inheritance in God’s glory. Some people have interpreted that to mean financial wealth, and others understand it to be a spiritual prosperity. But whether we are profited with material success or blessed with an emotionally fulfilling life, the fact remains that we must never lose sight of Who our blessings have come from.

There’s nothing worse than spoiled Christians. You know the ones. They look down their noses on others who aren’t “as fortunate” as themselves. They leave no room for other people’s short comings, believing that everyone in the world is called to walk and understand as they do. They are so blessed, yet so blinded by their own riches. This was one of the chief problems that Jesus had with the Pharisees. They were profited with so much as descendants of Abraham, but they had become selfish and petty (see Luke 12). Simply rotten.

God loves to bestow his blessings upon us. But with everything we get, we should be humbled in knowing that the Giver suffered so that we could have it all. One of the best ways to show our appreciation is to use our prosperity to benefit someone else.

I’m going to continuously give God glory—through my words and my actions—to show thanks for my riches in Christ!

Who's Watching You?

In his classic novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell coined the phrase, “Big Brother is watching you.” The book, written in 1948, speaks of a society under constant surveillance. With today’s street cams, GPS tracking, personal digital imaging devices and more, many believe that Big Brother is surely watching all of us at all times.

Just take a look at Google Earth (see the link below). Although this is a truly amazing application, it may give you the chills to realize what today’s satellites can do. Just about anyone can be seen from virtually anywhere at any time.

It has been said that the true test of a man’s character comes not when all eyes are on him, but when he believes he is unseen. As children of God, we know that we are never actually unseen. Psalm 139 is a beautiful song that acknowledges God’s omnipresence and close watchfulness. It includes the verse, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

We are always in God’s sight and we should take great comfort in knowing that He isn’t just watching us, but He is watching over us. Yet, do we demonstrate that we understand this marvelous truth? If our heart’s desire is to always please Him, our daily actions should reflect the behavior we want Him to see.

Why worry about Big Brother watching when we have an Almighty Father who’s always present? I’m going to live as though I know Who is watching.

Check out Google Earth here (requires a download).

One Day at a Time

I remember the story of the woman who wanted to go back to school for her medical degree. Writing to an advice column, she complained that it would take about 12 years to accomplish her goal. She said, “Well, if I go back to medical school now, I’ll be 43 in 12 years!” The columnist’s response was, “Well, how old will you be in 12 years if you DON’T go back to medical school?” The truth is, you have the rest of your life to make any change you want.

Many of us have identified areas in our life that we would like to improve or change altogether. But when it comes to doing something new, we often get overwhelmed with wondering, “How long will this take?” By introducing a new thing, on a day-by-day basis, we can do more than we ever imagined.

Take, for example, first-time authors. By committing themselves to writing one page a day, they can eventually get to the point where the writing flows naturally and in no time, they’re penning several chapters at a time. An old Christian song comes to mind that says:

One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from You.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.

Of course, tomorrow is never promised to us. But that shouldn’t prevent us from trying to better ourselves each day. Take it one day at a time, and Lord willing, you’ll reach your goal.

Are You Qualified?

My pastor has often said that God doesn’t always call the qualified—He qualifies the called. This is reassuring during those times when feeling overwhelmed and overcome by life’s challenges. So often, we look for other people to validate our worth, when in reality, it is God who validates us completely.

One great example can be found in Exodus 3 – 4:17, when Moses was called to lead the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt. Moses expressed great reservation about being called to such an important role. He offered God quite a few excuses to get out of it. But in spite of all his protests, God saw it fit to have Moses lead the Israelites to the promised land.

At various points in your life, you may feel unqualified to take on the task before you. And while it may seem that there are many factors working against you, always remember that God is on your side. He knows what you are capable of, and more importantly, He can equip you with what you need to get the job done.

I’m confident in knowing that I’m qualified—and can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!