Act Like You Love People and You Will

   I have been thinking about actions and in-actions. Like many Christians, and many people within this church, I have given something up for these 40 days leading up to Easter. My Lenten observance involves not doing something that I normally would do everyday, and the amount of time saved has been a delight.
   The saying goes, "You are what you eat." I think it is also true that we are what we do. "Actions speak louder than words," would be the phrase to capture that. I think our actions, and inactions, have the power to steer our lives. Which is probably why the early church started suggesting that we "do" something or stop doing something as a way of preparing for Easter.

   This power of what we choose to do and not do extends to our relationships with others. C.S. Lewis even suggests acting lovingly has the power to change our feelings towards other people.

The rule for all of us is perfectly simple.  Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.  If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more.  If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.

- C. S. Lewis

   How we act has the power to influence how we feel. So often, we believe that only the opposite is true. He is saying that if we act like we love people, we will.
   No wonder we find a mysterious power in laying aside things, or fasting, during Lent that draws us closer to God. The actions have the power to change us from the outside inward. May you continue to find God's power at work in what you do - and choose not to do - this Season. Grace and peace, Scott
 

Out of Balance

   I had been running on Monday long enough for the sharp pain in my ankle to subside, and the burning of my lungs to be dulled, that I was almost enjoying it. Through the tears my eyes landed on something shiny ahead and I scooped it up to see what treasure I had found. It was a wheel weight and I immediately thought of the Season of Lent.
   As most people know, when the an automobile tire rotates at a high speed, asymmetries can cause it to hop or wobble. They are often felt in the entire vehicle. When tires are fitted to wheels at the shop they are balanced and corrective wheel weights are applied to counteract the effect of the unbalance. Put another way, even well-made tires often have some imperfections, magnified when spun around quickly, that need to be adjusted and corrected periodically.
   I think this is true of disciples of Jesus Christ. We need, from time to time, to come in for inspection and correction. Our lives often feel like they are spinning quickly, maybe even close to out of control, and the vibrations make it difficult to steer. The Church offers us the Season of Lent for introspection and re-balancing. Every year I hear myself saying, "Put something down in order that you can pick something else up." This is the very language of rearranging and finding balance, again.
   Somewhere down the highway is a car that needs to be balancing, since this missing weight is sitting on my desk. I pray that they get help before the vibrations do damage or cause harm. I pray the same for you and for me. Grace and peace, Scott

Without failure, who would you be?

   Allow me to pass along a powerful word that I heard earlier this week. The value of the lesson extends far beyond the football field. Nick Foles, who nearly quit football 18 months ago, began this season as a forgotten back-up on a team most considered to be a long-shot this year. He shared this after his Philadelphia Eagles beat the Patriots and he was named the game's MVP:

"I think the big thing is don’t be afraid to fail. In our society today, Instagram and Twitter is a highlight reel. It’s all the good things. When you look at it, you’re like ‘Wow’ when you’ve had a rough day and thinking your life is not as good as that. Failure is a part of life. Without failure, who would you be? I wouldn’t be up here if I hadn’t fallen thousands of times and made mistakes. We all are human. We all have weaknesses, and I think being able to share this and be transparent — I know when people speak and share their weaknesses, I’m listening, because I can resonate. So, I’m not perfect. I might be in the NFL and we may have just won the Super Bowl, but I still have daily struggles. That’s where my faith comes in and that’s where my family comes in. And I think when you have a struggle in your life, just know that’s just an opportunity for your character to grow.”

   It has been widely shared that Foles is a student in a Christian college and intends to become a minister with students when he finishes his career. I can see why! The depth of his understanding of how God uses the struggles of our journey to bring about the holy-making work of sanctification is beautiful. Lisa Klug shared how she finds this very truth in James 1:2-6:

My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.

   May God be glorified in the words he shared and may we all take them to heart. Grace and peace, Scott