 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." -- James 3:17
This is God's wisdom. It is based on the fear of God. It is not founded in facts or figuring, not in experience or in education. James' description of wisdom is the reflection of Christ in our lives as we submit our thinking to His authority and mimic His priorities and perspectives. So it is self-defeating to use worldly knowledge, experience, or understanding as the way to gain godly wisdom. Instead, if we want wisdom, we pursue God (James 1:7) and allow Him (not us) to choose and use the tools He desires in our lives to produce a meek, selfless, sincere wisdom. List one verse that assures you of your salvation. And I wrote: 1 Corinthians 1:9. "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." It surprised them, I think, that this was my go-to verse. But it is the character and the faithfulness of God that is the key issue to assurance of our salvation...shhhh...that both Calvinists and Arminians seem to often miss. On one side, the Calvinists lean hard on their "chosen" status -- not the character of the Chooser. But the doctrine of "election" is a human interpretation of God's divine revelation of who is saved and how we are saved. As a human interpretation, it is not a safe landing place in the face of fear and doubt. On the other hand, Arminians lean hard on their "choosing" of Christ -- not the character of the Chosen One. Man's work nor thoughts can never be the pillar of our confidence -- because we fail... or we wouldn't need a Savior to begin with. But either way you swing, it is wide of the mark. It is the unyielding truth of Who God is where our assurance resides. He is trustworthy, He is faithful, He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God (Hebrews 7:25). Rest in Him.  It wasn't my choice of wallpaper for my computer -- but I flipped open my laptop and saw a gigantic face of a humpback whale. It was a still photo, but I could easily imagine her floating quietly along, thinking about a nap and wondering if there may be a snack nearby. I laughed to myself about how her mouth scooped up in such an odd manner, almost cradling her eyes. And then I thought, "But it would look just as funny if it scooped the other direction!... Except, it wouldn't be practical at all." And, of course, God knew that. Next time you see a humpback, take a look. If the mouth went the opposite way, the water would run out, taking plankton and other food into the ocean. But it's not -- this allows the lower jaw to act like a ladle, instead of a slotted spoon. How wonderful is our Creator? And if He has done that for whales -- has He not also done even more for you and me?  As I gazed up at this glass marvel, catching the light, I saw it as a simple picture of the Christian life. We are designed to reflect the light -- this is our God-given purpose. Sometimes it feels like we have made this impossible. Our glass is dirty, and broken, and etched by hundreds of mistakes and bad decisions. But God redeems. Stained glass is gorgeous because of the way the Master joins the pieces to reflect the light. And yet, often we are angry or bitter when God begins to cut or break our lives into pieces that can be used. But God keeps working. Through those very pieces we fought Him tooth-and-nail on, God creates what we said we wanted all along: To glorify Him and reflect His light to a lost and dying world. Through our success and our failures may others see Christ in us. Amen.  If you have ever watched a stained glass artist at work, you know. Often, getting those pieces of stained glass is painstaking...because sometimes the pieces must be cut to size. This can mean slicing into a whole sheet of glass -- one that many would argue is already "perfect". Or it can mean trimming down a broken piece into the shape it needs to be. Both of these occur in life. Sometimes we are the full sheet -- thinking our lives are whole and at peace -- and this shalom is broken into by suffering, as God works in our lives through pain. Other times, we are the already grieving, broken pieces when our Creator reaches down to shave off, or even crack in half what remains. Regardless, only after this hard work is done are we ready to be used in His masterpiece. And in the breaking we can find meaning and even joy because we know that He is preparing us to better display His light to the world.   Stained glass looks the same as regular glass in the dark, and we are captivated by the beauty of such art only as it reflects the light. Especially in the warmth of the sun, the stained glass develops rich colors that are lacking even in normal light. And as I looked at how the light cast a stunning quilt on the space behind it, I was reminded that light was shining through shattered pieces.
Those once-shattered pieces had been masterfully put back together -- to do exactly what it was doing now. If they had been in whole sheets the way they had been originally produced, they couldn't come close to having the beauty they were now displaying. This is how God works with our broken pieces -- He doesn't merely restore. A repaired pane of glass is not the goal. That would merely be a poor copy of what once was. God redeems. He takes what is broken and recreates something more precious to reflect His goodness. That is what the Master does in our lives. Once in a while, a movie quote hits you in a way that has nothing to do with the movie. I unapologetically love sports movies. And I was watching Miracle, the story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team. The head coach knew his team may not win. But, Herb Brooks told his wife, what is most important is that they are able to look back on this game and know they left it all on the ice. And I heard that and stopped thinking about hockey because I want to leave it all on the ice for Christ. One of these days, our lives will come to a close. And we will all look back on our lives, and the important thing is that we have left it all on the ice. Our best efforts, laid at Jesus' feet. Our treasure, found in Him. Our loyalty, clinging to Him. All of us, given wholly over to Christ. That is what is most important.  That night as I walked home, I indulged in my own playlist. All the previous songwriters had a nugget of truth in their compositions. Human love is beautiful and frail. At its best, it consumes, and at its worst, it destroys. It fails to be the ultimate solace, and yet, in some ways, it is the best impersonation of what our souls truly desire. Because we were made for Love. We were made for God. And as I listened to my soundtrack, I found one more proof that we were made for God. Our souls find what all those musicians kept searching for, but we find it in Christ. Not just when we are walking in close fellowship with our Savior -- but each time we come crawling back after repenting of our rebellion. Not just when we are experiencing emotional highs in our relationship with Christ -- but in the darkest seasons of suffering. "Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee." -- St. Augustine, Confession, Book 1  As I listened to my friend's soundtrack, I realized the musicians were making arguments. If only they could have heard all the arguments together. One said money isn't enough. The next, that success didn't satisfy. Another, even the comfort of their lover seemed empty. If they were to be believed, together they were building that case: nothing is enough. The natural reaction to this is hopelessness -- which also found its place among the many lyrics. And the fact that we recognize vanity (see Ecclesiastes) and despair is a heart-breaking proof that: We were made for God. The one place none of these songs turned to for solace.   Further on down the playlist, equally impassioned musical artists gave full vent to their frustrations. It was a duet, with both boyfriend and girlfriend, each voicing their disillusionment with love -- he jealously raging because she left him for another man and her bemoaning that he didn't treat her right and would never change. But they both agreed, human love was the same thing over and over.
Yes, because human love is not enough. He was jealous because he was right: this kind of love is designed to be exclusive. She was hurt because she was right: this kind of love is designed to be selfless. God designed love this way, an outflowing of His perfect character, perfectly loyal and willingly sacrificial. The fact that we seek what we cannot find in others nor give to others is proof: We were made for God. |
The AuthorCome with me as we grow in fellowship with each other and our Savior to whom belongs the Amazing Escape from sin and death and the Amazing Journey into glorious life. Archives
January 2026
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