Caroling Through Advent

When Love Was Born by Mark Schultz

I Was Wrong!

Today I acted with anger and frustration toward someone who was just doing their job and had very little control over the situation.   It was wrong, petty and immature.  I'm a better person than how I behaved today.  No, I didn't cuss, but I was too strong and impatient with a service writer over a simple car repair.  The picture is a self-portrait of how I must have looked today!

My wife picked up a piece of steel in her rear tire during lunch.  Since she has limited time for lunch she took it to the major retailer where we bought the tires and asked for it to be repaired. I was in a study/writing mode when she called and nowhere near the retailer.   I drove across town (about 30 minutes) to give her my car so she could return to work and I would wait on her car.  Before leaving with my car at 1pm she said they told her the repair would be done by 2 o'clock and 2:30 pm at the latest.

I waited and waited and waited. Other customers waited and waited and waited.  I even heard one of the tech's tell a customer who was upset over his wait time that they were down to one guy to do all "these cars".  I reasoned to myself:  This is not a customer problem,  we should've been told this when we checked our cars in for service so we could make other arrangements, leave and return later, or be prepared for a longer wait.

By 2:55 p.m., our car was not finished.  It was already a half hour beyond the time they promised it and no one had even started the work!  Now keep in mind that Sunday's worship was on the spiritual fruit of "gentleness".  Paul's words in Philippians 4, "let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is at hand," was part of the main focal texts for the teaching message.  I totally blew the application of this passage.  I was very frustrated and in my self-importance raised my voice (without yelling) but with the kind of tone and inflection you know will get someone's attention, but stop just short of getting you arrested.  They called the manager and I expressed my concern to him a simple tire patch would take over two hours.  Voila, the car was done by 3:25 p.m., almost 1 1/2 hours beyond the promised time of completion.

I met the service writer in the parking lot as he drove the car from the garage.  "Let your gentleness be evident to all," kept running through my mind.  Surely that doesn't apply to circumstances like this? I reasoned.  BUSTED!  Within seconds the same Spirit that imparted the gift of gentleness to me and every Christ follower convicted me of my attitude and behavior.  Mind you, I was mild compared to some folks I've seen, but I am not responsible for them, only me.  I thought to myself.  Was I gentle?  Nope!  Was it evident?  Nope!

As he climbed out of my car, I extended my hand to his.  As we shook hands, I said, "I apologize for my behavior today and my words.  You have a tough job, you don't do the actual repairs and I am a better person than how I behaved.  I am sorry."  He was shocked and quickly said, "No sir.  You were frustrated and it was a frustrating situation.  You waited a long time, but thank you."  Then we wished each other a good evening.

I'm not proud of my behavior, but self-awareness is an important step to correcting wrongs.  Okay, so I blew Sunday's lesson, but maybe not.  My self-awareness occurred before I left the premises and that is a start.  The next time I will remember and hopefully catch myself before I open my mouth.

We wrap up this Sunday with the spiritual fruit of self-control.  Oh man am I ever glad this didn't happen next week!  Be patient with me Lord, this fellow struggler is still a work in progress!

Serving God by Helping Others

Christ-followers don't get a pass on serving.  We have a calling and mandate from Christ to follow His steps with "skin-on" and minister to others.  He not only taught, but modeled service for us in the Gospels.  In His inaugural sermon in Luke (Luke 4:16ff), Jesus reads from Isaiah and sets the tone for his ministry, mission and purpose.  His would be an earthly life of sacrifice for others that climaxed when He gave His life on the Cross for the likes of you and me.

So how are we doing?  How are we following?  Gut check your life.  Let's look in the mirror.  What will I find when I walk back through the calendar on my Smart Phone?  Do my days reflect time spent serving others?  If we grab our most recent bank statement would we find funds spent trying to honor Christ and help others?  I believe what we do with our time and money is a direct reflection of our priorities in life.  Would those closest to us (co-workers, family, and friends) say we are givers or takers?  Do we demand more attention from people than we are willing to give to others?

I have a hunch that most Western Christ-followers are satisfied to let their church affiliation, or weekly attendance satisfy the call to serve.  Church membership is commendable, but are we really willing to say that attendance and contributing to the offering is the same as actually serving, helping and caring for others?  Isn't their more to it than mere obedience to ritual and practice?  If we aren't careful we can become modern-day Pharisees emphasizing adherence to tradition and ritual while ignoring our responsibility to practically live out the very gospel we profess.  Weekly worship and small group participation are necessary and wonderful.  However, if they are not prompting us to serve, grow closer to God and live out our faith in tangible ways they can become mere Christian social gatherings.

In Romans 12, the Apostle Paul said our daily living (24/7) is supposed to be our spiritual act of worship.  We're to offer our lives in service to Christ every day, not just the days we feel like it.  Henry Blackaby comments on this passage:

Every day, you are to offer your life to Him in your spare time or with your leftover resources.  The way you live your life for God is your offering to Him. 

If your life offering is characterized by church attendance or membership, but you want more from it don't get discouraged.  Let me encourage you to start small.  Don't beat yourself up with guilt!  Start serving by offering a small, but consistent chunk of your time in service to others.  Start by delivering for meals on wheels; give one hour to an adult literacy program; take a shift ringing the Salvation Army bell at Christmas; volunteer one night at a local soup kitchen, or a clothing closet; bake something and deliver it to your neighbors and just ask them how you can pray for them; offer to serve at a local shelter.  The opportunities are endless.  See what your church is doing to help others and ask how you can do more.  I guarantee there are ministry leaders and pastoral staff who are just waiting for someone like yourself to get involved in an area of ministry.  Start small, stay consistent and look out because great things always come from small beginnings.  Like a baby born in a small town called Bethlehem!  

 

Longing for Advent

Orange, reds, and yellows gleam in the trees

Rainy, cold and wet

The blessings of autumn fall to the ground

Barren trees stand to face another winter

Darkness comes quicker

Depression and death seem near

But something is lurking

Lurking in the shadows

The hope and promise of a birth

One like no other

Foretold by men of old

A single star on a dark cold night

Lights the way for you and me.

Fall is fading and winter is nearer

But so is the Messiah and the songs of angels

All heaven will move at the groans and pains

the labor of love, God’s gift to us.

So smile as the trees empty their leaves

amid a chill in the air,

because you know that Advent is not far away.

Come Advent of God and show us the way

Light our world as we wait, watch and pray.

Vote!

A vote is a powerful thing!  Think about it.  Regardless of our socioeconomic standing, gender, race, or religious affiliation we are all equal when it comes to voting.  Your vote and my vote count equally.  It is an incredible amount of power entrusted to the masses.

Tuesday, November 6,  exercise your right to vote.  It does make a difference.  So many sacrifices have been made throughout the years to preserve and protect this profound but simple expression of freedom.  When we vote, we not only express our belief, opinion, or view, but we honor those who sacrificed to insure we can.  Vote!