Our Transforming God
If you would you like a summary mantra for life, try these verses:
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name” I Chronicles 29: 11 – 13.
Pause and ask yourself if this is descriptive of the God you profess to believe in. If so, act like it when things seem to go wrong. That kind of God can control things good and bad. Relax and rejoice. When you respond to Him as one having such traits and resources then alacrity replaces anxiety.
An illustration of His willingness and ability is illustrated by author and artist John Ruskin in his book entitled “Modern Painters” he tells of a footprint in a manufacturing town. It was the personification of impurity. It is composed of four elements: clay mixed with soot, a little sand, and water. If the four left to follow their own instinctive qualities of unity would become clear and hard. They gathered light in splendid ways. Gathering only the blue rays of the sun they produced a sapphire.
The sand arranges itself in a mysterious way and infinitely fine particles which when properly aligned reflect the blue, green, purple, and red rays in their greatest beauty called an opal.
The soot becomes one of the hardest substances in the world and is transformed from its blackness into a substance reflecting all the rays of the sun at once. The vivid blaze of reflected light from the solid substance is called a diamond.
The purified water becomes a dew drop or a crystalline star of snow.
If God can refine and redefine the impurities of a footprint surely He can transform the vilest of sinners, and meet the needs of the most disadvantaged of people.
There is a line from an old hymn with the appeal to “Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.” The relief does not come from taking the burden to the Lord, but in leaving it there.
You may be facing a challenge that suggests a hopeless end. The God who awaits to help you offers endless hope. It is boundless.
His transforming power is available to meet your personal challenges. Your puddle of mud can be transformed into an assortment of attributes.
The concluding verse from the Lord’s Prayer is a summary of this passage. “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.” (Matthew 6:13).
Now go back and read once more the paragraph opening this post. Read it as to the Lord.
Give Your Best in All Things
“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (I Cor. 9: 24 – 27)
William Mervin Mills, also known as Tamakoce Te’Hila, was an Oglala Lakota native on the Pine Ridge Reservation. His is perhaps the most underrated performance in the history of Olympic sports. As a Native American he experienced rejection on and off the reservation. He was given little attention as he entered the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His rejections were many, but he remembered his dad said, “It takes a dream to heal a broken soul.” He wrote down his dream to heal his broken soul: “Gold medal, Olympic 10,000-meter run.”
The sun hung low in the late afternoon sky. It’s October 14, 1964, National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo. The runners toe the line for the 10,000-meter race. No American had ever won this race.
Mills was lightly considered in the games by virtue of the several world class athletes entered in the 10,000 meters race. This race belongs to Ron Clarke, an Australian who holds a world record in this event. An announcer puts it plainly about Billy’s chances: “Billy Mills of the United States is in there — a man no one expects to win this particular event.”
As the race progressed he was shuffled around and given unsettling elbows as he maneuvered for position. Working his way into fourth position his teammates were amazed and proud, finishing fourth would be remarkable, they thought. They became amazed at what they beheld. With this long race nearing an end, underdog Mills sprinted unbelievably fast to move to the front and win the Gold Medal in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history.
“It takes a dream,” do you have one? That is, what do you envision as to what the Lord wants to use you to achieve. Remember, God doesn’t expect you to be the best at anything. He expects you to be your best at everything.
It is a dream to be your best at even the most menial task. In all things:
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Philippians 3: 12)
Don’t allow yourself to develop an “I have attained” mentality, but maintain an “I press on” outlook.
An infant is a human being, but not yet fully developed. Set your dream and press on to become the mature Christian Jesus created you with the capacity to be.
Some Christians know, and even rejoice that Jesus has laid hold of them, but fail to realize there is a reason for which Jesus has also laid hold of them.
Find and fulfill your dream and that will heal even the most broken spirit.
Resolve, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) Dream it! Make it a lifelong process of pressing.
Finding Strength in the Lord
“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27
In the February 1952 issue of Iron Man Magazine Bob Peeples, a world-renown lifter and writer for the magazine, tells the story of their first meeting. A 19 year old Paul Anderson from Taccoa, Georgia went into Peeple’s weight room, and without any warm up or wraps, squatted 550 lbs… in just his regular shoes. At 5’10” tall, the 275 lb teenager with the 50-inch chest had just squatted 25 lbs under the standing 575 lb world record, and he did it twice.
Paul didn’t always have access to traditional weights, so he made his own out of household items like 55 gallon drums filled with concrete, the aforementioned safe, and iron wheels. Paul also developed his own training methods that included squatting all day, every other day.
Three days before the Olympic weight lifting competition Paul developed a high fever and inner ear infection. At the last minute he was allowed to compete.
An ailing Anderson fell so far behind his chief rival that on the final of three required lifts, he needed to clean and jerk 413.5 pounds, an Olympic record, to claim the gold. Twice he tried and failed. On the third attempt Paul had a talk with the Lord saying, “I’m not trying to make a deal, Lord, no deals, but I must have Your help to get this weight overhead.” Paul made a true commitment to serve God for the rest of his life. He gave the final push and drove the bar overhead, and it stayed. The crowd went wild as Paul returned the bar to the floor. He suddenly was the Olympic Gold Medalist.
Paul often said, “If the strongest man in the world needs Jesus, so do you.”
Paul died on August 15, 1994 from complications from kidney disease at the age of 61, and I conducted his funeral.
Experientially on his deathbed Paul knew, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29)
This bouquet of Scripture typified Paul regarding his true strength… “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”
Paul often issued this challenge, “If I, Paul Anderson, the World’s Strongest Man, can not make it through one day without Jesus Christ, how can you?”
Like Paul, call on the Lord and commit to Him.
Opposite Equals
We are opposite equals. As in magnetism, so in human relations, opposites attract. Take away the opposite factor and there is less attraction.
The truth is if we follow equality far enough we destroy individuality and with it creativity.
“No one is created equal – let’s get that out there from the get-go. Some people are smarter than others, some are more attractive, some are healthier, happier, some are more conscientious, kinder, some make more money, etc. If we can quantify differences among people, then we can readily observe that people are not equal” (“Psychology Today” August 17, 2018).
So, people are not created equal; but, it’s not readily discernible what makes one person more important than another. This is a very utilitarian interpretation of the word “equal”. In a more practical, human-based perspective – call it egalitarian — it’s implied that even though people aren’t equal they have the same worth and should be shown the same worth. Many religions rest on that foundational teaching — a golden rule, generally phrased like “Do unto others as you would have done unto you”. I have a folder containing the various forms of the golden rule in different countries. Most societies express it slightly differently but with the same meaning. This golden rule is more than just a religious fundamental; it is a cultural norm globally.
If we dislike someone, we are not likely to treat them as well as we might. Our initial dislike is inevitably perceived by the person. Their reaction to our initial (negative) behavior is likely to be in kind. That reinforces our dislike, and the perpetuation of this cycle goes on.
This reaction can be mitigated by employing a principle found in Scripture.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2: 3).
To esteem means to respect and admire. Why?
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal. 5:13, 14).
That brings us back to the golden rule.
On the basis of their human nature all are equal. In the matter of ability, skill, intuition, social grace, capacity to compute, physical strength, innate ability and numerous other traits people simply are not equal. Yet, they have a net worth based on their human nature making them worthy of being regarded as equal in importance as a human being.
If there were an old fashioned balancing scale that could measure worth and you were on one side with any person on the other the scale would always be balanced. The many variables mentioned earlier in this post plus others make it impossible to balance equality. All hail the worth of all others.
Instead of arguing over equality why not marvel over variety and show others the dignity of their worth.
A Crown of Victory
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (I Cor. 9: 24-27).
The text using an athletic metaphor concludes with depiction of the winning athlete and the faithful Christian. If an athlete did strive for mastery and became a winner there was a reward.
When the Olympics were held in Atlanta Michael Johnson set a new world record in the 200 meter dash. Joe DeLoach, winner of the gold medal in the 200 meters in Barcelona commented: “Michael Johnson didn’t just break my record, he smashed it. That just goes to show how temporary are the earthly things we strive for.” Why would one go through nine months of agony? Why would one be willing to box in such a fight? Because of the award awaiting.
They didn’t give medals. They gave leaf crowns. In verse 25 it is described as a “perishable crown.” That was only part of the award.
The Olympic Games honored Zeus, also known as Jupiter. The wreath was made of olive branches, a tree preferred by Zeus. At the Isthmian Games, which honored the mythical Greek sea god Poseidon, the wreath was made from the god’s sacred tree the spruce.
Before the contests the wreath was placed at the feet of the statue honoring the god of the games. At Olympia it was Zeus. At the Isthmian Games it was Poseidon. This was referred to as “the joy lying before them.” It was a term used of Christ enduring the cross because of the “joy lying before Him.”
He was then taken back to his home town for a celebration. If the city was walled as most were, a hole was cut in the city wall in the profile of the athlete. After he entered through it, once again it was sealed.
A parade followed in which the athlete rode through the city in a chariot. The people celebrating threw flowers in his path. Women splashed perfume on him. The parade led to the center of the city where he was greeted by the equivalent of the mayor. There the city poet read an ode to him about himself. Next, the mayor presented him with a citation which in part gave him a life-time exemption from income tax. Now you know why they were willing to compete!
If they did all that for a corruptible crown how much more we should be willing to strive for an incorruptible crown! The reward awaiting all faithful citizens of the kingdom who go through agony in obedience to the Master is a heavenly home. That will make it all worthwhile.
In the Book of the Revelation is given another depiction of the honor given a winner. It has a spiritual application.
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21).
That is the ultimate reward awaiting the person who will spiritually “compete for the” that is, “strive for the mastery.”