Defined Goals Result in Refined Lives

Consider an ultimate goal —- your tombstone. What do you want written on it? Candidly, I am not ambitious to have a tombstone just yet.

At Chamonix at the base of Mont Blanc there is a monument erected to an Alpine climber which reads: “He died climbing.” Figuratively, that is a worthy aspiration. 

Longfellow wrote a poem about a young man who lived a good life. The poem bore the name of the epitaph on his tombstone: “Excelsior,” meaning “higher yet.” Hopefully your ambition is similar.

The epitaph of the hypochondriac: “I’ve been telling you I was sick.”

What do you want on your tombstone?

“I’ve been busy.”

“This guy could play golf.” Or, perhaps just, “Fore!”

“She died watching TV.” Or, “This gal could shop.”

“Here lies a world class worrier.”

Bob Buford has written a book entitled Finishing Strong. Here are a few quotes from it:

“If people see their best years behind them, they’re probably not going to finish very well, because you can’t finish well when you’re going backwards.”

“As long as you are able to do something meaningful, why should you want to go into some kind of holding pattern?”

“We live pale and empty lives here on earth because we’re ignorant about what lies ahead, and we need to see that the dimensions of life are so much greater than what we can see, hear, and touch.”

“We can retire from our jobs, but not from our calling.”

A meaningful life demands movement toward something meaningful and convictions provide the direction.

Often I find meaningful quotes authored by persons with whom I have little philosophical kinship. I find it acceptable to quote such statements because the Scripture says, “if there be any virtue, think on these things.” (Phil. 4:8)

In other words, a diamond found in a pig pen is still a diamond.

A diamond from the French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, is worth our attention. He said, “You will never find peace and happiness until you are ready to commit yourself to something worth dying for.” Jesus and pleasing Him is that worthy object.

What you do is important, but who you are is more important. Resolve to be a person growing “in grace and in knowledge.” Remember, as our loving Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (II Corinthians 12:9)  Regardless of your age and physical limitation hang that on the corridors of your cranium and reflect on it often.

Jesus Wants to Cleanse Your Temple

The Temple in Jerusalem was a special sacred place. The temple courtyard encompassed fourteen acres with a column-lined portico all around. It could accommodate over 200,000 persons at one time.

Religious reform was needed. Religion had become ritual; worship had degenerated into works grievous to the core; spiritual truth had become hidden, hand washing had become more important than cleansing of the heart; repeating the Law was more important than keeping it. Conscience had become crushed by ceremony and the joy of worship extinguished.

How could anyone worship in this carnival-like atmosphere? The place was considered sacred, the house of God. Here the Ark of the Covenant containing the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed, abided. Little wonder Jesus’ wrath was kindled.

Jesus said they made “My Father’s house a house of merchandising.” The disciples remembered the Scripture:  Psalms 69:9.

Malachi 3:1 prophesied that immediately after the forerunner, Messiah would cleanse the temple.

Christ ran out the cattle, turned over money tables and gave them dove cages to take out (Vss. 15 & 16).  Isa. 52:13 notes He would deal prudently. His reaction was controlled indignation.

Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days.”  (John 2:19) They as well as many current readers missed the point. There are two words for temple. The Greek word for temple is “hieron,” (Vs. 14) means “the sacred enclosure of buildings used for worship.”

Jesus used the Greek word “naos,” meaning “dwelling place of deity.” They thought He was speaking of the physical material building, but His reference was to His physical body being resurrected.

In disbelief His critics listened to His response and mentally recorded it to later use against Him. As they walked away they murmured about 46 years being required to build the temple. Herod the Great built the “hieron,” temple, starting in 20 BC. They missed the point. 

After His resurrection His disciples remembered this statement and then understood what He meant (Vs. 22).

Some “believed” (Vs. 23)  This term simply means they accepted facts as true.  This expression does not relate to commitment. Jesus made a clear distinction between those who were merely intrigued by signs and those who looked at the signs and saw the true significance in them.

These believed in what He did. What He desires is persons who believe who He is and commit to Him as Savior. Make sure your belief is the latter.

If you have committed to Him, does your temple (your life) need cleansing? If so, make this the moment of cleansing by employing the principles in I John 1: 9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Having our sins forgiven is a reference to our initial salvation.

Cleansing us is a reference to sins committed thereafter, our unrighteousness, being forgiven. Do you need to practice either?

Your Own Oath

An oath is a solemn pledge to speak the truth, or to keep a promise.

Part of the Olympic Oath includes, “The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle…Not to have conquered but to have fought well.” In the summary statement regarding his life Paul indicated he had a living oath. He wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (II Timothy 4:7)

The terms do not speak of winning, but that he fought and finished. He struggled. All of us have struggles. Jesus warned “in this world you will have tribulation.” Like Paul we should struggle for a worthy cause. He said, “I have fought the good fight.” The statement stresses having fought a fight worth fighting, the good fight, and fought it well. He chose his cause.

Bumper stickers reveal the causes people consider worthy of their life.

Marathon runners know not all can win, but there is honor and valor in running the race. You may not get accolades for “winning” life’s race for Jesus, but be sure you are faithful and complete what you have begun.

When you accepted Jesus as Savior, He made a commitment to you. He committed Himself to forgiving your sins, to be your constant companion through life, and to receive you unto Himself in your heavenly home.

In coming to Jesus you, too, made a commitment to Him. In summary it was to give yourself to Him, to trust Him and serve Him. That means you are to keep your focus on Him and strive to please Him. Renew your faith contract today.

John Stephen Akawari represented his home country of Tanzania as a marathon runner in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. It was late at night and most spectators had left the stadium. Over an hour after Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia won the race, Akawari entered the stadium as an exhausted, bloody, limping competitor. There had been jockeying for position between some runners and he was hit. He fell badly wounding his knee and dislocating that joint plus his shoulder hit hard against the pavement causing great pain. 

As he finally crossed the finish line a cheer came from the small crowd. When interviewed later and asked why he continued running, he said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.” He did not triumph, but he did struggle with honor and finish the race in keeping with the Olympic Oath.

Jesus saved you expecting you in response to finish life’s race. Athletes often experience what is called getting a second wind. It is a time of renewed commitment and energy for the race. May today be a second wind day in your life’s struggle.

Ways We Learn

We learn in three ways: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

Visually we learn by what we see. These persons are known as visual learners.

Auditorily, we learn by what we hear. These persons readily learn from being told information and insight.

Kinesthetically, we learn when we process information while being physically active or engaged, that is, we learn by what happens to us. Example, if in youth we put our hand on a hot object we learn not to touch hot objects. Another example of a kinesthetic learning experience is when a child learns to ride a bike. They can read instructions or listen to instructions, but deep learning occurs via the process of doing it.

The Bible helps us learn all three ways.

Visually we learn by reading the Bible. “Study to show yourself a workman approved by God.” Reading the Bible is most often a wonderful way to learn.

Auditorily we learn by hearing Bible truth. That is why it is important to expose yourself to good Bible preaching and teaching.

Kinesthetically we learn through our experiences, that is, what happens to us in light of the Bible truths with which we are familiar. The Bible helps us know how to process the things that happen to us. If our experiences are properly responded to in the way the Bible says, we have a good experience. The next time something similar to that experience happens we know the value of responding that way.

We can and should learn Bible truths in all three ways. How we learn is important, however, of even more importance is what we learn.

Therefore, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” (Proverbs 19:20 ESV)

For the sake of those who learn visually show them the truth.

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:13 ESV)

Stayers or Strayers

Jesus Christ is looking for people who care. Do you?

He is looking for people to represent Him. Will you?

There have always been people who followed Christ. Those who have can be divided into two groups: stayers or strayers.  

John 6:66 describes the first group. Jesus depicted the challenges and demands of following Him, and “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.”  Then Jesus turned with a broken heart and addressed a question to those remaining: “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:68).

They became His decals. They stuck. Near the end of His ministry in the upper room on the eve of His death He paid them one of the highest compliments He ever paid anyone. He said, “You are those who have continued with me in My trials.” In effect, “You,” He said, “stuck with me.”

They were not much to brag on and they probably knew it, but one quality they had and He stressed it. “You stayed when others strayed.” They stayed because they cared.

The philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, not one of my favorite writers; but in his book, “Beyond Good and Evil” he made a worthy observation. He wrote: “The essential thing ‘in heaven and earth’ is…that there be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living.”

That is what results when one really cares about Christ and His cause. There is a long obedience in the same direction. There is no turning back.

Jesus’ disciples were “harassed” and “helpless.” That is, they were bullied and could not help themselves. That is the clientele of our culture also.

Jesus took their condition to heart and was moved by compassion, heartfelt sympathy. These words mean to share with someone their experience.

Many begin their day feeling like the man depicted in the cartoon awakening. The caption: “How do you want your goose cooked today?”

If you care, you share. There is an old proverb which came from ancient Europe which states: “Shared joy is double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.”

Clearly, the way of doubling a joy is by sharing it. When something good happens and you share it with a friend, the joy is doubled.

When one receives Jesus Christ as Savior, he is accounted righteous because Christ’s righteousness is imputed to his account.

Being “accounted righteous” does not exonerate us from practicing righteousness – doing right – as He is right.

Some time ago I visited California’s giant Sequoia Forest. I was amazed at one tree known as General Sherman. It is over 200 feet high and is 70 feet in circumference. I thought surely the roots of that big fellow must go at least 100 feet deep. I was fascinated when the guide said they were just beneath the surface. I thought that must be wrong. If they are so shallow, a wind would easily blow them over. The guide explained that Sequoia trees grow only in groves. Their roots intertwine. When the strong winds come, they each hold up the other.

Jesus intends for His followers to be Sequoia Christians.