As I listen around me today there are a lot of signs of selfishness around which are hurting our world. I include myself in this accusation too. It comes too naturally to the human race I guess. Consider some things reacently heard:
1. Alistair Darling vowed to never let bankers' greed and selfishness to endanger the lives of millions of people again (his talk at the Labour Conference 28.9.2009)
2. In my "ScienceAlert" email in my inbox today there was an article saying that authorities in Australia are considering whether they should make it a law that you can't smoke with children in your car!!
When we don't care enough about our own children it makes you wonder ....
Jesus challenges us with these words ...
AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 31 "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30).
This is good advice even in the realm of banking as Alistair Darling has made clear. There has to be some accountability, some checks and balances because it's too easy for you and I to just focus on ourselves and lose all perspective about what we are doing.
The Bible warns us that we are created as sinful beings in rebellion against God (Ephesians 2:1-3). Only God can take that rebelliousness out of us and put in His Spirit which is full of love, joy , peace , patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22).
More of that please!
I often hear it said and have talked to people here in Lichfield who say that Christianity is just a crutch for weak people. It is an interesting theory, but one that I don't think holds much weight. The often cited scenario is that one person is sharing about their faith with another and the other person says, "Well, its obvious that in your great moment of need in your life you turned to Christianity to help you out because you couldn't sort yourself out." It usually goes something like that. To this a few things have to be said.
Firstly, we all have troubles in life and difficulties. Nobody's life is perfect and trouble-free. In those life troubles we have to find solutions. Those who don't admit that they have troubles are just kidding themselves. Pride can get in the way when we say we are not going to ask for help from anyone else. Man is not an island.
Secondly, when we have life-problems it is wise to turn to the life-giver in order to find a solution to those problems. It is a wise person who sees that the life-giver, God, should be the one most competent to sort out our life. He made us and knows us inside out (Psalm 139:1, 13 "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me ... For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."). God created us and God created this world, so He knows best how to live in this world. True wisdom is to live in His way as put down by the Bible, His word. While living in God's way doesn't eradicate all of life's problems, God does offer solutions to man's main nemesis which tends to get him into the most trouble - sin or wrong-doing which is mainly selfishness and a me-centred life instead of a God-centred life.
This to me is not a crutch. This to me is just smart, wise living.
Just a reminder about the Lichfield Walk of Witness:
Friday 10 April
Good Friday Walk of Witness
08.15 Start Whittington Post Office
09.15 Boley Park Community Centre
10.00 Backcester Lane/Gresley Row
10.15 Friary Remains Site
Finish at Methodist Church Centre
The other day I was sitting in the lounge while my 5 year old daughter sat next to me on the computer looking for High School Musical photos via google images. Suddenly up popped a practically x-rated video from youtube in front of her perplexed faced. I mistakenly yelled at her to not look at such things and then realized that she obviously wasn't looking for it but it found her! This immediately led me on a hunt for a parental-controls program via google. After quite a while I finally found K-9 and want to say if you are a parent who would like to protect your young ones from growing up too quickly then try K-9. It's free!
Labels: parental controls, parenting, web protection for children
¶ 5:35 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Wanting to help their children, parents are hurting them says a recent study. Lack of parental boundaries are leaving children more aggressive and less able to control their lives and recognize authority figures according to the article, The kids aren't all right: Britain's angry children, Clare Dwyer in the Independent.
Curiously, there are sections of the Bible called the Household Codes (Ephesians 6:1-10; Colossians 3:18-22) by scholars which are repeated in the NT. These codes are God's code of behaviour for the family relationships. They talk about parent-children relationships, spousal relationships and even employer/employee relationships. One thing these codes make perfectly clear is that there are clear demarcations between the parent and the child. Each has its role and the parent is to be obeyed and the child is to be respected and encouraged, not provoked to anger (Ephesians 6:1-4).
It seems to me that it is no mistake that research is bearing out the truth that the Bible has been telling us since it was written about 2000 years ago. Parents - you must give your children boundaries so that they will learn the life skills needed to survive in later life. At the same time encourage and build them up in a an atmosphere of warmth and care. Children obey your parents - the discipline they bring to your life is for your best because when you leave their care you will still be under someone's authority - unless you are the Prime Minister!
Labels: boundaries, discipline, parenting
¶ 11:03 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Our church, DPCC, is sponsoring an easter egg hunt next Sunday, Easter Sunday, 12 April. Come one, come all!! Everyone is invited as we celebrate Easter - the resurrection of Jesus signifying new life in Christ (1 Peter 1:3). It should be a fun time for the whole family. When I was a kid, the easter egg hunt was one of the highlights of Easter. We will meet for the hunt where we meet for church - Martin Heath Hall off of Christchurch Lane near the Christ Church Primary School, 4:15 - 5:15pm. We will sing a few Easter-type songs for the kids and then we will have a very short Easter Story talk by yours truly and then the hunt. Parents can enjoy a tea or coffee along with some cakes while the kids have a blast gathering up their eggs. Come as you are and put some fun and purpose into your life.
¶ 12:58 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
