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All my eggs in one basket

Aesop tried to teach us not to put all our eggs in one basket. I don’t think he was the first who advocated that, and he certainly wasn’t the last. Today, that old saying is often repeated in the business world, applied to everything from marketing to investments.  Some people even apply this “wise” advice to their relationships and social networks.

But Sunday morning, standing in church and singing the hymn, “Lead Me, Guide Me,” I realized that I must put all my eggs in one basket. It’s really the only way to find the life I want to live.

The first verse of that hymn begins, “I am weak and I need thy strength and power.”  The second verse declares, “I am putting all my trust in thee.” 

Aha. Exactly what I’m doing.  Or at least, I want to do this. I am trying to gather my eggs, one by one, and get them all into one basket: trusting God with everything. 

This old adage about eggs in one basket has been referred to as a “risk mitigation strategy.”  We’re advised not to put all our resources, all our energy, all our hopes into one place … just in case.

But putting all my trust in God is a “risk elimination strategy”.

Because where, oh where, is a safer place for ALL of our trust and our hopes? Our Father is the ultimate source of strength and power, He is the god of hope and the God of peace, He will never abandon His children, His love and mercy surround us forever. Who but my Maker knows what I really need? Who else can keep my lamp burning and change my darkness to light? Who else can release my feet from the snare? Who else can be such a shield? Who else is a forever rock of refuge?

My soul finds rest in God alone;
    my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Trying to gather all my eggs,

Amen

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Scripture: Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)

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Keeping our eyes on the unseen and eternal

Just out of college, I traveled west for the first time. I felt immense awe, standing under the vast western skies. I grew up in a place of hills and trees, and my childhood pieces of sky seemed cropped and framed; the western skies stretch without limits.

The sky, clouds, colors of sunrise and sunset fascinate me. Is it that every time I glance up, the picture has changed? Is it that the sky is always constant, always curved there overhead? Is it the vastness, the mystery of the unknown? Or does something about the sky resonate deeply because of Biblical talk of the heavens and Jesus’ coming on clouds to take us home?

I came across this image in the Scriptures last week:

For the skies will disappear like smoke,
     and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing.
The people of the earth will die like flies,
     but my salvation lasts forever.
My righteous rule will never end!
  (Isaiah 51:6 NLT)

Both heaven and earth will someday be gone. Other Scriptures say the sky will “melt”, and the stars will fall like withered leaves of a grapevine. Hard to imagine. We can see the earth fading, though. And we know that we will lose those we love and our own lives here will have an ending.

Living on this earth, we look around and see nothing that lasts forever. Especially after you’ve had your 40th birthday, and then your 50th, and your 60th … you really don’t need reminders that everything on this earth is but a breath, a wisp of smoke.

What we do need are reminders of the things that last forever. Yes! Not everything is destined to end someday. Some things will never fade, melt, wither, disappear, or die.

Today’s verse gives us just such a reminder. The LORD of the skies and all of creation reminds us of one “forever” thing:  His salvation. He repeats it twice. He will always rescue those who call to Him. Forever, without end, He offers deliverance from their fallen state.

This verse led me to search for other things that last forever. And, although this list is still not complete, reading these words changes how I look at today.

How far can you see today? We get caught up in details of what we want to accomplish today; we’re ruled by irritations and frustrations of today and stymied by challenges of dealing with people today; and even, yes, great joys or victories of today sometimes blur our vision of forever.

What you do (or don’t do) today is important, but even more important is living today in the light of everything that never passes into yesterday.

I want to bold and underline everywhere and use exclamation marks and Amens after all of the following Scriptures. But I know the Holy Spirit will emphasize where necessary — without so much help from me.  J

Remember these “forever” things:

God’s love for His children, His strength, His protection, His help. We belong to Him forever.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
     but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
Psalm 73:26

For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
     and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100:5

His faithful love endures forever
Psalm 107:1

God’s words, His commandments, His promises:
They are forever true,
     to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
Psalm 111:8

Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Matthew 24:35

He keeps his promise forever.
Psalm 146:6

God’s authority over all (what more can be said?):
The LORD will reign forever.
Psalm 146:10

But look! We too have been given a life that will never end!

With his own blood–not the blood of goats and calves–he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.
Hebrews 9:12

Christ said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.”
John 6:51

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
1 Peter 1:23

Our battles here have results that will last forever.
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
2 Corinthians 4:17

We will have bodies that do not grow old, fade, and fail:
Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:42, 53

Two things I seek: to love better, and to know Jesus better. Because these are part of forever.

But love will last forever!
1 Corinthians 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Then we will be with the LORD forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:17

Have a today flooded with forever.

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All Scripture from NLT

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Need Peace Today?

Here’s something to not only think about but also to act on today. Perhaps you’ll think it too simple, too plain, too uncomplicated. After all, deep thinkers have been grappling with this for thousands of years; theologians and pastors, therapists and psychiatrists, hippies and yuppies and world leaders, and almost every man and woman who has walked on this earth. All, in their own ways, looking for peace. 

Where will you find your peace today?

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Two simple acts will change your day, no matter what your calendar or your problems look like. Tell God what you need. And thank Him for everything He has done for you.

Who better to go to for help than the all-powerful Father who loves you so much? Who has more resources? Who knows you better than you yourself?

Tell Him, who has promised to work for your good in everything, what you need.

And then remember. Remember all He has already done for you. I regret that we are losing the practice of passing down to succeeding generations the stories of our journeys. The oral tradition of storytelling preserved the history of a people. Long passages in Scripture recount God’s faithfulness to his chosen people. Yes, many people do that today by writing their stories or by speaking their stories; but most of us do not. We have no ritual (and I use that word in the best sense) way of passing along the accounts of God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives.

At the very least, do this in your own heart and mind. Recount, remember, review all that God has done for you.

Tell Him what you need. Thank Him for His hand in your life.

So simple. I won’t try to explain what happens or how it happens, because Scripture tells us right here that it’s beyond our understanding. But I know that God honors this promise He has made. This asking and thanking brings peace. It is God’s peace — in a later verse, He is called the God of peace — and it will stand guard around our whirling minds and turbulent hearts as we go through today.

I need simple today. I can certainly remember two things: Tell. Thank.

Amen.

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Scripture: Philippians 4:6b-7 (NLT)

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Commit and Trust

Here’s a challenge for you this week, and it stems from a simple verse you have probably known since you were a child.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.
Trust him, and he will help you.

How simple are those instructions? Commit everything today to the Lord. Trust Him. And He will help you.

I’m not focusing on this verse today as a formula for success in every area of your daily life. Instead, I think this Commit and trust habit is the key to transforming how we think about our daily lives…and God’s role in our days.

Let’s be honest. Do we seek God only when we’re faced with a big decision? Do we beg His help only when we feel weak or overwhelmed? Do we think that He only has a hand in our lives when we must choose between right or wrong? Do we ask Him to act only when we need a miracle? Do we ask His blessings only on our “spiritual” undertakings?

Many translations of this verse say, “Commit thy way to the Lord”. Your way, everything you do, your entire walk through this day. Give it all to the Lord, entrust it to Him. And He will help you.

He doesn’t promise that we will always have the results we want. But He promises He is there, in every moment, to help us. Later verses in the same psalm say that He delights in every detail of our lives, He directs our steps, and though we might stumble, we will never fall, because the Lord holds our hand. (verses 23-24)

Wow.

I want to gather up my day, everything, every moment I breathe today — package it all up and hand it to the Lord and trust Him with it. And He will help me, hold my hand, and direct my steps!

Such a simple verse. Yet all of us still have a long way to go to learn how to fully commit and trust.

This challenge is for myself this week. Join me. Every day, before you even get out of bed in the morning, wrap up each day and hand it over to Him.

 

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Scripture: Psalm 37:5 (NLT)

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Christ’s Prayer: Perfect Unity

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?

Is everyone shouting a resounding Yes to these questions? Yes, there is much encouragement and comfort in belonging to Christ and knowing His love! Yes, there is a special fellowship with other believers beyond human, earthly connection. Yes, Jesus invades my heart and makes it tender and compassionate! Yes! Life in Christ is good, comforting, exciting, extraordinary, awesome, grand.

Good. Glad to hear all that enthusiasm. Now here’s the next step:

Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, working together with one mind and purpose.

Oh. Well, this part isn’t quite that easy. You know how many different personalities we have, just sitting in one pew on Sunday morning? Take a look at how many pews there are in our sanctuary! In such a gathering of human beings, surely there will be disagreements and differing opinions. Surely there will be some conflict and dissension.

Do you suppose that is why Jesus prayed so fervently for His followers before leaving this earth? Repeatedly, He asked the Father to bring them to a perfect unity. Was He thinking about how easily we humans fall to bickering, squabbles, selfishness, and grabbing for power or position? Even while He was with the disciples, some arguing occurred among them. What would happen once He was no longer physically with them?

As we read His prayer in John 17, it’s very clear that Jesus’ desire is that His followers work in a unity that makes the world sit up and take notice.

“May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”

Unity of the believers is key to Christ’s mission in this world! How we live with other children of God tells the world much about Christ and God’s love. This is so important to the work of Christ in this world, how can we shrug it off as too idealistic or try to sidestep the issue and say ‘It’s just not possible’?

Yes, the church brings together many different personalities. Yes, even within the church, we all still struggle with our sinful nature. Yes, bringing this many people together under one roof is bound to be fertile ground for disagreement and conflict.

But we have come together under Christ’s roof. We are connected by one Spirit. We have one mission. We have one head.

The Philippians verse asking us to agree wholeheartedly is most often translated as being likeminded. It doesn’t mean we always have the same opinion; but it does mean we work together with one mind and one purpose. Think of a good marriage you’ve observed (maybe your own?). Do spouses always think alike on all issues? Of course not. But they are one-minded in that they are both devoted to the marriage. And that commitment rules how they treat each other.

In the same way, Paul says we have all been called to work at one purpose, and to accomplish that we will need to love each other and take on one mind, the attitude of Christ, our head who rules the body.

Paul goes on to describe Christ’s attitude, one of total humility. He was God, yet he gave up His divine privileges. He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on the cross . (verse 8)

I really believe there is no magic wand that a pastor can wave over his flock to bind them together in perfect unity. The key lies with each one of us, in our hearts and minds, in our commitment to Christ’s mission on this earth.

Take a look. Paul follows that verse on being likeminded and working together with a verse that is aimed at each individual. He says:

Don’t be selfish;
don’t try to impress others.
Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves,
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Hits home, doesn’t it?

What would humbling yourself in obedience to God look like in your life right now, in whatever situation you find yourself today? You probably won’t have to die as a criminal, as Jesus did.

But you may have to act in love towards someone you’d rather dislike. (That means patience, kindness, no pride or rudeness, always hopeful, persevering, not easily ticked off, not keeping accounts of wrongs.)

You may have to admit that your reluctance to support a certain program or person in your church rises from purely selfish motives.

You might have to take the first step in healing a relationship.

You will most surely have to bite your tongue more than once.

For every conflict and disagreement, every minor irritation and every huge discord that occurs in the body of Christ, the bottom line seems to be that each of us must honestly ask the Spirit for insight to see what is ruling our feelings, thoughts, speech, and actions. Is it selfishness, a desire to impress, a desire to be “right”? Or is it the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who prayed so fervently for oneness of mind and passion in His disciples?

Is it ME who determines what I say and do today, or is it the Spirit?

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Scripture: from Philippians 2 and John 17