Category Archives: Chrisitian Philosophy

Blogs in this category deal with Christianity not from a religious perspective, but from a philosophical viewpoint.

Learning from a winter storm

Winter 004

In my hometown of Henderson, Kentucky, we’ve had another round of winter weather.  While the winter storm is long gone, the snow and ice still remain. While many people see the snow and ice as an inconvenience, for me, I welcome the lessons that God teaches me through something as simple as a winter storm.  Being a bit hard-headed in my early Christian walk, I had to learn the hard way that God does not use a loud and booming voice to communicate to us.  In fact, I feel in good company.  I Kings records the lesson that God had to teach the prophet Elijah: And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice (I Kings 19:11-12)

Oftentimes, we miss the methods that God uses to teach us because we are not waiting to hear the still small voice.  We claim that if God would just speak to us, give us some physical sign and with that we would listen and be obedient to Him. Jesus taught on this very thing that big wondrous signs will not make a difference.  In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (Luke 16:27-31). Although Jesus is talking about the lost coming to God, there is still a similar theme to these two passages of scripture.  In both, God loudly proclaims that it is not through great and mighty miracles where He does His work of touching the hearts of people.  Even if He did allow Lazarus to go and witness to the rich man’s family, they would not believe that God had done such a miracle and would demand that God do another.  Look at the number of miracles the crowds saw Jesus doing; look at the numbers of followers that remained near him on Golgotha.

It is through our quiet time that God truly speaks to our hearts.  We cannot expect to hear the still small voice that God chooses to use if we are doing so amid the distractions of the television, traffic, and the other experiences of day-to-day chaos?  Solomon wrote, Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee (Proverbs 7:15). In other words, it’s never going to be during the “normal routine” of the day where we actually can hear the voice of God.  It is only when, in the case of Ezekiel, where we diligently seek to hear his voice that we will find Him. The apostle Paul understood this very thing too, writing to the Jewish Christian converts of his lifetime, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Again, this idea of only through our diligent efforts will we hear God speak and reward us.  In my own experiences, the times where I diligently sought after the Lord, I had to come to an end of my own understanding of the situation and had to truly seek out God’s counsel.

As the winter storm began to hit Sunday morning around 6:30, I began to think how the storm would cause people to slow down; perhaps that was what I and others within the tri-state area affected by the storm needed.  Often times we allow life to run ahead of us and we forget what it is like to simply slow down and wait upon God. David understood this as the Holy Spirit led him to write, Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass (Psalms 37:7). Again, this idea of waiting, of diligently seeking Him and waiting patiently for Him is something that does not come natural to us in this microwaved, smart-phoned, and multi-tasking generation.  We want instant results and when, as in the case of a winter storm, life requires us to slow down and to be patient, many of us have a hard time doing that.  Let the electricity and cable television go out, and our problems are even worse. The lesson from this winter storm:  slow down and enjoy the time with friends, family, and the Lord.

Sometimes it’s off the beaten path that the Lord leads

Canton-DowntownTowards the end of last week, I took a trip to Fayetteville, North Carolina.  On the way back to my home on Saturday, I had reached a point that I needed to stop for gas, a soda, and something to eat.  I decided to leave Interstate 40 and exit to a little town called Canton, roughly halfway between the North Carolina state line and Asheville, North Carolina.  After I paid for and pumped my gas, I decided to go into the store to go to the restroom and to buy some chips and drinks to take with me on the road.  Without realizing it, I was whistling the old church hymn, He Keeps Me Singing as I entered the convenience store.

As I approached the counter with my sodas and chips, the cashier told me she found it refreshing to have a customer in the store that was truly happy.  She shared with me that most of her customers are grouchy, inconsiderate, rude, or just indifferent.  Common courtesy and politeness were rare especially since most of her store’s business comes from travellers off Interstate 40.  As she rang my purchases up, she began to ask me questions about why I was travelling, where “home” was, and why I was in such a good mood.  Almost without thinking about it, a verse soon ran through my head: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (I Peter 3:15).

Since January, I have prayed that God would give me more opportunity and more guidance in opportunities to lead others to His mercy and grace.  I have only begun to truly learn to listen to His guidance in my efforts at personal evangelism. Taking the opportunity, I used the lady’s question about my good mood to be the beginning of a conversation about Jesus and how He alone was responsible for my good mood.  With the careful guidance of the Holy Spirit, I was led to share with her that as a Christian, no matter how bad things get here, I have a Lord and Savior that not only places a high value on me but how His plan is to come and get me.  I was led to share two passages: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29-31) and In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:2-6). I’ve tried to memorize these two passages unsuccessfully for years, but on Saturday afternoon, I was able to say them with a precision that I probably will never be able to match again.

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No shortage of worldly advice

dear-abbyIt never fails. If you ask advice from your family and friends on how to handle a problem, a crisis, or just a difficult situation, most of the advice you will get is based on a worldly understanding of the problem and not focused on giving thoughtful, spirit led and soul-stirring advice. In fact, there are several places in the Bible where the extent and commonality of worldly advice is truly demonstrated.

Within the story of Job, his wife offers him the worldly advice of Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die (Job 2:9b). Even Job, in his day, acknowledged the worldview of seeking godly counsel when he told his friends, What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me (Job 15:21). While he was in the middle of a trial by the hands of Satan, he had enough wisdom to realize that neither his wife or his friends were providing Godly advise, but were offering what he correctly called “the counsel of the wicked.”

Now do not misunderstand, not everyone that provides us advice is wicked; however, their advice must be weighed against what the Bible tells us. I would not count Job’s wife as a wicked woman, however, her advice was wicked—it called for Job to curse God and wait for judgment. To curse God would be a sin, and the wages of sin is death; after this, the judgment of God (reference Job 2:9, Romans 6:23, and Hebrews 9:27). What terrible advice to tell someone to willfully sin and await the judgment of God!

Just as Job’s wife probably loved him deeply and wanted to see him out of pain and suffering, many of our family and friends, some saved, some not, also take no pleasure in seeing us endure pain, hardships, trials, and confusion. Often they are quick to offer up solutions to our problems. I think of the story of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and her understanding of God’s promise and the customs of ancient Mesopotamian society. She knew she was past the age of bearing children, but rather than to wait upon God and to see what He had planned, she told Abraham, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai (Genesis 16:2). There can be no doubt that Sarah loved Abraham and she wanted to bear him an heir, the son of promise, but based on her own understanding of their situation, she offered advice that can be considered as the “counsel of the wicked.” God warns us to Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Even the prophet Jeremiah added that The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). If those who are truly walking in the faith can offer us bad advice, what makes us think that the world’s advice will be any better?

In truthfulness, we cannot expect the lost world—whether it be family or close friends—to be able to offer godly and spirit led advice either. David, the psalmist and King of Israel, penned the words, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful (Psalms 1:1) as both a warning and promise to us as we seek to find meaning in the trials and obstacles we face. When we take advice that is founded on the common worldview and not centered on a God-ward worldview, we are inviting even more difficulty into our lives.

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