Rejoice in The Lord

For most of my 25 year tenure as a member of The Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, I have spent time with families who have experienced the death of a loved one.  Sometimes the deceased would have been a member of the church, but more of the times, the deceased would have been an immediate family member of a church member.  Always the question before me -- what to say?  What words can I speak that will comfort? And strengthen? And ease the pain and the hurt?  In these situations, death is one or more of the following -- shocking ... feared ... a great loss ... hurtful ... painful ... scary ... unexpected ... too soon ... and so much more. 

I always knew and believed that nothing I could say really helped or even mattered.  These family members, my brothers and sisters, needed to hear a word from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  That word and that word only could I speak.  One passage of Scripture that I have used, probably more than any other, is the Apostle Paul's declaration that "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (see Philippians 4:7). This promise alone is great and wonderful, a tremendous blessing, powerful and amazing. 

Over a period of time, I came to realize that I needed to say more, that the listening ears needed to hear more.  And I was instructed to read backwards or upwards in the passage to verse 4 -- "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"  My thoughts ran wild -- can I say this?  How will people take this message at such a time as this?  Is this the time to tell people to rejoice?  Sometimes death had come because of a heinous crime, sometimes because of accidents in cars, on jobs, during vacation or other leisure activities, fires, drownings, and the like.  And my nagging question of God -- do You really want me to tell them to rejoice, and to rejoice always?  In the quietness, the still small voice of the Lord said "yes, this is a part of my path to peace."

 So while on your way to experiencing the peace of God which passes all understanding is this command from God Himself --  "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"  Need I say more?  Stop and think about this!

The Golden Rule

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,

 for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12

Some things in Scripture many of us know.  The Golden Rule is one of those things.  Have you ever wondered why it is called the Golden Rule? Something for you to think about.  For me, it is the first and last phrases that I have basically ignored.  What about you?  The first phrase -- "so in everything" -- has now gotten my attention, and I realize it is instructive. Some other Bible translations use "in everything," "therefore all things," "whatever," or "always."  The Message Bible presents the passage in this manner.   “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get."

To understand what I want others to do to and for me, sometimes I think about what I don't want them to do.  This further clarifies for me what I must not do to them. Here are some of my don'ts which help me know and understand more clearly my do's: don’t be unkind ... talk about me behind my back ... mistreat me ... show disrespect ... cut me off in traffic ... lie to me ... murder or kill ... fight with me ... follow through ... say "I'm sorry" ... hurt me ... laugh at me ... ridicule me ... be rude ... be unkind ... be unthoughtful ... steal from me ... walk over me ... quarrel ... disobey ... be unapologetic ... unloving ... show disregard ... ignore me ... shame or embarrass me ... hurt me ... cheat on me ... knock me down ... keep a promise ... follow instructions ... be untrustworthy ... and more. 

What's on your list?  Paul writes to the Galatians that we'll reap whatever we sow?  Consider the set of questions: what am I sowing, or what and why am I reaping this?  We must understand the boomerang effect of this and the Golden Rule.  What we get is what we have given?  Now consider this set of questions: what am I giving, or what and why am I receiving this?    Will I make the choice to, in everything, be not merely a hearer but a doer of God's Word?   Will you?

Do Not Worry

Today, I was one of several women who were asked to pray for another woman who has gone through, not once but twice, someone trying to break into her home while she was there.  What to pray?  How to pray?  What to say to her?  What advice to give her?  What encouragement?  Do I say what the Word says?  Do I give advice from the Scriptures?  Is the Word the best that I can offer?  Is the Word enough?  Will the Word satisfy?  Will the Word meet her need? Will the Word protect her?

 Then, I began to remember.  Must acknowledge God in all my ways ... must trust God with all my heart ... must lean not to my own understanding ... must put on the full armor of God ... must remember that my weapons are not the weapons of the world ... must know that every one of my weapons is the Word of God ... must speak the truth ... must remember that the only real truth is the Word of God. 

From my pastor's instruction for daily Scripture reading, today's reading is Matthew 6, a portion of Jesus' sermon on the mountain.  Jesus says, not once but several times, in verses 25-34: do not worry.  The command to me, to her, and to you is quite simply do not worry.  Do not worry about today, or tomorrow, or your life, or what you will eat, or what you will drink, or what you will wear.  Whatever you may be worrying about, hear the Word of the Lord.  Do not worry.  Your heavenly Father knows what you need.  He has promised to supply every need that you have, so do not worry.  And there are NO exceptions to this command -- do not worry.