31

Jump Start # 1613

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1613

John 13:14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

The heart of a servant. That’s what Jesus was demonstrating here in our passage today. Folks miss this when they see nothing more than washing feet. Some churches want to have a foot washing service. Why? Jesus isn’t showing us what needs to be done in church today. We don’t have dirty feet like the people back then did. Few roads were paved. They were mostly located in major cities. The roadways around most villages were dirt. People walked. They didn’t wear socks and shoes as we do. They didn’t go from clean houses to cars to offices and stores that are cleaned on a regular basis. Our feet don’t get dirty like the feet did in Jesus’ day. Washing feet isn’t the point here. It’s serving. Of all people, Jesus should have had His feet washed by the apostles, not the other way around. People should have honored Him, opened doors for Him, and done great things for Him. Instead, it was Jesus who showed the apostles how to serve.

 

Washing feet isn’t an honorable job. It isn’t something that one aspired to do in life. In many places, where  there were servants, it would be the servant that did the foot washing. Putting a dirty foot on your lap and washing and drying it wasn’t something that many today would like to do. It would make some squeamish. Others would be disgusted by the whole process. Jesus washed the feet of the apostles, including Judas and including Peter. The feet that belonged to betrayers and deniers.

 

The lesson being taught here is service. Don’t be too big to help others. Don’t think some things are beneath your pay scale to do. Don’t forget to be a servant. Most servants didn’t get paid. Those that did, didn’t get paid much. The role of the servant to is to help others.

 

This is something that is desperately missing in our times. Folks that will do things because it’s the right thing to do. Why pick up trash in the parking lot? I didn’t put it there. Are there people who get paid to do that? So we walk right on by. Why put the grocery cart back in the stall or take it back to the store entrance? Aren’t there paid people to do that? So just leave it in the middle of the parking lot. Why pick up a song book that is on the pew or floor of the church building? I didn’t put it there. Aren’t there custodians to do that? Too good, we’ve become to do the little things. This is why we are witnessing a smaller and smaller group that volunteers at schools, organizations, and churches. Why should I has trumped the spirit of being a servant.

 

Teachers are need to the kids classes at church. It’s the same folks who do it over and over. They are tired. They need a break. But no one else will do it. A work day is planned down at the church house to clean up the grounds. It’s the same few who show up each time. Others could, but won’t. Servants are busy too. Servants have things to do. Servants only have the weekend off as well. Why is it that the servants volunteer and others don’t? It has to do with our lesson today.

 

There are disciples who have caught the spirit of Jesus. They understand full well what Jesus did and how He gave up so we could become. He was made poor that we might be rich. Servants must juggle their schedules. They must make sacrifices. Mostly, they say “No,” to themselves, so they can help others. It’s the servants who make food for hurting families. It’s the servants that sit with a family in the surgery waiting room. It’s the servants that go out of their way to make sure things are the best that they can be. We would all miss the great things done in our lives if there wasn’t the spirit of servants.

 

Our times do not produce many servants. We like to be served. We want others to do things for us. Kids today grow up with little responsibilities. They demand to be happy all the time. The word “chores” isn’t in the vocabulary of most homes. So a generation is being produced that wants service but is not willing to be a servant. If the trend doesn’t change, no one will do anything because it’s the right thing to do. They will do it if they are paid, praised and promoted for it.

 

How do we get the spirit of a servant? It starts in the home. It is taught and illustrated by parents who are servants. It is taught through a study of the Scriptures. It is preached about. It is taught in classes. It is encouraged by inviting others to help out. Team teach. Team clean. Team volunteer. Non-servant parents generally do not raise kids that will be servants. It starts with mom and dad. Get down to the church house and clean it. Teach classes. Pick up trash around the neighborhood. Do things for others. From that, include the kids. You may have to drag them. As boys get bigger, bring them along when you are helping someone move. Include them in projects. Take them to the funeral home. Take them to the nursing home. When they say, “I don’t want to,” remind them that it’s the right thing to do. Don’t take excuses. Don’t let them off easy. Expect them to do things around the house. Now, if you are always seen sitting in your chair, barking out orders, expect resistance. They will begin to wonder why do we have to and you don’t. Do things with them. Work hard together. Then rest and play hard together. Help them to have open eyes to see things. Most will do things if told. Be the ones who do things without being told.

 

In some churches, deacons are lazy. That is a major contradiction. The word “deacon” means a servant. How can you have lazy servants? That doesn’t work.

 

Jesus washed those dirty toes that belonged to the apostles. Do you think you could have done that? Do you think you would if He told you? The heart of a servant…that’s what is at stake. That’s what is needed today.

 

 

Roger

 

27

Jump Start # 1612

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1612

Acts 6:1 “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.”

  Yesterday in our Jump Start we discussed conflicts. We continue with that thought today. In a perfect world, everyone gets along all the time. The world isn’t perfect. Kids fight. Couples argue. Brethren get their feelings hurt. Neighbors sue each other. After the funeral, the grown kids fuss about who gets what. And, then, there is work. Competitive. Hostile. Breaking the rules. Double standards. The expression, “Going Postal,” is used to describes a disgruntled employee who returns to the place of work and causes trouble. There have been too many shootings by those who were upset with fellow employees.

Our verse today is surrounded in the atmosphere of conflict. Notice the words: “complaint,” “against,” “overlooked.” There was trouble in paradise. Under the surface you can see fingers being pointed and voices whispering “favoritism.” Folks weren’t happy.

Through the years, I’ve learned one clear message. People do not stay unhappy. If they are miserable in a marriage, they leave. If they are unhappy at work, they quit. If they don’t like the neighborhood, they move. They switch schools if they are not happy. They refuse to eat at certain places because the last experience wasn’t very good. New doctors and dentists are sought out because they don’t like the ones they currently have. This is even true of congregations. When one isn’t happy, they will look for another place to worship. People do not stay unhappy. They will do what it takes to get happy. Some times those choices takes them to places they shouldn’t be. Sometimes their choices are wrong. Those poor choices are some how smoothed out in their conscience by the simple statement, “At least I am happy.” Happiness is the bottom line for too many folks today. Happy meals. Happy marriages. And, of course, I wear, happy socks.

 

The Hellenistic Jews complained about the native Hebrews. Jews living outside of Judea, often speaking Greek instead of Hebrew, is meant by “Hellenistic.” The “Natives” lived in Judea and spoke Hebrew. There was a difference. The complaint fell along those lines. The Hellenized widows were neglected. They were overlooked. This is where conflicts quickly turn into declarations of war. Was this done on purpose? They never have liked us? We begin trying to guess motives and reasons why things were done. That journey is most times dark and negative. We start thinking evil of the other group. Mountains are built out of mole hills. We get so worked up that unity is trashed and separate congregations form. The Hellenistic church meeting on the north side of town and the Hebrew church meeting on the south side. This is all too true in too many places.

 

Notice a few things from this setting.

 

First, the apostles looked into the matter. What really burns the biscuits is when our complaints are ignored. This makes kids mad. This makes students mad. This makes employees mad. This makes brethren mad. What may seem like no big deal to you, may be a real problem to someone else. The apostles looked into the matter. Not all complaints are legitimate. Some are based upon one person’s perspective. He may not have all the facts. Not all complaints mean changes must be made. The kids may complain about bed time. They don’t know what parents do. Don’t change just because someone complains.

 

Second, the apostles brought the church into the matter. This was a church problem. They didn’t just meet with the Hellenistic folks. The next verse states, “the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples”. The church came together. This was not kept a secret. This was not swept under the rug. The complaint was now known by all. Everything was now public. No under the table deals. No secret pacts formed. All cards are on the table. Everyone knows. This kills suspicion and gossip.

 

Third, I find it healthy that the apostles seemed to know what is going on. Far too often, those in charge are left in the dark. The parents are the last to know. The boss doesn’t know. The elders don’t know. The complainers often feel that those in charge ought to know. Maybe they should, but too often, they don’t. This only upsets the complainers even more. This feeds gossip and more negative thoughts. Here the apostles seemed to know what was going on.

 

Fourth, it seems that the apostles agreed with the Hellenistic folks. They told the church to pick out seven men who would be put in charge of this task. Why go through that if they thought everything was fine? Obviously, it wasn’t. Now, the church was involved. This wasn’t the actions of the Hellenistic group vs. the Hebrew group. When you look at the seven names chosen, there is a mixture among them. There are Hebrew names and Hellenistic names. The men picked were good men. They were men of God. They were trusted, loyal and faithful to God. There would be no partiality here, not with this group.

 

Fifth, this idea found approval with the whole congregation. A bridge was built. Agreement was reached. It wasn’t that only the Hellenistic side was pleased. The text states, “the whole congregation.” All of them. Hebrew and Hellenistic. All of them. Problem solved. Neglect ended. No more “against” us, language. No more “overlooked.” No more complaints.

 

Sometimes it takes others to help settle a complaint. Sometimes that’s the only way. As this section ends, Luke adds, “And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly…” (Acts 6:7). That’s impressive. Usually, when there is a lot of huffing and puffing down at the church house, the work stops. Everyone takes sides. Gossip spreads. People forget attitudes. They forget the Lord. Everyone takes up arms and readies themselves for a good ole’ fight. And only the Devil smiles through this ugly ordeal. Not here in Acts 6. The complaint didn’t split the church. The complaint didn’t seem to cause any to quit or leave. In fact, the church grew. They kept spreading the word. The brethren didn’t forget what they were supposed to do, nor who they were. It is that spirit that keeps marriages together after a disagreement. It is that spirit that keeps a congregation growing, even when some have complaints.

 

I wonder if we could learn something from this old passage. Our modern times seems to make us think that if we have a problem with someone else, the world should stop. We tend to feel that complaints are more important than the work God has given us to do.

 

Conflicts do not have to be the end of us. We can learn from Acts 6 about how to deal with differences. No blood was shed. No loss of life. No one taking the ball and going home. Amazing. They must have seen the big picture, and it wasn’t them. They must have really loved one another. I just wonder when this was all over if some of the Hebrews apologized to the Hellenistic folks about overlooking their people. I expect if that happened, the Hellenistic group hugged and forgave the Hebrews. This is how we get along. We are not perfect. There will be bumps and bruises all along the way. We can go home crying or we can be the people that God wants us to be and strive to preserve the unity of the Spirit.

 

Got a complaint? Who doesn’t. Now, what are you going to do with it? Are you going to let it eat you up and ruin your day or let it go or deal with it in the right manner?

 

Corinthians reminds us that “love is patient…love does not take into account a wrong suffered.” Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Maybe if we thought more of Scriptures than we did how much we feel overlooked, things would be better.

 

Maybe…

 

Roger

 

26

Jump Start # 1611

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1611

Galatians 2:4-5 “But it was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.”

  Paul wouldn’t fit in well with our political correctness, spirit of tolerance and never hurting the feelings of others times that we live in today. Paul tells us so much about these trouble makers. He calls them “false brethren.” He knew their motives and intentions. They had “sneaked in to spy” in order to “bring us into bondage.” That wasn’t going to happen. Paul said “we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour.” They were not given a platform to speak. They were not given a situation in which everyone gets a chance to say something. No, sir. Not happening here. They were false. They were crooked. They were up to no good. Paul wouldn’t have it.

 

Conflicts are hard to deal with. Some avoid them at all costs. But avoiding conflicts can be more harmful than engaging in them. Imagine the parent who doesn’t want a battle with her kids. So, she avoids them. The kids rule. The number one reason why people switch jobs has nothing to do with money. It’s all about conflicts with co-workers. We have coined the term, “Toxic relationships” to define what is going on in many work places. It is toxic. It is unhealthy. Some people thrive on conflicts. There are preachers like this. They aren’t happy unless folks are stirred up, upset and some controversy looms on the horizon. How we handle conflicts tells a lot about what we are like on the inside. It’s hard. Some do better at this than others. Some explode like a volcano. Some want to craw in a hole and will allow others to take cheap shots at them that are not only untrue, but unfair and unkind.

 

It is interesting to search the titles of books on conflict. The titles alone reveal much. Here is a sampling:

– Conflict coaching

– The cowards guide to conflict

– Leashing the dogs of war

– Don’t let the jerks get the best of you

– Thank you for being such a pain

– Working with the enemy

– When bad Christians happen to good people

– Dealing with people you can’t stand

– Bad bosses, crazy co-workers and other office idiots

 

Wow! The subject of conflict has two sides to look at. First, how to handle criticism from others. Second, how to give criticism that will be helpful. In all of this we must remember that we walk with Jesus. There is never a time that we lay that down. There is never a time to be ungodly. NEVER.

 

When dealing with the world, remember, they do not play fair, nor by the rules. Doing wrong does not bother them. They will think of self, first, last and always. They do not have a problem hurting you if it helps them. Lying and cheating are a regular part of their lives. Blaming others and criticizing others is easy for them. The result is that the child of God receives harsh treatment that is not right, fair nor just. It’s hard to do what you should when the other person isn’t.

 

Peter reminds servants to be subject to masters who are “unreasonable” (1 Pet 2:18). Jesus left us an example of being reviled but not reviling in return. He uttered no threats, even though He suffered. He did not become unglued because of the way He was treated.

 

Years ago I wrote the “Ten Commandments of Conflict.” Here they are:

 

1. You must remember to act like Jesus

2. Pray for those you are in conflict with

3. Do not sin with your mouth. Think before you speak.

4. Consider what is being said

5. Be careful in answering criticism. Not everything needs to be answered. Remember to have a “gentle answer.”

6. Stick to the issues at hand

7. Get all the facts

8. Practice the golden rule

9. Apologize when you are wrong and offer forgiveness when they apologize

10. Don’t let any situation keep you from Heaven. If that means you must leave a job or a congregation, do so honorably.

 

We allow the world to turn a good day into a sorry day. We allow others to dictate our moods. We allow others to determine our value and worth. Then there was Paul. He would not give them an hour. He knew it wouldn’t be good. Multiple times in Timothy Paul tells the young preacher to avoid certain questions. They are not constructive. They are not faith building.

 

Faith in Christ is what will help you deal with conflicts. Will all conflicts be solved decently? No. Will all conflicts turn out in your favor? No. Will everyone agree? No. Will everyone get along? No. Will mean people stop being mean? No. It’s as an old friend used to write in her books, “Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.” We can choose to be torn up on the inside by toxic people or we can get through it with the help of the Lord. How you handle conflicts may open someone’s eyes up to what Christianity is really like.

 

It’s hard not being liked. It’s hard to be on the receiving end of jokes that are intended to be cruel and hurting. But none of this compares to the nails that our Lord endured for our sake.

 

Someday, we will be in a place where there are no conflicts. Today, we are one day closer to Heaven.

 

Roger

 

25

Jump Start # 1610

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1610

Luke 12:13 “Someone in the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’”

  Family problems, they can be one of the greatest causes of heartache, stress and sleepless nights. I know so many people who are experiencing great turmoil in their families right now. There seems to be no getting away from the problems. They bother you at work and you are interrupted with phone calls about family matters. You go home and it’s immediately before you. At night, you can’t rest because your mind is filled with “what should I do?”

 

It doesn’t make your situation any easier, but our passage reminds us that family problems are nothing new. All the way back to Cain and Able, we find families in the Bible that were in turmoil.

 

In our passage today, Jesus was teaching the multitudes some very important topics such as His role in deity and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Confess me before men is something Jesus had just said, and then comes a shout from the audience. Our verse. “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” Jesus has not been talking about money, sharing, families, inheritance. This man’s request had nothing to do with what Jesus was talking about. So typical, he probably didn’t hear a thing Jesus had just said. He was only thinking about himself.

 

Several things to note here:

 

First, there is no indication that this man’s brother was in the audience. Jesus was getting one side of the story. Jesus was being pulled into something that may not have been fair and right to start with. Maybe the brother followed the law and this man got what the law required. Maybe this man wanted more than his share. We have a way of twisting the story to our favor.

 

Second, this man was anticipating Jesus siding with him and being able to go confront his brother with the news that “Teacher Jesus” said to give me more inheritance. His brother may not even know who Jesus was. Obviously, the brother was not listening to this man. Maybe now, with Jesus on his side, he will. He was using Jesus to his advantage.

 

Third, this man took a private family squabble and made it public. The text reads, “Someone in the crowd said to Him.” We don’t get the impression that he talked to Jesus privately. Now, everyone knew this man’s family problem. Did he do this to win support of the crowd? Was he so steamed with his brother that he didn’t care what others thought? It seems that some things ought to remain private.

 

Fourth, this man’s share of the inheritance seemed more important to him than the subject of forgiveness which Jesus was talking about. Did this man have a love of money?

 

Fifth, now that this man let everyone around him know about his brother not sharing the inheritance, the relationship between this man and his brother was further strained. People knew each other in those small villages. Word gets around. People talk. This was certainly going to make matters worse.

 

Sixth, this man never indicated that he wanted his share of the inheritance so he could give it to Jesus. That would have been a nice thought. Doesn’t happen here. He wanted it for himself. He only needed Jesus to help accomplish that.

 

Seventh, some only want to be around Jesus, His people, the church, the Bible, so they can get what they want. Some are looking for happiness. Some are looking for a solution to deal with their teenagers. Some are wanting a pat on the back. Some are wanting approval and acceptance. Using Jesus to get what I want isn’t a good idea.

 

Finally, Jesus turned this man’s request into a short lesson about greed. Jesus wasn’t the one to solve this issue. Jesus was not about to let His mission get side tracked into solving personal issues people had with one another. The line would have been long with other complaints to solve if Jesus had granted this man’s request. Disputes about property lines. Family disagreements about who is supposed to take care of mom. Fussing and arguing about stuff and things that in a decade wouldn’t really matter. Jesus wouldn’t go there. That’s not why He came to earth. We can miss the whole point of Jesus by being so stressed with family troubles.

 

This man lost his focus. He came to Jesus but he left none the better. Our family troubles can take our eyes off of the Lord. They can fill our hearts with such turmoil and grief that we forget who we are. I read a great story recently about the reformer Martin Luther. He was known to have bouts of depression. In one of his dark moods, he came home and his wife was wearing all black. It was what someone would wear who was in mourning. Luther asked, “Who died?” She said, “God did.” He fired back, “God isn’t dead.” His insightful wife replied, “Then why are you acting like He has.” Point being, why are you not praying? Why are you not casting all your anxiety upon Him as the verses teach us? Why are you carrying these burdens alone? Why do you not seek Heaven’s help? Why are you so gloomy and dark? If God remains on the throne, act that way!

 

That is what we must see concerning our family problems. Don’t forget who you are. Don’t forget what God is expecting from you. Don’t let others keep you from the Lord. Continue to be strong and spiritual. Continue to be the influence for good within your family. Pray. Follow Scriptures. None of those things change, even if our brother doesn’t share the family inheritance.

 

Many family problems are the result of people not living as they ought to. Some of these are nothing more than relationship problems. Unable to let go of the past. Unable to forgive. Unable to apologize. Unwilling to be kind, compassionate and thoughtful. Unwilling to include God in their lives. Unwilling to forgive themselves. Spiritual issues spill over into relationship issues. Some don’t carry their load. Some don’t want to. Some need a swift kick in the pants, but that still wouldn’t bring lasting results. You talk to them. You point things out to them. You show them. You try to help them. And nothing changes. It frustrates you. It angers you. Dysfunction runs deep in families. Troubled parents. Siblings that don’t like each other. Crazy cousins. Mental issues. Relationship issues. Spiritual issues. And all we want is to tell Jesus to tell my brother…

 

 

The man in our story really missed it by thinking he could say to Jesus, “Tell my brother…” No one tells Jesus what to do. Have we forgotten who is God? Ask Jesus, but do not demand, command and expect Jesus to do what you say.

 

Family feuds is more than a game show on TV. It’s everyday reality for too many homes. Do what you can. Never give up. Set the tone and the temperature to keep attitudes from becoming too hot. Breath deep. Say a prayer. Jump in and influence the best you can.

 

Someone said if family life was so easy, the whole process wouldn’t have started with a word called “LABOR.” It is a labor. You fight for those people because you love them. You may be their only connection to what is right and to the Lord. Hang in there. Don’t quit. Don’t lose your cool. And certainly don’t lose your focus.

 

Roger

 

24

Jump Start # 1609

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1609

Job 2:10 “But he said to her, ‘You speak as on speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity.”

  Our verse today are the words of a husband to his wife. I doubt this was said in a public gathering. God has allowed us in on the conversation. It has been a long and tough day. Job and his wife had to bury all of their children, ten of them. All of them died at the same time. They were grown. They had their own homes. And now, they were all gone. I have had to preach funerals of grown children whose parents sat in the audience. The image is hard to get out of my mind. Those frail, elderly folks, looking at their child in a casket, who they thought would see them through their final years. Seeing those broken hearts and knowing that nothing I say can really lessen the pain that they feel. But on this page in our Bibles, Job and his wife did not lose one child, they lost them all.

 

The affliction that Job experienced was a test. Was Job truly righteous or was his faith being bought by God’s blessings? Nothing is said about this being a test of Job’s wife. Nothing is said about Job’s wife being blameless and upright like Job. He was tested. She was part of the test because it involved her. Job worshipped. Job didn’t point his finger to God. Job’s wife collapses in faith. She did, what Satan thought Job would do, curse God. She had enough. Her grown children were all dead. Her husband’s health was gone. He was sickly and afflicted. They had been robbed. Their servants were dead. There was nothing to live for in her faith. Just die. Give it up. She had enough.

 

Her empty and faithless advice to her husband, “Curse God and die,” led to our verse today. This is what Job said back. Her words demanded a response. Her words were not encouraging, helpful or faithful. He rebuked her. She was speaking like a foolish woman. A fool, who doesn’t know God, would say what she did. We can be shocked what comes from the mouth of those who we thought were believers.

 

From all of this, there are some great lessons to be learned.

 

First, the level of faith between a husband and wife often are not the same. We assume that they are. We assume the wife of the preacher or the wife of an elder is just as powerful and strong as her mate. Our passage shows other wise. The preacher or the elder may be committed and dedicated to what he is doing in the kingdom, but his wife may not be. She may go along for the ride, but having her way, she may not be so engaged as he is.

 

Second, adversity affects us differently. Some can get through it and seem to be ok. Others, it seems are crushed by it. Here in the same house, Job seems to be holding strong to his faith. His wife, Mrs. Job, has had enough. No more. She has buried her children and now she is watching her husband slowly die, at least in her mind. If things do not turn around, she will be all alone. She will have nothing. Our level of faith makes us react differently to the trials in life. But also, God has wired men and women differently. We do not respond the same. For instance, there has been a fender bender. The wife would come home in tears, promising to get a second job to help pay for the expenses. She is crushed. The husband comes home and he is ready to pound the face of the guy that hit him. He’s mad. He wants lawyers. He wants justice. Different responses to the same thing. This blending of the genders misunderstands that. Children realize this. When they fall and cut themselves, it’s to mom that they run. Mom will kiss them, hug them, and carefully clean the cut and put a band-aide on it. Dad, on the other hand, would say, “That’s nothing. Walk it off. Be tough.” Yet, when something breaks, they will go to dad. Why? Moms and dads are wired differently.

 

We must be careful with the advice we give someone. What works for you, may not work for someone else. We handle adversity differently, based upon our faith and our wiring.

 

Third, sometimes those in our own house can give us bum advice. Some within our very family can lead us away from God. Curse God, was the advice of Job’s wife. Really? Curse the Holy One? Curse the Creator? Curse the one who blessed you with children? Job understood exactly when he said, “shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” Job had received buckets of blessings from Heaven. He had been blessed with a huge family. He had thousands of camels, sheep, oxen and donkeys. He had many servants. He was considered the “greatest of all the men in the east.” Indeed, God had blessed him. Job understood these things came from God. His words honor God. He didn’t think that these things came from his hands. Without God, he wouldn’t have any of these. In the children’s song about the “Wise man and the foolish man,” the prayers go up as the blessings come down.

 

Job’s wife either didn’t see it this way, or didn’t care. Curse God, was the advice that came from Job’ s very family. Our mates can help us get to Heaven or they can stand in the way. “Do we have to go to church today, “ may not be said from the kids, but from a husband, who doesn’t want to go. The choice of questionable movies. The use of alcohol. The lack of attendance to worship. The limited prayers. Our very families can be the biggest obstacles in serving God. Family reunions can be nothing more than an attack upon our faith. Those we grew up with can gang up on us and assault the faith that we have. The insults. The loaded and unfair questions. The loud accusations. We’d expect such treatment from atheistic professors. But here it is from our own blood. It is not uncommon for children to want to come to Bible classes, but the parents don’t. The kids love it. The parents don’t. The kids would be there all the time. The parents find excuses to avoid going. In time, the kids grow and they stop asking to go to church. In time, the kids become like their parents, faithless and indifferent to God.

 

Jesus warned that the members of our own family would become our enemies. That happens. It happens every week in some homes. Did Job’s wife curse God? Had she already done that in her heart? Was she finished with God? We don’t know. Job would have no part in what she was wanting. He would not curse God and join her. He reminded her of God’s blessings. He stood for God. That’s want we must do to our family. They may not understand, appreciate, nor accept what you say, but with God we have cast our lots. Some families plan things that puts a believer in a situation of having to make a choice, attend worship or be  with the family. The pressure is strong. The family loads on the guilt. Some go along with family. They can’t say “no,” to family. Their influence weakens. Their light doesn’t shine as bright. Family has won over God. There will be more choices just like that coming down the road. The family won and now they will continue to try to win more. Stand your ground. Have convictions. Believe. Excuse yourself to go worship and then catch up with them. God or family? It shouldn’t have to be a choice, but too often it is.

 

Finally, for all the times that Mrs. Job had been around her husband, all the worship, all the prayers, she was now speaking like one of the foolish women. What we believe really comes out in a moment of crisis. We can put on a good show. We can talk a good talk. But now at the cemetery, what does one believe? Now, sitting beside her husband, who is in bed sick, she spoke like a foolish one. We can lose it in a moment of anger and cuss. We can get so upset that we speak like a foolish person. Our family witnesses us. The kids hear us. We lose ground because we lost our cool. Your faith is only as good as you use it. Sunny days, when you feel wonderful, it’s easy to be a Christian. It’s during those stormy nights, when we feel like the rug has been pulled out, that we truly see what we are made of.

 

Jesus asked Martha, after she had buried her brother, “Do you believe?” Do we? Do we act like we believe? The trip to the hospital…the car accident…the company down sizing…the rejection letter…the trip to the funeral home—those are the times when our faith gets us through or we feel left on our own. Do you believe?

 

Job and Mrs. Job—a study of trouble in paradise. A contrast in faith. A difference in trials.

 

Lessons for you and I to consider.

 

Roger