31

Jump Start # 1924

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1924

1 Timothy 3:2 “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach”

Our verse today begins what is commonly called the qualifications of an elder. More accurately these are the characteristics, habits and inner workings of a godly man’s heart. This is the way he is. He is this. Found in these traits is “able to teach.” Older translations use the expression, “apt to teach.”

 

The Hebrews were reproved for not being able to teach. Teaching God’s word is such an honor and a privilege. Most congregations have some form of Bible classes for the children all the way up to the adults. Many churches work on a regular quarter system of teaching every 13 weeks and then switching topics and teachers. Bible classes are a vital way of learning God’s word and of teaching depth and looking in detail at some very important topics. Let’s give some thoughts to teaching God’s word.

 

First, in many congregations, and even among many of us preachers, no one ever taught us how to teach. Public school teachers spend four years in college learning, but for many in the church, we are given a class booklet, a couple of weeks to look it over and then we are set loose to teach. It’s scary for many people. Many are not sure what method and just how to approach their subject and how to deal with unique students. It might be good to spend some time helping the teacher become a better teacher. Resources and people who have been trained or who have taught in the past could be a great starting place.

 

Second, the goal of teaching a Bible class is to teach the Bible. This means that the teacher must know the subject. I’m not the media guy in our congregation. I know what we are doing in media but I don’t know how we do it. In fact, they tell me not to push any buttons in the media room. I like to do that. I can’t teach someone about media, because I don’t understand it. The same is true of the Bible. It’s hard to teach what a teacher doesn’t understand.

 

Some enter a class with the goal of having people talking. The more that participate, the better the class, is their thinking. The problem with that goal is what is everyone talking about? Are we simply sharing opinions, right or wrong? Is everyone just talking off the top of their head without doing much thinking, research and study? At the end, after everyone has talked, has the Bible been taught or is there more confusion about what a passage is saying? The Bible needs to be taught.

 

Third, the Bible class teacher needs to have some order, direction and finality to what is being studied. I have sat through organized chaos. Too many people talking at the same time and no one really being in charge. This is no way to teach. The teacher needs to teach. He needs to be in charge. Some folks like to teach from the chair without being the official teacher. Some want to hijack the class and talk about their own agenda. Some dominate. Some think it’s cute to be controversial. Some want to challenge the teacher. Without someone in charge, the class becomes a mix match of all kinds of wild thoughts and ideas. The teacher needs to be in charge.

 

Fourth, many congregations have been using the 13 week quarter system for decades. I’m not sure if that followed the public school system or where it came from. We tend to do the same thing over and over. Many add very little variety, just studying Matthew through Jude every year. Many don’t like Revelation, so they skip it.

 

The quarter system is hard to teach some books of the Bible. Some books are more than 13 chapters long. Either another quarter must be used or parts of the book are not studied. Some books are only a few chapters long and the teacher must then chase a few rabbits and fill in with other things to complete the 13 weeks.

 

Here is a thought: who says we have to go 13 weeks? Why not have a five week class. Why not have a 20 week class. Why not try some variety, not just in the length of the class, but in the way the class is taught. Lecturing is the most common method. Why not have smaller sized classes. Why not have break out sessions. Why not give home work. Why not have some quizzes. The goal is to teach the Bible, find different ways this can be done.

 

Fifth, always teaching verse by verse is not always the best method. That needs to be done, but every time? Why not look at the questions Jesus asked? Why not look at the way Jesus taught? Why not talk about questions that the class has? Why not do some topical studies? Why not find out what the congregation needs the most and have some classes on that? Why not look at the current culture in relationship to the Bible? Expand your thinking. Do more than the obvious. Make classes challenging, interesting and relevant.

 

Our verse today, describing overseers, reminds us that they are to be able to teach. The common Bible class room is probably not what Paul had in mind. Able to teach the Bible. Able to teach it to an individual or able to teach it to a crowd. Able to refute error is what Titus adds. If an ancient shepherd in Judea was watching his flock, he had to know where danger was. He had to recognize where wolves are prone to be. He had to recognize poisonous weeds which were harmful to sheep. He had to know the lay of the land and keep the sheep away from cliffs. There was some knowledge that the shepherd had to have. He also had to recognize how the sheep were doing. He’d notice some that seemed sickly. He’d notice some that were limping. He would make adjustments and do things to help those sheep. Today’s spiritual shepherds do similar work among God’s people. Feeding the flock is one aspect. The shepherd needs to know what the sheep need.

 

When the older translations use the expression, “apt to teach,” that’s exactly what we find in many congregations. Some teachers are “apt” to teach anything. Some are “apt” to teach their opinions more than the Bible. And, some are even “apt” to teach error because they do not know the word of God.

 

Bible classes are a huge part of our lives. They are a blessing. Those that are honored to teach need to do so with reverence toward the word and care toward the students. If you do not know, don’t guess. Those that teach must give hours to study, thinking and shaping out a plan. Bless those who teach. They have helped us know God’s word. They have answered our questions. They have removed doubt from our hearts. They have challenged us. They have helped us mature and grow in the Lord. Many of us teach today because someone in the past made an impression upon our hearts.

 

Maybe it’s time to give some serious thoughts to both teachers, the way we teach, what we are teaching and the length of our classes. Maybe we could find some ways to step things up and improve. Maybe we could do a better job than what we are. Maybe it’s time to have some conversations about Bible classes.

 

Jesus said, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded.”

 

Roger

 

30

Jump Start # 1923

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1923

James 1:19 “This you know, my beloved brethren, but everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”

We know this verse. It comes up often in sermons. It’s the core of many Bible classes. Although we know it, we don’t do real well with it. The “slow to speak” part is what I’m talking about. And talking is something we do. As I write this, in the background plays the oldies song, “Silence is golden.” Silence. Folks don’t talk about that much these days. We wake up to the radio. Our cars start with the radio on. There’s noise everywhere. Just sitting with someone and nothing being said, seems eerie. “Why aren’t you talking?” one person will ask the other. I was sitting out back the other day just listening to the wind blow through the trees. It was a pretty sound. You miss those things when there is too much noise around us.

But, I tend to think that James doesn’t have in mind the noise of traffic, radios and things we call life. There seems to be a connection between three important words in this verse: hearing, speaking and anger. These three words are linked and often illustrative of why we get in the messes that we do. Hearing, speaking and anger. James adds some directives or qualifiers on these three words. Two of them are to be slow. Slow to speak and slow to anger. The other, listening, is to be quick. Now, our problems come from getting these things all mixed up. We don’t listen well. We jump to conclusions and talk too much. We allow ourselves to get angry too fast. Our talking fast fuels our emotions which tends to blast off in a fiery anger. The more we talk, especially when we are angry, the louder and the faster we talk. All the while, the quick to hear has been parked on the sidelines. We’ve heard all that we need to hear, and with guns raised we are ready to take down our opponent. I don’t need to hear anymore. I’ve heard enough. That is often spoken from the lips of an angry person. Slow. Slow. Quick. Hear comes first. Speak comes next. Last comes anger. Seems to be an order here. The more we hear, most likely the less we will speak. The less we speak and the more we hear, the less we will get angry.

All of this seems to make good sense. We leave the church building having heard such words and immediately, before we even sit in the car, we have our phone out and are talking to someone. Have you noticed how many people are always talking on their phones. All the time. In stores. In the drive through. At the movie theatre. In church. At weddings. At funerals. Talking and talking and talking. What is there to talk that much about?

So much talking that there isn’t much time for just thinking. The Bible often calls this pondering or meditating. Just thinking thoughts. Just reflecting. Just considering. Hard to do when a person is talking all the time on their cell phone.

Here’s another thing, it’s hard to notice things such as the songs of a bird or the whistling wind through the trees or the sound of rain coming down when we are talking all the time. Those sounds of nature remind us of God’s creation. God must like music because the wind, the bird and even the falling rain make their own melody. Have you heard them or could it be that you were talking and missed it?

Here’s another thing. It’s hard to hear someone else when I’m doing all the talking. I think some people like the sound of their own voice. I was with a guy a while back. He sure liked to talk. A couple of times I wondered if he ever took a breath. He’d ask and answer his own questions. I wasn’t real sure why I was even there. He could carry on a conversation all by himself. When we parted, he said, “It was great talking to you.” I felt like saying, “It was great hearing you,” but I didn’t. Conversations, like friendships, involve two sides. Let the other person do some talking. You do some listening. This is how we learn each other. This is how we get to know one another.

So, here’s the real question. How do I become quick to hear? How do I learn to be slow to speak? Those two go together. You won’t find a person who is quick to hear and quick to speak at the same time. It’s one or the other. God wants us to be those who are quick to hear. How do you do that?

First, just listen. Keep your mouth closed. Don’t interrupt. Let the other person finish their story. It may take a while, because they may be quick to speak, just like we have been. I’ve found that those who are quick to speak tend to interrupt. They can’t wait for the other person to pause so they can jump in as soon as they can and they steal the conversation. Don’t be that way.

Second, you don’t have to have an opinion about every subject. You don’t have to editorialize everything that is mentioned. You can just listen.

Third, it takes work to be slow to speak. It doesn’t come easy. Solomon said there is a time to speak and a time to be silent. Most have just never found that time to be silent. Pray about this. This is something that God wants you to do. Having a listening ear will make people gravitate to you. They will like you for that. Anyone can talk and they usually do. Often they don’t have much to say, but they still have to talk. But it’s rare to find that person who really listens. You be that person.

Fourth, you’ll find after you do this a while, a whole new world of things that you have missed. You’ll learn things about other people because you listen. You’ll observe things. You’ll see things. You’ll get this amazing insight. You’ll notice the sounds all around us that you missed before. It’s nearly impossible to hear and speak at the same time.

Fifth, you’ll soon see that by listening more and speaking less, that you don’t get in trouble as much as you did before. Our mouths get us in trouble. We talk without thinking. We repeat things that we are not supposed to. We say things in anger and that only makes the other person angry back at us. Talking and talking opens the door for trouble. Listening more than talking will help us stay out of trouble.

The Psalmist declared, “Be still and know that I am God.” Be still means to stop striving. I like the Be still part. It’s like a parent telling a child to sit still. That’s worse than getting a shot for some of them. We do well to practice being still. Stop worrying so much. Stop complaining. Stop fussing. Stop talking. Be still and know that I am God. Listen. Be quick to hear.

Quick and slow. We tend to lean to the quick side of things. We like quick exits out of a store. We like our coffee quick. We like traffic that moves quick. We like stop lights that turn green quick. Some even like quick worship services. Get to it and get it done is how some feel. But some things just need to be slow. Slow to speak. Slow to anger. These follow being quick to hear.

Quick and slow—they go together. It’s important to get them in the right order.

Roger

29

Jump Start # 1922

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1922

Genesis 7:4 “For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living that that I have made.”

 

The devastation that is taking place in Texas these past few days takes our minds to the Bible and the greatest flood of all time. We see what just several days of rain has done to Houston. Some have said that the current Texas flood is an “800 year flood,” happening once every 800 years. Noah’s flood was a once in a forever flood. There would never be a flood like Noah’s again.

 

Our verse reminds us that Noah and his family went into the ark a week before the rains started. For a week, all was fine. For a week, neighbors must have thought, “Where’s the rain?” For a week, the world continued on. In Matthew it says that they were marrying, eating and drinking and not understanding until the flood came.

 

As bad as the Texas flood was, it didn’t impact us in Indiana. I was outside yesterday pulling weeds in the sunshine, while it was still pouring rain in Texas. We’ll get some rain today, but we need it.

 

As bad as the Texas flood was, a massive rebuilding program will help the citizens recover. Donations are pouring in. The federal government has promised to help. Things are already moving to get things back to normal as soon as the waters recede. That didn’t happen in Noah’s day. When Noah left the ark, there was no one on the earth except his family. In many ways, Noah was the new Adam.

 

As bad as the Texas flood was, it was the results of a stalled hurricane. It was an unusual weather phenomenon. Noah’s flood was the wrath of God poured out upon a sinful world. God saw only Noah as the righteous one in a corrupt world. I’ve been to Texas several times. I going again very soon. There are hundreds and hundreds of righteous people who walk with the Lord and love Him.

 

The Texas flood reminds us that man is limited in what he can do. Hurricane Harvey was predicted, yet no one had the power to turn it, stop it, or make it go away. The rains fell and no one could stop it. The floods rose and no one could stop it. With all of our wisdom, power and technology, we are still very limited. We can’t make or stop solar eclipses. We can’t control the wind or the rain. We can prolong life to a certain degree, but we can’t stop death. There are powers and forces around us that are greater than we are. We tend to forget this until there is a disaster. Then we realize how powerless we really are.

 

The Texas floods also remind us of Jesus’ words, “The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.” The storms Jesus was talking about were not physical nor connected to a hurricane, but the storms we all endure in life. Disappointments, bad news, death, tragedy, heart ache—the loss of jobs. The loss of loved ones. These storms are hard to endure but when we are founded upon the rock, we can withstand.

 

What is interesting about Jesus’ words about the two foundations, is that both homes suffered from the same storm. They both had rain, wind and flood. One stood and the other collapsed. This shows us the power of the rock, which is Christ. You and a neighbor, or, you and a co-worker, or, you and another family member, may encounter the same storm. For those not built upon Christ, those storms will crush them. They will be destroyed. They may not recover. For those walking with Christ, the storms are hard, but they will not be ruined. The images of people walking in waist deep water carrying someone in the arms, and the look of shock and loss in their eyes, filled the newscasts yesterday. Yet, all around us are those same images. Not physical, but emotional and spiritual. A young mother hears the words that her husband is leaving her for someone else. Her world has suddenly changed. The storms are hitting her hard. A man hears the dreaded words, “cancer.” His world has suddenly changed. The storms are hitting hard. A person finds out at work that they are no longer needed there. They have lost their job. His world has suddenly changed. The storms are hitting hard. Each of these people have the same questions raising through their minds. What will I do? The young mother is thinking divorce. The man with cancer is thinking death. The worker who lost his job is thinking bankruptcy. Devastating and crushing news. It’s enough to destroy anyone. For many, it will. But for those who have built a life on Christ, there are sure answers and sure help. They will continue on with the Lord. They will surround themselves with Scriptures. They will flood Heaven with prayers. They will seek the advice and wisdom of Godly people. They will survive. They will not be ruined or crushed by this. God, with His people, will get them through these storms. They will have scars. It will be difficult. Lessons will be learned. Tears will flow. But they will survive. The storms come and eventually the storms leave. The house stood because of what happened before the storm. Choices were made to follow Christ. Decisions and commitments were made that lead to righteousness. When the storms came, they didn’t start praying, they had been praying all along. They didn’t start worshipping God because of the storms, they had been worshipping all along. The storms drew them closer to the Lord and to God’s people.

 

The Texas floods reminds us that we too have storms in our lives. Some may be going through them right now. Whether or not you get through the storms safely is determined by your faith and love in the Lord. Have you built that foundation upon the rock. Looking at what is going on in Houston, reminds us that it’s a little late to start building a foundation, when the water is rising, the rain is blowing and you are trying to hold the door shut. The time to build that foundation is in the sunshine. The time to build is before the storms gather. Each week, those dedicated preachers that are pouring their hearts out, are not just giving you lectures and facts. They are handing you a brick. A brick to build that foundation. We leave the church building with a smile and a “good sermon, preacher.” But is that as far as it goes? What do we do with that brick that was just handed to us. Some day, that storm will come to us, and if we haven’t built that foundation, it will be too late.

 

Build your lives upon Christ. Only in Jesus, can we withstand the most powerful storms. What great lessons we can learn from floods in Texas!

Roger

 

28

Jump Start # 1921

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1921

Judges 3:23 “Then Ehud went into the vestibule and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them.”

Our verse today comes from the amazing story of God’s deliverer Ehud. Ehud and Eglon, both names beginning with the same letter, both brought together in his amazing story, both very different. Eglon was the king of Moab. He is described as being very fat. He was oppressing Israel. God raised up Ehud, the left handed Benjaminite, to save the people. In a private meeting with the fat king, Ehud thrust a sword into Eglon’s belly. He then locked the doors and escaped. When servants came to check on the king, they assumed he was “relieving himself in the cool room,” is what the text tells us. We’d say, “he’s going to the bathroom.” After a long time, they broke through the doors and found their king had been assassinated. He was dead.

 

How did Ehud escape? Some assume that he crawled through the toilet, which would have been more like an outhouse. The text doesn’t really tell us but we wonder.

 

Now, because of this one event, the tide changed and Israel was able to subdue Moab for more than a generation and have peace in the land. As for Ehud, this is all we know. This one event. But there are lessons for us here.

 

First, it often takes courage to do what is right and necessary. So many things could have gone wrong. How hard it would be to have a private meeting with the king. Ehud thought this out. He made a special sword. He had it concealed on his right side, not the typical place a person carries a sword. We are not called to assassinate foreign kings, I’m glad. But there are times when we must have a serious talk with someone about their choices in life. It may be a grown child. It may be someone in the congregation that we love. Their choices are ruining their soul and hurting those around them. It’s not easy to talk to someone, especially when correction is necessary. It’s easier to tell others, than to go to the person.

 

Notice some things from Ehud. He had a plan even before he met the king. We need the same. How are you going to bring the topic up? Are you going to just “wing-it” or have you thought and prayed about what needs to be said. Ehud made a special sword. That took time. He didn’t just charge into Moab, he made preparations. We should do the same. Think things out. Make a plan. Ehud also arranged a private meeting. He didn’t attack the king in front of others. That’s something we ought to learn as well. When a serious conversation needs to take place, arrange a time to meet the person. Walking out the church building, while surrounded by others, is not the time nor the place.

 

Second, Ehud didn’t pass this responsibility to others. He was the one. He knew it. He went. Paul told the Galatians, “You who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness.” You who are spiritual. We play that card both ways. We want God to see us as spiritual, but when it’s time for us to go restore someone, suddenly, we are not the one. Either we are or we are not. When nothing is said and nothing is done, the person drifts away from the Lord. Everyone sees it happening, but no one has the courage to do anything. In time a soul is lost, a family is hurt and the church suffers. “Someone should have done something,” is a common after-the-fact statement. Ehud was the man in Judges. Who is it today?

 

Third, I thought about Ehud possibly escaping through the opening of a toilet. That thought is pretty disgusting. What he fell in is even more disgusting. If that indeed happened, just think about what lengths he went to in order to save Israel. Now, turn that thought to you and I today? What are you willing to do to save your family or your own soul? Are you willing to do something that is hard, not pleasant and maybe even disgusting to save your marriage? Are you willing to move to be closer to a congregation that you can grow and your family can thrive spiritually? Move? That’s hard. We like our house. We like the neighborhood. Yet, if your family is dying spiritually are you keep doing what you are doing because you like a house? What if your job is killing you spiritually? What if the co-workers, and the demands and what is expected of you is just turning you into something that you know God is not pleased with, what are you going to do? But it’s a job. Jobs are hard to find. Are you going to remain and die spiritually or are you willing to do something that is very hard but it may be the right thing? What about your friends. You may have had these people in your life for a long time. When you get together, the conversations are not good. What they want to do pushes your buttons and you always feel a bit guilty being with them. Then why do you continue? Isn’t it time to do the courageous thing and either influence them or leave them? Why do you stay with them and allow them to pull you away from Christ? It may be time to climb through the toilet!

 

Fourth, removing the fat king wasn’t enough. Ehud led Israel into battle against Moab and they defeated them. We see from this the importance of finishing what was started. Removing the king was the first step. Had they stopped there, another king would have been appointed in time and nothing much would have changed. But Israel finished what they started. What a lesson for us. We can start in the right direction, but we need to stay with it and finish it. Paul said that he “finished the course.” He completed what he started, and so must we.

 

Fifth, Ehud needed others to accomplish the victory. When facing Eglon, Ehud was alone. But now, when Israel was facing all of Moab, Ehud couldn’t do it alone. He didn’t try it alone. He blew his trumpet, rallied the nation and led them to victory. What a lesson of leadership. Sometimes leaders want to do it all, and they can’t. We need others. Sometimes leaders don’t want others, but leaving them out will not bring about the accomplishments and victories in the Lord. We are a church and we need everyone. Ehud saw the importance of bringing others to the battle.

 

Sixth, there was an order in all of this. Had Ehud led the troops before the king was killed, they may have lost the battle. Removing the king, put the nation in shock and confusion. It allowed Israel a time to strike and have the advantage. There is an order of doing things. Ehud saw that. He got the order right. We need to do the same.

 

Who would have thought, from this old story of Ehud and Eglon that we find powerful lessons about leadership.

 

Roger

 

25

Jump Start # 1920

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1920

Proverbs 27:15 “A constant dripping on a day of steady rain and a contentious woman are alike.”

A hurricane is hitting Texas. There is a lot of rain with this, more than a foot. This verse came to my mind. A rainy day. Constant dripping. For some, growing up and hearing the rain hit the roof was soothing. Not in this Proverb. The image is annoying. It’s bothersome. It won’t stop. At night, it would keep a person awake. Drip. Drip. Drip. This picture is used to show the impact that a contentious woman has. Now, before my female audience gets their blood boiling, contentions are not limited to just females. Kids can be contentious. Bosses can be contentious. Church members can be contentious. And, believe it or not, we husbands can be just as contentious.

 

In our vernacular we like the word “nagging” more than contentious. Nag. Nag. Nag. Drip. Drip. Drip. Neither seems to stop. Neither is pleasant. Five times in Proverbs, the contentious spirit is brought up. It is never in a complimentary fashion. No one likes nagging. The nagger, if there is such a word, is unhappy and that’s why he is nagging. The person receiving the nagging isn’t happy, because it’s dripping, dripping, dripping in his world. Nagging is more than complaining. It’s a complaint that is stretched and stretched. It’s the never ending complaint. Not happy. Not satisfied. Frustrated. Upset. Miserable. Drip. Drip. Drip.

 

So, if the person doing the nagging and the person receiving the nagging are both not happy with nagging, why then do we nag? It would seem that if no really likes nagging, it would stop. But it doesn’t. So, here are a few of my thoughts. Let me “nag about nagging.”

 

First, the person nagging often is not able to fix or change things. We don’t complain about what we can take care of. If you want a cup of coffee, you just go make a cup. What bothers us is when you want a cup of coffee and there is no coffee in the house. Then the storm clouds start gathering and the temperature rises and the nagging begins. There are things around the house that needs our attention. There are things that could be improved upon. We see things at work that bothers us. There are things down at the church house that aren’t right. There are plenty of things in society that just irritates us. We can’t storm the White House and have a sit down with the President. Most, can’t even get to the CEO of their company and tell him what would make life better for the worker. We are not in a position to fix things. So, we complain. We complain to the person who we think can push the right buttons and get things accomplished. This is where the nagging begins.

 

Second, some folks are not as passionate about things as we are. This is where complaining escalates to nagging. Your teen leaves dirty dishes all over the house. You voice your complaint. He doesn’t seem bothered by dirty dishes. His room is full of dirty clothes on the floor. His car is a moving trash truck with all the left over cups and cans in the back seat. So, a few dirty dishes doesn’t even hit his radar. It makes your blood boil. Not only is he not passionate about cleaning things up, it’s as if he has suddenly gone deaf. He doesn’t listen to your complaints. So, you raise the volume and turn to nagging. The same goes for the husband. You have been after him to fix that squeaky door for weeks. Every time the door is opened it sounds like nails on a caulk board. You’ve asked him. You’ve pleaded with him. You’ve complained to him. Now, you resort to nagging. He’s around noise all the time. Half the time, when he walks through the door, he’s on the phone and he doesn’t even hear it. It doesn’t bother him. It’s destroying you.

 

Why can’t the guys who are on the schedule to do things during worship get to the church house on time? Some walk in late. The guy running the schedule is in panic mode. It’s time for worship and are these people coming or not? The scheduler has been at the church building twenty minutes early. He’s looking at every person who walks through the doors. Where are these people? He’s way past upset now. He’s in panic mode. Finally, one of the guys strolls in as if he is on a leisurely walk in the park. He’s not concerned. He’s not even thinking about those things. Complaining turns to nagging.

 

Third, it seems to me, that better communication and an agreeable time table would eliminate nagging. The teen who leaves dirty dishes around the house doesn’t get what that does to the house. He doesn’t understand that those dirty dishes invite bugs and sooner or later, those dishes are going to be needed to eat off of again. Talk it though. He may never see what his mom sees in this, but he can at least understand that it is important to her. His love for her will move him to do things that are not that important to him.

 

The same goes for that squeaky door. It may not register with the husband. But if he listens to his wife and sees how important it is to her, then he’ll grab the WD-40 and take care of it. Simple to fix. Problem solved. Not worth a battle over a squeaky door.

 

The same goes for the guys who are helping out in worship. If they understood what an honor it is to serve God and that they are holding things up for others, and that getting there a few minutes early isn’t the end of the world, problem solved.

 

But, immediately, selfish spirits arise. I don’t want to get there early. I don’t want to fix a door. I don’t want to put up dirty dishes. When we think more of self than others, then the nagging begins. Drip. Drip. Drip. That irritates some and it causes them to resist even more.

 

Does this mean that the nagger always gets their way? Just nag, and the world has to stop what it’s doing to please the person nagging? No. In fact, in the Proverb passages, it is the one who is nagging that is seen in the negative. Some immediately go to nagging. Some use that to get what they want. They whine, pout and nag to their selfish whims. Nagging is never presented in the positive.

 

So, what is the person to do when others won’t do things. If they can’t nag, what can they do? Drip. Drip. Drip. It might accomplish what you want, but the person moved by nagging isn’t happy to do it. He’ll drip, drip, drip the whole time he’s pressured to do what he doesn’t want to do. All of this falls to leadership. How do we lead people? How do we influence people? Other than pressure and guilt, which nagging is, what can be done? How about explaining, in a kind non complaining way, what dirty dishes around the house means to you. Or, what a squeaky door does to you. Or, what being late when a church is counting on you does. Talk about it. Explain how important this is to you. Offer suggestions. Try this.

 

What then? What if after all that, they won’t change. What if the dirty dishes remain? Do you go and trash their room while they are at school? Do you serve food on dirty dishes to teach them a lesson? Oh, those thoughts race through our minds. No. You don’t do that. Golden rule time. You clean it up. You fix the door. You find others to serve at church. You pray. You lead by example.

 

Dirty dishes, squeaky doors and being late when you are supposed to serve at church won’t keep us out of Heaven. In time, the roles will change. Someone needs you to iron a shirt. Some one wants you to make them a pie. Some one needs you to come over and help them with a project. It is then that you again talk. You do what they ask and you do it well.

 

One of my kids, no names mentioned, used to liter their bedroom floor with their clothes. You couldn’t walk into their room without stepping on clothes. I remember saying, “I know we had carpet in this room when we bought this house. I’d like to see it.” It was a battle. I did my share of dripping. Today, that child is married and has their own house. I love to visit. It’s so neat. Deep inside something was learned.

 

The issue of nagging strains relationships. It pushes buttons. It’s more of a relationship issue than it is a communication issue. The more we love and care about others, the less they will have to nag. The more selfish and stubborn we are, the more we can expect drip, drip, drip. Work together. Be a team. Help each other.

 

The dripping stops when we put the other person before us.

 

I hope my nagging about nagging has helped.

 

Roger