Once again my journey through the Old Testament has proven to be insightful and relevant. It is I Samuel this time. In chapter 8, the elders of Israel, on behalf of the people, demanded Samuel give them a king, like all the other nations had, though they buffered their rationale with the fact that Samuel was old and his sons were not following God.



However, they forgot one very important detail. God was already their king. But God allowed them to have a king and told Samuel that “it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me . . .” (I Samuel 8:7).

Don’t get me wrong, Israel had a government and leadership: they had elders; they had prophets; and they ultimately had a king––God. But they chose to put their faith somewhere else. And as Samuel warns, a king will “Take . . . their sons . . . their daughters . . . their fields . . . their flocks” for his own purposes.

Even so, God gives them an out. In Samuel 12:14, Samuel tells them that “If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good!” But if they didn’t––God’s hand would be against them.

Our government (the United States) is built upon the Constitution and based on the desires of the people. As one can see by its Preamble it’s intent is noble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

And yet since its inception, twenty-seven amendments have been made to it, suggesting that perfection has yet to be achieved.

Likewise, we have just finished another election cycle, a time when we cast our votes and put much of our hope into one man to lead us into safety and prosperity.

But we need to remember, whether we are elated or deflated by the results, that a man or a man-made institution is at its core flawed, and can only take us so far. Our faith and trust must remain in God and God alone. And, as we saw in I Samuel, diverting that faith and trust to a person or institution can be both dangerous and destructive.

May we always remain steadfast to God and pray for our leaders that they, too, may be God-fearing and honoring, and therefore allow God to “bless America.”

I had an interesting experience the other day that was the tipping point to a revelation.

I was in Costco, perusing the shelves while my tires were being rotated. I purposefully didn’t take a cart so that I wouldn’t buy anything, even though every aisle offered me something that I just felt I needed to have. However, that is a different story.

I soon found myself in the women’s clothing and there were two ladies from my church talking. I joined them in conversation which turned toward our outdoor church services. One said excitedly that she enjoyed being outdoors because we could sing. The other, brought up another local church that was holding full indoor services with singing despite our purple tier situation. Then she announced that if our church didn’t do the same, she was leaving, going to the other church, and wouldn’t be back until something changed.

The point of relating this story is not to discuss the two church policies, but my observation of my fellow churchgoer. The more she talked, the angrier she became, and I noticed one common thread in her discourse––the word “I.” Everything she related centered around what she wanted. She was leaving so that she could worship the way she wanted. Do what she wanted (which was probably why she was now holding her mask in her hand). She was not happy.

Happiness, or unhappiness, and self-centeredness seem to go hand-in-hand. In addition, one psychiatrist, Michael McGee, claims that “Being self-centered is costly.” It damages relationships and can even lead to health problems and a shorter life span.”

So what is the alternative?

Paul encourages us to “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Those “one another” phrases are the key, and they popped up again while I was listening to former Good Morning America Weekend anchor Paula Faris’s Journey’s of Faith podcast. Her latest guest was Max Lucado. Paula asked him that in light of these difficult and tumultuous times, “What do you think the role of the church is right now?”

Lucado’s answer? First, the church should do what the church does best: Point to Jesus. (A belief echoed by a pastor in my family as well.) Then, he reminded listeners that the New Testament was also written during a time of polarization. So he suggested that we look at what the Apostle Paul and Jesus would be telling us if they were living on earth today?

Lucado pointed out that there are approximately fifty-six (59 really) “one another” messages in the Bible, such as . . .

Love one another (John 13:34 plus 10 other references)
Through love, serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
Tolerate one another in love (Ephesians 4:2)
Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
Bear one another’s burdens (Galations 6:2)
Give preference to one another (Romans 12:10)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)

And the list goes on.

He continued by asking, “What if our strategy became not to be perceived as the group that’s right, but to be perceived as the group that really cares about one another. That really put into practice the ‘one anothers.’ The commands of scripture. That we excelled at that?”

Good question … as it seems that anger and self-rightness and -righteousness just seems to be driving people apart.

As we move forward—as that is the only option we really have—perhaps we should adopt this new approach—“regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)––which really isn’t new at all, but a staple of the Christian faith. And then practice all the one anothers.

Not only would we be more Christlike, but who knows, we might be happier as well.

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drmichaelmcgee.com/self-centeredness/

www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/journeys-faith-paula-faris-max-lucado-urges-evangelical-63683542

If Californians and other Westerners have learned anything these past few years, it is the importance of being ready.

Though high winds create an immediate concern, most residents are already attuned to listening for the sound of fire engines, helicopters, and air tankers, all telltale signs that a fire has broken out somewhere.

In light of this constant threat, two essentials have emerged: the list and the go bag.


The list consists of everything you want to take with you during an evacuation should you have time to pack. The list comes in varying lengths depending on how much time you have. Naturally, everyone’s list is a bit different. I looked over mine and there are some pictures, a computer, some books, and, of course, golf equipment.

The Go Bag, however, is entirely different. It is packed and ready now. It is available at a moment’s notice and includes food and water, personal items, clothing, safety necessities, communication devices, paperwork and cash. The go bag is a survival kit. And if you  don’t have time to grab anything else, you can at least grab it.

The now constant threat of fire, and the subsequent need to be ready, has reminded me that all of us need to be ready spiritually. While, we might have some warning as to when a wildfire is coming our way (however small), there is often no warning as to when our time here on earth is over.

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring” (James 4:14).
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” (Luke 12:25)

Neither do we know when Jesus will return for the second time.

"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:44).

Both  of these undisclosed end dates indicate that our time for decision making is over.

And in these two situations there is no go bag. There is nothing we can take with us that will provide comfort or safety or alter our eternity. Our eternal future is decided by a list: The Book of Life: those individuals listed who have been deemed righteous by God prior to Jesus’s sacrifice, and those who have been made righteous through Christ by accepting his sacrifice and lordship over their lives.

So, if you have not prepared for your eternal future, do so now, for we never know if we will have another day, hour, or minute to decide. We must be ready.

See that picture to the left there? That’s wrong––for two reasons.

First, I thought the saying, “Keep Calm and Carry On” was coined by Winston Churchill (hence the picture), but it wasn’t. And second, I thought it was a national battle cry during World War II. But,that wasn’t true either.

I was close. Sort of. The slogan was coined pre-WWII by Britain’s Shadow Ministry of Information (the Shadow government is the party not in power) in 1939 in case of war but of the three developed––“Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution; Will Bring Us Victory” and “Freedom is in Peril; Defend it with all Your Might”, “Keep Calm and Carry On” barely saw the light of day.

It wasn’t until 2000 that an original poster was discovered and then not until 2008 that it became mass produced and then popular. (That is another story in itself.) Suffice it to say that from then on, the world has been Keeping Calm and doing all sorts of things––Smiling, Pretending It’s Not Monday, Being Thankful––and the 2020 take––Washing Your Hands.

Though the original message to the British might have been not to worry, to keep that stiff upper lip and keep calm during adversity, the saying is no less essential today in the U.S.

This has been a year of worry and anger and in light of the upcoming election this Tuesday, and the subsequent results (whenever those might be finalized, so Keep Calm and Be Patient), I think we will see both anger and anxiety surface again … regardless of the result.

Once our ballot is cast, the results are out of our hands, but not God’s. “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (Romans 13:1).

Therefore, we are told to control our anger and release our anxiety:

    “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end” (Proverbs 29:11)

    “… human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20)
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    Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7)

As 2020 draws to a close, it doesn’t look like the causes for anxiousness and anger will go away any time soon. But that is no reason for us to cave in to those feelings, regardless of what we believe the future holds. Only God knows what is ahead, so … Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

Two weeks ago, the ladies section of the golf club I belong to held their club championship. This three-day competition is the culmination of the playing season and consists of various smaller competitions so those of us who have zero chance of being club champion, have other prizes to play for.

Regardless, something very interesting happens during these three days. On the whole, people don’t score as well as they have all season. Why? Because there is more pressure as we are playing for prestige and prizes; consequently, we are all hoping for three days of perfect golf. That combination never works out. So when that first errant shot or bad hole surfaces all the pressure to perform better intensifies and perfection flies right out the window––along with our hopes and dreams.

I recently read a book by sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella called Golf is Not a Game of Perfect. To paraphrase (and I hope I paraphrase correctly), a person will never play a perfect round of golf.  Some might come close, but weather, wind, bad lies or bounces, bad strokes, bad judgement, all interfere with a perfect round, so a player should not be discouraged if the perfect game never materializes.

Instead golfers should expect that during a round, one, two, or all of the above might occur. Errors and bad luck are not the issue. What you do next is what is important. How do you recover?

The same can be said in other sports. Even in gymnastics and diving, when athletes earn the perfect score, it does not mean the feat was without flaws. Likewise, a perfect 800 on an SAT doesn’t mean the student didn’t miss any questions. Rather in these cases all are being rewarded for being close to perfect.
 
The same can be said of our Christian walk. Yes, we strive for perfection, and perfection is God’s standard: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), but this side of heaven we will always fall short. That is clear as well: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8). We will lose our tempers, we will disappoint, we will make mistakes––some small, some pretty big. We will sin. We don’t want any of this to happen; we strive to avoid them, but we need to realize that as humans, they will occur.

So like in golf, it isn’t when or where we stumble or fall short that is the key issue, it’s what we do next that is important. It’s what we do to recover, to get back on track, to repair our relationship with God. Let’s remember His love, grace, and mercy. Let’s remember that each new day, hour, minute, and second is a new start, and like Paul says in Philippians 3:13-14: "I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”