OnFire Encouragement
Letter
OnFire #283 Lessons from
the Treadmill
While I was on PEI for vacation, I ran in a 5km
“fun run,” a semi-competitive race organized as part of a local summer festival,
the O’Leary Potato Blossom Festival, for those who are wondering. I had been
looking for a 5km race to try and this one was close to my mother’s cottage, so
at the appointed time I showed up, paid my money, stretched and finally lined up
on the starting line.
My goals in the race were very modest - not to
embarrass myself by tripping over my own feet, and to finish without walking. I
set a comfortable pace under the warm morning sun and hoped I would be OK. Lots
of people passed me, but I wasn’t running to compete, I was running to cross the
line.
At about the half-way point, it was fun to pass
some of the people who were now walking. I kept on plodding, one foot after
another.
A fun thing happened at about the 3.5km mark. I
passed a girl about 11-years-old who was walking. As I pulled up beside her I
asked, “You’re not going to let an old, bald, fat man beat you to the finish,
are you?” About 30 seconds later she passed me and I didn’t see her again until
the end.
What a joy it was to see the finish line. People
were gracious enough to clap. I made it, and actually managed a decent time for
a first timer. I had never, ever, run that far before in my life, so 31:28
wasn’t too bad.
When I joined the gym back in January, the
longest I could run on the treadmill was about 2 minutes. I went twice a week
all winter, and gradually built it up until I could run a whole mile. I kept
working on my endurance until I figured out that 5km was within reach. What a
difference training all winter made in my strength and endurance.
Romans 5:3-5 says, “We also rejoice in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance,
character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has
poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”
Paul reminds us that suffering is not in vain.
We often think that our trials and difficulties are nothing but frustrations and
problems which hold us back from what we hope to do in life. On the contrary,
suffering can produce good things in our character.
There are character traits which we can’t
develop without facing challenges and troubles. That’s not so different from my
time in the gym. I would not have been able to run that race if I had not
strained and tested those muscles all winter.
I want to be clear. God does not bring suffering
into our lives to teach us lessons. However, God is a redeeming God, and He
brings good from the bad by doing this work in our hearts.
I wish there was another way to strengthen my
body to give me more power and endurance. Likewise, I wish there was another way
to gain perseverance, character and hope. However, it helps me to know that my
struggles are actually workouts for my soul, strengthening my faith and
developing deeper levels of perseverance.
Some struggles seem hard at the time, but
someday we’ll look back and see that we have gone on to handle even tougher
ones. And that gives us character and hope to trust in God as we face the next
challenges.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a bi-weekly letter on faith and
character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at
Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published Aug 8, 2012.
Scripture taken from New International Version, 1984. To subscribe or reply,
email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com.
OnFire is an occasional letter on Christian faith and character
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
OnFire #281 Pumping the Bilge
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #281 Pumping the Bilge
Hi Folks:
It has been a good few weeks. I met with our incoming senior pastor and was very encouraged by this. The boys finished their exams. And Ian found a summer job just around the corner. That was an answer to prayer. In the middle of his exam schedule he went around the industrial park delivering resumes and had an interview on the spot at a local parts distributor. They called the next day with a job for him.
This coming week is especially exciting. This is grad week for Ian. Prom is Tuesday, and the graduation ceremony is Thursday. Many of our families are coming and we managed 10 tickets for the ceremony. We are very proud of both boys, and especially proud of Ian this week.
Blessings for your week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I can’t believe you’ve seen our bilge.”
My aunt said these words one day last week as we worked on their sailboat to prepare it for the season. The bilge is the lowest point inside the boat where liquids collect so that they may be pumped overboard. I say liquids, because we’re not only talking about sea water. Even the most conscientious boater sometimes spills a little oil or fuel, which also finds its way to the bilge along with other dirt. Take that mix, let it sit around in the dark for a while, and voila! We have bilge water, a particularly foul substance which some suspect may actually be a form of hostile alien life.
All boats take on water and so the bilge must be pumped regularly. Many boats have automatic electric pumps to take care of this important task, with manual pumps for backup. In addition, the bilge must be kept clear of things like plastic bags which may easily damage or block the pump.
No one likes to show off the bilge. Usually it is hidden under a pretty hatch cover designed to match the deck. That’s why my aunt commented that I has seen the bilge. Here I was, looking in at the boat at its worst. I’m family, I’ve been aboard many times, and even helped with this part in the past. But it is a view not normally granted to outsiders.
We share a lot of similarities with a bilge. Only those closest to us actually see us for who we really are. We are constantly at risk of taking on “water,” the worst of the culture which may sink us. And, we need to pay regular attention to critical areas of our soul in order to stay afloat.
We’re talking about holiness. Holiness is about cleaning out the bilge, allowing our hearts to be pumped clear of all that threatens the soul - negative character traits, worry, fear and anxiety, sin.
The apostle Peter talked about this. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled... As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” ( 1 Peter 1:13-16*)
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a bi-weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published June 18, 2012. Scripture taken from New International Version, 1984. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com.
OnFire #281 Pumping the Bilge
Hi Folks:
It has been a good few weeks. I met with our incoming senior pastor and was very encouraged by this. The boys finished their exams. And Ian found a summer job just around the corner. That was an answer to prayer. In the middle of his exam schedule he went around the industrial park delivering resumes and had an interview on the spot at a local parts distributor. They called the next day with a job for him.
This coming week is especially exciting. This is grad week for Ian. Prom is Tuesday, and the graduation ceremony is Thursday. Many of our families are coming and we managed 10 tickets for the ceremony. We are very proud of both boys, and especially proud of Ian this week.
Blessings for your week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I can’t believe you’ve seen our bilge.”
My aunt said these words one day last week as we worked on their sailboat to prepare it for the season. The bilge is the lowest point inside the boat where liquids collect so that they may be pumped overboard. I say liquids, because we’re not only talking about sea water. Even the most conscientious boater sometimes spills a little oil or fuel, which also finds its way to the bilge along with other dirt. Take that mix, let it sit around in the dark for a while, and voila! We have bilge water, a particularly foul substance which some suspect may actually be a form of hostile alien life.
All boats take on water and so the bilge must be pumped regularly. Many boats have automatic electric pumps to take care of this important task, with manual pumps for backup. In addition, the bilge must be kept clear of things like plastic bags which may easily damage or block the pump.
No one likes to show off the bilge. Usually it is hidden under a pretty hatch cover designed to match the deck. That’s why my aunt commented that I has seen the bilge. Here I was, looking in at the boat at its worst. I’m family, I’ve been aboard many times, and even helped with this part in the past. But it is a view not normally granted to outsiders.
We share a lot of similarities with a bilge. Only those closest to us actually see us for who we really are. We are constantly at risk of taking on “water,” the worst of the culture which may sink us. And, we need to pay regular attention to critical areas of our soul in order to stay afloat.
We’re talking about holiness. Holiness is about cleaning out the bilge, allowing our hearts to be pumped clear of all that threatens the soul - negative character traits, worry, fear and anxiety, sin.
The apostle Peter talked about this. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled... As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” ( 1 Peter 1:13-16*)
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a bi-weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published June 18, 2012. Scripture taken from New International Version, 1984. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Onfire #264 Little Faith Big Faith: Worry
OnFire Encouragement Letter
Onfire #264 Little Faith Big Faith: Worry
I read lately that worry is a negative emotion. Really? Is there someone who thinks that worry is a positive emotion? Would anyone mistake it for something good? Look at all the synonyms: anxiety, nervousness, concern, disquiet, anguish, apprehension, fear, torment, uncertainty, and the list goes on. I don’t think people lie awake at night because they have so much joy in their hearts.
Worry is the first of the “little faith” topics. Jesus spoke about worry in the sermon on the mount. “O, you of little faith,” he said. Why worry about what we will eat or wear since God feeds the birds and dresses the flowers? Aren’t we are more important to Him than these? I’m summarizing, so be sure to read the whole passage in Matthew 6:24-34.
It would be interesting to know how much worry costs us. We take expensive trips to “get away from it all.” We treat ourselves to take our minds off our problems. We fill our lives with activity and distraction hoping our problems will just go away. We haven’t even talked about the more destructive things we might do to try to forget our problems for a time. Nor have we talked about the cost of illnesses brought on by worry. Ironically, it all comes with a price tag, and then we worry about that, too.
Speaking of irony, sometimes we worry because we have nothing to worry about. How many times have we wondered how long it would be before something bad happens again!!
The solution to the problem of worry comes from the context of the passage. In v. 24 we read, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” The first mistake we often make in understanding the passage is to separate this verse from what follows. Often we insert a stop here and read the next section as a different topic. Money, then worry. But we cannot separate the two because Jesus connects them in v. 25: “Therefore...”
The second mistake we make is thinking that love of money is the source of the problem. We get this from Jesus’ statement, “You cannot serve both God and money,” but this is not where Jesus started: “No one can serve two masters.”
Worry is about divided loyalties. We say we follow Jesus, but actually we’ve allowed another master to step in front. That other master may be money, but it could also be pride, our ability to think, plan, to improve ourselves, or even the desire to escape. In order to discover the other master we are trying to serve, we might ask ourselves, “My life would be better if only...”
How do we get back on the right track, to serve God wholeheartedly, and with great faith? “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (V.33) Jesus tells us that we can leave worry behind by choosing to focus our thoughts and attention on God and serving Him. We can choose not to worry. This is not like the old song, “Don’t worry, be happy.” This is the choice to focus on something better than worry, on making God’s thoughts our thoughts. When we do this, worry goes away, and God makes sure we have the things we really need.
I’m not going to pretend to have this one mastered. I have to admit that I’m a little uncomfortable writing because I feel the sting of rebuke. I find myself worrying about things all the time, maybe not about what I will eat or wear, but certainly about finances, problems and situations, and all sorts of “what ifs.”
For all of us it all comes down to trust. Do we trust God to provide what we need, when we need it? Worry is the clue that we’re trusting in something we think we can provide. Jesus reminds us that our way doesn’t work. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (V.27) Jesus calls us to trust in God’s ability to provide.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published Sept 12, 2011. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/.
Onfire #264 Little Faith Big Faith: Worry
I read lately that worry is a negative emotion. Really? Is there someone who thinks that worry is a positive emotion? Would anyone mistake it for something good? Look at all the synonyms: anxiety, nervousness, concern, disquiet, anguish, apprehension, fear, torment, uncertainty, and the list goes on. I don’t think people lie awake at night because they have so much joy in their hearts.
Worry is the first of the “little faith” topics. Jesus spoke about worry in the sermon on the mount. “O, you of little faith,” he said. Why worry about what we will eat or wear since God feeds the birds and dresses the flowers? Aren’t we are more important to Him than these? I’m summarizing, so be sure to read the whole passage in Matthew 6:24-34.
It would be interesting to know how much worry costs us. We take expensive trips to “get away from it all.” We treat ourselves to take our minds off our problems. We fill our lives with activity and distraction hoping our problems will just go away. We haven’t even talked about the more destructive things we might do to try to forget our problems for a time. Nor have we talked about the cost of illnesses brought on by worry. Ironically, it all comes with a price tag, and then we worry about that, too.
Speaking of irony, sometimes we worry because we have nothing to worry about. How many times have we wondered how long it would be before something bad happens again!!
The solution to the problem of worry comes from the context of the passage. In v. 24 we read, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” The first mistake we often make in understanding the passage is to separate this verse from what follows. Often we insert a stop here and read the next section as a different topic. Money, then worry. But we cannot separate the two because Jesus connects them in v. 25: “Therefore...”
The second mistake we make is thinking that love of money is the source of the problem. We get this from Jesus’ statement, “You cannot serve both God and money,” but this is not where Jesus started: “No one can serve two masters.”
Worry is about divided loyalties. We say we follow Jesus, but actually we’ve allowed another master to step in front. That other master may be money, but it could also be pride, our ability to think, plan, to improve ourselves, or even the desire to escape. In order to discover the other master we are trying to serve, we might ask ourselves, “My life would be better if only...”
How do we get back on the right track, to serve God wholeheartedly, and with great faith? “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (V.33) Jesus tells us that we can leave worry behind by choosing to focus our thoughts and attention on God and serving Him. We can choose not to worry. This is not like the old song, “Don’t worry, be happy.” This is the choice to focus on something better than worry, on making God’s thoughts our thoughts. When we do this, worry goes away, and God makes sure we have the things we really need.
I’m not going to pretend to have this one mastered. I have to admit that I’m a little uncomfortable writing because I feel the sting of rebuke. I find myself worrying about things all the time, maybe not about what I will eat or wear, but certainly about finances, problems and situations, and all sorts of “what ifs.”
For all of us it all comes down to trust. Do we trust God to provide what we need, when we need it? Worry is the clue that we’re trusting in something we think we can provide. Jesus reminds us that our way doesn’t work. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (V.27) Jesus calls us to trust in God’s ability to provide.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published Sept 12, 2011. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/.
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