Thoughts From Chris

I heard a couple years ago that there was a doctor in Dayton, Ohio that did Lazik surgery for free for those who work at churches full-time.  I have been wearing glasses, and predominantly contacts, for many years.  I signed up, and they told me it was about a nine month waiting list.  

In January, after nearly a year, I called expecting to hear that I was next.  However, they instead told me that due to the economy, they were canceling this program indefinitely.  I was so disappointed. 

I then received a call in September, and they told me they reinstated the program, and that I was up.  I was shocked because I had basically written them off.  It was a two day process with the pre-op and the post-op.  Kathy, Farrah, and I spent two nights in a hotel there in Dayton about mid-October to have the procedure done.

They ran a bunch of tests the day before.  However, when it came to the surgery, it took about 45 seconds an eye.  It was absolutely incredible.   The smell of flesh burning as the laser cut my cornea was a little interesting, but there was not a hint of pain.  A couple of numbing eye drops is all they gave me, and that was all I needed.  

My eyes were a little uncomfortable the rest of the day, but 24 hours later I was seeing 20/20.  One week later I was seeing 20/15.  I feel very blessed to have had this done – for free!  I went to a high school football game last Friday night and I was commenting to the guys I went with that the game and field seemed so clear and crisp.  I have better eyesight than when I wore glasses or contacts. 

I wonder when I watch the Detroit Lions if I will see the plays more clearly?

 … On second thought, maybe I should have left my eyes alone!

I would like to begin a three part post on the nature of truth.  Many Christians claim that truth is only found in the Bible.  Is this accurate?  There is no doubt in my mind that the Bible is a book written by man and authored by God’s Spirit.  In other words, God’s Spirit guided the authors in such a way that while God used their historical setting, personality, and unique style, the exact words and message were guided perfectly by God.  Because of this, there are no errors, inconsistencies, and the Bible provides God’s unmistakable voice and truth to all generations (2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

However, while it is accurate to say that the Bible is God’s truth to us, it is not the only source of God’s truth in our world. 

I cannot live without water.  Water is a combination of h2O.  This is not found in the Bible, but is true.

The laws of gravity explain why a football that is thrown up into the air (preferably by Peyton Manning intended for Reggie Wayne) will eventually come down.  This law of gravity is not found in the Bible, but it is true.

In math we learn at an early age that two plus two equals four.  This is not found in the Bible, but it is true.

We learn in accounting that when liabilities are higher than assets, a business or organization is working from an indebted position.  We don’t learn this in the Bible, but it is true.

All the above examples are principles in life that are as true as the truth contained in Scripture.  And because they are true, they belong to God.  He is the author of all truth, therefore, anything that is true in the world comes from him. 

The point to be made here is that God’s truth is permeated in so many different ways in the world, and often we fail to acknowledge that it all comes from God. We have a tendency to rejoice only in the truth of the Bible (and certainly we should), but we are missing so much of what God has offered us if we do not rejoice in all the ways God reveals his truth to us in other ways as well. 

Right now I am teaching a class at IPFW called, “Foundations for Success.”  I am teaching life skills such as setting goals, time management, working with teams, self-motivation, self-evaluation, how to prioritize tasks, self-discipline, the power of right decisions, etc.  I have never used a Bible verse in the class, but I am teaching so many principles that are simply true and right.  And if they are true and right, then they have one source, and that source is God. 

It is amazing how vast and broad God’s truth is in our world!

Let’s retain a high view of Scripture, but let’s not overstate a message that says God’s truth is not found outside of Scripture as well. 

During part two I would like to address a common complaint against the contemporary church today which suggest the church is run too much like a business.  I think there is some truth to this statement, but it might not be for the reasons most would give to support this claim.  Those typical arguments usually given I think miss the very point of this post:  all truth is God’s truth (even truth we find in the business world).   Should be an interesting point of discussion.

Look all around you, acknowledge the many different streams of truth that come into your life at your job, in your relationships, in your school studies,  in your recreation, through the Bible, and in many different ways.  Spend time rejoicing in God’s truth, giving him the ultimate glory!

I have been studying the prophet Jeremiah this week.  Now here’s a guy who brings new meaning to the word, “perseverance.”  God calls him to speak on his behalf to the Israelites in the southern kingdom, Judah.  The only problem is that no matter how faithful Jeremiah is to God, it will not matter in the end.  The people will not heed the warning and turn back to God.

There are so many promises in the Bible that tell us that if we are faithful to God, he will bless us, and he will bring fruit to our labor.  This is usually how God works.  Not for Jeremiah, though.  His faithfulness brought ridicule, threats, and a great deal of pain – not to mention, no one ever heeded his warning. 

What do you do when you try to be faithful to God in every way, and yet trouble and heartache seem to be the consequence?  What do you do when you spend years parenting your children in a godly way, and then they grow up not living for God?  What do you do when you try to be the best spouse you can, and it only brings more pain?  What do you do when you pray for someone to believe in Jesus for years and years, pursuing every opportunity, and they only get farther away?  What do you do when you try to be the very best employee possible, and there is never any hint of reward or appreciation?

It is difficult enough to be faithful to God when it brings blessing, but how difficult is it when you see no fruit and no blessing to your effort?  Jeremiah was faithful for over 40 years, and he never saw any fruit.  He knew deep inside that faithfulness will reap a reward eventually, if not in this life, certainly in the life to come, but it was a deep struggle.  He was faithful, but it was not easy.  I wonder what kind of reward he earned when he entered eternity?

We can learn much from Jeremiah.  What is an area of your life where Jeremiah’s story is teaching you right now?