FMF: Disagree

Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they grow into quarrels. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient. The Lord’s servant must gently teach those who disagree. Then maybe God will let them change their minds so they can accept the truth. And they may wake up and escape from the trap of the devil, who catches them to do what he wants. (2 Timothy 2:23-26, NCV)

I'm graduating college today.  Well, as much as any one "graduates" in a school district that is still closed for the pandemic. One of the most important things I've learned over the past two years is to agree-to-disagree with others in my educational community.  Sometimes I disagreed with classmates on trivial things.  Did they matter?  No, so it was easy to let it go while getting to know them. Other times, disagreements were more substantial.  I'll never forget the professor who taught adamently against racism and in the same class said that "Mexicans like Impalas."  Did I disagree with her blind hypocrisy?  Absolutely.  Was I ever going to change her?  Never.

Yet, when it comes to matters of my faith community, the agree-to-disagree situation is more challenging. In Paul's letter to Timothy it's clear that he's not talking about trivial things; he's talking about important issues that believers were letting the devil use to "gain a foothold"  in their spiritual walks, as Paul writes in Ephesians 4.  Paul doesn't tell the leaders to argue with them until they realize the error of their ways. His instructions are to be gentle.  To be kind.  To be patient.  To let the Holy Spirit do what the Holy Spirit does becuase only God would be able to let them see the truth.

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This post is a prompt from Five Minute Friday

and was written in approximately five minutes.

For more information, visit fiveminutefriday.com.

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FMF: Progress

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:15-16, NIV)

Current Bible Study:
The Weekly Faith Project.

Paul certainly as a lot of applicable advice for those he wrote to, and sometimes I miss the forest for the trees.  In Paul's first letter to Timothy, he encourages Timothy to be "diligent" in growing the spiritual gifts he's been given "so that everyone may see [his] progress."

I usually think about progress as something for myself.  I want to better myself.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Here, Paul affirms - once again - that we are not meant to live our our faith in solitude.  Our faith encourages the faith of others, and their faith encourages us.

I attend a weekly Bible study for women.  For the past thirteen weeks we've been talking about faith.  Who knew there was so much to study on faith!  After three months we are just finishing what faith IS, and we are beginning to study what faith DOES.

Faith makes progress.

Faith should never be happy with its current standing but always works hard to better the believer and those around the believer.  It changes the importance of my faith to think that my decisions impact more than just me.  When I lack the desire to do what is right, thinking of someone else may give me strength.


This post is a prompt from Five Minute Friday and was written in approximately five minutes. For more information, visit fiveminutefriday.com.

See You Soon

The apostle Paul had a special gift for telling people he missed them. Sure, everyone misses someone from time to time, but Paul was good at expressing it.

In his letter to the Roman believers, he speaks of the blessing it will be when he is reunited with them:

"I pray that I will be allowed to come to you, and this will happen if God wants it. I want very much to see you, to give you some spiritual gift to make you strong. I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you" (Romans 1:10b-12, NCV).

In his letter to Timothy, he recalls the affection of his coworker and the joy his friendship is:

"Remembering that you cried for me, I want very much to see you so I can be filled with joy" (2 Timothy 1:4, NCV).

In his letter to the believers in Corinth, he states that he'll be visiting on his return trip so that he can spend more time with them. In the previous verse, he says he hopes to stay the whole winter, but he will act upon God's will:

"I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to stay a longer time with you if the Lord allows it" (1 Corinthians 16:7, NCV).

In his letter to the believers in Philippi, he expresses the deepness of his love for them:

"God knows that I want to see you very much, because I love all of you with the love of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:8, NCV).

In this era of social distancing, many are feeling socially isolated. Not just physically separated, they feel lonely and devalued. I have struggled with these feelings even though I live with three other people. We may not be in prison, like Paul, but we may feel trapped in our homes all the same.

Our communities need us to be Pauls, to be willing to put our hearts on the line, and expose our deepest emotions.  It's ok to miss people.  It's ok to remember good times. It's ok to have hopes for the future. However, it is better that these feelings be expressed to build each other up.

I'm starting now.  I pulled out some blank notecards and all the postage stamps I could find in my house. I am going to do what I can, what God allows me to do, to make sure people know they matter to me.

I hold on to the hope that God will allow me to see you soon.

Peace and Quiet

For many people, these are uncertain times. Their mouth may not utter it, but their actions reveal they are afraid. I admit that I have given in to some of these worries. I haven't hoarded toilet paper and water, but I bought some extra groceries so that my pantry is fully stocked. I am washing all clothes with warm water and towels are being bleached after each use. We are staying home as much as possible, and we are washing extra.

Paul's words to Timothy encourage me. He wrote, "I urge... that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV).

Start with prayer. Ask God for what we need. Give thanks to God. Pray for others: friends and family, but also leaders and decision makers.

Live in peace and quiet. And godliness and holiness. Let my faith be evident when I'm trying to get a grocery cart or standing in line. Don't pass along hearsay.

Share the truth. My security is not found in my health, financial security, or the normalcy of my day to day life. Christ is my source of hope and peace.

While we wait this out, I will make every effort to walk in the way God has instructed me. I will turn to Him, trust in Him, and be true to Him.

The Story of the Toy Soldier

As the kids played at our church Christmas party on Saturday they received prizes including these toy soldiers. At the end of the night Jacob (10) realized he had lost his. We looked for it but could not find it.  My sister found one, but noticing it was not the same - this new one had a grenade instead of a rifle - he did not want it.  He wanted the one that he had been given.  He was heartbroken.

The next day, Sunday, when we arrived at church one little girl, Emily (6), ran up to Jacob and pulled a toy soldier out of her purse.

"Wow, Jacob, tell Emily thank you for finding your toy soldier," I prompted him.  Emily said nothing and happily ran off.

Later, Emily's grandma set the record straight: that was not actually Jacob's toy soldier. It was her toy, but seeing how much more her friend wanted it, she freely gave it to him. Thank you God for this model of generosity!

But wait, the story gets better!  Sunday evening when my two sons were playing with their toy soldiers I saw they had three.  So, I asked my son where the extra had come from.  He told me that Emily's brother (also named Jacob) had given his to my son Jacob as well.

Generosity is contagious: Catch it, Share it.

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:18-19, NIV)