Stay Faithful

 

 

Luke records in chapter 21, Jesus’ last discourse before his death. In this address, Jesus made some predictions that came true, such as the destruction of the temple by the Romans and Antiochus IV’s desecration. Jesus said there would be wars, natural disasters, cosmic signs in the heavens, and false teachers claiming to be Christ, but we should not let any of these things hinder us from being faithful to God.

Jesus told us to guard our hearts and not become indulgent and indifferent about what really matters in life (Luke 21:34-36). Although the sermon is complicated, it’s clear that his words’ main point is that his followers must remain faithful. There have been and will be many distractions, but we should always stay the course.

We must not be numbed by all the voices that try to define what is essential and what is not—no matter who says what, we must remain faithful to Christ. Most of us will never be famous or occupy positions of power, but we all can be faithful where we are. We can be faithful in our work and reliable in our ministries. We can be faithful husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, friends, and most of all, servants of Christ. The following story, written by Joe Allen, illustrates the point:

 

During World War II, England needed to increase its production of coal. So Churchill called together the labor leaders to enlist their support. He told them to picture in their minds a parade that he knew would be held in Piccadilly Circus after the war. First, he said, would come the sailors who had kept the vital sea lanes open. Then, would come the soldiers who had come home from Dunkirk and had gone on to defeat Rommel in Africa. Then, would come the pilots who had driven the Luftwaffe from the sky.

 

Last of all, he said, would come a long line of sweat-stained, soot streaked men in miner’s caps. And someone would cry from the crowd, “Where were you during the critical days of our struggle?” And from ten thousand throats would come the answer, “We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.”

 Our focus has to be on Jesus, the one we love. He and he alone is the prize worth receiving. He is worth keeping our faces toward the coal. No matter what happens, we want to be found faithful to one who gave everything for us.

 (Parenting with a Long View)  https://boydbrooks.com/

The Power of Love

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the parable of the Prodigal Son. I have treasured that scene when the father embraced his lost son. When he was little, my son, Ryan, drew a picture for me of the scene when the father ran to the son to welcome him back home. That moment exemplifies the love of God for each of the sinners who come back. Of the 650 paintings Rembrandt left to his daughter at his death, one of the most famous is, The Return of the Prodigal Son, which depicts the sinner returning home to his father’s presence. It was one of Rembrandt’s favorites because it is a story of love and redemption. This is what Luke wrote about that particular moment: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

The picture is so moving because most fathers would have stayed put both then and now and waited for the wayward son to come to him, but not this father—he was so moved he ran to his son. He threw his arms around him and kissed him—what an excellent portrayal of God’s love.

In my years of counseling, I have seen the deadly effect of withholding love. When a parent is critical and stingy with praise for the child—the child will long for the parent’s approval. That child as an adult will be insecure and self-critical, always seeking but never gaining acceptance. The parent who criticizes their child plants seeds of doubt that will beat that child’s self-esteem down on into adulthood. The critical parent’s voice will live in their head, robbing them of the enjoyment of life.

How different it is when a child has been affirmed and loved. That child will feel secure and confident. As an adult, they will love and praise those in their lives because they have been loved. I implore you to show love and express it in words of affection and affirmation because love changes people for the better. You are touching so many lives when you love people.

Here is a story that illustrates that: I am not sure who the author is:

 

Mary Ann Bird was born with multiple congenital disabilities: a cleft palate, disfigured face, crooked nose, and deafness in one ear. As a child, she suffered not only her physical impairments but terrible emotional damage inflicted by other children: “Mary Ann, what’s wrong with your lip?”

Worst of all was the school’s annual hearing test. The teacher would call each child forward, the child covered one ear and then the other, and the teacher whispered a simple phrase: “The sky is blue,” “You have new shoes.” Mary Ann could not hear in one ear and did everything possible, including cheating, to minimize attention to her disability. She despised the whisper test.

But one year, her teacher was Miss Leonard, whom every child loved. The day came for the dreaded hearing test. Mary Ann cupped her ear. Miss Leonard leaned forward. And Mary Ann has never forgotten the words that God must have put in her mouth, those seven words that changed her life. Miss Leonard did not say, “the sky is blue” or “you have new shoes.” What she whispered was, “I wish you were my little girl.” 

 (Parenting with a Long View)  https://boydbrooks.com/