Randy Elster, Author at RandyElster.com

Level Up: Letting the Bible Transform Our Lives

One of the most important practices that contribute to a growing Christian is Bible intake. The term Bible intake encompasses several different ways we can take in the Word of God, including reading, listening, meditating, memorizing, and studying. But there are four levels of bible intake, and all four are needed, although most of us stall out before getting to the fourth level.

LEVEL ONE: INFORMATION

Level one is taking in the information in the Bible. This is the most basic level. We are taking in the facts of the printed page of the Bible, including many basic thoughts, that could include context, author, audience, location, time frame, word meanings, and more. Whether reading or listening by ourselves, in a group setting, or in a church service, this is the starting point of Bible intake.

At this stage our minds are taking in what we read or hear. This is the Word heard.

“But who has stood in the council of the Lord,

That he should see and hear His word?

Who has paid attention to His word and listened?”

— Jeremiah 23:18 (NASB)

LEVEL TWO: INSPIRATION

The best way to describe level two is that of an “aha” moment. It’s when a light bulb comes on and you see something in the Scripture you never noticed before, or you make connections that you had never seen. It’s that moment of inspiration when the Word is no longer head knowledge. It comes alive and more real than before.

At this stage, not only is the mind taking it in, but the heart as well. This is the Word alive.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
— Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

LEVEL THREE: APPLICATION

It’s not enough to take in the information of the Bible and to be inspired by it. We must also apply it. We must not be merely hearers of the Word, but doers also. This is where the Word not only inspires us, but also affects us in our behavior. It causes us to do something with what we’ve read. People should see a difference in us because of the intake of God’s Word.

It’s not just taking it in. Now we are living it out. This is the Word applied.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
— 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

LEVEL FOUR: TRANSFORMATION

The danger of level three—application—is that it can become a legalistic motion. That is, we come up with a to do list when we study the Bible. The ultimate goal is not application, but rather transformation. Rather than just changing what we do, we allow the Living Word to change us into who He wants us to be. This is a lifelong process. As Christ changes and transforms us, we naturally begin doing what He wants us to do.

This is not just living it out, but living from the inside out. This is the Word altering.

“And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”
— Romans 12:2 (AMP)

The goal, of course, is to get to level four—transformation. When we get stuck at the basic level of information, the Bible can become dry and boring. It has really no impact on our daily lives. If we get stuck at the inspiration level, we can be trapped in a vortex of our emotions. We can never rise above how moved (or not moved) we are at the moment. If we get stuck at application, we can start to feel unfulfilled since the to do list of what we see we should do gets longer and longer. Our only hope is the transformation level where we let God transform us by the power of His Word.

What level do you find most comfortable for you at the moment? Is it time to level up? Let’s get to level four transformation and find fulfillment and joy in the Living Word of God.

The Importance of Rethinking

How sure are you about what you think? How do you know that you know what you know? How do you handle someone with a competing view?

When our beliefs are attacked, do we slip into the role of a preacher, a prosecutor, or a politician? Or do we approach ideas like a scientist?

That’s the basis of Adam Grant’s book Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know (Penguin Books, 2021).

“We go into preacher mode when our sacred beliefs are in jeopardy: we deliver sermons to protect and promote our ideals. We enter prosecutor mode when we recognize flaws in other people’s reasoning: we marshal arguments to prove them wrong and win our case. We shift into politician mode when we’re seeking to win over an audience: we campaign and lobby for the approval of our constituents. The risk is that we become so wrapped up in preaching that we’re right, prosecuting others who are wrong, and politicking for support that we don’t bother to rethink our own views.”
— Adam Grant

Grant presents the alternative as that of a scientist.

“If you’re a scientist by trade, rethinking is fundamental to your profession. You’re paid to be constantly aware of the limits of your understanding. You’re expected to doubt what you know, be curious about what you don’t know, and update your views based on new data.”
— Adam Grant

Dr. Grant is an organizational psychologist and a professor at the prestigious Wharton College (and Wharton’s top-rated professor for seven years running!). He does not approach this subject necessarily from a Christian perspective, but I find it a fascinating subject with Christian applications.

It is so easy to get settled into one singular view of a matter and close oneself off to any thought that might seem contrary. But when I read the gospels, I see Jesus constantly challenging everyone’s views and provoking them to rethink.

A Bible teacher in my past once said, “No one of us has a corner on truth.” I still believe that today. While there are certain basics of the faith that are pretty cut and dried, there are many things that are in grey areas. That’s part of the mystery of God, I think. And that’s one of the reasons we need community. We need other brothers and sisters to challenge our faith and our thinking. We all bring different perspectives to the table that need to be considered. (Consider the fact that there are four gospel accounts, not just one. Why is that?)

One subject Grant does not attack is how rumors and gossip can influence our thinking. We can hear news about someone—information that may be true, false, or somewhere in between with a kernel of truth—that colors how we think of that person. Instead of approaching it like a scientist to test our hypothesis, we can let that gossip taint how we think, and we then spread that gossip further. (Adam, can you speak to this?)

I highly recommend Think Again by Adam Grant. It will challenge your thinking—and your rethinking.

What does everything mean?

He was weary. House arrest does that to you. But so does the nagging suspicion that the end is near. And that also gave him a strange sense of hope and peace. He so looked forward to seeing His Savior once again, of hearing that kind voice say, “Come, and enter into your rest.”

But for now, in spite of the weariness, there was a passion in his pen. He felt like this might be the last time he could put down in words what was burning in his heart. He knew the struggles His fellow believers were facing—and he felt the worst was yet to come. In some ways, this could be a record of his last words—what he wanted to make sure he said before his glorious transition to paradise.

Emperor Nero was on the warpath. Jews felt like they were on the outside, and Christians were looked at skeptically. Jewish Christians were despised by both the Romans and the Jews. Nero was lighting them on fire—alive—to light up his gardens.

Danger outside the door is one thing. But now there was danger within the camp as well. False teachers—sheep in wolf’s clothing—were becoming a sinister threat to the church.

It is in this first century setting that Simon Peter sets his pen to writing to persecuted believers the letter we now call 2 Peter. It’s a letter with astounding application to the 21^st century as well.

He begins with a powerful statement.

“His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
2 Peter 1:3 (NASB)

As Christians in the first century and in the 21^st century, we know that God has given us everything we will ever need for “life and godliness,” that is, for eternal living later and for godly living now.

It’s worth noting that the word “everything” is translated from the Greek word pas, which actually means, well, “everything.”

Through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us, we are fully equipped to live out a radiant, godly life, even in the face of blunt persecution.

And this happens through “the true knowledge” of Christ. This is not an intellectual awareness or a theoretical understanding, but a true heart knowledge borne of intimacy with the Savior.

“You see, with our initial salvation, God has equipped us—by the indwelling Spirit—with an introductory packet that includes everything we need. We have access to resources which, when utilized, will result in usefulness and fruitfulness both horizontally—in our relationships with others—and vertically—in our relationship with God.”
Charles Swindoll

No matter what you and I face this week, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, no matter what the world system, the flesh, and the devil throw our way, we can know that the Holy Spirit has empowered us to handle it all in His power. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. And He has already given us everything we need to not only survive but thrive.

This just in . . .

(Note: After nearly six years of radio silence on this blog, I am writing again. Join me on the journey, share with your friends, and give me some comments and maybe even writing advice. But be gentle. I am rusty.)

I turned 60 a few months ago, which means I am older than most people. The median age in the USA is about 39, so I am way older than that. I am so old that I remember using punch cards in a computer class in high school. I am so old that I remember when I was the TV’s remote control. I’m so old that I remember when Cosby was cool, not criminal, OJ ran for the 49ers, not for his life, and Caitlyn was a boy on a Wheaties box.

I’m so old I remember fondly the first cast of Saturday Night Live—the Not Ready for Prime Time Players. Those seasons were the best. Well, maybe not the very first season, when Jim Henson’s Muppets had a running feature that was absolutely horrid and maybe the only thing Jim and the Muppets failed at (look it up). But after those very first shows when it caught its stride.

The news update feature has survived through different formats and hosts through all these nearly 50 years. And the one running gag I have remembered for years is, “This just in: Generalissimo Franscisco Franco is still dead.”

The origin of this phrase was that the Spanish dictator Franco had been hanging onto life by a thread and news outlets seemed to be holding a vigil for weeks reporting that he was still alive. Chevy Chase first uttered the famous (and possibly SNL’s first long-lasting) catchphrase soon after Franco’s death in November 1975.

For a twist on this phrase, I’d like to submit the following news bulletin on this day after Easter 2024.

This breaking news just in: Christ is still risen.

Following reports yesterday that the tomb was empty and churches worldwide celebrated with triumphant singing and tears of joy, our sources report that many offices were filled this morning with sad faces and drooping frames as they realized Jesus had not returned to earth, which meant they had to return to work.

If we truly believe that Jesus has risen, that He has been victorious over death, hell, and the grave…if we firmly agree that the same power that rose Jesus from the dead lives in and empowers those who believe in His name…if we wholeheartedly trust that Jesus’ resurrection means that not only do we have eternal life with Him later, but abundant life with Him now…

Then we must agree that a risen Christ means that no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, no matter what trials befall us, no matter what temptations entice us, no matter how slow the traffic is, we can know and celebrate the fact that we serve a risen, living Savior who, by His divine power, “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3).

So I repeat…

This just in, ladies and gentlemen: Christ is still risen!

The Elephant in the Room on Sunday Mornings

I’ve always hated the following way some preachers (and other public speakers) begin a talk:

Preacher: Good morning!

Congregation (weakly): Morning.

Preacher: Oh, let’s try that again. You can do better than that! Good morning!

Congregation (stronger): Good morning!

After being thoroughly chastised for not being excited enough, the audience repeats the greeting a little louder.

I guess what bothers me is the implication that we all need to be cheery and excited and full of faith and ready to conquer the world.

Frankly, that’s just not the case for many of us in the room. In fact, it may be the opposite. It may be that being at the end of our rope is what brought us here to church in the first place.

I’ve always felt that our churches need to acknowledge the hurt in the room on a given Sunday morning. After experiencing three deaths of my loved ones in the past four years I believe it even more.

And as Mother’s Day approaches and I remember my mom’s 10-year descent into Alzheimer’s and all that entailed…as I recall her death and having to tell Dad…as I look at her photos and remember her as she was before that evil disease hijacked her brain and body…I feel this pain even more and feel strongly that churches should address the pain in their midst. Mother’s Day is not just about honoring the moms in the room but should also be about acknowledging the pain in the room from all the missing moms.

Almost half of the Psalms are songs of lament—expressing our pain and suffering back to the Lord without sugarcoating it. Henry David Thoreau said it well: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Can we not acknowledge this better in our services?

Keith and Kristyn Getty explain their approach to leading worship with these thoughts in mind:

We sing, as the Psalms train us, to help us bring all of our lives, failures, successes, losses, gains, dreams, and ambitions into gospel perspective. Our singing can prepare us for every season of life, and sustain us through every season of life. We don’t need a musical escape from our lives; we need to gaze on the Savior of our lives—our refuge and help and comfort.

(From Sing!: How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church by Keith and Kristyn Getty, p. 47.)

What do you think? Should our churches do a better job of acknowledging the pain in the room? And if yes, how so?

Update: After I wrote this post, I came across this from Facts & Trends on how churches should handle Mother’s Day.

Pathways to peace (and less worry)

Quick: How many things can you think of that rob you of peace and cause you to worry? I’ll give you a minute to think about it.

If you’re like most, you quickly run out of fingers and toes thinking of all the worrisome thoughts that make you anxious. Kids (whether minors or adults), aging parents, job security, marital strife, money woes, pending home repairs, Friday afternoon rush hour, the car’s transmission making that funny noise: all these compound our concern. Not to mention national politics, tensions overseas, new strains of disease, fluctuating economic markets, people who say “supposably” when they mean “supposedly” … all these amp up our anxiety and wind up our worry-ometer.

Paul addresses our apprehensions in the letter he wrote to the church at Philippi. And his words carry added weight when we realize that he wrote them from a jail cell in Rome. Imprisoned for sharing the Gospel, this letter that emphasizes our joy and peace in the Lord speaks to us today nearly 2,000 years later.

In particular, Philippians 4:4-9 seems to outline a path to peace in the midst of, and in spite of, the worrisome world about us. If you follow these guidelines, “you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). And “the God of peace will be with you” (v. 9).

Let’s take a look at these eight paths to peace.

ONE Be joyful: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (v. 4). So, right off the bat, we have what seems to be an impossible command. How can we just turn on the joy when the happys just aren’t there? On the one hand, we shouldn’t ignore all those nonjoyful emotions—that’s where serious emotional problems can fester. But the research is interesting: Smiling helps boost your mood, increase happiness, and lower stress—even if you’re faking it. The next time you find your mood sinking, smile—and dwell on our amazing God and His attributes. And you’ll find peace in your heart.

TWO Be considerate: “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do” (v. 5). In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to start getting short with others. We start focusing on ourselves, our needs, our wants, what we think we deserve. Turn that focus around and concentrate on the other person, their needs, their wants. And don’t forget to smile, which is contagious. I’ve found that when I take an interest in those around me and smile, it improves their mood and mine. To me, that’s what it means to be considerate.

THREE Remember the Lord’s return: “Remember, the Lord is coming soon” (v. 5). The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. Wait, it’s Friday already? Wait, it’s almost May? Wait, it’s been how long since “Gangnam Style” was a thing? The days/weeks/months all run together. In the midst of this, we hear a command: Remember. Specifically, remember that the Lord is coming soon. Of course, we don’t know when. Could be in 100 years. But it could be tomorrow. It’s a reminder of our heavenly reward awaiting us.

FOUR Replace worry with prayer: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” (v. 6). Someone once said that worry and prayer are two sides of the same coin; worry is anti-prayer. Max Lucado says, “No one can pray and worry at the same time.” Prayer has the ability to neutralize worry because we are putting our concerns in God’s hands. The problem is that we tend to take it right back from His hands after we pray! Thus, we need more prayer.

FIVE Tell God your needs: “Tell God what you need …” (v. 6). Does God already know what we need? Of course. But there is healing and peace that comes when we tell Him and ask Him.

SIX Be thankful: “… thank him for all he has done” (v. 6). There are a multitude of studies that show that gratitude improves our lives in many ways, including our health, our careers, and our social lives. The benefits of thankfulness are so well documented that many people recommend being intentional about writing down in a journal three positive things to be thankful for each evening. And for the Christian, we know the One we can extend our thanks to.

SEVEN Be careful what you think about: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (v. 8). The old maxim of garbage in, garbage out really is true. Or put another way: “Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny” (source). I find that when I let too much negative or harmful talk into my head, whether from radio, tv, friends, etc., my thoughts get cloudy with a chance of depression. Peace comes from refocusing on the good, especially Scripture.

EIGHT Apply what you’ve learned: “Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing” (v. 9). Knowledge without application is useless. Gaining more spiritual knowledge without putting it into practice is a recipe for misery. There is a peace that comes when we know we’ve been obedient to what God is showing us through His Word and His people. “Obedience is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17).

Try one or more of these in the next few days and let me know if it helps to maintain your peace in a whirl of worry.

Waiting and watching

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

—Psalm 130:5 NIV

Like most of us, I hate waiting. If the car in front of me waits half a second when the light turns green, I want to blow my horn. I search the grocery store registers for not only the shortest line but also the one that has the least items on the belt. If someone says they’ll get right back to me, I am quick to find fault with them if their definition of “right back” is longer than mine.

I have been in a season of waiting. A long season. I lost my job of 15 years about 16 months ago now. I’m working some part-time jobs and have sent out resumes, but I need full-time employment. And, God, I need it now.

I’ve also been in a long season of grief: my sister passed away in 2014, my mom in 2015, my dad earlier this year. Last week we closed on selling Mom & Dad’s house of 40 years, which felt like losing them all over again—another grief. And losing my job in 2016—which meant I also lost a lot of friends, self-esteem, and income—also felt like grief. Add to that the loss of my other sister way back in 1983 and her husband two years later—losses that I’m not sure I ever really processed. I have lost so much of my family, which is such a lonely feeling—and another feeling of grief. And my one and only child went off to college to live on campus this fall—yes, more feelings of grief. Grief upon grief upon grief.

I bring up the grief because I have found that in some ways grief is also about waiting. Waiting for the grief to be over. Waiting for joy again. Waiting for stability again. Waiting for God to heal the hurt.

The psalmist expresses this season of waiting in Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits…”

He doesn’t just wait. His entire being waits. The Amplified version states it as “I wait [patiently] for the Lord, my soul [expectantly] waits…”

The Pulpit Commentary explains:

“Waiting for the Lord” is patiently bearing our affliction, whatever it may be, and confidently looking forward to deliverance from it in God’s good time. The expression “my soul doth wait” [KJV] is stronger than “I wait”; it implies heart-felt trust and confidence.

The author of this psalm further defines this feeling of waiting in verse 6 (NIV):

I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Note the repetition in this verse, meant to make us stop and think.

Think of yourself as someone in the military on night watch. You are anxiously awaiting morning for your shift to be over. The night drags slowly—there’s that waiting again. You are tired, sleepy even. It is a challenge to stay alert. The mind tends to play tricks on us in the dark. You think and dwell on things you never think about in the daylight. This is what authors refer to as the dark night of the soul.

But one thing is always certain: daylight will come. Morning has never failed to arrive. There’s an expectancy here: we know with certainty that even in the darkest of nights, morning is right around the corner.

But what is it that we are “waiting” for? Deliverance from whatever has us in its grip? Certainly. But more than that.

Steve J. Cole explains:

And so the psalmist is waiting on God for that sense of His presence. He is waiting and hoping for the intimacy with God that he formerly knew. He wants God’s assurance that he is His child.

The second part of verse 5 elaborates on this: “…and in his word I put my hope.”

As Christians, we do not wait as those who have no hope. We wait with expectancy, with certainty, with hope. Hope in God’s Word.

As I wait for deliverance I am to put my hope in God and His Word and wait for—and seek—His presence. If nothing else comes out of this season of grief and waiting, if I seek God more, hide more of His Word in my heart, converse with Him in prayer more—in short, grow closer to Him, then it will have been worth it. And my contentment will be more in Him than in my situation.

That’s my prayer for me. And my prayer for you, the reader.

I pray to God—my life a prayer—
and wait for what he’ll say and do.
My life’s on the line before God, my Lord,
waiting and watching till morning,
waiting and watching till morning.

—Psalm 130:5-6 MSG

Does discipline have a place in the Spirit-led life?

As Cheryl and I have been on this multi-month adventure of looking for work and income, one of the dilemmas we keep coming back to is this: At what point do we trust God and wait for His answers, and at what point do we work it out ourselves? And at what point in working it out ourselves does it become a lack of faith and an act of disobedience?

Neither one of us is afraid of work. We work hard and enjoy work.

On the one hand, the Bible seems to say, “Wait for the Lord” (Psalm 5:3; 27:14; 33:20; Isaiah 8:17, for example).

On the other hand, Paul says that he who will not work will not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Yesterday we attended service at Sanctuary Church where pastor Craig Bowler brought a wonderful message. You can watch that message here.

By the way, I have great respect for men like Craig who spend much time in research and preparation to bring a word from God to their people. Yes, it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Craig. But also let’s not discount the work he put into it. That’s kind of the point of this post.

Craig’s sermon was part of a series on the seven last words of Christ and this week was on the phrase, “I am thirsty” (John 19:28 NIV).

He brought up a point that Max Lucado makes that the six other last words all seem very God-like, but this one just seems so, well, human.

And that is the point, isn’t it? To never forget that when Jesus was on the earth, He was fully God, yet fully human. He had human needs, human desire, human pain, human despair.

He didn’t just float along the earth like an angel. He walked it. His feet had callouses. He had BO. He got tired. He had to rest. He experienced grief. He experienced betrayal. He was human.

And for me, that represents the dichotomy. We are human with physical bodies and a physical home here on this earth. But we (if we belong to Christ) are also spiritual beings with a spiritual home to go to when our physical bodies give out.

We are saved by grace, through faith—not by anything we can do (Ephesians 2:8). But we are also to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Our faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

At the same time we wait on the Lord to see what He will do, we do all we can do in the physical world. We need to do all that we know to do. And we need to make sure we aren’t disobeying Him in anything we do.

I think that’s what God blesses. And that’s where discipline comes in for the Spirit-led life.

I’ve decided to have a “power verse” and a “power word” this week. I’m calling it a power verse just because it sounds cooler than “key verse” or “verse of the week.”

My power word this week is SELF-DISCIPLINE and my power verse is 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

During this time of our lives when so much is in the air, when finances are a mess, when emotions are high, when the temptation to worry is rampant, when schedules are all over the place, when we have so many ideas and thoughts and projects and to-do items that we almost feel paralyzed to start . . . we need to have some discipline and order in our lives where we can make it.

We’re working on making some order and structure and discipline, starting in the areas of spiritual growth and physical training. We’re focusing on training ourselves spiritually by making a quiet time a daily priority and training ourselves physically by making exercise a daily priority. We need to feel that there is some element of structure in a life that seems totally out of control.

Maybe you need that too right now. Commit with us to not give in to fear, but to live in the power that lives within us (the same power that rose Jesus from the dead [Romans 8:11]), to live a life of love in a world of short tempers, and to live a life of self-discipline amidst the chaos and everything-goes philosophy of this world.

How will you live out this verse this week?

Photo credit: NA.dir via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND

10 Characteristics of a Christian: What Should a Christ-Follower Really Look Like?

Let’s face it. Christians get a bad rap in the media these days. And many Christians don’t help that image due to their own less-than-Christian behavior. Sometimes I think, If that’s what Christianity is all about, I don’t want to be one.

It’s a good thing to renew in our minds what a Christian really is and what a Christian should be. Not the cartoon image or the out-of-touch image so often portrayed in television shows. Not the evil image portrayed by the crazies who picket funerals with disgusting signs. Not the extremists that others may paint us to be.

In Psalm 33:1-5 (NIV) we can get a good glimpse of what a Christian should be. Take a look:

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Let’s extrapolate 10 characteristics of a Christian, or what a Christian should be.

1. A Christian should be joyful.

“Sing joyfully to the Lord . . . “ (v. 1)

As a Christian, we have the most incredible message of grace. We, of all people, should be people of joy. The Bible backs this up: joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit that each Christian should have (Galatians 5:22); the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10); we are to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4); and there are so many more.

This happiness is not necessarily a feeling, but sometimes is a decision we make based on God’s Word and not dependent on circumstance.

Note: I don’t mean to make light of sadness or depression or difficult circumstances. These are very real things. And sometimes require medical attention and therapy. And they are also common to the human condition. I don’t imagine Jesus was emitting a feeling of joy when He was on the cross. But joy is still the standard to shoot for. And many times I can find rays of joy even in the midst of full-blown depression.

2. A Christian should be righteous.

“Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous . . . “ (v. 1)

A Bible teacher explained this many years ago to me: to be righteous is to be in right standing with God. This is not something that I, a sinful man, can achieve in and of myself. Only Christ can make me righteous by His work on the cross.

3. A Christian should be upright.

“ . . . it is fitting for the upright to praise him.” (v. 1)

While being righteous is to be in right standing with God, being upright means to have righteous behavior. That means that what God has made me I portray in good words and deeds. While I cannot earn my salvation, I can work out my salvation in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). A Christian should be upright in their behavior and an upstanding person in all areas, full of honesty and integrity.

4. A Christian should be skilled.

“ . . . play skillfully . . . “ (v. 3)

A Christian should be continually learning, continually honing their skills in all areas. Excellence should be their objective in everything. They are not afraid of study and discipline. Christians got skillz!

5. A Christian should be enthusiastic.

“ . . . shout for joy.” (v. 3)

The word enthusiasm comes from a Greek word that means inspired by God. Christians inspired by God should approach life with enthusiasm if they are being led by the Spirit of God. This means we approach our work with all our hearts (Colossians 3:23). Our passion should show.

6. A Christian should be full of song.

“Sing joyfully to the Lord . . . Sing to him a new song . . . “ (vv. 1, 3)

All that joy and enthusiasm leads to singing! A joyful Christian is a singing Christian.

7. A joyful Christian should be full of praise to God.

“Praise the Lord with the harp . . . “ (v. 2)

A Christian’s singing should be full of praise. But we don’t only sing our praise; we speak it as well. And we do so in the presence of others, so that they may be encouraged (Psalm 34:2).

8. A Christian should be creative.

“Sing to him a new song . . . “ (v. 3)

I love the emphasis here on a “new song” which implies that we should be writing new songs. Since our God is the Creator of all and we should be like Him, we should also be creators. Christians should be writing, composing, drawing, painting, creating new things. Not just imitating what the world likes, but truly being creative.

9. A Christian should be full of the Word of the Lord.

“For the word of the Lord is right and true . . . “ (v. 4)

If we know that the Word of the Lord is right and true, we should be filling our minds and hearts with it. It is food for our souls and direction for our lives.

10. A Christian should be faithful, righteous, and just, yet loving, just like our Father.

“ . . . he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.” (vv. 4-5)

A Christian should be faithful to God and to others. He should keep his promises made to others, especially his family. He should be faithful to his spouse and children. A Christian should be righteous and live uprightly, as previously mentioned. A Christian should live a just life and treat everyone with the same respect. But most importantly a Christian should be full of love. He should love the unlovable. He should love the ones that no one else seems to love.

I think these encompass a pretty good picture of what a Christian should look like.

What do you think? Anything you would add to this list? Did you get something different out of the passage?

From my library: Wounded by God’s People

Card catalogue data
Wounded by God’s People: Discovering How God’s Love Heals Our Hearts by Anne Graham Lotz (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013)
Category: Christian living
Format: Kindle
Pages: 240 (in the hardcover version)

This is the second book I’ve read in January and thus the second book of 2017.

First paragraph

As I look back on my life, it saddens me to acknowledge that some of my most painful wounds were inflicted by religious people—Gods people. Those who have been the most hurtful, those who have been the most unkind, those who have betrayed, slandered, and undermined me have been those who have also called themselves by God’s name. They have been considered Christians by themselves and by others. Yet they have been men and women whose words and behavior are inconsistent with what they say they believe and contradict what God says. Even now, I shake my head in near disbelief as I recall some of the painful experiences I will share with you in this book.

Why I read this book
Like the author, I have had my share of hurts and woundings, many of them from God’s people. This past year has been no exception. I picked up this kindle book a while back when it was on sale, but I read it last week and it was perfect timing. At the beginning of a new year, with fresh, new goals, it seemed the right time to unshackle from some of the hurts that were holding me back still. And while forgiveness is a continual effort, I felt like this gave me a good start.

The book in a paragraph
Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy & Ruth Graham, has written about how we get hurt by others, especially by Christians, and how we deal with that hurt. She opens up the bandages to show us the wounds in all their gory detail and empathizes with us about the pain they inflict. But then she goes deeper and shows us how to recover and even forgive. She uses the story of Hagar in the Bible as a running theme throughout the book. (Hagar was the servant of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. You may remember that, when Sarah couldn’t seem to have a child, she told Abraham to be intimate with Hagar. This produces a son, Ishmael, the beginnings of the Arab and Islamic worlds.) Lotz pulls many lessons from the account of the hurt that Sarah inflicts on Hagar and applies it to our modern lives.

The bottom line
We must forgive those that wound us. Forgiveness is not a feeling or a one-time act, but a continual choice we make to love the other person (although love is different from trust). And we show that forgiveness through specific acts of love toward that person.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
You may be tempted to think this is a book for women, but I found it to be engaging and applicable to men and women. Even though Lotz gives examples of her own wounding, she keeps the book grounded in Scripture. She is both sympathetic to the wounded while gently prodding them to do what they already know they must do: forgive. And everyone has been wounded, so the book applies to everyone. I highly recommend this book.