Wisdom from above. Wisdom from God. What does it look like? This one sentence in James 3:17 lists seven facets of the wisdom that comes from heaven. The first three facets show the radical nature of following God. Let’s look at them one by one. However, before we start it is only fair to issue a warning to anyone who chooses to read further. Reading—and then implementing wisdom from heaven—will be hazardous to your flesh. It is simply not possible to take these words seriously and continue to live and speak just as you have been doing for years. The change may be painful, but it is the change of putting off what is old and destined for destruction anyway, […]
Yearly Archives: 2009
157 posts
The book of James has a lot to say about wisdom. Some have called James the wisdom literature of the New Testament. Early in chapter one the importance of wisdom is underscored by the promise that wisdom will be freely given to those who genuinely ask for it. Certainly, parents need wisdom to faithfully represent God to all of their children. But I believe that perhaps the greatest need for wisdom is when interacting with teenagers. Teenagers seem to appear out of the blue. Yesterday, you had a respectful child who seemed eager to please and thought that most of the things you said and did were wise and wonderful. This morning you woke up and found a stranger living […]
The apostle Paul ends this section with a strong benediction in Ephesians 3:20. He says that God is able to do immeasurably more that we would dare imagine. The ESV wording is even stronger: it says infinitely more than we might think or ask. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. NIV Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ESV Let me get right to the point. If this passage is true, then why are we so easily discouraged with our parenting? […]
Marriage and parenting are not human ideas. They are created by God for his purposes. The institution of the family was not made primarily for us. Does that sound illogical? Let me explain. Yes, things work best when we follow God’s direction for family living. But the bigger picture is that first and foremost, the institution of family exists for the glory of God. So we should not claim marriage primarily for our own enjoyment and fulfillment and then, secondarily, seek to honor God in marriage. No, marriage is designed to be a human picture of Christ’s relationship to the church. Ephesians 5:21-33 is not an afterthought. The idea of Christ and his bride, the church, came first; then came […]
Parenting can seem to be a lonely occupation at times—just you, the kids, and the digital clock on the nightstand. Gone from your memory are the baby showers, first steps, birthday parties, and adoring friends fawning over your children. Instead, you are faced with one child who is sick and another one who is whining that he has no one to play with since his sister is sick in bed (the same sister that has gifted you with the same cold she has). Your husband is out of town for three days and it is raining, a cold winter’s rain. Lonely, indeed. Two thousand years ago, your brother Paul knelt before his Father and yours and prayed a simple, profound […]
We have looked at some challenging topics in recent weeks: Facebook, Schoolwork and Gaming. Now I want to take the next several posts to focus on the wonder of Christ. Parenting is a demanding and draining calling. The tendency of our flesh is to fall into a routine and then to count on that routine to keep us on track. While there is value in routine, it must not drive your parenting. To present the wonder of Christ to your children, regardless of their age, Christ himself must be a wonder to you. Ephesians 3:14-21 will help you to see the awesome wonder of Christ. Too often, this passage is seen as a summary statement, or inspirational thoughts, but it […]
As we conclude this series on gaming, there is one more question that remains: Can Christians engage in gaming with a good conscience? The answer, I believe, is yes, given a significant qualifier: This pursuit must be done with biblical wisdom. Wisdom is the skill that comes from a deep passionate love of God’s truth. You may have been born with intelligence, precocity, and a good memory, but with regard to wisdom, you were born a fool. Wisdom is a skill that may only be acquired through great energy and faith. Protection from the allure of gaming comes from a vigorous pursuit of wisdom. Take a moment to read Proverbs 1:30-2:6. 30 since they would not accept my advice […]
Whenever you find an activity that is not directly mentioned in Scripture, it is necessary to find the biblical principles that apply to the activity. It is important to identify the appropriate principles because no activity is neutral before God. As Romans 14:23 says, "…whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." "Electronic gaming" is one of those phrases that is missing from your concordance, but it is surely a part of life to which the Bible applies. As we have seen in previous posts, it is helpful to place any activity (such as gaming) in the context of creation, the fall and redemption. The process of biblical analysis would be to ask the following questions: How was the principle […]
Here is brief summary of the posts on gaming to date. There are at least two defining biblical principles that can be applied to gaming: 1. Gaming must not detract from a biblically productive life. 2. Gaming, if it is to be done, must proceed from faith. Proverbs 12:11 demonstrates that electronic gaming can definitely lead to a lack of productivity. ("11 He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment." niv) The next issue, then, is to understand what drives the desire for gaming. This was examined in the post on gaming and pursuit. Finally, in the last post, we began to look at how to offer a biblical alternative. We’ll pick […]
Creation. Fall. Redemption. These are the great themes of humanity. No, you won’t see these three themes given much status by AP, CNN, USA Today, Fox News or for that matter, Rush Limbaugh. These are however, God’s themes. Creation speaks of the majestic plan and purpose of God for planet Earth. Then came the fall and all of mankind was plunged into darkness and pursuit of the glory of self rather than the glory of God. The stunning creature that was man, the creature that Psalm 8 speaks of, began to use his powerful attributes in self-worship. What has followed in human history has not been pretty. But, God in his mercy did not leave man in futile, evil darkness. […]