What is a Balanced Life?

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. ~Luke 2:52

As a child, Jesus had a balanced life.  He grew in his mind and in his body; he had favor with God and with us.  He did not neglect one aspect of life in order to achieve another.  He grew physically which requires exercise and healthy eating.  He grew in wisdom, which requires time to learn, reflect and apply that knowledge.  He grew in favor with God which means learning of God, gathering with people where God promises to meet us, in his church (Matthew 18:19-21-“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”).  He grew in favor with man, so Jesus was around people and in community with them.

There are many good things in life that are gifts from our Heavenly Father.  Our jobs, our families, our church family, physical activity, sports programs, gaining knowledge and wisdom.  All of these things can lead one into a ditch and throw us off balance.  When one gift is overemphasized at the expense of other gifts, we have lost balance.  Have you known someone who is a workaholic?  The gift of employment has been misused at the expense of family.  Do you know someone who chooses sports activities at the expense of Sunday morning worship?  How about someone who cannot exercise enough?  They also abandon other gifts from God to attain endorphins. 

Often these good gifts that can be mishandled try to lure us in with unsure promises.  With exercise comes the promise of youth and beauty never leaving you.  Employment holds the allure of earthly treasures and praises of men.  Sports activities, for families offers an often unfulfilled scholarship.  But we, the children of our Heavenly Father, have a sure promise from God that He will meet us where and when He says He will, in the gathering together of believerson Sunday mornings.  His Word never returns to Him without doing what He intends.  Sometimes the hard decisions look as if we are choosing the weakest and least wise, but being with God and his family is the wisest choice.

In our families, it is very challenging to find balance.  There are many good gifts that call us.  Some gifts beckon us away from other gifts when they are in conflict. “Welcome to the Lord’s Table” is for all of us.  My prayer for you and your family is for balance in your lives, and an ability to enjoy all the good things our heavenly Father has blessed us with: growth in wisdom and stature, and favor with God and man.

Nobody Listens to Me, and other lies

"Why don't they listen to me?  I have some things they could hear.  They listen to other people."  And here begins the party of pity.  Particularly when discussing theological ideas we want others to believe the same way we do, come hell or high water.  Oftentimes, both hell and high water arrive on the scene of the conversation.  "Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I guess I'll go eat some worms" says the schoolyard rhyme.  We've all been in that schoolyard.

We cannot force people to believe or hear us.  That is the job of the Holy Spirit.  We need to repent of the jealousy that comes along with our words being rejected while they listen to our friends.  We become jealous of our friends who have gained an audience.  May the Holy Spirit bless THAT conversation.

Our children appear to us as if they left the faith.  We have done all that we can as parents, and even what we have done is not perfect.  We are sinners teaching other sinners.  Pray for your child that they can hear the words of another prophet that brings them Good News of Jesus' forgiveness.  May the Holy Spirit bless THAT conversation.

The job given to us is to bring Jesus before the eyes and ears of others.  Leave the results with the Holy Spirit.  He points to Jesus perfectly, sometimes through us, sometimes through others, sometimes through Word and Sacrament.  Bring your family and friends before the throne of God.  He is good at recovering His sheep.

I am reminding myself of this as much as I am reminding you.  Here is the good news for you and me:  Jesus forgives you of your jealousies and frustrations.  He took that upon himself on the cross, so you can be free and joyful. He is faithful.  Praise Him!

Old Dead Theologians - Proven True

This last week has been an unfortunate eye opener for me.  I observed Lutherans beating up other Lutherans, all of them pastors, by the way, over on Facebook.  All of it stemming from the notorious "third use of the law".   Some afraid to be called a "pietist", others affirming our confessions.  And I have an idea both of these sides are speaking past each other.

In these discussions the name of a Lutheran author came up, who I have read several of his books.  I had been "warned" about this particular author, but without specifics.  Lo and behold, it turns out he denies that the scripture is without error.  It caused me much concern.  What have I believed that is error?  Am I gullible enough to believe everything a person writes?  I pray that I have chewed on the meat and spit out the bones.  Jesus can correct me.

In light of all of this, for the time being my reading list is culled down to:  Scripture and Book of Concord; a book on young adults; and a novel or two.

Fruit Salad

A good tree produces good fruit because the trunk of the tree is working properly. Jesus is the trunk, we are the branches, Him working in and through us is the fruit. Good fruit cannot produce a good tree. No matter how hard we try, the fruit we create on our own is always rotten.

It is important as believers to get the direction right. The flow is from the top down, not from the down up. All other religions flow backwards, only in Christianity is the direction correct. God comes down through us, so that we can move out and serve our neighbor. We are passive, and free.

God is doing what He does, making all things new. First he makes us new, so that He can work in us. We become free from the law, and are in Christ. He moves us from under the law, and into Christ. We are a new creation. That new creation can live large in the world and serve our neighbor, and enhance life around us.

Isn’t that freeing?

Sons of Bankers, Sons of Lawyers

And a daughter of a fireman.

People say that how you view your father when you are a child is a significant thing. It affects your view of God. If your father is kind, you view God as kind; if your father is vindictive, you view God that way. Whether that is true for every person in every situation, I highly doubt.

It takes a certain kind of personality to be a firefighter. People who are slow to decide; selfish to their own physical needs; do not consider others as important; need not apply for the job. My earthly father is one who is quick to help others; will put himself in harm's way without thinking twice about it; loves others by his actions.

I see God as loving by actively participating in the lives of His creatures; selflessly, willing to help, desiring the best. We see this in Jesus on the cross; being killed by sinful human beings. He prays for those sinners, asking Father for forgiveness for them.

Father, thank you for your image-bearers who remind me of You.