A Believer Looks At 60

Having gone through some pretty significant life changes since the first of the year, has provided me with an excuse for neglecting my readers (neglecting might not be the best word considering my three faithful readers are my wife and two kids, and they have certainly NOT been neglected. Actually, I probably come closest to neglecting them when I am attending to my blog - oh, never mind, I'm getting way to into the weeds).

We've moved (again!), I've resigned from two jobs, left and found a church, both kids have started their first jobs, and I turned 60. With a deferential nod to Jimmy Buffet's song title "A Pirate Looks at 40", let me pen my own retrospective.

This leads me to the piece written by Albert Barnes on the occasion of his turning 60 years old. I found it on Grace Gems where there are so many inspirational writings. The humbling part was how a man such as Barnes, who clearly was brilliant, and God-fearing, felt unsure that he had anything worth saying. That is, his perspective on life was no more valuable or accurate than the next man's. In a way I get what he is saying, but I am glad he thought it over and decided his views had inherent worth. As a Believer (specifically a man) his insights are incredibly uplifting. In my experience, most people wouldn't be able to understand the depth of his insights, let alone derive any benefit from them. It's not due to his complicated "high theology" approach; as he writes in an easily understandable style. It's because so many people are essentially shallow and don't want to think of anything "deeper" than their vacation plans.

So, back to me and my post. Like Barnes, I feel that 60 is a good age for someone (assuming they have garnered some wisdom during their lifetime. Of course this starts with "the fear of the Lord...") to "pay it forward".This stage of life allows reflection, but still offers opportunity. Old enough to "talk the talk", but young enough to "walk the walk". Without trying to offend (who me?), let me elaborate: much younger, likely not enough life experience; much older, you may be ignored (wrongly, but in our society, often the case).

Many of us can identify with living too much in the moment, never giving any thought with "getting old". I know I didn't; until recently (like since March 8th :) Thankfully, as a Christian, I have thought much about eternity; as it should be. Of course this helps my perspective on everything (when applied). That is when I realize Jesus has "hooked us up" regarding eternity, I can truly recite the saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff, ...and it's all small stuff". Of course I don't always remember this when I let the "burrs" of daily living put me in a foul mood. We Believers always balance this state of tension between Gods promises and our weaknesses.

It's funny how all the other "milestone" birthdays didn't faze me.Turning 30,40,50; no big deal. For some reason though, turning 60 has grabbed my attention. Maybe being a late bloomer explains much of this. At 30 I was still eight years away from getting married, so I was pretty much living as I had the last ten years. At 40 I was a new father, so my attention was not focused inward. At 50 I was in the middle of a full-time career and busy being the father to two young children. But now things are quite different as I am semi-retired and the kids are young adults, starting to pursue their own futures. As I have recently stopped working full-time (forever?), I have more time to pursue my interests, but also more time for introspection. You have to be careful though, because although it's good to take stock of things, it can be easy to become too self-critical, or "Monday Morning Quarterback" your life. I would always say that I couldn't wait to retire and do what I want to do, when I want to do it; and I am enjoying that reality to a certain extent. But as a Believer, there is a great deal of responsibility that comes with this latitude, as we have to guard against idleness and selfishness (or silliness as I like to label it).

As a follower of Christ I can't take the attitude that now that I'm done "punching the clock" for a living, the rest of my life (time) is all mine. None of my life has ever been "mine". You might argue that especially now with more of the sand at the bottom of the glass, than at the top, I need to be extra diligent in using God's gift of time properly. And how do you use it properly: by spending even more time with God (prayer/Bible), and sharing the Gospel. Make no mistake, I believe in a healthy balance of Christian service and recreation. I would not be at my best as an ambassador for Christ if I was not keeping myself fit and healthy; physically and mentally. Some guys need to fish, some to work on cars or woodcraft, some fly planes or sail boats; I need my running, lifting, and court sports to offset the demands of our modern society. Of course a loving wife and children form the bedrock that supports all of this.

So a new phase has begun and Lord willing it will be one that approaches 30 years. The Bible tells us that anyone living to 80 has pretty much had a full life (at least in the sense of allotted time on this planet). What we do with it is, of course, up to us. If He lets me live that long, than, on the balance, more of my years on earth will have been walking with Him, than not. I like the sound of that. I never could understand how unsaved people can deal with life's tragedies. Similarly, how do they deal with getting old. If you're old and physically starting to slow down and generally feel the relentless passage of time; no wonder so many say "...it's no fun getting old." As I'm starting to see myself "getting older" I can agree that some things about getting old are not fun; but that's not the same as no fun. I still have lots of fun, and I know men 20 years older than me who find much joy in life. And yes, there are Believers who fret about getting old, and there are unbelievers who still have fun into their golden years. But that's a matter of perception and attitude, whereas I'm talking about reality. The reality is if you haven't accepted Jesus and you're getting closer to the end of your life, you have nothing to look forward to except (at best) uncertainty; at worst, the realization that you are going to spend eternity suffering in Hell. Conversely, we as Believers know that the relatively short time we spend as an "old person", if we are granted the opportunity, pales next to our glorious eternity in Heaven with the Creator of the Universe.

My opinion is that nothing is much more pathetic or sad than a depressed or bitter old person. We all have our moments and of course the older you are, the greater the chance that loss of friends and family make things more difficult. And I get it that the Lord could call any one of us, young or old, home anytime, but when you see younger people displaying bitterness, you like to think they have time to amend their attitudes as perhaps they haven't been ingrained for such a long time. But an elderly person obviously does not have time on their side, and to think they would die in such a state is unsettling. On the other hand, I've always found happy older people, such an inspiration; such a great testimony if they are Believers. Whether it's an elderly couple who still hold hands taking a walk, or the 80 something guy in the 10k, it's a reminder that God's Blessings abound all of our lives.

I guess I'm a "young old guy", chronologically and emotionally. Age hasn't mellowed me that much. Some, but not a lot. What has mellowed me, maybe more accurately, "meekened" me (hah, I made up a word I think!) more than the clock, has been Christ. I truly  believe and enjoy that I have become humble and meek. Not perfectly so, but much improved. It's too bad that so many contemporary people (mostly men, but not all) equate these traits with weakness. That only displays their ignorance of language (and Scripture). To be humble is to recognize you are nothing without God. You can claim no ownership over your talents, accomplishments, fortunes, anything; God gave them to you. To be meek is to have your strength under control. As a Christian man, you are just as tough and dynamic as any reckless lawbreaker, but it is tempered by self-control. Any idiot can be a boisterous brawler, but if you want to be on God's Special Forces; you have to be able to harness your power.

All I can hope for as I look toward the third installment in my personal trilogy is that I have learned a few useful things that I can impart to those still in their first or second installments. Maybe even show some that even though life may not begin at 40, it sure doesn’t end at 60.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season - 'Nuff Said'

Well, we’ve just finished another Christmas Season. And as I derive much pleasure, insight, and sometimes (as in this case) angst from Grace Gems, allow me to address the view expressed on this site that Christians should abstain from celebrating the holiday.

I had previously fought this mental battle and arrived at the contrary position. However, as Gems advanced the views of such eminent (and admired by myself) Christians as Spurgeon, Pink, and others, I thought it time for further reflection.

They pretty much advance a zero tolerance approach to Christmas as we know it. Their objections seem to hinge on points such as:

·       No Biblical mandate or suggestion to celebrate Christ’s birth

·       The pagan and/or Catholic roots of the holiday

·       The observance and virtual “takeover” of the holiday by the world

Let me take these points one at a time.

The first point is the easiest to refute on the grounds that the Bible’s lack of specificity on a topic doesn’t necessarily lead one to conclude it’s prohibited (or endorsed). For example: the Bible doesn’t tell us to celebrate our own births, so are birthday parties to be avoided by believers? I understand the difference between our Savior’s birth and ours, and the consideration of the proper reverence for anything relating to God, but you have to be consistent. Those who want to proceed or not based on direct, specific Biblical direction are going to find themselves unsure much of the time. We are given God-given intelligence and sense that we are to apply in areas where the Bible is silent or at least open to interpretation. One cannot just apply an approach that goes something like this: if something is not promoted specifically, it must be prohibited. Because this leads to the conclusion that naturally follows: if something is not specifically prohibited, it’s allowable. Any thinking person can see the farce that follows. Besides, as my wife pointed out, the birth of Jesus sure seemed to be celebrated by the shepherds and Magi (gifts and all!). But please don’t think me obtuse. The “celebration” then and now look like very different events. It has morphed into a gross caricature of consumerism with barely a nod to the Savior’s birth.

Regarding pagan/Catholic roots, we have to consider which historical account is most accurate. Also, Christians are involved in all manner of things with “pagan” roots. What does that exactly mean anyway – “pagan” roots? Everything from the invention of the wheel to computers have pagan roots if you define pagan as anything not commanded by His Word or created by God (like The Ten Commandments, Aardvarks, or Josh Turner). So yes, I’m saying pretty much everything in our fallen world has pagan roots; after all, this isn’t Heaven. I don’t know much about Arthur Pink, but I do understand that Spurgeon enjoyed his cigars, which I’m pretty sure have “pagan” roots. You can see the slippery slope of ridiculousness this creates. In addition, pagan roots or not, if the end game is exalting (or even just getting His name out there) Jesus Christ; that works for me. Yes, the world may be indifferent, or even hostile to Jesus, but isn’t the joke on them when they celebrate Christmas (ipso facto, the birth of Jesus)? Let’s put the shoe on the other foot and let the pagans sweat over celebrating a tradition with Christian roots – ha ha!

This morphs into the last reason given by those objecting to participating: the virtual takeover of the celebration by the world. But a lot of what I just said applies here also. Anyway, the takeover is mostly a matter of perspective or attitude. As a Believer, this is our lot in life: functioning in a world that has been taken over by (more accurately, given to) the Enemy and his minions (pagans). As a Christian Soldier, I will put on the whole armor of God and go out and fight the Good Fight every day; not giving an inch to the enemy. Why should my family and I not enjoy outings to theme parks, the beach, or any number of places because often they are crawling with uncouth, profane people? I want my children, as much as possible, to enjoy the fun, wholesome things I did as a child, even though many of these things are a whole lot less wholesome due to the degradation of society. So, we pick our punches and for the most part have been able to accomplish this by different tactics; all of the time honoring God and not being taken down to their level, but being the salt and light in whatever small measure we can.

Pagans will fulfill their job description, but I refuse to let them taint all the blessings God still bestows on his people. Ecclesiastes tells us to eat, drink, and be merry. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, and we will also celebrate his birth. As much as the world doesn’t get it, in my book it still is “the most wonderful time of the year”.

Here’s to a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Men: Don't Be A Boor

It never ceases to amaze me how easily the world (remember, when I say world, I’m referring to anyone not acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior) is perplexed by issues that would be simple to comprehend from a Biblical perspective. For example, let’s take the latest cause celebre: sexual harassment.

Shamelessly referencing my August 2015 post, Women on Harleys, if more followed that template (His, not mine), we would dramatically reduce this silliness. Rewinding even further to a catalyst of the aforementioned post, if young women had heeded Katherine Marshall’s words in the film A Man Called Peter, we would not be in this predicament.

So buckle in, as this post will probably ruffle as many feathers as I have ever ruffled.

As usual, trying to define liberal terms or concepts is pretty much like trying to nail jello to the wall; good luck. Think of hate crimes. What the heck is that?! A crime is a crime or not. It doesn’t matter if you love or hate the victim. If you punch me in the head (as many I’m sure have dreamt of) your motivation shouldn’t matter. My head will hurt regardless.

Sexual harassment: In the words of Luther Heggs (look it up), “…let me clarify”. In our moral relativist world, it depends on who you ask. Does the woman have any responsibility at all in not creating or avoiding the situation? Absolutely. This is the 800 pound gorilla that the liberal, gender blending, post-modern, God-hating world does not want to talk about. And you better not talk about it either. Especially from an intolerant Christian viewpoint!

I better get this in now (it might be too late already): unwanted (what this means, varies from person to person and situation to situation) talk or action of a sexual nature is never acceptable. And it can go both ways. Women are not the only victims. The problem for the world (because this is a non-issue among truly Born-Again Believers as women are exalted and treated as God intended) is that so many mixed messages are sent.

As a friend (not a Christian) of mine pointed out as we briefly touched on this subject, it’s fraught with hypocrisy. His example centered on the founder of Playboy, Hugh Hefner, who recently died. This purveyor of pornography and the exploitation of women was celebrated as a great innovator. A genius ahead of his time, helping society to “loosen-up” and not be so “uptight” about sex. Men and women lauded him. Women? Yeah; go figure. So we have a society that touts a pornographer as some great visionary whose only real claim to fame was making it acceptable, even fashionable, to view women as objects of lust first and foremost. Add to this the air-brushed physical qualities emphasized and you create a population of men and women with unrealistic expectations and the accompanying frustration. But, although he may be the most prolific example of the trash peddlers in society, their number is legion.

This takes to me to the crux of the hypocrisy in regards to this issue, and it’s two-pronged: a male and female workforce and immodesty among women.

Yikes! I better start going out in public disguised.

The workforce: men and women were never intended (husband and wife excepted) to be alone together for long periods of time. A work setting often creates this dynamic. Add to this striving for a common goal, especially where emotions can run high, and intimacy can develop. Add to the mix how many women obviously dress with no thought of modesty, and you can figure out the rest. This is not theory, as I have worked in co-ed environments, from professional businesses, to retail, to jails, and have witnessed it first-hand (don’t even get me started on co-ed colleges!). Of course, I realize men and women will, and must, be in the same environment in certain situations such as hospital, schools, and law enforcement, but their roles could be proscribed more to minimize gratuitous contact. There’s a lot to be said for traditional male and female roles; it helps preventing many of the situations from ever developing.

The other prong is the proliferation of what I’ll refer to as the “hot babe” syndrome. This is characterized by so many women in legitimate positions on cable and television such as news/weather/sports reporters and the like that are young (or trying to appear such), attractive (or trying to appear such), and dressed like a strumpet (most Christians know what it means without looking it up). Skin tight dresses that leave no more to the imagination than a bikini are not what one should be prancing around in when protesting sexual harassment. At least be honest: if you dress that way and welcome the attention it garners, no matter where it comes from, I can respect that. You are just as wrong for thinking it’s alright to be immodest publicly, but at least you’re not a hippo, man.

So here we are, full circle. What is sexual harassment? I suppose it’s up to every women (or man) to decide, but look in the mirror before you do. I think we can agree that unwanted conversation and/or physical contact is never acceptable, but when does it becomes criminal? Sometimes, it's just plain boorish behavior. Males are created in such a way as to want to pursue females in a physical sense. Both sexes have to understand this and reign themselves in accordingly.  As many talking heads want to promote the rearing of little boys in a way to eliminate their inherent masculinity, you can see society is quick to throw the baby out with the bath water. The last thing we need is solutions from those who promote gender neutrality and homosexuality as normal.

So, let me be as clear as possible on a couple things, so as to minimize unintended backlash (and I certainly don’t want to be a victim of a hate crime!).

One: in every case where a woman is targeted with unwanted talk or touching that is unquestionably sexual – the man is guilty of sinful behavior and possibly a crime.

Two: in some of these cases the woman shares responsibility for (at the very least), ignorance to outright lewd and sinful behavior.

Like the majority of societal problems, this one can trace its roots to the loss of its Christian heritage. I’m not saying that Christians can’t sin in this area also, but if they do, they will be the first ones to take responsibility and ask and receive forgiveness from God. Real followers of Jesus would be hard pressed to find themselves in this spot. When you have Christian women dressing appropriately as to not cause a Brother to stumble, and Christian men treating their Sisters as the Holy vessels Jesus intended, there will be a corresponding drop in these episodes.

Even a dope cannot deny the positive ramifications of such an approach. Heck, they might even ask Jesus to become the Lord of their life!