Spirituality Column #345
June 25, 2013
Current in Carmel – Westfield – Noblesville – Fishers – Zionsville
 
The Bible’s Grasp of Touchy Subjects
By Bob Walters

Spirituality Column #344
June 18, 2013
Current in Carmel-Westfield-Noblesville-Fishers-Zionsville

By Bob Walters
 
Perspicacity means “discernment; clarity of vision or intellect which provides a deep understanding and insight.”

Relevant to the topic at hand, it refers to “praying smart.”  Perspicacity is a good thing to have when approaching the Lord in prayer or petition.

Too often we pray solely because we want stuff.  Or we pray because we want stuff for other people.  And it may be good, legitimate stuff: healing for the sick, food for the hungry, peace for the distraught, success for the discouraged, a job for the unemployed, or God’s wisdom and comfort in dealing with a no-easy-out challenge.    Or even better than any of these, perhaps in our prayer we are asking Jesus to shine His light into a life and help us or others to accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Strictly by the book, these requests are more petition than prayer.  And petition is a fine thing, ordained by Jesus himself in John 14:14: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”  Paul reassures us of this often, as in Philippians 4:6: “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  I can’t think of a more important petition than to ask for Jesus to come into our lives.

Understand, if John 3:16 is right and you can be assured it is, Jesus is already with us whether or not we ask for it, recognize it, or even believe it.  Praying to accept the gift of God’s grace and salvation in and through Jesus Christ is something better done today than tomorrow, without worrying about definitions of prayers or petitions.  When the spiritual lights come on and faith begins to illuminate our life, definitions become less important than quickening the hope and love of Christ we already possess.

As believers it is worth the time to examine our prayer life and discern whether it is mostly about asking God for stuff, i.e. petition, or mostly about recognizing God’s glory, sovereignty and goodness: that’s prayer, that’s praise, and that’s worship.

In “The Believer’s Prayer” (Acts 4:23-31) the disciples and believers pray to “speak the Lord’s word with great boldness.”  They are praying to God to be enabled to tell others about the majesty, truth and glory of Jesus Christ.  That’s a discerning prayer.

With perspicacity, we learn that prayer should be less about telling God what I need (He already knows) or how great I am (we aren’t), but recognizing what Jesus has done, how great God is, and praying that we can effectively pass the Word.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) apologizes, but “perspicacity” was the most precise and alliterative “P” word he could think of that fit this train of thought.

Spirituality Column #343
June 11, 2013
Current in Carmel–Westfield–Noblesville–Fishers–Zionsville

By Bob Walters

Faith in Christ may arrive in one’s heart suddenly and unexpectedly, and the impatience of addressing an immediate temporal human physical or spiritual need is often the hallmark of Christian action.

But considered patience, not unthinking rashness, is the key to Christian life, understanding and joy.

That’s because Christ is complete and we are not.

Christ offers us the lifelong continuum of an ever growing relationship that eclipses the inconveniences of the moment (see “light and momentary troubles,” 2 Corinthians 4:17) and stretches into the joyful, restful peace of eternity.  We can come upon our faith in a moment, spring into action the moment after that, and always know there is more Kingdom work to do and more about Christ to learn.  Anyone can “be a Christian” right now, but no one can live a Christian life all at once.  Would anyone ever say, “I’m a complete Christian”?  No.   We are, in this life, unfinished business.

The very end of the Gospel of John (21:25) says that if everything Jesus did was written down “the whole world would not have room for the books.”  That tells me not only that Jesus did a lot of stuff but that there is a lot more stuff – infinite and eternal stuff; stuff like loving God, loving others, and witnessing for Christ – for us to do as well.

So much to do and learn, in fact, that patience isn’t likely to be the first thing a Christian learns.

Lifelong Christians may or may not have the same frantic pacing as late-to-the-party believers like me, but they have the same sense of urgency of their faith.  It’s not the urgency of work for work’s sake, but the urgency of love for love’s sake.  And it is patience that ultimately provides the proper Christian perspective and witness of love.

The Bible plainly tells us that love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4) and that love is a fruit of the spirit, along with peace, patience, kindness, etc. (Galatians 5:22).  Jesus’ love is seen not only in his sacrifice but in his relentless patience: he keeps coming after us.  The best way to demonstrate our Christ-like love is to exhibit patience instead of frustrations with the people, circumstance and things around us.

This is one of those lessons that, as a Christian, I am constantly learning and constantly failing at (see Romans 7:16-20; re: “doing what we know we shouldn’t”).  But when I do occasionally get it right, peace, joy and understanding come into focus.

That’s something worth growing toward.

Even if we never completely succeed, we can trust that Christ already has.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) has patience for, say, Christmas shopping but not for stop lights.  Go figure.

Spirituality Column #342
June 4, 2013
Current in Carmel–Westfield–Noblesville–Fishers–Zionsville

By Bob Walters


Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) recommends friend and preacher Brent Riggs’ awesome and succinct article on Judging (link), or Google “Brent Riggs Don’t Judge.”