Work Ethic

by Tim Howard

My parents did what many folks did back in the day, they instilled in me a healthy work ethic that still lingers in my life and affects the way I carry out my responsibilities. If you are like me, you may recall these words: “No you can’t go out and play until you clean your room! After you pick up your clothes you may have dessert but not until you do that! When you finish your chores you can go with your friends!

The commandments were intended to teach me the value and priority of work. Work first then play second! For quite some time, however, the message fell on deaf ears. It actually created a faulty view of work. I began to see it as a necessary evil, an undesirable obligation to carry out, and an obstacle to overcome before I could enjoy life. It was something to be avoided rather than embraced.

I fear that attitude may be more prevalent in our society than we care to admit. Maybe the “T.G.I.F.” slogan reveals a philosophical shift of our priorities from valuing work to making play a more desirable focus.

The Bible tells us that God worked 6 days and rested one. That pattern is presented as a healthy way to live and promises more fulfillment if implemented. We were created to work and not merely relax. We were created to be producers and not just consumers. We were created to give and not just take. Granted, there can be an imbalance, which is captured in that little proverb, which says: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”

God gives us work to do because He wants us to live with a sense of purpose and worth. Everyone needs something to do, someone to love and something to hope for. When you seek pleasure more than purpose, you alter the way you were created to function and do yourself a disservice.

I re-read an interesting verse in Philippians 2:12-13 a few days ago that caught my attention because it instructs those who follow Jesus Christ to “work out” their salvation. The author instructs people to do more than get informed. He told them to get involved! Don’t wait for God to do everything for you but respond to His leading by obedience and let him do things through you. More often than not, God helps those who are willing to partner with Him, participate in His plan and put their hand to the plow.

Many people today seem to demonstrate an attitude that demands others to do something for them without any participation from them. The spirit of entitlement is an aroma that’s very distinctive in today’s culture. It’s seen in our expectations of parents, government agencies, organizations and even God. If we aren’t careful we can fall into the trap of thinking God isn’t at work while failing to realize the problem is our un-willingness to work.

It’s straight forward, not softened or watered down and some would even say it’s harsh, but the Apostle Paul gives this directive in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 “…we gave you this rule: Whoever does not work should not eat.”

Whether it’s picking up your clothes, cleaning your room, laboring on the job, working on your marriage or earning a living, work will provide great dividends if done with the right attitude.

There is no unemployment in God’s Kingdom. There is plenty of work for everyone. Work is not a necessary evil but the pathway to fulfillment.

More Than You Can Handle

by Andrew Cromwell

Have you noticed how busy people are these days? If it isn’t work, then it is the kids’ extracurricular activities, or the service clubs or the pet projects. And in the moments in between—at meals or in the car or in waiting rooms—there is no such thing as just sitting. Out comes the phone and these spare moments are used to catch up on email, continue that important text conversation or play Angry Birds.

It is amazing how busy the kids are. Half the time they are more scheduled than their parents. Three to four nights a week they have sports or some other type of class. God forbid they have a day where nothing is scheduled.

And it’s not the kids that get themselves into this predicament—yes, they want to play soccer and basketball and football and go to dance class and guitar class. But, it’s the parents that let it happen. Sometimes I can’t decide if it is because the parents want their kids to have and do everything they didn’t, or if they are afraid that if they don’t put their kid in all these things that somehow they won’t live up to their potential. There is a third option, I don’t like to consider, that involves the parents being afraid of their kids so they want to keep them busy and distracted lest their kids want to have a conversation.

Our whole culture is nuts. Nobody has time to do dinner any more. There is no such thing as an unscheduled day. We are addicted to busyness and adrenaline. What’s worse is that all this activity makes it even more difficult for us to unplug. When it comes time to just sit and do nothing, we find that our skin crawls and our thumbs twitch and we can’t breathe without doing something.

There is a common saying that says, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” We repeat this mantra over and over again whenever we are overwhelmed with life. But there are two problems with this saying.

First, it is not found anywhere in the Bible. God never said it. Jesus never said it. None of the dudes with long beards in the Old or New Testament said it. But somehow we use it as an excuse for not saying “no” to things that just make our life busier and more insane. Instead of being wise and selective, we just repeat it as if it is some special magic sauce that will make things all better.

Second, just the opposite is true. God actually does give you more than you can handle. But He does it so that you look to Him for help. The truth is, if you can handle everything, then you don’t need God. And lots of people are telling God with their schedules, that they don’t need Him.

Anyone ever heard of a day of rest? It’s the idea that you take a day and don’t do anything because you believe that God is big enough to take care of everything else.

So the next time you are tempted to add something to your schedule and say “God never gives you more than you can handle”, maybe you should say “no.” And while you are at it, say “no” to a bunch of things you are already doing. Oh yeah, and let God know He can handle the rest.

The pastors in Kings County would love the opportunity to help you and your family connect with a God who rested after work. Maybe your first step to finding some real rest is getting into church this weekend?

More Than You Can Handle

Have you noticed how buys people are these days? If it isn’t work, then it is the kids’ extracurricular activities, or the service clubs or the pet projects. And in the moments in between—at meals or in the car or in waiting rooms—there is no such thing as just sitting. Out comes the phone and these spare moments are used to catch on email, continue that important text conversation or play Angry Birds.

It is amazing how busy the kids are. Half the time they are more scheduled than their parents. Three to four nights a week they have sports or some other type of class. God forbid they have a day where nothing is scheduled.

And it’s not the kids that get themselves into this predicament—yes, they want to play soccer and basketball and football and go to dance class and guitar class. But, it’s the parents that let it happen. Sometimes I can’t decide if it is because the parents want their kids to have and do everything they didn’t, or if it is that they are afraid that if they don’t put their kid in all these things that somehow they won’t live up to their potential. There is a third option, I don’t like to consider, that involves the parents being afraid of their kids so they want to keep them busy and distracted lest their kids want to have a conversation.

Our whole culture is nuts. Nobody has time to do dinner any more. There is no such thing as an unscheduled day. We are addicted to busyness and adrenaline. What’s worse is that all this activity makes it even more difficult for us to unplug. When it comes time to just sit and do nothing, we find that our skin crawls and our thumbs twitch and we can’t breathe without doing something.

There is a common saying that says, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” We repeat this mantra over and over again whenever we are overwhelmed with life. But there are two problems with this saying.

First, it is not found anywhere in the Bible. God never said it. Jesus never said it. None of the dudes with long beards in the Old or New Testament said it. But somehow we use it as an excuse for not saying “no” to things that just make our life busier and more insane. Instead of being wise and selective, we just repeat it as if it is some special magic sauce that will make things all better.

Second, just the opposite is true. God actually does give you more than you can handle. But He does it so that you look to Him for help. The truth is, if you can handle everything, than you don’t need God. And lots of people are telling God with their schedules, that they don’t need Him.

Anyone ever heard of a day of rest? It’s the idea that you take a day and don’t do anything because you believe the God is big enough to take care of everything else.

So the next time you are tempted to add something to your schedule and say “God never gives you more than you can handle”, maybe you should say “no.” And while you are at it, say “no” to a bunch of things you are already doing. Oh yeah, and let God know He can handle the rest.

The pastors in Kings County would love the opportunity to help you and your family connect with a God who rested after work. Maybe your first step to finding some real rest is getting into church this weekend?

Andrew Cromwell is the executive pastor at Koinonia Christian Fellowship in Hanford. E-mail him at andrew@kcfchurch.org or call 582-1528.

Back to the Future

by Tim Howard

If you were asked to make a top 10 list of Bible stories found in the Old Testament, a few might come to mind. How about Noah and the ark, the parting of the Red Sea or David and Goliath to name a few! I’m sure your list would include a variety of classics if you’re familiar with the Bible but one great story that comes to my mind is found in Joshua chapter 6.

It was the time when the mighty walls of a city called Jericho collapsed. That miraculous event allowed the Israelite soldiers to conquer their enemies and claim the inheritance God had given them. Even though it was miraculous it wasn’t instantaneous. The siege lasted for 7 days with some very strange directives.

God had instructed their leader; Joshua to have soldiers; priests and people march around the city for six days while blowing trumpets and carrying the Ark. The people were to remain silent for these six days and God promised to defeat their enemy on day seven. On the last day the instructions were a bit different. Here’s what the record reveals:

Josh. 6:4 “Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.”

Josh. 6:5 “When you hear the priests give one long blast on the horns, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the walls of the city will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the city.”

Josh. 6:20 “When the people heard the sound of the horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the city from every side and captured it.”

This victory happened because of faith. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30

Trusting God can be extremely difficult when you focus on your problems rather than His promises. The walls or Jericho were unprecedented in that era and it was their first major challenge.

Faith will stretch you because it doesn’t operate on the basis of sight. What you see can be intimidating. What you see can immobilize you and impede your progress if it causes you to run from God rather than to Him. That’s what happened forty years prior to this victory when the last generation of Israelite people stood on the verge of entering the future God had promised them. They listened to the majority, who told them the land was too great, the people too big and the cities to strong. They sabotaged their future inheritance because they lacked faith in God.

Their lack of faith was seen in 3D. One, they focused on their inabilities rather than God’s ability. Two, their mouths did nothing but speak negatively and three, they refused to obey God’s directives.

God has a future for you! You will need to keep your eyes on His abilities and not your inabilities, however. We all have insufficiencies but He is sufficient for all things. With Him all things are possible. You can write a future for yourself but only God can write His future that’s been specifically designed for you. He wants to use your obedience as His pen to write your future. Don’t’ let the devil take away your pen. Walk by faith and not by sight. Be a part of the new generation and get back to the future God intended from the beginning.

How Old Are You?

by Andrew Cromwell

My wife is celebrating a birthday today as I write this column. She is one of those rare individuals that age twice as slowly as the rest of us. She also grows more beautiful and kind by the year. When I first married her I knew that I was getting the better part of the bargain. Four kids and more then a decade later, I’m still convinced marrying her is the best thing I’ve done apart from deciding to give my life to Christ.

She represents that special breed of people that are always thinking of others first and themselves last. I struggle with this because I am a chronically self-centered individual. I hear it in my response to people or in my inner talk all the time, including my own children. I am perpetually telling others how busy I am and how I have so much to do.

My prayer is that as I get older, I am getting wiser and thinking less about myself. I think these qualities are a much better indication of a person’s real age then the number of years that have passed since their birth. Just because someone gets old doesn’t automatically mean that they are getting better and becoming less of a jerk!

I am sad to say that our culture seems to be getting more selfish rather than less. It seems that we are more and more focused on the things that matter to us as individuals—our personal happiness, our goals and our work. We keep telling ourselves that “we” deserve “it”, with “it” being whatever floats our boat at the moment.

I think it is fair to say that children are generally selfish. As a general rule, they just come out that way. Half of the job of a parent is teaching their child that the world is not centered around them. We expect kids to be selfish, and we also expect them to become less selfish as they grow older.

But it seems that fewer and fewer of us are actually learning this important lesson. And so people walk around in adult bodies but still act like children. They still throw tantrums when things don’t turn out the way they thought they were going to. They still get their feelings hurt when someone doesn’t treat them just right. And they still demand all the attention in the room.

Meanwhile, there is a world all around us that is hurting and that we could help make a better place — but we don’t because all we can see is our own little world where all that exists is our own stuff. Our kids are begging for our real attention but we’re too busy to give it. Our friends are frustrated because all we talk about is ourselves. And our spouse is fed up with having to parent their husband or wife because they refuse to be anything other than a child.

So the question I pose is, how old are you? Are you just getting older or are you maturing? Are you better this year than you were last year? Make a choice to exchange your happiness for someone else’s every once in a while and watch what happens to your own!

The pastors in Kings County would love the opportunity to talk to you this weekend about the ultimate servant Jesus Christ. Why don’t you get your family in church this weekend and see what God can do.