Human Nature

When you look in the mirror, you are checking how you appear, what you seem to be, and whether it matches how you feel inside. Thinking about human nature is the equivalent of our whole species looking in the mirror to check it identity.

Human nature can be considered as the ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that are common to most people. It seems such a simple concept until you explore it. Just as we all react differently to our own reflections in the mirror, the reflection we call “human nature” is also often disputed.

• Plato thought humans were rational, social animals.
• Descartes expanded Plato’s ideas, describing people as “thinking spirits”.
• Darwin said human life is experienced as a series of problems to be addressed and resolved.
• Karl Marx believed human nature is revealed through the natural progression of history. He believed that history’s natural progress could lead humans to true freedom as they recognized the cultural and social factors that alienated them from their natural identity. 
• Thomas Hobbes and John Locke deeply considered the question, are humans naturally selfish and competitive? Marx and Émile Durkheim explored a different question, are humans naturally social and altruistic?

A broader problem is that of determining which apparently fundamental human dispositions and traits are natural and which are the result of some form of learning or socialization. In our nature, shared with other primates, the basic drives are related to food, sex, security, play, and social status.

I tend to take a rather dim view of human nature. My view is that people are naturally selfish, greedy, gluttonous, lustful, envious, quick to anger, and lazy (the cardinal sins). Parents work hard to train their children to overcome that nature, or if they don’t, then they should. Coincidentally, I also believe you shouldn’t get a dog if you aren’t willing to feed it, pick up after it, and keep it from causing trouble in the neighborhood. In my defense, I haven’t purposely gotten a dog since 1977. The rest just showed up.

My dim view of human nature has been reinforced by what I see society doing — not what we say, but what we actually do. Governments argue, behave badly within and without, and make war. They usually accomplish little at great expense. Business enterprises treat everything and everyone as commodities to be exploited and discarded. By expanding their influence in government, they concentrate wealth and disrupt the environment as a matter of course. They generally show little regard for their customers and even less for their employees. 

Religions, for all of their lofty claims and bravado, consider their position of power and influence as above question. Behind all the causes of war (economic or territorial gain, nationalism, revenge, civil or revolutionary ideals) the root cause can all too often be identified as religious: beliefs, tribalism, and ultimately, self-righteous indignation. 

What is self-righteous indignation? It is a certainty, especially an unfounded one, that one is totally correct and morally superior. Self-righteous indignation is anger driven by contempt.

A colleague once casually said to me, “fortunately, you are one of the righteous.” I had to correct him — I’m anything but righteous. I’m a sinner, covered by the grace of Christ and forgiven, but my nature is not righteous. Christ, I believe, instructs us to grow beyond our human nature.

The teaching of Jesus are hard and they go against the grain. It’s little wonder that we often don’t remember what He instructed or substitute our own interpretations instead. Jesus taught his disciples that they should aspire to these goals:

• Self-Denial (turning from sin) — the world says to embrace and accept your “self”: get to know yourself, self-actualization, self-affirmation, self-awareness, self-efficacy, and, of course, self-love. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
• Seek Humility — the world generally ignores humility, sees it as a sign of weakness or something for servants, while power and wealth are worldly virtues. Jesus said, “When you are invited to a wedding feast… take the lowest place at the foot of the table… for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
• Be Just and Good — the world may talk justice, but justice for who? The world may value good, but is it a priority? Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”
• Accept Rebuke — the world sees criticism as an attack and responds with anger and aggression. Jesus said, “Happy are those who are persecuted… if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek… you will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
• Don’t Make Vows (Swear) — the world has us to take oaths, pledges, and make promises. How often to you hear “I swear to God” or “Swear upon the Bible.” Jesus said, “do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven or earth… do not swear by your head… simply say ‘Yes’ or ’No’… anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
• Be Generous — the world says “Charity begins at home”. There’s a popular social media post that says “I’ll send help to the refugees when the very last homeless veteran has been fed, clothed, and housed.” Why not just be honest and say, “I’m not willing to help refugees or veterans.” Jesus told us the parable of the Good Samaritan and also said, “Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.”
• Love and Serve Others — the world says “I”, “Me”, “Mine.” The leaders of this world have a tool to keep us in check: find a common enemy. Divide us. It’s “Us” against “Them”. Jesus said, “There is a saying ‘Love your friends and hate your enemies!’ But I say: love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you.” He told us that when we give food and drink to the hungry, clothe the poor and lowly, look after the sick, visit the imprisoned… we are doing those things to and for Him.
• Pray in Earnest — the world makes a show of public prayer and televised prayer, to show how righteous and godly we are. Jesus said, “When you pray go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen…” He tells us not recite the same prayer over and over again… that your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
• Don’t Love Money — the world esteems visible wealth, high salaries, big houses, yachts, cruises, and admires the “successful” in obtaining the trappings of wealth: pursuit of money, love of money. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters… you cannot serve both God and money.”
• Trust God (Have Faith) — the world says, “To thine own self be true” not realizing what Shakespeare’s Polonius in Hamlet actually meant. We are taught to be self-reliant and esteem the man who “Pulls himself up by his own bootstraps” — what a vision that is. We love the story about the ant (who stores up for the winter) and the grasshopper (who occupies his time in the delights of summer). Jesus said, “Don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow, too. Live one day at a time.” He cautioned us that “If you cling to your life you will lose it: but if you give it up for me, you will save it.”
• Don’t Judge — the world teaches us to judge at an early age and reinforces judgement at every step along the way. We see “winners” and “losers”, we make everything a competition, we feel superior to others, we alway strive “to get ahead” and not working about who we leave behind. Jesus said, “Don’t criticize, and then you won’t be criticized. Why worry about the speck in your brother’s eye when you have a board in your own?”
• Seek Wisdom — the world values wisdom, but mostly as a tool to succeed. More importantly, the idea of wisdom is used to seduce you into investing, purchasing, or taking up a cause. “You’d be smart to use my product”, you want to “look smart, and “smart money”investments. We confuse the wise with the rich and powerful. Jesus said, “Beware of false teachers who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are wolves and will tear your apart.” He prayed, “Oh Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise, and for revealing it to little children. For it pleased you to do it this way.”
• Love God — the world may tell you that loving God is okay, but what does the world do? What does the world want you to do — how does the world show that love? By setting us upon each other, because, after all, “God is on our side”. “Human nature”, that’s often just a justification to something you want to do… something you know is questionable at best. “We were so disappointed with his actions, but I guess that’s just human nature.” It’s no wonder we think of ourselves as being good people, all the while putting these hard teachings aside. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and will all your mind.” That love is your compass. It sets your direction and determines your course of action.
• Spread the Good News — the world… enough about the world! Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down, gathered his disciples around him, and delivered the Beatitudes, talked about Salt and Light, about the Law… stating that He came to accomplish their purpose and He said, “Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Following these teachings of Jesus is not easy or natural. I don’t love with all my heart, mind, and soul. I fall short on every one of these teachings. On my own I can’t obey them, but with the grace of God it is possible. Jesus made our salvation possible. Thank Him for that. And then ask Him to help us in following His words. In showing the world that we can overcome our nature. We need to try.

We can’t ignore his teachings, setting them aside, or call ourselves “Christian” while we violate his purpose. We are instructed to pray, to embrace all these challenges, to act them out in our lives. Christ calls us to rise above human nature. 

Younger people won’t remember full-service gas stations, but I remember when they put up a signs that directed customers to the “self-serve” pumps. It’s a weak analogy, I know, but I’d like to have a full-service nature instead of a self-serve one. I think that is what Jesus was saying.

The Prayer of St. Francis

After coming back to Facebook after my year of sabbatical, I almost immediately hit the same old funk that drove me away. It’s so disheartening to unfollowing someone you’d otherwise love to keep up with because the vitriol in their posts, their denial of science, their endorsement of egocentric power, their intolerance, their bigotry, or their hate.

And It would be useful for me to know about how and when I’ve been unfollowed or unfriended because of my posts. Today I was thinking of the science of learning acquisition and brain development–how amazing it is that we learn to talk. Then I realized that the greater miracle is that some people actually learn not to.

To bury your head in the sand by leaving Facebook may give you some much needed relief, but it doesn’t help you become a better person or to help anyone else. Social media has a part to play, it’s a tool of great potential, but how do you use it for good? How can it help you or the people you connect with? How can you use it with going completely nuts?

I’ve been a little intrigued by my grandson’s posts since coming back to Facebook on August 6th. He only posts short scriptures, about one a day, and without comment. Sometimes these scriptures make me wonder why he picked that particular scripture for the day. And I’ve wondered for years if there was a way to share the Good News of Christ on social media without turning people away – without being smug, self righteous, or sanctimonious.

Today I heard the Prayer of St. Francis for the first time:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me bring love.

Where there is offense, let me bring pardon.

Where there is discord, let me bring union.

Where there is error, let me bring truth.

Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.

Where there is despair, let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.

Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

O Master, let me not seek as much

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love,

for it is in giving that one receives,

it is in self-forgetting that one finds,

it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,

it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.

So, yeah, there it is: this is my goal for all future posts on social media. I know it’s a lofty goal that I’m sure to fail at, but I’m gonna try. If you see me slip, then call me out on this. Just make the comment “remember the prayer of St. Francis” and that will be our code to remind me I’m slipping up.

Thoughts on a Bucket List

I have received many wonderful gifts in my life. Christmas, my birthday, father’s day: just in these last few months I’ve been given a motion detector for my gate, a 100 ft. laser measure, and a bucket list – bucket included. Now, sadly, I haven’t used any of these gifts yet. My wife, Linda, told me the other day that we need to get rid of some things we don’t use and threatened to give away my bucket. But it’s the bucket list I’m thinking about now — why is it that we feel the need for a bucket list.

Matthew 26:31-36 Living Bible (TLB)

31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight you will all desert me. For it is written in the Scriptures that God will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 32 But after I have been brought back to life again, I will go to Galilee and meet you there.”

33 Peter declared, “If everyone else deserts you, I won’t.”

34 Jesus told him, “The truth is that this very night, before the cock crows at dawn, you will deny me three times!”

35 “I would die first!” Peter insisted. And all the other disciples said the same thing.

36 Then Jesus brought them to a garden grove, Gethsemane, and told them to sit down and wait while he went on ahead to pray.

What a scene this is: we all know the events that led up to this declaration. The disciples had already seen with their own eyes, heard with their own ears, proof that Jesus was The Messiah. He had already taught them his message and shown them miracles.

Who could know better than Peter that this Jesus he’s been following is, indeed, the Son of God, the Messiah. When Jesus speaks, you’d do well to listen. But, no — not even Peter, after all he has seen and learned. He is certain that Jesus is wrong. Peter thinks he is better than this — stronger.

And we all know what follows. Peter, James, and John could not stay awake during Jesus’ anguished prayers. After Jesus is arrested, Peter denies Him, just as foretold. Jesus is crucified, but he rises again and meets them in Galilee, just as he said he would.

For as long as there have been people, there has been a struggle with the meaning of life. Babies are born without an instruction manual, we grow up without a map of our destiny, despite all those paths that are thrust before us. We all want to do something meaningful before we die. We don’t want to miss the mark, even if we don’t know where the mark lies.

The meaning of life — it seems so veiled, so hidden, and it hurts to search for it. What is it? Does it even exist? How will I know it, even if I find it? How do you go about searching for meaning in your life?

There is no shortage of suggestions for what you should do with your life, lots of people are ready to tell you what you should be doing, in fact, they demand it. We want to believe them. They seem so sincere. But be wary, you get but one chance at choosing your path in this life.  

Last week, the minister of my church gave us a message that “the mind is a terrible thing to waste.” He told us that the mind-set of the flesh is death and the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. He talked about stark opposition. That’s what I remember: stark opposition. Recognizing pride, putting others first. “He who loves his father and mother more than me is not worthy of me.” And then there was this: “What you do for the least of these, you do for me.”

Which brings me to the topic of stark opposition: Mercy, Charity, Pride, and Vanity.

Let’s start with mercy. “Compassion or forbearance shown to one having no claim to kindness.” In other words, if you can’t feel compassion (that is, sorrow or pity aroused by the suffering or misfortune of another) then at the very least, forbear them (that is, control yourself, be patient, refrain from causing even more suffering).

Think of a time when Jesus showed mercy.

Did you think of the adulterous woman and the religious leaders that demanded Jesus say what should be done with her? Weird, wasn’t it, how he stooped down and doodled in the dirt? But then he said, “Alright… but let the one among you who has never sinned cast the first stone.” They all left and even though Jesus did not condone sin, neither did he condemn the sinner.

Or did you think of the answer Jesus gave to Peter when asked, “How many times do I have to forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered him with a parable instead, about the master who called in his servant who owed him a debt he could not pay. “You wicked servant. I cancelled all your debt because you asked me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”

Or maybe you remembered the story Jesus told about the self-righteous Pharisee and the tax collector? The first boasted in prayer about all the wonderful things he had done, but the tax collector merely said, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” And Jesus then told the disciples that the tax collector was the one that returned home forgiven.

Don’t we all ask the Lord for mercy in our prayers? But do we reflect that mercy in our daily walk? Is mercy to be found in our decisions, our dealing with subordinates, our position on policy and politics. When we see someone who has “no claim to kindness”, do we feel compassion and forbearance?

What does mercy have to do with Matthew 26? Jesus knows that the disciples will desert him, but he mercifully explains the situation to them without condemnation. Then he says, “I’ll see you in Galilee.”

Sometimes I think the entire Old Testament is a lesson in how men try to earn God’s favor by unerringly following his commandments and how they always fail. Even the best examples of God’s human servants are spiked with failure and, sometimes, horrifying acts of sin. And the New Testament is a lesson in God’s mercy to all of us sinners.

What does the word charity bring to your mind?

For most of us, it would be that charity was a tax-deduction Or perhaps that it was a special kind of gift?

Charity is first and foremost the love you show to your fellow human beings: your love for others. The second meaning is kindness in judging others. I’m not making this up. These are the definitions I found in the Merriam Webster’s School Dictionary. It’s only the third and last definition that says, the giving of aid to the poor and suffering. But if you are charitable, you give these gifts because you love the person you are giving the gifts to, because you don’t judge them. In philosophy, charity is giving with no expectation of receiving anything in return.

So, what do you recall that Jesus taught us about charity?

Did you think of Luke 21, where Jesus sees the rich putting their gifts in the offering box and a widow puts in two copper coins? And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Ayn Rand, who planted the seed that grew into today’s Libertarian philosophy, disdains charity. She wrote, “My views on charity are very simple. I do not consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the help and you can afford to help them. I regard charity as a marginal issue. What I am fighting is the idea that charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue.” I don’t believe Ayn Rand even had a dictionary, but her view appears to be a cornerstone of modern politics. It must be hard to be a politician and a follower of Christ.

What am I saying? It’s hard for me to be a follower of Christ. I’m a terrible example. In Luke, Jesus assures his disciples, saying, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I’m no better than the politicians. I try to balance giving and receiving, but it all ends up as receiving. God help me.

Jesus was charitable to His disciples. Jesus loved them, He was kind in judging them. He knew they were unprepared for what was about to happen that night in Gethsemane and the next day. He told them what would happen and when Peter failed to believe him, he gave him evidence so that Peter could not overlook his failure and would be strengthened by it. He told the disciples that their desertion had been preordained. He did not condemn them.

Zechariah 13

“Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is close to me!”
declares the Lord Almighty.
“Strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered,
and I will turn my hand against the little ones.

If I asked you what charity brings to mind, would you think about Matthew 6?  The verse where Jesus cautioned, “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.”

Now, let’s consider the other side of that stark opposition, starting with pride. What is pride? Pride means you are being proud. The opposite of humility. Pride is excessive self-esteem: conceit. But it can also mean a reasonable or justifiable self-respect: as in “The Pride of Konawa”. There is nothing wrong with being glad Konawa has a good band. In our context, however, of the lessons Jesus taught us: pride means pleasure or satisfaction taken in some act, accomplishment, or possession. And this kind of pride is dangerous and separates us from God. How can you let the Spirit into your life until you have cleaned out all the things you’ve stuff it with?

What does Jesus teach us about pride?

Back to that story about the Pharisee praying in the temple about all his good deeds, so thankful that he wasn’t like that sinful tax collector. I think Jesus wanted his disciples to know that it was the Pharisee’s pride that tripped him up. The prideful have no need of a God who wishes for us to seek humility.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The “poor in spirit” are those who recognize their utter spiritual bankruptcy and their inability to come to God aside from his divine grace. We are not to boast about ourselves. In 2 Corinthians we read, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” So proclaim the glories of God and try to be quiet about yourself. Pride is giving ourselves credit for something that God has accomplished — taking the glory that belongs to God and keeping it for ourselves. Pride is self-worship. In James, we read “Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

So what caused Peter to say, “If everyone else deserts you, I won’t” ? He was sure of himself. He is standing there, face to face with God incarnate. And he doesn’t believe Him. He believes in himself more than he believes Jesus. Now, if Peter, a disciple, a man who had Jesus as a personal guide and tutor, cannot conquer his pride, how can I? I cannot — but through the grace of God.

And, finally, what is vanity? Well, being vain of course. And vain means worthless, vain means not succeeding, futile. And vain means conceited, proud of one’s looks or abilities. So vanity can mean an empty or worthless state; a state of futility; or an inflated pride in oneself or one’s appearance.

We all know the commandment “Thou shalt not use the Lord’s name in vain” but exactly what is that warning us not to do. When I was kid, if somebody cussed, an adult was sure to say “don’t use the Lord’s name in vain” so I just figured it meant not to cuss. Well, I’m afraid that missed the mark. If fact, we tend to dismiss the significance of this commandment. Does it bother you a little to hear OMG all the time? It seems that God wants us to be aware of what comes out of our mouth. God dealt harshly with prophets who falsely said they were speaking the words of the Lord. Telling someone you are doing something for the Lord, when it’s really for you, or telling someone that it’s God’s will when it really your will — this is literally using the Lord’s name in vain. We make many covenants with the Lord, we swear many vows: marriage vows, our duties as public servants, ordination vows. God wants us to keep our vows. God opposes perjury.

Matthew, chapter 5, quotes Jesus as saying, “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No ,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one”

What about prayer? Are we aware of the holiness of God’s name when we start off a prayer, “Dear Lord, please help me with” and then we have a shopping list of things we want God to do for us? It’s almost like we start prayer with “Dear Lord” because we think we need to get his attention. Get his attention so he can hear what we want. In vain. Jesus was asked to teach us how we should pray and he immediately warned against making vain repetitions. Then Jesus said, when we pray it should be something like this: “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name…”

I fear that using God’s name in vanity couldn’t be better illustrated than in a recent story about how two televangelists defended their use of private jets as a luxury means of travel, arguing that commercial planes are full of “a bunch of demons” that will bog down their busy schedules with prayer requests. Really? That just makes me so sad…

It was in vain that Peter and the other disciples said, “I would die first.” I pray that I don’t live my life in vain. See, that’s the deal with looking for the meaning of life. Without meaning, it’s all in vain. Our bucket will be remain empty. If I had to set down in words today what I believe to be the meaning of life, it is to serve. And by serving: to learn, love, and grow closer to God. So now I’m back to where I started, the same verse of stark opposition that Brother Steve used last week:

Matthew 25:31- English Standard Version (ESV)

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

If you have to separate your business from service to God, you’re in the wrong business. If you have to separate your politics from your service to God, you’re in the wrong party. If you aren’t called to be merciful, to grant charity, to defeat your pride, and to overcome your vanity: if you aren’t compelled to the service of God, then you’re in the wrong religion.

 

Behavioral Objectives

Jesus teaches us to love, to serve others, and to be humble.

A little girl came home from school and said to her mother, “Mommy, today in school I was punished for something that I didn’t do.”

The mother exclaimed, “But that’s terrible! I’m going to have a talk with your teacher about this … by the way, what was it that you didn’t do?”

The little girl replied, “My homework.”

Teachers see many ideas and practices come and go over the course of their careers. Behavioral objectives were once a trend mandated by administrators and embraced by teachers across the country. As opposed to instructional goals, behavioral objectives are student-oriented. The emphasis is on what the student is expected to do, not upon what the teacher will do. These objectives describe learning outcomes – what the students will be able to do at the end of instruction and how their behavior will be changed. Behavioral objectives have to be clear and understandable. Good behavior objectives are observable.

In Luke 6:43, Jesus says, “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Disclaimer: You’ll recognize as I go on that I am not a good role model in these objectives. I struggle with changing my behavior even when I’m aware of losing my way on the path. You see: I’m human and therefore, a sinner.

As children of God, students of Jesus, we should know the behavioral objectives of our teacher. How can you tell whether or not you’re following Christ’s teachings? Whether or not you have been transformed as a result of following Jesus? In other words, how can you tell if you are growing as a Christian?

Jesus accomplished the goal of redeeming us from our sin by his sacrifice on the cross, but what about His students – those of us who believe, have accepted that redemption, and desire to follow His teachings? Are we transformed by His teaching and are we following His will? Searching the gospels for the teachings of Jesus, you quickly realize that everything he said or did had a lesson. So let’s just try to find the essential behavioral objectives. Remember this lesson from Luke 10?

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Jesus teaches us to love.

This commandment was cited again, in Matthew 22, when Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment in the Law, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Well, gee, that sounds easy – until you think about it. A closer look, sooner or later, forces you to realize that obeying this commandment is not humanly possible. Without God’s grace, the redemption of the cross, and the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit, we’ve already failed the first test: the most important commandment.

Your heart reveals who you really are. It’s the navigator of your actions, your choices, and your words. Is your heart pure? The phrase “human nature” generally means that our hearts are not naturally bent on loving God. We tend to use the phrase as an excuse for our indulgence. To love God with your whole heart, you have to put aside your human nature and purify your heart by cleansing it with God’s grace.

Soul, in the Bible, can mean “people”, or “animals”, or the life that a person or animal has, but we generally interpret it to mean the part of a person that is not physical. In Genesis, the Bible describes the death of Jacob’s wife, Rachel, saying “as her soul was departing.” George MacDonald said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” To love God with your soul means to commit the essence of your life to God. Nothing is held back.

Your mind is your accumulated knowledge and experience. It’s your reasoning, perception and discernment. Your mind is your wisdom. To love God with your whole mind requires that you waste none of these on anything else but the appreciation of God’s creation, awareness of His presence, gratitude for His blessings, and devotion to His will. James 1:5 tells us true wisdom comes from God. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” To love God with our mind, using our wisdom, requires that we pray for His guidance and grace, and that His wisdom prevails.

Strength means your power, your focus, your determination, and application of your mind. It literally means the pinnacle of your ability. To love God with all your strength means that you’ve held none of your potential in reserve – that you have given everything you are capable of giving in your love of God. No excuses, no complications, no Plan B.

No, this “Love the Lord Your God” commandment doesn’t sound so easy after all. But wait, there’s more.

“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Now, does this mean to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself or to love them as though they are yourself? It’s clearly human nature to love yourself at the expense of others – so how do we learn to love our neighbors? By following this guide: imagine the things you would do if you did love them and then go and do those things. Practice this continuously (with a liberal dose of forgiveness and compassion) and your love will grow. Like muscle memory, this is how we learn to love – by doing.

The question in Luke 10 was followed with another for clarification: “And who is my neighbor?” The Good Samaritan story makes it clear that everyone is your neighbor, even those you may call your enemy. This flies in the face of human nature, but it is clear in the teachings of Jesus. We are to love others. You cannot hate others and follow Jesus. You cannot walk on by and pretend you didn’t see the suffering and need of a neighbor if you follow Jesus.

This objective of loving God and our neighbors is not an easy task. Only by the Grace of God can we be transformed to a follower of Jesus who loves God and his neighbors.

Jesus teaches us to serve. 

Jesus taught us by His example, modeling the behavior He wants us to learn. He spent his life in service to others. Jesus tells the parable of the sheep and the goats, separated on the day of judgement when the “Son of Man comes in his glory”:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Does this remind you of the news today? How welcoming have the Christians in our nation been to refugees, fleeing from death at the hands of terrorists and genocidal regimes? How readily have we students of Jesus embraced the hungry, jobless, and homeless in our own country? How much compassion and love have we shown to our elderly, sick, and poor neighbors? Can people tell that we are Christians by how much love we show to those who are different from us in race, religion, culture, or sexual preference? Is it apparent that we Believers value our employees, our customers, and God’s creation? Our culture does not embrace servanthood.

Thousands of books have been written on leadership, but few on servanthood. Our culture prizes personal happiness and comfort. Successful careers are measured by how much we have elevated ourselves and provided for our families. That is the way of the world, but not the teaching of Christ. He said, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”

In Matthew 6, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” By serving money, you are serving yourself instead of others.

This objective of serving others is not an easy task. Only by the Grace of God can we be transformed to a follower of Jesus who serves God by serving others.

Jesus teaches us to be humble. 

Christ teaches us that we are to serve charitably and anonymously, expecting nothing in return. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us to combine service with humility:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Humility means not considering yourself to be better than other people. We are all tempted by vanity and pride, but these attitudes are far easier to see in others than in ourselves. It’s annoying to endure arrogance in another person, but how often are we aware of our own self-righteousness? Pride is esteemed in our culture, yet a clear deviation from Christ’s teachings. Vanity is the number one trait appealed to by advertisers, yet an obstacle to living a spirit-filled life.

Picture a man coming home from the sports store with a new set of golf clubs. He’s about to put them in the closet, but finds that it’s already full. To make room for the golf clubs, something’s going to have to go. For the Holy Spirit to be able fill our hearts, we may have to make some room available. Our hearts are already full of our desires, hope and dreams.

Humility without engaging the Holy Spirit can be dangerous. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:43-45, “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

We minimize the commandment, “Thou shalt not use the Lord’s name in vain” in order to make our behavior more palatable. Do we really think this just means not to cuss, to avoid the use of a list of words? We know what vanity is – it’s self-love, self-importance, self-righteousness. We use the word correctly: the vanity dressing table, vanity mirror, the vanity website. When we seek to “pretty ourselves up” – to justify our desires, feel better about our attitude, defend our actions by saying “this is God’s will”, believe that “God’s on our side”, or reference a snippet of scripture that seems to prop up our position – is that not using the Lord’s name in vain? At the very least, it’s not humility.

I’ve been told that being a Christian is easier than I think. After all, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

So, I may be making it harder than it should be, but it wasn’t easy for the disciplines either and they were right there with the Teacher. It wasn’t easy for Paul: to the Romans he wrote, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Sometimes I think that if it seems easy, you may not be doing it right. And even in the rare moment that it felt like I may have done something good, humility has just slipped through my fingers. You can’t proudly say, “Oh! Look at how humble I am.” On the other hand, humility isn’t manifested by belittling yourself, undervaluing your abilities, or disparaging your contributions. Putting your ambitions and desires aside, prayerfully allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your path, bravely following that guidance, and thankfully praising God and giving the credit to Him when you see His will realized – this is humility.

This objective of being humble is not an easy task. Only by the Grace of God can we be transformed to a follower of Jesus who lives in humility.

Dear Lord, guide us each day so that we can learn the teachings of Christ: to love you and our neighbors, to be open to your will and serve others, and to be humble in that service.

Thanksgiving

In the last few days several people have posed the question, “What if you woke up tomorrow and all you had were those things you thanked God for today?” I’ve spent Thanksgiving with my dad. He’s 87 and very ill. I’ve been here a week this time, and it’s been really hard for everyone. Mom has Alzheimer’s and dad has cancer. I’m really neglecting the rest of my family and job, but what can you do?

It’s a tough holiday. But I’m thankful for my family, my friends, job, and all the deserved blessing that God has given me. Mostly I’m thankful for my wife and kids. I look forward to Spring.