theologer

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ" - Colossians 3:23-24

How about "as for the Lord and not for yourself?" Although as I'm thinking that I'm also realizing the thing I have in mind is something I suppose is for men... as well as for me. Basically my life is like this... I begin to write. I love to write. I write because I want to write and because I want to develop my writing voice. I want to become a better writer. So I start to write. I find I can write things that I hope are pleasing to the Lord, things that edify me and teach me as I try to teach...

I love to write so I keep writing. Pretty soon people are reading what I write. Not tons of people, but nonetheless there are people out there (about 40/day) that read what I write. Suddenly I get a big head. Ohmygosh! People like reading what I write? People like reading what I write! And then all of sudden its not about pleasing God or even doing what I love to do, its about writing for people. Or rather, I write because people read.

This isn't necessarily inherently sinful. It just creeps into my every corner. I create a forum because I think I can benefit from it, I think it can glorify the Lord. Then I start to think about how much more traffic I'm going to get because the forum is attached to my blog.

Lame.

I want to do things as for the Lord. It's just so hard to keep my priorities straight. I want to get my inheritance from Him! Not ya'll (no offense). I want to serve the Lord Christ.

Finally, I want to mention that I think the Lord seems to have an unusual amount of grace for this sort of thing. He seems to allow us to do some things for the wrong reasons as longs as their the right things, and then later brings us around. I'm glad he's gracious.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." - Ephesians 6:1
"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." - Colossians 3:20

I come from a pretty spectacular family in that I genuinely respect my parents and aspire to be quite like my father. I know that few can say this. As I get older I definitely think my parents are weirder and weirder, which is either because I'm getting older and more aware of their idiosyncrasies, or they genuinely are getting weirder.

But one thing I've noticed is just how much harder this is with one's in-laws. I am in the midst of an in-law family reunion, and in my house right now there is:

My wife,
My wife's brother
My wife's sister in law
My wife's other sister in law
My wife's mother
My wife's grandmother
Two nieces
One nephew
And my daughter.

If you'll notice thats 8 women and 3 men (including me). I grew up in a male dominated home and when the estrogen outnumbers the testosterone I don't really know how to cope.

Basically, I'm just arguing that today finally, I can relate to many of you who come from difficult families and are trying to honor your parents/families. This family isn't difficult at all. In fact I really enjoy many of them. But no matter how well you get along with in-laws, their still in-laws, and ten of them is too many.

I'm just taking comfort in the fact that my wife has to go to a family reunion with my family in about 3 weeks and she will be put through the same torture.

I have to assume when Paul said, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments." - 1 Timothy 5:23, the reason for the stomach pain and frequent ailments was family.

"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me." - Psalm 50:23a

Now in light of this passage we just looked at in the Psalms, read this next passage from Colossians.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:16-17

As you read this, try to let it "dwell in you richly," or let it fester (as my father would say). My wife and I do sing to one another attempting to talk to one another as one might do in a musical, but we do it more for amusement than in observance of this scripture.

How easy is it to do all that we do in the name of the Lord? How easy is it to give thanks to God for everything we do? While you may give thanks for your new computer, iPhone, ESV study bible, or whatever it is that floats your boat, do you give thanks for the mundane? The cup of coffee in the morning? The television shows you like to watch? What about your ottoman?

What does it look like to live in an attitude of thanksgiving?

After spending the worst summer of my life in a place where I was overworked and very underfed (to say the very least), I got on an airplane to fly home. I remember listening to the radio on the plane like it was the first time I'd heard music. The chair was the softest thing I'd ever sat in and there was literally nothing that slipped past my thankfulness. I was bleeding joy and thanks to the Lord because I had basically been through hell and back.

Now I hate flying with a burning passion and I wish I could remember the pain of that summer just so I could taste everything as sweeter than I do now.

I want an attitude of thanks. I want to glorify God with this sacrifice, and I want to do it in every word and deed.