David Bahn - Reflections

It may be too harsh to suggest that the crew of the ship had delusions of adequacy. But they certainly did have to face challenges for which they were ill prepared. I say that because Luke makes two statements in this account that show how bad the situation really was. He says, "we," twice. "We," Luke writes, "gave way to [the strong wind] and were driven along." Then, "we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat." It seems Luke was pressed into service in the face of the terrifying storm.

Maslow postulated that there is a hierarchy of needs. According to his reckoning we don't really care about self-actualization if we are worried about self-survival. Yet, at whatever level of needs we find ourselves there is a need for God's grace, his divine provision, and his eternal salvation. We may be numbed to those needs by our first world comforts. There are no atheists in foxholes. Nor should there should ever be ungrateful people in the pleasant places of life.

I'm inclined toward explicitly naming Jesus in my prayers, conversation, and teaching. I want to be sure that I honor his name as clearly as possible. A missionary once shared with me about her and her husband's work in south Asia. "Jesus is not getting the honor he deserves," she said. That really captured my heart. I'm all in for honoring Jesus. I want to do that in word and deed. And I can do that also by remembering that he is in every nook and cranny of life - whether he is named or not.

Decisions made on the basis of godly wisdom may not seem easy, but easy isn't always best. And God's ways - though they may be challenging - are always best. When wise and godly people counsel us we do well to listen to them.

Whether it is a blessing God has in mind for us to receive, or a divine appointment for us to keep, God is in every moment of life's journeys. Whether we're on the way to the grocery store or arriving at a beautiful mountain vista, we must be alert to God's presence and plans for us along the way or at our destination.

We may have the opportunity to show hospitality and kindness - which we should do just for kindness' sake. But God's agenda includes both the kindness received and the blessings that come with it. Those blessings flow down from person to person so that more and more people can hear of Jesus and believe in him. 

I doubt that Julius realized how he was furthering the message of the gospel by showing kindness to Paul. The same may be true of us as well: we may not realize how our acts of kindness cause ripples of grace to extend from the epicenter of the act far beyond anything we would ever imagine. 

It's a pretty high honor to serve as someone's mentor, inviting someone to do as we do. It's not for someone who says, "Do as I say, not as I do." We are inviting someone to watch us, and learn from us, and see how we navigate difficult decisions, resist temptation, and honor Christ with our witness.

I'm sure Paul failed from time to time. In fact he shares his struggle with temptation and sin in his letter to the Romans when he says, "The good that I want to do, I do not do" (Romans 7:19-25). So it's not about never sinning. It is about resisting temptation, repenting when we do sin, and continuing to repent and believe the gospel every day. That's the one place I'd be happy for people to imitate me: a life of daily repentance and faith, and a renewed desire to serve Christ, loving God and my neighbor. 

I’m thinking about thinking differently and in a new way. I’m thinking about engaging and disengaging is some matters of thought. There are the obvious and ongoing battles of the mind. There are thoughts we must constantly abandon. Think lust, greed, fear, envy, and rage. There are also thoughts I need to renew. Think Bible memory, things listed in Philippians 4, pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy things.

It might also mean being more mindful: Thinking about where I lay my phone. Not zoning out when I’m talking with someone who might be boring me. Being present in the moment and not trying to do two things at once. That kind of mindfulness pleases God and honors our creator who has made us and given  us our reason and all our senses: our minds.

When we have the opportunity to share the message of Jesus we can be sure the Holy Spirit is attending our throughs and words. And if the message seems to glance off the hearts of those to whom we speak, we can be patient and persistent in sharing the gospel. 

This not only applies to our witness to non-believers, it applies also to the conversations and encouragements we have with other believers urging them toward a more faithful walk. They may need to hear more than once that they can fill a critical gap in a ministry, or make a different life choice. In any case repentance and faith is the goal and God is the author of that in our lives.

Someone once said that the problem of many regarding the Christian faith isn't so much a matter of believing as it is surrendering to the Lordship of Christ. That might be partly true, but it is not the whole story. The love of God brings us to faith, changes our hearts, and ushers us into his kingdom. That's more than surrender. That's faith. I believe the prophets because they point me to a loving and gracious God who has redeemed me, forgiven my sins, and given me eternal life.