Yours Mine and His

There have been a lot of people expressing their opinions lately about a great many things. Opinions are like noses - as they say - everyone has one and most of them smell.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It's a free country, right? At least it WAS. What's YOUR opinion?

Facts should be our common currency in the marketplace of ideas. But those seem harder to come by than $2 a gallon gas these days.

Honesty, truth, and integrity should be the norm in any civilized society. So, why do we struggle so much trading in those three commodities? The answer is simple.

We have misplaced our worship.

The Apostle Paul probably described us best 2,000 years ago in his letter to the Roman church.

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being." - Romans 1:21-23

Think about it. Aren't we worshipers of 'self' rather than God? Don't we value our own opinions more than God's truth?

Consider what the world would look like if we all obeyed God instead of our own selfish desires. Our own versions of the truth.

There would be no war or hunger. There would be no debate over who is male or female. There would be no murder or crime. The world would be filled with love for one another. So, why don't we strive for that? Why do we continue to wallow in our own worldliness?

Read that passage from Romans 1 again. We are lovers of self.

To change that, we must climb down from our throwns and relinquish control over all things to God. And that is our struggle because we choose not to do that. And here we are.

It would take an act of God to change the course we have set ourselves upon. God has had just about enough of the gods that we have created for ourselves.

But that's just my opinion.

The Right Thing

Lewis Hamilton

This past Sunday my wife and I witnessed something that we humans never get to see much of these days - someone displaying integrity, sacrifice, honor and gratitude in a world where all four of those things are in short supply.

This public example happened on the very last lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix as the third place car, driven by three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, slowed and allowed his teammate to pass him on the very last corner.

Formula One is all about glitz and glamor. It's all about the rich, and partying and spending millions of dollars just so one team can beat another. It's all about winning. Everything that the world says is good. It's the last place you'd expect to see an example of sacrifice, one man giving up HIS interests for those of another.

There are two teams battling for the top spot in Formula One this year - Ferrari and Mercedes. The teams compete in a Constructors Championship and the drivers compete for the individual drivers championship. The team comes first. The number one driver (Lewis Hamilton, in this case) gets priority over the number two driver (Valteri Bottas) who is often asked to slow down and let the number one driver past. Sadly, that very thing happened on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton leads Valteri Bottas

Each team consists of two drivers and both Ferrari drivers were in the lead on Sunday. The Mercedes number two driver (Bottas) was third and their number one driver (Hamilton) was fourth. Part way through the race the Mercedes number two driver slowed and allowed his teammate to pass him - giving up a certain podium finish as he did so. All this to allow his teammate a chance for victory.

Wow. Talk about sacrifice!

But the neither of the Mercedes cars was a match for the two Ferarris that day and Lewis Hamilton was going to have to settle for third. But instead he mysteriously slowed down in the last corner, allowing his teammate to pass him. By doing this he basically was saying, "Thank you for your sacrifice so that I had a chance to win.

Wow. What an example of gratitude and maturity. Placing the interests of someone else ahead of his own. What an example of Jesus and what our response to the Gospel should be!

Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross so that WE might have a chance for victory - forgiveness of sin, eternal life, no more pain or suffering. Victory! How should we respond?

In light of what Jesus did for us, what do you see in this example of Lewis allowing his teammate to pass? What should OUR response be to what Jesus did for us as He sacrificed His life?

For me it is to offer MY life as a sacrifice for Him. I see a responsibility in my response to the cross to lay down my life for the one who sacrificed Himself for me. That is what Christianity is about - obedience, sacrifice, mercy and grace.

My wife and I love to hate Lewis Hamilton. He always does well and usually wins his fair share of races. We have always cheered whenever he fails to finish a race. We have loved it where he doesn't win. But all that changed on Sunday with one act of doing what was right.

Each of us must respond to the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. It is right and honorable to do so. The question is will we make that response before the end of OUR race here on earth. Or will we cross the finish line of life without recognition of the One who sacrificed Himself on our behalf?

"12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2

At The Cross - Chris Tomlin
Lewis Hamilton Post Race Interview

Integrity

Everyday we are presented with opportunities to either succeed or to fail. Sometimes the tests are easy. Other times they are more difficult. Like yesterday for example.

I received a call from my insurance company. They wanted to know how my recovery was going from the accident I had five weeks ago. Gee, that was nice of them. They also wanted to know if I had missed any work because of the accident. Why? Because they wanted to reimburse me for lost wages. However I had already taken the two days I missed as "sick days" and had already been paid for them.

There it was. An opportunity to either succeed or to fail. This would be a good time to consult the Bible about what to do. Proverbs seems like a good place to look.

"25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26  Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. " - Proverbs 4:25-26

"Integrity - the choice between what's convenient and what's right." - Tony Dungy

C. S. Lewis said, "Integrity is doing the right thing. Even when no one is watching."

I was presented with an opportunity to gain hundreds of dollars by simply allowing the insurance company to pay me the money. There is absolutely no one stopping me from receiving a check in the mail to spend on what ever I wish. Well, that's not quite true. There are two people - me, and this guy.

"Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you." - Jeremiah 12:3

God watches our every move. He knows what choices are the right ones to make and which ones will lead down a path He doesn't want us to take. He sees what we see and He knows what choices we will make before we have even made them.

"3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." - Proverbs 21:3

Integrity Test - "Courageous" movie

The Commands of Jesus: Hand Over Your Coat

"40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." - Matthew 5:40

This command of Jesus really goes against our nature as Americans. At least at first blush. Why would we pay someone MORE that what they deserve? Especially if they are suing us?

I think the point Jesus is trying to make here is that we need to examine ourselves, JUST a little deeper that simply the words He spoke.

First, if someone is suing us, we must have done something wrong at least in SOME body's eyes. And if we indeed have done something wrong this command from Jesus begins to make a little more sense than it does on the surface.

If we have indeed wronged someone, Jesus wants us to not only make things right, but to make things REALLY right. It's a way of saying I'm sorry. Simply paying someone the amount they were owed would be "normal." But paying someone TWICE what there were deserving of would make the recipient really take notice.

"Why are you paying me twice as much as the courts awarded me?"

"Because I have done wrong in the eyes of the court and in the eyes of my God. I ask you to accept this extra amount as a means of saying I am sorry.

I this series of commands in Matthew 5 Jesus is desiring for us to look at all these situations with God in mind and with the other person in mind. That brings us to this basic concept of the Christian faith. We are not to be thinking about ourselves in this life. We are to be thinking about God and others before we think about ourselves.

Can you think of an instance where someone, upon winning a court case, has been paid MORE than they were due? Me neither.

Have you heard the story of the northern Indiana pizzeria owner who refused to sell pizza for a same-sex wedding? He was trying to be obedient to his god yet serve the public. He had no problem with selling pizzas to LGBT people. He just didn't want to contribute to a ceremony that contradicted his God. The protests came. He was on the news. This horrible man discriminating against gay people!

He was discriminating against people, he was discriminating against the ceremony. But our media doesn't see things that way. The attack was swift and direct. He paid a price, more than just the loss of this gay couples business. He actually closed the doors of his pizza store to stay true to God's will. And what happened?

Although the owner wasn't seeking anything in this, other than to just operate his business, someone started a crowd-funding campaign on-line for this store owner.

$842,387 was contributed to help this guy after he shut his doors. He has since re-opened his doors. The protests have stopped. Tables are full.

When God provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate our faith, let us not miss that opportunity. Let us stand talk and honor this King whose name we profess. Let us give to others MORE than they are expecting. In doing so, we not only with honor God, but we will be blessed as well.

Indiana Pizzeria Re-Opens