Flying in a V

My family and I were talking last week about what my article would be this week. About that time, a flock of birds flew over us. They were in the traditional “V” shape flying formation which prompted us to talk about why birds fly in a “V” shape pattern. From my understanding, the birds fly in this formation to be able to fly further distances. The “lead” bird is doing the hard work by flying first. The lead bird can create an updraft for the bird behind it causing the flock to conserve energy and fly faster. Being that lead bird is the hardest spot to be in that formation. It can be a spot that you want to quit because of the difficulties that come with that role. It is also my understanding that the reason geese “honk” is to encourage the leader to keep going. Why would I tell you all that about birds? Because I think it has application to our human leaders as well.

Leading people can be a very difficult job. Just ask Moses, Jesus, or any other leader. When you do the difficult job of leading and all you get is criticism, it can make you want to give up and quit. Unfortunately, that can be true in church work as well. The church needs good leaders like elders and deacons. We see over and over in the word of God His desire for these leaders (Ex: Timothy and Titus). Part of our responsibly to them is to “appreciate” them and to “esteem them very highly in love” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). 1 Timothy chapter five would teach us to consider them worthy of honor.

In our culture, October is considered pastor appreciation month. Though we do not have pastors like the denominational world, we do have pastors in the biblical sense. It would seem that the men we call elders could also be called pastors. I am not encouraging us to follow leaders away from God, but I am encouraging us to encourage godly leaders. How can you “honk” at our elders to encourage them?

Procrastinating

Are you a procrastinator? Maybe you wait until the last minute to get something done or you say things like, “It will get done sometime,” or “It will be done when it needs to be done.” There was a story that went around while I was in school of a student who was working on their big paper the night before it was due, and the computer crashed. No iCloud, no back up, nothing. And not enough time to start afresh. This student dropped out. I have been burned enough times by procrastinating that now I really try to get my stuff done early.

You might say, “So I am a procrastinator; what is the big deal?” If you want to live your life like that and understand the consequences, you can live how you want, I guess. It is your business about your bills, papers, projects, or whatever it is that you have to get done. What I want to talk about is more important than those things. I want to talk about eternity. I read a quote the other day by St. Augustine of Hippo that said, “God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.” It reminds me of the story of the man who was going to be immersed for the forgiveness of his sins when the weather warmed up, but the weather evidently never warmed up enough to be baptized before he died.

James chapter four verse fourteen reminds us that our life is but a vapor. We do not know when it will end. The reality is that any of our lives could end shortly. The Lord compares His return to a thief in the night in passages like Matthew chapter twenty-four verses forty-two through forty-four. Which means it could be any time. Are you ready? Well, I need to be baptized. Why not today? Well, I have some sin I need to take care of. Why not today? The Lord is gracious to forgive. Why not take advantage of that before it is everlasting too late?

Daily Decisions

Another quote I read the other day says, “To take up the cross of Christ is no great action done once for all; it consists in the continual practice of small duties which are distasteful to us.” That quote was attributed to John Henry Newman. I do not think it is saying taking up the cross (my thought is this means becoming a christian) is not one of the most important things a person can ever do but offers a commentary on the fact that becoming a Christian is a life-long commitment.

In fact, I think Jesus would encourage us to think about this decision because it is a life-long decision (Luke 14:28-33). How would it look if someone bought land and laid a foundation for a house only to stop there because they ran out of money? Or what if we were to go to war with half of the troops the other country had in service? In both cases, there was some poor planning. I think that is what Jesus is teaching here. Being a Christian is not a one time commitment but a daily commitment. In fact, that is what He teaches in Luke 9:23. It says, “And He was saying to them all, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

That daily part can be tough, and I think that is what the quote is referencing at the end when it says, “the continual practice of small duties which are distasteful to us.” I am sure some Christian things are a joy to you, but are there any that are distasteful? Maybe practicing what the Bible says about marriage or controlling our tongue or temper. Maybe we struggle with prayer or Bible study. Could it be evangelism or loving that one neighbor as myself? Possibly it is that one coworker or fellow student that you struggle showing Christ in your life to because they are mean. It can be easy to make a quick decision, but being a Christian is a daily decision. Chose Jesus. He can help you.