Ordinary Christians

Sometimes it's good to notice the extraordinary impact of ordinary Christians around me.

These are the Christians who serve God faithfully without knowing how much of a difference they are making in the world around them.

They love and respect their husbands and wives. They honor their parents. They nurture, discipline, and instruct their children.

They show up to work on time and ready for the day. They approach their jobs with good attitudes. They care about their co-workers, employees, and customers. They take the time to listen to the concerns of others, sometimes offering helpful advice and sometimes offering a prayer. They are sincere in their gratitude when they are helped; and they are willing to help others whenever possible.

They spend time reading their Bibles and praying. They want to be close to their Lord. They want to know him better. They believe what they read in their Bibles; and they trust that God is listening to their pleas on behalf of the people for whom they pray.

They enjoy worshipping with their local churches. They participate in and teach Bible classes. They clean the church buildings. They mow the grass and shovel the snow on the church's property. They serve food when the church shares meals. They drive the vans to pick up people who want to worship with them.

They volunteer to help teachers at their local schools. They coach and support their children's sports teams. They are involved in their children's scouting programs. They e-mail and meet with their political leaders in support of just legislation or in opposition to unjust legislation. They raise money to fight diseases. They recycle paper, plastic, and aluminum products to help the environment. They get their pets from the local animal shelter.

They share the good news of Christ whenever an opportunity arises. They adopt children, volunteer for pro-life ministries, and sponsor children around the world through Christian relief organizations. They send money to organizations that fight global poverty and others that translate the Scriptures into native languages around the world.

They are ordinary Christians, but they are intentionally committed to doing good so that others are blessed and God is glorified.

"...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

People Who Inspire Me: William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Early in his political career, he experienced "the great change" in his life due to a friend who shared the message of Jesus Christ with him as they vacationed together over the summer. He placed his faith in Christ and made a genuine commitment to follow him as Lord.

At first, he seriously considered leaving his position as a member of Parliament. Prior to following Jesus, Wilberforce had not done anything of true significance as a politician. He had been concerned merely with his own position in society, his own fame, wealth, and power. However, a former slave ship captain changed his way of thinking on the subject. John Newton, the author of the song Amazing Grace, urged him to live out his Christian convictions while serving the nation as a politician. Newton encouraged Wilberforce with these words: "It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation." As an evangelical Christian committed to doing good for his nation in political circles, William Wilberforce became best known for leading the effort to abolish the trans-Atlantic slave trade and eventually slavery in the British empire.

Why does William Wilberforce inspire me?

1. He had a strong commitment to sound doctrine. This led to faithfully living out the implications of those doctrines. He pursued mercy and justice because he saw the God of mercy and justice through the pages of the Bible. His understanding of sin, grace, and Christ led him to oppose sin, extend grace, and honor Christ in every aspect of his life.

2. He was evangelistic. In his personal relationships, he sought every opportunity to share his faith. In the Parliament, he worked with many unbelievers. Some opposed him in every way. Others were his friends and allies. In both cases, he tried to persuade them of their need for Jesus. He even wrote A Practical View of Christianity, a popular book in which he shared his faith with the population at large.

3. He had a strong commitment to doing good. In addition to fighting the slave trade, he was heavily involved in the British Foreign Bible Society, the Church Missionary Society, and the Society for the Manufacturing Poor. He worked to alleviate harsh child labor conditions and to improve prison conditions. He was a founder of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He did not limit himself to seeking good in one area. He sought every opportunity available to him to improve his world and to honor his Savior.

4. He persevered. Wilberforce endured years of poor health and problems with his children. He faced entrenched political forces that opposed everything he supported. He was slandered in public and humiliated in many ways. But he never gave up. He continued to seek the best for his family, his friends, and his society.

William Wilberforce was a man worthy of honor, because he was a man who consistently honored the name of God.

Frogs, Tadpoles, and Righteousness

"A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel" (Proverbs 12:10, NIV).

A few days ago, I was going to empty my son Christopher's outdoor toy box after a rain. As I was about to tip it over, I saw something make a splash. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that a couple of frogs and a number of tadpoles had made the outdoor toy box into their new home.

I called for Christopher. Immediately he asked me to allow the frogs and tadpoles to keep the water, since the tadpoles would die without it.

Of course, I agreed. There was no need to kill the tadpoles. In addition, it became a practical way to apply the principles of one of Christopher's memory verses.

Now Christopher checks on his frogs and tadpoles several times a day as he lives out Proverbs 12:10.

In the picture above, Christopher is holding one of the frogs in our backyard.

Bat Dog and the Boy Wonder

In the Contact Church, we spend about 10 to 15 minutes on Sunday mornings concentrating on prayer and praise. During this time, anyone in the congregation can raise his or her hand to inform the church about a prayer request or a reason for giving thanks to God. Christopher has a tradition of telling the congregation, "I'm thankful for Bat Dog!" Everyone enjoys hearing his praise to God for Bat Dog, possibly because it's cute and possibly because our dog has such an unusual name.

When we adopted Bat Dog from the animal shelter nearly 3 years ago, Christopher was a big fan of The Batman cartoon series and Krypto the Superdog cartoon series (which often featured Ace the Bat Hound--Batman's pet dog--as a guest star). So when we got a dog, Christopher named him Bat Dog. Now Bat Dog may be the most prayed-for dog on the planet, since he is mentioned nearly every Sunday morning during prayer and praise at the Contact Church.

"A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal..." (Proverbs 12:10).

Creation (Part Two)

These are my notes for our Bible study at the Normandy Apartments tomorrow night.

"So God created man in his image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

Please read Genesis 1:26-2:25.

These are some implications of humanity's creation:

1. God is relational. "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." God's use of the plural in referring to himself suggests the doctrine of the trinity. (See Genesis 1:2 and Colossians 1:15-20.) In his nature, God exists relationally. We have been designed to relate to him and to each other.

2. People are special to God. We bear his image. Whatever else that may mean, it means that we have a special connection to God, a connection not shared with plants and animals.

3. All people are related to each other, because we are descendants of Adam and Eve. We are related to the richest man in the world and to the AIDS orphan who is barely surviving in Africa. We are related to the Swedish supermodel and to the Chinese prisoner. We are related to the Olympic gold medalist and to the comatose woman in the nursing home. Since we are related to each other, we should consider how we treat each other.

4. People are responsible to care for the world's animals. We are to rule over them not as selfish tyrants, but as righteous kings and queens. Their interests will not take precedence over human needs, but they will be considered. (See Proverbs 12:10.)

5. Men and women are similar, but not the same. God separated masculinity in men from femininity in women as a part of his "very good" design for humanity.

6. God has blessed sex between a husband and a wife as a part of his "very good" design for humanity.

7. God has blessed the roles of father and mother as a part of his "very good" design for humanity.

8. Men and women complement each other in marriage. Neither is complete without the other. Each has a role in building up the other. (Ephesians 5:33 provides good advice in this area.)

9. Marriage was designed to provide security for both the husband and the wife. They can stand before each other completely naked, open, and vulnerable, but without shame.

Caring for Your Animal

A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10, NIV)

I learned many years ago that righteousness was defined as right thinking and right acting. Then, I learned that it had a relational component; righteousness involved being rightly related to God and to people. Proverbs 12:10 expands the definition a little further. Righteousness involves being rightly related to one's animals, taking care of their needs.

Proverbs 12:10 has become our family's latest memory verse. It comes in handy when Christopher does not want to feed the dog.