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“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15:58‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

One of my favorite movie franchises of all time is the Rocky series. I’ve always been fascinated with the tales about the beloved boxer with the unwavering heart. He constantly overcomes the odds to win or go the distance. For example, in Rocky IV, there’s a moment during Rocky’s fight with Ivan Drago when Drago laments to his corner that Rocky is “like a piece of iron.” He’s perplexed at how he’s pounding away at Rocky but Rocky won’t surrender.

There are few better metaphors for the Christian life than that moment. We are constantly bombarded with the weapons of the enemy as he tries to destroy what God created. This is especially true when we’re laboring hard for the kingdom. In the 15th chapter of I Corinthians, Paul is combatting one of the enemy’s favorite weapons – false doctrine. He shares the truth with the Corinthians and urges them to keep pressing on, to be steadfast and unwavering in the truth. His charge to them is true for us too. False doctrine is rampant today, as are the other tricks of the enemy. But no matter what the enemy throws our way, we must stand firm and keep pressing forward. From the stiff jabs of worry and shame, to the uppercuts of depression and fear. From the left hooks of false doctrine and deceit, to the body blows of pride and immorality. No matter what comes our way, we must keep standing, keep fighting, keep working for the Lord. The Word says our work is not in vain. And while we may never get to wear that championship belt, one day we’ll get to wear a crown.

“All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].”  1 Corinthians 10:23 AMP

Anybody that knows me knows that I love to eat. Virginia Woolf said it best: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” However, there comes a time when I have to push back from the table, like when my clothes become increasingly snug. At these times, I will modify my eating habits in an effort to do better. This all works well until I get to my parents house for Sunday dinner. We eat very well each Sunday, and we often dine on food that’s not necessarily “healthy.” Those around me will eat whatever is prepared, even if they know that I am trying to eat better. But thank God for my wife. She will often “suffer” with me, though she doesn’t have to, because she doesn’t want me to stumble. She is mindful of my well-being as much as her own.

The scripture above was taken from a passage in I Corinthians in which Paul is talking about Christians eating meat offered to idols. Paul explains that, while eating meat offered to these nonexistent gods may not be sin, Christians should be mindful of these actions, especially when it comes to other people who are watching you. This lesson can really be applied to other areas of our lives. We often have to make decisions about music we listen to, movies we watch, activities we participate in, even jokes we laugh at. Variations in these areas sometimes require us to decide if doing something permissible is something that will benefit us, especially when others (both Christians and non-believers) are watching us. We should not live by trying to figure out how much we can get away with and still be considered saved. Instead, as Paul instructs, we should not only do those things which are edifying to our own spiritual health, but we should also do those things which will benefit others.

“Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.” Isaiah 57:1-2 NLT

People say that the first year of marriage is the hardest. Often this is because of the meshing of two different families, lifestyles, personalities, etc. into one unit. But for my wife and me, our first year of marriage was difficult for a different reason. During our first year, two of our closest friends died – one from a natural disaster and the other from physical sickness. They had both been in our wedding party and we were very tightly connected. Needless to say we were devastated. And, right or wrong, we questioned God about why they had to go so soon, especially because they were both so young. I think that we can all relate to situations like this.

This passage from Isaiah was written prior to the Babylonian exile. It speaks to the evil leaders of Judah and how they were mistreating those that were righteous. But it’s a source of comfort for me when I am confused about someone I love passing away. It actually also reminds me of the passage in Romans 8 that assures us that everything works together for the good of those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28). When evil men were being persecuted and even killed by the leaders of Judah, God took them away to protect them from the evil of the time and allow them to rest peacefully. The same may apply to our loved ones who die. We may never understand the why, the when or even the how of their passing. But, God is in control. He knows what’s best for us. He defeated death (I Corinthians 15:57). He gives eternal rest to those who abide in Him (Hebrews 4:9-10). And that is truly a blessed assurance for me.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

Recently there was a span of three days when several people that I know contacted me needing encouragement. The range of problems and situations was diverse, but the solution was constant. Whenever someone asks me for encouragement, I offer a listening ear, an understanding heart and an encouraging Word from God. As the times are changing, I am noticing that more and more people are needing encouragement. People are struggling with so much these days, up to and including severe depression, and I’ve never seen the need for Christian love in community as I do right now.

In the above verses, the author of Hebrews says that we should not neglect meeting together. Often this verse is cited as a way to encourage us to meet as the Church. While I do think that’s a key component of it, there’s more to it than just making sure we are there to sign the roll and be counted as present. God’s plan for His Church is for us  to live in community, to love one another and help one another through the stresses of life (Galatians 6:2). God knew that there would be hard times in this life, and He knew that these times would get worse and more frequent as this age draws to a close. It’s urgent then that we are all there for each other, to motivate each other to love and good works, to encourage one another through the trials of life, to spread the gospel together to those who aren’t yet saved.

If you’re reading this and have not connected to a local church, please consider doing so as soon as possible. As the Bible says, God gave each of us a unique set of talents to use to serve His people and show them His grace in its many forms (I Peter 4:10-11). And we all need each other. Just as I was the one people called on for encouragement, there will come a time when I will need to call someone to encourage me. We all need it from time to time. Be blessed.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalms 23:4

The Little Rod. I remember it very vividly. My uncle and aunt created it and actually sold it in their church’s bookstore. I can imagine that this didn’t make my cousins, me or my siblings very popular among our peers in children’s church. You see, the Little Rod was a paddle. It was named using our surname (Little) and the verse about the “rod of correction” (Prov. 22:15). The paddle even had the name etched into the wood. That’s pretty scary stuff for elementary-aged kids. And, needless to say, the mere existence of the Little Rod kept our attitudes and behaviors in check.

The above scripture reminds me of my experiences with the Little Rod. Taken from the powerful Psalm 23, this scripture reveals the comfort that the author, David, receives from the rod and staff of God. The entire psalm illustrates our relationship with God as His being our Shepherd and our being His sheep. Literal shepherds used a rod and staff for protection, correction and direction of the sheep. They could use the short, club-like rod to ward off predators from the flock. And they could use the long staff to redirect sheep who may be straying. The staff even had a hooked end which the shepherd could use to lift the head of the sheep when they were wandering off because they were looking down. The Father does all of this for His children. He protects us from harm, corrects us when we’re wrong, and lifts our heads to show us the way. While I never really enjoyed the Little Rod, I grew to understand that it served a greater purpose in molding me into who I am today. And I am eternally grateful that God does the same with His rod and staff.

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Ephesians 3:18 NLT

I loved geometry in school. I was always really good at it. In fact, in high school I remember being in a class full of upperclassmen and being the lone freshman in geometry. My classmates would pick on me because I would frequently “mess up the curve” by getting consistent high grades on assessments. One of my particular strengths was geometric solids. I loved calculating area and volume. I felt it was interesting and such a useful skill to have. And it is to this day.

In this scripture, Paul isn’t describing a geometric solid when he talks of the width, length, height and depth of God’s love. But I love how he describes it through the use of these dimensions. For His love is wide, long, high and deep:

“how wide” – The love of God is wide enough to cover a multitude of sins. God knows how imperfect we are, and He’s so full of mercy and grace that He forgives our sins and allows us to start over again and again. As the Word says, His compassions are new every morning.

“how long” – The same love that covers my sins and yours has been covering sins since Jesus died on the cross for us. Generation to generation has been afforded the opportunity to know God and receive salvation through faith in His Son Jesus.

“how high” – The Bible says that no man has a greater love than the love we receive from the Father, who sent His own Son to die for us. It’s the highest form of love we have ever experienced or will ever experience. It comes from the creator of the universe Himself.

“how deep” – The love God has for us is way more than superficial. For people may love you, but often they love the you that they can see. God knows everything about you, even those things you wouldn’t want anyone to know. For if they did, it might change their feelings for you. But God knows it all. And He loves you anyway.

Although math was one of my first loves, I have never experienced feelings in a math class like those I do when I think about the many different ways that God loves me.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Soft taco, no tomato, extra hot sauce, additional cup of extra hot sauce on the side. Beef burrito, no beans, mild sauce. Whenever I go to our beloved Taco Casa, this is the standard order for my wife and my daughter, respectively. It rarely, if ever, changes (except for maybe the number of tacos or burritos). While I find it quite boring, they never tire of eating this same order, even sometimes on a weekly basis. Don’t get me wrong. I love Taco Casa, and I love their soft tacos and burritos. But I also love other items on the menu and I have tried probably all of them at some time or another.

Variety in my food choices makes me happy. But the consistent nature of our Savior brings me joy. As the above scripture says, Jesus doesn’t change. He was, is, and will always be the same. It’s amazing to think that the same Jesus that saved Paul is the same Jesus that saved me. The message hasn’t changed, the grace hasn’t changed, the healing hasn’t changed, the comfort hasn’t changed, the commission hasn’t changed. And they never will. That’s extremely reassuring in a world that changes by the minute. It seems that nothing in the world is dependable anymore. Even people closest to you can be sometimey. If we’re honest with ourselves, we can also be sometimey. But not Jesus. Just like fast food orders in our house, He never changes. And that never gets boring.

“Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” Proverbs 13:10 NIV

Education is always changing. Anyone going into education for the first time needs to grab this and understand it, or the time spent in the classroom will not be fun at all. I remember a time when I was teaching that the principal changed the way we were to do lessons in our classrooms. I was not a fan of the new way and I resisted hard. I felt that my way worked and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well my principal did not subscribe to that motto, or to insubordinate teachers. Needless to say, I eventually adopted the new way and actually become a big fan of it.

My problem in that situation was pride. I felt that I knew more than my superior and no one could tell me different. The Bible talks alot about pride and how it can adversely affect us. Many figures in the Bible fell because of the same attitude that I demonstrated in the story above. In fact, Satan, once an angel, fell from Heaven because of his pride. This scripture tells us that where there is strife, pride is usually the culprit. But it also gives us the cure for pride – humility. Listening to and heeding advice takes a great deal of humility. Through this humility wisdom is born. Pride is a default setting in our flesh. But if we work to learn and display humility, we will become wiser. And avoid the kind of trouble my foolish pride made for me back in my teaching days.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 1:6

I remember there were times when I was growing up when my father would give us work to do. It could be cutting grass, washing cars, taking out trash, sweeping the floor, whatever. But he always expected it to be done to completion. One of his most famous sayings was “Don’t halfway do a job.” I must admit that I didn’t particularly care for that line or logic, especially when completing the work took more time and kept me from other activities. It’s funny how the older me now works until the job is done, and I expect that out of my children and expected it out my students.

This concept of completing work is something my earthly father and Heavenly Father have in common. Paul begins this verse with confidence because he knows that God doesn’t halfway do a job. He always completes what He starts. In particular, He has begun a good work in each of us. When we accept the Lord as our Savior, He redeems us from sin and condemnation. The work begins there. But we are still wrapped in flesh, so our manhood/womanhood constantly needs to die daily. God helps us with this through the person of His Holy Spirit and will keep doing so until Christ returns, the day when we are fully perfect. I’m glad about that, and I’m sure my earthly father is too.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”  – John 15:11

I remember being in college and working at a dry cleaners. The owners of the cleaners were a very nice married couple and they would come by often to chat with me about various topics, from school to politics to religion. One day the wife asked me if I had joy. I said “Sure. I love my life. I am doing pretty good in school. I have a healthy son. My family is very supportive.” But she asked if I had true joy. She then explained to me that the only way to have true joy was to live out the letters in order of importance. She said that JOY meant to love/serve Jesus, Others, and Yourself. And that stuck with me til this day.

In this passage in John, Jesus talks to his disciples about joy and how your joy can be full and complete. Jesus says that the disciples are His friends whom he laid down His life for. They would remain that as long as they kept His commandments. In several places we are commanded to love God with all of our heart and to love one another. We should always strive to meet the needs of others, and esteem others above ourselves. Then we can experience the friendship of God. Then we can have fullness of JOY.