How Much is Enough?

I taught from Luke 10:25-37 last Sunday. I didn’t choose it; it chose me. You know how it is with Sunday School curriculum; you just go with the flow.

But as I was studying for and even presenting the lesson, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t done with it. Nope, it felt like a review – a pop quiz – might be in store.

And, sure enough, on Tuesday, I got a call from someone in need. Not money-in-your-ashtray ‘in need’ but, wow-can-I-really-give-that-much ‘in need.’ I found myself at a real crossroads: “How much, Lord? How much should I give? How much is enough?”

When the Good Samaritan stopped to help the beat-up stranger on the side of the road, when he put him on his donkey and checked him into Holiday Inn Express, did he wonder the same thing? We don’t get that kind of insight from the parable. All we know is that he did it. And that Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”

There are a number of people on this campus who have taken that command to heart, and two of them have agreed to share some of their ministry journey at the upcoming Conversation & Community lunch scheduled for Wednesday, April 3 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria Creole Room. Both Shea Lowery and Laurie Nelson have unique ways of reaching out to those in difficult life circumstances, and they’ll challenge us with their stories. I hope you’ll plan now to attend … you get a free lunch, a wonderful opportunity to fellowship with other women students, and a reminder that we’re called to live out those lessons we teach.

I Want It Now!

"I want it, and I want it now."

As adults, we bristle at the thought that anyone except a toddler would think that way. Why? Because we've learned important life lessons like "good things come to those who wait" and "patience is a virtue."

Or have we really learned these lessons?

Consider the typical response when someone is presented a delicious dessert or steaming plate of fried goodness? "I want it, and I want it now." Instead of considering calories, nutritional value, or even hunger, the typical person will dig in and consume the offering, and then say something like, "I shouldn't have eaten all of that."

When given the after-dinner choice of being a couch potato or taking a brisk walk, the more common winner is the couch. People justify the decision with a tough day at the office, running around after kids all day, and lots of homework to do.

But what do you really want? More energy! Sense of accomplishment! Clear thinking! Stronger friendships! Toned body!

This, my friend, is the secret to successfully navigating the battle of immediate gratification versus true satisfaction: know what you REALLY want and do what it takes to get there. Branda Polk wrote: "Wellness is one wise choice at a time." Daily we make choices related to nutrition and exercise that either take us closer to our physical wellness goals or drive us further away.

What do you really want ... not just today but for the long haul? Choose accordingly.

Oh, No, Not Job!

OK, I confess … I’m job-a-phobic. Not ‘job’ as in employment but ‘Job’ as in the book of the Bible about God giving Satan permission to test the depth of a man’s faith.

It stems back to experiences in my young adult years when a friend told me that, soon after studying the book of Job, he was in a skiing accident that put him on his back for six months. God used that time to teach Louie a lot about Himself. Then, shortly after hearing this story, I went to a Bible camp in Colorado and did a week of intensive study in the book of Job. I learned so much – in my head. But God gave me the opportunity at the end of the study to learn at a much deeper level when I received a phone call from home that my dad had passed away unexpectedly.

As we studied Job last week during the Brown Bag Book Club, we pondered God’s response to Job in chapter 38. The writer of our study asked two simple questions:

·   What does God do instead of providing answers to Job’s questions about human suffering?

·   Why do you think God choose this approach to Job?

I’m sure there are textually-, critically-, and hermeneutically-correct answers to both of these questions. But, in the simplicity of my mind, all I could think is that maybe God chose to respond to Job’s questions with His own questions because, really, what answer would have sufficed? What answer would have been enough to cover the depth of Job’s loss and pain? The only true answer was revealed in the hugeness of God’s questions (check out the last few chapters of Job to be reminded of how big our God truly is!).

And Job got it. At least, he ‘got’ what he could in the humility of that moment: “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know…. My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (42:3b, 5).

I pray you are taking time to get into scripture for more than just the next Old Testament test or Greek exegesis paper. Have you found a group to study God’s word with? Are you reading devotionally each day? I started in January with a read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan; I’m not-so-proud to say that I may now be on the five-year plan. Either way, my goal is to be in the Word regularly; I hope you’ll join me there.