“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,” Colossians 3:23(NIV)

My oldest son will be graduating from high school in less than two weeks. This past Sunday, our church honored graduates, and I found myself emotionally moved as I listened to my son share about his dreams. In a very short amount of time, his plan is to move to Japan and attend the International Christian University. He has a real knack for learning languages, and he plans to study and become a teacher. Recently, he secured his first real job (one where he works for someone other than me). He is a hard worker, and I know that his employer will not be disappointed in the quality of his work.

Do you remember your first job? After having a paper route, and working for a contractor, I took my first “real” job at the age of 15 working for Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor. Do you remember Farrell’s? On the outside, looking in it looked like a fun place to work. Yet once I got inside, I quickly wanted out. The fictional character Forrest Gump said, “Life is like a box of chocolates…” It is amazing how good something can look on the outside, but be so different on the inside. I worked for the ice cream parlor for just a little over a month doing my best to give my best effort, all the while looking for another position somewhere else. My dad is the one who taught me about work. He works hard, and I would say that he perceives his work as a way of truly blessing others.

The value of a strong work ethic goes without debate, but ways to instill that quality in young people continues to be a challenge at times. As we come to the close of another school year, I wonder if our students got it. Sometimes it can look (from the outside) that we are only focused on outcomes and external evidence (grades and awards), and while these are the fruit of working hard, it is not the only or best part of work. What I am hoping is that our students realize that everything they do, everything they say, is an opportunity to glorify Christ. We have been created to worship and glorify God. There is no greater reason for our existence. There are times I am tempted to separate my life into the categories of sacred and secular. Yet in reality, every situation in which a person finds him or herself is a means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ. I believe that the Holy Spirit is determined that we have the realization of Jesus in every area of our lives, and He will bring us back to the same point repeatedly until we learn. Self-realization leads to self-glorification. Whatever we may, be doing—even eating, drinking, working, or resting—we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. I am hoping that our students get beyond the thinking that there is work to be done and that we must do it, and move towards the attitude that we have the opportunity to glorify Christ in all things.

Thanks for reading.

“There are many things that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those things." Michael Nolan

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. It contains more than two million stone blocks averaging 2.5 tons each. Every one of these limestone blocks was cut out by hand from quarries sometimes miles away and pulled up ramps of dirt to be stacked one upon the other to a height of 480 feet. One hundred thousand men worked constructing it, and for 3800 years, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world.

What an odd use of resources and work force, this building of pyramid tombs. Yet to the ancient Egyptians the work was holy. It expressed the way they understood the universe and so no one questioned the incredible cost of time, resources, and human life.

As amazing as the structure is itself, the treasure that was kept within was truly remarkable. Tomb furniture and household artifacts of gold and precious stones are just the beginning of the story. Jewelry, graven images of gods in the form of men, women, and animals, models of ships and houses testify not only to the wealth but also to the heart of the builder. The ancient history of the Egyptian people as well as all scientific knowledge of the day was engraved on slate pallets and placed within the tombs. All this and the sarcophagus itself, is simply the beginning of a vast treasure sealed inside the pyramids for the exclusive use of the Pharaoh in his journey through eternity. The monetary value of such a treasure is incalculable. Therefore, I am left asking, “all for what?” These things supplied not one thing of real value for any of the men or women to whom they were dedicated. What a startling awakening to them death must have been.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus tells us, “Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust, and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is is the place you will most want to be and end up being.” (MSG) Where’s your treasure and where’s your heart? Even the most spiritually minded of us say, “But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed.” The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God but how we are going to take care of ourselves. Jesus cuts to the heart, and reverses the order by telling us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our concern on taking care of the other things of life. So where is your heart? A very precious treasure of yours is watching.

Thanks for reading!

“Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.” Alfred A. Montapert

I was reading a recent blog entry by Mark Buchanan that stirred my thought process. He was describing a law of the human condition called the Law of Unintended Consequences. This law, similar to Murphy’s Law (“What can go wrong, will”), is not a law of nature but an accepted condition of being a finite being. The law of Unintended Consequences states that an act will often produce unforeseen results that are harmful to, sometimes the exact opposite of, what we intended. Many parents have seen this law in effect when raising children. Have you ever witnessed that it is when you are in a rush that for some reason your child moves more slowly? It is as if the words, “Hurry up!” flip a switch in their little brain that says, “Slow down” the exact opposite of what was wanted.

In Genesis 25, one can read of how this law can have long-term effects. Abraham’s wife Sarah had died, and so he marries a woman by the name of Keturah. He has many sons with Keturah. However, in order to protect his son Isaac, and the promise made to him about his future, Abraham cuts his other sons out of his in heritance and sends them away (Genesis 25:6). This action accomplishes what he intends, but with the unintended consequence of creating many of the enemies, the future Israelites will have to face. For example, several generations later Gideon and his army of 300 have to battle against the Midianites (a people group established by one of Abraham’s banished sons). Abraham was able to protect Isaac in the short-term, but unwittingly subjected his descendants to harm on a much larger scale. In effect, so that one son would not be inconvenienced during his lifetime, many sons suffered grievously for many lifetimes.

So what is your Isaac? What is it that you are trying to protect? Could it be that by doing so you have actually put it at risk? So often, as parents, we want to spare our children from pain. This is not a bad thing. Except for when we shelter our children from making choices that they are perfectly capable of making. My friends at the Love and Logic institute have illustrated this idea with “The Science of Control.” It goes like this, when we share the control we get our share. When we hoard the control, we soon lose it all. A parent who understands what it means to share the control is more likely to have good results by giving choices (giving a child the opportunity to think – with the unstated message “ I believe you are smart and capable of making wise decisions”), rather than demands (doing all the thinking for the child – which sends the message “You are weak, fragile, and not very smart – let me help you.”). For example, the parent who offers their child the choice, “Are you going to wear your coat or carry it?” knows that when a child feels the cold they are smart enough to put on the coat they are carrying without being told what to do, and or how to feel about it. The child who chooses not to bring or wear a coat can benefit from the adult who uses thinking words like, “I’m so glad I brought my coat.” Some might mistakenly say that this is cruel or manipulative, but the reality is that the child who faces the temporary consequence of cold most likely will make a better choice in the future. Rather than trying to make the child feel bad, it would be better to model for them how we take good care of ourselves and thus stimulate their thinking. I hope you find this helpful. My best to you as you seek to raise up a responsible child. Thanks for reading.