No Problem

Someone does something nice for you so you say, “Thank you.”

And what response do you get? “No problem.” In other words, “I did it and it’s no big deal. You don’t owe me.”

What happened to “You’re welcome”?

Apparently the same thing that happened to “Please.”

Next time you’re in a fast food restaurant, listen to what you and the other customers say as you place an order: “I need a number three combo with a diet soda. Gimmee a large.”

Well hold it right there! What happened to our manners?

My mother taught me to say, “May I please have a diet soda?” Didn’t yours?

Here’s the problem: people know what to say--they just don’t want to say it.

I called one manager aside and asked if he knew the proper response to “Thank you.” He said, “You’re welcome.” So I asked why his employees didn’t say it. He couldn’t say.

It seems we have a problem with graciousness and gratitude. We are impatient and rude. Others are nowhere near as important as we are in our own eyes.

Our favorite radio station is WIFM – “What’s In It For Me?” And if the answer is “Nothing,” we don’t waste our time. And for many, manners seem like a waste of time.

Sociology doesn’t have an answer for this problem. At least not that I’ve seen. And the reason is (if we do what comes naturally) we’re totally and completely self-centered.

Someone will say, “Others don’t deserve to be treated nice. They’re morons.”

Ooooookay. There’s an attitude that will make you a lot of friends…

Just suppose there is someone willing to give you far more than you deserve. In fact they will overlook your snooty self-centered attitude, forgive your angry outbursts and stick with you no matter what. A forever best friend.

That could be life changing.

Exactly!

And that’s what God does for us in Jesus Christ. Jesus left his Heaven to come to our earth to rescue us from ourselves. To give us what we don’t deserve—that’s the essence of grace.

Blindly following our self-destructive instincts, we would never and could never change.

Justice demands consequences. Condemned by our own actions and failures, our future was bleak without a full pardon. And when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, taking our punishment on himself, pardon became possible.

Possibility becomes reality when we take God at his word, put our trust in Christ to pardon us from our “just desserts” and give us a whole new way of living.

Once you receive grace, it’s much easier to be gracious; being forgiven, to forgive others; being served and loved, to serve and love others. Gratitude has that effect.

So the next time you’re wondering what happened to people’s manners, remember this: manners and politeness grow out of our hearts. What we say to others reflects our true nature.

Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll adds, “The tongue is only a bucket which goes down into the well of the heart, dips out what is there and pours it forth upon the world.”

The only way to see people change for good is to change their heart. God knows that and he offers a new heart to us through faith in Christ.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Cultural Christianity

Cultural Christianity is about how you think. What you sound like. How you dress.

Biblical Christianity is about who you are.

Christianity isn’t like a suit of clothes you keep in your closet and put on every Sunday. A Christian is a person who has been changed by God. From the inside out.

Churches each have a culture. That culture may be a style of dress, style of music or a style of worship (formal, liturgical or casual). Some allow no makeup or jewelry. Others are about a particular political party or point of view. But culture is not the essence of faith.

A Christian’s faith begins with understanding who Jesus Christ is. That he is the divine Son of God who said he came to “seek and to save the lost.” That he died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. That he was buried, rose on the third day and was seen by many witnesses.

But that understanding, that knowledge, must change to faith. A trust or reliance on Jesus to do for you personally what he said he would do: forgive your sins, take away sin’s penalty (eternal death) and give you eternal life.

Jesus’ mission wasn’t about an improved standard of living. He was more concerned about an improved standard FOR living based on a personal relationship with God.

I’m not sure if Jesus were here today in person that he would go to many churches to worship. He might be put off by the culture.

Sadly some churches are more concerned about what the members want than what Jesus wants. (Does anyone even ask about what Jesus wants? It’s supposed to be HIS church—right?)

Now while he might find it difficult to worship in some churches, he probably would be glad to preach. Of course some might be put off with his haircut or clothing. Or all the stories he would tell (“That’s not preaching, is it?”). But I digress.

If Jesus were to preach in your church, what would he say?

You can get a good idea from what he said to the religious people of his own day. And it wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t feel-good fluff. Or positive principles for powerful living.

He said, “Woe to…you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

While you’re at it, check out what he said to the seven churches in the last book of the Bible, the Revelation to John, the Apostle. While he complimented some churches, he called one “lukewarm.” Then he added, “You have forsaken your first love.”

Even though Jesus had endless patience and love for “sinners,” he had little for the religious, self-righteous types. Why? Because they elevated their religious “culture” (“traditions”) to the same level as the Laws of God.

Now before we come down too hard on the Pharisees (the religious leaders), let’s remember that we are much like them. They were sincere in their beliefs. Passionate for their religion. And they were more concerned about what they wanted than what God wanted.

In fact, they thought that what they wanted WAS what God wanted? Sound familiar?

If you identify yourself as a Christian, ask God to give you his eyes. To see as he sees. To love as he loves. And to be what he wants you to be: A new creation in Christ.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Hard Times

Hard times—what’s that? Many didn’t know. Until recently.

The last 25 years have been very good to America. We bought bigger homes and cars. And we forgot what it was like to do without.

Now the price of necessities seems to go up every day. People don’t know what to do.

My parents and grandparents could tell you about hard times. They lived through the Great Depression. Soaring unemployment and food shortages were daily realities. My father’s family picked up coal from the railroad tracks to heat their home.

Today we face the reality of an “economic downturn.” People fear a recession.

Well hold on just a minute. When times are tough, the tough get going--right?

Right. Like going to sell all their stuff.

A recent news story headlined, “Americans unload prized belongings to make ends meet in ailing economy.” Donations to charities are down as people turn to flea markets and online auctions to sell their possessions. A diamond engagement ring was recently listed to help pay bills. Sellers plead, “Please buy anything you can to help out.”

Apparently, when times are tough, we turn to the dollar.

But where do you turn when you run out of things to sell? Family? Friends? Yes and yes. But there’s a limit to what they can do. Then you’re on your own again. What then?

Why not turn to God? Good idea--but how can we be sure he’ll come through for us? Many don’t know him very well. For them he’s a big mystery.

The Bible says that God loves us. He has done everything necessary to remove the barriers (sins) that might come between us. That’s why Jesus died on the cross.

Now he waits for us to take the next step. By trusting in Christ’s death for forgiveness of our sin we are restored to a personal relationship with him--the God who made us.

Next the Bible encourages us to get to know God’s family, the church. There we meet fellow travelers who will pray with us, encourage us and help us on our spiritual journey.

Once we know we’re God’s children, there are many promises for us to claim. Promises like: “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” And “Those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

The Bible is full of promises for us. It says God wants to give his children good things.

There are many who spend much of their life worrying about what they will eat, drink or wear. Jesus said, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

What about those who say, “I tried religion and it didn’t work”?

Religion is man reaching into the unknown hoping to connect with God. But Christianity is God reaching out to man in the person of Jesus Christ. He wants us to know him personally.

At Jesus’ baptism eyewitnesses reported hearing a voice from heaven that said, “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

After hearing God’s “Eyewitness News,” the Bible, I turned from my self-centered life and received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My life was not only transformed, I also learned my heavenly Father answers prayer and keeps his promises.

Now when I face hard times, I know I have a God who loves me and will meet my needs.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Video Visions

Americans are obsessed with video.

Cell phone providers rush to bring programming to the tiny screen. Video games, TVs and computers demand our time. Has screen watching become a new religion?

Now don’t get me wrong. Video, a moving visual image, is not a moral issue in itself.

But what if aliens from another planet observed our culture? They might conclude that movie theaters are our temples, video devices are our gods and we worship at their screens.

Just look at the time we spend watching!

According to Nielson Media Research, the average American household watches 8 hours and 14 minutes of television every day. And that doesn’t include video games or YouTube.

In his book, “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” Neil Postman observes that what we watch shapes our view of politics, news, religion and education--every aspect of our world.

For this generation it would be accurate to say that television and video ARE reality. Visual media now forms and manipulates most of our opinions. And we don’t even realize it.

It shouldn’t surprise us. Every day television creates and destroys heroes and gods right before our eyes. “American Idol” and sports of all kinds come to mind immediately.

For many, watching movies and TV is a spiritual experience. Mesmerized into a trance-like state, they forget the world, the war and their woes. The experience numbs their pain and provides a brief happiness. Even news is often so entertaining that we forget how serious it is.

To be amused is to “not think.” And, sadly, we are “amusing ourselves to death.”

Many are so busy and so distracted they no longer have time to think. And if we’re not thinking, are we completely alive? (It was Rene Descartes who said, “I think therefore I exist.”)

We no longer think about our lives, the meaning of life or matters of eternity. Oh we SAY that faith is important to us. However God gradually moves down our priority lists until he slips off the bottom, unnoticed and unmissed.

People who aren’t thinking can ignore their biggest problems. But God says, “Come now, let us REASON together…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”

Karl Marx once said, “Religion is the opium of the people.” Sort of a spiritual sedative. But God says that the Christian faith is for thinking people. He appeals to our reason.

The Bible reveals that God loves us and made a way to care for our biggest problems through faith in Jesus Christ. He offers forgiveness of sin, answered prayer, guidance and provision for our needs. Plus a “happily ever after” in Heaven with him.

Of course if you don’t think you have a problem, you won’t look for help. Amusement is bliss. Video visions are the “opium of the people.” Clinging to our remote controls, computer mice and video game controllers, we make the world go away for hours at a time.

Well, hold on just a minute! You don’t have to amuse yourself to death.

Punch the “Off” button on your remote. Turn off your computer. Put down the cell phone and video game controller. Pick up a Bible and start reading the Gospel of John in the New Testament. Ask God to speak to you through its pages.

In the Bible you’ll discover that God has the solutions and answers to life’s most vexing problems. Answers you won’t find in video visions.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!