Is Not This the Carpenter’s Son?

When a person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, there will be some major changes that take place in his life. The ungodly desires and habits of his old life will pass away (some immediately and some over time), and his friends and family will be surprised by his new conversation and behavior. A few may actually envy his “new life in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17), and wish that they could change their ugly behavior for the love (1 John 4:7,8), joy (John 15:11), and peace (Philippians 4:7, John 16:33) that they now see in him; others may be hateful and jealous, like Cain, who killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8) and may want to hurt or even kill the new believer (this is common in some Muslim countries). Other people that know him may say things like, “He’s just going through a stage”; “This will pass”; “I’ve known him since he was a kid, and he’s always been different and up to something”; or “Since when did he become so ‘holier than thou’ that he can’t go partying with us?”, etc. In Scripture, we see a similar example of this reaction toward Jesus Himself.

Matthew 13:54-58, Mark 6:1-6, and Luke 4:16-24 all record the unbelief, doubt, and rejection that He got in His hometown of Nazareth. The following passage comes from Matthew 13, and says, “And when He was come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence has this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? and His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then has this man all these things? And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in His own country, and in his own house.” Since even Jesus was rejected and experienced such unbelief, we should not be too surprised or disappointed if we receive the same reactions. [Sadly, Christ performed His first miracle in the area of His home town (John 2:1), but He didn’t do many other works there, because of their unbelief.]

Here is a word of caution for some new Christians. You may want your friends and family to experience what you now have, so you may be tempted to either try too hard to persuade them with your words, or you may find yourself hanging out with old companions with the purpose of trying to persuade them to become Christians. However, we must be careful that we don’t fall back into ungodly habits by going places or doing things that would not be pleasing and glorifying to God. 2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us that we are not to be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness?” And other Scripture tells us not to argue or strive with others. It is best to share the gospel with them, and tell them what God is doing in your life, but then, just put them in God’s hands by praying diligently for them.

Also, as I mentioned above, when you have this new relationship with Jesus, you will experience some immediate changes (for some, they no longer have some of the desires that they had before coming to Christ), but some of the other changes will take place as you grow in the Lord, and often the they will be the consequences of the choices you make as you learn to obey the teachings of Christ. In Romans 12:2 we read, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” So then, more transformation comes as we grow in the faith. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes through the hearing of the Word of God. Reading and studying God’s Word on a daily basis, and talking to God frequently will keep that relationship alive and flourishing.

Reflecting, Remembering, and Helpful Hints for Aging Well

The dictionary definition of “reflect” is “to recollect or realize after thought, to think seriously; contemplate upon”; and the definition of “remember” is to “recollect , recall, or to bring back to mind again.” Although, they are not synonyms, there is a similarity between the two words.

Thirteen years ago, my children bought me a unique journal called “Reflections from a Mother’s Heart, Your Life Story in Your Own Words.” This type of book becomes a family legacy for your children. It also helps you remember important and interesting experiences from your past. Families used to have more time- and take more time- to talk to each other, to tell stories from the past, to look at their photos and photo albums, and even to read together.

However, in recent years, it seems like most families are living “life in the fast lane”. Everyone is too busy doing their own thing. Some families never even have a sit-down meal together anymore. I am really not surprised that there are so many elderly people with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease these days. Many seniors are left alone, not seeing their children or grandchildren very often. They often just watch television or look at Facebook to pass their time. I just read an article about how grandparents stay younger and healthier if they help care for their grandchildren. Learning a language or studying things that challenge the brain (like Algebra) can also help keep their brain healthier. Fasting, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, cutting back on foods with lots of sugar or caffeine, and exercising more can also help keep the mind sharp.

Organizing and decluttering your life can help, since most people in our culture own too much “stuff”. Try having a “technology fast” regularly, and read more instead, especially biographies of men and women of faith; but most importantly, invite Christ’s control over every area of your life and learn to “abide in Him” (Read John 15 and 1 John 2:28) As you reflect, especially on God, and enjoy the beauty of his creation, you may actually experience peace and quietness in your own private world.

Take Time to Reflect

Culture is full of chaos and disorder that often causes us stress and anxiety. You may feel like you “just can’t get your act together”, or like you are always a step behind. If so, I recommend that you take time to reflect and order your private world.

I highly recommend that you read Gordon McDonald’s classic book, Ordering Your Private World. Organizing the private world of one’s life seems to be a universal human struggle. There are many people whose lives are like one of Florida’s sinkholes. They feel like something is about to cave-in or collapse. Often when people feel so overwhelmed, they may just try to bring order to their surroundings by decluttering their home or office, or they may read a self-help book hoping it will help them organize their busy schedules. However, most often the disorganization is actually in their private world. We actually need to declutter our minds. Being able to think clearly is very important. We need to take time to reflect on knowing what we believe and truly value, and to be able to commune with God deeply.

I really like this quote by John Wesley: “Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry, because I never undertake more work than I can go through with calmness of Spirit.”

I found it helpful to see how McDonald divides the private world into these 5 parts:

1) Our motivation–what makes us function as we do?

2) What we do with the limited amount of time we have

3) How we use our intellect; focusing on wisdom and knowledge (are we keeping our minds sharp?)

4) Our spiritual strength–our spirit is the intimate place where we commune with the Father, which can also be thought of as the ‘garden of our private world’ (Remember the song, “I Come to the Garden Alone”?) Jesus regularly withdrew from the crowds to pray and spend time with God, especially in early morning hours.

5) The place of rest where we find peace for restoration, a very essential source for our inner organization. God did not intend for rest to be leisure and amusement as many people seem to think, but rather a necessity of quiet solitude for those who want to grow and mature in the Lord.

Seasons of Life

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Steve and Annie Chapman wrote and sang a song about seasons over 30 years ago. If you’ve never heard the song, “Seasons of Life”, you should take a few minutes to listen to it today. The song compares the stages of life to the seasons of the year.

“Spring” represents youth when most people are healthy, energetic, and playful; but the young so quickly change to “summer”, and have new interests and responsibilities; then comes “fall”, the time when most people are busy with work and raising their families; lastly comes “winter”, a time of growing old, reminding me of what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12:1-7:

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
²While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain;
³In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim;
⁴When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all the daughters of music are brought low.
⁵Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to his eternal home,
And the mourners go about the streets.

⁶Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
⁷Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

The days ahead for someone in this season of life are usually fewer than the days behind. They have lots of memories, but their bodies begin to slow down and wear out. Although I am young in spirit and quite healthy, I am in the early stages of this season. However, I still have such peace, joy, and hope, because as the last line of that beautiful song says, “We’ll see Spring again in heaven, and it will last forever, forever, forever!” What does Spring remind you of? Flowers like daffodils? New life, like the birth of a baby? Cherry blossoms? Or the Resurrection?