Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Fear Of The Lord

The psalmist wrote "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding." (Psalm 111:10)

If one were to google the term "the fear of the Lord" the results would be over 35 million.  It seems that there is a lot of people giving their input into what God meant when He spoke that term into the minds of the Bibles authors so many years ago.

So what does that term mean? Is God telling us that we should be afraid of Him?  Should we approach Him in worship with our heads covered, crawling on our knees, terrified of being put to death?

Without trying to get to carried away, we need to remember that the Bible was not just written to those of us in the 21st century. A phrase like this carries with it so much weight that we don't fully understand in our western mindset.

When I think about the term "the fear of the Lord," this is what I come up with.

Years ago, our family spent a weekend in the bleak mid-winter with four other families.  It was a great time of playing in the snow, eating, sleeping, singing - enjoying each others friendship. 

On the first evening, around midnight, all the guys decided that it would be fun to have a bonfire. At  this point, it was well below zero outside and a wildly hot fire would be great.  We were out in the middle of the country, so all was safe for us to do this.

After a time of warming ourselves by the fire, my mind began to drift.  I began to think of the power of that fire.  For if I were to leave it, and wander in the countryside, I would last only a few hours in that frigid air. Or if I were to approach the fire too closely, it would certainly burn me.

With that in mind, I imagined that that fire was similar to that of the terminology of "the fear of the Lord." When we approach our Father in Heaven, it's not casually.  It's understanding that if we were to walk away, we would certainly die.  Consequently, if we were to get too close to Him (without reverence) we would certainly be consumed.

The fear of the Lord is about fear. Healthy fear.  Not fearful fear. Understanding that we are loving the One who has so lavishly loved us first.

The fear of the Lord IS the beginning of wisdom. Lean heavily on Him in all things.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

I Made the Bed This Morning

Not our bed.
Not our room.

Seems like the schedule of our home is always on fast. I can't believe that I would be the only one to have a schedule like this. We certainly are not alone.

As soon as the morning buzzer goes off, both my wife and I are out of bed.  Most of the time, she even beats the alarm.  I head out the door for a run and she takes sometime to unwind. 

The past year or so, a competition has crept up between us.  We have yet to speak of it, but I believe that both of us know that it's real.  

We are in a race to see who can make the bed in the morning.

By the time that I get back from my morning run, it's my turn in the bathroom to get ready.  Sometimes the bed is made by then.

On occasion, I can "trip" my wife up a bit and scoot in the bedroom before it's her turn in the bathroom so that I can make the bed.

Now keep a few things in mind here. 
We don't make the bed in different ways. There is not a "his way" or "her way" of making it.
If one of us is making the bed, the other person tends to let him or her continue to make the bed.

Here is the deal though.
God has continued to grow me in my love for my wife through the years.  In doing that, I am noticing in my own life that I used to "work" for my wife.  In a way that if she asked me to do something for her or the house, I would do it rather begrudgingly.  It was work. It wasn't love.

But God, as stated, has continued to grow me.  I am noticing now that I do love making the bed.  Not as a chore. Not because I think I can make it better. I love making the bed, because I love my wife.

The example of husbands loving their wives well in Scripture is found in Ephesians 5:25. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Christ's love towards the church, found in serving her is our example of how we men should be loving our wives.

A lofty goal. Only by the power of Christ in our life.

What about you? How are you loving your wife more these days?
 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Biblical Mandates for Family Men

by  • October 5, 2012 • The Meaning of Manhood 

“Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.
No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That’s how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become “one flesh.” This is a huge mystery, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.”
~ Ephesians 5:25-33, The Message
I continue to think about the role that men are intended to play in God’s plan, as husbands and fathers. I continue to go back to Ephesians 5:25-33, and believe that those verses have a lot to say about males being Christian men.
What I often forget is the stewardship mandate God gave to all of humanity in Genesis 1:28: “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it.” God created us to principally be productive. Our overarching purpose was that each person might grow, and generate, and govern what is grown- from ideas to infants, and from cattle to communities. When God saw His original vision for man to be productive, He said it was good. And in man’s labors to grow and govern, he would bring glory to God, emulating His creativity and concern for His creation.
Each of us was made to be productive.
In Ephesians 5, though, Paul narrows his scope in on what a family man should be in his household. As I’ve read through these verses, I saw four things that stood out to me worth noting, two relating to his relationship with his wife, and the other two relating to the home front.

1. In his partnership with his wife, the man is intended to be the pilot.
This does not mean the man is more important that the woman, but rather, that the man bears the brunt of responsibility in leading his family through life. Like a scout in the military, the man is responsible to run point in the home in an effort to lead his wife and children toward growth and life. This does not mean he is an autocrat, or even that he does not counsel with his wife about life direction and decisions. But in the end, he is responsible for leading the family forward in life.

2. In relation to his wife, he is to prize her.
What this does not mean is that a husband simply adores his wife like an idol, neglecting her person and heart. The godly man engages and encourages his wife to live a full life. To prize his wife, the godly man really has three initiatives he maintains. The wife needs to be pursued (with love). The wife needs to be purified (to love). The wife needs to be promoted (by love). I really like how Peterson puts it in his translation above: everything the husband does is designed to bring out the best in his wife. A godly man looks to build up and to empower his family members.

3. In relation to his family, he is to provide for their basic needs.
We usually think of this in material terms- which certainly have their priority as basic human needs must be met. But above material needs, the man is also meant to provide spiritual leadership- hope- to the members of his family.

4. In relation to the household, he is to provide protection.
I heard it said that the man should provide a buffer between the family life and what goes on in the outside world. The godly man is responsible not only to protect the welfare and health of his family (as a shepherd in the home), but he is also responsible for protecting and nurturing the heart of each family member. It is my conviction that if a man can stand up and provide a strong cover for his family in his household, he frees his wife to develop and demonstrate her gifts and abilities as an individual. His strength provides her the safe and encouraging environment she needs to blossom as a woman and a wife.
What must remain in mind when considering these principles, and especially in relation to his wife, the godly man is still in a partnership with his wife, which is made of two equal partners. It was never intended that the home be a seat of an authoritarian regime. Both husbands and wives are called in Ephesians 5 to be first servants of God, and then servants of one another (Ephesians 5:21). As Christ created the way for the enslaved prostitute to be redeemed and restored and made His purified bride, God asks men to follow Him as leaders and lovers- taking the initiative when needed, forgiving amply when necessary, and laying down their lives to build up their wives in Him daily.

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