essays 283-

1. Are you devout? Devoted?
2. Flax Seed
3. Judging the Judgmental?
4.  The Opportunity to be Petty
5.  #283 Being "good", Feeling guilty

    

   

Are you devout? Devoted?

I read an article in this week's newspaper about a well-known man, described as "deeply religious".  The adjectival phrase intrigued me. I couldn't find that phrase in the Bible, but I think that "devout" has a similar connotation. What does "devout" mean? In English, it comes from the same root as "devoted". To be devout is to be devoted to the worship and service of God (one caveat--being devout is not necessarily praiseworthy in itself--see the reference to devout women in Acts 13:50 who stirred things up against Paul and Barnabas).

The Greek words translated as "devout" can mean pious, godly, religious, or dutiful.

What do you think of when you hear the word "devout"? Do you think of someone loud? someone hasty? someone frivolous? Neither do I. When I hear "devout", I think of a quiet, dedicated, persevering, faithful, earnest man or woman. Someone holy, saintly. Maybe someone you know personally comes to mind--a grandmother, perhaps? What makes that person devout?

What made Cornelius devout? Acts 10 says that Cornelius feared God (as did his household), gave much alms, and prayed continually.  Enoch was devout--as were Noah, Hannah and Daniel, among others.   Old Simeon and Anna were devout, so was the Ananias who was sent to Saul--"Brother Saul", he called him--so that Saul could receive His sight again and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Lydia was devout, as were the mother and grandmother of Timothy. There were Jews in Jerusalem at Pentecost who were called "devout" as well.

Are you devout? Would anyone refer to you that way--as a devout follower of Christ or a deeply religious believer? I don't think you can become "devout" instantly--the word has about a sort of history or habit, a feel of age and time. 

You can be devoted to any number of things, some of which are good things: your spouse, your family, or your church, to name three.  You can be devoted to your career or your art, to money, to sports, to self-improvement or to entertainment.  But are you devoted to God? Devoted to serving God and worshipping Him? Am I? I wish I could say that I was. I don't give that kind of time and energy and focus to God.  I don't give much alms; I don't pray continually.  I fear God--but can others see that in me?

We need more devout people--more souls completely devoted to God. Maybe you can be one of those. Maybe you already are. If so, be sure that your influence is considerable and invaluable.  Don't be discouraged if others in this present climate mock--or simply can't understand--such single-minded devotion to God. God sees--and He is the rewarder of them who diligently seek Him.

Lori fiechter 5-27-04

Flax Seed--How Bad Could It Be?
by lori fiechter 3-1-02

Flax seed--how bad could it be? I was exercising, yoga-lite style, to a TV exercise guru, the one whose last name sounds like the capital of Texas. She was raving about flax seed. Raving. Normally, I keep the volume quite low on this program because, being of a pessimistic, caustic nature myself--think Twain or Wilde (as in Mark and Oscar)--I can't abide Pollyannaish pep talk:  "You can do it. I'm so proud of you. Blah, blah, blah."  It's enough to make me lose my breakfast, let alone my balance. But I did catch this line: "My husband and I grind flax seed on our cereal each morning for breakfast. There are just so many good things that flax seed can do for you." I was intrigued. You see, I used to be quite the health food-atic myself, back in my abbreviated college days. Why, I went to a food co-op and ate triticale flakes. Raw. But much sugar has passed by my lips since those days. And no tofu or lentils at all. But I don't remember ever trying flax. How bad could it be?

I went to our local Amish discount food store and found two kinds of flax seed, brown, and the slightly more expensive golden. (So, Amish must eat flax seed. How bad could it be?) I opted for golden flax, thinking that there must be some good reason why it cost more. Plus, it looked cuter--sort of like over-grown sesame seeds. I do like those sesame-seed buns. I eagerly spooned out a nice mouthful of seed when I got home and deposited it at the rear of my mouth. Verdict?  Nasty, nasty stuff. And not nice to have wedged between one's teeth. I brushed and flossed.

Not being one to give up easily, I tried toasting the golden flax in the skillet. After all, I have good results toasting wheat berries, flaked coconut  and pecan halves. It was a delight, watching those spunky little flax seeds pop and dance around. They had a nice toasty smell to them. I tasted. Yes, there was some slight improvement. However, they  still stuck in my teeth. Remembering that Mrs. State-Capital-of-Texas said that she ground the flax, I pulled out my Osterizer--unused and neglected since my brief fling with Slim-fast shakes-- and blended the seeds into a coarse powder.  I ate a spoonful. Hey, no seeds stuck between my teeth. No, no seeds--just a whole gummy mass coating my molars like lumpy icing on petit fours. More brushing and flossing. I also ground un-toasted flax, which was far worse (like raw wheat germ, with which I was quite familiar in my food co-op days). The whole experiment  was a wash, a total wash.

I still believe that flax seed must be good for you. Anything that foul-tasting must be astoundingly nutritious. Otherwise, what's the point?  I haven't given up entirely on flax. In fact, with a little more salt and cardamom, this linen ephod might be palatable.

So,  If it tastes bad, it must be good for you--and vice versa.  That might be true for flax seed (please, no letters telling me how delicious flax seed is, no recipes, no free samples). But it's not true of everything. There's tofu, for instance. No, bad example. Well, how about God's grace--it is both sweet and very good for you. "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8) We may deserve flax seed (now that you know my opinion of it) but we do not deserve God's grace. Grace is a sweet, guilt-free gift.  No calories, no cavities. It is a gift as pleasant to give to others as it is to receive yourself. Give gracious words, like those of our Lord (see Luke 4:22), give gracious actions of love and compassion. We have tasted that the Lord is gracious
(I Peter 2:3) and ought to extend that grace to others. Grace has a loveliness about it--more akin to  fine Belgian chocolate than flax seed. So you can toss the flax seed, ( I think I will do so) but don't forget to pass the grace.

by lori fiechter 3-1-02

Judging the Judgmental?

 I'm not the most logical of creatures but it strikes me as funny that those who clamor most loudly for "tolerance" have little tolerance for those they deem intolerant. Their circle of tolerance is only so big, I suppose.

 Likewise, those who say we must never judge others have no qualms about judging the judgmental. Why the apparent contradictions? Is it just human nature to have separate rules for "us" and "them"? Or is this the same logic that says it is OK to steal from thieves? Maybe we just don't like mirrors. Let me explain. My guess is that it is nearly impossible to see ourselves objectively, or to see ourselves as others see us. We may look in the mirror, but we see only what we want to see. And we have no idea we even have blind spots.

 I can't see inside your heart; you can't see inside mine.  That's probably a good thing, this side of heaven. I  know that my motives are not always pure. For example, I can truly believe that I am earnestly contending for the faith when I am really just defending my own opinion.

 We can't see inside hearts so the best we can do is to let our words and actions and fruits speak for themselves and not to worry too much about what others will think of us.  Let the chips fall; we will ultimately stand before God, not man.   On the other hand, we must try our best--by His grace--not to wantonly throw stumbling blocks in the paths of others. And our words? Let them be with truth and the grace of salt, in equal measures. Balance is the tricky part.

 Kindness and charity never hurt. Neither does a little honest humility (if you really look into the mirror, humility won't be difficult). God is infallible, we are most certainly are not.

 lori fiechter
1-03-03

I found myself slipping into a petty state of mind this week and thought perhaps others of you also needed this reminder to grow up--to grow up in the Spirit, to grow toward maturity in Christ.

 The Opportunity to be Petty
Oct. 19, 2002 by lori fiechter

 Opportunities to be petty abound. Pettiness, pickiness and peevishness are childish traits that some of us never outgrow. We excuse ourselves, claiming we are such "sensitive souls", that's why little things bother us so. We are like the fairy tale princess who got bruised by a single pea through that mountain of mattresses.  It is a good quality to be sensitive to other people's feelings, but it is not praiseworthy to be so easily injured ourselves. Real slights (I was overlooked, someone else got the credit I deserved)  or even imagined ones cause us to brood and wallow in self-pity.  We petty folk are fragile creatures, aware of every nuance and tone of voice. We can make a big deal out of anything, anything at all. And we love to coddle our hurt feelings. Poor little ego, nice little ego, mustn't ruffle the poor little ego's fur. Pet it nicely.

 One thing we petty folk seldom do is call our pettiness "sin". Is it sin? Is it sin to be focused so strongly on ourselves instead of on God and others?  Pettiness is a sort of spiritual entropy, or in-turning. Re-read I Corinthians 13 with all its descriptions of charity or agape love. Does being petty fit into that picture? Only God can raise us out of our natural selfish pettiness; only God can make us gracious when we want to complain and whine. And only God can help us deal with the pettiness in others. It is not easy to be around someone with an egg-shell ego. It is messy, and we bystanders are often the ones who end up with yolk-stained clothing.

 The next time our own feelings are hurt, we can go to God and say "Lord, this hurts me but I don't want to become bitter by dwelling on it. I give all my hurt feelings to you; please heal me." It's not easy, but it is a sign of Christian maturity to simply let some things go.  So you feel left out--you aren't left out of heaven or God's promises, are you? So your reputation has been tarnished undeservedly; so was your Lord's (look at the names He was called!)  So you feel unloved; you aren't, of course. God loves you better and understands you better than anyone on this earth.

 As long as we insist on being petty and peevish, we are missing out on the joy of the Lord. Have you ever tried worshipping while you are in a self-pitying, petty state of mind.  I know I can't. Because in worship, our focus is on God. When we are being petty, we know where the focus is: on that unsmiling face that scowls at us from the mirror. Be thankful that God is bigger than our pettiness and that He is willing and able to help us outgrow it.

 Being "good", Feeling guilty

Do any of you struggle with the thought that you are not "good enough" or that you'll never "measure up". Well, you aren't good enough, and no, you won't measure up. That is why Jesus had to come, isn't it? To be the perfect sacrifice for us because we are not perfect ourselves? To keep the law perfectly, because we are unable to keep it? Where does our hope lie? If our hope lies in our own righteousness and ability to keep the law, we are lost. Praise God that He sent Jesus as the propitiation for our sins. Praise God that we have the Holy Spirit living within us to guide our thoughts and actions, if we will just listen to Him.  

Is the Christian life about "being good"? Certainly, if we are abiding in Christ, we should go about doing good, as Christ did. But our salvation doesn't lie in being perfect, because, no matter how hard we try, we fail daily. Well, at least I do. If not in deed, then in thought. If not by action, then by inaction. Should I feel guilty and down because I never, ever measure up? How can I "rejoice in the Lord always" if I am beset by feelings of guilt? How does the Christian deal with guilt? First, is the guilt justified? Sometimes it is. If we have knowingly done something wrong, we need to confess it and try to make that right. We can also daily ask God (according to Psalm 19) to keep us back from presumptuous sins and to cleanse us also from secret faults. ( The Amplified Bible renders verse 12 as "Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults")

 I think that it is dangerous to let our feelings of joy rest in whether or not we have been "good" that day. Our joy rests in the Lord, in His grace and salvation, in His goodness toward us. Is it difficult to admit that we will not reach perfection in this life? I discovered a freedom to worship and enjoy God when I stopped focusing on trying to get everything right. Yes, we are to strive toward perfection  but we are not to constantly bewail our weakness. Rather, we are to rest in His strength. Remember: His strength, our weakness.

 I don't think it does me any good to pretend to be better than I am. Rather, it humbles me to know just how easily I can go wrong every time I try to stand on my own goodness, by my own strength.  God knows my heart. It is refreshing to read the Psalms and see how honest David and Asaph and the others were with God. Tear off the facades! Be honest with God and He will heal you and help you. It is His righteousness we are to put on. You know what Isaiah had to say about our own righteousnesses. Does "filthy rags" ring a bell?

 God sees our heart and our motives. He knows our frame, that we are but dust. Give Him your heart and your will and let Him lead you. God knows what we are capable of--both the good and the bad. (That thought can be both frightening and reassuring, but it is always better to be honest with God.) He wants to take us by the hand
(see Psa 73:23 Nevertheless I [am] continually with thee: thou hast holden [me] by my right hand.  
and also Psa 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
and Isa 41:13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. )

 Choose to follow and obey God and then trust Him to lead you;
trust Him to save you;
trust Him to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of His glory. (Jude 24)
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.

October 19, 2002
lori fiechter