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The Transcendence of Peace

in Thoughts by Ruth 27/09/201727/09/2017 0 comments

“Peace in Midst of the Storm” Jack Dawson

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippines 4:6-7

What do you envision when you think of a peaceful life? A life free from trouble and drama, or perhaps full of luxury and ease?

When we normally think of having a peaceful life, we assume this means a life where hardships for the most part are removed and thus tranquillity results. We pray for the removal of impediments so peace can prevail.

However, God’s peace is not necessarily about removing tribulations as it is about fortifying our hearts and minds in spite of them. God’s peace stands in the midst of hardship, not in the absence of them.

God’s peace is depicted as a guard to our hearts and minds. It is active during troubled times. It is not the default passive peace that befalls us when on a relaxing holiday for several weeks. His peace transcends circumstance.

This type of peace perplexes the natural world and the natural man. That is why it is called the peace that surpasses all understanding.

How do you obtain God’s supernatural peace? It is a gift to believers “in Christ Jesus” who petition their requests to God.

Jesus states in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

In Mark 4:39, Jesus calms a storm. His disciples wake him while aboard a ship fearing for their lives. Jesus commands the storm ‘Peace! Be still!’ and the storm ceased. Jesus later scolds his disciples by asking “Why are you still afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Note how Jesus is recorded as sleeping during a storm. His disciples full of fear and doubt wake him asking in verse 38, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?” The lack of faith in Christ Jesus is the real hindrance to our peace. God’s peace is an inner calmness despite the outward storm. It is a gift to those who have faith in the promises of scripture and a source of strength when we need it the most.

The next time we find ourselves wrought with anxiety, may we be graced with this peace that can calm both a stormy sea and any tempests that howls in our hearts.

by: Ruth

The Busy Life

in Thoughts by Ruth 08/08/201708/08/2017 0 comments

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates

Modern life seems synonymous with a busy life. We are geared to be busy. After all, busyness is big business. From perfectly portioned boxed meals at our doorstep, childcare, to cleaning services, we are encouraged to outsource the basic necessities of our lives so we can keep up with the momentum of our busy lives.

Gone is the utopian vision of the 1950s, where they theorised that machines would give us more leisure time. Instead, machines are simply aides to make us even more productive.

Now, we do derive some pleasure from our toil (Ecclesiastes 2:24) but to have a life consumed with busyness is not the abundant life Jesus spoke about (John 10:10). Instead, a busy life although having the buzz of productivity lacks the zest of vitality that comes from the source of life itself, God.

The story of the two sisters, Martha and Mary, is a short poignant lesson on being preoccupied with busyness.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

Martha is ‘distracted’ with serving. If the word busy was used it would be a fairly banal description. The word also begs the question, “What was Martha distracted from?” Could we propose that modern life is not so busy as it is distracted?

Jesus ignores Martha’s request but goes to the source of the issue by commenting on her state of mind. She is ‘anxious’ and ‘troubled’ over ‘many things’. That probably indicates it is not merely the serving of guests but her life in general. Her life is concerned with so much except with the ONE thing it should be focused on.

Martha had invited Jesus to her house but she was distracted from him by the cares and toils present in her life. Here the source of life was in her home yet she remained anxious and troubled. How could she possibly be anxious when the maker of all things is in her home?

It is easy for us to invite Christ in our lives through prayer or thought but our minds are preoccupied with many things leaving us anxious.

Our busy lives leave us distracted from the one thing that is necessary for a good life.

If we could only choose the ‘one’ thing to be concerned about, the many things we worry about will fade. To lead a life free from anxiety and trouble is a true blessing. May we be able to describe our lives as abundant instead of busy.

by: Ruth

Secret Food

in Thoughts by Ruth 23/05/201723/05/2017 0 comments

“Life is more than food…” Jesus Christ (Luke 12:23)

However, living in the food capital of Australia – Melbourne – life seems to be all about the food. The variety of restaurants, cafes and grocers is both exciting and dizzying.

Both in Melbourne and beyond, you’ve probably noticed that cafes and restaurants are catering to specific dietary requests. It’s not uncommon to see menu items tagged as Paleo, gluten free, vegan, free trade, raw, certified organic, local only, free range, etc.

We’ve moved away from simple calorie restriction to ‘lifestyle’ diets. You’ve probably heard of someone trying the Paleo, Raw, or Vegan ‘lifestyle’.

There are thousands of diet books available to fuel these lifestyles. Each book has their unique underlying philosophy and rules to take you from where you are to where you should be. It is no longer just about weight loss – diets are about ethics, detoxification, animal rights, ancestry, spirituality, power, intelligence, sexuality, individualization and identity.

Truly the diet industry has grown into something else. These diets are offering us something more than a healthy food plan (or not so healthy food plan – Butter and Bacon Diet!?). They are attempting to offer us something that they do not possess and we desperately want – a better life.

New York writer and journalist, Oliver Burkeman wrote that what we truly seek from diets is transcendence.

He writes:

“No wonder the more extreme varieties of diet begin to resemble the ascetic practices of ancient mystics, intent of achieving spiritual enlightenment through denial of the physical body. We may talk about merely getting ready for beach season, but we too are seeking transcendence.” – New Philosopher 16^th Edition – Food “Not Eating Things” page 21- 22, 2017.

Yet, can food alone be a path to transcendence?

Jesus said, “Life is more than food…” (Luke 12:23)

He also speaks of a secret food: one that you won’t find in any grocery store or hipster café.

Jesus’ rebuke to Satan when hungry from wandering in the wilderness for 40 days is telling. Jesus quotes a profound truth found in the book of Deuteronomy, “Man shall not live by bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Despite the clear abundance in modern societies, we are still starving for life. How can we be so good at feeding our physical bodies but utterly starved for spirit? Food does not sustain us alone. We are sustained by His words. If you want more life then seek His words and the truths they contain. Ingest them because they will revitalize your soul. This is the diet you seek and this one won’t leave you hungry, disappointed, weak, or broke.

God created and sustains all mankind. So instead of using a diet as a means to a better life, let’s seek the Bread of Life.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31,33)

by: Ruth

Know the Lord Your God

in Thoughts by Ruth 04/04/201704/04/2017 0 comments

Have you ever loved someone or something with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength? It would seem to be an all-consuming task and one that would require an exhausting amount of energy.

We could argue that we come close to this standard when we relate to our spouses, family and children. However, this type of devotion still seems impossible to do all of the time.

Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus declares this as the most important commandment.

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second commandment is this: “‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31 NIV)

A number of questions regarding this commandment come to mind. Some as fundamental as:

What is love?
What does it mean to love?
How do we love with our all?
What is meant by the heart, soul, mind and strength?
What does it mean to love an all-powerful God? Is it different to loving a human being?

All the above questions are noble undertakings and worthy of scriptural study. I won’t attempt to answer them but will propose another question – Why would we love God?

Sure, it is a command but commands invoke obedience or rebellion not love. So why would we love God? Well, why do we love anyone?

Fundamentally, we KNOW the individuals we love. It is impossible to truly love God until we know Him. True, we can go through ceremonial motions of devotion (privately or publicly) but this is just a form without power. Without genuine love it is all nothing.

How do you know God? God is found in the scriptures. Search the scriptures and you will find nuggets of thought finer than gold or silver.

Jesus prayed for us to know God now as this gives us a taste of things to come in the future.

“Now this is eternal life: that they KNOW you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

The scriptures tell of God’s goodness, power, wisdom and love. Please do not take my word for it but study for yourself and experience what gems He reveals to you through His word.

by: Ruth

You can learn a lot from a baby…

in Thoughts by Ruth 07/03/201707/03/2017 0 comments

You can learn a lot from a baby. Seriously. A baby will practice over 10,000 times to perfect a skill. That’s why they repeat the same exercise over and over again. They are skill-building experts.

Every morning they wake (EARLY) rearing to go practice. My 14 month old has learned to open the child proof safety latches on our cupboards. Thankfully he has also learned to listen to mom on which cabinets are his to open.

Did you know that your brain is wired for practice? I recently watched a talk on Neural Pathways. Every time you practice a skill your neural pathways become more efficient at sending those signals to the parts of your body that allow you to do that specific skill.

How exactly? It is similar to when insulation is bound around cables wires. The thicker the insulation the less likely the signal is likely to be lost.

When you practice a skill such as music, singing, dancing, language, etc the insulation around those associated wires in your brain become thicker thus allowing you to master a skill over time with ease.

Have you ever seen a painter, pianist, dancer, orator, etc and said ‘They make it look so easy.’ That is the result of years and years of fortifying those neural pathways that give them that fluid skill.

Science is revealing the magnificence of creation on a scale never seen before. Yet King David in the Bible said ‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ Psalm 139:14 and he didn’t even have a microscope!

So now it is your turn to put that ‘baby fortitude’ to work and make something ‘look’ easy for the benefit of others.

by: Ruth

To Err is Human

in Thoughts by Ruth 14/02/201714/02/2017 0 comments

“To err is human, to forgive Divine.” (Alexander Pope, “Essay on Criticism“)

We all experience mistakes. Big or small we will both author and receive mistakes. Yet, mistakes give us the opportunity to experience the power of forgiveness.

The past week we had our hot water system burst. I walked into our tiled bathroom and slipped haphazardly on a thick and expanding film of water. My wobbly-legged one-year-old son followed close behind me. He grinned with excitement before I whipped him up out of the danger zone to his disappointment. After speaking with the real estate agent to contact a plumber, she asked me if I could access the hot water heater and turn it off. I quickly said yes but after hanging up it dawned on me that I have never turned off a hot water heater.

The first challenge was accessing the unit. It was behind a heavy wooden board in the bathroom tucked away behind the washing machine. To my surprise I shifted the washing machine away with ease. However, lifting the heavy wooden door was the real challenge. I tried several times to lift the door but to no avail. I only managed to budge it a little. More water poured onto my tiles. I pushed harder. Sweat poured down my face and I remember thinking a dress was a poor choice for today. Finally the door budged and I could lift it out. What a relief! Now, it was just a matter of finding the water valve.

There were no clear instructions as I had hoped.

I quickly ‘Googled’ for the answer. A YouTube video instructed I would need an electrician! Meanwhile, water poured through the bathroom and the carpets were getting saturated around the outer bathroom walls.

Just then my husband walked in the front door from work. After disappearing into the bathroom, he reappeared seconds later and said he turned the valve off. To my credit it was behind the cylinder making it difficult to see. I was so relieved it was off. Later that evening we learned that three units below us received water damage due to a defect on the building’s piping.

This drama did not come as a complete surprise to us. Three months prior we had the water heater assessed as we noticed rust in our hot water. Our real estate agent called me the next day to apologize. She had received approval from the owners to replace the hot water heater months ago but had forgotten to action the request. She asked if there was any damage to our personal items. There wasn’t but the carpets just needed to be dried. She remained professional but I sensed how disheartened she felt about the situation. I empathized with her and told her how things can slip through when you are juggling a number of requests. In addition, she was new to her role.

Later that day the owner called me directly and apologized. She was angry with the real estate agent. I did my best to try to sooth the situation.

The drama gave me thought on how easy it is for us to err and how difficult it is to either ask or grant forgiveness. Jesus said while instructing his disciples how to pray ‘Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” (Luke 11:4) He also said, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” (Matthew 5:9)

We live in an angry world. A world that demands repayment when they are wronged or even offended these days. In our moments of loss (or victimhood) we feel we must be compensated swiftly. It is not unnatural to feel this way nor is it unjust to demand a wrong to be fixed.

Yet in moments where we stand as the victim of someone else’s mistake or offence, we should remember the Lord Jesus Christ’s mind-blowing words to those that crucified Him.

He requested that they be forgiven. (Luke 23:34)

by: Ruth

Time to Grow Up

in Thoughts by Ruth 03/01/201703/01/2017 0 comments

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Has ‘growing up’ ever made your New Year’s resolution list?

I recently finished Aldous Huxley’s classic dystopian novel, Brave New World.

Here, adults are kept simple in their thoughts and impulsive in their relationships.

In essence, they are kept child-like for the sake of societal stability and control through entertainment, sensations, sensual pleasures, and games. On the surface there should not be any discontent. Despite this, a few of them craved deeper relationships and their thinking began to diverge.

They were like children wanting to grow up but caged in a type of Neverland.

Maturity isn’t a process we think about too often. It has never made my New Year’s resolutions. We typically limit maturity to physicality instead of spirituality.

The apostles longed for spiritual maturity in the church.

Paul states we are to “… become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.” (1 Corinthians 14:20)

“…we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Colossians 1:9-10)

Put simply, we are to grow up. We are to graduate from milk to solid food and not remain infants in Christ.

There is a time to be children as Jesus instructed for our humility and faith but we are not intended to stay as such.

The world needs spiritually mature adults. Only as spiritually mature adults can have deep relationships, connections, thoughts, and reasoning. As mature adults, we should bear fruit.

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions are, you are essentially desiring to grow up in an area that needs maturity: fitness, diet, relationships, finances.

In 2017 I encourage you to seek spiritual maturity. May you resolve to grow up by searching the scriptures to increase your knowledge of God.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14-15)

by: Ruth

LOVE… PASSION… SUFFERING

in Thoughts by Ruth 06/12/201606/12/2016 0 comments

LOVE… PASSION… SUFFERING

We hear the word passion used a lot these days. We are encouraged by the 1000s of self-help career books and online blogs about ‘how to find your passion.’

It is a modern day scavenger hunt. Hundreds of online articles promise to help you find your passion in six steps, eight steps, four steps, etc.

We are so busy looking for our passion, have we ever stopped and considered what the word actually means?

Passion derives from the Latin passus – to suffer. It was used in Medieval Europe to describe the sufferings of a martyr. Martyrs underwent tremendous suffering before their inevitable death for their beliefs. They considered dying for their deep convictions an honor.

It would be hard to mention passion without love. The two are woven together. Passion is essentially the unstoppable fortitude of love.

We marvel at stories of people who persevere through great struggle to achieve their goal. Sometimes the struggle is abolishing slavery, blocking corrupt legislation, making a speech, working two jobs to send your kids to school, painstakingly researching a cure for a disease, or trying to understand advanced calculus. Their dedication reveals an extraordinary dedication for a higher principle than any material gain.

Christ exemplified the meaning embedded in the very heart of love and passion. The greatest passion belongs to Him – The Passion of Christ.

His passion was and still is for us. He suffered and died for the love of humanity.

King Solomon poetically captures the intensity of love/passion in the following verse:

SOS 8:6 … for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

I encourage you to reflect on Christ every time you hear the word passion. For the word is intertwined with Christ’s zest for humanity. Christ’s passion testifies of His love.

If you are searching for your own passion, I can’t give you a step-by-step guide on how to find it. However, in light of this word’s origins you can now ask a far more guided and thought provoking question. Ask yourself “For what am I willing to suffer and sacrifice my life for?”

by: Ruth

Splash

in Thoughts by Ruth 08/11/201608/11/2016 0 comments

SPLASH

Test. splash

Run. splash

Music. splash

Trump. splash

These are examples of the random-seeming words produced by Julius Popp’s word waterfall entitled bit.fall.

I admit it was ambitious to go to an art museum with our nine-month-old son. We felt entitled to at least one adult centric excursion. After all, it was our nine-year wedding anniversary.

The MONA in Hobart did not disappoint. Well, at least the third we got to enjoy before our bub dictated otherwise.

The museum is entirely underground. Three stories carved out of solid rock. Bit.fall was the most impactful for me. (Perhaps because it is the first one in the exhibit, and every art piece thereafter I was placating our son.)

Words are created using water which appear for a moment until they splash with a cracking echo into the drains below. The words are temporary. You process them with brevity of thought and then it is on to the next word. It is hypnotic and a major waste of time but that is the artist’s point.

Bit.fall encapsulates the constant barrage of distraction within our digital age. Our phones herald new messages, meet ups, and Facebook posts with catchy sounds, and once hooked, we become victim to the plethora of ‘link bait’ stalking us on nearly every web page.

I see an ad, a word, a picture, news feed or a status update.

I view.

I consume. My phone vibrates.

I move on. Splash

Although these distractions waste my precious time, I feel I have lost something far more important – Focus.

Matthew 8:23-27 is a well-known but amazing story of how Jesus commanded the stormy seas to be calm. The storm caused the disciples’ fear that ultimately revealed their lack of faith. Their distraction was a storm. They lost their focus.

In addition to storms, the modern world is bathed in distractions. Where once we may have watched the occasional TV show, we are now drowning in a sea of personalised content.

It is not that news, YouTube, status updates are bad or even sinful but they are common snares that detract from experiencing the abundance of life. I have found personally that it robs me of my ability to think deeply and reflect.

In a feeble but sincere attempt to reclaim my focus and thoughts, I have deleted the Facebook app from my phone. I have to sign on using my computer (pre 2007 style). This is just enough effort for me to forget to check it at all. I have also unsubscribed to a number of email subscriptions this week.

These minor changes have given me more time to reflect on important matters and my focus is slowly coming back. I still get distracted and admit I struggle to concentrate.

I am comforted by the fact that despite the disciples’ lack of faith, Jesus still calmed the stormy seas. There are no prerequisites for God to rescue us whatever our snare.

On that thought, I would like to finish on the serenity of Psalm 107:28-31 instead of a distracting splash.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

by: Ruth

Don’t forget your enemies this Christmas

in Thoughts by Ruth 15/12/2015 0 comments

Gift giving is a big part of the Christmas season. We give gifts to show appreciation and affection that nurture relationships with close family and friends.

However, upon reflecting on humanity’s greatest gift Jesus Christ who gave himself to be the Savior of all mankind, we learn the greatest example of gift giving is not in giving to loved ones, but to those most at odds with us.

Gift giving is an act of mending.

The thought of giving to one’s enemies this or any season is probably not a priority on your Christmas list. However, consider the wisdom in the book of Proverbs.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you. NIV Proverbs 25:21-22

Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son highlights this principle. To the dismay of his loyal son, the father GIVES a large banquet to honor the return of his wayward son. What a surprise for his rebellious son and what a testimony of his father’s love this gift must have brought. The relationship was not only restored but the prodigal son has seen a depth of his father’s character that the loyal brother could not.

Jesus Christ astonishingly declares – “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them… But love your enemies… then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” NIV Luke 6:27-35

Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th President of the USA who preserved the unity of his country and abolished slavery, understood the transformative power over ones enemies by stating:

“The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.”

Jesus’ primary mission is to reconcile his enemies by giving them the greatest gift of all.

“… while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son…” NIV Romans 5:10

Jesus’ instruction begs us to think contrary to human logic: “For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” NIV Matthew 5:46-47

Jesus not only requested we love our enemies, he demonstrated the power of love by giving himself to all of mankind to show how much stronger love is over hate.

So this season, use the act of gift giving in its most powerful form. Think of those that you think very little of and witness the transformative power of giving to those who least expect or deserve it.

Wishing you a restorative season this year!