Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, 

a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handing the word of truth.

II Timothy 2:15, ESV

 

I have always loved this particular verse. Not just for its specific instruction for us to do our best when reading God's word, but also for its general application: Do your best!

 

I grew up in an era of competition. On field days at school, we received blue ribbons for coming in first, red for second, and green for third. In our little leagues, we received a first-place trophy for the champion, and a runner's up trophy for the second best in the league. In school, the A's were reserved for the very best students in a particular subject, while those who showed a decent understanding of the subject received a C. Those who failed to master the basics of any subject either caught up to the rest of the class or were invited to come back the next year. It's not that they didn't believe in the concept of no child left behind. it's just that they did not permit a bunch of "free riders" who would cripple the best efforts of the rest of the class by taking undo advantage of the concept.

 

I am pleased to say that I never came back to the same class twice (well, there was that computer programing course in college that I did have to take two swings at) but I also have to admit that I wasn't always in that smiling bunch that came home with the A's either. I can tell you this, though: When it came to trying to get the trophies, I nearly always did my best. And though I rarely won any of these coveted prizes, it only served as fuel to motivate me to try harder. 

 

There was something else about this era that I believe is vital. The winners were not allowed to openly gloat, and the losers were not permitted to show poor sportsmanship. A violation on either side was met with swift consequences, first from the coach, then from mom and dad at home. Typically, a poor sport was also handled in other (but equally efficient ways) by the kids in the neighborhood. This is not to say that we were happy when we lost, nor a bit too exuberant when we won, it was just a really good idea to never take it too far in any one of these directions.

 

So, while this did mean you couldn't "spike the ball" when you scored ("act like you've been there before" was the coach's strict rule) and you didn't throw the bat when you struck out ("you'll get 'em next time") what it did mean was that you played your hardest and that you took great satisfaction when you came out on top. The idea of a participation trophy would have been looked at with disdain by any self-respecting kid, and likely would have been tucked away at the back of the closet in shame rather than displayed out in the open with pride.

 

So, it is not only the competition that is important, but it is also coming out on top with a combination of the thrill of victory and a graciousness towards those who also gave their best.

 

And it is this giving of one's best that is so important. This is the standard that God has set for all His children. That's why the verse above instructs us to give our best. The Master who gave the one talent man his one talent, also gave the two and five talent men theirs. Perhaps only God and you know where you fall in this "talent" allotment, so it is up to us to live up to the standard of our best in each category. For me, that means that I do my best with my one talent when it comes to things like singing at the worship and taking care of things at the church building that I can do. I don't have the fine voice of our song leaders, but I can still sing with joy along with the rest of the congregation when we come to that part of the worship, so I do. I don't have the carpentry skills that my dad had when remodeling a church building or two, but I can run a vacuum cleaner when the carpet needs cleaning. I'm not the five-talent guy to ask to bring a dish to the potluck supper, but I can clean that dish in a five-talent manner when everyone has had their meal. 

 

And when it comes to the doing your best part in correctly handling God's word, I can do that too. I may not have as sharp a mind as the Bible-scholar, but the standard of doing our best is the same for both of us. I might not be as encouraging with my kids as the next fellow, but I can still be thoughtful in the attempt to make them feel good for their jobs well done, and I can encourage them to do better in a kind but firm way in the jobs not as well done. The point of all this is that we are not commanded to do better than any of God's other servants, but we are commanded to do our best - and this is the whole point, to be specific, our best!

 

And when we do our best, we will find wonderful things happening. We will find ourselves surprisingly atop that victor's podium at times, and we will find ourselves the proud recipients of a bonus check at others. As we learn to become comfortable with our victories and mindful of those who did not take first, we will find ourselves more popular, because it really is a fact that even those you defeat will admire you and cheer for you after a fair and hard-fought contest. It is true that you will come across the occasional "poor loser" from time to time, but as you gain a more gracious attitude in your victories and defeats, you will find fewer and fewer of those poor losers. 

 

And someday, there will take place the greatest "award ceremony" ever held. The victors will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant" and we will cheer with joy every pronouncement of that blessed phrase that we all want so dearly to hear. But we have to understand this: This trophy, though clearly underserved for each one who receives it, will only be for those who gave their very best. The winner's trophy was never intended for any other type of effort. But for those willing to give their genuine and honest "very best", God through His grace will give us the ultimate prize: An eternity with He and Christ in heaven! And, just as anyone who has ever received that hard fought for trophy after a long period of best efforts in training and in effort, there can be nothing sweeter than that moment when we win that prize!

 

Two other things must be emphasized before I close: First, we do not deserve it - it still can only come about by the grace of God and the shed blood of Christ. Second, everyone (and I do mean every single one) who gives their genuinely best effort (as judged by God, not men) will receive this prize. This, I believe, should be motivation enough for each one of us to give our best in our pursuit of excellence for the One who gave His life for us that we might someday taste this sweet victory. 

This is the day that the LORD hath made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 118:24, KJV

 

Why do you do what you do? Each of us has to answer that question for ourselves, but I can give you a big reason for what motivates me at the age of 64: my grandchildren!

 

Now, I have to admit that there are days in which I am tempted to sell them to the highest bidder. Take my second and third grandchildren as an example. Maycee is our seven-year-old granddaughter and Dylan is our six-year-old grandson. One day as they were leaving to go back home with their parents, they came running up to me with a mischievous grin on their faces. One of them. with great impertinence, said, "Pops, you look like a girl", to which the other one said with equal impertinence, "An ugly girl!"

 

I don't know where they get such a sick and twisted sense of humor, but I suspect it is poor training at home.

 

Anyway, I digress. On most days (okay, all days) I would defend these grandkids of mine with my life. Carolyn and I currently have seven of them, with another due around the 4th of July. We can only imagine what this firecracker baby will be like, but if anything like the other seven, he or she will be a dandy. And because they are dandies, and because we have a deep love for our three kids and their spouses, we want to leave this world in as good of shape as we possibly can for them.

 

This, in large part, is why Carolyn and I do what we do. 

 

Both of us were given a marvelous world in which to grow. Our grandparents raised our parents during the great depression and WW II era. It was a challenging time back then, but all four sets of grandparents did what they could to raise our parents with a Christian foundation. Our parents raised us in the same way when it was their turn. Both Carolyn's and my parents had a bit easier time than our depression era grandparents, and they took full advantage of that. Our moms were of the stay-at-home generation, and we both benefited greatly from that blessing. We were raised with bedtime Bible stories, prayers of thanksgiving at mealtime (and we sat down together for every meal that we were together) and then we went to worship and Bible class with the church every time the doors were open.

 

Because of these great gifts, Carolyn and I did our best to duplicate such a raising to our kids, and our kids and their spouses are now doing even better in their attempt to do the same. I hope that this does not sound like boasting at this point, for that is not my intention at all. Each generation did what they did because they were blessed by God with the opportunity and the responsibility to do so! 

 

And this brings us back full circle to the question I began this with: Why do we do what we do? 

 

In my case, I speak and write a lot about the state of this world and the concerns that I have for it. I often mention things that need to be fixed - not because I think I am perfect and others are not, but because I realize that I am far from perfect but still have a duty to those I come in contact with. I know that this world is much different than the one I grew up in. Sin is much more accepted, and as a result, things have deteriorated. While it was safe for us to roam freely about our neighborhoods when we were kids, they are not now. While you could not curse or show anything suggestive on television because of society's standards when we were young, the standard now is for profanity and pornography - and that during prime time! Promiscuous behavior was frowned upon then, but exalted now - people seem to have no shame and few boundaries. 

 

These are the things which concern me because I know that my generation is largely responsible for this tattering of the fabric of our society. Since this is true, I feel a heavy obligation to do something about it. And I am reminded of that obligation every time I see the sweet innocence on the faces of my grandchildren. Like your grandchildren, they deserve better, and like you, I am determined to do something about it.

 

But what can we do against such seemingly overwhelming odds? That answer is amazingly simple when you think about it. This world didn't just "happen" into its current state of depravity. It was brought to this point by a people who ceased to put Christ first in their lives. This was compounded by the fact that we stopped telling others about the Good News of Jesus Christ, and because we stopped bringing this life changing Gospel to others, the world deteriorated. So, the solution is evident from the problem itself. We got away from God and as a result we ceased from helping others to draw near to Him.

 

The solution, then, is Jesus! The world will keep on deteriorating the longer we remain apart from He and God, so we must come back and then encourage others to do the same. It will be a long and painful process at times - any worthwhile change is - but we must do it all the same. God and Christ are worth the effort and so too are these little ones that we are leaving behind! So, if you want a noble quest to fill the remainder of your days then start focusing on how you and I can leave a better world for these precious, young lives. I want to stress, again, that it will not be easy. But, when you think about it, nothing truly worthwhile in life ever is... and our grandkids are worth that effort, wouldn't you agree?

 

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the sea.

Matthew 18:6, ESV

And if anyone gives any of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, truly, I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

Matthew 10:42, ESV 

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the LORD your God. listen to His voice and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life...

Deuteronomy 30:19-20, NIV (1978)

 

One of the greatest blessings that God gives us is the opportunity to leave a better world behind for our children and grandchildren. It is a great privilege indeed, but one that comes with heavy responsibility. For, should we fail in this task, not only will we be called to account for this failure someday, but our children and their children will suffer for our oversight.

 

This is one of the reasons that I am so excited about the possibilities of our new leadership and our new direction. The old leadership was very much desirous of leaving behind a world filled with things that were harmful to our future generations. I'm not saying that they were intentionally trying to harm our children, but that is exactly what they were doing. It was a culmination of an outcome that has been years in the making. Shortly after WWII the supreme court began a series of rulings that removed God from our public schools. By doing so, they took one of the most effective areas of our society and crippled it. Teachers who wanted to make a difference were handicapped in that process, because God was no longer a factor in public education.

 

This was a disaster, because it left a void that had to be filled. Well-intentioned teachers now taught our children that they were here as a result of a random set of events, including a creation that did not include God. This great void had to be filled by something that was not God (He had been ruled unconstitutional by a group of foolish men who neither understood the Constitution nor God) and that void was filled with the only thing that it could be filled with: the devil.

 

Within a few short years magazines headlines were posing the question, "Is God Dead?" and a new way of life was being embraced. Drugs and guilt-free sex were introduced as the norm in our society, and it led to an obvious end. We now live in a world that is less wholesome, less safe, and far less kind. People have been intentionally divided by wicked leaders whose main goal is to gain wealth and power. We have opened our borders to criminals and jailed righteous people who would protest. But now, we have a new sheriff in town. I by no means think that he and his deputies are perfect, but they are a far cry from the demented despots that we have had in recent years.

 

But, as I like to say to my grandchildren, I digress. A change in leadership is but a small part of what we as Christians need to be doing, if we are to leave a better world behind for our posterity. Don't misunderstand, a change in leadership was needed, but it is only a beginning. If they are not held accountable, they will become worse than what we had - so let's call them to account. 

 

Having said that, this is still not the main thing. We are going to have to be a righteous people if we are to ever be pleasing to God. We are going to have to clean up anything that is sinful in our own lives. Do you "drink a little" in front of your kids? Don't be surprised if someday they drink a lot. Do you stay home from worship when the conditions are not perfect for you? Don't be surprised if your children don't go at all. Do you read the Bible every day, or do you look at it as a "luxury"? In other words, something that you indulge yourself in only when the real work is done. If God's word is not of primary importance to you, don't be surprised if it is not important at all to your children. Do you pray often, and is there variety and genuine thought in your prayers? If not, do not be surprised if your children don't pray at all.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that leaving a better world behind means making yourself a better part of that world now. If we are not heaven-bound, then we are going to hell, so we must get serious. That means not only electing a leadership that will help change things to the way they ought to be, but it means your providing the Christian leadership in your own home to make sure that things are the way they need to be right now. 

 

This means a God first mentality!

 

It means that you and I get our lives right first, and that we then insist that our kids keep their lives right as well. It will mean praying regularly (and thoughtfully). It will mean daily Bible reading that is every bit as regular as your daily meals. It will mean worshipping with the church whenever you can because you know that it is a privilege, rather than an unpleasant and inconvenient interruption to your "real" life. It will mean talking to your children as they rise and as they go to bed. It will mean talking to them as you walk along the way about the things that are truly important.

 

And when you have grandchildren, it will mean the same thing!

 

Do you want to leave a better world for your children and grandchildren? Then make a better "you" right now. It won't be easy, but our kids are worth it. What's more, they deserve a better world than the one we are leaving them at the present. So, let's get to the work that lies before us and do just that. For, in the end, it is really not this temporary world that we really should be concerned about: It is heaven! And, again, our kids are worth it! You don't believe that? Then consider just how much God valued them. After all, He loved them and us so much that He gave us His only begotten Son. Since He was willing to pay that price for us, let's make sure that we are willing to pay the high price of leaving behind a better world for our children as well. While the price may be high, it is really a bargain in the end, when we truly consider what we are receiving in return. 

 

Let's begin, right now, to leave a better world for our children!

 

Let's get to the work!

I have done judgment and justice... deal with thy servant according to thy mercy...

It is time for Thee, LORD, to work; for they have made void thy law...

Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.

Psalms 119:121, 124, 126& 136, KJV

 

Yesterday we looked at the simplicity of justice tempered with mercy, and the joy of living according to God's way. This type of simple life, and the joy that flows from living it, are nothing short of wonderful. It makes for an uncomplicated and contented existence, and this is certainly what God desires for His children. 

 

But there is another side to this simple way of living that is of paramount importance, and I was reminded of it just a few minutes after writing yesterday's article. In the news was a congressional hearing in which it was learned that research was being done with the tissue of aborted babies, and in such a way that it should make all people sad and angry at the same time. These "researchers" were taking the product of freshly aborted babies and injecting it into rats to see what their reaction would be. It was all done, they would no doubt claim, in the interest of learning and science.

 

The Germans performed their horrific experiments on people in their "laboratories" in their day. They, too, claimed to be interested in learning and science - and no doubt they were. But the world at that time was different, for when it was discovered what they had done people were shocked, appalled, and outraged. Justice was swift... in those days.

 

Fast-forward to our time. Are you at all shocked that people would be harvesting the parts of murdered, unborn babies in order that we can learn? Are you appalled that they would take tissue from these innocent lives in order to advance science? Do you not feel any sorrow for what was done to these children? Are you not outraged that this could be done in America? Do you not feel that it is time for "rivers of water" to flow from our own eyes? Do you not feel that God might be about to decide that it is time for Him to work, because we have made void His laws?

 

This is why justice and mercy are so important, and especially during times such as this. Many will feel that what is past is past and that we should just forgive them and go on. But we must understand this: As vital as forgiveness is, mercy without justice is not mercy - it is tolerance! So, do we just go out on a huge "bloodletting" purge in order to obtain justice? Again, we must understand another vital truth: Justice without mercy is not justice - it is revenge, and that is God's area, not ours.

 

So, what can we do? How about this for a start: We admit that we have sinned by permitting such heinous actions to occur in the first place. We find out just exactly what has been taking place and then we exercise the laws of God and of men to punish those who have transgressed these laws. We must do so with pity on the souls of those who are guilty, but we also must carry out justice on behalf of the innocent in order that nothing like this ever be permitted to happen again in our nation.

 

If we can hear of such evil and not be moved to sorrow and tears, then it is probably time to do a little soul searching of our own. For a people who can tolerate such a degree of wickedness without remorse are a people who are close to losing all hope, both for their nation, and for their eternal souls.

 

It is time for people everywhere to honestly face the sins that we have been tolerating, and to repent. It is time for us to see the importance of justice tempered with mercy for, if we do not, it might just be that God is poised to intervene. What do you suppose will be the outcome for us if we say nothing and just go on with our lives as if nothing has happened? What do you suppose needs to be done to a people who will not even lift a finger of help or a whisper of protest when they see the evil that is being done right before their eyes? I think it is something we all need to be thinking about, don't you?