Dear Victorious,
Are there any foods that Christians should not eat?
Marsha A. - Wheaton, IL
Dear Marsha,
The New Testament says that we can eat anything that grows on earth. But, food or drink or other substances becomes a wrong when it abuses our body, harms us or becomes a "false god" to us. So even baking cookies - if done so at the expense of other things God wants for you - can be wrong. And that is the operative difference - can become wrong. There are no foods that Christians should not eat, unless they are eaten for the wrong reasons or take an improper context in our lives.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Equally Yoked
Dear Victorious,
I read the letter (and your answer) from Pedro last week about being equally yoked. Honestly, I don't understand what the big deal is. There are many good and virtuous people out there who are not Christians. Why can't I just be yoked to one of them?
Hank V. - Atlanta, GA
Dear Hank,
Because it would be impossible to be submitted to God (as defined by the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and be in a union with someone who isn't.
I read the letter (and your answer) from Pedro last week about being equally yoked. Honestly, I don't understand what the big deal is. There are many good and virtuous people out there who are not Christians. Why can't I just be yoked to one of them?
Hank V. - Atlanta, GA
Dear Hank,
Because it would be impossible to be submitted to God (as defined by the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and be in a union with someone who isn't.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Spending Wealth
Dear Victorious,
Isn't it enough to tithe 10% of our income and simply enjoy the rest for ourselves? My husband and I have a very good income. Some would even say we're rich. But somehow when we spend money on our selves we feel guilty about it. We tithe faithfully, but it seems that we can get no peace with our finances. Isn't obedience enough for God?
Jenny Lynn - Topeka, KS
Dear Jenny,
Yes, obedience is enough for God. But it sounds as if you've defined obedience way too narrowly. Yes, obedience means giving God the tithe (i.e., the first 10% of our income). But at the same time, obedience requires that we be faithful in the other things God has asked of us. For starters, He told us to love our neighbor as we would want to be loved. If I had a lot of money and you had a genuine need - I'm reasonably certain you would want me to love you by meeting that need. So in that case, simply spending my money on myself may not fit within the definition of obedience.
If God has met your needs and you still have excess, you are not always free to just spend it on yourself or your family. You really must begin to see it all as God's money and ask Him what He wants you to do with that. It is not a sin to have and enjoy nice things. But it is a sin to do so at the exclusion of other purposes God may have had in giving you that wealth.
My guess is that the reason you have no peace with your finances is that the Holy Spirit is trying to convict you of something. You'll get no peace with your finances until they are in God's control.
Isn't it enough to tithe 10% of our income and simply enjoy the rest for ourselves? My husband and I have a very good income. Some would even say we're rich. But somehow when we spend money on our selves we feel guilty about it. We tithe faithfully, but it seems that we can get no peace with our finances. Isn't obedience enough for God?
Jenny Lynn - Topeka, KS
Dear Jenny,
Yes, obedience is enough for God. But it sounds as if you've defined obedience way too narrowly. Yes, obedience means giving God the tithe (i.e., the first 10% of our income). But at the same time, obedience requires that we be faithful in the other things God has asked of us. For starters, He told us to love our neighbor as we would want to be loved. If I had a lot of money and you had a genuine need - I'm reasonably certain you would want me to love you by meeting that need. So in that case, simply spending my money on myself may not fit within the definition of obedience.
If God has met your needs and you still have excess, you are not always free to just spend it on yourself or your family. You really must begin to see it all as God's money and ask Him what He wants you to do with that. It is not a sin to have and enjoy nice things. But it is a sin to do so at the exclusion of other purposes God may have had in giving you that wealth.
My guess is that the reason you have no peace with your finances is that the Holy Spirit is trying to convict you of something. You'll get no peace with your finances until they are in God's control.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Raising Children
Dear Victorious,
I saw something on Facebook recently about what it might be like if Jesus had been a parent in His humanity. What kind of parent might Jesus have been?
Carla W. - Tomball, TX
Dear Carla,
I suspect that Jesus would not have looked all that differently than the godly parents we see now in society. It is clear that His highest priority would be to love and affirm the child. But it is also clear that an equally important priority of Jesus' parenting would have been to teach His children the ways of the Lord. I think the biggest difference we might have seen in Jesus' parenting is that He would have taken responsibility for leading His children into a personal relationship with God.
I saw something on Facebook recently about what it might be like if Jesus had been a parent in His humanity. What kind of parent might Jesus have been?
Carla W. - Tomball, TX
Dear Carla,
I suspect that Jesus would not have looked all that differently than the godly parents we see now in society. It is clear that His highest priority would be to love and affirm the child. But it is also clear that an equally important priority of Jesus' parenting would have been to teach His children the ways of the Lord. I think the biggest difference we might have seen in Jesus' parenting is that He would have taken responsibility for leading His children into a personal relationship with God.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Church Mistakes
Dear Victorious,
I'm in seminary and plan to be a church pastor for my lifelong profession. What mistakes do churches typically make that I should be aware of if I'm going to be successful as a pastor?
Gerald R. - Dallas, TX
Dear Gerald,
There are lots of mistakes that churches make. What are the biggest or the most important is maybe the better way to ask that question. But before I answer it, I have a question for you. How do you define being "successful as a pastor?"
The answer to that question is where I think most pastors get it wrong. Pastors are called to tend sheep - not attract large numbers of them. Pastors are called to grow sheep - not entertain or satisfy them. Pastors are called to lead and love sheep - not to write books or build a career as a motivational speaker.
So what are the most serious (and common) mistakes that churches (and their leaders) make? Here are just a few that come to mind.
1. Not loving the sheep. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. So you can be a really great preacher - but if you're not also a really great lover, your sermons will just be noise. (Of course to love someone means to be in relationship with them.)
2. Focusing on the numbers. Large numbers of people can be the result of the spiritual growth in a church. But they are not the measure of spiritual growth in a church. Indeed some of the most spiritually immature churches can also be the largest.
3. Expecting the people in the church to "take responsibility" for their own spiritual growth. Sheep cannot teach themselves. They cannot clean themselves. They can actually do precious little for themselves. They must be very intentionally led and cared for.
4. Not spending enough time in prayer. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. Pastors are called to speak for Him and to do His work. It is impossible to serve that agenda if you are not constantly focused on that agenda (Christ's will). Too often churches have meetings to talk about problems or set goals and objectives. But the most important of such meetings is the one we have with God.
5. Focusing on the money. Too often we think that if the church is not in financial distress that everything is okay. Fiscal stability is not the measure of a healthy church. In fact, some of the most wealthy churches can also be some of the most lame and ineffective.
You can see that this list is robust. I could probably go on, but these are some of the most common and important (mistakes of churches) that come to mind.
I'm in seminary and plan to be a church pastor for my lifelong profession. What mistakes do churches typically make that I should be aware of if I'm going to be successful as a pastor?
Gerald R. - Dallas, TX
Dear Gerald,
There are lots of mistakes that churches make. What are the biggest or the most important is maybe the better way to ask that question. But before I answer it, I have a question for you. How do you define being "successful as a pastor?"
The answer to that question is where I think most pastors get it wrong. Pastors are called to tend sheep - not attract large numbers of them. Pastors are called to grow sheep - not entertain or satisfy them. Pastors are called to lead and love sheep - not to write books or build a career as a motivational speaker.
So what are the most serious (and common) mistakes that churches (and their leaders) make? Here are just a few that come to mind.
1. Not loving the sheep. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. So you can be a really great preacher - but if you're not also a really great lover, your sermons will just be noise. (Of course to love someone means to be in relationship with them.)
2. Focusing on the numbers. Large numbers of people can be the result of the spiritual growth in a church. But they are not the measure of spiritual growth in a church. Indeed some of the most spiritually immature churches can also be the largest.
3. Expecting the people in the church to "take responsibility" for their own spiritual growth. Sheep cannot teach themselves. They cannot clean themselves. They can actually do precious little for themselves. They must be very intentionally led and cared for.
4. Not spending enough time in prayer. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. Pastors are called to speak for Him and to do His work. It is impossible to serve that agenda if you are not constantly focused on that agenda (Christ's will). Too often churches have meetings to talk about problems or set goals and objectives. But the most important of such meetings is the one we have with God.
5. Focusing on the money. Too often we think that if the church is not in financial distress that everything is okay. Fiscal stability is not the measure of a healthy church. In fact, some of the most wealthy churches can also be some of the most lame and ineffective.
You can see that this list is robust. I could probably go on, but these are some of the most common and important (mistakes of churches) that come to mind.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Bible Study
Dear Victorious,
I know we are supposed to study our Bibles daily. But I just cannot seem to stick to that. I've tried the reading plans and lots of other gimmicks, but nothing works. How do you develop that discipline in your life?
Terry B. - Prosper, TX
Dear Terry,
You won't develop the discipline until you develop the value proposition. In other words, you have to want to read you Bible. And you won't want to read it until you come to the belief that there is something of value in there for you.
So how do you come to that sort of belief? I started with a good daily devotional. I particularly like Oswald Chambers or A.W. Tozer (authors) devotionals. Pick them up at your local Christian book store or search for their daily devotionals at any on-line book store. Then commit to reading just one page per day. Get an ink pen when you read that page - and look for something to underline that speaks to you, represents your thinking, challenges you, etc. My guess is you'll find something to underline every single day. (I did.)
After a year or so of using daily devotionals, I was really into that and kind of disappointed when I finished the one I was using. By then it was a daily habit, so I moved up to my Bible. Commit to reading just one chapter a day, in anything that you'll read. (Proverbs is an easy place to start.) Again, get an ink pen and look for something to underline each day that speaks to you, challenges you, comforts or encourages you, etc. Again, my guess is you'll find something every day.
Why the underlining? Because what we're looking for and marking are the value propositions. As you learn how and make a habit of finding them, you will find the desire to read your Bible daily will grow. Eventually, with enough value propositions, you'll feel as if you're missing out when you don't read you Bible. That's because you'll know deep inside that it has something in there for you!
I know we are supposed to study our Bibles daily. But I just cannot seem to stick to that. I've tried the reading plans and lots of other gimmicks, but nothing works. How do you develop that discipline in your life?
Terry B. - Prosper, TX
Dear Terry,
You won't develop the discipline until you develop the value proposition. In other words, you have to want to read you Bible. And you won't want to read it until you come to the belief that there is something of value in there for you.
So how do you come to that sort of belief? I started with a good daily devotional. I particularly like Oswald Chambers or A.W. Tozer (authors) devotionals. Pick them up at your local Christian book store or search for their daily devotionals at any on-line book store. Then commit to reading just one page per day. Get an ink pen when you read that page - and look for something to underline that speaks to you, represents your thinking, challenges you, etc. My guess is you'll find something to underline every single day. (I did.)
After a year or so of using daily devotionals, I was really into that and kind of disappointed when I finished the one I was using. By then it was a daily habit, so I moved up to my Bible. Commit to reading just one chapter a day, in anything that you'll read. (Proverbs is an easy place to start.) Again, get an ink pen and look for something to underline each day that speaks to you, challenges you, comforts or encourages you, etc. Again, my guess is you'll find something every day.
Why the underlining? Because what we're looking for and marking are the value propositions. As you learn how and make a habit of finding them, you will find the desire to read your Bible daily will grow. Eventually, with enough value propositions, you'll feel as if you're missing out when you don't read you Bible. That's because you'll know deep inside that it has something in there for you!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Prioritizing Life
Dear Victorious,
I have never been diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder), but I seem to constantly be challenged by distractions and never able to accomplish what I need to accomplish. Is it possible that this could be a problem with spiritual roots?
Reggie A. - Hartford, CT
Dear Reggie,
Of course it could have spiritual roots. There are two places to look for them.
First, are you truly seeking God's will for your life on a day-to-day basis? Are you looking for God's will and then trying to follow it as you make plans, make decisions and respond to opportunities? (If you are, then you're not responsible for the results - only your obedience.)
Second, are you conscious of the ongoing battle between the urgent and the important. What's important will always be challenged by what's urgent, what's interesting, etc. So it's a conflict that you have to be intentional about managing. If you aren't conscious of the conflict, or aren't intentionally managing it, then the urgent always wins.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Seek Him first. Give Him first priority in all your ways. And then be on the lookout for the urgent and the interesting to try and sidetrack you. (They always will.)
I have never been diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder), but I seem to constantly be challenged by distractions and never able to accomplish what I need to accomplish. Is it possible that this could be a problem with spiritual roots?
Reggie A. - Hartford, CT
Dear Reggie,
Of course it could have spiritual roots. There are two places to look for them.
First, are you truly seeking God's will for your life on a day-to-day basis? Are you looking for God's will and then trying to follow it as you make plans, make decisions and respond to opportunities? (If you are, then you're not responsible for the results - only your obedience.)
Second, are you conscious of the ongoing battle between the urgent and the important. What's important will always be challenged by what's urgent, what's interesting, etc. So it's a conflict that you have to be intentional about managing. If you aren't conscious of the conflict, or aren't intentionally managing it, then the urgent always wins.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Seek Him first. Give Him first priority in all your ways. And then be on the lookout for the urgent and the interesting to try and sidetrack you. (They always will.)
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