As many of you know, the past few weeks have been physically draining and at times painful for me. Despite doing much better now, the days and nights spent on my back in bed are still quite vivid in my mind. Just a few nights ago, as I was finishing the book of 2 Timothy, I came across Paul's oft quoted counsel to young Timothy in chapter 4. Though I am sure you have heard his words many times before, listen for a moment to how the apostle Paul describes his nearly finished life of ministry.
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of rigtheousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only me but also to all who have loved his appearing."
(2 Timothy 4:6-8 ESV)
To my knowledge I am not coming to the end of my ministry as Paul was his when he penned these inspired words. However, his comparison of the ministry to an atheletic event is something I understand quite well. Pastoral ministry, like atheletics, requires a well-trained and continually conditioned man willing to finish well the race he started no matter what hurdles are placed before him. The question I have faced over the past few weeks is how a pastor can be considered an athelete running a race when he is lying in bed unable to move very well, much less run?
As I pondered this question, I began to reflect upon two realities. First, behind every ministry there is a minister, just like behind every race there is a runner. The ministry is not just about what is done by the minister but equally about what is effected within the minister! After all, a minister needs God's grace to work within him as much as he needs God's grace to work through him. Second, ministry takes place all the time. To think that ministry only consists of what is done by a pastor when he is in that official role is a colossal mistake. Whether it be responding to a letter from a youth, typing a post about a topic related to living the Christian life, or even praying for my youth while sick in bed, I am engaging in ministry.
As a result of these truths, I know that even though I may be in a leg of my race where I don't feel like an athlete I am still running and simultaneously being made into a better runner. This fact has revolutionized how I view those moments that may not seem like ministry but very much are. It also has revolutionized how I pray for my pastor. How about you? We must not pray solely for God to grant our pastors grace as they deliver their sermons. We must also pray for them even when they may be "on vacation" or engaged in some other activity that may seem more mundane than ministerial. I hope that I may never forget that I am always in the race that is the ministry and that when my ministry nears its close that I will be be able to say with Paul that "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Teens And Alcohol: Getting To The Heart Of The Matter Part 2
Rick is a 16 year old High School Junior living in rural South Carolina. Most of his free time is spent hunting, fishing, playing football, or hanging out with his friends. As for his home life, Rick’s situation can best be summed up by saying that he tries to avoid his parents as much as possible. His mom keeps to herself and would rather watch soaps than attempt to connect with her son. His dad is an alcoholic that Rick describes as an “angry drunk.” Most people would say that Rick is just a good ole boy with a not so good home life. On one Friday night in June several of Rick’s friends invited him over for a party they were having. Soon after arriving, Rick’s buddies began hounding him to have a beer. Pretty soon he had downed the first can and within a couple of hours had polished off a six pack. By 3:00 am Rick was toast, but he decided to drive home anyway. On his way home he rounded a turn too fast and slammed his truck into a tree. Though Rick was fortunate to escape the wreckage with only some bruised ribs and a broken collar bone, he lost his license, became further distanced from his parents, and was told that his upcoming football season was a no go. How had it come to this?
In this second post on teens and alcohol, Rick will serve as a fictional (though very true to life) example of a teenager whose life has been ravaged by a one night stand with alcohol. If we are to get at Rick’s real struggle and truly provide an answer to give to both Rick and those seeking to help him, we must begin by asking this simple but profound question -- What motivated Rick to take that first drink and subsequently get drunk? Some may say that the answer to this question lies in understanding that Rick’s father is an alcoholic. After all, isn’t there a biological link between an alcoholic parent and their alcoholic child? Others would say that the peer-pressure Rick experienced was too much to overcome. Or perhaps Rick’s problem is that he lives in a small town. Since the town offers nothing constructive for youth to do, Rick’s only option was to do something destructive. And the list goes on. Are these assessments of Rick’s problem accurate and helpful? If they are, then scripture should attest to their accuracy and helpfulness. Right? Yet, as these “answers” to Rick’s problem come under the searchlight of scripture their helplessness is exposed. Biological predispositions (if such a thing really exists and that is a BIG if), peer-pressure, living in a small town, and any other external factors should be acknowledged, but these factors are not what the Bible says is central, foundational, or helpful in pointing him in the direction of change.
The Bible says something radically different about Rick. The Bible gets to Rick as a real human being. It doesn’t make him simply a biological thing. It also doesn’t make him a reaction to a circumstance or a response to verbal cues. Rick is a real fella who is really struggling and he needs the real help that only scripture can give. So what does scripture say about Rick that is so genuinely helpful? The whole counsel of scripture gives us three important facts about Rick:
1. Rick is a worshipper.
2. Rick’s worship flows from within (the Bible calls this the heart, see Luke 6:43-45).
3. Sin has deeply twisted Rick’s heart and, therefore, corrupted his
worship.
Rick has a worship problem. He made a conscious decision to reject God’s law and became a law unto himself. Clearly, he is not worshipping God, but he is still worshipping. When we realize this, we begin to really get to the motivational level. Within his heart, Rick is adoring and honoring someone or something other than God. This is why he drank and got drunk. Some God-substitute (what the Bible calls an idol) has seized Rick’s heart and if he is not helped to see this reality and given guidance on how to change from within then he will not be lovingly helped and will most likely remain in his sin. Do you want to help Rick? Are you a little like Rick and want help yourself? Then we must get to the heart of the matter. In a soon to be written post (part 3 in the present series) we will look at unhelpful approaches to getting at the heart of a teen struggling with alcohol and later look (in part 4) at the help teens like Rick really need to change to the glory of God.
In this second post on teens and alcohol, Rick will serve as a fictional (though very true to life) example of a teenager whose life has been ravaged by a one night stand with alcohol. If we are to get at Rick’s real struggle and truly provide an answer to give to both Rick and those seeking to help him, we must begin by asking this simple but profound question -- What motivated Rick to take that first drink and subsequently get drunk? Some may say that the answer to this question lies in understanding that Rick’s father is an alcoholic. After all, isn’t there a biological link between an alcoholic parent and their alcoholic child? Others would say that the peer-pressure Rick experienced was too much to overcome. Or perhaps Rick’s problem is that he lives in a small town. Since the town offers nothing constructive for youth to do, Rick’s only option was to do something destructive. And the list goes on. Are these assessments of Rick’s problem accurate and helpful? If they are, then scripture should attest to their accuracy and helpfulness. Right? Yet, as these “answers” to Rick’s problem come under the searchlight of scripture their helplessness is exposed. Biological predispositions (if such a thing really exists and that is a BIG if), peer-pressure, living in a small town, and any other external factors should be acknowledged, but these factors are not what the Bible says is central, foundational, or helpful in pointing him in the direction of change.
The Bible says something radically different about Rick. The Bible gets to Rick as a real human being. It doesn’t make him simply a biological thing. It also doesn’t make him a reaction to a circumstance or a response to verbal cues. Rick is a real fella who is really struggling and he needs the real help that only scripture can give. So what does scripture say about Rick that is so genuinely helpful? The whole counsel of scripture gives us three important facts about Rick:
1. Rick is a worshipper.
2. Rick’s worship flows from within (the Bible calls this the heart, see Luke 6:43-45).
3. Sin has deeply twisted Rick’s heart and, therefore, corrupted his
worship.
Rick has a worship problem. He made a conscious decision to reject God’s law and became a law unto himself. Clearly, he is not worshipping God, but he is still worshipping. When we realize this, we begin to really get to the motivational level. Within his heart, Rick is adoring and honoring someone or something other than God. This is why he drank and got drunk. Some God-substitute (what the Bible calls an idol) has seized Rick’s heart and if he is not helped to see this reality and given guidance on how to change from within then he will not be lovingly helped and will most likely remain in his sin. Do you want to help Rick? Are you a little like Rick and want help yourself? Then we must get to the heart of the matter. In a soon to be written post (part 3 in the present series) we will look at unhelpful approaches to getting at the heart of a teen struggling with alcohol and later look (in part 4) at the help teens like Rick really need to change to the glory of God.
Teens and Alcohol Part 1
Teens and Alcohol Part 3
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Teens And Alcohol: Getting To The Heart Of The Matter Part 1
Teenagers and alcohol. Many would have the world to believe that the former with the latter in hand is a very natural and harmless thing. Reality paints a far different picture. The truth is more akin to this -- when one meets the other a concoction has been created that is nothing less than nuclear. The reaction will be much like dropping a blowtorch into a barrel of lighter fluid. Families are destroyed, young bodies rot on the inside while their world crumbles on the outside, and short-lived lives are snuffed out in an instant. Is there a way out from such madness? Can numbed minds think clearly again? Can slurred angry speech become joyful singing? Can the teenage years be great without beer or hard liquor? In the coming days I hope to answer these questions with a resounding yes!
The post you have before your eyes is the first in a series of four posts aimed at helping teenagers and their parents better understand how to biblically view and address the epidemic of teenage drinking. The focus of this post will be simply to clarify and narrow our focus to that which is most important. My desire is not to hit every nuanced issue related to teen drinking. I want to pinpoint what is most pressing.
Having said that, I will not spend much time on the question of drinking in general (if you want a fuller treatment on this issue I invite you to check out a transcribed radio exchange by John MacArthur linked here). All that I will say regarding such a topic is that for teenagers the issue of whether to drink or not is moot. Drinking is illegal for teenagers and, biblically, we are to submit to our governmental authorities (Romans 13:1-6). Therefore, the answer to whether or not teens should drink is an unequivocal NO! Yet, we all know many teens still drink, despite being legally prohibited from doing so. Something more needs to be and will be said!
Not only is the question of drinking in general not of primary importance, but we will not concern ourselves either with asking “How can I stop drinking?” or if you are a parent “How can I stop my teen from drinking?” These questions are good and necessary but not primary. There is a greater question that must be posed first. Of utmost importance is “What motivates a teenager to drink and to get drunk?” Also, where do these motivations come from? When these questions are asked we move away from peripheral concerns and end results and begin to focus on what is fundamental. You do not teach someone to drain a three-point shot in basketball by showing them how a ball looks going through the net or by modeling the best defensive techniques. When the root of motivations is exposed and the motivations themselves are rightly acknowledged a great step has been made by both the teen steeped in alcohol and the parents hoping to help them.
Not only is the question of drinking in general not of primary importance, but we will not concern ourselves either with asking “How can I stop drinking?” or if you are a parent “How can I stop my teen from drinking?” These questions are good and necessary but not primary. There is a greater question that must be posed first. Of utmost importance is “What motivates a teenager to drink and to get drunk?” Also, where do these motivations come from? When these questions are asked we move away from peripheral concerns and end results and begin to focus on what is fundamental. You do not teach someone to drain a three-point shot in basketball by showing them how a ball looks going through the net or by modeling the best defensive techniques. When the root of motivations is exposed and the motivations themselves are rightly acknowledged a great step has been made by both the teen steeped in alcohol and the parents hoping to help them.
In a (hopefully soon) forthcoming post we will look much closer at what truly motivates a teen to drink and discuss some of the most prevalent desires that reign supreme when teens and alcohol collide.
Teens and Alcohol part 2
Teens and Alcohol part 3
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