Washington Presbyterian Church is a Christ-centered, gospel-driven, Bible-based church in southwestern Pennsylvania dedicated to the city of Washington and the surrounding community. Join us for worship on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.
4 Misconceptions about Contentment
It is difficult to grow in contentment if we have the wrong idea of what it is. Melissa Kruger writes to correct some of our misconceptions about contentment.
Contentment does not mean that we are free from desires, longings, or heart-wrenching circumstances. If you are hurting or someone you love needs healing, cry out to God in prayer. Contentment isn’t apathy or a sort of “grin and bear it” mentality. We can seek solutions and help in our trials. We can tell others we are suffering. Crying out to God for relief is not in opposition to contentment.
An Open Letter to a Sinner
How do we fight against strong temptations when the battle has raged on so long? Mike Emlet helps us understand in this article.
I see that you are at a true crossroads. You’re getting weary and discouraged, fighting against desires that threaten to take you far afield of God’s design for your life. But it’s more than that. I heard notes of cynicism as you spoke. You’re entertaining voices that say, “God wants me to be happy, not miserable” or “It shouldn’t be this hard” or “What’s the point of these oppressive rules?” Increasingly, obedience seems pointless to you. You’re thinking, “Why not give in and give up, once and for all?”
Foundations Podcast with Ruth & Troy
Here is a podcast suitable for the whole family. Using Scripture, hosts Ruth and Troy Simons talk through 12 key truths (one for each episode) to connect all family members’ hearts to God. This might make a good choice for your next round of family devotions.
On the WPCA Blog This Week
This week on the blog we published an article by Erica Goehring called Work as for the Lord. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out!
Thanks to Maggie A for her help in rounding up links this week.
Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here.
In late 2020, I attended a cesarean birth with my client and her husband. An unexpected complication led to a quick drive to the hospital and a long wait for surgery. As a birth doula, during a c-section I am typically seated near the head of my client, next to her birth partner. I provide moral support for the pair and a hand to squeeze for anyone who needs it. Only inches away on the other side of a sterile curtain, a team of doctors and nurses do their specialized work with fine-tuned precision. From my vantage point, I see only a sea of blue backs and caps. Voices are low, and each person knows exactly where to stand and how to move around the crowded space. Every step is planned and executed, gears turning smoothly in a living machine.
Typically, the anesthesiologist is the only person on our side of the curtain. That early morning surgery was no different, but this time, the man who managed the patient’s anesthesia would leave a lasting impact on me.
A Perfect Encounter
Hours before we were taken back to the OR, my client and her husband passed the time by creating a careful playlist, a mix of uplifting and sentimental favorites that would be the soundtrack of an unforgettable moment, the birth of their child. A few of their choices were Christian worship songs, and I smiled as I noticed the common faith that I didn’t know we shared. My client noted that I had mentioned “church” in one of our conversations, and the knowledge that I was a believer gave her peace and made her not worry about her song choices surprising me.
As the selection of music played during the surgery, the anesthesiologist busily did his work. He adjusted dials and gauges here and there, monitored vital signs, shared a few lighthearted jokes, and frequently asked how my client was feeling. A new song selection rang out, and the blessed name of Jesus suddenly filled the room. The anesthesiologist paused and said with a smile, “I approve of this song choice!” He began to sing along under his breath. In his quiet way, he made his belief known, and with those words, he invited himself into the moment. In the most unexpected of places, the four of us had an unanticipated encounter with fellow believers and engaged in a short but heartfelt moment of worship.
Work in a Secular World
According to a study conducted by Barna Group and released in 20181, Christians increasingly reject a “spiritual hierarchy” of employment (for example, the idea that the job of a pastor is more important than that of an accountant). Instead, modern American Christians are more likely to blur the line between secular and sacred work as they embrace a sense of vocation in all work, a belief that various forms of employment outside of traditional ministry can be callings for which God has specifically equipped a person.
Even with a growing sense of vocation among us, many Christians also recognize that outward expressions of faith are often unwelcome in secular workplaces. Teachers in public schools and secular universities could face reprimand for openly preaching the gospel in class. A doctor or lawyer may be frowned upon for giving his or her Christian testimony in a conversation with a patient or client. As an entrepreneur, I have the right to share my spiritual faith, but I am also keenly aware that a major component of my work is to set an expectant family at ease during an intimate and often challenging experience. I must “read the room” with wisdom and care, and introducing details of my personal life is not always the best way to do my job well.
All Work is for the Lord
Must Christian employees feel constantly at odds between God’s call upon their lives and the expectations of the world? How can a believer work for the Lord under the constraints of a secular environment?
First, take heart in knowing that evangelizing and sharing Scripture are not the only ways in which Christians do their work for the Lord. These are small components in a much larger picture. Colossians 3:23 reminds us, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” The word heartily points to industriousness, working with vigor and steadfastness. This word points to consistency and effort. All of these qualities speak to attitude and approach rather than specific tasks. Additionally, we see that our work is done for the Lord. Our purpose should be attached to the Lord’s pleasure, not merely the opinions of our clientele and superiors. Verse 24 continues, “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Here we are pushed to look past wordly benchmarks that might be measures of man’s success, and instead, we are meant to look to the Lord for our reward.
Colossians 1:10 reads, “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.” Here we see, again, that the manner in which we conduct our work matters to God and is a reflection of who we are in him. In the fruit we produce and the growth we display, we are honoring him. In the workplace, any of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) contribute to a positive environment and build healthier relationships. Certainly, a display of patience could diffuse a tense interaction or a demonstration of self-control could lead to productive teamwork despite heightened emotions. As so often happens, God’s word speaks to the greater spiritual good but does not fail us in the practical matters of living and working in this world.
Opportunities
I hope that the anesthesiologist can be an encouragement to all of us. This medical professional performed his job with excellence. I have no doubt he provides medical care of the highest quality for every patient on his docket, regardless of the music they choose in the operating room. Yet, he selected a subtle comment in a perfect moment to provide comfort and camaraderie, to serve the Lord with his words and actions, while never compromising the expectations of his position. I was moved in that moment, and I immediately thought of the potential opportunities I have in my work to express the truth of the gospel in a world that needs it.
Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.
Why Mourning Can Be Good for Us
Crossway has posted an excerpt from Paul Tripp’s Lenten devotional. Mourning might not seem like a fun or particularly good thing, but Tripp explains the good it can do for our souls.
We should be rejoicing people, because we have, in the redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus, eternal reason to rejoice. But this side of our final home, our rejoicing should be mixed with weeping as we witness, experience, and, sadly, give way to the presence and power of evil. Christ taught in his most lengthy recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, that those who mourn are blessed, so it’s important to understand why. Mourning means you recognize the most important reality in the human existence, sin.
The Blessing of Weariness
This article seems to go hand in hand with the previous one. David Qaoud writes about how weariness can help us identify with Jesus, enjoy God’s good gifts, and identify weaknesses in our life.
Yet the cause does not always lie in us. If we are reading our Bibles rightly, in fact, we should expect many mornings of ordinary devotions: devotions that do not sparkle with insight or direct-to-life application, but that nevertheless do us good. Just as most meals are ordinary, but still nourish, and just as most conversations with friends are ordinary, but still deepen affection, so most devotions are ordinary, but still grow us in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
There are no shortcuts. More Bible equals more discernment. You will know what is phony only after you have filled yourself up with truth. Hard days will ensue, sooner or later. Fear not. Stand firm. The salvation of the Lord is coming. He will fight for us, his children, as we stand trusting and still.
Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here.
Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.
Are Paper Bibles Better?
At Desiring God, David Mathis urges us to read our Bibles deeply and meditatively. And, for some people, this might mean that they need to spend more time with a physical Bible.
I want to invite you, here at the outset of a new year, to join me in doing something countercultural: get a paper Bible and learn to read it differently from your phone and other screens, and make the words of God your rock in a world of multiplied words of sand. You don’t need an old tattered, torn, marked up, and re-covered Bible like mine. You might consider, though, whether paper might make a difference in your time alone with God. There is some research to consider, not just my experience.
A Word of Hope for Those with Chronic Pain
This was written during Advent, but I think it is still helpful. We all experience chronic pain or know someone who does. What does it look like for people with such pain to wait in hope?
Waiting in chronic pain can wear you down, shrivel your love, fill you with self-pity, and poison your heart. Or it can refine your character, build your patience and endurance, and increase your longing for God. Whether our waiting does the one or the other largely depends on what we believe is on the other side of this suffering.
Thanks to Jesus, temptation doesn’t have to be our undoing. Until he returns, we will struggle with sin, but we can fight against it and the constant attraction to it we face, if we will cling to Christ’s grace and follow Christ’s example in staying alert, staying focused, and staying in the word that gives power.
On the WPCA Blog This Week
This week on the blog we published an article by Sarah Wisniewski called I Am Not Enough. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out!
Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here.
When my son was born, due to stay-at-home orders we had none of the external resources we had planned to lean on. Play dates and church programs for our daughter, housekeeping and childcare help for us, even parks and library outings disappeared overnight.
It was just Zack and me—and we were not enough.
We were not enough to be the sole source for our two-year-old’s social interactions. We were not enough for the bottomless needs of a newborn. I struggled and usually failed to live out the fruits of the Spirit while tired and stressed. Of course, we had never been “enough,” but before we could hide behind all the things we used to supplement our own parenting.
It’s crushing to know as a parent that you are not enough for your kids.
A Sufficient Grace
Paul also confronted his own weakness, a mysterious “thorn.” He pleaded with God to remove it, but God did not. Paul wrote:
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)
When we are not enough, God’s grace is sufficient. God’s grace is sufficient to preserve my kids through hardship and loneliness. God’s grace is sufficient to forgive my failures, like when I snap at my kids because I’m just done with today. And by God’s grace our weakness makes room for the power of Christ to fill us with the ability to serve and give and love when there’s nothing left in us.
We are not called to hide our weaknesses or project an image that we’ve got it all together. Paul says he boasts of his weakness, because that makes it clear it is Christ at work, not himself.
A Sufficient Gospel
God working through weakness sits at the core of the gospel. Paul points out in the following chapter that Christ himself “was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God” (2 Corinthians 13:4). Christ became weak, so weak that he died, and through his “weakness,” God demonstrated his power to save.
We can lay at Jesus’s scarred feet the places where we feel we are not up to the task. Jesus doesn’t ask us to be enough; he asks us to lean on him. Much like God gave Paul his thorn, he places things in our lives—like pandemics and newborns—that we are unable to handle. These things drive us back to the cross, reminding us that we do not live by our own strength but by Jesus’s power through the Holy Spirit.
*Record scratch*
There’s a rub here: Some days I still find myself feeling spent by 11 a.m., and Jesus has yet to show up to watch my kids while I take a nap. What does it mean to live in the power of Christ in the day-to-day?
A lot of prayer, for one. Prayer has (at least) two benefits. One, you truly are soliciting supernatural help from the Lord of the universe. Two, the act of praying leads you to rehearse the truth of the gospel. I find myself repeating back to God his own truths, like God’s patience with us and Jesus’ boundless sacrifice. Bringing these truths to mind can put your own struggles in context and lead you to have more patience with, say, the sixth time you’ve asked the toddler to put on socks. Totally hypothetical example.
God also placed us in a community. It was hard to take care of my family without support—because God designed people to need one another. Christians individually and the church collectively are God’s literal hands and feet in the world. It is unlikely that Jesus will personally show up to do my dishes. But he might remind me that my soapy hands are being used to serve the tiny neighbors in my home, just like Jesus’ pierced ones served me.
In those early weeks of my son’s life, I felt numb with the truth of my own inadequacy. God had placed more on me than I could handle, and it was crushing me. While I could have happily gone my life long without such a stern reminder, I have also never seen so clearly that every step was not in my own strength. God—in his mercy!—places overwhelming circumstances in our way, not to cause us to rise to the occasion, but to drive us, like the crack of a whip or the sting of spurs, to himself.
On many occasions, people have asked me whether I see any difference between Bible reading in the morning compared to at night. The spirit of the question seems to be asking permission not to study the Bible in the morning. Reasons abound. We are “not morning people.” Our children need our attention. Our morning duties render the thought of meaningful Bible study impossible at sunrise. Each family has its own particular challenges to navigate with time, of course. And no time spent with the Lord, whenever it may be, is deemed inferior or a waste. But the more I have experienced the choice of beginning my day with purposeful worship, the more I believe there is something to it. It seems Scripture itself tells us so.
The Quiet Power of Ordinary Devotions
This seems a good article to pair with the previous one. While we may long for powerful devotional times, filled with dramatic insight and joy, more often we find our times ordinary. And yet, as the title says, there is power in ordinary devotions.
Yet the cause does not always lie in us. If we are reading our Bibles rightly, in fact, we should expect many mornings of ordinary devotions: devotions that do not sparkle with insight or direct-to-life application, but that nevertheless do us good. Just as most meals are ordinary, but still nourish, and just as most conversations with friends are ordinary, but still deepen affection, so most devotions are ordinary, but still grow us in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here.
Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.
3 Questions For Setting God-Centered Goals
We all know the beginning of the year is a common time to set goals and resolutions. But, if we’re not careful, our goals can be terribly self-centered. Paul Worcester writes with advice on glorifying God with our goals.
If I’m not careful, I can gravitate toward goals that have the subtle motivation of glorifying myself. Fitness, finances, and fans can all be tools to glorify God. But if those things become ends in themselves, I am in danger of idolatry.
But what I want to do in the next few minutes, at the beginning of the year here, is not persuade people of a particular plan, but to give the profound biblical truth and reality that ongoing feeding upon the word of God day by day is built into God’s way of saving you. In other words, we’re not putting icing on the cake of Christianity when we talk about Bible reading. We’re talking about the cake of God’s spiritual plan to preserve you and bring you safely to heaven with all the necessary holiness that the Spirit creates only by the word of God.
Your God has planned 2020. There is nothing outside of His control, and He knows what is best. That change in the rhythm of life? The reduction in travel? The impact of the virus? All wrapped up in His goodness and work.
Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here.
