Death, where is your sting?

This week my mother’s older sister, Wanda Pearl, went home to see Jesus. There are two things that I think of most often when I think of my Aunt Wanda. One is my mom telling me how she always tried to protect her from “ugly things”.  The other is her love of pretty things. When I was a young teenager, Aunt Wanda lived in our town for a little while. I always enjoyed her love of jewelry, make-up, nail polish, hair styles and other accessories. My mother was much more practical about these things and so it was fun for me to watch and learn some things from my aunt.  And so when I learned of her death, I thought of all the pretty things she is enjoying now and the all the ugly things that are no more. It was easy for me to see the victory for her in death because of the work of Christ we celebrate at Easter.

However, this Easter morning as I stood to sing “Because He Lives”, I was face to face with deaths that leave a sting. As we sang the words to the second verse, “how sweet to hold a new born baby and feel the joy and pride he brings, but greater still the calm assurance, this child can face uncertain days because he lives”, I was keenly aware that the man leading the song had recently lost his son who was same age as my daughter. And that was the second child he had lost to death.  In front of me stood a dear friend who tragically lost her husband and two children several years ago. As I looked at my child, my heart was heavy for those who live with the sting of death.  I’ve watched other family members who have lost children and others to untimely deaths and I know that His grace is sufficient to sustain even then, but I also know there is sting that does not go away.  As I looked up, it was my friend who had her hands lifted in worship the One of whom we sing “life is worth the living just because you live.”

As if rounding a corner in my mind we began the last verse. “And then one day … as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives.”  It is when we see Jesus that we will fully understand what scripture means when it says “Death is swallowed up in victory”.  There is comfort in knowing that our loved ones who have seen him know that victory fully!

The minister began to speak of those who encountered the risen Jesus and the transformation that it brought in their lives. It is true. The death and resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of our faith and encountering that truth will change a person’s life.  And one day, we will see the risen Lord and in the twinkling of an eye we will be transformed. Then, we will fully understand the victory over death and the grave.  All ugly things gone, only pretty things forever more!

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye,” (I Corinthians 16:51-52 NLT)

“But thank God he gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 16:57 NLT)

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday

Ronda

Something Beautiful

  

The pretty yellow dress &
beautiful little girl!

My love of pretty clothes has always made the hunt for the perfect Easter dress one of my favorite spring activities.  As a young mother the hunt was normally for the perfect pattern, material, lace and ribbon and of course the matching hat or bonnet for my little girl.  One of my favorites was a bright yellow satin dress with a layered lace collar. The funny thing is that one began with digging through the scraps in my mother’s box of fabric for something that would work for an Easter dress.  My mother had a piece of yellow satin left over from making a “Daisy” cape and a lot of scraps of different laces.  With that in mind, I searched the pattern book at Wal-Mart for something that would work with all the mismatched pieces of lace. Satisfied with the one with the big layered collar, I purchased a small amount of yellow ribbon and went home to piece together the scraps. The end product was a beautiful dress for a beautiful little girl.

I would like to say I saw in that experience a reminder of how God takes the pieces of our lives and makes them into something beautiful. That would have been a great Easter lessen. But nope, in 1990 I was just excited to have a pretty dress for my almost 3 year- old daughter.  I wasn’t looking for anything more. But today, thinking back on Easters past I see the symbolism in that yellow dress. Not only was it made from scraps, the yellow satin remnant was connected to a memory of broken relationships in my life at that time.

Isn’t that how it often works?  Our vision is clearer to see the good God was working when we are looking back.

This must have been true for the women who followed Jesus through his trial, crucifixion and resurrection. These were women who had experienced the beauty of His touch. Women who knew the good he had made from the pieces of their lives. Earlier we are told he took his disciples along with some women he had healed and from whom he had cast out evil spirits on his journeys. Among them where Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. (Luke 8:2-3 NLT)   

He trusted these women to be the first to witness his resurrection and take the message back to his disciples. Luke, chapter 24 identifies Mary Magdalene and Joanna to be among several women who told the apostles what had happened.  Jesus even appeared to them as they went to find the disciples, “Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him.” (Matthew 28:9 NLT)  What a beautiful moment!

And yet the beauty of that moment had been not visible only 3 days before. Today, we gaze upon the cross and see the beauty of what was being accomplished. These women watched from a distance and saw brokenness and strife. All the good they had seen Jesus bring in their lives must have felt like a distant memory as they watched the horrific events of his death.  “A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women.” (Luke 23:27 NLT)  In the midst of their confusion and grief as soon as it was possible they made their way to the tomb prepared to care for Jesus one last time. It was there they were the first to witness the risen Lord and to hear his voice say do not be afraid. How sweet those words must have been. I wonder how many times along the way, he had said those words to them. The beauty of what Jesus had accomplished on the cross was beginning to be clearer.

When Stephen was pastoring Hugoton Baptist Church we often sang this chorus,

Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful of my life

One particular Sunday morning, I quietly began singing the song in the present tense. All my confusion he understands, all I have to offer him is brokenness and strife, but he is making something beautiful of my life. There are moments in life when the good and beautiful are clear. There are others when the beauty and the good are still in the making.  

We traded Easter eggs for roses.
& bright yellow for gold, but still
my beautiful little girl!

One last thought, as beautiful as Ginny’s little yellow satin dress was that Easter morning years later when it came time for prom a new yellow satin dress was required. The beauty of the past was not the right fit for that moment. Life brings changes which often include confusion, brokenness and strife.  Each time God is still making something good and beautiful of that moment. I am sure the women who followed Jesus would have preferred he stayed with them, but he knew it was for their good that he must die, resurrect and return to the Father.

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday,

Ronda

“And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:27-28 NLT)

"The mail don't run on Sunday"

I suppose every family has quotes from family members that stick with everyone through the years.  For years I was told of the story when I was very small and my mother had given me my meal and forgot to give me a spoon. The story goes that after a few minutes, I said, “bless my heart I need a poon”. How cute is that!  Occasionally, when I am with my mother or my Aunt Bonnie and someone forgets the spoon, it’s not uncommon for one of them to say,”Bless my heart I need a poon”.  Another memorable quote in our family was when my cousin, Jerry, when told by his father to pick up his toys and go his room replied, “I will when I’m ready” only to quickly add to everyone’s relief “and I’m ready”.

Ginny, ready to hunt Easter
eggs at the Hugoton 
Baptist parsonage, our home
for 7 wonderful years. 

Years later Jerry’s niece, Bonnie, was living with Stephen and I and provided another favorite family quote, “the mail don’t run on Sunday”. The occasion was Easter Sunday. It was in the afternoon and we were hiding & hunting eggs. She was 13 but was being a good sport about hunting eggs with our daughter Ginny who was only 7. (I’m pretty sure she was actually enjoying it.)  Anyway, most of the eggs had been found and Stephen was giving hints to hurry the hunt along. So he suggested to the girls that someone check the mail and Bonnie responded, “Uncle Stephen, the mail don’t run on Sunday.”   I don’t remember which one made it to the mailbox to retrieve the hidden eggs, but we’ve never forgot the line.  Anytime someone misses the obvious, one of us will say “the mail don’t run on Sunday”

Ironically, Bonnie is not the only one that missed something that should have been obvious on Easter. I am always amazed at the how surprised the disciples seemed when they heard Jesus was not in the tomb. Granted that his words about tearing down the temple and rebuilding it in 3 days seems more like a hint than his obvious words in Mark, chapter 9.  “He said to them, ’The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but 3 days later he will rise from the dead.’”.  

It can’t get much, more clear than that! And yet, verse 32 says they didn’t understand what he was saying.  And when the women came on the third day after his death at the hands of his enemies to report he had risen, scripture says the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. Even when Peter ran to the tomb and confirmed it was empty, he left wondering what had happened. (Luke 24:11&12 NLT)

So what about us? Do we sometimes miss the obvious in Jesus words?    

Here’s another thing Jesus told his disciples just before they began what would be the very difficult week, we refer to as Holy Week.

 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:1-3 NLT)

Recently, I’ve heard many people say it’s obvious that Christ return is near. I pray they are right, but I'll be honest I wonder if we really know everything we think we do. Things did not happen as the disciples thought they would at his first coming.

But this much is obvious, when everything is ready, he will come and get us!  Sounds a little like my Cousin Jerry’s famous line, I will when I’m ready.  And I’m waiting for the next part, when Jesus says and I’m ready.

Thanks for listening

See you next Sunday

Ronda

Bonnie & I years before she
discovered the mail didn't run
on Sunday.

P.S. Another of Bonnie’s favorite lines was “I’m special” and that she is! Special to me & special to God!





In Conclusion

Faith + goodness + knowledge + self-control + perseverance + godliness + kindness + love = Effective & Efficient Living!

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:3 - 9)

 

One of the more experienced lenders on the staff of HNB often referred to a rookie’s analysis as “elevator” analysis. By this he meant it covered all the necessary points with the proper words and ratios, but in the end it drew no useful conclusions. Hoping to avoid that rookie trap, allow me to offer some conclusions which I pray will be useful.

Christ desires that our lives produce useful results. Lives that do not waste the great and precious gifts he has given. Lives that that are actively involved in “divine” things, things that are good and right and lives that avoid corrupt or evil things.

• Goodness - the essence of something or someone. When asked to show his goodness God showed his mercy and compassion.
• Knowledge = informed action. It is knowledge of his word that helps us to know what to participate in what to avoid.
• Self Control - because of our inability to control ourselves Christ came to win control over sin and left his Spirit to produce this same result in us.
• Perseverance - never give up! When we keep our eyes on Jesus, the source of our faith, we can choose a rehab strategy over an exit strategy.
• Godliness - conforming to the wishes of God.
• Kindness -inspires us and others to participate in the divine. The absence of kindness generally yields quarrelling, outburst of anger, and selfish ambition; all on the list of the corrupt.
• Love - the great motivator for all of the above!

If you take anything from these weeks of analysis, I hope it will be that Christ has provided all that we need to live effective, useful lives. He has not only given us instructions on how to live he has provided the motivation to live this way.

My least productive days have been when a boss has given an ultimatum, particularly one that comes with no instruction. However, I have worked long, productive days a boss who elicited high performance not only with words, but with actions. One who led by example. I respond best to a boss who understands what is required to complete an assignment. One who is willing to leave the corner office and work along side me to achieve the desired result. One who provides all the resources necessary to accomplish the task, effectively and efficiently. That kind of boss demands my best effort.

While Christ has given us an ultimatum, he has provided all the instructions we need. He himself left his place in heaven not only to walk where I would walk, but to give his life to make mine possible. He understands much better than I all that is required to complete any assignment. He left his Spirit to work along side me to achieve the desired result. He provided the template for an E² life. One filled with faith, goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. That kind of Savior demands my best effort!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)

Thanks for listening,
See you next Sunday,

Ronda

The rules are important, but understanding the wishes of the ones who wrote the rules is critical to following the rules.

The Bottom Line

Any complete analysis ultimately comes down to a bottom line. In loan analysis, the bottom line always involves cash. Sufficient cash for a down payment, sufficient cash to start a business, sufficient cash to make the payments. Any way you slice it, the bottom line comes back to cash.

In our last component, I think we’ve found the bottom line of our analysis. E² lives do not happen without love; accepting God’s love, returning God’s love and sharing God’s love. Any way you slice it, the bottom line comes back to love. This is the message of I Corinthians 13, ,“the greatest of these is love”. If that is not sufficient evidence to support my analysis, let’s look at Jesus’ reply when asked for the “bottom line” in Mark, chapter 12.

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! (don’t forget to put your name in for Israel) The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12: 29-31 (NLT)

Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + Love = Effective and Efficient Living.

It all begins with our acceptance of his love for us. A love that makes it possible for us to participate in the divine and avoid the corrupt.

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life (divine) through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins (corrupt). I John 4:9-10 (NLT)

A love that makes it possible for us to help others know the divine and avoid the corrupt.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” 1 John 4:11 -12 (NLT)

My younger brother sang a song when we were younger that said it this way; I am loved, you are loved, I can risk loving you, for the one who knows me best, loves me most. That’s the bottom line!

Love is the best motivator. The days I love my job and the people with whom I work have are by far the most effective and efficient, productive and useful days.

When I first starting studying financial spreads, I was not aware of the practice of dropping the last three digits of the numbers in most printed spreads. Recognizing this practice completely changed what I was looking at; $100,000 is completely different than $100. Love is the most powerful element of our formula. It is like adding zeros to a number; it completely changes the result!

This verse from Romans, chapter 12 sums up the bottom line like this. “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically .”

　

E² version
Honestly love each other. Hate the corrupt. Hold tightly to the divine. Love each other with brotherly kindness. Never be useless and unproductive, but work effectively and efficiently and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Love that “E” word. It makes me think of when my mom would tell my brother to do something with a twinkle in his eye. E cubed, maybe? living effectively, efficiently, with enthusiasm. It’s a thought.

　

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday,

Ronda

　

"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:18-20 (NLT)

　

I hope you'll join me next week for a summary analysis of E² living. We'll take a look at an analytical tool for measuring substainable growth. 　

Kindness

Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + love = Effective and Efficient Living.

My first banking job was a teller position at Interfirst Bank located downtown Dallas. The ladies I worked with at the mini-bank on the corner of 4th & Akard were very kind. They taught me everything I needed to know, not just the teller stuff, but how to be safe in the parking garage, where to get the best deals on shoes and how not to wear them out walking on the concrete! They shared with me the things I needed to know about our regular customers, especially the gentlemen who gave great tips! I always thought it kind of them to share who got to wait on him, rather than fight over it. Our little team of 4 was a very effective & efficient group. We often won the awards for accuracy and customer service. Later I worked as a utility teller and would move around to different locations. That’s when I began to see why our team was so often the top ranged group. Other groups were not as kind. They fought over lunch times and other silly things. They never helped each other find mistakes. As a result, both employees’ and customers’ experiences were less satisfying. I learned that some of our regulars at 4^th and Akard walked extra blocks and waited in line just to come to our location.

Kindness definitely has an impact of the effectiveness & efficiency of a group. It inspires us to participate in the divine. On the other hand, the absence of kindness generally yields quarrelling, outbursts of anger, and selfish ambition; all on the list of the corrupt.

I believe this is exactly what scripture is teaching us in Ephesians 4. The entire chapter is about living in unity as children of the light. God wanted us to know that to operate effectively as a family, his children, we would need to be kind to one another.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31 & 32 (NLT) Another good list of things to avoid and things to embrace!

In every version I’ve read, there is an adjective in front of kindness in our formula - brotherly. For me this adjective adds depth to the component of kindness. I have 3 brothers and there is nothing I would not do for them. The kindness called for here is more than stopping to help a stranger along the way. It’s more than being nice and extending common courtesies to our co-workers. It’s about showing genuine care to those with whom we share life. Why? Because it conforms to the wishes of the One who has given us great and precious promises. The One who is our sufficient source for living. According to our key verses in 2 Peter 1, to do less would be shortsighted, forgetting the kindness He has shown us.

Last week I mentioned the hymn, “Rescue the Pershing”, the last stanza of the hymn offers further insight into the role of kindness in our E² formula.

“Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, Feelings lie buried that grace can restore; Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.” Kindness can indeed inspire the divine, when we are willing to touch others.

At the beginning of our analysis I proposed the desired result of his divine power, glory and goodness in our lives to be participation in the divine and avoidance of the corrupt. I propose we add to our purpose, helping others to participate in the divine and avoid the corrupt.

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday,

Ronda

　

“I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.”

                                                                        Mother Teresa

"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read."

                                                                        Mark Twain

　

　

　

　

　

Rules and Wishes

The bookshelf in my office is full of books of rules: Employee Handbooks, Loan Policies, Compliance Manuals and volumes of Government Regulations. Employee handbooks to outline the wishes of management for employee conduct. Loan policies to enforce the wishes of the board of directors for risk tolerance. Compliance manuals to interpret the wishes of those who wrote the volumes of regulations! I am not a rules oriented person. I wish everyone would just do the right thing. Ironically, much of my career has found me in the role of the rule enforcer.

My goal is always to help an employee or a client understand the purpose of the rule, rather than simply demand adherence to the rule. I know it doesn’t always work out that way, but when it does I find I have an employee who is sync with the purpose of our work and capable of exercising judgment in carrying out their work. In short, an E² employee.

The rules are important, but understanding the wishes of the ones who wrote the rules is critical to following the rules.

This brings us to our next component,

Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + love = Effective and Efficient Living.

Godliness is defined as conforming to the rules and wishes of God.

Scripture is full of rules. The Old Testament contains rules for seemingly everything under the sun, how to prepare sacrifices, how the priest were to dress, what to eat and not eat and of course the Ten Commandments. In our study, we’ve looked at list from the New Testament of things to participate in and things to avoid. There is no doubt there is a need for rules. However, it is critical that we understand the wishes of the one who wrote the rules.

Each time Jesus is asked for the most important rule, His answers consistently come down to two things, Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor. I think in these responses we find clues into the wishes of God. When we conform to his wishes, conformity to his rules is a natural result. If we love our neighbor, we won’t lie, cheat and steal from him.

It seems we often get confused and think conforming to his rules is his wish for us. This is nothing new. In Isaiah, chapter 58, the prophet is dealing with a similar problem with the children of Israel. (As you read this, remember our trick about substituting our name for Israel.)
 “They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ ”

Don’t we sound this way sometimes! I’ve done everything right, God, and you don’t even notice it. Sounds a lot like an employee who thinks they merit a promotion or a raise because they showed up on time everyday and didn’t even use all their sick days! Here was the problem the Lord pointed out.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. Do you really think this will please the Lord? (Ouch!)

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.” ( Sounds a lot like, Love your neighbor!)

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.

These verses draw a picture of what it means to love our neighbor. Lighten the load of others by offering assistance, support and encouragement. Free the oppressed and remove fears and addictions that bind people by showing them Jesus and offering forgiveness. Don’t be afraid to get involved. Be a reflection of the light! Help those in trouble and do not hide from them, even your relatives!

Living this way is how we help others to participate in the divine and avoid the corrupt. Your godliness (conformity to his wishes) will lead you forward and bring healing! Looking for direction in a situation? Act in conformity to his wishes.

I have an employee who has worked for me for several years. The longer she has worked with me the more we sound alike, write alike, and think alike. It is not that she has memorized all of the policies and regulations. It is that she understands the purpose of our work and she knows my wishes. She knows I hate all caps and prefer complete sentences to bulleted list. More importantly she knows that behind every financial statement we analyze there is a person. Because we are in sync, she is a “go to” person. One I trust completely to do the right thing, rules or no rules.

I want to be a “go to” person. One who knows and conforms to the wishes of the Father. One who can be trusted to do the right thing. In short, an E² follower.

Thanks for listening,
See you next Sunday,
Ronda

When I was a Missionette one of the steps included learning about the hymns and the authors. Fannie Crosby was one of favorites. I think in this hymn is captured a glimpse of the wishes of God in this song.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Never give up!

Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + love = Effective and Efficient Living.

We ended our last session with the question, are you making good use of your source? This week’s component definitely requires we focus on our source! Just reading the definitions of some the words used in various translations for this component makes me tired or weary as my mother would say.

Perseverance - steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

Patient - bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship, pain, etc., with fortitude and calm and without complaint or anger

Endurance - the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions

When managing a problem loan, there are two choices, often referred to as an exit strategy or a rehab strategy. The exit strategy is the plan that gets the problem out of the bank the fastest. The exit strategy follows the philosophy that the earlier you call it, the less you lose. But an exit strategy almost always involves loss for both parties. But when all parties are willing to hang in there and work through a defined action plan to reach a mutual purpose, there is possibility that no one will lose. While it takes more time and effort, it is the most rewarding.

I think those two strategies are applicable to most problems situations. The choice to “exit”, walk away and give up is often tempting, but deciding to work through difficulties is the most rewarding. Exhausting, aggravating, at times painful, but always the most rewarding.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) I think I see another formula!

We rejoice because we know that our faith, our source for perseverance and all the other E² elements, will not disappoint us. We can choose a rehab strategy and know that despite obstacles, discouragement, annoyance, delay, pain, and stress, we will not lose!

Let’s look at Hebrews, chapter 12.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

E² version - Let us avoid, strip away, the corrupt and participate, with endurance in the divine, keeping our eyes on the source of faith.

“Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”

That is perseverance! That is a Savior who stayed focused on his purpose and endured! When we think of all that He has done, we can’t give up!

Growing up with my mother, “shut up” and “give up” were not in our vocabulary. She thought "shut up" was rude and she did not believe in giving up. Whatever the task, she would find fun and often animated ways to help us through any assignment. She once chased me around the house making the sound of a mighty rushing wind and setting “flames” on my head. Yes, I was memorizing Acts, chapter 2. And I never forgot it!

Years later when I was a young adult she taught me a lesson in perseverance. And I have never forgot it! Our family was experiencing one of those trails that bring pain and discouragement. I was ready for her to give up. I couldn’t take seeing her in pain. But she reminded me of another verse she had helped me memorize, I Corinthians 13. Sitting at my dining room table, she said, love always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Some women may be Proverbs 31 women, my mother is a I Corinthians 13 woman. She knows her source and she uses it well, despite difficulties.

In Galatians, chapter 6 we are encouraged not to grow weary in well doing because at the right time we will reap the reward. To me this says, don’t give up on participating in the divine even when the divine seems out of sight!

In Matthew, chapter 11 we have another promise that carries us through the rough places. Jesus says, come to me, all of you who are weary and I will give you rest, rest for you souls. Another gift from the one who has given us great and precious promises.

Whatever is weighing you down, making it difficult to even see the divine, let alone participate in it, don’t settle for an “exit” strategy. Find rest, rehab for your soul, keep your eyes on Jesus and you will find hope to persevere in all things!

Thanks for listening
See you next Sunday,
Ronda