Posts by Chuck Webster (Page 4)
Have you talked to God about it?
I wonder how much we miss out on just because we don’t ask God? Or because we don’t really ask him. I’ve had times in my life where I was thinking about something for several days, and I suddenly realize that I haven’t talked to the Lord about it. Oh, I’ve worried about it. Lost sleep over it. Fretted and wrung my hands and contemplated all sorts of bad scenarios. But haven’t taken it to the Lord. I think that’s what…
God likes new
There’s just something neat about new. The smell of a new car, the look and feel of a new gadget, the cuteness of a new puppy. For lots of folks in our area, a new school year started this past week. There’s optimism in the air, isn’t there? Yep, I messed up last year, but this year’s gonna be different. It’s a beautiful new slate, clean start, a fresh beginning. A brand new me for this new academic year. God…
Grace
Many people tell me that time passes more quickly as you get older. I don’t know if it’s true for everyone, but from where I sit I think they’re right. Can you believe that it’s the year 2019? Do you remember when everyone was stressing over Y2K? That’s been nearly two decades. What’s happened in your life in the last few years? Did you send a child to kindergarten for the first time? Send one to college? Get a new…
But I need it
Most of us probably use the verb need a little too loosely. Man, my phone is ancient—I’ve had it almost two years—I really need a new one. These clothes are so last year . . . I need some new ones. We really need to redecorate the house . . . It’s getting kinda dated, you know? The automaker convinces us that a four-year-old car that’s missing most of the latest bells and whistles is beneath us . . . We need something better, and…
Giving gifts
Most of us like receiving an occasional gift—maybe for a birthday or for Christmas or some other special occasion. It makes us feel sorta special like someone cares for us. The apostle Paul takes an interesting approach to receiving gifts, it seems, and it’s probably because he wants us to learn an important lesson. He’s in prison, and it’s fascinating to think of his eyes lighting up when a friend from Philippi brought him a gift from the home church…
Just-Around-The-Corner Contentment?
There’s a tendency to postpone contentment or to explain away why we don’t have it right now. The condition is so common that it’s got its own street name: the “Greener Grass Syndrome.” Sometimes the good life is almost within grasp, just the other side of a 5% raise. Or it’s in that house just across town, the pretty one with 500 more square feet and the fenced-in back yard and the better school district and less traffic. Yep, I’d…
Don’t Worry
If you’re one of those people who obey this passage with something close to consistency, I applaud you. Here’s what Paul writes: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6). Just to make sure we understand exactly what he’s commanding, here are a couple…
At Hand
I’ve got quite a few things within reach as I type these words: my computer, of course, and my desk, a bunch of books, pictures of my wife and kids, and dozens of other things. They’re “at hand,” so to speak, because I can reach them from where I sit. Wherever you are, look around. What’s within your reach? What’s “at hand”? The way Paul uses that expression in Philippians 4:5 both comforts and warns us. The Lord is at…
Be Nice
We Christians ought to be nice, you know? Kind, gentle, warm, friendly. Perhaps that’s not anything new to you, but it seems to me that occasionally we overemphasize some things and forget about others. For example, we’ve really stressed what the Bible teaches about baptism, the church, sexuality, what women can and cannot do, and so on. And we don’t need to ignore “doctrinal” matters. People need to hear what God said about issues like those, so we shouldn’t shy…
In the Lord
If you look at the world a certain way, it’s easy not to rejoice. Life is stressful. I keep waiting for that time when everything slows down. Then, I tell myself, I’ll be less stressed and more content. Do you ever fall into this trap? There’s negative stuff all around us, which, if we’re so inclined, can damper our spirits. An uncertain economy. A rising deficit. Strife in the Middle East (isn’t there always?). Perhaps there’s uncertainty about health (why these weird…
Thank You
Sometimes my prayers are characterized more by habit than by heart. “Father, I thank you so much for this food and for this day and for my family and for every blessing. Thank you for our house and our clothes and our friends. And, of course, thank you for Jesus.” I can say all that—and quite a bit more—without thinking at all about what I’ve said. Do you ever do this? We fall so easily into the rut of ritualism,…
Getting along
Have you ever (secretly) wished that everybody in the church would be more like you? Most of us probably wouldn’t admit it, but maybe we’ve looked down our noses at some church folks and wondered why they’ve got the issues they do. Truth is, if everybody in the church was like you and me, we’d still have problems. It’s just the way it is. Last week I wrote about how much I appreciate the sweet fellowship of God’s people, and…