Happy . . . or Content? -- Philippians 4:11b-13

Philippians 4:11b-13

"I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (NKJV)

Social media seems replete everyday with beautiful pictures and posters encouraging people how to be happy in their circumstances. I often hear from parents how they want their children to be happy. Commercial advertisements are focused on the idea that if we buy their product, those products will make us happy. The saying goes, "Money won’t buy happiness" (but many try to make it so.) There’s even a song about being happy.

Happy. Happy. Happy.

But are we content?

Even in our happiness, are we content? Are we perhaps chasing after the wrong thing?

I’ve lived through a number of cultural shifts in America. I grew up with conservative Southern parents who held onto their middle class 1950's values of a comfortable home, two weeks of vacation every year, and retirement at 65. I lived through the upheaval of values and the beginning of the sexual revolution of the 1960's and 70's. I’ve continued to experience all that has come since: cultural diversity, economic turmoil, and discontent with how things are. And now, as we approach the 20's (in the 21^st century), we have become a country that has expanded its vision to include the world, a culture that has become increasingly diverse, and an economy that can no longer be counted on to provide for us throughout our entire life. Yet, we own more stuff than ever, have more access to entertainment and recreation, and seem, well, even more unhappy than we were in the middle of the 1900's. Many people long for the "good ole days" (which I’m not convinced were actually that good, but whatever).

We have more and still isn’t enough. We have the ability to be happier, but we aren’t. It seems like the more knowledge we gain, the more freedom we grasp, the more stuff we own just isn’t enough to make us happy.

Maybe, just maybe, happiness shouldn’t be our goal. Maybe we’re searching for the wrong thing.

Paul talks about being content. That word, in the Greek, is autarkes (Strong’s G842) and means "independent of external circumstances, contented with one’s lot, with one’s means, though the slenderest." The English word content has to do with being satisfied. Basically, it means "satisfied independent of external circumstances."

But what is life without our circumstances? Most of us certainly aren’t satisfied with ourselves. We would like to be healthier, wiser, more successful, more loving, more . . . well, whatever! So, if it’s not about ourselves, what’s it about?

It’s about God. Are we satisfied with just having God in our lives? Is His love enough? If we were to lose everything else (which we will in death), is His love enough? And if it is, then, well, we have that now! We are promised to always have His love in this very moment.

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NKJV).

For I am persuaded . . . convinced to the point that I can yield completely to this truth . . . that nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God. As I began to meditate on this the other day, as the Holy Spirit began to pour this truth into me, God spoke in that gentle voice that He often uses. He said, "Robin, is my love enough for you? Do you have to have anything else? If you have My love, is there anything else you could possibly need or want?" What an eye opener that moment was. It was one of life’s a ha moments for me. And as I pondered over this amazing thought, I knew what my response to Him had to be: Yes, Lord, Your love is enough!

And so, since that day, every day since, as I walk through circumstances that I cannot control, situations that either bless or pain me, I am learning to say, "Lord, I am content because I have You. Your love is indeed enough." We aren’t called to just stoically "be content" nor to accept what happens to us as if there’s nothing we can do. What we are called to do, as believers, is to grasp the hand of our loving Father and to be completely satisfied with His presence, His blessings, His plan, and His love.

Yes, Lord, Your love is definitely enough!

© 2016 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

Learning to Be Content and Other Miracles -- Philippians 4:11b-13

Philippians 4:11b-13

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength." (NIV)

A couple of months ago, I had a mice infestation in my house. I can’t tell you how frustrating it was. It took about four weeks to get rid of all of them, money for traps (and finally poison), continually cleaning, reboxing things, and throwing out the things they destroyed (including a pair of my favorite sandals). In the process of trying to locate the mice, we had to plug and unplug the refrigerator several times.

Now, I have to tell you that this fridge isn’t the one I originally chose and bought a number of years ago. The one I chose had no fancy doo-dads because that’s just more to have to repair. It was a simple bottom-freezer fridge. But the ice maker kept going out until it finally disintegrated. Since the fridge was still under warranty, they tagged it a lemon and allowed me to get another fridge. The problem was, the only fridge available in the same price was a side-by-side with all the computerized stuff in the door. But needing a fridge and not having the money to buy another one, particularly when I could get this one as a free replacement, I took the side-by-side.

The night we had to plug and unplug the fridge several times (to get to the mice in the wall behind it), my worst fears were realized. The computerized panel in the door stopped working! We tried resetting it (talking to several techs a number of times) with no results. Finally, I paid a company to send someone out to see what was wrong. Of course, it wasn’t just something simple (or inexpensive). The entire motherboard was blown and needed to be replaced to the tune of $600.

Well, that wasn’t happening. First off, I don’t have that kind of money to spend on refrigerators and, if I were so inclined, I wouldn’t do it since I can buy a perfectly good refrigerator (albeit used) for half that price. The water feature in door still worked, so we could access filtered water and I could pull out the (heavy and cumbersome) ice tray to get ice, so that’s how I decided I would live. And I’ve been content to do that.

I’ve been praying about some other financial needs and concerns, but basically stopped praying about the fridge since it was deemed "dead." The basic cooling/freezing functions still worked, it still made ice, and I could get water, so I’ve been totally fine. The inconvenience of the door panel stuff not working is, in the scheme of life, simply not that important. I’m working hard at learning to be content with what God provides for me that day.

The Lord’s prayer says "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11 NIV). The Lord Jesus’ reference, I believe, is a direct reference back to the manna that God provided to the children of Israel in the desert. The Israelites traveled across the desert and there was no food available. He provided a seed which was named manna. It fell from the sky six days a week, with double the amount needed on the sixth day to provide for the seventh day, the day of rest. But the manna would spoil if anyone tried to save it from one day to another except for that sixth day. It was, literally, daily bread.

And so, my fridge had become my "daily bread" in some ways. I certainly didn’t need that panel to work. I could get water and ice just fine. Even though it was inconvenient, it was certainly doable. Daily bread.

Then, this morning I woke up and the panel is working! God performed a miracle on my fridge during the night and repaired the $600 motherboard that the technician swore was damaged beyond repair. My fridge is working fine.

I’m learning to be content in plenty and in want.

I think this is a lesson that is so important for us as Christians. I think we become, without even realizing it, greedy and then stingy because we are afraid of being in want. We have forgotten what it means to be generous, even sacrificially generous, because we are afraid of want. The apostle Paul talked about the generosity that comes from God’s grace, the kind of generosity that should be characteristic of all Christians:

"And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us" (2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NIV).

The Macedonian Christians gave beyond their ability to give. Rather than hold onto what they needed for themselves or for their families, they gave sacrificially trusting God to provide for that day.

I’ve often wondered what is going to happen when the Church is raptured and it is discovered that there are literally millions of dollars in savings accounts that could have been used to feed and house people who are desperately in need. We often use the excuse that we are saving in order to provide for our families, but what are we teaching our families (our children) by this lesson? And if the economy does collapse, are we willing to board ourselves up in our homes and keep our own stomachs full while people around us starve? Isn’t that what we are often doing now, rather than sharing with those who are in need?

I think that the Father wants to teach us to trust Him for today because tomorrow is never promised. And with what we have today, He wants us to be generous beyond our ability so that He can bless us even more than He already does. Father God loves to bless us, but if we are so busy taking care of ourselves, how can He do that? He wants us to reach out to those around us, taking care of them so that He can take care of us. And that begins with us learning how to be content with whatever He provides for that day.

Lord, give us today our daily bread.

© 2016 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

The Battle for Our Souls -- 1 Peter 2:11-12

1 Peter 2:11-12

"Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." (NIV)

There is a war going on, but it isn’t usually a war of physical bodies. Everyday we read—in the news or on social media—or we watch on TV or the Internet the many battles happening, battles on every front. Battles about the environment, about the economy, about social morals, about rights, about wrongs, about cultures, about land. People do die, but the number of people dying is small compared to the number of people involved (both intimately and on the periphery) in the battles themselves. With the ability to network worldwide, literally thousands (perhaps millions) of people become involved in the battles. But the battles have become battles of mind and will and opinion more than battles of physical bloodshed. And while, as I said, there are people who die as a result, there are many, many more who have damaged souls! Who become obstinate, embittered, fearful, or angry. Souls, whether they are Christian or not, who become focused on the battle and who feel real effects of the warring.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV).

There is a war against our souls, but that war is being waged by the father of deception himself, Satan the devil. He and his minions are fighting against God and the battlefield is our souls! We need to understand that the enemy is Satan, not other people and the battlefield isn’t what happens on this earth; the battlefield is people’s souls. There is not one person on this earth that is our enemy even if that person has set themselves against God. Jesus Himself told us not to battle against other people, even those who set themselves up as our enemies on earth:

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. . . . Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5a;43-45a, 48 NIV).

Pray for those . . . Prayer is the weapon that we use against the battle for our souls. It is the first weapon, the most powerful weapon, and should be the only weapon that we take up. "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people" (Ephesians 6:18 NIV).



The battle is definitely for our souls and for the eternal souls of all people. The Lord Jesus died for all people. He loves all people. He wants all people to be saved. This is so important! We have to begin to understand that other people (regardless of what category we place them in or what title we give them) are greatly loved by the Lord Jesus. He loves them. He died for them. He wants them to repent.

"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9 NIV).

When we set others up as our "enemies" and refuse to pray for them and refuse to love them sacrificially, Satan begins to win an inroad into our very soul! We begin to become deceived and it becomes even harder for the Spirit to speak to us.

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer" (1 Timothy 4:1-4 NIV).

Prayer is the key. Prayer is the battlefield. And prayer is the weapon which wins against the forces of Satan who battle for our souls. Before we talk, we should pray. Before we walk, we should pray. Before we listen, we should pray. Before we breathe, every breath should become a prayer. We are battling for our souls and the souls of those around us. Nothing is more precious than souls and nothing is more important than winning this battle! Saints, we need to pray!

© 2016 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

Who Are We as Believers? -- 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9

1 Peter 2:4-5, 9



"As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . . You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." (NIV)

Everyone likes to be treated and considered "special." It’s likely one of the reasons that America spends literally millions of dollars each year on lavish weddings. The bride gets to dress up and be the center of attention, at least for one day. As Christians, I think we often forget that we are the center of God’s attention every moment of every day. We are chosen and precious to Him.

Who are we? Who has He made us to be? We are living stones being built into a living house, a holy and royal priesthood, a chosen people, a holy nation, and God’s special possession.


Living stones

For years, the Jewish people were nomadic and their temple was a tent. When God finally established them in a more permanent home, He allowed King Solomon to build a stone temple in which they were to worship and offer their sacrifices. Even though the people were scattered across Israel, the only place they were to worship was the temple in Jerusalem.

In His encounter with the Samaritan woman, the Lord Jesus talked about this standard of worship:


"‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can see that You are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.’
"‘Woman,’ Jesus replied, ‘believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’" (John 4:19-24 NIV).

The Temple in Jerusalem had been rebuilt at least three times. It was not the original temple that Solomon had built. But it was never God’s intention for His worship to be confined to a single building. His plan was to build a spiritual temple which would consist of the Christian Church. His eternal temple is built from living stones. Each of us is a living stone and part of that temple. It is within us that the worship of God occurs in Spirit and in truth. God has chosen us to be His vessels of worship!


Holy and royal priesthood

God established a priesthood in the book of Leviticus. It was a restrictive, exclusionary group of men. There were a number of requirements for becoming a priest; this was not a vocation open to simply anyone who wanted to participate. A priest had to be:

• An ancestor of Aaron
• A male
• Married only to a woman who was a virgin prior to her marriage to him. He couldn’t marry a widow or a divorced woman.
• Couldn’t shave their beards.
• Could only attend the funerals of their immediate family; they weren’t allowed to attend funerals of extended family or friends.
• They couldn’t have any disability.
• They couldn’t serve in their office of priest if they were ill, had touched something considered unclean until they were ceremonially cleansed.
The priesthood was severely limited to a chosen few. Everyone else had to worship with these as their intermediaries between them and God. But when the Lord Jesus died, the division between the priests and everyone else was broken. God’s intent was that this form of worship—with human intermediaries—was only temporary. "They [the priests] serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven" (Hebrews 8:5a NIV). God never intended for certain humans to be between us and Him. His purpose was always to draw all believers to Himself. His purpose was always that we would have the right to "approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16b NIV). We have been given the right to have full access to God that we might approach Him boldly as His priests.

But we are more than the priesthood. We are the chosen priesthood. The Greek word is eklektos (Strong’s G1588) meaning elect and is so much more than just being chosen. It means the best of its kind or class, as appointed by God to the most exalted office conceivable. We have been chosen to be as close in position and to power to the Holy Trinity without actually being the Trinity. In other words, God lifted us to a place in all of creation that the only Being who is higher, more exalted, and more powerful is Himself! This isn’t something we earned, but is a gift from Him given simply because that’s how much He loves us! We are more than just His priesthood, we are His chosen priesthood!

We are the royal priesthood. Now, in many countries today, there is either no monarchy or a very watered-down version of a monarchy. We don’t much subscribe anymore to the idea of one person (or one family) ruling everyone else. But there do still exist in the world some countries where there is a monarch (a king or queen) who is an absolute ruler. In one such country, it’s even illegal to insult the king’s dog (and the penalty is rather severe). With the idea of royalty comes the idea of supreme power. Whether or not we believe it, God is the supreme power in the universe. In contemporary vernacular, it’s His playground and He gets to decide the rules. As the royal priesthood, we will share in God’s power and authority over the rest of creation.

"Do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels?" (1 Corinthians 6:2-3a NIV).

As God’s priesthood, we are more than just priests. We have full and confident access to Him. We have been chosen to be His worshipers and to rule with Him in eternity. There is no creature in all of creation who has such a great position as that given to Christians.


A chosen people

The KJV translates this as "peculiar" but not in the meaning that we would likely define it today (as odd or eccentric). The Greek is peripoiesis (Strong’s G4047) and means "a thing acquired, an acquisition, possession." We are more than simply His followers, His believers, even His priesthood. The apostle Paul wrote:

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20a NIV).

God didn’t just choose us; He redeemed us. The idea of redemption is the idea of buying back that which originally was owned, but was lost (or stolen). I recently experienced a loss of some heirloom jewelry (it was stolen from my house). If I could find it again, I would gladly buy it back in order to have it again. That is exactly what the Father did for us. We belonged to Him by virtue of being His creation. But He redeemed us by paying the penalty for our sins through the death of His only Son, Jesus. He paid a price (the ultimate price) in order to have us back as His creations. (And then He elevated us to the highest position possible in all of creation). We have been purchased to become His special possession, the bride for His Son.


A holy nation

A nation is a group of people who live in a particular place and share a particular culture. In 1 Peter 2:11, Peter characterizes Christians as "foreigners and exiles." The English word is sojourner which means a temporary resident, someone who isn’t a citizen, but is simply living in that country temporarily. The sense is also someone who is traveling, who hasn’t taken up permanent residence, but is continuing on to their permanent destination somewhere else. This is the kind of nation that God is creating, a nation that is established in heaven for eternity, a nation set apart for Himself. We are citizens of that country, people only temporarily living on this earth. The Lord Jesus Himself is preparing our home for us, an eternal nation free from want, pain, disease, and suffering. It is the ultimate nation for which everyone longs! And we have already been made citizens of that nation.


God’s special possession

Did you ever, as a kid, have a treasure box? I did. It was filled with the kind of trinket things that only a kid would want, but it was my treasure and I loved it. We are God’s treasure, His very special possession. We are so special to Him that He redeemed us back with His own life! He died for us so that we might live with Him forever. And even now He’s fixing up a very special place for us to live eternally with Him.

We are living stones being built into a living house, a holy and royal priesthood, a chosen people, a holy nation, and God’s special possession. He has made us amazing, not because we deserved it, but because He loves us so much that He wants to simply shower us with blessings. It doesn’t matter how much we’ve been rejected by this world; we are greatly and totally cherished by the King of kings! We are His children and nothing could be better than that.

© 2016 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

Redo's in Life -- 1 Peter 1:23, 2:1-3

1 Peter 1:23, 2:1-3

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. . . . Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." (NIV)

Video games are hugely popular (as we all know). To be honest, I love gaming! There are some really fun games, both online and for devices, that provide adventure, creativity, and excitement, all from the comfort of your armchair or couch.

One of the things that is, I think, so attractive about gaming (particularly about adventure gaming) are "redo’s." A redo is where your character "dies" and you become reborn to quest again. Some rebirths are limited for a period of time (Candy Crush gives you five lives and then you have to wait to have your lives restocked) and some rebirths cost resources. Redo’s allow for a certain courage to take risks. Plus, you can "try" against whatever challenge is presented and, if you fail, you simply redo the challenge, trying another tack.


As we all know, living life in chronological time, there are no redo’s. Whatever decisions we make, we must live with the consequences. But God Himself has provided the ultimate redo: spiritual rebirth. Those of us who are Christians are not simply members of a certain religion nor do we simply follow the mandates of a particular book. We are, in fact, reborn. That is the central (and wonderful) difference that provides us with some amazing "superhero" powers. (Yes, while we aren’t superheroes, we can appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit who is the ultimate superhero!)

What are we reborn to become and what powers can we appropriate?

First, once we are reborn, there are no more rebirths. Why? Because they aren’t needed. Once we are reborn, we are reborn to eternal life. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NIV). Without rebirth, we face eternal death, eternal condemnation. But with rebirth, we are guaranteed eternal life. To be honest, even just that should be enough to make us constantly rejoice!

But there’s more . . . because we are given superhero powers! (And no, I’m not talking about the gifts of the Spirit, though those are indeed super powers.)

We are given the power to cast aside our egocentricity and to embrace sacrificial love toward others. We are given the ability to put aside all the evil that naturally lives within us and to embrace all the good that is God. Before we were reborn, we lacked the ability to choose righteousness:

"Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Romans 6:16-18 NIV).

Here’s where this can become complicated to understand. Paul isn’t talking about someone simply appearing to be a good person. Paul is talking about the kind of right living that pleases God (God who is all and completely good). There are people in the world who are doing "good" things, but they are still rebellious and self-willed. They are still doing what they want to do and while outwardly they may appear selfless, there is an inherent self-centeredness in their life choices. It doesn’t mean we won’t like them; they may totally likeable. But all of us have sinned against God and that’s the ultimate standard: Are we free to please God? That is our superpower! As Christians, because of the Holy Spirit living in us, we now have the ability to live and please God.

Peter tells us, in order to please God we need to "rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander" (2:1). Malice (kakia, Strong’s G2549): evil, naughtiness, wickedness that is not ashamed to break laws. Deceit (dolos, Strong’s G1388): guile, trickiness. Malice is the doing and deceit is the justification. We have been given consciences, but we often ignore them and instead try to justify what we are doing as necessary or even helpful.

Peter is asking that we become innocent like newborn babies who have no intent to trick people, but rather are honest in our dealings with others. And we do that by doing away with envy and slander. Envy: wanting what we don’t have. Slander: talking ill about others. Envy and slander disappear when we become content with our lives, trusting God to provide what He knows we need and not wanting more than He gives.

After we are reborn, we are to "grow up" in our salvation. It isn’t enough just to be reborn; we need to function in our rebirth by becoming mature Christians.

"In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:12-14 NIV).

Growing up in our salvation means that we need to train ourselves by telling the difference between good and evil and this begins by putting away malice, deceit, envy, and slander.

We have been reborn. We’ve been given a once in a lifetime opportunity. Maybe it’s time we begin to live like it.

© 2016 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.

Body Shaming -- Proverbs 16:31

Proverbs 16:31



"Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness." (NIV)

There’s been some discussion of late about the state of Carrie Fisher’s body and the effect of aging that can be seen. (For those of you who don’t know, she’s staring as Princess Leia in the latest movie of the Star Wars franchise.) Ms. Fisher has been through a lot, including overcoming a drug addiction, having a child, and restarting her career in a field other than acting. Personally, I think she was very gracious to return and reprise her role. Regardless, as Ms. Fisher and I are similar in age, I have thought a lot about the body shaming and her response. We put too much emphasis on looks in this country.

My paternal grandmother married young. My grandfather, from the beginning, could be mean when he was thwarted. Like most narcissists, he believed that life’s purpose was in getting all he could for himself. Even near the end, he would have preferred to have another smoke rather than spend time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

My grandmother lived with this man from her marriage until her death. Near the end, she spoke with me and regretted the years she had given him. But she had stayed true to her marriage because honor and commitment were more important to her than happiness.

My grandmother was, even as a teen, only marginally beautiful. In the ensuing years, she worked initially as a restaurant server (in those days, called a waitress). She would work twelve hours or more six and seven days a week, beginning her shift in the hotel coffee shop and ending in the great dining room. She could carry ten hot dinner plates on her arms (a feat that always marveled me). She brought her meager earnings home every time, not spending a cent on herself, because my grandfather would take his weekly pay in Friday night and come home Saturday morning broke. She saved enough money to pay cash for a small house and continued to save throughout her life.

When my grandparents followed my parents to California, my grandmother took a job as an upholstery seamstress. I don’t know how many times the large needles pierced her hands and fingers, but she worked fearlessly and long hours. She had to; there was no other income coming into the family. My grandfather continued his habit of drinking up his pay on the weekends until he retired.

My grandmother was finally able to retire, but when, in the 1970's, the bottom dropped out of the economy, she had to take another job, this time as a manager of a trailer park in the desert. The job gave them a roof over their heads. Even though it was a small single wide with only a swamp cooler (and summer temperatures averaging about 110 ), she continued to work hard. She was in her early 70s.



Finally, she was able to retire. The few pieces of property she had been able to salvage from the economy drop were sold and she bought a small mobile home in Bakersfield for herself and my grandfather. While there, she began attending the church where my family attended and it was at one of those services that she accepted the Lord as her Savior. She spent all of her free time reading the Bible and praying. She finally realized that the love she had been seeking all these years was guaranteed in a relationship with the Lord Jesus.

My grandmother wasn’t, by the world’s standards, beautiful. But by God’s standards, she was magnificent! She had wrinkles, gray hair, and gnarled hands, the result of hard work for many years. Up until the end, her body was strong from all of the manual labor. Her mind was sharp from much use. (Even in those last years, she could add in her head a column of numbers faster than I could input them in a calculator).

My grandmother never worried about make-up or hair styles. She had neither the time nor the money to spare. She dressed clean, neat, and modest. When she went Home, she had only a few pieces of jewelry. Her clothing was barely fit to donate to the homeless. She had spent her life being honest and hard-working, rather than beautiful, and I so honor her for that.

The American culture—the American Church included—puts the wrong emphasis on outward appearance and focuses too much on trying to look and stay "young." As Christians, we are trying to look like the world in order to attract the world and we are suffering for it! God tells us that gray hair is a crown of splendor. Why? Not because one simply becomes old, but because "it is attained in the way of righteousness." People who are older than us have lived longer and may know how to better live righteously than we do. The apostle Peter wrote: "In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders" (1 Peter 5:5a NIV). Those who have neglected to listen to elders have lost so much. Older doesn’t mean non-relevant. Older means wiser, if only for having had more experience.

Body shaming in America needs to stop. Fat doesn’t mean stupid. Old doesn’t mean outdated. Ugly doesn’t mean irrelevant. "Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the 1incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God" (1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV). As Christians, we need to put aside outward appearances and seek out the treasures that lies within a person’s heart and soul. We may fail to find a hidden treasure if all we look at is how a person appears.

© 2016 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.