“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” —Matthew 5:5

When I was a kid in church in the 80s, we used to sing an old song by The Cathedrals called He Saw What I Could Be. There’s a lyric in the chorus that says, “And all he had to hope for was just a possibility.” As a child of four or five years old, I was convinced the lyrics were, “And all he had to hope for was just a possum in a tree.” Of course, that didn’t make sense! But at five years old, it didn’t have to! I sang it with enthusiasm and meant every word!

Sometimes, things seem like they don’t make sense, but it’s our understanding that needs to change.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Blessed are the meek.” And in his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that Paul’s commands don’t jive with Jesus’s Beatitude. When I think of “meek” I don’t think of phrases like “stand firm,” “be courageous,” “be on your guard,” or “be strong.”

What this reveals to me is that I have the wrong definition of meek.

My Dictionary/Thesaurus app gives these as synonyms of “meek.”

• easily imposed on

• lamblike

• mild

• unambitious

• weak

• timid

• frightened

• spineless

• weak-kneed

• wimpish

Now you see why 1 Corithians 16:13 seems to contradict Matthew 5:5. But Jesus was not teaching that it’s blessed to be frightened, unambitious, spineless, or wimpish. Jesus himself was none of these things! He was humble, gentle, and unoffendable, and also self-controlled, confident, and filled with quiet power (to calm the storm, cast out demons, and raise the dead—that’s a lot of power).

The best definition of biblical meekness I’ve found is from Colin Smith in his book Momentum. He says, “Meekness is strength brought under control through submission to God.” It takes far more strength to be unoffendable than it does to lash out in retaliation at the person who insulted you. It takes far more strength to choose holiness than to cave to temptation. It takes more strength to give yourself for the good of another than to put yourself first at the expense of others.

In fact, it takes more strength than I have. That’s why I have to submit to God. When I do, I receive God’s strength to “do everything in love,” as Paul wrote the Corinthians. I can’t make myself meek. But I can choose, through the Holy Spirit in me, to submit to God’s Word, God’s Spirit, and God’s people. And God will give me the strength I need to be meek, to be on guard, to stand firm in the faith, to be courageous, to be strong, and to do everything in love.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. —Ephesians 2:10

“Your assignment is to write a personal mission statement for your life in seven words or less. It must follow this pattern: verb, subject, outcome. What are you called to do? To whom or to where or in what context are you called? And what is the change, effect, or impact you are called to pursue?”

This was what Dr. Wong Loi Sing told our class at Moody Theological Seminary. We were learning to discern and clarify our calling, whether that meant full-time pastoral ministry, international missions work, serving the Lord in the marketplace, or raising a family. God has a calling for your life. Do you know your calling?

In his book, Leadership As An Identity, Dr. Crawford Loritts writes, “There comes a time when you have to stop doing the things that you can do, and even the things that you are improving in, and concentrate on the things you were born to do… What are you born to do?”

I took the assignment seriously. I had already heard God’s call and was serving as a Worship Pastor, but I spent a considerable time in prayer and wrote my verb-subject-outcome personal mission statement in seven words:

Engineering the church to create kingdom glimpses.

Whether I’m leading worship, leading a meeting, preaching, developing leaders, counseling, or meeting with a small group for prayer and discipleship, my calling is to bring God’s design for the church into the lived experience of a congregation so that together we become a preview of the kingdom of heaven. This is my vocation.

What is your calling? What are you born to do? I know those are huge questions that can sometimes feel paralyzing to ask! How does one discern his calling? Where do I start? Here’s a simple way to begin. Bring your prayer journal and write down thoughts as they come!

1. Ask God to show you what you’re believing about yourself that isn’t true.

2. Ask God to show you who he says you are.

3. Ask God to show you the needs and opportunities around you.

4. Try to serve or do something to meet the need or step into the opportunity, and see how it goes. Debrief with God in prayer afterward.

This isn’t a single five-minute prayer. Discovering your calling is a process of discernment over time. It could take weeks, months, or even years. It involves listening and contemplative prayer. It involves asking God clarifying questions as thoughts come to mind. It involves trial and error as you serve in various ways. It’s often helpful to include a trusted Christian friend, a pastor, an elder, or a spiritual director.

There’s a lot more that I don’t have space for in a 500-word blog post. But I hope I said enough to encourage you to get started! For further exploration, here are a few great resources.

• The Call by Os Guinness

• The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson

• Living Fearless by Jamie Winship

Pray. Read. Serve. Share. Listen. Observe.

What is your calling?

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. —Psalm 19:1

I’ve always believed in Scripture memory, but for a long time I didn’t have a clear plan for doing it with my kids. This year, we decided to memorize Psalm 19 together—and it’s been more life-giving than I expected. Here’s what we’ve been doing.

Step 1: Choose a passage to memorize. Psalm 19 is one of my favorites. It’s written in two main parts. The first part, verses 1-6, describes how Creation is continually proclaiming the glory of God. The second part, verses 7-13, is a song about the perfect beauty of God’s Word, the Bible. I’ve heard it said that God has written two great books, the book of nature and the book of Scripture. King David, the author of Psalm 19, would agree!

Step 2: Choose a Bible translation. We chose the ESV. Usually, I’ll read the NLT or NIV with my kids because those versions are a little easier to understand. But the ESV’s slightly more formal wording is actually better for memorizing because it’s just enough different from everyday speech to stick in your mind, yet modern enough to be understandable.

Step 3: Repeat, repeat, repeat. We read it aloud together. One reads while the others repeat. We read and then try to recite smaller portions without reading. And we go over it night after night. Memorizing anything takes consistency and practice!

Step 4: Talk about what it means. My kids could learn to repeat words and phrases without understanding them. But what good would that be? I’ve found that all of us more easily remember the verses when we understand what we’re memorizing. So, we talk about it. What is this verse or stanza about? What does it mean? What is it teaching us about God, or his Word, or ourselves, or others, or the world around us?

Step 5: Pray from the passage. Like step 4, we are more likely to remember a verse we’ve prayed through. Given that the first half of Psalm 19 is all about the sky and the sun proclaiming God’s glory, we’ve been praying a lot lately about Creation. We’ve thanked God for creating a wonderful world for us to live in. We’ve praised God for the beauty we enjoy (and often take for granted) everyday. We’ve asked God to give us wisdom to be good stewards of the earth. We’ve prayed for our extended family who farm. It’s amazing how a few verses can spark so much prayer!

Have you ever given Scripture memorization a try? It’s a great habit to start—especially with kids!

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” —Luke 11:28

Have you ever heard the phrase “educated beyond our intelligence?” It means someone can be highly educated yet lack common sense. George Orwell once said, “Some ideas are so stupid that only an intellectual would believe them.” As an intellectual, I can attest to the truth of that statement! It often seems that some of the smartest and most educated people in the world today fail to see the most obvious truths or believe ideas that are patently absurd.

People in our society may often be educated beyond their intelligence. And I think it’s also true that Christians are often educated beyond our obedience. We know more than we follow. We listen to sermons every week. We do Bible studies and small group discussions about God’s Word. We read Christian books.

But are we becoming more like Christ?

We know the Bible. We know our theology. We can argue our positions on issues like the age of the earth, whether Noah’s flood was global or regional, and what the prophecies in Daniel mean. We can discuss the historical evidence supporting the resurrection of Jesus. We can explain the gospel in a few sentences. We can tell you what we believe about the end times.

But are we becoming more like Christ?

Does it matter that I know all four Koine Greek words for love, including the two that appear in the New Testament, if I do not love others? Does it matter that I can teach others the principles of generosity found in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 if I am not generous? Does it matter that I know the five solas if I am filled with pride? Does it matter that I can recite the four spiritual laws from memory if I do not share Jesus with others?

Are we becoming more like Christ?

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Only let us hold true to what we have attained” (Phil 3:16). In other words, put into practice what you have learned.

Knowledge is of great value. But knowledge unused is ignorance.

And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments… —2 John 5-6

Love… what is it? I love my wife. I love my kids. I love trout fishing. I love lasagna. We use the same word, but clearly it means different things in each statement. In 2 John, we have a clear definition of love: “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments” (v. 6).

We often associate love for God with obedience to God. After all, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). But it’s also true that keeping his commandments is the best way to love other people. The way of Jesus is the way of love.

In Summa Theologiae, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “amare est velle alicui bonum (to love is to will the good of another).” I love my wife and desire her good. The best thing I can do to work for good in her life is to be like Jesus as a husband. I love my kids and desire their good. The best thing I can do for their good is to be a dad who follows the way of Jesus. I love my congregation and pray for their good. The most important thing they need from me is not my preaching, vision, leadership, or coaching. What they need most is a pastor who lives the way of Jesus, like Jesus, for Jesus, and with Jesus.

That’s what my coworkers need. That’s what my neighbors need. That’s what my kids’ teachers, our elected leaders, and my extended family need. What our society needs most is Christians who are like Christ.

John Lennon famously wrote, “All you need is love, love is all you need.” He was right, although he’d be chagrined to know why. All we need is to will and work for the good of others by being the best disciples of Jesus we can be. Sadly, in rejecting Jesus, Lennon rejected the very thing he sought most in the world: love.

Let a person examine himself… —1 Corinthians 11:28

Yesterday, I had the privilege of preaching about repentance from Psalm 51, one of the greatest prayers of personal repentance ever written. The Bible teaches that repentance is not just a one-off thing you do when you pray the Sinner’s Prayer and get saved. Rather, it should be a daily practice in the life of a disciple. One of the best ways to do that is through an examen prayer (no, I didn’t misspell that).

The examen prayer is an ancient Christian practice for daily confession. Here’s a simple method that has helped me walk in repentance and regularly confess my sin. I recommend taking about 5-10 minutes at the end of each day to pray the examen prayer.

Step 1 — Acknowledge God’s grace

Ask the Lord to bring to your mind any thoughts, words, actions, or attitudes from the day that reflected his love and grace. Pause to listen. When good things come to your mind, slow down and enjoy the happiness you feel. Acknowledge that these good things were the work of God in your life, and thank him for expressing his grace through you.

Step 2 — Ask God to convict you and then confess

Ask the Lord to bring to your mind any thoughts, words, actions, or attitudes from the day that did not reflect his love or grace—things that were not aligned with his will. Pause to listen. When these things come to mind, consider writing them down. Work your way through the list. For each item, confess to the Lord. Yes, God is just in bringing this conviction. These words, actions, attitudes, and thoughts are sinful. Sometimes, it’s helpful to imagine handing each sin to the Lord as you confess it.

Step 3 — Ask God to help you walk in forgiveness tomorrow

Pray: “I know I’m forgiven in Christ. What do you want me to do?” If any specific actions come to mind, write them down and determine to do them. Ask the Lord to give you the strength to live out his grace and love tomorrow.

Step 4 — Rejoice in God’s mercy

Thank the Lord for his unconditional love and grace! Because Jesus made atonement for our sin, verses like 1 John 1:9 bring us joy. “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” This is a great one to memorize!

This simple examen prayer is a great way to end your day!

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” —John 5:6 (ESV)

This question has always puzzled me. Jesus was in Jerusalem, and he went to a pool called Bethesda, where blind, lame, and paralyzed people gathered. Legend had it that an angel would come and stir the water in the pool, and whoever could get into the water first would be healed. We don’t know if this was true, but the people gathered there certainly believed it.

One man had been lying there at the pool, disabled for 38 years! When Jesus saw him, he asked, “Do you want to be healed?”

The answer to this seems obvious. Either yes, of course, he wants to be healed—he’s been disabled for 38 years. Or, no, he obviously doesn’t want to be healed—he’s been lying there for 38 years and has never gotten into the water.

But Jesus has a way of asking obvious questions that reveal hidden motives in our hearts. When he asked the man if he wanted to be healed, Jesus was asking, “What do you really want? Have you given up hope?”

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” What are the desires of your heart? Are they aligned with God’s heart? Have you given up hope? Jesus asked a disabled man a simple question that brought him face-to-face with his motives. Ask the Lord to do the same for you.

Lord, would you reveal the desires of my heart—including those desires I may not even be aware of?

Sit quietly for a few minutes. Then, write down the desires that come to mind. Be honest with yourself. It’s likely that some of your wants are not what God wants for you. Ask the Lord for the wisdom to know the difference. Confess your sin. Profess your trust in the Lord. And choose to hope again for those godly longings yet unfulfilled.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” —John 3:8 (ESV)

Pneumatology is the study of the Holy Spirit. It comes from the Greek word pneuma, which means “wind” or “spirit.” Pneuma is also the root of the English word “pneumatic,” which is used to refer to something operated by air. The air-filled tires on your car are pneumatic tires. In John 3:8, Jesus uses pneuma twice.

“The wind (pneuma) blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (pneuma).”

Jesus is using a play on words to describe the Holy Spirit and the experience of being born again. The wind is mysterious and unpredictable. We cannot see the wind, nor can we control it. However, we can hear and feel it when it blows. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is beyond human control. We cannot see him or manipulate him. But we can feel his presence and see his work. We can learn about him and know him—in part. There will always be an element of mystery around the Spirit because he transcends human knowledge (he is God, after all).

We see this mystery in the field of pneumatology. When theologians try to define the Spirit’s work, it’s like watching a group of scholars trying to nail down the wind. Every time we think we have a handle on the Spirit, he does something we did not expect.

God does not fit into our boxes! He transcends them.

I have spent a few years studying pneumatology, and one example of theologians struggling to cage the wind and define the Spirit is the topic of spiritual gifts. What is a spiritual gift? You might be surprised to learn that although everyone uses this term offhandedly, as though we know exactly what it means, there is no shared definition of the phrase “spiritual gift.” In fact, I’ve found more than 13 definitions! Here are a few:

• “Special gifts endowed by God” (Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary)

• ”A supernatural capacity or power” (The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia)

• “A specific gift or grace of the Holy Spirit, which directly or indirectly benefits the Church” (Catechism of the Catholic Church).

• ”Offices in the church” (Michael Horton, Rediscovering the Holy Spirit).

• ”Special functions” (Craig Keener, Gift and Giver).

• “Tools… given to people for use in the functioning of the Body of Christ” (Billy Graham, The Holy Spirit).

In a future post, I’ll explore this issue a little further. But for now, let’s return to the idea that God cannot be manipulated, directed, controlled, defined, or forced into a box. He is infinite, eternal, wise, and powerful. He is bigger than our imagination and greater than our ability to perceive him. And this holy God, who is transcendent and beyond our knowing, has made himself known to us. He loves us. He is close to us. He lives in us when we are born again, born of the Spirit from above. Praise God that I am his and he is mine!

But we have the mind of Christ. —1 Corinthians 2:16 (ESV)

When I was a young adult, I struggled with truthfulness. I had a habit of stretching the truth a little, adding details to a story to make it more interesting, even though those details were false. I also tended to tell little white lies to make myself look better. As I began to grow in my faith, the Spirit started to convict me. And, I started catching myself saying things that weren’t true.

I noticed that quite often my initial response would be just a little false. So, I would have to correct myself.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said I skipped lunch. I went through McDonald’s and got a burger.”

It bothered me that my lips so frequently said untrue things before my brain even had time to catch up! But it revealed something about my heart. Jesus said, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45). My heart was false, and that falseness was overflowing out of my mouth.

Thankfully, God was working on my heart! Over time, I had to correct myself less and less. Gradually, as the Spirit transformed my heart, my mouth began to speak truthfully—even before my brain had a chance to catch up!

This is what it means to “be spiritual,” or to “have the mind of Christ.” It is my goal in everything I do, not just in how I speak, to be honest and have integrity. I want my words, my actions, and my attitudes to honor Christ without having to think about it. It’s great to stop and ask, “What would Jesus do?” We should make that a daily habit. But I want to catch myself already doing what Jesus would do before I have to ask.

Now, I’m growing—but nowhere near perfect, so let me close with the Apostle Paul’s words to the Philippians:

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

Press on toward the goal. And I hope you catch yourself doing what Jesus would, and find yourself pleasantly surprised!

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” —1 Timothy 6:6-7 (ESV)

Recently, during Thanksgiving week, I received an average of 97 emails per day.

97.

Every day.

Almost all of them were marketing emails, trying to convince me to buy now before the sale ended. We’ve turned a holiday dedicated to contentment into a week of coveting. Instead of counting our blessings, we’re counting the days until our credit card payment is due. Here’s an earthshattering, groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting, revolutionary thought:

What if Thanksgiving were about being thankful, and not about getting the best deal?

Whoa, slow down. Read that again.

Imagine a world in which the Thanksgiving holiday was actually about giving thanks… 🤯 I know. I’m not sure I can imagine it, either.

Proverbs 30:15 says, “The leech has two daughters: Give and Give.” A leech is never satisfied. It always demands we give it more. Once it latches on, it never stops sucking the blood of its victim. Modern society, with its never-ending marketing campaigns to consumers who are never satisfied, is a leech. We could paraphrase this verse in today’s terminology: “The modern consumer has two motivations: Gluttony and Greed.”

Do you know what one of the fastest-growing businesses is right now in 2025? Storage units. They’re popping up everywhere. Because we have so much stuff, we can’t fit it in our houses. So, what should we do? Why, rent a storage unit, of course! I obviously need that stuff in my storage unit that I haven’t opened in two years. And I have 97 emails a day telling me I need even more… at 70% off regular price (does that mean the rest of the year, the things I buy are 70% overpriced?).

Let’s be honest. We’re sick. We’ve got two leeches sucking the life and joy out of us: Gluttony and Greed. We’re not happy; we’re bored. We’re not content; we’re unfulfilled. And we’ve got another holiday just around the corner. So, let me ask another mind-blowing question:

If Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, what if Christmas is about Christ?

I know, I know. It will take a bit for that to soak in. But let it. And do Christmas differently.