A Few Thoughts on American Politics

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Steve Foster

How is a Christian to live in this current political climate?

It is a tough question. One I wrestle with all the time, especially as a pastor.

Our political process seems broken. Political debates are driven by entertainment and sound bites. Political ads are thirty seconds of overexaggeration and character assassination. And politicans are often elected more for image rather than substance, for personality rather than policy, for eloquence rather than experience, for bluster rather than character.

It is easy for a Christian to be caught up in the rancor.

Here are few basic thoughts to keep in mind:

1. The kingdom of God is much, much bigger than American politics. God is sovereign. The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He chooses (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32). He can direct the heart of political leaders like the channels of water, He turns it wherever He wishes (Proverbs 21:1). We do not have to fret or fear or lose our focus (or our testimony) in the midst of the madness.

2. There is no political Messiah. No politician is going to save us or fix all our problems. Any politician that claims as much is denying his own humanity and any person who believes as much is living in his own fantasy. Our biggest problems are not political; they are matters of the heart. And no politician can change that. Sin and death are our biggest enemies. And no politician can defeat that. We live in a world impacted by sin, selfishness, decay, disease, disaster, and death. And no politician can reverse that. There is still only one Messiah and He isn't running for office.

3. National revivals and "great awakenings" begin not with politicians but with people. People seeking after God, acknowledging sin, finding forgiveness and grace in Christ, taking responsibility for their own actions, and voluntarily caring for and loving their neighbors and fellow citizens. True charity and compassion emerges from the heart; it cannot be imposed by the government. 

4. Our system of government was not designed for a "Messiah" or a "king." There was a balance of power to assure that no one person could rule exclusively. Our forefathers were wise enough to recognize that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." To their credit, they were aware of the sinfulness of the human heart and thus they designed a governmental structure to limit a person's power and to make everyone accountable to everyone else.

Thus, as John Adams recognized, "…We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." (October 11, 1798)

5. The leadership of our nation is important and vital. We are privileged in this great republic to be part of the political process…and we should be involved. We should research candidates and vote wisely, based on a candidate's character, experience, conduct, and commitment to the values of life, marriage, family, justice, and freedom. We should also pray for our leaders…for their salvation and for the protection of religious liberty (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

But we should also keep things in perspective. The type of leaders we have are generally a reflection of the type of people we are. The best of leaders, at best, can only stem the tide of immorality in a nation while the worst of leaders, at worst, can only accelerate it. Thus, if true change is going to happen in our nation, it won't be through a change in political leaders but rather through a change in human hearts.

And there is still only one Messiah who can accomplish that…and His name is Jesus.

Thus the hope of our nation, and any nation, still lies in the nail-pierced hands of the Nazarene.

As Christians, may our thoughts, words, and actions reflect that we know Him.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. (Titus 2:11-3:2)

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Man’s Search for Meaning

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Steve Foster

Viktor Frankl's book is a classic. A story of survival in the Nazi concentration camps and a manual for finding meaning even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Frankl's book has one overriding premise. Man's most essential quest is not the quest for pleasure or for power but for meaning. When our life has no meaning, then we lose hope. And when we lose hope, then we have lost everything.

Imprisoned in a concentration camp, Frankl was confronted with the cruelty of humanity. Prisoners fought each other for survival. Guards demeaned, mocked, tortured, and killed, intending to break the spirit as much as the body of those under their control. Many prisoners simply gave up. They commited suicide or entered a stage of apathy and "emotional death." But some survived.

How?

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms–to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances. …Any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him–mentally and spiritually.

Frankl survived by choosing to find meaning in his suffering–by looking toward the future and holding onto a purpose, onto hope.

It is a peculiarity of man that he can only live by looking to the future. And this is his salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence, although he sometimes has to force his mind to the task.

From his experience, Frankl designed what he called "logotherapy." Rather than focusing on the past to find reasons for one's problems, Frankl encouraged people to look toward the future and to find a purpose toward which to live.

Frankl believed that most psychological "problems" are not problems at all but merely manifestations of the reality of human existence. As humans, we are meant to live with tensions and problems. "What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task."

As Frankl analyzed "American culture," he predicted that meaningless would be the biggest problem facing many Americans. This lack of meaning would manifest itself "mainly in a state of boredom."

"People have enough to live by but nothing to live for; they have the means but no meaning."

In pursuing happiness instead of purpose and meaning, Americans would miss out on both. Happiness is not a goal in itself but rather a by-product of having a meaningful life. But because Americans elevate happiness to a goal in itself, "the burden of unavoidable unhappiness is increased by unhappiness about being unhappy." (Stop and read that one again.)

This inevitable boredom about life and increasing unhappiness would lead to "sexual compensation" and "addiction."

In such cases, "meaning orientation had subsided, and consequently the seeking of immediate pleasure had taken over."

"This pursuit of sexual pleasure becomes self-defeating. Indeed, what is called 'the pleasure principle' is, rather, a fun-spoiler."

Regarding addiction, Frankl noted that 90 percent of alcoholics had "suffered from an abysmal feeling of meaningless." And of drug addicts, 100 percent believed that "things seemed meaningless."

Thus, for Frankl, "man's main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life."

Frankl proposed that ultimate meaning is only found in love.

The more one forgets himself–by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love–the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself. …The salvation of man is through love and in love.

There is no doubt that Frankl was on to something. His book has touched the hearts of countless lives and his story itself is a testament to the power of meaning in the most adverse of circumstances.

But Frankl's search for meaning unfortunately can not transcend death. His hope is primarily fixed in this life. For those who died in the concentration camps, Frankl's quest for meaning offers no real comfort.

Hope truly is the necessary cure for meaninglessness and the enabling power to get through suffering. But true hope is found in only one place…actually in only one Person.

Jesus Christ.

The One who conquered sin on the cross.

The One who conquered death through His resurrection.

The One coming back to bring peace and righteousness to a broken, unjust world.

And the man who embraces Him finds not only meaning in this life. He finds Life itself.

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Ten Reasons to Be Humble

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Steve Foster

You would think that an honest look at ourselves and at our condition would make us all humble. But there is something in our hearts that still rises up in self-focused, self-justifying, other-comparing pride.

If the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7) then just coming to the place where you recognize that "God is God and you are not" is the first step toward real knowledge. It is Knowledge 101. Fail this class and you fail all the rest. 

There are at least ten reasons why we should be humble and approach life with a sense of reverence and awe.

1. I didn't give myself life.

What did I do to gain life? Absolutely nothing. It was given to me. All I can do is receive it and be thankful for it.

2. I am weak and limited.

As humans, we get tired, sick, and hurt easily. Even at maximum strength, the average human operates at about 1 horsepower and this power can only be sustained for a short amount of time in a short period of one's life. And though we like to think that we are smart, we only possess a minuscule fraction of all knowledge and, scientifically, we cannot even be sure what "consciousness" and "thoughts" even are.

3. Much of the functioning of my own body is outside of my control.

My heart is beating. My lungs are breathing. My cells are regenerating. My immune system is fighting off germs and infection. All outside of my direct control.

4. My own thoughts, emotions, and volition fight against my control.

I find myself at war with myself! Struggling against thoughts that could easily lead me astray, trying to understand my own emotions, fighting against my own will. Our biggest battle is often within ourselves and we often lose this unseen battle.

5. I am not in control of the hearts of others.

Yes, I can try to force or manipulate people to do what I want but, in the end, I can't control their thoughts, hearts, or will. Every parent wishes that they could guarantee that their kids will turn out well, but even the heart of one's own child is outside one's control.

6. I cannot control nature.

Even with all our technology, we stand utterly powerless and terrified before an F5 tornado. We can't stop a storm, hurricane, or earthquake. And right now, our planet is flying through space at 1000 miles per minute, spinning at 1000 miles per hour, and rotating around the sun in an orbit 580 million miles long with such exact precision that we can set our watches on it. Such power is unfathomable…and completely outside our control.

7. I cannot control the future.

I make choices that impact my future but I can't control all the circumstances around me that will shape and possibly change my future in a moment's notice. As we stand at the beginning of 2016, none of us are in control of all the events that will happen in this world by the end of this year.

8. All that I build and possess is temporary.

Nothing that I build will last. No possession that I hold onto right now will I be able to keep forever. As the rock band Kansas reminded us: Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.

9. My strength and my life pass quickly.

For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (James 4:14). Time may seem like forever when you are young but as you get older you realize how quickly it passes away…along with the strength to do the things that you once could do.

10. I am subject to death.

Whether we are rich, poor, young, old, strong, weak, educated, or clueless, we are still subject to death. No amount of money can buy immortality. No Ph.D. can solve death's riddle. No politican can abolish its power. We are mortal, fragile, and limited in time.

We have no reason to boast and every reason to be humble.

Come to grips with these realities and the Bible says that you are finally ready to listen, ready to learn, and ready to live.

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Psalm 42:5

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Steve Foster

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5)

Sometimes the difficulties, pressures, and sorrows of life put us in an emotional funk that we can't seem to get out of. We battle our own thoughts and emotions and can't seem to win. Psalm 42:5 is a good reminder in such times.

1. Gain control of your "inner talk." The psalmist basically preaches to himself, addressing his own soul and challenging his own thought process.

2. Evaluate what you are putting your hope and confidence in. By asking, "Why am I downcast? Why am I disturbed?" the psalmist is rooting out the false idols that he has placed his faith in.

3. Put your hope and confidence in God alone. God is the only solid foundation and rock because God is the only One who is eternal and unchanging. Put your focus and hope in Him and remember His grace toward you demonstrated in Jesus Christ.

4. Choose to praise Him. The psalmist basically praises his way out of the pit. He chooses to sing. He chooses to be thankful. He chooses to rejoice in God's grace and salvation. We have to determine that our faith in God will guide our emotions…not the other way around.

So talk to yourself, place your faith in God, and choose to praise Him and be thankful for His grace today!

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Our Addiction to Sports

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Steve Foster

I love sports.

I remember one of the first NFL games that I watched as a child. I don't recall anything about the game but I loved the team with the "twirly helmets." I became a Los Angeles Rams fan from that day on…until they moved to St. Louis…and I realized that there were better reasons to pick a favorite team than twirly helmets.

Back then I had an LA Lakers plaque on my door, a Los Angeles Rams lamp, a Philadelphia Eagles bean bag, a Miami Dolphins trashcan, Florida State Seminole curtains, baseball and football cards all over my desk, an NFL blanket and pillow case on my bed, and a big Steve Garvey poster on my wall. (Steve Garvey was "the man" in my book…right next to Lee Majors…the 6 Million Dollar Man.)

I played sports, I watched sports, and I kept meticulous stats on all my favorite players. If I would have thought of the concept of fantasy football back then, I would have been a rich man today. My own six million dollar man.

I still love sports but I am finding myself asking the question "why?" a lot more as I get older. (Like why does hair grow less on your head and more on your ears as you age?)

Why do I love sports so much? And what makes them so popular, so obsessive, so addictive?

You can't argue with the fact that sports has become almost like a "god" in our culture. If money equals value, then it is obvious that we value sports and sports stars more than practically anything else. When a college's football coach is paid up to seventy times more than the college's professors (and worth it from a financial standpoint), then it speaks volumes about our passion/addiction for sports.

Let's face it, most people would rather see their favorite university win a national championship than have the highest graduate success rate.

Why?

I know sports can develop character…or at least expose it. Sports are fun, competitive, entertaining. I am not one to get on the bangwagon bashing sports. I have seen the positive effects of sports on my four boys. I have been able to teach valuable life lessons as they have had to deal with winning, losing, long practices, and unfair calls on the field.

And many famous athletes use sports as a platform to glorify God, encourage others, and do good in society.

So I am thankful for sports.

But I am also bothered by how much emotion that they can still evoke in me. Watching my team win (or a hated team lose) produces way too much joy in me and watching my team lose (or a hated team win) produces way too much discouragement. And playing a bad round of golf, especially when I lose to someone, can still make me want to throw my clubs…even if age and maturity have enabled me to not explode in anger but just to be irritable all day instead.

So what is it about sports that makes them so powerful, so emotional, so personal?

Here are my two theories:

1. Our Hunger for Significance.

We crave siginifcance. We hunger to feel important, to feel like our life matters, to be seen as strong and successful in the eyes of others. And sports gives us an arena in which to feel like we are accomplishing something significant.

The obtaining of gold medals, trophies, awards, plaques, and articles in the newspaper validate this sense of significance.

And if you can't feel significant by your own sports accomplishments, then you can pick a favorite team and get a sense of vicarious significance.

In my little world, when my team wins, I win. And I can buy the t-shirt to prove it.

Isn't it funny how serious we take sports? Sportscasters are some of the few people who still wear suits and, as they wax eloquent on the sports stories of the day, they give the air that they are really talking about truly significant events. Interview the sports star and he talks about the heart, courage, and perseverance of his team as if they just won the most significant battle in history.

However, when you step back, you realize that they are talking about a group of men dressed in colored jerseys that carried a little leather ball across a white line more times than another group of men dressed in different colored jerseys…or perhaps someone in that group kicked that little leather ball through the middle of two vertical poles more times than the other group's guy.

Funny indeed.

2. Our Hunger for Order and Meaning.

I think our obsession with sports tends to increase with the deterioration of our world. When life seems out of control, then sports become a nice outlet for a sense of sanity.

I know…sports and sanity do not readily seem to go together…but sports do offer a world in which there are defined rules, specific goals, and clear boundaries. And in the end, we know who the winners and losers are.

In some strange way, I think sports are man's way of trying to create a world of meaning.

Deep down we long to know the boundaries, to know what is right and wrong, to know that those who break the rules will be penalized, and to know that those who play well will win in the end.

In a world that often doesn't make sense, sports does. If even for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.

Maybe that's why Scripture doesn't condemn sports but actually uses them to point to higher truths.

We are runners in a race (Heb. 12:1). We are fighters in a fight (1 Cor. 9:26). We are athletes who need to compete within the rules (2 Tim. 2:5).

There are boundaries in life. There is signficance and meaning. There are winners and losers.

And there is One who has achieved real victory over our real opponents–sin, death, and Satan–through His sacrifice on the cross and the power of His resurrection.

And His name in Jesus Christ.

And I am so glad that I am on His team. 

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