Colossians 4:2-6

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Steve Foster

2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

How do we live as witnesses for Jesus Christ? The task of evangelism often seems overwhelming to me. I want to be faithful. I want to make an impact. But I often feel inadequate or unsure of how to be the best witness to those around me. That’s why I love Paul’s simple witnessing formula in these verses.

Pray Boldly. Devote yourself to prayer. Make prayer a priority. Pray with an awareness of what is going on around you and with thankfulness for all of God’s blessings. Pray for open doors for the message of the gospel, for yourself and for God’s workers around the world. Pray for boldness and clarity in sharing the gospel when an open door presents itself. Begin the day saying, “Lord, use me today. Help me to be aware of the opportunities around me. Help me to see people as You see them.” It is only in yielding our lives to the Spirit of God, that we are empowered and guided as His witnesses (Acts 1:8).

Live Wisely. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. There is not a “one size fits all” approach to evangelism. Jesus approached people in different ways depending on who they were and the context in which He met them. In sending out His disciples on their first mission trip, Jesus told them to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16b). Think. Be discerning. Be creative. Know your audience. And though you never compromise the message, you do adjust your approach to someone based on who they are and where they are in their understanding of God. As Paul says regarding his own missionary strategy, I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some (1 Cor. 9:22b).

Speak Gracefully. Let your speech be always full of grace. No exceptions. We always speak the truth encompassed by, surrounded by, encased with love. We are ministers of reconciliation not condemnation. The truth of the gospel may offend but our attitudes and actions never should. I shudder when I see what is often done “in the name of Christ” or “as a witness for Christ.” Without love, the boldest of evangelists is just a clanging cymbal making irritating noise to an increasingly uninterested world.

We speak with grace to open people’s ears and we season our conversation with salt to discern people’s hearts. In other words, Paul is saying, “Be gracious in your speech and find ways in your conversations to talk about biblical truth, praise God, or honor Christ.” Nothing heavy, just a good seasoning to make thirsty people inquire more. Notice the last phrase, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Gracious speech, seasoned with salt, opens doors for further conversation.

Lord, help me to pray boldly, live wisely, and speak gracefully today!

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First Day w/o Pain

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Steve Foster

The first day I woke up without any pain. My foot actually felt normal…except for the fifteen pound cast on my leg. I quit taking the toradol. I was glad to get off that stuff.

I shaved and brushed my teeth sitting on a chair next to the sink. I took a shower sitting on the little stepstool and then transferring to a chair next to the shower to dry off. Another chair is positioned at the landing of the second floor so that I can sit and transfer to my butt in order to scoot down the stairs. My preferred location downstairs is the recliner in the backroom. My laptop computer is plugged in on a little stand next to me. A stack of books is on the floor. My leg is propped up on a pillow with a PolarCare 500 ice machine (borrowed from a friend of ours) pumping cold water continuously around my foot. The TV remote is next to me in case I want to catch a football game or something else on TV. This becomes my “home” for most of the day.

The reality of the next few months hits me today. The “newness” of the whole affair has worn off and now I realize how tough the next few weeks will be. The simplest of tasks (brushing my teeth, taking a bath, going to the bathroom) are no longer simple.

Thankfully, if I had to schedule this event on my calendar, it happened at the perfect time. My responsibilities at church had become considerably less. My Thursday night class was off for two weeks. My sermon series had ended. Retreats and conferences were past. For two weeks, there was nothing pressing on my calendar. I will at least get through the initial adjustment of the injury and the recovery before I have to get back in the groove of a regular work schedule.

The timing makes me think that God has a specific purpose for this injury/recovery time. It definitely has slowed me down and given me a chance to read, to write, to think. Lord, help me to make the most of this time.

It has been one week since the injury and I had my best sleep since that time.

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Thanksgiving 2009

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Steve Foster

Thanksgiving Day. I am thankful that I slept well last night. I am thankful that the pain is not as bad in my heel. I am thankful that I have a great wife who loves me and cares for me in such tangible ways. I am thankful for God’s guidance and provision in my life.

At noontime, we went to the church for a thanksgiving dinner. Liz and I have hosted a dinner at the church for the past three years for fellow “nomads” and family-less people in the church. We usually have 15-20 people. This year we had 30. While Liz and the boys helped set things up, I sat in a reclining chair giving whatever instructions I could. I usually over-prepare for these kinds of events and worry about how well they will go. This year that wasn’t a concern. I was just thankful to be there. Surprisingly I think things went better too.

After everyone arrived (and I relayed my story a few more times), we sat down around the large u-shaped table. I read from Colossians 3:15-17, the verses that meant so much to me on the day of my surgery. The idea of thankfulness is mentioned in each of these verses. Then I asked everyone to introduce themselves and share at least one thing they were thankful for. I started by thanking God for my wife who continues to amaze me and humble me with her servant’s heart, her unconditional love, and her ability to get things done. What a partner to have in life.

It was awesome to hear each person share. We had young and old, single and married, southerners and northerners, black, brown, and white, immigrants and native-born Americans. The neatest thing was hearing the young kids share. They picked up on the procedure and shared just like the adults. My four year old son Joshua shared last, “Hi, my name is Joshua. And I am thankful to God that I am one of the Fosters.” That’s enough to make a father smile.

Three hours went by quickly. The food was great. The fellowship was better. Conversations flowed naturally. The kids went outside to play. The adults stayed inside and got to know each other better. I enjoyed the time but started to get a headache at about 3pm—the same time I had gotten a headache the day before. Not sure if it was the pain or the pain medication that made my head throb.

We got home around 4:30pm. I took a nap to get rid of my headache. I woke up around 6pm, ate some dinner, watched some football, and then went to bed.

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DAS (Day After Surgery)

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Steve Foster

I woke up in the middle of the night with a strong urge to pee. Though it was difficult to get to the bathroom and it burned to urinate, I was never so thankful for peeing in my entire life. I don’t think I will ever take urination for granted again.

In the morning, my foot throbbed with pain. I was given two pain medications from the hospital, toradol to take every six hours and percocet to take as needed. After having such an issue with the anesthesia and pain medication at the hospital, I didn’t want to take more than what was necessary. I took only the toradol which at least too the edge off the pain.

I laid on the couch most of the day, working on my computer, answering email, talking to a few people on the phone, and going to the bathroom regularly (thankful each time).

At 11am, I had a follow-up visit with Dr. C. It was short and sweet. He simply wanted to see if I could wriggle my toes. I thought, “I could have sent you a video of that with my phone.” He gave me a brief description of the recovery period. Two weeks until I get the staples out and a new cast. Two or three additional weeks until a walking boot. A few weeks in a walking boot and then physical therapy. Full recovery in six months. Quite a long haul.

The pain level for the day was uncomfortable but manageable. I mostly felt the pain at the incision point. I could feel the staples at times. Having to rest my foot on a pillow makes the pain on the back of my foot more noticeable.

My Big Bulky Cast

My Big Bulky Cast

The cast is heavy. My toes are angled down which makes it harder to use the crutches. I have to hold my leg high to keep my toes from hitting the ground. Though my left calf is probably going to wither away over the next few months, my left thigh should be very strong. Standing up for an extended period of time is difficult.

I took a shower at night sitting on a small stepstool with my left leg in a garbage bag hanging out the shower. The hot water felt good and the position wasn’t too bad. I felt like a really short guy taking a shower.

I took one half of a percocet at night to help me sleep.

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Colossians 3:15-17

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Steve Foster
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I am amazed at the timing of these verses in my life. I am having surgery this afternoon on my achilles tendon and I am a bit apprehensive. Maybe more than “a bit.” This is my first surgery and I can’t say that I tolerate pain, blood, iv’s, hospitals, or anything in that category very well. Even simple blood tests can give me the shivers. Of course, I know some people are “old pros” at this kind of stuff and, while not enjoying such medical prodding, have learned not to get too worked up about it. All I can say is I admire you. I am not there yet. So these verses really ministered to me this morning.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… Let it rule. In Christ, the peace is already there. I simply cloud it over with my own fears, anxieties, and unwillingness to fully trust Christ with the things outside of my control. Let it rule. Don’t just let the peace co-exist with my fears. Let it rule. Let it take over. Let it govern my thoughts, dominate my mind, dictate to my emotions. For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Since as members of one body you were called to peace… Interesting follow-up phrase. It is not quite what I would expect. I would think, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart so that you won’t be stressed out.” Instead, God says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts so that you will be at peace with one another.” Ever notice that when you are stressed out, you tend to bark at others, have less patience, grumble, complain, murmur, blameshift, or wallow in self-pity? James reminds us that most of our conflicts in relationships arise from the lack of peace and contentment in our own hearts (James 4:1). So we are called to have peace in our hearts so that we can have peace in our relationships.

And be thankful. Peace in Christ breeds gratitude in my heart. I focus not on my struggles but on my Savior. Not on my burdens but on my blessings.

So peace in my heart brings peace in my relationships, gratitude in my attitude, praise in the congregation, and glory to God.

Lord, reign in my heart today!

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