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I remember the first home my wife and I purchased in 2000 in Newberg, OR, for $157,000. Boy, do I miss those prices! Still, I remember being so anxious about the responsibility of our new mortgage payment. It certainly was going to stretch us. Before signing on the dotted line, my parents graciously did a house inspection with us at our request. I remember nervously following my father around, taking in all of his verbal and nonverbal communication. Was this the right house for us? Was it structurally sound? Was this a wise decision? Accessing my father’s entire life experiences and collected wisdom was the key ingredient in making our final decision.
In similar fashion, under the Lord’s guidance, King David invested time during his lifetime to prepare His son Solomon to complete the construction of God’s house. David spent time collecting the needed building materials for the project. He planted God’s vision for His temple in Solomon’s heart. David did everything in his power to help his son fulfill the potential and calling God had placed on his son’s life, leaving nothing to chance. As parents, grandparents, and mentors, we have a similar context. We are making a Kingdom investment in the lives of our children. Through Christian schooling, we are partners in the renewal of their minds and the transformation of their hearts, leading them to an authentic, lasting faith. As the 24-25 school year comes to an end, we celebrate the promotion of our students from one grade to the next. There is much work that we can do as we prepare our children for greater and greater independence. Brick by brick, we are helping lay a foundation to shape lives committed to Jesus Christ. For our group of seniors, they will experience the ultimate transition as they launch into the season of adulthood. As they begin to leave behind certain components of their youth, our prayer is that they do not leave Jesus behind as well, but eagerly take Him with them…rather, are led by Him. “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 Though David could only imagine what his son Solomon would achieve apart from him, he faithfully devoted his parenting to support the fulfillment of God’s design. We pray a blessing over our maturing students, and especially our graduates, that God would multiply the investment of His Word in their lives. May the entire community be encouraged by the life of King David as we each invest in the children entrusted to all of us. Now that my daughter has returned home for college, our family has reestablished one of our favorite family activities: watching Jeopardy! But we just don’t watch, we also participate as much as possible. Every night, there seems to be a different household winner. It is especially enjoyable when we stream the show so that we can hit “pause” and give our inferior brains more time to think!
The Hebrew word selah is found in the book of Psalms 71 times. Most versions of the Bible do not even attempt to translate selah, as its meaning seems diverse. Based upon some clues, one intuitive explanation for selah is that it means “to pause,” increasing peace. In the book of Psalms, sometimes the “pause” leads to praise:
Other times, the “pause” leads to asking for God’s help:
Sometimes it can just be a reminder of God’s design:
This month, we are focusing on the Fruit of the Spirit of self-control. According to the Psalmist’s wisdom, introducing “selah” into our daily routine and surprising situations will help release God’s peace in our lives. A lack of impulse control is often at the root of excessive or harmful behavior. Just like when watching Jeopardy, hitting pause can allow our thoughts and emotions to catch up with God’s heart and His desire in our lives. So the next time the clues of our lives pop up on our virtual screen, take a moment to selah and give God the room to provide peace in every situation! When I was a young(er) parent, one surprise benefit was enjoying the new generation of toys with my children. There are so many more options with Lego than when I was a kid. Color by number adds math (my favorite) into art books. And of course, the Wii remotes and balance board introduced a whole new interactive family experience. But the technological advancements of Nerf Blasters have been my favorite. There are so many new and powerful ways to violently accelerate foam projectiles!
But I soon realized one of the drawbacks of outfitting my children with toys of destruction. Their dad quickly became the most appealing victim for my kids’ daily target practice. Throughout the day, random missiles would impact almost every part of my body. Rarely armed myself, I dodged and evaded a constant barrage of attacks. Spent nerf ammunition would pile up in just about every room, vehicle, and outdoor space. What had I done? Why had I chosen to weaponize my own flesh and blood? When Jesus surrendered His physical life to God’s will as a sacrifice for all of our sins, He provided a powerful example of self-control. His suffering was an act of love and grace given to all of humankind He chose to save. How discouraging and demoralizing to be attacked by His own created children! The very hands created in His own image betrayed Him and nailed Him to a cross. Words of anger and hate screamed in His face, only possible through His life breathed into His offspring. Yet like a lamb led to the slaughter, Jesus did not open His mouth. What a beautiful and powerful picture! Jesus was clear in His identity and purpose, and nothing could prevent Him from His sovereign appointment. The very ones behind His own suffering were the ones He came to save. The power of the Fruit of the Spirit of self-control comes from the very testimony of the gospel. This same power lives inside of us and enables us to live out the gospel in our interactions with others. So when you feel like the projectiles of the enemy are pounding against your restraint, consider the strength that comes from walking in step with Jesus. Even when it seems others have taken advantage of your generosity, Jesus' acts of kindness are intended to lead all of us to repentance. Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit often requires thick skin and a soft heart. Though from my parenting experience, I must say that a helmet and protective equipment doesn’t hurt either. Neither does a little prayer. Throughout my high school years, I often fell into the trap of comparing myself to others. Despite meeting many of the academic and athletic goals I had set for myself, I remained discontent when comparing myself to the achievements of others. My dissatisfaction fueled occasional behaviors that I was not proud of. Unkind words, gossip, and even malicious conduct popped up around others unannounced. As a developing disciple, I realized I needed to manage my behavior more wisely. Though some progress was made, my efforts to improve fell short. My struggle was not just with self-control, but with a misinformed mindset producing those regrettable behaviors.
During the month of May, we are focusing on the final Fruit of the Spirit…self-control. A person with self-control embraces the preceding 8 Fruits of the Spirit and shows restraint regarding selfish desires that oppose the Spirit. Practicing each Fruit of the Spirit is found in accessing the power of God and His Spirit living inside of us. Relying on our own efforts apart from Him only leads to frustration. The victorious practice of self-control goes much deeper than just behaviors. Most behaviors are a result of certain emotions driving those behaviors. Most emotions are a result of certain thoughts driving those emotions. And most thoughts result from the core beliefs we hold in our hearts. The more rooted we allow our identity to be found in Christ, the more consistent and natural self-control will develop in our lives. The most crucial step in developing self-control is full surrender to the sovereign Lordship of Jesus Christ. This full submission terminates our enslavement to sin and makes us servants of righteousness. Our core belief in a Biblical worldview provides us with all truth and our undeserved identity in Christ. As our heart is transformed, our thinking becomes more aligned with the mind of Christ. Our resulting emotions become more coordinated with His Spirit. And then a miracle happens! Our words and actions are entirely under God’s control, and His full Fruit of the Spirit becomes a testimony to the world. As a teenager, my shaky foundation of understanding God’s design sometimes made me feel out of control. But now, my practice of self-control and surrender to God’s control in my life places me more in step with God and His Spirit. May God's design for allowing His control to through the Spirit of self-control develop daily in the lives of all of our students. As a freshman at Oregon State University, I remember hanging out at my Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) leader’s house one night. His young son came out to show off his homemade superhero outfit. I immediately burst out in jubilant laughter. I thought it was awesome! But my exuberant response was not seasoned with contextual maturity. The small boy immediately burst into embarrassed tears and ran back down the hallway. Over 30 years later, I still remember the hurt I caused.
A few years later, I joined my fiancée (Mrs. K.) for babysitting duties. When playing with the family’s small children, I took my “villain” role too far and unwisely scared the kids in our care. I still remember how devastated I was that my actions had caused fear in the children’s eyes. I was also embarrassed by the disappointment in my fiancée’s eyes, whom I hoped to soon marry. As we wrap up our month focusing on the fruit of “gentleness,” I consider how I needed this trait of Jesus much earlier in my life. Choosing to use the least amount of force for the situation at hand reveals the love of Jesus. This week, our sophomore students shared these truths in each of our elementary classrooms. Gentleness consistently demonstrates love and grace to the benefit of others. It places confidence in the presence of God and His character to treat all of God’s creation as He has displayed in so many ways. While I no longer have preteens in the house, I hope to host grandchildren someday. :) If a babysitter is needed, I hope to prayerfully trust them to the watchful and gentle eye of one of our well-trained high school students. |
Adam Kronberger
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