Jonathan Edwards stands as an enormous figure whose shadow stretches over each successive generation. Edwards was Born in 1703 in the colony of Connecticut, just three years before Benjamin Franklin, and was a bright and inquisitive young man. By the time he was only 13 years old he had already learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and was accepted to Yale College.  He graduated valedictorian of his class with his Bachelor’s degree in 1720, at the age of 16 and went on for 2 more years of graduate study at Yale. It was around this time that he was converted to Christ and began to pen his well-known ‘Resolutions.’ These resolutions were personal commitments to holiness which Edwards put into writing and reviewed regularly. For example:

#4 Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

#5 Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

#17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

Edwards was a pastor and theologian, a writer, and the third president of Princeton Seminary. He is considered to be the greatest of American theologians, and is considered by many, even secular scholars, to be the greatest mind America has ever produced. His sermons and writings, such as Religious Affections and The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, have left an indelible mark upon the world. Many schools still assign students the reading of his most famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Edwards was a life-long student of the Scriptures, of philosophy, and of nature. He worked hard at not only studying things, but analyzing them, categorizing them, synthesizing them, and then expounding upon them for the benefit of others.

Jonathan Edwards is an example of someone who had an incredible work ethic; but more than that, he understood the concept of work from a biblical perspective. He was what we might call the foremost example of a ‘student for Christ.’ By this term I do not mean to describe someone who is merely a student of the Bible, although that is certainly a prerequisite, but a person who approaches everything in life, including his studies, from a biblical perspective. A student for Christ understands what Scripture has to say about masters and work, and one’s attitude concerning them so that he can, by God’s grace, glorify Him in this most important area of life. Colossians 3:22-25 states:

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Now if you are a student reading this, you may be saying to yourself, “Wait a second, this is talking about slaves and masters; what does this have to do with me? I’m not a slave! I don’t have a master!” Slavery was an institution that was part of the fiber of Roman society during the 1st century. Although the principles of the gospel were contrary to slavery, the gospel is not intended to change society, but to change men’s hearts. God’s desires for Christians is that they will live according to biblical principle no matter what their station in life; Christians are those who submit to the authorities that have sovereignly been placed over them. The section of this letter to the church at Colossae in which our passage is found begins in verse 18, where Paul begins to give instructions concerning relationships in the home. Wives are to be subject to husbands, children to parents, and then here, slaves to masters. Although slavery is not a part of our culture, we see a direct correlation of this principle to the employer-employee relationship because slaves are basically workers who do not get paid. This brings to bear upon the passage an intensification of application, a lesser-to greater argument, because if slaves, who are not paid for their services, are to do what is commanded in this passage, how much more should an employee who is paid?

But you may now object further, “Wait! I am not an employee; I am not getting paid to be here in school! So how does any of this have anything to do with me?” The answer is that you are wrong about not getting paid, and your payment is far more valuable than money. You are being paid with knowledge from your teachers, who are your “earthly masters,” and you cannot put a price tag on knowledge. Money comes and goes, but no one can take your education from you. What you are receiving is the foundation of knowledge that you will carry with you all your life, and it will be this very foundation that will allow you to earn a living someday. Furthermore, the more you apply yourself in your vocation as a student, the more wealthy in knowledge you will become. There is no limit to your learning; what you put into it is what you will get out of it.

But God calls us to a higher understanding of this principle. There are two commands in Colossians 3:22-25: “obey your masters” (v. 22) and “do your work” (v. 23). The rest of the passage tells us how we are to do this, and it focuses upon the way you view both your master and your work – it gets to the heart-attitudes concerning these duties. All of us can obey to a certain extent. All of us can do work. But it is how we view these obligations and our attitudes toward them that are what God is looking for.

The first principle we learn from this passage is that we are to obey and work reverently. Obedience is to be done “fearing the Lord” (v. 22). Work is to be done “for the Lord (v. 23). It is “from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward” (v. 24), and “You are serving the Lord Christ” (v. 24). “Your earthly masters” are your temporal masters, placed over you here and now, but you answer to a higher Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. As a student, your master is your teacher, but ultimately, “You are serving the Lord Christ.” The parallel passage of Ephesians 6:5-8 says that Christians slaves are really the “slaves of Christ;” therefore you can consider yourself a “student of Christ.” A great way to check your attitude in this area is to imagine that your teacher was sick one day and it was announced that Jesus Christ would be your substitute teacher. How would this change your attitude and obedience toward your “earthly masters?”

A second principle we learn from this passage is that we are to obey and work completely. Verse 22 says, “slaves (or students) “in everything obey those who are your earthly masters” (emphasis added). God desires that His children obey completely, not just in the things that we desire to do. There are some things teachers tell us to do that are great (they are usually the P.E. teachers), like “Play basketball for next half-hour.” We gladly comply with that! But what about when he or she tells us to go run a mile? Not so fun! When the science teacher tells you boys to dissect a frog that’s pretty cool – no problem! But when she tells you to read the next two chapters in the textbook and memorize the definition of 30 words like “meiosis” and “mitosis,” that’s not cool at all! But God says, “obey in everything!” Okay, but what about the those teachers who are unreasonable, like the Literature teacher who tells you to read Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” all the way through and then turn in a detailed synopsis of it with footnotes by the end of the semester (without watching any movies)? What about you students who “suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” brought on by teachers who are so unreasonable to the point where you cry out: “To obey or not to obey, that is the question!” Well, God answers that question in 1 Peter 2:18-19:

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

So, we are to obey even those teachers who are (or at least seem to be) unreasonable.

A third principle we learn from this passage is that we are to obey and work sincerely, “not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” “Eye-service” has the idea of working only when the master is watching. We all know what this means: when the teacher announces that she must leave the room for a moment and that everyone is to read quietly while she is gone…and then the moment she is out of sight everyone starts talking and throwing things and all chaos is beginning to break loose until someone whispers loudly, “Hey, she’s coming!” And then everyone goes back to their books, pretending as if they’ve been obeying her directions all along. This is the opposite of sincerity; this is hypocrisy. This is “eye-service” obedience. Students who obey only with eye-service are “people-pleasers.” We are to obey our earthly masters, not to simply please them in the moment. We are to have integrity, obeying even when no one is watching. We are to do this not only for the sake of our earthly masters, but for our true Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to obey with “with sincerity of heart,” a singleness of heart that is not two-faced, hypocritical, or deceptive. This really gets to the heart of the matter, that true obedience is an issue of your heart-attitude. And what a sobering thought it is to know that our heavenly master can see it all; not just what we are doing on the outside, but what is happening on the inside.

A fourth principle we learn from this passage is that we are to obey and work heartily. “Heartily” literally means “from the soul.” It is the idea of putting your whole self into it, working with enthusiasm, “leaving it all out on the field,” as it were. Just like you are to “obey in everything,” you are to do “whatever you do” with this sort of enthusiasm and vigor. Whether you are on the basketball court or in the classroom, shooting hoops or writing a paper, you are to do it from your soul – do it “heartily.” Again we see here the reason why we are to do this: it is because we are to work as to the Lord and not to men, which brings us to the final thing we learn from this passage.

Not only are we to obey and work reverently, completely, sincerely, and heartily, but we are to do all of this with eternity in mind. Since Christ is your ultimate Master, He will grant the ultimate rewards for obedience. When we do our work with the right attitude, even when no one else sees, our Lord Jesus Christ sees. Even when we are not rewarded properly for our work, we will someday receive the inheritance that is laid up for us in heaven, and we will hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). This makes every ounce of effort and self-discipline worth it all. And the byproduct of this sort of Christ-centered faithfulness is that we will typically excel in whatever we do. Students who apply these principles will not always, but on the whole, get better grades, receive more scholarships, and retain more knowledge than others who are ungrateful, disrespectful, and slothful in their studies. Why not take this passage to heart and begin to obey and work from the heart this school year? Why not see your studies not as a roadblock to your happiness, but a primary means to the joy that comes from doing whatever you do for the glory of Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17)?

I remember the day the nation stood still when shots were reported at a school in the sleepy little town of Columbine, CO. Since that fateful day in 1999, it seems that mass shootings have become almost expected in our country. It’s not a matter of whether or not one will happen again; it’s only a matter of time. This week’s shooting in Roseburg, OR is simply the latest in a string of violent shootings in less than two decades. Even President Obama relayed his frustration about this fact when he stated, “Somehow this has become routine…we’ve become numb to this” in his response to the Roseburg shooting.

Beyond the religious connections of the shooting, (it is reported that the shooter asked if the victims were Christians before shooting them), what can believers learn from yet another brutal display of violence? Are we willing to settle for this as “routine?” Have we too “become numb to this?” Some will jump on the bandwagon of banning firearms as a response. I’m not going to venture an opinion on that; perhaps something practical needs to be done at some level. But is that all we can learn: ‘people shoot others because they have access to guns, so let’s get rid of the guns,’ or can we learn something more from Roseburg and the list of other tragedies preceding it?

I believe that there is a lesson here, screaming out to all those who would have ears to hear, and it is this: the reason these mass killings are becoming commonplace in our culture is because the philosophical agenda which has been peddled and gobbled up by America at large is producing them. And what agenda is that? Romans 1:25 calls it “the lie.” It is the lie which has replaced the truth of God and seeks to worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. When sinful man suppresses the truth of God which has been clearly revealed to Him in creation and conscience and throws off all restraint of morality in order to indulge his passionate lusts; when he believes the theory that man is nothing more than a higher order of animal who is expressing his primal instincts as he lives out an existence which has no real meaning or value; when the existence of an ultimate Lawgiver and Judge is denied so that there are no eternal consequences for one’s actions, what do we expect is going to result? 

Secular culture will once again believe the lie that mankind is basically good and still progressing toward greater heights of intellectual and moral virtue. It will once again cast the shooter as someone who simply suffered from some sort of mental illness. It will seek to ‘solve the problem’ with more legislation and regulations. But as Christians, we can learn from this tragedy the truth that we already know afresh: that “there is none righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10), that mankind is not progressing toward utopia; he is the same as he has been since the Fall and the first murder shortly thereafter (Gen 4). We can once again be reminded of the truth that Satan is “a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). We can once again learn that the natural man is dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1) and that his mind is blinded by “the god of this world.” In short, we can learn again how much this world needs to see “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” People need truth and light; people need Christ! And we have that truth; we have that light; we know Jesus Christ and we have a message of hope that, by the power of God can shine through the darkness and bring hope and healing and a real solution to the real problem which is the fallen human condition! May this horrific event be a sober reminder to us, and may we learn this lesson anew. As we pray for healing and comfort for those who have lost loved ones in this senseless act, may we also be stirred up to speak the gospel to our friends and family and neighbors.

We were all saddened to hear this past week about the Cam High student killed outside his home by a hit-and-run driver, and yet another young man who was stabbed to death outside a Taco Bell on Flynn road. Two tragic deaths of two teenage boys within days in the same community is heartbreaking, not only for the families of these boys, but for the friends, teammates, teachers, faculties, and countless others whom these young lives touched. Whenever we hear of tragic events like this, it causes us to ask the ultimate questions of life.

As sad and paralyzing as these events may be, those of us who know Christ must remember that we have answers. We may not have all the answers; we may not be able to explain specifically why a particular tragic event occurred, but we have ultimate answers nonetheless. We know that tragedy and death are a result of the Fall and the general curse of sin upon mankind and upon the world (Gen 3). We know that God is always good, and even when life does not make sense, He is still in control of all things and permits things to happen for His sovereign purposes, and that He has promised that He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). But beyond these ultimate truths, we know the good news that, despite the curse of sin, God has made a way for sinners to be reconciled to Himself and to one day enjoy a new heaven and new earth in which there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, and where we can enjoy unbroken fellowship with God forevermore (Rev 21:1-7).

Despite all they know, oftentimes Christians feel like they are not equipped to help in times of tragedy. “That’s for the experts – pastors and counselors, but not me – what do I have to offer!” they say. But if you know Christ, you are more than equipped to be a source of help and comfort when those around you face tragedy – and sometimes you are the only person who is in a position that can really make a difference. Sometimes God puts those who feel the least adequate to help in a position which forces them to step out on faith and be bold for the sake of the kingdom (see Esther 4:13-14; Proverbs 17:17). Whether you’re in that position now or not,  at some point in your life you more than likely will be. So let me encourage you with a few points on how to help others who are grieving.

1. Be quiet! Oftentimes we start speaking because we don’t know what else to do, and even though the things we’re saying may be true and may be helpful at a later time, people who are dealing with the initial shock of tragedy don’t need someone to ram the sovereignty of God down their throats! What they need is a shoulder to lean on. You may remember that Job’s friends did a good job of this initially. Having heard of Job’s troubling circumstances, his three friends came “to sympathize with him and comfort him” (Job 2:11). They wept with him and then “they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great” (v. 13). We can take a lesson from these guys at this point. They simply were there for their friend for a time, sharing in his pain (cf. Rom 15). The primary way to do this is to try to put yourself in the person’s shoes. You may realize that in a particular circumstance, that will not be hard for you to do because you’ve experienced something very similar. We must be careful to remember that no matter how identical our experiences, we can never completely understand the experience and feelings of another person, but God in His wisdom will oftentimes orchestrate circumstances to give His people the opportunity “to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor 1:4)

2. Listen. There came a point after a week of quiet grief that Job began to speak, and what he said was pretty depressing. Even as a strong believer, out of the midst of his despair his words were not gleaming with the theological realities he knew to be true at the core of his being (although some of these came out later). Job was venting his frustration and agony, and that is common for people who are facing tragedy. Job’s friends did well listening for a short time, but it was not too long before they opened their mouths. They probably would have done well to listen for a while longer before jumping in. We need to learn how to be good listeners, giving people time to get their feelings out and trying to identify how we can specifically encourage them and perhaps even gently correct their thinking when the time is right.

3. Pray. After you’ve been quiet and wept and listened for a while, you’ll earn the right to be heard by the one who is
grieving. And at this point, it is right for you to speak (see Proverbs 25:11). However, the first words out of your mouth ought not to be directed to the person, but to God. Prayer is not only an act of dependence upon God, it is an act of love when it is offered on behalf of someone else. Prayer will draw the other person’s attention to God and your words of faith and dependence upon Him will be the most comforting sort you could initially speak.

4. Speak. After prayer, it is appropriate to speak directly to the person. However, what you say is very critical. You want to make sure that your words are gracious, compassionate, encouraging, and truthful. This is where Job’s friends went all wrong. Rather than offering words of comfort, they increased Job’s sorrow by hurling accusations at him. Not only did this reveal their real lack of compassion, but their wrong theology. They, like most people of that time, believed that God brought tragedy upon individuals as punishment for their own personal sin, and so they set out on a quest to get Job to come clean about some hidden sin that must have been the cause of his calamity. Job’s friends were not only wrong about Job (see Job 1), but their theology was wrong in general. When we speak, we must be careful about how we say things, and we must make sure that what we say is true. It is right to gently correct a person’s understanding of their circumstances in order to lead them to the truth that will provide hope, but it is never right to beat broken people over the head with sharp words, especially words that carry flawed theology! The driving content of what you say needs to be hope, because hope is what a person facing tragedy needs. Certainly the gospel is the ultimate news of hope, and in a tactful way, it is always wise to share the good news of Jesus Christ to a person who is has been stricken by tragedy.

4. Ask questions. Just as we struggle to keep our mouths shut initially when we arrive on the scene of tragedy, we have trouble containing ourselves when we begin to speak at the appropriate time. Typically broken people are not very responsive, even to the most profound truths, and so we may have the tendency to rattle on in an extended monologue, looking for a response. A better tactic that will help draw out the person’s feelings is to ask good, open-ended questions and then give him time to answer (Proverbs 20:5). Again, be a good listener and follow up on their answers with more specific questions. This dialogue is healthy for them, and it will keep you from becoming a further source of pain rather than a source of comfort!

5. Commit for the long haul. Sometimes people feel like they’ve listened all they can and said all they know and thus they have nothing left to do or say or offer. If you’ve reached this point, you’ve probably overstayed your welcome. You need to be sensitive to how much a person afflicted by tragedy can handle at the moment. You want to be helpful, not overbearing. But even if you feel like you’ve given all you’ve got already, you must realize that much of what you’ve said will not be remembered. It takes time for a person to begin to process the initial shock brought on by tragedy, and it will be a long road of ups and downs on the way to healing. You must recognize this and be willing to be there for the person as much as is appropriate for the long haul. You will have much more weeping, listening, praying, speaking, and questions to ask along the way. In fact, you will likely find yourself asking many of the same questions and saying many of the same things many times over again. But throughout the process of healing, God may be pleased to use you and your many interactions along the way to bring the person to salvation and/or to draw him closer to Himself…and you can rest assured that He will be at work in you for His good purposes as well.

We will continue to pray for those touched by the recent tragedies here in Camarillo, and that God will providentially be at work in these circumstances for His good purposes, using His own people to accomplish His will in the hearts and lives of men and women, boys and girls for His glory and for our good. If you find yourself in a position to be used by the Lord, may you find comfort in the fact that not one of us is adequate in and of himself, but through God and His word, we are “adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:17).

An obvious obstacle to a consistent and productive quiet time is the distracting nature of our culture. But a big part of the wind of distraction that blows us about and keeps us from being self directed is our feelings. I don’t know how many times young people have asked me what to do if they don’t feel like having quiet time. I get it. It’s that false sense of piety in each of us that makes us feel like hypocrites if we were to spend time with the Lord “when our hearts are not in it.” But something I’ve learned through the years is that this is the same sort of excuse I use when I don’t want to work out. I’ve avoided a lot of push ups  with the words, “I don’t feel like it.” So, in reality, when we say we don’t feel like doing devotions, we’re really just making an excuse and then justifying that excuse with our false piety.

The fact of the matter is that feelings come and go, they wax and wane. They’re as inconsistent as my golf swing. They’re influenced by how much sleep you’ve had, how much coffee you’ve consumed, whether or not there were too many mushrooms on your pizza, and so in and so forth. And let’s be honest – we may be born again, but we’re still battling sin that is more often than not so subtle that we’re deceived by our own selves. So even though there is certainly not an exact parallel between the two, my advice for students who don’t feel like having a quiet time is the same as my advice for myself when I don’t feel like getting off the couch to get some exercise: forget about your feelings and just do it (thank you Nike for that one)!

With all that said, God has designed us to be creatures of habit. It takes about 2 seconds to make a bad habit; it takes much longer to form a good one (about 21 days, according to some authorities). And if you’ve ever stuck with something long enough, you know that once you get over the hump you actually begin to enjoy the habit you’ve formed (like me when I started to realize that I would not die when I ran farther than around the block). The more I stick with my quiet time, the more I crave that time…it’s funny how that works.

Now, with that said, I don’t want to give false hope that this will be the case every single quiet time after number 21. Sometimes you won’t feel like having time with the Lord still. And sometimes you will do it and you won’t feel anything. Instead of giving up or doing it and then feeling like a hypocrite because you didn’t get all stoked, just keep doing it. Why? In his power-packed little book, Humility, C.J. Mahaney states that he  does not always feel jazzed when he finishes his quiet time, but he notes that “the very act of opening my Bible to read and turning my heart and my mind to prayer makes a statement that I need God.” This declaration of dependence is what we need beyond all else. So dispense with the feelings and get to it!