A Conversation on Spiritual Growth

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statues of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.” Psalm 19:7-10

If God’s testimony about his Word is true then we would immeasurably benefit from saturating our lives with Scripture. I believe that the relevancy of the Bible is hidden from our generation not because of its complexity, but because of our lack of hunger for God’s truth. We are more than happy to be entertained with shallow thoughts about God as long as our felt needs are being met. If this is our habit in relating with God, I’m afraid of the consequences that lie ahead. In John 15:2-3, Jesus says, “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” It’s better to be pruned than cut off.

As a pastor, I’ve had a conversation on spiritual growth with so many people over the years. I’ve thought about my own approach to spiritual growth throughout my Christian life. There’s one common denominator in every season of growth – a devotion to Scripture. God’s Word has always been the guiding light in all my seeking of God and discovery of his ways. A couple ways that I’ve tried to saturate my life with Scripture is through memorizing verses and passages and using biblical language in my speech.

I’ve found memorizing the Bible to be essential in the same way a GPS system is essential in finding my way in an unfamiliar part of the city. There are many mornings where I struggle to find the motivation to get up quickly and start my day. I’ll wrestle with my thoughts in bed. And throughout the day, my mind often wanders to the next distraction. I can go back and forth from surfing the internet, to planning out my calendar, to writing an email. I find that time goes by so quickly when my mind wanders, whether in bed or at my desk. An hour can fly by without any sense of direction and focus. It’s in these moments that I like to quote Scripture. “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3). “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32). As I pray through these verses from memory, it’s almost as if God is recalibrating my sense of direction in that moment.

Additionally, as I pray, I’ll sense that there’s something troubling my mind. It’s hard to quite put a finger on it but I know it’s there. I’m not happy about a situation. Or I’m upset about what another person said. In these moments, I’ve come to realize that the language I use to describe what I’m feeling is very important to my own spiritual growth. The language I use reveals how I’m interpreting and processing whatever it is I’m going through. I can either use my own language or the Bible’s language. For example, “frustration” at being “unproductive” sounds pretty noble, but it doesn’t help me change. Instead, I read from Proverbs 13:4, “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” This verse helps me to identify my laziness. My ways are more like the sluggard than the diligent. So I need to repent. Identifying biblical language for my sin or how I feel is so important in helping me change. It helps me to pray more earnestly and honestly. It helps me to share my struggles with others. That keeps me more accountable as I encounter similar temptations the next day. It helps me interpret my life according to God’s Word not my own feelings.

Those two practices have been immensely helpful in my own spiritual growth. Thinking through the categories of the Bible moment by moment is unnatural, but the promises are so rewarding.

A Daughter’s Tribute To Her Father

I’m so grateful to Barbara Rowe for sharing a few words about her father. Dr. Hiebert was my teacher, mentor and friend. But to Barbara, he was dad. As I think about our son, Paul, I hope I can be a loving father to him as Dr. Hiebert was to his children.

Paul, A Loving Father
Paul Hiebert is my dad, and though you all know him as an international speaker, author, teacher and mentor, I know him as a dad. While you all know him for the intelligent and thoughtful man that he is, I know about his quirky side, his idiosyncrasies and his penchant for chocolate; and I know what an amazing man he is.

Here’s a guy who pulled coins out of our ears as children, played the guitar out of tune to make us laugh, and took us hiking in the hills of India where he had grown up as a boy. Always the teacher, he taught us percentages by counting the number of red cars for every 50 cars on the freeway, and astronomy by taking us out at night to photograph the planets. And, of course, we lived in the world of anthropology, learning about man by touching the skulls and stone tools in his office. In those days, it was not unusual to see Paul Hiebert, the professor, coming out of his office with one or two of his children in tow.

The best way to describe Paul Hiebert as dad, is to say that he included us. He included us in the grand adventure that is his life, and in the mission that he has carried out, that of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. And he taught us to value and respect people of all cultures and all stations in life: from the village beggar to the University president. My dad taught us to treat each human being as a child of God, a person to be valued, respected and loved.

Now that he has grandchildren, Dad has willingly taken on the role of “grandpa,” paying special attention to each one at every opportunity, teaching them about the wonders of nature and providing plenty of hugs along the way. For us as parents, he keeps us calm when we are fed up with our children, and gives sound counsel on the difficult job of parenting.

For my mother, my father was a loving and dedicated husband. Through the years of mission work, he helped my mother learn to reach out to a culture completely foreign to her, and to appreciate different ways of living, cooking, dressing, and interacting with others. Then during the years that my mother’s health was failing, my dad took on the difficult role of care giver and encourager. Courageously, he and mom made the decision together to discontinue her treatments when it became evident that the cancer was too widespread to be overcome, understanding that death is not the final word.

Most of all he loves us deeply, and does not hesitate to tell us so. This more than anything else, accounts for the faith that he has helped to cultivate in each of his children and grandchildren. When I contemplate the character of God, whom I cannot see or touch, I am brought closer to knowing who God is through my father, whom I can see and touch, and who gives great big bear hugs just when you need one.

A poet friend of my fiancée once described his family as “the porthole through which I experience the divine.” This is my dad’s legacy to us. We have learned about the nature of our Heavenly Father through the loving, kind and patient character of our earthly father. And that is an invaluable legacy for us to have been given as a family.

Introducing Baby Paul | A Tribute to Dr. Paul Hiebert

On Thursday, May 16, 2013, we joyfully welcomed our son Paul into our family. What a joy to call him by name for the first time in his life. Paul is my favorite character in the Bible, but we named our son not after the great apostle, but after the late Paul Hiebert. I’d like to take a moment to pay tribute to Dr. Paul Hiebert and his legacy that carries on through the many lives that he touched throughout the world, including mine. On a separate post which I’ll publish later, I’ve included a tribute written by Dr. Hiebert’s youngest daughter, Barbara, who I was privileged to meet during my time with her father. Barbara is currently a missionary serving in El Salvadore. Thank you, Barbara for sharing!

Paul, A Humble Servant of God
I first met Dr. Paul Hiebert during my first year at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School while doing my masters studies. I had heard about Dr. Hiebert from others and eagerly looked for opportunities to register for his classes. I ended up taking one of his classes in my first semester at TEDS in the fall of 2005. More than his teaching, I was amazed by the man himself. He spoke with grace and taught with humility, unlike any other teacher I’ve ever had. I would come to learn later that he was the most sincere and openhearted Christian leader I have ever known.

During my first year of seminary, I lived in the graduate dormitories and was looking for a place to live for the following year. I had heard that Dr. Hiebert housed students in his home, which he called the “Ashram.” Naively, I inquired about living there after one of his classes. I didn’t realize that most of his residents were doctoral students and other leaders in the missions world. I was a simple pastor in the first year of my theological studies. To my amazement, he graciously extended an invitation for me to live in his home after I had returned from a missions trip to India that summer (the very place he had served and loved throughout his life).

The few months that I spent with Dr. Hiebert and the others who lived at the Ashram were some of the most precious memories of my life. We talked about the world as we watched the BBC newscast everyday. We talked theology and missiology as we sat around the dinner table. And we talked about life and family as we shared ice cream with one another every night, exactly at 9pm. He would always have chocolate chip. There was no need to explore new flavors. He knew what he liked. In those days, I witnessed the humility of Dr. Hiebert firsthand. I saw his godliness displayed when we prayed or discussed the Scriptures together. I saw his love for neighbor expressed in daily acts of kindness. And I saw his deep affection for his family as he embraced his beautiful children. He was a servant of God. I spent many a night wondering to myself how I was so blessed to be a small part of the life of this dear man of God.

Shortly after I arrived at the Ashram, we heard news of Dr. Hiebert’s cancer. My time at the Ashram would end up being the final months of his life. O to see a faithful saint awaiting to meet his wonderful Savior! Those are the only words I can use to describe those days. He lived his life fully to the glory of God to the very end. He continued to speak with grace. He continued to act in love. He continued to pray with faith.

Dr. Hiebert was one of the leading missiologists of our day; a prolific author and an amazing teacher to hundreds throughout the world. But to me, he was more than a brilliant scholar. He was even more than my teacher. He was a humble servant of God. This is his legacy in my life. And this is what I look forward to passing on to our son, Paul Roh. I’m reminded everyday of my shortcomings and how I fall short of his example. But I’m also reminded of the words of Hebrews 13:7,  “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

Saved from Superficial Faith

I preached on John 2:12-22 last Sunday. This text was more challenging to preach from than I expected. When most people read this passage they think that Jesus clears the Temple because of the greed of those who sold sacrifices and exchanged money. As I wrestled with this passage for several days, I came to the conclusion that he was not angered by greed, but rather by the superficial faith of the worshipers. Jesus reveals that he is the ultimate Temple, which means that he is the ultimate Sacrifice. This is why he came! We would encounter God through Jesus as he gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins. And this is what he sees when he worships in his Father’s house. Not a sanctuary, but a market. People running around performing their religious rituals with no sense of reverence and awe for the God that they claim to worship. So Jesus comes as the great cleanser of superficial faith!

As I thought about this text some more, I couldn’t help but think of our generation’s practice of worship. What would Jesus say to your church when you gather for worship? To meet with God in worship is a sacred matter. It cannot be compared with watching a movie or going shopping or eating at a restaurant. But that’s often what I hear after worship. “It was so good!” Or “the preacher was off today.” I wonder what kind of categories we’re using to evaluate the quality of our worship. I don’t think we should use the same categories we use to evaluate the latest movie with last Sunday’s worship. Let’s change some of the language we use when we try to answer the question, “How was church?” Here are some questions to consider:

• What did God do in your heart as you worshiped and listened to his Word?
• What did you see about God’s glory in a fresh way?
• How did the Holy Spirit convict you of truth?

If we can change the way we talk about worship, I believe it’ll help form our habits of worship as well. I’m thankful that Jesus cleanses his Temple of superficial faith. That’s the only way we can meet the real God.

The Celebration of A New Birth

My wife and I are eagerly anticipating the birth of our son any day now. I’m not sure how much longer she can hold on! The celebration of a new birth is unlike any other day. It’s hard to put into words. Parents know the feeling I’m talking about. It’s not like your wedding day. It’s not like your graduation day (thankfully). It’s unlike any other day.

This past Sunday we had one of those days at church. Baptism is the celebration of a new birth. God gives us a new life in Christ. No other day is quite like baptism day. As I stand in the baptism pool each year, I’m always humbled and thrilled by the amazing grace of God. It’s an even greater joy to have witnessed God’s transforming work in a person’s life firsthand. I remember when this brother first visited our church. He came for free food. A couple years later he tasted the Bread of Life and the joy of salvation. Glory to God!

There’s nothing like the celebration of a new birth.

The Blessing of Morning Prayer | Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Prayer is the easiest discipline to neglect. We can go days, weeks, months and even years without truly praying. The effects of prayerlessness on our spiritual maturity are obvious to those who pray and hidden to those who don’t. That’s why I found this quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer on prayer so helpful. Hope it brings you to God in prayer today.

“The entire day receives order and discipline when it acquires unity. This unity must be sought and found in morning prayer. It is confirmed in work. The morning prayer determines the day. Squandered time of which we are ashamed, temptations to which we succumb, weakness and lack of courage in work, disorganization and lack of discipline in our thoughts and in our conversation with other men, all have their own origin most often in the neglect of morning prayer.”

“Order and distribution of our time become more firm where they originate in prayer. Temptations which accompany the working day will be conquered on the basis of the morning breakthrough to God. Decisions, demanded by work, become easier and simpler where they are made not in the fear of men but only in the sight of God. ‘Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men’ (Colossians 3:23). Even mechanical work is done in a more patient way if it arises from the recognition of God and his command. The powers to work take hold, therefore, at the place where we have prayed to God. He wants to give us today the power which we need for our work.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
From Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, pp. 64-65

Holy Week Devotional

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Traditionally during this time, the Church observes the events of Christ’s final week on earth, most importantly his death (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter). The cross and the resurrection are irreplaceably central to the Christian faith. You can consider Christianity’s views on science, politics, marriage and a whole range of other issues, but you cannot think of Christianity apart from the cross and resurrection of Jesus. The entire Christian worldview springs from the cross and resurrection, which we can view as a single event. Apart from the events we observe during Holy Week, we have no Christianity. As Paul would say, “Your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17).

As we begin this Holy Week, I’ve been meditating on John 10:17-18, “The reason that my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Nobody speaks of their death like this. Jesus was born into this world in order to die a criminal’s death on the cross. But his death was not a mistake or a heroic act of martyrdom. Nobody took Jesus’ life from him. Humanly speaking, we can argue and say that the Pharisees and teachers of the Law along with Pilate conspired to take Jesus’ life from him. Or we can say that the soldiers who crucified Jesus were the ones who took his life. But Jesus did not see it this way. He laid down his life by his own choosing. His death was not accidental or merely inspirational. Jesus laid down his life as a willing sacrifice. He was not the victim of circumstance or the hero of radical extremism. The message of the cross is not just moving because of the pain of Jesus’ suffering. In fact, the New Testament does not go into much detail about Jesus’ painful death. Some of it was already understood by its first readers. But, more importantly, the cross is so much more than a story of painful suffering. The point of Jesus’ words in John 10 is that if his death was forced upon him then we can’t view it as a sacrifice. If he was forced to die then he wouldn’t have been free to love. And if his love was not free then we can question the motive of his death entirely. The depth of Christ’s love is magnified to the greatest extent by his freedom to lay down his life. Take a moment to consider the amazing power of that truth.

This is what I hope to meditate on throughout this Holy Week. Join with me in worshiping at the wonderful cross of Christ.