Insights Magazine: Issue Ten, 2023

2023 ISSUE TEN

How few are those who see beyond the danger...who say to those on the edge of some venture, “Go for it!”

Cover & Article Photo: Armando Castillejos on Unsplash

Go for It

by Charles R. Swindoll

How many people stop because so few say “Go!”?

In his fine little book Fully Human, Fully Alive, author John Powell relates an experience which happened to a friend while he was vacationing in the Bahamas. The friend was sightseeing when he noticed a crowd gathered toward the end of a pier. He walked down to investigate the commotion. Powell says:

...he discovered that the object of all the attention was a young man making the last-minute preparations for a solo journey around the world in a homemade boat. Without exception everyone on the pier was pessimistic. All were actively volunteering to tell the ambitious sailor all the things that could possibly go wrong. “The sun will BROIL you!” “You won't have enough food.” “That boat of yours won't withstand the waves in a storm.” [And, of course, those familiar words] “You'll never make it.”

When my friend heard all these discouraging warnings to the adventurous young man, he felt an irresistible desire to offer some optimism and encouragement. As the little craft began drifting away from the pier towards the horizon, my friend went to the end of the pier, waving both arms wildly like semaphores spelling confidence. He kept shouting: “BON VOYAGE! You’re really something! We’re with you. We’re proud of you!”

Had you been there as that homemade boat was leaving, which group would you have joined? C’mon, be honest. No doubt the great majority of us would have thought more of the danger than the adventure. Most of us would have anticipated the rigors and the difficulties and the risk rather than the fun, the discoveries, the incredible opportunities that lay ahead of the man putting out to sea. How few are those who see beyond the danger...who say to those on the edge of some venture, “Go for it!”

Funny, isn’t it? I suppose it's related to one's inner ability to imagine, to envision, to be enraptured by the unseen, all the hazards and hardships notwithstanding.

I'm convinced that one of the reasons mountain climbers connect themselves to one another with a rope is to keep the one on the end from going home. Guys out front never consider that as an option...but those in the rear, well, let’s just say they are the last to get a glimpse of the glory.

I’ve been thinking recently about how glad I am that certain visionaries refused to listen to the crowd on the pier. I’m glad...

• that Edison didn't give up on the aaaaa light bulb

• that Luther refused to back down

• that Michelangelo kept painting

• that Lindbergh kept flying

• that Papa Ten Boom said “Yes” to frightened Jews

• that the Julliard School of Music saw beyond the braces and wheelchair and admitted a violin student named Perlman You could add to that list. You may even belong on the list.

Almost every day—certainly every week—we encounter someone who is in his or her own homemade boat, thinking seriously about setting forth. It may be a friend, a mate, a colleague, a neighbour, a family member. The ocean of possibilities is enormously inviting, yet terribly threatening. Urge them on! Shout a rousing “You are really something...I’m proud of you!” Dare to say what they need to hear the most, “Go for it!” Then pray like mad.

How much could be accomplished if only there were more brave souls on the end of the pier smiling and affirming.

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, “Go for It,” in The Finishing Touch: Becoming God's Masterpiece (Dallas: Word, 1994), 134-35. Copyright © 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Resentment isn’t resolved with revenge…but with grace.

Time for Parenting

by Michael J. Svigel

Can you read me a book?”

“Will you play Legos with me?”

“Can you colour with me?”

“Could we go to the park now?”

My wife and I get requests like this from our kids all day long. If you’re a parent, you know what I mean. The barrage of demands seems unending. In the midst of our packed, hectic schedules, it’s impossible to drop everything and give our kids full attention. We want to be good parents, but we just don’t have time to do it all! And saying no every time our kids ask for some attention can make us feel like parental failures. But in my study, reflection, and experience over the years, I’ve stumbled on a few basic principles that might help relieve the stress...and enable us to make time for parenting.

First, we parents actually have to commit to spending time with our kids. Some parents dread the thought of actually sitting down on the floor with their children and playing with them. They would much prefer to wait until Junior is in his teens, so they can enjoy more grown-up activities such as watching a ball game or discussing movies. Other personalities prefer to play with little kids and are paralyzed by the idea of carrying on a meaningful conversation with an adolescent son or daughter. They fear long moments of awkward silence or incessant, meaningless jabbering. Forget your fears and commit to spending time with your kids.

Second, if we don’t establish a pattern of spending time with our kids when they are

young, it won’t happen when they’re older. In theory, most parents want to spend time with their kids. In practice, though, this doesn’t always pan out. The promise to spend time with their kids just keeps getting pushed off into the future...a future that never comes. The kind of relational connection you have with your younger child is generally the kind of relationship you’ll have when he or she gets older. In other words, if you never played doll house with your daughter, don’t expect her to have you over to help furnish her first apartment. Yes, it’s always possible to break this pattern and establish relationships with older kids—but the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be. Don’t wait until they’re older; start spending time now.

MUST REMEMBER

When your six-year-old son asks you to play catch with him, he’s not worried about honing his throwing skills so he’ll have a chance to one day play in the major leagues. He’s asking you to take 15 minutes of your day and spend time with him—face-to-face. When your eight-yearold daughter asks you to play Polly Pockets with her, she’s not expecting you to dramatize a threepart script with a plot, character development, and meaningful dialogue. She wants you to be with her, give her some exclusive time, make her feel special. Even working together can be fun and is better than not being together at all. Remember, the time is more important than the task.

Third, though we parents can’t always drop what we’re doing each time our kids tug on our sleeves, we can set a definite time and stick to it. Kids seem to have a knack for seeking attention at the worst possible moments...and the younger they are, the worse it is. I’ve lost track of how many times my kids have asked me to look at a book while I was driving 60 miles an hour down the freeway. Crashing the van to spend time with my kids probably wouldn’t get me the parent of the year award. But instead of saying no, we can always give our kids a definite time in the near future. If kids know that mom or dad actually wants to spend time with them, and if we have established a pattern of making good on our promises, the temporary delay will be taken positively rather than negatively. To delay is OK, but to reject is wrong.

Finally, we must remember that kids are more concerned with actually spending time with us than with the particulars of the activity.

Make time with your kids a priority. Don’t delay until they’re older. Set specific times throughout the day to give them your attention. And don’t get hung up on the task but keep your focus on the time. Applying these principles isn’t easy. And none of us can do it perfectly. But keeping these principles in mind will help us make time for parenting.

WE

THAT KIDS ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH ACTUALLY SPENDING TIME WITH US THAN WITH THE PARTICULARS OF THE ACTIVITY.

Copyright © 2009 by Insight for Living Ministries. All rights reserved worldwide.

What’s the Difference between Values and Beliefs?

by Robyn Roste

Before I was married I attended preengagement counselling. At one counselling session my partner and I were given a takehome assignment called a core values worksheet where we were to cut out words and arrange them in order of importance. The sheet was comprised of words like “family,” “faith,” “social justice,” “generosity,” “health,” etc.

After we had completed our worksheet we compared our results. It was a bit of a

shock—maybe we weren’t quite as alike as we thought. In fact, our top three words weren’t even the same! We had a long discussion about the assignment and it turned out we viewed values in different ways. He saw them as unmovable pillars in his life. I thought they were more like priorities, which could change over time. As I think about values

I see how I didn’t understand them and was, in fact, mixing them up with my beliefs. I

IF WE LIVE LIFE EXPECTING OTHERS TO CONFORM TO OUR BELIEF SYSTEM WE WILL BECOME FRUSTRATED AND DISILLUSIONED, ESPECIALLY IF THAT PERSON IS OUR SPOUSE.

Photo: Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash

didn’t understand the difference between values and beliefs. Perhaps I wasn’t self-aware enough to understand what my core values were, or too distracted with getting married to look deep enough. At any rate, it caused stress in our relationship until we worked it out.

Turns out I’m not the only one who confuses values and beliefs—many people do. So here are the definitions. Values motivate our actions and help us make decisions. They are universal concepts, which unite people. Values can include concepts like fairness, justice, freedom, and equality. Beliefs are assumptions we hold to be true—and may or may not be based on facts. Beliefs can be rigid, causing divisions, and range from what we think about creation to what foods we choose to eat.

So why is this important? First of all, we can’t expect people to believe everything we believe. It’s rare to find two people who hold the exact same position about every single thing on earth. This is why we learn skills like compromise and conflict resolution. If we live life expecting others to conform to our belief system we will

become frustrated and disillusioned, especially if that person is our spouse.

However, differences in values can be more serious in a relationship. If two people have different core values, for example one values charity and the other values wealth, there will be constant conflict. And if one values faith and the other is turned off by it...well you can see the problems there.

In my case, when we spoke about our experience with our counsellors we were challenged to decide if our differences were things we could respect and appreciate about each other or if they were impossible to overcome. Over the years of our marriage there have been many opportunities for me to see our differences in both values and beliefs playing out but also cherish the ones we share.

What’s

Values

Values stem from our beliefs

Values govern the way we behave and interact with others

Values are things we deem important

Values a ect behaviour and character

Beliefs

Beliefs don’t need proof

Beliefs are assumptions we make about others and ourselves

Beliefs grow from what we experience and think about

Robyn Roste is the communications director at Insight for Living Canada.

Eric Liddell

by Bill Gemaehlich

Iam reminded of how much our world needs Christ through the life of Olympic hero Eric Liddell.

Eric Henry Liddell was born January 16, 1902 in Tientsin, China, the son of Reverend and Mrs. James Dunlop Liddell, Scottish missionaries with the London Missionary Society. At the age of six, he and his eight-year-old brother Robert were enrolled in Eltham College, a boarding school in south London for the sons

of missionaries. Reverend and Mrs. Liddell and their sister Jenny returned to China. Through the boy’s childhood, Eric and Robert were only able to be together with their family during a handful of missionary furloughs.

At Eltham, Liddell was an outstanding athlete, earning the Blackheath Cup as the best athlete of his year. He then went on to study at the University of Edinburgh where he became well known for being the

WHAT A GREAT REMINDER OF HOW MUCH THE WORLD NEEDS CHRIST AND THAT JESUS REIGNS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL THE EARTH.

fastest runner in Scotland. In 1924, Liddell was chosen to compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris. While training, Liddell learned that the final for the 100-metre race, his best event, was scheduled on Sunday. As a matter of conviction, he refused to run in the race because it was on the Sabbath. Since the Olympic Committee would not consider changing the day of the 100-metre race he was forced to withdraw. Instead, Liddell chose to run in the 400-metre race. On July 11, 1924, he sprinted to the finish, breaking the Olympic and world records with a time of 47.6 seconds. Liddell ran the race with a piece of paper in hand with the message: “In the old book it says: ‘He that honours me I will honour’ (1 Samuel 2:30). Wishing you the best of success always.” Eric ran with one desire, to give all glory to God.

After the Olympics, Liddell returned to Edinburgh an Olympic hero. A year later, in 1925, his friends accompanied him to Waverly Station where multitudes gathered to see him off to serve as a missionary in China. Before

leaving he spoke to the crowds saying, “Let our motto be ‘Christ for the World, for the World Needs Christ,’” and then led the crowd in two verses of the hymn “Jesus Shall Reign.”

What a great reminder of how much the world needs Christ and that Jesus reigns sovereign over all the earth. Let us pray for the world to recognize their need for Christ as we continue to walk through uncertain times.

May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!

(Psalm 72:17 ESV)

Bill Gemaehlich is the EVP/COO operations at Insight for Living Ministries

Finding Balance between Abundant Life and Challenges

by Steve Johnson

Jesus promised believers an abundant life. a“My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). But He also promised us, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33).

If Jesus promised an abundant, rich and satisfying life, how could He also promise many trials and sorrows? Aren’t those opposites? Why is the Christian life abundantly difficult at times? How do we find the balance between abundant life and challenges?

Was Paul enjoying an abundant life as he suffered through the experiences he wrote about in 2 Corinthians 11:23–25?

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was

beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

That doesn’t sound rich and satisfying to me!

Still, some Christian teachers and preachers would have us believe that having a rich and satisfying life means a life free from challenges and full of lavish wealth, health, and prosperity. They say you can just name it and claim it and if you are experiencing poverty, it is because you lack faith.

But those claims just don’t square with Scripture or reality. Consider those who were commended because of their faith but who were tortured, jeered at, whipped, imprisoned, stoned, sawed in half, and killed with the sword. They weren’t materially rich, they were destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.

“All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith” (Hebrews 11:35–39).

Therefore, don’t expect to have a comfortable and happified life as a Christian. In fact, sometimes becoming a Christian will bring greater challenges. Why? Because Satan becomes more set against you once you are a Christian seeking to live righteously. You will also face persecution and hatred. Because God’s Spirit lives in you, you will struggle against the sin in your own life and be grieved at the sin in the world around us.

Abundant life is eternal life. It’s a quality of life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Saviour, and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of eternal life is provided by Jesus Himself: “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” (John 17:3).

This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowing God, which is the key to a rich and satisfying life.

Think again about the challenges that Paul, early believers, and many Christians in history and even today experience.

Yet, in the midst of difficulty, persecution, and suffering we can still have the abundant life Jesus promised because we know God, His Spirit indwells us, and we are heavenbound. Someday we will achieve an eternal glory in heaven thanks to Jesus’ death.

In 2 Corinthians 4:8–9, 16–18 Paul wrote about the Christian life, We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.

We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.... That is why we never give up.

Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

So where’s the balance between abundant life and challenges?

A truly rich and satisfying life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), not an abundance of stuff or creature comforts. It consists of life that knows God, experiences the fruit of that relationship, and is eternal.

Although we live in a material world and may naturally desire comforts and material things, our perspective on life as Christians must be transformed as we let God change the way we think about abundance and challenges (Romans 12:2).

We find balance when our true interest and abundance is in the eternal, not the temporal. And as that as our focus the things of earth and its inevitable challenges will be marginalized. As Paul admonishes us, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2–3).

Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for Living Canada.

IF JESUS PROMISED AN ABUNDANT, RICH AND SATISFYING LIFE, HOW COULD HE ALSO PROMISE MANY TRIALS AND SORROWS? AREN’T THOSE OPPOSITES?

Preparation for a Tough Job

While carrying his great burden for the people and conditions in Jerusalem, Nehemiah began the tough job of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem...by getting on his knees in prayer. He asked God for compassion and understanding to come to the heart of King Artaxerxes

(Nehemiah 1:3–4, 11). In the second chapter of Nehemiah, we see God’s gracious answer to Nehemiah’s prayer, an illustration of Proverbs 21:1, and we gain insight into how we should handle a difficult boss or authority figure today.

Discovering the Way

1. A Principle from Proverbs (Proverbs 21:1)

The best tool to affect change in an individual is prayer.

2. Nehemiah in Persia (Nehemiah 2:1–8)

Though he desired to leave his post and answer God’s call, Nehemiah waited four months for God to move the heart of the king. Stepping out in faith involves prayer, planning, and patience.

3. Nehemiah en route to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:9–11)

Because Nehemiah prayed and waited, God provided special blessings for his journey that he would have missed had he acted rashly.

Starting Your Journey

Nehemiah’s preparation for a tough job surfaces four important principles for us today.

1. Changing the heart is God’s specialty

2. Prayer and waiting go hand-in-hand

3. Faith is not an excuse for disorder or failure to plan

4. Opposition often reinforces the will of God rather than hinders it

Puzzle — Code Word Puzzle

Abundant Christian Living

Difficulty ■ ■ □ □

Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a number one through 26. Can you crack the code to solve the Bible verse found in the New International Version (NIV)? Two letters are already in place to get you started.

ANNOUNCING OUR FALL SALE! ANNOUNCING OUR FALL SALE!

We have a variety of Bible-teaching resources on sale during our fall sale. Save on popular books, devotionals, audio series, and more!

Prices in effect now through December 8, 2023 while supplies last. Visit insightforliving.ca/sale for full sales flyer and product descriptions.