You Are What You Do

Often, when people are asked what it is they do for a living, they will reply with their job title, followed by "but that doesn't define who I am." I would like to suggest that what we do, not just vocationally but morally, does in fact make-up who we are as an individual.


Odds are, somewhere along the line in your education, you found something you enjoyed or were somewhat decent at. Accounting, HR, project management are all noble roles that individuals play in an organization. But these roles are often viewed as unglamorous or unexciting. There's nothing "sexy" about crunching numbers or resolving an internal employee dispute. However, this is something very right about working in an environment where we allow our God-given, intrinsic talents to flourish. 

Did you ever think that perhaps God gave you the ability to perform math at a high level so you could be an accountant? Did you ever think that working in a job, regardless of how it is praised in culture, that utilizes your skills is empowering you to be the person God made you to be? There is a reason so many people feel like they've lost a part of themselves when they get fired from a job. It's because we were made to work! We were made to produce, to toil, to feel the burden of the the tension of working for a living. When that's taken from us, it's as if a part of us has died. And it has! 

I would also like to suggest that morals are only valuable, and only define you as a person, if they lead to action. There are many people that hold noble moral values, but these are in effect worthless if they do not compel you to act in a noble manner. For instance, many will say they think stealing is wrong, but do these same people skirt the moral line on their taxes? 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great theologian from the early 20th century said:

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”


So, morals are in effect useless if they do not lead to a better life lived. The next time we hesitate to say our actions, or our occupation, define who we are, let's take a deeper look at the way they truly impact our lives.

Republicans Need New Marketing

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am a Christian. Being a Christian is my primary identity, my only identity, and one in which I base all of my worldviews. I realize that there will never, on this earth, be a perfect political system, party, or leader, and I'm ok with that. I anxiously await the day that Christ returns and reclaims His kingdom and restores all order to the world. Until then, I allow my faith to shape the way I view culture, politics, and my role in the world.

It should come as no surprise: the Republican party has a horrible marketing team. When you've got characters like Limbaugh and Coulter speaking on behalf of an entire political party, who wouldn't point the finger and criticize? As with any group, it's often the fringe crazies who get pinned into representing the beliefs of the entire organization. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, right?

Republicans are often branded by Democrats as being selfish, lacking in compassion, and warmongers. They only care about their personal wealth and would never want to pay "their fair share" (this phrase has been tossed around a lot lately and I can't stand the hypocrisy of those who utter it, but I digress). If a country is irritating them, they bomb it and impose democracy. The reason people are poor is because they don't work hard enough and let laziness get the best of them. Of course, these are all caricatures that Democrats have created in order to paint Republicans as the sharks of Wall Street who want to enforce a caste system in our country rivaled by the likes of India. 

The truth is that the core message of the Republican party is really quite simple: what's in the best interest of society? The problem with many government-run welfare programs is that they are not tailored to the individual; they are merely a band-aid on the gaping wound of societal issues within our country. 

The clever guise of the Democratic party is that it's a party of compassion. It's a party that looks out for the overlooked in society, the underdog. So, they go out and vote certain people into office, vote to amend the constitution, and vote to pass propositions and legislation. But the compassion usually doesn't extend beyond the vote. Oh sure, they feel great about themselves for the "social justice" freedom fighter they just voted into office, but there's little in their lives that actually display any true compassion. Voting's easy because other than coloring in a circle on a ballot, it doesn't actually demand anything of you. To use a previous analogy, the Democratic party has an excellent marketing team (in that it's able to make the public believe certain things about it that just aren't true), but it doesn't have the greatest employees. Most of the Democrats I know belong to the party because it's a party of compassion, but aside from voting on social issues, there isn't much compassion to be found in their daily lives. They don't serve at food banks, they don't give money to non-profits, they make racist jokes at other's expense, and they won't even look a homeless person in the eye. They have no problem spending other people's money (via taxes), but when it comes to fronting the cash out of their own pockets, now that's a different story. A quick aside: did you know studies have shown that Republicans consistently donate more of their own money than any other political party (Source)? Now, I'm not saying this is the case for every Democrat (in fact, I know some very compassionate Democrats who have excellent motives), but I can only speak to what I've seen in my personal life, which a majority the time sadly mirrors what I've just described.

However, what they fail to understand is that the government will never be able to show compassion (DMV, anyone?). The government is not a person. The government is an institution. Institutions don't know emotion, compassion, or concern. Institutions know data and statistics. And this is the root of the Republican message: the government will never be able to take the place of your local food bank, the nearest homeless shelter, your church, or your next door neighbor. Goodness knows it tries, but there's a coldly inhuman, robotic nature to the way government does things. "Next in line, please!" That's not compassion, that's a checklist. We should have learned from the past, but we haven't yet. The pilgrims, our nations first fathers, tried a disastrous experiment of creating a communal-type society where everyone received equal food, shelter, and land, and regardless of the effort you put in, your take-home pay was equal to your neighbors. This created bitterness and near mutiny, as Joe the Pilgrim who sat around all day sipping moonshine received the same bounty as his next door neighbor, despite having none of the effort (Source). It was quickly decided that individually-owned land and capitalist-based commerce was the best route, and once their societal standards were changed, success for all sprung forth. The hard-working were rewarded for their effort and the lazy were given incentive, in the form of poverty, to work harder. It was at that point that his neighbors were able to confront Joe in his ill-intentions and address his core issue of laziness directly. We've stripped society of its motivation. No, I am not saying that we need to get rid of all social programs for the mentally handicapped, injured, and unable, but our "one size fits all" approach is having generational, devastating effects on society.

Don’t you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” And now we’re getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don’t slack off in doing your duty.

-2 Thessalonians 3:10 

The Republican party empowers people to be the change they want to see in the world, to take responsibility for not just themselves, but their neighbors. There's no passing the buck to the government, there's just community. Oh, the things we could do and the changes we would see if we could distribute our tax money to the things we were truly passionate about, and not have it get lost in some bureaucratic earmark or federally-run program. I'm Republican because I love my neighbor, and I think I can do a better job of loving them than the government.

Why, as a Christian, I Love America

I was recently having lunch with a friend, a Christian, who was professing his frustrations with living in America as a believer. American Christians, he said, are too complacent, comfortable, and easily distracted from the Gospel in pursuit of their own self interests. While I can't disagree with what he had to say, I do disagree with the demonizing of America that has been so prevalent as of late.

A popular quote from the film The Usual Suspects is: "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist." This couldn't be more true of the struggle that American Christians are up against. A big reason many American Christians are naive to spiritual warfare is that the attacks from the devil are very subtle. Things like lust, greed, and pride are the tricks he uses against us.

In other countries, attacks from the devil seem more obvious and overt; things like spiritual warfare and witchcraft run rampant. I just spoke with my brother who returned from a two week trip to both SE Asia and India, and the outright attacks on Christians, both physically and spiritually, were alarming. However, I think the only one we have to blame as American Christians for our laziness and complacency is ourselves. It's not our culture's fault, it's not our government's fault, and it's not our country's fault. It's ours.

Here are the top 5 reasons why, as a Christian, I love America:

1. I can tell my neighbor about Jesus and not get arrested.
2. I can buy a Bible at a local bookstore, rather than sneaking off to a black market bookstore that has to sell Bibles illegally.
3. I can gather at my church without the fear of our service being raided by the police.
4. I can pray in public before eating a meal and not get thrown in jail.
5. I can say the words "God bless" without fear that the person on the receiving end will alert authorities.

Do we forget that not so long ago a group of brave Christians who couldn't worship God freely escaped the reign of religious tyranny on a boat and established a new country where anyone, not just Christians, could worship freely? I think many times we don't realize how good we have it here, religiously speaking. Let's take advantage of the freedoms we have and use them to promote the Gospel, rather than excusing our complacency.

Death is a myth

There is no death. Death is but a myth, a feeble attempt to explain the inexplicable. For, what is "death"? "Death" marks the end of a body, a cessation of breath. But is the "end" really the end? The "end" does not mark life's final chapter. A life, or soul if you will, is so much more than the 30 seconds spent on earth. A life is eternal. Life does not need to body to exist. It will go on long after the body fails it. The question remains: where will your life go? Two paths present themselves: life apart from God or life with God. Life apart from God is marked by suffering, pain, torment, fear, isolation, agony. Forever. Life with God is marked by belonging, worship, embracing, joy, fearlessness. Forever. The choice is yours, but make it well, for when your body quits it is just the beginning.

Why I Believe In God

Many Christians have great stories about how they came to believe in God and have a relationship with Him. For some, it started when they were at the lowest point in their lives, and through their despair they saw the light of God's salvation. For others, it involved studying about religion, and finding a relationship with God to be the most fulfilling promise of all religions.

I have often wondering what it was in my life that caused me to believe in God. Was it an event? Was it a thought process? Why does anyone believe in God? It certainly can't be because it makes sense to believe in God. Almost everything about God defies human logic and reason. In a recent interview with CNN, Virgin CEO Richard Branson said "If somebody could convince me there is a God, it would be wonderful."

After some searching, I have concluded that the reason I believe in God is simply because He caused me to believe.

The Loss of a Friend

I'll never forget the first time I saw her. She was huddled in the backseat of an old station wagon with one of her siblings, wood shavings all over the seats and floor. "Whadda ya think?? She's gorgeous, ain't she??" said the toothless wonder who welcomed her into the world. Bonita was her name. She raised German Shepherds on her farm in the middle of Podunk, Oregon. This lady was the epitome of redneck. She would shoot and kill deer on her property and feed it to the dogs. The farm was, without a doubt, every dog's dream.

"Well, normally I charge about $600 a pup, but if you ain't gonna show the dog or breed 'em, and don't need their papers, I'll give 'er to ya for half off." We didn't have much money, but both Mary and I are huge dog people, growing up with them our whole lives. Having been married for a year and a half at that point, we thought a dog would make a nice addition to the family. I'll never forget riding home that afternoon, a shivering little puppy curled up on my lap. She was so skittish and timid, but it was only a matter of time before her playful side would emerge.

Our first day home. She was so scared, but I laid with her on the floor almost all night.

Our cat, Jake, didn't know what to think at first. What began as curiosity quickly turned to fear, then annoyance, then flat-out bitterness. Billie was about the size of a cat when we first brought her home, and the two of them would tear through our little apartment non-stop. Years later, at nearly 70 lbs., Billie still continued thinking she was a cat and constantly pick fights with Jake, and she would usually end up running away with her tail between her legs.

Billie and Jake: frienemies from the start.

The apartment we lived at during this time was about a 10 minute walk from the river, so we would take Billie there often. There was a little-known island on the river, about the size of a grocery store, that, when the water is low, you can walk out to. We would take off her leash and just play for hours.

As Billie grew older and we would go for hikes, she was never more than 20 feet ahead of us, before she would look back and make sure we were ok. This would become one of the traits that most clearly defined Billie: her care and love for our family. She truly was the "shepherd" in German Shepherd.

"Just makin' sure you guys are ok!"

Maybe it was the nasty river water, maybe it was another dog, but I swear Billie contracted just about every bacteria known to man that first year. We would regularly wake up to find her in her kennel covered in her own mess. The poor dog...and the poor man who had to clean up after her! And that's the thing about dogs: you feed them, clean up after them, take care of them and it's hard work, but you get so much more in return. As I'm sitting here writing this post while trying not to lose it completely, I'm not just reminiscing about a dog. I'm remembering the time she chased off another dog who was threatening me and Wyatt. I'm thinking back to the time that we would go to the island and I would run off and hide behind some rocks, and no matter how hard I tried she would always find me. I'm thinking about the times she and Wyatt would just spend hours out in the backyard, bathing in the sunshine and sharing in the mutual love of warm grass. So, no, I'm not just remembering a dog; I'm remembering family.

I didn't expect losing her to be this hard. I had lost family dogs growing up, but I was either too young or too far away to be greatly affected like I am now. And telling Wyatt, our 3 year old, about her plight, that's a whole different story. I didn't expect him to comprehend much, but I realize how much I constantly under-estimate that boy. Explaining to him that Billie wasn't coming back, that she was going to heaven forever, having him cling to me in tears not understanding why he can't go with her, is one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life so far. Wyatt lost a playmate, and constant companion in his life, and he grew up a little bit that day.

Best friends.

Getting to hold Billie in my arms, much like I did that first day we met, as her life slowly slipped away is a memory I will never forget and cherish forever. We will have other dogs in our family, and those dogs will pass away, and we will live in this constant circle of life and death, but for a brief moment in time there was Billie.

Rest in peace, Bill-Bill. 2/10/2008 - 4/2/2012.

We're Asking the Wrong Question

One of the biggest questions humanity has wrestled with in regards to the existence of God is: "How can a just God, who loves everyone, simply sit back and let innocent people die (ie. the Holocaust, starvation, cancer, etc.)?"

I think if we truly stopped to ask the right question, we just might get an answer, although it will probably be an answer we don't really like. You see, the question makes the assumption that there are innocent people in this world. However, the Bible says: "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). I'm not righteous, my pastor isn't righteous, Mother Theresa wasn't righteous, Apostle Paul wasn't righteous. From the moment we enter this world, we are born into sin. If you lived your whole life with a blameless record, didn't ever once steal or kill or gossip, do you think you would avoid ever having a selfish thought, or think poorly of someone, or get jealous or angry?

There is no one righteous. There is no one innocent. Does it make me upset when people whose lives are marked by evil go on living and causing destruction, and people who try to live good lives experience harm and death? Absolutely, but the bottom line is that one day we will all meet the same fate, we will all stand before God and give an account of our lives, what we did with the time we had here on earth. "Did you live for me? Did you love me? Did you love others?" Those will be the questions we hear. And it will only be by His grace that we will be saved.