Author: Paul Nordman

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Freely Giving What We Cannot Buy

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10, 11 (NIV)

What was it again that the angels brought to the shepherds that first Christmas Eve? New sandals? New staffs? New robes? No, they brought none of these, not even a t-shirt to commemorate the occasion. To the shepherds, the angels unveiled something of far greater value than anything money could buy—the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, the One promised through the ages and now with us for eternity.

Two thousand years later, we still celebrate Christmas by giving and receiving gifts. It can be a season of surprise and joy, and it can just as easily be a time of disappointment, such as when we can’t afford to buy what we want to give or when our gift goes unappreciated. But have you ever noticed that the best gifts we ever receive are the intangible ones that touch us inside? They show up as acts of kindness and expressions of goodness, and they often come when we most need them and least expect them. It’s the genuine smile igniting in our heart the warm glow that spreads, in turn, across our own face. It’s the beautiful tone of the encouraging word that sets our soul to song. It may be the unexpected deed of a stranger or the dependable help of a neighbor that restores our depleted supply of hope. Like the announcement of the angels, these acts of love cannot be bought, but only given; they are free, yet also priceless.

There is something curious, yet consistent, about these intangible gifts of the soul: we cannot contain them; they overflow from the inside out, and we eagerly give them away almost as quickly as we receive them. Isn’t it true, for instance, that we love others most freely when someone has done something loving for us? Don’t we give most generously after someone else has first selflessly given to us? Aren’t we most inclined to offer encouragement when we’ve been uplifted by the affirming words of another? And when are we ever more forgiving than when someone has forgiven us for our own mistakes?

This is the gift of Christmas. Jesus, the Son of God, came to take upon Himself the punishment for all our sins; He loves us that much. God calls us to draw near to Him and to live life in His presence with confidence and joy; He forgives us that much. When we trust in His forgiveness of us—and in His love for us—we are free to flourish in life, free of guilt, free of shame, free of fear; we are encouraged. And as we experience in ourselves the love, forgiveness, and confidence we receive from God, it is then that we freely give these same priceless gifts to others who journey this life with us and all around us. There is nothing people need more than these, and it costs us nothing to give them.

This Christmas, enjoy the meal, and enjoy the gifts, including the most valuable ones—the ones we cannot see, yet treasure the most.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christ in me is freedom.

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Time Well Spent

I think I was in eighth grade when singer and actor David Cassidy took his turn as teen idol for adolescent girls. (Heartthrobs are like tennis champs: they reign for a time before succumbing to the next up-and-comer.) You couldn’t walk past a celebrity magazine newsstand without seeing his face plastered all over the place. He had talent, looks, fortune, and fame. The girls in my class loved him. The boys didn’t.

David Cassidy passed away last month. He was 67. Too young we might say. It is always sad to lose someone early, yet it was these, his last words that brought me up short and stopped me in my tracks: “So much wasted time.” That was it. How empty it must have felt to exit this life in such regret.

I do not share this story in pointy-finger judgment. Quite the contrary, Cassidy’s heartache jolts us awake from the slumber of routine and elicits a cry from our soul, “Lord, may this never be true of me!” Indeed, the pop singer’s daughter and actress, Katie Cassidy, tweeted, “This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love so as to never waste another minute … thank you.” She has the right idea—to focus on the things that matter.

But how? How do we live a meaningful, fulfilling, satisfying life? Sharing gratitude is certainly a step in the right direction, yet we do well also to consider insight from another David of long ago, another musician, a psalm-writer. His advice? “Trust in the Lord and do good … delight yourself in the Lord … commit your way to the Lord … be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” When we live openly before God this way, our interests and longings shift over time from the temporal glory of this world to God’s eternal glory and the next. We joyfully discover that the things that truly matter are also the things that last far beyond our lifetime and into forever—namely, loving God and loving other people, not only in the way we feel toward them, but even more so in the things we do for them. Others are served, and we savor satisfaction; God is delighted, and we find fulfillment. For time invested into that which is timeless is time well spent. No regrets.

Father, I confess I don’t always use my time well, in fact, I often don’t. I am truly sorry. Fill me with your Spirit that I would delight in your forever purposes and live this life in love and service to you and to all who journey this life with me. May my life matter for your kingdom. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Thank you for loving my soul and hearing my prayer. Amen.

Christ in me is life.

[Click here to read King David’s advice in Psalm 37:3-7.]

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The Power of “Share”

True confession: I came to Facebook kicking and screaming. It seemed to me social media had pulled friends and family into a virtual vortex, consuming all their time … and maybe half their soul. (OK, I exaggerate.) After standing on the edge of the pool for 10 years, though, it was time to jump in. The water was pretty chilly at first, for I unwittingly dived right into the middle of the Fall 2016 presidential campaign! It’s been much warmer since. (Thankfully.)

Closely connecting with lifelong friends has been a profoundly gratifying experience for me, and it’s been fun to discover people we’ve known in common. “I didn’t know you knew Mike! He was a fraternity brother of mine.” But what has surprised me most about social media has been the power of “share.” We might post something on our page and reach 70 people, for instance, but when others “share” our post with their friends, it very rapidly expands, reaching two, three, or four times our original audience, sometimes even more. It’s amazing! In fact, over the past 14 months, this blog, “A Word for Wednesday,” has reached people in 32 countries and every continent except Antarctica. From Chile to China, from Cambodia to Namibia, from Poland to Peru, from Myanmar to Mexico—it’s all been the power of “share,” one person passing the post to his or her Facebook friends, who shared it with their friends, and on and on. (See above map of countries reached by this blog.)

Jesus understood both the importance of “post” and the power of “share.” He has written on our hearts the message of salvation through faith in His death and resurrection, and He commands us to share it in compassion for others. Isn’t this how we received the gift of a full and forever life in Christ, by people sharing it from person to person and from generation to generation, until one day it touched our soul? The technology has changed over the years, but the post has not, nor has the call to spread its truth. For when people next door and around the world come to faith in Christ, His kingdom expands—a growing global network of people who live and flourish in Him. This is the power of “share,” and He has entrusted it to us, His friends. What an honor!

“I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

Jesus, thank you for friending me and for posting your life-giving word in my heart. Grace me with the strength and joy to share you with others as you direct me today. Thank you for this high honor. Amen.

Christ in me is salvation.

[Click here to read Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus’ story about the power, expectation, and results of “share.”]