Non-Fiction

My thoughts about things, mostly from a spiritual perspective. Some of this material could be considered creative nonfiction.

Don’t Let Money Come Between You and God

/ Clay D. / 2 Comments

Don’t let money come between you and God. 

That’s the thought that struck me this morning as I was working. I wrote that sentence down so that I could expand on it later. 

The idea was that you shouldn’t look to God as your source of money and then blame Him when you don’t have enough of it (or feel like you have enough). 

He tells us that He’s our source, that everything comes through Him. He’s our provider for all our sustenance and needs:

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matt. 6:31-33

However, if we truly believe that, AND we feel like there’s a lack in our lives, we can get to the point where we blame God for our money problems. That if we’re relying on Him and He doesn’t come through, then He’s the problem. 

Matthew 6:24 tells us that you can’t serve both God and money. You’ll end up loving the one and hating the other. Take your pick, but you can’t have it both ways, we’re told. 

I believe it’s far too easy to get to the point where we blame God for our situation in life. I know that I’ve personally done that many, many times—too many to even count. 

I’ve felt like God “owed” me because I was seeking Him. That since I was a “good” Christian, I deserved to live a better lifestyle. 

After all, I can look around and see other people with bigger houses, newer cars, more exotic vacations. Some of these people are followers of Christ, and some of them aren’t. 

Since I am a believer in Christ, I should at least have as lavish a lifestyle as someone who couldn’t care less about God, right? Am I not entitled to be a little disgruntled if I struggle with finances and the guy who owns a strip club is raking in the dough?

That’s silly thinking I know. But I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever felt that way. It does make you wonder why God allows the so-called “evil” person to prosper, when those who are “faithful” are left to wonder how they’re going to pay their bills each month.

I guess that’s the whole point. To fall into that trap of wrongful thinking, my whole attitude toward money must be misguided. I’ve placed money above my relationship with God. 

Somewhere along the way I decided that if I didn’t have the kind of money I thought I should, then God isn’t holding up His end of the deal.

And that’s just completely wrong. Without a doubt, it’s wrong. Money has become more important than God if I’m allowing it to influence how I feel about Him.

I realize this truth, but it’s hard to break out of that pattern of thinking. In fact, I’ve been trying for years, decades even, to be free from this line of wrongful thinking. 

Sometimes I feel that I’m no closer to where I should be than I was 25 years ago. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever get to the point where my alignment with money and God is correct. 

If I could finally, at last, learn the lesson about money and finances that God has been trying to teach me for so long, then perhaps He would bless me with more money. 

But isn’t it wrong to even think in those terms? If I only want to learn the lesson for the ultimate outcome of gaining more money, isn’t that really just perpetuating a vicious cycle that I’ll never break out of?

I have to get to the point where I don’t care how much money I have, a lot or a little—it doesn’t matter. I must accept, and get down into the core of my very being, that God is all I need. That He is my all in all—my provider, my savior, my father. 

I must truly believe that it matters not whether I have a little or a lot, as long as I have God (through my faith in Christ), then I have all I need in this life.

I’m No Surfer But I Kind of Wish I Were

/ Clay D. / Leave a comment

I’m no surfer. However, I imagine that surfing is at least somewhat like how I’ve tried to live my life.

I’ve imagined what it would feel like to surf. It would be quite the adrenaline rush to look up and see a huge wave rolling in, one that you could ride on and feel like the king of the world. 

While you’re balancing on your board high up on the wave, you could probably see for miles around. Would you even have the forethought or ability to take a look toward the horizon? Or would you be so focused on staying on the wave that nothing else could get your attention?

For that few seconds of glory, life would feel magnificent, like you’re on top of the world and nothing can bring you down. I’d imagine it would be the same sort of exhilarating feeling that skydiving would produce.

You wouldn’t want those few seconds to end. However, you know in the back of your mind that it will all come to an end shortly. You’ll come down off the wave and back to the plane of earth and menial human existence.

As a surfer, you would live for those few seconds…

And that’s how I’ve wanted to live my life. I’ve believed wrongly that life should be about those few seconds riding the wave. And if it isn’t, something is wrong. 

Because, there surely are people who continuously ride that wave. Their lives are wonderful and each day is a new adventure. There are no doldrums in their lives. No major problems. Nothing to pull them down. Just pure bliss and joy. Surely those people exist, right? I’m being sarcastic, of course.

If you don’t have that peace and bliss, what’s the point of living? That’s the question I’ve asked myself when I’ve been at my lowest points. Those are times that I’ve believed life should be about the perfect, the great. That there should never be hard times or difficult circumstances. Life should be lived on that wave.

Alas, I know that’s not the way life works. 

The problem, however, is that I can’t get myself to fully believe that I can’t shortcut the system. That I can forge a new path, one full of happiness and contentment. That if I had enough time and enough money that all would be good. No, all would be great. Part of me just simply refuses to buy into that and I’m not sure why.

I know the Bible even tells us that we will have troubles. It goes so far as to instruct us to “count it all joy” when you encounter various trials. I’m not sure how to do that. I’m not sure I want to do that. It would be somehow like admitting that I’m OK with that kind of life. And I’m really not.

I don’t like it that life is difficult and challenging much of the time. Deep down,  I don’t think it should be that way. In my head, I’ve accepted that life is hard, but in my heart I long for a perfect, easy life—the cruise control life as I’ve called it.

Harrison Ford and More Harrison Ford

/ Clay D. / Leave a comment

Quite unexpectedly, Harrison Ford’s face appears on the huge movie screen. It makes sense, I reason. His character is dead, but this is the newest Star Wars movie after all. Certainly the film’s makers have the artistic license if they want Han Solo to return once more, if only to pass on some good advice to his son, the cruel and heartless Ben, AKA Kylo Ren.

The seven of us have come to a 7:45 a.m. showing of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Yes, that’s 7:45 in the morning. Who would have thought you could go to the movies at that time of day? Apparently you can, however, when it’s a movie that’s hot and in high demand, like any in the Star Wars franchise.

Bleary-eyed and still a little groggy, we’d made our way to the theater—my wife, our daughter and her boyfriend, our son, his wife, and their 12-week-old son. The movie was good and very worth the early hour.

As I saw Harrison Ford on the screen, a thought struck me. This was my grandson’s first trip to a movie theater and Harrison Ford is in the movie. A little over 26 years prior, our son’s first theater movie was The Fugitive, starring none other than Harrison Ford. 

I’ve told that story countless times, how at two weeks old, our son “saw” his first movie. He had, of course, slept through the whole thing as his mom and I had carefully coordinated his feeding and nap time so that would be the case.

All that aside, I was struck by the irony that our son’s and grandson’s first movies had Harrison Ford in them. Who would have thought 26 years ago that that would be the case? It’s a sheer coincidence of course, but those sorts of things tend to stand out to me. Does it have any sort of meaning at all? 

Time and the passage of time fascinate me. How strange it would have been to sit in the theater that night while The Fugitive played on the big screen and see into the future over two and a half decades to our grandson’s first movie, realizing the irony that Harrison Ford appears in both movies.

To most people things like that don’t matter perhaps, and don’t mean anything. And maybe they really don’t. To me, however, it seems that there must simply be some kind of meaning attached to this incident. Some bigger, deeper, meaning that the universe is trying to convey to me, to us.

I know this doesn’t happen (at least not in our human, three-dimensional existence), but sometimes my mind wonders if two events like that can exist in some sort of parallel continuum. 

That the trip to see The Fugitive is still occurring somewhere, some place, in some way. And that it and this early morning trip to see the latest Star Wars installment are somehow connected by a silver cord that only exists in another dimension. For God, this is probably the case, as He is not restricted by time, space, or any other dimension.

Perhaps, more than anything, the whole thing serves as a testament to the longevity of Harrison Ford’s acting career. It certainly has stood the test of time. That’s the only thing about this coincidence that I can say for sure.

Don’t Get Too Attached to Your Problems

/ Clay D. / 2 Comments

We all have problems and challenges in our lives—that much is for certain. 

If you’re like me, you may often feel like your problems are never going to go away, that whatever situation you’re in is permanent. I can take a quick inventory of all the negative circumstances in my life and it’s easy to picture them always being there. 

Try this exercise…Think back five years ago and try to remember how your life was and what problems you were facing at that time. Chances are, these problems were quite different from your current problems. Now picture your life 10 years ago—there’s an even greater difference between then and now.

The point is that those problems weren’t permanent, and neither are the ones you’re up against now. 

Pick a specific challenge from the past and think about it for a moment. It could be pertaining to money, health, relationships, career, or anything else. Now, think about how the problem got resolved. It most likely didn’t go away in an instant. 

Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where a problem or challenge is immediately resolved, but it seems more often than not, the roadblocks in our path gradually fade away and become less of a concern. Or maybe they were never real problems to begin with; perhaps we were worried about something that never came to pass.

At any rate, money problems don’t right themselves overnight, and neither do relationship or health problems in most cases. Most of the big challenges in our lives take time to resolve, and the ones in your life today are the same. 

You may pause one day in the future and suddenly realize that the big challenge that had been weighing you down is gone. It happened gradually and with no fanfare, so you didn’t even notice that it was no longer in your life.

This should give us hope for our current problems. We can almost certainly count on the fact that whatever we’re dealing with now will not remain a problem for the rest of our lives. Change is the only constant, goes the old saying.

Think about it…You don’t have the same set of problems as a 40-something as you did when you were 16, do you? Of course not. Those problems from long ago seem so trivial and mundane compared to what we’re facing now, don’t they?

The good news is that today’s problems will look the same way a few years from now. You’ll look back at your current set of circumstances and wonder why you ever wasted so much mental energy worrying about them. It may not feel that way right now, but it usually works out that way.

So, the bottom line is this…Whatever problems are before you, take comfort in the fact that you won’t be forever dealing with them. There will just be new and different challenges to take their place. 

We WILL face problems in life, so we’ll do better by coming to terms with that fact sooner rather than later. It just won’t always be the same problems.

Maybe we should start viewing life as a series of puzzles or challenges that need figuring out. Who knows, that might put more joy in our lives, rather than filling us with frustration that things aren’t going how we think they should.

It’s worth a try…

The Essence of the Gospel

/ Clay D. / Leave a comment

OK, here’s your tough question for the day…

What is the true essence of the Gospel? What is it all about anyway?

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Perhaps the Good News is about forgiveness. If we have placed our faith in Christ, then we know that we have forgiveness for our sins. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

His death and resurrection atoned for our sin (a fancy way of saying that He paid the price for our sin).

Or, we could say that John 15:12 sums up the Gospel: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Surely, if we don’t have love, then we don’t truly have the Spirit of Christ living in us. 

We are even told in Matthew 22:37-40 that “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

So, love is definitely a big part of the Gospel.

But so is salvation. We learn in Romans 10:9 that, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

We have to conclude, therefore, that the Gospel is about salvation.

However, that’s not all. In arguably one of the most famous and often-quoted verses in the Bible, we are told that, “For God so loved the world

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that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Eternal life is a key part of the Good News for sure.

So, what then is the essence of the Gospel?

Simply put, it’s Jesus. He is the “pioneer and perfecter of faith,” as Hebrews 12:2 is rendered in the NIV. The NKJV calls him the “author and finisher of our faith.”

So, yes, the Gospel is about all those other things. However, it is undeniably, unmistakably about Jesus our Savior, the One sent by the Father to make us right in His eyes.

All we have to do is believe. 

Time to Cross Over

/ Clay D. / Leave a comment

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 5:24

Many of you reading this may have seen this passage as the verse of the day in the YouVersion bible app recently. 

I’ll admit that even though I usually read the verse of the day every day, I often skim over it without giving it much thought.

However, there was something about this verse that caught my eye and caused me to reread it several times, even comparing it in different translations. 

It was the phrase “passed from death to life.”

It made me stop and think about its real meaning. If we take the bible literally, this passage tells us that we have actually transformed from dead creatures to live creatures. 

We’ve “passed” as several translations word it. The NIV uses the phrase “crossed over.” Either term implies that there’s no going back. 

We’ve either passed from one phase of existence to another, or we’ve crossed over (as in crossing a river or ravine) and the past is forever behind us. 

The words create a picture of a definite action, or a movement, from one place to another place—like walking through a doorway to which there’s no turning back.

It implies security, like once we believe in Jesus, we have this new life and can never ever lose it. It’s final and permanent. 

And yes, I’m aware there is a great debate over “once saved always saved,” but I’m avoiding that whole discussion for now.

As significant and powerful as the words “passed” or “crossed over” are in this verse, there was something more that struck me.

It’s the phrase “eternal life.”

As Christians, we no longer must face the end of life when our bodies cease to function.

We are fully alive now—and will be forever.

All we have to do is hear God’s word and believe Him, the One who sent Jesus, and we’ll have this eternal life. Again…that’s forever and ever. 

Have you ever really stopped to think about what forever means? And it’s not just “a mighty long time” as Prince sings. 

Forever means there’s no end to our lives.

We can spend 10 years or even 1,000,000 years in God’s presence and that doesn’t even begin to approach what eternity encompasses (although I don’t believe that we’ll have the same concept of time there as we do in our earthly bodies).

I personally cannot truly comprehend all that eternity represents. As humans, I’m not sure any of us can. We’ve never experienced anything that was eternal. 

No matter how long we’ve been alive, we can only measure our existence in terms of decades—and that comes nowhere close to eternity.

And to gain this eternal life, all we have to do is accept God at His word, that He sent His son Jesus (who is fully God) to earth in human form so He could die to pay the price for our sins. 

That’s it. There are no works involved, as some people who call themselves Christians would have you believe. It’s all through faith in God’s saving grace.

What’s more is that God wants each and every one of us to have this life. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

How could anyone turn down this offer? 

If you haven’t made the decision to believe God on His word, do it today…and make today the first day of your new eternal life.

Trust God No Matter What

/ Clay D. / 1 Comment

We all have times in our lives when our faith falters and we begin to doubt God.

We wonder if He’ll be true to His word and follow through with His promises to bless, help, and protect us. It’s natural to find ourselves doubting from time to time because, after all, we’re only human and far from perfect. 

What is the best way to get back on track to the point where we’re relying on God again? No doubt you’ve been in tough situations in your life before—whether it was with money, relationships, your career, your health, or something else. 

Did you pray to God and ask Him for help during these times? Most likely you did. What was the outcome?

Maybe He didn’t answer your prayers in just the way you thought He should; however, He brought you through those trying times in the way that was best for you in the long run (Rom. 8:28).

So, if you’re currently faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge in your life, the key is to think back on those other tough times and remember how God brought you through them. 

No matter how those other challenges turned out in the physical realm, God was with you every step of the way. He never left your side because He wants what’s best for you and is always working things out on your behalf. 

You are who you are today because of the challenges and circumstances you’ve had to endure in your life up to this point. 

The situation you’re in right now will be just one more example of how God uses our daily lives with all its challenges and trials to mold us into the people He wants us to be. 

But we have to trust Him. When things seem their darkest, recall all the good things He has given you in your life. Spend a few minutes just meditating on ways He has blessed you. 

It could be that He has given you a wonderful and loving family, an enjoyable job you look forward to each day, financial blessings such as an unexpected windfall, or just the ability to take joy in the midst of chronic physical pain each day.

God loves you and wants you to lean on Him. Do it. Trust Him with everything in your life—your time, money, energy, and resources. He WILL come through for you. 

However, don’t expect His help and blessings to look like you think they should, because they often won’t. He’ll work out your situation in His own time frame and in His own way. But you’ll come out on the other side better for it.

God’s Built-in Blessings

/ Clay D. / Leave a comment

If you’re tied into God each day, you’re way ahead of the game when compared to people who don’t recognize God in their everyday lives.

Throughout His word, God promises us provision, blessings, joy, and peace if we’ll only trust in Him and follow His commandments.

If you’re like me and your mind tends to dwell on the negative aspects of life, then it may be helpful to think of each day as already having “built-in” blessings based on the promises of God found in the scriptures.

Picture your life and each day as full of promises for good things that God wants for you. You’re not alone, left fighting each day through this jungle we call life. Rather, you’re on a fantastic journey that God designed just for you before time began. 

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Ps. 139:16).

Sure, there will be challenges and perils along the way—there is no way to avoid those as inhabitants of this fallen planet. However, each day holds mystery, meaning, and purpose if only we’ll lean into God, trust and obey Him, and look for His blessings.

Upon reading through the Bible, it is obvious that God wants the best for us. He even tells us that all things will work together for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

So what are these blessings anyway? Following are just a few of them we’ll find in His word. I encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and discover more of them, perhaps ones that speak to you personally and are particularly applicable to your life and individual circumstances. If you seek God, He will make himself known to you (Deut. 4:29).

Psalm 103 is packed with many promises and provisions. It tells us that we worship a God “who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (v. 5).

We also learn that, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (v. 13).

Also, He will never stop loving us. “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts” (vv. 17-18).

Philippians 4 is a passage that I have often referred to in this blog. It has been so helpful to me, and I’m sure to countless others, in trying to overcome anxiety and depression. 

In this chapter, we’re told that if we take everything to God in prayer—trusting Him with our problems instead of worrying about them (v. 6)—then “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7).

This is an incredible promise if we can just wrap our minds around it!

He literally commands us not to worry about anything. Have you ever thought about what that really means? If we’re worrying, we’re sinning—it’s as simple as that. 

He promises to flood us with His peace and comfort if we’ll just rejoice in Him (v. 4), pray about everything, and worry about nothing.

Matthew 6 is another powerful passage that truly speaks to those who suffer from depression and anxiety. Besides reiterating that we shouldn’t worry (v. 34), this chapter tells us that God will provide for us. 

“Your heavenly Father knows that you need them [everyday needs like food and clothing]. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (v. 32b-33).

Think about it…God already knows exactly what we need and has made provision for it without us even having to ask Him for it. 

All we need to do is commit our daily lives to following His will and doing His work here on earth. He promises to take care of the rest.

These three passages represent only a small sample of all the many blessings that God has promised for His children. Take some time to search the scriptures for more nuggets of gold that can help you manage the stresses, strains, and challenges of your everyday life. 

Read them over and over, meditate on them, and commit them to memory. Doing so will pay huge dividends in your outlook on your life and your circumstances.

The Path to Real Joy

/ Clay D. / 1 Comment

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:10-11

Simply put, if you’re not obeying God, it’s going to be very hard for you to be joyful in life. The above verse speaks volumes about the relationship between obedience and our quality of life. 

If we’re going through life following our own agenda and paying no attention to God, sooner or later we’ll come to a point where life feels pointless and maybe even hopeless.

I have fallen into this trap myself. Far too often during my adult life, I’ve selfishly pursued my own desires and passions. 

Then one day I’ll wake up and realize that I’ve been traveling the wrong road. The truth will hit me like a brick that I should have stayed close to God and His desires for my life instead of doing whatever I wanted to do.

For a while, I’ll renew my spiritual life—praying more, reading the Bible more, trying to discern God’s will in every area of my life. 

The problem has always been that I don’t keep doing those things. Eventually, something happens (or a series of somethings) and I fall away from God. I pick up my old path of selfish living again.

And the result is that I miss out on a full and joyful life…the life that God intends for each of us to live.

It would be a mistake to take one verse and try to make it THE key to a fulfilling life, but I think that this particular verse does contain a lot of truth that those of us who struggle with depression and anxiety should take to heart.

In the end, obedience to God is really the only way to experience true joy in this life. We’ll still have struggles and challenges to overcome, but our lives will have that little something extra that only those who trust in God have.

It’s joy…peace…fulfillment…contentment. All the above and then some. God wants us to be joyful, and the only way to do that is by listening for His voice and obeying it.

How’s Your Generosity?

/ Clay D. / Leave a comment

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35

One of the best ways to lift your mood is to give. At first, this may sound counterintuitive. After all, if I’m down in the dumps, I’m the one who needs to be given to. My resources are low, it would seem, and I’m not able to give anything to anybody.

However, the opposite is actually true. When it seems like you have nothing, that’s when it’s most important to give. It could be anything—money, your time, or just a small gift of some sort.

And it could be to anyone—your spouse or significant other, your kids, a coworker, or even a stranger. I know that for me, random acts of kindness have a way of making me feel better. 

When we give, we take our focus off ourselves and put it on someone else. When we’re thinking about others and their needs, we’re not wasting time dwelling on any negative thoughts that might pop into our mind.

I don’t believe God deals much in formulas, but this is pretty much as close to a magic formula as you’ll find in the Bible.

Give of yourself to others and you won’t be as concerned about what’s going on in your own life. Others’ needs will take a place of importance instead.

Take a moment to think about the important people in your life and how you might give to them. Can you perform some small act of service for them? Maybe you could buy someone lunch. How about just paying them an honest compliment? 

Even if there’s not anything you can think of that they need from you, you can always pray for them. That’s a form of giving that doesn’t require anything other than time and a little thought. 

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:38

This verse should serve as an encouragement to us when we think we have nothing to give. It doesn’t matter how small it is. You’ll feel better and you’ll be doing something positive at the same time.

God will honor your gift. It may not look the way you expect it to look, but His word says you’ll receive the same measure as what you give. 

So, go ahead…give something to someone and see what happens. Make it a daily habit to be a generous person.