Cloyce Sutton Online

Reflections on spiritual themes (and a few other things).

The Value of Salt

September 18, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Salt is one of the most important chemical compounds ever discovered.

Science has long known its value. Sodium chloride, the chemical name for salt, is essential to cellular function. It’s involved in muscle contractions (including our heartbeats) and in our nerve impulses. Salt helps in the digestion of proteins and regulates the exchange of water between our cells and the fluids that surround them. Lack of salt may lead to dehydration, convulsions, paralysis, and death. 

In ancient times salt was at least as valuable as gold, and in some cases worth more. The 6th century AD Roman Senator Cassiodorus said, “Some seek not gold, but there lives not a man who does not need salt.” Historically, salt has been the most taxed commodity in human history, with examples dating as far back as 2200 BC. It was used to preserve food as well as to give it flavor. Our word “salary” traces all the way back to the Latin word “salarium,” which was an allowance, stipend, or pension. Originally this word referred to a Roman soldier’s allowance or stipend for the purchase of salt. 

During the time of Abraham (early 2nd millennium BC), there are references to the Salt Sea (a.k.a. the Dead Sea, cf. Genesis 14.3). Lot’s wife famously became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19.26). Israelites were required to include salt in their offerings (Leviticus 2.13). Some covenants were sealed with salt (2 Chronicles 13.5). 

And, in Haitian culture, salt is said to cure Zombies. If that isn’t useful, I don’t know what is. 

In view of its historic importance, it shouldn’t surprise us when Jesus declared that his disciples were “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5.13). He was saying that they were as necessary to the spiritual preservation of the world as salt is necessary to the preservation of human life. Take away salt, and the world becomes flat and putrid. Take away disciples, and the world becomes hopelessly corrupt. 

It’s no secret that Christians are a minority in this world, always have been and always will be. But despite our lowly presence, we can impact this world in the most important of ways. Prior to calling his disciples the salt of the earth, Jesus also described them as spiritually impoverished, as mourners, as gentle, as spiritually hungry, as merciful and pure, and as peacemakers (Matthew 5.3-9). These character traits are what cause us to be the salt of the earth. The Lord Jesus transforms us into such people by his divine power.

When you’re discouraged by what seems to be the ubiquity of evil around you, take heart. You’re the salt of the earth, by Jesus’ design. That means you have power and influence that this world cannot live without. 

The Valley of Despair

September 3, 2024 / / 0 Comments

In his book Atomic Habits, author James Clear uses the phrase “Valley of Disappointment” to describe an early phase of trying to change a habit. People set goals and implement small changes, but after weeks or months see little progress. They get discouraged during this time and quit trying. This period of frustration and apparent lack of progress is the “Valley of Disappointment.”

Often Christians experience a similar phenomenon. Maybe they’ve lost a family member to death. Maybe they’ve suffered a faith crisis. Maybe it’s persecution or a life-altering illness. Maybe it’s disappointment in others or struggle with persistent sin. Regardless of the specific problem, Christians find themselves at a turning point with no choice but to start over again. They make the necessary changes and press on. Only to find themselves in a rut, with no resolution in sight. 

It’s less about disappointment than despair – a feeling of loss or hopelessness, worrying that either God won’t answer or that he’s already answered with a resounding “No!” Less a Valley of Disappointment than a Valley of Despair. That’s not to minimize the importance of good habits, nor is it to suggest that the frustrations of habit building don’t sometimes lead to despair. It does, however, remind us that in Christ we’re dealing with matters that touch the essence of who we are as people made in God’s image, and with matters that have eternal implications.

Persistence is the key to nurturing good habits and working through the Valley of Disappointment. Likewise, perseverance (the spiritual version of persistence) sees us through the Valley of Despair. Part of perseverance is simply waiting. “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him” (Psalm 62.5). The greater the despair, the greater the need for patience. “I am weary with my crying, my throat is parched, my eyes fail while I wait for my God” (Psalm 69.3).

This kind of waiting, however, is anything but passive. “Wait for the Lord and keep his way” (Psalm 37.34a). It’s not mere resignation, but full of hope. “And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39.7). Such patient perseverance is rewarded by God. “The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for his lovingkindness” (Psalm 147.11).

The Valley of Despair is as dark a place as imaginable. It’s full of frustration and uncertainty. It’s a place where Satan exploits our doubts and fears and convinces us that continuing the course is futile. 

Faith knows better, for in faith, we “rejoice in hope, persevere in tribulation, and devote ourselves to prayer” (Romans 12.12). 

Seeking Light

August 21, 2024 / / 0 Comments

If you’ve ever had a garden, you’ve probably noticed that many plant varieties are phototropic, which means that they’re light seeking. The plants lean toward the sun as they grow. Some are heliotropic – a specific kind of phototropism – meaning that they bend or shake to track the sun’s movement during the day and maximize each plant’s exposure to the sun. Sunflowers are an especially good example.

Light is central to God’s creation. On the first day of creation, after creating the heavens and the earth, he made light and darkness. On the fourth day of creation, he made the celestial bodies to govern the various cycles of light and dark, as well as seasonal changes.

Light is central to God’s moral creation. The apostle John said, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1.5). The psalmist understood God as the source of all light: “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (Psalm 36.9). God doesn’t just provide light, he is light.

If God is light, it shouldn’t surprise us that his moral light is necessary for spiritual growth. Just as plants need light to survive and thrive, we need God’s light to be spiritually healthy. Sometimes his light is for illumination (Psalm 18.28; 119.130). Sometimes it’s for guidance (Psalm 43.3; 1 John 1.7). Sometimes it symbolizes blessing (Psalm 4.6). Sometimes it represents moral purity and righteousness (Psalm 112.4; Ephesians 5.8-9). Sometimes it’s the opposite of moral darkness (Romans 13.12; Ephesians 5.8-9, 13; 1 Peter 2.9). The concept covers a lot of territory in the Scriptures.

But the critical point for believers is that we must always seek the light. Yes, we need light to survive, but we must seek it. Plants do this because they’re programmed to do it. Humans, on the other hand, have a choice.

Most people are familiar with the great affirmation of God’s love in John 3.16. But the verses that follow are equally important, because they explain what it means to believe and receive the promise of eternal life. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3.19-21).

Do I hate darkness enough to seek the light? Do I love the light enough to expose myself to its penetrating power? Do I love God enough to seek his truth, practice it, and accept his judgments about my way of life?

These are questions we all need to ask.

Lincoln’s Filing System

August 13, 2024 / / 2 Comments

At 6-feet, 4-inches tall, Abraham Lincoln was America’s tallest president. As if that weren’t enough, he wore a silk stovepipe hat that added an additional 7 or 8 inches of height. Add a couple more inches from the heels of his boots and he appeared to be about 7 feet tall. 

Lincoln’s hat wasn’t just a fashion statement. He kept important papers in it as well.[1] He was known to store speeches, official government documents, and personal correspondence in his hat. He once apologized to a politician, Richard S. Thomas, for failing to respond to a letter because he put it in the wrong hat and forgot about it. 

We all have our own filing systems. We may not put things in our hats, but many of us stack things on our desks. Some have carefully organized file cabinets. Some store things on their computers or in the cloud. Some throw things in a box. Some just throw everything away and hope for the best.

There are some things, however, that should be filed away safely, permanently, and instantly available. God’s word is one such thing.

Job said, “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23.8). For him, God’s words were his sustenance, even more so than the food on his table. God’s words were a priceless commodity to Job.

To that same end, the psalmist said, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You” (Psalm 119.11). Like Lincoln, the psalmist had a special place for his most important stuff. Unlike Lincoln, they weren’t in his hat, they were in his heart. The psalmist internalized the words of God and made them a part of himself. 

To love the Lord will all our heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6.5) requires nothing less. If we love the Lord, we’ll love his word. If we treasure our relationship with the Lord, we’ll treasure his word. If we depend upon the Lord, we’ll depend upon his word.

To treasure God’s word in our heart starts with our habits. We need to read God’s word. We need to meditate upon it. We need to memorize it. We need to take notes about it. We need to spend time with it. We need to cherish it, prize it, use it, share it, talk about it, pray about it, and thank God for it. 

Where do you store the word of God?

[1] https://historyfacts.com/us-history/fact/abraham-lincoln-stored-important-documents-in-his-top-hat/

How Deep the Father’s Love

August 7, 2024 / / 0 Comments

During the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British runner Derek Redmond was a favorite to win a medal in the 400-meter sprint. During his career he held the British record for the 400 meters and had won gold medals in the 4×400 relays at the World Championships, European Championships & Commonwealth Games. In the Olympic quarterfinals, he posted the best time. 

About a third of the way through the semifinal, he tore his right hamstring and fell to the ground. Before the medical team could reach him, he got up and started hobbling along the track. He was in pain, and he was crying. He knew he couldn’t win, but he could at least finish. So, he continued to hobble along the track toward the finish line.

As he rounded the final turn, and older man came running down from the stands, brushed past the security guards, and came alongside Redmond. It was his father, Jim Redmond. He said, “You don’t have to do this.”

Derek said, “Yes, I do.”

His father said, “Well, then, we’re going to finish the race together.”

And so, they did. They walked the remaining 100 meters or so, each with his arm around the other. 65,000 onlookers cheered as Redmond’s father helped him finish the race.

This story reminds me of two realities in the Christian life. First, our lives as Christians are compared to running a race (cf. 1 Corinthians 9.24; Philippians 3.13-14; Hebrews 12.1; 2 Timothy 4.7). We’re urged to run the race with endurance, with our eye on the prize, knowing that others who have already finished are cheering for us. 

Second, our Father is helping us along the way. Psalm 118.6 says, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Our heavenly Father walks with us in the midst of our pain, lightening the burden, and steering us home. 

I’m a shameless Olympics watcher. I’ve watched the video from that moment countless times. Every time I watch it, I cry. No, I sob. There’s something about a father helping a son through an ordeal that touches me deeply. Perhaps it’s memories of the times my father helped me. Perhaps it’s the hope that I helped my own children through their struggles. But mostly, it’s a reflection of the innumerable times when my heavenly Father held me up and walked with me. 

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1.12). May we all walk with him.

Cake or Bread?

July 24, 2024 / / 0 Comments

“Religion is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions.”

Anonymous

Religion is a system of beliefs about God that produces worship and a particular lifestyle. Worship and ethics are the fruits of religion. When rightly understood and practiced, religion is a noble and necessary aspiration. When wrongly understood and practiced, it becomes an epidemic disease that afflicts us all. 

Religion, in biblical terms, is how we express our beliefs. That may be a good thing or a bad thing. The Book of James uses the word “religion” twice in back-to-back verses, once in a negative sense, and once in a positive sense. 

First, James says that if our religion doesn’t improve our morals, it’s a worthless religion. “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James 1.26). A religion that allows or encourages immoral thoughts, words, or actions isn’t much of a religion.

Second, James says that our religion should nurture compassion toward others. “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1.27). The Bible emphasizes that if we love God, we’ll love others as well. In fact, if we don’t love others, we’ve demonstrated that we don’t really love God. That should be obvious, but it’s something we all seem to struggle with. 

Both of these statements from James remind us that religion is more than just an occasional check in at church. It’s the daily discipline of using our beliefs to shape our character. We’re either eliminating the harmful residue of sin or nurturing the beneficial effects of love. It’s not cake, it’s bread.

Perhaps the problem with much religion is that it’s practiced only on Sunday mornings, only if our parents are looking, or only if the preacher’s standing nearby. True religion takes the fiber of faith and weaves it into a cloak of daily good.

Is your religion cake or bread?

How We See Others

July 17, 2024 / / 0 Comments

How we see others determines how we treat them.

This is well illustrated by a story from the life of Jesus. In Luke 7.36-50, Simon, a Pharisee, invites Jesus to dinner. In the middle of the meal an irreputable woman enters Simon’s house, approaches Jesus, and begins to wash his feet with her tears, anointing them with costly perfume. The spectacle annoys Simon who decides Jesus can’t be much of a prophet if he’d let a woman like this anoint him.

How did each of the three characters view the others? How did this affect their treatment of one another?

Simon looked at both the woman and Jesus with contempt. Perhaps the woman’s reputation was well deserved, but that didn’t justify Simon’s arrogance and indifference toward her. His view of Jesus smacked of arrogance and moral superiority. In Jesus’ case neither was deserved. Simon simply assumed something (wrongly) about Jesus and proceeded from there.

The woman obviously viewed Jesus as someone worthy of her devotion. She understood that Jesus could heal her brokenness. As for Simon, we’re not told how she viewed him, although her willingness to crash his party in his house speaks to her moral courage. She apparently didn’t care what he thought of her – she only cared what Jesus thought of her. We could all learn something from that.

Jesus viewed both Simon and the woman in precisely the right way. He saw Simon’s pretended piety for exactly what it was. He also saw the woman’s moral crisis for what it was. Obviously, as God in the flesh he could see things that we can’t. Nonetheless, his willingness to see past the obvious is exemplary for us. 

Proverbs 20.5 says, “A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out.” It takes wisdom to see past the obvious and to discern another person’s true needs. 

May God help us see others as they are.

Sellers’ Disease

July 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Peter Sellers, best known as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies, once said, “If you ask me to play myself, I will not know what to do. I do not know who or what I am.” On another occasion he joked, “There is no me. I do not exist… There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed.”

Sellers was a brilliant comedic actor who was plagued his whole career by personal problems, mostly of his own making. He was a control freak who could be selfish and childish. He used drugs. He was hard to get along with. Late in his career, many of his coworkers felt he was mentally unstable and needed help. 

Actors make a living pretending to be somebody else. The best actors are those who create believable characters who are nothing like themselves. The danger is that some actors, like Sellers, lose themselves in the process. Sellers often remarked that he really had no idea who he was. He was most comfortable being someone else through his movie characters. I’d call it “Sellers’ Disease.”

There’s a biblical word for this, the New Testament word “hypocrite.” This transliterates the Greek word hupocrites. Jesus used the word to describe the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day (see Matthew 23.13-33). The word originated in Greek theater when actors replied to the chorus in a play, turning a speech into a dialogue. Then it came to mean a stage actor. Then it came to mean a person who acted in real life, someone who pretended to be something he was not, especially in his moral life. In English, this last meaning is what most of us associate with this word. 

The danger with hypocrisy is that we cease being ourselves. We pretend to be someone else, and we get quite good at it. But we do this at the price of our own personalities. Our task in life and faith is to be the same person through and through, the same on the inside as we are on the outside, no matter the circumstances or crowd. 

The cure for Sellers’ Disease is regular self-examination. Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6.1). The only notice I need is God’s. If I shape my inner life and outer life by God’s approval, not man’s (Acts 5.29), then I can always be myself.

Today and every day, be who you are.

Sports Media Bias

June 24, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Sunday night in the WNBA, the Chicago Sky beat the Indiana Fever by 1 point, 88-87 in what appears to have been a great basketball game (I didn’t watch it, I just saw the box score online Monday morning).

The obvious appeal of the game was the third matchup between the two teams and their respective rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reece. They had some competitive history in college in the NCAA Women’s Tournament.

In their first two matchups The Fever beat the Sky, both times in Indianapolis. In the first game Reece had 8 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal, while Clark had 11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal. In the second game Reece had 11 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, while Clark had 23 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 blocks.

In last night’s game, Reece dominated with her 8th consecutive double-double (a WNBA rookie record), while scoring 25 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. She and teammate A’ja Wilson are the only WNBA players with 15 points and 15 rebounds in multiple games. Clark, on the other hand, played well with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists (a Fever franchise record), and 4 steals. In other words, both played really well.

What struck me was a headline in USA Today which read “Caitlin Clark has another double-double, this time in record fashion.” Say what? Yes, it’s factually true, but she was bested (also in record fashion) by Angel Reece, and her team lost. Why feature her in the headline?

The rivalry between Clark and Reese is strongly reminiscent of the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 80s. Both rivalries ignited interest in their respective leagues. Clark, without a doubt, has become the fresh face of the league with Reece carving out her own fan base.

But, in this case, Clark is bested by Reece (personal stats, league stats, and final score) but she grabs the headline (on USA Today, of all places). To be fair, other media outlets represented it the other way. ESPN.com’s headline read, “Angel Reece powers past Sky past fever with eighth straight double-double.”

It reminds me of Tiger Woods in his heyday. At the height of his success, it didn’t matter if he won or not, all the headlines were about him. When he didn’t win, the headline was usually about him.

Too bad some of the media haven’t caught on yet.

Many or Few

June 20, 2024 / / 1 Comment

Some of the greatest Bible stories are war stories. One of my favorites is found in 1 Samuel 13-14, when the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. 

In chapter 13, the Israelites were initially successful against the Philistines (v. 2-4). But when the Philistines summoned a massive army, the Israelites were intimidated, and Saul became indecisive (v. 5-7). The situation was further aggravated by a lack of weaponry among the Israelites (v. 19-23). 

Enter Jonathan. 

Jonathan was already responsible for the earlier victory against the Philistines (13.2-4). Here in chapter 14, he again takes initiative by taking his armor-bearer with him and sneaking into the nearby Philistine outpost (v. 1-10). The Philistines assume they’re a pair of Israelite POWs and bring them into their garrison (v. 11-12). Jonathan and his armor-bearer kill 20 Philistines in hand-to-hand combat (v. 13-14). The Lord also brought a sudden earthquake (v. 15-16) which caused some of the Philistines to flee. Saul and the remaining Israelite forces soon join the fray, and the Israelites defeat the Philistines that day (v 23).

My favorite verse in this text is 1 Samuel 14.6, “Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, ‘Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few.’”

This was Jonathan’s confession of faith in the LORD. He understood something about God that’s too easily forgotten. He knew that God is always the majority. Period. God doesn’t need numbers, or large armies, or massive military hardware to win his battles. He only wants a few dedicated people. 

Today, God doesn’t need large churches, or large budgets, or PowerPoint, or websites, or social media, or apps, or impressive programs to win the cause of his kingdom. He simply wants a few dedicated people. If he chooses to use large things, that’s his business. But the Lord frequently uses small things to remind us of his wisdom, power, and ways (1 Corinthians 1.26-29).

Indeed, “The Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.” What matters for us is that we enter the fray.

Will you?

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