Josiah Sprague's Blog

I was walking home from campus yesterday, and as I was passing McDonalds a man sitting at the bus stop asked me if I could give him a cigarette. I told him I didn’t have a cigarette, and that all I had was a ZipCard with a meal plan. He asked if I could get him a sandwich, so I did.

As I was waiting in line for the sandwich, I was thinking that I’m really not giving this guy much. I was thinking about what he really needs (probably); support, a job, friends, family… none of which I have the resources to give him. But as an adopted child of God through Jesus, I have access to God as a father and can ask Him for anything I need and He will provide. So I decided that I could give this man the blessing of prayer; coming before God with Him to ask God to provide for his real needs.

As I gave him his sandwich, he asked me again if I could give him a cigarette. I told him that I didn’t have one, but asked if I could give him what I do have; prayer. I had expected that he would say yes, sort of as an obligation for me buying him food, but instead his face lit up and he said, “I need that!”, another man sitting on the bench said, “Hey! Can I get some of that too?” So I prayed for both of them, for all three of us- because I believe that God is faithful as a father to provide for the needs of His children.

As I left, both men were encouraged and saying, “Man, I need more of that in my life!” Isn’t that a need that we all have in common; the provision of our heavenly father who provides for all of our needs? All we have to do is ask Him.

Luke 11.13, Luke 18.1-9, Matthew 7.11

A couple of weeks ago at Campus Focus, Brian Kunkler said, “Seriously guys, how big do our biceps need to be to reach into the refridgerator and open a jar of pickles?” Implying that it was wrong for guys to work for bigger biceps. This week, he asked for a Mulligan because he believes that Christians should do whatever they do for the glory of God, even if that “whatever” is working for bigger biceps.

Brian talked about Colossians 3. He sees a grid of three things that Christians should run their activities through;

1. “Put to death” things that go against the revealed moral will of God. The things listed in Colossians 3.5-8 that go against the moral will of God include; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed (which is idolatry), anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language.
2. Whose glory are we seeking? God has given us value as human beings and it is not anything we have to work for or earn. Colossians 3.11 says that Christ takes away any human measures of value- everyone is equally valuable (student, non-student, homeless, healthy, black, white, gay, straight…). Whatever Christians do should not be to earn respect from people, but to give glory to God.
3. “Clothe yourselves with” virtues of God’s character. The virtues listed in Colossians 3.12 include; compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness (as Christ forgave you), and love, which binds all of these virtues together in unity.

To sum up these three parts of the grid, Brian points to Colossians 3.17; “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

The second part of the grid hit me really hard. Everything that I have been doing this semester has been motivated by a desire to earn people’s respect (my professors, my residents, my boss, my girlfriend, my small group, my roommates, etc). Something that Brian noticed, that I completely agree with, is that doing something to try to earn someone’s respect has a tendency to destroy the pleasure of that activity.

I’ve come to the realization that there are some things that God hasn’t blessed me with (such as big biceps). If I am seeking to bless myself with these things I am probably not seeking God’s glory (so that people will worship God when they see how wonderfully He has made me) but I am seeking my own glory (so that people will respect me when they see the man that I have made myself to be).

(Check out the weekly podcast of Campus Focus to hear Brian’s message from this week as well as previous weeks.)

I got my bike stolen at the beginning of this semester. I left it locked up by itself outside of Grant Residence Hall a week before classes started. I left it for a week, and when I came back for it, it was gone. In retrospect, I should have known better.

Preventing theft is common sense, but sometimes we all need a little reminder. Hopefully it doesn’t take your bike getting stolen to remind you. I got an email from the University of Akron this weekend with a few useful tips for preventing theft. Some reminders based on their email;

• Don’t leave valuables where they are going to catch attention, like your car seat or the front window of your house. If potential thieves never see your valuables, they won’t be tempted.
• Don’t leave valuables unsecured. Most thefts are crimes of opportunity. Thieves keep their eyes open for opportunities, but most thieves aren’t willing to do the work to make opportunities- don’t make the opportunities for them.
• If you have valuables you are worried about losing, consider getting insurance coverage and/or an alarm system.
• If you notice anything suspicious, let UA’s police department know. Call the department at 330-972-2911 at any hour.

These are some good tips to remember. I’d like to add one more of my own that most people probably won’t like, but that I believe is the most important and timeless piece of advice;

• Don’t have a lot of stuff. There are better ways to invest your wealth than in material things. Consider the wisdom of Matthew 6.19;  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… where thieves break in and steal…” And one of my favorite quotes from The Shepherd of Hermas in 140AD; “Instead of fields, buy for yourselves people in distress in accordance with your means.” And more from Matthew 6; “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I’ve been a part of planning a lot of picnics, parties, and banquets on campus lately. All of that leaves me thinking about the words of Jesus recorded by Luke in the Bible;

“When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed,”

More thoughts on this later…

“Don’t you know that ‘Left is right and right is wrong.’?”

I’ve been getting that question a lot this week. I got my right ear pieced. Yes, I do know “right is wrong” and no, I am not coming out. Getting my right ear pierced is something that I’ve been thinking about doing for awhile. I finally did it. This is my explanation.

Originally, the only men who wore earrings were bond servants. In the Bible, in the Old Testament, when a person owned a slave, the slave was to serve him for six years and in the seventh year go free. But, when the seventh year came around it was not uncommon for a freed slave to voluntarily re-enter service to the master he loved. The master would take him to the doorpost and pierce his right ear with an awl and the slave would become his bond servant for life. Only a freed slave could become a bond servant and once he had entered that service, he could never be freed again, nor could he be sold into slavery to another master. (Exodus 21:2-7)

In the New Testament, early Christians called themselves bond servants of Christ. Bond service is a two way commitment. The freed slave chooses to commit his life to the service of his master and his master commits himself to the bond servant, never to release or sell him. (Galatians 1:10, Philippians 2:7, Colossians 1:7, 2 Timothy 2:24)

Jesus has committed Himself to us. With His own blood, He paid our debt and freed us from the slavery of sin. We are free to serve whomever we choose. I choose Jesus, the one who loves me and gave Himself for me. He has made a commitment to love me. I have made a commitment to serve only Him. So, I got my ear pierced as symbol to all that I am a servant by choice and can neither be bought or sold.