Passion shows up in many ways . . .

A woman at the table next to us “never stopped talking.” Another person my husband saw at a hotel breakfast room the next day “never stopped talking.” This phrase came to mind when I read this passage of Scripture because the translators actually had to create several sentences out of the original. Apparently, the author (Paul) barely stopped to breathe, never mind put in any sentence breaks.

I’m thinking he was excited. At least that is what happens to me when I am passionate about something and start talking. Some of his letters were dictated to a secretary, but this one seems from his own hand. He never stopped writing long enough to add a few breaks or take a breath.

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do(.) But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:8–14)

The mind of a Christian ought to be like Paul’s mind in some ways. While personality will flavor it, some details of this passage tell me how this man thought, the way I should think, and the way that Jesus Christ thinks.

First, the mind of Christ is never ashamed of the Gospel or of those who believe it, even if believing lands them in jail as it did Paul. The implications for my own life are broad. Would I go to jail for being a Christian?

Second, the mind of Christ is willing to suffer for the sake of the Gospel and the testimony of Christ, even suffer with others who are persecuted in this way. That is, I should never turn the other way when anyone is mocked or harmed for believing in Jesus. Hundreds of Christians are murdered every day for believing in Jesus. Am I willing to suffer with others?

Third, the mind of Christ inserts the Gospel into conversation wherever possible. Paul was passionate about the truth. He preached it and it landed him in jail, but he preached it even as he explained how preaching it landed him in jail! The Gospel was his reason for living. What is my reason?

Fourth, the mind of Christ is convinced of the care of God and not at all worried about what God has entrusted to him. God will give all that is needed to perform whatever He asks of His servants, including the task of sharing the Gospel, even in the face of opposition. Am I convinced?

If my mind is not like this, then my mind needs to be changed!

Long sentences in the Bible

Authors are told to vary the length of their sentences to make their manuscripts interesting and readable. Some authors ignore that advice. A search for the longest printed sentence gave me a list of six, beginning with 1,288 words for an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. It says the longest sentence in English is from William Faulkner's novel Absalom, Absalom!

However, that sentence seems a mere phrase compared to another one. Nigel Tomm's one-sentence novel, The Blah Story was written without a proper subject-verb interaction. It contains 1,000,000 words.

In the Bible, the longest one in the King James version is the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23-38. This sentence is more than 300 words. However, there are several long sentences in Paul’s epistles, particularly Ephesians. In the KJV, Ephesians 1:3-14 forms one sentence and is about 240 words. 

Right after it, verses 15-21 contain 167 words. It is this passage that contains today’s devotional thoughts.

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:15–21)

The devotional focuses on the section where Paul tells how he asks that God will reveal Himself and enlighten the hearts of those on his prayer list. Yet this section is so rich, that I have trouble limiting my focus to only part of it. Besides, I’ve never liked to insert sentence fragments because I’m not sure how to punctuate them.

After digressing into our human penchant to ramble on without ending a sentence or giving our readers a place to come up for air, I tried to edit these seven verses into shorter thoughts. Not easy. Even a modern version like The Message uses the same amount of words, just more periods. My conclusion: Paul was so enraptured by what he had to say that he wasn’t concerned about being verbose or creating run-on sentences.

He was thankful for the faith and love of others.

He wanted them to experience God’s wisdom and His revelation of Himself.

He wanted them to know the full hope of their rich inheritance.

He also wanted them to know the great power of God, power that raised Jesus from the dead and put Him at His own right hand.

When I am at prayer, I’m sometimes similarly overwhelmed at the riches that God has revealed to me and deeply desire that others experience the same revelations and more. I don’t count commas and periods as I think about the greatness of God or as I try to verbalize my desire for others to my Father, the God of glory. 

Not only that, I don’t think God is standing over my shoulder and editing what I say. He is not concerned about the length of my sentences or if I put my commas in the right places. Just as we catch the heart of Paul when we read his lengthy outbursts of truth, God also catches my heart (and every heart) as we offer Him our fragments and run-ons, even our mixed-up and confused words of praise and requests for help. 

As a writer, I want my words to be clear so others understand, but when I communicate with God, I don’t worry about that. He knows the heart of me and listens to that and to the Spirit who lives in me, not my fumbling, tumbling words.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26–27)

For this reason, I do not cease to give thanks!

If my words could last forever?

Last night and today I’m at a writer’s conference. How appropriate that I should read these words this morning:

Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:23-27).

Many people come to a conference for writers because they have a story that they feel needs telling. They haven’t written much more than letters or email prior to coming, but they have something on their heart that needs expression and they hope to find out how to do it.

A few years ago at another conference the main speaker said that writing is such a challenging profession that unless your heart burns and you “must” write, don’t bother. He made some people a bit angry, but I think he was correct. Writing isn’t about getting a single story off your chest, but about a passion to communicate. For Christians, it is a passion, even an obedience, to communicate what God puts on our hearts.

Job had something on his heart and he longed for those words to be preserved forever. Yet his passion was not for ‘his’ words, but the truth that he knew. Some commentators think that Job said what he did by divine inspiration and really didn’t know the fullness of what he had written. While that could be true, I cannot underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to communicate truth to this man, even at in his time in history.

Job is likely one of the oldest books in the Bible. Statements in commentaries imply that because he lived so long ago, he couldn’t possibly know as much, or at least as much theology as we do now. However, I’ve also read that sin ruins everything, including intellectual ability. While we might have all kinds of modern inventions and technological advances, can we really think as clearly and as biblically as those who were less affected by generations and generations of sinful heritage? I wonder.

Anyway, Job’s desire was to communicate what he knew about God and redemption. He knew that his Redeemer was a living Redeemer. One day he would be vindicated by Someone who lived eternally. He also knew that this One would stand on the earth in the last days. Job himself would have been long dead by that time, yet Job knew that he would, in his flesh, see God. Job understood New Testament teaching about the resurrection of the body, of new life, of perfect eternal fellowship with his Maker, his God. His heart burned within him because he wanted others to know this truth.

I’m challenged by this. By nature, I am a consummate information-gatherer. Out of all the data in my head and heart, what do I want people to know? If I could preserve my words in a book that would last forever, what would they be?

Whatever the conference challenges me with today, God has already pushed me with a very good question!