I read something the other week that lept off the page at me. It was one of those innocuous phrases that normally I wouldn’t notice – perhaps you wouldn’t notice either. It was in the midst of a narrative on one of the kings of Judah.

You know those passages in the Old Testament that go through the life of a king? He was a good king, or he was a bad king. He walked with the Lord, or he didn’t. The life of a man is often summed up in a few verses.

How will my life be summed up? How will your life be summed up? Will it be said of you that you walked with the Lord, or you didn’t?

I was reading about Jehoram. He was not a good king of Judah. He did not walk with the Lord. He didn’t honor God. It was the phrase that wrapped up the section of scripture recounting his life that caught my attention:

“He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tomb of the kings.”

“He passed away to no one’s regret” – ouch.

In other words, it didn’t really matter that he died. No one really cared. Perhaps it was to many people’s relief that he passed away. “Whew, thank God he is gone. He was a terrible leader, and a horrible man.” Whatever the case, it appears he left a negative legacy. No one was sad he died.

For the next number of days that phrase kept rolling over and over in my mind – “He passed away to no one’s regret.”…

Lord, what are you trying to say to me through this? “…to no one’s regret…”

Clearly none of us wants to end our days with this kind of epitaph. However, the outcome of our lives in contingent on how we are living today. The choices we make today create the outcomes of tomorrow. Sure, the people I love and are close to me I trust will regret my passing. But am I spending myself for the benefit of others every day? Do I have a positive impact on the people I encounter on a daily basis?

How about the airline ticket agent who was struggling with my boarding passes because of a glitch in their system? Did my demeanor brighten her day, or add to her grief? How about the gas station attendant who had to deal with my impatience when the $1 tire inflation machine ran out of time before I finished inflating my tires?

How about the customer service agent with my web hosting company who spoke with me, after I had been on hold for 23 minutes, to deal with the lack of spam service I’m receiving that allows 150 junk emails into my inbox? Would he regret my passing?

And what I mean by that is not that any of these people would regret my death, but would they be glad that they don’t have to deal with me anymore? Or, even though I have a valid complaint in regard to the services I am paying for, am I communicating my displeasure with respect, dignity, kindness and patience? Do I treat everyday people I encounter with love, grace, patience, kindness and dignity? Or do they not really matter to me so I tend to be impatient and act with a sense of entitlement?

Sadly, I think I often act as a self-consumed consumer and do not treat everyday service people in a Christ-like fashion. I can be a little impatient and curt sometimes when I don’t feel like I am being served well. Here’s a thought: would I treat everyday people I encounter, especially those who serve me at a retail level, any differently if I had a tattoo on my forehead that said, “I am a Jesus follower.”?

Sadly, I think I would.

May we treat everyone in life with the same degree of love, patience, kindness, dignity and grace. Perhaps even those we encounter occasionally would then regret the days we do not interact, because when we do we demonstrate the heart of God to them.

May we never pass to no one’s regret.

2 Chronicles 21:20

“Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”

Colossians 4:5, 6 (The Message)

“Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.”

I got in a fight this weekend.

I came out on top, but man was it a battle. I am significantly beat up and hurt like crazy, but I won. My body bears the lacerations of a man who fought a pack of angry alley cats, but it was something far more sinister with which I was contending.

I fought a very tough lilac hedge.

And let me tell you, this hedge was mean and nasty. It punched way above its weight, and it was huge to begin with: 70 feet long, 20 feet high and 10 feet deep. And some of the stocks were two inches thick. I had to use my chain saw, hedge trimmer and loppers to cut it back.

We took 15 feet off the hedge. I cut and my wife dragged the branches out to create a refuse pile 80 feet long, by 15 feet across, by 4 feet deep. You may think I am joking when I say it was a fight – I’m not. It was a battle in many ways.

Here was the problem: the hedge had fallen over so many of the outer edge branches were pointing horizontally. When I cut those off they now comprised thousands of spears aimed at me as I tried to press through them to get at the stocks on the inside of the hedge. As I was reaching as far as I could with my chainsaw into the center of the hedge to get those internal stocks, the stocks and branches at the edges would scrape and pierce every exposed piece of skin.

It was like trimming a 20 foot tall porcupine. My arms and legs are ripped to shreds.

Now, I have no doubt a number of you are reading this and asking, “Do you want a little cheese with that whine?”

Fair enough. However, this hedge beat me like a rented mule. I got so angry at times…I said words I don’t usually say. And, I said them often and loudly enough to be heard above the roar of the chainsaw. I even invented new words – none of which I can repeat here. I can only imagine what my neighbours must think…

Here is the point of all of this: we should have pruned this hedge a little bit each year, but didn’t. We let it grow unchecked for years thinking it would form a massive wall of lilacs, which it did. It did, that is, until it got so top heavy it fell over onto itself – never to be the same again.

We can be like that. We need regular pruning. We need regular corrections, adjustments and discipline that will enable us to grow straight and true. This “pruning” will also enable us to be fruitful and productive.

You see, pruning precedes productivity.

But, we often resist or avoid those ongoing regular corrections. We don’t choose to engage in the situations we can get that kind of input: conferences, workshops, seminars, retreats, meetings, coaching, mentoring, pastoring, counseling, house groups, close friendships and the like.

We oftentimes do not humble ourselves to receive the input of others, the ‘correction’ of others, so we can grow straight and true. We can choose to live independently and grow unchecked, like our lilac hedge, until one day we begin to collapse and wonder how things got this way.

In order to grow strong and fruitful we must choose to submit to others – we must choose to learn from others. Count yourself particularly blessed if you have people in your life who love you enough to say difficult things to you. Don’t get offended – get grateful and listen to them. The Lord often uses people in our lives as part of His disciplining (pruning) of us.

The Lord loves you and will prune you for growth and fruitfulness. Commit yourself to a life of ongoing divine pruning. If you resist what the Lord wants to do in you, you can end up like our hedge: nasty, weak and broken down. Pruning at that stage is no fun at all.

I wish we had pruned regularly along the way and not waited until it got to this.

And you will too.

Pruning always precedes productivity.

Proverbs 12:1

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”

1 Timothy 4:7b, 8

“…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Hebrews 12:5

“Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? ‘My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.’”

“Congratulations on your election. I would like to ask you to please not take your faith to work with you – keep your personal life separate from your professional life.”

And with that comment the room went quiet. All eyes turned to the one who was celebrating his election. How would the politician respond to this exhortation?

The scenario was recently relayed to me about a Christian politician who had been elected. It was widely known in his community that he is a man of faith. He is well respected by many: clearly enough to get him elected. At his election celebration there was a point in the evening when people in attendance were given the opportunity to give their congratulations and exhortations to the man who would now represent them.

Somewhere in this jubilant and celebratory time the sentiments outlined above were shared.

What? How could you say something like that at a time like this? Knowing who he is, it’s a slap in the face per se.

How would he respond? A hush fell over the festivities…

Clearly this was not the first time he had heard that position. Keep the separation of church and state. Don’t let your personal beliefs bias your ability to govern. What goes on in your personal life should stay there. Don’t impose your values on others. Don’t disrespect people of other faiths by forcing your convictions on them.

We hear these sentiments all the time, and they often seem very convincing.

How would you answer this question?

I was very impressed with the Christian politician’s response. He thanked the person for their well wishes and their exhortation. The sentiment of his response was as follows:

“I don’t quite understand what you mean by not taking my faith to work with me. If what you mean is that I should not be loving, kind, generous, respectful, gracious, patient, good, peaceful, faithful, self-controlled, courageous, self-less, sacrificial, honest, trustworthy and hard-working, then I am afraid that I cannot refuse to be so. This is who I am and who I aspire to be, and it is my faith that compels and empowers me to be this kind of man.”

Wow.

I wish I could have been in attendance at this event. What a response. What wisdom. What a beautiful answer.

Sadly, what Christians have been historically known for is what we oppose – what we are against. I have no doubt that this mindset was in part behind the exhortation given to this politician. He turned it around in a wonderfully brilliant fashion to indicate the kinds of values that anyone would want in a political representative. And, it is those very values, those very character qualities, which are the result of our faith.

Jesus spoke to the religious posers of his day that they needed to produce fruit in keeping with their repentance. In other words, if we are truly partnering with Jesus in glorious submission to His lordship our behaviour will change; our values will change; our character will change.

The evidence of us being Spirit-filled is the kind of character that our Christian politician friend outlined and demonstrated.

Jesus also said that if we love Him we will obey His commands. His commands revolve around sacrificial love for others. It is Godly character that enables us to selflessly love others. It is the Spirit of God at work in us that changes our hearts and enables us to “produce fruit in keeping with our repentance.”

How should we take our faith to work? More in deed than in word. Should we use words to communicate our faith? Certainly. However, it is our deeds – our wholehearted, loving, selfless works of service – that creates favour in those we work with who are then subsequently drawn to learn more about what makes us the way we are. Or more accurately, “who” makes us the way we are.

May we be men who are actively working to see the fruit of the Spirit demonstrated in our lives in a fashion that serves others in sacrificial love.

By all means take your faith to work with you. Yes, by all means – how can we not do so?

Galatians 5:22, 23

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Colossians 1: 9, 10

 ^“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”

John 3:8

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

James 2:17

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Do you like swords? Most men do. It’s very entertaining to watch men at our boot camps interact with the swords we have on display.

When men first see them their eyes open wide in wonder. Words like “awesome” and “cool” soon follow. Initially they stand back and look, circling the swords like they have discovered some kind of treasure in the woods. After drinking in the primal giddiness of the moment they will hesitantly and, sometimes boldly, pick one up.

Who knows what visions of grandeur, what dreams of well fought battles flood through their minds? For a time they are lost in wonder of the moment with a twinkle in their eye and a tingle in their heart…

I like swords. I have a collection, and have given some to my sons as well. We have been slowly collecting swords from various international travels and other sources over the last 10 years. We have a Katana and various Wakizashis from Japan; three Dha (pronounced ‘daab’) I bought in Thailand – made famous in the Ong Bak movie trilogy; three Wallace broadswords from the movie Braveheart; two British Basket-Hilted broadswords; a Roman cavalry Spatha; various Nepalese Gurkha Kukris; and a couple of Kirpans from India.

These are the swords we display at the boot camps. These are the swords that seem to connect and engage with men and stir thoughts of noble battles fought and won.

One sword I am missing is the Scottish Claymore. We saw William Wallace’s claymore on display in the Wallace monument in Stirling, Scotland. Wallace’s sword is five and a half feet long and weighs over six pounds. It is a massive sword. It is estimated that Wallace needed to be at least 6 feet 7 inches tall in order to wield the sword effectively.

There is an old Scottish proverb about swords:

“Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.”

Any idea what that means? Here is what I think it means: If a man doesn’t know how to dance then he doesn’t know what he’s fighting for. A true warrior can’t love war; he must love peace because that’s what he’s fighting for. It’s about the freedom, not the fight.

Even though our lives are surrounded by a spiritual battle, it’s not about the battle. It’s about the life of God. It’s about the government of God – the heart of God – in us and through us to others in our sphere of influence and authority.

We fight so we can get hold of everything Jesus purchased for us through His death and resurrection. We fight so we can live in the righteousness, peace and joy of the Kingdom of God. We fight so we can overcome the strategy of the enemy to steal, kill and destroy and appropriate the abundant life Jesus promised us.

It’s not about the fight – it’s about the freedom. It’s not about the battle – it’s about the joy.

Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Do you know what the joy of the Lord is? You – you are the joy of the Lord.

He delights in you. Jesus, for the joy of seeing you set free from the chains of sin, death and enemy, endured the cross so that you could be born again into the family of God as a beloved son of our Heavenly Father. When we get hold of that truth deep in our hearts we experience the joy of the Lord.

When you know you are delighted in, you feel delightful! When you know you are the joy of the Lord, you are joyful!

It’s the joy of the love of our Lord that drives us forward. We fight so we can be free. We fight so we can apprehend that for which Jesus apprehended us. We fight to overcome the spiritual resistance of the enemy in order to work out the salvation Jesus bought for us.

If we will not fight, we will not apprehend the life God has for us.  We must fight for our life, and for the life the Lord has for others through us.

Romans 14:17

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,”

Romans 6:12

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Nehemiah 8:10

“Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’”

Psalm 34:7, 8 (The Message)

“God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.”