Christian Elder Care -- And Care for Mother Mary

Caring for aging parents and family members is a growing and diffiuclt situation for millions of Americans. While we have always had the very elderly among us, there are more now, for longer periods of time, due to modern medical science and nutrition. But even as our technology has evolved, our culture has become more scattered, making elder care more difficult and expensive. It is an area in which churches may be able to do more in helping families fulfill their sacred obligations to each other. We must seek new ways to be supportive.

In the old days of multi-generational homes, which you still see in some societies in other countries, (but less and less here), the entire family would care for the very elderly in their own homes. But now the nursing home seems to be the standard answer, even though it can cost $3000 or more a month and quickly evaporate an estate that took years to accumulate. What is more devastating is the emotional toll on many of the elderly, who are so sad to leave their living in their own homes, with their own possessions, in order to exist in tiny rooms with institutional beds and with roommates they do not know.

My mother still lives by herself, well into her seventies, and each day of independence is a blessing to her. But she lives a long way away in Florida, and so phone calls are the main contact I have with her. When, I call, she is always cheerful, in the wry and whimsical way I remember from childhood, and her voice is strong and clear. But the years have taken a toll on her body and she is a fragile reminder of the strong farm wife she always was. Regretfully, I must rely on my sister, who lives near her, to help her with most of her daily needs.

But I am blessed at this time, for many people have to give greater care for their aging parents, and that is when the very hard choices about care and housing and lifestyle must be made. As a pastor, it is one of the hardest things I witness and pray about.

Care of elderly parents has been a societal burden throughout human history. Elder neglect or abuse happens more than we might think. Little children are demanding, non-productive, and need much care, but you expect a return on your labor some day. Elderly parents are sometimes just as troublesome, but they're not going to get better. They're larger and heavier and sometimes oh so difficult. While interacting with a baby gives a mom or dad satisfaction and joy, emotions aren't as unclouded when all parties are older and care moves in the other direction. A son or daughter may feel a complex net of resentments and fears toward the parent they must now tend, wipe, and feed. It is hard to be faithful, but we are called to be just that, to help complete the interlocking circles of life that we are a part of with our parents. Faithfulness is our calling as Christians.

A professor friend of mine once gave me a the example of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a Biblical lesson in elder care. We always think of her as young, but she must have grown old after Christ's death, resurrection and ascenscion. Paintings and icons always show her young. But she must have been about fifty when she gathered with the Apostles on the day of the first Pentecost. After that, the Bible is silent on her works, but according to Orthodox Christian legend, she volunteered to be a traveling evangelist, and drew lots along with the others to see which nation each should go to and preach. She told the world about her Savior and son!

These same Othodox Christian sources in Turkey say that in her old age Mary went with St. John the Evangelist, (who Jesus had asked to look after her as if her were here son), to the city of Ephesus, which was in what we call Turkey in our day. It was John who was standing with Mary at the foot of the Cross when Jesus spoke. "Woman, behold your son!" he said to her, and to John, "Behold your mother!"

"And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home" (John 19:27). This was more than just hospitality. In undertaking the duty of a son to Mary, John assumed a burden as well as a blessing. While some cultures have permitted adult children to abandon or even end the life of an elderly parent, the Hebrew Scriptures, (our Old Testament), insist that the elderly are to be treated with respect, protected, and cared for, to the very end. It takes a great commitment to another person, and one's own selfishness must be pushed down. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) must be alllowed to come forth and the works of the flesh must be put under control. Our own fleshly ambitions must be set aside for higher purposes.

When John took Mary to his own home, he accepted a solemn obligation. So it is for anyone who is responsible for aging parents. It is a holy thing one does, the completion of a sacred trust that began with their own births and ends with the natural death of their parents. As Christian churches, we need to look for new ways to help Christians with this special obligation that requires an abundance of faithfulness, patience, gentleness, and love.

The Bible -- Good Medicine 365 Days a Year!

It's not a calendar of pithy sayings. Nor is it a self-help book full of pop psychology. No, it's an ancient book written by a timeless God that's full of daily wisdom that still changes lives - today. If you are tired of trying to figure out life on your own - join in the adventure of Bible reading and study. Discover the joy of living God's way. Read it and weep for joy! God's Words are health to us (Prov. 4:22)

Maybe Our Best Seasons Are Yet to Come!

Sometimes sports stories are tremendously inspiring and we can see life truths in their performances. Such seems the case with the American League champion Detroit Tigers, a team that lost 119 games, (out of a 162 game schedule), just three years ago. Now this team is at the top of its game, ready to play in the World Series.

A big part of their story is 61-year old manager Jim Leyland, who came out of retirement to manage the Tigers. Although Leyland has had some successes, most notably with the Barry Bonds led Pittsburgh Pirates of the early nineties (three division championships, two manager of the year awards), and a World Series victory with the Florida Marlins in 1997, he entered 2006 after two losing seasons and six years in retirement.

But now he is hailed as a miracle worker, with just the right motivation for his mostly young team. Along with star 41-year-old pitcher Kenny Rogers, Leyland is a great comeback story.
Here he is with a lifetime losing record (1164-1198), but regarded by many at the manager with the Midas touch in 2006.

Baseball is an intrinsically hopeful sport. Hope springs eternal every spring. Jim Leyland adds to that legendary truth. And he teaches us a life lesson.

Be patient. Wait on the Lord. Be gentle with ourselves.

Maybe our best seasons are yet to come!

Clint Eastwood and Dwight Eisenhower -- Voices That Need to Be Considered Today

There is an excellent article on Clint Eastwood in the Friday, October 13, USA Today. The legendary actor and Oscar winning director says he has lost interest in the fantasy of war. Now, he is consumed by the tragedy of it.

The director's new film, Flags of Our Fathers, opens Oct. 20 and tells the stories of the Marines who were famously photographed raising the American flag during the battle of Iwo Jima. That iconic photo came to represent the unflagging nature of the American spirit, but Eastwood's film raises questions about how the men and their heroic actions were co-opted by the U.S. government to raise money for the last stage of World War II.

"World War I was there, and that was going to be the one to end all wars," says Eastwood, 76. "And then World War II came along and that was going to be the war to end all wars. Then, five years later, Korea. Not too many years after that, Vietnam. And all the little skirmishes, Yugoslavia, Gulf War I, Gulf War II ...It doesn't speak well for mankind. It seems like it's just inevitable that they'll go on forever. Is that the way it's supposed to be? Is man most creative when he's at war? I don't know. We're always hoping every one is the last one."

Flags celebrates the sacrifices of the thousands who died capturing the island of Iwo Jima, while simultaneously scorning what Eastwood calls "the futility of war." Eastwood honors the soldiers involved, and all soldiers by implication, for their courage and sense of duty. But he questions the manipulation of facts by the governmental war machine, even in the so-called greatest war, WWII.

Over the years our country and others have witnessed the sad reality of old men sending young men to die and be maimed in wars for questionable reasons. Yet, sadly, it keeps happening. The same mistakes are repeated again.

The lifelong Republican, (a former mayor of Carmel, California), was drawn to that party by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eastwood said he hoped that such a distinguished veteran of the horrors of war could lead the United States away from wars in the future.

Eisenhower surely tried, ending the Korean War, and giving a famous farewell speech in 1961, at the end of his two presidential terms, where he warned, "We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations. This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. "

The great general and successful President went on to raise this challenge: "The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. "

The decorated war hero prayed for peace: "You and I -- my fellow citizens -- need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice. May we be ever unswerving in devotion to principle, confident but humble with power, diligent in pursuit of the Nation's great goals."

He expressed ideals that we need to hold fast to today. He proclaimed: "To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America's prayerful and continuing aspiration:
We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love."

Both Eastwood and Eisenhower should be carefully considered today. The toll of any war, including the current one in Iraq, is huge, and the influence of the military industrial complex remains strong. Military expense, for current defense and past military service, continues to dominate the national budget.

Over $500 billion has been spent or pledged on a war half a world away, and for the rebuilding of what our bombs destroyed. Add to that monetary total the immeasurable price of the over 2500 young Americans dead, and over 20,000 Americans injured (one fifth with serious spinal and brain injuries), plus over 50,000 Iraqui soldiers and civilians killed. The numbers do not come near expressing the suffering that war causes innocent men, women and children, much less our young American soldiers who signed up to defend our country and have a good future for themselves.

Real people in real lives yearn for peace all over the world. When will leaders reflect that truth? All of this has happened since the war began in 2003. All of that taxpayer money has gone overseas, while our battered educational system is under funded, while forty million Americans are without health insurance and our health care system costs are spiraling out of control, while we live with a debilitated bridge and highway system, while our children atttempt to cope with an environment that is becoming more poisoned and polluted each day. These issues are seldom discussed and almost never mentioned by our increasingly tabloid news outlets. Yet how might that $500 billion have been spent here at home, on these very real American needs, as well as invested in true homeland security like comprehensive port and truck cargo inspections?

We need to listen closely to one of our greatest artists and one of our greatest generals on these issues that affect us so importantly in such a time as this. Our children and grandchildren are depending on us.

Lady Liberty -- the Welcoming Image of America

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-- Emma Lazarus, 1883

Greed Conquers All When Priorities are Misplaced -- But Jesus Showed that the Bottom LIne is Love!

Way back at the beginning of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt uttered the famous words, “We have nothing to fear bur fear itself.” He was very right, for while it is right to fear and respect God, earthly fear is not a virtue. In fact, a close examination of the Bible will see that fear is a debilitating emotion that is the opposite of faith, just as hate (often fueled by fear) is the opposite of love. Fear is the basis of prejudice, which spawns violence, abuse and war.

Yet many supposedly well-meaning Christians get caught in fear traps when it comes to the deceitfulness of much of election season politics. Red flag, hot button issues are often sent up the pole to distract the voters from the real issues that actually affect them in much greater ways.

Issues like gay marriage and flag burning draw much ire and discussion, while issues that actually affect get little reflection. Really crucial issues like many jobs and industries moving to other countries, a spiraling national debt, a costly war with seemingly no end in sight (the army is preparing for troop levels to remain the same through 2010), a terrible trade deficit, and a decimated environment that spawns such evils as global warming and acid rain, are seldom discussed.

But this year you can add immigration to the hot button talking point issues that seem designed to raise the blood pressure and voter turnout of certain groups, but not the level of intelligent discussion. In a country whose enduring symbol is the Statue of Liberty, a shining reminder of our immigrant beginnings, the current strident remarks against immigrants seem sadly out of place. May we all remember that only Native Americans are not immigrants or from immigrant stock. The rest of us come from visitors who decided to stay.

The recent decision to spend $1.2 billion for a high-tech fence along the Arizona border will solve very little, disrupt wildlife migration routes, and cause more consternation to the long-ignored Native American Tohono O'odham Nation, whose land straddles the border and whose citizens oppose the fence. But, as usual, no one seems to care what the first people think, even though they have original rights to this land.

President Bush, for his part, has had a more reasoned approach than many of the ones who rally round this red flag issue. "The funds that Congress has appropriated are critical for our efforts to secure this border and enforce our laws, yet we must also recognize that enforcement alone is not going to work," the AP quoted Bush as saying at the bill-signing ceremony. "We need comprehensive reform that provides a legal way for people to work here on a temporary basis." In the past he has called for guest worker permits and paths to citizenship for the 12 million illegal workers who are already here.

The interesting thing is that the illegal workers come here and do jobs that most Americans do not want to do, yet the jobs we like are all moving to Mexico and other countries, so that corporations can make more money by paying people in those countries far less with no benefits. And many of our businesses, like Walmart, purchase goods from other countries, like the communist and still oppressive China, a nation with forced abortion and underground and endangered Christianity.

Greed conquers all when the bottom line is profit. Yet our Savior preached love, not greed. And so should we.

And while we are yammering to keep the illegal Mexicans out, foreigners are buying up our real estate and our companies at record rates, and much of our national debt is owed to foreign banks. Greater foreign ownership of U.S. assets is an inevitable consequence of the reckless tax-cutting, deficit-ballooning fiscal policies that Congress and the White House have pursued. By encouraging the United States to consume more than it produces, these fiscal policies have sucked in imports so fast that the nation is nearing a trillion-dollar annual trade deficit. Those are IOUs on America's future, issued by a spendthrift Congress.

The best quick analysis I've seen of the fiscal squeeze comes from New York University professor Nouriel Roubini, in his useful online survey of economic information, rgemonitor.com. He notes that with the U.S. current account deficit running at about $900 billion in 2006, "in a matter of a few years foreigners may end up owning most of the U.S. capital stocks: ports, factories, corporations, land, real estate and even our national parks." Until recently, he writes, the United States has been financing its trade deficit through debt -- namely, by selling U.S. Treasury securities to foreign central banks. That's scary enough -- as it has given big T-bill holders such as China and Saudi Arabia the ability to punish the U.S. dollar if they decide to unload their reserves.

But as Roubini says, foreigners may decide they would rather hold their dollars in equity investments than in U.S. Treasury debt. "If we continue with our current patterns of spending above our incomes, by 2013 the U.S. foreign liabilities could be as high as 75 percent of GDP and an increasing fraction of such liabilities will be in the form of equity," he explains. So it would seem that the greater threat to our national well being is not from foreign workers, but from foreign ownership of our country.

This is a real issue, but instead we debate illegal workers and whether English should be our official language. All the while, we are losing a grip on our country and our blessed way of life -- and the illegal workers have very little to do with it.

But now we will have a wall along 700 miles of our southern border. Outgoing Mexico President Fox compared the fence to the Berlin Wall. While the Berlin wall was built to keep people in, not out, I must admit that the American wall will be sending quite a different message than our beautiful Statue of Liberty. As for me, I prefer Lady Liberty over the wall of fear.

Negative Political Ads and the Father of Lies

It is that most despised of seasons again. It happens every other year in our country. Yes, it is political advertising season, and it makes many of us sick. The ads often are designed to trick the voters, not to inform them. By distracting the voters with trumped up issues, many of them do not actually vote considering the policies that might be for their, (and the country's), best interest. Instead, they vote for a smokescreen issue about "character", based on an ad that actually shows that the candidate that approved the ad has bad character -- for approving such a distasteful ad. What are these nasty attack ads teaching our children?

It is the negative, half-truth, attack stuff that disgusts me most of all, and there is way too much of it. How can you feel good about some candidate when he or she runs a TV spot that runs roughshod over an opponent? I realize that some of this has been going on for a long time, dating back to the days of Adams and Jefferson, but that was before we came up with the technology to hammer it home in new and devastating ways. I believe things are reaching new lows with some of the attack ads we're seeing nowadays. It is often all napalm and no civility.

Many of these ads are based on half truths and shameless propaganda techniques, put on the air and on the internet in behalf of candidates that claim to be Christian. These same candidates that hack up their opponents with hacksaw ads, also wrap themselves in the flag and hold tight to the Bible if it seems to help their campaign. These supposedly Christian candidates must have never heard of the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12), or the Great Commandments, or the rule of love. In fact, I wonder if they ever read the Bible at all.

The ads put up smoke screens about so-called "Christian" issues that affect only a handful of people, while disregarding a most basic message of Jesus Christ (John 15) and the Epistles, that we love one another and treat other humans with respect. Unfettered greed and intentional lies are among the worst sins of all in this country, because they affect the basic lives of the most people.

What does it say about a candidate when he or she authorizes brutal TV commercials? What does it say about an electorate which goes ahead and votes for the pit bull candidate anyway? Maybe we really do get the candidates we deserve. And, maybe offensive advertising is one of the many reasons so many Americans have abandoned voting completely.

It seems that the winners are often almost as damaged by the ads as the losers, and this, in turn, makes it difficult to goern effectively. Candidates who are elected with a great deal of negative advertising end up being hated by the supporters of the losing candidate. The politics of division has accomplished what it set out to do -- elect certain candidates at any cost, while definitely dividing America. It has raped democracy and stifled meaningful, reasoned debate. And negative advertising is the main engine of this divisive strategy.

Thank God for the remote control that allows me to switch to another channel, and/or mute the ads. If only more people would do the same. I hate to admit it, but the brutally nasty political ads make me ashamed of the candidates and parties that approve them. There is nothing remotely Christian about political ads that lie, kill and destroy. A look at John 10:10 will show that their father is the father of lies, the real thief who is slowly stealing our democracy.

The Reformation -- and the Reformed Tradition

Today I was asked what it meant to be part of a Reformed Tradition. The woman who asked it had been part of the Presbyterian Church for over thirty years, but she had never had that term explained, even though she had heard it in a number of sermons over the decades. So this little column is for her, and all of those who might have a similar question.

Our history goes back to the beginning of the church in Acts, but gets new emphasis and meaning in 1517. The Reformation was started by Martin Luther with his 95 Theses on the practice of indulgences. In October 31st of 1517 he posted these theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg (Germany), commonly used to post notices to the University community. In November he mailed them to various religious authorities of the day. Luther wanted the church to reform to its basics of faith in God and grounding in Scripture. This great reformation led to heated debate and resulted in division, and the eventual establishment of new institutions. We all owe Dr. Luther a hearty handshake when we get to heaven. His courage and intellect were used mightily by God.

The four most important traditions of the Reformation, all with much more in common than differences. That emerged directly from the reformation were the Lutheran tradition, the Reformed (Presbyterian) tradition, the Anabaptist tradition, and the Anglican tradition. Subsequent protestant traditions generally trace their roots back to these initial four schools of the reformation. The Reformed Tradition spawned many of the Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Reformed Churches we know today.

At the heart of the Reformed tradition is a commitment to the Word, the sacraments, and discipline. To be Presbyterian is to be part of a "Reformed" heritage associated with the Swiss Reformers of the 16th century. The most notable of these Reformers was John Calvin (1509-1564), who came to Geneva as an immigrant Frenchman fleeing religious persecution. We continue to be influenced through Calvin's rich legacy of writings that illuminate Scripture.

He was the leader of the Swiss Reformed Movement from which the Presbyterian Church was eventually formed. As a young man he was trained in Paris, France, to become a lawyer. But at the University of Paris he became deeply involved in some of the intellectual groups gathering to discuss writings of Luther and other "protestant" or reform movement leaders in the church. Influenced by Luther's teachings. Calvin became a strong believer in the importance of church reform and soon became quite outspoken in the matter--a very courageous thing to do in those times. He was even so bold as to think that he himself might convince the French king, Francis 1st, to give some kind of support to the protestant reform movement. Thus, in 1536, he published a work, Institutes of the Christian Religion, dedicated to convincing Francis of the truth and critical importance of this movement of church reform.

He did not convince the king, but this masterpiece has become one of the great books on theology in the history of the world, still well worth reading today. Under pressure and criticism, Calvin left France for Switzerland, and continued to write and teach and preach. Out of his writings on Scriptures came the heart of the Reformed tradition -- an essential commitment to God's grace witnessed in Scripture, encountered in Christ,and experienced in daily life.

Presbyterians gained an emphasis on "always being reformed" according to the Word of God. The Latin slogan, "Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda" ("The church reformed and always to be reformed") places importance on the church's need to seek constant renewal. The church is a living organism, subject to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The church is always in need of growth and strengthening; we must never cease learning with relevance and sensitivity in response to changing realities. Trusting in the sufficiency of God's grace enables Reformed believers to rejoice in the limitless power of God. Yet in the same breath we are faced with the mystery of God that lies beyond human comprehension. We experience God's mysterious power as Trinity, a triune nature interceding in our lives, nurturing and transforming us, but exceeding our full understanding.

God is sovereign and His awesomeness is greater than our grasp; at the same time, but God allows us to draw closer to God through our experiences of His grace. This in turn enables us to celebrate the Divine presence in our midst, nurtured as we are from grace to grace, from mercy to mercy every moment of our lives. The reality of God's grace is key to our understanding. It is all about grace -- God's grace. In the Reformed tradition all experiences of genuine forgiveness and love are attributed to Divine grace and mercy.

One of the Reformed emphases is that human nature is not perfect, nor are human achievements self-sufficient. Since Calvinists were and are devoted to shaping society as well as individuals on the Biblical foundations, we realize that we need to be involved in our communities and be guided by the Scriptures and the Spirit in all aspects of our lives. The Bible is seen as the Word of God revealing God's orderly, exciting plan for all of life. The name Presbyterian (from the Greek presbuteros, meaning elder) describes the form of church government (connected on four levels with checks and balances), but the beliefs are decidedly Christian with a big C. As the Book of Order begins, "Jesus Christ is the head of the church."

A locally organized "presbytery" reflects the idea that Christ is the head of the church and all members are equal under Christ. Presbyterians are a connectional church, and these connections help reflect the Scriptural truths of unity in Christ. The Reformed tradition stands on a foundational principle of the priesthood of all believers. God calls us out of GodÂ’s amazing love and abundant grace. In Baptism, we are claimed by the Spirit into covenant with God. Each of us is called to a purpose and are given meaning in our lives.

We do not earn salvation, for it is a gift of grace through the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. On the cross, He did all that needed to be done for humanity, once and for all. Salvation as a free gift! Praise God! In response, we live lives ofcelebrationn and obedience, of humility and service. We respond to GodÂ’s gift of grace with the spiritual sacrifice of our lives. The good works we are moved to do flow out as a response to God.

As children of God and ambassadors of Christ, we use and develop our talents to love and serve God in the world in a variety of ways. The Holy Spirit works to give each believer unique gifts. These gifts are used as we join in Christ's work and live in love for God and our neighbor.

The Reformed Tradition is rooted in the Word. Another Latin phrase often used is sola scriptura, "scripture alone." The Reformed Tradition is rooted in the authority of the Bible and the quest to apply scripture to our lives in our times. We see the Bible as the unique and authoritative witness to God in Jesus Christ, an authority without parallel and the basis for decision making in matters of faith and life.

One other Latin phrase which marks the Reformed tradition is sola fidei, "faith alone." The Reformed Tradition holds that is a person's individual faith that justifies them before God. This is made possible by the free gift of God's grace which accepts aforgives, TheThe Protestant Church, including Reformed churches, celebrates two sacraments, both grounded in grace and faith, which are baptism and communion (also called the Lord's Supper or Eucharist). These two sacraments are both rooted in the command of Christ as opposed to the tradition of the church. Baptism is a sign and seal of our inclusion in the household of faith. The sacrament of communion is a means both of remembrance and renewal. In it we remember the sacrifice of Christ by which the new covenant is formed and are renewed by the spiritual fellowship of the meal.

The Reformed Tradition asserts the sovereignty of God and Lordship of Jesus Christ. In that God is sovereign, God cannot be known entirely and cannot be controlled by our actions. God is free to act in whatever way satisfies the divine will, thus we are always reluctant to declare too boldly that our understanding of God is absolute. We only know what we can understand from Scripture by the Spirit's guidance. In the same way, The lordship of Christ focuses our attention on our relation to him as Lord and Master. We are a servant people of a servant Lord seeing ourselves as stewards of God's gifts.

We are all in need of repentance and forgiveness in that we all fall short of what God has created and intended us to be. Biblically, repentance means to change one's mind and to turn in a different direction. It is the act of acknowledging not only our sin, but also our inability to overcome sin on our own. Sin is seen as rebellion against God and the life God intends. It is therefore not only a matter of acts, but also of attitudes and desires. We must repent of our sins and turn to God. When we ask for forgiveness, the Spirit will help us in that area of our lives.