50 Years and 10 Truths

by James H. Diehl

My first pastorate began on August 1, 1959, when Dorothy and I drove into Muscatine, Iowa. A half century later I was startled to realize that the official date of my retirement from the general superintendency was August 1, 2009-exactly 50 years later. What a journey it has been.

From the very beginning of my ministry I asked God to help me be a lifelong learner. I needed to glean new understanding from every situation-the highs, the lows, the joyous times, the tear-filled times, the victorious times, and the times of failure. I do not pretend to "have learned it all," but I will say that God has taught me much since that August day in Muscatine, Iowa.

Truth #1: You only get to walk across the stage one time.

Picture yourself as the lead actor in a major play. You enter the platform from stage left; you exit stage right. And you only get to walk across the platform once. That is how I see life-one trip across the stage. And that is the only experience in all of life for which we are all equal. Everyone receives one opportunity to make the journey, although the length of time may differ.

Therefore, make your one appearance on stage count! Do not waste a day, or an opportunity, or a divine appointment. When the "one walk" is over, we will all agree that its length is equal to that of "a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14, nkjv).

Truth #2: Since you only get one stage appearance, do two things with your life: get totally right with God, and invest in people.

Scripture tells us that after this life is finished we will all stand before God at the judgment. Since that is true, does it not make great sense to get "totally right with God" here and now? That means repentance and redemption. It means total consecration and experiencing "the fullness of the Holy Spirit." It means a life of growth and obedience. It means a joyous adventure!

To follow the example of Jesus we must invest our lives in people. Jesus gave His time and attention to people who were rich and to those who were poor. Some were educated; some were not. Some were older; others were children. Some were morally clean; some were morally bankrupt. Giving ourselves to people is the only investment we can take to heaven. Everything else is left behind. Everything.

Truth #3: Do not jump off a bridge to rescue a hat.

Jump off a bridge to rescue a child, and you are a hero. Jump off a bridge to rescue a hat, and you are a fool. Translated, do not shed blood over issues that make no difference in the long run. Be willing to give your life for a cause, but make sure it is a worthy cause. Don't bleed over such issues as who gets what Sunday School classroom. Life is more important than that.

Truth #4. You cannot marry everybody for whom you feel sorry.

If you are going to be a leader in this life, there will be times when you must say "no." You cannot hire everybody who sends you a résumé. You cannot fulfill everyone's financial needs, and you cannot solve everyone's problems. No matter how much you empathize with a person, there are times when you must say "no." That is tough.

Truth #5: If you want to have a happy marriage and a great relationship with your children (and grandchildren), it will require an investment of time, money, and love.

It will not happen without numerous investments of time-doing fun things and creating lifetime memories. Time is the most valuable commodity we have. Invest much of it into your family! It does not cost anything to sit with your child and grandchildren on giant rocks to watch the ocean waves pound and splash around you, but it may cost money to get there. Without love, it will all be perceived as "shallow and put on."

Truth #6: If you want to have close friends, it will require an investment of time, money, and love.

In our culture of extreme busyness and tight finances, it is so easy to say to our friends, "We'll get together later." Later never comes! It seemed that some of my closest friends and I often lived hundreds of miles apart from one another, so this was a hard lesson for me to learn. If I was not willing to invest some time, money, and love, then I would have to settle for "casual friends." Deep friendships require an investment.

Truth #7: You only get to keep what you give away.

Jesus taught us in Mark 8:35 that if we keep it, we will lose it. Give it away, and you will have it. Try giving love and compassion away. The more you give, the more you have. Give forgiveness instead of revenge. Help someone who cannot give you anything in return and see what happens. Your heart bubbles with joy! On the other hand, give away constant murmuring, criticism, and harshness and see what happens. That is who you become. The older I get, the more like myself I become.

Truth #8: The Christian life is not a one-time decision, it is a long-term relationship.

Yes, there are crisis points-such as being born again and being filled with the Holy Spirit. But God does not save us so we can sit. There are journeys to take, relationships to develop, and a soul to grow. This journey is about making progress!

Truth #9: There is no pain, or hurt, or loss that Christ cannot heal.

We serve not only a saving God and a sanctifying God, but also a healing God. Yes, God can heal our bodies, but He can also heal our wounded hearts, our damaged emotions, our scars from an abusive past, and grief over the loss of loved ones. Even the death of your son or daughter is not beyond God's healing grace. That truth I did not know 50 years ago-but I know it now. Jesus heals!

Truth #10: The greatest gift that God gives us is His peace.

Fifty years ago I would have said that God's greatest gift to us would be His joy, His power, His vision. But after the trials, testing, and losses that I experienced across this earthly journey, I have now come to believe that His greatest gift is His peace. Peace in the storm-in the midst of the tears-when the applause has grown silent. Deep peace when the sun is shining and also when the night is dark. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27, nkjv). That is the promise of Jesus to His children. I have now lived long enough to understand that this is His greatest gift.

 

Ten truths learned-and since I am not in the grave yet, there are still a thousand more to learn.

What a journey-what a Savior-what a relationship! I could not have made it across the stage of life without the living Christ in my heart. And just think of it, He will be there to welcome us home when we exit this life, "stage right." The Word tells us that the next life is the best of all!

James H. Diehl is general superintendent emeritus for the Church of the Nazarene.

Holiness Today, July/August 2010

 

 

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