Lost in Translation

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows the McFarland family that a lot of talking takes place in our home.  I used to try to simply push all the blame off on Lela and the girls, but the reality is that I “talk” for a living, so I too must take some responsibility.  One of the most common phrases uttered in our house is, “You have 2 ears and only 1 mouth, so talk less and listen more.”  While I am usually the one saying these words, I have had them directed at me numerous times.

Recently, I have begun to feel that while that phrase is adequate, it is far from complete.  Sure, everyone  from kids to parents to politicians to church leaders needs to do a better job of listening more, but it can’t stop there.  I wonder if a piece of that saying has been lost in translation?  I wonder if we are missing out on something more than just being quiet and listening?  I wonder if there is more out there for us to grasp?

What if the original phrase read like this:

You have 1 mouth, 2 ears, 4 appendages and a Big Heart.  Therefore, you should talk less, listen more, serve frequently and love greatly.

Wow, that’s kinda long and a lot harder to remember.  Plus, it isn’t exactly easy to accomplish.  Maybe that is why we just dropped the second half; that’s more efficient, right?

While it may be more efficient, it is also less effective.  Oh, and a tad bit selfish.

You see, talking less and listening more will make you a much better person, but if we stop there, it’s pretty selfish.  When we realize that we have been given hands and feet so that we can go and serve others, we go beyond just us; we realize that others can benefit from what we have learned.  However, if we simply talk less, listen more, and serve others without a deeper purpose, we are really just again, being selfish.  Sure, serving others out of our surplus is nice, but it always makes us feel good. Is everything really about us?

That is where are heart comes in to play.

You see, we are all spiritual beings; that is the way God created us.  Inside each of us is a soul that will live on for eternity.  A soul that is broken and is searching desperately for a way to be restored.  The only answer for restoration is trusting in Jesus Christ.  Jesus fixes everything, from the inside out.

So, the most important part of that whole phrase is the part about the “big heart.”  Why is it big?  Because it has been completely restored by Jesus Christ and is full of enough Grace to share with the world.

We should talk less, listen more, serve frequently and love greatly.

That means we have to get up and move.  That means we must come to terms with the fact that our goal in life isn’t to simply get everything we want.  That means we have to think of others.  That means that we must first, Trust Jesus to restore us and second, share the restoration we experienced with everyone so they can have the opportunity to experience it as well.

But that all sounds really hard, time consuming and kind of messy.  Couldn’t we find a way to be more efficient?  Maybe we didn’t lose anything in translation after all; maybe we just hid the hard stuff so we could forget about it and make things easier.

Yeah, that sounds much better.  We just need to be quiet and listen more.  That’s what the church is for anyway, right?

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.” ~ James 1:22

Say What?

I’m not much of a reader. I am a ton better than I used to be now that I have been able to actually find some books that I enjoy reading. It wasn’t always that way. I can safely say that through High School, I read 4 things: 3 Shakespeare Plays (Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar & Macbeth) and Grendel. Those were the only things I really found interesting enough to read.

I have worked with teenagers for the last 11 years in a number of capacities, but there is one thing I can always remember hearing, “The Bible is kinda boring and not really relevant.” I can easily relate to those feelings because up until recent years, I only found portions of scripture to be really fascinating; the rest of it had a purpose, but I wasn’t too concerned with it. Paul addressed this issue with Timothy and reminded him of the importance and role of the scriptures in his life.

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God has spoken to his people in hundreds of different forms throughout the years: Angels, dreams, symbolic actions, a small voice, burning bush, prayer, fire, writing on a wall, visions, prophets, a donkey (Num. 22:28), preaching, miracles, a trumpet, fleece, and casting lots just to name a few, but the most consistent way of speaking to his people is through His Word.


In the study “When God Speaks” by Henry & Richard Blackaby, they break down this passage into four simple phrases revolving around the concept of how to know what to do as a follower of Christ.

God’s Word is useful for…

Teaching - to impart knowledge or skill to somebody by instruction and/or example

What is Right

Rebuking - to criticize or reprimand somebody, usually sharply; to tell somebody off

What is not right

Correcting - to take the errors out of something

How to get right

Training in Righteousness- learn the skills necessary to do a job, or teach somebody such skills, especially through practical experience

How to stay right

As leaders, if we sincerely put these truths to practice, what things would change in our ministries?

As parents, there is a tendency to say things like, “We want our kids in church so they can hear the teachings of Christ. They need the Word, but now that I’m grown up, I can make it on my own.” Are you serious?! Adults face much more in life than kids and we need the guidance and direction much more than a child does. We need to be reminded of the love , encouragement and forgiveness of Christ, while at the same time being reminded of the consequences of our choices.

As we see how God speaks through His Word, I would even suggest that the purpose of Bible Study is not to understand doctrine or to even defend what you believe. Instead, it is a chance to do exactly what Paul says in v. 17, “to equip the saints.” If God is equipping you through his Word, your doctrine will develop just fine.

God’s Word helps equip you for the work He has planned for you.

When was the last time God’s Word made an impact on you?

Principle of the Mirror: Stand Strong in the Future

II Timothy 3:1 - 4:8

II Timothy 4:1-5 “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

No matter what happens preach the word, no matter what people say teach the word, and no matter what people do, live the word. This is the essence of what Paul is saying. The time is coming when people’s hearts will become hard and they will turn their ears away from the truth. When this happens stand strong. Remember your mirror! Where you came from, what you have been taught, and who has called you to this task. Don’t forget to Stand.

One of my favorite passages in the Old Testament is II Samuel 23:9-11
“Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, 10 but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.”

Just picture this scene, you are standing to fight the Israelite army and just before you are ready to engage the enemy your fellow soldiers run away. I would probably want to run with them. But you see Eleazar was tired of running. He was ready to fight. In fact, he fought so hard that his hand actually cramped around the sword and could not let go. This is the perfect picture of fighting with no thought of retreat. The sword froze to his hand and when the army returned the battle was already won.



Paul is giving Timothy this same picture as he pens the words “I have fought the good fight and I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul fought till the sword froze to his hand and the armies were defeated. Paul encourages Timothy to stand strong no matter what. Even if everyone runs away, stand and fight. These pictures give us a clearer understanding of the principle of the mirror. We do not live life looking out of the mirror but we do live life remembering what is in the mirror.

Remembering your past to direct your present in order to impact your future!

Principle of the Mirror: Standing on the Shoulders of those before you and beside you

I Timothy 1:5-6, 9-22

In chapter one of II Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy of the shoulders that he stands on. The heritage of his family is great and has given him a foundation that has prepared him for his calling. Paul names numerous individuals at the end of this letter that have helped him through his journey. Even Mark is named as useful for Paul’s ministry. As a leader you must never forget the individuals who laid the foundations long before you were there and have laboring along side of you throughout your journey.

Even Moses had Aaron and Hur hold up his arms in order to win a battle. Exodus 17:12 “When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” Never forget those who have held up your arms during hard times. Paul reminds Timothy through the mirror of who stood alongside him as he ran the race God set before him.

Principle of the Mirror: Biblical Training

II Timothy 1:13; 2:2; 2:15; 3:10; 3:14-17

Timothy had been trained, anointed, and commissioned to do God’s work. In each of our lives God allows various things to happen that will teach us things we never thought possible. These life lessons along with preparation in the word of God allow us to teach the truth of God’s word to a lost and dying people.



Biblical training will help keep our mirrors clean. Paul warns Timothy in 3:5 that “people will have a form of Godliness but deny its power.” He continues by stating their “folly will continue.” It is so easy to get caught up in false truths. When you do, your mirror gets dirty and it is hard to see who God is and what He has done for you. By learning the word of God you help guard your life against the traps that the enemy throws your way. II Timothy 3:10 says to Timothy carefully followed doctrine. The same must be true for leaders today.

Principle of the Mirror

Remembering your past to direct your present in order to impact your future

Paul was an amazing man of God, who at some point in his ministry took a liking to a young man named Timothy. Paul had such a burden for mentoring Timothy that he wrote two letters to him instructing how to conduct his life and ministry while he trained others in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

All throughout II Timothy, Paul builds upon a theme of endurance and faithfulness as he runs the race that God has set before him. Often time’s, people preach about all the great things that Paul instructed Timothy to do but forget about any great principles found in this letter. The Principle developed in II Timothy 1:3-5; 3:14-15; is called the Principle of the Mirror.

David understood this principle at an early age. In fact in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 (NIV) David goes to King Saul and tells him that he will fight the Philistines, Goliath. Saul tells David that there is no way he can fight Goliath and win, he is just a boy. David, then told Saul about how God allowed him to kill a bear and a lion in a previous battle.

“34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

The principle of the mirror is quite simple for leaders to understand and remember. God allows us to be placed in situations that develop the faith and characteristics in our lives that allow us to face the Goliaths. David had already done two unbelievable things in his life, and knew that if God called him to battle the battle would be God’s to win. The mirror allows you to remember what God has done in your life in the past, so that you will be able to conquer the future. During the Old Testament the Israelites would build memorials to remind generations of the mighty acts of God. This is the same thing as looking in the mirror.

Ministry can get awful hard and lonely at times. A man once told me as a youth “the closer you get to God the less people you will see beside you.” Paul understood this and told Timothy in both of his letters to remember the legacy of faith that his mother and grandmother left him. In addition, Paul reminds Timothy in 3:10 that Timothy has followed the doctrine that Paul has taught him. Shortly after this in 3:14-15 Paul tells Timothy to continue in the things you have learned and have known from childhood. Another words, remember the bears and lions. God has not brought you this far in your journey to let you fall. He has been preparing you for your calling from childhood.

By understanding the principle of the mirror there are three areas that will help us use our mirrors to understand our preset in order to impact our futures. These areas are:

Biblical Training

Stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before you and those who walk along side of you

Stand Strong in the Future

In future posts I will expand upon these three areas.

Above Reproach: Pursuing Righteousness

22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
– 2 Timothy 2:22-24

The language in verse 22 shows two contrasting objectives. A Christian should separate themselves as much as humanly possible from the desires and pleasures of their youth, and instead pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Our youthful self will let us chase whatever pleasure we desire, while God calls us to a life of self-control where the feelings of others are more important than our own. The language of pursuing righteousness implies that it is difficult if not impossible to become righteous. However, it is a command to be righteous, so we have to daily seek out to find opportunities to be righteous in our daily lives. As ministers, as we pursue God he will cleanse our hearts in matters where we fall short, and we will be able to model righteous living to the individuals in our church or ministry.

For more reading on this topic, check out:
Crazy Love by: Francis Chan
Wild at Heart Field Manual by: John Eldredge