Archives by: Gary Hoag

As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

“People who do nothing other than be in love are perhaps more serious and holier than those who sacrifice their love and their heart to an idea.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 167.

As I pondered this quote, it made me ponder afresh about how I approach my calling to dedicate my life to encouraging Christian generosity.

It teaches me that if I focus on generosity, I am focusing on a fruit rather than the root. What is the root of all generosity but a love relationship with God!

Only when we contemplate His unfathomable love and care for us, can we even start to extend such gracious and bountiful kindness toward others.

On this note, I pause to honor my wife, Jenni. Her primary focus every single day, every minute of every day is her love relationship with God.

She’s always encouraging me (and those she serves as a spiritual director) to notice God at work every moment of every day around her. As a result, she’s “more serious and holier” than me.

Like Mary focused on Jesus vs. Martha on all that had to be done and Jesus, let us keep Christ at the center of our focus if we want to grow in generosity or any other areas of life.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

“I’m always inclined to believe that the best was of knowing God is to love a great deal.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 167.

Today’s my sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday Heather. I hope you have a great day.

I felt this painting of two couples captured the heart of today’s post. To love a great deal is not easy.

People are difficult and even unlovable a lot of the time, even those close to us, who step on our toes or push our proverbial buttons. To be generous then is to choose to love a great deal.

Pause. Think of someone right now that’s hard to love.

Choose today one way you can love that person a great deal. Go do it and process with the Lord how you come to know Him better in so doing. Tell someone close to you what you learned. Inspire them to try it.

As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. Psalm 103:15-16

“A person who doesn’t feel small – who doesn’t realize that he’s a speck – what a fundamental mistake he makes.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 156.

With these words Vincent the painter that echoes David the psalmist.

Our lives are like a speck, like a blade of grass. Here today, gone tomorrow. So, we should give every moment we have to making a contribution with the gifts and goods God has entrusted to us.

The impact we leave behind are the good deeds or the beautiful paintings that follow after us.

Van Gogh’s painting, Wheatfields under Thunderclouds, pictured above, illustrates the brevity of the life. One minute grass flourishes, then factors bring an end to its existence: from sun to storm to some animal eating it.

That’s you and me. If we fail to grasp this, we make a fundamental mistake.

To many live foolish lives. Like the rich fool they think their resources and decisions control their destiny. They’ve wrongly listed to the world’s way of thinking which tends toward comfort and self-preservation.

If we aim to get comfortable in this life, we miss the purpose of our brief existence altogether.

Don’t make the fundamental mistake. Life is short. Use what time you have to make a difference for God, to do good works which He prepared in advance for you to do. Flourish vivid green like the painting in your short life.

Live, give, serve, and love as generously as possible. You will have no regrets at the end of life.

Do all things without complaining or arguments; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. Philippians 2:14-15

“To know how to suffer without complaining, that’s the only practical thing, that’s the great skill, the lesson to learn, the solution to life’s problems.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 140.

On the recent GTP trip to Kazakhstan, Michael and I endured a difficult sleeping situation. The heat was in excess of 30-36°C / 86-97°F by day and there was little breeze so it did not cool off at night and we had no air conditioning.

We prayed, tossed, and turned, fell asleep, then woke up sweaty and did it again. It was hard. We managed not to complain, but endured it for 5 nights. The sleep deprivation exhausted us. I slept much of the way home and another 10 hours last night.

I think our hosts noticed our willingness to endure difficulty. I think we shined like lights. But if I am honest, I don’t always have shining moments. A lot of times I complain. When things are not right, I struggle. Perhaps you can relate?

Today, I chose to use Vincent’s painting of Sunflowers as the header image. He actually wanted to be known as the painter of sunflowers and did at least five. This is one of them. I connect it to knowing how to suffer for a specific reason.

The most generous response to suffering is not grumbling, complaining, or arguing. It’s pressing on. He did one painting of sunflowers, then another, then another, then another, then one more. He pressed despite the brokenness around him.

May our generosity today shine like a light or bring beauty like a flower. And may we look to the example of Jesus to know how to suffer. Sometimes how we navigate life’s difficult moments makes the most generous contribution to the place God has us.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

“I say it again – work against indifference – perseverance isn’t easy – but things that are easy mean little.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 132.

I chose Van Gogh’s painting, The Yellow House, to illustrate this idea of working against indifference or choosing perseverance for a reason.

This is the place where he lived when he persevered as a painter and determined not to quit but to focus on growing and learning new things every day.

He lived in the yellow house with green shutters and desired to give beauty and color to everyday life through his paintings.

And this has everything to do with you and me. Life is not easy. Often, I get tempted to quit to give up. I have to work against indifference where God has put me.

Where are you? Where’s your yellow house? Where has God put you to labor, to contribute, to make a generous impact on those around you and long after you.

Interestingly, Van Gogh’s life would end two years after he painted this. Many say it was suicide. Some think he was shot. Regardless, his days were few.

So are ours. What will we do with the time given us. Let us persevere. Let us work against indifference while bringing beauty and blessing to those around us.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16

“I’m concerned with the world only in that I have a certain obligation or duty, as it were — because I’ve walked the earth for 30 years — to leave a certain souvenir in the form of drawings or paintings in gratitude.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 132.

What will you leave behind in gratitude after your time on this earth?

Vincent left over 900 paintings plus other drawings. What a legacy! As he painted for only 10 years, art experts say he produced a work every 36 hours. No wonder he often complained that the layers of paint were still wet!

When we soak in the truth of who we are in Christ, it inspires us to tireless service. For me, it motivates me to teach and empower others with gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve, despite the difficulty or danger.

For me, the more I travel, even to the hardest places, the more energy I get for the next service opportunity. I am writing my legacy through my service to my family, my assistance to God’s workers, and my blogs and books.

Again, what will you leave behind in gratitude after your time on this earth?

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty. Psalm 93:4

“How much good it does a person if one is in a gloomy mood to walk on the empty beach and look into the gray-green sea with the long white lines of the waves.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 58.

If you noticed four days without a Daily Meditation, it’s because my website (and the ability to add to it) ranked among many sites that are blocked in Kazakhstan because of the content.

That gives you a glimpse of the situation in which I served. It was a very fruitful trip despite the complexities of the context. Reply if you want a copy of my trip report. I am posting this from Frankfurt en route home.

In his painting, Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Vincent illustrates what he is writing about here. He shifts from gloomy to good by taking a walk on the beach.

Are you gloomy today? Maybe you live in a peaceful setting, but report gloominess linked to unrealized expectations or unforeseen trials. Things in life have just not gone as you hoped or anticipated.

Elsewhere, followers of Christ in contexts that demonstrate hostility to Christianity feel discouraged or defeated because of their difficult circumstances. I have seen it first hand.

The government terrorizes people saying they will file fictitious law suits or seize property. They make physical threats of harm to a person or to those they love. They even put people in jail for no reason.

This is true in places like Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan where I served this week. So, the nature of my visit aims to lift their sights and encourage their spirits.

If you are in a good place, look around to see if you find someone gloomy and go to them. In Central Asia, our visit encouraged many people to stay the course in serving God.

If you are in a gloomy place, go outside. Look for God. You will find Him. I promise. It will likely be an extraordinary moment in something unexpected and ordinary, like waves.

When I could not post for four days, I did this. I went for a walk. The destination was a coffee shop but along the way I saw God’s provision for creation and felt His peace in my situation.

Do it, go outside. I pray that experience lifts you to a good place to play your role in his economy of all things with gratitude, peace, and generosity. And I am thankful to be back online.

So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9

“The painter of the future is a colourist such as there hasn’t been before.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 44.

When this posts I will be traveling in Kyrgyzstan. Appreciate your prayers for a safe and fruitful time.

The header image features a glimpse of Vincent’s Self Portrait with Grey Felt Hat. The audio tour said that this hat communicated he was going into the city on business.

And the painting, at least in real life when I saw it, has depth because of the way he used a mix of bold colors. Then I read this quote from his letters.

It reminds me of my role as a non-profit CEO. I ask God to help me discern direction from God, then I put my proverbial grey felt hat on, and I get to work using bold colors to cast a vision for people to join.

Anyone serving in administration of a church or ministry can probably relate to this. So what is the lesson regarding generosity? Ask yourself if you are a colourist.

A colourist is bold and faith-filled, fearless actually. While everyone aims to preserve the status quo or remain in their comfort zone, the colourist does things in new, inventive, and original ways.

This links to stewardship in this way. A colourist does not focus on what they don’t have (like most people). A colourist looks at what they have and use it with discernment and creativity.

What do you have? How can you use it in inventive, creative, generous, and colorful ways?

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

“Find things beautiful as much as you can, most people find too little beautiful.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 137.

For the next week as I travel to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, I brought this book with me, so I hope you enjoy this dive into quotes from his letters with header photos from some of his paintings.

Look at the cover image. I zoomed in on The Ravine, by Vincent van Gogh (1889). It’s a little known painting of two women walking through a deep ravine by a river.

It reminds me of the ministry of my wife, Jenni, sojourning with people often through deep valleys as a spiritual director. That’s beautiful. This illustrates my main point today.

Along the way, Jenni finds beauty, by looking for God in everything. With my apostolic and prophetic gifting, I must admit that I can walk into a setting and discern what is wrong in the setting.

I am good at seeing the opposite of what’s beautiful at every moment. Yet, and this may be why I like to use his paintings on the cover of my books, he captures both beauty and brokenness with unmatched brilliance.

When I write, I try to help people see God’s beautiful design for whatever topic I am writing about. So for me to find more beauty, I need to block time to write. Look for that to increase.

After visiting both the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the two largest collects of Vincent’s paintings in the world, I felt stirred to think about the covers and content for many more books.

What about you? What might you do to find more beauty? I think David, the Psalmist would say, go outside. See how creation reflects the abundant beauty of our Creator.

I think generosity in every moment may be helping people notice God and His abundant generosity in creation, in people, in situations, and in the most ordinary things.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Proverbs 3:27

I tried to share this post two days ago. For some reason, it failed to go out. So I am reposting it today as I start travel this afternoon to Frankfurt and connecting to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

On our recent visit to Amsterdam, my wife, Jenni, and our my daughter, Sophie and our son-in-law, Peter, had the privilege of visiting the Anne Frank House.

Anne and her Jewish family hid there for about two years during the second world war, and were found out. Ultimately, all but the father came to an untimely demise in the concentration camps.

The tour of the house features lessons learned from Anne’s diary. This excerpt struck me today. It’s a poem penned by this amazing young girl.

“Once again St. Nicholas Day.
Has even come to our hideaway;
Our Lady of Peace Chapel on Xavier University’s campus
It won’t be quite as fun, I fear,
As the happy day we had last year.
Then we were hopeful, no reason to doubt
That optimism would win the bout,
And by the time this year came round,
We’d all be free, and safe and sound.
Still, let’s not forget it’s St. Nicholas Day,
Though we’ve nothing left to give away.
We’ll have to find something else to do:
So everyone please look in their shoe!?”

Anne Frank (1929-1945) in The Diary of a Young Girl/

Notice that even when they had nothing left to give away, she noticed that they could find something else to do. They need only look in their shoe.

This implies that when our resources are exhausted, we can keep using the skills and abilities, our gifts and talents, to bless others.

Not sure how to give today. Anne would say, look in your shoes. This echoes the wisdom of Proverbs. When we have the power to do good, we must do it.

Here’s what God is teaching me in real time: to give people grace. Our flight was cancelled in Amsterdam yesterday. I saw a lot of frustration. But learned that when I give grace, God gives more grace.

We got re-touted to Munich, where we spent the night. Today we fly to London Heathrow in the morning and then direct to Denver (hopefully) in the afternoon.

Give us more grace as we look in our shoes, Lord.