Friendship Building Blocks

Last night, about 2 a.m., I awoke to thunder gently rumbling in the sky and quite a nice lightning storm coloring the sky in all directions. No rain, just hints that someone else somewhere was getting a little of the 'weather action' even though we weren't. The sky was grey this morning at sunrise, but alas, the clouds are lifting and sun is shining through. Arizona weather is just that way - lots of threats, but not a lot of 'action' in terms of those drops falling from the sky! Storms are something we prepare for, though - because they threaten to take out our power with high winds, interrupt our cell and satellite service with blowing dust, and when those drops do begin to fall, they can bring rushing floods to very arid places. Preparation is key to minimizing the risks associated with these storms, just as it is key to reducing our risks spiritually, emotionally, and physically when uncontrollable 'attacks' come our way in life.

If God doesn't build the house, the builders only build shacks. If God doesn't guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. It's useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don't you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? (Psalm 127:1-2)

I am always so very grateful for the Word of God when it is brought into my life and allowed to be 'taken in' - it is as a gentle rain that faithfully brings refreshment to this dry and weary soul at the end of a hard day, a difficult work week, or just whenever I need it most. It is an instrument of celebration in my life - how about yours? That is what the Psalms really were written to be for us - tools of celebration, songs of praise, and words of worship. Our psalmist encourages us to keep in mind the extreme importance of allowing God to be the "builder" of our homes and the overarching "guard" of our cities. As builder of our homes, he is both the architect and the framer. He gives us the structure and the guidance to build very strong homes. I am not speaking of the physical walls, floors, and windows around us here - but the relationships that exist within the walls of our physical dwellings - those relationships that give us stability and security as we walk together down some very tough roads in life. As the architect over our relationships, he is involved in the design of each relationship we encounter. He has in mind the very "design" of each relationship even before they begin.

Our "homes" extend beyond our walls at times. We have "extended" families over which God is also the architect and framer. Those extended families consist of our relationships within our churches, our community, our work environments, etc. Within these relationships, God opens us to learn from each other, to encourage, to put on display his grace to those who need to know the power of his love. The writer tells that UNLESS God is the builder of those relationships, they fail - they are nothing more than "shacks" we have erected when he envisions them as "mansions" of his glory with him as the builder. Whenever I am in a relationship that seems a little strained, going nowhere, I almost always find that it is either not God's will for me to be in that relationship, or that I am not bringing God's will into that relationship. When I am in a relationship that is not God's will, it is usually because I have chosen to be involved out of my own desires - there is a motivation that is rooted in something self-driven, self-directed. Within that relationship, I am miserable - at odds - and cannot find the peace I so desperately desire. When I am in a relationship that God clearly has placed me in, there is an evidence of that in the way that individual helps me to grow, challenges me to evaluate my priorities, and stands as an encouragement when I am doing well in my daily walk.

As the architect of our relationships, God has a specific purpose for each relationship he allows to be formed - some are for our encouragement, some for our exhortation, still others for our pure and simple enjoyment. Some serve all these purposes at various times. When we allow God the privilege of directing our relationships - establishing them according to his design - we are surrounded by individuals that create a foundation for our development and we do the same in their lives. What relationships has God placed you in? What is your role within those relationships? Are you there as one who brings exhortation - encouraging the other person toward growth? Are you there to bring encouragement by the sharing of your knowledge, experience, or wisdom? Whatever the reason for your placement within that relationship, be faithful to what God has placed you there to accomplish. You are an instrument in his hands to "build" the house! Let the architect use you as he envisions - the reward is always going to be a strong house, well-founded, and a place of shelter in times of storm. So, be the kind of friend God wants you to be within those relationships and just see what he will build! Friend on!

God's not finished with any of us yet

I am always touched when I observe someone just going the extra mile for someone. Maybe it is they guy who stopped to help an elderly lady with a flat tire, or the team of landscapers who jumped out to help someone push their stalled car off the roadway safely. It could be the child who tenderly helps their grandmother navigate some uneven pavement, or the worker on their way to the cafeteria who helps someone lost in the maze of hallways looking for a particular department. Brotherly love and kindness are traits that never grow old, my friends. In fact, they are traits that seem to exhibit just a little bit of the character of Christ in all of us - because he was always looking for the opportunity to serve others, if even in the slightest way - just because his heart was moved by their need.

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.  (1 Peter 1:5-9)

Warm friendliness and generous love are the last two character traits that we will examine that absolutely need to be a part of our daily walk in Christ. In another translation, these are referred to as brotherly love and kindness. We think of friendliness as the 'warm-fuzzy" characteristics that mark a good friend - there is no hostility really evident, but rather this idea of us being inclined to be amicable toward one another. Why is this an important thing to add to our character traits? It is simply because we cannot add all this other Christian character without adding the traits that make us a good friend or person to be around!

Generous love speaks of a lack of selfishness. There is a joy that comes from being around an individual that is not self-centered, is continually willing to reach out to others, and who is just plain abundant and welcoming in their expression of love. It draws others to us and it keeps them coming back. In examining these character traits throughout this passage, we now are told that they are to be fit together - each one developing or building upon the next. Not one of these character traits exists in a vacuum - they are like puzzle pieces specifically cut out within us that carefully fit together. When you line the pieces up, they make a lovely sight to behold! In a jumble, the 'image' of the finished pieces really isn't appreciated!

These character traits are not a "once gained, always maintained" type of trait. We are reminded that they must be active and growing in our lives. There is a process of "working them into" the places of our heart, mind, body, and soul - of our entire being - until they become who we are all the time. In the course of time, the way we express love begins to develop into greater, deeper expressions of love and kindness. This is not just because love was built into our character at one point in time - it is because as God points out areas where his love is not coming through very well, we address what he asks us to focus on that keeps that love from coming through in its fullest glory within us.

There is a "maintenance" of these character traits that is required. Care or upkeep is implied. Attention must be turned to areas in which we are revealing a lack of stability in our walk - wavering in our choices, not as committed in our obedience as we should be. When this care is taken, we will be maturing in the things God wants us to develop. Fully developed Christian character is the goal of each believer - no one wants to be truly mediocre in their walk. The "rub" comes in the amount of "maintenance" this truly requires! It is WORK - a four-letter word none of us wants to embrace. BUT...if we don't take the effort to learn where we need to grow, allowing the Holy Spirit to focus our attention on those areas of our life, then we will be as Peter describes - oblivious!

Oblivious people are lacking in focus, distracted, or even unconscious of that which requires attention. God's children have a "focusing" agent in their lives - he is called the Holy Spirit. His work is to allow us to be exposed to the areas of sinful character that need the application of the Word of God, and the tending of the Holy Spirit as our tutor and guide in this daily walk. In turn, there is an expectation that we will develop consistent obedience to the principles he teaches, embracing the newness of character that God so wants to see in our lives.  So, we don't let grass gather under our feet! We keep pressing in until we see the manifestation of what God desires in our lives. Then, we press a little more - because we are never finished growing! Grow on! 

No more sour notes

Have you ever looked at awe upon someone or something, with one of those kind of "jaw dropping" moments? For just a moment, your attention is held and your reverie in what you are beholding is exclaimed. I have been at amazing falls of water, deep caverns carved precariously into our earth's 'underside', and high up on mountain's edge looking out great expanses of space - each holding a particular sense of awe for me. I have observed huge cranes lift massive loads to heights that you think would make them topple over, and small sticks of explosive substance bring down massive walls of great boulders. Awe is hard to describe, but it comes because something or someone holds one's attention just long enough to cause them to consider the magnitude of what they are seeing. To our good character (moral choices), spiritual understanding (discernment), alert discipline (spiritual development), and passionate patience (endurance and stability), we are to add reverent wonder - something that causes my jaw to drop each time I see this trait active in the life of anyone.  Reverent wonder really comes down to one key word: Obedience.  We are to incorporate into our lives the moment-by-moment "habit" of obedience.  Obedience brings honor to God and acknowledges his presence in our lives - it causes others to 'stop and take notice'.

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

(2 Peter 1:5-8)

Reverent wonder may also be translated as "godliness".  Godliness is the evidence that one is conforming to God's laws (moral code of conduct) and wishes (the sense of doing as one has been asked).  It is a sense of devotion to the control and direction of another - God.  Obedience is more than just conforming - it incorporates the idea of being "willing" to do something without balking. Willingness is probably one of the biggest struggles we have as Christians.  We may even adhere to the idea that "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak".  In other words, we WANT to do what is right, but we DON'T do it.  The struggle between "US" and "GOD" is too great - we "give in" to the "US" because it is immediately satisfying, easier, or just plain selfish. We 'balk' at the idea of what is being asked of us - making it become a battle within to move toward that place or action of obedience.

It is important for us to remember "obedience" is something that is PRACTICED. If it has to be 'practiced', it does not come easily! We must do it over and over again. A lifestyle of reverent wonder (godliness or obedience) is LEARNED. We don't start out one day saying, "Today and forevermore I will be obedient to all God desires of me." We may have all the good intentions in this world to live that way, but reality hits us about two choices into the day and we find ourselves facing that crash and burn moment when obedience flies out the window! The thing we need to realize is that God is more concerned with our consistent and progressive obedience.  Obedience is practiced - therefore, it is progressive.  What we practice soon becomes easier and is something we embrace without much resistance. To learn to play an instrument, we practice. To become an expert, we practice a whole lot! Obedience is also consistent - we learn that a course of action yields a result that is rewarding, enjoyable, or simply put, good for us. What becomes practiced becomes habit - obedience is a habit, not a ritual!

With a strong foundation laid, we have an opportunity to begin to build upon that foundation. We are being directed toward daily activity that produces this continual and progressive type of "learning" in our lives.  God is provoking us toward consistently embracing the thoughts, attitudes, and actions that will bring more of his grace and wisdom into our lives.  Obedience is not immediate or instantaneous - it is a process. Remember, practice makes perfect - not the other way around! Too many times, we get the idea we are supposed to be perfect - never faltering, never struggling to 'get it right' in our lives. Nothing could be further from the truth - because obedience gets easier each time we practice it, but it doesn't happen that we 'get it right' all of the time. When I tried to learn to play the guitar, I made some pretty awful sounds come from those six strings on occasion! The chords just didn't sound good at all - something was amiss with the placement of my fingers. In our spiritual walk, there are times when things are 'amiss' with our positioning - we get out front and forget that is the place God belongs! The more we practice placing him exactly where he belongs, the sweeter the music of obedience will be that stems from that right placement! Just sayin!

A tale of the fisherwoman

It seems a little 'counter' to patience to be passionate, doesn't it? When we think of patience, we probably think about the one who simply stands by waiting to see what will unfold, not losing hope, but being very, very calm, cool, and collected. I imagine being passionate as being a little more animated and less 'calm' - there is action involved in passion, so it doesn't always make me think of patience. Most of the time, we don't really equate waiting and passion as belonging together, but let me be a little bit revealing here - passion and patience make all the waiting worthwhile! I love to fish and let me just tell you that you cannot be any good at this without passion and patience! You must sit still for long times, often rethinking what you are using to attract those fish to your hook, and then know just the right time to snag that catch when they are nibbling on your bait. It is a skill learned in the waiting! Much of what we learn in life is learned in the waiting - but never forget that passion is part of waiting.

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. (2 Peter 1:5-9)

To be very truthful here, the very first definition of patience in my dictionary has nothing to do with waiting. In fact, it has to do with bearing up under annoyance, persecution, misfortune, pain - all without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or emotional outburst! Hmmm...well, when I think about it, catching that fish means I occasionally get a little annoyed when they repeatedly steal my worms, feeling a little like they are laughing at me when they scurry away from my contented by their latest feast! While I try to remain calm, there are just times when I get a little 'outburst' of disgust with those clever ones that avoid the hook repeatedly! It is the next definition of patience that most of us associate the 'feeling' or 'action' of patience with - that of a willingness to suppress our endless restlessness when there is a delay in our gratification. If we go so far as to examine the very first "synonym" of patience, we will find the word "stability" as a descriptor of patience! Stability? Yup, because in the waiting, we are to never veer from our foundation of trust and hope.

Our patience (stability, lack of restlessness, diligence) needs to be passionate! What is being described is an intensity that surpasses the normal patience we exhibit in daily dealings. When the need arises for our persistence, we are intent on persisting. Fervent, enthusiastic, consistent submission to the alert discipline, spiritual understanding, and good character that God is building in our lives. Things in life will come our way that will require us to make the right amount of emotional investment - neither too much, nor too little. This describes the type of life that is in balance - emotionally, spiritually, and physically. There is an intensity, but it is not marked with restlessness or overtures of impatience. We have observed people going through things that we could label as "intense" in their lives, each one of them taking hold of that "intensity" in a different way. Some dig in deeper, almost looking for cover in whatever they find might distract them away from that severe intensity, if even for just a few moments. I like to use humor to release a little bit of that tension that mounts in those times - if even for just a few minutes - as it releases many 'good hormones' that help me make it through the tough moments.  Others might find themselves turning tail and running, attempting to escape the intensity because it is too unpleasant, requires too much investment, or presents uncomfortable options for them.

The kind of response to intensity that does not move quickly into that immediate complaint about the circumstance, does not easily become irritated with the amount of investment being required (emotionally, physically, spiritually) - this is what God is looking for in each of us. In fact, there is to be a response from within us that shows that the desire for immediate gratification is no longer the motivating influence in our lives. For many of us, we have a long way to go on this one. Honest evaluation of our lives would confirm that we struggle with submission when the issues are intense, the pressures are mounting and the promise of any kind of gratification is waning! How do we get to this point of passionate patience? Remembering what our passage has already revealed to us, it is through allowing the Holy Spirit to work into the very fibers of our being the stability that needs to be there. Today will present us with one or more opportunities to choose wisely - when we do (we call that obedience), a new fiber is woven into us. The more we make those good choices, the more the fibers of obedience are interwoven, until we have a strong cord that bears up under pressure. It is not instantaneous! In fact, it takes time. Add to that 'patience' and you get the picture!

God is after a work of art, not just a quickly sketched design in each of us. His goal is that we will allow the moments of 'required waiting' to become a thing we are comfortable with - allowing him to create within us a solid and secure foundation.  At first, we feel like it is a clumsy, slow, and arduous process to learn to wait, much less have any passion in it. After some time, the passion and the waiting becomes easier - in other words, we don't resist the work of the Holy Spirit in directing our choices any longer. We enjoy the touch of the Holy Spirit's hand, gently directing us, keeping us steady, allowing just enough tension in our lives to "weave together" that which produces the beauty of his holiness within. Passionate patience - it is the work of the truly "Skilled Artisan" in our lives. Just sayin!

Don't buy new

Build upon what you have been given. This past weekend had a slight break in the absolutely hot weather, so I took advantage of putting together a stand for a friend's bike. The project had been lingering on my 'to do' list for way too long. As I thought about how to go about building this piece, I had many options, but I chose to 're-purpose' reclaimed wood to make the project's base. It was two inch thick pieces about five inches wide wood from some pallets I disassembled some time ago. Dried, solid, and beyond the degree of strength of the stuff I could get at the local builder's store, I chose to 'build upon what I had been given', so to speak. It turned out to make a very solid base to support the cruiser bike. We might not think that we can build upon much in our spiritual life, but one of the ways we can is to choose to build upon what we have been given and then to develop 'alert discipline' in its use. To a strong moral foundation (created by allowing the Lord to remodel how we interpret moral or good choices) and developing spiritual discernment, we are to add alert discipline. Usually, we think of discipline in one of two ways: 1) the character traits of being very organized, on top of things, and totally ordered in our daily work; or 2) the punishment we get when we don't make the right choices. Both are truthful meaning and each has a place in our lives as we 'grow' in Christ - allowing him to help us 'build upon what we have been given' in our walk.

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
(2 Peter 1:5-9)

The term "alert discipline" is really a kind of self-control - the ability to exercise some consistent type of restraint over our actions and our feelings. It carries the idea of being "level headed" in our daily walk. A disciple of Christ needs to be balanced in their emotions - that balance influences all the actions that one takes. Alert discipline is really a state of "stability" in our mind, emotions, and will. There are times I joke about 'losing my sanity' over something that is happening in my life - usually a build-up of events, one upon the other, until things are kind of spiraling out of control. At that moment, I need more than any other thing this 'alert discipline' spoken of here in this passage. Why? Without it, I am going to find myself buried under that mountain of mess rather than using it as a building foundation!

The idea of alert discipline is really an attitude or mindset toward remaining in a condition of stability or "sanity" in our daily walk. It is the ability to resist the tendency to "over-focus" on things that are really "minor" in the scheme of things and the ability to "re-focus" on the things that we need to be "majoring" in. It is the consistent control of our emotional investment in the things we are going through - attentively investing the right amount of emotional energy into those things (neither too much, nor too little). It is also the determined strength to resist that which will provide a negative effect in our lives and to invest in that which will allow us to grow. When someone shares that their 'sanity' is under attack, I don't take the request for "sanity" lightly - it is usually a reflection of a heart that is being "pulled" in a whole bunch of different directions. It is a heartfelt plea for balance. That is exactly what we need to add into our lives - total and complete balance. The next time you feel your world beginning to spin out of control, remember to ask God to add "alert discipline" into your daily walk, redirecting your emotions, focusing your mind and assisting in your battle of the will.

Stability (the ability to continue on without much change) is really a state that we are constantly moving toward. As we came to Christ, as babes in Christ, we possessed very little stability in the area of our emotions, will or mindset. We find that we are up one day, down the next, obedience coming easily this time, but with much effort the next. That is a natural part of growing in Christ. We need to recognize that as our moral fibers are "re-knit" and our spiritual discernment is being "fine-tuned", God is also moving about doing the work of bringing us into a state of stability (in our mind, will and emotions). We cannot have stability if the foundation is "off". We cannot enjoy consistency in our choices if we are not accurately "interpreting" life's events. The moment we begin to look at building upon what we have been given instead of always looking for new building materials, we might just find that with God's help in our lives there is much use for what it is we already possess! Just sayin!

Help me to get this one

We are often reminded of the importance of allowing the moral foundation of our lives to be rebuilt or "re-formed" by the hand of God, in order to affect the choices that ultimately work to form our reputation. Add to that the attribute of spiritual understanding and you have a recipe for a strong walk. This is definitely more than a personal interpretation of the things contained in the Word of God. It involves all our intellectual faculties for sure, but it also involves the power to discern - to really identify truth from fiction and then to embrace only truth, dismissing all fiction (deception) from our lives.

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

(2 Peter 1:5-9)

Discernment is the ability to recognize something for what it is - in other words, it is the application of knowledge (what we know) to what it is we are interpreting. If we are using "natural" discernment, we are relying on the past experiences we have had and what we have amassed in our years of learning (education, exposure to research, etc.) to "interpret" the new information or experience we are encountering. The problem with this type of discernment is that it is limited by our experiences and exposure to things in life. I am limited in my understanding of woodworking, but I have some experiences that tell me some basic tools are necessary. I also understand the truth of measure twice, cut once! These are 'experience' truths - I could learn them from a book, but the more I do a little woodworking here and there, the more I 'experience' the opportunities to relearn these truths.

Spiritual discernment involves the process of taking what we are exposed to and running it through a series of "testing" filters to ensure that we are interpreting it correctly - not solely upon past experience and outcomes. These include the Word of God, the direction of the Holy Spirit, and our own conscience. If what we are interpreting "checks out" through these filters (lines up with the Word, doesn't get us a "check" in our spirit, etc.), we are usually safe to embrace the learning, tackle the project, or pursue the path before us. If it does not, we need to step back and "regroup" with God on the matter. It is that 'regrouping moment' that often saves the heartache and hardship of pursuing an incorrect course with our actions. It is that specific action we often are missing in our walk - taking time to hear what God has to say on the matter.

Discernment involves the ability to distinguish between two or more "criteria" and find the truth in it, know the direction we are to take, etc. As we grow in our understanding of the Word of God, for instance, we find it takes less time to distinguish truth when we are hearing it. The Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance what we have previously studied, allowing it to deny or confirm what it is that we are being exposed to today. When we say someone has a discerning taste for some particular food item, we are acknowledging their ability to appreciate the small nuances contained within each dish. They are able to not only 'taste' the finished product, but they are able to distinguish what has gone into the completion of that product.

Spiritual understanding grows as we are exposed to the things God has given us for our development - the Word, solid teaching, etc. Understanding is never a stagnant thing - it develops over time, constantly being expanded and renewed - and tested. I know that things I had been exposed to in the Word a long time ago can come alive in a new way when I am exposed to those same things today. Why is this? It is simply that I have grown in my understanding by little bits here and there - you, too. We have allowed the Word to affect us - giving us new "filtering" capacity. What we "filtered" one way in the youth of our Christian walk may have a totally different application to us today.

If we are to develop a solid moral foundation, we need our spiritual understanding to be developed. Development is always a process - it is one foot in front of the other - not leaps and bounds. To this small iota of knowledge about how God works we see added another iota of knowledge. This is repeated over and over again, until our knowledge of God's ways of working in our lives is increased. In time, this serves as a basis of "interpreting" how we respond to what circumstances life brings our way.  If we expect to rely solely upon experience to get us through, we will find our discernment is very limited. We need God's guidance added to that experience - this is what will help us develop a solid foundation upon which we move forward. Just sayin!

Which way do I go?

There are some areas of town I really don't like to drive in because the 'intersections' of roads and freeways are just kind of hazardous to one's health and safety! The traffic comes at you from all directions - more than just east or west - it comes from about six different angles, each 'flow' of traffic expecting their own freedom of passage! While I recognize there were great engineers behind the development of these intersection points, I don't think they took into consideration the lack of attentiveness some would pay to these 'way points' in their journey. Sure, they are 'safe' way points - as long as one is paying attention to the posted signs and warning lights! Get distracted at all, or be totally unfamiliar with these places of intersection, and it is pretty risky business to traverse these way points! There are just times in life when we aren't pay as close attention to life's way points as we might need to - way points specifically designed for our safe passage, but totally reliant upon us being both attentive and obedient to the 'safe passage' directions we are given!

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. (James 1:21 MSG)

A couple of instructions for our safe passage are found in this verse - not for the safe passage at those city intersections, but at those 'intersections' in our lives where we are forced to make tough decisions or pay attention with a heightened intensity. At the center of it all is a listening ear - the ear is to lead us because it is attentive to instruction. To have a hearing ear, one has to have a focused mind - we rarely hear clearly if we aren't paying particular attention. This is one thing I have learned by having a hard of hearing parent - if she isn't paying attention carefully, she misses what is said. To share something important with her, I must first get and hold her attention. The same is so true in our own lives when it comes to God giving us any instruction - he has to first 'get' our attention and then he is challenged these days to actually 'hold' it for very long! There are so many distractions that it easy to be led by something other than the clear voice of God's truth!

The tongue is mentioned second because so many times when we are confused or only 'half-hear' something, we begin to speak and that only adds to the volume of 'noise' God has to filter out in order for us to actually begin to hear him! When mom cannot hear what I am saying, she begins to repeat back, or say something like, "Huh, what did you say about the..." Why is it that we humans seek to interject instead of letting those things sink in a bit? The thing I have observed is that she often hears what is being said, but actually begins to say she didn't hear it before she allows it to kind of 'sink in' a little. If she just pauses and considers what I said, she often gets a pretty good idea of what is being said. The ear may have missed something, but it really heard more than she may have realized. The tongue can get in the way of us hearing at times - so rather than leading with the tongue, allow it to follow up on what is heard - but not before we take the time and effort to hear. Yes, we may have to ask for things to be repeated, but the more attention to listening first, the less we will need to ask to have things repeated!

Have you noticed the clever ways those who design roadways and intersections actually choose the landscaping that is used at these transition points? There is a 'grade' to the intersection that is specifically designed for things like the speed of the vehicle approaching the intersection point and even the ways the headlights of each vehicle will reflect upward or downward as that approach is made. Some of the 'grading' of the landscape allows the right angle to be met for safe passage with minimal distraction by things that momentarily 'blind us' in that passage. The Word of God is a great 'landscaper' in our lives. The more we allow the Word to create the things that bring safety and safe passage in our lives, the easier it is to maneuver when these 'intersection moments' occur. We will always have these moments, but they are best navigated when the Word of God has created the right 'grade' upon which our passage can occur! Just sayin!

Trust me on this one....

Trust is a big thing, not so much because we do a great job with this one, but it is so often the focus of attention because of how frequently it is breached. Look at how many 'hacking' issues have left millions exposed to identity fraud because one individual was able to breach what others thought they could trust in. Consider how many relationships dissolve each year, simply because trust was breached. Trust is based on the integrity of another - we count on them to do what it is that they represent themselves capable of doing. When trust is broken, we find ourselves questioning the strength of that relationship because we have based everything on the belief that the other party would perform as we expected and how they 'promised' they would be able to perform. I know I have antivirus software on the computer, but has that kept me free of SPAM, occasional virus invasions, or computer crashes? No, because the 'lines of trust' are always changing today! It is harder and harder to know what or who it is that can be trusted.

But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims, a sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God! But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to. (Romans 10:14-17)

Within this passage, we find the idea of calling out for help - expressing there is a need, being honest with others about what that need truly is, and then being willing to open up to having that need met. Society is full of individuals just waiting to know where they can place their trust without having it crushed in utter disappointment. It is hard to be in a position of wanting to trust, but not knowing in where to place that trust so it is not violated. It is important for each believer in Christ to realize that is exactly our mission while on this earth - to point the way for others to see and know Christ - the basis of all trust, the very image of true integrity, the One, true God. All other foundation for 'trust' is really a pretty shaky foundation! It is true that very few of us are called to be missionaries, evangelists, preachers, or teachers of the Word. We aren't moved upon with that compulsion to make this a "full-time" ministry in life. Yet, we have a place of influence that is unique to us wherever it is we are placed in this world. A family in which we were raised, a neighborhood in which we dwell, or a business in which we associate with customers and labor alongside others. The message is ours to carry to a lost world - how can anyone hear if no one is telling them?

What does it mean to be living epistles? It means we find very practical ways to be messengers of Christ to a lost and hurting world. We find the idea of us sharing the hope we have paired with the idea of our message needing to fall upon listening ears. I have often been encountered by individuals so earnest about sharing their faith with family or friends, yet feeling like the message is just never embraced by them - it is almost rejected, or perhaps we might say the individual sharing the message feels rejected rather than the message itself. Why is it that we share and they don't get it? Isaiah struggled with that same question thousands of years ago - how come they don't get it, God? He found himself repeatedly warning Israel that their missteps as a nation were leading them deeper and deeper into compromise and further away from relationship with God.

Listening ears are prerequisite to a responsive heart. Trust stems from the heart - there is always going to be an emotional investment in trusting someone else. People don't want to make an emotional investment if their past experiences with trusting have ended in disappointment or catastrophe. Sometimes the only thing we can do is to continue to prove the trustworthiness of our God - both in our example and in our words. Trust implies reliance upon someone - someone that surpasses the trustworthiness of anyone else in our lives at times. There are times when we are so reliant on ourselves, we fail to reach out to rely on another. That may be the case in a soul that seems resistant to the gospel message. At other times, the individual may have reached out in reliance, only to find that what they were counting on was inadequate and incapable of performing as they hoped. When individuals are facing this type of confusion about who or what they can trust in, there is a reluctance to attempt to trust again.

Listening ears are ears touched by the grace of a holy God. We can share the message, but we also need to ask God to touch the ears of the one who has the opportunity to hear that message, in turn opening their heart to receive the truth that gives absolute and confident hope. Paul and Isaiah both were right - there needs to be messengers who will bring the message of hope. There also needs to be prayer warriors that will come alongside to intercede for the opening of ears, the softening of hearts, and the responsiveness of spirit required to develop trust. Together, the message is a dynamo that will ignite hope like nothing else this world has to offer. So, whether you are the preacher/teacher or prayer-warrior, your influence is great. Don't be defeated when it appears no one is embracing the message - keep on living it out! The lived out message is often the one that encourages the non-trusting soul to "take a chance" at trusting God! Just sayin!

Don't just pucker up!

We've all seen that little plaque somewhere that announces, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." I think this is probably somebody's way of trying to keep lemonade stands in business! Truth be told, you can only take so much lemonade! A steady diet of lemonade gets to taste pretty bitter after a while and it changes what the 'inside' of your body looks like! Your physical body can only handle so much "acidic" intake before it starts to rebel with changes internally that you may not fully recognize until they have created a state of imbalance that you cannot easily bounce back from. Even when lemon juice is applied externally, to the skin or the like, it has an effect of lightening the skin, or making the places it touches very raw from the acidic nature of the lemon juice. Guess what - your spiritual state of "balance" can be equally as disturbed by a steady diet of "bitterness" just as easily - bitterness acting like an 'emotional acid' that eats away at both internal and external structures of your life. 

If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Proverbs 29:18)

At times, not being able to see what God is doing leads to us stumbling all over ourselves. Sometimes, we even stumble all over each other in the process of just 'stumbling around' with bitterness at the root of our lives. For many of us, "not seeing what God is doing" can be a little more common-place than we think. I know it took me a long while in my own life to finally come to the place where I actually took the time to just settle myself down long enough to finally get to the place that God could even begin to show me what he was doing! I charged around in the chaos and clutter of the moment, wondering all along what God was doing, but not even bothering getting quiet in my spirit long enough for him to speak to me. I was adding even more chaos to the situation by my inattention to God.

The danger of becoming more focused on what you can do with the "lemons" in life than on how God wants you to be processing those "lemons" is that we may become very bitter by their influence over us. Whenever we give life's issues more attention than we give God, we get chaos, clutter, and calamity. Where chaos is present, the soil of our hearts, minds, and spirits are ripe for a harvest of bitter fruit. Chaos is a state of utter confusion, disorder, or turmoil. In chaos, we don't see or hear clearly - we interpret things through a perspective that is clouded by the acidic nature of the circumstances. Acid burns - it creates a sour mood, unkind responses, and unintended consequences. Acid also has a way of 'corroding' what once was good.

It is a fine line between being caught up in the moment and being silent in God's presence. That is exactly how God intends to keep us from a steady intake of "lemonade" that turns us bitter on the inside! In the quiet of his presence, we are "re-balanced". Whenever I find myself interpreting life's issues as though they are lemons just ripe for making lemonade, God helps me to remember that I really don't like the taste of lemonade! His Holy Spirit is kind of like our spiritual "litmus" paper - that tiny strip of paper that lets us see if a substance is acidic or alkaline. Too acidic and we need to re-balance in order to not become bitter old bags! Too alkaline and we need to re-balance in order to actually have any impact as the salt of this earth! As you may have heard, to be "blessed" is to be happy. It is not a promise that God will lavish all kinds of material blessings on us, but rather a reminder that our hearts, minds, and spirits will be "re-centered" on what matters, what gives true hope, and what will create inner peace in the time of trial. If life is giving you lemons right now, ask God to show you how to handle the lemons. Get quiet long enough for the Spirit of God to show you just how much of that 'acidic influence' you have internalized and how it has affected your inner spirit. When we do, he can bring balance again and help us to avoid the bitterness that comes when we try to deal with truckloads of lemons all on our own! Just sayin!

Open doors, not the earth!

How much time do you spend "pondering"? Pondering is way more than just letting your mind wander here or there. Pondering carries with it the idea of considering something so carefully that we are going through the mental process of weighing all the details, with an attentiveness to the details that help us to not miss a thing. God actually commends those of us who spend time in such a manner! This is how God wants us to be considering his actions on our behalf. There is nothing more rewarding than to truly begin to consider God's love and grace in action - it has a way of refocusing our attention and directing our attitude away from "me, me, me" - something we need more help with than we might want to admit. We are very 'me' focused individuals - even if we don't see it, others can attest to this fact!

We pondered your love-in-action, God, waiting in your temple: Your name, God, evokes a train
of Hallelujahs wherever it is spoken, near and far; your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action. 
(Psalm 48:9-10)

Do you know who the sons of Korah were in scripture? There were five sons of Korah that joined King David as expert warriors, but their heritage is marked by some pretty serious rebellion in their forefather, Korah. Korah was one of the individuals who rebelled against Moses and Aaron because he was jealous of all the attention and authority they received. His rebellion led to a few hundred followers also rebelling, but also to their ultimate end as the earth opened up and swallowed them! It just goes to show that when 'me' gets in the way of what our true focus should be, the outcome may not be to get what we really wanted! We also know from the record of the lineage of Korah, that his family line was numbered among the Levites (those that kept the temple in order). They were the door-keepers of the temple and were responsible to help carry the articles contained within the temple from place to place as Israel wandered in the wilderness. When they were not on the move, they stood at the threshold of the temple in their duties of service. As the temple became a permanent structure in the city of Jerusalem, we find their names recorded as men who were charged with the responsibility of setting prophesy and praise to song, along with melody from musical instruments. Today, we'd think of them as the men that "open the service in praise and worship" - worship leaders. If we consider their "station" in the temple, they are the ones who provide the way into the holy presence of God through praise and worship - a long way from the rebellion of their forefather.

There is importance in speaking the name of God. We are told that it invokes praise and worship where it is spoken. Why is this? There is power in the name of God - creative, restorative power that just beckons one to cry out in praise. We may not always see the immediate effect of his name being spoken, but there is a power so intense in that name that all of heaven and earth sits at attention when it is spoken. It is by that name that all things are held together - even us - think on that one for just a moment. Praise is the "pondering" of God's movement in our lives. It is the frequent and consistent consideration of the keeping, strengthening, delivering power of our God. When we become less focused on ourselves, and more focused on honoring God with every word that proceeds from our mouths, we open doors. We may not have the "job" of being the door-keepers in the temple of our God, but we do have a similar opportunity in opening doors for a hungry and thirsty world. We need only begin to speak of God's graces and someone who is hurting can be drawn into the presence of the one who can minister to that specific hurt. In the exalting of the name of God, they are ushered into the arms that are filled with all goodness in action - all the grace they need awaits them.

If you want to learn how to be a "ponderer" of God's graces and his goodness, God honors that desire with his presence. If you want to learn to express the wonder of his love even better than you have in the past, he will meet you in the moment of your praise. So, praise on! There is nothing wrong with opening a few doors, when those doors lead into the presence of God. We don't want to become so 'me' focused that what we encounter is our pride and rebellion. We will do much better by allowing God's presence to wash over us, turning our eyes again toward him, and seeing just how magnificent his presence is for those who stop long enough to 'ponder' him. Just sayin!

You want me to get real?

While reality television is all the rage right now, it can be a little bit over the top most of the time. No matter the day of the week, you can capture some version of this "watch me make a fool of myself" programming complete with scenes from what we can expect the following week. People have been drawn into to the latest wave of "reality" programming because it gives them a chance to see the "true nature" of how people respond under pressure, how far they will really go when challenged to do what any sane individual would avoid, and just how much 'moxie' one possesses to treat others in ways they never should be treated in a million years. It has the game show appeal of some prize at the end, but it also puts people in the situation where all kinds of pressure emerges and then let's us see exactly how they respond to competition, disappointment, desire, and a whole plethora of pretty serious emotions. The idea is to go through not only physical torture, but emotional highs and lows, all the while allowing the world to gaze upon just how big of a fool you could actually turn out to be!

If you think you know it all, you're a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others. (Proverbs 28:26)

Why do we feel the allure to watch this type of programming? It is kind of simple really - we want to see the "raw truth" of how human nature responds - the word 'reality' is part of their name because it exposes the 'reality' of just how low we can go. We are curious, in a kind of sick way, to see if someone will "crack under pressure". We might even compare ourselves with the person featured on the show, finding that we either admire them for their response under pressure, or we find all manner of fault with their behavior. We sit before the TV, removed from the events, yet we "think" we know what they are going through - acting as judge and jury, we 'pass sentence' on their manifest behaviors. There is another "show" we taken in everyday - the "show" we call real life - the everyday stuff we encounter in keeping a home, working a job, and getting to and from wherever it is we need to be going. We observe others, even ourselves, and make all kinds of judgments about each and every response our eyes observe. Heed the warning - if we think we are in the position of knowing it all, we need to be very careful! That is actually a place of extreme personal bondage - it is easy for a know-it-all to be tripped up, duped into many an action that may have a pretty awful consequence, and engage in many a debate it would have been much wiser to have avoided. "Real survivors" learn wisdom from others - not because they have experienced it all themselves.

Sometimes our response to life's challenges leave others wondering if they would act similarly in the same circumstances, but there is more to what they see than that outward response we let them see, isn't there? It can take years to get to that response of forgiving when wronged, choosing to hold our tongue rather than responding in hostility, or to choose the path that affords the greatest resistance even when easier ones are right there in front of us! It takes years of observing those around us - of seeing how others respond in like circumstances. It also takes years of us seeing how our responses truthfully affect others! If we want to be "real survivors" we will open ourselves to the learning of wisdom from those placed within our lives - believers and non-believers alike. Each affords us an opportunity to learn the lessons of life that God so earnestly desires we will "get" some day. We need to become observers of the reality right there around us - in the relationships we form, the ones we avoid, and the challenges of each of these. In those learning moments, we gain wisdom - if we are open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. If we are closed minded (a fool), we will just make the same compromises/mistakes over and over again. The "reality" will continue to happen until we own up to our need for God's wisdom worked out in our daily walk.

Today, if we find ourselves in the position of "reality show" repeats in our daily walk, perhaps it is time to "change the channel" and embrace what God would want to teach. Our new-found wisdom could change the course of our life and give another the opportunity to see some 'truthful' form of reality! Just sayin!

Tell me honestly - I can take it

The last thing most of us want is any kind of reprimand - let alone a serious one. On a scale of 1 to 10, most of us would say a reprimand ranks as a 1 to 3 on the scale of "I really wanted that". Not too many of us would even give it higher than a 5 because we really don't enjoy being reprimanded because it is uncomfortable and often a little 'intrusive' into who we really are or how we are acting. A reprimand is always associated with behavior that just did not "measure up". It carries with it the idea of rebuke or reproof. I always knew I was in for a little bit of a reprimand by the tone of mom's voice, or when she'd use my whole name! It made my hair kind of stand up on the back of my neck - because I knew something I did crossed the line. She could have tried some kind of "positive affirmation", but let me tell you, it wouldn't have had the same effect. There is just something about hearing quite clearly that you missed the mark - isn't there?

In the end, serious reprimand is appreciated far more than boot-licking flattery. (Proverbs 28:23)

A rebuke is often coupled with the admonition to change one's ways, or else you will endure the consequences. To be reproved is to have one's behavior corrected - to provide direction as to how we should be acting or responding, rather than the way we did respond. Realizing that a reprimand carries with it the idea of both, how many of us would line up for a reprimand now? Having our behavior "pointed out" or "called out" is often quite uncomfortable for us. We get very self-conscious - when this happens, we want to "preserve" as much face as possible. So, we may become very skilled at trying to avoid the truth about our behavior - sometimes going to the extreme to cover it up! Having friends that do nothing more than lavish us with boot licking flattery is pretty lame. We call this "brown-nosing" today. I won't elaborate on that one!

I have endured both - if I were to be honest, I'd also have to tell you that I have been the instigator of both, as well. It is much easier to give a compliment and avoid conflict than it is to encounter a wrong behavior, or someone completely missing the mark. Flattery is really insincere speech of any kind - if we are not honest, we are probably engaging in a little flattery more than we might first like to admit. The difference between words of flattery and a reprimand is the result or outcome of those words. Flattery feeds my ego - a reprimand causes me to look at myself through the eyes of another which can sometimes give me a greater insight into where I am missing the mark than any other form of communication. A reprimand often exposes the unrealized results of my selfish behavior as it affects both my own walk, AND how it affects those around me. We don't live on an island all by ourselves - so, what we do and say affects more than ourselves.

A faithful friend will bring both words of encouragement (not flattery) and words of rebuke/reproof as warranted. Notice that I said "as warranted" - just being friends doesn't give us permission to constantly point out things that we don't like that another does. There are some things that we each do that aren't exactly the way another might do them, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with the way they do them! It is their way of doing them and we need to allow them the freedom to do those things in ways that they have become familiar with as long as those 'ways' don't hurt others, or lead that friend down a pathway that could lead to their ultimate harm. 

Ever notice that it is much easier to accept encouragement or a rebuke from a friend? When relationship is established, the words have a different level of "hitting home". We may not appreciate a rebuke the first time we hear the words, but later, once we have had time to process them and the love with which they were spoken, we have a greater appreciation for both the reprimand and the friend who brought it. Let's be faithful in relationship to not only bring encouragement to each other, but to also add that element of "iron sharpening iron", as needed. When we are committed within relationship, there is no room for boot licking flattery! Just sayin!

Service + God's Hand = Blessing

It hardly seems a day goes by anymore without some tragedy being reported on the evening news of a man or woman bent on harming others by some means of gunfire or violent outburst. The news is filled with these stories of a world in chaos. Maybe not all of the news is 'human caused' events, as even nature seems to be joining in the chaos with volcano eruptions, massive wildfires, and consuming floods. Do we daily lift our leaders before the Lord, asking him to give them wisdom in their decisions? I know that I am not one of those that "regularly" prays for our country's leadership - I almost have to be reminded of the issues, then I remember to pray! Do we daily lift those who have to face hardship after hardship, finding ways to bring them some relief if at all possible? Do we casually say, "I'll pray for you," all the while knowing we will forget about the need just about as soon as that individual is out of our line of sight?

2 When the country is in chaos, everybody has a plan to fix it—but it takes a leader of real understanding to straighten things out.... 9 God has no use for the prayers of the people who won't listen to him. (Proverbs 28:2, 9)

Well, if you have been taking a really long nap, you probably don't realize that this fits us to a tee! We are a country in chaos - and it seems that everybody has a plan to fix what they view as "wrong with America". I imagine it is like that just about everywhere right now - Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Mexico - the list could go on and on. People are unhappy, needs are not being met, jobs are not panning out, the spiritual health of nations are in states of unrest, and even 'nature' seems to be bringing no relief from the mounting stress upon mounting economic doom. What's the remedy? Simply put, it is that we have an obligation to be a light in a very dark world - each one of us is to be sensitive to the needs that exist and then to find ways to meet them. We have opportunities to affect the course of our nation's crisis - through our prayers and through our witness - but also through our actions. 

I may not know how to pray for all the intricate details of each person's issues right now, but I do know how to pray for my next door neighbor and the gal in the cubicle next to me at work. That is where revival in our country begins - each one of us, stepping up to lift up those individuals God brings into our paths and finding ways to be a blessing in their lives. As we do this, he enlarges our influence. This past weekend, with mom being home from the hospital about one week, my BFF found a way to bless her - with freshly baked banana nut bread. That loaf of bread lit up her heart, and it filled her belly with awesome goodness! It was a simple act, but one that meant so much. The ways we become a blessing don't have to be grandiose - they just have to be done in love!

Even if we are not burdened by a "nation in crisis" right now, we should be burdened by a neighbor in crisis. We may not be the leader of a nation, but we are a "leader" in our sphere of influence. Let's ask God to give us real understanding as it applies to those we have the ability to influence - those whose lives need just a little bit of kindness and love shown to them in a world that seems rather chaotic and challenging to them at the moment. You never really know how God will take the lives of those individuals we have touched in simple acts of obedient service and use those lives to influence others. The results can be astronomical when service is directed by the hand of God. Some days that service may be in the form of a heartfelt prayer - others may be finding ways to touch their lives in very tangible ways. Just sayin!

Bold as lions

Guilt has a way of making us "edgy" - nervously irritable, impatient, anxious - maybe because we fear we will be 'found out' somewhere along the line for whatever it is we are feeling all that guilt over. One of the most "telling" characteristics of someone who is feeling a sense of guilt is that sharp edge that they get to their tone whenever they feel they need to defend themselves in their present state. It is human nature to either want to defend our actions, or to run from the scene in an attempt to escape the emotional upset guilt brings. WE want an 'out', while GOD wants an 'in'!

The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one's after them; honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions. (Proverbs 28:1)

We each have a unique opportunity to touch "edgy" people with the grace of a forgiving God, but it might be harder to take the 'edge' off someone if they really don't want anyone to know of their guilt. In scripture, there is something referred to as the two-fold call of the disciples - it involves both preaching repentance and then revealing there is forgiveness of one's sins. We are not exempt from this call today. It is our duty to point guilt-ridden (edgy) people to the only thing that can really set them free from that guilt: Christ. Repentance is really the actionable part that man plays in the process - it is the change of one's mindset that begins the process of allowing healing to occur within. Forgiveness (or remittance) of our sins is God's part.

Honest people are upright in their character - there is no contradiction in their character - in other words, there is consistency between actions and words. They live relaxed and confident lives. We can see so many people living under the stress of life, never really enjoying their lives, living in a rather mixed up way, but never really feeling 'settled' in anything they do. Relationships are a mess, possessions do not satisfy their desires, and all attempts at success and fame leave them just a little emptier than they were before. Why? They lack the "relaxation" and "confidence" that comes from having their lives truly in order as it should be - ordered by the God of the universe, not by anything they can do or achieve.

What can we do to help point people to Christ? I honestly believe that a life that has been frequently touched by the Lord of Lords is "noticeable" - there is a difference in the basic way we process life and deal with life's occurrences. This difference acts as a little bit of a "lure" to peak the curiosity of the one who is observing us. It opens the doors to conversation and questions that stimulate further exploration. A redeemed soul reflect so much of God's grace and hope through the eyes - remember, the eyes are the window to the soul. Don't be afraid to let others "notice" what God has done in your life.

I know that we all have opportunities to be more sensitive to the "openings" God creates that are provided to share what it is that gives us hope, empowers us to live differently, etc. We often miss these open doors because we aren't looking for them. Others are frequently looking at things with a "different eye" for the detail than we may be seeing at that same moment. We each see and interpret life in a different way - even though we are in similar situations. Don't be afraid to share what God has given you a "view of" in your walk - it often differs from that of another - and may very well be exactly what they need to break free from what has them bound at this moment. Trust God for opportunities. With each opportunity, he gives insight. With each bit of insight, he gives the grace to express that insight. With each expression of his grace, he sends his Spirit to back it up with the power that plants the seed deeply. With each planted seed, he brings the future opportunities for the seed to take root and to eventually affect the one in which it was planted. We may not see much of an immediate result - but a seed planted is all he may be asking for from us at that moment. God's kids are unique and that uniqueness gives us an edge in a very "edgy" world. Let's allow our light to shine and see what that accomplishes in those we touch this week. Just sayin!

Evidence of Love - prayer

The return we reap from generous actions is not always evident. 

(Francesco Guicciardini)

Mr. Guicciardini also reminds us, "Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them." These are indeed wise words, for friendship is one of the things once gained acts as both a means to challenge us to move forward, but also gives us the support to take those first steps in the right direction. I am privileged to know good friends, but no matter what you say, there is always going to be one who stands out above the rest. That 'friend' who sticks with you through thick or thin, and even when they cannot be with you, their support is felt because you know you are never far from their thoughts nor out of their prayers for very long! Generous prayers lifted on your behalf, simply spoken from the heart, but with utmost meaning to those who need that support at that moment!

So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11 MSG)

We reap much in prayer, sometimes on behalf of another, sometimes for our own use and benefit. Either way, prayer is a powerful tool when spoken in genuine trust to the one who holds all the answers we ever need. Love flourishes when prayer is the beginning point within relationship - it cannot help but flourish, for prayer is communication with the God of ALL love! God allows our feelings to be expressed - he isn't going to turn away from a genuine heart poured out to him in prayer. Moreover, he is willing to listen to even those prayers we sometimes call "arrow prayers" - those ones 'shot up' in a moment of absolute need, trusting that he hears even those simple requests that pierce the darkness of the moment.

Bountiful fruits are a benefit reaped from living honest lives - lives poured out in sacrifice for each other and in genuine love. We can never deny the bountiful grace of God - for it is ever flowing and ever renewed. Fruit doesn't come just once - it returns season after season - but only to the 'tended vine'. The fruit we bear in relationship with each other is because we have 'tended the vine' of that relationship - communicating need, listening to confessions of deep-seated fears, and then responding by taking those things to the one who meets all needs - God himself. Friendship is nothing without prayer. It is nothing without grace. It is everything when it is based in faith and trust in the one who is greater than all our need combined! Just sayin!

I spy with my little eye.....

If you have ever tried to judge the contents of a book simply by looking at the cover, you may have been somewhere into the first couple of chapters only to find what you thought the book may have been about turned out to be something totally not like expected!  You may have been very disappointed in your initial "assessment" of the book, even leaving it unread any further just because you weren't interested in it, or it was way too poor of a read. Once I get into the "heart" of the book, and I find what I hoped was contained there is missing, or falls short of what I expected, I usually abandon it, never to pick it up again. What I hoped was a "good read" leaves me a little disillusioned. Sometimes there are things in life that look like they will be a 'good thing', but once we find ourselves in the midst of them, they aren't exactly turning out the way we imagined!

Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart.  (Proverbs 27:19)

While each of us are definitely not "books", we do "reflect" a certain image or 'cover' to the world by how we conduct ourselves, dress, and what appears on our face. I am often called on the carpet because my face betrays my REAL feelings toward some decision or situation that is evolving. So many people today have become proficient in "putting on a happy face", but deep underneath, they seethe in anger, wallow in disappointment, or are bubbling at high heat with absolute discontent. I am a people-watcher and you can often observe me just watching others. I like to observe how they walk, what they do with their hands, how they posture, where they position themselves in a group, etc. It tells me a lot about that person, but it never tells me the whole story. In fact, to really get to know the individual, I need to study their eyes. Within their eyes, I can often see hurt, fear, folly, or any number of other emotional connections that give me some insight into the individual. That insight either entices me 'into' relationship with them, or it repels me. It isn't that I want to offend them, but it is like I get a short way into the book and find it doesn't 'match' what I hoped to find in the pages within!

Windows to our soul - eyes are windows - and it is quite true if you consider what the eyes 'betray' about an individual. They often betray our true response to a situation quicker than any other part of our being. They also act as the "gateway" by which a whole lot of stuff affects us! What we behold with our eyes often determines our response to the situation.
When I am tired, and maybe even a little beat down by life, my eyes are dull - they don't reflect much life or enthusiasm at that moment. When I am energized from within by the Holy Spirit that resides within, there is a vitality evident in my eyes, despite the physical fatigue my body may feel. I have seen men and women in their last days of struggle with terminal disease, bodies consumed with disease and pain, with eyes aglow with the joy of the Lord. If I only looked at the "cover" of their book, I'd see an entirely different story than what is really contained within the pages of their heart! We often discount a 'good read' by the cover!

We need to become proficient at "reading" what is reflected in the eyes. Even if someone has become proficient at wearing the "masks" of life, simply covering over what is affecting them at the moment, their eyes are visible through the mask! The eyes are a true reflection of what is happening deep within the heart - as we 'read' the eyes, we are gaining insight into the individual's heart. The heart is the seat of our emotions - emotions are affected by much and by their very existence, they motivate or hold us back. Learning to go beyond the "cover" story will allow us to minister to others in ways that only God can do. It will also allow them to minister to us when we aren't willing to put forth the 'true' picture of where we are at that moment in our own life's struggles. Just sayin!

Hit it big!

Many of us spend an inordinate amount of time planning, organizing, and generally creating a vision for our future without any evidence that implies we are guaranteed that future! It is human nature to count on the unseen, the unknown, to come to pass - for some, it is 'hope', but for others, they are counting on what will never come to pass because it was never intended for them. Those who hold out to win the lottery are playing against odds so great that their chances of ever winning are astronomical. Yet, they keep playing. Is that hope, or is that 'false hope'? If they are putting off the pursuit of goals because they would need that windfall fortune to do it, chances are they will never realize their goals! There is a place for hope, but hope must be founded in faith, rooted in a solid foundation, and reliant upon something (or someone) that can actually produce the outcome!

Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow.  (Proverbs 27:1)

The idea expressed in this passage is not that we aren't supposed to have a well-thought out plan or a vision for our future, but simply that we are not to brashly just expect that we have the guarantee that it will come to pass, or that things will work out exactly as we plan. When we approach our tomorrows as though they will always be there, or that somehow we control the events of our tomorrows, the idea of trusting God for the outcome is not really there. Over the past several years, many of my friends and acquaintances faced tremendous things they never thought they'd face. Several have undergone mastectomies, still others have watched as their daughter underwent brain surgery, hours of painstaking therapy, and 'relearning' all the things that most young children only have to learn once. Lives have been changed by 'being in the wrong place at the wrong time', such as the young man whose family is now watching him relearn how to care for himself, walk, and say even a few words as a result of those injuries suffered at the hand of a hit and run driver.  None of them had these things "penciled" in on their date books as things they would be facing! Yet all of them are clearly in the hands of our Lord through it all. Life deals us things we never expected - much to our surprise!

We often find we have trusted in a false belief that we would never have to face these tragedies and 'unlikely events'. Tomorrow is never a guarantee and today is the focus, my friends! This can be a tough lesson to learn - today being our focus and tomorrow being left squarely in the hands of the one who holds those tomorrows. There are definitely times when God has a plan that may "perfectly" match our imagined or dreamed plans, and at other times, he may allow some things to cross our path that just don't "fit" with our plans. In those moments when the plans don't seem to 'fit' what we imagined, we need to learn how our God works, what he is looking for in us, and how we can nuzzle up closely to him through it all. That is the only guarantee we have! That he will be with us in our today, using every moment of today to prepare us for our next tomorrow. 

While tomorrow is not guaranteed, the placing of our trust in the one who holds those tomorrows in his hands is never 'misplaced trust'. In essence, God is asking for us to allow him the privilege of directing our path - to do more than live with 'pie in the sky' hopes. He is asking us to allow him to refine our dreams and build upon our hopes. In turn, we find we are brought into places and positions bigger than our dreams. Sure, they may not be 'lottery rich winnings' we realize, but the treasure of gaining what God has prepared for us is much richer than any lottery will ever pay off! Just sayin!

The boiling point

The truth of the matter is that it is a continual challenge to both listen carefully to the wisdom being laid out in scripture and then to take it to heart - to allow it to affect our actions. The scripture often gifts us with "sterling principles" by which to live - more than advice to be considered, but rather principles by which our lives become principled. These are tested guidelines to live by - guidelines that will hold us accountable in our daily walk and will help our walk to be marked by consistency. One such principle is to make wise choices about those you walk with on this journey.

Don't hang out with angry people; don't keep company with hotheads. Bad temper is contagious—don't get infected.  (Proverbs 22:24-25)

This is a pretty stern warning to avoid hanging out with the wrong company - angry people and hotheads. This isn't just a suggestion - it is a command - DON'T do it! Angry people are generally miserable people to be around, just in case you didn't already find that out. Their entire disposition emanates their often intense inward desire to respond to all life brings them with outbursts of violent and injuring behaviors. Hotheads definitely don't think before they respond - they simply allow the emotions to guide their responses and as a result, they leave a mess in their path time and time again.

Angry people and hotheads both present a major challenge in relationships. Being around someone who is given to constantly becoming exasperated, expressing that exasperation in violent outbursts, is totally exhausting and oftentimes very demeaning. You find yourself constantly on-guard, just waiting to "duck" out of the path of their fury - hoping they will miss a 'direct strike' this time. These individuals have no idea the wake of injury they leave in their path. They are often clueless to their own harmful actions. The warning is to avoid them completely - don't keep company with them. Why? Their emotional state has a way of being contagious! There is an infectious quality about their behavior that 'rubs off' on others around them. The thing you see so often with these individuals is there attitude or behavior of having a complaining and bitter heart. In turn, they either drive others away, or draw those in who want to commiserate with them in their misery - allowing or encouraging others to become equally as bitter and angry.

Why is that God warns us against keeping company with these individuals? Since their behavior is based on the perception that they have suffered some injustice, perhaps that have been treated in a wrong manner, or have an injury resulting from some action taken by another, there is a tendency to also become quite "satisfied" in the blaming of another (justifying) for their actions or response of an angry outburst in response to those actions. God wants us to be accountable for our OWN actions - there is no place for the shifting of blame to another. We are what we are, we are where we are, because of how we have behaved, the values we have embraced, and perhaps even the compromises we have embraced. No one "made us" like we are - the angry and hotheaded person does not believe that - he sees another as 'at fault'. The old time comedian Flip Wilson used to have a saying, "The devil MADE me do it." The truth is, no one "makes us" do anything. All the "doing" stems from within.

God wants impassioned people - but he wants our passion to be expressed in ways that bring honor and glory to him, in turn, bringing evidence of his glory in our lives for others to see. Guard against associating with those who damage the view of God's glory in your life and you will find that your life runs a whole lot smoother! Just sayin!

So help me God!

In our culture today, we equate being "under oath" with having sworn to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We used to add the words, "so help me God", as we held our hands on a copy of the Bible. Society found this offensive and "intolerant" of the various religions of the world, so gradually this has been "phased out" of many courtrooms as the foundation upon which our testimony may be judged as "factual". The mouth that lies under oath differs from the tongue that lies in that it is associated with the giving of a testimony or acting as a witness either for or against someone. Scripture also reminds us that God hates a false scale (in other words, being dishonest in business affairs). God expects his kids to live as model citizens in a society that may not have very many good role models and a whole lot of rule breakers. 

Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots,
feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

In God's economy, our word is our oath - he hears each and every word we speak and holds us accountable for the testimony we bear by those words. The term "so help me God" is a telling term. Think about it - if we truly speak these terms when giving an oath, we are asking God to actually help us tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth (help me God). We don't want to miss a fact that would be pertinent to a fair judgment and we don't want to embellish a fact that would change the course of the dispute - neither of these would be right. Whenever we are called to give a "testimony", we need to think upon these words and ask God to help us be "solid" in our testimony - keeping us from bearing any falsehood in our testimony so only the truth shines forth - regardless of where or when we are called upon for that 'telling of truth'.

One further characteristic that is outlined in this passage is labeled as the one thing that God loathes with a passion. To make this perfectly clear, this is not the simple dislike of a certain behavior - it carries the idea of the behavior being so repulsive that it turns the stomach. God loathes a troublemaker in the family. It is important to keep in mind that God looks beyond genetic lines to define family. He defines his children as family, and his Body as the Church. The destructiveness of one member of the family affects the outcome for the entire family. That is why God loathes a troublemaker in the family - their behavior crosses the line that is meant to hold us together, even in the worst of times.

God's view of these seven "not so good" character traits is one of dislike and disgust. He wants a holy temple in which to dwell - a temple that accurately reflects his goodness and grace. In evaluating these seven characteristics this past week, we may have found certain behavioral tendencies that are sometimes reflected in our lives that we definitely need the Holy Spirit to work on. If some of these traits have been touched upon that ring true as being evident in your life, remember that God always honors the prayer, "so help me God"! He stands at the ready to transform the life that is willing to be transformed - the life that cries out and leans 'into' his grace. Just sayin!

Door Number One? Two? Three?

The arrogant eyes (pride-filled attitude of looking down on others in judgment), the lying tongue (that destroys others and builds self up), the hands that murder the innocent (often without really "killing" them), and the heart that hatches evil plots (just because it can!). The feet that race down a wicked track - now that is indeed a description of some of our responses to temptation in life - we actually run toward them rather than away!

Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Feet carry us on our journey - they are what propel us forward or stop us in our tracks. In this case - they are racing forward - not at a pace that suggests any hesitation in the way they are going, but with determined purpose. Their direction is down the track - they are making progress away from the point where they started. Their destination or course they are traveling is that of less than a desirable end - it is a wicked track. Now, lest we quickly dismiss this 'path' as one upon which we'd never place our feet, let me ask each of us to recall the last time we lost our temper, or became so frustrated with something that we took something into our own hands. Did you gingerly just meander down that path, or did you run like a fool on fire? I daresay, we all 'run' in the wrong direction at times, my friends.

This wicked path is more than a subtle mischievous path. It is characterized by both bad principles and bad practice - having principles doesn't always keep us from practice that is wrong - even the best intentions can go awry on occasion given the right impetus. When we set ourselves toward embracing principles (values) that are bad, the practices (actions) that stem from that foundation will also be bad. God is emphasizing that we have something within us that propels us forward down a path that we should not even be on at all - something within that motivates us to move in a particular direction with quite a bit of haste. He describes spiteful, malevolent, vicious actions caused by hearts that are not guarding against wrong-doing.

That is how it is when we allow compromise to enter into our lives - we find ourselves maybe only trying something once, but if the results are even a little bit satisfying, we try it again. This is fine if the choices we are making are righteous in nature, but it is quite a different thing if they are morally wrong choices. I can pick up a fishing pole and throw in a line from time to time, relaxing and enjoying an occasional catch. If this becomes a habit that results in me calling in to miss work, avoiding family duties or responsibilities, etc., then it isn't a righteous course any longer. Each time we compromise it makes it easier for our entire being to lower our resistance to the forces that entice us to go a little further. In turn, our response to the temptation to compromise comes into our thoughts a littler easier, making it appear that we are heading down the track without really exerting much effort at all.

So, how do we guard against having feet that take us down the "wicked track"? It is a moment-by-moment assessment of our responses. We can change course quite easily - but only if we are attentive to where we are heading! Remember that each of these seven characteristics lends to the 'success' of the other. Asking God to show us where we have problems with our pride is the beginning of staying on track. Counting on God to help us use our tongue in ways that continually honors him and build each other up keeps us from being a stumbling block for others. Allowing God to reveal how our words, actions, and attitudes destroy the character of others, hold back the growth of another, etc., will open our eyes to pathway choices that are reflective of bad principles and bad practices.

We are given the Holy Spirit as the means by which we can guard against running wildly down the pathway of bad principles and bad practices. He infuses us with the power to make the right choices, building upon the right principles within. We get those principles "in" by frequent exposure to the Word of God and times of deep, personal worship in God's presence. Sometimes we think it is hard to guard against compromise - and we would be right if we are assuming that task alone. We are given the Holy Spirit to assist us in avoiding those wrong principles from taking root. He acts as a guard over our actions by first assisting us to guard our attitudes. So, get time alone with him this week and see where he will lead you! Just sayin!

It doesn't have to hatch

Attitudes of heart that God absolutely despises are not a secret - he does everything in our power to let us know what to watch out for in our own lives and the lives of others. This morning, we will examine the heart that hatches evil plots. It is important to remember that scripture refers to the "heart" a lot - if there is repeated focus on anything in scripture, we are supposed to pay attention to what God says about it. We may not realize that this is really the seat of our emotions, the center of our personality and temperament - so no wonder God spends so much time trying to help us understand it. The part of us that is driven or controlled by emotional response is often the main thing that gets us into trouble - not that there was a temptation right there in our path! When emotions are out of control, we might just offer up a short prayer of quick deliverance so they will 'settle down', but there are other times when we simply allow them to spin on and on.

Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant,
a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

It is pretty safe to say that most of us (maybe even all of us) have had evil plots in mind at one time or another. Just remember this - you are not in this boat alone! We ALL go down 'thought paths' that we weren't supposed to travel, my friends. The thing God hates is the "hatching" of those thought plots - in other words, bring to fruition what has been preconceived in our minds. These plots, as they are called, are really pretty well thought out plans devised with the intention of hurting or harming another - seeing them fail, or even just stumble a little. Unfortunately, most of us would not cop a plea of "guilty" to this one. In fact, we'd probably say that we don't really think this one deserves much attention from us, but I want to challenge that 'plea' because I think we might just engage in this behavior a little more than we first realize.

God wants us to learn to live without needing to be the center of attention in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. There is danger in looking down our noses at others and God wants to keep us from that place of destructive judgmental attitude. Why? Because he knows it can lead to a whole lot of other destructive behaviors, such as a lying tongue and the actions of smothering the character of another! These seven things God is exposing to us in this passage build one upon the other. If we begin by laying a foundation correctly, the building that occurs on that foundation is solid. If the foundation is incorrectly structured, the building fails to meet the intended form and it will soon show signs of being 'structurally unsound'. So it is with our Christian character - start right, allowing God to work on our pride first, and we will begin to see our character take the form he desires.

When we are given to a prideful outlook on life, it is easy to "hatch evil plots" in our heart. The judgmental attitude that comes when we have a problem with pride is one that wants self to look good at ANY expense, even if it means we use methods that are not quite so respectable. Evil is really not understood well today. In fact, when you look up the word "evil" you will find that the first definition is something that is morally wrong or bad. God is reminding us that when our heart attitude is not aligned with him at the center, we make wrong choices and those choices will lead to our destruction. As we begin today, let's ask God to reveal our heart intentions. Are they bent on destructive behavior? If so, then it is definitely an opportunity for God to begin to show us how we can build again the foundations that will give us a solid character foundation that leads to morally right choices. Just sayin!