Cart - Then Horse, or Horse, Then Cart?

How many of us would consider ourselves to be 'mature'? I am over the age of sixty now and 'mature' could mean I have an AARP card! For one to be considered mature, here are some things to consider: Are the fully developed in body and mind? Is the work of development complete and perfected in the individual? Are they readied and prepared for what lies ahead? If the answer is truthful - none of us fit into this category! In society today, we often think of maturity as reaching a certain age - the age of "legality". In other words - it is a measure of chronological years, not so much a measure of anything on the inside of the person. The problem with this way of thinking is that we often have a whole lot of "mature-looking" individuals walking this earth, but they really lack the evidence of maturity in the emotions, mind, or their spirit. Chronologically, they are "of age" - spiritually, emotionally, or intellectually, they are still immature.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Having lived in a home with some fruit trees in my backyard as a kid, I know it takes some time for the fruit to come to a place of being developed enough to actually eat it. As an orange "matures", it goes from a solid green color, to a light yellow, and then a full-bodied orange color. The chance you take in plucking it too early from the tree is the arresting of the maturing process. You might see it continue to change color a little, but the "full-bodied" taste of the orange is produced best while it still attached to the source of its maturing! In a spiritual sense, the place of maturing for a believer is not detached from the branch (Christ)! It is in finding a good connection with Christ and others who will actually aid your development that maturity is realized. Readiness is evident in maturity. If you have ever waited any length of time for a child to be "ready" to leave for a destination they may not actually "want" to go to, you will know exactly what I am speaking of here! The child "knows" the destination - but they aren't "ready" to get there. They dilly-dally with the silliest things - taking forever to find their shoes, comb their hair, and get their jacket from the last place they threw it aside. We learn to do even the things which don't really thrill us - because we have come to a place of age-maturity which "overrides" our desire to stay in bed all day! There is a readiness to arise in the morning, greet the new day and its challenges, and then come home to do it all over again. In the spiritual sense, readiness is a key indicator of our level of maturity. When God asks us to take a step with him, do we balk? Or are we "ready" to move into what he has for us?

How is it we get to this place of maturity, complete in every way? I don't know about you, but I haven't arrived yet, but I am on the journey! Maturity is more than a "time" in life or specific age - it is a consistent development process, never fully ended until it is ended. I have heard it said that the biggest room in your house should be the room for improvement. We sometimes think we have arrived at a point in life where there is no further need for "maturing" - almost like a wine maker might say a wine has reached its "perfection". Truth be told, none of us actually reaches the point of perfection while here on this earth - if we think we do, we are only fooling ourselves. The best we can ever do is stay in a place which allows us to mature - like the orange attached to the tree. If we begin to see the resources God has provided for our growth (maturity), we will begin to see the benefit of being rightly connected for however long it takes! Ever eat fruit that ripened too quickly - it lacks taste, may be a little bitter, and is often quite dry. In contrast, the fruit allowed to develop to its point of maturity "connected" to its source of development has not only a different appearance on the outside, but the inside is quite different, too. The pulp of a mature orange is full of juice - it has a robust taste, emanates a pleasant aroma, and is sweet to the one taking it in. The same is true of our growth spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. Stay connected to the source of maturity and you will find you produce a "robust" taste, a pleasant aroma, and are not as bitter! The outside may be a little deceiving - just looking mature doesn't make one truly mature. Readiness is a result of preparation. Being complete is a result of being perfected. When we want to do well at something, we don't launch out and expect to do it well the first time. We have to prepare - to perfect our skill. Let's not get the cart before the horse - we have lots and lots of room for improvement in our lives before any of us can actually say we are "mature". Just sayin!

With, not to

 Congenial conversation—what a pleasure! The right word at the right time—beautiful! (Proverbs 15:23)

Agreeable conversation is usually quite enjoyable, is it not? Start to get a little 'testy' in conversation and the sparks can fly, or the doors slam shut quickly in that relationship. Why? People don't really like conflict all that much - congenial words go a lot further than unkind ones. Truthful words can hurt from time to time, though. There is a time and a place for those 'right words' at the 'right time' - when that time and place presents itself, the outcome is awesome. 

What makes for 'congenial' conversation? The 'spirit' of the words is correct - in other words, the feeling and 'temper' of the words is kind, thoughtful, and truthful. What makes for 'argument inducing' words? The 'spirit' of the words is harsh - hateful, distasteful, unkind, or cold words that actually have a purpose of hurting another. Some of our 'truthful' words can be both 'congenial' and then be equally 'harsh' at times, right? It depends on the context of the conversation, the person we are speaking them to, and the timing of those words.

God's plan is for his kids to learn how to speak with each other (not 'to' each other) in a kind, well-intentioned, and 'right-spirited' manner. That takes some doing on our parts - because we have to learn to weigh our words before we speak them. Not always the easiest task, is it? How many of you are like me and speak before you think at times? You almost caught the words before you said them, but out they came and then it was too late to retrieve them! Conversation 'with' another is not the same as 'talking to' another. 

God's plan involves listening, thinking, and being in tune with his Spirit as we speak with each other. That may take some doing, but when I have asked the Holy Spirit to direct my words, he does exactly that. Instead of just plugging along oblivious to my words, I have taken the tact of asking for the Holy Spirit's presence with me all the time! That means my words are more likely to be 'filtered' correctly throughout the day. It is not a one time prayer to be with me when I speak - it is a continual submission of my words and thoughts to his leading. In turn, he is 'with' me as I converse with God and he is 'with' me as I converse with you! Just sayin!

Ignore Religion

 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God, turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,” ignore what the world worships; the world’s a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts. Nothing and no one compares to you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words account for you. Doing something for you, bringing something to you—that’s not what you’re after. Being religious, acting pious—that’s not what you’re asking for. (Psalm 40:4-6)

If you are like me, you almost get speechless when you consider the wonder and power of our God. That is okay because the words we use to proclaim the things we know about God pale in comparison to who he is, the power he possesses, and the intensity of his love for us. If you find yourself speechless at times, don't fret - it is the perfect way to worship at his feet! Just 'give yourself over' to that sense of his presence and bask in just being there. 

Ignore what the world worships and you are sure to be labeled as 'odd' or 'out there'. Why? The world doesn't understand the mystery of God's grace, his goodness, or his peace. They don't 'get' what we see in 'all this religion'. They have absolutely no idea it isn't 'religion' we have - it is God's presence we possess. He is 'with us' - Emmanuel - God With Us. It would also be right to say he is "God WITHIN us". No wonder it leaves us speechless!

Doing and bringing suggest actions on our part to get something from God, or to entice him to act a certain way. The fact of the matter is there is nothing God doesn't already have, nor is there anything we can do to convince him to act a certain way. His desire is that we just fall deeply in love with him and then let that love fashion us into the most beautiful creation. Religious people aren't really 'speechless' before God - they find ways to talk 'about' him - but they truly don't 'know him' all that well.

Nothing and no one compares to you - words cannot explain what that really means. The mind has a hard time not 'comparing' God to something or someone. We NEED to figure this stuff out, don't we? It is like we crave a way of explaining God. I guess that may be why he gave us a living and breathing example - Christ. In Christ's coming to this earth, walking amongst us for a season of time, we have a way of understand God a little bit better, but we still don't 'explain God' because our words don't even come close to 'explaining' grace. Some things we just need to accept with the heart and leave the understanding to God. Just sayin!

My what big teeth you have, Mr. Wolf

Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin. (Psalm 55:22)

Virgil was a Roman poet way back in the day and he penned the words, "It never troubles the wolf how many the sheep may be." Ponder that one for a moment and really let it sink in. The wolf is not put off by the huge flock of sheep - he sees the one he is after and then he zeroes in to achieve his target. What he doesn't know is that there is a Shepherd keeping his eye out for each and every one of those sheep in the flock! He has no clue what will await him if he chooses to attack even one of them!

We will know troubles - it is inescapable in this world. We will have things that make us worry a bit - it is human nature to do so. We will encounter wolves and become frightened by their 'huge teeth' - it is part of our fight or flight response. We don't have to fear the troubles, nor do we have to create our own way of escape. That is the main difference between believers and those who have yet to choose to follow Christ. We have been given a watchful Shepherd - one who has no other aim than to keep the wolves away.

So why do we pile one worry upon the other until we are so laden down with cares that our movement is made impossible? If ever we would be subject to an enemy's attack, it would be with our arms so full and our eyes so distracted that we didn't even notice his approach! God's intent was for us to have open and honest dialogue with him - so many of our worries and cares coming because we neglect this one privilege. There is something 'disarming' that happens when we open up to God - one by one the worries we have been amassing begin to be laid at his feet, until we finally begin to feel the freedom of being 'unburdened'. The lightness that comes as those burdens are eased off our shoulders and placed squarely upon his is really like none other.

The wolf preys on those who haven't learned to lay ease those burdens from their heart to the heart of Jesus. He knows how full our hearts, minds, arms, and emotions become when we refuse to let go. That is the planned moment of his attack - when we are so filled up with worries we forget to watch out for him. The good news is that even when we forget to watch, Jesus doesn't! Just sayin!

Not my will, but thine

Pressure is the exertion of force upon a surface by something in contact with it. When we use the term, "I am under a lot of pressure right now", we are simply saying, "There are a whole lot of EXTERNAL influences in CONTACT with my life right now". Something, or someone, comes into CONTACT with our lives - but they are not "invading" our inner life - their contact is on the surface! This may not be earth-shattering to some, but I think if we really begin to latch onto this, we may just see how much control we have over what actually can affect us on the "inside". It is what we 'let in' that matters - not so much how much EXTERNAL pressure we are under.

If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small. (Proverbs 24:10)

What we allow into "contact" with our lives will exert some kind of force against us. Even air exerts some kind of "force" upon that which it surrounds! We cannot escape the fact that things and sometimes people bring "pressure" of some kind! Try as we might, there is no way to live "pressure-free". The important thing to keep in focus is not that we will experience pressure, but how this "force" will impact us. The "force" something exerts is only on the surface - making what we have on the interior most important when it comes to 'resisting' force. If the right stuff is on the inside, the surface may take a little beating, but the force will not be able to breakdown the stuff on the inside. The "force" may put something "under pressure" beyond what the surface normally withstands, but if the interior is filled with the right stuff, the "resistance" to the pressure is greater.

We sometimes see pressure bringing out the best in ourselves and others. We might find pressure exposing the best in us - simply because the best stuff is really exposed by the force. If the right stuff is on the inside, even force won't be able to change that! God reminds us that our "strength" is revealed under pressure. Remember that strength is not just the ability to resist something on the surface, but it is designed to expose what is on the inside. Understanding pressure this way helps us to realize that what God plans for us to reveal is his strength, not our own. Whenever we think external forces have to be dealt with in our own strength, we are facing "pressure" with a resistance which in incapable of enduring the force. A "force" is any strength, power, or energy which is exerted upon the surface of something. I can "force" you to sit down, but if your spirit is really seeing yourself as standing up, have you really been seated? Not really - you have just given into the force, but everything in you remains rigidly resistive to the "force". Resistance is really application of an opposite strength. When life comes at us, demanding us to "sit down", God's strength gives us the strength to oppose the demand. The force exerted met an opposing strength it could not match! I wonder how much we might view pressure differently if we saw it as a means of exposing the opposite strength? Not the opposite strength we can muster from our own reasoning or tactical expertise, but the inner strength of being in the hands of God. When the opposite strength meets the external force, the source of the strength becomes evident. If it is our own "mustered" strength, it will soon yield to the force! Just sayin!

Mounting a good defense begins here

I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet. That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, the perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. (Psalm 27:4-5)

It is not always a certainty that we find 'comfort' in the place where we dwell. Sometimes our place of dwelling is far from 'comfortable' because of who else dwells there, or the events that transpire within that dwelling. A dwelling is meant to be more than a place of 'living' - it is a space for each of us to decompress, replenish ourselves, and prepare for whatever comes next in our lives. If our 'physical dwelling' is far from perfect, we can be assured of one thing - our 'spiritual dwelling' is one place we can find all these things.

The only quiet, secure place in a crazy, mixed up world is at the feet of Jesus. It is indeed the place where we can decompress because he allows us to express exactly what we are feeling, what it is that is weighing us down, and whatever it is we have encountered in our day that we just need to let go of for a while. It isn't a physical place, but the beauty of this place is that it can be found anywhere and at any time! It is indeed a 'secure' place - removed from everything else that causes us to feel unprotected, unguarded, and not defended. 

Damage awaits us in other dwelling places - defenses are hard to maintain on our own. We are not immune unless something creates that immunity within us. Isn't that the purpose of vaccines - they introduce enough of a 'stimulant' to cause our immune system to mount a defense and be prepared to ward off the disease should we encounter it ever again. We are not immune to the enemy's attacks against us if we are trying to maintain our defenses on our own - we haven't 'mounted our defenses' enough to ward off the assault. We need the defenses God provides and those are only found as we come into the place of his dwelling. Just sayin!

Tripped up by my own feet

 God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in. If I keep my eyes on God, I won’t trip over my own feet. (Psalm 25:14-15)

To stumble while walking without having tripped over any obstacle in your path - how foolish is that? I have done it! It seems like I tripped over air. Down I went, stumbling like a rag doll until the ground met my body's impact. Looking back on those 'trips' I wonder how many times I trip over the things I don't see in life? Things in the spiritual world, in my subconscious, and even in my intellect. We can have many 'tripping points' in life, but there are probably none as problematic to us as those we cause ourselves.

Most of the times I have tripped over 'air' have been due to what I would label as 'distraction'. I was looking somewhere else, listening to someone else, or just caught up in daydreaming. Before I knew it, I was headed into the 'tripping moment'. Did I fall each time I stumbled? Nope, but I have fallen more times than I would like to admit! Do you know what a distraction really is? It is anything that brings a complication into your life. The main purpose of the distraction is to disturb us just enough that we get a little confusion about what it is about to happen.

No wonder God reminds us we need to keep our eyes squarely on him! He doesn't want anything to disturb our lives so much that it causes us to stumble around in confusion until we fail to remain upright in our choices. Distractions are meant to interfere with our lives - to interrupt the goodness and greatness of God in our lives for just a bit. IF we keep our eyes on Jesus - we won't get engrossed in the wrong stuff. IF we keep our eyes on Jesus - we won't get caught up in the things that agitate us in an unhealthy way. IF we keep our eyes on Jesus - we won't become preoccupied with things that offer empty reward. No other thing keeps us safer than 'focus' - when it is intently on God, his grace, and his purpose. Just sayin!

Just a 'stupid sin'

Are you a map or GPS user? Do you wing it based on the direction of the sun or other landmarks you recognize? I do a little bit of each of these - sometimes recognizing a landmark right off and knowing where I need to turn, while listening intently to the GPS or map's directions to know exactly where to exit a roadway for another. We all need directions - no one of us is able to continually know the right direction to follow all of the time. Things change around us in spite of every effort we might take to keep them the same - so we oftentimes need to have a new course set as those landmarks and way-finding points are no longer 'valid'. How will we find our way? The answer to that question is the most telling in regards to where it is we will likely end up!

There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar. (Psalm 19:14)

I like the part in our passage today where our psalmist asks God to keep him from 'stupid sins' and from 'thinking he can take over God's work'. If there were two prayers I need to pray every single day - those are the two! I step out without seeking God's direction and fall into stupid pitfalls - avoidable completely if I had just waited for the wisdom of God to show me. I certainly get ahead of his plans, thinking I have them all figured out. So...I need to ask God to keep me from doing dumb stuff and to help me stay in step with him - how about you?

How do we start each day fresh? We ask God for a clean slate. We don't just live like we expected to 'play the fool' with a 'damb the torpedos, full speed ahead' kind of attitude the day before. We need to ask God each day for the wisdom to live as we should and if we slip up a bit, ask for a clean slate each day so we don't carry yesterday's mess ups into days possibilities. Clean slates happen because someone takes the time to remove every grimy reminder of the thing that was there before. God is the only one who can remove EVERY reminder - so bring your good and bad parts of the day to him - let him do what he does best. He will magnify the good and clean away the bad.

All sin is 'stupid', but there are some sins we know very will we are not to engage in and we do them anyway. Those are the ones I kind of label as 'stupid' - because if we knew not to engage in them and did it anyway we are being played as a fool. We lack good judgment and sometimes even common sense! God doesn't reject the fool - he works to change the mindset (and heart-set) of the fool. The fool is really one who never recognizes their 'stupid sin'. The wise is the one who recognizes when they have played the fool and pursued the wrong stuff - making a swift confession to God of their 'stupid sin'. In turn, God cleans the slate - removing EVERY sign of that folly. Just sayin!

You have way too many alternatives!

The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously. 

(Henry Kissinger)

When it comes to our thought life, I daresay we could do with a few less 'alternatives' to ponder, rehash, and ruminate upon. We all probably struggle a little bit with the 'clutter' of thought we encounter all day long as we go about our regular tasks and chores. Any 'alternative' is simply means we have to make choices - one becoming more demanding or clearer than the others. We choose when to begin the laundry, whether we will leave the vacuuming another until another day, or even if we will listen to music while we go about those chores. We choose to hold onto or let go of the thought 'alternatives' when it comes to our misadventures that leave us feeling a little less than 'right' in the end. Guilt can lead to shame all because we don't let go of something we have spent way too much time ruminating on in our minds. Anger can lead to bitterness because we continue to turn over the embers of some unkindness done. Indeed, we need to clear our minds of the 'alternatives' we have been holding onto if we are to have clarity of thought and certainty of purpose.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (Philippians 4:8-9)

An alternative is really a choice between two courses - take one and the outcome will go one way; take the other and you could see a different alternative. In science lab we would see what each 'alternative' produced - some ending up with spoiled projects, while others showed huge potential and even success. Look at the alternatives put forward for us in this passage and you will see there is one that produces a good outcome - the other producing a less than desirable one. It is also important to realize making the right choice in determining the 'alternative' we will pursue isn't by accident - it is a matter of practice. In science lab we didn't just do the experiment once and say we would get the same results time after time again. We practiced it over and over ensuring the results remained consistent. God expects us to change the way we think - the alternatives we consider - not just once, but repeatedly until the consistency of choosing the 'right alternative' is 'built into' our thoughts.

I think we might just struggle way too much in our thought life because of all the 'alternatives' we have allowed to amass in all those brain synapses. We store away all manner of thought, good and bad alike, sometimes without even being aware we are doing so. We see something and it gets stored away. We hear another thing and we tuck it away. We do it unconsciously - without purposeful thought or action on our part. Don't believe me? Have you ever been engaged in a conversation with someone and then find your mind drifting a bit, only to come back to the conversation knowing you were just asked a question? You were unconsciously 'listening', but not 'consciously' hearing. Engaged once again and you are more purposeful in the conversation. God isn't going to brainwash any of us and get rid of all the 'alternatives' that clutter up our thought life just because we pray one time for him to bring clarity. It takes active 'practice' on our part to sort out those thoughts, confess they exist, and then rid ourselves of them by choosing to think on the 'alternative' to those thoughts. This is what our passage says - rid yourself of the worst, considering instead the best. Time to 'whittle down' a few of those alternatives, my friends. Just sayin!

Are you a social influencer?

 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:2)

How many times do we find ourselves going along with the crowd just because we have become so 'well-adjusted to our culture'? We move toward the newest trend, all because we are listening to the voice of the crowd. We take on more debt than we should, all because someone said we couldn't live without something. We might be more 'well-adjusted' to our world than we imagine. If we act upon the influences within the world instead of taking time to see how it is God would have us act, we might just be more 'adjusted' in the wrong direction!

Fixed attention really is a hard thing for some of us. I have two grandsons who have ADHD and I know exactly how this affects them. The earliest signs were of the fidgeting every mealtime, the intensity they would put into one task while completely neglecting all others, and sometimes even their unending outbursts over what seemed to be pretty silly things. The more we learned of the issues ADHD kids faced, the more we realized this intensity of focus was not always a good thing. The child could 'over-focus' on one thing, regardless of all the demands made to pull away from the object of their attention, they just couldn't do it. I wonder how many of us have some form of 'spiritual ADHD' - focusing so intently on some of the things God tells us to avoid, but finding it harder and harder to pull away from them because they have us so consumed in their hold?

Fixed attention is a good thing when the direction of our focus is in the right direction. We need this type of intensity of focus, but used in the wrong way it can harm us. Culture used to be defined as the 'betterment' of a society via education or training, but today it might be defined as that which is 'learned'. Culture - good or bad - is modeled and learned. We move toward or away from some ideas, concepts, and challenges simply because of what we have been 'taught' via example, words, and social influences. Is it any wonder today that we call the individuals who have a huge 'social following' in media as 'social influencers'? Their intent is to create a 'culture' of followers. Jesus wasn't opposed to followers - he was just opposed to us following without intent, purpose, and allegiance aligned with his example! Maybe our greatest goal in this world today should be to become those types of 'social influencers' who actually lead others to fall deeply in love with Jesus. Just sayin!

Measuring Up

Three words we oftentimes use without really considering their meaning - status, esteem, and value. Status: The social or professional position, condition, or standing to which varying degrees of responsibility, privilege, and esteem are attached. Esteem: Regard highly or favorably, with respect or admiration; to consider as of a certain value. Value: Worth, merit, or importance; to consider with respect to worth, excellence, usefulness, or importance. We place "value" on certain things, don't we? In considering someone, or something, we determine some "importance" or "degree of excellence" which we will "assign" to the individual or object. Sometimes the individual or object is held in a higher, or lower, esteem based on the value we "assign". In turn, we often equate "position" or "standing" based on our determination of "assigned value". It is not unlikely that we have even assigned "value" to certain actions of others, and even ourselves. We often do this without much thought - giving, or attaching, some sense of "worth" to various actions and their resulting outcomes without much conscious thought. The danger - we often assign value based on our "interpretation" of the importance or excellence of the action to us at that moment in time. The "value" we assign today may not be the importance we will hold with regard to the same action in the future. Our "determining" of merit can fluctuate depending upon mood, circumstance, and even the individual we are considering. When it comes to considering our OWN value, we often are the most "fickle" or "fluctuating" in "assigning" value!

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus took a different "tact" to determining value. He had "equal" status with God the Father. No amount of "doing" or "manipulating" would make that status any better. He already had pretty "awesome" status! Yet, he did not "cling to" the status he had - he did not let it define his actions. Jesus, equal with God himself, did not think so highly of himself that he was unwilling or unable to see the need of humanity and then take on the form of humanity in order to accomplish the remedy to that need. He could have said, "Hey, I am holy! I cannot rub elbows with those sinners! You just don't understand how important my position is in the scheme of things in this world!" We really should view the "worth" or "value" of the actions of both ourselves and others by the example of Christ. Do we exhibit a certain ability to be selfless - willing to consider others ahead of our present position? Jesus was able to separate his "status" from his "actions". He laid aside "status" in order to "act" in a way totally contrary to his status - laying down his deity to take on the position of a slave. If you were the owner of the manor, to take on the position of a slave suggested a huge transition in "status" or "worth" in the eyes of those who beheld this action. I wonder what we could accomplish if we took our eyes off of "status" and began to see the "worth" of another as more valuable than our own personal "status"?

He set aside privileges. With "status" comes privilege - there is some resulting "benefit" to status, is there not? For example, you can buy tickets to a concert, but when you get the "all-access" tickets, you get to meet the artists, rub elbows with the band, and almost be present in every action they are undertaking. There is a benefit to the "status" of having the "all-access" tickets. Jesus was able to separate the "privileges" of his position - taking on the form of humankind. This probably meant he had to deal with the stuff humans deal with - like hunger, emotions, being tired, and aching feet from long hours standing on them. He could have continued to luxuriate in the "status" of being "equal to God", but he laid that down those privileges in order to experience humanity. I don't know about you, but this suggests a whole lot to me about the "value" Jesus gives to each of us! He was willing to "associate" with our pain and need in order to meet it! Jesus shows us the real "worth" of individual is not in "claiming" his own rights, but in laying them down. This is the meaning of him living a "selfless and obedient" life. To live "selflessly" one must begin to think more of another than they do of themselves. To live obediently suggests a willingness to submit to an authority higher than yourself. Jesus not only laid down his "claims" for his "rights" as "equal to God", but he also was willing to submit to the authority of his Father God. If you have a hard time figuring out how one who is "equal to God" actually "submits to God", you are probably not alone. I think it centers on this whole "value", "worth" and "esteem" issue. He was willing to take on whatever needed to be done in order to connect with and meet the needs of humanity - selflessly, without falling back on his "rights" or "status". I don't know about you, but I think I attach "value" or "worth" to other people's actions all the time. I even find myself "comparing" their actions to my own - seeing if they measure up or are actually "better" than mine! Do you ever do that? If so, I think you and I might just need to take a lesson or two from Jesus - remembering it is not in the "status" we obtain where we are "defined", but in the selfless obedience of considering our "status" less important than the needs of another! Just sayin!

I had pretty smart parents

 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee. Wear their counsel like a winning crown, like rings on your fingers. Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, don’t go along with them... Oh, friend, don’t give them a second look; don’t listen to them for a minute. They’re racing to a very bad end, hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on... When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens: the more you get, the less you are. (Proverbs 1:8-9)

As I was growing up, I remember that time around my teen years when I began to think I knew more than my parents. Somewhere around the age of 21 or so, magically my parents became the smartest people on the planet again! How did that happen? My parents didn't get 'magically smarter' - they were pretty doggone smart all along - I was the goofy one thinking I didn't need their advice and wisdom. The advice and wisdom they possessed wasn't 'book-learned' - it was experience bred. They had been down the road already and had looked back at some of their own misadventures, knowing exactly where they should have avoided the potholes! Both are gone from this earth now, but their wisdom lives on in my heart, escaping from time to time in tiny tears of memory as my heart hurts to no longer be able to hear that wise counsel. If I could tell teenagers something I learned along the way, I'd have to say it was the intensity of the love and grace of a loving parent outweighs any thrill we will ever enjoy by following our own devices!

As we consider our passage this morning, I want to call our attention to the last statement: "When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens: the more you get, the less you are." This was the one lesson it took me the longest to learn, despite all the warning my parents gave and encouragement to avoid those potholes. Grab all you can get - it is a pretty common philosophy of our culture, isn't it? Get more - even when you don't really need it. The more you get - the less you ARE. That is the lesson that took me the longest to learn - you actually become LESS by getting more. The word 'are' really describes the state of 'being'. We 'become' what we go after, but if the things we pursue are empty and vain promises, we will actually become less in the end. If the thing we pursue is Christ, the 'are' that we become will be 'more', but it will also be 'less'.

We become less self-centered, more other-centered. We become less needy, more willing to bless than be blessed. We become less bitter, more willing to let go of a debt we think we are owed. We become less discontent with life, more content with Christ being our all in all. As we become less, Christ becomes more. My parents' counsel? Follow the right companion in life and your path will become 'more' in your pursuit of actually becoming 'less'. Just sayin!

Open, Open, Open!

 God, the one and only— I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I’m set for life. (Psalm 62:1)

How many times have we found it hard to wait for God's timing in our lives? The more we wait, the harder it seems to await whatever it is we are waiting on. Unable to wait longer, we can jump ahead of his timing, bringing disaster to bear in our lives. Been there, done that, and even wore out the t-shirt! Our psalmist puts things in perspective for those of us who have had to wait a little longer than we might have liked: "Everything I need comes from - so why not wait"? He is our solid rock - a firm foundation upon which we can base our trust. He gives us a chance to rest in him - breathing room for our souls, so we don't jump ahead of him. He is that impregnable castle - a word picture for not only the capability he has to keep us in our times of waiting, but a vast place for us to explore more and more of him as we do.

Yet, if you are like me, your soul doesn't exactly want to 'rest' at times - your mind gets you going and your emotions have you in a twisted bundle of worries. So, you plan how you can 'speed things up' a little, don't you? Or am I the only one who jumps ahead? While the foundation upon which we place our trust is reliable, we sometimes step a little too close to the edge of that trust, letting go of it piece by piece because we have allowed something to disturb our peace in the midst of the waiting. Usually we can overcome that disturbance, but allowed to steep a little and that brewing discontent can cause us to launch out on our own.

It is a hard lesson to appreciate - everything we need comes from God and he has already made provision. Think for a moment about your next meal. If you pantry or refrigerator is a little low, you probably plan a trip to the grocer. You do so because you have formed a habit of trusting the grocer to have what it is you require for that next meal - a provision storehouse of sorts. If we can trust our local grocer to be a provision storehouse, why do we have such a hard time trusting God to be the one who will make provision for all we need? His storehouse is vaster than any grocer's; his resources are innumerable and are continually being refreshed. Our psalmist appreciated this fact - God has everything we need, opening up his storehouses to meet those very needs - in his timing and according to his purposes.

Do you go to the grocer 'after-hours' when the business is shut down and count on getting groceries? No - you know the business hours and you venture there during those set hours. If we can abide by the timing of these physical business that act as storehouses for our needs, why do we find it hard to wait on the timing of our God? We wait on the timing of our grocer - so why not wait on God's perfect timing to open up those storehouse of his grace and provision? Just askin!

A prevailing wind

 Take good counsel and accept correction— that’s the way to live wisely and well. We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. (Proverbs 19:20-21)

Good counsel is to be sought, not because we need someone else to do our thinking for us, but because we sometimes need to get a clarifying perspective on things. God never asks us to allow others to think for us - to make choices for us that we should be making for ourselves. He asks us to use the wisdom he grants through is Word, wise counsel of others who know his Word, and the best 'knowledge' we have at the moment. Sometimes that 'knowledge' is just the tiny nudges we feel in our spirit - but even these 'nudges' need confirmation through what we find in the Word and what we know to be true about our God. Wise counsel is 'taken' - it is crammed down our throats, nor is it 'happened upon'. There is an active participation in finding truth, adopting truth, and then living by it.

Good counsel is linked to correction here. Why? There are times when the way we have been seeing a particular circumstance may not have been the most accurate observations. We may have formed opinions that have us all muddled up inside and keep us in a place of 'unease' over the issues at hand. When we seek wise counsel, through the study of his Word and the wisdom of another who also studies his Word, we are on the path toward 'correction' of anything that isn't quite true - anything that is not in alignment with the way God sees the matter.

It is true - we spend a whole lot of time brainstorming options and making plans. God may not even be consulted in the entirety of this planning and brainstorming! It is amazing to me how 'well' some of these things turn out when we don't seek God's plans and purpose in the matter. We can never forget that God's grace has probably protected us from great danger. God has a purpose we may not really have appreciated when we plunge ahead in our own schemes and plans. Anytime we exclude his purposes, we are on dangerous ground. This is why he reminds us to seek counsel and accept correction. A word of caution, though....don't seek it if you aren't going to be willing to listen to that counsel. It is like knowing the bridge is out up ahead and then barrelling across full-speed ahead when we don't accept that counsel and act upon it. It is a little too late to seek counsel as we are plunging to a quick immersion in the rushing waters below!

God's purposes prevail - I think this says it all for us. There is nothing in our schemes and plans that is assured of success in the end. When we wait to understand God's plan, then act upon it, we find there is a lasting outcome that otherwise may not have been there. A 'prevailing wind' describes the wind that more consistently than not comes from one particular direction. God's wisdom prevails - it comes from one direction - that which will produce the best things for our lives. Just sayin!

Proper Maintenance Required

A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart, and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle. (Proverbs 15:30)

A twinkle in the eye might suggest that one is bright, sparkly - there is evidence of merriment or delight. Now, just how often do you experience a twinkle in your eye? If you can answer this as "very often", then you might just be the kind of person I'd like to hang around with! This little "twinkle in your eye" is really an indication of how much you connect with the things around you and the ones in life that actually bring you delight! I find the eyes are a definite window to the soul - revealing what it is we "connect" with the most frequently. If there is frequent connection with negativity, the "twinkle" is just not there. If there is frequent connection with uplifting people and "content", I see much to take delight in! "Fit as a fiddle" kind of brings some mystery into this passage, as I don't know many "fiddles" who actually are "fit"! In the times this phrase was coined, to describe something as "fit" was to describe it as "seemly" or "suitable". In other words, you were saying it was fit for a purpose. His word inhabits us, making us stronger for the battle, lighter in heart and mind for the journey ahead, and even joyful in the darker times we might encounter along the way.

Joy in the heart is evident in the display of the eye. Fitness for the purpose you are being directed into is felt first in the mind and makes it way to the heart. Did you know a "fiddle" must be cleaned - inside and out? I guess this kind of escaped me, but as I explored the meaning of this saying, I came across some interesting stuff that sparked a little thought for me. The "fiddle" is really a violin, and the violin is an instrument with some hidden "places" where dust gathers. Within the "walls" of the violin, the dust which gathers actually changes the "tone" of the violin. Enough build up of the stuff that does not belong there and the violin really doesn't sound as well as it should. In terms of the strings, they can get build up on them, making them less maneuverable. When this occurs, the one playing the violin has to take greater effort to traverse the strings up and down the neck of the violin. If oils from the hands build up on the neck or fingerboard of the violin will also "slow" the movement of the violinist's hands as they move to form the notes to be played. If something gets lodged under the end of the fingerboard, the sound of the resonating strings will be affected. The fingerboard must be able to resonate along with the strings. Even the "f-hole" in the instrument has a purpose. Those "holes" in the violin body allow for the passage of the sound - resonating with just the right "pitch" or "frequency" of the tones emitted. The bridge actually helps to hold the strings at the right place and at the right height. When they are properly attached "into" the bridge, the sound produced is much sweet. So many parts, and each with their purpose.

Now, what does this have to do with our disposition of heart and mind? Thinking about all the "parts" that need care within us, I think we can see how much we also need the proper "maintenance" in order to bring forth the most melodious and beautiful "sound". It is more than just maintaining the outward, but also being open to some internal cleaning. The depth of the cleaning insures the beauty of what is produced. In other words, we will be fit as a fiddle! The "intake" of Good News - God's Word - makes us feel fit. Not so much in the physical sense, but definitely in the spiritual, emotional, and even in the sense of the ordering of our thoughts. The intake gives us right perspective and helps us "clean out" or "rid ourselves" of the stuff that gunks up our lives. In turn, we produce a much better "tone" from our lives - even displaying something of "light" from within. Just sayin!

Desire is a step toward receiving

As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, “Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!” When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!” He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.” It happened. They saw. (Matthew 9:27-29)

Become: arrive at; grow into; develop into. If someone were to walk up to you and tell you to "become what you believe", what would you become right here and now? What would you "grow into" or where would you "arrive at" in your life? This might be a very telling question for some of us. Most of us don't really have a plan for where we'd like to "arrive at" or what we truly would like to "grow into" in a spiritual sense, much less a physical or emotional sense. We simply live day by day, making the best of each moment, and wonder what the next will hold. I don't think God expects us to "plan out" every moment of our lives, but I do think he has a unique place in our lives for the faith to believe for great things in him. Imagine being blind in a crowd. It is one thing to be blind when you can pick your way along a street you may know like the back of your hand. There will still be untold unanticipated obstacles in your way, but at least you know the path you are traveling. These two men were blazing new territory on this day - the crowds pressing hard toward Jesus and they were in the thick of it. Maybe these men were just being "ushered" along by the crowd, but they know where they wanted to be and they were headed in that direction! Jesus was their aim! Healing was their hope!

They cry for mercy. They ask the great Healer for his favor - not for their healing, but for his favor. I wonder if they secretly really believed for their healing - asking for his "favor" to accomplish this? If we really understand this word "favor", then we know it is something we cannot "justify" - we have no reason to expect it based on anything we deserve, but we are counting on the goodwill of another to grant what it is we wish for. They pressed along with the crowd and right into the living room of Jesus' house! Yep, it says that when Jesus arrived at home, they went right inside with him! They weren't willing to remain on the outside, listening for some "beckoning call" from the Healer that might suggest to them they could enter into a privileged place. They just press right into his presence. I think God honors this kind of faith - the faith which presses beyond what someone might say are the "acceptable boundaries". Going into someone's home uninvited was just not acceptable then and it isn't any more acceptable today.

Don't lose sight of the fact that Jesus did not have them thrown out! He simply took notice of them there. I wonder what difference we might accomplish in life if we put ourselves in a similar place with Jesus - in the place where he cannot help but take notice of us. This was in the place where he was the most "intimate" with others. Think about it - isn't your home the place where you associate with others in closeness. This is what intimacy really is - close personal relationship with others. These men put themselves in a place of "close personal relationship" with Jesus. In so doing, they find themselves up close and personal with Jesus! The Healer's home became their place of greatest hope! In response to their confidence and trust in their Healer he asks: "Do you really believe I can do this?"  I wonder how many times we actually take our "faith" to Jesus and he looks back at us with this question? I think it may be more than we imagine. The question is pointed - do YOU believe I can do this? Not that YOU can do it if you just believe hard enough, but that the Master can do it. I guess I would have seen these men's faith as already answering the question. Yet, Jesus poses the question. Why? Perhaps it was a confirmation of their intense desire and fervent hope.

I think there are times Jesus is asking us to clarify and confirm our desire - what it is we envision we will "become" - arrive at, grow or develop into. There is nothing wrong with Jesus asking this question. It clarifies the purpose of us drawing near. It is one thing to arrive in the presence of God, it is quite another to be sure what it is we need once we are there! They had a "vision" of seeing! Their desire was to arrive at sight! Jesus usually goes one better than what it is we desire - have you ever noticed that? They want physical vision - I think he probably was bringing some clarity to their spiritual vision first! In response to their faith, he tells them to "become what they believe". If Jesus were to say this to us, I wonder what we'd become right here and now? Often, what we believe is what either holds us back or propels us forward. Their belief drove them further into the presence of Christ. I wonder where our belief will drive us today? Will it find us pressing through the crowd and right into the very "personal" space of Jesus? If it does, what is it we will seek there? Knowing what it is we really desire is often the first step in receiving what it is we will receive. Just sayin!

A barren place

 God—you’re my God! I can’t get enough of you! I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. (Psalm 63:1)

Why do we find ourselves in the desert places anyway? If you are like me, you chose to live in one! If we wanted to wax a little philosophical this morning, we could all say we get ourselves into some pretty 'dry and barren' places at times? Those dry and barren places are likely a result of our choices - yup - I've gone meddling again. Here's the thing I want us to consider today - do we get hungry and thirsty when we are in a place of ample nourishment and quenching? Not likely! We get the hungriest when there is no food in sight, and the thirstiest when our demand for fluids is not met with an equal provision of the refreshing stuff. It is in the dry and weary deserts where we find we have a need or two that honestly cannot be met any other way than by God's provision.

When we are in the lush valleys, green meadows, and high mountain tops of life experiences, do we think much about how hungry or thirsty we are? Not really. Why? We are too busy enjoying ourselves to notice our hunger or thirst. How many can honestly say they enjoy the dry and barren places as much as they do the more lush ones? If you are a desert rat like me, you find enjoyment combing the dry desert floor, but trust me when I say this - looking out over the rim of the forests up north is pretty breath-taking and a refreshing time. We need both, but I think the places that help us grow more are those that aren't always that 'lush'. The barrenness drives us to find provision - to seek it like our lives depend upon it - because they actually do!

Barrenness is not always the absence of life - it could be the absence of life as we want to see it. Now I have really gone meddling, haven't I? If my mother were still on this earth, you could ask her if a barren womb meant an absence of life. She'd tell you absolutely not - because God brought three kiddos into her life at a time when we needed her the most. Were we born from her barren womb? No, but that 'barrenness' drove her to us. There was no absence of life - there was life as God intended it for her (and for us). God isn't always going to give us the mountaintop experiences in life because he knows we need to sense a little barrenness from time to time in order to cause us to look outside of our circumstances. The hunger and thirst created when this happens actually helps us fall deeper in love with him and so much more appreciative of his tremendous grace in our lives. Just sayin!

Shedding a little light

 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.” (John 3:20-21)

I have to say there are a lot of 'dark places' where people can find their 'hideout' within these days. The unfortunate reality is that although they think they are hidden from the light, light has a way of dispelling ALL darkness. It may not seem like it, but there are 'runners' in this world - those who do their very best to live independently and without thought as to their eternal future. To those who run I have one thought today - what is it you are really running from? Is it that you fear trusting anyone other than yourself because someone has violated your trust so badly you have declared you will never trust again? Is it that you fear having to 'give up' the things you love to pursue if you become a 'follower' of Christ? Admittedly you will 'give up' some things as you become a follower, but if you will indulge me on this one - the things you 'give up' are nothing compared to what you 'get' in return!

The reason so many choose to live independent of God is because they want to 'live their own way'. I have had a look around at our world today and I am the first to admit - I don't think that plan is working too well for a very large percentage of people! Independent choice is something God gives each and everyone of us. Why? He doesn't want puppets, he wants participants. Individuals who are made up of thousands of unique personalities, all coming together to seek the light. If that doesn't paint a picture for you this morning, let me elaborate a little. When ten people are in a room, seated in different places throughout the room, all the lighting being on, do they see things differently at all in that lighted room? Of course they do because each has a slightly different vantage point from which they are taking in the room. So it is when we come into this relationship with Christ - we don't all become clones of each other. 

God allows us to retain our unique personalities so that we will help each other see his tremendous world from various vantage points. Living in the light doesn't mean we all have to see things identically - we just need to realize light exposes truth and exposes untruth. We don't need to argue over the fine points of 'religion' - because Jesus never called Catholics, Methodists, Protestants, or Jews - he called believers. He called hurting, messed up, and even sick people - into the light so the light could expose and heal. Light isn't to be feared - it is to be felt and embraced - for light doesn't expose to bring harm, but create health once again. Just sayin!

Abandoning it all

 Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. (Isaiah 55:6)

During a time when the nation of Israel stood divided into two kingdoms and were constantly threatened by attacks from Assyria and Egypt, the prophet Isaiah is called to write these words - a prophesy of redemption to those who would seek it. The nation had been mostly deaf and disobedient to the words of God through the prophets - in fact, if they could break the rules, many of them did. Isaiah was called to focus on the redemption that would come through the Messiah (Christ), but the divided nations of Judah and Israel stood in opposition to much of what they knew they should be doing. Isn't it just like us independent humans to choose our own way of doing things, even when we know it stands in complete opposition to what we know to be right and true? Even worse, the two kingdoms did much to 'display' the 'look' of righteousness, but in reality, they were living without any form of intimate relationship with God. In today's vernacular, we'd call them hypocrites.

Do you ever stop to consider scripture and just have one of those 'huh' moments? You know - those times when you just sit and ponder the 'why' behind what you are reading and then realize you might have a bit of the same kind of attitude or behavior. If you find that happening from time to time don't get discouraged. It is just God's way of reminding you (and me) just how much you are loved. God only exposes our hypocrisy in order to help us realize he has something so much more for each of us. In fact, he shows us where we have a 'facade' of righteousness, but lack the 'heart' of right-living. Anything short of 'heart-investment' into the 'right-living' we do is just nothing more than hypocrisy. Did I step on any toes with that one? Remember, God talks to me about this stuff first, then he allows me to talk with you! 

Abandoning our way of thinking affects our way of living. Whenever we compromise our beliefs, we will see a change in our living - our 'heart' for right-living will be affected. We might put up a good front, but the reality is that we are like the kid who is sitting down on the outside, but standing up on the inside. God warned his people to avoid certain things because he knew it would begin to affect their 'heart' for right-living. He warned them not engage in certain behaviors they might see around them because he knew those would prohibit the development of solid morals. The 'heart' of the mankind is really all God had in mind as he gave instructions to avoid certain thinking/actions/behaviors and to embrace others. If you have ever developed a wrong way of thinking, you know how hard it is to break free from it. It is much easier to avoid it in the first place!

It is a wonderful place to come to - the place of forgiveness. The place where God embraces you with his grace and goodness. It is a far more beautiful place to never have abandoned that place of grace and goodness in the first place! Just sayin!

Are you near-sighted?

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

Gandhi reminded us that we are to "live as if we were to die tomorrow; learn as if we were to live forever". We can be certain of one thing - tomorrow is not promised to any living creature - it is a gift to receive each day we are given. I have a little harder question to pose that may not make fans of many of my followers, but here goes: What will you do with your today in order to make someone else's tomorrow better? I didn't ask what you would do today to make YOUR tomorrow better, but what will you do with TODAY in order to leave a bit of a legacy for someone else's tomorrow. 

I think we spend a whole lot of time today preparing for OUR tomorrow should we blessed to receive another day on this earth, but do we spend OUR time in a way that assures someone we may not even know will be receiving a better tomorrow - a blessing prepared today for reception tomorrow? It could be we give of our time at a local food bank, preparing the food boxes for those who will stand in need tomorrow. We could be giving of our time making lap blankets for the many elderly who sit long hours in their wheelchairs or recliners. We might find ourselves in the backyard shop, cutting out small toys for the homeless children in our area. It doesn't matter 'what' we do - it is that we are investing in someone else's tomorrow. 

If we aren't assured of any tomorrows, why do we spend so much time focusing on what our tomorrows will look like? If we are honest, we have become a little 'myopic' (a fancy word for being a little too 'near-sighted'). We focus a whole bunch on our future, but not as much figuring out a way to make another's tomorrow even greater than our own. I have to wear glasses because my physical eyes are near-sighted, but I don't want my heart to become near-sighted, so I have to guard against that happening! There are no 'corrective lenses' for a myopic heart - but there is grace! God doesn't just put a temporary 'fix' in place to 'correct' our heart's near-sighted condition. He uses grace to transform it! Just sayin!

The 'considering process'

God’s works are so great, worth a lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. His miracles are his memorial—this God of Grace, this God of Love. (Psalm 111:2-4)

Endless: Of or seeming to have no limit; boundless; infinite; incessant. Our challenge today is for us to consider the works of God. I would like us to put a great deal of effort into this "consideration", then to proclaim what it is we have been "considering" rather than keeping silent about it. There is to be a certain attitude in our consideration of the wonders of God. Get to know God on a personal basis and I believe you will not be "shy" about proclaiming what it is you have discovered in him - in his Word and in those times you spend alone with him. God's works are so great - worth a lifetime of study. God's works - everything from his creative to sustaining power - is worthy of our consideration. His works produce something, don't they? They are not idle works - just fooling around in the "workshop" of creation. They are purposeful and productive - they accomplish something. Every word he utters either sets something in motion, or holds something in check. Not even one word he utters lacks significance. Maybe this is why God wants us to value our time of quiet with him each day - to give us time to consider his works. We often get so busy - just glancing over his Word and not really considering his works, but it is in this considering process that we come to really "apprehend" the greatness of our God.

We are guaranteed a positive return on our "consideration" of God's works - endless enjoyment. I have spoken before about times of retreat, when we just have to take time away from the busy life we lead and center again on the important things in life. I think we need to take 'consideration times' to a whole different level - not just "seasons" of retreat and renewal, but a daily consideration of the works of God in which are sure to find encouragement, hope, and the basis of our trust. To find a way to "consider" God each day for just a few moments - developing the "skill" of studying his works so as to find the endless enjoyment he has for us in them - this is our mission. Splendor and beauty mark his craft. Splendor could also be written as "brilliant distinction". In looking upon God's "craftsmanship", we see such brilliant distinction - everything he creates has a beauty unique to that creative process. Even the "ugly" cacti of the desert have a beauty all their own. Have you ever stopped to explore the crags of the path, seeing deep into the crevices? The tiniest of insects crawl make this their home, protected from the elements, and far outside the reach of passing footsteps. God created the "crag" as a brilliant display of his protection for these little creatures. I wonder just how much we'd see of his splendor and beauty if we stopped to consider all the tiny "crags" he has created along the way in our lives?

His generosity never gives out. In a purely physical sense, my generosity is found lacking at some point. I "give out" until I feel I cannot give anymore. God's generosity finds no end point - there is a continual renewal of his grace, peace, love, and care. There is a liberality and readiness which mark his generosity. He is not a "stingy" giver - his grace cost him all he had! "God loves it when the giver delights in the giving." (2 Corinthians 9:7) When we consider the example of the Giver of all things, we will be challenged to "give" in the same manner - with delight! His miracles are his memorial. A miracle is something which surpasses human knowledge - we just cannot explain it. God's miracles are his memorial - they help "plant" memories of his goodness and greatness displayed in the lives of mankind. I don't know about you, but I want more "memorials" of his goodness and greatness in my life - things which humankind cannot explain. Things like the change of my character - transitioning me from a self-centered sinner into a creature of his love and grace. How about you? Want to be a display of his goodness and greatness? What "miracle" are you expecting of God today? Maybe in considering what God has done already in our lives, we might just find a few memorials we can put on display for all to see! Just sayin!

Human opinion disables us

 The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that. (Proverbs 29:25)

How many of us are subject to human opinion? If you don't think you are, ask yourself if you go to the 4 or 5 star items on that online store, reading the reviews of the products you are considering. If you do, you are subject to human opinion - reviews are actually a form of offering one's opinion of a product, service, or place. We all rely upon human opinion just a little bit - even if it is to swerve right as we are going down the road as we have seen the three drivers in front of us do already. We don't know why we are swerving, but based upon what we have seen, we respond similarly. That is the bad thing about human opinion - we respond similarly based upon what another thinks or feels. If you have ever read mixed reviews of a product, you know how conflicted you can be in reading them. You know some absolutely love the product, while it totally disappointed others or simply didn't meet their expectations.

Opinion is based upon two very dangerous things - expectations and performance. How many of us know performance doesn't always match up to expectations? Performance doesn't always match up to promises, either! The grounds upon which we base an opinion may not be sufficient to form a 'solidly reliable opinion'. One thing I have come to count on is how well a product performs. If I see the laundry detergent reduce my need to apply stain removers, add bleach, or even 'rewash' items, I am more likely to repurchase that detergent. Why? I have formed an opinion based upon reliable performance. If the manufacturer chooses to change the formula then the performance may change. Even the performance that I once counted on observing isn't consistent all of the time, is it? No wonder God tells us human opinion can 'disable' us if we count on it way to much!

If we count on another's opinion of us, we certainly will be subject to being weakened and sometimes even unable to perform as we usually would have performed. Why? We are crippled by their expectations - either because we know we cannot match up to them, or because they keep changing! Performance will waver - we are humans subject to 'varying' performance based upon skill, energy, reasoning capacity, and even desire. There is only one individual whose opinion really matters - Jesus. His expectations never change. They are consistent and revealed to us plainly in scripture. We don't have to 'guess' about what he will desire to see - the performance he will expect. We can be free of human opinion when we come to the place of recognizing only one expectation matters - love the Lord your God with all your heart. From that stem all other 'performance', such as loving your neighbor, taking care of the needs of others, and extending grace even before it is sought. Just sayin!

Don't just assume

You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

"It is dangerous to assume because you might make an 'a**' of 'u' and 'me'..." is a saying that stems from a Mexican insurance company urging drivers to not just get out there on the road without appropriate coverage. It dates back to December 26, 1957 as part of an ad for the Horace DeVargas Insurance Agency as posted in the Rio Grande Sun. We all might have come to the conclusion to think that something is true or probably true without really knowing it is true gets us into a lot of hot water, but there are likely some times when we 'assume' a great deal to be true without ever testing it to see if it really is. Whenever we blindly accept something to be true without doing our 'due diligence' to see if truth backs the claim, we are open to deception. We 'learned Christ' - we learned truth. We need to pay careful attention to what we learned of, from, and through Christ - being 'well-instructed students' of the Word of God.

What does truth do within our lives? It helps to produce God's character with tremendous accuracy instead of allowing the formation of what we 'presume' to be the 'correct character'. It is dangerous to presume - presumption is based on opinion - what we 'think' or 'believe' about a particular matter. The truth of God is not based upon opinion - it is based upon and in Christ. Truth helps us let go of the past - to get rid of the things that only weigh us down and don't help us walk right. Ever try carrying a big bag of stones on your back? Do you know what it does to carry that much weight on your back, bearing down on your shoulders? It makes you walk funny! You actually bend forward a bit, attempting to shift the load so it is more 'centered'. God doesn't want us to 'center' our load of guilt and sin - he wants us to lay it down!

Presumption if just a matter of guessing about something - we hope our guess will produce the right results. When a new business starts up, it can thrive or fail based upon what research has been done ahead of even opening those doors or launching that website. Why is that so true? Knowing is far better than guessing and hoping. When the research has been done, the business owner has evaluated the demographic. Will the product or service meet the needs of that demographic? Will the demand outweigh the risks of launching the new business? When God looked at the demographic of a sinful world, he didn't have to 'do the research' because he already knew what this sinful demographic needed most - Christ Jesus! We try a bunch of stuff to let go of our past, but the truth is all that 'stuff' we try is not ever going to meet the need. We don't overcome sin by presuming we know what we need to do to overcome. We ask God, seek his face, and then listen intently. As we begin to hear what he instructs, we take those steps. We don't move 'hoping' we will be different - we move 'knowing' we will be! Just sayin!

 

Quote: 1957 December 26, Rio Grande Sun, (Advertisement from Horace DeVargas Agency, auto insurance company), Quote Page 10, Column 6, Espanola, New Mexico. (Newspapers_com)

We need balance

 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 1:9-10)

As I read this passage again this morning, my eye caught that phrase to 'use your head and test your feelings'. I guess I never really saw that before, or maybe I just needed to see it this morning. Using your head means you actually think before you act or say something. As I was prayerful on my walk this morning, the idea of how much division is all around us in this world right now kept coming to mind. Division in the government; between churches; and even between those we used to call friends. Why? Masks, vaccines, political parties, governmental policies, and the list goes on. We have found hundreds of things to be entirely divisive over these days and to be totally truthful here - most of what we are quibbling over isn't going to matter when we stand before Christ. Use your head - think things through - what will it take for you and I to become peace-makers in this divided world?

The answer is two-fold: 1) we spend some time gaining the perspective of the other person (using our heads); and 2) we test our feelings (not just responding to every one that emerges). Using our heads means there is 'cognition' involved in our responses, while testing our feelings indicates that there is indeed an emotional response to everything we think or hear. Lots of people would say using your head is the most important lesson here because it will lead to more 'tangible' or consistent results. I agree somewhat, but I also believe if we don't balance our 'head' with our 'heart' we will live with all kinds of regret in this world. The older generation would say we are to use our heads more because of the reliability factor we attain when we do. The younger generation may be more inclined to follow their hearts because they have been taught to do so by societal norms. 

Balance is needed - we cannot just use our heads and ignore our emotions. We cannot rely upon how we are 'feeling' in the moment and totally dismiss the sensibilities only our brains can truly comprehend. We need both - think because you care - care enough about others to really think before you act or react. When we do this, we live in such a way so as to see bountiful fruits produced from the soul. Soul = mind, will, and emotions. What we may need more of today is balance - so fruits are born out of our thinking and our feeling. Trust between friends, neighbors, and countrymen isn't rebuilt without both being in action. Just sayin!