Routine matters

What does the Lord your God really want from you? The Lord your God wants you to respect him and do what he says. He wants you to love him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. So obey the laws and commands of the Lord that I am giving you today. These laws and commands are for your own good. (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

I like it when scripture actually poses the question and then follows with a very clear answer. There is nothing vague about what God wants from us, is there? Love him! Give him your entire heart! Serve him from the heart! Put you entire being into your actions of obedience! Do what he says all the time, not just when it pleases us. Pretty plain instruction indeed.

How does one show respect for God? It begins by getting to know who he is and then it continues as we step out in obedience to the things he asks of us. It begins by listening - really paying close attention to his still small voice. As we recognize his power and his sovereign rule over all things on this earth, we soon begin to submit to his authority or leadership in our lives. We willingly allow him to lead us.

Respect for God involves what we do with our heart and our desires. Does our heart reflect we hold all the control or does it reveal an intense desire to let him control the direction of our day? The truth of who is in control is most evident when we look at what we do with our time and where it is we place our attention. If the majority of our time is "our own" without any attention being placed on him at all, we are likely in control.

The more we relinquish control, giving the first priority in our lives, the more we will realize an exchange of power - ours for his. We might still have very routine daily stuff to accomplish, but we do it with a different focus. We feel his presence and we see opportunities to be his hands and feet even in the routine. God is in the routine, not just the supernatural! He uses people doing routine things in his love and grace to actually change a hurting world. Respect him by being willing to allow him access even into the routine. You never know when God may turn the routine into the SUPER in our day. Just saying....

Just one breath

God made all things. And everything continues through him and for him.  (Romans 11:36)

God made all things - from the sand at the seashore to the hair on your head. Nothing exists without him. His breathe gave us life and his breathe sustains that life. His blood brings us into his family and his blood ensures we are cleansed of all manner of sin. His word puts all things into motion and sustains all things in perfect order. All things are in his care and under his careful watch - including you!

Everything continues - telling words that indicate we don't just "come to Christ" and stagnate! We continue to grow in grace. Can we become something greater than what he calls us to be in his kingdom? Nope, but some will still try to remake their own lives even when the God who made and sustains all things provided all they need to grow in grace. The grace is a gift, but the growth must be intentional. We must press into his grace each day in order to grow in it.

It isn't that his grace changes. It is that our appreciation of what it is doing within us has. We begin to see rough edges smoothed out in our character. Trust issues resolve as we press in a little deeper, willing our hearts and minds to catch up to what our spirit already knows to be true about the one who made us. God's "ask" is that we come and remain. He sustains us as we do. Nothing of worth really exists in us without his careand grace, but all manner of goodness can be birthed within us by one breathe of his Spirit! Just saying....

The nighttime praise

I remember you while lying on my bed. I think about you in the middle of the night. That is because you are the one who helps me. It makes me happy to be under your protection! I stay close to you, and you hold me with your powerful arm. (Psalm 63:6-8)

There are many ways to remember God, aren't there? We can do something quit formal such as journaling his accomplishments in our lives, or raising our hands in corporate worship. In the stillness of the night hours there are times when his goodness and grace will just flood in. In those moments, the praise is a little less like raising hands and voices in corporate worship, but more of a stillness and peace that just overwhelms you. Did you realize settling into that peace is actually one way we bring praise to him?

God's work in our lives is evident in big ways, such as when he helps us avoid a car wreck, but he is also working when we may not even see it. In the stillness of the night hours, it is often the time when God can still our minds long enough to help us "feel" his presence. While God never tells us tomlean into what we feel, it is never wrong to lean into that feeling of being protected and loved by him. The middle of the night moments may not be every night, but they are awesome when we realize God is speaking to us and his presence in surrounding us.

The condition to realizing these moments is us staying close to him. It is hard to be embraced when we are always pulling away, doing our own thing, being out of touch with him by infrequent contact. We are held by drawing closer and closer. If our closeness to God has not been what it could be, chances are the stillness of night gives us moments to recall our first love and return to it! Even in the conviction of the nighttime hours with him we see his protection and feel his intense desire for us to draw near. Just saying...

There will be consequences

"The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it." William James

Fools die because they refuse to follow wisdom. They are content to follow their foolish ways, and that will destroy them. But those who listen to me will live in safety and comfort. They will have nothing to fear.” (Proverbs 1:32-33)

Are you following wisdom in your life today? The choices you make today frequently determines the path you take tomorrow. It is as though we were paving the way for things unseen, but they aren't always the best that God had planned for us to experience. Foolish decisions today lead to many an unwanted consequence tomorrow.

Live within the plans of God and experience the best. Live within the foolishness of our own misguided plans and we will likely experience something short of his goodness. Foolish rush in. The wise listen before they move. In fact, the wise can often be seen not moving when others are, all because that "check" in their spirit keeps them from just charging right in.

What choices are you making that will actually reveal a life well lived? If you have found yourself making unwise choices that have done more to add confusion and a lack of peace in your life, it isn't too late to turn away from those choices and pursue wiser ones. God is always ready to extend the grace we need to get back on course with him.

Wise choices outlast the unwise ones every time. The consequences of the unwise ones stick around for a long, long time. We might not think we can be free of those consequences, but God has a way of creating good even out of our lack of wisdom. Learn from those choices and grow out of them. This may be the way we finally are free of those foolish tendencies....to actually learn from them and not repeat them! Just saying!

Blessed beyond measure

No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard and it has never occurred to the human heart all the things God prepared for those who love Him. God has shown us these profound and startling realities through His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep mysteries of God. Who can see into a man’s heart and know his thoughts? Only the spirit that dwells within the man. In the same way, the thoughts of God are known only by His Spirit. You must know that we have not received the spirit of this rebellious and broken world but the Spirit that comes from God, so that we may experience and comprehend the gifts that come from God. (I Corinthians 2:9-12) 

All manner of "things" God has prepared for our enjoyment surround us. ALL specifically placed in our life for our enjoyment - and for our growth!  Why do I think all things placed in our life are for our growth?  Have you tried to be mature and responsible for the many blessings you have received and observed how ridiculously hard it can be to "handle" what life throws your way at times?  We may not think of the "things" God places in our lives as being those things he has prepared for our growth and development, but even the simplest of God's blessings has a profound impact in the life of the one who will learn to look for the blessing "inside" his blessing!

The human heart is incapable of fully knowing (recognizing) and understanding (having all the "background" information) all the blessings God has prepared in our lives.  If we were to take up a journal and pen, we'd soon fill the pages with notes accounting for all manner of blessing.  As we'd begin that process, we'd begin to discover this blessing opened the door for that one, then another came along on its heels, until the list just mushroomed - because God's blessings are limitless and his care over our lives is without measure!  Yet, God wants us to come into an appreciation of the blessings and gifts he has placed into our lives - so he sends his Spirit to dwell within us to show us those deep mysteries of his blessing and goodness.  Why?  God wants us to experience AND comprehend the gifts that come from him. He wants us to enter into them, but also to see the ways they actually help us to grow and mature in his grace, love, and mercy.

Consider all those things God has prepared for each of us.  In the most literal sense, preparation involves this sense of pre-planning.  There is some thought which goes into the process that considers the detail necessary to ensure the "thing prepared" is specifically orchestrated for the one it is prepared to bless.  God doesn't just go to the pantry, pull out a 'canned blessing' and send it our way!  He has laid up those blessings way in advance, preparing even the "order" in which we will receive them into our lives.  Preparation requires some "readying" of the subject who will receive and the object which will be received. There is a process of preparation which is underway right now for the next thing God has "readied" for our lives.

The most amazing part of the preparation God is doing in our lives is that we are not even aware of the groundwork being laid to prepare the way for the next thing he has for us! Most of us don't understand the weather, but we learn to read the signs of the weather.  If the wind begins to pick up, we know we may realize a little cooling or even the entry of some clouds along with those winds.  We might dress a little differently, making "preparation" for the possibility of a change in weather which could bring rain, snow, or something in between.  We pick up a sweater, maybe an umbrella, and make our way to the office as usual. God doesn't always give us clarity of what he is doing, does he?  Sometimes his movement in our lives is kind of like that beginning of the weather change - there is a hint things are about to be different (changed), but we don't really know what that entails or how much change will be coming our way.  We prepare what we are able to prepare, in ways we can understand with our minds and appreciate with our hearts. The rest is up to him!

Even times where it appears there is no sign of growth, preparation is underway.  Theroux said, "Winter is a season of recovery and preparation."  Those times when we don't see the preparation occurring may actually be times when God is laying the groundwork - allowing recovery to occur so we are ready for the next thing he has prepared which our heart and mind will find challenge and discovery within.  Discovery of God's heart isn't by chance - it is because there is preparation!  In finding his heart, we might just discover the blessing he has prepared!  Just sayin!

Good or bad words?

You can trust what your friend says, even when it hurts. But your enemies want to hurt you, even when they act nice. (Proverbs 27:6)

What does your closest friend say about you? It may not always be what you want to hear, but if they know Jesus, we can trust him to use their words on occasion. Those words may build us up at one time, but they can bring necessary conviction at others!

Do all the words we hear always bring us joy and great peace? Not hardly, as sometimes we need to hear the ones that sting just a bit. Why? We may not have been seeing things in the right light and need to have a bit more light shed on the matter. We may have been refusing to hear and just need someone to prod us to listen closer.

Our enemies, on the other hand, may sugar coat every word they say, happy to mislead us wherever they can. Whenever we choose to listen to their lies, we almost feel a little undone by those words. They eat at us and give us concerns we didn't know otherwise. We must be careful to embrace only wise words; words tempered by the Spirit of God.

Are the words of our friends always spot on? Not always, so we need to filter ALL words through the Holy Spirit and the wisdom he brings. Embrace truth, reject the rest, trusting him to know one from the other. Words are indeed powerful - like sticks and stones that may break one's bones. We may never fully appreciate their impact until we consider the impact of the Word of God.

Did it ever occur to you that God made a way for us to know him, experience healing, enjoy peace, and find comfort in times of distress through is written Word? His words, powerful and pure, given so we'd be able to look into them, experience their depth and insight, therein finding all we need to live our lives. If God knows the power of 'words', perhaps it is time we pay attention to ours. Just saying!

Hmmm...seeing things differently now?

Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. (Psalm 51:10)

Einstein said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."  He was so true in this perception!  The problems we create will never be overcome or changed until we change the way we have been thinking about them!  To change our thought process we often need to change what we are focusing on so often or intensely. If we always see the problem, we will never see the solution standing just beyond it! If all we see is the river in front of us, raging out of control and making it hard to pass over to the other side, we will likely not see the bridge being lowered from the other side!

Restoration is a process of not only being "clean" of the sin in our lives, but of being able to look beyond the sin.  We can ask for forgiveness when we have done something we are not happy we have done, but if all we keep thinking about is that thing we asked forgiveness for, will we never move beyond that thing? It will still be the thing we focus on - anchoring us to the same place we have always been! We want to move beyond it, but we didn't take our eyes off it long enough to see our way beyond it! The drawbridge was being lowered, but we missed it because all we saw was the raging waters of our sin!

Our psalmist reminds us we need a sense of being brand new in order to see what moves us from where we always have been into the place we want to be. I don't know how you "sense" things in your life, but I have to "picture" myself or the object I am trying to move toward in a certain way. If I want to see flowerbeds take shape in my backyard, I have to first walk the space to see how far I want them to extend into the yard, looking carefully at where the sprinkler system could be tied in so I can get water to the beds. In my mind's eye, a picture is being created. I am seeing something which is not yet there, but which I am envisioning will take shape. I am sensing what it will be like to realize the beauty of the bed in that place.

The same is true when we want to move beyond those "problematic" areas in our lives which might plainly be called "sinful areas". If we want to move beyond them, we have to picture something different than what we have been doing, saying, or thinking! We have to allow a new focus to take form within our mind's eye! I don't think we do this in a vacuum, though. It isn't something WE create, but rather it is something which is created within us - in seed form. It is part of being "cleansed" of our sin.  We receive that seed form of what change will look like, but for full restoration to take place, we have to cultivate the seed! We have to believe growth is possible. We must do what we know to do and leave the rest up to God to help with the growth process. We don't "bring forth" the growth - he does!

What we can do is begin to change ou focus. When you focus is on the problem exclusively, all we see is the lack of growth. Restoration begins when we have a new "vision" in our minds of how something will be different. All change begins by seeing things differently than we have always seen them. We don't always control the means by which change will be accomplished, but we can control what we focus on while the change is taking place!  Just sayin!

No real power

 Fear can be a trap, but if you trust in the Lord, you will be safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

If you have ever been "trapped" by fear, you know just how debilitating it can become. It almost imprisons you. You can barely take a step forward because it paralyzes you. It sends you down roads you never wanted to travel. As one fearful choice leads to another, you are trapped in a downward spiral. As long as that remains your focus, your path will always be DOWNWARD.

Notice that fear CAN be a trap, but it doesn't have to be one! What fear does is redirect our focus off of God and his goodness by placing all our focus on the issue or the perception we begin to entertain in our minds. Most of what we fear is made up of a conglomerate of emotions to either a perceived or real threat. Fear saps our energies and sends our emotions into a real tizzy.

Trusting in God requires a redirection of our focus. Downward is never God's location. He always moves us upward. Wherever our focus remains becomes the direction we will be heading. We can remain inward focused and become a little too selfish and self-preserving, or we can look outward and upward, shedding those very self-focused moments as we do. 

God's directive is to seek him in those moments of fear. His plan is to even out our out of control emotions and to help us to perceive the circumstances in a new light. If you hadn't noticed, fear kind of steals our light. God's plan is to give us back that light so we have a fuller illumination of the issue at hand. When he gives light, we will be able to see what we fear has no real power over us. Just saying!

I want a different focus

God’s grace has come. That grace can save everyone. It teaches us not to live against God and not to do the bad things the world wants to do. It teaches us to live on earth now in a wise and right way—a way that shows true devotion to God. We should live like that while we are waiting for the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our great hope, and he will come with glory. (Titus 2:11-13)

Grace has come, so live by doing what is right and wise. The world needs to see us living in true devotion to God, not ourselves. What does that true devotion look like? I think it may resemble choosing to live with others in mind, not always focusing on ourselves. What does it mean to live against God? Sometimes it means we choose to do or say things that will hurt another, but it could just mean we don't put him first in our choices.

When we put Christ first in our lives, it may shift our priorities more than just a little bit. It can change our whole world. Would we choose to stream endless hours of shows while we choose to spend only two minutes in hurried prayer daily? Would we choose to ignore the pain of someone who is experiencing some loss, or put down our agenda to meet even one of their needs? The more we experience grace, the more we see the needs around us.

God gives us a heart for others, as it does not come naturally to us. We might do an occasional nice deed, but when Christ is in the center of our lives, gracedefinesmore than the occasional good deed. It defines our words, actions, and even our thoughts. It gives us hope where others see little hope. It isn't a baseless hope, though. It is a hope based in the evidence of God's love. The evidence? Grace! Grace actually teaches us to live with new focus, impacting our choices.

Every time we receive grace, it is an opportunity to share grace with others who are in need of that same hope. God never expected us to hoard grace. It is meant to be given away time and time again. Maybe grace is needed, but we seldom see it as deserved when we are looking at life through selfish and worldly eyes. Just saying!

Is this really important?

 This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between what is important and what is not and choose what is important; that you will be pure and blameless for the coming of Christ... (Philippians 1:9-10)

The things that are important... What might those be in your life today? Do they change as we grow older? I think perhaps they do. As we "age" in our relationship with Christ, I believe we are challenged to see things in a different light. This is because our priorities change and that is because our focus moves away from "me, me, me". 

The "important" things in life might just become the relationships we develop with one another. It could be we have been way too involved with things that really are unimportant, like career, hobbies, or other relationships that really weren't building us up in the right way. They may have fed our ego, but they did little to bring us closer to Jesus!

We might find ourselves noticing that some things or relationships we have been pursuing are less and less "satisfying" or that they hold no appeal any longer. That isn't by accident! God is at work revealing the shallowness of those pursuits. He wants to bring us into pursuits that will deepen our relationship with him.

As we realize the call towards these"deeper" things or relationships, we might begin to feel a pulling away from the ones that have kept us way too self focused. That isn't by accident, either. God's intent is for us to grow in his love and grace. Anything that holds us back from that intent may actually begin to be stripped away, leaving us with more and more room for Jesus. Just saying!

But...this is urgent

Surely you know that you become the slaves of whatever you give yourselves to. Anything or anyone you follow will be your master. You can follow sin, or you can obey God. Following sin brings spiritual death, but obeying God makes you right with him. (Romans 6:16)

If we were honest here, we might just cop to the plea of being just a little too close to some things in our lives that are actually taking our eyes off of Jesus at times. We aren't unique in that struggle, my friends. We find ourselves 'opening' ourselves to all manner of distraction when all God asks for is our attention. It is as though we have an 'attention deficit disorder' when it comes to him! We find ourselves tilting this way or that, all at the mere suggestion of ease, enjoyment, or even encouragement. We wonder why we are not hearing God's voice, but could it be we have just allowed it to be drowned out by all those distractions?

The thing we focus on the most is our master. There are so many today that find it hard to just sit and listen. We want things 'on' to distract us, like the TV or background music. It isn't that we shouldn't listen to good music that lifts our hearts toward Jesus, but if we use it as a replacement for actually taking time in his Word, it won't 'fill the tank' quite as well as that time in his Word would. We can use a lot of things as 'deterrents' to taking time with him even without knowing it. If we throw in that load of clothes, sit down to read the Bible, then hear the load knocking about off-balance, do we leave the washer doing the 'balance shuffle' in the laundry room, or do we rush to it to reorganize that load?

That may seem like a little bit of a stretch to use that example, since almost everyone who hears the washer jiggling across the floor will set out to correct the situation as soon as they become aware of it. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we would lay down our 'deterrents' to spending time with Christ just as eagerly? We rush to the unbalanced wash load, but do we rush to find 'balance' once again in our emotions, thoughts, and bodies by getting alone with him, listening to his still small voice, and just enjoying the peace of his presence? If we struggle a bit with the 'urgency' of time with him, maybe it is time to reevaluate our priorities. Just sayin!

Why don't you understand?

People who do not have God’s Spirit do not accept the things that come from his Spirit. They think these things are foolish. They cannot understand them, because they can only be understood with the Spirit’s help. (I Corinthians 2:14)

If you have ever wondered why some people just don't seem to understand what God is doing in your life, it could just be that they haven't met Jesus yet and therefore, they don't understand what you are sharing with them. The Spirit of God is necessary to 'interpret' the things God is doing - to really connect with these things, one needs his Spirit. It is easy for them to understand the things of this world, for that is where their minds are connected. Once there is a connection established between them and God by the power of God's Spirit, they will soon come to understand the things God is doing in and around them, as well.

We sometimes try to communicate the things God is doing in our lives in a way that those without God's Spirit can understand, but it is harder than you think. The things of God's grace are not that easy to understand when you can only see them in a purely 'natural' sense. Sometimes God's plans and actions are behind the scenes of our lives, but we can sense there is something going on. Try explaining the battles going on in the heavenly realms on your behalf to an unbeliever and they might just think you are ready for the looney bin! Although they know there may be a God, and even that they may have a 'guardian angel' watching over them, it is hard for them to believe that God has forces at work right now battling demonic forces on your behalf.

God's Spirit is like a tutor in the lives of a believer, but he acts as the one who helps an unbeliever realize their need for God's grace in their lives. Once he has accomplished that, he then becomes their tutor, as well. It is good to know that we are all 'tutored' by the same tutor! Even after we invite Christ into our lives, the Spirit of God will still bring conviction in our lives - in any area where we are not walking as we should be with Jesus. If we allow sin and compromise to continue, he will convict us, but this conviction is not 'unto salvation' because we are already 'saved' in the sense that we have invited Christ into our lives and had our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus. 

We all need God's Spirit - believer and unbeliever alike. He just has a different 'role' in our lives when we aren't believers yet. We might not be able to fully express God's grace as well as he does, but when he confirms what we say about grace to an unbeliever, it opens doors for them to enter into that grace themselves. Just sayin!

Who controls tomorrow?

“Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries. (Matthew 6:31-34)

I used to kid with mom by telling her she worried about not having anything to worry about! She was a fretter. Towards the end of her life, when she had little else to do but 'think', she'd come up with some scenario, then think on it until she had herself kind of worked up about it. We'd have to talk through things until she had peace again about the situation she had become worked up about, then all would be good in her world again until the next 'scenario' got painted across her mind. Are you a worrier? Do you make yourself ill with worries, some not even realistic, much less anything you could do something about? When we worry, we declare our lack of trust in someone or something. Tomorrow will have its own worries, so why do we 'forecast' the worries of tomorrow by making them part of today? Maybe it is because we haven't really accepted that God wants our focus entirely on him and not on the things we can do little to change around us!

What you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. In other words, you should focus on his will for the day. How do you determine that? If we take time each day to ask him, listening for his plan even when we are reading through is Word, we might just tackle the day with a bit more confidence and a whole lot less worry. All the things we need are already at our disposal - even those things we don't see. We may not even realize what our true needs will be today, but he does, and he has prepared whatever it is we will need in ADVANCE of us needing it! If God has a plan, prepares for our needs in advance of us even needing it, then what good will any worry over our 'perceived needs' do for us? Not one thing! It will only serve to keep us from focusing on the things God actually wants us to pay attention to today!

Do we want God's best in our lives? Are we willing to relinquish control of those things that are really outside of our control in order to see God's best come to fruition in our lives? That is the real question. No one will likely say they don't want God's best, but more will admit they have a tough time really letting go of the reins and allowing God to take over. Trust is based on several things - the one we place our trust in, the reputation or past performance of that person, and how willing we are to 'let go' of the need to control the situation. If we have asked Jesus into our lives, we are trusting in the one who has proven to keep his word time and time again. His 'reputation' is based on 'performance' that never fails or falters. So, if we really want to get to the nitty-gritty of our worries, it is likely that we are not willing to let go. Just sayin!

Strong in faith

You, however, must tell everyone how to live in a way that agrees with the true teaching. Teach the older men to have self-control, to be serious, and to be wise. They must be strong in faith, in love, and in patience. (Titus 2:1-2)

You might say the Apostle Paul left Titus in Crete to help establish the churches there, knowing the region well himself, and being commissioned to develop the leadership within those churches. Titus was commissioned to appoint 'elders' to help lead the people - men of good reputation, solid beliefs, and with upright hearts. Titus was also called upon to help the New Testament churches know when a man was teaching wrong doctrine, trying to mislead people with some other 'gospel message' other than grace. It was an important role, but we hear very little of Titus. That might give many of us a little hope, because we don't need to have the 'important roles' in life to contribute in a very positive way!

As Paul commissioned Titus, he told him to look for men who had self-control and wisdom. They were to teach the younger men coming up in the faith to live with similar self-control, determined to live for God in all areas of their lives. It has always been a biblical principle - the elder teaching the younger. From generation to generation, wisdom was passed down and the teachings of God were impressed upon hearts. It is no different in the New Testament churches today. We are to share our knowledge, warning each other against all manner of worthless things and teachings that do nothing more than mislead people. The characteristic of self-control is important as it helps one to stop long enough to consider the wisdom of one's choices. Teachings may seem 'wise', but when we stop long enough to consider them against God's Word, we might see the error in those teachings.

Strong in faith, able to love one another with Christ's love, and exemplifying patience with one another - these are outlined as some of the characteristics of one who is to help the next generation develop in their faith. Their devotion to Christ must be evident - something we might overlook with just a casual look into one's life. It may seem strange to some that Paul would tell Titus to 'scrutinize' the lives of the men and women who would help the next generation of believers develop in their own faith, but one who wavers in their own faith is hardly able to help another who is struggling with faith! Women weren't to go around gossiping about one another - because family gets divided by gossip. Men were to live upright lives - in business or personal affairs, always revealing a positive example of God's love. Women were to exemplify purity, goodness, and grace. No matter what - God was to be central in their work, homes, and friendships. In other words, we are to take care of each other and help each other to mature in God's love, grace, and goodness. A calling we can each embrace. Just sayin!

At the right time

Greetings from Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was sent to help God’s chosen people have faith and understand the truth that produces a life of devotion to God. This faith and knowledge make us sure that we have eternal life. God promised that life to us before time began—and God does not lie. At the right time, God let the world know about that life. He did this through the telling of the Good News message, and he trusted me with that work. I told people that message because God our Savior commanded me to. (Titus 1:1-3)

Sent to help God's chosen to have faith and understand the truth that produces a life of devotion to God. Maybe that mission is one we can carry on each day as we go about our business of 'living life together'. We may not have been called to form the New Testament churches like Paul was, but we have been called to help others grow in their faith and to come into a deeper understanding of God's truths. Why? God wants a people who are wholly devoted to him - heart, mind, and soul. Our 'mission' is to help others come into the knowledge of Christ's sacrificial offering on their behalf. We are to encourage one another, building up each other's faith, helping one another mature in this faith. The message of hope and salvation has been entrusted to us - what will we do with it?

At the right time... That time has come, the messenger today is you and me. The message is clear - all have sinned, no one is made right by his own actions to attempt to live right or 'do' right. We all stand in need of a Savior. We are all in need of God's grace - his forgiveness of our sins, the removal of the stain of that sin, and the grace to live 'beyond' that sin. Grace is the beginning of growth. Without grace, all 'growth' is nothing more than us trying to make ourselves 'right'. In the eyes of mankind, we may seem 'right', but in the eyes of God, all those 'actions' we go through to 'be made right' don't really add up to what Christ did for us on the cross. The only 'action' that makes us right with God is to welcome Jesus into our hearts.

In writing to the church at Crete, Paul is reminding them of the tremendous gift they have received. He wants them to come into the place of full knowledge and understanding, allowing their faith to continue to grow, developing into well-formed followers of Christ. We hear the Good News, then we allow it to begin to change the way we live. As it changes us, we are drawn toward the desire to share the good work that has been accomplished within our lives, wanting for others to share in this same life transformation. We have been trusted with that 'work', my friends. Never shy away from sharing the hope that lives within you. God had a purpose for leaving Titus in Crete - he has a purpose for placing you right where you are! Just sayin!

Challenge Accepted

Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ. We must hold on to the hope we have, never hesitating to tell people about it. We can trust God to do what he promised. (Hebrews 10:22-23)

The condition: Our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience; our bodies washed with pure water. The challenge: Come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence. We might want to know God better, somehow appreciating that we don't 'know enough about him' to really understand how he operates in our lives. We could just desire to 'feel' a bit more of God's presence with us each day. We have already been given total access to God and the mind of Christ, but sometimes we don't always 'tap into' what we already have total access into! We lack the confidence within our hearts and minds to actually 'believe fully' that what God put forward as the challenge can be totally true. We see ourselves still struggling with temptation and occasional sin, so we don't think of ourselves as 'washed clean'. If God says we are, why do we argue with him?

Yes, temptation still exists, and we slip from time to time. Yes, we can find forgiveness when we do simply by coming to God with a contrite heart, confessing our sin, and then turning away from it (repentance). So, why do we struggle so much with the challenge to come near to God full of confidence? I think it is because we believe the lies of our enemy who repeatedly tells us we are 'not worthy', 'are too messed up', 'have done this too many times', or that 'God gets tired of forgiving us for the same old things'. While I am sure God would like us to turn away from those old patterns of sin in our lives, he never rejects those who come to him with a contrite heart.

Our hearts HAVE BEEN made free - so we now must live free. The condition is met. We still live in a sinful world, full of all manner of temptation and our enemy, the devil, knows very well what has worked to trick us into compromising in the past. He looks for those open doors we give him and uses them to put just the right temptation right in front of our noses. If we start praying scripture, proclaiming what God has already said about each of us in those moments, would it be possible we could actually resist his proffered temptation a bit easier? I believe so! 

The very next time you are tempted to engage in that sin you struggle with, begin to remind yourself, God, and the devil exactly what God says about you. YOU HAVE BEEN MADE FREE! You have a clean heart! You have a clear conscience! You are no longer bound to that sin! Your mind has been renewed and is continually being renewed! Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit! Sin has been conquered by the Blood of Jesus! You are a new creation in Christ Jesus! The presence of God and his strength is your shield and defense! When you start reminding yourself and the devil of those truths, you stand a much better chance of actually facing the challenge head-on and coming out the winner! Just sayin!

I need to decelerate a bit, God!

We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory.  (Romans 5:1-2)

Been made right - that is past-tense, my friends. We have right-standing with God ALREADY. In the day-to-day living we continue to do on this earth, God is still at work in our lives, not to change our 'standing' with him, but to help bring us out old patterns of living into the freshness and joy of living by the standards he proclaims over our lives. Sin is still at work around us - temptation still exists. Our 'standing' with God is good in spite of all the evil around us, attempting to pull us back into old patterns of living. If we trust in Jesus, having placed our faith in his 'finished work' within us, we are 'made right' and stand 'right' in God's eyes. 

Do we always 'do right'? Unfortunately, no. We sometimes give into that temptation to live according to the old patterns sin had established so well in our lives. It doesn't make us any less 'right' with God, though. It makes us weak, in need of his strength to overcome those temptations, but it doesn't mean we are outside of God's grace. We may not 'feel' much different at times, simply because those old patterns have a way of leaving us feeling rather guilty or shameful over some of our actions. Know this - what God begins, he brings to fruition. He doesn't leave stuff 'half-done' in our lives. 

What we do with moments of weakness matters. If we wallow in the self-pity of 'woe is me, I've sinned again', we will soon wallow in all manner of shame and the heaviness of our guilt will somehow convince us it is 'impossible' to live without that sin in our lives. Nothing could be further from the truth, but it may be an uphill battle for a bit until we finally realize that God has a better plan, helping us break the cycle of temptation pulling us into sin one link at a time. Just as a car's engine must go through the gears one at a time in ever decreasing deceleration of the engine, we might find ourselves going through temptation's 'deceleration' one 'gear at a time'. 

Don't be overwhelmed by sin, but if you find yourself headed into that territory from time to time, know that you have a God who is merciful and wants to show you how to 'decelerate' when you are headed toward your next temptation! You might find you never reach your intended destination as he does! Just sayin!

What does your conscience say?

So we should stop judging each other. Let’s decide not to do anything that will cause a problem for a brother or sister or hurt their faith. I know that there is no food that is wrong to eat. The Lord Jesus is the one who convinced me of that. But if someone believes that something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person. (Romans 14:13-14)

Van Gogh said that 'conscience was a man's compass'. Einstein reminded us, "Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it." Aquinas told us, "Every judgement of conscience, be it right or wrong, be it about things evil in themselves or morally indifferent, is obligatory, in such wise that he who acts against his conscience always sins." If conscience is so important to us, why do so many 'violate' their own conscience time and time again? To believe something is wrong, then pursue it anyway is a clear-cut violation of one's own conscience - the very 'tool' God gave each of us to help us avoid sin in the first place. If we focus on one 'rule' in a stricter sense than we do another 'rule', aren't we being hypocritical? Tattoos were prohibited under Levitical Law, but so were haircuts of certain styles and clothing made up of more than one type of material!

What Paul is saying is that if someone believes something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person. For the longest time, I wondered if God 'allowed' certain things that didn't seem to be outlined as 'good' or 'bad' in scripture. For example, you may not accept that God allows tattoos on one's body (Leviticus 19:28) Scripture asks God's people to live a holy and honorable life - using their bodies as his temple and keeping it holy. Does that mean tattoos are prohibited. Under the Law of Moses, God asked them not to apply marks to their bodies - why? There were people who worshipped false Gods, practiced vile deeds, who marked their bodies. Perhaps he was asking Israel to 'set themselves apart' from those who did this so they would be 'noticed' as set apart. Some would ask if this 'prohibition' continued into the New Testament church. I can find no reference to tattoos in New Testament writings, but...the issue is not whether tattoos are good or bad. It is what is in the heart of a man or woman. 

If someone has given their heart to the Lord, and in good conscience obtain a tattoo, who are we to judge them? As Paul told the Roman believers, it isn't ours to judge. Sometimes we get all wigged-out about stuff that clearly isn't all that important. Paul was dealing with a group of believers (church-goers) who didn't eat meat because it could have been offered as a sacrifice to some 'idol' and then sold in the market. The church was in uproar because some would eat the meat, while others would not. It isn't the 'rule' we look at - it is the heart. If the heart is right with God, and their conscience doesn't get 'pricked', is it okay to engage in the action? In some cases, yes, but we should also be very aware of how our actions affect the faith of another! Never violate your own conscience. Don't force your conscience on another. Be respectful of those who 'believe differently' than you - following a rule to the 'letter of the law', so to speak. We don't hold all the answers ourselves, but if we cannot in 'good conscience' pursue a course of action, while respecting the conscience of those around us, then we should not engage in that action. Just sayin!

Over and over again

The one who plants few seeds will have a small harvest. But the one who plants a lot will have a big harvest. Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

How many 'seeds' have you been given? Does each seed only bear one other seed? Not hardly! Seeds have a way of multiplying when they are planted. God doesn't expect us to keep the seed of faith we have been given, but he asks us to 'plant it' deep within the hearts of those around us. Why? It will grow and be able to produce more seeds of faith that can be passed on to others!

There are many types of 'seeds' God gives us, faith being only one of those seeds. The seed faith that gives from a heart of generosity is also a good thing. We have been called to 'give', not just out of the abundance of what we have received, but sacrificially. That means we don't consider it a burden to give what God prompts us to give - time, talent, or treasure. 

Are you happy to give of yourself to others? Are you happy when you are able to give out of the abundance of your resources to help another in need? Are you happy when your talents are able to be used to bless those around you? If you cannot answer 'yes' to these questions, then maybe it is time to explore what is holding you back from sharing those 'seeds' God has placed in your possession.

There is no 'dictate' to give, but there is to be a desire to give of ourselves because so much has been given to each of us. Seeds aren't meant to be hoarded but planted. They aren't going to multiply otherwise! If you have any doubt about this, just try it! God even challenged the Israelites to bring their offerings to him for his use, 'testing' him in a way, then they saw his tremendous faithfulness to them over and over again. 

We may not think our time could be used as a blessing to another but offer it with sincerity and see how it does! We might not believe our talent can be put to use by anyone else or feel that we have a talent anybody could find a use for, but God gives each of us something unique we can offer. Offer what you have with a genuine heart and see if God doesn't just prove his faithfulness over and over again! Just sayin!

Obedience first - feelings last

“Fools die because they refuse to follow wisdom. They are content to follow their foolish ways, and that will destroy them. But those who listen to me will live in safety and comfort. They will have nothing to fear.” (Proverbs 1:32-33)

The old song, "Fools rush in", admits that some can be so blinded by something or someone, all reasonable thought flies out the door. One of the lines in the song actually says, "Though I see the danger there, if there's a chance for me, then I don't care..." It goes without saying that we rush into danger more times than not simply because we failed to exercise wisdom in those moments. How can we get to the place where we 'don't rush in'? We learn to listen to God's voice!

God-given wisdom far exceeds human wisdom, but somehow, we think it is okay to just trudge right on into those moments we will come to regret later on. We refuse to listen to his wisdom and find ourselves treading on thin ice. Another line from that same song reminds us, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread..." If God's angels wouldn't even go there, why do we think it is okay to plunge right in? Our selfish and sinful minds can convince us of a great many follies being 'okay' at the moment, but if we were to admit it, we heard a 'warning' in our thoughts that we chose not to heed.

That 'warning' is God's Spirit trying to show us the right choice to make, but God doesn't 'hold us back' from following our own folly. We must exercise the restraint and count on God to give us that 'extra boost' we need in those areas of our lives where our own strength is rather weak. Emotions can carry us down some awkward paths, hard to navigate and even harder to escape. Relying upon our 'feelings' actually is like the 'fool that rushes in' mentality. We cannot count on our feelings to keep us safe - because we can justify every feeling, right or wrong!

Fools rush in - the wise listen for God's leading. One takes steps without thinking. The other counts on God to help sort out the good thoughts from the bad ones. One counts on what 'feels right', while the other trusts God's direction to be the best path, even when emotions don't quite 'match' what he is asking us to do. Know this: God's direction may contradict our feelings more times than not. To wait for our feelings to catch up to his direction is not the best plan. Sometimes we just need to put aside our feelings and do what we know he is directing us to do. Feelings follow obedient steps, my friends. Just sayin!

You said what?

When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. (Ephesians 4:29)

It isn't 'if' you talk, but 'when' you talk - indicating that we are all bound to say things without thinking now and again! We might not 'plan' our words all that well at times, allowing errant thought and not so wholesome communication to escape. When that happens, relationships get tweaked out of shape and sometimes things go awry in ways we never quite thought about when we were 'speaking' those words. I had a college professor that always reminded us that Satan is the prince of the power of the air and our words leave our mouths - travel through air - and then are heard by someone. He asked us if it was possible that 'air space' gave any chance for Satan for 'tweak' those words in tone or inflection, effectively 'changing' those words a bit. I don't know if that is the case, but I do know that I have said things one way, they have been heard another, and the issues that resulted were not what I imagined!

I think the principle he was trying to teach us is that we need to be very aware of what we say. Attitude affects how things 'come out' of our mouths as much as it does when the hearer finally receives those words. We need to guard our 'attitude' because it affects the 'altitude' of the words spoken! Will those words help anyone grow stronger, build them up, or create a hope that is desperately needed? If not, maybe they need to be rethought before they are spoken. It is hard to get control over our words, as many of us know, but to really learn to use words to bless and not tear down is a true 'gift' of the Spirit in our lives. When we commit our words to him, we are less likely to speak forth the ones that will bring harm or hurt. Maybe that is why Christ told his disciples to not think about what they would say when they went out into the various cities, but to count on the Spirit of God to direct their words. He knew they would be best received if they were filtered through the Spirit.

Say good things that will help people grow. This is our mission in communicating with one another. That doesn't leave much room for idle words, unwholesome, or hurtful ones. It does leave room for us to rely upon the Spirit of God to help us communicate in ways that honor God. We only get to that point when we really 'lean into' the presence of God each day, allowing him to take control of our thoughts and words, setting us 'on task' with him. Just sayin!

Your in my way!

"The man who practices unselfishness, who is genuinely interested in the welfare of others, who feels it a privilege to have the power to do a fellow-creature a kindness - even though polished manners and a gracious presence may be absent - will be an elevating influence wherever he goes."

(Orison Swett Marden)

In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. (Philippians 2:3-4)

In whatever you do - it easy to be concerned about others when your own needs are met, isn't it? When your needs haven't been met, how easy is it then? Truth be told, we all have a selfish streak that runs deep, and we sometimes haven't a clue it is there! Selfishness is one of the hardest things for us to recognize, but it can be the one thing that drives a wedge between two people quicker than we might imagine. When our eyes are on ourselves, they aren't on God, and they certainly are not on the needs of others.

Selfishness has a companion known as pride. It is hard to have one without the other. Pride elevates self and that just gives room for selfish ambition to take the helm. Selfishness is put off when others gain priority and wants to somehow gain the same recognition, placement, or blessing. Both are ugly companions and will get us into relationship woes quickly. To be humble means we have to first recognize we are being prideful. To be unselfish requires we acknowledge we are concerned about ourselves more than we are others. Both are painful, but absolutely necessary revelations.

If we want to mature in Christ, we need to ask him to help us recognize where any selfish ambition exists within our lives. When we pray this prayer, we must be ready to see ourselves through his eyes. Christ seldom sugar-coats our sinfulness! He makes it plain for us to see and then he asks some very specific things of us. He may ask us to lay down some of our self-centered activities and look after the needs of those around us. All the while, we may be struggling with 'why' we have to do this, but in time, we see how freeing it actually is to look outside of ourselves!

Pride and selfishness may not want to relinquish their control in our lives, but if we are willing to let God enter into those places where our focus has been directed only upon ourselves, we might just see a reward awaits us that is much better in the long run! Self gets in the way of what God wants to do in and through us, so maybe it is time we ask God to deal with that part of us that is in his way once and for all. Just sayin!

Gifted into goodness

I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Sometimes I think we honestly believe we can 'work our way' into God's good graces, but if that were possible, there would have been no need for Christ to come to this earth, sacrificing his life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and then battling death, hell, and the grave to redeem us from ourselves. A gift is given - then it must be received - period. There are no strings attached, nothing the one receiving the gift must do in order to receive it. If that were the case, it would be 'earnings' and not a 'gift'!

When I was working, I earned a paycheck. I put in my 40-50 hours a week, performing certain tasks, then received a fair wage for a fair day's efforts. Every now and again, my employer would add a little 'bonus' to the paycheck. That was an unexpected blessing - a 'gift' of sorts. It still 'cost' me something, though. I had to show up, put forth the effort, excel at what I was doing, and then pay taxes on that bonus! Was it really a 'gift'? Not really - it was a 'little extra' unexpectedly blessing me in my paycheck.

There are times we approach our 'salvation' much like that bonus. We think 'showing up', putting forth some form of effort, and then working hard to 'do right' is all we need to 'earn' our salvation. While God may want us to 'show up' in this relationship, 'putting forth the effort' to allow this relationship to develop, he does all the 'work' of preparing the 'gift of salvation' we so desperately need and don't deserve! Yes, we need to take time in his Word. We definitely need to spend time talking with him and learning what his voice sounds like. We even need to do the things he directs us to do - that is called obedience.

Do these things help us get into heaven, or earn us some form of 'brownie points' with God? Nope! They are the natural outcome of wanting a relationship with someone! We invest in the relationship because we have a desire to know this God of grace better. Maybe if we approached prayer as communication, time in the Word as willingly listening for his direction, and service in whatever form he asks of us as the outflow of gratefulness we have for being welcomed into this relationship so willingly, we might just find ourselves 'working toward goodness' a little less and see how much 'goodness' he has already gifted into our lives. Just sayin! 

Prayer 101

The Lord hates the offerings of the wicked, but he is happy to hear the prayers of those who live right. (Proverbs 15:8)

We don't have to have all the right words to reach out to God when we need help, assurance, peace, or even comfort. What we do need is a heart that is humble, a spirit that is submitted to him, and just a little bit of faith that he will hear and answer. Even if we are lacking in the last one, God can make up for the faith we lack right at that moment! 

Sometimes we go to God in prayer as though it were some sort of 'transaction' between God and us. The 'here I am, what are you going to do for me now' kind of prayers are not really what God is after when we go to him in prayer. Yes, he delights in meeting our needs, but he takes much delight in us acknowledging him, giving him thanks, and allowing him to show us exactly what we need.

To treat prayer as something we 'do' rather than a means by which we connect with our God is also not entirely right. We might think we say a particular set of words and then all will be well in our lives, but it isn't in the 'specific words' we speak that the need is met. It is in the honest sharing of our heart. Some of us need to exercise a little more 'heart' in our prayer than 'wordiness'!

Prayer isn't about the time we spend in prayer or the length of our prayers as much as it is about the exchange of truth. We are truthful with God about what we are feeling and experiencing, while his truth begins to be revealed about the circumstances and how he is using them to reveal something in us or through us. Prayer is always about connection. Sometimes we just connect heart-to-heart and walk away refreshed, but there will be times when we connect with the truth about an area where our heart isn't quite right yet. Either way, the connection is powerful.

My pastor said something the other day that I'd like to close with. We don't need 'magic words' or 'proven' formulas - we can just pray the scripture. When we are at a loss with what to say, maybe we just pray the scriptures. We can never go wrong with reminding our hearts what God says to us in those sacred passages! Just sayin!

Masters of unsaid words

Wise people say things that give you new knowledge, but fools say nothing worth hearing. (Proverbs 15:7)

Churchill once said, "We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out." Words that just 'slip out' of our mouths are often the ones we come to regret. We make promises we have no intention of keeping, vow certain things that are really beyond our means, or create unrealistic expectations because we speak words that just aren't true. Wisdom in choosing the right words, at the right time, and speaking them in the right manner is something we must master if we want to have relationships that last a lifetime.

What words actually bring 'new knowledge' into our lives? Well, the first place we look for those words is in God's Word. We want to get into the Word of God so it can actually help us with sorting out the words we hear elsewhere throughout our day. Without God's help in 'sorting out' those words, we will entertain some that should have been ignored, while neglecting others that may have helped us a great deal. Always remember this - a person doesn't have the right answers - God does. He can use an individual to bring us confirmation of what we have heard from him, but we shouldn't look to people to bring wisdom into our lives.

The Word of God becomes a 'reference point', much like "NORTH" on a compass helps us determine the direction we are to travel. We might not realize that what we are reading will actually help us 'sort out' anything later on in life, but as long as we are getting God's Word into our minds and hearts, we will have whatever clarity we need. Wisdom comes in seeking God's direction first. His Word is more than just opinion or 'good advice'. We may not always appreciate the wisdom that we are gaining by spending time in it, but when we need it the most, we will see that wisdom play out in our lives.

Wise people say things that bring deeper knowledge. How is that? I believe it is because God often brings confirmation to our spirit through others who also love Jesus. He helps us understand his principles by giving us the example of that principle in someone we can relate to here on this earth. God knows perfectly well that we may have a hard time grasping some of his principles simply by reading or hearing them, but when we see them lived out in the life of another, then shared with us in a time when we need to hear it afresh, it cements those principles within our hearts. Just sayin!

Joyful or Happy?

Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. (Philippians 2:1-2)

What is it we have 'in Christ' that we didn't have without him in our lives? For one thing, we have been given more than just forgiveness as we might think of it. When we forgive someone, do we forget the offense? No, there is a lingering remembrance. With God, there is no remembrance of the sin. When I was in grade school, the teacher would use the chalkboard all day, erasing with those black erasers. It left a tell-tale white residue on the board. At the end of the day, I enjoyed 'cleaning' the board with the soft 'shammy-like' eraser that removed all that residue and made the board look like new. I think of grace as God's 'shammy-like' eraser - removing not only the sin, but all the residue it leaves behind.

What are the enjoyments of grace? For one thing, we live with a clear conscience. We enjoy the privilege of walking away from sin, knowing we don't have to follow that path any longer. We also enjoy the power of Christ's protective covering over our lives, knowing we don't need to fear temptation, but can speak God's powerful name in the moment of temptation and receive all that is needed to avoid it. We enjoy each other's fellowship, drawing from one another's experiences in Christ. These aren't just 'meager blessings', my friends. They are tremendous blessings, undeserved and unrestricted. We should relish each one, thanking God often for them.

What are our goals once we come into Christ's love and grace? I think they might just lead us into a desire to live in harmony with each other, but how do we get from being selfish, self-centered individuals to the place where we actually desire to live in unity, learning from each other, and uplifting one another? We lay down our 'agendas' for the way things have to be in order for us to be 'happy' and focus on the tremendous joy of living in grace. Happy people aren't happy for long - simply because their happiness was based upon a moment, a certain person's treatment of them, or some 'fulfilling' experience. Joyful people find contentment in being sustained in the hard times, while enjoying the elation of the better times. How? In Christ all things are a blessing - hard stuff and easy stuff alike. Just sayin!

Bless them, Lord!

Don’t do wrong to anyone to pay them back for doing wrong to you. Or don’t insult anyone to pay them back for insulting you. But ask God to bless them. (I Peter 3:9)

Okay, gonna ask a revealing question today: "When someone does you 'wrong', what is your first response?" If you are anything like me, you might think it wasn't exactly 'fair' for them to treat you that way, and even think you'd like to 'get even' a bit. It is kind of like you want them to know exactly how they hurt you, but you know they most likely won't feel the same hurt as you do. Truth be told, we can all deal with the 'getting even' kind of response from time to time, but is it God's desire for us to respond that way? Absolutely not! Does he understand it hurts us? Yes, but he has prepared much more for us in 'blessing our enemy' than we will ever get out of 'hurting them'!

Asking God to bless someone who has hurt us deeply is probably one of the most challenging things we could be asked to do. It requires us to put down our pride, sense of 'being wounded', and let God take control of the outcome. That one is way easier said than done! Wounded people want to hurt people. If we keep that in mind, maybe we can see why God tells us to not 'pay back' wrongs. Those 'wrongs' might have actually come from someone who is pretty deep into their own 'hurts' and 'hang-ups' themselves, not able to see beyond them, but 'wounding others' as a result of all they are buried under emotionally, spiritually, and maybe even physically. So, God asks us to genuinely ask God to bless them. 

Perhaps his 'blessing' will come in the form of repentance - helping them see their own misguided actions and seeking his forgiveness. Maybe it will lead to grace that leads to them being set free from what has buried them for so long in such a place of misery. Hurting people only heal when the Great Physician is given access to their lives. When he 'blesses' those who have hurt us, it may look a lot like he has given them a great gift. Just remember this - we each needed that same gift! Grace received should always move us to give grace when it is least likely 'deserved'. Just sayin!

Not getting in here

Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds. (Philippians 4:5-7)

God's peace - do you feel it? If you have invited Christ into your life, it is standing guard over all your thoughts and feelings. Does it always feel like your thought life and feelings have his protection? Probably not. Why is that? We can still 'override' his peace when we allow our worries and frustrations to take us down 'thought pathways' that negatively impact our peace. We have to 'take captive' those thoughts as they arise, and even those feelings that lead to those thoughts, giving them over to him for his control. We play an active part in exercising wisdom over what we allow our minds to dwell upon. 

As a member of the military, I had to stand guard duty on occasion. It was my responsibility to monitor who came and went from whatever facility or property I was guarding. If those intent on entering wanted to enter, they had to heed my warning to stop, show me their credentials, and then they could gain access. God's peace is a little bit like that - those unruly thoughts and emotions have to actually be given access to the 'guarded area' of our mind and emotions. When we allow them in, they can create havoc just as the one who should not have gained access to that property I was guarding could do. 

We don't use this 'filter' well enough at times. We kind of let our emotions get the 'upper hand' and then we wonder why our thought life is all messed up, seemingly twirling out of control at times. Whenever we ask the Holy Spirit to 'stand guard', we are saying that our minds and emotions are 'protected areas' and that we want him to 'restrict' the entrance of stuff that doesn't belong in there. As you have probably heard me say before - garbage in, garbage out. If we allow the wrong stuff inside our minds, it will begin to affect our emotions. If we let our thoughts be guided by whatever emotion is the loudest, we will find ourselves in a twit about a lot of stuff.

God's peace will stand guard over all our thoughts and feelings - but it is possible to bypass even the best of 'sentries' standing guard. Trust me on this one, the enemy of our souls isn't content to just turn around and go the other way when he encounters God's peace at work. He wants to gain access, so he will look for any means possible to gain it. The more we ask God to take control, the more we stand a chance of not allowing his 'bypass maneuvers'. Just sayin!

A temporary escape

I look up to the hills, but where will my help really come from? My help will come from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth. He will not let you fall. (Psalm 121:1-3)

I have spent many hours looking for some form of help simply because I got myself into predicaments that were of my own making - my own stubbornness, pride, fear, or anger getting me all muddled up in some situation I didn't really want to be involved in. It happens to the best of us, my friends. We say something without thinking it through and then wonder why we are 'reaping' such a backlash. We get involved in issues not our own, then wonder why things get out of control. The more we want to be in control of our lives, the more we can expect to encounter these kinds of troubles. The more we desire to allow God's control over our lives, the more likely we will be to avoid such conflicts and concerns. There is but one place to look to when we are in need of help (even when we are in the muddle because of our own making), and that is to him.

Our help isn't man-made. It is God-prepared, God-implemented, and God-delivered. We might think we can 'help' our way out of a particular challenge in life, but if we are to be honest here, we don't have any idea how to 'manage' the challenge, much less redeem ourselves! God's assurance to us is that difficulties may come (even those of our own making), but he will not let us fall. That means we may encounter a bit of a rocky course for a bit, but we won't allow us to end up in a place we don't belong. When we fall, we are where we don't belong! God doesn't want us to end up being pulled into compromise, much less full-on sinful acts. When we are in need of his help to avoid sin, do you think he just lets us fall since we were tempted? Absolutely not! He does wait for us to ask for his help, though!

Let's remember what God says here - we are to look to him for help - not the protection of any other source. In the times this was written, attacking armies would put the cities they were attacking into a 'flight' or 'fight' mode. Those who would not stand to fight would flee to the hills, hiding in caves or other outcroppings that would offer them temporary escape. God says we aren't to look to the 'hills' to find our help - simply because they offer us only TEMPORARY escape. God's plan is that we look to him when tempted - because his plan is to deliver us fully from that temptation! Just sayin!

With the same human life

So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin. He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don’t live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)

God used a human life to destroy sin - but that human life was the Son of God, come to earth with the specific mission of taking our sins to the cross. Does it ever surprise you that God used 'human life' to destroy sin? Jesus experienced what we experience from day to day, growing hungry, weary, sweating from hard work. He didn't just pop onto the scene in all his divinity and take on sin! He lived with us, as us, yet he remained without sin. This gives me hope - hope that it is possible to live on this earth and not give into all the temptation that is surrounding us each day.

God did what the law could not do - it judged us guilty, but in Christ, he judged us free from sin. There is more to this being 'free' from sin that we might not realize. We must live following the Spirit of God, not our sinful lusts and selfish pride. That said, we might not realize that it is even possible to say no to sin - since temptation is all around us, pulling us every which way. Sin isn't some ethereal force we can blame for our disobedience. It is the response of our sinful, selfish nature (human form) to that temptation. Obedience is just the opposite - it is our holy response to resist the even the desire to give into that temptation/

As you might have already discovered, having a 'set of rules' by which we live doesn't make us free of sin. Our pride still exists - even if we remove mirrors, we will still find some way to make a comparison of ourselves with others. Our lusts still exist - even if we say we want to live pure and upright lives, it is hard to avoid all the pulls of our flesh in our own power. We will still want that chocolate bar an hour from now! We need God's help to avoid giving in - our own willpower is never enough. Rules guide us, but they don't make us holy. Only God does that! We need Jesus to overcome whatever pulls at us the most - it is his 'righteousness' that makes it possible to resist sin's pull, not ours! Just sayin!

Advice or Wisdom?

Your parents give you commands and teachings that are like lights to show you the right way. This teaching corrects you and trains you to follow the path to life. (Proverbs 6:23)

A parent's advice was not something I relished as a kid, teenager, or even as a very young adult. Somewhere along the way into my adult years, my parents became the smartest and wisest people I knew! It is a miracle what God can do to change our parents, isn't it? Really, I am being a little sarcastic there because the one who changed because of God's help was ME. My parents gave me 'commands' - the rules I should live by. Did I always follow them? Nope! Did I get in a bit more trouble than I really wanted to be in? Yep! Have I learned that their 'advice' and 'teaching' was pretty doggone 'solid' and 'trustworthy'? Absolutely! God's plan for us is that we learn from our parents, listening closely to the teaching that actually will 'train us' for life. Do they always have the best advice for us? Not always, but as with everything else, we run it through the 'filter' of the Holy Spirit's confirmation within our spirit and the Word of God. If it doesn't line up with what God says, then we need to adhere to the strictest of the two - the Word of God!

God's plan was for the parent to actually be in a deep, personal relationship with Jesus themselves. If they are, the teaching they give a child is likely to be according to the Word of God and less likely to lead a child down pathways they should not be going. God's wisdom comes through relationship - first with him, then with each other. We find his teaching correcting our lives repeatedly - it isn't just a one-time thing and then all is well in our lives. His teachings don't change, but he does expand upon them as we grow up a bit. That is what we call maturing in Jesus. We don't just 'become wise' because we said 'yes' to Jesus - we have to sit under the 'parenting' of our heavenly Father in order to have his wisdom developed within our lives. The more we listen to his commands and seek to incorporate his teaching into our lives, the deeper our connection will be with him. Maturity is not just 'getting older' in Christ - it is learning to obediently respond to his teaching each and every time we hear it. Maybe God doesn't 'parent' us the way our earthly parents did, but when we finally realize he isn't just setting 'rules' to 'inhibit' our lives, but to protect our lives, we might push back in disobedience a little less.

Teaching corrects us and trains us to follow the plan God has for our lives. It gives us the directions to live, but even the best of directions has to be followed. There are some who treat God's Word as 'good advice', but it is far more than advice - it is wisdom! Just sayin!