The Plumbline

Has it ever occurred to you to actually watch the road signs on your journey home from somewhere you frequent, such as work, a visit to the family, or the trip to the theater? Most likely, you just go there, and then head back the same way. You don't even consider those road signs along the way. Why? You know the way! You have made the trip so many times you don't even have to pay all that close attention. You probably navigate by landmarks instead. If someone were to change one of those landmarks, would it be possible for you to miss your turn? Maybe, but not likely. Change your route home because there is a major traffic snafu or significant road repairs underway and you have to pay closer attention, don't you? You likely follow the traffic - you go where you see them going because they must know the way, right? Having followed a few lines of traffic through winding neighborhoods only to end up further away from my destination than I was to begin with, let me assure you f...

If someone were to tell you to 'roll up your sleeves', what would that indicate you were about to do? If they told you to 'get your head in the game' at about the same time, do you think that might just challenge you a bit to 'refocus' - pay attention, be alert, stop ignoring stuff around you? If those words came from God, would they carry any greater meaning than if I said them to you? They should! God isn't about to let us sit around being 'lazy Christians'. He wants us alert, active, and attentive to his direction. So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.” (I Peter 1:...

Do you ever find yourself daydreaming away, only to be caught a little off-guard by just how much time has passed without you doing anything at all? I am able to drift into some kind of "daydreaming" mode and just drift along. When I look at the end of the day's work, I wonder why I just did not accomplish as much as I set out to do. At other times, I am so productive and accomplish a great deal without even realizing just how much I was able to accomplish. Most would consider this kind of "up and down" behavior as a little bit of inconsistency - my actions don't consistently match the words or the intentions of my mind and heart. There are days when I wonder why I say the things I say - when I know full-well those words are gonna come back to haunt me! Days when the words just seem to "pop out" without any forethought, but it is too late once they escape my mouth! I guess we all have those days, huh? If you have figured out a way to 100% of the ...

Have you ever watched one of those 'super-hero' shows where the villain is hard at work trying to destroy all things good and true, while the 'super-hero' is combatting the villain's every move? What comes across is that the villain believes in his heart that he cannot and will not be stopped. No matter what forces oppose him, he will continue to move his agenda forward. Along comes the super-hero, countering each and every villainous thing with some 'perfect' response to keep the villain from succeeding. One thing any super-hero is known for is their desire to continually 'do good' - it is that very desire that keeps them going and actually makes them unstoppable. It isn't necessarily his ability that keeps him going - it is his availability that does. How available are we when in comes to doing good? If we want to live 'super-hero' like lives, we might just want to focus on being more available to doing good in life rather than bemoanin...