Today's focus determines tomorrow's destination

...the Lord God knows how to save those who are devoted to him. He will save them when troubles come. (2 Peter 2:9)

We may not realize just how much God has his watchful eye upon us, or that he is hard at work protecting us from evil all around us, but he is right there, and he is 'at work'! God knows how to save us from ourselves, and he knows how to save us from all manner of evil that comes into our lives! When troubles come, look up. When anxiety reaches deep within your soul, praise God. When heartache seems to overwhelm every emotion, fall on your knees and pour your heart out to him. He is your Savior!

Several examples are given to us in the previous verses - examples of good men who served the Lord in very difficult circumstances. Noah served God with an unwavering heart, even in the face of evil people all around him. He lived a lifestyle that "told people about living right." Lot lived among vile and unholy people, who engaged in terrible acts of evil, all the while he "was greatly troubled by the morally bad lives of those evil people. This good man lived with those evil people every day, and his good heart was hurt by the evil things he saw and heard." In spite of it all, they served God and looked to him for their deliverance.

Everywhere we look, stressors abound. Everywhere we turn, evil is attempting to make an inroad. What can we do in the midst of such chaos? Live right, even when the crowds aren't. Live strong, even when the pressures seem to mount. Live with integrity, even when others are questioning why we live the way we do. In so doing, we welcome the presence of God into the 'chaos' of this evil world, and we become beacons of his grace and love to it. We may not see God at work, but we can trust that he is. We may not 'feel' God in our midst, but that doesn't mean he isn't there. 

God knows how to save those who are DEVOTED to him. The key to living in the midst of evil - live devoted to him. Zealous in our beliefs, loyal in our commitment to have no other god before him, and with affection that is genuine. Devoted individuals are constant in their focus - today's focus determines tomorrow's destination, so don't let your focus drift! Just sayin!

Will it really matter in the long run?

Are you easy to get along with? The "characters" within the groups we interact with each day make it a little harder for us to score a perfect ten in this "getting along" category at times. According to what James tells us, a holy life is characterized by getting along with others. Uh oh - now I have gone to meddling! If we can 'get along' consistently, it must be because we are embracing this life of God's wisdom, and not living by the whim or fancy of our mood or someone else's attitude! 

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. (James 3:17-18)

"Getting along" with others doesn't mean we always go along with what the other person proposes, following along in a subservient manner, does it? No, but it does mean we work together for the common good and strive to reduce the "points of friction" within our relationships as much as possible - even when it means we give a little on the things which really don't matter in the long run. Notice I did not say we "give a little" on the things which make up the minimum standards of right living God requires - such as adhering to the truth, keeping Christ at the center, and denying self. 

There are some "grey areas" we can agree to spend less time fretting about, though. For example, one of the controversies in the teen population vs. parents and pastors might be the topic of tattoos. Try as I might, I could not find any specific passages that actually dealt with tattoos. There were vague passages about not defiling the body, and of course, treating it as a temple of the Holy Spirit. We could go back to the Levitical Law and see that Israel was instructed not to make any cuts in their body or tattoos on their body. So, scripture did declare tattoos off-limits for Israel - because they were part of ancient cultic practices, not because they were tattoos. It was related to a practice of the times linking the marking of one's body as a sign of your allegiance and dedication to a cult. Today's tattooing practices may not have the same significance. My daughter has one - my son several. Did I really approve of them having them? No, but could I compromise on their desire to have this artwork on their body? Yes. Why? They weren't doing it to mark themselves for Satan or some cultic leader. Would I get one myself? I really don't think so, simply because I don't like pain!

I knew their heart wasn't to mark themselves for demonic practices - so holding hard and fast to some Old Testament rule would be going against the principles of grace Christ proclaimed in the New Testament. Did I delight in their tattoos? No, but I delighted in the kids and valued the relationship with the kids above all. This seemed to be what God wanted me to understand and hold onto when this subject came up in our own home - so although it would not have been my choice, I wouldn't allow a wedge to be driven between us because it was theirs. Sometimes we know something is clearly wrong and that is when we take a stand. On those other areas where we sense there is not really any danger of this "thing" they desire moving them away from God, I think we would do well to "not sweat it".

I think this is what God has in mind for us in treating each other with dignity and respect. As long as the choices aren't compromising truth, we can allow them. God doesn't care if we eat pork, beef, or are vegan. He doesn't care if we worship on Saturday or Sunday. He doesn't fret about whether we wear dresses to church or jeans. He doesn't care if we read the original King James Version of the Bible or a paraphrase. He DOES care about us knowing truth, adhering to it, engaging with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and doing everything to help each other grow. Maybe some of the stuff we stress about, which ultimately makes us a little less than agreeable with each other, is really not worth the stress! Just sayin!