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!

Are you a watchman?

If you would test the character of anything, you only need to enquire whether that thing leads you to God or away from God. (Watchman Nee)

Whenever I bring enemy soldiers to fight against a country, the people choose someone to be a watchman. If this guard sees enemy soldiers coming, he blows the trumpet and warns the people. If people hear the warning but ignore it, the enemy will capture them and take them away as prisoners. They will be responsible for their own death. They heard the trumpet, but they ignored the warning. So they are responsible for their own deaths. If they had paid attention to the warning, they could have saved their own lives. (Ezekial 33:2-5)

Most believers wouldn't think of themselves as 'watchmen' in the sense of being chosen to guard against enemy intrusion, but nothing could be further from the truth. We are all called to be 'watchers' - eyes attentive to what is happening around us, minds open to hearing from God, and hearts willing to put it all out there in order to see people redeemed, made whole and able to resist the attack of the enemy themselves. What are we 'watching' for? Nee said it well - does the thing we are observing lead us closer to God and his grace, or does it pull us away, further and further from his grace and love? If the latter is the case, it is time to sound the alarm!

We are called to pay attention to the 'character' of a matter or a person. We aren't judging individuals or circumstances by our own standards, but in accordance with what is revealed in the Word of God. Does it align with the Word? If not, don't move toward it, but reject it. Does it reflect the character and wisdom of God as revealed in scripture? It takes more than a cursory knowledge of the Word of God to know this, so the more acquainted we become with what he reveals about his character through our times with him in his Word, the better equipped we will be to make this 'judgment'. Does it make us desire more of this world's offerings, or does it lead us into contentment with what God has already abundantly blessed us with? If the latter is true, embrace it!

The watchman plays a very important role - he warns against danger, but he also welcomes that which 'belongs' amongst God's people. We aren't called to look at the charisma of a man, but his character. We all have 'qualities', but we also all have 'quirks'. Do the qualities outweigh the quirks? A quirk is more than just a peculiarity of action or thought - it is the 'shift' or 'evasion' of that which draws us closer to God or leads us further into the selfishness of our own fleshly desires. God is working on our quirks if we are following closely after him, but one who is given to being led by his quirks is not someone we should follow or even let into our 'camp'. The watchman will be able to warn others who may not be on guard against welcoming such an individual. Just sayin!

Oh, that is a much better outcome!

People think that whatever they do is right, but the Lord judges their reason for doing it. (Proverbs 16:2)

"Either I will find a way, or I will make one." (Philip Sidney) We all have those moments when we just "feel" like doing something is the right thing to do, so we just go ahead with our plans. There are even times when we kind of suspect there might be a little "issue" with what we are doing, but then we go ahead anyway. Whenever we just move without fully thinking it through, or getting God's perspective on the matter, we are usually pretty disappointed with the results! There are times when we have duped ourselves into believing our actions are fully "justified" by the actions of another. It is like we are saying, "Well, he did this, so I did that" - thinking our actions are "made all right" because of the actions of another. If they don't think about the outcome of their actions that is one thing, but we have the responsibility to think about how our actions exemplify the heart of Jesus, so we may not want to respond without thinking things through!

Whatever we do may not always be "right" - we have to look at the heart behind the actions. The heart behind our actions is what God is after, not just that the actions are "right". We can produce all kinds of "right" actions and still have a wrong "heart" behind them. I can pay my taxes, but bad mouth my government and criticize how those funds are spent. I can wave at my neighbors in a kindly fashion each morning, all the while cursing them under my breath for having a barking dog at night. I can say I love someone, but but be holding onto all manner of bitterness toward them for something they may not even realize they have done. You see, the action can be "right" while the heart behind it is not as "honorable" or "right".

God looks at the "reason" behind the action - the "heart" of the matter. All action stems from thought - thought being influenced by our "heart" as scripture defines "heart" as the seat of our emotions. Try as we might to "think" one way while our emotions are tied up in knots in the completely opposite direction will not make them magically "align". What God wants to do is help us live "above" our emotions - not dependent upon them. We would probably be surprised to find out just how many of our actions throughout the day are totally based on some emotion we are feeling at the moment. Your actions don't always agree with your emotions, but God is after the emotion, not just the action. 

We have a tendency to focus on what we "feel" is important in our lives - God wants us to focus more on what he has declared to be valuable to him. We have a desire to put this right action together with that right action and see right results as the outcome. God wants us to put the right heart behind the actions, then watch him produce the outcome! Just sayin!

Spent as he sees fit

Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people. (Amos 5:14-15)

We all face the enemy, but he doesn't always use the same attack for each of us. His attacks are all aimed at the same thing - getting us to turn our backs on righteousness. James 4:7 reminds us to "...humble ourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from us." Amos tells us to actually run from evil - either way, we are supposed to put some distance between us and our enemy! It is this 'distance' that can give us the time to regain right perspective in the midst of the battle. Without the 'distance', we could be overcome by the chaos of the attack!

How do we 'create distance' in our lives? If we are always living so close to the edge of making the right choices God desires of us and choosing to go our own way, we haven't created enough 'distance'. We need 'room' to think what our actions should be, but thinking through actions isn't going to work well if we do all our thinking 'in the moment'. This is why it is good to have time apart with Jesus each day. To give him our best and first. Then when we need time to 'think through' some decision to pursue one course over another, we have already had some groundwork prepared for that 'battle decision'. 

Hate evil and love what is good. The only way to develop the proper perspective about what is 'evil' and what is 'good' is to ask Jesus for that clarity - not just in the moment of temptation, but in those quiet times we set aside to learn from him. Does Jesus get your attention more than just during church service? If we aren't getting into the Word daily, we won't have the ammunition to fight the battle at hand during the week. Satan doesn't just attack on Sundays - he is right there with all of his 'evil intent' every day! We need to prepare for battle on a daily basis.

When I first tried to spend time each day with Jesus, there were lots of distractions that stole my attentiveness. I found myself giving into those distractions too often - the phone, the TV, the computer, the reminders on my calendar. I found that those distractions had to be 'managed' if I was to actually take even five minutes with him. My time with Jesus started as just that - five minutes in the morning. For those of you getting all 'judgy' on that one, don't! Five soon led to seven, and seven to fifteen. Now I don't even watch the clock. God manages my time - I just spend it as he sees fit. How about you? Just askin!

Don't act foolishly

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

How can we 'be careful' in our living? The most important thing is to not live like the fools do. What exactly makes for 'foolish behavior'? Any behavior that reveals a total lack of sense, especially when we compare that behavior and its outcome with the scripture. Perhaps this is why God reminds us to put some thought into our behavior. We need to consider our actions - ill-considered actions usually result in poorer results. What we use to 'consider' our actions is important, though. We need the wisdom that comes from the scriptures and the guidance of God's Spirit within us - without that we are flying solo!

To understand what God wants us to do, there are some key things we must incorporate in our daily living:

1. Pray about it - don't just launch it out there and ask God to bless it, then walk away. We need to take time to consider the wisdom of the actions we are about to take and the words we are about to speak. As we pray, we need to listen. The conversation is two-way. When we cut God off, we are living like the fool.

2. Explore what the Word of God has to say - learn from the examples given to us. It is not wise to repeat mistakes others have already made! We can see so many lessons from the life stories that have been recorded for us in scripture. We need to take in God's Word, letting it roll around in our brains a while until it actually begins to assure us of the right actions to take. 

3. Use wise counsel - this is why we need close friends who are also listening intently to the voice of God. We probably don't want to take the counsel of others who are not following Christ because their wisdom is not put through the test of God's Word. We need to be cautious about the voices we listen to for our 'advice' in life - the wrong advice can have us spiraling out of control pretty quickly.

Last, but not least, we need to be sure we remain current with God. That means we need to recognize when we haven't made right choices, repent, and get back on the right track as quickly as possible. The fool will overlook the importance of allowing God to convict him. The power of conviction is often what gets us to consider our course, make the necessary corrections, and get going in the right direction once again. Just sayin! 

Right Words

Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! (Proverbs 15:23)

If you have ever found yourself wishing you could 'pull back' those words you just spoke, beginning to see and feel their impact even before the other person does, you are not in that boat alone! We all do it on occasion - words sort of 'fall out' of our mouths and then 'whammy', the discord begins. It is a real battle - one won not with words, but with the Spirit of God within. Have you ever spoken 'ingenuine' words? Some might call them words of flattery or insincere praise. As you may have discovered, those 'ingenuine words' don't last very long or get you very far in life. They might be okay for a while, but before long, others will look for proof that you mean what you say. 

Yehuda Berg reminds us, "Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble." Ponder that thought for just a bit and you will likely agree - words can be either our undoing or they can form the foundation upon which lives are changed for the better. Knowing which are the best to be spoken is therefore quite important! The energy and power of God's words should come first in our lives - then maybe the energy and power of our own words might be a little more 'fitting'!

When do the unkind and hurtful words come out? Isn't it when we 'feel' we deserved just a bit better from the other person? We 'felt' wronged in some manner, either because they didn't respect our space or our desires, and then those hurtful words come forth. When do healing words come out? Maybe it is when we stop acting upon what we 'feel' as much as we might want to. I am not saying we ignore our feelings and become doormats for everyone to walk all over, but there are just times when our 'feelings' get a little tweaked, but a kind answer can diffuse the situation so quickly. Choose the kind answer and see what it does to the other person. You could just be surprised at how impactful that choice may be.

We all desire to know the right thing to say in the right moment, but knowing how to say it in the right way is equally as important. Ever have someone tell you what you said made sense, but how you said it didn't really allow those words to have the right impact? The 'tone' was wrong - the 'attitude' behind the words may have been a little wrong, too. So, we need the right words, the timing to be right, but our heart must be right, too. We need God's help with all of these - not just the words. We want to be truthful, but we also want to be wise with our words. Just sayin!

The clock is ticking

Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time. (Theodore Roosevelt)

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. ...Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11)

How do we use our time? Is it wisely, or a little too frivolously? Colossians 4:5 reminds us to make 'wise use of our time' - influencing all those who are 'outsiders' to the faith. Grace isn't something this world is accustomed to receiving, so when we reveal grace in and through our lives, we are being a positive influence on this hurting world. James reminds us we don't know what tomorrow will bring, so we had best be doing what God asks of us today, for none of us is assured a tomorrow. For everything there is a season. What season is upon you right now? I think God wants us to learn to take every activity, submit it to him, and then make the most of those activities.

God takes the things that happen within the space of time we call today to use them for many a tomorrow, regardless of whether we see tomorrow or not. We can be assured when we seek his plan for our day, then walk within that plan, those 'things' we accomplish will lay a foundation for what will happen tomorrow. We may not see the impact of a life lived well until much, much later. Every action we take today has an influence. Obedience isn't always going to be easiest choice, but each step God asks us to take today is meant for today, not tomorrow! We may think we can procrastinate with the things God asks us to do - yet there is no compromise in God's timing. 

Time is a fleeting thing - we don't hold it, nor can we make it last any longer. We may have one moment to make a right decision but feel ill-prepared for the decision at hand. Maybe this is why God emphasizes the importance of making time for him first - so we will be better prepared. If we get into God's Word, spend time in prayerful meditation upon what we have read, and just take a wee bit of time to listen to what he may want us to do, we might just redeem time a bit. God may ask us to 'do' something, but he could very well ask us to 'give' something. When we listen to his voice in this moment in time, we may just find his direction actually makes for a wise use of time indeed. Just sayin!

Knowledge of my ignorance

It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance. 

(Thomas Sowell)

Since we are God’s children, you must not think that God is like something that people imagine or make from gold, silver, or rock. In the past, people did not understand God, and he ignored this. But now, God tells all people in the world to change their hearts and lives. (Acts 17:29-30)

God may let us get away with some things for a while, just because we really don't know any better. Let him begin to unfold the Word of God and his principles on how to live upright lives for a bit and he begins to ask for some change. Why? We are no longer ignorant - we know what is expected. Sometimes it does take quite a bit of knowledge to show us just how ignorant we have become - not because we are 'dumb', but because we have been influenced to ignore those things for so long. For a long time, God's people may go along, living as they want, then the day comes when they realize what they 'want' isn't exactly what God desires. Change is required. We are accountable for the knowledge we have been given and we cannot continue to just ignore those areas where God's Spirit is directing his attention.

This makes us a bit more than uncomfortable, because it is much easier to be ignorant of the need to change than to know one needs to change and ignores the instruction to change! Nothing makes us more fearful sometimes than the instruction to change what we are doing. I can recall some pretty uncomfortable discussions when others have been led to point out some ways I needed to change. My words were more hurtful than I intended - I needed to think before I spoke. My actions made others feel like their opinion didn't matter - I needed to give them time to express their ideas. My non-verbal communication made them feel I was better than they were - I needed to deal with my pridefulness. Ignorance was bliss - knowledge meant I needed to change.

When God tells us to change our hearts in some particular manner, how do we handle it? If you are anything like me, your first reaction might be to become a bit defensive - if not outwardly, at least on the inside. You might pout a bit - get quiet and withdraw. If we really want to see changed hearts, we must embrace what we may not know even exists within us. Changed hearts will yield changed lives. In other words, the knowledge of our ignorance begins to open up new choices. We choose to be cognizant of our words, non-verbal expressions, and actions. We choose to listen more than we speak. We choose to ask hard questions of ourselves - not just others.

As a child of God, we are no longer to dwell in our ignorance. In fact, we are to seek and develop wisdom. Do you know how to overcome ignorance? We take the knowledge we have been given and we put it into practice - we develop wisdom! Just sayin!

Fit me, or me fit you

Have you ever engaged in one of those moments where you just go on and on bragging about one of your recent escapades? It is as though we have no sense of awareness of just how we sound when we recount the stuff we have engaged in. In fact, some of us even appear to have a sense of pride with acknowledging our insane folly! Now, I am not one to "parade" my folly in public on a common basis, but I have to admit - I have done it. Truth be told, I have a hard enough time admitting to my failure in private without having to flaunt it for the world to see!

Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation. (Proverbs 14:9)

What it is we do with our "guilt" when our escapades have been less than honorable? The fool makes fun of the guilt or remorse they feel. Try as we might, we really cannot rid ourselves of the sense of guilt with simply laughing it away or making light of it in our social circles. If we dismiss our guilt long enough, we become almost "immune" to the sense of guilt we feel about a certain behavior. We begin to justify it and form an "opinion" that that particular action is okay - if not for others, at least for us. In some circles, this is similar to something referred to as "situational ethics". 

In the simplest sense, situational ethics holds the belief that the end justifies the means. When we operate with this interpretation of life events, we find it easy to set aside rules and regulations whenever we feel the "greater good" will be served by our actions. To truly understand situational ethics we must understand the concepts taught by Joseph Fletcher when he reported this as the "fulfillment" of Christ's instructions to love unconditionally. He believed their were no absolute laws other than the law of agape love - unconditional love. To this end, the consequences (or outcomes) of any action did not really matter because the end (love) justified the means. Now, if you cannot see the danger in this belief system, it is time to really go back to scripture to see what Christ taught.

Jesus always began with "love God" and then he taught to love "your neighbor" as yourself. You cannot ever "love God" if you throw out the absolutes he proclaims - things like don't cheat, don't covet, don't have any other god before me, and the list could go on. These are absolutes in God's kingdom. Jesus was teaching we need to embrace the absolutes of God's kingdom and this will result in us being able to love our neighbor. The end, in this case, is justified by the means - the means being the keeping of God's command to love him whole-heartedly (with all we've got). Fools make fun of guilt - but the godly acknowledge it. 

It is one thing to acknowledge something - it is another to do something with the knowledge we have! The godly doesn't stop with an admission of guilt - they go on to the place of obeying one of God's absolutes - confession! Scripture teaches us to bring our sins to Christ and there we will find forgiveness. It is not an exercise of excusing our sin - it is an erasure of the stain of the sin and the ability to walk away from the pull to do the same dumb sin again. What we do with our guilt determines the end of our guilt. We can flaunt it openly, proclaiming the end justified the means. Or...if we are wise....we can confess it, seeking forgiveness and restoration at the foot of the cross. 

The first method of dealing with our guilt will only "numb" us to the experience of guilt - it never removes it. The latter not only removes it, it gives us the ability to walk away from the very action which produced the guilt in the first place. The fool chooses to continue the pursuit of the action which produces the guilt - the wise choose to turn away from it, seeing no justification for or in their sin. It is truly a dangerous thing to "pick up" a false set of beliefs - those which veer from the truth clearly outlined in scripture. We can "interpret" scripture and reflect upon it with all kinds of "opinion". The danger comes when we form a set of beliefs which "fit our actions" instead of us allowing God to "fit our actions" to his Word! Just sayin!