The Plumbline

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. (C.S. Lewis) Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. (Proverbs 15:16) Back in the day, we watched wholesome programming depicting the 'ideal family'. Leave It to Beaver, My Three Sons, and Happy Days seemed to depict people all getting along, easily resolving any kind of conflict that might arise, and working together on projects to see the best of life emerge. How many of us realize that 'real life' isn't all that smooth, people don't always work together well, and conflict is almost inevitable? Inner turmoil is the outcome of striving for what we don't have, probably don't need, and almost certainly don't have the best of motivation in seeking in the first place. Aim is important - without proper aim, we could hit almost anything, but 'anything' may not be what we really want! God's plan is to put him f...

I have learned the secret of how to live through any kind of situation—when I have enough to eat or when I am hungry, when I have everything I need or when I have nothing. Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do. (Philippians 4:12-13) Most of us live in such a way that we have all of what we need, even though we might be wanting much more than we have. Some might actually live with more than they need. What Paul learned was contentment in lean times and in times of great advantage. He developed a 'consistency of heart' - something we all would do well to learn sooner than later. Christ is the one who gives that consistency of heart, but we have to be open to receive what he gives when he gives it. Maybe consistency really comes when we learn to be open to receiving whatever it is he has for us. Christ gives us the strength to do whatever we must do - in good times, or bad, in lean times, or times of tremendous blessing beyond measure. Leanin...

Life Hack #15: Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—t hat’s where your future lies. Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing. (Proverbs 23:17-18) That ugly, green-eyed monster often known as jealousy or better known as discontent can grab onto us so quickly. Discontent breeds all manner of other issues, so it is best nipped in the bud before it festers and multiplies! Envy enters in anytime we think someone else has any advantage we don't have in life. We might not know how frequently we actually evaluate ourselves in light of what we see another "have" - whether it is knowledge, privilege, or possession. When we sense this "discontent" with what the other person seems to have or get, it can lead to a lot of ugliness in our lives we really don't want to deal with later on! Discontent is really a sense of inequity. If you haven't already figured it out - all things are NOT equal in this life! We are all cr...

Life Hack #6: Do you ever watch those "do it yourself" remodeling programs? They have so many inspiring ways to do the hard work, often at a fraction of the cost of having someone else do it. I don't tackle many of those projects myself because I don't possess the know-how or muscle, but I time to do them. I "want" the nice back splash, shiny new vanity, and hardwood floors, but I won't be "doing" the work! Do you ever struggle with wanting what the "rich and famous" seem to have at their disposal? Or maybe just seeing someone who seems to have a little better home, car, or wardrobe than you do? You get all these ideas in your head about how "nice" all their "amenities" are, and you forget how absolutely blessed you already are! "Life Hack #6" is to be content with what we have so much of already. When you go out to dinner with an influential person, mind your manners: Don’t gobble your food, don’t t...

Something that has become quite apparent to me after viewing ad after ad on TV, in the magazines, and on social media is the fact most of us seeing these ads had absolutely no idea we actually "needed" or "wanted" this stuff until we saw it! Have you ever seen those little videos featuring some product they 'found' on some shopping site and didn't know they needed? That's what I am talking about. It is just like us humans to be content with what has worked for so long until we see the next amazing device and then our appetite is whet! We want it! Wouldn't it just dazzle God to no end if we had such a tremendous desire for the things he reveals to us of his power, grace, and truth? You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. (Matthew 5:5) The ads cultivate a sense of "need" for somethings we had no previous desire for -...

And then he prayed, “God, I’m asking for two things before I die; don’t refuse me—banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence. Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little. If I’m too full, I might get independent, saying, ‘God? Who needs him?’ If I’m poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:7-9)  Neither too much, nor too little - are we operating by the "Goldilocks Principle"? We don't want too hard of a bed, nor too soft - it has to be just right. We don't want too much food, nor too small of portions to satisfy - we want them to be just right. We don't want too much hardship, but neither do we expect to live totally without any - it just cannot be too overwhelming to deal with. Most of us want to live by the standards that "suit" us the best. The only problem with this is our inability to really decide on what "suits" us best. We have a "warped" idea of what is "best...

I Timothy 6:6-10 reminds us: "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." Let that one sink in for just a moment. We probably have all heard someone misquote this passage from time to time, telling us that money is the root of all evil. It is not what it says, though. It says the 'love of money' is A ROOT of all kinds of evils - one root, not the root - and not all evil, but many kinds of evils that can enter into a person's life. Taking this apart, Paul is really saying godly content is to ...

Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for its counterfeit. (Hosea Ballou) We can find many ways to seek happiness in this lifetime, but few measure up to true happiness. In fact, ask any ten people for their definition of happiness and you will receive ten different answers. What becomes evident is that happiness is pretty much 'accomplished' when something we want comes to fruition. We are happy when it is a sunny day, and we are not working so we can enjoy it. We are happy when there is money in our bank account, sufficient to pay the bills, but with a bit left over to enjoy some 'free time'. Contentment differs from happiness, because it is not based upon some external condition being met. When the heart and mind are at rest, peace abounding within, spirit in communion with God, we are content. We may not be 'happy' because there are clouds in the sky, but we can be content to know God is at the helm of our day. I inherited your book on living...

No matter how had we try to avoid it, we all have moments when we just "envy" the other guy a little bit, don't we? As hard as we try to resist the green-eyed beast we call "jealousy", it rears an ugly head and suddenly we are seeing things through eyes of envy and self-defeat - wanting more, believing we deserved better, or just plain thinking we didn't get whatever it was we should have received. It is an age-old problem, indeed. Did you ever stop to consider just how blessed you are, even if you don't possess all the luxuries the other guy seems to possess, didn't get that promotion as quickly as the other guy, or just don't seem to live as 'worry free' as he does? Blessing isn't just material - it can be emotional, spiritual, and even a sense of just 'being all right' in the midst of what some may think is a bad situation. When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in ...

God you owe me... Have we ever said this in one fashion or another? Stop for just a moment to assess your motivation behind that thought. At first, it is possible that we just want something a little bit better than what we have because what we have gives us troubles, such as a poorly running automobile. It might be we want a matching suit of clothes instead of the second-hand stuff we are wearing. Or perhaps it is the sinking feeling that we aren't going to get as much in our stocking this year at the holiday season as someone else will. Regardless of the motivation, the root of the motivation is discontentment - we haven't really accepted the blessings we have been given. We are not content with what we have been given or will receive in the near future - believing "something else" will be more satisfying or rewarding may be sort of naive on our part. We may believe there is something "unfair" when others are blessed in ways we may have wanted to be bl...

If you live your life animated by the flesh— namely, your fallen, corrupt nature —then your mind is focused on the matters of the flesh. But if you live your life animated by the Spirit— namely, God’s indwelling presence —then your focus is on the work of the Spirit.    A mind focused on the flesh is doomed to death, but a mind focused on the Spirit will find full life and complete peace.  (Romans 8:5-6 VOICE) We all probably have been around some individual who is always looking back at the way things "used to be".  They recount all the "good things" of yesteryear while totally missing all the stuff happening around them right here and now. Their determined link to the past is totally destroying their ability to even see one thing good about the present.  Suffice it to say that what we focus on becomes the sole object of our attention so many times.  When that focus is on what "has been" instead of what is "now" and "will be" as we m...

I enjoy a good meal, a little time with a close friend, and hugs from my grandsons.  I also enjoy rainy days, a good book, and a sappy movie.  You could probably make a list of things you enjoy, as well.  Some might list things like a sporty car able to zip on down the road with wind blowing wistfully through their hair, or perhaps a long walk on the beach at sunset. Some of what we enjoy is because of where we are or what we possess - the car or beach make the occasion.  For others, it is about who we are with that the "cements" the enjoyment factor.  I would go with the latter - for the company I keep makes all the difference in how much I enjoy the moment! As some of you know who have been following me for some time, I am "single again" - meaning I was married, but have been without a spouse in my life for over 26 years now.  You could say my life's journey has not been the same since the divorce, and you would not be far from the truth - because the pa...

This recovery from knee surgery has involved a little more daytime TV than I am used to, but I came across a show on cable yesterday which made me stop to take in a few back-to-back shows.  It is called "I Want That" and is a show featuring all these handy devices, kits, etc., which will make decorating, gardening, woodworking, crafting, etc., a little easier and less messy.  What amazing stuff there is out there if you want to do gardening indoors with only a hydrophonics kit, or perhaps use your reciprocating saw without having to vacuum up all the sawdust everywhere when you were done.  Something which became quite apparent to me after about one hour of the series is the fact most of us viewing the show had no idea we actually "needed" or "wanted" this stuff until we saw it!  Hence the name:  "I Want That"!  It is just like us humans to be content with what has worked for so long until we see the next amazing device and then our appetite is w...

  5 "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." (Matthew 5:5) 13-16 Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. (James 3:13-16) Contentment is a lost art!  We live in a world of discontent.  We cannot balance our national or state budget because we cannot come to agreement on how to do it.   We find fault with our nei...