Is obedience an irritant?

When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power. (Ezra Taft Benson)

We cannot expect to ignore God's instruction forever and not see some form of chaos in our world. God gives grace, time to turn to him, but he won't be mocked. We cannot live like we want, then expect all of God's blessings to be in our lives. Theodore Roosevelt reminded us, "Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor." 

Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. (Proverbs 4:13)

We lack so much power in our lives all because we seek to do things our own way. We find our greatest strength and power when we apply God's instructions to our lives. If we ignore those instructions for way too long, the path we have committed ourselves to will be filled with chaos, angst, and quite unfulfilling endeavors. 

Take hold of his instructions - this doesn't imply that someone else is to tell you what God says. It indicates we are to find the time and give the energies of our life toward finding those truths for ourselves. We have become a culture that believes what we see or hear without really testing it to see if it is true, therefore giving ourselves over to all manner of deception. Deception really isn't all that hard to combat when we know the truth!

If someone were to give you the keys to their house, telling you that you could use it at any time, enjoy all that is within those walls, and never have to leave that sanctuary, would you just pocket the keys and forget about all that had been provided? So many do just that when they turn away from the truth God has revealed within scripture. He has given us the keys to overcome all manner of temptation and deception, but unless we actually take the keys out of our pocket and use them, what benefit will those instructions provide? Just askin....

Hey, is that really true?

Don’t stop the work of the Holy Spirit. Don’t treat prophecy like something that is not important. But test everything. Keep what is good, and stay away from everything that is evil. (I Thessalonians 5:20-22)

Don't stop the work of the Holy Spirit - just how might we do that in our own lives or the lives of others around us? We might not listen when he is giving us guidance, choosing our own plans or path. We could discount something he has shown another, making them question if they are really hearing from God at all. We might find ourselves disagreeing with truth simply because it doesn't 'fit' our present lifestyle or choices. Whenever we 'stop the work of the Holy Spirit', we might find ourselves walking away from truth and toward deception quicker than we think!

Test everything - does God really mean 'everything' when he says this? Yes, he does! Test what you hear before you put your full belief into it! I always tell someone if something doesn't quite line up with scripture, we have to rely upon the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to give us that final 'nudge' toward it, or that final 'tug' away from it. Many simply believe what they hear, failing to get into the scripture to see for themselves what it reveals about what is being taught. This is a dangerous way to live our lives because it sets us up for deception. Keep what is good - stay away from everything else!

The saying to 'chew up the meat and spit out the bones' holds true here. We are not going to swallow everything we hear - it might introduce things into our lives that will do us great harm. Why do you think God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers? It was for our safety - so we would have a 'filter' in our lives through which all teaching, instruction, and 'beliefs' could be 'tested'. It isn't that we aren't smart people - it is that we can be deceived easier than we might recognize. The work of God's Spirit within us is to bring confirmation, as well as to show us where there is a 'misalignment' between what we are forming beliefs around and God's truth. 

The closer we get to Jesus, the more our enemy wants to 'dissuade' us from that relationship. His tactic has been deception from the beginning of time, and he is too set in his ways to change that now! We need the protection of God's Spirit within to help us 'ferret out' any belief that is misaligned in ANY way with what God says to be true, upright, and holy. Just sayin!

God-Radar Blinking?

7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8 NLT)

One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived. (Niccolo Machiavelli) Mr. Machiavelli has been referred to at the "father of modern political science" because of his commentaries on unscrupulous and oftentimes quite diabolical politicians. While I don't adhere to much of what he describes as "normal operations" within politics, his observations were nonetheless true. Politics at the time of his writings allowed the engagement of some rather immoral and often hurtful tactics. Writing during the Renaissance period, he often observed human life being taken in the name of 'political advancement', mattering not to those with political aspirations as to how many lives were lost. His conclusion is that there would always be individuals set on deception - and there would always be those who would allow themselves to be duped by the tactics of these deceivers.

I am always checking things out on Snopes or Google because the thing just looks a little fishy to me that comes across my email or on my social media feed. I research an item before I purchase it to see what others might have to say about it. I want their unsolicited feedback, not the feedback of those who have been paid to give it! If I get a 'gut read' that alerts me to something being a little 'wonky' with someone or something, I usually get doubly concerned that I not be duped by whatever it is. Maybe some would label me a little bit of a skeptic, or with paranoia issues, but the truth of the matter is that there are a whole lot of people and things put out there today that are dead set on deceiving us one way or another. We not only need 'good radar' to ferret them out, we need "God-Radar" to expose them for what they are!

Our passage today reminds us we can each be misled - deceived. It isn't that we set out to be misled, it is that we get ourselves into the mindset or emotional place that allows for us to be misled. If you have ever noticed just how easily you were 'derailed' in your choices or actions, you might just also realize you were actually led by something. It may not have been anything outside of yourself, though, because our own mind and emotions can be quite misleading at times! This is why we need to guard our emotions and hearts - allowing them to be misled is not an option! We need God to place his protection over our lives so we aren't 'taken in' by either our own lusts and desires, or the lusts and desires of others who seek to mislead us.

God-Radar is more than just a blinking light that tells us something is about to intersect our path - it is that early warning system that tells us immediate course correction is critical in order to avoid collision with what seeks to cross our path. We can be assured of this - there will always be 'stuff' and 'people' who will seek to cross our path with what can prove to be very harmful for us. We can also be equally assured that God will alert us to the dangers ahead, but we have to heed the alert! Just sayin!

Mirror, mirror...

As kids, we had all these little rhymes we'd say on occasion, like the one we used when we caught someone fibbing:  "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire".  Or maybe the one when the batter was up to the plate and we wanted to distract the pitcher from being able to concentrate on throwing the ball:  "We want a pitcher, not a belly itcher".  Or the one we used when we wanted the batter to have a less chance of hitting the ball:  "Hey, Batter, Batter, SWING".  Pointing out that we knew someone was trying to pull one over on us by the "Liar, Liar" one was just kind of our way of letting them know we found them out and we weren't falling for their mischief or prank.  Rattling the pitcher or hitter was just a way of trying to stack the cards in our favor when we had a batter up to bat who needed a few "balls" to come there way, or we wanted a hitter to miss the ball!  If they didn't get a few balls and an occasional walk, they almost didn't ever get a chance to get on base at all! If the hitters always got a hit, we'd never stand a chance of winning! We didn't have any that I can remember about cheating on a test, looking onto someone else's paper for the answers, or taking credit for someone else's work on a project. Yet, the idea of someone cheating on a test, or taking credit for another's work was just not acceptable in my social circles. It was kind of like an understood "no-no".  We didn't poke fun at it because it didn't carry any "fun" in it.  Some things we'd overlook because there was "fun" in it - like when someone was trying to pull a fast one on us and see if we'd be gullible enough to believe them.  It was childish fun and games, not really intentional deception.  If someone made it a pattern to lie about everything, inflating their stories and telling untruths all the time, this was a different matter.  We didn't even use our childish rhyme - we avoided them like the plague because they were untrustworthy and unbelievable!  The same is often true in life now that we are adults.  We avoid those who just don't play fair. We find ourselves avoiding those who are puffed up and kind of into themselves way too much.  We find ourselves shying away from relationship with those who just cannot walk a straight path.  Why?  I think it might be this idea of knowing when it is more than a "childish prank" or "game" being played - it is the real deal and it hurts others.  We might "blur the lines" a little when we poke fun at some things which are plainly wrong and then "call out" others which are simply "child's play".  We have to clearly distinguish between the two.

The Lord hates anyone who cheats, but he likes everyone who is honest. Too much pride can put you to shame. It’s wiser to be humble. If you do the right thing, honesty will be your guide. But if you are crooked, you will be trapped by your own dishonesty. (Proverbs 11:1-3 CEV)

I am up for a good prank now and again.  I like to laugh and find fun in life. I think life is way too short to just live life on the "serious" plane all the time. Anyone who knows me well will also recount a few times here and there when I convinced someone something was a certain way, but in truth it wasn't!  It wasn't really me attempting to manipulate the truth so they believed a lie, it was was a little bit of "fun and games" with the other person, meant to make them laugh and take life a little less intensely.  The problem with living a little too close to that line between truth and untruth is that sometimes we get these a little blurred, or we soon lose credibility in the eyes of those we have in our circles.  I used to play pranks way more frequently than I ever do now. What changed?  I saw the potential of what this did in relationships - destroying the core of trust.  It got to the point people were always asking me if I was serious or not.  At that point, I had to pull back and really take a close look at how I used "humor" and had "fun" with these things.  I really didn't want others to have to consider the seriousness (or reality) of my words or actions ALL the time!  I am not entirely serious all the time now, but I did find myself pulling away from living life as a "joke-ster" all the time!

I think there are groups of people who will continually live on the plane of untruth and deception.  It has become a way of life for them.  They almost lack the capacity for honesty any longer because they have become so familiar with the deception they cannot break out of that mode of operation.  To get real with these individuals is almost impossible.  They are trapped in their deception and need to be broken free of that deception by nothing less than truth.  The opposite of deception is truth - the only way to unmask deception is by holding the mask up to the mirror of truth!  I don't argue with deception - I just merely hold up the mirror of truth.  Nothing reflects back the shallowness of deception more than the truth.  The beginning of a cheater's life is merely a choice to be dishonest.  The one choice leads to another and then another until a way of life becomes evident.  Dishonest actions multiply until there is a lack of control over the times one will choose the deception over the truth.  This is the danger in even stepping over the line to begin the action of cheating.  Whether it be looking over the shoulder of another to get the answer off their paper, or the look sideways to take in the "splendor" of another's spouse, it is opening the door to greater and greater compromise in one's life.

Perhaps this is why God spends time pointing out the dangers in cheating and making life choices which are based on dishonest means.  There is a cyclic trend which leads to the next wrong action.  The kids who frequently cheated on tests in my classes might have received passing grades in class, but in life, they lacked the skills those of us who studied actually possess today!  We miss out on something when we choose the dishonest way over the truth.  We don't have foundation in life.  I think this is why God calls this to our attention - because he wants nothing more than to ensure we are on a solid and reliable foundation as we go through life here on earth!  This is why God holds up the mirror of truth in our direction all the time - it isn't to make us uncomfortable - it is to redeem us from our folly!  Just sayin!

Principle 6: Don't Be Deceived

I like to watch those "do it yourself" programs, or remodels of homes on the various cable channels which offer them.  They have so many inspiring ways to do the remodel, often with only a fraction of the cost of having someone else do it.  Yet, I don't tackle many of those projects myself because I don't possess the know-how, muscle, or time to do them.  I "want" the nice counter tops, back splash, and the like, but I won't be "doing" them anytime soon - at least not with my own effort!  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!

When you go out to dinner with an influential person, mind your manners:

Don’t gobble your food, don’t talk with your mouth full.  And don’t stuff yourself; bridle your appetite.  (Proverbs 23:1-3 MSG)

There are probably lots and lots of ways to dice this passage today, but let me just emphasize one point for us and leave the rest for the Holy Spirit, okay?  The warning to us is to not desire what others of "fortune" or "position" or "fame" possess, because these "things" are often quite deceptive.  Even the neighbor next door who does a little better than we do with income, is able to amass a few more "toys" in their garage, and sets off on ventures here and there may be someone we come to envy.  Why is it such a struggle for us to see what others have and then be lured in by the deception of "having"?  I think it must link back to the first sin recorded for us in scripture - the eyes being a window for us to "take in" and then begin to consider what it is that has been declared to be out of reach for us right now.  Seeing is the beginning of wanting - when we dwell upon what it is we have seen, we begin to form a desire within to obtain what it is we have seen.

The eyes behold - the mind begins to unfold the possibilities - the heart directs the hands to reach out in order to take hold.  The passage we are presented today reminds us to not crave the delicacies set out by the "rich" or "famous" (in this case, the king or official at whose table you are dining).  The reason is that the food set out is deceptive - there is no real knowledge of how much bondage had occurred in order to actually provide that food!  Kings would overtake other nations, placing their people into captivity - making them work their lands and ranches for the benefit of the conquering king's coffers and storehouses.  The king's profit came at the back-breaking labor of those he put into captivity - bondage for them meant increasing benefit for him.  To desire what brings bondage is not something we want to be engaged in, is it?

I just read a post from an acquaintance in Michigan asking if any of us had old jeans we'd like to donate to a charity who will "refashion" them into shoes for children who are desperately in need of shoes.  The name of the organization is Sole Hope (www.SoleHope.org) and they fashion these shoes out of jeans for the upper portion and tire rubber for the soles.  Their mission is to "outfit" children in third world countries with these loafer type shoes in order to keep their feet from being broken down by the harshness of their environment. Now, how many times have you looked at your old jeans and said, "I wonder how many kids could benefit from these?"  Probably not too many, I wager. I also would guess we have probably looked at new jeans in the windows of shops and never given a second thought to purchasing the 4th, or perhaps 8th pair in our closets (some in varying sizes depending on the fluctuation of your weight, gals).  The kids served by this outreach have but one desire - ONE pair of shoes - nothing fancy, just old jeans, tire tread, and a whole lot of love sewn into the seams!

Our eyes "see" a great deal - but not all we see is meant to become ours in the end.  We need wisdom in discerning those things which will only bring bondage into our lives - bondage of any sort can be introduced by nothing more than considering with the "eye" what may look nice, but be declared as "off limits" for us right now.  Just sayin!

Living creatively?

Ever been misled - you know, you believe something only to find out in the end it may not be exactly as you believed it to be?  We probably are more sensitive to this type of "deception" today because of all the avenues for reproducing the deception.  There is an overwhelming amount of social media where we can see all kinds of reports, only to find out some of them are phishing scams, viruses, or just plain false posts designed to lure us in.  There is the entire web to "research" this cure or that experience - and we all know everything on the web is true!  Our passage today deals with having a trustworthy interpretation or impression of ourselves and others - something we often don't do a very good job with, as well.

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.  (Galations 6:1-3 MSG)

Many of us see the words "Live creatively..." and think about "creativity" in terms of the things we can imagine in our minds.  I don't think this is what Paul has in mind here when he challenges us to live "creatively".  I think he is asking us to rise above our "traditional" responses to the actions of another, not depending on how we might have "interpreted" them, but seeing them through God's eyes instead.  We all have some "traditional" responses to another's actions - they disappoint us and we pout; their actions seem a little too self-absorbed and we get miffed with their selfishness; or the offense came without warning, leaving us unguarded and hurting deeply.  In Paul's mind, God calls us to "transcend" our traditional patterns of responding to these "relationship issues" - in order to create meaningful and productive relationships.

At first, this may not seem like much, but when you combine it with what he goes on to instruct, you begin to feel your undies in a bundle!  He presents the idea of someone falling into sin - just getting himself messed up in what he doesn't realize is going to be his undoing.  Our "creative" response is to forgive and restore.  In fact, we are to go one step further and curb our desire to tell him, "I told you so!"  Now, if you don't see the "creativity" needed in this moment, you have never really forgiven!  It is hard work to not criticize another who has fallen into sin!  It requires some effort to not follow the well-formed pattern of criticizing or pointing out the failures of the one who has fallen, doesn't it?  

There are a whole lot of ways we can be deceived, but here are only a few we might just want to chew on the next time we want to criticize another's actions:

* None of us is above deception.  If we ever get to the place we think we are good enough to not need the hand of another to reach out to us as we are falling or to pick us up when they discover we have already fallen, we are deceiving ourselves into believing we are "better" or somehow "cut of a different fabric" than the other person.  Our "traditional" reaction is to jump right into judgment - placing ourselves "above" the other person simply because they fell and we didn't.  Let me just tell you, this is the most dangerous place to be - for at the top of the pedestal you may feel pretty good until the winds come and blow you off!

* None of us is capable of doing it all "right" all the time.  We fail - we compromise.  This is part and parcel with being human - possessing a sinful human nature.  More importantly - none of us is capable of saving himself.  Flounder around in waters too deep for you to touch bottom and you will soon tire of the constant effort it takes to tread water.  In time, you will find yourself sinking!  What we need is something to hold onto - until we can reach shore again and get our feet under us.  I think Paul may have had this in mind when he asks us to "live creatively" with each other - finding ways to throw a sinking man a life-preserver and not an anchor!  Forgiveness does just that!  It gives us something to hold onto when we just got in too deep to have any "footing" underneath us!

* None of us possesses all the right answers, but together we might just be able to see a new perspective on an awful experience.  It is our response to the experience which often determines the path the experience will take us.  When we begin to move from our "traditional" response to both our own sin and that of another, we might begin to see there is more to be seen "outside" of our own interpretation of the events.  Living creatively requires us to begin to challenge the "traditional" responses to both our sin and that of another.  We begin to think outside of the box - maybe even getting the perspective we actually need to see God's way out of the muddle!  Just sayin!