Hey, I want that, too!

Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. (Psalm 73:1-3) 

I imagine we all have those moments when we see stuff happening around us in this world, then stop to ponder how has the world 'gone so wrong' in its actions and beliefs? We might not understand how the wicked prosper, the misguided rise to positions of power, or the righteous lose out on what appears to be so much. That doesn't mean we lose our faith in the one who holds all mankind in his hands and will eventually bring all to judgment - the good, the bad, and the worst. Moments of doubt and confusion come to all of us - we just have to press into our faith a bit harder, so those doubts aren't given any ground to fester. Emotions will surface that indicate we are struggling a bit with what we see, hear, or imagine, but those emotions don't have to be denied. They are real, so the sooner we acknowledge them, the quicker we can seek God's help in 'settling them'. What really helps during those times of struggle is our friends who come alongside us. We need each other to help us when our faith begins to weaken, or when our emotions seem to be getting the best of us. 

When we observe the wicked prosper, it is possible we have a little bit of our own battle stemming from our pride? After all, we want to prosper, as well. We want the 'good stuff' to happen in our lives - is that wrong? No, it is not, but we might not realize just how quickly our pride can be dashed upon the cold, hard ground of disappointment and failure! To become prosperous or be elevated to a position of power in this world is not wrong. We might even want our lives to be kind of carefree and without all the hurdles we could encounter along that path to success. To pursue the path out of prideful ambition is when we run into difficulties. To pursue a path that 'gives us everything we desire' may just throw us into a greater pit of emotional distress than we were in when we found ourselves with a bit of envy toward those who 'had' what we did not. If we were honest, when the wicked succeed and prosper in their ways, we might even want them to 'get what is coming to them'. Is that wrong? Vengeance is, but to desire to see righteousness succeed and wickedness decline is never wrong. 

We might just see the wicked doing the same old things - things that don't bring God honor or give way to justice for all mankind. That might even begin to bother us more and more as we see them succeed in their ways and righteous individuals seemingly 'fail' as they attempt to forward their beliefs. It is hard to stand in observation of the 'little guy' being trodden underfoot, but we must never lose sight of the 'BIG GUY' who always walks with the 'little guy' on this earth! God doesn't want us to be tempted to compromise our faith, making choices to follow after things or people who will distract us or dissuade us from our walk with him. He will always intervene in our lives any time we allow our pride to create a yearning for the path of the wicked. This is a very good thing, because we aren't always capable of discerning those two diverging paths on our own! God's presence will always help us know when pride is drawing us away from the narrow path and down the one that will eventually cause the wicked to stumble. Just sayin!

Life Hack #20 - Tether Carefully

Life Hack #20:

Don’t envy bad people; don’t even want to be around them. All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble. (Proverbs 24:1-2)

Bad people seem to be everywhere in this world. It seems like evil just runs rampant and we cannot seem to regain the ground we have lost. As we begin to ponder how easily things seem to be going for those bent on doing wrong, we almost wonder why things can't be that easy for us. It is amazing what we can get worked up over - stuff we probably don't want to be involved in anyway, but because we see some advantage to the other guy, we get ourselves all in a twitter about the issue. Evil people cannot help us stay on the right path - in fact, they might get us off it without even trying very hard - simply because our tendency is to follow what moves our feelings rather than what keeps our spirit on the up and up. To get caught up in the talk and the ruckus of their madness is to end up in a truly dangerous place.

The "soundness" of a safe foundation for our lives will keep us on the up and up. When God tells us not to envy bad people or even desire to be around them, it is because he doesn't want us to become corrupted by their way of thinking, acting, or speaking. They are "pot stirrers" and as such, they delight in getting people "stirred up", but not for the right reasons. It is good to get our "juices flowing" once in a while over some issues, but when we are just getting caught up in the manipulative plotting of those bent on making life a little more complicated, we might just do well to turn away and run as fast as we can.

We are warned to avoid those whose hearts plot evil - they have an end in mind which only furthers their intentions. We must evaluate their words. All their talk appears to gravitate toward the culmination of their plotted evil. We all know how deceptive words can be, so we cannot simply take words at face value, but they are one of the indicators that give us a sense of warning that this is not the crowd we want to be keeping company with. Why? The "herd effect" of this type of negativity and wayward bent is in view here. We get "caught up" in the way they are moving simply because they have a way of almost "stampeding" those around them. They take off running and those who don't realize the misdirection of their path can easily be caught up in the "running" and just follow suit.

God asks us to know the hearts of those we companion with and to not be swayed by the words playing on our emotions so that we get into motion without really thinking through what it is we are moving toward. Be certain as to the heart intentions of those we companion with - the principle taught in scripture of being "equally yoked". To be equally yoked, two oxen were placed side by side in the yoke. Together they plowed the field. If one was too strong, or given to being too lazy, that one would constantly be pulling against the other and the fields would not get plowed well. The farmer would work way too hard just controlling the animals to get the plowing done! When we "partner" with another in relationship, we often find ourselves "working" together. If there is too much stubbornness on one's part, or perhaps a propensity to allow another to do the work, one of us will become disillusioned with the other and begin to regret the choices we have made. Evaluating who it is we "step into the yoke" with will save us a lot of regret down the road. Just sayin!

Life Lesson #15 - Hungry

Life Hack #15:

Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—that’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 created different sizes, shapes, hair colors, skin tones, with different IQs, and born into different families. There is one place that makes the "playing field" level for all - the family of God. Regardless of station in life, aptitude, or attitude - all are equal in his eyes. All are sinners. All stand in need of a Savior. All have fallen short of the glory he intended for their lives. All need the sanctifying work of the cross. 

No one can make another grow any faster - even when well fed and in an environment which fosters growth. Growth is individualized and a response of one's inner man to the forces surrounding him/her. Growth, or maturity, may not be equal because we each embrace things we are taught in different times, perhaps even with different interpretations of what is taught, but learned from the same lesson. This makes us unique - equally human and in need, but not equal in the application of truth.

God knows discontent makes for a lot of messy stuff later on if allowed to take root. It damages relationships, causes us to struggle with issues of pride, and then leaves us just wanting more, but believing we will never have what it is we desire. Guard yourselves well against discontent because it will leave you destitute! Is it possible for discontent to drive us closer to God and his purposes in our lives? When it is recognized early and does not become a thing which drives us into the realms of envy and jealousy, that may be possible. Envy or jealousy carries the attitude of wishing "ill will" on another. It goes beyond motivating us to search for things which will drive us deeper into our relationship with Jesus - causing us to turn inward, feel deprived, and then complaining bitterly about our deprived state.

In the hands of God, it can be turned into an opportunity to open our arms and heart to receive something new from God - something we may not even have known we really needed in our life, but which he knows will bring us tremendous blessing. Discontent has a way of motivating us - but we need to make sure our motivations are God-driven. In the course of time, we will see that he takes this discontent with whatever our inability is, and he begins to drive us deeper into his hope, promises, and the privilege that comes with being a child of God. In this sense, discontent has an advantage in our life - it creates a hunger.

We need to be aware of our hunger, though - for not all hunger is to be fed. When discontent enters, the very best thing we can do is ask God if this is him creating the desire, or our "self" getting us into the region of envy. With this in mind, we will be sure to avoid the pitfalls of envy but allow godly discontent to be built into a driving force which propels us forward into the good things God desires for our lives. Just sayin!

Take care of you

 Have you ever found yourself getting kind of critical about the way another lives, the choices they make, or how they do this or that? I catch myself doing that on occasion - focusing on something I can 'zero in on' about another - because it takes YOUR eyes off of ME, if even for that moment in time. There was a time when one 'church-goer' was observed being critical of how they 'did church' down the road from their church. As time went on, there was a whole lot of criticism generated about the 'way they worship'. Believe it or not, the whole thing boiled down to where they bought their groceries! This story comes right out of scripture, my friends! During the time the Apostle Paul was teaching and mentoring new believers in Christ, one group of believers were super-critical of another just because they bought their food items from 'pagan' storekeepers. Another term you may be familiar with in 'church circles' is 'buying meat that had been offered to idols'. The one group believed the other was wrong because to be 'pure' one could not buy food items from those 'pagans' who may have a practice of offering the blood of the animal on a pagan altar. Goodness, we can sure be petty sometimes, can't we? They even criticized each other for the day of the week they worshipped, the days they considered to be 'holy days', and other such nonsense. What does criticism do? We think it points out how 'wrong' someone is, but in truth, it points out how petty we are.

Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture: “As I live and breathe,” God says, “every knee will bow before me;  Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God.” So mind your own business. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. (Romans 14:11-12)

Paul's got great advice for us - mind your own business! Take care of your own life before God - let God take care of your neighbor's! Whenever I find myself crossing the line with criticizing another's choices in life, I have to stop for a moment to ask myself what my motivation is in doing that. Most of the time, I am disappointed in their choice - I would have liked to see them make a more 'informed decision'. Does my criticism do them any good? Does it do me any good? The answer to both is a resounding 'no'. Why? All my criticism does is create an atmosphere of discontent, judgment, and even animosity. So, why do we do it? Why do we get so wrapped up in the criticism of others? I said it earlier - it takes the eyes off of us for even a short period of time and places those eyes on another. For just a moment, we are pointing the attention toward another - an action we hope will keep another from seeing just how we are likely to do exactly the same thing in our own lives! You've heard it said we are most critical of what we see in others because we also see it in ourselves - this is quite true. We 'see' it others because we first observe it in the mirror each morning at our own house!

A good rule of thumb is to consider why it is we are about to say whatever it is we are thinking. Is it pure? Will it uplift? Will it help or hinder? Most of our criticism of others doesn't really help anyone - in fact, it makes the other person look bad, but it also makes us look pretty small, too. Now, don't get me wrong - I am not saying I don't have this issue in my own life - because I can find myself drifting into this 'critical' mindset from time to time. It isn't a comfortable place for me though. Why? I have asked God to make it uncomfortable! Why? I know it harms relationships - it is against his command to love others - and it is just not my place to judge another. It took me almost half a lifetime to figure that one out, my friends. It is NOT my place - not my responsibility to judge, not my role to judge, not my calling to judge. No matter how I say it - it isn't my job. There is but one who is qualified to judge another's actions as right or wrong, pure or impure, holy or sinful - that is God alone. The one who is without sin is the one who is capable of judging sin - period. 

I wish it didn't occur to me to be critical of others, but my 'thinker' goes there from time to time. I don't like that I get a little 'judgmental' of others, but God is working on me to help me keep the right focus of taking care of my own life before his throne of grace and then lifting up another at that same throne of grace so HE can do what he needs to do in their lives. He may use us in some way to help another grow and change their choices, so we want to be willing to be used by him. In turn, we both grow in the relationship. I am not gonna get this right all the time, but I have committed to get it right most of the time and with God's help, I will get it right more each day. Just sayin!

Squirming a little?

As a wee kiddo, my brother enjoyed pestering me from time to time. Nothing pleased me more! I loved his teasing, endured his tickle-fests, and absolutely adored his willingness to take time for his little sis. 
One of my fondest memories of Chris is his teasing - he liked to absolutely pester me in the most loving ways! Oh, don't get me wrong - even MY pestering him seemed to be enjoyed on his end! Most of the time, those 'pestering moments' would end in me being swept into the air, swung around, or pinned like a squished bug under the weight of his body while I had the giggles tickled right out of me. When I could barely catch my breath any longer, he'd set me down or let me loose. Some things in this lifetime "pester" us in a good way - others not so much!

When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. I'm still in your presence, but you've taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me. (Psalm 73:21-24)

Bitterness is one of those things that absolutely "pesters" us in a not so 'good' manner. The sad truth about bitterness is that it has a consuming effect. Try as he might, my brother could not totally make me disappear under the weight of his body during those tickle-fests - I just squirmed too much to be totally hidden! Bitterness is quite different - it has a weight strong enough and big enough to consume us totally! Whenever Chris pinned me down, mom was usually not that far away, watching over me to make sure the teasing and tickling didn't go too far. She would come to my rescue on occasion - hearing my cries for "deliverance", just not able to endure even one more tickle. There is not a whole lot of squirming we can do to get out from under the load bitterness puts upon us - it takes deliverance from the load - and a deliverer to get it off of us!

I looked up some of the synonyms for "beleaguer" and guess what I found? A whole lot of words which emphasize the complete and utter sense of hopelessness we feel whenever bitterness is allowed to take root. It carries the idea of being harassed, pestered, badgered, vexed, plagued and annoyed. Now, if you have never really thought about that weight of bitterness you might be carrying, those words might just say it all. HARASS - carries the idea of being tormented so thoroughly and with such consistency that it becomes commonplace in our lives. In other words, when we are feeling like there is no way of escape it is probably because of the repetitiveness of the attacks that bitterness wages in our heart, mind, and emotions.

Then comes along this idea of being PESTERED with persistent troubling of the mind, will, or emotions until the weight of the trouble is felt continually. An obsolete meaning of this word is to "overcrowd". This is how bitterness effects us - it overcrowds us with its worries and stress. It weighs us down because of the persistent attacks. Being BADGERED means that we are being 'baited' until we are so disturbed by the bait that we finally "bite". Bitterness actually "baits" us into responses we'd rather avoid. No fish on a hook ever intended to swallow the hook! They just wanted the bait! To VEX carries the idea of being stirred up, placing into motion what otherwise would have been left unaffected if left alone and not stirred. Gotta ask...what would be better left undisturbed in your mind, heart, or emotions today? Nothing delights the devil more than stirring up what should "settle out".

As with the other meanings, this idea of being PLAGUED has several meanings. In a medical sense, we'd consider this an epidemic or pandemic - capable of infecting a huge group of people simply by the actions of one 'infected' organism! Bitterness has a far-reaching affect, does it not? In the simplest sense, this is like a bur under the saddle - it annoys repeatedly until we worry on it a while - doing and saying things we'd normally not say or do. Before long, that one 'organism' of 'foul feelings' begins to multiply until it reaches astronomical proportions. That leads us to our last point - being ANNOYED by life. I was surprised to know the meaning of this word included the idea of being molested. Bitterness is kind of like an outright molestation - it "violates" us and others.

If our eyes aren't opened to just how much bitterness becomes a consuming and overwhelming force within us, we need to re-read these again! God says it is a consuming force and one to be avoided at all cost. When we don't get what it is we think we "deserve" in a relationship, don't we begin this course down the 'bitterness path' with perhaps the initial thought of "I deserve better"? If we are to be out from under the weight of bitterness, we need to do more than "squirm" around under its weight! No amount of squirming will help us get out of the building pressure. The squirming might relieve a little of the weight here and there, but we are still under the weight. My bro would let me "come up for air" once every now and again! But...until mom intervened, I wasn't out from under his weight fully! Until Christ intervenes, we are never fully delivered from the weight of bitterness and envy. "You've taken my hand". We actually need to be lifted up and led away from the hold bitterness has on us. This is God's work - deliverance involves more than just removing the weight - it incorporates the "relocating" of our focus. Eyes are turned to him - emotions are healed, heart re-aligned, and mind renewed. In turn, the weight is no longer a threat. It might just be time for us to realize "squirming" never brings deliverance! Just sayin!

Find your delight

Find your delight in the Lord. Then he will give you everything your heart really wants. 

(Psalm 37:4)

Do you know how this psalm begins? David begins by telling us to stop being upset because of sinful people and to stop being jealous of all those around us who are doing wrong. Do you ever find yourself caught up in the moments of comparison where you actually begin to bemoan the fact the ones doing wrong around you seem to prosper and you are just struggling to make it through? I think this can be more commonplace than we might first believe. It is hard to see people behaving poorly and seeming to just slide on by without anyone calling them on their behavior. It is hard to observe injustices overlooked. The instruction is quite simple - stop dwelling on their 'good fortune' in the midst of some pretty poorly made choices on their part. Why? The answer is found in the next verse - "Like grass, they will soon dry up. Like green plants, they will soon die." Our response should be to "trust in the Lord and do good". In the face of their evil, do good. In the midst of their hurtful behavior, do good. In the moments when things seem to be going from bad to worse, do good.

How do we 'do good' when all around us is something quite the opposite? The answer is found in David's next instruction to us - find your delight in the Lord! When we find our delight in the Lord, we don't have time, nor interest in focusing on how 'well' the sinful are doing. Instead, we find ways of binding up the wounds of those they are continually offending! Did you realize one of the primary definitions of 'delight' is to be content? Contentment doesn't come in what we see or feel as much as it comes in what we know about who is in control of the circumstances. We find pleasure in getting close to God and then we find ways to invite others into that place of closeness, thereby countering the evil done around us. We aren't getting upset - we aren't even getting even - we are rising above. God's 'ask' isn't that we just sit idly by, but rather that we find ways to turn the eyes around us toward him.

Please don't get me wrong when I share this, but I observed a man on a street corner this past weekend with a great deal of misguided passion. You see, he was attempting to 'preach' from the street corner at the local Farmer's Market, but instead of turning eyes toward heaven, he was hurling insults that weren't taken very well by those in hearing range. He actually called those of us in the crowd 'gomers' because we have been 'duped' by lies, but by referring to the crowd as inept or stupid, he was 'souring' them on ever hearing the message he desired to deliver. I am not a huge fan of 'doomsday' preaching from the street corners anyway, but this type of preaching only gives Christians a bad rap. Why? The words are hurtful, not helpful. God's greatest joy comes in seeing a life changed, lived out in beauty and grace. His hope is that we learn to share that beauty and grace with others in a way that helps them to realize they can 'rise above' this world's evil and hurtfulness, as well. Just sayin!

Content with what I have right now

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 your very presence. I'm still in your presence, but you've taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me. You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they'll never be heard from again. But I'm in the very presence of God—oh, how refreshing it is! I've made Lord God my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do! (Psalm 73:21-28)

Just like our writer had one of those moments of self-pity, we can drift into those mully-grubs, as well. The shadows of deepening depression engulfing him as he stopped to consider the "people at the top" - those we'd say have finally "made it". They live pampered lives - styling the latest fashions, sporting the newest fads and trends, not a care in the whole wide world. Yet, he describes several characteristics of these individuals which tell us a great deal about what is like for THEM, but that may actually reveal something about how they see and treat US. 

They use words to kill. They have a huge outward show of importance, elegance, and pompous sophistication, yet their words betray the emptiness of their hearts and the lack of connection within their spirit to anything or anyone outside of what will satisfy and meet their own motives. They are full of hot air. They talk big, but really have very little substance in their emotional and spiritual make-up. They get away with everything (or so it seems). He sees the riches amassing and thinks God must be looking the other way, or worse yet, allowing them to amass all this 'stuff' in lieu of others having it. In dealings of the everyday business, they succeed - honest and trustworthy, or not. They just don't "play by the rules" and it has seemingly "worked" for them.

Oh, how easy it becomes to envy those who seem to have it made, huh? Yet, if we stop to consider the true "emptiness" of their lives, we might just turn that envy into pity - not for ourselves, but for them! A little later, he says, "When I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache!" This stuff just doesn't make sense to one who serves God! We see the wicked exceedingly at ease in their success and the righteous facing struggles. It is easy to get confused about who is really blessed, huh? Take the message in context and you will observe that our writer tells us of the conundrum we all face - understanding how the wicked succeed and the righteous struggle. He seeks to help us unravel this mystery by changing our perspective - how we view the success of the wicked and the blessing of the righteous. As one who might be struggling with envy, we are described as "dumb oxen" in the presence of the Almighty God. What do oxen do? They pull! What does envy do? It pulls us! Does it pull us closer to God, or farther away? I daresay, it pulls us in the opposite direction than God would have us to travel!

In the presence of God, we find ourselves undone. As we change perspectives - seeing the success of the wicked through the eyes of God - we see things we never really saw before. Things like the abuse of power, the painful inflicting of wounds with words, or the insincerity of their heart. Then we feel the hand of God - taking us gently, guiding us closer to him. There we find something the wicked don't have - foundation! We might envy the "glamour" of the wicked - the glitz, the showy pretense - but we've got something they don't possess. We have rock-firm foundation - the presence of God in our lives. It may not seem like much at first, but when we let that sink in, really beginning to settle our minds, bring stability to our emotions, and to strengthen our resolve to live pure lives, we begin to display "fine-linen" attire that far "out-styles" the trendy clothes of the wicked! We find the words of our lips to be far more "elegant" and "uplifting" than those of the "big talking". We may not always "get away" with stuff, but we are made stronger by what God encounters. Truly, like the psalmist, we can say, "We are in the presence of God - how refreshing it is!" Just sayin!

Getting beyond envy

We can miss what is right in front of our face - almost without even noticing. Why?  We have explored this very thought many times - it is because we see what we focus upon - a lack of focus on something makes it easy to miss the subtleties of it.  You have probably heard something like, "More is read than said", meaning more is observed in our non-verbal communication than with just our words.  When there is a disconnect between the two - such as saying one thing, but our actions showing another - we can be "read" by others as not really meaning what we say.  My pastor has a saying, "More is caught than taught", meaning almost the same thing - actions have a greater impact than our words.  When we get our eyes on the stuff which really doesn't matter, we have the capability of missing the stuff which really does.

No doubt about it! God is good—good to good people, good to the good-hearted.  But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness.  I was looking the other way, looking up to the people at the top, envying the wicked who have it made, who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world.  When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence.  I’m still in your presence,  but you’ve taken my hand.  You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me.  (Psalm 73:1-5; 21-24 MSG)

The tendency to look at others and compare ourselves with others is risky business.  We get our eyes off the place where our true provision comes and the one from whom it is assured.  We turn inward, beginning to regret our choices, question our blessings, and challenge our beliefs - all because we are looking upon what is displayed outwardly rather than seeing what is lived out inwardly.  When all we see is the blessing or the good stuff the wicked seem to enjoy, we forget to look deeper into the heart to see what really "drives" or "energizes" them.  The tendency to look only upon the outward severely impacts our ability to accurately interpret the source of their blessing.  You see, their blessing is not from the hand of the Lord, but because they have worked their fingers to the bone to obtain them.  They are obtained by their own effort - and often their own "line of credit" with the local credit card companies!

We do this comparison "thing" more than we might like to admit.  We see a co-worker get noticed for a project they have been working on, but when ours isn't highlighted in the spotlight of the same praise, we feel slighted.  We hear someone thank another for their efforts to make a day special, all the while thinking we are chopped liver for the contributions we have made to the day!  This is where the rubber meets the road, my friends.  When we begin to get our "undies in a bundle" over the blessings, fortunes, honor, or fame another has, we are slipping in some pretty "slimy" business.  There should be no doubt in your mind - envy is compared with the color green - making envy the "slime" of the brain and emotions which we can slip upon and fall if we are not careful!

Envy gets our eyes off the one who brings all blessing.  It takes our attention away from the gifts we already possess - focusing us instead on "more" or "better" or "improved".  Truth is - God cannot improve upon his blessings - they are all good and all beyond our counting.  Envy has a "breeding ground" in our minds and emotions.  Let it get out of control, and it can overwhelm you.  Envy doesn't necessarily kill us, but it does some pretty damaging things:

- It divides relationships.  Envy has a way of putting up walls between one person and another.  Things and people get "played" against each other, and in turn, the relationship begins to be affected by the bitterness and jealousy which forms.  

- It shifts attention from what matters.  When envy is allowed to take root, it takes our eyes off the things which really matter, like keeping God first in our lives, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and turning the other cheek.

- It hardens our heart.  A hard heart is prone to living with much guilt and regret for past decisions made.  The time which passes while living with the bitterness of envy only brings further regret and a larger gap between us and right standing with God.

Therefore, it is pretty important that we don't stand before God as "dumb oxen", filled with all kinds of envy, pride and bitterness.  How do we keep ourselves away from the dangerous snare of envy?  First and foremost, I think we have to remember God is in control of our lives.  Today's blessings may not seem as significant as what we can see in the lives of those around us, but trust me, too many "blessings" can actually become "curses" in the lives of those who pursue the blessing, but not the one who blesses.  The basis of God's blessings in our lives is the greatness of his love toward us.  We need never forget this one point - he loved us FIRST.  So much so that he GAVE us his best.  We may not always remember this - but if we begin to focus on this again and again as envy tries to gain ground in our lives, we will surely be humbled by the greatness of the blessings we have and the magnificence of the one who blesses us.  Just sayin!

Principle 14: Know Your Advantages

It is easy to get caught up in envy - that ugly, green-eyed monster often known as jealousy or better known as discontent.  Discontent breeds all manner of other issues, so it is best nipped in the bud than allowed to fester and multiply!  Really, in the simplest terms, envy enters in anytime we think someone else has any advantage we don't have in life.  Yep, ANY advantage! We often don't know how frequently we evaluate ourselves in the light of what we see another "have" - whether it is knowledge, privilege, or possession.  Some allow a little discontent to breed when they consider how easily someone can get into the scriptures, or launch in to a prayer for another in need.  Others allow it to fester when they see someone get cut slack where no slack would be rendered if it were them.  Regardless of how we sense this "discontent" with the what the other person seems to have or get, it can lead to a lot of ugliness in our lives we'd probably not like to deal with later on!

Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—

That’s where your future lies.  Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing. (Proverbs 23:17-18 MSG)

Discontent multiplies whenever one senses an inequity.  Let me be the first to tell you this if you haven't already figured it out - all things are NOT equal in this life!  We are all created different sizes, shapes, hair colors, skin tones, with different IQs, and into different families.  Yet, there is one place we come into which makes the "playing field" level for all - the family of God. Regardless of station in life, aptitude, or attitude - all are equal in his eyes. All are sinners.  All stand in need of a Savior.  All have fallen short of the glory he intended for their lives.  All need the sanctifying work of the cross. In short, all are equal.  No one can make another grow any faster - even when well fed and in an environment which fosters growth.  Growth is individualized and a response of one's inner man to the forces surrounding him/her.  Growth, or maturity, may not be equal because we each embrace things we are taught in different times, perhaps even in different interpretations of what is taught, but exactly from the same lesson.  This makes us unique - equally human and in need, but not equal in the application of truth.

The various things which lead to discontent in our lives is what God is after here - because he knows it makes for a lot of messy stuff later on if allowed to take root.  Discontent damages relationships, causes us to struggle with issues of pride, and then leaves us just wanting more, but believing we will never have what it is we desire.  Guard yourselves well against discontent because it will leave you destitute!  Now, is it possible for discontent to drive us closer to God and his purposes in our lives?  Yes, when it is recognized early and does not become a thing which drives us into the realms of envy and jealousy.  Envy or jealousy carries the attitude of wishing "ill will" on another. It goes beyond motivating us to search for things which will drive us deeper into our relationship with Jesus - causing us to turn inward, feel deprived, and then bemoan our deprived state.

Discontent in the hands of God can be turned into an opportunity to open your arms and heart to receive something new from God - something you may not even have known you really needed in your life, but which he knows will bring you tremendous blessing.  Discontent has a way of motivating us - but we need to make sure our motivations are God-driven and not self-driven.  For example, when I see someone take a portion of scripture and easily describe how this scripture applies to everyday living, making it sound so simple and easy to apply, I could be envious of the individual's ability to do so.  Or...if I hear what our passage says today, it could drive me to turn to God and ask him to show me the ways to study so that I become aware of what the Word of God says, how it can apply to my life, and what he would want me to "get" from the Word each day.  In time, I will see that he takes this discontent with my inability to study the Word myself as a means to begin to drive me deeper into his Word, allowing his Holy Spirit to open it afresh to me.  In this sense, discontent has an advantage in my life - it created a hunger.

We need to be aware of our hunger, though - for not all hunger is to be fed. When discontent enters, the very best thing we can do is ask God if this is him creating the desire, or our "self" getting us into the region of envy.  With this in mind, we will be sure to avoid the pitfalls of envy, but allow godly discontent to be built into a driving force which propels us forward into the good things God desires for our lives.  Just sayin!

You win the lottery?

If you have ever been to the store, picking up this and that, checking out at the register, and then bringing those bags into the house only to discover you really have forgotten just about everything you were supposed to remember to get while at the store, then you will associate with my next statement. Sometimes our lives get a little carried away by the stuff we see, hear, and smell!  Our senses and emotions direct our attention to things we don't need, or simply are not right for our lives at the moment, in order to entice us to actually pick them up, pay the price for them, and then make them a part of our lives.  Remember this - there is always a price to pay - it may not be a reasonable one, but when we are drawn in by what stimulates our senses or plays on our emotions, we run the risk of paying a price a little too steep for where we are in life at the moment.

Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—

that’s where your future lies.  Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing.  (Proverbs 23:17-18 MSG)

At first, this doesn't seem like rocket science, but try hard enough to rise above what our senses or emotions pull us toward and you will soon appreciate resistance as more difficult than you might first believe.  Now, imagine you come home tonight, noticing as you round the corner into your housing area that the neighbors have just applied a fresh coat of paint to the house.  You notice how much it makes your house look a little dingy and kind of old looking.  As you round the corner the next day, you notice they have had landscapers in to do some work to spruce up the front yard, complete with a little lazily flowing rock river and colorful flowers galore. What happens now?  Well, you see their freshly painted house, newly landscaped yard and you do what?  You compare it to yours!  

What's worse is when you come home the third night and find they have a new car in the garage - exactly like the one you have been dreaming about owning some day! Where does you mind go with this third intake?  If you are like the rest of the human race, you want to know if they won the lottery! You pull into the garage, put the door down without saying a word, and sulk into the house. As you examine your surroundings, your mind might just begin to cross the bridge from amazement for your neighbor's good fortune into a place of envying their ability to do what you only dream about doing.  What you don't know is that they have used their home as equity to secure a second loan for which they will live in indebtedness for another twenty years or so!

What you fail to remember in that single moment of self-misery is the commitment you made some time ago to live without consumer debt.  You chose to not over-indulge, living within your means, and being consistent in your objectives.  Yet, when you see the shining paint job, bubbling river, and super cool car, you stop for a moment and wallow in a little self-pity.  Why? You have allowed your senses to affect your emotions and in turn, your emotions are playing with your desires!  This is how envy works.  Your senses pull you in - getting you to pay attention to stuff you might just not have cared about before.  Once you get lured by your senses, your emotions begin to be impacted, and it is a short trip down the alley leading to the "pity-party" being held in your mind!

Envy has a way of getting us all twisted up in knots.  We don't realize just how much it affects us until we are well down the road of self-pity and agonizing over what we think we cannot live without!  The reminder to all of us is what the writer of Proverbs shares with us today - envy leaves us with armloads of nothing.  Thinking again about the neighbors who have had the major "overhaul" of their house and are now driving around in a shiny new car, we might be tempted to say things are "going their way" all of a sudden. What we often are not aware of when we just look on the outside of their lives is the tremendous amount of "strings attached" to what is is they have "accomplished" with their ventures.  We will do well to remember that things which seem one way may actually end up creating worries and problems we never wanted in the first place.

The trip to the grocer yielded a load of purchases - none of which will meet the nutritional needs of our body.  The difference between what envy brings into our lives and what is best for our lives really comes down to the price we pay and the impact it will have on us over the long run.  Envy has a way of leaving us emotionally bankrupt, spiritually anemic, and physically exhausted. Perhaps this is why God gives us clear instructions to be aware of its "pull" in our lives - the price is too great to pay!  Just sayin!

What if vs. what now

Marilyn Monroe once said it would be nice to enjoy success without so many people envying you because you do.  She may have been onto something there - for success to one may actually cause another to stumble.  The passage today comes from the psalms of Asaph - not likely one person in scripture, but a group of Temple singers.  They number 12 psalms included in the Book of Psalms.  One in particular caught my attention this morning as I considered the types of things which seem to "get hold" of us from time to time in life, causing us to lose focus, or drift a little off-course.  One of those things is envy - another word for this is jealousy.  As most of us understand, envy is really a feeling of discontent - discontent because another's advantages, success, or possessions get us feeling a little like we haven't "arrived" at the same place in life as they have.  The discontent can sometimes get us up and moving in the direction which will propel us forward, but sometimes it acts as an anchor holding us right where we are at and keeping us from ever making any headway in life.

When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence.  I’m still in your presence, but you’ve taken my hand.  You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me.  You’re all I want in heaven!  You’re all I want on earth!  When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful.  Look! Those who left you are falling apart!  Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.  But I’m in the very presence of God—oh, how refreshing it is!  I’ve made Lord God my home.  God, I’m telling the world what you do!  (Psalm 73:21-28 MSG)

Look at what the psalmist describes as the state of heart and mind which he endured as long as he held onto the discontent - beleaguered, bitter, consumed, ignorance - not some of the characteristics we'd want to have in our lives, right?  Yet, so many times, we allow envy to slip in between the "cracks" in our lives, leading to these very damaging emotions.  The most important thing I'd like us to see about envy is its ability to be "totally consuming" - it doesn't take over just a little piece of us, it invades us!  It is like a virus - replicating at astronomical speed until all cells are affected.  No wonder we feel "yucky" when envy has become "seated" in our lives!  

The opposite of envy is zeal.  Envy is very internally focused, while zeal is externally focused.  With zeal, we have our eyes on another - hopefully this is Jesus!  Here's one thing we need to get hold of if we are to keep our focus correct - everything we receive into our lives is not because of our own doing, but because Christ has provided for us everything we need for life and godliness.  We may pursue a whole lot of "stuff" which neither apply to giving us life, not achieving any form of godliness, but it all pales in comparison to what Jesus does in our lives.  Our psalmist got hold of this in his life - for he proclaims he as dumb as an ox in God's presence until he realized God wanted to bless him!  We sometimes forget this truth - God is concerned with our GOOD not our GREAT!

The good news - even when we are struggling with envy, we are still in God's presence.  He doesn't just turn away from us because we struggle with this stuff.  In fact, he draws us in closer because he wants us to redirect our attention. I had my eyes tested yesterday.  What a different experience it is today from the  "olden days" when the doctor flipped this lens and then that one, until somehow you figured out which was the clearest focus you could get.  Now, with this day and age of computerized everything, they start at almost crystal clear computerized lens positioning and just improve from there. She sat at the console, directed the machine what to change to correct my vision through the little goggles and TA DA - new prescription was produced!  I wonder if God really is trying to do the same thing for us - getting us close enough is not really how he functions.  He wants our vision to be perfect!  He wants us close enough to see him, then he gets us focused even better when we are!

Some very basic things which keep us from letting go of envy in our lives:
- Fear:  Nothing keeps us in a place of envy more than fearing we will never arrive, never have, will always deal with, etc.  Look at the words there - ALWAYS.  Fear keeps us focused on the ALWAYS and when we are focused so intently on the ALWAYS we never see the possibility of the NEW WAYS.  
- Worry or Anxiety:  Envy gets an inroad through worry because it focuses on what we don't have or what we have not achieved.  The issue with worry - it keeps us focused on the what if's.  The problem with the what if's - we hold onto the regrets and never venture forward.
- Wrong Desire:  Some might call this greed or covetousness.  In essence, anytime we desire something which God knows will not be good for us right now, we almost certainly form some type of tunnel-vision toward that object. In turn, we cannot see the things God places all around us which are designed for where we are right now.  When we focus on the thing which is NOT for the "right now" in our lives, we soon forget about "now".  

So, this is not rocket science, but it bears repeating once in a while.  We all deal with wrong focus on occasion.  I just like to do some introspective soul-searching once in a while to ensure I am remaining on course with where God wants me today.  Hope you will do the same.  Just sayin!

Envy this!

I have caught a couple of shows recently where the point of the show is to showcase the tremendously awesome pools people build in their backyards or the tricked out recreational vehicles they take on their vacations.  The pools feature water slides, natural water features such as waterfalls, and even some "lazy rivers" for just drifting along on a raft or inner tube.  The RVs have granit counter tops, full-sized showers, and more flat screen TVs than you can shake a stick at!  These shows have appeal because of the "envy-factor" they create.  Isn't it part of human nature to hope to live the life everyone else looks at and says, "Wow!  I wish I lived like that?"  I have to admit, I am amazed at the neat things which are created - until I hear the price!  Some of these folks spend over a million dollars just for a backyard pool!  Now, don't get me wrong, but is this really something we want to be defined by?

Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.  But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.  (Psalm 1:1-2 AMP)

Our psalmist opens the entire Book of Psalms with these two verses - the real thing which makes a man "enviable" is the thing which is on the inside - not in the backyard or the garage!  I remember some of the most amazing times of my life when I was a kid in a camper on the back of my Dad's pickup!  We had a small cook stove, a tank of water, a table which doubled as a bed for me, and a porta-potty which required emptying each day!  Nothing "luxurious" about it!  Yet, it took us to places where tide-pools gathered creatures from the sea, providing hours of exploration and many good times.  It traversed the mountain tops, taking us to the gentle flowing rivers teaming with fish caught in human hands by forming human dams.  Probably no one would have "envied" our simple "home away from home" these days, but I can look back at the memories formed in those simple trips and it brings both a smile to my face and a warmth to my soul.

Our psalmist points out a couple of things to be "envied" in a believer's life:

* He knows which counsel is worth listening to.  The counsel of the ungodly may "seem" good for now, but it won't stand the tests of time.  I wonder just how many of these folks who buy these tricked out RVs or gargantuan pools find themselves face-to-face with the monthly payments somewhere down the road and wonder why they signed on the bottom line?  The appeal of the counsel of the ungodly comes in the "upfront" promises which are not backed with the "security" of divine provision and power.  David reminds us of the fortunate place we stand in when we don't embrace the advice which "seems good", but test it a little to see if it is really backed by something more than man's ego!

* He understands the importance of seeking rest in the right places.  I have tried sleeping on airplanes, but I rarely gather more than a few catnaps which leave me feeling more tired than I was before I dozed.  It isn't because I don't trust the pilot or am afraid to miss out on the pretzels passed during snack time.  I just don't rest well in a sitting position, surrounded by people I don't know, unable to extend my legs!  It is not conducive to rest!  To be able to rest, I need to be in the right place - such as in the comfort of a reclining chair, fully extended, listening to the breezes gently blowing through the trees.  The difference between the two is in the degree of rest I will receive in my "resting".  Where I choose to find my rest is as important as taking time to rest!  

* He appreciates the dangers of inactivity.  Most are amazed at how my mind works - it is almost continual.  As my mind is working, I am able to process a whole lot of stuff.  I do crosswords in my down-time, as well as play computer games which challenge me to think ahead.  I like the games where I have to build an entire town, not knowing which challenges will be put before me like tornado, hurricane, or earthquake.  The better my preparation for these challenges, the better my city fairs in the time of the storm.  The time of "inactivity" in the game is not really a time for nothing to happen - it is a time of preparation.  Inactivity actually is a dangerous place to find ourselves because it is a place of submission - we submit to whatever captures our attention in the moment.  I regularly take in the Word of God each morning because it is my focal-point for the day.  It starts the activity in my life.  There are times when we need "down-time", when the activity ceases and we "re-center", so to speak.  Yet, it is never a time of just opening up to whatever comes our way - it is planned, prepared time!

* He forms good habits.  We teach our kids to brush their teeth so they won't get cavities, will always have teeth to chew their food with, and so their smile can warm the hearts of those around them.  We train employees how to apply various safety practices in the work environment through fire drills, safety fairs, and lessons in applying personal protective equipment such as back braces and hard hats.  We emphasize the importance of washing our hands before we eat because we know the many germs which have been acquired in all we touched throughout our day.  I wonder why we struggle so much with the "habits" God asks us to develop?  If he is like a father to us, isn't he just doing what any good dad does for his children - helping us develop the habits which will keep us safe!  He gives us the precepts (rules of action or conduct) which will keep us out of harm's way - but hearing is not acting.  He wants us to develop the habit of taking them in regularly until they affect the way we act!

Just some thoughts on what makes a man or woman truly "enviable".  It isn't in the "much" we amass, it is in the "greatness" we allow to be developed by the choices we make in the moments that matter.  Just sayin!

A competition of sorts

I always chuckle and then feel a little sorry for someone who just gets so caught up in the "fray" of disturbing the peace of others.  Their entire life seems to gravitate around their ability to keep the pot stirred - and others get pulled into their "kettle" every time!  I chuckle because I find their rantings a little humorous at times.  They get worked up about the silliest things.  I begin to feel sorrow over the lack of peacefulness in their own hearts and their desire to see everyone else as miserable as they are themselves.


Don't envy bad people; don't even want to be around them.  All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble.  (Proverbs 24:1-2 The Message)


Here's the thing - our scripture doesn't necessarily focus on their behavior as much as it does on ours!  In fact, the first instruction is about our attitude toward them!  Don't envy bad people - don't even want to be around them!  So, in examining this closely, we find there is some "pull" in our own hearts "toward" this kind of behavior, isn't there?  We often want to get in the middle of the muddle because there is some appeal to our nature - whatever that may be!


It is very easy to get "sucked into" the negativity of the moment, isn't there? Someone is ranting on, we come along, overhear their rantings, and in an instant, find ourselves caught up in the negative flow.  Why?  It comes "naturally" to us!  There is something "natural" about complaining - we just aren't happy with what we have, who we are with, what position we hold, etc. Look at the Garden of Eden - wasn't this the issue there, as well?  Adam and Eve had all the enjoyment of living in the very presence of God - tending the stuff he had created specifically for them to enjoy.  Then, in a moment of time, they are caught up into the natural instinct of "questioning" and "reasoning" something must be better on the other side of the fence!


They reason through why God would have told them to avoid the tree in the middle of the Garden.  They begin to rationalize something "good" must have been withheld from them.  Now, I ask you, how could they even entertain this thought considering where they were standing and what they had been enjoying all this time?  Simple - it comes "natural" to us to use our brains instead of our spirit!  We listen to our emotions and our reasoning more than we listen to the still small voice of our spirit!  We get caught up in the "fray".  


In the simplest sense, the "fray" is any "competition" we are involved in.  When it comes to envying those who really are drawing us into their "mess", we often are drawn in because there is a sense of entering into the excitement of the competition.  What we don't realize is the competition is really a matter of will over spirit.  We are choosing to listen to our emotions instead of our spirit.  The sad truth is, we get "sucked in" because we respond quicker to our natural man than we do to our spiritual man.


So, how do we learn to "not envy" bad people?  How do we change the desire to get "drawn into" their mess?  Well, it comes by cultivating what will keep us out of the "fray" - settling the question of competition.  When we determine to live according to the standards laid out in God's Word - a competition begins!  Our own will is one of the competitors.  Then we add the emotions!  Now we add the influences of others who just don't see things from God's perspective.  To this we add the tendency to listen without really "hearing" what is being said and we are fully engaged in the competition!  


The way out of the competition is the reverse of the way into it!  We change what we listen to - choosing to listen with a discerning ear - asking questions such as:  "Will this bring me closer to God, or drive me further away?"  "Will this honor the character of others, or tear them down?"  "Will this involvement build up my own character, or leave me a little put down in the end?"  


We change how we allow the perspective of others to influence the perspective God asks us to keep.  In other words, we don't let the "opinions" of others outweigh the values of God.  If God values each individual, then when opinions are expressed which tear down the character of another, we are lessening their value - so this is contrary to what God's perspective is and we should avoid it!  


We stop listening to our emotions FIRST - beginning to "filter" our emotions through a series of checks and balances.  In other words, we don't respond in a hurry - we take time to allow the Spirit of God to "filter" out the garbage, and to focus on the stuff which is really important.  99% of the time, we are in the soup we are in because we responded with emotion FIRST - then began to think it through later.  In the end, we are often quite miserable!


Learning to reign in the will is probably the hardest of all these "steps" - simply because it has been the "driver" over our actions for so long.  As we learn to reign in our emotions, we also begin to influence the will.  Whenever we stop long enough to consider our involvement - we are "weighing" the benefits and risks of being drawn into the competition between our will and the will of God.  It is often in the "stopping to consider" where we find the choice is made to move along without engaging in the competition.  Whenever we "move along", we are taking one step further from the competition and one step closer to God!  Just sayin!

The Green-Eyed Monster

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 its ugly head and we are seeing things through eyes of envy and self-defeat.  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?


^21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence.  I'm still in your presence, but you've taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me.  ^25-28 You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful.  Look!  Those who left you are falling apart!  Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.  But I'm in the very presence of God—oh, how refreshing it is!   I've made Lord God my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do! (Psalm 73:21-28 The Message)


Our writer had one of those moments of self-pity.  The shadows of deepening depression engulfing him as he stopped to consider the "people at the top" - those we'd say "made it".  They live pampered lives - styling the latest fashions, sporting the newest fads and trends, not a care in the whole wide world.  Yet, he describes several characteristics of these individuals which tell us a great deal:


- They use words to kill.  They have a huge outward show of importance, elegance, and sophistication - yet their words betray the emptiness of their hearts and the lack of connection within their spirit to anything outside of their own motives.


- They are full of hot air.  They talk big, but really have little substance.  


- They get away with everything.  He sees the riches amassing and thinks God must be looking the other way.  In dealings of the everyday business, they succeed - honest or not.  They just don't "play by the rules" and it has seemingly "worked" for them.


Oh, how easy it becomes to envy those who seem to have it made, huh?  Yet, if we stop to consider the true "emptiness" of their lives, we might just turn that envy into pity - not for ourselves, but for them!  A little later, he says, "When I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache!"  This stuff just doesn't make sense to one who serves God!  We see the wicked exceedingly at ease in their success and the righteous facing struggles.  It is easy to get confused about who is really blessed, huh?


Take the message in context.  Our writer tells us of the conundrum we all face - understanding how the wicked succeed and the righteous struggle.  He seeks to help us unravel this mystery by changing our perspective - how we view the success of the wicked and the blessing of the righteous.  As one struggling with envy, we are described as "dumb oxen" in the presence of the Almighty God.  What do oxen do?  They pull!  What does envy do?  It pulls us!  Does it pull us closer to God, or farther away?  


I daresay, it pulls us in the opposite direction than God would have us to travel!  In the presence of God, we find ourselves undone.  As we change perspectives - seeing the success of the wicked through the eyes of God - we see things we never really saw before.  Things like the abuse of power, the painful inflicting of wounds with words, or the insincerity of their heart.  Then we feel the hand of God - taking us gently, guiding us closer to him.  There we find something the wicked don't have - foundation!


We might envy the "glamour" of the wicked - the glitz, the showy pretense - but we've got something they don't possess.  We have rock-firm foundation - the presence of God in our lives.  It may not seem like much at first, but when we let that sink in, really beginning to settle our minds, bring stability to our emotions, and to strengthen our resolve to live pure lives, we begin to display "fine-linen" attire that far "out-styles" the trendy clothes of the wicked!  We find the words of our lips to be far more "elegant" and "uplifting" than those of the "big talking".  We may not always "get away" with stuff, but we are made stronger by what God encounters.  


Truly, like the psalmist, we can say, "We are in the presence of God - how refreshing it is!"

Love from the center

^9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

(Romans 12:9-10)

It is so easy sometimes to just "fake it" when it comes to loving other people.  We make everything "look good" on the outside, but on the inside we are really just not all that into it!  Loving others is a LOT of work!  I don't think God challenges us to do anything more difficult than to love unconditionally, just as he loves us.  We almost always have "strings attached" when it comes to demonstrating our love to another human being.

If you don't believe that, then let me ask you if you have ever felt a little bit slighted when a courtesy you have extended to another has been overlooked when you have needed that same courtesy extended in your life?  Maybe someone overlooked an important date in your life, or perhaps they did not pick up on a hint that you'd really like to have them take a small burden off of your pile of things to do.  When that was overlooked, how did it make you feel?  Most of us would honestly admit that we felt like we were "let down".  

Paul's words are more than challenging - they are downright impossible in the natural sense.  As much as we try, we cannot love unconditionally - it is not humanly possible.  It takes a transformation of heart - that which is only available in Christ Jesus - to actually "remove the strings" that are attached to our actions of love.  It also takes an exchange of our will - we may not "feel" like another is deserving of our love because of their actions (or lack of actions), but Christ commands us to love them anyway!

What Paul describes here is the willingness to "play second fiddle".  In a large orchestra, the man or woman assigned to the position of "first fiddle" has a huge role as the lead violinist.  There are perhaps 10-50 other violinists in the orchestra, but not more than one "lead".  "Second fiddle" violinists have the unique role of supporting the lead - they "back up" the lead with all the other parts that need to be played in the piece being performed.

So it is with us when we are being asked to be content playing "second fiddle".  We are to perfectly complement the talents, abilities, and inadequacies of others without envy, malice, or indifference.  In this way, we are displaying the love of Christ to them.  Love from the core of who we are - at the point of new birth (when we ask Christ to be the center of all we are) - there is an exchange of heart.  The "core of all we are" is now Christ.  When we are asked to love from the core - we are asked to love from the life of Christ that dwells within us.  We may not feel like it (because our emotions have not caught up with our "exchanged heart" yet), but we are to do it anyway.

In such a display of love, we are being good friends to those in our circle of influence.  Later in this same chapter, Paul reminds us to discover beauty in everyone.  We may have to look deep to see beauty in some individuals - just because they are always rubbing us the wrong way, but it is there if we look deep enough.  When we begin to ask God to train our eyes to take in the beauty INSTEAD of the things that are offensive in the other person, we often can begin to see small character traits in another that we missed before.  It changes our perspective of how we see another.

Love is a thing of discovery - first we have to discover how God loves us - then we have to discover how to display that love to others God brings across our path.  Whose life have you been asked to "discover" love in today?  To discover is to notice - ask God to give you eyes to notice the beauty in another over the offensive behavior or words they may display on the surface.  In this way, you are beginning to love as Christ loves us.