An excellent choice

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Moral turpitude is a big way of saying a person exhibits behavior that is CONTRARY to the standards set forth by law, a community, or God. When someone has a problem with their behavior that is contrary to these standards, they're exhibiting behavior that may be vile, shameful or even corrupt. God's plan is for us to grow in his grace - to develop a moral standard that matches his standards. He took great pains to lay out those standards for us in scripture. Are we taking as great of pains to live according to those standards?

Moral excellence is possible, but one must submit to the inner working of the Spirit of God. So many times, often without even thinking, someone will say they have been 'trying' to live differently - to make better choices. What they are really saying is that they haven't really given the full control of their life over to Jesus and as a result, they continue to struggle with choices that are CONTRARY to God's commands. The command is to 'respond to' God's provision - because he provides all we need in order to live according to those standards.

The command is not to 'try' and 'try again' - it is to respond to his grace, lean into it, and trust him to finish the work he began in us when we said 'yes' to Jesus. God's grace requires a response - one lays down their agenda or plan for how things might 'work out' and listens, responds to, and delights in God's plan for how things WILL work out. Grace is embraced, not 'worked out' by a constant trial and error method. The moment we ask God for grace to face a temptation, what do you think he gives us? The strength to resist it, walk away from it, and embrace a different set of actions that align with his plan for our lives.

Moral excellence isn't a set of rules we must keep. It is a heart response to grace, embraced over and over again until our behavior no longer is motivated by what once drug us down into the pit of sin. It is a continual choice to allow grace to embrace those weaker areas of our lives until one day, sometimes without us even realizing it has happened, we are no longer struggling to resist those temptations. Just sayin!

A small canvas

A great artist can paint a great picture on a small canvas. (Charles Dudley Warner)

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (I Peter 4:10)

I cringe whenever I hear someone say that God couldn't use them or that their 'gifts' were too insignificant to 'count' in the scheme of things. God created each of us uniquely - some with a great big 'canvas', others with a 'small' canvas, but the thing he created is what makes the difference, not the size of the 'canvas'. We all have probably heard that good things come in small packages. I think God uses the canvas of our lives to paint a picture of his grace and love. We are a 'display' of both!

Use your spiritual gifts, regardless of how 'small' or 'insignificant' you may believe them to be. The beauty displayed in a life that has been redeemed by his grace doesn't find its significance in the 'quantity' of one's gifts, but in the quality of putting those gifts into use as he directs. Serve one another and do it well. You will be fulfilling your purpose when you do. 

God sees our talents as limitless. They may not be as 'public' as some are, but when we serve one another with the gifts and talents we have been given, we are allowing God to move through us to touch the lives of others around us. There is no greater 'canvas' than one that has been painted by God's hand. When you said 'yes' to Jesus, his finger strokes set forth a thing of beauty. All that grace touches is beautiful and is it useful!

Have you ever seen a mosaic? The artist has taken small objects and created a larger object out of all those small pieces. In much the same way, God takes the 'small canvas' of our lives, fits it together with various other 'small canvas' lives, in turn making a vast mosaic of his 'artwork'. The thing created when we are faithful to use the talent he has given us is 'huge' when all of us are faithful to display what he has done in each of our lives. Just sayin!

Behaving poorly?

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)

It is easy to tire of 'doing good' when all around all we are seeing is others behaving poorly. We might want to withhold 'good' when someone does something 'not to good' to others or even to us, right? God's requirement (not recommendation) is that we don't allow ourselves to get fatigued (grow weary) in doing good. We are to continually, without ceasing, work for the benefit of all - seeing needs, meeting needs as we have the ability to do so and praying for others without ceasing.

Every time we get the chance - that doesn't mean we can 'pick and choose' when we will be a blessing to others. In other words, if they are behaving poorly, we don't get to choose to behave poorly in return. We are told to work for the benefit of all - even those who may not behave as well as we'd like to see them behave. Does that mean we support sinful actions? Absolutely not, but we can still pray for those who are acting poorly, making very unwise decisions, and are caught up in sin. 

We start with those in our own community of faith - in other words, followers of Christ. Our reach doesn't end there, though. Sometimes we treat others in the faith with more courtesy and decency than we treat those 'outside the faith', don't we? The moment we begin to do that is the moment we begin to display a 'we are better than you are' attitude. That cannot exist in God's family. We must see the needs of everyone around us, never neglecting to meet a need, even when it is a need that exists outside our community of faith. 

We never know when God's actions through us will be the very thing that changes a life forever. We might not always agree with the actions, attitudes, and even the words of others, but when we display grace, kindness, goodness, and compassion in response to their 'poor behavior', we are being examples of Christ's love for a dying world. Just sayin!

Get on with it

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. (Galatians 6:1)

I think this should probably read 'when', not 'if', because all of us will eventually find ourselves needing forgiveness and restoration, no matter how hard we try to live according to the principles of grace, goodness, and kindness. We all slip up in weak moments, saying or doing something we later regret. When that happens, do we judge one another, holding onto those judgments and allowing bitterness to form deep within our heart? Do we lovingly restore one another, without judging the actions of the other, not giving place to bitterness and anger? Easier said than done, huh? We might want to remember that what we criticize the most in others may just be at the root of what we find ourselves struggling with, as well. The adage, "It takes one to know one", is certainly true and it is also quite convicting!

Stoop down and reach out - that indicates a change of position on our part, doesn't it? It requires us to get 'off our high horse' and get into the thick of it with the one who has fallen, helping them out of that mire they got so bogged down in. It is hypocritical to find fault with others for the very things that also trip us up and get us bogged in the mire of sin, isn't it? If we want to be strong in our own faith, it means we also need to be humble in our approach to others who find themselves sinning, as well. 'There but for the grace of God, go I' is more than a proverbial expression of grace and humility - it is the truth that we all find ourselves in the need of forgiveness. When John Bradford first spoke those words, he wanted his hearers to recognize our very life and whatever fortune we find within it is entirely based on God's guidance and his mercy.

All that go through in life is a teachable moment, when we allow God to use it for his work within us. Even when we find ourselves 'fallen' and in need of restoration, he can use that moment to teach us how to make different choices next time. Be assured, there will be a next time! Lovingly embrace one another, show grace when it seems to be undeserved, be humble about your own propensity to make unwise choices, and get on with the lesson! Life is too short to live with regret, and it is too long to live with unforgiveness! Just sayin!

A bit too assertive?

That is the way we should live, because God’s grace has come. That grace can save everyone. It teaches us not to live against God and not to do the bad things the world wants to do. It teaches us to live on earth now in a wise and right way—a way that shows true devotion to God. (Titus 2:11-12)

As we continue our "January Journey", let's consider what it means to 'live against God'. The very thought of 'living against' anything might mean we become a little too 'assertive' or 'aggressive' in our approach to whatever that may be. It doesn't mean we don't stand up for what is right and stand against what is wrong, but we aren't going to explore that today. I would like us to consider truthfully if there is any area of our lives where we are 'asserting' our will against God's will for our lives. That might be a hard thing to admit right now, but I believe we will make no progress forward with our relationship in Christ until we look at where we are 'assertive' when he asks us to 'submit'.

Grace brings about dramatic change in our inner man. It begins a trek we might not have taken apart from God's grace. That trek can be hard on occasion, bringing us face-to-face with God's will and the intense struggle to remain staunch in our control of the situation. When this happens, our response might just mean the difference between more obstacles in our path and the supernatural removal of all such obstacles. Like it or not, our own self-directed will might just bring us upon a few more obstacles than we really want to deal with right now. Living AGAINST God is not always intentional - it could just be that we are holding on when God clearly says to let go!

If we discover that we are a little too 'headstrong' in our resistance to something God asks us to do, we might just want to stop right there and ask ourselves why that resistance is occurring. Sometimes it is out of fear - we aren't fully trusting God with the circumstances. At other times, it is out of pride - we don't want to let go because it would mean we admit to 'failing' in some regard. There is no good reason to live opposed to God's will, yet we choose to be aggressive or assertive in holding onto our own. Today could be the very day God is asking us to stop living AGAINST his grace and start living INSIDE of it. Just sayin!

Exchanged birthright

The moment we begin to justify sin in our lives is the moment we need most to turn back to what God says about each of us. We were born to do wrong - sinners even before we left our mother's womb. Born with the 'birthright' to sin. We aren't born without a will, but rather with a will that is oftentimes opposed to the will of our Creator. As we begin to develop, we use that 'will' to get what we want. As I have said in the past, we don't need to be told to be selfish, self-centered, or self-directed. It comes quite naturally to want all the toys, attention, and permission to do whatever we want!

I was born to do wrong, a sinner before I left my mother’s womb. You want me to be completely loyal,
so put true wisdom deep inside of me. Remove my sin and make me pure. Wash me until I am whiter than snow! (Psalm 51:5-7)

If we have this 'birthright' of being born sinners, how do we overcome sin? There has to be an exchange of nature - our nature for the nature of Christ placed deep within our souls, spirits, and hearts. God relishes the moment we realize our need for his grace - for the removal of sin and the desire to be made pure before him. When we cry out for grace, his response is to lavish it - not in limited quantities, but in overwhelming 'quantity'. He is generous in grace - a gift we will never find anywhere else. As our psalmist cries out, he reminds God that he needs God's wisdom, not just in bits and pieces, but in ways that will affect him at the core of his being. Maybe we have been content with bits and pieces of God's wisdom in our lives, but the more we realize our 'bent' toward compromise in our life, the more we will recognize we need more than just dribs and drabs of his grace and wisdom! We need to only ask - he does the washing. We need only to cry out - he fills the void deep within our spirit that was made for him, and him alone.

Complete loyalty is something most of us yearn for in our walk with Jesus. Yet, sadly, we all seem to struggle with this on occasion, don't we? We get our eyes off of him, placing them squarely back on us, what matters to us, what will make us feel good, or what will fulfill some plan we have concocted in our finite minds. Then, when things seem to be failing with those choices, we find ourselves crying out once more. Someone once asked me if I thought God ever got tired of our ups and downs in this faith walk. I know he is disappointed when we fall into sin, giving into temptation in our lives, but his grace is never far away. His love never wanes. His hand never stops reaching. We may not realize the intensity of his love, the faithfulness of his grace, or the depths of his wisdom, but it is there even when we don't realize we need it! We may not realize we need to exchange one 'birthright' for another, but he does and the way has already been prepared for that to happen. We need only ask! Just sayin!

I want a different focus

God’s grace has come. That grace can save everyone. It teaches us not to live against God and not to do the bad things the world wants to do. It teaches us to live on earth now in a wise and right way—a way that shows true devotion to God. We should live like that while we are waiting for the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our great hope, and he will come with glory. (Titus 2:11-13)

Grace has come, so live by doing what is right and wise. The world needs to see us living in true devotion to God, not ourselves. What does that true devotion look like? I think it may resemble choosing to live with others in mind, not always focusing on ourselves. What does it mean to live against God? Sometimes it means we choose to do or say things that will hurt another, but it could just mean we don't put him first in our choices.

When we put Christ first in our lives, it may shift our priorities more than just a little bit. It can change our whole world. Would we choose to stream endless hours of shows while we choose to spend only two minutes in hurried prayer daily? Would we choose to ignore the pain of someone who is experiencing some loss, or put down our agenda to meet even one of their needs? The more we experience grace, the more we see the needs around us.

God gives us a heart for others, as it does not come naturally to us. We might do an occasional nice deed, but when Christ is in the center of our lives, gracedefinesmore than the occasional good deed. It defines our words, actions, and even our thoughts. It gives us hope where others see little hope. It isn't a baseless hope, though. It is a hope based in the evidence of God's love. The evidence? Grace! Grace actually teaches us to live with new focus, impacting our choices.

Every time we receive grace, it is an opportunity to share grace with others who are in need of that same hope. God never expected us to hoard grace. It is meant to be given away time and time again. Maybe grace is needed, but we seldom see it as deserved when we are looking at life through selfish and worldly eyes. Just saying!

Why don't you understand?

People who do not have God’s Spirit do not accept the things that come from his Spirit. They think these things are foolish. They cannot understand them, because they can only be understood with the Spirit’s help. (I Corinthians 2:14)

If you have ever wondered why some people just don't seem to understand what God is doing in your life, it could just be that they haven't met Jesus yet and therefore, they don't understand what you are sharing with them. The Spirit of God is necessary to 'interpret' the things God is doing - to really connect with these things, one needs his Spirit. It is easy for them to understand the things of this world, for that is where their minds are connected. Once there is a connection established between them and God by the power of God's Spirit, they will soon come to understand the things God is doing in and around them, as well.

We sometimes try to communicate the things God is doing in our lives in a way that those without God's Spirit can understand, but it is harder than you think. The things of God's grace are not that easy to understand when you can only see them in a purely 'natural' sense. Sometimes God's plans and actions are behind the scenes of our lives, but we can sense there is something going on. Try explaining the battles going on in the heavenly realms on your behalf to an unbeliever and they might just think you are ready for the looney bin! Although they know there may be a God, and even that they may have a 'guardian angel' watching over them, it is hard for them to believe that God has forces at work right now battling demonic forces on your behalf.

God's Spirit is like a tutor in the lives of a believer, but he acts as the one who helps an unbeliever realize their need for God's grace in their lives. Once he has accomplished that, he then becomes their tutor, as well. It is good to know that we are all 'tutored' by the same tutor! Even after we invite Christ into our lives, the Spirit of God will still bring conviction in our lives - in any area where we are not walking as we should be with Jesus. If we allow sin and compromise to continue, he will convict us, but this conviction is not 'unto salvation' because we are already 'saved' in the sense that we have invited Christ into our lives and had our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus. 

We all need God's Spirit - believer and unbeliever alike. He just has a different 'role' in our lives when we aren't believers yet. We might not be able to fully express God's grace as well as he does, but when he confirms what we say about grace to an unbeliever, it opens doors for them to enter into that grace themselves. Just sayin!

I need to decelerate a bit, God!

We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory.  (Romans 5:1-2)

Been made right - that is past-tense, my friends. We have right-standing with God ALREADY. In the day-to-day living we continue to do on this earth, God is still at work in our lives, not to change our 'standing' with him, but to help bring us out old patterns of living into the freshness and joy of living by the standards he proclaims over our lives. Sin is still at work around us - temptation still exists. Our 'standing' with God is good in spite of all the evil around us, attempting to pull us back into old patterns of living. If we trust in Jesus, having placed our faith in his 'finished work' within us, we are 'made right' and stand 'right' in God's eyes. 

Do we always 'do right'? Unfortunately, no. We sometimes give into that temptation to live according to the old patterns sin had established so well in our lives. It doesn't make us any less 'right' with God, though. It makes us weak, in need of his strength to overcome those temptations, but it doesn't mean we are outside of God's grace. We may not 'feel' much different at times, simply because those old patterns have a way of leaving us feeling rather guilty or shameful over some of our actions. Know this - what God begins, he brings to fruition. He doesn't leave stuff 'half-done' in our lives. 

What we do with moments of weakness matters. If we wallow in the self-pity of 'woe is me, I've sinned again', we will soon wallow in all manner of shame and the heaviness of our guilt will somehow convince us it is 'impossible' to live without that sin in our lives. Nothing could be further from the truth, but it may be an uphill battle for a bit until we finally realize that God has a better plan, helping us break the cycle of temptation pulling us into sin one link at a time. Just as a car's engine must go through the gears one at a time in ever decreasing deceleration of the engine, we might find ourselves going through temptation's 'deceleration' one 'gear at a time'. 

Don't be overwhelmed by sin, but if you find yourself headed into that territory from time to time, know that you have a God who is merciful and wants to show you how to 'decelerate' when you are headed toward your next temptation! You might find you never reach your intended destination as he does! Just sayin!

Gifted into goodness

I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Sometimes I think we honestly believe we can 'work our way' into God's good graces, but if that were possible, there would have been no need for Christ to come to this earth, sacrificing his life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and then battling death, hell, and the grave to redeem us from ourselves. A gift is given - then it must be received - period. There are no strings attached, nothing the one receiving the gift must do in order to receive it. If that were the case, it would be 'earnings' and not a 'gift'!

When I was working, I earned a paycheck. I put in my 40-50 hours a week, performing certain tasks, then received a fair wage for a fair day's efforts. Every now and again, my employer would add a little 'bonus' to the paycheck. That was an unexpected blessing - a 'gift' of sorts. It still 'cost' me something, though. I had to show up, put forth the effort, excel at what I was doing, and then pay taxes on that bonus! Was it really a 'gift'? Not really - it was a 'little extra' unexpectedly blessing me in my paycheck.

There are times we approach our 'salvation' much like that bonus. We think 'showing up', putting forth some form of effort, and then working hard to 'do right' is all we need to 'earn' our salvation. While God may want us to 'show up' in this relationship, 'putting forth the effort' to allow this relationship to develop, he does all the 'work' of preparing the 'gift of salvation' we so desperately need and don't deserve! Yes, we need to take time in his Word. We definitely need to spend time talking with him and learning what his voice sounds like. We even need to do the things he directs us to do - that is called obedience.

Do these things help us get into heaven, or earn us some form of 'brownie points' with God? Nope! They are the natural outcome of wanting a relationship with someone! We invest in the relationship because we have a desire to know this God of grace better. Maybe if we approached prayer as communication, time in the Word as willingly listening for his direction, and service in whatever form he asks of us as the outflow of gratefulness we have for being welcomed into this relationship so willingly, we might just find ourselves 'working toward goodness' a little less and see how much 'goodness' he has already gifted into our lives. Just sayin! 

Joyful or Happy?

Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. (Philippians 2:1-2)

What is it we have 'in Christ' that we didn't have without him in our lives? For one thing, we have been given more than just forgiveness as we might think of it. When we forgive someone, do we forget the offense? No, there is a lingering remembrance. With God, there is no remembrance of the sin. When I was in grade school, the teacher would use the chalkboard all day, erasing with those black erasers. It left a tell-tale white residue on the board. At the end of the day, I enjoyed 'cleaning' the board with the soft 'shammy-like' eraser that removed all that residue and made the board look like new. I think of grace as God's 'shammy-like' eraser - removing not only the sin, but all the residue it leaves behind.

What are the enjoyments of grace? For one thing, we live with a clear conscience. We enjoy the privilege of walking away from sin, knowing we don't have to follow that path any longer. We also enjoy the power of Christ's protective covering over our lives, knowing we don't need to fear temptation, but can speak God's powerful name in the moment of temptation and receive all that is needed to avoid it. We enjoy each other's fellowship, drawing from one another's experiences in Christ. These aren't just 'meager blessings', my friends. They are tremendous blessings, undeserved and unrestricted. We should relish each one, thanking God often for them.

What are our goals once we come into Christ's love and grace? I think they might just lead us into a desire to live in harmony with each other, but how do we get from being selfish, self-centered individuals to the place where we actually desire to live in unity, learning from each other, and uplifting one another? We lay down our 'agendas' for the way things have to be in order for us to be 'happy' and focus on the tremendous joy of living in grace. Happy people aren't happy for long - simply because their happiness was based upon a moment, a certain person's treatment of them, or some 'fulfilling' experience. Joyful people find contentment in being sustained in the hard times, while enjoying the elation of the better times. How? In Christ all things are a blessing - hard stuff and easy stuff alike. Just sayin!

Do everything?

But Noah pleased the Lord. This is the history of Noah’s family. He was a good man all his life, and he always followed God. Noah did everything God commanded him. (Genesis 6:8-9, 22)

Down through the years, some have asked why they needed to invite God into their lives, touting that they were living 'good lives' - trying their best to make good decisions, not lie or cheat, and generally doing good. The truth is that 'good deeds' are great, but 'good deeds' aren't always the result of a good heart. The heart is deceitful - it is inclined toward sinful choices. What God desires is our obedience. If we never invite Jesus into our lives, never give him access to our heart, our heart will continue to be inclined toward sin. We need his grace to change our hearts so that ALL the works that stem from our hearts are truly 'good'.

Yesterday, we discussed that Noah walked with God. One of the most 'telling' parts of his life's testimony is that he is listening to what God is telling him to do and then obediently carrying out what God asks. Even in the face of great opposition, his obedience didn't waver. God told him to make an ark and to cover inside and out with pitch, using specific measurements and then to 'board' all the animals two-by-two. ALL that God had commanded him he did. From the building to the boarding of the ark; from the time sailing through the storms until the earth dried up; from the door opening to the life 'after the flood' - he was obedient.

What's probably most amazing to me is that Noah didn’t complain about the things that were hard for him to understand. He didn’t question God's actions, nor his purposes - he just did what God told him to do, trusting him all the while. Maybe the reason God called Noah "Good' was his unwavering obedience to ALL God asked. We never know what God's 'tasks' will be for each of us, but when they are revealed to us, we have one of two choices - do what God asks or choose our own plan. The one who consistently does as God asks will be 'kept safe' even when the storms of life come. It isn't just 'good works' we endeavor to perform - it is seeking a 'good heart' that pleases God. The only way to a 'good heart' is through the grace given when we invite Jesus to forgive us of our sins and be the ruler of our lives. Just sayin!

The way we live

Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So we should make ourselves pure—free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. Our respect for God should make us try to be completely holy in the way we live. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

We have been studying the life of Jonah, a prophet called to go to a sinful nation to warn them to turn to God. As we have discovered, it is really impossible to outrun God, keep others away from the consequences of our sin, or live forever in our rebellion. As he finds himself thrown overboard (the very thing he suggested to the sailors), he is swallowed by a big fish. In our sin, there is always 'darkness' of some form. The sea was dark, the belly of the fish was dark, and the emotional state of Jonah was pretty dark, as well. Sin takes us down - it never lifts us up.

While Jonah was in the stomach of the fish, he prayed to the Lord his God. He said, “I was in very bad trouble. I called to the Lord for help, and he answered me. I was deep in the grave. I cried to you, and you heard my voice." (Jonah 2:1-3) 

Jonah realized the 'darkness' was his own doing - rebellion is always a matter of choice. The 'big fish' held him 'captive' for three days and three nights - sufficient time to realize the dark place he was in was not where he wanted to be! If the rough seas had not been a good enough warning, the darkness that surrounded him in the belly of the fish would soon become so overwhelming that he would cry out to God. Sin has a way of presenting consequences in ever-increasing significance, doesn't it? Rough seas, discarded cargo, and an angry mob of sailors was one place of darkness for Jonah, but he still didn't think these consequences enough to cry out to God for mercy.

We might not realize how far we have moved away from the place God wants us to be until we experience the darkness that surrounds us on every side. One thing I don't want us to lose sight of in our study is God's grace. He didn't need to prepare the 'big fish' for Jonah, but he did. We don't know why Jonah wasn't just chewed up, dissolved in the stomach of the fish, and that would be that. What we do know is that even in our worst rebellion God doesn't abandon us. He 'prepared' the fish - somehow that included Jonah not being utterly destroyed. Even in our rebellion, God gives grace. It would be much better to never have rebelled, but we can take hope in knowing that he prepares a way for us to come out of that darkness. Just sayin!

Got a troublemaker in your life?

Some people are just troublemakers. They are always thinking up some crooked plan and telling lies. They use secret signals to cheat people; they wink their eyes, shuffle their feet, and point a finger. They are always planning to do something bad. But they will be punished. Disaster will strike, and they will be destroyed. There will be no one to help them. (Proverbs 5:12-14)

If you have ever had a troublemaker in your life, you know just how hard it can be to around them for any length of time. You just want to turn and run when you see them because you know nothing good is about to come of the encounter. Wisdom would suggest we avoid them entirely, but we all know it is impossible to never encounter them at all. So, what do we do when we encounter a troublemaker in our lives? If we want to learn how to deal with them, we need only look as far as Christ's example.

Jesus was surrounded by members of the religious leadership, thinking they knew more than he did, always trying to find fault with what he said or did. He didn't just rebuke them and move on - he cared too much for their lost souls. He didn't just 'take it' either - for he knew those of weaker faith needed to hear the message of hope he brought. He answered each one of their unfounded claims with dignity and grace. He didn't shy away from them, he purposefully placed himself in a position where they'd be. 

We also have the instruction given by Paul in Philippians 4:5 to let everyone see our gentleness and kindness, to pray and give God the worries of that relationship or encounter. I have 'shot up' many a quick prayer to him when encountered by a troublemaker, asking not only for wisdom in 'handling' the moment, but to have God intervene in the actions of the troublemaker. When we trust God to 'shut it down', we might just find there comes a 'lull' in the troublemaker's actions that suggests God is intervening. 

We don't want these individuals in our lives, but Galatians 6:1 tells us to always be gentle and attempt to 'make the individual right again' in the relationship. They will cause havoc with the greatest of ease, but our response should always be one of gentleness and grace. When encountered with that 'double-barreled defense' they might just find they have very little sway in our lives. A troublemaker who cannot stir up the trouble they hoped to create is actually undone by such a response. Just sayin!

Discovering the perfect hiding place

What God has said isn’t only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. (Hebrews 4:12)

There is a science to the "dissection" process of butchering meats - much like there must be a "science" to getting at the desires and thoughts of our hearts. God doesn't just go about "butchering" our mind, will, and emotions to get at those things which need to be revealed and separated. He has a skill in what he does and how he does it. He isn't going to yank and pull - creating a case of "tug-a-war" within - but he is going to gently "part" what is responsible for keeping those "deep crevices" of our lives hidden and bound up until they are exposed to his careful attention.

Can a dead thing resist? All it takes for death to occur is the right opportunity and environment for death, decay continuing to do the work which had begun when it was first removed from that which gave it a life source. Sin yields a type of "decay" in our lives - hidden away in the places we don't think can be easily reached; it is allowed to continue the process of death until it is discovered under the careful attention of our Lord's hand. It remains hidden, allowed to continue its work of decaying because sin is really a part of our lives where "separation" from a good life source has occurred. When we are separated from the righteousness of God, death begins to occur. The longer that area is allowed to be hidden in the recesses of our hearts and minds, the more it will "rot" where it is hidden.

This is why God uses great care to get at those recesses of our hearts and minds - so he can help us uncover what is bringing about the "decay" in our lives. It brings a "putrid" kind of "stench" to our character which must be dealt with in order for us to be rid of it. Great care is taken to get at the reason for the decay. We know something exists which is contributing to that odor, but it won't just jump out at us! We have to go after it! Sin isn't just going to "own up" to its hiding place, my friends. We need the tools God provides in order to discover its hiding place and to finally rid ourselves of the putrid decay it has been creating within our inner man.

God's Word is a skilled tool in his hands. God doesn't just "clean house" - he inspects what is there, identifies what doesn't belong, and then sets about to finally and completely remove it. It is done with care - through the revealing power of his Word. God's Word helps us to not only "take inventory" of what is in our lives, it helps us remove what doesn't belong there anymore - those things which will only give off a stench and produce more decay as a result of their presence. Grace is the healing instrument in the process of God separating that which belongs and that which must be removed from our lives. Through the Word, he exposes. By grace, he begins to replace that which was decaying with that which comes with a new life source and with a fragrance only reproducible because it remains attached to that new life source! It is already a dead place in our hearts - that which is dead doesn't belong in the place where we want to reproduce life. Just sayin!

Is this how it was intended to be?

 Love cures people - both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it. (Karl A. Menninger)

I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other. (John 13:34-35)

Some in this world crave love because they really haven't seen much love modeled in their lives - rejected, alone in most of their actions, drifting kind of aimlessly from one relationship to another, just hoping they will find 'whatever' it is they crave. Love isn't learned from the textbooks - it is modeled behavior. We can absolutely KNOW God loves us because he sent his son to 'model' the behaviors of love. His love has been in action since he created heaven and earth, but if we ever doubted his love, we only need to look to the actions of Jesus on our behalf, the actions of his Father in sending him to earth, and then the actions of the Father pronouncing sin's penalty has been paid once and for all through Jesus.

Love has a curative effect - it envelops us in its actions and surrounds us with its gentleness. Is love always gentle, though? I never thought it was when my parents would discipline me for some misguided action on my part - until I was the parent and had to take similar actions in the lives of my two children. It was then that I realized love isn't always 'gentle' as some may think of gentleness - but it is directive, protective, and restorative! Love gives what one needs, not always what one deserves. This is indeed good news, isn't it? We need God's gentle love, but there are times we need his discipline in our lives in order to bring correction. Both are God's love expressed, with one being a whole lot easier to accept than the other!

Love isn't ethereal - it is practical and is often seen in the actions of another. We would find it hard to believe someone who said they loved us and then saw no actions that revealed that love, wouldn't we? We are the kind of people who need 'proof' that what is said is meant. Isn't God good to give us that 'proof' in his Son? We might think we don't need his love, but there is no basis for real love apart from God initiating the actions of love within us. We might have 'fond feelings' or 'good vibes', but we don't really experience love as God intends it to be experienced until we experience his love. Just sayin!

Grace operationalized

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. (Corrie Ten Boom)

Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

How well we know God will determine how well we are able to trust him when things are going a little 'willy-nilly' in our lives. We cannot develop trust in the moment - it is developed in the long haul. The more we put into this relationship with Jesus, getting to know him better and better with each passing day, the more we will trust him with 'willy-nilly' seems to be the agenda of the day.

With every step we take, do we focus on what God wants, or what comes naturally or the easiest? If we are honest here, there are times when we are faced with the two choices, and we don't always choose wisely. For example, when a person drops some bomb on us, words meant to undo us or cause us to enter into an argument, do we focus on what God wants (the soft answer or the turning of the other cheek), or do we just see the open door to the argument and 'enter in' like there was no tomorrow?

The more we trust Jesus with our today, the easier it will be for us to trust him with our future. This type of trust isn't built quickly - it comes over time. Yes, we can trust Jesus with everything, but learning to do just that takes a bit of effort on our parts! We want to hold onto what we 'know' when faced with the 'unknown', so until we get to know Jesus better, we might just choose the easiest path over the less traveled one.

Don't depend upon your own knowledge - this is key to learning to trust Jesus. His knowledge supersedes ours. It isn't limited by what is seen or heard. It excels in uncovering truth because trust is built on truth. Thinking about what he wants is only possible when we have been able to uncover truth about how he acts, how grace would respond when it is 'fully operationalized' in the hard moments. We get to know that by observing what is said about his Son as he lived on this earth. The more we get to know Jesus, the closer we get to responding how he responded. In other words, 'grace operationalized'. Just sayin!

God HAS

He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light. God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. The Son paid the price to make us free. In him we have forgiveness of our sins. (Colossians 1:12-14)

Four important lessons for us this morning stem from what God HAS done on our behalf. We must recognize them as finished works. God doesn't do anything half-way. Whatever he begins, he also takes on to full completion.

 

1) God HAS made us able. We are able to live holy lives because he is the one who is doing the enabling. If we think we do this on our own, we are going to be trying for a long, long time to get this right! He enables us to have and enjoy all the promises he has made - nothing promised will ever be outside of our reach because he enables us to grasp all of them.

2) God HAS made us free. We no longer need to walk in the darkness of our sin, nor the corruption of this world's evil power. We have been, continue to be, and will always be free. We might not believe we are free from sin's pull because we still feel it from time to time. We don't have to give into that pull, though, because God has made us free to live above and beyond sin's realm.

3) God HAS brought us in. We are no longer citizens of the realm of sin but are citizens of high places through Christ Jesus. We might still live on this earth, but we don't need to be consumers of this earth's dark offerings. We are part of a divine Kingdom and as such, we live as citizens of that Kingdom. We might not realize that we still 'prefer' the things of this world, but when we are serving Christ, our focus begins to change to embrace the things he 'prefers'. 

4) God HAS forgiven our sins. They are no longer held against us, nor are they able to taunt us with those feelings of shame and guilt any longer. Once the blood of Jesus has been applied to our sinfulness, we are no longer 'bound' to those sins. We are washed clean and those who have been washed clean need not be burdened by the 'feelings' those sins created within our mind and emotions. Sin is done and Christ's Spirit assumes the place where those sinful memories once resided. We need to give him room to deal with those feelings once and for all. 

We are free, forgiven, enabled, and living in a realm we didn't deserve or earn. God HAS, so we can. Just sayin!

It is a parallel thing

I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I'll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. {I Corinthians 1:10}

We are all living life in parallel to each other. It can get a little messy to live life in parallel to anyone else, but it is not exactly easy to live life running in opposite directions of each other! When we seek to live life in parallel, we are commanded to do a couple of things - be considerate of one another and cultivate the "parallel life" as deeply as possible. We have to become familiar with the life circumstances the other person is presently experiencing, as well as those which have already shaped their lives. I have not experienced the hatred and contempt for one's race, color, or creed as others may have experienced firsthand. Does this mean I cannot walk in parallel with those who are different from me? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that I may have to "cultivate" that walk a bit.

To "get along" we must do more than just tolerate another's way of life or unique character qualities. It also means more than respecting them. It involves each of us remembering we are not different from each other in one important thing - we were all born sinners, in need of a Savior, and no man, woman, or child is without sin in their lives. Start there and we will find a good place to begin to cultivate our relationship with each other. There is no better place to begin to experience community than on "common ground". When we set out to cultivate soil, it is with the purpose of planting, which in turn is done to produce growth, resulting in something which can not only sustain us, but pass life onto others. To cultivate a life in parallel with each other, we find it takes more than a little work - it requires repeated passage over rough areas with such frequency that we eventually see the things which stand as barriers to growth. Soon we see they begin to break down into smaller and smaller pieces until one day the relationship is able to accept the seed, allowing rich and vibrant growth to come forth.

In a time when differences seem to be at the forefront of our news stories, media posts, and daily conversations, it is important to remember what we are to be cultivating. We are designees of God's grace and as such, we walk in parallel with others who may or may not have experienced that grace in all of its fullness yet. We cultivate growth within those areas of differences through the extension of grace. We may not see eye-to-eye or feel impassioned about every topic we will discuss, but we stand a better chance of getting to appreciate the perspective of the one who has walked that path if we are willing to extend a little grace into the relationship. Just sayin!

Grace Words

"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." (Henri Nouwen)

A gentle answer makes anger disappear, but a rough answer makes it grow. (Proverbs 15:1)

My words make a difference - all our words do! We cannot 'make words' and then expect they will just 'hang out there' indefinitely. At some point, our words will either build up or tear down. Our words will help someone navigate life's challenges wisely, or they will turn them in a direction that causes them to veer off course. Words have an impact - good, bad, or simply confusing - they all matter.

We might not think we have much to say, but when we speak, do our words come across in a loving manner? Do they encourage one who is holding back on something God is asking them to do? Are they able to sift through the meaningless to find the deeper meaning? Words spoken from the heart of God are always on target. God doesn't mess around with words. Even when Jesus used a parable to tell people about God's love and care, he did it because the 'story' made it easier to grasp the truth.

Words may have been spoken to you throughout your lifetime that you have come to believe as 'truth', but they are simply words that brought much confusion, distrust, and angst into your life. There are just times when God has to 'retell' the truth in your life in order to undo the things that weren't actually 'correct'. Whenever we hold onto any untruth about ourselves, God is going to 'retell' the story. Why? He loves us too much for us to believe any lie!

God's Word is truth. The words he speaks into our lives through those deeply in love with him reflect truth. The more we surround ourselves with truth, the less likely we are to believe 'rough answers' in our live. We will gravitate toward those that are gentle, reflecting the grace of God instead. May your home be filled with tons of 'grace words', my friends. They matter! Just sayin!