The Plumbline

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. (Psalm 103:1-2) Another thing to consider as we march through our new year - gratitude. Is the state of our heart one of gratitude the majority of the time, or is it consumed more by envy that leads to a greater state of discontent? Some of the hardest times we can go through involve times of 'comparison' - when we compare what we have, where we are at, what we are doing, or who we have 'become' in light of someone else's accomplishments. Perhaps this is why God warns us against comparing ourselves with others (Galatians 6:4-6). Instead, we are to turn our eyes instead toward him and the things he has for each of us. In this alone will we find the greatest contentment. Our whole heart has to buy into this idea of gratefulness, though. We cannot be 'kinda' grateful 'most of the time...

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life... (Philippians 2:14-16) Oh boy, I am gonna meddle this morning! How many times do you find it hard not to complain about something that is happening around you? You and I both have issues that arise, causing us to want to little more than complain about them. The stock falls, the interest rate rises, the grocery bill is higher each time we go, the shelves don't contain the can of soup we wanted, and the list goes on. It is indeed a difficult thing to face 'issues' without some form of complaint (even the silent ones we don't utter), isn't it? Living our lives without complaint or argument is difficult, but is it possible? God wouldn't tell us to live that way if it were not possible. We have often explored the importance of having...

A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves. (Henry Ward Beecher) Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin. (Proverbs 16:18) I have had those moments when I thought I didn't get as much as I deserved - credit where credit was due; thanks for a job well-done; or some form of remuneration. As a young leader, I thought this stuff was important. As I matured a bit, I learned it wasn't all that important - there was a certain sense of joy in just doing a job well, no matter who got the credit, thanks, or 'payment' for it. I have come to realize it is quite a dangerous thing to drift into this pathway of believing we are 'owed' something. If we are to be truthful here, our attitude about why we are doing something is very important.  Proverbs 29:23 reminds us, "Pride will ruin people, but those who are humble will be honored." It is important to have the right attitude behind our actions. Look at w...

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. (William Arthur Ward) Ordinary opportunities are often overlooked - we just don't see them. We might not know what we have missed until someone else actually points it out. Stop for a moment to consider your body. There are times when I just look at those tiny hairs on my arms, standing almost upright, goosebumps forming because of a cool breeze passing over the surface of it. I am amazed that God created us with all those tiny muscle fibers that actually make that hair stand on end - a tiny muscle for each one. Then I look at intricacies of the eye - outwardly appearing one way, but inwardly a maze of blood vessels, tiny receptors, and nerve endings. Ordinary opportunities to miss the very thing that bespeaks the tender care God took in creating each and every fiber of our being - missed until we stop to notice. There are likely things in this day y...

Many of us attempt to talk to God without ever entering into his house - into his presence. I guess we could talk to someone outside of our house by opening the door and shouting through the screen door, or through the screen of the window. There are seasons when the door or window are just not practical to be opened, though. If we really want to share communion with the each other, isn't it more practical to be invited in and to actually enter? Being face to face is a much better way to hear each other and it is much better to be free to be right there next to each other. There are times we try to relate to God without ever entering into his presence - like we are shouting through the screen door, but not really getting close enough to actually be touched by him. We have been invited, but we don't actually turn the 'knob' that opens the door to allow us to enter in fully. On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know t...

Gratitude is indeed something we don't realize we haven't expressed until we realize we have begun to take some things (or people) in our lives for granted. There are times where we really are grateful, but we don't express it. We just assume another knows we are indeed grateful for the relationship, appreciative of what another has done for us, or just that we are well-pleased with the way things have gone. When we are walking in step with one another, it is kind of common to occasionally just 'take for granted' that we have each other. William Arthur Ward penned the words, " Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it ." We can 'feel' very grateful - but fail to express it - not 'giving the present' so to speak. He also reminds us: " Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings ." We might just do well...

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ( William Arthur Ward) How is it you express gratitude in your life? In what ways is it evident? Gratitude is shown more than it is spoken. When we receive a gift, we often utter the words 'thank you' to the giver of that gift, but how we use that gift often reveals our truest response to the giver! Remember what Christ taught, and let his words enrich your lives and make you wise; teach them to each other and sing them out in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with thankful hearts. (Colossians 3:16 TLB) We have been given much in this lifetime - from the very gift of life itself to the many enjoyments along the way in even the tiniest of life's experiences. One thing is certain - we can be grateful for those gifts (even the hardest ones to accept), or we can simply receive them and "file them away". The ones we express gratitude for in both ...

There is something unique about a thankful heart.  If you have ever been around someone who really practices a lifestyle of gratitude, you know what I mean.  Another word for gratitude is gratefulness.  I sometimes think this character trait is linked to a similar trait - being graceful.  Grateful people have a way of exuding grace in some of the most unlikely ways, don't they? Our "G" list of character traits - grace and gratitude. Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.  (Colossians 3:15-17 MSG) As Paul ...

My daughter recently posted a silly little question on Facebook.  She asked why she could not have unlimited spending at two of her favorite shopping hangouts.  One of her friends posted back:  "Well, the Bible says, 'Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together and running over.'  Start buying me lots of stuff and you will be crazy blessed!"  Now, I know this was a humorous response to silly question, but I liked the idea it prompted in my mind about today's blog!   Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out.   Is there anyone around who can explain God?   Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?   Anyone who has done him such a huge favor  that God has to ask his advice?  Everything comes from him;  Everything happens through him;   Everything ends up in him....