The Plumbline

Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. (James 1:13-15) Woodrow Wilson reminded us, "The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it." That might aptly describe how it is when we are tempted - swimming AGAINST the stream, trying to live a righteous life, but pulled ever so hard by the strength of the 'evil current' that works against us. I have been pulled or tugged in one direction or another all of my life. At times, I am tempted to say that God is working AGAINST me, but I know that is NEVER true. At others, I am fully aware that my own silly desires (lusts) get in the way of making right choices. Temptation is r...

The resolution to avoid an evil is seldom framed till the evil is so far advanced as to make avoidance impossible. (Thomas Hardy) Ponder Hardy's thoughts for just a moment and you will understand why willpower alone seldom keeps us from eating the candy bar within our fridge! Now, the one still at the grocer's counter is a little harder to actually enjoy, is it not? The nearer the 'evil', the harder it is to avoid - it is within our path and we find things harder to resist when they are in our path! So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) My BFF was sharing about her father's desire to lose a little weight, so he has 'divested' himself of some of the goodies he had 'stockpiled' in the house. The box of chocolates found a new home far away. The rice krispy treats made someone else very happy. The cookies blessed another's family. I imagine the purpose of the 'divestiture' is to ensure ...

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...

Have you heard the term "keeping up with the Joneses"?  In a simple sense, it is the tendency we have to compare ourselves to another, then come to the conclusion the stuff the other guy has is something we ought to have, as well.  In other words, we "benchmark" ourselves against the social, financial, or physical status of another.  If we don't possess what the other guy does, we often come to the conclusion we are somehow inferior to them.  Today's "rule" for living addresses such a tendency. 17  “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17 New Living Translation) I like the way The Message translation puts it:   17  No lusting after your neighbor's house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that is your neighbor's.   How many times have we been guilty o...