On Guard

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. (I Timothy 1:19)

The conscience is made up of what we refer to as morals and principles - amassed while growing up. They act to define the actions we will allow in our lives and those we will reject because they don't align with this learned set of morals and principles. Whenever we are asked to violate our conscience, we might just feel a little anxious, fearful, or even guilty. In the strictest sense, the conscience has a "prohibiting" effect - if the conscience becomes a little "dulled" with the wrong set of morals or principles being applied, it may guide us into some pretty awkward circumstances. This is why we don't trust our conscience alone - it is only ONE tool used in the myriad of tools God gives us for our spiritual, emotional, and physical safety. Keep your conscience clear - the instruction is to not deliberately violate it. The smallest compromises in either our morals or principles can lead to the bigger ones. Our inward motivations dictate our outward actions - think about it long enough and you will act upon the thought! The other guiding influences in life are the Word of God, his Holy Spirit residing in us, and the sound teaching of godly people. Violate ALL of these and the road will be a really rocky one!

Conscience requires discipline - in order to form the right set of morals by which we make what people refer to as judgment calls. If your morals haven't been the best as you were growing up, or because you made compromises later on in life, there is still hope. Morals are just the "rules" of conduct by which we live - if you put Christ in charge of defining these, you will actually see them begin to change! You may have been raised in a home where criticism and nit-picking were just the "norm". In the community of believers where you now associate, this may not be considered very loving or kind. When we submit these "learned traits" to God, he goes about helping us "unlearn" them. Trust me, I know for a fact the things we have to "unlearn" are way harder than the ones we have to "learn"! We begin to realize the "changing of the guard" in our conscience whenever we begin to see the wrong choice before we make it, realizing it as a wrong choice. This is a good first step - learning to heed it is another! Conscience is "situational" at times - we go with it when it is the easiest choice, but we sometimes don't heed it when it is the toughest! How is it we get our conscience to not sell us short? I think it comes by keeping our eye on the three indicators of "right" or "wrong" in our lives - God's Word (what does it have to say about what it is we are about to do); God's Spirit (when is he giving us that internal "niggling" to respond or deny the response); and lastly, our conscience. I put conscience last because it is the least reliable source, so it doesn't deserve placement over God's Word or his Spirit!

Conscience can help us recognize sin in our lives - but not always stop us from engaging in sin. We need the other sources of "recognition", as well. Once we recognize sin has a foothold in our lives, there is but one response which is correct - turn away from it. This is what we call repentance. The most important thing if we want a change of conscience is the "changing of the guard" - determining who will be the center of our focus and choices. If it remains us, we will fail repeatedly because our conscience will not always protect us. If we choose to make Christ central in our world, the changing of the guard over our minds and choices becomes a reality! What does this look like? Perhaps it is learning to take a little time before we respond - just so we can be sure we are responding to the "right" voice. Maybe it is taking time to think about what we have learned from scripture - the "what does God say" principle. No guard is worth their weight in gold unless that guard actually preserves, protects, and pursues what is right. Just sayin!

A rudderless ship?

A ship without a rudder is kind of 'dead in the water' - it can propel in some direction, but without the rudder, the direction is haphazard and subject to drift by the most powerful current it faces. A "principled" life can stand up to the worst life throws at it. Principles acts as our "rudder" - giving us the guidance for right conduct. They give us the fundamental truths by which we make our decisions. A life that is governed by the right principles will withstand the toughest of life's conflicts and all those disappointments we can face in our lifetime. Moral character and integrity act as marching companions of "principles" - each bringing the balance we need to "stay the course" when the worst is upon us.

The integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin. A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst. Moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life. Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust. (Proverbs 11:3-6)

Over and over again, scripture has record of the importance of developing wisdom and understanding. In order for wisdom and understanding to fully develop, we need certain foundational principles to be built into the fiber of our being so that our choices are consistent and upright. In the pages of scripture, we have record of the struggle that man faces with overcoming pride and embracing humility - one leading to honor from our heavenly Father, the other man's own disgrace. Honesty must be our guiding action in our affairs of life - otherwise our end will be ruin. Some 'foundational truths or principles' we must 'add into' our lives as we will with Christ are outlined as follows:

Silence - learning when no answer is better than any other answer we can bring into a situation. There is much wisdom in learning when our mouths will betray us with words that sting or belittle. It is best to never utter a word than to allow words to be spoken that bring another down. To this, we have the reminder about the destructiveness of gossip - words best left unspoken and unheard.

Submission - learning to accept the wisdom of counsel (those who have gone before us in learning the lessons of life). There is safety in wise counsel - learning to trust in that counsel is quite another thing. It is a struggle of "will" to learn to seek out wise counsel instead of plunging ahead in our own self-will and self-determination.

Sensitivity - coming into an awareness of our surroundings, those we are with, or the impact our words and actions make on others. The principled man or woman has learned to use their beauty wisely and modestly. The needs of others are foremost in their thoughts. The example that is set is one of integrity.

Service - the freedom to extend oneself in an openness of heart that betters the life of another and provides a positive example of the heart of God to those around us. Sacrifice and service go hand-in-hand. The heart of a servant is moved by the needs of those around them - they need not look far to see where their service is best used.

A principled life is both continually refreshed and rewarded. There is an unending supply of all we need to live well, live consistently, and live outwardly. There is an "emotional energy" that is "spent" in living a life of integrity (principled life). Yet, we can look forward to the continual refreshing of our mind, spirit, and emotion as we walk in the principles of righteousness. There is much to be discovered in "living well"! Let the rudder of your life be solid and right principles and your course will be steady. Just sayin!

Principles run deep

The integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin. (Proverbs 11:3)

We can so easily get off course - caught up in all the things that vie for our attention each and every day.  According to scripture, the integrity of an honest man or woman keeps them on track. Though we may veer off course, we are soon able to recognize, through the help of the Holy Spirit within, that we have drifted and then correct our course so that we are 'back on track'.  The soundness of our character (words, actions, and thoughts) and the intensity of our desire for an undivided heart are what God has in mind when he "pulls" us back a little. It isn't always that we 'want' to get back on course - it is that we somehow know it is really for our well-being that we do 'attend to the course'.

A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst. (Proverbs 11:4)

The habitual devotion to the right principles laid out in God's Word are going to help us evaluate if our course corrections have been 'good ones'. The Word of God lays out these principles and is quick to point out for us where we have character traits that do not align with those God desires of his kids.  We can understand the forces and forcefulness of all kinds of evil when we remain true to the principles in the Word.  God designed the written Word to give us a foundation for our safety, long life, and intelligent choice - to ignore what is contained within its pages is to say we know better than he does.  I don't know about you, but it isn't a bankroll I am holding onto when life deals me troubles - it is the principles I have learned in God's Word.

Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances. (Proverbs 11:14)

A 'good person' is saved from trouble, while those who do not possess the character God desires actually run toward trouble with a passion. Goodness isn't just a matter of trying to do good at all times. It is worked into our lives as we repeatedly allow the Word of God to refine us - much like sandpaper removes the flaws and brings out the richness of the grain contained within the wood. Without good direction, we lose our way.  We often trudge off in the direction of what we think will offer us fulfillment, only to find it to be a disappointment to us.  When this happens, we become disillusioned about the circumstances we now find ourselves enduring.  God provides wise counsel in our lives - we just need to have ears to hear and a heart to respond.

Counsel is defined as a plan of action or behavior.  Counsel can be revealed to us in the Word, through the words of a friend, or in something like a sermon we hear.  Counsel is also guarded thought or actions.  It is the ability to "filter" what we see/hear and then to apply what we know to be true about God before we take the action.  It is the continual 'planning' for our actions and the 'guard' we place over our thoughts that helps to keep us in the place where we operate in the realm of protection from making rash decisions.  How valuable it is to not only have (possess) good counsel, but to live by it (act on it).  

Integrity is developed in the midst of good counsel - first through the Word of God made real in our lives, and in the wisdom of those who have developed good character themselves.  A principled life is a valued treasure.  It is something we both relish and put on display.  Others learn from what they see - so don't be ashamed of the principles God develops in your life.  They may run a different course than the mainstream of society, but they are the examples God wants society to see.  The principles he places deep in our heart act as wise counsel to those who most desperately need it. Just sayin!

Privileged life, but principled, too

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. (Dwight D. Eisenhower) 

Have you seen the Facebook post of a nice log cabin in the woods, surrounded by stately, lush trees and a rather picturesque view of the surroundings, with the little caption that asks: "You have to stay in this cabin for one month, with no access to internet, cell phones, or TV. On the last day, you received $100,000. Would you do it?" Most of us would have to consider that one very, very carefully because we are kind of "connected" via our cells, internet, and media outlets! We almost freak out just thinking about being "disconnected"! I wonder if God asked us a similar question, like if we'd want to gain all the treasures of heaven and his kingdom, would we "disconnect" from where we have put our treasure on this earth, would we do it?

Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. (Proverbs 22:5 NLT)

We have indeed become a society that values its privileges - almost taking it for granted they will always be there. When a power outage affects our town during monsoon storm or hurricane force gales, we find out just how "connected" we have become and how truly difficult it is for us to manage without those things we take for granted in our lives. We can almost hear the protests of the kiddos who have to find a way to occupy themselves without internet or TV.  We see the deer-in-the-headlights look of people who actually have to chat "live" with one another rather than send texts from one room of the house to the other! What we might not realize is just how much we "treasure" the things that keep us from valuing the things God has prepared for us that will live on in our lives way into eternity.

Privilege and principle are two entirely different things - one is assured because we live by the other. There is no "entitlement" for privilege - regardless of what some may think to the contrary! Privilege has a way of "corrupting" us - maybe not immediately, but in the course of time, we begin to take for granted what we have come to count on as "our right" or "ours". As a single parent, raising two children, I had to take many a moment of grief from my kiddos when they'd complain about buying "generic" jeans instead of the most popular name brand ones. The running shoes were likely bought at a big box store and not some sports store in the mall - despite their protests. The cars they got when they were old enough to endanger other lives on the road were second or third hand, but they ran. It was sometimes hard living by the principles I believe in - living debt free, not always having to keep up with the guy next door, and the belief that God didn't look so much at the outside as he did the inside. On the other hand, the love I always gave to my kiddos and received from them was much more valuable than enduring those protests from the kiddos, though! Despite their protests, they knew deep down that I loved them more than any words could describe.

Despite our protests, do we know deep down that we love God more than these things we call "privileges" that we have come to take for granted in our lives? Do we know deep down that he loves us enough to sometimes disturb our sense of "privilege" in order to keep us walking a "principled" life? I hope so! If not, it is time for us to disconnect a little from what we have come to count on more than making that connection with him. It is that connection with him that matters more than the privileges we enjoy - it is that connection that gives us the principles by which we make right choices, live in right relationship with others, and enjoy right-standing as citizens of his kingdom. Just sayin!

Direction, Visibility, and Correction - we need all three

"Action is the foundational key to all success." (Pablo Picasso)  If this statement is true, then it stands to reason that the exact opposite of this hypothesis is also true: "Inaction is the foundational key to all lack of success." Would this be true?  No.  There are times when "inaction" is the best "action" - yielding a good result (which is one way we label "success" in our lives).  There are also times when action can be totally in the wrong direction, yielding something less than "successful" which we spend a great deal of time "undoing" in life.  So, I have to disagree with Picasso a little here - action in and of itself is not the foundation to success - it is taking the right action which makes the results more certain!

So, my son, follow your father’s direction, and don’t forget what your mother taught you—keep their teachings close to your heart; engrave them on a pendant, and hang it around your neck.  Their instruction will guide you along your journey, guard you when you sleep, and address you when you wake in the morning. For their direction is a lamp; their instruction will light your path, and their discipline will correct your missteps, sending you down the right path of life. (Proverbs 6:20-23 VOICE)

When our actions are based in well-founded principles, they are more likely to yield the results we can build upon until we begin to see the "success" we desire as a result of these actions.  The principles by which we live are often established at a very early age - by the parenting of others in our lives.  Sometimes this comes from our actual parents, but at times the parenting comes as a result of a "mentoring" relationship we have with any number of individuals.  If those principles are based upon the teachings outlined in the Word of God, we stand a much better chance of not having to "undo" those beliefs or standards later on in life.  If we adopt a principle which is flawed, the foundation to our actions is flawed, as well.  This means whatever is built upon that foundation will bear the "flaw" at some point.

Right principles actually do three things for us:

1) They are illuminating direction for our actions.  If you have ever taken any action in the total darkness, you know how cautiously you have to move.  You often trust you are putting an object where it belongs, or that you are moving along a course free of anything which will make you stumble and fall. Right teaching (principles) in our lives actually becomes a "lamp" which helps to define direction.  "Direction" comes from the Latin word meaning to arrange in a straight line. It stands to reason that we wouldn't want to be zig-zagging all through life life a football player trying to escape all those players trying to bring him down on the field.  That type of "evasive activity" is good on occasion to avoid the stumble and allow us to keep running the race, but to do it day after day, every move we make - - - that would wear us down quickly, leave us with injuries we might not recuperate well with, and place us in innumerably more danger than we might want to live with!

2) They make things visible which otherwise might be less than noticeable to us.  Light just affords opportunities for illumination.  When the principles we base our action upon are biblical, the steps we take are because we begin to receive a little bit of "visibility" in our actions.  If you have ever driven through dense fog or a huge wall of blowing dust, you know just how cautious you have to be as you make your way along.  You cannot "see" what you normally count on "seeing" as you make your way through that stuff.  What has happened is that your "visibility" has been decreased to almost zero.  It is dangerous to proceed, but if you do, you must do so at a much slower pace - almost inching your way along.  The right principles actually make clear the path we are about to take.  We may not know all the hazards along the way, but at least our "visibility" is established for the course we are on!

3) They actually correct our actions before we do irreparable harm to ourselves.  If you have ever been so caught up gawking around at things around you that you stumble over the smallest crack in the sidewalk, you know how easily that stumble can lead you toward the ground!  What right principles do for us is redirect our focus - they keep us from being distracted by all the things around us and help us to make course corrections when necessary.  Maybe this is why God gave us peripheral vision.  If all we had was that "direct line of sight" (like looking through a tiny pinhole) in life, think of how many potential hazards we would miss and possibly end up with hurt being brought into our lives simply by their presence.  God's principles help us to see what is not only in our direct line of sight, but what presents hazards in the periphery of our journey!

We might not value right principles much when they are being taught, but if we will embrace that the one who prepared those principles for our safety has done so because of his intense love for us, we might be more inclined to accept their direction, allowing it to give us visibility in our path, and helping us to make even the subtle course corrections which will preserve us safely in the end.  Just sayin!

And the winner is....

Years ago, my mother was one of those "faithful" Publisher's Clearing House devotees.  Every week, she'd receive mailings touting the possibilities of her numbers being the winning numbers which could yield her a landfall of millions of dollars.  Her response is what makes the Publisher's Clearing House so successful - she bought and bought stuff just because she felt it increased her chances of winning!  Stuff we didn't even need - poor quality, cheaply made.  I will admit, there were a few "trinkets" she'd get which actually made a good gadget around the house, but in general, it was stuff we could have purchased for much less at the local dollar store!  After several years of this, we received a mailing indicating she would no longer be receiving these notices.  Why?  It seems the State Attorney Generals of multiple states had taken action against the Clearing House to stop their "marketing" to the elderly as they were "preying" on them.  You would have thought my mother would have been relieved to know someone was looking out for her - trying to protect her from schemes designed to get her to spend her money on stuff she didn't really need.  Nope!  You guessed it - she was devastated.  Her chances of winning big were now out the window!  We are all a little "optimistic" of winning big in life, aren't we?  There is a saying in some of the states where the lottery is big news - it goes something like you have to play to win.  In order to play, you have to pay, though!  Since I don't play, I won't win!  I guess I just realize that if God wants me to have a sudden "win fall" of sorts, he will find a way to do it!  I think what I have realized is the importance of living the life I have right now - not the life I could have down the road!

A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst.  (Proverbs 11:4 MSG)

Scripture shows us a man who lived a principled life, facing difficulties beyond what most could imagine, but coming back to center again - finding anchor in his faith.  His name?  Job.  Amassing flocks and herds galore, having homes which some would state showed his affluence, and enjoying the pleasures of money in the bank, most would have said he "had arrived" and could live without a worry in the world.  It is a sad thing to "arrive" at that point, though, because nothing is secure in any of these things!  Flocks and herds can be wiped out with one major illness or a catastrophic weather event. Homes can crumble in around you with one solid shake of the earth's core, or torrential winds and rains.  Monies can dwindle away quicker than you can think possible.  Friends and family can begin to draw away because they see a "change" in the circumstances of one's life - leaving you feeling alone and deserted.  What then?

If you are like Job, you fall back onto the principles by which you have lived your life all along.  Sure, the events may throw you a curve ball, making you almost strain under their weight - but even the weight of the events can be "shifted" to the one most capable of bearing that weight!  Sitting on a pile of poop, scraping his boil covered body with shards of broken pots, and listening to the speculations of his "friends" as to why these events have come makes life even more crazy - but he has lived principled and he will ultimately not depart from the principles he has learned.  Why?  These principles go deeply into the very fabric of his inner man - something which occurs when there is consistency in learning, understanding, and application.

Principled people can withstand terrible things, not because the "principles" are what makes them strong, but because those principles point them to the one who upholds those principles in the first place - God himself.  A principle is more than just a "professed" rule or action - it is a believed rule which results in a trusted action.  In other words, there is consistency and integrity is the result of the consistency.  When we learn the principles of a godly life such as time in the Word as a basis of learning the character of God, then apply those principles to our lives by allowing that character to be worked into our lives, we are taking steps to incorporate "rules of living" into our practice of life.  It isn't the "rules" so much, but the evidence of life change which occurs because the "rules" of God's character are established in our lives. Rules such as love without ceasing, judge not, do justly to all without measure, and forgive without strings attached.  These are principles by which we live with "greatness" in a world where "greatness" is measured by bank account balances instead of the integrity of a life put together by God!  Just sayin!

A Principled Life

³ The integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.  ⁴ A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
   but a principled life can stand up to the worst.  ⁵ Moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life.  ⁶ Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust. 

(Proverbs 11:3-6)

A "principled" life can stand up to the worst life throws at it.  Principles acts as our "rudder" - giving us the guidance for right conduct.  They give us the fundamental truths by which we make our decisions.  Solomon tells us that a life that is governed by the right principles will withstand the toughest conflicts and disappointments in life.  To that he offers moral character and integrity as companions of "principles" - each bringing the balance we need to "stay the course" when the worst is upon us.

Over and over again, Solomon has emphasized the importance of developing wisdom and understanding.  To these, he adds that foundational principles need to be built into the fiber of our being so that our choices are consistent and upright.  Solomon has seen the struggle that man faces with overcoming pride and embracing humility - one leading to honor from our heavenly Father, the other our own disgrace.  He has recognized that honesty must be our guiding action in our affairs of life - otherwise our end will be ruin.

To these "principles", Solomon added:

• Silence - learning when no answer is better than any other answer we can bring into a situation.  There is much wisdom in learning when our mouths will betray us with words that sting or belittle.  It is best to never utter a word than to allow words to be spoken that bring another down.  To this, we have the reminder about the destructiveness of gossip - words best left unspoken and unheard.
• Submission - learning to accept the wisdom of counsel (those who have gone before us in learning the lessons of life).  There is safety in wise counsel - learning to trust in that counsel is quite another thing.  It is a struggle of "will" to learn to seek out wise counsel instead of plunging ahead in our own self-will and self-determination.
• Sensitivity - coming into an awareness of our surroundings, those we are with, or the impact our words and actions make on others.  The principled man or woman has learned to use their beauty wisely and modestly.  The needs of others are foremost in their thoughts.  The example that is set is one of integrity.
• Service - the freedom to extend oneself in an openness of heart that betters the life of another and provides a positive example of the heart of God to those around us.  Sacrifice and service go hand-in-hand.  The heart of a servant is moved by the needs of those around them - they need not look far to see where their service is best used.

A principled life is both continually refreshed and rewarded.  There is an unending supply of all we need to live well, live consistently, and live outwardly.  There is an "emotional energy" that is "spent" in living a life of integrity (principled life).  Yet, we can look forward to the continual refreshing of our mind, spirit, and emotion as we walk in the principles of righteousness.  There is much to be discovered in "living well"!