The Plumbline

Sometimes we need a reset in life – a new year is usually considered a good time to begin again what we may not have done well in the previous year. If you are anything like me, you might be having a harder time ‘beginning anew’ that diet plan. All the other stuff that I have committed to this year is going well, but that ‘healthy eating’ lifestyle change is harder after you have become accustomed to eating all those sweets over the holidays, isn’t it? Those ‘carbs’ just have a way of latching onto us and holding us captive to their allure! Sin is kind of like that in our lives, too. It has a way of appealing to some urge we might not have enough ‘inner power’ to overcome on our own. If that pull is what is keeping you from moving forward this year, perhaps it is time to revisit the issue with God. Watch what God does, and then you do it; like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Obser...

Can you say you exercise 'good sense' the majority of the time? I know I can have moments of nonsense in my life - those times when the decisions or actions just did not make total sense. In fact, they kind of bordered on the ridiculous on occasion! The majority of the time, I exercise good sense by listening to wise counsel, heeding scriptures warnings, and not doing whatever my conscience says I should not do. These three don't always keep me out of trouble, but they go a long, long way toward helping me avoid those 'nonsense activities' that would only bring more trouble into my life. Good sense brings blessing, but the road of the treacherous is long and rough. A clever person acquires knowledge and then acts on it; but a fool advertises his folly for all to see. (Proverbs 13:15-16) Think of a clever person as one who is quick in their intellect, mentally bright, and quite able to handle issues as they arise. If that isn't how you'd describe your...

From time to time I like to share a quote I come across that speaks to me. Today, I will share one that we all need to learn well: "The past always looks better than it was. It's only pleasant because it isn't here." (Finley Peter Dunne) It was Henry Ford who reminded us that failure was just an opportunity to begin again, wasn't it? The past looks so good because we are probably busy finding ways to fail anew right now! As long as we are still on this earth, we are going to know times of failure - of unpleasant endings to what we hoped would end a little better. We didn't count the cost well - we didn't consider the outcome before we took the leap. The past looks good only to those who don't remember the pain of the failure! Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. ...