The Plumbline

I once heard it said climbing a hill is a great challenge, until you recognize there is just another hill beyond that one, and another, and another, and so on. The hills just never really stop - even the flattest of places is marked by some spot that makes another a little higher or lower than the other. Hills are not 'high places' all the time. Sometimes they are our 'lowest'! Ever run across an individual that just seems contrary in all they do? There is just no pleasing them because they find fault with everything and love to quarrel over the smallest or lowest of things. There is a word for these type of individuals - fools! A fool loves to pick a fight - to find a hill and then mark out one's stand upon it. It is a mark of honor (of good character) to avoid a fight. I am not implying that we actually live in a state of existence where we go through life without ever saying a cross word or entering into constructive debate periodically. Yet, a man or woman of go...

I n everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn. Shine out among them like beacon lights, holding out to them the Word of Life.  ( Philippians 2:14-1 5  TLB ) True confessions here...sometimes my "beacon" gets a little fogged over by my complaints and verbal agonizing over things not going my way, or that I just simply don't like. It is easy to slip into the complaint-mode, even kind of "second-nature" to some of us. Complaint takes on the issue as something we will "lament" or "object to". It is a subtle form of criticism that sometimes carries with it the idea we have been "wronged" or "put upon" as a result of someone else's actions. To be truthful with you, most of the complaining we do really doesn't accomplish a doggone thi...

Have you ever had those little candies called "Slammin' Sour Airheads"?  They are little strips of candy, but they pack a huge punch!  The "sourness" of the candy is enough to set everyone of your taste buds into full alert!  I think this might be what Solomon had in mind when he penned these words: A person who talks sense is honored;  airheads are held in contempt.  (Proverbs 12:8 The Message) Airheads often speak without thinking - just blurting out whatever will "stimulate" the senses of the ones in hearing distance.  They don't care about the "shock-factor" of their words - indeed, they probably strive for it!  In the good old days, the term "airhead" used to refer to the "airspace" the enemy occupied in order to do air drops of more troops or supplies into the midst of the fight.  Hmmm...now doesn't this give us an interesting perspective on our "airhead" in the passage?  They are actually putti...

14  Do everything without complaining and arguing,  15  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.  16  Hold firmly to the word of life... (Philippians 2:14-16) Nothing delights God more than to look at his children and see purity of heart, purity in our actions, and purity in our words.  Some might think of this as being "blameless".  A true servant will never hesitate to put his heart into his service.  No child of God should think that this walk we call Christianity will require anything less. Paul's emphasis on being "one in spirit" is foundational to impacting the world with our testimony.  Unity - being able to love one another - not for what the other can do for you, but because there is a heart determined to live in love with the other, is not the easiest challenge.  When we finally understand the purpose God has for...