The Plumbline

"It takes a great man to give sound advice tactfully, but a greater to accept it graciously."  (Logan Pearsall Smith) Tactfulness is simply the ability to know what to say or do in order to avoid offending somebody.  Some call it the necessary "social skill" in order to deal with "difficult" or "sensitive" situations.  Truth be told, my tactfulness flies out the window if I get too tired, a little frustrated because I am behind on projects, or just don't take the time to think before I speak.  If tactfulness is that hard to be consistent with as we respond to people and circumstances, then maybe this is why we have a few more opportunities to "put things right" than we'd really like!  Sometimes we are on the receiving end of tactfulness, while at others we are expected to be the ones exhibiting a little.  It goes both ways, but sometimes the opportunities are a little more "one-sided" because one of the individuals is...

We often hear of court cases in which the one on trial is "acquitted" of the alleged crimes.  In our lives, we have more than "alleged" crimes we are asking for God's acquittal for - we have actual crimes of the heart, spirit, soul, and sadly, most of them are of our own doing!  Every time we want our own way, determine we can do things in our own strength, or live in any manner in opposition to God's commands, we are in a place of committing "crimes" against God.  We stand in need of acquittal - dismissal of those charges against us - cleared of their penalty.  Acquittal frees us from the charges against us, allowing us to live freely again, but if we violate that freedom by choosing to live by our own standards again, we will just find ourselves "before the Judge" once more. I don't know if you have realized this, but there is a high rate of recidivism when it comes to doing things our own way! Since we have been acquitted and ...

The very next time you question your worth or value on this earth, or to anyone for that matter, consider Psalm 8.  It will put a whole different framework to your thinking!  God didn't look down upon "humankind" as insignificant or of "little worth".  Instead, he created all things, placing "humankind" in a place higher than any other created thing.  It never implies throughout scripture that any one man or woman is at a "higher level" than the other - all are of equal worth simply because that is exactly how God made each and every one of us! When I gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation— on the moon, stars, and all You have made, I can’t help but wonder why You care about mortals— sons and daughters of men— specks of dust floating about the cosmos.  But You placed the son of man just beneath God  and honored him like royalty, crowning him with glory and honor.  You ordained him to govern the works of Your hands,  to nurture t...