Making Sense or Making Right?

Hosea 14:9 - Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of The Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. 

God gave us a great gift when he creates the brain.  He provided the ability to think, to decide, to develop, to change. The fact we can choose may be the most spiritual thing we do. 

However, as great a gift the brain is, it can also be our worst enemy.  We can justify ourselves right into sin.  We can turn what is right into what us wrong.  We can reprogram ourselves from living with purpose to living in slavery.  All from how we use our brain. 

God's words through Hosea challenged the people to return to His way of thinking.  God wanted the people to understand His ways, not to justify their own. He called them to stop stumbling around in rebellion and start walking in righteousness. 

Just because we can think up exceptions or excuses doesn't change what is right. Your religious legalism doesn't change the command to love God and love your brother.  My justification for breaking a commandment doesn't change the commandment.  God told us what is right, and it is up to our brains to learn and understand that so we can choose the right way. 

Stop ignoring what is right in order to satisfy your cravings for selfish happiness or indulgence.  Challenge your brain to think and to grow a little --- and learn what is right. It will be a choice you will be glad you made for all eternity. 

Don't confuse Permission with Patience

She walked in 20 minutes after curfew, and didn't get the expected shakedown from her mom.  Feeling good about it, she went to bed and slept soundly, then up and off to school the next day.  A few nights later, her date brought her home 35 minutes late... Still no consequences. That's when she decided being late was permitted.  LATE changed from being an exception, to being a habit, to being a right.  All went well until she wanted to start driving the car.   Mom responded:  I loan my car to people who are trustworthy with it. So until you prove you are trustworthy in keeping agreed-upon curfews for the 12 times you have been late, you are not permitted to use the car.   That's when the daughter came to grips with the difference between being patient and gaining permission.  Mom had never granted her permission to break curfew, she was just patient in discipline.

Be careful when thinking we have gotten away with something!  Just because our authority hasn't disciplined us yet doesn't mean we are allowed to do it, nor will we get away with it forever.  God's patience doesn't mean He has given His permission.  In fact, it may mean we are damaging blessings God has lined up for us!  

How many times have people told themselves... It's just a little lie...  We didn't get pregnant...  Drinking didn't affect my driving...  Only later to face greater consequences.  Some might complain after the discipline comes---Why did God do this to me?   But God was the one being patient hoping we would correct the behavior or repent (change back to Him).  If God says its wrong, then any patience He shows us is a kindness, but not permission. 

Praise God for His patience, but don't see it as permission... Sin always results in consequences. 

One Next Step at a Time

Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

We beg of God to tell us the future or fix our problems, but seldom ask Him where we stand or what to do next.  Maybe because we think we know or can figure it out ourselves... or we really don't want to do what we know He is telling us!

The Psalmist says God's Word is a lamp unto my feet.  Scripture makes it very clear where we are at right now.  It shows us what sin and righteousness look like.  It gives us a clear understanding of what we look like to God and what He expects.  Although that light can be brighter than what we prefer to see, it certainly allows us to own the truth about ourselves. 

Scripture is also good at showing us the next step we need to take.  Whether it may be the step of repentance, forgiveness, obedience, discipline, love, faith, or hope... God's Word always has one for us to take.  Usually that light only shows us the next step, even though we prefer to see the whole path ahead. But God doesn't use a high beam ... He provides us a flashlight beam. 

Now if we are looking for what's down the road or what's behind us, it will seem like Scripture is silent... But if we trust God with who we are and where we are, and are willing to take the next step, He will light the way.  That means we need His Word in our lives every day. No to make us smarter or more blessed (though those happen), but to help us with our next step. 

So open up His Word and start listening to Him, and take the next step.  Repent, be baptized, forgive, love another, listen, pray, work hard, believe, trust, wait... Whatever the next step is, follow the lamp's light.

You will get to the destination much better.

Freedom Doesn't Mean Unrestricted

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119:45

Funny how we associate freedom with a lack of rules.  But that's not how I grew up in my house...

Growing up, my mom made it very clear.  Kids who follow the rules get to play ... (I know, that may seem obvious to some parents, but that's not necessarily the standard anymore so I figured it was worth repeating!)  So if we didn't do our chores .. no play time.  If we didn't obey the rules of the house ... we sat inside watching the kids playing outside.  Pretty simple actually.  And of course, we started dreaming of the day when we would no longer be restricted by her rules ... we would be free!  We would have much more opportunity and not have to worry about the boundaries.  I couldn't WAIT to have my own apartment where I could leave the room a mess and STILL go out with friends!!!

Of course, it was only AFTER leaving the house that you discover how much freedom you had.  The rules were not difficult (dare I say.. they were actually GOOD rules), and the freedom to do what we wanted came with just staying in those guidelines.  Having my own place to live seemed like more freedom, but what I found is it took MORE TIME, MORE WORK, and MORE Rules  (I didn't know about "tenant rules" until moving in ... wow, my moms rules were much easier!).

All that to point out that Rules didn't mean restriction... they were the mechanism for privilege!

God is an even better parent than my mother (sorry, mom).  He didn't create rules for restriction, He created them for maximum freedom.  Using His Word as our boundaries opens the door for more freedom in our lives, less stress, less worry, more blessing.  In His Kingdom, those who desire to follow His ways find more freedom to live the way they were designed, without carrying baggage from the past or growing cancer in our souls.  His commands are not restrictive, their directive --- sending us forward in life to the place He has designed for us to be. 

If you're looking for more freedom, seek God's precepts, obey His commands, search His Word.  It may feel like restriction at the beginning (all discipline does), but the freedom that comes in the end will be far more worth it.

Because in His Kingdom - Kids who follow the rules find more privilege to play!

No LIKES for that one...

Facebook is an interesting animal.  Certainly it has created some major advantages for us, allowing families to share experiences with each other around the country or around the world, permitting ideas and expressions to be discussed, publishing stories & events worldwide in seconds, and connecting people of similar (or different) views to have discussions & debates.

But with the good comes the not-so-good.  We see a more self-centered society, where LIKES and VIEWS become the measure of success, and having a following is more important than following what's right.  The pursuit of social power has started to trump our old passions for other accumulations.  The Facebook phenomenon gives us a chance to pause and take a look at ourselves and reflect a little on what we're doing.

I found myself doing just that this week based on ONE POST on Facebook.  For the last several years, I decided that the only post worth publishing on Facebook for me was my SOAP verse & thought.  (SOAPing is a age-old tool of having a personal devotion, by reading a Scripture and finding one verse that speaks to you, Observing what it means, Applying it into your life and Praying about that thought for the day.)  Posting my SOAP verse and thought has been a way of reminding myself each day what I am pondering, and creating a little bit of accountability for myself as well as sharing that idea with friends or people trying to grow their relationship with God.  The verse usually gets read by many people, often gets dozens of "LIKES" or Comments, and sometimes even leads to a discussion with people.

However, one post from earlier this week was the FIRST EVER post that received NO LIKES!  Reading it, you may understand why:

They went up to Jesus saying: "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they slapped him in the face. John 19:3 (Hard reality -- every sin is a slap in the face of God -- don't let your praise be words, but be obedience)



Certainly it is one of the few times I have posted a very negative verse and thought.  And really, who wants to "LIKE" something that talks about slapping Jesus in the face! :(  So it didn't surprise me that people did not want to comment or LIKE my SOAP verse.

However it did cause me to do some self-reflecting on this.   Here's some thoughts:

1.  By FAR... the few times my posts involve family moments, or personal experiences, or something to celebrate - TONs of people LIKE those posts.  I wonder if that speaks to our culture's passion for experiences over wisdom?

2.  Other posts that week were about how God wants to bring PEACE into our lives, and is ready to give us second chances.  Those posts were certainly more LIKED than ones which talk about sin or failure or the judgment we will all face one day.  Does that say we are more interested in what we can GET out of God than what HE wants to change in our lives?  Are we that immature that we don't want to appreciate the hard truths?

3.  I realized even with writing this blog afterwards my own measurement of success has been affected by the Facebook feedback phenomenon.  While feedback is a gift that we should appreciate, it should not be the measure of success - even social success.  My image on Facebook doesn't matter at all --- it's my Face in the mirror and before God that does.

So by Facebook standards... that post wasn't the issue... my reflection of what sin does between me and Jesus IS the issue.  The post was likely missed by some, deeply challenging for others, and difficult to respond to for many.  In the mean time - it was what God used to talk with me all day long about recognizing areas in my life that were slaps in Jesus' face.  And as hard as it is sometimes to face and wrestle with... at the end of the day...

God LIKES it!  :)

You Really Don't Know...

Joshua 9:14 - The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of The Lord.

A woman thinks she knows what her husband is thinking and starts condemning him for his actions.

A man thinks he knows what the health issue is and doesn't go get checked by a doctor.

A leader thinks he knows what's best for people and decides a direction.

All made the same mistake. They decided without asking. They made the wisest choice in their heads, but without consulting those who have expertise in that answer. Out of an inflated sense of pride, call it arrogance, the made the decision without inquiring.

Inquiring minds want to know...so they ask. If it is arrogant to think we know what others are thinking, it's Extremely Arrogant to decide without asking God.

Too many decisions in our life are answered before we ask God. We choose who to date without asking Him, and end up in troubled relationships. We pick a career or college or location to live and miss out on the purpose He had in mind. And just like Joshua's case, we make a seemingly logical decision and end up in alliances with people that are agains God's wishes.

Learn how to ASK. Matthew 7:7 says: Ask and it will be given
Seek and you will find
Knock and the door will be opened

So ask God in prayer and listen to answers in your conscience. Seek answers in God's Word. Knock on the door of spiritual mentors who can speak His wisdom into your life. Before deciding, A.S.K.

And while we are at it, stop assuming you know what other are thinking, an quit being your own doctor or pastor, and don't decide for others without asking God first. You are not ask well informed as you think.

Learn from Joshua's lesson and inquire from God.. He knows a few things about the future ahead.

Don't quit or fix, come and change

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28

Often when we feel beaten down, the common response is either to work harder to FIX it or to QUIT and wait for something to change. Neither one are very effective. You can just look around and watch the results of both of this attempts. Marriages that are struggling quit in divorce or try to FIX their spouse by arguing and complaining. Parents push their kids into dozens of activities to fix their kids behavior or quit and leave it up to schools and society to raise their children for them. Adults want more possessions or pleasures and spend more hours working to gain money, or just give up and pay with credit expecting a bailout to save them. Politicians wait for the markets to change or go spend more money to fix what debt and entitlement have created. FIX or QUIT is the common answer to every struggle---an that's not a criticism or blame, it's true for all of us.

So when Jesus addresses that feeling of weariness and burdened lives, He offered a third alternative... Get off the couch or leave the desk and come to me. Instead of FIX or QUIT, COME! To come to Him means humbling ourselves to the truth--that we have messed up and need help. It means recognizing we don't know what to do and submitting to His plan of action instead of our own. And coming means WE have to go to HIM (not Him coming to us).

Burden makes us tired, and often the last thing we want to do is face a God who will change us. Change sounds like more burden. But Jesus says when we get up and go to Him, His change will actually give us rest---less burden! The answer is not to fix it ourselves but let God CHANGE us from our burden. It's not to QUIT but to COME!

Want less struggle and burden, then stop making excuses or justifying behaviors and come to Jesus. Go to church, make the changes that Jesus calls for in His Word, and watch the burdens be lifted. He will do it, He promised!!!

What if marriages started using COME and CHANGE... Or parents... Or even a country? Our burdens would just be bumps in the road of life.

The answer for our struggles is to get up & walk to God, not sit around and wait for change. So get up this week and find you way back to Him, to His body, to His rest.

COME and CHANGE.

A Year of No Worry!

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:34

Some things need to be stopped cold turkey style. There are some things in life that can't be managed or reduced or medicated away. The only answer is to quit immediately.

That's the case with worry. Worry is predicting tomorrow based on possibilities. It's the absence of faith, because it bases outcomes on what a person can know or imagine instead of what is real. Worry makes me into God instead of believing in God's plan.

God's prescription for worry is to STOP immediately!!! Do not do it! He doesn't say we won't be tempted to worry, but tells us when we are tempted to not DO worry. That means quitting cold turkey. Throw away the package, flush it, run from it. Stop it!!! Every time we start to get concerned about tomorrow reroute your mind to what you are doing today.

Mature people realize that worry is a time waster. Worry actually takes energy away from what we can get done today...which then CREATES the worry even more. Instead, put our energy into what needs done today! If we invested an hour into our marriage/family today we wouldn't have to worry about losing them tomorrow. If we worked to put a little money aside today we would be fine with having something in the years ahead. And if we invest a little effort in our relationship with God today, we will lean into Him better for the future that is unpredictable.

Jesus also gives us some help with how to reroute our worry. He tells us to look at how the rest of creation operates. When we see seasons continue faithfully, and animals getting their needs met, and realize how we have been cared for all thru our lives, then we can have a little faith in God to do the same for us in the future too.

Make a commitment today---every time you feel like worrying you will reflect on your blessings and invest in today. Instead of wasting energy on worry, use it for results. What would a year of no worry look like? Let's find out in 2013!!!!

God First Actions lead to God Given Blessings

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1 NIV84)

Abram had just risked his life and family to go rescue Lot, then gave one tenth of the revenue to a high priest named Melchizedek. After that powerful moment, God approached Abram to confirm His covenant promises with three new blessings:

1). Security. Having God as our friend means we have NOTHING to fear! Nothing!! Who can defeat God? Who can hold back His blessings? With God we have security for life. So don't worry or be afraid. Most of our fears in life (including financial) is because we haven't established or maintained that relationship with the God over all fears.

2) Shield. Having just defeated a large enemy there was bound to be revenge on the minds of those kingdoms. Instead, God provides Abram a shield of personal and financial protection to make his enemies stay away. Making income is not that difficult...keeping it from being lost in accidents, thefts, repairs, maintenance, and greed IS difficult. When God is our shield, then our lives and livelihood is protected.

3) Reward. Our measure of reward these days is money. But money is temporary. God gives and He can take it away. But His Love is permanent, and He loves to bless His children with the best He has (including money at times). God is a permanent giver---and offers us eternally lasting rewards.

All of this was because Abram put God first in his life---in obedience AND in giving. Those are three good motives to make God first in our lives as well ... In our calendar and our paychecks.

I wonder what "after this" blessings are awaiting our God First actions?