Monthly Archives: September 2015

When God doesn’t want your gift

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Do you like to give gifts? Most of us do. We give gifts to commemorate special days and sometimes for “no special reason” at all. We love to see the expressions of appreciation when people open our gifts.  They become part of the gift experience. They make the gift complete.

 

But what about when your gift isn’t accepted? When it’s not up to par? Author Gary Chapman proposes that we are each wired to receive and express love according to our “love languages”: physical gifts, acts of service, spending quality time, physical touch, and words of affirmation. You may give physical gifts but it doesn’t hit the spot because what the recipient really wants is quality time with you. You work hard to express your love through acts of service but they really long to hear words of affirmation and respect. Sometimes our gifts aren’t accepted because they don’t speak their “love language.”

 

For some people the size of the gift matters. But if the gift is sincere and the recipient really values the giver, size doesn’t matter. The poor widow put a tiny coin in the offering, yet Jesus said she gave more than the others who were rich. She gave out of her poverty while they gave from their excess.

 

We give from what we have. But have you ever wondered why didn’t God accept Cain’s offering? Why was Abel’s offering considered “more excellent?” Was it the quality of Cain’s gift or the condition of his heart that made the gift unpleasing?

 

If the heart gives out of obligation instead of joy, the gift may remain unaccepted.  Imagine your loved one showing up on your anniversary and throwing a bouquet of flowers in your lap saying, “Here is your anniversary gift. It’s my obligation to give you this.” (Yikes!)  Now imagine one who stands before you with an offering of flowers saying, “Happy anniversary. It makes me happy to bring you things. In fact, I think it brings me more delight to spend this night with you than anyone I might. I cannot think of any way I’d rather celebrate this day than satisfying my desire with one that I so much admire.” (John Piper speaking to his wife; excerpt from Desiring God)

 

Wow. What a difference! In one scene the focus is on the gift. In the other, the focus is on the relationship between the giver and the recipient. In fact, the gift becomes completely incidental to what is happening between the two lovers.

 

Don’t you suppose that’s how God sees our gifts and “sacrifices?”

“I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.” Amos 5:21-23

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6

“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16

 

You can offer your talents. You can offer your time. You can build magnificent church buildings and write endless books attributed to his greatness. You can speak God’s name continually and fill your agenda with good deeds. You can offer to serve him in foreign lands or in the streets of your home town. You can offer him your very life, your health, and your next breath. But is it what God most wants?

 

Gifts and deeds are important, but not always the greatest expression of our love. What if what God really desires is your complete joy in spending time with him? In delighting in his presence? In meditating on His Word which is his love letter to you?

 

Our love is not reflected just in a gift. It is reflected in the eyes of the one who receives the gift, the eyes that behold the heart of the giver. Ah, may THIS be the gift we bring today!

 

How I deny my faith every day

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One of you will betray me. That’s what Jesus said to his closest followers in the upper room. It immediately caused a stir in the hearts of most. “Is it I?” they asked. Peter professed he would never deny Jesus, yet he did three times in one evening. And we do too, you and I. We deny our faith – daily.

 

In 1 Timothy 5, Paul describes how real believers are to live with respect to others. It’s a call for self-examination for each of us. Do we:

Lift up and honor older men and women as our fathers and mothers? Or do we ignore them or mock them?

Treat younger men and women as our sisters, with purity and respect? Or do we look down on them?

Give proper recognition to widows and respond to their real needs? Or do we ignore them?

Practice real “religion” by caring for our families? Or are we so busy helping everyone else we ignore those closest to us?

Not caring for others is “to deny the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (v8)

 

We deny our faith every time we honor and serve ourselves before others. Every time we believe lies about life being all for us and our comfort, we deny our faith. We deny our faith when we lift up sports idols and influential leaders, eager to memorize statistics and fill our minds with all sorts of trivia, yet are reluctant to dwell on God’s Word. We deny our faith when we gossip and slander, when we show favoritism, and when we ignore the needs of those around us because we are too busy to notice. We deny our faith when our allegiance to worldly organizations comes before allegiance to God. We deny our faith when we fail to set up boundaries that keep our thinking and behaviors pure. We deny our faith every time we decide to worry and fret instead of turning to God’s Word and trusting him.

 

If you’re feeling a bit uncomfortable with this, so am I. I fall short every day. The bible is an offensive book. It offends my sense of pride and self-righteousness. But the point of this wonderfully offensive word is not to shame us or condemn us to judgment. The intent is for us to recognize our wayward ways and turn back to God. The point is to open our eyes in the middle of our daily busyness and struggles and look to Jesus. The point is to turn from a life that pays lip service to our faith an hour a week or a few minutes each day and instead to be transformed by the life-changing power of God to live each day fully awake, fully alive, and focused on affirming the faith in what we truly believe and how we act.

 

The opposite of denying faith is to affirm it. Believe it and act as if you believe it. Instead of despair, choose hope. Instead of tearing others down, let your faith build them up. Faith doesn’t give in to worry; it stands firm in God’s promises. Faith isn’t blind; it’s living with eyes wide open to all God is ready to reveal to you today – about himself, about your life, and about how you invest yourself in others to accomplish his plan.

 

We aren’t destined to a faithless life. We aren’t shackled to a half-hearted faith. Today is the day to take a stand, make a commitment to take God at his Word, and to learn what that Word says about everything you think about…everything that fuels your ambitions and everything that causes you to fear.

 

Yes, the bad news is there are many ways we deny our faith. But the really good news is that God’s Spirit in us is always speaking truth and encouraging us to take a stand and affirm our faith in the daily choices we make. Let’s take God at his Word today and let our faith be real.

Pursuing truth – today!

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The pursuit of truth. It’s important to each of us every day. Not just for those eternal truths that guide our lives but also those truths that affect our daily decisions. It’s a small matter in the scheme of things, But lately I’ve been thinking about switching to a new wireless carrier. So I’ve been researching options online and chatting with “specialists” who are supposed to know “the truth” about what their products and plans offer. The problem is, I get different versions of “the truth” when I talk to different representatives and also when I look online. Trying to find out what insurance will and will not cover before I commit to various important medical procedures has been equally as evasive. Searching for the truth matters, but sometimes the truth we seek isn’t as clear to us as we’d like. Why is it so hard?

 

The “fine print” of hidden clauses aren’t intended to make things clear. And it takes diligent effort to uncover the full truth. Legalism, that list of things to do or don’t do, is another example. We think that “list” of to-dos and not-to-dos beings us closer to God. But the truth is it causes us to drift away and rely on our own ability to keep up with “the list.”

 

We can chalk part of it up to incompetence or apathy or lack of training or our own limited understanding. But sometimes it goes beyond that. Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 4 that part of the problem is that there are deceiving spirits. Spoken plainly, the enemy doesn’t want you to know the truth…at least not the whole truth. Being filled with doubt and frustration is part of the enemy’s plan. This is clearly evident when it comes to eternal matters. Perhaps there is more of a spiritual battle involved with uncovering truth in common day to day matters as well.

 

We follow some untruths simply because that was the way we were taught. It’s become part of family tradition, the way we do things, without questioning them or examining them against scripture. I’ve known good people who admitted wavering on biblical truth because it would upset their family or friends. Sometimes, even Christians get caught up with habitually saying “good luck, knock on wood,” and other godless expressions that have no place in a believer’s life. There’s no truth in the behavior and yet we continue in the truth-less path.

 

We drift away from truth when we start thinking of this world as our real home. We drift further when we put our hope and trust in the things of life – our abilities and skills, our financial security, our health, and other things that are fleeting. The truth I’ve come to experience is the only real hope we have is in God who is always faithful and never changes.

 

How do we stay focused on what is actually true? How do we not get caught up in the lie? Consider the lessons from 1 Timothy 4:

We train ourselves to be godly. We set ourselves as examples in life, in love, in purity and in faith by diligently devoting ourselves daily to the reading and meditation of scripture, to godly preaching and teaching. We examine everything else we’re “taught” against God’s standard of truth.

We pay attention to our life and match it up with God’s counsel for us.

We persevere, trusting the truth to guide us in hard times as well as good ones. We don’t give up or set up other masters in our life.

 

I don’t know about you, but the constant pursuit of God’s truth is what I need to keep me centered and to respond well – whether dealing with customer service representatives or the much more pressing and difficult issues of life.

 

May your day be marked by the pursuit of God’s truth – in all things.

 

 

The marks of a life lived well

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In 1 Timothy 3, Paul highlights the requirements of church leaders. But it really holds valuable instruction for each of us.

 

1. Be above reproach.
Being above reproach involves setting boundaries that keep you from being accused of wrongful behavior. If you lean toward impure thoughts you might  decide not to even click on those “curious” internet links. If you are attracted by riches you might purposefully  redirect your eyes away from the ads that tell you “more is better.” It might mean setting a boundary of what you confide in the office gossip room. Being above reproach calls for living a transparent life, open to all, nothing hidden. Such a life approach asks, “Would I be comfortable having my private thoughts and actions played out in public?” Being above reproach questions our motives for getting ahead and how we invest our lives. It’s God’s call on each of us who seek to follow him alone.

 

2. Be temperate and self-controlled, not given to excess, not a lover of money.
We might ask, “What’s wrong with excess? If you have it, flaunt it. If God blesses, live to the extreme.” While God does call us to a radical life, the part that is radical is our full and complete devotion to him. Our temperateness keeps everything else at bay that might compete for his attention. It is not our possessions that are the problem. It’s our love of more things that possess us that creates conflict within our soul.

 

3. Be respectable, hospitable, gentle, not quarrelsome, be able to teach.
We’re each called to live in harmony with others to the degree possible. Hospitality and gentleness may be seen as weakness by some, but when they are surrendered to God he makes them to be strength in our lives. It’s easy to become quarrelsome, isn’t it? For some, every conversation seems like an invitation to disagree and divide. But that’s not God’s plan for you and me. His good plan is that we are girded in his truth, able to teach others, and respectful, hospitable, and gentle in our ways. (Dear God, reveal in my life how to bear the marks of your gentle spirit!)

 

4. Be a leader in the family.
Some think there is only one leader in a family. But really, we each have a leadership role. As a father, mother, child, sibling, or grandparent, we each are called to take a leadership role in creating and nurturing a loving family; both our nuclear family and our community family.

 

5. Be mature and seek maturity; have a good reputation.

Even adults have to be reminded to “play well in the sandbox.” We have this tendency to seek our own ways that cause us to behave, not as innocent children, but in childish ways. Seeking maturity means someone has to be the adult in the situation. The call to mature thinking and behaving is one that is placed on each of our lives. At some point we need to rise above “the boys and their toys” level of thinking and seek godly maturity and a good reputation that reflects God’s love and compassion to a hurting world.

 

6. Keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience; be worthy of respect.
What guides us through all our difficult paths? What holds us true to our course? It’s holding onto the deep truths of faith and applying them to every aspect of our lives: our work, our play, our families, our politics, and our life ambitions. Whether others agree with you, we should live lives worthy of their respect.

 

Living well isn’t a perfect path for any of us but it calls us to change direction when we’re headed the wrong way. It requires diligent focus. It’s the opposite of going with the flow or chasing the American Dream. Really living well is living with your legacy in mind – every day and in every interaction. Let today bear the marks of a life lived well.

 

Living peaceful lives in a world of conflict

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“Live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Timothy 2:2

 

Why is this such good advice? Is it because we need the reminder to slow down and enjoy the simple things life has to offer? Is it a warning against the vain pursuits that seem to fuel our energies and ambitions in so many busy, wayward, and meaningless directions? Why are we called to live peaceful and quiet lives? As so often occurs in scripture, the answer is provided in the following verses:

 

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (V 3-4)

 

Peaceful and quiet lives please God and lead us to his truth.  But it’s not all about you and me. Your life is a testimony whether you want it to be or not. The question is, what is the object of your testimony? A peaceful and quiet life speaks of a confident trust in a mighty God who holds all life in his hands. A quiet life testifies to a truth we all need that counters our boisterous activities and prideful ambitions. A quiet life is guided by a truth that reveals we still come up short in our own efforts to live well.

 

That’s the bad news: we fall short. The good news is that God provides a mediator – Jesus, who stands in that gap for us.

 

We can live peaceful and quiet lives knowing that same mediator who brings us to a harmonious relationship with God also brings us into harmony with others around us. Our quiet life testimony is a vital part of that plan of mediation to help bring others closer to God.

 

For what other reason did God leave us on earth after we were saved?!

 

We’re called to live a life of quiet worship that brings us close to God and in harmony with each other. Our worship is not restricted to what happens in a church building. Our life worship is an extension of who we are and how we interact with others around us each day, especially in situations where conflict abounds. Conflict – that great tester of our faith. When we live peaceful and quiet lives we neither ignore conflict nor eagerly promote it. But where there is conflict, we’re called to be part of God’s remediation plan.

 

God provides an orderly plan to dealing with conflict. Anger and bitter disputes are not part of that plan. Insistence of “my way or the highway” is not part of that plan. Shutting others out in apathy to their concerns is not part of his plan.

 

God’s orderly plan for peaceful conflict resolution is centered on what is true. In most all conflict there is some point of common ground, some zone of commonly held truth. If it is only that we insist on respecting each other in the midst of conflict, that is a start. That allows us to attack problems, not each other. If it’s acknowledging the common desire to pursue peace, that is a beginning. That helps us focus on solutions instead of barriers.

 

What conflict is present in your life? How does realizing you are part of God’s great plan of mediation help you address conflict in a healthy way that is consistent with living the peaceful and quiet life of godliness to which he calls you?

 

Part of living well is learning to live a peaceful and quiet life in a noisy world of conflict. Realizing you are an integral part of his plan of mediation is a vital first step. Let his truth and peace guide you in the process today.

 

What will never ever fail you – your true north

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Stay true to your moral compass, your true north.

 

When I was young, it was common for boys to own a compass. We were taught important life skills, including how to find your way if you were lost. A compass was the essential tool for such a task. Why? Because, regardless of your environment, the presence of darkness, or even storms, your compass was your faithful directional guide, the one on which you could always depend. When all your senses served only to disorient you, your compass pointed north. Wouldn’t you like to have such a compass to help you navigate the difficult paths of life you come across?

 

In business and leadership, true north is a phrase used to represent your unchanging goal and the ethics and values that will always safely and surely lead you there. It’s what we need in our lives too. Societal norms change. History is rewritten. If you hear a lie often enough it starts to seem like the truth.  But the truth never changes. It always is constant, ready to guide us when we are lost, when we need to find our way in the dark.

 

God’s Word is that true north. It reminds us to stay with the truth and find grace and strength so we can stand firm when the ground shakes beneath us. Faith, love, and mercy secure our footing when everything else crumbles around us. (1 Timothy 1:12-16)

 

This is our true north, our moral compass. Our true north keeps us from wandering away and turning to meaningless talk that entertains our senses and tickles our ears but fails to fill our lives with anything meaningful. True north keeps our conscience clear; it keeps us on the path of a sincere faith. It leads us to build others up, not tear them down. Our true north tells us when to speak up for an important cause and when to keep our mouths closed, reminding us we don’t always need to fill the air with intelligent sounds. Our true north takes us along a path filled with others who are looking for direction. It shows us how to walk a straight path in a crooked world.

 

You know you want to be a good example, to pass on life values to your children and those who share your path. Your true north teaches you to demonstrate mercy in the face of injustice and endless patience when you are tested by the most oppressing forces in your life. It’s a beacon that not only points you where to go but shines for others to see also.

 

Paul reminds us that rejecting the truth shipwrecks our faith. Rejecting the truth and believing the lies of an “easy” life leads us on a dangerous path away from God. Oh, the sights along the way are entertaining and fascinating. In fact, we’re drawn in to every empty activity not realizing how our life is wasted in such vain pursuits. I’ve wasted more time and energy on meaningless pursuits in my life than I care to admit. Maybe you have too. Maybe today is the day to take your compass in hand and reset the course of your life.

 

If rejecting the truth shipwrecks our faith, then God’s Word is the compass that leads us to safe harbor. Hold on to the faith and a good conscience. Hold on to the truth today. Live well.

 

Pain is real – So is hope

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Pain is real but so is hope.

 

CS Lewis astutely observed, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” We can’t ignore it. It tortures us and crushes us. In its greatest trials it blinds us to everything else. Physical pain. Emotional pain. The pain of feeling lost and alone and without purpose. To deny it and paste on a silly grin is a foolish facade that accomplishes nothing.

 

Pain is real.

But so is hope.

 

Hope clings to the reality that what we see is not what God sees. We think there is only pain, uselessness, a wasted life of no value to anyone. We sit beneath the magnificent quilt spread across the loom and all we see are the tattered edges and loose threads. Nothing makes sense. But He sees the picture from above, the one that is completed by our faithfulness. Speaking of the great men and women of faith who suffered greatly, the author of the book of Hebrews wrote: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40) He continues,”Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

 

That’s the masterpiece that our pain can’t perceive. Only faith, your great hope, can catch a glimpse of the beauty that is yet to be revealed.

 

Your faithfulness is accomplishing far more than what you and I can imagine. It’s quite possible we won’t know until we get to heaven how God uses your faithfulness to work good in all situations for all who are called according to his purpose. I know it doesn’t seem like enough. I write this as my own pain screams at me. Hope doesn’t seem like enough. But it is enough. Jesus has his loving eyes on you and your pain right now. You are not forgotten, not alone.

 

All that counts and all that remains in the end, is faith expressing itself in love. (Galatians 5:6) And faith keeps reaching out. When there is no strength or when your invitations to help and encourage others are ignored, faith prays. And persevering prayer accomplishes as much as any deeds we do. Marcia and I were recently talking about her parents’ lives, how their last years seemed so empty and wasted. Without our family there would have been just a few to remember them. But is the goal to be remembered? Perhaps the real point of life ultimately to bear witness to the transformational power of God’s love in a way that it impacts the life of at least one other person, who in turn bears testimony that impacts another?  In that sense, your faith – expressing itself in love – continues to live on, long after your name is forgotten.

 

Whatever level of pain you endure right now, I pray that you will see the goodness of the Lord here in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). But even if that vision is clouded, there comes a time for all real believers when ALL his goodness will unfold in great abundance. We won’t be able to contain it.

 

That is our hope and it is as real as any pain that assaults us.

 

Examine yourselves – do not fail the test

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“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ jesus is in you unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

 

There’s sin in every church and in every Christian life. The question is whether we are repentant or not. Do we own up to our shortcomings and failings or do we try to brush them under the rug, keeping up pleasant appearances while things are rotting inside? Christ doesn’t call us to be perfect and faultless. In fact, he died for us precisely when we were still sinners. He doesn’t call us to be perfect but he does call us to be real….imperfect men and women of integrity, always aiming higher, always drawing intentionally closer to God.

 

One of the ways real Christians do this is to honestly examine themselves. Not satisfied with the title of “Christian” and beyond churchy talk and behavior, real Christians are called to look closely within and conduct spiritual checkups. Not content with playing the charade, they want to be “all in”, actively surrendering to God’s agenda for their whole life.

 

If being a real Christian were a job, would I be considered part-time or full-time?

 

Spiritual checkups aren’t for the part-time Christian. Each time I do one, I realize how far I fall short. It’s humbling. But it’s the only way to draw closer to God, to lay it all out in submission to him. What does a spiritual checkup look like? There’s no one size fits all, but here are some questions, if you’re up for the test:

 

Am I increasingly aware of the presence of Christ in my daily life? Am I quick to acknowledge him and turn to him when I feel attacked, hurt, or troubled? Do I invite him into my conversations? Is he in charge of my to-do list? Do I quickly turn to him in praise for so many blessings? Is he part of my life or is-he-my-life?!

 

Beyond practicing the presence of God in the details of my life, including my priorities and ambitions….am I living in his power? Am I purposefully creating boundaries that invite his protection of my heart and my family? Do I rely more on him or on my own abilities to succeed, to overcome sin, and to extend grace to others? Am I living for all life can offer me or am I constantly dying to self so God can offer all he is in me? When I need to confront others, does the love and joy of Jesus guide me or is it just good deeds? Am I taking active and intentional steps to draw close to God? If I’m not moving toward him, I’m falling away from him.  There’s no middle ground. Am I actively applying the Word of God to the details of my life or am I content to know about the Word? Am I always trying to look strong or do I invite God to display his strength in my weakness?

 

If God’s presence and power is evident as the mainstays of your life, then prayer is too. Are my prayers an after thought to my established plans? Are they a mere plea to be rescued from distress? Are they focused on primarily on me and those close to me or on who God is and his heart for the rest of the world? Are my prayers more about comfort for me or compassion for others?

 

The world knows real Christians from imposters. The test is their love, or rather the love of God that flows through them. Let’s determine to examine ourselves and not fail the test. Let’s aim higher today by purposefully drawing closer to God and letting him live through our transformed lives.

 

Strength in weakness

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I’ve been reading about friends who are running marathons, triathlons, climbing tall hills, going on adventurous hikes, and exciting vacations. I remember the days when I felt strong. It’s everyone’s goal to be strong, isn’t it? After all, who aspires to be weak? But just as strength has its place, so weakness has its place and purpose…in God’s plan. A weakness that becomes strength…if we allow God to use it for good.

 

Paul writes about this in 2 Corinthians 12. We don’t know the details, but there was something he considered “a thorn in the flesh” that made him weak. It was given “to keep me from becoming conceited.” He prayed three times for it to be taken away, but God’s response was this:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (V 9)

Paul concludes, “I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (V 10)

 

It’s not usually our first response, is it? We’re not naturally attracted to weakness and pain. In fact, usually, we do everything we can to avoid it. We fight it, we cry over it, we pray to be delivered from it. But before it leaves us, there is something to be gained if we determine to not waste our weakness or pain. What can be gained from weakness? Two things:

 

Grace… and strength.

 

Grace is the God-given gift that allows us to be thankful even in our sorrows. It allows us to be kind and patient with others when we feel that we’ve been shorted ourselves. Grace reaches out of pain and weakness to bring hope and encouragement to others when you most need it yourself. God’s grace speaks comfort, contentment and peace when every other part of our mind and body are screaming to escape the pain and sorrow we feel. Grace fills our cup so it overflows onto others when we feel empty. Grace sustains.

 

And what about strength? Where is it revealed in the face of weakness? First, there is the strength that comes from God when we stop thrashing about in our own efforts. I remember “rescuing” a fellow as part of my lifesaving test. After months of training, I dove into the shallow end of the olympic pool and swam forcefully toward the “victim” who was thrashing the water in the deep end. His wild antics to “save himself” were counterproductive, wearing him out and not bringing him any closer to safety. And when I reached him he doubled his efforts to twist and writhe and splash, fighting my every effort to take him under my arm and pull him to the pool’s edge. But then (thankfully, or I never would have passed my test) he surrendered his efforts to my leading and allowed me to bring him to safety. It’s like that with us and God too. When we come to the end of ourselves and find ourselves hopelessly weak, it is precisely then that God’s strength can carry us away from the depths that threaten to consume us. His strength is best made known in our weakness; it is when we stop fighting that he can bring the victory we seek in our life. The strength comes from his indwelling Spirit who always speaks truth.

 

I remember a picture of a mighty lion on the wall of the U of I transplant unit. The caption read, “Courage and strength to all who walk these halls.” I suppose none of us who walked those halls ever so slowly, 7 laps to a quarter mile, felt strong. But there is strength to be found in taking one courageous step after another. It is the strength that perseveres after cancer has done its worst. It’s the same courageous strength that allows you to get out of bed when you feel depressed, to reach out when you feel all used up, and to keep believing truth when you feel like giving up.

 

There is strength in weakness. God’s strength and sustaining grace. Soak it in today while you are strong, so you can draw on it when you are weak.

 

Pay more attention so you don’t drift away

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We watched a foreign film the other night. As such films often are, it was filled with dynamic drama and the pursuit of living life with passion. The message was, “Wake up. Feel what it’s like to be fully alive.” It’s a tantalizing theme, right? I mean, who wants to go through life asleep to all it offers? But in the movie, as in so many messages that bombard us, the end justified the means. “I want to be happy and free whatever it takes, however it comes, and wherever it leads me.” The problem is, the pursuit of happiness as the end all of life and at whatever costs, often leads us to a very unhappy and empty place.

 

That was Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians 11. We are easily led astray by many false “gospels,” messages that appeal to our senses but lead us away from truth and real happiness, the contented peace of life lived well. He reminds us that we are easily led astray; “You put up with it easily enough. In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you.”

 

“Satan masquerades as an angel of light…his servants as servants of righteousness.” It sounds kind of right. It feels kind of right. But if it leads us astray to a place that confuses our minds and enslaves us to punishing thoughts, and meaningless appetites, if at the end you’re left empty, it’s not right. And it’s not the happiness we sought. What messages have you been listening to that leave you like this?

 

How are we to know the truth so we don’t fall for the lie? We have to compare it to the original, never changing truth, the standard that never fails.

 

“We must pay more careful attention therefore to what we have heard, so that will do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1

 

The reason we’re told to meditate on God’s Word day and night, to memorize it and keep it close to us is so we will recognize the counterfeit messages that seek to masquerade as truth. . . So we will not drift away from it’s truth.

 

Don’t be led astray by the frivolities of life, the sweet empty calories that offer happiness but leaving us empty inside. Instead, feed on the satisfying Word of God. Chew on it and savor it’s truth and grace. Let if fill you with all its goodness. Feel it strengthen your body, soul, and mind. Let it be your daily diet that nurtures your life and let’s you live well. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Do this and you won’t be led astray by the “happy meals” that promise enjoyment but leave you empty and wanting more.

 

Let’s pay more careful attention to what we listen to so we can stay the course and not drift away.