“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” - Jesus (Matthew 7:24-27)
Jesus finishes His sermon with a VBS song. I am sure all of us have at one time or another participated in this song and the hand motions that accompany it. From a young age, we learn the importance of building on solid ground. As an engineer, these words have an even clearer meaning for me.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has given the basis for His ministry and the foundation for all the other teaching that is contained in the New Testament. His teaching in these three chapters is the Magna Carta, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights of the Christian faith. When He finishes teaching, He gives the people the choice of accepting or rejecting His words and tells them outcome of their choice. Wise will stand, foolish will fall. Wise listen and put into action, foolish ignores and rejects. But the choice was theirs and it is ours.
He says to us that our lives are not going to be without trouble. The floods will come, the winds will blow, our houses will take a beating and the choice we make for our foundation will determine the outcome of the troubles. If we base our lives on the truth that is found in Him... bring on the rain. If we reject His truth and base our lives on something else... trouble will devastate. You have seen it. I have too. People that haven't built their lives on the Solid Rock of Jesus fold under the load of this life. People whose lives are built on Him standing strong against the winds of cancer or the rain of job lose.
But His message goes further than this life only! He is calling us to faith that leads to a life hereafter. Sure we are going to have a better life here... and that is worth living for! But Paul tells the church in Corinth, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. Jesus has better things planned of us now and eternally. The question for each of us is clear, are we wise or foolish? We will listen and do or will we ignore and fall? Just as in every other scripture, He leaves the choice to us. So...
Wise or Foolish?
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Lord, Lord...
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Jesus draws a stark contrast between those who do the will of the Father and those that don't. If you don't obey His will, you practice lawlessness. You are a law breaker! He tells us that many of those people, maybe many of us don't even recognize that we are spiritual criminals. We go through life doing things that make us look like we are disciples, but we are not. That should wake us up... right now! He declares that these people will not make it to heaven. That should shake us up... right now!
He draws a line of distinction between those that "do His Father's will" and those that "do religious things". We can call Him Lord, yet our lives not reflect His Lordship. He is not on the throne... something or someone else is. Jesus says that when that happens; when we say or do one thing yet our hearts indicate another, then we are law breakers. Or... we call Him Lord and give Him the reins of our lives and obey the Father. These two lives might even look the same on the outside, but where it counts (in the heart) it is dramatically different.
Every time I read these verses I get a little nervous. Some will stand before Him in the judgment and believe with all their hearts that they did many things in His name and that they are entitled to a "well done my good and faithful servant". Instead they will get, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" The difference in these two lives is one is outward action and the other is inward change. Of course the inward change produces outward action! But outward action does not necessarily produce inward change. I can hate my neighbor and still treat him properly. I can lust after my secretary and not have an affair with her.
Jesus is winding up his sermon with this conclusion... being His true disciple means that "who we are" and "whose we are" has changed. He is getting to the "heart" of the matter. Take a moment an go back and read the sermon again (beginning with chapter 5) with this view in mind. Everything He has said is richer and fuller and deeper. We can spend our lives doing many good things and still be unchanged by the Christ. Many do it... and that is tragic. May we seek the renewed mind, the changed heart, the born again nature and then serve from that position. That changes everything! May God bless you in your following Him.
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Jesus draws a stark contrast between those who do the will of the Father and those that don't. If you don't obey His will, you practice lawlessness. You are a law breaker! He tells us that many of those people, maybe many of us don't even recognize that we are spiritual criminals. We go through life doing things that make us look like we are disciples, but we are not. That should wake us up... right now! He declares that these people will not make it to heaven. That should shake us up... right now!
He draws a line of distinction between those that "do His Father's will" and those that "do religious things". We can call Him Lord, yet our lives not reflect His Lordship. He is not on the throne... something or someone else is. Jesus says that when that happens; when we say or do one thing yet our hearts indicate another, then we are law breakers. Or... we call Him Lord and give Him the reins of our lives and obey the Father. These two lives might even look the same on the outside, but where it counts (in the heart) it is dramatically different.
Every time I read these verses I get a little nervous. Some will stand before Him in the judgment and believe with all their hearts that they did many things in His name and that they are entitled to a "well done my good and faithful servant". Instead they will get, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" The difference in these two lives is one is outward action and the other is inward change. Of course the inward change produces outward action! But outward action does not necessarily produce inward change. I can hate my neighbor and still treat him properly. I can lust after my secretary and not have an affair with her.
Jesus is winding up his sermon with this conclusion... being His true disciple means that "who we are" and "whose we are" has changed. He is getting to the "heart" of the matter. Take a moment an go back and read the sermon again (beginning with chapter 5) with this view in mind. Everything He has said is richer and fuller and deeper. We can spend our lives doing many good things and still be unchanged by the Christ. Many do it... and that is tragic. May we seek the renewed mind, the changed heart, the born again nature and then serve from that position. That changes everything! May God bless you in your following Him.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Fruit Inspectors
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." Matthew 7:15-20
Watch out for false prophets!! Jesus gives His disciples a strong warning in these few verses. These warnings are echoed by the apostles in their writings as well. We need to understand that until the New Testament was completed and compiled, the gospel message was transmitted orally. God's prophet would show up in a town and teach about the Savior and then do a miracle or two to confirm that they were speaking the truth. (1 Cor 14:22) Ultimately, it was up to the hearer to determine if what they would believe. They couldn't open their Bibles and check out the message.
Jesus tells us that sometimes it is difficult to know who is bringing His truth and who is bringing a lie. He says they look like sheep. They look innocent enough, but He warns that they are really wolves. They come to destroy! Thankfully, He doesn't end His message there. He tells us that we can recognize the true "prophet" and the false "prophet". He says look at their fruit. Check out their lives, their relationships, their marriages... look at what has grown where they planted. He says, "good fruit doesn't come from thorn bushes or thistles".
The identifying marks of each prophet is evident in their lives, in the lives of their followers and in their message. A true prophet will bring about good results; lives changed for the better, peace and harmony, unity and love. It is impossible for the true prophet to bring about bad fruit. The false prophet will bring division, bitterness, greed and the like. He tells us that it is impossible for a bad tree to bear good fruit. It will not happen! Maybe for a short period of time, the appearance of good will disguise the true result; but over time, the bad fruit will become obvious. You've seen it! You know exactly what I am talking about.
As a hearer of the Word, it is our responsibility to be a fruit inspectors. Understand that He is not saying that for someone to tell you truth from God's Word they must be a sinless person. Everyone sins... the preacher sins and the teacher sins. He is calling on us to look at the results of a persons life. Do they live what they teach? Do I see a life filled with blessings? Do you see joy? Today we are blessed to have His Word available to read and study. We need to be like the noble Bereans... Acts 17:10-12. We must compare all teaching with the written Word of God.
Jesus warns us that the results of the life lived as a "bad tree" is certain. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire". Death and destruction are the reward promised to that person. It is up to each of us to determine who we will listen to, who we will follow. He gives us the ability to be fruit inspectors. Let's use His Word as the standard. I have been told that those tasked with determining counterfeit currency don't spend their time looking at fakes, they only look at the real cash. When you know what the real thing looks like, the fake is easy to spot. Let's spend our time studying the truth and the lie will be evident.
Wise or foolish?
Watch out for false prophets!! Jesus gives His disciples a strong warning in these few verses. These warnings are echoed by the apostles in their writings as well. We need to understand that until the New Testament was completed and compiled, the gospel message was transmitted orally. God's prophet would show up in a town and teach about the Savior and then do a miracle or two to confirm that they were speaking the truth. (1 Cor 14:22) Ultimately, it was up to the hearer to determine if what they would believe. They couldn't open their Bibles and check out the message.
Jesus tells us that sometimes it is difficult to know who is bringing His truth and who is bringing a lie. He says they look like sheep. They look innocent enough, but He warns that they are really wolves. They come to destroy! Thankfully, He doesn't end His message there. He tells us that we can recognize the true "prophet" and the false "prophet". He says look at their fruit. Check out their lives, their relationships, their marriages... look at what has grown where they planted. He says, "good fruit doesn't come from thorn bushes or thistles".
The identifying marks of each prophet is evident in their lives, in the lives of their followers and in their message. A true prophet will bring about good results; lives changed for the better, peace and harmony, unity and love. It is impossible for the true prophet to bring about bad fruit. The false prophet will bring division, bitterness, greed and the like. He tells us that it is impossible for a bad tree to bear good fruit. It will not happen! Maybe for a short period of time, the appearance of good will disguise the true result; but over time, the bad fruit will become obvious. You've seen it! You know exactly what I am talking about.
As a hearer of the Word, it is our responsibility to be a fruit inspectors. Understand that He is not saying that for someone to tell you truth from God's Word they must be a sinless person. Everyone sins... the preacher sins and the teacher sins. He is calling on us to look at the results of a persons life. Do they live what they teach? Do I see a life filled with blessings? Do you see joy? Today we are blessed to have His Word available to read and study. We need to be like the noble Bereans... Acts 17:10-12. We must compare all teaching with the written Word of God.
Jesus warns us that the results of the life lived as a "bad tree" is certain. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire". Death and destruction are the reward promised to that person. It is up to each of us to determine who we will listen to, who we will follow. He gives us the ability to be fruit inspectors. Let's use His Word as the standard. I have been told that those tasked with determining counterfeit currency don't spend their time looking at fakes, they only look at the real cash. When you know what the real thing looks like, the fake is easy to spot. Let's spend our time studying the truth and the lie will be evident.
Wise or foolish?
Monday, September 30, 2013
Which Road Are You On?
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14)
Two little verses about gates and roads. One is narrow, the other is wide. I remember from my days in the Highway Planning Department with the NCDOT that car counts were taken on roads and those counts determined how wide the roads needed to be... a little bit of traffic, a 18 foot wide two lane road; a lot of traffic, multiple lanes sometimes 140 feet wide. That seems almost intuitive ...lots of traffic, bigger road. Little bit of traffic, small road.
But what determined the traffic counts? The road went where people wanted to go! Lots of people want to go to Charlotte, big roads. Few people want to go to Boomer, little road. Jesus is giving us a lesson in roadway design. He tells us that there is a multi-lane superhighway that is headed straight to hell and that there is a quaint little two lane country road that leads to heaven. The little road is so quaint and so off the beaten path that only a few people ever find it. Only a very few.
I use Google maps now to find my way to a place that I want to go. I don't just start driving and hope to end up a grandma's house. I don't look for the road that everyone else is on and jump in line and assume that I will get to the beach. I don't look for the nicest roadway and guess that it is the one that will get me home. I go to the source, a road map or a GPS device and I follow the directions that will take me to my destination. (there is hidden meaning in this paragraph)
I believe that Jesus is making two important points in these two verses...first, it takes effort to find the small gate! You don't stumble into it, it is intentional! You search for it and you find it. And secondly, not everyone wants to walk the narrow path. Regardless of the warnings, some people (most according to Jesus) will choose the broad road. They will run headlong into hell because they want to enjoy the ride. The wide road looks so good, it is so wide and there are so many people using it. It must be the fun way.
But Jesus says, "Enter through the narrow gate." He wants us to follow Him. He tells us where the wide road leads. There is no mystery destination waiting at the end of the trip. I am not going to choose my beliefs based on what the most people believe. I am not going to pick my church based on where the most people go. I am not selecting my place to worship by how nice the building is. None of that leads to the narrow gate! The narrow gate is found by the person who searches. His Word is our GPS, our road map and that is where directions are found. That is where we must look to find our beliefs and our church.
Jesus looks us in the eye and says, "choose, wide or narrow." Sometimes the superhighway looks tempting; the wide lanes, the fast moving traffic. That is where my friends are. That is where our family is. "Choose, wide or narrow." Grandma and Grandpa drove that highway; if it was good enough for them, it is good enough for me. "Choose, wide or narrow." As sad as it is, many, no, most will choose the wide road that leads to destruction. What about you? Which road are you on? The good news is God allows u-turns. No matter how long or how far you are on that wide road, He says you can change direction and get on the road that leads to life everlasting. But you must choose... choose wisely!
Two little verses about gates and roads. One is narrow, the other is wide. I remember from my days in the Highway Planning Department with the NCDOT that car counts were taken on roads and those counts determined how wide the roads needed to be... a little bit of traffic, a 18 foot wide two lane road; a lot of traffic, multiple lanes sometimes 140 feet wide. That seems almost intuitive ...lots of traffic, bigger road. Little bit of traffic, small road.
But what determined the traffic counts? The road went where people wanted to go! Lots of people want to go to Charlotte, big roads. Few people want to go to Boomer, little road. Jesus is giving us a lesson in roadway design. He tells us that there is a multi-lane superhighway that is headed straight to hell and that there is a quaint little two lane country road that leads to heaven. The little road is so quaint and so off the beaten path that only a few people ever find it. Only a very few.
I use Google maps now to find my way to a place that I want to go. I don't just start driving and hope to end up a grandma's house. I don't look for the road that everyone else is on and jump in line and assume that I will get to the beach. I don't look for the nicest roadway and guess that it is the one that will get me home. I go to the source, a road map or a GPS device and I follow the directions that will take me to my destination. (there is hidden meaning in this paragraph)
I believe that Jesus is making two important points in these two verses...first, it takes effort to find the small gate! You don't stumble into it, it is intentional! You search for it and you find it. And secondly, not everyone wants to walk the narrow path. Regardless of the warnings, some people (most according to Jesus) will choose the broad road. They will run headlong into hell because they want to enjoy the ride. The wide road looks so good, it is so wide and there are so many people using it. It must be the fun way.
But Jesus says, "Enter through the narrow gate." He wants us to follow Him. He tells us where the wide road leads. There is no mystery destination waiting at the end of the trip. I am not going to choose my beliefs based on what the most people believe. I am not going to pick my church based on where the most people go. I am not selecting my place to worship by how nice the building is. None of that leads to the narrow gate! The narrow gate is found by the person who searches. His Word is our GPS, our road map and that is where directions are found. That is where we must look to find our beliefs and our church.
Jesus looks us in the eye and says, "choose, wide or narrow." Sometimes the superhighway looks tempting; the wide lanes, the fast moving traffic. That is where my friends are. That is where our family is. "Choose, wide or narrow." Grandma and Grandpa drove that highway; if it was good enough for them, it is good enough for me. "Choose, wide or narrow." As sad as it is, many, no, most will choose the wide road that leads to destruction. What about you? Which road are you on? The good news is God allows u-turns. No matter how long or how far you are on that wide road, He says you can change direction and get on the road that leads to life everlasting. But you must choose... choose wisely!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Ask, Seek and Knock
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
- Jesus (Matthew 7:7-12)
How many true askers are there? True seekers? True knockers? Seriously... take a moment and think that through. Most of us give lip service to the idea, but the reality is probably something entirely different.
The word translated "ask" (aiteo) brings with it the idea of beg, crave, desire and even require. "Seek" (zeteo) means to be about, to endeavor, to require and to seek after and "knock" means to rap. Sometimes our English translations leave much to be desired and this is illustrated perfectly by these three little words. Ask, seek and knock fall woefully short of communicating the strong desire and urgency that the original Greek brings to our understanding. Again, I ask, am I a true asker, a true seeker and a true knocker? Are you?
The message Jesus is bringing to those sitting on the side of the hill and to us today is God will reward those who truly ask, seek and knock after Him. In Hebrews 11:6, we are told that God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The occasional asker, who isn't invested in the asking does not need to think that He will respond. The casual seeker will certainly never find and the one who knocks lightly and inconsistently will not find the door opened to him. While we might find that to be inconvenient in our getting what we want, when we want it; it is very consistent with what we know of God's nature. (take a moment to read Luke 18:1-8)
Jesus then reminds His students that God is the giver of good gifts. He uses the fact that parents give good gifts to their children and that if we as humans know how to give good things to our children... the Father in heaven is quite capable of providing every good thing that we need. "Dad can I have a slice of bread? Nope, chew on this stone! Mom, can we have fish for dinner? Nope, here, hold this snake." If mom and dad understand what we need, surely our Creator is in an even better position to provide for our needs and wants.
He closes His thoughts on this with the Golden Rule... "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you". In other words, get your heart right, be like God! Treat others with respect. Love your neighbor as yourself. Imagine a world where people lived out this single little rule. Every person treating the other person the way they want to be treated. World changing little thought! May it begin with each of us and spread like the flu! I am reminded of the movie "Pay It Forward". One person did something good for another person and asked them to do the same. Then they did good to someone and asked them to do the same and on and on.... may we do it today. Take a minute to watch the video link below.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc8ZbVcdHpg
- Jesus (Matthew 7:7-12)
How many true askers are there? True seekers? True knockers? Seriously... take a moment and think that through. Most of us give lip service to the idea, but the reality is probably something entirely different.
The word translated "ask" (aiteo) brings with it the idea of beg, crave, desire and even require. "Seek" (zeteo) means to be about, to endeavor, to require and to seek after and "knock" means to rap. Sometimes our English translations leave much to be desired and this is illustrated perfectly by these three little words. Ask, seek and knock fall woefully short of communicating the strong desire and urgency that the original Greek brings to our understanding. Again, I ask, am I a true asker, a true seeker and a true knocker? Are you?
The message Jesus is bringing to those sitting on the side of the hill and to us today is God will reward those who truly ask, seek and knock after Him. In Hebrews 11:6, we are told that God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The occasional asker, who isn't invested in the asking does not need to think that He will respond. The casual seeker will certainly never find and the one who knocks lightly and inconsistently will not find the door opened to him. While we might find that to be inconvenient in our getting what we want, when we want it; it is very consistent with what we know of God's nature. (take a moment to read Luke 18:1-8)
Jesus then reminds His students that God is the giver of good gifts. He uses the fact that parents give good gifts to their children and that if we as humans know how to give good things to our children... the Father in heaven is quite capable of providing every good thing that we need. "Dad can I have a slice of bread? Nope, chew on this stone! Mom, can we have fish for dinner? Nope, here, hold this snake." If mom and dad understand what we need, surely our Creator is in an even better position to provide for our needs and wants.
He closes His thoughts on this with the Golden Rule... "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you". In other words, get your heart right, be like God! Treat others with respect. Love your neighbor as yourself. Imagine a world where people lived out this single little rule. Every person treating the other person the way they want to be treated. World changing little thought! May it begin with each of us and spread like the flu! I am reminded of the movie "Pay It Forward". One person did something good for another person and asked them to do the same. Then they did good to someone and asked them to do the same and on and on.... may we do it today. Take a minute to watch the video link below.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc8ZbVcdHpg
Monday, September 23, 2013
Speck Inspector or Plank Ignorer
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." -Jesus (Matthew 7:1-5)
Can the Christian not make judgments? Certainly! This is without a doubt one of the most tortured verses in the Bible. It is pulled out by everyone at one time or another to try to put someone in their place (so to speak). "That is wrong!"... "Do not judge!" "They are a bad person."... "Do not judge." You know what I am talking about. Is that the point of this part of the Sermon? Is Jesus really telling His disciples that they are not to make judgments? Certainly not!
Ok, so what is it about? In context, Jesus is dealing with how we treat one another as His followers. He says we are to be lavishly generous with each other and remember that each of us will be judged by the same measure as we use to judge others. That should slow down the desire to decide who is in and who is out. If we are nitpickers towards others, Jesus says get ready for the same treatment. This statement puts me in mind of the Lord's Prayer... "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors".
Once again, Jesus is telling us that it is a heart matter. If we are judgmental towards His people, our hearts are messed up. He reminds us that we have our own faults. We have our own misunderstandings. We have our own sins! He says, "work on yourself, when you get that all taken care of, then you can turn that critical eye on someone else". Doing otherwise is hypocritical. (and none of use want to be like that) The picture here is of someone who fails to see their own faults (the plank), but is focused on the little things in someone else's life. (the speck)
Let's be frank here... I have done that. You have too. It is so much easier to critique others than it is to examine our own lives. Many times the thing that drives us crazy about someone else is the very thing we struggle with ourselves. Jesus doesn't say that we are not to make righteous judgments, rather He calls on us to be patient and gentle with others and to focus on our own issues. It's about humility. It's recognizing that we all live imperfectly, but with the love and support of our brothers and sisters, we can do so in a perfecting way.
I am thankful for a generous God, who gave His Son so that penalty for the plank and the speck are all paid for. Should I do my best to live perfectly? Sure. It honors Him. Am I going to do it? No! We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Love. Support. Encouragement. Acceptance. That is to be the trademark of His people! Leave the judging to the Judge. Surround yourself with people who's hearts are tuned to His heart.
Young ladies, find a young man that has the desire to help you grow closer to God. Young man, search for a young lady that wants to help you be a true man of God. Christian men and women... treat each other with lavish generosity. Be with people that make you a better person, a better Christian. Work on your life and then lovingly, with great care and gentleness help remove the speck from that person you love. That's what He calls on us to do. That is what He did.
Wise or foolish?
Can the Christian not make judgments? Certainly! This is without a doubt one of the most tortured verses in the Bible. It is pulled out by everyone at one time or another to try to put someone in their place (so to speak). "That is wrong!"... "Do not judge!" "They are a bad person."... "Do not judge." You know what I am talking about. Is that the point of this part of the Sermon? Is Jesus really telling His disciples that they are not to make judgments? Certainly not!
Ok, so what is it about? In context, Jesus is dealing with how we treat one another as His followers. He says we are to be lavishly generous with each other and remember that each of us will be judged by the same measure as we use to judge others. That should slow down the desire to decide who is in and who is out. If we are nitpickers towards others, Jesus says get ready for the same treatment. This statement puts me in mind of the Lord's Prayer... "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors".
Once again, Jesus is telling us that it is a heart matter. If we are judgmental towards His people, our hearts are messed up. He reminds us that we have our own faults. We have our own misunderstandings. We have our own sins! He says, "work on yourself, when you get that all taken care of, then you can turn that critical eye on someone else". Doing otherwise is hypocritical. (and none of use want to be like that) The picture here is of someone who fails to see their own faults (the plank), but is focused on the little things in someone else's life. (the speck)
Let's be frank here... I have done that. You have too. It is so much easier to critique others than it is to examine our own lives. Many times the thing that drives us crazy about someone else is the very thing we struggle with ourselves. Jesus doesn't say that we are not to make righteous judgments, rather He calls on us to be patient and gentle with others and to focus on our own issues. It's about humility. It's recognizing that we all live imperfectly, but with the love and support of our brothers and sisters, we can do so in a perfecting way.
I am thankful for a generous God, who gave His Son so that penalty for the plank and the speck are all paid for. Should I do my best to live perfectly? Sure. It honors Him. Am I going to do it? No! We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Love. Support. Encouragement. Acceptance. That is to be the trademark of His people! Leave the judging to the Judge. Surround yourself with people who's hearts are tuned to His heart.
Young ladies, find a young man that has the desire to help you grow closer to God. Young man, search for a young lady that wants to help you be a true man of God. Christian men and women... treat each other with lavish generosity. Be with people that make you a better person, a better Christian. Work on your life and then lovingly, with great care and gentleness help remove the speck from that person you love. That's what He calls on us to do. That is what He did.
Wise or foolish?
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Do Not Worry
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Jesus (Matthew 6: 25-34)
I stayed in a boarding house while I was in college. It was me and 12 other college guys sharing one house, two bathrooms and one kitchen. We got to know each other! And we got comfortable with each other... which leads me to tell this story - I had gotten into the habit of sharing my anxiety over tests with my housemates. I would spend days talking about my worries about my grades and how I would do on an upcoming test. I guess I had gone to the well once too often... one day a "friend" finally spoke up and said what I needed to hear. "Dale, if you spent half the time studying that you do worrying, you would be a straight A student." Needless to say, I was taken aback by such honesty. After a few minutes of digesting the comment, I acknowledged that he had given some pretty good advice.
It is easy to fall into that trap... worry. Jesus calls on His disciples to understand that worry is wasted time. "Can you add a single hour to your life through worry?" "Is clothing going to come through worry?" "What about food?" "Drink?" He tells us that God knows what we need and that all the worry in the world will not provide what He knows we need. But there we go again... up at night, ulcers, bad relationships, drug and alcohol use, socially withdrawn... all bad stuff! So why do we do it? Why do we let the concerns of this world crowd out the peace that passes understanding?
Jesus tells us that it is a priority issue. We have the wrong things in the wrong place in our lives. Our jobs are number one. Our spouses are at the top of our list. That new house, new car is what we are working for and we will worry until we get them! Jesus calmly and quietly says, "your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well". He calls on His disciples to put God first, His kingdom, His righteousness... then He says everything that we need will be ours. Sure, some of the things we thought we needed will seem insignificant when we seek His will first and the worries will begin to disappear.
We are not to spend our time thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow is not guaranteed! Stay focused on today. He says that is enough. Today has enough trouble of its' own. That test next week, don't waste time worrying about it, prepare for it while it is still today. When and if that day comes, you will find that you are ready... and without the ulcer.
God knows His creation. He knows our tendency is to think we are responsible for everything. But, He says something entirely different... go to work, do your best, put Him first and everything will work out just fine. He is in charge. Faith. Pure. Simple. Faith. You are His creation. He will take care of you. Trust Him. Get some sleep. Love your family. Enjoy your neighbors. Pour out the drink and flush the pills.
First things first! Kingdom, Righteousness... then, all these things will be added unto you. No worries!
Wise or foolish?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Jesus (Matthew 6: 25-34)
I stayed in a boarding house while I was in college. It was me and 12 other college guys sharing one house, two bathrooms and one kitchen. We got to know each other! And we got comfortable with each other... which leads me to tell this story - I had gotten into the habit of sharing my anxiety over tests with my housemates. I would spend days talking about my worries about my grades and how I would do on an upcoming test. I guess I had gone to the well once too often... one day a "friend" finally spoke up and said what I needed to hear. "Dale, if you spent half the time studying that you do worrying, you would be a straight A student." Needless to say, I was taken aback by such honesty. After a few minutes of digesting the comment, I acknowledged that he had given some pretty good advice.
It is easy to fall into that trap... worry. Jesus calls on His disciples to understand that worry is wasted time. "Can you add a single hour to your life through worry?" "Is clothing going to come through worry?" "What about food?" "Drink?" He tells us that God knows what we need and that all the worry in the world will not provide what He knows we need. But there we go again... up at night, ulcers, bad relationships, drug and alcohol use, socially withdrawn... all bad stuff! So why do we do it? Why do we let the concerns of this world crowd out the peace that passes understanding?
Jesus tells us that it is a priority issue. We have the wrong things in the wrong place in our lives. Our jobs are number one. Our spouses are at the top of our list. That new house, new car is what we are working for and we will worry until we get them! Jesus calmly and quietly says, "your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well". He calls on His disciples to put God first, His kingdom, His righteousness... then He says everything that we need will be ours. Sure, some of the things we thought we needed will seem insignificant when we seek His will first and the worries will begin to disappear.
We are not to spend our time thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow is not guaranteed! Stay focused on today. He says that is enough. Today has enough trouble of its' own. That test next week, don't waste time worrying about it, prepare for it while it is still today. When and if that day comes, you will find that you are ready... and without the ulcer.
God knows His creation. He knows our tendency is to think we are responsible for everything. But, He says something entirely different... go to work, do your best, put Him first and everything will work out just fine. He is in charge. Faith. Pure. Simple. Faith. You are His creation. He will take care of you. Trust Him. Get some sleep. Love your family. Enjoy your neighbors. Pour out the drink and flush the pills.
First things first! Kingdom, Righteousness... then, all these things will be added unto you. No worries!
Wise or foolish?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)