At this very moment, someone may be talking about you behind your back. Someone could be making plans to hurt you emotionally or physically. There may be people out there right now who are working against you to tear down what you are trying to build up. But God has given a promise that you can stand on—even when the world stands against you.
It’s upsetting to realize that not everyone is going to like you. There are people who are simply not going to be on your side. No matter how hard you try to be nice, or friendly, or helpful toward them, some people will just find a reason to dislike you. Even in ministry, personalities sometimes clash and we are left feeling devastated.
But before we lose heart, we have to remember God’s promise to His people, stated in Isaiah 54:16-17, “ ‘See, it is I who created the blacksmith and who fans the coals into the flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; no weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.”
The Lord is not unaware of those in the world who come against us. He gives us the strength and support to stand strong against them. He also gives us a strategy in dealing with people who just seem to hate us for no reason. Proverbs 25:21-22 says, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
When someone doesn’t like you and goes out of their way to let you know, take it to the Lord in prayer—and as the popular saying goes, “kill ‘em with kindness.” It will make your Father proud.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Before You Hit SNOOZE…
Ahhh, wouldn’t it be great if we could always go to bed at a decent hour, sleep soundly through the night, and when the alarm clock rings at the appointed time in the morning, we would hop out of bed well rested and ready to tackle the day? The reality is that, for many of us, when that alarm rings in the morning, our usual response is to hit SNOOZE. Are we hitting the spiritual snooze button as well?
Whoever invented the snooze feature revolutionized the way we approach the day. We don’t consider ourselves being completely disobedient to the alarm clock’s demand for us to rise and shine—we just reserve the right to delay it a little bit. Of course we will eventually get up, but we want to ease ourselves into it.
In our Christian walk, the snooze feature can be detrimental. When God requires us to do something, it’s not with the option of hitting SNOOZE. He wants us to act immediately!
A great example was when Jesus called the first disciples to walk with him. Peter and his brother Andrew were hard at work when Jesus commanded them to follow Him. The Bible reports that, “At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:21-22) This was no small action on their part, by the way. These men were leaving behind their livelihood, their families, and their way of life, to step by faith into something unimaginable. Yet their immediate action changed their lives and brought a magnitude of glory to the kingdom of God.
So why don’t we take immediate action when God commands us to move?
• We don’t feel prepared. Self-doubt can keep us from taking the first step forward. Yet we should feel confident that if God has led us to do something, He will provide us with what we need to get it done. Remember Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
• We are afraid. Fear and faith cannot coexist. Trust in Him to overcome the fear and accomplish what you have already been empowered to do. Remember 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
• We are tired. We are human, and our flesh is prone to feeling run down. There may be times where we are even ready to give up. But don’t lose heart! Remember Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
When God calls, we should never hit snooze, but be ready to MOVE!
Whoever invented the snooze feature revolutionized the way we approach the day. We don’t consider ourselves being completely disobedient to the alarm clock’s demand for us to rise and shine—we just reserve the right to delay it a little bit. Of course we will eventually get up, but we want to ease ourselves into it.
In our Christian walk, the snooze feature can be detrimental. When God requires us to do something, it’s not with the option of hitting SNOOZE. He wants us to act immediately!
A great example was when Jesus called the first disciples to walk with him. Peter and his brother Andrew were hard at work when Jesus commanded them to follow Him. The Bible reports that, “At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:21-22) This was no small action on their part, by the way. These men were leaving behind their livelihood, their families, and their way of life, to step by faith into something unimaginable. Yet their immediate action changed their lives and brought a magnitude of glory to the kingdom of God.
So why don’t we take immediate action when God commands us to move?
• We don’t feel prepared. Self-doubt can keep us from taking the first step forward. Yet we should feel confident that if God has led us to do something, He will provide us with what we need to get it done. Remember Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
• We are afraid. Fear and faith cannot coexist. Trust in Him to overcome the fear and accomplish what you have already been empowered to do. Remember 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
• We are tired. We are human, and our flesh is prone to feeling run down. There may be times where we are even ready to give up. But don’t lose heart! Remember Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
When God calls, we should never hit snooze, but be ready to MOVE!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
What’s for You Is for You
Sometimes our dreams, hopes, and aspirations are so clear, we can almost reach out and touch them. When doors open up easily for us, we take it as confirmation that we are on the right track. But when we come across obstacles and barriers, do we give up hope? Was it really meant to be, after all?
I’m reminded of the testimony of someone in the financial services field who was going for the job interview of a lifetime. They made their best presentation, felt they answered all of the questions like a pro, and left the meeting with all the confidence in the world. But soon, they found out that the impressive New York City job was not theirs. They were heartbroken, and soon turned to self-pity. They thought maybe this industry wasn’t for them after all, maybe they weren’t as talented as they thought they were, and maybe they were just a failure. It was just a couple of weeks later that they turned on the news and saw the World Trade Center—the very location where they had interviewed—completely decimated. The company they had hoped so desperately to work at was destroyed and many employees had lost their lives. Today, they are gainfully employed at a financial services company in New Jersey, but still sometimes think back and recall, “That would have been me.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” God has a plan for each of our lives. Sometimes, what we need in order to accomplish that plan doesn’t always coincide with what we want in life. And the truth is, sometimes we have to go through struggles and hard times just to simply achieve the greatness that lies before us.
Think about it, David paid his dues as a scrawny shepherd boy, sleeping outdoors with dirty sheep. He came across frightening and dangerous situations, even fighting off a bear and a lion to save his father’s sheep. He was also initially overlooked when the prophet came and asked his father, Jesse, to present his sons so that he might anoint one. But not one of those obstacles that David faced prevented him from becoming one of the greatest kings of Israel. And while he had his doubts at times—as reflected in his poetry in the book of Psalms—he trusted in the Lord and turned all of his worries and insecurities over to God.
What God has for you is simply just for you. But you have to trust that God knows and cares about the things that are important to you. Whether it’s landing a great job or winning a baseball game, we are always welcome to bring our concerns to Him in prayer. There is no request too small or too silly—He listens and He cares. God created us and knows the gifts He has given us. Each one of us was born for a reason. Every one of us is significant. When we trust in the Lord to lead us in our daily walk, we begin to see Him at work in our lives.
There is greatness in you—don’t let a setback or obstacle prevent you from attaining your rightful place. Trust in the Lord and stay connected to Him in prayer—in due time, you will achieve exactly what was meant for your life.
I’m reminded of the testimony of someone in the financial services field who was going for the job interview of a lifetime. They made their best presentation, felt they answered all of the questions like a pro, and left the meeting with all the confidence in the world. But soon, they found out that the impressive New York City job was not theirs. They were heartbroken, and soon turned to self-pity. They thought maybe this industry wasn’t for them after all, maybe they weren’t as talented as they thought they were, and maybe they were just a failure. It was just a couple of weeks later that they turned on the news and saw the World Trade Center—the very location where they had interviewed—completely decimated. The company they had hoped so desperately to work at was destroyed and many employees had lost their lives. Today, they are gainfully employed at a financial services company in New Jersey, but still sometimes think back and recall, “That would have been me.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” God has a plan for each of our lives. Sometimes, what we need in order to accomplish that plan doesn’t always coincide with what we want in life. And the truth is, sometimes we have to go through struggles and hard times just to simply achieve the greatness that lies before us.
Think about it, David paid his dues as a scrawny shepherd boy, sleeping outdoors with dirty sheep. He came across frightening and dangerous situations, even fighting off a bear and a lion to save his father’s sheep. He was also initially overlooked when the prophet came and asked his father, Jesse, to present his sons so that he might anoint one. But not one of those obstacles that David faced prevented him from becoming one of the greatest kings of Israel. And while he had his doubts at times—as reflected in his poetry in the book of Psalms—he trusted in the Lord and turned all of his worries and insecurities over to God.
What God has for you is simply just for you. But you have to trust that God knows and cares about the things that are important to you. Whether it’s landing a great job or winning a baseball game, we are always welcome to bring our concerns to Him in prayer. There is no request too small or too silly—He listens and He cares. God created us and knows the gifts He has given us. Each one of us was born for a reason. Every one of us is significant. When we trust in the Lord to lead us in our daily walk, we begin to see Him at work in our lives.
There is greatness in you—don’t let a setback or obstacle prevent you from attaining your rightful place. Trust in the Lord and stay connected to Him in prayer—in due time, you will achieve exactly what was meant for your life.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Devil Made Me (Not) Do It
Many people are familiar with the expression, “The Devil made me do it,” which was coined by Flip Wilson (as the character Geraldine) in the1970s. This comic relief became wildly popular—as it relieved folks of personal responsibility for their actions. These days, it seems like it would make a convenient excuse for people to justify their inaction.
Years ago, I learned there were 2 types of sin. The first is the one we’re most familiar with—the sin of commission. These are the things that we do, even though we know we’re not supposed to do them. But there second type of sin—the sin of omission. This is when we do not do the things that we know we should do.
For example, if we saw an older neighbor heading home on a rainy day from the grocery store with arms full of bags, everyone would agree that it would be a sin to intentionally push that person over. Yet, I wonder how many of us realize that if we were also headed home, and happened to notice our neighbor from a distance while we were in the comfort of our car (with plenty of space to accommodate another passenger), and we ignored the thought to pull over and give the neighbor a ride, that would also be a sin. Can we commit sin and non-commit sin? Unfortunately, yes.
Let’s just think for a moment about what sin is—it’s anything that is not pleasing to God. So it’s not always just the things we do. Sometimes, it’s the things we do not do. When we fail to show love and kindness to one another, we sin. When we choose to close our eyes and not speak out against an injustice, we sin. Even when we withhold information that could help someone else, we are committing a sin. Proverbs 3:27 tells us clearly, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”
Our goal is to please God in any way we can, so we should strive to do the things He wants us to do—even when we don’t feel like it. And even when we’re unsure of how to go about it. We must trust that if it is His will for us, He will equip us with whatever we need to get it done. And great is our reward for our efforts.
Let’s ask for forgiveness for our sins of commission and those of omission—and strive to do everything we can do to the glory of God.
Years ago, I learned there were 2 types of sin. The first is the one we’re most familiar with—the sin of commission. These are the things that we do, even though we know we’re not supposed to do them. But there second type of sin—the sin of omission. This is when we do not do the things that we know we should do.
For example, if we saw an older neighbor heading home on a rainy day from the grocery store with arms full of bags, everyone would agree that it would be a sin to intentionally push that person over. Yet, I wonder how many of us realize that if we were also headed home, and happened to notice our neighbor from a distance while we were in the comfort of our car (with plenty of space to accommodate another passenger), and we ignored the thought to pull over and give the neighbor a ride, that would also be a sin. Can we commit sin and non-commit sin? Unfortunately, yes.
Let’s just think for a moment about what sin is—it’s anything that is not pleasing to God. So it’s not always just the things we do. Sometimes, it’s the things we do not do. When we fail to show love and kindness to one another, we sin. When we choose to close our eyes and not speak out against an injustice, we sin. Even when we withhold information that could help someone else, we are committing a sin. Proverbs 3:27 tells us clearly, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”
Our goal is to please God in any way we can, so we should strive to do the things He wants us to do—even when we don’t feel like it. And even when we’re unsure of how to go about it. We must trust that if it is His will for us, He will equip us with whatever we need to get it done. And great is our reward for our efforts.
Let’s ask for forgiveness for our sins of commission and those of omission—and strive to do everything we can do to the glory of God.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Does God Care About Scrabble?
We know we can ask for God’s help in any situation. If a loved one has fallen ill, if our job is in jeopardy, or if we’re faced with a dangerous situation, most of us trust that sending up a prayer will bring down a multitude of blessings. But what about when the situation is a lot less dramatic? Does God have our back when the results seem to be of little consequence?
Once, I was playing the board game Scrabble with some family members. We were having a great time and I was enjoying a pretty good lead. That’s until my closest rival scored big by using all her tiles and getting a few bonus points, as well. With only a few turns left in the game and the score close to tied, I said a little prayer out loud, “Lord help me to win this game!” Immediately, I heard someone say, “God doesn’t care about Scrabble!” Without a beat, I responded, “If it’s important to me, it’s important to Him!”
My faith includes the trust that I can ask God for His help in anything in my life—even the minutia. 1 John 5:14-15 confirms this faith: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
How do we know that what we ask is within His will? I think we can be pretty sure that as long as it’s not against his commands, we are not asking amiss. For example, I don’t think God would honor a request to kill someone who we don’t get along with. But I believe He would hear a prayer to improve the relationship with that person—and bless us accordingly.
So how does a prayer for a Scrabble game fit within God’s will? Maybe it was a demonstration of faith that helped someone else in their spiritual walk. Maybe it was a self-affirmation of my own trust in Him. Maybe it was an event in my life that occurred solely for the purposes of this blog! In the end I won the game—but more importantly, it was a teaching moment. Our cares are God’s cares, and He won’t let us down. Because even if I had lost, I would have still been able to praise Him for an enjoyable time with my family.
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
Once, I was playing the board game Scrabble with some family members. We were having a great time and I was enjoying a pretty good lead. That’s until my closest rival scored big by using all her tiles and getting a few bonus points, as well. With only a few turns left in the game and the score close to tied, I said a little prayer out loud, “Lord help me to win this game!” Immediately, I heard someone say, “God doesn’t care about Scrabble!” Without a beat, I responded, “If it’s important to me, it’s important to Him!”
My faith includes the trust that I can ask God for His help in anything in my life—even the minutia. 1 John 5:14-15 confirms this faith: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
How do we know that what we ask is within His will? I think we can be pretty sure that as long as it’s not against his commands, we are not asking amiss. For example, I don’t think God would honor a request to kill someone who we don’t get along with. But I believe He would hear a prayer to improve the relationship with that person—and bless us accordingly.
So how does a prayer for a Scrabble game fit within God’s will? Maybe it was a demonstration of faith that helped someone else in their spiritual walk. Maybe it was a self-affirmation of my own trust in Him. Maybe it was an event in my life that occurred solely for the purposes of this blog! In the end I won the game—but more importantly, it was a teaching moment. Our cares are God’s cares, and He won’t let us down. Because even if I had lost, I would have still been able to praise Him for an enjoyable time with my family.
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Keeping it Real?
A DJ of a popular radio station played a joke on a woman. He called with an invented story of a crisis situation. Her temper flared, and the woman ranted and raved, sprinkling in a few choice expletives. After allowing her to go on for a while, the DJ announced that the call was only a prank and the situation was completely made up. Realizing the call was being played live on-air for the listening audience, the woman gasped, “Oh, no! What will the people at church think?!”
We always want to put our best foot forward—especially in social situations such as at church or in the workplace. Yet, when that leads to a giant step away from our personality in other situations, we come across as being “phony.” But how do we actually become the personality we want to project to others?
Our sinful nature makes it very difficult to live by spiritual laws. We have a daily struggle with balancing our desires that are unholy with the ways in which God wants us to go. Even Paul acknowledged this dilemma in Romans 7:19, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” But Paul went on to say that this does not allow a convenient excuse to keep sinning—we should strive to live according to the Holy Spirit.
If we were to keep it really real, we would realize that the very reason we were created is to worship God. That worship should permeate every essence of our being. It should be part of our actions, our speech, and our attitude. This means that our actions should not be dictated by what people might think (hypocritical), but fueled by what is pleasing to God (aspirational).
Let’s keep it real and give God the glory in all that we do everyday.
We always want to put our best foot forward—especially in social situations such as at church or in the workplace. Yet, when that leads to a giant step away from our personality in other situations, we come across as being “phony.” But how do we actually become the personality we want to project to others?
Our sinful nature makes it very difficult to live by spiritual laws. We have a daily struggle with balancing our desires that are unholy with the ways in which God wants us to go. Even Paul acknowledged this dilemma in Romans 7:19, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” But Paul went on to say that this does not allow a convenient excuse to keep sinning—we should strive to live according to the Holy Spirit.
If we were to keep it really real, we would realize that the very reason we were created is to worship God. That worship should permeate every essence of our being. It should be part of our actions, our speech, and our attitude. This means that our actions should not be dictated by what people might think (hypocritical), but fueled by what is pleasing to God (aspirational).
Let’s keep it real and give God the glory in all that we do everyday.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Lord Will Provide
I’ve heard it said that our culture is fueled by worry. We worry about paying our bills, we worry about what people will think of us—we even worry about what we’re going to do next. Our underlying worry causes us to make certain decisions and suffer certain consequences. Think about it…what are you worried about right now?
All of this worry leads to a ton of stress. It has been scientifically proven that stress worsens our overall mental and physical health. In fact, people with chronic diseases tend to have much poorer outcomes when they are stressed out about their condition.
In all of this worrying we do, where does our faith in God kick in? If we trust Him as the Word directs us to, we really wouldn’t have too much to worry about at all. In fact, the Word tells us that all of this worrying is for nothing. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus is pretty straightforward about the futility of worrying—and lets us know that it does not please God in the least.
We should strive to have the faith of Abraham, who at the thought of having to sacrifice his only son—the one he had waited almost a lifetime to conceive—found the strength to say, “The Lord will provide.” (Genesis 22:1-19) All it takes is a belief that God is a good Father who only wants the best for us. If we know that God has our back and will work out any situation that concerns us, we are on the right path to living worry-free.
Don’t be stressed—give it to God and He’ll do the rest!
All of this worry leads to a ton of stress. It has been scientifically proven that stress worsens our overall mental and physical health. In fact, people with chronic diseases tend to have much poorer outcomes when they are stressed out about their condition.
In all of this worrying we do, where does our faith in God kick in? If we trust Him as the Word directs us to, we really wouldn’t have too much to worry about at all. In fact, the Word tells us that all of this worrying is for nothing. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus is pretty straightforward about the futility of worrying—and lets us know that it does not please God in the least.
We should strive to have the faith of Abraham, who at the thought of having to sacrifice his only son—the one he had waited almost a lifetime to conceive—found the strength to say, “The Lord will provide.” (Genesis 22:1-19) All it takes is a belief that God is a good Father who only wants the best for us. If we know that God has our back and will work out any situation that concerns us, we are on the right path to living worry-free.
Don’t be stressed—give it to God and He’ll do the rest!
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