Would You Listen?

If I were to create a 2-3 minute devotional thought a couple of times per week, would you listen? It would be something you could stream or download so it would be easily accessible.

Let me hear from you to know if you would listen on a regular basis? After all, I'm not interested in just talking to myself. I do that enough any way!

True Religion is...

On Sunday morning we read from Isaiah 1:12-20. In the middle of this passage God calls His people to, "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; ​cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; ​bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause." There are many meaningful calls to action in this passage, but I was (and still am) thinking about bringing justice to the fatherless.

As many of you know, our oldest boys, Maddox and Isaac, are adopted. They were born in Kazakhstan. Monica and I had the opportunity to bring them into our family when they were only six months old. Now they are seven years old and it seems that adoption process happened a lifetime ago. At times I forget that they are adopted. While that is good on one hand, I don't want to forget they were adopted.

The adoption of children is such a beautiful picture of what God has done for Christians through Christ. Paul makes the direct comparison in Ephesians 1. The love I have for my boys reminds me of the love God has for me.

Adoption is important and should be remembered by more than those who face infertility issues. It is something that all Christians should hold as a priority. I am thankful that there are many churches across our country that are bringing adoption to the forefront. There is now a conference called Together for Adoption that seeks to bring attention to adoption. I pray that God will lead many to care for the fatherless through adoption.

Of course, orphans are only one category of children that are fatherless. There are others that are fatherless. Some of them may even live on your street. How will you care for the fatherless this week?

See Through Their Eyes

Sometimes I follow senior adults. That’s right; sometimes I try to follow them at a very close range. Before you think bad thoughts though, let me explain. Years ago I was talking with a senior adult lady who was sharing her frustration with younger people who are impatient with her because she moved a little slower than they did. She told me she wanted to move faster, but with knees, hips, ankles and feet that were feeling the wear of many years she just couldn’t move any faster. She said that if they could feel the pain in every step that she feels maybe they would understand and be a little more patient. I had never thought of that being the reason some people move slower than others. To remember that conversation occasionally I will intentionally walk up stairs or down a sidewalk behind a senior adult so that I will be reminded that life won’t always move at my pace. Seeing this senior adult’s reality I am reminded I need to be patient.

How often do we consider other people’s perspective on life? Too often I find myself expecting everyone to move at my pace and, honestly, wanting them to move at my command. Until we slow down long enough to consider where someone else is coming from, we won’t know how to serve them.

For instance, if I don’t slow down and try to understand where my children are coming from I won’t be able to help them. If I don’t understand why they are frustrated or what they do not understand I won’t know how to truly help them remedy the issue at hand. Sure I could just fix the problem, but I won’t be able to help them learn how to solve problems on their own.

As a pastor, if I don’t know the struggles of the people I am supposed to serve I won’t be able to serve them well at all. I have to be able to see the world through their eyes. That is the point of God coming to earth and becoming flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ is able to understand the human experience and care for us not only from the Creator’s viewpoint, but from the vantage point of someone who has shared in the human experience as well.

When was the last time you looked through someone else’s eyes? Why not have a conversation today and really listen to make sure you understand the other person’s perspective. Then, you might be able to serve them in a way that will make a lasting difference in their life.

A Hypocrite's Confession

I lost it. I really did. Fortunately, it isn’t my mind I’m talking about, but my temper. I was faced with some choices in dealing with a difficult situation and I chose poorly. I was guilty of letting my pride get the best of me and a great display of anger was unleashed. To add to it, the storm had rumbled early in the day and I was left to watch the replay in my mind over and over all day long. After watching for a few hours, my anger turned to hurt and frustration that I had blown it once again.

It's not the end of the story, though. There is hope. God did not turn away. In fact, He used the remainder of the day to teach me about this early morning conniption.

First, I was set to talk with a man about a struggle he has having. What might this struggle be? That’s right, anger. I’m having lunch to talk about this man's anger and all I could think of was mine. Ever been there? Needless to say as I listened to the biblical wisdom I was giving him, I wondered if I would heed my own words.

After I survived the lunch of conviction salad, I returned to the computer to finish some work. The phone rings and it’s another friend seeking some advice in a different counseling situation. As our conversation rolls on he says, “Isn’t it funny how God uses the things we tell other people in counseling to deal with our own problems?” No, it’s not. At least that’s what I wanted say. By this time I was really starting to get the point. God had seen my little display earlier in the day and was now at work correcting me. There were no lightning bolts or voices from Heaven, just nudges throughout the day to get my attention. He got it.

You’ll be happy to know that I did return to the scene of the crime. I did seek and receive forgiveness. And, I did leave with a desire to learn and grow from the experience.

But I also left wondering how often God weaves people and conversations through our day so that we will ultimately think of Him. Do we truly realize that God is at work all around us? Have you taken notice of how active He is in your world?

What's In Your Schedule?

What’s on your schedule today? Why is it there? As you made your plans, have you considered how they impact the Kingdom of God? Would you be able to recognize the Kingdom of God? Do you have a desire to live within the Kingdom of God?

These questions do matter because Jesus has told us that we are able to live within the Kingdom of God even now.

In John 3 Jesus says that the only way you can see or enter the Kingdom of God is to be born again. Questions may arise through that phrase “born again”, but let’s first consider what the Kingdom of God is.

In Romans 14:17, Paul says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” So, the Kingdom of God is not as much a physical place as it is a state of being. It is a place of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It could be said, then, living in the Kingdom of God is to finding our joy as we live in an understanding and application of God’s ways of living.

How do we do this? It comes down to the lenses by which we view our world. To one person something is weird. To another it is normal. Where do you find your definition of normal or different; right or wrong? What is our goal of success? What is our goal for joy? Where do we seek our joy and satisfaction? I know you’re looking because I am too. Are we looking for God’s wisdom in our decision-making? Or, are we looking to our own wisdom or to what everyone else seems to be doing around us? The competition is fierce. There are many that are vying for your attention. At the end of the day, though, not everyone’s wisdom is equal.

As Paul says, finding righteousness, peace and joy in God comes only from God.

Are you seeking it?

In our next blog we’ll talk about how you can find it.

Peace and Quiet

Will you help me? I've been asked to write an article for the Barren County Progress and I want your feedback on my first submission. Here it is. Read it and let me hear from you...

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The peaceful and quiet life. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Yet, we know it is elusive. It’s probably something people do in some other town. Our lives are active and busy. There are always errands to run, chores to be finished and deadlines to meet. And, even if we aren’t on the go that much our minds are always racing. There is little doubt that we can become overwhelmed quite easily. We don’t like this fact, but many find it true more often than not. Does it have to be this way? What causes us to be this way?

There must be something that motivates our busyness. The calendar doesn’t dictate our lives to us. We hold the pencil in our hand. We allow ourselves to be overwhelmed and driven until we are run ragged. But why? Could it could be that our fear of what others think of us drive us to this maddening pace? We don’t want to be thought of as the bad son or daughter, the parents that are always lagging behind or the neighbor everyone talks about at the end of their driveways. We don’t want to be the employee that seems to underachieve. Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t work hard and take care of our responsibilities. Indeed, we should. What I’m saying is that I often take on too much because I’m worried about what others are thinking of me. And I think you might as well. In my pursuit to be perceived as living the peaceful and quiet life I create waves of chaos to keep the illusion flickering on the screen of life.

Is there a solution? Paul, an author of the New Testament of the Bible, offers a suggestion. Prayer and humility before God are what he recommends. Prayer forces us to acknowledge that God is working all around us. Whether we are asking God for wisdom or provision, or thanking Him for what He has given we are forced to realize that He is the Giver and we are the receiver. He is the Need-meeter and we are the needy. The humility we discover in 2 Timothy 2:1-7 tells us that we are, ultimately and supremely, to be concerned with pleasing God. And there is that notion of pleasing again. It’s interesting that when we please God many of the people mentioned above are pleased also. Not all, but many. Then, maybe we’ll find that peace and quiet we desire.

Purification Process

We long for pure things, don’t we? Pure chocolate, pure gold…you fill in the blank. When something is purified, though, we often forget about the first part of the process. The hard part is the removal of the impurities.

This purification process is true for people also. If we are going to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, we must be purified. This is a hard process for us because it calls us to realize that there are imperfections and impurities in us. Then it gets even more difficult as we are called to join with God in the removal of our impurities.

It’s like losing weight or gaining muscle…we love to think about how much healthier we would be or how our clothes fit better, but thinking about the process to get there is a whole other matter. Talk about hard work!

Jesus came in the flesh to purify all those that would follow Him. That includes His atoning death for sin, but it includes more. The purification includes the process of God working in the lives of disciples to make them like Christ. (Rom. 8:28-29) And, for us to be more like Christ, we must have impurities removed from us.

Here’s where it get personal.

Could you name three impurities in your life right now? Can you put your finger on three attitudes or regular actions that God would consider offensive?

Then, would you pray that God would help you to see these impurities and give you the desire, strength and wisdom to join Him in the purification process?

Yes, it is hard work but I thought we said we longed for pure things. God does.

Strong Support

This past Sunday, we dealt with handling conflicts and storms in life as we studied 1 Peter 5:1-11. I stressed the call of Peter turn your eyes to God. I did this because I wanted to make sure the hearer understood the repetitive call of Peter to focus on God during times of difficulty. However, I want to make sure that I do not minimize the gift God has given in surrounding Christians with other Christians. If you recall, in the passage Peter says to consider others that are suffering similarly. What a great help these "others" can be to us.

I believe God has called Christians to be a part of a community of believers that are committed not only to Him, but to one another as well. Dr. Mark Dever is a pastor in Washington, DC. Over the years he has greatly shaped my thinking about the importance of the local church. I encourage you to follow this link and read an article he has written about the wonderful gift that is the called the local church.

What Are You Looking At?

Where did the idea originate that God would lift our problems off of our shoulders the moment we pray? I'm not sure, but I have certainly heard it many times. Songs, sermons, and other sentiments all seem to reflect the notion of “take it to the Lord and leave it there”. As if the second your prayer is over you won't have to think about the dilemma again and, even more, it will be instantly solved. While God can certainly bring change or healing in an instant, most often He does not.

A careful look at Psalm 55 finds David struggling against a friend that has turned into his enemy. We hear his grief and fear as he recalls how he struggles with anxiety and worry. He says, “My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.” His fears are rooted deep. They are on the level of life and death. We don't often face fears to that extreme, but even common problems can bring fear and trembling. There is no doubt that there is much uncertainty in the world. In fact, there is great uncertainty in our own lives. When our minds dwell on what might happen we can become consumed with despair and fear. Is that where we should focus?

No, David offers a picture for us of where we should look. He does not spend all day thinking about the potential terrible outcomes. He focuses on the Deliverer, “But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.” David's focus is on God. He is aware of the problems. He does not deny their severity. Yet, his focus remains on God.

Let's investigate further. When does David call upon the Lord with these problems? The answer is evening, morning and noon. See the connection between our discussion about casting our cares on God that was mentioned above? David says in this psalm, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” The word cast is in present tense. He doesn't say I casted or I will cast. No, he says I cast. When does he do his casting? Evening, morning and noon. It was not a one time prayer. It was a regular request of God which led him to be humble before God on a ongoing basis as he sought deliverance. He realized the problem was only going to be solved if God delivered the solution. That is the exact opposite of pride. Pride tells us that we can solve our problems on our own. And, it tells us we can solve them whenever we are good and ready. Pride is absent in Psalm 55.

One other noteworthy piece here is to think about David praying evening, morning and noon. Why would he mention those times? Well, when something is really bothering me it is usually the last thing I think about before I go to sleep and the first thing I think about when I wake. In the middle of the day, I usually take a break from my other tasks and I have some time to think about the things that are troubling me. That is not to say that I don't think about problems at other times in the day, especially when they are big problems, but those three times are prime times to be overwhelmed with concerns. David's message to us...which is repeated in the book of 1 Peter...is that our goal should always be to turn our focus from the problem to the Great Problem Solver.

Yes, you have problems. We all do. But, where are you looking? Are you overwhelmed by the problem or in awe of the Problem Solver?

A Proud Deception

Does God's wrath burn toward you? Is He angry with you? Serious questions to consider. 1 Peter 5:5 tells us that God opposes the proud. So I need to be asking, is there pride in me? Is there pride in you? If my answer is yes, then is God totally opposed to me? The answer is yes and no.

What is pride? Ultimately, pride is the desire to be God. That sounds extreme, perhaps, but it is true. Isaiah 14 records that it was Satan's desire to ascend to God's throne that caused him to be cast out of God's angel corp. It was his pride. He desired to sit in God's seat. He desired God's power. We find that this same desire for power was the bait used to entice Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3 Satan claims to know more that God, and says they will also if they will only rebel against God. And, there it is. Our pride calls us to rebel against God.

Why?

Because a pride-filled person is one that knows best. A pride-filled person is one that knows best and can accomplish whatever they want to accomplish. A pride-filled person is one that knows best and can accomplish whatever they wish to accomplish and is strong enough to bear whatever consequences may come.

Are you a proud person?

Let's take a short exam. Answer these questions...

-- If you are being faithful to God, are you satisfied with your station in life? Or, do you deserve better?

-- Are you happy with your spouse? Or, should you have someone that pleases you more?
Do your children behave exactly the way you want them to? Do they often inconvenience you? (Even if you would never acknowledge this fact out loud.) Or, do you see your role as one of a servant toward them?

-- Do you deserve better friends? Or, do you see your role as that of a servant to them?

-- Is your stuff good enough? Do you always need the newest or the best? Or, are you thankful and satisfied with what God has provided?

How are you doing so far? Found any pride? Need me to go on?

Truth is, there is pride in all of us. While God is for those that follow Jesus Christ(Romans 8:31-39), He does not love your pride and He will work to get it out of you. That means conviction, frustration, and discontent may be guests in your life. They are tools God uses to get you to humble yourself.

As you turn loose of your pride, don't worry, God is strong enough to fill his own seat. His power and wisdom are sufficient.

The real question is, will you submit to Him? And, in turn submit to those around you so that you can serve them as Christ has served you?

Tracking the Process

God is orderly. Usually I am not. God has a reason and rhythm for everything He does. I struggle with being random. Have you ever tried to carry a thought through to completion? You should try that sometime to see how many rabbit trails you end up chasing until the final observation is made. It is quite amazing to see how distracted we can be. I think this is why we often worry and feel deep anxiety. We lose track of the process that God is carrying us through. Or, maybe we don’t even realize He is carrying us through a process at all.

For instance, take a look at this passage in 1 Peter 5:6-11,
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)

What did you read? Did you notice there are two sequence patterns in this passage? So often our minds are only drawn to the call to cast our cares upon God and remember the devil is out to get us. Yet, there is much more to this passage. Look carefully at the call to humble yourself, to cast your care upon Him, to resist the devil and temptation and trust God to raise you up at the proper time. The second sequence comes at the end of the passage. We hear that God will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us after we have suffered a little while. So, we see the minute we ask God for His help He does not instantly remove the problem. No, in a very orderly way He uses it to build us up as followers and learn to trust Him more. Through our struggles God desires to teach us that He does have dominion over all.

One way to grow up in the faith is to become better readers and analyzers of Scripture. When we slow down in our reading and begin to look passages from different vantage points we begin to see patterns like this. We begin to see the depths of what the writer desires to teach us and we gain a better understanding of how God works.

God is orderly. Usually I am not. I need to learn how to remain focused on what God is doing. Interesting sentence there so think about it. What do you think about most when troubles come? When I begin to think biblically I am able to keep my focus, better understand what God is doing in my life and learn how I should respond to Him. This week, let’s do that as we take a deeper look at this passage.

Casting Your Cares

In a week or so, Lord willing, we will be working through the passage where we are called to cast all of our cares on God. It is found in 1 Peter 5:6-11. I think this passage is often misunderstand from the standpoint that God will just instantly take these burdens from us and we will not have to work toward the solution with Him. As we think about this passage and ask God to prepare our hearts, click here for an article from Dr. David Powlison that will help you think through this process.

Entertaining Ourselves to Death

I am sorry that Michael Jackson is dead. And, I am sorry that Steve McNair is dead. We have recently seen a flurry of celebrity deaths that has sent the media into quite a tizzy. Do you realize the deaths of these celebrities have overshadowed some major global events over the past couple of weeks? Are you aware of the governmental chaos in Iran and Honduras; and, that there is a great American military offensive going on in Afghanistan while American troops begin a significant transition in Iraq?

Have we lost perspective?

Michael Jackson and Steve McNair certainly provided entertainment, and maybe even inspiration in their respected fields. But it looks as if they both died less than noble deaths. I have been bothered by the bright spotlight that has been cast on them (and others) in the last week. It has been bothersome because I have been tempted to become absorbed in this frenzy.

What do I value most?

I was reading through the Psalms for some perspective and found this from Psalm 144:1-4,

Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,my shield and He in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

Look at the psalmist’s comparison of God’s eternal strength and fleeting weakness of man. Before we raise up immortal tributes of any human being, let us remember that we are all creatures. That means we have all been created. By a Creator. There is nothing good that we do that is original in us. Creativity, artistry, strength, and endurance have all been created. By the Creator. For the Creator. Did these celebrities use their God-given abilities for the glory of God? Am I using mine for Him? Are you using yours for His magnification? Important questions to consider.

So, before you are swept away by these the glowing memorial tributes to human accomplishment think about your own life by remembering James 4:13-17, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Welcome to The Neighborhood

Where do you live? You probably have a street address where I could send you a letter, but I’m looking for a deeper answer. Is there a place beyond your physical address where you reside daily? If you are a Christian, then you are called to make your home within the Kingdom of God. No, it is not a physical place here on this Earth, but it is as real as any physical address on any given street. Jesus came preaching repentance from sin and the Kingdom of God in Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Luke 4:43 and John 3:3. Paul picks up the theme and echoes it in Colossians 1:13. Peter does as well in 2 Peter 1:11. To Jesus and these other New Testament writers Christians realizing they are living in the Kingdom of God is significant.

It matters because it should have a profound effect on their lives and this affect should be noticeable in many ways. One of those ways is realizing who we are. If someone were to ask you who you are, what would you say? We would be tempted to tell the person about our gender, our race, our nationality, our family, our job and, perhaps, our life experiences. Maybe we would tell them about the part of the country we live in or where we went to school. We might even be tempted to tell them about the people we know or have met in an effort for them to better understand us. For the Christian, though, there is something deeper. Our identity in Christ is the most significant factor in the shaping of who we are.

When Jesus calls the first disciples in the Gospels His call is simple. He says, “Follow me.” Now, He’s talking about more than just walking where He is walking. He’s talking about learning from Him and receiving what only He can give. He gives redemption and restoration. These things are certainly about Heaven and Hell, but this redemption is about much more. To be redeemed is to be changed and to be changing. Paul says in Colossians 1:13-14 that those who are redeemed by Christ have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of the Son.

We say that we are changed in the notion that Christ has laid down His life for our sinful trespasses against God. He is now our substitute righteousness. When God sees a redeemed person, He sees the righteousness of Christ. In addition, we are being changed in the sense that now God is calling us to live righteously. This is not to earn or pay back our salvation, but to magnify the goodness God has shown us and, in turn, to magnify God. So Christians have a starting point in this relationship with Christ, but there is also an ongoing (and ongrowing) component to the Christian life.

So, we start there. Has your address changed? If so, is it continuing to change? By placing our faith in Christ our address changes from one kingdom to another. Then, after this occurs we find that living within the Kingdom of God continually changes who we are. I wonder if you have moved yet. In which kingdom are you living today? And, if you have moved, are there some boxes from that old address that need to be cleared away and put in the garbage bin so that you can magnify Christ in a greater way through your life? And, hey, welcome to the neighborhood.

Adopted for Life with Dr. Russell Moore

Adoption is an important subject for Christians whether we are talking about spiritual adoption in to the Kingdom of God or physically adopting children into your own family. Adoption has greatly affected our family as our seven year old sons were adopted at the age of six months. We certainly cannot imagine what life would be like without them. We hope you will take some time to think about it as you listen to our new podcast. Listen to Adopted for Life with Dr. Russell Moore by visiting our podcast page.

Remembering Adoption

We're working on a podcast that will feature an interview with Dr. Russell Moore concerning his new book, Adopted for Life. In the meantime, check out a stroll down memory lane as we remember the adoption process for Maddox and Isaac.

The Result of Being Disconnected

When we have the opportunity to specifically watch God at work around us it is a time of wonderment. Yesterday, a fellow pastor and I had the opportunity to talk with an elderly couple that is experiencing a very difficult time right now. They have been married for 56 years and have both been followers of Jesus Christ for a long time. They talked much about their love for Christ and how much He has done for them. She is now suffering from dementia and he is struggling to care for her as he cares for his own heart that is filled with grief.

I had the opportunity to see God’s faithfulness in this situation as they talked of how God had sustained them so many times over the years. We talked of how even now He is teaching them perseverance and how to depend upon Him. We spoke of the hope that we have that what we see and experience now is not all that will be. We celebrated our hope of the restoration that is coming at the resurrection. And, we marveled at how good God had been in giving them children and grandchildren that are followers of Jesus as a product of their long-term, God-honoring marriage.

Yet, there was sadness and a lesson to be learned. I asked them if they were members of our church. Here’s what he said, “Well, we are members in the sense that we are a part of the redeemed of Christ, but in the sense that we have signed a piece of paper to join this church, no.” I don’t think he really understood the importance of covenanting with a group of local believers. It is much more than just signing one’s name to a piece of paper. We prayed for her physical healing, but what I heard as the greatest need was their need for Godly company, care and encouragement. This man was lonely. His dear wife of so many years, while physically present, is beginning to fade away. It is no doubt that his heart would be filled with sorrow. Sorrow that needs to be shared with someone else who can help carry this burden. It reminded me of Paul’s call to authentic love and genuine community in Romans 12. We are not meant to live disconnected from a community of faith. However, it is not enough to just show up at a weekly service. The connection is more because we can remain disconnected even if we attend a service every single Sunday. God has created us relational beings because He is relational. He seeks us out for relationship. He has given the gift of His church as a place of community and support. Let us not miss His provision for one of our greatest needs -- relationship -- and may we honor Him by caring for others and allowing others to care for us.

The Protection of Discipline

How often have you ever been grateful for discipline as it is being administered? Whether it was in the parent/child relationship, teacher/student relationship, coach/athlete relationship, etc. we usually do not appreciate discipline until long after it is over. In fact, sometimes we do not even recognize that discipline is discipline at the time. Many times we believe it is pointless punishment and our question is, “Why me?” instead of, “Father, thank you for loving me and how are you going to use this in my life?”

As a part of our reading today we cover Psalm 94:12-15 and it is there that we see the truth that God uses discipline for correction today and protection in the future. Are there difficult circumstances that are going on around you? Perhaps God is using some poor choices you have made to reap difficult results. More than just punishment, though, God is most likely using these difficult circumstances to make you wiser and to help you in your decision making process.

If this is true, the most God-honoring question is how will you apply the lessons you are learning? The answer will be different for each of us. Deep down you probably have a good idea of why you are reaping the consequences you are receiving. So, the question is not why, but how will God use this. How will your life change so the ungodly practices are replaced with ones that please God? God promises faithfulness. He promises He will not forsake His child and in that promise you may rest in the confidence that only He can provide. Therefore, be bold and ask this hard question – Father, how will you use this discipline to make me more like Christ?

The Heart of Talk

John Powell says, “Communication works for those who work at it.” When you hear that quote you know it to be true. Yet, how often do you work on communication? In the book of Ephesians, Paul says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4:29, ESV) Accomplishing this feat will certainly take work on our part. Let us spend some time thinking about our conversation by covering three helpful questions that can aid you in accomplishing what this passage calls Christians to do.

• Why am I saying this?
• How am I saying this?
• When am I saying this?

First, we have motivations for everything we do. That certainly includes what we say. So we must ask ourselves why we are making this particular statement. In your conversation, are you trying to be kind? Are you trying to be cruel? Are you expressing grace and forgiveness? Are you expressing anger and revenge? You get the picture. Deep down you know why you are saying what you are saying. To live in a way that honors God and builds others up, we must stop and consider why we are saying what we are saying.

Next, we should ask ourselves how we are speaking. What are you communicating by your tone of voice and other non-verbal signals? What are you saying with your eyes, face, hands or posture? Even the sweetest comment can be undermined by a sarcastic tone and rolling of the eyes. Have you ever considered what the other person is seeing when you are speaking?

Finally, when are you making your comments? Is it a time when you are outraged to the point that you cannot control your emotions? Are you or your hearer physically exhausted? Is it possible that the other person has previously been through some trying times during the day? All of these factors will affect the conversation you hope to have. Remember, Paul says our conversation should fit the occasion. That can be taken to mean many things, but it can certainly include a person’s mental, physical or emotional condition.

Unfortunately, we do tend to speak without thinking. For the sake of the glory of God, let us slow down our words and run them through this filter. Perhaps our conversations will be more constructive and beneficial if we do.

God Provides

Do you truly live as if you believe God provides? In your day to day life, are you moving forward with the confidence that God knows your needs and will provide for them? Now, that promise certainly does not give you the liberty to avoid managing your money well or working hard in the job you have, but, where is your trust? In yourself? In the company? In God?

In 1 Kings 4:1-7 we hear the startling story of a mother who is preparing to lose her two sons because of an outstanding debt. Our heart goes out to her as she is struggling to make ends meet and has nothing in her house except a small, simple jar of oil. Yet, this proves to be more than enough for God to provide for her family. The prophet Elisha helps her see the faithfulness of God as He miraculously provides enough oil for her to raise the funds to pay her debts and sustain her family.

Isn’t it interesting that God uses something as common as oil in this narrative? Would this single mother ever have imagined that God would use such a routine household item? We tend to want God to provide lightning, pillars of fire and other awe-inspiring sights when He works in our lives. Yet, He almost always seems to work in the most common, simple ways. Whatever your need is…there is a good chance that God’s means of working are already nearby. Do you trust Him to work? Will you wait for Him to work in His time? God will provide. And His way just might surprise you.