Intentional Living

The book of Proverbs warns us against being lazy.  It doesn't have anything good to say about the sluggard, the one who just drifts through life.  For instance, Proverbs 13:4 says,”The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."  "The Message" states that same verse this way,”Indolence wants it all and gets nothing; the energetic have something to show for their lives."

There is a physics principle called "inertia."  This is "the tendency of a body to resist acceleration; the tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest or of a body in straight line motion to stay in motion in a straight line unless acted on by an outside force."  In simpler words, a body that isn't moving tends to stay still, and body that is moving tends to keep moving.  You can blame inertia for the struggle to get out of bed in the morning.  It is the reason getting started is usually the hardest part of a task.  However, inertia helps us to continue a task once we have started it.  I often have to push myself to get out of my recliner and take my shower, but once I've started I don't stop until I am dressed.

The force which changes our bodies at rest into bodies in motion is usually our wills.  My point is this:  if we want to accomplish something, we generally have to determine to do it, to be intentional.  Housework doesn't just happen.  Neither does taking care of our other responsibilities or accomplishing anything special we would like to do.

The pull of inertia is strong, and we can give in to it and stagnate.  We can become lazy like the sluggard.  Or we can set worthy goals and strive toward meeting them.  Joyce Meyer wrote in her book "Trusting God Day By Day,"  "One of the most valuable things I have learned is to do things on purpose rather than waiting until I feel like doing them......If you take this aggressive action, living on purpose and refusing to stagnate, it will make a big difference in your quality of life."

Father, I want to live intentionally.  Give me the desire and the energy to fight the pull of inertia.  Make my life count for Your kingdom.  May I fulfill every purpose for which You created me.  Amen.



Ways to Praise

Psalm 147:1,  "Praise the Lord.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!"  Psalm 146:2,  "I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."  Psalm 150:6,  "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord."

       Gary Chapman described five different love languages.  Some people say love with words and others with deeds.  We each have our own way of expressing how we feel about someone.

       In the same way, we each have different ways to praise God.  The writer uses words.  The poet's words may rhyme or come in stanza form.  The artist paints his praise on canvas.  The musician plays his praise on his instrument.  The singer sings his songs of praise, and the composer praises God through the songs he writes.  The housekeeper can praise God by making a comfortable home for her family.  The breadwinner can praise God by providing for the family he loves.  A mother can praise God when she cradles her small baby and marvels over the perfection of the little person she holds.  Children can praise the God of creation as they inspect such marvels as bugs and worms and rocks and flowers.

       It is almost impossible not to praise God at the seashore as we contemplate the seemingly endlessness of the ocean in contrast to the myriad tiny sea creatures which spawn our fascination.  And gazing enraptured at the mighty snow capped mountain peaks evokes a natural response of awe and worship and praise.

       We can live lives of praise to God by obedience to His word, our righteous behavior, and kind deeds done in love to others.

       The most direct love language is prayer.  It is, most of all, through prayer that we tell God how much we revere His greatness, His goodness, His wisdom, His mercy, and His grace.

       Our God is a God of infinite variety, and it is so exciting to see that there are many ways for us to praise and worship Him.  What are your favorite ways to praise God?  What praise languages might you use today?

Mighty God, I praise You with my whole heart today!  Amen.

God's Presence

From the Parable of the Sower, Luke 8:14,  "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature."

      As I look through the big picture window in the front of our church, I see a wide expanse of sky, several tall pine trees, and a small mountain in the background.  However, one Sunday morning fog obscured the mountain so thoroughly I could not see it at all, but I had seen it before, and I knew it was still there.

      There are different things that can obscure the presence of God in our lives.  The pleasures and the material blessings that we seek and enjoy can occupy our thoughts, our time, and our energy.  Sometimes we become so focused, so caught up, in our problems and burdens and worries that we lose sight of the greatness of our God.  Skepticism  from the secular world may cause us to doubt the reality of God and of heaven and eternal life.  But these verities are just as true and real as they have always been.  Man's opinions do not alter the everlasting God one little bit!

      Many things may, like fog, obscure God's presence, but never forget, and never doubt, HE IS STILL THERE!

Father, You created this world and those of us who are in it.  You are always present in Your world and in our lives.  Thank You that You never leave us, never lose us, and never forget us!  Amen.

Making Friends

John 13:34,  "A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

        My son-in-law, Mat, is not particularly a dog lover.  He told me years ago that he especially disliked chihuahuas because they yip and bark so much.  Imagine his dismay when my daughter Weety and her family gave me a chihuahua for Mothers' Day two years ago.  This little dog, Honey, lived up to every negative expectation Mat had about chihuahuas.

        She is a yipper, a barker, a squealer, and a growler.  She and Mat took an instant dislike to each other.  Honey fussed at Mat more than anybody else.  And you could see Mat grimace whenever Honey was in the vicinity.

        But miracles do happen.  Suddenly one night Honey jumped into Mat's lap, and he began to pet her.  I watched this scene in absolute astonishment! I couldn't believe the change in their relationship.  This wasn't a one time occurrence.  These former enemies have become friends.

        Mat told me that his relationship with Honey had taught him a spiritual lesson.  When he changed his attitude toward Honey, she changed her attitude toward him!  Mat had never been overtly unkind to the dog, but she had apparently sensed his dislike.  She also sensed, and responded to, the change in his attitude.

        One of the best ways to change a person we dislike is to pray for him or her on a regular basis.  Ask God to bless that person. Are there any people  in your life who might change their attitudes toward you if you had a different attitude toward them?  Why not try it and see what happens?  You just might make some new friends.

Father, may we have Your attitude, Your love, toward every person we know.  Help us to pray for those whose dispositions are prickly to us and to make new friends of those we have disliked.  Amen.

     

Resurrection

Luke 24:6a,  New Living Translation,  "He isn't here.  He has risen from the dead!"

            No doubt we have all been thinking about Jesus' resurrection this week as we celebrate the Easter season.  God is so smart!  He has placed many lessons for our spiritual lives in the world He created.  He has given us different pictures of resurrection in the natural world as analogies to underscore the raising up of our Lord.

            We see a picture of resurrection in a sunrise, where light dispels the darkness of night just as the Light of the World dispels the darkness of sin and Satan's control in our lives.

            One of the most beautiful and the most graphic pictures of resurrection is the springtime, when tree branches that are bare and dead looking bud again and then burst into leaves and blossoms.  The ground yields crocuses and buttercups, tulips and bluebells--the first harbingers of spring.  The frigid air gives way to sunny skies and warm, pleasant days.  The whole earth seems to awaken from its winter slumber into new life and beauty, putting a spring in our step and encouragement and hope in our hearts.  This is a wonderful picture of the great awakening we have as we put our faith in the resurrected Christ and find encouragement and hope for life's journey in Him.

Father, thank You for giving us parables from nature that point us toward spiritual truths and especially toward the Resurrection of Your Son and amplify the meaning of that first Easter morning.  Amen.

Dual Citizenship

John 1:1, 14a,  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.....The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us......"

      A friend of mine sent me a video of a song entitled "On My Mother/Father's Side."  This song highlighted the Incarnation, the melding of humanity and divinity in Jesus.  There were pictures in the video depicting Jesus in the temple when he was twelve talking with the religious leaders in Jerusalem.  In the song, Jesus was asked, "What is your name, son?" And He replied,  "On my mother's side, my name is Jesus.  But on my Father's side they call me Emmanuel."  Next, He was asked,  "How old are you?"  He answered,  "On my mother's side, now I'm twelve years, but on my Father's side I've just always been." 

The next question was,  "Where are you from?"  His answer was,  "On my mother's side I'm from Bethlehem, but on my Father's side it's New Jerusalem."  The final question was,  "What are your plans?"  He replied,  "On my mother's side I'll be crucified, but on my Father's side in three days I will arise and will sit at my Father's side." 

Jesus truly had dual citizenship.

      Actually, we also have dual citizenship, although we are probably not as aware of that fact as Jesus was.  He had lived in heaven from eternity past until he began his thirty-three year sojourn on earth, and I think He must have often been homesick for heaven.  He frequently drew aside to talk things over with His Heavenly Father.  Some of us may be more like a friend of my husband's who said one day,  "I know heaven is my home, but I'm just not homesick yet."

      Some people have been described as being "so heavenly minded they are no earthly good,” but I would much prefer that to being "so earthly minded they are no heavenly good."

      If there were a song about our dual citizenship, it might go like

this:  "What is your name?"  "On my parents' side, it's Mary Love, but on my Father's side it's Christian."  "How old are you?"  "Well, mature women don't tell their age on their parents’ side, but on my Father's side I am eternal."  "Where are you from?"  "On my parents side I am from Scottsboro, but on my Father's side, I am His creation."  "What are your plans?"  "On my parents' side, it's to be a good mother, but on my Father's side it's to please and glorify Him."  I want to always be aware of my dual citizenship, of the fact that I am on my way to heaven, and that will be my eternal home.

Father, thank You that, while I am walking around on this old earth, I am also seated in the heavenlies in Christ.  May I always be aware that this is a temporary dwelling and that I will spend eternity with You.  May I live accordingly.  Amen.

Spheres of Influence

Matthew 5:13a, 14a, 16,  "You are the salt of the earth.....You are the light of the world.....Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Philippians 2:14-16a,  "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life....."

      If we are to be salt and light in the world, to hold out the word of life to others, we need to spend time with other people.  The more people we rub shoulders against, the greater our influence can be.

      Each person has four major areas of influence--where we live, where we work, where we play, and where we worship.  Many Christians have deliberately set about to expand their influence in one or more of these areas by reaching out to meet more people.

      Two couples I know on staff with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for

Christ) have moved often, and each time they move they invite their neighbors over to get acquainted.  This has resulted in some neighborhood Bible studies.

      Hospitality is a great way to get to know other people.  We can invite them for coffee, breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, cokes, dinner, or a picnic supper.  We don't even have to cook.  There are numerous places for us to "gather" our food.  In a seminar on Hospitality, the leader said you don't even have to clean your whole house.  Her suggestion was to clear a path from the front door to a place to sit, a place to eat, and a bathroom and then close all the other doors!

      One friend of mine sold Tupperware in order to meet new people. 

Another friend expanded her influence in her church by helping some of the young women set up church sponsored small group Bible studies.  One of my daughters teaches Bible studies for teen age girls in her home, and her husband cooks breakfast for them

      A minister in Colorado has been very deliberate in setting up situations where church members can mingle with people in the community.  His church sponsors a restaurant where church members cook and serve.  The church has a driving school where church members get to know and interact with teenagers as they teach them how to drive.  The possibilities for ways to interact are almost limitless.

      If you have a desire to be salt and light and hold out the word of life to people who so desperately need it in this dark, depraved world, you might want to ask God to show you where you could expand one or more of the areas of your influence for that purpose.  It is a prayer that He delights to answer!

Father, show us creative ways to expand our influence for You.  May we be salt and light in this old world and shine like stars because we walk with You.  Amen.