Consequences of Our Behavior

Galatians 6:7b,  "A man reaps what he sows."

Luke 6:31,  "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

        I have a brown Chihuahua named Honey.  She is tiny, with huge eyes and great big ears--cute as a bug but mean as a snake!  What she lacks in size, she attempts to make up in ferocity.  Not only does she bark incessantly at people she perceives as intruders, but also she is quick to bare her teeth and snarl and bite.  When we have company, my only recourse is to shut her up in a room by herself.  Because of her unfriendly behavior, she misses much companionship that she could have enjoyed.

        On the other hand, I have a very affectionate Pomeranian named Missy.  She gives a few warning barks when someone she doesn't know comes over, but very shortly she hushes and sidles up to any visitor, wanting to be petted.  Because of her sweet nature, she is allowed to enjoy lots of attention and companionship that Honey misses.

        If we want to have friends, we need to be friendly.  If we want to be loved, that is much more likely to happen if we reach out in love to others.  People respond positively or negatively to the kind of disposition we present to them.  How do you want to be treated?  How are you treating others?  Could your demeanor, your words and your actions, possibly be causing you to miss some companionship or opportunities you would have otherwise enjoyed?

Father, help me to remember that, if I want friends, I must be friendly.  If I want to be loved, I need to love others.  May I treat others the way I would like to be treated.  You have so many wonderful experiences and relationships for each of us in life.  I don't want to miss a one because of my bad attitude.  May I always walk in the power of Your Spirit of love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness. and self-control.  Amen.

Bible Stories

1 Corinthians 10:11a, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings to us...." The King James Version says these things were written "for our admonition."


The Bible speaks of such attributes as love, obedience, integrity, faith, courage, and perseverance--characteristics in the abstract. But how can these qualities be lived out in our lives? God gives us many practical examples in His Word. There we see these attributes put into practice in the lives of the people we meet in the Bible. Many of the Bible stories are written so we can apply the attitudes and actions which God desires to see in us.

For instance, think of courage. Who comes to your mind? What about Daniel who refused to bow to an idol and faced a den of lions. And Queen Esther who approached the king uninvited at the risk of incurring the penalty of death in order to save the lives of the Jews. Imagine the courage and the faith of the lad David when he faced the giant Goliath with only a sling and five smooth stones as weapons.

Abraham is considered the prime example of faith and obedience. His life was characterized by trust in God and immediate obedience to God's instructions.

The example of Joseph, a young slave in Potiphar's household resisting the advances of Potipher's wife, speaks to us loudly of integrity. And Joseph's trust in God through trials and injustices show us how to maintain faith and perseverance. His forgiveness of his brothers who sold him into slavery shows us how to treat the people who have wronged us. 

Of course the greatest example of love and forgiveness occurred on the cross when the sinless Son of God gave his life for sinful mankind and said of his tormenters, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34.

The Bible stories are not written for our entertainment, but they are prime examples of how to apply spiritual principles, and they are written for us to study so we can go and do likewise.

Father, thank You for not only telling us how we should live but for showing us as well. May we follow the examples You have given s in Your Word. Amen.

In the Family

Hebrews 10:25a,  "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another....."

I Thessalonians 5:11a,  "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up...."

Hebrews 10:24,  "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Proverbs 27:17,  "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Psalm 68:6a,  "God sets the lonely in families...."

  As the song says,  "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God." God sets us in physical families when we are born physically, but, even more important, He makes us a part of His family when we are born spiritually.  God is the Father in this family, and He is a father who is everything a father should be to His children--loving, teaching, directing, disciplining, and encouraging.  Other Christians all over the world are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  God doesn't want any person to try to live the Christian life alone.  He knows how very much we need the love, the prayers, the encouragement, and the challenges that come from rubbing shoulders with other members of the body.  The quality of our walk with God is greatly enhanced by our interaction with those who are like-minded.  We do ourselves a great service when we walk side by side with other members of God's forever family and help each other grow.

Father, thank You for placing me in Your forever family and being my Father.  Thank You for giving me brothers and sister to help me learn and grow as I try to live a life pleasing to You.  Amen.

Doing Good in Spite of Circumstances

I Peter 4:19,  "So then those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator AND CONTINUE TO DO GOOD."

I have not only read I Peter 4:19 several times on my way through the Bible, but I have taught the book of I Peter at Community Bible Study.  And yet when I ran across this verse in my quiet time this week, it was as though I had never seen it before.  God is telling us that, whatever our situation or circumstances might be--even if we are suffering a grief or an illness or some other kind of infirmity--God expects us to trust Him and do good to others at the same time.  No pity parties allowed!  In fact, our circumstances may form the perfect background from which we can minister to others more effectively.

When people see Christians reaching out in love in spite of their own sorrows or struggles, it makes a great impact.  I think of Eric Liddell and Corrie Ten Boom who ministered to their fellow prisoners in enemy concentration camps.  When Eric Liddell died in a prison camp, one of the guards who did not even speak English but  who had observed his unselfish acts of kindness, said, "He was a Christian, wasn't he?"

Father, may we be available to You 24/7/365 regardless of our own griefs or struggles.  May we trust You to take care of us, and may we be channels You can use to care for others.  Amen.

Victory Over Sin

I Corinthians 10:13,  "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

    If we are to have victory over sin, we must first acknowledge our sin and agree with God about it.  It does us no good to try to cover it up, excuse it, or rationalize it.  We cannot get away with blaming our sins on other people or circumstances.  A Christian psychologist named Dr. Henry Brandt pointed out that "People and circumstances do not cause our spirits.  They reveal our spirits."  Matthew 12:34b-35 say it this way,  "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings forth good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings forth evil things out of the evil stored up in him."  In other words, what's in the well comes up in the bucket.
    Once we agree with God that we have sinned, we can repent and be forgiven according to I John 1:9, a verse that has often been called 'the Christian's bar of soap."  It says,  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  You might think, " I might as well do anything I like and then ask to be forgiven."  One problem with that philosophy is the fact that there are adverse consequences to sin even though we have been forgiven.  Also, sin grieves our Heavenly Father and disrupts our fellowship with Him.  So it is much better not to sin in the first place.
    How do we keep from sinning?  Our flesh is weak.  The pull of temptation is strong, and the enemy is tricky.  It's a matter of choice.  There is always a space of time, however small, between a temptation and sin.  James tells us what to do at the moment of choice in 4:7,  "Submit yourselves, then,to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  We submit to God first so we can resist temptation in His power rather than fight in our own weakness.  A little girl gave me this excellent piece of advice.  She said, "Mrs. Eyster, do you know what to do when the devil knocks at your door?  You just send Jesus to answer the door."

Father, keep us from evil.  At the moment of choice between obedience to You and the temptation to sin, I pray that we will submit to you and resist the devil in Your strength.  Thank You that You have made a provision for us to keep from sinning.  Amen.
    

The Body of Christ

Romans 15:5-7, "May God...help you live in complete harmony with each other--each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified."

      Imagine yourself in heaven.  Picture the heavenly choir around the throne of God.  What do the members of the choir look like?  Are they "red and yellow, black and white," or do they all look pretty much like you?  In what language are they singing praises to God?  It is natural for us to think of other people in terms of our own appearance and culture.  But God created and loves all kinds of people.  While we may be prejudiced, He is impartial.

      Perhaps you have always worshiped with people who believe pretty much as you believe and have the same form of worship that you have. 

Maybe you feel uncomfortable around people who believe or worship differently.  But there are great diversities in the bod y of Christ. 

There are major doctrines about the person of Christ and the way of salvation which all must share to actually be Christians, but there can certainly be many ways to live out the Christian life.  In fact, every single Christian has a testimony that is unique--no two are alike.  For me, the bottom line is this: if God accepts a person, then how can I not accept them?  And worship and fellowship with them?

      The Christian experience can be so much richer and fuller as we rub shoulders with all kinds of other Christians.  I encourage you to be open and let your fellow travelers enrich your walk.

Father, You are so creative.  I revel in the differences we find between people.  May our hearts be open to love and embrace all fellow believers and reach out to all non-believers.  Amen.

Care Givers

Matthew 11:26,  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

      A caregiver is a person who provides direct care for children, the elderly, and the chronically ill.  This is the definition of a person who cares for someone who isn't able to care for himself,

      The term "care giver" has taken on a much deeper meaning for me lately.  On the last Friday in July, I slipped down on my porch and broke my ankle in two places. One-footed definitely isn't the same as being sure-footed.  In fact, I have suddenly lost most of my mobility and independence.  I feel like a turtle on its back with its little stubby legs waving in the air,  trying to do the most basic jobs of getting around.  I am learning to appreciate the "little things in life."

      I had no inkling that I was about to fall on that Friday afternoon.  I began searching right away for a person with caregiving skills and a care giver's heart.  How fortunate we are that God provides such people in every generation.

      Caregivers model for us the kind of care we find available for us in the Trinity.  When we feel overwhelmed, we always have a place to go for helpl

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for always being available to Your children and for providing just the help we need.  Amen