Monday, Psalm 133:1; Scholars are divided over exactly what the Psalmist is referring to when he speaks of “kindred” (“brethren” in the KJV). Some think it refers to the nation of Israel as a whole, others the governing council, and still others that it refers to the family. Regardless of its original intent the message is clear—life is much more pleasant and good when people live in harmony. The word “unity” is from a word meaning “harmony” which refers not to an absence of outward hostility but to an inner quality of life that issues in seeking harmonious relationships. When our relationships, whether at home, at work, in the church or in social settings are based on this quality (which comes from allowing God’s love to be shed abroad in our heart) then those relationships are rewarding and satisfying. How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!
Tuesday, Psalm112:1b; One of the macho man characters from yesteryear’s movies had a line, “A man’s got to know his limitations”. Over the years most of the people I’ve known who were truly unhappy never came to grips with (or admitted) their limitations. One fellow I recall had been pretty successful in his career, then he hit a brick wall in his personal life. Suffice it to say that within a 72 hour period his family life was turned upside down. I saw him a couple of weeks after the situation developed and he told me about it. He said he’d tried everything he knew to resolve the problems but nothing seemed to work. “It’s just like when I’ve had problems before, I’ll just have to tough it out.” He wasn’t a religious man, in fact he never tolerated any “God talk” around him. But that day, he listened as I simply told him how I had realized years before that I had limitations, which the Good Lord had a way of overcoming. I didn’t push him, just told him to think about it for a while. The next time I saw him he was a changed man. He had realized his limitations, turned his life and problems over to God and started reverencing (the meaning of the word “fear” in the passage) Him and discovered true happiness. Reverence for God begins when we know our limitations, and happiness comes as we begin reverencing God in every area of our lives. Happy are those who fear (reverence) the Lord.
Wednesday, Psalm 112:1c; Many people find it easy to begin “reverencing the Lord” when they face troubles that are beyond their ability to handle, but when the problem is resolved they go back to living their lives on their own terms. Then their sense of happiness diminishes and after a few weeks they find themselves back in a state of being unhappy most of the time. Perhaps that’s why the Psalmist added the words of our meditation text. He wanted people to realize that real, continual happiness could be found only when we habitually live out our reverence for God in every area of our lives. Few who read these words would ever consider murdering someone, stealing money or committing adultery, but how many of us know that the God we generally reverence wants us to love even those who have wronged us? Do we replace thoughts of ill will or resentment toward that person with genuine thoughts of concern and goodwill? Resentment, selfishness, greed, bigotry, etc. are all things that run contrary to God’s way; moreover research has shown that such attitudes can cause depression, physical maladies and psychological illnesses. Real happiness begins with reverencing God and grows as we live out that reverence through our attitudes and actions. (Happy are those…) Who greatly delight in His commandments.
Thursday, Psalm 112:6; A psychologist friend of mine once told me that one of the greatest fears people have is that they will be forgotten. I am told that among some cultures in Biblical days that if a person really disgraced the family name by their actions, their name was removed from the genealogy and never spoken by family members. Perhaps it is to this practice that the writer refers when he says that the righteous (meaning those who do what is right) will be remembered forever. On a spiritual level, those of us who reverence God and live out that reverence through our attitudes and actions will never have to worry about not being forgotten by our Heavenly Father, either in the here and now and the hereafter. For the righteous will never be move: they will be remembered forever.
Friday, Psalm 112:7; I remember reading about a radio news broadcaster during the 1940’s who often began his broadcast with the words, “There’s bad news tonight…” One of the great untruths about the Christian faith is that a believer is immune from troubles. I suspect that such infantile thinking is rooted in childish fantasies about fairy godmothers and magic wands because most of the people of real faith that I know (both rich and poor) have as much, if not more “evil tidings” come into their lives as non-believers. But that is where the similarity ends because to a person of real faith (not a Pollyanna, pie in the sky belief in a fairy tale religion) the insecurities of life become stepping stones for growth. Of course, none of us want to hear “evil tidings” or have problems, but as people of faith we know that God will see us through, give us guidance, comfort and the insights we need. They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord
Saturday, Psalm 112:8; Elsewhere in the Bible there is a verse that tells us that in the face of mounting troubles, “Men’s hearts fail them for fear”. Contrast that with the opening words of today’s passage “Their hearts are steady”. Why? There are two forces at work in the world—faith and fear. When we really know God, trust God and live by his ways then faith in the goodness and love of God for us negates fear, empowers our minds to deal with difficulties and puts a new song in our hearts—even in darkest times. Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid.
Sunday, Psalm 134:2; For most of his ministry, my late father was the pastor of rural churches, often what is known as a three or four point charge. Those country churches weren’t fancy, they usually had wooden pews, communion table, chancel or kneeling rail, a pulpit and a piano. Instead of stained glass or colored windows the glass was clear and you could see God’s beautiful creation as we sang the grand old hymns. The churches were simple but one thing my dad insisted on was that people reverence the house of God. Certainly there’s nothing magical about a chancel, communion table or pulpit, but that which they represented was sacred and thus they were treated with dignity and respect. In some ways I’m glad this veteran of more than sixty years of ministry has gone to be with his Master because I know his heart would break if he saw what the churches have become. In my visits to various churches the past few years I’ve become aware that reverence and a sense of sacred symbolism has been removed in order to become “seeker friendly” (whatever that means). The grand hymns of the faith have become little more than children’s courses and the lofty sounds of the organ replaced by rock and rap bands. I know times “they are a changin’” just as they have for centuries and we have to adapt to the ages. But whether we are in a modern “worship center”, rural church or gothic sanctuary let us remember the advice of the Psalmist, we are in God’s house, let us reverence what it symbolizes and be aware that we are still on holy ground before a holy God. Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
July 20 thru July 26, 2009
Beginning this week, we are changing the dating format for Weekly Powerpoint. Future editions will begin on Monday and run through Sunday. This change is necessary due to my travel schedule.
Monday, Job 3:25; Fear can be a blessing to us when it is rational (such as not driving too fast, avoiding dark alleys, etc), while irrational fear can be debilitating to our ability to function in the world. But there is another kind of fear that lurks in our minds, which if left unchecked sets in motion self-destructive forces that can negate our happiness and cause things to unravel around us. Psychologist call this a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, meaning that if we believe something (good or bad) is going to happen, the mind sets in motion the steps necessary to prove itself right. In Job’s case, the evil one used the one thing that Job feared the most as his tool to try to shake his faith. As children of God we need to keep a tight reign on fear by counting it with affirmations of faith and confidence in God’s goodness toward us. After all, we don’t want to set in motion a negative self-fulfilling prophecy, and we never know who in the spirit world might be listening to our thoughts. Truly, the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me
Tuesday, Micah 6:8c1; I once talked to a couple of people, one of whom shared how he had helped a fellow employee with a problem. The other person we were talking to exclaimed, “After what he did to you last month! How could you do anything to help him?” The reply was, “I judge the situation based on two principles, ‘Loving my neighbor as myself’ and ‘Doing unto others as I wish they’d do unto me’—that’s how, even though I wouldn’t trust him too far, I can justify helping him.” The ancient prophet asked the question, “What does God require of us?” Then he gives us the answer, we are to do justice, which means that like a judge, we apply existing law to the case at hand and carry it out. As children of God that means we are ruled by a higher law than other people and we judge everything based on that law. What does the Lord require of you but to do justice?
Wednesday, Micah 6:8c2; My grandchildren were visiting me a few years ago and got into one of those quarrels that are the result of sibling rivalry. After realizing that the problem wasn’t going to resolve itself, I step in and suggested they apologize to each other and move on. After much urging, the oldest one said she was sorry to her younger sister. Thinking for a moment, the youngest granddaughter looked at her sister and said, “I’m sorry, but only because Pappy said I was!” Isn’t that the way we sometimes approach the teachings of Jesus? Don’t we often do things grudgingly “because Jesus told us too”? Being kind to others is one of the basic traits of God’s children that we are taught in both the Old and New Testaments, but it should be a kindness motivated not “because we’re told to”, but because it flows from both enjoying being kind and an attitude of love for other people. What does the Lord require of you but…to love kindness?
Thursday, Micah 6:8c3; I was in an elevator waiting for the door to close when a little boy raced in ahead of his father. By the time the father got there, the little tyke had pressed every button he could reach. The father looked at me and apologized about our having to stop on every floor. He explained “He knows we’re going to my office, but he just doesn’t know which floor it is on.” Isn’t that a picture of the way we sometimes slow ourselves down? Like the little boy, we have an idea of where God wants us to go, but instead of walking calmly beside our Heavenly Father, we run a head and start pushing all the buttons we can find? How much quicker would we have gotten there had we been wise enough to let Him take the lead? What does the Lord require of you but…to walk humbly with your God?
Friday, Habakkuk 3:19; A woman who had gone through some very difficult times related how much her faith had grown and sustained her as she worked her way through her adversity. It had taken several months for the situation to resolve itself, but she said that through it all she discovered that when her ability to think clearly and act decisively seemed diminished it was like God gave her a fresh infusion of clarity and power. When we rely upon Him, He not only lifts us to heights where we have a better view of the situation, He also give us the strength and power to do what needs to be done. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights.
Saturday, Proverbs 16:20; Several years ago, I had a good friend who was president of a Tulsa bank. One of the things he used to say was “If you watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.” Another friend of mine, who is a retired vice president of a fortune 50 company likes to quote his grandfather’s advice, “To pull a rabbit out of a hat, you must first put the rabbit in the hat!” Both of these highly successful men were saying the same thing, we need to pay attention to not only the big picture, but the details that are required to turn it into a reality. This excellent advice applies not only to the world of high finance and business, but to our daily and spiritual lives as well. This attention to the details, combined with a strong trust in God make for an unbeatable combination. Those who are attentive to a matter will prosper, and happy are those who trust in the Lord.
Sunday, Amos 9:13a; If you’re like most people there have been times in your life when it seemed like all the news in your life was bad news and it felt as if everything was working against you. During those periods it is easy to become despondent, discouraged and depressed as thoughts like “what’s the use in trying” or “there’s no hope” fill our minds. The Bible is not always filled with good news. Our text comes from a book that has lots of bad news in it, but there is a silver cloud at the end—there is hope, there is help and there will be better day. When it seems like all the news in your life is bad news and you feel that everything is working against you, just remember that when we stay close to God, we can honest say we have a brighter future and that The time is surely coming
May God Bless You All The Way, In Everyway, Everyday!
Robert Hidde
bob@confidentliving.com
Monday, Job 3:25; Fear can be a blessing to us when it is rational (such as not driving too fast, avoiding dark alleys, etc), while irrational fear can be debilitating to our ability to function in the world. But there is another kind of fear that lurks in our minds, which if left unchecked sets in motion self-destructive forces that can negate our happiness and cause things to unravel around us. Psychologist call this a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, meaning that if we believe something (good or bad) is going to happen, the mind sets in motion the steps necessary to prove itself right. In Job’s case, the evil one used the one thing that Job feared the most as his tool to try to shake his faith. As children of God we need to keep a tight reign on fear by counting it with affirmations of faith and confidence in God’s goodness toward us. After all, we don’t want to set in motion a negative self-fulfilling prophecy, and we never know who in the spirit world might be listening to our thoughts. Truly, the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me
Tuesday, Micah 6:8c1; I once talked to a couple of people, one of whom shared how he had helped a fellow employee with a problem. The other person we were talking to exclaimed, “After what he did to you last month! How could you do anything to help him?” The reply was, “I judge the situation based on two principles, ‘Loving my neighbor as myself’ and ‘Doing unto others as I wish they’d do unto me’—that’s how, even though I wouldn’t trust him too far, I can justify helping him.” The ancient prophet asked the question, “What does God require of us?” Then he gives us the answer, we are to do justice, which means that like a judge, we apply existing law to the case at hand and carry it out. As children of God that means we are ruled by a higher law than other people and we judge everything based on that law. What does the Lord require of you but to do justice?
Wednesday, Micah 6:8c2; My grandchildren were visiting me a few years ago and got into one of those quarrels that are the result of sibling rivalry. After realizing that the problem wasn’t going to resolve itself, I step in and suggested they apologize to each other and move on. After much urging, the oldest one said she was sorry to her younger sister. Thinking for a moment, the youngest granddaughter looked at her sister and said, “I’m sorry, but only because Pappy said I was!” Isn’t that the way we sometimes approach the teachings of Jesus? Don’t we often do things grudgingly “because Jesus told us too”? Being kind to others is one of the basic traits of God’s children that we are taught in both the Old and New Testaments, but it should be a kindness motivated not “because we’re told to”, but because it flows from both enjoying being kind and an attitude of love for other people. What does the Lord require of you but…to love kindness?
Thursday, Micah 6:8c3; I was in an elevator waiting for the door to close when a little boy raced in ahead of his father. By the time the father got there, the little tyke had pressed every button he could reach. The father looked at me and apologized about our having to stop on every floor. He explained “He knows we’re going to my office, but he just doesn’t know which floor it is on.” Isn’t that a picture of the way we sometimes slow ourselves down? Like the little boy, we have an idea of where God wants us to go, but instead of walking calmly beside our Heavenly Father, we run a head and start pushing all the buttons we can find? How much quicker would we have gotten there had we been wise enough to let Him take the lead? What does the Lord require of you but…to walk humbly with your God?
Friday, Habakkuk 3:19; A woman who had gone through some very difficult times related how much her faith had grown and sustained her as she worked her way through her adversity. It had taken several months for the situation to resolve itself, but she said that through it all she discovered that when her ability to think clearly and act decisively seemed diminished it was like God gave her a fresh infusion of clarity and power. When we rely upon Him, He not only lifts us to heights where we have a better view of the situation, He also give us the strength and power to do what needs to be done. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights.
Saturday, Proverbs 16:20; Several years ago, I had a good friend who was president of a Tulsa bank. One of the things he used to say was “If you watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.” Another friend of mine, who is a retired vice president of a fortune 50 company likes to quote his grandfather’s advice, “To pull a rabbit out of a hat, you must first put the rabbit in the hat!” Both of these highly successful men were saying the same thing, we need to pay attention to not only the big picture, but the details that are required to turn it into a reality. This excellent advice applies not only to the world of high finance and business, but to our daily and spiritual lives as well. This attention to the details, combined with a strong trust in God make for an unbeatable combination. Those who are attentive to a matter will prosper, and happy are those who trust in the Lord.
Sunday, Amos 9:13a; If you’re like most people there have been times in your life when it seemed like all the news in your life was bad news and it felt as if everything was working against you. During those periods it is easy to become despondent, discouraged and depressed as thoughts like “what’s the use in trying” or “there’s no hope” fill our minds. The Bible is not always filled with good news. Our text comes from a book that has lots of bad news in it, but there is a silver cloud at the end—there is hope, there is help and there will be better day. When it seems like all the news in your life is bad news and you feel that everything is working against you, just remember that when we stay close to God, we can honest say we have a brighter future and that The time is surely coming
May God Bless You All The Way, In Everyway, Everyday!
Robert Hidde
bob@confidentliving.com
Sunday, July 12, 2009
July 12 thru 18 2009
Sunday, John 20:19; One of the greatest inhibitors known to the human race is fear. I’m not talking about the kind of fear that helps protect us from danger, rather about the condition that causes people to hesitate, procrastinate or stop short of some worthy goal. Such fear has a way of magnifying difficulties, building non-existent barriers and creating anxiety and tension. When this happens it is as if our spiritual insight and capacity to think creatively have been locked in a windowless room and we loose sight of the possibilities of an endeavor and we become paralyzed by all the bad that could happen as a result of trying. If you’ve prayed about what you were contemplating (or doing) and it is right, good and beneficial, then be aware that within that room there is another presence besides fear—it is the presence of the spirit of Jesus offering you the same confidence building assurance offered to the disciples. It is up to each of us to choose which presence we tune in to and acknowledge. The doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Monday, 2 Peter 1:5; I try not to get too technical in these daily meditations, but I feel that it is necessary today. We are urged to support our faith. These days when we hear the word faith, we usually hear it used in the sense of believing God for something, and indeed that is one of the definitions. But as used in this verse faith refers not to the depth of our belief but to the formal foundation of our belief system. I once heard a Christian attorney say that this passage sounds like something from a class in law school because the law gives us the basis for our interpretation of a principle but we must be able to validate or support our claims with facts, case law, etc. I like that, because it clarifies the fact that while God’s work in laying the foundation of our beliefs has been done, we are like the lawyer getting ready to go to court—we need to be able to validate the claims we are making, we have a responsibility to show evidence of validity. That’s why Peter urges us to validate (support, add to) the basic body or teachings of our faith by seeking excellence in our actions and dealings with others that are worthy of praise (not condemnation). Make every effort to support your faith with goodness and goodness with knowledge
Tuesday, 2 Peter 1:5b; I recall trying to help a struggling salesman acquire the skills necessary to become successful. He was a bright young man, he knew his product and he also was a likable chap. But he had one flaw, he felt that his personality and product knowledge would carry the day for him. When I would suggest that he rephrase certain things, his response was always, “I’m just what God made me to be and to try to be anything else would be play acting.” I wasn’t trying to get him to lie to customers or even shade his presentations with dishonesty. Far from it, I was trying to help him develop the social and professional skills necessary to achieve excellence. That’s what Peter is talking about in our passage today. We all have certain rudimentary understandings of our faith and what is involved in living by it, but we need to constantly be developing a keener awareness of excellence (thereby challenging ourselves to reshape our activities in a manner designed to attain it). This involves daily becoming more knowledgeable of the things that make for praiseworthy conduct. Support (validate) your goodness with knowledge
Wednesday, 2 Peter 1:6a; I arrived at a business luncheon and by my standards I was starving! I had been on the run and hadn’t eaten anything but a couple of candy bars since lunch the previous day. I sat down, glanced at the menu and ordered. When the soup arrived, I was tempted to turn the bowl up and drink it. When we entrée arrived, I was tempted to tear into it like my old dog going after a bone. But I didn’t drink the soup or wolf down the entrée, instead I allowed my knowledge of etiquette to govern my actions because I wanted to make a good impression on my dining companions. Among my companions that day was a very bright and articulate young lady. She too was trying to make a favorable impression but her approach had the reverse affect on those present. She had technical knowledge of the subject being discussed that far exceeded the rest of the group, but she used it in such a condescending way that even her boss became frustrated. I think my luncheon experience illustrates the message Peter is trying to convey. First, we should always apply self control guided by our knowledge of what is excellent regardless of our personal situation. Second, we should exercise self control when we are dealing with others whose understanding may not be as deep or as broad as our own (don’t become a know it all or self-righteous). (Support or validate) knowledge with self-control
Thursday, 2 Peter 6b; Some folks just don’t seem to get it, do they? We’ve all had the experience of trying to explain a proposition or idea to someone who seemed to be just plain antagonistic toward what we proposed or was lacked the mental agility to follow what we were saying. It is easy to become frustrated and give voice to the question we’ve probably been thinking “Were you dropped on your head as a baby or were you just born stupid?” In our personal quest for excellence, we can sometimes feel the same way about ourselves; we decide we can’t do it, we start telling ourselves we aren’t smart enough or strong enough to continue our journey. When this happens we can become discouraged, cynical and antagonistic. We begin to think that there is no use continuing to practice self-control or to strive for the vision of excellence that we’ve set our sights on. Peter’s early life experiences serve as a testimony to the disastrous results such attitudes can produce, so he encourages us not to loose hope when we experience such feelings of frustration. The word he uses is endurance (or patience) which means we deliberately pace ourselves in order to continue to make progress. Regardless of how frustrating our situation we keep the hope of attaining our objective fresh and alive by reminding ourselves of what we stand to gain. While it is true that we might have to slow down a bit, change our tactics or adjust our plans we keep moving forward. (Support or validate) self control with endurance
Friday, 2 Peter 1:6c; I once asked a gentleman who had achieved financial security after many years of setbacks and reversals how he kept from just giving up and settling for less than he had hoped for. His answer was simple, “My long-term goal was to provide a better life for my children than I had growing up. My love for my children and wife empowered me to keep my eye on that goal, even when things weren’t going well. Their faces motivated me to redouble my efforts and keep trying.” Peter has told us that our goal in Christian living is excellence in attitude and actions. He has indicated that on our journey toward this excellence we will have setbacks and reversals. But he tells us to keep the goal in mind and keep moving forward. Then he throws in the secret that he learned to help him keep moving toward excellence, he says to allow godliness to empower us to keep our eye on the goal of excellence. Godliness refers to an attitude of devotion and reverence toward God that impels us to act in certain ways. Having adopted God’s vision of excellence, we draw our motivation to keep moving toward it during difficult times from our attitude toward God (much like the man who drew his motivation to keep trying for financial security from the faces of his children). (Support) endurance with godliness
Saturday, 2 Peter 1:7; A very proper person once asked me to pray for him because “at the moment “my justifiable feelings of disappointment with my business partner have fester to the point that I no longer feel correctly disposed toward him”. My wise friend realized that feelings of animosity (regardless of how justified at the moment) must not be allowed to worsen because they will short circuit our attitude of devotion to God and thereby sidetrack our quest for excellence. This passage presents a dilemma that is familiar to all of us. There are people who continually prove themselves unworthy of our trust by letting us down or their double dealing. It is hard to build mutual affection with them (since mutual means the affection runs both ways). But when our best efforts to establish that mutual affection have failed, we aren’t supposed to just write that person off. While we might be more careful in our dealings with them (or try to avoid dealing with them), we don’t seek to harm them or cause them problems—instead we practice love toward them (love meaning we pray for them and seek the best for them). (Support) godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.
Monday, 2 Peter 1:5; I try not to get too technical in these daily meditations, but I feel that it is necessary today. We are urged to support our faith. These days when we hear the word faith, we usually hear it used in the sense of believing God for something, and indeed that is one of the definitions. But as used in this verse faith refers not to the depth of our belief but to the formal foundation of our belief system. I once heard a Christian attorney say that this passage sounds like something from a class in law school because the law gives us the basis for our interpretation of a principle but we must be able to validate or support our claims with facts, case law, etc. I like that, because it clarifies the fact that while God’s work in laying the foundation of our beliefs has been done, we are like the lawyer getting ready to go to court—we need to be able to validate the claims we are making, we have a responsibility to show evidence of validity. That’s why Peter urges us to validate (support, add to) the basic body or teachings of our faith by seeking excellence in our actions and dealings with others that are worthy of praise (not condemnation). Make every effort to support your faith with goodness and goodness with knowledge
Tuesday, 2 Peter 1:5b; I recall trying to help a struggling salesman acquire the skills necessary to become successful. He was a bright young man, he knew his product and he also was a likable chap. But he had one flaw, he felt that his personality and product knowledge would carry the day for him. When I would suggest that he rephrase certain things, his response was always, “I’m just what God made me to be and to try to be anything else would be play acting.” I wasn’t trying to get him to lie to customers or even shade his presentations with dishonesty. Far from it, I was trying to help him develop the social and professional skills necessary to achieve excellence. That’s what Peter is talking about in our passage today. We all have certain rudimentary understandings of our faith and what is involved in living by it, but we need to constantly be developing a keener awareness of excellence (thereby challenging ourselves to reshape our activities in a manner designed to attain it). This involves daily becoming more knowledgeable of the things that make for praiseworthy conduct. Support (validate) your goodness with knowledge
Wednesday, 2 Peter 1:6a; I arrived at a business luncheon and by my standards I was starving! I had been on the run and hadn’t eaten anything but a couple of candy bars since lunch the previous day. I sat down, glanced at the menu and ordered. When the soup arrived, I was tempted to turn the bowl up and drink it. When we entrée arrived, I was tempted to tear into it like my old dog going after a bone. But I didn’t drink the soup or wolf down the entrée, instead I allowed my knowledge of etiquette to govern my actions because I wanted to make a good impression on my dining companions. Among my companions that day was a very bright and articulate young lady. She too was trying to make a favorable impression but her approach had the reverse affect on those present. She had technical knowledge of the subject being discussed that far exceeded the rest of the group, but she used it in such a condescending way that even her boss became frustrated. I think my luncheon experience illustrates the message Peter is trying to convey. First, we should always apply self control guided by our knowledge of what is excellent regardless of our personal situation. Second, we should exercise self control when we are dealing with others whose understanding may not be as deep or as broad as our own (don’t become a know it all or self-righteous). (Support or validate) knowledge with self-control
Thursday, 2 Peter 6b; Some folks just don’t seem to get it, do they? We’ve all had the experience of trying to explain a proposition or idea to someone who seemed to be just plain antagonistic toward what we proposed or was lacked the mental agility to follow what we were saying. It is easy to become frustrated and give voice to the question we’ve probably been thinking “Were you dropped on your head as a baby or were you just born stupid?” In our personal quest for excellence, we can sometimes feel the same way about ourselves; we decide we can’t do it, we start telling ourselves we aren’t smart enough or strong enough to continue our journey. When this happens we can become discouraged, cynical and antagonistic. We begin to think that there is no use continuing to practice self-control or to strive for the vision of excellence that we’ve set our sights on. Peter’s early life experiences serve as a testimony to the disastrous results such attitudes can produce, so he encourages us not to loose hope when we experience such feelings of frustration. The word he uses is endurance (or patience) which means we deliberately pace ourselves in order to continue to make progress. Regardless of how frustrating our situation we keep the hope of attaining our objective fresh and alive by reminding ourselves of what we stand to gain. While it is true that we might have to slow down a bit, change our tactics or adjust our plans we keep moving forward. (Support or validate) self control with endurance
Friday, 2 Peter 1:6c; I once asked a gentleman who had achieved financial security after many years of setbacks and reversals how he kept from just giving up and settling for less than he had hoped for. His answer was simple, “My long-term goal was to provide a better life for my children than I had growing up. My love for my children and wife empowered me to keep my eye on that goal, even when things weren’t going well. Their faces motivated me to redouble my efforts and keep trying.” Peter has told us that our goal in Christian living is excellence in attitude and actions. He has indicated that on our journey toward this excellence we will have setbacks and reversals. But he tells us to keep the goal in mind and keep moving forward. Then he throws in the secret that he learned to help him keep moving toward excellence, he says to allow godliness to empower us to keep our eye on the goal of excellence. Godliness refers to an attitude of devotion and reverence toward God that impels us to act in certain ways. Having adopted God’s vision of excellence, we draw our motivation to keep moving toward it during difficult times from our attitude toward God (much like the man who drew his motivation to keep trying for financial security from the faces of his children). (Support) endurance with godliness
Saturday, 2 Peter 1:7; A very proper person once asked me to pray for him because “at the moment “my justifiable feelings of disappointment with my business partner have fester to the point that I no longer feel correctly disposed toward him”. My wise friend realized that feelings of animosity (regardless of how justified at the moment) must not be allowed to worsen because they will short circuit our attitude of devotion to God and thereby sidetrack our quest for excellence. This passage presents a dilemma that is familiar to all of us. There are people who continually prove themselves unworthy of our trust by letting us down or their double dealing. It is hard to build mutual affection with them (since mutual means the affection runs both ways). But when our best efforts to establish that mutual affection have failed, we aren’t supposed to just write that person off. While we might be more careful in our dealings with them (or try to avoid dealing with them), we don’t seek to harm them or cause them problems—instead we practice love toward them (love meaning we pray for them and seek the best for them). (Support) godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
