Day One, Proverbs 18:1; The one who lives alone is self-indulgent, showing contempt for all who have sound judgment. When we think of self-indulgent people we usually think of someone who gives in to every appetite they have. We also classify them as self-centered, egotistical and selfish. Over the years, I’ve heard such people referred to as “being in love with themselves” or people with “too much self-esteem”. It has been my experience that most of the time, the self indulgent person has a lack of basic self-esteem, not too much of it. Sure, they put on a bold front, their every act is designed to elevate their sense of importance. They live in self contained little worlds carefully constructed to make them feel like the center of their own universe. But deep down they are fearful, often unsure of themselves and who they really are. When we have a close relationship with our Heaven Father, our sense of self is transformed and we are able to break out of the world we have designed to protect us because we know that as children of Almighty God we have not only a birthright, but an obligation to not only grow in grace but to challenge the self-imposed limitations of inferiority and timidity that made us self-serving sinners.
Day Two, Proverbs 18:9; One who is slack at work is close kin to a vandal. My wife arrived at her office early one morning to find the building owner waiting for her. The previous night someone had broken into the building, kicked in all the office doors and generally created havoc. The items they stole (with the exception of one computer from a neighbor) were really insignificant—they took a cheap mirror, some postage, change, a small nine inch screen television and a PDA from my wife’s office—but it took her all day to sort through the mess, determine exactly what was missing and try to get things back in order. She basically lost an entire day of business because of these vandals. When something like this happens, feelings of shock, outrage, frustration and vulnerability are the order of the day (and the days following the event), and understandable so. But how many times do we vandalize ourselves and our careers by not doing our best or even making an honest effort? I was telling a friend about it and he said he knew just how she felt. He then explained that he was running the same emotions because he hadn’t adequately prepared for a presentation and as a result lost a contract. He had not paid proper attention to his work, and now felt angry with himself, frustrated and vulnerable (because he needed the commission to pay his bills). One way to have less stress, more happiness and satisfaction in life is to always ask ourselves, “What’s the best use of my time at this particular moment” and act on the answer.
Day Three, Proverbs 18:12; Before destruction one’s heart is haughty, but humility goes before honor. Over the years, I’ve had several employees that for one reason or another I had to terminate. But in the final analysis, I would not hesitate to say that the number one reason most of them were fired had to do with their inability to accept coaching to improve their performance. No matter how well intended or how much it is deserved, criticism of our performance can hurt. But it is part of life, and most people have learned to take it, adapt the suggestions made and become better employees and people because of it. Those who become defensive and haughty are usually the ones who find themselves out in the cold. What does this have to do with this verse? It strikes at the heart of its meaning because humility refers to having a teachable spirit. According to a large body of research, most of the problems we encounter are the result of our having ignored our internal critic—that something God has placed within all of us that tells us not only when we’ve done wrong, but that we can do better. In addition to this mechanism, the Good Lord has built into people a sense of justice that dictates that unless that which is wrong is fixed, it must be punished. When we argue with our internal critic long enough, the subconscious desire for justice kicks in and we find ourselves engaging in self defeating behaviors as a means of seeking some form of punishment (One of the most fascinating books on this subject that I have read is Man Against Himself by Karl Menninger). So it’s not just in our relationships and at work that the forerunner of “destruction” is arrogance and defiance when confronted with our deficiencies, it applies even more when it comes to that still small voice buried in our minds.
Day Four, Proverbs 18:16; A gift opens doors; it gives access to the great. I once knew a retired gentleman who was an executive for an international firm. He made many trips to the Middle East during his career and he always carried a briefcase full of cash. Why? Because that’s the way business is done over there! And that’s the way it has been done there since Biblical times. Now, in our society, bribes can land a person in jail, but there are other “gifts” we give that will open doors for us—and they don’t really cost us anything. These gifts include a smile, common courtesies, kind words, sincere praise and expressions of appreciation; these will go far in opening the doors for better relationships and new opportunities.
Day Five, Proverbs 18:24; Some friends play at friendship, but a true friend sticks closer than one’s kin. I recently had lunch with a person with whom I’ve done business for several years. He is always “friendly” when he calls, ask all the right questions, shows an interest those things that I am interested in, etc. Like most of us, he knows how to play the friendship game to advance his agenda (not necessarily a bad thing). Then there are people that I know with whom my wife and enjoy going to dinner and getting caught up on what’s been going on in each other’s lives. We all crave human interaction and in our increasingly impersonal world, it is important that we are able to make the distinction between these types of relationships. Much of the disappointment that I hear voiced by people begins with “I thought he was my friend but…” Once we realize that not every relationship we have, whether in church, at work or socially will blossom into a close friendship, we close the door on much of the frustration and heartache that comes from not understanding this basic law of relationships.
Day Six, Proverbs 19:8; To get wisdom is to love oneself; to keep understanding is to prosper. The word that is translated “wisdom” in this verse differs from other uses of the word because in this instance it refers to a willingness (or courage) to be true to ones convictions and to act on ones beliefs. This doesn’t give us a license to be like a bull in a china shop, because the rest of the verse reminds us to use common sense in “being true to our convictions” and when “acting on our beliefs”. As the Contemporary English Version translates this verse, Do yourself a favor by having good sense, you will be glad you did.
Day Seven, Proverbs 19:20; Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future. Have you ever noticed that everyone has an opinion, and that the cheapest thing in the world is advice? But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we should discount or ignore what other people tell us. We learn from doing, but also from assimilating ideas and concepts that other people share with us. To grow spiritually, personally and professionally, seek out mentors and people who have the experience and success you desire, have a teachable spirit and learn from them. It will pay dividends for many years to come.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
October 19 thru October 25, 2009
Day One, Proverbs 9:1; Wisdom has built her house, she has hew her seven pillars. When I was at The University of Arkansas, I took a world literature class. The professor was always finding allegorical meanings and hidden motivations behind the words of people like Shakespeare and even Robert Frost. One time he told us that the Robert Frost poem, “Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening” was really an expression of Frost desire to commit suicide, but that he couldn’t bring himself! Too often, people are like that professor when it comes to the Bible. Over the years, I’ve heard and read a lot of speculation about what the “seven pillars” represent. I think sometimes we can get so caught up in trying to assign meanings that we miss the point of the whole thing. While it might be interesting to try to come up with seven things represented by the pillars, isn’t it better to place our emphasis on the fact that there is a place we can go to find the wisdom we need to live joyous and fulfilled lives? But like any place of learning, we must desire to go to it and then submit ourselves to its disciplines.
Day Two, Proverbs 9:6a; Lay aside immaturity, and live. While this verse can have deep spiritual meaning, it also contains a very practical message for getting the most out of life. I once knew a grown man who was known for pouting when he didn’t get his way, he was also given to temper tantrums and could be offended by the smallest slight. Needless to say, he was self-centered and selfish—in other words, he acted like a little child! Of course, immaturity isn’t just confined to temper tantrums, pouting, etc. It includes a whole host of traits that can hold us back in our career, our relationships and even our walk with and for God. This passage advises us that if we want to really live life to it’s fullest, it is our responsibility to remove (“lay” means we are to put these things down) immature attitudes from our lives.
Day Three, Proverbs 9:6b; And walk in the way of insight If the first step toward living life to it’s fullest is to lay aside immature attitudes, the second step according to this verse is to replace those immature thoughts with careful reflection about the things we do and how we react to people and situations. We gain this type of insight from life experiences, other people’s experiences and from applying ourselves to learning the principles necessary to make wise choices. The Bible, wisest of all books is full of these principles and can provide the foundation for our thinking that will not only guide us right, but make life an abundant experience.
Day Four, Proverbs 9:9; Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still; teach the righteous and they will gain in learning. Just as a baby is not born with a head full of knowledge, so none of us ever learn everything there is to know about life. There are always lessons to be learned, applied and assimilated. This verse points this fact out and reveals that those who are true students of “wisdom” and desirous of doing right realize it to be true. Someone once said that we never arrive—we just reach a higher plane of understanding.
Day Five, Proverbs 9:10a; The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I don’t know about you, but I’ve met a lot of people that would have been described as “educated fools” by past generations. These folks have lots of book learning, but for whatever reason can’t seem to use it for any particular purpose. In our comment on the first verse, we saw that there is a place we can go for wisdom, this verse reminds us that simply gaining wisdom without a purpose makes it useless. Just as a person doesn’t go to medical school out of curiosity (they go for the purpose of become a physician), so we shouldn’t expect any wisdom we gain from the Bible (or even life’s lessons) to be fully useful until they are focused on finding and doing God’s will in our lives.
Day Six, Proverbs 9:10b; And the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. I grew up in an era when we were taught to study the lives of great men and women. The purpose of this type of study was so we could identify the characteristics that made them contributors to society, as well as to understand and adapt their philosophy for living to our own lives. Today, I see people in all walks of life following the same idea. Depending on their careers, they invest in books about or written by great business leaders, preachers, etc. in order to find out their “secrets for success”. While there is nothing wrong this practice, we need to understand that as Christians, the ultimate test for all these “insights” is a knowledge of the way God thinks about things. We can get this only from reading His book and through prayers for guidance. As one business man I know told me, “Donald Trump’s books, tempered by God’s book has helped make me successful.” What he meant was that using the wisdom he got from God’s book, he was able to separate and adapt the business lessons he had learned, and use them to become more successful.
Day Seven, Proverbs 9:12; If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Years ago, I had a friend who was always quick to claim the credit anytime something he was involved in turned out good. But he was always quick to assign blame to someone else when things went bad. When that happened, those of us who knew him usually just humored him, even though we knew that ultimately the decision leading to the bad outcome had been his own. The reason we need wisdom and the ability to apply it is that we are responsible for the outcome of the decisions we make about life and eternity. In that sense, we become wise to benefit ourselves, and in doing so, our decisions will touch the lives of others in a positive way.
God Bless You In Every Way, Everyday, All The Way!
Day Two, Proverbs 9:6a; Lay aside immaturity, and live. While this verse can have deep spiritual meaning, it also contains a very practical message for getting the most out of life. I once knew a grown man who was known for pouting when he didn’t get his way, he was also given to temper tantrums and could be offended by the smallest slight. Needless to say, he was self-centered and selfish—in other words, he acted like a little child! Of course, immaturity isn’t just confined to temper tantrums, pouting, etc. It includes a whole host of traits that can hold us back in our career, our relationships and even our walk with and for God. This passage advises us that if we want to really live life to it’s fullest, it is our responsibility to remove (“lay” means we are to put these things down) immature attitudes from our lives.
Day Three, Proverbs 9:6b; And walk in the way of insight If the first step toward living life to it’s fullest is to lay aside immature attitudes, the second step according to this verse is to replace those immature thoughts with careful reflection about the things we do and how we react to people and situations. We gain this type of insight from life experiences, other people’s experiences and from applying ourselves to learning the principles necessary to make wise choices. The Bible, wisest of all books is full of these principles and can provide the foundation for our thinking that will not only guide us right, but make life an abundant experience.
Day Four, Proverbs 9:9; Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still; teach the righteous and they will gain in learning. Just as a baby is not born with a head full of knowledge, so none of us ever learn everything there is to know about life. There are always lessons to be learned, applied and assimilated. This verse points this fact out and reveals that those who are true students of “wisdom” and desirous of doing right realize it to be true. Someone once said that we never arrive—we just reach a higher plane of understanding.
Day Five, Proverbs 9:10a; The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I don’t know about you, but I’ve met a lot of people that would have been described as “educated fools” by past generations. These folks have lots of book learning, but for whatever reason can’t seem to use it for any particular purpose. In our comment on the first verse, we saw that there is a place we can go for wisdom, this verse reminds us that simply gaining wisdom without a purpose makes it useless. Just as a person doesn’t go to medical school out of curiosity (they go for the purpose of become a physician), so we shouldn’t expect any wisdom we gain from the Bible (or even life’s lessons) to be fully useful until they are focused on finding and doing God’s will in our lives.
Day Six, Proverbs 9:10b; And the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. I grew up in an era when we were taught to study the lives of great men and women. The purpose of this type of study was so we could identify the characteristics that made them contributors to society, as well as to understand and adapt their philosophy for living to our own lives. Today, I see people in all walks of life following the same idea. Depending on their careers, they invest in books about or written by great business leaders, preachers, etc. in order to find out their “secrets for success”. While there is nothing wrong this practice, we need to understand that as Christians, the ultimate test for all these “insights” is a knowledge of the way God thinks about things. We can get this only from reading His book and through prayers for guidance. As one business man I know told me, “Donald Trump’s books, tempered by God’s book has helped make me successful.” What he meant was that using the wisdom he got from God’s book, he was able to separate and adapt the business lessons he had learned, and use them to become more successful.
Day Seven, Proverbs 9:12; If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Years ago, I had a friend who was always quick to claim the credit anytime something he was involved in turned out good. But he was always quick to assign blame to someone else when things went bad. When that happened, those of us who knew him usually just humored him, even though we knew that ultimately the decision leading to the bad outcome had been his own. The reason we need wisdom and the ability to apply it is that we are responsible for the outcome of the decisions we make about life and eternity. In that sense, we become wise to benefit ourselves, and in doing so, our decisions will touch the lives of others in a positive way.
God Bless You In Every Way, Everyday, All The Way!
Robert Hidde
Monday, October 12, 2009
October 12 thru 18, 2009
Day One, Isaiah 54:14; In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression for you shall not fear; and from terror for it shall not come near you. When we first read verses such as this we may be tempted to dismiss them as the Pollyanna pronouncements of someone who has lost all touch with reality. But upon deeper reflection, we realize the truth of these words. When we establish ourselves in a personal relationship with Almighty God then we know that like a caring parent, he is concerned about every area of our lives—not just the spiritual aspects. This doesn’t mean that we will not face struggles and difficulties, for wise parents know that it is through allowing such things that their children develop strength and learn the lessons of life. This verse does teach us that because our outlook on life is shaped by one of faith and hope that even those things that would otherwise cause us mental anguish and terror have their impact diminished because we know God is there and will not allow us to be stretched beyond our capabilities.
Day Two, Isaiah 55:1; Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Most of us have to make a pilgrimage to the grocery store at least once a week because we are in need of things to nourish and sustain our physical bodies. When we need groceries, we don’t go to a clothing store or the automobile showroom. Why? Because we have learned, from an early age that to get groceries we have to go to the place specializing in the sale of foodstuff. The allegory that is used in our text today would seem to indicate that we must realize that in the marketplace of life there is only one place to get the victuals we need to nourish and sustain our mental and spiritual well being.
Day Three, Isaiah 55:2; Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy. Listen carefully to me and eat what is good… Several years ago a man was referred to me for counseling. His life had been torn apart by a series of job losses and a tumultuous marriage (which had ended in divorce). He had reached the point where the stress and anxiety had taken a toll on him mentally and physically. As long as he had money (this was before insurance covered such things) the mental health professionals were treating him and providing medication. But once his money ran out, he was left only one alternative, that of being institutionalized in a mental hospital. After talking with those who had been treating him (with his permission), I decided to try to help him. I am not a miracle worker, nor a psychiatrist, just a simple preacher who believes in the power of faith to transform lives. He and I began a regimen designed to rebuild his faith, and eventually, he was able to control his anxieties and hold a job. This allowed him to afford the needed medication to treat his other problems. I was reminded of this incident recently when I read that research has shown that talk therapy was often just as effective as drug therapy in treating many anxiety induced maladies. The article concluded that most people preferred drug therapy over talk therapy because they didn’t have to confront their anxieties and deal with them. Don’t get me wrong, I believe we should avail ourselves of every available wonder of medical science that God has blessed us with, but there are times when confronting our anxieties through the application of faith, hope and spiritual disciplines can be just as effective.
Day Four, Isaiah 55:3; Incline your ear, and come to me; listen so that you may live…In the age that Isaiah lived, the word picture that is painted in the first three verses brought to mind the marketplace where vendors hawked their wares and haggled with customers over price. Today’s verse encourages us to tune our ears to one voice among the many and make our way over to his stall in order to be able to hear clearly what he has to say. Today, we live in a marketplace of ideas. As we daily make our way through the narrow streets of this market we are bombarded with competing voices enticing us to check out what is offered. The voice that is raised in this verse isn’t offering something new, rather it is offering something tried by millions of people and tested in the fires of adversity. And he says it will give us what we need to really live life to it’s fullest. That’s because it comes from the source of dynamic, abundant, vibrant life—God himself!
Day Five, Isaiah 55:6; Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Recently, I needed to talk with someone whom I hadn’t spoken with in several months. I couldn’t recall the company he worked for and he had an unlisted telephone number. I remembered that he had given me a business card, so I began a systematic search for it. It wasn’t in my card file, nor was it in the stack of cards that I had thrown into a desk drawer. After more than an hour, I found it under my desk pad (how it got there, I’ll never know). Having found the card I was able to call the man and reestablish our relationship. It is unfortunate, but too many of us treat our relationship with God the same way. We know him, but get so involved in the affairs of life (especially when things are going smoothly) that we fail to keep his “business card” handy. Then when we need him we have to turn everything upside down to find it. Now, I know this is a poor illustration but it does make the point that Isaiah is trying to convey—if you’ve misplaced that vital link with God, find it now, you never know when you might need to call him. In fact you might want to call him daily, if for nothing more than to simply chat!
Day Six, Isaiah 55:7; Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord that he may have mercy on them…This is the great verse of hope that offers everyone the opportunity for restoration and renewal. It tells us that no matter how deeply ingrained our habit of waywardness may be, or how low we may be have sunk, that all we have to do is give ourselves permission to turn around and find help and wholeness in the arms of our heavenly father. Now, some might balk at this thought because “it is not up to man but God”. This idea is not rooted in the Bible, but in Calvinism, which would have us believe that God looks down upon the “wicked” and decides that out of ten people, he will only “draw” one or two to himself and “to hell with the rest!” Under this pernicious teaching, grace then is restricted only to those “chosen” few and regardless of the sincere desire the others may have to get off “the way”, they have to continue on it. But we know that grace has been extended to everyone through Jesus Christ. He said that if he was lifted up, he would “draw all people” to himself. In other words, when a person realizes he is on the wrong path and decides to turn around (gives himself permission), he can find his way back to God and wholeness. No, he doesn’t earn this right because he is simply availing himself of what has already been offered. Through Jesus Christ, amnesty has been offered to all who give themselves permission to trust him, turn around, lay down their “weapons” and take up his cause.
Day Seven, Isaiah 55:8,9; For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord…This verse answers the oft asked question of why things are the way they are in the world. The good Lord made us rational beings, capable of doing our own thinking rather than robots with programmable chips. This lesson is first illustrated in the story about Adam and Eve. We are told that when they “saw” that the tree was good for food, they ate the fruit. The word “saw” refers not to an impulsive act, but to an action that was carefully thought out. When the point of reference for our “thinking” is strictly self-centered, we can follow a path that seems right, but makes us incompatible with God. As in marriage, such incompatibility leads to divorce. It is no wonder that Paul said that as Christians, we should seek to Let (give permission for) the mind of Christ dwell in us (learn to think the same way God does).
Day Two, Isaiah 55:1; Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Most of us have to make a pilgrimage to the grocery store at least once a week because we are in need of things to nourish and sustain our physical bodies. When we need groceries, we don’t go to a clothing store or the automobile showroom. Why? Because we have learned, from an early age that to get groceries we have to go to the place specializing in the sale of foodstuff. The allegory that is used in our text today would seem to indicate that we must realize that in the marketplace of life there is only one place to get the victuals we need to nourish and sustain our mental and spiritual well being.
Day Three, Isaiah 55:2; Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy. Listen carefully to me and eat what is good… Several years ago a man was referred to me for counseling. His life had been torn apart by a series of job losses and a tumultuous marriage (which had ended in divorce). He had reached the point where the stress and anxiety had taken a toll on him mentally and physically. As long as he had money (this was before insurance covered such things) the mental health professionals were treating him and providing medication. But once his money ran out, he was left only one alternative, that of being institutionalized in a mental hospital. After talking with those who had been treating him (with his permission), I decided to try to help him. I am not a miracle worker, nor a psychiatrist, just a simple preacher who believes in the power of faith to transform lives. He and I began a regimen designed to rebuild his faith, and eventually, he was able to control his anxieties and hold a job. This allowed him to afford the needed medication to treat his other problems. I was reminded of this incident recently when I read that research has shown that talk therapy was often just as effective as drug therapy in treating many anxiety induced maladies. The article concluded that most people preferred drug therapy over talk therapy because they didn’t have to confront their anxieties and deal with them. Don’t get me wrong, I believe we should avail ourselves of every available wonder of medical science that God has blessed us with, but there are times when confronting our anxieties through the application of faith, hope and spiritual disciplines can be just as effective.
Day Four, Isaiah 55:3; Incline your ear, and come to me; listen so that you may live…In the age that Isaiah lived, the word picture that is painted in the first three verses brought to mind the marketplace where vendors hawked their wares and haggled with customers over price. Today’s verse encourages us to tune our ears to one voice among the many and make our way over to his stall in order to be able to hear clearly what he has to say. Today, we live in a marketplace of ideas. As we daily make our way through the narrow streets of this market we are bombarded with competing voices enticing us to check out what is offered. The voice that is raised in this verse isn’t offering something new, rather it is offering something tried by millions of people and tested in the fires of adversity. And he says it will give us what we need to really live life to it’s fullest. That’s because it comes from the source of dynamic, abundant, vibrant life—God himself!
Day Five, Isaiah 55:6; Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Recently, I needed to talk with someone whom I hadn’t spoken with in several months. I couldn’t recall the company he worked for and he had an unlisted telephone number. I remembered that he had given me a business card, so I began a systematic search for it. It wasn’t in my card file, nor was it in the stack of cards that I had thrown into a desk drawer. After more than an hour, I found it under my desk pad (how it got there, I’ll never know). Having found the card I was able to call the man and reestablish our relationship. It is unfortunate, but too many of us treat our relationship with God the same way. We know him, but get so involved in the affairs of life (especially when things are going smoothly) that we fail to keep his “business card” handy. Then when we need him we have to turn everything upside down to find it. Now, I know this is a poor illustration but it does make the point that Isaiah is trying to convey—if you’ve misplaced that vital link with God, find it now, you never know when you might need to call him. In fact you might want to call him daily, if for nothing more than to simply chat!
Day Six, Isaiah 55:7; Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord that he may have mercy on them…This is the great verse of hope that offers everyone the opportunity for restoration and renewal. It tells us that no matter how deeply ingrained our habit of waywardness may be, or how low we may be have sunk, that all we have to do is give ourselves permission to turn around and find help and wholeness in the arms of our heavenly father. Now, some might balk at this thought because “it is not up to man but God”. This idea is not rooted in the Bible, but in Calvinism, which would have us believe that God looks down upon the “wicked” and decides that out of ten people, he will only “draw” one or two to himself and “to hell with the rest!” Under this pernicious teaching, grace then is restricted only to those “chosen” few and regardless of the sincere desire the others may have to get off “the way”, they have to continue on it. But we know that grace has been extended to everyone through Jesus Christ. He said that if he was lifted up, he would “draw all people” to himself. In other words, when a person realizes he is on the wrong path and decides to turn around (gives himself permission), he can find his way back to God and wholeness. No, he doesn’t earn this right because he is simply availing himself of what has already been offered. Through Jesus Christ, amnesty has been offered to all who give themselves permission to trust him, turn around, lay down their “weapons” and take up his cause.
Day Seven, Isaiah 55:8,9; For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord…This verse answers the oft asked question of why things are the way they are in the world. The good Lord made us rational beings, capable of doing our own thinking rather than robots with programmable chips. This lesson is first illustrated in the story about Adam and Eve. We are told that when they “saw” that the tree was good for food, they ate the fruit. The word “saw” refers not to an impulsive act, but to an action that was carefully thought out. When the point of reference for our “thinking” is strictly self-centered, we can follow a path that seems right, but makes us incompatible with God. As in marriage, such incompatibility leads to divorce. It is no wonder that Paul said that as Christians, we should seek to Let (give permission for) the mind of Christ dwell in us (learn to think the same way God does).
Monday, October 5, 2009
October 5 thru October 11, 2009
Note: I love devotional thoughts about God’s goodness and help, but we also need to spend time reflecting on the lessons for living that He has given us. This week’s meditations deal with seven such lessons. When we honestly attempt to follow those teachings (with his help) we can truly live everyday with confidence!
Day One, Luke 16:10; Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. A woman who was passed over for a promotion said to me, “I am the most qualified for that position both educationally and in terms of experience. It’s just unfair!” Since I had some knowledge of the person who made the decision not to promote her, I knew there was something she wasn’t telling me, so I asked, “What’s unfair about the decision besides your education and experience, was it a gender thing?” She assured me it wasn’t. “Then, was it the criteria that Bill (not his real name) used in deciding who was promoted?” “That’s it” she replied, “He said the reason I didn’t get the job was because I had a habit of taking an extra half hour for lunch and that I delegated too much of my work to the temps in the office. It’s just unfair!” Rightly or wrongly we are often judged in the workplace, school and even the church by the little things, not the big things we do or don’t do. Could it not be said that the same holds true when it comes to our spiritual lives?
Day Two, October 4, Luke 16:15b; You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts, for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God. When we think about “justifying” ourselves we usually think about those times when we’ve been caught and tried to make it sound like we weren’t really in error. But today’s passage goes beyond that simple definition. It goes to the real reason we do things. Dale Carnegie once said that in most instances people have two reasons for the things they do, the real one and the one that sounds good. I’m sure we’ve all known people who justify their greed by appearing to be charitable, or who can spout scripture verses (usually out of context) to justify their prejudices. Several years ago, I knew a unscrupulous businessman who was the pillar of his church (fundamentalist, not liberal) and was looked up to by many because he continually made statements like, “See this diamond ring (or my new Lexus, etc), God gave it to me.” We need to not only be aware of the things we do, but the reasons we are doing them. God looks beyond our “reasons that sound (or look) good” and sees our inner motivation, what Carnegie called “the real reason”.
Day Three, Luke 17:1; Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! The King James Version uses the word “offences” for “Occasions for stumbling”. Neither the NRSV or KJV words really convey the meaning of the Greek text, which speaks of a trap that is deliberately set to ensnare or cause a scandal. What is more important than quibbling over language is that we understand the point of Jesus’ words. Jesus is using a negative to underline an important precept in not only spiritual growth and maturity but also basic human relations. We need to be careful about deliberately “setting traps” for other people in order to make them look bad or cause them to stumble. Most of us would condemn a person who placed a drink of whiskey in the hands of a reformed alcoholic, but how many of us have used the personality weaknesses of others to advance our own career or agenda? As children of God, we need to seek ways to build other people up, not find ways to tear them down. Yes, life can be competitive, but we should seek ways to compete fairly in the arena of ideas and business.
Day Four, Luke 3a; Be on your guard! Remember the old spiritual that says, “Not my mother, not my brother but it’s me O Lord…?” In 1998 I suffered a dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm, which necessitate my being life flighted from Tulsa to Houston’s Methodist Hospital. I was in the hospital for almost a month. The day I was to be released, one of the nurses suggested that I might need a shower. (Until the last week someone had come in and given me those famous hospital sponge baths). For some reason, the word hadn’t got to me that I was supposed to start bathing myself. As I took my shower, I began to understand why visitors had been standing as far away from me as possible during the past week! So it is with our lives, we can become so accustomed to ourselves and our way of doing things that we don’t really realize we “don’t smell like a rose.” Since nine-five percent of what we do and the way we interact with and treat others is habit, Jesus advises that we need to step back and in the words used by the King James in today’s text “Take heed to (y)ourselves!”
Day Five, Luke 17:3b; If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. All right! This is what most of us are really good at isn’t it? We can spot a “sinning” brother a mile away, and this verse gives us the hunting license we’ve been waiting for! Or does it? There are two little words that take away the hunting license. The first one is the word “sins” (trespass in the KJV). In the Greek text the word is “hamartanÅ”, meaning “to miss the mark”. This is a generic term we translate “sin”. We often loose sight of the fact that people can miss the mark through carelessness, as well as intentionally. The other word in the text is “rebuke”, which in the Greek means to “censure, admonish or forbid”. In other words, before we load up our hunting rifle, we need to first determine the severity of the “sin” against us. Was it an intentional, thought out scheme to cause us to stumble? Or was it something that was said or done carelessly, without thinking? Since the verse makes it clear that the purpose of the “rebuke” is to bring about repentance, our response should be more in the form of an admonishment than a harsh censure (which would alienate the person). When we take time to step back and consider the situation before speaking or acting, we avoid the regret that can come from acting in the heat of the moment.
Day Six, October 8, Luke 17:4; And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, “I repent,” you must forgive. This verse sheds more light on the previous lesson, because it is obvious that the missing of the mark here has to do with carelessness rather than intentional actions. The linguist that I checked indicated the word repent (as used here) referred to a person’s action after they perceived they had done something offensive. In both lessons, we are told that our response to their “repentance” must be to forgive. The Greek word translated “forgive” is “aphesis”, meaning to release from deserved penalty. It has nothing to do with “forgetting”, rather it means that we are willing to give up any claim we have for either retribution or revenge. When we “release” our claims against others we free our minds of the bitterness that clouds our thinking and hinders peace of mind.
Day Seven, Luke 17:5; The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
We all know that it runs against the grain of our culture to seek to live by the teachings of the verses we’ve been reflecting on. It runs contrary to the way we’ve become accustomed to behaving. But that is the way to constant inner peace and confident living according to Jesus. Faced with being told that they should learn to live by a different code than most people live by, the apostles response was that they didn’t think they could do it! They realized, like we do that this was the better way to live, but they just didn’t believe they had it in them, so they cried, “Increase our faith.” Jesus response is interesting. He tells them that if they have just a little faith (the faith they already had), they could do it, if they exercised it. God never ask us to do the impossible—he knows we already have the capability—we must simply apply our will to doing living as he wants us to.
Day One, Luke 16:10; Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. A woman who was passed over for a promotion said to me, “I am the most qualified for that position both educationally and in terms of experience. It’s just unfair!” Since I had some knowledge of the person who made the decision not to promote her, I knew there was something she wasn’t telling me, so I asked, “What’s unfair about the decision besides your education and experience, was it a gender thing?” She assured me it wasn’t. “Then, was it the criteria that Bill (not his real name) used in deciding who was promoted?” “That’s it” she replied, “He said the reason I didn’t get the job was because I had a habit of taking an extra half hour for lunch and that I delegated too much of my work to the temps in the office. It’s just unfair!” Rightly or wrongly we are often judged in the workplace, school and even the church by the little things, not the big things we do or don’t do. Could it not be said that the same holds true when it comes to our spiritual lives?
Day Two, October 4, Luke 16:15b; You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts, for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God. When we think about “justifying” ourselves we usually think about those times when we’ve been caught and tried to make it sound like we weren’t really in error. But today’s passage goes beyond that simple definition. It goes to the real reason we do things. Dale Carnegie once said that in most instances people have two reasons for the things they do, the real one and the one that sounds good. I’m sure we’ve all known people who justify their greed by appearing to be charitable, or who can spout scripture verses (usually out of context) to justify their prejudices. Several years ago, I knew a unscrupulous businessman who was the pillar of his church (fundamentalist, not liberal) and was looked up to by many because he continually made statements like, “See this diamond ring (or my new Lexus, etc), God gave it to me.” We need to not only be aware of the things we do, but the reasons we are doing them. God looks beyond our “reasons that sound (or look) good” and sees our inner motivation, what Carnegie called “the real reason”.
Day Three, Luke 17:1; Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! The King James Version uses the word “offences” for “Occasions for stumbling”. Neither the NRSV or KJV words really convey the meaning of the Greek text, which speaks of a trap that is deliberately set to ensnare or cause a scandal. What is more important than quibbling over language is that we understand the point of Jesus’ words. Jesus is using a negative to underline an important precept in not only spiritual growth and maturity but also basic human relations. We need to be careful about deliberately “setting traps” for other people in order to make them look bad or cause them to stumble. Most of us would condemn a person who placed a drink of whiskey in the hands of a reformed alcoholic, but how many of us have used the personality weaknesses of others to advance our own career or agenda? As children of God, we need to seek ways to build other people up, not find ways to tear them down. Yes, life can be competitive, but we should seek ways to compete fairly in the arena of ideas and business.
Day Four, Luke 3a; Be on your guard! Remember the old spiritual that says, “Not my mother, not my brother but it’s me O Lord…?” In 1998 I suffered a dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm, which necessitate my being life flighted from Tulsa to Houston’s Methodist Hospital. I was in the hospital for almost a month. The day I was to be released, one of the nurses suggested that I might need a shower. (Until the last week someone had come in and given me those famous hospital sponge baths). For some reason, the word hadn’t got to me that I was supposed to start bathing myself. As I took my shower, I began to understand why visitors had been standing as far away from me as possible during the past week! So it is with our lives, we can become so accustomed to ourselves and our way of doing things that we don’t really realize we “don’t smell like a rose.” Since nine-five percent of what we do and the way we interact with and treat others is habit, Jesus advises that we need to step back and in the words used by the King James in today’s text “Take heed to (y)ourselves!”
Day Five, Luke 17:3b; If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. All right! This is what most of us are really good at isn’t it? We can spot a “sinning” brother a mile away, and this verse gives us the hunting license we’ve been waiting for! Or does it? There are two little words that take away the hunting license. The first one is the word “sins” (trespass in the KJV). In the Greek text the word is “hamartanÅ”, meaning “to miss the mark”. This is a generic term we translate “sin”. We often loose sight of the fact that people can miss the mark through carelessness, as well as intentionally. The other word in the text is “rebuke”, which in the Greek means to “censure, admonish or forbid”. In other words, before we load up our hunting rifle, we need to first determine the severity of the “sin” against us. Was it an intentional, thought out scheme to cause us to stumble? Or was it something that was said or done carelessly, without thinking? Since the verse makes it clear that the purpose of the “rebuke” is to bring about repentance, our response should be more in the form of an admonishment than a harsh censure (which would alienate the person). When we take time to step back and consider the situation before speaking or acting, we avoid the regret that can come from acting in the heat of the moment.
Day Six, October 8, Luke 17:4; And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, “I repent,” you must forgive. This verse sheds more light on the previous lesson, because it is obvious that the missing of the mark here has to do with carelessness rather than intentional actions. The linguist that I checked indicated the word repent (as used here) referred to a person’s action after they perceived they had done something offensive. In both lessons, we are told that our response to their “repentance” must be to forgive. The Greek word translated “forgive” is “aphesis”, meaning to release from deserved penalty. It has nothing to do with “forgetting”, rather it means that we are willing to give up any claim we have for either retribution or revenge. When we “release” our claims against others we free our minds of the bitterness that clouds our thinking and hinders peace of mind.
Day Seven, Luke 17:5; The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
We all know that it runs against the grain of our culture to seek to live by the teachings of the verses we’ve been reflecting on. It runs contrary to the way we’ve become accustomed to behaving. But that is the way to constant inner peace and confident living according to Jesus. Faced with being told that they should learn to live by a different code than most people live by, the apostles response was that they didn’t think they could do it! They realized, like we do that this was the better way to live, but they just didn’t believe they had it in them, so they cried, “Increase our faith.” Jesus response is interesting. He tells them that if they have just a little faith (the faith they already had), they could do it, if they exercised it. God never ask us to do the impossible—he knows we already have the capability—we must simply apply our will to doing living as he wants us to.
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