Read: James 3:1-12
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. James 3:9-12
In the mid-1970s boycotters of a certain oil company proudly sported bumper stickers conveying their sentiment. As my family traveled through Ohio one day, my mother spotted a car flaunting two incongruous messages: “Honk if you love Jesus” and “To Hell with Shell!” How absurd it seems; yet often our lives convey the same types of conflicting statements.
We bless out of one side of our mouths and curse out of the other. I have stood in church to pray and later that day yelled at my children in anger. I have witnessed of God’s love to a person, then cut him down behind his back. This kind of behavior does nothing but harm our testimony in front of unbelievers and place stumbling blocks in front of young Christians.
What about your life? I’m sure we all can come up with examples. Do people see the bumper sticker for your favorite Christian radio station on your rear bumper—right after you have cut them off in traffic? Do they see a Bible on your desk while you are telling an off-color joke? Do you e-mail inspirational messages to friends, but have a bikini screen-saver or visit inappropriate websites? God wants us to have a consistent testimony, one that brings glory to Him, and draws others to Him. An old hymn states, “What you are speaks so loud that the world can’t hear what you say.” Let’s all encourage each other and pray for one another that we’ll have consistent speech and consistent actions. It’s what God meant for us.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
MLK Day
As we pause and remember what MLK did, let's remember that God used him to positively impact the world and break down racial barriers even though he had the known flaws of womanizing and plagiarism. I say this not to disparage him, but to show that even though you and I may have our own shortcomings, weaknesses, and behavioral problems, we can be used to impact our world as well.
Also, when a politician or other leader has skeletons in his or her closet, remember that they can change and still do good things. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone can put those things they'd rather forget behind them and move forward to complete their purposes in life. God forgives, and we should, too.
Also, when a politician or other leader has skeletons in his or her closet, remember that they can change and still do good things. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone can put those things they'd rather forget behind them and move forward to complete their purposes in life. God forgives, and we should, too.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
It's Your Job
Read: Deuteronomy 6
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
I used to get so angry at my children—not when they willfully disobeyed and had to be punished, but when they took up my time over and over again with the same things. Things like not picking up their toys, storing food on the floor of their room so the dog could get it, leaving dishes in the living room, not closing juice bottles, leaving dirty clothes all over. In other words, just acting like the immature human beings they are. As I related my frustration to a friend, she was appalled at my attitude. I could tell she wanted to rake me over the coals, but in her wisdom all she said was exactly what I needed to hear: “Get over it. Until they’ve moved out, they’re the primary job that God has given you.”
I thought about the things that I let get to me, and realized they were miniscule in comparison with what really mattered. Certainly we are to teach our children responsibility and work ethic. But far superseding this is the need for us to teach them about God’s love for us and his desire for us to be like Him. When you see the beauty of creation, talk about God’s power. As you watch TV together bring up God’s principles that you see being followed or violated. When you are wrong (like showing anger incorrectly), admit it, ask their forgiveness, and solicit suggestions from them on godly ways you could have handled it. Pray with them. Read the Bible with them. And then after they leave home, continue to pray for them and be ready to give biblical advice when asked. Remember, they’re your primary job.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
I used to get so angry at my children—not when they willfully disobeyed and had to be punished, but when they took up my time over and over again with the same things. Things like not picking up their toys, storing food on the floor of their room so the dog could get it, leaving dishes in the living room, not closing juice bottles, leaving dirty clothes all over. In other words, just acting like the immature human beings they are. As I related my frustration to a friend, she was appalled at my attitude. I could tell she wanted to rake me over the coals, but in her wisdom all she said was exactly what I needed to hear: “Get over it. Until they’ve moved out, they’re the primary job that God has given you.”
I thought about the things that I let get to me, and realized they were miniscule in comparison with what really mattered. Certainly we are to teach our children responsibility and work ethic. But far superseding this is the need for us to teach them about God’s love for us and his desire for us to be like Him. When you see the beauty of creation, talk about God’s power. As you watch TV together bring up God’s principles that you see being followed or violated. When you are wrong (like showing anger incorrectly), admit it, ask their forgiveness, and solicit suggestions from them on godly ways you could have handled it. Pray with them. Read the Bible with them. And then after they leave home, continue to pray for them and be ready to give biblical advice when asked. Remember, they’re your primary job.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Trapped!
Read: I Timothy 6
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
I Timothy 6:6-10
When my Uncle John was young, he set traps all over the woods on my grandparent’s farm. Every day, he checked those traps for animals to skin and then sold the pelts. Mink, a rare commodity, were difficult to catch since they would rather chew their foot off than stay in the trap. One day Uncle John caught a mink’s foot. The next day, a second foot appeared in the same trap. And the day after that, another foot. Finally, on the fourth day, he caught a mink minus three feet! Evidently, the bait he was using was too irresistible for that poor little animal.
We are like that mink. Satan puts out traps for us and we wander into them knowing that they will hurt us. The desire for money, power, or fame draws us into acting in ways that would break God’s laws or hurt our relationships with others. I struggle with my aspirations to be recognized for my technical achievements. Because of this, I am sometimes tempted to spend too much time at work, thus depriving my family of my time.
What is your biggest trap? Satan knows how to play on our perceived needs, drawing us again and again to the same trap, eventually hoping to ruin us for God’s service or even, in some cases, to prematurely end our lives. Let’s learn that God supplies everything we need (Philippians 4:19) and see Satan’s traps for what they truly are.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
I Timothy 6:6-10
When my Uncle John was young, he set traps all over the woods on my grandparent’s farm. Every day, he checked those traps for animals to skin and then sold the pelts. Mink, a rare commodity, were difficult to catch since they would rather chew their foot off than stay in the trap. One day Uncle John caught a mink’s foot. The next day, a second foot appeared in the same trap. And the day after that, another foot. Finally, on the fourth day, he caught a mink minus three feet! Evidently, the bait he was using was too irresistible for that poor little animal.
We are like that mink. Satan puts out traps for us and we wander into them knowing that they will hurt us. The desire for money, power, or fame draws us into acting in ways that would break God’s laws or hurt our relationships with others. I struggle with my aspirations to be recognized for my technical achievements. Because of this, I am sometimes tempted to spend too much time at work, thus depriving my family of my time.
What is your biggest trap? Satan knows how to play on our perceived needs, drawing us again and again to the same trap, eventually hoping to ruin us for God’s service or even, in some cases, to prematurely end our lives. Let’s learn that God supplies everything we need (Philippians 4:19) and see Satan’s traps for what they truly are.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Top 10 Things Not to Say to Your Mother
10. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you for that!
9. Well, it’s not a snake, so I’m still alive.
8. If beds aren’t made for jumping on, then why do they have springs in them?
7. It’s more economical and ecologically friendly to drink directly from the jug. See—no dirty glass!
6. But Lucky said that if I don’t feed him from the table, he’ll kill me in my sleep.
5. Scientists have shown that bread crusts contain carcinogens!
4. Of course I was born in a barn. Weren’t you there, too?
3. But running with scissors is okay if you point them away from you.
2. This doesn’t taste quite the same. Are you sure you followed Grandma’s recipe?
And now for the number one thing not to say to your mother:
1. If I come home drunk enough, I can sleep in any kind of filth.
9. Well, it’s not a snake, so I’m still alive.
8. If beds aren’t made for jumping on, then why do they have springs in them?
7. It’s more economical and ecologically friendly to drink directly from the jug. See—no dirty glass!
6. But Lucky said that if I don’t feed him from the table, he’ll kill me in my sleep.
5. Scientists have shown that bread crusts contain carcinogens!
4. Of course I was born in a barn. Weren’t you there, too?
3. But running with scissors is okay if you point them away from you.
2. This doesn’t taste quite the same. Are you sure you followed Grandma’s recipe?
And now for the number one thing not to say to your mother:
1. If I come home drunk enough, I can sleep in any kind of filth.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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