Archive for May, 2009

Turning your back or walking away sounds cowardly - doesn’t it? There is something in our make-up that urges us to fight back. Revenge or payback seems so very sweet. In fact, fighting back seems to help us get where we want to go; or helps us protect our interests and defend our territory.

Payback is a kind of hunger, a lust, a deficit the brain seeks to fill. Wisecracks or other offenses that challenge people’s most cherished beliefs about themselves [their discretion, their generosity, their toughness, their intelligence, etc.] can prompt a craving to lash out much deeper. Many vengeful acts are covert, traveling in whispers or unforwarded messages, or in knowing glances and nasty rumors.

But God is NOT a fan of paybacks or retaliation games. He sees them take place between husbands and wives, parents and children, as well as, between siblings and friends. He observes folks clawing at each other on every level of society.

God wants us to overcome our natural reaction with a supernatural response. It is so common to retaliate in the face of unjust criticism or suffering, but Jesus reacted like a meek lamb when confronted with great adversity. 1st Peter 2:23 tells us that He could do this because He continued to entrust both Himself and those who mistreated Him entirely to God.

Paul exhorts us to display the marks of a true Christian [Romans 12: 17-21] by never re-paying evil for evil. Walking away when wronged is certainly not easy. It’s tough - so tough that it demands God’s empowering. When everything within us wants vindication, God sometimes calls us to silence.

Stay faithful and finish strong,
dale

I am pretty confident that Jesus [while He was on earth] never created something from nothing. Jesus used existing water to make wine, a fish’s mouth to deliver a coin for the temple tax, and a boy’s lunch to feed thousands.

God has an amazing way of meeting folks when they are hanging by a thread and then asking them for more rope. When Elijah needed food, he approached a starving widow [who barely had enough to feed herself and her son]. When the trusting widow offered her jar of oil, the oil was miraculously multiplied.

Those who are blessed with abundant resources must be willing to surrender a portion and willingly share with those in need. However, they need to be reminded that whatever is offered up is going to change form. Jesus will examine what you have, transform it, and multiply it in ways that could never be imagined.

Resources that are offered may not be recognizable - - their essence might be the same, but they will be multiplied. Whether it is a basket of left-over food, when you thought you had enough only for yourself, or a boat that is ready to sink with all the fish flopping on the deck - you will be amazed at what the Lord will do for you, through you, if you offer Him what you have.

Lord,
Take what we have, such as it is, and multiply it according to Your will. We are prepared to stand amazed. Amen.

Stay faithful and finish strong,
dale

God’s Word talks a lot about the importance of humility, but few seem to really understand what the concept means. After all, most of us were raised in a society that places value in things such as strength, assertiveness, and independence. From a tender age, men are taught to stand up for themselves, appear confident, and never show weakness. We all learn that the person who speaks loudest often gets what they want the quickest. Is it any wonder why so many folks believe that they should look out for themselves first before worrying about others?

The interesting thing about these values is that they run counter to the principles of humility that Jesus demonstrated in the Bible. He often humbled Himself and assumed the role of a servant. ‘God type’ humility means giving up the things to which you are entitled and freely offering them to someone else.

In a world where the concept of ’self-interest’ prevails, This seems like a very odd thing to do. But God wants us to put aside our pride - and obediently follow the example of Christ. James describes that it is only when we humble ourselves before God and admit our weakness that He can fill us with His strength and raise us up.

Lord,
What a hard lesson. For all of us. King of the mountain is a slippery place. Help us take the lowest place, and in so doing, honor You. Amen.

Stay faithful and finish strong,
dale

Do you know what muscle in the human body is exercised the most - - yet controlled the least? It’s the two ounce slab of muscle and nerves that enables us to taste, chew, swallow, whistle, and articulate words - the tongue.

It can be a sharp sword, plan deceit, devour, devise destruction, backbite, flatter, or even poison. Jesus points out that the tongue is not the real problem. [Matthew 15:10-11, 17-19] The tongue is neither friend nor foe. It’s merely the messenger that delivers the commands of the heart. Perhaps, every time we see James use the word tongue - we should think heart.

What comes out of our mouths reflects what is in our hearts. We will not always say and do the right things, but our desire should be that our speech [and actions] should reflect our authenticity of following Christ. Our lifestyle will display what we really are.

We are called to be people of integrity. Jesus urges [Matthew 5:37]: “let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’” Our evil speech does not begin with the yes or no of our lips, but with our hearts. Please read what Jesus taught in Matthew 12:34-37, “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

May our ‘yes’ be ‘yes.’

Stay faithful and finish strong,
dale