Appropriate Words

To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

 

Proverbs 15:23

 

 

 

For most, we generally give due attention to our dress. When invited to a party, dinner, or event, we take appropriate measures to ensure we are wearing proper attire. We would never attend a formal event in our running wear, or waltz into a pool party in formal wear.

 

However, we are not always nearly so careful with our words.

 

We don't always stop to consider whether or not they "fit the occasion." And yet, unlike our dress, words are of the greatest significance—death and life are in the power of the tongue (See Proverbs 18:21).

 

And all too often we play the fool.

 

Instead, we must consider the person to whom we are speaking. And we must choose the precise words that would serve them in that particular conversation. Proverbs 18:13 says, If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

 

We can look to 1 Thessalonians 5:14 as the "dress code" for our words. It tells us what words are appropriate for what occasion: And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

 

So let's ask ourselves:

 

Does someone need to be admonished or forgiven?

 

Does someone need to be warned or comforted?

 

Does someone need to be counseled or encouraged?

 

We take more then enough time to dress appropriately for our own reputation, so why not take time when we speak—to speak appropriately. When we do we bring glory to God and bless those who hear.

Finding Balance

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.

 

1 Peter 2:21

 

 

Many Christians, including myself and people I am close to, often state the need for "balance" in the Christian life. We have all heard statements such as, "The key to life is balance, balance, balance." It seems to make such sense and give us a feeling of freedom from anything that might distract us or take up too much of our time.

 

Many of us look for the perfect balance in our lives.

Just what is it that we're balancing?

 

Between a little bit of good and a little bit of bad?

 

Of course, in the practical aspects of day-to-day life, balance can be a good thing. We should balance our food intake, our activity level, commitments, etc. After all, it would not be a good thing to only eat hot fudge sundaes every day, or run everywhere we go and never walk.

 

We do need balance, but how do we apply it to the Christian life?

As believers, we are called to be like Christ.

 

How many of us would say that Jesus lived a "balanced" life?

 

Were Paul or Peter balanced men?

 

What about Noah or Abraham?

 

We wouldn't consider building an ark or leading hundreds of people out of Egypt marks of men concerned with balance—they were radical!

God has called and is preparing each of us for certain roles that only we can fulfill for His glory. One day I hope to fulfill the calling of being a wife and when thinking about balance in this particular role it makes one stop and think…

 

Would you be thinking, "Oh! I've spent too much time being a blessing to my husband this week. I really should cut back on that! I need to be balanced." Instead, would you not want to radically throw yourself into being the very best wife to your husband you can be for God's glory?

Throughout God's Word, we are commanded to obey Him and be conformed to His image. At times this may require us to do things others consider extreme and we might be encouraged to "find some balance."

 

But, perhaps, it is not about being balanced, but instead keeping our focus on God. God is and has everything in complete balance and order—whether it is physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Thus as we focus on Him we will be in that complete balance and order in relation to the Christian life and that which God is calling us to.

Christmas Time And Lasting Joy

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart... they are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

 

Psalm 19:8,10

 

 

 

Christmas time is busy and there is always a lot to do. It can also be a time that we allow temptation to creep in and let a few things slide.

 

You know the thought:

 

"Things will settle down after the holidays and I will get back to it then."

 

Often times, the spiritual disciplines can be the first to go.

 

We usually don't feel the immediate effect of skipping a few devotional times here and there, but what happens if we don't get our presents wrapped in time or the pies made before the big meal?

 

That would be a disaster!

 

Ah, however the neglect of the spiritual disciplines will have greater consequences. Over time, our heart will begin to grow cold to the things of the Lord. And no amount of Christmas cheer will provide the fix.

 

But if we give priority to our time in God's Word and to prayer, we will find renewed joy each and every day—joy that sticks in the midst of Christmas craziness.

 

So as things get busy, be sure to keep the spiritual disciplines at the top of your Christmas to do list, and experience true holiday cheer—lasting joy!

Safe

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.

 

Psalm 27:5

 

 

 

We are safe, not because we are strong.
We are safe, not because we live in comfort.

We are safe, not because of money or power.

We are safe, not because of position or intellect.

We are safe, not because of who we know or where we live.

We are safe, not because we are immune from disease or free of the potential for poverty.
We are safe, not because we have no trouble or because we never experience danger.

 

We are safe, because of the life we have been given from God.

We are safe, because of the glorious mystery of God.
We are safe, because of divine grace.

We are safe, because of divine mercy.
We are safe, because of divine wisdom.
We are safe, because of divine power.
We are safe, because of the presence of boundless love.

 

We will live with faith, courage, perseverance, and hope in all things for we are safe when we find our place in God.

 

Crying Out To God

I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
         with my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.

 

Psalm 142:1

 

 

Whew! The young man rakes his hand through sweaty dark hair and collapses against the damp cave wall, grateful for the sheltering darkness. He is almost sobbing with mingled relief, fear, and anger.

After saving his nation by a daring feat with a sling and becoming a popular captain in the army, after soothing the king with his musical talent and marrying into the royal family, this once-celebrated hero has been forced to flee his home following four attempts on his life.

 

The cause?

 

A king's jealousy!

 

And as if that weren't enough, someone has betrayed his hiding place. Becoming desperate, he took refuge with his bitter enemy: the king of the Philistines.

 

What a fiasco!

 

Now he has barely escaped with his life to this lonely cave, and his frustration is at flood level.

There is only one thing to do. After filling and lighting a tiny clay lamp, he reaches into the front of his tunic. Yes, there is the writing case. A small bottle of water and a cake of ink, a reed pen, a scrap of parchment, and he is ready.

To understand read Psalm 142 it is written by David in the cave—a prayer.

I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.
I pour out my complaint before Him;

I declare before Him my trouble.
         
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly set a snare for me.

Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.
         
I cried out to You, O Lord:
I said, "You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.

Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.

Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;

The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.

David, the fugitive who later became king, had a refuge—he took his needs straight to God.

Now don't get me wrong. This wasn't just some pious exercise. David was upset, afraid, and angry, and he "told it like it was." But he didn't stop with how he felt. He went on to remind himself of God's character, and as he did, he began to see his problems from the perspective of the King of the Universe.

The book of Psalms in the Bible is a collection of prayer-poems addressed to God. Hebrew poets used a simple but powerful form: a patterning of repeated thoughts, instead of rhymes. (See lines 2 and 3 of the psalm above for an example.) They also used such familiar things as storms and stars, trees and towers, beasts and battles to draw vivid word pictures of their needs and of God's greatness in answering those needs.

 

God is always available in time of need or plenty, but most of all He is always listening to His children—cry out to God.

Gaining Spiritual Muscle While Waiting

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart;
wait, I say, on the Lord!

 

Psalm 27:14

 

 

When God asks you to wait, what happens to your spiritual muscles?

 

While you wait do your spiritual muscles grow bigger and stronger or do they grow flaccid and atrophied?

 

Waiting for the Lord isn't about God forgetting you, forsaking you, or being unfaithful to His promises. It's actually God giving you time to consider His glory and to grow stronger in faith. Remember, waiting isn't just about what you're hoping for at the end of the wait, but also about what you'll become as you wait.

So, waiting always presents us with a spiritual choice or point if you will. Are we going to question God's goodness and progressively grow weaker in faith, or will we embrace the opportunity of faith that God is giving us and build our spiritual muscles?

It's so easy to revisit your belief system when you're not sure what God is doing. It's so easy to give way to doubt when you're being called to wait. It's so easy to forsake good habits and to take up habits that manifest unfaithfulness and doubt that weaken the muscles of the heart.

 

Let's look at a few habits that breed unfaithfulness or doubt while waiting, that tends to increase weakness rather than of building strength:

1. Giving way to doubt– There's a fine line between the struggle to wait and giving way to doubt. When you're called to wait you're being called to do something that wasn't part of your plan, and therefore something that you struggle to see as good. Because you're convinced that what you wanted was right and good, it doesn't seem loving that you're being asked to wait. You can see how tempting it is then to begin to consider questioning of God's wisdom, goodness, and love.

2. Giving way to anger– It's very easy to look around and begin to think that the bad guys are being blessed and the good guys are getting hammered (See Psalm 73). There'll be times when it simply doesn't seem right that you have to wait for something that seems so obviously good to you. It'll feel that you're being wronged, and when it does, it seems right to be angry. Because of this, it's important to understand that the anger you feel in these moments is more than anger with the people or circumstances that are the visible cause for your waiting. No, your anger is actually anger with the One who's in control of those people and those circumstances. You're actually giving way to thinking that you've been wronged by God—which is far from the truth.

3. Giving way to discouragement– This is where you begin to let your heart run away with the "If only" the "What if," and the "What will happen if." This kind of meditation makes you feel as if your life is out of control. Rather than your heart being filled with joy, your heart gets flooded with worry and dread. Don't allow free mental time to result in discouragement.

4. Giving way to envy– When you are waiting, it's very tempting to look over the fence and wish for the life of someone who doesn't appear to have been called to wait. It's very easy to take on an "I wish I was that guy..." way of living. You can't give way to envy without questioning God's wisdom and His love. Here's the logic; if God really loves you as much as He loves that other guy, you would have what the other guys has. Envy is about feeling forgotten and forsaken, coupled with a craving to have what the other guy enjoys.

5. Giving way to inactivity– The result of giving way to all of these things is inactivity.
Sadly, this is the course that many people take as they wait. Rather than continue to actively grow in faith, they allow doubt, anger, discouragement, and envy destroy their motivation for spiritual exercise, and the muscles of faith that were once robust and strong, are now atrophied and weak.

The reality of waiting is that it's an expression of God's goodness.

 

God's timing is always right and His focus isn't so much on what you'll experience and enjoy, but on what you'll become in the process of waiting. He's committed to using every tool at His disposal to rescue you from you and to shape you into the likeness of His Son—Jesus Christ.

 

The fact is that waiting is one of His primary shaping tools.

So, how do you build your spiritual muscles during the wait?

 

Well, you must commit yourself to resist those habits of unfaithfulness and doubt and with discipline pursue a rigorous routine of spiritual exercise.

 

What's the equipment in God's gym of faith?

 

Here are the things that He's designed for you that will build the muscles of your heart and strengthen your resolve:

 

• Regular study of His Word and being in prayer
• Putting yourself under excellent preaching and teaching of Scripture
• Investing your quiet mental time in meditating on the goodness of God (for example, as you are going off to sleep)
• Consistent godly fellowship
• Reading excellent Christian books

 

All of these things will result in spiritual strength and vitality.

Is God asking you to wait?

 

What's happening to your muscles?

Obedience Based Decisions

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.

 

Acts 5:23

 

So often we as a society equate numbers with success.

 

Think about planning a conference for a minute... what would happen if registrations were not where they needed to be a few weeks before the date of the event and you began to get frustrated about the level of attendance. Would you immediately allow that to drive you to gather up more to attend or would you be satisfied with those faithful few that would be attending?

 

We are all called to be led by the Spirit, not by outcomes. If God called us to put on a conference, then the outcome is up to Him if we have done our part.

So the day comes for the conference and you know you have done what the Holy Spirit has directed. The speaker stands up and begins to welcome people as though there were many in the room (even though no one is in the room at all). He introduces his friend and they begin the meeting. A few minutes later, people start to straggle in and by the time the meeting is over, ten had shown up, and one man in particular was impacted by the meeting.

Being led by the Spirit often means we must not use the world's standard for success as our measuring stick. You never know what an act of obedience will yield at the time—we must leave the results to God. Our role is to obey and from our obedience we will see the results and blessings that God has in store for us, even if it was not what we had expected or planned on.

Do you make decisions based on the potential outcome or by the direction of the Holy Spirit in your life?

 

Do you overly evaluate the pros and cons without consideration to what the Holy Spirit might be saying deep inside?

 

We are all prone to make decisions based on reasoning alone, instead ask God to give you a willingness and ability to hear the Holy Spirit and to obey His promptings.