No bankruptcy allowed!....

Romans 13:8 "Owe nothing to any man except to love one another...".

In this day of overwhelming credit card debt and maxed out lines of credit, we are barraged by ads touting bankruptcy as our solution.  While that is a viable option for some, the real issue is trying to stay out of debt in the first place.  Throughout the Bible we are reminded both of the dangers of debt and the obligation to pay what we owe.

However, there is a debt I can never fully repay, and I don't have the option of filing bankruptcy. Based upon God's undeserved, unfailing, never-ending love for me, I owe a debt of love back to Him, and He wants me to repay it by giving it freely to others.

Just as I don't like "automatic deductions" from my checking account, neither do I want them from my spiritual account.  I want to be actively invoved in paying my debt of love to God (the "principal") by loving others (the "interest").  I don't know who the Holy Spirit will bring across my path today, but I do know He wants me to share His concern for them and to find a way to express God's love to them.

Lord, thank you for entrusting me with your love.  Please love through me those I encounter today. Amen

Rules are rules!...

John 5:10 "So the Jews kept saying to the man who was healed, 'It is not lawful to pick up your bed.'"

I put the following scenario to my teachers this morning:  They have a student who struggles with creative writing.  He just can't get his ideas organized and on paper.  After a lesson in which the teacher tried a new approach, she saw the young man smile and start scribbling furiously on his paper.  He finally got it and she could hardly wait to read his story.  When she came to his paper, much to her dismay, she noticed that he had written his rough draft in ink...a cardinal sin!  The rule said it must be done in pencil or it automatically goes in the trash.  So....what should she do?  After all, rules are rules.

The man in this passage had just been miraculously healed.  After 38 years of being crippled, he found himself walking around with his bed roll under his arm!  When the Jewish leaders (who must have seen him daily, lying at the side of the pool) saw him walking, their response was to me unthinkable.  They accused him of breaking the law (which carried the punishment of stoning).  He was breaking their law (not God's law!).  They focused so much on the offense that they missed the miracle! 

How often do I miss what God is doing in someone's life because I can't see past his "offenses"? Rules and procedures are necessary and good, but they sometimes get in the way of mercy and grace.  I find it challenging to keep both concepts in perspective.  That's why I must start my day in the Word, learning and remembering what Jesus would have me to do, realigning my priorities with His.  Only then can I hope to consistently see others through His eyes.

God, please help me to balance rules with mercy today. Thank you that you do that in my life.

No ordinary response allowed...

Romans 12:17  "Not repaying anyone evil for evil; being careful to do what is right in the sight of all men."

How do you respond/react when someone attacks you?  My natural inclination is to defend myself and counter-attack.  After all, isn't that my right?  Isn't that natural?

The little phrase, "being careful to do" is literally translated, "thinking beforehand", and the word, "right" means that which is intrinsically good (the exact opposite of  "evil").  God wants me to to think before I react.  He doesn't say not to defend myself, but He does say to be careful not to stoop to the level of the attacker. 

We are constantly being observed, both by others and by God Himself (2 Cor 8:21).  Both Christians and non-Christians are watching our actions and reactions to see if we are any different than themselves.  It is easy to be ordinary in my reactions, but God wants me to be extraordinary.  How do I do it?  By thinking ahead of time; by anticipating; by asking God at the beginning of my day to help me respond to everyone in a way that directs them to Him.

Lord, I want to honor You in all things today.  Please guard my heart, mind, and emotions.  Help me, Holy Spirit, to respond to others as You would.  Thank you for not repaying me evil for evil!  Amen.

Humble and proud of it!

Romans 12:16 "Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.  Do not be wise in your own estimation."

We all know people who are "full of themselves", self important, "legends in their own minds."  We think to ourselves, "I'm glad I'm not like that."  But...are we that different from them?

I like to think of myself as humble, not above associating with anyone.  But am I really?  How did I respond the last time an obviously needy person asked if he could clean my windshield while I pumped gas into my truck?  Did I engage him in conversation?  Did I even think of sharing the Good News with him?  Was I genuinely concerned about his situation?  Or did I brush him off, hoping he would go bother someone else?

I find myself facing decisions like that more and more often.  My usual response troubles me, as I am sure it must trouble God.  I don't need to always give money to those who ask, but I could go into the shop and buy him a cup of coffee and something to eat.  I could take a few minutes to "associate with the lowly", hear his story, pray with him.

Where would I be if Jesus chose not to "associate with the lowly"?  I'd rather not think about it.

Lord, as always, I ask You to direct my steps today and to see interruptions as Divine appointments, especially when I am "accosted" by those with whom I'd rather not interact.  Lord, please let me see through your eyes, love with your heart, act as your hands.

What do you mean, it's not all about me?

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who are rejoicing, weep with those who are weeping."

I heard an amusing, though uncomfortably accurate, definition of major and minor surgery.  Major surgery is what happens to me.  Minor surgery is what happens to you.

One of the best lines in Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life, is "It's not about you."  Therein lies the problem for many of us (me!).  I become so self-absorbed and preoccupied with what's going on with me that I am oblivious to the situations of my brothers and sisters, at the most paying lip service to them ("I'll pray for you.").

Nestled in Paul's description of the church as the body of Christ is the phrase, "if one member suffers, all the members suffer; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."  What happens to you affects me and vice versa. We're interconnected, interdependent.  Fellowship, a key concept in body life, means that I participate with you in times of rejoicing and in times of sorrow.  I'm not merely a spectator.

Lord, help me today to pay attention to my brothers and sisters.  Help me feel with them, to encourage them, to bless them and, in so doing, to honor You.

How to deal with those who bug you...

Romans 12:14 "as to those who persecute ("pursue") you, bless them, do not curse them."

Our little ADHD puppy loves to pursue his two older "brothers".  I'm sure Bentley and Rascal see him as persecuting them.  He is constantly wanting to rough-house with them.  Their reaction?  From their ferocious growling, I take it that they are not blessing him!

For the early church (and the church in many countries today) this situation was the norm.  They were constantly being persecuted.  Just look at how the Jewish leaders doggedly pursued Paul in city after city.  He didn't "roll over"...he confronted them.  But in those confrontations, we never see him cursing them.  I don't see him blessing them either, for that matter, but I assume he did.

This is a hard one for me.  Why should I bless someone who is wrongly attacking me?  It goes back to God wanting to make me more like Jesus (Rom 8:29).  Look how He responded when persecuted.  It also has to do with God's sovereignty and omniscience.  He sees the "big picture" and has a plan, not only for us, but for those who are giving us a hard time...and He is allowing us the privilege of participating with Him in the process!

I can't remember a time when someone was pursuing me and seeking to harm me, but I often find myself harassed by telemarketers and others who want something from me, who interrupt my schedule.  I'm afraid that I react a lot like my dogs.  My first inclination is to growl.  I think God would be more pleased if I saw those irritating interruptions as Divine appointments.  What would that telemarketer think if I blessed him and asked if I could pray for him? 

Lord, help me to respond like Jesus to everyone I encounter today.

How do I discern between better and best?...

Philippians 1:9-10  "And this I pray, that your love may abound still  more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ."

God's goal for me is to live like Jesus ("sincere and blameless").  He wants my journey to be marked by wise choices, growing in my ability to sort out the "best" from the "good" and the "better".  I don't have much difficulty distinguishing good from bad, but as the differences become more subtle, it gets harder to discern which direction to take.

Paul's prayer sheds some light on the process.  The key for me is to consistently demonstrate God's selfless, outward-oriented love toward those He brings across my path.  In turn, that causes me to abound (cool word..."to grow greatly") in "real knowledge" (knowledge coupled with experience) and discernment (the ability to sort things out).  This leads to my being able to see which choice is the best ("excellent").

As I walk consistently with God, I become more attuned to His voice, His nudging, and I am able to confidently follow His lead.  It all starts with Him and He graciously involves me in the process. 

I love this "faith walk" and can hardly wait to see what He has planned for today!

Lord, you're moving me out of my comfort zone...

Romans 12:13 "...as to the needs of the saints:  contributing, practicing hospitality..."

When I was a little kid growing up in church, one of my favorite words was "fellowship".  I loved to see it in the church bulletin and it caught my attention when it was mentioned from the pulpit.  You see, to me, fellowship equated to food, lots of it.  As I have matured, so has my concept of fellowship.  It actually means to participate with others based on something you have in common.

When Paul was reviewing characteristics of the church, fellowship had to do with helping those in need, participating in blessing them financially.  How do I respond when the Holy Spirit makes me aware of someone's need?  Do I pray for them?  Do I go beyond praying and become involved?  That's what scripture says we should do.

The other key concept that is mentioned in this passage is "practicing hospitality".  I always equated this with food also.  I must have been a hungry kid!  I thought it meant having someone over for dinner.  Hospitality comes from a word that means, "love of strangers".  The word "practice" means "to pursue".  Hospitality goes far beyond a dinner invitation.  To practice hospitality is to be proactive, to be looking for opportunities to demonstrate Christ's love to someone we may not know.  It goes hand in hand with participating in the needs of the saints.

The early church was a persecuted church; Christians were on the move, fleeing from the likes of a young Saul.  When they came into a strange town or city, it was the local fellowship of Believers to whom they turned for food and shelter.

I like to be comfortable, but the Holy Spirit is constantly moving me out of my comfort zone.  I find security in my schedule, but He continually disrupts my routine.  I "need" to hold on to my "stuff", but God keeps loosening my grip and reminding me that what He has given me is for His use.  He pushes me to pursue hospitality and sharing with those in need.

Lord, who I am and what I have is yours.  Please feel free to use me today in whatever way You like.

Baby steps from faith to FAITH...

John 4:50, 53  "The man believed the word that Jesus spoke and he started off...so the father knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus had said, 'Your son lives', and he himself believed and his household."

The nobleman in this passage had heard (or possibly witnessed) the miracles Jesus had done in Jerusalem and he found himself in a crisis.  His son was dying.  He heard that Jesus was in Cana of Galilee, so he set off to find Him and bring Him to his son in Capernaum.  He had seen and heard enough to believe Jesus might be able to do something for him.  Upon encountering Jesus and begging Him to come heal his son, he was told to go home, that his son would live.  His faith grew to the point that he obeyed and headed home.  Part way there his servants met him and told him that his son's fever had broken (at the exact time Jesus spoke those words to him)...and his faith increased.  Baby steps.

Jesus accepts us where we are, but he won't allow us to stay there.  He constantly works in and around us to deepen our faith. Sometimes it's baby steps; other times it is a leap of faith.  He wants us to move out of our comfort zone.  I love the adventure of "faith-walking"!  At times it feels precarious because I have relinquished control, but it is exhilarating when God come through and I realize that I've marked another step in my spiritual growth.

Lord, I trust You.  Please guide my steps today.  Help me to grow in my faith, even if it's baby steps.

Grow up!!

Ephesians 4:15  "But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ."

The jamb on the door leading form the garage into the house needs repainting.  It's smudged and marked up with "graffiti", but as long as I live in that house, it will never be covered up with paint.  Why not?  Because that "graffiti" is comprised of pen and pencil marks chronicling the growth of my four granddaughters.  Beside each mark is a date, a name, and a measurement.  My, how they have grown!

When I was growing up, I had the goal of being over 6' tall.  I didn't have much control over it, but I measured myself regularly, hoping to see some indication of progress.  Finally during the summer between 9th and 10th grades I had a growth spurt and I surpassed my goal.

God measures my spiritual growth.  It may not be written on a door jamb, but it is noted somewhere.  He measures me against a standard to which I'll never fully attain. He is working in me to grow me to the stature of His Son, Jesus.  He uses His Word, interaction with other believers, "equipping" from spirit-gifted pastors and teachers, and exercising my gifts; He does it in the context of the body (the church).  That's where we are equipped and have opportunity to use our spiritual gifts.

God doesn't force me to go to church.  He has placed me in the body of believers and offers me the fellowship and teaching I need to grow.  If I want to progress in my journey toward the image of Christ, I will joyfully do it in the company of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Second Hand Faith...

John 4:39-42 "And from that city many believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified...and He stayed there two days...and many more believed because of His word; and they were saying, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.'"

Most of us with children raise them in the context of our faith.  We read Bible stories with them, take them to Sunday School and youth activities, and teach them to pray.  We teach them at an early age and somewhere along the line they come to believe in Jesus.

However, as they mature, there comes a time when they must personally take ownership of their faith.  "Second hand" faith doesn't suffice; they need a first hand encounter with Christ.  Depending upon what form this process takes, it is more or less a painful experience for us as parents.  It's normal and natural for young people to ask tough questions, to bump against the boundaries, to see for themselves what is real and what is not.  A "rebellious" teen doesn't necessarily equate with failed parenting.

Just as God is long suffering toward us, so He wants us to be with our kids.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit who "fills in the gaps" in my parenting, Who loves my children more than I, and Who knows them inside out. I love it when I finally see them living out THEIR faith!

Hope and Prayer - the Prerequisites for Perseverence

Romans 12:12 "rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer..."

These three concepts are intertwined and somewhat interdependent.  As I rejoice in the hope I have in Jesus, trusting His plan and timing, and as I am pushing forward in prayer so that I have open communication with the Father, I then am able to persevere in whatever trials I encounter.  Take away the hope or the prayer and I lose my ability to cope with suffering.

Jesus is our prime example of this.  Heb 12:2 says, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Lord, as I see what You did for me, how Your hope ("the joy set before Him") and your communion with the Father gave You the strength to suffer for me, I ask that You would build in me that same hope and dedication to prayer.

Which way to you pull on the leash?

Romans 12:11  "not lagging behind in diligence fervent in spirit, serving the Lord..."

Each morning our little dogs take me for a brief walk before I head for the office.  They each walk at a pace that reflects their personality.  Oliver, our hyperactive puppy, would pull my arm off if he were bigger.  He's always on the lookout for an adventure, ever on the go.  Rascal is also active, but more controlled, and he walks right beside me.  Bentley, our little "OCD" (obsessive compulsive disorder) dog lags behind, occasionally digging in his feet and refusing to go in the direction I'm leading.  The four of us must be a sight!!

Depending on my mood and energy level, my walk with Jesus can resemble any one of our dogs.  How would He want me to walk?  I think He'd prefer that I walk alongside, attentive to His direction.  Paul describes it as fervent, a word that describes a boiling pot of liquid.  He wants us to be excited, anticipating, attentive, and willing to go in whatever direction the Holy Spirit leads. 

Unfortunately, I sometimes tend to be "slothful".  The word has the idea of lagging behind, procrastinating.  I find myself battling procrastination more than I like to admit.  It's so much easier to "think about it tomorrow", that is until "tomorrow" comes.  My desire is to discern God's priorities for my time and energy and to invest in them diligently, excitedly, wholeheartedly.

Lord, help me today to actively look for the divine appointments you have for me and let me serve you with my whole heart..  Amen

Love, hate, and hypocrisy...

Romans 12:9 "Let love be without hypocrisy, abhoring what is evil and clinging to that which is good."

Two interesting descriptions of love..."without hypocrisy" and "abhoring/clinging". Hypocrisy has to do with do with putting on a false front, having a hidden agenda.  To abhor something is to shrink back from, to hate or detest that which is evil.  The word translated "clinging" has to do with being glued or cemented in such a way that the two pieces are inseparable. 

If we love someone in this way, we will be open and honest with them; no hidden agendas or ulterior motives.  In that spirit of honesty, we are to be careful not to compromise when there is sin.  If I truly love someone, I will confront and expose sin if it is present.  I will do it lovingly, but I will not gloss it over.  Similarly, I will endorse and emphasize the good that I see.

God's love towards us is like that...He doesn't compromise, won't let us get away with sinning. He holds us accountable.  He loves us so much that He is totally open and honest...no hidden agendas, no sugar coating.  We also bask in the glow of His pleasure as He sees us doing good, making wise choices.

I always know where I stand with Him.  His Holy Spirit in me makes sure of that.  I love it when I sense Him smiling at me.  It motivates me to follow Him more closely.

Worship 24/7...

John 4:23 "...true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers."

I grew up going to church.  My mom was my Sunday School teacher, my dad was an elder and one of the worship leaders.  Church was at the core of our family experience.  I identified worship with that location.  It was something we did in that building on Sundays and Wednesdays.

As I look back on it, that mindset was pretty convenient.  If worship, and therefore God, was in that building, I was free to do as I pleased when I wasn't there.  My spiritual life was compartmentalized.

As I matured and gained more understanding of the Word, my concept of worship expanded.  I came to realize that worship of God isn't confined to a location.  Although I need and desire the fellowship of believers that I experience on Sundays, I don't have to go to "church" to worship.  As I understand Scripture, all I do each day ought to be an act of worship.  Colossians 3:17 says, "Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  That's worship!

Lord, I give this day to You, asking that You give me discerning ears and eyes, so that every conversation, every task is done in Your Name as an act of worship.  Amen.

"Under Construction"....that's me!

Romans 12:2 "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

I was watching a public television program last night about restoring vintage camping trailers.  These guys would find an old Airstream  and make the outside look like it had just come from the factory.  But the real work was on the inside.  They gutted them and rebuilt the insides to their personal specifications.  These customized interiors were not just restored, they were made new ("renewed").  Every trailer, though they might look alike on the exterior, was a unique creation on the inside.

It's like that with us.  God wants to make us new from the inside out.  This "renewal" process keeps going until we get to Heaven.  While on earth, we're never a finished project.

Renewing...it's a joint process between the Holy Spirit and us.  He uses God's Word and our daily walk.  We read, memorize, meditate on Scripture and the Holy Spirit applies it to our experience to grow us, to renew our minds, so that each day we think more like Jesus. (Col 3:10; 2 Cor 4:16; Tit 3:5; Eph 4:23; Ps 119:9,11)

Faith...size doesn't matter!

Rom 12:3 "...do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but think so as to have sound judgment, as God as allotted to each a measure of faith."

We have three little white dogs.  When giving them treats, Rascal and Oliver devour theirs, but Bentley takes his sweet time.  He spends more time protecting his snack from his brothers than he does eating it!  So...(don't tell Bentley this!) we usually give bigger portions of the snacks to Rascal and Oliver in hopes that by the time they're done, Bentley will also have finished.

Although there's something about it that doesn't quite seem fair, God does the same thing when He gives us faith.  Eph 2:8 tells me that faith is a gift from God.  In the Rom 12 passage, Paul says that God gives us each an allotment, and infers that the allotment differs from believer to believer.  The larger context is that of exercising our spiritual gifts within the life of the "body".  It sounds like exercising some gifts might require more faith.

Here's a comparison...We each differ in the size of our brain, in our intellectual capacity.  That's something that was determined when we were conceived.  It was "allotted" by God.  People more intelligent than I tell me that, regardless of the size of my brain, I will never come close to fully utilizing it's capacity.

It's like that with my faith.  It may be smaller than yours, but regardless of it's size, I will never exercise it to its fullest extent.  God keeps stretching it, expanding my ability to trust Him.  My goal is to trust God more tomorrow than I do today...and so on....and so on.

Standing with and for Jesus...

John 3:33 "He who has received His message has set his seal to this, that God is true."

Setting my seal to something is to affirm, to stake my reputation, to proclaim as true.  When I confess my faith in Jesus, I am taking a stand for all to see and hear.  At the same time, God sets His seal on me (Eph 1:13).  He has proclaimed me to be His; He has promised His protection.

Since I have taken a stand for Jesus, my daily attitudes, conversations, decisions, and actions ought to be consistent with that stand.  That's really difficult.  Thank God it's not a one-way street.  I stand for Him and He stands with me.

Thank you, Lord!

I can't figure this out....

John 3:9 "Nicodemus answered, 'How can these things be?'" 

There was a time when I was younger that I sincerely believed I could understand anything.  All I needed was for someone to explain it to me.  When a professor tired of my questions and in exasperation finally said, "There are some things that are too infinite for our finite minds to comprehend."  I dismissed his answer as a "cop out" (a 1960's term). 

Now that I'm older, and hopefully a little wiser, I see my professor's response as a true statement.  There are lots of things beyond my comprehension, some because I'm not smart enough, but others because there are infinite concepts that just won't fit into a finite brain.  

Nicodemus couldn't comprehend what Jesus had told him.  He wasn't even sure what questions he wanted to ask, so he opened the conversation with a "generic" statement.  Instead of responding to what Nicodemus said, Jesus answered the deeper questions that were yet to take form in his heart.  Nicodemus didn't know what to think or how to process the information.  So he went away pondering it, observed Jesus over the next three years, and eventually came to faith. 

That's how God wants me to respond when I can't figure out what He's doing or why He's doing it.  I need to patiently trust Him and be willing to wait for His answer.  He knows my questions before I ask.  He knows what I need before it is apparent to me.  I must remain open, seeking, observing, responding to what He does and says.  Trusting God moment by moment is the adventure of a lifetime!