En Garde!

Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23 

 

I have a confession to make...I absolutely LOVE my job!  I get to meet, talk with, and work with the best people!  Working in Law Enforcement is a very challenging and rewarding career.  And being able to be a Law Enforcement Chaplain is the best career I could have ever hoped for.  Having said that, there is a downside to this career.  Every day I hear, see, and talk with Deputies about the negative aspects of their job.  One of the side effects of being a Law Enforcement Officer is the tendency to become calloused.  And one of the side effects of being a Law Enforcement Chaplain is the same, becoming calloused.

 

When one becomes calloused, they aren't troubled by the things they see, hear and experience.  This helps protect the heart from being hurt, but it also shuts out the very love we should have for others.  I have caught myself reading about crimes with injuries and feeling absolutely nothing.  That's when I got scared!

 

It is VITAL that we protect our hearts.  We must be careful where we allow our affections to go; we must also be very careful to protect our hearts from becoming desensitized toward others.  Remember, Jesus guarded His heart by filling it with boundless love for us.  Fill your heart with love and that will protect it!

Hope For The Discouraged!

When we are feeling discouraged, the last thing we want to do is read a long wordy devotional.  So I'll just leave this right here:

Feeling the Nudge

O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed;
    if you save me, I will be truly saved.
    My praises are for you alone!

Jeremiah 17:14 

 

Have you ever needed to be saved from something?  I admit that I have made some really bad choices in my life that left me in a position where I REALLY needed to be saved....from myself.  I have done things in my life from which I needed to be healed, so I didn't do them again.  And guess what?  The more I prayed about it, God did save me and heal me by nudging me in the right direction a little at a time.  How else can you learn if you aren't allowed to endure the pain while you were being saved and healed?

 

When I was younger, I had the distinction of fall UP a tree and injuring my back.  Now aside from attempting to explain it to the hospital intake person who would have to explain it to my insurance company, the ER visit was none too pleasant.  Extremely painful, as a matter of fact.  But that was nothing compared to the recovery where every muscle in my back cramped every time I would try to move.  As painful as the recovery was with my body hating me every moment of every day, the day I was able to stand up and walk without pain.....was the MOST memorable day!  

 

When I was in the Army and we had to hump our fully loaded field packs uphill for miles upon miles was exhausting and draining.  Yet, when we got back to the barracks and were told to drop our rucks....the relief from that burden was INCREDIBLE!

 

God works with us in our lives to help us, heal us, and save us.  He uses our pain and burdens to nudge us in the right direction, and we know He has accomplished that goal in us when the pain and burden are finally lifted.  The key is keep talking with Him and listening.  God is patient and will keep nudging us to get us to the place He has planned for us.

 

Don't fear the nudging.  Don't hate the nudging.  Accept that it is part of God's way of saving us and healing us.

Split Ends?

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

Ephesians 4:2-4 

 

Have you ever wondered why there are so many denominations?  When I was a youngster I always wondered why that was, after all, aren't we worshiping the same God and Christ?  As I got older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I remembered that the Apostle Paul had made the comment that every body is made up of different parts yet work together for a single purpose (to make the body work like it's supposed to).  He also made the point that God has called some to be pastors, some to be teachers, some to be apostles, some to be greeters, some to be singers (which I am just a joyful noisemaker), and some to fit where they had a talent and there was a need.

 

If you look at a prism, light goes in and is broken into its various colors.  If you look at it the other way....all those various colors make the pure light!  Take away a single color and the light is not pure any longer.  Thus, we are expected, commanded, to love each other so much that we are able to work together to share the love of God throughout the world.

 

So let's think for a moment, what part in the spectrum do you play to form the pure light?

What Do You Mean 'Wait'?

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
    and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
    or fret about their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:7 

 

Ever been to Disney World?  What's the one thing everyone experiences there, besides the shock of the cost of everything?  Everyone experiences the never ending standing in line to wait.  Granted, you can pay extra for a special pass that means you don't have to wait, but how many of us can afford such a luxury?  We don't like to wait, yet we go to places where we stand in line to wait, and upon our return home we share what a wonderful time we had.  Ever wonder why places like Disney offer passes for multiple days?  Because when you spend most of your time waiting, you don't get to do everything you want in one day. We hate to wait!  

 

But what about waiting on God?  We pray and expect instantaneous answers!  We quit praying because we don't think God is ever going to answer, "After all, I've prayed about it."

God tells us to be patient.  God's plans are ALWAYS better than anything we could dream up, and when it is God's timing, His answers will be revealed to us.  

 

There's a difference, believe it or not, between waiting and actively waiting.  Waiting is when we fume and pace and fuss and scream at the microwave to HURRY UP!  Active Waiting is making the most of your time while you wait.  For example, you have your phone with you, try downloading a bible app and spend your waiting time reading Scripture.  Or take a book with you that is encouraging.  Spend some time praying for those who wait with you.  Spend time asking God to show you opportunities to be His light while you wait.  God is extremely patient and always willing to show us opportunities.

 

Let me leave you with a Jesuit Prayer (I use a Jesuit app on my phone to help me focus and contemplate):

 

Abba,

 

We are often impatient and want immediate results, whether it is finding out a test result, waiting for someone to text us back, or want an answer to prayer.  Grant us patience to wait for Your perfect time in all things, and peace and comfort in times of anxiety. Like the blind man of Bethsaida, may we be willing to wait for the fullness of Your work in our lives to be revealed.

 

Amen.

Let People In? Seriously???

 

 

Over the weekend, I happened upon an 80's Movie Marathon (stop rolling your eyes). The movie that caught my attention was "The Breakfast Club."  If you've never seen it, the plot is about 5 high school students who were "condemned" to a Saturday of detention in which they were confined to the library.  These high school students represented the different cliques in the typical 80s high school, and, yes, I remembered these cliques quite well.

 

There was the Prom Queen, the Jock, the Nerd, the Wasted, and the Outcast.  Each had their own learned behavioral walls they had perfected.  Over the course of their day in detention, they argued, they fought, they laughed, and they picked on each other.  However, they FINALLY allowed their walls to drop and were brutally honest about their lives and situations that brought them to detention.  THAT was the moment that made the movie memorable for me.

 

You see, when we are genuine and honest, people will see who we really are.  We can pretend to be whoever we choose, but remember:  Walls require a LOT of maintenance!  It's easier to be genuine and honest about who we are.  Will there be people who won't accept us?  Yes!  But that's not our problem, let God deal with them.  Will there be people who will hurt us?  Yes!  But that's not our problem, let God deal with them.  Will there be people who will take advantage of us?  Yes!  But that's not our problem, let God deal with them.

 

We are to let our love be GENUINE!  You cannot have genuine love hiding being the walls of false bravado!   

By This...!

“I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34-35 

Let's face it, there are some people who are negative.  Have you ever noticed that negative people have the tendency to want others to commiserate with them?  It's as if they have no joy in their lives except negativity.  And guess what?  Negativity is highly contagious!  How do I know this, because when I spend too much time around negative people, I become negative right along with them.

This past Sunday, my wonderful pastor shared a story that smacked me right between the eyes.  He told about a holy man and his companion who were walking along a road and came upon a river that was beginning to flood.  The holy man noticed a scorpion stuck in a place where it would be washed away if it weren't rescued.  The holy man reached down to help the scorpion, yet the scorpion stung him, as scorpions are wont to do.  The holy man reached down again to rescue this scorpion and got stung again.  Over and over the holy man reached down and was stung.  Finally he was able to rescue the scorpion.  His companion, stunned, asked the holy man, "Why did you keep reaching down to rescue the scorpion knowing you were going to be stung?"  The holy man, whose hand was by now swollen and painful, replied, "I have a love for ALL God's creations. I could not allow the scorpion to change that love."

Honestly, I don't think I would have enough love to keep reaching down to try to rescue a scorpion who seemed so bent on being washed away.  When I encounter negative people, after a while, I begin to avoid contact with them.  In so doing, how does that prove to be a disciple of Christ, who commanded us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER?  And here's the kicker, Jesus said, "BY THIS (loving one another) everyone will know that you are my Disciple."  When I begin to become negative, I need to step back and spend time recharging and re-focusing on the Christ who loves me so much that He died for me.  But I cannot disengage from negative people because in so doing, I become negative towards them, and, thus, become just like them.

BY THIS everyone will know!

Touching the Untouchable

If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

James 2:3-4 

 

Have you ever felt like an outcast?  Have you ever felt like you just didn't fit in?  Have you ever endured a situation in life where you thought no one would be able to understand how you felt?  I have.  As a matter of fact, when I walk into the squad room and the conversations suddenly stop...yeah.

 

We seem to have this idea that some people are "acceptable" and some are "untouchable."  We tend to include people who have lost their job, the depressed, the terminally ill, the handicapped, the divorced, those who don't seem to fit in, the list is endless as to the people we consider untouchable or outcast.  Fact: Jesus died for them just as much as He died for you.

 

Think about the ministry of Jesus.  Did He focus on the rich?  Did He focus on the "religious"? Did He focus on those who could do something for Him in return?  NO!  Jesus focused on the poor, the outcasts, the untouchables.  He loved them.  He healed them.  He touched them.  Who are we to do differently?

We Need To Shift Our Focus

Every single time you see them, you feel the pain all over again and the anger boils over again, and you "Just can't forgive them."  I get it.  There are people in my life who have hurt me and I still struggle with being able to forgive them.  

How many times have we recited the Lord's prayer, "And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" while we are holding on the the anger and hurt while choosing to NOT forgive them?  Here's something God has been showing me: Hanging on to the hurt and anger is just as much of a decision as it is to let go of it and forgive them.  

When I am faced with the choice to hang onto the anger or to forgive, I will hang onto whatever I am focused on.  Therefore, I need to change my focus from the person, deed, word, that caused me pain, to focus on the One who forgives me!  If we want a deeper relationship with Christ, we must remember that relationships don't thrive because the guilty are punished, they thrive because the innocent are merciful.  Christ has been merciful with us, so who are we to withhold mercy from those we should forgive?

Ponder that for a bit. 

It's Okay To Rest

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 

 

Have you ever thought about what it truly means to actually REST?  Do you really know what it means to RELAX?  We know what it means to work, don't we?  Some of us have the tendency to work even on "vacation."  Jesus tells those of us who work and are feeling the weight of constant struggle, to come to Him and He will give us rest.

 

Here's an interesting nugget of information:  The word translated "rest" is the Greek word Anapauo which is a verb.  From elementary school grammar we remember that verbs indicate action.  Anapauo literally means "to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength; to refresh; to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation."  Thus, when Jesus gives us rest, He is giving us permission to recover and collect our strength, to refresh and to keep quiet.

 

Jesus understood what it was to be kept so busy that you may or may not have a chance to even get a bite to eat.  Yet, Jesus also understood the need to have a break from busyness.

 

Okay, I have a confession to make.  I have learned to take time to relax and recharge my body.  However, getting my mind to relax and recharge is like trying to herd fleas.  I struggle with settling my mind.  I can sit in my recliner and crochet, which is how I relax, yet my mind is busy with my schedule of appointments coming up, the bills I need to pay, trying to figure out how to pay the bills I need to pay, concerns about my parents, my concern for those I have spent time counseling, and the list bounces around my brain like a rubber ball down the interstate.

 

In order to truly rest and recharge, we have to train ourselves to give our concerns to God and LET THEM GO!  We were not made to keep the stress and anxiety we take on ourselves for long before our health begins to feel the toll, our relationships also feel the toll, every aspect of our lives will feel the toll.  We must train ourselves, therefore, on how to rest and relax and recharge. 

 

What better Valentine gift can we have than the gift of being able to rest and relax?

Held For Ransom

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace"

Ephesians 1:7 

We all seen the movies where a child is kidnapped, held for ransom, and the parents tell the negotiator that they will pay "Whatever it takes" to have their child returned safely. Let's face it, it's a pretty intense aspect of the storyline which usually leads to the kidnapper being chased until they are eventually captured and brought to justice.  Makes for intense and exciting drama.  While such story plots make for interesting films and books, the truth of the matter is that we have also been held for ransom and it was a ransom that only could only be paid by God. 

Think about it, how many times have we doubted our worth because of our past?  How many times have we had great intentions but because of being reminded of our own sinfulness we gave up?  How many times have we looked at our past and believed that we had no future that would be worth anything?

You know that I love words.  I love to figure out why a particular word was used by an author.  And today's passage is no exception.  It's interesting that the Apostle Paul chose to use the word "apolytrosis" which has been translated "redemption."  "Apolytrosis" literally means "a releasing effected by payment of ransom; liberation procured by the payment of a ransom."  Christians like to say that we were "bought with a price" which, to me, could mean that we were on sale at the store and we were purchased much like a soda or a butter.

We were held captive and a ransom was demanded.  God, being the loving Dad that He is, held nothing back and would pay ANY price for us.  That price was the very blood of His ONLY Son!  That ransom was paid so we would be freed from the captivity of our sin, and we would be united with God for all eternity! We have been set free by the ransom God paid for us through Jesus Christ!  Therefore, our past can no longer hold us hostage!  Our sinful nature no longer keeps us captive!  

Because of the ransom paid, we are FREE! Think about that!

Feeling Defeated?

The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still.

Exodus 14:14 

 

Believe if or not, there are those who have been taught that the Christian life is a life without struggles or pain or sorrow or anything other than a stroll through Paradise.  Well guess what?  Whoever taught such rubbish is WRONG!  Being a Christian is not easy!  But it IS rewarding.

 

There are times when I feel as though I have been fighting a battle against my own human nature and have been defeated.  There are times when I feel as though I have failed to be the kind of person God has called me to be.  There are times I really would like to just indulge in every sin I used to enjoy because I ENJOYED being sinful.  There are times I struggle to keep a positive attitude when my world is coming apart at the seams. I feel like a soldier who has been in battle too long, and it's all I can do to breathe, and if I hear one more person quote Scripture to me, I'm tempted to poke them in the eye!  

 

And it is in these times, when I feel truly exhausted that I am reminded of a couple of things.  First, Jesus was beaten, whipped, punched, had to drag a heavy cross through the streets, got nailed to the cross, and people made fun of Him as his body died...they though He had been defeated.  And yet....three days later...

 

Second, a long time ago, in a land far, far away, a pastor once told the 8 year old me: "You know, if you aren't bumping into the devil then you're walking with him."

 

When I am feeling exhausted and defeated, it is time for me to step back and tell God: "I am tired.  I feel defeated.  You're own words remind me to be still because YOU will fight for me."

Say WHAT?

Think before you speak,
    and be careful about what you say to God.
God is in heaven,
    and you are on the earth,
    so say only a few words to God.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 

 

Have you ever known anyone who seemed to never stop talking?  Have you ever known someone who was verbose, loquacious, garrulous, or voluble?  Have you ever said something you wished you hadn't?  

 

Scripture is very clear: Be Brief!  Better to need to add a word than speak a word too many.  Like bullets, once the words are spoken, you can't get it back!

 

Ponder that for a moment. 

Are You Tweakable?

You have tested us, O God;
    you have purified us like silver.

Psalm 66:10 

 

Have you ever noticed that the love people give us changes depending on how they feel at the moment, what we have done for them lately, and what they may have heard about us?  Funny how fickle we, as humans, are!  If someone hurts our feelings, we refuse to love them.  If someone breaks our heart, we tend to add them to our list of "Mortal Enemies."  If someone ignores us, we tend to snub them in return.  Honestly, we are idiots!  Yes, I'm part of the Idiots Club too.  

 

But God is not like we are in that His love for us is constant!  Because He loves us, He teaches us through experiences, painful and unpleasant they may be, so that we will be prepared for His plan for us.  God will do what He has to in order to cleanse us of the filth, grime, prejudice, bitterness, dishonesty, and all the other negative attributes we tend to take on ourselves.  

 

God uses the "Trial By Fire" method, just like is used to purify silver.  You see, when silver is pure...you can see your face reflected in it.  So when God can see His face in us...

 

Think about it! 

"Best Day"

Then Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “You and your family have been saved today. You’ve shown that you, too, are one of Abraham’s descendants."

Luke 19:9 

 

Think about the best day you have ever had.  Maybe it was the day you got married.  Perhaps it was the day you got that job you wanted.  It might even be the day that your child was born.  Zaccheus probably hadn't had a best day in his life.  Let's face it, he was small of stature, which meant he was most likely picked on as a child.  As he got older, he became a Collector of Taxes for the Roman Government and was hated for it even though his revenge on those who hated him was the fact he was rich.  Finally, he heard that Jesus was coming, yet no one would let him get close enough to see Him.

 

Finally, he ran ahead and climbed up a tree so he could actually see this man he had heard so much about.  Imagine what went through his mind when Jesus stopped under where Zaccheus was perched, looked up and said, "Come on down, Zaccheus, I need to come to your house today."  Scripture doesn't tell us if Zaccheus climbed down, jumped down or fell out of the tree, but we see that he got down and just as he was getting ready to show Jesus the way to his house, the people who hated Zaccheus started telling Jesus that Zaccheus was a sinner of the worst kind.

 

Do you think Zaccheus was embarrassed by the comments being made to Jesus about him?  Probably.  Do you think Jesus was bothered by the way other people talked about Zaccheus? Not in the least!  In fact, Jesus reprimanded those condemning Zaccheus!  And guess what? THAT was the best day Zaccheus ever had!

 

On that day, Jesus taught US two things:  Be careful when you condemn others because it shows your own black heart; the BEST day is the day Jesus accepted us!

 

Think about it! 

Happiness!

Examine and see how good the Lord is.  Happy is the person who trusts him.

Psalm 34:8

 

I am convinced that God created animals in order to teach us.  My Bride and I have a dog, Woody Bear, who teaches us a lot.  He is content to sit quietly with us and get scratched or sleep close to one of us.  And when he gets into one of his moods, he likes for me to chase him.  When I chase him, he actually smiles and wags his tail because he's happy.  By the same token, if I don't chase him, his tail goes down and he has a disappointed look on his face.  Chasing him makes him happy and it really doesn't take much time or effort and I do like to see him happy...so why do I refuse to chase him?  Because I am the one who doesn't feel like it, and disappointing Woody Bear, I hate to say it, is easy for me because he's just a dog.  "Just a dog"....what if God thought about me that way, "I don't need to provide for Paul, after all, he's just a wad of breath filled dirt."

 

But God IS good to me and to each of us!  And just as Woody Bear trusts that we will play together and be happy, God wants us to be happy because we trust Him.

 

Think about that for a minute.

Oh Pooh!

"Do not pass by anyone in need, for you may be the hand of God to them."

Proverbs 3:27 

 

My phone rang at 10:17pm.  I was already in bed (yes I'm old like that) and my first reaction to the phone ringing was, "What NOW?"  I was irritated and considered ignoring the call completely.  After a couple more rings, I shook myself awake, gathered my thoughts and answered.  The voice on the other end was a friend of mine, she was crying so hard that her voice was shaking and she said, "I need your help."  After we talked for a bit, it became very clear that my friend really was in a situation where help was needed, not just a quick prayer or a piece of sage wisdom, but a more long-term effort.

 

Now, I will say that I wasn't overly thrilled about the prospect of helping in such a long-term way, but the more I prayed about it, the more insistent God's voice filled my soul, "THIS is one of the reasons I have prepared you for ministry!"  And then, He reminded me of a verse I had learned as a child, "Do not pass by anyone in need, for you may be the hand of God to them."   To be honest, I still struggle with my desire to let my friend endure their struggles on their own and deal with the consequences, but God reminds me over and over "If that were YOU in that situation, would YOU want someone to help?" which is usually followed by "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."  God, as always, makes very valid points because He is ALWAYS right.

 

I have taken a lot of guff from others because of this need to help, but when God shows us how to help, are we really so arrogant and selfish as to tell God, "Nope!  Not gonna do it."?  Let me put it another way, by refusing to help someone in need, how does that support my claim to be a Christian?  How does that shine God's light in the darkness?

Is it inconvenient? Yes!  Is it irritating? At times.  Is it worth it?  Yes!  What if my help is ultimately rejected? That's for God to deal with, my job is to do what is right.

Embrace It

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27 

 

Perhaps it's because I'm just old and settled.  Perhaps I have become something of a curmudgeon.  But I am not a huge fan of change.  Change....disrupts my comfort with the moving and shifting around of what had become my routines.  But here's something to consider, and it's causing me more than a little discomfort, Life comes with Surprises! 

 

When life seems to be going my way, I am happy and thankful.  And the longer it seems to be going my way, the more I give in to the temptation to get comfortable.  Thus when change comes...I don't like it.  However, from Jesus' words to us, when everything else changes, God's presence never does!

 

As Jesus sends us into new adventures, we travel with the Holy Spirit!  Because of this constant, we can embrace what's next anchored in the fact of God's unchanging presence.  Change is not only part of life, it is also God's strategy to prepare us for His plans for us!  If we don't change, we don't grow and we don't learn!