Peace Takes Work

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

Hebrews 12:14-15 

 

Peace takes work!  It really does!  We have to WORK at being accepting and understanding of each other, and in so doing, we will find peace.  Living the Holy Life takes work!  We have to WORK at focusing on God and let our own ambitions and desires fall away in the process.

 

We are supposed to look after each other.  How do we do that? Encouraging each other, building each other up, making sure we treat others just like we want to be treated by them, by doing life together side-by-side...Why do we need to do that? So that the poison of bitterness will have no place to take hold!  Nothing breaks a home and family apart faster than bitterness!

 

We claim to love God and we claim to love each other, let's not just claim it, let's prove it in our lives!

Sin is Fun!

Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.

Psalm 19:13 

 

Let's consider sin for a moment.  Why do we do what we should NOT do?  Because it's fun!  Because it is pleasurable!  I heard a radio announcer just yesterday say, "The more you tell people NOT to do something.....they want to do it even more!"  And he's right!  There's something about doing what we aren't supposed to that seems to call to us and draw us in.

 

Let's face facts: if sin wasn't fun, we wouldn't bother with it and we wouldn't have to ask for forgiveness.  Look at some of the viral stunts we see....eating Tide pods....snorting condoms...  We can sit back and talk about what idiots these people are, but hang on a minute, what about the stupid stuff we do?  Criticizing instead of encouraging....having an affair....how about that entire "hold my beer and watch this" list of scenarios...

 

David, in today's passage, is asking God to protect him...well from himself!  Protect me from the things I might do because I think they would be fun but destructive to me, my reputation, my relationships....  Isn't this a prayer we should make every day?  "Abba, protect me from myself today.  Help me not to embarrass You."  Think on that.

En Garde!

Be careful what you think,
    because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23 

 

Ever wonder why Jesus said, "You have heard it said 'Don't <insert sin here> but I say to you if you think about it, you have done it"?  Why would Jesus want us to guard our minds?  What's the big deal if I'm so angry that I wish someone was dead, as long as I don't actually kill them?  What's wrong with looking at that bikini babe as long as I don't DO anything?  What's Jesus' problem with my thinking?

 

Consider this fact, every single action we physically do begins with a thought.  AND consider this, many of us will give voice to our thoughts which then spreads our thoughts to others.

 

Be very careful what goes into your mind, because at some point it WILL come out (and usually when you really don't want it to). 

Don't Panic!

When I was a child, I was one of those kids who would run out into the street without ever thinking about traffic.  I was the kid who would ride my bike down a steep hill as fast as I could without thinking about what might happen.  I was the kid who would act without thinking.

After learning the hard way, many times, that THINKING should usually come before action.  Our parents held our hands when we were getting ready to cross the street, or when we were in a crowded area, or when we felt afraid.  

And God reminds us that we are ALWAYS His children, because He takes hold of our right hand to comfort and protect us, even though we may believe we're too grown up for that. Truthfully, I'm glad He does because within me the child who acts without thinking still resides.

There's A Light!

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
    so why should I tremble?

~Psalm 27:1 

 

What is the purpose of light? To illuminate the area around us so we can see where we are going and what we are going.  That's part of it.  

 

Light is also used to guide and draw others toward it.  If you are lost and see a light, chances are you will make your way toward the light.  Light gives direction to ships at sea as well.  A ship sees the light and knows that there is land close by and it also is a good idea to check the charts to see if the light is warning of rocks, wrecks, and other hazards.

 

God is our light!  He guides us, shows us where the dangers are, draws us to Him, shows us the path we should take.  

 

What is the purpose of a fortress?  To keep the things out that seek to do us harm or destroy us.  Inside the fortress, we are safe and have no need to fear.  Fortresses in the time of the Psalmist were places of protection where the citizens could enter and be safe from marauders.  Fortresses took relatively few soldiers to defend it, in comparison to the vast armies it would take to conquer it.  And God's fortress is manned by God Himself!  Who or what have we to fear!

 

Yesterday, we were reminded to Armor Up and today we see God's light so we can enter His fortress and feel safe and secure.  But here's the point:  Light only works if you look for it.  Fortresses only protect those who enter it.  Let's not stand idle!

Stronghold

"The Lord is good,
    giving protection in times of trouble.
    He knows who trusts in him."

Nahum 1:7 

There's just something about history that fascinates me.  The walled fortress that protected Constantinople saved the city from the 4th Century until 1453.  It was the use of cannons that finally broke the city in 1453 after a six week siege.  These walls protected the citizens of the Roman Empire from all invaders.  Yet in order to be allowed within the walls for protection, you had to be known by the defenders.

Life has a way of pounding us over and over and over and just when we're ready to crumble we remember that God is our Protector.  I'll admit my memory is not what it used to be, and I'll admit that when the attacks begin....my focus quickly shifts to defending myself against the attack rather than seeking the protection of God.  

The thing about fortresses is that once you are inside, you are not supposed to hide and hope the invaders go away.  You are expected to take part in the defense of the fortress and those who are in the protection with you. During the time of the fortress of Constantinople, the people who entered for protection were almost immediately put to work keeping the walls in good repair, helping the wounded, bringing food and water to the defenders, anything and everything to help those within the walls.

God knows who trusts Him.  He opens the gates to His protection, but we are expected to help those who are in the protection with us. 

First Question: Does God know that you trust Him?

Second Question: How are you helping those in protection with you? 

Protector

Look, God is my deliverer!
I will trust in him and not fear.
For the Lord gives me strength and protects me;
he has become my deliverer.

Isaiah 12:2 

 

This is Woody.  He came to be our companion just a little over a week ago.  He has already made himself right at home, enjoying being spoiled (pampered), but he is also shown himself to be very protective of us.  You see, Woody protects us because he loves us.  Hmmmm.....sounds like a little bit of a sermon topic there, so let's dig in.

 

When you love someone, you protect them.  This includes your spouse, your family, and those you hold dear.  God is that way with us (here's the 'Tah Dah' moment), He protects and delivers us BECAUSE He loves us.  He has adopted us as His children. He cares about us, even when we hurt each other.  

 

Read today's passage again and think about the fact that God loves us so much that He sent His one and only precious Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life.  

 

Talk about a reason to be grateful?

Is Your House In Order?

Be careful what you think,
    because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23 

I discovered a new television show that I enjoy watching, because it causes me to think and evaluate. The show is called "House" and Hugh Laurie is a fantastic actor.  The character he portrays, Dr. Gregory House, has, through the course of his life experiences, become very jaded, cynical, and callous.  This tends to push people away, keep them at arm's distance, and leaves him with very few people who he will actually be open with.

The more I thought about this character description, the more I began to evaluate my own life.  When I was younger (and had hair), life fascinated me and I embraced each day with enthusiasm.  I loved getting out with my friends and enjoyed spending time together.  And then "life" happened.  I honestly cannot put my finger on exactly when I began to become jaded.  I cannot tell you when I began pushing people away.  I cannot tell you when I began to feel apathetic toward others.  But it happened!  Not all at once, but slowly over time.

When you face the worst in people every day, and try to make sense of it in your own mind, the layers of cynicism will encase your heart and mind.  We think it is to protect ourselves from "them."  In reality, we let it happen so we don't have to care or show concern or feel.

God has a way of peeling back the layers of our steel wrapped hearts.  When He does, we feel things we have not felt (or wanted to feel) in a long LONG time and that is not a comfortable feeling.  But God does that for a reason, even though His timing may not be convenient for us, so we will remember we are still human with needs, wants, and feelings.

We must pay attention to what we are thinking because what we think will direct our actions, attitudes, and our perspective.  If we become so cynical that everything becomes just another irritation, it's past time to re-evaluate our thoughts.  Here's the point: When we focus on God and remember that we are His child, just like everyone else we meet, we will begin to see the layers of cynicism strip away.

We must get OUR house in order (our thoughts, our perceptions, our actions) before we become jaded and cynical. 

Protect Your Mind!

And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 

~Romans 16:17-18

Did you know that there are people who are divisive?  We see it every single day.  The divisive people are usually those who are too cowardly to step into the light of view and debate.  They choose to cast stones from the shadows without regard to who will be hurt by their words. Divisive people stir up trouble and seem to enjoy the chaos, again because they do so from the shadows.  

The Apostle Paul reminds us to be wary of those who seek to be divisive!  Yet over and over we see such people who will mindlessly follow simply because the rhetoric is the latest popular thing, or because they just want to be "part of change," or some other excuse that deflects the responsibility to THINK away from themselves.  Remember the excuse: "Well, every one else is doing it!"  Does that make it right. 

Jesus reminds us "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak" (Matthew 12:36). Therefore, we must be careful what we say and what we think.  Because for most of us, what's in our mind is going to come out of our mouth (and God WILL hold us accountable).

Solomon wrote in his Proverbs: "Guard your heart [and mind] above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (Proverbs 4:23).  So how do we put a guard on our hearts and minds?  How do we keep from becoming a casualty of the divisive person's bombs?  Allow me to give you some very practical counsel:

     *  If a statement is 99.99999% true and 0.00001% false, it is a LIE!  Don't let the lies into your mind!  If that means you have to stop reading their words or stop listening their words or even remove yourself from them, DO IT!  Better to walk away than become a casualty!

     *  Remember that YOU control what you let into your heart and mind! Be selective!  Be careful!

     *  People will say whatever they want about you for whatever reason they want and there's little you can do to stop them.  BUT....YOU control how you choose to react to them.

  

Perhaps the best counsel I have found comes from Paul's letter to the Philippian church (Chapter 4 Verse 8):

 Finally, brothers and sisters, 

whatever is true, 

whatever is worthy of respect, 

whatever is just, 

whatever is pure,

 whatever is lovely, 

whatever is commendable, 

if something is excellent or praiseworthy, 

THINK ON THESE THINGS.

We are bombarded with lots of garbage every day, but WE get to decide what we let into our minds.  If it's not building you up and making you better, then it's not worth your time to think about!