What I Know

"If anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything,

whether good or evil

(in any matter one might carelessly swear about)

even though they are unaware of it,

but then they learn of it and realize their guilt-

when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty

in any of these matters,

they must confess in what way they have sinned."

Leviticus 5:4-5

A crescent moon peeks out from behind a bank of wispy clouds.  Stars twinkle in the deep darkness of the sky, inspiring thoughts of what lies beyond. Patterns begin to emerge as I examine the tiny points of light.   Lying on my back in the soft grass, I am suddenly aware of how small I am and how big God is.  Thoughts of my Creator spring forth as if I were listening to a great sermon being preached by the heavenly hosts. I can learn much about God and His character by paying attention to His creation. (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:20)

Every human ever created has been equipped with knowledge of God as standard equipment. As a result, all of mankind intuitively know He exists and has made all things.  To make things interesting, though, I have also been equipped with free will, giving me the option of acknowledging God as Creator and worshiping Him in the way I live my life, or choosing to ignore His presence and influence. I find that the further I get away from God, the darker my mind becomes as I lean on my own weak understanding of things. (Romans 1:21)

God created me to live in relationship with Him.  When I deny His existence, even unconsciously, I deny His teachings as well.  I begin to make decisions based on what I think is best or what most suits me and my way of thinking.  Soon I find myself living an ungodly life.

As far as God goes, I am held responsible for what I do know. (Matthew 25:14-30,  2 Corinthians 5:10)  It is easy for me to feign ignorance and pretend there is no standard, but God teaches me otherwise in His Word.  

Do Right

He knew the right thing to do.  The man stuck between a rock and a hard place contemplated his options.  Either he could tell the truth and risk getting caught, or he could cover up his transgression in an effort to manipulate the system.  As the police officer approached his car on the routine traffic stop, the young man decided to go with the latter.  Unfortunately, he suffered the consequences of trying to pretend like he didn't know there was a warrant out for his arrest.

While I've never been in such a predicament, I do get myself in trouble by choosing the easy way rather than the right way.  I am faced with dilemmas every day.  Most of the time, I use my own faulty line of thinking to reason my way to a solution.  

If there is a necessity I don't possess, I search for a way to provide for myself instead of asking the One who has perfect knowledge of my real needs. (Matthew 6:31-33, James 4:2-3)  If I find myself in opposition to a friend, I stand my ground, telling myself the issue is not really that important but I'm not going to back down because it's the principle of the thing. (Romans 12:18, 2 Timothy 2:23-26)  If I see a neighbor in need but turn a blind eye, rationalizing that there are social programs available for them to find help, I fail to love them in the way I am loved.  (1 John 3:16-18)

God gives me a sense of what is right and what is wrong.  As His child, I am called to choose to do right.  (Isaiah 1:17)

Holy Life

The precious gem stayed locked up in the safety deposit box.  A family heirloom, the diamond ring was treated as valuable; only worn on special occasions and protected from theft or damage.  There are some things that are valuable enough to be kept safe from harm.

As God's child, I am considered to be His precious possession. (Deuteronomy 7:6) When I entered into a relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, He adopted me into His family. (1 John 3:1) As a result, I am set apart for His use so that I will shine as a beacon of hope in the midst of a dark world.  (1 Peter 2:9)  

Therefore, I must not view my own body or even my life as my own. (1 Corinthians 6:19) Rather, I am to place myself in my Father's hands, giving Him the authorization to mold me as He sees fit, use me in the way in which He designed me to be used, and transform my thoughts so they fall more in line with His.  In these ways, my life will begin to look different than what I see around me.  (Romans 12:2)

God has chosen me as His holy and precious possession.  As His child, I am called to live a holy life.  (1 Peter 1:13-16)

Intentional Living

It took a lot of work to paddle the canoe upstream.  The moment my friend and I stopped paddling, we drifted backwards, losing all the ground we had gained.  Exhausted, we decided to drift down to the nearest landing spot and walk our boat to our destination.

It is always easier to go with the flow than to work against it.  As I live in a world whose values are contrary to my own, it is vital that I constantly stand guard against the faulty world views that sound so good to my sin nature but run counter to the truth I read in the Bible.

When I want to stand up for my own rights, ready to fight to get what I believe I am owed, I find God's Spirit reminding me that love is the only thing that will last. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Whether or not I got what I thought was coming to me will not matter a bit in eternity. (Matthew 6:19-21)

When every fiber of my being is ready to treat others the way they treat me, I am called to the higher standard of mimicking my Father's mercy. (Luke 6:31,36)

When I desire financial security, working hard to build up a retirement fund and follow the advice of my fiscal guru, I am called to focus more on how God would use what He has given to me for His kingdom purposes.  When I seek to use the resources He has blessed me with for His glory, I may leave less in storage for my own future, but there will be more invested into His kingdom.  (Luke 12:13-21)

God desires for me to live purposefully for Him.  As His child, I am called to strive tenaciously forward toward the finish line.  (Philippians 3:14)

It is easy to get into the habit of living in whatever way makes me happy, fulfilled and content.  When my own pleasure is what is most important, though, I tend to let everything I know about God fall by the wayside.  I am held responsible for what I know so I would be wise to do what is right, choose holiness, and live intentionally for Christ.  While I may feign ignorance as to what God wants me to do, He knows my heart and discerns what I do know.  I can't fool God!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can take my life seriously enough to realize how much each minutes counts.

When do I drift along, letting the world's views sweep me away?

How do I compromise in my values, forsaking the teachings I know to be true?