Choose Wisely

"'Now since the LORD,

the God of Israel,

has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel,

what right have you to take it over?

Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you?

Likewise,

whatever the LORD our God has given us,

we will possess.'"

Judges 11:23-24

Choices.  I am faced with dozens of choices each day.  What time will I get up?  How will I spend my time?  What should I wear?  What sounds good for breakfast?  Which route do I take to get to my destination?  While most of the decisions I make are not earth-shattering, each does have a consequence attached to it.  If I decide to hit the snooze on the alarm, I will have less time to get ready.  If I choose short sleeves, I could get cold.  If I pick the wrong route, I might be late.

These consequences may be reversible while others are permanent.  There is a choice I make, however, that is earth-shattering.  The consequences of this decision permeates every part of my life.  Many times, the outcome is unavoidable.  Do I follow God or do I commit to my own way?  Whichever path I choose, I must accept the outcome as the cost of making that decision.

When I walk according to my own flesh, doing what seems best to me and what most satisfies myself, I will produce fruit that reflects my choice.  I can't expect good fruit that comes from God's Spirit when I insist on doing things my way (Galatians 5:16-22).  Therefore, I must choose wisely and accept what follows.

Temptation

The aroma of baking bread drew me in.  I followed the heavenly scent, walking into the kitchen in time to see my daughter removing the loaves from the oven.  "Yum!  That smells so good."  I could not resist sampling a piece, slathering butter on the piping hot slice before savoring the flavor that delivered such satisfaction.  I could not resist the temptation of eating the freshly-baked bread.

It's hard to say "no" to something so good.  I simply don't have what it takes to stand firm against such a sensory assault!  This weakness of mine does not stop with food, however.  My own power of will is no match for the draw of my flesh.  I am sinful by nature and can't help but give in to its lure.  If I choose to follow my flesh, I will not be able to stand against the strong attraction that comes from within.

The apostle Paul put it this way: "For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing" (Romans 7:18-19).  No matter how hard I try, I will not be able to resist temptation when making the decision to follow my own flesh.  There is no way around this consequence.

What hope do I have, then?  Plenty!  Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have the option of following Him and tapping into the power His Spirit supplies to stand firm against temptation.  Instead of giving in, I will have the ability to turn away, taking the way out He so graciously provides (1 Corinthians 10:13).

When I follow my own path I will discover that I am helpless to stand firm against sin, but when walking in the power of the Spirit I will find success in my quest to resist the temptations of my flesh.

Discord

Worry and anxiety filled her heart.  Wherever she went, trouble seemed to follow.  It appeared as if she couldn't go anywhere without getting into an argument with someone or falling into some kind of trouble.  Not surprisingly, it wasn't long before she ended up in jail.  

While I may not have it so badly, I do experience strife and discord when I choose my own way.  If my own reputation and desire to be right is what drives me, I will stand my ground, making sure I get the last word.  Nothing anyone says will make a difference to my way of thinking when I am so set in my ways.  

Likewise, if it is my ambition in life to reach the lofty goals I have set, I will work hard, letting nothing get in my way.  As a result, I will have zero tolerance for people who prevent me from going where I want to go, developing a cold heart to the suffering that is all around me.  My only focus will be on me and my own aspirations.

Similarly,  if controlling every aspect of my life and the lives of those I love is my main concern, I will be consumed with such an overwhelming job.  Never will I be able to rest as I deal with all the details that are constantly coming to light.

Peace will only come when I choose to follow the Shepherd who loves me (Psalm 23). Doing so will bring about harmony that is only the result of being right with God through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). When I stop fighting against the work of His Spirit in my life, I will find myself enjoying the peace He has promised (Romans 12:2, Psalm 85:8).

When I follow my own path I will experience nothing but strife while choosing to walk with Jesus will bring about peace.

Unchecked Anger

It always seemed to simmer just below the surface.  No matter what the circumstances, I couldn't shake the feeling of annoyance and bitterness that stuck around like a constant companion.  The slightest irritation would frustrate me.  I couldn't get a handle on what I thought was an anger problem.

What I later learned was that my insistence on living my way was tainting my heart.  Even though I wanted to follow Jesus, I stubbornly stuck to my own path, refusing to let go of the fears, doubts and insecurities that plagued me.  Whenever I thought about surrendering to Christ, something like panic would well up in me, encouraging me to set my own course instead of letting God choose for me.

Living in such a way led to a spirit of frustration as I found my life was not lining up with what I read in the Bible.  As  a result, anger was always ready to spring to life.  Jealously often raised its ugly head as I compared myself to others, always falling short.  I became envious of the fruit I saw in the lives of those around me.  Anger defined my life.

As I discovered the freedom found in following Jesus, mustering up the courage to surrender more and more of my life to Him, serenity began to fill my heart.  As I realized the depth of the love that God has for me, I trusted Him more and more each day, coming to appreciate the tender way He leads me through each challenge.  Before long, I noticed the familiar feeling of frustration rarely showing itself, replaced instead by contentment and a sense of security in my identity as God's well-loved child.

When I choose to go my own way I may find myself defined by anger, but surrendering to the way of the King will result in tranquility.

There are consequences for every choice I make; some are good while others are bad.  As a result, I would be wise to choose to follow Jesus, resulting in the production of fruit that will last.  If I insist on my own way, however, I will experience temptation that cannot be resisted, a life defined by discord, and anger that runs unchecked.  Instead of simply doing what comes naturally, then, I must be careful to choose wisely.

As I begin this day it is my prayer I will wisely choose to follow Jesus.

When do I fight against where Jesus tries to lead me?

How could the anger in my life be as a result of my determination to live life by my own rules? 


Originally published on March 25, 2014

Heart of Flesh

Originally published on April 30, 2012

"I will give you a new heart 

and put a new spirit in you;

I will remove from you

your heart of stone

and give you a heart of flesh."

Ezekiel 36:26

September has always been a special month for me.  Not only is it the month of my birth, but as a child and even as a homeschool mother, I always enjoyed the beginning of the new school year.  The preparation for the upcoming year brought a sense of hope and excitement to my days as I purchased new clothing and supplies, preparing myself for the challenges that lay ahead.

As the first day of school approached during my junior high and high school years, I would organize my notebook, making new dividers and filling it with fresh paper and pencils.  I then would turn my attention to my attire, deciding which outfit I would wear for the first day.  Often, I would get a pair of new shoes and somehow, this made me feel like a brand new person tackling a brand new school year.  

In the same way that my fresh, never-before-worn clothes and virgin pencils groomed me for the new classes I was about to face, the new heart of flesh that God has given me through faith in Jesus Christ prepares me for living my life as a member of the family of God.

Empowered Obedience

A friend of mine recently gave a great visual of the battle that occurs between my spirit and God's Spirit as described in Galatians 5:17.  "The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." 

My friend likened this contrariness, this conflict to a tug-of-war between me and God. As God's Spirit moves me in His direction, my flesh pulls back against Him, pulling me in the opposite direction. The only way for me to go in God's direction is for me to stop pulling and let Him lead me.  If I drop the rope altogether, giving up the fight and surrendering my will to Him, I can freely walk along with Him.  

As one who has been provided through Christ with a tender and responsive heart (Ezekiel 36:26), I am given the ability to withstand the temptation to do things my way.  The grace of God which constantly flows through me from His indwelling Spirit empowers me to, "offer the parts of (my) body to him as instruments of righteousness.  For sin shall not be (my) master, because (I) am not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:13-14)  Either I choose to give myself over to the pull of God, or the influence of sin.  

Each time I sense the tug of God leading me in His direction, there will be the temptation for my flesh to fight against Him.  But thanks to God's grace abundantly found in my life and manifested through His Son's death on the cross, I have the option and ability to drop the rope, giving in to God's will.  When I submit, the fruit of the Spirit are produced and there is no law against these things! 

I don't have to try harder to be good and please God, rather I have to nail, "the passions and desires of (the) sinful nature to his cross and (crucify) them there."  (Galatians 5:24 NLT) Or, as 17th Century Puritan preacher Peter Bulkeley said, "If God be God over us, we must yield him universal obedience in all things.  He must not be over us in one thing, and under us in another, but he must be over us in everything."  

I am empowered to obey by the grace of God when I submit to Him and allow Him to lead me.

Godly Devotion

Our neighbors own a huge German Shepherd who looks quite intimidating but who is actually a big baby.  He's gentle, calm and pretty laid back. . . until his owner brings out the beloved tennis ball.  Then he turns into the fetching machine, never taking his eyes of the yellow orb.  Nothing can distract him from the job at hand; squirrels, food, other dogs, they all fade into the background as the ball takes center stage, monopolizing his attention.  He's all about his ball.

In the same way, I am called to be wholly devoted to God.  He may allow a variety of attractive belief systems or alluring distractions to come my way in order to test me "to find out whether (I) love him with all (my) heart and with all (my) soul.  It is the LORD (my) God (I) must follow, and him (I) must revere.  Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him."  (Deuteronomy 13:3-4)

This kind of devotion comes with maturity as we progressively work toward, "attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming."  (Ephesians 4:13-14)  Growing in my walk with God means I will gradually become more Christ-like, little-by-little gaining an immunity to distractions.  The goal is to become like my neighbor's dog; all about my God!

As I cultivate my personal relationship with God through faith in Christ, I will increasingly develop my devotion for Him and Him alone.

Spontaneous Love

Have you ever tried really hard to love someone, especially someone who is particularly prickly?  I have. . . and it doesn't work.  I just don't have it in me to love like God loves me!  

I like the way Oswald Chambers put it in his entry for April 30th in My Utmost for His Highest:  "Love is not premeditated, it is spontaneous, i.e., it bursts up in extraordinary ways.  There is nothing of mathematical certainty in Paul's category of love.  We cannot say--'Now I am going to think no evil; I am going to believe all things.'  The characteristic of love is spontaneity.  We do not set the statements of Jesus in front of us as a standard; but when His Spirit is having His way with us, we live according to His standard without knowing it, and on looking aback we are amazed at the disinterestedness of a particular emotion, which is the evidence that the spontaneity of real love was there.  In everything to do with the life of God in us, its nature is only discerned when it is past."

It is not my effort that produces a loving attitude or loving acts, rather it is in extension of God's Spirit working through me.  "God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."  (Romans 5:5)

As I let God's Spirit have it's way in me, I will find that the irritation I used to experience when dealing with a certain difficult personality has vanished and in it's place is patience and gentleness.

When I let go and let God, it will become apparent that my previous penchant for perfection and high expectations for others' actions has been replaced by a desire to let go of past failures and to always hope, believing with faith that things will get better.

If I follow God where He leads, I will soon see that circumstances and situations that used to anger me and send me into a tailspin now have no affect on me.  My blood does not boil and I'm no longer compelled to chew someone out, defending my position.  

Love comes as a natural extension of God Spirit as He becomes greater and I become less and will show up unprompted in ways I can't explain.  

God is the craftsman of my new heart.  Only He can, "Create in me a clean heart. . . and renew a right spirit within me."  (Psalm 51:10)  And with this heart of flesh I am empowered to obey God, to be wholly devoted to Him and to love spontaneously.  In this way, I am growing "in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church."  (Ephesians 4:15 NLT)

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will let go and let God have His way in my life this moment.

When do I insist on having my way, thus preventing God to love others through me?

How do I hang onto my own desires, refusing to nail them to the cross?

Thoroughly Tested

"Your promises have been thoroughly tested,

and your servant loves them."

Psalm 119:140

God loves me.  This truth never wavers.  Throughout my life, whether I've known it or not, acknowledged it or lived as if I'm worth less than the mud on the bottom of my shoe, believed it or felt like an orphan, I've been perfectly loved by Love Himself.  My love for God, however, has not always been as true.  And a devotion to His ways?  I've more often than not been dedicated to following my own path, in my time, according to my terms.  

My love for God's ways will grow, however, as I see them test out in my life.  His promises are worthy of my full faith, but I won't know this until I begin a journey of faith that begins with a single step.  I will always prefer my way over God's way until I begin to believe in the goodness of God.

Taste.  "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."  Defense attorney Johnnie Cochran spoke these infamous words during the closing arguments of the O.J. Simpson trial, referring to the prosecutor's case against his client, but also to the risky courtroom demonstration of the defendant trying on the gloves used in the murder to prove he was their owner.  Unfortunately for the D.A.'s office, for whatever reason, the gloves didn't quite fit and this failed attempt ended up being the nail in the coffin of their case.  Sometimes, putting your money where your mouth is can backfire.

Unlike this cringe-worthy moment in criminal/pop history, I will never be disappointed if I place my weight on Jesus, making a public commitment to Him and the path He has for me.  David exhorts me to "Taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8)  He is always good, through and through (Psalm 136:1, 145:9, James 1:17).  He does not have bad days when He will let me down, when I'll be sorry that I placed my full trust in Him, when I'll regret having chosen His ways.  He is a good God whose goodness is thoroughly tested.  Therefore, I can place my full confidence in Him.

Since God's goodness is thoroughly tested, I can take Him up on His promises and find He will live up to them every time, without fail.

Repent.  Sometimes I'm on the fence.  I try to live my life my way yet still trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Trouble is, I can't have it both ways.  Either I'm all in God's kingdom with Jesus as my King, or I'm ruler of my own life, fooling myself into thinking I'm following Jesus.  There can only be one king of my life.

This is why it's necessary to repent, literally meaning to "turn away."  I can't work with Jesus and fight against Him at the same time.  It's impossible to let Him have His way and me get mine as well.  Either I'm for Him or I'm against Him; the gospel of Jesus Christ begs a decision (Matthew 12:30).  This means there is no straddling the line; I must choose one side or the other.  And the only way I can choose Jesus is if I lay down my own faulty methods of coping with life, my inferior attempts at living a meaningful life, my meager tries at saving myself, and fully embrace God's good plan of redemption and restoration.

Since God's forgiveness is thoroughly tested, I can repent from my inferior way of living and embrace His best for me.

Rest.  I have an unhealthy pattern in my life.  I tend to pay too much attention to what I can do for Jesus, trying really hard to prove myself worthy and earn my keep.  As I scurry around like a busy little ant, giving what I think is my best for Him, I fail to see that Jesus has already done all that is necessary.  As He lovingly said to Martha, I am "worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one." ( Luke 10:41b-42)  He went on to say that Mary, in sitting at His feet and listening to His every word, had chosen what is better.

How hard it is for me to go against my flesh.  It cries out for attention, wanting to do what comes naturally.  But in Christ, I am a new creation, made for new desires, new patterns, new motivations.  In order to find the restoring process as Jesus makes me into the woman I'm meant to be, I'll need to cooperate.  This means I must get out of the way and let Him do His job.  The best way to accomplish this is to enter into His rest, accepting what He has already done for me and making myself like pliable clay in His hands (Hebrews 4:1-7).

Since the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been thoroughly tested, I can rest in what He has already done, cooperating with His lifelong plan of transformation.

The more I see God's promises play out in my life, the more my love for Him and His ways will grow.  In order to start this process, I'll need to give God a try, taking Him up on His offer of forgiveness and relationship.  I'll also find it necessary to repent of my inferior ways and take up His superior plan for my life.  It's equally as important that I stop resisting His efforts in purifying me and making me into the woman He created me to be and start resting in His redemptive work.  In these ways I'll discover that God's promises are thoroughly tested and can be trusted.  What am I waiting for?

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God with every part of my life.

When do I want my own way more than I want God's best for me?

How do I fight hard to get what I think I deserve instead of letting God give me what Jesus already died to secure for me?

   

Keep on Track

"They said to him,

'John's disciples often fast and pray,

and so do the disciples of the Pharisees,

but yours go on eating and drinking.'

Jesus answered,

'Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast

while he is with them?

But the time will come when the bridegroom

will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.'

He told them this parable:

'No on tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one.  If he does,

he will have torn the new garment,

and the patch from the new will not match the old.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.

If he does, the new wine will burst the skins,

the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

And no on after drinking old wine wants the new,

for he says, 'The old is better.'"

Luke 5:33-39

The pastor sensed God's leading of his church down a different path.  Instead of focusing purely on teaching and discipling those within the congregation, he felt the new emphasis was to be on outreach.  He wanted to spend more time on sending out believers into the community in which they lived, encouraging each church member to form relationships with those they work with, live around and do business with.  He also strongly felt God's Spirit directing him to dedicate more of the church budget to overseas missions.

In order for this man of God to follow His Father's lead, though, he would need to support of the elders and deacons.  Unfortunately, this group had been doing things the same way for years and were resistant to change.  Their motto was, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

How often do modern-day congregations fail to act as conduits of God's grace because they are afraid of change?  Many times installing a new color of carpet, or switching from pews to chairs is considered to be so radical that leaders debate for weeks without ever coming to an agreement.  

It was kind of like this in Jesus' time, only instead of arguing about decor and budgets, Jewish leaders were disputing the way Jesus didn't follow long-held traditions like fasting.  Instead of being led of the same Spirit, these men were in opposition to what God was doing through the Messiah.  They didn't recognize His lead because they didn't know Him for themselves.  They only knew of Him.

It's important to guard against the same traps the Jewish leaders fell into.  These mindsets are common and run naturally within my own sin nature, but if I pay attention, I can avoid these familiar pitfalls.

Rigidity

She gets up early every morning, well before the sun rises, to study her Bible and have her quiet time.  She never misses a Wednesday evening or Sunday morning service if she can help it.  She faithfully teaches Sunday School to the children and is careful to tithe each month.  She never forgets to pray before each meal and always corrects anyone who uses the Lord's name in vain.  She is serious about her faith.

The puzzling thing that she can't get past is that she has no peace.  Her heart is mostly in turmoil and she constantly feels tired.  She works hard to maintain her strict schedule, but it leaves no time for pleasure or rest, and she's getting burned out.  She doesn't know what she's doing wrong.  Where is the joy and peace promised? (Galatians 5:23-24) Why does she so quickly lash out at clerks and waitresses who are just trying to help her when she's shopping or dining out?  Why does she go through life with a perpetual scowl?

There is a difference between following God's lead and doing a thing because I think it's what I must do to be a good Christian.  One brings all the fruits of the Spirit, while the other leaves me feeling exhausted from the effort.  Maybe I think I can fool others or even myself into thinking I'm on good terms with God, but if my heart is not fully in-tune with Him, He's not impressed.

Stubbornness or inflexibility can easily be disguised as one of the fruits of the Spirit: Self-control.  On the outside, my insistence on teaching Sunday School every week may look like faithfulness, but on the inside I could be trying to make up for past sins.  Sticking to a schedule can be helpful, but if I never leave room for God to work spontaneously, I'll miss out on the blessing of being used by Him.

As a child of God, I must guard against strictness and focus solely on cultivating a relationship with my Father.  When I'm in-tune with Him, I'll recognize His voice and be able to follow His lead.  If, however, I'm focused on my routine and list of do's and don'ts, I'll miss out on what God is doing all around me.

Rigidity runs counter to God's Spirit and makes me resistant to following His lead.

Blinders

Horse trainers sometimes use blinders to keep their animal focused on where they are going instead of getting distracted by what's around them.  Blinders are helpful for horses, but they do limit the peripheral vision.

I often have spiritual blinders on in the way my perception is clouded or blurred:  I only see what I want to see or what I'm used to seeing.  If God introduces a new way, I balk because it doesn't fit within my line-of-sight.

Perhaps I'm used to a traditional style of worship at church.  One Sunday I am shocked to hear drums, electric guitars and keyboards.  What happened to the organ?  I think.  I'm not sure if I can worship God this way.  Is it even appropriate?  The truth is, any instrument can be used to praise the Lord.  (Psalm 150)

Other times I may be walking down a busy street, fighting the crowds jostling for a seat on the city bus.  Suddenly, a filthy homeless woman accosts me with her panhandling sales pitch.  My way of thinking has already been established on this subject and I automatically reject her plea, quickly pushing past her so I can get to my next appointment.  My narrow sight blocked out God's gentle urging in the periphery of my vision to take time to treat her to a meal.

Maybe I strongly feel that God helps those who help themselves.  When someone who is down and out, without a job and in the middle of a nasty divorce, needs a little help and encouragement,  I look the other way knowing that the poor fellow just needs to pull himself up by his bootstraps and carry on.

God said, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  (Isaiah 55:9)  If I only rely on my own way of thinking, common sense and logic, I will miss out on the higher way of God.

Tunnel vision leads to a very limited field of sight, while God's vision encompasses all of eternity.

Service

The city boy placed the cart in front of the team of horses.  Perplexed at how he should fasten it to the harness, this inexperienced horseman thought the horses would push the vehicle instead of pulling it.  Once he rigged it up, he found out the hard way how absurd his idea was.  The power of the team needed to go first and the cart would follow easily behind.

It's the same with me and God.  I constantly feel the need to do things for God.  I want to please Him and think that the more I do, the more thrilled He'll be with me.  Unfortunately, that's getting the cart before the horse.  Before I can do anything, I need to be attentive to His lead.  It's like J. Hudson Taylor, missionary to China, said. "I used to ask God to help me.  Then I asked if I might help him.  I ended up asking him to do his work through me." 

I can't be in control of where God wants me to serve, and He certainly doesn't need my help, but I am created to be used by Him.  When it's Him working through me, it's like riding a wave into shore; before I know it I'm laying on the beach having exerted no effort in getting from point "A" to point "B".  The power of the surf did all the work.

In order for me to learn how to live in relationship with God, I will need to start with where I am.  Oswald Chambers explained this well.  He said we often tell ourselves, "'I can't be expected to live the sanctified life in the circumstances I am in; I have no time for praying just now, no time for Bible reading, my opportunity hasn't come yet; when it does, of course I shall be all right.' No, you will not.  If you have not been worshiping as occasion serves, when you get into work you will not only be useless yourself, but a tremendous hindrance to those who are associated with you."

If I insist on doing for God and never spend any time being with God, I'll never be used by God.  My connection to Him is more important than what I do for Him.

Putting service for the Lord over my relationship with Him hampers His work through my life.

It's easy for me to get into a rut, thinking I should stay on the same path I've always traveled.  But if I don't guard against rigidity, putting up blinders and placing service over relationship, then I will miss God's change in direction.  Instead I'd rather, "Listen for God's voice in everything (I) do, everywhere (I) go; he's the one who will keep (me) on track." (Proverbs 3:6 MSG)

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can follow God's lead.

How do I get caught up in doing for God, instead of letting God work through me?

When do I have blinder's on when it comes to certain issues? 

  

Solid Rock

"As he was leaving the temple,

one of his disciples said to him,

'Look, Teacher!  

What massive stone!

What magnificent buildings!'

'Do you see all these great buildings?' replied Jesus.

'Not one stone here will be left on another;

every one will be thrown down.'

Mark 13:1-2

It's hard not to be impressed by the Cathedral of Notre Dame, a 12th to 13th century example of French Gothic architecture and one of the most widely recognized Christian structures in the world.  It was one of the first buildings to use the impressive flying buttress system, allowing for the massive vaulted roof.  The building itself extends to a length of 420 feet while the two towers in front stand 226 feet high.  As if the enormity, beauty and intricate detail were not enough to drop a tourist's jaw, Notre Dame also sits on one of the most scenic spots along the Seine River, making it an impressive example of the feats of man.

The Ancient Greeks created a list of the Seven Wonders of the World which categorizes the most impressive man-made structures in their known world.  Since then, more modern versions have been created to highlight amazing feats of architecture.  Some of the common entries include the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Egyptian Pyramids and the Roman Colosseum.

Man has always been amazed by works of their own hands.  Even in Jesus' times, His disciples were in awe of the temple that stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Jesus put things into perspective, however, by reminding them that the temple would be destroyed, as it was by the Romans in 70 AD.  As easy as it is to put my faith in things that seem indestructible and sturdy, everything that is not based on the solid rock of Jesus will one day be turned to ashes.  (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

I can admire and wish to emulate the lives of successful people I see on television, or even sitting in the pew beside me, but if they are not pointing me to Christ, then my focus is off.  Instead, it is my desire to base my life on Him.

Righteousness

I have heard it said more than once that the church is filled with hypocrites who are quick to point out the sin of others but slow to look inward toward their own filthy heart.  This does not make for a welcoming atmosphere.

When I think I'm pretty good in my own right, I can easily see the sins of others while ignoring what's wrong within my own life.  But when I remember my true identity; a sinner saved by grace, then I will be less likely to judge others.

Paul explained to Titus that, "he saved us, not because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."  (Titus 3:5-7)

I am made right with God by the blood of Jesus, not due to anything that is within me.  As Paul goes on to say,  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so no one can boast."  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I can easily admire others' accomplishments, gentle spirits or tenacious attitudes, but my real foundation for righteousness comes not in trying to be what I think I should be, but in embracing my true identity.  I am a wretched sinner who is saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Basing my life on the solid rock of Jesus means I will always remember that my righteousness comes from Him.

Power

"The Power of Positive Thinking"

"The Magic of Thinking Big"

"How to Attract Health, Wealth, Love and Luck into Your Life Immediately"

"The Art of Happiness"

"The Power of Now"

"The Gateway:Discover the Power to Create an Outrageously Prosperous and Happy Life"

The bookstore is chock-full of ideas of how to tap into some hidden power source to reach the life you've always wanted to live.  The books promise fulfillment, peace, happiness, ambition and new-found energy.  As much as I've tried to will myself to do better, there are always areas in which I struggle and fail. (Romans 7) I just don't have it within me to become the woman God created me to be.

When I took Jesus to be my Savior and committed my life to Him, He gave me the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells within me.  (Acts 3:38  2 Timothy 1:14)  God's Spirit produces all kinds of fruit when I allow Him to rule my life.  (Galatians 5:22-23)  This love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control will be evident to all those around me.  This fruit does not exist when I live by my own effort or when following my heart.  Instead, it comes when I submit my life to God and let Him lead.

The ability to live a life pleasing to God does not exist within my natural self.  Instead, it is an extension of His indwelling Spirit.  "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  (2 Timothy 1:7)  He is the source of the power to live a godly life.  

Oswald Chambers breaks it down to understandable terms, pointing out the difference between human effort and His supernatural work.  Mr. Chambers says, "It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him."

Basing my life upon the solid rock of Jesus means the power to live a successful life pleasing to God will come from Him.

Teachings

There is nothing more gratifying than in seeing my daughters follow my teachings.  Not only am I thankful to know they were actually listening all those years, but to see them put the wisdom into action means that they have faith in me as their mother.  It is then that I know that they love me.

It is the same with Jesus who heard from a lot of people who claimed to love Him.  Jesus said that those who truly love Him will do as He says.  Those who don't obey His teachings don't really love Him.  This, Jesus said, is all according to the Father who sent Him.  (John 14:23-24)

Jesus set the bar pretty high.  He said I need to turn the other cheek, love my enemies, pray for those who persecute me, and forgive others that hurt me.  (Matthew 5)  I can't even get past my first example because it is in my nature to stand up for myself.  I've never been one to back down from a good fight!

Thankfully, He doesn't expect me to follow His teachings in my own strength.  Instead, He taught that He is, "the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

As I read God's Word, I must take it seriously and apply it to my life.  When I come across a directive that I've neglected to employ in my own life, I can either ignore it, or put it into use.  If I'm rightly related to Jesus at the time, I will want to decide to obey Him and He will give me the ability to do so.

If, however, I've strayed from His side and am following my own lead, then I will easily pass over the directive found in the passage I just read.

Basing my life upon the solid rock of Jesus means I'll have the desire to do what He says.

There are many people, beliefs, movements or lifestyles I may admire in this life.  But basing my life on any of the above will lead to disaster.  Building my life upon the solid rock of Jesus, however, means I'll be made pure and clean by His blood, will have the power to please God, and will be given the desire and ability to follow His teachings.  In this way, I will be placing my hope on things that will last an eternity instead of building a life on things that are weak and temporary.  In the end, God's kingdom is the only thing that will last.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will build my life on Jesus.

How do I get distracted by things I'm doing for God and forget about my relationship with Him?

When do I fail to take a step of faith because I think it depends on my own power?

   

What Comes Out

"'You have let go of the commands of God

and are holding on to the traditions of men.'

And he said to them: 'You have a fine way

of setting aside the commands of God

in order to observe your own traditions!

For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother,

and

 Anyone who curses his father or mother

 must be put to death.

But you say that if a man says to his father or mother:

Whatever help you might otherwise

 have received from me is Corban

 (that is, a gift devoted to God),

Then you no longer let him do anything for his

 father or mother.

Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition

that you have handed down.

And you do many things like that.'

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said,

'Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.

Nothing outside a man can make him unclean by going

into him.  Rather, it is what comes out of a man

that makes him unclean.'"

Mark 7:8-15

I recently took a trip to the west coast to visit my parents.  One thing that stood out to me was the fixation on fitness and nutrition that people seemed to carry.  Living as I do in one of the fattest states in the Union, I'm not used to having these kinds of conversations.  Even though I love exercise and have a mild interest in eating well, it is no longer what defines me.  In the past, I obsessed over exercise and nutrition and there was a time when I would enthusiastically welcome such discussions.  As I've grown in my walk with Jesus, however, I have found there are other things which are more important than physical health.

Jesus found the church people during His time on earth similarly fixated on things that were not important.  In order to try to 'help' their fellow Jews please God, these thoughtful leaders came up with lists and lists of rules for people to follow.  This set of man-made laws evolved into commandments that ended up overshadowing God's own decrees.

It's not so different now.  I have been pressured to think I must dress a certain way in order to worship God on Sunday mornings, to believe that a "good" Christian only listens to certain music or watches specific movies, or that in order to please God I must live up to the standards which man has set.  Thankfully, God judges me according to my heart.  For this reason, its not what goes into my body that defines me, but its what comes out that matters.

Fruit

The vines grew to take over the entire hill and I began making plans to preserve pickles and add zucchini to every dish that I cooked during the summer months.  It looked like the harvest would be abundant.  Then the fruits began to form and, much to my dismay, they were rotten at one end.  Disappointingly, the vines began to wither.  I was another victim of the persistent Squash Vine Borer and the destructive Cucumber Beetle.  All my hopes for a plentiful yield were dashed.

In the same way, if I walk with Jesus my life will produce good fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23)  If, however, I follow my fleshly dreams and desires, my life will produce rotten fruit. (Galatians 5:19-21)   

I am recognized by my fruit.  If my life is filled with strife, unrest, jealousy, gossip, rage, bitterness, hatred and the drive to get ahead, then I am producing fruit that is of my own sinful flesh.  But, if my life is filled with a compassion for others, the ability to suffer without complaint, the desire to live in harmony with others, and a calm and quiet spirit, then it is God's Spirit who is winning out and making His own fruit evident in my life.

Jesus said, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." (Matthew 7:8-9)  Maybe I don't always feel good.  I've been through some rough times and have fallen into sin on more than one occasion.  I feel like a failure.  But it is not up to my own ability to live a righteous life that produces this kind of fruit.  That is impossible.  

Instead, it is a life that is wholly devoted to God and devoid of any selfish desires that is able to produce the fruit that God calls good.  As Oswald Chambers said, "Undress yourself morally before God of everything that might be a possession until you are a mere conscious human being and then give God that."  God can do amazing things with a life that is surrendered to Him.

It's the quality of my fruit that matters to Him.

Cleanliness

I had the honor of visiting a Mosque and going on a tour of the facility.  As the young women described their beliefs and walked me through their rituals for pre-prayer cleansing, it struck me that they were trying to make themselves pure by washing their outer selves.  This, however, did nothing to address the real source of their uncleanness: their hearts.

God revealed His focus when He commanded Samuel to anoint a new king to replace the rebellious Saul.  He cautioned the priest to, "not consider his appearance or height. . ." as Samuel's eyes were drawn to the older, more experienced and stronger brothers.  Instead, He said, "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 17:7)  

Even though he was a mere boy at the time, David later became known as a great king, and more importantly as a "man after God's own heart." (Acts 13:22)  My purity comes from my heart.  Do I have a desire to glorify God or follow a religion?.  Do I mostly follow my own lead or God's?  Do I consider my own needs as more important or am I dedicated to loving others?

My cleanliness does not come from taking a shower or going through a purification ritual.  Rather, my heart betrays the motivation of my actions, and thus the purity of my faith.  Either my heart is inclined toward God, or it's slanted toward myself.  As David prayed when Nathan the prophet pointed out his sin and he realized his selfish motivations, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

It is the tilt of my heart that matters to God.

Traditions

I remember reading about a young wife who began cooking her Thanksgiving turkey one year early in her marriage.  She thawed it out in the sink, just as she'd seen her mother do so many times before.  Finally, she placed the dish drainer upside down over the bird.  When her husband asked her why she did this, the young woman replied, "I don't know.  That's just how my mom always did it."  Unbeknownst to her, her mother's cats had attempted to dine on the thawing poultry so her mom had come up with the strategy of protecting it with the dish drainer.  Since the newlyweds owned no pets, there was not a need for this ritual.

There are many things I can do without understanding why I do them.  Maybe it's something I've seen someone else I look up to doing.  I think that if I follow suit, I'll end up with the same results as my idol.  

Or it could be that I've read a lot of books, or listened to much advice from well-meaning believers and I want to do the things they've said to do.  

It's easy for me to also get caught up following my own strategy that I've developed over the years.  After all, no one knows myself better than me, right?

If I'm not following God directly out of obedience to Him, I have no business taking part in any tradition.  No matter how long something has been carried out in my family, church or town, it will lead me away from God if the directive did not come from Him.  My relationship with God is more important than fitting in with what everyone else is doing.

Getting caught up in following traditions is not peculiar to God's people in this day and age.  The prophet Isaiah had to deliver a message to the Israelites that, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."  (Isaiah 29:13)

How much of my worship of God, or the way I live my life, is made of stuff I do without meaning? How much of it is out of direct obedience to His calling on my life?  The former cancels out the latter.  

It is my obedience to God that matters to Him.

It is easy for me to think that either I'm a complete failure or that I'm doing pretty good.  Both beliefs are fallacy.  Rather, the truth is that I am a sinner who is saved by the grace of God through faith in my Savior Jesus Christ.  As such, I am free to move forward from here and produce good fruit that comes directly from Him, to have a pure heart cleansed by His blood, and to cultivate an obedient relationship with my Father.  It is then that what comes out of me will please God and lead to a blessed and fulfilled life.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that my life will be wholly devoted to pleasing God.

How do I let traditions overshadow God's direct Word in my life?

In what ways is my life producing rotten fruit?