Right Living

"Remind the people to be subject

to rulers and authorities,

to be obedient,

to be ready to do whatever is good,

to slander no one,

to be peaceable and considerate,

and always to be gentle toward everyone."

Titus 3:1-2

The list of rules was incredibly long.  I didn't know if I'd be able to handle the pressure of trying to live up to such high standards.   What if I faltered and drew shame upon the organization?  Maybe the pressure would prove to be too much for me.  I might be better off not joining.  

Pledging allegiance to a group that holds high ethical standards for its members can be intimidating.  The pressure to conform can be high.  Thankfully, this is not the kind of group I joined when I became a follower of Christ.  

As a child of God through faith in Jesus, I am held to a high standard of holy living. (1 Peter 1:16)  This expectation, however, is not through any power of my own.  Instead, the ability to live the way God calls me to live comes from the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Because of God's mercy shown through His kindness and love, I can live in a way that honors Him.

Subject

Presidential elections are always an exciting time in this country.  Hope is palpable as new candidates emerge spreading their message of change and optimism.  Voters weary of hearing from the current administration whose views differ drastically with their own hunger for new leaders who will fall in line more closely with their beliefs.  There is no doubt that it is difficult to submit to a leader with whose views I don't agree.

From the time I was born, I have been faced with the cold hard fact that there is always someone who has authority over me.  I found out I had to answer to my parents when I felt the cold hard sting on my behind when I talked back to my mother, or the humiliation of enduring lunch with my teachers in the middle of the lunch room as a result of my disobedience.  As I grew older, I discovered my need to submit to the law of the land when a police officer pulled me over for speeding, and the seriousness of not keeping my grades up in college when the administrators threatened to flunk me out.  Yes, there is always someone to whom I must be subject.

I honor God when I willingly submit myself to those He has placed in a position of authority over me, even if I don't agree with their philosophy or dislike their style of leadership.

Ready

I am sarcastic by nature and am almost always ready with a wry comment.  While this may bring a laugh or two from those within earshot, it is not the kind of readiness God desires from me.

Instead, He instructs me to be prepared at all times to do good, even if it's uncomfortable or means swallowing my pride.  It may be easy for me to help a sweet old woman unload groceries out of her car, especially when she showers me with thanks and later sends over a plate of homemade cookies.  

It's another story, however, to show kindness to the neighbor whose had it out for me since the day we met.  I can justify my desire to slander his name, thinking to myself that he deserves it for his own nasty behavior toward me.  My actions, however, must stand alone.  If I am to reflect well on the Lord, I must "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." (Ephesians 4:31)

I honor God when I am kind to everyone, setting my pride aside and keeping my heart always open to doing good.

Peaceable

He was the most qualified for the job.  His experience and connections made him perfectly suited to take on the leadership position.  Someone else desired to do the job, however, so my friend graciously stepped aside in order to keep the peace.  He took one for the team, so to speak.  

It takes humility to think of the best interest of others before my own concerns.  Even more humbling is the task of living at peace with one another.  I am much more concerned with protecting my own rights and defending my honor than trying to keep the peace.  

As a follower of Christ, however, I am called to do what is right in the eyes of those around me and to do whatever I can to live in harmony with others. (Romans 12:18)  This means I will sometimes need to seek forgiveness even if I've been hurt deeply.  Other times it means I'll have to let God protect me and let go of my desire to preserve my reputation.  Every once in awhile it will mean I must invite my enemy within my midst, showering him with kindness.

I honor God when I do all I can to live at peace with those around me.

I don't have the ability to live in a way that is right in the eyes of God.  With the power that comes through faith in Christ, however, I am able to honor Him with my life.  I am capable of subjecting myself to authority, keeping in a state of readiness to do good, and to live peaceably with a variety of personalities.  God's mercy as shown to me through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, overflows into my own life, empowering me to do what is right.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can live in the way God has called me to live in a society that could care less about their Creator.

How do I keep ready to complain but forget to do good?

When am I most susceptible to getting into an argument with someone instead of placing a higher value on peace?    

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?

   

The Salvation of God

"Sing to the LORD a new song,
   for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
   have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made his salvation known
   and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
   and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
   the salvation of our God."

Psalm 98:1-3

As I sat in the dentist chair enduring my 6-month cleaning, the hygienist chattered about the possible reasons for the pain and sensitivity in one of my molars.  "It could be the filling.  You might want to get that redone because they don't last forever.  I don't see a fracture in any of those teeth which would explain the pain.  Even your x-rays look good."  She spent 35 minutes cleaning my teeth and performing her duties, becoming pretty well acquainted with my teeth.  Still, she could not see any problems that could be responsible for the pain I'd been experiencing.  Then the dentist entered the exam room.  He spent a total of 10 seconds looking at the the x-rays, peered into my mouth and proclaimed, "Tooth number 31 is fractured.  You need a crown to protect it from splitting all the way in two." 

To the untrained eye, my tooth looked fine, but for the more experienced expert, it only took a glance to see the trouble.  This is like my sin.  To my human way of thinking, I look pretty good.  But God's ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:9), and he sees how far I fall short.  Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus, but why did Jesus come?

Redeem us  Before we can be saved, we have to know and recognize our need for a Savior.  Sin, simply put, is how we fall short of God's standard.  God expects perfect adherence to his law, which includes the ten commandments.  But none of us are perfect!  (Romans 3:23)  When we realize this, Jesus can save us from our state of sinfulness and the consequences that God requires for breaking His commandments, which is death!  (Romans 6:23)  "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)  Jesus paid the price we were meant to pay!

Cleanse us  The sin which is in us makes us unholy before a holy God.  "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 3:8-9)  This does not mean confession is necessary for forgiveness.  Forgiveness was already given when Jesus died on the cross and He said, "it is finished."  But in order to receive that forgiveness, we must admit our guilt.  Then He cleanses us.  From then on,  instead of seeing an unholy sinner, God looks at us and sees the perfection of Jesus!  Jesus makes us holy!

Give us Hope  When our four daughters were younger, I remember saving for a trip to Disney World.  During that year, we often talked about the upcoming trip with excited anticipation, looking forward to the appointed day when we would visit the so-called  "Happiest Place on Earth."  We looked forward to this trip because we were certain it would come to pass and we knew a little something about the destination.  It is the same with us and heaven.  Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and made us perfect so we can look forward to an eternity in a place Jesus has prepared for us.  It will be much better than anything we can imagine and this gives us hope.  ". . .having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7)  Jesus gives us the hope of heaven!

This Christmas, I resolve to celebrate all that Jesus has done for me.  He has redeemed me, cleansed me from my sin, and given me the hope of heaven!  Have you asked Him to do the same for you?  That gives us all reason to rejoice!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that my thoughts will be centered on Jesus.

How do I live my life in a way that shows gratitude to God for this gift of salvation?

Do I fail to extend this gift to others?