It is not unusual to hear someone say “Dream big!” Or “You are destined to do great things!” (Christians will add “for God” to that sentence.)
Are we actually destined to dream big and do great things (for God)?
I don’t think so. Let me explain why.
It’s just a fact that not everyone will be the world’s definition of “great” or “amazing”. It’s just not how God designed humanity.
When we look at the book of I Kings, we read of Elijah and his awesome miracles. But we also see a nameless widow who took him in when she had little food left (I Kings 17) and we read of the 7000 that were still faithfully following God and refusing to worship Baal (I Kings 19:18) although we know nothing about them at all. Elijah thought he was all alone but there were still 7000 faithful followers. We don’t even know their names.
We can’t all be Elijahs.
When we look at the life of Apostle Paul, we read of his amazing testimony and life. But think of all those who supported him as he did what he was called to do. He lists so many throughout the scriptures. Onesimus. Tychicus. The saints of Caesar’s household. Eubulus. Purden. Linus. Claudia. Priscilla. Aquila. Trophimus. So many others that I won’t take the time to list.
We know very little about these saints. What we do know is that God had a job for them to do and they were faithfully doing it. The job didn’t make them stand out and it probably wasn’t very exciting most days. Most of them were simply living a normal average life in the incredible light of the Gospel.
We can’t all be Pauls.
I’d surmise that most of us are servants of the Lord by quietly doing what He has set before us each day. Which is exactly what we are called to do.
Titus 2 gives the very concise callings of the average person who follows God, breaking it down between older men and younger men, as well as older women and younger women.
Paul reminds us of our calling as husbands, wives, children, employees, citizens, church leaders, and church members throughout the epistles.
Most people are not called to greatness. And, while some will do great and amazing things for God (and that will be God’s plan for them), should that be our life’s goal?
Greatness comes with an astounding amount of responsibility and accountability. It comes with temptations to compromise and to go astray from biblical principles.
Personally, I don’t want it. I am quite content to be an average person serving the Lord right where He has me.
But that wasn’t always the case. There was a time I wanted to “make it big”. Until that one day (ordained by the Lord, I am sure) when I heard a pastor say something like this: “I don’t ever market myself. I let God take care of the growth. My job is just to stay faithful.”
Hearing this changed my whole view on this blog and what it would accomplish. Whoever it has encouraged in the past or is encouraging today is of the Lord. All glory goes to Him.
Let’s think for a moment where God has us right now. Today. Many of us are husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, sons, daughters, uncles, and aunts. We have been given a family to serve. Are we serving them?
We are church members and our churches need teachers and prayer warriors and kitchen helpers and those who will serve and support their widows. How are we helping?
And many of us are employees, some of us are business owners…how do we serve the Lord best in this role?
God gives us opportunities for service and ministry in our communities. Are we taking them?
There is so much we can do right where we are today. Faithfulness is often without fanfare or praise. And that’s okay. It just doesn’t matter in the Lord’s eyes.
May we all simply do what God sets before us and do it with joy. May we be found the faithful servants of the Lord we love.
Perhaps, when all things are considered, this really is the definition of “great” and “amazing” in the Lord’s eyes.
There are some things you just can’t understand in this life and death is one of them. Particularly the death of someone who just seems too young. Such was the case when my brother lost his wife, leaving him without support in his role as pastor and leaving their daughter without a mother. It just didn’t seem right but life continues on, despite our feelings about it. But, God in His goodness and sovereignty, led my brother some time later to a woman who had also lost her spouse to cancer. Our family was thrilled when they joined their lives and started their new life together.
Michele has become a dear friend to me over the past few years. Early on she shared her amazing testimony with me. As we sat talking last week, I had the idea of asking her to share it here on the blog for you, my readers. Michele’s testimony is a bit unique in that God plucked her right out of her family and her really “great life” (according to worldly standards). She never hit rock bottom or cried out for God to save her, as she didn’t even feel she needed saved…until God opened her eyes, using His Word. It’s an amazing testimony and I know there is much she couldn’t include because of not wanting to make it too long.
There is a really profound statement that Michele makes in her testimony below and I really don’t want anyone to miss it. It’s really the heart of what the true Christian life is about and stands in complete opposition to what we are hearing in the majority of sermons, songs, books, and entertainment labeled as “Christian”.
Here is what she says: I used to think that “freedom” was doing whatever I wanted in life. But that actually was very ensnaring! True “liberty” is to be joyfully submitted to the only One who truly loves me and died for me so that I could be “set free”to fear/respect Him and enjoy Him forever!
I don’t know about you, but I can still get caught up in the trap of seeking my own desires and what I want to do. And it DOES ensnare, doesn’t it? It always ensnares. Oh, to understand that true liberty comes from doing God’s Will. His glory and our good–is it not truly amazing that these two things are always perfectly compatible?
I hope Michele’s story encourages your heart, particularly as you contemplate those loved ones in your life who are lost. I also hope it’s a reminder of two other truths: 1) The efficacy of prayer and 2) what a new life looks like in the one who professes to love Christ. Here’s Michele’s testimony–
Last weekend, my wonderful sister-in-law Leslie, asked me if I would be willing to share “my testimony” with her blog readers, of how God graciously saved me. I was a little surprised, but immediately I thought: how kind of God to offer me another opportunity to boast about what His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has done in my life, starting from June 28th, 1988 (the day “He called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9) until today.
As Christians we often use the word: “testimony”, so I looked up the meaning of that word once again: “to give a truthful and solemn declaration of a fact that occurred and was personally witnessed.” I pray that the following “testimony” will be pleasing to the LORD JESUS and an encouragement to any who read it.
Ephesians 2:1-3 describes perfectly the state of my heart and life BEFORE Christ: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-among whom we all once lived, in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
Even though from birth God had blessed me with loving and caring parents, unfortunately they themselves did not know their Creator and Savior (and still do not), and therefore they could not teach me from a young age that I was born a sinner like all mankind (after the disobedience of Adam and Eve), and that there was nothing that I could do to appease the just wrath of a Holy God against my sin. I was a slave to sin as His Word says. All my education, travel, manners, and nice outward appearance and being a “good person” could not change the fact that I was separated from God my Creator and could do nothing to please Him. By default, I lived my life to only please myself, which also pleased Satan, the prince of darkness.
And honestly, I was not “looking” for God nor did I have any desire to live for Him. At age 23, I was very content (so I thought) with my life. Unlike those that grow up in a Christian home and the church and come to know the Lord, or those that “hit rock bottom” from a life of drugs, alcohol, abuse, or neglect—I, on the other hand, felt “on top of my world!”
I was born in Nassau, Bahamas in 1964 (I’m 60 now), and spent the first 18 years of my life growing up there and enjoying the sun, sea, and sand. I then continued my British education (my father is English and my mother is Spanish), with two years in Oxford and then three years at a Hotel/Tourism Management University in Madrid, Spain. I also spent a few months in France to practice my French. I had a great life, often had romantic relationships (that never lasted too long because of selfishness), and enjoyed a fair amount of the party life, without going too overboard. I was in control of my life and was just starting my hotel career in London, England and had plans to work my way up the corporate ladder and to continue to travel the world as much as possible, and perhaps one day settle down and have a family.
Ephesians 2:4-9 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the GREAT LOVE with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by GRACE you have been saved-and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the IMMEASURABLE riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (caps mine).
Thankfully, God my Creator, had a much better “plan” for my life than my very self-oriented one. Through the prayers of other believers (mainly my recently saved brother), God began working in my heart and causing me to be dissatisfied with all the worldly things that I used to enjoy and to question the “meaning of life”. In His kindness He chose me and drew me to His Son through the obedience of three of His daughters in London who courageously reached out to me to invite me to lunch, and then subsequently to their church service that evening, June 28th, 1988.
I had an extremely limited knowledge of the Bible and did not own one nor had ever read it. But that night, God used the preaching of His Word, the only Truth, to pierce my darkened heart and to cause me to completely repent of my own personal sins against a Holy and Just God and to, by faith alone, by His grace alone, be reconciled to Him through the perfect and complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, that satisfied God’s wrath against my sin and by His resurrection three days later to conquer death and grant me Eternal Life in Christ!
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!!”
The two Scripture verses that God used that night to open my understanding to know my separation from Him and my only way of reconciliation to Him were:
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
John 14:5-6 “Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
As Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to Himself, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
It was so true! I was now for the first time ever, RECONCILED TO GOD and I had complete peace with God. How freeing that was! I no longer had the need to search out the meaning of life. I had found it in Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord!
My heart was radically changed by God’s Holy Spirit within, as He caused me to be “born again” (spiritually). I now was alive to God (and dead to sin) and by His grace could love Him most and love others sincerely and unselfishly (for the first time) with His love in my heart and I had a strong desire to love and know His Word and to obey it by the daily help of His Holy Spirit. I wanted to learn from other more mature Christians around me and to grow in Christ-likeness.
The Joy of the Lord filled my heart to overflowing! I used to think that “freedom” was doing whatever I wanted in life. But that actually was very ensnaring! True “liberty” is to be joyfully submitted to the only One who truly loves me and died for me so that I could be “set free”to fear/respect Him and enjoy Him forever!
Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
But, I quickly learned that there is a “cost” to following Jesus in this evil world. Unfortunately, most people in my previous life were NOT happy that God had saved me and was changing my whole life to “no longer be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
My parents were very upset that I was no longer pursuing my hotel career, as I quickly gave in my notice at work, to go and live with the only true Christians that I knew in London, as knowing Jesus was now my main focus, not making money and living “my” dream. I gave up my old music, my immoral social life, and some old friends. It was very hard and hurtful at times but I knew now that only Christ is my portion and truest Treasure and He enabled me to let go of everything and everyone that I had set before Him on the throne of my heart. As the apostle Paul said so well:
Philippians 3:7-9 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
My journey in following Christ led me back to Spain for a few years where I continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord in an evangelical church in Pamplona, which is where I truly thought that I would stay for the rest of my life.
But in God’s Providence He guided me to the U.S.A in 1991 as a biblical counselor in a Christian Recovery Farm in New Hampshire and then to Florida, where He brought a wonderful husband into my life at the age of 31.
We were married for twenty years, during which time we were blessed with a boy and girl (Sean and Julia). God used marriage and motherhood as tools to cleanse my heart of selfishness and to continue to learn to live for His Name’s sake and not my own, as well as to be content in Him alone and whatever He allows in my temporal earthly life.
In 2015 my husband Steve was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and in July 2016 His Creator took him Home. I was left alone with an 18 year old and 16 year old, but God has promised to “never leave us nor forsake us.” In retrospect, I can see how many ways that He provided His comfort, and care and practical provisions for our little family. He especially cares for His widows.
Just over three years later He again guided me in meeting my 2nd wonderful husband: Dean Good (Leslie’s brother), through mutual friends. Never in a million years would I have thought that God would have me become a pastor’s wife and move to Ohio! And be so blessed again! Not only did God gift me a godly and very pleasant husband, but also a very lovely new daughter (Katherine) and now her sweet husband, Steven, and very soon He will allow me to be a Nana to their baby girl. And also God has abundantly blessed me through Dean’s extended family in PA who have all been so kind to me and my children.
He continues to sanctify me through His word and has blessed me with a wonderful local church body and a fruitful ministry with my husband and pastor.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
I do not know what the future holds (some joys and some more trials), but I am confident of this: “that He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil 1:6
“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
I can truly mean this from the bottom of my heart because of the joy of God’s saving grace in my life! All glory and honor and praise goes to Him alone!
As I sat down to write out this testimony, tears once again filled my eyes as I paused to reflect on God’s kindness in giving me to His Son and granting me Eternal Life in Him!
John 17:3 “And this is eternal life. That they know You the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
As an ambassador for Christ: “I implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Dean and Michele on a recent trip to Portugal to spend time with her family
Find other testimonies of Changed Lives here. God is at work and I know these stories will encourage your heart!
This morning I had a 6am meeting in the office of our landscaping business. As I rolled groggily out of bed, I wondered yet again why we meet so early… Of course, I know why.
When I went over to the office a few minutes before our start time, I found the two people from our office staff who join the other family employees at our bi-weekly meeting.
The one was busily putting some reports together, giving me a cheery hi when I walked in the door and the other one was upstairs, I assume to take up the donuts he had kindly picked up on the way in to work and to make sure all was good with our conference room.
As I was sitting there alone for a few moments waiting for everyone to come upstairs to begin the meeting, I was thinking how grateful I am for our office staff. These two, along with our other two part-time staff, really make our jobs easier. They anticipate what we will need, they go out of their way to help us, they rarely complain, they all get along really well, and they respond kindly to requests. They just make owning a business so much easier.
Now, don’t get me wrong—life isn’t perfect in our office. People are people, after all. But all four of our office staff are genuine believers and you can definitely tell. We have so much to be thankful for.
So as I was thinking about how they help make our jobs so much easier, it hit me.
That’s what we are to be doing here on earth. We are to make God’s work easier. I don’t mean to sound flippant, so let me explain.
We are in the era of time where God is building His spiritual kingdom through calling people to salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.
As those who are already saved, we know we are to share this Good News with others. We all know that we should tell others about this (although many of us struggle to do this).
But, I wonder if we think about this question:
Does the life I live make it easier or harder for people to respond to God’s call?
While I know there is nothing we could do to keep someone from heaven, I do wonder if we make it easier or harder for God? Of course, God will do what He is going to do, but we’ve all heard about those who reject Christ and use Christians and the examples they set as their reason. Are we someone’s excuse as to why they won’t come to Christ?
For example, if we are stingy, complaining, harsh, angry, lacking in self-control, anxious, fearful, what does that tell people about salvation? If we are living in sin; watching and listening to violent, sexually immoral tv shows and movies filled with bad language, what does that tell people about God and His impact upon our lives? If we hold grudges and refuse to forgive; if we gossip and slander; if we manipulate others to get our own way and, in doing all of these things, we call ourselves a “Christian”, what must people think??
There is much we can do to draw people to Jesus Christ and to make them take notice of the change He miraculously works in our lives. We are a brand new creature, after all, and this should show in our lives, through our daily choices and interactions with others (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Of all people, we should be the most loving and generous; we should be the most joyful and kind; we should never be characterized by anger or anxiety; We should be actively working to curb sin and worldliness in our lives; we should forgive as we have been forgiven, careful with our tongues, and think of others above ourselves.
None of us can do these things perfectly, of course. We all will stumble and struggle all too often. But we are ambassadors for Christ, now living for Him instead of ourselves. And this should stand out as noticeably different when compared to others in the world around us.
Whether this draws them to Christ or removes them further from Him, we cannot control (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). We know from scripture that most people will reject Christ. We just never want them to use us and our lives as their excuse!
May we stand as wonderful examples of new creations! May we be the reason someone asks questions about the Gospel. May we be a bright and shining light of love and truth in this very dark world.
Once upon a time, a man (we will call him John) went to the doctor due to a severe headache that wouldn’t go away. As the doctor examined him, he told him it could be due to a number of different reasons—some even fatal.
“What would you like to be the cause of your headache?” Asked the doctor.
Not expecting that response, John said wryly, “well, it doesn’t really matter what I want it to be, now, does it?”
“Well,” responded the doctor, “we are trying a new method—one where we let the patient decide what is wrong. This way we don’t mess with their peace or make them upset. We just assume that what they say is true and treat from their diagnosis.”
Silly story. And, yes, it’s just a story. (I wrote a longer post about this called Lindy’s Headaches, you can read that here.) But have you noticed that, while this would never happen in the medical world, it happens all the time in the spiritual world? As if we can all just decide what is sin and what isn’t. As if we can all just decide for ourselves what is truth and how we get to heaven.
And if we don’t like what someone says or they don’t agree with us, we can just unfriend them, delete them from our lives, and move on.
A friend told me he saw a meme on Facebook awhile back. It said this:
“If it messes with your peace, it’s not worth it.”
Have you noticed that this is the philosophy of so many today?
But here’s the thing: The truth will mess with your peace. It just does.
I can look back over my life and recall many times where someone told me the truth about something and it made me very uncomfortable and, sometimes, even angry. But, looking back now, I am so very grateful for those people who were willing to speak the truth to me.
After all, how do we grow if we only surround ourselves with people who are just like us and will never say anything that offends us? How will we grow if we are determined to do things our way, without wise counsel of godly, older people? How will we grow if we refuse to listen to anyone we don’t agree with? How will we grow if we ignore everything in God’s Word that we don’t like??
Well, we won’t. Approaching life this way will lead to looking inward towards self for strength and wisdom. Rather than looking towards God, His Word, and godly men and women that have walked the narrow path ahead of us, so many are looking to self (and to those who agree with self).
And, listen, that is the world’s way. Frank Sinatra released the song “I Did it My Way,” in 1969. The world has been on a the runaway train of self-esteem, self-improvement, self-promotion, self-strength, self-wisdom, and self-glory ever since.
It’s taken the Christian world awhile to follow after the world, but here we are. Most everyone today believes this:
If it doesn’t encourage me or make me feel good, it’s not worth it.
This is probably the main reason families and the visible church are in such a shambles. If someone makes me uncomfortable, it’s not worth it. If the relationship takes work, it’s not worth it. Truth and biblical doctrine can make us uncomfortable. Serving others sacrificially does not always make us feel good.
How much easier is it to run away from the hard? How much more fun and entertaining is it to go to a concert-like worship experience and then listen to a few shallow minutes of encouragement?
Of course, we can’t change this. We can’t change where the secular or the Christian culture finds itself these days.
But we can evaluate our own lives and we can, by God’s grace, intentionally determine not to be SELF-obsessed.
I am currently reading a biography of a missionary. As she has been describing her life, I have grown more and more disturbed. Would I have been willing to do what she did? I don’t think so. If I am honest, I have to say I don’t think so.
And it makes me realize that I, too, have fallen for the cult of self. I, too, put self on a higher pedestal than God all too often.
I think we all struggle with this at some level. As my daughter-in-law said recently: Do we ever do anything with a pure motive?
It is disconcerting to think about, isn’t it? But God knows this and I am so thankful for His grace and His mercy. Jesus came to die for us to pay the price for every sin, every insincere act of service, every time we didn’t do what was right and didn’t even realize it.
Praise the name of Jesus!
But it is my prayer that this short post, in the midst of a tsunami of internet information that will tell you the opposite, will encourage us to love God more than self. That it will bring awareness that this love for self is something we must fight and never embrace. That love for self is the antithesis of true, biblical Christianity. That this love for self is really part of our sin nature and it is called our “flesh” in scripture.
Look, we aren’t going to always agree with others. Even if we both love the Lord with all of our hearts, we will not agree on everything. I don’t expect you to always agree with me and I won’t always agree with you. But what a joy it is to have relationships where we can have open, honest conversations without malice and rancor and bitterness. What joy it is to talk about God’s Word and to grow together with those who also hold the Bible as their anchor and final authority.
Recently, I had the privilege of watching two of my best friends play this out right in front of my eyes. I watched one speak the truth in love and I watched the other one hear the truth with love. It was a beautiful thing. It is how it is supposed to be for us believers. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) and it is a wonderful encouragement when we can have this kind of relationship with someone.
Hearing the truth is a good thing! Being called away from self and towards God through our reading of God’s Word and the counsel of godly family and friends is a great thing!
May we, as believers, be willing to turn from self, experience discomfort, have our “peace messed with”, and hear the truth with love—so that we will grow in our faith and become more Christ-like as the years pass by.
We spent a lovely week in Maine last week and one of the highlights was a “Puffin and Lighthouse” boat trip. As we motored among the many islands in the Acadia region, we saw seals and puffins (my first time seeing them! So fun!) and several lighthouses.
As the fog surrounded us on the ocean that morning, it was easy to see why lighthouses were desperately needed back in the day. They warned of shoals and rocks and kept sailors from shipwreck.
As we were shown some of the different lighthouses in the area, we noticed that quite a few weren’t all that tall. Many were shorter but still gave that needed warning to the ships coming through to the harbor.
As we looked all around us, the tour guide pointed out one lighthouse that actually wasn’t a lighthouse. Someone had built a lighthouse replica as they constructed their new home but it was fake and served no purpose at all.
If you look above, you will see a photo of that lighthouse beside a photo of an actual lighthouse. Can you tell which one is the real lighthouse? (I’ll let you know at the end of the post)
That false lighthouse was a vivid reminder to me that not everything is what it seems. Some things are fake. They are not what they appear to be.
We live in an unprecedented era of this very thing, don’t we? AI has taken deception to a whole new level.
This is especially dangerous when it comes to our spiritual health. If we follow a false teacher, they will lead us down a wrong path.
Jesus warns us that these false teachers won’t look outright false—
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
He also gives us a clue how we can know the difference—
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:16-20)
By their fruits. That is how we know if someone is genuine. That is why it is so important to watch someone you admire. What is their attitude about the Word of God? Where are they pointing their followers? Who are they quoting? Who do they admire? Who are their friends? What is important to them?
Answering these questions will help us to discern the fruit of their lives.
Anyone can look like a lighthouse. Jesus tells us how to discern if someone is really a lighthouse of Gospel Truth.
In the bright sunlight, it would really be impossible to tell which lighthouse is real. But when the fog rolls in or night comes, it is then that the difference is shown in all its glory. One lighthouse will shine and one won’t.
We haven’t really had dense fog or night yet. Not really. We’ve had some hard times during that weird time a few years back and it was interesting to watch how certain people handled things.
But I am reminded of how true colors come forth under persecution when I think of World War 2 Germany and how many pastors caved to the “state”. Or when I think of the conditions in some countries today, where to stand for Jesus is a death sentence. When it costs to be a Bible-believing Christian, few will pretend.
However, false lighthouses thrive and multiply when it’s such a rewarding endeavor without any cost.
Oh, people love their celebrities and many rise up to meet that desire.
I am sure close inspection of these lighthouses would also reveal the truth. I am reminded of a biography I read earlier this year that tore to shreds my opinion of a “godly Christian” most Christians greatly admire (from a distance), just as I did until, unfortunately, I got a closer look. Getting a glimpse into this person’s life was disheartening and discouraging and has made me wonder if they were a true lighthouse at all.
The celebrity culture is very dangerous. It puts our eyes on people instead of on God and His Word.
It is important that no stars in our eyes keep us from seeking God through His Word and seeing the truth.
Is someone a real lighthouse, shining the light of Jesus or are they fake, pretending to be a lighthouse when they really aren’t?
Jesus warns us that this is important. Paul and John echo this warning (Philippians 3:17-19; I John 2:18-19) Unfortunately, we don’t get to just warmly embrace everyone who comes in the name of Jesus. There are just too many that are using Him for personal gain and for deception.
It would be a nice world where we could trust everyone at face value. But scripture clearly shows us we cannot.
Just as I could not trust that the lighthouse on the left is not real, I cannot trust that a teacher is true without looking at their fruits.
Yes, it’s the lighthouse on the left that is the fake. Maybe you could tell. I could not. I was thankful for the tour guide who told us the truth.
Just as I am thankful for other believers who speak the truth. Even when it’s hard. Even when it costs them. They help me stay on the straight and narrow path and keep me from deception.
And that’s what we should be doing for each other, right? We are family after all and our love for each other should compel us to speak the truth. Humility helps us to receive the truth that is offered in love.
May we both speak and hear the truth, even when it hurts. And may we turn our eyes from celebrities and keep them focused fully on Jesus.
A few days ago, my daughter stopped by with one of her sons to pick up something. I was down at the pool and so he searched me out and, in his hand, he held something.
It was a hydrangea bloom that had fallen off its bush tucked into a drinking glass full of soil. It was such a sweet gift, although I knew that hydrangea would not last because it needed water, not soil. And its life was quite limited, at any rate, now that it was no longer connected to its source for life.
But he didn’t know that. And he had enthusiastically planted that little hydrangea branch for Grandma. How sweet is that?
I put the glass on my kitchen windowsill and watched it slowly deteriorate (as you can see from the photo above). The hydrangea cannot live in the conditions that my grandson gave it, although he truly thought he was doing what was best for that little branch.
I have been really thinking recently about James 1:5-8–
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
I fear that I have been doubting as I bring my big requests before God. I don’t think I trust that He can work.
Yesterday, as I was sharing this with a friend, she said something quite profound.
It’s often not that we doubt God can work. It’s that we doubt that He will do things our way.
Ouch.
That is the bottom line, I fear.
And I had to think of my grandson and that hydrangea branch.
How often are we just like him? We think we know the best path but it’s not the best path. God stops us in our tracks and we get frustrated because we can’t understand why. But God knows what we don’t know.
That conversation yesterday really has had me thinking. We know we aren’t in control. We do know that. But yet we so often act like we are. And we grip things so tightly, as if that will keep things from changing. And we boldly march ahead as if we know the answers and the right way to go, when, so often, we just…don’t.
And then, when we end up with a wilting bloom, we are surprised.
It is a never-ending process to learn to lean into God’s will, especially when it is not my will. And to seek Him above all else.
Often, just like my grandson, we do things with the best of intentions and they aren’t necessarily wrong things. But we are finite and we just don’t know.
But God not only knows all—He loves us, too! (Romans 8:35-39; Galatians 2:20; I John 3:20)
Understanding this about God should change how we pray. It should give us the courage and the desire to pray with faith and without doubt.
Perhaps our struggle lies in the fact that we haven’t fully realized Who God is.
I recently read a book by Richard Sibbes called Discouragement’s Recovery. It was a very helpful book and I recommend it—particularly if you struggle with being discouraged.
I want to end with a quote from this book that helps us understand a bit more what we have in God if we are HIS. It was helpful to me and I hope it will be helpful to you, too—
I beseech you, give me a little leave to press this; for certainly there is more comfort in this word ‘My God,’ than in all the words of the world; for what is God to me if he be not my God, and so make me his? For this same propriety of comfort is more than all the comforts in the world.
We account a little patch of ground, or corner of an house of our own, more than all the city and town where we live. This comforts a man, when he can say, This is mine. As a man that hath a wife, it may be, she is not of the best, or the richest, or the fairest, yet she comforts him more, and he takes more content in her, than in all the women in the world, because she is his wife; so if a man can say, ‘O my God,’ he needs not say any more, for it is more than if he could say, All the world is mine. if we have God we have all, and if we had a thousand worlds, all were nothing to this, if we cannot say ‘God is my God.’
Therefore, though the child of God may seem to be a poor man, yet he is the only rich man. Other men have the riches of this world, as a kind of usurpers, for they have not the highest right unto them. Worldly men are like unto bankrupts, who are taken to be rich men because they have a great deal of goods in their possession, but the true right belongs to others, and so they prove in the end to be worth nothing. I beseech you, consider what God’s servants have said heretofore: ‘God is my portion,’ Lam. 3:24. If God be our God, then he will supply all our wants, as it shall make for the best unto us. This is a great comfort to all Christians in what estate soever. God in dividing things, it may be, he hath given others honours, beauty, and riches, and parts of nature. Well! God falleth to thy lot.
Let the worldlings, the lascivious and ambitions persons, make themselves merry with their portions in this life, yet let the Christian, in what estate soever, glory in his portion, for God is his, and all things else. Though there be many changes in thyself, why shouldst thou be discouraged or disquieted in any state whatsoever? God is thine to do thee good.
~Richard Sibbes, Discouragement’s Recovery
I know the language of this is a bit archaic, but there is such profound truth here. We forget that, if we are God’s dear redeemed child, then the God of ALL is OUR God. He loves and cares for us personally. How awesome is that?
Understanding this truth helps us to pray with faith and to abandon the doubt. This truth helps us keep an eternal perspective rather than a temporal one. This truth reminds us that we are not just a random dot on the timeline of history but that God loves us and He is watching over us. This truth will keep us from relying on ourselves and our own wisdom and leaning into God’s will and His wisdom.
Now, if only we could remember this when we are faced with that next trial or decision or challenge…
Life is designed in such a way that the older we get, the wiser we become. Our experiences teach us more than any teacher ever could. And so, hopefully, as believers, we are learning not to be so hasty; when to speak and when to keep quiet; we are growing less angry and more forgiving. And the list could go on and on.
This not only should inform our daily living in a good way by changing our choices and decisions and even our thought processes but it also gives us insight for those that come behind us.
As I was reading in II Chronicles 10 last week, I came across this interesting passage. It’s regarding Rehoboam, who asked two groups of men—old men and young men— how he should respond to a question the people have asked him—
Instead of heeding the wiser, older men, he decided to go with what the young men had said (which was to be harsh with the people).
In this case, the older men had a much wiser answer for Rehoboam and had he followed it, his kingdom would have had a very different ending. Following the wrong advice can change everything, just as it did for Rehoboam.
Of course, older men do not always give the best advice—especially in a culture where so many older men and women spend the last twenty years of their lives playing and selfishly pursuing their own desires.
But there is still a principle to be found in this story from the Bible. We spend almost the entirety of our lives younger than some and older than some, so what are principles we need to consider from this story as a younger person and as an older person?
We live in a culture that is a bit upside down. In the past, the wisdom of old age was valued and elderly men and women were respected. In the world we find ourselves in, it is youth that people listen to and it is the young people that are respected.
It wasn’t until the mid-1900s that youth culture took on a life all its own and became a force to be reckoned with. There were no “youth groups” in the 1800s. No Botox or plastic surgery so we could look “younger”.
While growing older always has had its challenges, there was no shame in it back in the day. It was just a part of life. No one was trying to be younger. They just were taking life as it came.
But we live in this culture where youth is admired and old age is despised. How do we live in this culture but not be “of it”? Since we are all both “younger” and “older” for most of our lives we need to ask—according to scripture—what are things we need to consider as a younger person and what do we need to think about as an older person?
First, it’s important that we consider what those older than us have to say. Particularly, those who are walking with God.
There are lots of foolish old men and women in this materialistic, self-centered culture. But there are also many wise men and women who love the Lord and have so much to offer those of us who are younger than they are. May we be humble enough to listen to what they have to say and take time to reflect on it.
Some of my dearest friends have been women considerably older than me. One was thirty years older and one was twenty-two years older than me. Both were incredible blessings in that they had so much wisdom to offer me, because they loved the Lord and had lived longer than me. If we still have our parents and they love the Lord, we will find that they are also a wonderful resource for godly counsel.
Older people just think about things we never even considered. They understand dynamics we can have no clue about. They have been through what we are going through and can look back and see what they did right and what they did wrong. Hind sight is 20/20 and they have the blessing of having the hind sight we can’t possibly have.
And so may we be humble and teachable and willing to learn from those who are a bit ahead of us on this path called life.
Second, may we be worthy counselors.
We are all older than someone. May we be studying the Word and growing more like Christ through our life experiences, so that we may be a counselor of value as we get older.
As I mentioned above, many older men and women live selfishly. But as believers, we not only must turn away from that, we must realize the absolute privilege it is to build into the lives that are around us. Many of us have children (and their spouses), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren whom we can support and encourage. We have nieces and nephews, Sunday School children, young parents, co-workers, and our church families. There is always someone younger than us that can use some support and encouragement to honor and obey the Lord.
But before we offer any counsel…
It is critical that we are an excellent listener. Spewing unwanted and condescending advice will be never be a blessing to anyone.
Compassionate listening with a well-spoken word of advice as God gives opportunity is what we are after.
We can’t change the world, but we can change our own hearts and attitudes, can’t we? May we be willing to listen and consider the counsel of those who are ahead of us and may we be willing encourage and build up in the Word those who are behind us.
And, in doing these things, we will be obeying scripture and be living out the pattern that God established for His people.
We all make judgments. We make judgments about what is beautiful and what isn’t. And about what is “normal” and what “isn’t normal”. We make judgments about whether someone is doing something right or something wrong; And about whether someone is doing something wise or something foolish. We all do it. And we all do this quite naturally, whether we speak our judgments aloud or not.
But there are two things that we believers really should consider before we pass judgment. Before I go on I’d like to mention that this is something God has been teaching me, oh so gradually, over the course of my lifetime and I am definitely not the same person I used to be. But I am still growing in this area. It’s so easy to write about something the Bible teaches, but learning to live it out takes a lifetime.
The FIRST thing for our consideration is this: Is my judgment based on God’s Holy Word or is it based on my opinion?
If it’s based on my opinion then does it really matter? What makes one opinion better than another?
Here’s a silly example (albeit a practical one). Let’s consider a woman’s shirt. Let’s say I notice a co-worker’s new shirt and I just don’t like it. It’s bright and loud in a color I do not care for and I find it very unappealing. Why is my opinion about that shirt better than the wearer’s opinion? And does it really matter?
Now, let’s take that same shirt and let’s say that it is cut very low and is very immodest. The Bible tells us to dress modestly (I Timothy 2:9-10). So now I am making a judgment between right and wrong which, in fact, we are supposed to do (Matthew 7, I Thess. 5:21-22, and others).
Judgments that are based on our opinions don’t always need to be said. But sometimes they do need to be shared. For example, in committee meetings or family gatherings, when a plan is being developed or a vacation planned. At that point, we speak up with the understanding that there is really no “right” or “wrong” in the situation but that our opinion is simply based on preference.
But what we do with our biblical judgments? Are we to speak each one? This is probably worth a post all its own but, for the sake of time and space here today, let’s just nutshell it in this way: True love discerns, through prayer, when speaking truth is appropriate and is willing to confront when necessary. A lot of harm has been done by parents, pastors, teachers, and others who were simply unwilling to speak biblical truth into the lives of others because they were worried about offending.
This leads to the SECOND thing which we must consider: Are we are aware that we may have incomplete information as to why someone made a choice?
This is not regarding the actual making of judgments but, rather, about our attitudes that accompany our judgments.
When we make biblical judgments, we make them based on our own life experiences. This leads many of us to give no grace, no mercy, no lee-way for other life experiences.
So, for example, someone growing up in a Christian home will naturally know the Bible better than a baby Christian who just got saved as an adult and is learning. Do we have grace for the baby Christian who is just learning?
Or another example is that perhaps someone made a decision for a very good reason but you, looking from the outside, are not privy to the reason for that decision and are judging them for doing something unwise based on your incomplete information. We don’t always know the facts and perhaps they didn’t do anything unwise at all.
Do we give people the benefit of the doubt? Or do we fall prey to having a “holier than thou” attitude?
We only have our life experience from which to form judgements. But it’s so important to recognize that our life experiences are not the gold standard. Only the Bible can and should inform all of our judgments.
And this should lead us to grace and mercy as we remember our life is not their life. And they may have challenges about which we have no idea at all. This doesn’t mean we don’t talk with them when we see sin or worldliness. It just means we have a humble, loving attitude that acknowledges we may not know everything.
So… what if a judgment is based on scripture and you find yourself concerned about someone you love? What to do?
Our natural response is to gossip or to make sarcastic, passive-aggressive remarks letting others know how we feel. The godly response is to keep quiet and go to that person personally and find out the whole story; find out why they made the choice they did and lovingly and kindly point to the scripture that shows that it is wrong.
Can you see why correct interpretation and honest hermeneutics of God’s Word are so critical to life? There are so many manmade “rules” and “laws”—rules and laws that man has created that are simply not in scripture. And there are also so many principles and commands that go completely ignored and neglected by professing Christians who love the world.
And can you see why it’s so important to be able to recognize an opinion-based judgment from a scripture-based judgement?
I have been judged for many things throughout my life. One that sticks out in my memory is being judged for drinking orange juice with my pop-tart instead of milk. Someone made me feel like a fool because of this decision.
As I reflect on that experience, which is over twenty years ago now, I find it such an unnecessary judgement. It’s a silly example but there are so many just like it that happen every day.
Judgments like this build walls instead of building unity. They create division instead of creating a loving, safe place to grow together.
Oh, that we may recognize the difference between our subjective, opinion-based judgments and objective, scripture-based judgments. May we handle any judgment in a loving, biblical manner that will support and encourage God’s family, rather than tear it down.
Recently, I decided to research some reviews for something we are preparing to buy. Reviews can be tricky because some people are never happy. But you can generally find a trend if you look hard enough.
But this got me thinking. Have you considered that religion is the one thing you are not allowed to honestly review? It’s the one thing that is considered off-limits to critique, evaluate, or examine.
Why is this?
It’s because religion, in all its forms, has become completely and utterly subjective. The individual gets to decide what is right for them (they are the judge), rather than God deciding what is good and right (He is the judge and has given us His Word to show us what is good and right).
While lots of people calling themselves Christians would never admit that they believe in universalism (everyone is going to heaven), they do believe in a form of it (everyone who “believes in Jesus” is going to heaven—no matter if their Jesus is in direct opposition to the Jesus of the Bible; no matter if they utterly ignore God’s Word; no matter that they live in sin and worldliness without conviction.)
I am not sure I realized until just now how we have been so deeply affected by relativism. Of course, I knew at some level. But it has so exponentially exploded so that you aren’t “allowed” to criticize anything. And if you do, you are the worst of the worst. You are the unloving, unkind one. YOU are the wicked, evil one.
It doesn’t matter if you have Bible verses in context as an argument. How dare you argue against someone’s opinion or feelings?
But opinions or feelings never inform true religion. My opinions and feelings are irrelevant to how Christianity is defined and lived out. And so are yours. I am no judge. None of us are. Our desire should be to proclaim the Word of God in its entirety. The Bible contains the most beautiful promises for God’s redeemed child. It also contains difficult commands that are not pleasant to my flesh. It has painful truths and delightful encouragement. Every single word of it is true and we don’t get to pick and choose what we want.
The Bible is what makes Christianity an objective religion. We don’t get to just go by our feelings, wherever they lead us. And, honestly, would we even want to? Oh, thank the Lord, we are not dependent upon our feelings for they will always end up leading us astray and away from God.
Many truths of scripture do not feel good. Many lies of the devil feel great. We can’t go by what we feel.
I was talking to one of my daughters last night and we were talking about how this subjectivity has infiltrated the churches—almost all churches— now. To the point that there are few Christians who don’t subscribe at some level to this feelings-oriented “Christianity”.
Who is saved? Who isn’t? The wheat and the tares are basically indistinguishable now (Matthew 13:24-30) and I certainly don’t know. But what I do know is that scripture is the basis for true, genuine Christianity and it will continue to be my guide, my litmus test, and my anchor.
If what someone is saying doesn’t line up with the Bible, I will be skeptical. If some famous celebrity is claiming to know Christ while boasting about still living in sin, I will assume he is lying. If some new trend comes on the scene to help me experience “God’s presence”, I will run.
Just because someone names the name of Jesus does not make them a genuine Christian. Remember—even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:17). Anyone can say words. It is our actions that prove our words.
So where does grace come in? Grace is an important word here because many people are blind to certain things. In fact, I would venture to say we are all blind at some level, no matter how much we love the Lord. It is the nature of humanity.
The other thing to remember is that true believers can resist certain truths because of what following the truth would cost them. I resisted a certain truth for 15 years. My conviction of it would come and go through those years, while I continued in a pattern of something that was not pleasing to my Savior. I praise the Lord for His patience with me over those years.
And so, we must have grace. True believers can be blind and can resist certain truths. We are not the judge and we are not God. We can’t know what is going on in any heart.
But the one thing we can do—and we can do with fervency—is pray. Ask God to save them or to grow their faith—He knows which is needed. Pray for those you see who are blind or are resisting the truth. Pray that God would open their eyes and soften their hearts.
And then, while we are at it, let’s pray the same thing for ourselves. Oh, that our eyes would be open and our hearts be teachable to the things God tells us in His Word.
We must just continue to do the next right thing as we endeavor to avoid the works of the flesh, walk in the Spirit, and crucify our flesh (Galatians 5). And this lifestyle is not burdensome to us because we have a new heart. It is the genuine Christian’s heart’s desire to live in this way and to please our Heavenly Father. Oh, our flesh may argue with us sometimes but, deep down inside, we want to be righteous.
May we not allow anyone to hoodwink us into thinking that we can worship or act any old way we want to and still follow Jesus. That is just not true, according to scripture. God has given us very specific guidance on what our lives should look like after salvation and those who are genuinely saved desire to follow this guidance.
May we hold onto the Bible with all our might as we live in the midst of this relative, subjective, groundless religion called “Christianity” (which clearly isn’t Christianity at all).
Proverbs 3:5-6 are probably two of the most-loved verses in all of scripture. They remind us to trust the Lord, to lean not on our own understanding, and promise us God’s direction. But as I was reading this chapter this morning, I realized that these two little verses must be taken in context. They are surrounded by some other pretty important nuggets of wisdom that can’t be overlooked if we long to trust the Lord and have Him direct our paths.
Such as…
(Vs. 1-2) we dare not forget God’s law and we must work diligently to keep His commandments. We are even told that, as a rule, doing this will give us a long life and peace. Of course, there are legitimate exceptions to this due to God’s sovereign will, but we can see how living a moral, upright life will keep us from a lot of harm.
(Vs. 3) Do not forsake mercy and truth. Can we overestimate the value of mercy and truth in the life of a believer?
Truth keeps us on the straight and narrow path and keeps us from deception. Our only hope of protection and a victorious Christian life is to love the truth of God’s Word more than we love anything else. This is easy to write but hard to live. We all have areas in which we are tempted to ignore, bypass, or outright reject the truth of scripture because the cost is so much higher than we are willing to pay. It is so important that we ask the Lord to give us courage and steadfastness and the willingness to submit to and obey His Word, no matter the cost.
Mercy is what will keep us humble as we seek to follow the truth. My grandfather used to say that “pride is a handle that fits any tool” and there is no tool that it fits better than trying to do what’s morally right and obeying God’s commands. But mercy will keep us from turning up our noses at others and will fill us with humility as we recognize that all genuine believers have victories and we all struggle—just in different ways. Mercy and grace abound in humility of heart and live in perfect harmony with Truth.
(Vs. 7) And then this most important verse after verse 6. This verse explains how we are practically able to execute verses 5 and 6.
First, we are not to be wise in our own eyes. Here we go back to pride again. Pride will keep us from submission to the Lord, it will keep us leaning on our own understanding instead of the Lord’s, it will cause us to stray from the narrow path, AND it will destroy our relationships.
Second, we are to fear the Lord. What does this mean? That we are “scared” of Him? No, of course not. The fear of the Lord means having the proper, reverential, submissive attitude towards the Lord. It means we live our lives with God at the center, instead of ourselves, holding Him in awe and recognizing His greatness, omnipotence, and glory. Earlier in this book, we read that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). That’s how important it is that we fear the Lord.
Third, we are to depart from evil. We cannot expect the Lord to direct our paths if we are purposely walking outside His will in sin or worldliness. Evil comes in all shapes and sizes and, through our study of God’s Word, we soon begin to understand that we have far too narrow view of this word. It goes far beyond the “awful stuff” we tend to put in its category and encompasses but is not limited to: Wicked entertainment that goes against God both morally and philosophically; immodest dress and other ways we draw attention to ourselves; an unforgiving and unloving spirit; selfishness; rebellion against God’s laws; and passion for the world’s wealth and status (just to name a few!) If we are honest with ourselves, we all have something that tempts us to do evil. This is why it is so important that we be examining our hearts and our lives on a regular basis.
(Vs. 8) Doing these three things will not only help us to trust the Lord, lean not our understanding, and help us discern God’s direction for our path; but they will also make us healthy spiritually. They will enable us to live a victorious Christian life.
Sometimes we can oversimplify the words of God. And, while loving just two verses we pull out of scripture isn’t necessarily bad, it is so important that we study our favorite passages in the context which they are given. We will get so much more from God’s Word when we take the time to meditate upon our favorite verses in their proper context.
