Discernment – Page 38 – Growing 4 Life

When right feels wrong

Leave a Comment / June 27, 2011 June 27, 2011

It is so much easier to do the right thing if our percentages for a positive outcome increase. For example, drinking and driving leads to a much greater chance of an accident…succumbing to a fit of anger leads to strife within your family…stealing could lead to an arrest and jail time.

But…it gets a little harder to do the right thing when the percentages for a positive outcome look a little fuzzy…or even downright nonexistent. What happens then? When you have a friend who is living in sin, do you confront them in love, like the Bible tells us to? Or what about a child who says they will “hate” you if you don’t let them do “X”? Do you stand up for what’s right, even in the face of that heart-breaking statement?

You see, when we choose to do what’s right, we do not always have instant gratification. We do not always see the benefit of that right away. And, frankly, sometimes we never see the benefits.

Many, many years ago, I watched someone confront someone about something that was sinful in their life. It was done with love and grace. But it didn’t really matter…because that person’s heart was hard. And the relationship between them was affected permanently. To my knowledge, it was never restored. So, did the person who did the confronting do the right thing? Yep. Did they have a positive outcome? Nope.

But sometimes you just have to wait for awhile to see the positive outcome. Like, take me, for instance. I have written in journals since I was in 6th grade. One day, while dealing with my own teenagers, I decided to read over what I had written as a teenager. What I found there was surprising. I did not remember the anger…true anger…I felt towards my parents when I was not allowed to do certain things. The anger was shocking! But here I was, 30+ years later, and it had all faded. The only feeling that was left in me was deep appreciation and a grateful heart for my parents’ solid commitment to be obedient to the Lord above all.

So often we find ourselves caving in to the “possible outcomes” instead of doing the right thing. We think through all of the possibilities. And then we grow scared. And we do nothing. But, in the long run, we pay. That friendship you are guarding will grow weaker as you and your friend travel in different directions. That child, who is crying out for boundaries (no matter what their mouth is saying), will often walk away from God, figuring it just doesn’t matter.

But not everything needs a conversation, either. After much experience, I have learned to speak up with much more hesitation and discernment. Let’s be honest–some things…many things…are not worthy to be confronted. And many people who are outside your intimate circle have no interest in listening to you (unless you are their pastor or another spiritual leader). We need to be wise!

If we determine that we need to take the step for a conversation, here are a few other questions to ask that are helpful: Is the sin I see habitual? Is the person committing the sin truly committed to the Lord? Will this sin destroy their life if they continue on in this path?

Doing the right thing is not always easy. In fact, it is often the opposite. But we need to strive to do the right thing in all circumstances. Not just when we can rely on positive results. Easier said than done.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

God isn’t surprised.

2 Comments / May 23, 2011 October 12, 2014

The other night our family was on the back porch on a lovely evening. We were talking about something. I can’t even remember what it was. But our whole family was surprised about a decision someone had made or something someone had said when out of the darkness we heard a small voice say, “God isn’t surprised.” Some of the wisest statements come from 12 year olds sometimes.

God isn’t surprised. So simple and yet so profound. God knows everything you and I will think–do–speak–accomplish–or not accomplish while we live on this earth. He knows when we will leave this earth. He knows absolutely everything about us and about everyone else. So nothing surprises Him.

The cancer is not a surprise. The car accident is not a surprise. The betrayal of a friend is not a surprise. The lost job is not a surprise. The tornado, the tsunami, and the flood–none of these surprise God.

I know we all “know” this. But have you ever thought about what this means? It means that God is in control. God is Sovereign. And if we believe what the Bible says–that God loves us–then we can rest in His will for our lives. It will not always be pleasant. It will not always be easy. But we can trust Him. We have to trust Him. What else is there? What else is there for us to grab hold of?

We have a choice to make every day. We can respond to the trials of life, be them great or small, by trusting our Heavenly Father or we can grow bitter and angry. It is a choice. God will not force you into His will.

I would like to leave you with something that was written by Octavius Winslow from a book entitled Soul Heights and Soul Depths (1841)–

The royal path to glory is a divine mosaic paved with stones of diverse lines. Today, it is a depth almost soundless; tomorrow a height almost scaleless. Now, a shadow drapes the picture, somber and rayless; then, a light illumines the camera, brilliant and gladsome. Here, the “song” is of mercy, sweet and entrancing; there, it is of judgment, sad and mournful. “When men are cast down, then you shall say There is lifting up.” But, a divine Hand, veiled and invisible to all but faith’s eye, shapes and directs the whole; and, assured of this, the believing soul is trustful and calm. “He led them about, He instructed them,” was the history of the Church in the wilderness; and each stage was a school, each condition a blessing, each event a lesson learned, and a new beatitude experienced, –learned and experienced as no other. Variety, rich and endless, is stamped upon all God’s works and operations; not less is this seen in the circuitous path by which He is leading His people home to Himself. It is this ever-dissolving, ever shifting scenery of the Christian’s life that unfold new views of God’s character, and brings him into a closer acquaintance with His own.

“It makes sense, if you don’t think about it”

1 Comment / May 12, 2011 May 12, 2011

I heard this in a movie once. It made me laugh. But it also made me wonder. How many of us live life like that? Just having the perspective that was handed down to us by our grandparents and parents. Never stopping to think if that perspective is in line with God’s perspective.

When my husband was just out of college, he got a job in a machine shop over the winters. Working there was a guy who had a real chip on his shoulder about the owners. They were thoughtless, careless people who didn’t give a rip about him. Any new plan they put into place was viewed with suspicion. Everything new was bad. And, yet, we knew, that wasn’t the case. This man had grown up thinking the boss was always bad. Perhaps his dad or his grandfather really did have an evil boss who took advantage of his employees. Who knows?

Ironically enough, this man’s son came to work for us. And guess what? He, too, came with the same large chip on his shoulder. I will never forget the time we tried to put a matching and fully voluntary IRA in place as a benefit for our employees. He thought that somehow we were trying to take advantage of him and take something from him. He refused to participate for years, because of his fear that we were out to get him.

He never stopped to truly think about it. To truly understand that there was no possible way the company could be taking advantage of him by giving him a matching IRA. In his mind, he could not comprehend that owners would ever want to do something nice for their employees.

We can judge these guys I have talked about, but you know what? We do it, too, don’t we? We have assumptions and perspectives that we never stop to think about. We go along in our lives daily and just assume them. As I already said, some of them come from our heritage. But some of them we have made up along the way.

Perhaps someone said something in an irritating or angry way a time or two and you made an assumption about them that will never leave you. Even if that person is aware of that sin and is working on it, people like you and I do not make it very easy on them. We continue to hold it over them, remembering one or two (or a thousand) moments when they have hurt us.

But I am not really sure that we are to live like this. Wouldn’t it be better, for peace and unity, to examine our perspectives from time to time and figure out if they are truly a godly perspective or just something that was handed down to us or perhaps developed from our past experiences?

And perhaps-if we really stop and think- we may even realize that the Christian brother or sister that isn’t quite like us is a really nice person. Or perhaps we might realize that our supervisor is filled with anxiety over some issues outside the office or that our professor has a child in the hospital.

Of course, sometimes, we will reach the conclusion–the boss is really out to get me. That Christian sister or brother really doesn’t like me. That salesman really likes himself. But that does not mean all bosses are out to get me. Or that all churches are filled with hate and dislike. Or that all salesmen really like themselves. We cannot make assumptions like that.

Let’s live our lives, instead, by the motto “it makes sense, if you DO think about it.”

Not all Muslims are Terrorists

Leave a Comment / May 5, 2011 May 5, 2011

So, imagine with me, if you will…It is September, 2000, and you are a man who wants better opportunities for his family. You were born in an Islamic country that provides few opportunities. And, so, with excitement you decide to pack up your family and move to America–the land of opportunity! Things go pretty well for a year…until that fateful day. September 11, 2001. Suddenly, you and your family become the “enemy”. You love your new country and you despise what happened. And, yet, somehow you are labeled and branded.

The same thing happened in this country in World War II with the Germans and the Japanese who lived here. Suddenly, innocent people who had moved here years ago and had proven themselves wonderful neighbors and friends were viewed with suspicion and fear.

The purpose of this blog is not to discuss immigration law and it is not to discuss the Muslim religion. What I want to think about for a moment is the individual Muslim.

The individual who is hopelessly following a man-made religion that their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers followed before them. They are trying to please a god that cannot be pleased and working frantically to get to heaven through their good deeds. But most of these lost souls are not our enemies. They are just people trying to work their way to heaven, just like many other people in your neighborhood.

If we are to go to all ends of the earth to tell the world about Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20), then we need to approach all races and people groups with love and the good news of Jesus Christ…not with hate and fear. Imagine how often Satan has used hate and fear among Christians to shut them up through the centuries! But perfect love casts out fear. (I John 4:18).

My fellow believers in Christ, we cannot afford to allow hate and fear to grow in our hearts. If God provides an opportunity for you to share the good news with someone, do so with love and boldness…no matter their religion or race. And let us remember that NOTHING good comes from hate and fear.

On Election and Education

Leave a Comment / May 2, 2011 May 2, 2011

Okay…so the two things have very little in common. Except for one thing. They are huge topics of debate in Christian circles. Are we elected or does man choose God? Should you public school, homeschool, or Christian school your kids? Of course, there are many other topics and many other sides to arguments…too many to recount here.

While I believe healthy debate is a good thing and is instrumental in helping us to grow and think, we need to be careful lest we make our side of an argument the all important thing, while not caring that we make the other person feel like an idiot.

Now, of course, we have biblical principles upon which to stand. The election of the saints is clear in the Bible (Ephesians 1). It cannot be denied. But if you search there are also some Bible verses that would imply that man has a choice (Proverbs 1:24). I am unapologetically a Calvinist. But the point of this is: Why do we think we have to understand how it works? Only God knows. Why do we– in our finite human minds– think we have to get this? Perhaps we should just submit ourselves to the fact that we can’t understand how the two work together?

And schooling…why do we have to preach that one is better than the other? Yes, I have a pretty strong opinion on what I think is best for my family. But maybe…due to circumstances unknown to you and me…a different option is better for another family. Maybe for them, the opposite of what you are doing is the best choice for them. Why does this choice have to be such a source of division among believers?

Why do we argue and debate on the things that we can’t understand (i.e. election)? Or the things that do not have a biblical principle to support them (i.e. education)?

I know I am putting myself out on a limb because so many people have such strong feelings about these two topics. And, again, I am not saying that there is no place for argument and debate…because there IS. But not at the cost of broken relationships and hurt feelings. Is it more important that we prove we are right than that we edify one another in the body of Christ? Perhaps a statement given with dignity and love would actually cause a person to think much more about the other side than a heated statement that implies the other person is unintelligent for even holding their viewpoint.

And, lest I be misunderstood (if you know me, you already know this)…I do believe it is of utmost importance to develop biblical opinions about things…and to encourage believers to adhere to biblical principles. But when it comes to the stuff we can’t quite understand or state with unequivocal certainty…well, perhaps we need to state our opinion with love and then walk away.

Idol Building

Leave a Comment / April 28, 2011 April 28, 2011

The other day I read the following verses in Isaiah 46. As I read them, I found myself wondering how Isaiah might have worded them in modern day America–

Here is how it is written in Isaiah 46:5-7:

⁵ “ To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
      And compare Me, that we should be alike?
       ⁶ They lavish gold out of the bag,
      And weigh silver on the scales;

They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
      They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
       ⁷ They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it
      And set it in its place, and it stands;
      From its place it shall not move.
      Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
      Nor save him out of his trouble.

Here is Leslie’s Modern American Translation–

“ To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
      And compare Me, that we should be alike?
       They lavish gold to buy tickets for athletic events,
      And they spend oodles of time watching screens;

They hire a trainer, and he makes the care of his body a god;
      They miss church for their children’s sporting events, yes, they worship.
       ⁷ They dwell on these things
      And set it in its place, and it stands;
      From its place it shall not move.
      Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
      Nor save him out of his trouble.

Of course, I am not saying it is wrong to watch sporting events, TV, or our children on an occasional Sunday morning. I am not saying it is a bad thing to take care of your body. I am, however, concerned about the priority these things take in many of our lives. They often start taking first place in our hearts. Sometimes I think I am caught up in these things unawares…and, all of a sudden, I realize they have eaten up a ton of time. And, yet, while these things are okay, and even good, in moderation, when we invest too much time in them, these things often become an idol for us.

When trouble comes, we cannot save ourselves with our TV, our sports, or our perfectly sculpted body. God is our help in time of trouble. He is our rock. He is our shelter. May we invest our lives in Him, so that we already know Him when trouble comes. May the other things that we do in life take second place to the God that loves us.

Communicating Like Jesus

Leave a Comment / April 25, 2011 April 25, 2011

Communication is a big deal. How we communicate can lock hearts or open hearts. It can make us look like a jerk or make us look like an empathetic listener. It can show that we care only for our own selfish agenda or it can show that we care about others.

Communicating is done through many ways, isn’t it? Of course, talking is what comes to mind first but just because someone doesn’t talk a lot , does not mean they are not communicating. Folded arms and a big sigh speak very clearly to the person one is “talking” to. Ignoring someone says “I don’t care”. Rolled eyes say “You are weird” or “not this again”.

If our desire, as a Christian, is to be like Jesus, then it should follow that our communication should be like His, as well. But what exactly does that mean? Jesus gives us a wonderful example of communicating in the Bible. While we do not know His body language, we do know that He was perfect. That would lead me to believe there wasn’t a lot of disgusted sighs or rolled eyes or huffy walking away. But what do we know about how Jesus communicated?

1. Jesus was kind.

In Matthew 9 we read of a woman who had been bleeding continuously for twelve years. She had faith that even if she touched the garment of Jesus she would be healed, so she jostled her way up through the crowd to do this. When Jesus turned around to greet her, he said “Be of Good Cheer, your faith has made you well.” He treated her kindly. He didn’t say, “Don’t touch me! Leave me alone!” I don’t know about you, but it is tempting for me to react in anger or sarcasm if someone is invading my personal space (young children are really good at doing this) or infringing upon my time. But Jesus shows us clearly that we are to think of others and not of ourselves.

2. Jesus had compassion for others.

In Mark 1, we find the account of the leper. This poor man has been stricken with leprosy, but he comes to kneel before Jesus, crying “If You are willing, You can make me clean“. The following verse is beautiful. In NKJV it says, “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, I am willing; be cleansed.” Don’t you love that line “moved with compassion”? Jesus truly cared about that man. Can you understand how unloved and cast out lepers were? They were the scum of the earth in the days of Jesus. To associate with them was to put yourself at risk. And, yet, Jesus had compassion on this man. He didn’t just say “be healed” and walk away. He genuinely cared. Makes me wonder if I genuinely care when someone requests something of me? Do I have compassion when I see someone in a difficult situation? And do I give voice and action to that compassion or do I just feel it for a moment and then get on with my life?

3. Jesus wanted to keep His message the priority.

After He had healed the leper in Mark 2, He asked him to keep it quiet. He asked him to say nothing to anyone. It is recorded that the leper did not obey Jesus (I can’t judge that leper too harshly–I have to admit, I would have struggled with that command, too! Can you imagine how exciting it would be to be healed of a disease like that??) But why did Jesus issue that command, anyway? MacArthur notes state that “The ensuing publicity would hinder Jesus’s ability to minister and divert attention from His message.” Jesus could heal people, but that was not His mission for coming to earth. And I think, as believers, we need to remember this, too. We can do wonderful, temporary things for people. Give them food, help them with shelter, give them eye glasses and dental help. But if we do this without sharing the gospel, what eternal good is it? Let’s keep the gospel a priority, in the midst of our good works.

4. Jesus was not prejudiced.

I know that this sounds basic. But, every now and then, I will still hear of a believer in Jesus Christ make a statement that would be inappropriate regarding a specific group of people. I don’t think Jesus would approve. Jesus was not a respecter of persons. Do we have a specific example of this? As a matter of fact, we do. In John 4, Jesus witnesses to the Samaritan woman. She asks Jesus in verse 9, how he, being a Jew, would request water from a Samaritan woman? You see, not only was she a Samaritan, she was also a woman. She had two counts against her. And, yet, Jesus took time to talk with her. Jesus didn’t care about her sex or her race. But he did care about her. If you are ever tempted to avoid someone because of their race or to make a blanket judgment about a group of people, remember this account in the gospel of John.

5. Jesus was honest.

As we continue on in John 4, we read more of Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well. Jesus confronts the woman’s sin. Of course, he had a bit of an advantage, as He knew all about her sin, before she ever opened her mouth! But, still, He talked with her about it. And then witnesses to her. As we share the gospel, we can not hesitate to lovingly reveal people’s sin. How else can they be saved? Unless a man or woman realize that they are a sinner, there is no need for repentance or for a savior. But…and maybe I am stretching it a bit…could this possibly be carried over into other areas of life? Should we be more honest with each other? I think most of us spend our life not being truthful with those around us. We figure it is just easier to avoid the conflict. And sometimes that is true. But we need to ask God to show us when it worth being truthful. Because, oftentimes, the avoidance tactic ends up growing into a mountain that takes a miracle to move.

6. Jesus did get angry but only with righteous cause.

In John 2, we read of the temple cleansing. When Jesus saw the marketplace the temple had become, He grew angry and took action. Jesus was not angry because of how they treated Him personally, as a human man, but He was angry at the treatment of God and His Holy Place. And while He took forceful action (driving them all out of the temple), there is no indication that He was cruel in His actions. Perhaps we could follow His example? I can’t help but think, in contrast, of the cross. Not only did Jesus not grow angry in their treatment of Him, as they spit on Him and cast lots for His clothing, but He asked the Father to forgive them. Wow. What an example. I don’t know about you, but I find that my anger usually centers on ME and my unsatisfied desires. Sobering thought, isn’t it? I think the other lesson to be learned here is that we have a right to get angry when someone is teaching false doctrine. We are not supposed to tolerate this! Nowhere in scripture do we read that we are to keep peace at the expense of pure doctrine. We are to drive false teachers out of the church…both on a local level and on a larger scale.

While there are other examples of how Jesus communicates in scripture, that is probably long enough for today. I hope that God’s Word challenges you today. To God be the Glory!

Is my eternal destiny really dependent on invisible scales?

Leave a Comment / April 18, 2011 April 19, 2014

When asked, many people–even those calling themselves Christians–will say that they think they are a good person. They believe the good things they do outweigh the bad things they do. And they hope that the scales is tipped enough to the “good deeds” side to get them entrance into heaven when they die. They often believe Christ died for the sins of the world. But, for some reason, they think that they still need to do enough good things before they can be reconciled with God and spend eternity with Him.

I know many, if not most, of my readers fully realize that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor. But if you have landed here and do not truly understand this, it seemed well worth the effort to write about it this week. On Good Friday we contemplate Jesus’s death on the cross. And then on Sunday we celebrate Easter, the glorious day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead to reign forever more! But why does it really matter, if I can be good enough anyway?

Do you truly realize the message of the cross? Do you realize that Jesus died on that cross for your sins? So that you can be reconciled with God? To provide the ONLY way for reconciliation? In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

There are lots of vague, fuzzy beliefs out there right now. Beliefs that you can believe whatever you want. False teachers who tell us we can all believe differently and still get to heaven. But Jesus tells us in the Bible that we cannot all believe different things. He tells us that He is the only way.

And, lest you think you are tipping the scales pretty heavily on the “not guilty” side and in no need of a Savior, Romans 3:23 sets us all straight:“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Our pastor said yesterday that our good deeds are akin to our taking dirty water and filthy rags and washing windows. Will you end up with clean windows? No, you will still have dirty windows.

Isaiah 64:6 says:

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

So, we can do all the good deeds in the world, and yet, we can never reach perfection. And so, God made a way for us. He sent His Son to die on a cross and to rise victoriously over sin! He sent His son so that we can stand clean–white as snow–before God (Isaiah 1:18). Instead of our sin, God sees Christ’s righteousness. Oh, the glorious cross! It made a way of salvation for you and for me!

So, you may say, if our righteousness is as filthy rags, why do anything good? Why bother? Why try to live a good life? I will tell you why! Because if you are truly a believer in Jesus Christ and if you truly understand what He did for you on the cross then you will love Him so much that you will want to please Him in all that you do. Your main goal in life becomes glorifying Him and sharing the wonderful good news of the gospel with others.

I am afraid that I have “preached to the choir” in writing this. If you have already repented and trusted Jesus for your eternal salvation, may you take this week to truly ponder and rejoice in what Christ did for you on the cross. But, if you have not, may I encourage you to search the scriptures, so that you may understand what it was that Christ did for you on the cross. And, although I do not know your name, please know that I will be praying for you.

AT CALVARY

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary.
- Refrain:
  Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
  Pardon there was multiplied to me;
  There my burdened soul found liberty
  At Calvary.
By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary.
Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary!
Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!

SVL

2 Comments / April 11, 2011 April 11, 2011

Sex. Violence. Language. Do you care? Do you even think about what you are putting before your eyes? Or what is playing on your ipod? Somehow there has grown a serious disconnect between our entertainment choices and our walk with God. I am not sure how this happened, but I am certain it is connected to our taking some scripture very much out of context. Something to do with not being under the law but under grace and skewing that to mean I can watch or listen to whatever I want. It has gotten to the place that even pastors use films filled with things that God hates as examples to draw people in. Again, I ask, how have we gotten to this place? I cannot quite wrap by brain around it.

We have been subtly tricked into believing it doesn’t matter. But it does matter! So, maybe you are asking why does it matter? Why can’t I do what I want, if I am free in Christ? May I suggest a few reasons why it DOES matter–

~If we are Christians, we are beloved sons and daughters of Christ. Just like a young child wants to please his earthly father, so we, too, should want to please our heavenly Father.

Ephesians 5 tells us: ¹ Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.³ But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ⁴ neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ For this you know,^[a] that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Read that list again: fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, coarse jesting. Think about the last movie you watched. Did it have any of those things in it? It has been my experience that almost everything coming out of Hollywood is filled with these things. Of course, there are some exceptions. But not many. The Bible says we are to be imitators of God as dear children. I have a hard time believing that God would watch or listen to anything that is filled with the things He hates. Let’s fill our minds with entertainment that is “fitting for saints”.

~We are to set nothing wicked before our eyes. Psalm 101 says:

³ I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
⁴ A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness.

On the other hand, we are to meditate on good things. Philippians 4:8-9 says:

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

I know that when I watch a movie that is filled with things that are displeasing to God, my mind is not filled with good thoughts. I am not leaving the theater praising my heavenly Father if I have filled my mind with filth. Sometimes there are even movies that have great moral themes and yet they are still dotted with bikini-clad women that tempt men to lust or they are filled with unnecessary violence or bad language. We truly need to be discerning in our entertainment choices. We need to ask ourselves if this choice I am making will encourage me or hinder me in my walk with the Lord.

~Do you cringe when the character on the screen takes your Lord’s name in vain? Or is dressed immodestly? Or when there is a passionate, private moment between two unmarried people? Or how about the blood and guts that horror films are filled with? Do you cringe, if you choose to fill your mind with these things? Or has your heart grown hardened? You see, the more often we set unclean things before our eyes, the more hardened we become. Perhaps, you don’t even think about it anymore.

Charles Finney says in regards to hardening hearts:

Sinners often harden their hearts by indulging appetite. For example: they are accustomed to the use of tobacco, or intoxicating drinks; or they are accustomed to indulge in the use of various luxuries. Now if the claims of God are presented to them, those claims come directly into competition with appetite. For example: I heard of a man, who, through the use of intoxicating drinks, was likely to lose his eye-sight. His physician told him that he must abandon the use of intoxicating drinks, or entirely lose the use of his eyes. Upon this information he girded himself instantly, and said, “Then fare you well, old eyes.” Thus he settled the question, hardened his heart, and probably lost his soul.

While we are not addressing the use of alcohol here, I think the same principle can be applied. When we fill our minds with the things that God hates, we are basically saying we don’t care about what He thinks. That we are going to do what we want. And, all the while, we grow further and further from holiness and purity.

In conclusion, I leave you with these verses from Romans 12:1-2–

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Let’s run away from ungodly entertainment, instead of embracing it! Let’s remember our high calling! To present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Pleasing God with ALL that we do. Which includes how we spend our time and fill our minds.

May God bless you as you ponder these thoughts…

A Deadly Serpent Among Us

Leave a Comment / April 7, 2011 April 7, 2011

There is a sin that has been accepted by generations of Christians. We rarely hear sermons on it. We rarely read books or articles on this topic. And yet…

It has destroyed countless churches. Families have fallen prey to its merciless grasp by the thousands. It is has ripped apart friendships. It has influenced school boards. It has shaped government in a big way. But it has also affected small children. This serpent slithers its way through most of our lives, rearing its head at any given moment.

It reared its ugly head in Bible times, in the Middle Ages, and during the Civil War. In fact, it has existed in many different forms throughout all time.

What is this sin? Pride. Pride has invaded, in one form or another, every relationship and every institution. Think for a moment. The last time you had an argument…what was it about? Or the last time you grew stonily silent and angry…what was it about? So often we are so full of ourselves. We are so convinced that we are right. We are so determined to get our own way. And when we realize, oftentimes later, that we have messed up, do we humble ourselves and apologize?

Why is apologizing so hard? It takes a lot of courage for a person to admit they were wrong. It takes a lot of humility. Humility can be rather elusive, can’t it? It is so valuable in a Christian’s life and yet so few of us have genuine humility. Oh, there is lots of fake humility going on…”You did great at such and such”….”Awww, shucks, no I didn’t”. But that is not humility.

So what does humble mean, anyway? It means “not proud, not arrogant; modest” according to dictionary.com. And pride? Pride means “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.”

Humility requires thinking of the other person at the expense…yes, EXPENSE, of ourselves. Humility costs a lot. It may mean we are tramped upon. It may mean we are taken advantage of. It may mean we need to forego our own advancement and our personal “rights”. We cannot even come to the cross without humility. Unless we realize just how sinful we are…how full of self…how depraved…we cannot begin to even comprehend what the Savior did for us on the cross.

As I am writing, I can think of dozens of examples of situations that could have been solved except for pride. They were not issues of biblical doctrine. People just couldn’t get along. Husbands or wives who just could not admit that they were wrong and take steps to fix the issue, but instead decided to part ways. Church leaders who held themselves aloft and would not admit to wrongdoing chose instead to split their churches into pieces. Business owners who continue to claim they handled things well…even as their companies are in bankruptcy.

But, let’s bring it a little closer to home. When I think of the last few times I have found myself in a disagreement with someone, I know that most times it was stupid. Yes, I admit it. It was stupid. I was standing up for something because of my stupid pride. It didn’t even matter. And for the handful of times that it did matter…that it was truly important to express my viewpoint…well, how I went about it was prideful.

I think pride has so invaded our daily lives, that we give it little thought. In fact, I think in our culture, we often condone it. We hear that we should stand up for “our rights”. We hear that we need to “love ourselves” and increase our “self-esteem”. But the Bible tells me we already love ourselves (Luke 10:27). We are commanded to love our neighbor like we already love ourself.

I fear I have not done this topic the justice it deserves. I fear that churches and families around me will continue to fall, unless we…one by one…kill this serpent within our own homes and churches. It needs to start with us.

In conclusion, I leave you with a list of verses on this topic:

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.

Proverbs 13:10 By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.

James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Psalm 25:9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.

Matthew 23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.

Psalm 147:6 The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.

Psalm 18:27 For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty look.

Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”