Growing 4 Life

Say the Good Stuff

7 Comments / October 13, 2014 October 13, 2014

We all do it at one time or other. Some of us more than others.

We open our mouths and out pour words that hurt, malign, or tear down. Sometimes we are being sarcastic and mean, other times we just talk without thinking. Very occasionally, we are telling a hurtful hard truth and it needs to be said. But negative words to others or about others often spew from our mouths like water from a spring.

But have you ever noticed that, while we are so free to speak about the stuff we don’t like to someone or about others, we rarely speak what we do like? Have you ever been somewhere and had thoughts like this, “Oh, I really like her new haircut,” or, “He looks like he is losing weight”? Or have you ever been to a soccer game and thought, “Wow, my friend’s son has really improved his game”? Or maybe you’ve been in church and really enjoyed a special piece by the vocalist or the preacher’s message. Do you take the time to tell them?

Really, you should try it. It’s a great ice breaker and conversation starter. It’s also a wonderful way to encourage and build up others.

Speaking positively about others is also a great way to be an incredible testimony. Have you noticed that when the gang is around the water cooler at work, they are rarely saying nice things about others? Usually they are boss-bashing or gossiping about co-workers. You can stop the whole gossip train by inserting kind words– “The boss isn’t usually like that, maybe something’s wrong,” or “Didn’t she help you with that report last week, Jim?” By refusing to participate in the negative talk that surrounds you, you show almost instantly that there is something very different about you.

Words have such power to build up or break down. It is our natural human tendency (or perhaps I should say sinful nature) to use this power negatively. Even many Christians seem to see this as something less than sin and freely give their hurtful opinions at all times and in all moments. They complain about their husbands and children to others. They make sarcastic remarks to their families. They always feel like it is their personal duty to tell you how you are doing things the wrong way. Many times, they are part of the gossip huddle in the office or at church. You know the ones.

But, as Christians, we should be known for building up with our words. Sure, sometimes –on a very rare occasion– we do need to confront (with truth and much grace)– but most of our negative words just don’t need to be said.

So I have an assignment for you this week–

Say something nice to someone or say something nice about someone to someone else. Do this every day for a whole week.

Perhaps this will help all of us to start developing the habit of speaking kindly to and about one another and move us out of that natural bent towards the negative. Will anyone join me in this assignment?

If you do join the assignment, would you consider coming back here to share your experience by commenting? Or join us at Growing4Life on Facebook to share your stories and thoughts! I will try to share my own experience there each day of this week. Your participation and comments would be very encouraging to me! Thanks so much!

Simplifying Religion

4 Comments / October 9, 2014 July 17, 2024

I heard something several months ago that has really stuck with me. It has helped me navigate these treacherous religious waters we find ourselves in. That vast, religious ocean where “anything goes” and all are headed to Heaven. To imply that someone isn’t going has become the ultimate sin.

It has helped me answer questions like these–

How do I know if someone is involved in a false religion?

How do I know if Mormons (or Jehovah’s Witnesses or Catholics) are all part of true Christianity?

How do I know what unites true believers?

So are you curious yet? Here is what I heard: There are really only two religions.

There is the false religion and there is the true religion. What sets the world’s false religious system apart from true Christianity is always the same–whether it be called Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist or, yes, it is even sometimes called Christianity, even thought it is not actually true Christianity.

Here is the bottom line–

False religion teaches that your eternal destiny lies in your hands in one way or another. It will teach that you need to do something in order to be saved. Oh, they all vary in what that something is and they might even throw in as part of their doctrine something about Jesus saving you from your sins, but false religion will always require something other than faith alone.

True religion is in Christ alone, by Christ alone, and by faith alone. It requires nothing from you or of you.

I can almost hear some of you cringing. Wait. Nothing??

No, there is no requirement, but before you get too excited, there is a BUT — and this is a very big BUT– a true believer will always be transformed by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. This work starts immediately upon our salvation and never ends while we are on this earth. By its very definition salvation changes us. And this is why we, as Christians, live holy, separate lives. It isn’t because we have to. It’s because we are new creatures, with a new heart and new desires. It has nothing to do with man-made rules.

If you are in a church that tells you that you will only go to heaven if you accept Jesus and also do x, y, and z (get baptized, don’t go to movies, pray to Mary, etc.) you are in a church that is teaching false doctrine.

Doesn’t this help clear things up considerably? It doesn’t mean there aren’t some Christians scattered in among these churches. Be sure you don’t hear me saying that. It does help weed out which systems are true and which are false. Remember, the true way is narrow and difficult. The path to destruction is wide and easy and many are they that travel it (Matthew 7:13-14).

I know this makes us squirm. It has become an increasingly unpopular topic for discussion, even among true believers. But following Jesus has never been– and will never be– about comfort (Matthew 16:24-26).

But, while on one hand it is an extremely offensive and uncomfortable thing to talk about, it is wonderfully comforting to ponder as a true believer! Simplifying religion into these two categories helps us to understand that if we have been saved by God’s grace through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, we are part of the true religion.

Religion is not a bad word, by the way. It has become a very hated word by Christians but it very simply means: the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

If you are a Christian, you are religious. The difference is we serve a personal God, who made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, not through our own merit but through His great gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).

And so, today as we go to work or play group or the gym, as we seek to tell others about Jesus, may we remember that some who claim to know Him are still relying on their good works to seal their personal destiny. And this is always part of the false religion.

Please NOTE: If you aren’t sure if you are really part of God’s family–the only true religion– click here for more about the True Gospel that leads to reconciliation with God and eternity with Him.

Wednesday Wisdom: Sovereign Over Us

Leave a Comment / October 8, 2014 October 8, 2014

If you follow my blog, you will be aware of the fact that I haven’t had a Wednesday Wisdom post on here for a very long time. I decided to focus on a few other areas of writing instead. But a friend who is going through some very deep waters sent me the following lyrics. I had actually heard the second half of this song recently and had wanted to look them up and, lo and behold, this morning my friend sent them to me in an e-mail.

I am sharing them with you today, with the awareness that someone else out there in the “blogosphere” may need to read this today.

SOVEREIGN OVER US

There is strength within the sorrow
There is beauty in our tears
And You meet us in our mourning
With a love that casts out fear
You are working in our waiting
You’re sanctifying us
When beyond our understanding
You’re teaching us to trust

Your plans are still to prosper
You have not forgotten us
You’re with us in the fire and the flood
You’re faithful forever
Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us

You are wisdom unimagined
Who could understand Your ways
Reigning high above the Heavens
Reaching down in endless grace
You’re the lifter of the lowly
Compassionate and kind
You surround and You uphold me
And Your promises are my delight

Your plans are still to prosper
You have not forgotten us
You’re with us in the fire and the flood
You’re faithful forever
Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us
[x2]

Even what the enemy means for evil
You turn it for our good
You turn it for our good and for Your glory
Even in the valley, You are faithful
You’re working for our good
You’re working for our good and for Your glory
[x2]

Your plans are still to prosper
You have not forgotten us
You’re with us in the fire and the flood
You’re faithful forever
Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us
[x2]

You’re faithful forever
Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us

Written by Aaron Keyes, Jack Mooring, Bryan Brown

Performed by Michael W. Smith

Getting Scammed

2 Comments / October 6, 2014 October 6, 2014

“Hi, Ma’am, I’m calling from Microsoft,” started the voice with a thick accent, indicating he was from a country far away. He continued, “We have been watching your computer, ma’am, and we see that there is a dreadful virus that is running haywire on your computer, ma’am.”

My naturally skeptical self rose to the surface. Yeah, right.

“Umm…which computer are we talking about here– a desktop or a laptop?”

With only a slight nanosecond of hesitation, “your laptop, ma’am. It’s very serious, ma’am. If you don’t fix this, we will have to discontinue connection to your IP address. You will lose all access to your computer. This is very serious, ma’am.”

“How do I know you are calling from Microsoft?”

“Ma’am, I am calling from Microsoft. We keep track of all computers. You have a terrible virus that will start to affect all of the computers around you if you don’t do something about it.”

He went on to give me the worst possible consequences if I didn’t take care of this matter immediately, trying to frighten me into taking his bait.

By this time, I was fairly sure I was dealing with a scam artist. I was in the midst of a really busy day and was in no mood to entertain a scam artist on the phone and so, after assuring him that I would check into this threatening virus with a professional I know, I hung up on him.

When I did finally think to ask my computer specialist, she confirmed my suspicions and assured me that Microsoft is not in the habit of calling customers to let them know their computers have a deadly virus.

I am sure the scam artist was very disappointed not to get his hands on some American money. I am also sure that, without blinking an eye, he called the next number on his list.

And the sad thing is that there will be some sad soul who believes him and is scammed out of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. But this scamming doesn’t only go on over the phone from international thieves. It goes on wherever there are people. And it goes on in a multitude of ways. Scamming has been a famous way to gain money or power since time began.

When we talk about being scammed financially, a lot of it has to do with naivete and lack of discernment. If we do not make an effort to be at least somewhat knowledgeable of the world around us and the dangers that are a part of it, we will be easily fooled. But if we do listen and read and take initiative to understand what kind of world we live in, we will be less easily scammed should the situation arise.

But there is something much more dangerous than financial scamming and that is spiritual scamming. If we don’t take the initiative to know and understand God and to read His Word, we make ourselves very vulnerable to the spiritual scammers of this world. Another part to protecting ourselves is to be constantly aware and on guard.

I could have been very easily scammed by the foreigner on my phone had I not immediately been wary. Let’s be honest, we live in a culture where scams are, unfortunately, a very real and frequent threat. I was on guard as soon as I heard the first sentence, as many of you would have been, as well.

But so often we don’t practice this same principle when we are listening to a preacher or reading a book. We don’t listen to the song lyrics that are on in our car and we pay little attention to the philosophies behind our church’s decisions.

But in order for us to keep from being spiritually scammed — and to discern truth from error (Philippians 1:9)– we need to apply this same principle to all we put in our mind. It doesn’t matter if it is a sermon by my favorite preacher or the lyrics to a song I’ve heard on the radio a hundred times or a book by my favorite author, we should always be running everything through the grid of God’s Word. Of course, this is only possible if we actually are reading and studying the Bible.

Yes, all of this takes so much work and effort, but if we don’t do this, we are so easily scammed.

Why do some people pay money to a preacher, believing this will lead to healing?

They don’t know God’s Word.

Why do some people believe they can gratify the lusts of the flesh, living in any way they desire and yet still go to heaven as long as they “asked Jesus into their heart”?

They don’t know God’s Word.

Why do some people believe that all ways lead to heaven and that Christianity is just one of them?

They don’t know God’s Word.

Why do some people believe that homosexuality is not a sin?

Because they don’t know God’s Word.

If we study God’s Word with humility and a desire to obey what we learn, and if we pray, asking for insight and understanding, God will answer that prayer (Ephesians 1:15-23). As we become more familiar with the Bible, we become much more astute and discerning when someone teaches something that is not scriptural.

Don’t be a victim of a spiritual scam. Know God’s Word so well that it isn’t even possible to scam you.

In case you are wondering why I seem to be writing so much about the Bible lately, I want to fill you in on a couple of reasons–

1. My own passion of God’s Word has grown so much over the past year and I would love for you to have that same passion. In 2015 I am hoping to have a Growing4Life Bible Reading Challenge. More details will come on that soon.

2. I truly believe that the main reason the modern-day church is walking away from its very foundations of truth is because its members do not know the Word of God. We have become so used to being spoon-fed spiritually and, if we are honest, have turned the bulk of our attention to the temporary things of this life. We have become obsessed with our experiences and how we feel about them. These changes have opened wide the door for doctrinal error to enter the church doors. It is my hope that I can encourage even one person to turn back to the Bible and a focus on the eternal. It is truly my hope that this blog will encourage you to include increasing your knowledge of God, through reading and studying the Bible, in your busy schedule so that you will grow as a believer and be able to discern in these dangerous times.

iOS Frustrations

Leave a Comment / October 2, 2014 October 2, 2014

Well, the iPhone saga continues on at this house. If you recall, it was only about a month ago that I had shattered my iPhone and blogged about the lessons I learned from that experience (you can find that post here). When I wrote that, my phone had not been fixed. I’d like to take just a moment to tell you the rest of that story, so you can fully appreciate the rest of this post.

After trying to replace the broken screen, I finally just decided to call the insurance I apparently had on the phone (but do not remember signing up for). When I called, the kind lady assured me that she would be able to help me and went on to explain that since they were no longer making the iPhone 5, I would be sent a 5s. A day later, my phone showed up. I moved the Sim card, restored my latest backup, and was up and running in literally no time at all. It was so easy.

Fast forward a few weeks, when my husband dropped his phone. But instead of the screen shattering, something happened with his sound. He could no longer hear any calls through his ear piece and had to take all his calls via the speaker phone. Once again, I was on the phone with the insurance company.

But this time it would not be so easy.

When I called, I was informed by the not-so-nice lady who seemed to have no idea what she was doing that I would need to fax an affidavit and proof of my I.D. to them before they could process this claim. They could not approve the claim before I did this. When I asked for her supervisor and explained that I had just made a claim on another phone without doing this, she told me this was standard and there were no exceptions. Hmmm. Okay. Slightly annoyed, I did as I was told. When the approval finally came through it was for an iPhone 5. No problem there. I found it curious, given what the agent had told me the month before, but not a problem.

A couple of days later, the phone arrived. When I went to get started exchanging the phones last night, the tiny screen of the new iPhone informed me that no backups could be restored until the operating system was updated. Upon investigating further, I realized that the phone they had sent me only had iOS 6. At that point, I knew we were not looking at some easy fix. This was going to take some time. I was starting to feel some pressure. It was already pretty late at night and Eric could not be without a phone the next day. Ok, he could but it would be extremely inconvenient. I found myself wondering why mine was the easy and upgraded one. He needs his phone so much more than I need mine. Anyway.

I updated the iOS as requested only to find out that now it couldn’t restore the backup because the new phone was now iOS 8 and his backup was in iOS 7. So. Much. Frustration. So now I had to update his iPhone. If you have an iPhone, you are aware that these updates take some time. We were now at around 11:15. I left his to update and went to bed. This morning at 6:15, it looked like it had not updated overnight. And the panic hit once again. Thankfully, it had updated (must have just been a glitch on the screen). To update the new phone, I had had to set it up as a new phone. And so now I had to go back and erase and reset the new phone so I could restore the backup.

I was finally able to get the new phone in Eric’s hands at about 7:30.

What a process. All because I did not start with the right iOS system.

What I am going to say now most people do not want to hear but the bottom line is this: If we start with right operating system, life is generally simpler.

And, in life, the right operating system is found in the Bible. If we follow the standards set up for us there, we have a better life. I have even seen non-Christians live by the standards set up there and have a really good life because they are living a good, moral life by staying faithful to their spouse, being honest, loving their children and teaching them to obey and respect authority, being a good steward of their resources, and being a good worker. These things alone will keep us from experiencing an awful lot of consequences.

But when we start with the wrong operating system (known by the name ME), we run in to some serious problems. When we are dominated by our own selfish desires, pride, and lusts, we will probably not have such an easy life but instead will be forced to deal with some costly consequences.

Sure, there are exceptions to this. Sometimes bad things do happen to good people. But we have to stop pretending that we can–

–Eat all we want and not get fat.

–Let our kids disobey and be disrespectful and yet believe they will somehow follow the Lord when they get older.

–Be selfish and unloving and still have a good marriage.

–Buy what we want and not go into debt.

Life has consequences. And much of the heartache in this world is due to this rule of reaping what you sow (Galatians 6:7). The really sad thing is that most times we are not the only ones who reap what we sow. The tragedies dealt by bad decisions are visited upon our children, our spouses, and our parents. Our choices can ruin lives.

My phone was so easy because I had started with the correct iOS. On the other hand, Eric’s phone was difficult and so frustrating because it did not have the correct iOS.

Let me encourage you to start with the right operating system today. This doesn’t mean we will live perfect lives (which you will understand immediately if you know me at all!), but it does mean that we will make a very purposeful decision to stop being guided by our own desires and wants and, instead, turn to God’s Word for directions on how to live. You will not only be pleasing Him by this choice, but avoid a lot of unnecessary heartache and sadness in your life.

If you appreciated this post, would you please take a moment to share it? Thank you.

A Lesson in Love From an Unlikely Source

2 Comments / September 29, 2014 September 29, 2014

I love both my dogs. Truly, I do. But I have to admit that one is so much easier to love than the other one. (First, a disclaimer– if you don’t like dogs, you may not “get” this post. I hope you will keep reading, anyway.)

We have one dog named Belle. She is small and white and a bit cat-like. She will come if she feels like it. She will obey if she feels like it. She will stare at you with these eyes that seem to say, “see if you can make me.” Now, overall, she is a great dog. She really is. And most times she does listen. And when she feels like it, she is the most cuddly dog you can imagine. But so much of the love is on her terms.

On the other hand, our Chocolate Lab, Macy, is almost always willing and ready to obey, to come when called, and to snuggle. She is happy and easy-going and just an easy dog to have around. She follows me everywhere and is almost depressed when I am not home for a few days. She loves me so much that I can’t help but love her back. The dog hair that seems to congregate in the corners of my house and other occasional annoyances that come with having a dog inside the house are more bearable because she is just so lovable.

The bottom line is that Macy is just easier to love than Belle.

As I was thinking about this the other day, I started wondering: Am I lovable? Do I love the people in my life so much that they can’t help but love me back?

I think sometimes we expect people (especially our spouses) to love us unconditionally, without wavering. And so they should. But perhaps we could make it so much easier for them to do so?

Should we really expect passionate and undying love from someone if we treat them like they are our servant? Or grow angry and irritated at the slightest offense? Can we really expect unconditional love if we are unkind, arrogant, and defensive? If we never, ever apologize or forgive?

Oh, it is possible to love difficult people by the grace of God and His love working through us, but we do it out of a sense of duty. It certainly isn’t because it is fulfilling or rewarding in any way. It certainly isn’t the way God designed love between two people to be.

Instead we so often fall into the habit of tolerating one another.

I have read several books on marriage that suggest that if you start serving your mate and treating them the way you would want to be treated it would go a long way in making your marriage work. I knew that this must be true but when I started thinking about my two very different dogs, understanding came in a whole different way.

It is just hard not to love someone (or a dog) who treats you like you are the greatest thing in existence. It is a rare person who doesn’t respond to kindness and loving actions shown towards them. And it is so much easier to put up with the annoyances and small irritations if we feel deeply loved by someone. Tolerance falls away and deep, abiding love takes its place.

If you are struggling in a relationship with someone today, may I suggest that you start loving that person unconditionally and without reserve? Read I Corinthians 13 right now and put it into practice. Start treating them like they are special and see if they don’t just return that love. And, even if they don’t respond in the way you want right away (this process can take days or even years), you will be filled with the knowledge and peace that you are doing the right thing according to God’s Word (Mark 12:31).

While the Sun Shines

Leave a Comment / September 25, 2014 September 25, 2014

I don’t know how it is where you live, but in my hometown the road crews seem to be in overdrive right now. I find that in almost every direction I travel–whether it be on highways or back, country roads– I have to figure that I will be held up by a work crew somewhere along the way. The other day it was in two separate places. If I don’t give myself enough time, these delays can be very frustrating.

What a wonderful analogy of life. We are traveling along, living our life with our plans firmly in place and then we hit a delay. And then another one. And we find ourselves discouraged because these delays are not in our plans for our lives. We often will forget that the possibility of delays and detours is not only possible but quite probable.

And just as we can prepare for travel delays by making sure we have some extra time (rather than leaving at the last minute!) so, too, should we prepare for the inevitable trials and troubles of life by growing deep roots of faith while the sun shines.

You often hear people say that they grew the most spiritually during a particularly difficult trial they faced. And this is certainly true. God does use our trials to change and transform us. But let’s never forget that we need to be growing while all is well, too. Let us not get distracted from our Bible Study and prayer, simply because we are at an easy, mundane time of life. We need to be in the Word, learning and growing, so that we are strong and ready when the inevitable storms come.

Growing deep roots based on God’s Word will help us stand strong with courage and strength when we are under attack. If our heads are filled with the wonderful knowledge of who God is as defined in scripture and if we are familiar with the promises and commands held within His Word for His children, then we will be prepared for whatever we have to face.

But if our heads are filled with the fluff of worldly entertainment or, even worse, falsehoods about God and what His Word says in the trendy, religious books of today, then we will falter when the true tests come–because the definition of God and the religion they are describing will fall woefully short.

Oh, how we need to be in God’s Word. Studying it. Memorizing it. Obeying it. And, in so doing, we will be aptly prepared for the delays and storms that we are guaranteed to face sooner or later.

P.S. Check out my Bible Study Resources Page for some good biblical resources to get you started and be sure not to fall for this trap as you pick up the Bible for study.

Upside Down and Turned Around

1 Comment / September 22, 2014 September 21, 2014

I find myself so frustrated and even depressed by the weight battle I find myself fighting every day. Every. Day. Literally. Some days I lay my head on the pillow at night and feel great about how the day went. I know that I made wise decisions and took the best care of my body that I possibly could have. But there are so many days when that isn’t the case. Instead I lay down with regret and disgust that, once again, I was so weak.

Quite frankly, this battle has been a great source of discouragement to me. I want to be at a healthy weight. I want to look thin and attractive. And yet when faced with a temptation, I cave. When challenged with the daily habits necessary to lose the weight that I say I want to, I fail.

Now, I need to keep fighting. We can’t give up. It’s against the very nature of our Christianity to do so. And victory is possible! But I wonder– when we are in the midst of a battle that feels like it will last for all eternity– is there any other way of looking at it instead of with depression and discouragement?

As I was thinking about this the other day, it hit me–

Perhaps this battle is a blessing.

Yes, I said blessing.

And here’s why–

Because I can’t seem to conquer this battle, I am continually reminded of my weakness and so it keeps me humble. And because I haven’t conquered this yet, it helps me to be constantly aware of my need for dependence of God in this area of my life and, therefore, reminds me of my dependence on Him in every area of my life.

Think of a battle that you face. It may be weight but it may be something totally different — some temptation that you just struggle with on a daily basis. Are you allowing this to develop humility in your life and draw you closer to your Savior? Or are you stuck in a pit of despair?

While I seem to lack lasting victory in this area of weight in my life–at least for now, I am thankful that at least something good can come out of it, if I choose to look at the battle from a different perspective.

Long-Term Benefits

2 Comments / September 19, 2014 September 19, 2014

We were on the highway, headed back to our campground after a fun day of sight-seeing, when we came upon this extremely slow car in the passing lane. I find slow cars in the passing lane rather frustrating. I don’t care if someone prefers to drive slow, I just appreciate if they stay in the appropriate lane for their speed.

As we scooted to the right lane to pass them, I glanced in the car, expecting to see an elderly person.

Instead, what I saw confounded me. It was a young woman intently texting on her phone. In the passing lane. On a busy highway.

How dumb do you have to be if you are texting in the passing lane?? (My apologies to you if you have done this. I am not trying to be unkind, but common sense tells us that we shouldn’t text and drive at all, much less in the passing lane of a major highway!)

She is so typical of this day and age, where we just do not think through the possible consequences of our actions.

We are so focused on the present and what we want to do, that we care little for our own lives or the lives of those around us. And this is true in many other aspects of our lives, as well.

My husband and I were having a conversation with friends the other night and the subject of friendship with our kids came up. We are now at the stage where we are beginning wonderful friendships with our kids. But if we had tried to be their friend ten years ago, we would have sacrificed the friendship we have now. We had to delay our present desires (our kids to like us) for their future benefit (and our future benefit, as well).

Delaying gratification is not a popular concept these days. Think of all the dumb stuff we do on a daily basis because of the immediate gratification we receive–

~Eat when we aren’t hungry to fulfill the “appetite” of our eyes.

~Choose processed foods and mixes to save ourselves time.

~Give in to our child so we aren’t embarrassed or so they will like us.

~Buy something we don’t need or go into debt to “keep up with the Joneses”.

~Watch something crude and profane to get a few laughs.

Honestly, when it comes right down to it, many of us choose immediate gratification over long-term benefit all the time.

So what do we get if we decide to choose future benefits instead of immediate gratification? I can think of a few, very worthy things that you will probably receive (although there are always exceptions, of course)–

~We will not be haunted for life by the image of killing another human being because we were texting and driving on a major highway (this one is guaranteed, by the way–if you don’t text and drive, you won’t kill someone while doing it!)

~We will have a healthy body.

~We will stay out of debt.

~We will have obedient and respectful children (instead of the little tyrants I see running around everywhere these days! I shudder to think about what this world will be like as these undisciplined, self-centered kids grow up).

~We will become more like Christ.

As we grow more mature in Christ and exercise self-discipline in these areas, the decisions become easier because they become habits. The first few times we say no to that dessert or to buying something that we can’t afford, it hurts terribly. The first time we hold our ground with our kids and provide consequences for their fits, we will feel just awful inside. The first time we turn off that TV show or radio station, we will feel disappointed. But, if you can stick with it long enough, it gets easier because it becomes a habit. And before you know it, you have taken some leaps and bounds towards a better life.

I don’t know if the girl who was texting will ever have to pay the ultimate price for her stupidity. It seems that oftentimes many people get away with the Russian Roulette game they play every day. But we need to do the right thing, even if we never experience negative consequences.

And one final thing–of course, sometimes we fall back into our old habits as we strive to make good choices. That is where perseverance comes in. If you are reading this and are at a bad place and ready to give up, then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and continue on! We can’t give up! Perfection and perfect rest will come soon enough, but for now we are here to labor on in our quest to become more like Christ, to share the gospel, and to glorify God.

Better and Easier Are Not Synonymous

Leave a Comment / September 17, 2014 September 17, 2014

Did you know that Better and Easier are not the same thing? They are two different words with two separate meanings. What got me thinking about this was something my pastor said in church a couple of weeks ago– if you follow Christ, you would most definitely have a better life, although you wouldn’t be promised an easier life.

Let’s start with a few definitions from Dictionary.com–

Better–1. of superior quality or excellence;2. morally superior; more virtuous:3. of superior suitability, advisability, desirability, acceptableness, etc.; preferable

Easy–1. not hard to do : not difficult; 2. free from pain, trouble, or worry

I wonder if this culture of ease and instant gratification has led us to become a little confused about these two words as they relate to the Christian life?

We believe that easier is better and harder is worse. And that may be true in some instances. But it’s certainly not true when discussing our salvation transformation and subsequent growth in Christ.

I remember having a conversation several years ago with someone about this topic. The conclusion that this woman had come to was that Christians could expect a better (i.e. easy) life after turning to Christ. She believed that the verses in the Bible that talk about the joy, blessing, and peace of the Christian life translated into the word “easier”.

I believe we have become so focused on immediate reward that we have lost sight of future gratification.Let’s examine a few real life examples of other ways we have fallen prey to this temptation–

Parenting first comes to mind. Many of us really struggle not giving in to our children’s every whim. We don’t want them to hate us or be mad at us and so we do the easy thing by giving in to their desires. But this choice does not lead to a better life for the parent or the child. This is definitely a case where easier is not better.

Food preparation also comes to mind. We want to eat healthy food but we do not want to take the time to prepare it. And so many of us have resorted to the easy use of prepared mixes, processed options, etc. But we are finding out more and more that this is certainly not the better way to take care of your body.

I wonder if we will ever be able to comprehend how large a part the change in technology has played in this thinking? We have gotten very used to fast internet speed, text messaging, and having GPS and cameras and calculators available at all times. Perhaps our smart phones have led us to expect –or even demand– instant gratification, making our lives easier and, oftentimes, better.

Whatever the reason, many of us have started equating these two words in our mind.

But if we study scripture we will see that they are not defined the same way.

I Peter 3 comes immediately to my mind, as does John 16:33. These passages talk about the trials and tribulations we should expect as believers. These trials do not sound easy to me.

And then we have passages that talk about the battles we will have with Satan (Ephesians 6:12; I Peter 5:8-9) and with our flesh (Galatians 5:17; Romans 7:21-25). Again, verses that make Christianity sound like a battleground. So if it’s not easy and it’s not {always} pleasant, how can it possibly be better?

That’s a great question. One that needs to be looked at from a spiritual perspective instead of a material, carnal one.

God has promised in His Word to–

Give us peace (Isaiah 2:3)

Give us joy (John 15:11)

Answer our prayers (Matthew 7:7-8)

To supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19)

But if we can step outside of our short-term, earthly view, and study scripture, we will find out that God’s peace comes in the midst of trials, joy is not dependent on our circumstances, our prayers are only answered if our hearts desire what the Father desires, and our needs are defined by God, not by us.

When we can start to view things with a spiritual perspective, we start to realize that easy does not always mean better. And, while a life lived for Jesus Christ, isn’t always easy, it is certainly always better.