Sin

Blindness Is…Blinding

Leave a Comment / October 21, 2026

Two couples sat gossiping together about another couple. The third couple had committed a grave sin and it had ended up being quite a public affair.

Ironically, the other two couples had committed the same sin. But they couldn’t see that, public or not, the sin was the exact same sin. In their minds, the third couple’s sin was much worse than their own.

I guess we’ve all been guilty of calling out, judging, or gossiping about someone who is doing something that we do ourselves and can’t even see.

Human blindness to sin and worldliness is incredibly…blinding.

And just a little terrifying…

Our tendency is to judge others and never look at ourselves. Somehow we can rationalize and excuse away what we do and, yet, do not apply the same reasons and excuses to others.

In 2 Corinthians 13:5 it tells us to examine ourselves to be sure we are in the faith.

Unfortunately, we so often examine others instead of ourselves.

And, ironically, we can often see sins in others that are present in ourselves and somehow harshly judge others while giving ourselves a pass.

Have you heard the complainer judge others for complaining? Or a prideful, arrogant person complain about someone else who is arrogant? How about the gossiper who gets so offended when they are the target of someone else’s gossip?

It’s always easy to see what someone else is doing wrong, isn’t it?

And so a most important prayer to pray is for God to open our blind eyes.

And when He does (and He will), we need to be willing to see what He is showing us.

In my experience, this can be a very painful process. But better to be in pain than to continue on in sin or worldliness you didn’t even realize you were committing.

The human heart and mind are fascinating. And they tend to be very deceptive. They can convince us that lies are truth. They can give us reasons to continue on in sin or worldliness. They convince us that someone else’s sin is so much worse than ours, even when it’s the exact same sin.

And there is only one remedy. And that is coming to God, through prayer and studying the Word, with a humble, teachable heart willing to hear the truth, painful as it may be.

I can tell you right up front that this won’t be a pleasant process and it won’t really feel good. But, like a wound that lies festering beneath the surface, facing the truth about ourselves brings healing. It will begin the process that will grow and strengthen our relationship with Jesus and heal and strengthen our relationship with others.

And that makes it so worth every bit of pain.

Coffee-Colored Sin in a Coffee-Colored World

Leave a Comment / October 17, 2026

The other morning I went to get up from my sofa and my hand accidentally knocked over my coffee. This is not the first time—nor, I am certain, will it be the last—that this has happened.

Something I didn’t realize when we so carefully picked the color for our new sofa (years ago now) was that it was the perfect color to spill coffee upon.

I didn’t actually really like the color when it arrived (don’t you hate that? Buying furniture is one of my least favorite things to do!) but it’s been very practical when it comes to those occasional times I’ve spilled my coffee, for it leaves no stains and no indication that coffee was spilled upon it because…it’s the exact same color as coffee.

As I bent down to clean up the coffee on the sofa and then the bit that also spilled on the carpet (a color which is not so forgiving), I had this thought that coffee on the sofa is a bit like some of the sins we tend to write off.

They actually don’t look “that” sinful, do they? When you say just a little something kind-of gossipy at work, it doesn’t stand out among all of the really bad gossip. It melts right in and we can even, perhaps, pat ourselves on the back for not being as bad as everyone else. That’s a coffee-colored sin in a coffee-colored world.

Other sins like this are complaining, envy, pride (which is cloaked as self-confidence, self-abasement, self-obsession), anxiety and worry, gluttony, selfishness, ungodly entertainment choices, grudges, discontentment, idolatry (often cloaked as wrong priorities)…well, there are so many more, aren’t there? We label them as not that bad—and perhaps don’t even think much about them—because they are falling on the norm of a coffee-colored world and not standing out as very bad at all.

Do you, like me, ever wonder how God views these things? If we stripped away the coffee-colored filter, would we understand that these are the sins that Christ died for? It wasn’t just for murder and adultery and all the sins we label as “very bad sins”.

It’s for the sins we hardly even think about. He died for that unkind remark, the constant complaints we voice, the grudge we hold in our heart against someone, the movie filled with sorcery or violence that we watched last night, the over-eating we did at dinner, the choice to prioritize a hobby or our children over honoring the Lord, the anxiety that comes from our lack of trust. Etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

If we aren’t comparing ourselves to scripture, we can get the wrong idea that we are pretty good people. Our coffee-colored sins spill out on to a coffee-colored world without mark or stain. But when they spill out on to the pure white carpet of scripture, it’s a different story, isn’t it? That’s when we begin to understand sin for what it is. That’s when we begin to understand our need for a Savior and the marvelous grace and mercy that God has shed on us in providing Jesus.

I don’t know about you, but I have so many coffee-colored sins that splatter the landscape of my life. Too many. Things that I have excused or rationalized away as “just me” or “not that bad”, as I compare myself to the rest of the coffee-colored world.

But they are still sins nonetheless. They are sins that Jesus died for. And I’d be utterly lost and hopeless without Jesus’s victory on the cross.

I am NOT a good person. I try to be. I want to be. By the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in me, I’ve made some progress. But I could never be good enough. There is no balance to weigh our good works against our sins, but if there were, I wouldn’t make it into heaven. None of us would (Romans 3:10).

Praise God we have a Savior. Praise God for the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to show us the true reality of our sin against the purity of God. Praise God that we can be born again and have eternal life if we but repent and have faith in Christ alone (John 14:6).

Coffee-colored sins deceive us into thinking we are something we really aren’t. And that may be the most dangerous kind of sin of all.

Only Jesus can wash away all of our sins—including those deceptive coffee-colored sins that fall upon a coffee-colored world, fooling us into believing the lie that we are a “good person”.

The Weight of Our Words

Leave a Comment / June 10, 2026

There are those who would say we should never speak (or write) negatively about someone. That this is the essence of gossip.

But we know that cannot be true because of 3 John, where John writes in his letter to Gaius about a man by the name of Diotrephenes. John does not mince words: This man likes pre-eminence among his church family; he speaks with malicious words; he is a bad influence on others, seeking to lead them in a wrong direction.

The Holy Spirit would never direct John to gossip, so we know what he has written here cannot be defined as gossip. Clearly, there is a time and a place to speak negatively about others.

John was simply stating a fact and issuing a warning about this dangerous man. This is not sinful. In fact, we see this happening in scripture more than just here. Both Jesus and Paul speak hard, unpleasant truths about others (Matthew 23; 2 Timothy 4).

So if speaking negative words is not sinful, in and of itself, what makes gossip…gossip?

It is clearly the motivation behind the words.

The sin of gossip stems from a malicious heart or a nosey mind that relishes in hearing juicy tidbits about others. The gossiper wants to be “in the know” and they love nothing more than hearing updates about people—particularly negative updates—that they can then pass along to others.

So how did we end up believing that all negative words about others equal gossip? Well, let me give you the answer in a nutshell.

In 1952, a false teacher by the name of Norman Vincent Peale wrote a book called “The Power of Positive Thinking”. With this book, he planted the seed of this belief: “Positive words are good. Negative words are bad.” This philosophy was warmly received by many and the seed of this heretical teaching grew and grew, until it has tentacles in almost every church.

Never speak negative words. Only speak positive words.

Even solid churches, where they revere the Word of God, seem to think it is sinful to speak negative words—even if it is for their very important calling to warn and protect their flocks.

This is when we must stop and think. Are we following the Bible or are we following a manmade philosophy?

As believers, we get our guide for life from God’s Word. It is important that we evaluate everything by its grid. What does the Bible have to say about our words?

In scripture, we find that there is a time and a place to warn. There is a time and a place to speak the truth about someone—even if it’s not “positive” or uplifting. This is clearly not wrong.

So when is it wrong? It’s wrong when our motives are impure. It’s wrong when we are speaking to bring glory and attention to ourselves. It’s wrong when we relish the shocked responses of our audience. And it’s wrong when we speak (or write) without edification to our hearers (It is not to warn or for any other beneficial reason).

I think we all struggle with gossip at some level. I know I do. I praise God I am not who I was, but I know I am still not who I should be.

We live in a world that relishes gossip. For some, it’s as natural as breathing, and spending time with someone like this can draw us into this sin before we even realize it.

Oh, to grow in this area of recognizing the sin and being the person that shuts it down.

I read a delightful page in a fiction book just recently about this very thing. Two women were talking and as the one offered a tidbit of gossip, the other one simply said this: “Why, I don’t believe I need to know that”. She said it kindly and lovingly but the intention was clear: I am not going to gossip about this person.

I want to be like her. It’s not easy, is it? It’s not easy to be the one that shuts down gossip.

We also live in a world that loves bigger and better. And this includes the stories that swirl all around us every day—in the office, at church, and especially on social media. The bigger the story the better. People, in general, have a thirst for bigger and better. This leads to a lot of exaggeration and a lot of lies.

So it’s not just about speaking the truth. Turning from gossip is also about carefully discerning what we hear, as well. There are a lot of lies and half-truths told about people to make a story “bigger and better”. Not everything we hear is true.

Having been the victim of ugly gossip and lies at one point in my life, I can tell you how grateful I was for the one person who actually came to me personally and asked for the truth. May we be that kind of person.

So how do we show we are different in this area of words?

We stand out as believers by not joining the gossip swirling around us. We stand out by simply speaking the truth, as it is. We stand out as believers by seeking the real truth, rather than just believing what we hear. We show we are different by the love and grace we offer to others, no matter what we hear about them. And, yes, we show we are different by lovingly warning others of false teachers and dangerous spiritual counselors, while never being defined by just this aspect.

In other words, we should never be known only for our negative words. But we should also not be known as someone who only speaks positive words. Both are necessary for spiritual good health.

John gives such a wonderful, well-rounded example for us to follow, doesn’t he? In the scriptures that he has written (through the Holy Spirit) we find that, while he does warn of those who bring spiritual danger, his books are not defined by these warnings. He also exhorts, loves, and rejoices in those to whom he is writing.

Occasional and well-timed “negative words” about others are not wrong, but may our lives never be defined by only these. May we seek to be like John, willing to speak both positive and negative words, always discerning carefully as we choose what to say and when to say it.

And may we examine our hearts for the sin of gossip and ask the Lord to help us to stay far from this troublesome sin that causes so much heartache and damage.

Our words hold so much weight. We can make a difference with them—both through our positive words and our negative words. But this will only happen when we keep our hearts free of impure motives.

Praying for a pure heart is probably a prayer we should all pray as we seek to live for the Lord.

Familiar Dirt

Leave a Comment / April 9, 2026

I shared the following on my Facebook page at the beginning of this week and I thought my email readers might appreciate it, as well. Hope it’s encouraging to you!

This past Sunday, as we all know, was Resurrection Sunday and my husband and I had to drive separately as we had to be at church at two different times.

In our church, we can purchase flowers to help brighten the sanctuary for this particular morning and so, after the service, I grabbed one the color of the sunset and took it to my car for the drive home.

I didn’t worry too much about situating it perfectly as I only had a five minute ride that had only one turn. I could hold on to it for that turn. All went very well until…

There was a second turn I hadn’t really thought about…the turn into my house. I am not sure what happened. Perhaps I grew distracted thinking about my day. Or I just had forgotten the tulip was there. But as I turned into my house, the tulip went flying, and made a royal mess on my recently swept car floor.

I was so annoyed.

But I took a picture. Because it seemed like there must be a lesson here (always, right?!)

My mind went to my sin, in this instance. We are so careful with a besetting sin. We pay attention, we work with the Holy Spirit, through prayer and scripture, to rid our lives of that sin.

And then…

Life throws us a curve ball. Or we allow ourselves to be too busy. Or whatever the reason…we start functioning on “autopilot”. We don’t pay as close attention.

And, plop! Just like that tulip slipped on to the floor and spilled dirt everywhere, we slip and find ourselves in a familiar pile of dirt. It can be very discouraging.

While a vacuum cleaned all that dirt in my car right up, a vacuum is absolutely useless in cleaning up our sinful messes. Thankfully, we have something far greater to cleanse our lives from the messes we make. We have a faithful God who forgives!

I John 1:9 puts it like this—

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we make a mess (which is almost every day, right?), we have a Savior who not only forgives and cleanses us from all unrighteousness, but who gives us a brand new fresh start each morning (Lamentations 3:22-24).

Praise the Lord for His amazing grace and abundant mercy! Today is a brand new day.

May we redeem the time, confess our sins, and use the gift of each day to seek the Lord in all our ways.

The Allure of a Lie

4 Comments / February 19, 2026

There is one particular thing that I’ve encountered over and over again as I seek God through His Word and compare what I see in the world to what I read in the Bible.

And that being: An unwillingness of certain people to even have a thoughtful discussion.

So many people toss out something you’ve studied at length with a quick word given with ridicule. In fact, “study” has become a word that is viewed with disdain in a lot of ways. Particularly if it comes to the Bible and comparing what it says, both for our lives today and for what it says regarding the future, to the things we are encountering in the world around us—particular the world that calls itself “Christian” or “evangelical”.

A pastor by the name of David Nelson (1793-1844) wrote a book back in the early 1800s that addresses this unwillingness to study for oneself:

We do suppose that of all the scoffers who were to come in the last day and who were to be wilfully ignorant, there is scarce, one but would be willing to receive historic knowledge, at least, provided an angel could just grasp it in his hand, and throw it into his brain, without any exertion on his part. But the toil of research he never encounters. He may snatch at some plausible objection to truth, as he hears it repeated: but to impartial investigation he is an utter stranger.

As Pastor Nelson implies, we do find that people who are unwilling to study for themselves, are, however, eager to grab on to and repeat a lie that promotes what they want to believe.

I say “they”. But, honestly, we can all be in danger of this, including myself. It is so much easier and alluring to believe an appealing lie than to face an unpleasant truth.

David Nelson goes on to say this about the one who would prefer to believe a lie—

still it is true, that one small cunningly devised falsehood will influence him further than one hundred plain and forcible arguments in favour of Revelation.

It is true, isn’t it? A cleverly devised falsehood will be most influential in the one who does not love the truth, and a mountain of Bible verses, facts, or documentation given as proof that his belief is not true will not change the mind of one who does not love the truth.

I’ve been thinking a lot about 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 over thee past few months, in regards to this:

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

This is speaking specifically to the day when the world will fall for the deception of the antichrist. But there is a lesson for us all in these verses: If we do not love the truth, we will be vulnerable to deception.

A genuine love for truth is the only thing that will protect us.

And this genuine love for truth will only be developed in the one who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, takes the time to pray and study the Bible. Not just read it, but study it.

Horatius Bonar has the best wisdom about our own personal study of God’s Word—

The Word must be studied in all its fullness. Over its whole length and breadth we must spread ourselves. Above all theologies, creeds, catechisms, books and hymns, the Word must be meditated on, that we may grow in the knowledge of all its parts, and in assimilation to its models.

Our souls must be steeped in it, not in certain favourite parts of it, but in the whole. We must know it, not from the report of others, but from our own experience and vision, else will our life be but an imitation, our religion second-hand, and therefore second-rate.

Another cannot breathe the air for us, nor eat for us, nor drink for us. We must do these for ourselves. So no one can do our religion for us, nor infuse into us the life of truth which he may possess. These are not things of proxy or merchandise, or human impartation. Out of the Book of God and by the Spirit of God must each one of us be taught, else we learn in vain. Hence the exceeding danger of human influence or authority.

Just like another cannot breathe the air for us, nor eat for us, nor drink for us, so no one can do our religion for us nor infuse into us the life of truth.

Oh, how many Christians rely on others for their growth? I used to do this myself, to be honest. I’ve shared that here often. I feel like my Christian life was status quo and without vigor until I picked up God’s Word for myself and began to study it on a regular basis.

I am a testimony of its power working to steadfastly transform an undeserved, sinful woman into the image of Christ, little by little.

This doesn’t mean we won’t continue to have blind spots that keep us from seeing ourselves as we really are. It doesn’t mean we will be perfect or that we will never fight sin or worldliness again.

What it does mean is that God, through our daily study of His Word and time spent in prayer, will open our blind eyes and then enable us to fight against the sin and worldliness that He has revealed to us. That’s it. All glory to God.

I want to be careful here. I have not “arrived”, by any stretch of the imagination (just ask my family!!) I am serious when I say any change in me is by God’s grace. But the Word is changing me. And it will do the same for you.

But it is only through our daily study of God’s Word that we will be filled with a love for the truth and be transformed into the image of Christ.

And this can only happen if we are willing to see ourselves as we really are. It can only happen if we are willing to see the people we love, the people we struggle to love, the world, and all that is happening in the world around us as they really are.

If we hold tightly to a lie—to our own reality that doesn’t represent truth—well, then, we will never change. And we will never be all that we can be for God’s Kingdom.

Oh, to be believers that love God’s Word—all of it in its entirety. Oh, to be believers that study the Bible, all of it—not just the parts that we like or find comforting. Oh, to be believers that will keep ourselves from deception and delusion because we dearly love the truth.

Liberty to Love

1 Comment / November 19, 2025

Galatians 5 has always been a favorite chapter of mine. Paul has spent the preceding four chapters explaining that we can never be justified by the law and that Jesus Christ is enough. And then in chapter five, he starts off with—

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

We are to stand fast in the liberty that we are given through Christ. Paul then spends the rest of the book showing us what that looks like.

Does it mean we can immerse ourselves in worldliness and sinful behavior, knowing we are forgiven?

He answers this clearly in verse 13–

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Clearly the answer to that question is no. We are not saved so that we have the liberty to sin and embrace the world.

We are saved and given the liberty to love. To love and serve God. To love and serve one another.

Our new life in Christ has changed our WHY.

We don’t do the right things because we “have” to. We don’t do them to merit favor with God.

We do them because we have finally been given the liberty to love.

Most of us are very familiar with verses 22-23 of chapter 5, where we are given a list of the fruits of the Spirit. Can you remember what they are?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

But the next verse is probably not as familiar to us—

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Vs 24)

Those that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. This is a description of every believer. It should describe us. We have crucified (or are actively trying to crucify) our flesh.

Crucify— to subdue (conquer; bring into subjection; overcome; repress)

Flesh—our old man; our human nature

So, rather than fulfilling our desires for the world and to sin, we are to live with intention and be turning away from them. Crucifying them.

Crucify is such a strong word, isn’t it? We see Paul has used it earlier in this book, when he says in chapter 2:20–

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So we aren’t crucifying our flesh for no purpose. As we crucify our flesh more and more, we make more and more room for Christ to live in us. As we live for Christ, we, through Him, love God and others.

This is reflected in our lives in all areas. It’s not just about “being nice” to people. It goes far deeper…it is reflected in how we love others when no one is watching—how we treat our spouses every day; how we respond when someone irritates us; it is reflected in how freely we forgive and the amount of grace we offer to others. It’s also reflected in how much we love God—shown clearly by what we put before our eyes on the tv, the Internet, or books (do we love Him enough to turn our eyes from the things He hates?) It is reflected in how we spend our money and time (do we consider His will as we make these decisions?) And it is reflected in how we respond when we face a trial, large or small (do we really trust Him?)

This topic is probably one of the most difficult things to navigate as a believer in our current culture. As soon as we raise the topic, cries of legalism rent the air.

But the liberty to love and then to live our lives in response to that love (for God and for others) is in direct opposition to legalism.

This verse has really been on my mind and so I thought I’d share what I’ve been thinking about. Hope it encourages you to also ponder our liberty to love and instills in you the same desire it has in me: To love God more and to love myself less. To turn from my fleshly desires and to fill the void with Christ.

May I seek God’s glory instead of my own. May I seek God’s approval rather than man’s. May I seek to submit and to obey God rather than to fulfill the desires and lusts of my flesh that insistently (and sometimes so very LOUDLY) call out to me each and every day.

We will never do this perfectly, but, by His grace, we will do it more and more with each passing day.

Who’s Really Inside?

1 Comment / October 28, 2025

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to spend the weekend with my parents at the beach. It was extra fun, as the kind couple who allowed us to use their beach house had a street-legal golf cart that they said we could use. And so off we set on our adventure of exploring our favorite beach town from a golf cart!

Traveling down streets unknown to us before, we came across beautiful new houses, as well as small cottages that had been there for a long, long time. Most houses were beautifully cared for, while just a few sat a bit forlorn, needing a new coat of paint or some landscaping.

At one point, we went around a corner and we saw a brand new—rather large—building. It was cream-colored with black shutters and looked rather like a hotel…but not quite. As we traveled the block, the building became one story and stretched out the entire block. Curious to see what the building was, we turned the corner to find out as we came to the end of the block.

Lo and behold, what we saw surprised us all. For right behind the single story “building” (which ended up being only about two feet wide) sat the town’s electrical plant. None of us had even noticed the wires and towers behind the one story building.

We drove off and then I told my husband to turn around so I could take a photo (see below). I had been reading about the Pharisees and I knew that what we were seeing was a little like the Pharisees. They looked all nice and proper on the outside but they were downright ugly inside. Jesus called them whitened sepulchres (or whitewashed tombs)—

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27)

We often hear stories of pastors or celebrities that “fall into sin” but these things do not happen in a vacuum. Many people put on an act and pretend to be something they are not. This is not unusual.

Oftentimes, the ugliest sins are hidden behind a “Christian” facade.

So many pretenders. So many liars. So many wolves in sheep’s clothing. They come as angels of light but they seek to starve your soul and take your eyes off the true God, the real Jesus, and the Bible.

But you know, these aren’t the only pretenders. I thought it was interesting to read this morning—

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:42-43)

Here we see chief rulers pretending not to believe on Jesus Christ because they loved the praise of men more than they loved God.

What an indictment! May this never be said of us.

Some people pretend to be something they aren’t because they lack courage and they love themselves and the praise of men more than they love God and the truth.

So how does this apply to us? Those of us who have been saved by faith in Christ alone are new creatures. And so what is inside of us should be consistent with what is outside of us.

There should be no hypocrisy in the life of a believer.

I remember years ago, someone using that verse about God looking on the heart, while man looks on the outside (I Samuel 16:7) as a reason to look and live like the world.

But that isn’t what that verse means at all. We can know this by reading this verse in the context of the rest of scripture.

God expects our outside to match our inside. We cannot be a new creature inside without looking like a new creature on the outside. All throughout the New Testament we are given the description of the true believer. We are told what God wants us to look like.

We will never be able to match that description perfectly, of course. But, through examining ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5), by proving all things and holding fast to what is good (I Thess. 5:21), and by being diligent to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10-11) we will be sure to continue moving in the right direction.

Remember: It’s about direction, not perfection.

These things we are called to aren’t meant to be burdensome. We know that because Jesus tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

If we are feeling burdened; if these things we are called to do not feel easy or light, well, then, perhaps we are a little like those chief priests—loving the praise of men more than we love the Lord. Having our souls entrenched in the things of this world, we struggle to turn from things that are not building us up in the faith. Loving the world and loving our sin keep us from growing as we should.

As we become less enamored with the things of this world and as our hatred for sin grows, the heavy burden we were feeling about holiness, turning from the world, and living for Jesus grows lighter and lighter.

And just to be honest, this only began to change for me when I began to read the Word—to really study it—for myself personally.

If we genuinely want to grow but the burden feels so heavy, then we must pray that God will give us that desire and open our eyes to what is keeping us fettered and imprisoned. What is keeping us from feeling the freedom we have in Christ to live a righteous life for God?

By the way—not to get too off topic—however, I feel like it is important to mention—

We are free to live righteously. We are not free to sin and we are not free to love the world and be like the world. This is so clear all throughout scripture but Romans 6 is a great place to start if you want to know more.

Life is full of challenges and one of those challenges is to be real and authentic. To be a godly person on the inside and the outside. Wherever this is not taking place, there is hypocrisy. God hates hypocrisy.

May we be those who shine the genuine light of Christ and may those who see that light find in us an example of consistency. May we be the same person both inside and out.

The facade that hides the electrical plant

Never Satisfied with Status Quo

1 Comment / October 15, 2025

A few weeks ago, I was delighted to return to a church that has welcomed me as a speaker for several years now. This year my topic was about aging and beauty. What exactly does scripture have to say about these things?

The topic was my idea—as I had been wanting to dig into the Bible and see what it has to say about these things for a long time. We hear so many things about this topic but what does the Bible actually have to teach about them? That’s what I wanted to know. And I hoped the ladies at the church would be interested, too. Thankfully, they were! No matter who we are or what age, we women especially, find this topic particularly relevant to our daily lives in one way or another.

This morning, I’d like to share just one point of that presentation. This point has continued to personally cause me much consideration, reflection, and conviction.

There is a little verse at the end of I Corinthians 10 that says—

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Whatever we do, we are to do to the glory of God. Do ALL to the glory of God.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself doing so many things with myself much more in mind. Our flesh cries out not only for glory, but for love, comfort, convenience, indulgence, popularity, fairness, justice, revenge…to name just a few.

And we make choices with these things in mind. Many times, without even realizing it.

For example…

We may choose not to speak truth because we desire to be loved more than we desire to glorify God.

We may choose to eat too much or buy too much because our flesh wants to be indulged and that’s more important than glorifying God.

We may choose to wear something (or allow our daughter to wear something) that is utterly inappropriate because popularity is more important to us than glorifying God.

We may choose to say something sarcastically or make a snide remark because fairness and revenge take priority over glorifying God.

We may choose to watch, read, or listen to something for so many reasons—popularity, wanting to be liked or loved, indulging our flesh… we have so many reasons (and excuses and rationalizations) as to why we fill our minds with wicked entertainment.

We may… well, you get the idea. It is the nitty gritty of the Christian life. It encompasses life-altering choices and the smallest decisions of every single day.

Do I want to glorify God most? Do my choices and decisions reflect the fact that glorifying God is more important than anything that has to do with ME?

I’ll just be flat-out honest (since those who know me already know this, anyway). The answer to that question is: NO. I don’t.

I’d rather guess that you may have to answer this the same way. We believers are so far from perfect, it’s scary. And we know it, too. It’s why we are so grateful for Jesus. He is perfect so we don’t have to be.

But, that being said, we want to, right? We want to make decisions to glorify God instead of to fulfill some fleshly desire.

And we make more decisions based on this than we used to. We can see how God is growing us and changing us. So we need to be grateful and not wallow in a pit of discouragement. We are not the same people we used to be. Praise be to God, we are not the same as we used to be!

But there is always so much room for improvement, right? The further along we walk in the Christian life, the more we comprehend how far we have to go.

I don’t know if you ever noticed the tagline for Growing4Life. It is “never satisfied with status quo”.

It is so tempting to be satisfied with status quo in our current culture. To just do enough to be considered “Christian” without making any sacrifices; while still fulfilling our flesh.

But this is not what God calls us to. Over and over again in scripture we read of God’s call to deny self, turn from our fleshly desires, offer our bodies as a living sacrifice—to live as a new creature.

We are going upstream in a downstream world. We live a totally different life because God has changed us and is changing us into a totally different person.

I don’t know about you, but I find that I can lean into status quo far too easily and just live day to day without really considering these things. Ignoring verses like I Corinthians 10:31 (not purposefully) as I go about my day to day activities.

That speaking engagement really made me stop short and start paying attention to why I do what I do. And while it has been a rather discouraging exercise, I am thankful. Thankful that the Lord has, yet again, opened my eyes to see myself as I really am.

These things tend to keep us humble and full of grace for others who are on the spiritual battlefield beside us, as we realize we aren’t “all that” and have so much further to go in pleasing our Lord and Savior.

I know this isn’t the feel-good, touchy-feely kind of post that people tend to be drawn to these days. But sometimes we just need to face the cold, hard truth about ourselves, don’t we? Or we will never change. We will never look more like Christ.

Instead, we will be caught up in the endless quagmire of “status quo”, always and only trying to do just enough to be called a “Christian” while still fulfilling our own fleshly desires.

Oh, may this never be said of us. May we never be satisfied with status quo. May we get in the habit of asking the question: What will bring glory to God?

May we keep moving upward and onward, one choice at a time.

A Change in Affections

1 Comment / May 1, 2025

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times. A pastor or a speaker shares “the Gospel”. It goes something like this:

“Are you struggling today? Do you feel lost and alone? Jesus can help you. He will meet your needs and be there for you in this life. And, if that’s not enough, remember that you get to spend eternity in heaven if you ‘accept Him’.”

Okay, so I am being a bit facetious but, in a nutshell, that is basically how the Gospel is presented.

But that isn’t the Gospel. This kind of “gospel” can be more likened to a self-improvement course.

The Gospel isn’t about accepting a god who will help us fulfill our dreams and fix our problems. It isn’t about a golden ticket to heaven.

And, while Jesus does love us and He will help us and He most certainly is the only way to spend eternity in heaven, He died for our sin. He died so that we can be right with our just God. He died so that we may LIVE. Not to live for self but to live for GOD. And He rose again to give us victory over sin and death.

He did not die and rise again so that we can have a happy life with less problems and fulfilled dreams.

About sin… do we even think we really sin all that much? And if we think about our sin, do we think it is that big of a deal?

Let’s look at sin from a different perspective, shall we? The root of all sin is selfishness. Anything done out of selfishness is sinful.

Now think about yourself in light of this truth. Do you, like me, grow a bit squirmy when sin is thought of in that light?

The tricky thing is that selfishness can masquerade as goodness. Many people are nice because it furthers their own goals. Many choose to be outwardly moral for their own selfish reason. They can look “holy” for their own selfish gain. They can be “cooperative and kind” because of their hatred of conflict and how uncomfortable it makes them feel.

Not all selfishness presents itself as ugly or negative.

And therein is the issue. SIN is far deeper and far broader than most of us have been taught.

I picked up a book this morning entitled Selfishness: The Essence of Moral Depravity written by a pastor who lived a few centuries ago named Nathanael Emmons.

The following quote is from the introduction of this book. It is worth sharing here, as I do believe that the church has been greatly deceived as a whole and has turned to a false Gospel—the Gospel of self-love to improve one’s temporal life—

The message of what is called the Gospel today is really nothing more than appeals to self-love which, in reality, is what people must repent of in order to be truly saved. We must repent of our selfishness rather than try to be religious and moral based on selfish motives (i.e. what helps me or benefits me the most.)…

…All over the world we encourage people to turn from sinful actions because it is good for them. But if they turn from sin from a principle of selfishness, then sinful self is being strengthened even as people are appearing more holy on the outside. We need to understand the true nature of sin in order to show people what true repentance is. Jesus told us that “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The Pharisees were not willing to do that. They were willing to be very religious but they would not deny self. Instead they prayed for self, gave alms to self, and fasted for self (Matthew 6:2, 6, 16). They did all of their religious actions out of love to self rather than love for God. They were their own idols and all that they did in the outward practice of religion was moved by acts of self-love rather than love for God. If we do not have a true understanding of what sin really is, we cannot truly repent from the heart. We must understand the truth about sin or we will not be saved from sin. (Emphasis mine)

We can see then how…

The very system of the devil has been set up as orthodoxy in America in many places. We can see how the thinking of many, if not most within the professing Church has swallowed the teaching that self-love is the essence of morality when in fact it is the very essence of immorality and is living in the likeness of the devil. His (the author’s) next point is devastating: “If sinners are constantly under the governing influence of selfishness, then they must experience an essential change in their affections, in order to be saved.” In modern America it is taught that the very essence of sin is what moves us to be moral and yet those are the things that must be repented of in order to be saved. How diabolical and deceptive of the devil to set up his kingdom in the hearts of men and women by the teaching of many who are externally orthodox and actually use the Bible to justify their false teaching. How utterly deceptive to use the pulpits and the classrooms in America to preach and teach rebellion against God as the cure for sin. (Emphasis mine)

This has really got me thinking. If self-love and self-preservation are what turn us to Jesus, then do we really get salvation at all? If we are simply turning to Him to improve our lives and to give us a future that is pleasant, do we understand the heart of the Gospel?

I don’t think we can. And, while I think we all struggle with examining our hearts and our motives, true salvation means coming to the place where we recognize the wickedness of our own hearts and we fall on our knees at the feet of Jesus, begging His forgiveness and grace.

Some of us will come to that realization as we grow in the Lord and others have that happen immediately. But true salvation will eventually lead to this place. It has to.

The transformation of a true believer is the change in their affections. A change from self-seeking to seeking the Lord. A change from self-glory to God’s glory. Oh, not perfectly, but there is a recognition of our waywardness and there is a desire to seek God first before self, although we fail so often.

Where there is no change of affections nor even a recognition that there should be any change, there is not salvation. Scripture makes this so clear and yet so many hate this truth.

And can I be honest for a moment? I don’t particularly care for this truth, either. For its ramifications are truly terrifying. And yet truth is truth.

Truth is truth. Whether we like a certain truth or not is irrelevant. And that is hard for us “feelings-oriented” people to swallow, isn’t it?

May we pray for wisdom as we search for the truth and may we pray that God will help us to yield our selfish feelings and desires to His truth.

Right in His Own Eyes

Leave a Comment / March 28, 2025

As I finished the book of Judges today, I was filled with… I am unsure. Sadness? Bewilderment? Confusion? The stories in this book are just so out of the ordinary. In fact, the story about the concubine of the Levite is, for me, the worst story in the entire Bible. I cannot understand why God put all of these…interesting (for want of a better word) stories in the Bible. There ARE reasons. Good reasons. His reasons.

I’d rather guess that two of the reasons are 1) to show the utter depravity of men and 2) to show the great mercy of God, despite our wickedness.

The people of Israel—people who had the One True God rescue them over and over again—kept falling back into rebellion and sin. And, yet, when they would seek Him, God would continue to rescue them.

What an incredible reminder for us of God’s love. He will not forsake us when we get misguided or deceived if we are truly one of His own. His grace and mercy will be there when we cry out in genuine repentance and with a whole heart that seeks Him, despite the sinfulness and foolishness of our past. And, in fact, that grace and mercy is available to all who genuinely seek Him and come to Him on His terms (read the book of John in the Bible to understand what they are).

All through history, God would shed His great mercy on those who seek Him and, in fact, this is throughout scripture—even into the New Testament (Matthew 6:33-34)

Also of interest to me regarding Judges is its final verse. This verse seems to be in exact parallel to what is happening in our own “Christian” culture (albeit not to the same extreme).

Commands and doctrines that have been clearly understood for two thousand years are all up for grabs. Believe what is right in your own eyes. Make up your own god and don’t worry about the Bible.

People are changing, negating, and despising doctrines of old, despite their historical understanding of thousands of years. This is all because they want to do what is right in their own eyes and they desire desperately that the Bible sanction it.

But the Bible is the same yesterday, today, and always. It will never change. And what it says is the same as it what it has always said. We cannot upend biblical Christianity just because we don’t like some of the commands and doctrines.

The book of Judges clearly shows us what happens when people decide to do things their own way. It’s a sad, tragic, and horrific picture.

We can’t control the world (or church) around us. But we can be sure, in our own lives, that we are reading and studying the Bible, dividing it rightly and comparing any teaching or doctrine to it so as not to be deceived.

May we do what is right in God’s eyes and not our own. May we continue to seek God with our whole hearts. May we be testimonies of His grace and lights in this dark world as we seek to live for Him, remembering that His Word promises that His marvelous grace and abundant mercies will be ever present in our lives as we do so.

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