Passivity Not Allowed

How do you approach disciplining your child? Do you ensure they understand there are consequences to disobedience? Are you consistent in your correction of them? Does your disciplining of them deter them from repeated disobedience? Are you setting them up for failure?

Disciplining children is difficult. We love our children. We don’t want to hurt their feelings. Yet, disciplining them is needed. Otherwise, we are setting them up for struggle and failure later in life. It may be more hurtful for us to discipline them than it is for them.

This proverb is one of only a few that is a command as well as a principle. If we truly love our children, we will discipline them. We will teach them early in their lives there are consequences for disobedience and doing wrong. It must be done while they are young, in those small things, during their formative years. If we wait until they are older, it will be much harder, and perhaps impossible, to teach them to do what is right and obey directives.

We see the results of the lack of discipline all around us. We see it in department stores, schools, and especially in the news. We see children and adults being unruly and disobedient. Without discipline early in life, the child will grow up believing they can do whatever they want. The parent who does not discipline their child is being complicit in their destruction, an accomplice in their later struggles and failure. Passivity toward discipline of children results in undisciplined and troublemaking adults.

I pray we all choose to discipline our children for wrongdoing. I pray we teach our children right from wrong. I pray each one of us will choose to follow God’s instruction and contribute to our children’s success in life. Discipline your children. Teach your children right from wrong. Follow God’s instruction. Contribute to your child’s success.

Proverbs 19:18

Discipline your children while there is hope; 

do not set your heart on their destruction.

Confess Jesus

Who do you say Jesus is? What is your confession? Do you fully believe He is the Son of God? Have you fully committed to Him? How quickly do you turn your back on Him when confronted by the world? Are you willing to hold to your belief when persecution comes your way?

Perhaps you have seen videos of a street reporter asking people who Jesus is. Hearing some of the answers may seem comical. Unfortunately, it is not funny when we think about the implications of their answers. If people cannot quickly answer who Jesus is, they do not know Him.

Jesus had asked who people thought He was and received incorrect answers. When He asks the apostles who they believed He was, Peter quickly replied that He was the Son of God. Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah stated that He believed Jesus was the Savior of the world. He believed Jesus was the One who the prophets had prophesied about. But Peter’s confession was also partly given without a full understanding.

We may not fully comprehend who Jesus is. That does not mean we cannot confess Him as our Lord and Savior. Just as the apostles had to learn more about Jesus, we need to and can continue to learn more about Jesus. But confessing Jesus as our Savior must come with a commitment. Though Peter did not fully understand who Jesus was in the moment, he was committed to Jesus. We, too, must commit with our confession.

I pray we confess Jesus is our Lord and Savior. I pray we continue to learn more about Jesus. I pray each one of us will commit to Jesus and strive to be His representative in this world. Confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Learn more about Jesus. Commit to Jesus. Be His representative.

Matthew 16:15-16 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Incorrect Opinions

Do you sometimes wonder what people think of you? Would you like to know what they say when you are not around? Have you thought they might say one thing in front of you and something else when they are not with you? Have you asked others about it?

We worry about what others think of us. It can get the best of us if we are not careful. If we are doing what is right, living as we should, and doing the best we can, we have nothing to worry about. We must remember that most people only see us sparingly and do not know very well.

Jesus asked His disciple who people were saying He was. People had varying opinions. Some thought He was John the Baptist who had be killed. They thought He may have come back to life. Though Jesus and John proclaimed a similar message, Jesus was roaming throughout Judea and Samaria whereas John stayed relatively stationary.

Some thought Jesus was Elijah. Elijah was to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. Of course, that was the message John was preaching. Though John did not claim to be Elijah, he did claim he was preparing the way. Others thought Jesus might be Jeremiah. Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet because he proclaimed doom. Jesus did foretell the destruction of Jerusalem and His own death.

We must remember the opinions of others are wrong more often than they are right about us. Rather than listening to their opinions, we must trust who we are and we are children of God. We must hold onto God’s love for us and trust him in all things. Jesus certainly did.

I pray we all stop worrying what others say about us. I pray we know we are children of God. I pray each one of us know that God loves us and we stand in his love every day of our lives. Stop worrying. You are a child of God. God loves you. You stand in his love today.

Matthew 16:13-14 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Sober Thinking

What is your perspective of yourself? Do you think highly of yourself? Do you think you are better than others? Do you always put yourself first? Do you think lowly of yourself? Do you think of others as being better than yourself? Are you always bowing down to others?

How we view ourselves is important. We are not to think too highly of ourselves. At the same time, we are not to think too lowly of ourselves. There will be times when we are meant to lead and there will be times when we are to follow. We must recognize the situation for what it is.

The Apostle Paul warns against thinking too highly of ourselves. But he wasn’t saying we should think lowly of ourselves. He says we are to think with sober judgment. We might say that we are to be objective. We are to evaluate the situation. We are to use our heads for more than a hat rack, think critically and logically. We are to use our faith in God to ask for discernment and wisdom.

I have worked with people, and continue to do so, in which there are times I am leading the group and at other times someone else is leading. There have been times when I allow someone else to lead to teach them how to lead. We may have the best idea for a project one time and someone else another time. None of us are gifted to be the one with all the answers. We must be of sober mind, recognizing our limitations, and willing to listen to others. In all our striving, we must ask God for his wisdom through our faith and be willing to follow God’s guidance.

I pray we all realize we are not to think too highly of ourselves. I pray we use sober judgment in all situations. I pray each one of us will ask God for wisdom through our faith and follow his guidance. Do not think too highly of yourself. Be of sober mind. Ask God for wisdom. Follow God’s guidance.

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Be Transformed

Have you ever felt like you did not know which way to turn? Have you been caught in the middle. Have you experienced indecision, unable to determine what the best decision is? Have you been torn between two good options? How did you make your final decision?

Some decisions are easy. Other decisions are more difficult. The difficult decisions may include ones that have two good options. We wrestle with determining the best option. We weigh the pros and cons of each option. We may consult someone we trust to help with the decision.

We may wonder how we can know God’s will. There is a simple yet challenging answer. We must let go of this world and be transformed. We must let go of the worry, anxiety, fear, hatred, partisanship, discrimination, partiality, vengefulness, selfishness, and greed this world wants us to pursue. All of it must be tossed out of our lives. We cannot hold onto even one iota of it.

Instead, we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Our thoughts and focus must be on God. We must open our eyes, our ears, and our minds to seeing and hearing and understanding God. We must stop chasing after the world and start chasing after God. The answer is simple. The task is hard, because the world does not want to let us go. The world pulls at us to continue as it does. To understand God’s will, we must make him our focus. When we do, we will see the world in a completely different way—through God’s eyes.

I pray we all choose to let go, to push the world away. I pray we decide to focus on God. I pray each one of us will open our eyes, ears, and minds so that we may be renewed and transformed. Let go of the world. Focus on God. Renew your minds. Be transformed.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Pray in God’s Will

Do you believe in providence? Do you believe you can speak things into being? Do you believe you can pray things into being? Have you tried to do so? If so, what have been the results? Will you continue to try to influence things? Do you know how to have more success?

Some people believe you can speak things into being. They believe that by throwing it out into the universe it can happen. Others believe that by praying for it, it will happen. Most people experience mixed results. They often wonder why their requests are not granted.

God continually works in our world, even if we do not always see what he is doing. He was at work in the rescue of Moses. Though Pharoah had ordered all male Israelites to be killed, which the midwives disobeyed, Moses’s mother hid him for three months. Finally, she decided she could not do so any longer and put him in a basket in the river. We can see God’s fingerprints in many places during Moses’s early life. Pharoah’s daughter asked a maid to get the basket. The maid suggested she find a nursing mother and found Moses’s mother. God at work.

God works in our lives, too. But when we ask for God to do something for us, we may not get the answer we want, then we wonder why. The logical reason is that we are not asking within God’s will. Far too often, we ask selfishly. Even if we are asking for healing, for ourselves or someone else, we often have selfish motives. God sees right through that. When we make our requests in accordance with God’s will, we will receive the answer we want.

I pray we all know that God is working in our world. I pray we seek to be in and understand God’s will. I pray each one of us will make our requests to God within his will. God is working in our world. Seek to understand God’s will. Seek to be in God’s will. Make your requests in God’s will.

Exodus 2:5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it.

Fearful Actions

What fears do you have? What does your fear cause you do? Do you do things you would not otherwise do? Do you later regret having done those things? Have you noticed it was fear that drove you to do them? Will you strive to not allow fear to be the cause for doing bad things?

Fear can cause us to do things we would not normally do. Fear can cause us to run away. Fear can be the reason for us treat people badly. Fear can drive us away from our loved ones. But we do not have to be slaves to our fear. We can be relieved of it, if we will turn it over to God.

Pharoah was afraid. He thought the explosion of the Israelite population could result in them turning against him. To counter his fear, he put them into forced labor. He set taskmasters over them to drive them hard all day. His fear caused him to attempt to keep them under control through domination and heavy oppression. Pharoah’s fear drove him to forgo negotiation and working together.

Our fear can cause us to do things we would not normally do. But we don’t have to allow that to happen. We can turn our fears over to God. We can decide to work through our fears rather than submitting to them. We have a choice. We can make the decision. We do not have to fall prey to our fears. God can and will take away our fears, if we will honestly and truthfully turn them over to him.

I pray we all face our fears. I pray we choose to give our fears to God, asking him to remove them from us. I pray each one of us will are freed from our fears by God and live free of them. Face your fears. Give your fears to God. Ask God to remove your fears. Be free of your fears.

Exodus 1:12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

Walk Securely

How confident are you? Does it depend on your situation? Do you wrestle with worry and anxiety in certain circumstances? Do you have confidence in your abilities? Are you confident in God’s promises? Are you confident in your faith and your ultimate place with God?

Confidence can come and go depending on our situation. When we are thrust into a new situation, we can be nervous or anxious. When we find ourselves in a bit of trouble, we can worry about the final outcome. However, even in those situations, we can be confident.

What, or who, can give us the confidence we desire? Our faith in God and God himself. That is a very simple answer. Yet it is not simple for us. Our faith is not always as strong as we would like. Though we know intellectually God is with us, we may not always feel him or have a strong conviction that he is with us, which results in nervousness, anxiety, and worry.

In today’s Proverb, we see that we can walk securely or confidently when we walk with integrity. But that word integrity doesn’t give a full meaning of the Hebrew word used by King Solomon. The Hebrew word means integrity, completeness, fulness, and wholeness. Therefore, when we walk in this way, we can be confident in not only who we are but who we are with God.

Knowing who we are with God, being confident in that, relieves us of worry and anxiety. Our trust in him and our standing with him, relieves stress and builds confidence. We trust that our place with him is secure, that we have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ.

I pray we all walk in integrity and wholeness with Jesus. I pray we are confident and secure in our relationship with God. I pray each one of us will place our trust in Jesus and be relieved of worry and anxiety. Walk with integrity. Walk with Jesus. Trust Jesus. Be confident in Jesus.

Proverbs 10:9

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, 

but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out.

Jesus Heals Our Spirits

How often do you ask for what you need? How often do you ask for what you want? Who do you ask? When you ask God, how do you ask? What is your attitude? Do you believe he can provide? Do you have faith that he will answer? What if the answer is no? Will you still believe?

We ask God for lots of things in our prayers. We may ask for healing. We may ask for peace. We may ask for frivolous things such as a new car, tickets for a concert, or even just a dinner at a restaurant. Most of us have what we need—a home, clothing, food, and drink.

Jesus’s ministry initially focused on the Jews. So, when a Canaanite woman came to Him, He dismissed her. However, she persisted, asking that Jesus remove a demon from her daughter. Because she persisted with faith that He could remove the demon, He relented and gave her what she desired. The request was not just about physical healing; it was about spiritual healing as well. Jesus is all about spiritual healing.

Many of us will ask for physical healing and are disappointed when God does not heal in the way we want. We may question our faith. Is it strong enough? Do not question your faith based on this exchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. She was asking for something more important than physical healing, which is not to diminish physical healing. But spiritual healing is critical from God’s perspective.

When we ask God for something in a prayer, it is less about faith, though faith is important, than it is about God’s will. The more we are in tune with God’s will, the more our prayers will align with it. The more our prayers align with God’s will, just as the Canaanite woman’s, the more likely our prayers will be answers as we want.

I pray we all trust that Jesus can heal. I pray we trust Him to heal our spirits. I pray each one of us will seek God’s will and align our prayers to it. Jesus can heal. Jesus heals our spirits. Seek God’s will. Align your will with God’s will.

Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

Evil Intentions

Yesterday, we saw that Jesus said it was not what we ate but what comes out of our mouths that defiles us. It is our hearts and minds that are corrupted that makes us offensive. In today’s passage, Jesus gives an explicit list as an example of thoughts and behaviors that defile us.

Though we may agree Jesus’s list is contained bad things, we may still have those thoughts or behaviors. Notice that Jesus says all of them are generated from evil intentions. If we have any of these behaviors, we likely don’t think of them as evil. After all, we are good people, right?

Whether we want to admit it or not, Jesus is absolutely correct. It is evil intentions behind our willingness to act in these ways. Our culture likes to gloss over most of them. We will quickly agree murder and theft are evil and should be punished. False witness and slander are against our laws but are much more difficult to prove. People lie and spread rumors about others every day. It is only when doing so in an official capacity that they may be brought up on charges.

Adultery and sexual immorality are often swept under the rug, covered up, or dismissed. Sure, we may say they are bad and we may not hang out with those people, but we quickly move on. Yet, they are no less evil. There are often far-reaching consequences from them. Relationships are broken. Families torn apart. Friendships dissolved.

How do we keep from falling prey to these evil intentions? Our only hope is to welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives. To listen to God’s guidance that comes through the Holy Spirit. To be willing and to ask God to change our hearts and minds. We must be willing to leave our old self behind and become the new person Jesus wants us to be.

I pray we all identify the evil intentions in our own hearts. I pray we desire to remove evil intentions from our hearts. I pray each one of us welcome the Holy Spirit and ask God to clean us on the inside. Identify evil intentions. Desire to be clean. Ask God to remove your evil intentions.

Matthew 15:19-20 “For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”