Humility and Wisdom

How do you display wisdom? Do you display it through your decisions and choices? Do you display it in the way you live? Do you consider humility to be a portion of your wisdom? Does humility come as a result of wisdom? Would others consider you humble and wise?

I venture to guess that most of us do not associate humility and wisdom together. We likely think of someone who is wise as being knowledgeable, smart, and a person who makes good decisions. On the other hand, we may think of a humble person as someone who is quiet and unassuming.

Not that our view is completely wrong, but it is incomplete. Wise people are knowledgeable and make good decisions. They also spend time listening and thinking. They will consider as many angles as practical before making a decision. They weigh the pros and cons of a choice. Once they determine what they believe is the best choice, they decide and execute.

A humble person may be quiet and unassuming, but they are also someone who relies on God to guide them. They may occasionally speak voraciously or release righteous anger. After all, Jesus was considered humble, yet He turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple. Being humble in the eyes of God means to lean on him and follow his guidance. It means praying continually.

James tells us that we show our humility and wisdom by the life we live. We live a good life, performing good deeds, not bragging about them, but letting them be seen for what they are. By the life we live, we demonstrate our wisdom and depending on God. We bring glory to him through our actions and behavior.

I pray we all grow in wisdom. I pray we are humble, depending on God in all situations. I pray each one of us strive to pray continually and live a good life that brings glory to God. Grow in knowledge. Grow in wisdom. Pray continually. Be humble. Let your actions speak. Show humility and wisdom in your behavior.

James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Wonderful Differences

Do you try to force people to fit into the mold you have in your mind? Do you look oddly at those who are different than you expect? Do you determine people are right or wrong based on your paradigm? Do you know that God has purposely created people to be different?

We see different people all around us. There are people with different colors of skin, different skills, different physical attributes, different ways of thinking, and different preferences. Our differences create a wonderful tapestry around this world.

Too often, we mistreat people who are different than we are. We see the difference as a means for looking sideways at them. We are both curious about the differences and wary of them. We often look down our noses at people who are different. Since they are not like us, we may look at them as being inferior. We miss a wonderful opportunity to learn about and experience something new.

The Apostle Paul doesn’t merely address differences with a broad stroke but goes into some detail. Even people who look like us do not always like the same things we do. Paul addresses eating preferences, but we can apply this principle to a plethora of other differences. Those differences may include clothing, schools, sports teams, pets, political party, shopping choices, vehicles, wealth, and even our churches. Our preferences are not to be a reason to judge one another. We are to treat all people as a child of God. We are to treat all people in a loving and caring manner at all times.

I pray we all look at differences in a positive light. I pray we see the wonder of God’s tapestry all around us. I pray each one of us chooses to treat others with love and care, as children of God. Celebrate differences. Do not judge based on preferences. Treat others well. Treat everyone as a child of God.

Romans 14:3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.

Salt and Light

What is your purpose in life? How often have you asked yourself that question? Who are you? Have you asked yourself that question? Do you know who Jesus says you are? Would you like to know?

It is not uncommon for people to wonder what their purpose in life is. They may even start out by asking themselves who they are. It’s good to know who you are, where you are in life, what your position in the world or your community is. It can be the point from which we determine our purpose.

But what if I told you Jesus has already set your purpose for you? What if He already told you who you are? He has! And it is good. Jesus says we are salt and light. Within those statements of who we are is our purpose in this life.

As the salt of the earth (literally dirt), we are to help others grow. In Jesus’ day, farmers put salt on their fields to provide the right mix of minerals to help them grow their crops. Salt is also used to season and preserve. We are to season others and preserve their lives for them. That preservation comes in the form of eternal life.

As the light of the world, we are to show the way for others. This coincides with preservations. We show them the way to Jesus. We show them the way to eternal life. We do this through our actions, showing others what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Whether we like or not, whether we want to or not, if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are His representative. He has told us who we are and our purpose. Perhaps we should accept His Word and be who He told us we are.

I pray we all know who we are. I pray we understand our purpose as Jesus defined it. I pray each one of us accept our place as a representative of Jesus and be who He desires us to be. Know your purpose. Be salt. Add flavor. Be light. Show Jesus to others. Share Jesus’ love.

Matthew 5:13a, 14a “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”

Convicted in Jesus

What are your beliefs? Do you believe in right and wrong? Do you believe there is a proper way to go about living your life? Or do you go with the flow, following whatever the popular trend of the moment is? Do you believe in the Son of God and follow Him and His teachings?

Many of us can quote, or at least paraphrase, John 3:16. We know that it states that whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life. But if we only read that one verse, and do not continue reading or fully understand it, we fall into a false belief.

The Greek word translated as believe in John 3:16 and today’s passage, does not mean to believe in the sense that we believe the sun will come up tomorrow. No, it is a much deeper belief than that. It is not a flippant belief but a trust, correct perception, and conviction.

If we are convicted that Jesus is the Son of God, we don’t continue our lives as-is. We ask God to change us into the person he wants us to be. We seek to learn as much as we can about Jesus. We desire to follow Him, wherever He leads us. Being convicted includes a strong commitment to what we are convicted of.

Think about it this way. When we commit to a profession, something we truly love and believe in, we work hard to know our craft inside and out. We desire to succeed in our chosen profession. We continually seek to do things better, be more efficient, produce a better product. That is the conviction John tells us about in his gospel when he speaks of believing in Jesus. Therefore, our belief must be more than a few simple words. Our belief must go to the core of our being.

I pray we all believe in Jesus. I pray we have a conviction that He is the Son of God. I pray each one of us will commit to knowing more about Jesus and commit to following His teachings. Believe in Jesus. Be committed to Him. Seek to follow His teachings. Be convicted.

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Be Exceptional

How do you feel about laws? Do you think they should be obeyed to the letter? Are you a person who will not go one mile over the speed limit? Do you stay well within the limits of any laws? Or do you like to color outside the lines from time-to-time (or more often)?

We have a lot of laws across our land. When we count the federal, state, and local laws, we have thousands of them. Many of them are for our good. When we obey them, they can help keep us from harm. Laws can be an aid to an orderly society. They can also be used to oppress.

God gave us laws to obey, too. The purpose of those laws is to keep us from harm and provide an orderly society. However, people often misinterpret those laws or take them to the extreme. The Jewish religious leadership of the Old Testament had done that over the course of hundreds of years. They added guidance, or their own laws, to put hedges around the laws of God. Their intent was good, but their execution was not. For example, the Sabbath was holy, and no one was to work on that day. So, they set a limit of one-hundred paces. Walk one more and it was considered work.

We do this, too, sometimes. Our traditions and reasoning add to the laws of God. We should remember that Jesus said all the law and the prophets were wrapped up in two commands, love god and love neighbor (Matthew 12:30-31). When He tells the people they must exceed the scribes and Pharisees, he is telling them to stop being legalistic and to base all their actions on love. When we consider every act, every behavior, every word we intend beforehand, and determine if they are done or said in love, we are following Jesus’ commands. We no longer need to wonder if we are following the law.

I pray we all know the laws of God. I pray we understand the commands of Jesus. I pray each one of us determine to act, behave, and speak in love toward everyone. Know Gods law. Know Jesus’ commands. Put Jesus’ commands into action. Make the decision to act in love. Be a person who speaks with love.

Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Share the Light

What does your normal day look like? What is your normal routine? What are those once a week treats you allow yourself? Are there occasional breaks to your routine that make a day special? Have you thought about putting the light of Jesus into your routine?

Most of us have routines we are comfortable with. It may be a morning exercise routine or a morning quiet time or a routine time for dinner or a routine time for going to bed and waking up. Often, we have other routines we do not even think about, until someone points them out.

We all have heard of people who have an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Most of us have OCD to some degree or another, even if just a small bit. Think about it. We may routinely eat a certain food for breakfast every morning. If we don’t eat that breakfast, our day can go sideways. Or we may always place our keys in a certain place and if we don’t one day, we can’t find them and become upset.

What if we inserted something positive into our routine? We could add reading a daily devotional each morning or reading Scripture or spending a little time in prayer or simply sitting quietly listening for God to speak. Perhaps we could ask Jesus to shed His light on us.

By adding Jesus into our lives and putting on His light, we can share it others, not to mention our day is better. Sharing His light with others can bring more of His light into us. It is amazing how sharing with someone else can be a boost to us. So, ask Jesus to shed His light on you and share it with someone else.

I pray we all decide to add a time with God into our routines. I pray we ask Jesus to shed His light on us. I pray each one of us will decide to share His light with others. Add God to your daily routine. Set aside time to spend with God. Ask Jesus to shed His light on you. Share Jesus’ light with others.

Romans 13:12 So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Choose Light

Do you walk through a dark room, or do you turn a light on? Do you find it better to hike a trail during the day or night? Is it better to be able to see where you are going or having to feel your way around and stumbling? Have you applied this paradigm to your everyday life?

When we go into a dark room, we turn a light on. Otherwise, we would stumble into furniture and would be unable to find what we are looking for. We may complain about electric bills, but we much prefer to see where we are going. Stumbling and falling is not a good alternative.

The same is true when hiking trails. We plan our hikes so we hike during the day and set up camp for the night. Having spent time in a dense jungle as a Marine, walking trails at night can be deadly. You can step off a cliff without knowing it until it is too late. Even on barren mountains where there may be moonlight to partially light the path can be dangerous at night.

In some instances, we may apply this paradigm to our lives. We like to plan our career, our marriage, having children, and buying a house. We do our best to see as far into the future as we can. But do we apply it to every aspect of our lives? I submit that we do not.

We may plan many things, but we often do not plan for our eternal life. Our approach is to only do the bare minimum. We take one step to accept Jesus, but we stop there. We don’t follow Him. To follow Jesus is to be in the light. We can confidently walk through this life knowing we have an eternal home with Him. We do not fear what may lie around the corner, because we know He is with us every step of the way. He is not only with us, but we are following His lead.

I pray we all decide to follow Jesus. I pray we decide to walk in His light. I pray each one of us will step out of the darkness and into the light so we may walk through this life with confidence. Step out of the darkness. Walk in the light of Jesus. Follow Him. Live with confidence. 

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Light of the World

What are you filled with? What are your thoughts about? What is your guide for your thoughts, attitude, and behavior? Is it crassness, disregard, and a hardened heart? Or is it compassion, a softened heart, and love? Do you know whether it is darkness or light?

We all are guided by one thing or another. Our guide may change depending on our situation. We may discard notions out of hand in some situations or hold them dearly in others. But do we know what is behind our behaviors, decisions, and actions?

We know from numerous research surveys and observances that our upbringing and culture have a significant impact on what we deem to be right and our behavior. Principles that we live by are often instilled at a young age. We also know it is difficult to change once we are beyond adolescence. But it is not impossible.

Who can change us? Jesus can. What does it take to change? Determination. Often it requires us to hit rock bottom to decide to change. However, there are wise people who see the path they are headed down, know where it is headed, and change before they hit rock bottom.

When Jesus speaks of the light within us being darkness, He is speaking of evil. He knows that it is evil that causes our bad attitudes, behaviors, and actions. He tells us that we need His light within us to eliminate the darkness. It works in the same way that lighting a lamp in a dark room dispels the darkness. We should consider accepting the light of Jesus in our lives so He can rid us of the darkness that lives within. It is only by accepting Him into our lives that we can be the light of the world He has called us to be.

I pray we all look internally and identify the light within us. I pray we decide to rid ourselves of any darkness. I pray we ask Jesus to fill us with His light and shine His light into this world. Rid yourself of darkness. Ask Jesus to fill you. Be a light to the world. Shine Jesus’ light everywhere.

Luke 11:35-36 “See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

Speak with Grace

What does being wise mean to you? Have you considered wisdom and making an effort to be wise? Do you think the words you speak reveal your wisdom or lack thereof? Are your conversations full of grace? Are they seasoned with salt? Or are they ramblings?

Wisdom is not easily achieved. It requires both knowledge and discernment. Of the two, discernment is more important. Determining when it is appropriate to speak and when to be silent is a key component. Carefully choosing our words is another key.

We often see and hear people who speak without thinking. It happens in our workplaces, homes, on social media, and many other places. Foolish and outlandish things are spoken, often with no thought having taken place beforehand. Some of those words are simply funny, but they can also be harmful and misleading.

Proverbs 16:21 states, “The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.” Wisdom starts on the inside. It is a decision to stop speaking foolishly. It is disciplining ourselves to speak only what we know to be true and only when it is appropriate. Also notice the author of proverbs includes grace in our speech. Why? Grace promotes instruction, it is how we are able to teach others truth.

Grace in our words does not always mean our words must change, though we may need to change them. Grace may mean changing our tone of voice. Our tone comes from our attitude. Do we desire the other person listen and adhere to our instruction? If so, we cannot berate them or treat them as though they are a lesser person while instructing them. Speaking with an attitude of grace can help us reach people we desire to reach.

I pray we all desire to be wise. I pray we take time to think before we speak. I pray each one of us have a gracious attitude toward others when we desire to instruct them. Be wise in your speech. Have a gracious attitude. Discern what needs to be said. Determine when to speak and when to be silent. 

Colossians 4:5-6 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Blessed by God

How blessed do you feel? Do you feel blessed when you are struggling? Do you feel blessed when you are being laughed at for your faith? Do you feel blessed when you show mercy or are a peacemaker? Do you consider yourself to be as blessed as the apostles?

Jesus tells us in what we call the beatitudes that we are blessed in a multitude of situations. Some of those do not appear to us as being blessings. In fact, we may think of them as a hardship. Yet Jesus says we are blessed when they occur in our life.

We don’t often think of mourning as a blessing. But it does mean that we have had someone dear to us for years who has left us. Therefore, we have been blessed to have known them for a time. But we are also blessed when we mourn our sin and repent of it. That opens our heart for God to change us.

We may not think it is a blessing to be meek. But being meek does not mean we are pushovers, rather we are someone who puts others needs before our own. When we do this, God blesses us in ways we may not understand.

We may quickly agree that someone who is pure in heart is blessed. But do we understand why? Might I suggest that person is fully in tune with God, understanding what God wants of them, where they belong, and how much God loves them. In this way, we can go where God wants us to and do what he wants us to do.

Being blessed by God does not always look the way we think it should look. God works in the worst of circumstances and the best of circumstances. He blesses us where we are. He delights in blessing us.

I pray we all see the blessings God is pouring down on us. I pray we understand God can and does bless us in all circumstances. I pray each one of us will accept God’s blessing and praise him for them. See God’s blessings. Accept God’s blessings. Know you are blessed. Be thankful for God’s blessings.

Matthew 5:12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”