Attitude of Sharing

How well do you share? Are you willing to help those in need? Are you willing to host others? Does sharing mean only giving any extra you may have? Does helping those in need mean only giving away your old and used items?

Some of us were taught to share as young children. Some were allowed to be selfish. But all can learn to share with others. It is a change of our attitude. There is no physical ability required nor special talent. It is all about our mindset—an attitude of scarcity or abundance.

As a child, I grew up poor. I didn’t really know it. It was not until I became an adult, heard some of my mother’s stories, and realized the challenges of supporting a family that I understood. But there was one thing I learned as a child from my mother and grandmother, you never skimped on sharing with a family member or friend.

If a family member or friend stopped by and we were eating, there was no asking. We simply grabbed another plate or two so they could sit and eat with us. It didn’t matter if we thought we may not have enough. The guest filled their plate first.

If a family member or friend needed clothing, a ride, or anything else we had, we gave it to them. There was no holding back. Perhaps it is the poor who truly know how to share because they truly know what it means to be in need.

Paul tells the church in Rome to share with their brothers and sisters in Christ. They were to be hospitable to them. In those days, there were no Motel 6’s every few blocks. So, a traveler would need to find a family who would host them in their home. The traveler may be a complete stranger, but if they were a member of the body of Christ, another member was to host them.

It seems the richer we have gotten, the more selfish we have gotten. We hoard clothing, jewelry, and food. We spend our money on more expensive items, seeking status. We have a bigger desire to stay current with the latest trends than to share with those in need.

I pray we all change our mindset toward sharing. I pray we share all we have with those in need. I pray each one of us will decide to host our brothers and sisters in Christ when needed. Share with others. Share your best with fellow Christians. Be willing to host fellow Christians. Change your attitude. Rid yourself of selfishness.

Romans 12:13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Gifts of Grace

Have you asked God for gifts? Have you asked God to bless you? Have you inventoried the blessings and gifts He has given you? Do you know God gifts you with talents?

We may call them spiritual gifts. We may call them natural talents. We may even state that someone has been taught or grown into certain abilities. Our culture likes to explain why someone is good at specific things.

But have we sat down to ponder that? God has blessed each one of us with certain gifts that allow us to be good at what we are good at. He has given us gifts of learning, putting together the pieces, orating, and physical abilities. God works within us.

It is not a question of whether God is working. It is a question of whether we are listening, watching, and paying attention. Each one of us is blessed with a gift or multiple gifts to build up the body of Christ.

Building up the body of Christ is not only attempting to draw others in, to seek and save the lost, but is also edifying and building up those already in the body. As we strengthen a brother or sister, we strengthen the body of Christ.

I pray we all seek to know the gifts God has blessed us with. I pray we listen, watch, and pay attention. I pray each one of us will use our gifts to build up the body of Christ. Ask for God’s gifts. Ask God to bless you. Ask for spiritual gifts. Inventory your spiritual gifts. Use your gifts to strengthen the body of Christ.

Romans 12:6-8 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Stumbling Block

Are you a stumbling block to others? Do you create situations, knowingly or unknowingly, that cause issues or problems or failures for others? Do you judge others harshly when they cause you to stumble? Have you looked at yourself before passing judgment?

There are times when we might be a stumbling block to others unknowingly. It is those times when we purposely cause someone else to fail that we are defiantly disobeying God’s instruction. Most of us will not admit to causing others to fail purposely, at least not without fanfare from our friends.

Yes, our culture makes it popular to cause others to fail. It is when we gain praise for causing others to fail that we purposely go about it. It has become so popular that multiple reality shows are built on that very premise. Do whatever you can to cause someone else to fail.

However, we are explicitly told not to cause others to fail. We are not to put a stumbling block in their path. We are not to set them up for failure. We are not to judge others for doing the same exact thing we do. First, we are to clean up our own act. How can we do that?

We must rely on God and the spiritual gifts he has given us. When we tap into our spiritual gifts, we are tapping into God. When we tap into God, we will no longer put stumbling blocks in someone else’s path, nor will we judge them. After all, we are told to leave judgment to God.

I pray we all stop passing judgment. I pray we stop purposely putting stumbling blocks in others’ pathway. I pray each one of us tap into our spiritual gifts, thereby tapping into God. Do not judge. Do not put stumbling blocks in someone else’s path. Tap into your spiritual gifts. Tap into God. Seek the positive change in yourself.

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

Build Up

What is your purpose? For what reason were you put here on earth? Why has God blessed you with spiritual gifts? Are you more curious if your life will be a success by human standards than if you will fulfill God’s purpose for you?

We all have a purpose in life. God has given us a purpose. It is built into us. Unfortunately, far too many pay no attention to that purpose. Instead, they pursue some other purpose, usually one the world tells them they should pursue.

Make no mistake about it, we all must earn a living. That means pursuing a profession. Some professions require additional education, so we pursue college degrees. Most of us desire to have families, which includes taking on increased responsibility. With the cost increase of supporting a family, we pursue better jobs or climbing the corporate ladder. Somewhere in this mix we lose sight of what God wants us to do.

No, God does not want us to ignore our families. Yes, God wants us to earn a living. But He also wants us to pay attention to Him and His family. In fact, He blesses us with spiritual gifts to aid in the care of the body of Christ.

We are to use the gifts God gives us to edify, support, and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to use those gifts to build up the church. It is sad when we see or hear people putting their brothers or sisters down because their gift is perceived to be lesser. Folks, we need every person and every gift to build up the church. As the currently popular saying states, “It takes all of us.”

I pray we all use our gifts to build up the church. I pray we come to the realization that we need every person and every gift available to us. I pray each one of us seek to know our gifts and decide to contribute to the body of Christ. Know your gifts. Put your gifts to use. Build up the church. Seek to edify one another. Be an encourager.

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Give a Reason

How prepared are you to give a reason for your faith? Are you prepared to correct someone else for disobedience to God’s Word? Can you use God’s Word to encourage someone? Are you mature enough in God’s Word to use it with patience?

If we have been in the church long enough, we have heard multiple times that we are to be prepared to give a reason for our faith. For some, it is difficult, and they may not know where to begin. For others, they can recite a reason as though they have memorized it since childhood.

Being prepared to give a reason for our faith is key. Why? If we know why we have faith, it becomes something ingrained within us. It guides us. It is the filter through which we make many of our decisions. When we are caught off guard, we resort to that which is internalized. Being prepared takes work. It takes commitment. And it can be our lifesaver.

We are also to use God’s Word carefully and patiently to correct and encourage others. We have all heard someone use it to harshly rebuke another. Though there may be those rare situations when someone needs a stern rebuke, it should not become abusive. Since when does driving someone with a sledgehammer entice them to follow Jesus? As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make them drink.”

No, we are to be patient and careful with our corrections. People do not change at the snap of our fingers. For some, it takes years to chip away the stone of defiance. Patience, continued encouragement, small corrections, taking one step at a time is how we change them. We can make a huge difference in someone’s life, if we are patient and careful.

I pray we all are prepared to give an answer for our faith. I pray we delve into God’s Word so we can correct and encourage others. I pray each one of us are patient and careful as we coach others to become followers of Christ. Be prepared. Know why you have faith. Correct others. Encourage others. Be patient. Be careful. Make a difference in someone else’s life.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Learn Before You Teach

What does it mean to be a teacher? How can someone be a teacher unless they first learn? Have you ever attempted to teach something you did not know well? Have you had a teacher who seemed to be lost or unsure?

Teaching is challenging. A good teacher does research into the subject they will teach. They become an expert, or at least know the subject well, before they teach. A good teacher learns more than their students. Should just anyone decide to teach?

Teaching, as Paul tells Timothy, is not something for the faint of heart. A teacher must know what they are teaching. It requires study, research, thought, and a plan. A person cannot simply fly by the seat of their pants and be a good teacher.

Also notice that Paul is talking about people who do not teach well. They do not fully know the subject. In fact, they don’t really know what they state is true. Have any of us done that? Do we do that today? How well do we know the truth of God—His Word?

To know God’s Word well, and to be able to teach it, we must first study it. We must seek more learned teachers. We must seek translations that are true to the meaning of the original language. We must be continual students while also teaching what we have learned about God’s Word.

I pray we all study God’s Word. I pray we seek to read authors who have spent extensive time studying the original language. I pray each one of us will seek to learn more about God’s Word. Be a learner. Study God’s Word. Read commentaries. Look deeper. Research God’s Word. Learn before you teach.

1 Timothy 1:5-7 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

Teach Yourself

Are you a person who likes teaching others? Do you continually correct the faults you see in others? Do you talk about the faults of others but do not tell them? Have you taught yourself and fixed your own faults?

It is easy to see the faults in others. We may even see our own faults. Yet we typically do not talk about our faults, while we talk about everyone else’s faults quite often. This is one reason those outside the church do not want to join the church.

The Apostle Paul chastises the church in Rome for doing the very things they teach others not to do. He is not just speaking to individuals, but to the church as a whole. Have you ever thought about the church as a whole?

If the preacher is preaching against stealing, but someone in the church steals, it is a black eye on the entire church. If a Sunday School teacher is teaching against breaking the law, but members break the law anyway, it damages the reputation of the entire church. Think about it. We have all heard someone say they are a member at such and such church and the response is, “Oh, that’s where so and so did such and such bad thing.” We can all fill in the blanks.

Our conduct is a reflection on not only ourselves, but also the church of which we are members. When we, as a group, as a body, are all cognizant of our behavior and focus on fulfilling Christ’s commands, our church will grow. As one of the sayings we used in the Marine Corps states, “our conduct must be above reproach.” That applies to our church as well.

I pray we all take seriously our conduct. I pray we realize our individual conduct reflects on the body of Christ. I pray each one of us will first look to teach ourselves better conduct. Teach yourself. Abide by Jesus’ commands. Be a positive reflection on the church. Attract others with your conduct.

Romans 2:17-24 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

The Wait is Over

Do you realize the gift you have? Have you taken time to evaluate what has been given to you and for you? Are you appreciative of the gift? How appreciative? How do you show your appreciation?

We have been given a gift beyond what the riches of this world can buy. Unfortunately, we either do not realize just how precious this gift is or we do not fully appreciate it. Perhaps it is a bit of both.

Think about it for just a moment. Maybe this illustration will help us grasp the enormity of it. The Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox had waited decades to win a World Series championship. The Cubs waited 107 years. The White Sox waited 87 years. The Red Sox waited 85 years. There were very few people alive when they finally won who had seen or experienced their last World Series championship.

The prophets of the Old Testament were prophesying about the coming of the Messiah. Neither they nor anyone else alive at the time of their prophecy was alive when He finally came. The prophecies were between 400 and 1,000 years before Jesus was born. Talk about a long wait!

Notice in today’s passage that it was not only the prophets who longed to see the coming of the Messiah. The angels in heaven also longed to see His coming. Why? It was a significant step in God’s plan. It was the step that would redeem the world. It was a step that provided a pathway to spending eternity with God. We now live in that redemption. We now reap the benefits of God having sent His Son to be our Savior. It would please God if we truly appreciated what He did for us.

I pray we all realize just how precious the gift of God is. I pray we understand how long the wait was for Jesus to come. I pray each one of us wait now with anticipation of His coming again. Comprehend the enormity of God’s gift. Be very appreciative of it. Show God your appreciation every day. Give God the glory.

1 Peter 1:10-12 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Jars of Clay

Have you ever thought of yourself as a clay jar or pot? Have you ever had a clay pot? Did it get broken? Did you attempt to repair it? Did you make it whole again?

I venture to say that none of us typically think of ourselves as clay jars. Be real! A clay jar is easily broken. We are much tougher than that. Are we?

We take offense quite easily. It seems to have gotten worse as time has passed on. Today’s culture is so easily offended that we are afraid to say anything. People have their feelings hurt when someone else doesn’t agree with them.

Hurt feelings. Depression. Anxiety. Fear. Anger. Hatred. All of these are signs of a broken person. They are a sign of someone who has forgotten to rely on God. They pointedly show us that we are broken jars of clay.

The word interpreted as clay can be interpreted as earthenware. Are we not earthenware? We were created from the dust of the earth and to the dust we shall return.

But notice what we carry inside us. We carry the treasure of God. We carry the gospel message. We carry the Holy Spirit. We have the power and strength of God at our fingertips. There is no reason for us to continue going through life as a broken jar. God can put us back together again.

I pray we all see that we are fragile when we stand alone. I pray we decide to lean on God for our strength and courage. I pray each one of us will allow God to make us new again. Know you are broken. Know everyone is broken. Know you carry a treasure. Know you carry Christ inside. Experience the power of God. Be put back together by Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Certainty in Eternity

Looking for certainty? Desiring to know someone has your back? Wanting to have a guarantee you won’t be cheated out of? Want to know your future? Have you looked in the obvious direction? Have you looked to the only One who can give you all this?

Guarantees can be broken. I’m sure someone reading this has bought a product, it failed, took it back to activate the guarantee only to discover there was some small print that invalidated their claim. It is frustrating. It can make you feel small or stupid.

Certainty is only a pipe dream in this world. When we really think about it, we cannot be certain we will get another breath, another day, another week, another month, another year. We cannot be certain of much in this world, but there is one thing we can be certain of.

The one certainty, guarantee, promise we can count on is that those in Christ will be raised to live with Him for eternity. It is more certain than the sun coming up tomorrow. It is more certain than your ice cream being sweet. You cannot be more certain than spending eternity with Christ if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior.

Imagine the confidence you can have in His promise. Ask yourself why you fear anything. Think about the extravagant gift of a promise that is certain to be kept. Trust the guarantee made by God, the One who will never renege on it. Nothing can dislodge, disrupt, stop, reroute, or in any way keep God from fulfilling his promises.

I pray we are all confident in Gods promises. I pray we trust in the guarantee of eternity made to us. I pray each one of us are certain in our commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Be buried with Christ. Be risen in Christ. Be certain. Be confident. Trust the promise. Accept the guarantee.

Romans 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.