Alert and Sober

How alert are you? Do you regularly observe what is going on around you? Are you of sober mind? Do you periodically take a step back to view the big picture? Have you taken time to view the events on earth in relation to eternity?

We can be distracted in any number of ways. Our attention may be turned to an immediate task at work. We may experience a family emergency. We may be distracted by friends. Even if we attempt to see the big picture, it may turn out to be only of intermediate size.

We know we must focus on what is directly in front of us at times. It may be homework, work tasks, family events, or even simply driving down the road. Yet, while we focus on those in the moment, we are also told to be alert and sober in our thinking.

I can remember being taught while in the Marine Corps to always be alert and aware of my surroundings. That included observing movement in my peripheral vision. It meant to be ready to react on a moment’s notice. It meant identifying potential dangers, even if I were merely in a convenience store.

The Apostle Peter is speaking of both the immediate moment and the eternal picture. When he is talking of being sober, he is referencing thinking clearly and focusing on the long-term plan. He encourages us to focus on our hope and the grace of God. He cautions us to forgo or reject following the evil desires of this world. He even states that when we have been introduced to Jesus we no longer live in ignorance.

Peter continues by quoting from Leviticus 11:44, 45 stating we are to be holy because God is holy. Why? Because God has called each one of us. Part of his call is for us to be holy, to be imitators of him. To be holy we must focus on him and his plan.

I pray we all focus on God. I pray we are attentive to God’s plan. I pray each one of us remains alert and of sober mind, focused on the long-term plan and not fooled by evil. Be alert. Be of sober mind. Focus on God. Think about the big picture. Look beyond yourself. Do not fall prey to evil temptations.

1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Fix Your Eyes On Jesus

How do you view Jesus? How would you describe Him? If you were asked to put titles on Him, what would those titles be? Do you believe He has and continues to call you to Him? Are your thoughts fixed on Jesus?

We have heard Jesus called the Son of God, Messiah, Savior, Son of Man, Teacher, Rabbi, King of kings, and Lord of lords. Have you heard Him called High Priest? What about Apostle? Let’s take a look at both of those titles.

In today’s passage, the author of Hebrews labels Jesus as “our apostle.” To be an apostle meant to be sent as a missionary. Jesus was certainly sent on a mission to this earth. He came to preach the good news and reconcile us to God.

Today’s passage also calls Jesus a high priest. The high priest in the Jewish tradition was the one who went into the holy of holies to speak directly with God. He was appointed over all other priests, typically for a year. No one was appointed to be a high priest for the remainder of their life. However, Jesus is our High Priest forever. He is our Intermediator before God until the day of judgment.

The author tells his Jewish audience to fix their thoughts upon Jesus. That instruction is for us as well. Fixing our eyes on Him, focusing on Him will keep us focused on what is truly important, which the author tells us is our heavenly calling. Think about that for just a moment. God is calling each of us heavenward. Isn’t that wonderful?! God wants us to be with Him for eternity. We can forget, or at least endure, the troubles of this world by focusing our thoughts on Jesus, our apostle and high priest.

I pray we all fix our thoughts on Jesus. I pray we fix our eyes upon Jesus. I pray each of us hear God’s calling of us heavenward, His desire for us to spend eternity with Him. Know Jesus was sent for you. See Jesus as your High Priest. Know Jesus is your Intermediary. Fix your thoughts on Jesus. Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

Live A Worthy Life

What is your definition of a good life? What are the components that make up a life worth living? Have you spent time thinking about it? Does it include a list of possessions? Does it include a spouse with certain qualities?

I believe we all want to live a life worth living. For most of us, we want to make a difference. We want to make a positive impact. We may desire to contribute to research. We may want to teach. We may be looking to change the laws of the land.

When we think of a good life, we often think as the world thinks. But notice what the Apostle Paul points out as components of a good life in today’s passage. He includes being humble, gentle, and patient. He includes keeping the unity of the Spirit through peace, but not just any peace, the bond of peace that comes through the Holy Spirit.

Notice also that he says it is the life we are called to. God calls us to this good life, a life worthy of living. Not one of the components he lists is a physical possession. Not one of them is a specific skill or job. In other words, Paul is stating every follower of Jesus Christ can have a good life.

Pursuing the life worthy of living as Paul defines it can be done regardless of where we work or live. It is a life we can have. How do we acquire it? We turn our lives over to Jesus. We follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We ask God to provide and rely on his provision. In short, we trust God at his word.

I pray we all answer the call. I pray we seek to live a life worthy of living. I pray each of us will pursue the abundant life Jesus promised us by trusting God to provide. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Bear with one another. Love one another. Keep the unity. Ask God to provide. Trust God. Live a worthy life.

Ephesians 4:1-3 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Work Where You Are

Do you feel led to do something for God? Do you believe he has called you to a specific task? Do you know God can call you for a wide variety of tasks that are not full-time ministry? Will you answer the call?

There are times when we feel motivated to do something good for someone else. It isn’t just a thought but there is a driving force behind our motivation. We may feel a heightened sense of anticipation as we approach completion of the task and a wonderful sense of joy when completed.

Doing something good for someone else can feel very good. However, this isn’t the only way God calls us. He may call us to do any number of tasks. We may be called to volunteer at the hospital, babysit the neighbor’s kids, coach a little league team, or even write a daily devotional. Whatever you feel called to, know that God will provide you with what you need.

God calls us right where we are at. Notice the Apostle Paul tells the people of Corinth this very fact in today’s passage. He says they are to do the work God has called them to right in their own neighborhood. God has not changed. He continues to call us to work in our neighborhoods. He calls us to work within our own towns. We don’t have to go on a missionary journey halfway around the globe to be doing God’s work.

Many people are afraid to listen to God calling them. They are afraid God will call them to be a pastor or deacon and they don’t want that kind of responsibility. But God calls people everyday to work at short-term tasks right where they are at. We would do well to listen for God’s calling.

I pray we all listen for God’s call. I pray we are willing to work for God in our own neighborhood’s. I pray each one of us will answer God’s call on our hearts to make a positive difference. Listen for God’s call. Accept God’s call. Be willing to work in your neighborhood. Be willing to work in your hometown. Be a positive impact.

1 Corinthians 7:17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.

Take the Plank Out

Do you think highly of yourself? Do you look down on others? Do you look at others with a judgmental attitude? Have you looked at yourself honestly? Do you judge others in the same way you want to be judged?

Our culture has taught us to look down on one another. For the smallest thing someone does there is someone else who is condemning them. We have all seen it and felt it. We despise it. Yet we turn around and do the same ourselves.

Jesus tells us not to judge others or we will be judged (Matthew 7:1). He continues by saying that we will be judged in the same way we judge others (Matthew 7:2). What does He mean? He means to stop looking down on one another. He means we need to stop thinking too highly of ourselves. 

Jesus continues His statement by telling us to clean up our act before we try to clean up someone else’s. Isn’t that the next part of the problem in our culture today? Everyone is trying to fix everyone else. Everyone thinks they are better than the next person and they need to fix them.

Perhaps we all need to stop trying to fix everyone else and first take a look at our own lives. If we asked God to work on us, correct our bad behavior we might find this world becoming a better place. Jesus points out in today’s passage this very concept.

I pray we all determine to eliminate our judgmental behavior. I pray we seek God’s forgiveness for our judgmentalism. I pray each of us ask the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out. Stop being judgmental. Stop condemning others. Ask for forgiveness. Ask God to change you. Be like Jesus.

Matthew 7:5 “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

One Body

Do you wonder where you belong? Are you looking for a place that feels right? Would you like to know you have a specific place to be and a specific task to do? Do you know there is such a place, and you have a specific task?

We all long to be where we feel we belong. In fact, many search for that place their entire life and never find it. It is sad when you run across someone who comes to the end, knows the end is coming, and they do not feel as though they ever found their place in this world.

If you happen to be someone still searching, know that God has a place for you and a task for you to do. It is a matter of you being willing to accept Jesus and His followers. I know many who are skeptical of doing that. It can be a bit scary at first. But you can never have the peace that is beyond understanding if you do not take that step.

For those of us already in the body of Christ, the Apostle Paul is speaking directly to us. We are all members of one body. We all have a specific task or function within the body. If we haven’t found our place yet, we are not really looking. We are not saying yes when we are asked. We are not asking God to show us where He wants us or what He wants us to do. For God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

For the body to work as it is designed, each part needs to perform how it was designed. We know this inherently when we think of our own bodies. We also understand the concept if we have played on a sports team, in a band, or been in the military. It is the same within the body of Christ. Each member must use the gifts and talents God has given them to perform the tasks He gives them for the body to function properly.

I pray we all evaluate our gifts. I pray we ask God to reveal to us how we fit within the body. I pray each one of us will put our gifts and talents to work doing what God has put before us. Know yourself. Know your gifts. Know your talents. Desire to fit within the body. Desire to do God’s work.

Romans 12:4-5 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Judge Correctly

Have you heard it is not for us to judge? Have you said that yourself? Do you believe it is wrong to judge? What if I were to tell you we are to judge? Do you know how we are judge? By what standard we are to judge?

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard Christians say we are not to judge. In one respect that is true. But on the other hand, we are to judge. Unfortunately, we often judge incorrectly. We fail to discern when to judge and when not to judge.

It is true that Jesus states in Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” But we must understand the context for His statement. We’ll cover that more in a couple days. As we see in today’s passage, Jesus clearly says to judge correctly. Therefore, we are to judge in the proper situation. How do we know when to judge?

We are to judge between right and wrong. In today’s culture, we may think that becomes a murky issue. It seems right and wrong are being redefined every day. It depends on who we are talking to what is interpreted as right or wrong. That is where we make a mistake. It does not depend on who we are talking to.

What is the standard we are to judge right and wrong? We know the answer—the Bible. God’s Word. So, the real issue is not that we are not judge. The real issue is we do not know God’s Word. To be able to judge correctly, we need to study and understand God’s commands.

In today’s passage, Jesus had just healed a man on the Sabbath. He is being condemned for working on the Sabbath. But Jesus tells them they are not judging correctly. He gives them the example of the Jewish law that requires circumcision on the Sabbath. He asks why it is considered good to circumcise but not heal. We, too, often do not fully understand before we pass judgment on a situation.

I pray we all study and understand God’s Word. I pray we ask God for discernment. I pray each one of us pass judgment correctly and stop judging when it is not warranted. Read God’s Word. Ask God for discernment. God’s Word is the standard. Pass judgment correctly. Understand the context in Scripture.

John 7:24 “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Desire Mercy

Have you wondered what God desires of you? Do you wonder what it is he wants you to do? Do you want to know how he wants you to behave or act? Have you spent time looking at Jesus’ very own words?

I have often heard people asking what God wants them to do. I have asked that myself. Typically, we want to know what actions, jobs, relationships, or decisions he wants of us. Our seeking is mostly personal in nature.

Perhaps we should first understand God’s general desires before we start digging into specifics. We might want to first understand God’s point of view, take on his attitude. It is from the general outlook on life that the specifics will become clearer.

In today’s passage, Jesus tells us we need to learn, understand what it means that God desires mercy rather than sacrifice. For the Jews, sacrifice was a means of obtaining forgiveness for their sins. But God wants them to be merciful more than their sacrifices.

We may think mercy is forgiveness only. However, it is far more than that. If we are merciful in the same way God is, we will not only forgive but sacrifice ourselves as well. Acts of mercy require something from us. We must give up our time, possessions, financial resources, and even our own desires.

God shows us mercy in that he does not destroy us. He does not punish us as we deserve. Instead, he has rescued us from punishment through His Son, Jesus Christ. He desires that we do the same. That we show mercy to others.

I pray we all change our outlook on life. I pray we decide to emulate the mercy God has shown to us. I pray each one of us will show mercy to others. Understand God’s mercy. Know that God has been merciful to you. Be merciful to others. Be willing to sacrifice to be merciful.

Matthew 9:12-13 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Secrets Revealed

What do you have hidden that you do not want exposed? What inner thoughts do you not want others to hear? What have you done in the past you don’t want people to know about? Do you know all secrets will be revealed?

We all have skeletons in our closets. There are things we did as children we have never told our parents about. There are things we have done as adults in a very select company we do not want made public. We keep them buried deep and never speak of them.

But Jesus tells us in today’s passage that all things will be revealed. Perhaps our only solace is that won’t happen until the day of judgment. And the good news about that day is Jesus will stand beside us and state that He has paid for it. We will not be judged for it.

Unfortunately, there are things we have done for which we have been punished in this life. Not because God necessarily decided to punish us, but because there are consequences for our actions. Some things are not kept hidden and some are done right out in the open.

Let’s look at a few examples. If we are rude and obnoxious toward people, is it any wonder they don’t want to be around us? If we cheat someone out money or possessions, do we expect them to simply absorb the loss? If we break the law and are caught, can we reasonably expect not to be punished?

But Jesus isn’t just talking about our laws. He is also talking about breaking His commands, namely, to love God and love neighbor. When we fail to treat others with the same love and respect Jesus treated people, we must understand all those occasions will be made known. We might be in for an extreme embarrassment at a later date.

I pray we all realize our actions, thoughts, and attitudes will be brought out into the open. I pray we decide to love with the love of Jesus. I pray each one of us commits to cleaning up our act and ask Jesus to help us do so. All will be revealed. We will stand before God one day. Jesus will stand with us. Show His love to others. Show respect to Him in all you do.

Mark 4:21-22 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.”

Condemning Ourselves

Are you an actor? Do you expect people to act a certain way, but not yourself?  Do you get upset at someone doing something, but do the very same thing yourself? Do you know the proper term for that is hypocrite, someone who acts one way in one setting, but differently in another?

We are inundated with judgementalism in today’s culture. Everywhere we turn, someone is looking down their nose at someone else. It has gone far beyond friendly competition or rivalries and proceeded directly into courtrooms or the court of public opinion.

We also see this happening in our churches. It may be as simple as one church conducting an event for years and another church decides it would be a good idea for them to conduct one. The first church is now upset and spreads opinions the second church doesn’t conduct it as well as they do, rather than rejoicing that more people are being drawn toward God.

It may be as dastardly as a grudge from decades ago continuing to be held between churches. At some point, there was an offense, or something was deemed unfair between the two. Rather than showing God’s grace to one another, being willing to forgive, there is dissention.

Of course, it occurs person to person. One person judges another for having a glass of wine. The other judges another for cussing like a sailor. That one judges another for their sexual preferences. They judge someone for being old fashioned. The list goes on and on.

As Paul tells the Roman church, when we do this, we are condemning ourselves. We, who are passing judgment, do the very same things. By this it is meant that we are sinners ourselves. Not one of us is perfect. Not one of us can earn our way into eternal glory. Each and every one of us need God’s grace. He calls us to love as He loves and show grace as He shows grace.

I pray we all give up our judgmentalism. I pray we show grace to others as God shows us grace. I pray each one of us will love all people as God loves us and them. Stop judging. Show grace. Love your neighbor. Love all people. Do not condemn yourself. Remember we all sin. We all need grace.

Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.