Seeking the Best

What are you willing to give up to receive something better? Are you willing to give up your old clothes to receive new ones? Are you willing to give up your old way of thinking to pursue a new one? Are you willing to give up seeking hard evidence for faith?

We pursue better things throughout our lives. Parents seek to give their children better lives than they had. We look for better, more fulfilling jobs. We listen to new ideas in hopes of them providing a better pursuit of happiness.

When Jesus came to conduct His ministry and give Himself up for us, He changed everything. He reset the value of everything on earth. But our yearning for things in this life can quickly cast aside what is most valuable. We often seek the immediate by sacrificing the future.

For example, I’ve seen people spend their money on a five-dollar trinket that will give them pleasure for a day or two, then be tossed aside, rather than saving their money for something that will have a lasting use. I have, at times, done the expedient to tide me over, rather than holding off to do what will last much longer.

As we see in today’s passage, Paul has considered everything on this earth as garbage compared to Jesus. I don’t believe Paul discarded everything, but I do believe he realized nothing on this earth could hold a candle to Jesus. Paul knew with all his heart and mind that being a follower of Jesus far outweighed any other achievement he might have on earth.

This attitude does not completely cast-off earthly pursuits. It does put them into perspective. It causes us to ask how our pursuits and achievements fit into Jesus’ plan for our lives. We seek to do everything, including our work, relationships, and even purchases with the mindset of Christ.

I pray we all seek to do everything with Jesus in mind. I pray we put Jesus first in our lives. I pray each one of us will pursue the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus. Put earthly pursuits in perspective. Seek to do everything for Jesus. Change your attitude. Seek the best.

Philippians 3:8-9 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Simplified Life

Are you prepared? Do you meticulously plan and prepare for upcoming events? At what point do you determine enough is enough? Do you prioritize your preparations? Have you chosen the best?

Depending on the event we are planning, we spend a significant amount of time preparing. Some events are planned several months in advance, while others spring on us unexpectedly. Nearly every event comes to a point where we must leave at least one preparation incomplete.

We see in today’s passage that Jesus had stopped by the home of Mary and Martha. Martha is extremely busy preparing a meal. She gets upset with Mary for not assisting her with the preparations. But she doesn’t go to Mary. Instead, she goes to Jesus. Why? Perhaps she recognized His authority. Perhaps she simply wanted Jesus to tell Mary to leave Him alone. Perhaps she had experienced Mary acting this way before and was tired of confronting her. We don’t know why Martha went to Jesus, but His response is one we can take onboard and apply in our lives.

Jesus tells Martha that Mary had chosen the better thing. She had chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him. We often miss a small piece of His statement. He told Martha she was worried about many things, but few are needed. Isn’t that something we should learn?

We often are worried about many preparations, but few are really needed. Many of our preparations are to satisfy our wants, not our needs. Even Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, only had need for a few things. In this case, He was implying that Martha was being too elaborate in her meal preparations. She merely needed to prepare a simple meal.

As we prepare for events, perhaps we should keep in mind a proven axiom—simple is elegant. If we haven’t recognized it, the younger generation has. Many of the millennial’s are choosing simplified homes and décor. By going simple, we eliminate a lot of worry and anxiety.

I pray we all sit at Jesus’ feet to learn from Him. I pray we understand even the King of kings doesn’t require the elaborate. I pray each one of us will simplify our lives and our expectations. Sit at Jesus’ feet. Learn from Him. Simplify your life. Choose to live with less. Forgo the elaborate preparations.

Luke 10: 41-42 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

King and Lord

Have you ever thought what it would be like to be a king? Have you pondered what it would entail to rule a nation? What are your thoughts? Do you believe you could change the course of country if you ruled? What would it be like to rule the world?

We like to hypothesize, at times, what it would be like to be the ruler of a nation for a day. We like to think we could make a lasting difference. We believe we could institute laws to make a positive change. We think we can change the world.

There is a King who has changed the world. No, it isn’t perfect. But it has been changed for the better in ways that we don’t fully understand, nor can we see. He changed the course of humankind with His life, death, and resurrection. Yet, He was not at the time, nor still day, believed by all.

Even the Roman governor, Pilate, recognized who He was, at least in some small way. He was inspired to call Him King of the Jews. He had it written on a sign to be posted above Him on the cross. It was no small matter for Pilate to do this. After all, he was to answer to King Agrippa and, ultimately, to Caesar. Only Caesar was to be treated as a god.

The chief priests and other leading Jews objected to the sign. They did not want it displayed in such a public way, if at all. They were opposed to Jesus being called a king, let alone the King of the Jews. His teachings shook their understanding of who God was and is.

We know people today who continue to object to Jesus being called a king. They deny that He has changed anything. They refuse to acknowledge Him for who He is. They believe they are in control of their lives, and they will not give up their perceived control to the One who is truly in control. Despite their objections, Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I pray we all see Jesus as the true King of the world. I pray we acknowledge Him for who He is. I pray each one of us believe Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Know that Jesus is THE King. Know that He is in control. Acknowledge Him as King. Submit to Him as King. See Him for who He is.

John 19:19-22 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

Recognize the Experience

Who do you turn to when you need help? Who is your go to person when you don’t feel well? Who is the person you trust when you need wise advice? Is there someone among your family or friends who is that special person?

We all need someone we can turn to when sickness or trouble or major decisions confront us. For some, it may their mother or father. For others, it may be a close friend or a mentor. The person we turn to may differ based on the situation.

We can always turn to God. In fact, any time we are faced with a difficult situation, a health issue, need guidance for a decision, or simply feel a little out of place, we should always turn to God first. Why? God knows all situations. He knows what is happening, even what will happen before it happens. He wants us to turn to Him.

We also need to trust that God will provide what we need. Now, He may not always provide it the moment we ask. There will be times when He allow us to wait. There will be times when He wants us to experience adversity in order to learn to trust Him more.

Take a look at today’s passage. Lazarus is sick. In fact, he is deathly sick and dies before Jesus goes to him. Jesus purposely waits a few days. He doesn’t go to Bethany until Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. He then calls out to Lazarus and raises him from the dead.

Jesus returns to Bethany a few days before He faces crucifixion. When He does, Mary douses Him with expensive perfume and wipes His feet with her hair. An act of worship most of us would not perform. But it shows how much Mary trusts Him and that she recognizes Him for who He truly is. How did her recognition come about? She witnessed Him raising her brother from the dead. She experienced pain and sorrow followed by pure joy because of Jesus’ actions.

It is likely we will not have an experience quite like Mary had with Jesus. However, when we trust Him, make Him the first one we turn to, we will experience Him and grow to trust Him more. It will become natural, automatic to turn to Him at all times.

I pray we all experience God working in our lives. I pray we recognize Him working on our behalf. I pray each one of us grow our faith, learning to trust Him more and more each day. Turn to God in all situations. Trust God to deliver for you. Recognize God intervening. Grow in your faith through experience.

John 11:1-3 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

A New Thing

Do you like new things? What about new situations? Do you like going to new places seeing things you have not seen before? How would you like to know you have a guaranteed passage to see something far grander than anything in this world?

Getting new things is nice. Seeing new places can be exhilarating. There are some very beautiful places to see. Starting something new can be exciting. We start new relationships, jobs, classes, building a new home, or remodeling our current home.

I consider myself fortunate to have been able to travel to several places around the world. I’ve seen the mountains of Colorado, the beaches of North Carolina and California, the sunflower fields of Kansas, Mt. Fuji in Japan, beautiful fish and corral in Okinawa, the Eiffel Tower, felt the cold of a South Korean winter, seen the Black Sea of Romania, and ancient ruins of cities more than seventeen hundred years old. Yes, I have been fortunate.

As fortunate as I have been, there is more I have not seen than seen on this earth. I enjoyed the series Planet Earth that showed numerous animals in their natural habitat that I could never have seen without the months of patience practiced by photographers in locations around the world. Watching programs such as this can provide a means to see more than we otherwise would.

Yet, there is one thing we will only see when our time on this earth is done. There is also only one way to punch our ticket to see it. God is doing a new thing. This earth will pass away. The heavens as we know them will pass away. There will be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). God promised this new thing long before Jesus born. He put in motion His plan thousands of years ago. He desires that we all spend eternity with Him—in His physical presence—on the new earth. It is our choice to make. We can choose to accept Jesus as our Savior or choose to spend eternity away from God. May we all choose to follow Jesus.

I pray we all see the new thing God is doing. I pray we long to see something greater than this world. I pray each one of us will choose to accept God’s invitation to join Him for eternity. Perceive what God is doing. Trust Him to execute His plan. Accept Jesus as Savior. Choose to accept God’s invitation.

Isaiah 43:18-19a

Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Extravagant Love

Do you know just how much God loves you? Have you fully comprehended what He did by sending His Son to die for you? Do you realize God spent all of Himself to show you His love? Do you see His extravagant love?

God knows we are human and we will fail. He knows we cannot live perfectly. And yet, He continues to love us despite our failures. He sent His Son to cover all our failures with His blood so that we can be with Him for eternity.

Sometimes we turn away from God, seeking our own way. We are lured by the world to strike out on our own, to seek its riches and glory. But when we turn back to God, He is standing there with His arms wide open, ready to welcome us back into His family.

Sometimes we are self-righteous and angry at God for welcoming the wayward person back. We may be frustrated knowing we have served Him for many years and thinking we are not receiving any more than the one who just came home. God still wants us to be with Him.

No matter which of the situations fits you, God wants you to be at the feast table when He celebrates the marriage of His Son to His wonderful bride, the church. He wants you to worship Him for His extravagant and inexpressible love. He wants you to return to Him, whether from living wildly or living self-righteously.

I pray we all see God’s extravagant love for us. I pray we understand His inexpressible love. I pray each of us understands that God spent all of Himself for each one of us. See how much God loves you. Understand how big His love is. Know that God spent everything on you. Return His love. Show His love to others.

Luke 15:31-32 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Wisdom of God

What does it mean to be wise? How do you achieve wisdom? Where can you gain wisdom? Do you long to be wise? Do you believe you are wise? Do you believe wisdom would make your life easier?

We may want to achieve wisdom. We may think we are wise already. We may not know how we can become wise. We may review our foolish decisions on a regular basis. Being wise is a life-long pursuit.

Wisdom is often something we achieve as we get older. Unfortunately, that is a false belief. Though, experiencing a wide variety of experiences do add to our knowledge, it doesn’t guarantee wisdom. Wisdom is far more than simple knowledge. Wisdom requires us to think. It requires us to relate known facts to specific situations and discern the proper course of action or advice.

Where can we gain wisdom? The simple answer is God. We are told “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). In this case, fear does not mean being afraid. It means to be in awe of. It is seeing God as the all-powerful, omniscient, omnipotent God of heaven and earth. When we see Him in this way, we seek Him for guidance, advice, and discernment. We follow the path He desires us to walk.

If we are wise in our own eyes, we continue to make foolish mistakes. We continue to repeat the bad decisions of history. We find ourselves missing out on the abundant life Jesus promised. Being wise in our own eyes also makes us look foolish in front of others.

Being wise brings us health. That is not to say we will never be sick. But it does bring us peace, with reduces our stress—a cause of numerous ailments. It helps us make better decisions for our lives, which will have a positive effect on our health.

I pray we all desire to be wise. I pray we are in awe of God, understanding who He is. I pray each of us will seek God’s guidance and follow the path He would have us walk. Seek to be wise. Give up thinking you are wise of your own account. Seek God’s guidance. Follow the path God wants you to follow.

Proverbs 3:7-8

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

Selfish or Righteous

How often do you get angry? How long does your anger last? What is the cause of your anger? Have you spent time thinking about your anger to determine what the root cause of it is? Have you determined if it is righteous anger or selfish anger?

We all get angry from time-to-time. But why do we get angry? I suspect we more often than not get angry because things are not going the way we want. Our anger is more likely to be self-centered than to be righteous anger.

Ask yourself when the last time was you were angry because someone offended God. Can you think of an occasion? Then ask yourself what the real reason was you were angry the last time, and the time before that, and the time before that. Were they because someone said something you didn’t like? Was it because they did something you didn’t like?

Taking a deeper look at our reasons for getting angry tell us a lot about our own attitudes and our relationship with God. Coming face-to-face with our own selfishness, self-centeredness, and perhaps low self-esteem can be jarring. Yet, there is One who can correct those attitudes. He can fix them with His love.

When we fully understand the depth of God’s love for us, we yearn to serve Him. When we come to truly know the depth of Jesus’ love and that He went to the cross because of His love for us, we desire to be like Him. Our love for Jesus will soften our hearts and we will allow the Holy Spirit to make the changes God desires in us. As those changes happen, our selfish anger will dissipate.

I pray we all understand the depth of God’s love for us. I pray we feel the love Jesus has for us. I pray each one of us will reciprocate His love and allow the Holy Spirit to make changes in us. Know God’s love. See God’s love. Feel God’s love. Allow Him to make changes in you. Be relieved of selfish anger. Show God’s love.

Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

Take the First Step

Are you looking for a positive change in your life? Have you made attempts to bring about positive change? What has your success rate been? Are you still looking to make a positive change? Do you long to know how to make the change?

We often long to make changes in our lives. We may be looking for a new job, thinking that will be the change we need. We may look to change our place of residence. We may look for a new relationship. We may think making a significant purchase will do the trick.

As we seek joy and happiness, we often look externally in the belief that something or someone else can bring us the happiness we seek. Those things may bring us happiness for a short time, but they won’t bring us lasting joy. If that is the case, how to we find the true joy we are seeking?

The true joy we all seek is the joy of knowing we are accepted. We long to know we have a wonderful reward awaiting us. Our hearts long for a close relationship with Jesus. We may not recognize it. After all, our culture bombards us with messages telling us this or that will make us happy, and we deserve it.

In today’s passage, Jesus tells us how to find the joy we seek. We must become like little children. By this, He means that we must trust Him just as a child trusts their parents. Think back to when you were a young child. It is likely you trusted your parents without question. You didn’t worry about there being food prepared for dinner. You didn’t worry about having clothes to wear to school. You never had the thought there would be no presents under the Christmas tree. You inherently trusted those things would be there. This type of faith is to be put into Jesus. Trusting Him to provide for all our needs. We must take the first step by putting our faith in Him to find the joy we ultimately seek.

I pray we put our faith in Jesus. I pray we trust Him to provide for each of our needs. I pray each one of us will find the joy we seek by making the change internally rather than seeking external things. Trust Jesus. Put your faith in Him. Trust Him to provide. Find the joy you seek. Take the first step today.

Matthew 18:2-5 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

Saved by Grace

What is it you crave? What are you seeking with all you’ve got? Is it the craving of worldly possessions? Is it the desires and thoughts of today’s culture? Do you seek to be one of the “in crowd?” Do you know there is something far better available to you?

We all have cravings, desires, and wants. We all fall prey to the latest craze at some point in our lives. It may be the latest fashion our favorite movie star is sporting. It may be those horrendously expensive sunglasses our favorite sports star wears. It may be the popularity our classmates or colleagues appear to have.

Chasing after those things can be destructive. They can keep us from the better things in life. But even if we fall prey to chasing those things, when we realize it and determine to turn our focus back on God, he forgives us. Isn’t that amazing? Who of us is willing to forgive a close friend or family member who has ignored us for a period of time when they return their focus to us? We may find it hard even if they have a very legitimate reason, such as a very sick member of their family. We may think, even if we won’t speak it, they could have at least called!

On the other hand, God does forgive us. His grace is without limits. His mercy is extended to us immediately. We don’t deserve it, but He does it anyway. Why? Because He loves us more than we can fully understand. He loves more than a child loves a new puppy. He loves us more than a mother loves her children.

His grace and mercy save us from destruction. They pull us out of the ditches we find ourselves in. They lift us up onto wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). They pull us from the grips of death and give us life. It is God’s love, grace, and mercy that saves us from ourselves, this world, and Satan. We should thank Him every moment of every day.

I pray we all return our focus to God. I pray we see His wondrous grace and mercy at work in our lives. I pray we feel the amazing love He has for us at all times. See God’s grace at work. See the mercy He extends to you. Feel His love. Give thanks to God. Focus on Him.

Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.