The Good Path

Are you standing at a crossroads? Are you looking at the paths available to you? Are you wondering which path to take? Will you choose the right path for you? Are you willing to take advice?

We all reach a crossroads in our lives. We can continue down the path we are on. We can turn to the right. We can turn to the left. Often, we are looking for road signs to tell us what lies ahead. We may be looking for guidance or direction.

Here is the truth of the matter—none of us knows what each path will bring. Oh, we think things will remain the same if we stay on the path we are on. Yet, that is a lie. Things change every day. Here’s a quick example from my personal life.

I was a director leading multiple teams to upgrade the IT for a large client. I told my wife I could stay on that contract until I retired. There was enough work to do to keep all of us busy and by the time we got done with the upgrade, it would be time to upgrade again. Then one day, a phone call changed all of that. I was released from my position with the company. Everything changed. I ended up in ministry. Make no mistake, I have no regrets. In hindsight, I see how God was preparing me for what I’m doing now.

Back to you, each one of you reading this. Look at your past to see what God has been preparing you for. Look at the options laid before you. Ask God to point out the path He wants you to take. Then take it. Don’t be like the people of Jeremiah’s time whom God chastised for not taking the path He set before them. Don’t be like far too many who choose to go their own way without even considering where God wants them to go. Walk the good path. Trust that God knows what He is doing.

I pray we all choose the path God wants us to take. I pray we ask for His guidance in choosing our path. I pray each one of us finds the rest for our souls we all long for. Seek God’s guidance. Don’t go it alone. Listen to the Lord. Walk the good path. You won’t regret it.

Jeremiah 6:16

This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls.

But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

Achieve Victory

Has the world gotten you down? Do you feel overburdened? Are you seeking relief? Are you looking for victory, even just a small victory? Have you asked for help? Have you asked the right person?

There are times we all grow weary. It seems the entire world is against us. Nothing goes right. Everywhere we turn there is a speed bump, a wall, or one more thing to do. It can grow tiresome. We can get to the point we just want to sit down and cry.

There are some who will tell us we must push through. Others may tell us we have had a run of bad luck. Still others may sit and commiserate with us. Unfortunately, none of these options brings about the true rest we need.

How do we find rest? Where will peace come from? In one word—Jesus. Sounds simple, and it is. Sounds easy, but it is not. The issue at hand is our pride and desire to be in control. On the one hand, we don’t want to admit we need help. Our desire is to take care of things on our own. We like the idea of being a self-made man or woman. We fail to realize no one is self-made. We fall prey to the lie.

We want to control our environment. We choose our friends based on who we meet and similar interests. We choose our career paths based on what we like to do. We choose where we live, for the most part, based on familiarity with the area. What is wrong with these choices?

As we make our choices, we often don’t include God in them. We fail to go to Him and ask where He wants us, what He wants us to do, and who He wants us to develop friendships with. This doesn’t mean we must stop what we are doing to spend several minutes in prayer over every decision, though some decisions require multiple days of praying. No, we are to change our entire mindset so that we are constantly listening for the Holy Spirit and adhering to His guidance. Why is this important?

There is only One who has overcome the world—Jesus. As we believe in Him and lean more on Him, we, too, can overcome the world. His victory becomes our victory. We start by obeying His commands—love God and love our neighbor. It is through our love, a deep abiding love, for God that we are victorious, finding peace and rest.

I pray we all turn to Jesus to find rest. I pray we look to God to provide the peace we desire. I pray each one of us believes in Jesus and have the same mindset. Achieve victory. Find peace. Find rest. Allow God to remove your weariness. Believe in Jesus. Listen for the Holy Spirit.

1 John 5:3-5 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Relief From Weariness

Are you looking for protection? Do you need a little compassion? Would you like to have someone who will look out for your best interest? Do you simply need a little rest? Have you turned to God to fulfill your needs?

We all fall at some point in our lives. We find ourselves in a bad situation. Perhaps, even a dangerous situation. We may be in danger and not know it. The protection we need may come without our knowing it until much later, if at all.

There are times when we need compassion. Our need may be born from weariness. We have been doing all we can for as long as we can, and we need someone to step into the gap. We may need someone to provide assistance, whether physical or financial. We need someone who will feel compassion for us and show us they are willing to help.

Other times, we are so worn out, we just need a break. We need to rest. We need emotional, physical, and spiritual rest. We have been burning the candle at both ends and simply need a little respite from the weariness.

God can provide what we need. He specializes in rest for the soul. How do we attain that rest? We ask God for it. We return to Him, trusting Him to take care of us. Trusting He will provide for our needs. Trusting He will protect us. This doesn’t mean we do nothing. We must continue to work toward accomplishing the tasks set before us.

If we must continue to work, what is the point? The point is simply this: stop worrying and start trusting. I know, easier said than done. Yet, as we begin by releasing one small worry, trusting God will take care of it, we have taken the first step. As we see God take care of the worry, it increases our trust, and we now trust God to take care of the bigger worries.

When we recognize how good God has been to us, our soul finds rest, knowing God will continue to be good to us. No, we won’t get everything we want. We will have all our needs satisfied. As we reflect over our lives, we see where God stepped in to provide. We can rest easy knowing God is in charge.

I pray we all see how God has provided in the past. I pray we lay our worries at His feet. I pray each one of us recognizes the good God has provided for us and increase our trust. Let go and let God. Find rest in God. Trust God. Know that God is full of compassion. Increase your trust.

Psalm 116:5-7

The Lord is gracious and righteous;

our God is full of compassion.

The Lord protects the unwary;

when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return to your rest, my soul,

for the Lord has been good to you.

Favoritism

Do you obey the law? Or are you a lawbreaker? Do you show favoritism? Or do you treat everyone equally? Do you love your neighbor? Are you wondering what these questions have in common?

I venture to say most of us obey the law, generally speaking. After all, who doesn’t speed on occasion? But we don’t steal, and we don’t murder. We abide by the laws of the land rather than risk being convicted criminals.

Jesus tells us loving God and loving our neighbor are the basis for the law (Matthew 22:37-40). In today’s passage, James narrows it down to just loving our neighbor. I believe James was writing to fellow followers of Christ and assumed they loved God. I’m sure that is still true today to a large degree, but not in all cases. I’ve seen too many people simply going through the motions in church.

But what does this have to do with showing favoritism? Notice James states showing favoritism is a sin and we are convicted as lawbreakers. Wow! That seems a bit harsh, doesn’t it? Or does it? Think about it for just a few moments. What happens when we show favoritism? We allow someone to get by with something we wouldn’t let someone else get by with. A secondary effect of that could cause us to lie for them. It could lead us to cover up a wrong done by them.

Another effect of favoritism is division among the group. You see, others will see the favoritism and they will resent it. Who wants to see the division? Satan. So, by showing favoritism, we are playing right into Satan’s hands.

Favoritism corrupts the person being shown favoritism. If they receive once, they expect it the next time. They may begin to feel they are entitled to it. When it isn’t shown, they grow upset and cause more division.

Finally, favoritism is not showing love. As you look at the division and disruption, you cannot call anything about it love. Oh, there are people who will attempt to justify it, but it is not true love. At best it is a false love and used as a means of manipulation.

I pray we all love our neighbor. I pray we determine not to show favoritism. I pray we show true love for one another through grace and mercy rather than being convicted by the law. Love your neighbor. Love your brother and sister in Christ. Refrain from showing favoritism.

James 2:8-9 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Living Water

Have you ever been so thirsty it seemed you had cotton in your mouth? Have you been so thirsty you could hardly speak? Did your throat feel like the Sahara Desert? Is your soul thirsty today?

We all get thirsty from time-to-time. There may even be times when we have nothing to drink for a couple hours or more, making us very thirsty. For the most part, we all drink often throughout the day, alleviating thirst.

If you are a runner, you know the need to drink. This is especially true if you have run a marathon. You know you need to drink while running. Replenishing the water in our bodies is very important. Perhaps that is why there are watering stations every two miles along a marathon course.

If you are a construction worker, working out in the heat all day, you know you need to stay hydrated. This is especially true on those ninety-degree days with the sun beating down on you. But it is also true on those thirty-degree days in the dead of winter.

Much as our bodies need water to rehydrate ourselves, our spirit’s need the life-giving water of the Holy Spirit. Without the constant flow of the Holy Spirit in our spirit’s, our spirit will become dry and crusty, ready to crumble under any pressure from evil.

Jesus stated we would have rivers of the Holy Spirit flowing through us. How does this happen? It happens when we believe in Jesus. It happens as we open the gates of our spirit to allow the Holy Spirit to flood us.

The river is not merely water but living water. It is more precious than the blood that flows through our veins. The gift of the Holy Spirit is part of the promise Jesus made stating He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10).

It is by the Holy Spirit that we are guided through the maze of life with all its twists and turns. The Holy Spirit is our encourager when the going gets tough. He is the One who tells us to hold on when we are pushed to our limits.  He celebrates along with us during those moments of achievement.

I pray we all believe in Jesus. I pray we open the gates to allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us. I pray each one of us listens to the guidance provided by the Holy Spirit. Believe in Jesus. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you. Listen for His guidance. Live the abundant life.

John 7:38-38 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

One

How many bosses do you have? Do you have multiple bosses? Do you have a boss, who has a boss, who has a boss? Is it confusing at times wondering what will be the next thing to come down the chain of command? Is it frustrating?

We all have bosses. Some are very apparent and direct. Others may be a little fuzzy and indirect. Yet every single person has someone or several someone’s who tell them what to do. There isn’t a person alive who doesn’t have to answer to someone.

Oh, there are people who think they don’t have to answer to anyone, but they do. Even a president answers to someone. They answer to a board of directors or shareholders or congress or voters. Sometimes, it’s the spouse of the president who provides the most guidance and direction.

Do you think serving God is confusing, too? Do you wonder how to explain the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Here’s the good news—they are One. I know this may appear to be confusing, and we may not fully understand it in this life, but they are One.

Take a look at how many times one appears in today’s passage. Do you get the drift of what Paul’s point was? There is only One. Why would Paul make such a point? I believe his point was to eliminate division among the believers in Ephesus. His point was they were all serving the same God, in the same Spirit, with the same faith and hope, because they had the same baptism.

I believe Paul wanted to emphasize they were all the same in God’s eyes. And notice what he says about God. He is over all, through all, and in all. Wow! Do you understand? God is in each believer, just like the lifegiving blood that pumps through our arteries and veins.

Why go to such extremes to state one over and over again? To build unity. To let the people know they were all part of one body. They were part of a living, breathing organism called the body of Christ. Our unity in Christ is what holds the body together. Sure, Jesus’ blood washed us clean, but it is the unity we have in Him that brings us together and holds us together.

I pray we all understand we are part of one body. I pray we realize there is one God. I pray each of us holds on to our faith, pursuing unity in the body of Christ. Keep the unity of the body. Know that God is in you. Hold on to your faith and hope. Live in the one Spirit.

Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Jesus in Us

What does it mean to be in someone? Have you ever heard of someone being in someone else’s head? Have you heard someone say a child has a lot of their mother or father in them? What does it mean if someone had a lot of a mentor in them?

Having someone else in your head can be good or bad. Typically, when we hear that phrase, it is used to mean a person is allowing another to overpower them mentally. One person controls the thoughts of another by their mere presence.

On the other hand, we may see physical looks or mental attitude in a child they inherited from one of their parents. We also may see dependencies, such as alcoholism or drug addictions passed on to children. Even in adopted children, we see them take on the tendencies of their adoptive parents, especially if they were adopted at a very young age.

We also may take on habits or traits of a mentor. This is particularly true when mentors come into a child’s life. I think of the Big Brother and Big Sister programs. But I’ve also seen it happen in the military when mentorship programs are implemented.

Jesus wants to be in us. He wants us to take on His traits, His attitude, and His thoughts. How do we do that? Just like children with parents, or a mentee with a mentor, we must spend time with Him. It may be quiet time in mediation or prayer. I may be through reading God’s Word. I may be spending time in Bible studies. It may be reading theological or Christian authors.

What is the purpose for us to take on being like Jesus? It is to be His representative on this earth. It is to show Him to others. It is to make the world a better place. It is to save the lost. All in order to execute God’s plan.

As we become more like Jesus, we also become of the same mind. We unify as the body of Christ. We stop allowing division over preferences, instead pursuing the mission God set before us. We come to understand the important things in life, setting aside the world’s priorities.

I pray we all spend time with God. I pray we pursue being the image of Jesus here on earth. I pray each one of us long to be Jesus’ representative to everyone we encounter. Take on the traits of Jesus. Have the same attitude as Jesus. Have the same thoughts as Jesus. Be Jesus’ representative. Pursue what is important to God. Be of one mind. Be unified in Spirit.

John 17:25-26 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

One Mind, One Voice

What does it mean to be of one mind? What does it mean to speak with one voice? Why is it important for an organization to do so? What does the organization gain from being of the same attitude?

Being of one mind as a group of individuals is key to accomplishing goals. A team with the same focus functions better. A company, especially a startup, is more likely to be successful when every employee has a singular goal. A military unit trained for a mission is more likely to succeed.

Being of one mind also helps us speak with one voice. We hear members of sports teams often repeating the same phrases as they pursue their season goal. Corporations develop mission and vision statements as a means of speaking with one voice and maintaining focus.

Can we apply these principles to the body of Christ? Absolutely. In fact, the apostle Paul told the church in Corinth to do just that. He asked that God bless them with the same mind and same voice—the same as Christ. It is important we be of the same mind as Christ to carry out the mission He set before us.

What is the mission Christ gave us? To go, make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). We call it the great commission. Much like an employee must know the mission of the company they work for, we must know the mind of Christ. Just as each member of a military unit needs to know the orders from their commander, we need to understand what Christ desires us to do.

What is the purpose of knowing Christ? To glorify the Father. Notice there is no designated number of souls to save. The goal is to save as many as possible. There is no designated hill to defend. The goal is to save the entire world. All to glorify God.

Make no mistake about it, we cannot save the world by ourselves. That is why it is important we are all of the same mind and same voice. As each one of us tells others about Jesus’ saving power, what He has done in our lives, and how their lives can be changed, we carry out the mission given us and glorify the Father.

I pray we all have the same mind as Christ. I pray we speak with the same voice as Christ. I pray each one of us pursues glorifying God the Father in all we do. Be of one mind. Speak with one voice. Be in concert with Christ. Perform the mission Christ gave you. Glorify God.

1 Corinthians 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pride and Arrogance

Humility is hard for us, isn’t it? After all, we are blasted with the message “You deserve this.” But do we really understand what it means to be humble? Is your belief that being humble means you should walk around with your head down?

Being humble, as the Bible describes it, does not mean we are everyone’s servant. Rather it means we are not proud or arrogant. It means we don’t think higher of ourselves than we do others. It means taking a reality check.

Too often, we compare ourselves to others. This creates all kinds of problems. We become jealous of those with certain talents or skills. We are jealous of those we think are beautiful. We are jealous of those we think are wealthy. We long to be someone we are not.

Comparison also causes us to judge others. We look down on those who are not as smart as we are. We don’t want to be around those we think are less than we are. Our view of others is tainted with a worldly point of view.

Oh, we can, and will, say there are systemic problems in our society. We will talk about how certain types of people are discriminated against. Yet, we won’t go into their neighborhoods. When “one of them” comes near us, we are on alert, watching them closely, even if only out of the corner of our eye. Now, make no mistake about it, I’m not advocating being careless. Yet, the person we are looking down on is also a child of God.

It isn’t really about the other person being of lower standing than us, it is about our haughty attitude. It is about our high opinion of ourselves. It is about our pride and our total lack of willingness to look at the other person as an equal. Again, we are blasted with the message that we deserve better, implying we are better than others—and we listen to it, feeding our psyche and pride.

It is only when we start seeing every person as someone God loves and cares for that we can begin to change our attitude about ourselves. It is only when we are willing to set aside our pride and arrogance that we can start to have a caring heart like Jesus. It is only when our heart has been changed that we will become a person of action, doing what God wants us to do. Then we will be a humble person who represents Jesus here on earth.

I pray we all rid ourselves of pride and arrogance. I pray we see others as children of God. I pray each of us clothes ourselves in humility and become a true representative of Jesus. Throw away your pride. Rid yourself of arrogance. See everyone as a child of God. Be humble. Put the love of Jesus into action.

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Stumbling Block

Do you like to exercise your rights? Do you revel in your freedom? Do you flaunt your freedom? Do you believe you are entitled to the freedoms you have? Do you ignore anyone and everyone around you as you exercise your freedom?

We have all seen the person who does whatever they want whenever they want. Perhaps we know someone who fits that description. Perhaps we are one of those people. We all take our freedom for granted to some degree. We often don’t realize just how obnoxious we are.

We have heard the person cussing like a sailor in the amusement park while we walk by with our young children. We cringe as we walk by and hope our five-year-old didn’t hear those words and repeat them. And we have wondered who their parents were and what they taught them.

We have seen the popular kids in school flaunting their popularity while other kids hide in the background so as not to be made fun of. We have seen those kids on the fringe crying or looking downcast as they watch the popular kids, wishing they were popular.

We may be a successful businessperson, enjoying the good life. Are we flaunting our wealth in front of those who are less fortunate? Perhaps we have not even considered the question. We may the strong who have become a stumbling block for the weak.

Paul admonishes the church in Corinth not to be a stumbling block. The context for his admonishment was eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. In the example Paul used, many of the Jews and Christians believed meat sacrificed to idols was unclean. They believed it should not be eaten. But there were some who realized it was just meat and they could eat it, so long as they were not worshiping the idol.

The principle applies to any situation. If we believe we are free to take advantage of our wealth to go on a European vacation, we should not brag about that in front of those who cannot. If we believe we are free to speak our mind, we are not to use that freedom to offend others with harshness or rudeness.

I pray we all use our freedom wisely. I pray we are not a stumbling for those who do not believe they have the same freedoms. I pray each one of us think carefully about our speech and actions. Be aware of others. Treat one another well. Do not be a stumbling block. Show love to everyone.

1 Corinthians 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.