Freedom in Grace

Do you wrestle with freedom? Would you rather someone guide you or provide you direction? Do you experience difficulty making decisions for yourself? Do you want to be free and have someone provide you direction? It is possible.

We are often conflicted. We want to be free. We want to be able to make our own decisions. We want to do what we want to do. Yet, when it comes to the details of performing tasks or understanding the sequence of tasks, we often want or need some instruction.

Do you see the conflict? Perhaps it is self-centeredness or ignorance or simply failing to open our eyes to see our own limitations. We need others who have more experience and knowledge to teach us how to do some things. It is how we learn and grow—for our entire lives.

We grow in the same way in our walk with Christ. We have been set free from the law of sin. However, most of us don’t fully realize the meaning of that statement. It means we no longer need to perform sacrifices, burnt offerings on a regular basis. It also means we no longer need to feel confined or restricted or burdened by our sin. We can ask for forgiveness immediately.

Our walk with Christ includes growing in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom for as long as we are willing to learn. We have the option to stop learning. Unfortunately, many choose this option, deciding they don’t want to put forth the effort required to continue learning. What they don’t realize is making this choice starts binding them up again. They become stuck.

As we continue to grow in Christ, our freedom continues to expand as well. We discover new freedoms. We realize there are man-made rules that contradict the grace of God. Our study of God’s Word continues to provide more insights, revealing more freedom.

Our freedom in God doesn’t mean we won’t need to make decisions. It does mean that we can rely on God to be with us and guide us in those decisions. We are given freedom to stumble and the freedom to succeed. The outcome is largely dependent on whether we listen to His guidance or not. The best news is we are not condemned when we are part of the body of Christ.

I pray we all decide to continue to learn about God. I pray we see the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. I pray each of us will choose to experience the freedom while listening to the guidance He provides. Choose freedom. Choose to learn. Choose to be free from sin. Choose to know God’s grace.

Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Submissive Prayer

How is your pride doing today? Are you proud of your accomplishments? Do you take pride in the work you do? Has your pride caused you to look down on others? Are you so prideful that you think you don’t need God?

As we look around us and take notice of others, we see many, many people who look down at those around them. We hear it in how they talk. We see it in their actions and in their eyes. Do we see it when we look in the mirror?

Our culture drives us to think highly of ourselves, to think ourselves better than others. Being human, we like to think we are better than others. Unfortunately, having this type of attitude is not good for our culture nor our relationship with God.

When we have an attitude of haughtiness, we discriminate. Oh, you can argue until you are blue in the face, but deep down you know it’s true. That discrimination will come through in many facets of your life, including your prayer life.

You see, when we come before God with an attitude of being better than others, God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we would like (Luke 18:9-14). Why? Your mind is not in sync with God. Your prayer will not be in accordance with His will.

When we pray with an attitude of submissiveness, when we are willing to accept God’s plan, our prayers are in perfect harmony with God. Having an attitude of submissiveness requires work on our part. It requires us to continually battle the attitude of pride.

We see in today’s passage that Jesus was submissive to the Father’s will. We see the Father heard Jesus’ prayers because of His submissiveness. We also know the rest of the story, that Jesus still had to suffer to fulfill God’s plan. Do we think we are better than Christ?

Folks, I’m not saying we will be crucified, I simply inquire about our attitude. I also point out that our attitude has an impact on our prayers. If we want to see our prayers answered, we must submit to God and leave our prideful attitude behind.

I pray we all become countercultural. I pray we eliminate our attitude of pride. I pray each of us will submit to God, conforming to His will for our lives. Release your pride. Take on a submissive attitude toward God. Be in harmony with God. Be effective in your prayer life.

Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Hope, Patience, and Prayer

Do you often wonder why you face struggles in life? Does it feel as though you are continually having to overcome obstacles? Are you looking for rest? Do you have an anchor to hold on to during the storms of life? There is One who you can reach out to.

We face many struggles, stumbling blocks, obstacles, and downright storms in our lives. Some are relatively small struggles, while others are major storms. When we rely solely on ourselves, those struggles and storms can overwhelm us.

Many want to believe they can handle it on their own. Some will reach out to family or friends to help with the situation. A few will seek professional counseling as they go through a tough time. Those who lean on God are just as likely to reach out to others as well, yet be stronger as they go through the situation than those who don’t.

Paul instructs us in his letter to the Romans to be joyful in our hope. The hope he is talking about is not mere wishing for something. It is a hope that is defined by trust in God, confidence that God will deliver on His promises, and comfort by taking refuge in God. Our hope is much stronger than a wish, it is grounded in faith. It is latched to an Anchor.

He goes on to say we are to be patient in our affliction. This is to say that we can’t rush through the situation. We must wait on God to handle it. Patience is something we have grown to dislike very much. We don’t like waiting. We want the situation fixed right now. Yet God handles the situation in His time and His timing is perfect. As our trust in Him grows, so does our patience.

Finally, Paul says we are to be faithful in prayer. Prayer is our lifeline, our communication channel with God. We must keep in mind that true communication is bi-directional. This means we must listen for God, not just talk to Him. Listening as part of prayer is extremely important. If we are asking God to guide us through a situation, how can we follow His guidance if we aren’t listening for it? God doesn’t typically speak through burning bushes, but He does speak to us. We often miss His guidance due to our failure to listen.

When we pray, we do need to make our requests known. Once we’ve done that, we must wait patiently for God to handle it. He may handle it by providing us guidance or He may work through someone else. However, we must continue to pray, making our requests known and seeking His solution, all while trusting Him.

I pray we all experience joy in our hope. I pray we wait patiently while going through difficult situations. I pray each of us will continue to pray in faith and trust God in all things. Be joyful. Hold on to your hope. Wait patiently. Be strong in your faith. Pray continually.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Learning To Do Without

Have you ever gone without something you dearly wanted? How do you view having to do without it?  Have you ever gone without something you needed? How well did you survive that experience? Do you practice doing without wants and needs?

Doing without is something most of us know very little about. We don’t often go without something we want and certainly not something we need. In our minds, it would be absurd to do without. We can’t fathom the thought of not having something we want.

It has become a lost practice to do without. Our culture is ill prepared for any type of disaster that would deprive us of our wants and needs. We are not trained to do without due to a lack of resources or necessity, and we don’t purposely train ourselves. We have become a society of little discipline, and no willingness to prepare for bleak possibilities.

There is a relatively simple training option for us, yet it is also one of the more difficult exercises for us. It is the discipline of fasting. There is research that shows fasting is healthy for us. It is a means of cleansing our bodies of impurities. Did you know it cleanses us in more ways than one?

It is true fasting is good for us physically. It is also good for us spiritually. When we fast and spend the time with God in prayer instead, we are cleansed of spiritual impurities. We learn to lean on God to provide for us.

We typically think of fasting as doing without food and that is the most common fast. But there are many other types of fasts. One that has grown in popularity in recent years is fasting from social media. Many who have done this have discovered the stranglehold social media has on them and the freedom they have when they do without it. They find their anxiety levels decrease and their ability to focus on God increases dramatically.

Regardless of what our fast is, we are called to fast and trust God to carry us through it. We are to replace whatever we are fasting from with focusing on God and spending time in prayer. This is a spiritual cleansing exercise, a discipline, and a training exercise that will prepare us for those times when we must do without.

I pray we all decide to fast. I pray we spend time in prayer with God when we fast. I pray each of us will cleanse ourselves spiritually by leaning on God through a fast. Do without. Cleanse yourself. Spend time with God. Train yourself. Build discipline. Trust God.

Matthew 6:16-18 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Thankful Prayer

How often do you wish you had something you don’t have? Are you continually seeking to fill a void? Are you dealing with first world problems rather than true needs? Do you know what a first world problem is?

We are often dealing with first world problems. We wrestle with technology. Our vehicle needs repair. We can’t find the style of clothes we like. We want a bigger house. You fill in the blank for your wants. They are all first world problems and they dominate our minds.

I can’t say that I’ve been to a third world country, but I have been to a couple second world countries. I’ve seen a 10-year old boy try to sell his sister for a meal. I’ve seen people with PhD’s working for less than our minimum wage. I’ve seen people purchase the minimum food they can get by with for their evening meal and do that day after day, often not sure what they will be able to afford the next day.

Once you’ve seen the second world problems, our first world problems become frivolous. Your eyes are opened to the riches we have that go unappreciated. Honestly, it becomes disheartening and frustrating to see people whining and complaining about what they want and falsely think they need. Yet, I fall into that trap myself.

How can we combat our desire to continually want more and more and more? The key is to be in prayer. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray continually. But what are we to pray? We are to thank God for what He has blessed us with.

When we are thankful for each and everything we have, we begin to realize how much God has blessed us. How often do we thank God for having a vehicle? How often do we thank God for a change of clothes? How often do we thank God for the food we don’t like? How often do we thank God for our homes? I must confess, I don’t thank Him near enough.

We are called to be the example to the world. Part of that example is to be a praying people, a thankful people. We are to open our eyes and see all the blessings we have. I can attest personally that when we start to do this, we begin to see more and more blessings. We see blessings we had not previously recognized, perhaps for years.

I pray we all open our eyes and see the blessings we have received from God. I pray we give thanks to God for our blessings. I pray each of us will spend time in prayer thanking God, listing everything we have one-by-one. Spend time in prayer. Thank God for His rich blessings. Be the example for others. Be a thankful person. Open your eyes and see all that God has blessed you with.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Love Changes Everything

Do you yearn for a better world? Are you longing for the world to be better for your family? What are you doing to make it better? Do you love everyone you come in contact with? Are you showing love to others? Do you love God and follow His commands?

Nearly all of us would agree that our world and our country could use improving. There is disgruntlement wherever we look. Yet, nearly all of us will continue to contribute to the unrest rather than making a positive change in ourselves in an effort to make a positive change in the world in which we live.

Oh, we’ll complain about everyone else until the cows come home. Don’t get me wrong, I do my fair share of complaining, too. My concern and my effort is going into changing my attitude. I want to be a person is making a positive change. I want to be the person setting the example.

So, let me tell what I try to do. When I find myself complaining about someone else, I try to stop and pray for that person and ask God to show me how to love them. You see, when we refuse to love the other person, we are refusing to do what God, Jesus, commanded us to do.

You’ll notice in today’s passage that Jesus stated two commands and that all of God’s laws, or commands, are dependent on these. If we fail to follow these two commands, we can’t follow any other commands God gives us. If you are like me, you don’t like to fail, and you don’t like to disappoint. Yet, if we don’t follow these two commands, we have done both.

Back to changing the world. If we love each person we come in contact with and show them that love, we begin changing the world. Each of us wants to be loved. Do we think the other person is any different? If we want someone to love us, perhaps we should show love to them.

Much as hate it contagious, so is love. Have you ever noticed how a baseball teams’ batting goes in cycles? One or two players strikeout and the whole team starts striking out. Yet, all it takes is one or two players to start getting base hits and the rest of the team starts hitting as well. Love and hate follow those same types of cycles.

I pray we all decide to love others rather than hate. I pray we show our love to others we meet. I pray each one of us decides to please rather than disappoint God. Be the positive example. Love people you meet. Love your parents. Love your siblings. Love your spouse. Love God and follow His two most important commands. See the positive impact you can have.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Truth or Lie

Do you hear all the rumors? Do you listen to them and believe them? Do you spread false rumors, whether knowingly or unknowingly? Are you worrying about things that are out of your control? Are you looking for relief, peace, and calm?

We hear more false rumors and half-truths than we recognize every day. We see them spread across the various social media platforms. Our gullibility contributes to the spread of them. We have lost the concept of not repeating something unless we have verified it or have full trust in the person we heard it from.

I remember being raised as a child to not lie. Yet, false rumors are just that—a lie. Our politically correct culture won’t call them that, but that’s what they are. That means we are lying when we repeat them. Do we want to be known as a liar?

We can control our reputation. If we don’t want to be known as a liar, if we want to be a trusted advisor, we must stop lying, stop repeating false rumors. Unfortunately, far too many of us like to hear the gossip and speculate about the rumors. We want to postulate and expound on these false rumors—as long as they don’t personal affect us.

We are called by Jesus to not be deceived. What does that mean? It means we are called to verify what we are being told, what we read. You may be wondering how to do that. Well, my friend, science has a wonderful process. Scientists test and retest. They require multiple sources to verify the point being made before it is trusted as being true.

If each one of us are verifying what we hear and read, we will discover the truth. Of course, that means we will either knowingly lie, or we will state the truth. It will be our choice, just as it is our choice to go about our lives blindly or seek the truth.

Jesus tells us there will be a whole lot of upheaval in this world, and that is just the beginning of birth pains. It is nowhere near the end. There is a long life ahead. He also states that no one knows when the end will come. Perhaps we should listen to His truth and stop listening to the false rumors going around.

I pray we all verify what we hear and read. I pray we seek the truth. I pray each one of us will decide to stop lying, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Seek the truth. Stop worrying about the hearsay. Follow Jesus’ guidance. Trust Jesus. Trust God.

Mark 13:5-8 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”

No Lone Ranger Christian

Are you a loner? Do you often go about doing things by yourself? Do you lack trust in anyone else getting things done? Do you fail to discuss plans with others? Are you continuously isolating yourself?

Some of us are extremely social. We love being around others. We are continually talking with someone. Others of us are much less so, to the point of almost being a loner. We don’t care for a lot of interaction with others. And, sometimes, we isolate ourselves from others whether we are very social or more of a loner.

There are times we may need to a little alone time to sort out some things in our minds. Yet no one can continually go it alone. There are far too many tasks that require more than one person to complete. Even many tasks we think we can complete alone are done better with someone else.

The concept of needing others applies to our Christian walk as well. No one can be a Lone Ranger Christian. We need each other. We need to be in community. We are designed to learn from one another as Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

God blessed each of us with different talents. Each of us has been blessed with different spiritual gifts. Our different talents and gifts are not simply gifts to us as individuals but are gifts to be shared with others. We are to learn from and help each other. As Paul tells us in Romans 12:3-8, we are all part of one body and just as our human bodies have different parts to perform different functions, so we are as the body of Christ. When Jesus sent His disciples out, He sent them in pairs rather than alone.

These points show us that we need one another. We need to attend and participate as groups of Christians. In our current environment, that may mean online participation rather than in-person participation. However, when we can be together, we need to be together. Meeting and interacting with other Christians keeps us accountable and allows us to work for God in accomplishing His plan. It is important for our personal growth in Christ. Otherwise, when left to our own devices, we will stray, misinterpret, and get off the path God has laid out for us.

I pray we all attend and participate in group activities with other Christians. I pray we specifically seek to meet with other Christians with the purposes of learning and contributing. I pray each of us recognizes our need to be with other Christians. Seek opportunities to meet with other Christians. Seek to learn from one another. Seek to contribute to the learning of others. Be both the student and the teacher. Don’t try to be a Lone Ranger Christian.

Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.

Known Prayer

Do you think everything is random? Do you believe there is no control? Do you wish there was someone in control? Do you wish there was someone you could talk to that would understand? Why don’t you spend time in prayer with God?

We see weird things happen from time-to-time. When that happens, we may think the world is a conglomeration of random acts. We may wonder how that weird thing came about. We are surprised when those things hit us out of the blue.

When the weird thing that happens is something bad, we ask why. We want to know how the randomness of the world reached our doorstep. We ponder those moments for a long time. They can completely derail us, if we aren’t consciously countering them with reason.

How can we counter the bad news that comes our way? We have the opportunity to take it all to God in prayer. He knows what has happened. He knows how we feel. He knows what we need. Yet, we still need to go to Him in prayer.

When we do go to Him in prayer, we should not ramble on and on and on. As I mentioned above, God already knows. What we are to do is pour our heart out to Him and release it into His hands. He will take care of us.

When we want to ask God to help in our situations, we don’t need to go out in the streets and pray loudly in front of others. We are told to pray in our room. We are to pray for God’s help in secret. We are to make our requests succinctly.

Even making our requests succinct may mean we pray for several minutes or an hour. We may be praying about many things. I have found myself sometimes praying for nearly an hour. Yet, on those occasions, I am praying for more than 20 people, our country, our community, our churches, and many other things. So, pray as long as you need, but don’t ramble.

I pray we all spend time with God in prayer each day. I pray we are succinct in our prayers. I pray each one of us pray powerful prayers. Spend time with God in prayer. Make your requests knowing He already knows. Trust God to handle your situation.

Matthew 6:5-8 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Bear Fruit

Do you strive to be a better person? Do you work hard at it and seem to make no progress? Are you wondering if you will ever be better than you are today? Are you on the verge of giving up trying? Have you turned to the One who can make the change?

Amidst the chaos going on in our world right now, we see some people striving to rise above the fray. We see some going the extra mile to do good for others. We see some making a special effort to be nice. We see some doing good.

Yet, many of us are struggling. We are struggling with the stay at home orders. We are struggling with the health safety precautions we need to take. We are struggling with not going to the movies. We are struggling with not going out to eat. We are struggling with things being far from normal.

As we go through our struggles, we find ourselves dealing with lethargy, short tempers, depression, and desires to do something, anything. We are restless. We feel conflicted, wanting to go, and yet, not wanting to go. We are looking for relief.

There is One who can provide the relief we need. There is One who can provide us with the peace our soul needs. There is One who can satisfy our strivings for being better. He is always with us and waiting for us to allow Him to work in our lives.

When we were baptized and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God put His Spirit inside us. As Jesus teaches His apostles in John 15:1-8, He is the vine and we are the branches. As the vine, He is rooted in God, providing the nutrients for the branches to bear fruit. Those nutrients come through the Holy Spirit, much like the nutrients drawn into the vine are passed along to the branches.

We see in today’s passage the fruit we will bear when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Notice, the fruit comes naturally. It’s not something we do on our own. It comes by way of the Spirit and our following His guidance and direction.

I pray we all allow the Spirit to work in our lives. I pray we follow His guidance and direction. I pray each of us bear much fruit. Experience the peace that comes from God. Listen for the Spirit’s guidance. Follow His lead. Bear the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.