Do the Right Thing

Do you believe in doing the right thing? How do you know what the right thing is? What is your guideline? How do you determine what the right thing to do is in all aspects of your life? What is your decision process for determining to give financially? Does it lead you to do the right thing?

Most of us want to do the right thing, at least in certain parts of our lives. We may want to do the right thing in all of aspects, but some are a higher priority than others. Often, our top priority for our finances is to take care of our family, and rightfully so.

Yet, our culture has conditioned us to provide for a lot of wants for our family, rather than just providing for needs. We may plan for large purchases but make spurious spending choices on other things. These choices can impact our ability to do the right thing. What is the right thing? Blessing others with the resources God has blessed us with.

In Galatians 6:7, the Apostle Paul states that we reap what we sow. When we look at the meaning of the original Greek, he is speaking of financial investment. As we read verses 7-10, he emphasizes we are to support those who are struggling financially to the best of our ability. This doesn’t mean to give our money to those who refuse to work, for Paul says not to support them in 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Doing the right thing is helping those who are working and still struggling. We are to provide financial assistance by sharing the blessings God has blesses us with. Many of us live rather comfortably, not having to worry about paying our bills nor whether we will have something to eat. When Paul says we reap what we sow, he also points to God providing for us as we share his blessings with others.

I pray we all know we are to share God’s blessings with others. I pray we are good stewards with God’s blessings. I pray each one of us will choose to do the right thing and support those in need. Share your blessings with others. Be a good steward. Support those in need. Do the right thing.

Galatians 6:9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.

Sharing Burdens

What is your immediate reaction when you see or hear of someone caught in some type of infraction? Do you immediately want to condemn them? Does your heart break for those who were the targets of the offense? Do you feel a desire to reconcile the offender?

When we see or hear of someone committing an offense against another, our typical reaction is one of shock followed quickly by anger. Our culture demands immediate justice and retribution. Our efforts are focused on helping the victim of the offense.

Unfortunately, that leaves the offender untended to, other than being prosecuted. Rare is it that reconciliation is sought and offered. Rare do we think about the separation and loneliness of the offender. Rare is it the offender is approached in a compassionate, humble way to offer both correction and a loving embrace.

This is not only true in our national culture but in our churches as well. We fail to demonstrate the love of Christ by correcting the individual in a humble manner and offering His love to them. This is not to say we should ignore the victim. Not in the least. However, we are instructed to ensure we bring the offender back into the fold. Yes, there may be a price for them to pay. But that does not negate our responsibility to reach out to them.

Not only are we to reach out to them but the Apostle Paul tells us to share in their burdens. We are to share them by seeking to understand why and help them to correct their behavior. We are to do this with humility because we could be the next person who needs loving correction and to share our burden with others. Satan tempts us all. Any one of us could fall prey to his temptations. We should not condemn lest we be condemned.

I pray we all choose to approach a transgressor with humility and love. I pray we choose to help share their burden. I pray each one of us realize we can, too, can fall prey to Satan’s temptations. Be humble. Correct the transgressor with love. Share one another’s burdens.

Galatians 6:1-2 My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Nothing Lasts Forever

Have you heard the saying, ‘Nothing lasts forever’? Have you said it yourself? Do you believe it? We may say it and believe it. Yet, we do not always want it to be true. There are moments we wish would last forever. However, the saying is true as long as we live on this earth.

On the other hand, there are times we are glad the saying is true. There are times we want to end as soon as possible. These are usually times when something has gone wrong or something bad is happening. During those times, we are glad this saying is true.

David writes about it in his thirtieth Psalm. He speaks to praising God by singing praises. He speaks of giving thanks to God. Though we may experience some bad times, the good times will come, for God will not leave us in that situation. Even if God is angry at us for our disobedience, he still loves us and will bless us when we repent.

What is the underlying theme of David’s Psalm? Faith. Our faith tells us that God is in control. It tells us that God is at work in all situations, even those that are bad. He is working for our good. No, God doesn’t purposely put us in bad situations. Some of them are caused by our choices. Some are accidents. Some caused by other’s choices. Some we will never know why. But we can be assured God is working in the midst of them. We can remember and recite what David has written and trust his words are true.

I pray we all know that nothing lasts forever. I pray we trust that God is at work for our good. I pray each one of us strengthen our faith so that we believe God is always with us. Praise God in song. Thank God for his many blessings. Know that nothing lasts forever. Put your faith in God.

Psalm 30:4-5

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, 

and give thanks to his holy name. 

For his anger is but for a moment; 

his favor is for a lifetime. 

Weeping may linger for the night, 

but joy comes with the morning.

Pause to Think

Have you ever gotten upset at someone for telling you something you did not expect? Did you react with shock or negatively? After your initial reaction, did you decide you should listen and digest what you were told? Did find that they had told you the truth?

Receiving unexpected news or instruction can throw us off balance. We can react in unexpected ways. We may be in disbelief. We may be angry. We may want to completely disregard what they told us. Yet, there may be a nagging feeling deep inside that they may be right.

Naaman found himself is just such a situation. He was sent to Elisha to be healed of a skin disease. Naaman was an important man, a commander of the army of the king of Aram. As a high ranking official, he thought he would be treated with deference. He thought Elisha would come out to meet him. He thought Elisha would give him some challenging thing to do to be healed.

When Elisha merely sent a messenger to tell him to go wash himself in the Jordan river seven times, Naaman felt disrespected. He felt that Elisha had shunned him. He was upset. He thought Elisha might be a fraud. It was good for Naaman that one of his servants talked to him and got him to do what Elisha told him to do. Naaman was healed.

There are times we are told things we don’t want to believe. Rather than immediately disbelieving, we would be better served to take a little time to think about what we’ve been told. We just might discover that what we were told is for our best interest. Perhaps it is God’s way of working through someone else for our good.

I pray we all seek to listen for God speaking to us. I pray we evaluate our initial reaction. I pray each one of us will take time to think and ask God to reveal to us the truth of his message. Listen for God. Evaluation your reactions. Take time to think. Ask God to reveal his truth to you.

2 Kings 5:10-11 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and would wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease!”

Cost of Business

Have you heard about the cost of business? Have you heard it takes money to make money? Have you heard nothing is free? Have you heard there is no such thing as a free lunch? Have you heard about the cost to follow Jesus?

There is a cost to everything, even if it is only our time. Yet, our time is extremely valuable. Especially in this fast-paced world we live in. We pay the price for all of it, whether we think we do or not. In most cases, we do so willingly.

But are we willing to pay the cost to follow Jesus? In the last few verses of Luk 9, Jesus gives us clues to what the cost of following Him is. We may have nowhere to lay our heads down for some much needed rest. We are to leave the dead behind. We are to follow Him and never look back.

Though some of this may seem harsh, when we take a closer look at them, they make sense. When we are on a mission, we are often away from our own beds. We are away from home. We are in strange places. And sometimes we work around the clock.

Leaving the dead may seem uncaring. Yet, Jesus is talking about those who will never accept Him. We are not to waste our time on them. We are to continue to move into the future with Him as our focus. That means leaving behind our old selves. We are to step out in faith with a focus on obeying Him and trusting in His promises. That means shedding our sinful ways and becoming who He wants us to be.

I pray we all count the cost for following Jesus. I pray we trust in Jesus’ promises and obey Him. I pray each one of us will choose to follow Jesus, moving into the future with Him as our focus. Count the cost. Trust Jesus’ promises. Follow Jesus. Focus on Him. Let Him be your future.

Luke 9:61-62 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Fruit of the Spirit

Do you like to think you are in control? Do you think you can control yourself? How patient are you? Do you consider yourself to be a generous person? Are you a kind person? Do you have joy in your life? Are you a loving person? Are you gentle? How faithful are you?

Most of us either think or want to think we are in control. We may even like to think we have self-control, but don’t put a plate of our favorite cookies in front of us. Our self-control and our patience can quickly fly right out the door. We can quickly fail the test for both.

When we look at the list of the fruits of the Spirit closely, we may find ourselves weaving in and out of them. We may be experiencing one or more of those fruits for a while, then we slide out of them. But how much of that is due to our own efforts and how much is fruit coming from walking with and following the lead of the Holy Spirit?

For many, they attempt to fulfill this list on their own. We try really hard to be kind and gentle. We try to maintain self-control. We love some and not others while telling ourselves we need to love everyone, but not making much progress on it. We tell ourselves to be patient, but it wears thin quickly when someone cuts us off in traffic.

What we need to do is stop trying to do it on our own. There is a reason this list is called the fruit of the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit lives in us and we submit to him, these things come about naturally. In fact, they come about abundantly, and we are set apart, seen by others as being different than anyone else they know. So, stop trying to do it yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.

I pray we all stop trying to exercise the fruits of the Spirit on our own. I pray we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. I pray each one of us lives the abundant life Jesus promised through the Holy Spirit. Quit doing it on your own. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you. Live the abundant life.

Galatians 5:22-23 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

Led by the Spirit

How do you live? What are you chasing? What do you work for? What are you seeking? How do you determine what you pursue? Is it all about what you want? Or are you guided by something bigger than you? Are you being led by the Spirit? Do you know how to follow the Spirit?

Each of us follow guiding principles of one sort or another. We may be able to identify them, recite them, or write them down. Yet, they are there anyway. The real question is, where did they come from? They may be good and yet not the best.

If we are chasing after the desires of the flesh, we are not following the Spirit. In other words, we are not following God. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the things of this world. We absolutely can. It simply means chasing after what this world has to offer is not following God’s commands. But if we follow his commands, the things of this world come with it. The opposite is not true.

When we choose the follow the Spirit, we no longer need to worry about the law. Though the Apostle Paul was referencing the Old Testament law of God, it applies to our laws today. Think not? If we are following the Spirit, he would not lead us into trouble with the law. For the Spirit will only lead us to follow God’s law, principles, and guidance.

I pray we all give up the desires of the flesh. I pray we choose to follow the Spirit. I pray each one of us trust the Spirit will lead us according to God’s plan, following his law, principles, and guidance. Give up the world. Follow the Spirit. Trust the Spirit. He lead you on God’s path.

Galatians 5:16-18 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.

Set Free

What comes to mind when you hear the word freedom? Do you think of being able to do whatever you want? Do you think of financial freedom? Do you think of being free to make your own choices? Do you think of freedom as being the opposite of slavery?

Freedom can mean different things to different people. It can mean getting away from a bad relationship. It can mean paying off your home or car loan. It can mean moving out of your parents’ house. It can also mean escaping from being oppressed or enslaved.

Our American culture often points freedom to our ability to seek a job where we want, earn a livable wage, and pursue the American dream of owning a house, having a spouse and children. We know that freedom came at a cost. Unfortunately, our culture has carried freedom to a level it was never meant to go—doing and saying whatever you want. With freedom comes responsibility.

Freedom, as the Apostle Paul speaks of it, is being free to obey God’s commands, no longer governed by our culture. Freedom to love everyone. In fact, Paul states, as part of his discourse on freedom, that the whole law is summed up in Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself. His point is our freedom is the very reason why we should love everyone.

Our freedom in Christ came at a cost, just as our freedom as Americans came at a cost. This freedom comes with responsibility as well. Paul is implying that responsibility when he tells us to serve one another, rather than using our freedom for self-indulgence. In other words, don’t be selfish, be selfless. We are free to do that because Christ broke the shackles Satan had on us.

I pray we all know we have been set free. I pray we understand that with freedom comes responsibility. I pray each one of us use our freedom to love and serve one another. You are set free. Be responsible with your freedom. Love one another. Serve one another. Obey Jesus’ commands.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another.

God’s Mighty Deeds

Where do you turn when trouble hits? Do you try to recall better days? Do you remember the carefree days of your childhood? Do you remember the glory days of high school sports? Do you remember winning a medal at a state competition? Do you remember what God has done?

Troubling times can make us weary to the bone. We may find it very difficult to get through them. We may prefer to curl up in a ball and hope they simply disappear. Our approach to those troubling times will dictate how well we survive them.

Recalling what God has done for us in the past can be a huge help for us in troubling times. They remind us that God cares. They remind us that he will never leave us alone. They remind us that God is in control, even if we doubt that he is. For God has done a plethora of good things for each of us. It’s a matter of whether we give him credit or try to take it for ourselves.

Additionally, praising God for what he has done for us will lift our spirits. When we concentrate on his wonderful works and give him the credit, it boosts our confidence that he will come through again. When we acknowledge that God is holy and his ways are far above our ways, we remember that we are trust him in all circumstances. Doing so will carry us through the troubling times and bring out a better person on the other side of them.

I pray we all recall the wonderful deeds of God. I pray we trust that he is always with us. I pray each one of us praise God during troubling times so that our spirits will be lifted. Remember God’s works. Trust that he is in control. Believe that he is always with you. Praise God for all he has done for you.

Psalm 77:11-14

I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; 

I will remember your wonders of old. 

I will meditate on all your work 

and muse on your mighty deeds. 

Your way, O God, is holy. 

What god is so great as our God? 

You are the God who works wonders; 

you have displayed your might among the peoples.

Faith of a Child

What is it you desire most? Do you secretly desire fame and fortune? What do you long for deep down inside, something you won’t tell anyone else about? Is it a new job? Is it a new car? Do you want to move to another city, state, or country? Are you longing for God?

When we are young, there are things we desire. It may be a specific vehicle, job, status, or ability. If we do not achieve those by middle age, this desire can lead to a mid-life crisis, if that desire has not relented. Failing to achieve it can cause us to feel like failures.

Elisha had a desire. His opportunity was presented to him when Elijah asked him what he wanted. Elisha knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to ask for his hidden desire. So, Elisha asked Elijah for something that Elijah could not give him on his own. It would require God to give it to Elisha. Yet, Elijah had a very special relationship with God.

We may believe that God doesn’t do things like this today. We may believe there is no one who has that type of relationship with God today. Yet, we must never underestimate God working in this world in whatever way he decides. We must not completely discount the possibility that someone has a very special relationship with God.

Often our faith, or lack thereof, holds us back. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:1-5 that we must be like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. This translates to us believing God is capable of anything and trusting he will always provide, just as a child trust in their parents. When we have that kind of faith, anything is possible.

I pray we all believe that anything is possible with God. I pray we trust that God will always provide. I pray each one of us will have faith in God as a child has faith in their parents. Believe God can do anything. Trust God to provide. Have the faith of a child. Humble yourself before God.

2 Kings 2:9-10 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing, yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.”