No More Haughtiness

Do you sometimes feel like you have it all together? Do you feel haughty, as though you are better than others? Have you thought your heritage is one to brag about? Has being a member of certain organizations made you feel superior? Do you know those are false feelings?

We like to think we are better than others. It may be due to specific talents or skills we have. It may be that we have joined organizations that tout being better. Unfortunately, some of us will base our superiority on race. But all these thoughts are evil, coming from Satan.

I retired from the Marine Corps and remember being a young Marine all puffed up because of the history of the Marine Corps. I have since discovered that every person is valued by God. In fact, it was during my time spent in the Marine Corps that I interacted with people of many different cultures and races. It was over the course of those 20 years that God slowly opened my eyes.

No matter what our race is, what clubs we belong to, what profession we work in, we all are children of God. He cares for each person. He loves each person. We may disappoint him with our actions and attitudes, but he still loves us. The most important thing we can do is love him back.

The Apostle Paul discovered this same truth. As Paul describes himself, he had all the qualifications of being a Jew of Jews. He had been raised the right way, educated in the law, was a member of the right group, and thought he was blameless. God removed his haughtiness with an encounter on the road to Damascus. Paul learned what each of us should learn, having a close relationship with Jesus, following His commands is the most important thing we can do.

I pray we all give up our haughtiness. I pray we know that God loves and cares for each person. I pray each one of us will pursue a close relationship with Jesus and follow His commands. Do not be haughty. God loves you. God loves each person. Grow closer to Jesus. Follow His commands.

Philippians 3:4b-6 If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Perceive God’s Work

Do you hold on to old things? Do you hold on to old memories? Do you like to remember the “good ole days” and wish you were still living them? Are you fearful of new things? Does the future scare you? Have you considered that God is doing something new?

We like to hold on to old memories and sometimes those memories are tied to old possessions. We might say we hold on to things that are sentimental. It may be a piece of jewelry. I may be an old t-shirt. I may be grandpa’s pocketknife. We won’t let go of them for the world.

For many of us, the future is scary. We have no idea what it will bring and fear of the unknown grips us in a vise. That fear can paralyze us. It can keep us from moving forward. If we never overcome it, it will keep us from becoming who God intended us to be.

God is always doing something new. Sometimes it is small things that are new and sometimes big things. God prophesied through the prophet Isaiah that he was going to do something new. In this case, God was talking about doing something big. This passage is often pointed at as being God’s prophetic message that Jesus was going to turn the world on its head.

This passage asks if Isaiah, and Israel as a nation, perceives what God is doing. Isaiah never saw the fruition of what God was doing. The nation of Israel would witness Jesus’ coming. Unfortunately, most of their leadership rejected Him. They did not perceive what God was doing. Today, we need to pay attention, so we perceive what God is doing. We must remember that God is always working.

I pray we all know that God is always at work. I pray we overcome our fear of the future. I pray each one of us will keep our eyes and ears open and perceive what God is doing in our lives. God is always at work. Overcome your fear. Keep your eyes open. Keep your ears open. Perceive what God is doing.

Isaiah 43:18-19

Do not remember the former things 

or consider the things of old. 

I am about to do a new thing; 

now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? 

I will make a way in the wilderness 

and rivers in the desert.

Our Prodigal God

Do you believe God will give wonderful gifts to you? Do you believe God celebrates you? Do you believe he celebrates every sinner who returns to him? Do you believe he cares enough about you to provide all you need? Are you willing to trust him?

Far too often, we like to rely on ourselves. We fail to ask for help. We strike out on our own, relying on our own strength and our own resources. We fail to remember that everything belongs to God. Therefore, we fool ourselves into thinking we are on our own.

God is willing to give to us extravagantly. No, that doesn’t mean he will make us wealthy. After all, many of us could not handle wealth. However, God will provide for all our needs, especially the ministries we are working in for him. The parable we often call The Prodigal Son should be called The Prodigal Father.

Why? Prodigal means: recklessly extravagant, giving profusely, very generous, or lavishly abundant. Doesn’t that sound like an appropriate description of the father in this parable? Sure it does. His son has squandered his inheritance. Yet, when he returns empty handed, the father welcomes him in and gives to him abundantly.

God will do the same for us. And lest we are concerned about the other son, if we remain with the father as he did, we already have it all. That was the point the father was making to the oldest son.

I pray we all trust that God will bless us abundantly. I pray we see God as our Prodigal Father. I pray each one of us will humble ourselves before God and accept his lavish gifts. God blesses abundantly. God loves extravagantly. Trust God. Humble yourself before God. Accept his lavish gifts.

Luke 15:22-24 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.”

A Father’s Love

Do you wish you had more? If you could have your inheritance now, would you take it? Have you contemplated asking for it? Do you take it a little at a time? Have you thought it spoils the effect of it being an inheritance? Does it feel like it is selfish to desire it now?

Inheritances can be great, or they can create division in a family. If there is no will that divides an estate according to the parent’s will, one child can create division with selfishness. A child can also demand a parent to continue to support them into adulthood, thereby reducing the inheritance.

When Jesus tells the parable about the son who requests his inheritance from his father, Jesus provides an example of a selfish child. We often like to scorn the son. We cast him in a horrible light. Make no mistake about it, he is being selfish. Yet, there are adult children who take advantage of their parents. Some will do so even when the parent is retired and limiting on a limited income.

Why does this happen? Good parents want to give to their children, no matter the age. As a parent, we do not want to see our children go without. So, we give, even when we don’t really have it to give. The father in the parable had plenty to give. Yet, according to custom, it was not the time to divide his property. But he did it anyway.

God is like the father. He is like a good parent. He loves his children so much that he continues to give, even when they are being selfish. He loves his children enough to welcome them back when they return. Because God is so loving and welcoming, we all should be seeking to love him back in the same way.

I pray we all know the God loves us tremendously. I pray we know he will always welcome us into his arms. I pray each one of us will love God in the same way he loves us, giving up our selfishness. Know that God loves you. Know that God’s arms are open wide. Love God in return.

Luke 15:11-12 Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the wealth that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them.”

Reconciliation

What does reconciliation mean to you? Are the people you know who you need to reconcile with? Do you view reconciliation as a bookkeeping task? Do you know God reconciled you to him through Jesus Christ? Do you know what to do now that you have been reconciled?

Reconciliation can be both challenging and rewarding. Anyone who has been estranged from a family member and later reconciled knows it was challenging to get to that point, but it is very rewarding. Renewing that closeness, sharing family memories, and making new ones.

Being reconciled to God is even more rewarding. It was a challenge for God to achieve that reconciliation. He had to allow his Son to go to a cross, die for us, and raise Him on the third day. So, it cost God tremendously to reconcile us to him. Our cost? Being willing to accept Jesus as our Savior and seek to follow Him.

But what does reconciliation to God mean to us? It means we can speak directly to God, which the Jews could not. It means we are forgiven of our disobedience, even if there are consequences in this world for them. It means we have the promise of spending eternity with God. It means our perfect God loves us enough to give us all of this at great cost to himself.

What are we to do with our gift? We are to tell others about the gift that comes through Jesus Christ. We are to tell our story. God has entrusted us with the message of the gospel. We are to relate how our reconciliation with God and relationship with Jesus has changed our lives. So, go tell your story.

I pray we all know that God has reconciled us to him. I pray we know our reconciliation cost God dearly. I pray each one of us will tell our story of reconciliation and how Jesus has changed our lives. God has reconciled you to him. Tell your story. Tell how Jesus has changed you.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

New Every Morning

Do you like new things? Do you like the smell of a new car? Do you like how you feel when you put on a new outfit? Do you like putting new furniture in your home? Do you like trying new foods? Have you considered being new yourself? Have you considered the source of newness?

There is something about that new car smell. It doesn’t last long. Within a few weeks, it is gone. We feel good when we put on a new outfit. We buy new clothes for weddings, Easter, Christmas, and other special days. New furniture makes our home feel new and exciting.

But how often do we think of ourselves as being new? Not often, I dare say. Typically, we complain of getting old. There are aches and pains. There can be the drudgery of working the same job for years or decades. Even our marriages can become stagnant, and we can take them for granted. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Apostle Paul tells us that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. For many of us, it has been so long since we accepted Christ in our lives that we have forgotten what that new life feels like. Yet, we can start that new creation every day. To do so, we must remember each morning that God has made us anew. Our old self is no longer who we are.

Why is it so difficult for us to do this? We don’t like change. We prefer to hold on to the familiar rather than stepping into something new. We may even fear change. To overcome this fear, we simply need to remember that God is with us every step of the way. We also should remember it is God who is making us new and follow the path he is leading us to walk.

I pray we all trust God to lead us on the path we should walk. I pray we remember the newness of Christ. I pray each one of us ask God to make us new each morning and accept the changes he is making in our lives. Trust God to lead you. Ask God to make you new. Accept the changes God is making in your life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!

Bit and Bridle

Do you sometimes need a little extra guidance? Have there been times when you need to be jerked back into line? Have you ever needed to have someone discipline you for getting out of line? Are there times you still need to be turned away from doing harm to yourself or others?

Our tempers can get the best of us sometimes. It may be a time when we feel we have been wronged. It may be that a loved one has been mistreated. It may have been a time when we were upset with ourselves for something we did that we knew we shouldn’t have.

I know there have been times when I have lost my temper. When I was in high school, my Mom could always tell when one of my sisters had upset me. She would come home from work and find my bedroom had been rearranged. Thankfully, I took out my frustrations that way rather than striking out at my sister.

When we become adults, we may find it more difficult to reign in our temper. Yet, we are cautioned by God to not allow our temper to get the best of us. That can be very difficult. I cannot imagine keeping my temper in check if someone serious injured someone I love. It would be like trying to hold back a raging bull.

So how do we keep our temper in check? We can only do so with God’s help. The more we learn to trust God the easier it is to hold down our temper. Why? Because we know that God has everything under control. We trust that it will all work out because God is in the midst of it. Trust in God is the only way to keep our animalistic reactions from getting the best of us.

I pray we all learn to trust God with our entire being. I pray we seek to keep our temper in check. I pray each one of us will control our anger with the help of God and in our trust of him. Trust God. Increase your trust in God. Control your temper. Ask God to help.

Psalm 32:9

Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, 

whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, 

else it will not stay near you.

Happy Hearts

Do you walk around with a heavy weight on your shoulders? Do you feel overwhelmed with concern about your situation in life? Are you trudging along as though walking through quicksand? Are you willing to drop the heavy pack you have been carrying?

We often carry several heavy rocks around in a backpack that weighs us down. That virtual pack carries the sin we fail to ask forgiveness for. We may know be able to identify it. We may feel that something is not right but we do not know exactly what it is that weighs us down.

Our first step is to evaluate what we do or think or say that we know is not pleasing to God. We may identify multiple sins in the process of our evaluation. Once we have identified the cause of our heavy heartedness, we must confess our sin to God and ask him for forgiveness. Perhaps the most difficult step in the process is believing he will forgive us.

The reason some of us will not believe God will forgive us is that we won’t forgive ourselves. Make no mistake, we cannot flippantly say we forgive ourselves not half-heartedly ask God to forgive us. It requires a heart to soul conversation within us. It requires us to have an outpouring of our heart to God and a willingness to turn away from our sin.

But when we finish our self-evaluation, identify what is weighing us down, are willing to forgive ourselves, and ask God for forgiveness, the weight is lifted. Rather than moping around, putting on a façade for others, and carrying a heavy weight, we become light-hearted, have renewed energy, and are happy. So, rid yourself of the heavy weight of sin you carry around.

I pray we all recognize the heavy weight we carry around. I pray we identify the sin we fail to confess. I pray each one of us will forgive ourselves and trust God will forgive us when we ask. Recognize the weight you carry. Identify your sin. Forgive yourself. Ask God to forgive you.

Psalm 32:1-2

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, 

whose sin is covered. 

Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity 

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Special Places with God

Do you have special places with special names for special reasons? Do those places bring back memories? Do they cause you to remember a special memory with someone special to you? Do you remember those places by a special nickname? Do you have places like that with God?

We all have special places with special memories. Most of those memories include special people. It may be where we were engaged to our spouse. It may be a unique summer vacation with our family. We may hold a special place in our heart for a special event for our child.

We can have that kind of special memory and special place with God as well. The Israelites had such a place. Gilgal is related to the Hebrew word that means rolled. Therefore, when the Lord told Joshua the disgrace of Egypt was rolled away or no longer a mark against them, he named the place Gilgal so future generations would remember.

Our special memory with God may be the first time we truly believed. We remember where we were. There may have been someone with us. The place may have a special name, or at least a special name in our heart. We may have a special memory of our child being baptized. Again, we know the place and who was with us.

Though not every day will include such a prominent memory with God, we can recall those memories and make each day special. When we open our hearts and minds to focus on God and open our eyes to see him at work, we may experience more special occasions with God than we expect. So, be open to see and hear God at work in your daily life.

I pray we all remember special memories in special places. I pray we open our hearts and minds to focus on God. I pray each one of us will experience God at work in our daily lives. Remember special memories. Remember special places. Remember special people. Focus on God. Experience God daily.

Joshua 5:9 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

Produce Good Fruit

How hard do you lean into God’s patience and his willingness to forgive? Do you intentionally do things you know you shouldn’t because you know you can ask for forgiveness later? Are you willing to continue to test God’s patience? Or will you give up your sin forever?

We all have a favorite sin (or we used to). We haven’t come to a point of willingness to give it up. Our viewpoint is simple: God will forgive me. After all, we are human and can only be so good. Yet, Jesus does not want to leave us in this state of mind.

In Luke 13, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of thousands. He is generally speaking of Israel as a country, but the concept applies to us as individuals as well. Especially after Jesus has lived, died, and risen again. He warns us that, though God is a God of second chances, his patience is not forever. At some point, time runs out.

We don’t want to hear that message. We like to think we have as long as we want to repent and turn back to God. Yet, that is a lie Satan is telling us so he might lure us away from God. When the day of judgment comes, we all will stand an answer for our sins. Yes, Jesus will be our intercessor, but will we have strayed so far that we have denied Him?

The Israelites were at that very breaking point. The leadership was denying who Jesus was. Ultimately, they would condemn Him to death. It wasn’t a sudden fall, it was gradual, taking several centuries to occur. We should learn the lesson and refuse to slip away.

I pray we all evaluate our sins and repent. I pray we turn back to God wholeheartedly. I pray each one of us will heed Jesus’ warning and stop testing God’s patience, seeking to be true followers of Jesus. Repent of your sins. Turn wholeheartedly to God. Be a follower of Jesus.

Luke 13:7 “So he said to the man working the vineyard, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’”