Honor and Respect

How do you view the days of your life? Do you observe some days as special? Are they the same special days that others observe? Do you view every day to be same? Do others celebrating special days upset you? What can or should be done about it?

Many of us like to celebrate special days. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day to name a few. Some of us celebrate other special days. The celebrations range from mild to over the top.

Celebrating special days are not bad, so long as we remember why the day is special, which has become a challenge. Many of the national holidays have become nothing more than a day off work for many. Christmas has become chaotic for many, meaning they run from one gathering to another for a week or more.

We have special days within the church as well. We honor different times of the year. Two that many honor are advent leading up to Christmas and lent leading up to Easter. For some, those times are very special, and they have certain routines they do to honor them. For others, they recognize the season but do not have specific routines. Is one viewpoint better than the other?

The Apostle Paul gives us the answer—no. Both are correct, as long as the person is fully convinced in their minds. The key is that we all honor the others’ viewpoint. We are to love one another and treat one another with love, honoring one another’s viewpoint. Paul uses the example of eating certain foods, but the principle applies for all days. In all that we do, we are to honor God, regardless of how we view a specific day.

I pray we all honor God every day. I pray we honor one another’s viewpoint of special days. I pray each one of us treat one another with love and respect. Be fully convinced of your viewpoint. Understand why a day is special. Honor God in all things. Love one another. Be respectful of one another.

Romans 14:5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.

Welcome the Weak

Do you like to argue? Do you like picking on other people? Do you enjoy debating, even if you agree with someone? Do you look for faults in others? Do you like to point out where you are better than someone else? How do you think God looks at those things?

Many of us like to argue. We will argue over the least little thing. We are especially adamant in our argument when we know, or think, we are right. We like to pick on others sometimes, or a lot. We like to point out areas in which we are better than others. It makes us feel good.

On the other hand, we don’t care much for someone picking on us. We don’t like admitting we have weaknesses. We especially don’t like it when someone else laughs at us because they are better at something than we are. We feel embarrassed, degraded, and belittled. So why do we do that to others?

Paul tells the church in Rome to welcome those who lack the faith we do. But he gives a word of caution. We are not to do just so we can belittle them or argue with them. We are to welcome them and help them grow in their faith. He goes on to discuss how we may have different opinions, likes and dislikes, or different viewpoints. Those are not a reason for arguing or getting angry with one another. Rather, they are reasons to learn from one another.

I liken it to encouraging us to be big brothers or big sisters. See the person who may lack a little faith or understanding and coach them along to a deeper faith. Teach rather than scold. Exchange viewpoints calmly rather than argue. Understand the reasons for someone’s beliefs and calmly explain yours. We can learn a lot from one another if we will simply stay calm.

I pray we all seek to learn from others. I pray we seek to help others by teaching them. I pray each one of us will calmly listen to other and calmly explain our own understanding. Welcome all. Listen intentionally. Calmly exchange viewpoints. Teach those who lack understanding.

Romans 14:1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.

Be Observant

How do you view God? Do you see God as all powerful, omniscient, and omnipresent? Do you see God as the Creator of all things? Do you believe God is in control? Do trust God’s plan for your life? Are you in awe of God? Do you tremble before God?

Each of us has our own viewpoint and belief about God. Our view of him is often based on our experience with him.  Yes, we read of what God has done in our Bibles. We hear lessons and sermons about God. We may discuss God with others.

Yes, we can read and hear all about God, but what do we believe? The Bible is our primary source and takes precedent over feelings and emotions. Yet, our experience with God is key to our belief. It is through experience with him that we come to know that he is real. It is no different than our human interactions.

We see people on our televisions. They are nothing more than figures we see in glimpses. We do not really know any of them. We may understand a character they play. We may think we know them based on snippets we hear from them. But we do not really know them. Perhaps that is why we are so excited when we encounter one of them in person.

We must encounter God to fortify our belief. To encounter him, we must ask him to come into our lives. We must get beyond intellectual knowledge and experience him working in our lives. We can only do that if we open our eyes and be observant of what is happening around us. As we observe what is happening from a broader perspective and see God at work, we begin to have a deeper understanding of God. As our view continues to widen, we are overwhelmed by his works. It is then that we will tremble before God and fall to our knees in awe.

I pray we all seek to observe God working in this world. I pray we open our eyes to a broader perspective. I pray each one of us will experience God working in our lives and be in awe of him. Set aside your feelings. Set aside your emotions. Observe God working. Widen your perspective. Experience God. Be in awe of God.

Psalm 114:7-8

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, 

at the presence of the God of Jacob, 

who turns the rock into a pool of water, 

the flint into a spring of water.

The Way Provided

Have you felt God was leading you and suddenly it appeared you were caught between a rock and hard place? Has it ever seemed as though you were led into a trap? Have you wondered where God is in that moment? Did you rely on God to provide a way out of it?

We often find ourselves backed into a corner. More times than not it is due our own bad decisions. Sometimes those decisions do not reveal their negative results until much later, maybe even years. It is only in hindsight we can see the error of our ways sometimes.

Yet, there are other times when we feel God leading us. We follow along believing he is fully in control, and nothing can go wrong. Then…we run into a brick wall. We don’t even know where it came from. Our options are to continue believing God is leading us and trust him or take matters into our own hands. If we have truly been following God’s guidance, option one is our best choice.

You see, if God leads us to the brick wall, he will provide a way through it, over it, or around it. How do we know this? First, God has promised to never leave us alone. Second, we have the example of the Israelites. God led them to the Red Sea. He knew Pharoah was going to chase them, just like he knows Satan continues to chase us. God had a plan for Israel, and he has a plan for us. He parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could walk across on dry land. If he has led us to a place, he will lead us out of it. It may just be a trial of our faith.

The Israelites were fearful of Pharoah and his army. We are often fearful of other people. However, Moses trusted in God, and we need to trust him as well. When we are following God’s will in our lives, God leads us where he wants us to be. We must trust he is always with us. We must lean on him to pull us through the situation. God always will.

I pray we all follow God’s lead. I pray we put our faith in him at all times and hold onto our faith tightly. I pray each one of us will allow God to take away our fear and lead us to where he wants us to be. Put your trust in God. Follow his lead. Hold onto your faith. Trust God to provide a way.

Exodus 14:26 The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them.

Unified in Spirit

Have you had a very close relationship with someone? Have you experienced being so close to someone you could finish each other’s sentences? Do you seek that closeness with fellow Christians?

Most of us have had very close relationships. It may have been with a spouse. It may have been with a friend. It may have been with a parent. Those kinds of relationships are special. If or when they are broken apart, there is a hole left behind.

We can have a similar type of bond with our fellow Christians. In fact, we should. We all have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit, we can come together in unity to carry out God’s plan for our lives and the church.

Today’s passage is both encouraging and troublesome. It is troublesome when we ponder why we are not being effective in our ministry. It would seem to indicate we are not unified. For if we were unified, our ministry would be blessed by God.

That is the encouraging part, isn’t it? When we are unified in purpose, God blesses us. To be fully unified, we need to be unified in the Spirit. We must set aside our personal preferences and ask God to guide us. When we come together to ask God to guide us and we are open to hearing him, having set aside our personal preferences, he speaks through the Spirit to the group. Yet, if anyone comes with their own agenda, God allows us to wallow in our self-importance.

I pray we all seek to be unified in Spirit. I pray we come together to seek God’s will. I pray each one of us will set aside our personal preferences. Be unified in the Spirit. Seek God’s guidance. Set aside personal preferences. Seek to do God’s will.

Matthew 18:19-20 “Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Godly Conflict Resolution

How do you react to someone offending you? How do you react when someone does something bad to you? Do you immediately strike back? Do you tell everyone you know how bad this person is? Or do you talk with the person privately in an attempt to right the situation?

It seems people are offended every day by someone. People are offended by opinions, false statements, and even facts. If whatever is said doesn’t match their thoughts, they are offended. We have lost the art of debate, compromise, and appreciation for diversity.

During my early adult years, I was a young Marine. I was taught to praise in public and chastise in private. It is a good rule to live by. It is not new guidance nor did the Marine Corps invent it. Jesus gives us the same advice. In fact, He provides a four-step process for conflict resolution.

First, go to the person in private. Discuss what happened. Both listen to the other person and state your viewpoint. Try to work it out between the two of you. If that doesn’t work, step two is to gather a couple more people to talk with the person. These are not to be only those we believe will take our side. They are to be people who are well grounded in Jesus’ teachings. They are to be people who can be trusted by both sides.

The third step is to bring it before the church if there is no resolution. If the person still will not repent, they are to be treated differently. Often, people have looked at the fourth step as one of turning our back on the other person. However, that is not what Jesus says. Yes, we may keep them from being involved in the church community, but we are also to go in mission to them, doing our best to bring them back into the fold.

This method is for significant sin against us. It is not for trivial matters of opinion. The offending person must have committed a sin against us that leaders of the church and the church body would interpret as significant. Unfortunately, we often see splits in churches or relationships over opinions. Might I suggest we cease being offended deeply over opinion and seek to reconcile relationships as Jesus has taught us.

I pray we all seek to follow Jesus’ guidance. I pray we seek to reconcile relationships within the church. I pray each one of us will follow Jesus’ four-step process for conflict resolution. Seek resolution. Follow Jesus’ guidance. Do not allow opinions to rule. Be in mission. 

Matthew 18:15 “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.”

Do It Out of Love

What do you believe it means to follow Christ? What does it mean to you to be a Christian? Do you understand what Jesus is asking of you? Have you read the guidance the apostles have written for you? Once you know, will it make a difference in your decisions?

Many who claim to be Christians don’t really follow what Jesus has commanded. They don’t follow the guidance of the apostles. In many ways, they are like people who want everything given to them without having to work for it. They don’t want to live as Jesus said we should live.

In the early church, meaning the first three to four hundred years, Christians considered the greatest honor being someone who was martyred. In contrast, today most Christians don’t want to face the least trial. They want it to be a bed of roses. At the first sign of someone poking fun at them or questioning if they are in touch with reality, they quickly deny Christ.

Make no mistake about it. It is hard to be counter cultural. Those who stand on the teachings of Christ are called old-fashioned, out of date, and often left behind by friends they have had for years. It is hard to be the one who doesn’t chase worldly desires. It can look like fun to be completely wild and crazy, not having a care in the world. Yet, all payments come due in time.

The Apostle Paul tells us to choose Jesus. He rightly tells us we will be gratified by Christ when the time is right. In fact, we will be rewarded, not only beyond what this world can offer, but beyond anything we can imagine. All that sparkles in this world will pale in comparison to what God has in store for us in eternity. Not only should we follow the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, but we should do so out of our love for Jesus.

I pray we all lay aside chasing after worldly desires. I pray we commit to following the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. I pray we put Jesus on and allow Him to guide our lives and provide all we need. Choose Jesus over the world. Commit to follow Jesus. Commit to following the apostles teaching. Do it all out of love for Jesus.

Romans 13:12b-14 Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Fulfill the Law

How much do you owe? How much debt have you accumulated? Do you follow the law? Are you legalistic in your view of obeying the law? Do you pick and choose which laws you decide to obey? What if you could follow all the law and owe nothing by following one principle?

We have mortgages, car loans, and credit card debt. We may owe more money than we can make in a year or two. We pay back loans over the course of several years. Mortgages may take thirty years to repay. Auto loans are now extending to six years.

Why does Paul tell the people of the church in Rome not to owe anyone anything? The simple answer is it is a form of slavery. By owing to others, we have no choice but to work to make money to pay off the loans. Don’t misunderstand. In today’s culture, it is rare that anyone can purchase a house or new vehicle without borrowing money to do so.

Perhaps the best we can do is follow his second piece of guidance. We are to love one another. Paul says by loving one another we fulfill the law. For the uninitiated or the one who isn’t thinking through this guidance, it may seem shallow, unrealistic, or simplistic. That viewpoint comes from a lack of understanding of the love Paul is talking about.

The love Paul is telling us to have, is the same love Christ has for us. In v.10, he says that “love does no wrong to a neighbor.” Think about it. Dive deep into what it means to love as Christ loves. It means to care about others, do what is best for them, and putting them ahead of ourselves. We won’t do anything that would hurt them or put them in harms way. If we see others as Christ sees them and love them as He loves them, we will inherently obey the law.

I pray we all strive to see others as Christ sees them. I pray we seek to love others as Christ loves them. I pray each one of us will obey the law by loving our neighbor as ourselves. See others through Christ’s eyes. Love others as Christ loves. Obey the law inherently. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you achieve the love of Christ.

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Sing for Victory

Do you like music? Do you like to dance? Does music move you in ways nothing else can? Does it bring about an emotional response? Does it lift you above the fray? Does it allow you to soar with the eagles, if only for a little while? Do you view music as worship?

Many of us like music. We like various genres of music. Some like hip-hop. Some like country. Some like rock-n-roll. Some like classical. Regardless of the music genre we like, it is almost guaranteed there are songs in that genre that bring about emotional responses.

Our worship music should also move us. We should have an emotional response. We should be lifted on wings like eagles as we sing praises to God. Personally, it is hard for me to sing Amazing Grace without getting choked up at some point in the song. But there are also contemporary Christian songs that evoke an emotional response in me.

The Psalmist tells the Israelites, and us, to make melody to praise God. He used the tambourine and lyre as examples in today’s passage but uses other instruments in the next Psalm. When we sing praises to God, he is happy with us. He sees into our hearts and sees that we are praising him out of love for him and in awe of him.

Notice what God does when we sing in the above manner. He grants victory. Why? Because we have humbled ourselves before him. We recognize his amazing awesomeness. We sing out of love for him and what he has done for us. Again, we have humbled ourselves before our awesome God and it pleases him.

I pray we all humble ourselves before God. I pray we sing joyous songs of praise to God. I pray each one of us sing out of our love for God, in awe of his awesome power, and for what he has done for us. Be humble. Be in awe of God. Sing God’s praises. Sing out of love. Sing in awe. Sing to honor and praise God.

Psalm 149:3-4

Let them praise his name with dancing, 

making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 

For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; 

he adorns the humble with victory.

Celebrate the Lord

Are there special days you like to remember? Do you celebrate them in a special way? Do you throw big parties inviting family and friends to celebrate with you? Are there celebrations that last more than a day? Are any of those celebrations to celebrate what God has done?

All of us have special days in our lives. We celebrate birthdays, first dates, wedding anniversaries, and job anniversaries. As a community we celebrate the anniversary of the founding of a town or the dedication of a building. We celebrate national holidays.

Celebrations of special days are good. For many of us those celebrations break up the normalcy of life. They give us a break from the day-to-day humdrum. Family and friends come together. We grill. We make homemade ice cream. We exchange gifts. We eat pie or cake. On some occasions we eat certain foods, such as black-eyed peas or cabbage.

The Israelites were to eat designated foods on Passover as well. God had given them specific instructions on how to prepare the lamb, the bread, and even how they were to dress and the manner in which they were to eat. They were to conduct a festival to celebrate God freeing them from Egypt. How do we celebrate God freeing us?

Christmas has become so commercialized, even Christians who remember Jesus’ birth still spend exorbitant amounts of money on gifts. Easter has become a time when we feel compelled to buy new clothes to wear on that Sunday. We have become more focused on our celebration than on the reason for the celebration.

Take a few moments to look at how God told the Israelites to celebrate Passover, to remember him. It was an austere celebration. Dressed to leave at a moment’s notice. The lamb was roasted and the bread was unleavened, so they could take the bread with them. They were to mark the doorpost of their house, nothing more.

Do not misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with decorations, clothing, gift giving, nor special foods…unless they become more the focus than God, who is the reason for our celebration. It is only when we fully understand, deep in our heart, that God has blessed us with each day that we will focus on his amazing works in our lives.

I pray we all realize that each day is given to us by God. I pray we give him the honor due him for his amazing blessings. I pray each one of us will focus on God on those special days rather than on ourselves. Give thanks to God for each day. Put your focus on him. Give God the honor he deserves.

Exodus 12:14 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.