Walking With Jesus

The Crisis of Meaninglessness

“’Everything is meaningless,’ says the Teacher, ‘completely meaningless.’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NLT)

In a recent article by John Stonestreet of the Colson Center, he highlighted the teen mental health crisis. One New York Times journalist noted that “major depressive episodes” and teen suicides have increased by 60% since 2007.

Stonestreet wrote: “The factors behind this tsunami of depression, anxiety, and self-harm are many, one of which is the internet. In 2017, Dr. Jean Twenge of San Diego State University noted that the spike in adolescent mental health problems reached a crescendo in 2012. That year, the percentage of Americans who owned smartphones surpassed 50%. Exposing developing brains to an overwhelming amount of social information, she argued, was contributing to a massive, unprecedented uptick in mental health issues.” 

We’ve all seen firsthand the aloofness, anger, lack of expression, and uncaring for parents and others in the lives of teens and young adults in our spheres of influence. It’s frightening and discouraging, yet we must not forget that God is still on His throne and still in control. Why is this so vital to remember?

Most of you who read these posts love Jesus. That, my friend, is 2/3rds of the battle! We are God’s “special agents” planted in the lives of teens and young adults to fight back for their hearts and lives. But how?

As with any Kingdom endeavor, it begins with prayer. I encourage you to make a list of the young people in your spheres of influence. My guess is, most of you already prayer regularly for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors, and others, but let’s sharpen our focus. For example, a major part of their problems stem from the flooding of information into their minds and hearts. So, can we “distract” them from their “distractions?”

Let’s be more intentional in speaking into their lives. Focus on an area in which they have interest or take them to a sporting event or shopping or _________, and you can fill in the blank of what you believe would be most effective for the teens in your life. And I understand that some of them live far away.

So, we can use some of the same tools the devil is using so effectively. Let’s call, text, or email them. Think about it. Every second they spend talking to us or reading things we’ve sent them, is a second away from the barrage of meaninglessness they encounter on the internet or on their phone.

“But what would I say?” I suspect it will be tough at first but let them know how much they mean to you. Part of the problem is the things that demand their attention are impersonal. They invade their mind, but rarely touch their heart. Let them know how much you love them, then prove it by inviting them into your life.

Tell them stories of when you were growing up. Let them laugh at the clothes you wore and the songs you sang. Tell them about trips you’ve taken and what you’ve seen and experienced that has changed your life. Share your fears and your anxieties or take them someplace beautiful with a stipulation that phones are at least silenced.

And you may be thinking – “What about telling them about Jesus?” And, yes, of course, but balance that with all the other ways you’re investing in them. Teens typically love to eat. Take them for a meal on Saturday or invite them to church with you and take them to lunch at their favorite place afterwards. Be creative. The Lord is faithful to guide you. Remember how love is spelled: T I M E!

The whole point is to help them find meaning in their life as they experience your love and care as you invest your life in them. Love speaks so much louder than the internet. They desperately need Jesus, but they first need to see Him in you.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

To the Second!

“We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.” (Job 14:2 NLT)

A wise friend made the observation that for families with small children the days are long, but the years are short. My “baby” girl will turn 50 this year, though it seems only yesterday we brought her home from the hospital. Why is it that the “good” times soar past so rapidly, while the “hard” times seem to drag by so slowly?

How many times have I heard “later” when I’ve invited someone to follow Jesus. It grieves me to think of the ones who have postponed their opportunity, and have now gone into eternity. Or how many times I’ve thought I had time to share with someone, only to hear of their passing. Time is not a respecter of anyone, it marches on regardless of the circumstances of our lives.

When I was in high school a very popular boy who was well known and well liked by many in his class, asked me to take him someplace after school one day. I felt honored and gladly gave him a ride. I didn’t know if he was a believer, but, as a new believer myself, I felt intimidated to speak with him about the Lord. As I sometimes did, I told myself I’d speak with him another time.

That “time” never came, as I heard just a few days later he’d driven his car into the river and taken his own life. I’ve since learned, when the Lord prompts me to share with someone, I make ever effort to obey.

Job made the observation in 14:5: “You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.” We wrongly assume that because someone is young they “have their whole life ahead of them.” I lost a lot of friends in the Vietnam war. When a friend or loved one goes to war, we rightly pray for their protection, but the reality is we should pray every time a loved one goes out the door.

In the world in which we live, Satan is actively seeking whom he may devour. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:15-17:“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

As Jesus followers it’s the Lord’s intention that we’re constantly in tune with His voice. His Spirit indwells us and over time tunes our spiritual “ears” to our Savior’s voice. We have no need to fear what we should say when speaking to someone about the Lord, as the Spirit will fill our mouths with the right words if our spirit is in tune with His.

Dick Eastman wrote: “Behind the saving knowledge of Christ for every person is someone praying.” The salvation of lost loved ones and friends begins in our prayers. In my desperation to see people I love come to the Lord, I often ask the Lord to do anything He deems necessary to draw them to Himself. I have a dear friend whose brother is very sick, but my friend assures me that God is using his brother’s sickness to draw him to Jesus.

I learned a long time ago that God can use any circumstance to help people see Him more clearly, we just need to be faithful in prayer and trust Him to do what only He can do. But we must do what only we can do – send cards, emails, texts, calls, in short, whatever He lays on our heart to do so that if/when our loved one or friend is open to speaking with someone about the Lord, we’re their first call.

Life begins in an instant and it ends in an instant and only the Lord knows the length of our lives – To the Second!

Blessings, Ed

To Know and Be Known

“It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.” (2 Peter 2:21 NLT)

To have knowledge of the Bible and/or the ways of God and to have a personal love relationship with God through faith in Jesus are two very different things. The verse above has reference to those who fall prey to false teachers who, in Peter’s words: “…will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them.”

What kinds of false teachings do they promote? Peter explains that “they promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption.” What kind of freedom do they teach? Essentially they teach that you can ignore the disciplines required to live a holy life. In short, they teach you can make a “profession of faith” then live any way you choose.

It’s not unlike many when they were young. They thought all their parents wanted to do was keep them from having fun. So when they finally got “free” from their parents what did they do? Whatever they wanted to do, right? Whatever that looked like – drink, smoke, cuss, steal, cheat, hurt others, have indiscriminate sex – whatever their little hearts desired.

When I was in high school I had a neighbor my age who was smart, talented, a good athlete – virtually everything you could hope to be. When we graduated we went to different colleges so we lost touch. Years passed and I was visiting my parents and I saw one of my friend’s parents and asked about him.

With sadness they told me he’d gotten addicted to drugs and had basically “fried” his brain. He was living with his parents, so I asked if I could see him, but he didn’t even recognize me. His “freedom” had cost him his ability to function on his own.

That’s the way of Satan. He convinces us to believe lies, that lead us to make decisions that don’t free us, but instead imprison us to our own selfishness and sinfulness. That’s essentially what the false teachers in the first century were doing and what they’re still doing today.

Many today believe Satan’s lies that we can serve Christ, yet continue to enjoy sex outside of marriage, lose ourselves in the pursuit of money, in short, pursue the pleasures of this world with no fear of consequence. Of these people Peter said: “These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness.”

Where am I going with all of this? To know Jesus and be known by Him opens the door to freedoms to be and do more than we could have ever imagined. The Bible tells us that we were made by God and for God, so, to the extent we experience the fullness of God’s presence actively working in and through us, to that extent we’ll enjoy the freedom to be everything we were created and designed to be.

Nothing compares to having the security of being under our loving Father’s care, sensing His closeness, experiencing His love, mercy, kindness, and grace 24/7. To know Him and be known by Him gives a level of intimacy, the satisfaction of which is beyond anything this world could ever offer.

Blessings, Ed

Living As Citizens of Heaven

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” (Philippians 1:27 NLT)

While it sounds really good to consider that we are citizens of heaven, the fact remains, we’re not – yet! On some levels it’s like an American thinking about what it would be like to be a citizen of Russia or China or any other “foreign” country. We can read about it or watch documentaries or speak with citizens of those countries, but unless we’ve been there and experienced it for ourselves, it’s very hard to conceive.

However, on the other hand, as Christ-followers, we’re getting to know Someone who is from heaven, actually lives there now, but has also taken up residence in our hearts and lives in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said of the Spirit in John 14:26: “But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

So, the main thing we need to learn is how to listen to the Spirit. Paul instructs us in the verse at the top of the page, to conduct ourselves “in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” What does that look like? Perhaps a more basic question is – what is the Good News of Christ? If we’re going to live in a manner worthy of something or someone, it makes sense to think about what that might mean.

The Good News in a nutshell centers and focuses on Jesus, God’s only Son, who came to earth from heaven, was born of a virgin, lived a perfect, sinless life, then died a horrible death on the Cross in order to pay the penalty for our sin, the debt for which we could never in all eternity ever have paid for ourselves.

But death could not hold our Savior. He burst forth from the tomb under His own limitless power, visited with His disciples and others for several days, then decided He’d head back to heaven. There’s no way any human being CAN be worthy of any part of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf, unless and until we submit ourselves in unashamed devotion to who He is – Almighty God, Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of all that has been, is, or ever will be!

We can never begin to walk in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ until we see ourselves as the helpless, hopeless, sin-drenched, worthless excuses of human beings we were and are apart from Him. We are nothing and can do nothing apart from Jesus, period, end of story! Almost!

If all that you’ve read so far was void of love, then yes, it would be the end of the story. But love made a way where there was no way. So, now, because of who Jesus is and what He has done, He invites us to join Him in God’s activity in this fallen world. Because of the empty tomb and our Risen Savior, we can be forgiven and given a new life – we can become a brand-new species of being, one that’s never existed before (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) by yielding our life and allegiance to Him by faith.

We can be infused with His Holy Spirit’s power to live like we were never able to before Jesus. We can learn to live in a manner worthy of His holy Name and of His unequaled sacrifice, but it begins at the Cross. We must understand that what we see there is what we deserved. Jesus was there in our place!

And if that doesn’t fill you with a deep, gut-wrenching sense of appreciation and gratitude, I can’t imagine what would. But if your spiritual eyes are opened and your heart breaks with insight into the tremendous debt we owe our loving Savior, no power on earth or that Satan can muster will ever stop us from being all we can possibly be for Jesus. Your life will become a monument of honor to the One whose name you bear. Bear it with gratitude and devotion, sharing that Good News with others until your dying breath.

That’s what it means to conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Honest?

“And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.” (Luke 8:15 NLT)

Honesty in the Bible means far more than telling the truth or not cheating someone. Honesty in Scripture is more about what you are than what you do. It’s not simply how you behave, it’s what prompts or motivates that behavior. Using the above verse as a guide, let’s look at what it means to be honest.

The context is Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the farmer scattering seed. The seed is God’s word, and the different soils represent the responses of people who hear the word. The good soil is what we want to look at in this post because therein we see the characteristics of someone who is going to be responsive and fruitful.

First, they’re honest. The word used in this verse that’s translated “honest” means “beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, admirable, genuine, approved, morally good, noble.” There are more, but that’s enough to see more clearly the kind of person Jesus was pointing to. And don’t misunderstand, “beautiful” and “handsome” aren’t physical characteristics, but more personality traits.

It means you’re attractive from the standpoint of your character; how you respond to and treat people. You make others feel important, desired, welcome, wanted. You have a quality about you that draws people and helps them to listen more attentively when you speak, especially as it relates to God’s Word.

Second, they’re good-hearted. The word “heart” can often be used in Scripture interchangeably with “soul,” and refers to the “seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions.” Think of the cockpit of an airplane. It’s essentially the control center of a person’s life. If you have a good heart your life will move in a good direction.

There are people who have a good heart who aren’t Jesus followers. We tend to think of “good” people as godly people, but they’re not one and the same. Notice that Jesus is speaking of the type of soil on which the seed falls. All four types of people are pre-Christian. The ones with a good heart are often more receptive and, thus, more fruitful once they yield their life and allegiance to Jesus.

Third, when they hear God’s Word and embrace it, they cling to it. The word means “to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of.” The picture painted is the pilot of a huge ship keeping it going on the right path, in the right direction. It’s the person who takes hold of Jesus and won’t let go. Trials, struggles, heartbreak, pain, and anguish only cause them to hold on to Him more tightly.

Fourth, they become very fruitful as a believer. Notice the verse says: “and patiently produce a huge harvest.“ Fruitfulness takes time and effort. You don’t plow a field, plant, and harvest in a day. As it relates to pointing loved ones and friends to Jesus, it can take years, but the attitude expressed here is “take your time, I’m not going anywhere.”

Implicit in honesty is dependability, firmness, not easily shaken or derailed. In a recent Turning Point devotion David Jeremiah wrote: “Above all, be a person whose word can be trusted. Don’t rely on oaths (“I promise”) to convince others you are speaking the truth.”

Richard Sibbes wrote: “The life of an honest man is an oath.” The person of whom Jesus speaks in this verse is a person whose life is all the proof someone needs to convince them they’re honest.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s the Cost?

“But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted.” (Matthew 14:6-7 NLT)

Have you ever expressed your intent to commit to something before you knew the cost? I have, and it cost me more than I could have ever imagined.

That’s what happened to Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee. He had arrested John the Baptist as a favor to his wife, Herodias, who had been married to his brother Philip. John the Baptist had been telling Herod that it was against God’s law for him to marry her, and it stirred in him thoughts that he’d like to murder John. But over time, perhaps what speck of conscience Herod had was pricked, or maybe he was just afraid of what John’s followers would do if he did kill John.

Whatever his hesitation, it didn’t matter after he had a few too many drinks and was influenced by the impact of the dance performed by his wife’s daughter. Motivated by his lustful mind and proud heart, Herod “promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted.” Obviously, he spoke without forethought, because what she asked of him cost him far more than the head of John the Baptist on a tray. That’s just how Satan works. Could Adam and Eve have known the cost of their sin? Can you or I?

Yes, of course, it cost our Savior His perfect, sinless life on the Cross. There’s nothing that can compare with that great sacrifice. But in practical terms, Satan blinds us to the implications of the decisions we make without thought.

My mentor said: “What is all you sold your soul to obtain worth, on the day you stand before Jesus?” People we know and love are selling their soul for things that will perish yet are blinded to the consequences until it’s eternally too late. Why is it so difficult to see the truth?

On the other hand, those of us who have committed our lives to Jesus must be willing to count the cost of what that means. Marshall Segal said: “Welcome what it will cost you today to pursue love in light of eternity.”Admittedly, we may never know the impact of our loving kindnesses on those we serve, but we can nonetheless embrace the sacrifice of our love in order that Jesus might be exalted and pleased.

When I was in seminary one of the classes I took was called “Ministry to the Mentally Ill.” We would go to a facility each week and be locked in with people with all sorts of mental illnesses. Our assignment was to zero in on one patient and each week write a report of our conversation with them.

Steve was the person’s name that I chose. He seemed normal to me, until he would begin to hallucinate and things that he “saw” or “experienced” became his reality. Honestly, he was convincing, so much so I couldn’t always tell fact from fiction. He told me there were those in the ward who “were out to get” him, which I took with a “grain of salt.”

Then one day we came for our visit, and I found Steve in bed. He had been badly beaten and couldn’t speak, but he indicated he was thirsty. There were several other patients around as I lifted his head and slowly let a few drops of water enter his mouth. I can’t explain it, but that was a moving experience for me. In all the conversations we’d had over the weeks, I hadn’t felt the closeness or love for Steve that I felt in that moment.

It was hard for me to be there, and I was always glad to leave, but it reminded me that sometimes the simplest act of kindness can be life-changing, not only for the one we help, but for us.

Burk Parsons wrote: “May our passion for Christ always be greater than our passion for an easy life.” May we always be willing to do the things for Jesus that stretch us and that, while we may not choose them for ourselves, will bless someone else and honor our Savior.

Sometimes that’s the cost we must be willing to pay to exalt Jesus and grow closer to Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Being Deceived?

“For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen Ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.” (Matthew 24:24-25 NLT)

Deception isn’t just for the last days. Satan has been deceiving people since the Garden of Eden.

In John 14:12, the verse we looked at in yesterday’s post, notice Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in ME, will do the same works I have done.” It’s not enough to believe in His Name. What are the implications?

Think about the works Jesus did while here on earth. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, walked on water, commanded the winds and waves to be still, turned water into wine, and many others. But remember what He said in John 5:19: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

What’s my point? We only have access to the Father through the Son. Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” Yesterday we noted that there were those who performed miracles through the power of Jesus’ Name, but they had no relationship with Jesus, and, thus, no relationship with the Father.

Jesus gives us insight into how we can know we have eternal life in John 10:27: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” May I ask you, wherein lies your faith in your eternal life? In a verse, or in the verse’s Author? How will you know the difference? Are you listening to His voice?

“But don’t we listen to His voice as He speaks to us through His written Word?” Absolutely, as long as you’re reading His Word and not simply listening to it through the lips of someone else. What God’s Spirit says through His Word as you’re reading or listening to it being read can be quite different than listening to someone else’s understanding and interpretation of His Word.

The people were badgering Jesus to tell them plainly that He was indeed the Messiah, and He said to them: “I have already told you, and you don’t believe Me. The proof is the work I do in My Father’s name. But you don’t believe Me because you are not My sheep.” (John 10:25-26) What’s He saying to them? “You aren’t hearing Me because you’re not of My flock!”

If we are Jesus’ sheep, we’ll hear His voice, not only as He speaks through His written Word, but as His Holy Spirit speaks in His still small voice, directing us day by day in the way we should walk. But please note, the Holy Spirit will NEVER tell us something that is contrary to God’s written Word.

The “proof” that we’re God’s child is found in Roman’s 8:16 when Paul writes: “For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” What does that look like? It’s more than an emotion, it’s a deep spiritual conviction that apart from Jesus we are nothing and apart from Him we can do nothing.

It’s a oneness of spirit that confirms that we don’t want anything other than what God desires for us. Our contentment isn’t from anything material – anything that is of this world – but is solely derived from knowing our sins are forgiven and our eternal home is in heaven with the Owner and Keeper of our heart and life. It isn’t in our theology, as important as that is, but in our confidence that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be. Our eternal destiny doesn’t hinge on right thinking alone, but on right believing.

Jesus will never play games with us. He’ll never say one thing and do another. He’ll never deceive us into believing a lie. He IS the embodiment of all Truth! He IS the Life of the Father! He IS the only Way to heaven!

Please don’t be deceived by Satan’s lies!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are Your Prayers Not Powerful Enough?

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12 NLT)

Today I want to raise more questions than I’ll answer. I believe on the one hand we tend to get frustrated with prayer, believing our prayers should be more powerful, and on the other hand fail to pray boldly because we rarely dare to ask with even “mustard seed” faith. What do I mean by that?

Think of Luke 9 when Jesus sends out the twelve disciples. Verse one says: “One day Jesus called together His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases.” What’s the implication? They didn’t possess those powers until Jesus gave them.

But think, too, of the ones to whom Jesus spoke in Matthew 7 who said: “’Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you.’”

Obviously, the disciples, including Paul, were given power to perform miracles after Jesus’ ascension, the primary source of that power being the Holy Spirit, which is the same Holy Spirit we were given when we believed.

In Acts 19 the seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were casting out demons “in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches.” They learned the hard way that wasn’t a good idea, but it reveals the power of the name of Jesus even in people who clearly weren’t His followers.

So, let me think “out loud.” What are the common denominators present in these passages? And yes, I realize this is a small sampling, but as I think of others, I still believe this will hold true. Certainly Jesus, the Holy Spirit, faith/belief, and relationship.

It’s evident in the above examples that faith in the name of Jesus can activate the Holy Spirit’s power apart from a saving relationship with Jesus. Casting out demons, healing, and other manifestations of miraculous power can bring Jesus honor and glory irrespective of whether or not the person is walking in harmony with Jesus.

Think of the last days. How do you think Satan will deceive so many? He will claim to be the Messiah and perform many miracles. Jesus said in Matthew 24:24-25: “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.” Obviously, Satan has power to perform miracles as well.

So, what’s my takeaway? We MUST focus on the Author and Finisher of our faith – the Lord Jesus. We MUST place our full faith and trust in Him alone. Our relationship MUST be squarely built on the foundation of God’s Word, and the Spirit’s presence in our heart and life MUST be evident in and through the way we believe, speak, and pray.

Belief is given visibility through how we live. If Jesus is Lord, it’s going to show up in two major ways: through how we spend our time and money. Look at your calendar and your checkbook, and if He’s not there Jesus very likely isn’t in your heart. If we’re not reading His Word, faithful in our attendance at corporate worship, developing godly relationships, praying regularly, giving, and sharing our faith with others, we may need a heart check.

Powerful prayers grow out of a powerful relationship with Jesus, not just in His Name.

We’ll look at this more closely in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Blessings Of The Fruit Of The Spirit

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

*Please read carefully and be attentive to the Holy Spirit as you read this devotional by Sylvia Gunter. This was just too good not to share. Blessings, Ed 😊 Used with permission.

The fruit of the spirit is not an emotional response. It is God in you. Be blessed to keep in step with His Spirit and draw on who He is.

Be blessed with God’s love that gives freely without asking anything in return. Be blessed with increasing and overflowing love for others.

Be blessed with the joy of the Lord that gives you strength. Be blessed to brighten and refresh weary hearts with the joy of Jesus.

Be blessed with receiving the Lord of peace who is with you always dispensing His peace to you.

Be blessed with grace-filled patience, not just tolerance. Be blessed with God’s patient endurance in battles long fought.

God’s kindness leads to repentance. Be blessed to pass on that kindness to others. Be blessed with His grace softening all that could be harsh.

Be blessed with active goodness that does not think to repay evil but considers how to bless from the goodness of Jesus in you.

Be blessed in His faithfulness that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Be blessed with the gentle answer of Jesus that turns away wrath. Be blessed with being wise as a serpent but gentle as a dove.

Ponder the immense self-control of Jesus. When He was taunted and crucified, He uttered only forgiveness. Be blessed with a disposition that is even-tempered and in step with His in spirit.

Taken from Sylvia Gunter’s Blessings For Life: Words Of Hope And Healing. © Sylvia Gunter, 2017 Blessings For Life includes a biblical foundation of spirit, soul, and body and 50 blessings for yourself and your family. Click here to learn more and order.
An archive of past devotionals is available on the website.

What Lies Beneath?

“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? (Galatians 5:7 NLT)

God has given me a heart for discipleship. It’s thrilling to watch God’s life grow in a new believer, especially when I know how much of a struggle it’s been for them to change direction in their life. It takes discipline and determination to be a Jesus follower, just as it takes effort to make a marriage work, or any relationship for that matter.

What’s disappointing is when someone in whom you have high hopes, it seems they have everything going for them, then suddenly, they’re off the grid. You call, text, email, inquire with family or friends, but it’s like they’ve disappeared.

One man I discipled really touched my heart. I grew to love and appreciate him and thought we were getting close. I met his wife and he and I worshipped together at church and just the two of us. Though he’d been addicted to drugs, he went through rehab and was making what I thought to be a sincere effort to put that life behind him. We met regularly and he told me often how much that meant to him. Then one day – poof! Gone.

What happened? In the verse above, Paul made the observation that the Galatians were running their race so well, then asked: “Who has held you back from following the truth?” Did you see it? He didn’t ask “What” held you back. He asked “Who!”

It’s nearly impossible to blaze a new trial with your life and keep your old friends. Craig Groeschel wrote: “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” When I first came to the Lord, I reached out to one of my friends with whom I was close. Though he was not a good influence on me, I didn’t just want to never see or talk with him again. But when I told him I’d decided to become a Christian and invited him to church, he had no interest.

It’s rarely easy to walk in a new direction, that’s one of the reasons it’s better to come to Christ early in life. The longer we walk in sin, the more distractions we have when we turn to Christ. Bob Goff said: “We won’t be distracted by comparison if we are captivated with purpose.” Jesus IS that purpose that captivates our heart and mind.

Distractions come in many forms, but the most difficult from which to turn is a destructive habit. Why do so many people turn to alcohol or drugs? They lower inhibitions and/or numb the pain. The problem is that we never know what lies just under the surface in a person’s life. Like some whom I’ve sought to disciple, they’ve had issues in their past that they said were no longer a distraction, only to find they were.

Another issue which distracts people, that they want to keep hidden beneath the surface of their lives, is a lie they’ve come to believe. They believe that because Jesus has made appropriation for their every sin, and grace is God’s unmerited favor that allows us to find forgiveness and peace with God, that they can continue to live in sin, never growing or maturing in their faith, and God will be fine with that.

Paul wrote in Galatians 6:7-8: “Don’t be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” Beware of what lies beneath. It can literally kill you.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊