Walking With Jesus

A New School Prayer

“Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13 NLT)

(Since the Lord’s Prayer is no longer allowed in schools, today I’m sharing a new version of the Lord’s Prayer written by a 15-year-old student in Minnesota who got an A+ for this entry! It was just too good not to share. Blessings, Ed 😊)

Now I sit me down in school, Where praying is against the rule

For this great nation under God, Finds mention of Him very odd

If scripture now the class recites, It violates the Bill of Rights.

And anytime my head I bow, Becomes a Federal matter now

Our hair can be purple, orange or green, That’s no offense; it’s a freedom scene.

The law is specific, the law is precise. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice

For praying in a public hall, Might offend someone with no faith at all.

In silence alone we must meditate, God’s name is prohibited by the State.

We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.

They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, And the ‘unwed daddy,’ our Senior King.

It’s ‘inappropriate’ to teach right from wrong. We’re taught that such ‘judgments’ do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls, Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, No word of God must reach this crowd.

It’s scary here I must confess, When chaos reigns the school’s a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make: Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

Are You Radically Christian?

“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.” (Ephesians 2:10 NCV)

While visiting in another country I was privileged to speak with men of God who had far less than me materially, but who knew the Lord Jesus intimately. On one occasion the Christian men of a village were gathered together and lined up to be shot. As a machine gun rang out, each man began to fall, but God spoke to one man: “Run! Run!” But the man said to the Lord: “Lord, I can’t! My hands and feet are bound with rope!”

But the voice persisted: “Run! Run!” So, he began to tug at the ropes that had him bound, and, miraculously, the ropes fell away, allowing him to begin to run. But as he ran the bullets continued to whiz by. Finally, out of range he took stock. His hat and clothes were riddled with bullet holes, but not one bullet entered his body. Miraculous and inspiring, but the sad truth is, he was later killed in his sleep with a machete.

Does your heart ache as mine when you hear a story like that? Do you think your faith would survive the uncertainty of an environment like that? Does it give us insight as to why American “Christians” are so weak in the face of anything which has the slightest hint of controversy? And please understand, I’m not pointing fingers, except at the one who stares back at me in the mirror.

The reality for me is, I’m not sure how to fight the evils that are attacking our country and our way of life, other than through prayer and seeking to live an exemplary life. Certainly, through the polls, but even that has been compromised. I grieve to read of our current President’s “proclamation” that Easter Sunday is now “Transgender Day of Visibility.” How far must we fall before the Lord steps in and says: “ENOUGH!”

This morning, I read these words from Revelation 19:2: “’Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of His servants.’” One day, sooner than any of us can imagine, Jesus will call a halt to all the lies, slander, murder, power lust, and disgusting distortion of all He has made.

When I was a new believer, I heard an old radio evangelist say with conviction: “When Jesus comes back, He’s not coming back to take sides, He’s coming back to take over!” And my heart sings: “Lord, hasten that day!” But even as I type those words the Lord reminds me of those for whom I pray every day who would not be in heaven if He came today.

We must be about our Father’s business of sharing His Good News with everyone and anyone who will listen. Time is too short for us to be mediocre in our faith. Jesus must be everything to us or He’s nothing! We must pray, live, think, and act as though we truly believe He could come at any second – if not for the whole world, for us or someone we know and love who doesn’t yet know Jesus.

Let me close today with these words of Ron Hutchcraft: “I guess there are three roads that we rich Christians can take. One, we can continue with our mediocrity, doing the biggest things that man can do. Two, we can learn God’s power through a time when He strips us of all the earth things that we are depending on. Or three, we could use all God has given us, but put no trust in it.”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

God’s Word

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?’ And I replied, ‘I see a branch from an almond tree.’ And the Lord said, ‘That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all My plans.’” (Jeremiah 1:11-12 NLT)

In the opening verses of Jeremiah’s writings, that have become for us a book in what we know to be “God’s Word,” the Bible, we learn that, like Moses, Jeremiah was reluctant to become God’s instrument in that key time in Israel’s history. We see this highlighted by his words in verse 6: “’O Sovereign Lord,’ I said, ‘I can’t speak for You! I’m too young!’” How like us to make excuse when God speaks.

Ultimately the Lord persuaded Jeremiah to get with His program which led to the above verses that make very little sense until we understand that in the Hebrew language, which was the language Jeremiah spoke and wrote, the word “watching” (shoged) sounds like the Hebrew word for “almond tree” (shaged).

The bottom line for us is that God assured Jeremiah, as He assures each of us, that He’s not only watching our lives, but using the very circumstances of our lives to illustrate what He’s told us He will do. John Piper wrote: “God not only predicts but performs His word.” It would seem this might have more significance if I’m a Prophet like Jeremiah; after all, Jeremiah was predicting some pretty heavy-duty consequences for Israel’s disobedience to the Lord. However, the reality is, God’s Word speaks just as clearly to us as it did through Jeremiah’s words to the Israelites.

What is your expectation when you read the Bible? Do you expect to feel better about yourself? Do you expect a revelation that will revolutionize your life? Do you expect to get clarity about a question you have or perhaps an issue with which you’re wrestling? When I read the Bible, I expect to hear God’s voice; to hear words of affirmation, guidance, correction, consolation, or conviction.

If we don’t have any expectation as we open God’s Word, it may not be of much help to us. R.C. Sproul wrote: “God has entrusted the ministry of the Word to us, not its results.” Not hearing Dr. Sproul’s words in context, I’m left to apply them as I understand them. To me they have at least two applications.

First, “ministry of the Word” implies studying, digging deep to find the meaning with at least two applications – to edify my own heart and life, and/or to share my findings with others. In either case we’re not guaranteed any specific result. For example, I can share verses that have changed my life with someone else who may yawn and say, “Ho Hum.”

Reasoning, whether from the Bible or otherwise, that God has used to turn our lives around may not positively affect anyone else in the same way. Why not? Because the context of their life may be different. They may be in a much different season or stage of life than we are or were, thus, for us to expect the same result or application in their lives as ours isn’t a realistic expectation.

In my mind I believe sharing the same verse or verses from God’s Word is not necessarily going to elicit the same response from every person who hears them. I’ve learned that God’s Spirit will use God’s Word in many ways according to God’s intention and desire. For one it may drive them to their knees in repentance, while it may encourage someone else who is searching, to stay on their journey.

One thing I know with absolute certainty. If you don’t listen to God’s Word, God will not use it to speak to you.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Cost of Following Jesus

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 NLT)

Have you ever pondered what pleases God? Most of us are so focused on what pleases us we forfeit any notion of anything that might please God. Grace and mercy have been so distorted in our thinking we’ve come to believe being a Jesus follower is more about us than Him.

Though I’ve never served in the military, my perception is that combat soldiers understand perhaps better than anyone, what obedience, sacrifice, and service truly mean. Having lost a lot of friends in the controversial Viet Nam war, I’ve seen firsthand the misery and heartache caused to those who came home, and the suffering of the families of those who didn’t.

Days before the war ended, a good friend of mine dove on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. That’s so foreign to how most of us think, yet that’s what Jesus did on the Cross. With full knowledge of what His decision to come to planet earth would cost Him, He didn’t hesitate to do whatever needed to be done to give us – you and me – the privilege and honor of being His servant.

“The Cost of Following Jesus” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Why do we wrongly assume that being a Jesus follower is an invitation to have a good time? It’s an invitation to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. It’s an opportunity to see life as the privilege it is, not to pamper ourselves and live it up so we can enjoy the pleasures of this world to the fullest.

The closer I get to Jesus the less attractive the things of this world become. The older I get the more I want to live to the glory of my Master and Lord. It frustrates me to have been so blinded by the things of the world when I was younger and had so much more of my life to give in His service. And yes, I served as a Pastor for many years, but those weren’t necessarily years I gave my life, too often they were years I had the life sucked out of me.

It’s ironic how “godly” people can make such ungodly demands of others, often including, but not limited to their Pastor(s). I entered ministry to serve Jesus, but much of what I was taught and required to do had very little to do with Jesus, and a whole lot to do with the whims of people.

We like to talk about the significant cost of following Jesus, but few of us truly understand what that looks like. If only we could spend a few months in Iran, Iraq, North Korea, or many other places where it’s radically different for a Jesus follower to live, we might catch a glimpse of what sacrificing for Jesus really looks like.

Would to God we could calculate “cost” based on the number of lives we effect positively to follow Jesus and not on the few dollars we give to our local churches. We’ve got to stop calculating our effectiveness as a believer on the meetings we attend or the verses we memorize, and start agonizing in prayer over how we can lead our lost loved ones, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and others in our spheres of influence to the foot of the Cross.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Causes Your Joy to Grow?

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.” (Matthew 13:44 NLT)

Every morning, I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ who live in the shadows of persecution. It’s impossible for us to even imagine what that looks like for them, so, admittedly, I struggle some mornings to find words to describe what I’m asking God to do for them.

While on a mission’s trip years ago, our team visited a small village that included a church that had been reconstructed by the wives whose husbands had been burned alive in their presence. Someone asked me to pray, but I couldn’t. I could hardly breathe as I contemplated the sacredness of the very spot upon which I stood.

It’s incomprehensible to most of us what it means to risk what those faithful wives risked honoring their husbands’ memory, but more to the point, to honor the Lord for whom their husbands gave their lives. They didn’t take the risk begrudgingly, but joyfully.

How much joy would you have if you lived with the prospect that at any second someone could burst into your house, snatch your children, murder you or demand that you leave with nothing but the clothes on your back? It’s no wonder so many American “Christians” have such shallow faith, it’s rarely tested.

In a Turning Point devotion Dr. David Jeremiah wrote: “Petr Jasek, a worker with Voice of the Martyrs, was arrested in Sudan and imprisoned for 445 days, sometimes being housed with ISIS warriors. Other times he was in solitary confinement or crammed into overcrowded cells with convicts.

For the first five months he was without his Bible, but he sustained himself on his Bible memory verses and hymns. Occasionally he was able to exchange mail with his family, and in one letter home he wrote, ‘The longer I’m in prison, the greater my joy grows, and from Jesus’s nail-pierced hand, I am experiencing new touches. All of this we can explain only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who has loved us. I am living, knowing, and feeling the tremendous protection and intervention from God’s hands, especially when there is danger… God is giving me strength in my weakness… and He will be the One who finishes this fight instead of me.’”

We have such a distorted view of what joy is, never seeming to realize that joy isn’t an emotion; something we feel when we’re happy or when everything is going our way. It’s the decision we make for the privilege of being a child of God, regardless of how we feel or how horrible our circumstances may be. There are times I’m almost ashamed to admit I’m a child of God for fear someone will wrongly assume all believers in Jesus should have it as easy as me.

A. W. Tozer wrote: “Most Christians want a thrill or joy, but do not want holiness or the purity of a Spirit-filled life.” The longer the Lord tarries His return the higher the risk becomes that we’ll find out firsthand what persecution really looks like. Then we’ll know with certainty what our faith “house” is built upon.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

One Upmanship Is Never Appropriate for a Jesus Follower

“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in Me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.” (Mark 9:42 NLT)

We too often race through verses like the one above believing they have no application to us, but we must remember with whom Jesus was speaking here – His disciples!

John, who, at least in his own mind, was “the one whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20), is the one who asked the question that elicited the answer above. Are we to assume Jesus was saying to John and the other disciples: “One slip and you’re at the bottom of the ocean!” Of course not, He was using a figure of speech to drive home a point.

Photo by Paweu0142 Fijau0142kowski on Pexels.com

When any of us is seeking to find ways to make ourselves look or seem better than another Jesus follower, we’re on a very slippery slope. Jesus washed His own disciple’s feet to illustrate how important it is to humble ourselves and serve, not demand to be served or thought of more highly than we ought.

Problems occur when we, maybe not even with our words, but in our mind, begin to view ourselves as better than someone else. May I remind us that the ground is level at the foot of the Cross. There are no big “I’s” and little “you’s” in God’s eternal family. Every person who comes to Christ is a sinner in need of a Savior. And while another’s sin may seem more severe than mine, sin is sin. There are no big sins or little sins, only sins. I appreciate what Josh Mauney wrote: “Praying and reading my Bible doesn’t make me better than you. It makes me better than me.”

A pastor whom I knew and respected came to speak at a church I served for many years while I was away. The person who led our worship was from a different denomination, but one that was very aligned theologically with what we believed and taught. But the visiting pastor refused to stand on the platform at the same time as our Worship Leader because his background was different.

That kind of attitude grieves my heart, but more to the point, it grieves the heart of God. Often, I believe we seek to build ourselves up in our own mind by tearing someone else down. That’s not only childish, it’s also sinful and will destroy our witness for our Savior if it isn’t dealt with appropriately.

Paul fought this same battle in his ministry and addressed it in Romans 3:9-10 when he wrote: “Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is righteous – not even one.’”

None of us should take pride in our particular denomination. The very fact denominations exist is a testament of our divisiveness and inability to get along and be agreeable, which is a travesty and a slap in God’s holy face. To believe someone from one “brand” of Christianity is better than another magnifies our blindness to our own sin.

Yes, of course, I realize that some denominations are now more closely aligned with what I believe the Scriptures teach, but that we had to divide for that to happen is tragic. May we never use our personal beliefs as an excuse to not embrace another person who hasn’t seen the proverbial “light” that we have seen. How can we ever expect them to see the light of Jesus that we profess shines through us when we treat them like we’re still walking in the dark?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Forgetting Who the Real Enemy Is

“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are My followers. And many will turn away from Me and betray and hate each other.” (Matthew 24:10 NLT)

In Matthew 24 Jesus is outlining the things that will happen in the last days before His return. These are frightening words that point to disturbing events that will take place in the world and in our individual lives. Being hated isn’t a strong motivator when speaking to someone about receiving Christ’s invitation to follow Him. “And, one other thing, you’ll be hated and probably killed for your faith.”

That’s one of the realities of knowing Jesus that likely shouldn’t be foremost in our mind on most days, but nonetheless something that should inform our spirits as we do daily battle with the enemy of our soul. As Jesus followers we’re under constant attack from Satan and his emissaries as he relentlessly seeks to turn our thoughts and actions away from obedience to our Lord and Master.

Ron Hutchcraft spoke to this in a recent “A Word With You:” “Now, our enemy – the enemy of every believer in Jesus, every Christian church, every Christian family – has his way all too often. Not so much because he’s so strong, but because he exploits our tendency to fight each other and to forget the real enemy that threatens us all.

Someone said, ‘Christians are the only soldiers who form their firing squads in a circle.’ Isn’t it true! We shoot at each other so much; wasting our ammunition that should only be aimed one direction – at Satan and his forces.”

We’re so tempted to believe our spouse, or boss, or kids, or parents, or neighbors, or co-workers, or fellow believers or _____________ (and you can fill in the blank) is out to get us, to take advantage of us, to rob us of our way. We get so easily distracted by skirmishes that don’t deserve the time we invest in them, time that should be invested in reaching the very ones with whom we’re too often at odds.

Some of the most satisfying and redemptive conversations I’ve had with someone is when I’ve been willing to admit that I was wrong. Pastor Rick Warren wrote: “When you meet someone to resolve a conflict, you first have to confess your part of the problem. Then you need to listen for the other person’s hurt and perspective.

In every conflict—from our personal relationships to politics—we think we argue over ideas. But we actually argue over emotion. Anytime there’s a conflict, someone’s feelings were hurt; somebody felt abused or slighted. It’s not the idea that causes the conflict. It’s the emotion behind the idea.

Hurt people hurt people. The more someone is experiencing hurt, the more likely they are to lash out at everyone else. People who aren’t experiencing hurt don’t hurt others. People who are filled with love are loving toward others. People who are filled with joy are joyful toward others. People who are filled with peace are at peace with everybody else. But people who are filled with hurt are going to hurt others. They’re going to lash out.

As followers of the only perfect person who ever lived, we’ve got to keep our eyes, mind, heart, and strength focused on Him, realizing He’s the only Advocate we need to solve any conflict we’ll ever have.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Fresh Faith

Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.” (James 3:11-12 NLT)

One of our greatest challenges as a Jesus follower is to keep our faith fresh, free from encumbrances with which the enemy of our soul seeks to saddle us. Every day as I walk my neighborhood I pray for those in each house, in mine and the surrounding neighborhoods. Those whose names I know, I use their names seeking to make my prayers for them as personal and specific as I can.

One thing that enables me to keep my faith fresh is by praying as specifically as possible. Rather than something like: “Lord, please bless my neighbors,” I ask the Lord to “please draw Steve and Sarah to you. Help them to turn from the emptiness that’s so evident on their faces to faith in you who alone can give them hope, peace, and life.”

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

To me it’s as though the Lord is walking with me and He’s guiding me in how to pray most effectively. And I realize that even a walk isn’t realistic for some of you, so, pray from your favorite chair that may be by a window through which you can see your neighbors’ houses or watch as they pass by.

Prayer is the lifeline to our heavenly Father, through which we give love and express our concerns, but it’s also the source of our daily (sometimes moment by moment) strength. Freshness implies current, in the moment, but it also suggests attentiveness to the Lord’s presence. He enables us to see what we might miss or hear what might otherwise be jumbled into the background noises of our life.

Dr. David Jeremiah wrote in a recent Turning Point devotional: “We all long for a global revival, another ‘Great Awakening.’ We pray for that, but we cannot control the seasons God keeps under His own authority. But we do know this—He wants each of us to live in perpetual revival, constantly renewed in the spirit of our mind, keeping a fresh mental and spiritual attitude. Does that describe you? It should and it can!”

Intimacy with the Lord is the pathway to intimacy with every other person in your life. If your walk with the Lord is stale and dated, so will your life be, thus, crippling your means of expressing love to others effectively. Robert Lowry wrote: “The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart, a fountain ever springing! All things are mine since I am his! How can I keep from singing?”

Just as fruit picked from a dying branch isn’t as satisfying as what’s chosen from a vibrant and alive branch, so the “fruit” of our life, if we’re not walking closely with the Lord, is going to be ineffective, dull, and often meaningless as we seek to share our faith with others. The people in my life that I most admire and from whom I most easily learn, are those who spend time with the Lord and have an intimate and current connection with Him.

How fresh is your faith? Are you spending quality time (not leftover time) reading, studying, and memorizing His Word? Is your prayer life vibrant and alive with the freshness of a Spring flower, or stale like your breath when you first awaken? If you don’t like the freshness of your faith, only you can do something about it.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Final End

“So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.” (2 Peter 2:9 NLT)

Are there days you think will never end? How about seasons of suffering, heartache, or temptation? How about the seeming endless prayers for lost loved ones, for resolution to problems, or a solution to family issues? There are times in my life when I just want it to be over – the hassles, misunderstandings, stresses of getting old – all of it, over!

Then I think of Jesus’ words in John 14:3: “When everything is ready I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” The Lord sometimes reminds me of how badly I wanted to be 16 so I could get my driver’s license, but now it amazes me that anybody in their right mind would allow a 16-year-old to get behind the wheel of anything, let alone a machine that can go 100+ mph.

My “need for speed” now relates more to getting to the bathroom than driving a car, so, I see more clearly my need to see time and the issues with which I now wrestle in their proper perspective. There will come an end to everything, not only that cause us troubles and heartache, but the things about life on planet earth that we most enjoy.

Perhaps I’m weird in thinking these kinds of things, but when we first moved into the house in which we now live, I thought: “There will be a last time I’ll walk through this door, sleep in this bed, wash a dish in this sink, etc.” To me, that’s not morbid, it’s reality. I have a file on my computer to which I have directed my wife and son who lives near us. It’s heading is: “When I Die.”

It gives instructions as to what to do with my carcass, outlines who to contact, all of our bills, how they’re paid, and all essential information to help my wife and kids to move through the hassles created by my passing, as smoothly as possible. I’m also writing letters to my wife and each of my kids, letting them know how much I love them and how important it is to plan ahead for the inevitable end of their life.

It’s amazing to me that so few people think about death, even though last time I checked, the death rate for human beings is still 100%. We’re not getting out of this life alive – UNLESS we’ve settled accounts with the Author and Finisher of life, the Lord Jesus. My wife and I have a Trust that outlines what to do with everything we own, but more importantly, we’ve settled our eternal estate and know that when we die there’s a place in heaven for us secured by the Lord Jesus Himself.

Paul David Tripp wrote: “God’s promise is sure, there will be a final end to violence, suffering and sin and righteousness and peace will reign forever and ever.” There will also be a final opportunity to receive forgiveness for our sins and invite the Lord Jesus to become the Lord of our life. He’s the only way to heaven, so to postpone giving Him our life is essentially to sign our own death certificate: “See you in hell, because I waited too long!”

Please, dear friends, the most important decision you will ever make is to yield your life and allegiance to Jesus. My only regret is that I didn’t give Him my life sooner. Because of Him my final end will be the doorway to an eternal life the likes of which I don’t have the capacity to imagine just how good it will be.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Jealousy Isn’t Negative

“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you.” (Exodus 34:14 NLT)

Jealousy can be a very destructive emotion in any relationship, even with God, but it helps to see it in context. The jealousy that God has for us isn’t selfish or self-focused, it’s healthy and liberating. It focuses on us and our wellbeing, not on Himself.

When I was in high school, I was very jealous. I didn’t want another boy to look at my girlfriend, she was “MINE.” It will likely come as no surprise to you, but my jealousy cost me my relationship with her. My greatest fear became her reality because she translated my jealousy as a lack of trust. And why wouldn’t she? At its root that’s essentially what jealousy is.

Believing another human being belongs to anyone but the Lord is destructive, debilitating, and damaging. It violates who a person is at their core. If I suspect or know you don’t trust me, there’s nothing upon which to build a friendship. Trust is a critical foundation for any relationship. Would you take your car to someone you didn’t trust? How about a doctor, attorney, anyone whom you were concerned wouldn’t provide whatever service you needed?

God isn’t jealous in the sense that He wants to “own” us to the exclusion of any other relationship, fearing He’ll never measure up or that someone or something else will bring us more satisfaction, contentment, or joy. He knows that ONLY HE can give us what we need to be everything He designed and created us to be.

His jealousy isn’t fearing we’ll find more of whatever life offers from another source, it’s concern we’ll settle for less and miss all He has for us. For example, let’s say our goal is to become a millionaire by the time we’re 35 years old. That’s our life’s mission, so, we commit to doing whatever it takes to get what we want. We’ll lie, cheat, bend rules, break laws – they’re all “fair game” if that’s what it takes to make our goal.

Finally, we turn 35 and we assess our life. We have lots of money, but our heart is empty. We have no real friends because we’ve driven them all away with our selfish obsessions. We may live in a fabulous house, but it’s empty of love. We drive a very expensive car, but it’s no fun because we don’t want to leave it anyplace for fear it will be damaged or stolen. We don’t own the things we have; they own us. That’s far inferior to God’s plan for us.

But there’s another kind of jealousy that can be constructive and positive. Leslie J. Barner wrote: “I didn’t realize my marriage was suffering or that my husband felt neglected until he shared his feelings and asked, ‘When are you going to make time for me … for us?’ … my husband had become jealous. He felt like I had allowed other things in my life to take his place. I discovered this kind of jealousy isn’t negative, it’s natural.

Our spouse, who is our number one priority after God, if we are married (see Genesis 2:24), can experience that same type of jealousy at times. Sure, life can get a bit hectic with many things, even good things, vying for our attention. But we can still make sure that the priority of our marriage doesn’t get lost. We can find ways—like spending time with her before gaming with friends or cutting back on time spent serving others to lavish attention on him—that communicates, ‘You are my number one. Nothing is more important than our marriage.’”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊