Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Clean It Up
Orbit chewing gum ran a commercial years ago that asked one question: "Got a dirty mouth?” The commercial goes on to make a suggestion: “Clean it up with Orbit" Got a dirty mouth? The question may be more spiritually relevant to understanding the power of the tongue than we think.
A dirty mouth consists of anything that prevents the rivers of life from flowing in your life. Jesus reminds us that believers are to be sources of "rivers of living water" (John 7:38). We are to be sources of living water for those around us. And that water flows most powerfully through the words we speak (or in some cases, through what we don’t speak). What’s interrupting your flow? Clean it up! Cleaning up your mouth may mean avoiding people who gossip or not becoming a gossip yourself. Husbands, cleaning up your mouth may mean not getting frustrated with your wife and refusing to talk to her. Wives, cleaning up your mouth may mean that you don’t have permission to cop an attitude when you have a bad day.
There are times when we all need God's Brita system (His Spirit) to help clean up our mouths? Anger, strife, bitterness and discontentment continually attempt to filter dirt into our river systems. We let things slip out of our mouths that we don’t really mean. We begin to be controlled by our tongue. We lash out without thinking of the consequences. Until we realize the importance of rivers of life flowing in our lives, we’ll continue to allow these things to hinder our walk with God.
Then again, sometimes our tongue speaks without speaking. It speaks through our actions. Words often attributed to St. Francis Assisi gave us the following exhortation: “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary use words.” In other words, your actions at times take on a form of speech. In a very real way, the power of the tongue is demonstrated by your actions. Have you ever felt like not being bothered? Have you ever gotten upset about getting unexpected company? Maybe it’s just me. I don’t like when people show up and interrupt what I’m doing. I sit there the whole time thinking of the hundred other things I could be doing, while nodding my head like I’m listening. I learned one hard lesson.
That moment of perceived inconvenience can mean the world to someone else.
Many of the conversations I have don't happen by chance. They become God-ordained opportunities to minister words of life to others. There are moments in our day when God plants us strategically to become beacons of lights to others. The way you perceive inconvenience speaks volumes, even if you aren’t speaking.
Start changing your language (both external and internal). Start changing how you view inconveniences in your life. Can you pinpoint times in your life when anger or bitterness might have filtered dirt into your river system? How about times where you missed Jesus and weren’t in the right location (either physically or spiritually) to minister to others? Aren’t you ready for the river of life to resume flowing through you? Evaluate the power of your tongue by both the words you speak and the actions that speak for you.
Scripture Of The Day: “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” - James 3:10-11 (NKJV)
A dirty mouth consists of anything that prevents the rivers of life from flowing in your life. Jesus reminds us that believers are to be sources of "rivers of living water" (John 7:38). We are to be sources of living water for those around us. And that water flows most powerfully through the words we speak (or in some cases, through what we don’t speak). What’s interrupting your flow? Clean it up! Cleaning up your mouth may mean avoiding people who gossip or not becoming a gossip yourself. Husbands, cleaning up your mouth may mean not getting frustrated with your wife and refusing to talk to her. Wives, cleaning up your mouth may mean that you don’t have permission to cop an attitude when you have a bad day.
There are times when we all need God's Brita system (His Spirit) to help clean up our mouths? Anger, strife, bitterness and discontentment continually attempt to filter dirt into our river systems. We let things slip out of our mouths that we don’t really mean. We begin to be controlled by our tongue. We lash out without thinking of the consequences. Until we realize the importance of rivers of life flowing in our lives, we’ll continue to allow these things to hinder our walk with God.
Then again, sometimes our tongue speaks without speaking. It speaks through our actions. Words often attributed to St. Francis Assisi gave us the following exhortation: “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary use words.” In other words, your actions at times take on a form of speech. In a very real way, the power of the tongue is demonstrated by your actions. Have you ever felt like not being bothered? Have you ever gotten upset about getting unexpected company? Maybe it’s just me. I don’t like when people show up and interrupt what I’m doing. I sit there the whole time thinking of the hundred other things I could be doing, while nodding my head like I’m listening. I learned one hard lesson.
That moment of perceived inconvenience can mean the world to someone else.
Many of the conversations I have don't happen by chance. They become God-ordained opportunities to minister words of life to others. There are moments in our day when God plants us strategically to become beacons of lights to others. The way you perceive inconvenience speaks volumes, even if you aren’t speaking.
Start changing your language (both external and internal). Start changing how you view inconveniences in your life. Can you pinpoint times in your life when anger or bitterness might have filtered dirt into your river system? How about times where you missed Jesus and weren’t in the right location (either physically or spiritually) to minister to others? Aren’t you ready for the river of life to resume flowing through you? Evaluate the power of your tongue by both the words you speak and the actions that speak for you.
Scripture Of The Day: “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” - James 3:10-11 (NKJV)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A Hard Truth
A Hard Truth
I struggled for several weeks with whether I should really answer a question that a friend, wanting my opinion, posed to me. I didn't struggle with the wisdom I would share. Nor did I struggle with my ability to communicate the truth in a way for it to be understood. My struggle wasn't even about my friend’s reaction or our relationship long-term. My uneasiness was focused on the lifestyle adjustments that this new wisdom would require. It would require him to do one of the hardest things in life to do. And that is, change.
It was a hard truth that needed to be heard, but it would be much harder to implement and live by.
This is the same reality that we face in the area of holiness. Many of you that are reading this today know that holiness is not a denomination, nor a cultural phenomenon. It is a biblical mandate that still holds true, despite its branding of being out of date, out of style, or even that it requires what I call 'spooky religious' behavior.
The mandate of holiness is a hard truth that can be hard to discuss and converse about, but it still requires change, accountability, consistency, maturity and obedience.
New believers don't believe that it's attainable. 'Churched' Christians minimize it as old fashioned. Carnal Christians ignore it. And rigid (Pharisaic) Christians use it (the concept) as weapons to belittle and manipulate others.
With all of this division, God’s Word still carries the expectation and requirement that holiness is the standard, which leads us to the question: If God’s Word expects it, how do we actually live that out in our daily lives?
1 Peter 1: 13-16 provides clear instruction on this process of moving toward holiness. Indeed, it is a process that is more marathon and triathlon than sprint and quick jogs. This passage shows us in a very practical way how to begin to live out holiness in our daily life.
Peter writes to believers, in a simple approach, that we must:
1. Prepare Ourselves (v. 13)
2. Purge Ourselves (v. 13)
3. Position Ourselves (v. 14)
4. Purpose Ourselves (v. 14)
We prepare our hearts, minds and bodies to act in a way that pleases God. This requires an intentional plan of action that puts us on alert to doing God’s will. It is the same effect as when we drive a car and immediately our sense of lawfulness arises and we begin to check our speed, confirm that we are buckled in, ponder our tag expiration, etc. When we prepare for holiness, we alert ourselves to the presence of God.
We purge our hearts, mind and bodies of things that don’t reflect the character and nature of God. The good news is that God doesn’t require us to complete this process alone. He has offered the Holy Spirit to be an active part of our lives and thus enable us to live according His Word.
We position ourselves on the hope that the grace of Jesus Christ provides. This provision is one that is of faith, hope and love – all of which are unconditional. We position ourselves to live holy lifestyles when we extend to others what we have been recipients of.
Finally, we purpose and commit to living holy regardless of the adjustments, change and awkwardness it takes. The tension that comes from pursuing God is well worth enduring and embracing. This hard truth may hurt our toes, but it’ll help us walk better.
Scripture Of The Day: "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do." - 1 Peter 1: 14-15 (NIV)
I struggled for several weeks with whether I should really answer a question that a friend, wanting my opinion, posed to me. I didn't struggle with the wisdom I would share. Nor did I struggle with my ability to communicate the truth in a way for it to be understood. My struggle wasn't even about my friend’s reaction or our relationship long-term. My uneasiness was focused on the lifestyle adjustments that this new wisdom would require. It would require him to do one of the hardest things in life to do. And that is, change.
It was a hard truth that needed to be heard, but it would be much harder to implement and live by.
This is the same reality that we face in the area of holiness. Many of you that are reading this today know that holiness is not a denomination, nor a cultural phenomenon. It is a biblical mandate that still holds true, despite its branding of being out of date, out of style, or even that it requires what I call 'spooky religious' behavior.
The mandate of holiness is a hard truth that can be hard to discuss and converse about, but it still requires change, accountability, consistency, maturity and obedience.
New believers don't believe that it's attainable. 'Churched' Christians minimize it as old fashioned. Carnal Christians ignore it. And rigid (Pharisaic) Christians use it (the concept) as weapons to belittle and manipulate others.
With all of this division, God’s Word still carries the expectation and requirement that holiness is the standard, which leads us to the question: If God’s Word expects it, how do we actually live that out in our daily lives?
1 Peter 1: 13-16 provides clear instruction on this process of moving toward holiness. Indeed, it is a process that is more marathon and triathlon than sprint and quick jogs. This passage shows us in a very practical way how to begin to live out holiness in our daily life.
Peter writes to believers, in a simple approach, that we must:
1. Prepare Ourselves (v. 13)
2. Purge Ourselves (v. 13)
3. Position Ourselves (v. 14)
4. Purpose Ourselves (v. 14)
We prepare our hearts, minds and bodies to act in a way that pleases God. This requires an intentional plan of action that puts us on alert to doing God’s will. It is the same effect as when we drive a car and immediately our sense of lawfulness arises and we begin to check our speed, confirm that we are buckled in, ponder our tag expiration, etc. When we prepare for holiness, we alert ourselves to the presence of God.
We purge our hearts, mind and bodies of things that don’t reflect the character and nature of God. The good news is that God doesn’t require us to complete this process alone. He has offered the Holy Spirit to be an active part of our lives and thus enable us to live according His Word.
We position ourselves on the hope that the grace of Jesus Christ provides. This provision is one that is of faith, hope and love – all of which are unconditional. We position ourselves to live holy lifestyles when we extend to others what we have been recipients of.
Finally, we purpose and commit to living holy regardless of the adjustments, change and awkwardness it takes. The tension that comes from pursuing God is well worth enduring and embracing. This hard truth may hurt our toes, but it’ll help us walk better.
Scripture Of The Day: "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do." - 1 Peter 1: 14-15 (NIV)
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