LOOKING AT OURSELVES FIRST

Search me, o God, and know my heart. – Psalm 139:23

Many of us know we should examine ourselves first in the face of conflict.  But very few of us do that.  When we find ourselves embroiled in a conflict, we should first ask ourselves, Am I at fault here?

This is hard for us, especially because in most conflicts we feel pretty strongly that we are right.  And we figure that should also be obvious to everyone else.

But in conflict, as wise people know, the fault is rarely completely one-sided.

So if today you find yourself thinking angry, condemning thoughts about someone who has done something to you, you may need to take firm steps to deal with that person.  But take care also to look honestly at your own behavior and feelings.  Before you act, ask yourself, What if I’m not seeing the whole picture?  What if, in fact, something in me is also at fault here?

The good news is that God knows us far better than we know ourselves.  God knows “all our ways.”  Nothing is hidden from God’s ultrasound, CAT-scan eyes.

Even better news is that God, by His Spirit, is actually able to show us what he sees, to peel away our layers of self-deception, and to give us 20/20 vision into our heart of hearts.  Would it not be wise, first, to humbly ask God to show us ourselves accurately, lest we end up, too late, profoundly at fault as well?

NO SHAME

That is why I am suffering as I am.  Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 

                                                                                                                        2 Timothy 1:12

Are you embarrassed to admit that you’re a Christian?  How do you feel when someone makes fun of Christianity?  Have you had a well-meaning friend who tried to point out all the reasons your faith is misguided?  Most of us have times when we’re tempted to pretend we don’t know Christ. (Remember the apostle Peter?)  It saves us from having to answer some tough questions.   It helps us feel more accepted.  And it works, for the moment.  But deep down we’re miserable because we know we’ve let Christ down.  At times like these, we must remind ourselves of who it is that we serve.

Jesus loved us enough to go to the cross for us.  He had every reason to turn his back on us as we mocked him and tortured Him.  Instead, He died for us.  He proved His power when He overcame death itself.  History testifies that Jesus is who said He was. Now that He has saved us, He has called us to be witnesses to His power.  He offers us the same strength that raised Him from the dead.  We can be totally confident, as Paul was, that whatever we trust into Christ’s hands will be safe.

Faith is not about what you don’t know.  Faith is about what you know.   In light of all that you know about Christ and what He has done for you, you have no reason to be intimidated.  Don’t let friends, classmates, teachers, professors, or anyone else steal your confidence.  You probably know far more about truth than they do.  When you faith is shaky or when you’re afraid to stand up for your faith, get closer to Jesus.  Let Him assure you that He is everything the Bible says He is.

FLEE AND PURSUE

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  But you man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

-          1 Timothy 6:10-11

“The love of money is the root of all evil.”  Although this is one of the most misquoted passages of the Scripture, it is true that becoming consumed with quest for material luxuries can sidetrack even the most well-meaning Christian.  Paul adamantly warns his friends not to allow greed to distract them from the things that are really worth going after: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

So how do we acquire all these great things?  We must ask God to build them into our lives.  Then be ready for the way He does so!  For example, is God allowing you to go through hard times?  Now is a great time to learn endurance! Don’t quit.  Don’t give up hope.  Endurance is learned by enduring, not by avoiding hardship at all costs.  What about pursuing love?  Maybe God has linked us in some way with a person who is very hard to love.  Love that person anyway!  Pray for her.  Do something kind for him.  Love grows the most when it’s the hardest, and the person who is hardest to love probably needs love the most.

Pursuing riches takes a lot of effort.  So does pursuing godliness.  Each will take us in a different direction.  One leads to grief; the other, to joy.  So choose your path wisely.

NEAR TO GOD

Come near to God and He will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8

Do we sometimes feel that God is right there with us, and at other times he seems thousands of miles away?  When we pray, is there close communion with God some days, and other days it’s as though our prayers go unheard?  Why does God seem so far away at times?  Is He preoccupied with running the universe?  Is He busy doing battle with Satan or tied up attending to the needs of more important people?  Jesus promised that He would never leave us (Matthew 28:20), yet why are there times when we don’t sense His presence?

James gives the answer to these questions.  “Come near to God and He will come near to you.”  When we’re separated from God, we’re the ones who have strayed, not God.  There may be sin in our lives that we need to confess and then ask for His forgiveness.  Or we may have been distracted by other things, so we’ve neglected to spend time in prayer and Bible study.  When we realize this has happened, we should immediately seek God with all our strength.  We need to keep seeking after Him, until once again, we enjoy close fellowship with Him.

If our relationship with God is cold and distant, examine our life to see if there are sins or attitudes that we need to ask God to remove.  Spend time in prayer and in God’s Word; go to Him with a humble heart and confess our sins. Always remember, God is not the one who changes (Malachi 3:6).  It is us who wander, and it’s our responsibility to return to Him.  He stands ready to love us, to forgive us, and to restore our relationship with Him.

IN FULL VIEW

A man’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths.  – Proverbs 5:21

This is a proverb that can either terrify or comfort.  Everything we do and think shows up on what amounts to God’s big screen TV.  The Lord sees all, knows all, observes all, and hears all!

This can terrify us if it means that what shows on the screen is something we don’t want God to see.  But it can comfort us if we realize that we are never alone.  It’s not so much that in God’s eyes we cannot get away with anything; it’s more that if God’s eye is on the sparrow, we know he cares for us.

Let’s think about living this day in that perspective – living and working and conversing under God’s watchful eye.  We remember with joy that we are never out of his sight.  God keeps his loving eye on us – always.  What comfort!  What inspiration – to make each moment count.  To live each moment with Almighty God always available to help, to guide, to give us the right words to say – even to find us when we’ve wandered and are lost.

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight,”  Hebrews 4:13 reminds us.  “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

Live each day knowing that the God to whom we must give account is the One who enables us to give a good account.

WHICH WAY TO LEAN

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. 
-          Proverbs 3:5

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Proverbs 3:5-6 is a commentary on our journey toward “wisdom.”  The “trust” here is something that gets us to “lean” – and not on our own understanding.

You see, it’s impossible to live without leaning.  We “lean” either on our own human ideas and misunderstanding – or on God.  And the writer of these Proverbs is counseling us to lean on God.

Leaning on God, not if but when it goes far enough, will find us falling. But will not be falling on our faces; we’ll be falling on our knees – the posture of trust.  On our knees is where we ought to be – surrendering to God and following God’s leading in wisdom each day.

“In all your ways,” the writer encourages, “acknowledging Him.”  Lean on Me, God says. Trust Me.  Confide in Me.  Consult Me.  Ask Me.  Tell Me your plans for today.  Let Me know the issues you are dealing with.  Share with Me your hopes and dreams, your fears and failures.  In other words, PRAY!

Read Proverbs 3:5-6 again.  Listen to this invitation from God – to you – to come and give yourself to Him so that God can lead you through this day and to Himself.

Jesus put this invitation this way. “Do not let your heart be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in Me.” (John 14:1).  Please accept this invitation without delay.

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LOOKING AT OURSELVES FIRST (3)

You are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

– Romans 2:1

Paul wrote the letter of Romans to Jewish Christians who thought they were superior to Gentile Christians.  The Jewish Christians had been raised on God’s holy law, and they looked down their noses at Gentile brothers and sisters whose lives were still pretty rough around the moral edges.  In a blistering argument, Paul nails them to the wall with this simple fact:  having higher standards doesn’t automatically make you better people.  Look at your behavior – that’s what counts.  And, down deep, your behavior is not better than theirs.  You do the same things they do.  Having the laws in your head doesn’t mean they automatically rule your heart.

I read a book on writing the natural way. But having that book doesn’t automatically make me a better writer.  It’s the skill that counts, not how-to manual.

Without the grace of God, we are all on a level playing field when we find ourselves in conflict.  And if we shut God out of our heart, we can be just as mean spirited and selfish as the next person.

God’s kindness leads all of us to repentance.