Category: Purpose

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Transform Thanksgiving into Everyday

Now that the turkey has been stuffed and the family stories regaled, it is time to transform Thanksgiving into everyday life. How do we infuse our everyday living to become a daily Thanksgiving feast?

Romans 12:13, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

This is the time of the year when we become introspective. Thanksgiving allows us to think of all the things we are thankful for. Christmas is the backdrop for showing love and appreciation for all who have touched our lives and those we do not know but feel compassion for their plight. New Year’s follows Christmas, a time of renewal. We commit to being a better version of ourselves. We are thankful, appreciative, and fortunate — not all of us.

This story is about the importance of dwelling on the richness of our lives. It should remind us of how important it is to share that richness with others.

Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

An Incredible Day

Atlanta has a spring art festival in Piedmont Park. It is a spectacular event both for its content and its setting. The Dogwood Art Festival is in the spring when the city is in full bloom. There are Dogwoods, Azaleas, and Bradford Pears in full bloom. Although the Dogwood Festival runs the entire weekend, I go down early Friday. I like that time; I can talk with the artist as they set up their booths before the crowds arrive. These folks are incredibly skilled. They have an absolute passion for what they do. You can see and hear their joy as they take the time to discuss their art. This passion is also reflected in the quality of their work and the prices they charge. The Dogwood Art Festival is not a mom-and-pop affair.

This particular year the weather was incredible—Azure blue skies and cumulus clouds that remind you of cotton candy. The gorgeous white and pink dogwoods are in full bloom. The temperature was almost non-existent, feeling neither cold nor warm, absolutely picturesque. The vendors were excited to show their creations. It was a joy to be alive.

A Chance Encounter

After walking around, I settled comfortably on a picnic bench not far from the vendor row to watch people. I like watching people. It fills me with curiosity. I was also growing hungry and deciding what cardiac-inducing meal to eat. Apparently, healthy food was taboo in the by-laws of art festival management.

A woman sat down on the bench across that table from me. She was in late middle age, conservatively dressed, and unremarkable in many ways, the kind of person you might see in a crowd without ever really seeing her, that perfect blend of human camouflage. She said, “I could live a year on the price of one of these things.” Without looking, I agreed.

Proverbs 19:17, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

God has this incredible way of introducing me to the exact person He wants me to engage with. One thing led to another, and we started talking. I bought her lunch. She was living in a halfway house after being released from prison. Life had been long and hard and disappointing. That once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could have taken her life in a different direction was always just outside her reach. The hurdle in her life was guys. They came into her life at the wrong time with mischievous intent.

There was determination and grit in her outlook. She had a vision but no plan to get there. It wasn’t a grand vision. It was a vision to become normal. You know, 40-hour workweek, home, friends, and maybe family. Everyone has a unicorn; this was hers. If anything, I am a guy with a plan. Our meeting wasn’t serendipity or coincidence; it was part of God’s plan for her.

Stepping out in Faith

We started talking about God’s plan for her life. God’s plan was for her to prosper. But she had to be willing to surrender her plan for His. He would be faithful in His promise if she would. The first step was to find a church that had good scripture-based teaching. Then she needed to join an accountability group within that church that she could trust. We talked for about 90 minutes. She was cheerful, engaged, and asked questions.

Hebrews 13:16, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

The transformation I saw was that she sat more upright. Her face softened. Her eyes were brighter, more focused. She stated that she knew her plan didn’t work. She had heard the message of Christ in prison and she felt she needed to look into it further. But she always put it off. She knew of a church that had members she knew. They came by the halfway house. She liked them; they weren’t pushy.

Others plowed the field and planted the seeds in her life; I was fertilizer (be nice; it’s a metaphor). The harvest will come.

1 Corinthians 9:10 “Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.”

Did she find her unicorn? I don’t know. I do know that God wants me to be obedient for the sake of others and share the bounty of His love for me with them.

Hebrews 6:10, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

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Feeling Thankful

thankful

Does Thanksgiving leave you feeling thankful for all that has transpired in your life or just blessed for the good that has happened? Do you thank God for what didn’t happen as much as what has happened?  Much of our blessings come from the things that God has spared us from.

I think back to when I was considering changing jobs because I got a great offer from a company offering more money and benefits, along with a great job title. My ego wanted to take the offer. But a voice inside my head told me to stay where I was for the time being. It was an irrational decision to turn the offer down, but I trusted the voice in my head. Six months later, the company that made me the offer went bankrupt.

Agur

Proverbs 30:7-9,  “Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Agur reminds us that sometimes we are better off with little. Not getting too much can be the help we need to avoid temptation. Prosperity has its pitfalls. But do we think about that when it comes time to give thanks? Do we take the time to thank our creator for the things He did not give us?

Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

This Thanksgiving, thank God for the great blessings you have experienced in your life. Let Him know how much you appreciate all the good times. But also take the time to consider the times when you didn’t get what you wanted. Think through those disappointing moments. Where did it take you? What good ultimately came out of not getting what you expected? Maybe it was a lost love that turned out to be toxic. Maybe a job you didn’t get led you to a different company and a chance to meet your new best friend.  God can use even something as traumatic as a divorce to create a new chapter in your life.

Rick Warren

“In happy moments, praise God, in difficult moments, seek God, in quiet moments, worship God. In painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.” – Rick Warren

In every moment, thank God. Rick Warren does a great job of summarizing Thanksgiving, feeling thankful for everything that comes our way because all things work for the good of those who love God.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

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Normalization

Response to Normalization

Normalization: Any process that makes something more regular typically means conforming to some regularity or rule. To cause something previously regarded as anomalous (aberrant, incongruous, abnormal) to be accepted, as usual, thereby altering the accepted norm.

I just returned from an IMED trip to India. Every trip to a new environment brings unexpected revelations. It is interesting how people normalize their environment. A person is born into or raised in an environment that becomes their ecosystem. It is all they know. They don’t see activities as abnormal. As an outsider, the same activity seems strange and out of place.

What is Normal?

When I visit Africa, they live in houses with dirt floors and no electricity or running water. They don’t go home to watch TV or surf the internet. But they dress impeccably. They are happy for the most part. They have the same concerns as most people regarding politics and the staples of living, but the scale is different.

When I travel to South America, they live by a little higher monetary standard. They have electricity and running water but must deal with the Cartel. A certain amount of money has to be paid for security. To them, it is the way it has always been and will always be.

My trip to India was noisy and chaotic. One of my friends described it as someone kicking over an ant hill. Honking horns seemed to be the primary way of steering through traffic. Crossing the street is an adventure; there is never a break.

Behavior has been normalized to all the people who live in these environments. They don’t see it. It is the way it is and will be. There are so many experiences in our lives that have become normalized. Over the years, modern society has accepted more deviant behavior as normal. Children born in this century have been raised to believe that behavior that a few decades ago was unacceptable is now standard. It is so normal that one cannot speak against it.

As outsiders, we should see it differently. It should seem strange and out of place, but does it? Have we normalized behavior that is unacceptable to God?

The Greatest Commandment

What should our response to this new normalized behavior be? The answer lies in the Book of Mark.

Mark 12:29-31, “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none another commandment greater than these.”

The first part is to love God. Jesus is quoting right out of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

Our love for our Savior dictates our behavior. One of the most significant indicators of this love is to keep his commandments.

Joshua 22:5, “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

In a broken world, that means not letting the new normalization creep into our lives. It is holding to a standard of behavior that pleases God. It is not compromising when the world screams for compromise. Do not go along just to get along. Loving God is holding to a single truth.

The Second Greatest Commandment.

But loving God is the first part of what Jesus had to say. He also said that we should love our neighbor as ourselves.

Leviticus 19:18, “Don’t seek vengeance. Don’t bear a grudge, but love your neighbor as yourself, for I am Jehovah.”

Compassion and grace should be the leading indicators that we are children of God. As we deal with people who do not share our Biblical perspective, we must remember who we are. Biblical doctrine and theological preference are not more important than love. We must stay steadfast to the truth but not in a way that condones loveless behavior.

You can safely assume that you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.  – Anne Lamott, on page 22 of Bird by Bird

I am uncomfortable with some of the life decisions I see being made by others. I have to remind myself that I am only responsible for the decision I make, not the decisions others make. Non-believers do not operate on the same set of standards. Before salvation their lives are given over to sin. The only way to have a meaningful dialogue is to be a person with whom they want to engage. The life of a believer must be seen as a better life than the life of a non-believer.  Presenting truth must be accompanied by understanding. They don’t prescribe to what we believe. Until they see the benefit of God’s love, they will not seek change.

Love

I wrote recently about “Love’s Reaction to Anger.” In that post, I tried to present that anger over sinful behavior is Biblical, but we should guard against our reaction to that anger. Sin causes us grief; the sinner is caught under sin’s influence. Our goal is to influence the person controlled by sin to seek deliverance. That cannot be accomplished outside the umbrella of love.

You can be absolutely right in your point of view and ineffective in your communications of that view. The object is not to be right but to be effective.

1 John 4:7-10, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

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Love’s Reaction to Anger

Anger

What is love’s reaction to anger? There is another side of love that we all experience; it is those moments when we can’t seem to avoid being angry. One of my close friends said it this way; “There are moments when we are angry because our children have sinned, but it is not an anger at them, but an anger that sin has crept into their lives.”

Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.”

Interestingly, Paul did not tell the Ephesians not to be angry; he said yet do not sin. My bible group quickly went down the path of righteous indignation as an explanation. There is some validity in that concept, but it is a slippery slope. Someone else had to bring up that in John Jesus did mention “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” How do we demonstrate love in our anger?

Some may preach that we should rid our lives of anger; I’m not sure that was God’s plan.

PHYSIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ANGER

We have to recognize that God built into us a defense mechanism for times when we are in danger; this is the fight or flight response. How does that work? Emotions more or less begin inside two almond-shaped structures in our brains, which are called the amygdala. The amygdala is so efficient at warning us about threats that it gets us reacting before the cortex (the part of the brain responsible for thought and judgment) can check on the reasonableness of our reaction. Inside your brain, neurotransmitter chemicals known as catecholamines are released. These cause you to experience a burst of energy lasting up to several minutes. You experience this burst of energy through increased heart rate and breathing. This burst is behind the common angry desire to seek immediate protection.

James 1:14-15, “but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

Although your emotions can rage out of control, the prefrontal cortex of your brain, which is located just behind your forehead, can keep your emotions in proportion. If the amygdala handles emotion, the prefrontal cortex handles judgment. God gave us balance.

BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ANGER

James 1: 19-20, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

Notice that James did not say “does not become angry,” he says “slow to become angry.” The implication is that there are situations in which we may become angry. But he tells us that anger does not produce righteousness.

Psalm 37:8, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.”

Psalm’s tell us why; anger can lead us to evil. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:27, “do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” Uncontrolled anger is a breeding ground for sin. Nowhere that I am aware of does the bible condone anger. It accepts that it does exist and cautions us to control it.

Colossians 3:8, “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”

We are to put them all aside, that is to say: don’t give them a voice. We need to step back and let our frontal cortex control our emotions and react in love.

ANGER ITSELF

If we look at the reasons we become angry, they fall into a few broad buckets. The first bucket is an easy one; it is genuine righteous indignation. This bucket is the easiest to recognize because it is the blatant disregard for scripture. It grows out of the evil acts of non-believers or hypocritical acts from firm believers. These do not fall into grey areas; they are black as coal.

Leviticus 19:17, “‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.”

The second bucket is perceived righteous indignation. Perceived righteous anger is the devil’s playground. Perceived righteous indignation is where we feel we have the religious high ground when our motives are purely personal. The most common is that you treated me poorly, that is ungodly, and I have the right to retribution.

Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord..”

The third bucket is my most dangerous bucket. This bucket is full of pride and insecurity. Pride and insecurity are where I feel little because I am misunderstood or unheard. It is where my perceived value is diminished, and I feel inferior. These moments are where I forget that God made me great and prosperous. I forget I don’t need the validation of others to achieve God’s potential in me. 

Ecclesiastes 7:9, “Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools.”

ANGER AS A PART OF LIFE

For us fallen humans, anger is a part of our lives. Many times, it raises its ugly head before we even recognize it. The best we can do is refuse to give it a voice and seek repentance and comfort in Christ when it happens. When anger does lead to sin, go back to the aggrieved person and ask for forgiveness. The act is more about repentance than actually forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

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Who Taught You to Dream

Dream

Who taught you to dream; who is the one that instilled in you the desire to fly? Who encouraged you, motivated you, and holds your heart so dear and close that they will not let you fail? God designed us to soar above the clouds. He designed us to scream through the night as a ball of beautiful light and heat. He has given us the desire to grow, He taught us to weep with joy in those moments when it seems so right.

“Faith is choosing and believing God’s dream for your life. Nothing starts happening in your life until you start dreaming. God gave you the ability to dream, to create, to imagine.” Rick Warren

You are all songwriters, poets, and authors. You all have the ability to create incredible stories. The over-the-top, overcoming-all-odds come-from-behind stories we love. God taught you to dream. He gave you all the tools to become everything you were designed to be. He has brought people into your life to keep you on track, He gave you passions and gifts to motivate you along the way. What He wants for you is greater than you can imagine.

FINDING THE DREAM

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

First, you have to navigate the universe. God is not the only force in your life. Adam and Eve get credit for that. Unfortunately, most of the input you get from the world is hostile. A lot of it is passive-aggressive. It doesn’t attack you straight on; it compares you to others in a way you cannot win. It doesn’t say you can’t do it; you just can’t be good at it. Sometimes a well-meaning friend or relative wants to help you see that your dreams are not pragmatic or grounded. They want to help you find a path to pay the bills or create a life. Dreams don’t always operate on the same economic structure as the world. Chasing your passion will lead to success. Maybe not the world’s version of success, but God’s version.

We function the highest when we operate within our ability and just outside of our comfort zone. One of the things that accelerate our development is adrenaline. Our brains operate entirely differently when we are hyped on adrenaline. Remember that fear will also tell you when operating outside of your ability. The key is to operate within your ability, your God-given gifts, and resources, but outside of the area of your life that makes you feel comfortable. We cannot defeat fear; we only manage it. We need to know the difference between the limits of our ability and the limits of our comfort.

“Listen to the mustn’ts, child, Listen to the don’ts, Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” – Shel Silverstein.

OVERCOMING THE DREAMLESS

Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Who clipped your wings when you first got off the ground? What voice in your head said that it wouldn’t work? Whom do you know that never caught the vision? The world is full of people who know why things won’t work. Finding fault is easier than finding your way. Giving up is easier than pressing on. Remember, they are not riding your wave. They don’t feel the adrenalin; they have spent their lives lost in a maze of dead-ends and disappointment. They want to save you from their despair. But God knows differently. God knows why He put that idea, that passion, in your head. He has a plan for you.

Proverbs 19:21, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the Lord will prevail.”

If the people you let into your life to share your dream do not have an intimate relationship with Christ, their vision for you will be skewed. What they see for you and what God sees for you will not align. It is easy for them to find weaknesses because they look at your dream from the wrong angle. Everyone in your life has to be reading from the same playbook. That playbook is the Gospel. Christ must be the only coach.

LIVING YOUR DREAM

Dreams are not fairytales. They are not the happily ever after stories we loved as kids. Dreams are the culmination of hard work and tenacity. While being the most challenging job you’ll ever do, they are the most incredible job you will ever have. At the end of your time, you will look back with satisfaction on all you have accomplished for God’s kingdom. We were created for His pleasure.

Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

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Pay it Forward

Play it forward

Pay it forward was a trendy movement a couple of years ago. In 2014 a major coffee chain had 750 strangers pay it forward. Each stranger paid for the coffee of the customer behind them over two days. It was heralded as “It’s truly a testament to the goodwill of our customers.” What amazing arrogance would make these people believe they had performed an act of goodwill when the only thing that happened was the first person paid for the last person. The 748 people in between paid for their coffee at a random price.  This chain sold coffee for upwards of $7.00, while McDonald’s sold it for under $1.00. It was all about people with money making believe they were helping people with money.

Is that really what it means to pay it forward?

Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

PAY IT FORWARD, GREG SMITH STYLE

Over ten years ago, I was at the lowest point of my life. Because the situation involved another, I will spare the details. For my part, I was left without enough money to buy food or gas to get to work. The work was a new company I was starting that had no revenue.  I was desperate, desperate enough to give up my dream of forming this new company and going to work for someone else.

This led me to a friend of mine, Greg Smith. I went to him, hat in hand, asking for a job. Greg did something unexpected. He wrote me a check and told me to return to work at my new company. The extraordinary part of this gesture was not the money but the compassion and love. It was something I had never experienced in my life. It was utterly unconditional.

Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

I had been a Christian for some time. I had seen God move in amazing ways but never experienced it. It was life-changing. It immediately changed my view of my mission. I was now more committed than ever to being fruitful. Part of that commitment would lead me to join International Micro Enterprise Development.

ENMA STYLE

Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

I met Enma in Honduras. She and her husband have a business where they make custom furniture by hand in their home. Her husband, working as a janitor, learned furniture making by watching the artisans in a furniture-making business where he worked. COVID caused them to go out on their own. They needed help—enter International Micro Enterprise Development, a Christian-based ministry that helps the underserved by teaching and funding entrepreneurship. IMED gave them a small loan to improve their business. They bought a power saw, an upholstery stapler, and a sewing machine. Here is what they produced.

Eliaquim Honduras

The name of their company is Eliaquim. Eliaquim is derived from the Hebrew “‘Elyâqı̂ym,” meaning “God provides.” When a visitor to a house with their furniture asks where the host bought their furniture, the answer is “God Provides’.  

Changed Lives.

PAY IT FORWARD, HOMESTYLE

Philippians 2:13,”For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Pay it forward is about changing lives. It is not about feeding your ego because you did something for someone. It’s not about doing good. It is about changing lives, taking small acts of kindness that don’t paint over the pain but change a person’s perspective of their life. It demonstrates to others that God does materially love them. That God is generous in ways that they never expected.

Most of us want to be the hero of our story. That is not what God intended. God is not only the hero of our story; He is the playwright, financial backer, and producer. Next time you want to pay it forward, ask yourself if you are changing a life or making yourself feel good about who you are.

Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

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Why Do Godly People Doubt God?

Why Do Godly People Doubt God?

Why do Godly people doubt God and want to ask for explanations and signs? Because God calls smart people; intelligent, wise people with their point of view of the situation that God is trying to change. Doubts and questions are not wrong; the failure is in giving in to the doubts and getting defeated by our lack of divine intervention.

 John 7:17, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”

Who are some Godly people in the Bible that doubted God and required explanations and signs before proceeding? Moses is the first to come to mind. Moses looked at the totality of his existence and asked why me? He had a terrible past; he sinned, killed, lied, ran away, betrayed his family’s confidence, and suffered stage fright. On top of that, he was 80 years old when God commissioned him. Any reasonable man would ask why me? Job, Joseph, and Gideon all had moments when they asked God, Are you sure about this? It is not unusual for Godly people to doubt God.

Corinthians 2:16, “For, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

Asking for confirmation is not only not sinful, but it is also prudent. How easily can we mistake the self-centered voice in our head for God? Because we want something to play out a certain way, we manufacture the dialog. God gives us resources that he expects us to use. The challenge is when we let those resources supersede guidance from God. We start to believe we know the answer when we don’t understand the question.

I look at four steps to overcome my doubt when God calls. They are prayer, scripture, counsel, and action.

OVERCOMING DOUBT WITH PRAYER

1 John 5:14-15, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Everything starts with prayer. Prayer is the catalyst that ignites the power of the Holy Spirit within us. All great relationships have open communications; neither party holds back. Tell God exactly what you think, and He will respond. We can’t touch His knowledge, perspective, and power, so don’t expect to be right. Be honest concerning your doubts. You can not hide your inner thoughts, so why try?

Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

OVERCOMING DOUBT WITH SCRIPTURE

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

One of the things that always amazes me is that no matter what I am going through, the scriptures talk to me. I had a study Bible I used for many years where I read through the Bible in precisely the same order every year. Now my life didn’t roll out the same way every year, yet the passages I was reading that day met the needs of that day. The same verses can speak to us in many different ways depending on what God has to say at the time.

Cognitive or confirmation bias is when we consciously or subconsciously seek information that supports a previous position. Don’t use scripture to build your case. Don’t cherry-pick the passages or use them out of context to make yourself feel good about what you want. Let Him speak to you through His word if you doubt what God wants.

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

OVERCOMING DOUBT WITH COUNSEL

John 16:13, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Hearing God speak through others is essential. It can happen in many ways, through a sermon Sunday morning or through a Christian podcast or online video. It can be through a discussion at Bible study or over coffee with a friend. Seeking Godly counsel when in doubt has many flavors. Remember that, as a friend reminds me, God will not ambush you. If you receive counsel that seems out of left field, it might be that it is. The spiritual counsel you receive should support or refute a previously held position. If it sends you in a new direction, go back to step one and start over.

OVERCOMING DOUBT WITH ACTION

James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

You can’t steer a stationary ship; movement is required. God is patient and understanding. If we truly want His will to be done, even if we misunderstand, He will course correct us. Doing nothing accomplishes nothing. God requires movement. Once you have done your due diligence, even if you still have some doubts, do something. Give God a chance to intervene.

Why do Godly people doubt God? Because He made us highly intelligent creatures with a desire to excel. He loves that about us and understands that we lack many of the resources He has. It is natural to want Him to validate what we believe to be true.

1 Peter 2:15, “For this is the will of God that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”

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Does God control your everyday walk?

Life can come at you in waves. When that happens, does God control your everyday walk?

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

“In order to realize the worth of the anchor, we need to feel the stress of the storm.” Corrie ten Boom

The Conundrum

Do you ever have one of those days when life comes at you? It doesn’t always have to be dramatic, just tenacious, like dripping water eroding sandstone. It wears you down. You can’t find a quiet moment to catch your breath and focus. At times like this, God gets lost in the fog of life. He’s still there; you just can’t see Him. You can’t feel His presence.

I’ve had a couple of those days lately. A friend in Honduras was robbed at gunpoint, and they actually shot a hole in her windshield. Another friend in Kyrgyzstan with a Russian passport meets the criteria for mobilization. A very close friend is losing his business. People are sick. War rages. Inflation soars. My heart is burdened by a broken and dysfunctional world.

Matthew 18:7, “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”

And yet I know God is in control. How do I get my head above water long enough to not just catch my breath but stabilize my emotions? How do I get the ground to stop moving long enough to stand?

Biblical Desperation is an Artifact of True Faith.

This is where God’s invisible hand of mercy gently cups us amid our turmoil. He holds us secure so that we don’t fall. He is patient and caring through our struggles. No matter how far we turn from Him, He does not let us get out of sight.

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

I am convinced that Christ was not here to experience our struggles but to show us how to overcome them.  It wasn’t as if He didn’t know what His creation was going through. He didn’t need to understand us better. Because He knew, He came down to save us. Part of that was to walk among us to demonstrate that we can survive and prosper in a broken world.

James 1:12, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

The hard part about confronting a trying day is that the solution is counter-intuitive. When we want to press in to solve issues and move agendas forward, that is the exact moment we need to pause. Take a deep breath of God’s goodness, and remember who is in control.  Don’t lose sight of the fact that you were never in control. The things you are trying to rein in were never under your control. Let God control your everyday walk. Let Him take the stress out of decision making.

James 1:3-5, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for the asking.”

Middle of the Storm

In the middle of a storm, it is hard to visualize the blue sky above the clouds. But it’s there. It always was and always will be, no matter what the weather on the ground looks like. When bad days come, focus on what is above the clouds. Does God control your everyday walk? Focus on the one source of peace and assurance.

Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

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Who is “You”?

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible because it gives me hope. I think of it often whenever things are not going well. I quote it often to friends who are struggling. You see it on coffee mugs, posters, and t-shirts. But am I using it out of context? Sometimes we get so used to thinking one way that it never dawns on us that our thinking may be skewed.

Does the Bible say God has a plan for you as an individual or for His people? Does God’s plan for His people include a plan for each individual? Is each of us gifted in a certain way to help achieve His plan for all of His people? If God has a plan for everyone, then it would seem that everyone has to either opt in or out of that plan.

CONTEXT

What is the context of this passage? God was talking to the nation of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah. During a time when the Israelites were living in captivity in Babylon. They were slaves. That’s the critical thing to note; this passage addresses slaves living in enemy territory. Jeremiah had just dropped the bomb on the Israelites that their liberation would be 70 years off. I would guess that most Israelites were depressed by this news. Most of them would be dead before liberation. Jeremiah then encourages them with this passage.

It is addressed to a group of people, not individuals. It promises that God is still in control even when things are bleak. It’s a promise that even though things might not make sense to them now, God’s plan is still good.

Psalm 33:11, “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”

I believe that God has a plan and purpose not only for the human race but for my individual life. –  Anne Graham Lotz

APPLICATION

So, am I wrong in using this verse to provide hope for myself? Yes and No. This verse does not assure me of future prosperity and a life without strife. It does remind me that I am part of something bigger—God has designated me as part of His plan for His people. We have to take any passage in the Bible and wrap it with the totality of God’s teaching. God’s plan is still good, and I am part of His plan.

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We are each gifted with specific attributes that God will use to forward His Kingdom here on earth. Although this gifting may not seem equal from a human point of view, it is in God’s eyes because we are created perfectly for the mission he has for us. If we are gifted to leadership and business, it is because business people need to hear the Gospel. If we are gifted as craftsmen or teachers, they also need to hear the good news. Whatever country we were raised in, whatever economic circumstances we find ourselves in, and whatever vocation we gravitate toward was specified by God to expand His kingdom.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Does that mean that we should accept our circumstances? That depends on what the Holy Spirit is telling you. Part of the training I am involved with centers around this concept; Are you called to do this? Has God put it on your heart to pursue this life change? Are you doing it because you want it, or is this part of God’s gifting for you?

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Throughout our lives, God moves us through seasons. He is constantly teaching and directing us. Your purpose never changes, but your plan may. You might need experience in another skill or another country before you are ready to progress. What you perceive as your destination may only be the next mile marker.

Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Along the way, wherever you find yourself, you are where God wants you to be. He wants you to experience the joy of working with Him for His people at every point in your life.  God will not set you aside. Even in quiet times, there will be opportunities to work with God.  

Proverbs 16:3-4, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”

God has plans to give you hope and a future; you are the one who has to opt in or out.

Philippians 1:6, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.”

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Truth

2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. “

“What a heartbreak it would be to live an “almost” Christian life, then “almost” get into heaven.”

Remember in Middle School when we were given word problems in math? Kind of like this: With two sheep flying, one yellow and the other headed right, how much does a pound of asphalt cost, given that a cow is ten years old? There was always extraneous information in the word problem that had nothing to do with the solution; it just confused the issue. Part of solving the problem was figuring out what was relevant and what wasn’t. Life is a lot like that.  Our world problems have information that doesn’t apply to the solution. How do we sort out what is essential?

1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) states that approximately 2.2 million books are published annually worldwide. That number is split relatively evenly between fiction and non-fiction. That is a tremendous amount of new information. It does not come close to the Social Media information published every year. We are drowning in information and starving for truth.

What are the barriers to understanding the truth of God’s word? Even with the best intentions, where do we falter? What is this implication when we consider our impact on God’s Kingdom?

Matthew 7:21-23. “’ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Wow, that is a heavy price. Bending the Gospel so that we feel better about our choices could have an enormous downside.

Isaiah 29:13, “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but artificial rules learned by rote.”

Bible study is not an intellectual exercise.

Knowing the truth of God’s word takes work. It is not about memorizing Bible verses without knowing their context and meaning. It is not about reading the Bible without knowing its historical and literary context. Knowing who wrote the verse, to whom it is written, when it was written, and what came before and after it helps frame its meaning.

“Anything worth having is worth working for.” ― Brian Rathbone, Call of the Herald.

The second most common mistake in understanding God’s word is not doing your research. It is important to study with others to hear more than one point of view, but don’t leave it at that. Consult commentaries from biblical scholars. You notice I used the plural. There were over 20,000 religious books printed last year in the United States alone; think of how many were written in the rest of the world. That is a lot of educated opinions; not everyone can be right. Ferret out the commonalities and differences. Use Critical thinking to understand why.

Matthew 24:24, “For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

It is also important to think through the application of knowledge. How does ancient text apply to your worldview? How do you connect the dots? Finding application requires taking your current study and wrapping around it the entirety of the Bible. Once you know what the author was trying to tell the people he was writing to, why did God include this text? How does it fit into the overall narrative God is weaving throughout the Bible?

What you do not do is look for confirmation of a position (Confirmation Bias). You should not use the Bible as a Christian encyclopedia for whatever shiny object has gotten your attention. It is tempting to read the Bible selectively, trying to prove an idea we already believe to be true. If we come to the Scriptures with a predetermined point of view, we can force God’s word to appear to say whatever we want.

Proverbs 11:9, “With his mouth, the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge, the righteous are delivered.”

Without this knowledge, it is easy to be misled concerning God’s word. Some will try to convince you that God echoes their point of view when the quoted text may not have anything to do with the topic.  It often happens that church leaders and churchgoers mislead Christians to advance their personal agenda. Truth is your shield.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So, it is no surprise that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

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