3 Rules for Everyday Life

I want to share a verse with you that gives three simple commands that guide us as we live out our faith in Jesus on a daily basis. In Romans 12:9 the Apostle Paul reminds us,

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”

Today, let your love be genuine. That means don’t pretend or put on a show. God wants us to show real and sincere love. What is that love? It’s a love that finds its source in God our maker. It’s a love displayed in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It’s a love that transforms lives. It’s a love that is meant to be passed on. God wants you to really love someone today and you are able to do that because He really loves you. Let the love of God fill your cup full, all the way to the brim. Then may that love ever so gently spill over into someone else’s life today because that’s what happens when our cup is full. We love sincerely from the heart. Who do you need to love today?

Also, abhor what is evil. We are called to take the same perspective on evil that God has. We are to abhor it. Don’t be indifferent about what is sinful and destructive. When we allow evil things to creep into our life, we give the devil a foothold. Sin is not just a bad decision, it’s something when fully grown that leads to death. God wants us to release, run from, and repent of the evil in this world. Is there something that needs changing in your life today?

Finally, hold fast to what is good. Hang in there with God and persevere. Sometimes it feels like doing it God’s way isn’t worth it. We may become weary of doing good. Tighten your grip today. Don’t give up on God. He didn’t give up on you. Faith is the glue that helps us to stick with it. Has your faith been fading lately? Open your Bible and let God strengthen it. Where do you need to keep holding fast?

May these three commands from God guide you today.
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” -Romans 12:9, ESV

Saved by the Whale: God's Protection & Plans

In November of this year in the Netherlands, like something straight out of a movie, a Dutch train came flying off its tracks. But instead of plummeting thirty feet to ground, the train was miraculously caught and held aloft by the sculpture of a whale’s tail. The sculpture was put up in 2002 and given a most prophetic name, “Saved by the Whale’s Tail”. Thankfully, everyone got off the train safe and sound. Who would have expected a plastic sculpture nearly twenty years old could hold up a metro train?

This story reminds me of the prophet Jonah. These passengers were not the first ones to be saved by a whale. You remember the story. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh and tried running from God. Jonah’s plan seemed to be working until God sent a storm to detour the ship Jonah was sailing on. Jonah realizing God was sending him a notice, decided to come clean to everyone on the ship. He told them to throw him overboard and the storm would cease. I would say in part because he did not want these other men to suffer, but also in part because if he drowned at sea he would certainly not have to go to Nineveh. So, they send Jonah headlong into the raging sea and the storm calms. The men on the ship are saved, but so was Jonah. God sent a whale to swallow Jonah. He was saved by the whale.

Why does God show us such grace and mercy? Why does He protect us from unforeseen disaster and even our own stubbornness? I think the answer is quite simple. God still has plans for our lives. Even though Jonah would just as well have cut his life short, God still had a plan for him and brought the reluctant prophet all the way to Nineveh. God still has a plan for all those that were miraculously saved on that train. Maybe you have your own stories of miraculous protection. If you are still here today, that means, God still has a plan for you. God has not brought you this far for you to do nothing. Count your blessings and follow God’s leading.

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

Old-Fashioned Prayer

I came across a story that I would like to share with you. It gives us a good little reminder on the importance of prayer. Here is how it goes…

A farmer was entertaining one of his sophisticated relatives from the city. Before the meal, the farmer gave thanks for the food. When he finished, the visitor jeered, “This is old-fashioned; nobody with an education prays at the table anymore.”

The famer admitted that the practice was old and even allowed that there were some on his farm that did not prayer before their meals.

Justified, the relative remarked, “So enlightenment has finally come to the farm. Who are these wise ones?”

To which the farmer replied, “My pigs.”

Prayer is something that we should never outgrow. Prayer is a willingness to acknowledge God. It is a reflection of our dependence upon our creator. Prayer really works. It changes situations and it changes us. Never allow pride, self-reliance, or worldly wisdom to change you in a way that keeps you from prayer.

When we fail to pray, whether we verbalize it or not, we are in a way saying to God, “I don’t need you that much today.” We should not live a life disconnected from God. I need God. You need God. We all need God. Prayer is that ongoing conversation that creates space for God to work and meet our needs.

How is your prayer life? Do you talk to the Lord often? When was the last time you had a sacred little moment talking with Jesus? Have you let things get in the way? Do you feel like you just do not need God quite as much right now?

Let’s all have a little more wisdom than the pigs and spend some special time in prayer today. Thank your heavenly Father for your many blessings. Intercede for those who need help. Take a moment of silence to be refreshed. Receive forgiveness if you have fallen short.

Prayer definitely is old-fashioned but trust me when I say it will never get old.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
-Colossians 4:2

Hungry for the Things of God

For the person that is truly hungry, even the simplest and smallest piece of bread is satisfying. As Christians who live in a context where biblical content is so pervasive and accessible, our nourishment and satisfaction has much more to do with our appetite and much less to do with what's on the menu. When you're truly hungry it's hard to get hung up on what's being served.

            We don't face the challenge of being hungry and not having enough, rather the challenge we face is tied up in our abundance. In seasons and places of prosperity it's all too easy to take what's precious for granted or treat something sacred as if it were common. One of the marks of a deepening Christian maturity is that, while in seasons of blessing, you can maintain your hunger for the things of God and the realization of your own spiritual need. The Bible is replete with examples of how prosperity can potentially be just as damaging to a person's faith as persecution. If we allow the blessings of God to produce feelings of self-righteousness or self-sufficiency in our life, then those blessings have become a curse.

            This is the work of the enemy, to take what God has made good and twist it for evil in order to subvert the work of God. The devil's tactics aren't always so straight-forward. If he can't tempt you to jump into obvious sins, then he tries a more subtle approach. He will attack your schedule and appetite. The enemy is quite glad when people are too busy to give God the time of day or their appetite is so out of sorts that they don't even desire the things of God anymore.

            Maybe now more than ever, we have extra time on our hands. What are we doing with it? Perhaps our next step for spiritual growth is not finding the newest, coolest thing, but rather asking and allowing Jesus to produce a deeper hunger for the things of God in our souls. Instead of being caught up by all the external things, maybe today's the day you pick up your Bible and ask God to start changing you from the inside-out.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
-Matthew 5:6