Don’t Become Careless in Guarding Your Soul

Recently several of us in our congregation met out in the church yard to cut down and remove a half-dead tree that had become something of an eye-sore in the landscape. In spite of chainsaws malfunctioning at times, we finally managed to accomplish our goal. However, a day or two later I noticed an itchy rash on my arm. I called up a couple of the others who had worked on that project and discovered they had it too, but even worse than I did. Apparently some of the leafless vines wrapped around the trunk of that tree had been poison oak. It was more difficult to identify since the leaves had fallen off, but I’ve since been informed of certain characteristics to watch out for even in a leafless vine that signal it might be poisonous. I guess we weren’t as careful as we should have been or didn’t take as many precautions as were warranted. I have no doubt that after suffering the irritating and uncomfortable consequences of our actions, we’ll all be more vigilant the next time we deal with any plant which even remotely looks suspicious.

 How much more should we be watchful and cautious when it comes to our having contact with things which can adversely affect our souls. Sometimes it’s not a matter of intentionally grabbing hold of something we know is sinful or spiritually harmful. It may just be that we get a little careless. We don’t take the time to pray, seek God’s guidance, or use wise discernment in identifying that this action or attitude could pose a threat. We don’t hold it up to the light of God’s Word to see what it has to say about the subject. We just jump right in without thinking. Then we have to face the consequences – guilt, a loss of fellowship with the Lord, or other uncomfortable outcroppings from that initial act. They may hit us immediately or they might not come into our lives until days or months later. But eventually we pay the price for our rash and unwise actions.

    The Bible commands us to “abstain from every form of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22). Some of us are more familiar with the old King James version – “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” While I understand that translation may not be the best, the concept is still a good one. If you have any inkling that something may be spiritually harmful, keep away from it, at least until you can get further enlightenment or confirmation about it. Elsewhere the Bible tells us not to “give place to the devil”. Again, the King James version warns about not giving the devil a “foothold” in our lives. Don’t entertain anything in your heart, mind, or life that might crack open a door for sin or Satan. If you have doubts, don’t do it.

 The good news for us poison oak sufferers is that there are remedies which help relieve the itching and eventually the rash will run its course and go away. And the good news for us when we carelessly put ourselves in harm’s way spiritually is that God forgives and can help us move on from where we are. Sometimes He may deliver us from the consequences. Other times we might have to continue to “itch” for a while. If left untreated, it can become a serious matter. But when we confess our error and turn back to Him, the Lord is gracious to enable us to carry on from wherever we find ourselves now.

Let’s remember that there are many things around us today which can get inside us and poison our souls. So let’s be watchful and refuse to let down our guard.

 

Seek to Have a Contagious Spirit

Part of our family recently had to deal with the eye infection known as “pink eye.” One of our grandchildren initially contracted the condition. Within a week, it had been passed along to his sibling and eventually to both parents. This infection is described as being very contagious. It certainly lived up to that reputation as it spread rapidly throughout the family.

Being contagious should also be an apt description for a follower of Jesus. I remember a popular book from years past that touted such a concept. While many people, including the author from what I’ve heard, have disavowed certain principles and practices promoted in that writing, the idea of our being contagious is still a valid one. We should have a significant impact on the people and world around us. What we possess in Christ should be passed along to others. They don’t automatically catch it by being in close contact with us. And we need to do more than merely rub shoulders with people and let them see our character and conduct. We do need to verbally share our faith and point others to the truth of God’s Word. Nevertheless, the spirit and faith of a believer should be noticeable and impactful on those who come in contact with such a person.

Jesus described this contagious element of His followers as being light in the darkness and as being the salt of the earth. In one of His many parables about the kingdom of heaven, He describes it as being like leaven or yeast “which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened” (Matthew 13:33). That comparison shows how the faith of a Christian should spread and how it should influence its world. One study Bible suggests that this verse describes how God’s kingdom “does its work of permeating human society, penetrating evil, and transforming lives”. The Spirit of Christ, whether in His Church as a whole or in us as individual believers, should be contagious, spreading, and impactful.

How contagious is our faith? Do others see the kind of spirit in us that causes them to want to know our Savior? Are we having a positive, godly influence on the people we encounter every day? Is our faith like yeast permeating this world in which we live while making it a better place?

There are various qualities in connection with our faith that can be contagious. Having a loving spirit in the midst of a hate-filled world. Having hope when others are in despair. Having courage when others are giving in to fear. I believe another of those contagious characteristics can be thankfulness. As a number of us gather with others for times of fellowship and feasting this next week, no doubt there will be many conversations about higher prices, emptier shelves, and shipping challenges. As we share our mutual experiences, it will be easy to allow our holiday gathering to become a gripe session about the economic, political, and moral condition of our world today. However, let’s also make sure to remind one another of our blessings. May we possess a spirit of gratitude to God that will be contagious.

Yes, there is much to be concerned about today, but there is even more to be thankful for. Be the light in the midst of the darkness. Be the purifying salt around your Thanksgiving table. While others complain, let’s remind ourselves and our companions of how blessed we are. In spite of the condition of our society today, God is still good and faithful. May we go through this week and the days beyond with a contagious spirit of thanksgiving to God.

 

Followers of Jesus Have a Tough Race to Run

While searching for something to watch on TV, my wife and I discovered a ten-episode series documenting what was billed as “The World’s Toughest Race.” It involved teams of “adventure racers” from various countries trekking over hundreds of miles through the rugged terrain of Fiji by means of hiking, biking, climbing, swimming, and paddling. Success was measured not just by finishing in first place, but by surviving and completing the course within the required timeframe. It was definitely a challenging and grueling competition.

We’re probably all familiar with the fact that the Bible sometimes compares the journey through life of a follower of Jesus as being like a race. However, I’m afraid we sometimes picture it as more like a leisurely walk in the park rather than a difficult endurance race. John Bunyan pictured the life of a believer so well in his classic tale of “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. He shows that if we’re truly serious about following Jesus and faithfully completing our course, it will involve having to deal with all kinds of challenges. Along our path we’ll face attractive temptations, deceptive distractions, various traps designed to ensnare us, and even full-blown attacks from our enemy. There will be rugged hills to climb and dangerous waters to traverse. And it’s a long journey that continues throughout the course of our lives.

Granted, it’s possible to avoid many of the hardships by settling for merely being religious, a churchgoer, a Christian in name only, or being half-hearted in one’s allegiance to Jesus. Yet those type of runners either aren’t really in the race or tend to stall out far short of the finish line. If we’re intent on fully following Jesus and living our lives to please Him, it’s going to be a tough journey at times. It will be worth it. And there will be many joys and blessings along the way in the midst of the hardships. Many of the participants in that “World’s Toughest Race”, even as they were bruised, bleeding, and suffering, talked about how much they loved doing it and that it was the best experience of their lives. As believers, we’ll face severe challenges, but we’ll also experience the best kind of life a person could possibly live, as well as have a glorious future with our Lord for eternity.

I don’t know that the Christian life is the world’s toughest race. I believe Jesus can take the credit for enduring that challenge. He faced not only the rigors of being crucified but also the burden of carrying the sins of the world on His shoulders as He did so. Our suffering doesn’t compare to His. Yet as His followers we are called upon to take up our crosses, to deny ourselves, to be willing to follow in His footsteps of being hated, rejected, and persecuted. If we’re running as we should be, our journey will not be a bed of roses. It will be tough at times.

If you’re committed to following Jesus in a world that continues to reject Him, it’s going to be challenging. If you’re determined to stand up for His Word in a society that has turned its back on what God says, you’re going to have enemies. If you’re seeking to live a holy life in the midst of an ungodly world, you’re going to encounter all kinds of obstacles.

If you’re dedicated to running this race, you’re going to have a tough journey. However, Jesus, the One who has already run and won this race, is right there with you to help you through it. Trust Him. Lean on Him. He’ll help you run well and finish the course.

 

Don’t Let Yourself Become a Spiritual Defeatist

As I’m writing this, the World Series is still in progress, moving back to Houston for Game Six. Hopefully by the time you’re reading this, Atlanta fans will be celebrating a rare championship and not mourning over another disappointment from one of our sports teams. Over the years it has become easy for the fans in our area to develop a somewhat defeatist attitude. We have had our hopes dashed far too many times. Even when one of our teams has done well and seemed to be on its way to a big win, all too often there has been the inability to finish the job. We have become accustomed to our teams finding a way to fulfill the reverse of a familiar idiom and “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.”

If we’re not careful, we can develop a similar attitude about our spirituality and our walk with Christ. We can find ourselves becoming defeatists when it comes to the battles we face both in our own personal lives and in relation to our culture and the world in which we live. We have been disappointed so often that we almost expect to lose. Unfortunately, such a spirit can result in our losing hope, as well as in a lack of faith and effort as we deal with those conflicts.

Concerning our own spiritual journey, we can easily become discouraged by focusing on the numerous times we’ve let ourselves down and let God down by giving in to temptation, acting in a way that we knew wasn’t pleasing to the Lord, or failing to do what we knew God wanted us to do. We’ve been guilty of not being able to stay on course when obstacles arose. We’ve stumbled more times than we care to remember. There have been occasions when we were on the verge of victory, only to blow it.

However, the Lord provides both forgiveness for those past miscues and strength to face our new challenges. The Bible doesn’t depict believers as those who are constantly suffering defeat, but rather as “more than conquerors” through Christ (Romans 8:37). We don’t have to be losing those spiritual battles all the time. And we shouldn’t be. We don’t have to falter before we get to the finish line. We can trust that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (Philippians 1:6). We’re also assured that God “is able to keep you from stumbling” (Jude 24). We can’t win in our own strength, but as we trust the Lord, rely on His power, and keep faithfully pressing forward, He can enable us to experience more victories than defeats.

But what about the “culture wars” and other conflicts we face with our world today? Evil and ungodliness seem to be growing while believers and Biblical values are being increasingly marginalized. We’re being told that our views are outdated and on the wrong side of history. Have we lost? Should we just cloister ourselves in our churches while licking our wounds and waiting for this life to be over. No! The Church may be suppressed by society at times, it’s numbers may dwindle to a faithful remnant, and it may face persecution, but it is still the victorious Bride of Christ. No matter how dark the world gets, we can still be an effective light for Christ. We can still have a significant impact on the lives of individuals by warning about evil and proclaiming the good news of Christ whether society as a whole listens to us or not.

We may lose some battles, but we know who wins the war. We will reign victoriously with Christ for eternity and through Him we are conquerors even now.

 

Do You Have Your Ticket to Life in Christ?

A few members of our family were disappointed last weekend. They had hoped to go to one of those farms that offer special fun activities during the fall season. However, due to our current societal situation, many of those venues are limiting the amount of people they allow in at any one time. They are requiring patrons to purchase tickets for a certain time period. When our family members checked into getting those tickets, they discovered that they were already sold out for the day.

Aren’t you thankful that God doesn’t limit the number of people who can enter into the blessing of eternal life in His Son? We don’t have to worry about the possibility that when we respond to His invitation to come to Him that we’re going to be turned away due to there being no more space for us. Or when we get to heaven, we can be assured that we won’t come up to the gate and find a sign reading “Full – no vacancies”. I love the old song that reminds us that although millions may have come to the Lord over the course of time, there’s still room for one more. There’s room at the cross for you and me.

Among the many divine invitations recorded in scripture is the one issued through the prophet Isaiah. “Everyone who thirsts, come…” (Isaiah 55:1). It’s made clear in this passage that anyone who has a thirst and hunger for the spiritual life God offers them can come to Him and find an open door to receive what they’re seeking. “Come to me. Hear, and your soul shall live” (v.3). Life in Christ isn’t reserved for a select group or for the ones who get there first. Every person who comes with a humble, repentant heart and with faith in Jesus will be granted access into the joys of eternal life.

While we’re on the subject of tickets, after the Braves won the National League championship last week, I heard that World Series tickets were going to be offered at quite a premium price. I saw one fan being interviewed who was hoping to come back to attend one of those games but was uncertain whether or not he would be able to afford the price. What about us? Abundant tickets may be available for us to enter the wonderful life God has invited us to participate in. The opportunity is there. But can we pay the required price?

That passage in Isaiah delivers the good news about that issue too. “You who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (v.1). Our entrance into new life in Christ is free. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not without cost. However, out of His great love for us, Jesus has already paid the price. He purchased our ticket at the expense of His own sacrificial death on the cross. Therefore we can freely receive it as a gracious gift from God. As a matter of fact, that’s the only way we can obtain it. We couldn’t purchase one or earn one, even if we tried. Unfortunately some people try to do so. Maybe they don’t think they can buy their way into heaven with money, but they have the mistaken idea that they can earn their way there through their good works. However, seeking salvation through works doesn’t work. Eternal life is God’s free gift to us through Christ. We can only receive it by grace through faith.

Do you have your ticket to eternal life? It’s available. It’s free. And it’s even more valuable than one of those World Series tickets.  

 

Trust God for Less Failings and More Victories

Our almost-two-year-old grandson enjoys having a certain book read to him. It helps him learn his colors as it pictures various items of apparel such as “red shirts” and “blue pants”. However, what he enjoys most is that every couple of pages it shows a certain character misusing a piece of clothing, such as putting a pair of pants on top of his head or covering his nose with a sock. One word is repeatedly written on those pages – “oops!” My grandson seems to take great delight in coming to one of those pages and gleefully joining whomever is reading to him by shouting “oops!”

We all have our “oops” moments. We make mistakes, we experience accidents, or we face the consequences of our momentary carelessness or weakness. We probably don’t take pleasure in those occurrences, but we tolerate them and have learned to expect them as faulty human beings. But what about our “oops” moments when it comes to doing what’s right and following God’s will for us? What about when we slip up when temptation comes our way or when we fail to do what we know God wants us to do? I doubt that any of us joyfully shout “oops” on those occasions. However, are we experiencing them so regularly that they don’t bother us anymore? Do we just consider it to be the norm that we will have those spiritual stumbles and falls on an everyday basis as we go from page to page in our lives?

Some people point to Paul’s experience related in Romans 7 to suggest that we can’t expect anything better than to have constant struggles about doing God’s will and to regularly succumb to willful disobedience. After all Paul writes, “For to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (v.18-19). So this is describing the situation in which even though we may want to do the right thing, we often find ourselves unable to do it. We keep saying “oops” over and over and over again.

However, Paul’s description of this condition doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t just give in to it or begin to take it lightly. It deeply disturbs him. He cries out, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me…?” Then he provides the wonderful answer: “I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v.25). The good news is that through Jesus we can be delivered from constant wrongdoing. We can even find relief from that ongoing struggle within us between our will and God’s will if we will surrender ourselves completely to Him. Not that we won’t ever face that battle, but it will be less frequent and not as difficult if we’ve settled in our hearts that we are committed to pleasing the Lord and serving Him above all else.

Yes, we have spiritual weaknesses. As Hebrews 12:1 indicates, we have sins that easily ensnare us and faulty tendencies that can weigh us down. But it also declares that we can lay those aside and can run the race the way God wants us to do so. We can determine to make better choices. We can surrender ourselves fully to Christ. And we can trust Him to deliver us and give us power to overcome those weights which hold us back.

So let’s trust God for less “oops” moments in our lives and for more victories as we seek to faithfully follow Jesus.

 

The Lord Is Searching for Those Who Are Lost

Recently my mom lost her wallet. Some of our family members were with her at her home when she realized it was missing. They immediately got involved to help do a thorough search of the house, her car, and even the garbage. She called the store where she last remembered having the wallet and making use of its contents to see if anyone may have turned it in. Unfortunately, in spite of all the diligent seeking, the item in question failed to turn up.

It reminds me of the story Jesus told about the woman who lost one of her silver coins. He suggested that in such a situation a person would light a lamp, sweep the house, and otherwise search diligently until she found her valuable missing piece of money. When she did find it, she would rejoice, tell others her good news, and invite them to celebrate with her (see Luke 15:8-10). Jesus related this parable, along with several similar ones, in response to the Pharisees and scribes complaining about His allowing certain individuals whom they despised as “sinners” to be welcomed as part of the group who drew near to listen to Him. Through these stories Jesus seemed to be emphasizing the value He and His heavenly Father placed on the soul of any individual who was lost or had wandered away from God.

 This truth should encourage us. There is a God who loves us, no matter who we are. And if we’re not where we should be in a relationship with Him, He will come seeking after us. He doesn’t just ignore our absence or immediately write us off because of our wandering ways. He doesn’t consider us expendable in light of all the other “coins” he has in His pocket or all the other sheep in His fold.

Most of the items that were in my mom’s wallet can be replaced. It may take a little effort to do so, but we can get her another driver’s license and credit card. However, the Lord considers each one of us to be irreplaceable. We are that important to Him. You are a one-of-a-kind creation of His. And He doesn’t take that lightly. He will keep searching for you as long as there’s hope of your recovery.

The problem is that some of us don’t want to be found. We hear God’s voice calling out to us, but we choose to ignore it. We sense His hand reaching out toward us, but draw back farther into our hiding place. We see His efforts to get our attention, but we turn our backs on Him. As Jesus stated elsewhere, too many people willingly choose the darkness over the light. They don’t want to have to deal with the truth about themselves and the way they live their lives. They aren’t willing to make the changes God would require of them if they let Him find them.

Jesus pointed to this necessary turnaround by those who were lost in his concluding statement to this story about the lost coin. He said, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (v.10). We often emphasize the heavenly celebration pictured in this remark, but don’t overlook the responsibility of the one who is lost. In order for the rejoicing to occur, in order for the lost to be found, a sinner must repent. A person must admit their need, forsake their sin, put their trust in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for forgiveness and cleansing, and humbly submit to God.

God loves his lost ones and is diligently seeking them. If that includes you, repent and let Him find you.