Deceptive Virtues

Our society seems to value assertiveness, independence, and defiance to authority. We admire, for example, people who can "get around the rules." But in a relationship with God, these same characteristics become stubbornness, self importance, and refusal to listen or change. They are manifested in an inability and unwillingness to surrender and submit to God's ways or His plan for our lives. Worse yet, stubbornness, when left unchecked, becomes a way of life that is hostile to God!

Pride's Influence

What is it about pride that makes it so harmful? What makes pride so dangerous to humans and even more so to Christ-followers?

1. It causes us to look down on others.
2. It causes us to be selfish with our resources.
3. It forces our so-called solutions on other people's problems.
4. It causes us to think of God's blessings as being somehow tied to our own merit.
5. It enables us to be content with our own plans instead of seeking God's plans.

Useless from Pride

Proud people may look important. They may even look like solid Christians - called and anointed by God Himself. But God says pride makes them "good for nothing, completely useless." (Jeremiah 13:1-11)

Pride rots our hearts to the point that we become completely useless to God.

Loyalty's Dangers

Our loyalties to anyone or anything always carry a hidden danger --- arrogance. Even people who were once truly close to God can become useless to Him because of their pride.

On Adversity

As Christians if we hide in the face of adversity, our testimony is compromised. But calling on God in the face of adversity actually strengthens our witness for Christ.

Repentance

Repentance demands a change of mind and a changes of heart. Those in turn result in changed behavior.

Loving His Way

How can we love others the way Jesus loves them?
How can we love others the way Jesus loves us?

By helping when it's not convenient.
By giving when it's hurts for you to give.
By devoting energy to the welfare of others (instead of yourself).
By absorbing hurts from others without complaining or fighting back.

This kind of loving is hard to do. It doesn't come natural to any of us. That's why when we do it people notice and they know that we are empowered by a supernatural source.

Jesus' Desires

Jesus said no to His human desires in order to obey His Father and glorify Him. That is the Jesus --- and the character that I want to live in me!

God's Enough

You don't know that God is all you need until God is all you have. Said differently, it is only when you are faced with your need for God that you realize the folly of all your other so-called needs.

Being A Barnabas

New Christians, especially those with tarnished reputations and pasts, need sponsors - people who come alongside, encourage, teach and introduce them to other Christians. This is what "being a Barnabas" is really all about.

Mission Abandoned?

When God gives us a mission, it must not get polluted by a desire for approval from others or from society in general. When we are willing to adapt to the customs of those around us, we effectively abandon our God-given mission in life.

Poor Ignored

Throughout history, there have always been people who had excess, yet who tended to value financial gain or preservation more highly than they value the poor. So they feel justified in preserving their wealth --- while the poor go wanting. (Of course, this is sin.)

Releasing Power

Today, many people are familiar with who Jesus is. But nothing in their lives is changed. They have failed to respond to Jesus properly. They seem satisfied with mere familiarity. Unfortunately, it is only through a deep faith in Christ and obedience to Christ that God's healing power is released to bring us victorious life --- in Christ.

Made Wrong

An action that may not be wrong in itself can be sinful if it is motivated by greed, pride, arrogance, selfishness, etc. Often our motives, not the action itself, contain the sin. We must constantly weigh our motives before we act.

Maturing Vision

Mature Christians can see with eyes of faith. The size of their problems means nothing - as long as they know they are on the Lord's side. Victory is not by might or by power. It is not by medicine, science or government either. It's not even by the economy. But victory is by His Spirit, "says the Lord!" (Zechariah 4:6)) God's people are encouraged in the face of adversity and they can encourage others - only because they know where they stand with God. People in good standing with God have no fear. Period.

Success & Failure

We are never closer to failure than during our greatest successes. If we fail to recognize God's part in our achievements, they are no better than our failures.

What God Wants

God wants us to give Him not only the major decisions and challenges in our lives, but also the smaller things that we are often fooled into thinking we can handle on our own.

Explaining Scripture

In many instances Scripture must be used to explain and comment on itself. So we must be familiar with the entire scope of the Bible in order to understand its more difficult (i.e., complex) sections.

God's Breath

If God were to take back His Spirit and withdraw His breath, all life would cease and all of humanity would turn to dust. (Job 34:14)

True Confession

Confession is more than just appropriating God's forgiveness. Rather confession is agreeing with God that our thoughts, words and actions have been wrong and contrary to His will. It is recommitting ourselves to do His will and renouncing any acts of disobedience that we're aware of. We do not need to confess sins that were previously confessed though. Confession involves turning away from all known sin and asking God for fresh power to live for Him.

Choosing Faith

Our responsibility as Christians is to choose by faith to believe what God says even if we don't feel it or have doubts. When we honor God in this way, we create an environment in which His Spirit can gradually conform our feelings to the truth.

Benefits of Aging

Older men are more aware of their sins than younger men. Apparently age and experience in life temper youthful self-righteousness. So the older and more experienced I am, the more conscious I am of my desperate need for a Savior - and the more grateful I am that I have one.

Along with this phenomenon, I also see that the more emotionally and spiritually mature I become, the less I am able to embrace a victim role. (I wonder if it is like this for everyone else.)

Leaders Build

Good leaders build themselves up. Great leaders build others up.

Seeing Truth

Pride can often partially or even completely obscure our view of truth. Similarly, fear can keep me from knowing truth even when I see it.

Holdong Onto Truth

It is easy to think that we have the truth and that those who disagree with us do not. But that is a product of our fallen, human nature. Moreover, when we act on that thinking we also assume (believe?) that if others just had the same facts as we do they would be in agreement with us. This too is folly. WE must keep ourselves engaged in a vigilant quest for truth - and never assume that we have it or have all of it ... for we can never know what we do not know.

Bible Response

It is not possible to read the Bible without having a response, or at least a need to respond.

Imperfect Forgiveness

Forgiveness is required of Christ-followers. But our humanity makes that forgiveness less than perfect. Because we have memories and because the injustices that we suffer may never be made right in this lifetime, the unforgiveness may stalk us. Said differently, our love is not perfect. Our worship is not perfect. Our humility is not perfect. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that our forgiveness is not perfect. In fact, it will take Jesus Christ in us to perfect our forgiveness. And He may take a lifetime to do that.

Human Failure

The depths of human failure seem to be found in four ways:

1. When we let anything become more important in our lives than God.
2. When we make poor alliances with those who don't share our values.
3. When our conscience becomes desensitized to right and wrong.
4. When we are no longer able to discern God's will for our lives.

Repentance

The hardest part of repentance is changing the attitudes and wrong thinking that originally produced the sinful behavior and poor choices. It may include false beliefs (i.e., believing things that aren't true). It may also include the sin of unbelief (i.e., not believing things that are true). Finally, it may include ignorance (i.e., not knowing the truth).

Leaders' Impact

Leaders profoundly impact the people that they lead. They can either encourage or discourage devotion to God both by their example and by the structure they give their organization. Good leaders put no obstacles to faith in God or to right living in front of their people. In fact, the best leaders work to identify and remove such obstacles. These truths apply to any kind of organization, whether secular or religious.