Author: admin

Emotions can be powerful forces. They can drive us to undertake heroic deeds and they can also lead us to make fools of ourselves. Once our feelings are engaged, they are difficult to control. Emotions can consume us. They can derail our rational thinking. They can cause us to justify all manner of sinful and hurtful behavior. They can blind us to facts about our situation we do not want to see. Our feelings can also compel us to say things that hurt people and which later cause us deep regret.

Wise people understand the danger of being driven by emotions. They know it is better to do what is right, than what they feel like doing. So they control their passions. They do not let them get out of control. If needed, they step back momentarily, or pause before speaking, or wait until another day before deciding, but they refuse to allow their feelings to dictate their actions.

Just because you think something does not mean you should say it! Just because something is true, does not mean it should be uttered publicly. If your emotions have been aroused in the passion of the moment, step back, get them back in your control, think carefully about your potential words and actions, then proceed. That is the pathway to a life without regret.

Righteous leaders are a blessing to those they lead. Those who are godly function with the knowledge they are accountable to God for their actions, and not just their constituency. They act with integrity, not merely out of political expediency. Their behavior reflects the natural values of their character. They treat others with dignity, not to curry favor but because they genuinely care about other people.

What makes righteous leaders so attractive, above all else, is God’s hand of blessing upon them. God honors those who honor Him. It is exceedingly attractive to be a part of an organization or endeavor that God is blessing!

Conversely, wicked leaders inevitably bring heartache. They can appear winsome and appealing for a time, but eventually the truth comes out. Wise people will seek to work with righteous leaders. More than party affiliation or campaign promises or offers of increased prosperity, we ought to be persuaded to follow those who demonstrate a righteous character. How important is character to you in the leaders to whom you are giving your allegiance?

Being faithful for an hour or perhaps for a day is not too difficult. But being faithful day in and day out requires herculean effort and profound trust in God. The world functions in a manner that discourages faithfulness. It is filled with temptations to forfeit our integrity for instant gain. It revels in those who have discarded their faithfulness but who are apparently enjoying worldly success nonetheless. To live a faithful life each day is clearly to swim against the worldly current. But it is worth it.

The only way to consistently live a faithful life is to live by faith in Christ, daily. We can’t do it on our own. Our will power is insufficient to always keep us on the narrow path. We must also desire the higher reward of God’s fellowship and pleasure if we are to forego the worldly enticements that cry out for our attention. Only people who have allowed God to develop their character can withstand the barrage of temptations that regularly assault them.

That is why God delights in blessing those who are faithful. No good deed or godly effort is ever overlooked by God. Every act of faith has its heavenly reward. God’s blessings do not always look like the world’s pleasures, nor do they always come as quickly as the world’s alleged gains, but they will come, and they will last. Don’t allow yourself to yield to the temptation to take shortcuts to success. Remain faithful. Keep doing the right thing. Let God be the one who rewards you in His own way and in His own good time.

Our world is filled with secrets. Leaders have misdeeds carefully hidden away from public view. Many weave elaborate lies to prevent people from discovering what they have done. Every time the media heralds a new scandal society is shocked by another fallen leader who tried to camouflage his sins. Scripture is clear. Our sins will be found out. It is far better to confess them and to renounce them than to deny them and try to hide them.

Some people squander years of their life covering their lies and living in fear of being exposed. They may be leaders but they are living in bondage. It is far better to heed Scripture’s advice and immediately confess and renounce our sins. Lying about or hiding our transgressions only compounds the problem. It piles one sin on top of another until they collapse on our head.

While confession can appear to be too painful and awkward to endure, it is actually the road to freedom. It takes us out of darkness and back into the light. It removes the burden of deception and lies. It sets us free from the fear of being exposed. It is the pathway to life. If you have been burdened by sin in your life, choose the path to freedom and confess and forsake your sin, today.

God is absolutely just. He hates sin and He loves righteousness. God promises that ultimately, every sin, every crime, every evil deed will be fully accounted for. For those who have trusted in the salvation provided by Christ’s death on the cross, the penalty for their sins will be paid for them. For those who rejected Christ’s free gift of salvation, they will pay for every sin they ever committed, themselves. Every wrong will be righted. Every evil deed, whether paid for on earth or not, will ultimately be paid in full in eternity. That is due to the righteous nature of God.

For those who are children of God, we should have His same zeal for justice. We cannot sit back and allow injustice to trample on the oppressed and weak. We should not remain silent while the wicked take advantage of others or when evil people make a mockery of what is right and good.

Evil people do not understand justice. To them, it is merely an issue of the survival of the fittest. If you can get away with it, it must be OK. They shrug their shoulders at injustice and assume that’s the way the world works. But the righteous knows differently. They recognize evil when they witness it. They know what God despises, regardless of whether the world declares it to be acceptable. In the unjust world that we presently live in, is God giving you the wisdom to live your life in a way that it makes a difference?

Courage is one of the great character qualities largely missing in leaders today. People seem more concerned with holding their job or being re-elected or nurturing their popularity than they are with having the courage to do and say the right thing.

If anyone ought to be characterized by courage it should be Christians. Christians have the Holy Spirit residing within them to guide them and to give them the words to say in critical moments. Believers understand that one day they will give an account to the risen Christ for everything they have said and done (2 Corinthians 5:10). They also have a standard of living found in Scripture that is clear and unchanging regardless of what is politically correct at the time. With so many resources available to them, Christians have every reason to be courageous in doing what was right.

Unbelievers are not so. They do not have God as their advocate or guide. They cannot be sure they are doing the right thing or going in the best direction.

They must depend on people because they do not rely on God. They must also determine what is right to do, because Scripture is not their guide.

The days in which we live are challenging. Leading can be an intimidating proposition. But this is not a time to play it safe or to stand safely on the sidelines. It is a day that calls for courage. May you face today with resolve to do what is right, regardless of the challenge.

Carelessness is one of the most accepted, and yet devastating sins. It is easy to excuse someone who “forgot” or “didn’t realize” or “somehow didn’t notice.” Careless people often have the best of intentions. They can be likeable, carefree people with a ready smile. Yet their behavior is sinful and it causes others to suffer.

Every person has responsibilities. Even Adam was assigned certain tasks to perform in the perfect Garden of Eden! To be truly human is to be responsible. And, because God made us interdependent on others, our carelessness harms those who depended on us to do our job.

If you are careless with your finances, you will be unable to invest in the people who need your help. Your children and grandchildren will go without. Your church and various ministries will not receive your support. Being diligent is not the same as being obsessed. It simply means you are a good steward of that which God entrusts to you.

God does not ask us to delegate our responsibility to someone else. He expects us to carefully attend to our affairs. Saying you didn’t know is no excuse. Saying you were under the impression things were different is unacceptable. Do you know the state of your affairs?

We would like to be known for our words. Most people can muster up some eloquent or noble phrases that can impress others. We can all make high-sounding comments about what we believe. It is easy to assent to the importance of godly behavior. If it was merely an issue of saying the correct things, most of us could rise to the occasion, at least occasionally.

But our character is most clearly identified, not by what we say, but by our heart. To know someone’s heart is to know them. Our affections determine our actions. What we value sets our agenda. We may put on a mask on the outside, but it is what is on our inside that represents our true identity.

How do you know what is in someone’s heart? Watch what they do. Words are cheap. Actions reflect our true values. If we act selfishly, we are reflecting a selfish heart. If we behave proudly, our heart is clearly filled with pride. If we show no concern for the welfare of others, we clearly have a calloused heart. Our words can also reveal what lies in our heart. Not our prepared speeches and pious pronouncements, but what we utter in our unguarded moments. What you say in anger reflects what lurks in your heart, not what you say in your Bible study group. What you say at the end of an exhausting day is a better indicator of your heart than what you say in a job interview.

Have you conducted a heart examination lately? Have you monitored your actions? Have you listened carefully to your words? Are you pleased with what your heart reveals about the current state of your character?

People have an effect on others either for good or for ill. The key is to surround ourselves with the right kind of people!

It can be tempting to gravitate toward people who are just like us. It is comforting to have friends who think we are wonderful and who agree with all of our opinions. The problem is that such people add nothing new to us. Because they see the world the same way we do, they do not challenge us or make us grow. They may make our life comfortable, but such people do not make us better.

Iron on iron involves impact and friction. Such encounters are memorable. They are anything but comfortable. But they make a difference. Iron that has been sharpened is far more effective than iron that has been polished.

It takes humility to welcome iron into your life. Life will not always be comfortable. Our pride may take a beating. Some conversations may be painfully awkward. But when we leave those encounters we will be sharper and of more use to our Master.

What type of people have you gathered around yourself? Has your choice of friends been based on your comfort or your calling? Are you too insecure to invite people around you who will make you better? Do you need to gather more iron around you? Do you need to stop resenting it when people act like iron upon your life?

Few things are as unpleasant as a braggart. No one likes to listen to someone blow their own horn! Yet the truth is, we can all be tempted to pronounce to others what we have accomplished. It can seem immensely satisfying when those around us recognize our stellar achievements. But when we find ourselves boasting, we ought to immediately beware that something is amiss in our soul.

For one thing, boasting reveals that we believe our success is due to our own effort. It leaves God out. God does not share His glory with anyone. If we try to take the credit for what God has done in our lives, we are inviting God to set the record straight. Second, boasting reveals an inner desire for peoples’ recognition. It demonstrates that peoples’ opinion drives our behavior. The true servant of God is motivated by God’s opinion of their behavior. Third, boasting reflects self-centeredness. People who boast only want to talk about themselves, not about others. Yet a true servant of God is focused on God’s activity, not on their own. They seek to be a blessing to others, rather than having others constantly admiring them. Finally, boasting reveals a lack of trust in God for a reward. Boasters desire instant gratification. Why wait for the “Well done” of God when I can garner peoples’ praise today? So boasters shamelessly herald their accomplishments and savor every compliment. Sadly, they will have their reward in full. God will not bless someone who is intent on grasping his own reward. Far better to humbly obey what God assigns to us and then wait for our Lord and Master to recompense us as He sees fit. Monitor your mouth. Are you magnifying your God, or yourself?