Author: admin

Some things are more important than always being right or agreed with. No one savors being chastised. It can be embarrassing. It  might threaten our sense of self-esteem. It could shake our confidence. That is why we often steel ourselves from such unpleasant experiences.

When people challenge what we are doing, we tend to immediately justify our actions. We counterattack and search for shortcomings in others. We look for every excuse at our disposal to justify our actions and discredit our critics. But of course, in the process, we become none the wiser.

At times life itself assigns us rebukes. Life operates on the principle that we will reap what we sow. It is true that we generally learn far more from our failures and setbacks than though our success and triumphs. So God allows us to experience failure. Pain becomes our tutor. Suffering can teach us important lessons we would never gain while sitting in a classroom.

Those who learn their lessons from life will emerge as wise. They will have a perspective on life not accorded to those who simply chose to blame others for their hardships. Such people will have learned to successfully navigate the ups and downs of life. They will have truly become wise.

We all have some good ideas. Or so we think! An idea may strike you as something you or your organization could do. At first glance, it appears brilliant! It may be just the answer you have been looking for! A solution to all your problems!

That is where wise counselors are crucial. We all have blind spots. We tend to see the possibilities more than the difficulties. Others become absorbed with the problems and miss the potential. Our challenge is that we only see things from our limited vantage point. But every situation has more than one perspective. To get a full understanding of our circumstance, we must view it from various angles.

The key is enlisting good counselors. Some see things from our perspective and so have limited value to us. They don’t tell us anything we don’t already know! Others have a completely different perspective. These people may annoy us sometimes because they do not readily agree with us, and what we see. But they will provide us a different perspective, which is crucial. If all of your counselors immediately agree with you, you might want to enlist additional advisors! Be certain you have viewed your situation from several perspectives before you move forward in an important direction. Some things are worth getting right the first time!

More is not always better! More money often brings with it more taxes, complications, and requests from others. Having a larger home can mean greater upkeep and expenses. The world is constantly encouraging us to desire and seek after more. Regardless of what it is, more is always considered to be better. As a result, we can be tempted to compromise our values or to distort the truth or to sacrifice what is important so we can achieve an added measure of worldly success.

The reality is that there are some things that are far more important and satisfying than merely accumulating more of what the world considers to be valuable. One thing that is better, the more you have, and that is the fear of the Lord. The more you fear God, the more likely you will be to take His word seriously and do what He says. The more we heed God’s word, the more we will experience His blessing. The greater His blessing, the more abundant will be our life.

The problem with our world is that it diminishes our fear of God. It tries to portray God as a good friend who loves us just the way we are, or a doting grandfatherly figure who is grateful we gave him a few minutes of our time before we run off to our next appointment. The world says all fear is bad and unhealthy. But the reality is that when our relationship with God is as it should be, it matters not whether we have much or little of the world’s goods. God is always enough. With Him, we have all we need.

Some people waste their prayers. God is not our servant. He does not hover over us waiting to grant our next request. Neither does he accept any old prayer or offering we deign to give Him. At times we can wrongly assume that God must be pleased that we offer Him any prayer or sacrifice at all, considering our full and demanding schedules. We may hurriedly throw up a prayer on the way to our first meeting of the day, satisfying ourselves that at least we said our daily prayers once again.

The reality is that the effectiveness of our prayers is directly connected to the condition of our heart. We could offer the world’s greatest fortune to God as a sacrifice but He would be unimpressed if our heart was filled with pride or unforgiveness. Likewise, when there is sin in our heart, the only acceptable prayer we can offer is one of confession and repentance.

Conversely, when our hearts are pure before God, He delights in our communion with Him. He is pleased to hear and respond to our requests. How amazing for God to take pleasure in hearing what is on our heart! How could we not earnestly desire personal holiness so we could have God’s attentive ear when we pray? If your prayer times have seemed lifeless and void of God’s pleasure, have you searched your heart to see if it is presently pleasing to God?

While anger is a common emotion among people, it rarely produces anything worthy of God. When we work with people, we will inevitably be disappointed and frustrated with their behavior. They will eventually let us down. They may question our leadership or even challenge us directly. A time will surely come when we are tempted to tell people exactly what we think! Perhaps they have already informed us of what they think and so they certainly “deserve” to receive an earful from us!

Wise leaders choose their words carefully. They ask, “Will speaking harshly with this person make them better? Will it remedy the situation? Will it build a stronger team or make our organization more effective? Or, will it merely make me feel better? (at least temporarily).”

Foolish leaders allow themselves to be drawn into pointless arguments and disputes that distract them and the people they lead from their primary cause. Endless arguments will polarize an organization and stifle morale. Wise leaders seek to end disputes before they begin. They calm tempers rather than heaping coals onto the fire. Astute leaders focus on what is best for their people and their organization rather than on defending their own reputation. Effective leaders use their words masterfully.

Just as individuals must choose to live holy lives before God, so nations must also give an account of their behavior before the King of kings. A nation’s character can be filled with corruption, immorality, and greed. Or, it can reflect righteousness. A nation’s character is determined by the behavior of its citizens. When people live wickedly, their sinful lifestyle leaves its mark on society. Likewise,when people choose to live and work with integrity and the fear of God, their attitude permeates their entire nation.

God honors and rewards those who are righteous. Holy living brings glory to God. When a nation’s citizens choose to honor God with their lives and business, they raise the level of righteousness throughout their country. When God blesses the righteous, the entire nation feels the impact.

At times we can wonder if it is “worth” it to go the extra mile to conduct our lives and businesses with righteousness. It can seem as if everyone else is taking shortcuts and choosing lifestyles that dishonor God. Yet our individual choice to live righteously will impact our nation. The righteous can lift up their nation and draw the blessing of God, one person at a time. What are you doing personally to raise the level of righteousness among the people with whom you live?

It is generally easier to criticize those who are poor than to extend love to them. We can sometimes become more absorbed with how people became poor than the fact that they currently have needs. We may debate whether certain people are poor today because of foolish choices they made previously. Perhaps they did not find a way to go to college. Maybe they didn’t look hard enough for a good job. Perhaps they have grown accustomed to handouts from others . . . At times we can be so busy coming up with reasons why people are needy that what is lost in our deliberations is the fact that God instructed us to love them.

Pointing an accusing finger from afar is not love. Explaining how we think people ended up in poverty does not satisfy God’s concern that we reach out to them. The poor are extremely vulnerable. It can be easy to take advantage of them. If we are an employer, it can be tempting to pay them less than we should or to ask more of them than is fair. The poor have little recourse. They have few places to turn for help. Perhaps that is why God takes an active role and concern on their behalf.

God states that we honor Him when we show mercy to the needy. What we do to the poor; we do to God. When we choose to be generous and to demonstrate mercy, we reflect God’s heart. How have you been bringing glory to God by the way you treat those in need?

As it has been said, “Talk is cheap.” Some people love to discuss what they will do . . . some day. If only they had the funding, or the promotion, or the staff, or the support, or the equipment, or the increased budget . . . Then they would accomplish so much!

Others simply roll up their sleeves and begin to work hard with what they have already been given. It might not be glamorous. It may not turn the world on its ear. But, over time, labor leads to profit. Steady, consistent effort in the same direction results in progress. While others talk about what they will do some day, others quietly but consistently actually achieve their goals.

Some people have a vision of where they want to go, but they do not have the corresponding labor to arrive at their destination. Others work hard but without a sense of direction to capitalize on their hard work. The wise person works hard in a particular direction and as a result, enjoys the benefits of their efforts.

Are you applying your best efforts in a particular direction? Are you making progress toward your goals? Or are you merely spending a lot of time talking about what you will do . . . some day?

The commands of Scripture are hundreds, even thousands of years old. It is easy to view them as archaic prohibitions from times long since past. Yet we do so at our peril.

Fools make light of sin. They tell jokes about people who sin. They regularly watch movies about people who flagrantly transgress God’s laws. They excuse their own wicked behavior. Some seek to explain that modern society is radically different than biblical times and therefore much of God’s word is now outdated and no longer applicable. Such people act as if they are “enlightened” and that they function on a different set if values and laws than those passed down in Scripture.

Some of these people have high IQs. They teach in universities. They hold management positions in major companies. They even serve as church leaders. They hold positions of public prominence. Scripture simply lumps them into the category of “fool.”

Sadly, even the church has become uncomfortable speaking of “sin.” We discuss weaknesses, addictions, shortcomings, character flaws, and an “independent spirit,” but we feel as if we are being old fashioned to talk about sin. We must be careful. The Bible clearly states that sin is humanity’s gravest problem. It is unimaginably destructive and there is only one remedy. To treat it lightly is to subject yourself to its evil powers. How do you treat sin in your life?

At times our sense of compassion leads us to be at odds with God and His work. God tells us to rebuke sin. We tend to excuse it. God instructs us to repent of our transgressions. We want to explain why it is not our fault. God commands parents to discipline our rebellious children, but we want to show mercy and give them another chance!

Sin leads to death (Romans 6:23). It destroys everything it touches. It must be radically rooted out of our lives at the earliest possible moment before it develops into a sinister habit. We will not grow to despise sin if we never suffer its consequences. We will not learn to fear the Lord if His commands are routinely ignored. Without the fear of the Lord, there is little concern for sin.

While it might seem like enlightened parenting to choose not to discipline your wayward child, it is actually shortsighted. Those who have not learned to dread sin will not flee from temptation. They will not grieve over their transgressions. They will not understand the gravity of their rebellion against God and His word. They will not hasten to be restored into divine fellowship when they fall. And, as a result, they will not experience God’s forgiveness and restoration. There is simply too much at stake to not diligently discipline our children.