Author: admin

One of the most profound contradictions in the Christian life is weeping in Christ’s presence. In God’s presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). In His presence is peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6). In His presence, our yoke is easy and our burden is light (Mathew 11:28-30). Yet countless Christians weep and are disheartened in the presence of the resurrected Christ.

Mary was weeping next to an empty tomb! If it had still been sealed shut, she would have had ample reason to grieve! Had Jesus’ beaten and tortured body continued to lie in state, tightly wrapped in burial linens, she could have been excused for her tears. But such was not the case!

Every prophecy Scripture had foretold of the Messiah’s victory had come to pass. Every promise Jesus had made to His disciples concerning His death and resurrection had been fulfilled. The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. The burial clothes were discarded. The sentries guarding the tomb had fled. Jesus’ enemies were distraught. There was absolutely no reason to weep!

At times the risen Christ must ask the same question to us: “Why are you weeping?” In light of the fact that the resurrected Christ has called you to your assignment, He sustains you, protects you, guides you, and provides for you, why are you discouraged? Can people thwart God’s purposes for your life? Can your circumstances exhaust God’s provision? Can your critics cancel God’s will? Is there anything you face that is too complicated or difficult for the risen Christ to achieve victory? In light of all that Christ is and is doing, why are you discouraged?

Disappointment is a certainty when you lead others. People will inevitably let you down. The best laid plans will not work as you intended. Critics may abound. The joy and zeal you felt as you commenced your work can evaporate as you experience failure and frustration.

Jesus knew about disappointment. He suffered painful betrayal. His most loyal lieutenants abandoned Him. Yet Jesus never lost His joy. That is because his joy did not originate from people but from His fellowship with His Father. No one could remove God’s presence from Him.

Likewise, Jesus assured His disciples that upon His resurrection, no one could take their joy away. No one. We will of course have those who will try. They will criticize us, betray us, abandon us, question us, and seek to thwart us. They may even be successful. But our joy does not stem from the accomplishment of our plans or from the accolades of others. It ought to come from fellowship with our Lord (John 15:11). That is something not even our most sinister enemy can steal from us.

If no one can take our joy from us, why are there so many joyless Christians? The answer is: they surrender their joy. They decide they cannot (or will not) hold on to their joy if they are treated acertain way. They willingly yield their joy to their circumstances and surrender that ground to their enemies. But it does not have to be that way. Jesus promised that no one and no circumstance is powerful enough to remove the joy that emanates from His presence in our lives. Have you surrendered your joy? If you have, return wholeheartedly to God’s presence and let Him restore it to you.

How fickle people can be! At one moment they are crying “Hosanna!” and the next they are angrily shouting “Crucify Him!” Aristotle distrusted democracy because it was so fickle and constantly subject to vacillating public opinion. There are times when emotion takes hold of the masses and reason must beat a hasty retreat!

If you have placed your trust in people, beware. They will inevitably disappoint you. They most certainly will do the wrong thing, eventually. If you are serving in leadership because you like people, be warned. A time may come where you don’t like them so much! People are like that. The only thing predictable about them is that they are unpredictable.

Jesus was victimized by swaying, public opinion. The very ones who proclaimed him king would demand his cruel death only a week later. Yet Jesus’ focus was never on people. It was on His Father. He knew God could accomplish His purposes despite the transitory loyalty of those around Him. What might seem to destroy God’s purposes merely became the next step in God accomplishing His will. Ultimately the rabble did not prevent God’s work from being accomplished. Several weeks later, crowds of people would cry out, “What must we do to be saved?” when Peter boldly preached to them.

Have you grown disillusioned with leading? Get your eyes off of people and on to God. If you have been seduced by the voices of those who praise you, beware. Today’s accolades  can become tomorrow’s condemnation.

Pride never lacks for victims. There are always those who are susceptible to its charms. Just as pride tempted Satan to exalt himself above his Creator, so pride causes us to maintain an inordinately high view of ourselves in relation to God and others.

Perspective is everything. If we view ourselves, and others properly, we can live our lives wisely and successfully. But when we do not see things the way they really are, we are extremely vulnerable. Why do brilliant businesspeople commit flagrant violations of the law that ruins their careers and their companies? Pride. Why do leaders refuse to accept wise counsel that could save them from failure and grief? Pride. Why do so many leaders become braggarts who hoard the credit and praise for their organization’s success? Pride. Why do Christian leaders conduct their lives as if God’s laws do not apply to them? Pride.

Pride has brought ruin to many brilliant, successful leaders. It was not that they lacked sufficient IQ or management ability. It was that pride blinded them to reality. Pride separated them from God and, unable to hear from their Creator, they were susceptible to temptations that came along.

Humility enables you to view your life properly. You can gain humility in at least two ways. One way is for you to humble yourself so you are in a position to hear from God and to obey what He says. Another is for God to humble you. Because God despises the proud heart, He will ensure that you become humbled. The only question is which path to humility you choose to take.

Living in a land with readily accessibly tap water, we cannot fathom how critical wells are for people living in the desert. Water means life. Powerful armies can be quickly brought to ruin if their water supply runs short. Entire communities will be abandoned if the water source evaporates. Likewise, nothing was more pleasing to the eye of a weary, desert traveler than the sight of an oasis built around a water source. There might be parched desert all around but the ground by the well would be lush and green.

We live in a dry, thirsty land that parches our souls. The carnal temptations, worldly values, evil people, tragic occurrences, and pain and suffering that surrounds us can sap our soul of its spiritual vitality. The world is filled with “takers” who draw from us whatever they can.

In such a spiritually dehydrating world, it is refreshing to spend time near a righteous person whose mouth is a well of life. These are people who restore your soul through their words. They speak life into you and encourage you. Their words are seasoned with grace that helps you become more like Christ. Forgiveness freely flows from their lips. Their conversations are often interrupted with peels of laughter and joy. What an oasis to meet someone like this in a sea of negative, critical, carnal voices!

The wicked, on the other hand, speak evil of others. They constantly tear people down. They speak words of death rather than life. To be in a conversation with such people drains the life out of you and robs you of your joy.

So what kind of person are you? Do people view conversations with you as an oasis in a parched land? Or, do they come away from conversations with you feeling worse and more negative than they did before? Jesus said what came out of our mouth revealed what was in our heart. Presently, is life or death, proceeding from your lips?

Mark Twain once quipped that the benefit of always being honest was that you did not have to remember what you had said previously! Conversely, liars are constantly in danger of tripping over their words. A life that is inconsistent invariably comes unraveled.

Having integrity means that something is consistent throughout. What you see on the outside is what is on the inside. Something with integrity is not contaminated with impurities. When you relate to someone with integrity, you know what to expect, every time.

Having integrity does not insulate you from difficulties, but it does protect you from problems that result from a lack of integrity! Employers are looking for people they can trust. They fire those they cannot. People befriend those who are honest and reliable. People remain aloof from those who are not. Enemies quickly pounce on our inconsistencies. Those who live consistent lives have nothing to fear. Living with integrity means you can sleep peacefully at night!

Others, however, have perverted their way. Perhaps in an effort to get ahead they lied on their resume or on their expense report. They may have misrepresented themselves to a client. Now they must live in constant fear of being found out. They must remember the lies they told. They must cover their tracks. They must live with the tumultuous relationships that result from living inconsistently with others.

Are you living your life with integrity? If you are, no surprise visit, sudden audit, annual job review, phone call, or pop quiz will unsettle you. If you are not living with integrity, this may be the day your evil deeds are uncovered.

Despite the advances of technology and the sophistication of computers, there is still no substitute for hard work. When we work hard and with integrity, we honor our Creator. We were created to work. We are meant to make a contribution and to better ourselves. Yet sin causes us to live at a level beneath what God intends. Sin entices us to find another way to get what we want without investing our labor into it.

While there is nothing wrong with an entrepreneurial spirit that seeks creative, new ways to accomplish our tasks, it is disgraceful to wile away our days vainly searching for ways to avoid breaking a sweat. Some avoid labor by depending on others to provide for them. Others do as little as they can get away with without being fired. Some people are dreamers who are continually searching for someone who will enable their dreams to become a reality. Others settle for mediocre effort, unconcerned with how their shoddy performance costs others. Some will not give their best effort unless constantly goaded by their supervisors. Such an attitude and character is a disgrace to us and dishonors our Creator.

Others, however, are diligent in all they do. They do nothing in half measures. They regularly go the extra mile. They strive for excellence in everything they put their hand to. They give their best and take pride in a job well done. They constantly are learning and studying and practicing so they can enhance their job performance. These people rarely lack for work to do! Managers are always looking to employ such people. There is no secret to success in life. A key ingredient is hard work. Just because you tire easily does not mean you work hard! Would your employer, supervisor, children, spouse, parents consider you to be a hard worker?

Children are a gift from God. Unfortunately, not all children bring joy to their parents! Wise children live their lives with discretion. They choose their words carefully. They recognize what is important and what is trivial. They conduct their relationships prudently. They are quick to forgive wrongs done to them so they keep their relationships well tended and healthy. They work hard. They steer clear of hasty and foolish decisions. They do not spend their time associating with fools. Such people can make their parents proud!

Wise people also recognize the value of maintaining a healthy relationship with their parents. At times this requires immense wisdom. Not all parents are good, or loving, or lovable. Some parents have been negligent or self-centered or abusive. The easiest thing to do in such cases would appear to be to reject such disgraceful parents. But wise children choose to be a blessing to their parents regardless of how they treated them. Such people bring joy to their elders. Wise children may have to take the high road and give to those from whom they have received little. But this is the path of wisdom.

Other children live only for themselves. They act as if their actions affect no one but them. As a result they bring grief to their parents. Such people may reject the values that were passed on to them. They may live in a manner that tarnishes their family’s reputation and good name. Many tears have been shed by mothers whose offspring are fools. How tragic to live one’s life with no regard to the pain we cause those who love us the most. So how do your parents currently view the way you are living? Have you brought a smile or a tear to their faces today?

It can often seem like the best policy is to mind our own business! Who wants to hear what we think anyway? Better to simply worry about yourself and allow others to make their own decisions, and mistakes. However, the reality is that God made us to be interdependent. We need one another. Furthermore, God gave us wisdom, not solely for ourselves, but also so we could share it. Our challenge is to discern which people want to receive what we have to offer and which ones are better left to their own folly.

Some people scoff at the presumption that you know something that they do not. They consider it demeaning for you to suggest an alternative to what they already are thinking or doing. Some people are so insecure that any helpful suggestion is viewed as a threat to their self-worth. Others prefer talking to listening.They cannot stop speaking long enough to listen and learn something new. What’s worse, if you offer these people sound advice, you will make them your enemy. They feel that you insulted them or looked down upon them. To them, this is the greatest of sins. So now they will seek every opportunity to criticize you or to demonstrate that you do not know as much as you let on. Rather than heeding your counsel, they steel themselves to adamantly refute the truth of what you said.

If everyone were like this, it would be wise to never proffer advice to anyone. But there are those who truly want to better themselves. These people are humble enough to seek counsel. They desire a mentor. They know they have much to learn and they do not want to make mistakes in the areas of their life that matter most. It is a joy to walk with such people! So don’t become selfish with your accumulated wisdom and hoard it for yourself. But neither waste it on those who will only be offended by what you say. Seek those with open and wise hearts and invest generously in them.

Leaders walk a delicate line to maintain profit-making while simultaneously caring for their people. Too many businesspeople know far more about their product and services than they do about their employees or clientele. Profit may be what keeps a company viable, but if pursuing gain necessitates neglecting the people, something is wrong. Moreover, there are lots of worthy causes to attract attention and vie for company resources, but Christ did not die for the trees or the whales or baby seals. He did not give his life to clean up the environment or to make the world greener. He suffered and died to redeem lost humanity. The only things that are eternal in this world are people. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, people took precedence in every circumstance, often at the cost of ‘success.’ If the living Lord resides in us, and if Christ is our model, then people will be our priority too.