More Interested In My Character

Hey, Y'all,

Today's thought is from PurposeDrivenLife.com and reminds me of something I recently read and saved (to follow as another post, of course :-)

"Much confusion in the Christian life comes from ignoring the simple truth that God is far more interested in building your character than He is in anything else. Sadly, a quick review of many popular Christian books reveals that many believers have abandoned living for God's great purposes and settle for so-called personal fulfillment and emotional stability. That is narcissism, not discipleship. Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable lives. His purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like Himself before He returns. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny."

Kind of gets you thinking: He is far more interested in building my (eternal) character than in my (short-term) comfort. Hmmm...

You've been prayed for today...

Knowing Is Not Enough

Hey, Y'all,

Today's is another short and powerful thought:

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do."
--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hmmm..."Knowing is not enough...we must do." Yikes! Think about that for a minute. Words to live by...yep, words to live by.

You've been prayed for today...

You Play How You Practice

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is short and sweet, but as tends to be the case, it's potent despite (because of? :-) its brevity. Art sent this little gem my way a while back (thanks, mi he'mano):

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.
--Muhammad Ali

Made me think of something we remind each other of frequently in men's group: you play how you practice. Kind of gets you thinkin', huh? Doesn't matter what you're talking about: you play how you practice.

You've been prayed for today...

Talking Down or Coming Down?

Hey, Y'all,

So today we're kind of picking up where we left off last time (although this thought actually preceded that one). A few weeks ago in men's group we were discussing James 4 and paused at verses 11 and 12:

Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters...Who are you to judge your neighbor?

The commentary we're reading from added this (my paraphrase):

James' admonition 'Do not speak evil against' is, more specifically, 'do not defame' or 'do not denigrate.' A defamatory word may be perfectly true; we do not have to tell lies in order to defame. But the fact that it is true gives us no right to say it. True or false, it puts us in a position of (supposed) superiority from which we can not but 'talk down' to them. If we profess to humbly bow low before our Lord, our Savior, how can we possibly be in a position to 'talk down' to anyone?

Suppose I do know something to someone's discredit; be it ever so true, my task is not to publicize it, nor even privately to berate him with it, but to go where he is and lift him up. I must be the Samaritan to him; he is my neighbor. There is no room for talking down but only for coming down to where the one in need is, identifying with the need and abandoning self-interest so as to meet it. We are, after all, professing to follow His example, are we not?

Words to live by...

You've been prayed for today.

Gentle, Humble, Patient, Bearing

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across today's thought (based on a message by Jon Walker on PurposeDrivenLife.com) and I was again struck by the (re-)realization that we're supposed to be treating each other well as a central tenet of our Christianity (as opposed to...). So how does this hit you?

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Ephesians 4:2

Humorist Dave Barry says, "A perfect parent is a person with excellent child-rearing theories and no actual children." The same could be said of a perfect world or a perfect family; there's one sure way to mess things up: people!

Living with imperfect people requires patience, and you -- now, I say this as a friend -- are one of those imperfect people who requires patience. Oh, and BTW, I'm an imperfect person too. Patience means putting up with me when you'd rather lose your temper; it means forgiving me when you'd rather nurture a grudge. Patience is love in action because "love is patient" (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Now hear this: patience and a critical spirit are mutually exclusive. Even when your complaints are justified, it is patience that pulls (or pushes :-) you toward forgiving and forgetting: "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11).

Being patient may try our patience, but we become stronger when we learn to love imperfect people. And that's where the first part of this passage comes in to play -- being completely humble and gentle -- because you can be no other way when truly you realize that you too are in need of being borne with in love.

More on this next post, but in the meantime,
you've been prayed for today...