Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Proverb 3:27
A 2015 study done by Money.com found that Americans donated around $358 billion dollars that previous year. Of those donations, $115 billion went to religious related charities. In addition, the study calculated that Americans devoted $173 billion in volunteer work. Pretty impressive! But here’s an even more interesting fact. Americans weren’t in the top 10 list of being most likely to donate. The top country? Myanmar. A tiny land whose citizens frequently keep their country in the top spot with 81% of respondents saying they had made a donation in the past month. The United States sits at 61%. Still an impressive number, however.
On average, according to another survey, US Christians give just 2.5% of their income to their churches. And while the message of the New Testament reminds us we aren’t under the old laws of tithing, the apostle Paul consistently tells us to give with a cheerful heart – not just to our churches but to those in need.
Too many times we look to see what is left over before we will uncurl our tight fists around our dollars. But throughout scripture, God reminds us of two points. 1) To always give our best, first and 2) He owns everything already and we are just His stewards. When we scrimp with our giving and with our time we are, in effect, holding on to what really isn’t ours. We aren’t effectively managing the resources God has entrusted us to help His plan unfold.
Friend, while you should pray on how to best use your resources (money and time) for His Kingdom, you don’t need to pray night and day whether you should be more charitable to the people around you. God has already given us those marching orders. When we hear “He will provide” so often that means He is asking you to provide in His name to someone who needs to see a little bit of Jesus at work.
Gracious Father, you have provided for me in so many ways. If I can only provide a few coins or hours of my time let it be so someone will know your name. And if I can provide more help me to give fully with a cheerful and loving heart. Amen
“Love the Lord with all your minds heart and soul.” Matthew 22:37
It seems when we Christians talk about our faith these days it’s so frequently focused on feelings, emotions – “from the heart.” And while Jesus will ultimately be the judge of our heart’s true commitment, He also asks us to use the rest of our bodies to honor God. It’s not enough to feel God we need to know and obey God. Why? Because His Words are designed to guide us through this temporary life as best possible. We want to become skillful not just at making a living but in making a life that is in line with our Holy Father. Many of us have experienced life outside those guardrails – sometimes on a daily occurrence. When we are rash with our decisions or emotions, quick to be angry, quick to take up the latest idea or get rich scheme, quick to enter into relationships without good judgment, we easily find ourselves outside God’s protective ways.
The words “wise” and “wisdom” are used 125 times in the 31 chapters of the book of Proverbs. It sounds as though someone might be trying to get a point across to us! Wisdom literature in the Bible includes Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. But for this series I’ll be focusing only on Proverbs. You’ll notice there’s 31 chapters – perfect for a one month study of God’s messages to us about living life in His guardrails.
But first and foremost, we need a right relationship with our Creator. Meaning we accept God in His three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as one God who created the universe and everything in it. And that Jesus came as fully man and fully human to be the final, complete sacrifice to cleanse us of our sins. In this way we may come before God, our King, as righteous. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent in our lives. There is one way on this path and that one way is open to everyone who believes in Him.
Second, we have an assertion of a moral law operating in the world and there will be divine justice. None of which has to do with IQ, wealth or even education. There is an expectation by God to follow His moral laws. And everyone, believers and non-believers, will be judged upon their death.
If we do not have these two foundations, then the seeking of wisdom has no foundation itself. Without a moral King to guide us then we are guiding ourselves. And we know how well that usually turns out! Our selfish souls seek ease, seek comfort, seek pleasure above all. Without an understanding and acceptance of a final, universal judgment then what does it all matter? If you read back into ancient history, peoples without God sacrificed children to meet their desires. They performed all sorts of sexually immoral acts (especially on women) to please their desires. Murdered without out conscience. It was the formation of God’s people through Abraham and Moses that brought God’s moral law back down to earth. Setting us back on the path toward God’s future Eden on Earth.
And so, through people like King Solomon He spoke. The king had asked God for wisdom and it was granted (1 King 3:5-14). It is believed King Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs during his reign. The beauty of the proverbs selected for this book is that none of them are in conflict. All cultures have their sayings – quick summaries of lessons. But many times, they conflict with each other! (“Look before you leap!” vs “He who hesitates is lost.”) God’s words are never opposed to each other.
Toward the end of his reign, King Solomon turned to the folly he so frequently spoke to avoid and disregarded his own wisdom – proving we need to stay close to God at all times. In fact, God warned him when He gave Solomon this gift: “And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will enlighten your days.” A good reminder to never take a day off from following God.
Proverbs are not promises. They are generalized statements of what is usually true. So, if you find a proverb that you want to disagree with first remind yourself that we humans are sinful people. And second, God seeks to bring us into His ideal world. We are practicing to live in our final home – the New Eden.
If you haven’t signed up to receive your 31 Days of God’s Wisdom, make sure you subscribe today! After entering your email information below, check your inbox for your confirmation link. Thank you for joining me on this journey and be sure to share with your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family!Blessings to you for wisdom, Kris
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:34
How many of you need to not just hear these words but soak them deep into your heart right now? For the last few years, we humans have been through a lot of turmoil. I won’t say it was the most difficult time ever because I realize the world has been around a lot longer than my 58 years. In the two world wars alone, it’s estimated 120,000,000 people died. That doesn’t include the folks who passed from ordinary daily illness, accidents, and old age.
This year, as so many of us tried to go back to our lives post shutdowns and lockdowns, we found ourselves back in the ordinariness of trials, tragedy, human depravity, illness, lost dreams, violence, and political infighting. And so, we cry out to God for peace, for healing, for freedom from suffering.
I’ve been pretty quiet this year with my writing as I also deal with the world coming at me from all sides. With the sudden loss of my beautiful “other mother” I have felt so alone at times. I scroll back over her last text messages to me and I can hear her voice so clearly. Since that time, we have celebrated graduations, milestone birthdays, anniversaries, and now the holidays. In addition, my husband’s business has yet to recover from the financial destruction the last few years have wrought. We have seen future goals dissolve into mist. And still we find joy. We find peace and we find hope.
I listened as my neighbor recently listed all the tragedies that have befallen his family over the past year and I heard the pain in his voice. What I didn’t hear was how Jesus is helping them cope. They are going it alone. On the flip side I sit with my friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. And she is hope-filled. She is finding joy and goodness in the face of something so scary. She sees God working in every corner of her life, bringing the right people to her and watching her diagnosis heal broken relationships. While her earthly doctors will work to heal her body, her faith is also healing her. Healing her soul and heart. Comforting and bringing peace to her mind.
I was recently asked in an Advent study to write what I hope for next year. More importantly it asked how I would react if none of those hopes came to fruition. It then asked this: list the things you can find hope in that you KNOW will come to pass because of Jesus Christ. And here’s my answer. I know that Jesus will never leave me or forsake me. I know that Jesus has a better, more beautiful place waiting for all of those who believe. I know that whatever I go through next year God loves me and he loves you.
So I’m starting next year closely tethered to the hope I know will come to pass. Beginning January 1, I invite you to join me on a 31 day journey through God’s words of wisdom. His playbook for a life lived as best we humans can. He is not a god who keeps secret how to more smoothly navigate through the trials and tribulations of life. No, besides the Book of Proverbs He has given us so much wisdom and insight into the Christian life. A life that may at times look very different to the rest of the world but a life that is intended to bring about goodness, grace, mercy, and love.
Please join me for 31 Days of God’s Wisdom and invite your friends, families and neighbors. Be sure to have them sign up at www.emboldened.net to receive their daily email. In this way you can be a part of spreading His message around the world!
There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. A time to be born and a time to die.Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
As a kid living in southern California, I had the opportunity to go to Disneyland a number of times. Before each visit my brother and I would plan out how to strategically use our tickets – yes, back then we had ticket books for rides. That’s where the saying, “It’s an E ticket ride” comes from, meaning the best ones. In the ticket book there’d be loads of A tickets for the kiddie rides and shows. But only a few, valuable E tickets. I imagined how much fun I was going to have spinning around the tea cups and travelling through the Haunted Mansion. But when I got to Disneyland all I could think of was the next ride. And the next. When we would leave, I felt a sense of disappointment. Like I hadn’t really been there at all. So, I looked forward to the day we could go back and begin the process of yearning for something better around the next bend all over again.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.Proverb 27:1
That has been a lifelong problem for me – always looking for tomorrow to bring me joy and peace. It’s also brought me a lot of worry. And although God wants us to be good stewards of our life, planning and preparing, He doesn’t want our hearts and minds to be absent from today. Or worse, trapped in the past. During difficult seasons we can so easily project our life to what we hope it to be or catastrophize our life to what we are worried it will be. We often also wish we could just go back to the way things were. Back home, back to a perceived better or safer time.
On my rides home from the Magic Kingdom, I would wish I could go back. Go back and relish each ride, each experience to its fullest. And while I was doing that, I was probably missing out again on what was happening right then and there. I can only imagine Elijah, a quiet, rugged mountain shepherd on day 50 or 100 or even 200 in Cherith Ravine letting his mind wander back home to Gilead. Being just a man, he probably once or twice longed for his old way of life where kings and queens weren’t threatening his life. Where he could pick berries and drink fresh goat milk each day instead of relying on ravens for food. But God needed him right there, right at that time paying attention.
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”James 4:13-15
It’s a hard lesson when we are in pain, suffering through bad news, or being persecuted. We are admonished to trust in God for tomorrow and not yearn to go backwards to home. And yet, in the midst of my Cherith I found myself doing just that.
Both my children had returned to their own homes after saying their final goodbyes to their beloved grandmother. My husband too had returned back to a job that needed his presence. That next day, after a particularly hard few moments and, to be honest, watching my brother-in-law’s little family gather closely together, I needed to escape. I felt so alone and incapable of the task of helping shepherd my mother-in-law through her final days. I took my eyes off the Lord and placed them back on myself. A phone call home had me crying out to my husband, “I can’t do this. I’m not strong enough. I want to come home right now.”
I wanted to go back to before the cancer. I wanted to envelope myself in my comfortable routine back home. Fear and loneliness wrapped around me like a heavy blanket. And then I remembered Elijah. I looked toward the majesty of the Colorado Rockies and remembered God can do all things. And He needed me right there, right now. Not longing for home or better times. Not worrying about the future. Instead, paying attention to the beautiful moments and lessons He had placed before me for today.
22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.John 16:22
I still will battle looking for the next “better thing” around the corner. But the time between that search and remembering to enjoy this day has reduced to mere moments as I pull my thoughts back to looking for Jesus right now. There is a time for everything. To prepare and to sow, to cry and to laugh. To keep and throw away. To mourn and to dance. When we step outside God’s timing we find ourselves at odds with His plan. But when we live in His moments, His seasons, we find ourselves in harmony. That is God’s promised peace. And that my friends, is exactly where the joy is.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.2 Corinthians 10:5
I love watching the British tv show Midsommer Murders. I’m a detective fan since my young girl days of hiding my Nancy Drew books inside my school desk and sneaking it out when the teacher wasn’t looking. I pay extra on my Amazon Prime account to get these shows. Recently however, they’ve added commercials – dropped in at odd places in the show. One such commercial keeps popping up, show after show, day after day. It’s for Midol, the pain reducer typically suggested to relieve cramping and pains due to menstruation.
The commercials themselves are a testament to where we are at in society. You see, each of the women are portrayed as victims. Not necessarily of having a period but of having to deal with the pain and therefore their related behavior. I call them the Midol Women. One actress states, “If I don’t stop apologizing for my period behavior (apparently she’s quite a bear during this time) then it’ll never stop for future generations.” Another states, “I’m not going to keep apologizing for being a ‘mad black woman’ just because I’m on my period.” Period.
The message conveyed is “whatever I’m feeling today the world had better watch out!” And, “don’t make me apologize for what I’m about to unleash!”
Isn’t that the loud and clear message we hear so much today? I’m not required to keep my mouth in check because (fill in the blank – my truth, my pain, my socioeconomic status, my race, my sexuality, my whatever) but YOU had better keep your mouth in check. It all creates a bit of a neck whiplash. And the result? Pain, hurt feelings, swelling pridefulness, torn relationships, violence and more.
James 3:10-11 says, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
When it’s a Christian acting in this way we get the giant stamp of “hypocrite” placed on, not only us as individuals, but the faith as a whole. It’d be better to live by the wisdom of the Proverbs.
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.Proverbs 29:11
This concept has really hit home for me these past few months as I’ve battled constant pain in my ears and head. I want to lash out at my husband at the end of the day when he’s being, well, just a man. Normally I could laugh and tease him. But it takes all the strength and patience out of me each day to not give in to the pain. So when someone close to me does something annoying, my strength needs to come from somewhere else. Because my tank is empty.
I don’t want to ruin a beautiful weekend by constantly gripping about how I feel. I may always feel this way if my doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong. So I have to ask myself, do I want to be the Midol Woman and demand that everyone around me accept my emotional bombs? Or do I draw on the strength of God which the apostle Paul wrote when he spoke of his constant thorn in his side (2 Cor 12:7-10)?
Believe me, I want to be cured. And I don’t like that women must suffer during their periods. I hate that people, like my mother in law, have to deal with the effects of chemotherapy. Migraines, back pain, knee pain, the list goes on and on. When we lose sight of who we belong to and what is expected of us we fall prey to being the Midol Woman. We lose control of our tongue and its ability to “set great forests on fire by a small spark.” (James 3:5)
Dear Christian, we are held to a higher standard than the Midol Women of this world. And yes, it is okay to be weak and cry. It’s okay to lose our cool once in a while and have a bad day. But to say we shouldn’t apologize for lashing out in those weak times is of the flesh and we are called to be better. God expects us to be better, and most of all to be humble. The world says it’s ok to rant, rave, slam doors, curse others – as long as it doesn’t happen to you. God says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)
It’s at our weakest times that our decision to be resolute in our faith is tested. Not on the good days, not on the days our pain is masked, not on the sun shining days. No, throughout the Bible we see we are almost sure to be tested on the bad days, the days we want to stay in bed, the days it takes a full tank and we are living on just a quarter. It’s those days that when people say to me, “God is just a crutch” that I say, “Great, give me two.”
Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.Proverb 21:9
You might be scratching your head with the verse today. What does a marital fight have to do with praising God? Well, the fight itself doesn’t. But God’s view of it does. The book of Proverbs has some pretty funny sayings that in their humor make a point.
The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!”Proverb 22:13
Picture the lesson above. The lazy person makes all kinds of crazy excuses for not taking care of business. And God turns the lesson into a humorous extreme to which we can all relate.
Praise God that He has a sense of humor! I think so often people view religion and God as a super serious path we are to embark. And yes, our ultimate salvation is pretty serious. But a dour, colorless, and humorless life is not the example of God. How can it be when God created the penguin?
A few years ago, when I was deep in the work of obeying God, I got to experience His sense of humor. He had called me to serve the homeless in our downtown through providing about 100 lunches each week. The test He presented to me required my complete submission and trust. Submission in that I would do whatever He asked. And trust in that He would not only show me the way but also provide the resources.
And so began my communication with God through signs. No, not “signs,” actual signage like billboards, grocery store signs, small and inconsequential street signs. Each time I prayed for direction, I kid you not, within that day I would drive by a sign that told me exactly what to do. I started looking forward to how He would talk to me and the strange places I might hear Him. It became my daily, out loud guffaw as I would drive by a billboard and look up to say “sounds great!” It was our own set of inside jokes.
I certainly grasp the awesomeness and majesty of God. It’s why I decided last year to do the first 30 Days of Praise. But we need to remember all the faces God presents to us. All the ways He loves to communicate with us. And all the ways He wants us to enjoy His world. And if you aren’t joining with God for a daily moment of laughter you are missing out.
God’s love for us allows us to laugh at ourselves because of our imperfections. If we joined in on that laughter a bit more, we just might gather a few more to His Kingdom.
From the west, people will fear the
name of the Lord, and from the rising
of the sun, they will revere his glory. Isaiah 59:19
I admit it. I have a difficult time with authority. I don’t like being told what to do and when to do it. I’m not sure how this developed in me. It’s not like, as a child, my parents encouraged me to question. In fact, we weren’t to question at all for fear of punishment. I’ve heard it said that we either grow up to be like our parents or work so desperately to be the opposite. For me, I think I so wanted to be heard and to be “right” for once that the desire became my personality.
This desire has helped me in many ways. At work I was always seen as someone with new solutions and ideas. I could cut through red tape and simplify processes. And until I garnered some maturity, I did all that like a bull in a china shop. But this way of living life can make it difficult to submit, especially to a force that is unseen.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
instruction.Proverbs 1:7
When you read Proverbs the very first words are about wisdom and instruction. And sure, we can study our Bibles, listen intently to our pastors while scribbling notes in our Bibles but true submission to our Lord is more than that.
For a long time, I really just didn’t understand the concept of “fearing the Lord” and submission. Of course, given my nature it wasn’t like I was interested in the first place. I also wonder how many pastors these days even talk about “fearing God?”
If God is love, then why does He command us to fear Him? The fear of the Lord isn’t about being afraid of God; it’s about revering Him above all else. When we do that, we position ourselves to receive all the benefits that come with putting God first in our lives.
Dr. Charles Stanley
We humans are afraid of a lot of things – some of which we don’t even realize. We fear being made fun of, we fear being left out, we fear being unloved. I saw a movie that really brought this concept home called Defending Your Life. The main character, played by Albert Brooks, is a worrier. His fears become so overwhelming that he is stuck in a never-ending loop of inaction and regret. And then he gets hit by a bus. He finds himself in a waystation of sorts where he needs to defend the pitiful life he had on earth. And he meets a wonderful woman played by Meryl Streep. She’s opposite of him – jumped in on all that life had to offer.
It struck me that our days are filled with decisions that are made either based on fear of the world or fear of God. Do we go about our lives trying to keep our head down so the world and people around us won’t take issue with us? Or do we acknowledge that our Lord is sovereign over all and He has behavioral and moral requirements of us? Do we submit to the flesh or to the spirit?
Jesus calls us to his rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort.
I’ve come to acknowledge that while it is okay to call Jesus, “Rabbi,” or teacher I also need to call Him, “My Lord.” Because when I do it places Him above me, above all. When I call Him, “My Lord,” it means I need to submit to His will. My fear comes in as a concern that I want to be sure to serve Him and Him alone. Am I living a life that would please Him, not the world?
I don’t want to be like that Albert Brooks character when I face my Lord. Full of regret for having missed opportunities to place God as my life director.
I have a friend who is fascinated by all things British royal family. She knows just about everything you’d want to know about the monarchy. Shouldn’t we be that way about our one true Lord? Sitting in awe at His feet. Anxiously awaiting His orders. At the ready to do His bidding. Hoping to please Him at every turn. And fearing His disappointment.
By faith Noah, when warned about things
not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark
to save his family.Hebrews 11:7
If there were ever a man who had a lot to fear when it came to being judged by the people around him it was Noah. I mean, what a lunatic! Building a giant boat with no water to be seen. His “holy fear” kept him aligned with the will of his Lord.
It’s so easy to fall into a humdrum world-centered life. And it’s easy to make our prayer and worship life be rote. But if we can just picture that each morning when we rise, we step into our Lord’s magnificently built palace. Are you ready to approach His throne and submit to His Holy authority? Are you sitting in awe at His feet today, marveling at His awesome power and might? Let’s all sing at the top of our lungs today in worship of our Lord — and let the world tease us. We know who is smiling.
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is
my helper; I will not be afraid. What
can mere mortals do to me?”Hebrews 13:6
There’s been a number of times in my life when I felt all alone. In high school the neighbor girl who I had been friends with since I was in fourth grade rejected me. The kids I hung out with at school always treated me as an outsider, never inviting me over to game nights and other fun group activities. I wasn’t a nerd, athlete, druggie, ASB, drama, or whatever type person we think of when we remember our high school years. I was friendly with people in all groups but never a part of a group.
I could’ve really used Jesus.
I was listening to a great podcast recently called, “Talk It Out.” It’s an offshoot of the Joyce Meyer Ministry where three women of various stages of life take Mrs. Meyer’s teachings and work on applying it to their everyday lives. On that day they were talking about different times they’d felt alone. And I realized that probably every single one of us have felt that way at some point or multiple points in our lives. Some of you might feel that way right now.
One of the ladies spoke of when, in high school, she kept Jesus close to her at all times. Her only true friend. She would even talk to Him in the car as though He were a constant companion in her passenger seat.
One who has unreliable friends soon
comes to ruin, but there is a friend
who sticks closer than a brother.Proverbs 18:24
I can’t tell you with 100% accuracy that this proverb speaks of God. But I can tell you that God is 100% that friend who is “closer than a brother.” And when we feel alone and as though our faith journey is stuck, we need only turn to Jesus and say, “Hello.” If you are in a season that you feel alone, left out, far from any quality friendships – including God– it’s time to call to Him with all your heart.
It reminds me of when Mary, having seen the empty tomb, stands outside crying. She must’ve felt very alone at the time. When Jesus appears to her, she thinks He is the gardener and demands to know where he moved the body. And Jesus simply says to her, “Mary.” She turns to Him and suddenly recognizes Him and grabs hold of Him, crying out “Rabboni!” My favorite part of this is the fact the text is written like this in the NIV and King James version – “Mary.” No exclamation. He doesn’t yell out to her. It feels so quiet and gentle and personal. “Mary.”
Now imagine yourself standing there thinking God has let you down. He’s allowed the worst thing that could ever happen to actually happen. And you cry out. He responds. Standing right in front of you with a gentle, loving word.
Instead of saying with proud lip, “Well, if He leaves me I must do without Him, if I cannot have His comfortable presence I must fight on as best may be,” the soul says, “No, it is my very life, I must have my God.”
Charles Spurgeon
And with that renewed friendship we can add to our request of God, “Help me to find reliable friendships here on earth.” He may convict of you of your own sins or thinking. Rest assured when you sit with Him over coffee, while on your commute, or at a quiet lunch at the park, He will be the most honest friend you could ever desire.
The righteous choose their friends
carefully, but the way of the wicked
leads them astray.Proverbs 12:26
For me, I needed Jesus for a friend in high school as a companion – I was an oddball, a square peg and all the holes were round. And later, I needed Jesus as that friend who would speak truth into me to show me why I didn’t have close friends, why I’d been rejected so often. He showed me that my need to control the people around me was not a desirable attribute in a friend. I was quick to anger and judgement. And selfish ways pushed people away.
Sometimes when I think about what our lives are like today, I like to imagine what it would’ve been like living as a pioneer woman. Living a lonely life with just my husband and two kids out on the prairie. No texting, no Instagram. Barely any mail even. Where would I find friendship? In my days of harvesting and cooking and cleaning I would need to seek out the only person my Bible told me would be with me always – Jesus.
That was true then and it’s still true today. Friends we had 10 years ago may not even be part of our lives. Friends we meet today may fade away. So, it’s imperative we hold close to our hearts our one constant, our friend, our counselor, our Rock – our Lord.
Life Lesson #9: Christians are in the job of changing hearts and saving souls.
Perhaps this is the reason he was
separated from you for a while,
so that you might have him back
forever, no longer as a slave but
more than a slave, a beloved
brother—especially to me but how
much more to you, both in the
flesh and in the Lord.Philemon 1:15-16
When I was in college, I was approached by two missionaries on campus. I believed in God, to an extent, but didn’t know anything about Him or Jesus. I asked the typical questions – “Why does God allow bad things to happen to people” and “Why did He give us free will instead of just making us all good people?” I’m sorry to say they couldn’t give me even a best guess. I wonder if you were tasked with talking to a friend about Jesus would you be ready with passable answers to these questions?
I heard a talk by Joyce Meyer the other day where she took up the question of why evil things continuously happen in the world. She’s seen some pretty bad situations in all of her world-wide missionary work. She prayed this question one day. The answer she got back was, “I’m waiting on my people to obey me and take care of each other.”
The righteous know the rights of
the poor; the wicked have no such
understanding.Proverb 29:7
I’m currently doing a study that takes me through the entire Bible. It’s fascinating to see in Leviticus how sin offerings are adjusted for the poor. Even thousands of years ago God was making sure the downtrodden were taken care of. But notice you won’t find in the Bible that the Israelites or Christians are told to take up arms to eliminate poverty. Verse after verse we are tasked to do one thing with the poor – to help them.
In Joppa there was a disciple named
Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas);
she was always doing good and
helping the poor.Acts 9:36
As social justice issues go, the poor are always on the lips of “social justice warriors.” Their desire appears to be to eliminate poverty and all social injustice via legislation, protests or even through violence. But as Christians we are shown a different approach. Take the issue of slavery, as discussed in the letter from Paul to Philemon. The subject is the slave Onesimus. Notice in the introductory verse that Paul does not chastise or demand of Philemon the release of his slave. Paul, instead, appeals to faith principles. He reminds Philemon that as a faithful follower of Jesus our hearts and therefore, our minds are changed.
“To me, a follower of Jesus means a friend of man. A Christian is a philanthropist by profession, and generous by force of grace; wide as the reign of sorrow is the stretch of his love, and where he cannot help he pities still.”
Charles Spurgeon
By teaching slave owners about the power and love and salvation found in following Jesus, the disciples were slowly changing the hearts and then minds of people who, not only owned slaves, but behaved in any number of sinful ways. The new Christian is tasked with living in a new loving and giving nature.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come: The old
has gone, the new is here!2 Corinthians 5:17
Had the disciples come into new cities preaching about abolishing slavery (let’s remember too that slavery in that time was mostly more like indentured servitude) they certainly would’ve been met with resistance. Slaves were costly commodities – just as they were in the early years of the United States. To preach that people had to give up much of their wealth in order to follow Jesus would not have been as successful as first telling of the Good News.
Last year, I watched as protests and violence broke out in cities across the United States by self-professed social justice warriors. To be honest, at times I wasn’t even sure what some of it was about. In Portland, Oregon, the young people rioting just seemed to hate everyone. It was a perfect time for the church to rise up and do what we should do best – show love and help change hearts. I hoped and prayed that in communities hit by violence that God’s people would come together and form prayer chains around the cities – enveloping it in God’s love. Instead, I watched as pastors led more protests and took to microphones and megaphones yelling about injustice, pointing fingers at different races.
“It is easier to make laws than to make Christians, but the business of the church is to produce Christians and everything else is a by-product of that new creation.”
Vance Havner
The people of Jesus’ time expected a Messiah to come and bring justice. They wanted punishment of those who had wronged them. They wanted to see governments and whole groups of people destroyed. But Jesus was not that kind of social justice warrior. From town-to-town He cared about one thing – changing people’s hearts. He did out-of-the-box things like sit with sinners, touch the leper, heal on the Sabbath, talk with the outcasts. He brought the bread of life and the refreshing water of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks
this water will be thirsty again, but
whoever drinks the water I give them
will never thirst. Indeed, the water
I give them will become in them a
spring of water welling up to eternal
life.” John 4:13-14
How amazing would it have been if, when our churches closed down in March 2020, they instead remained open. Not just open but open 24 hours a day with a sign out on the street that said, “Need someone to talk to? We’re always open and ready to listen.” I know this idea is radical. And you’re probably thinking of all the reasons why your church can’t do this. But the work of Jesus and His apostles was radical. So is the work of every Christian you probably admire.
“Behave at them.”
Ken Blanchard
As Christians we are not tasked to be worldly “social justice warriors.” We are commissioned to be God’s soldiers. When we are tempted to join a protest march and carry a sign we should first think how we can directly help those for whom we are marching. God’s plan for the world will only be accomplished through our active showing of love, grace, charity, and forgiveness of others — while espousing His truth. The spreading of the message of Jesus brings the changes we so long for – maybe just not as fast as we like. He designed us this way.
I do get outraged by many things going on in the world. And then I remember to pray to God for peace in my heart so that I can listen for my marching orders. When I feel overwhelmed by the problems we face, I remember that God works out-of-the-box in radical ways. It’s up to me and it’s up to you to be in the heart changing business when God puts opportunities right in front of us. We will always find ourselves on the right side of “He who is most important” when we obey God.
The Apostle Paul worked on one rich, slave owner at a time. And over time, our Christian faith has led to a world-wide abolishment of sanctioned slavery. What small step can you do today to help change one heart?
Therefore, I urge you, brothers
and sisters, in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to
God—this is your true and
proper worship.Romans 12:1
A prayer to keep my body strong and dedicate it to serve God
Heavenly Father, I regularly make the commitment to keep my spiritual life active and strong. However, when I make choices about exercise or my diet, I rarely see that as part of my devotional life. My spirit, my soul and my body all belong to you. You ask us to be your warriors in the name of Christ. And warriors are strong spiritually, mentally and physically. Starting today, LORD, I recommit my entire body to you. When I am weak and want to forgo exercise or eat food I know just isn’t good for me I ask that your Holy Spirit remind me that I need to be strong to accomplish all that you have planned for me. I lift this up in your Son’s Holy Name, Amen.
I heard a pastor speaking the other day about our bodies being a “living sacrifice” and how so many of us Christians focus solely on the spirit part of our being. But there are three key parts that make us, well us. Our spirit, our soul (emotions and mind), and our physical body. And when one is out of balance then we haven’t fully committed ourselves as a living sacrifice. We may be saved but some of us are downright miserable either because of what goes on in our heart and head or because we just don’t feel good about our bodies.
We make that New Year’s resolution to lose that famous 10 pounds. Which in reality is probably more like 15 or 20. But resolutions are only so good as our own personal commitment to ourselves. Recognizing that our bodies belong to God and He has a divine purpose for them is key to taking control over our physical health.
There’s a funny movie featuring Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep called, “Death Becomes Her.” In it the two women take an immortality potion. The two women have despised each other their entire lives and spend much of the movie trying to outdo each other. But prior to taking the potion they are warned to take care of their bodies. Once broken, their body remains damaged – but they continue to live forever. The famous scene in the movie is called the “shovel scene.” The two women get into a fight and begin bashing each other with all manner of devices including shovels. The destruction they cause to their bodies is hilarious. And they will be stuck that way for all eternity.
Oops, you gotta little hole right there…
When we look into our mirrors, we should heed the same warning. This is the only body we have and we should take good care of it, not just for ourselves, but in God’s name and purpose. If we are not in our best fighting shape (no matter our God-given physical situation) then how can we expect God to give us every opportunity possible to serve Him?
My current Bible study group (My BSGs – Bible Study Girls) is made up of two women I met at the gym and another with whom I walk regularly. Now, lest you think the two from the gym were longtime friends I want to clarify. I started working out at this particular gym because my daughter was a physical therapist there. It was a different type of workout than I’d ever done. Their small classes are crossfit style, in addition to weight training. There’s not a lot of time to sit around and chit chat.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.Proverbs 31:17
I found that some people have the unique ability to actually talk to others while dying, I mean working out, on the rowing machine. It was during these times I discovered some of the Christians in the group. They were open with their faith journeys. So, when my walking buddy urged me to start a new Bible study, I prayed about who to invite. God urged me to ask some of the ladies I sort of knew from the gym. Two of them immediately said, “yes.”
Had I not stepped out of my comfort zone and joined the crossfit craze, had I not made a commitment to working out every weekday at 6:30a.m., I wouldn’t have met these amazing women. God used me and my body to serve His kingdom.
I’m currently working on losing a few pounds I gained during the lockdowns. But I have a renewed commitment, not to me, but to God. I want to be in the best physical shape I can be so that He opens more doors and places me where I can do His work. I know with this new understanding of my body being a living sacrifice and the help of His Holy Spirit I will be in fighting shape soon.
If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!
emboldened.net 