God’s Value System

Identifying human value systems is not difficult. Almost all television commercials appeal to what people want, whether it be bigger, better, more of money or stuff, or the eating of appealing food (not necessarily healthy), greater popularity, more power, and a deeper sense of importance.

Some of them appeal to our desire to be kind and well-liked — easy to do, just give your chocolate bar to someone else, or our desire to have fun — just serve the right drinks and everyone is happy.

At times, and as I age, I look at those appeals and reflect that most of them will not go to the grave with me. All such perks are temporary and Jesus did say not to lay up treasures on earth but be focused on eternal issues. The Word of God also adds this:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

As a Christian, my focus should be heavenward, yet I still live in this world and am bombarded with the appeals to my life here. More and more I’m thankful for the alternatives and the promise of Jesus Christ to grant me an abundant life that revolves around His value system. He gives simple directions about how to deal with the ads:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:25–33)

Solomon was extremely wealthy yet God says lilies are richer. Birds don’t have bank accounts yet their needs are met. How about people? The OT stories tell how their shoes and clothes did not wear out — and He still does that. I complain that I cannot justify a shopping trip because my stuff never seems to wear out, yet this is a testimony to the care of God.

Today’s reading uses the above passage to remind me that I do not need to strive to grow more like Jesus, that He just does it. It also reminds me that I don’t need to strive to have what I need. I’ve been blessed above and beyond any expectations because the Lord is taking care of what I need by putting my focus on eternal matters more than earthly stuff, and on sharing what He has given me by showing me that no one can out-give God. If I later need it, He simply restocks whatever I lack.

Sometimes I call myself “God’s spoiled brat” and realize not everyone experiences the same blessings, and that makes me feel uncomfortable with the many blessings God gives. At the same time, life has had great hardships, not to balance out the good stuff but to make me realize the value of seeking Him rather than putting my focus on whatever I can gain from this world and the things that have no eternal value.

PRAY: What can I say, Jesus, but Thank You. You have worked in my greedy, selfish heart and by taking away what I once wanted, You have given me far more than I could ever deserve. I truly am Your spoiled brat.

What meets all my needs?

Last night, I watched a police drama on television. A secondary part of the plot showed the ex-spouse of a police chief who showed up at her apartment and was discovered by the woman’s adopted son. Because the man was intoxicated, the youth took his car keys then left him to sleep it off. He went to the police station to tell his mother. She went home but because she was involved in the main story (an important murder case) the boy convinced her that he could handle it.

When the ex woke up, somewhat sober, he tried to convince the boy that his gambling habit would eventually pay off and he would hit “the big one” and make them all rich. The boy wisely said, “You don’t realize that you had a wonderful wife and wonderful children; you already hit the big one.”

The man jerked as if slapped. He got it; money is not it. He lost the most important things in his live because he could not love both money and his family.

This principle goes farther when it comes to loving God. Most of us know these words that Jesus said . . .

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)

I’ve heard said that you can tell how devoted a Christian is to God by his wallet. Yet most people do not realize there is another great truth behind sacrificial giving and making God more important than my bank balance. Right after Jesus said I cannot serve two masters, He explained why:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:25–33)

It is an issue of trust. Believing that God will supply all my needs has ramifications. If I have a certain thing and see that someone else needs it, I can give it to them without worry because if I need it, God will replace it. This thing could be money, but also food, a book, even a car. My giving (my wallet) reflects how much I trust God to take care of my needs.

James takes it a bit farther. He says that if I cannot be generous, my faith is not genuine. He put it this way:

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14–17)

Last week, one of our church leaders said, “You better be giving while you’re living, because what you’re holding is molding.” I laughed but know that it is true. Nothing in this material world is going to last. Not only that, none of it, including money has any ability to satisfy. It just makes us want more.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, we sing songs about You being enough, about the satisfaction that You alone can give. Faith believes it and experience proves it. Contentment is a wonderful by-product. I am thankful today that You take care of all my needs and even more thankful that I know this is true!

Slavery or freedom?

Today’s devotional is about overcoming the world. Some definitions help me understand what that means. “Overcoming” is a military term for defeating an enemy. It can mean uprooting something that enslaves producing freedom from bondage.

The “world” is not a geographical term in this context. It is about the things of the world that hold Christians in bondage to them and in sin. John describes the character of this “world” and how it is connected to sin:

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:16–17)

The desires of my old nature could be physical desires such as excessive comforts, illicit sex, or any other forbidden activity. It can also be related to wanting all that my eyes can see that might make me powerful, popular, and so on. These are also related to pride, the idea that I am better, should be treated with great honor, and have everything I want. Perhaps many who seek after these things do not realized this is bondage, but I realize it. Love for the world means wanting stuff that will not last, but worse, it is sin and not from God.

However, John does not leave his readers without the way to overcome this enslavement. He says:

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:1–5, italics mine)

Faith is backwards to most thinkers. From these verses, readers could assume that overcoming the world is through obedience to God’s commandments, but that is not the way it works. My weapon against the world is my faith. By trusting in Christ I know that He will take care of my needs, not those wants that the world offers, but what is vital for me. The wants are usually temporary and usually sinful, but the needs covered by Jesus are eternal and righteous. Instead of putting me in slavery to a supply that never satisfies, He releases me to a freedom where there is no need for worry about not having enough. Jesus said,

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:25–33)

He challenges me to put the pursuit of His kingdom and His righteous at the top of my priority list and He will take care of all the other stuff, the needs of my life.

I can say without a shred of hesitation that He is faithful in this promise (as in all His promises). I could fill a book with stories of God coming through when it looked like this bill would not get paid, or that problem would never be solved. He asks for my trust. Dare I worry when Almighty God promises to take care of me?

Tozer says that true faith delivers from fear by consciously putting God between our thoughts and whatever it is that threatens us. He adds that this means being aware of God’s presence, that He is so near that no enemy can approach me without first disposing of God, which is certainly impossible. He also says, “This is the victory that overcomes low spirits, a sinking heart, whispers of the devil and all the discouragements of this world — even our faith.”

^^^^^^^^

Jesus, when I keep my focus on You, all the stuff of this world loses its power and its appeal. Why would I want that which does not last when You keep blessing me with everything that endures forever! This applies to all spiritual matters, but also to the stuff of daily life. Because of You, I do not need to let anything in this world step between me and freedom.

Bad news > worry – Prayer > peace!

I tell myself that this new habit of reading news headlines on my computer before shutting it down for the night is because I want to pray for the people involved in all sorts of tragic events. However, it could be morbid curiosity. I usually fall asleep too quickly to do much praying. Besides, I detect a bit of Pharisaical self-righteousness in myself as I read about the horrid things people do that I would never do. Really?

Some news stories are truly frightening, like the riots in Germany over the G20 meetings, or the one last night about the person who tried to open an airplane door during a flight from a western USA city. We have flown out of that airport and on that airline. Worry and ‘what if’ are bad for sleeping well.

This morning, I expected a rebuke from God for my self-righteousness, but He is kind. Instead of addressing that bad attitude, He spoke to me about the knots most news stories put in my stomach . . .

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” (Psalm 37:1–6)

Yesterday my husband said Psalm 37 is the best Psalm in the Bible. Today, I can say it was a perfect reading because these first six verses put scary headlines into perspective.

They also remind me of two New Testament passages about anxiety. The first has been a reliable way of life for me, right from the day God brought me into His family. I had little income and welcomed these verses of assurance. God would take care of me. My part has been to focus on His kingdom and His righteousness . . .

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:25–33)

God takes care of my physical needs in many amazing ways.  

The other passage is about those inner needs, like not being afraid, having peace, knowing His blessing on my inner life just as He takes care of my closet and pantry . . .

“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5–7)

I’m to be a gracious person and there is good motivation for that; God is right here with me, even in those anxious moments when life seems overwhelming. Instead of worrying or letting stress get the best of me, I’m to pray. This includes asking Him to take care of things, but also being thankful rather than continually focusing on what is wrong, what I don’t have, and all the other negatives that happen in life (and in the news). When I do that, He pours His indescribable peace into my heart and mind, a peace that overrides circumstances and often makes no sense.

Last week we told a Christian friend that one of our family members is moving from South Korea to Sweden. The friend said, “Will you worry about her less in that place than the other one?”

She is a serious worrier and this was a serious question. My response was open-mouthed surprise. All I could think of was, “We don’t worry about her.” I should have reminded her what she already knew, that we pray often for our family. As Philippians says, worry makes no sense when God offers peace.

I’m not to let life, and the news about life, get the best of me. God is in sovereign control and will work out His plans, not only for my life, but for everyone on the planet. He does it for family; why not everyone else?

^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, it occurs to me that if I pray about the news while still at the keyboard, I’m less likely to doze off in a state of anxiety over those awful headlines. I know You want me to pray without ceasing, and pray about everything — with thanksgiving — and am grateful for Your gentle reminder that being anxious is not part of Your plan for my life! Instead, You provide incredible peace as I bring all my worries to You.