Today’s devotional reading asks, “Have you ever wanted to take time off from being obedient to God?”
If this question means giving up godly attitudes and disciplines such as diligence and perseverance, then it happens nearly every day when I am tired or my chores are tedious or even boring. I slack off and put my feet up when I know I should keep going.
If the question is about time off from obeying specific commands such as, “submit to those in authority over you” then I’m guilty every time I drive even one km an hour over the speed limit, or get annoyed because I have to pay taxes or yield at a stoplight.
Yet this question seems to go beyond these times of temptation to a general attitude of just stopping, just deciding not to do anything God asks, more of a total vacation. That happened to me once.
I had been battling a particular sin for a long time. It was a sin of attitude, not action so not very discernable to others. Nevertheless, it was keeping me from growing in Christlikeness, and preventing my life from fruitful service. Although I knew these things and was trying to stop thinking the way I’d been thinking, at the same time I didn’t grasp the real problem — I really didn’t want to give up my bad attitude. Today’s verse may have been in my radar, but I didn’t heed it. I wanted to be holy, but I didn’t want to be holy.
Behave like obedient children. Don’t let your lives be controlled by your desires, as they used to be. Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy. (1 Peter 1:14–15)
Instead, I decided that my only solution was to stop being a Christian. That notion went totally against my theology. I was convinced then, and still am, that a person who has been born again, regenerated and placed in the family of God, cannot be ‘unborn’ and walk away. Christ lives in me. I cannot shove Him out.
However, at that time, I wanted to quit. Being a Christian was too difficult. This battle had worn me out. I was fed up. There seemed no answers and no way out except to cease. I remember feeling very black and very much in darkness, still not realizing the reasons why I could not win this battle, but I made my decision.
That same day, I walked past a bookcase and one of my books was lying on top. I picked it up to put it away, but paused and flipped it open. My eyes fell on a verse of Scripture and with that verse, I felt like God smacked me on the side of the head and turned me around. It said,
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)
I suppose that God could have used any verse, but this one offered me two truths that I needed to hear. One was that all the times I had defiled my own conscience with this bad attitude did not mean I was hopelessly ruined. The blood of Christ cleanses sin, large and small, many or few. Compared to the fact that His blood covers the sin of the world, the sin of all time, what is my sin? It is nothing for Him to forgive and cleanse, nothing at all in His sight. I felt ashamed and humbled.
The second truth was that my battle was wheel-spinning, a waste of time and effort for nothing more than a dead work. This attitude that I could not let go of had no eternal value. It was worthless to God and worthless to me, a dead work, the product of my old, sinful nature. It was useless and fit for fire. Why hang on to something so foolishly vain and empty?
In that hour when I had decided I could not be Christian any longer, God grabbed hold of me and gave me victory. He showed me the folly of my sin, the futility of my “I wants” and then showed me once again that I am not my own Savior — He is. I cannot defeat sin and the sooner I admit it, the better.
I learned so much that day. For one thing, God showed me that my admission of helplessness does not have to be so drastic. I don’t need to give up and quit walking with Him; I just need to give up and quit trying to save myself.
Yesterday’s message from the pulpit was a simple one. The pastor used 1 Peter 2:1-3 to remind us how we should grow in the new life God has given us.
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:1–3)
His three points spoke to me. The first is that I need to put away sin. I’ve been a Christian for almost forty years, and by now one might think this is a baby step that I’ve already made, but sin is a deeply entrenched human condition. Yes, Jesus died for it, and I am forgiven. Its penalty is taken care of, but its presence must be overcome. Salvation begins with forgiveness but it continues with a fight.
This list of sins is not comprehensive, but close. Malice is any kind of evil; deceit is hiding truth. Hypocrisy is holding a double-standard and having a lack of integrity. Envy is wanting what others have, and slander is backbiting, speaking evil about others behind their backs. As I listened to these descriptions, the Holy Spirit reminded me of violations, perhaps small in the eyes of some, but God does not measure sin by degree. I’m either innocent or guilty — and growth is hindered by guilt.
The second point was about my innermost desires. A person who is born again, or given new life through faith in Jesus Christ is like a baby, and babies crave milk, usually every few hours. In this case, the milk referred to is the Word of God. Am I like that with the Bible? Do I crave it as my necessary food? I know that I love to read it, but yesterday I thought about all the time that I feed on other stuff — that which does nothing for my spiritual growth and might even hinder it. Even though I don’t sit in front of the TV every night, the OFF button on the television set did come to mind. So did my computer.
The third point was about tasting the goodness of God. After so many years of believing in Christ, the goodness of God is like a feast. The pastor said that far too many Christians walk around as if God is dealing them blows. They have sad faces, are grumpy and complaining, and generally consider many of their life experiences a bit of a raw deal.
Early in my Christian life God showed me that He uses all things for my good, all things to transform me into the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). Because of that, I’ve learned that there is purpose in the tough times. This helps me with acceptance of trials and with looking for what God wants from me in them.
But I still complain. I complain about my duties. I complain about interruptions and trivia. I get annoyed when my plans are thwarted. I’ve tried to practice self-sacrifice, but at my control. When someone else needs something and I am busy . . . well, I grumble.
This phrase, “taste and see” reminded me that even in these “little” annoyances, God is still good. I’m to taste that goodness instead of letting my selfishness control my responses. I also need to remember that Satan’s original lie hinted that God really didn’t want good for His people. He still uses that lie to mess up the lives of millions. God is good. I’m to taste that truth, even feast on it every day, especially when tempted with those small annoyances.
This morning’s devotional reading is also from 1 Peter. It puts an exclamation mark on the sermon, first by reminding me that I’m still a child and not a grownup. I need the three points of that sermon, no matter how long I’ve been walking with Jesus.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. (1 Peter 1:14–15)
Sometimes I joke that I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but I do know. I want to be like Jesus. To get there, I need the Word of God as my guide book. I also need to put away all sin, knowing this is a lifetime task. When I think I have arrived, a good drink of spiritual milk will show me that I still need to grow. God’s Word also reminds me of the goodness of God and His holiness, the target for my life.
To live is Christ means constant diligence. Sin’s presence will vanish when I step into glory, but for now, I must battle it. I cannot do that without the Word of God and without continual awareness of God’s goodness. He has given me everything necessary to prevent my spiritual life from becoming stagnant, but I’m still a babe and I still need to desire growth and keep growing.
They say not to point fingers — because when one is pointing at someone else, there are three that point back at me. They also say that when a person is critical of others, it is usually because they have the same faults themselves and don’t like them. The other person is like a mirror and becomes the brunt of their dislike. Either way, God says much the same thing.
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (Matthew 7:1–2)
However, there is also such a thing as righteous judgment and godly discernment. God does not ask me to be ignorant of the sins in others. He says:
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)
I couldn’t obey this command if I totally missed seeing sin in others or if I could not discern serious problems that God wanted me to correct. However, both passages say to take heed to my own life. Am I guilty of the same thing? Am I pointing fingers to distract others from my own similar sins? To obey Galatians 6:1, I also need to obey Matthew 7:1-2
Last night I was talking on the phone with another Christian I’ve know for my entire life. He has had a problem with a particular sin and has been that way for years — the word is “overtaken.” I have been praying that God would convict him of it and change things. I’ve even used the words, “whatever it takes” without realizing that He might ask me to do something about it.
As we talked, this other believer fell into a loud and verbal expression of his negative and persistent attitude. I sensed the grief of the Holy Spirit and the Lord saying this is sinful. He named the sin and after a moment of hesitation, I opened my mouth and repeated His words.
At that, I expected the noise of a receiver hung up in anger, but the other person changed the subject. He also became meek, talked softly, seemed contrite. It took me a few moments to realize this was not going to be a fight. I had said what I was supposed to say, and God would take it from there. What a relief.
After that, I thought about my own struggles with that sinful attitude. Was I totally innocent? No, I’d been there, done that, at least enough to recognize this was wrong, destructive, and based on the devil’s lies and not the truth of God. This time, this was not about me, but about obedience for another person’s sake.
I feel meek about this. It was difficult and though I know I did what the Lord asked, I feel a bit shaky even now. Yet God reminds me that the difference between the judgment He wants and the one He forbids is much like the difference between righteous indignation and sinful anger. One is upset because God’s will is being violated. The other is upset because my will is being thwarted. I was upset because the sin was against the will of God.
This tall order was about me in one way; it was a test on the positive or proper way to deal with a sin in someone else. My pessimistic nature now expects to be tempted to go the other way. When will I do the opposite and point fingers because I’m guilty of the same thing and do not want to admit it?
To live is Christ means awareness of the will of God, of when it is followed and when it is not. This is not about the other guy, but more often about “considering myself lest I also be tempted.” The Holy Spirit warns me that I dare not even speak about the sins of others, especially if I am not taking care of my own spiritual life.
When I was in grade nine, the most popular girl in school passed me a note that said something like this: “I really envy you and your sister. Your parents discipline you and have rules. Mine don’t. Because of that, I do not feel like they love me.”
This note changed my attitude about love, popularity and discipline. Love means someone cares enough to correct me if I am doing something wrong. Few “friends” will do that, and perhaps that is why I am drawn to this verse that Solomon wrote, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6).
The Bible reminds me over and over that the love of God includes correction. God is a faithful friend. He says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)
Even though I know these things, a rebuke sometimes hurts deeply. When done for reasons other than love and concern for my well being, I generally defend myself. Yet when God does it, His way is usually so gentle and so thoughtful, that I feel hugged and booted at the same time. I know I’m safe in bringing my concerns about my own life to Him. He will tell me the truth and reminds me often to remember His faithfulness and not get upset when He corrects me.
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5–11)
God never corrects because I am an embarrassment to Him. His rebuke is for my sake that I might be more like Jesus.
Last weekend I went to a writer’s workshop. The main speaker said much about the tendency to hesitate when we hit rough spots. If our work isn’t going well, we feel like quitting. If our manuscripts are rejected, we feel like quitting. If someone says anything negative or critical of our writing, we feel like quitting. However, he rebuked that attitude in much the same way as the author of The Purpose Driven Life began his book — It isn’t about me.
Writing is for others. God demonstrates that in His own communication. He speaks to us through a book, actually sixty-six books. His Son became a man to tell us what He is like. Jesus is called the Living Word. Christian writers have a message of hope and grace that can be conveyed in story, parables, Bible studies and a host of other written methods of communication. So what if some do not respond or some are critical of the message? It isn’t about me.
This was a rebuke from God. I sit on lots of manuscripts. They take up space on my computer when they could be out there. God could use them — but He cannot use idleness or blank pages. My devotional verses tell me to repent, to turn from my fears and negativity to obedience. God isn’t saying this to make my life miserable. He says it that I might yield fruit, not for me but for Him and for those whom He speaks to through my writing.
To live is Christ means changing my schedule, dropping useless and time-wasting activities, and doing what He gives me to do without any concerns. If He gives me something to say, He will also find ears to hear it. As the speaker said, I will be criticized if I write, and criticized if I do not write. Rather than be concerned about the critics, I need to listen to Him and give Him whatever I can. It is not about me. God can use (or not use) my words to make a difference in the world — but only if I produce them.
One of the women in the Sunday Bible class that I lead has several problems including past abuse. She is hyperactive and continually does and says things to draw attention to herself. I have a burden for her and for the spiritual growth of others in the class so have been praying that God would show me how to help her, and yet not let her dominate the class and drive others away.
On Friday, the Lord reminded me that although our bodies grow old and perish, the spirit of those who know Jesus is “being renewed day by day.” That means that no matter what is happening on the outside, or has happened in the past, the spirit can be renewed. This and other places in the Bible show that Christians are responsible for living for Christ—no matter what, and no matter what—He will hold us accountable for what we do and say. We cannot blame anything or anyone else for disobedience and the sin in our lives.
This woman is a believer. She seems sincere in her desire to live the Christian life. However, her behavior is self-focused and disruptive. It is harming her own growth and that of others. I thought all day yesterday about the damage caused by living according to the flesh, and how Jesus wants us to put others first, to care about their spiritual life and growth, even to confront and restore those who are caught in sinful self-centeredness.
All of this sounds great on paper, but when I got up this morning, my heart was filled with a sort of dread about what I might have to do today concerning this lady. I sensed my own focus turning away from her great need for help. I began thinking more about myself and how I would much rather not have to do anything concerning this issue. As I sat down to read today’s devotional, God brings me back on track with this:
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:2-8).
Living by the Law is not part of the gospel. In Christ, sin is condemned by the Law and by Christ, but not conquered by the Law. Only the Spirit of Christ who lives in us can conquer sin. If we listen to Him and do what He says, our lives are pleasing to God. If we do not, we miss out on the rich life and deep peace that He wants for us.
When any Christian turns inward, becomes selfish, forgets the power of God, and does whatever they think will draw attention to themselves, they are living “according to the flesh” and this separates them from the power of God and from the people of God. It is not a good place to be. In fact, when it happens, we know it and we get upset with ourselves. We don’t want to fall back into that old pattern, yet we do. Sometimes we need help to get back on track. We need someone who loves us enough to remind us that we cannot fill the empty place in our hearts if our focus is always on me, me, me.
When I step into class this morning, I need to remember this, first for myself, but also for the lady whose carnal mind and actions are having a divisive and destructive effect on others. How I will deal with it I do not know. I only know that I cannot become self-centered in this either. If I do, I will be thinking only about me and my comfort level. Doing that will make me fleshy and unable to even hear what God wants from me, never mind do it.
In my old nature, I complain. The soup is too cold. The weather is too hot. The neighbor’s dog is too loud. The mail didn’t come on time. Blah. Blah. Blah. Apart from the grace of God, nothing would suit me.
The alternate to this vice is thanksgiving. God brings that into my life in surprising ways. Instead of smacking me for the whining, He continually blesses me. Then I am struck by grace and become grateful. I know He does this because of Jesus. It is not the way He worked in the Old Testament.
In Numbers 16 and 17, the people complained about their leaders, Moses and Aaron. God was so angry with their griping that He told Moses, “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment” (Numbers 16:45).
Moses sent Aaron to quickly make atonement for the people because, “Wrath has gone out form the Lord. The plague has begun.” Aaron ran, and even though 14,700 died for their griping, “he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.”
When I read this, I tried to remember when God taught me to respect church leaders. I can’t, but I know that I do. Perhaps having leadership jobs made me realize that all leaders have challenges that followers do not fully understand. If they did, they would encourage them, not belly-ache.
In the narrative from Numbers, God asked Moses to prove to the people that He knew what He was doing in His choice of leaders. The heads of all the families were take twelve rods and place them in the tabernacle. Then He said, “The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”
The staff of Aaron sprouted. It not only sprouted, but put forth buds, produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds! This was to be kept “as a sign against the rebels” so their complaints could be put away from God, “lest they die.”
The people got the message. They were terrified, and so they should be. If a person cannot follow a human leader appointed by God (and the Bible says He is responsible for setting up all leaders) then how can they listen to and follow God?
I read a statement years ago that has stuck with me. It said something like this: If a child will not obey their parents, then they need to learn obedience to their teachers. If they will not obey their teachers, then they must listen to higher authorities, perhaps the police. If they will not listen and learn to obey the police, then they may well fall into the hands of the Living God. Teach your children to listen and obey.
Obedience to God is expressed by obedience to those in authority. Scripture has much to say about who that is, in the church, in family life, in society. Leaders need our support and prayer. They also need us to follow them. In that process, He protects me from foolish leadership because He will deal with those who lead amiss. They are responsible to God for their leadership and all their decisions.
However, if I am griping and complaining about what they do, then I make them responsible to me — and by doing that, I then become responsible to God for my failure to do what I am told and fall in the direct path of His discipline.
My husband writes notes to me and puts them beside my cereal bowl before he goes to work. When I get up, usually just before or just after he goes out the door, I’ve a message for the day. These are often thank you notes, sometimes reminders to do an errand, and occasionally a few words to let me know that I forgot something or didn’t do something.
The note this morning was one of those “you blew it” messages, and it didn’t sit very well. I’d turned the television off last night, but the way our TV works, sometimes the cable box turns off but the TV doesn’t. This time, I didn’t notice the little red light that indicated it was still on, hence the note.
It’s a small thing, but I felt deflated and annoyed. I wanted to retaliate with, “Why did you tell me this? Just turn the blasted thing off. It happens to you all the time and I don’t make a big deal about it. Blah, blah, blah.”
God’s timing is priceless, again. My devotional guide takes me today to 2 Corinthians 4:10-11. It says, “ . . . always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
I know exactly what that means. Because I am a Christian, and because Jesus lives inside of me, I’m to be transparent and obedient. Otherwise, when people look at me, they see only me. That is not what God wants. He “commanded light to shine out of darkness” and has shone His light into my heart “to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” He is the treasure that this chapter of 1 Corinthians describes, the treasure in the “earthen vessel” of my life.
When Paul wrote this letter, he was under all kinds of pressures. He used words like hard-pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, yet he knew that God was using these trials to bring out the life of Christ in him. As the trials worked death in the sense that his human efforts became weaker and no longer effective, the power of God began to shine through him. People could see Jesus, not Paul. The life of Paul diminished and died as the life of Christ became the power that governed his responses to these difficult experiences.
So I get a little note and the life of me jumps out and reacts. If I follow through with my reaction, confront my husband (who is only trying to be helpful), insist on refusing this oh-so-mild rebuke, and act like an insecure little kid, then I’m not “carrying about in the body” the crucifixion of sin and selfishness that Jesus is trying to accomplish in me.
Little “trials” like this one reveal who and what is controlling my life, and show me where I need to die to self and allow the "life of Jesus to be manifested in my mortal flesh." If Jesus is shining in me and ruling my responses, I would think, Thank you. I missed that and need to pay more attention when I hit that off button.
Nit-picking? No. This is a bigger problem than not using the remote properly. It is an “I refuse to let you correct me” attitude. Since my spouse is to love me as Christ loved the church, part of what that love means is that he also desires I be sanctified and cleansed so I might be glorious, holy and without blemish.
I need to cooperate. It isn’t about TVs but about being willing to say ‘yes’ to correction, whether it comes to me through him, or directly from his Lord and mine.
