Life Lessons

I've had a lot of time to think today, and there are two ideas that struck me today. Two near perfect metaphors for life and how it should be lived. Each idea came when I was doing mundane and relaxing tasks, which served as a reminder that sometimes the best thing to do is take a break from the hustle and bustle of life. Too much time is spent trying to either dress to impress or prove our worth by making a name for ourselves in this world. No longer are we satisfied with everyday life; we crave to be immersed in party or cut throat atmospheres. Except that never gets us anywhere, and we miss out on life lessons that God wants to teach us. We're just too darn busy trying to be awesome during our short stay on Earth, that we never truly kick back and listen to guidance from our Creator.
Today was my first official day of work during my stay at Concordia Eco-Resort. I was assigned to housekeeping as a way of easing me into things. Given the heat and humidity, it typically takes volunteers a few days to adjust to the climate, so the volunteer manager makes sure not to overexert the newbies. Part of my job in housekeeping was to find stained towels and linens, spray them with peroxy, and try to scrub them out. This didn't sound too difficult until I actually attempted it. For the life of me, I just couldn't get some of the stubborn set-in stains to come out, and then it hit me. Too often, we are too stubborn to admit our sins in life and they become like these set-in stains. They're impossible to blot out or scrub away on our own. It is only when we are forthcoming with God about our sin that He can bless us with a clean slate and forgiveness. This is demonstrated in Isaiah 1:18, which states, "Come now let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." Only God can cleanse us from our misguided ventures here in this life. We will remain crimson until that moment we trust Jesus to be our Savior and then we become clothed in his righteousness in God's eyes, no longer covered in stubborn set-in stains from sin.
Another revelation that came to me today was that life is like doing the backstroke. Though I was being propelled forward through the water, I couldn't actually see where I was going, forcing me to rely on other senses in order to not run into the wall. On top of that, when doing the backstroke, the only place to look is up towards the heavens. Putting it all together in my mind, I realized that this was exactly how I needed to live my life: constantly looking up to God for guidance and trusting Him to move me forward in life, even if I can't see where I'm going. God created us to be complex beings, but too often, we're too focused on the future and the unknown that we neglect to use all of our senses and, which would help us completely enjoy the journey. It's time to start relinquishing control and asking God for guidance, who spoke us into being in the first place. We must finally take to heart and live out the words written in Proverbs 2:1-8 ~ "...if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding, yes if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints." God will provide all that we need, if only we just ask and seek His insight for our lives, and we cant do that without first looking up.

W.A.I.T. Part 1: Don't Base Your Calling on Worldly Standards

Many of us question our purpose in life. We're not quite sure if we are ever actually on the correct path. Some of us find ourselves questioning whether or not we even meet the so-called standards to be a qualified member of the Christian faith who is meant to bring forth the Good News to the nations of the world.
There is nothing wrong with doubting your abilities, but wondering if you are good enough to be a Christian is ridiculous. We need to remember that the only reason we are Christians in the first place is because God called us and we answered that call. We must remember what is written within 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, which states, "'Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
Everybody has their shortcomings. The human race is fallen and riddled with sin and deceit. By nature, we are a bunch of lowly screw-ups, but with the help of God, we can become great leaders, encouragers, and influential when it comes to sharing the Gospel. God blesses us with unique gifts and the ability to utilize them. He puts us in situations that make us uncomfortable in order to prove that we must rely on Him and that the reason we are successful is because of God's grace.
A great 20th century example of an individual who relied on God for his calling is Eric Liddell. He was the son of Scottish missionaries and by 1924, he was the fastest sprinter in the world. Eric wanted to serve God in some capacity, but he wasn't exactly sure how he could do that. An excerpt from David McCasland's book, Eric Liddell -- Pure Gold, states, "In his own eyes, he seemed to possess so few of the skills he thought necessary for Christian ministry. Not only was he not an orator, he dreaded the thought of speaking in public. Forty thousand shouting fans in a stadium didn't bother him at all, but forty people sitting quietly in a church hall terrified him." But God decided that Eric was meant to be a speaker. Eric prayed for guidance and this prayer was answered by a visit from D.P. Thomson, a member of the Glasgow Student' Evangelistic Union who was hoping that Eric would come and speak. David McCasland wrote that "D.P.'s infectious enthusiasm not only made it seem imperative that Eric come and speak, but made it sound completely possible for a young man who dreaded the public platform." As means of response, "Eric paused for a moment, pondering the invitation, then glanced up and with a broad smile said, 'All right, I'll do it.'"
Not only did Eric trust to follow God's calling to become a public speaker, but he also decided to respect the Lord's Sabbath, which would impact the races in which he could participate in the 1924 Olympic Games. Eric Liddell was favored to win the 100 meter in the 1924 Olympics, but once he saw that the finals of the race were on Sunday, Eric declined to participate. Eric still entered into the 200 meters and the 400 meters, though was not considered a contender in either, according to McCasland's book. When Eric Liddell ran in the 400 meters final, not only did he win the event, he also set a new World Record time of 47.6 seconds. A description of Eric's running style throughout the race was written by one of his competitors in the final, Horatio Fitch. Fitch wrote, "Tho a sprinter by practice, he ran the pick of the world's quarter milers off their feet. Tho a small man, he makes his legs move fast enuf to beat his rangy competitors. His form is all wrong by our standards, for he runs almost leaning back, and his chin is almost pointing to heaven, yet he won his race on pluck and stamina. And most difficult of all, he had to set his own pace all the way, where one instant's faltering judgement would have meant defeat." This quote serves as a great reminder that even though Eric didn't run in the typical fashion of the day, Eric met God's standards because he lived to glorify His name, and thus flourished in his endeavors.
The next time you question whether or not you are qualified to share the Gospel, remember that God provides you with everything you need in order to thrive.

Eric Liddell winning the 400 meter in Paris, 1924.

Coalescence of Idolatry and Pride

Psalm 31:6 "I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord."

Like the psalmist says, idols are worthless. We are warned numerous times to separate ourselves from or flee from idols. Particular verses that come to mind include 1 Corinthians 10:14 "Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry," and 1 John 5:21 "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." But what exactly are idols? Many people are familiar with the term, especially in the title of the hit show American Idol, but few understand its true meaning. There are some who believe that idols are just other gods that people choose to worship. They aren't wrong in this assumption, but they are missing a portion of the picture. Idolatry is not just worshipping false gods. Idolatry involves anything that you focus on or depend on more than God. One definition lists an idol as, "one that is adored, often blindly or excessively." Some people focus too much on celebrities, musicians, or athletes compared to God, which in a sense turns those objects into idols. Others seem to worship knowledge, technology, or themselves. The most prominent idol in society today, though, is money. So many people try to store away this so-called precious commodity without realizing they are truly worshipping it. The devastation that comes from idolizing money and getting caught up in greed is devastating. At the beginning of the Great Depression when the stock market first crashed in October 1929, numerous people committed suicide because they lost their life savings. It's scary to think that people are so willing to give up on living when all of their money is stripped away. Then again, I'm not surprised because we are warned about the power of money in 1 Timothy 6:10, which states, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." We must not allow our love of money and wealth to hinder our walk with God. Eternal life is much more precious than anything that can be bought here on Earth. My request is that you try to steer your focus away from your idols and back to God. No matter what the focus, if it isn't on God, there is definitely a problem. I think Jonah expresses this best when he states in Jonah 2:8,  "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them." If we are constantly placing everything else before our love for God, then we are really losing out and missing the point of our life here on Earth, which is to glorify Him. 

I will be the first to admit that I have struggled with keeping God a priority in my life. I didn't realize it at the time, but there was a portion of my life where I relied heavily on other people, whether it was family or friends, to help get me through difficult times in my life. Forming close relationships with people is not a bad thing, but when you become dependent on them and turn to them in the face of chaos before turning to God, then something is bound to give way and implode. And that's exactly what happened to me. God definitely got my attention when he stripped away my closest relationships in order to get me to focus completely on Him. God knew I wasn't depending on Him in my deepest times of need, so in an effort to recapture that focus, God took away my distractions. It was staggering the impact it had on me, but I have become a better person for it. In hindsight, now that the cloud of devastation has cleared, I realize that it was necessary for my path to diverge from certain relationships in order to get back on the narrow path towards God. Now that I'm in the rebuilding phase of my social life, I am much more conscious of God and what He wants for my life. I am careful not to get caught up in that dependence of people, though going to friends for council and comfort is not a bad thing, as long as it doesn't trump my need for God.

What I have learned about myself, and what I assume about others, is that idols sprout up in our lives because we feel that we know what is best for us. Instead of remembering Scripture and the fact that God knows what is best for all of Creation, we become arrogant and prideful assuming that we know better than God. This is definitely not a good place to be in. Author, C.S. Lewis, put it this way in Mere Christianity: "It was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind." We must not forget that we are mere, imperfect humans. In the grand scheme of things, we don't even know what good is, let alone what might benefit us in the long run. Lewis continues by stating, "As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you." This is exactly what happens to those prideful humans who are caught up in the fog of idolatry. They can't see anything outside of their idol because they are completely consumed by it and do not understand that it is essential to focus on God for their needs, as opposed to believing they know what is best. Lewis's concluding thoughts related to pride are expressed in this way: "For Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense." Pride is a disaster because it prevents us from being able to follow through with God's greatest commandment, which is to love one another, as God loved us (John 13:34). This is probably why God has such strong opposition to the proud. We are to follow His commands and bring Him glory, but if we spend our time here on Earth trying to glorify ourselves, we fall short. The next time you consider that you have a handle on your life, check yourself. Remember that God is sovereign and should always be glorified. And keep in mind what is stated in Proverbs 16:5 ~ "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished."

There's a Bit of Jonah in All of Us

Have you ever found your heart full of resentment towards another individual or group of people? Have you ever resented blessings coming to those who have hurt you and find it hard to truly be happy for them? Then you have a bit of Jonah inside of you.
Jonah was a prophet of the Lord. His God given mission was to preach to the city of Ninevah so that they would repent. The only problem was that Jonah harbored a deep resentment for the Assyrians of Ninevah due to the atrocities they had caused using brute force. They were the epitome of evil, in Jonah's mind, and he didn't feel that they deserved God's love and mercy. So instead of obeying God's mission, Jonah decided to make a run for it: Jonah 1:3 ~ "But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish." (For those who don't know, Tarshish is in the complete opposite direction of Ninevah. It would be like heading to New York City from Denver, instead of going to Los Angeles.) Jonah soon learned that fleeing from the Lord is cowardly and impossible, and that his decision greatly impacted many around him.
The ship that Jonah boarded to take to Tarshish soon encountered a great storm, which instilled fear in the sailors onboard. They started crying out to their false gods for help, but soon cast lots to determine why such a calamity had arisen. Only then did Jonah speak up in Jonah 1:12 ~ "'Pick me up and throw me into the sea,' he replied, 'and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you." It is interesting to see that once Jonah realizes that he has caused distress in others that he chooses to alleviate it. This is the first time his conscience sensed that maybe what he was doing was wrong. The irony, as stated in the notes from my Life Application Study Bible, was that he was trying to seek God's love while running from it at the same time. Essentially, "if you want more of God's love and power, you must be willing to carry out the responsibilities he gives you." Jonah finally took some responsibility in Jonah 1:15-16, which demonstrates the lengths he was willing to go to in order to spare the sailors from the storm: "Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him." The lesson that can be gained from this is the fact that "God is able to use even our mistakes to help others come to know him."
What happened next to Jonah is what he is most known for; he got swallowed by a great fish and was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). This verse provides some foreshadowing to when Jesus will spend three days in the center of the earth before being resurrected. Jesus actually makes reference to this verse in Matthew 12:40, stating the aforementioned foreshadowing in response to the Pharisees asking for a sign from the Lord.
While inside the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord to give thanks for being spared from the raging waters. Deep inside his heart, Jonah knew that God had shown him mercy and he was very grateful. It's while he was within the belly of the fish that Jonah realized that he must obey the Lord and repent for not following through in the mission to preach to the city of Ninevah. Upon hearing Jonah's repentance, "The Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up on dry land" (Jonah 2:10). We often have similar revelations when we suffer hardships. We immediately call upon the Lord to repent for our lack of trust, once we realize that that is why we have ended up in a particular predicament. The best thing we can do in storms, and even in the good times, is holdfast to the Lord. He has the authority over all circumstances and can have us placed in the correct spot on our journey through life if we decide to relinquish our desire for control. Allow yourself to be puked back up on dry land to continue God's mission for your life.
Once Jonah was back on dry land and given a second chance, he obeyed the word from God to go preach in Ninevah (Jonah 3:1-3). After a days journey into Ninevah, he declared that the city would be overthrown in forty days (Jonah 3:4). The Lord wants his Word preached to everybody, even to the most evil people on the face of the earth. We shouldn't allow our fear of people get in the way of sharing the most important Truth with others. Through Jonah's presentation of God's Word, the people of Ninevah repented and were spared God's wrath (Jonah 3:10). As stated in the notes from my Life Application Study Bible, "Ninevah's repentance stood in stark contrast to Israel's stubbornness. The people of Israel had heard many messages from the prophets, but they refused to repent. The people of Ninevah only needed to hear God's message once." We must always remember to not just listen to the Word of God, but to repent and try to refine our way of life to meet Christ's standards. Without doing so, we are merely fooling ourselves into a life of complacency when we are meant to live a life of devotion to the Lord.
Instead of being joyful over the repentance of Ninevah, Jonah decided to sulk and be angry (Jonah 4:1-2). Luckily for Jonah, the Lord remained patient with his anger and chose to teach Jonah a lesson instead of bearing down with wrath. The Lord provided a plant to give shade to Jonah, but caused it to wither the next day (Jonah 4:6-7). This was to teach Jonah about how the Lord shows mercy to all, not just the chosen people of Israel and how it is wrong to be angry when evil people, like the people of Ninevah, receive mercy and forgiveness after repenting to the Lord.
In the same way, we must not let our emotions dictate who we share the Word of God with. God wants everyone to be saved and to repent. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." We often get angry when God showers mercy on those we resent, but we must not focus on our own foolish desires and hatred. We must make the choice to be concerned about the salvation of every human being on this earth and not refuse to share the Gospel with certain people just because we feel they are unworthy, or because our sinful nature is holding a grudge. Try your best to quell the Jonah inside of you in order to fulfill God's purpose in your life.

Satan: The Epitome of Inception

I am a big fan of the movie, Inception. This action thriller is based in numerous dreams, with the main premise being to plant a business idea in a man's head using the concept of inception. In the movie, the character, Arthur, says its impossible because, "The dreamer can always remember the genesis of the idea. True inspiration is impossible to fake." Cobb, on the other hand, knows that inception is possible because he had used his wife as a guinea pig. Unfortunately, the concept that he had planted in her mind in order to save her from remaining in her dream world's limbo eventually led to her death in reality.
The concept that our thoughts can be so consuming and crushing that they eventually kill us is a very real matter due to the constant spiritual warfare around us. Satan is continually trying to impress upon us thoughts that turn us against God, which would separate us from His love and eternal life. Satan does this by using our minds to conjure up thoughts that cause us to doubt His goodness and authority. Satan twists positives into negatives, and negatives into positives in order to lead us astray.
When reading Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley, I became very aware of how Satan polluted Eve's thoughts. Her focus turned from the numerous trees that she could eat from, to the one tree she was forbidden to eat from. Satan not only got Eve to question God's authority by asking, in Genesis 3:1, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?", but he also planted a lie into what she thought God had told her originally. In Genesis 3:3, Eve says, "But God did say, 'You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" Looking back in Genesis 2:16-17, where God originally instructed Adam and Eve, one will note that the phrase "and you must not touch it" is not found within the text. This is the lie that Satan slyly planted within Eve's mind to cause her to become irritated with the boundaries that God had set forth within the Garden of Eden.
Some might wonder how the inception of ideas is possible. The answer is found within Ephesians 6:12 ~ "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." The concept of spiritual warfare is reiterated within 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, which states, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish the strongholds. 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." We are called to protect our thoughts in order to guard ourselves against the evil spirits who strive to infiltrate our minds in order to turn us against God. Revelation 12:12 tells us, "But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." Satan's only goal is to turn as many people away from God and eternal life as possible. He does this by manipulating our weak minds to believe his twisted concepts about God. If someone decides to turn against God and choose the side of evil with Satan, his or her name will not be found in the book of life. Without your name in the book of life, meaning that you accept Christ as your Savior, there can be no eternal life. This is confirmed in Revelation 20:15 which states, "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." Paul voiced his concern about the grip sin has on the human mind and how easily it can be deceived within 2 Corinthians 11:3 ~ "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
My suggestion is to keep the knowledge of spiritual warfare on the forefront of your mind in order to heighten your awareness to potentially disastrous thought processes. To protect yourself, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand," as Ephesians 6:13 suggests. God is our only source of protection against the evils of this world, so we must make the decision to rely on Him and call on Him in times of need. The best way to protect your mind is to pray, read God''s Word of Truth, and follow the instructions found within Philippians 4:8 ~ "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." You will be amazed by the impact of positive thinking and allowing God to have complete control over every aspect life.

Overlooking an Offense

"A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel." ~Proverbs 18:19
"A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense." ~Proverbs 19:11

It is a natural part of life to endure disputes with your fellow man. It's what happens within society, more so than not, these days. I'm sure many of you have realized, either with close friends or family, that once somebody gets offended, it takes quite a bit of time to overlook such an incident, much like the one in the first above proverb. Man can turn into an unyielding fortress if he gets attacked in a manner that goes against his viewpoints or beliefs. The important lesson in the situation, though, is to not remain stone-cold, but to be patient and try to overlook an offense, like in the second proverb found above.

It is in our best interests to try and soften our hearts in order to get past an offense, great or small. You might ask, "Why?" and the answer is to bring glory to God. By overlooking an offense, it does not necessarily mean that you were wrong in the situation, or that how you were treated was right. It just puts you on the path towards forgiveness so that you can walk in a more Christ-like fashion. For many, this is hard because our sinful human nature always yearns for revenge. Many times we just want the other person to suffer the same pain and anguish that we felt, but that's not how we are meant to function. Instead, listen to the words found in Romans 12:17-21, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." A similar version can be found within 1 Peter 3:8-9, which states, "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." Not only are we called to overlook an offense. We are also called to heap blessings onto the people who have wronged us. Again, this goes against our very human nature and the sinful thoughts in our mind. Too often we feel that kind gestures should only be reserved for those times when friends have been kind to us, not when they have sinned against us. The knee-jerk reaction we lean towards involves anger and revenge, but Ephesians 4:26 proclaims, "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." The problem with getting angry is that anger festers and only makes problems worse. The best solution is to pray and demonstrate your true colors, utilizing the stalwart character that God blessed you with, by deciding to be compassionate and blessing those who have caused you pain. This essentially helps you live out the words found within Luke 6:27-28: “'But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.'"
In my experience, emotional and verbal wounds take the most time to heal. Many seem to forget that words, whether spoken or written, can pack a punch. Other times, words morph into empty promises and hang limp like dead leaves on a tree limb because they aren't coupled with actions, or they lack follow-through. Too many times our own words get thrown back in our faces and used against us. It is times like these that are hardest for me to remember to be compassionate and loving, especially because I feel like my heart has been seared with a cattle prod. All I really want to do is rant and rave and let others know the pain I've had to endure. Deep down, I know that this won't solve anything. I know that the best solution is to try and move past the hurt in an attempt to make amends and salvage the relationship I have with the person who hurt me. But the key to overlooking an offense and putting an incident in the past is to make sure it stays there. Digging up old wounds defeats the original purpose of overlooking the offense. Proverbs 17:9 states, "Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." In order to avoid separating close friends, bury your old wounds and throw away the key.
While reading my book Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills yesterday, I came across the following quote: "Love involves sacrifice." This of course got me thinking about the word "love" and the scant few people I claim to care enough about to use this word to express how much I care about them. It made me question whether I have sacrificed anything for them, and vice versa. I think it made me realize that without the sacrifice, great or small, the word "love" should not be used. Now sacrifice does not mean some monumental task, like Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross to demonstrate His immense love for us. Instead, it is that moment where you analyze a situation and decide to do what is best for the other person involved, even if it is not what you want in your heart, and even if it causes great anguish in your heart and mind. In my mind, that is the demonstration of true love. It also embodies the message of this post about why it is best to overlook an offense: In order to demonstrate your love for the other person. All the more reason to take to heart this following verse:

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." ~Ephesians 4:32

Accountability, Authority, and Encouragement

Accountability is a concept that popped into my head during Bible Study on Sunday night. I'm not exactly sure why, but it might have stemmed from our discussion about how we as humans react to authority. Our study was based on Matthew 8:1-17, which discusses Christ's authoritative actions and words, along with the faithful Centurion. What was outlined was how we are all under some form of authority and held accountable for our actions. A hierarchy was created in order to illustrate this concept. Children under parents. Wives under husbands. Parents under church elders. Church elders under Jesus. Jesus under God. This gives us a sense of who on Earth we must be held accountable to, along with demonstrating how we are all accountable to Jesus and God.
As I was surfing the internet trying to gather more insight into the matter of accountability, I came across an article entitled, Accountability, by Kenneth Boa. I found the beginning quite interesting because he discusses how we are more apt to deal with issues after they arise and boil over instead of confronting them when they are relatively minor and easy to handle. One of the most striking illustrations that reminded me of my own life was when the author quoted Neil Plantinga saying: "We deny, suppress, or minimize what we know to be true. We assert, adorn, and elevate what we know to be false. We prettify ugly realities and sell ourselves the prettified versions. Thus a liar might transform 'I tell a lot of lies to shore up my pride' to 'Occasionally, I finesse the truth in order to spare other people’s feelings.'" I think we all accidentally fall into this trap of trying to spare other people's feelings as a way of avoiding confronting the real problems. Thus the reason we are called to encourage on another and hold each other accountable.
1 Corinthians 12 discusses how we are all members of the body of Christ and we must all work together and help each other. This excerpt from 1 Corinthians 12:12; 14; 18-20; 24-27 provides a decent illustration of the matter: "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body...But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." This is proof that we must all work together as one body and help each other out when necessary. The notes from my NIV Life Application Study Bible stated the following: "Believers are in the world together--there is no such thing as private or individualistic Christianity. We shouldn't stop with enjoying only our own relationship with God; we need to get involved in the lives of others."
There is a distinct need to be involved in each other's lives. We are all part of one great big community in Christ and we are meant to uplift one another, along with holding each other accountable when we stray away from the Word. Now this does not mean that we point out everybody's faults and put ourselves up on a pedestal. We must kindly rebuke others, provide advice, carry each other's burdens, and encourage one another. Truth is necessary in the framework of accountability, even though it is occasionally hard to swallow. Ephesians 4:25 mentions the necessity for truth in order to maintain unity: "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body." We are all scared to speak the truth due to the potential harm that it might cause. Sometimes it is hard for others to see your viewpoint and remaining quiet seems like the best option. Unfortunately, this tends to prolong the issue, making it more difficult to deal with down the road. This is when we must seek out advice from fellow Christians in order to figure out how to handle a problem. In the process of doing so, some of your own faults might be pointed out, and one must accept this with dignity and not revenge. Proverbs 19:20-21 discusses the importance of listening to advice and discipline when it states, “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Nobody enjoys being disciplined. It takes a very discerning person to humble himself in order to accept what is being said and try to incorporate the advice in order to continue following the Lord's purpose. I'm not saying that this will be easy by any means, but it is important to allow others to correct you out of love in order to rebuild what is broken.
We all struggle with sin, which occasionally blinds us to any wrongdoing in our lives. If we sense that one of our fellow Christians has stumbled, we must gently help guide them back to the right path. We are not meant to go through life on our own. Instead, we are called to help one another and receive help. Galatians 6:1-2 states, "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." We are specifically instructed to bear the weight of other's misfortunes and grievances in order to lighten the load. This is exactly what being apart of one body in Christ and sharing in community is all about.
The foundation of any community should involve encouragement. This can help bolster morale and keep others from throwing in the towel when they are struggling and have a strong desire to just give up. I will leave you with two excerpts about encouragement. The first can be found in the book of Hebrews while the second is found in 1 Thessalonians. I hope that these will serve as a reminder to look outside your own little world and the stresses you are dealing with and turn your focus to those around you who may be struggling with the same issues or something much harder.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." ~Hebrews 10:24


"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else." ~1 Thessalonians 5:11-15

Admitting My Faults

As Christians, we are called to confess our sins, which is outlined in James 5:16 ~ "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed..." Lately, I have been analyzing my life and realizing some aspects that I have been struggling with in recent weeks. I'm not really going to elaborate on anything, but just make you aware of my recent shortcomings. I am only going to cite the Scriptures that have convicted my heart and type the corresponding notes from my NIV Life Application Study Bible that have gotten me thinking and also convicted my heart. Most are self-explanatory.

Psalm 118:8 ~ "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." Notes: "Are you willing to trust God to guide you here on earth and to your eternal destination? Do you trust him more than any human being? How futile it is to trust anything or anyone more than God."
Proverbs 3:3 ~ "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Notes: "Love and faithfulness are important character qualities. Both involve actions as well as attitudes. A loving person not only feels love; he or she acts loyally and responsibly. A faithful person not only believes the truth; he or she works for justice for others. Thoughts and words are not enough--our lives reveal whether we are truly loving and faithful. Do your actions measure up to your attitudes."
Proverbs 9:8 ~ "Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you." Notes: "Are you a mocker or a wise person? You can tell by the way you respond to criticism. Instead of tossing back a quick putdown or clever retort when rebuked, listen to what is being said. Learn from your critics: this is the path to wisdom."
Luke 17:3 ~ "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him." Notes: "To rebuke does not mean to point out every sin we see. It means to bring sin to a person's attention with the purpose of restoring him or her to God and to fellow humans. When you feel you must rebuke another Christian for a sin, check your attitudes before you speak. Do you love the person? Are you willing to forgive? Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness, it will not help the sinning person."
Galatians 5:14-15 ~ "The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." Notes: "When we believers lose the motivation of love, we become critical of others. We stop looking for the good in them and see only their faults. Soon we lose our unity. Have you focused on others' shortcomings instead of their strengths? Remind yourself of Jesus' command to love others as you love yourself. When you begin to feel critical of someone, make a list of that person's positive qualities. When problems need to be addressed, confront in love rather than gossip."
James 1:19-20 ~ "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." Notes: "These verses speak of anger that erupts when our egos are bruised--'I am hurt.' 'My opinions are not being heard.' When injustice and sin occur, we should become angry because others are being hurt. But we should not become angry when we fail to win an argument or when we feel offended or neglected. Selfish anger never helps anybody."