Monthly Archives: May 2010

Listen to Your Heart

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Today in the US we celebrate Memorial Day. A special “Thank You” to all the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces who make it possible to live in a country where there is peace and freedom.

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“When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”1

Melody Beattie in her book, The Language of Letting Go, emphasizes the importance of contemplating what is on your mind first thing when you wake up in the morning? What is it in that half-asleep, half-awake place? Are you troubled about something? Is there some responsibility you have neglected and is bothering you? Is it a project you’ve wanted to start but have kept putting it off? Is it an unhealthy relationship you are in and you know that you need to either resolve or end it? Is it a destructive habit or sin that you feel convicted about?

Whatever is on your mind at this time is coming from your inner self, your unconscious mind, or it may be from God’s Spirit. It may be revealing an issue you need to deal with, or a project you’ve been thinking about starting for months. Listen to that voice and do what you know you need to do about it. Don’t put it off. Take care of it each day.

It can help to keep a pad and pen at your bedside and each morning jot down the thing that is pressing on your mind when you first awaken. Sometimes the same issue may come to you in a dream.* It just may be a matter you need to pray about and act on.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have given me a heart (an inner self) for insight and intuition as well as a head for thinking and knowing. Please help me use both in harmony with the leading of your Holy Spirit. And help me to search my heart and hear your Holy Spirit might be saying to me. Give me discernment to know what is valid, and the courage to act on that which is. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

* Be sure to read tomorrow’s Daily Encounter about “Dreams: God’s Forgotten Language.”

1. Psalm 4:4 (NIV).

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Universal Laws

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“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”1

“The Bible has changed the lives of more persons than any other book,” said W. Clement Stone. “It has helped countless thousands to develop physical, mental and moral health.”

At least here in America, the ever increasing and accelerating moral decline, the tearing down of marriage, the promotion of homosexuality as a normal alternative lifestyle, unthinkable abortion practices, the never ending bombardment from online pornographers and pornographic pedophiles, etc., etc., are, without question, directly related to the ever increasing attacks against the Bible, Christianity, the Ten Commandments, and the laws prohibiting prayer and the display of Christian symbols in public places.

Every rule, every law, every principle in God’s Word, the Bible, is there, not because God is a kill-joy, but for our protection and the total physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the individual, the family, the community, and the nation as a whole.

God’s moral law is as much a universal law as is the law of gravity. We know better than to try and break this law. In fact, we can’t break the law of gravity. If we try to, it breaks us. Or rather, we break ourselves by disregarding it. This law holds the physical universe together, keeps the planets in their orbit, and the earth revolving around the sun. It also keeps our feet on good old mother earth. Without it life could not exist on earth.

Likewise, God’s moral law holds the moral universe together. It, too, is for our protection and total well-being. We can’t break it any more than we can break the law of gravity. When we try to it breaks us. Or rather, in our disregard of it, we break and destroy ourselves.

In this sense it’s not God who judges us for our disregard of his laws. We bring the judgment or the natural consequences upon ourselves. Obeying God’s Word leads to life. Disregarding it and going our own way leads, not only to disaster in this life, but also to eternal death in the after-life—which is not the cessation of life but eternal separation from God, the author of all love and life.

In other words, God’s laws are to protect us from hell—hell on earth and hell in life-after-life. We disregard God’s laws to our own peril and end up unhappily destroying ourselves.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have given us the words of life—and that you have given us all the laws we need to live wholesome, fulfilling, and satisfying lives. Give me a love and great respect for your laws and help me to live in harmony with them. And please grant a great spiritual awakening throughout our nation so we will embrace your laws so that we will save our land for our children and our children’s children. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 119:105 (NIV).

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Shipwreck From Within

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“Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.”1

“Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel the Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called “Ninety-Three.” It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship’s cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon.

They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the [loose] cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.”2

Life’s certainly like that. Not always, but more often than not, it isn’t the storms without that cause us the most problems, but the storms that rage  within us—such as a spirit of bitterness, jealousy, pride, greed and so on. Other “loose cannons” are unresolved hurt, anger, a lack of forgiveness, guilt, lust, and so on. These, if not confronted and resolved, can readily cause shipwreck of our relations, our faith, or even our life. Some “loose cannon people” in organizations also need to be brought under control before they destroy “the ship.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for your Word that reminds me to live with a clear conscience. Please confront me with any issue in my life that could, if unresolved, lead to shipwreck of my faith, relationships, and even of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT).

2. Brett Blair, Cited on www.eSermons.com

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When the Devil Knocks on My Door

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“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”1

A friend recently gave me the following suggestion: “When Satan comes to remind me about my past, I remind him about his future.”

One thing Satan does is continually accuse us before God (See Revelation 12:10). He will accuse us, too, of our past in our mind if we allow him to. When he does, however, we can remind him not only about his future in hell, but also that Christ shed his blood on the cross and gave his life to pay for our sins and has washed them all away. So what’s there to accuse us of if we have confessed our sins to Christ and asked for and accepted his forgiveness? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Because Christ died for us and cleansed us from our sins, we can, in his name, resist the devil and, as James said, he will flee from us. Satan hates the name of Jesus. Be sure to mention it when Satan comes to tempt you. Instead of trying to reason with Satan, just remind him of his future and mention the name of Jesus … and pray a simply prayer, “Help God! Help!”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have defeated Satan and all his evil emissaries, and that there is power in your name to defend against any and all of Satan’s devious ways and to defeat him. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 4:7.

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Cognitive Dissonance

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“Temptation is the pull of man’s own evil thoughts and wishes … [that will] lead to evil actions.”1

Did you ever stop to think that what the mind dwells on the body acts on!

Consider, for example, how temptation works. A thought comes to mind from seemingly nowhere—maybe from ourselves or from the tempter. We choose (mostly unconsciously) to harbor and dwell on that thought and, as we do, it hooks into our emotions, and the more we think about it, the stronger we feel about it. Then we begin to visualize in our mind what we want to do and then, unless we make a conscious choice to stop thinking about it, we give in to the temptation.

The battle is won or lost in the mind before we ever act out the temptation.

One of many dangers in continually giving in to temptation is, as another has pointed out: “If we don’t live the life we believe, we will end up unhappily believing the life we live.”

We do this because as long as we don’t consistently live the life we believe, our mind experiences what is called “cognitive dissonance”; that is, mental disharmony. Because we can’t tolerate this mental conflict, we can end up changing our beliefs to match our behavior and rationalize everything we do—a dangerous path to follow. The Bible calls the consequence having a dead conscience.2

In other words, “If we don’t live the life we believe, we will end up unhappily believing the life we live”—a dangerous and self-destructive way to live.

No wonder the Bible teaches us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”3 And, “…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.”4

When I am battling a temptation, I like to pray, “Jesus help” or “Holy Spirit help.” When I am consistent with this prayer and truly mean it, soon the tempting thoughts leave my mind. This is a simple way to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to guard against harboring negative thoughts that could lead me into temptation and sin. Help me to remember to look to you for help, and to dwell on positive and wholesome thoughts that will lead to positive and wholesome living. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 1:14-15 (TLB)(NLT).
2. James 1:15.
3. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV).
4. Philippians 4:8 (NIV).

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The Baffling Call of God

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“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”1

While it doesn’t have to do with age, another thing I struggled with in earlier days was how would I know if God was calling me to some kind of Christian ministry? I went to my pastor for counsel. His advice was: “If God is calling you to Christian ministry, then you’d better do it. If he isn’t, you’d better not!” Good advice but it didn’t answer my question. I came away as confused as when I went in.

Perhaps the most helpful counsel I received came from Oswald Chambers who described God’s call as being like “the call of the sea to the sailor. Only he who has the nature of the see within can hear that call.”

In other words, a man who is “called” to be a sailor has, metaphorically speaking, salt water in his veins and he cannot rest until he launches out to sea. So it is with the call of God, one cannot rest until he or she steps out from the safety of the shore and launches out into the deep of what he believes God is calling him or her to do.

Another test is the same as it would be for a musician. Are you gifted for what you believe you are being called to do? For instance, I don’t think God calls people who can’t sing on key to be soloists or choir members. As a general rule, although not always, friends can help you face this test realistically; that is, they can see if you are gifted for what you think you are being called to do.

Another excellent test is to try doing what you feel called to do. For example, when I feel God is leading or calling me to do something, I try doing it in a small way to see if it is from God or from myself. I would rather put it to the test and be wrong than, through fear of failure, never step out and try it to see if it is of God. You may need to test what you feel called to do several times because anything worthwhile rarely comes easily. I suggest others do the same. Only you can test what you feel is your call.

Be assured, however, if God has called or led you to do something, he will help you. But we have to do our part too—and get the training necessary to do well what we are gifted for and called of God to do. As a general rule, answering God’s call and doing his will is something we will delight in doing—even if it takes a while! As the psalmist wrote about Jesus saying, “I delight to do Your will, Oh my God.“2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a receptive heart and a listening ear to hear what you might be calling me to do—no matter what that might be. Give me the courage to step out and test it and, if it be of you, get the training I need to do my job well for your glory and the benefit of others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Isaiah 6:8 (NIV).

2. Psalm 4:8 (NKJV).

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Test the Spirits

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“Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”1

How can we be sure when and if God is speaking to us?

When I was a young Christian I wanted to serve God and sometimes felt he was telling me to do something. However, this “still small voice” within sometimes had me very confused and in bondage. In time I came to see that this “voice in my head” was not from God at all because, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom,”2 and I had no freedom.

One’s inner “voice” may come from God’s Spirit, or it can come from ourselves (our own compulsions), or from the tempter. If the tempter knows he can’t pull us down into acting out in destructive sinful behaviors, he may try to “push us over the top” where we become “so heavenly minded we are no earthly use.”

To know where one’s “inner voice” is from, we need to learn how to discern between a conviction and a compulsion, or recognize if the “voice” is from the tempter. With a conviction from God I am drawn and always have the freedom to say no. With a compulsion I am driven and feel that “I have to” do what the “inner voice” is demanding of me. If from the tempter, we know that it is a voice wanting us to do what we know is wrong and sinful.

Some people try to justify what they want to do by claiming God told or led them to do it. Or they don’t do what they don’t want to do because God didn’t tell them to do it—even though it is a clear directive of God’s Word. No wonder that the Apostle John advised in the Bible, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”

First and foremost, God speaks to us through his Word, the Bible, and never in any way contrary to it. He also speaks or leads through various circumstances, as well as through inner convictions. If it is from God, it will be in harmony with his Word and there will be a sense of freedom. If it is contrary to God’s Word or any type of compulsion we can know it isn’t God speaking to us and we need to reject it.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a spirit of discernment so that I will always recognize when you are leading me, or if I am being driven by a compulsion from within myself or from without by the tempter. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 John 4:1 (NIV).

2. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV).

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Success vs. Significance

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“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”1

Michael Josephson of Character Counts, whom I often quote, talks about the difference between success and significance. He says, “The irony is that living a life focused on the pursuit of significance is so much more gratifying than one devoted to the treadmill of success. Whatever sacrifices are involved tend to enlarge rather than diminish personal satisfaction…. Quite simply, it feels good—really, really good—to be valued and valuable.

“So, people who pursue significance are concerned with making the most out of their lives. They help others not only for the sake of those they help but for their own sake. When we use our mental and material resources to make a positive difference in the lives of others, we are rewarded with a sense of satisfaction that’s hard to get any other way. Success can produce pleasure, but only significance can generate fulfillment.”2

Sounds like good advice to me—as does the timely advice attributed to Stephen Grellet, the Franco-American Quaker (1773-1885)—who said: “I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow-creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

We don’t have to be famous to be significant. Every kind deed, kind word, thoughtful action, is significant. Added up over a lifetime, in God’s eyes they make a life both significant and truly successful.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from wanting to be successful only in human terms, but rather significant and successful in your eyes by being ‘as Christ’ to every life I touch every day. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Galatians 6:2 (RSV)(NIV).

2. Michael Josephson, “A Road Map to Significance,” Character Counts (324-2), www.charactercounts.org.

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Fathers Needed

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“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”1

Ron Farmer of the University of New South Wales (Australia) Psychology Department said, “Any man seeking too strenuously for recognition in his early adult life was likely to find that neglect of his family unit during that time would lead to an alienation from his wife and children at the time he most needed their affection and understanding.”

As fathers we know we are to provide for our family’s physical needs. But provision goes far beyond this. We are to model Christian fatherhood and provide for our family’s spiritual needs as well. Equally important is to meet emotional needs, the absence of which is a major cause of many emotional ills and marriage breakdowns.

As fathers we need to be emotionally present and connected to our wives and children. However, if we’re not connected to our own emotions and inner self, we cannot be emotionally connected to or intimate with our family. Of all the people I’ve worked with in recovery groups over the years who are struggling emotionally and/or are divorced, a large percentage of them say that their father was never there for them emotionally when they were growing up. They felt he was distant and lived in his own private world. They never really knew him for who he really was. In God’s design it’s not only mothers who are needed. Fathers play a vital role in the emotional, spiritual and sexual development of their children. When fathers don’t meet their children’s needs, their children are programmed for problems as adults—especially in the areas of emotional wellbeing, sexual identity, and interpersonal relationships.

Furthermore, as adults, many of these “emotionally undernourished children” project their feelings towards their earthly father onto God, the Heavenly Father, and feel that he, too, is distant, cold and not there for them. When we are not emotionally present and involved with our children we can, without realizing it, drive wedges between our precious children and God.

Being present for and emotionally involved with our spouse and our children physically, emotionally, and spiritually is critical for, and a vital part of, providing for our children’s needs and the future of their children.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me as a father (parent) to be available today and every day to my spouse and to my children, and to give them my presence and undivided attention, so they will know without a shadow of a doubt that I love them. In so doing may they feel my love and affirmation at the very core of their being. And may they also know and feel your love and affirmation at the core of their being. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV).

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Finding One’s Wings

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“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”1

It’s an old story that we’ve all read about, but it’s a good reminder as found in the following parable about “a new mother who discovered a butterfly struggling mightily to escape its cocoon through a tiny opening at the top. She became concerned when the creature seemed to give up after making no progress. Certain that the butterfly wouldn’t make it out without help, she enlarged the hole slightly.

“On its next try, the butterfly wriggled out easily. But the young woman’s joy turned to horror as she saw its wings were shriveled and useless. Her well-intentioned intervention turned out badly because it interrupted a natural process. You see, forcing the butterfly to squeeze through a small opening is nature’s way of assuring that blood from the creature’s body is pushed into the wings. By making it easier, she deprived the butterfly of strong wings.”2

The same thing happens to children when parents over-protect them by doing too much for them, by spoiling them, or doing for them what they can and need to do for themselves, and by making decisions for them that they are capable of and need to be making themselves.

There can be a fine line knowing when to hang on and when to let go, but it’s important to realize that, as parents, it is our responsibility to train up our children so that by the time they come to adulthood, they are capable of and responsible for taking care of themselves and are healthy, interdependent adults. True, good parenting requires parents to protect their children from harm, but being overprotective can cause children to grow up being emotionally immature or even emotionally crippled.

It’s the struggles of life that make all of us strong and healthy. As blind and deaf Helen Keller once said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the wisdom to know when to protect my children (and others) from harm and when to let go so they can develop their wings and become strong, self-reliant and responsible adults. Help me too, not to do for others what they can and need to do for themselves so they don’t become over-dependent on me instead of being dependent on you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV).

2. Michael Josephson. www.charactercounts.org.

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