Monthly Archives: June 2014

Another Serenity Prayer

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Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”1

Truth: Perhaps the most powerful principle in the world. Without access to the truth there is no freedom, no recovery, no intimacy in relationships, often no healing, and no eternal life.

On the other hand, denial is perhaps the most destructive sins we can commit. For instance, to the degree that I have not found freedom in any area of my life I am still in denial. There is some truth I am avoiding facing. Furthermore, to be dishonest with myself is just as deceptive and sinful as being dishonest to anyone else.

M. Scott Peck said, “Emotional sickness is avoiding reality [truth] at any cost. Emotional health is facing reality at any cost.”

That’s just a reframing or rephrasing of what Jesus said: “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” The following prayer by Billy Joe Vaughn sums it up very well:

“God grant me the ability
to reject the things about me
that are not true,
the humility to accept
the things that are,
and the discernment
to know the difference.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from the sin of denial and help me always to be genuine, honest, authentic and real. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. John 8:32.

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Sweet Temptation

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Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”1

I read recently about certain ants that have a passion for the sweet glandular substance given off by the caterpillar of a large blue butterfly. According to the article, the ants can become so enthralled by the substance they carry the supplier into their nest with great delight. What they don’t realize is that the caterpillar gorges himself on the ant larva.

Usually such a threat would be attacked by an army of ants and destroyed or repelled. However, because they enjoy the caterpillar’s tasty secretions so much, they become “addicted” to it. In so doing they are oblivious to the fact that their young are being destroyed!

In reality many of us are addicted to something. It may not be drugs or alcohol, but anything we habitually or compulsively use or do to avoid facing our inner unresolved problems (such as fears, hurts, losses, anger, guilt, inadequacies, etc.), is an addiction. It may be work, religion, gambling, spending, eating, smoking, relationships, sex or any of a score of other things—some of which may be very enjoyable.

Of one thing we can be sure, when our life is being controlled by addictions, we don’t grow and we can damage and even destroy our children, our closest relationships, and our physical, emotional or spiritual health. Besides, an addiction is often a counterfeit of the real thing and when we settle for the counterfeit we can stop ourselves finding the genuine.

Only when we are ruthlessly honest with ourselves and admit to God and at least one other safe person that we are addicted can we get God’s help to face the causes behind our addictions and seek the help we need to overcome them.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, if there is anything I am doing or using to medicate or deaden any unresolved problems in my life, please deliver me from the sin of denial, and give me the courage to admit my problems and find the help I need to face and resolve them. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. Matthew 26:41 (NIV).

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An Antidote for Worry

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“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”1

Dale Carnegie writes, “If only the people who worry about their liabilities would think about the riches they do possess, they would stop worrying. Would you sell both your eyes for a million dollars … or your two legs … or your hands … or your hearing? Add up what you do have, and you’ll find that you won’t sell them for all the gold in the world. The best things in life are yours if you can appreciate yourself.”

Years ago when I was a student in Chicago driving a city passenger bus in the summer, I was greeted by a very refined elderly woman passenger who tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Young man, you’re a millionaire!” That was news to me. However, after a pause, the lady continued, “You have your health!”

She was right. Counting our blessings, as Carnegie suggests, is not going to take away our problems but it certainly can help us handle them much better—especially if we daily give God thanks in every circumstance—good or bad.

It also helps me when I am worried or stressed to write down all the things I have to take care of and list them in order of priority and try to tackle just one thing at a time. But the best antidote of all is to pray and tell God that I am scared and am worried, but I choose to trust him to help me work through the things that have me worried. In time my feelings catch up with my choice to trust God.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I commit and trust my life and way to You afresh this day. Here are my concerns [spell them out to God one by one]. Help me to see things as they really are. I surrender them all to You and choose to trust You to help me work through each one. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

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The Answer Is In Your Hands

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“Don’t store up treasures here on earth … Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value.”1

Zig Ziglar wrote that according to legend, it was reputed that a very wise old man who lived on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice, Italy, could answer any question anyone might ask him. Two local boys figured they could trick him, so they caught a bird and took it to the wise sage.

“Tell us,” they asked, “is the bird in our hand dead or alive?”

The wise man replied, “Son, if I say the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. Or, if I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and it will fly away. The answer is in your hands.”

And so it is with life. Whether we succeed or fail, live a meaningful or empty life, lay up treasures in heaven or go empty handed to meet our Lord and Savior, it’s all in our hands! For whatever we sow we reap. It’s the law of the harvest.2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to invest my life in eternity and lay up treasures in heaven so I will reap abundantly in this life and the next—all for Your praise and glory. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. Matthew 6:19-20 (TLB).

2. Galatians 6:7.

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Are Christians Absolutists?

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“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”1

“Believing in absolutes doesn’t make one an absolutist,” writes Chuck Colson in his news report Jubilee about a TV interview where the host accused him of being an absolutist.

Colson said, “When that TV host asked me why Christians always try to cram our views down people’s throats, I was getting nowhere. Then I remembered he loved to sail.

“Have you ever sailed at night, navigating by the stars?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied.

“Could you use those stars to navigate if they appeared in different, random positions every night?”

“Of course not,” he said slowly.

“I think he got it. Christians are not intolerant absolutists. We just don’t want our culture to be lost at sea, unaware of the stars above that could so quickly right our course.”

Jesus not only stated emphatically that he was the only way to God the Father but also that, “Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate! The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes that choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.”2

Had there been any other way Jesus would not have had to die on the cross for our sins. Let us thank God that he provided the way to God (through Jesus)—the only way to God—heaven, and eternal life.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank You with all my heart that You provided the only way to make my peace with You through giving your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the just penalty for all my sins, and therein pay the price for my forgiveness, and to give me gift of eternal life. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

To receive God’s forgiveness click on: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. John 14:6 (NIV).

2. Matthew 7:13-14 (TLB).

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Goodness and Greatness

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“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”1

Georgie Anne Geyer, a syndicated columnist and author wisely observed: “I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to have a moral community or nation without faith in God, because without it everything rapidly comes down to ‘me’ and ‘me’ alone is meaningless ….

“If anyone thinks there is not a direct and inviolable relationship between personal integrity … and that society’s prosperity, that person has simply not studied history. And this should not surprise us. Great moral societies, built upon faith in God, honor, trust and the law blossom because they are harmonious; because, finally, they have a common belief in something beyond themselves.

“Alexis de Toqueville said it best when he realized even at the very beginning of our national life: ‘America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.’”2

The same is true of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Mexico, New Zealand, South America, and the rest of the world. Nations only become truly great and remain great to the degree that they are moral and upright, that they retain integrity at every level of society, and that they put and keep their trust in God and abide by his rules as found in his Word which says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”1 and “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”3

Righteousness with moral and upright living begins with you and me.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, today I pray that You will send a great moral and spiritual awakening to my country and let that awakening begin in me. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. Psalm 33:12.

2. Bits & Pieces, September 17, 1992, pp-23-24.

3. Proverbs 14:34.

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How to Grow in Love

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“Therefore her sins—and they are many—are forgiven, for she loved me much; but one who is forgiven little, shows little love.”1

You may recall the story where Jesus was invited to have lunch with one of the Pharisees. While he was there a woman of the streets—a prostitute—heard that Jesus was there and came, fell at his feet, weeping, and wiped her tears from his feet with her hair, and then anointed his feet with expensive perfume.

In our jargon, the religious Pharisee was horrified and in his heart judged Jesus for accepting this sinful woman’s loving attention and humble attitude.

Jesus, knowing what was in the Pharisee’s heart went on to explain that because this woman came to him pouring out her heart, her many sins were forgiven. Then he made a very simple but profound statement: “He who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Or to put it another way: “He who has been forgiven much loves much.”

This is so true, when in genuine humility we confess our sins, not only to God but to a trusted friend or two, and experience their love and acceptance, little by little we learn to forgive and love ourselves. So the more honest and open we are, the more we can be forgiven and loved. And the more we are forgiven and loved the more loving and forgiving we become.

Suggested Prayer: “Dear God, please give me the honesty and courage to bring to the light and confess every secret sin, mixed motive, jealousies, pride, acts of sin, sins of the spirit, sins of failure—every sin—confess these not only to You, but also to a trusted friend or two and experience Your love and forgiveness, their loving acceptance, and become a much more loving, accepting and forgiving child of yours. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. Luke 7:47 (TLB).

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Words of Wisdom

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“A wise man [person] will hear and increase learning.”1

One of the best pieces of advice I received as a young man was from a minister who said to me, “Every young man should read a chapter of Proverbs in the Bible every day.” I did this for many years and learned many truths as a result. I still appreciate proverbs both in and outside of the Bible. A proverb is a proverbial saying, or as Webster defines it, “A short popular saying that expresses an obvious truth.” We call them one-liners today.

One of my hobbies is to collect proverbial one-liners. The following are some which convey valuable nuggets of truth.

Winston Churchill: “The farther backwards you can look the farther forward you are likely to see.”

Arnold Toynbee: “An autopsy of history is that all great nations commit suicide.”

Henry David Thoreau: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”

Larry McMurty: “It is impossible to impress a people with truths that they aren’t ready to hear, much less accept.”

Isaac Newton: “What we know is a drop. What we don’t know is an ocean.”

Richard Lamm: “Our moral compass gyrates wildly.”

Rabbi Mervin Romsky: “He is a failure as a human being, no matter what his other achievements, whose heart does not hurt for his fellow man. And he is a successful human being, no matter where else he may be lacking, who is rich in compassion.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a heart for wisdom, a love for truth, a desire for learning Your Word, and a passion for living and walking in truth. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. Proverbs 1:5 (NKJV).

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Problem-Solving Formula

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“If anyone lacks wisdom, ask God who gives to all generously … and it will be given to you.”1

The following formula for resolving problems came from Norman Vincent Peale. He said to prayerize, visualize and actualize; that is, PVA.2

First, prayerize. Ask God to give you the wisdom and courage to see and face the real cause/s behind your problems. Then you can pray realistically by committing your problem to God and asking for his guidance to help you find a solution and also for the courage to do your part.

Second, visualize. We need to see a problem for what it is. Often what we see isn’t the problem at all—it’s the symptom of a deeper, hidden problem, the fruit of a hidden root! As somebody else said, “God is merciful. When we have problems, he gives us symptoms.” Only as we see the true causes of our problems and face reality can we ever resolve the difficulties we have. Once we see and acknowledge the truth, we then need to visualize what we need to do to overcome our problem as well as visualizing what we are asking God to do for us.

Third, actualize. In every situation we need to realize that we are responsible for resolving our problems. No matter what happens to us, we are always responsible for our reactions, feelings, and what we do about resolving our difficulties. God will give us wisdom if we ask for it, insight if we desire it, and courage if we need it, but he won’t do for us what we can and need to do for ourselves. If he did, it would keep us overdependent and immature. Accepting responsibility for our problems, emotions, behavior, and our life is the heart of maturity.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the wisdom and courage to see and face every symptom in my life and help me to trace these to their root cause/s, and lead me to the help I need to overcome these problems so I can be healed and made whole. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. James 1:5.

2. Norman Vincent Peale, Positive Imaging.

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Protesting too Much

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“He who hides his hatred has lying lips.”1

As Robert Edwards said, “Don’t place too much confidence in the man who boasts of being honest as the day is long. Wait until you meet him at night.”

I recently heard a man trying to convince his acquaintances how honest he was, which reminded me of the time I heard another man arguing about how humble he was.

When I hear statements like this I can’t help but think, “If I have to convince you I’m a gentleman, you can be pretty sure that I’m not. If I have to tell you how humble I am, already I’ve lost it. And if I have to repeatedly tell you I’m being honest, it’s probably a good sign that I’m not. As William Shakespeare so eloquently put it: “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

I don’t have to talk to lie. I can do it through my body language and facial expressions. I can lie by smiling or being saccharine sweet when I’m angry, by laughing when I’m hurting or sad, by being aggressive when I’m afraid, and so on. I can lie just through my tone of voice, or by pretending that I’m feeling or thinking something that I’m not.

Friends who don’t speak the truth cannot be trusted. You can’t feel safe or comfortable in their company. You’ll never know where they stand or where you stand with them.

As the Apostle Paul encouraged us: “We will lovingly follow the truth at all times-speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly—and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the head of the body.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be open-faced, genuine, authentic, and real—always—and be like Jesus in all my relationships. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

1. Proverbs 10:18.

2. Ephesians 4:15 (TLB).

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