Thoughts to ponder for the new year: Nothing new. Just things for your soul to meditate on.
Proverbs 32 (Warning!!!! Not in the original. Just the product of an old man meditating on a rainy day. Feel free to disregard any of these.)
1. God's greatest treasures are broken things. "Can he have followed far, who has no wound, no scar"?
2. Not too many things undermine spiritual growth more than trying to live up (or down) to other people's expectations.
3. I cause Christians to stumble when I fail to accept them right where they are spiritually. No matter how hard I try, I'm not good at playing god.
4. No ministry that God calls you to will be perfect. After all, you'll be there.
5. Being precedes doing.
6. Self-defense is a futile exercise. Let your life defend you.
7. Becoming like Christ takes a lifetime. There are no shortcuts. Growing and learning are an essential part of the daily, continual process of discipleship. Daily. Continual.
8. The primary goal of all Christian education--home, school, church--must be discipleship. Last time I checked that was still The Great Commission.
9. The Christian life defined: You are either in a storm or one's coming. And the crucial time is between the storms. You know, those times when we think nothing is going on in our lives spiritually. Teaching is what's going on. First, the lessons. Then, the test.
10. The only way to live the Christian life is to be filled with the Spirit. The only way to be filled with the Spirit is to be saturated with the Word. Saturated, not sprinkled.
11. No matter how many times they fail or take advantage of me, no one that God has called me to minister to will ever be able to become trustworthy if I don't trust them. And the response to their failure and to being taken advantage of must always be grief not anger. Grief is the love word.
12. Genuine Christianity is spontaneous. When I am surprised--shocked even--when I find myself acting and speaking as Christ would--I'm on my way.
13. A daily, steady walk of obedience is God's definition of spectacular.
14. The evil that others do to you is a vital part of God's good and perfect will for your life.
15. Whatever your occupation, it is God's ministry, His calling for you in the kingdom. Do it with excellence in your heart and mind. Not just for success. It has nothing to do with how much money you make.
16. To have the mind of Christ--to think like He thinks--I must give up all my rights, I must be a servant to everyone I interact with regardless of my title, and I must keep doing so even if it kills me. Until it "kills" me.
17. There are consequences. How do I know? Because they don't happen right away.
18. Worship is a lifestyle. Praying without ceasing is a lifestyle. Yes, Christianity is a relationship. But not just any relationship. It's a bride-bridegroom relationship. An intimate, holy, set apart, preeminent love relationship.
19. Hypocrisy is doing all the right things for the wrong reason--to make people think I'm spiritual.
20. The most important synonym for love is obedience. Maybe the only one.
21. Impatience is self-love.
22. I don't love God any more deeply than I love my neighbor. Even those listed under the category "enemy." And I don't love them any more deeply than I intercede for them in prayer.
23. Be sure the person you marry loves the Lord more than they love you. He's always loveable. You . . . not so much. But if He loves you unconditionally, so will he or she.
24. The severity of God always acts in tandem with the goodness of God.
25. Beware of the man (or woman) who thinks it's his (or her) ministry.
26. The only way to become rich: godliness + contentment. Godliness--A life that says, "I know He is always in control of my life and can be trusted." Contentment: "I know He always gives me everything I need--and usually more than I need." Rich!
27. Kept within the guidelines of His love-filled truth--all things are His gift to me to enjoy.
28. One day I will see Him face to face--the Lamb that was slain for me--because of me. What will He say? May the "fear and trembling" contemplation of that moment guide my every thought, censure my every word, energize my every action. May it be the moment He intends for it to be--pure joy.
Proverbs 32 (Warning!!!! Not in the original. Just the product of an old man meditating on a rainy day. Feel free to disregard any of these.)
1. God's greatest treasures are broken things. "Can he have followed far, who has no wound, no scar"?
2. Not too many things undermine spiritual growth more than trying to live up (or down) to other people's expectations.
3. I cause Christians to stumble when I fail to accept them right where they are spiritually. No matter how hard I try, I'm not good at playing god.
4. No ministry that God calls you to will be perfect. After all, you'll be there.
5. Being precedes doing.
6. Self-defense is a futile exercise. Let your life defend you.
7. Becoming like Christ takes a lifetime. There are no shortcuts. Growing and learning are an essential part of the daily, continual process of discipleship. Daily. Continual.
8. The primary goal of all Christian education--home, school, church--must be discipleship. Last time I checked that was still The Great Commission.
9. The Christian life defined: You are either in a storm or one's coming. And the crucial time is between the storms. You know, those times when we think nothing is going on in our lives spiritually. Teaching is what's going on. First, the lessons. Then, the test.
10. The only way to live the Christian life is to be filled with the Spirit. The only way to be filled with the Spirit is to be saturated with the Word. Saturated, not sprinkled.
11. No matter how many times they fail or take advantage of me, no one that God has called me to minister to will ever be able to become trustworthy if I don't trust them. And the response to their failure and to being taken advantage of must always be grief not anger. Grief is the love word.
12. Genuine Christianity is spontaneous. When I am surprised--shocked even--when I find myself acting and speaking as Christ would--I'm on my way.
13. A daily, steady walk of obedience is God's definition of spectacular.
14. The evil that others do to you is a vital part of God's good and perfect will for your life.
15. Whatever your occupation, it is God's ministry, His calling for you in the kingdom. Do it with excellence in your heart and mind. Not just for success. It has nothing to do with how much money you make.
16. To have the mind of Christ--to think like He thinks--I must give up all my rights, I must be a servant to everyone I interact with regardless of my title, and I must keep doing so even if it kills me. Until it "kills" me.
17. There are consequences. How do I know? Because they don't happen right away.
18. Worship is a lifestyle. Praying without ceasing is a lifestyle. Yes, Christianity is a relationship. But not just any relationship. It's a bride-bridegroom relationship. An intimate, holy, set apart, preeminent love relationship.
19. Hypocrisy is doing all the right things for the wrong reason--to make people think I'm spiritual.
20. The most important synonym for love is obedience. Maybe the only one.
21. Impatience is self-love.
22. I don't love God any more deeply than I love my neighbor. Even those listed under the category "enemy." And I don't love them any more deeply than I intercede for them in prayer.
23. Be sure the person you marry loves the Lord more than they love you. He's always loveable. You . . . not so much. But if He loves you unconditionally, so will he or she.
24. The severity of God always acts in tandem with the goodness of God.
25. Beware of the man (or woman) who thinks it's his (or her) ministry.
26. The only way to become rich: godliness + contentment. Godliness--A life that says, "I know He is always in control of my life and can be trusted." Contentment: "I know He always gives me everything I need--and usually more than I need." Rich!
27. Kept within the guidelines of His love-filled truth--all things are His gift to me to enjoy.
28. One day I will see Him face to face--the Lamb that was slain for me--because of me. What will He say? May the "fear and trembling" contemplation of that moment guide my every thought, censure my every word, energize my every action. May it be the moment He intends for it to be--pure joy.
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