Becoming Play-Dough Christians

Suggested Reading: Hebrews 3:7-15

One of the things I always dreaded at my children's birthday parties was the idea that someone was going to give them play-dough. Inevitably, you end up with little crumbles of dried play-dough scattered through the carpet or squished into the floor. Half the time, they end up leaving it out, and it dries out. There are plenty of toys you can leave out, and it doesn't harm the toy unless you accidentally step on it and break it. Play-dough is not that way. Play-dough has to be played with or sealed up. If you leave it out by itself, it ends up drying out, and then it becomes useless. If it is left out, play-dough has to be pushed, shaped, prodded, rolled, or pushed through those little play-dough squisher accessories they sell. If not, when left exposed to the air, play-dough becomes nothing more than a dry, lifeless chunk of colored, crumbling rock.

Hebrews 3:13 reads: "But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception" (HCSB). Some people make the mistake of thinking that the life of a Christ follower can be lived in isolation. If a church makes us angry, we can just go to church at the lake or in our living rooms, listening to a preacher on TV. We make the mistake of thinking of our local churches as nothing more than classrooms where we are given Christian educations and, if needed, we can just homeschool ourselves. Unfortunately, coming together as a church is about more than an education program. The author of Hebrews, when talking about how some people had stopped coming together, wrote this: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25, NIV).

You see, we need to be poked and prodded and shaped and pushed through little squisher accessories by our interaction with other believers, or we can be hardened by the sin in and around us. If we don't have people to encourage us and whom we can encourage in return, we are just like that lump of play-dough that slowly hardens until it's not good for much of anything. We get bad ideas that are never tested by the wisdom and experience of others. We allow bad habits to form that we never notice until they have become lifestyles. We miss out on the insights and help that other believers can give us and the encouragement that enables us to navigate difficult situations.

The life of a Christ-follower was never intended to be lived in seclusion and isolation. In fact, Jesus' teachings and the writings of the New Testament seemed to take for granted that we would exist in a community of believers. When Jesus taught the Lord's prayer, he prayed, "Our Father in heaven…Give us our daily bread…forgive us our trespasses." Not my. One of the greatest traps we can fall into as Christians is the trap of thinking we can live a Christ-centered life on our own. We need to interact with other believers to encourage each other, to learn from each other, and to pray for and sharpen each other.

Don't let yourself get isolated. Sometimes that may require creativity. But find a body of believers with whom you can get involved, loving, serving, helping, and encouraging each other. And if you already have that kind of fellowship, don't let it go. Trust me, you don't want to harden up like a lump of play-dough.

Figuring out the Rules of the Game

Suggested Reading: Luke 2:41-52

Last night, we had our grown children over for a family dinner and, afterwards, we played a new card game. My wife and I had played it before, but no one else had. There were several moments throughout the game where mistakes were made because we were all still figuring out the rules. As the game went on, we got better at playing, but through the first several rounds, there were some moments of embarrassment because one of us discarded the wrong card or thought we had the round won, only to discover we had forgotten something important. Overall, though, it was a lot of fun, especially once we got the game figured out.

Having to figure things out is a part of growing up, and even Jesus had to do it, which is not something we typically think about. As a twelve-year-old boy, Jesus and his parents went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. When they were done, Jesus' parents headed home as part of a larger caravan. Jesus, somewhere along the way, had decided to head back to the temple without telling his parents. Mary and Joseph had reasonably assumed that Jesus would be where he was supposed to be, so it wasn't until much later that they discovered Jesus wasn't with them. They headed back to Jerusalem, where they searched frantically for Jesus, finally finding him on the third day in the temple where "all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers" (Luke 2:47, ESV). When his mother confronted him about not being where he was supposed to be, Jesus responded, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?"

As a twelve-year-old boy, Jesus understood his identity as the Father's Son. He understood the scriptures so well that the teachers and those listening were amazed by his understanding and his answers. But apparently, he didn't yet understand that he should tell his parents when he wanted to run off to the temple on the day they were returning home to Nazareth. Jesus worried his parents to death. He ran off without telling them and wasn't where he should have been. Not because he was being rebellious or sinful, but simply because he was a twelve-year-old boy and there were some things he was still figuring out.

There are a lot of things in life that we don't get right because we are limited, ignorant human beings who are still figuring things out. And, sometimes, we are really hard on ourselves because we haven't gotten everything right. But Jesus, the Son of God, who understood that he was the Son of God and understood the scriptures far better than we can ever hope to, worried his parents to death, not because he was sinning but because he still had things to figure out. If Jesus, even as a twelve-year-old, still had things to figure out, we still have things we need to figure out, and failing from time to time doesn't necessaarily mean we are sinning. It might just mean we haven't figured everything out yet. 

Where are some areas that you have failed recently? Are you coming down hard on yourself believing that you must have sinned somewhere along the way? Maybe you did. But, maybe, there are just some things you still haven't figured out yet. Pray through the situation. Ask God to reveal to you what's been happening. Maybe there was something sinful that needs to be corrected. Or maybe there are just a few lessons about life that you still need to learn and it's time to be intentional about learning them.

He Thought I Was Lazy!

Suggested Reading: Hebrews 5:11-6:3

Before I graduated from high school I had taken five years of Spanish, starting in 8th grade and then every year through my senior year. Toward the end of my senior year, I was in the Spanish club and one day I stopped in the class to grab something . It was after school and I was the only student in the room. My teacher, Señor Nisttahauz, stopped me and began to chew me out. He began to jump all over me because, as far as he was concerned I was lazy. In his eyes, I understood the language, knew the syntax and the grammar, had a firm grasp of the vocabulary, but I was lost in a conversation. Señor Nisttahauz believed that, with everything I knew, I should be fluent and the only reason I wasn't was because I never practiced speaking Spanish outside the classroom. I knew enough to pass my tests (ace my tests) but he was convinced that if I didn't start practicing, I would be one of those parents who showed up at an open house with their own child saying, "Yeah, I took Spanish in high school and I don't remember a word of it." He rightfully berated me for my lack of practice beyond the classroom. Soon afterward, I began practicing outside of class and my Spanish fluency improved greatly.

In many ways, the Christian walk is like learning a new language. Learning the appropriate words and actions is one thing; actually practicing and understanding them is something else entirely. The author of Hebrews expressed frustration over this particular problem, saying to his readers, "We have a great deal to say about this, and it's difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand . Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God's revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness…" (Hebrews 5:11-13, HCSB). Essentially, the author argues, "You've been at the Christian life for too long to be at the level you are. You are inexperienced and lazy, so you can't handle the tougher things that a person in your position should."

Because of the sin that lives in us and the fact that our natures have been corrupted, many of the teachings of the Word of God run against the grain of our natures and are difficult, if not impossible, to understand until we begin practicing them. We may "know" the teachings in much the same way that I "knew" Spanish in high school, but until we start practicing it, until we start using what we know, we will never really understand the Word of God, and we will never mature as believers. Jesus told his listeners that the way to know whether his teachings were really from God or not was to make a decision to do the will of God and not simply know it (John 7:17).

Has your understanding of the Word of God stalled in its growth? Have you come to a place where you don't understand as much as you think you should, where things don't make sense like you want them to? Maybe, you need to try putting what you know into practice, not just being satisfied with possessing morsels of knowledge.  You'll never be fluent until you start practicing. 

Relying On an Only-Sort-of-Teacher

Suggested Reading: Hebrew 4:1-13

I have done a lot of substitute teaching. One of the things about being a sub is that you are only sort of a teacher. Just sort of. You can assign work, and take up papers, you can help people with their assignments and answer questions (if you are familiar enough with the subject). But day-to-day substitutes never really evaluate students, one of the primary tasks of every teacher. We can pass on that a student didn't seem to understand a particular topic, but we rarely grade papers or homework. We don't create tests designed to measure a student's comprehension of what has been taught in class. We can give instruction, but it is always very limited instruction because we don't know the broader context in which the teacher has been instructing the students over the previous weeks. Substitutes can help but they can't really replace the teacher.

Sometimes, in our daily walks, though, we are all too ready to replace our best teacher, the Word of God (with guidance from the Holy Spirit) with a substitute.  We take time to listen to good preachers on the radio or on TV because we can catch them when it is convenient. We read short devotionals (hey, nothing wrong with those!). We listen to Christian music and go to concerts. We read books on Christian living by famous pastors and authors. But, on their own, each of those things amounts to nothing more than, maybe, a good substitute teacher. Their power and influence are extremely limited when compared to the power of the undiluted Word of God. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, NIV).

All of these other resources can be excellent aids in our daily instruction and communion with God, but they are incomplete and weak on their own. Hopefully, each of these aids take their clues from God's Word (I know I try to center each devotional there) but they are all subject to their incredibly corruptible and fickle human authors, and even when they are not, none of them have the power to "judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" as effectively or as powerfully as the undiluted Word of God when the power of the Holy Spirit works in our hearts.

I am flattered you have taken the time to read this and I hope that this devotional aids you in your walk. But if you have to choose between making time for this or any other aid and the pure, undiluted power of God's Word, I hope you choose the latter. Nothing else can penetrate our hearts as deeply or as powerfully. Keep around the aids that you use (like Stickler's Musings) but make sure they don't become a substitute for the real thing. 

Facing Rejection Like Alien Abductees

Suggested Reading: Luke 2:25-35

In the late 90s, Will Smith starred in a movie called Independence Day. In the movie, aliens invaded Earth on July 2, wiping out major cities and claiming the planet for themselves. As the movie began, the audience was introduced to a father, a drunkard who couldn't hold down a steady job because he constantly flew his crop-duster over the wrong fields. His children were ashamed of him, and they cringed whenever he mentioned his own “alien abduction” several years earlier. But on July 4, as the militaries of Earth were striking back against the alien invaders with whatever pilots happened to be left, this drunkard of a father found himself sobered up and sitting in the cockpit of a state-of-the-art fighter jet, streaking toward an alien vessel. Out of missiles, the squadron’s leader called the retreat, but this father had one missile left and fired it, only to discover that it was jammed. Taking one last look at a picture of his children, this father took aim at the primary weapon of the alien ship, radioed a message to his children, and crashed his plane into the alien vessel, destroying the vessel and eliminating the threat. This father knew he would die, but he flew into the enemy vessel anyway because it was the only way to save his children.

Simeon was an elderly man who prophesied over the infant Jesus when his parents brought him into the temple complex to be redeemed as the firstborn child of his family. Having announced that Jesus had come to upset destiny, Simeon declared that Jesus had come to be a sign that will be spoken against (Luke 2:34, NIV). Jesus had come as the Savior of the world, to save the world from itself, yet he would be spoken against. He would be rejected. Having read the rest of the story, we know that Jesus’ rejection would lead to his torture and to his death. As the eternal Son of God, Jesus knew the pain and hardship he would endure. Yet Jesus came anyway. Jesus knew he would be rejected, tortured, and killed, but Jesus also knew that his rejection and death were necessary to save us. So Jesus came anyway, willingly enduring rejection.

We have heard this story over and over again. The idea that Jesus had knowingly come to die is not new to us. The idea of sacrifice, like the father from Independence Day, is not new to us. And yet, while we often aspire to maintain an attitude of self-sacrifice, being willing to lay down our lives if necessary, I wonder how often we are willing to be rejected. Torture and death are one thing. We can steel ourselves against them, knowing there will be an end to them. But rejection is different and hurts on an entirely different level. Rejection is something that hurts our hearts.

Are we willing to be rejected? Are we willing to do what is necessary to help people, even knowing those people won’t understand and will probably turn on us? Are we willing to help people who will never thank us for stepping in to save the day? Are we willing to risk broken hearts as willingly as we risk broken bodies? Are we willing to climb out on a limb for someone, knowing they will probably chop it off behind us? Jesus was. Jesus did. And he calls us to follow his example.

Changing the Rules of the Game

Suggested Reading: Matthew 15:1-20

I know it is shocking, but when they were younger my children would occasionally get into fights. One of the things they sometimes fought about was the rules of whichever game that they happened to be playing. They would be playing along, having fun, until one of them decided that the rules didn't work as they were and they would attempt to change the rules of the game right then and there. Most of the time, the rule change was intended to give the one making the change an advantage over the other one, which, in turn, started a fight. "That's not how you play the game!" the other one would yell or cry, and the fight pretty much fueled itself from there.

In the New Testament, Jesus accused the Pharisees of trying to pull the same kind of rule change with the way God wants us to live. Jesus pointed out how they violated God's command to honor one's parents by devoting to the temple the money they would have used to care for their parents in their old age. That gift to the temple, in their minds, freed them from the obligation to care for their parents. Then, speaking for God the Father, Jesus quoted the book of Isaiah and said, "These people honor Me with their lips but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men" (Matthew 15:8-9, HCSB).

Many times, we do the very same things the Pharisees did, and we make up our own rules that we think nullify God's commands. Jesus gave us the example of the Good Samaritan who stopped for a man on the side of the road, but we tell ourselves that we don't have to care for that person because it is more important to be "wise" and not put ourselves in dangerous positions. Jesus prayed for and encouraged unity among his followers, but we decide that we can only be united with other believers if they hold exactly the same doctrinal beliefs that we do. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul insisted that we not demand our own rights when doing so might cause other believers to falter in their faith, but we declare that anyone who is offended by our innocent actions is simply dumb and not our concern. 

Every day, as believers and as local churches, we "change the rules" for our own advantage, so that we don't have to work as hard or so that we can have the things we want, coming up with our own little traditions that give us the right to ignore God's commands.  If we were honest with ourselves, we normally know exactly when we do this because the Spirit pricks our consciences, and we do our best to pretend that nothing is wrong. Sometimes, we even pray for God to send someone else to do what we know we should be doing.  But there are two problems with making up our own rules like that: 1) many of the lost people we are trying to reach know how we are supposed to live and our contradictory behavior communicates that God isn't real to us so God doesn't need to be real to them; and 2) when we ignore God's commands and follow our own rules, we end up hurting ourselves, just like cheating in a game often helps you in the short-term but then messes you up in the next round.

What are the rules you have come up with to relieve yourself of following God's commands? When you feel the Spirit prick your conscience, what rules do you spout to yourself so you have an excuse to ignore God's voice? There is a lost and dying world that needs to see us living life as God commanded, not to mention that we end up hurting ourselves when we ignore God's commands. Let's not come up with our own rules so that we get exactly what we want. Let's not be those people who honor God with our lips but whose hearts are far from him. 

What We Need Is a Fake Wizard

Suggested Reading: Philippians 4:10-19

When it was released in theaters, I took my children to see Oz the Great and Powerful, the story of how the Wizard of Oz became the Wizard of Oz. When Oz first arrived in the land of Oz, he discovered that there was a prophecy that a wizard named Oz would fall from the sky and set the people free from the rule of the Wicked Witch. Now, if you've only seen the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz, you already know a couple of things about the story. You know, of course, that he must win somehow, and you know that the wizard is just an ordinary man behind a curtain. But one of the concepts this movie wrestles with is only having an ordinary man when what you think you need is a powerful sorcerer. But, as with much of life, what we need and what we think we need are two very different things.

Quite frequently in life, we find ourselves in need, in need of financial rescue, in need of relationship repair, in need of skill sets and  people to fill holes. Often we find ourselves fixating on a very specific thing we think we need in order to survive the situation: We need $3000, we need a circumstance to teach someone what we're going through, we need someone who can play guitar, we need a banker, we need an electrician to volunteer their time. And we get so focused on that one particular thing we think we need, that we miss other things that could fill the gap of our circumstances.

In Philippians 4:19, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul said, And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (HCSB). Notice, Paul didn't say that God would supply all of the things we think we need, but the very things we do need. Sometimes we get so focused on what we think we need that we miss what God has provided, even though it is right in front of us. So focused on a ladder, we miss the rope waiting to pull us up. So focused on needing a raise, we miss an opportunity to lower our bills. And sometimes we don't really need anything and somehow miss the fact that we survived and thrived without that one thing that we thought was absolutely necessary.

God promised he would meet our needs, but God didn't promise to do it the way we expect or to use our plans to meet those needs. So, if you trust God to meet your needs, but nothing seems to be happening, look around again. God may have provided something unexpected to meet the need, or God might be letting you know that you are just fine without it.

"We Can't Witness If We're Dead!"

Suggested Reading: Daniel 3:1-30

One of my favorite stories from scripture is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were three Hebrew young men who had been kidnapped from their home in Judah and forced into the service of the Babylonian king. As they figured out how to live in the Babylonian court, they did their best to be faithful to God, despite the constant pressure to compromise the commands of God to succeed and fit into the surrounding culture. Along with Daniel, they repeatedly held their ground and became a witness to King Nebuchadnezzar because of it. He even announced, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings" (Dan 2:47, ESV). 

But not long after that, Nebuchadnezzar set up an idol and commanded everyone in the kingdom to worship it, threatening them with a fiery death in a furnace if they refused. Despite the penalty of death hanging over their heads, these young men never even considered compromising and worshipping Nebuchadnezzar's idol. They didn't decide to worship the idol "just this once" because they couldn't keep telling people about God if they were dead. They didn't rationalize giving this prideful, sinful king what he wanted because he provided the money and resources that they lived on. They knew what God had called them to, and they took their stand, saying, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up" (Dan 3:17-18, ESV). Notice the last part of their statement to the king. They trusted that God would deliver them, "but if not" they would still remain faithful to the commands of God. 

Sometimes, we are tempted to compromise just so that we can survive. We are tempted to adjust what we are doing so that the sinful, prideful king won't destroy us. After all, how can we tell people about God if we are dead? How can we share the Gospel if we are killed for our faith? How will we keep the church doors open if standing on the truth of scripture drives people away and we can't pay the bills? Can't we compromise just a little so that we can live to fight the good fight another day?

But God does not call us to survive. God calls us to be faithful. We say that God is able to save us. We say that God is faithful. But when the moment of decision comes, do we trust God to see us through or are we tempted to compromise to survive? Are we willing to do things we know we shouldn't do because faithfulness would hurt us? Are we tempted to give in to sinful, prideful people to avoid complications we aren't sure how to deal with? Or do we trust God enough to obey him regardless of how tough things might get? 

God doesn't call us to survive. Survival is nothing without faithful obedience. We must be willing to do what is right regardless of the consequences, trusting that God will see us through.

Getting Clipped for the Cause of Christ

Suggested Reading: Acts 15:40-16:5

One of the things the apostle Paul was known for was fighting against those Jews who tried to insist that Gentile believers must be circumcised in order to really be saved. Throughout the entirety of the New Testament, Paul argued that God's grace, through a person's faith, is what saves a person.  In Galatians 6:15, Paul writes, "For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters is a new creation" (HCSB). In Galatians 3:28, Paul again wrote, "There is no Jew or Geek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (HCSB).  Very consistently, Paul argued that there is no need for Gentile believers to be circumcised in order to be saved, in some places going so far as to say that if a person got circumcised then grace became useless because the person was trying to earn salvation.  So, Acts 16:3 might get a little confusing because we discover that Paul "wanted Timothy to go with him, so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek" (HCSB).

Why would Paul, a man who argued so passionately and so consistently against the need for Gentile believers to be circumcised take a young Gentile believer and have him circumcised? Isn't that hypocritical? Doesn't Paul betray everything that he has been fighting for?

No.

You see, Paul argued against having to be circumcised in order to be saved, but Paul didn't circumcise Timothy so that Timothy could be saved. Paul circumcised Timothy so that other people could be saved. Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him in his missionary work because Timothy was a great asset to Paul. But if you are familiar with Paul's ministry, then you know that Paul's first stop in any new city was the Jewish synagogue where he would share the good news that the long awaited Messiah had finally arrived in the person of Jesus. For Timothy to minister effectively, Timothy had to be circumcised so that Timothy's uncircumcised condition would not be a hindrance to the initial Gospel message to Jewish audiences. If Paul were to bring an uncircumcised man into the synagogue and then allow him to speak to law-abiding Jews, those Jews would immediately stop listening to Paul's message because of the lack of respect Paul and Timothy were showing for Jewish tradition and law.  So, to cut off any problems before they arose, Paul had Timothy circumcised. Paul and Timothy, together, were living out Paul's missionary motto:

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.  (1 Corinthians 9:20-22, NIV).

What about us? Sometimes, we avoid witnessing to people because the effort will require too much time. Paul regularly changed his entire way of living in to more effectively communicate the message of the Gospel. Timothy, apparently, did so as well. Meanwhile, we keep our mouths closed because the thought of sharing the Gospel makes us uncomfortable. The efforts we do make are often hampered because we don't want to take the time to translate the Gospel into an understandable format for those who have never heard.

We cannot all become heroic, world-traveling missionaries, but we can make sure that our lives do not hinder the message of the Gospel for those who are watching us. We can make sure that, when we share the Gospel, people don't immediately disqualify the message because of our own lifestyles. We can live in such a way that our lives make the Gospel message attractive rather than remove any motivation to listen.

When people look at your life, does it make the message of the Gospel more attractive, or does it reinforce the idea that the Bible is just a bunch of stories? Does your behavior and attitude give people a reason to want what you have, or do they convince people that Jesus was just some good teacher whose teachings have no real power in the lives of his followers?

Paul and Timothy were willing to do whatever it took so that their lives reinforced the Gospel message rather than distracted from it. Are we willing to do the same?

Suffering from Spiritual Second Night Syndrome

Suggested Reading: 1 Kings 18:36-19:10

I did a lot of theater in high school. I did everything from lead roles to being an understudy to working backstage helping with sets and props. Most of the plays that we did would run for three nights, typically a Thursday through Saturday. On the second night, we would always warn each other beforehand not to take it easy, especially if we did well on opening night. See, there was this thing we called "Second-Night-Syndrome" where, if we did really well the first night, we would let our guard down and then do horribly the second night. If opening night was bad, we typically didn't have to worry about Second-Night-Syndrome because we were already focused on not screwing up again.

A similar dynamic exists in our Christian walks. When things have been going really well, when we have been growing, and especially when we have had some major victory in our lives, those moments contain the greatest potential for disaster because we let our guard down or because we have experienced such a spiritual high that anything less than such stellar victory leads us into depression. There are two prominent examples of this in scripture.

We find the first example in 1 Kings 19. The prophet Elijah has just had a severe spiritual high.  Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal in a duel by calling fire down from the heavens to consume a sacrifice and the people had turned back to the Lord. Then Elijah succeeded in praying a multiple-year drought to its end. Even the evil king Ahab seemed to give Elijah a break for once. But when Queen Jezebel found out what Elijah had done she threatened Elijah and he literally ran for the hills and found himself in a depression so deep that he prayed for God to end his life, saying, "I've had enough, Lord. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors" (1 Kings 19:4, HCSB).

The second example stands out as the single biggest mistake of King David's career. David had finally ascended to the throne, becoming king over the entire nation of Israel. David had succeeded in bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, subduing his enemies, and receiving a promise from God that David's dynasty would last forever. Finally, a time arrives when David feels that he can let his guard down and rest for a while. So, "In the spring, at that time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army" (2 Samuel 11:1, HCSB). Instead of leading his men in battle, like he should, David decided he deserved to loosen up and let his guard down. As soon as David let his guard down, he saw Bathsheba and got caught up in an affair that would bring trouble to his family for years to come.

Very often, the most dangerous times for us are not those times when things are going badly and we have to work for everything we get. The most dangerous times are when we have had great success in our lives and we let our guard down. The secret to righteous living is not to seek out the great victories, but to walk consistently day by day, whether in victory or in hardship. If you have had a great victory in your life, be careful not to let your guard down or to begin to believe that you have finally gotten everything together. The moment you do, you will find yourself falling very hard and very fast. Instead, whatever victory you have achieved in your life, thank God for his grace in granting you that victory and then seek to be consistent in your walk.

The greatest opportunities for us to fall lie in the shadow of our greatest victories. Seek God's grace in victory as much as in the battles of everyday life.

Asking God for Knicks Tickets

Suggested Reading: Acts 9:32-43

My wife and I have always enjoyed watching the dramedy Castle. It is the story of Richard Castle, a wealthy novelist who works alongside several New York City police detectives, doing research for his books and helping to solve homicide cases. As the show progressed, two of the detectives, Ryan and Esposito became very comfortable with asking Castle for tremendous favors: front rows seats to the Knicks games, reservations at restaurants nobody could get into, cool gadgets for the precinct that the police budget couldn't afford. They never abused their relationship with Castle, but they certainly made the most of his resources and his willingness to do big favors.

In Acts 9, Tabitha, a Jesus-follower who had been a pillar in the Christian community in Joppa and was constantly engaged in good works and acts of charity, died. Several widows who loved Tabitha, instead of preparing her for burial, placed her in an upper room and sent the Apostle Peter a message: "Please come to us without delay" (Acts 9:38, ESV). When Peter arrived, they immediately began showing him all of the wonderful things she had provided for them and talking about the incredible person she had been. Their request was clear: our friend has died, and we want you to do something about it. This was an audacious request. As a pastor, I'm not sure how I would react if someone called me over to their house because a friend had died and they wanted me to fix it. But that is exactly what these ladies did to Peter. And then Peter did exactly what they wanted him to do.

Sometimes we forget that we serve a God who does the impossible. Or, at least, we pray like we've forgotten. We face impossible situations and simply resign ourselves to the fact that nothing can be done.  We look at a marriage that has deteriorated with no possibility for reconciliation, but we don't ask God to step in, revealing himself and miraculously restoring the relationship. A loved one faces a terminal diagnosis, but instead of anointing the person with oil and having the leaders of the church pray for their recovery (James 5:14-16), we pray for decreased pain and comfort for the family. We fail to make the most of our relationship with a God who has all the resources of the universe at his disposal and wants to move in our lives.

God may have other plans. God may be planning on using these impossible situations to shape us or to lay the groundwork for something bigger. But God may also be waiting for us to make the impossible request so that people can see exactly who God is and what God is capable of. We serve a God who answers impossible requests and solves impossible problems. Maybe it's time we start praying like it.

Fiancé Noodle Soup for the Soul

Suggested Reading: Joshua 1:1-9

Not long ago, I was a little under the weather and it got me thinking about when my wife and I first started dating. Shortly after we got together, we took turns being sick. When she got sick, I brought some things by her dorm to cheer her up and, hopefully, help her feel a little better. I don't remember what all I took, but I remember what she did when I got sick. She drove just outside of town to the house I shared with two other roommates (and it was difficult to find if you weren't yet very familiar with it) and made me chicken noodle soup. Then she sat next to me on the couch and stayed with me for a while. It took me a couple days to get better, but I didn't seem to notice being sick as much when she was there with me. It was just difficult to feel bad when she was sitting next to me. Even today when I get sick, I still feel bad, but it's hard to remember that I feel bad when she sits next to me. Her mere presence is enough to boost my spirit.

Being sick or weary is not something unfamiliar to Christians. Quite often, we, like the everyone else on the planet, face difficulty and hardship, illness or trouble. Some people become disillusioned when these difficult times come, disappointed that Jesus has not, somehow, prevented these hard times. But nowhere in scripture does God promise us an easy life. Yes, there are general statements about how the lives of righteous people are blessed while the lives of the wicked are not and about how God will protect the righteous while bringing about the ultimate downfall of the wicked. But God never promised a life free from trouble and pain. What God did promise was that he would never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5).

God's promise to never leave or forsake us does not mean that we will never run into trouble. Rather, it means that God will be with us in the middle of that trouble. "So what?" you say. "I've heard all that before, but what good is that? I'm still going through all of this!"

When my future wife brought me soup and sat with me while I was sick, her presence did not heal me of my illness. But it certainly made it much more bearable. I may still have been sick, but I didn't feel as sick because someone I loved (and who loved me) was by my side. God's presence does not always take away the problems or the heartache of life, but when we are focused on God's presence in our lives instead of the trouble we face, we find heartache and trouble much easier to endure.

Whatever you are going through right now, don't trivialize it or pretend it's not as tough as it really is. Just focus on the presence of the God who loves you in the middle of it. God's presence may not make it easier, but you will find the problems are more bearable. 

The Gaps in Knowledge and Reason

Suggested Reading: Matthew 8:5-13

I have seen a trend  by skeptics to define faith  as the opposite of reason. These skeptics argue that faith, and the Christian faith in particular, is an excuse to ignore and even contradict reason. So what are some examples of faith from scripture?

One example is David going up against Goliath. As David stepped out onto the field of battle and Goliath taunted him with insults, David responded, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head" (1 Samuel 17:45-46, NIV). David was a teenage boy going against a hardened champion who had terrified an entire army of Israelites and yet David's faith led him to make this boastful statement.

Another example comes from the New Testament. Jesus entered Capernaum and encountered a centurion whose servant was ill. The centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant but when Jesus headed toward his home, the centurion stopped Jesus and told him that all Jesus had to do was speak the word and the servant would be healed. Jesus responded by saying, "I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith" (Matthew 8:10, NIV). 

Both David and the centurion expressed faith in outcomes that defied the logic of the day. David believed that as a boy he could bring down the mighty Philistine champion while the centurion believed that Jesus could miraculously heal his servant from a great distance.  Did these men embrace faith  as an excuse to ignore reason? The fact that they were both right seems to indicate otherwise. So what was the difference for these men? What allowed them not only to have faith but to be right?

Both of these men had experiences that had shaped them and informed them. David had encounters with lions and bears where he learned not only God's faithfulness but his own capabilities. The centurion, in his career as a commander of armies had learned the power of the spoken word and of authority, and he saw both that power and that authority in Jesus.  Neither of these things could be proven empirically to other people, but their own experiences and the Spirit of God moving in them was enough to convince them.

Faith does not stand in opposition to reason. Faith takes up where reason leaves off. Reason can only tell us so much because reason is dependent on what we know. When our knowledge fails us, reason becomes inadequate. Faith in Christ steps in and fills in that lack of knowledge of facts and figures and empirical data with a knowledge of the person of God as he works in our lives.  Our faith as followers of Jesus derives from knowing the God of the universe in a personal way and allowing that knowledge of God to fill in the gaps when our earthly knowledge, and thus our reason, can go no further.

Faith is not the opposite of reason but sometimes faith knows more than reason. Never ignore reason but be honest about how far your knowledge goes. When you reach the end of what you know and reason only goes so far, remember Whom you know and allow faith to fill in the gaps.

King Saul's Vengeance on the Borg

Suggested Reading: 1 Samuel 14:13-30 or 1 Samuel 14 (the whole story)

In Star Trek: First Contact, Captain Picard comes face to face with the Borg, the enemy who had enslaved him, taken control of his body and subjugated his mind, bending it to their control. At one point, the rest of his command crew recommend abandoning the Enterprise and setting the self-destruct, both because the ship has been infested by the Borg and because destroying the ship will eliminate the current Borg threat to Earth. Picard gives a fiery speech about drawing a line and refusing to allow the Borg to go any further. Picard advocates taking the fight to the Borg and refusing to allow the ship to be destroyed.  Only after a relative stranger intervenes does Picard realize that he isn't focused on defeating the Borg or keeping them from harming Earth but on hurting them, on taking revenge for the hurt they caused him. Upon making this realization, Picard grudgingly  abandons his quest for revenge and finally decides to do what is best for his crew.

There is a similar revenge-motivated story in 1 Samuel where the main character doesn't learn his lesson. Saul has led the Israelites into battle against the Philistines. Saul is so intent on destroying the Philistines that he 'bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food' (1 Samuel 14:24, NIV). Saul's son, Jonathan, unaware of the oath his father has placed on the people takes a small taste of honey after going on his own covert mission in which he routed the Philistines in their own camp. Saul finds out about Jonathan's taste of honey when God refuses to answer whether or not they should pursue the Philistines and finish the slaughter. Even upon discovering that the offender is his own son, Saul insists on carrying out the curse and killing Jonathan. Only the intervention of the people saves Jonathan from his father's oath.

As you read the story, you discover that Jonathan (even though he agreed to let his father kill him) thought that Saul's oath was reckless and that it prevented the soldiers from being at their best, and Jonathan was right. Saul didn't place the people under that oath because it would help them defeat their enemies but because he hoped it would motivate them to slaughter the Philistines faster. Why? Read Saul's words again, “Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!”  Saul was only concerned about having revenge on his enemies, not the oppressors of his people, not the people who had enslaved his fellow Israelites, not even the people who had mocked God. Saul put the people into a harmful situation because he thought it served his own selfish purposes. Saul was focused only on himself and revenge against his enemies and cared nothing for his people.

How often do we do the same thing? As leaders, teachers, supervisors, employers, parents? How often do we put the people for whom we are responsible in impossible situations to fit our own selfish desires? How often are we so focused on what we want that we destroy any chance at healthy relationships because the people around us can tell that we are making rash, selfish decisions?

The irony is, as in both cases above, if the leaders had focused as much on what was good for their people as their own desires, they would have gotten what they wanted. Picard would have defeated the Borg faster. Saul's people would have had enough strength to pursue the Philistines, and they wouldn't have been held up, trying to figure out who had violated the vow.

Ultimately, focusing on ourselves and what we want to the detriment of everything else leaves us in a position where the people who depend on us get hurt, and we rarely get what we want.  If you are responsible for someone, or even if you only exert a small amount of influence, take care of your people and do what is right for them. It will go better for you as well.

Going to an Interview for a Job You'll Never Get

Suggested Reading: Ezekiel 2:1-3:3

Several years ago, my family was in a time of transition and weren't sure where God was going to lead us. I had been putting out resumes and got a call from a church in central Texas to come down for an interview. It was odd because, from the very first, I felt very certain that God was not going to move me to that church, but I also felt a very distinct leading that I just had to go to that interview and do the best I was capable of. So I went. The interview went well and I enjoyed a time of fellowship with other people seeking God's will. I wasn't surprised, though, when I was notified that the search committee was going in a different direction. Like I said, I already felt fairly certain that God wasn't going to move me to that church. Only several months later, when I unexpectedly crossed paths with an old friend, did I find out how God used my obedience in going to an interview for a job I knew I wouldn't get. 

Similarly, God commonly calls us to undertake tasks for which success - like getting the job - is never the point. When God calls us, God does not call us to a result. God calls us to obedience. In Ezekiel chapter 2, God called Ezekiel to be a messenger to the Israelites. But the point, as far as God was concerned, was not that Ezekiel's message be accepted. When God called Ezekiel in this passage, God did not want Ezekiel to be concerned with whether or not the people liked him, or even "whether they listen or fail to listen" but so that "they will know that a prophet has been among them" (Ezekiel 2:5, HCSB). Success, if you define it by people listening and changing their ways, was not what Ezekiel was called to. 

When God calls us to a particular life of service, all God wants us to be concerned with is obedience. Whether people respond to the message God gives us or to the love we demonstrate is beyond our control. All we can control is whether or not we are obedient and whether or not we hold back out of fear.  At times, God calls us to very scary places, but even there, we are expected to obey "though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions…" (Ezekiel 2:5, HCSB).

Whatever life God has called you to, stop worrying about whether or not you will be "successful." Stop worrying about whether people will listen to you, much less respond to you. Stop worrying about whether or not you will even survive. None of those things are ultimately our concern. Our concern should be obeying God and trusting God enough to do so.

Whatever God has called you to, are you willing to live that life in obedience, or are you paralyzed by questions and fears? God has promised to never leave us and never forsake us. The only question is, do you trust Him? If you can, there will come a time when the task God has assigned will taste "as sweet as honey" in your mouth.

How Bold Is Bold Enough?

Suggested Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20

Paul, in my opinion is one of the most dynamic characters in Scripture. From requesting letters to arrest Christians to becoming one of Jesus' greatest advocates, Paul was never known for being shy and reserved. Paul stood before rioting mobs and defended both himself and the Gospel. He publicly called Peter on the carpet when he was in the wrong. He endured beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and prison, and he never seemed to waver from his calling to preach the Gospel. He seemed unstoppable. Which is why Ephesians 6:19-20 stands out for me.

Paul writes, "Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should" (HSCB).

I don't know all of the reasons why Paul felt the need to pray for boldness. Maybe he didn't feel bold. Maybe Paul was anticipating some of the trials he was about to face and was worried about losing his nerve. Maybe he was worried that he would succumb to the temptation to water down the message for his own safety (Paul had been shipped out of town on, at least, four different occasions by other believers trying to keep him alive).   Maybe Paul didn't take his boldness for granted. Maybe Paul was constantly aware of all of the places he could have been bolder.  Or maybe Paul knew that his boldness for Christ came from the Holy Spirit in response to prayer.

What I do know is that, if Paul could request prayers for boldness to preach the message effectively, that we should as well. Maybe if we prayed to be effective and bold we actually would be. Maybe if we prayed with Paul for boldness and a clear message we could stand with him, pressing on toward the prize, rather than just wishing we were like him. 

So, I ask you to pray with me that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel, that I may live as an ambassador for Christ, being bold enough in Him to speak as I should. And if you want, I'll pray the same with you. 

Short-Sighted at the Edge of the Universe

Suggested Reading: Proverbs 11:1-7

The most recent series in the Stargate franchise was the show Stargate: Universe. The premise of the show was that an ancient race of beings created a ship designed to travel to the edge of the universe. The ship's mission was to uncover a mysterious signal that seemed to predate the existence of the universe itself. Even though this ship traveled amazingly fast, the trip was still supposed to take millions of years. When humans discovered how to reach this ship through the Stargate, the ship was already millennia into its journey. Though the race that had created both the Stargates and this ship were long dead and gone, their mission of discovery continued, now carried on by others who had discovered the ship and its mission.

In some ways, the premise of the show is mind-blowing. Being on board a space-ship that is millions of years old, continuing a journey of discovery started by an ancient alien race that has long since died out? The premise pushes the boundaries of the imagination in its size and scope, especially considering how short-sighted we can be.  As I thought about how far-reaching the vision of these fictional aliens would have to be, I began thinking about how many plans we make for the future and how many of our visions are grand enough to continue past our own lifetimes. Then I found this verse: Proverbs 11:7 states,  "When the wicked die, their hopes perish with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength" (NLT).

One of the signs of a wicked person is their short-sightedness, the fact that their visions and hopes do not live beyond themselves or what they can accomplish on their own. This short-sightedness is exactly the opposite of the way in which our Heavenly Father operates. Our Father operates on such a grand scale that, knowing we would sin and find ourselves separated from God, "he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:4-5, NIV).  Our Father set in motion a plan that would take millennia to unfold in order to give us a chance to be with him.  He made Abraham a promise that all the peoples of the world would be blessed through him. He gave Jesus' disciples a command to go preach the Gospel throughout the entire world. None of these plans were events that would take place overnight or even in the lifetimes of the individuals involved. God's plans are so big and so grand that they far out-live our individual life-spans.

What about us? What are our hopes? Are they short-sighted? Are they centered around our own desires and limited by our own strength? Or do we take after our Father in our hopes? Are our hopes so big and grand that they can never be accomplished in a single lifetime? Are our hopes so audacious that they will require more than the strength which we alone possess? If our hopes are bigger than ourselves, they can endure long after we are gone. But if we are wicked, our hopes will be confined to our own lifetimes and limited by our own strength.

What do our hopes say about us? Are we daring enough to hope for something bigger than ourselves? Are we willing to devote our strength to a cause that might not be accomplished in our own lifetimes?  If not, maybe we need a new hope.

King David and the Last Crusade

Suggested Reading: 1 Samuel 19:18-24 or 1 Samuel 19:1-24 (the whole story)

One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Aside from the awesomeness of having Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in the same movie, the Last Crusade does a good job reminding people that Jesus was a carpenter and not some rich guy who lived in a palace surrounded by luxury. Sean Connery's character, Dr. Jones the elder, is an academic who is appalled when his son uses violence to free him from his prison and shocked when Indy has to engage in impromptu acts of "daring do" in order to save them. A turning point for Dr. Jones the elder comes when he and Indy, on the run from the Nazis, are exposed on a beach with a jet bearing down on their position. Indy is out of ideas. Suddenly, the elder Dr. Jones pulls out his umbrella and begins stirring up a flock of gulls on the beach. The birds take to the sky, blocking the jet pilot's vision and ultimately causing the jet to crash into the side of a mountain.  Indy looks at his dad in shock while the older gentleman quotes Charlemagne: "Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky."

The Bible is full of very interesting escape situations like that scene on the beach, scenes where rescue comes in some very unexpected forms.  In 1 Samuel 19, King Saul begins his quest to kill David before the young man can ascend to his throne. David's wife, Saul's daughter Michal, helps David escape in the middle of the night, and David flees to Ramah where Samuel is living. When Saul finds out about it, Saul sends men to capture David. "But when they arrived and saw Samuel and the other prophets prophesying the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also began to prophesy" (1 Samuel 19: 20, NLT).  When Saul heard what had happened, Saul sent another set of troops who were also stopped by a fit of prophesying. Finally, Saul himself went to get David and Saul, too, was overcome by the Spirit of God and began prophesying, allowing David to escape.

This particular story isn't as well known as the time when David spared Saul's life in the cave or the time when David snuck into Saul's camp and took Saul's spear to demonstrate that, while he had the opportunity to kill Saul, David had no desire to kill Saul and was no threat to him. This particular story isn't as suspenseful as either of those two. David isn't the hero of the story. In fact, David appears almost helpless. Whereas the other two accounts are tense and exciting, this account is almost comical. David is saved because the Spirit of God causes Saul and his men to have an uncontrollable fit of prophesying. I mean, that's not the most exciting story I've ever heard.

But, in spite of its comedy and its less dramatic elements, I like this story more than the other two. You see, in this story, there is no moral choice for David to make. There is no false resolution where Saul pretends to change his mind in order to save his reputation. God stops Saul from killing David. Period. And he does it by causing Saul and his men to prophesy?

Sometimes, when we find ourselves in really tough situations, when we are scared more than we have ever been, when we are out of options and see no way of escape, God can use the most unexpected and extraordinary things to rescue us. God doesn't need an act of bravery or heroics.  God doesn't have to use powerful weapons or great feats of skill. God can use anything or nothing at all and still accomplish God's purposes.  God can provide a means of escape out of the weakest, most insignificant events or circumstances.

When we find ourselves in impossible situations, when it feels like there is no way out and nothing left that we can do, just remember that God can save us with absolutely nothing. Sometimes, God does exactly that just to remind us that He is God. God can rescue us whether we have any strength or not, whether we can help ourselves or not. Impossible situations are never impossible with God. 

Kindergartners and Falling Giants

Suggested Reading: 1 Samuel 17:20-49 or 1 Samuel 17:1-58 (the whole story)

In 1990, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a movie called Kindergarten Cop. A hardened, tough guy cop with no room for family and no sense of humor who, through a series of twists, ends up undercover, teaching a class full of kindergartners. If you've seen the movie, you can probably hear Arnold right now saying, "Eet's not a toomah!" At first, Arnold's character gets run over by the kids, he doesn't know how to handle their energy, their questions, or their unique outlook. At the end of the first day he falls onto his bed, face down, lamenting, "They're terrible!" It is only after the cop decides to handle the situation like a cop that he manages to get things under control. He turns the kindergarten class into a police academy, and structures things in a way that works for him. Soon, the kids love Arnold's tough guy character and Arnold ends up loving kindergarten, but only when he finally decides to use his own gifts and strengths and not try to teach kindergarten like everybody else.

In 1 Samuel 17, we find the story of David and Goliath, with which many of us are familiar. After David began asking around about what would happen for the person who fought Goliath (assuming that person survived), King Saul heard about David and had David brought before him. Once David convinced Saul to let him fight the Giant, Saul put David into his own battle suit (maybe he was hoping people would mistake David for himself) and gave David his own sword.  When David tried to move, he realized that going into battle dressed in Saul's armor would only get him killed and he told Saul, "I cannot go in these because I am not used to them"  (1 Samuel 17:39, NIV). David took off Saul's armor and then armed himself with the tools he knew he could use, his shepherd's staff, a sling, and five smooth stones.  Most of us know the story from there, how David went out to face Goliath, proclaiming that God would win the fight for him and then slung a stone into Goliath's forehead, knocking him out and allowing David to chop off Goliath's head with the giant's own sword.

What David and Arnold's cop/teacher have in common is that they both accomplished the task that was given to them, and they did so by using their own unique gifts and talents. We could learn a thing or two from that.

Far too often, we fall into the mindset that tasks can only be accomplished a particular way. We allow other people to tell us how to do what God has called us to do or, worse yet, we try to tell other people how to do what God has called them to do. The problem is, when God calls a person, he calls that person, with all of their strengths and weaknesses,  flaws and gifts. If God has called you to something, God has called you. God wants you to use the gifts and abilities that have been given to you.

When you feel like you're being pushed into a corner because people are putting their own armor on you, have the guts to say, "I can't go in these because I am not used to them." God may have called you because your own unique way of doing things is exactly what the situation requires. A normal soldier with a sword and shield would never have gotten close enough to Goliath to take him down. David wasn't a normal soldier, but he knew what he was good at.

Are you trying to wear someone else's armor? Try accomplishing the task you've been given as if it was designed specifically for you. It probably was. 

Naps for Credit

Suggested Reading: Matthew 6:1-18

When I was a kid I used to pull this trick on my mom, though I wouldn't be surprised if she knew I was doing it. She would send me in for a nap and I would go in and lay down. I didn't want to take a nap and I didn't really want to lay down for very long. So I would lay in bed for about half an hour, maybe read a book when no one was walking past the bedroom door or do something else to keep myself occupied (and awake). When I felt enough time had passed, I would force myself to yawn several times so my eyes would get watery, and then I would rub one side of my face really hard so that it was all red and looked like I had been laying on it. Then I would get out of bed and go into the living room. Without saying a word about having gone to sleep or taking a nap, I would walk in really slowly like I was still waking up and then sit down on the couch and yawn really big. If my mom ever caught on she never said anything about it. I thought I was being really clever at the time and even then I enjoyed acting. You see, at that age, I wasn't really all that concerned about taking a nap like I was supposed to. I was only concerned with looking like I had taken a nap and with getting credit for it.

Fortunately, I grew out of that phase and I now understand that, most of the time, doing or not doing something is more important than the mere appearance of doing something (politicians could learn a thing or two there!).  But every now and then I still catch myself more concerned with looking like I'm doing something than I am concerned with really doing it. We've all been there. To avoid having to talk with someone we pretend that we're busy and hope they leave us alone, or we do just enough on a project so that it looks like we're making progress while we're really wasting time on other things. Or, we make a big show of struggling with our wallet or purse so people see us putting our tithe in the offering plate. In all of those instances, we're not really concerned about doing something, we concerned about getting credit for it.

In Matthew 6, Jesus discussed that phenomenon when it comes to our spiritual life.  He warned his listeners about being more concerned with credit for doing a thing than with the thing itself.  In 6:1, Jesus said, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven" (NIV).  He then went on to give examples of people who give to the needy or pray, all the while drawing attention to themselves so that they look good.  In each of the examples Jesus gave, the people in question actually did the good deeds but only so they would get credit from people for doing them. These people gave to the needy but had no more concern for the needy than a carpenter for a nail; both the nail and the needy were simply tools to be used for other purposes. The person praying wasn't actually  concerned with talking to God, only with other people thinking that he was talking to God.  In each case, Jesus warned that the rewards for those good deeds had already been received in full.

How did Jesus suggest we remedy being more concerned about the appearance than with the good deed? Do the thing in secret. After all, if no one ever knows that you are doing good, it's hard to be tempted to do it for the sake of appearances. But, notice, Jesus did not say to stop doing good deeds or to stop praying. Never do that! But make sure it happens when no one can see but God.  Credit is not a bad thing and it is a good feeling to get patted on the back from time to time.  But credit, when it comes, should only be a perk that comes with getting caught doing the right thing. Credit should never be the point of doing the right thing.

Are you concerned you aren't getting all the credit you deserve? Have you been tempted to improve your image by being seen doing some good things? If you do things for credit, credit is all you will ever get. But if you do things secretly, for the sake of doing the right thing, for the sake of pleasing your Father in heaven, credit will be the least of your rewards.