Skip Stupid Arguments
"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." (2 Timothy 2: 23)Paul wrote this to Timothy as a pastor, but it applies just as well to middle and high school drama clubs. No, I'm not talking about your drama club with the acting and the plays and the musicals. I'm talking about the endless drama that pops up in student relationships.
I'm talking about the daily soap opera of who is mad and whom and what she said to her and how that girl is giving that one the silent treatment until she says sorry for talking to him about that one thing. Ugh. Paul didn't want Timothy to get himself sucked into all those "foolish and stupid arguments."
Why? Because they're a worthless waste of time. We believe the lie that it is our job to hold everyone accountable for how they treat us, to protect ourselves from everyone who is unkind to us. What God really wants is for us to forgive, let it go quickly, and believe that our job is to hold ourselves accountable for how we treat everyone and to refuse to be unkind to anybody.
Think: How much time do you spend feeling resentful and thinking about how others treated you unkindly? What can you do to let go of hurt feelings more quickly and start giving away kindness to unkind people?
Pray: Ask God to help you to skip or quickly drop out of any stupid and foolish arguments that come your way this week.
Do: If you've been stuck in a stupid argument with someone, make a plan to tell that person you're sorry, you forgive him or her, and you're letting it go. Then really let it go.
Your Action Movie
"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22)If the Paul made a movie of your life, it would be an action movie. And it would be packed with chase scenes. Of course, in his day all the chasing would be on foot. But we can update the story to put you behind the wheel of a fast car.
Here's the question? What are you running from and what are you chasing? As with the best action flicks, you'll have to do some of both. In the early scenes, especially, Paul has you on the run from your own "evil desires." That would be the stuff you want that will hurt you and those you care about — sex sans marriage, revenge, way more money than you need, etc.
When you become the hunter, though, you'll be after serious prey: right choices, trusting God more, true love, and deep peace. And with God's help, you can catch them and keep catching them right up until the credits roll.
Think: Is your Christian life like a boring, serious movie with way too much talking and not enough going on? What can you do to turn it into an action movie? What should you be running from? What are you not chasing?
Pray: Ask God to help you to want to run faster away from your favorite sins and toward His best gifts for you.
Do: Keep track this week of how many times you feel tempted to sin and — with God's help — you outrun it instead.
Stop Being a Garbage Can
"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." (2 Timothy 2:20-21)God uses everyone for something. Christian or not, walking closely with Him or not, we all serve His ultimate purposes in one way or another. In a sermon on this passage, Pastor Ray Stedman quoted a sign that said, "It may be that my whole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others." I think that can really happen.
As a Christian, though, today's passage says you can do something about the way God uses you in this life. If you want to be used for noble things, you can clean yourself up. That's not about cleaning your sin away to earn heaven (which you could never do); it's about avoiding sin once you're a Christian and embracing obedience to make yourself available to be used by God for great things on earth.
Paul's metaphor is a little confusing, because the trash bucket your house can't decide to clean up its act and become a crystal vase. But you can decide to stop filling your life with garbage. With God's help, you can demonstrate the beauty of His truth by letting others see it at work in your everyday choices.
Think: How important is it to you to have your life used by God for good and important things? According to today's passage, what can you do about that?
Pray: Thank God for giving you the opportunity to be used by Him to accomplish His purposes. Ask Him to help you to keep your life clean of sin and to obey the teaching of His Word.
Do: Make a short list of a few people in your life that God has used to do some good and important things.
Why God Doesn’t Need Polls
"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.' (2 Timothy 2:19)For the next few days, you might hear a lot of doomsday talk about the economy, the election, the future of happiness. You occasionally hear that kind of doomsday talk about Christianity and the church, too. Every new problem is treated as evidence that the next generation is on a slippery slope in the wrong direction.
And these are serious times for the church and our nations. Paul's warnings to Timothy about understanding and communicating God's Word truthfully weren't just good ideas. The consequences of false teaching and false believing are eternally bad. They bring pain today, tomorrow, and forever.
But the future of God is never at stake. And the future of His children is never in doubt. He doesn't lose people to false teaching. His people reject untruth about Him and His Word; they turn from the "wickedness" of believing lies about who Jesus is and what it means to walk with Him. And these inscriptions Paul quotes say they always will.
Think: Are you ever tempted to see bad news about the economy or the rise of false teaching about Jesus as evidence that God is losing control? What's wrong with that idea?
Pray: Thank God that human sin and ignorance never makes Him any less powerful. Thank Him that He is always strong enough to keep his promises to you.
Do: Listen this week for negative predictions about the future of the government, the economy, and the church. When you hear them, remember that God's power never goes up and down like election polls or stock market graphs.
Godless Chatter
"Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some." (2 Timothy 2:16-18)Paul continues to warn Timothy not to let mere words get in the way of the Word, God's truth in the Bible. First he cautioned against making words too important and arguing over them. Now he warns of treating them too lightly and spouting meaningless, destructive nonsense about biblical truth.
The NIV here calls it "godless chatter." The ESV interprets the Greek as "irreverent babble." The NASB: "worldly and empty chatter." The New King James: "shun profane and idle babblings." In every case, the result of a career of texting/talking/typing worthless words is to become less and less like our Father.
Why? Because your faith will often follow your words. Paul reminds Timothy of two men who liked to fill the air with worthless chat and ended up believing it and convincing others it was true. Don't dabble in giving voice to worthless ideas.
Think: Have you ever seen nonsense talk about serious things turn into something really destructive? How can we avoid that?
Pray: Ask God to help you to recognize godless chatter and to avoid participating in it.
Do: Look for examples this week of what might be considered godless chatter — especially about biblical truth.
Working the Word?
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)Anyone who spent time in the AWANA program will probably recognize their main verse here. It's where the name AWANA comes from — "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed."
Paul told his spiritual son Timothy that it matters how we live. And it takes real work — serious effort — to live as God wants us to. "Try hard," he wrote. "Do your best." He wanted Timothy to get that it's worth the hours of study and prayer and the sacrifice of doing easier, funner things to focus on harder, more valuable ones.
And what is this work? For Timothy (but also for us) it involves handling God's Word in the right way. Not focusing on the words so we can be good debaters, but using the words to pull out the truth God wants us to understand. That takes time, understanding, and work.
Think: You work hard at a few things in your life. Is understanding God's Word correctly one of them?
Pray: Ask God to give you the desire to be an unashamed workman when it comes to handling His Word.
Do: If you've never done so before, try to memorize this verse.
Worthless Words
"Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen." (2 Timothy 2:14)For the next week or so, we're going to learn how to live by reading someone else's mail. Paul is writing to Pastor Timothy about what the younger preacher should be teaching people in his church.
The idea in today's verse seems odd to me coming from a writer and a teacher. Under the inspiration of God, Paul wrote a serious chunk of the New Testament. I'm sure he was very careful about the words he chose (and the ones he skipped).
But words are not so important that they're worth arguing about, he said. In fact, arguments about semantics (word meanings and choices) are a waste of time with the power to do real damage to listeners caught in the cross-fire. Focus on understanding and communicating the truth and the words will take care of themselves.
Think: Do you ever get caught in arguments about words? Things like: "I said this, and you said that!" "That's not what I said; I said this!" Arguments that become about splitting the hairs of fact instead of revealing real truth. Why are those so dangerous, especially between Christians?
Pray: Thank God for His truth. Ask Him to help you to avoid arguing about words.
Do: Look for examples this week — in and out of church — of people arguing about words.
One More Thing . . .
"In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar." (Psalm 51:18-19)Have you ever noticed that when you're saying sorry for something — especially for something really ugly — that it's not the best time to ask for a favor? It just feels wrong to say, "I'm really sorry. That was so wrong. Now can I borrow $20?"
So David's request at the end of this psalm feels really bold. Almost inappropriate. But it shows us how strongly David believed in God's mercy, forgiveness, and desire to help Israel.
David had made his confession. He'd admitted his wrong. He had received God's punishment. He'd asked to be made clean. Now he was ready to move forward and ask for God's blessing on His people. Walking with God again means asking God again to make you strong enough to worship Him more.
Think: Do you ever hesitate to ask God for help because you know you don't deserve it? Because you feel guilty about your sin? Does God ever want you to pull away from Him in those moments?
Pray: Follow David's lead here: Ask God to help you to be stronger in your ability to trust Him so you can worship Him most effectively.
Do: Make a quick list of reasons to stop asking God for help in your life. (Hint: It should be a really short list.)
God Likes Broken Hearts
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:16-17)David's sin broke God's heart. You can hear it in God's words to David through Nathan in 2 Samuel 12. He said, in essence, "Why did you do this? I gave you so much. I would have given you more. Why did you do this to me?" God was betrayed.
David understood that he couldn't buy his way out of his sin to be reconnected with God at a heart level. Yes, he could mechanically work the steps required by the Law, and David followed the Law. But he knew what God wanted most was for him to be as broken over his sin as God was.
God responds to our brokenness. We can be caught in sin without really feeling bad about it. We can be sorry for the consequences while our hearts remain as hard as rocks. God wants to crush those rocks to make us as devastated by our sin as He is. He will not turn away from our genuine sorrow and repentance.
Think: Do you sometimes feel like your heart is hard about your sin even while you're confessing it to God? Is it hard for you to believe God's heart is broken over your sinful choices? If so, why do you think that is?
Pray: Ask God to make you sad about your sin. Ask Him to help you to feel sick about it. Ask Him to help your heart to break over the sinful choices you make.
Do: Really. Seriously. Pray that.
Open My Lips
"Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise." (Psalm 51:13-15)Does God need us to serve Him or to praise Him? No. Of course not. He's God. So why does David seem to be promising God that he will serve and praise the Lord once He's forgiven?
Because David understood his life meant nothing if it wasn't used in service of God. He knew that he, David, needed to point others to God and worship His Creator. That was his purpose. And he knew that his sinful choices had kept him from doing that.
So he prays: Restore me, so I can show other sinners like me that they need to turn around. Restore me, so I can sing about you again. I can't praise you if we are separated, God, open my lips and let my praise flow again. Forgive me, so I can start giving myself away to you again.
Think: Do you ever think of the ability to praise and worship God as His gift to you? Do you notice when you're dabbling in sin that you're less effective at telling God how great He is?
Pray: Ask God to give you an appetite for praising Him and pointing others to Him. If that doesn't come naturally to you, ask Him to open your lips so you can declare His praise.
Do: Read Romans 11:33 - 12:2 and think about the point of a life NOT given away to God.
Will You Change Me?
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalm 51:10-12)David has already admitted in this confession that he has been sinful from birth. He's not a guy who is "almost good" and just needs a little nudge to get him over the hill. These terrible sins are not the exception, after all. The have only revealed who he really is.
That's what brings David to the words in today's passage. If he's going to be any different tomorrow -- if he's going to really change -- God is the one who will have to change Him.
God will have to make his heart pure and his spirit strong. God will have to keep David close and keep His Holy Spirit with him. And God will have change David's attitude about doing right from chore to celebration, from unwilling, teeth-gritted obedience into a natural and sustainable lifestyle of joyfully walking with God.
Here's the good news: God has promised to do all of that for those of us who have trusted in Jesus. You can ask Him, too. It's what He wants to give to you.
Think: Do the things David asks for in this passage describe your life? If not, what are you missing and why do you think you're missing it?
Pray: Pray these verses with David to the extent that they apply to you.
Do: Write it down: On a scale from 1 to 10, how much joy have you felt in your life, lately? Look up Romans 15:13 and use that verse to ask God for more joy and hope and peace as you trust in Him.
Bigger Than Your Sin
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity." (Psalm 51:7-9)When you've done your worst. When you've been caught red-handed. When everyone seems to know just by looking at you how ugly your soul can be. When you're drowning in the consequences of your own foolish, selfish choices.
In that moment, you might feel beyond fixing. Some people vow in that moment to abandon God forever. He could not love them again. He could not forgive . . . that. They are broken. Ruined. Too far gone to ever come back.
David, though, realized that was a lie. His God was bigger than his sin. Your God is bigger than your sin, even if your sin is huge. David believed and so he asked: "Clean me. Make it possible for me to be happy again. Take all my ugly sins and delete them completely from your hard drive." God can do that.
Think: Have you ever felt it wasn't even worth the effort to get right with God because your sin was so major? Do you see how that treats God as if He is smaller than your capacity to do wrong?
Pray: Ask God to help you to believe that His forgiveness and grace is greater than your sin. As one forgiven by the blood of Jesus, ask God to help you to hear joy and gladness today.
Do: Make a quick list of the sins that God cannot or will not forgive because they're just too evil.
Paper Confessions
"Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge."Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place." (Psalm 51:4-6)
On some cop shows, perps are dragged into a holding cell and grilled by the detectives until they're ready to spill. (Maybe I've watched too many cop shows.) The goal is often to get the bad guy to write out a confession to the crime on paper.
That's not a bad idea for you and me, either. David did that here. First, he confessed to his sin verbally with Nathan. Later, he wrote out his confession. Especially when we struggle to believe that we are truly forgiven and loved by God, writing down our prayer of confession to Him can help us have something to hold on to as evidence of the conversation we've had with Him.
Notice what David included: 1) He admits that he sinned against God. 2) He throws himself on the mercy of God's court, understanding He deserves any judgement God chooses. (We know Jesus has already paid our punishment, but we will often suffer the real-world consequences of our wrong choices.) 3) David admits he's a criminal from the womb; this isn't a one-time offense. 4) He says he knows he can change only with God's help by honestly learning the wisdom God teaches in his heart.
Think: Have you ever confessed you sin to God as David does here? Do you see any value in writing out prayers to God, especially prayers of confession?
Pray: Ask God to help you to be honest with Him and with yourself in your heart and to learn the wisdom He teaches in your inmost place.
Do: If you want to, try writing out a prayer to God. If you have unconfessed sin to deal with, follow David's pattern of written confession. Otherwise, just write what you would normally talk to Him about.
Make Me Clean!
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me." (Psalm 51:1-3)As far as we know, David wrote these words after he had verbally confessed his sin against God. The prophet Nathan -- a man God used to speak His Words on earth -- gave David an immediate response: "The LORD has taken away your sin."
But David still feels guilty and dirty and stained with all of his ugly choices. Even after hearing God's announced punishments (the death of the baby and violence/conflict/betrayl for and from his other kids), David can't get past the burden of his sin. It's hard to blame him.
Most of us can related to the memory of a sin that is always before us. Maybe you have begged God to clean you up over and over already knowing in your head that He has promised to forgive you. Let's remind ourselves again of God's great mercy and His unfailing love for us in Christ Jesus.
Think: Why do you think it is sometimes difficult to let go of the burden of sin even after we have done our best to make it right with God and with those we have wronged? Is it a bad thing that the guilty feelings linger? Is there a difference between godly sorrow and worthless regret?
Pray: Thank God again that Jesus paid for all of your sin when He died on the cross. Thank Him for His mercy. Ask Him to help you not to forget His grace, but also to remember that you are forgiven in Jesus.
Do: Read and think about 2 Corinthians 7:10.
I Confess
"Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the LORD.' Nathan replied, 'The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.' " (2 Samuel 12:13-14)Starting tomorrow, we're going to spend a few days looking at David's written prayer to God about his sin with Bathsheba in Psalm 51. Notice the wisdom in David's immediate response here, though.
When confronted with his sin and after hearing what God's punishment will be, David doesn't say, "I'm sorry." He doesn't make excuses. He doesn't look for someone else to blame. Instead, he offers a one-sentence confession: "I have sinned against the LORD."
It's the same response God looks for from us when dealing with our sin. Confession is agreeing with God that I am wrong and He is right. Period. It's how we draw close to Him again after we have turned from him by choosing to sin: "God, I did it. I sinned in this way. I want to be close to you again. Thank you that I am forgiven because of Jesus."
Think: Do you practice confessing your sin to God when you willfully choose to disobey Him? Is it a hard thing to do? Why or why not?
Pray: Ask God to help you to value your relationship with Him enough to admit when you have wronged him by choosing your way over His way. Thank Him that all of your sins are forgiven through your faith in Jesus.
Do: If it is not your habit, make a point this week to start confessing your sinful choices to God as soon as you become aware of them.
God’s Fiction
"David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, 'As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.' " (2 Samuel 12:5-6)God is my favorite fiction writer. Careful: I'm not saying Scripture is fiction. But in Scripture, God sometimes uses the power of fiction to help people see the truth. Jesus was a master storyteller who revealed the deep things of God with simple parables.
Here, an angry God sends his prophet to David with the story of a rich guy thoughtlessly stealing a poor man's beloved family pet to feed some guests. You can read David's fury at this injustice in today's verse above. He was ready to kill the guy.
God used the story to get David to convict himself. We're not told if David felt any guilt at all about his adultery and murder before this moment. He did what we all do with stories; he identified with the underdog, with the hero. Then Nathan said, "You are the man!" And David knew he was, in reality, the villain.
Think: Has a fictional book or movie or story ever helped you understand truth more deeply? Why do you think we respond so powerfully to stories about heroes and villains? Why do you think we so naturally root for justice?
Pray: We live in a world crammed with fictional stories on TV, in movies, in video games, and in books. Ask God to lead you to worthwhile stories that will help you see His truth more clearly.
Do: Tune in tomorrow for God's surprising verdict on David's sin.
I Would Have Given You More
"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?" (2 Samuel 12:7-9)God's rebuke of David is as surprising as it is blistering. Do you notice what His first complaint is? He doesn't start with describing David's sinful acts, the rape and lies and murder we find so villainous. He starts with David's ungrateful heart.
God saw Himself as being in relationship with David. He was and wanted to be the source of everything good in David's life. He showered the king with success, possessions, and power. David refused to be satisfied with God's goodness. His willingness to sin to get more showed He didn't believe God could or would provide all he needed.
Our ungrateful hearts lead us in the same direction. Our choices to sin to get what we want show that we don't trust God's goodness, power, and love for us. We decide that if He won't give us our desires NOW, we'll set Him aside to take them our own way.
Think: Do you ever judge God's goodness, love, or power by what He gives to you or keeps from you? Do you think of Him as the source of every good thing in your life?
Pray: Ask God to help you to have a grateful heart and to help you to trust Him alone to provide those good things He wants you to have.
Do: If God started listing the good things He has given you as He did in today's verse with David, what would be the first 20 or so items on the list? Write those down.
Getting Away with Murder
"When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the LORD." (2 Samuel 11:26-27)We skipped over a few things between the start of 2 Samuel 11 and the end of it. Using his power as the king, David sends someone to get Bathsheba. Some scholars suggest that he raped her. Either way, he got her pregnant.
To cover up that crime, he brought her husband Uriah home from the war so he'd sleep with her and think the baby was his. When that failed, David had his own soldier killed and took the dead man's wife for his own. And he got away with all of it because he was the king.
At least he thought he did. The last sentence echoes with deep foreboding. God had seen it all, and He didn't like it. David was in trouble.
Think: Have you ever done something you thought was seriously wrong and seemed to get away with it? Do you think anyone ever "gets away" with sin?
Pray: Ask God to remind you that no sins are secret from Him. Ask Him to help you to rely on Him both to avoid sin and — when you fail — to confess it and receive His forgiveness.
Do: In a sentence or two, describe the punishment you think David's sin deserved.
Wise Veggies
"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, 'Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' " (2 Samuel 11:2-3)When someone told me the Veggie Tales teams was doing a video for kids about the story of David and Bathsheba, I thought it must be a bad joke. Who wants their toddler learning about lust and adultery and murder from Bob and Larry?
But the video is great, and I've been happy to pop it in for my pre-schooler when he wants to see it. Instead of taking a man's wife and having him killed, King Larry takes Junior Asparagus's beloved rubber ducky though he has hundreds of his own.
It's not just sly. The VT version of the story gets that David's sin started before he committed any of those terrible crimes. It started in David's heart. He believed A) that what God had given to him was not enough and B) that he had the right to break the rules to get what God would not provide.
Think: Do you ever decide that what God has given to you right now in your life is not good enough? Are you ever willing to sin against God to get what you want in the wrong way since you can't get it in the right way?
Pray: Ask God to help you to trust that He has given you everything you need right now in this moment. Then thank Him for as many of the good things in your life as you can think of.
Do: Make a quick list of three items: one pleasure, one possession, and one position you'd like to have right now. Are you willing to wait for God to provide those things for you in His timing -- or would you take an opportunity to sin against God if you could have them right now?
Today’s Mission
"In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem." (2 Samuel 11:1)We're going to spend the next week or two looking at the story of David and Bathsheba — and David's prayer of confession and repentances in Psalm 51. It's a gruesome story in which the hero becomes the villain. We watch uneasily as he quickly slides from lust to adultery to murder.
But it starts here, in this verse. David was king of Israel. He was famous and wealthy and powerful and already tremendously successful. He had honored God in his heart and in his kingdom, and God had blessed him in huge ways.
So what happened? It started when David decided he didn't need to do what kings do — go to war with their men. He stayed home. He sat this one out. And that set him up for the fall. Anytime we are not participating in what God has called us to do, we are more likely to do what He's called us not to do.
Think: Can you remember a time in your life when your choice to sin followed a choice to stop doing what God called you to do (e.g., going to school, participating in church, encouraging your family, etc.)?
Pray: Ask God to help you to know what He has called you to do today. Then ask Him to help you take those things seriously.
Do: Make a quick list of the things God has called you to do today. It might include school, homework, prayer, reading the Bible, your job, being kind to friends and family, etc.
Forgive as Forgiven
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)The final items on Paul's list of specific ways in which Christians should look unnormal from everyone else have to do with how we treat each other.
"Be kind and compassionate." Think about how everyone else is seeing the world and step in when you can to make it easier for them. Act like you care about them. I love this quote from Philo of Alexandria (whoever he is): "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
Then the hardest, least normal action of all: Forgive everyone in the same way that God has forgive you. Forgive as forgiven. You cannot do this until A) you know that you have been forgiven for great and ugly crimes against God and B) someone does something hurtful and ugly to you. Then you can practice. It's harder than it looks — but it's also entirely possible in Christ.
Think: Do you think it's unfair that Paul links God's forgiveness of our sin with our forgiveness of others? Do you need to adjust the way you think about your sin against God or other people's sins against you?
Pray: Ask God to make your heart more compassionate toward others and more honest about how much you've been forgiven by God.
Do: Write two numbers: On a scale from 1 to 10 (with 1 being very little and 10 being the equivalent to an axe murderer), how much sin has God forgiven you for? On that same scale, how much sin has been committed against you?
Junk Drawer Backpack
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31)Confession: I kind of love my backpack. Is that weird? My current one is way better than anything I had when I was in school. Not only do I use it to lug around my ever faithful notebook computer, but it's got all these big and small pockets and compartments to toss stuff in I might need later -- or stuff I pick up along the way. Now I know why women get so attached to their purses.
After a few weeks, though, my pack becomes kind of a walking junk drawer. It's full of half-read magazines, food wrappers, receipts, books, electronic gadgets, old batteries, various cords and headphones. I've got to completely clean it out and repack it to keep from pulling a muscle in my neck hauling it around.
If your life was a backpack, what are you hauling around in there (along with the Holy Spirit)? Paul said it's time to clean it out before you hurt yourself (and grieve Him). Get rid of the bitterness (old anger), wrath (hot anger), anger (anger), clamor (angry fighting and yelling), slander (saying bad things about people because you're mad at them), and malice (wanting to hurt someone).
Get the idea? Anger should never be a to-go item. You'll never need it later. Dump it out of your pack and move on. You'll travel lighter.
Think: Why do you think it's so natural for some of us to hold on to our anger and carry it around with us? Why is that such a waste of time and energy? Why is it so hard to let it go?
Pray: Ask God for the courage to dump all the anger you can find out of your life and to trust Him to take care of you.
Do: Inventory your pack. Put these 5 things on a list: bitterness, wrath, clamor, slander, malice. Next to each, put a "yes" or "no" if you're carrying any of that around with you. Then ask God again to help you let those specific things go for today.
Making God Sad?
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30)For the last few days, we've been looking at how Christians should behave differently from everyone else -- how you should be able to tell on the outside that we're not normal. But the huge idea is that we're really different on the inside.
At the moment you were saved, God placed His Spirit inside of you permanently. This verse says you were sealed with the Spirit until the day when you will stand face to face with God. In chapter one of this letter, Paul called the Spirit God's deposit -- a guarantee of our future in-person relationship with Him. The Spirit will not leave, even when we sin.
We don't think about this reality much, but it's an awesome (and sometimes scary) idea. God's Spirit is with you every moment of every day — and He's a person with God's love for you. He cares so deeply that He's sad (grieved!) when you start following yourself or the world away from the path of Jesus. He feels a sense of hurt when you choose to lie, steal, say rotten things, or let anger become bitterness.
Think: Is this a new idea to you, that God's Spirit in us can become emotionally sad when we sin? Why do you think He would be grieved by our choices to not act like Jesus?
Pray: Ask God for the willingness and the ability not to grieve the Holy Spirit. Thank Him for sealing you with His Spirit until the day when you will be with Him in person forever.
Do: Read Ephesians 1:13-15.
Who’s Guarding Your Word Door?
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29)Ever been to a concert or an event where they had a big, burly guard at a door to the backstage area? He wouldn't let you in if you didn't have the right badge, and you could tell by his size and that no-nonsense look on his face that he was willing to hurt you to keep you out.
You need one of those guys guarding the door out of your mouth. You need to tell him not to let any "talk" get past him that isn't helpful for building people up. He needs to check the badge and see if the words are intended to "give grace" to that person you're talking to.
He should be ready to put the hurt on those other kinds of words. "Unwholesome" in this verse means "rotten" or "corrupting." Worthless words. Hurtful words. Words meant to tear someone down or give glory to sinful things. Lousy words. Tell your big, ugly guard not to let those words see the light of day.
Think: Of course, you're the only one capable of guarding your "words door." Are you willing to get ugly with yourself to keep from saying rotten, hurtful words?
Pray: Ask God to give you the self-control to think before you speak and to look for ways to use words to make other people stronger, smarter, and happier.
Do: Set the alarm in your brain to go off loudly every time you say (or start to say) a worthless word today.
Christian Thieves
"He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need." (Ephesians 4:28)Paul continues to add detail to his portrait of an un-normal Jesus-follower. We should be known in our schools and neighborhoods and jobs as people who just don't steal. Period. Even when times are rough.
Instead, we Christians should build reputations as people ready and willing to work to meet our own needs. Buried in that big idea is a smaller one: We should also be ready to learn to live on whatever money our work brings in.
Finally, in planning how much to spend on ourselves out of the cash our work generates, we should plan to leave some unspent to give away to people who don't have enough. Then they'll be less likely to steal, also.
Think: It seems like a no-brainer that Christians shouldn't steal. Does it seem as obvious that we should also be hard working? Which is harder for you: not stealing, working hard, or sharing with others?
Pray: Ask God to convict you deeply if you are ever tempted to steal. If you've already been stealing, ask Him for courage to make it right and turn around.
Do: If you have a group of Christian friends, see if this question will make them argue: Is downloading music or movies or software for free when it is intended to be sold elsewhere stealing? Should Christians ever do so?
Angry Christians
" 'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:26-27)After breaking down why and how Christians should not fit in so well with the world around us, Paul gets specific. First: Don't lie. Second: Control yourself when angry and learn to chase it off quickly.
Notice first, he doesn't say Christians should never get angry. God assumes you will get angry. Everyone does. That's not a sin. But the normal thing is to use anger as fuel for sin. Paul quotes David in saying, "Don't be normal."
Make two choices when you get angry: A) "I won't use this emotion as an excuse to sin." B) "I won't let this emotion stay the night." Why? Because aging anger gives the enemy something to grab on to in our lives.
Think: How hard is it for you to let go of anger? What could you do to set it aside more quickly?
Pray: Ask God to help you to know when you're feeling angry and to be able to control yourself to avoid using anger to launch into sin. Then ask Him to make you more efficient at letting go of your anger.
Do: Watch the people in your life this week to see what kinds of sin they're more likely to jump into when they're angry.
Not Normal
"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body." (Ephesians 4:25)What is the first specific change Paul said must happen in those who follow Jesus? What must we stop (or take off) first? Murder? Rape? Stealing? Nope. It's lying.
Something tells me most of us would put it further down the list. I've heard Christian students openly talking about lying to their parents or others as if it didn't matter. As if it were just normal teen life.
And it is. But not for Christians, Paul said. We're not supposed to be normal any more. And the first weird thing that's supposed to jump out about us is that we tell the truth. Always. No matter what.
Think: What value do you place on telling a lie? Does it feel like a low-cost sin or a big-ticket one? Why do you think it's such a big deal to God?
Pray: Ask God to make you even less normal by causing an alarm to go off in your head every time you start to think about telling a lie. Then ask Him to give you the courage to tell the truth, even if it costs you something.
Do: Carry a piece of paper with you this week, and make a mark on it every time you catch yourself telling a lie.
Step Out Rethink Step In
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)Paul described three parts to living this day as a Christ-follower:
1) Step out of your old self; don't live the way you used to — or the way others without Christ live now. The old self was your only option before you knew God through Jesus. The old self fits like a glove, lives for what feels good, and hates being told what to do (especially by God).
2) Change your mind. Better: Learn to think all new thoughts. Ask God to make you think like Jesus.
3) Step into your new self again today. It's the version of you that became possible the moment you trusted in Jesus for your salvation. By God's power, you can make godly choices all day long. It doesn't always feel natural to live in the new self, but it's always right. And you'll never regret it when the day is done.
Think: Are you ever aware of having to make a conscious choice to "put off" your old self and "put on" the new self? Is it ever a hard choice?
Pray: Ask God to help you to put off your old self, to be renewed in your mind to think like Jesus, and to put on the new self today.
Do: Make 2 lists: 5 things you know are "old self" choices and 5 things you know are "new self" choices.
Not That Way
"You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus." (Ephesians 4:20-21)In the last two devo's, we saw Paul describe "normal" for human beings who live apart from God. They harden their hearts toward Him which leads toward foolish thinking in every area of life. Next, they make pleasure the point of life, seeking truth through what they can experience with their bodies.
But nobody finds the Truth that way. Nobody comes to Jesus through experimenting with pleasure. God is not against pleasure; He created it for our enjoyment and gave boundaries for how to experience it for our good. But God doesn't reveal Himself through human ecstasy; He reveals Himself through the teaching of His Word. That's God's plan. He doesn't hide truth from us; He gives it away.
Those who receive it from Him by trusting Jesus are changed forever -- from the inside out. That should show up in how we live every day.
Think: Do you think its good to be a seeker in life? What do you think about seekers who never find what they're looking for?
Pray: If you're a Christian, thank God that you came to know Jesus through the teaching of God's Word.
Do: Think about writing a quick thank you note to the person that taught you the truth about Jesus that led you to trust in Christ for your salvation.
Making Pleasure the Point
"Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." (Ephesians 4:19)"Experience everything! Don't leave anything untried. Feel it all. Taste it all. Release your inhibitions. Don't be held back by outdated rules. Live life to the fullest!"
That inspirational-sounding advice is an attempt to put the positive spin on Paul's statement in today's verse. He warned that when people harden their hearts toward God, their minds are left to run in worthless circles. All they have left to make them feel alive is sensual pleasure.
So they "seek truth through experience." (Have you heard that one?) They throw out every rule book that stands in the way of what might feel good. And they know they'll need to find a new experience soon to replace the one that's losing its edge today.
Think: Does this attitude toward pleasure and experience sound familiar? Does it even sound a little bit healthy? What's so wrong with it?
Pray: Ask God to give you the wisdom to avoid making pleasure the point of your life.
Do: Look for messages in your world this week that seem to say that pleasure is the point of living.
thanks, that really helps
thanks, that really helps
Hard Hearts = Worthless Minds
"So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts." (Ephesians 4:17-18)As we jump into a week or so in the back half of Ephesians 4, Paul seems to be saying some pretty harsh things about these Gentiles. (That was the word for everyone who was not Jewish.) Paul is writing to Christians here, especially those who had not grown up as Jewish believers in the one true God.
People who worship others gods -- or no god -- cannot come to the right conclusions about the universe. All their best thinking is wasted because it starts in the wrong place. Without that understanding of God -- and of His Son -- they will always be separated from the truth. They've hardened their hearts to truth, to God, and even their most brilliant ideas lead to dead ends.
Paul wanted these new Christians (and us!) to catch something: Our lives should look radically different from the lives of those who do not know God. Why? Because we start from a wildly different understanding of . . . everything.
Think: How would you briefly describe the difference between your worldview and that of someone who has not trusted in Jesus for his or her salvation?
Pray: Ask God for the courage to live according to what you actually believe. Ask Him to help you not to live like those who have rejected Jesus.
Do: In the next week, we'll see some specifics about what it means for our outer life choices to reflect our inner faith in God. Write down one area of your life that you've thought maybe you should find a way to change.
