Who Am I to Judge?

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you
have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you
are condemning yourself, for you who judge other do these very same
things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does
such things. Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God
is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? (Romans 2:1-2;4
NLT).

Over dinner this week, our family had a discussion on a sensitive topic that has recently made national headlines. After laying out some of the specifics, I challenged our kids with the words, "so, what do you think?". Instantly, our 12 year old daughter, Shelby, responded with, "I don't see how we can judge them for that. It is not our place to judge." In one respect, her response startled me and in another respect, it encouraged me.

First, I was surprised by the passion in her position. The tone of her voice and her demeanor indicated that she was completely committed to this position. Second, I was encouraged that she had some very specific thoughts to why she held the position that she did. Thank you, Shelby, for your heart and for your thoughts.

As I thought about her response, the realization that God has not delegated to us the power to judge became very apparent. Judging is His job--not ours. After all, doesn't He know so much more about the specifics of a particular situation than we could ever know. Think about it--how many times do we jump to a particular conclusion without knowing all the facts. And with only a portion of the facts, how can we believe we know enough to form an opinion on the matter. Still, I admit, I am prone to form my own judgement without knowing all I need to know.

In the verses above, Paul, the author who penned God's wisdom into the book of the Bible referred to as Romans, reminds us that we are not to judge. He goes on to say that God's patience, tolerance, and kindness towards us should encourage us to treat others in a similar way.

So, when we come across something in our life that raises those judgemental thoughts, what are we to do? I encourage you to trust. Trust Him who knows so much more than you do. Trust Him who is in actually in control. Trust Him who knows that this situation may trip you up. Trusting Him is easier to say than it is to do. Give God a shot. He not only tells us not to judge, but also empowers us to live it out moment by moment in our life if we truly allow Him to live His life through ours.

Can I Do This?

But if the slave plainly says, "I love my master, my wife, and my
children; I will not go out as a free man," then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently. (Exodus 21:5-6).

The slave in this passage, after his ear was pierced, was commonly referred to as a bondservant. The slave's decision to "go under the awl" was a voluntary one and greatly influenced by the type of person the master was. His life proclaimed his passionate love for his master. His life, and now his piercing, left no doubt about his undivided and intense loyalty.

Have you exhibited a similar loyalty to your Master? No, I am not asking have you placed your ear against a doorpost. But, simply this, would people around you, those who you have consistent contact with, be surprised if you outwardly revealed that you are a Chrisitian? They shouldn't be surprised. Hopefully, it is evident in who God is creating you to be.

I encourage you to be bold in your loyalty to your Master. Allow Him to permeate all areas of your life. He desires all of you. You may ask, "[c]an I do this? There are areas of my life that I want to keep to myself." My answer--He knows already who you are and all that there is about you. Why not allow Him to take complete control of all aspects of your life! You follow a loving, compassionate, caring Master who truly has your best interests at heart. Give Him your loyalty.

Really, You are Not On an Island!

"Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? To be out of your
sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground,
you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, you'd find me in a minute--you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, 'Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I am immersed in the light!' It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you." (Psalm 139:7-12 Msg.).

The psalmist, through Gods revealed intent, makes it clear that we are never out of God's sight. Wherever we go, we cannot avoid His Spirit--whether it be "day" or "night".

Right now, at this very moment, wherever you are, whatever you are doing or thinking, God is right there with you. Is that a comforting thought? To me, it is. I know that whatever happens in my day, I am not walking the path alone. He is with me every step. In fact, Scripture makes it clear that, if I step aside, God lives through me throughout my day. As a good friend has said many times, "I am the glove--He is the hand inside."

But, how many times in your life have you felt as if you were on an island all by yourself? (Granted, in the short term, that concept my seem attractive given the stress and busyness that comes our way some days.) Sometimes, you feel that lonely feeling that you are facing life on this Earth all by your self. This feeling is a deception. The truth of the matter is that God is with you every step of the way. He promises "to never leave you or forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:8).

What great comfort that promise is! Whatever you are going through today--whether it is good or not so good--place your trust in the truth. The truth is--He is with you. And, He is completely trustworthy.

Thank you, Father, for your amazing promise that you will never
leave me alone. Whatever comes my way today, you know full well what your
plans are for me and that in all things you are drawing me closer to
you. I am content to be the glove. In your Son's
precious and glorious name, Amen!

Stay Strong.

A True Friend

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17 NASB).

I want to encourage you today to think about your friendships. Not just the people you know or have a casual acquaintance with, but those people that you share a deep connection and understanding with. Who are these people? And how did you get to this point in your friendship with them?

As Solomon notes in Proverbs, many times friendships grow deeper when confronted with some type of adversity or testing. Think about it--if a friendship has never been tested, how do you know it would survive that tough time? Please understand, I am not encouraging you to go out and purposely test all your friendships. After all, aren't there enough challenges in this world we live in without artificially creating more?

What I am saying is know full well that in the midst of adversity, God can use all things for good. (Romans 8:28). Maybe one of those good things is that your friendships will grow stronger and deeper. Speaking from my and my wife's experience after the ATV accident, the bonds between us and many of our friends were stretched and in that process made much, much stronger. We were extremely blessed by these friends. They knew just when to show up and what to do when we needed them the most. It was truly amazing to see God work in this regard and we are extremely grateful for and love each one.

Friendships don't just happen. They take time and effort. They start by opening yourself to others. Allow them into your life and to maybe see you when you are not at your best. That is what "sharing life" is all about--the good times and those not so good. Now is the time to pour your heart into others--not just to look ahead into the future, but to also make a difference in some one's life today.

Give thanks to God for the friends he has brought into your life. And if you don't have many friends, ask Him to bless your life with a few more.

Stay Strong.

The Lure of the Hook

"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15).

I had the opportunity last week to take my 9 year old son walleye fishing. We traveled the day prior to our planned fishing outing to Lake Oahe in central South Dakota. We were both eagerly anticipating getting out on the lake to try our hand at catching our limit. As things went, our limit was a long way off--in fact, we were each 4 fish shy of catching our limit of 4 fish.

Really, it was not about the fishing so much as it was getting away--just he and I for some one-on-one time. But, it sure would have been nice if we would have caught some fish.

After reflecting a bit on the trip, I began to think about the "lure of the hook." When fishing, a fish generally nips at a baited hook several times before aggressively attacking it. They must sense the surprise under the bait. But still, the fish keep coming back for more.

If they know that danger is so close, why do they keep going for the bait? I think it is because the lure is too delectable and it distorts their ability to think long-term (assuming fish can think long-term).

Isn't this kind of how we approach sin? Sin is a trap yet so often we continue to nibble on the bait thinking we won't get caught. Fish can't enjoy all the bait and avoid the hook. We are foolish to think we can mess with temptation and disobedience without the possibility of getting caught.

Are there certain things that lure you in? You know the danger, but still you go for the bait. God knows you have this weakness. And He is waiting for you to turn to Him with a surrendered heart that says, "I can't fight this on my own, but I know you can." Give it to God who can strengthen you to rely on Him to withstand the temptation and the deception of the lure. You don't have to fight the battle alone.

Stay Strong.

Commitment to Press On

My amazing 12-year old daughter, Shelby, has followed the TV show Jon and Kate Plus 8 since its inception. Our DVR is full of old episodes. For those of you that are not familiar with this show, it documents the day to day highlights and struggles of a family with two sets of multiple births--a set of twins, and a set of sextuplets. They have opened their lives like few people would want to.

Recently, she has been praying for the parents, Jon and Kate. Shelby's heart has been truly heavy since she heard that they were experiencing trials in their marriage. Now this week, they announced, on the show, that they are separating. Shelby was visibly upset about this. As a dad, I tried to console and comfort her. I hurt for her.

Daily, we hear of marriages that are falling or have fallen apart. But, it was truly sad to see such direct evidence of a marriage that is crumbling. I asked myself--why is it so easy today to just give up on a marriage. Why have we lost the desire to stand by the vows that were spoken at some earlier, happier point?

Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that marriage still matters. It is not something that you just through out when times get challenging. It is a commitment made to each other and before God that many find so easy to break. I ask you to not run from it. It is worth a fight to keep this commitment.

I love my wife. Next to my relationship with Jesus Christ, she is my priority. But, do we have challenging valleys in our marriage?--Yes, we do. We have found these challenging times make the sweet times that much sweeter. She is my best friend. The one I want to spend times with.

But, it does take work. Not our work, but the work of the Holy Spirit to guide our steps, our words, and our outlook. Our job is to allow Him to have center stage. And, really isn't that the spot reserved for God? How many times do we want center stage? But, that is not our spot! God cares deeply about your marriage. Why not give Him a shot to make your marriage what He intended it to be. What do you have to lose?

Your marriage is worth it. It is worth fighting for.

The Challenge of Credibility

How are you at keeping your word? Today, the man who truly keeps his word is rare. Failure to keep one's word puts a definite (and potentially permanent) strain on your capability of being believed or trusted. This capability is the true definition of credibility. When you make a promise to your wife, does she have to worry whether you will follow through? Do your kids trust you when you say you will meet them at such and such a time? When you reply to concern of someone with, "Yes, I'll pray for you"--do you? When you obligate yourself to pay a debt on time--do you? No one's perfect--but your consistent failure in this regard, puts a tarnish on your credibility.

God's guidance through the written word of Paul provides that "each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor." (Ephesians 4:25 NIV). Let me ask you this--what long-term gain do you see by not keeping your word. Maybe it will be less painful for you right now, but at what expense? And really, it's not all about you, is it?

So, when you mess up, what do you do? I encourage you to admit your failure to the person you promised something to and refuse to rationalize it away. You will be amazed at what you will gain by this.

Stay Strong.