Connect through commitment

by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

"A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)

The final key to connecting: Be committed to the relationship.

It takes a lot of time to build a deep connection with somebody. And it requires commitment. 

I could not count the number of times that either Kay or I have felt like walking out of our marriage, particularly in the early years. But we didn't. Why? Because we'd made a commitment to God. I am so glad that we did not give up. Today, my wife is my best friend and I cannot imagine my life without her. 

Some of you may be in a relationship right now that is hanging on by less than a thread. Some of you are already in the stage of physical separation. Do not give up. We have a miracle-working God. The same God that raises the dead can raise a dead relationship if you're willing to be changed.

But it takes a commitment.

The Bible says this in Proverbs 17:17: "A friend loves at all times." That means even when it's inconvenient, when you don't feel like it, even when the other person doesn't deserve it, even at personal cost. That's what real friendship is all about.

The Bible says in Proverbs 18:24 (NIV), "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." What does "a man of many companions may come to ruin" mean? Mere socializing can keep you from having deep relationships. You can be so busy making acquaintances that you never spend the time, energy and effort it takes to cultivate the deep, satisfying intimacy of a good friendship. 

You don't need a lot of friends to make it in this world but you do need a few good ones. One good friendship is better than ten thousand acquaintances. The acquaintances aren't going to be there in the crisis. Friends will. And every important close connection begins with a commitment.   

Who are you committed to? And who knows it? Have you gone to someone besides your spouse and said, "I just want you to know that I will always be there for you"? Have you ever established that kind of intentional commitment and said, "I want to grow close to you as a friend"? 

Here's the bottom line: You need people in your life who will be courageous, considerate, constructive, candid, confidential and committed. But there is only one way you're going to get people like this in your life: You have to be that kind of friend first.

A Fox in the Henhouse

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Galatians 6:7-8

I have been a Magic Johnson basketball fan ever since he made All-American at Michigan State. Magic was a champion without arrogance, an MVP without a peer.

And then, in one day, that love affair turned sour for some of us. We sat stunned. Magic had HIV! And to make the unbelievable hurt even more, he openly admitted that he had been promiscuous with numerous women. As he told Sports Illustrated: "The problem is that I can't pinpoint the time, the place, or the woman. It's a matter of numbers. . . . I confess that after I arrived in L.A., in 1979, I did my best to accommodate as many women as I could—most of them through unprotected sex."

Will someone please point out to me how those words resulted in such an avalanche of praise and approval, admiration and sympathy? While all the world seems impressed, I am both saddened and angry. Another national hero had been caught with his pants down . . . and now suffers the consequences.

At the risk of sounding terribly severe and perhaps unsympathetic, I must remind you that God's warning came over nineteen hundred years ago and has been true ever since mankind has inhabited this old planet: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption" (Gal. 6:7-8).

Am I concerned over the AIDS epidemic? You bet your life I am. Do we need to warn the public and use every means possible to find ways to combat the disease? Absolutely.

But if we're looking for individuals who have the right to speak publicly, let's choose those who really have been victimized, like innocent folks who were given contaminated blood transfusions or the innocent children who were born with it or brokenhearted parents whose homes have been ripped apart as they helplessly watch their son or daughter die. These and others like them are the real victims of the AIDS virus. Their words will carry far more weight than some athletic fox who spent too much time in the henhouse.

"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray us / In deepest consequence" 
(William Shakespeare).

How About 99.9%?

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Romans 4:4-5; Psalm 103

When the Ritz-Carlton Hotels won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the owner of that outstanding organization, Mr. William Johnson, stated that now they would need to work even harder to earn the respect that came with the award. "Quality," he said, "is a race with no finish line."

He is correct. Competitive excellence requires 100% all of the time. Ever tracked the consequences of "almost but not quite"? According to some fine research by Natalie Gabal, if 99.9% were considered good enough, then this year alone . . . 2,000,000 documents would be lost by the IRS; 12 babies would be given to the wrong parents each day; 291 pacemaker operations would be performed incorrectly; 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions would be written (to cite just a few examples).

Instead of applying this negatively to the practical side of life, I'd much rather compare it positively to the theological. Remember that forgotten word "justification"? Justification is the sovereign act of God whereby He declares righteous the believing sinner while that person is still in a sinning state. He doesn't suddenly make us righteous (we still sin). He declares us righteous. How righteous does God declare us? One hundred percent righteous. Stop and think: Upon believing in Jesus Christ's substitutionary death and bodily resurrection, the once-lost sinner is instantly, unconditionally, and permanently "declared 100% righteous." Anything less and we are not righteous . . . we're almost righteous.

If we were declared 99.9% righteous, some verses would have to be rewritten. Like Isaiah 1:18, which might then read: "'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD, 'though your sins are as scarlet, they will be light pink.'"

Nonsense! The promise of sins forgiven is all or nothing. Unlike the earthly race for excellence, the race against sin had a finish line. Otherwise, when Jesus breathed His last breath, He would've said, "It is almost finished." And we would have to keep working at it, adding to something Christ didn't finish at the cross.

Let's never, ever forget that God is into "white as snow," not light pink.

If Christ had paid 99.9% of the debt of sin,
not one of us would have a chance at heaven.

The Final Toll

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Romans 14:7-9

Sleep came hard for me last night. Earlier that evening, Cynthia and I had read together a letter from our long-time friend Wally Norling, who had just returned from the bedside of Betty, his "loving partner in life for forty-two years." Betty is dying of cancer of the liver, and Wally's letter, written in the midst of that, was a gracious, understated masterpiece of faith.

I lay there wide awake, reviewing the forty-plus years Cynthia and l have had together. I thought about those innocent early years, which seemed so tough back then. Years of enforced separation (thanks to the military), of a career change, of graduate school, of financially lean times, of learning and growing closer together.

Then came our child-bearing years—wonderful years, so incredibly surprising to both of us. The loss of two precious children by miscarriage, the healthy births of four. Yes, four! The simple joys of tent camping, of early schooling, of struggling with "finding myself" in pulpit style. Discovering much of what "being a pastor" meant. All the while, Cynthia was right there . . . understanding, affirming, being mother to our children and partner with me, assuring me that it was worth all the effort. Though she never bragged about it, l know she prayed me through many a sermon. As I improved, I got the credit, but she deserved the applause. As the song goes, she was the wind beneath my wings . . . and boy, did I need healthy gusts at times! Still do.

Read the rest…

We know God's Truth Jesus Christ

by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NLT)

The Bible says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Truth is not a principle. Truth is a person; truth is Jesus Christ.

One of the clearest and best-known statements by Jesus is: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, NLT)

Notice Jesus says, "I and the truth ...." He doesn't say truth is a religion, or a ritual, or a set of rules and regulations. He says "I." Truth is a person.

This is what separates Jesus Christ from every other leader of every other faith. Other leaders have said, "I'm looking for the truth" or "I'm teaching the truth" or "I point to the truth" or "I'm a prophet of truth." Jesus comes and says, "I am the truth."

A lot of people say, "I think Jesus was just a great teacher." But he couldn't be just that: No great teacher would claim to be God if he wasn't. Either Jesus is conning 2.3 billion people who believe a lie, or he was nuts, or Jesus is who he said he was.

Everybody's betting their life on something. I'm betting my life that Jesus is who he said he was.

What do you do with the truth once you've discovered it? Four things:

1. Believe the truth!

2. Do the truth -- Truth is not just an intellectual exercise; it's something you obey.

3. Stand for the truth -- The Bible tells us our responsibility is to never oppose the truth but to stand for it at all times.

4. Spread the truth.

The Bible says, "Let everything you do reflect your love of the truth and the fact that you were in dead earnest about it." (Titus 2:7) There's a lot in the Bible that I don't understand and that makes me uncomfortable. But the fact is, it is the truth. It is a map that always takes me where it promises.

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!'" (John 14:6-7, NLT)

We Know God's Truth through Careful Consideration

by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Proverbs 4:26 (HCSB)

When you tell God, "I want the truth more than anything else," he will reveal his truth to you in a variety of ways, such as through creation or your conscience and also through careful consideration.

In other words, truth is knowable. You can test it; you can experiment with it; you can prove it.

If I want to go to San Francisco and I follow a map that takes me to San Francisco, and the next week I follow the same map to San Francisco again, eventually I figure out that the map is true.

The same is true of the Bible: If you follow its map again and again, you'll find it to be true. It always takes you where it says it's going to take you. You may not always like where it takes you, but it always takes you where it says it's going to take you.

Often people say, "Why won't God just write it in the sky?" Why would God do that? He gave you a brain. But most people never slow down long enough for such careful consideration. Most people just drift through life.

The Bible tells us, "Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established." (Proverbs 4:26, HCSB)

Spend some time in careful consideration, in thoughtful observation, and ask yourself: "Am I on a true path?"

God's Provision in Your Life – 2/15/10

by Adrian Rogers at crosswalk.com

"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11

A philosopher once said, "To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough."

What most people want is to have some money in the bank —  to have something there so whatever tomorrow brings, they'll not have to worry about it. We call that security.

Question: Is that really security? Who is more secure — the man who has a warehouse full of stale bread that the rats or thieves can get, or the man who has a father who is a very, very rich baker?

Begin your prayer time today with the Lord's Prayer and ask Him to help you to be content. Bow before Him in humble adoration of His provision in your life. Then share the Bread of Life with someone who is hungry today.

The Importance of Character and Integrity – Christian Devotional – 2/12/10

by Adrian Rogers at crosswalk.com

"The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him." Proverbs 20:7

This world says, "If we could just arrange conditions so that we never had any sorrow, pain, or hurts, then we could change men. If we can change conditions, then we can change character."

But the Bible teaches just the opposite. The world puts the emphasis on conditions. God puts the emphasis on character.

Someone has well said, "You can't purify the water by painting the pump." And yet that's what we try to do. We think that if we can change the exterior or make conditions such that we never have any hurts, then we're going to be okay. But Jesus put the emphasis upon character — on what you are, not what you have.

Is there someone in your life that you admire? Someone who is a person of integrity? Praise God for His work in that person's life and give him or her a word of encouragement today.

Fear – Christian Devotional – 2/11/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Psalm 27; 2 Timothy 1:7; Isaiah 51:12-16

We were rapidly descending through a night of thick fog at 200 miles per hour, but the seasoned pilot of the twin-engine Aero Commander was loving every dip, roll, and lurch. At one point he looked over at me, smiled, and exclaimed, "Hey, Chuck, isn't this great?" I didn't answer. As the lonely plane knifed through the overcast pre-dawn sky, I was reviewing every Bible verse I'd ever known and re-confessing every wrong I'd ever done. It was like hurtling 200 miles an hour down the Santa Ana Freeway with a white bedsheet wrapped across the windshield and your radio turned up just beneath the threshold of audible pain.

I couldn't believe my companion-in-flight. He was whistling and humming like it was all a bike ride through the park. His passenger, however, had ten fingernails imbedded in the cushion. I stared longingly for something—anything—through the blanket of white surrounding us. Our flight record may have indicated two passengers on that eerie Monday morning, but I can vouch for at least three. An unyielding creature called Fear and I shared the same seat.

Drifting in through cracks in the floorboards or filtering down like a chilling mist, the fog called Fear whispers omens of the unknown and the unseen. Surrounding individuals with its blinding, billowy robe, the creature hisses, "What if . . . what if?" One blast of its awful breath transforms saints into atheists, reversing a person's entire mind-set. Its bite releases a paralyzing venom in its victim, and it isn't long before doubt begins to dull the vision. To one who falls prey to this attack, the creature displays no mercy. As we fall, it steps on our face with the weight of a Sherman tank . . . and laughs at our crippled condition as it prepares for another assault.

Fear. Ever met this beast? Sure you have. It creeps into your cockpit by a dozen different doors. Fear of failure. Fear of heights. Fear of crowds. Fear of disease. Fear of rejection. Fear of unemployment. Fear of what others are saying about you. Fear of moving away. Fear of height or depth or distance or death. Fear of being yourself. Fear of buying. Fear of selling. Fear of financial reversal. Fear of war. Fear of the dark. Fear of being alone.

Lurking in the shadows around every imaginable corner, it threatens to poison your inner peace and outward poise. Bully that it is, the creature relies on scare tactics and surprise attacks. It watches for your vulnerable moment, then picks the lock that safeguards your security. Once inside, it strikes quickly to transform spiritual muscle into mental mush. The prognosis for recovery is neither bright nor cheery.

David's twenty-seventh psalm, however, is known to contain an unusually effective antitoxin. With broad, bold strokes, the monarch of Israel pens a prescription guaranteed to infuse iron into our bones. He meets Fear face-to-face at the door of his dwelling with two questions:

Whom shall I dread? 
Whom shall I fear?

He slams the door in Fear's face with the declaration:

My heart will not fear . . . In spite of this I shall be confident. 
(Psalm 27:3)

He then whistles and hums to himself as he walks back into the family room, kitchen, office, or bedroom, reminding himself of the daily dosage required to counteract Fear's repeated attacks:

PRAYER: I have asked from the Lord (v. 4). 
VISION: I behold the beauty of the Lord (v. 4). 
GOD'S WORD: I meditate in His temple (v. 4). 
GOD'S PROTECTION: In the day of trouble He will conceal me/hide me/lift me (v. 5). 
MOMENT-BY-MOMENT WORSHIP: I will sing (v. 6). 
REST: I had believed . . . wait for the Lord (vv. 13-14). 
DETERMINATION: Let your heart take courage (v. 14).

Oh, how I needed this prescription in that dark cockpit as we dropped thousands of feet through the fog. Could it be that a cold overcast obscures your horizons right now? Tell you what—let's share the same seat and relax for a change. God's never missed the runway through all the centuries of fearful fog. But you might fasten your seat belt, friend. It could get a little rough before we land.

Gathering in His Name – Christian Devotional – 2/10/10

by Adrian Rogers at crosswalk.com

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20

There's something wonderful about the unity we experience when we are together. I heard about a fellow who courted a girl by writing her a beautiful love letter every day for two years. He thought that would be a wonderful way to court her.

Do you know what happened? She married the mail carrier! There's nothing like being there.

There is nothing like personal contact. There is a sense in which Jesus Christ is present when His people gather that cannot be experienced any other way. You cannot get it the same way at home.

Do you have a church home? If not, I encourage you to find one today.

If church attendance isn't that important, then I wonder: why does Satan work so hard to keep folks away? If you do have a church home, make a special effort this week to meet a new friend and find a need they have which you can meet.

Growing Old – Christian Devotional – 2/9/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Proverbs 16:31; Psalm 92:14; Isaiah 46:4; Titus 2:2-3

Growing old, like taxes, is a fact we all must face. Now, you're not going to get me to declare when growing up stops and growing old starts—not on your life! But there are some signs we can read along life's journey that suggest we are entering the transition (how's that for diplomacy?).

Physically, the aging "bod" puts on the brakes. You begin to huff and puff when you used to rip and zip. You prefer to sit more than stand . . . to watch more than to do . . . to forget your birthday rather than remember it! Mentally, the aging brain longs for relief. You can't remember like you used to, and you don't respond like you ought to. You start thinking more about yesterday and tomorrow and less about today.Emotionally, you undergo strange fears and feelings you once swore would "never occur in me," such as:

• Being negative, critical, and downright ornery at times. 
• Being reluctant to let those who are younger carry more responsibility.
• Feeling unwanted and "in the way." 
• Preoccupied with "what if" rather frequently. 
• Feeling guilty over previous mistakes and wrong decisions. 
• Feeling forgotten, unloved, lonely, and passed by. 
• Threatened by sounds, speed, financial uncertainty, and disease. 
• Resisting the need to adjust and adapt.

All this—and there is much more—is worsened by the memory of those days when you once were so very efficient, capable, needed, and fulfilled. As you look into the mirror, you're forced to admit that the fingers of age have begun to scratch their marks upon your house of clay . . . and it's hard to believe your twilight years could be of any worth.

How wrong! How terribly wrong! How destructive such thoughts can be! How quickly such thinking can sentence you to the prison cell of self-pity surrounded by the four bleak walls of doubt, depression, uselessness, and grief.

God's patriarchs have always been among His choicest possessions. Abraham was far more effective once he grew old and mellow. Moses wasn't used with any measure of success until he turned eighty. Caleb was eighty-five when he began to enjoy God's best goals. Samuel was old, old when the God of Israel led him to establish the "school of the prophets," an institution that had a lasting influence for spirituality and godliness in the centuries to come. And who could deny the way God used Paul during his last days on his knees, writing words of encouragement in letters we cherish today!

No one fails to see that growing old has its difficulties and heartaches. It does, indeed. But to see only the hot sands of your desert experience and miss the lovely oases here and there (though they may be few) is to turn the latter part of your journey through life into an arid, tasteless endurance which makes everyone miserable.

Please don't forget—God has decided to let you live this long. Your old age is not a mistake . . . nor an oversight . . . nor an afterthought. Isn't it about time you cooled your tongue and softened your smile with a refreshing drink from the water of God's oasis? You've been thirsty a long, long time.

Resentment – Christian Devotional – 2/8/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at Crosswalk.com

2 Timothy 2:24; Hebrews 12:14, 15; James 3:14-16; 1 John 2:9-11

Leonard Holt was a paragon of respectability. He was a middle-aged, hard-working lab technician who had worked at the same Pennsylvania paper mill for nineteen years. Having been a Boy Scout leader, an affectionate father, a member of the local fire brigade, and a regular church-goer, he was admired as a model in his community. Until . . .

. . . that image exploded in a well-planned hour of bloodshed one brisk October morning. Holt decided to mount a one-man revolt against the world he inwardly resented. A proficient marksman, he stuffed two pistols into his coat pockets—a .45 automatic and a Smith and Wesson .38—before he drove his station wagon to the mill. Parking quietly, he gripped a gun in each fist, then slowly stalked into the shop. He started shooting with such calculated frenzy that it resembled a scene out of "Gunsmoke." He filled several of his fellow workmen with two and three bullets apiece, firing more than thirty shots in all . . . deliberately killing some of the men he had known for over fifteen years. When a posse was formed to capture the man, they found him standing in his doorway, snarling defiantly:

"Come and get me, you _________; 
I'm not taking any more of your _______."

Total bewilderment swept over the neighborhood. Puzzled policemen and friends finally discovered a tenuous chain of logic behind his brief reign of terror. Down deep within the heart and soul of Leonard Holt rumbled intense resentment. The man who had appeared like a monk on the outside was seething with murderous hatred within. A subsequent investigation led officials to numerous discoveries yielding such evidence. Several of the victims had been promoted over him while he remained in the same position. More than one in his car pool had quit riding with him due to his reckless driving. A neighbor had been threatened, then struck by Holt after an argument over a fallen tree. The man was brimming with resentful rage that could be held in check no longer.

Beneath his picture in Time magazine, the caption told the truth:

RESPONSIBLE, RESPECTABLE— 
AND RESENTFUL

So it is with resentment. Allowed to fester through neglect, the toxic fumes of hatred foam to a boil within the steamroom of the soul. Pressure mounts to a maddening magnitude. By then it's only a matter of time. The damage is always tragic, often irreparable:

• a battered child 
• a crime of passion 
• ugly, caustic words 
• loss of a job 
• a runaway 
• a bad record 
• domestic disharmony 
• a ruined testimony

None of this is new. Solomon described the problem long ag

Pretty words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a common clay pot. 
A man with hate in his heart may sound pleasant enough, but don't believe him; for he is cursing you in his heart. Though he pretends to be so kind, his hatred will finally come to light for all to see. 
(Proverbs 26:23-26, TLB)

The answer to resentment isn't complicated, it's just painful. It requires honesty. You must first admit it's there. It then requires humility. You must confess it before the One who died for such sins. It may even be necessary for you to make it right with those you have offended out of resentful bitterness. Finally, it requires vulnerability—a willingness to keep that tendency submissive to God's regular reproof, and a genuinely teachable, unguarded attitude.

Nobody ever dreamed Leonard Holt had a problem with resentment. And nobody dreams you do either.

Not yet . . . 

Christian Calling – 2/5/10

 
The word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:4-5 - Additional prayer and thoughts at heartlight.org

Pro-abortionists are pro-choice except for Pam Tebow's choice!

Your Habits Define Your Character

Posted by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. 1 Timothy 4:15 (GW)

While you were given a brand new nature at the moment of conversion, you still have old habits, patterns, and practices that need to be removed and replaced.

Let go of the fears that keep you from growing -- The truth will set us free but it often makes us miserable first. The fear of what we might discover if we honestly faced our character defects keeps us living in the prison of denial. Only as God is allowed to shine the light of his truth on our faults, failures, and hang-ups can we begin to work on them. This is why you cannot grow without a humble, teachable attitude.

Stop basing your identity around your 'defects' -- We say, "It's just like me to be ..." and "It's just the way I am." The unconscious worry is that if I let go of my habit, my hurt, or my hang-up, who will I be? This fear can definitely slow down your growth.

As I wrote yesterday, good habits take time to develop. Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can't claim to be kind unless you are habitually kind—you show kindness without even thinking about it. You can't claim to have integrity unless it is your habit to always be honest. A husband who is faithful to his wife most of the time is not faithful at all! Your habits define your character.

There is only one way to develop the habits of Christlike character: You must practice them—and that takes time! There are no instant habits. Paul urged Timothy, "Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress." (1 Timothy 4:15 GW)

Christian Calling 2-4-10

“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:1-2 (from heartlight.org)

“Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.” Jerry Bridges

INCREDIBLE! Man Who Attacks Pope as Hurting People in the Name of Jesus Gets Appointed to Oversee Faith-Based Initiatives

The Final Priority – Christian Devotional – 2/4/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Matthew 12:33-37; John 17:20-26; 1 John 4:7-21

Somebody copied the following paraphrase from a well-worn carbon in the billfold of a thirty-year veteran missionary. With her husband, she was on her way to another tour of duty at Khartoum, Sudan. No one seems to know who authored it, but whoever it was captured the essence of the greatest essay on love ever written.

If I have the language ever so perfectly and speak like a pundit, and have not the love that grips the heart, I am nothing. If I have decorations and diplomas and am proficient in up-to-date methods and have not the touch of understanding love, I am nothing.

If I am able to worst my opponents in argument so as to make fools of them, and have not the wooing note, I am nothing. If I have all faith and great ideals and magnificent plans and wonderful visions, and have not the love that sweats and bleeds and weeps and prays and pleads, I am nothing.

If I surrender all prospects, and leaving home and friends and comforts, give myself to the showy sacrifice of a missionary career, and turn sour and selfish amid the daily annoyances and personal slights of a missionary life, and though I give my body to be consumed in the heat and sweat and mildew of India, and have not the love that yields its rights, its coveted leisure, its pet plans, I am nothing, nothing. Virtue has ceased to go out of me.

If I can heal all manner of sickness and disease, but wound hearts and hurt feelings for want of love that is kind, I am nothing. If I write books and publish articles that set the world agape and fail to transcribe the word of the cross in the language of love, I am nothing. Worse, I may be competent, busy, fussy, punctilious, and well-equipped, but like the church at Laodicea—nauseating to Christ.

How about you and me committing ourselves to a life like this . . . a life that amounts to something . . . rather than nothing.

Each new day God brings our way is a fresh opportunity. 

Christian Calling – 2/3/10

ACTION Alert! Please Sign The Manhattan Declaration

Top 10 Articles of January 2010 - Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff: Is God mad at Haiti? Does God always speak? How do we really "wrestle in prayer"? Read more about spiritual life, pop culture, and current events in this month's top 10.

I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. -- Psalm 59:16

 

Let Christ stay throughout the meal.  Don't dismiss Him with the blessing. ~ Unknown 

Doing vs. Being – Christian Devotional – 2/3/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at Crosswalk.com

Ecclesiastes 2:11; 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16

My high school graduating class had its thirtieth anniversary reunion a number of summers ago. I'm sure they had a ball. A blast would better describe it, knowing that crowd. You gotta understand the east side of Houston back in the 1950s to have some idea of that explosive student body . . . a couple of thousand strong and a lot of 'em mean as a junkyard dog with a nail in his paw.

Since I wasn't able to attend the reunion, I decided to blow the dust off my yearbook and stroll down nostalgia lane. Faces aroused smiles and stories as one memory after another washed over me. Funny, I remembered a project we seniors were given before the yearbook went to press back in '52. We were asked to think about the next twenty years and answer, "What do I want to do?" The plan was to record our dreams and goals in the yearbook, then evaluate them when we met again at each subsequent reunion . . . you know, sort of a decade-by-decade checkup. Some of the goals are not fitting to repeat, but some are both interesting and revealing.

Several said: "Make a million bucks."

Others:

• "Win all-American honors and play professional football." 
• "Be the concertmaster of a symphony orchestra." 
• "Finish medical school and have a practice in Honolulu." 
• "Become the world heavyweight boxing champion." 
• "Make a living writing short stories, plays, and novels." 
• "Travel abroad as a news correspondent." 
• "Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse."

All sorts of goals. Some admirable, some questionable, some crazy, a few stupid.

Without wanting to sound needlessly critical, as I look back over three decades, I think we were asked to answer the wrong question. What we want to do is not nearly as important as what we want to be. And the longer I live the more significant that becomes. It's possible to do lots of things yet be zilch as a person.

Doing is usually connected with a vocation or career, how we make a living. Being is much deeper. It relates to character, who we are, and how we make a life. Doing is tied in closely with activity, accomplishments, and tangible things—like salary, prestige, involvements, roles, and trophies. Being, on the other hand, has more to do with intangibles, the kind of people we become down inside, much of which can't be measured by objective yardsticks and impressive awards. But of the two, beingwill ultimately outdistance doing every time. It may take half a lifetime to perfect . . . but hands down, it's far more valuable. And lasting. And inspiring.

Remember those familiar words from Colossians 3? Twice we read, "Whatever you do . . . whatever you do . . ." (Colossians 3:17, 23). It's almost as if the Lord is saying, "Makes no difference what it is, whatever you do . . . " But then He immediately addresses things that have to do with being. Like being thankful, being considerate, being obedient, being sincere, being diligent. Same pattern—God emphasizes being more than doing.

So then, are you giving thought these days to things that count? I hope so. Goal-setting and achieving are important, especially if we are in need of being motivated. Moving in the right direction is a great way to break the mold of mediocrity. It's helpful to ask, "What do I want to do?"

But while you're at it, take a deeper look inside. Ask yourself the harder question, "What do I want to be?" Then listen to your heart . . . your inner spirit. True treasures will emerge. Pick one or two to start with. Don't tell anybody, just concentrate some time and attention on that particular target. Watch God work. It will amaze you how He arranges circumstances so that the very target you and He decided on will begin to take shape within you. Sometimes it will be painful; other times, sheer joy. It won't happen overnight, but that's a major difference between doing and being. One may take only twenty years; the other, the better part of your lifetime.

One can be recorded in a yearbook and is easily forgotten; but the other requires a lifebook, which is on display forever. 

No Shortcuts to Christian Maturity – Christian Devotional – 2/2/10

by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT)

It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time.

When you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. In America, tomatoes are usually picked unripened so they won't bruise during shipping to the stores. Then, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly.

While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow. God views our lives from and for eternity, so he is never in a hurry.

Billy Graham associate Lane Adams once compared the process of spiritual growth to the strategy the Allies used in World War II to liberate islands in the South Pacific. First they would "soften up" an island, weakening the resistance by shelling the enemy strongholds with bombs from offshore ships.

Next, a small group of Marines would invade the island and establish a "beachhead"—a tiny fragment of the island that they could control. Once the beachhead was secured, they would begin the long process of liberating the rest of the island, one bit of territory at a time.

Eventually the entire island would be brought under control, but not without some costly battles.

Adams drew this parallel: Before Christ invades our lives at conversion, he sometimes has to "soften us up" by allowing problems we can't handle. While some open their lives to Christ the first time he knocks on the door, most of us are resistant and defensive. Our pre-conversion experience is Jesus saying, "Behold I stand at the door and bomb!"

The moment you open yourself to Christ, God gets a "beachhead" in your life. You may think you have surrendered all your life to him, but the truth is, there is a lot to your life that you aren't even aware of. You can only give God as much of you as you understand at that moment. That's okay.

Once Christ is given a beachhead, he begins the campaign to take over more and more territory until all of your life is completely his. There will be struggles and battles, but the outcome will never be in doubt. God has promised that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."  (Philippians 1:6, NIV)

The Case Against Vanilla – Christian Devotional – 2/1/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at Crosswalk.com

Genesis 12:1-8; Joshua 14:1-15; Psalm 33:3

I cannot imagine anything more boring and less desirable than being poured into the mold of predictability as I grow older. Few things interest me less than the routine, the norm, the expected, the status quo. Call it the rebel in me, but I simply cannot bear plain vanilla when life offers so many other colorful and stimulating flavors. A fresh run at life by an untried route will get my vote every time—in spite of the risk. Stay open-minded for a moment and I'll try to show you why.

John Gardner once pointed out that, by their mid-thirties, most people have stopped acquiring new skills and new attitudes in any aspect of their lives. Does that jolt you? Stop and think, you who are over thirty. How long has it been since you acquired a new skill? How many brand-new attitudes have you adopted—personal, political, social, spiritual, financial—since you turned thirty?

Let's probe a little deeper. Do you drive to work the same way every morning? Are you compelled to approach a problem the identical way every time? Does a maverick (even wild) idea challenge you or cause you to retreat into the security of your shell? Have you lost that enthusiastic zest for discovery and adventure?

Say, you're older than you thought. You're older than you ought! God has arranged an "abundant life" for you, but it's slipping past. You're fast becoming addicted to the narcotic of predictability . . . and the longer you persist, the greater will be the pain of withdrawal.

Living and learning are linked; so are existing and expiring. Each day delivers a totally new set of circumstances and experiences. The same hours and minutes which capture the wonder of a child may deepen the rut of an adult.

Ever watched a preschooler's approach to life? His constant curiosity and probing inquisitiveness make every day completely fresh and exciting. To him, learning is natural; to the adult, it's a nuisance.

"Well," you rationalize, "I'm just too set. That's the way I am . . . you can't change me."Who can't change you? God? Like Israel of old, this sort of thinking puts limits on the Lord, discounting His power and denying His presence. Settling down to the hum-drum, bland diet of tasteless existence is a sure invitation for slackness and indolence to invade and plague your dwelling.

"So how do I break out?" you ask. "I guess I could row to Hawaii in a four-foot dinghy or schedule a February vacation in Iceland . . . maybe the family could tackle Everest this summer. . . ." 

Unnecessary! Life abounds with everyday problems needing transformation into creative projects. Try taking life by the throat and achieve mastery over a few things that have haunted and harassed you long enough. Or—how about a course at a nearby school this year . . . or a serious study of some subject all on your own. Why not broaden yourself in some new way to the greater glory of God?

Remember our old friend, Caleb? He was eighty-five and still growing when he gripped an uncertain future and put the torch to the bridges behind him. At a time when the ease and comfort of retirement seemed predictable, he fearlessly faced the invincible giants of the mountain. Read Joshua 14 again. There was no dust on that fella. Every new sunrise introduced another reminder that his body and rocking chair weren't made for each other. While his peers were yawning, Caleb was yearning.

Every one of us was poured into a mold . . . but some are "moldier" than others. If you are determined and work quickly, you can keep the concrete of predictability from setting rock-hard up to your ears. Then again, if the risks and potential dangers of sailing your ship in the vast oceans of uncertainty make you seasick, you'd better anchor yourself near the shallow shore of security. Concrete sinks fast, you know.