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Driven

 

What are you driven by?

Everyone is driven by something. There’s a thing inside the heart of every person that drives us. It’s what wakes us up in the morning. It’s what gnaws at our conscience at night. It’s what helps or hinders our relationships. There is a driving factor behind every decision we make which results in the actions we take as well. So what is it that drives you?

Is it money?
I’ve been in very close proximity with people who were greedy. It seemed every thought and action was driven by how much money they could make and what they could get from people. If your driving factor is money… newsflash… it has no eternal value. As a matter of fact, Jesus talked more about the idol of money than almost any other thing that could sit on your heart. Money is a great servant but a terrible master. Money is never satisfied. You’ll never have enough money… if money is your driving factor.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24 (NIV)

Is it sex?
This is another driving factor that I’ve seen in the lives of many people after pastoring for some time now. Sex, whether we’d like to admit it or not, drives the lives of many people because at it’s core is a deep longing to feel loved and accepted. So, people engage in sex but what they truly crave is intimacy. The problem is we are trying to solve a spiritual problem with a physical solution. No matter how much sex or food or whatever you feed that appetite, it will never be fully and finally satisfied.

Is it power?
Power means we can exercise control over people. It means that we get to be in charge. Power can go to your head real quick. I love what Abraham Lincoln said: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Power that isn’t checked by the fruit of the Spirit leads to pride and arrogance. Every destructive sin is birthed out of pride.

The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, But the idols will completely vanish. -Isaiah 2:17-18 (NASB)

Is it fear?
Fear drives the lives of many people without them even knowing it. Fear is so subtle that it works it’s way into every part of our life. Think about the reasons why we don’t do certain things. “I don’t want to step into this new ______________ because I’m not sure it will work out.” Fear can paralyze us to respond to God in faith. Taking a risk is a huge part of faith. Sometimes we disguise fear as “wisdom” thinking that we are being so “spiritual” but in fact we are in disobedience to what God has asked of us.

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. -Hebrews 10:38 (KJV)

Is it a relationship?
Many people are living everyday for a relationship. They get so focused on the person God may have given them that they forget to focus on God! Relationships can take the place of God so quickly because we spend our time trying to please this other person instead of pleasing the Lord. Unfortunately, this results in a co-dependent relationship and God wants our dependance on Him, not another created being.

What about being driven by faith?

Let’s take it a step further… what about being driven by eternity?

What a sobering thought. The actions we take on this earth may echo in the halls of eternity. What if we woke up everyday with eternity on our mind? How different our lives would be! We would look at life from an eternal perspective! I wrote a post on this subject a while back.

What drives you is what propels your life. Your motives are the fuel for your actions. If we get this fruit of the Spirit deep down in our souls then our lives will be driven by the Spirit of God. That’s where I want to be. I desperately want to be driven by God in my thoughts and actions. I’m not there yet but I do move towards that goal through intentional growth and time with God.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. -Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

I think about our ultimate example… Jesus. What was His drive? What motivated Him? You and I.

Jesus was driven by love. Love drove nails threw his hands and feet! Love drove Jesus to the cross! It was love that made a way for us when there was no way. LOVE is the ultimate motivator. We weren’t created to do anything for God. God doesn’t need our help. We were created to be loved by God. Everything we do is a response to this great love! At the end of my life, I want to be known as a person who was driven by eternity and love is what people felt when they were around me.

How about you? What is your driving factor?

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Fasting For Your Future

 

Have you ever been in a situation that just won’t change?

Life happens. Situations come and go. Things get challenging. Some things don’t ever seem to change. In life we all will have struggles but what if something is happening that you just can’t seem to change or control? What do you do when you don’t know what to do. It seems like you’ve tried everything and your faith is being tested. Ever been there?

I have… I’m there right now! Last week, I got to a place in my life where there were a few things I continued to notice that were bothering me spiritually. I couldn’t place my finger on it but I really felt like God was leading me to fast. Not a complete fast either (being void of food and water). Also not a water fast only (being void of food), but I felt He was leading me to do a Daniel fast for 21 days from Aug 1st – Aug 21st. This fast will be void of entertainment, social media scrolling, meats and sweets, obviously no alcohol, no sodas… basically water, fruits, veggies, nuts, protein shakes… that’s it. For me, this is what I need to do. For some of you it may be more or less but regardless of what you fast, what’s more important is why you are fasting. Fasting must forever center on God. It must be God-initiated and God-ordained. When we fast this way… power is produced!

This passage is so rich with insight! Check it out!

“And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Then Jesus answered and said,“O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them,“Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”” Matthew 17:14-21 NKJV

 

Within this passage we see a pretty well-known scripture… if you have faith as a mustard seed you can move mountains! Powerful right!?

Yes of course it’s powerful…. but right after that… however.

Jesus says, “However,”. Jesus is telling us that there is another secret to having spiritual authority and power in the earth. Prayer and fasting. I’m not sure how it happens but when I fast, God gets bigger. It’s like John the Baptist said about his cousin and Savior Jesus… I must decrease so that He may increase (John 3:30). When we fast, we strip away everything that seems to sustain us. The food, the habits, the entertainment, the information feed, the thing that brings you temporary comfort… whatever it is, that thing has to go for a season. All the things we fast aren’t inherently evil but when we take a break from them and fix our focus back on Jesus, we then come to the glowing realization that He is our sustainer and He is our comfort. Fasting reminds us that we are sustained “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Here’s the thing… it isn’t just fasting that produces power, it’s prayer! Some folks get so focused on fasting part they forget what they are supposed to be doing while NOT eating…. that’s pray! Your prayers are unhindered!

We can get amazingly different results in life if we start doing different and better things. Listen, fasting isn’t easy or glamorous. It’s not really even for anybody else to know about. It’s between you and the Lord. The only reason I’m even writing this to encourage you to do something different. I’m on my first day and my flesh is going crazy. I tend to get irritated or emotional because obviously I’m hungry but I also think it’s a purification and cleanse of all things that would bring temporary comfort or enjoyment. When you fast… the spiritual gets raw and real pretty quick! All of this is necessary though. It gets us to a place of ultimate humility and dependence on God… and really… that’s all that matters.

I encourage you to buy “The Celebration of Discipline” by Richard J. Foster written back in 1978. What a great book on each of the spiritual disciplines. The section on fasting is so rich with revelation. Of course, Jentzen Franklin has some great resources on fasting as well. My prayer is over the next 21 days… that God will show Himself to you in a new and fresh way and I also pray that you experience personal breakthrough at every level!

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70 x 7

 

Have you truly forgiven those that have hurt you?

Recently I’ve been discovering that the course of our life is set by the course of our hearts. Where our hearts are headed is where our lives will follow. If we want to be graceful people then we need to be full of grace. We are to be dispensing grace out of the overflow of our experience with that same grace. Eventually though we experience a radiating slice of pain and betrayal. I don’t care who you are… this happens to all of us. When it does happen… not if but when, how do we respond? I know I know… you’d prefer I not say someone is going to hurt you but the truth is Jesus had his Judas and the servant isn’t greater than the Master. So we may want to pay attention to learn how Jesus dealt with forgiveness.

I love this exchange between one of my favorite bible characters, Peter and Jesus. Check it out…

“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him,“I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV

I love this exchange and have pulled quite a bit out of it for a number of reasons. I love that we get to see the personality of Jesus. He uses hyperbole and just shows how He is the Master communicator! What I mean is, in Hebrew culture if you forgave someone three times then you would be considered extremely merciful. It would be pretty unheard of. So Peter thinking he’s going way beyond the legal limit of forgiveness in those days throws out the number seven. That’s pretty over the top for that context. So then Jesus jumps right back with the illustration of total forgiveness.

Wow. What a thought. Total forgiveness.

It’s what Jesus did for us.

The implications of this passage go far beyond overcoming hurt feelings. Forgiveness is vital to our souls. It’s what must pervade our hearts at all times! Unforgiveness produces bitterness; and bitterness is a poison that eats at your soul on a daily basis. I’ve seen how people live when they walk around offended and living with unforgiveness in their hearts. I’ve been there and let’s just say… it’s not a good look.

The rest of this passage (Matthew 18:23-35 NKJV) is so rich with insight but I really wanted to get to the main point of how important this is by talking about the last verse of this entire passage. So the parable Jesus is telling is how a ruler forgave the insurmountable debts of a servant but then that same servant turned around and did not forgive the a very tiny debt of a fellow servant. Well the ruler finds out and here’s what happens…

“Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”” Matthew 18:32-35 NKJV

I don’t know about you… but that last part concerns me. After doing quite a bit of research on that one verse it’s not clear whether unforgiveness has eternal implications but the fact that unforgiveness will produce pain in our lives is good enough for me! It says the master “delivered him to the torturers until he payed back all that was due to him.”

Living in bitterness is like living in torture.

We continue to repeat the offense over and over. We have those fake conversations with that person. We gather other people to our cause of being offended. We do everything we can to make sure everyone knows that we are hurt.

But honestly…. the truth is, we must release those who have hurt us. It doesn’t mean we become BFF’s or even have relationship with them. You must be your own person and create boundaries but those boundaries should not be constructed from bitterness. At the same time though, we should make amends for the pain we have caused others as well. Sometimes it may be well-received but for the most part, don’t expect someone you’ve hurt to be glad to hear from you.

In conclusion, when we walk in forgiveness, we walk in the love of God. My prayer for you is that you walk in freedom and that comes through forgiveness.

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Anything Goes

Some people just go along with anything.

Ever hear the saying, “You’ve got to get along to go along?” It’s a great saying about just getting along with people. The problem is some people just go along with anything. I’ve learned that if you go along with anything you will stand for nothing. Sometimes we have to be confrontative and stand up to certain situations and people. Now I’m not talking about political injustices or social movements, although those are important. Even more important though is you, your destiny, and those closest to you becoming everything God has called them and you to be.

Recently, I was in a text conversation with someone and everything they said to me was negative. Honestly it was not helpful to me personally moving forward in life in a blessed and fulfilling way. It was interesting though because after a few exchanges of me being annoyingly positive, and my comments filled with FAITH, they changed their tune. They probably realized I’m not going to agree with them about their funky opinion!

Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.   – Matthew 18:19 NKJV

The power of agreement is real. This is a verse I take literally and seriously. God will give us what we ask for. The key is faith, most of us have faith that our job is going to suck, that our spouse is subpar, our boss is an idiot, or that our situation will never change. What we have faith towards is what we get in life. We must, somewhere along the way, overcome this hump of negativity and “worst case scenario” in our minds and actually believe GOD for His very best! We should be trusting in Him that our heavenly Father has good things in store for us.

You don’t have to agree with everything someone says about you or to you! You have to come into agreement with the word of God about who you are. You are saved by the blood of Jesus and the work of the cross. You are filled with the greatest power in the universe; the Holy Spirit. You have the wisdom of God if you ask for it. You have the power to obtain wealth. You have been healed physically, emotionally, and psychologically by the stripes Jesus bore on his back. Understand this my friend, when we put ourselves in agreement with these statements, we become disgusted with anything that would differ.

The next time someone says something about you that is contrary to what God says about you, do yourself a favor and wholeheartedly disagree! Don’t just go along with anything, go along with with what God has said about you. The best is yet to come and that is something you can agree with!

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This Too Shall Pass

“This too shall pass” isn’t even in the Bible.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. -Matthew 24:35 ESV

I’ve heard this expression time and time again. Usually when I’m going through a tough time, some good-natured person will put their hand on my shoulder and say with all the conviction they can muster, “This too shall pass.” At first I’m encouraged but after further contemplation I think to myself… DUH! Of course it will pass! That’s what time does… it passes! Come to think of it this is one of the dumbest things someone can say…. Well thanks Captain Obvious! This too shall pass! Ha! I’m kidding of course but seriously where did this phrase come from?

Many people attribute this saying to the bible. The first known writing of the phrase is in Persian poetry in the 11th and 12th Century. Jewish Folklore attributes the phrase to a story about Solomon. Many other common sayings people attribute the Word of God as well like “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” or “Money is the root of all evil.” (it actually says the LOVE of money is the root of all evil) Many sayings that we adopt as the Word of God aren’t absolute truth at all. So one of my favorite things to do is debunk sayings like these so people don’t base their lifelong, permanent decisions on cultural sayings. We should base these decisions on God’s word and it’s up to us to search the scriptures out for ourselves.

Solomon wrote about how times and seasons pass away. This is the closest biblical example of “this too shall pass.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Sometimes “this too” doesn’t pass. Sometimes you have to deal with people or issues for a long time! Things pass when healing comes. Time doesn’t heal all wounds, Jesus does! Jesus brings the healing and we can actually expedite that healing by the condition of our hearts. Jesus always boils everything down to one thing in our lives; the condition of our hearts. Out of our hearts is where are actions flow, out of our hearts is where we speak from, out of our hearts is where healing happens… and eventually “this too shall pass” because of the condition of our hearts.

 

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4 Keys to Effective Relational Communication

Relationships are the key to a great life. Well, authentic relationships are the key to a great life.  I’ve had plenty of relationships, some good and some bad but I have learned in any relationship there are always ways to make it better. So what are the keys to a great relationship? The best way to make a relationship better is good communication. Whether you are in a romantic relationship or one that is a bit more casual, these 4 principles will help your relational communication.

1. Motive
Jesus said, “The overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks,” Every word we speak has a motive connected to it. Regardless of what we say or how we say it, again, every word has a true motive connected to it. The motive is either self-motivated or others-motivated. It’s either selfish or selfless. This why it’s so important to have integrity in our motives for being in relationships. Over the last 18 months, I’ve experienced such ridiculous relational fallout that I have now started to begin new relationships with people who have authenticity. I am literally done with fake, phony, polished people. If someone is too good to be true, they probably are. The motives we have should be for others. This is what God blesses.

Blessed are the PURE in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

2. Timing
They say in comedy, “Timing is everything.” It’s true in communication as well. If your friend or loved one is having a stressful moment, it’s probably not a good time to bring up more stressful news. Understanding timing in communication is crucial. This one principle can revolutionize your relationships. You can communicate bad news at the right time and everything will be fine. Finding the right time is more important than just having to get something off your chest. If you are striving to be in life-giving relationships then you must take timing into consideration.

3. Tone
How we say something is just as important as what and when we say it. I like to call it “packaging.” Delivering tough news can be a hard thing. Learning how to deliver it is vital. When we use the right tone it shows respect and honor for the other person. Taking the time to evaluate and lighten our tone will go further than just being direct and to the point.

4. Environment
Where we communicate is extremely important. To confront someone probably shouldn’t be done over dinner in a restaurant. When we choose the right environment we may have chosen the right outcome. If you think ahead and choose the right environment it will go a long way.

All these elements have to do with having relational intelligence. Relational intelligence isn’t something we’re born with. It truly takes time to develop. Developing relational intelligence means you have love, honor, and compassion for other people. It means you put forth effort into nurturing genuine relationships. This week I challenge you to develop relation intelligence in the are of communication.

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Just Go Ahead and Be Childish

 

Ever been accused of being childish?

Yeah me neither. Ha! But just for the sake of conversation, being called childish isn’t such a bad thing.

When we were little kids we all had dreams of becoming something great. Maybe when we were in kindergarten we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. Fireman, policeman, President… everybody has answers. Not just any answers but answers that are aspirational in nature. No one ever said they wanted to be average, divorced, addicted, depressed. Ever wonder why kids don’t answer that way? I have. I’m going to venture out and say that they answer that way because inside of us is a God-given hope for the future. Inside every one of us, God plants a seed and a glimmer of excitement for what could and should be. When children answer the question about the future it’s usually positive. As grown ups we look at that and think, “Aw how cute, how naive.” It’s because we’ve allowed life’s terms to become our terms. We’ve lost our unreason-ability to not accept what is. A few things about kids we need to remember is that they don’t accept reality, they dream big, they are unreasonable, and they have faith.

Matthew 18:3 NIV
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Obviously we shed the child-like tendencies that revolve around selfishness and immaturity but we should retain the stubbornness that comes with dreaming big. Somehow we’ve allowed life to beat us up and get us to believe we are less than what we’ve been created to be. It’s time become who we’ve always wanted to be. I know it sounds so simple and idealistic but how do we do that? How do we become the person we’ve always wanted to be? Just start. Start being the person you’ve always wanted to be. Respond the way the person you’ve wanted to be would respond. Act the way the person you’ve wanted to be would act. Speak the way the person you’ve wanted to be would speak. Live the way the person you’ve wanted to be would live.

Just go ahead be childish, be stubborn, dream big, don’t allow who you’ve always wanted be to die to who you’ve become.

Go ahead and be who you’ve always wanted to be.

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Beating Depression this Christmas

 

Christmas can be the most wonderful or the most awful time of year.

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). -Matthew 1:23 NIV

Ahhh the holidays… hot coffee, warm blankets, Christmas trees, the smells and the sights of the season of Christmas. We all know the reason for the season of Christmas is Jesus but there are all the trappings of Christmas that come as well. Some of these are most enjoyable like Elf and The Christmas Story and then the food like peanut butter fudge and chocolate chip cookies. Of course presents are nice too. But most of all it’s family, seeing and spending time to those closest to us. Unfortunately, this time of year can be painful for those who have experienced loss, hurt, divorce, or abuse in the family dynamic. The pain is real and processing it is important for us to make it a wonderful time of year. The great thing about this time of year is that we can make it wonderful or awful but it is completely up to us. I’m going to give you a few ways to help keep the joy in Christmas and to keep emotionally fit. It’s up to us to be happy.

Adjust Your Focus
If our focus is to have the picture perfect Christmas then we will be let down. Our focus should be on Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. Just like any other time of year, when we stay focused on God then our hearts are at peace.

Set the Right Expectations
We love the idea of a magical Christmas… all the Hallmark movies kind propagate this idea too. Maybe because of the day of Christmas everything can be healed and ok right? Well maybe, but it’s unlikely. Christmas can stir the emotions in us to want to forgive and be forgiven but we must set our expectations correctly. I’ve learned to set mine low on people but high on Jesus. Keeping our expectations realistic is healthy for us. Think about it, if the lost family member hasn’t reached out to you all year, they may not reach out to you on Christmas. If they do, great… but if they don’t, do not allow your emotions to be affected by their lack of care. This is where we must have faith. We pray and ask God to move on their hearts. This keeps our expectation on the Lord and not the person. People will always let us down but God never will.

Stop Comparing
Instagram and Facebook are definite emotion tweakers! Don’t compare someone’s highlight reel to your behind the scenes. What you see on social media isn’t the full picture. It’s just a snapshot. Don’t compare your Christmas experience to and Instagram picture. How silly! And don’t compare your Christmas experience to someone else’s either. Comparison is a killer. A killer of gratefulness, creativity, and your own experience. If we are constantly comparing our experience to someone else’s then we’ve actually missed out on our own experience! If you can’t stand not being on social media then maybe you need a break from it! I’d actually challenge you to not even look at it until 2016! This will help keep you happy, focused on your own life, and keep your emotions in check this Christmas.

Watch Your Appetites
With the holidays comes celebration. Most celebrations have alcohol. Watching our appetites in the area of consumption would do us well this Christmas. Obviously I’m a recovery advocate so I don’t partake in drinking, but many people do. An occasional glass of wine or beer isn’t going to do much harm but if you find yourself seeking solace from the bottle then you are sure to have a depressing holiday. Alcohol is a depressant naturally so of course it will affect your mood. There are different chemicals triggered in our brains that cause us to experience emotion. I know it’s not popular but instead of another helping of mashed potatoes or a cocktail, maybe we should hit the treadmill or go for a walk. Exercise produces the chemical serotonin which causes us to feel happy. Laughter also produces serotonin so maybe watching a comedy is a good way to go too! We need to know our triggers and avoid them.

This truly can be the most wonderful time of year, but it’s up to us to choose that! My prayer is… this Christmas you experience the joy of the birth of our Savior Jesus.

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Please leave your thoughts if you feel led and let’s continue the conversation! May God bless you!

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Authority Issues

You have authority because you are under authority.

I’ve learned over the years about many issues when it comes to leadership but today was another reminder of how important it is to understand the issues of authority. I’ve worked in many environments where authority was wielded properly and improperly. I’m thankful that I’m in an environment where authority is understood and isn’t wielded at all but instead is a life-giving environment that nurtures restoration instead of religion.

Jesus gives a great illustration on the topic of authority. In this passage, Jesus shows us that we have authority because we are under authority.

Matthew 8:5-13 NIV
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

This soldier submitted himself to Jesus in faith. Jesus complimented his faith because submission is an equivalent of trust. You have to trust those who have authority in your life. It’s an act of faith when you submit yourself to authority as well.

In the church, I’d venture to say that we have a misguided thought process of what “spiritual authority” looks like. Spiritual authority is given to us by God through the finished work of the cross, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The purpose of that authority is to take dominion in the earth. We have this to dominion over our flesh, our soul, over the devil, and any demonic activity that may try to crop up in our lives. The problem I’ve seen is that church leaders many times have used spiritual authority as a tool to leverage control and therefore manipulate people to do what they want them to do rather than what may be right. I’ve been in these situations more times than I care to remember and often I’ve made decisions based on control versus what I know God wants for me. It’s a delicate balance though because I’ve seen people make decisions based on what “God said” rather then getting good counsel from people God has truly placed in their lives.

It’s important for us to use this authority properly and to submit to it in a way that is humble and teachable.

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Please leave your thoughts if you feel led and let’s continue the conversation! May God bless you!

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Shut Yo Trap

Your words may trap you.

Being in ministry for over 20 years I’ve heard many stories about many people. I’ve counseled and been counseled. I’ve told secrets and been told secrets. I’ve heard some pretty crazy things. I’ve always been one to keep people’s garbage to myself though. A lot of people would be pretty embarrassed with the dirt I know about them but I choose to keep my mouth shut. After going through a few tumultuous seasons of my own and having folks who were closest to me, completely betray me, I’ve learned a great lesson. Keep yo trap shut.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 ESV
And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,

Minding our business is what the bible clearly instructs us to do but there’s always a little judge and attorney within us that wants to punish people for their sins. The problem with this is that God always makes it something that bites us in our own rear. I’ve seen it time and time again. When people have accused others of either the truth or lies, and have then levied on them consequences, typically, the punishment they’ve doled out comes back to them in some way. I wish it didn’t happen but God’s word is so clear when it comes to us trying to be judge, jury, and executioner.

Matthew 7:1-5 NIV
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Jesus is clear about the judgement that comes on us. The same judgement we use is the same judgement we reap. The same treatment we give others is the same treatment we receive. The same grace we give (OR DON’T GIVE) is the same we reap!

Galatians 6:7 NIV
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

What we must realize is that when we are so free to speak to others about someone else’s downfall we are hurting the very thing Jesus died for. People. People are what we hurt with our words, that’s why are words are a trap; they will trap us and trap others.

James 3:5-6 NIV
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

For our own personal safety it might be best if we reserve our judgements and consequences to ourself and to the Lord. I guess the old saying still rings true, “If you can’t say nuthin’ nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”

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  • Can you remember a time you were afflicted?
  • What was your response?
  • Are there people you need to repent to for gossip or sin against?

Please leave your thoughts if you feel led and let’s continue the conversation! May God bless you!

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