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So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. Ephesians 4:25 (NLT)
The foundation of any relationship is honesty. Like any building, if the foundation isn’t built on solid ground, the entire building will crumble regardless of the skills of the architect and the builder. In the same way, relationships built on passion alone, or money or ‘having things in common’ are only as strong as the amount of honesty between the parties in the relationship.
‘Thou shalt not lie’ is much more than one of the Ten Commandments. It’s foundational to our social, political and spiritual well being. Even so, it’s dishonesty that comes naturally to us and destroys even the best of relationships.
Lies. They come in all sizes shapes and colors. We consider ‘little white lies’ as being harmless. We see lies about our sexuality, bank account size, income and religious or political beliefs as being major or even immoral.
So where does true honesty start? True honesty begins in the heart of each of us. Until we are honest with ourselves we can never hope to be honest with others. In their book “Telling Yourself the Truth” William Backus and Marie Chapain tell us ‘most of what happens in your life happens because of the way you think.’ The way you think of yourself is the foundation of how you think of others.
A 2007 study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that the number of suicides in the USA was double the number of homicides! It’s safe to say that a majority of those taking their own lives believed lies about themselves. Lies they conjured up in their own minds or lies others have said about them.
So what is the truth about you? The truth is you are created in the image of God. You are his special creation. Nothing you have done will ever change that. Nothing anyone says about you will ever change that. You are God’s chosen possession. His masterpiece.
Secondly, no matter what your past is like, Jesus Christ came to forgive you of your sin and make you a new creation. A new person inside and out. It’s time to stop listening to the lies you are telling yourself or others are saying about you. It’s time to listen to what God says about you in His Word, the Holy Bible. Religion won’t tell you the truth. Social movements and political parties will lie. Only God will tell you who you really are.
PRAYER: Hey God, I’ve been listening to what people say about me and I’m starting to believe all the awful things they say about me. I’ve been dishonest with myself, with you and with others. Empower me by your spirit to be honest with myself first and then with others. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
But those who do right will continue to do right, and those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger. Job 17:9
It was one of the first lessons we learned as we were growing up. On a daily basis we’d hear something like, “Dinner is ready, wash your hands!” or, “Yes Johnny that is a nice puppy. Now be sure to wash your hands.”; at a local aquarium, right next to the pools of water teeming with fish is a small basin with soap and paper towels so you can wash your hands after petting the various forms of sea life.
No one would dispute the importance of hand washing. A cartoon I saw once showed an unsuspecting man coming out of the restroom at a restaurant. Immediately a sign above the door blinks in big bold letters, “DIDN’T WASH HANDS!”
But the reality is, many of us think of washing hands as a relatively minor issue. Admit it now. The last time you grabbed a snack or sat down at the table (when the kids weren’t looking of course) did you wash your hands? “Well, maybe on occasion…” you may say, “but it’s not a big deal!”
Or is it? Would you want your dentist to stick his hands in your mouth without washing his hands first? How about your surgeon? Would you feel comfortable going under the knife when the guy holding that knife had dried blood on his knuckles from yesterday’s surgery?
‘Of course NOT!” you say with disgust!’
Hands don’t have to look dirty to be harmful. Reality is, even clean hands have germs on them and some of those germs can be harmful to our health. In the same way, sin affects our relationship with our God. We may think this sin or that sin is too small to worry about. They don’t show up. Others can’t see them. They are just little things that don’t really matter.
Even the smallest sin in our lives can affect God’s ability show his power in our lives. Others may not see the things you harbor in your life but God does and he is more likely to give big things to those who take care of the little things in life.
Having clean hands is really a pretty simple thing. All you have to do is apply a little soap and water and you are good to go. Sin is the same way. Soap and water won’t get rid of sin, but the blood of Jesus will! That’s what grace is all about. You don’t wash your hands before you wash your hands. That’s silly. And you can’t clean up the sin in your life before you come to Jesus. That’s what grace is about. Grace says Jesus will clean up what I can’t. Get rid of the guilt of sin in your life. It’s as simple as washing your hands.
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many ‘little things’ in my life that are keeping me from all you have for me. I’ve fooled myself long enough thinking those things won’t matter but they will. Forgive me for the little things. Cleanse me through the blood of Jesus. Amen.
In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That’s why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me. Exodus 20:11(CEV)
It happens in every love relationship at some time or another. Sometimes it is nothing more than a minor irritant. Sometimes it becomes a fatal wound. It’s something we all have an equal amount of so the trick isn’t getting more of it, but using what we have to the best of our ability. So, what is this mysterious potion that can either make a relationship strong and resilient or bring it crashing down? It’s time.
The mark of a vibrant love relationship is the ability of all parties involved to make time with each other. Not time with friends. Not time working together on some project. Not time doing ministry or being involved in the community. Time alone with each other. Time to dream. Time to talk and/or listen. Time for intimacy and passion. If you want passion in your love relationship you must make time for intimacy.
Religion will tell you that you have to be in church on Sunday because God decreed long ago that you were to be there. ‘Keep the Sabbath holy!’ When I was growing up my grandfather had a cabin on a beautiful little fishing lake. Monday through Saturday we could fish to our hearts content…but not on Sunday because Sunday was a day of rest.
Sound silly? It was. But religionists have been making rules about the right and the wrong activities on Sunday (or Sabbath day) since time began. There was one notable exception to the practice of keeping Sabbath Day rules. That exception was Jesus Christ.
Jesus tried to instill in us a new definition of ‘Sabbath’. Sabbath wasn’t a day or a period of time. Sabbath was an attitude. In the original language the word we translate ‘rest’ is really better translated as ‘abstain’. God didn’t rest from creation because he was tired and needed a rest. He abstained from those activities to spend some time enjoying what he saw. The word carries a connotation of intimacy and passion.
Should we worship together? Certainly, for we need the support of our like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ. But our Father isn’t looking for activity and programs and special services. He wants to spend time with you. Intimate, passionate time alone just with you. All the other things churches and ministries offer are great, but just as in a passionate, vibrant love relationship nothing replaces the effects of time alone.
PRAYER: Daddy. I am so caught up in so many things right now. Most (if not all) are very good things. Ministry, job, family, community. I try to tell myself I’m doing this all for you but I realize that what you really want is time alone to hold me, to hear my voice, to touch my soul and feel my touch. Empower me with your Spirit of passion once again as I try to make more time alone with you. Amen.
Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. 1 Peter 4:10 (CEV)
Suppose you had a very important job to do and money was no object. Would you settle for some inexpensive tool to complete the job or would you search for the very best tool available to complete the task?
No doubt the answer to this question would be something like, “The best tool available of course! I’d want to do the very best job and I’d spare nothing to get the best tool for it.”
Your Heavenly Father feels the same way. He has a job to do. His job is to tell the world all about his great love for others. He wants to let people of all ages, races and ethnic groups to know that he longs to spend eternity with them. He sees people struggling with addictions, relational difficulties, financial ruin and abuse that he is the great healer and wants to touch them with his hand of love. He wants people struggling with the effects of illness and natural disasters that he has everything under control.
So, what tool does the Almighty, creator-God of the universe have at his disposal to get the word out about his great love, mercy and forgiveness? You. Yep. You read that right. You are the best tool God has to accomplish this great work.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, “He could never use me. I’m not very talented; or have too many mistakes in my past; or have too many other things going on in my life right now to be used by God.”
All that is simply untrue by the way. God’s great plan for all mankind, no matter where they are in life, is to show them his great love and forgiveness. His best tool for that is people. Peter tells us that every one of us has gifts to be used for his glory. No gift is more important than any other.
You may be blessed by being the leader of a huge ministry that reaches thousands of people for Christ. You may have a day-care in your home. You may be flipping burgers at a local fast food joint or cleaning restrooms at a shopping mall. Where ever you are in life, God has given you gifts to be used for his glory.
Don’t let your past keep you from helping others with their future. Don’t let society lead you to believe what you do isn’t important. You are your Father’s best hope for telling others of your love. The things you do today may very well change someone’s life for eternity.
PRAYER: Father God. I’m so unworthy of your great love. There are so many times I feel weak, inadequate for the task ahead of me or simply unimportant. So many times I get too busy to think of others and how I can make a difference. Thank you for gifting me with things I can do to help others. Empower me with your Spirit to proudly use the gifts you’ve given me for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 