2021-05-05
Proverbs 11:3 MSG
Did you know there’s a correlation between goodness and the national economy? A Christian author writes that when, in public and private life, “lying, laziness, irresponsibility, dishonesty, and corruption become commonplace, the national economy grinds down.”
A society that produces white-collar criminals and blue-collar predators shells out hundreds of dollars a day to keep offenders incarcerated. A society with rampant drug abuse has to pay for drug treatment centers. Broken families mean more foster homes, and more students who drop out of school, who can’t hold down a job, and who get locked into generational cycles of welfare. The less goodness there is, the more the government has to intervene – and the higher the cost to society. Just as moral goodness leads to tremendous economic and financial benefits, the collapse of morality comes with an enormous financial and economic price tag.
You say, “But I’m only one person, what can I do?” Jesus answers, “Let your light…shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 NKJV). St. Francis of Assisi said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” Instead of complaining about the darkness, let your light shine wherever you go. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
If every redeemed child of God lived by that formula, we could turn society upside down – or right side up.
Soul food: Num 22-24; Mark 6:45-56; Ps 37:25-31; Prov 11:5-6
2021-05-03
1 Corinthians 9:26 MSG
Long-distance runners don’t just focus on speed, but on endurance. They pace themselves so that as they approach the finish line, they can pull out all the stops. Paul said, “I’m running hard for the finish line…giving it everything I’ve got…I’m not going to get caught…telling everyone else…then missing out myself” (vv. 26-27 MSG).
For long-distance runners, quitting isn’t an option. Despite delays and disappointments along the way, they know they’ll never be satisfied sitting on the sidelines cheering for those who’ve paid the price to run the race. So if you’re the kind of person who longs to fulfill your God-ordained purpose in life – give it everything you’ve got. Go for it, and don’t forget that Jesus said, “Great gifts mean great responsibilities” (Luke 12:48 MSG). It’s one thing to achieve success; it’s another thing to handle the pressures that go along with it. “Jesus…finished this race…Because he never lost sight of where he was headed…he could put up with anything” (Hebrews 12:2 MSG).
Having something great to look forward to enables you to endure. And God will expose you to opposition and criticism to strengthen your character; that way when greater blessings and responsibilities come, you’ll be able to handle them. Success is only possible when you have a passion to cross the finish line.
So the question is, can you pay the price? When the pressure is on, can you stand up like Nehemiah when he rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls and tell your opponents this: “My work is too important to stop” (Nehemiah 6:3 CEV)? If your answer is yes, fix your eye on the goal and run to the finish line.
Soul food: Num 16-18; Mark 6:14-29; Ps 37:8-15; Prov 11:3
2021-05-02
Psalm 56:9-11 CEV
The approval of others is something we all enjoy, but you don’t need it in order to have self-worth. In fact, people pleasing will cause you to lose self-worth. You turn yourself inside out for others, and just when you think you’ve succeeded, they change their minds. Besides robbing you of your peace of mind, people pleasing makes it impossible to follow God’s direction – and that ultimately is your greatest loss.
If you’re a people pleaser, changing the habits of a lifetime won’t be easy. It will require facing what you fear and asking God for the courage to follow through. David said, “I know…you are with me….I…am not afraid. No one can harm me.”
When it comes to people pleasing, you must understand two things: (1) Breaking the cycle means risking rejection by saying no when others expect to hear yes. When the people in your life are used to meek, compliant responses, they’ll react negatively until they get used to “the new you.” Navigating these waters will be intimidating at first, but is it really any worse than living your life in fear of other people’s reactions?
(2) You may have to explain to others that in the past you sought their approval because you felt insecure, but that’s no longer the case. The important thing is to act now!
Breaking any habit involves temporary discomfort, but your only other option is to spend your life feeling trapped. You can choose to suffer short term on the way to freedom, or long term by continuing to engage in the struggle to please others. Today make the right choice.
Soul food: 2 Ki 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Acts 5:1-11
2021-05-01
Proverbs 29:25 NIV
To ensure victory in battle, King Saul was supposed to wait for Samuel the prophet to come and offer a sacrifice to God. But as the day wore on and the people grew impatient, Saul offered the sacrifice himself. When Samuel demanded to know why, “Saul replied: ‘When I saw…the people…slipping away from me…I…offered the burnt offering.’ Samuel said…’You have done foolishly…The Lord would have established your kingdom…now your kingdom will not continue'” (1 Samuel 13:11-14 NRS). Because Saul needed people’s approval, he lost everything.
Speaking truthfully may not be easy or comfortable, but the Bible tells us to do it anyway, like Samuel did. People pleasing is inherently dishonest because you’re telling others what they want to hear, instead of what you need to say. Now, you can’t be rude and insensitive, but you can’t be intimidated either. Because somebody doesn’t want to hear the truth doesn’t negate your responsibility to speak it.
Have you ever felt uneasy about something somebody asked you to do? One of the ways God leads us is through a sense of inner peace. Isaiah says you’ll be “led forth in peace” (Isaiah 55:12 NIV). And Paul writes, “Pursue…things which make for peace” (Romans 14:19 NKJV). When something doesn’t feel right, speak up. Say, “I don’t have peace about this.”
People shouldn’t expect you to proceed until you do, but that rarely happens when others place demands on us. Jesus told His disciples when someone “will not receive…you nor listen to your message, as you leave…shake the dust…from your feet” (Matthew 10:14 AMPC). When somebody’s reaction threatens to stop you from doing what you know is right – it’s time to shake it off and move on.
Soul food: Num 14-15; Mark 6:1-13;
Ps 37:1-7; Prov 11:1-2
2021-04-30
Acts 23:1 NKJV
At the Mark Twain memorial in Hartford, Connecticut, you will find these words framed: “Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. Truly yours, Mark Twain, New York, February 16, 1901.” When your conscience is programmed and governed by God’s Word, it will lead you to do the right thing every time. And it’s created by the first lessons you learn about right and wrong; which is why as a parent, you have the most important job in the world.
If you’re never taught those lessons, you fail to develop a conscience. If you’re taught them poorly or incompletely, you develop a stunted conscience. If you override your conscience and refuse to obey its inner voice, you develop a hardened conscience, and over time, you will live your life as if you don’t have one at all. You’ll compromise, cover up, and cut corners to get what you want.
You can’t see a conscience or autopsy one, but you can hear it whispering in your mind and feel it tugging at your heart. And those are the whispers and tugs you must respond to in order to walk in the blessing of God. Paul said two important things about his conscience: (1) “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men” (Ac 24:16 NKJV). (2) “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”
Above all, don’t neglect your conscience – it is either healthy or becoming unhealthy. And as it goes, so goes your character, your reputation, and the quality of your life.
Soul food: Num 11-13; Mark 5:31-43; Ps 2; Prov 10:30-32
2021-04-29
Ezra 10:4 NKJV
You probably may not have heard of Harlow Curtice because he wasn’t a Harvard graduate; he was a country boy with only a high-school diploma. But he had big dreams. He started out as a bookkeeper in General Motors and rose to become a company president by the age of thirty-five. By the time he was forty, he was the general manager of General Motors’ esteemed Buick division. He worked his way to the top of his profession with a talent for new ideas and action. He bravely designed new styles and models. And he personally travelled throughout the United States to inspire dealers and instill in them a renewed enthusiasm about their Buick products. And guess when he did it? In the middle of the Great Depression!
Under his leadership, the sale of Buick cars quadrupled; his division became the second biggest moneymaker in General Motors history. When he was asked what he attributed his success to, he cited these three things: (1) He set goals for himself and required the people around him to do likewise. (2) He took pride in confronting and overcoming obstacles. (3) He was willing to take risks and do the things talented but fearful people around him refused to do. As a result, winning became a habit and a lifestyle.
Those three principles are solidly scriptural and time tested, and they will lead you to success in whatever you put your hand to. So the word for you today is – “Arise, for this matter is your responsibility…Be of good courage, and do it.”
Soul food: Num 8-10; Mark 5:21-30; Ps 35; Prov 10:28-29
