2018-06-08
1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV
Physical desires: The Bible tells us to feast, eat, drink, celebrate, sing, dance, shout, and make music – all things we do with our bodies. These appetites, desires, and delights can actually become a way of remembering how good our God is. The physical is not separate from the spiritual; indeed it is God’s Spirit who makes our bodies come to life. The Bible doesn’t condemn you for wanting to be physically attractive. Now, this needs to be kept in perspective: “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion” (Proverbs 11:22 NIV). The same principle applies to men. But God did create our bodies. So can we get real? God made us with a love of beauty. Some stylists started what they called a “hairdressers’ ministry.” Perhaps that sounds strange to you. After all, the only hairstylist mentioned in the Bible was Delilah, and when Samson went to her, things didn’t go too well for him. But serving people by cutting their hair can be a good thing. People will share problems with their hairstylist that they won’t share with anybody else. So you can see how that can be a real ministry. This group gave complimentary haircuts to physically and mentally challenged folks. Then they traveled to Costa Rica to serve young women trying to escape a life of prostitution. They honored and freely served bodies that had not been freely served for a long time: bodies that had been turned into objects. What’s the point? You may need to get a new concept, a biblical concept of what is truly “spiritual.”
Soul food: Ezek 14:1-16:52; Mark 14:43-52; Ps 129; Prov 14:25-28
2018-06-07
Proverbs 18:24 NKJV
Relational desires: Jonathan was heir to the throne, but he voluntarily gave it up because he knew his friend David was God’s choice to be king. Jonathan desired to be a friend more than he desired to be a king. How often do you find that? And he didn’t become David’s friend because he was pursuing some “discipline of spiritual friendship.” He simply liked David, and that friendship changed the course of Israel. We all have relational desires we don’t pursue. Unless a deep, meaningful relationship falls into our lap, we give up. However, friendships like that don’t just happen; Jonathan had to overcome unbelievable barriers to build a friendship with David. Sometimes you will have to do the same, and God will help you. Author John Ortberg writes: “My friend Chuck has the spiritual gift of breakfast. He meets people in a Southern franchise called the Waffle House. The waitress loves to wait on him because he tips well and makes everybody laugh. He’s…really funny and utterly unguarded about his own brokenness, which makes people open up to him like tulips in the sun…He feels God’s presence most powerfully when he sits in the Waffle House and is allowed to see someone’s soul. It’s not the coffee that brings people to him; it’s the rivers of living water flowing out of him.” If you’re naturally shy, here’s a tip: Chances are the person you’d like to reach out to is shy as well. Go ahead, make contact and see what happens. Who knows, you could be the answer to their loneliness and they to yours.
Soul food: Ezek 10-13; Mark 14:27-42; Ps 124; Prov 14:21-24
2018-06-06
Psalm 37:4 NKJV
The desire to achieve: The first thing God said to Adam was, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and…have dominion” (Genesis 1:28 NKJV). The reason you have such a strong desire to accomplish something in life is because God created you to “do it.” Few people were more motivated by achievement than Paul: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24 NLT). God didn’t take away Paul’s desire to achieve; He harnessed it so Paul could fulfill God’s will. A strong career drive accompanied by the desire to learn and achieve can be good things, unless they lead to workaholism, worshiping status, neglecting prayer, and manipulating other people. When that happens, you need to re-evaluate your motivation. But if that’s not the case and you find yourself growing in God with a fire inside you to accomplish something – go forth and achieve. Exercise dominion! Use your ability to accomplish good things for others. At that point, whether you’re contributing to a meeting, adding value to a team, or formulating ideas, you’ll know it’s more than just you. When you develop relational skills that enable you to bond with clients and associates, you can simultaneously pray for them and bless them. As you experience joy in your achievements, your life is pleasing to God. A word of advice: Every now and then, remember to stop and thank Him that you get to do something you love!
Soul food: Ezek 5-9; Mark 14:12-26; Ps 4; Prov 14:17-20
2018-06-05
Proverbs 13:12 NIV
For the next few days, let’s look at some of our most common desires. Material desires: Lydia was a businesswoman who dealt in textiles (See Acts 16:14). She was one of Paul’s first converts to Christianity. Can you imagine what it took for a woman to succeed in business in such a male-dominated society? She was so successful she owned her own home. And it was large enough to become the meeting place for the first church in the history of Europe. Of all the religious edifices built over the centuries – Notre Dame, Westminster Abbey, and the Sistine Chapel – the first church was in the home of this businesswoman. Now, if your desire to make money chokes out your generosity, causes you to live in debt, or creates chronic dissatisfaction, it’s time to re-evaluate what you’re doing. But making money, creating good products, and keeping people employed are God-glorifying things. “It is [God] who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV). Have you ever wondered why you enjoy tinkering with engines or working with your hands? It’s because you were made in the image of a creative God who engineered this unbelievable cosmic machine with forces and energy so transcendently mind-boggling that people devote brilliant scientific careers to understanding even a tiny bit of it. Whether you’re mechanically or scientifically oriented, it’s spiritual – and it counts! The Bible says, “The Lord…has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27 NKJV). And when your desire for material success is to glorify God and bless others, He will help you to succeed.
Soul food: Ezek 1-4; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 121; Prov 14:13-16
2018-06-04
2 Timothy 3:16 TM
Paul wrote to Timothy: “Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They’re as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they’re out there, things can only get worse. But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers – why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another – showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us” (vv. 13-17 TM). Here’s why you should read your Bible: (1) So you won’t be led astray. God will never say something to you through another person, or your own thoughts, that does not line up with what He’s clearly revealed in His Word. That’s why you need to know the Scriptures. (2) To know you’re truly saved. The apostle John writes: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know…you have eternal life, and…continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13 NKJV). (3) To identify your calling and equip you. Paul says, “Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us” (2 Timothy 3:17 TM). The Bible is your guidebook for living the Christian life, so read it every day!
Soul food: Amos 5:18-9:15; Mark 13:24-37; Ps 117; Prov 14:9-12
2018-06-03
Mark 2:4 NIV
Mary Engelbreit always wanted to illustrate children’s books, but a school guidance counselor told her, “You can’t do that. Be practical. Get a degree and teach.” Mary started working at an art shop, learned all about the business, and got to know artists who made a living doing what they loved. Bolstered by the support of her parents, she told herself, “You can become an artist. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.” By refusing to let obstacles on the conventional path to success hold her back, Engelbreit became a nationally recognized artist and launched her own magazine. Proust said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Learn to think outside the box, and remember, inspiration comes with perspiration! Expect problems, and don’t let them weaken your resolve. Four men who couldn’t get their paralyzed friend to Jesus because of the crowd “made an opening in the roof…lowered the mat the …man was lying on.” Jesus saw faith in action, and rewarded it by healing the man. You can find a way around almost anything when you give legs to your prayers and persevere. Rebecca Barlow Jordan says: “True creativity doesn’t stop at the stage of inspiration. Many wannabes have tried and failed, because they failed to overcome the hindrances. The true artist sees the completed picture by faith. All of us are artists, and God has work for us to do. [He] encourages us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. But the true blessing comes not just in knowing we’ve overcome…[it’s] when creativity validates its divine origin and brings honor to God.”
Soul food: Gal 5:23; Prov 16:32; 2 Pet 1:5-8; Heb 11:23-27
