2019-07-07
Psalm 100:2 NKJV
To grow in your relationship with God, you must move from the “should” to the “want to” category. The most basic assessment we have for any experience or event is what psychologist Jonathan Haidt calls our “like-o-meter.” Your like-o-meter was running the day you were born. For example, taste receptors in babies are pretty well developed, so their like-o-meter usually involves what goes into their mouths: “I like it – gotta have more,” or “I hate it – get it out of here.” As you continue to grow, everything in life registers on your like-o-meter without your even having to think about it. Every sound you hear, every conversation you’re part of, every bite you eat, rates positively or negatively on your scale. And people also register on your like-o-meter. During the briefest conversations you’ll find yourself drawn toward certain people. Something within you says, “I like this person. I’m enjoying this conversation.” It’s always going on. So here’s a question to consider: Do you like God? That may sound like a strange question, but if you don’t like spending time with Him, you won’t do it. And you need to be honest about it, because you can’t pull the wool over God’s eyes. In Scripture the Christian life is compared to a twenty-six-mile marathon. At mile marker twenty-three it doesn’t matter whether you think you should finish, you’ll only do it because you want to. In other words, your “want-to” keeps you going when your “should” finds it easier to quit. The Psalmist said, “Serve the Lord with gladness” because nothing else will enable you to go the distance.
Soul food: Ruth 1:3-18; John 6:41-69
2018-10-15
Psalm 103:13 TM
To see God as a loving Father may not come easily, if you carry the scars of a neglected or abusive childhood. Perhaps you had so many unmet needs growing up: affection, security, trust, comfort, material necessities, etc., and your lack of these things makes it hard to believe God will provide for your needs now. What to do? Recognize that your “father-image” is flawed and in no way resembles your heavenly Father. Even the best earthly father can’t measure up to Him. He wants you to approach Him as a caring, sensitive, generous, dependable, loving Father. That’s why Jesus taught us to call Him “Our Father,” not just “Almighty God and Lord.” Like a good father, God understands your needs and makes full provision for them (See Matthew 6:25-34). And just as a good parent recognizes the unique characteristics of each of his children, He knows your distinctive personality, gifts, thoughts, and feelings. “As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud” (Psalm 103:13-14 TM). God’s care is tailor-made to your specific gifts – and weaknesses. And like a loving father, He accepts and fulfills His responsibility to provide for you. So what’s your role in the relationship? To act like the child of a trustworthy, generous, permanently-loving Father!
Soul food: Exo 22-24; John 3:1-21; Ps 89:1-14; Prov 26:17-19
2018-09-16
1 Corinthians 4:5 AMPC
Prejudice – is pre-judging. It makes you see those who don’t endorse what you believe as enemies. You attribute commendable qualities to the circle you move in, and negative ones to those outside it. That’s not what Jesus did. He befriended and fellowshipped with sinners and societal outcasts – without compromising who He was or endorsing their lifestyle. The Bible cautions against “hasty…premature judgments,” and reminds us that “the Lord…will…bring to light…things that are […hidden]…aims, (motives and purposes) of hearts” (v. 5 AMPC). He’s the only one qualified to “discern the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 ASV). So if you’re inclined to jump “to conclusions…before all the evidence is in” (1 Corinthians 4:5 TM), here’s some food for thought: (1) Face your prejudice. List all the people you don’t count as friends, people you actually go out of your way not to have a relationship with, and start loving them “by…actions and true caring” (1 John 3:18 NCV). (2) Drop the mask. Look inside your heart and ask yourself what it is about the other person that bothers you. Are there similarities between you? Are they expressing something you’re hiding from? (3) Get to know the other person. Paul said, “I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22 NLT). Whether or not you decide to continue the relationship, you’ll discover the power of your mind to obstruct, delude, and turn something into what it’s not. Plus you’ll have a better chance of winning others to Christ, because “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV).
Soul food: Heb 11:23-28; Exo 3:1-22; Exo 33:7-23; Exo 34:29-35
2018-04-05
John 15:16 NKJV
Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” How you begin a relationship is important. All parties need to feel secure in order for it to go well. For example, when you’re invited to somebody’s home for dinner, it’s reasonable to expect that they’ll fulfill certain social obligations. You shouldn’t have to wonder if you’re welcome, or if there’ll be enough food to go around, or if there’s a place at the table for you. Those are things you might be concerned about if you stopped by uninvited. Likewise, knowing you’ve been “chosen and appointed” by God gives you confidence. It means you’re accepted; you don’t have to campaign to get elected. If you think walking to a church altar to commit your life to Christ means you chose God, think again! God chose you for two reasons: to bless you, and to make you a blessing to others (See Genesis 12:2). But in the beginning not all His blessings may be things you rejoice about. The Bible speaks of blessings “you won’t have room enough to receive” (See Malachi 3:10). Sometimes God’s blessings are so overwhelming that when He starts pouring them out you think, “I’m not sure I can handle this.” And you’d be right – if you had been the one who initiated the relationship! But you didn’t choose God, He chose you. And whomever He calls, He equips. All you need to do is be open and responsive. “Give yourselves completely…tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes” (Romans 6:13 TLB).
Soul food: Jer 25-27; Mark 1:9-15; Ps 31; Prov 8:34-36
2018-03-25
Hebrews 6:1 NLT
Is what worked in the past not working for you now? Maybe it’s a job you’ve outgrown, or a relationship you need to reexamine, or a method you need to change. Regardless of what it is, don’t become so settled that you can’t let go and move on when you need to. They say the hermit crab looks for a shell that fits him, and lives there until he outgrows it. At that point he has to scurry along the ocean floor and find a bigger one – a process that repeats itself throughout his entire life. So here’s the question: Are you clinging to something that no longer fits you just because it’s easy and familiar? David said, “You…freed me when I was hemmed in and enlarged me when I was in distress” (Psalm 4:1 AMPC). You must be willing to move out of your comfort zone and deal with a little “distress.” That’s what makes you grow. Patience and persistence are admirable qualities, but they don’t work in situations you’ve outgrown. Instead of “hanging in” and trying harder, at certain points in life you have to stop and ask yourself, “Is this situation good for me?” If you’re not sure, ask God for “an understanding heart so that [you] can…know the difference between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9 NLT). And when He tells you what to do – do it – even though at first it won’t feel comfortable. When God says it’s time to move on, it’s because there’s another shell out there designed to fit you even better.
Soul food: Matt 21:1-16; Ps 118:19-29
