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Honest Lips

Associated reading:

  • Psalm 17

As I read Psalm 17 this morning, I was wondering if David’s recorded prayer to the Lord would be one of those moments where as we pray to God for justice from “cruel and evil people” — that God reveals something in ourselves that needs to be corrected in the heart of the prayer by a stirring of the Holy Spirit within us — and an awareness of those things we can control to improve the situation. Many times in my life, prayer does that — it shifts me from a paralyzed, victim mindset where I’m blaming others — into a purpose driven victor where I’m biased towards the action necessary to move forward.

But this Psalm 17 is either not one of those Psalms — or maybe this morning is not one of those mornings. There are healthy, mature, mountaintop moments in our Christian walk where we can say “declare me innocent” and it isn’t just because we are guilty yet again and calling to be washed by the Blood of the Lamb. We aren’t meant to be satisfied to always be walking in defiled garments and be victims who are powerless against things like temptation and pride. So it is encouraging that we can sometimes stand to declare ourselves innocent and not be lying through our teeth in the presence of a Holy God — but truly be saying, “Lord, I have done everything I possibly can myself. I really need you to help me with this.”

Yes, there is a balance and this should not become a narcissistic attitude of “I’m right and they are wrong” every day or every prayer — because that is clearly shallow and wrong hearted. But we also cannot be afraid to acknowledge that God is working in us through the power of the Holy Spirit so that we will walk upright and “Holy as He is Holy”.

The beautiful thing about the Living Word is that one morning, I might read this Psalm 17 and be convicted about how my lips weren’t honest and how I need to repent and make amends. Another morning, I might read this Psalm 17 and realize that someone I’m considering an enemy has simply offended me and I need to truly forgive them to release my heart from “the Bait of Satan”. Another morning, I might actually be at the end of my rope and need God to lay low a mountain that I can’t on my own. Isn’t that wonderful?

No matter where you are this morning, my friend, our goal should be to come to Him in prayer with honest lips. Listen to what we are saying when we are praying — and a humble prayer doesn’t have words lower than the truth in shame — nor higher than the truth in pride. That is worth repeating:

A humble prayer doesn’t have words lower then the truth in shame — nor higher than the truth in pride.

– Harold “Hop” Ballinger

Let’s strive in our prayer life for honest lips, actively listening to ourselves introspectively and for the stirring of the Holy Spirit to reveal whether we are higher or lower in our understanding of the truth of our circumstances. And let’s do everything that we can to be actively upright, honest, kind, loving, and self-controlled — but also rest in peace and patience when our faith has us eagerly waiting for God to move. Amen.

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Intentional/Structured Prayer

Recently I read this question online:

Everyday I’m in conversation with God. I start in the morning. I spend 10-15 minutes reading his word. And then, he’s with me everyday, every hour. I talk to him like a friend… All. Day.

Anyone else?
I feel like it’s a continuous prayer. But it’s not structured. It’s really a conversation. And maybe I’m crazy… But I believe. And that’s how I feel/see it.
I am active in my evangelical, bible based Christian church. I feel like understanding my faith will help those offering assistance.
What I’m concerned about is I don’t take enough time to pray! Targeted, “I sat down and said a prayer”, kinda praying.
Is this something I should work on?
If I’m having that conversation all day, should I also still be setting aside a time for structured prayer?
I’m beating myself up about it.
Suggestions?

I will first point out that even Christ at times got away from everything else to intentionally pray, so I believe that is a great example to consider.

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Luke 5:16 NLT

Do you feel there are certain people, needs, topics, etc that you are missing out on discussing with God?

Structure is there to help us not miss remembering important things that we might forget otherwise. It is there so that we don’t miss heartfelt and genuine reflection, and intimate conversation with God about these important things.

We don’t want our prayer life to be so shallow/narcicistic that it is only about bringing God into the minutes of our own day — nor do we want It to be so structured that it is all the right words and topics, but nothing that delves deep into our heart to bring reflection, conviction, and change.

I like to remember that the example Jesus gave His disciples is a lot less about “me and my day” than about Him, others, and my role alongside Him:

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.”
Luke 11:1‭-‬4 NLT

Practically speaking, if you need a little help remembering things — I suggest that you check out the prayermate app on your phone. You can set up essentially flash cards for different high level topics/areas or specific needs/requests that you want to be intentional about — then whenever you have time to pray intentionally during the day, you can swipe through those cards to kick off each topic. Think of it as going into a meeting with a basic 5 point agenda so that you are intentional and purposeful about topics and direction – rather than following rote repetition.

My Prayermate

Also, going deeper in the Word with a Bible Study that has you digging, pulling roots, seeking understanding, and strengthening your knowledge of the Word of God for several focused hours each week will build you up in ways that a morning devotional just cannot. That’s the practical/pragmatic advice that I can offer.

Spiritually speaking, if it is an area of conviction, decide to receive the discipline/correction from the Holy Spirit, and change your direction in order to bring you closer into intimacy with God and more in line with His will and purpose for your life.

If it is measuring yourself in comparison to others and comes from guilt or envy, still make changes — but make sure that it isn’t just a lure into dead religious activity/tradition/repition and away from alive heartfelt intimacy.

Either way, don’t waste time beating yourself up — just choose today to take one small step closer to God, and keep doing that. And when (not if, but when) you make another mistake (and you will) praise God all the more for the Blood of the Lamb and the redeemer we have in Christ Jesus, and take another step.

This narrow way is narrow not because there is such an exact checklist to live up to, but because the heart it takes to surrender newly, die daily, and humbly rely on Christ alone to see us through to the end. Amen.

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An Unlikely Friend

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 NLT

I spent my lunch yesterday talking with Calvin, the bartender at the Sushi restaurant across the street from my office. Looking at us from the outside, one might consider us an unlikely pair of friends — he is a young, extremely tall, athletic black man wearing his waiter’s attire, and I am an older, very short, portly, white gentleman wearing dress pants and shirt with a sweater vest from The Masters. But here we were listening to hip hop music, talking about Rap City’s the Bassment “back in the day”, talking about bettering ourselves daily, and how important it is for us both to lead our families through avoiding some of our own mistakes and knowing that one big mistake isn’t “the end”. It is wonderful how much we truly have in common where it really matters!

I mention Calvin in reference to this verse because he is a father who genuinely loves his kids (you can see it in his eyes when he talks about them). And he wants them to not make foolish mistakes that will cost them their best life.

And this is God’s perspective on sin, my friend. Even with sin that is pleasurable to us for a season, He knows that it comes with a higher cost than anything it offers in return. He isn’t “arbitrarily making rules” to enforce upon his subjects so they will “obey Him” — like some harsh slave owner with an eager whip in hand watchful for an opportunity to use it. Choice comes with consequences — that is the very definition of choice — we choose and we get what we choose.

“Sin” is just a fancy, religious word for choosing what is not best — making a foolish decision. So the consequence of a life of “sin” is a “death” of things like opportunity and purpose. People will always argue amongst themselves over the list of “rules” — but “sin” isn’t just a checklist of 7 laws of Noah, or 10 commandments on stone, or 613 Levitical commandments.

And there is a contrast that happens as we begin to understand this free gift of God and as we get to know Jesus Christ (who is quite different from us, yet also like us) as a friend. His friendship, a closeness with Him, accepting His offer of a relationship (which we will do repeatedly not just once) is a free gift that will lead us and guide us away from the foolish decisions and into the wise decisions — away from costly consequences and into beneficial consequences — away from death and into fullest life.

And all that I’ve mentioned up to this point, even an atheist can understand and see the clear benefit upon cultures and societies of the core teachings and example of Jesus Christ, while they note the horrors and atrocities of wars and atrocities committed under the disguise of “religion”. We can see throughout history the wisdom of a community/nation full of people making wise choices versus the cost and foolishness of a community/nation full of people making foolish decisions. It seems easy to hide our individual “sin”, but when foolishness runs rampant, it is clearly a cancer killing us and not a party to just be enjoyed. And this visible truth reveals evidence of something greater and beyond just this physical life that we can see and touch and taste and smell. We are promised a life eternal — something after — something even greater — with all kinds of evidence that these promises are true.

If a man chooses Christ instead of sin — on this side He has chosen benefit and blessing and peace as His consequences. And I’m not talking about guaranteed health wealth and prosperity (those can actually be “sin” if we give up what is best in trade for them). But if a man chooses sin in this life, there will be those consequences and cost in this life.

If you have “sin” in your life that you know is costing you unnecessarily — I’m not here to guilt you into shame over your “wickedness” or being “evil”. As a father myself, that perspective when dealing with my daughter just isn’t particularly useful or helpful if I want her to learn and change her habits. But acknowledging “foolishness” and how the best might be “stolen from her” by poor choices is valuable. God isn’t surprised by your “sin”, you aren’t so especially wicked or evil or foolish — because all of us have fallen short and given up opportunity and purpose at times in this life.

But He offers us a reminder, a hand reached out in love, an example in His life, a guide in His Word, and a teacher in the Holy Spirit — to lead us not just through this life, but to prepare us for our forever home!

Is Christ your friend?

Would you like Him to be, but you aren’t sure how?

He promises that if you genuinely seek Him that you will find Him.

Time in His Word, praising and worshiping Him alongside other believers, and intimate time with Him in prayer are key.

And once you have seen that He is a trustworthy friend and a Good Father, believe Him, accept His promises, confess your belief, and share the reason for your hope through baptism and a life of loving and serving others and sharing what treasure you have found.

Does God and creator of the heavens and earth seem to be an unlikely friend to “someone like me”? I know, right? Nevertheless, He is. Truly, He is.

If you have any questions or would like help, please feel free to comment below or contact me.

hballingerLeave a comment

Everything is Going to Be Okay

Yesterday, my phone was lost at Carowinds, along with my ID, credit cards, etc.
We checked with guest services, and no phone had been turned in. We retraced our steps and there was no phone anywhere we had been.
The last time that we saw it was when Mia and I had met a Hispanic couple who didn’t speak much English with their young daughter who was clearly enjoying the new experience of walking. But it took us a while to figure out that last moment with the phone when we discovered it missing at least an hour later.
I had work to do in Charlotte last night that would require me to have my ID in order to get into the data center. I also had work to do last night that I wouldn’t be able to do without my phone which has my MFA authenticator set up. I was calm throughout the ordeal, because we can cancel cards and file an insurance claim with Verizon for a lost/stolen phone — but the emotion of it all was too much for Mia (my 10 year old daughter). She was afraid, she was hurt, she was disappointed, and she broke down crying right there in the middle of Carowinds. So I just held her and told her that everything was going to be okay. She is a lot like her mommy, and doesn’t like it when things don’t go to plan. I’m “the spontaneous one”.
I reassured her that we were okay. And let her know that we still had the gift card that I had received from my employer for getting vaccinated that I had promised her she could use to buy herself something. I had promised her that in trade for going to the data center with me after Carowinds to get my work done. She didn’t want to use it to buy the stuffed animal that she had been excited about all afternoon because she knew that it was all the money that we had right then. But I reassured her and then finally insisted to help her break through her fear of the circumstances.
As we left the park to drive 2 hours home, I told her that I was confident there was a reason this happened and it wouldn’t be a bad thing — but sometimes we figure out the why and sometimes we might have to wait until “the after” to find out the why.
As we were driving home, Mandee was able to get my card canceled and confirm it hadn’t been used. As soon as I got home, I was able to use Samsung to track my phone, put it in battery saving mode, and turn on the ringer. We called it again this time, and since the ringer was now turned on, we heard a voice answer in broken English. He said “Hi, you remember my daughter?” in his best English. It was the kind Hispanic man we had met. We immediately arranged a meet up at his home in Gastonia and he gave me the address and his phone number as best we could communicate with each other, since the park was closing at this point.
As he drove home from Carowinds, I drove back from Campobello, SC to his home in Gastonia, NC to meet him there. He wanted to be sure to let us know that everything is there, and almost had some of the same fear I saw in my daughter earlier as he didn’t want to take the reward that I was offering him. But I said, “You have blessed me today. Please use this for your daughter and let me bless you in return.” I could understand how his broken English and being in a “foreign land” could probably leave him fearful and untrusting of a white man, or of authority, or of situations that might be misunderstood and put him and his family at risk. But after much insistence on my part, he accepted and I told him that I hope the Lord blessed him greatly for blessing me today.
I could have looked at the situation and thought the worst of this man. I could have reacted in anger and judgement and accused him of stealing since he didn’t turn the phone in. I could have used the tracking information as evidence and involved the police, and there may have been enough evidence to cause this man a lot of trouble and pain. I don’t know the true intentions of his heart, but I chose to use this as an opportunity to see a good neighbor and be a good neighbor. Someone will call this naive — but I’ve met too many inside the cell block to want to see someone go there without giving them the full benefit of the doubt and an opportunity to see love, grace and mercy in action.
And I returned to Charlotte by myself to complete my planned work, and my daughter didn’t even have to sit through it with me. Since I worked quite late, I stayed in a hotel here in Charlotte, and I got to sleep in this morning at the hotel instead of having to get up and take the dogs out early in the morning. And we will get to repay Mia for her generosity yesterday (letting us use that gift card to cover necessities until we had access to our bank account again).
Plenty of things yesterday “went wrong” if I’m measuring them by what I expected to happen — but I am grateful that my daughter saw several examples of peace and faith today. I probably still fell short of how she would envision a perfect daddy behaving yesterday, but she’s learning through all of this to show me grace too.
It just really touched my heart, so I wanted to share.
God bless!