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What does my example teach?

Much of my life, I walked a treacherous and thorny path. I was not wise and I was not prepared, I just stumbled my way through life from one fun time to another,  encountering unexpected obstacles along the way. I also didn’t think about the example that my life choices set for those around me.

Proverbs 22:5-6 NLT
Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

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Are we soaring, or too short to dunk?

Is letting someone go loving them or giving up on them?

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What about God’s design – letting us choose to either love and obey Him,  or to live a life of rebellion that ends up with us eternally separated from Him – is that Him loving us, or throwing in the towel and giving up on those that don’t bow down and worship Him?

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I think that the answers come down to the situation. If I give up trying to learn something new without even trying, you would call me a quitter. For example, if I was a child and you were trying to teach me how to fold a paper airplane, and all the other children were folding their airplanes,  but I refused – you might encourage me, you might take extra time to give me pointers and extra instruction. But if even after that individual attention and effort, I still refused to try, and I quit – you might be concerned that I’m a quitter at heart.

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But if you see me trying over and over again diligently only to fail time and time again, you might honor my diligence but realize that I’m not capable of the task at hand,  and hope that at some point I might be worse enough to give up and learn that it is beyond my abilities. For example,  if you see me at 5’6″ trying over and over again to dunk a basketball and never even coming close to the rim,  you might eventually consider me to be either foolish or insane if I did not come to the conclusion that it was beyond my abilities to dunk a basketball.

So doesn’t it matter whether we are trying our not?

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If a parent hands over their child to the state because they do not want the hassle of a child getting in the way of their party lifestyle,  isn’t that different than a parent that knows that they’ve tried and there is no way for them to provide a safe and healthy environment for that child? 

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Whether the decision is big or small,  doesn’t it come down to the amount of effort we are willing to put forth?

Doesn’t it come down to heart?

Doesn’t it come down to the “why” that is underneath the visible,  outside evidence of the choice?

You see,  the “why” is the meat of the issue.

We can look at the visible evidence of choices that others make in their lives, but without knowing the “why”, is it fair at all to judge their decisions?

So if we want to understand God, isn’t it important for us to dig for some level of understanding about “why” He allows us to choose between rebellion and obedience, between forgiving and judging, between faith and disbelief, between love and hate, between patience and irritability, between joy and misery, between peace and worry, between a life focused on self and a life surrendered to Him.

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You see, He knows who we are. We don’t. He knows what will happen if we actually try to fold that paper airplane and we complete the task at hand.  He knows that we will be amazed when we see it flying and soaring and floating through the air. He knows that we are capable.

But we think of ourselves as the little 5’6″ boy who can’t even reach the rim. Most of us sell ourselves short without even trying to reach the rim.

You see, He can lift us up to heights we can’t even imagine.

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The “why” is uncovered by whether or not we are trying.

https://youtu.be/r9QCJgHDOaE

Proverbs 21:2 NLT
People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.

But He doesn’t expect us to do it alone,  and He doesn’t ask us to do anything that He doesn’t give us the strength to accomplish through Him:

Isaiah 41:9-10 NLT
I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

So let’s choose to soar today.

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Buddy Jesus or Almighty God?

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Do we live our lives like they are at risk? Do we have any fear of the Lord at all?

Proverbs 20:2, 7-12, 14-15, 23, 27, 30 NLT
The king’s fury is like a lion’s roar; to rouse his anger is to risk your life.
The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.
When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good.
Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin”?
False weights and unequal measures — the Lord detests double standards of every kind.
Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.
Ears to hear and eyes to see— both are gifts from the Lord .
The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,” then brags about getting a bargain!
Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies.
The Lord detests double standards; He is not pleased by dishonest scales.
The Lord ’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.
Physical punishment cleanses away evil; such discipline purifies the heart.

Do we not believe that the evidence will be weighed?

Do we selfishly think that it ends at our own salvation and that we have no purpose to fulfill, no great commission, no kingdom work assigned to us while travelling this earthly realm?

Who is pure of heart and free from sin requiring no more refinement by the disciplining hand of Almighty God?

Who has arrived at their destination of becoming the righteousness of God, a full reflection of their teacher,  Jesus Christ?

Are our motives only to escape our deserved punishment of eternal unquenchable fire?

Are our motives to grasp at the great rewards of an inheritance that we say that we value, but prove otherwise with a close examination of the witness of our lives?

Yes, we are a rebellious generation.

Forgive us,  Lord.

Discipline us with your mighty hand so that we will know that we are yours. Wipe out the evil from our lives. Build us up as your children. Do not let us fall into the hands of the unseen enemies of your will. Do not let us be overwhelmed by our deceitful hearts and sinful nature.

You are Almighty God. If you were not to rescue us,  too call us out,  too reef us,  we are already dead. Raise us up to praise and worship you and to bring you glory and honor,  Lord.

Teach us your virtues and write them upon our hearts and keep them in our remembrance,  so that we can obey your statutes in grateful understanding that your way is best.

We may not understand everything,  but Lord,  please help us to trust and understand what we need for today’s journey.

Proverbs 20:24 NLT
The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

So the question is, “Have I been set free?”

John 8:34-36 NLT
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

Are you set free today,  friend?  Or are you still burdened by your sin?

Are your ears open to hear?

John 8:42-47 NLT
Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but He sent me.  Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!  For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.  So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!  Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me?  Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”

What am I loving to do today?

What am I excited about doing today?

Is it honoring and glorifying the Lord?

Or does it prove whose soon I really am?

I hope your answer today beings us both humility in our own weakness and confidence in the strength of our Lord and Savior.

Through Christ all things are possible. But it takes surrender.

What area of our lives do we need to surrender today? What would not be honoring and glorifying God?

Make war. Claim it for surrender to Christ,  and lift it to the Lord as a testimony.

Fear the Lord, Almighty God,  Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Know His Son,  the way,  the truth, and the life who has come to set you free.

Be free.

Not just free from punishment.

Be free from slavery.

Know His Love.

1 John 4:15-21 NLT
All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

Love God.
Love others.

Be free.

hballingerLeave a comment

What I listen to tells me what I value

James 1:19 NLT
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

I’m not always that good at this. And isn’t it that we know this,  that we have heard this, but that we don’t understand it and apply it effectively and consistently in our lives?

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Need a friend? Be a friend.

Sometimes it concerns me that I may share too much. Especially when it comes to some of my daily lessons when the resulting journals are hard for me to swallow and step on my toes.

Proverbs 18:20-24 NLT
Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord . The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults. There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

You see, I don’t know that my words are very wise at all. It spends me at times whether my words are bringing life or death, because I sure do speak a lot.

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Don’t follow your heart, follow Christ

Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.

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We need to eat if we are going to have strength for the day

Proverbs 18:5 NLT
It is not right to acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent.

Yes, some are guilty and some are innocent,  and there is a distinct difference between the two. We should expect judgement for the guilty and expect acquittal for the innocent. Mercy and forgiveness does not do away with the need for justice and truth. It is our path to finding truth while we are yet lost.

So one might ask, how do we know if we are lost?

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I need to work on my resume

Okay I know that envy isn’t good,  but I have to tell you that if there is a job opening for one of these guys’ positions, I want my application to be on the top of the stack:

Revelation 4:8 NLT
Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

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