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Tuesday, 13 September 2005
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Hope for Tomorrow
By C.L. BlakeyDuring a graduation I attended this summer one of the most popular professors of the school stood to address the students. He told them, "No one knows why we are here, what our purpose is or where we are going. If anyone tries to tell you they know, they made it up." The crux of his speech was to commission the graduating class to search for meaning in their own life. I was saddened as the crowd applauded and cheered at the close of his speech. As believers we know the why's of life, because the answers to the professor’s questions can be found in Christ.
I did not make this up, God did. We do not have to live lost and wondering, for God knows all and works all of life together in His hands. The statements made by this professor were Godless and hopeless. In Ephesians 1:11 Paul makes clear the hope that we have in Christ.
"In Him we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestined according to the purpose of Him
who works all things according to the counsel of His will."Everything in life runs according to God's plan, not man’s. The great story of salvation began before the earth was even formed. God in His sovereignty has charted the course of mankind and is intricately involved in its fulfillment. Life in Christ is not the hopeless pursuit of questions without answers and a future without reason. Life in Christ is an adventure of purpose, trust, peace and hope.
We cannot ruin God's plan by any rebellion or useless living. His plans will still come to pass. But we must be diligent to trust Him solely, hope in Him fully and live for His glory. We can be encouraged in the reality that God knows what He is doing in each of our lives. We can trust in Him each day because He is in control.
It is difficult to keep this perspective in our world. We often dwell in hopelessness amidst war, corruption, need and loss. When we focus on our circumstances we loose sight of the good that God is working in our lives. In Jeremiah 29:11 God gives us His hope:
"For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not evil,
to give you a future and a hope."God spoke these words to the people of Judah, and they are just as true for us today. Life will be empty and meaningless if we live in the false hopes that the world has to offer. Instead we can see all of the trials and unexplainable things in life through the lens of trusting in God's good plans for us. We can have joy and hope knowing that God already holds all of our tomorrows in His hands.
Friday, 29 October 2004
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Still A Virtue
Practical thoughts on practicing patience
By C.L. Blakey
I was having a conversation with someone about how difficult it is to wait for change and answers in some situations in our lives. We both agreed that being patient with others is a struggle. We even talked about patience being a lost virtue in Christianity. One of the things they said really stuck with me: “Patience is something everyone knows they should have but they aren't willing to work at it.” I started asking myself “Why aren’t people willing to work at patience? Am I one of these people?” When I take an honest look at my life I see a lot of impatience and I know that I don’t want to be someone who knows something good I should do but does not do it (James 4:17). Later I was reading 1 Thessalonians 5 and when I got to verse 14 I was confronted again with the topic of patience. It says, “Be patient with all.” I know I have read this verse before but the clear and decisiveness of the command leaves no room for excuses. How can I be patient with ALL? Is “all” meaning all circumstances or people, or both? At first glance this command seems overwhelming and impossible to accomplish but with some thought it has proved to be very practical, if only we are willing to work at it.
Recognizing Habits of Impatience
We all know people who are impatient. We don’t usually have a difficult time thinking of someone we know who is easily irritated, regularly gripes, complains, “blows up” or has “had it.” Many times it is difficult to label our impatience as such. We think that our expectations are “only reasonable” or that we will only “deal with” an imperfect person or situation for “so long.” Rationalizing our habits this way, we often don’t even realize that we are being impatient. Hopefully looking at these two main habits we will begin to recognize the impatience for what is.
Time – I remember a foreign student at college asking me, “Why are you Americans always in such a hurry?” She then proceeded to point out how we want fast cars, fast computers, and fast food…everything we need or want at our fingertips. She said we are always looking at our watches, multi-tasking and in a rush to get somewhere. I quickly explained that I had no idea what she was talking about but that I needed to hurry off to someplace. A quote by Mark Twain comes to mind, “Time waits for no man.” The truth is, we are usually obsessed with time. Whether we are at work, school, home, anywhere; we will never seem to have enough of it. There are so many things that we want in life and we often think that we are the only way that they will ever happen. Please note that there is nothing at all wrong with being on time places, being aware of the time, and working hard to make the best use of your time. I am referring to an extreme, when we are controlled by time. When the watch on my wrist becomes my leash, living as though time were my master. Our view of time plays a major role in our patience. If I want things and I want them now, patience is the last thing on my mind. What we need to realize is that God’s realm of time is entirely different from ours. 2 Peter 3:8 says, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” God created time, why don’t we think He is not in control of it? James 4:14 describes our life as “a vapor that appears for a little time and vanishes away.”
Results – Directly related to time and greatly affecting our view on patience is our preoccupation with results. Our view of time mostly relates to our impatience with circumstances, but our view of results relates more toward our relationships. We often judge the success of things in our life by the results we can see. How many people attend an event, how many responses we get from people on a lesson we’ve taught or party invitation we’ve sent out. I am usually impatient with people as a direct result of being result-oriented. When I see that someone has not changed in years or even since the last time I have talked to them, I decide that I have waited long enough for them to change. I sometimes wonder how long I must “stick it out” with someone that I’m tired of waiting to see change in. How is it that we decide how long is long enough with people? Solomon, however, understood that his sense of results in his time was different than God’s. Ecclesiastes 3 is a passage that describes how there is a “Time for every purpose under heaven.” God orchestrates the right time for birth, death, tears, laughter, gain, loss, war and peace. The list is long. Verse 11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Time is short, we must not waste it preoccupied with results that we are not in control of anyway. If we are His, everything, all the results, “work together for good” in His time.
Realizing Perfect Patience
In Exodus 33 and 34, Moses prays, “Please show me Your glory.” God cannot show him His face, because no man could ever see God and live. So God tells Moses to wait in a little nook in the cleft of the rock, and He says that He will cover him as He passes by. And the after God has passed He said He would remove His hand and let Moses catch a glimpse of His back. When the Lord actually passes before Moses in 34 verse 6 He proclaims Himself. He tells Moses who He is, what His character is. “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient and abounding in goodness and truth.” God is perfect and therefore perfect in patience. God isn’t just patient sometimes and in certain situations, He is patience.
The idea that God is patient with sinners and gives us life is mind-boggling. Psalm 8:4 comes to mind, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” When we consider that God is high and lifted up in His glory and yet He is patient with little creations that do not live surrendered in worship to Him, this is astounding. 1 Timothy 1:15 says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” God has sacrificed all for us to come to Him through faith in Christ, and after all that, when we sin…He is still patient with us. 2 Peter 2:9 describes God’s perfect patience toward us, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is patient toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God is waiting for His right time and results before He returns to earth and judges mankind. He is perfectly patient. Matthew 5:48 instruct us to “be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Though we will not be able to achieve perfect patience on earth, we must strive for it.
Patience has been said to be the key to love, joy, change, wisdom, hope…and well, most things in life. Some say that a life without patience is a candle with no flame, serving no purpose. My friend pointed out that patience is “what everyone knows they should have.” What is patience? Patience is bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint, manifesting forbearance under strain, and remaining steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity. Patience is being willing to bear all things. It sounds like a good idea, we know we should have it, but are we willing to work at it?
Practicing Practical Patience
Someone has said, “Patience is not a passive response, but an active one. We must practice placing our hope in Christ.” This is exactly what practicing patience is, living with hope, trust, faith, and surrender to Christ. Living patiently is living with faith in Christ and trust in His Word. There are four main areas in life that we struggle in practicing patience.
In word and deed – We are often quick to complain, criticize or cut someone down. We don’t usually realize how we are acting when we are impatient. We may be expressing an attitude, body language, or action that is very contrary to patience. Crossing my arms, tapping my foot or fingers, looking at my watch, sighing loudly, fidgeting with my hands, jewelry or hair, we act out many attitudes showing our impatience. Usually we don’t even realize it. Or sometimes we just say what we are thinking, “Hurry up!” Or “Aren’t you done yet?” James 1:19 instructs us to “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” I can start practicing patience in word and deed by practicing these three things. First I can commit to simply listen more. Proverbs 10:19 says it plainly, “When words are many, sin is not absent.” If we listen more we will have more time to consider a proper response in word. This would really keep complaining and arguing at a minimum. Sometimes we rationalize our impatience in words by saying, “Well, someone had to say something!” or “Did you expect me to just let that by?” or, “At least what I said was true.” If we think before we speak, we will spare ourselves lots of cleaning up afterwards. The last consideration is “be slow to become angry.” Anger is a very big way that we are impatient. The verse immediately following this one says, “For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” No matter the situation my anger is not bringing about the righteousness of God. When we “blow up” or are easily “set off” we are not practicing patience in our deeds. If we can practice being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger we will begin to live responding to aggravations patiently, not sinfully reacting. Don’t react. Respond.
With others – This one is probably most difficult for us because we think we must decided how much and how long is enough with people. They may be difficult, annoying, rude, immature people, and we don’t want to have to “put up” with them any longer. In being patient with others two virtues come to mind: love and forgiveness. When somebody wrongs me, I usually cut them off from my love and forgiveness and act out some sort of vengeance instead. Maybe you are thinking, “But what if they are in sin? Am I just to accept them or give them some kind of shallow love and pretend it didn’t happen?” At this point I would say, please step outside of your humanness and into the Word. The Bible gives clear and concise direction for how we must patiently treat those in sin. If it is shallow, it is not love. If I pretend it didn’t happen, then I am lying.
Instead, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 gives us a simple guide to patience with others, and not just those we like, but everyone. “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint hearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” There are three different people in this verse, encompassing all people that we can be patient with. 1) Unruly, this is someone who is in sin, out of line and undisciplined. We cannot go on pretending this is not reality, Paul says to warn them. In other words, confront them. We must be patient with someone who is in sin by lovingly and gently alerting them to the error of their ways. 2) Fainthearted, this is a person who is discouraged or depressed. Sometimes with a person like this we think, “snap out of it.” Paul instructs our patience with the fainthearted to be comforting. We must not avoid them and hope they’ll get over their sadness or discouragement on their own. This person may be struggling with fears or doubts. I must be patient with them through encouragement. This might involve simply being cheerful, saying a kind word, or sharpening them to be stronger of heart. 3) Weak, this is one who is not spiritually strong, perhaps a younger believer, or someone who is morally compromising. We can be patient with this person by sharpening them and holding them firmly accountable. This verse leaves no room for excuses. We cannot say, “Well, you don’t know my husband/wife, dad/mom, daughter/son.” They will all fit inside these three groups and we are commanded to be patient with them. If only we will work at it.
In Trials – “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (James 1:2-3) Nowhere is growth in faith more evident than in the faithful and patient endurance of trials and hardships. One way to describe the patience produced in trials is perseverance. Perseverance is persisting through difficult circumstances with faith and hope. Perseverance is not barely making it through some passive survival of a trial in life. How patient I am in trials will be completely determined by what my focus is on. If I am overwhelmed by my situation, discouraged, and lost all hope; this is not perseverance. Perseverance is hope. God is orchestrating every moment of our lives. We must realize that with hope in God our view of life is fixed, not wavering with every circumstance. We tend to pick up the eyeglasses of our circumstances and view God, in disbelief, through them. Instead, we should be putting on the eyeglasses of faith and view our circumstance through them. True hope is not built on circumstances, tomorrow, or how we feel. It is built on faith in God, faith that He can live my life better than I can. Hope is faith’s shadow. Hope is expressing security in the promises of a trustworthy God. To practice patience through trials we must put all of our focus and hope in the Lord, as Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
In Prayer – Lamentations 3:25 says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.” The patience that we must have in prayer is waiting. I remember complaining to a friend a few years ago about not getting answers to my prayers, I asked, “What is He waiting for?” I will never forget how she told me that God’s delays are not always denials to my prayers, but that God’s timing is perfect. It changed how I prayed from that day forward. I stopped with the prayers of demand. I stopped complaining about not getting answers right away. Waiting is not passive; it is readiness that looks forward expectantly. Waiting is an acted-out prayer, for I must continue to go about my life, hoping and trusting all the while my heart and will being conformed to God’s will. Learning to be patient in prayer is how we will grow to be more and more dependent on the Lord and looking to Him for life. One very practical way I can do this is by praying, “Lord, not my will but Yours.” I can surrender my desire to the Lord in prayer and then continue to live for His glory content with Him, whether I get what I prayed for or not.
Encouragement to keep practicing patience is found in Galatians 6:9-10, “And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not loose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are in the household of faith.” It is my responsibility to keep obeying and trusting in the One who has called me to His purpose. As I have opportunity, I must be patient with everyone. In “due season," we can patiently continue to do good for we know that all things will work together for good.(Romans 8:28) We need patience--something that we all know that we should have, the question is, are we willing to work at it?
Wednesday, 20 October 2004
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Always the Best Policy
Rethinking simple honesty
By C.L. Blakey
Last week I colored my hair. I thought it would be fun to change my natural shade of amber to a rich dark chocolate. The professionals at the salon were gushing saying that it was beautiful, striking and “Wow!” Outside the salon responses were more in the realm of “Why?” Some were “My, it’s dark”, “Can I ask what your reason was for changing your color?” or the all-observant “You colored your hair.” I started to realize how difficult it was for people to be honest and just say they like my natural color better. I have been on their side of this situation many times. People ask what I think of a new haircut or an outfit that is not the best on them and my response tends to be, well…far from the truth. A lot of times I don’t feel that I can tell people the truth, I don’t think that’s even what they want to hear. I know that acceptance of appearance, let alone my new hair color is of little to no importance but I am beginning to see how easy it is to mask the truth in all areas of life. Sometimes in conflict or relationships I feel that I must evade the truth, change the subject, ignore problems or avoid people. I have made honesty complicated. In re-thinking honesty I found that it really is always the best policy.
True or False
Dishonesty is common but I didn’t used to think so. Previously I would have defined dishonesty as actually stating in words something completely void of truth, or perhaps cheating or fraud. But as I had become increasingly more frustrated with the game-playing of dishonesty and noticed how closed and fake many relationships can be I started to see dishonesty defined in a whole different light, God’s light. There are many forms of dishonesty: inaccuracy, exaggeration, embellishment, deceit, misleading, fraud, cheating, misinformation, and rumors. I used to think it was possible to not tell the whole truth but still not be lying, or to embellish a little bit, and have it still be the truth. But a half-truth is a whole lie, no matter how I look at it. Dishonesty is anything that is false. When I pretend to be someone that I’m not and say things I don’t mean. I am living or speaking what is untrue. I don’t need to say, “Well, what about this situation…?” Defining dishonesty is as simple anything in word or deed that has any element of untruth in it. If there is a gallon of pure water and a speck of cow manure is mixed in, no one would define the water as still pure. The same is with truth. If there is any amount of the false to corrupt it, it is no longer pure truth.
Honesty is truth. Some other words that describe honesty are accuracy, integrity, credibility, completeness, and faithfulness. When I am honest in words or actions I don’t have to, as in dishonesty, remember what I’ve told everyone so I can somehow manage my lies to not be found out, or keep my facade with all the right people so they won’t see who I really am. There is no performance in honesty. Someone said, “People will not tolerate such honesty. They would rather defend their dishonesty on the grounds that it might hurt others. Having rationalized their phoniness into nobility, they settle for superficial relationships.” The accuracy of this statement is convicting. How easy it is to rationalize and defend my corrupted truth. What I realize is that I need to be more honest about my dishonesty than I am. I even deceive myself into thinking I am much more honest than I am. I need to put aside my excuses and rationalizations and see my words and actions for what they are. I could face my fears, bitterness, shame, pride, greed, laziness and lust-things that I often live and talk as if pretending that they do not exist. If I could be honest with myself I would find it easier to be honest with others. I would not need to play a game.
The Trap
“Liar” is one of the worst names to be called. And who has not lied or deceived people? I know that I have. The game I mentioned is of lies and dishonesty. It is called hypocrisy. It is when I shake my head when someone is caught in a lie, like the Pharisees did with the woman who was caught in adultery. This game involves a double standard, manipulation and fear. Hypocrisy is a fakeness that can fool even myself. The double standard is then I have an idea or opinion that others must be honest, or friendly, or forgiving. But I may live my life pretending to be someone that I am not, rude and holding a grudge. I have a standard for everyone, but me, this is the biggest way that I get caught up in living or talking dishonestly. I do not simply hold myself to God’s standard and encourage others to do the same. I hold them to my version of God’s standard and then deem myself an exception to the rules. I end up living a lie.
God has some very serious things to say about liars. “When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”(John 8:44) The troubling reality of which this verse is speaking is Satan. He is the originator of all lies. Verse 44 is even more troubling, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father, you want to do.” Jesus is calling those who live a life composed of lies and wanting to do only that, children of the father of lies. He also addresses lying in Proverbs, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord”(12:22); “These things the Lord hates…a false witness who speaks lies.”(6:19), “A false witness will not go unpunished”(19:5,9). It seems evident that God takes lying very seriously. It is opposite of Himself, being of the Devil. When I associate myself with lies and deceit I am associating myself not with Christ, but with the father of lies.
The Truth
When I see God’s hatred for lying in His Word I also see His desire for the Truth. Back to Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” Verse 17 says, “He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness deceit.” The Lord speaks so highly of the truth because He is Truth. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”(John 14:6). “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”(Deuteronomy32: 4), “He who made the heaven and earth…keeps truth forever.”(Psalm 146:6). I heard someone describe truth as the “standard of reality.” This is God. God determines what happens, orchestrates all circumstances, and has created all things. He is the standard of reality. He is true. If I want to be honest I need to search after what is true, Christ. If I will be committed to honesty or truth, I am committed to Christ. These two go hand in hand: lies to Satan, truth to Christ. The question is which camp am I in? I cannot be in Christ and seek lies or live hypocrisy. I am either in the trap or I am in the Truth. There is no middle ground, and where I stand is my choice.
Being honest about honesty
Honesty is a lifestyle. So many situations call for godly honesty: when told a rumor, when someone calls and I don’t want to talk to them, when reminiscing or telling a story, when I am asked for my opinion or advise, when given too much change, when I make a promise, or when asked “What is that person like?” Honesty can be a forced word or action, but it should be a state of heart. Only I can decide which it is for me. Honesty is the key to fellowship integrity and growth. Two important elements to this lifestyle of honesty are humility and discernment. Some people think that being honest means being blunt or telling all. This is not true. The essence of honesty is that it is appropriate, timely and in others best interest.
However, it seems so easy for everyone to be controlled and live a faith oriented around the approval and opinions of others, happy with relationships and friendships that are permissive, accepting, inclusive, and very fake. Rationalizing my dishonesty behind a superficial desire to be “nice” or to not hurt another’s feelings. No one is encouraged, truly encouraged with false support. The person might feel good, that I am supporting them, and I will have misled them to believe my support to be something it isn’t. I trap myself into relationships that are all about maintenance. Keeping the right appearance, saying the right things, and in simply trying to “be nice” I trap myself in a web of half-truths, deceptions and superficial relationships. A lifestyle of honesty, however, brings to mind a simple humble openness.
Humility It seems obvious that you or I would so much rather hear the truth and see honesty in someone who was humble. In someone who is proud the truth is forced, blunt and hurtful. But Paul had a different idea for me to put on humility in honesty. “Let nothing be done out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3-4) This is the basic definition of true humility: esteeming other as better than himself. Paul says let nothing be done selfishly but to be lowly of mind. This verse radically changed how I am honest. If I know the truth and I am trying to out of some conceit blast others with it, force them to comply or belittle them because I think I have a handle on it, then there is no consideration for them. Humble honesty is when I consider others—especially the person I am seeking to be honest with—as better than myself. Someone once said “None are so empty as those who are full of themselves.” Rethinking honesty I am finding that I must first start with humbly seeking the Lord as Truth and in living honesty to see others as better than myself.
Discernment is key in a lifestyle of humble honesty. Being humble and honest does not mean telling all things to all people. Honesty must also have the wisdom to use discernment. There must be a balance between telling people too much, especially if they are untrustworthy, and saying too little and falling into deceit. Ephesians 4:29 instructs believers to only speak what is good for the hearer. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” I’ve known people whose talk totally changes with the company. They swear or just talk of inappropriate things in front of friends who do the same to keep up appearances. I must be sure to keep my mouth from anything corrupt. The believer’s speech should be encouraging and uplifting even when it is speaking correction. I couldn’t tell everybody everything, because some fact I know may end up being “corrupt” because to tell of it, though it is true, could be gossip or could be something that may bring the hearer down. Being honest does not mean that I say all that that I know about all things. It means that I speak truthfully at all times, but when sharing some information, personal to myself or someone else, I ought to use discretion to keep my mouth from sin and my words from bringing anyone down. Proverbs10: 19 says, “In the multitude of words, sin is not absent, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” Even if someone is begging me to tell them something or trying to pressure information out of me on a sensitive issue, I don’t have to say anything, or can simply say that I don’t feel comfortable talking about it. In using discretion in my honesty I can seek to build up those I am speaking to and acting toward and also in protecting the confidence I have with others. Just because two people are best friends, dating or even married, does not make it okay to share or discuss—even though it may be true—with one another. I need to ask myself: is this corrupt in any way, necessary and edifying? Keeping humility and discernment in mind will keep my honesty pure.
Living Witness
A life of honesty is all one. There are no compartments of the work life, spiritual life, emotional life; I have one heart, one life and one Lord and Savior. Only if this is true in my soul will it be true of my life. A true witness does not make things up. The definition of a witness is that he testifies of facts he has seen. When I have seen God’s work in my heart my life will bear witness to it. If my life is not bearing witness to anything of God, my heart has no facts to live out in testimony. A true witness of Christ does not have to make things up or maintain a façade, the testimony of Christ’s work, flows out of the heart and into the life for all to see. I know now that this is the only way to live, and this is the essence of godly honesty. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Here are three principles that I have learned from this verse and my study in honesty that daily help me to live as a light, an honest witness of my Lord and Savior.
Obviously Open “Let your light so shine before men…” 1 Peter 2:11-12 addresses how believers must live before the world. “Beloved, I be you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” A believer being a citizen of heaven must live as a visitor, not a friend to this world. Notice that Peter isn’t simply saying, abstain from fleshly lusts. He goes on saying living honorably. I can never be in some middle ground of not doing evil, and not doing good, just as there is not a place in between falseness and truth. It is either one or the other. Then he addresses that fact that even the evildoers would be seeing the works of the believer. They observe them because they are obvious. Works of light are very obvious. A life that is light will be clearly noticeable in the darkness of our sin-sick world. This is a hard one to confront myself with, to ask myself if I am living to allow the light of Christ in my heart to shine obviously or am I covering it by trying to be somebody that I am not? A truly godly life is the honest, most convincing testimony of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. An honest life has nothing to hide.
Faithful Fruit “That they may see your good works…” James addresses dishonesty in faith. “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”(James 2:17) When I externally lack any evidence of the faith that I continually claim. This is the ultimate hypocrisy. I cannot manufacture some works that simply look good. This is not honesty. Only in truth faith will true works be produced. James later says, “Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works.”(James 2:18) So many people read this and then start trying to act patiently and kindly and lovingly. I realized that if I wanted to openly show my faith I shouldn’t get to work on producing more works I need to get to work on my faith. A living witness shows by his fruit faith or the lack of faith.
Living for His Glory “Glorify your Father in heaven.” The above principles of openness and fruit work together to the glory of God. In Philippians 1:9-11 Paul says, “And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere, and without offense till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” This passage includes being honest, obviously open and faithfully bearing fruit all to the glory of God. This is the life of the witness. God’s glory must be not just the “end game” but the motivation for all that I do. When it comes to living a life of honesty God’s glory must be the drive in all areas-faith, relationships, school or work. I might be able to deceive myself but I can’t ever deceive God. He knows my heart and motives—this will motivate me to be certain my heart is kept pure and honest in thought and word and deed. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord and not to men.”(Colossians 3:23) It is my choice how I “do” whatever I have to do.
I can choose to live for His glory or someday confess to His glory. It will happen whether people want it to or not. Some day in all creation “at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”(Philippians 2:10-11) I can keep living a life of deception and dishonesty, or I can let the light of my faith shine openly obvious through the fruit in my life and do so all to the glory of the Father. This is where I want to be. Rethinking honesty in my life I want to be living with my knees bowed and my tongue confessing Him, because He alone is worthy…and this is simply the honest truth.
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Welcome to my website "Christa's Column" I will be posting essays and thoughts here on what I am learning in life on my spiritual journey. God says that those who seek Him diligently will find Him, and that is what I am all about. There are reviews on movies, books, and music. Thanks so much for visiting! Feel free to sign my guest book, e-mail me or leave any comments.
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