Unfaithful Servant: Salt and Light and Logs and Motes

But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few." Luke 12: 45-48 NASB

We began our study of the unfaithful servant yesterday. If you missed it, I hope you'll follow the link (it opens in a new tab) and read it.

I expected to write today about the slave who knew his master's will and didn't do it. In a way, that's exactly what I'm writing about. In a way, I'm writing about the unfaithful servant who beats the other people. I hesitate, because I'm as guilty as anyone else of seeing motes in others' eyes while ignoring the log in my own, but this is a subject that has bothered me for months. It's so loud in my head that it must be written. 

We are talking today about the WORDS we choose to use. 

My life is chock-full of words because my days are spent writing and editing, correcting the wrong words and making them right. I was focused on words long before I started writing full-time, though. In my growing up years, my mother must have told me a thousand times, "You don't have to say everything that comes into your mind." (Well, maybe not those exact words, but that's what she meant.) I understand the importance of words and the difficulty with choosing good ones.

It has taken me a lifetime to get a filter on my mouth, and I'm the first one to say I'm not perfect with it, despite my effort. With that said, here we go.

Jesus called me (us) to be salt and light. He did not call me to rub a handful of salt into a wound.

I am called to be the amount of saltiness that adds flavor to food, not the amount that makes it impossible to swallow.  If my words spew forth and are filled with venom (in the name of "truth"), I am not adding flavor to the world around me. I am making my faith impossible to swallow.

I am to be light, but the warm light of a lamp that draws people in the darkness to Christ. I am not called to be a spotlight boring into the eyes of the unbeliever to the point that they are blinded by the glare. I am called to be a lamp, not a laser. 

I recently drove to a meeting late in the evening. When I rounded a curve, the sun was shining directly into my eyes. It was so bright that I was temporarily blinded and had to stop lest I run into a fence that was directly ahead of me. Progress toward the goal was completely halted by the glare. It didn't draw me to my destination. It prevented me from moving toward it.

As a disciple of Christ, I am called to obey the Word of God and to live righteously. I am called to share the Good News of a risen Savior with those who don't know Him. Christ died for me while I was a sinner, and He died for those who are also still sinners (which I am, t00).

How can people obey Christ if they do not know Him? Why would I expect the world to obey Him? Yes, Jonah preached a hard word to Nineveh and the people repented. His very effective prophetic proclamation was made only after a radical life-changing encounter with the Most High God had left him visibly changed. 

 If I want to be a modern-day Jonah to the world around me, I need to begin by having a life-altering encounter with God that leaves me so changed that all can see it.  I also need to remember the kind of message Jonah gave. He didn't spew venom. Not once did he say, "Your sin makes me sick." Jonah simply stated the truth. "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown."

When I attack the world for acting like the world, but do not address the sin in my own life, in my own church, I appear not only hypocritical (which I am) but also foolish.

Can't I see the log in my own eye? 

Every mote looks like a log when it's in someone else's eye. Seeing a mote in someone else's eye does not mean I am without a log or two in my own eye.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am dedicated to truth, but I need to understand and live with all the truth. 

It is past time for the body of Christ to allow our Lord to clean the sin out of our own lives, out of our own churches. 

It is past time to let go of self-righteousness and see that we, like the world, are sinners in need of a redeeming, cleansing, forgiving Savior.

When I say "we", I include myself in that "we". Christ died for me while I was a sinner. He loves me even though I am still a sinner. His Spirit convicts me, presses me when I persist in sin, and draws me back to my Lord when I stray. 

For today, let's ask God to create in us clean hearts and clean mouths, to remove the venom and give us words that honor Him. (Yes, I'm praying that same thing.) Let's pray that the words of our mouths would be acceptable in His sight. 

Let's be the lamp, the flavor-enhancer He's called us to be, demonstrating Christ to the world in a way that is both filled with truth and also irresistible. 

~~~~~~~

Our Father, forgive us for "log disease". Help us to see ourselves, our hearts, our words as You see them. Infuse us with the light of Your love and help us to shine in such a way that those who live in darkness are drawn to the light. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Tomorrow's topic is Christ and the constitution. I'm dreading it.

#disciple #JesusChrist #actlikewebelive #getthelogout

Acting like we belong to God

"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out 'Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:14-15 NASB)

We're taking a little break from Luke 12 today to dash over to Romans 8. This is Writing Conference week, in case you didn't know, and my schedule (and my brain) are in a bit of a jumble. It has been an exciting and overwhelming week and I've seen God's hand at work all around me. I'll give a full report when I get back home.

My Abba (Daddy God) has been so nice to me that I'm looking at an "Abba passage" today, and maybe tomorrow, too.

The word translated as "being led" is agō. It could also be translated as "being carried". Close your eyes and imagine the arms of God carrying you. That's how His leading is sometimes, isn't it? We can't make the steps ourselves so He scoops us up, snuggles us close, and carries us in the way He intends us to go. 

The word translated as "sons" is huios. It literally means "those who manifest a certain character". 

This is the Leanna translation, but I think it's right. "For all who are being led or being carried by the Spirit of God, these are the ones who act like their Father because they are His children."

If God is leading me, even if He's having to carry me through, my behavior will be a reflection of Him. I'll act like whose I am.

If I'm my Father's daughter, I'll act like it. People will recognize it. Just as people used to say, "You look so much like your mother," they should also say, "You remind me so much of your Father."

Is that what people say about me? Is that what they say about you? It should be.

For today, if we can't walk in obedience, let's ask God to carry us into obedience, so that all who see us will say, "I know her family. She's just like her Daddy."

~~~~~~~

Abba Father, lead me, carry me through whatever You have for me today. Help me to act like You and make You proud. May all who see me, also see You in me today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

We're on a detour in order to better understand the sign of Jonah. Yesterday, we stopped at the point where Jonah had begun to see that "sorry" did not make it all better. The sailors had said, "Jonah, this storm is your fault," and he had said, "Yes, it is." Those irate and frightened sailors had a few questions for him, starting with, "If you believe in the God of the universe like you say you do, how could you do this?" Jonah found that his actions spoke much louder than his words.

After I posted the blog yesterday, I realized that those sailors had tried to do something Jonah should have considered. 

Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep. (Jonah 1:5 NASB)

When the storm arose, admittedly a whopper of a storm, the sailors were terrified. The first action the sailors took was to cry to their god. These men were not worshipping Jehovah, but they instinctively knew that only a powerful god could save them. They turned to the god they knew best in their time of need. Some probably worshipped Baal, some Molech, or another of the gods of the time. Every man, however, turned first to that which they worshipped for help.

In a way, that's our problem, too. When trouble begins to come our way, we turn first to that god we know best. It may be that we look to ourselves and our own ability to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps". Others look to chemical aid (drugs, alcohol, food). There are some who turn to friends, family, even the law for aid. 

Those pagan sailors turned first to the god they knew. When that medley of gods didn't save them, they turned to themselves and began to lighten the load by throwing the cargo overboard. When the storm continued unabated, they realized that in which they trusted was not adequate to deliver them. 

When the storms of life come our way, we will instinctively do exactly what those sailors did. We will turn to that which sustains us in the easy times. If our trust is not in Almighty God, we, too, will find ourselves unable to weather the storm. If you, like me, have ever gone through one of those times when life is filled with turmoil and uncertainty, you know the truth of this. When my trust is in myself, I have a poor deliverer. 

If we want to successfully weather the storms of life, we must prepare in advance by placing our trust in the only One who can guide us through and calm the storm. We must practice faith in Him on a daily basis. Then, when crisis comes, and we turn instinctively to the One we trust the most, we will find an anchor that holds and help that is able to deliver.

The psalmist wrote that God is our "very present help in time of trouble." (Psalm 46:1) When our faith is in Him, that help is where we turn first. When we do, we will find His help is exactly what we need.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 NASB)

Actions speak louder than words

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

We are taking a brief detour to take a closer look at the sign of Jonah. Our study yesterday left Jonah at the point where the sailors said, "This storm is your fault" and Jonah agreed, "Yes, it is." That point of owning your failures is a freeing place and can be a first step in healing. 

One of the problems I see is that we want everything to be "fixed" immediately when we confess our fault. That's not quite how things work. When I confess my sins to God, he is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). That forgiveness is immediate. Working through the consequences of my choice, my sin, however, is not, as Jonah soon learned. Those who suffer from my choices have to work through the consequences of my choice, as well.

The sailors had three very pointed questions for Jonah. The first was, "Who are you?" In light of his prodigal attempt at escape from God, Jonah gave a surprising answer. "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land."

That answer shocked the sailors. "If that's who you are and the God you fear, why would you try to escape from Him?" Jonah had no answer. 

Their question is one the world asks us as believers on a daily basis. If you believe what you say you do, why don't your actions match up? Indeed. It's something we will likely struggle with until we enter eternity. This business of obedience has always been hard for us as humans, but it has never been optional. 

If we believe what we say we believe, our actions must match our words. If we believe that the words of Christ are truth, we must forgive those who hurt us, care for the poor, pray for our enemies, love our neighbor as ourselves. We must do what Jesus said to do. 

If we do not obey, our failure says something about our belief, doesn't it?

The third question the sailors asked Jonah was equally probing. "What does this mean for us? What should we do?" The world asks the same question of us as believers. "If your actions don't match what you say you believe, what do you expect of us?" 

It's a scary thought. When the world looks at those of us who claim to be Christian and find that our actions are no different from theirs, it's no wonder that they question us. It is no wonder that they doubt the validity of our faith and decline our invitation to join us. If we are to be light in a dark world, we must offer light that is recognizable by the lives we live. 

Standing on the deck of that ship as a storm raged around him, Jonah came face to face with the failure of his faith and his testimony, as well as the struggle of those who suffered with him. When questions came, he was sadly bereft of answers. 

For today, let's spend some time examining our lifestyle in the light of the what we say we believe. Do they match in a way that is recognizable to those around us? Can the world see that we believe the words of Christ by the way that we live? If not, what changes do we need to make? What does our choice of actions say about our faith? 

My mama always said, "Your actions speak louder than words." She was right. Let's be sure our actions say what we meant for them to say.

Maggie's Turn: The Sniff Test

I have had a break through with the THING, and Mama said I could tell you about it. Since it's a guest blog, I get to write what I want, but my mama said to tell you up front that she doesn't think my choice of topic is very lady like. I told her that I am just a dog, even if I am a Wonder Dog, so it's okay. It's a very good topic for a Wonder dog. So there!

You may have read already that my mama surprised me with something that was NOT jerky! I was not happy at all. It was a brown furry thing that looked like a Guinea pig, squeaked a lot, and poohed in the floor. I did not like this THING one bit! I have had to have some lessons from Jesus about it. My mama said I had a bad attitude and Jesus doesn't like bad attitudes. It turns out my mama was right. You should listen to my mama. She's pretty smart about Jesus stuff!

Anyway, my mama kept telling me this was my new 'dopted sister, but I could not believe a Guinea pig was my sister. No way!!  A few days ago, we were all walking to the barn. My friend Lou was walking with mama, and the THING, and me. I had told my friend Lou about the Guinea pig problem, and he said, "Woof! I'll check 'er out!"  He walked right up to the THING and sniffed her hiney. I could not believe it! I would not sniff a Guinea pig myself. Anyway, he looked up at me and said, "Whoa, Mags! (only Lou can call me that, so don't get any ideas). This ain't no Guinea pig.  It's one of them lil ole dogs! I don't think it's very old either.  Come sniff fer yerself!" Well, I was so surprised! I walked over to that supposed Guinea pig's coming-out end and took a big sniff. Lou was right!! It IS a little dog! My mama was right all the time, too! Can you believe it? 

Anyway, this little bitty baby dog is called a puppy and her name is Mamie. She bounces a lot, but she's not great at walking while she bounces. She kinda tumbles around a lot, and she is very pesty. My mama said baby sisters are always pesty. That doesn't seem like such a great plan to me, but she says you learn to love them in the end. I hope that's true. Right now, I've been really busy herding Mamie and letting mama know when she tries to sneak out of the kitchen. She's kept me busy barking to warn my mama. I've got to do it, though, because I know my mama doesn't want her to pooh on the floor, cute or not! A Wonder Dog's work is never done. 

You know, all the time I was mad about the Guinea Pig sister, I never did sniff her coming-out end to find out for sure. I just made up my mind on sight. My mama says people do that, too, sometimes, but that it's not a very good idea. She says that, if you want to know about someone, don't look at the outside. She said God looks at the inside, but since we can't do that, we have to look at how people act and how they treat other people. 

I don't know about all that, but I think it's kinda like what dogs do. We check out the coming-out part and we can tell for sure! That's what Lou did, and that's how I ended up with a baby sister after all!

Here's the Wonder Dog Lesson of the Day:

Check the coming-out part. It'll tell you all you need to know. 

(My mama got upset because she thought I was telling her readers to sniff hineys, but I told her you are all very smart and will know better than that! You know Wonder Dogs like very short lessons. I mean check the action part that comes out of people's hearts. That will tell you all you need to know!)

You can tell a lot more from what people do than what they look like. I don't know if that's true for puppies (because she just bounces, eats, sleeps, and POOH's), but I can tell she's a dog, and that's a good start!

The end. By Maggie the Wonder Dog