The Forgotten Vital Organ

 

by Katherine Britton, crosswalk.com

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. – Proverbs 18:21

I have decided that many, many medical textbooks are wrong. Each and every one of them has actually left out a vital organ. Yes, they’ve remembered the heart and the brain and even that strange thing called a pancreas (I know it’s important, I just forget why sometimes). But look through the books all you want, and you’ll find not one mention of the most obvious vital organ of all: the tongue.

Then again, I myself often choose to ignore the importance of the tongue. I’d rather not believe it has “the power of life and death.” I’d like to pretend my tongue is more like an appendix or a gall bladder – easy to forget about because it’s not that important – but that’s just not the case. Snapping at my family when I’m tired, nagging, and complaining all release a poison from my tongue that works its way through my whole being (James 3:6). Not only that, I infect others with my attitudes and motivations. I begin to spread a disease.

Contrast that with the “words of the wise,” as Proverbs says many times. Their words heal and strengthen as they spread encouragement, wisdom, peace, and the Gospel message. Oh, and – get this – the wise actually use their tongues less than other people. The more powerful the tongue, the less it needs to be used. It’s like the heart of a well-trained athlete – when someone is really in shape, the beats per minute actually decrease as the heart becomes more and more efficient. In the same way, why don’t I condition my tongue to speak fewer words with more meaning?

In Genesis 1, God spoke into the darkness, and there was light. Those “mere words” created something from nothing, showing the power of speaking out. My pastor in college told us that this verse had meaning for us, too, since we are created in God’s image. We are meant to speak out and bring light from the darkness as He did. That’s the power of the tongue in a crazy world. The question is whether we choose to speak light or just add to the darkness.

That little muscle called the tongue holds the power of life and death. That’s no small matter. So let’s be careful how we exercise it.

Get the Ducks!

 

 

Diane Markins cbn, com

This morning my yorkie-poo alerted me that something was going on in the backyard. His barking wasn’t the usual yapping to greet a dog walking near our fence. When I went to investigate, I saw him doing manic laps around the pool, looking up frequently to see if I was paying attention. He had discovered invaders and was beside himself with the thrill of it. A pair of mallards had decided to enjoy a swim and Rocky wasn’t sure what to do about it.

After a few minutes of side-splitting laughter, I encouraged him to go swimming to “get the ducks.” This is a funny little dog who loves to swim and retrieve balls so he went for it, even though the ducks were nearly as big as he is. Naturally, the annoyed birds flew off, leaving Rocky behind victorious.

Rocky’s buddy Ziggy, our sweet Rottweiler, went to K9 heaven about a month ago. When Zig was in the yard, ducks and neighborhood cats didn’t venture near. Now things are different — for Rocky and for all of us in my family. We miss Ziggy and when there is a void that big, things change. Rocky has been mopey, he’s taken to making a fast break into the neighborhood when the door is open and dumps the trash can over when he’s left alone.

But then today there were ducks! He was filled with the joy of a new and exciting experience. I’ve started taking him to work with me (at our business) when I have a short day, something that wasn’t feasible with Ziggy. He also gets more car rides and 100% of the doggie love lavished at our house.

For my little mutt and for all of us there is unexpected joy to be found in the wake of grief and disappointment. When there is discord in one relationship, it may forge an even closer bond in another relationship as you seek comfort and direction. If you get sick you have time to appreciate health, which will hopefully come again. In a bad economy, you learn to rediscover simple pleasures and find out that possibly you have been squandering money when it was plentiful. Psalm 126:5 (TLV) tells us,

“Those who sow in tears will reap with a song of joy.”

Are you stuck in a sad, angry, or bored place? Rather than dumping the trash over (and ticking everyone off), start looking for ducks. There is probably unexpected joy ahead in your own backyard. Ask God to remind you of the joy He’s brought in the past or give you a little unexpected joy today.

“He prays to God, and He is favorable to him, so that he sees His face with joy; for [God] restores to him his righteousness (his uprightness and right standing with God—with its joys).” (Job 33:26 AMPC)

Burned and Blistered

 

 

Cindy K. Sproles , cbn.com

When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst. (Lamentations 3:29, The Message)

Trouble nipped at my heels. Didn’t seem to matter what kind of shoes I wore, my heels were still blistered. I’d bought new hiking boots, wore them around for a couple of weeks before I hiked. I thought they were broken in.

Once I got to the summit, my heels stung like they were on fire. I pulled off the boots and propped my feet on the bolder. Huge bubbles formed on the sides of my heels. It figured. I was alone … no bandaids, and a two-mile trek back.

It was a hard month. Our lives were shrouded with hurt and frustration and now we had a life-altering decision to make. I’d prayed over a year for a solution while God pondered. So, I hiked the mountain seeking the quiet, hoping for an answer — to listen. Wait. All I got … blisters!

God promises to hear our cries, to guide us. He asks us to pray continually, believe and trust that He will provide resolution. He is a faithful God, good for His promises and true to His children. Even when we feel as though we are about to break, He promises that with every temptation, with every situation, He will make a way of escape. “

… And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

What a hope — what a respite we have in Christ.

I blew on the watery blisters then pinched them. Clear fluid drained. I could walk barefoot but the path was filled with sharp rocks. I pressed a tissue against the sores, pulled on my socks and boots and suffered through the sting.

By the time I reached the bottom, I understood what needed to be done. Walk head-on into the fire. It would burn worse than the blisters on my heels but it was the right decision.

When life hits us hard, God encourages us to walk into the flames, just like the three Hebrew boys. Their lives were made fireproof by the faith they held in a mighty God.

My blisters hurt. But they could have been worse. They could have bled. I could have crawled down the mountain instead of walked. Band-Aids, soft socks, and cushy shoes waited at the foot of the trail, but I had to fight through the pain to get to them. And in my trials, I had to look for God’s escape passage.

My boots are broken in now. They’ve molded to my feet and I don’t get blisters anymore, but it took work and wear to get them to a comfortable spot. When I wonder why God calls us into the fire, I remember how He called His Son to the cross and figure any discomfort I feel pales in comparison.

When you seem at wit’s end — blistered and burned, push on. Tough times toughen feet, leading you to an abundance of mountain-top experiences.

Running to Win

 

John P. King, cbn.com

Let’s face it, we live in a highly competitive world. Whether it’s business, recreation, church, or even the family dinner table, competition seems to rule our lives. I make more money than you. My team is better than yours. Our church gave more to missions and has more members than theirs. I have more food on my plate than you do, and can eat more than you can.

We live with a never-ending push to succeed and win. Of course, this leads us to constantly compare ourselves with others to see how we measure up. How am I doing compared to those around me? If we aren’t winning, if we aren’t out in front, then we are just another in a crowd of faceless losers. The expression in the sports world that sums up this perspective says, “Second place is first loser.”

Sounds rather beastly, doesn’t it? “First loser.” Unless we make it to the top, success has eluded us and satisfaction turns to disappointment. We have been trained to feel this way – it is how this world works. Need an example? Next time you have a chance to watch or participate in a sport or game where there are many contestants pay close attention to the awards given at the end. The Olympics Games is a great example. At the end of every event the gold, silver, and bronze medals are given out. Obviously, the happiest person on the podium is the one with the gold, the one who won. Years of work and sacrifice have paid off and a dream has come true.

Typically, do you know who the next happiest person is? It’s the one with the bronze. Only three medals are given out, and they realize that, after all that time and effort, they came pretty close to going home with nothing. Not that they didn’t want to win, but there is a sense of relief in having received something for their work.

The saddest person is the one in second. They look up to the winner and reflect on just how close they came to their dream, yet still lost. You can usually see it written all over their face. They put on a fake smile that says, “Yay. I got the … silver.” Their sense of worth diminishes because they couldn’t measure up. Never mind that among 6 billion+ people on the planet there is only one other “better person” out there. They are still the first loser among a host of losers.

We have to train ourselves to think differently because the kingdom of God doesn’t work that way. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul writes about his experiences and motivations in working out the calling the Lord had given him;

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NLT)

Notice it says “we” do it for an eternal prize. We can all win! We can all go to heaven because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross.

However, just getting to heaven isn’t the whole point. In his follow-up letter to the Corinthian church, Paul wrote this:

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

We may be in the race to get to heaven, but we are all running our own course. The Lord has a special individualized track for each of us. I’m not running your race, and you aren’t running mine. I won’t be judged for you, and you won’t be judged for me, or anyone else for that matter. The Lord doesn’t measure us against others. Winning not only means making it to heaven. Winning means making the Father proud. Winning means walking out our faith daily. Winning has nothing to do with how we measure up against others, it means how well we measured up against God’s plan for us.

As Paul said, RUN TO WIN! Live for Jesus the way only you can. Because getting to heaven is just the beginning. God has a whole lot more for us than just that.

Created to Withstand Turbulence

 

 

Towera Nyirenda Loper,  cbn.com

“We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV

“A bird that fears turbulence will never know how high it can fly,” said African philosopher Matshona Dhliwayo. The statement made me appreciate turbulence, having come off a 15 hour non-stop flight. You see, in order for a plane to reach its final destination, it has to encounter turbulence. Without turbulence, planes cannot take off. During moments of turbulence, the Captain will say, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return to your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you.”

As uncomfortable as turbulence can be, planes are built to withstand them. Retired Delta airline Captain Bill Watts said of planes, “It’s a very solid structure. It’s built to extreme safety standards. And if you look at all the statistics, you’ll see that it’s just very rare that an aircraft is affected by it – these acts of turbulence.” What causes turbulence is “crossing a barrier between different currents.” What makes passengers uncomfortable with turbulence is not knowing that it’s part of the process and it will not hurt us, unless our seatbelts are unfastened.

Reflecting on this truth, I realized that we too are built to withstand turbulence because we are made in the image of God. Knowing this truth helps us not be fearful. If life’s turbulences scare us, we will never ascend the heights of life’s purpose. What God expects of us however, is to ALWAYS have our seatbelts on when turbulence occurs.  These three thoughts are the seatbelts that will keep us securely fastened:

1. God’s DNA Lives in Us: Genesis 1:27 and Psalm 139:13 respectively state, “So God created man in His own image … male and female created He them.” “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” When God created us, He injected His unshakeable, undefeated DNA in our system to help us ascend the “barriers between different currents.” So if we face the turbulence of sickness, His DNA of healing is available. If we face the turbulence of sadness, His DNA of joy is available. Every turbulence we encounter is always met with an answered DNA found in our Heavenly father. Allow this truth to sink into our hearts.
2. The Word of God Guides Us: Psalm 119:105 states, “Thy Word is a lamp until my feet and a light unto my path.” When turbulent times come our way, we need to speak God’s Word over our situation. God says He is watching over His Word to fulfill it. What better confidence to go into a situation knowing we are already victorious because the blueprint declares it.
3. The Holy Spirit is our HelperJohn 14:16 is Jesus promise to us. “And I will ask the father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” What audacious comfort to know we have a helper on hand 24/7, 365 days a year, including the leap year! Never a day goes by that the Holy Spirit is not available. All we need to do is summon His help and be willing to obey.

So how do we apply these simple truths when we are faced with turbulence? First, we need to speak these truths loudly to ourselves. When we hear what we are saying, it will build faith in us to face turbulence courageously. Second, we need to be grateful to know that turbulence does not last forever. Third, we need to magnify God through our praise. So let us use turbulence as a launching pad to trust God and let us not forget to have our spiritual seatbelts fastened at all times.

The Mail Carrier

 

 

Diane Virginia cbn.com

I thought it would be easy to navigate my way to the expressway from my new job, but I was not familiar with the neighborhood. To further my confusion, a few street signs were missing. The only sure landmark I had was a child’s soccer ball left in a yard. After passing the ball three times, I pulled my car to the side of the road, wiped sweat from my palms, and prayed. “God, please direct me. I want to go home.”

Suddenly, a mail carrier who was making his rounds made a U-Turn. “Ma’am, what address are you trying to find?” he said.

“I’m looking for I-95.”

The carrier gave directions and I went on my way, confident I could find the expressway. But then, I passed through another intersection with missing street signs. Was that where I was supposed to turn? This time, I did a U-turn, found my soccer ball landmark, and stopped.

The mail carrier’s reflection appeared in my rear-view mirror. “Still looking?” he said as he pulled beside me.

I nodded, trying to hide my flushed face.

“Wait here. I have three more letters to deliver. I’ll be back.” As promised, he returned. Then he led me to the highway.

Sure enough, the intersection with the missing signs was where I was supposed to turn. I can still see the carrier tipping his hat as I boarded the expressway.

Sometimes, navigating decisions in life is like driving with missing street signs. God understands His people need help so He provides His Word.

Psalm 119:11a KJV reads, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart.”

When I commit God’s Word to memory, I can be as confident as the mail carrier who had the streets on his route memorized. I’m guessing he also knew the child who owned the soccer ball, and neighbors by their first names.

Psalm 119:105 KJV reads, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Just like the mail carrier led me to the expressway, God’s Word gives us directions that work.

In each of the 176 verses of Psalm 119, the psalmist encourages me to incorporate the truths of God’s Word into everyday living. Just as the mail carrier helped me to reach my destination, God gives His Word as a safe and reliable guide we can depend on.

Sister Mary of Jordan

 

 

Patricia J. Frost, cbn.com

I studied colloquial Arabic, trying to speak it fluently. One way I tackled it during my second summer of living in Amman, Jordan was to immerse myself in the language and culture by living in Arabic homes. I chose areas where there were no Americans or other foreigners. In this way, I got to know Sister Mary, or “Ukt” Mary in Arabic, a well known Bible woman. A mutual friend arranged for me to spend part of the summer with her and go with her to all of her meetings.

It is most unusual for an Arab woman to remain single and live alone all her life, but Sister (Ukt in Arabic) did so in order to devote her life to full-time ministry for her Lord. When still a young woman, she began having Bible studies in her home. These grew into a church and became one of the largest, most active Protestant congregations in Jordan.

Each morning and afternoon, Ukt Mary led either a meeting for women or for girls in her house or in other homes in different areas of the city. On Friday mornings, a men’s prayer group met at Ukt Mary’s house. After a time of prayer, they engaged in lively discussions.

Over the years, Ukt Mary developed health problems but she didn’t let these challenges slow her down. She continued to lead Bible studies until her death and trained women to take her place.

Soon after my return from furlough, I heard the details of her death. I have never heard or read of such a death as she experienced. She never feared death but looked forward to leaving this earth to be with Jesus. God forewarned her of death, so she put all of her affairs in order.

The morning of her death, Ukt Mary got up knowing she was going to meet Jesus. She even called her doctor. She had lived her whole life in anticipation of this day. She called relatives and some of her friends to invite them to come over, for she was going home to Jesus.

When they gathered around her, she laid down, waved at them, and said, “Goodbye, world. I’m going to Jesus.” Just like that — she died. Her death, the ideal leave-taking of this world, was a beautiful testimony of the harmony between her and Jesus.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. Psalm 116:15 NIV

Ukt Mary’s life was a response to Jesus’s invitation in Matthew 4:19:

“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (NKJV)

She was always fishing for people’s souls. I think she could have prayed the same prayer Jesus did when He prayed to the Father in John 17:4:

“I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.” (NIV)

I have never known a person whose life brought more glory to God.

We are not to fear death but follow her example and look forward, filled with excitement and anticipation, to going to our Father’s house.

Do Christians Have a Split Personality?

 

 

Gene Markland,cbn.com

What a difference a day makes! Sunday you’re in church where people love you, where you’re at peace with God and filled with love, basking in His presence. Then Monday comes. Home is hectic and disorganized. Every single driver on the road has it in for you, the boss snaps you up for no good reason and your co-workers hate you.

The world has hammered you hard, so when you get back home, everybody had better watch out for your patience is long gone. Sound familiar? We can be one person at church and totally different during the rest of the week if we’re not careful. It’s hard to recognize it in ourselves because we see ourselves as that same good church person all the time, not as a hypocrite. Why do we fail to be the people we think we are? Why do we fail to sustain the personalities we think we have?

The Apostle Paul wrote, “… I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Romans 7:18-19 NLT)

We tell ourselves that it’s the circumstances that make the difference. Well, it’s more than the circumstances; it’s our split personality!

The Bible says, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? …” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT)

The temple of God, as described in the Bible, was divided into three distinct areas. The outer court where anyone could enter, the holy place where the priests enter, and the holy of holies where only the high priest was permitted to enter once a year in order to make a sacrifice for all the people. It is the holiest part of the temple, the place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, and the presence of God met and communicated with man. There is a trinity to the temple’s design.

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and there is a trinity to our design as well. We are a spirit, we possess a soul, and live in a body. Our body is like the outer court of the temple. It is there for the entire world to see. It is our connection to the world through our five senses, without which, we could not communicate with the world.

Our soul is like the holy place in the temple. It’s between our spirit and body.  It is where our mind, will, and emotions rest. It’s our connection between the spiritual and the physical, heaven and earth.

Our spirit is like the holy of holies, the innermost sacred part of the temple. It’s the place where God dwells, heaven is approached, and where we fellowship with the Lord.

Our spirit, soul, and body are in constant rivalry. We determine in our soul if we are going to be more body-oriented or spirit-oriented. This is the struggle we endure. This is where the split happens. The pull and tug between our fleshly body, which craves the things of the world, and our spirit, which craves the things of God, can become fierce unless we keep our body under control and seek God through our spirit. Our body will rule us unless we die to self and embrace the presence of God through our spirit.

We become born again by asking Jesus Christ to forgive our sins and come into our heart. Our spirit becomes alive to God when this happens and we have a new relationship with Him through our spirit. The split personality we were born with becomes one in Christ, and God accepts us as a temple in which He can dwell, through the Holy Spirit.

The split between the things of heaven and the cares of life will always challenge us, but when we submit to God and keep our flesh, that worldly connection, under subjection, we bring the peace from Sunday into the chaos of Monday and all is right with the world.

God Is Calling You

 

 

Sheila Weddle, cbn.com

Some weeks ago I was sitting in a beautiful oceanfront restaurant at sunrise. I was thinking about how wonderful God is to create such a beautiful world. I was watching people strolling on the beach, and they, too, were watching the sun as it began to rise. Then it was like I heard God saying, You see all those people? I am calling each of them to know Me.

God wants us to know Him. He wants us to believe Him. Just because we can’t see Him does not mean He is not there. He is closer than our breath. He is more alive than anything we have experienced. He wants us to let Him love us.

He calls out to His children, “Come to Me; draw near to Me.” But they don’t know it’s their Father God who is calling. They become distracted thinking about other things or letting people fill that void. But nothing or no one can possibly fill that intimate place that is prepared for God Himself.

Frustration sets in and we might be tempted to believe, He does not love me. He is too far away; He is too ‘high’ for me to attain. Those are lies and we have to learn the difference between the two voices.

How do we know the difference? Know that He loves us more than anyone else can. We can trust His love, His plan, His strength, and His grace. The Great I AM is whatever and whoever we need or want. Even the birds don’t go unfed. How much more does He want a relationship with us!

Where do we start? We just go to Him and tell Him our heart; we can entrust our heart to Him. He knows all the concerns of our heart already and He wants to heal it. He wants us to know that many of the desires in our hearts are from Him — we just simply have not trusted Him enough to know those things are in His heart for us.

We begin with “create in me a clean heart, O, God.” He will clean out the places that we don’t know how to clean out. Though we put them there, He can clean them out. He does it so gently and in so much love that we will receive His peace and joy and develop a deeper trust and relationship with Him.

No one else can fill this need and special place like God with His precious Holy Spirit. He wants us to trust Him and His love for us. There is nothing to fear. Jesus said, “I came that you may have life and have it to the full.”

Make a decision to welcome the presence of God. We can come away with Him and experience all the peace and joy that the abundant life has for us. He is calling. This is His idea, not ours.

We must stop resisting and do what the word says: “Submit to Him and let Him truly abide in you and you abide in Him.”

What a wonderful adventure is ahead for us. All we need to do is make the decision!

He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! (Psalm 111:9 NLT)

The Karate Kid

 

by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk,com

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. – Matthew 5:39

When it comes to old movies, there’s really no beating the 1984 Karate Kid. It’s the classic coming-of-age story of a young boy who finds his potential with the help of a wise, old man. Of course, back then all I cared about were the awesome fight scenes. The first time I saw the movie I must have spent a week doing “Crane kicks” around the house like an inebriated flamingo. Those same action sequences haven’t aged well, and these days The Karate Kid looks downright corny, but the film still contains some valuable lessons for people who listen.

At one point in the movie Daniel grows frustrated with his training. He’s tired of being bullied, tired of being treated like a loser, he wants some payback and karate seems like the best way to get it. Mr. Miyagi listens patiently as his young pupil vents his anger, then pulls him aside and in broken English tries to explain the essence of what he’s teaching.

Pointing to his head, Miyagi says, “Daniel san, karate here.” He then points to his heart and says “Karate here.” Lastly, he points at his fists and say, “karate never, never here.”

The Karate Kid might be a cheesy movie, but I think a lot of Christians could take a lesson from Mr. Miyagi. It bothers me how often I hear pastors and Christian leaders say things like, “We’re soldiers in the army of God”, “We’re fighting a Culture War”, or “The line is being drawn in the sand”. I understand how hard it is to live as a Christian in modern culture, believe me, but that doesn’t mean we start living our faith with our fists. In fact, that sounds almost counter to what Jesus told his disciples to do.

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”– Luke 6:27-31

The truth is Jesus doesn’t need us to fight His battles. Our job is to be reflections of His love and mercy, and we can’t do that when we’re branding people as enemies of the Church. The same principles Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel about karate are true for Christians. God is in our hearts, God is in our minds, but God is never, never in our fists.

If It Comes in Threes

 

Ken Barnes , cbn.com

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 NASB).

As I write this piece, it’s the spring of the year when our gardens start to blossom. Along with the beautiful flowers are the nimesis, the weeds. Among them are poisonous vines, either ivy or oak. These plants are three-leaf in form, and so goes the saying, if it comes in threes, leave it be.

There are also three things the Bible says grow out of our flesh — namely jealousy, envy, and strife. For our spiritual health, these three should also be avoided.

In recent years, due to some sickness and the oppressive summer heat and humidity, we have not maintained our flower beds like we should have. My wife loves to garden. Me, not so much. But I love my wife, so I try to help her with this chore.

One day last week, we waded into this unpleasant but necessary task. As we started to pull the weeds, we remembered something we had learned from previous years — if you do not pull weeds out by the root, in a few months they will be right back.

This reminded me that the three works of the flesh — jealousy, envy and strife —  have a root source, pride. Thomas Aquinas thought pride was the cause of every other sin. It lurks under the surface like roots of weeds, sprouting into these three divisive characteristics. If pride is not dealt with, it won’t be long before our spiritual garden needs to be weeded again.

Knowing that we had poisonous plants in our garden, we took a proactive approach. We clothed ourselves from head to toe to protect against the oil from poisonous plants. Much the same strategy will guard us against jealousy and envy. Watch for thoughts or words that compare you with what others have or can do.

C.S. Lewis once said, “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man … It is comparison that makes you proud.” Comparison is the fertilizer that makes our emotions mushroom into jealousy and envy.

I also noticed that the poisonous plants were primarily vines running close to the ground. They were often obscured from sight by the leaves and blossoms of the flowers.

Such is the case with jealousy and envy. They are hidden by pleasant things such as flattery. We don’t realize the intent of words or suggestions because they are wrapped with things that make us feel good about ourselves. They appeal to our pride — the root of all of our problems.

The oil from a poisonous plant does not always show up immediately as a rash. It can take a week or two for the skin irritation to the surface.

It is much the same with jealousy and envy, the outward manifestation that can warn us is often delayed. If thoughts that provoke these devilish characteristics are not challenged, by the time they surface they can be ingrained in our emotions and thinking.

Finally, after a long day, we were finished. We took off our clothes and put them in the wash and jumped straight into the shower. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

As the Bible says, we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5 (b)). If we do not take our thoughts captive, they will capture us.

If we see jealousy, envy and strife, these devilish three, let them be.

How We Know We’ll Be Happy in Heaven

 

 

Debbie W. Wilson, cbn.com

Much to my mother’s chagrin, I loved blue jeans and climbing trees. I’d shimmy up the trunk of a tall pine the neighborhood boy couldn’t reach without standing on his bicycle. My trees were forts, castles in the clouds, and hothouses for daydreaming.

My arms and legs no longer scale trees or swing from branches. But I still feel the magic when I peek through leafy limbs.

Our kitchen sits over our garage. The crepe myrtle growing beside our garage spreads its lovely branches in front of a bank of casement windows. When I look out from my kitchen table, my heart smiles. I’m living in a heated and air-conditioned treehouse.

I wasn’t thinking about how much I enjoyed the view from trees when we picked out our house plan or when we planted the crepe myrtle. But God remembered.

Our round kitchen table, which doubles as my workstation, reminds me of happy times around my grandmother’s kitchen table. Max, my brilliant standard poodle, ties me to Pepper, another lost treasure from my childhood.

Jesus said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:2-3 NLT).

When I recognized how God had restored these long-lost pleasures in my earthly dwelling, I got excited. How much more will my heavenly home be filled with special touches that show God’s intimate knowledge of me? What deeper joys await us in heaven?

Not only does this help us face our own death, but it also softens the grief we feel when we lose a loved one.

When our daughter graduated from university, she wanted to live in French-speaking Switzerland. Mixed emotions swirled inside of me when she secured a job there. I rejoiced with her that her dream was coming true. But tears seeped out of my eyes when, after our final hugs, she turned to go through airport security. I wasn’t sure when I’d see her again.

When we lose a loved one, we grieve. We know how much we’ll miss them. But when we remember they will be living the biggest dream of their lives, we can also rejoice for them.

Heaven will be better than all of our childhood daydreams combined. The landscape will beat any treetop view. And the air will be honeysuckle sweet.

“… No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).

In what ways has God granted you the desires of your heart? How does that boost your hope for heaven?