Laziness--a Life Waster

We humans are all made with the need to rest, relax and put our feet up from time to time. It is a wise thing to rest when we need to. But laziness is a mind-set that promotes resting into a lifestyle. It wastes the life we have because it wastes the hours that make up our lives. If we love life, we will be sure not to squander time.

Squander carries the meaning of throwing something valuable away. Time is of great value. Proverbs 6:10-11 explains that a little slumber and folding of the hands results in poverty and need.

Treasure your time--rest when you need to and then get going.

Speak No Ill

"To speak ill upon knowledge shows a want of charity; to speak ill upon suspicion shows a want of honesty," Arthur Warwick once noted. Control of our words and the passing on of stories and tales is a problem we all face. It is often called gossip.

There is a right time to reveal a deed and a right time to cover it. Evil that will lead to more evil needs to be stopped. But a slip that a person makes and regrets may need to be covered (1 Peter 4:8). It is a matter of judgment. The Bible tells us that a prudent man conceals knowledge, but a fool proclaims foolishness (Proverbs 12:23). Check your facts, check your heart, and speak no ill that hurts.

Get Up!

A person can only fall once if he or she never gets up. But getting up and trying again is how we humans gain experience and become stronger. Babies learn this when they are trying to walk. I have not known a baby who never fell. Usually they fall and fall--and grow stronger and in better control of their muscles every day.

Righteous people are the ones who want to be better. When they fall, they rise with more determination to learn not to fall. We are all undergoing great changes as we strive to overcome our flaws and become more like Jesus Christ. We are bound to fall, but it is in the rising and trying again and again that we please God.

The Inside

Most people tend to work very hard on their outward appearance, but it is the inside that really ought to take our time and attention. If we take care of the inside first, the outside will take care of itself. We will attend to our hygiene and appearance without giving it undue attention.

God knows our true needs and thus He strengthens the "inner man" through His Spirit (Ephesians 3:16). You really cannot "tell a book by its cover." Putting on the "new man" has to do with building the inner you, filling our lives and minds with the right values (Ephesians 4:20-32).

"None Are So Empty..."

"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves," Benjamin Whichcote once wrote. We all have a need to be recognized. Sometimes that need is so strong that we put ourselves forward. If someone tells of an encouraging incident in his life, we have to tell of one in ours. If someone caught a big fish--we caught one at least as big. It seems we fear to be thought less of, so we promote ourselves.

Jesus spoke a parable about those who considered themselves to be righteous and despised others (Luke 18:9-14). When we are full of ourselves, we cannot respect and esteem others as we should. We would do much better if others spoke more of us--and we less.

The Value of Virtue

Virtue is moral excellence and worth. It is an ingredient in the lives of those who make this world a better place. Without virtue, we are like a contradiction to those who look to us for leadership and guidance.

The Bible tells us that a lovely woman who lacks discretion is like a ring of gold in the snout of a pig (Proverbs 11:22). She will be dragged through the mud. An old saying makes a similar point: "Beauty without virtue is like a flower without perfume."

When we have godly virtue, on the other hand, it can be a blessing to all.

Look for That Silver Lining in Life

We all moan and groan and sigh and cry inside when we see and hear the evil, but we don’t have to focus on the negatives. Consider some of the Bible’s encouragement:

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4).

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with what you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

And Philippians 4:8 tell us to focus on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy!

If we bring every thought into captivity to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), when negative and complaining thoughts come to our minds, we will kick them out. Then we will grow and have a better relationship with God.

Mending Fences

Jesus Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross made possible eternal life for us. He forgave even those who were crucifying Him (Luke 23:34). In reality, by our sins we were all responsible for His death, so He paid the penalty for all our sins.

Can we follow His example and forgive others whose faults and mistakes hurt us (Colossians 3:13)? Harboring a grudge against someone for years does no good. It only makes us feel bitter.

Contact your adversary. See whether you can heal what separates you (Matthew 5:23-24). It’s like mending a broken fence. If you are successful in renewing the relationship, you’ll become friends again! As Christians, we are to be peacemakers in this evil and presently dying world (Matthew 5:9). Life in God’s family, which should be our goal, lies ahead of us. What a great reward!

The Devil Made Me Do It

When some people are caught doing something they know is wrong, they say, “The devil made me do it.” But is this true? Does Satan actually make us do anything—or do we have a choice?

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Satan does influence us, but God has given us the gift of free will. So, yes, we do have a choice—just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. We can freely choose to either obey God or listen to Satan. However, God does not allow Satan to tempt us beyond what He knows we can bear. Satan does not—and cannot—make us do anything. He will tempt us with a way into sin, but God is faithful and always counters that by giving us a way out.

Who’s Your Enemy?

Have you ever thought that people can sometimes seem very rude, thoughtless and even hateful? This can run the gamut from someone simply cutting us off in traffic to someone trying to pick a fight with us for no real reason. But are people who behave this way our real enemies?

Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Our enemy is not any person—flesh and blood. Our real enemy (the one we truly need to fight against) is the power behind the bad attitudes and actions of all people—Satan himself. So, the next time someone does something rude or even hateful toward us, we need to remember that it’s actually Satan—our real enemy—working behind the scenes. Then we can better practice what Christ tells us about how to treat our human “enemies”—we are to “love” them (Matthew 5:44).

Is There a Red Herring in Your Life?

When solving a crime or mystery, Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alfred Hitchcock often threw a red herring into their stories to mislead the audience. The term red herring, according to some accounts, comes from the early 1800s when British fugitives would disguise their trail with the pungent smelling fish to confuse bloodhounds that were tracking them.

Satan throws red herrings into the lives of Christians to disguise sin. Satan, as a master deceiver, can mislead us by making sin look most alluring and eye-catching when in reality it is deadly poisonous.

The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” He is masterful at deceiving the world into thinking that wrong is right by making subtle suggestions for us to ponder and, if we allow, fester into sin. For that reason, it is important to stay close to God and pray each day asking for His guidance and protection from Satan’s cunning ways.

The Watchmaker

Voltaire wrote: “I cannot dream that this watch exists and has no watchmaker.” All around us we see marvels of inventions and design that have resulted from numerous hours of thought, planning, design and work by a designer. We would never think that a watch we find lying on the ground just appeared. We would try to find its owner because we know that it had to have been made by a watchmaker for somebody. We do not question this.

Living creatures are far more complicated than a watch. Yet some do dream that life exists without a life-maker. Some manage to dream what Voltaire could not imagine—a watch without a watchmaker. God says that man is without excuse when it comes to having knowledge to prove God’s existence (Romans 1:20-21). When we study the evidence, we can be sure we won’t fall for the thoughts that we do not have our own watchmaker.

Great Occasions

Great occasions come our way every so often in life. They often come suddenly and unexpectedly. When they do, they shine a bright light on what we are—on our character at the moment. Occasions do not develop men into heroes or cowards, but they do reveal exactly what a man is.

When Gideon was told to gather an army to defeat the Midianites, thousands came forward for this great occasion. However, most were not prepared to be heroes. God said to send the fearful and cowardly home and about two thirds left (Judges 7:3). Those who remained had the attributes of heroes when they came. God chose 300 of those men to finish the task. Heroes rose to the occasion—the occasion did not turn them into heroes. Now is the time to think like a hero, before the occasion to be one presents itself; then you will be ready.

Critics

Benjamin Disraeli, a British prime minister in the 19th century, noted that it is much easier to be critical than to be correct.

We are cautioned to examine ourselves before we criticize others. We are told to remove the beam from our own eye (Matthew 7:3-5). That leads to judging fairly. Even a critic can earn respect if his or her standard of judging is right. We are all critics at one time or another—sometimes unwillingly. Let our judging be with wisdom and up to a standard that shows care and humility and is for the edification of others.

All That Glitters

In lands where people lived under communism, the outside of an apartment often looked drab, dreary and in need of repair. That shabbiness often hid some beautiful rooms inside. People in these countries placed a bigger value on what was on the inside. The saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a reflection of this thought.

Our eyes only see a part of the real person. People may look weary, sad or less than handsome. They may walk slowly and wear shabby clothes, but a closer look often reveals a diamond behind those tired eyes.

All that glitters is not gold—and the most beautiful, powerful, wealthy person may glitter brightly on the outside, but be a mess inside. One sad example was King Solomon. His outer appearance may have fooled many people, but could not fool God (1 Kings 11:11). Let your real, inner self glitter.

Exposed

As we work and develop, we grow strong; as we don’t work, we grow weak. We do not stay the same for long. What we become is not an accident—it is a product of effort or a product of neglect. No matter what we are, we can always choose to be better. Our weaknesses or strengths can be exposed by a crisis. In seeing ourselves exposed, we can develop the determination to become better.

Students are tested at school so they know which areas need improvement and so the teacher knows which areas need more attention. God tests us frequently so we can see ourselves and change and so He knows what we will do (James 1:12-14). We cannot stay hidden from God and simply coast through life. We will be exposed. When crisis comes, you can stand strong and full of hope. Knowing we cannot hide is a good motivator for self-examination and change. Let’s take the trials in our lives as opportunities to grow in our character.

Faithful in the Little Things

The Bible tells us that if a person is faithful in little things, he or she will also be faithful in the big things (Luke 16:10). This is a principle of living that is like a two-edged sword, because the opposite is also true.

If we lie a little, it is easier to tell bigger and bigger lies. If we steal a little, we will soon steal more. This side of the sword shows how we can slowly deteriorate by doing a little evil.

We should be faithful in the little things of friendship, outgoing concern for others, prayer and knowledge of God. Take time each day to do the little things that are pleasing to God. This positive side of the sword reveals how we get better little by little. Show patience and kindness, self-control and diligence. These are some little things that allow us to become more like our Heavenly Father (Matthew 5:48).

Varnish

Varnish can mean a superficial polish to conceal some defect or inadequacy. Applied to people, it is the false front one sees all too often projected by politicians and others who desire to look good to the public. It is like beauty that we see, but which is only skin deep. Beauty fades in time and our concept of beauty changes. It is not wrong to enhance the outward appearance to some extent, but it is wrong when the purpose will deceive those who view whatever it is.

Instead of focusing merely on the outside appearance, we should look to what our core contains. It is the true value within us that helps us work for the greater good of all. It is the strengthening and increase of human ability. We paint the surface of many of our goods, but the quality of the product is inside. The lesson is that our appearance is important, but what we do not see is even more important. Don’t always judge what you see by the varnish (James 2:1-9).

Silence Is Golden

There are times to speak and times to remain silent. Knowing the difference between these moments demonstrates our ability to have wisdom. Many people seem to put their feet in their mouths all too often. Silence is a wonderful tool for living when it is applied in the right situation. It gives us time to think before we speak, and it does not introduce an interruption in a conversation while others are trying to express themselves.

There are some people who are very nervous when silence appears. They feel a need to fill the gaps. Obviously the silence that is golden is not the kind that makes everyone uncomfortable, but rightly used, it has great value. The Bible tells us to be slow to speak and quick to hear (James 1:19). It’s important for us all to remember that sometimes the best thing to say is nothing.

Faithful Wounds or Cruel Blows

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). A friend finds it hard to say anything that might hurt a friend, but is willing to do so if it is for the long-term benefit of his or her friend. God loves mankind and corrects His children (Hebrews 12:6). He shows us how loving parents ought to correct those they love when that is needed.

Cruel blows from enemies are only designed to inflict pain and suffering upon us. That sort of brutality and cruelty usually springs from hard-heartedness and weakness. The blows of a friend may seem cruel, but they lead to health and a better life. Knowing the difference lets us respond correctly. Pain can be positive.