Choose to Use Four-Letter Words

An obvious fact of life is that life itself is full of choices.

Some choices bring great amounts of joy.
Some bring undesired pain and suffering.
Some choices put you in dangerous situations.
Some get you to one side of the fence.
Some choices make absolutely no sense.
Some put you in jail.
Some choices bring a new found hope.
Some give you a mouthful of soap.

Many times making the choice to use a four-letter word results in a good ol' fashioned mouth washing. From now on, this need not be. The choices we make when concerning four-letter words may actually change our lives for the better.

Consider young children who choose to play. This choice is not made so he/she will be found rejoicing when it is time to nap. No. It is the time spent chasing butterflies and throwing dirt that brings joy to the heart of each young girl or boy.

How about a scenario often scene near the end of July. It's a blistering summer day ad the heat is unbearably hot. Making the choice to swim makes perfect sense. This choice is not satisfying because of the burning sensation your feet feel after stepping back on the scorching pavement. No. It is the breathtaking, refreshing feeling of jumping in the lake that brings you delight.

What about the cowboys in their tight jeans at the rodeo? As the two thousand pound kicking, thrashing, smelly piece of beef smashes up against the steel walls of the chute; the man with the hat chooses to ride. While there is a sense of relief when eight seconds pass and he's still alive; that is not the purpose. No. The bull rider thrives on the thrill and adrenaline with his hand strapped to the back of the beast named Fu Man Chu.

Maybe considering the developing intellect of college kids will help. With his/her ever-increasing vocabulary, it is not uncommon to see one choose two four-letter words at the same time. Can you say road-trip? Now, three stinky friends don't pour over maps, pack every valuable the own, and pile into a Honda Civic just so they can be back at home. No. It is the journey that makes the memory. Time spent together behind the windshield. Laughter laughed with a whole heart. Conversations kept close that will forever shape their forevers. It is in the middle of the beginning and the end where the story is created.

Speaking of being created, let's look closely at life.

After making a whole lot of something (see the Universe) out of a whole lot of nothing, God made a choice make man and woman in His image. As a result, there needed to be something to do during the day. So God chose to create work as a way to enjoy His creation. Then, to finish off His very good creating, He chose to invite His creation to take delight in stopping to rest. Did humanity do well with this? No. Selfishly stirring in pride and a search for power, a choice was made to sin.

But, God made another choice. Sin separated humans from God so He chose to bring us all back to Him. Jesus, who is God, chose to love. He laid down His life as the sacrifice that we needed to pay the price for our sin. Three days after dying, He rose from the dead and He is still alive today. Now, He wants us to make a choice.

When I chose to accept His free gift of love my life was completely changed.

As a result, I've been able to choose many other four-letter words making my life what it is today. About two months ago I made a choice to enter into a covenant with Emily as my wife. This choice has drastically impacted my understanding of God's sacrificial love for me. Each new day is a reminder to me of the choice I made to walk with Jesus.

Choosing Jesus' free gift of love is not the end but the beginning.

It might scare you at times, but at times it will bring peace.
It will take you places you've never imagined going.
It can put you in dangerous situations.
It might put you in jail.
It will get you on one side of the fence.
It may not always make sense.
It will probably fill you with a new found sense of hope.
It is unlikely that you'll get a mouthful of soap.

What four-letter word will you choose today?

Ponder

"But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." Luke 2:19

In the opening session of my summer Bible study, the leader stated, "We should spend 50% of our time reading the Bible in meditative reading. Stop, listen, consider, and pray." What a challenge!


Romans 11:3 states, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" Humans' finite reasoning makes it impossible to unlock the mysteries of Scripture. Without the Holy Spirit, searching and convicting hearts, it is impossible to appropriately apply the Law and Gospel to one's personal life.


Thankfully, Jesus promised the Father would send us a Helper, Holy Spirit to "...teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I [Jesus] have said to you," John 14:26. God has placed the greatest personal interpreter within His children! They need only appeal the Helper for guidance.


How then can Believers have a Mary-like heart, treasuring and pondering the treasures of Scripture? Firstly, personal devotions should be more than reading a few chapters in the Bible every day--Christians must read meditatively--stop, listen, consider, pray. Secondly, the Holy Spirit must be entreated to "guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). Thirdly, the "active, living Word of God" should be pondered (studied,  memorized, meditated on, prayed through, and discussed). These 'skills' will mature throughout the life of a Believer.


Next Saturday, we will take a closer look at specific ways to ready meditatively. Until then... daily seek to treasure and ponder the Word of God.

God's Grace, God's Strength

One way Grace is defined is as: "Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him." (from Webster's 1828 Dictionary) 

In Ephesians 2:8 it says that "God saved you by His grace when you believed." By God's free unmerited love and favor, our Awesome God saved us from the darkness of sin, from the fire of Hell, from eternal separation from Him when we believed.

But it goes on to say in verse 9 "And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." We have no credit in acquiring the gift of grace, the life of freedom. By nothing can we obtain salvation except through the gift which God gives freely. Not by things we do have we been saved, but by God's gift of grace. "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago" (verse 10). In Christ we are a new creation, a masterpiece of God, and He has marvelous plans for our lives.

So the question for believers is do we really believe these statements? Do we believe that God has given each one the gift of salvation through His grace? The answer is found in our hearts rather than our heads, for we may know the answer should be, but our actions come from within. 

Each believer is given the gift of salvation by believing, and then from that point on allowing God to work in our lives as He establishes his plan for us, for we are His masterpiece. How then do we have the right to withhold that gift, or even doubt that it has been given to others? Christians are often bashed for how they treat others in judgment rather than love. As we look at the life of Christ, as pointed out in yesterday's blog, Jesus never condemned those who were living a "sinful" life, but invited them to the True Life. The ones He rebuked were the religious leaders, the ones who were "sin-free." 

Today as I examine my own life, I see a sinner who by God's grace has received Salvation through Christ. But I also see a self-righteous person who subconsciously, and even freely, condemns others who do not display a "sin-free" life. Christ died for everyone, and He works in everyone differently. Next time when I find myself judging someone, I pray God will remind me that we are both sinners in need of a Savior. Putting all assumptions behind, I pray I will have the strength to meet them where they are at: either bringing the message of Salvation to them, or encouraging them in their walk with Jesus. May I be Jesus to those around me, firmly saying I believe God's Word and I do not want to with hold His gift from others.  Will you join me in striving to be known as ones who loves rather than ones who judges - a follower of Jesus? Only by His strength, His sufficient grace, can it happen. 

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

(Hebrews 10:18-25)