I apologize that I missed sending a post last week. I was busy completing some work around the house (laminate flooring in two rooms so far).
This week I would like to continue our exploration of desire needing direction with the second of the 7 deadly sins: Pride.
Pride is defined as "thinking of yourself more highly than you ought". Pride begins with desire. It is our desire to feel good about ourselves, and pride can be a good thing. It is good to take pride in your work, and in who you are. However, pride becomes a problem when our opinion of ourselves becomes overinflated, like a balloon about to burst.
When pride becomes overinflated, it can cause us to look down on others, lose our ability to love people, and lead us to do things we should not do (whether a 40-year old man trying to jump a bicycle, or enter into a business opportunity without counting the cost). Overinflated pride can be very damaging indeed.
On the flip side, humility is "thinking of yourself as you are for who you really are". It is not self-deprecation, which causes us to devalue ourselves. Humility is an honest assessment of who we are and what we are able to do. Humility leads us to depend on God because it makes us realize how far short we fall of His glory. Humility also allows us to love others because it causes us to recognize the inherent value of each person.
So our prayer for this week would be for God to help us develop true humility, not self-deprecation but honest assessment, so that we can be who we really are and do what God wants us to do to make His kingdom come alive!
As pride breaks Shalom, so we pray that true humility can help us experience more of what God intends for us together.
These have been my thoughts, and I invite you to share some of your own, as we journey together along the Way ...
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
August 11, 2015 - along the Way ...
This past Sunday, as we continue to seek first God's righteousness, I taught that desire needs direction. "The Seven Deadly Sins" are an example because each begins with desire. Over the next few weeks, using the Seven Deadly Sins and their accompanying virtues, I will show how desire can go one of two ways: toward sin or toward virtue (righteousness).
Sin, as Neal Plantinga defines it in his book: "Not the Way It's Supposed to Be" is "culpable Shalom-breaking". Shalom is the world as God intends it to be; everything right; all people reconciled; true peace.
Lust is one of the seven deadly sins. It begins with desire, a natural God-given desire, which gets twisted, misdirected, and leads toward sin; the breaking of Shalom.
The accompanying virtue to "lust" is "chastity". Chastity is purity. It is rightly directed desire, which leads to respect for oneself and others. "Chastity" is a virtue that begins in the heart with respect and leads us more toward the world as God intended.
Respect means acknowledging each person as uniquely created in God's image, and thereby each person has inherent value and worth. Thus, each person is a person first, not an object to be used for one's own purposes.
Lust twists our natural, God-given desire into something selfish and disrespectful.
If each person would realize the inherent value of every other person, and see each person as a person first rather than an object, we would have a more respectful society.
Pornography would not be welcome, although permissible under the law (freedom of speech and expression), it would not have a following. In addition, sex-trafficking would become a thing of the past. People would realize that other people are someone's child, sister, brother, mother, father, etc.
No one is a commodity to be bought and sold at a price. It is inhumane and very disrespectful.
So ultimately Shalom (the world as God intended it to be) is broken by lust because it degrades the other person into an object, and mars the true identity of a person.
However, Shalom can be restored through respect which leads to chastity and makes God's already present kingdom come more alive for all to see.
I encourage each of us to consider how we might ask God to lead us toward mutual respect and chastity, and away from Shalom-breaking lust.
These are my thoughts, now I invite you to share yours, as we journey together along the Way ...
Sin, as Neal Plantinga defines it in his book: "Not the Way It's Supposed to Be" is "culpable Shalom-breaking". Shalom is the world as God intends it to be; everything right; all people reconciled; true peace.
Lust is one of the seven deadly sins. It begins with desire, a natural God-given desire, which gets twisted, misdirected, and leads toward sin; the breaking of Shalom.
The accompanying virtue to "lust" is "chastity". Chastity is purity. It is rightly directed desire, which leads to respect for oneself and others. "Chastity" is a virtue that begins in the heart with respect and leads us more toward the world as God intended.
Respect means acknowledging each person as uniquely created in God's image, and thereby each person has inherent value and worth. Thus, each person is a person first, not an object to be used for one's own purposes.
Lust twists our natural, God-given desire into something selfish and disrespectful.
If each person would realize the inherent value of every other person, and see each person as a person first rather than an object, we would have a more respectful society.
Pornography would not be welcome, although permissible under the law (freedom of speech and expression), it would not have a following. In addition, sex-trafficking would become a thing of the past. People would realize that other people are someone's child, sister, brother, mother, father, etc.
No one is a commodity to be bought and sold at a price. It is inhumane and very disrespectful.
So ultimately Shalom (the world as God intended it to be) is broken by lust because it degrades the other person into an object, and mars the true identity of a person.
However, Shalom can be restored through respect which leads to chastity and makes God's already present kingdom come more alive for all to see.
I encourage each of us to consider how we might ask God to lead us toward mutual respect and chastity, and away from Shalom-breaking lust.
These are my thoughts, now I invite you to share yours, as we journey together along the Way ...
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...
This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...
This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...
This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...
This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...
This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
Often I hear people complain about their life. Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently. It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.
In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."
Did you get that? We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.
What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.
Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139. I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.
It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today. If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.
Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn. In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven. Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you. He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.
And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...
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