Can we be too good?

“Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.”  Matthew 19: 17 [NKJV]
Does anyone ever question you about being too good? I’ve noticed some people steer away from anyone whose good behavior is a level higher than theirs. 

Let me explain.  When I started junior high I had the opportunity to get to know a lot of new kids in my life.  It was a new school to me and in a new area.  I only knew a handful of kids.

One of my new friends wanted me to help her play a prank on someone.  I didn’t want to. I love playing a trick on others but I thought what she wanted to do was mean spirited.  She only saw it as a joke.  She called me too good and our friendship ended after that.  But that’s who I was.  I saw black as black and white as white.  I still am not good at accepting gray areas; not that I’m perfect.  I have a lot of faults. I’m fortunate to have a husband and kids who often remind me of my shortcomings, in love of course.

Only God is truly good. He alone is holy and without sin. In Matthew chapter 19 this man called Jesus, “Good Teacher.”  Jesus accepted the title because above all He was and is good.  He is God.  He is God’s Son.

But I’ve discovered that we also can be good although not on our own.  When we as God’s children listen to God and do what His Word, the Bible says, God grows goodness in us. “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control;” Galatians 5: 22 [NKJV]

We can never be too good to please God.  But we need to be careful that we don’t have a self righteous attitude or arrogant attitude where we think we are better than others. I think that’s what comes through sometimes and drives people away from us and the God we say we serve. Real goodness makes us merciful and caring and a true friend.  And I want to add, a fun friend because when we’re pleasing God we’re free from guilt and free to really enjoy life.

Practicing Kindness

“Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ.”  Ephesians 4:32

Just because the Bible teaches us to be kind doesn’t mean it’s easy to do.  We often don’t want to be kind to the person who could benefit from it.  Sometimes it’s because we are feeling selfish, or we have been hurt by that person and don’t want to forgive him. Sometimes we think we are too busy to help him.

There are two special Bible stories that first come to my mind when I think of kindness. The one is of Joseph.  Even after his brothers hatefully sold him as a slave he helped them.  When they came to Egypt to buy grain he tested their motives but in his heart he forgave them.  Eventually he told them who he was and made a way for them to come live in Egypt so they would have food.

The other story is the well known account of the Good Samaritan.  He went out of his way to help a needy stranger that was hurt.  He was on his way to somewhere but when he saw the hurt stranger he had compassion; he had pity on him. He bandaged his wounds, poured oil and wine on them to clean them and to help heal them, and then he put him on his own donkey and took him to a safe place.  He even paid the innkeeper to take care of him and promised to come back to complete his mission of kindness.

We should definitely be kind to our friends and the people in our lives that are kind to us; that is the easy part.  God also wants us to be kind and help any person in our life whom we can help. God promises us that if we love even our enemies and help them He will reward us. If you are merciful to others God will be merciful to you.  He will bring people to you to help you with your problems too.

Why I Want to Learn Patience on My Own

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” Romans 5:3 and 4 [The Living Bible]
Patience is one of the fruits that the Holy Spirit develops in us as we grow as Christians.  It’s no fun going through the process of learning patience but the results are great.
Just as the verse says, I will definitely run into problems and trials.  Things will get messed up in my life.  I will feel like I’m in a hard place and can do nothing about it; at least not quickly. I will worry about how things will work out. Do you ever feel that way?
If I could choose I would tell God, “Never mind teaching me patience. That is one fruit I will learn on my own. “Another word for patience is perseverance. I have this fear of the process God will use to produce this fruit in me. I would rather teach myself patience the self help way. I would be easy on myself and probably come out weak.
I know God is growing patience in me right now.  I have my new book, A Christmas Present for Goliath, at the printers.  I am going in tomorrow to look over the layout.  There were many changes last time so I had to wait for the designer to re-do it.  Everything seems to take so much longer than I thought it would and my book launch is in two weeks.  At first I was even thinking of changing designers but fortunately for me I persevered with this designer and I believe I will get good results.
In the Nelson Study Bible’s footnotes I read that God loves us just the way we are but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are. That’s a good thought. God allows problems we can’t handle in our life.  It’s only when things in our life get very difficult and beyond our control that we begin to look to Him to help us.
 We learn to trust Him to fix it. As we pray and wait and do what He tells us to things turn around, however slowly.  We see that God has come through for us.  Next time this happens we trust Him a little more to help us and so patience becomes part of our character.
And that’s what God wants.  He wants to grow character in us so we are strong in our hope and faith in Him.

Be a Christmas Blessing

Bible Truths to Share with Your Kids

“Entering the house where the baby and Mary his mother were, they threw themselves down before him, worshipping.  Then they opened their presents and gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh.”  Matthew 3: 11 [The Living Bible]

It’s not too early to be a Christmas Blessing.  I just received my first notice about Operations Christmas Child with Samaritan’s Purse in the mail.

 More than two thousand years ago the Magi came from the East bearing gifts for the new King.  Tradition says they travelled many, many miles by camel. They brought valuable gifts to honor the Messiah.  They gave what they had; gold, myrrh and frankincense. Obviously they were wealthy so they gave of their wealth.

We too are wealthy.  We in North America have so much compared to Third world countries.  A lot of the people in the poor countries do not even have clean water or enough food to eat.  Kids go to bed hungry not knowing if they will get even a crust of bread tomorrow.

 Like the Magi presented gifts to Jesus we also can present gifts to Jesus this Christmas season.  We don’t have to travel by camel or even plane to deliver them.  We only need to pack up a shoebox and pack it with toys. Collection week for Operation Christmas Child begins November 24th to 29th.  It’s easy to contribute.  The media presents the details to us as the date approaches.

 As you have fun scourging the dollar stores and your kids find toys to fill one or several shoe boxes remember the Magi. Just as they lay down their gifts at Jesus feet we too worship with them as we lay our shoe boxes filled with toys and the things that bless the needy children around the world on the pile of shoe boxes accumulating in our neighborhood. The Bible says that as we give to those in need we are giving to Jesus.
I was so intrigued with the Magi of long ago travelling for miles and miles possibly on camels that I began to do some research on them.  I wondered what was it like for them.  What was it like for the camels?  Surely it must have made a phenomenal impact on their lives.

Out of this research a story was born in my heart.  The story I called A Christmas Present for Goliath;  the fictional story for kids 3 – 8 of a young female camel who had the honor of carrying the precious gifts of the Magi to Jesus and how that event changed her life and her master’s life forever.

God Directs Our Plans

“And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.

But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about God’s almighty kindness and love.” Acts 21: 22- 24 [The Living Bible]

 

Many times I wish God would just tell me what’s happening in my life, and why, and direct me so specifically.  I think if He would give me such clarity I would just focus completely on His words to me and do it. And yet I can think of nudges He has given me, even convictions I know were directly from Him, which I ignored. 

 

Why would I ignore God’s direct message to me?  There are several reasons which apply at different times. Sometimes I think God just can’t be serious.  He knows my personality.  He knows that’s far too hard for me.  I can’t do it.  The problem is I just don’t want to stretch that far.  I might embarrass myself and fail.  Then what?

 

Other times I think that’s a huge beautiful assignment.  Is that really His voice?  Would He ask me to do that?  I look around; maybe He’s asking that person sitting beside me on the church pew.  Maybe this message is for him nor for me.  I just overheard it.

 

I hope I’m growing to be more like Paul.  He felt such a compulsion to go to Jerusalem even if suffering lay ahead.  He listened and obeyed so the Holy Spirit could clearly guide him.  He determined to do what God told Him and never made excuses.  Do I really want such clarity from God?  Do you? It’s the only way we will ever have the strength to do the things of God.

 

Bible Truths to Share with Your Kids:

 

Do you ever wonder what God wants you to be or to do with your life?  You have time to decide what vocation to choose but you might be worrying if you will make the right choice.  What if you decide to do something which you will hate?

 

Not to worry. God always gives us enough light for the step we are taking at the moment.  He might not make it clear to you what courses you need to take later in high school but He will direct you as to what you should be doing today.

 

How did Paul know God was talking to him and how did He understand?  Paul had a big secret.  I found it and I’ll share it with you.  He had a real close relationship with God.  He talked with God every day. He listened to God and obeyed Him.  That doesn’t mean he was a holier than the other person or spiritually arrogant; out of touch with people.  No. He was close to a lot of people and cared about them and taught them what God taught him. He even spent time working, mending tents for a living, when he wasn’t preaching.

 

If you don’t know what God is directing you to do later you can still be certain that He has the same message for you that He had for Paul.  He wanted Paul to tell others about Him.  That’s why He sent Paul to Rome.  In the same way He wants you to tell the people in your life about Him. And as you take one step to please Him He shows you the next step.  It’s like climbing a ladder.  You take one rung at a time. Eventually you get to that rung or step you worried so much about. But by the time you get there you have grown so much and learned so much that it’s easy to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can We Really Have Peace?

“I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart!  And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  John 16:27 The Living Bible

We all long for peace.  We want peace in our minds, in our hearts.  We want peace in our family and our relationships and we want peace among nations. Peace is attainable. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit.

The world has become a very stressful place.  Our fast paced competitive society and broken relationships keep us stressed out most of the time.  Every day the media reminds us of war and political discord in our own country.

 How can we keep our mind at peace without hiding our head in the sand?
Magazines advertise products and activities to relieve our anxiety. They sport articles on managing anger in order to get into a happier healthier life. Politicians advise diplomacy instead of war to make peace.  Diplomacy works for awhile until another unmanageable unforeseen crisis arises.

Peace with God and peace from God is possible in this troubled world.  God says so and He never lies.  The answer is in His Word in Philippians 4: 6 and 7: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.  If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.” [The Living Bible]

The secret is in laying our worries and cares at God’s feet and leaving them there.  Every time you feel stressed out again go to God and lay that thought that is stressing you out at His feet.  You might have to do it again and again.  It does become easier as you practice this discipline. What you’re doing is letting go of control and giving God the right to be God in this situation. It’s only when we submit to God that He can give us peace.

 

 
Bible Truths to Share with Your Kids:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.  If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6 and 7 [The Living Bible]

God wants to give you peace.  He wants you to feel comfortable and relaxed, not worried or upset about life or school or the things in life that are getting you down.

Sometimes we as adults don’t take kids worries and problems seriously.  I know kids have real problems too. I once was a shy kid who worried a lot about everything.  One day I found a way not to be worried or stressed out anymore, even as a kid.

A Sunday school teacher told me that in the Bible God says I can cast all my cares on Him and He will care for me.  So what does that mean; just what it says.  And I got it.  God wants you to put all your problems on Him and He will work them out.  It doesn’t mean you just walk away.  First you have to do your part.  You do what you know you can do to solve the problem and then you give the rest to God and wait to see what He does to help you.  It gets very exciting.
Here is a concrete way you can give your problems to God.  Find a small box; there’s probably one lying around your room or house somewhere. Check in the basement.  That’s where I find my extra boxes.

Tape a big sign “God’s Box” on the side. Take a piece of paper and  write on it, “ Here God,   I give you my problem with math. I’m not going to worry about it anymore. I will study and do my very best on the assignments and test.  But instead of trusting myself I will trust You to give me good results.  You take care of it.  It’s not my problem anymore.” Pray this to God and put it in the box.  Put the box in a conspicuous place in your room so it reminds you that God is in charge of your problems, not you.

Or another problem you might want to give to God is that football game you’re playing tomorrow.  You write the same thing: “Here God, I give you my worry about the football game.  I’m scared I’ll mess up. I practice and know all the moves and I try my very best. So you make it work out well.  I know that doesn’t mean we’ll win but You are in control and You will make it a good situation.  But You know I really want to win so help us all to play together well as a team.” Pray this prayer to God. Put the note in God’s Box.  It doesn’t mean you just sit around and dream about winning.  You do your very best. You practice. You get your rest and eat right. But you can trust God to take care of the situation.  Let go of your worry.

You can do this exercise with any and all of your worries. God does care for you and He wants to give you peace.  He says as we make our requests known to Him and leave them with Him that His peace will fill our hearts and minds. When His peace fills our mind there is no room for worry.