Don’t Criticize Yourself

Most of us don’t realize that as followers of Jesus Christ, we should not criticize ourselves or even think negative things about ourselves! Does that surprise you?

This is a lesson the Lord had to teach me, and one that He also needs to remind me of from time to time. It’s a favorite tool of the enemy to get us thinking disapproving things of ourselves, but we must not do it.

Here are some of the Scriptural reasons to help us to understand the deep, spiritual importance of this:

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Gen 1:27 NIV)

Every human being on earth, whether Christian or not, has been created in the image of God. Since that is true, EVERYONE deserves to be treated with respect—including ourselves!

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. (Ps 139:14 ESV)

Since, each human being was given life by the Lord, each individual is a wonderful work of the Lord. We would never contemplate criticizing one of God’s works, would we? Then why do we think it’s okay to think pessimistic thoughts about ourselves?

. . . everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made. (Isa 43:7 NASB)

We have each been created to bring God glory. Our thoughts are much better ordered and employed to meditate upon God and to think worshipful thoughts about Him. Also, it is productive to think of ways to bring Him glory and honor.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Cor 6:19 NKJV)

We, as believers, do not belong to ourselves but we belong to God. Each Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Just think about the enormity of that honor.

. . . and to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God’s image in righteousness and true holiness. (Eph 4:24 ISV)

Our ‘new nature’ since salvation is the one that has ‘put on Christ.’ (Rom 13:14; Gal 3:27) Our born-again spirit was sealed by God in righteousness and true holiness. There is nothing within us that we are able to criticize because we belong to God. Glory to God!

Meditate upon how very important you are to the Lord, and the fact that you belong to Him. God is with you. Rejoice in His truth!

Clothe Ourselves with Virtue

How can we clothe ourselves with virtue? For that matter, how can we “put on love” as instructed in Colossians 3:14? And note that Romans 13:14 tells us that we have “put on Christ,” as does Galatians 3:27.

And what virtues are we encouraged by God’s Word to put on?

¹²Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Col 3:12 NIV)

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Col 3:14-15 NIV)

Your love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to each other with mutual affection. Excel at showing respect for each other. (Rom 12:9-10 ISV)

. . . with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love . . . (Eph 4:2 NKJV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23 NASB)

Wow! This is an impressive list of virtues and good traits to pursue and to practice.

In the natural realm, when we want to be clothed, it is a conscious act of the will. Our clothes don’t fly through the air and attach themselves to us, right? We have to physically maneuver ourselves into the clothes, and then button or snap or zip them into place. And we have to choose exactly what items we want to wear each and every day.

As believers and followers of Jesus, we must be just as deliberate about what virtues we choose to use in every circumstance and situation in our lives. We must decide to be peacemakers, just as we must choose to be kind, humble, gentle, patient, peace-loving, joyful, faithful, and self-controlled.

As we make the decision each new day to follow Jesus, we must make the decision in every circumstance and life situation about how to react to our current challenges or trials.

In answer to our prayers to Him, the Lord will give us the grace and power that we need to weave these virtues into our lives. The Holy Spirit will guide us if we yield to Him in humility and obedience.

The Holy Spirit is the only One who can teach us and transform us into the image of Christ. And best of all, He can be trusted to guide us lovingly and faithfully. Hallelujah!

Seek Good Not Evil

The Bible exhorts us to seek good and not evil on a daily basis. We’re encouraged to try to live at peace with others. Let’s have a look at some of those verses:

Do you want to live and enjoy a long life? ¹³Then don’t say cruel things and don’t tell lies. ¹⁴Do good instead of evil and try to live at peace. ¹⁵If you obey the Lord, he will watch over you and answer your prayers. (Ps 34:12-15 CEV)

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, ¹⁷learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isa 1:16-17 ESV)

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. (Amos 5:14 NIV)

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Mic 6:8 NLT)

Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt 6:33 CEB)

There is a promise to us that if we seek good and not evil, and be at peace with others, we will enjoy a long life. Not only that, but the Lord says that He will be with us. Another promise is that the Lord will watch over us and answer our prayers. Wow! Those are wonderful promises that God is giving us and notice that these are very desirable blessings.

We are also exhorted to be humble. In other words, we should treat others with the respect that they deserve since all human beings have been made in the image of God.

Desire to see God’s kingdom and righteousness established, and when we do, every other blessing that we could ever desire will be given to us. So today’s lesson is: Live an upright and holy life, and reap the blessings that Jesus Christ purchased for everyone who would believe in Him. Glory to God!

The Sad State of Our World

I am grieved by what is happening in the world now. It is full of chaos and confusion and conflict.

Families typically share a worldview: common beliefs that they hold in common at least while the children are young. As the youngsters mature and grow into adulthood, they will evaluate their worldview and either accept it or reject it. Then when children marry, new and unfamiliar opinions get mixed in. This can bring harmony and unity, if these viewpoints should agree, but they can bring chaos and turmoil when they don’t.

Micah is an Old Testament prophet who said this about his own time, and also about what will happen when Messiah comes to earth.

Sons refuse to respect their own fathers, daughters rebel against their own mothers, and daughters-in-law despise their mothers-in-law. Your family is now your enemy. (Mic 7:6 CEV)

During those days, even within one family there would be breakdowns and strife. Neighbors no longer trusted one another. Families were in crisis.

What Micah said in Micah 7, was also Jesus’ argument a few hundred years later! Jesus even says that He came to turn people against one another—even among families.

For I came to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household. (Mt 10:35-36 NASB)

“Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (Lk 12:53 NKJV)

You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. (Lk 21:16 NIV)

These are difficult things to hear from the Lord. No one wants the very people that he deeply loves to turn against him. But the Lord is warning all of His followers to expect persecution—even from those whom we have nurtured and loved and known deeply.

The enemy loves to use family pressure—even the threat of family violence—to drive us away from our faith in Jesus. How many of us believers have raised our children and watched them grow up, get married and later turn away from their faith in Jesus Christ? Too many, and it always brings devastating pain, and too often, broken relationships.

Our only consolation is to know that Jesus loves each one of us. He will not stop working to bring back His lost sheep into His sheepfold. Pray faithfully for those whom you love who have wandered away from their faith in Jesus and in the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is good to understand and remember that the Lord has engraved each of us on the palms of His hands. (Isa 49:16) Praise God!

God Calls Us to Love Our Christian Family, Pt. 1

We have received spiritual assignments due to the fact that all believers comprise the body of Christ on earth. Because we are children of God, we are His representatives wherever we go and with whoever we meet. Here are some scriptures concerning some of our instructions/assignments:

Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1 Pet 2:17 NKJV, underscoring added)

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. (1 Joh 3:10 NKJV)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 Joh 4:7-8 NKJV, underscoring added)

1 John 4:7 clearly states that ‘love is of God.’ That means that love is the description of and the province of God. We are instructed to love the brotherhood (1 Pet 2:17)—which means that we should love all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. It goes without saying that we are also instructed to love ALL people (1 Joh 4:7).

We are encouraged to honor all people, as well. (1 Pet 2:17) Honor means to esteem, respect, or admire someone. Wow! Can you think about giving honor to ALL PEOPLE? That’s a huge responsibility and a tremendous challenge. The only way that we can fulfill this command is to ask God to give us His grace and His blessing to enable us to obey.

Critical and significant assignments from our Savior require us to walk closely with Him in unity and companionship. Only by an obedient and humble relationship with the Lord will we be able to receive the grace, insights and the wisdom that we need to enable us to fulfill our assignments. God is our strength and our song! (Ex 15:2; Ps 118:14) All glory to God most High!

Sweet, Kind Words

What do you think about people who always speak kindly, and who treat others with the respect of using kind and gracious words? Such people are rare, but we must surely admire and respect them.

Pleasant [gracious] words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. (Pro 16:24 NKJV, definition in brackets added)

A gentle response diverts anger, but a harsh statement incites fury. (Pro 15:1 ISV)

A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word! (Pro 15:23 NASB)

Wholesome speech is a tree of life, but dishonest talk breaks the spirit. (Pro 15:4 CEB)

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (Pro 31:26 ESV, emphasis added)

As we can see from these Bible passages, kind and pleasant words bless all those who hear them as well as those who speak them. Good-humored, pleasing words and conversation can bring about unexpected benefits. Here are just some of them:

Joy to the soul and good health for body, soul, and spirit (Pro 16:24)
Turning anger away (Pro 15:1)
Delight (Pro 15:23)
Lengthens our lives and enriches them (Pro 15:4)
Wisdom and kindness go hand-in-hand (Pro 31:26)

It is always a source of awe-inspired wonder to me that there is such a richness and depth to the teachings of the Word of God when we take time to study them and to understand them in their fullness.

May your life be enriched, lengthened, and blessed by the kind and pleasant words that you speak to others, and which other people speak to you. All glory to God!

Reverence for the House of God

It pleases the Lord when we honor the place where He resides. Since the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the “house of God” is any building or gathering place where two or more people assemble to study the Word of God, to teach others spiritual truths from the Bible, and to praise and worship the Lord.

‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.’ (Lev 19:30)

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. (Eccl 5:1)

And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” (Mt 21:13)

From these passages of Scripture we can recognize a number of truths.

The Lord tells us to reverence (respect; regard with awe) His sanctuary. A sanctuary is a refuge, safe haven, or place of safety. When we meet with fellow Christians to praise and worship God and to partake of His Word, we are in a place of safety and protection. Our collective attitude of honor and respect contribute to the free flowing of the Holy Spirit to minister in our midst.

It isn’t a building that is the church—it is the people and the gathering of God’s people together that forms “the church.” The sanctuary, the House of God, and the church are all synonymous terms. Any place or building where God’s people gather together to give Him honor and praise can be understood to be “the church”; whether it’s an event room at a bowling alley, a rented meeting room in a hotel, or a family room in a private home.

The Word also reminds us to behave wisely as we enter into the meeting of the body of Christ. How do we do that? We “draw near to hear” with a heart full of obedience and true worship.

Lastly, the Scriptures remind us that the church is a “house of prayer” and that its main purpose is a spiritual one and not a monetary one. God forbid that a body of believers would focus upon money instead of honoring God and His Holy Word.

It is very understandable that God would ask us to show honor and respect for any place where He meets with His people—all who call Him Savior and Lord. Remember that GOD IS PRESENT when His people come together in His Name. God bless you.

Glorify the Lord

One of our assignments, as believers in Christ, is to glorify the Lord. Let’s look at what the Scripture says.

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior . . . (Lk 1:46-47 NIV)

I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. ¹²I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds. (Ps 77:11-12)

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. (Ps 86:12)

Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands. (Isa 42:12)

Glorifying God means to acknowledge His impressiveness and to give Him respect by praising and worshiping Him. We do this mainly because He alone deserves to be praised, honored and worshiped.

God’s glory is the core of His nature, and we give glory to Him by recognizing it. In glorifying God, we exalt Him; we recognize and honor His deity; and we elevate Him above all else in our lives and in our thoughts.

Adoration [devotion, high regard, esteem] is also a component of glorifying God. When we have this type of respect for God, our reverence is shown in ways that we can’t even perceive. However, other people do notice it, and hopefully it will lead them to ask us for the reasons that we have for the hope that lies within us!

A Good Name

What exactly is a “good name”? It means having a good reputation, or being known as a person with a good character. The Bible speaks most favorably about having a good name.

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Pro 22:1 NIV)

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (Pro 3:4 NIV)

A good name is better than fine perfume . . . (Eccl 7:1a NIV)

Ecclesiastes asserts that a good reputation is better than fine perfume! Does that surprise you? Let’s think about this for a little time. Your good name is all about your integrity—your very character.

When people hear your name, what do they think about you? Do they associate your name with timeliness, honesty, and hard work? Or do they think several negative things instead?

Here are some valuable reasons why a good reputation can be considered better than riches.

A good name provides steadiness – A person with a good name means that there are positive character traits the person has. When you’re known for having a good character, it causes other people to trust you and to want to deal with you. Trust is a stabilizing factor in life. In business, people will want to hire you or affiliate themselves with you. In personal life, you will have many trusted friends who will remain friends. A person with a good character is easy to love.
A good name is endless – Think about the many people in history that are spoken of in our time with respect and awe. A good character stays behind when we have gone ahead into eternity. Once we have lived our lives and passed on, what kind of legacy will we have we left behind? How will our children, our family and friends remember us? If we followed Jesus’ example and lived our lives by faith, we can be assured that we will have made a positive contribution to our world.
God bestows loving favor on those who have a good name. – When a person has a good name (a good character), they receive the favor of God and man. (Ps 84:11; Pro 3:1-4; 33-35) People enjoy interactions with those who make them feel good and who interact honorably with them. People will love you for your honesty; they will appreciate your work ethic; and they will respect your sense of integrity. When a person of good character is assaulted, their friends and associates will choose to defend and protect them. People love to unite together to help a person with a good name.

It’s good to stop and take stock, occasionally, of the state of our reputation. Is it in good shape? If not, there’s still time to make changes in your life in order to repair your good name.

Wisdom of this World

Is there any true wisdom in this world? Here’s what the Bible has to say about worldly wisdom:

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness;” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” (1 Cor 3:19-20)

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1 Cor 1:20)

According to the Word, there is no true wisdom that exists in this world, apart from Godly wisdom. How do we, as believers and disciples of Jesus, obtain God’s wisdom?

Ask the Lord for it. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (Jas 1:5)
Grow up into Christ—speak the truth in love. So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ . . . (Eph 4:14-15)
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom 12:2)
Study the wisdom from above. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (Jas 3:17)
Understand and come to know the Lord—then boast in Him! Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jer 9:23-24)
Set your minds on things that are above. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Col 3:2) That means we need to think about heavenly, godly things. Meditate upon the Scriptures and the goodness of God.
Do not love the world or the things of the world. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 Joh 2:15-17)
Fear the Lord. By “fear,” I mean to respect and reverence the Lord. When we fear the Lord, we put His opinion about everything and His instruction to us in first place in our lives. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is (Pro 9:10) This fear of the Lord will establish us securely on the path to learning of and receiving the wisdom of God.

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