The church has been remiss lately, to properly teach who God really is. We are comfortable with God's grace, speak easily of His love and forgiveness, and encourage others with His words of mercy and kindness. We easily share this message of Jesus with others, yet shy away from the rest of the story. But when we don't tell the whole story, the half we are comfortable with causes other to have a false idea of the gospel-one that fails to show their real need of redemption. The truth is, there are things that God hates, and when we understand that we all are guilty before Him, we can appreciate His purpose of coming to save us.
While it's true that God is love, we cannot soften the message of Jesus by forgetting the very things scripture tells us He hates. Solomon writes of seven things God hates in the book of Proverbs. God hates pride, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift at running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among others. (See Proverbs 6:16-19). And when each of us is honest, we are guilty before God. Churches are failing to proclaim this message, and instead, feed their flock messages that make them feel good about themselves.
This failure has led many to fall into the delusion of spiritual safety when in fact, their need has never been recognized.
If we were good people, God would not have had to send His perfect, holy Son to the world to die for us. It would have been a waste and completely unnecessary, yet God never does anything without a clear purpose. Our generation enjoys sin, and I don't think this is a new concept. Sin gives us a season of pleasure, and we want to excuse our actions because we don't want to stop them. We also don't want to face the fact that our behavior requires reconciliation with God. If you attend a place of worship that is failing to teach the truth about the need for redemption from sin, the message being taught is inaccurate and deceptive. If you attend a place that preaches of sin and the consequence for it, including the good news of the Cross, thank God you are in a place sharing the whole message of Jesus.
Our world wants a sin tolerant God. We make excuses for sinful behavior, claiming God's love for all, as a way to reconcile our choices. The truth is, God does love each person, regardless of our behavior. But the flip side is that God hates sin. Scripture is clear about what sin is, and how God feels about it. God's Word is not open to negotiation, and what was recorded in His Word is no less relevant today. Satan has been masterful in infiltrating the message and hearts of God's people with a disconnection from the true state of each of us before a Holy God. The sobering truth is that our failure to reconcile our sin before God results in an eternity in hell. It's a message that makes us squirm. It isn't a feel good message, but the gospel is.
We can't share the truth about what God hates without remembering what He loves-He loves us! Our sin is only a temporary barrier when we allow God's grace to remove it from us through His sacrifice at Calvary. His blood cleanses us from our sin, removing the punishment for the sins He hates. God's love transforms us, bringing us out of spiritual darkness into light! And when we realize the depravity of our hearts, we have such a deeper appreciation of God's sacrifice! Yes, we need saving, but thank God He made a bridge through the blood of Jesus! Let's be responsible with sharing the whole message of Jesus-not shying away from the truth of our real need for rescue!
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23, ESV).
For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV).
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19, ESV),
And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15, ESV).
Dear heavenly Father, give us courage to share the whole message of Your gospel, and the need we have of redemption from sin. May we speak an accurate message filled with Your truth, and may we see it transform the lives of the lost. In Your name we pray, Amen!
It was a cold, rainy night in downtown Atlanta. The street was dark and mostly deserted except for a few homeless people sitting on the sidewalk. He rounded the bend, anxious to be away from this area of town when he heard someone calling out to him. He was in a hurry and didn't really want to stop, but from somewhere deep inside him, he decided to listen to this man. In his eyes he saw a sadness and a hunger that touched his soul as he listened to the man's plea for a few dollars and a job. The money was the easy part, but the job—he wasn't likely to be serious about. Doubtful as he was he gave the man an address just a few streets over and asked him to come in the morning. He was in need of a few odd jobs, and this man said he needed work. If it didn't work out, no harm done.
To his surprise, the man did show up the next morning and worked hard to accomplish a few random tasks. This continued for the next few weeks until it eventually turned into a regular position. This man got his life on track and was able to help his sick mother and provide for their needs. It is not the way the story often goes, but it all started with one little act of kindness. We never know the lives we can touch when we do small simple gestures for someone else. These little things can turn into really big things, bringing glory to God the Father.
The flip side is we often get careless with our habits and behavior—small indiscretions with company finances. Unkind words said to our spouse. Holding a grudge. Shorting a customer of what they were promised. Overspending on unnecessary things when there are bills that need to be paid. These little daily actions may seem small, but with each indiscretion we become callous to what we are actually doing—disobeying God's Word (sin). We don't find ourselves in the middle of a relationship train wreck without first taking small steps in the wrong direction. No "big thing" that we become involved in is usually arrived at by surprise. We start down a slippery slope of little things that land us in hot water.
Your little things really do matter, because our small actions have a huge impact on where we go from there. If our little things are honest, kind, careful, considerate, godly and good, we won't have to worry that our big actions will be hurtful and damaging. So let's open our eyes to what we are doing in the routine, seemingly inconsequential moments of our days and make it our aim to do these small things with a pure heart motivated by the goodness of our gracious Father. Give money to that person who's in need. Give your neighbor a listening ear. Hug your spouse after a hard day at work—lending care and support. Give flowers to a sick friend. Whatever it is—do it. Because we never know how God will grow our small acts of obedience and completely transform someone's day or maybe even their life. The truth is, our little things are capable of making a difference—dare to see what God will do with your little things.
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much (Luke 16:10, ESV).
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:38, ESV)."
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10, ESV).
Dear Heavenly Father, guard our steps and keep us from disobedience. Help us instead to lend ourselves to others, giving and loving them with Your heart. Allow our eyes to see these small opportunities you open for us to show kindness, and we trust that You'll use these to do something bigger than we may ever know or imagine. In Your name, we pray Jesus, Amen!
He was perfect- well, almost perfect. After a few months of dating, she liked most of what she saw. He had manners- he held the door for her, held her hand to cross the street, and always said "sir" or "ma'am" when speaking to her parents. He dressed nice. He took her to great restaurants and he made good money. His apartment was clean and neat. He was handsome. But he did have a habit of flirting with other women. Oh- and he had a mean streak that only occasionally came to the surface. Nothing out of hand- just mildly concerning. These were easily pushed away in light of all that he did right. She had confidence that in time, she would change him.
Naive, yes- but this happens every day. We know how the story goes from here. She won't change him. She will end up being hurt and disillusioned. And she will wonder how this happened to her. The thing is- we can't change people, only God can do that. But on a smaller scale, we still often fall into this trap of believing we can change someone. We try to use influence to do it. We try to nag them into change. And we may even try to use control to change someone. In the end, we will be frustrated and upset that our efforts weren't successful.
Friends, we must not be naive. If you are in the market for a serious relationship, don't expect perfection, but seriously consider any red flag warnings. If you see something that causes concern, address it now. Seldom is someone radically changed for the better by a spouse seeking to change them, but God does this kind of work every day in people from all walks of life. Take the Apostle Paul- a man who is responsible for killing many christians in cruel ways for their faith. God completely transformed him and he became one of the most influential preachers of all time! In the end, he lost his own life for his unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ.
Our spouse will never be perfect, and in reality, neither are we. We will have habits and characteristics that irritate one another. We may wish they were neater, funnier, more adventuresome or less impulsive. We may think they should be more romantic or have better manners. The thing is- we will never find someone that does nothing that bothers us. Instead of trying to change our spouse, we need to accept them- love them, and pray for any changes we hope to see. It's okay to kindly bring up a two-way discussion of changes you would both like to see- together. However, it's not good or right to nag them about the little things you don't like, or use ways to manipulate change.
If your spouse is using behaviors that cause you not just irritation, but concern- these are areas that need addressed. Often, the best people to help with this are trained professionals that counsel couples or individuals. Prayer is a powerful tool as well in these situations, as God can do what others cannot- He changes hearts and minds in a life-changing way. But you must accept that some behaviors are not going to be changed by you. They are simply too big for you to handle- but there is nothing too big for God to handle. When we truly grasp this truth, it frees us from the impossible responsibility of thinking we can change our spouse. Often, the best way to see real changes for the better in our spouse, begin with changing ourselves. What areas can you make improvements in your own life that will in turn, enrich your marriage? Why not start there, and see what God does for the two of you!
***the couple in this blog post is strictly fictional, and in no way reflects the character of my own husband.
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15 (ESV)
Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. Proverbs 19:2 (ESV)
Who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:21 (ESV)
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 (ESV)
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for changing us- for radically transforming our lives. We pray that You will give us wisdom with others- to know You are the God of change, and we are not in control. Give us wisdom and guidance in our relationships, and help us to recognize that often, change should begin in our own hearts. In Your name we pray, Lord Jesus, Amen!
If we are all honest, we're guilty, at times, of offering up short-sighted prayers. We pray for the things we want today. We pray for things that will make us happy now. We pray for things that will make us comfortable and remove any current pain we may be experiencing. From the earliest memories of my prayer life, God has heard a lot from me about what I want, and not nearly enough about what He wants. I'm often guilty of having Ruth-vision, instead of God-vision.
Oh how thankful I am, for a God who understands my heart, shallow as it can be. I know He understands my prayers, and hurts when I am hurting. But when I was faced with a broken marriage, my short-sighted prayers were thrown at the feet of Jesus with a feverish pace. "Lord, help me through this day. Dear Jesus, restore my marriage. Heavenly Father, change his heart. Lord Jesus, change my heart. God, help me!" I longed for Him to remove my problems and pain immediately. My prayers were about my comfort, but sometimes, God moves us out of our comfortable state on purpose.
Imagine if I learned to pray with far-sighted vision. One that asked for things like, "Lord, exercise my faith in You!" Or, "God, thank You for allowing me to experience pain and loss so that I may use it to relate to others who are walking in similar trials." Maybe even this- "Jesus, use this for as long as You feel it necessary, so that I may be more like You, and point others to You!" These are prayers that we are afraid to pray, because the reality is- these prayers will cost us.
Honestly, it's a lot easier to pray this way when you've already reached the other side of a particular battle. We pray that God will use what happened to us for His glory, in our more comfortable state of relief and victory. But in the thick of our heartache, these are hard words to say. I take comfort in the prayer of Jesus when faced with the looming sacrifice of His life on the cross. He prayed, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup (of suffering) pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39 ESV). Of course none of us like suffering, loss, or pain- not even Jesus. But in our obedience to faithfully enduring a trial or hardship, we are living with God-vision. When we pray with an attitude of seeking God's will in a situation (including His timing), we are praying a far-sighted prayer.
This angle of prayer takes courage and faith in our Heavenly Father. It will oftentimes cost us our comfort and our current happiness. But it won't ever cost us our security, when we realize we are always secure in Christ- our unchangeable foundation. And it won't cost us our joy, when we recognize that joy is found in Christ alone. I don't write these words as an authority on always praying with far-sightedness, because it's an honest struggle for me, as well. But in the middle of our battles, we will never be sorry when we pray for His will to be done. While we may flounder at understanding His ways on this side of eternity, one day it will be crystal clear. We will see all the pieces come together in one giant story of redemption- and our own obedience will show its evidence in God's master plan. What an honor it will be when we see how our little part in the bigger story allowed for His glory to be revealed. God help me to pray with a heart that seeks Your vision, and not mine!
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. Romans 12:2 ESV
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 ESV
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:36 ESV
Dear Heavenly Father, help me to transform my prayer life in accordance with Your will for me, and not my own. I confess that I love to live a life of comfort, free from suffering. But there is a cost associated with an easy life, and the cost is the loss of being molded into someone more like You. Help me to pray with God-vision, and not my own vision. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!
