Honest Reflections

“Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.”  Proverbs 4:23 NIV

The easiest way to guard your heart is to monitor what you allow into it.  What you put into your heart is what will flow from it. A recent study about our culture’s exposure to violence in the media showed it does affect us.  The study found links to stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.  When we’re constantly being barraged with negativity, it starts to produce negativity in us.  The first step in guarding your heart is being aware of what you are allowing into it. The key to guarding your heart, blocking out the negative and allowing in more good.

God tells us not only to guard our hearts, He also gives us practical tips how too in the verses that follow today’s verse.   “Keep your mouth free of perversity;  keep corrupt talk far from your lips.  Let your eyes look straight ahead;  fix your gaze directly before you.  Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.  Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” (Prov. 4:24-27 NIV).  In other words, watch what you say, keep your eyes on your own path, think about what you are doing and which way you are going.  Guarding your heart not only protects it, but allows good to flow from it.

Guarding your heart not only protects it, but allows good to flow from it.

I guard my heart by limiting my exposure to media violence.  I don’t watch violent movies, I don’t read violent books. Instead, each morning I take time with God.  I read His word, I pray and fill my heart with His goodness. As I learn more about Him, I’m able to stay focused on the path He made for me.  By taking time with Him each morning I’m more aware of the words that flow from my mouth. I’m more sensitive to the times my speech is not uplifting and encouraging.  I guard my heart by limiting the negative and choosing to fill it with God’s goodness. When I fill my heart with God’s goodness, then good flows from it.  

Guarding our hearts is a daily choice to monitor what we allow into it.  If we want good to flow from it, we must put good into it. Just like putting gasoline into a car, if we get bad gas, the car won’t run.  But when we fuel it with high octane petroleum, we’ll be able to to go for miles and miles on it’s goodness.

Question of the Day:

What are you filling your heart with?

Further Reading:  Genesis 48:1-49:33 NIV, Matthew 15:29-16:12 NIV, Psalm 20:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 4:20-27 NIV

“Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.”  Proverbs 4:14 NIV

One way to paraphrase today’s verse is simple, make sure you know who you are following.  We all follow someone. The people we follow, are the people we mimic. You know who you follow by who you imitate.  For instance, my husband and I follow Dave Ramsey.  Our financial plan is modeled after the plan he teaches, Financial Peace University. His financial plan is based on the Biblical principles for handling money.   We follow Dave. Dave follows Jesus. Therefore, following Dave means we’re also following Jesus.  Knowing who you follow is important to knowing what path you are on.

Charles Manson was a self-proclaimed Jesus who led a cult in California.  Members of his cult committed brutal murders, including Sharon Tate, a pregnant actress.  He ordered the murders. The people that followed him were walking in the way of an evildoer. Their lives were affected by who they chose to follow.  When his followers mimicked Manson, they were mimicking a mad man. Their actions are what tell their tale. Because of who they chose to follow, four of his followers were convicted of murder along with Manson.  Manson wasn’t following Jesus because he thought he was Jesus. We need to know who we’re following.

We need to know who we’re following.

Ultimately, the person to follow is Jesus.  As we follow Jesus, we meet other people on the same path as we are.  People who know they are sinners. People who are trying to put Jesus first in their lives, even though they falter by times.  People who know that in our deepest of messes, God still loves us. When we ask for forgiveness, He forgives. But as we follow Jesus, we also follow other people.  People who are ahead of us on our journey with God. People who have been through what we’re going through and are on the other side of it. Ordinary people who have daily walked with Jesus a little longer than we have.  People who know how to get back on track with Jesus after they falter.

When I first started my adult journey with Jesus, my friend Laura is who I followed to Him.  Friends since highschool, we had lost touch for a few years after college. When we reconnected, she had come to know Jesus.  He was a daily part of her life. I couldn’t have a conversation with her without talking about Jesus. The same is true 25 years later, I still can’t have a conversation with her without talking about Jesus.  Because Laura wanted to be like Jesus, she helped me start following Jesus. Who you want to be like is who you are following.  

Question of the Day:

Who do you want to be like?

Further Reading: Genesis 46:1-47:31 NIV, Matthew 15:1-28 NIV, Psalm 19:1-14 NIV, Proverbs 4:14-19 NIV

““Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”  Matthew 14:29 NIV

The first step is always the hardest.  The first step towards a new relationship.  The first step towards forgiveness in an old relationship.  The first step to a healthier lifestyle. No matter what the “first step” is, it’s always the hardest one to take.  In Peter’s case, his first step was to defy all odds and walk on water. What was it that gave Peter the strength to take the first step?  His faith in Jesus. Peter was able to take the first step because Jesus told him too. He trusted Jesus. He had faith in Jesus. The first step is always the hardest, but if our faith is in Jesus, we’ll have the strength to take it.

One of the most famous first step’s every taken was by Neil Armstrong.  Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.  Armstrong went first. That step was covered in prayer by the Apollo Prayer League (APL).  The APL was formed to protect the religious rights of Astronauts. Because of them,  Aldrin was allowed to conduct communion on the Apollo 11.  Before he walked on the moon, he took communion.  The scripture he read from a 3×5 card: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me”  (John 15:5 KJV).  The first thing the astronauts did when they landed on the moon was thank God.  The first act done on the moon by man was remember Jesus through communion. The astronaut’s faith was in Jesus, just like Peter’s.  Instead of walking on water, they walked on the moon. When we focus on Jesus, there’s no step we can’t take.

When we focus on Jesus, there’s no step we can’t take.

Peter was looking at Jesus when he took his first step out of the boat.  Aldrin was focusing on Jesus when he celebrated communion. We have to keep our eyes on the Son in order for Him to light our path.  Paul, in his letter to the Phillipians says he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Phil 4:13 NIV).  We can tap into the same strength Paul did.  The same strength Peter did. The same strength Aldrin did.  We can take the first step we need to take in our own lives if we focus our eyes on Jesus.  When keep the Son in our eyes, He’ll give us the strength to take the step.

Question of the Day:

What first steps do you need to tap into Jesus’ strength to take today?

Further Reading:Genesis 44:1-45:28 NIV, Matthew 14:13-36 NIV, Psalm 18:37-50 NIV, Proverbs 4:11-13 NIV

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”  Psalm 18:32 NIV

God’s strength and security are one way to get back on the board of life. He uses people to make the intangible, tangible. I see His strength in the young mom’s in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class.  I watch as they manage to arrive on time each week, kids in tow.  I witness His strength and security as they bond their lives together, encouraging and helping each other.  I’ve witnessed God’s strength and security in elderly couples who have overcome a lifetime of adversity, nurturing each other in old age. And I’ve experienced His strength and security during tragic losses in the people who have surrounded me with love on the most difficult of days.  God’s people are one way He gets us back on the board.

How do we know who God’s people are in our lives? The easiest way to determine who is a warrior of the Almighty is by examining the fruit that they produce.  Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace winner for her work with orphans in India, was a warrior for God.  The fruit of her work tells you what she was most passionate about in her life. God made her a warrior for orphans.  Obviously, not all of us are called to do what Mother Teresa did, but it doesn’t mean we aren’t just as important. Each of us were born with our own purpose and passions that God designed us for specifically. I have a passion for writing. I don’t find it a burden.  Other people think writing is torture, but are passionate about something else. God not only creates us as warriors, He gives us a specific purpose.

God not only creates us as warriors, He gives us a specific purpose.

 Bethany Meilani Hamilton-Dirks is someone who I think is doing what God created her to do.  She is a professional surfer who lost her left arm in a shark attack at the age of 13.  Yet that didn’t stop her. Her love of God, her passion for surfing kept her going. After recovering from the attack, she got back on her surfboard and returned to professional surfing.  God’s strength and security armed her to get back on her board. The people God surrounded her with helped her get back up on her board.  All of us work together so intricately, none of us can do life on our own. We need God and we need each other. One way He gets us back on the board of life is through His people.

Question of the Day:

Who are the people God has used to give you strength and security?

Further Reading: Genesis 42:18-43:34 NIV, Matthew 13:47-14:12 NIV, Psalm 18:16-36 NIV, Proverbs 4:7-10 NIV

“Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart keep my commands, and you will live.” Proverbs 4:4 NIV

Why do we make decisions that inevitably cause us harm? Why do people drink too much on Saturday night only to repent on Sunday morning?  In essence, that is all it takes. When we acknowledge our sin before God, He forgives us, over and over again (Matthew 18:21-22 NIV).  But when people continue in their life of bad decisions, they aren’t enjoying the peace of God’s presence in their lives.  Just because we make a bad decision, doesn’t mean we’re bad people. We’re human, bad decisions are a part of life for everyone.

When I was in college, I was an alcoholic.  I drank to extremes. I had experienced the loss of my father at the age of 16, drinking was my coping mechanism.  One night, I drank so much I blacked out. A common story heard among college students. However, I drove a half hour home during that black out.  I woke up the next morning in my bed, having no idea how I got there. I praised God I hadn’t hurt anyone. That night changed my life. I realized, my bad decisions were out of control.  I realized I needed help. The first place I turned was God, the second place was to my mother. They helped me out of the darkness I had created. I wasn’t following Jesus at the time, my bad decision is what drew me back to Him.  When we at least try, He’ll meet us more than half way.

When we at least try, He’ll meet us more than half way.

Once I turned my life back towards Christ, it changed completely.  I began to find hope. I began to deal with the issues that came from losing my father.  I began to find God’s peace in my life. I didn’t need alcohol to cope any longer, I found what I needed in Jesus.  But the journey wasn’t easy, and it still continues. Each day I choose to follow God’s commands instead of my human desires.  Each day I start again. When I make a bad decision, I admit it, I learn from it, and I start again.

In tennis, there is a common phrase that people say, “You’re only as good as your next shot.”  What this means is, it doesn’t matter what lies in the past, whether good or bad, it’s only what you do next that really counts.  We can choose to change the parts of our life that we don’t like. We can choose to make different decisions than we did before. We can choose turmoil and heartache, or we can choose peace and love.  Don’t let one bad decision define you, instead, let Jesus help you overcome it. Choose to follow His commands, and you’ll find you make less bad decisions.

Question of the Day:

How can Jesus help you overcome a bad decision in your life?

Further Reading: Genesis 41:17-42:17 NIV, Matthew 13:24-46 NIV, Psalm 18:1-15 NIV, Proverbs 4:1-6 NIV

“Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.” Psalm 17:3”

God understands intent. When we deal with imperfect people in an imperfect world, we judge by actions. When someone cuts us off in traffic, we assume that their intent is to harm us.  Anger can easily begin to well up because of the perceived offense. In reality, their intent was probably innocent. They may not have seen another car in the lane. Perhaps they’ve just found out a loved one was in an accident, their only intent to get to them as quickly as possible.  Whatever their intent, it wasn’t to harm someone else. For whatever reason, they accidently cut off another car, unintentionally. God understands the intent of the offensive driver. He looks at their heart, not just their actions.  

God looks at our hearts.  He knows when we accidentally say the wrong thing to someone.  He knows we weren’t trying to offend them, yet we did. For example, congratulating someone on their pregnancy only to find out they aren’t pregnant, is a mistake you only make once. The intent was never to offend the person, it was the exact opposite.  But they inevitably are offended. Intent is overlooked when we’re offended. Understanding intent can help us let go of the offense.

Understanding intent can help us let go of the offense. 

I grew up with brothers. I would look for ways to get them in trouble with our parents.  Anything they did, I would interpret through the lens of offense. When my brothers invited me to play baseball with them, I didn’t trust their intent.  If I got hit with a baseball, I assumed it was intentional. I can hear my mother’s voice telling me, “They didn’t intend to hurt you, they’re just playing a game.” They were just boys being boys. And I was a girl who didn’t understand their intent. My Mom taught me about intent because of my brothers. God wants us to look at intent.  He wants us to look at the heart, not just the actions. The heart is where we find what a person’s true intent is.  

David is appealing to God in Psalm 17.   Whatever fire David is going through in this Psalm, he’s asking God to check his heart.  He wants God to know his intent was not to harm. In the same way, whether we have been offended, or we’re the offender, the first place to go is God.  Let Him examine the situation, let Him reveal the intent of the involved parties. Let Him be the judge. When we stop overlooking intent, we’ll have a better view of reality.  We’ll find freedom from unintended offense. 

Question of the Day:

Whose intent have you misjudged lately?

Further Reading:Genesis 39:1-41:16 NIV,  Matthew 12:46-13:23 NIV,  Psalm 17:1-15 NIV,  Proverbs 3:33-35 NIV

“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”  Matthew 12:25 NIV

Unity is a common prayer I pray for our country.  The division I see in daily life breaks God’s heart, and mine.  In today’s verse, Jesus has just healed a demon possessed man. When asked who this could be doing such a thing.  The Pharisees, judgy religious leaders, said it was just satan looking after his own. Stop a moment and think about what the Pharisees are actually saying.  A demon has done his job, possessing a man. Satan, his boss, comes along and undoes the work his employee has done. That doesn’t even make sense to me. But that is what the Pharisees are saying has happened.

Jesus is once again correcting them.  A team has to work together in order to reach their goal.  A country has to be united to stand strong.  

One of my favorite warm up drills when teaching kids tennis is the cone drill.  I take several round, soccer cones and scatter them all over the court. Some of the cones are upside down, some rightside up.  I split the kids into two teams. One team has to turn the cones right side up, one team turns them upside down. I give them a minute to accomplish their goals.  Do you know what happens when they are finished? The cones are usually about the same as when we started. Nothing gets accomplished because they aren’t working together, they’re working against each other.  A household divided against itself will not stand. 

A household divided against itself will not stand.

One of the most famous speeches in American history was only 271 words long.  It came at a time when our country was at its worst division. And it contained these words:

“conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln, when elected president,  appointed all three of his rivals to his cabinet.  Men that valiantly opposed his ideas and thoughts, he chose to work with daily.  Because he did, he helped unite a divided nation. He treated all men as equal, he valued the opinions of those who opposed him.  He knew Jesus well, he knew a house divided could not stand. The same truth still applies today. We all are created equal in Christ.  We are one nation under God. If we can start to have conversations with people whose opinions may not be the same as ours, we will begin to build a united nation once again.  

Question of the Day:

What is one thing you can do today to promote unity?

Further Reading: Genesis 37:1-38:30 NIV, Matthew 12:22-45 NIV, Psalm 16:1-11NIV, Proverbs 3:27-32 NIV

“He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?” Matthew 12:11 NIV

The passage today’s verse is found in is one of the reasons I love Jesus.  Jesus and His boys are hanging out on the Sabbath. God appointed one day a week as rest, that day is known as the Sabbath.  No work is to be done, yet here we find the disciples feeding themselves (Matthew 12:1 NIV).   The law abiding religious folks, Pharisees, judged their actions as sinful; and confronted them.  Jesus, the master of confrontation, knew exactly what to do.

The Pharisees, knew all of the Old Testament inside and out.  They carried around scrolls with the laws written on them. There are 613 laws that they spent their time trying to enforce.  Jesus knew these laws better than anyone. He knew it was impossible for man to live up to them. No one is capable of keeping all of those laws.  Jesus came to fulfill them for us once and for all, which He did on the cross. Jesus understood the Pharisees way of thinking. He understood how to talk to them.  Jesus doesn’t waste time, He speaks to our hearts.

 Jesus doesn’t waste time, He speaks to our hearts.

Jesus response to His accusers is simple.  He reminded them of what they already knew.  He reminded them David had eaten from the temple on the Sabbath.  Jesus reminded them about the priests who desecrated the temple, yet were innocent   He speaks to their hearts, telling them they don’t understand mercy. And then He makes His final point. He tells them He is Lord of the Sabbath.  And why is it important that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath? Because He is the epitome of grace and mercy. The full story is found in Matthew 12:1-8 NIV.

Lord, if I could be more like You.  If I could judge less and love more, how much better the world would be.  If we could all show mercy to those who falter, our world would be brighter.  Jesus understood the fundamental principle we forget, none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes.  We all need mercy and forgiveness. None of us are capable of keeping all of the “laws.” Jesus had mercy on the Pharisees.  He showed them a new way to think by reminding them of the past. He showed them mercy. It was up to them to accept it, just like it’s up to us.  Jesus offers us mercy for our mistakes, it’s up to us to take it.

Question of the Day:

What area of your life do you need to accept the mercy Jesus is offering you?

Further Reading:Genesis 35:1-36:43 NIV, Matthew 12:1-21NIV, Psalm 15:1-5 NIV, Proverbs 3:21-26 NIV

“Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Genesis 32:28 NIV

This message was given to Jacob after he had spent the night literally wrestling with God. He’s on his way home to make amends with his brother Esau, who he had wronged years ago.  On his journey, he makes peace with God as well. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines peace as: Heavenly rest; the happiness of heaven.  In other words, Jacob has found rest from his struggles with God and man. 

Jacob as found rest by taking responsibility for his actions towards others and acknowledging, God is in control.  Jacob and Esau are twins. Years before this verse, he had stolen Esau’s birthright, as well as his blessing from their father.  Esau was born first, which meant he was entitled, by birth for both of those things. Jacob stole them from him by lying and stealing.  When Jacob fled his hometown, it was for his life. Esau wanted to kill him. Now he’s taking responsibility for his actions, facing up to what he has done, and through it, finding peace with man.  As he nears the day of actually seeing Esau again, he wrestles with God through the night. God humbles him further by hindering him. He touched Jacob’s hip, causing him to walk with a limp the rest of his life.  A reminder for Jacob of who is in control. Peace comes with a humble heart.

Peace Comes with a Humble Heart

Jacob’s journey is one of peace and humility.  Whether we like to admit it or not, we have all wronged someone.  We may not have stolen our siblings birthright, but we have snapped at our spouse.  We’ve lied to a friend, or done some other wrong. Admitting it, asking for forgiveness can be a hard road to walk.  Recently my husband and I had a heated debate. I said some things I shouldn’t have said. Acknowledging that I was out of line was difficult, but necessary to restore our relationship.  I learned from the experience. I don’t ever want to hurt him with my words again. I probably will at some point, but hopefully not the same way as I did that night. My relationship with God helps me to humble myself and say I’m sorry.

Our relationship with God begins when we say, I’m sorry.  When we tell God, we’re sinners in need of grace, we have found the starting point of new life.  When we receive the grace God gives us freely, we can find His peace. When we begin to accept our own human limits, we will be able to say I’m sorry easier.  We’ll accept our imperfections. We’ll do the best we can. And we’ll say “I’m sorry” when we need too. When we humble ourselves before God and man, we’ll find peace.

Question of the Day:

Who do you need to say “I’m sorry” to today?

Further Reading: Genesis 32:13-34:31 NIV, Matthew 11:7-30 NIV, Psalm 14:1-7 NIV, Proverbs 3:19-20 NIV

“Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods.” Genesis 31:35 NIV

Today’s verse is a classic child lying to her dad scenario. Rachel is leaving her homeland with her husband Jacob.  She doesn’t feel like she is getting the inheritance she deserves from her father, Laban. She has been told by her husband not to do this.  She is in rebellion to both men. She’s lying to both men. Rachel has a heart issue, left unattended, it affects the rest of her life.

Rachel and Jacob’s story is not normal.  Jacob worked 7 years for Laban to marry her.  When he had finally completed his duty, Laban, sends Leah into the marital tent.  Leah was Rachel’s older sister, custom said she had to marry first. When Jacob found out he confronted his father-in-law.  Laban told him he’d have to work another 7 years to marry Rachel. Jacob does it, he works 14 years to marry Rachel. Interesting love triangle Jacob, Leah and Rachel have together.  

All of these years later, Jacob is finally able to leave Laban and head home with his brides.  But Rachel has stolen household gods from her father (Genesis 31: 19 NIV).  The sad part to her story, she didn’t need her father’s inheritance.  Jacob didn’t need her father’s inheritance, he was successful without it.  They had God’s blessing on their life, they didn’t need anything else. Rachel’s sense of entitlement is planting a bitter root in her heart.  Instead of trusting God’s blessings, she’s decided to bless herself. In her act of rebellion, she planted a root of bitterness. Acts of rebellion plant bitter seeds.

Acts of rebellion plant bitter seeds.

Rachel wasn’t caught.  Neither her father nor Jacob ever knew as far as I know.  There is not one act of “punishment” so to speak, for her actions.  However, her life wasn’t great after this happened. She struggled to get pregnant, Jacob falls in love with Leah, and she dies a painful death in childbirth.  Her bitter heart led her to a bitter life.

Rachel’s ultimate problem was bitterness.  She was bitter she wasn’t getting all that she felt she deserved.  In today’s world, this is called entitlement. We feel entitled to a certain lifestyle, certain income, certain inheritance.  When we feel entitled to something, then don’t receive it, we become bitter. When we become bitter, we’re planting a bitter root in our hearts.   Bitterness grows as we feed it with more and more lies of what we think we deserve. If we’re not careful, we’ll become like Rachel, and live a bitter life.

Question of the Day:

What do your actions say about what is growing in your heart?

Further Reading: Genesis 31:17-32:12 NIV, Matthew 10:24-11:6 NIV, Psalm 13:1-6 NIV, Proverbs 3:16-18 NIV