Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 1:1-2:22 ESV, 2 Corinthians 10:1-18 ESV, Psalm 52:1-9 ESV, Proverbs 22:26-27 ESV

Daily Verse: “Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.” (2 Corinthians 10:7 ESV)

LOGIZOMAI (3049): “To take an inventory, i.e., estimate.  Primarily signifies “to reckon” whether by calculation or imputation.”[i]

Take an inventory.

Paul faced opposition from the Corinthians.  They tried to undermine Paul by casting doubt on his authority as an apostle.  Paul’s attackers knew if they could cause converts to lose faith in his credentials, they wouldn’t believe the apostle’s teachings.

Instead of trying to discourage the converts from testing his credentials, Paul questioned the criteria used.  In other words, the Corinthians tried to lead the converts on a rabbit trail:

“It’s a confusing maze of pointless leads. In short, a rabbit trail leads (us) nowhere. It serves only to confuse the prey/the reader. It keeps them preoccupied and confused.” Using English.com

Stay on task.

Following Jesus requires focus.  Losing sight of the task at hand happens without realizing we do it.  Our minds can spiral down a path we never intended to take.

My mind tends to jump to the worst-case scenario quickly.  A few weeks ago, a friend ran late and didn’t call or text.  After an hour, my mind had her in a ditch somewhere dead.

Running behind, she forgot to text.  Because her car insurance gives her a discount for not touching her phone while driving, she couldn’t contact me.  My mind went on an unnecessary rabbit trail, leading me away from reason.

Paul pointed the Corinthians back to the truth when they went on a rabbit trail.  Instead of discouraging their investigation, he helped them stay on task.  Keeping the Son in your eyes will lead you on the straight and narrow, but when we look away, we find ourselves spiraling down rabbit trails.

Encourage people to investigate Jesus, and let them ask questions.  God’s not afraid of interrogation; He understands the human heart.  Seeking leads to Jesus. Encourage people to stay focused on Christ when their minds begin to wander.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 152) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Song of Solomon 5:1-8:14 ESV, 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 ESV, Psalm 51:1-19 ESV, Proverbs 22:24-25 ESV

Daily Verse: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV)

THERIZO (2325): “to reap” (akin to theros, “summer, harvest”).  In 2 Cor 9:6 (twice), with reference to rendering material help to the needy, either “sparingly” or “bountifully,” the “reaping” being proportionate to the sowing.”[i]

Being proportionate.

“You reap what you sow,” mom said often.  How true her and Paul’s words ring.  Whatever you give out, you receive back.

Browsing Facebook, I came across a post that struck me:

“If you want a kind sixteen-year-old, teach him kindness at six and give him ten years to practice.” Anonymous

Not knowing today’s verse or the topic, I find God’s timing perfect.  We plant at a different time than we reap, and some crops take longer than others to reach their harvest.  What we give off, we get back.

Many conversations I’ve had with parents of adult children who don’t attend church, yet the parents don’t either.  You’ve got to plant the seeds to get the harvest you want.

Plant intentionally.

To get the crops you want, you must consider what to plant.  If you want kindness, cultivate it.  Generous people give generously, and angry people feed the anger.  But if you decide to plant seeds of virtue, you will get virtuous results in due time.

Just like the six-year-old that requires time to practice kindness, we must give our crops time to grow.  Waiting patiently for the fruits of your labor to produce good results allows us to lean into God.  When we feel like the harvest takes too long, God reminds us that we operate on His time, not ours.

Seeds multiply; you get an entire stalk full of ears from one seed of corn.  Planting seeds of love, grace, and mercy will return them to you tenfold.  Resist the urge to plant bitter seeds of hatred and anger; instead, reap the benefits of a harvest planted with the right motives.

Follow Jesus’ example, tap into the Father for strength and guidance, and lead with grace and mercy, planting love everywhere you go.  Trust God to water, nurture, and grow what you plant.  Reaping well comes from sowing well.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 115) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Song of Solomon 1:1-4:16 ESV, 2 Corinthians 8:16-24 ESV, Psalm 50:1-23 ESV, Proverbs 22:22-23 ESV

Daily Verse: “For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord.” (2 Corinthians 8:17 ESV)

AUTHAIRETOS (830): “This word means “to choose, self-chosen, voluntary, of one’s own accord” and occurs of Titus in his willingness to go and exhort the church in Corinth concerning the matter 2 Cor. 8:17 ESV.”[i]

Voluntary choice.

Because of the Corinthian’s skepticism about Paul and Titus’s intentions, they require reassurance.  Paul’s adamant Titus came because of his love for Jesus and the Corinthians, not money.  Titus chose to serve them because of the unconditional love he found in Christ.

When someone begins to accept the unconditional love Jesus offers, they can’t help but share it.  In a world of judgment and criticism run rampant, finding people who love without condition proves challenging.  Following Christ of your accord means you voluntarily choose Him.

“Jesus is a gentleman,” I’ve said often. God’s Son doesn’t force His attention on anyone who doesn’t want it, and neither should we.

Stay the course.

Paul and Titus didn’t back down in the face of false accusations; they stayed the course, allowing their actions to speak for them.  Good intentions become evident eventually, sometimes sooner than later.  Lies get exposed given enough time.

Just as the Corinthians eventually realized Paul and Titus didn’t want their money, people will recognize your actions with the right intentions.  You may not use the right words, but pure motives will elicit grace for innocent mistakes.

Live life of your own accord for Jesus; choose to follow Him closely each day.  As situations arise in life, mimic Christ’s example.  Love at all times, seek the Father for guidance and strength, and in all things, give glory to God.  People will know you have a sincere heart with pure intentions when you do.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 47) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14 ESV, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 ESV, Psalm 49:1-20 ESV, Proverbs 22:20-21 ESV

Daily Verse: “But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” (2 Corinthians 8:7 ESV)

PERISSEUO (4052): “To superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous, also to cause to superabound or excel.  Is used of faith and grace, 2 Cor. 8:7.”[i]

Superabound.

Paul wants the Corinthians to follow the example of the Macedonians.  Facing persecution and struggling with finances, the Macedonians willingly gave all they had to God.  Since the Corinthians didn’t have the same challenges, Paul felt they should provide even more freely.

Appealing to the Corinthian’s desire to exhibit their spirituality, Paul shines the light on giving.  The Corinthians should also excel in grace through generosity if they excel in faith, knowledge, and love.

Generosity with our stuff goes against the culture of today.  People hold onto what they have, afraid of losing it.  Nothing we have on earth will last; material things pass away.  But investing in God’s kingdom creates a treasure that will never end.

Excel in grace.

Superabounding in grace means holding the material things of this world loosely.  Instead of placing faith in money, put it in Jesus.  Christ never owned a home, didn’t sleep on a comfortable mattress or wore Nike tennis shoes, but He gave all for us.

No one can outgive God in any way, not financially or in grace.  Jesus forgave sins we can’t even remember committing.  Each day we can excel in generosity, whether money, time, or possessions; giving all to God takes intention.

Decide today to superabound in grace.  When you see a need, meet a need.  Remember, you can’t outgive God; He forgave you more than you know.  Sharing the gift God gave you helps others learn about Christ and find the peace that surpasses all understanding, lasting long after the things of this world pass away.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 199) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18 ESV, 2 Corinthians 7:8-16 ESV, Psalm 48:1-14 ESV, Proverbs 22:17-19 ESV

Daily Verse: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV)

AMETAMELETOS (278): “As an adjective, means “not repented of” and is translated “not to be repented of” 2 Cor. 7:10.”[i]

Not repented.

Paul describes two ways to react to pain or sorrow.  When we have Godly repentance, it leads to a change of heart, a submittance to Jesus which doesn’t cause regret.  But when we respond in a worldly manner, we experience bitterness and resentment.

A few weeks ago, the pastor challenged us.  What do we do when God says no?  Godly responses show humility; worldly responses show pride.  Everyone will suffer in life, one way or another.  Some people experience physical ailments, others financial or emotional; pain happens to everyone.  How we respond when difficulties arise makes the difference.

As a child, I internalized the lie, “No one cares about me,” because my parents yanked me from one life to another.  My juvenile eyes couldn’t understand; they made a move to offer my siblings and me more opportunities.  Instead, I responded with worldly grief, producing bitterness and resentment.

Godly grief.

When life threw me a curve ball, I had a choice in my response.  Instead of responding with a victim mentality, I could have submitted to God’s guidance.  Looking back forty years later, if we hadn’t moved, I wouldn’t have experienced the things I have.  Nor would I have met my husband.  But my short-sighted view didn’t allow me to see the possibilities.

Submitting to God’s sovereignty means trusting when life goes in a different direction; God does have a plan.  What surprises us doesn’t surprise God.  Everything works to the good for those who believe, trusting His calling on their life (Romans 8:28).

Life comes with pain; everyone feels it at some point.  How we respond to suffering shows our heart.  Trusting God means understanding we won’t have all the answers, but we know the one who does.  When nothing else makes sense, we can rely on God’s promises to carry us through.  One day, we’ll look back and realize God had a plan.

Lay your hurt at the foot of the cross.  Ask God to comfort your broken heart, trusting He will redeem all things in His time.  Don’t let bitterness and resentment take root; find life to the fullest with godly grief.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 16) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12 ESV, 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7 ESV, Psalm 47:1-9 ESV, Proverbs 22:16 ESV

Daily Verse: “Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.” (2 Corinthians 7:2 ESV)

PTHEIRO (5351): “Signifies “to destroy by means of corrupting,” and so “bringing into a worse state” in 2 Cor 7:2, of the effects of dishonorable dealing by bringing people to want (a charge made against the apostle).”[i]

Worse state.

Paul wants the whole affection of the Corinthians, but he faces accusations of causing moral and financial distress to innocent victims by exploiting them.  Some of the Corinthians believed the allegations.  Paul says he didn’t commit the crime and begs them to look at the truth of his actions.

Corrupting someone means leaving them in a worse state than when you met them.  When a drug dealer offers an innocent child an addictive substance, he corrupts them.  Any type of unfavorable influence can leave someone in a worse state.

If my husband comes home in a bad mood, he can corrupt me.  Peace becomes tension.  However, if Ron comes home from work joyous, he can turn my frown upside down.  Our actions impact those around us.

Intentionally uplift.

Paul didn’t corrupt the Corinthians; he uplifted them.  Understanding his role as a Christ follower, Paul knew he must encourage, not discourage.  Following Jesus makes life better, not worse.  Christ pulls us from the mud and cleanses us, making us whole.

To help people discover Jesus, we must not corrupt.  Following Christ means taking every opportunity to uplift and encourage the people in our lives.  Paul didn’t take advantage of anyone, and neither should we.

Everyone struggles in this world.  You may not see someone’s issues, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.  Help people find Jesus by not making their lives worse.  Don’t take your bad mood out on them; give grace when offended, and look for ways to help them, not hurt them.

When we intentionally uplift and encourage the people in our lives, God willing, they will begin to do the same for others.  As the ripple effect of love and kindness spreads through the world, we will find it in a better state, not worse.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 263) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22 ESV, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 ESV, Psalm 46:1-11 ESV, Proverbs 22:15 ESV

Daily Verse: “For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”  (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV)

DEKTOS (1184): “Approved; propitious: accepted, acceptable.”[i]

Approved.

Paul, quoting Isaiah, applies the passage to the age of grace.  Through Jesus, God shows His favor to humankind, offering salvation.  Where Isaiah meant the words as vindication in due time, Paul uses them to show God’s grace.

When Jesus entered the world, so did God’s favor.  We find salvation through God’s Son.  Placing our faith in Christ and submitting to His will for our lives helps us become the person God desires.  With Jesus, we can change into a new creation.

Recently, God revealed a bitter root in my heart, planted decades ago.  As a result, I had a chip on my shoulder.  In other words, I felt like the world owed me something because things didn’t go my way. Mad at my parents for moving me from my childhood home, the bitter root impacted my relationships for years to come.

But then Jesus.

Following Jesus reveals the bitter roots in your heart.  Pursuing life to the full in Christ means uncovering the unhealthy areas.  My childish anger impaired my vision.  Because I looked at the world through a distorted lens, my relationships suffered.  Jealousy impacted those I perceived had a better life than mine, those who got their way, unlike me.

In reality, no one ever gets everything they want. Bad things happen to everyone, not just me.  People must move, whether they want to or not.  Just because things don’t go the way we want doesn’t mean we can take it out on other people.  My husband grew up in a military family; he moved constantly; unlike me, he didn’t let bitterness take root.

Pursuing Jesus healed my heart and removed the bitter root.  As a result, the anger issues I struggled with lessened, and I see more clearly now.  God’s favor in my life happened when I placed my faith in Jesus and began following Him.

Accept God’s grace, and place your faith in Jesus.  Ask Him to reveal the bitter roots in your heart and remove them.  Experience life to the fullest as you let God into all aspects of your life.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 63) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 40:1-42:17 ESV, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 ESV, Psalm 45:1-17 ESV, Proverbs 22:14 ESV

Daily Verse: “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV)

PRESBEUO (4243): “To be an ambassador,” act as a representative.” [i]

                      Represent well.

When you begin to follow Christ, you become His representative. People will look to you as an example of Jesus. Most people don’t read the Bible, but they will read you.

Of course, you will fail, as have I. Our imperfections highlight Christ’s perfections. If we become honest about our faults, not only with Jesus but with others, we’ll become more Christlike, drawing others to Jesus.

Every day God gives me something to accomplish. Whether God’s word convicts me of a wrong heart attitude or bad actions, the journey never ends. When I overcome one hurdle, the next one looms. But remembering that I represent the Big Guy helps me keep trying.

Use the uniform.

Every job has a dress code. During my days working for Nautica, I wore business casual attire. Jeans and polos covered my body. As a Flight Attendant, I wore a navy blue pantsuit and heels. As a waitress, I’ll never forget the bright yellow apron over my white shirt and black pants. For every job, we have a uniform, just like the one God wants us to wear.

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5 ESV)

Clothing ourselves in humility will help us represent God well. Placing others before yourself requires letting go of prideful notions. God supports the humble but opposes the proud.

Our current housemate, a young man fresh out of college, completing an internship, epitomizes humility. Far more intelligent than me in engineering, he always prefaces his conversation with, “Take what I say with a grain of salt because I don’t know everything and am only operating from what I do know.”

Humility comes easily to him, even though he possesses much knowledge. Recognizing his limitations helps him not only stay humble but allows himself to remain teachable.

Represent God well by clothing yourself in humility. Remember, you work for God, no matter your job on earth. Everyone you meet, God loves. Dressing in the uniform of Jesus will help you become an ambassador for Christ. Stay humble, and people will respond to the love you have to offer, the unconditional love of Christ.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 209) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 37:1-39:30 ESV, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10 ESV, Psalm 44:9-26 ESV, Proverbs 22:13 ESV

Daily Verse: “For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15 ESV)

PLEONAZO (4121): “To do, make or be more, i.e. increase; by extens. to superabound.  This word, from pleion, or pleon, “more” (greater in quantity), akin to pleon, “to fill,” signifies intransitively, “to superabound,” of grace, Rom 6:1, 2 Cor. 4:15.”[i]

Do more.

Paul understood grace better than most because God forgave him so much.  Once a murderer of Christ-followers, meeting Jesus changed Paul’s life completely.  Instead of killing people, Paul spent the rest of his life trying to point them to the One who could save them.

Experiencing God’s grace changes your life.  God forgives the ugly, embracing you into His arms no matter what your past holds. As you begin to understand, Jesus truly does love you entirely and died for you, knowing the sins you would commit, you become more grace-filled.

Learn from your past mistakes instead of staying stuck in them.  Give yourself grace for not always making the right decision.  Accepting your life’s good, bad and ugly will help you live more fully.  Instead of hiding from the picture in the rear-view mirror, you can take it as something that happened and learn from it.

Give grace.

Lead with grace in all you do, for yourself and others.  Follow Jesus’ example.  When Christ came to earth, He led with grace—crawling on the cross for our sins, the most loving thing anyone has ever done for us.  Jesus lived, died, and came back to life so we could live freely, without condemnation in Him.

Forgiving others for the transgression against us takes work.  When I become offended by someone else’s actions, my simple prayer has three words: “Take no offense.”  Saying the short sentence helps me refocus my thoughts and invite Jesus into the situation.

And when I struggle to forgive myself, my prayer becomes, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”  The power behind the words washes over me and helps me remember all God does for me through His Son.

Not born a person who gives grace naturally; becoming more grace-filled requires intention.  Spending daily time with God helps me fill my tanks, enabling me to give more grace to others.  And when I falter, God’s grace covers my sin.

In a world where everyone wants to do more, extend more grace.  Decide to mimic Jesus, forgive yourself and others, trusting God will take care of the rest.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 513) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 34:1-36:33 ESV, 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 ESV, Psalm 44:1-8 ESV, Proverbs 22:10-12 ESV

Daily Verse:  “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV)

THESAUROS (2344): “This word denotes “a place of safe keeping” (possibly akin to tithemi), “to put,” in 2 Cor 4:7 it is used of “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” descriptive of the gospel, as deposited in the earthen vessels of the persons who proclaim it.”[i]

Safe keeping.

God entrusts us with the treasure of the gospels.  Within our human bodies, we possess the knowledge of Jesus.  Our mission becomes sharing the news with the world around us.  Inside us lives the treasure of Jesus, one we get to share with all we meet.

Take a moment and think about the treasure you possess inside of you.  We live in a post-Christian nation; people don’t know the priceless joy Jesus brings to life on earth.  Instead of filling themselves with Christ’s Spirit, they search for other things to fill the God-sized void.

Share the treasure.

Working with children reminds me of how we should share the treasure.  Teaching tennis camp, one little girl found a snail’s shell.  To her, she discovered a hidden gem.  She immediately showed everyone else in the class, sharing her new treasure with them.

Like, little children, we should share what we have found.  Anne Wilson does this well in her song, “Let me Tell You About My Jesus.”

He makes a way where there ain’t no way
Rises up from an empty grave
Ain’t no sinner that He can’t save
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
His love is strong and His grace is free
And the good news is I know that He
Can do for you what He’s done for me
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
And let my Jesus change your life

Sharing the treasure of Jesus means telling people how He changed your life.  Tell people how Christ healed your broken heart, carried you through the storm, and rejoiced with you on the mountain top.  Help others find the miraculous treasure Jesus offers when we place our faith in Him.

Inside of you lives the treasure of Jesus.  With Him, you can do all things.  Share the good news of Christ with everyone.  Let them find eternal life in the one true God.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 116) Thomas Nelson