The Spiritual Discipline of Loving Others

I was thinking about my relationships at home, work and church and wondered if my attitude and approach has been hurting more than helping.  When you get unsatisfied with where you are in life that’s when you decide to make a change.  Since I’m the only one that I can change, I prayed for direction on where to start.  In my heart God affirmed my daily devotional time of reading a chapter a day through the Bible but also nudged me back to studying and meditating on scripture.  Tonight was 1 Cor. 13.  I came to verse 4 and thought, “When have I not been patient?” That hit me how I’d snapped at my son for playing when I wanted him to finish his shower.  So I went through each description and asked myself, “How have I not been loving toward others?”  Here are the next questions I asked myself:

• When was I not kind?  What can I do differently in that situation next time?  Is there a way I can make the wrong I committed right?
• When was I envious?  Who am I jealous of?  Can I let it go?
• When did I boast?  What did I brag about?  Why was that so important for me to say?
• When did I feel proud or act proud? What am I proud about?  How did that get in the way of a genuine friendship?
• When was I rude?  When was I selfish to the point of being inconsiderate?  What can I do differently next time?
• When was I self-seeking?  When did I talk too much about myself instead of asking about others and listening?
• When did I get angry easily?  How did my “snapping” at others affect our relationship?  What’s so important to me that I get upset about it if it doesn’t happen?  How can I slow down and show grace?
• When did I keep a record of wrongs?  When did I respond out of bitterness and cynicism?  Who do I hold a grudge against?  How can I forgive them and treat them with respect and consideration?
• When did I delight in evil?  When did I smile or smirk when someone “got what he/she deserved” according to my view of justice and punishment?
• When have I rejoiced with the truth?  What do I have joy about?  How can my thought be in line with Phil. 4:8 (Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, or admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.)
• When did I not protect?  How do I discipline my son to keep him safe?  How do I guard my heart and thoughts to keep my “marriage bed” pure?  Do I have my “home security system” on to protect my wife from being attacked emotionally by the messages and images of today’s measuring stick for what is beautiful? How often do I tell her she’s beautiful?  Do I have my internet filter on to protect my family’s heart, mind and soul?
• When did I show trust?  When did I question my wife’s statements by asking, “Are you sure?” or even debate my point of view with her instead of listening to her account of the struggles of her day? When did I correct my son too quickly as he was trying something new?  Am I going to let him learn to problem-solve by trial-and-error?  When will my lectures turn on a deaf ear?  How will this help my teaching to trust students to learn from their mistakes rather than stepping in too soon to tell them what to do?
• When have I shown hope?  Is my “helping” really hurting? Can I believe that others can change?  Do I give up on others too easily by taking control of what they are doing?  What do I hope will happen in my life?
• How have I persevered?  How has that affected my relationships?
• When have I failed someone?  When did I not do what I said I’d do?  When have I broken a promise?  Can my words be trusted?

This purging was worth staying up for. (originally written Sat. 12 a.m. 7/16/11)

Guidelines for Worship

I read some good guidelines for worship:

• Don’t do it if doesn’t help believers and it only gives unbelievers something to gawk at.
• Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you.
• When we worship the right way, God brings us into harmony not confusion.
• When you speak God’s truth, speak your heart out.
• Don’t tell people how they should or shouldn’t pray privately.
• Be courteous and considerate in everything.

1 Cor. 14, The Message (originally written on 7/10/11)

Another Day in Time Out

My son, who's four, said something worthy of Readers Digest: When he asked me if he could have his toy which I'd put in time out for another day, he didn't like my answer. So he cried to Mommy, "Daddy said a 'bad' word." "What did Daddy say?" "He said with a whimper, 'Tomorrow.'"

Charlie Bit Me Again!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM
Why is this the most popular video on YouTube? Funny. Yes.  But it's just like us when we get bit...how Harry stuck his finger back in Charlie's mouth to see if he'd get bit again. We'd do it again, too.

Homophobics: Know-It-Alls WhoTreat Others as Know-Nothings

This week’s Taboo Bible study was on homosexuality (even homophobia).  The Bible seems pretty clear about this, but I read this tonight, “But knowing isn’t everything.  If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings.  Real knowledge isn’t that insensitive.”  And “sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds.  We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.” (FYI Bible references: 1 Corinthians 8:7 and 3ish, The Message)

Top 10 Signs You Might Be a BR (Bible Reading) Addict if…

10. You can recite entire chapters (not including Ps. 23)
9. You know the number of chapters there are in at least 20 books.
8. You listen to an audio Bible while driving.
7. You have your Bible on your desk at work.
6. You carry a Bible with you in your purse or pocket.
5. You schedule your day around reading the Bible.
4. You can tune out your kids and spouse while reading the Bible.
3. You salivate when someone quotes a scripture.
2. You still have your perfect attendance award from Bible drill.
1. Your first words to answer most questions are, “The Bible says…”

Warning: If you answered Yes to at least 7 of these, consider joining a local Bible Readers Anonymous.  Join me on your road to recovery.

Bible Reading: An Addiction?

We’re in a study called “Taboo" about things many Christians don’t like to talk about, like alcohol, abortion, and gambling. The point came up that we aren’t to be “mastered” by anything. I explained an addiction as something you plan your life around without regard to other things. I asked, “Can reading the Bible become an addiction?”

Can reading the Bible become so important that family or work obligations are put on hold, even forgotten?

What does life look like with reading it regularly?

What does life look like without reading it regularly?

Are the risks of it becoming an addiction less than the ramifications of living a life without regularly reading the Bible?

My Life-Changing Faith

1. God did all of the work to save me from the eternal consequences of my sinful choices. I must receive His forgiveness and live graciously.
2. Jesus is God’s answer to our sin problem. I must trust and obey Jesus as my Leader and Forgiver.
3. The Holy Spirit changes lives, counsels followers and keeps promises of heaven to believers. I must tune in to, follow the insights from and be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
4. The church includes all believers who build up each other’s faith and understanding of the Bible’s teachings. I must be friends with other believers.
5. The Bible is God’s Message about how God restores our broken relationship with God, our Creator. I must do what the Holy Spirit teaches me to do while reading it regularly.
   
   

You're Really Telling them, "Go to Hell"

As I’m reflecting on all the wonderful things that I’ve been told I am today (on Father’s Day), I’m faced with a harsh reality. I wonder if I was too harsh, even judgmental, to a fellow teacher on Fri.

She said, “I tell my students, ‘You’re going to miss out of heaven,’ when they do wrong things.”

I said, “This may sound harsh, but you’re really telling them, ‘Go to hell,’ because what’s the opposite of not going to heaven? …unless you believe, there’s some other place to go.’”

She politely said, “I’ve never thought about that. That’s deep. I’ll have to give it some thought.” Then the conversation fizzled out.

An ironic part about the “but” in my response is it actually meant “but I’m going to say it anyway.” I’m wondering if the “But” actually should have been the End of that thought.

Okay, Dad.

(Originally written Thurs. 6/16/11)

When dropping my son off this
morning at preschool, I told him that he couldn't take his cars in with him. He
thought for a moment and then responded, "Okay, Dad."

As we're thinking on Father's Day, I'm wondering how
much pride wells up inside the heart of our Father in heaven when we are told
to do something that we really don't want to do and we too respond, "Okay,
Dad."