James 2:8-11
You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: "Love others as you love yourself." But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. You can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God's law and ignoring others. The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." If you don't commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you're a murderer, period.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
An auctioneer will often bundle several items together in a box and offer them for bid as one item. There is a “cardinal rule” among seasoned auction-goers that you don’t mess with the items on the table! If you only care about one particular item in a box and don’t want the others, you had better be prepared to purchase everything. Taking out the item you want and putting it somewhere else is considered a huge “no-no!” Still, there will often be people who try to stealthily move their favored item to another box – or another spot on the table. I’ve seen more than one bidder “win” a box of items only to find that the very thing he/she was after had gone missing!
While this sort of action will not be the end of the world in the context of an auction purchase, such behavior matters tremendously in Spiritual terms. I am truly amazed that many “Christians” want to categorize actions according to their own preferences. They “grade” the deeds of some and deem their behaviors to be significant, while others’ exploits are just “discards in the box.” And then they rate each person according to their “sin meter.” Many of us also select the people with whom we want to associate - much like an auction bidder picks out the best item(s) in the box - and then we toss the others to the curb.
Christianity does not work this way. We cannot pick and choose… who we love and treat with respect and care…or which actions and behaviors are unacceptable (or sinful) and which of them will be tolerated or excused. We are called to love others as we love ourselves. We are expected to love God and obey His law… and to prayerfully study God’s directives, so that we are clear about what He is saying. In other words, we cannot interpret God’s commands in a manner that suits our desires and whims… or makes us popular with others in our social group.
I don’t know about you, but I am pretty weary of those who claim the name of Jesus and then mistreat others. I cannot imagine that a single person who feels this sort of judgment and/or disdain has a desire to become like these so-called “Christians”… or to follow the God they follow. Surely this must break God’s heart…and as Disciples of Christ, it should cut us to the very core.
My prayer for each of us today is that we would truly examine our hearts… that we would spend time in prayer and meditation, really listening for God’s voice. Hear what He is telling you and follow His lead. If you are judging others or picking and choosing which of God’s laws to follow – or interpreting them to suit your own agenda – change today. If you are discriminating against any of God’s children in any fashion… or if you are choosing to associate only with those you consider like-minded or “lovable,” get over yourself this minute! Ask God to genuinely - and completely - change your heart. To offer God anything less dishonors Him. I can’t imagine that any among us wants to do this… can you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label Gods law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gods law. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 22, 2012
Psalm 128:1
The Lord will bless you if you respect him and obey his laws.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version ©1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently I saw a news report on a documentary film that has been made about drug dealers in Mexico… except the actors were all children instead of adults. The four-minute film is a commentary on the upcoming presidential elections in our neighboring country to the south. Deemed a “wake-up” call, this “mocumentary” has gone viral on YouTube and ends with a little girl saying, “If this is the future that awaits me, I don't want it. Enough of working for your political parties instead of for us. Enough of cosmetic changes.”
As I watched the video, I was struck by the thought that every adult is someone’s child. And in that context, I would hope we find it a little more difficult to be so harsh and judgmental toward others. At the very least, when we think about the person who commits a heinous crime and see his/her grieving parents on the news, we should have compassion… for them AND – to some degree - for the culprit. Somewhere along the line, this person lost his/her respect for – and obedience to – God’s laws. And in many ways, we have all done the same thing as we choose to follow our own desires – or the will of man – rather than God’s.
We are all familiar with the “Ten Commandments” as given to Moses by God. We probably all know them pretty well by heart. But in the New Testament, Jesus gave us two basic “laws”… “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind and soul,” and “Love one another as He has loved us.” If/when we do these things, everything else falls into place. All you have to do is stop and ask yourself if your words and actions reflect a love for God with all your heart, mind and soul… and whether they show a love for others. It’s truly that simple… and that complicated all at once!
If we consider Jesus’ commands, we cannot be judgmental, immoral, unkind, indecent, or perverse. We cannot be arrogant, pious, or proud. We cannot murder, steal, lie or cheat. To love God on this level means we must fully surrender our “program” for God’s… and walk in respect and reverence of Him at all times.
I don’t know what man-made “laws” - or interpretations of God’s law - are governing (and/or burdening) you today. But I do know that the only laws that matter are God’s… and it’s up to us to determine which are which! If we operate in the fear (respect and reverence) of the LORD and walk in His ways… obey His laws… our choices and decisions become fairly simple – and the blessings are sure to be evident. Ask yourself simply and prayerfully, “Does this line up with the word and will of God?” Your answer will determine how you proceed… and inevitably control the outcome.
To paraphrase the little girl in the movie…“Enough of living according to man’s law and his interpretation of the word of God. Enough of pretending to serve God while serving our own interests.” It’s time to make sure we are in step with God’s will at all times. Are you asking the right questions? Whose laws are you following these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
The Lord will bless you if you respect him and obey his laws.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version ©1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently I saw a news report on a documentary film that has been made about drug dealers in Mexico… except the actors were all children instead of adults. The four-minute film is a commentary on the upcoming presidential elections in our neighboring country to the south. Deemed a “wake-up” call, this “mocumentary” has gone viral on YouTube and ends with a little girl saying, “If this is the future that awaits me, I don't want it. Enough of working for your political parties instead of for us. Enough of cosmetic changes.”
As I watched the video, I was struck by the thought that every adult is someone’s child. And in that context, I would hope we find it a little more difficult to be so harsh and judgmental toward others. At the very least, when we think about the person who commits a heinous crime and see his/her grieving parents on the news, we should have compassion… for them AND – to some degree - for the culprit. Somewhere along the line, this person lost his/her respect for – and obedience to – God’s laws. And in many ways, we have all done the same thing as we choose to follow our own desires – or the will of man – rather than God’s.
We are all familiar with the “Ten Commandments” as given to Moses by God. We probably all know them pretty well by heart. But in the New Testament, Jesus gave us two basic “laws”… “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind and soul,” and “Love one another as He has loved us.” If/when we do these things, everything else falls into place. All you have to do is stop and ask yourself if your words and actions reflect a love for God with all your heart, mind and soul… and whether they show a love for others. It’s truly that simple… and that complicated all at once!
If we consider Jesus’ commands, we cannot be judgmental, immoral, unkind, indecent, or perverse. We cannot be arrogant, pious, or proud. We cannot murder, steal, lie or cheat. To love God on this level means we must fully surrender our “program” for God’s… and walk in respect and reverence of Him at all times.
I don’t know what man-made “laws” - or interpretations of God’s law - are governing (and/or burdening) you today. But I do know that the only laws that matter are God’s… and it’s up to us to determine which are which! If we operate in the fear (respect and reverence) of the LORD and walk in His ways… obey His laws… our choices and decisions become fairly simple – and the blessings are sure to be evident. Ask yourself simply and prayerfully, “Does this line up with the word and will of God?” Your answer will determine how you proceed… and inevitably control the outcome.
To paraphrase the little girl in the movie…“Enough of living according to man’s law and his interpretation of the word of God. Enough of pretending to serve God while serving our own interests.” It’s time to make sure we are in step with God’s will at all times. Are you asking the right questions? Whose laws are you following these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 16, 2011
Psalm 128:1-2
The LORD will bless you if you respect him and obey his laws. Your fields will produce, and you will be happy and all will go well.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was discussing child discipline with a group of friends recently, and I explained that I do not believe in spanking. I tried it early in my teaching career with lousy results. Once I began using a method called “assertive discipline” and stopped spanking, I virtually quit having any discipline problems in the classroom. Assertive discipline works that well and will work in any setting – school, home, Sunday School, and more! What is the secret to its success? Respect!
Rules are clearly taught at the beginning of the school year… as are consequences for breaking them. Everything is cut and dried. You break this rule… this happens. You break another, that happens… and so on. The consequences begin with a warning and progress to a more serious level. For my kindergarten students, these ranged from “time out” to losing a recess or other privileges, to calling parents. I think maybe I called three parents over the course of several years. The children knew the “laws” we learned together, and they obeyed them. They respected my authority to decide when a rule was broken and to administer the consequence.
There is another part of this discipline plan… and it is vital to the success of the overall program - rewards. Good behavior is rewarded, and the students learn that there is merit in their efforts beyond operating in fear of consequences. The respect is mutual. The teacher is respected as the authority figure, and the students are respected and rewarded for their obedience and cooperation.
Do you see where I’m headed with this? Because of the blood of Jesus, we don’t have to operate in fear, guilt and shame. We can serve obediently because we respect God… and because He respects us and rewards our efforts. We don’t serve and obey to get something… any more than God blesses us simply for our compliance. It’s a two-way street… and that is so cool!
We know what God asks of us… we know His laws. We also know the consequences of disobeying Him. But we may not fully understand how He stands ready to bless us when we show Him respect and submission to His authority. I promise, finding out what He has in store for us is worth it… are you willing to discover this for yourself?
©2011 Debbie Robus
The LORD will bless you if you respect him and obey his laws. Your fields will produce, and you will be happy and all will go well.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was discussing child discipline with a group of friends recently, and I explained that I do not believe in spanking. I tried it early in my teaching career with lousy results. Once I began using a method called “assertive discipline” and stopped spanking, I virtually quit having any discipline problems in the classroom. Assertive discipline works that well and will work in any setting – school, home, Sunday School, and more! What is the secret to its success? Respect!
Rules are clearly taught at the beginning of the school year… as are consequences for breaking them. Everything is cut and dried. You break this rule… this happens. You break another, that happens… and so on. The consequences begin with a warning and progress to a more serious level. For my kindergarten students, these ranged from “time out” to losing a recess or other privileges, to calling parents. I think maybe I called three parents over the course of several years. The children knew the “laws” we learned together, and they obeyed them. They respected my authority to decide when a rule was broken and to administer the consequence.
There is another part of this discipline plan… and it is vital to the success of the overall program - rewards. Good behavior is rewarded, and the students learn that there is merit in their efforts beyond operating in fear of consequences. The respect is mutual. The teacher is respected as the authority figure, and the students are respected and rewarded for their obedience and cooperation.
Do you see where I’m headed with this? Because of the blood of Jesus, we don’t have to operate in fear, guilt and shame. We can serve obediently because we respect God… and because He respects us and rewards our efforts. We don’t serve and obey to get something… any more than God blesses us simply for our compliance. It’s a two-way street… and that is so cool!
We know what God asks of us… we know His laws. We also know the consequences of disobeying Him. But we may not fully understand how He stands ready to bless us when we show Him respect and submission to His authority. I promise, finding out what He has in store for us is worth it… are you willing to discover this for yourself?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 16, 2011
Psalm 119:1-8
Our LORD, you bless everyone who lives right and obeys your Law. You bless all of those who follow your commands from deep in their hearts and who never do wrong or turn from you. You have ordered us always to obey your teachings; I don't ever want to stray from your laws. Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing. I will do right and praise you by learning to respect your perfect laws. I will obey all of them! Don't turn your back on me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was teaching kindergarten, I had three basic rules - or “laws”:
1. Be kind to others.
2. Work and play quietly.
3. Obey promptly.
I was very clear about these rules – and the consequences of breaking them. We spent the first week of school learning the rules and reviewing them in fun ways. These rules were simple… yet comprehensive… and we all knew from the beginning where we each stood.
If you drill it down, this is how it is for Christians, too. We know the rules…
1. Accept Jesus as your LORD and Savior.
2. Love God with all your heart.
3. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
4. Serve God by serving others and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When you understand the rules – and the consequences of disobeying them (or simply choosing not to follow them) – you realize that life can be fairly simple and straightforward. When we surrender to God and obey His laws, He takes care of the rest.
Does this mean our life is always perfect? Does this mean we don’t have trials, tests, problems and hard times? Absolutely NOT! But it does mean that we never have anything that we cannot handle with God’s help. He never turns away from us and always stands right beside us to meet the day head-on!
My kindergarten students were not perfect… and more than a handful tested the waters to see if the consequences for breaking rules would be as promised. And we do this with God sometimes. The answer in both situations is “YES!” We know what will happen when we obey and serve – and when we don’t. So the choice seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?!
Trust God… serve Him obediently and follow His laws. Praise Him for guiding your steps and blessing you every single day. And rest in the confidence that He will do exactly that!
©2011 Debbie Robus
Our LORD, you bless everyone who lives right and obeys your Law. You bless all of those who follow your commands from deep in their hearts and who never do wrong or turn from you. You have ordered us always to obey your teachings; I don't ever want to stray from your laws. Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing. I will do right and praise you by learning to respect your perfect laws. I will obey all of them! Don't turn your back on me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was teaching kindergarten, I had three basic rules - or “laws”:
1. Be kind to others.
2. Work and play quietly.
3. Obey promptly.
I was very clear about these rules – and the consequences of breaking them. We spent the first week of school learning the rules and reviewing them in fun ways. These rules were simple… yet comprehensive… and we all knew from the beginning where we each stood.
If you drill it down, this is how it is for Christians, too. We know the rules…
1. Accept Jesus as your LORD and Savior.
2. Love God with all your heart.
3. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
4. Serve God by serving others and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When you understand the rules – and the consequences of disobeying them (or simply choosing not to follow them) – you realize that life can be fairly simple and straightforward. When we surrender to God and obey His laws, He takes care of the rest.
Does this mean our life is always perfect? Does this mean we don’t have trials, tests, problems and hard times? Absolutely NOT! But it does mean that we never have anything that we cannot handle with God’s help. He never turns away from us and always stands right beside us to meet the day head-on!
My kindergarten students were not perfect… and more than a handful tested the waters to see if the consequences for breaking rules would be as promised. And we do this with God sometimes. The answer in both situations is “YES!” We know what will happen when we obey and serve – and when we don’t. So the choice seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?!
Trust God… serve Him obediently and follow His laws. Praise Him for guiding your steps and blessing you every single day. And rest in the confidence that He will do exactly that!
©2011 Debbie Robus
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