Ephesians 4:14
We must stop acting like children. We
must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which
are like winds that toss us around from place to place.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One
day last week, I fixed lunch for the children, and I made “ants on a
log.” For those who have not heard of this, it’s celery pieces filled
with peanut butter and topped with raisins. Timothy immediately told me
that he did not like celery, so I made his “logs” with apple slices.
Kids can be picky eaters…and ours are no exceptions. One loves cherry
tomatoes…the others won’t touch them. Zola wants her cheese sandwiches
without mayonnaise…Timothy wants “extra mayo!”
I put some fruit
and Ritz® crackers on the plates, and the children had varied reactions.
Timothy insisted he did not like crackers. I suggested that this
one was more like a cookie…and after close examination and a sniff or
two, he tasted it – and liked it! I know there are some who try to
trick their kids into eating things they don’t like. Some go so far as
to try to “sneak” healthy ingredients into foods the children will eat.
And I guess I do a little manipulating by making the food “fun”…like
“dolphin bananas” and smiley-faced pancakes. But generally, if the kids won't eat something with a little encouragement to try it, I just ignore the situation and let them decide.
Subtle tricks of
manipulation are nothing new. Satan convinced Eve to try the apple in
the Garden of Eden. A lot of folks have been coaxed into tasting
something that they would otherwise never eat because they had no clue
what they were sampling. And you can bet your bottom dollar that the
devil uses slick tricks and manipulations to get us to change our minds
and follow false teachings and listen to someone other than God…and he
does this ALL.THE.TIME!
One of Satan’s best tricks is peer
pressure. If everyone thinks that XYZ is right…especially someone we
know/love/respect – a member of our family, co-workers or fellow church
members – then these opinions must be correct. How often do you see
families who are (at least, to some degree) split apart because one or
two people decide that the “party line” philosophy about certain issues
is not their own? I think one of the devil’s favorite phrases must
be…”It’s always been done this way.” And he truly believes that we will
support this notion!
Today, I am calling on each of us to search our hearts…and God’s word…and see what He has
to say about the issues and challenges of our day. Just as I
encouraged Timothy to try the cracker and see for himself whether he
liked it…I urge you to sample God’s word – in print and as He speaks to
you through prayer and meditation. Listen to Him and trust His
directives. If they differ from the ones of those in your circle of
influence, trust God to give you the strength and courage to stand up
for them.
BE SURE that you are hearing from God…and not from someone in your circle who is telling you what they think God said to them!
Use your brain! Open your own heart and mind and invite God to speak
directly to you. We cannot take someone else’s word for it on these
matters. We have to know for ourselves what God has to say. Have you
talked with Him lately? Don’t you think it’s time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label manipulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manipulation. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 22, 2012
2 Corinthians 4:1-4
Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.
If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get.
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.
My mom tells a story about playing baseball with neighbor kids when she was growing up, and one kid would always have an excuse handy when he got up to bat. If he swung and missed, he would start saying repeatedly, “I didn’t break my wrist!” – meaning he didn’t swing through, so the attempt didn’t count in his estimation! He thought he could have another turn, as long as the swing had not counted. In other words, he didn’t bother believing the truth and chose to think what he wanted.
I’m not sure how well this worked for the boy, but I know it doesn’t work with God. We can’t make up our own rules or twist the truth to fit our own advantage and expect God to merely go along with us.
Let’s face it… things are not always going to go our way. And honestly, God has made no secret of this to Christians. There are clear indications throughout the Bible that the life of Christ’s disciples will be peppered with obstacles and challenges. Sadly, more than few Christians decide to deal with this by 1) throwing up their hands at the first sign of trouble, and 2) masking their faith and trying to manipulate God, so that they can be one person in His presence and another in the company of those who might choose to judge or ridicule them for their faith. Like the kid on the ball team who had a ready excuse for a missed swing, we are “all in” when we connect with the ball, but ready to turn tail and run when anything goes awry.
We can’t have it both ways… and we shouldn’t need or want to do this. God has done so much for us. He will never give us more than we can handle. So why would we fear the challenges and road bumps for even a minute? Every time I have faced a “hard time,” God has strengthened my faith. Every time I have fallen down, He has lifted me.
I have yet to encounter anything God could not handle on my behalf. And yes, there have been times when I’ve put on a mask and played games… and tried to manipulate God into seeing things my way. But more and more, I have learned that my ideas are never as wise as God’s. My attempts to fix things almost never work out – and certainly never in situations where I should have listened to God in the first place.
We need to be “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” Christians… the kind who trust God for everything and deal with whatever challenges come our way. The life of a Christian is not easy, nor perfect in the way we would anticipate. God is not punishing us by allowing tests and struggles to come our way… but He is teaching us how to trust Him for the outcomes. Every swing “at bat” is not going to result in a home run. We are probably going to “miss the ball” and “strike out” a good deal of the time. How we react will say a lot about our faith… and whose truth we really believe – God’s, or our own. And this will be our message – to ourselves and to others. What is your message today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.
If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get.
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.
My mom tells a story about playing baseball with neighbor kids when she was growing up, and one kid would always have an excuse handy when he got up to bat. If he swung and missed, he would start saying repeatedly, “I didn’t break my wrist!” – meaning he didn’t swing through, so the attempt didn’t count in his estimation! He thought he could have another turn, as long as the swing had not counted. In other words, he didn’t bother believing the truth and chose to think what he wanted.
I’m not sure how well this worked for the boy, but I know it doesn’t work with God. We can’t make up our own rules or twist the truth to fit our own advantage and expect God to merely go along with us.
Let’s face it… things are not always going to go our way. And honestly, God has made no secret of this to Christians. There are clear indications throughout the Bible that the life of Christ’s disciples will be peppered with obstacles and challenges. Sadly, more than few Christians decide to deal with this by 1) throwing up their hands at the first sign of trouble, and 2) masking their faith and trying to manipulate God, so that they can be one person in His presence and another in the company of those who might choose to judge or ridicule them for their faith. Like the kid on the ball team who had a ready excuse for a missed swing, we are “all in” when we connect with the ball, but ready to turn tail and run when anything goes awry.
We can’t have it both ways… and we shouldn’t need or want to do this. God has done so much for us. He will never give us more than we can handle. So why would we fear the challenges and road bumps for even a minute? Every time I have faced a “hard time,” God has strengthened my faith. Every time I have fallen down, He has lifted me.
I have yet to encounter anything God could not handle on my behalf. And yes, there have been times when I’ve put on a mask and played games… and tried to manipulate God into seeing things my way. But more and more, I have learned that my ideas are never as wise as God’s. My attempts to fix things almost never work out – and certainly never in situations where I should have listened to God in the first place.
We need to be “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” Christians… the kind who trust God for everything and deal with whatever challenges come our way. The life of a Christian is not easy, nor perfect in the way we would anticipate. God is not punishing us by allowing tests and struggles to come our way… but He is teaching us how to trust Him for the outcomes. Every swing “at bat” is not going to result in a home run. We are probably going to “miss the ball” and “strike out” a good deal of the time. How we react will say a lot about our faith… and whose truth we really believe – God’s, or our own. And this will be our message – to ourselves and to others. What is your message today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 2, 2011
Deuteronomy 10:17
The LORD your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“I’ll make you a deal…” If we had a nickel for every time we have said or heard this phrase, we would all have hefty bank accounts! We humans often operate in bargains, manipulations, and bribes… for everything from paying kids to make good grades to getting your spouse to help with the dishes or put gas in the car to promising the police officer we will never speed again if he/she will agree not to write us a ticket. We operate in “if you will do this, I will do that” on a daily basis… if not more frequently.
Our Spiritual life is no exception. We tell God, “If you will just grant me this one thing, I will do XYZ for you.” We promise to serve Him in unbelievable ways in exchange for good health, prosperity, a certain relationship, and even tangible things like a new job or a new car. “Lord, just make me skinny, and I will serve you night and day. Give me a new SUV, and I will hall the children’s choir around for You! Let our team win the championship, and I’ll organize a new chapter of FCA in your honor! Lord, please don’t let me lose this job, and I promise I will give you all the glory.” The sad part is that we really think this sort of tactic can work!
Apparently many of us have not paid attention to Deuteronomy 10:17. We cannot bribe God. We cannot make Him change His mind by making outrageous promises. We can’t earn God’s grace and mercy… or salvation through Jesus Christ… and we can’t bargain with God.
“So why bother?” you may ask. If God has made up His mind already, what difference does it make what we say or do? The key is to understand that God may very well change His mind… but not because of our ridiculous displays of desperation and conniving. If God sees us earnestly working to serve Him and honor His blessings upon our lives, He may extend additional grace and mercy to us out of unconditional love for one of His children.
We’ve all experienced a time when we changed our mind out because we felt a deep love and compassion for someone else… a time when we did something nice for them “just because” we wanted to make their day. God wants to do things for His children… to bless us “just because.” But trying to bribe Him can actually serve to question His judgment… and God’s judgment is always fair.
We would do well to learn how to operate without bribes, manipulations, and con games - certainly when it comes to God, but also in our everyday lives. We should live in way that God – and others - want to work with us and do things for us because of who we are and how we conduct our lives.
God may change His mind from time to time… but it won’t be because of any bribe we may offer. Cons and bribes are for the devil and his gang. Instead of trying to change God’s mind, let’s concentrate on changing our attitudes and behavior to line up with His will. Let’s offer God our very best every day… and trust His decisions to always be perfect and fair.
©2010 Debbie Robus
The LORD your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“I’ll make you a deal…” If we had a nickel for every time we have said or heard this phrase, we would all have hefty bank accounts! We humans often operate in bargains, manipulations, and bribes… for everything from paying kids to make good grades to getting your spouse to help with the dishes or put gas in the car to promising the police officer we will never speed again if he/she will agree not to write us a ticket. We operate in “if you will do this, I will do that” on a daily basis… if not more frequently.
Our Spiritual life is no exception. We tell God, “If you will just grant me this one thing, I will do XYZ for you.” We promise to serve Him in unbelievable ways in exchange for good health, prosperity, a certain relationship, and even tangible things like a new job or a new car. “Lord, just make me skinny, and I will serve you night and day. Give me a new SUV, and I will hall the children’s choir around for You! Let our team win the championship, and I’ll organize a new chapter of FCA in your honor! Lord, please don’t let me lose this job, and I promise I will give you all the glory.” The sad part is that we really think this sort of tactic can work!
Apparently many of us have not paid attention to Deuteronomy 10:17. We cannot bribe God. We cannot make Him change His mind by making outrageous promises. We can’t earn God’s grace and mercy… or salvation through Jesus Christ… and we can’t bargain with God.
“So why bother?” you may ask. If God has made up His mind already, what difference does it make what we say or do? The key is to understand that God may very well change His mind… but not because of our ridiculous displays of desperation and conniving. If God sees us earnestly working to serve Him and honor His blessings upon our lives, He may extend additional grace and mercy to us out of unconditional love for one of His children.
We’ve all experienced a time when we changed our mind out because we felt a deep love and compassion for someone else… a time when we did something nice for them “just because” we wanted to make their day. God wants to do things for His children… to bless us “just because.” But trying to bribe Him can actually serve to question His judgment… and God’s judgment is always fair.
We would do well to learn how to operate without bribes, manipulations, and con games - certainly when it comes to God, but also in our everyday lives. We should live in way that God – and others - want to work with us and do things for us because of who we are and how we conduct our lives.
God may change His mind from time to time… but it won’t be because of any bribe we may offer. Cons and bribes are for the devil and his gang. Instead of trying to change God’s mind, let’s concentrate on changing our attitudes and behavior to line up with His will. Let’s offer God our very best every day… and trust His decisions to always be perfect and fair.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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