Trust

Will we open up and really trust him to change our story into a grace story? I mean that you are saved by grace. And you got that grace by believing. You did not save yourselves. It was a gift from God. No! You are not saved by the things you have done. So no person can boast that he saved himself. God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would do good things. God had already planned those good things for us. God had planned for us to live our lives doing those good things. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ERV) Hear the Story One of the most influential people in Pastor Rick’s life was a woman named Diane – a walking miracle. In Jesus in the Margins, Rick shares her story. The summarized version is something like this. Diane’s Father was physically and emotionally abusive. His anger would flare up constantly and he would beat her and treat her worse than trash. The only thing that held Diane’s life together was her mother. Diane was five years old when her mom died. Soon after, Diane’s grandmother became ill and died, leaving her in the care of a father who beat her and a grandfather who began sexually abusing her. Just when it seemed like her world couldn’t get any worse, her father remarried. Her new step-mother was just as cruel and abusive as her father. Diane learned not to trust anyone or anything because bad things were going to happen and the good people would be taken away. Diane survived in spite of it all. She grew up, got married, and had two beautiful daughters. At first glance, she seemed to be the perfect mother. On the outside she was giving, loving, and bubbly. However, on the inside, she protected a tightly wrapped heart that refused to receive love. She refused to let anyone under the surface; she simply would not trust. It seemed safer that way – she didn’t want to be hurt again. So, she stayed away from any one or any thing that wanted to invade her protected past. And she hid her past well. Her numbness and callousness was keeping her from receiving God’s grace. Without God’s grace love seems impossible – not just for Diane, but for all of us. If love is impossible, then we can’t know his healing. So, we hide. Jesus refused to leave Diane’s life that way. He slowly invaded her heart. His grace story gently and progressively peeled away her layers of protection. With his strength she faced her past and learned to forgive. Over the years, Diane talked of Jesus as though she had just had coffee with him. The truth is, she did. She spent each morning with her journal and her Bible. Each morning renewed his presence. During those encounters with God she could hear Jesus whispering, “Will you dare to trust me today? Will you dare to believe you are loved?” Her growing faith produced a new image of herself. She was a child of God, loved and treasured. Now she could walk a path of life that was beyond her sight, and she walked it well. God created a new Diane out of the chaos of her childhood. She became his walking miracle – a grace story. Find the Story You may have a friend who, like Diane, is a grace story. Ask around and see. Share Diane’s story with a friend and let God have a chance to operate. You may find there is a miracle sitting right in front of you. It could be that God uses this moment to begin invading a broken world. Either way, God will use the moment to ignite new grace stories. Just do it. Be the story What is it that keeps you from walking a path beyond yourself? What roadblocks or barriers keep you locked inside yourself? Let God in – let Jesus invade your heart. Trust him with your past. He is still asking, “Will you dare to trust me today?” We get so distracted and the interference is so loud that we too get numb and calloused. Maybe the break-through you seek is waiting for you in mornings with your journal and the Bible. The next chapter of your story could begin there. What do you think? A Final Word from Ron I read a challenging analogy this week. It comes from a pastor named Kerbyjon Caldwell. The analogy goes something like this: The football game of life is being played and non- believers, seekers, searchers, wonderers, and cynics are watching. The play-clock has started. The church people gather in a huddle. They huddle on Sunday mornings, they huddle on Sunday nights, they huddle for mid-week prayer and study, and they huddle for bible study and prayer. They huddle to plan and they huddle to meet. They are really good at huddling. But, those on the outside wonder, “When are they ever going to break the huddle and play the game?” God is still in the healing business. He is breaking into lives all around us, pealing back those ugly protective layers hiding our pain, doubt, and distrust. He is ready to shape and love and invade our past and present. So when are we going to act like it. When are we going to play the game? People are watching. Do you see them? About the author: Ron Rose was a beloved minister, noted author, and leader of several ministries. Ron made himself available as a listener and friend, spending time with people on the go and in coffee shops, sharing grace and a listening ear, and connecting them with God who is always in the room. Ron went to be with the Lord in November 2024, but his legacy of grace and encouragement lives on.

Empty!

What are you filling your tank with? This past week, a friend of mine – whose name I will not mention – had some car trouble more than 500 miles from his home. If you’ve ever been in that situation, it is certainly disconcerting to say the least. What do you do? Who do you call? How much will it cost? All these questions rush through your mind. In my friend’s case, it was just a matter of putting gas in the gas tank. Unfortunately he had already had to pay a tow truck – now do you see why he will remain nameless? In his defense, he ran out of gas while his gas gauge was showing that he still had a quarter of a tank of fuel remaining. Of course, I couldn’t help but see a spiritual application in this event. How many people do you suppose are trusting in a “fallible gauge”? How many people do you think are being told they’re alright, but their “spiritual tank” is actually empty? I do know that on the day of judgment that there will be some who stand before Christ who will be surprised that they are not saved. (Matthew 7:21-23) To avoid such a fate, we must trust in the only “gauge” that will never fail and never mislead us … the word of God. Friends, spend time in God’s word so that you can make your calling and election sure. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. (2 Peter 1:10; 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT) About the author: Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN and is an instructor in the Southeast Institute of Biblical Studies and an editor for Think Magazine. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.

Hope Does Not Disappoint Us

Can we keep from being disappointed by broken hopes? For good or bad, I’m going to share something of myself with you. I have to tell you right up front that I am not that deep when it comes to studious intellectual things. Not that I can’t study things out when it’s called for, but I’m more of an easy going guy who enjoys being laid back. Any day of the week, I would much rather read Lord of the Rings or Star Wars than some book on religious philosophy. Though obviously from my chosen vocation you can figure out that religion, philosophy, and the such-like are important to me. However, I do enjoy other less deep things, too. Having said that, one of my readers sent me a quote from Victor Hugo that got me to thinkin’ and studyin’ on something. Hugo wrote, “Hope is the word which God has written on the brow of every man.” Man, doesn’t that have the feel of deep religious philosophy to it? Not only does it sound deep, it also has the ring of truth to it because it is based upon the teachings we find in God’s word. Can’t you hear the words ring out in a deep vibrating baritone voice, “HOPE IS THE WORD WHICH GOD HAS WRITTEN ON THE BROW OF EVERY MAN!” It’s true isn’t it? I mean, which of us can go on for another day without some kind of hope? It is in our very nature to have hope – perhaps our genetic make up given to us by the Creator to “live in hope.” We hope for a better tomorrow.We hope for a better life.We hope for a raise at work.We hope for that special person to notice us.We hope for world peace and the end to all wars and killing. Hoping means that we think (maybe somewhere deep down inside of us) that these things will happen. That’s what gives us the motivation to go on day after day. Even at times when things look less hopeful, we still have that small spark of belief on which to hang our hopes. The apostle Paul shares these wonderful words of hope with us in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 for times when we feel beaten down. He says, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” Paul also wrote in Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” I know that sometimes life gets tough for us. It is sometimes very difficult to see how we can possibly go on – that we almost reach the end of our hope. But if our hope is in God, the work of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts, this hope will never disappoint us. About the author: Russ Lawson is a former missionary to Africa and minister in Ohio. He now works with World Christian Literature Outreach and writes a weekly email devotional, Messages from the Heart. For more information about Russ, click here.

The Behinder I Get

How are you doing at keeping up with all your responsibilities? My mom grew up with a saying that she passed on to us. It goes something like this: “The harder I work, the behinder I get!” While it may not be correct grammar, it’s sure correct for many of our lives – or at least the way we feel about them. Many folks today find themselves behind, and the more they try to do to catch up, the “behinder” they find themselves. We can end up in this situation for many reasons. Some of us are procrastinators. Some of us over-schedule. Some of us are not disciplined with our time. Some of us waste a lot of time getting ready to do what we need to do. Some of us don’t work hard. Some of us have a lot of unexpected pressures and problems intruding into our lives. Some of us don’t prioritize the things we have to do. I’m sure we could list a bunch of other reasons why many of us find ourselves “behinder” even though we feel like we’re working hard on our “to do” lists. Unfortunately, one reason many of us are behind is very sad: we live like we’re too busy to pray. I’m afraid that many of us see prayer as something to work into our busy schedules if we have time. Others of us only see prayer as an emergency cry for help when we are in trouble and want God to bail us out. During the daily routine that burns most of our time and churns up most of our problems, we forget to take time to pray. In the process of neglecting prayer, we find ourselves getting “behinder.” Reuel Lemmons, a great Christian leader now gone to be with the Lord, used to say, “I only get done what I pray about.” He made prayer a top priority. Bill Hybels’ good little book on prayer has the convicting title, Too Busy Not to Pray. These leaders remind us what Jesus so powerfully demonstrated in his own life and ministry: prayer is the key to accomplishing the work God wants us to do through us. Early in the Lord’s ministry, he demonstrated the importance of prayer for those of us with busy lives. (Mark 1:35-45) After an incredibly hectic schedule on the previous day, Jesus rose early one morning and went off to a lonely place to pray. During his time of prayer, he re-centered his schedule in the mission God had called him to accomplish. Peter came looking for him and told him that many people were in need of his attention and were seeking to find him. Jesus replied that he needed to move on to other places – to the towns and villages – and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom there. Why would Jesus leave behind those wanting to be healed? Why move on to other places? Jesus’ answer was clear, “This is why I came.” Prayer re-centered Jesus on his mission. I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded occasionally of several humbling truths I believe we can learn from Jesus’ actions: I can’t do everything, so I must do the most important things – the things God wants me to do. I can’t help everyone, so I must help those whom God leads me to help as I fulfill my mission. I won’t be able to distinguish the most important things that God wants me to do without spending time in God’s presence in prayer. The busier I am, the more important it is that I spend time in prayer. Even when I’m busy doing the Lord’s work, when he places someone in my path that has needs, I need to be compassionate and serve them. If you keep finding yourself “behinder” in life, look closely to see if you have left out the most important element of a busy and effective life: prayer! About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels.

Daily Prayer for February 16

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12, NIV Dear Father in heaven, open the door for us, we pray. Grant that we may come to you in spirit. Grant that in you we may find peace and courage for our whole lives. Lead us always by your Spirit. Help us to find your will on earth and grant us access to your heavenly powers, for alone we can do nothing. Strengthen our faith so that we can always serve you. Bless your Word in us. May our hearts be opened, for we are your children, O Lord our God, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Why God Doesn’t Need Psychedelics Joseph Murphy True communion with God doesn’t come with the popping of a pill. Read now A Revival of Courage Archbishop Angaelos The martyrdom of twenty-one Christians beheaded by ISIS militants on February 15, 2015 reverberated around the world. Read now Losing Faith, Finding Light Sharukh Bamboat After tragedy and grief shatter his childhood faith, a Zoroastrian finds his way back to God. Read now Raising Jewish Children in Northern England Atar Hadari An Orthodox rabbi sent his children to a Church of England school. Find out how it went. Read now Away from Compromise and Shadow Eberhard Arnold Following Jesus allows for no compromise with all that is loveless. Read now

No Greater Love

Admit it! Accept it! Share it! My wife and I were recently in a setting with several long-time friends. We felt love. We felt fortunate. We felt the presence of God as we were in the presence of these friends. As we drove home from the event we talked of the blessing of being loved by so many for so long. As we celebrate another wedding anniversary, I wonder how many times we have expressed our love for one another through our thirty-six years. We have said it with cards, we have said it with gifts, we have said it with physical presence, and we have said it with words. Every time I communicate with one of my children, I realize what it means to be loved and to love. A text. An email. A conversation. A photograph. A visit. Each interaction is a reminder of what it means to love and be loved. When I think of one of my brothers, my sister, my parents, my grandparents, my cousins, my nephews and nieces, and my aunts and uncles, I am convinced all over again of what an amazing heritage of love has been bestowed upon me. At the end of a sermon, as I see a brother or sister moving toward the front of the assembly hall with tears in their eyes, then I see other brothers and sisters surround them, embrace them, and wrap their arms around as we pray for them, I am grateful for the fellowship of love with which I serve the Lord. Whether I write it in an article, preach it in a sermon, share it over coffee, discuss it in a class or a small group, I am convinced of the truth that our God is a God of love who has demonstrated His love for all people with the ultimate expression of love: He gave His life for us. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything (1 John 3:16-20 NIV). Jesus gave His life for us. He loves you. He loves me. Admit it. Accept it. Appreciate it. Share it. About the author: Tom Norvell is the author of “A Norvell Note” — Thoughts and reflections on God, life, people, and living as a follower of Jesus. He has ministered with followers of Jesus for four decades and loves Jesus, his family, and those seeking Jesus, passionately.

Forgotten Kindness, Forgotten Love?

When is the last time you let God know how much you love Him? I read Oswald Chambers devotional for January 21 in “My Utmost for His Highest.” It talked about being “kind to God.” That really got me thinking. I don’t know that I’ve ever considered that. This is what Oswald Chambers said: Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Am I full of the little things that cheer His heart over me, or am I whimpering because things are going hardly with me? There is no joy in the soul that has forgotten what God prizes. It is a great thing to think that Jesus Christ has need of me – “Give Me to drink.” How much kindness have I shown Him this past week? Have I been kind to His reputation in my life? We think of God as being the all powerful creator: and He is. We think of Him as knowing everything, judging, and disciplining: and He does. I guess we sometimes forget that the Father wants a personal relationship with us. When we say that God wants a personal relationship with us, I fear that we are just saying that He cares about each of us so much that He made a way for each of us to be saved. But I believe He wants more than that: He really does want a personal relationship with us – a relationship that includes us being kind to Him and telling Him that we love Him. Not that He needs us, but yes, actually He does desire this of us. Jesus told us: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38 NKJV). When was the last time you simply spoke to God like you would a good friend sitting next to you on a bench? When was the last time you told God you loved Him in a kind, sincere, and personal way? When we spend time with God, we must remember some basic needed elements in that time. Thanksgiving and praise are important. Confessing our sin and repentance are, too. Praying for others and ourselves, is something we should do. Waiting on Him to speak to our hearts, is something we should do – but often are in too big of a hurry to do. But today, let’s be reminded to never forget to be “kind to God.” He loves us, and enjoys our kind, sincere, and heartfelt words of affection. About the author: Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

God at Our Feet

Here’s a place it’s hard to imagine God, but it is the place God often chose to be! Our friend had quadruple bypass surgery and his first hospital stay. Instead of parking in the ministers’ reserved area and visiting the sick, he lay in an airy hospital gown and received visitors. Later, his sweet wife listed the kindnesses extended from hospital staff, family, and friends because many rallied to “bless” this godly couple. Their helpers bowed their knees to them, not in worship but in service. When God called Abram, one of the promises he made was to “bless” him. The primary root for “bless” means “to kneel” or “to bow the knee”: [God said to Abram,] “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3). Once source explains, “The idea of blessing may come from several factors including that of bending the knees to give or to receive.” Both elements of giving and receiving are present in God’s call to Abram. First, God bowed his knees and served Abram so Abram could accomplish God’s will for his life. Eventually through Abram’s lineage, God gifted the entire earth with Jesus Christ. Abram believed God’s promises, used God’s provisions, and bowed his knee in service to his family and foreigners. I easily imagine Abram bowing his knee to serve God and his contemporaries. However, I have difficulty when I picture God on his knees, serving Abram, not in worship but through the keeping of his promises to bless Abram. While the picture of God kneeling to serve might be difficult to visualize, testimonies of God’s gracious service appear all through scripture. From the earliest days, God has served his creation and expressed his all-out love through provisions and justice. The Creator seeded the earth and set up an atmosphere to support plant life and humans. He didn’t let Cain get away with murder. For thousands of years, God has nurtured humanity, yet we as humans have continued to ignore or bite the hand that feeds us. In addition, God planned a complete demonstration of his love through Jesus Christ – a demonstration of love that would impact us like nothing before or since. Ultimately, God let us view his servant heart through his Son Jesus, and his three year ministry held countless revelations of God’s truth and grace (John 1:14-18). On the evening before his crucifixion, Jesus assured his disciples, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Earlier that night, Jesus had demonstrated God-as-servant, showing his disciples the “full extent of his love” (John 13:1). When the Master Teacher had gathered to dine with his disciples in the upper room, street grime had come along on their feet. That’s when the God of Abram, “found in appearance as a man” (Philippians 2:8), got up from the meal, took off his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After pouring water into a basin, the God of Abram knelt, and one at a time he would lift and clean 24 dirty feet. Wash and dry. Wash and dry. Wash and dry. Thomas. John. Thaddeus. Andrew. James. Bartholomew. Peter. Judas. The cleansing wasn’t brief: The meal stopped. It took time. Minutes and more minutes ticked by as Jesus, found in appearance as a man, made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant (Philippians 2:6-8). Servant God knelt. Moved from man to man, foot to foot, and physically touched each disciple. Dipping water from a basin, scrubbing toes, toweling ankles, Jesus humbled himself one more time before he “became obedient unto death-even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). When Jesus reached the reluctant Peter, we find these words in John’s story of Jesus: He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:6-8). Later… the disciples comprehended. They remembered the night Jesus made himself of no reputation and took upon the form of a servant – the night he declared most of them were clean and set in motion a perpetual cleansing. They learned from God “found in appearance as a man” that protocol couldn’t hinder lavish love. When Abram received his call, Servant God eventually furnished everything Abram needed to carry out the divine path for his life. Abram believed God and his belief equaled righteousness in God’s court (Genesis 15:6). I find it easy to picture looking up into the heavens and praying to God. I can even clearly picture God at my side walking in a garden as we talk about life. However, the image blurs when I look down into the eyes of the God of Abram fashioned as a man washing my feet. I’m ready for a new portrait. I’m praying that God will place in my mind and heart the knowledge of a towel-draped Savior at my feet who will equip me to bless – bow my knees to others. About the author: Author Cathy Messecar speaks at local and national women’s retreats, social clubs, and writing guilds. Her inspirational columns ran in Houston Community Newspapers for 11 years and over 600 columns. She wrote A Still and Quiet Soul: Embracing Contentment (2011) and other gift books cathymessecar.com.

Servant!

Jesus recalibrated greatness and changed it from being fame and notoriety to kneeling and using a basin and towel. Over our 25 years, HEARTLIGHT.org has passed along the creative blessings of many famous authors who graciously shared their writing with our readers. This year as we celebrate “Shining the Light” for a quarter-century, we will repeat some of Phil’s previous posts over the years. We hope this focused message on Jesus calls you to deeper discipleship. A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:24-27). Don’t you imagine that the Lord’s Supper those first few years after the Lord’s ascension was tough on Jesus’ apostles? After they had endured the ordeal of the Cross, experienced the surprising joy of the resurrection, and received the Great Commission during his farewell ascension, this regular reminder of their failings had to be bittersweet. The Lord’s Supper had to be sweet for them because they celebrated it on the first day of the week, Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 20:7; Luke 24:1-3). Jesus’ resurrection changed Sunday from a normal day into the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10). They could then view their Savior’s death through the lens of his amazing victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell. Each celebration of the Lord’s Supper meant that they could remember again all their memories of the day they first realized Jesus was alive and the victor over death. They could feel that incredible joy of the resurrection again! However, the Lord’s Supper had to be bitter in many ways, too. They were reminded of their stupid quarrels after the Lord has shared the Last Supper with them – quarreling about who would betray him and who was going to be greatest in his kingdom (John 13:1-38). They remembered the embarrassment they felt when Jesus washed their feet because each of them was too important to wash their Lord’s feet. They were haunted by the memories of their repeated sleepiness when the Lord needed a friend to stay awake with him and support him in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were hurt by the memories of their repeated failures to stand by Jesus on this fateful night. They recalled when they forsook him and fled during his arrest as one among them betrayed their Lord into the hands of persecutors, and later, as Peter denied him three times. In my own head, I can construct imaginary conversations that might have gone on between these apostles and their children, and in later years, possibly their grandchildren. “Surely you weren’t like those other guys, were you Papa Pete? Surely you stood by Jesus, didn’t you? You didn’t run out on him, did you? After all, you promised him! I know you must have defended him even though everybody else was chicken and ran away?” “No, I’m ashamed to say, I was no different than the rest,” Peter would have to tell his loved ones. On the resurrection side of their Lord’s cross, those closest to him also remembered things Jesus had said, things they had taken to heart but could not understand at the time, but now were clear to them after his resurrection. Having the vantage point of the empty tomb, the coming of the Spirit, and years of ministry, their hearts must have been stirred by the wonderful and powerful mystery and power of their Lord that was now fully revealed to them. They could remember their Lord’s sense of sacrificial mission: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). They could recall the Lord’s definition of greatness: “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 10:11). They could be reminded of the Lord’s clear statement of his role: “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). They could still see in their memory of that night the basin and the towel as he washed their feet and told them, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:15-17). For those longing to be Jesushaped like these earliest and closest followers of Christ, the words “service” and “servant” had to ring in their ears. These words shaped their lives for years ahead as they offered themselves to the work of his Kingdom. Many of them ended up giving their lives to reach and serve the lost, just as their Lord had given his life for them. Yet for Jesus to have called them – and through them, to have called us – to this kind of lifestyle shouldn’t be surprising. Those who love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and mind, would surely have to love others (Matthew 22:36-40). The Lord’s apostles knew that the second great command could not be divorced from the first one! These commands were the balancing power behind these Christ-followers’ lives. Each of the Lord’s love commands was necessary to keep them moving to the rhythms

Delayed Truth

Have you learned this important spiritual skill? When you talk, don’t say any bad things. But say things that people need – things that will help other people become stronger. Then the things you say will help the people who listen to you. (Ephesians 4:29 ERV) When I finished it, I knew I needed to wait to print it. It was too fresh. People were too close and might be hurt if I ran it so soon after it happened. While every word of it was true, it needed to be delayed. What is the “it” I’m talking about? “It” is the article I finished the other night at 1:30 in the morning after two hours of work. While the article contained a message that needs to be heard and what is said is 100% truthful, this truth needed to be delayed. Shading the truth or telling only the partial truth is not honesty. Delayed truth is not partial truth. Telling the truth from God’s point of view means that truth should be of benefit to the hearer. Christian speech is redemptive. The motivation behind it must be to be encouraging. Our goal in communication should be to bless and build up others based on their needs and not our agenda, chip on the shoulder, sense of urgency, or insensitivity. Sometimes truth needs to be delayed until the time is right, our motivation is pure, and our purpose is redemptive. So often, many of us prattle on volunteering everything we know and everything we feel. In a world of blogs, conversations, and commentaries, God’s children need to learn there is a time to be silent and keep our mouths – and our pens and our keyboards – silent and still. “There is a time to be silent, and a time to speak.” (Ecclesiastes 3:7) We’ve got to learn to “tell the time” in our choice of words. This is not an option for us. Jesus wants us to know that we “will have to explain about every careless thing” we’ve said to others. (Matthew 12:36) Our words and how we use those words matter to others and to God. I don’t profess to be an expert on being silent – I’ve gotten myself in more than my share of messes from responding to emails too hastily and without prayerfully considering my response. I’ve said something “cute” in the banter of conversation that was at the expense of someone else who was hurt or made the butt of the joke. I often have trouble knowing when to quit talking. Hopefully I’m getting better, but I still have a long way to go. However, I do realize that I must improve in this area. I know that my speech, my email, and my writing need to be handled with more sensitivity, care, and timing. It is not God’s truth if it is not shared with concern for blessing our hearer by what is said and by when it is said. About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels.