Category: Blessings

Three Game Changing Commitments for the New Year-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you- Exodus 12:2 NASB 

I tend to be a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to the New Year, although this was not always the case.  As a child I was fascinated by the whole concept of the New Year.  The notion of getting of a brand-spanking-new-year complete with an opportunity to self-improve felt like a gift to my immature brain. Young Lisa would daydream endlessly about becoming a better person in the new year and swear off all of her bad habits.  These dreams tended to lack any real strategy. Young Lisa did not yet know hope is not a replacement for strategy and hard work.   As a result, young Lisa’s high hopes for a better version of herself would typically be dashed no later than mid-February, when her resolutions to eat less sugar and be nicer would fall to pieces in a frenzied fit of cookie eating after yelling at one of her brothers. 

As a young pre-Christian adult all the New Years hullabaloo felt like a societal construct designed to shame people into doing things they should do all the time, not just at the new year. New Years eve also felt like a weird excuse to overindulge one last time before dealing with the results of all the overindulging that was done in November and December. After becoming a Christian, I found myself frequently annoyed by those who I (secretly) felt over over-spiritualized the new year with “words from the Lord” and Christianized versions of New Year’s resolutions. I also felt a lot of shame over my judgmental spirit. 

Sigh.

All that to say New Years themed posts have never really been my thing. The few I have written I don’t like very much, and if the number of reads they received are any indication, neither does anyone else. Nevertheless, this year I feel inspired to set my curmudgeonly ways aside and try again.  My inspiration is taken from Exodus 12:1-12 where God gives His people parameters for the Passover feast. The instructions given (if followed) would save every first-born in the land from certain death. The Passover feast was more than just a set of instructions regarding a particular situation. Nor was it just a celebration of God’s power or commemoration of a miracle. Passover was also intended to be the start of the New Year for the Israelite people (Exodus 12:2). Imbedded in God’s commands for the Passover are some incredibly useful guidelines that if put into practice become a real gamechanger for any new year. Those guidelines include:

Making a daily commitment to doing life God’s way – 

God’s instructions in Exodus 12 are insanely specific. Nothing was left to chance, nor was there a lot of wiggle room for interpretation.  Everything from the choice of the entrée to what they were supposed to wear while eating the meal were commanded by God. This indicates to me that the life of faith is not meant to be a DIY affair (Leviticus 18:4, Deuteronomy 7:11-12, Matthew 16:24, John 14:23-24). There was only one way to observe the feast of Passover. There’s only one way to get right with God (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1st Timothy 2:5) and there is only one way to live a life of faith (Matthew 7:13-14). One very practical way we can commit to doing life God’s way daily is taking passages such as Romans 12, Colossians 3 and 2nd Peter 1:3-11 and make them our blueprint for day-to-day living. 

Make Christian community a priority-

Exodus twelve teaches that the life of faith is meant to be done together, rather than solo. No one was allowed to celebrate the Passover alone. Every family was to check in on the other families around them to make sure that everyone was with someone during the Passover celebration. This is (in my opinion) an indicator into exactly how important community is to those who wish to follow Jesus.  When we have close relationships with other Christians we are protected from false teachings because most false teachers tend to do their most damaging work secretly one-on-one with newer and weaker believers (2nd Peter 2:1). Community also safeguards believers from discouragement (2nd Corinthians 13:11, 1st Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:12-14, Hebrews 10:24-26). It also ensures our views are challenged in a way that can only make us better and wiser (Proverbs 27:17). It is no surprise that the greatest growth in the early church occurred when the church made relationship and community a very high priority (Acts 2:42-47). 

And finally, 

Make a commitment to be ready for whatever God brings along- 

The Passover was to be eaten fully clothed and in a state of readiness (Exodus 12:11). No one was to be barefoot or beltless. The idea was that everyone should be ready to hit the road the second God commanded it. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Jesus frequently warned His followers of the dangers of not being ready to do His will or for His return (Matthew 24:44, Luke 12:35). God promises blessing and favor for those who choose to be ready to do His will no matter the season (Psalm 119:173, 1st Peter 1:3-6, Revelation 19:7). Therefore, there is no better commitment we can make all year long than to be ready and willing to do whatever it is God is calling us to do at a moment’s notice.

Four Strategies for Being the Light in Terrible Times-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you- Isaiah 60:1-2 NASB

We live in terrible times. 

We just do. I am not being excessively dramatic, just stating an obvious fact. I will not belabor my point with a bunch of examples of how bad things have gotten, although I would have no problem doing so. Instead, I will point you towards 2nd Timothy 3:1-5. It’s pretty much where the whole stupid world is living right now. Paul’s words read like a brutally honest review of the social media page “Am I the A**hole?” or really any other social media page anywhere. 

It says:  

 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! NKJV

None of this comes as a surprise to God (Psalm 139:4, Isaiah 40:20, Hebrews 4:13).

God saw this whole messy muddle coming (we just read the prophesy). God also knew exactly how hard and discouraging it would be for His people to live in this period of human history (Galatians 6:9).  Knowing our current situation was ordained by the Almighty begs a critical question: 

What does God expect from His people in terrible times? 

Truth-be-told God doesn’t ask a whole lot those who live in terrible times (or any time for that matter). He doesn’t ask us to change the world. Nor does He want us to hide from the world and exist in a bubble surrounded only by church people. He for sure does not want us to live in a La La land where we pretend everything is great when it isn’t. All God really wants us to do is find ways to shine in the darkness (Isaiah 60:1-3, Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:15). 

That’s it. 

We are to shine the light of Christ in the darkness of our times. That’s it.  We are not called to change anything in our own power. He just wants us to shine His light in all the dark places; He’ll do the rest. We do that our part by 

Refusing to complain or grumble- 

We become a light that shines in dark places when we cultivate a heart attitude that glorifies God and wins people to team Jesus (2nd Chronicles 7:14, Proverbs 4:23, Mark 11:25, James 4:6-7). It’s simply a fact that no one in the history of forever has glorified God or won anyone to Jesus with grumbling, complaining or faultfinding (Philippians 2:12-15). It just doesn’t happen. We must do what God has called us to do (serve others, love others, provide for human needs) with a spirit of joy and love. This is not always easy, and it certainly doesn’t come naturally to anyone.  In order to obey this command, we must choose to walk in the Spirit at all times and in all situations (Galatians 5:13-16). The Holy Spirit gives us all the power we need to live a life of joy in a hard world. 

Loving the jerks anyway- 

All people are sinners (Romans 3:23). As a result, no one is really worthy of God’s love and grace. Nonetheless, God chooses to love people anyway, regardless of whether or not they are worthy of His love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1st John 3:1). Christians are called to be like God (Matthew 5:48). This means loving unlovable people (jerks) is a big part of our assignment as Christians. It is not easy to love an unlovable person; it helps to remember that from a biblical perspective love is less of a feeling and more of a decision. God wants us to show love to people whether we feel loving or not (1st Corinthians 13). Thankfully, God rewards obedience. Therefore, loving feelings almost always follow the choice to behave in a loving manner. 

Choosing holiness in a world that just doesn’t get it- 

Christians are called to be holy (1st Peter 1:15-16, Hebrews 12:14). Holiness can be defined as: being set apart from sin, walking in truth, adopting right behavior and choosing moral goodness (2nd Corinthians 7:1, Ephesians 4:24, 2nd Peter 1:3-11). Choosing to be holy is a challenge in a world that truly believes such things are only for nubs and fools. Nonetheless, when we choose holiness, we purify ourselves, grow in our knowledge of God and point dying people to a holy God that loves them.

And finally, 

We must understand what we’re dealing with in these times-

The times we live in are not terrible because the average Joe or Jane just woke up one day and decided terribleness is where it’s at.  Our times are terrible because we are nearing the end of all things (Daniel 12, Matthew 24, 2ndPeter 3:3). This means that people (unsaved and saved) are literally taking their cues on how to live from demonic teaching (1st Timothy 4:1). People are being told by social media, self-help books and even some clergy and counselors that contempt, hate, estrangement and hostility are all forms of self-care that lead to peace, freedom and personal happiness. The behavior we see is just an ugly byproduct of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18). Christians cannot make a real difference using the weapons of this world (hate, estrangement, hostility, division). We shine in the darkness when we use the weapons of heaven: love, grace, kindness, holiness and truth. 

Becoming a Difference Maker-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds- James 2:17b-18

The very first thing the Bible says about human beings is that we are made in the image of God (1:26-27). This rudimentary theological fact manifests itself in a profound longing to create beauty, build, discover, reproduce and conquer the unknown and unconquered. This universal desire is real-world evidence of the image of God being played out in the lives of ALL people. It does not matter if a person chooses to acknowledge God or not. God’s image is still in them and so are all the aspirations and longings that go along with it. 

All people want to make a mark on this world. 

For those who do not know God this desire is most often revealed in a desire to make money, control events or rule over others and make oneself known (famous). For those who are born again (John 3:1-15) the longing to make a mark on this world should shift into a desire to make God known. If a Christian is correctly discipled, they will, over time, become more God-centered than self-centered (Matthew 28:19-20, 1st Peter 2:9). Therefore, a mature and growing Christian does not want to make a mark on the world simply for their own gain or recognition. A growing Christian wants to make a mark on this world for the good of other people and the glory of God (Matthew 28:16-20). For believers in Jesus good works or making a difference in this world is not optional, nor is it legalism. It is literally what were saved for (Matthew 5:13-16, Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2:17-18). Too often, Christians become discouraged from making their own mark on the world for Jesus because they see the notoriety of “famous Christians” like a Charlie Kirk or Billy Graham and think their contribution to the body of Christ will never have a huge impact, so it’s pointless to try. This is a lie straight from the pit of hell, intended to keep Christians focused on the earthly rather than the eternal.  Every believer was designed by God to reveal God to the world through good works they do in their day-to-day lives. 

The story of Tabithia (Dorcas) is found in Acts 9:36-41. She is the ultimate example of an “average” Christian who became a difference maker by taking her gifts, talents and abilities and using them for the good of others and the glory of God. Tabithia was a woman known throughout her church and community for caring for the needs of others. She was a seamstress who made clothing for the poor in her community (a very big deal back in the day). Presumably, she didn’t just make clothing she also told others about Jesus as she provided for their needs.  Tabithia made such a huge difference in the lives of the people in her community that her death created a huge void in the church and a bit of a crisis in the greater community. So much so, that some of the men in the church went to great lengths to find the apostle Peter in hopes that he could raise her from the dead so that she could continue her ministry. We become that kind of a difference maker by doing the following: 

Make a regular habit of seeking the Lord- 

When we seek God with all of hearts through prayer, Bible study and deep reflection on our Bible study, God reveals Himself to us in very real ways (Jeremiah 29:13, Psalm 105:4, Isaiah 58:2).  The more we know God and the deeper our personal experiences go with God the more spiritual power we will have to make Him known. When we know God intimately, we naturally become good representatives and ambassadors of God in a world that desperately needs a clear vision of God (2nd Corinthians 5:20). 

Find your gift and use it- 

Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift as well as some natural talents (1st Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:7-8). Find your gift then ask God to show you how to use it to reach the maximum number of people.  

Figure out what needs to be done and do it-

There is no end to the things that need to be done inside the four walls of the local church. Many of the things that need to be done are not glamorous. However, when they get done God is honored and people are changed. There are people who need to be greeted, coffee that needs to be brewed, meals that need to be made, worship that needs to be led and children that need to be taught the word of God.  By choosing to serve in whatever way is needed in your local church you will glorify God and be used to bring about spiritual transformation in others (Romans 12). 

Don’t pursue followers-

Sadly, in our world many Christians decline to do what they can for the kingdom because they want to do something people will notice and get excited about. Truth-be-told other Christians may or may not notice or care about your contribution, but God will. God sees everything and rewards those who diligently serve Him (Matthew 6:13, Matthew 25:21, Revelation 22:12).

And finally,

It’s critical we remember that the things we do in our own power and strength will amount to very little in this world (1st Corinthians 3:10-15). It’s only things we do out of the overflow of our relationship with God that result in transformation. If you make a practice of seeking God and His righteousness first, the difference making is sure to follow (Matthew 6:33). 

The Biblical Blueprint for Surviving a Painful Personal Betrayal-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer- Romans 12:11b-12 NASB

Hurt and betrayal happen in this life.

Both are the sad but predictable outcome of living life in a fallen world (Genesis 3:16-19, Romans 5:12, John 16:33). 

Perhaps the most crushing hurt is the kind that occurs due to a personal betrayal. A personal betrayal can be defined as an event where someone we love and/or trust to do right by us does us terribly wrong. Infidelity, meanness, a falling-out, slander, deception and breaking a confidence are all common forms of personal betrayal.

  The biblical patriarch Joseph (Genesis 37-48) is the biblical poster child for surviving a nightmarish personal betrayal. Among a bunch of other personal calamities Joseph’s own brothers sold him into slavery.  There is no rational justification for their behavior.  Joseph was young and a bit full of himself, but he didn’t do anything awful enough to warrant that kind of treatment.  His brothers were just jealous jerks who lacked impulse control and basic human decency. Joseph’s story is a tough one to read but it gives us with a blueprint for dealing with the pain of betrayal in way that makes space for God to do big things in us and the people around us. In order to survive a personal betrayal, we must:

Do what God puts in front of us to do- 

Joseph could have become an angry person; he had every reason to be. He could have allowed his hurt, anger and depression to harden into bitterness and hate (Hebrews 12:15). No one would have blamed him. He could have curled up in a ball (metaphorically speaking) and just kind of tapped out of life. That reaction would have made sense. He didn’t do any of those things. Instead, he did what God put in front of him to do and he did it all really well (Colossians 3:23).  By making that hard choice, he prevented all the above-mentioned issues, and he changed the course of human history. Most of us will not do anything as historically dramatic as Joseph did. However, we will avoid bitterness, hate and depression if we choose to invest in our relationships, look for the good and honor God in whatever work He gives us to do in the midst of a betrayal. 

Understand the nature of the situation- 

In a very real sense, every betrayal is deeply spiritual (Ephesians 6:10-12). God does not cause people to betray us (Romans 5:12, 1st John 1:5, James 1:13, Romans 8;28). That said, personal pain is one of those things God will use for our good (Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28) and Satan wants to use for our destruction. In the aftershock of a personal betrayal the enemy will swoop in and whisper that God allowed this awful thing to happen because God doesn’t really see us or love us. The enemy will work overtime to get us to turn away from the only one who can truly give us the help and comfort we need in our deepest pain (2ndCorinthians 1:3-5).  When we understand the spiritual battle at the root of every betrayal it makes it easier to run towards God instead of away from Him (Psalm 17:6, Psalm 30:11). 

Choose to hold on to your integrity- 

Anytime we experience deep pain or loss it’s normal to want to give into fleshly responses like lust, unforgiveness and revenge. This can even morph into a feeling that we are somehow entitled to sin in whatever manner we choose. If we give into temptation our character will wither and nothing good or life-giving will come out of our trial (James 1:12).  Joseph understood this reality. When the opportunity to find consolation in illicit sex came his way, he ran (Genesis 39, 2nd Timothy 2:22). When he was forgotten by a man who owed him a huge favor, he overlooked the offense (Genesis 40, Proverbs 19:11). When he had the opportunity to extract revenge, he blessed those who sold him into slavery (Genesis 45, Romans 12:19). Choosing to hang onto our integrity in the darkest of times gives God space to bless us both in the middle of the mess as well as in the long-term (Genesis 39:19-23, Genesis 41).

Feel out opportunities for reconciliation when they arise- 

Not every betrayal will end in joyful reconciliation (Genesis 45). People don’t always change and as a result reconciliation is not always possible or even wise.  However, it is critical we do what Joseph did and feel out the opportunities for reconciliation when they present themselves, but we need to do it wisely. In what can only be described as a very weird series of events Joseph kept his identity secret and tested his brothers. He gave them a series of tests and then carefully scrutinized their behavior to see if they had changed enough to make reconciliation realistic and healthy (Genesis 42-44). Like it or not, forgiveness is a requirement in a betrayal (Matthew 6:15) reconciliation is not. That said, we are never more like God than when we forgive and then reconcile with people who have wronged us (Matthew 5:48). Therefore, it should almost always be considered. 

And finally, 

We must choose to allow God to work on us and in us in the midst of the betrayal. Betrayal is a given in this life. We live in a fallen world inhabited by sinners. That being said, we get to choose what comes out of us when we are betrayed. We can choose bitterness and hate, or we can choose to let God work in us and on us.  If we choose to let God mold us we will come out of it something beautiful the Father can and will use for His glory (Isaiah 61:3-4). 

The Four Kinds of Trouble Caused by Bitterness-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you- Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV

Bitterness is bad. 

Really bad. 

In every reference to the emotion of bitterness, the Bible either clearly identifies bitterness as a sin or as the direct consequence of sinful human choices (Ecclesiastes 7:26, Proverbs 5:3-5, Proverbs 17:25, Jeremiah 4:18). Christians are straight-up commanded not to be bitter (Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15). The writer of Hebrews warns that bitterness is especially problematic for Christians because it triggers a unique kind of “trouble” for believers (Hebrews 12:15). It’s not overstating facts to say bitterness is an exceptionally toxic spiritual poison.  When we allow bitterness to take root it produces a playground for the enemy of our souls (Ephesians 4:26-27, 1st Peter 5:8). It also defiles (ruins, taints, corrupts) both the bitter person and the people they love. 

Yikes. 

Bitterness produces a special kind of trouble, one that has the power to trip of even the best and brightest of God’s people. That trouble includes:

Hindering our ability to worship God-

One of the biggest spiritual issues with bitterness is that it profoundly impairs our ability to worship God. At the heart of all genuine worship is a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving (1st Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 107:7, Colossians 3:16). It is literally impossible to be grateful to God and bitter at the same time. It simply cannot be done; salt water and fresh water cannot come from the same source (James 3:10-12). A person can worship God or they can hang out in the bitter barn. No one can do both. Additionally, I have observed it is very common for bitter people to simply quit church altogether. This is because a bitter person struggles to worship God freely and worship is the primary reason Christians gather. If you are a Christian and worship holds no appeal to you, or worse yet annoys you, bitterness is likely an issue. 

Becoming bitter short-circuits the only good thing that can come out of a trial- 

It’s simply a fact that if we experience enough trials in rapid succession without processing them properly, trials will make us bitter (Ruth 1:1-21). However, it is also true that trials serve a valuable spiritual purpose (1st Peter 1:5-7, James 1:2-4). Trials refine us and help us to understand what’s important in life. Trials also give us a deeper and more profound longing for heaven, unless we allow ourselves to become bitter. If we become bitter due to trials all we get out of them is cynicism, broken relationships and lost spiritual opportunities. If a trial (or series of trials) has left you angry, reclusive or depressed bitterness may be to blame. 

Bitterness hinders our spiritual purpose- 

God could rapture His people off the planet as soon as they come to faith in Jesus. He’s fully capable and it would make things easier for us, but He doesn’t. Instead, God leaves us in our families, friend groups and communities for the specific purpose of being His faithful witnesses to a lost and dying world (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8). One of the chief objectives of salvation is to become as much like Jesus as we possibly can so that the unbelievers and skeptics around us see Jesus in us and want to know Him better (2nd Corinthians 3:18). Bitterness makes effective evangelism nearly impossible, partly because bitter people reflect God poorly.   

Bitter people make people bitter- 

I am convinced that with a few notable exceptions, bitter people don’t intend to make other people bitter, but they do. Bitter people spread bitterness like a bad cold because bitterness makes people entirely self-centered.  The constant self-focus leads the bitter person to do outlandishly thoughtless and just plain mean things to the people they care about most.  Sadly, the bitter person is so self-focused they are either blinded to what they are doing to others, or they feel justified in their behavior. When someone is routinely hurt or mistreated by someone being eaten alive by bitterness, they quickly become bitter themselves, this is how bitterness “defiles many”. 

Bitterness is never inevitable; it can always be avoided or dealt with. The best way to avoid bitterness (or deal with it effectively) is to routinely examine our lives (2nd Corinthians 13:5).   Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I become excessively angry at the sins or folly of others?

Do I lack grace? 

Do people annoy me for no reason? 

Do I have a pattern of cutting people out of my life? 

Do I routinely make bad decisions because I refuse to take advice from others?

All of the above are signs of a bitter spirit. 

Anger, resentment and irritation are the precursors to bitterness. Anytime we begin to feel those feelings on a regular basis, it’s a sign bitterness is beginning to take root in our hearts. The antidote to bitterness is honest prayer and a willingness to forgive those who hurt us (Matthew 18:21-35, Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37, Colossians 3:13). We must make a habit of sorting out our hurt, pain and disappointment with life and people before the Lord. Honest prayer is rarely a one and done when it comes to correcting a bitter spirit. We must be willing to take our feelings before God until our hearts soften, and we are walking in alignment with the God who forgives completely and loves without limits ( John 3:16, Acts 10:43, 1st John 3:1, Psalm 103:12)

How we Position Ourselves to Receive God’s Blessing-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you- Hosea 10:12

The dictionary defines blessing as:

The act of blessing someone or something or a thing that is conducive to happiness or personal welfare. 

Most Christians (as well as many non-Christians and nominal Christians) would define blessing as a God-centered blend of both definitions. A blessing (in the Christian sense of the word) is when God moves on our behalf in a manner that brings greater personal happiness or benefit to our lives.

Okay, so I feel the need to give a little disclaimer before digging into today’s topic, so here goes:

We live in a fallen world. Nowhere in the Bible are blessings guaranteed to anyone (Hebrews 11:1-39).  It’s simply a fact that many (most) of God’s best and brightest walked through some incredibly difficult and trying situations, some received tangible blessings in this life others in heaven (Naomi, David, Daniel, Esther, Peter, Paul, Jesus). There is no guaranteed blueprint for obtaining God’s blessing and favor Nonetheless, we can live life in such a way that we position ourselves to walk in the blessings of God.

With that out of the way, I will return to our topic J

 Basically, there are two types of blessing in the Bible: conditional and unconditional. An unconditional blessing is a blessing everyone gets just for showing up. Life is a blessing; air is a blessing, sunshine and rain fall on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). Therefore, sunshine and rain are unconditional blessings. 

 Most blessings fall into the conditional category.

Eternal life is a relevant example. Literally, anyone can receive the blessing of eternal life (John 3:16, Romans 6:23, Acts 2:21). However, to receive the blessing of eternal life one must accept God’s terms and conditions (faith in Jesus, repentance). Those are conditions (Acts 3:19, Acts 20:21, Romans 2:6-10, 1st John 5:11-12). The same is true for nearly every blessing found in the Bible. The following choices do not guarantee our life will always be easy and stress free (this is not heaven). These choices do position us to receive blessing and favor. 

It all starts with:

Believing in God- 

Positioning ourselves for blessing always begins with believing that God is (Hebrews 11:6, getting to know God and choosing to walk with Him in our day-to-day lives (Genesis 5:21, Genesis 6:9, Micah 6:8). A big part of walking with God is obeying Him. The Greek word for believe in the New Testament can also be a synonym for obey. If we really believe in God, we will make a real and resolute effort to obey Him. 

Living a life of honesty- 

God thoughtfully gave us a short list of the things He hates (Proverbs 6:16-19).  Lying makes the list twice. The only exception to the “no lies rule” is lying to save a life (Exodus 1:15-20, Joshua 2:1-14). Other than that one notable exception, God demands honesty from His people.  Lying, shading the truth and play-acting at being something or someone you are not (a hypocrite) is the fast-track to a life devoid of God’s blessing and favor (Proverbs 19:5, Psalm 26:4, Matthew 23:1-23). Conversely, a life of honesty and transparency positions us to receive God’s blessing and favor (Proverbs 11:3, Proverbs 12:22, Psalm 15:1-5, 1st Peter 3:10). 

Choosing humility- 

Jealousy, selfish ambition and vain conceit are all either a form of pride or a natural consequence of pride.  God hates pride. (Proverbs 6:16, Proverbs 16:18, 1st John 2:16).  Prideful people will not take advice, as a result they don’t grow or learn (Proverbs 1:1-33, Proverbs 11:4, Proverbs 12:1, Galatians 6:3). Furthermore, prideful people put themselves and their desires above the needs of others (Philippians 2:3-4). This creates all sorts of chaos and pain for everyone (Proverbs 13:10). Humility on the other hand is thinking about ourselves less and others more. Humble people know they don’t know everything, so they are curious about how others think and do life, this naturally leads to wisdom and care for others. God loves to bless the humble (James 4:10, 1st Peter 3:8-9, 1st Peter 5:5-6)

Doing good- 

God loves those who choose to do good to the best of their ability (Proverbs 2:7-8). Doing good does not guarantee blessing but it certainly sets us up for it. 

Living a life of wisdom- 

The Bible instructs people to live wisely, according to God’s precepts (Psalm 51:6, Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 2:1-6, Proverbs 6:6, Proverbs 10:8). When we don’t live wisely, life gets messy, and blessings become scarce (Psalm 10:4, Proverbs 12:4, Romans 1:21-23). Too often people make unwise choices and then become bitter when they fail to receive God’s blessing. Here’s an example, let’s say Joe or Jane Christian is praying for a godly spouse, but Joe or Jane spends the bulk of their time with non-Christians doing all sorts of non-Christiany things. Joe and Jane go to bars and pot shops trolling for dates. They rarely attend church. Eventually they meet a special someone who claims to be a Christian. This special someone rarely attends church.  During their premarital counseling they were told by the Pastor to wait to get married. They disregarded his counsel. They get married and it’s a disaster. PLEASE, for the love of all that’s good and decent, don’t misunderstand this point: I feel deep compassion for anyone trapped in a bad marriage or any other ugly and unfortunate situation. I have certainly made my fair share of stupid choices and have no room to judge. The point here is not to shame anyone but to encourage wisdom in the way we live, because wisdom invites blessing. 

There is nothing wrong with wanting God’s blessing and favor as long as we want God at least as much as we want what He can bless us with. 

The Blessing Many Christians are Missing out on-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep ourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life- Jude 20-21 NKJV

Weird but true fact.

There are actually classifications of different kinds of sin. 

Seriously. 

That’s how absurdly rebellious the human race is (Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:23). There is a very real need for us sort and organize our sin and disobedience (Romans 10:3). 

Insert face-palm here. 

All sin essentially falls into two generally recognized categories. First:

There are sins of omission (James 4:17). 

A sin of omission is electing NOT to do something we know we ought to do. We sin by omission when we ignore needs or when we willfully decline to do good deeds when we can. Sins of omission don’t feel like a big deal to most Christians. In reality they are a much bigger deal than they appear to be on the surface. Anytime we willfully refuse to do what’s right, our heart gets a little bit harder towards God and people. When a human heart becomes hard the possessor of that heart becomes less able to understand God, His word and His will (Mark 6:52, Mark 8:17, Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 4:7). This sad state of affairs leaves us a hop, skip and a jump away from much bigger and much badder sins (Proverbs 4:23) Yikes. Equally, as critical, our rewards in heaven will be connected to the good we did (or didn’t do) on earth. Refusing to do good means eternity/heaven will be much less than it could have been (1st Corinthians 3:10-15, Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 10:44, Matthew 16:27, Ephesians 6:8, 2nd John 1:8). A loss of future reward may not feel like a big spiritual deal now. However, scripture warns it’s something we will be aware of in the hereafter. 

There are also sins of commission (Exodus 20:3-17, 1st John 3:17-18, 1st Corinthians 6:9-10)

A sin of commission is a sin we commit on purpose fully aware our actions are wrong. Basically, anything the Bible expressly forbids is a sin of commission. Therefore, it is a sin of commission to steal, covet, commit adultery and lie. Sins of commission are a very big deal. In our Christian culture we tend to downplay all sin, even sins of commission. Anytime a Christian tells a lie, slanders another person, has sex with a someone who is not their spouse or resentfully covets another person’s stuff other Christians tend to say things like “there’s grace for that” and there is. However, there are also plenty of warnings about taking grace for granted and testing God (Deuteronomy 6:16, Luke 4:12, 2nd Corinthians 13:5, Hebrews 10:29). We would be wise to pay attention. 

Seriously.  

Okay so. You’re probably asking yourself:

When are we going to talk about blessings? Is there a point to all this dreadful sin talk?  It’s bumming me out. 

Yes. Yes, there is. Thank you for asking.

There is one sin in particular I wanted to talk about because I am convinced it’s a huge deal. I am convinced our failure in this one area is at the root of our lack of blessing. Our failure in this one area shows up all over the place. It shows up in our failure to pass on our faith to our children. It shows up in our high rates of moral failure. It shows up in our failure to transform our culture. It shows up in the hardness of the hearts unbelievers we interact with. The worst thing about this sin is that it doesn’t really feel like a sin. It doesn’t feel like anything. A respectable Christian can commit this sin every-single-day of their lives and never feel an ounce of conviction and miss out on all sorts of blessings in the process.

This sin is… drumroll please…

 The sin of neglecting to pray or refusing to pray. 

Before you roll your eyes, blow me off and go read something else, hear me out. This one matters. A lot. This is because prayerlessness is one of those rare sins that is both a sin of omission and commission all at the same time. We all have opportunities to pray where we just choose not to. Prayer is also something Christians are commanded to do (Matthew 6:6-13, James 5:16, Ephesians 6:18, 1st Thessalonians 5:17, Philippians 4:6, 1st Timothy 2:1). 

There aren’t very many sins that are a both a sin of omission and commission all at the same time. This makes not praying a huge deal.

I know all the objections (mostly because I have made all these arguments at some point). They are:

I’m busy.

I don’t know how.

Prayer is boring.  

My prayers don’t get answered so why bother?  

At different points in our lives all of the above objections are true. However, none change the fact that we are commanded to pray. The command still stands. I do not wish to heap condemnation on anyone. Rather, I want to encourage everyone everywhere to pray. There was a time when I was guilty of prayerlessness.  I would pray over my food or when life got scary but I lacked a consistent prayer life and it showed. I was spiritually powerless. Then my life went to hell and I learned to pray. Don’t be like me. Don’t be a slow learner. Be better. Be smarter. Get in on the blessings early.

Just start praying. Prayer isn’t a “go big or go home” undertaking. God just wants to hear from you. Start small. Make a practice of praying the Lord’s Prayer when you wake up in the morning (Matthew 6:9-13). Turn off the streaming services and podcasts and pray instead. Pray for your family while you drive to work. Pray for revival as you fold the laundry or wash the dishes or mow the lawn.  Pray for your church/pastor while you walk to get the mail. Pray for your spouse while you get ready in the morning. Just pray.

Trust me. 

The more you pray the more you will want to pray because prayer is addictive.

In a good way.

The Key’s to Spiritual “Greatness”-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us- Hebrews 12:1 ESV 

 I wrestle with a lot of questions. 

Most are one-hundred-percent irrelevant in the grand scheme of life and eternity.  Nonetheless, a few of them do have some validity. One of those is:  

What makes a person “great” from God’s perspective? 

What made men and women like Abraham, Deborah, Moses, David, Paul and Peter great people? 

Why is Abraham called a “friend of God” over and over again in Scripture (2nd Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23)? What was it about Moses that moved God to speak to him face-to-face “like a friend” (Exodus 33:11)? Why would Deborah be chosen as a Mother over Israel (Judges 4:4-5, Judges 5:7-8)? What made David a man after God’s own heart (1st Samuel 13:14)? What was it about Paul and Peter that qualified them to lead the most critical movement of all time (Romans 11:13, Acts 2:1-47)?

 These are the questions. 

I have spent countless hours pondering what exactly makes someone the kind of person God points at and says: “that’s my guy” or “that’s my girl”. I don’t have all the answers to this or any question (obviously) but I do have some ideas. Here are four of them:

They always got back on the horse (metaphorically speaking) immediately following a spiritual failure-

Not everyone on the above list has a spiritual failure recorded in Scripture. However, the ones who do, failed spectacularly.  Seriously. Abraham lied. A lot. Moses was a murderer with a foul temper. David was an adulterer, a liar AND a murderer. Paul was a blasphemer and a murderer. Peter denied the Lord after being on Jesus’ inside circle for three years. Nonetheless, not one of these folks let their massive failure define them or their relationship with God. Each one took their mess to God, asked for forgiveness, repented and got back to worshipping, working and praying ASAP. These folks didn’t hide from God. They didn’t fib about their failure or attempt to cover it up. They didn’t wallow. They didn’t allow sorrow over their failure to turn them into alcoholics or drug addicts. They didn’t quit church or synagogue because they screwed up. The spiritual greats all trusted God’s promises to forgive sins (Psalm 65:2-3, Psalm 86:5, Psalm 103:12, John 3:16-17, 1st John 1:9, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:13-14) as fact and moved on. In the process each one learned from their failure and went on to live lives that brought God glory.  

They believed God- 

The spiritual greats all believed God, even when it made no sense. Most of the time it didn’t. They all believed anyway (Genesis 15:4-6, Romans 14:9, Hebrews 11:13-15). Their belief was more than simple head knowledge. Their trust in God and His plans always led to radical obedience and a steel-in-the-spine commitment to glorifying God, no matter the circumstances. God says the world is not worthy of such people (Hebrews 11:37-38).  

They were all willing to be second or third or fifth or whatever- 

There’s an intriguing little verse no one pays much attention to tucked into 3rd John. It says: I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority- 3rd John 1:10. Okay, so, this is a thought-provoking little verse for numerous reasons. First, what kind of prideful numbskull would refuse to acknowledge the spiritual authority of John the Apostle? Seriously. Who thinks like that? Diotrephes apparently. Second, it’s the apostle John calling someone out. John wasn’t known for that sort of thing. Paul called people out all the time (Acts 15:37-39, Galatians 2:11-14, Philemon, 2nd Timothy 4:10, 2nd Timothy 4:14). Peter could be counted on to throw some shade around from time-to-time (Acts 2:23, Acts 3:13-15, 2nd Peter 3:15-16). John doesn’t do that, he’s the nice one. Church history records him as the “apostle of love”. Nonetheless, Diotrephes desire to be “first” was so appalling to John and antithetical to the gospel that Mr.  Nice-guy felt compelled to call Diotrephes out publicly. John had some good reasons for doing so. Someone who loves to be first (in this context) wants to be the most important person in the room. These Christians want to be THE go-to person for spiritual teaching, moral advice and wisdom. People who love to be first have a stunning lack of humility that causes them to do anything including lying and slandering good people just to keep their position or standing in the church.  To the contrary, all the folks God calls great saw themselves as deeply loved by God but not as any more-or-less important than any other person. They were all willing to share the stage and give God ALL the glory. 

They took hardship on the chin (metaphorically speaking)- 

It’s simply a fact: hardship and difficulty affects people in one of two ways, it either makes them bitter or better (Hebrews 12:15). For God’s best and brightest it always makes them more like Jesus. God’s greats refuse to wallow in self-pity. Instead they choose to view suffering as an opportunity to grow and glorify God.  

God is merciful, kind and good. Seriously. God never places spiritual greatness out of the reach of anyone. All it takes is faith, a willingness to do life God’s way and a little humility.

God does the rest. 

The Number one “Rule” of Modern Christianity-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace- Jeremiah 6:13b-14 NIV

Life is full of unwritten rules. 

An unwritten rule is an expectation no one really needs to be told about. For example, we all understand it’s not okay to roam through a public space like a subway or a movie theater with music blaring out of a speaker. There are (to my knowledge) no signs telling people they can’t play their music in these spaces. We all just know better. Because we all know better than to break unspoken rules, when someone does, people judge. 

It’s just how it is. 

Christianity has its own fair share of unwritten rules. There are things we simply do not do in Church world. No one treats communion like a buffet, grabbing enough juice to quench their thirst or enough bread to tide them over until lunch.  Some of the unwritten rules in church world are biblical, others, not so much. One really prominent unwritten rule in church world is: 

No negativity allowed! 

The love of the positive (and aversion to the negative) is reflected in the following “rules” Christians are told to follow:

Christians should only preach and speak about what they’re FOR not what they’re against-

Churches should stick to preaching the gospel only because social issues are not relevant to the gospel-

A good Christian is always kind and never hurts anyone’s feelings-

It’s a terrible sin to speak against “the Lords anointed”-

All of the above rules are well-intended, a few even have Bible verses to back them up. Each one is meant to encourage kindness, cooperation, unity and inoffensiveness. 

All good things. 

But are these “rules” biblical? 

Nope, nope and more nope.

No one should seek to be unnecessarily offensive, nor should Christians preach about social issues to the exclusion of the gospel. It is not okay for believers to hurt people on purpose, slander Christian leaders or criticize good programs designed to help people (2nd Timothy 4:2, Ephesians 4:32, Hebrews 13:17, Isaiah 5:20). Those things are all wrong. Period.

However. 

 It is also true that Jesus routinely addressed the hot-button issues of His day. In the process, He made a lot of folks really angry (Matthew 19:1-10, Luke 20:20-25, Mark 7:10-13, Matthew 20:16). Jesus also openly criticized people, including religious leaders (Matthew 23:1-33, Luke 11:37-53). I suspect Jesus hurt a lot of feelings and yet, God the Father had nothing but good things to say about Jesus (Matthew 3:17, Mark 9:7)

Furthermore. 

There are many instances in the Old Testament where God had nothing good to say about some dearly loved prophets. These “prophets” angered God because they insisted on preaching messages of blessings and positivity when God had declared there would be nothing but a giant load of judgment and trouble for His people (Jeremiah 6:13-14, Jeremiah 14:14, Ezekiel 13:9, Lamentations 2:14, Isaiah 44:24-25). 

The problems with choosing to dwell entirely on the positive are countless. For one thing, it puts a lot of limits on what Christians can and can’t talk about. Any subject that makes people uncomfortable or angry is out. This eliminates much of the Bible and all discussion of sin. It also means Christians can never speak up about social issues, even really evil social issues. If seventeenth century Christians had chosen to only speak a positive, happy message, slavery might still be legal. Our aversion to speaking the negative is one of the key reasons there are so many bad leaders in positions of power in our churches. If one believes its poor form or sinful to discuss problems with a leader’s bad behavior, the silence that ensues gives that pastor plenty of space to keep doing what they’ve been doing. In every church or Christian organization where there has been moral failure there has also been an unspoken (sometimes spoken) rule against saying anything unflattering about the leader.  Never discussing the negative also limits the spiritual and personal growth of individuals. In some churches, spouses (especially women) are discouraged from any negative talk about their spouse’s behavior— even if the behavior is clearly wrong or even abusive. Instead spouses are encouraged to pray that God would speak to their husband or wife. This presupposes the person in question, who is walking in sin is going to listen the Lord when He speaks.  Those folks are denied growth opportunities because their closest neighbor (their spouse) is prohibited from confronting their sin. 

Sigh.

 Instead of insisting on positive vibes only, Christians ought to make a commitment to actively seek God’s best for all people in every situation. Seeking the best means we cover every difficult or potentially thorny conversation in prayer. Seeking the best demands we become biblically literate so we know an answer to prayer when it comes. It means there will times when we keep our pie holes shut because the issue at hand is not really critical or worth offending someone over. Other times seeking the best means saying what needs to be said as kindly as possible, even if offense is taken (Ephesians 4:15, Philippians 1:9-11). Seeking the best for others means we do the hard work of learning to discern right from wrong. It means we remember unsaved people naturally find the gospel and biblical truth offensive (1st Corinthians 1:18, 1st Corinthians 2:14). Loving people and seeking their good means we break the rules by preaching the gospel and speaking against social evil. It means we tell the truth because if we really love people we don’t want them to spend eternity in hell because they lacked pertinent information concerning right and wrong. 

That would be the most unloving thing ever.

How to Pull out a “Root of Bitterness”-

Lisa M. Price3 Comments

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery- Galatians 5:1 NIV

Bitterness is literally the worst.

Literally.

Bitterness is when chronic cynicism, resentment and hostility become a constant in a person’s life.  Other indicators bitterness is a problem are a tendency to isolate, a lack of compassion, relentless faultfinding and the inability or unwillingness to see the good in people and situations.  Bitterness hits its peak of awfulness when a person gets to the place where they want to see others suffer the way they feel they have suffered.   

Bitterness is one of those issues we rarely see in ourselves until after it has become an entrenched issue. This is because the emotions that lead to bitterness feel personal and private and more often than not: justified. When we perceive that we have been hurt or wronged it FEELS defensible and reasonable to allow our most negative, ugly emotions to run wild. However, when we let hurt or pain run the show we give the devil an opportunity (foothold) to sow chaos in our lives. One of Satan’s favorite things is a Christian who has been corrupted and hardened by a bitter spirit (Ephesians 4:26-27).   

The writer of Hebrews compares bitterness to a “root”. Feelings like anger, hurt, disappointment, jealousy or resentment create fertile soil for bitter roots to sprout. If left unattended bitter roots grow, spread and eventually choke out everything good, healthy and live-giving in a person’s life. Even more alarming, bitterness not only impacts the bitter person it also defiles (corrupts) the people closest to them (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:31, James 3:14). 

Yikes. 

It is on us to pray often that God will make us aware of any bitter roots that have sprouted up.  (Matthew 5:30).  Once bitterness has taken hold, the only way to get rid of it is to pull it out (metaphorically speaking). The keys to dealing with bitterness is as follows:

We must fully understand the implications of not dealing with a bitter root- 

Bitterness is no inconsequential thing. Making space for a bitter spirit is the fast track to spiritual uselessness, broken relationships and unanswered prayer (Leviticus 19:18, 1st Peter 3:12, Hebrews 5:7). Refusing to deal with the sin of bitterness is basically just acquiescing to the fact that you will be less spiritually productive than you could be. It also means accepting that your feelings of resentment will ultimately impact your kids, grandkids, church family and friends adversely. None of those realities should ever be acceptable to a follower of Jesus. Furthermore, Christians are commanded by Jesus to bear an abundance of good fruit and be a peaceful presence in the lives of others (Matthew 7:17-19, Luke 13:6-8, John 15:1-8, Colossians 1:10, Ephesians 6:15, John 14:27, Galatians 5:22-23). There is simply no way to fulfill that calling with a bitter heart. 

Stop nursing the dang thing- 

The most efficient way to kill a plant is to simply stop watering it. The same is true with bitterness. If we want to stop feelings of bitterness we must stop nurturing and indulging the feelings that lead to the bitterness in the first place. This means we must stop thinking about or talking about the situation or people who caused the bitter root to spring up. Instead, we must practice self-discipline in our thought life and conversations (Hebrews 12:11, 2ndTimothy 1:7). The easiest and most productive way to make that happen is to simply commit to only discussing the issue with mature fellow believers who are actively helping you to find freedom from the problem 

Bathe it in prayer- 

The most efficient way to kill a bitter root is to cover the situation and people involved in prayer. Prayer is the spiritual equivalent of a powerful weed killer (Philippians 4:6, James 5:16). Prayer is essential to pulling out a bitter spirit because it keeps us from ruminating on the situation or gossiping about the people involved. Gossip and ruminating on our pain are like pouring fertilizer on the bitter root (Matthew 26:41, Ephesians 6:18, 1st Thessalonians 5:17).

Let God be God in your situation- 

Most of the time, people do not become bitter without some sort of reason. There are situations where a very sensitive, immature or prideful person will become angry and bitter about something that wasn’t a big deal (like being called out on their sin or being slighted in some way). However, most of the time bitterness is the result of genuine hurt, loss or disappointment. In one sense bitterness is really just a desire for revenge that’s running amok in a person’s heart. The Bible is clear: revenge is best left to God (Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30). This is because He is far better at it than we are and the desire for revenge twists us up and turns us into a sad parody of what we could have been. Nobody wants that.

And finally,

The only way to totally break free of bitterness is to make the hard, sometimes painful choice to fully forgive those who have sinned against us (Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 18:21-35).  Forgiveness is rarely easy, nor, is it typically a one and done. It’s a process that takes time. It often requires help from a mature friend, Christian counselor or pastor. Forgiveness is difficult but it’s also worth whatever effort it takes because it frees us from the ugly consequences of a bitter spirit and sets us free to be the people Jesus calls us to be (1st Peter 2:9).