Category: Faith

The Biblical Definition of Humility-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you- 1st Peter 5:6 ESV

Humility, is not, nor has it ever been a particularly popular subject. Nobody really likes it. If humility were a person, it would be the really decent, down-to-earth guy or gal everyone respects but no one wants to talk to at a party because they are just a little too good and that makes everyone else feel bad.

It’s just not fun. 

Nevertheless, after a recent trip through 1st Peter where humility is a reoccurring theme.  I felt compelled to dig a little deeper into what God has to say about humility. 

The words “humble” and “humility” are used a total of eighty-three times in the Old and New Testament. Humility or the state of being humble is always linked to blessing when embraced (Proverbs 22:4, Proverbs 15:33, Zephaniah 2:3, 2nd Chronicles 7:14, 2nd Chronicles 12:6-12, 2nd Chronicles 32:26, James 4:10).  It’s also linked to curses when snubbed (2nd Samuel 22:8, 2nd Chronicles 28:19, 2nd Chronicles 33;22-24). There is no way around it: God blesses and promotes the humble. No one with any sense at all wants to miss out on blessing and promotion.

So, what does it really mean to act with humility? 

The Greek word for humility is tapeinophrosýnē it means: “to have a deep sense of one’s own (moral) littleness”. 

 I confess I was seriously underwhelmed by that definition. 

I expected more. A lot more. I expected a more colorful description, more specifics, possibly even a bad example or two. I figured the definition would include things like having zero pride, being a giver of grace and mercy, possessing concern for the welfare of others, a subdued view of oneself and deep respect for God and His moral directives. Then it hit me pretty much outa nowhere that when we have a deep sense of our own moral littleness our pride evaporates, other people become a priority, we are suddenly far less judgy and our view of ourselves shrinks like a cheap cotton shirt washed in hot water. A gut level awareness of our own moral littleness also causes our respect for God and His commands grows exponentially.

Humility is potent (and beneficial) because when we become aware of our own moral littleness, we know exactly how weak and fallible we really are. We become deeply aware of what we don’t know and will likely never know. At that point, we understand deep down in our heart-of-hearts that we have no right to judge others because we deserve to be judged in the harshest way imaginable. As a result, we become gracious, merciful and kind even to people who don’t deserve mercy, grace or kindness. 

It’s deeply paradoxical that developing an acute awareness of our own moral littleness (evil) has the power to make us more like the most morally perfect creature in all the universe: God Himself. 

Okay, so how do we get a better handle on humility? 

There are only two ways to acquire humility. We can be humbled involuntarily by God, or we can choose to humble ourselves (Exodus 10:3, 2nd Kings 22:14-20, Matthew 23:12, James 4:10, 1st Peter 5:5-6).  I highly recommend option two. Option one works, but it’s a tough road because God is a pro at humbling the proud (Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 29:23). Option two requires more effort, but it is far less painful in the long run. 

We gain a better understanding of our own moral littleness by:

Knowing the limitations of our own goodness- 

No human being is morally perfect (Psalm 106:6, Romans 3:23). Even the best human decisions and choices are often influenced by shady motives and a desire to manipulate God and other people into doing what we want. An awareness of our moral limitations does not make us morally perfect, but it does make us more humble about our own virtuousness. This in turn keeps pride to a minimum. An absence of pride creates a fertile ground for humility to take root. 

Having a proper view of God- 

God is morally perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 18:30, Psalm 145:17, John 3:16-17, 2nd Peter 3:9). When we allow ourselves to lose sight of this reality, we stop looking to Him for help and guidance. This causes us to develop an inflated view of our own ability to judge people and situations. An inflated view of our ability to judge right from wrong often leads to accusing God of sin and wrongdoing (Job 1:22). Not cool. 

Practicing ruthless self-examination-

The key to avoiding pride and developing real humility is to know ourselves. When we know ourselves, we develop a willingness to second guess our assessments of people and situations. When we understand exactly how flawed we are we become less likely to insist we are right about everything. This understanding is the cornerstone of humility and a critical steppingstone to true wisdom (Proverbs 2:1-22. 

And finally, we gain humility when we make a practice of: 

Asking for help-

God created us to be dependent on God and interdependent on others. Anytime we deny this reality and insist on doing life free of advice and help we inevitably become fools who think we are wise (Proverbs 1:25-33). Making a habit of asking for help, advice and wisdom sets us up for greatness in God’s eyes. Humility also creates space for wisdom to grow and God to bless our lives (1st Peter 5:5-6, James 4:6). We could all use a little more of that in our lives.

Making Spiritual Sense of Those who Once Professed Christ but no Longer Live for Him-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [word, immediately he falls away- Matthew 13:20-21 NASB

From time-to-time, I have a conversation with the Lord that goes something like this:

Me: Good morning God!  What do you want me to write about this week?

God: I want you to write about ____________________.

Me: Uh… I’m sorry God, I hate to tell you this but no one wants to read that. It will make people mad. 

God: I know. Write it anyway. 

Me: Sigh. Okay. 

Such was the case this last week. I asked God for a topic. He gave me one. I argued with Him. He won. It’s His thing. 

So.

I work in an arena of ministry with many people who have relatives (usually adult kids, but not always) who are walking a very sinful path. Sometimes these adult kids are so steeped in sin they are walking several different sinful paths all at the same time (trust me it can be done). All these adult children know their behavior is wrong because they were raised to know right from wrong. The folks I work with are looking for some kind of spiritual hope for their loved one. More often than not, they find that hope in a commitment the adult child made to the Lord a long time ago, often in childhood or their early teens. Sometimes the child who is now walking in sin appeared to walk with God for a season. However, that ship has officially sailed. They are now living lives that completely oppose God and everything He’s all about.  Nonetheless, these parents cling to the belief that their child’s childhood commitment was the real deal and “proof” their child is a believer. 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news (truly I do). 

However, this line of thinking is not wise or biblical. It is personally comforting to believe a loved one is saved when they are living far from God. However, it is not in our best interest or theirs to hang all our hopes on a prayer a child (or an adult, for that matter) prayed at some point in the distant past, when there is zero fruit to indicate they have made the journey from spiritual death to spiritual life (Matthew 3:9-11, Matthew 7:16-20, Luke 6:43-44, John 15:4, Galatians 5:19-24). 

 Here’s why:

False hope keeps us from praying rational and compassionate prayers-

The most loving thing one human can do for another is pray for their salvation (Acts 2:21, Acts 4:12, 1stCorinthians 6:9-10, Titus 2:11-12).  Therefore, if a loved one does not live like a Christian the loving and logical thing is to assume they aren’t one and pray accordingly. If we get it wrong, the Lord will sort it out. 

There is very little space in the New Testament for Christians who don’t at least try and act like Christians-

There’s just not (Romans 6:1-23, Romans 7:4-6, Ephesians 2:1-10, 2nd Corinthians 5:17, 2nd Peter 1:3-11). It is normal for new Christians and even seasoned saints to stumble and even fall sometimes. No one this side of heaven is free of their sin nature. We should not assume that just because a Christian screws up (even in a really big way) they are unsaved. That being said, the Bible makes it clear: authentic believers in Jesus do not wallow around in sin for years and years with no apparent remorse or desire to change. Nor do they mock Jesus, Christianity or other Christians. True Christians do not write or speak about how freeing it is to depart the faith and live a life of unfettered sin. Jesus is clear: no fruit (or ONLY bad fruit) no salvation. That doesn’t mean anyone is doomed. As long as a person is breathing there is hope for redemption (John 3:16, Romans 5:7-9).  That said, we must be realistic about their spiritual state in order to help them. 

Children don’t always understand the commitment they made-

It is spiritually risky to assume a child or teenager understands or understood all the ins-and-outs of making a heartfelt commitment to Jesus when many saved adults struggle with the concepts of salvation and sanctification. We must understand that from a developmental standpoint the teen years are a period of life when people “try on” identities and decide who they want to be and how they want to live. If a teen or child “tries on” the identity of “Christian” or goes through the motions of living like a Christian for a season but never REALLY repents of their sin and follows through on a commitment to obey Jesus as the Lord of their life, the whole thing was (sadly) just another phase of childhood and nothing more. Consequently, it’s critical parents ensure children and teens who profess Christ are given a LOT of follow-up care and discipleship. It’s the best way to stack the odds in favor of a genuine commitment to Jesus (John 10:9). 

I am not arguing people “lose” their salvation. However, Jesus made it clear there will be people who make commitments to God who don’t really mean it or understand what that commitment entails. Those people inevitably “fall away” (Matthew 7:13-23, Matthew 25:31-46, Mark 16:16). If those folks die without truly knowing Christ as Lord, they will not make it heaven. We prove our love for these people by praying fervently they will understand their spiritual reality and seek God while He can be found (Isaiah 55:6, Hebrews 4:6-7, 2nd Peter 3:9, Matthew 24:13).  

What’s God Doing When Everything Goes Wrong in our Lives?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord-  Psalm 4:4-5 NASB

In Exodus twelve God gives instructions for the Passover. His instructions are insanely specific. This feast (like all the feasts) was not intended to be a DIY kind of a deal. The main dish was a lamb. The lamb was to be one year old, in perfect condition with zero blemishes or defects. It was to be roasted, no boiled or raw meat allowed. The sides were also precisely dictated. Bitter herbs and unleavened bread were the only options. The meal was to be eaten in community. No one was allowed to eat alone. If there were not enough people in a household to eat a lamb, then they were to invite their neighbors to eat with them. The meal was to be eaten fully clothed. No lazing around shoeless or beltless. EVERYONE had to be ready to hit the road at a moment’s notice.  Then comes the crazy part:

Whatever is left of it until morning, you shall completely burn with fire- Exodus 12:10b

When I got to that verse I did a double take. The people of Israel were leaving the country. God knew they were leaving the country. God just spent elven chapters orchestrating their departure. Furthermore, it wasn’t a small group. There were six-hundred-thousand men plus women and children (Exodus 12:37). They would all be leaving Egypt for a destination known only to the Lord, and NO ONE was allowed to pack a lunch. 

What? 

The command feels insanely counter intuitive. Surely,  God would want His people to have a nice lamb sandwich to eat on the road? It just makes sense. But then it occurred to me that God actually does this sort of thing all the time. He tells His people to do something hard and then He makes it harder (Genesis 22, Joshua 1, Jonah 1-3, Matthew 10:5-10). 

It’s all about trust. 

God wants His people to trust Him. Because God has a critically important end goal in mind (more on that later) He almost never makes it easy to do so. This means that at some point in our faith journey we will come up against a situation where it will make zero sense to trust God or do it His way, but we need to do it anyway.  Our crazy situation might be a job loss, marriage troubles, kid troubles, betrayal, or some other horrible loss or trial. Only God knows what it will be, but it will happen. It’s the nature of living in a fallen world. Following are four things to watch out for when the going gets tough and God is asking us to trust Him. The first is:  

Making an Ishmael-

Unless one is a hardcore Calvinist it is hard to argue against the notion that Ishmael (Genesis 16) was anything but the sad byproduct of two people who did not trust God to do what He said He would do. Abraham and Sarah’s hasty decision nearly broke Hagar, damaged poor Ismael and caused geopolitical complications the world still feels today. Anyone can make an Ismael (metaphorically speaking). An Ismael is always the byproduct of running ahead of God in a fit of mistrust and “taking care” of situations in our own understanding and wisdom (Proverbs 3:6-7). This sort of thing happens frequently in the realm of marriage. Someone prays for a godly spouse and when the prayer isn’t answered quickly, they find someone, anyone who is willing marry them. In these situations, the marriage often becomes an Ismael: a source of pain and complication in the person’s life. The good news is God will use the messiest, most messed-up Ismael we can make to grow us and shape us into the image of Jesus (Romans 8:28). It’s just never the preferred route. 

Fear- 

Fear is more than just a feeling we experience when life gets hard or scary. Fear is an indicator. Our fears tell us what (or who) we trust to give us security, peace and a sense of belonging and purpose (job, reputation, financial security, relationships, possessions). This means that whatever we most fear losing is probably the very thing God most wants us to learn to trust Him with (Psalm 20:7, Jeremiah 17:5-9, Isaiah 49:10, Joshua 1:9).  

A bitter root-

Anytime we are called to trust God there is always a danger of a bitter root developing in our hearts (Hebrews 12:15). This is because there always comes a God time where it looks like God is either doing nothing to help us; or conversely it looks like He’s doing the exact opposite of what needs to be done to keep disaster at bay. When this happens, all we can do is believe God is good (Psalm 34:8, Psalm 100:5, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 4:19, James 1:17). Then we wait for the storm to pass and the blessings to be revealed. 

And finally, we must make sure:

We don’t miss the end goal- 

The end goal of trusting God is not trusting God, nor is it obedience simply for the sake of obedience. The end goal of our learning to trust God is for us to become people God can use for His glory and the good of others (James 1:2-3, 1st Peter 1:3-9). Learning to trust Him is how He gets us to that place.  It was true in Exodus. God wanted the Hebrews to trust Him because trusting God with hard things would mold them into a nation that would reveal His glory (and the Messiah) to the whole world.  Unfortunately, it took them forty years to become those people. Don’t be like the Israelites (James 1:6-7).

Five Steps to Letting go of Bitterness-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity- Acts 8:23 NKJV 

Everyone (no matter how spiritual) is tempted to hold onto feelings of bitterness at some point in their lives. This is because bitterness rarely occurs in a vacuum. Too often life is wildly disappointing. Moreover, people can be disappointing. People sometimes hurt us in ugly and shocking ways that make resentment, anger and unforgiveness make sense in our minds. Disappointment and bitterness go hand-in-hand. Further complicating the whole messy muddle, entertaining feelings of bitterness feels kind of awesome, at least for a while. The writer of Hebrews 12:14 warns bitter feelings allowed to run wild will eventually grow into a “root of bitterness”. It says:

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become defiled- NASB

The writer of Hebrews is obviously warning their readers that bitterness is (for want of another term) super bad. The writer also wants readers to understand bitterness is grotesquely consequential. No one in their right mind wants to miss out on the grace (mercy, kindness, generosity) of God. Nor do normal, spiritually healthy people want to defile (corrupt, ruin, pervert) others with the corruption of their own heart.  

The kind of bitterness the writer of Hebrews is warning their readers about is more than just temporary anger or fleeting resentment. A bitter root is anger and resentment that takes up habitation in a person’s heart and becomes a focus of their thinking. A bitter root is offense that has mutated into deep-seated unforgiveness (Ephesians 4:26). Bitterness is initially directed at the person or people who caused the pain. However, if bitterness is allowed to settle it becomes directed towards those who had nothing to do with the hurt. When we allow bitterness to become a stronghold, we can even become bitter towards God.  

Yikes.

Bitterness is choosing anger and resentment over forgiveness and mercy (Matthew 18:21-23, Matthew 6:12-15).  This choice stalls our spiritual growth and steals our personal peace. Bitterness can even steal the joy of our salvation. All that to say, a bitter root is bad. Really, really bad.  So, what do we do about bitterness? How do we deal with it effectively? There are five steps to effectively dealing with bitterness:

Recognize it-

Satan is able to tempt people to become bitter because many people (including many Christians) lack a healthy level of self-awareness (1st Peter 5:8). It is critical we know our own feelings and understand the state of our own heart. Self-awareness allows us to see when feelings of bitterness are creeping in and defiling us. We obtain self-awareness by making a practice of naming our feelings and tracing those feelings back to the incident that is making us feel bad/angry/hurt/bitter. Once we know what is at the root of our bitterness we can do something about it. 

Pray for the person who made you bitter- 

Praying for those who hurt us is critical and not because fervent prayer is guaranteed to change the person who hurt us into a better person. It might and it might not. People must cooperate with God to experience transformation (Romans 12:2, 1st Corinthians 5:12).  The world is full of people who reject and/or disobey God, these folks are incapable of genuine heart-change. That being said, anytime we choose to pray God changes us. Prayer changes us into people who forgive the people who have done us wrong.  This allows us to move on in a way that is healthy for us and honoring to God.  

Trust God with what He’s allowed. 

I almost said we need to forgive God for the things He allows into our lives but that’s REALLY TERRIBLE THEOLOGY. People don’t forgive God because God does not sin (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 145:17, James 1:13, Titus 1:2). God is perfect in all His ways (whether we understand them or not), therefore, God has not done anything that demands our forgiveness (Psalm 19:7, Matthew 5:48). Nonetheless, we need to get to a place where we are okay with whatever God has allowed into our lives. That means we need to trust that God would never allow anything into our lives that won’t somehow be used for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28-39). This is no easy task. It takes faith and willingness to trust God with things we may never completely understand this side of heaven (Hebrews 11:1-39).

Release the person to God- 

The essence of forgiveness is to surrender our right to seek revenge (Romans 12:19). The only way to effectively surrender that right is to give the person who hurt us over to God and trust Him to deal with the situation appropriately. This is never easy and it’s it’s rarely a one and done. Typically, we have to give people over to God repeatedly before our hearts change and we no longer feel bitter. 

And finally: 

We must choose to forgive-

Forgiveness is moving on and letting go of the hurt. It’s choosing to not look back on the offense all the time. To do this, we must grasp the reality that God has more for us than bitterness, unforgiveness and resentment. However, we can only receive the fullness of what God has for us if we choose to forgive (Matthew 6:14-15). A wise and perceptive person once said choosing bitterness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. That strategy has never worked for anyone in the whole history of forever. Choosing to be bitter has no impact on the other person. Nonetheless, bitterness destroys us emotionally and spiritually. In the process, we lose our joy, stop growing and become spiritually ineffective. No one wants that. 

How to Best Love a Prodigal-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins- James 5:19-20 ESV

Love is an issue that doesn’t look particularly complex or messy on the surface, but it is.  Actions that look and feel loving sometimes aren’t and actions that appear harsh are sometimes the most loving course of action.  God’s love for humanity demonstrates this conundrum perfectly. God loves us more than anyone can even imagine (John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39). Nevertheless, God doesn’t always (ever) give anyone everything they want or think they need. God also frequently allows individuals to experience trouble, discomfort and hardship because struggles draw folks closer to Him and refine their character (Isaiah 48:10, James 1:1-3, Hebrews 12:5-7)

Like I said, it’s complex and messy.

The muddle promptly becomes messier when we are called to love a prodigal child. A prodigal can be defined as anyone who once knew God (or knew of God) and has since walked away from any pretense of a relationship with God. The Bible tells the story of a prodigal son who wandered far from God and estranged from his earthly father. 

Our world is full of prodigals. Many prodigals have also cut ties with their earthly parents.  This leaves parents wondering how to best love children who have wandered from home and left their parents brokenhearted by their choices. The biblical story of the prodigal son (Luke 11:15-32) is a story with more than one level and meaning. On one level it is a story about how God relates to people. It was intended to prepare the Jews (who represent the older brother) for God’s welcoming of the gentiles (who represent the younger brother) into His Kingdom through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-22, Colossians 1:25-28, Galatians 3:28). On another level the story gives much needed guidance and wisdom as to how best love a wandering son or daughter.

We love a prodigal when we:

Understand the spiritual reality behind the child’s choice-

Most prodigals sever relationships with family for the same reason the prodigal son did. They want to live a life of sin. They know they cannot comfortably live a sinful life in front of the people who love them, so they do what the prodigal did. They make their choice to sever ties about the parent rather than their desire to live a sinful life.  (Luke 15:11-13). It’s critical parents of prodigals recognize that a child living in sin will avoid anyone whose presence sparks any kind of spiritual conviction. The choice to leave is not always all about the parent.  At least some of the choice is very much about the state of the child’s heart. 

Choose restraint-

One truly notable aspect of the prodigal account is the restraint of the father.  The man clearly loved his son. Nonetheless, he did not beg him to stay, nor did he send long letters or servants to plead with his son to return. He certainly did not endeavor to make his son’s life easier by sending him little gifts or monetary support.  Instead, the father let him go and prayed like crazy. He worked on himself and trusted God to do whatever hard thing needed to be done in the life of his child. His goal was not simply to reconnect with his son. He wanted his son back in right relationship with God because he understood that a right relationship with God is a healing force in all our earthly relationships. It is not wrong to attempt to connect with a wayward child. Adult children need to know they are loved unconditionally. That said, it is critical we trust the Lord and avoid using emotional appeals, money or gifts to lure them back into relationship. We must accept the reality that God may need to do some hard things in their life that simply cannot be done if mom and dad are “helping” too much or working too hard to win them back.  

Don’t affirm or celebrate anything God wouldn’t affirm or celebrate- 

Many of today’s prodigals demand their parents celebrate and affirm sinful lifestyle choices as a condition of continuing the relationship. This is wrong on many levels. It is critical parents do not allow their children to become idols (1st John 5:21). We cannot put their preferences before God and His commands (Exodus 20:3). Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to love someone without affirming their sinful choices. God does it all the time. 

Pray for them-

Refusing to forgive someone is a serious sin (Matthew 6:15, Matthew 18:21-35, Mark 11:25-26). Sadly, unforgiveness is at the heart of most estrangements. Furthermore, just like the prodigal in Luke 15 most prodigals are also tangled up in all sorts of other sins (1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5). Godly parents can best love a prodigal by praying fervently and often that the child “comes to their senses” and repent of their sins (Luke 15:17-19).

And finally, 

Keep growing- 

Waiting is never easy. Waiting for a prodigal is a whole new level of hard and the temptation to give into bitterness is real (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:31).  I am convinced God wants us to do what the father in the story did. The father trusted God do what needed to be done in his son. He never gave up hope and he never stopped praying for his child. I also believe (although the text doesn’t say it explicitly) that the father chose to grow as a believer and as a person while he waited. I suspect that hurting dad made a regular practice of examining his heart. Then he worked on the things he needed to work on and repented of the things he needed to repent of. It was his commitment to trusting, praying and spiritual growth that prepared him to welcome his son home with open arms, a soft heart and big party. 

The Secret to Running the Race of Faith Successfully-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil- Ephesians 5:15-16 NASB

Every so often, I come across a verse or passage in Scripture that hits me in an unexpected way.  These verses tend to be in the Old Testament; they ALWAYS make me weirdly self-reflective, as a result, I spend a lot of time meditating on them. It happened the other day when I came across this gem in Isaiah:

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple- Isaiah 6:1 NASB

It was the first eleven words that got me:  in the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord. Isaiah appears to be implying that in order for him have an encounter with God where he really saw and understood God in all of His glory Uzziah had to be out of the picture. In other words, Uzziah’s presence in this world kept people from seeing God clearly. 

Yikes. 

If my understanding of this verse is accurate, (and I suspect it is) it says a great deal about Uzziah and how he finished his race of faith (1st Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 12:1). Uzziah began both his reign and his spiritual race with good intentions (2nd Chronicles 26:1-15). Uzziah had a heart for God and a desire to make Him known. For most of his life Uzziah was God’s guy. Nonetheless, the more successes he experienced the more arrogant he became. He made a classic error: he started to believe he was as awesome as everyone told him he was. He started taking credit for things that he had nothing to do with; at the same time, he stopped giving God the glory that was rightfully His.  Uzziah began to feel he was above obeying God and following rules all the less important people were required to follow (2nd Chronicles 26:16-21). All the while, Uzziah was blissfully ignorant to the changes taking place in his heart. He saw himself as the same old Uzziah he had always been. In reality he was so bloated with pride he truly believed no one (including God) had the right to tell him what to do.

Not good Uzziah. Not good at all. As I pondered all this, I began to wonder if I am doing or not doing things that make it difficult, or even impossible for people to see Jesus in me. 

It’s a relevant question. 

 Anyone who wants to successfully run their race of faith should consider this question (2nd Corinthians 13:5).  Uzziah’s story proves it’s easy to run the race of faith successfully for a long time and then just kind of hit the skids from a spiritual perspective. Unknown spiritual derailment was not just an Old Testament problem. The Apostle Paul saw the same issue in the Galatian Christians (Galatians 5:7). The Galatian believers started their spiritual walk out with a lot of hullabaloo but were eventually tripped up by legalistic people and bad theology. The Galatians were completely blind to the impact those influences were having on them.  Apparently, feelings are not a great indicator of our overall spiritual health.  

Sigh.

Spiritual success isn’t about dumb luck. If we live intentionally, with our eyes on the prize of eternity we will succeed in all the ways that really matter in life (Philippians 3:14, Matthew 25:21). Prayer is key (Matthew 26:41, Proverbs 15:8, 1st Thessalonians 5:13). Specifically, it is critical we make a point of asking God to show us our blind spots. Asking God to show us our sins and shortcomings (and meaning it) is a tough thing to do, mostly because God ALWAYS answers that prayer (if we mean it). God is not like our friends. He does not feel a codependent urge to make us feel better about ourselves when we are wandering in places we don’t belong or adopting attitudes that will ruin us (Matthew 7:21-23). There are also signs we can be alert to: dusty Bibles, a less spiritual set of friends and skipped prayer times say a lot about what’s going on in our hearts. We can also ask a few people we trust to tell us the truth about ourselves. This kind of accountability is priceless. However, in order for it to work we must be willing to humble ourselves and hear hard things sometimes. 

None of those things come easily to fallen people. 

I have concluded that humanity is so messed up that spiritual success would be impossible if it weren’t for God. We play a part in our personal sanctification (Romans 12:1-21, Colossians 3:1-17, 2nd Peter 1:3-11, Philippians 2:12). However, if God were not good, kind and merciful even when we are foolish, wayward and distracted we would all fail (Ephesians 2:1-9, Titus 3:3-7, Psalm 36:5). God roots for our success and He works in us and on us all the time to make us spiritually fruitful (John 15:1-5). I am convinced God wants us to win the race of faith more than we want to win the race of faith (Joshua 1:8). Spiritual success comes, not when we try harder but when we choose to follow God as closely as possible. That’s where Uzziah went wrong.  He lost his way because he lost sight of God.  When we choose to walk in holiness and stay in close proximity to Jesus, God does the rest. 

Lessons we can Learn from one of the Really Bad Guys of the Bible-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, mend your ways, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you- 2nd Corinthians 13:11 NASB

The books of 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles are mostly just a historical account of the Kings of Isreal and Judah prior to the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 605 B.C. Most of the stories in these books are really splendid illustrations of how to do life and faith all wrong. The vast majority of the kings were really bad guys. 

Among the worst of the worst was Ahaz. 

 If good parenting was all it took to make a person good and God-fearing, King Ahaz would have been awesome. Ahaz was blessed with a father (Jotham) who loved and revered God. Jotham did most things right and (presumably) taught little Ahaz all about the God of Israel and His instructions for holy living.  God was impressed enough with Jotham that He blessed his leadership in some miraculous ways (2nd Chronicles 27:1-9, 2nd Kings 15:32-38). 

Ahaz was nothing like his dad.  

The biblical narrative tells us King Ahaz “walked in the ways of the kings of Israel” (2nd Chronicles 28:1-2). This was neither a compliment nor a ringing endorsement of his leadership albitites. Following the death of Solomon Isreal devolved into civil war and eventually split into two separate nations: Israel and Judah (1st Kings 12). Some of the kings of Judah did their best to obey God and promote godly living. Conversely, ALL the kings of Israel were universally awful; there wasn’t a decent man among them. 

 Ahaz went to great effort and expense to encourage idol worship in Israel, especially Molech worship (2ndChronicles 28:2-4). Molech was a popular pagan deity that demanded human sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21).  If one wanted to win the favor of Molech they had to burn one of their children (preferably a firstborn son) alive on a creepy metal altar.  Ahaz was more than happy to comply with these terms (2nd Chronicles 27:2-4). Ahaz also built altars to random idols on every street corner in Jerusalem and worshipped idols on all the high places and under every green tree in Judah (2nd Chronicles 27:4, 2nd Chronicles 28:24). 

 God eventually lost patience with Ahaz’s idolatry and sin. 

As a result, when Ahaz went to war against the Syrians (Aram), his army was defeated in the most humiliating manner imaginable. One-hundred-twenty thousand soldiers were killed in a single battle, including most of Ahaz’s inner circle (2nd Chronicles 28:5-9) and Syria wasn’t the only country that bested Ahaz.  Israel formed an alliance with Syria in the battle and two-hundred thousand citizens of Judah were taken as slaves. 

Most folks would have done some soul searching at this point. Even some heathens would have concluded God wanted them to head in a different direction, but not Ahaz.  Ahaz proved he was not only evil; he was also insanely stupid. 

His response proves my point: 

Now during the time of his distress, this same King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord.  For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel- 2nd Chronicles 28:22-23 NASB

You read that right. 

In his distress Ahaz decided that the best course of action would be to double down on something that was clearly failing.  As a result, old Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. Predictably, his choice led to nothing except more defeat and humiliation. Ahaz died in disgrace. The people of Judah thought so little of him that wasn’t even buried with the other kings of Judah. He just got some random plot somewhere in the city. 

I must admit I was feeling pretty dang smug as I read through this story. I congratulated myself more than once for being way smarter and more saintly than Ahaz.

 But then it hit me (kind of out of nowhere) that when I am under distress, I too, sometimes double down on some pretty stupid stuff. I don’t sacrifice my kids or grandkids to creepy pagan deities. However, I do worry like a crazy person sometimes (Matthew 6:24-34).  I have been known to eat my feelings instead of praying through whatever it is that’s causing me distress. I have also been known to lose my temper and say stupid things out of fear or frustration. 

 I have an Ahaz side to me. 

We all do. 

We all tend to turn to something sinful and foolish in times of trouble and distress. For some it’s astrology, pornography, sexual sin, drugs, shopping or some other thing or substance. Some vent their anger like crazy people or become ridiculously passive when life gets hard. 

It’s all sin and all sin leads to the same place it led Ahaz: more defeat. 

However, Ahaz’s sin didn’t have to end in humiliation and defeat. The beautiful reality Ahaz failed to grasp is that God is, at the core of who He is, compassionate, kind and forgiving (Psalm 109:21, Deuteronomy 4:31, Nehemiah 9:31, Matthew 14:14). Because God is so good, I believe with all my heart that if Ahaz had chosen to turn to God in repentance God would have forgiven him and restored him. 

Ahaz’s story could have ended in glory rather than defeat and disgrace. 

We all need to repent sometimes. It’s part of the whole being human thing. Most people think repentance is only about behavioral change. Repentance actually begins with a gut-level understanding that we have violated God’s standards of right and wrong. In order to truly repent we must choose to align our thinking with God’s revealed will in the word of God (Romans 12:2). When that happens, behavioral change comes more easily.   

Thankfully, the God of the universe does not treat us as our sins deserve. Instead, every day is fresh chance to for a do-over. Making the most of those do-overs ensures we become everything God wants us to be.   

What to do when Life Literally Makes no Sense-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Guard my soul and save me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
Let integrity and uprightness protect me, For I wait for You- Psalm 25:20b-21 NASB

Anyone who lives in this sin-sick world for long enough will experience a season where literally nothing makes any sense at all (John 16:33, Ephesians 6:10-11).

 This is a universal reality. No one gets a pass.   

Sooner or later, it all goes south, sometimes all at once. Your health fails, a cherished spouse dies too soon. Someone you presumed was a friend or an ally turns on you. Your spouse is unfaithful. The kids you did your best to raise right, go terribly wrong. The job or business you believed would always provide is gone and your finances fall apart. 

Sigh.

These experiences are just the predictable outcome of life in a fallen world, even for Christians. It could even be argued that Christians experience these seasons with greater frequency than non-Christians. No one really understands the why of this reality. However, the book of Job seems to indicate that Satan delights in creating misery in the lives of those who love God and are called according to His purposes (Job 1:1-22, Romans 8:28-29). The book of First Peter tells us that although God is not the author of our misery, He does use trials, tribulations and heartbreak to “refine” us and make us more like Jesus (1st Peter 1:3-9, James 1:2-4, 2nd Corinthians 4:7-11). Because we live in a fallen world, surrounded by fallen people, we will all at some point, face the challenge of not just surviving a tough season with our faith intact but also coming out of it more like Jesus in every way. 

David is our go-to guy for surviving and even thriving through a confusing season. He experienced all sorts of spiritually perplexing situations. It appears that he was the least favored of his brothers for no obvious reason. He was anointed King over Israel and immediately began experiencing the exact opposite of a royal treatment. For at least a solid decade David was mistreated, persecuted and hunted down like an animal, all due to a lesser man’s jealousy. Later in life, his beloved son (Absolom) turned on him and attempted to take his kingdom.

In one sense, David wasn’t special, all Christians experience difficult and perplexing seasons.  Whether or not we survive will depend on our choices. Following are three things we can do when nothing makes sense. None are guaranteed to make your problems go away, however they will ensure your spiritual survival. It all starts with;

Doing what God puts in front of you to do-

For whatever reason, seasons that make no sense often coincide with a season of seeking God for wisdom and direction. In these times we want God to give us some clear and obvious “do this” or “don’t do this” kind of instruction. Sadly, God almost never gives anyone a clear to-do list. Instead, God gives us tasks and the ability to get them done (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Prior to taking the throne, God gave David men to lead, a family to raise and theology to work out in song. All these tasks served the purpose of equipping David for the larger task of leading a nation. God hasn’t changed. In tough times He gives us coworkers to influence, spouses to love, kids to raise for His glory, families to lead, and churches to run. Faithfully doing the task in front of us pleases God and prepares us for whatever’s next.  

Pray prayers of gratitude- 

Seasons where nothing makes sense are spiritually baffling, and if our confusion is not dealt with correctly it can lead to resentment, fear, bitterness and even unbelief (Hebrews 12:15). There is an anecdote to spiritual confusion. It’s prayer, specifically, prayers of gratitude that express faith in God’s goodness. David often vented his frustration to God in his Psalms (Psalm 35:11-26, Psalm 36:1-4, Psalm 54:1-3). However, even in his darkest moments David ALSO took time to express his gratitude to and faith in God (Psalm 35:27-28, Psalm 36:5-12, Psalm 37, Psalm 54:4-7).   It is not easy to express faith and gratitude when we are deep in the weeds of personal suffering. However, choosing to do so will guarantee that our soul prospers even in the darkest of times

Wait on the Lord with a Hebrews eleven perspective- 

 Even under the best of circumstances there are elements of life that are hard. Under the worst of circumstances life can challenge our belief in a good God (Hebrews 11:32-40). God understands this reality (Hebrews 14:15). Therefore, nothing pleases God more than when we choose to see Him as good even when life is hard. Seeing God as good amid horrendous circumstances is the essence of faith (Hebrews 11:1-2) and the fast track to flourishing through tough times.

Our goal should not be to just endure sorrow and suffering. Our spiritual goal should be to see our souls prosper even under persecution, pain and difficulties. David understood that suffering, especially for those who love God cannot be wrapped up neatly in a bow and explained easily. There is a mystery to it.  It is possible to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” and still know deep in our soul that God is the good shepherd loving and protecting us through it all (Psalm 23:1-6).  

What Should Christians Expect from an Isaiah 5:20 Kind of a World?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked- Psalm 97:10 NKJV

Isaiah 5:20 says this:

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter- NASB

So. 

Calling good evil and evil good is nothing new. It’s just something fallen, sinful people do. However, it could be argued that for the last 2000 years (give or take) this type of tomfoolery has been more the exception than the rule. At least in places where Christianity has been the dominant religion. Even those who weren’t Christians had some insight into right and wrong thanks to cultural Christianity and the intuitive understanding all humans have regarding right, wrong and the existence of God (Romans 1:18-20)

This is rapidly changing. 

Don’t get me wrong. There are still good people in this world. There are people who know God, love God and do their level best do what to obey God. There are also people who don’t know God whose consciences still function properly who are doing their best with what they do understand. Thankfully, there’s still enough cultural Christianity left in most Western countries for non-Christians to get worked up over the really big evils like murder and exploitation. That being said, a line has been crossed.  We are on the other side where a majority of average Joe’s and Jane’s believe evil is good and good is evil. 

This cultural sea change both brings both problems and opportunities for God’s people.  First the problems (I will get to the opportunities. I promise): 

You can live an exemplary Christian life and not be respected for it- 

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when living a good Christian life earned a person a certain level of admiration and credibility.  The average non-believer may not have necessarily wanted to serve and honor God with their own lives, but they respected and admired those who did. That ship has officially sailed. We are now in a place where choosing to live out Christian principles brings scorn and mockery rather than veneration and respect. This is discouraging (to say the least). It also makes Christian community more critical than ever. We need each other for encouragement and inspiration to keep on keeping on no matter what the culture does or says (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:23-25)

Following one’s heart is an even worse idea than it once was- 

Humans have always had a predisposition towards following their own heart as opposed to God’s word. It’s just another part of the whole fallen nature thing (Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10-18, Romans 7:18, 1stCorinthians 2:14). However, there was a time in the not-so-distant past when pretty much everyone agreed that following one’s heart was not okay if it led to things like: broken relationships, disrespecting or dishonoring parents, self-harm, abortion or denying the reality of one’s God-given gender. Again, that ship has sailed, following one’s heart wherever it leads (even if its straight to hell) is thought to be a good thing.  The outcome of this folly has been (and will continue to be) tragic beyond words.  

Good doctrine will get scarcer- 

Calling good evil and evil good does not always stop at the doors of the church. As the world becomes darker the tendency is for those in the pulpit is to soften the words of God to make them more palatable to those who prefer darkness to light (2nd Timothy 4:2-4). Still others will literally twist the Bible to say what they want it to say.  This sad state of affairs means Christians must commit to walking in step with the Holy Spirit and learn the Bible for themselves so that they are able to discern good doctrine from bad and lead others to right doctrinal thinking (Galatians 1:7-9, Hebrews 13:9).

Weird will become even more normal- 

There was a time when even non-Christian members of society agreed (for the most part) that certain things were simply weird and unacceptable. Folks kept unkind sentiments to themselves. Everyone agreed males should not have access to female spaces, women should not celebrate aborting their children, kids should be protected from sexual content, and no one should cut others out of their lives without a really good reason. All that is in the rear view now and it makes life harder for everyone (whether they realize it or not) but especially those who are standing on the sidelines trying desperately to be a voice of reason in an unreasonable time.

Admittedly, that’s a lot of bad news (sorry) but there is also some really good news too. 

God is still God and God is still good. He hasn’t abandoned His plan for mankind (John 3:16) just because times are tough and some folks appear to be going feral, just as He promised they would (2nd Peter 3:2-4, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5). The really good news in all of this is that God also promised to pour out His spirit on His people in the last days (Acts 2:16-18).  He will enable anyone who seeks Him the ability to shine brightly even in the darkest of places (Philippians 2:13-15) and He will bless them for doing so (Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 13:16). The greater contrast between those who call themselves believers and those who don’t means anyone who is looking to get free of the darkness will know exactly who to talk to. 

This is a very good thing that may even change things. 

Six Prayers Every Prodigal Desperately Needs Someone to Pray for Them-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

This is what the Lord says: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord, “And they will return from the land of the enemy.  There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord, “And your children will return to their own territory- Jeremiah 31:16-17 NASB

Prodigal. 

In the Greek it means “wasteful”, “extravagant” or “reckless”. 

A prodigal is anyone who knows about God who has chosen to live their life apart from God. Spiritually speaking this type of living is extravagantly “reckless” and “wasteful”. Christians most commonly use the word prodigal to describe a child who grew up in a Christian home and has chosen to walk away from what they were taught (Luke 15:11-32). 

There are a lot of prodigals in this world (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). 

Some have chosen to ignore God and live their lives as if He doesn’t exist, others openly rebel against Him (Psalm 14:1). Sadly, a good number of prodigals have walked away from their families as well.  The reasons for the spiritual defection are varied. Some had negative experiences with church as children or young adults that soured them on Christianity. Some prodigals simply love sin more than they love God. Some had questions or concerns about Christianity that never got answered. Still others have been ensnared by a toxic therapy culture which encourages people to ditch anyone or anything (including God or the families that raised them) that does not make them feel great about every choice they make. 

To the people who love them a prodigal is a walking heartbreak. 

The most valuable thing anyone can do for a prodigal (child, sibling, friend or parent) is to pray for them. No one has ever been talked out of a life of sin, self-interest, or debauchery. Nonetheless many people have been prayed out of such things and into the kingdom of God (Romans 8:26, 1st Corinthians 6:9-11).  Sometimes family members find themselves at loss as to HOW to pray for their prodigal. The spiritual condition of a prodigal is precarious. They have willfully denied truth.  This choice will lead nowhere good without an intervention from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, hard prayers are very much in order. Following are five prayers every prodigal needs someone to pray for them daily. 

Pray they will weary of worldliness and sin-

When we choose not to follow God we always choose worldliness or sin of some sort. The thing about sin and worldliness is that they will never satisfy the soul, bring peace or deliver what they promised. Truth-be-told, worldliness and sin do the exact opposite, sin always leaves the sinner in turmoil and wanting more. Pray your prodigal will experience in their soul the emptiness of sin and weary of the life they have chosen. 

Pray their pride will be broken-

Anyone who looks around at the way this world was created and chooses to conclude there is no God is irrational and arrogant (Romans 1:18-20, Psalm 14:1).  Those who believe there is a God but also believe they do not need God or are above bowing their knee to God is bloated with pride (Proverbs 16:18). One or the other of these scenarios is a reality with all prodigals. Those who love a prodigal must pray that God will do what needs to be done to get their prodigal to a place where they set aside their pride and submit their life to the leadership of the God who made them (Luke 15:14-20).  

Pray they will be surrounded by people who know and love God-

Because of pride and/or shame few prodigals seek out their family members for advice or spiritual wisdom even when they want or need it. Therefore, it is critical every prodigal has at least one person in their life who loves Jesus. We must pray that God will surround our loved one with spirit-led Christians who will love them with the love of Jesus and speak truth to them. 

Pray deception will be lifted so they can see the truth- 

The goal of Satan is to blind people to the truth of God so that they will reject God (2nd Thessalonians 2:9-10, 1stPeter 5:8). Satan uses lies and deception to keep prodigals from seeing where their choices will eventually lead them. It is critical we pray that the any deception the enemy is using to divert or deceive our loved one will be lifted so that are capable of seeing spiritual and moral truth. 

Pray they will see the underbelly of whatever lifestyle they have chosen over God- 

Many prodigals leave what they have been taught about God to embrace a lifestyle that is contrary to biblical teaching. Those lifestyles are often centered around sexual immorality of one sort or another (promiscuity, adultery, homosexuality, transgenderism). All these lifestyles feel good (at least in the beginning) but they all have an ugly underbelly, a dark side that people need to see so they will want to break free of spiritual bondage that accompanies those choices.  Pray your loved one will have the eyes to see what’s wrong and icky with the life they have chosen.

And finally, 

Pray they will come to understand how deeply God loves them. I am convinced prodigals never really knew God or understood how much He loves them. If they did, they would never have walked away. Pray your prodigal will come to understand the depth of the love God has for them (Zephaniah 3:17, John 3:16, Romans 8:37-39, Ephesians 2:4-5) Knowledge and gut-level understanding of God’s love is total gamechanger in the life of a prodigal. 

Every. Single. Time.