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 The
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The Battle for the Mind – Part
5
Confidence
Our minds have so much to do
with our success in life that we cannot take the feature of our make-up
for granted. If we are not
careful, we can slip into a negative thought process or slip into thinking
about an area of life where we need not place our focus and the result is
the same, we miss the mark. In
addition to the battle with negativity and non-focus we also face the
battle around the area of confidence.
Everyone will agree that a major hindrance to making progress is a
lack of confidence but it seems the more you try to be self-confident the
more there seems to be holes in the armor and the self-confidence you stir
up seeps out to a level of under-confidence.
After several experiences, fighting the battle of confident vs. non
confident becomes a battle that seems impossible.
First Things First
If you want to be a confident
person then place your confidence in something sure.
Relying totally upon yourself and your abilities, or trusting in
something as fickle as fate will only send you down the path of no
confidence. The Bible says
that when you place your confidence in God, then you have something sure
and steadfast to hold you.
Jeremiah 17:7
(English Standard Version)
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
Philippians 4:13
(ESV)
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
To go through life without
placing your confidence in God, relying upon His help, and listening for
His encouragement is to enter the battle for the mind defenseless and
heading toward the land of negativity.
God is all powerful. The Bible tells us that nothing is impossible
with Him. The Bible gives us story after story of people who have trusted
God and He has brought them through thick and thin.
So where is your confidence? Are you trusting in God to help you in
the race of life? Are you
trusting in God to help you with the particular encounter that you face
for which you are needing confidence?
It may be a job interview, a home improvement project, a race, or
whatever you face in life. If
you have confidence, you are more likely to succeed than if you don’t have
confidence. The first place to find confidence is to express your
confidence in the Living God by approaching Him for help and allowing Him
to empower you through the power of His Spirit though the Word of God.
David is a great example in 1st
Samuel 17 in his battle with Goliath.
David knew God in a personal way.
He talked with God and was familiar with the way that God had
helped him in the past. Therefore he was quite confident of having God’s
help for the battle with Goliath.
So do you have a personal relationship with God?
Have you thought about His help in your life in the past?
As you seek to find more confidence for whatever you face, take
some time with God and take some time to write out some of the ways He has
demonstrated His help in the past.
Read 2Chronicles 20 as King
Jehoshaphat in his prayer before the people expressed three things that
gave him and the people confidence that God would see them through: God
are you not... God did you not… and God will you not…?
Another step in the battle for
confidence in the mind is the step of self- improvement.
Self- improvement is like what Steven Covey calls “sharpening the
saw” taken from the words from Ecclesiastes in the Bible.
Ecclesiastes 10:10
(ESV)
If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more
strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed.
When you are dull, “not sharp”
in one area of life – it has a profound effect on all areas of your life.
So instead of having confidence from successes you find yourself
struggling at everything. It’s
amazing what taking a class, reading a book, listening to recordings, or
attending a seminar will do for your confidence.
It really doesn’t matter on what area of your life you work, it has
a positive effect on everything.
Not only do you find
confidence by trusting God and reviewing what He has done for you in the
past and by sharpening the saw of constant self-improvement, but
confidence also comes from hanging out with people who not only support
you but challenge you. The Bible calls it ‘iron sharpening iron’.
Proverbs 27:17
(ESV)
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
John Maxwell says there are
friends who are fire-lighters and friends who are fire-fighters. There are
friends who keep us sharp, who keep us challenged, and there are friends
who spread negativity on everything.
A good friend to hang with is a friend who will keep you sharp, who
will build you up, who will keep you challenged, thereby building your
confidence.
I saw a special on George
Hincapie, a world class cyclist who was Lance Armstrong’s number one man
for all seven Tour de France victories.
George pointed out the confidence he gained by riding with people
who challenged him but stuck with him.
He went from a person who hated climbing to winning stage 15 in the
2005 Tour which was a stage that included major climbs, including the
finish at the top of a mountain. Confidence is not something that just happens upon us. It comes from a decision to seek for it – God’s way: by seeking Him, improving ourselves, and associating with the right people.
The Battle for the Mind – Part 4
The Power of Focus
The
power of focus is more prevalent in our lives than we realize. We think of
the power of focus as it pertains to an athlete who keeps his/her mind on
the goal of a race. We’ve all seen Olympic athletes who use the vision of
standing on the podium with the gold medal as a carrot before them in
their years of arduous training and rigid discipline.
Focusing on a goal and the vision of the finish is so important that we
are given the supreme example in Jesus Christ and how He used the focus on
the prize of the finish to keep Him going through the most difficult
situation.
Hebrews 12:1-4
(English Standard Version)
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, 2
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured from
sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or
fainthearted. 4 In your
struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding
your blood.
As
Jesus focused on the prize and as Olympians and other athletes are able to
endure and go forward through great difficulty because of their focus, so
that power of a focused life can be applied to every situation you face
today. If you picture what you want, write it out because there is power
in the written word, and keep that vision before you – you will see how
focusing actually harnesses your energy by bringing your thoughts
together. It’s like a magnifying glass focusing the rays of the sun to
produce a fire.
Remember in the movie “City Slickers” when Curly kept telling the boys
from the city that they needed to focus on this, and he would raise his
index finger? Throughout the movie, the boys from the city tried to figure
out what “this” was. Finally, they got the message that they needed to
decide what “this” was. In
other words, focus on what they really wanted, rather than just hope for
the best while trying to focus on ten things at once.
It is
true that if you want a good marriage, you will get power by focusing on
having a good marriage, not by focusing on what is wrong with your
marriage. If you want to improve your physical condition, it won’t happen
by hit and miss attempts, or by focusing on what your present condition
lacks. Rather, it comes through the power of focusing on what you want and
drawing all your energy together for a purpose. Finding this power of
focus means taking the time to decide what is important and making the
effort to bring your thoughts, schedule, and energy together to accomplish
what you say you want to have or achieve.
On the
other hand, you could be experiencing the power of focus in a negative way
without even realizing it. Many times we see characteristics in our
parents or some other person that really annoys us and we make the
statement, “I sure don’t want to be like that.” As time goes on, we find
we are bearing the same characteristic that we said we wanted to avoid.
Why? Because the same power of focus drew our attention and energy even
though we considered it to be negative. It’s like the team that tries “not
to lose” usually does. Instead of focusing on what you don’t want to look
like or act like or don’t want to be, focus on what you want and keep that
before you because whatever it is upon which you focus, you will find the
power of focus drawing you there. By the way, every time we criticize we
are focusing on the negative and guess what comes next? You got it – we
begin to display the same traits we were criticizing in someone else.
How do
you control your focus? The Bible gives us a great example in the life of
Paul. He looked at things in his past for which he was not proud and of
course did not want to head down that road again. Rather than focus on
what he didn’t want to be or do, he focused on what he wanted and where he
wanted to go.
Philippians 3:13-14
(ESV)
13
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I
do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
What a
great lesson for today’s battle for the mind! Everything will fall into
place as God gives us grace to focus on the most important goal of all:
the Lord Jesus Christ and fellowship with Him. With our focus on Him,
everything else falls into place. When we focus on the pit to avoid, we
fall into the pit. When we focus on things, we lose because we may gain
the goal but miss the real prize, fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even when we focus on good things like having a good marriage, we can miss
out because the power behind a good marriage is found in the Jesus Christ.
Focus
on the real prize, the “one thing” if you please. That takes grace and
determination and both are found in Him. Where is your life and energy
focused today?
The Battle For The Mind – Part 3
No Excuses
The
Bible is pretty clear about making excuses. God tells us when we make
excuses we are really lazy or our priorities are really not stacked in the
order we indicate.
Proverbs 26:13a (New Living Translation)
The lazy person is full of excuses…
Luke
14:18 (ESV)
But
they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have
bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.'
Would
you lie to yourself? You do it every time you begin to make an excuse. Not
only is an excuse a form of lying to yourself, you lie to others. Maybe
it’s not intentional but the message is pretty clear. “You said that this
is important but clearly it’s not.”
There are some people who are constantly late and never on time but
always have an excuse. The truth is they fail to plan and the message they
send is that the appointment and the people are not really important.
I
always find it interesting to hear the abundance of excuses from athletes
before a race. I don’t know whether they do that to psyche other athletes
out or to prepare themselves for a less than desired performance. It’s not
just athletes - we all do it in a self defeating way by stacking up
excuses why we won’t make our goals and speaking of the goal in a
questionable way rather than in a positive way.
When
you give into “making excuses” you weaken your mind because you lie to
yourself and others. Down inside, you know when you haven’t given your
best or kept your priorities. It would be better to admit the error, pick
up the pieces, and quit making excuses.
The
next time you catch yourself making an excuse ask whether this is really
the truth or could it be that laziness has caught you, or what you thought
and claimed was a priority really wasn’t. Admit it, change it, and go
forward determined, with God’s help not to make excuses.
Philippians 4:13
(ESV)
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
The
enemy of your mind is the easy way out called “making excuses.” As you
battle this enemy you will find strength and determination to face what
comes your way, stick to your promises, and find success in the race of
life.
The
Battle for the Mind – Part 2
Conquering the Complaining Pattern
Complaining is a self-defeating attitude that grips our minds and will not
stop until it sabotages our focus, trounces our target, and seizes our
ambition. The Bible is very clear about avoiding at all cost this enemy
called complaining.
Philippians 2:14
(ESV)
Do all things without grumbling or questioning, Complaining is something we all do even in the slightest way. Isn’t it interesting how you can connect with people and get them started down the same road that leads to nowhere with just one simple complaint? Complaining seems to be part of our nature, but it doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be – especially when you consider the consequences.
When we
complain we take our focus off whatever goal we are trying to focus on and
concentrate our energy on something out of our control. When we complain
we bring a sour tone to our physiology which has a tendency to make our
bodies stiff, produce headaches and stomach ailments, and open the door
for other injuries and illness. When we complain we bring a stench into
our relationships as this negative mind-set, along with the adverse
consequences, spreads easily to others. Although the attitude of complaining is readily stirred within and constantly agitated in our society, the only way to keep it from bringing us and those around us to despair is to stand guard and be ready for the battle of the mind against the enemy of complaining. God has provided some ammunition in this battle for the mind that will help us in the fight against complaining
First,
admit the problem. None of us want to admit we are complainers, so it
might be necessary to ask someone near you to point it out at the first
sign. When you are caught or when you catch yourself – admit your fault by
owning up to complaining. If you fail to admit it, cover it, or excuse it
– you will never be or achieve what you could.
Proverbs 28:13
(ESV)
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses
and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Secondly, accept responsibility for things in your life. Many times we
complain about things out of our control as an excuse for our messing up
things in our control. Admit your failings, accept your imperfections, and
use the missed mark as an obstacle to overcome, rather than avoid by
blaming or complaining.
Proverbs 19:3 (ESV)
When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the
Lord.
Proverbs 19:3 (The Message)
People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get
blamed?
Thirdly, swap complaining with the attitude of gratitude. It’s almost
impossible to just stop any habit, but it is possible to substitute
something for which you are thankful whenever you feel that complaining
spirit coming over you. That means you need to be ready by having
something in mind for which you are thankful. Focusing on gratitude
actually deters the spirit of complaining. No wonder the Bible tells us to
“be thankful.”
1 Thessalonians
5:18 (ESV)
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you.
Fourthly, look at what God is doing - He’s working in us, around us, and
through us and the Bible assures us He does not make mistakes. So when we
think about a situation for which we might complain, it will help to look
at the situation as a God moment so the question is, “What is God doing in
this situation?”
2 Corinthians
4:17-18 (ESV)
17
For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight
of glory beyond all comparison, 18
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that
are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things
that are unseen are eternal.
One
last thing to use as a weapon in our battle against complaining is the
power of words. If we will focus on thinking and speaking positive and
uplifting thoughts, we will ward off complaining and have an affirmative
effect on our lives. This is so important God makes sure we get this as a
direct command.
Ephesians 4:29
(ESV)
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good
for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who
hear.
The Battle for the Mind – Part 1
What
are you thinking about right now?
No
matter what you do or what you are trying to achieve, you won’t go far
without your mind being in it. However, the more you try to get your mind
in what you are doing you’ll find there seems to be a battle going on
between good, positive, focused thoughts and negative, distracting and
defeating thoughts. The Bible teaches us that this battle for the mind is
a real battle. The only way to win at this battle is to recognize it as a
battle, and take action in order to keep our minds on the right track.
2 Corinthians
10:4-5 (English Standard Version)
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power
to destroy strongholds. 5 We
destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of
God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
I am
sure you know about the battle for your mind. You’ve no doubt experienced
the trouble of staying focused and keeping your mind off negative or
destructive thoughts. Times like when you are ready to race and trying to
fill your mind with positive thoughts and all of a sudden you find
yourself dwelling on the negative and all that is, could be, or will
possibly go wrong. You apply for a job, claim the promise of God that “all
things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23), then you find
yourself focusing on the reasons you shouldn’t be hired and figure there
is no use even expecting to hear from this employer even though the job
and you appeared to be a perfect match. If we focus on the negative side
of a relationship and all that the other person is doing wrong, the next
thing you know they can’t do anything right.
The
list could go on forever, but I think you get the lesson that negative
thoughts have been described as a downward spiral – like water going down
the drain, our thoughts take us down farther and farther from where we
want to be. We’ve all been caught in that whirlwind more often than we’d
like to admit. I know I have. As I turn to the Bible for help, I see that
God says to recognize this battle is not a battle for sissies, but a
battle where the challenge to take control is not only extreme but do-able
if we’ll follow God’s pattern for victory.
This is
not to infer life is a mere mind over matter. On the other hand, when we
let our minds go astray and drift into “stinkin thinkin” as Zig Ziglar
says, we take our focus off the source of power and strength – our Lord
Jesus Christ. It’s not merely a matter of what we think but what we put
into our minds. What we allow
ourselves to think about does play out in the way we live and act. So why
not take the scripture at face value and work to bring, with the help of
the Holy Spirit, every thought captive to the obedience of Christ instead
of allowing circumstances and outside influences to determine how we
think?
God not
only gives us help in this battle for the mind, but instruction on how to
get control of the situation thereby gaining control of the mind.
If we don’t follow His plan, the negative thinking will control us.
First a
few power verses from which we will get help and direction from God for
the battle.
Proverbs 23:7a (King James Version)
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)
1
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual worship. 2 Do
not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your
mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is
good and acceptable and perfect.
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
Finally, brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any
excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these
things.
Philippians 4:11-13 (ESV)
11
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever
situation I am to be content. 12
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and
every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need. 13 I can
do all things through him who strengthens me.
Let’s
put this together and find an exciting game plan to take control in this
battle for our minds. God reminds us that this battle is quite important.
As our minds go, so we go. What you think will change the way you act and
the way you act will have a direct outcome on what you do and how things
turn out. If you focus on the negative in life, in a race, in a
relationship, in training, you will not accomplish much and find your life
ends in a downward spiral.
Knowing
God can help you take control of the situation. In submission to Him,
totally commit yourself (body, mind, and spirit) to His control and allow
Him to “change the way you think” (Romans 12:2). He changes the way we
think by helping us focus on what is good, and right, and true, etc.
(Philippians 4:8). As we focus on what is good, we change our thinking
from ourselves, our circumstances, the potential for disappointment or
loss, etc. to positive thinking that is focused upon God, His promises,
the victory won by the Lord Jesus Christ, etc. It’s thinking that is
looking for a good outcome as we “learn” from the repetition of God’s
promises and a recall of experiences – both of ours, those we know, and
those recorded in God’s Word. We focus on the fact that our help comes
from the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself (Philippians 4:12&13) and He is the
one in control of the outcome.
Remember the famous story in Daniel chapter three of
Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego? They made two
very important statements to the king when given another chance to bow
down to the image.
Daniel 3:16-18
(ESV)
16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O
Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 If this be so, our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will
deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18
But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not
serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Notice that they
counted on God to deliver because God has all power, but they also
submitted to God’s final authority and were determined to believe God no
matter what the outcome. That is taking control of the mind and that is
applicable in every circumstance in life. God has all power and He can and
does change the outcome in ways that blow the mind. God is in total
control and submitting to His authority means we are going to hold to Him
no matter what the outcome.
No
wonder Paul was quite bold in his “take charge” statement above
(2
Corinthians 10:4-5) – we are in a constant battle. There is a battle
for your mind, but God has given you the tools to overcome. If you will
apply the tools you can take control and set your mind on the pathway to
success.
Psalm 1:1-3 (ESV)
1
Book One Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of
the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by
streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does
not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Preparing While In Waiting Joseph is a great example of a person who went from the pit to the pinnacle of life. Of course, as you study the example of Joseph you realize it was God who used the evil meant for Joseph to prepare Joseph for just the right time. As you read the account of Joseph’s life in the book of Genesis you almost feel like he received an unjust amount of delay as one thing seemed to mount upon another against him. Where was God during the time of his waiting? God was preparing him for the appointed time. Did you ever notice how when Joseph, with God’s help, interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream he immediately presented a plan of action?
Genesis
41:28–36 (ESV) —
28
It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
29
There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of
Egypt,
30 but after them there will arise seven
years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of
Egypt. The famine will consume the land,
31
and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that
will follow, for it will be very severe.
32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream
means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.
33
Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him
over the land of Egypt.
34
Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth
of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years.
35 And let them gather all the food of
these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of
Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
36 That food shall be a reserve for the
land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of
Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”
Now we know God not only gave Joseph the interpretation of the dreams of
Pharaoh, he gave him the plan to save people, but don’t you think that God
was preparing Joseph to think through difficult situations like this so he
could not only give the explanation to Pharaoh but he could also carry it
out?
Could that be what God is doing for you during the time of waiting you are
in?
Habakkuk 2:1–3 (ESV) —
1
I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and
look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning
my complaint.
2
And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on
tablets, so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its
appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow,
wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
Consider a lesson on this line from the life of the prophet Habakkuk.
Please notice three things in particular.
1)
Habakkuk was looking for
answer to prayer. Actually, it says he was looking for an answer to his
complaint. As the prophet in the land, Habakkuk was taking the Word of God
to the people and evidently they weren’t listening so in the first chapter
the prophet empties himself to God about the condition of the land and is
awaiting God’s answer.
Have you ever offered a complaint to God? Why, I would never do that you
might say. To which the answer would be – then why would you lie to God,
seeing He knows what is in your heart? You may as well be honest with God
and let Him know exactly what you feel. In fact, the very act of emptying
yourself before God allows you as a vessel for Him to fill to be filled
with His grace rather than be mixed with the crud that you allow to
remain. Let’s look at an example:
Psalm
77:5–12 (ESV) —
5
I consider the days of old, the years long ago.
6
I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my
heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:
7
“Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8
Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all
time?
9
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”
Selah
10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11
I will remember the deeds of the
Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work, and
meditate on your mighty deeds.
Notice the psalmist went from complaint to praise. How? By emptying
himself before God, letting God know he felt like God had forgotten him
and he wasn’t too thrilled about things. Hey, we’ve all felt like that so
why not express it to God, who can and will change our heart, rather than
go around complaining to whoever will listen as they can’t do anything
about our situation anyway.
Back to Habakkuk - we see first he prayed, well complained, but at least
he’s communicating with God. That’s the first step of preparation for a
change: Get in tune with God.
2)
God reassured Habakkuk
that a word was coming so get ready to write it down and run with it. In
other words – prepare, don’t just waste time while you are waiting.
Like Joseph in prison preparing for the future, like Nehemiah before the
king preparing for the rebuilding of the walls, like so many who were
called upon by God to wait – could look back and see how God was preparing
them for the big challenge that was to follow the waiting. Besides keeping
in touch with God, you could say that Habakkuk looked at his waiting as an
athlete on deck, ready for the next event. It’s not time now, but God told
Habakkuk to be ready to run with the message.
What is next for you? Are you using the waiting period to prepare for
God’s blessing you with the next step?
3)
The final admonishment was
simply to wait. God assured Habakkuk that the vision was coming and he was
to prepare to run with it but as surely as it was coming, Habakkuk needed
to wait for it. In other words, don’t run ahead. As anxious as Habakkuk
wanted to carry the message, as prepared as he was, yet he also needed to
make sure he didn’t run ahead of God.
Great counsel from God! What if Joseph would have tried to run ahead of
God’s timing? He might have run into Pharaoh’s court and made a fool of
himself and been thrown back into prison. Instead, he waited and God
prepared him for that big step from the prison to the palace as prime
minister.
Through His Eyes
There’s always been a prayer on the lips of God’s people to be able to see
things as God sees them or if you please, to see life through His eyes.
What if you could see things as God sees them?
If you were Mrs. Enoch, you would have wanted to see what happened to your
husband. We aren’t sure how or if this mystery was ever conveyed to
Enoch’s family. Moses went over the facts rather quickly in the book of
Genesis.
Genesis
5:18–24 (ESV) —
18
When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch.
19
Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and
daughters.
20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962
years, and he died.
21
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22
Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other
sons and daughters.
23
Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was
not, for God took him.
Nevertheless, if you were Enoch’s family the days following his being
taken by God would have been quite upsetting.
However if you viewed it as God sees it, it’s one who walked with
God coming home.
You can go through countless illustrations in the Bible to see the impact
of just thinking of seeing things through God’s eyes. Consider the
children of Israel standing at the Red Sea with the Egyptian army hot on
their trail. They saw an object of impossibility and sure doom. God saw
this situation as an opportunity to show His power and eliminate their
foe. That is why Moses cried, “Stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord.” (Exodus 14:13)
Oh to see life through His eyes! What a difference it would make,
especially when we contemplate how God sees us. Many times we get the
impression that God is really disappointed with us and mad at us for our
failures, defeats, or neglect. The truth of the matter is that God knew
all about us – all our sin and failure long before He formed the earth. He
is not surprised by any of it. That is the amazing in grace.
Ephesians 1:3–6 (ESV) —
3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
4
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and blameless before him. In love
5
he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to
the purpose of his will,
6
to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the
Beloved.
Let’s look at how this is illustrated in the life of Peter.
Luke
22:31–34 (ESV) —
31
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you
like wheat,
32
but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have
turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
33
Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to
death.”
34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the
rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know
me.”
Luke
22:59–62 (ESV) —
59
And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying,
“Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.”
60
But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And
immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying
of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you
will deny me three times.”
62
And he went out and wept bitterly.
We may
look at Jesus’ look and think it was a look of disappointment or anger,
but consider the tone of the words Jesus spoke to Peter that he is
remembering upon Jesus’ look. It had to be a look of love and compassion,
especially when we consider what took place upon the resurrection.
Mark
16:5–7 (ESV) —
5
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side,
dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.
6 And he said to them, “Do not be
alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he
is not here. See the place where they laid him.
7
But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to
Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
Why is
Peter singled out? Because God could see what others could not see. Peter
was discouraged and he needed to know that he still was part of God’s
plan. But there is more.
John
21:15–17 (ESV) —
15
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son
of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you
know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16
He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He
said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend
my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to
him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know
everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
From
our point of view, we might have written off Peter for his public failure
but Jesus sees things differently. He sees Peter as a useful vessel
willing to speak before thousands.
Too
often our faith is weak because our eyes are dim. We just need the grace
to see things as God sees them. Too often we are quick to judge people or
events because our point of view is cloudy and we need illumination.
Actually, the more we study what the Bible says about how God sees things,
the more our sight begins to fall in line to see life through His eyes.
An Analysis Of Disqualification
Working backwards, notice what Paul states as his biggest fear – “being
disqualified.” Disqualification ranks up with not trying. Disqualification
indicates you were in the race and that you were trying to compete, but
you were not abiding by the rules. In other words, you try to compete on
your terms rather than by the established rules of the game.
Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV) — 8 For by grace you have been saved
through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9
not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 5:15–21 (ESV) — 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not
as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because
the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand
what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine,
for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks
always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Notice the areas of self-control from being filled with the Spirit –
making wise choices, time management, avoiding addictions, focused on
God’s Word – being grateful and serving others. It takes the power of the
Holy Spirit to be truly self-controlled but the reason is simple – without
it you will be disqualified.
If you’ll take a moment and read Judges 16 you’ll see the account of
disqualification by reason of a lack of self-discipline and self-control.
It’s the sad story of Samson and his encounter with Delilah. The story
concludes with the following verses:
Judges 16:18–20 (ESV) — 18 When Delilah saw that he
had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the
Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.”
Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in
their hands. 19 She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a
man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to
torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The
Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said,
“I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not
know that the Lord had left
him.
Don’t let disqualification come upon you. Practice self-control by relying
upon the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Practice self-discipline in
the little things that God has given you, namely the Word of God, prayer,
and fellowship with other believers. Above all keep your eye on the prize
– focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, the supreme example.
Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV) — 1 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, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our
faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
What are you thinking?
One of the marks of the Bible being the inspired word of God is the fact
that if man could have written the Bible, he wouldn’t have written it. Of
course if man would have written the Bible, there are enough facts,
prophesies, etc. that there is no way man could have written the Bible. On
the subject that if man could have, he wouldn’t have written it, I like to
note the lack of commentary on narratives. How many times have you read
something in the Bible and wanted to say, “What were you thinking?” Case
in point is Samson blessed by God in the defeating 1000 Philistines with
the jawbone of a donkey as he defended his people but turning in complaint
that God was going to let him die of thirst. “Come on Samson, what are you
thinking?”
Judges
15:14–20 (ESV) —
14
When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the
Spirit of the Lord rushed
upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has
caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.
15 And he found a fresh jawbone of a
donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men.
16
And Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the
jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men.”
17
As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his
hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi.
18 And he was very thirsty, and he
called upon the Lord and
said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant,
and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the
uncircumcised?”
19 And God split open the hollow place
that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit
returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore;
it is at Lehi to this day.
20
And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
Of course God took care of Samson in providing water for him, just like He
cares for us when we think all hope is gone. But have you ever doubted or
allowed your doubts to mount into complaint? We all have, even though the
Scriptures are full of examples of God’s hand of deliverance. Here’s one:
Romans
8:31–32 (ESV) —
31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be
against us?
32
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he
not also with him graciously give us all things?
What are we thinking? If God has gone to all the trouble to save us from
our sin by not sparing the very best, His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, then
what makes us think He will leave
us or forsake us when troubles come? If we reason things out, then
we have nowhere to doubt or complain.
Nevertheless, God is so merciful that He has inspired the writers of His
word to include times of doubt and even complaints of His people so we can
connect the realities of our lives with the realness of people in the
Bible and see the gracious way God dealt with their shortcomings – even
their doubts and complaints.
Peter, what were you thinking?
Matthew
14:22–33 (ESV) —
22
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to
the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
23 And after he had dismissed the
crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came,
he was there alone,
24
but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the
waves, for the wind was against them.
25
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
26 But when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and
they cried out in fear.
27
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not
be afraid.”
28
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on
the water.”
29
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and
came to Jesus.
30
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried
out, “Lord, save me.”
31
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to
him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33
And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of
God.”
How merciful and kind Jesus is to Peter when he bravely takes a step on
the water but begins to sink and cries for help. Was there a reason to
doubt? Not when he focused on Jesus who said, “Come.” Yet Jesus came to
his rescue and reached out and delivered him from drowning.
What are you thinking today? Is there really a reason to doubt and
complain? Not when you count up all the ways God has delivered you in the
past and His promises to care for you. Nevertheless, God is merciful and
kind enough to not turn us away when we call for help, but come to our
rescue time after time.
As you look at situations in the Bible and ask, “What were you thinking?”
perhaps it would be good to take a look at your life and ask yourself the
same question, “What are you thinking? Is there really a cause to doubt
and complain?”
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker
What Kind Of A Friend Are You?
Consider the hurt! You take a bite of your favorite meal and as you begin
to chew an awful pain shoots up your jaw and you realize you have broken a
tooth. Ouch! From that point on, you have to work at missing the area of
pain and avoid at all costs the broken tooth.
Consider the hurt! You have been running for a mile and you twist your
ankle as you step over a curb. At first you recover and begin to run, but
the more you run the more pain you feel with each time you put your
injured foot on the ground.
Solomon, in his wisdom, has compared these two hurtful experiences to the
feeling one has when their friend has proven to be unfaithful. Just when
you need a friend, the one you thought you could count on was gone. Ever
had that experience?
Proverbs 25:19 (KJV) —
19
Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a broken tooth,
and a foot out of joint.
Proverbs 25:19 (NASB) —
19
Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot Is confidence in a faithless man in
time of trouble.
Proverbs 25:19 (NIV) —
19
Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time
of trouble.
Proverbs 25:19 (NLT) —
19
Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like
chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.
I thought it was interesting how the various English translations bring
out the hurt as described by Solomon.
Before you dwell on the person in your past who has let you down and not
been around when you needed them most, remember the Bible reminds us that
bitterness is sin. Bitterness
will keep us from enjoying the fullness of God’s grace, hence any
remembrance to the dwelling on the person of the past should prompt us to
ask God to forgive the bitter feelings, and to use the occasion right now
to pray for that person.
Matthew
5:43–46 (ESV) —
43
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.’
44
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your
Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the
good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even
the tax collectors do the same?
Hebrews
12:15 (ESV) —
15
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of
bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
Ephesians 4:31–32 (ESV) —
31
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away
from you, along with all malice.
32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in
Christ forgave you.
The reason I brought up the unfaithful friend scripture was to step in and
ask if you have ever been that kind of a friend? Have you ever been AWOL
when someone was counting on you?
We tend to think of the people who have let us down and never consider the
number of times we have let others down by not being there for them, by
not bringing a word of encouragement, etc. We all tend to stay to
ourselves and by doing so prove to be far less of a “faithful friend” than
we may think we are.
Proverbs 27:6 (ESV) —
6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
Proverbs 18:24 (ESV) —
24
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who
sticks closer than a brother.
We have all heard the old saying, “a friend in a time of need, is a friend
indeed” and there is truth in this phrase.
Jesus is that friend who sticks closer than a brother. Of course as our
high priest who was tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin, He
is able to feel with us. After all He was betrayed by Judas, denied by
Peter, and all the disciples scattered in His darkest hour. Yet He
promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Hebrews
4:14–16 (ESV) —
14
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet
without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near
to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help
in time of need.
Hebrews
13:5–6 (ESV) —
5
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have,
for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what
can man do to me?”
But the question today is a question of your faithfulness as a friend. Are
you a person of integrity? Can people count on you? Can your friends count
on you?
In a day when everyone seems to be quick to give up on commitments and
seek whatever will satisfy them at a given moment, those who are faithful
friends stand out because they make a difference.
One further note on the faithfulness of Jesus as a friend, consider His
words noting His friendship and the test of our friendship in return:
John
15:13–15 (ESV) —
13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his
friends.
14
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his
master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard
from my Father I have made known to you.
What kind of a friend are you?
And The Winner Is…
1 Corinthians
9:24-27 (ESV)
24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one
receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
25 Every athlete exercises
self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but
we an imperishable. 26 So I do
not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
27 But I discipline my body and
keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be
disqualified.
God is
not against winning or striving to win. In fact, we see in these power
verses that we are to run in such a way to win. We are being coached to
give it all we have. How many times have you not given all the effort that
you know you should have given and have been disappointed, not so much in
the outcome but in knowing you really didn’t give it your all. There are
many distractions – things that take our attention from focusing on the
goal that God has set before us.
When
you think about it, God is not against our winning or giving the
challenges of life our all, but He is against being so consumed by winning
that we miss out on succeeding.
Joshua 1:6-7 (ESV)
6
Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the
land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very
courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my
servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the
left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
Joshua
was successful in carrying out the will of God in possessing the land.
However, Joshua had his share of setbacks that God allowed for a purpose.
Overall as you read the book of Joshua, you’ll find that Joshua was
triumphant.
Understanding true success in life is more than just coming in first. True
success is being all that God intends you to be and being the best at
being you. We may feel we have not succeeded because we haven’t come in
first place and we miss out on the extreme enjoyment found in being
content.
Philippians 4:11-13
(ESV)
11
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever
situation I am to be content. 12
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and
every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need. 13 I can
do all things through him who strengthens me.
That
feeling of success in contentment is not just throwing up our hands and
being satisfied with a sub all-out effort, it is doing our best and
leaving the results in God’s hands, knowing He is the one in control.
Vince
Lombardi was right in saying, “winning is the only thing” if winning or
true success is finding the contentment of knowing God is pleased with our
effort and any result we enjoy is a result of His help and strength.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
(ESV)
7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith. 8 Henceforth there is
laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all
who have loved his appearing.
As you
focus on your job, your marriage, your parenting, your sport, your
ministry, or whatever thing in which you are involved – give it your all,
if you can’t then you should. Even if you give it your all, leaving the
results in God’s hands will relieve you of the pressure of making it
happen and will help you to enjoy the extreme enjoyment that only
contentment can bring.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker
What is your level of
loyalty?
How would you rate your level of loyalty on a scale of 1 to 10 with your
friends? … with your spouse? … with your church? … with the Lord Jesus
Christ?
Where a high level of loyalty and expressions of that loyalty has a
positive impact on all parties involved, so a low level of loyalty has an
even greater impact, albeit negative, on all parties involved.
Proverbs 25:19 (NLT) —
19
Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like
chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.
There
is a great scene of the test of loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ in John
chapter 6 when Jesus has many people following Him. As He taught, the
crowd seemed to thin out as the people who enjoyed his feeding them were
not that loyal when it came to His teaching. In other words, their loyalty
was based on what they could get from Him. Check out the signs of real
loyalty as you read the following:
John
6:60–69 (ESV) —
60
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying;
who can listen to it?”
61
But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about
this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?
62 Then what if you were to see the Son
of Man ascending to where he was before?
63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words
that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
64 But there are some of you who do not
believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not
believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
65
And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it
is granted him by the Father.”
66
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with
him.
67
So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
68
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words
of eternal life,
69
and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of
God.”
Although Peter showed signs of disloyalty the night when Jesus was taken
to be crucified, he does step up in this scene and demonstrate what it
means to be a really loyal person.
1)
When others walk away, a
loyal person will resist following the crowd and stick with his/her
friend.
2)
A loyal person’s
commitment is not merely based upon receiving.
3)
A loyal person knows the
person to whom he/she is loyal. In other words, it’s not based upon a
whim. It’s a serious commitment and not easily broken.
4)
A loyal person squelches
the grumbling of those who are not loyal and does not take part in it.
5)
A loyal person is
interested in everything about the person to whom he/she is loyal.
As Paul wrote to his loyal friend, Timothy, he recounted those who
demonstrated loyalty to him and those who did not.
When speaking of loyalty, notice
how Paul could not leave out the most loyal person in his life – the Lord
Jesus Christ.
2
Timothy 4:9–18 (ESV) —
9
Do your best to come to me soon.
10 For Demas, in love with this present
world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to
Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
11
Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very
useful to me for ministry.
12
Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
13
When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the
books, and above all the parchments.
14
Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him
according to his deeds.
15
Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.
16
At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May
it not be charged against them!
17
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the
message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I
was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
18
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his
heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Jesus
was a faithful and loyal friend, shepherd, and high priest for Paul as He
is for all of His followers.
Proverbs 18:24 (NLT) —
24
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks
closer than a brother.
Jesus is that friend who sticks closer than a brother. So much so that He
did not hold back for you, His friend, but showed His loyalty to death.
John
15:13–17 (NLT) —
13
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
14
You are my friends if you do what I command.
15
I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his
slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the
Father told me.
16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I
appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will
give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
17
This is my command: Love each other.
Jesus demonstrated His loyalty to us by His death on the cross. He held
back nothing! We show our loyalty to Him by doing what He says, including
showing a loyalty to others and, of course, to His church.
How would you rate your level of loyalty? Is it easy to blow off your
commitments to others? As you look back upon the decisions you made over
the past week, have you made more decisions out of selfish interests or
the interests of others to whom you show your loyalty.
Philippians 2:3–4 (NLT) —
3
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of
others as better than yourselves.
4
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in
others, too.
Obviously, it takes the grace of God working in our lives to make us as
loyal as we should or can be.
Nevertheless, it takes a decisive effort to be a loyal follower of Jesus
Christ, a loyal friend, a loyal church member, etc.
Loyal people encourage others and find
encouragement from their loyalty flowing back to them. How loyal are you?
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker
Encouragement For The Encourager
Do you consider yourself to be an encourager? There are many promises in
the Word of God for those who take the time to encourage others.
Proverbs 11:25 (English Standard Version) —
25 Whoever brings blessing will be
enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
Proverbs 11:25 (New Living Translation) —
25 The generous will prosper; those who
refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
Notice God says the principle is simple: you seek to encourage someone and
what you are doing for another seems to come back to fill your need of
encouragement. You’ve probably experienced this when you make the effort
to visit someone in the hospital. It takes effort because we tend to
procrastinate and wonder what we’ll say or if we’ll make the other person
feel worse. In reality, unless you went with the attitude expressed by
Job’s friends who condemned Job, there’s really no way to blow it if you
go to encourage the person. If you are like most people when you do make
the effort you leave the
hospital feeling greatly encouraged yourself and wonder, “Why don’t I do
this more often?”
Be like Barnabas.
There was a man in the New Testament whose nickname was “Encourager.”
Wouldn’t that be a great compliment? If
we want to be an encourager we would do well to take note of some things
about this man, Barnabas.
Acts
4:34–37 (ESV) —
34
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of
lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold
35
and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any
had need.
36
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son
of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
37
sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the
apostles’ feet.
Acts
9:26–27 (ESV) —
26
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And
they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a
disciple.
27
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them
how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at
Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
(Good
finders are those who find the good in others. Fire-lighters are those who
fan the flame of enthusiasm rather than fight the fire, “fire-fighter”,
through criticism.)
Acts
11:19–24 (ESV) —
19
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over
Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the
word to no one except Jews.
20
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to
Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed
turned to the Lord.
22
The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they
sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23
When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them
all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,
24
for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great
many people were added to the Lord.
Acts
13:6–7 (ESV) —
6
When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came
upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.
7
He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who
summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
Acts
13:42–43 (ESV) —
42
As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them
the next Sabbath.
43
And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout
converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with
them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.
Acts
15:36–41 (ESV) —
36
And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the
brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see
how they are.”
37
Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.
38
But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from
them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
39
And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each
other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
40
but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers
to the grace of the Lord.
41
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Proverbs 27:6 (ESV) —
6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
Paul later realized that Mark was valuable.
2
Timothy 4:11 (ESV) —
11
Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very
useful to me for ministry.
Is it
worth all the trouble to be a giver rather than a taker, to stand up for
others, to be a good-finder, to be faithful at all cost, and to even be
willing to deliver the truth when it may hurt?
Proverbs 11:25 (English Standard Version) —
25 Whoever brings blessing will be
enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
Proverbs 11:25 (New Living Translation) —
25 The generous will prosper; those who
refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
Such
encouragement refreshes and blesses others so God says when you seek to
encourage another you will find encouragement coming your way. Your giving
becomes an attraction.
Ecclesiastes 11:1 (ESV) —
1
Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker
Bob is the pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church,
FCA Endurance - Clearwater
- for information see the FCA link on
www.bobbrubaker.com . Please pass the word to athletes in the
Clearwater area. For
information about FCA Endurance see
www.fcaendurance.com .
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