What Would Jesus Do? Commonly referred to as W.W.J.D., it’s a quick reminder for us to consider how God would handle whatever situation we’re in. Sometimes we may feel we have to just guess on how He would react; other times we’re shown in Scripture exactly how He handled identical situations.
One of the interesting things about the Scriptures is that it’s a unique set of commands meant to keep us away from things that harm us and filled with stories that serve as examples for us. Simply put, it’s unique because as Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.”
Jesus often spoke in parables not to confuse people, but to allow His holy words to penetrate our thinking without us really knowing it, kind of sneaking in below our radar. He told His disciples in Matthew 13:11-15, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, for they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’"
Many stories serve as symbolic examples of a deeper Spiritual meaning; they help us see things the way God sees them (as much as we can grasp). I encourage you to find your favorite story in the Scriptures and see if you can identify which people might represent God, which people might represent Satan, which people might represent the humble, or which people might represent the proud. When we see the final outcome in the story and we can identify those characteristics, we might be better equipped to handle the Word of Truth more accurately.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Friday, August 12, 2016
P.O.L.I.C.E. in Action
Tragedy can break us, or make us. It may sound like a cliché but there is a lot of truth to that statement. Many people have faced devastating events with an attitude that not only helps them get through, but even inspires others to persevere as well.
For the apostle Paul, he regarded his prison experience as a greater benefit for the church, since “my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear.” (Philippians 1:14)
He also said in Romans 8:28, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” While we would probably all agree attitude makes the difference, we still hurt when devastations enter our lives.
Counselors work diligently trying to help people cope with losses. They may give advice like:
1. Don’t deny yourself the chance to grieve.
2. Be patient with the process.
3. Acknowledge your feelings, even the ones you don't like.
4. Get support.
5. Try to maintain your normal lifestyle.
6. Take care of yourself.
As we study through the lives of people in scripture who had to deal with tragedies, it’s encouraging to be able to see their method of coping, or their dialog, and especially how God helps them. In the book of Ruth, we get to read about how God helped her in her grief.
Due to a famine and probably civil war, Naomi left with her family to the pagan country of Moab. However, while she was there, more tragedy struck leaving her, and her two daughters-in-law, widowed. Broken and hurting she decides her homeland is where she should be.
When she reflected on her life, she told the people of Bethlehem, “Don't call me Naomi. Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?"
Although most of the story is about her daughter-in-law and how she was invited into the lineage of David and ultimately of the Messiah, we get to see how God was blessing Naomi through Ruth, also.
Ruth helps us see how to help those dealing with depression and grief. First, she could sympathize with Naomi. After all, she lost her husband too, a man both Ruth and Naomi loved. Second, she was patient with Naomi. She stayed with her throughout all the trouble in Moab and even back to Bethlehem. Third, she did what was needed to take care of Naomi’s daily needs by finding a job, which allowed Naomi to maintain a normal lifestyle.
Basically, we see how compassionate Ruth was. However, Naomi must have lived in such a way that prompted both Orpah and Ruth to fall in love with her. Perhaps Naomi modeled tenderness, selflessness, and kindness in the early years to such a degree that she inspired Ruth to do the same.
This is what P.O.L.I.C.E. in action looks like. Every day we are given some kind of opportunity to model P.O.L.I.C.E., that stands for Perseverance, Obedience, Loyalty, Inspiration, Courage, and Encouragement. Let’s follow the wonderful examples from scriptures and be a light to the hurting. We can encourage and inspire the next generation to let their light shine even brighter.
For the apostle Paul, he regarded his prison experience as a greater benefit for the church, since “my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear.” (Philippians 1:14)
He also said in Romans 8:28, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” While we would probably all agree attitude makes the difference, we still hurt when devastations enter our lives.
Counselors work diligently trying to help people cope with losses. They may give advice like:
1. Don’t deny yourself the chance to grieve.
2. Be patient with the process.
3. Acknowledge your feelings, even the ones you don't like.
4. Get support.
5. Try to maintain your normal lifestyle.
6. Take care of yourself.
As we study through the lives of people in scripture who had to deal with tragedies, it’s encouraging to be able to see their method of coping, or their dialog, and especially how God helps them. In the book of Ruth, we get to read about how God helped her in her grief.
Due to a famine and probably civil war, Naomi left with her family to the pagan country of Moab. However, while she was there, more tragedy struck leaving her, and her two daughters-in-law, widowed. Broken and hurting she decides her homeland is where she should be.
When she reflected on her life, she told the people of Bethlehem, “Don't call me Naomi. Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?"
Although most of the story is about her daughter-in-law and how she was invited into the lineage of David and ultimately of the Messiah, we get to see how God was blessing Naomi through Ruth, also.
Ruth helps us see how to help those dealing with depression and grief. First, she could sympathize with Naomi. After all, she lost her husband too, a man both Ruth and Naomi loved. Second, she was patient with Naomi. She stayed with her throughout all the trouble in Moab and even back to Bethlehem. Third, she did what was needed to take care of Naomi’s daily needs by finding a job, which allowed Naomi to maintain a normal lifestyle.
Basically, we see how compassionate Ruth was. However, Naomi must have lived in such a way that prompted both Orpah and Ruth to fall in love with her. Perhaps Naomi modeled tenderness, selflessness, and kindness in the early years to such a degree that she inspired Ruth to do the same.
This is what P.O.L.I.C.E. in action looks like. Every day we are given some kind of opportunity to model P.O.L.I.C.E., that stands for Perseverance, Obedience, Loyalty, Inspiration, Courage, and Encouragement. Let’s follow the wonderful examples from scriptures and be a light to the hurting. We can encourage and inspire the next generation to let their light shine even brighter.
Friday, August 5, 2016
The Need for P.O.L.I.C.E.
There is much unrest in the world: wars, rumors of wars, shootings, riots.... All of it points to one problem–the reality of sin. Sin is rebellion against God, and all of
us have done it from time to time.
Ruth, Esther, and Job are people from the past who, directly or indirectly, demonstrated such devotion to God. I want to encourage you to study their stories in the Bibles and learn from their amazing examples.
However, this Sunday we’re going to look at another man who is a great example–Noah. During his life, he lived in the most sinful time this planet has probably ever seen, and yet he modeled something for us in how he dealt with sin. Noah reveals the need for P.O.L.I.C.E.
When bad, evil, scary situations happen in our lives, we need to remember to use the P.O.L.I.C.E. to help us get through it. Not necessarily the “boys in blue,” but the characteristics of:
Perseverance
Obedience
Loyalty
Inspiring others
Courage
Encouragement.
These were part of Noah’s task; they were part of Ruth’s, Esther’s, and Job’s tasks as well; and it’s our task too.
Sin is an ever growing problem in our world, but when we use P.O.L.I.C.E., we will find that they really do help in many ways during times of trouble.
May you be blessed with an understanding of the need for these qualities throughout your life.
us have done it from time to time.
Ruth, Esther, and Job are people from the past who, directly or indirectly, demonstrated such devotion to God. I want to encourage you to study their stories in the Bibles and learn from their amazing examples.
However, this Sunday we’re going to look at another man who is a great example–Noah. During his life, he lived in the most sinful time this planet has probably ever seen, and yet he modeled something for us in how he dealt with sin. Noah reveals the need for P.O.L.I.C.E.
When bad, evil, scary situations happen in our lives, we need to remember to use the P.O.L.I.C.E. to help us get through it. Not necessarily the “boys in blue,” but the characteristics of:
Perseverance
Obedience
Loyalty
Inspiring others
Courage
Encouragement.
These were part of Noah’s task; they were part of Ruth’s, Esther’s, and Job’s tasks as well; and it’s our task too.
Sin is an ever growing problem in our world, but when we use P.O.L.I.C.E., we will find that they really do help in many ways during times of trouble.
May you be blessed with an understanding of the need for these qualities throughout your life.