"Sowing and Reaping..."

I frequently read through the book of Proverbs.  At the risk of being persecuted by my friends for being cheesy, think about this.  "A proverb a day, keeps the Devil away."  Today I read Proverbs 26.  Verses 24-26 really peaked my attention.  We have been discussing the issue of "hate" recently in our Sunday School class.  I want to breakdown, quickly, what these verses are saying about hate.  

Whoever Hates...

#1:  Disguises Himself with His Lips

We may not always recognize a person that is filled with hate.  We may not recognize that we are a person filled with hate.  Others deceive us and we deceive ourselves by words.  Words can disguise the hate that is buried deep down in an individual.  Verse 25 goes on to tell us that "when he (the hateful person) speaks graciously, believe him not..."  Why is this the case?  This is the case because "there are seven abominations in his heart."  An abomination is "extreme disgust and hatred" for something or someone.  The disgust and hatred that the "hater" has in his heart is 7 times greater than the base level of hate.  

#2:  Harbors Deceit in His Heart

What does the word "deceit" mean?  Deceit can simply mean "dishonest behavior."    What does the word "harbor" mean?  Harbor means "a place of security or comfort."  So, what is this verse saying?  Someone who hates is secure and comfortable with the dishonest behavior in his or her life.  

#3:  His Hatred is Covered with Deception

The "hate-filled" person is a master at deception.  This person deceives others and, ultimately, him or herself masterfully.  He or she deceives others by appearing loving and gracious, but inwardly his a "professional deceiver."

This passage does provide us with hope and encouragement.  This is what I love about the Word of God.  Despite the fact that there are dark, tragic, and seemingly hopeless passages of scripture, it always comes back to hope, redemption, and encouragement.  Listen to what hope Solomon provides through the Spirit of The Lord.  "...his (the person of hate) wickedness will be exposed in the assembly."  The last part of verse 26 reminds me of Galatians 6:7.  Paul writes, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for WHATEVER ONE SOWS, THAT WILL HE ALSO REAP."  

The hate-filled person might disguise his or her speech, harbor deceit, speak graciously, and masterfully deceive others, he or she will eventually reap the hate that has been sown deep down in his or her heart.  I think many of us must keep this in mind.  We must keep this in mind regarding hate, but we also must keep this in mind with other harmful issue we face.  Things like:  anger, drinking, lust, impurity, jealousy, immorality, etc...  We must remember one thing:  WE WILL ALWAYS REAP WHAT WE SOW!  

Playing & Praying...

Mondays are relaxing to me.  Mondays are my days off.  I greatly enjoy them.  Today, because of a change in Jennifer's schedule, I picked up son #3 from daycare.  Over the last 20 minutes or so we have played on the floor together.  Every toy he owns is in the middle of the floor.  I love it and I LOVE being a dad.  

During this time, The Lord struck  me with a thought.  I am sitting here (I am 6'3 by the way) in the middle of the floor playing with baby toys with my almost 1 year old son and The Lord hits me with this thought.  He probes my brain and says, "Derek, pray for him."  Now, don't get crazy on me.  I pray for my children.  This was different. 

With all the turmoil in our culture today I must pray.  Wars, financial crisis, definition of marriage, spiritual warfare, and a myriad of other things are what my son will face in the near future.  Sadly, the current way in which he sees the world will become dramatically different.  

The biblical norms are constantly being attacked by unbelievers and false teachers alike.  All of these things force me to take a deep breath and say, "God, I want YOUR best for my sons.  Help them (and any other future children I have) to love YOU with all they've got and to love OTHERS like they love themselves."

I must pray.  I must pray.  I must pray.

Anger Part 2...

Yesterday, we began a look at what the Apostle Paul taught concerning anger.  If you would like to read yesterday's post, please click here.  Today's post will be part 2.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Second, Paul tells us “do not let the sun go down on your anger.”  What in the world does this mean?  Well, I’ll tell you.  We have already discussed how anger (sometimes) is a good thing and we are commanded to have it at times.  However, this righteous anger can turn sour.  If left unattended it can cause us some major problems.  It can easily turn to bitterness, resentment, and an “I’m better than you” attitude.  Even the best motivated anger can spoil and we need to put it aside at the end of the day.   

Why must we do this?  Paul tells us in verse 27.  Paul says tells us to do this so that we “give no opportunity to the devil.”  If we leave our righteous anger unattended and if we do not lay it down at the end of the day, the devil will use it.  He will use what was once good and godly for his “devil-like” purposes.   

There is another reason we must “put our anger to bed” at the end of the day.  Anger has the ability to come upon you in a moment and overtake you.  Because of this it has a nature to grow and fester and turn you into a big, huge, angry monster.  Anger should be dealt with immediately.  We need to confess it.  We need to leave it.  We need to give it to God for cleansing before we lay down at the end of the day.  

What does all this mean?  Let’s review.  First, there are certain circumstances where it is not only okay for us to be angry, but we are commanded to be angry.  What does this look like?  This type of anger might display itself when students are bullied at your school, when a child is physically abused by a parent or another adult, or after reading stories or watching videos of children dying of hunger.  It is important to note, these types of situations are the only time the anger is not only permitted, but it is commanded.  

Second, if your anger is only “serving” you, it is sinful anger.  If the only time you are angry is when something bad happens to you, we must give the anger to God to be dealt with.  We must not act on it.  This type of anger is self-destructive, self-serving, and extremely dangerous if left unattended.  We must not “let the sun go down” on this type of anger.  Why?  It gives the devil an opportunity to use it for his good. 

Here are some practical steps you can take to help deal with the anger in your life.  These steps are nothing out of the ordinary, but they are essential.  First of all, talk to God about it.  We must pray.  Tell Him why you are angry.  Tell Him about the injustices going on around the world and ask Him for ways that you could be involved in dealing with these issues.  Ask Him to help you lay your anger down at the end of the day.  Ask Him to help you keep the devil from using your good anger for his good.   

Second, talk to someone that you trust about your anger.  Find a godly friend, a youth pastor, a pastor, or a parent who can help you with your anger.  Tell him/her about what is going on in your life that is making you angry and ask them for advice on how to deal with it.   

Finally, in those times when you are not handling your anger well, place your attention on others and serve them instead of using your anger to get back at those individuals who you are angry at.  These practical steps will help you (and me) not turn into the Incredible Hulk or a fire-breathing dragon. 

 

Anger...

In many ways, this is not easy to write.  This has forced me to think deeply, study diligently, and repent frequently.  Anger is not a simple subject to deal with.  Actually, it may not be that difficult, but it is extremely difficult for me.  You see, I struggle with anger and to be honest, it feels good to admit it.  It is something that I have battled since childhood.  There are times when I get so angry that I feel as if I am going to turn into the Incredible Hulk and destroy anything and everything that gets in my way.  There are times, for no reason at all, I want to scream and shout and turn into a fire-breathing dragon and spew fire on anyone and everyone.  I justify my behavior by blaming others, by blaming circumstances, or by blaming any other thing that takes the guilt off me.  The sad reality is that I do not have anyone or anything to blame but myself.  Thankfully, I can go to the Bible and get help.  I can go to the book of Ephesians and get some advice from the Apostle Paul.  Ephesians 4:26-27 really helps.  Let’s dive into this passage and see how. 

 

First of all, verse 26 tells us to be angry.  Wait!  We are allowed to be angry?    Before we get too “jacked up” in our thinking, let’s define what this means.  Anger is not always a bad thing.  There are times when anger is good.  For example, when Jesus saw that the so-called “righteous people” were extorting money from people in the temple, He got angry.  In Mark 3, Jesus expressed righteous anger at the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees (so-called “righteous people”) who did not like it that Jesus healed a man with a messed up hand on the Sabbath.  We are allowed to be angry at things like injustice (child abuse, sex trafficking poverty, hunger, etc.), immorality, and ungodliness.  

But we cannot stop the discussion here because that is not where Paul ended his statement.  He said, “Be angry and DO NOT SIN…”  Sinful anger is anger that is only being expressed for the purpose of you; it is self-defensive and self-serving.  This type of anger, according to Matthew 5:21-22, leads to murder and judgment.  This type of anger has no place in the life of someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ.  This type of anger must be dealt with; it must be given to God.   

To recap, anger that is unselfish, and is based on a love for God and a concern for others not only is allowed but is commanded.  John MacArthur says this, “Genuine love cannot help being angered at that which injures the object of that love.”  Let’s be angry, but let’s not sin.

Tomorrow, we will continue to look at this passage from Ephesians 4 regarding anger.  Blessings for now!

6 Don't Statements...

I love the "practical application" that the book of Proverbs has to offer the reader.  I received some good advice from a pastor friend of mine several years ago concerning the book of Proverbs.  This is what my friend told me and it is advice that I would offer (free of charge!) to you as well. 

As you might know, the book of Proverbs has 31 chapters.  My friend told me that part of his morning routine in spending time with God is to read a proverb a day.  If the month has only 30 days, then on the last day you read 2.  If the month has 28 days (thanks February for messing up the system) then figure it out yourself. 

Anyway, every so often I will do a 31 day study of the book of Proverbs.  I just began this journey again on Sunday, September 1.  Today is Tuesday, September 3.  If you have not read Proverbs 3 in awhile, I would encourage you to do so today.  It is chalked full of rich nuggets of scriptural truth for today.  I am not going to unpack the entire chapter today for you, but I would like to let draw you into a portion of it.

In Proverbs 3:25-32 there are 6 "don't" statements (if you are reading from the ESV).  Listen to these truths and apply the word of the Lord to your life.

#1:  Don't Be Afraid...
What are we to not be afraid of?  The writer tells us.  We are not to be afraid of sudden terror or of the "storm" of the wicked when they come.
Why can we not be afraid in these circumstances?  Well, scripture says that "the Lord will be our confidence."  "The Lord will keep our feet from being caught."

#2:  Don't Withhold Good...
We are not to withhold good from those people to whom goodness is due.    We are not to do this especially when it is in our power to control the situation.

#3:  Don't Say...
Don't say to a neighbor, "Go, and come again tomorrow I will give it."  Why would we do this when we have it with us at the present time?

#4:  Don't Plan Evil...
We are not to plan evil against our neighbors.  This is speaking of those people who live (dwell) trusting beside us.

#5:  Don't Contend...
We are not to contend with a man for no reason.  Don't be unnecessarily contentious.   This is true especially when the person has done you no harm at all. 

#6:  Don't Envy...
We are to envy those people who do violence.  We are not to choose any of their ways.  Why is this the case?  The devious person is an abomination to the Lord.  On the other hand, the upright are in His confidence.