March 18, 2015

A Christian’s Ambition

Farming

Ambition is a trait that is seen as being desirable by many in the world. It is the attitude that drives one to continue progressing, advancing, and improving. Generally, it is necessary if one is to enjoy any degree of success or prosperity in life.

Christians are to be ambitious. But the focus of our ambitions will differ from that of the world. When Paul wrote to the saints in Thessalonica, he explained what their ambition was to be:

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

Let us consider the points that Paul highlighted in this passage and see what our ambition should be as Christians.
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February 11, 2015

Wherever the Tree Falls

Fallen tree

“If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies” (Ecclesiastes 11:3).

Man often takes pride in his perceived ability to control events in his life and achieve his goals. While it is certainly good to work to improve ourselves and change our lot in life for the better, we must also understand that there are many things in life that are simply out of our control.
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October 22, 2014

Qualities of Good Leaders

Moses and Jethro

When Jethro came to visit Moses, he observed how his son-in-law judged the people “from the morning until the evening” with no one to assist him in this enormous task (Exodus 18:13-14). He warned Moses that this arrangement was not good: “You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone” (Exodus 18:18). So Jethro advised Moses to appoint leaders over the people who could help act as judges. But he did not tell Moses to select just anyone – they had to possess certain qualities in order to be good leaders.

“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens” (Exodus 18:21).

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October 20, 2014

The Root of the Problem (Part 12): Not Filling Our Lives With Good Things

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

Something that we all have in common is that we each have the same number of hours in a day. While we often think that we do not have as much time as others, the reality is that we have chosen to fill our lives with those things which take up our time – either as specific activities or as consequences to other choices we have made.

It is important that we fill our lives and our time with appropriate and wholesome exercises and events. Satan takes advantage when we leave room for sin by not filling our lives with good things.
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September 17, 2014

Using Our Bodies as Instruments of Righteousness

Romans 6:13

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:12-14).

Our bodies can be used one of two ways – either for God or for sin. As Christians, we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1). Our bodies are “for the Lord” (1 Corinthians 6:13); therefore, Paul said, “Glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

How do we use the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness? Let us consider what the Scriptures teach about this.
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August 6, 2014

“He Has Denied the Faith”

Couch potato

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

The inspired apostle Paul delivered some harsh condemnation for those who refuse to provide for their own. But why is it that God likens this to one denying the faith? It is because the refusal to provide for one’s own is contrary to several fundamental characteristics that one must have in order to be a disciple of Christ.
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May 12, 2014

The Character of the Excellent Wife

Virtuous Woman

Many read the passage in Proverbs 31 of the “excellent wife” or the “virtuous woman” (KJV) and assume that the wise man is describing the ideal woman who does not exist in reality. However, even though culture and technology have changed since the time of the book of Proverbs, the “excellent wife” today is going to have the same focus as the one described in the following passage – fearing God, supporting her husband, serving her family, and helping others. There can be no change in culture or technology that would rightly call for a shift in focus from these four fundamental areas. Rather than think of the “excellent wife” of Proverbs 31 as an ideal that only exists in abstract terms, women today must look at her and see how they might imitate her in their lives.
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