Spiritual Growth Archives — truthmission.net

Humility Month: Part 1–Pride vs. Humility



In June, a certain percentage of the United States celebrates Pride Month.  Not all Americans are on board with this, which inevitably leads to accusations of homophobia from the participants.

Many would be surprised to learn, however, that the offense of Pride Month does not stem primaily from the celebration of deviant sexual practices, or even from the appropriation of the symbol of God's promise for their flag.  The most egregious transgression of Pride Month is the elevation of pride itself.

No fewer than 18 times here at Truth Mission we have identified pride as the mother of all sin. Since humility is the polar opposite of pride, we have decided to designate September as Humility Month.  Instead of railing against Pride Month and the people who celebrate it, we would humbly (see what I did there?) like to offer an alternative that might just yield a better result.

So to kick off Humility Month, we are going to do something we have never done before here at Truth Mission.  We are highlighting a guest author!

Today's very special guest is Karen Pennington, author of An Anointed Mess: Discovering the Daily Adventure of Grace as well as the new devotional 10 Healing Truths from God's Word. The following appeared on her blog, Daily Adventures in Grace, on June 12, 2022.

Pride vs. Humility–Finding the Best Package

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but wisdom is with the humble.” (Proverbs 11:2 NRSV)

I usually like package deals. It can often mean that I get a greater value, more bang for my buck. However, some packages deals just aren’t worth it.

There have been times when I thought I really wanted something but ended up giving up on it, because of all of the unneeded extra baggage and expenses that comes along with it. I’ve lost count of the memberships, activities, and even some relationships I have had to cut out of my life, because they either cost too much or came with an extra generous dose of pain or heartache. Those are the package deals I would choose to opt out of.

One of the worst possible combinations I can think of is pride and shame. It almost seems counter-intuitive that the two would come together, especially since those of us who have struggled with pride in some form (which is all of us) have sought to be lifted to higher ground, not brought low. But according to the words of Proverbs 11:2, those who exhibit pride as a means to honor get the exact opposite of what they are bargaining for.

That phrase “then comes” from this verse is not really implying that disgrace comes after pride- no delayed reaction there. It actually means that dishonor comes WITH pride. In other words, pride and shame are a package deal. So the moment we try to set ourselves on a self-made pedestal, we set a magnifying glass on our own inadequacy without Christ.

This very closely resembles the words of Christ that have come to be known as “The Great Reversal”:

“All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12 NRSV)

So what exactly is pride? Simply put, pride involves the idolatry of placing ourselves in front of God, in any way, or for any reason. It appears in many forms: workaholism, unforgiveness, gossip, criticism, or any number of thoughts, words, or actions that reflect the inner lie that somehow our way is more important than God’s. Pride can often masquerade as good things, like good deeds, felt convictions or (false) humility (because that buys into the lie that somehow our understanding of ourselves is more true than what God says about us).

The thing is, we ARE good, and valuable, and priceless. So there’s no need to falsely build ourselves up. Why not just lean into God?

True humility means we surrender our attempts to self-justify and self-promote, which in reality have only ever brought misunderstanding and pain. In return, we receive the eyes of grace, which allow us to define ourselves and the world around us through the lens of God’s infinite love.

Trust me, this is a much better package deal.

(We will continue celebrating Humility Month with Part 2: God is God and You are Not)

God Bless America? (Part 2–Fight the Real Enemy)

The most popular post in the history of this blog was Part 8 of the Overcoming the World series, entitled, “The Struggle.” I think the reason that so many people related to this post was simply because we all have the same struggle, that is, remembering that the real enemy is Satan, not the people under his control.

The media has been trying to turn us against each other for years. Social media has driven this divide far deeper.

And the government has only made things worse. The people that side with the political party in power demonize the other side, and vice versa. And the people in power just stoke the anger and hatred instead of trying to put out the fire.

Nevertheless, even the government is not our real enemy, because the government is made of individual people. Peter explained it like this:

Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life in your neighborhood so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government. (1 Peter 2:11-17 MSG)

So, the message here for Truthseekers is that our mission is not to take America back from the radical left. It’s to start taking the individual members of said radical left back from Satan. Remember the second tenet of the Truthseeker Manifesto:

A Truthseeker makes the most of every opportunity to learn and grow, striving to understand other points of view, with the purpose of establishing common ground.

The problem with our discourse in America now is that nobody seeks the common ground. Nobody even seems to believe that there can be such a thing. “How can I possibly reason with someone so stupid as to think that a fetus is not the same thing as a baby?” “Why do I even have to breathe the same air as these domestic terrorists who are a threat to our democracy?”

But if we all just take a breath and look at the situation as it really is, we will see that no matter how polarized our political points of view, we do have common ground. Our common enemy.

Get 5, 10 or all 53 T-RackS mixing/mastering plug-ins and save over 90%

The Real Enemy

Looking back over the years that I have been posting here, it seems I keep coming back to this theme—Fight the real enemy. This is the rule I cling to when the world gets stupid, and I want to break out my beatin’ stick and go to town.

In Reasonable, our study of Romans 12, we observed that people who persecute us are not our real enemies. The biggest reason that Satan doesn’t want us seeking common ground with our earthly adversaries is because if we find it, then we might start doing crazy things like listening to each other, encouraging each other in our common struggles, even (gasp!) praying for each other!

Elegance Latino dancers on white studio background. Beautiful and sensual couple dancing latina's dance or tango in bright clothing, full of motion, passion and action. Collage made of 2 models. — Might lead to dancing!

So, while our real enemy is trying to divide us all into Us and Them, God is trying to create an Us of every tribe, tongue, and nation. Anyone who responds to the Holy Spirit’s message, and is faithful to obey it, can be one of Us.

This point is absolutely critical, for everyone everywhere, but especially here in America in such a time as this.

Every “Them” is a potential Us. Even though “them” may deny that God even exists, the reality is that “them” were created in His image, the same as Us. This is why God calls us to love our “enemies.” Because “them” are not the real enemy.

At least, until…

The Mark

Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11 NLT)

There is going to come a day when a great many people will make an irrevocable decision to follow the Antichrist. They will signify this decision by having the real enemy’s mark (the 666 thing) stamped on their foreheads or their right hand.

Before this day comes, any “them” is a potential Us. But after this day…
Then, and ONLY then, will these people become a permanent Them. Not until that day will these people become our true enemies. And many Christians believe that we won’t even be around to see that morning.

We have to always remember that the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 12:31). Taking the mark of the beast would qualify.

Voting Democrat? Not so much. Marching in a Pride parade? Nope. How about getting an abortion? Believe it or not, even this is forgivable (not without consequences, but still forgivable) in the eyes of God.

So I will say the same thing I say in every election year. It’s not our job to save America from Them. It may not even be in the stars for God to save America at all. But it is always God’s plan to build His kingdom.

As such, it should be our primary goal as well.

$/€69 Krazy Instrument Deals – Up to 65% off sample-based virtual instruments

Love Your Neighbor: Part 2–Rights or Responsibilities?

Freedom is a word that gets thrown around a lot here in the US. Especially in an election year. ESPECIALLY especially in THIS election year. Vote for (fill in the blank) because OUR FREEDOM IS AT STAKE!!! Another word that we use interchangeably with this kind of freedom is “rights.” Our Constitution has a Bill of Rights. We have the right to do this, or not to do that. Don’t you dare violate my rights! But Christians are called to a different, I would even say higher, form of freedom. While American freedom is preoccupied with individual rights, Christian freedom is about communal responsibilities.

Loving your neighbor calls for the realization that you are part of something bigger, a member of a larger body. Within the Church, we refer to ourselves as the Body of Christ. However, any community is also a body, whether it is a household, neighborhood, city, state, or country.

No one lives in a vacuum. What we do affects others, whether we can see it or not. A HUGE problem in our society is that people have forgotten the basic principle that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Paul addressed this problem in the church at Corinth in this way:

There’s a slogan often quoted on matters like this: “All things are permitted.” Yes, but not all things are beneficial. “All things are permitted,” they say. Yes, but not all things build up and strengthen others in the body. We should stop looking out for our own interests and instead focus on the people living and breathing around us. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (The VOICE)

Yes, we have rights. Yes, we have the freedom of speech; therefore, yes, we ought to be able to speak truth, whenever and wherever and amongst whomever we find ourselves. Technically. However…

Just because we can doesn’t always mean that we should.

Here is something you might not have considered. Even if you’re right in what you say, someone hearing it may not have a full understanding of the issue at hand. If someone questions you out of simple ignorance, you can gently educate them to build them up to where you are. However, if you argue, shout them down or otherwise dig in your heels to assert your rightness, not only are you failing to get your own point across effectively, you are also making it less likely that the other person will ask other significant questions in the future.

Furthermore, they may likely develop an attitude about you as a person, and by extension any group with which you are affiliated, that is closed off and hostile. Can you see how potentially devastating it can be when Christians behave this way? Great job Ace, you won an argument that you never should have been in (slow hand clap), and you lost a soul for the Kingdom in the process. You exercised your Constitutional right to voice your opinion, but you broke God’s commandment to love your neighbor.

via GIPHY

It all comes down to the question of rights. If you’re only focused on your own, sooner or later, you’re going to be depriving someone else of theirs. Rights are about exercising your freedom. However, responsibility is the freedom to lay aside your rights for the greater good, just as Jesus laid aside His divinity to come down here with us.

For example, freedom of speech is great until you say something that isn’t true, and it spreads like COVID on the Internet. By that point (and it only takes hours in this age of technology), it’s too late for an apology or retraction. The damage is done and is not likely to be undone.

For this reason, love dictates that the freedom of speech should be in submission to the responsibility to speak truthfully, and to lift others up instead of tearing them down. As Paul directed the Ephesians:

Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. Ephesians 4:29 (GNT)

This is useful advice in any context, but especially on social media. Here are some questions every Truthseeker should ask themselves before posting:

- Is what I am saying building up orders according to their needs?
- Do I even know what those needs are? (I.e., Did I really listen to what they were saying?)
- Have I tested my own perceptions and beliefs before questioning theirs?
- Do I for sure know what I’m talking about, or am I about to spout an opinion based on emotion rather than reasoning?
- What effect might my words have for those lurking on this post or page that aren’t directly involved in the conversation?
- What is my motivation for making this post? Am I trying to illuminate Truth or win an argument?
- If a non-believer reads this post, is it going to make them more curious to see what this God thing is all about, or will it make them say, “See, I told you those people were all ignorant douchebags.”

The best practice we can all learn is to do everything we can to widen the gap between stimulus and response. It’s easy to feel anger. It’s harder, but more beneficial, to take a breath, think things through, and respond constructively. It requires wisdom to understand that sometimes the most constructive and loving response is no response at all.

Love Your Neighbor: Part 1–And Your Enemies Too

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 (MEV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor. Hate your enemy.’ But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. Then you will be children of your Father who is in heaven. He causes his sun to shine on evil people and good people. He sends rain on those who do right and those who don’t. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that. If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. Matt 5:43-47 (NIRV)

So, Jesus said to love our neighbor AND love our enemies. There are two implications here. The first is that our neighbors might BE our enemies. The second, is that what Jesus is really saying is to love everybody, that way you don’t miss one.

You all remember the story of the Good Samaritan, right? But do you remember the story behind the story? Here’s how it went down:

A lawyer got up and put Jesus on the spot.

‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what should I do to inherit the life of the coming age?’

‘Well,’ replied Jesus, ‘what is written in the law? What’s your interpretation of it?’

‘You shall love the Lord your God’, he replied, ‘with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your understanding; and your neighbour as yourself.’

‘Well said!’ replied Jesus. ‘Do that and you will live.’

‘Ah,’ said the lawyer, wanting to win the point, ‘but who is my neighbour?’

Jesus rose to the challenge. ‘Once upon a time,’ he said, ‘a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and was set upon by brigands. They stripped him and beat him and ran off leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, and when he saw him he went past on the opposite side. So too a Levite came by the place; he saw him too, and went past on the opposite side.

‘But a travelling Samaritan came to where he was. When he saw him he was filled with pity. He came over to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. Then he put him on his own beast, took him to an inn, and looked after him. The next morning, as he was going on his way, he gave the innkeeper two dinars. “Take care of him,” he said, “and on my way back I’ll pay you whatever else you need to spend on him.”

‘Which of these three do you think turned out to be the neighbour of the man who was set upon by the brigands?’

‘The one who showed mercy on him,’ came the reply.

‘Well,’ Jesus said to him, ‘you go and do the same.’ Luke 10:25-37 (NTE)

With this parable, Jesus answered two questions—”Who is my neighbor?” and “What does love really look like?”

A neighbor is anyone you come into contact with, not just those you would PREFER to come into contact with.

And love? We have discussed before that agape, the Greek word for “love” in this example, is not an emotion, but an action. It is kindness in motion, having an unselfish concern for others, seeking the best for them, and doing everything in your power to make that happen. The Samaritan had no incentive to help the Jewish man in the story, as Jews and Samaritans hated each other with a passion. Nevertheless, he was motivated by love for God to show compassion to this man, who on any other day would just as soon have spit on him as looked at him.

Love involves sacrifice in any context, but much more so when it involves our enemies. It’s easier to step on someone’s neck than lift them up, especially if they don’t like you either.

Love of this nature can only come from a posture of humility. To seek the best for others, you must already be in the habit of having a mindset that the welfare of others takes priority over your own.

Now that does not mean to never look after your own interests. Just consider the needs of others first, THEN yours. Have the heart of a servant, just like Jesus did. He set us a crystal-clear example of what that looks like, throughout His entire ministry, and explicitly at the Last Supper. So why do we have such a hard time following that example?

(To find out, come back for Part 2—Rights or Responsibilities?)

Reasonable: Part 2–Our Own Understanding

Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. (Romans 12:3 CEB)

Back in Part 1, we talked about how the best way of finding our calling is to trust in the Lord and not to lean on our own understanding. But why is that significant?

It is perfectly reasonable to expect that the One who prepared the path for us knows where it leads. Sometimes, that’s not where we thought we were going. A lot of times, actually. So if the end of the path we’re preparing for ourselves isn’t in the same place as the end of the path that God is preparing for us, then all of our careful planning is just a recipe for disappointment.

Have you experienced this in your own life? I know I have, in big and small ways. When I was 18, I was going to be a famous novelist. I’m 52 now, and that hasn’t happened. When I got my foot in the door with State Government, I was going to fly through the system to the upper echelon and be a major player in state policy. All it takes is one change in the Governor’s Mansion to derail that plan.

Do I even need to mention my family life? I already have before, if you need a reminder of all the things I’ve done according to the pattern of this world that I’d rather forget.

Follow the Leader

The point is that you can’t follow God if you don’t know He’s there to follow. And even if you do know, you WON’T follow God, unless you believe you can trust Him. And that trust only comes from taking your faith to the spiritual gym and giving it a workout, through study, prayer and meditation.

What I have found is that exercising spiritual discipline doesn’t just help me see God more clearly. It also helps me see myself more clearly.

Spiritual Gifts

We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace that God gave us. If one has the gift of prophecy, he should use that gift with the faith he has. If one has the gift of serving, he should serve. If one has the gift of teaching, he should teach. If one has the gift of encouraging others, he should encourage. If one has the gift of giving to others, he should give freely. If one has the gift of being a leader, he should try hard when he leads. If one has the gift of showing kindness to others, that person should do so with joy. (Romans 12:6-8 ICB)

The Church is often referred to as the Body of Christ. Just as every part of your physical body has a specific function, so every member of the Church has a role to play in building it up.

So as God transforms our minds, and we lean less on our own understanding, He starts to illuminate our path by making us aware of the spiritual gifts he has given us. We are then more able to discern His will by discovering what He has wired us to do.

Sometimes a spiritual gift is a divine enablement that enhances the effectiveness of a talent or skill we already have. Sometimes it’s something totally new. Basically, whatever work God has for us to do, He gives us the tools we need to get it done. The more we stay out of His way and just go with it, the more things start to happen.

The list in the passage above is not all-inclusive, but does illustrate some of the gifts God gives His Church.

Some people receive messages from the Lord. They don’t always make sense to the one receiving them. But if they exercise faith, and not their own understanding, and deliver the message anyway, then the person or people meant to hear it will know what it means.

The same goes for serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading and showing mercy. The members of the Church can be somewhat effective in trying to figure out with their own understanding how to serve strategically with their gifts. But where the rubber really meets the road is when we submit to the leading of Holy Spirit, who brought us the gifts in the first place, and see where that leads us. It’s usually somewhere we didn’t plan on being around people we never would have thought of being in the midst of.

(So what does it look like when the Church is functioning in this way? Come back for Part 3: What is Good.)

TONEX ODS Legends Signature Collection

Reasonable: Part 1–The Pattern of this World

Also, do not continue to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you test and approve what is the will of God—what is good, pleasing, and perfect. (Romans 12:2 EHV)**

This is my second favorite verse in the entire Bible (I’ll get to the most favorite one a little later), because it is the essence of the Christian walk summed up in a single verse.

We were saved from sin so that we would stop sinning. We are set apart from the world that either has no interest in Truthseeking or wants to define Truth on its own terms.

However, the life that we were saved from is the one that encompasses the habits we have developed. The later in life that we accept Jesus as Lord, the harder it is to overcome these habits.

We can’t do this without God’s help. We can’t change our own nature. But we can trust in God to do it for us. True worship is recognizing this reality and acting on it. That is why the verse immediately before this one reads:

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God—this is a reasonable act of worship for you. (Romans 12:1 MOUNCE)

Reasonable

Romans 12 begins with an exhortation to respond to God’s saving mercy by presenting our bodies, and all that we do with them, as a living sacrifice to God. This means that we should stop doing whatever we want or whatever feels good in the moment and instead go to God for guidance about what we should do and what decisions we should make. Approaching God in this way keeps him on the throne of our hearts, where He belongs.

Paul describes our having this posture of submission toward God as a “reasonable” act of worship, but that word in English fails to convey his full meaning.

The Greek word Paul uses here is logikos. I probably don’t even have to tell you what English word comes from that. It means “logical” or “rational.” It can also be interpreted as “intelligent,” “true,” “appropriate,” “sensible,” “only right,” “authentic,” “fitting,” “not too much to ask,” “proper,” “genuine,” “essential,” “spiritual “ and “in line with God’s mind.”

It is only by being spiritually mindful of the fact that we are sinners, incapable of saving ourselves, and yet chosen by God for redemption when we exercise the faith that is a gift from God, that we can find ourselves in a place where true transformation can begin. We are chosen, but we also make an informed choice.

True worship, therefore, happens where faith and logic meet. Faith and reason are not opposites. Indeed, they must be used together for us to do the work that God saved us to do.

God’s Part and Our Part

This is why both the active and passive voice are used in verse 2. I know that drives English teachers and the Microsoft Word grammar checker nuts, but it’s essential here so that we can understand just how this process of offering ourselves as living sacrifices works. Let’s break verse 2 down.

Do not continue to conform to the pattern of this world.

The implication here is that we have been conforming to the pattern of this world, which is true. As Christians, we always need to remember where we came from. To be set apart from the world, we had to first be a part of it. But what is “the pattern of this world?”

The pattern is the superficial values and customs of our culture. Throughout the ages, it has always been about keeping up appearances. The world judges people and situations by what they can see. Since faith involves believing, THEN seeing, it doesn’t fit the pattern. Therefore, the pattern rejects faith.

In doing so, the people that do conform to the pattern develop standards (for lack of a better word) that are not based on faith and its outcome. The pattern molds and shapes them into a hive mind that is opposed to anything that would challenge it.

So why is that a problem for Truthseekers? Because there’s a good chance that a lot of our friends and family are conforming to that pattern. Sometimes being set apart feels more like being left out. We are tempted to compromise our faith and convictions to have a sense of belonging that we are comfortable with.

This is why God warns us that we have to do our part to resist the pattern. But while we are doing that, God is doing this…

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

When we make the decision not to follow the lemmings of our culture, we open the door for God to do His transforming work in our lives. Our minds are renewed through prayer and the study of God’s Word.

Have you noticed that the more time you spend with somebody, the more you start to become like them? You pick up their mannerisms, their accent, maybe even some of their habits.

It works the same way with Jesus. Religion can form habitual rituals, but a relationship with Jesus changes you from the inside out. Once you have made the decision to follow Jesus, AND made the effort to spend time with Him in prayer and meditation, you start to see your life and the world in a different way.

But what is the purpose of this transformation?

So that you test and approve what is the will of God.

Back to our part. We choose to not follow the culture so that God can transform our minds so that we can use our own logic and reason, in accordance with our faith, to find out God’s will for our lives.

This is the process of figuring out the path that has been prepared for us. If we try to figure it out ourselves without yielding to the Holy Spirit, it won’t work. This is why it says in Proverbs 3:5-6 (my most favorite verse):

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (NASB)

(We shall expound upon this in Part 2—Our Own Understanding)

Evidence: Part 5–Run the Race

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)

So now, it’s time for the post on perseverance. Naturally, it has taken me five weeks to write it. So basically, I’m going to be listing all the things I do wrong. But I know I’m not alone.

The thing is, life is a marathon, but sometimes, we treat it as if it’s a sprint. We make to-do lists and cling to them as though we are trying to run the race in one day.

None of us knows, however, exactly how many days we have left on this earth. We don’t know exactly what work we’re supposed to accomplish before we race to the finish line. We can read (or write) books about finding our calling, and that can be helpful in getting us on the right track. Don’t forget, though, that we don’t achieve our goals instantaneously. We need to learn to appreciate the journey. And every journey proceeds one step at a time.

Therefore, if we fix our eyes on Jesus, and focus on what we’re doing now and what we’re doing next, then we can trust that God will get us where we need to be, and at just the right time. We will, of course, have obstacles to contend with on the way.

Distractions

The first key to dealing with things that distract you from running your race is to simply be awake and aware of the fact that the distractions are there. It’s so easy, especially when you do so much of your work on a computer, as I do, to fall down a rat hole on YouTube or Wikipedia or some such. You don’t even realize it’s happening until two hours have gotten away from you, and you wonder where the day went. In my family, we have several little slogans that we use to help keep us on track. Sometimes we actually even follow them!

Work first, THEN play!

via GIPHY

Most of us would rather goof off than work on any given day. But what typically happens is, at the end of the goof-off session, the tasks remain, and now you have less of the day to get them done. Plus, you feel guilty about the time you wasted, hours that you will never get back, so you don’t even enjoy the goofing off you were doing.

Instead, push forward and persevere in getting the work done as quickly as possible, so that you can relax guilt-free afterward.

*If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist!***

I actually started this one when my sons were little and we were broke. We had a very limited grocery budget, so when I would take them shopping with me, I would tell them, “If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist,” in order to ward off any impulse buys on my part and whining on theirs.

Today, this is a mantra that I use (or try to) on my to-do lists. Especially on days when I work from home, it is so easy to get distracted by things I notice in my house that need doing. Next thing I know, it’s 2:30, and I haven’t written anything, and I meant to start at 9:00!

I have found that it helps if I focus on the one task that I have to complete. And then just the next thing after that. I rarely get it all done, and certainly not in one day, but by the end of the week, I am able to look back and see real progress. And the following week’s list is smaller!

Avoid the fishhooks!

This is a reference to James 1:14, which reads, “Rather, each person is being tempted whenever he is being dragged off and enticed by the bait of his own desire. (CJB)”

Our lives are full of fishhooks. These are the things that distract us from running our race. Each person has his or her own problem area, but they all have these things in common:

They are something we enjoy.
They are something we would rather do than what we are supposed to do.
They are something we can see.

Just as a fish is lured by what’s on the fishhook, so we get dragged off of the race track by things that may not seem bad in and of themselves. After all, fish gotta eat, right? You’re not going to catch a fish by baiting the hook with something that is not attractive to it. But what happens to the fish after it is caught?

Then, having conceived, the desire gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. (James 1:15 CJB)

Fishhooks are a big deal. People try to justify them every day. “Well, that was a lazy day.” Or maybe, “Sometimes, you just have to blow off some steam.” If it happens once in a while, sure. But it is so easy to slide down into a habit of distraction. Before you know it, you’ll be baiting your own hooks. There is only one long-term vaccination against this kind of deterioration.

Run the Race with Integrity

Yes, if you’ve been around Truth Mission for any significant length of time, you’ve heard this before. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Do what you say you are going to do. But most importantly, FINISH WHAT YOU START!

It is easy for well-meaning people, such as myself, to leave a trail of half-finished projects behind them. It is also easy for such people to beat themselves up over their inability to finish anything. If allowed to persist, this attitude can give birth to the lie that you are INCAPABLE of getting anything done. From there, it’s a short detour to, “So why even start?”

Folks, this is a lie. Call it what it is. Your life has already started. It is in the middle of a marathon that began long before you even knew there was a starting gun. You have gotten things done before. You can do it again. But you may have to get hardcore on those fishhooks.

Be kind to your mind.

Be absolutely merciless in removing distractions from your life. You’re not going to offend the distractions. Candy Crush or Toon Blast or Peggle or whatever the shiny, colorful game du jour is will not miss you when you leave. They may send the odd notification, but you can make those go away too.

If you need to install an app on your devices to filter out distractions, don’t wait another day to do that. I use StayFocusd, but there are many others that can block certain troublesome websites, or at least limit the time you spend on them.

If you’re a cyber-insomniac, enhance your sleep hygiene by setting your computer or phone to shut off when you ought to be going to bed. Or better yet, a half hour before, to let your brain to wind down.

Keep your eyes on the prize!

In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win. To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win. I’m not just shadow-boxing or playing around. (1 Corinthians 9:24-26 TLB)

The fastest course through the minefield of distractions in your life is a straight line with your goal at the end. To reach it, you have to keep your goal in view.

Now of course, some distractions are fairly simple to deal with, since we bring them on ourselves. But what about the ones we don’t?

What do we do when a loved one gets ill? Or a child goes astray? Or if we lose a job, a car, a home?

Things happen that are beyond our control, and naturally, we are going to have an intense emotional response to them. Life is going to throw us curveballs, and we’re not going to be happy about it. But remember, there is a difference between happiness and joy.

We can endure hardship by keeping our eyes fixed on the finish line, by thanking God that the finish line doesn’t move, even when everything else is in turmoil, and by simply persevering. One foot in front of the other. Always facing forward, even if life is knocking us back.

Carry Your Cross.

The verse at the top of this post reminds us to consider Jesus. He persevered in His ministry, of course, but that last day . . .

You don’t have to be a doctor or an anatomy professor to be able to imagine the incredible pain that Jesus suffered on His last day. To be beaten within an inch of His life, and THEN to have to carry the heavy, wooden cross to the place where He would be nailed to it. The root of the word “excruciating” actually comes from the Latin for “cross.” Harry Potter fans may even recognize that J.K. Rowling used the word “Cruciatus” for the Unforgivable torture curse. Same word.

So I consider the agony that Jesus endured, but I also consider that He finished His race. He was able to finish, because He knew what would come after.

Guess what Truthseekers? We have the same “after” in store for us, only we don’t have to be tortured and nailed to a cross to get it. When I reflect upon my first-world problems, I sometimes ask myself, “Does this hurt more or less than a crucifixion?” (My kids HATE it when I ask them that, by the way.)

There are people in the world who are persecuted for real. They are in fear for their lives every hour of every day for standing up for their faith. The worst we typically get here in the US is smack talk at work or some fool in the comment section trying to pass his silly self off as an intellectual.

In other words, we can handle this. There will be days where it will feel like we can’t, but our great God has promised to be strong where we are weak. So don’t overthink your life. Look at what’s directly in front of you, and look at what you have in your hand. And trust that it is enough.

Then move. One step. Don’t worry about the next step until you have taken the first one. Planning is all well and good, but make sure you do it in pencil. Just stay on the track.

And keep running. Your perseverance will be the evidence that you know where your finish line is.

Evidence: Part 4–Choose Joy

Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.

Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore—you’re the message!

(1 Thessalonians 1:6b-8 MSG)

Something in that passage doesn’t seem quite right. The phrases “great trouble” and “great joy” are in the same sentence. Other translations say “severe suffering” in place of “great trouble.” I don’t know about you, but when I think of severe suffering, I don’t feel very joyful about it.

The word “feel” is the key. We think of joy as a feeling. When we do that, though, we are confusing joy with happiness. Happiness is what we feel or don’t feel, but joy can be present even when happiness is nowhere to be found.

The reason for this is that happiness, like any other emotion, comes and goes, usually without any action on our part. Joy, however, is an attitude that can be cultivated.

It helps to remember the source of joy. The Joy of the Lord is His response to our gratitude. Even in the midst of our trials, we can still choose to feed the habit of being thankful for everything else that’s right in our lives. When we acknowledge God in these things, this happens:

Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:7 MSG)

So praying in this way doesn’t necessarily change our circumstances or make the bad stuff in our lives go away. What it does do is change our focus. It is empowering to know that we don’t have to be ruled by the negative feelings that bombard us from everything that’s wrong in the world. We can actually CHOOSE joy. Give a listen to this song, which illustrates this concept perfectly:

Sounds great. So how do we start?

Here are some methods that I have found helpful.

One thing I have noticed that feeds depression in me more than anything else is an attitude of discontentment. I fall into the habit of comparing myself to others or even with my own perception of where I think I ought to be in life.

My church has found an antidote to this, which they break out every year at our Thanksgiving service. Included in the bulletin is a sheet with blanks numbered 1 to 100. At the top, it says, “Lord, I thank you for. . .” The first time I saw this at a Thanksgiving service, I wondered how I would ever be able to think of 100 things that I was thankful for.

Then I heard some kids next to me challenge each other to a race to see who could fill in all 100 the fastest. My competitive nature kicked in. I was not about to be shown up by a bunch of kids. So I started filling in blanks with anything I could think of. Big things, little things, serious things and silly ones. I tried to think of any situation in my life where I had ever said, “Thank God for. . .” Something. Anything. In four minutes, to my own astonishment, I had completely filled in the list. I stuck it back in my bulletin and promptly forgot about it.

Enjoy 40% Off Our Colostrum Milk Powder. Protein & Calcium Rich Colostrum To Support A Healthy Immune Function. Get 40% Off With Code ‘COLO40’ At Checkout.

Thanksgiving x 100

One day not long after, I was feeling particularly sorry for myself, for no good reason. I found myself sinking into my typical emotional chasm, wondering what the point of living was, etc. Then I remembered the list.

I took it out and read through it. As I read each entry on my list of 100 things for which to be thankful, I found myself thinking about each one. Obviously, I had filled it out in a rush. Now that I stopped to really think about it, my perspective began to change. I started to realize not just that I had a lot to be thankful for, but that the things I had written on that list were what defined me as a person—my talents, my hobbies, my passions, the people who had the great impact on me, my faith, and so many more.

This list has been rewritten several times over the years. I carry it with me every day in my day planner. Wherever I am, if I am having a bad day, I can just pull out my list, circle the next number, and take a few minutes to thank God for that.

Yes and Amen

Another thing I have done is to keep a list in a file on my computer of everything I know to be true about God’s promises. I try to remember and record every answered prayer, every time when life has worked out in a way that goes far beyond coincidence, everything that can’t be explained in any other way other than “God showed up.”

This journal is my ultimate doubtbuster. When I start to think that maybe God isn’t who He says He is, or that He’s not interested in my life, or maybe that He doesn’t even exist at all, I go back to that list. Then I am reminded that not only is God real, but He can be trusted. When I look back at all the things He has delivered me from in my life, it reminds me that all of His promises yet to be fulfilled will be, and at exactly the right time. This fills the gas tank of my soul to the top. That’s the Joy of the Lord.

What I find interesting is that this joy comes immediately after doubt. I don’t generally go to this list unless I am feeling desperate and showing the signs of faltering trust.

When I regain my perspective, though, I realize that God’s response to my laying my doubts about Him directly at His feet is not to turn me away in anger, but to fill me with joy in His presence. Then I am ready to keep in step with Him for whatever is coming my way next.

It’s good to be around happy people, but it’s even better to be around joyful people. Someone who has the Joy of the Lord even in difficult circumstances is someone you are going to notice. You might find yourself thinking, “What’s wrong with that person? He should be miserable right now!”

A better question might be, “What’s RIGHT with that person?” What you are seeing is evidence of the Lord at work in the life of someone who has chosen joy.

(Come back for Part 5–Run the Race)

Evidence: Part 3–What Leads to Peace

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit; whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others. Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another. For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. (Romans 14:17-21 NABRE)

The historical context of the passage above concerns a cultural clash in the early church, specifically regarding dietary laws. As Christianity spread throughout the ancient world and came into contact with diverse people and their customs, some questions began to arise.

Is it OK to eat meat? If so, what kinds of meat are OK? And what about alcohol? Should we abstain completely, or is moderation OK? We are supposed to be new creations in Christ, but what EXACTLY do we have to change?

Now if there’s one concept that a Truthseeker abhors, it’s the notion of a “gray area.” The world has a lot more black and white in it than many people are willing to admit. “Gray area” implies uncertainty, instability, ambiguity. These are not the things that a Truthseeker seeks.

Nevertheless, they do exist. Truth is universal, but not everything you encounter is universal Truth. Some things really can apply differently to different people in different situations.

A phrase I like better than “gray area” is “bullet point.” My son picked this one up when he studied at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Over the decades, Moody has sent out many missionaries to some of the most dangerous parts of the world. Many of them actually have taken a bullet for their faith. Therefore, a “bullet point” refers to an aspect of Christianity that you would literally take a bullet for. Anything that doesn’t fall into that category is up for discussion.

This is a critical concept for growing Christians to keep in mind. Everyone is on his or her own journey. That does not mean that everyone has his or her own truth. It just means that we are all in a different stage of seeking the Truth that is universal and applies to us all. A bullet point is that Jesus is the only way to that Truth, because He said as much:

Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. (John 14:6 NCV)

So we all have the same destination, and the same road to reach it. HOWEVER, we all started from a different place. Therefore, we all must take a different route to reach the main road. The common ground of our common destination, the peace of God, is the most important thing. Even so, we must not lose sight of the fact that everything else about us is different.

I am frequently annoyed at the overuse of the word “diversity” in our culture. Usually when you hear that word, someone is attempting to forcibly construct a false community out of a group of people based on what they DON’T have in common.

This is never necessary. No two people are alike. For this reason, diversity occurs naturally. It isn’t something that needs to be forced or promoted—it just IS.

As a Truthseeker, it seems counter-productive to go out of our way to celebrate our differences. Acknowledge them, yes, but putting the spotlight on what’s different isn’t what promotes peace. Rather, putting the spotlight on what is the same within a group of people who are OTHERWISE different is what leads to peace within that group.

So if Truth is found in the common ground, then it would follow that truth seeking and peace loving are one and the same. If you are constantly looking for ways that you are different from other people, no matter how innocent your intentions were at first, it’s all too easy to drift toward bigotry from that stance. This is because you will have made the mental shift from “us” to “us and them.”

We keep the focus on “us” by seeking out the things that make us “us.”

Mix Your Own Bundle – Rack up the savings on T-RackS studio plug-ins as low as $3.77 each

Let’s take a moment to review the first two tenets of the Truthseeker Manifesto.

A Truthseeker’s objective is to end arguments, not start them.
A Truthseeker makes the most of every opportunity to learn and grow, striving to understand other points of view, with the purpose of establishing common ground.

As you can see from these, Truthseeking acknowledges that people are different, and that everyone has a unique perspective. A Truthseeker values that perspective. We are not trying to be right, or to “win” the conversation. We listen to each other’s stories to learn about where we came from to get where we are.

When we take this attitude into a conversation or a relationship, then we can acknowledge our naturally occurring diversity without making a false issue out of it. Where we came from doesn’t matter, and where we are now doesn’t even matter the most. It’s all about where we are going and how do we get there. This posture promotes peace from the very beginning. It creates an environment where you start thinking of your destination as a common one, and not just an individual one. You are not two ships passing in the night, but two voyagers seeking the same shore.

So how does this play out in our culture today?

I am going to take the point of view of a mature, or at least maturing, Truthseeker. The concept in the passage at the top that we need to focus on is to not being a “stumbling block.”

From the perspective of the Church, this includes mature Christians showing grace not only to “baby Christians,” that is, those who have just joined the church, but also to those outside the church with whom we have relationships. (Yes, you can actually do that. FRFR!)

The key points are these:

Don’t ever look down on someone for not being in the same place you are, because NO ONE is in the same place you are.
NEVER pass judgment on something that isn’t a bullet point.

These two principles can be effective in any relationship, but they are especially effective WITHIN the church. There are a lot of traditions that vary from one denomination to the next, from one church building to the next within a denomination, and even from one person to the next in a church body.

One person may have been brought up to believe that alcohol is evil. The person in the next row might have come from a background where beer is its own food group. Who’s right?

Universally speaking, if the Bible doesn’t specifically say one way or the other, then it doesn’t matter. It’s not a bullet point.

However, the main goal of Christianity is to love your neighbor as yourself (see Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 19:19). And while it is true that offense is simply an emotional reaction to the challenging of a belief pattern, you are not walking in love if you have deliberately set out to offend.

You don’t know what you don’t know about the background of everybody you meet. If your church buddy doesn’t want to have a beer with you, or looks uncomfortable when you order a bottle of wine at dinner, this is not a sign that you need to help him “loosen up.” What if he came from an abusive home with an alcoholic father? What if he lost a friend or a child to a drunk driver?

The bottom line is that it’s not your job to “help” someone come around to your way of thinking. If they are convicted that they shouldn’t be drinking alcohol, or eating pork, or watching The King’s Speech because it’s rated R, then you must realize and accept that TO THEM, it is a sin, even if it’s not a bullet point. So rather than trying to explain your point of view, show some kindness and give up your thing for an evening to meet them where they are. You can always crack open that beer when you get home.

Buy 1 flea and tick treatment and get a 2nd at 25% off, plus free shipping! Shop Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica, and more!

If we aren’t supposed to be judgmental on non-bullet points inside the church, then how much more should we avoid judging those outside! It is foolish to try to measure someone by standards that they are not even aware of. I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone who found judgmentalism attractive. I certainly can’t think of any logical reason why a non-believer would want to consider Christianity if all they have to look forward to is having their every action scrutinized and weighed in the balance.

Now a bullet point is a bullet point, and common sense is common sense. While we shouldn’t wrinkle our nose at, say, a tattoo or a piercing, it would be another matter entirely to speak out against an extramarital affair, or the exploitation of children, for example. On these matters, we have not only the right, but the obligation to speak against these sins.

But for everything that doesn’t fall neatly on one side of the fence or the other, the path that leads to peace is the path of love. We show the evidence of this love by walking the path that emphasizes our similarities, not the things we do that are different.

(Come back for Part 4: Choose Joy!)

Take advantage of our 25% off deal on Simparica Trio, Nexgard, Seresto, and more, plus free shipping!

Evidence: Part 2–Where Your Treasue Is

Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Matthew 6:19-21 MSG)

Have you ever been truly in need?

There’s a chance that some of you have. I don’t know the personal story of everyone reading this. But if you’re reading it now, then you have access to the Internet, which means you likely have shelter and enough means to know where your next meal is coming from.

The point is that whoever you are and whatever your situation is, someone has it worse than you do. This is true for every human being on this planet except one. Theoretically, someone has to be at the end of the line, and whoever that is will probably be dead by the time I finish typing this sentence.

The reverse is also true. If there is always someone that is worse off than you, then obviously, that means that you are better off than someone else is. If all of your needs are met, and you have one extra penny in your pocket, then to a great many people in this world, you are rich. So if you are reading this, you have more than you need. It might be a little more; it might be a lot more. And lots of folks out there have less than they need.

Let me be clear that I am talking about needs, not desires. You need clean drinking water, but you don’t need Perrier. You need clothing, but you don’t need the little black dress from Chanel. You need shelter, but you don’t need a mansion in Bel Air.

Some people get the wrong idea about how to get what they need. They decide that because you have more than you need, they might as well take some of what you have. Some might call that “redistribution of wealth,” but what it really is is theft.

If you have more than you need, technically, you are always at risk of having it taken away from you. The more you hoard for yourself, the more you stand to potentially lose.

There’s a way around this though. We as a nation need to get over this ridiculous mentality of piling up wealth for ourselves. Malcolm Forbes is frequently quoted as having said, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Well, Malcolm Forbes is dead. Someone else got his toys. So what did he win?

Remember what we’ve talked about before—the toys aren’t even yours to begin with. Everything you have is on loan from God, because you don’t take anything with you.

So if you have more than you need, and what you have isn’t yours anyway, why not give some of it away? Nobody can take from you what you have already voluntarily surrendered. All you have to do is get to a place where the people you meet that have less than you are more important than the stuff you have that they don’t.

But if you’re not at that place yet, then how do you get there? In a word, trust.

Trust that God is your provider. Trust that He will continue to meet your needs as He always has. Most of all, trust that He can do more with the money you’re giving away than you could if you kept it.

It’s this trust that leads to a life of generosity. Think about it—why do we try so hard to hold on to our money? Is it because we worked hard and we earned it? Maybe, but I think it’s more about fear. We are afraid that we will LOSE what we have earned. We have probably set goals for ourselves that involved “moving up in the world.” Maybe we have been successful in attaining those goals, at least in part. We get jealous for what we have acquired along the way, because we have devoted so much of our lives to acquiring it.

This tells me that maybe the goals are the problem. If the ambition of our lives is to build our own legacy, what’s the point of that? We won’t be around to enjoy it.

On the other hand, when we trust God to take care of everything we need (again, not everything we want, but everything we need), we find ourselves holding on more loosely to a lot of things, but especially money. The less we try to grasp at the material things in our lives, the more we find ourselves learning to be content. We learn what the meaning of “enough” is. We learn that if we have enough today and trust that we will tomorrow, God will open our eyes to people we can help and situations we can change with the more-than-enough with which He has blessed us.

Best of all, we learn that when we help someone else have enough, we find that we STILL have enough. And by being kind and thinking of the needs of others first, we pay our blessings forward. And maybe, with this generosity as the evidence that God is doing something in our lives, we might inspire someone else to follow our lead.

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17 ESV)

(Come back for Part 3: What Leads to Peace)