Tag: Christian living

  • They’re Watching

    Do they see us love one another?

    squirrel playing peek-a-boo

    As we walked down the wooded trail, this curious squirrel was keeping an eye on us. He was curious but didn’t fully trust us. He was wise to be careful because we might have been predators.

    In the same way our furry friend was keeping a watchful eye on us, our friends, neighbors, and coworkers who aren’t believers are watching.

    They might appear indifferent, or even overtly hostile, but they are watching. Is this faith thing real? Do we live it out? What happens when we stumble or bad things happen?

    Sometimes, they are watching to make fun of us, but God can change the hardest of hearts. Sometimes, the hardest skeptic becomes the most enthusiastic of converts once the Lord gets a hold of them. The apostle Paul is an excellent example of that.

    At other times, they might be curious but leery. At “the cowboy church,” we had a motto: “Don’t scare the sheep.” We were overtly and strongly Christian but strove intentionally to welcome everyone.

    It takes time for hearts to soften. At “the cowboy church,” we ran ads in the local newspaper. Each ad featured a different picture and included a pithy or scripture quote. Over time, we learned that many people, including unbelievers, stopped to check out the ads each week, to see what we had to say.

    It took most people about a year from the first time they saw the ads until they showed up for a service. Even then, they were watching to see if this was for real.

    People need to hear the truth, but we need to be in a position to share it with them. As Christians, we need to strive to live the life Jesus calls us to and be transparent about our failures and His grace.

    God doesn’t put watchers in our path as projects. They are there for us to love and bear witness to.

    A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

    And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31

    Allow them to see our love for God and for them. Let them see us love one anither. Show them His faithfulness even when we stumble.

    The Spirit will witness to them through our lives. Let them watch.Show them how we love one another

    Engage them in spiritual conversations when you can, but spend as much (or more) time listening as you do talking. Get to know them and learn where they are coming from.

    Invite them to church when it seems appropriate. Don’t give up if they reject the offer, try again another time.

    Be present, be yourself, and let the Spirit do His work.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

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    A chubby cheeked squirrel teaches us a lesson

  • Chubby Cheeks

    Life lessons from a chipmunk

    Chipmunk

    This little chipmunk was obviously very used to people feeding him.  Even though I had no food, he had no qualms about approaching me. When he realized I had nothing for him to eat, he moved away,

    A little way down the trail, he came across a pile of sunflower seeds that someone had left for him. He stuffed his cheeks so full that they ballooned out and disappeared back into the woods. It wasn’t long before he was back, repeating the process until all the seeds were gone.

    I tried but couldn’t get a decent shot of his chubby chipmunk cheeks. He resembled something out of a cartoon.

    Chipmunks stash all the food they can find, so they have plenty for autumn when they are preparing to hibernate. I’m sure that they are like squirrels and forget at least some of what they have stashed, which allows the seed to grow in new places.

    While people don’t have chipmunk cheeks, with the exception perhaps of some trumpet players, sometimes our habits resemble theirs.

    We can’t get enough. We lust for the newest, fanciest, fastest, sexiest whiz-bang gizmo, as the old saying goes, “It’s good for everything, and if that isn’t enough, it’s good for nothing too!”

    Advertisers are aware of our tendency to be unsatisfied. Billions are spent every year to cause us to buy more things. They appeal to our vanity, our lust, our loneliness, and more. Buy our product and we promise you will be satisfied, well, at least until we have another one to sell you.

    We all fall for it. Chipmunks do it to survive, we do it out of emptiness and dissatisfaction.

    We spend money we don’t have to buy things to impress people who don’t care. It’s a problem as old as humanity.  We find ourselves trapped in prisons of debt, with stuff we didn’t really want or need, and still hungering for more. 

    It’s a problem as old as fallen humanity.

    Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. Proverbs 27:20 NIV

    For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16 NIV

    Our true satisfaction can never come from chasing the things of the world.

    You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 NIV

    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.” Hebrews 13:5 NIV

    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 NIV

    But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 NIV

    Seek fulfillment where it is to be. Find contentment in the Lord.

    Let me close today with a prayer from Paul. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. 

    Kevin

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