Chasing the Wind

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  Proverbs 31:30

Encouragement for women; don't allow outward appearances to define who you are. The world will say you have to be or look a certain way in order to be loved. For instance, I have found it interesting that when there is a great singer on American Idol, the coaches will tearfully claim how much they love them. I can't help but be thankful that God doesn't base his love on our talents. I have also seen women flipping through the latest celebrity magazine claiming how much they love or dislike a celebrity based directly on their looks. "Oh I just adore her" or with a snarling frown "She is just not that pretty". I'm also thankful that God doesn't judge us based on outer looks. In fact, we aren't valued by God by outer appearances at all.

"For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7b

We all want to look nice. We all want to be healthy. However, could it be that you are seeking acceptance from others or are you satisfied with what God thinks of you? Again, don't misunderstand. God says our bodies are his temples and we would do well to take care of them. Gluttony and drunkenness are sins that affect this temple for instance. Ask yourself what motivates you though? How do you judge yourself? How do you measure up others? Is it enough that your creator isn't so concerned with the external as he is what's in your heart? 

The road to true contentment is the reality that God isn't looking for beautiful people. He is looking for those who love and cherish what he thinks above all the other pursuits of this world. King Solomon once acknowledged that the pursuits of this world are all vanity; here today an gone tomorrow. You can obsess over staying young, but in the end we all lose. You can obsess over maintaining a perfect figure (and when you achieve it think your life has changed and you've found happiness), but what about when the weight comes back? You can obsess on proving to distant memories of high school classmates that you are good enough, beautiful enough, talented enough, strong enough, but in the end what does it really matter? You'll forever be chasing and grasping at the wind.

As I pray through these last few thoughts, I realize that this is probably as much for men as it is for women. We all think we have something to prove. We try to be something we are not.  We try to quench our thirst, but always come running back for more. The only answer is to know who we are in Jesus Christ. Let all of the other worthless pursuits be laid to rest. He is the only one that can give you the joy and contentment that you really need.

13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again."  - John 4:13-14a

- Scott Hescht

The Grace to Shut Up

by Steve McVey
(www.gracewalk.org)

"I just say whatever is on my mind", a person who was expressing an opinion in an animated way recently said to me. I didn't respond to the comment, but couldn't help but think about the Bible verse that says, A fool uttereth his whole mind, but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards? (Proverbs 29:11, KJV).

When I was young man I felt an internal mandate to not only express my opinion, but also to convince others that mine was the right way to see a matter. I'm not sure if it's simply a matter of maturing with age or maturing in grace, or maybe a combination of the two, but I don't feel the need to always make others agree with me anymore. To the contrary, I find myself often saying nothing at times when my thoughts may be in direct contradiction to what somebody may be expressing to me.

The Bible makes it clear that there is a virtue in learning when and how to be quiet. James wrote that we should be quick to hear, but slow to speak. (See James 4:19) Paul wrote to let your speech be always with grace? (Colossians 4:6). Another time he taught that we should study to be quiet and mind our own business. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Highly opinionated babblers can be trying at times. I know because I used to be one. Maybe I still am at times, I'm not sure. I do know that I'm a verbal processor who tends to sort through things by talking about them. I recognize that I need grace to enable me to shut-up sometimes.

When I see opinionated, non-stop talkers like the one I mentioned in the first paragraph, I occasionally ask myself, Do I still act like that at times?? That's certainly not what I want.

Do you say too much, too often? If so, pray for God's grace to flow through your actions in such a way as to cause you to know when to say nothing and then enable you to do it. Sometimes grace never looks better than when it enable us to simply shut-up.

Lifted Up

Can you imagine what was going on in the mind of Nicodemus when he saw the Roman soldiers lift Jesus up to be crucified? It all came together in an instant! His mind immediately recalled the conversation he and Jesus had a few years ago as if it were yesterday. Of all the things Jesus had said that night that baffled Nicodemus, there was one statement that he seemed to at least have a partial handle on.

Jesus had made a statement that alluded to a story that Nicodemus knew well. It was when Moses was leading the Israelites to the promise land. They were whining and complaining that Moses didn't know what he was doing and that God's provision wasn't enough. So God sent poisonous serpents into their camp and many were snake bit and lie awaiting certain death. God showed great mercy however, and told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. When those who were snake bitten gazed upon the bronze serpent, the curse was lifted and they would live. So Jesus, obviously referring to this story, told Nicodemus, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

It never made any sense. He knew the story but what did Jesus mean by the Son of Man must be lifted up? Now with tears flowing down his cheeks, it all came together in a moment. Then he remembered what Jesus had told him next, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

- Scott Hescht