To Listen Is to Love

To answer before listening—  that is folly and shame.     
                                              Proverbs 18:13   NIV

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.           1 John 4:21  NIV

   Love is about treating someone like they have great value to you.  One of the best ways to show someone that you value them is to listen to them.

   This week, share love with someone by taking the time to listen to them.  Put down your phone.  Set aside your book or whatever task you are working on and give someone your undivided attention.  You may want to start your conversation by asking them to tell you about something in their life that they are happy about right now.  As they answer your question, ask more questions to try to understand why this is important to them.  Listen carefully for other things you can learn and affirm in this person.  The more you listen, the more they will feel that you value them.

Sowing and Reaping

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that he will also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.      Galatians 6:7-8   ESV

   Scripture is clear that the choices we make determine the character and the fruit of our lives.  We can choose our choices, but we can’t choose the consequences of our choices.  We will reap what we sow. 

   Reflection is a helpful spiritual practice in which we partner with God to examine the character and fruit that have been produced in our lives by the choices we have made.  If we like what we see when we reflect on our lives, then we can keep making the same choices with our time and other resources.  If we don’t like what we see, then we must make different choices.

   This week, set aside 20-30 minutes for quietness and reflection, perhaps with a walk outside to help clear your mind.  As you begin reflecting, consider the verses above and ask God to help you understand  how the choices you have made have determined the life you are living.   Ask him to give you the wisdom to understand what choices in your life need to change.  Believe that God wants to help you.  When you have finished your time of reflection, take a few moments to write down what you have discovered and ask God to give you strength and courage to follow through on new choices that will help develop the life of Christ in you. 

Two Key Spiritual Practices (and a warning)

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.  The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right,giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.   Psalm 19:7-8   NIV

   Two key spiritual practices are memorizing Scripture and meditating on Scripture.  We often underestimate the power of Scripture and the life that comes to us through the words of Scripture, but these two practices help us experience that life and power.  When we memorize Scripture a seed of life is planted in our heart.  When we meditate on Scripture, it’s like feeding and watering that seed.  As that seed grows it produces life and wisdom in us.

   This week, write out the above verses on an index card or a piece of paper.  Seek to memorize them by repeating them to yourself phrase by phrase.  Even if you can’t memorize it completely, you will be meditating on it and it will increase your appetite for God’s truth in Scripture.  You might also want to write down the benefits of Scripture listed in these verses in a journal or in the margin of your Bible.

  * WARNING:  Be careful not to treat these practices, or any other spiritual practices, as required activities you must do for God to accept you.  If you fall into this thinking you will become discouraged, not encouraged.  God fully accepts us because of Christ’s work on the cross.  Spiritual practices are simply pathways to draw closer to God and strengthen our trust in him.  That’s what these SPAs are all about.

A Simple Step to Living Life with God Now

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.      1 John 1:3   NIV

   Fellowship sounds like a religious word but it simply means “communication” and “partnership”.  In the verse above, John is inviting those to whom he is writing to “partnership” with him and other Christian leaders.  Then he says that their partnership is with God the Father and God the Son.   We shouldn’t miss the idea that John is inviting people to have the same kind of partnership with God as they have with humans.

   This is the great news of the Gospel!  Through his death on the cross and his resurrection, Christ  makes it possible for us to be reunited with our Heavenly Father so that we can live our everyday lives WITH him now and also spend eternity in the new heaven and earth he is preparing.  Christ has broken down the wall between us and God so we can live in peace with the God who made everything and who is present everywhere.  If you have not received this amazing gift, you can change that simply by returning to him as your God and King and humbly receiving the forgiveness he offers you in Christ.

   Once you have received this peace with God, you can begin living a “with God” life.  He is always everywhere we are.  It’s not about asking him to show up, but about learning to acknowledge his presence in all places and  at all times.  It’s about living with a conscious awareness of his presence. 

   This week, start each day by acknowledging to God that you know he will be with you everywhere you go today.  Then ask God to help you remember his presence throughout the day so that you can live in “partnership” with him.

Prayer, Temptation and Loving God's Will

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!      Psalm 119:10  ESV

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.                John 6:38  ESV

   Jesus came to the earth to live as a human and do the will of God.  He loved the Father and delighted in doing the Father’s will.  This was the source of Jesus’ joy, peace, love, hope and goodness as he lived on earth.  If we want to enjoy life (Doesn’t everyone?) and live it with purpose, our best hope is to follow this path of Jesus in doing God's will.

  It should be clearly understood however, that if we are intent on doing God’s will like Jesus was, we will also face opposition like Jesus did.  We have a very real enemy, which Peter described as a roaring lion that prowls around seeking for someone to devour.  He seeks to devour us by luring us with temptation and  by deceiving  others into opposing us.

  People often pray for protection as they travel or for health just for sake of being safe and healthy.  Have you ever prayed for safety and health SO you can do God’s will effectively?  Have you ever asked your Heavenly Father to lead you away from temptation so that you can succeed in doing God’s will?  This week, pray the last phrase of the Lord’s prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, every morning, and even other times throughout the day.  If this becomes a regular practice in your life, you will discover that your desire to do God’s will will increase and so will your strength to resist temptation.

The Freedom of Confession

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.      Proverbs 28:13  NIV

    

   When kids do wrong to each other, it’s common to see an adult bring them together and demand that they say the phrase, “I’m sorry”.  The response is often a half-hearted and mumbled repetition of the required words.

   While the intent behind this is noble, it’s not very helpful.  It’s more helpful, especially in the long run, if the offense is named and forgiveness is requested.  “I’m sorry” is often repeated to get the situation over with as quickly as possible.  “Will you forgive me for stealing your cookie?” brings the humility necessary to rebuild  trust in a relationship.

   The same is true in our relationship with God.  We can say, “I’m sorry for sinning” without really admitting that we were wrong.  When we say, “Father, please forgive me for lying to my boss”, we open our hearts to God’s grace and take an important step towards the good character that will make us more honest in the future.  This week, take two steps to help you grow in confession.

   1. Whenever you sin, pause and ask God to forgive you of  the specific sin you committed.

   2. Set aside a brief time, 10-15 minutes, to sit quietly before God. Read 1 John 1:8-10 and  Psalm 139:23-24 and then ask God to show you if there are any specific sins you have overlooked.  As he brings them to your attention, ask for his forgiveness and be confident that he will forgive you. 

Praying for God's Will

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.    Colossians 4:12  NIV

   Epaphras was the founder of the church in the city of Colosse.  As its first leader, he cared deeply about the strength of their faith in God.  This verse tells us that he wrestled in prayer that his people would stand firm in God’s will.  Strong churches need leaders and people in the church family who wrestle in prayer for the church to be strong in God’s will.  When a church is not walking in God’s will, it becomes weak.

  

   This week, spend at least 5 minutes on at least two separate days praying that your church stands firm in God’s will.  Pray for your church to be a church that does God’s will as it is done in Heaven.  Pray that you are a church family who lives in joyful harmony with God, who loves to do his good, pleasing and perfect will.  You may want to use these Scriptures to guide you as you pray: Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 28:18-20; Micah 6:8; Hebrews 13:20-21.

(If you are not part of a church, your first step in God's will should be to get connected to one.  It might meet in a home or a hotel or a fancy building.  It might be small or big.  It's not the size of the group or the type of building that matters.  A church is a gathering of people who are committed to to Christ and to doing life together with Christ as their King.)