Part 13 (1/2)

75.

When Someone Fails Well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you teach against stealing, do you steal (take what does not really belong to you)? You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery [are you unchaste in action or in thought]? . . . You who boast in the Law, do you dishonor G.o.d by breaking the Law [by stealthily infringing upon or carelessly neglecting or openly breaking it]? For, as it is written, the name of G.o.d is maligned and blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you!

-ROMANS 2:21-24 Paul's words remind me of a saying I used to hear often: ”Don't do as I do-do as I say.” The people who give this admonition expect others to live according to rules that they themselves admittedly are not willing to follow.

This is where many young or insecure Christians find themselves. They see some church leaders or those in authority doing things they know aren't right, and they think, Well, if they're such great Christians and they can do that . . . it must be all right. This att.i.tude can either lead them to do the same things or to turn away from G.o.d altogether.

We need to remember that G.o.d has called us to be responsible for our actions. G.o.d holds us accountable for every thought and every action-but our responsibility doesn't stop there. We are also responsible to help lift up others when they fall.

Perhaps nowhere in the Bible is this concept more clearly defined than in Galatians 6:1-3. Paul laid down three important principles that Satan doesn't want us to grasp. First, when we become aware that a sister or brother has fallen into sin, we are to do whatever we can to help lift up that person. Paul wrote, ”If any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]. For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load] when he is n.o.body [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself.”

Even the best of us fail at times, but it is important to note that the word overtaken doesn't mean a deliberate, intentional sin. It's as if someone is walking down an icy sidewalk, slips, and falls. That's how the Christian life works-nearly everyone slips sometimes.

What then should be our att.i.tude when this happens? We should offer to help, of course. If someone slips on the ice, don't you naturally rush over to help that person get up? That's a Christian principle. But the enemy wants to make sure that you don't do the right thing. He might even whisper in your ear, ”Just don't look in her direction. Ignore her. You are not obligated to help her get up. Why, you don't even know her.” It's easy to ignore people in need of help.

The Greek word translated restores was once a medical term used by a surgeon to describe medical procedures like removing a growth from a body or setting a broken arm. The goal is not to see that the person gets punished, but that the person gets healed.

The second point Paul made is that when we become aware someone has fallen, instead of pointing fingers and looking down on them, we should look at ourselves. The devil could have tempted us to do the same thing or something else just as bad . . . or even worse. We need to look with compa.s.sion on those who fall and remind ourselves, ”Except for the grace of G.o.d, I could be there.”

The third thing is to push away pride in our own achievements. If we think we are more spiritual, we're deceiving ourselves. Proverbs 16:18 gives this warning: ”Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” We must not compare our achievements with others, but instead ask ourselves, Have I really done all that I could have done? Satan is thrilled when we compare ourselves with those who fail and see ourselves as being superior. But when we compare ourselves with the standards Jesus sets for us, we have no cause to be conceited or prideful. Instead, we can be humbly thankful that the Lord is at work in our lives.

Lord Jesus, please remind me to help those who have fallen. Help me to remember that, except for Your grace, I could be the one who failed. But most of all, help me to remember that You are always with me and will help me overcome the evil one. I give You praise for all these things. Amen.

76.

Pa.s.sing Judgment [Jesus said]

Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

-MATTHEW 7:1-2 I believe that pointing a finger at someone in judgment is often the way some people cover up their own weaknesses. Their theory seems to be, ”Judge others before they have a chance to judge you.” I remember a girl in our neighborhood who constantly pointed to obese people and said terrible things about them. She was plump herself, and I often wondered if she criticized others in an effort to keep people from noticing her own weight.

I grew up in a family where judgment and criticism were a part of everyday life. So I became an expert at deciding how other people should live. The devil loves to keep us busy, mentally judging the faults of others. And the shortcomings in other people are often easy to see, especially when we're looking for them.

There was a time when I enjoyed sitting in the mall, observing people as they walked by. I could usually find something wrong with every one of them. I could point out bad hairstyles, out-of-style clothes, and any number of other ”problems.” When we choose to be judgmental, we will find that there is no end to the possibilities.

Notice I used the words ”choose to be judgmental,” because that's exactly what I did. If anyone had called me a judgmental or critical person, I would have denied it, because I wasn't aware of my negative att.i.tude. I thought I was just giving my innocent opinion. At that time, I wasn't aware that I had a choice about my thoughts.

Another thing I didn't think about then was the uselessness of my opinions. I didn't help anyone by pointing out to my friends what I perceived to be other people's shortcomings. I now know that we can choose the thoughts we want to focus on. We can't always choose the thoughts that come to our minds, but we can decide to let them stay and fester or we can push them aside.

It took me a while, but I eventually learned that when the devil brings those harsh, unkind, judgmental thoughts to us, we can use G.o.d's Word to chase them away. There may be no better verse to repeat than Philippians 4:8 to get our thoughts properly centered: ”. . . whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].”

I went through many years of misery because of judging others. I wanted to be able to say that what others did, or how they looked, was none of my business. And, of course, it wasn't-but it took me a long time to replace those negative thoughts with all the good things I had to think about.

During the process, G.o.d began to hold me accountable for my critical spirit, pointing me to the words of Paul: ”Why do you criticize and pa.s.s judgment on your brother? . . . why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of G.o.d . . . And so each of us shall give an account of himself [give an answer in reference to judgment] to G.o.d. Then let us no more criticize and blame and pa.s.s judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother” (Romans 14:10, 12-13).

Who are we? We're G.o.d's people. As Christians, we're part of one family-G.o.d's family. And He wants us to love and protect our family members, instead of judging them.

G.o.d, so often I've compared myself to others and judged them. I know that's wrong. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, I ask You to help me defeat every evil, judgmental thought that Satan throws at me. With Your help and through Your Word, I know I can win. Amen.

77.

Loving One Another Whoever says he is in the Light and [yet] hates his brother [Christian, born-again child of G.o.d his Father] is in darkness even until now. Whoever loves his brother [believer] abides (lives) in the Light, and in It or in him there is no occasion for stumbling or cause for error or sin. But he who hates (detests, despises) his brother [in Christ] is in darkness and walking (living) in the dark; he is straying and does not perceive or know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

-1 JOHN 2:9-11 Hate is an extremely strong and harsh word. Any discussion among believers about hating other Christians would lead most of them to say, ”I don't believe I have ever hated anyone.” If we think about these words of John, however, perhaps he didn't mean hate as we think of it-feeling great hostility or animosity toward someone. Perhaps our form of hatred today is more like indifference. We don't really dislike people, but we don't care enough to help them when they have troubles and problems.

”Most of the loving I see today in the church is based on convenience,” someone told me recently. He went on to say that we will reach out to others as long as it's convenient or doesn't demand too much time or effort.

This opens a wide door of opportunity for Satan to separate us from those who most need our love. Jesus commanded us to love each other. In John 13:34-35, He said that people would recognize us as His disciples by our expressions of love toward one another. Perhaps one reason they don't say that about many of today's Christians is because too often we're unwilling to go out of our way to meet the needs of others.

Love is an action verb. If you love others, you do things for them. To hate (in the biblical sense) is to do nothing or to turn away. To make it worse, you judge and criticize others and think, If they really loved G.o.d, they wouldn't be in such a predicament.

You need to see that if you practice G.o.d's ”love walk,” you not only grow yourself, but you enable others to grow. The devil can't do you much harm if you truly walk in loving relations.h.i.+p with others.

In my book Battlefield of the Mind, I shared the story of how I was extremely sick during my fourth pregnancy. When I prayed for healing, G.o.d reminded me that I had criticized another woman in our church who was always tired and sick during her pregnancy. Now, here I was in the same circ.u.mstances. I realized how wrong I had been and repented. But it took more than repenting-it also became a time of learning for me. G.o.d forced me to realize how often I had judged or criticized others because they didn't measure up to the standards I thought they ought to live by.

All of us make mistakes. All of us have weaknesses. G.o.d didn't call us to point out those weaknesses to the person (or worse, to someone else), but He did call us to care-to show Christ's love in any way we can. The Bible tells us to be tenderhearted, understanding, and forgiving. That's how we can win over satanic attacks. Paul says it this way: ”And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of G.o.d [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as G.o.d's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (pa.s.sion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compa.s.sionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as G.o.d in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30-32).

G.o.d used these verses to help me see that being Jesus' disciple means being kind to others, tenderhearted, and forgiving. I also realized it meant overlooking their weaknesses and shortcomings. If we truly love others as Christ loves us, it isn't difficult at all.

Lord Jesus, I want to love others, and I want to be kind and caring. I also know that I fail at times. In Your name, I ask You to forgive me, and enable me to forgive others who hurt me or don't live up to my standards. Amen.

78.

Guarding Our Hearts Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

-PROVERBS 4:23 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circ.u.mstance and in everything, by prayer and pet.i.tion (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to G.o.d. And G.o.d's peace . . . which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

-PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 I like to connect the verse from Proverbs with Paul's words to the Philippians. We read that G.o.d tells us to guard our hearts-to watch over them carefully. But what does that really mean? It means to be alert or watchful about the ways of the enemy. It's easy to become careless about guarding our hearts and being alert to Satan's subtle tactics when things are going our way and G.o.d is pouring out His blessings on our lives.

All of us face struggles from time to time, but when we diligently stand guard over our hearts, we become more aware that G.o.d's plan is for us to overcome.