"Do It Anyway"

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten by people. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

The Error Of Self-Righteousness

Written by Curt Klingerman

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (KJV). 

The moment we lose sight of the righteousness of Jesus being our righteousness, and count our works as things that make us “good Christians,” we move into self-righteousness. When we attribute goodness to ourselves, we vacate the life found in grace and have become self-deceived. Forgetting that our gifts and abilities come from the Father through Jesus Christ is dangerous territory indeed. We cannot define righteousness and holiness by human reasoning. We must allow God to define them for us. 

If we define righteousness and what it means to live as a Christian, our standards will be lower than what it truly means. Nonetheless, those standards lead to bondage as no one can live up to them. That includes the ones who set them. When others fail to live up to those standards, judgment and self-righteousness will ensue. Beware of the attitude that says, “They don’t live like me, so they cannot truly love the Lord like I do.” 

Some have mastered the art of self-righteousness to the point that they “know” other people’s hearts. Self-righteousness will always equate someone else’s actions to be who he is, while insisting one’s own failings do not display what is truly in his or her heart. We cannot presume to know what is in the heart of another apart from the revelation that comes from God. Furthermore, we cannot afford to lose sight of the purpose of discernment. If your thoughts are that of judgment, you are self-righteous. 

We cannot add to the righteousness of Jesus; nevertheless, it is surprising how many try. It is not necessarily intentional; rather, they fall into traps that lead them to do just that without their awareness. One way that happens is that believers try to be their best and do their best for God. The unintended consequences are the traditions of men. Without realizing it, those traditions become stumbling blocks for others and take away from the relational aspect of their walk. For example, when there is some unwritten law about the way people are supposed to dress in order to come to church, they disenfranchise many. Whether it is the suits, ties, dresses and the way the hair is worn, or jeans and t-shirts in the name of freedom, either of these can be obstacles for people to navigate. Is “dressing our best for the King” really the best when others feel like they cannot participate because they do not have the appropriate attire? For some, owning the suit and dress is the difference between feeding their family and their family going hungry. At the same time, it almost feels like a sin for those with the “right clothes” to not dress up. Where’s the freedom in that? Similarly, some may feel out of place when others look down on them for dressing up. Keep in mind that outer appearances do not make people holy. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day wore the best attire, yet Jesus called them whitewashed sepulchers, filled with dead men’s bones. Nonetheless, those who do have the best clothing may be filled with the Spirit and absolutely love God with their whole being -even more than those who claim to be humble! As believers, we must learn to be all things to all people for the sake of the Kingdom. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some (KJV). 

We must allow the Holy Spirit to be the Holy Spirit. When we place restraints on people, we actually restrain the Holy Spirit from doing the convicting when conviction is necessary. Placing believers under man-made laws pushes them away from grace. Yes, there are absolute Biblical principles we live by, but we cannot add to them or subtract from them. What is fine for one person to do may not be fine for another. Likewise, the reverse is true. For example, if the Lord leads a person to abstain from donuts, that person cannot impose the same thing on another. It is between the Lord and him. Obedience is the issue, not the act of avoiding donuts. We cannot impose our own customs on others because our individual relationships with God are unique. 

It is one thing to lead by example in order to have others follow God Who dwells in us and quite another to have them follow us alone. The idea is to teach people to follow the Lord and hear His voice for themselves. Self-righteous people tend to lead others after themselves. They want to be known as holy; whether they are or not. We cannot make people behave or look like us; otherwise, we make ourselves gods to others. In short, self-righteousness does not lead people to God; it drives them away from Him.

Why Do I Have Trouble With Bad Thoughts?

Written by Curt Klingermann

Even with the desire to have pure thoughts, some still find themselves struggling with impure thoughts. They have prayed, and have had others pray for them, yet the thoughts are still there. What is going on? While there is a tempter out there, who seeks to wreak havoc in our thought-life, in many cases he is not the problem. The problem lies with the individual. 

Proverbs 26:11which is quoted in 2Peter 2:22 says, “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly” (KJV). Part of the problem lies in them going back to where they came from. That is to say, they go back to feeding on those things that are contrary to the Word of God. They are watching things they have no business looking at, listening to things that their ears should not be hearing, partaking in coarse conversations, and so on. A person can be set free of all the garbage, but that does not mean they do not have the choice to return from where they came. I can break my leg by stepping into a hole, and have that leg healed through prayer, but it does not stop me from going back to step in that same hole and break my leg again. Perhaps the problem lies in trying to live in the Kingdom of God and the world at the same time. That does not work. One who straddles a fence will eventually hit a fence post. Some will go to church, listen to a great sermon, read the Bible, then get involved with something completely contrary and wonder why they are confused with strange thoughts. 

To repent means to have another thought; it does not merely mean to change direction. Until a person changes the way he thinks, he will never be able to change the direction he is going. A question to ask oneself is, Am I hanging onto a lust? 2Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (KJV). Here we see repentance in action, which is a good cross-reference to Galatians 5:16, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (KJV). By walking in the Spirit, we begin to see things the way God sees them, which includes the way we view lust. The more we follow the things of the Spirit, the less we will follow the things of the flesh. 

In order to have a proper change in our thought-life, we all must renew our mind. As it is written, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2, KJV). The word, “renewing,” means renovation. Yep, it is a complete makeover. The mind and the brain become completely renovated both spiritually and physically. Without going into all the scientific jargon, suffice to say that renewing the mind literally rewires the brain, which in turn affects the way we think. The way we renew our minds is by spending time with God and spending time in His Word. Ephesians shows us that the Word of God has the affect of cleansing us, “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26, KJV). Stay away from those conversations that are contrary to the Word of God. Flood your home with praise and worship, and watch how your thinking changes. 

A Broken and Contrite Heart

Ps 51:16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Why would David say God does not delight in sacrifice? What’s wrong with burnt offerings? Didn’t God command that His people sacrifice burnt offerings, as required by the Law? Yes, He did, but David had a foresight that not many Old Testament characters had. He sensed that while sacrifices and burnt offerings were commanded, they were not changing the hearts of man, nor could they. After such offerings, men remained as firmly entrenched in their sins as before. Many Christians today are trusting in things other than sacrifice or burnt offerings. They are relying on their church attendance, service within the church, good deeds, being a “good person,” etc, to be their “sacrifice, or burnt offerings” to the Lord. Those are of value only if they are done out of love for God, and with the understanding that they do not serve the purpose of atonement. God would rather that each of us come to Him with broken spirit and a contrite heart first, then engage in the above mentioned things.

David knew the real need was for man to have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. Those are the inward evidences of an individual who knows he needs God, and who is sincerely seeking Him. The man who comes before God broken and helpless, recognizing and repenting of his sins, is the man whom God heals and restores. God will always reject offerings given with wrong motives, but He will never reject or despise a man’s broken heart. It was when I came to the Lord in utter desperation, thoroughly disgusted with myself, saddened to a point far beyond an attitude of half-hearted confession, that He moved most decisively. It was during those times when His forgiveness meant the most to me. It was those moments which bonded me together with my Heavenly Father in the deepest way. I can recall vividly those moments when His peace overtook me, and I knew I was forgiven.

We can get bogged down in all the do’s and don’ts of Christianity, and fail to address the needs of our heart. All of our good deeds, our church attendance, our practicing religion before man, are worthless if our hearts are not in tune with our Lord. Once we get our hearts right, then all of our thoughts, our speech, and our deeds automatically begin to change, as outward signs of what has taken place deep down in our souls.

Prayer: Lord, give me a broken spirit and a contrite heart. Convict me when I fail You, and restore me when my heart is broken. What would I do without Your grace and mercy? Where would I go? From whom could I find comfort? There is no other but You. What a joy to know You will not turn me away when my sinfulness overwhelms me once again. Thank You, forever and ever!

GOD’S WAY OR YOUR WAY

A lot of the times I wonder why my efforts are not yielding results. I wonder why I take 1 step forward and it’s like I am talking 5 steps back.

I wonder why it seems like the struggles will just not end.

What do I miss?

What do I leave out?

I thought I had done all I know to do. 

In fact, sometimes I am certain I had done all I am supposed to do.

But it still does not work out as planned. Something still goes wrong.

What then could be the problem?

I pray, I fast, I sing, I go to church, but I still find myself feeling funny. Feeling like nothing is changing, nothing is improving, and things do not seem to get better.

Then I get tired and exhausted almost at the point of giving up, but not until I do what I should have done in the first instance. 

Knowing I could not go on like this, I asked the Holy Spirit to tell me what was wrong and He did.

A good friend of mine once shared, “make prayer your first resort not your last.”

We try all other things before we go to the Father who knows the end from the beginning. 

The Holy Spirit revealed to me that I cannot choose my own way and then ask Jesus to follow me behind. But sadly, that was what I was doing all along.

With my little brain, I thought I could figure it all out and work it out nicely. I thought I knew the way to go.

I had a plan and all I needed was for God to make it happen. So I would submit my plan to God and ask Him to endorse it. Nevertheless, I am off working out my plan. But no, they do not work out as I had planned.

Little did I know that many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the counsel of the Lord that stands.

What we do is plan and work towards them, but what we fail to do, is seek God to find out what His plans are for us before we embark on ours.

We go on a certain part and ask the Lord to come behind us but it does not work that way. 

We are the sheep and Jesus is the shepherd, meaning we are following Him wherever He leads. 

But these days we try to play smart and act like we know it all. Trying to lead the master where WE want to go not where HE is directing us to. 

Remember, JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE and it is those who follow HIM that HE WILL LEAD IN THE WAY EVERLASTING.