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.

Instead of using the word guard, I like to think of it this way: We need to post a sentinel around our hearts or, as it says above, "garrison and mount guard." Think of what a guard or sentinel does-he's on duty. He watches for the enemy to attack. He's not just ready; he's actively watchful and prepared to resist all attacks from the enemy.

That's how we need to live-with a trustworthy sentinel. It doesn't mean we live in fear or constantly have to check to see if the devil is sneaking around. Think of it more as posting a sentinel to do that for us.

What kind of sentinel do we need? I think of the two most obvious ones: prayer and the Word of G.o.d. If we pray for G.o.d's Holy Spirit to guard our hearts, He will honor that request. When the enemy creeps up, the sentinel calls out, "Thus saith the Lord," and the enemy flees. (The devil really is a coward and won't openly fight us.) Read Paul's words again. If we push away our anxieties (which we do by prayer and supplication) and fill our heart with thanksgiving, G.o.d's peace stands guard over us. G.o.d helps us resist any charge of the enemy.

We also must not minimize thanksgiving. That's such a simple way to keep ourselves alert to Satan's devices. As we give thanks to G.o.d through our words and our songs, we are guarding our hearts. As the old hymn says: "Count your blessings-name them one by one; count your many blessings-see what G.o.d has done."3 It's more than just singing a few words, however-it is actually pausing on purpose to remember all the good things that G.o.d has done in our lives. As we rejoice over past blessings, we open ourselves to more blessings in the future.

Another ally we sometimes overlook is other believers. When we're aware of our weaknesses, we can agree in prayer with other believers. We can ask them to pray specifically that we won't be misled or attacked by the enemy when we're not as alert as we should be. Other believers can intercede for us-just as we can for them. What better guards can we post than those who cry out to G.o.d on behalf of others? The devil doesn't like hearing such prayers.

Holy Spirit, I ask You to help me be alert against any attack of the enemy by posting the sentinels of prayer and Your Word at the door of my heart. I praise You for showing me how to guard my heart, and pray that I will have a continuously thankful heart. Amen.

79.

Suspicious of Suspicion Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious . . . it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (G.o.d's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it . . . does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circ.u.mstances, and it endures everything. . . . Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].

-1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8 (A) These words about love are familiar to most of us, but I can honestly say that living them has not always been easy for me. As a child, I was not exposed to this kind of love-in fact, I was taught to be suspicious of everyone. I was told that the motives of other people were not to be trusted.

As I got older, I encountered people whose actions confirmed in my mind that my suspicions were justified. Even as a young Christian, I experienced disappointment because of the obvious motives of some people in the church. While it is wise to be aware of people's motives, we must be careful that we don't allow our suspicious nature to negatively affect our feelings about everyone.

An overly suspicious nature can poison your mind and affect your ability to love and accept other people. Consider this example.

Suppose a friend approaches you after a church service, and says, "Do you know what Doris thinks about you?" Then this friend tells you every detail of the things Doris said. The first problem is that a true friend wouldn't share such information. And the second problem is that with an already suspicious mind, you now believe secondhand information.

Once your mind has been poisoned against someone, suspicion grows. That's when Satan gains a stronghold in your mind. Every time Doris says something to you, you are automatically suspicious, thinking, What does she really mean? Or if she's nice to you, you think, I wonder what she wants from me.

That's how Satan works. If he can make you suspicious of others, it isn't long before you don't trust anything they say. And if you've been hurt like this several times, the devil can poison your thinking to the point that you start wondering who else may be talking about you behind your back.

Let's continue the example. Suppose that one day in church, Doris is sitting just a few rows in front of you, clapping her hands and praising the Lord. Immediately you think, She's such a hypocrite.

Then the Holy Spirit directs your thoughts to your own condition, and the fact that you were clapping and praising the Lord while harboring bad feelings toward Doris. Didn't Jesus tell us to make peace with others before we present our gifts to Him? (see Matthew 5:24).

Convicted by these words of Jesus, suppose you step forward and apologize to Doris for the bad feelings you have toward her . . . and she stares at you in absolute shock. Then you realize your mistake. You misinterpreted the information your friend had shared with you about Doris, allowing the devil to turn you against a wonderful, G.o.dly woman.

This is a good example of how suspicion can cripple relations.h.i.+ps and destroy our joy while it leads us astray. This is why learning to develop a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love is so important.

It took me a while to overcome a lifetime of suspicions, but I finally learned that when we love G.o.d's way, we have no place for suspicion of others.

Lord, I thank You for showing me how to overcome my suspicious nature by teaching me how to love others with Your kind of love. Thank You, Jesus, for being patient with me and for being my great example. Amen.

80.

Trust G.o.d Completely But when He was in Jerusalem during the Pa.s.sover Feast, many believed in His name [identified themselves with His party] after seeing His signs (wonders, miracles) which He was doing. But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men]; and He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men's hearts].

-JOHN 2:23-25 How deeply can we trust others? How much of ourselves do we give to others, and how vulnerable are we to them? I suppose the answers to these questions are as varied as the different situations. But considering the questions is definitely food for thought.

Those of us who have been hurt by trusting too much tend to pull back when we get into certain situations. I was once involved with a group of women whom I dearly loved, but eventually I realized our relations.h.i.+p wasn't healthy for them or for me. I had become too dependent on them, even placing a trust in them that belongs only to G.o.d.

All of us know we're supposed to place our ultimate trust only in the Lord. But sometimes we encounter individuals or groups who mean so much to us that we give too much of ourselves, or we allow them authority in our lives that belongs only to the Lord. When this happens, our lives are out of balance. And when we get out of balance, we open a door for the devil.

The words from John's gospel serve as an appropriate warning to us. He was speaking of the relations.h.i.+p Jesus had with His own beloved disciples. Jesus knew how much-and how little-He could trust even those who were closest to Him. He understood human nature-something all of us have.

Jesus knew that we, too, would need discernment about trusting others, so He sent His Holy Spirit to guide us and to let us know who we could trust. In 1 Corinthians 12:10, the apostle Paul referred to the spiritual gift called the discerning of spirits, and in verse 31, he urged us to "earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts . . ." One of these "great gifts" is discernment, and it helps us distinguish between good and bad, not just bad.

True spiritual discernment motivates us to pray when a problem is identified. A genuine problem being discerned by a genuine gift will follow the scriptural plan for dealing with it, not fleshly ways that only exaggerate the problem. As we walk closely with G.o.d and ask for His guidance, the Spirit will provide it.

As I mentioned earlier, some seem to have the "gift" of suspicion, and it comes out of an unrenewed mind. Discernment, on the other hand, is the fruit of a renewed spirit.

The book of Acts provides a good example of the discernment and trust issue. The Scriptures describe a couple named Ananias and Sapphira, who were members of the first church in Jerusalem. In those days, believers sold their possessions and shared them with others. This couple sold some land, kept part of the money, and brought the remainder to Peter. That was all right, because it was their money. But only giving part of the money and then leading Peter to believe it was all they had earned from the sale of their property, was not all right.

"But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit, and should [in violation of your promise] withdraw secretly and appropriate to your own use part of the price from the sale of the land?" (Acts 5:3). Peter pointed out that it was their land and their money. Their sin was in giving only part of the money and claiming it was everything. "You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to G.o.d" (v. 4b).

Both the husband and wife died for that deception. As terrible as that story is, it shows us clearly that the Holy Spirit knows our hearts. And it also shows us that the Spirit can show the intent of our hearts to faithful, committed servants such as Peter through discernment.

G.o.d wants us to love and trust others, but we need discernment to guide us. There is a line where our trust and commitment must be reserved only for the Lord. When we give that trust to others, not only will we be disappointed-for no human can live up to our expectations-but we disappoint G.o.d.

So don't make that mistake. It is wise to use discernment in loving and trusting others, but you will never go wrong by loving and trusting G.o.d completely.

Lord, I trust You, but I want to trust You even more. When I'm tempted to give the trust to others that only You deserve, please help me to be true to You. Help me, through Jesus Christ, to be sensitive to the leading of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

81.

Pleasant Words, Healing Words The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning and persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body.

-PROVERBS 16:23-24 Our thoughts can either get us into trouble or elevate us above our problems. Too often, however, we allow our minds to linger over and ponder the wrong kind of thoughts. In the verse above, it says the mind (or the heart) of the wise teaches his mouth. This proverb means that the thoughts on which we dwell will eventually come out in our words. If our words are good and uplifting, they encourage others and us.

Those thoughts aren't just about others-they are also about how we reflect on ourselves, as well. One of the smartest friends I had in school confessed one day that she felt intellectually inferior. Her words shocked me, and I told her so. I learned that her father used to call her stupid when she didn't grasp something the first time he explained it to her. Eventually, her own thoughts said to her, You aren't intelligent enough to understand this.