American Idol Attitude

How many of us have known someone who was arrogant or proud?  How did you feel about them?  Did they annoy you?  Did you feel bad for the person they were being arrogant towards?  Did you feel that their pride was making them look self-centered, vain and egotistical?  In the end did you think that the person was making more of a fool of themselves?  Do you feel that all the skills or knowledge that they bragged about was really just disgraced and made null and void by their attitudes?  Now think about yourself?  How do you behave with others?  Do you think you are better than them?  Do you think they are equal with you?  Do you think maybe you have some skills or knowledge that makes you more important than others? Do you ever let pride build up in you over an accomplishment?  Are you ever braggadocious? I have seen that attitude several times lately on American Idol. I am knew to watching it.  Seemed like a lot of great talent had been found this season and I wanted to see what happened.  However, I have seen some pretty proud people vying for the top spots. It really made them look bad. Took some points off in my mind for wanting them to win over the others.  Proverbs 11:2 says,

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

The writer of this proverb is telling us that pride will just make us look bad.  All our skills and knowledge are lowered with an arrogant attitude.  However, he balances it out with an answer to the problem  If we want to not be shamed by our behavior, than we need to be humble. Instead with our humility, we will gain wisdom.  So common sense should tell us to learn to be humble and we will gain wisdom and not be embarrassed.  In the process people will still see our skills and knowledge and perhaps seem them even clearer, because they won’t be standing there with their mouths opened looking at us thinking what a disgraceful attitude.

Prayer That Hits the Target

There are so many things that we pray for.  We pray for the interview to go well.  We pray just to get called for an interview, when we turn in a job application.  We pray for the neighbor’s dog to stop barking.  We pray for the money to pay the bills.  We pray for the cute boy across the room to look our way.  We pray for our teenagers to listen to us and be safe on the road.  We pray for our sick friend to be made well.  None of these prayers are bad in themselves.  There is a prayer however that is probably one of the most important prayers we could ever pray for ourselves or someone else.  It is is the type of prayer that is on target.   It is something we should earnestly and fervently seek in our lives and in our Christian brother’s and sister’s lives.  The prayer for God’s Will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding should be one of our top priorities in our prayer lives.  Paul knew this to be very important.  Read Colossians 1:9 –

“For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,”

No matter whether there is good or bad going on in our lives God’s Will in all wisdom will greatly benefit us.  To have spiritual understanding will help us to get through life.  The reasons why things are going the way they are going will make much more sense with knowledge of God’s Will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.  These things will help us to stay on target in our walk with the Lord.

All Things

They say that the original language that the New Testament was written in was the perfect language to use for all time to get the clear meaning across to the readers.  God is so perfect in everything He does.  For Jesus to come in to this world at the perfect time when the Greek language was being used so that His story would be told accurately is a wonderful thought.  It is always great to see how God is so in control of everything.  You can learn a lot of important things by going back to the Greek.  For instance, take a look at Philippians 4:12-13.

¹² I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret [of being content]—whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. ¹³ I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

There are so many of us that can quote Philippians 4:13 from memory.  It is one of those verses that encourages us when we are about to take on something beyond our normal means.  In the Greek language the most important words are first in the sentence.  In this particular verse the first words are “all things”.  In other words “All things I can do.”  What an encouragement to know that I can do all things.  Not some, but all.  If Christ gives us an assignment, there is no doubt that we can do it.  Let’s say that He wants you to tell your neighbor about Him.  You have never witnessed before.  You have never attended a training class on how to share the gospel, etc.  Well, now you know there is no doubt that you will have the ability to share the gospel with your neighbor.  This verse also contains the words “Him who strengthens me”.  The reason we can do all things is due to the fact that Christ strengthens me.  What a great encouragement this verse is.  Memorize it.  Take it to heart and apply it to all that Christ calls you to do.

Words of Satisfaction

Remember that song, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”? Not the best lyrics, but it is trying to make the point that the man tries all these different things and can’t get any satisfaction out of them.  This song represents a very sad way to live.  Yet, God has made us to live our lives in ways that are more than just satisfying; our lives were to be fulfilling.  Jesus came that we might have an abundant life.  One of the ways that God teaches in His Word to get satisfaction is through the words we speak and share with others.  Read Proverbs 12:14.

A man will be satisfied with good by the words of his mouth, and the work of a man’s hands will reward him.

Many times we don’t really realize how important our words are.  We carelessly speak words, thinking it doesn’t really matter.  We say to ourselves, “What does it matter what I said.  They will forget what I said anyways.”  However, in reality, once you have said something you can’t take it back.  You can try to apologize or delete that post from Facebook, but if someone has seen or heard your words you cannot erase them from their minds.  Rash, foolish or angry words will end up bringing us bad things.  We will get no satisfaction out of them.  Good, kind, helpful, loving, wise words will reap all kinds of benefits.  We will gain satisfaction from them.  Basically this is the concept of “reaping what you sowing”.  What an encouragement to know that God will bless us for the good words we use. If you plant good seed, you will get good plants.  So think of your words seeds and maybe you will see great rewards grow out of them.

 

American Idol Attitude

How many of us have known someone who was arrogant or proud?  How did you feel about them?  Did they annoy you?  Did you f eel bad for the person they were being arrogant towards?  Did you feel that their pride was making them look self-centered, vain and egotistical?  In the end did you think that the person was making more of a fool of themselves?  Do you feel that all the skills or knowledge that they bragged about was really just disgraced and made null and void by their attitudes?  Now think about yourself?  How do you behave with others?  Do you think you are better than them?  Do you think they are equal with you?  Do you think maybe you have some skills or knowledge that makes you more important than others? Do you ever let pride build up in you over an accomplishment?  Are you ever braggadocious? I have seen that attitude several times lately on American Idol. I am knew to watching it.  Seemed like a lot of great talent had been found this season and I wanted to see what happened.  However, I have seen some pretty proud people vying for the top spots. It really made them look bad. Took some points off in my mind for wanting them to win over the others.  Proverbs 11:2 says,

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

The writer of this proverb is telling us that pride will just make us look bad.  All our skills and knowledge are lowered with an arrogant attitude.  However, he balances it out with an answer to the problem  If we want to not be shamed by our behavior, than we need to be humble.
Instead with our humility, we will gain wisdom.  So common sense should tell us to learn to be humble and we will gain wisdom and not be embarrassed.  In the process people will still see our skills and knowledge and perhaps seem them even clearer, because they won’t be
standing there with their mouths opened looking at us thinking what a disgraceful attitude.

Handle With Care

Sometimes we see on packages the instructions “Handle with Care” or “Fragile” written on them.  It’s important to pay attention to instructions when we come across them.  If we didn’t follow those particular instructions, we could break something very valuable.  That happened to us one time.  Some relatives from back East shipped us a beautiful, antique engraved crystal vase.  It was a family heirloom that was a wedding gift to a relative 150 years ago.  It came with an antique photo of the woman with the vase.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t handled with care, which ended in its destruction.

God had some important instructions for us to follow too.  In the Old Testament He told the Israelites in Exodus 20:12 –

“Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”

Then Jesus thought it was important enough to repeat in Luke 18:20 –

“You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”

In other words, nothing has changed, God expects us to still honor our parents.  To honor means 1) To hold in respect; esteem, or 2) To show respect for, or 3) To confer distinction on.  God knows that we sometimes won’t agree with our parents.  God knows that we won’t necessarily have the same lifestyles or likes as our parents.  Yet, God still expects and commands us to honor them.  After all God placed them in our lives.  He made them our authority.  Even when we don’t agree with our parents, this gives us a chance to apply biblical principles as we develop our relationship with our parents.  It is also a means to show God’s love to them, even when we disagree. 

If we don’t follow God’s instructions about our parents then we may end up with a relationship that is like that “Handle with Care” packaged vase that arrived in a million pieces.  Take time to show your appreciation to your mom, no matter what your history with her is.  Take time to honor and love her as God expects you to do.  Bless your mom with your love.

In the Habit of Remembering

We all have good memories and bad memories.  Sometimes we dwell on those memories for the wrong reasons.  We think over and over again on the bad memories and drive ourselves insane with what we could have done differently to make the outcome better.  We focus on good memories to pump ourselves emotionally.  Remembering things is important.  God expects us to remember.  However in Psalm 63:6 – 8 God gives us instructions on the best way to use our time to remember things:

“6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.”

David was on the run from King Saul when he wrote this Psalm.  He was hiding in the wilderness.  His life was in shambles.  His family’s lives were at risk.  He spent his time thinking about what God had done.  He realized that God had been his help all that time and that He should stay faithful and rejoice in what God is doing.

Like David when we have free time, we are to focus on God.  For example, many of us have trouble falling to sleep.  We are consumed with the stresses of our day at work or in our family.  That’s a great time to think on the character of God.  We can spend time remembering the stories we have read or learned out of the Bible about God and His people, we learn about how God thinks and works.  We see fellow believers struggling with issues and learning to hear God and obey.  We see God responding to needs and providing.  We realize that we are not alone and God is there for us.  We, too, can rejoice in what God will do in our lives knowing that He love us.

So, start changing some of your thinking habits.  Get in the habit of remembering what God has done for those in the Bible and what God has done for you and your family during your lifetime.

The Breath of Understanding

God is so amazing.  With a single breath He can do so much.  First in Genesis chapter 1, we see He started with breathing life in to every living creature.  Then in Genesis chapter 2, we see Him breathing life in to the first man, Adam.  Then in Exodus chapter 15, we see God breathing over the seas and taking care of Israel’s enemies.  In II Samuel chapter 22, we see David praising God for his rescue from his enemies by God’s breath.

God breathed spiritual life in to us, when we believed what His Son did for us on Calvary and through His resurrection.  To be made spiritually alive by the breath of God is the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to us.  Once that happens we have the opportunity for God’s breath to give us another spiritual gift from above.  Read Job 32:7 and 8 -

“7 I thought that age should speak and maturity should teach wisdom.8 But it is a spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty that give him understanding.”

Elihu, one of Job’s good friends, share’s with us a very important piece of information that will benefit us as we walk through this world.  It isn’t our education or our time of learning from wise men that gives us true wisdom.  It isn’t living to a ripe old age on this Earth and learning wisdom through experience during a long life that gives us true wisdom.  It is the spirit that lives in us and God breathing understanding in to us.  We will never be able to obtain true wisdom or understanding on our own.  It is only going to be obtained when God chooses to breathe it in to our lives.  We need to seek it from Him.  It is a gift only He can give once we have Christ in our heart.  So ask God to breathe common sense in to you.  Ask with a pure heart or for the right reasons for God to give you a breath of understanding.

Takes Your Breath Away

Many a romantic poem, love story or love song speaks about the love that takes your breath away.  Or you are out in some beautiful country side and the view takes your breath away.  Did you ever think that the Lord and His wisdom could take your breath away?  That’s exactly how the Queen of Sheba felt about the Lord’s wisdom being demonstrated through King Solomon.  In I Kings chapter 10 verses 4 and 5 we read about the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon’s court:

4 When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, 5 the food at his table, his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the LORD’s temple, it took her breath away.

God’s wisdom is truly a thing of beauty that should take our breath away.  We should be so amazed by God and His wisdom that it takes our breath away like seeing a beautiful sunset.  Yet, many of us won’t even crack open our Bibles to spend time in God’s Word that teaches us wisdom.  We won’t spend time in quality prayer with God to learn God’s Wisdom.  We don’t appreciate God’s Wisdom for the beautiful thing that it is.  It is life giving and lifesaving.  It is refreshing, protective, educational, helpful and a blessing.

The Queen of Sheba demonstrated how important it was to her to get to King Solomon’s court and to witness God’s Wisdom.  She gave up many precious things from her kingdom to just be there to stand an listen.  What would you give up to be in ear shot of God’s wisdom?  Does God’s Wisdom take your breath away?

Prayer That Hits the Target

There are so many things that we pray for.  We pray for the interview to go well.  We pray just to get called for an interview, when we turn in a job application.  We pray for the neighbor’s dog to stop barking.  We pray for the money to pay the bills.  We pray for the cute boy across the room to look our way.  We pray for our teenagers to listen to us and be safe on the road.  We pray for our sick friend to be made well.  None of these prayers are bad in themselves.  There is a prayer however that is probably one of the most important prayers we could ever pray for ourselves or someone else.  It is is the type of prayer that is on target.   It is something we should earnestly and fervently seek in our lives and in our Christian brother’s and sister’s lives.  The prayer for God’s Will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding should be one of our top priorities in our prayer lives.  Paul knew this to be very important.  Read Colossians 1:9 –

“For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,”

No matter whether there is good or bad going on in our lives God’s Will in all wisdom will greatly benefit us.  To have spiritual understanding will help us to get through life.  The reasons why things are going the way they are going will make much more sense with knowledge of God’s Will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.  These things will help us to stay on target in our walk with the Lord.