“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.                                                                                                                                              Matthew 5:25-26

“The best way to get rid of your enemies is to make them your friends.”

Abraham Lincoln

The precepts of the Sermon on the Mount are profound. In the passage above, Jesus gives an example that common people can relate to. Someone is taking you to court because you have wronged them. Jesus gives a very simple and practical piece of advice- settle up before you get into more trouble than you have bargained for. This means that one must recognize their problem, then do something, sooner than later, to rectify it.

The allegorical Judge here is God the Father, who has the power and authority demand a penalty for our wrongs. We can be reconciled long before such judgment takes place by recognizing the forgiveness that Jesus offers. I call that agreeing with God.

This is good practice all the time. I always liked Lincoln’s quote above –“The best way to get rid of your enemies is to make them your friends.” What a practical and logical thought. Endeavor to make friends and you run out of enemies. I think about the practical and freeing idea of reconciling with adversaries long before there are serious problems that may arise.

 More importantly, we need to reconcile with God. We need to agree with Him in order to lead a peaceful life.

I like that idea of agreeing with God. I mean, who would really want to intentionally disagree with God? But we actually do that a lot. So, I make a list of the things I agree with God about.

I agree that I am a sinner in need of his grace.

I agree that he has extended that grace freely.

I agree that he loves me, even when I am not loveable.

I agree that I am forgiven.

I agree that I am commanded to love others, even when they are unlovable.

That wasn’t so hard, was it? 

Prayer: Thank you Father for the simple truths that set us free, Amen.

 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many lives. So now, do not fear. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.                                                                                                                                                                            Genesis 50:20-21 (MEV)

Coming home this morning from my walk, I found that my glasses had become quite foggy. No surprise there since I wore a mask to cover my freezing nose, and the result was a blinding fog on my glasses. When I got home, I removed my glasses, and ironically, of course, I could see much better. The remedy for my impaired eyesight (glasses), had become the problem. The problem was solved by removing what had originally been the solution to the problem.

Then, when I removed the glasses, I used the steam on the glasses to clean them. The problem itself (the steam) became the solution to the problem. I realized that there must be a story in there. I think the lesson is this- sometimes things that appear to be problems can be solutions, and what appear to be solutions can become problems. 

We are experiencing problems on many levels in our country right now. Maybe those problems can become the start of solutions. The travesty of the storming of our nation’s Capitol, which we commemorated this past week, can become the catalyst for healing a nation so deeply divided by political rhetoric. This painful episode of our history can be used for good or evil.

Let’s make sure we use it for good.

Prayer: Lord, you can redeem any pain and trouble into our good. Help us see that and work toward that end, Amen.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.   I Corinthians 13:12                                                                                              

I had a discussion with a client the other day about the roads we did not take in life. We all have decisions that we make every day, and some are more impactful than others. Truthfully, all are important. We talked about decisions he had made- roads traveled- that have brought him into this place in his life.

We both began to wonder, “what about those roads we did not take?” Indeed, there were paths that we chose somewhat unwittingly. Some, where clearly God had laid out for us directions of which we could not possibly have known the ultimate impact.

Sometimes we call it luck, and the truth is, chance does play a part sometimes. Often, we have been led on paths where we simply took the next step, and God went ahead and paved the road for us. Sometimes, one little step in the wrong direction may have derailed our whole life. Simple decisions- that is they seemed simple at the time- may have changed the course of our entire life.

It is good to reflect back on how God intervened in places where we could not have known the ultimate outcome. My belief is that if we look back closely, we can see an invisible hand that guides us even when we don’t know it is there.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for directing my path, even when I did not see your hand in it, Amen

How can I stand up before God
    and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
    topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
    with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
    my precious baby, to cancel my sin? But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
    what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
    be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
    take God seriously

Micah 6:6-8 (The Message)

The prophet Micah delivered this message to the people of Israel after reminding them how God had delivered them time and again from their enemies. He had even made an analogy earlier in this passage about pleading a court case. Here was his simple plea – Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously — take God seriously.

He told people that God is not moved or impressed by multiple sacrifices of animals, and ample gifts of oil, etc. God’s simple desire is that we treat his creation with love and respect. He wants us to honor one another and care for each other. Oh, and by the way, we are not to take ourselves too seriously!

What a great simple message. Religion over the millennia has gone to great lengths to find formulas to please God. For the most part, I think intentions were good, but religion takes itself too seriously. If rules and formulas are too complicated, they can’t be followed.

I like the way Micah thinks.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving us, and asking only love for others in return, Amen

The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
    the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
    those who help others are helped.

Proverbs 11:24-25 (The Message)

As we grow and mature from infancy to adulthood and finally into our senior years, our world should get larger, not smaller. When a baby is born, the world essentially centers around that baby, and rightly so. All attention is given to the care, nurture and safety of that precious child. As the child gets older, her world gets larger. More people come into her life- maybe a new sibling; daycare playmates; pre-school peers, etc. She needs to learn to share her space with others.

As we get older still, we must share more things with others, and we must learn to be socially aware. We begin to understand that there are many others in the world, and that the world is not here to cater to my needs.

As we get older still, we continue to learn about this marvelous world. We understand that there is always something new to learn, and that others are on that journey with us who may need our help.

Even as we get older still, we need to be ready to learn new things to expand our world. The book of Proverbs talks about one way to expand our world through generosity. The paradox it explains is that the more we help, the more we are helped.

Pretty amazing, right?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your marvelous plans of how we learn and grow until we die, Amen

A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones

Proverbs 14:30 (The Message)

“I’m not angry, I’m just frustrated”. I hear that a lot, and I understand where that thinking comes from. Many of my clients do not want to say that they are feeling angry. There is nothing wrong with owning that we have anger, but somehow, we want to minimize that. Calling our anger “frustration” is a way to call anger another name.

I think the formula looks like this: Frustration = Anger + Sadness + Disappointment. The disappointment somewhat dampens the sense of anger in that our expectations have not been met. We don’t feel that we have the right to be angry just because our expectations have been dashed. We have a mixture of feelings which we label frustration.

I am not saying that this is inaccurate. The label of frustration seems to be a reasonable definition of the feeling. I delve into this discussion so that we can clearly, honestly, and accurately label our emotions. Self-awareness of our emotions, and willingness to own them, is a very healthy practice. Sometimes, I ask my clients to keep a “feeling log” of those emotions so that we can really look into exactly what emotions they are experiencing at the moment.

It is a good practice. On all levels, the truth sets us free. So, as we start the year, maybe consider keeping track of your emotions, and the triggers for them. It is helpful to be aware of what is really happening with us so that we can own our emotions, and make sure that we are not blaming others for the things that we are responsible for.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the freedom and the experience of our emotions. Help us to own them and manage them for our good and your glory, Amen.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

While there are great disparities in gifts that we have all been given, one gift that is equally distributed is the gift of time. We all have 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and 365 days in a year.

Now, I realize that some people need to devote more of that precious time to earning a living than some others. The question then becomes, how much time MUST one devote to earning a living, and how much does one CHOOSE to devote to that. That is a very subjective determination, and one that cannot be tackled here in this brief space.

I would suggest that we, as we begin this new year, we take a serious look at exactly how we spend our time. Priorities will determine how we allocate the time we have. How much time will I spend in the activities not associated with earning a living?

We have all said, “I don’t have time for that” or, “I’m too busy” for that. Certainly true very often. As long as we are completely honest with ourselves, we are in good position to make that determination.

My question to ponder is this- “What do I want to make time for this year? What should I make time for this year?”

I will visit this again in future blogs. In the meantime, how do you want to allocate your precious time this year? 

Prayer: Lord, help us to be good stewards of the precious gift of time, Amen.

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^] The old has gone, the new is here!                                                                                                                                                          II Corinthians 5:17

We enter a new year, 2022. Let us use this opportunity for new starts, new hopes, new outlook on a world that seems to be hurt and ailing. Let us see the year of 2022 as another opportunity to love and serve those around us. We live out the gospel by loving others in order to love their Creator.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Prayer: Lord, all new chances to make this year one of getting closer to you, Amen.

A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.      Proverbs 25:28 (The Message)

It is the time of year that we start making resolutions. There are some simple rules that help the process. Resolutions should be practical, measurable and achievable, as well as easy to remember. I also think that we should plan for resolutions on three basic levels of health that must always be considered- physical, spiritual, and mental/emotional.

For example, one might consider walking at least 15 minutes/day. A brisk walk, done regularly, enhances both physical and mental health. Exercise has been shown to be effective in reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Further, the physical benefits of exercise are too numerous to mention in a brief blog. Trust me when I say that exercise pays off far beyond the effort that it takes to do it.

Spiritually, there are so many practices that we can consider- meditation, prayer, reading, uplifting music, etc. The point here is the regularity of it. We need daily realignment of our spirit to be emotionally healthy. If you are like me, we look for ways to multi-task on this. Praying while walking is a great practice, and it aligns all of our being in one dedicated practice.

Finally, and certainly you have noticed this, our mental and emotional health is enhanced as we practice the other disciplines. They are all interconnected and affected by one another- for good or ill.

Just some ideas for resolutions.  Remember too that good self-esteem is produced by keeping promises to ourselves. To the extent that we keep those promises we make to ourselves, and thereby enhance trust in ourselves, the better our confidence and esteem becomes.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us all the tools for health. Help is to use them regularly and wisely, Amen

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5:3-4

I love how Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, shocked people with his opening statement. He hit them with the paradoxical statement that the poor will inherit the kingdom of heaven. He knew how to get the crowd’s attention, I think.

Depending on which translation you use, you will find something over 200 times that the Bible mentions the word “poor”. Clearly, dealing properly with poor people is a major theme and concern of the writers. People can argue, who are “the poor”, and it would be a good discussion.

There are many types of poverty. There is financial poverty, with which we are most acquainted. It is somewhat easy to quantify. Indeed, governments have poverty indices which measure degrees of wealth or lack of it.

There is also spiritual poverty, which is much more difficult to define. This is a highly subjective measure. It is also hard to measure because some people are not even aware that they are spiritually poor. Those are the folks with a real problem. If we think we have things figured out, and that we do not need God in our life, such ones are the poorest of people.

Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. He meant that people who recognize their spiritual poverty recognize their need for a savior- that know they cannot save themselves. They are in a position to access the riches of God through their search for God’s grace.

In the next few blogs, I am going to discuss what “poor” is and what I think proper responses are. Clearly, in the case of spiritual poverty, acceptance of one’s state is critical. What about physical/financial poverty?

I’ll talk about that tomorrow…

Prayer: Lord, give us wisdom as to how to look at poverty, Amen