Worthy Words

You personally may not be prone to chaos, but I can assure you that the world is, and many of the people around you are, and sometimes it doesn't take much for pandemonium to take over. So when chaos breaks out how do you keep your head on straight even when nobody else has a clue about what to do? When things get chaotic remember that chaos will never fix itself. Your problems will seldom go away on their own and they usually can get worse. Also, you can’t count on others to resolve your chaos. There are crisis situations when the advice of majority is the last group you want to listen to. It almost always hinders wise decision-making. There will be times when you will have to stand alone and against the tide of public opinion and choose to do what you know is right rather than what everyone else thinks is right. The one you can count on to redeem the disorder of your out-of-control situation is God. Acknowledge that he is not the author of your disorder but the one w...

Integrity is a word that we need to use with caution. When some people hear it, it sounds to them like an accusation. They think, "Integrity. That's not me. I don't have it. I've never had it. I'll never have it. I've dug too deep of a hole for myself to ever crawl out into a life of integrity. It will forever be out of my reach." When other people hear it, they pat themselves on the back with a sense of smug self-satisfaction. "Yes, I'm in the top tier. I have integrity." The problem with the word integrity, as with the word character, is that many people pick and choose where they want it to be applied. Without question integrity involves every area of your life, not just the areas you're good at. No matter where you are on the integrity spectrum, you can get better. It's not too late to make some changes. You see the integrity that matters most is your integrity. You may be tempted to evaluate your husband or wife or you...

We fear everything. We fear failure. We fear success. We fear being alone. We fear feeling trapped in a relationship. We fear poverty, and we fear the responsibilities and perils that come with affluence. We fear sickness, and we fear the discomfort that comes with making healthy lifestyle choices. We fear change but we're also afraid things will never be different than they are now. We fear missing out on something good, and we fear making the decisions that will give us a better life. Whatever it is, we fear it, coming and going. And the truth is that God doesn't want you to live in fear. He wants you to live a life defined by power, love and a sound mind. “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Power, love, and a sound mind. These three things should define your Christ-following life, not fear and timidity. The word power is dunamis, where we get the word dynamite. I like this word because it remin...

William Barclay tells a great story about the 18th century poet, Samuel Johnson. Dr. Johnson was being shown around a lavish castle estate, and he turned to those with him and said, "These are things that make it difficult to die." Have you ever felt that way? "I love this car so much, I don't ever want to lose it. I want to take it to heaven with me. I want to see what the thing does on streets of gold." Possessions and the desire for more have a way of gripping your soul and distorting your values, even to the point where you think that owning a few toys, or getting a piece of paper in the mail each month with enough numbers on it, is better than spending eternity with Jesus. The lure of money and the desire for more also has a way of giving you a false sense of security. We're often tempted to think, "If I only had a sizable and steady stream of cash coming in, I would be so happy. All my problems would be solved and all my worries would dis...

It's fascinating to watch a potter at the wheel, how that lump of clay keeps changing form until it becomes a piece of art, a vase, a pot, a cup, a bowl. It happens because the clay is moldable. Changeable. Shapeable. Malleable. Pliable. Adaptable. “The jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” (Jeremiah 18:4) How many times have you heard someone say, in reference to one of their faults, "This is just the way I am. I've always been this way and I will always be this way. You'll just have to learn to accept it." Have you heard that? You can't use a "This is the way I am, so take it or leave it" attitude with anything in life that matters. You can't do it with God. You can't do it with success. You can't do it with your health or with your finances. You sure can’t do it with your relationships either, if you want your relationships to thrive. If your attitude is...