Our beliefs are the source of our actions. Our actions determine our fruits. Knowing this, will our beliefs lead us closer to God, or further away?
Eric Rank
FOT: Edify
How important are others in your life? How important are you in others’ lives? The answer to both questions is, “very.” Being a Christian intimately involves offering encouragement and building up one another. In our Christian journey, how can we edify others and how can we open ourselves to be edified as well?
I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You
God makes a promise to His people, that He will not forsake them. How can we understand this promise and apply it in our own lives? What do we need to do to assure that we will never be forsaken?
How are we to receive compliments and praise?
Knowing that human pride is a characteristic that Christians need to monitor closely and remove, how are we to respond when we receive a compliment? Should Christians reject all compliments from others? Is it possible to accept compliments from others without conceding to human pride? Is it possible to receive another’s compliment with complete joy, rather than mere acquiescence?
As a foundation in answering this question, we need to begin with an understanding of why human pride (correctly understood) is condemned. Citing from our Q&A asking, “Is Pride Always Condemned in the Bible? Part 1”, “God condemns human pride, which is opposed to God and which is unwilling to submit to Him. God despises those who wallow in haughtiness and who boast in their self-confidence and self-conceit. Such an attitude prevents a person from loving and obeying God with all of one’s heart and from loving his neighbor as oneself.”
This kind of pride is a human attribute, influenced by Satan, that elevates self above God and diminishes the glory of God. Pride became the downfall of Lucifer, who believed he was greater than God. It should be no surprise that Satan broadcasts a message that convinces the carnal man that he doesn’t need God or that God can be worshipped in ways that man has invented in His absence. For this reason, such pride is dangerous. When it begins to grow in one’s life, it results in an outcome of leading one away from God.
Compliments and praise undoubtedly offer fodder for pride unless we are careful. Hearing good things about ourselves can easily cause us to lift our opinions of ourselves if we aren’t grounded in understanding the source of our gifts. But it is perfectly fine to receive a compliment or accept praise when we acknowledge that God is the one who provides us with the good in our lives.
The Bible contains several examples of praise directed towards people. From these we will see how it is acceptable to accept compliments with sincere gratitude. We will also see how the examples of praise properly received gives glory to God, rather than man.
The example of Job provides us with a good example to begin with. The story opens up with God offering Job a compliment. “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’” (Compare Job 1:8, Job 2:3). While this is a compliment offered indirectly, we can still see that God is pleased with Job’s behavior – at least to begin with. Because of this, God expresses His praise for Job. However, as the story of Job progresses, his self-righteousness and pride become exposed. Job develops the opinion that he has done nothing to deserve his punishment, and condemns God because of it. Ultimately, God confronts him on the issue. Only then does Job see with utter clarity the error of his ways, acknowledging his imperfection, and repenting bitterly (compare Job 42:1-6). With humility, putting his pride in check, Job becomes even more blessed than he had been at the beginning (compare Job 42:12).
Job provides us with an initial counterexample of how to receive praise. Job’s conduct was pleasing to God, and certainly praiseworthy. However, by believing that his righteousness was for his own glory, Job missed the point. God is to be glorified as the Almighty, the Creator, the One without beginning or end, who rightly and justly rules over all creation. Yet, Job did not see that there can be no wrong with God, and wrongly accused God of judging him unjustly. The lesson is that we, as flesh and blood members of the human race, are not to develop opinions of ourselves that bring glory to ourselves when it rightly belongs to God.
The Bible contains several examples that demonstrate the correct way to receive praise. That is, by accepting the compliment acknowledging the gift that comes from God.
When Joseph was called to Pharaoh to interpret dreams, Pharaoh paid him a compliment as one who was endowed with the skill he sought. “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.’ So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace’” (Genesis 41:15-16). This example shows the correct frame of mind to have when receiving a compliment. When Joseph was praised for having the skill to interpret dreams, he was quick to acknowledge that the ability did not come from him, but from the gift of God. In this, Joseph glorified God, and in turn influenced Pharaoh to also acknowledge His power (compare Genesis 41:37). Compliments directed toward us really belong to God who blesses us.
Jesus Christ offered compliments, either directly or indirectly, to many individuals who expressed faith and other godly virtues (compare Luke 21:3-4, Luke 18:13-14, Matthew 15:28, Luke 17:19, Mark 10:52, Luke 18:42). The example of the centurion who came to Jesus asking for healing of his servant provides us with a particularly inspiring model. “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour” (Matthew 8:8-13). In this example, the centurion receives praise from Jesus in the midst of many others. The praise bestowed upon him for his faith could have easily gone to his head, causing the centurion to think more of his righteous behavior than he ought. However, the example of humility and subservience to Christ stands out poignantly. By acknowledging Jesus Christ’s power and authority, the centurion accepts the compliment of his faith with grace.
Not only did Jesus Christ offer compliments, but he also received them. At the beginning of His ministry when He became baptized by John, God pays Jesus Christ a compliment from the heavens, declaring, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Compare Matthew 3:17). As we know, Jesus led a perfectly righteous life, overcoming all temptation and defeating sin. It was for that purpose that God the Father sent His Son to the Earth. To witness that event when His ministry began was clearly a proud moment for God. We don’t see the response from Jesus when paid this compliment from His Father, but other places in the Bible clearly express how He considered His righteousness.
Jesus knew that the glory of His righteousness belonged to God. In expressing the plan of God, Jesus said, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30, compare also John 5:19). Clearly, Jesus Christ understood that His ability to live a righteous life was a direct result of the Father’s Holy Spirit working mightily within Him to maintain the perfect judgment with the mind of God. This serves as an example for us as followers of Christ, that our ability to judge righteously works the same way. When we are able to do what is right, the glory belongs to God. Even the most subtle of compliments received by Jesus Christ were an opportunity for Him to glorify His Father in heaven.
Our model to follow ought to be clear. The right way to receive a compliment from others is by acknowledging the good that works in our lives as coming through God’s inspiration and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us. The source of all that is truly good are blessings from God. Paul expresses the perspective that we should have in 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” The work that Paul and his coworkers did, laid the groundwork for the Church of God that we belong to today. It is not an overstatement to say that the effect of their work was tremendous. Yet, in the enormity of that work, Paul’s perspective is one of humility. The glory goes to God, not man. For He provides us with the source of strength (compare Psalm 28:7, Psalm 27:1, Exodus 15:2).
When we live our lives in obedience to God’s commandments, we will bear good fruit that those around us will recognize. Happy families, good relationships with people around us, abundance in our work, and spiritual prosperity are fruits that even the world can see. When we receive compliments from people who acknowledge the product of our inspired lives, what will we do? Will we allow a belief to take root in our minds that we are something important because of what we alone have done? Or will we do what Jesus Christ instructs us to do? Will we give thanks and pass along the praise to God so that He may receive the glory? “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Lead Writer: Eric Rank
Soldier On
Being a Christian inherently involves conflict with the world, which increasingly rejects God. In the battle we fight against evil, what do we need to do to assure our victory?
How to Abound
As I write this Editorial, I am enjoying a vacation, absent from work and spending a lot of time relaxing with my family. Taking the time off from work without having the burden to handle the day-to-day tasks and spending time on the beach feels absolutely luxurious. And in many ways, it truly is. A frequent meditation on this trip involves my gratitude for the blessings that God has provided to make it possible to spend a little bit of time abounding in joy.
Knowing the grim future that lies in store for the world and knowing that the paramount motivations for Christians are spiritual, it can be hard (for me) to make the space to enjoy physical blessings. But to reject all joy that has roots in physical existence is to deny the fact that we are human. Certainly, God provides blessings in this life for us to enjoy, but how can we reconcile the need to live according to the Spirit?
It brings to mind the state of mind that Paul mentions in Philippians 4:11-12, “…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Seeing that Paul knew how to abound, living at times a life of fullness and abundance, there must be a way to do so ourselves without compromising righteousness. In fact, we can see some of the keys directly in this statement, beginning with contentment.
By placing value in our spiritual relationship with God over and above whatever physical blessings there might be, it allows us to be content. Paul’s contentment originates from his trust in God believing that He will provide all that he needs, whether it makes him hungry or full. If our obedient actions are our focus rather than the targeted results according to worldly metrics, it doesn’t matter whether we are blessed with a lot or a little. With that state of mind, what matters in our lives is our relationship with God, making everything else incidental. Maintaining contentment in a broad spectrum of physical circumstances requires spiritual motivations that transcend the physical outcomes of our actions.
Even so, God promises blessings in physical ways, which are the natural results of obedience. “‘Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God…’” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). The promises that follow the conditional proclamation on obedience in this chapter of the Bible describe abundance in mainly physical terms. To abound then, requires obedience first. But as we learn from Paul, when properly motivated, contentment is a result regardless of the physical benefit of obedience. Clearly, God provides blessings on obedience for the purpose of our enjoyment. To abound then involves enjoying the fruits of obedience as well!
If we want to know how to abound in the world we live, the prescription is simple. Our focus must be on our way of life, ensuring that we are living lives that are pleasing to God. To abound in life involves obedience first. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). By abounding in the work of supporting the Church’s commission for this end time of preaching the gospel in all the world as a witness and of overcoming sin in our lives, thereby expressing love towards God and our fellow man, we will also have the ability to abound in enjoying the physical blessings God provides for us in our lives now.
Future, Fear, Focus, Faith
The Bible instructs us to seek the future Kingdom of God. But we know that perilous times will lead up to that future point in time. What can we do to endure the trials that we have yet to face?
Do Your Best
Why is it important for us as Christians to do our best at whatever we choose to do? What can we do to dedicate ourselves in our lives?
Finding Balance
One of the joys that I’ve had over the past three months as I have adapted to work from home is my morning routine. I wake up between six and seven in the morning, normally with just enough time to get dressed before our twin toddlers begin calling out our names. With my day barely started, my morning routine begins to incorporate their adventurous whims.
Every day is a little bit different, but it always involves play and breakfast. I get to engage with them in the role playing they have with their plastic toy figures, jumping and flying, while I creatively try to direct their attention to changing out of their pajamas. We eventually make it downstairs where we prepare breakfast. Most of the time they insist on helping to cook, which I oblige by giving them the simplest task possible. Fortunately, they are satisfied by pouring cups of water and oats into a pot. Once breakfast is prepared and on the table I lead a prayer together before our meal, after which they add a prayer of their own – they’re so independent! With the twins, it takes twice as long to prepare in the morning than it normally would, but the opportunity to peer into the world of toddlers’ imaginations is well worth it.
In this age when it is so easy to find reasons to complain, it is important to remember to enjoy the gifts that we are blessed with. Life abounds with things we need to take seriously, but if we remain in a mode where everything we choose to do triggers a stress response, it would serve us well to evaluate our balance in life. As Solomon observes, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven… A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4). By recognizing when the time is right to take a break from the world of problems and obligations that surround us, we will find renewed strength. A moment laughing at something silly, or dancing in the kitchen, or even better – doing both at the same time, can be a breath of fresh air when we may desperately need it.
As playtime and breakfast in the morning with my little ones eventually comes to an end, my workday begins. Laughter subsides, and I get down to the business of the day. It is normally not as fun, but it is also very important. If we neglect to take important events in life as seriously as we should or otherwise avoid difficult circumstances that we really need to face, once again, it would serve us well to evaluate our balance in life. God expects us to face our difficulties and work with dedication. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). The Christian character we develop includes facing challenges that will not be as enjoyable as laughter and dancing, but a full life requires it.
Finding balance takes time and self-evaluation. Catching ourselves when we lose balance and correcting ourselves requires careful discernment. By recognizing when to laugh and when to cry; when to play and when to work; we will grow into the people that God is training us to be. Fortunately for us, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us in our search for balance in life. It is up to us to use it.
The Language of Violence
With protests and anger dominating the news, we see escalating emotions, rhetoric, and violent action taking place around us. It seems that the only way that people can be heard in the world requires this kind of confrontation. Is there a better way? There is, and God commands it.