Liar Liar

Why do we lie? I mean, God knows the truth, so who are we trying to kid?

Take a look at Genesis 18:10-15 where Sarah lied about laughing when she heard God's promise that she would have a son when she was like 90 years old. Man, that's like your grand-mother having her first kid when you're about to get your driver's license. Yikes. I wonder if Sarah was just afraid she would look stupid if she was caught in the lie. In our lives, we probably lie to cover up something we did which we know was wrong.

But no matter how many times we lie, we know that lying always causes more problems than just telling the truth that we are trying to cover up. So why keep lying? If we believe that God knows the truth, shouldn't we stop the craziness and tell it like it is? Has anything good ever come from living a lie? I dare you to name one.

Family Feud

I confess that I do not always practice what I preach. Just ask anyone who knows my past. And one of my worst offenses is the continuing gap in my relationship with my parents and brothers who live 6 hours to the south.

I took a look at Genesis 13:5-9 today, and read about Abraham (then known as Abram), and his nephew Lot, and how Abraham was forced out of Egypt by Pharaoh.

The story goes on about how Abram, his wife Sarah, and Lot travel from Egypt to Negev to Bethel, where they pitched their tents. Remember that Abraham and Lot had both become pretty rich with lots of sheep, goats, and cattle. But the land of Bethel could not support both of them and their flocks of animals so closely together, causing fights to break out between the herdsman of Abraham and Lot. So Abraham offered Lot his choice- Lot could either go east and choose the well-watered valley of Jordan, or west to the land of Canaan. Lot decided to settle in the valley near Sodom, and Abraham went the other way to Canaan.

Abraham knew that a family feud was simmering and ready to explode. But instead of ignoring the problem, or waiting for someone else to step in and help, he took the initiative in settling the dispute. When Abraham offered Lot the first choice in land, he knew he risked being cheated out of the better place. But by making the first move, Abraham taught us what we know we should do but never do- 1) take the initiative in resolving problems with friends, family or co-workers 2) be humble, and let others have the first choice, even when you know it means you will get the short end of the stick, and 3) put family peace and unity above your own personal desires.

I need to practice what are just preached, so I'm off to call my brothers who I haven't talked to in about five years. Pray for me.

Tower of Pride

I was reading Genesis 11:1-9 today, and it finally hit me what this meant. The folks in Babylon wanted to make themselves famous by building a tower that reached into the sky. And being thousands of years before the birth of Christ, this was no small accomplishment. So what's the problem? I mean, we see skyscrapers being built all over the place all the time.

Remember, there weren't any towing hotels, office buildings or apartment buildings in this time of human history, so they weren't just trying to play "catch-up" with the folks in the next desert plain over. The problem was that the Babylonians built the tower as a tribute to themselves rather than God.

So, how does that apply to me?

Answer => do you build monuments to yourself? Maybe you don't build a tower, but do you glorify yourself with a closet full of the latest and most expensive clothes. Or, do you download every possible song you can? How about trophies from sports or other contests? There is nothing wrong with the newest pair of jeans, the latest album from your favorite band, or a trophy you earned from working hard at your craft. But, when we DEPEND on the stuff we have for our own self worth and how we are seen by friends and family, we are letting STUFF take the place of God in our lives.

What are the "towers" in your life?

What does God expect from me? Do I have to be perfect to please Him?

I have often wondered if we have to be perfect in order to please God. Some people view God as an impossible taskmaster with impossibly high expectations. I admit that at times that's how I feel.

But here's the deal: like any loving parent, God expects his kids (us) to act in a certain way. Some Christians may tell you about God's expectations based on where THEY are in THEIR walk with Him. However, lots of advise often contributes to the confusion, and to the wrong belief that God just expects too much, so why bother. So, if you are feeling overwhelmed by how you may or may not be pleasing God, you may be listening to other people's expectations, rather than God's.

So, how do we please God? The story of Cain and Abel in Genesis gives a pretty good idea of how this all fits together. Both of these guys brought something valuable to God, yet only Abel's sacrifice of a first-born from his flock of lambs pleased God, not Cain's crops. Why? Maybe it's because Cain's heart was not really into his offering, and he tried to please god out of an obligation instead of love.

The first step in pleasing God is to really look at ourselves, and be honest about our motivation to please Him. Do we really want to please Him, or are we just going through the motions because someone told us we should??

Obedience is also important in pleasing God. Not the kind of obedience demanded from our parents like keeping our room clean, doing our homework, or obeying curfew. Obedience to God means loving Him enough to listen to what He says, then following through on what we know He told us to do.

Through the Holy Spirit, God speaks to us as we come to Him with willing hearts. God gently shows us areas of our lives that we need to examine and change according to His timetable, not someone else's.
(source: Student's Life Application Study Bible-Tyndale)