Category Archives: Personal Growth

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Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Be Famous For Being Godly

SYNOPSIS: Far too many people today gain fame when they’ve made no real contribution to the world. They are famous for being famous — or famous for being infamous — which, if it gains them time in the spotlight, is perceived as good and worthy since the results justify the means. The Bible, however, says rather than being famous for being wealthy (or being bad or even being famous), we ought to pursue good character and allow our reputation to grow for that reason alone. God doesn’t care how much money we have, how many cars are in our garage, what kind of clothes we wear, if our crib is big, or how many social media followers we have. When we stand before God someday our lives will be evaluated by the godly character we’ve forged during our years on earth.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Moments With God // Proverbs 22:1

Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.

If I were writing Proverb 22:1 today, I would add “fame” to the mix alongside riches. Fame and riches are the twin gods at which our culture now bows to pay homage. People want to be rich and famous, willing to do just about anything to get both.

Have you noticed how willing and quickly people are to appear on TV news to talk about some unfortunate event that has befallen their family? I was stunned not too long ago when a mom and dad paraded their teenage son in front of the cameras to talk about the many years he had been held hostage by a child molester—just a few hours after his rescue. Or how about young women who are willing to take pretty much all their clothes off to get on TV? There’s not a “Miss America” pageant anymore where at least one of the contestants exposed themselves, no pun intended, for having racy photos circulating on the Internet. And what about all the “tell-all” books that come out after some aid leaves the service of a well-known politician?

It seems that far too many people today gain fame when they’ve made no real contribution to the world. Many of today’s brightest stars are famous for being famous — or famous for being infamous — which, if it gains them time in the spotlight, is perceived as good and worthy since the results justify means.

The Bible, however, says rather than being famous for being wealthy (or being bad or even being famous), we ought to pursue good character and allow our reputation to grow for that reason alone. God doesn’t care how much money we have, how many cars are in our garage, what kind of clothes we wear, how big our crib is, how many people want to be like us, or how many social media followers we have. When we stand before God someday — and someday will be sooner than we expect — our lives will be evaluated on the character we’ve forged during our years on earth. If we were known for charity, kindness, generosity, humility, and the like, that, along with love for God will count. Everything else will evaporate in the presence of the One who judges the content of our character.

As you get older, it is easy to pick on young people and point out all their flaws (which I’ve heard is proof you’ve gotten old), but I am especially alarmed at today’s youth culture and its obsession with fame and wealth. Ask today’s youth what they want to do with their lives, and far too many of them speak of the kinds of things that will bring them celebrity, and all that goes with it, rather than that which will actually add value and better the world. How sad…and disturbing. And they alone are not to blame; some of that falls at the feet of their parents.

I think it is high time that parents once again begin to teach their children that reverence for God, sterling moral character, and sacrifice for the good of humanity rather than fame and wealth are what lead to a good life. Parents need to wean their children off the negative influence of this corrosive media culture—and that will be quite a challenge in this day and age — and begin to pour into their lives the eternal values of the Kingdom rather than the fleeting values of this world.

I am grateful for my own father, who taught me from my earliest years on, values that are best captured by this profound little poem he often quoted,

Tis one life will soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last!

That pretty well sums it up, wouldn’t you say!

Take 10 minutes to write your personal constitution — what you believe in as non-negotiable core values, what you are willing to stand for, and die for, what you want to be remembered for at the end of your life, and most importantly, how you want God to see you when you stand before him. Review it every day this week — and most of all, live it every day this week.

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Who Really Controls The White House

It Is Not The Current Occupant

Synopsis: This one truth trumps—no pun intended—all your concerns: God is in charge! He allows politicians to be elected, he keeps presidents on a short leash, and at the end of the day, whether rulers rule well or not, God will accomplish his purposes. He is in control—he reigns over all! History is really His story. It always had been, it is right now, and it shall be tomorrow. Let that give you great comfort and cause you to be much saner in the next election season.

Who Controls the White House

Moments With God // Proverbs 21:1

The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Hey all you Republicans out there, relax, the president is on a short lease. And for all you Democrats, you need to chill out, too. For those of you who still believe it’s all Donald Trump’s fault, or for anyone who’s convinced President Biden is the Antichrist, lighten up! If you’re thinking the man or woman who occupies the Oval Office will be the one calling the shots, think again:

God is in charge!

I love how Daniel 2:20-21 reminds us that all the political convulsing we do, especially in an election cycle is ramping up—which in today’s world means all the time—is really nothing more than a tempest in a teapot when stacked up against the plans of the Almighty:

“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.”

Now I’m not saying that politics is unimportant or that the upcoming elections won’t have consequences. The truth is the party given the power to rule greatly affects the cultural-moral-spiritual direction of America and the person in the Oval Office has great bearing on both the outward strength and the inner fortitude of our nation. It matters, and as believers, we are obligated to be well informed and actively engaged in our political process. But can I remind you again of this one truth that trumps—no pun intended—all your concerns?

God is in control!

God allows politicians to be elected, he keeps the president on a short leash, and at the end of the day, whether rulers rule well or not, God will accomplish his purposes. He is in charge—and in control. As someone has correctly said, history is really His story. It always had been, it is right now, and it shall be tomorrow.

God rules!

I hope that gives you great comfort, and I hope it will allow you to be a little saner and kingdom-focused as the politics of the election season heats up well beyond the point of sanity.

I love what Benjamin Franklin said at Constitutional Convention of 1787: “God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”

Let me say it one more time just in case you missed it:

God reigns!

Take A Moment: Read I Timothy 2:1-4, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Now, like the current occupant of the Oval Office or not, pray for your president every day this week! It will please your Heavenly Father!

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Nothing To Hide, Nothing To Fear

Pursue Personal Integrity

SYNOPSIS: The person who values and practices integrity will live with confidence, no matter what! They can expect to live under the blessing and favor of God. They will be unburdened from the pending doom of discovery. And at the end of their days, they will be able to look back with satisfaction on a life of no regrets. Integrity! It’s not always the easy way. It’s not always the way that will bring popularity and promotion. But in the end, it is the only life that can stand before the All-knowing Judge.

Nothing to Fear

Moments With God // Proverbs 10:9

Honesty lives confident and carefree, but Shifty is sure to be exposed.

Like my mom, your mom probably reminded you from time to time that “honesty is the best policy.” That value was drilled into in us from the very beginning in our homes. And over the years, whether we were living it out or suffering the consequences of violating it, we found that practicing honesty always resulted in what was best for us. Honesty wasn’t always the easy road to travel; in fact, sometimes being honest had some unpleasant short-term consequences. But in the long run, telling the truth always proved to be right.

The Watchman Examiner once reported that when Senator Henry Clay was about to introduce a potentially unpopular bill in back in the 1800’s, a friend said, “If you do, Clay, it will kill your chance for the presidency.” Clay asked, “but is the measure right?” And on being assured it was right, Clay said, “I would rather be right than be president.” I

That is the kind of character we all admire and long for in our leaders.

Proverbs calls that being a person of integrity. Integrity is a word that is talked about a great deal in our society, but just what is it? The dictionary defines it as fidelity to moral principles; honesty; soundness; completeness. A great working definition of integrity is who you are when no one is looking. The British poet Thomas Babington Macaulay noted, “The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do, if he knew he would never be found out.”

The word integrity comes from the word integer, which refers to a whole number. It is being a whole person. It means there is a congruence between what you say you believe and how you actually live. It is the marriage of what you say and what you do.

Proverbs 10:9 says that living as a person of integrity carries with it the priceless benefit of security: “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” Or, as the Message says, “Honesty lives confident and carefree.” When you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

Integrity…honesty…wholeness! What a tremendous way to live. The person who values and practices integrity will live with confidence, no matter what! They can expect to live under the blessing and favor of God. They will be unburdened from the pending doom of discovery. And at the end of their days, they will be able to look back with satisfaction on a life of no regrets.

Integrity! It’s not always the easy way. It’s not always the way that will bring popularity and promotion. But in the end, it is the only life that can stand before the All-knowing Judge.

Take A Moment: Be honest! Is there anything you would change about you — attitudes, thoughts, actions — if it was exposed to the light of public view? Why not go ahead and tackle those things before they’re exposed on the Day of Accounting!

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Nobody’s Fool

The Source of Real Life

SYNOPSIS: Nobody sets out in life to be a fool. No kid ever says, “You know, when I grow up, I want to be an idiot!” As far as I know, there has never been a college student who majored in stupidity (although some parents may wonder). We are just not geared that way. That’s why there’s a booming market for self-help books and personal coaching and success seminars. But wisdom doesn’t reside in do-it-yourself manuals or personal coaching programs or in the classroom or in the university library. The true book of wisdom, the Bible, says wisdom starts with “the fear of the Lord” — a recognition that wisdom comes from God. He is true wisdom, the source of all wisdom, and will give wisdom to all who fear him: “For the Lord gives wisdom.” (Proverbs 2:6) You’d be nobody’s fool to ask God today to give you some of it!

Fear of the Lord

Moments With God // Proverbs 8:1, 5

Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? … You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.

Nobody sets out in life to be a fool. No kid ever says, “You know, when I grow up, I want to be an idiot!” As far as I know, there has never been a college student who majored in stupidity (although some parents may wonder).

We are just not geared that way. Have you noticed the booming market for self-help books and personal coaching? Just about everybody wants to improve their lot in life and will spend countless hours and untold dollars to educate themselves to have a better shot at successful living.

But wisdom doesn’t reside in do-it-yourself manuals or personal coaching programs. Wisdom isn’t even found in the classroom or in the university library. The true book of wisdom, the Bible, says that wisdom starts with “the fear of the Lord.” That is the key. Solomon says the beginning of the process for gaining knowledge, living wisely, and being successful begins with fearing God.

So just what does that mean? Well, what it doesn’t mean is to huddle in the corner in abject terror of the Almighty. Only those who have no relationship with God do that. Only those who have a jaded or limited view of God live in that kind of fear. Only those who are, in fact, enemies of God, are the ones who rightly cower in terror.

The fear that Solomon as scripture defines it simply means loving reverence for God. It refers to the respect that manifests itself in submission to God’s will, obedience to God’s Word, awe of God’s great power, and love for who God is. That is what it means to fear the Lord. That kind of healthy fear:

  • Leads us to grow in knowledge—the absorption of God’s Word.
  • Keeps us from living as a fool—one who is morally deficient and lives with no regard for God.
  • Allows us to develop wisdom—the correct application of Biblical truth.
  • Causes us to appreciate discipline—that which moves us to say no to temporal pleasures and immediate gratification in order to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

And the fear of the Lord leads to life itself. That’s what Proverbs 8:35 says,

For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.

Do you desire to be a wise person? Understand, then, that the attainment of wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. And the fear of the Lord recognizes that wisdom comes from God. God is true wisdom and the source of all wisdom. And God will give wisdom to all who fear him. Proverbs 2:6 says,

For the Lord gives wisdom.

So, why not ask him today for some of it!

Take A Moment: Commit Proverbs 8:35-36 to memory: “For whoever finds Wisdom finds life and receives favor from the LORD. But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

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The Shortest Route To Spiritual Perfection

The Path Is the Word of God

SYNOPSIS: I know of no other road to the kind of wisdom that Proverbs promises, no other route to spiritual perfection, no other path to a thriving Christianity, and no other spiritual discipline that will lead you to a God-pleasing life than by centering your life on God’s Word — reading, meditating, journaling, praying, then obeying the Scriptures. Nothing will contribute to your growth, health, and success in every area of life as a believer than that. It is this simple, my friend—not easy, but simple.

The Shortest Route To Spiritual Perfection

Moments With God // Proverbs 7:1-4

Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family.

In the first ten chapters of Proverbs, Solomon, the primary author of this amazing book, uses a literary technique by which he personifies wisdom as a woman. This woman, we might call her Lady Wisdom, calls out to a young man, who represents us, offering insights that will keep him from foolish decisions that will train wreck his life. Obviously, Lady Wisdom is God’s call to you and me to invest our highest and best energies in that which will enable us to lead a good life—one that is successful, satisfying, and most of all, pleasing to him.

Now that sounds like a huge task—and in many ways, it is—but the path to that kind of life, let’s call it spiritual perfection, is quite straightforward. And it is a way of the Word of God, where those who make the journey will grow in their knowledge of and obedience to God’s revealed truth. A.W. Tozer said it this way:

The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.

I know of no other path to the kind of Wisdom that Solomon talks about, no other path to spiritual perfection, no other path to becoming a whole Christian, and no other spiritual discipline that will lead us down that path to a God-pleasing life than by centering our lives in God’s Word—reading, meditating, journaling, praying the Scriptures. Nothing will contribute to your growth, health, and success in every area of life as a believer than that.

It is this simple, my friend—not easy, but simple. If you want to mature in your faith, morph into greater Christlikeness, deepen your knowledge of God, insulate your life from sin, enlarge your Kingdom effectiveness, increase your spiritual power, develop life skills for the daily challenges you face, and in general, live in the blessing zone of God’s favor, you’ve got to be in God’s Holy Word on a regular, if not daily, basis. Here is how King David said it in the very first Psalm:

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.

That’s the kind of life I want! How about you?

Take A Moment: As you read the Word of God, Ray E. Baughman, who wrote The Abundant Life, suggested the following method to help you apply the Scripture. From the passage read, apply the SPECS method by asking yourself these questions:

Sins to forsake?
Promises to claim?
Examples to follow?
Commands to obey?
Stumbling blocks or errors to avoid?

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Identify Your Area of Selective Sluggardliness

The Danger of 9-Out-Of-10 Thinking

SYNOPSIS: When it comes to areas of personal growth in your life, perhaps you feel that you’re doing well in nine-out-of-ten areas. And that is pretty good. But that nine-out-of-ten mentality has been the undoing of so many. It’s what we might call, “selective sluggardliness”. To neglect even the little, hidden, seemingly inconsequential areas of undeveloped and unredeemed moral fiber is to commit malpractice in life’s most important work—the development of our character.

Nine out of ten thinking

Moments With God // Proverbs 6:6

You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do.

“The first and best victory is to conquer self.” That’s according to the Greek philosopher Plato. He was right, of course! Unfortunately, however, far too many people are on a serious losing streak when it comes it comes to self-mastery.

But that’s not you, right? Since you are reading this, chances are you are doing it for personal improvement, self-discipline, and spiritual growth. You have taken the time and made the effort to read and reflect on how you might better align your character with God’s design for your life. That’s not to say you are perfect, but in nine out of ten areas, you’re doing pretty well, if you don’t say so yourself.

But hold on, my friend. It’s your inattention to that tenth area that very well may be the difference between God’s abundance or wasted potential in your life, between living a life of great faith and being an also-ran in the race of life, between hearing “well done, faithful one” and depart from me, I never knew you” on that day you stand before the Almighty.

It’s that nine-out-of-ten mentality that has been the undoing of so many. It is what we might call, “selective sluggardliness”. To neglect even the little, hidden, seemingly inconsequential areas of undeveloped and unredeemed moral fiber is to commit malpractice in life’s most important work—the development of our character.

That’s why Solomon says in Proverbs 6:6 (The Message), “You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do.” What does the ant teach us?

  1. The ant needs no outside motivation—it just follows its God-given, built-in, intrinsic motivation to do what needs to be done.
  2. The ant just instinctively knows what to do—and so do you.
  3. The ant, like Nike, just does it.

Okay, you’re doing great in nine out of ten areas. Pat yourself on the back and have a party. And once you’re done, tackle that tenth area. Don’t stop until you master it. Believe me, you won’t regret it.

Take A Moment: Talk to a trusted friend about this nine-out-of-ten idea and ask him or her if they see an area of neglect in your life. Then allow them to hold you accountable for growth in that area.

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A Person After God’s Own Heart

What Does God Love About You?

Why did God see two no good, terrible, rotten sinners like King Saul and King David so differently? David was called a man after God’s own heart but God rejected Saul? Simply because David, though thoroughly flawed was authentically humble and quickly repentant; Saul was not. You see, the true condition of David’s heart revealed that he deeply cared about the things that God cared about. That’s what it means to have a heart after God’s own heart: not that you are perfect and never fall into sin, but that your heart is tender toward the Lord and quick to repent when you have violated his command. That is a heart God can bless!

Moments With God // 1 Chronicles 21:8

God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.”

Have you ever wondered why King David was called a man after God’s own heart but King Saul was a man rejected by God? On the surface, it seems that David’s sins were equal to, if not more grievous than Saul’s. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed to cover it up, and now, he had taken this census of Israel’s fighting men—a sin that demonstrated a lack of trust in God’s protection and pride in David’s own military prowess.

When you look at Saul’s sins, it seems that he had merely failed to follow the prophet Samuel’s advice to the letter (1 Samuel 13 & 15). Obviously, both kings made mistakes, but adultery and murder versus disobedience? Shouldn’t we give Saul more of a break than he gets in the history books?

The difference between these two men was in how they responded to godly conviction. When a distressing spirit came upon Saul (1 Samuel 17 & 18), he would send for his young assistant David to soothe his chaotic mind by having him play the harp. The problem was that Saul was only seeking relief from feeling bad rather than repenting for acting badly.

On the other hand, when David experienced a guilty conscience, he would fully own up to his wrongdoing and seek the Lord’s forgiveness. David didn’t make excuses, he didn’t blame, he didn’t hedge—he would always come clean. He recognized how deeply wicked his flawed heart was prone to be.

When caught in wrongdoing, the true condition of Saul’s heart was revealed by his justification and minimization of the sin. Saul made excuses. He blamed—his men, Samuel, and even God. Saul’s heart grew darker and darker as time moved on, but he chose to remain aloof to it.

The true condition of David’s heart revealed that he deeply cared about the things that God cared about. Immensely flawed, David was also intensely humble and quickly repentant.

That’s what it means to have a heart after God’s own heart: not that you are perfect and never fall into sin, but that your heart is tender toward God, passionate about the things of God, and quick to repent when you have violated the commands of God.

That is the kind of heart God can bless!

Take A Moment: Here is a David-like prayer you may want to offer today: Father, as David prayed in Psalm 51, so I pray this morning: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—and my sin is always before me. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” O Lord, give me a clean heart, a heart after Your own heart. Help me to passionately care about the things You care about—this is my deepest prayer. Amen!