What's Your Excuse? Change Your Life Day 8

A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, "Come, for everything is now ready. "

But they all alike began to make excuses...

I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet. 

Luke 14: 14-15; 24, NIV (1978)

 

I had a young man in the youth group at church by the name of Billy Anderson. Billy was your typical teen - full of life and energy - but he developed a terrible disease that somehow attacked his enzymes. Within a few years, he went from an athletic young man to be confined to a wheelchair. My parents would pick him up one Sundays to take him to church. I remember one day, he came over to their house, and I was negotiating his wheelchair up the steps by a large hedge they had growing there. Billy looked at that hedge and kind of wistfully said that he could remember jumping over that very hedge just a few years earlier. He wasn't really complaining, mind you, he was just remembering how quickly his life had changed.

 

It wasn't too long after that that Billy died. He was barely in his twenties. My dad was asked to do the funeral - something that was a bit remarkable since he was not a preacher, but Mom and Dad had been picking up Billy for a while at that point (at Billy's request) so that he could go to the worship services with them. Billy had to be lifted in and out of the car just to get him to the church building, but there he was, wheeling himself in with a big smile on his face.

 

It shames me to think how many times at a similar age that I looked for excuses not to attend the worship - a headache, a busy time, just plain tired - whatever the excuse, I had probably made it. And then Billy comes along and demonstrates how a man ought to live. He viewed the worship and fellowship as a privilege! He overcame obstacles just to be there that most of us would have felt a martyr for just having experienced. 

 

I had been looking for excuses not to serve God to the best of my ability, while Billy was looking for ways to get past his difficult circumstances and serve God and Christ to the best of his ability.

 

In the parable we see above, Jesus described those who have been given a great privilege, but who viewed it as an inconvenience. "Come to the banquet" was the Master's call. "I can't" was the people's response. One had a field to attend to, another five yoke of oxen, yet another still had just been married and couldn't come... or so they said.

 

This would be bad enough if the parable of the banquet was just referring to food and fellowship, but of course, it wasn't. It was an allegory for we who have been invited to serve the Master and His Son, but who look for excuses instead of seeing the privilege. So we say that our possessions are preventing us from that service, "I would come to worship this first day of the week, as was commanded, but this old lawn is not going to mow itself." "I would study more, but I've business to attend to. A man has to provide for his family, after all." I would help my neighbor who is struggling, but I have a family that needs my attention." "I would help my parents out, but I have devoted that portion of my salary to God."

 

Whatever the excuse, in the end, it will not be enough. There will come a day when we kneel before our Lord at the Judgment - and make no mistake, while He loves us dearly, He will still make the perfect judgment for our eternal souls, Those who have been faithful will enjoy the great banquet with He and His Son. Those who disdained their offer to serve them - those who looked at that offer as an inconvenience, rather than a privilege - those very people may learn that they will not get a taste of that banquet.

 

What excuses have you been using to convince yourself that you simply do not have time to serve God? Do you think God will accept them as legitimate reasons to get out of His service, or do you think He will see right through them? The time to think about these things is now, while we still have a chance to do something about correcting our past misdeeds. The fact is that when we talk about changing our lives, we are talking about doing those difficult things that will make life worth living.

 

What is you excuse? Isn't it time to start looking for ways to live right before God? It will change your life, and possibly your eternity, if you will just stop excusing yourself and start the service for which you were created in the first place.

Change Your Life Day 7 - Goodness

For this very reason, add to your faith goodness... II Peter 1:5, NIV (1978)

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 1:10-11, NIV (1978)

 

Goodness! Some of the other versions translate this word "virtue". The idea is that a servant of God will acquire and maintain good moral standards. It is one of the most pleasant characteristics of the faithful Christian.

 

To this point we have been focusing on the times when our lives are in such a state of despair that we need a life change in order to make our existence more bearable. However, there is another reason to have the desire to change one's life that doesn't stem so much from a point of desperation as it does a desire to simply be a better person. When we improve our character, we really can affect the tenor of our entire life. 

 

I suppose one of the main attributes of a person whose life is filled with goodness is that it makes everyone they come in contact with feel better. A person with a virtuous heart lives by a certain code, and it is not just any code that they may come to admire, it is the moral code that is set by God. When we have high moral standards as defined by God, we really will develop an influence that can be quite remarkable. I suppose people have always wanted to be more popular, but the ironic thing is that seeking popularity for popularity's sake always seems to backfire. While going along with the crowd's moral code might make you fit in better for a while, it is a lifestyle that is designed to make you more popular that has vanity and pride at its core.

 

And the fact is that people really don't like vain or proud people, so such a pursuit just to make yourself look better will always fail in the end.

 

But people who are guided by goodness are different. They really do just want to do the right thing because it is right, and there is no better feeling than knowing you are trying to be virtuous because this type of lifestyle is pleasing to God. And you can see why it is pleasing, because people who are guided by goodness are people who are looking out for the good of others. They really do want the best for others, and this type of an unselfish attitude is quite attractive. Once people realize that you are being nice to them without ulterior motives (wanting something from them) it makes them want to be around you. 

 

And this type of "popularity" is the very thing that will allow us to help bring people to Christ, because when people admire you, it is generally because you possess some trait that they desire. People are sick and tired of the phony religion that generally brings with it a disdain from others who recognize the hypocrisy. This is why religion has received such a bad name in recent years - it is because it has been changed to device to get riches or power or fame, rather than to do what it was intended by God to do. Here is what God says about the type of religion He desires: 

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction. and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27, ESV

 

It is here that we get to the heart of why many people want to change their lives: It is not always because they are miserable - it is sometimes because they simply want to help other people who are afflicted in some way. That desire to be good to others for goodness' sake (no reference to the song about Santa Claus) is a virtue that is entirely pleasing to God. It is a way of God using us to do His will. I always am baffled at the people who are mad at God for allowing children to starve or suffer in some other way. I have heard people who say things like, "If there really is a God, why does He allow children to go hungry?" I'm afraid these people might not like the reply they will receive once their time of judgment arrives. I think God will let us know that He did provide food for these starving children... and He entrusted it in our care so that we could do something about it!

 

But goodness comes with a completely different attitude than the one we just described, It is the attitude that is genuinely happy to help others - not to help people take advantage - but people who truly do need help who are in our circle of influence to where we can actually do something about it.

 

I believe this is the attitude most people wish they had more of. I believe this is the type of religion that could actually be used to attract others to Jesus. I believe this is the essence of why so many people feel the need for a change in their own lives - not because they are so miserable, but because they know they could do better.

 

And this is the type of change that is entirely within our control! All we have to do is start being good to one another. It might sound kind of corny but just imagine how nice the world would be if people really did live that way. Imagine how much your own life would change if you would do the same!

Change Your Life Day 6 - The Foundation of Faith

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge...  II Petere 1:5, ESV

For if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 1:10-11, ESV

 

I love this passage in II Peter. It contains a list of eight qualities that in essence will build a spiritual house that will never fall. It is a marvelous blueprint for spiritual success, and it begins with the foundation of our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior! As you full the full text of this passage (and I would encourage you to do just that) you will discover a systematic plan of action that will allow you to achieve the things that God wants for you, and those things that you want to accomplish, The end goal is eternal life in heaven, and it is a worthy goal to build our entire life around.

 

And it all begins with faith! But, when it comes to that, what exactly is faith?

 

We know that it involves more than a mere belief in God and Christ, for the brother of Christ reveals in James 2:19 that the demons believe - and they shudder! We also know that faith is the result of an educated pursuit of knowledge of God and Christ, because the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes from hearing the words of Christ. 

 

This is important, because many people approach faith as if it were some sort of a "mystical" experience that leads them to believe. Some view it along these lines: "I believe what I believe because I believe it". It makes no more sense to believe in God using this method than it makes sense to believe that you will have bad luck if a black cat crosses your path. Both are little more than unfounded superstitions, and they are a poor way to live your life.

 

Faith is something that comes from careful examination. God tells us that we can know about Him from His very creation in Romans chapter 1. Now a lot of people will look at the world and take the evolutionists stance that the world was made by a random chain of events that occurred from an explosion of gasses that were always "just there". They will often ridicule people who believe in an orderly creation by an eternal God, but which makes more sense to you - a world that came from an explosion of "eternal gas" or a world that was thoughtfully created by an eternal God? You may think me naive for believing in the eternal nature of God, but I would rather hang my hat on believing in the eternal God than the evolutionists belief in eternal gas. Both are faith based, but only one makes logical sense to me. And Paul indicates the same thing in Romans 1, when he reveals that those who observe God's creation but don't believe in God are completely without excuse.

 

Add this to another important factor: "Without faith", we are told in Hebrews 11:6, "it is impossible to please God". We could have a discussion on the meaning of the word "impossible" but I think most people understand that concept full well.

 

So, now we are left with this: Faith comes by hearing the message. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Those who do not believe are without excuse. Add these things to the truth found in Acts 4:11-12, where we are told that Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and that there is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved, and we have this: Faith is logical, it is the result of a purposeful and educated pursuit, and it is absolutely necessary to our eternal life in heaven.

 

Can there be any wonder, then, that the Apostle Peter in his second letter to the churches revealed an inspired list of the virtues needed to be with God and Christ forever? And it all begins with that magnificent spiritual trait of faith in Jesus Christ!

 

Do you believe?

Change Your Life Day 5 - Amazing Grace!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved...     Ephesians 2:5, ESV

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.    Romans 3:23-24, ESV

 

Of all the messages that people who have given into their desperation need, the Bible's teaching on grace is near the top of the list. Very often when people are tempted to give up, it is because of something that was out of their control - perhaps because of the wickedness of others, perhaps because of being an arbitrary victim of some terrible illness, or maybe just an unfortunate casualty of some random event of life. All of these things are hard to deal with, but I don't think there is anything more difficult to come to peace with than when our own sin has brought us to the point of breaking.

 

Ask any addict, and they will likely tell you that they arrived at their hopeless state through their own bad decisions. Anyone who has ever cheated on a spouse and brought down grief upon the innocent and the guilty alike will understand. And anyone who has just rejected God's way entirely can attest to the desperation for which they have no one else but themselves to blame. So, what can we do when we are in a situation of despair, when we know good and well that it was our own fault?

 

This is where a proper understanding of God's grace will come to the rescue, if only we will let it. You see, grace is something completely underserved. You cannot earn it through hard work, you cannot claim it be doing virtuous acts to try and counterbalance the evil you have committed. No, grace is first and last, a gift of God. Before we can ever have any healing from the wounds that our sins have caused, we must understand this immutable fact. 

 

It was the Holy Spirit of God who inspired Paul to pen these words, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Since we have been given this grace as a gift, then everyone can receive it. I know that some would like to believe that this gift comes with no conditions, but this is not true. In Jude 1:4, Jesus' own brother tells us through inspiration that grace is not a license for sin, and the Apostle Paul in Romans 6:! tells us that we cannot go on sinning that grace may abound, because God forbids this. So, we understand that this gift cannot be misused by continuing in the sin that God forbids, but for those who come out of their sin, God's grace is sufficient!

 

That means that we can be forgiven - no matter what we have done. God's grace will not always remove the physical penalty for your past sins. For example, if you cut off your hand while you were drunk, God will not miraculously restore that hand, but He will forgive your sin of drunkenness in order that you might be saved. Some will complain about the fairness of God at this point. They will feel that God's grace should remove all of the physical penalties created by their sin, but that's not the way God ever intended for His grace to work. He will, however, give you an even greater gift of eternal life. But be cautioned, in order to remain in His grace, we are going to have to start living in the right way. 

 

Once we have accepted these Biblical truths, we can then go on to the really marvelous things about grace. Now we can do our best to leave our sinful past behind us. This will be difficult, because much of the sin that is strong enough to bring you to your knees in despair is the very type of sin that is addictive in nature. And addictions are hard to overcome.

 

But with God's help, nothing is impossible. So, now we are on our way. We have suffered the cruel penalties that our own sin has brought upon us, but we now have an avenue of escape - a lifeline, if you will, to eternal salvation. We must get past the fact that we are totally undeserving of this second chance and grab ahold of this lifeline with all of our might. There will be those who will think we don't deserve such a chance at redemption, and they are right, but then again neither do they. We all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, and we all have been offered the gift of grace.

 

Now it is time to unwrap that wonderful gift. Now is the time to accept the fact that God has forgiven our sins and begin to live for Him and Christ. Now is the time to embrace that hope of eternal life. and that peace that passes all understanding. Now is the time to have Paul's attitude and be determined to live for Christ, even when it is hard, and press on to the goal for which Christ has called us heavenward.

 

It will be a difficult journey, to be sure. But remember that with Christ all things are possible, so get started on that journey and never quit. You who were once bound for eternal destruction are now on the path to eternal salvation, so do whatever it takes no matter how hard the task may be. God will help you every step of the way, but you must take those steps so get started. You and I were once without hope, but now we are saved. We are going to heaven if we accept this second chance that has been given to us, so let us by all means accept that chance, embrace our responsibility, and get on that narrow path that God has called us to walk. It won't be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is - and by God's grace we are going to heaven!

 

Are you desperate and without hope today? Do you feel as if all is lost? Maybe, then, it is time for you to accept the offer of grace that God has so graciously extended to you. You will be eternally grateful that you did!

 

 

Change Your Life Day 4 - Fear God and You Won't Have to Fear Anything Else

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.             Isaiah 33:6, NIV (1978)

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul.          Matthew 10:28, NASB (1995)

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.          I John 4:8, NASB (1995)

 

On this fourth day of our 30 days to change your life, we get to the heart of the matter. The reason most people want to change their life in the first place is because we are afraid of something - often many somethings!

 

We are afraid of losing our jobs, of having our financial house collapse, and of becoming homeless. We are afraid of losing our health, or our loved ones, or our most treasured relationships. We are afraid of being robbed, or having our homes invaded, or of being killed. We are afraid to turn on the news sometimes, and at the same time we are afraid not to watch the news for fear of missing something we need to know about. We are afraid and we turn to substance abuse, then we become addicted and afraid that we won't be able to get that substance to continue that abuse.

 

Is it no wonder then that one of the most popular product slogans ever dreamed up was "Ne fear"? We all like the idea of getting to that point so we buy the product and put the slogan on signs in our offices and bumper stickers affixed to our cars.

 

We hate our fear and are often shamed by it, but it still has a subtle way of creeping in and ruling our lives.

 

It seems the only thing that men do not have a fear of these days is God - of this fact many will proudly admit to. The irony, however, is just this: If we fear God, we don't have to fear anything else, but if we don't fear God. then we will indeed fear just about everything.

 

The solution, then, is simple. I say simple in the fact that it is not hard to understand, but it will be anything but simple to implement: In order to get rid of all these very human fears that we possess, we are going to have to learn to fear God! But what do we mean by this phrase, "Fear God"?

 

As we read the Bible, we will find a number of aspects that go into this fear. First, we must respect God and honor His holiness. In other words, there must be a reverence in the way we view and approach God. Second, we must understand that the fear of God, despite what modern men may claim, does involve a certain amount of terror! Not a terror that He will indiscriminately look for ways to punish you every time you make a mistake or fall into sin, but a healthy terror of knowing that He does indeed punish those who transgress His commandments and who have no sorrow or repentance for having done so. These are the people who need not only to fear everything, but especially God's punishment, for He has promised an eternity in a very real Hell for those who refuse to walk in His ways. That is the terror side of the fear we must have for God!

 

Let's face it - those of us who had good parents loved them, but we also feared what they would do to us if we broke their rules.

 

But there needs to be a quick explanation for this type of fear: God loves us and has made provisions for every man and woman to have a chance to escape this punishment. The same God who created Hell is the same God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins. And speaking of this sacrifice and love, Jesus loved us so much that He went through the pain and humiliation of the cross because He loved us so much the He was willing to take our punishment for our sins.

 

So, the fear of God can only be properly understood with a clear view of His love. The wages of sin is indeed death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Furthermore, all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God but still have the opportunity to be justified by His grace that is made available by the redemption of Jesus our Savior (Romans 3:23-24). 

 

Now, let's get to the crux of the matter: If you fear God, you do not need to fear anything or anyone else. This of course does not mean that we are bullet=proof and now insulated from the consequences of natural occurrences or bad decisions or the sins of other people, but it does mean that we don't have to worry about our lives because God will take care of those who love Him and who walk in obedience to His commandments. The fact is that we could die tomorrow (some people will) but if we are saved, our lives will never know any more pain or suffering or death ever again! God has us covered in the big thing, so we no longer have to worry about the little ones.

 

Now I realize that the things we go through in life seem big, now, but think about this: If you truly are saved, what bad things that happen to you in this life, no matter how distressing or painful they are at the time, could possibly affect your eternity? Do those who by God's grace make it to heaven really believe that heaven will be spoiled somehow because of something that happened to them while on earth? I suspect there is nothing that could happen to us in our physical lives that will in any way mess up or joy in heaven.

 

But in order to enjoy this wonderful prospect, we are going to have to turn our lives over to God and Christ. This means that we are going to have to trust them, even when things seem dismal here on earth. Never forget, we are going to heaven! We don't deserve such a blessing, to be sure, but God has made a covenant, and agreement if you will, for all who will be faithful to Him. And for those who have already "blown" their faithfulness? All they have to do is come back to God on His terms. Easy to say and hard to do, I know, but there it is!

 

If you want to be freed from fear in this life, you are going to have to start fearing God! But if you will do this, there is no room in your heart for fear of anything else, because perfect love casts away fear. It always has, and it always will!