“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9 (NIV)
When it comes to making decisions—big or small—the Bible offers plenty of wisdom. One principle it offers over and over again is what might be called the Integrity Test. When you’re making a decision, ask yourself, “Would I want everyone to know about this decision?” If the thought of other people finding out about your decision worries you, then you’re probably making the wrong decision. Bad decisions lead to secrecy, and that kind of secret always leads to pain in your life. The Bible says: “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9 NIV). Notice it doesn’t say “might be found out” or even “probably will be found out.” You will be found out! You’ve seen how this happens. You’re about to make a bad choice. You know it’s wrong, but you think, “I’ll go ahead and do it because no one will ever know.” Then, as soon as the decision is made, you think, “Somebody’s going to find out!” And you feel the fear that comes from that. That’s when you’ve violated the Integrity Test. When you have integrity, your public life and your private life match. What’s in your heart is the same as what other people see on the outside. What you say and what you do are in harmony. The truth is, when it comes to integrity, you may fool everyone else, but you can’t fool yourself. And if you violate your own conscience, you have to pay for that. James 4:17 says, “Knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin” (TLB). When making a decision, ask yourself: Can I do this with a clear conscience? Violating your conscience is a big mistake. God will forgive you for the wrong you do. But forgiveness doesn’t free you from the consequences of bad decisions. You can be forgiven and still have regrets. You can be forgiven and still face pain. You can be forgiven and still have broken relationships. Many decisions you make are clear-cut. But what about those where it’s harder to know right from wrong? The Bible speaks to that, too: “If someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn’t do it because for him it is wrong” (Romans 14:14 TLB). It’s simple: When in doubt, don’t. Whatever is not from faith in your life is sin. The next time you’re faced with a decision, follow the Integrity Test. Ask: Am I okay with other people finding out about this decision? Can I make this choice with a clear conscience? Do I believe this is wrong? God’s given you the wisdom of the Bible and of your conscience because he loves you. The Integrity Test will help keep you on the path that God knows is for your good.
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“The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work.” 2 Timothy 3:17 (PHILLIPS)
Having the right equipment is often the difference between success and failure. To insert a screw, a carpenter doesn’t use a knife. When you’re under anesthesia, you don’t want your surgeon using a chainsaw. A climber on Mount Everest won’t use dollar store equipment. Professionals are picky about using the right equipment as they know it can be dangerous if they aren’t. Life can be dangerous, too, so it’s essential that you use the right equipment. One of those pieces of equipment is the Bible. It’s like God’s owner’s manual for your life. Like any good owner’s manual, the Bible gives you instructions and you can consult it when you need help. Second Timothy 3:17 says, “The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work” (PHILLIPS). There are four simple reasons you need the Bible:
You never know what the day will bring you. But whatever it is, make sure you’re equipped with the Bible, God’s owner’s manual for life. “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8 (NIV)
There are so many things you can do to unlock the gifts the Bible offers. You can read Scripture, study it, and memorize it. But you should also meditate on it. Second Timothy 2:7 says, “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this” (NIV). When you reflect on the Bible—when you meditate on it—God gives you more insight into his Word. What does it mean to meditate? It simply means to think seriously about something. It means you engage your mind. Wondering how to meditate? If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. Worry is simply negative meditation. When you worry, you take a negative thought and go over and over it in your mind. And the more you worry, the bigger your thought gets. In meditation, you do the same thing with Scripture: You go over and over a passage of the Bible in your mind. But unlike with worry, meditating on Scripture produces positive results. One of the ways you can meditate on Scripture is by doing what I call “pronouncing” it. Say a Bible verse aloud over and over again. Each time you say it, emphasize a different word. Take Philippians 4:13, for example: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV). The first time you say the verse, emphasize I. The next time emphasize can. And so on, until you emphasize the last word of the verse. Each time you say the verse, its meaning will be nuanced in a different way. Another tool for meditating is a reflection bridge. Beneath every story in the Bible is a timeless principle, and the reflection bridge helps you find it. First, you read the story and ask what it meant when it first happened. Then you ask what timeless principle it’s teaching. Then you personalize it by asking what it means to you today. The Bible promises tremendous blessings if you spend time meditating on it: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8 NIV). Take the time now to develop the habit of meditating on God’s Word, and you’ll reap the benefits for the rest of your life. “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1 (NIV)
The Bible is one of God’s great gifts to us. But a closed Bible is worthless. To reap the benefits of the Bible, you have to get its truths into your life. One way you can do that is by receiving God’s Word with an attentive, open heart. Jesus says, “Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root . . . Therefore consider carefully how you listen” (Luke 8:13, 18 NIV). In this Scripture, the word “receive” comes from the Greek word dechomai, which literally means “to welcome.” You can welcome God’s Word like a generous host would welcome a stranger. But that verse includes a caution, too. You need to be careful of how you listen to God’s Word. Receive it with an open, teachable attitude. It’s more than just hearing. We all have heard someone without really listening. It’s possible that as you’re reading this devotional today, you’re reading the words but not listening to the message; while your eyes are reading, your mind may be a million miles away. Scripture says that we should “receive” God’s Word. Think of a Wi-Fi connection. When you have a strong connection, you can download things quickly and smoothly; when you don’t, your device might never display what you need. God’s Word is the same way. Sometimes we don’t have a strong connection. That keeps us from really receiving God’s Word. Sometimes we have a poor connection to the Bible because we’re just not paying attention. Other times it might be because something’s blocking that connection—maybe your relationship with God or another person is off. Get your relationships in order. Then you’ll find you have a stronger connection to God’s Word, and God will be able to use it to speak to you. Hebrews 2:1 says, “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” (NIV). How can you hold on to God’s Word instead of letting it drift away? One way is by taking notes. Choose a part of this devotional that God used to speak to you and write it on a note in your phone or in a journal. How will you know when you’re receiving God’s Word with an open, attentive heart? You’ll start to see your life being changed. Acts 2:41 says, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (NIV). “Every word of God is flawless.”
Proverbs 30:5 (NIV) A baby needs many things to grow, but the most obvious requirement is nourishment. You can hold, rock, and sing to a baby—but without milk, the baby won’t grow. Our hearts are the same way. To grow spiritually, we need spiritual food. We get that from the Bible, God’s Word. First Peter 2:2 says, “Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation” (CSB). But it’s possible to read the Bible and not get anything out of it. You need certain keys to unlock Scripture. One of those keys is accepting its authority. The Bible says it’s God’s Word: “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV). One of the reasons why there is so much confusion in the world today is because people are listening to so many different authorities, and everybody’s asking, “Who’s right?” Whether you realize it or not, you have an authority for your life. It’s what you use to make your choices. There are four unreliable sources of authority that people often use instead of Scripture:
There’s only one completely reliable authority for life: God’s Word. As 2 Timothy 3:16–17 says, “The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point” (TLB). And Proverbs 30:5 says it quite simply: “Every word of God is flawless” (NIV). Settle this in your heart today: “I’m going to accept the Bible as the final authority for every issue in my life.” When you accept that authority, you’ll start to get more out of the Bible. “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24 (NIV)
In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells the story of two builders: a wise one and a foolish one. The foolish man builds his house on sand. When a storm comes, the house falls with a great crash. Jesus says people who hear his teachings but don’t put them into practice are like that foolish builder. The wise builder, though, builds his house on the rock. When rain and winds come, his house stands firm. Jesus says: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NIV). James also had a lot to say about practicing what the Bible teaches. The first chapter of the book of James concludes with three examples of how you can know that you’ve been effectively putting God’s Word into practice:
Those things, James tells us, are evidence of genuine Christianity. In John 13:17, Jesus tells his followers: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (NIV). The blessings of the Bible come when you put its teachings into practice. No matter who you are, you know more spiritual truth than you’re living out right now. So just start where you are today. Practice what you already know. And then, as you learn more, put that into practice, too. Be a doer of the Word. “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
James 1:23-24 (NIV) When was the last time you looked in a mirror? You probably look in one every day—maybe even multiple times! Why do you look in a mirror? You use it to evaluate yourself. And then you do something about what you see. The Bible says that God’s Word is like a mirror: “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” (James 1:23-24 NIV). Just as a mirror reflects what you look like on the outside, God’s Word reflects what you’re like on the inside. Have you ever seen yourself in the Bible? Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word discerns your heart’s thoughts and intents. That’s a reason many people don’t read the Bible. They’re afraid to look into the mirror of God’s Word and see themselves as they really are. If you’re ready to use God’s Word as a mirror into your own soul, the book of James gives you three practical ways to do this. First, read it. But don’t just read it casually. Read it carefully, like the person in James 1:25 “who looks intently into the perfect law” (CSB). We all have just glanced into a mirror, walked quickly away, and forgotten all the details of what we’d seen. But God wants us to spend time gazing into the mirror of his Word. Next, review it. That same verse in James talks about the person who doesn’t just look once into God’s Word but “continues to do so” (James 1:25 EHV). This person comes to God’s Word over and over. Jesus told his followers: “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31 NRSV). And Psalm 119:97 says, “How I love your teachings! I think about them all day long” (NCV). Finally, remember the Bible. James 1:25 talks about people who, after reading God’s Word, remember what they have heard. Nothing will do more for your spiritual life than developing the habit of memorizing Scripture. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (KJV). Another way to remember God’s Word is by writing down what God teaches you. Hebrews 2:1 says, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (KJV). Next time God teaches you something during a sermon or a devotional time, write it down. Give it “earnest heed” so that it doesn’t slip away. Remember that person who gazes in the mirror and then uses it to change himself? You can be that person when you reflect on God’s Word by reading, reviewing, and remembering it. “I love you with an everlasting love.”
Jeremiah 31:3 (GW) Nothing you’ve ever done or will ever do can stop God from loving you. God said in Jeremiah 31:3, “I love you with an everlasting love” (GW). Do you know how long everlasting is? It’s forever. You can’t make God stop loving you; he will love you forever. His love isn’t based on what you do. It’s based on who he is. The only reason you’re alive is because God made you to love you. That’s why God sent his Son: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT). God wants you to know his love. Even more, he wants you to feel his love. God’s love will transform you when you feel it. It turns somebody who is hateful, bigoted, or racist into a kind, gentle, and loving person. When God’s love hits your heart, it changes you. If your life hasn’t changed, then you don’t know God. You can’t have somebody as big as God come into your life and not be changed by it. When God’s love comes into your life, it changes how you react to everyone else. When you truly understand and experience the love of God, you can’t help but pass it on to others. In fact, Jesus described it like this: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35 HCSB). But it starts with God’s love for us. The most amazing conversion in the Bible is of a guy named Saul, who was a religious extremist that killed Christians. One day, on his way to Damascus, he encountered the resurrected Jesus. Jesus said to Saul, “Why are you persecuting me?” Saul fell to his knees and said, “My Lord and my God.” The man who had once been a religious extremist became the apostle of love. Saul, now known as Paul, wrote most of the New Testament, including some of the most beautiful words on love ever written, 1 Corinthians 13. The everlasting, completely free love of God will do that. It changes lives. “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
John 14:2-3 (NIV) Have you ever wondered what heaven will look like? In a word, it will be indescribable. Even Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, didn’t have words to describe it: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). Right now, we live on a broken planet. Nothing works perfectly, and yet there’s still a lot of beauty in it. Imagine what it will be like to be in absolutely perfect place—with perfect sights, sounds, and smells. Our TV version of heaven with fog up to the knees, angel wings, and white everywhere is a pale comparison. Heaven won’t be boring! The more pain, sorrow, abuse, violence, and prejudice we see on earth, the better heaven starts to seem in our minds. We have so much to look forward to. But the only reason we can do that is because of what Jesus did. The resurrection gives us hope. Without the resurrection, we wouldn’t have a chance at heaven. Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 15:17-20: “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world” (NLT). We can know for an absolute certainty that we’ll spend eternity in heaven. We can have this hope because Jesus has forgiven every sin we’ve ever committed and every sin we'll commit in the future. Because Jesus has paid for our sins, we no longer have to worry about what happens to us when we die. And the same can be true for you. Jesus has it covered: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3 NIV). “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires . . . Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.”
Romans 6:12-13 (NLT) Every day you are controlled by something. You may be controlled by your own ego or by the expectations of other people. You may be controlled by fear, guilt, resentment, or bitterness. You may be controlled by a substance or a habit. The bottom line is you are controlled by something every day. Freedom comes when you choose what’s going to control you. When you choose Jesus Christ to be in control of your life, when you are mastered by the Master, you can master everything else. If God is not number one in your life, something else is, and it’ll control you to a negative degree. When Christ is in control of your life, he always moves you in the right direction. Romans 6:12-13 says, “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires . . . Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” (NLT). Giving control over to Christ is a choice. Here are some steps to help you do this:
Do you really want to change? Are you willing to do these things? You say, “I’m so tired of trying and failing.” Stop trying. Instead, start trusting. God gives you the option to either depend on him or depend on yourself. The result is either freedom or frustration. Why not give it all to Christ? What do you have to lose? |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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