The Promise of Character

Character comes at a price and God's promise to us committed to following him is that he will develop it in our lives. "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope." Romans 5:4

God's ability to use his people to bring about his kingdom on earth is completely dependant on our willingness to function in this character. The minute we don't, is the minute that we thwart the plans of God to bring about love, peace, and hope, to others all around us.

In Joshua Chapter 9 God had already used Joshua to destroy both the kingdoms of Jericho and Ai. Because of the great power of God's hand demonstrated through Joshua and Israel the other kingdoms in the area decided instead of taking on Joshua and his God to use deceit in which to acquire a treaty to ensure their safety. It worked. Joshua gave them the treaty thinking they were a people from far off and not living in the land God had promised to Israel.

When Joshua discovered they had tricked him he could have voided the treaty he offered them and easily justified his action. In fact all the assembly of Israel was pleading for him to do so. Instead he remained true to his promise. In doing so God was able to establish the land west of the Jordan as Israel's new home without having to destroy any more people.

The temptation for all of us is to justify the breaking of our oath in one moment for the convenience of the next moment. Many times we give our word before fully understanding the price it will cost us when time to deliver comes. What we must remember is that the story God is writing in the world around us is bigger than our inconvenience or personal costs. By remaining true to our word we remain true to his and allow him to use our faithfulness to bring peace, hope, love, and joy to our lives and the lives of all those around us.

Might my promises one moment be bigger than the convenience of re-niging in the next. Might yours be as well.

Turning Self-Talk to God-Talk

We do a lot of talking. We don't just talk a lot to others, we talk a lot to ourselves. Sometimes it's out loud but more often it is not. Every time we face a difficult situation, when we are trying to pick which line in the grocery store to get in, and with every decision we face we spend a lot of time talking to ourselves. When we worry we are talking. When we delight we are talking. When we dream we are talking. Listen to what Frederick Buechner says about prayer.

Everybody prays whether [he/she] thinks of it as praying or not. The odd silence you fall into when something very beautiful is happening or something very good or bad. The ah-h-h! that sometimes floats up out of you as out of a Fourth of July crowd when the sky-rocket bursts over the water. The stammer of pain at somebody else’s pain. The stammer of joy at somebody else’s joy. Whatever words or sounds you use for sighing with over your own life. These are all prayers in their way.

Listening to Your Life, by Frederick Buechner

Try being mindful of a God who loves to hear us talk to Him. To discuss with Him your fears, failures, and successes. Try turning your self talk to God talk for your community. For the community along with you to sense God's presence all around you and move through all of your lives.

Try talking (praying) today.