Where Does Your Vulnerability Reside?

God gave us the biblical account of Jonah because we tend to model his attitudes and behaviors. We will never be swallowed by a large fish or be called by God to prophesy the doom a great city. We are prone to becoming angry and resentful as we encounter disappointments.

Embarrassment, followed by anger, surfaces with a loss of personal credibility. This happened to Jonah at Nineveh, so he withdrew to pout and sulk. He was obsessed with God’s being judgmental and punishing, and when God failed to meet his expectations, he was consumed with anger.

Jonah learned an important lesson at Nineveh. God is forgiving and merciful and changes his mind when people’s attitudes and behaviors turn to righteousness by discarding evil. 

The people of Nineveh turned from evil that was leading to destruction and turned to God with confession and repentance. You can follow their lead. 

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So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here. These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it – your faith is more precious to God than mere gold… 

~1 Peter 1:6-7 The Living Bible 

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A Bridge to Deliverance

Each person fails at living up to self- or other-imposed expectations. Guilt can be perceived as essential for confession and repentance. Forgiveness is required for restoring fellowship with God and others. Samson believed he was beyond failure, and this faulty thinking set him up to become a prized captive of his enemies.

On one occasion a crowd of three thousand dignitaries jubilantly sang out praises for the capture of this mighty warrior who was now their blind slave. In time Samson’s hair grew out, which produced in him a belief God would renew his strength. This new belief inspired a transformation in his attitude that gave him hope for vindication. 

Perhaps Samson's hope began by accepting that he had actually built the bridge to his disgrace as a man and servant of God. Now as a blind slave, he could be humble before God. Vindication and deliverance are made possible by genuine sorrow and an attitude of humility. Ask God for strength and courage to be humble.  

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The Lord says, “I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.”

~Isaiah 57:15 Good News Bible

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A Clear Conscience: Essential for Self-Respect - Part 2

Samuel, the last judge to rule the people of Israel, was a man of constant faith and unrelenting readiness to take appropriate action whatever the circumstance. As a man of integrity, he had respect for his people, an essential virtue for effective leadership. He saw his nation through a transitional phase of leadership styles.

Samuel was incorruptible and served God as a man of unbendable faith. The foundation for his faith and actions was an unquestionable belief that he was chosen by God to be a judge and priest as well as a role model for future leaders. Samuel unhesitatingly carried out what God directed him to do, regardless of how drastic it seemed to others.

A clear conscience is essential for self-respect and good judgement, yet everyone is vulnerable to violating their conscience. However, sincere acknowledgment of sins, confession of those sins to Christ Jesus, and seeking forgiveness will cleanse the conscience. Making amends is crucial, for it honors God and builds self-respect.  

Insight: God's Light for Values - Part 3

Self-respect and self-love are conjoined together to create a personal standard of conduct. Self-respect is crucial to integrity because it promotes honesty and truthfulness. Alfred Griswold, past president of Yale University, noted that "Self-respect comes to us when we realize that knowing the good, we do it; and knowing the truth, we speak it."

Self-respect develops as a person disallows guilt and shame from gaining a foothold. How are these enemies of self-respect held at bay? Immediately confess to God and others when there's been a failure to live up to your conscience and God’s word. Make things right where wrong exists. Reclaim whatever of your moral character you've given up.

A young man admitted to forsaking the values he'd obtained as a Christian to live with a beautiful young woman. Now bitter regret and sorrow occupy his day, for what he believed to be true was false. The good news is, self-respect can be reclaimed through repentance and by acceptance of God's forgiveness. God’s business is restoration and forgiveness.  

Rising Above Character Weaknesses - Part 1

It was said of President John F. Kennedy that he possessed all the necessary attributes for winning the White House. Among those attributes were privilege and personal relationships, in addition to possessing a strong personality and charisma. However, all these personality traits do not guarantee the nonexistence of character weaknesses.

Balaam possessed these character strengths, including power to influence the king of Moab’s policies concerning the Hebrew people. Even with these strong personality traits, he failed to achieve positive results. He refused to submit his weaknesses to the redemptive, cleansing power of God.

When weaknesses rule, your strengths lose their power. When Julius Caesar permitted himself to be seduced by Cleopatra, he lost respect and power, which prompted his assassination in 34 B.C. God promises you a way to escape temptation by making his power and help instantaneously available to all who earnestly seek it. Thank God for his mercy and kindness.  

Examine Your Choices: Consider the Cost - Part 3

Do you realize that God probes your heart to insure nothing is hidden from him or yourself? In a court of law, attorneys examine and cross-examine witnesses in search of the truth. Counselors listen for thoughts and feelings to help resolve emotional and relational conflicts. Mechanics have diagnostic tools for solving problems with your automobile.

God searches the heart for hidden and unforgiven sin. He examines the heart for motives that sabotage his purpose and plan. He knows we’re capable of intentions that are contrary to his ways and in conflict with our conscience. God checks out your heart to see if fellowship with him is based on truth and to challenge you to live within that truth.

God scrutinizes the heart, seeking wrong motives, thinking, and deeds that prevent growth and maturity in faith. Balaam, in Numbers 22, recognized and confessed his sin but never repented or changed. In contrast, David repented and begged God to create in him a clean heart. God is capable of doing just that. 

Remember! God Favors You - Part 2

The pastor of a metropolitan church states unequivocally that God favors those who put their trust and faith in Christ Jesus. Do you realize how significant it is to be favored by God? We tend to forget and consequentially fail to appreciate the benefits of such a privilege. God's word assures us we can't begin to imagine what God has in store for those who love him.

Someone revealed how frustrated she felt because God seemed so distant. She felt frightened, lonely, and powerless because of the loss of God’s presence she’d known since childhood. Another person asked, "Why doesn't God cut me some slack and give me a break? I'm struggling and desperately need help that only God can provide!"

Search your heart, confess your sins, and repent by turning from every wrongdoing. God will forgive you and remember your sins no more. Do not forget, God favors you and will send resources to aid you when it is in your best interest for him do so. Seek God with all your heart and he will be found. While God may not be early, he will never be late.  

Repentance: Letting Go of Sin - Part 2

Tragedy forms troubling images in our minds because it can be so painful. Most people tolerate tragedy and eventually heal from its wounds, but consider  those who invite tragedy by refusing to change certain attitudes and behaviors. They have an inner tenacity to hold on to a way of life, regardless of the destruction it produces.

Repentance is sincere remorse for sin and is accompanied by a  desire to forever change old behavior patterns. God creates in those who truly repent an unrelenting desire to avoid the sin that's so easily besetting. God constructs in each of us a resilience to fight off sin and its consequence.

God, through Christ Jesus, creates in us a new person equipped with His armor to manage tragedies we will face. Repentance is a deep-seated regret for sin and opens the way for God to renew a right spirit within us. God is constantly giving you strength to survive and the capacity to change, so give thanks and praise to him.  

Bouncing Back and Pressing On - Part 3

Society has always needed heroes, both real and imagined. These heroes, whether men, women, or children, demonstrate unusual courage in times of crisis or great need. Ordinary people are saddened or angered when their heroes fall short of expectations. We express admiration, however, for those who display resilience and recover with dignity.

Resilience enables a person to bounce back from failures to face their shortcomings. The alternative is to continue holding on to anger and remaining reluctant to admit wrongs, such as acting in ways that hurt others and damage their relationships. Even when threatened by great loss, any semblance of repentance is strangely absent.

When repentance is rejected, the heart is hardened and sin gains a foothold. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." Jesus is more than a hero. He is Lord and Savior and able to melt a heart of stone by forgiving the worst sin imaginable. God's grace will sustain you through any hardship following your choice to change.

Conscience, Your Inner Voice: To Heed or Not To Heed? - Part 2

The inner voice of conscience is alive and alert, even when a person's wants, desires, and passions speak so loudly that it can no longer be heard. To live with a clear conscience is to harmonize your integrity with your thought patterns and behavior. Listen to the Apostle Paul's words from Acts 24:16 regarding his conscience. "I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man."

The conscience is an alarm system that warns of imminent danger. The voice of conscience is persistent since its mission is to bring us to confession and repentance for violations and sinful choices. Failure to heed your conscience may seem OK initially, but disregarding this voice can be devastating.

God will restore and renew a damaged integrity and conscience so you can experience peace with him and fellowship with Christ Jesus as well as peace with those who love you. Choosing the path of positive change is not always easy, but the Holy Spirit makes a way to do so when you are willing to ask for help. Would you give this a chance to work for you?