Imagine the Possibilities: Take Action - Part 1

Homer Hickman’s biography, The Rocket Boys, details how his father encouraged him to be a coal miner, but Homer realized he was meant for something else. Discovering what he was meant to be came about in a small West Virginia coal mining town after he observed Sputnik I, Russia’s first satellite orbiting the earth. A light turned on for Homer.

After briefly working as a coal miner, Homer accepted what he believed to be his destiny. His science teacher challenged him to accept what he could do and to stay with it. Homer’s inner values would insure his success. He became an engineer who trained astronauts for some of the first space flights.

It can be difficult to believe you’re valuable to God, that He’s interested in you. Perhaps Homer heard God’s challenge from 2 Corinthians 13:5. "Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith; test yourself. Do you not realize you are in Christ Jesus?" The values offered to you by Christ Jesus always will enrich and sustain your life. 

Open Minds and New Ways - Part 3

The movie, The Winslow Boy is about a fourteen-year-old boy who was expelled from the British Royal Naval College after being accused of theft. The script presented a collision of values in British society and demonstrated the way each character dealt with facts and truth, as well as the nature of their core being that needed transforming.

Transformation awakens and creates values. Psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote, "Many problems disappear or could easily be resolved by staying in conformity with one's values. Honesty with oneself and clear knowledge of one's character are prerequisites to trustworthy moral decisions."

In the case of The Winslow Boy, justice was overridden by doing what was right, which demonstrated God’s mercy and kindness. Through God's grace and faith in Christ Jesus we are made righteous in God's sight. If you receive justice, what you deserve, what do you get?  We’re redeemed by God's righteousness, which gives us hope and determination to make choices pleasing to Christ Jesus.  

Open Minds and New Ways - Part 2

“Loving God with all your heart, soul and mind” is not something most people continuously think about.  Neither does “loving your neighbor as yourself” always get prime time consideration.  This does not mean these values are missing from your life, but they should be the most important guidelines for everyday living.

Rarely does a day go by without encountering situations which require asking questions like: "What should I do?" "How should this problem be resolved?” "How should I live my life?" "Is there hope?" At the core of such questions lie the heart and soul of a person's value system. Values define what actions need to be taken.

Life does not always present a clear way forward and may require clearing away some wreckage and chaos so wiser choices can be made. Listen to a choice Jesus extends to you. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." It’s this light that empowers you to make choices to honor and follow Christ Jesus.  

Open Minds and New Ways - Part 1

Tolerance does not come easy for some folks. In fact, tolerance may require total transformation by God’s redemption. An indication of spiritual transformation signals a change from being an enemy of God to becoming his friend. This makes way for developing new values that are compatible with God's values.

God's transforming power replaces a closed-minded attitude with an open mind that includes God’s love and purpose for ourselves and others. What seemed hopeless becomes possible because with God’s gift of tolerance we have peace and a developing attitude of confidence. Peace produces compatibility with God and a partnership with him to do his work in the world.

Tolerance gives evidence of a deepening love for God, a healthy love for others and an adequate love for self. It also produces a framework of personal conduct that affects the lives of others and encourages them to enter the Kingdom of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Sounds challenging, but exciting. 

Endure: Press Upward and Onward - Part 3

In the decade of the 1960's, values of the previous generation came into conflict with young people, producing a period of political, social and spiritual upheaval. The sexual revolution and escape from conventional values indicated change was inevitable. The Bible, prayer and God were expelled from America’s public schools.

Protests on university campuses and other demonstrations gave voice to those seeking change. Change in a nation’s social structure doesn't come without some degree of outrage. One thing’s for sure, turbulence demands examination of basic values and the will to endure.

Our society has gone through numerous changes, and many more are sure to come. One stabilizing force in times of change is to "love the Lord your God with your complete being and love your neighbor as yourself." James 2:8 calls this the royal law because it demands for tolerance and good will to be extended to others. This command helps us stay focused on the fact that we are God's creation and he love us all equally. 

Endure: Press Upward and Onward - Part 2

People who do aerobics and other sports learn the importance of building endurance, or “no pain, no gain”. Many wonderful Christians have had to endure physical and perhaps emotional pain for years. Yet they tell you that God gives them strength to endure. It's true, we're not all created equal, and life can be more complicated for some than others.

Endurance may include pressing on toward godly goals even when failure seems eminent. One of the hard sayings of Jesus was to "take up your cross and follow me." Pressing onward could mean working through difficult problems instead of giving up or denying they exist.

Jesus would not advocate something so important without empowering you to endure. Listen to his words. "If anyone would come after me, he must take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me shall find it." Reconstructing your values demands faith and trust in the presence and power of Christ in you.  

Endure: Press Upward and Onward - Part 1

Value clarification and renunciation are teammates. Value clarification is necessary when facing conflict and difficult choices. Renunciation compels us to forsake sin and deny Satan access to our lives. Renunciation demands the abandonment of the broad, easy way Jesus said leads to destruction.

Renunciation is emboldened by godly values, as 2 Corinthians 4:2 implies.  “We have renounced secret and shameful ways. Neither do we use deception to distort the word of God. By setting forth the truth plainly in God’s sight, we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience." In moments of weakness we’re tempted to take the broad and easy way by acting as if we’ve never been redeemed.

When and if this happens, pledge to forsake sin and deny Satan access to your choices. Permit God's grace and mercy to restore, reclaim, cleanse and forgive you completely. With this renewed determination, endurance and moral character grow stronger. That's good news!