Our world’s view of tolerance and acceptance has started to erode the churches moral standards and beliefs. Many Christians are leaning towards a relativistic view of morality instead of holding fast to the Word of Truth. Many claim that freedom in Christ allows them to make choices to live in a way that Christianity has traditionally held to be immoral and sinful. This self-centered freedom is no freedom at all. It is bondage to the flesh and fleshly desires. It is a lack of discipline. It is sin against a Holy God. Also, it is a sin against the people that we are called to love.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). Our selfishness in demanding freedom is a far cry from stirring up love and encouraging good works in one another. When we choose to live as slaves to sin, it is harmful to those around us. Paul shared this with the Corinthian church. “And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ” (1 Corinthians 8:11-12). Paul was addressing believers who were selfishly standing in their freedom without concern for how it affected weaker believers. Do we do that? It seems to be a predominant theme in American Christianity today, and it is wrong.

We must humble ourselves and care for others. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Looking to the interests of others means that we will avoid sin. We will not succumb to temptation because we are to be an example. We will withstand the attacks of the enemy because we do not want to harm others by dragging them into sin with us. We will practice self-control so we do not wound the conscience of weaker believers. We will practice what is good and right because we love others and want them to have an example that encourages them to live in freedom with Jesus.

Again, we are called to love one another. When we choose to follow our desires and succumb to the flesh, we always affect those around us. To continue in a path of sin, is a most unloving act. Our friends and family are harmed. Our churches are weakened. The people we sin with are driven farther from God. And we fail to declare the glory and honor and power of the Almighty. Loving others requires us to choose real freedom, freedom from sin, not freedom to sin.

Lord, let me live a free life, a life free from sin. Teach me self-control. Let me control emotions and desires so they do not control me. Give me strength to live this life of freedom ina a way that encourages others to be free also. If I truly love others, I will live as sinlessly as possible so I can be a blessing to them. Let me be an example and support to those who are weak. Help me to make decisions wisely, realizing that they affect others. I live in a community, and my behavior affects that community. Only in you and the power of the Spirit will I have the strength to love those around me in truth. Fill me with that power today and every day. Amen

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” Philippians 2:5
My daughter posted this beautiful picture on Facebook today. I was so jealous. She got to swim with the dolphins. I have always wanted to do that. I have had a fascination with dolphins for years. They are beautiful creatures that are highly intelligent. They are also friendly and interactive. Dolphins are social creatures that seem to enjoy playing together. I thought about all of this while lying in bed this morning dreaming of my chance to swim with them.
A grumbling spirit started to creep over me when the Lord revealed truth to me. I get to go to work today! Yes, at first that seems reason to encourage my grumbling spirit, but wait. I am going to be interacting with God’s creation all day. Today, I get to hang out with people! I am blessed.
People are special creations of God. They are created in the image of God Himself. God breathed the breath of life into man and man became a living being. Then He created a unique counterpart for man, the woman. As evidenced in Genesis, God took exceptional care in creating human beings. They are important to Him. What a privilege, in light of this, that I get to hang out with people.
Ok, you still aren’t convinced. Here is the best reason for being excited about playing with people. God is excited about people. He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. He spoke with Abraham. He calls His children to reason together with Him. Jesus came to earth as a man so He could save people. Save them from what? Separation from Himself. Save them for what? Eternity with Him. God wants to hang out with people. The more we become like Him, the more our desires are His desires. That’s why God’s children should be excited about spending time with people.
People are beautiful. They are highly intelligent. Most are friendly and interactive. Humans are social creatures that seem to enjoy playing together. With the Lord’s help, I can change my thinking and begin to dream of opportunities to hang out with people.

Holy God, There is no reason that you needed a relationship with us. You are complete in yourself. Because of this, I know that it is a choice, a choice born out of love that you interact with me. I am so thankful that you Lord have made provision through Jesus so that I am able to interact with you. I am also thankful that much of that interaction is play. I am allowed to enjoy and have fun in your presence. There are times when we have to do hard work, sometimes we have to endure discipline, but Lord I thank you for play time. Let me see the potential in each person. Give me insight into their world so that my interactions will be kind and caring and full of fun and joy. Today let me be excited that I have the privilege to hang out with people. Also, I would still like to swim with the dolphins.

I broke my finger recently. It is the index finger on my right hand. It has been painful, and I have been a big baby about it. I thought about posting a picture of it on Facebook, in order to elicit more sympathy to my cause. I am glad I decided against it: First of all because I might lose readers who get grossed out easily and secondly because I have little reason to feel sorry for myself. I really don’t need that bad attitude encouraged.

Here is the story. I was at work on Memorial Day. I reached into the tube system to pull out a tube full of change. I had been distracted and didn’t realize how long it had been since it dropped. Suddenly I heard a tube rattling in the system overhead. I did not get my hand out quickly enough, and my finger was smashed between the tubes.

After the emergency room, my sister-in-law took me to the pharmacy to get pain meds. My little niece, Amanda, came and spent the night with me so I wouldn’t have to be alone. I was off work for about a week. I read, watched movies, ate, and relaxed. I had to avoid chores because I had a broken finger!

Although it sounds like a little vacation, and it was, I had moments when it was hard to look at it that way. I hurt. I wasn’t sleeping well. The antibiotics and pain medication made my stomach upset. I had a hard time doing simple tasks for myself. I started to get discouraged. I dropped the shampoo bottle while showering. It was hard to wash my hair with a plastic bag over my hand and a bulky splint on my finger. I started to cry and pray.

As I did, the Lord reminded me that my situation was minor in the scheme of things. He reminded me that on Memorial Day many celebrated lost loved ones and I worried about a lost fingernail. He reminded me that I had a beautiful home to relax in, a supportive family to help me, and medication to ease my suffering. Later as I was whining about the difficulty in taking a shower, He brought to my remembrance this video. http://youtu.be/gpBqR7_ilz0

I realized that complaining is a problem for me. I need to have a thankful heart. Too often I believe life should be problem free. When it is not, I am a big baby. Instead, I need to view the obstacles in my path as opportunities to be an over comer. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5). Who overcomes? The believer in Jesus.

I want to thank you Jesus for loving me and caring for me. I want to thank you for giving me power by your Spirit to overcome. Let me show courage in adversity. Thank you for the examples of courage that you brought to my remembrance. They persuaded me to change my attitude. Help me to keep an over comer’s attitude for that is who I am.

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christand be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:7-14)

My son Robby preached a great sermon recently. One of the things he shared was that Jesus never got a release from temptation because he never gave in to it. Jesus had to continue on with temptation nagging at Him. The example Robby used was about cookies. He said, if you are craving cookies and are tempted to eat them, you keep thinking about them. After you give in and eat them you stop thinking about them. Your craving is gone because you gave in to temptation.

This point got me thinking about my view and attitudes about temptation. Somehow I got the idea that the closer you get to God and the more you live like Jesus, the less temptation bothers you. Now I am thinking that temptation may bother us more as we become like Jesus. To be like Jesus means we have to bear up under the temptation. As we resist, the desire and craving initially gets stronger and plays with our minds more.

There is nothing that I could find in the Bible that said that temptation, craving and desire would go away if we resist. What I did find was that the Apostle Paul often spoke of striving and persevering to reach the goal. He talks about discipline and determination. He doesn’t talk about an easy stroll through life but a battle that must be fought, a race that must be won. In fact, we may not get release but we still must choose to serve God. “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). This is taking up our cross daily, resisting the things that tempt us and obeying God.

Unfortunately, we don’t always choose to live this way. One of the reasons is that sin does give that temporary release. It does feel good in the moment. We often justify our sin because of this “good feeling”. We fail to look long term at the consequences. Sin is never the best choice, even if it feels good at the time.

Paul understood this. That is why he talks about loss, a giving up of one thing for something better. The something better is eternal and valuable. What we give up is garbage. What we gain is a relationship with God! We get to know Him and relate to Him by understanding His emotions, thoughts, righteousness, and eternity.

We do have to share in His sufferings. That means that we resist temptation even when it nags at us. That means that we choose righteousness even in the face of adversity. In this way we participate with Jesus in the life He lived and continues to live through us. We participate with Him because He first came and lived life like us. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus knows what it takes to resist sin. He knows how difficult it can be. He knows that the cravings and naggings persist, but He also knows the reward of resisting. It is the abundant life and brings with it eternal reward.

Dear Lord, without you persevering through temptation and resisting the cravings of the flesh, I would not have eternal life. You do understand what it means to be tempted and you know that with your power I can stand firm for you. Lord, help me to do that. Let me continue to stand firm even when I experience difficult emotions. Opposing sin and resisting temptation are often mentally and emotionally exhausting. Let me trust in You and not my feelings. By faith I trust that your righteousness will be made manifest in me. I ask for strength to press on and strain for the prize. I love you Jesus for resisting temptation and becoming my perfect and whole sacrificial Lamb. To you be all glory and praise.