The Great American Disease...

Does anyone pay attention to the bad choices and ensuing bad habits of a free and democratic people?  Been there, done that, learned not to do it again???  Let me enlighten you on those snarky questions by summarizing the cyclic patterns of tolerance and restraint in American attitudes toward drug use. 

In the 1880's, opiates were welcomed as an ideal tonic, and large numbers of Americans became addicted. By 1890, the image of such drugs had changed. By 1900, cocaine and opiates had come to be viewed as dangerous drugs; subsequently, their use declined largely as a result of disillusionment with initial claims about the drugs and growing awareness of the effects on individuals and their families. 

The first major national narcotics law, the Harrison Act of 1914, was intended to curb recreational drug use and non-medical addiction. Contemporaneous with growing concerns about the drug problem were the imposition of State and local controls on narcotics, a search for a cure for addiction, and the establishment of narcotics clinics. 

In 1930, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was established, international anti-drug activities were initiated, and controls on cannabis were implemented. Between World War II and 1970, strong legal sanctions against drug abuse were established. Strong reactions to sanctions eventually yielded considerable responsibility for control to physicians and mental health professionals. 

From 1965 till now, toleration of drug use increased, along with calls for legalization of marijuana.  Now you know a bit about America’s fascination with drugs. So, here we are... 2014 and the debate is not much of a debate,but a foregone conclusion that marijuana will be the next harmful pastime to be legalized.  

FROM THE UNITED STATES WHITE HOUSE – OFFICIAL POLICY STATEMENT:  Marijuana is a topic of significant public discourse in the United States, and while many are familiar with the discussions, it is not always easy to find the latest, research-based information on marijuana to answer to the common questions about its health effects, or the differences between Federal and state laws concerning the drug. Confusing messages being presented by popular culture, media, proponents of “medical” marijuana, and political campaigns to legalize all marijuana use perpetuate the false notion that marijuana is harmless. This significantly diminishes efforts to keep our young people drug free and hampers the struggle of those recovering from addiction. (Excerpt from the The White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/ondcp-fact-sheets/marijuana-legalization)

Regardless of your personal feelings about legalizing marijuana, it's hard to deny that legal weed would be a bonanza for cash-strapped states, just as tobacco and alcohol already are.

With Colorado and Washington starting to tax and regulate recreational weed sales, and medical marijuana legal in 20 other states, we can finally start to put some hard numbers on the industry's value.  That’s the real lure... its value.  Marijuana is the ultimate “cash crop.”

Numbers like these...

$1.53 billion: The amount the national legal marijuana market is worth, according to a Nov. 2013 report from ArcView Market Research, a San Francisco-based investor group focused on the marijuana industry.

$10.2 billion: The estimated amount the national legal marijuana market will be worth in five years, according to that same ArcView report.

$6.17 million: The amount of tax revenue collected in Colorado on legal marijuana sales in just the first two months of 2014.

$184 million: The total tax revenue that Colorado will reap in the first fiscal year of collecting taxes on Weed. Much higher than expected.

$40 million: The amount of marijuana tax revenue Colorado is devoting to public school construction.

7,500-10,000: The estimated number of marijuana industry jobs that currently exist in Colorado, according to Michael Elliott, the Executive Director of the Marijuana Industry Group, a trade association that advocates for responsible marijuana regulation.

$190 million: The amount in taxes and fees legal marijuana is projected to raise for the state of Washington over four years starting in mid-2015, according to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, an independent agency that advises the state government on the budget and tax revenue.

$105 million: The estimated annual sales tax revenue generated by medical marijuana dispensaries in California, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based group that supports legalization.

$142.19 million: The estimated size of the medical marijuana market in Arizona in 2014, according to the ArcView Market Research report, up from $35.37 million last year. Arizona has a record 80 medical pot dispensaries currently open, with more expected to open this year, according to AZMarijuana.com.

$36 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Maine would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to a 2013 estimate from the Marijuana Policy Project. Portland, Maine's largest city, voted to legalize weed in November, and a grassroots campaign to get state legalization on the ballot in 2016 is underway.

$21.5 to $82 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Rhode Island would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to an April 9 report from the non-profit organization Open Doors. Rhode Island legislators are considering a bill this session that would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.

$134.6 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Maryland would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to a 2014 estimate from the Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a law legalizing medical marijuana on April 14, and state lawmakers are considering a bill this session to legalize weed for recreational purposes, too.

$17.4 billion: The estimated total amount that marijuana prohibition costs state and federal governments every year, according to a 2010 study by Harvard University economist Jeffrey Miron.

Here’s a bit of bone-headed logic... Marijuana begins with “M”... Money begins with “M” so it’s natural for the two to become soul mates, right!?  No one cares about you or your teens or the physical and psychological well-being of America... not when two M’s come together to make piles and piles of MONEY! 

Think about this... Why would American views shift so dramatically on the use of marijuana?  I expect the reason is because people have seen marijuana use in their own lives and those of others, see it as relatively harmless, see its benefits (medical and recreational) and have changed their minds based on the accumulating evidence.  

I wonder what God thinks of this smoldering situation?   

More to come on just that very question in the coming days, until then... Walk Upright before the Lord.

God, The Bible and Smokin' da Weed...

The American public is concerned about the problem of drug abuse – both nationally and locally. In fact, 87%, a large majority, say that drug abuse across the country is either a crisis or a serious problem that threatens our society. 

Yet, we are living amidst a major shift in attitudes on whether or not the use of marijuana should be legalized for recreational use.  As recently as four years ago, about half (52%) said they thought the use of marijuana should not be legal; 41% said marijuana use should be legal. Today those numbers are roughly reversed – 54% favor marijuana legalization while 42% are opposed. Majorities across nearly all demographic and partisan groups say the use of marijuana should be legal, at least for medicinal use.

Despite the growing support for marijuana legalization, many Americans express concerns about the inevitable consequences from legalization.  What is a Christian to think of these shifting attitudes in our society?  What are parents to do to try and persuade their teens that marijuana is harmful and the first step in seeking ever stronger drugs for more powerful highs?

The Bible does not directly address any form of illicit drug use. There are no express prohibitions against cocaine, heroin, ecstasy (MDMA), or methamphetamines (Meth). There is no mention of marijuana cannabis, peyote, magic mushrooms, or acid (LSD). Nothing is said about huffing, snorting, dropping, smoking, shooting, licking, or any other method of ingestion. This is not to say, however, that recreational drug use is permissible. On the contrary, there are several very clear biblical principles that place drug use well outside the realm of acceptable behavior for a Christian.

To begin with, Christians are under a universal mandate to respect and obey the laws of the land (Deuteronomy 17:2; Ecclesiastes 8:2-5; Matthew 22:21; 23:2-3; Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17; 2 Peter 2:9-11). The ONLY instance in which we are allowed to disobey the laws of the land is when the laws violate any divine imperatives (Daniel 3 and 6; Acts 5:29). There are no other exceptions to this rule. Contrary to popular belief, simply disagreeing with a law does not constitute a license for breaking that law.

Many have argued that marijuana does not warrant prohibition. They contend that smoking pot in defiance of the law is justifiable on these grounds and in light of (what they perceive to be) the hypocrisy of outlawing weed while allowing nicotine and alcohol consumption. Those who argue this point may be sincere in their conviction, but they are mistaken nonetheless. Heartfelt disdain for the law does not justify impunity towards it, as our Lord Himself made clear. While rebuking the Pharisees for turning the Law of Moses into an excessively oppressive yoke, Christ still required His disciples to submit to their unfairly harsh demands (Matthew 23:1-36, especially 1-4). Dutiful submission to authority and patient perseverance through unjust suffering and/or perceived unfairness (1 Peter 2:18-23) is God’s high standard for us – even if that means having to abstain from marijuana in compliance with “unfair” legislation. 

Not only are we to submit to authority for submission’s sake, born-again Christians are further constrained by a mandate to live above reproach for the sake of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 10:32; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 6:3; Titus 2:1-8; 2 Peter 3:14). Needless to say, and form of protest and criminality is highly reproachable.

Obviously, this first principle does not impact drug users living in nations like the Netherlands where recreational drug use is legal and permissible. There are, however, more universally applicable principles. For example, Christians are all required to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, regardless of our national identity (Matthew 25:13-30). This includes our earthly bodies. Unfortunately, illicit drug use is an extremely effective way to destroy your health, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

As Dr. Alan Leshner, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains, “The most immediate, extensive, and long-lasting problems caused by drug abuse, both for individuals and for society, are often medical in nature. For example, known drug-abuse-related health problems and resulting lost productivity alone cost our society more than $33 billion each year. Illicit drugs directly cause many medical problems. Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine increase the heart rate while constricting the blood vessels. In susceptible individuals, these two actions together set the stage for cardiac arrhythmias and strokes. The club drug methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, also called "ecstasy"), which many users mistakenly believe to be safe, has caused malignant hyperthermia, permanent kidney damage, and death. MDMA also damages serotonin nerve fibers in the brain. Heroin can cause a life-threatening kidney condition called focal glomerulosclerosis. The list continues: NIDA research has shown that almost every drug of abuse harms some tissue or organ.” (Quote from Addressing the Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse, NIDA Notes, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 2000)

Marijuana, while being the least harmful of all of the illicit drugs, is still potentially lethal. Marijuana enthusiasts (“potheads”) take comfort in the fact that, unlike most other illicit drugs, it is seemingly impossible to fatally overdose on weed by means of normal consumption (i.e. smoking it). But this does nothing to diminish the potentially fatal risks of lung cancer, emphysema, and other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by marijuana smoke. While marijuana can be ingested without smoking it, thereby eliminating these risks, there still remain negative physiological and psychological consequences including damage to the reproductive system, the immune system, and cognitive ability.

Beyond stewardship, as Christians, our bodies are not our own. We “have been bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), not “with perishable things like silver or gold . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:17-19). Having bought us with His own life, Christ has delighted to create in us something entirely new,  by indwelling us with The His Spirit. He has turned us into organic temples to accommodate His presence in our lives. So now, caring for our health is not just a matter of good stewardship. It is a matter of reverential piety. To pollute or harm our bodies is to desecrate the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). 

Another biblical principle concerns our susceptibility to deception. As fallible creatures we are prone to delusion. And since we are the objects of God’s intense affection, His enemies are our enemies, or they should be. This includes THE enemy, the Devil, the father of lies (John 8:44), a most formidable and determined adversary. All of the apostolic exhortations to remain sober-minded and alert (1 Corinthians 15:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8) are designed to remind us that we must be vigilant against the wiles of the Devil (1 Peter 5:8), who seeks to ensnare us through deception. Sobriety is also important for prayer (1 Peter 4:7), as is obedience to God (Isaiah 1:10-17). 

As for drug addiction, maybe not all illicit drugs are physically addictive. Nevertheless, they are all psychologically addictive. While most people are familiar with physical addiction – the progressive condition whereby the human body becomes physically dependent upon a drug in order to function properly – psychological addiction is less understood. Psychological addiction is an enslavement of the mind, often characterized by obsessive tendencies and a lack of desire to quit. While physical addiction brings the body into subjection, psychological addiction brings the will into submission. Users tend to say things like, “I could quit if I wanted to, but I just don’t want to.” This attitude tends to ensure a long-term pattern of drug use whereby users become devotees in defiance of a very poignant biblical principle. 

The fact is, no one can wholeheartedly serve two masters (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Any time spent kneeling before the “god of drugs” is time spent with your back towards the God of the Bible.  Any time spent lustfully pursuing the things of this fallen world –– drugs –– is turning your back on the salvation, eternal life, God desires for you!  The Bible teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:12).

More to come on this topic in the coming weeks... until then, Walk in Step with the Spirit.

Living in Step with the Spirit

For many today, Christ is very appealing but living the Christian life seems all but impossible.  Do you sometimes feel that way?  Let me tell you a secret...it is impossible to “live a life in Christ” without help... HIS help.   Hey, its okay if you feel this way, from time to time we all have feelings that our “walk in the Spirit” is off track.  First thing we need to understand and accept... is that we can’t walk with Him, His way, on our own. 

Trying to live the Christian life by your own efforts is like a ship trying to move on dry land... just doesn't work very well. For a ship to get anywhere, it needs to be sitting in water. And to enjoy an immersive Christian life, one needs to learn on how live “set apart” immersed in God’s formula for living. Paul knew this intimately... “For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me strength and power” (Philippians 4:13).

The Christian's formula to a consistent life is for Christ to work His plans and ways through us... “I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

It was during Christ's final evening with His disciples that He told them He would be leaving them, but they would not be left alone... “But the fact of the matter is that it is best for you that I go away, for if I don't, the Comforter won't come. If I do, he will – for I will send him to you” (John 16:7).  

We have been given someone who will enable us to live the Christian life bravely, courageously – The Holy Spirit. He isn't just some inanimate guide at the information booth along life’s trail... He is the Living God, in the person of the Holy Spirit.  For those of us who are committed, all-in for Christ, He dwells within us... our partner, our companion along life’s narrow and often challenging road.

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God, as are the Son and the Father. Much of the confusion surrounding the Holy Spirit occurs when people fail to view Him as a person. He has a personality. He is a divine person with a will and emotions.

The Holy Spirit possesses all the attributes that the Son and the Father have. He is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), immutable (unchanging) and eternal. He is the third person of the Godhead... the trinity.

What is the Mission of the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is a major part of your Christian life. Let's look at some of His roles and see why He is so vitally important.

The Holy Spirit convicted you of your sin and your need for Christ (John 16:8-11). The Bible explains that without the Holy Spirit's help, people think Christianity is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). Those around you may think it's crazy you've made such a commitment to Christ! You don't see it that way at all because the Holy Spirit has revealed the wonder of a life in Christ to you.

At your baptism, the Holy Spirit indwells and gives you a fresh start in life. Flesh gives birth only to flesh, Jesus said. It takes the Holy Spirit to give a spiritual birth (John 3:6). And it is through that Spirit that God's love was poured into your heart (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit also provides an inner witness (an assurance) that you are a Christian (Romans 8:16).

The Holy Spirit is a teacher and enabler. He leads you to the truth of God's Word. As you study the Scriptures, He illuminates the Bible so you are able to understand and apply its truth (John 16:13,14). He gives power and spiritual effectiveness in your witnessing (Acts 1:8). He intercedes for you before the Father when you feel like you don't know what or how to pray (Romans 8:26,27).

The Holy Spirit was sent by Christ to enable you to live the Christian life! As Paul wrote, “…the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you” (Romans 8:11). The Christian life is possible only with the power of the Holy Spirit.

You may be thinking, I need the Holy Spirit in my life. If you are a devoted and committed Christian, He is already there: “You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit resides in you, but you may not be yielding your life to His direction. He may be a resident – without being CEO.

Paul distinguished between two types of Christians: the spiritual Christian and the carnal Christian.  Consider the differences and where you might see yourself.

1. The Spiritual Christian “The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment…” (1 Corinthians 2:15).

The spiritual person has accepted Christ and lives a Christ-centered life. He is not sinless and he faces problems and temptations every day, just like everyone else. But as a way of life, he trusts Christ with each detail and problem that comes along. His greatest desire is to please Christ, and he doesn't covet the approval of others.

2. The Carnal Christian “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

Carnal means “fleshly.” The carnal Christian is a Christian (he has committed his life to Jesus Christ at some point), but his life is oriented around himself and his needs. He may show some evidence of being a Christian, but the work of the Holy Spirit is blunted, suppressed either through conscious disobedience and resistance to the Holy Spirit's attempt to work in your life.

What distinguishes the carnal Christian from the spiritual Christian? It isn't that the carnal Christian lacks part of Christ or the Holy Spirit – he possesses the same spiritual resources as the spiritual Christian. But the spiritual man relies on Christ's power to live his Christian life while the carnal man relies on his own power. Trying to live the Christian life on your own efforts is as futile as trying to get around town by pushing your car.

The Bible talks about being “led” by the Spirit. That implies we obey what He says... He leads, we follow. Simple enough. But usually we don't like anyone telling us what to do – even if it's God. Yet the filling of the Holy Spirit means allowing the Spirit of God and the Word of God to guide us in all we think and do.

We have the choice each day... Will we let the Holy Spirit lead us, or will we be controlled by something else? Will fear about the future, or our desire to get what we want, become more important than obeying Christ? When the Holy Spirit fills you, He controls your thoughts and your actions. You can't be filled with hatred, fear or worry while you are filled with the Spirit. There isn't room for both.

“Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to. Don't drink too much wine, for many evils lie along that path; be filled instead with the Holy Spirit, and controlled by Him.” (Ephesians 5:17). Unlike alcohol, the changes the Holy Spirit produces aren't artificial. They don't wear off with time. The Bible calls these lasting changes the fruit that is produced from a Christ-centered life: “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws” (Galatians 5:22.23).

How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit? Submitting, surrendering to control of the Holy Spirit in your life is our choice.  It's voluntary, but it's not by osmosis. People don't become drunk by handling unopened bottles of Jack Daniels or working in a liquor store. It's after drinking the liquor that things begin to get fuzzy.  As a Christian you can be surrounded by Bibles and Christians without being filled with the Holy Spirit. Or you can be alone, but Spirit-filled.

Some people equate the Holy Spirit with a mystical religious experience. It's not mystical. It is a decision of faith: a response to what God says in His Word. Being filled with the Holy Spirit isn't dependent upon feelings you think you have, but upon the Bible you have studied and the promises of God you trust and believe.

Why aren't more Christians being led by the Holy Spirit?  In a word, sin. We choose to ignore God, thereby disobeying Him. This can take the form of pride: wanting things our way. We don't give God control of our finances; we've worked hard for our money and it's ours. We don't give God control of our relationships; why forgive that person when it's really their fault? We don't give God control of our personal morality; that's nobody's business but our own—not even God's. That's pride talking. Scripture says, “He [God] mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble”  (Proverbs 3:34).

Sin can take another form: fear. Proverbs states, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare...” (Proverbs 29:25). Is there something [holy living] you know you should be doing, but you haven't done it because you're afraid of what people will think? It's easy to think... I can't do that. I would look foolish if I did that. God can't possibly want me to do that. 

The last half of that verse in Proverbs teaches... “but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” It's easy to put the approval of people above the approval of God, but isn't pleasing God what we really want?  Our lives will be different than those around us... but with eternity in view... it's worth it.

Can you be filled with the Spirit and still struggle with sin?  It depends on what you mean by “struggling with sin.”  If you are consistently giving in to sin, then the Holy Spirit can't be controlling or filling your life.  But if you are concerned... “Will I still sin after the Holy Spirit enters my life?”— the answer is an emphatic yes.

You may find yourself committing sin and confessing it several times throughout the day. That's not spiritual weakness... it is evidence that you're living and breathing spiritually. Becoming aware of sin and dealing with it immediately is essential if we are to be living “in-step” with the Holy Spirit.

We never become immune to sin in this fallen world. Sinlessness is reserved for heaven. As we grow to know God better, we will grow in seeing life from His perspective, and sin less. We will also learn to battle temptation. But even then there will be occasions when we sin and need to seek His forgiveness, whether we're in the first year of a Christian life or in the seventieth.

What if your life hasn't changed much yet?  We've looked at two types of Christians, the carnal and the spiritual. But there is a third category... the new Christian. Remember what Paul told the Corinthians? “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.”

Several years earlier, Paul had led many of those Corinthian believers to Christ. At that time he didn't expect them to be immediately mature, spiritually minded believers. Instead of following a normal growth pattern towards spiritual maturity, the believers at Corinth became carnal. If you're a new believer, you're still a “baby” Christian—not carnal... just young in your faith and only just learning to walk with the Spirit.

If you are obeying Christ today and trusting His power to change you, then you are exactly where God wants you to be. Don't agonize over the “fruit” you feel you lack. Growth is a process, and each part of the process is vital.

Obey Christ and don't worry about comparing myself to other Christians... if you do that, you will enjoy being a Christian.

The True Essence of FAITH...

Imagine a young boy, maybe 7 or 8 years old, asleep on the second floor of the family home. The boy awakens in the middle of the night to the strong smell of smoke. He knows what that means, there is a fire somewhere in the house. The boy stumbles to the door and opens it to a raging inferno.   The young boy quickly slams the door against the flames and runs to his bedroom window, only to stare down into thick billowing smoke and the darkness of night. 

From the ground below the young boy hears his father's voice saying, "Son, I'm here… jump!"

The young boy replies, "But, Daddy, I can't see you."

The father replies, "It's all right, Son, I can see you. Jump!"

So the young lad jumps into his father's arms.  Safe at last in his father’s embrace.

What does this scenario have to do with faith?  It's a part of faith for that young lad to believe his father was there, even though he couldn’t see him. It's another part of faith to trust and believe in his father, to feel that his father was able to catch him. It's the essence of faith to throw himself into smoky blackness, falling into his father's waiting arms.

That's what it means to believe on Jesus Christ. It's a part of faith to believe Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sin.  It's another part of faith to believe God is able and willing to forgive you and give you the promise of eternal life. It's the essence of faith to abandon yourself to God, trusting Him completely and allowing Jesus Christ to be your Savior and the ruler of your life.

Faith... how it forms and grow in us, how we become dependent on it, is a wondrous thing that only God can bring to full measure in us.  First there is the grace of God, then there is as the writer of Hebrews said in chapter 11 verse 1... Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Belief that brings us to completeness in God is as simple and life-changing as throwing yourself into His waiting arms. 

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'  Acts 17:27-28

Living a God–Centered balanced Life

The idea of achieving work/life balance is a modern-day knockoff of the American Dream, rooted in the minds of ambitious yet overworked professionals who want to “have it all” – work and play, career and family.  

I don’t believe there is such a thing as “work/life balance.” You don’t hear people talking about finding a “family/life balance” or an “eating/life balance.” 

In today’s fast-paced go-go world, work usually takes priority over the rest.  Why?  Because work is what we spend the majority of our day doing, it financially supports our dreams, and it’s a core part of our identities (the first “small talk” question people usually ask is what you do for a living).  Add mobile technology to our career-driven lives, and work priorities now have the potential to take over our personal lives. When this happens, you are putting your relationships, mental and physical health, and overall happiness at risk.

The key to contented living is to walk the middle ground between extremes.  In Parenting, we are trying to walk the balance between being too strict or too permissive. In Finances, we are working at avoiding the extreme of hoarding on one hand and indulgence on the other. In our Personal Lives, we’ve got to find the balance between ambition and contentment. We need to strive to do better, but we also need to discover contentment with what we have.

The Fourth Commandment reads... “Remember the day of worship by observing it as a holy day.” (Exodus 20:8). Obviously, to God there is to be a balance between work and our worship of Him.  But as we read Scripture we also see that we are to spend time with our family, to take care of our bodies, to rest. To keep the proper tension between work and the rest of life is a very complex problem in today’s world. How can a modern worker give the proper amount of attention to a career and at the same time not neglect family, the church and personal time?

Start by identifying your particular perspective on work, family, church and personal time. Stack-rank them in order of importance and priority... this exercise will help you acknowledge whether you have extremes or you’re close to a balanced life.

Some people are driven by career and personal pursuit of success.  That would be the extreme on the achievement side of a spectrum.  Many today, for many reasons, are prone to underachieving, doing as little as possible to earn a living and provide for their family. The extreme of laziness.

Ecclesiastes 10:18 says of such people... "If someone is lazy, the roof will begin to fall. If his idleness continues, the house will leak". In other words, laziness produces a poor end result from inactivity and lack of attention to circumstances and environment.

The Bible has some harsh words for the lazy. 1 Timothy 5:8 says..."If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." The book of Proverbs has all kinds of admonishment against laziness. It says a lazy person sleeps in instead of doing what he should. "As a door turns back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed" (Proverbs 26: 14). Proverbs 22:13 says... "The lazy person is full of excuses, saying, ‘If I go outside, I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!’" He rationalizes his inactivity. I can’t work today, the pollen count is too high. It’s Monday, people don’t buy on Monday. It’s Friday, people are knocking off early on Friday. Everything in God’s creation, from the ant to the human being, has a function and is supposed to work.  But the lazy person spends his energy finding ways to avoid that [God mandated] responsibility.  Okay, you’re not a lazy person.  But are you a workaholic?  

The workaholic gives an inordinate amount of time and energy to a career.  Jesus gave an excellent example of a workaholic in Luke 12:16 – “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing… But instead of enjoying that success that God had given him, what did he do? He said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store everything…’”  Jesus was not saying that we should never prepare financially for the future, but He was making the point that this man’s things were his future! He was so wrong. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?’" (Luke 12:20).

The workaholic becomes obsessed with achieving. Such people convince themselves that they’re doing it for tomorrow, saving and storing for the proverbial “rainy day.”. Such career-driven folks easily rationalize that there’ll be a day in the future when he’ll be able to relax and enjoy his family and get his spiritual life together. But somehow that day never comes. Where the lazy person produces a poor result, a useless faith and contention, a workaholic produces greed, selfishness and a false sense of security. They think they’ll always have enough time to turn things around; they count success in dollars and cents and yet have no sense. For they have put their security in temporary things. Jesus says that’s foolish, because you don’t know the future and the things you have can’t be taken with you - "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." (Luke 12:21).

We’ve traded the good for the best. It’s not bad in the eyes of God to have nice things or to work hard. But we’ve become so caught up in giving our time to the job that we have, in our stress and worry, neglected the best things – our relationships. 

In Luke 10:38-41 Jesus says something to a woman named Martha that we need to hear. "As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing…...” But listen to what Jesus says to her.."My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details!" What had Mary chosen? She had chosen to sit at the feet of Christ. 

Might not Jesus have been just as pleased with a bologna sandwich that took three minutes as He might be with a four course meal that took three hours? There is something better than our career, than getting our "to do" list accomplished... and that’s knowing Jesus. In her business, Martha forgot what was really important.

There is also the pursuit of stuff, material things.  Materialism contributes to becoming workaholic.  You work more to get more to buy more.   Like the rich farmer, we get caught up in the "I want" syndrome. We aren’t satisfied with anything ordinary; we’ve got to have a lot of whatever we desire and it’s got to be the best. And to get it, we’ve got to work harder and longer. There’s also the “keeping up with the Jones” where upper-middle class suburbia keeps score by the number of cars in the driveway, the luxurious vacations, big boats and so forth.  You’ve heard the expression... “he who dies with the most toys wins...” maybe so, but you’re still dead!  For many people, peer acknowledgement and prestige matters more than anything else.

Another stumbling block is escape, where the only real satisfaction in life is found at work. But the time is only part of the problem. People hung up on career achievement give their primary emotional energy to their work. We give our best efforts to work, and then our family and our faith get the emotional leftovers.

The philosophy of this age says, Success at work equals success at life. But that is so far removed from what God calls success. The world evaluates our success in life by status symbols. God evaluates our success in life by spiritual depth and by balance, neither lazy nor a workaholic.

If your life is out of balance, how do you get re-balanced? Here’s a short list of practical strategies that may help you.

Recognize that it is God’s desire that you live a balanced life. The fourth commandment in Exodus 20 instructs us to work. But it also commands us to rest. Why did God say to rest at least one day a week? Because He knows how we are constructed. He knows in the long run we’ll be more productive and effective if we have balance, if we have a change of pace. When you take time off, you’re not disobeying God – you are living life His way, by His design and in His desire.

Schedule a personal appointment with your family. You get the necessary things done at work probably because, for the most part, you’ve scheduled it. You know what time you’re supposed to be there, what time your deadlines are due, when your appointments are. One of the real secrets in living the balanced life as God has planned is to schedule the other areas of life too. 1 Timothy 5:8 says that if you neglect your family you are worse than an unbeliever!  At least once a month, choose a Saturday or an evening and make a "family night" out of that time. Have devotions together, play a game together, eat supper by candlelight and don’t answer the phone... any phone, text, messages, emails, etc. etc. . Make it a time where just your family is together. Put your kids’ ball games and activities in your calendar. Pick one other night or Saturday a month and make that a "date night" where you and your spouse get out of the house without the kids. Do it! We budget our money; why shouldn’t we budget our time as well?

Cultivate an interest outside of your work. Some people say, "Well, my work is my hobby, I don’t really need anything else." It is good if you enjoy what you’re doing, but all of us need some diversion, something that gets our minds off the job. Proverbs 14:30 says, "A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life." There’s an old Indian proverb that would agree with that. It says, "You will break the bow if you keep it always bent.” I hear people say, "I’m too busy to play tennis, no time for crafts." I believe people who say that are busier than Jesus. He often took time away, to relax and to renew His mind. Develop something where you can find fulfillment – painting, gardening, sports, hunting, fishing, hiking, browsing antique shops... you decide what works for you.

We must keep reminding ourselves of the “one thing” that is the most important. Remember what Jesus said to Martha? “There is really only one thing worth being concerned about.” It was knowing Him. As it says so succinctly in Matthew 6:33... “Our heavenly Father already knows perfectly well what you need, and he will give it to you if you give him first place in your life." So we can say, “Sunday is God’s, along with a regularly scheduled quiet time with Him. That is going to take priority.” That’s the best tangible way to put Him first. For many, Sunday can be a work day. So, make sure you still have a time with God on that day. A time when you are learning about Him, a time when you are talking to Him. 

Is God important to you?  Your actions will declare your true heart and attitude towards Him. Many folks use excuses like... “I’m too tired to go to church, Sunday is my only day to get all my errands done...” seriously, God just wasn’t important enough for such people to be in church. We know all the excuses, because we’ve all used them. The plain hard cold fact is that the other things are more important... than honoring God with your worship.

But it’s not just about going to church. Jesus is to be first all week too. When we study Jesus’ life we see Him scheduling daily time to be with God. Every day we are saturated with worldly values of materialism, prestige, popularity, or power. But Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters, either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Luke 16:13). 

I suspect that we have made our lives a whole lot more complicated than God intended. In the end, it’s not so much a matter of our schedules or the demands of our jobs... it is a matter of our hearts. When our heart is in the right position then everything else falls into place. That’s why Jesus said, "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” (Luke 12:34). 

So, where are yours?

A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.--Oscar Wilde

The most painful and hurtful thing you can do to someone doesn't necessarily involve deception; it usually involves telling the truth.  Hearing the truth can hurt. We admit it jestingly, but the old axiom has more meaning than most people want to acknowledge. When the truth hurts, one must choose either to endure pain or avoid truth... a distressing choice. The result? "The truth is heavy, therefore its bearers are few."

We are happier and feel closer to our friends and family when we do not have to acknowledge our persistent failures.  Don’t remind me of what I already know, but have chosen to bury deep within my psyche. If it stays buried, I can go on with my life as if the problems never existed.  I can create a fantasy world where all is well and nothing troubles me. I use self–deception as a "social lubricant" for it safely separates me from the realities I cannot face.  If you irritate my psyche by reminding me of my deeply buried shortcomings... it will cause me to confront painful and hurtful truths.

Few of us want to see ourselves as truth-avoiders, yet quite often people let themselves believe that truth is only relative. People who believe truth is only relative can only be "relatively truthful” with themselves and others. Many would never steal, lie, or cheat, but being truthful is not merely saying or doing truth in a particular circumstance. Being truthful also involves what a person thinks, feels and does in life.  Real truth involves choices, decisions, attitudes, consequences and outcomes.  If ones choices are not so good, they will string together like an unbearable heavy chain that entangles every aspect of one’s life. 

Genuinely truthful people make mistakes all the time.  They sin, they get off track spiritually. However, they are deeply rooted in truth, standing on truth, growing in truth and truth is the fruit of their being. They have truth in their "inner parts" (Psalm 51:6). To remain truthful, they must continually measure not only their actions, but their attitudes against that holy standard.  Rather than deceiving one’s self, they are constantly looking in the mirror, self-evaluating, self-appraising  and measuring against the only meaningful standard for life... The Word of God.  In light of His Word such people will readily acknowledge shortcomings and weaknesses and seek His perspective and counsel on how to fix whatever is fixable. 

When does truth hurt? Truth confronts us with that which we do not want to know... do not want to acknowledge and do not want to accept. For example:  Truth hurts when it requires us to stop doing what we want to do, or requires us to start doing what we don't want to do. It cuts through excuses and requires us either to do what is right…or sacrifice our view of ourselves as someone who is not doing what they know they should. Some avoid that choice by blurring the line between what is true and what isn't. Our world has become so full of blurry lines that many people don't realize that reality is not actually ambiguous by nature.

Truth is painful when it focuses on our own responsibilities and shortcomings instead of allowing us to focus on everyone else's. It emphasizes our own need to change and grow. In the midst of conflict, we like to believe that we are right, that we are innocent and that our suffering is the result of someone else's insensitivity. But truth causes us to see ourselves as helpless as we truly are. All of us are sometimes wrong, sometimes guilty and sometimes we use our emotions, words, and even our actions to manipulate or hurt others. It is painful to see ourselves as we are—so much so that some people try very hard to avoid it.

Yet when truth is painful, or requires something a person does not want to accept, they often act as though it is somehow negotiable, or worse, non-existent.  We are daily bombarded with media and much of what we see and hear does not encourage the need to make sacrifices for the sake of truth. Our consumer society preaches a loud, much more agreeable message: "Enjoy as much pleasure and avoid as much pain as possible." Whereas few would admit to embracing such standards, many make choices as though they do, especially as regards the pain aspect. But unfortunately, in order to block, dull or control pain caused by wrong choices and behavior, people must inhibit their ability to perceive truth.

While most people will avoid truth at times, few see avoidance of truth as lying to themselves. We learn to tame our lies so we can live with them. To tame a lie requires that deep down, we must recognize that we have "winked" at the truth. Yet we do choose to perceive things in a certain way that may seem necessary for the happiness of all concerned. Some people try to tame lies by diluting the truth. But as the old saying goes... "Half the truth is still a whole lie."

Most people value honesty.  No one wants to be lied to. Everyone appreciates kindness. Sometimes, though, honesty and kindness collide. That happens when telling the truth would be hurtful... dredging up someone’s shortcomings buried deep in their psyche.  Now the conundrum... being “kind” usually involves telling a lie. How do we negotiate this clash of noble intentions?

God is truth. He is honesty. When we tell the truth, we conduct our words as God wants us to communicate. When we don't tell the truth by lying, [withholding bits of critical information], we go against what God expects of us. Often people lie, or water–down reality because they are concerned about getting in trouble or hurting someone’s feelings.  We must also understand the potential dilemma and the risk... we can blow our integrity with God, and that can be just as damaging to us as our words might be to someone desperately needing to hear truth. Perhaps for a Christian, a Biblical definition of lying could be summed up in this statement... Any time our word does not agree with God’s Word.

We lose our integrity when we lie, both in the eyes of God and in the eyes of those around us. Lying diminishes our relationship with God, as it decreases trust. When it becomes easy to lie, often times in pursuit of peace, we are heading down a path of self–deception, which can be just as dangerous as withholding truth from others. When we start trusting this flawed view often as a strategy to not hurt someone, we start justifying the sinful and harmful actions of others. Lying is a pathway to a long, slow walk away from God... for you and the person who needs your help.

Think about how the world would be different if no one lied…ever. At first it's a scary thought. After all, if we didn't lie people would get hurt, right? After all, you might hurt your relationship with your best friend by telling him or her they’ve missed the mark. Not being able to lie teaches us the importance of tact in our relationships and reminds us the importance of being prepared to “bear with one another” through difficulties that may arise when someone is forced to face an uncomfortable truth by our words of counsel. (Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:2,32)

Lying to gloss over and ease the pains of someone’s shortcomings is very damaging. Christians feel a need to be perfect and when they’re not, they feel the need to cover up their shortcomings. To hide what they’ve done or hide the fact that they’re still not the person they wanted or hoped to be. Christians feel this pressure because admitting any weakness or shortcoming calls into doubt all one’s good qualities.  We create shadow lives that shine on the outside, but are crumbling on the inside.

Our ungodly world conditions us to do whatever is necessary to "save face" or "protect someone's feelings."  Yet, as Christians, we have to learn to overcome the temptation to varnish over obvious shortcomings in our fellow Christians.  It can be frustrating at times. Fear is often the biggest emotion we must overcome when we face the desire to alter reality to protect someone’s feelings. Yet we must always keep it in our hearts and minds that there is a way to tell the truth that is good. We cannot allow ourselves to give in to our weaknesses and say something that is not truth. 

Accept that telling the truth will sometimes hurt. Just because you tell someone the truth doesn't mean it will always be accepted with open arms. Some people may be hurt by what you have to say. It happens. 

In the end, though, most people will appreciate the honesty rather than the lies. Anyone who hates you for being truthful probably has issues with what's going on in the first place and doesn't want to be confronted with the truth at the moment. Yet the fear of someone not wanting to hear the truth should never stop us from telling it. Sometimes God uses us to highlight wrongs and shortcomings in other people's lives.  

Okay... having said all this, let’s return to Paul’s question to the Galatians in chapter 4 verse 16... the title of today’s message.... “Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?” 

There are those who will sing the praises of a preacher, a shepherd, a teacher, as he says things with which they agree. Let that same preacher, shepherd or teacher say something that is challenging or even outright contradictory of these individuals’ wants, behavior or lifestyles, and you will most certainly witness a abrupt change in their attitudes. 

The preacher, shepherd or teacher is now a meddling–insensitive–uncaring–unkind jerk! He is no longer delivering God’s truth but instead is advancing his own opinion. Formerly, heaps of praise were tossed his way, now anger and animosity are hurled at him. The preacher, the shepherd and the teacher have not changed. His mindset toward those he is shepherding and teaching has not changed. The difference in this scenario... now people are hearing something that offends their reality and urges them to change, and change, even that which is clearly demanded by God, is most often met with combative resistance.

What changed in the relationship between Paul and the Galatian churches? Did he become mean-spirited and hateful toward them? No, he had the same love for them as he had previously had. What changed then? Was the change not in the hearts of those brethren who did not want to be told what to do? Was it not the case that they didn’t want anyone correcting them? Did they not want to just keep on going the way they wanted to go, doing and living as they wanted, regardless of the eternal direction it was taking them?  Questions we should all ponder in our walk with Christ.

It is required of Christians that we speak the truth in love to one another (Ephesians 4:15). Doing so involves reproving and rebuking (2 Timothy 4:2) which by the very nature of the words necessary for rebuke, do not convey the sentiments of love. It’s sad that our doing what God requires, will sometimes turns people against us, but we must not hesitate to tell the truth.

In like manner, we must be sure that we ourselves accept correction when it is evident from the Scriptures that our actions are not pleasing to God. We must turn to God’s Word to determine the validity of the correction and then humbly accept it.  

The fool and sinner hate a reprover. The righteous love faithful reproof (Ps 141:5; Pr 9:8).

Your Inner Being... how is it doing?

It’s the most fragile, deep and precious part of you. Yet resides in a place unknown. Everyone has one. Everyone needs one. It weighs nothing. But means everything. It’s a stream, giving strength, direction, and harmony to every other area of our life. It’s a direct connection, to nature, humanity, and God. It’s the soul. How well is yours?  Very good question, considering our eternal destiny depends on the condition of our soul.

The Bible is not perfectly clear as to the nature of the human soul. But from studying the way the word soul is used in Scripture, we can come to some conclusions. Simply stated, the human soul is the part of a person that is not physical. It is the part of every human being that lasts eternally after the body experiences death. Genesis 35:18 describes the death of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, saying she named her son “as her soul was departing.” From this we know that the soul is different from the body and that it continues to live after physical death.

The human soul is central to the personhood of a human being. As C. S. Lewis said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” In other words, personhood is not based on having a body. A soul is what is required. Repeatedly in the Bible, people are referred to as “souls” (Exodus 31:14; Proverbs 11:30), especially in contexts that focus on the value of human life and personhood or on the concept of a “whole being” (Psalm 16:9-10; Ezekiel 18:4; Acts 2:41; Revelation 18:13).

The human soul is distinct from the heart (Deuteronomy 26:16; 30:6) and the spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12) and the mind (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). The human soul is created by God (Jeremiah 38:16). It can be strong or unsteady (2 Peter 2:14); it can be lost or saved (James 1:21; Ezekiel 18:4). We know that the human soul needs atonement (Leviticus 17:11) and is the part of us that is purified and protected by the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:22). Jesus is the great Shepherd of souls (1 Peter 2:25).

Matthew 11:29 tells us that we can turn to Jesus Christ to find rest for our souls. Psalm 16:9-10 is a Messianic psalm that allows us to see that Jesus also had a soul. David wrote, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” This cannot be speaking of David as Paul points out in Acts 13:35-37 because David’s body did see corruption and decay when he died. But Jesus Christ’s body never saw corruption (He was resurrected), and His soul was not abandoned to Sheol. Jesus, as the Son of Man, has a soul.

There is often confusion about the human spirit vs. the human soul. In places, Scripture seems to use the terms interchangeably, but there might be a subtle difference. Otherwise, how could the Word of God penetrate “even to dividing soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12)? When the Bible talks about man’s spirit, it is usually speaking of an inner force which animates or motivates a person in one direction or another. It is repeatedly shown as a mover, a dynamic force (Numbers 14:24) within us.

It has been said that there are only two things that last: the Word of God (Mark 13:31) and the souls of men. This is because, like God’s Word, the soul is the imperishable part of us. That thought should be both sobering and awe-inspiring. 

Every person you meet is an eternal soul. Every human being who has ever lived has had a soul, and all of those souls are still in existence somewhere. The question is, where? The souls that reject God’s love are condemned to pay for their own sin, eternally, in hell (Romans 6:23). But the souls that accept their own sinfulness and God’s gracious gift of forgiveness will live forever beside still waters with their Shepherd, wanting for nothing (Psalm 23:2).

Again... how well is yours?