Perfect peace is defined biblically is shalom shalom, or complete fulfillment as a result of God’s presence. We see this in Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, (‘shalom shalom’) whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth Thee.” 

The power of God is in the presence of God. God inhabits the praises of His people. We praise God in prayer when we thank Him specifically for His many blessings, acknowledge His love for us, and express our confidence in Him.

So how do we live a life blessed of perfect peace, or shalom shalom? 
We praise God for who He is, and as a result, He inhabits our space in a unique way. 
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord of our life, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That gift alone is incredibly powerful separating us from the world and giving us the ability to live in agreement with Christ when we pursue to do so. 
Yet the offering of praise is so powerful that it brings God even closer to us, strengthening us even more to know and do His will.

What does it mean to praise God?
We praise God for who He is and acknowledge Him as the source of of life, breath, and all blessings. We boast of His goodness toward us. 


Psalm 117 is just two verses instructing the reader to praise God. “O praise the LORD, All ye nations: Praise him, all ye people.”
“For his merciful kindness is great toward us: And the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD” (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭117:1‬-2).

The Hebrew word used in verse 1 for “praise” means “to shine or to be boastful.” The second Hebrew word in verse 1 interpreted as “praise” means “to soothe, to still, to quiet,” as the roar of the waves in the sea. The Hebrew word meaning “to shine or to be boastful” is used again in verse 2.
We are to boast of God to Him and to others. It’s important that we earnestly praise God in prayer and in deed and word to others. We are to shine His light to ourselves and those around us by boasting of His good works. In praising God, we are pleasing Him and also making the chaos around us to be still and bow to our supreme Lord. When we praise God even in the midst of a storm, we show that our confidence in God is not shaken. 

The power of God enables us to live triumphantly no matter our life situation. 
Think of the passage in John 17 where Jesus prays to God for His current disciples and those to come:
“And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (verses 13-17).
A few truths we can glean from this passage about a disciple of Christ:

• Jesus delivers the truth in the world for His disciples.
  
• Jesus desires for us to have joy, and He makes that possible.
  
• The world hates Christ and disciples of Christ.
  
• Jesus didn’t pray for God to take us out of the opposition.
  
• Jesus did ask God to keep us in the world but safe from evil.
  
• Jesus asks God to sanctify us through His truth.
  

A couple more thoughts on this passage:

• Joy is the Siamese twin for peace; they are a joint package and cannot be had separate from one another.
  
• We need to understand what it means to sanctify. The Greek word used for “sanctify” in John 17:17 means “to make holy, consecrate, sanctify” and is used to express meaning as “I make holy, treat as holy, set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify.”  In other words, Jesus is asking God to set us apart and purify us to remove the impurities that stand in the way of our living in agreement with Christ.
  

Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” Alone we are never enough and can never be enough to praise God or live God’s design for us. By His design, our close relationship with Him in obedience to Him is what sanctifies us, gives us joy, courage, strength, hope, and perfect peace to press on and praise God at all times.

 Even when times seem bleak, fix your eyes on where your help comes from. Certainly it is easier to focus on what concerns us, but our God is more concerned than we are and has the perfect solution, no detail overlooked. Are you going to relax in God’s gift of perfect peace by keeping your mind fixed on Him and trusting Him who sees tomorrow before it begins? 

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What is peace?
Oxford dictionary defines peace as freedom from disturbance; tranquility and a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended.
According to www.encyclopedia.com, spiritual peace “includes notions of totality or completeness, success, fulfillment, wholeness, harmony, security and well-being.”
According to www.biblestudytools.com, the biblical concept of peace is “larger than [the English definition of peace] and rests heavily on the Hebrew root slm, which means ‘to be complete’ or ‘to be sound.’ The verb conveys both a dynamic and a static meaning ‘to be complete or whole’ or ‘to live well.’”
According to www.biblestudytools.com, peace, or salom, can be grouped into four categories:

• Wholeness of life or body
• A right relationship or harmony between two parties or people, often established by a covenant
• Prosperity, success, or fulfillment
• Victory over one’s enemies or absence of war

According to the biblical interpretation, God is the source of peace. He is “Yahweh Shalom” as we see in Judges 6:24 when God gave Gideon peace of his calling as a mighty warrior.
To those with whom God establishes a covenant of perfect peace, it is ensured by His presence. We see this in my motto verse, Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth thee.” As long as we trust God and keep our minds fixed on Him, we enjoy perfect peace, no matter what is going on around us. It’s an internal anchor that steadies us in difficult times.
God gave me this verse during a very difficult time in my life, and it has strengthened and re-centered me countless times. For years, I have had a sign in my kitchen that defines peace (shalom) as “complete fulfillment as a result of God’s presence.”
In Pursuit of Peace
We cannot have complete fulfillment without God’s direction and blessing.
We can run here and there, accomplish this and that, get all kinds of awards, degrees, and certifications, and rise to the top of our field and still not be fulfilled.
Look at Hollywood for worldly success without peace. Billionaires and beloved stars commit suicide as often as do regular people.
They also struggle as much with addictions of all kinds, just as the rest of us.
We all try to fill the inborn void with what we think will make us happy, but we are never fulfilled without God’s presence.
Some people chase success to finally obtain it and find they still feel unfulfilled.
I believe God defines success as peace, or shalom: our complete fulfillment as a result of His presence.
This means an intimate relationship seeking God above all else. It means a life in which prayer is a way of life as much as breathing. Not just talking to God but also listening, seeking His wisdom for every decision we will encounter. It includes interceding for others continuously. It means thanking God and asking Him to open our eyes to see the blessings we have taken for granted. It is constant communion and communication with God. The result is a life of peace and fulfillment in which God is honored above all.
What if we believe in and trust God and try to follow His leading but still feel unfulfilled, numb, struggle with addiction, or still sometimes contemplate suicide?
We live in an imperfect world full of imperfect people. It’s easiest to think of it this way: everything and everyone here is messed up. We all suffer, we all get it wrong sometimes, and we all struggle.
So what’s the difference?
The difference is the anchor and lifeboat that is the close intimacy with our Maker, God. Satan attacks every person. He is no respecter of persons, and seeks to kill, steal, and destroy as much as possible because he hates God. He attacks individuals, families, churches, institutions, governments, and more. There is no one or nothing satan doesn’t attempt to intrude and apply his thumbprint.
Turn the Table on Satan
We are empowered to accept that we are attacked, then recognize where and how satan is attacking us. We already know the basic why—because He hates God. Recognizing where we are weak enables us to strengthen that area. But beware if you are confident of your strength in an area; it is likely that there is a weakness of which you aren’t aware, and satan will sneak in to destroy you in that very area of life.
One example of how to turn the table on satan is if you have a momentary sexual impulse not toward your spouse, you know that you need to strengthen your love and commitment toward your spouse. This in turn will strengthen your marriage. How to do this is to pray for your marriage, your spouse, and your affection and commitment to your spouse. You also must walk away from the temptation, taking every thought captive under the authority of Jesus Christ, and remind yourself of your spouse’s qualities that attracted you to him or her. You can also recognize if there’s been a lack of affection and connection between you and your spouse, and then have a spontaneous or planned time of intimacy to rekindle those sparks.
If we don’t recognize the attack and render it useless, it causes division within us and separates us from peace.
The Mind Is a Battlefield
It’s important to guard our minds. That is why we must recognize and remove impure thoughts as soon as they come.
Satan attacks our minds in more ways than just temptations. He attacks with vanity, pride, fears, and insecurities. He wants to steal our focus from God so he can inflate our pride or deflate our joy. He knows that either way leaves us weak and not focused on God. His goal is to distract and deceive us.
We cannot win someone else’s battle for them, but we can be there for them with Godly support and unconditional love, and we are to intercede on their behalf. And we can recognize satan’s attacks on us as we are close to this person.
​I remember a long season when Satan was attacking my daughter in many ways. The battle was spiritual and also mental, emotional, and physical, but the decisive movements occurred in her mind. Satan tried hard to distract my prayers and vigilant parenting by attacking me also spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. He threw every fiery dart he could find to sling our way. I know God created my daughter with specific qualities to serve His purpose, and satan has attacked those same qualities all her life to oppress her and prevent God’s will from being done.
Our Power to Have Peace
We have an important role in whether or not God’s will is accomplished on earth. When we are oppressed by satan’s attacks, we aren’t able to know, much less pursue, God’s purpose for our lives.
We are in control of our own peace. No matter satan’s attacks, we have an invitation from God to have a close relationship with Him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We then have His Holy Spirit within us to strengthen our resolve when our flesh is weak. And we have the mind-blowing opportunity to communicate directly with God, with no in-between. When Christ rent the veil, He made one-to-one communication with God our privilege and responsibility in order for us to live fulfilled lives, full of peace as a result of God’s presence.
If you lack peace or fulfillment, seek God continually. He doesn’t withhold peace from those who are near to Him. Just keep seeking God continually, no giving up and no turning back. A close relationship with God and dependence on Him is all it takes. The flesh is weak, but the Holy Spirit within one who believes and trusts God and knows Jesus Christ as the only mediator for sin, is strong. When we are weak and rely on Him, God’s strength in our life shines through and gives us the victory of peace in Him.
More on peace next week, but for now, here is an extensive list of bible verses and passages about peace:
Exodus 14:14
Numbers 6:24-26
Leviticus 26:6
Judges 18:6
Job 22:21-22
Psalm 4:8
Psalm 23:1-6
Psalm 29:11
Psalm 32:7
Psalm 34:12-15
Psalm 37:11
Psalm 37:37
Psalm 46:10
Psalm 55:18
Psalm 72:7
Psalm 73:26

Psalm 85:8-10
Psalm 119:165
Psalm 122:6-7
Proverbs 3:2
Proverbs 3:13-18, 24
Proverbs 12:20
Proverbs 16:7
Proverbs 17:1
Proverbs 20:3
Isaiah 9:6-7
Isaiah 12:2
Isaiah 26:3
Isaiah 26:12
Isaiah 32:16-18
Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 48:22
Isaiah 52:7
Isaiah 53:5
Isaiah 54:10-13
Isaiah 55:12
Isaiah 57:21
Jeremiah 29:7, 11-14
Jeremiah 33:6
Daniel 10:19
Malachi 2:5
Matthew 5:9
Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew 10:34-36
Matthew 11:28-30
Mark 4:39
Luke 1:78-79
Luke 2:13-14
Luke 2:28-30
Luke 10:5
Luke 24:36-37
John 3:16-17
John 14:27
John 16:33
John 20:19-21
Acts 9:31
Romans 1:7
Romans 5:1-2
Romans 8:6
Romans 12:17-21
Romans 14:17-19
Romans 15:13
Romans 15:33
Romans 16:20
Hebrews 12:11-14
Hebrews 13:20-21
Galatians 5:22
Ephesians 2:14
Ephesians 4:3
Ephesians 6:15
Ephesians 6:23
Philippians 4:6-7,9
1 Corinthians 13:11
1 Corinthians 14:33
1 Thessalonians 5:3
1 Thessalonians 5:23
1 Thessalonians 5:15
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Colossians 3:13-15
1 Timothy 2:1-2
2 Timothy 1:7
2 Timothy 2:22
1 Peter 1:2
1 Peter 3:9-11
1 Peter 5:6-7
Philemon 3
Ecclesiastes 3:8
Ecclesiastes 4:6
James 2:14-24
James 3:17-18
Jude 1:2
2 John 3

When God gives us something to do, He expects us to do it.  That is when good stuff gets done, when God’s people obey Him.

Gideon is best known for putting out a fleece and asking God to drench it, but there’s so much to learn from this valiant warrior.

When the angel of the Lord came to Gideon, he was hiding out in the winepress threshing wheat, hoping to not be detected by the Midianites, who like locusts, ravished all the food of the land, time and time again.  They were a powerful gang of bullies who would come and take what was not theirs and leave nothing for the one who sowed and tended the crops.

At the time, the Israelites were living in the land of the Amorites and instructed by God to not fear the gods of the Amorites, but the Israelites disobeyed.  Just as with our own disobedience, theirs was followed by oppression by their enemies.

The oppression reminded the Israelites to call out to their own God, the one, true God for help.  God replied by sending a prophet to lay the facts straight regarding God’s deliverance in the past and their own disregard for His commandments. Then God sent the angel who appeared to Gideon.

Gideon questioned the angel, “Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? But now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” (Judges 6:13).

God replied with a directive for Gideon.  He did not engage in debate, nor did He communicate anything impertinent. He told Gideon to “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” (verse 14).

Gideon’s confidence was as weak as a wet noodle. He was full of questions and reasons why he was not the one for the job. After all, he was threshing wheat in a wine press at night to avoid trouble with them.

After waiting patiently for Gideon to voice his concerns, God said, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man” (verse 16, emphasis added). The whole of them smited as simply and surely as one man: all these bullies that were more populous than grasshoppers; “for both they and their camels were without number” (verse 5).

I imagine Gideon was caught off guard, thankful God was really there and cared, and he was amazed that God wanted to use him—the weakest in his family from the weakest tribe.

Gideon respected God and wanted to offer thanks and sacrifice. He also needed to be sure he understood God’s directive clearly, so he asked the angel to stay put while he went to prepare a sacrifice: no quick, easy task.  Verse 19 tells us that “Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought I tout unto him under the oak, and presented it.” That’s a lot of work anytime but especially in the dark of night.  Still, it was important to Gideon to be sure.

The exchange continued between Gideon and the angel and God with directives for Gideon and his needing assurance.  It’s important to note that even though it may have made absolutely no sense to Gideon, he obeyed God, and God honored that obedience.
When the angel of the Lord told Gideon to “throw down the altar of Baal that [his] father hath, and cut down the grove that [was] beside it: and build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of [the] rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove,” Gideon obeyed.  He and ten of his men servants worked hard for the next few hours to do exactly as God instructed. 

When folks awoke to find Baal’s altar cast down and the grove cut, they wanted to kill Gideon.  Thankfully Gideon’s father wisely rebuked them saying that if Baal was really a god that he could plead for and defend himself.

The visit from the angel of God was the pivot point in Gideon’s life as well as for the children of Israel.  Gideon’s own family had left God.  Gideon’s people left God, thinking wrongly that God had left them.

Gideon appeared to listen intently, engage, and obey God’s directives, thus building a strong, personal relationship with God and shaping his nation and their relationship with God.
Just as God gave Gideon the steps to accomplish as he needed them, and He provided assurance that Gideon wasn’t misunderstanding, God gives us what to do as we need to do it, and the next step won’t come if we don’t obey the one right ahead of us. As a teacher and parent, my motto was always, “Do what you should when you should how you should why you should, and you’ll be happy with the outcome.”
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Gideon obeyed each step, and he was reverent to God. He wanted assurance he wasn’t misunderstanding God’s directives, but we never see that he doubted God after his encounter with the angel that night.

God prepared Gideon through several tasks.  Upon obedience to each, God gave Gideon another directive.

Then we get to the big moment that all the preparation was leading up to: overtaking the Midianites.  Gideon had not voiced concern to God, but just as God knows our own human emotions and tendency to fear such giant tasks, God gave Gideon the directive and also a step of preparation for his heart to be fully courageous.  Judges 7:10 records that after God told Gideon the main directive to conquer the Midianites and Amalekites, He said, “But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host."

God knew Gideon was such a conscientious person that this preparation would yield great results.  God knows our needs and delivers right on time.  If we trust and obey as He gives us steps to do, our tasks grow more important.  We needn’t worry about preparation for the tasks.  God handles that and lets us know what to do, just as He directed and prepared Gideon.

Sure enough, Gideon and Phurah sneaked down to hear what the enemy army was saying in their nighttime camp.  One man told another of a dream he had. The other man interpreted it as God giving them over to Gideon’s hand (7:13-15).

Immediately upon hearing the interpretation of the dream, Gideon worshiped God.
Overhearing the dream and interpretation gave Gideon the confidence he needed to pursue this army that “lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude…and as the sand by the sea for multitude” (7:12).

God gives us directives every day, whether it is in His Word or as a direct result of our prayer time. Sometimes it may be a directive given to us by His Word and prayer, and confirmed by things in our lives, maybe even something someone says. Just like the assurance God gave Gideon by his overhearing the conversation at the enemy camp. God desires for us to obey, even when we don’t understand or see the next step.  Often, as was the case for Gideon, God gave him the call, but then each step was given one at a time. 

Gideon was told by the angel that night, “The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour” (Judges 6:12).  By this Gideon was called by God to serve in a mighty way. Gideon was confused by the angel addressing him as a “mighty man of valour” since he didn’t see himself that way, and obviously his peers did not either. God doesn’t see us how we see ourselves or how others see us. God sees us as how He created us: mighty for His purpose. For us to live up to that vision, we must live in Him, seeking Him and obeying Him one step at a time.
 

Imagine being a newly graduated nurse during the pandemic. You dream of working with cardiac patients, but your reality shifts quickly. You take a job on a dedicated COVID floor. You’re aptly introduced to circumstances for which nursing school did not prepare you: short staffing, inadequate equipment, treating needs that normally would be treated in ICU or on a step-down floor, and much more.

This is the COVID reality for one friend who says she never envisioned her work so greatly impacting her personal life. She developed a different awareness about herself and the job she was called to do. She realizes her vigilance to protect herself, her family, and others is vital.

This nurse was baptized by fire, so to speak, and quickly learned resilience, vigilance, compassion, patience, dedication, and adaptability. With deep conviction she says, “Each day I hope to be a light in my patients’ lives and show them Christ through my work. I will continue to do this work because I care about this field and want to do my best to add support during this time.”

This young nurse’s response to the pandemic shows the resilience of the human spirit. God gives us a fire deep within to survive and thrive. All humans have this burning desire, but we go about it in different ways. This nurse’s dependence on and trust in God brings forth the best fruit of this desire: glory to God, blessings to others, and peace within ourselves.

Even during chaos, we can have that inner peace that only a close dependence on God can bring. It comes with godly wisdom for living. We are all prone to human error, but we increase our odds of living wisely the more we seek and depend on God.

Some folks have exercised their faith in new ways as a direct result of the pandemic. Many have learned a new level of dependence on God for wisdom, peace, protection, and provision.

The pandemic has affected every aspect of life. Many more are grieving, poor, homeless, battling addiction and depression, and facing life challenges of survival that they never imagined possible.
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According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as of August 9, 2021, nearly 20 million adults in the US live in households that did not get enough to eat, and 11.4 million adult renters are behind on rent, despite all the economic relief and recovery support given by the government in numerous forms (cbpp.org).

“During the pandemic, adults in households with job loss or lower incomes report higher rates of symptoms of mental illness than those without job or income loss (53% vs. 32%)” (kff.org). In a survey by the CDC just a few short months into the pandemic, 31% of US adults reported having anxiety or depression. 11% reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past 30 days. These numbers are nearly double the rates expected pre-pandemic (nimh.nih.gov).

​As a result of the pandemic, the number of US adults who reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder rose from one in ten from January to June 2019 to four in ten. 36% US adults reported difficulty sleeping, 32% reported difficulty eating, 12% reported an increase in alcohol consumption or substance abuse (kff.org).

According to chalkbeat.org, the pandemic slowed progress in math and reading for millions of US students; Black, Latino, and low-income students were hit hardest. NWEA released data showing that students in grades 3 through 8 were 3 to 6 percentile points behind in reading and 8 to 12 points behind in math. Even students in affluent schools dropped significantly—the typical fifth grader dropping from 71st percentile to the 64th. Students in low-income schools dropped significantly over the pandemic year from 35th to the 24th percentile. Another analysis based on a different test and released July 27, 2021 by the consulting firm McKinsey showed first through sixth graders being an average of five months behind in math and four months behind in reading.
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Home school parents report increases in isolation and depression for themselves and their children not being able to co-op and go on fieldtrips. This year many are still trying to complete lessons behind on from last year and trying to regain normalcy with hopes of getting back to extracurricular and social activities.

From ghost town campuses and converting traditional to digital instruction, fees for not being being vaccinated, to housing plans for isolating those suspected of having COVID, higher education has undergone many changes as well (insidehighered.com). Some universities are waiving fees usually customary for those who want to live or dine off-campus. Others are trying to impose fees on students who are not vaccinated; those institutions say the fees are to cover testing costs and costs of quarantine, meal delivery and laundry facilities, and cleaning and sanitation efforts (insidehighered.com).

Gardening boomed at the beginning of COVID causing a national seed and canning supplies shortage. Some major changes in gardening resulting from the pandemic are that there are more first-time gardeners, more year-round gardening, more planting space, and more food preservation. Some folks planned bigger vegetable gardens and even planted fruit trees then lost them due to having COVID. Some folks found gardening to be their therapy.

The help and encouragement from veteran gardeners and food preservers to greenhorns has been one of the biggest victories in human helpfulness as a result of COVID.

One lady and her family cleared part of a pasture to grow more veggies. Her sister volunteered for meals on wheels during COVID and distributes extra produce to those meal recipients.

One lady lost her garden this summer after her sister passed away with COVID in March. Her attention shifted to getting her home ready for her sister’s four children to move in with her.

Curbside pickup, ordering everything from Amazon, overshopping, not eating out at favorite restaurants are some of the major changes reported in retail and food industries. One friend shared that she and her family haven’t eaten in a restaurant in over a year and a half. They do curbside pickup. Many folks discovered the quarks of at-home haircuts and styling. I have noticed more ladies donning natural looks and less makeup.

For some who have survived having the virus, their daily routines remain changed. One lady shared that her sense of smell hasn’t returned since having COVID six months ago. Another lady reported that she is still weak a year later and is very soon out of breath. She shared the struggle of her husband having to carry more of the load for gardening and household care.
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For all of us, daily life has changed in many ways. COVID conversations are now a part of daily life. We seem to be realizing things about ourselves as a result of how we respond to the social isolation, federal and local mandates, and growing tension between those pro and anti vaccine and masks.

For those becoming new parents during the pandemic, they are learning new ways to share their bundles of joy with family without in-person contact. For those in hospitals, having medical procedures, or living in retirement homes, isolation is definite.

Satan is using the chaos to divide and conquer individuals, families, churches, communities, and nations. He is pitting us one against another, and we feel helpless to participate in his attacks. Regardless of the chaos around us, God’s Word instructs us to seek Him with our whole heart (Deut. 4:29, Jer. 29:13) and keep our minds on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praise (Phil 4:8).

Throughout scripture God promises peace as a result of holiness, and most intensively in Isaiah. The prophet Isaiah is known as the prophet of holiness. “In Isaianic literature the adjective ‘holy’ (gados) is used of God more frequently than in all the rest of the Old Testament taken together.” ‘Holy’ appears 33 times in Isaiah as compared to 26 times in all the rest of the Old Testament (Motyer, 17). Isaiah ministered during a time when it was “clear that Judah would have to make up its mind wherein its security lay in a day of threat” (Motyer, 19).

We are in a time where we must make up our minds wherein our security lies. 19th Century Scottish Theologian P.T. Forsyth said, “Unless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon yield to that which is about us.” Regardless of our circumstances, we can benefit from God’s presence and gift of peace. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). The gift is there already, but we must do our part to access and enjoy it. God calls us to holiness. His Word teaches us to cleanse ourselves from unrighteousness (Matt. 5:48, Romans 12:2, 1 Cor. 6:19, 2 Cor. 7:1).

No matter on which side of the current debate we stand, we are to seek God and ask Him to reveal any wicked way in us just as King David pleads in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

2 Chronicles 7:14 instructs: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Notice the blessing can only be received after we do our part. Our part is to humble ourselves, pray, seek God, and turn from our wicked ways.
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The newest federal mandate directs the Department of Labor to require companies with 100 or more employees to require vaccines or weekly testing and fines up to $14,000 per incident of incompliance. It also requires vaccines for most federal employees, federal contractors, and all healthcare workers (cnn.com).

Many who oppose the vaccine mandates are carefully considering their next steps. One woman asked prayer for her family, as her husband now is faced with what to do regarding his company with over 100 employees. This family is considering the option of folding up and moving. The impact on the entire world of this US mandate is not yet realized.

As earth-shattering as all this is, many of us have yet to face the persecution Christians around the world face, just for believing in Christ. While it’s natural to crave our lost creature comforts, we are wise to remember and thank God for our many blessings.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:3-9).

18th Century Welsh poet, priest, and painter John Dyer said, “A person may go to heaven without health, without riches, without honors, without learning, without friends; but he can never go there without Christ.” No matter what we face during the pandemic or otherwise, our salvation depends on our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our peace depends on this same variable.

Works Cited
Barnum, Matt. “The Pandemic’s Toll: National Test Scores Show Progress Slowed, Gaps Widened.” Chalkbeat, 28 July 2021, 12:01 AM, www.chalkbeat.org/.
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“Coronavirus Affects Higher Education.” Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs, 2021, www.insidehighered.com/.
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Liptak, Kevin, and Kaitlan Collins. “Biden Announces New Vaccine Mandates That Could Cover 100 Million Americans.” CNN Politics, 9 Sept. 2021, 9:01 PM EDT, www.cnn.com/2021/09/09/politics/joe-biden-covid-speech/index.html.

Motyer, J. Alec. The Prophecy Of ISAIAH: An Introduction & Commentary. InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Panchal, Nirmita, et al. “The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use.” KFF, 10 Feb. 2021, www.kff.org/.

“Tracking the COVID-19 Economy's Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 10 Sept. 2021, www.cbpp.org/.

​The other day while flipping through some of my old journals, I came across an entry where I berated myself for not attaining the “abundant life.” In the journal, I acknowledged God’s grace and goodness and that it took faith and faithfulness to attain the abundant life. I defined the abundant life as a successful life. None of that has changed; however, the problem was how I defined the success. My definition was shaped by the expectations of others. As defined by the Christians surrounding me, success would mean that I had my life together, effectively accomplished meaningful tasks, and was reliable. My reality was that I was becoming less and less reliable as a result of compounding health problems.
Without controlling my health, I couldn’t figure out how to change my behaviors that appeared to be the antithesis to the abundant life. My body and my life as I knew it were crashing. The self-discipline that had always gotten me through suddenly wasn’t enough. To others, it seemed that I had stopped trying. Suddenly, I was a failure. Failures don’t live the abundant life. While hating who I was, I persevered still hoping for a change. I became more of a failure.
So many folks over the years had prayed over me, rebuked my faithlessness, and told me that if I only had the right faith, or enough of it, that I would be completely healed. Others told me the way to succeed was to ignore my health conditions and limitations. That’s like telling someone to run a marathon with a crushed foot.
Ignoring facts doesn’t change them. But I still tried. Eventually, the limitations outweighed my want-to, and the fact that I live with chronic, disabling illness is something I now give myself grace for. I realized that God allowed the sicknesses and loves me no less because of them. God gives grace, and we should, too.
We all have obstacles in the way of our success. Whether it’s a health condition, addiction, the past, obligations, or one of countless other limitations, nothing is too hard for God. Nothing has to stay in between us and our Maker. He designed us all for the abundant life and makes it easily accessible—no tricks, gimmicks, or trying to guess the secret code. It’s a free gift for us to accept just as it is given-simply, in love, with no strings attached.
The abundant life is the successful life. While this is true, our definition of success is critical. Success doesn’t mean getting done what others think we should.
I love Thelma (Mama T) Wells’s formula for success: B+E+E=S
B—Be aware of who you are. What is your mission? What is your vision? What is your passion?
E—Eliminate the negatives. Or, better said, ‘Eliminate the effects of negativity in your life.’
E—Eternal value. Only what you do for Christ will last.
S—Success. Everybody wants success; everybody’s looking for it. I love what Booker T. Washington said: ‘Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed’ (Wells, 116-123).
The abundant life means living in faith and with faithfulness. It’s important that we acknowledge our power of choice when it comes to our faith and faithfulness. Christian Rapper and Preacher Trip Lee said God “hasn’t called us to worldly success; He’s called us to faithfulness. We need to adjust our goals, and further, adjust our dreams” (Lee, 116). What or Who we have faith in and live for matters. Christian Evangelical Author Timothy Keller said, “It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you. Strong faith in a weak branch is fatally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch.”
If we choose to have more than just a lip service faith in God, we will submit 100%, not holding anything back from Him. God gives us all a set of talents and expects us to be faithful to Him with each one. In the parable of the talents, Jesus shows that the servants given five and two talents worked and invested wisely, putting the talents to good use and returning to their master more than the initial sum they were given. The servant given only one talent chose to bury it instead of investing it wisely (Matthew 25:14-30). The lazy servant justified his choice with his flawed analysis of his master. Instead of obeying and putting the talent to good use, he analyzed and thought about it. This is always a mistake because God’s ways are not our own. His ways don’t always make sense to us at the time He instructs us to do something, but our obedience is always best. God tells us to do something. He doesn’t tell us to analyze to give our opinion about it. In Zechariah 4:6, God instructed King Zerubbabel to lead the people by His Spirit and not by power or might. In other words, King Zerubbabel was to put faith in God and not in common sense, and he was to faithfully rule the people God’s way instead of the common way of kings, with power or might.
Trip Lee describes the abundant life this way:
The good life doesn’t mean we get everything we want.
The good life is belief in God even when we don’t get what we want.
The good life doesn’t mean we live whatever way feels best to us.
It means we live how we were created to live.
The good life isn’t the high life.
The good life is the life that’s been laid down (Lee, 44)
God’s design in nature lends wisdom for putting life in perspective. In the oceans, there are tides and there are waves. The tide is “the rhythmic rise and fall of the water of the ocean which is caused by the strong gravitational pull on the Earth’s surface exerted by the sun and moon. Waves are formed because of the raging force exerted by the winds which blow over the ocean’s surface” (https://askanydifference.com). The tide in life can be seen as the expected ebb and flow, natural rise and fall, that occurs across stages and cycles in every life. The waves can be seen as the turbulence that comes to confuse our way. When the waves toss and turn a ship, it needs a way to find the right path again. We have the Holy Spirit available to us to keep us focused and on track, despite the waves. When General Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, encouraged his daughter in her endeavors for the Lord, “he urged her to keep her eyes on the tide and not on the waves” (Blackaby, Blackaby, and King, 230).
The abundant life means knowing God is with us and cares every moment. Sometimes we are tempted to think that God got too busy to love us, that He forgot about us, or that He stopped caring. These are never true. Suffering is a part of every life. “Suffering is not always the result of sin…Suffering, in fact, is sometimes the result of righteousness and of God’s eternal plan for our lives. Satan has his reasons for wanting us to suffer, but God has His reasons for allowing us to suffer, and His reasons will ultimately bring perfection out of our pain” (Stedman, 67-68).
The abundant life is led by God’s Holy Spirit and bears good fruit. Galatians 5:16-23 outlines that if we walk in the Spirit we will “not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” We are to avoid and walk away from such things as sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, and orgies. We learn that the good fruit we will live as a result of living in God’s Holy Spirit are “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.”
The abundant life is humble. “Humility responds to failure with a sincere desire to grow, and sees itself as perpetually needy of divine forgiveness and empowerment” (Swindoll, 75). Psalm 51 is a prayer in complete humility.
Based on this prayer, Charles Spurgeon identifies four destructive flaws absent in complete humility as a result of God’s conviction:
Absence of self-importance. Any advantage you might feel over another is erased when you see yourself through the eyes of the omnipotent, holy God.
Absence of carelessness. A broken heart never tries to play tricks with God.
Absence of hypocrisy. A broken heart cannot bear hypocrisy, especially with itself.
Absence of secrecy. Broken, contrite hearts are remarkably transparent, almost inappropriately so, perhaps because they have nothing more to hide (Swindoll, 73-74).
The abundant life means abandoning sin. “Sin is its own worst punishment” (Blackaby, Blackaby, and King, 115). When we realize we have been in hot pursuit of a fraud, we can turn around. Abandoning sin grows us spiritually. But “spiritual growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment” (Warren, 179).There are many examples in the Old Testament of God’s people repenting and turning from their self-centeredness back to God. King David, the only person God officially labeled as a man after His own heart, is a prime example of a man who got off track and quickly turned back to God once he realized his error. Look at Peter’s loss of focus in Luke 22. Jesus knew that Peter wasn’t as faithful as he should be, even though Peter himself didn’t know at the time. He told Peter that he would betray Jesus three times in the next few hours. Jesus warned Peter that satan wanted to ruin him. Jesus also showed His love for Peter in that He prayed for him and encouraged Peter to strengthen his brothers after he got things in proper perspective to live faithfully. All this before Peter denied him. God is the same today as He was then. He knows we will mess up, and He has already extended His invitation and helping hand for us to turn back to Him. Dr. Charles Stanley simplied it when he said, “We are never outside of God’s overarching plan. It may seem that we have taken a wrong turn, gotten off track, or that the sorrows of this life have caught up with us; but God is never surprised by our circumstances, and He is never out of control” (Stanley, 141).
The abundant life gives hope. God’s Word is a message and record of hope from the first to the last word. 1 Peter 1 speaks much of hope. I love verse 3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” We have hope because of God’s love and in that, Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. It is His mercy and grace that give us hope now and after this life is done. That hope invites us to exit what we have been chasing—the perfectionism and worldly success we may never attain—to pursue a life of faith in the God who makes the abundant life a reality for all those who put their trust in Him.
​
​Sources Cited

Blackaby, Henry, and Richard Blackaby. Fresh Encounter God's Pattern for Spiritual Awakening. B & H Books, 2009.

“Difference Between Tides and Waves (with Table).” Ask Any Difference, askanydifference.com/.


Lee, Trip, and Matt Chandler. The Good Life. Moody Publishers, 2012.


Stedman, Ray C., and Jim Denney. Let God Be God: Life-Changing Truths from the Book of Job. Discovery House, 2007.


Swindoll, Charles R. A Life Well Lived. T. Nelson, 2007.


WARREN, RICK. The Purpose Driven. ZONDERVAN, 2002.


Wells, Thelma. God, I'm Ready to Walk in Faith. Harvest House Publishers, 2011.

Distractions are powerful and sometimes play a major role in our lives.
​What is a distraction?
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines a distraction as “the act of distracting or state of being distracted: especially mental confusion” and “something that distracts, especially amusement.” (emphasis added)
Since the definition of distraction relies heavily on the meaning of distract, we see that distract means:

• to literally draw apart
• to turn aside: divert
• to draw or direct (as one’s attention) to a different object or in different directions at the same time
• to stir up or confuse with conflicting emotions or motives: harass

To be clear, according to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a distraction results in mental confusion or amusement.
How do we become distracted?
To have our attention diverted or pulled away, it must have been on something else prior. Whether you feel that you consciously exert effort to place your focus on something in particular or you go through life attending to fires that grab your attention, you can only become distracted if you are already focused on something and have your attention taken off it.
We all lose focus on a regular basis. It’s a daily part of life, but how long we are distracted is essential to our success, productivity, and peace within. Christopher Columbus said, “By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.”
Determining Necessary and Unnecessary Distractions
Distractions are a part of life, but they don’t have to become our downfall. Sometimes situations need our attention, and sometimes we should ignore them and carry on. Wisdom allows us to determine which distractions to attend and which to ignore. We need to give ourselves grace and understand that sometimes our attention and energy must go in a new direction.
Necessary Distractions
I spoke with someone this week who didn’t work her garden this year as she had planned because after preparing the soil and setting seeds, her sister contracted COVID and suddenly passed away. This woman’s attention turned from her garden to preparing to share her home with her sister’s four children. God suddenly started a new chapter in her life cultivating young people instead of plants. Perhaps she and the children will soon be able to enjoy gardening together as a way of therapy while mourning the loss of their mother and sister. Regardless, this woman turned her attention to care for her nieces and nephews in an act of compassion that needed to happen for the sake of this family.
Sometimes things beyond our immediate control vie for our attention. Things such as injuries, illnesses, major life changes, and loss affect us all at some time. A lot of us find it difficult to stay focused because of health problems. We struggle to see how we can positively impact others when we feel that we have lost control of our own lives.
Unnecessary Distractions
Sometimes our attention drifts to unimportant and even dangerous things because we aren’t as focused as we should be. We get distracted by our strengths and weaknesses, our passions and desires, and our fears.
We waste time with strangers on social media in heated political or religious debates, and then still in defense mode, we argue with our spouse over bills or dinner plans. We may not intend to neglect our 8 year old needing help with math or basketball, but we do so because we are determined to have our personal workout hour every day after we leave the office. Only after our children stop telling us about school at the dinner table, they quit the team, or get a D in math do we wonder where we went wrong.
The Danger of Distractions
Satan tries to use all distractions—necessary and unnecessary—against us. American Writer Bruce Sterling said, “One of the points about distractions is that everything that they do is destabilizing.” In the moment we let our guard down, we are affected by satan’s attacks. Whether we are on cloud nine because of good things or we are emotionally exhausted from trials we have been facing, satan attacks the unguarded areas in our lives.
Distraction Leads to Discouragement
Satan uses distractions to discourage us from completing a God-given task. He hopes to divert our attention to people who are gossiping behind the scenes, to numbers and statistics showing a lack of engagement, or to other things we could be doing instead, and the list goes on.
The fact is that if God gives you something to do, do it, no matter what. Don’t get distracted or discouraged. Distractions will always be there. Keep your heart fixed on God. Psalm 57:7 says, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” The repetition here seems to show the psalmist is encouraging his own focus and determination.
When satan uses other people to distract and discourage you, remember to “cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved…Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days” (Psalm 55:22-23).
Safe from the Storm of Distraction
We are safe from satan’s attacks when we are praising God. He inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3) Focusing on God, we don’t focus on the enemy, the battle or winning. We just focus on our High Commander in Heaven who also lives in our hearts guiding and strengthening us to win the war.
King David was a man of many sorrows. He had to flee and hide for his very life more than once. He remained focused on God instead of the many distractions before him. He earnestly and honestly petitioned God for His help. Psalm 56:9-13 is an example of his honest praise and petition. Notice that praise is where there is power to ignore life-threatening distractions.
When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back:
This I know; for God is for me.
In God will I praise His word:
In the Lord will I praise His word.
In God have I put my trust:
I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
Thy vows are upon me, O God:
I will render praises unto thee.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death:
Wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God in the light of the living?
The Power of Disengagement
In traditional warfare, one strategy to win the battle is to not engage with distractions. Certainly there are distractions that demand our attention, but continuing to focus on the initiative, we will minimize unnecessary engagement with distractions. Remember that distractions are part of a strategy by the enemy to expose or create a weak spot to attack.
So even when you should divert your attention to something else, don’t forget your initiative. Our initiative should be to seek God’s leading and praise Him no matter our circumstances. By doing this, you destroy the enemy’s opportunity to turn a distraction into your disaster. James 4:7-8 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.”

*For more on distractions, please read blog post for May 21, Dealing with Distractions.

​In light of the current condition of our nation and our world, it’s easy for one to question if God has given up on us and left us to our follies and pitfalls.
God didn’t give up on the Israelites. They did suffer the consequences of their choices, but God never gave up on them. His relentless love was committed beyond their present rebellion and idolatry.
God doesn’t give up on us, either, individuals or nations. We suffer the consequences of our choices, but God never gives up on us.
Sometimes we feel alone and think that God must have given up and forgotten about us. It’s important to remember that feelings often don’t reflect reality. Feelings can confuse us and distort our perspective. This is one of satan’s most powerful tools.
God is the God of perpetual chances. He never disinvites us from a close relationship with Him. When we feel as though God left us, the reality is that we left Him.
Our past is not a deterrent to God’s invitation to us. Look at Jesus’ interactions with folks everywhere He went. He invited them to leave their old choices and live a better life in Him. He didn’t first consider if their past mistakes made them worthy. We are all unworthy. Even on the cross, Jesus forgave his accusers, his murderers, and the thief next to Him.
It takes more than Jesus’ forgiveness of our past and His invitation for us to live the abundant life in Him as He designed and desires. It takes our positive response—our trust and willingness to go His way and not our own. Though Jesus forgave those who spat on Him, beat Him, tore His clothes, and cast lots for them, His forgiveness didn’t give them a better life. They would have to choose that. God gives us the freedom of choice. We can live in Him or apart from Him.
From the examples in the Old Testament of God blessing those who chose Him and the examples in the New Testament of the blessing to those who chose Jesus, we know that we have the option to choose God and be blessed, or we can choose ourselves and suffer the consequences. We can love God because He first loved us. He loved every person before he or she was born, and He beckons each person to a close relationship with Him (John 3:16, 1 John 3:16-21, 1 John 4:19).
We can choose to love God or walk away. We can accept or reject (deny) the truth. All three chapters of 2 Thessalonians speak of the consequences to those who choose to walk away. 2 Thessalonians 2:10b-11 says of those that perish that they perish “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
We see the same warnings in Paul’s letter to the Romans:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:18-25)
According to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek word paradidomi, used in verse 24 to say that God “gave them up” means “to hand over, to give or deliver over, to betray. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon shows the uses of this word to mean “to give into the hands (of another); to give over into (one’s) power or use: to deliver to one something; to commit, to commend; to deliver verbally; to permit, allow.” God hands over or lets folks go toward their own desires after they continually refuse to turn to Him.
Some people say that God abandons us or gives up on us. He will give us up to our own desires, but He never gives up on us. It’s all about our freedom to choose God or something else. God never forces Himself on anyone, but He patiently extends an invitation to us all to know Him better. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
By nature, humans love to run. We try to run our own way. God puts a better option in our path. Sometimes we are so bent on our own desires that we ignore God’s beckoning and the better option He provides. The more we run from God, the easier running becomes. The farther away from God we run, the less distinctly we hear His still small voice leading us to the best life in Him.
If I were a cartoonist, I would sketch it in this way: God’s mighty hand holding back a man by the back of his pants while the googly-eyed man drooled and scrambled to reach a desire in front of him. God tries to prevent our calamity. He holds us back while showing us a better way—His way. But when we choose to focus on our own desires, we lose focus on Him, making it harder to know the choice He presents for us to walk away from our sinful desires.
When we continue to pull away from God so hard for so long to reach our own desires, He eventually lets us have what we want and what comes with it—negative consequences.
Our stubborn pride is our downfall. Throughout history, recorded in the Bible and otherwise, we see pride comes before the fall of any person or group of people. And now we live in a culture that celebrates pride. Lipstick on the pig doesn’t change it to something beautiful. It is what it is, and pride is a sin.
God’s Word is thick with promises of rewards to those who seek God with their whole heart and of punishments to those who chase their own desires. Seeking God earnestly, knowing that you need Him, is all it takes for Him to be closer to you.

​Words drive our emotions. They drive us toward love and anger, to embrace or reject others. We judge others by their words and the actions behind them. We are formed by our own words and the actions that follow.
The only times I fought as a kid were when a bully was picking on me or others. It happened twice both ways—twice a new girl, bigger than all peers once, and bigger than most peers once, bullied a group of girls. Both times I attempted to end the verbal harassment by physical assault. Once I ended up in the hospital with a concussion after being kicked repeatedly almost the length of the gym. My only other two near fights were when I was being picked on by a boy for my size and annoyingly high-pitched voice. Not surprisingly, I never fought anyone my own size. Most small—bodied kids were smart enough not to fight, especially opponents much larger and stronger. In that way, I was a very slow learner.
I learned a valuable lesson years ago, that my interactions with others are more about my relationship with God than with that person. Yesterday after hanging up the phone from filling my mom in on my current car repair saga, that lesson evolved, causing a heaviness of guilt after I called someone a bad name. No matter how worthy I rationalize a person to be of that title, my name-calling shows my need for more self-control.
Admittedly, self-control has always been an issue when I feel an injustice has been done. It’s a vice that I consciously must walk away from. Injustice lit my fire as a feisty kid, and it still does. But I’m no longer an 8 year-old whose actions can be excused as spunky and plausible.
While right is right and wrong is wrong, it applies to the whole picture, including the unseen—our relationship with our Savior. We represent Him in all we do, good and bad.
Calling one person a bad name to one other person is a sin. When I called the person a derogatory title, I let those words leave my mouth and enter the ear and mind of the listener. We have no control over how our words affect those who hear them. Satan is crafty to drop little weed seeds like my derogatory comment to negatively affect a person’s connection with God and compassion for others.
Empowered by the wisdom gained years ago through Stephen R. Covey’s training--The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I still have to make a conscious effort to be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand, then to be understood, empathically listen, and seek creative cooperation. I learned these principles in an in-depth 8 week training course and realized though not explicitly, they all have the wisdom of scripture to back them up.
While vengeance is God’s business, rebuke is part of being a wise, compassionate Christian. Proverbs 27:5-7 shows the benefit of speaking the truth in love for rebuke, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”
Prophets in the Old Testament, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul confronted sin. Confronting sin is not wrong. However, who we speak to and how are as important as about what and why we speak. God’s Word teaches us to speak wisely, informed, full of compassion, with civility.
I love Shakespeare’s words in All’s Well That Ends Well: “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” These words echo Biblical advice in how to conduct our behavior and speech.
The instructions for Christian living in Ephesians 4:17-32 include the command to “be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil,” (verses 26-27). This applies to our thoughts, actions, and speech—our entire life.
Words and how they are used are powerful tools. Proverbs contains much advice regarding prudent speech:
Proverbs 11:9, “An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor: But through knowledge shall the just be delivered.”
Proverbs 12:18, “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: But the tongue of the wise is health.”
Proverbs 15:2, “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: But the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”
Proverbs 15:14, “The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: But the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.”
Proverbs 16:29, “A violent man enticeth his neighbor, And leadeth him into the way that is not good.”
Proverbs 18:7-8, “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”
Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Proverbs 21:23, ‘Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”
Proverbs 23:12, “Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.”
Proverbs 25:18, “A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
These are only snippets of wisdom. The full chapters in Proverbs from which these verses are gleaned contain much more about the power of our words.
​As I recognize that a problem with the tongue is a problem with self-control, I feel Proverbs 25:28 is also fitting, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Psalm 19:14 should be more than a verse we memorize as kids in Sunday school; it should be more than a hopeful mantra; it should be our sturdy determination with each choice we make with our words and actions: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. This in mind, the God who created us knows the battle we face trying to rule our tongue.
We have encouragement in James 3 to realize how unruly the tongue is and how helpless we are to change it without our first being changed by Christ’s love and our relationship with Him as our Savior.
This chapter discusses how the tongue is “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (verse 8) but ends with how we can use our tongue for good with pure, peacable wisdom from above that is “gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (verse 17).
​I hang my head in sorrow for my vileness as I surrender to God’s goodness and invitation to me: “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (verse 18).
Following is admonition from the New Testament to be careful of our words:
Matthew 12:36-37, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Romans 14:12, “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Ephesians 4:22, “Put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
Titus 3:2, “Speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”
A remarkable real-life story of how one man tamed his temper and became a life-saving pediatric neurosurgeon and great humanitarian is Ben Carson’s story, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. In it, Mr. Carson, says, “I came to realize that if people could make me angry they could control me. Why should I give someone else such power over my life?”
Often we lash out in frustration or disappointment because we feel we have lost control of a situation. As we lash out, our health pays the price. “‘There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed,’ says Karen Swartz, M.D., director of the Mood Disorders Adult Consultation Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health” (Forgiveness: Your Health Depends on It, hopkinsmedicine.org).
Swartz suggests the following steps can help one develop a more forgiving attitude:
Reflect and remember. The events, how you felt and reacted, and how the anger and hurt have since affected you.
Empathize with the other person. They may have past trauma that causes their current response.
Forgive deeply. This comes in part by understanding that no one is perfect. It also occurs whether the person deserves or asks for your forgiveness.
Let go of expectations. Don’t expect your forgiveness or your apology to elicit such from the other person. Also don’t expect it to improve your relationship.
Decide to forgive. A deliberate choice sealed with the action of doing so.
Forgive yourself. Realize that you aren’t responsible for the actions of another.
Though I have come a long way since taking upon myself the elementary school title of Justice Jeanie, I must determine to remain cool when thinking about the injustice, when interacting with the person who exacted the injustice, and if, when, and how I relate it to others.
Gossip is a sin. Always evaluate the purpose and possible outcomes of your sharing a personal experience or interaction. If the purpose and outcome aren’t purely edification, just don’t talk about it. This way, you’ll avoid gossip and the nasty harvest it brings.
It’s impossible to keep our cool when we focus primarily on the injustice. When we view the injustice in light of our relationship with God as a privilege and responsibility to show another person God’s way of not only love, but honesty, and doing what is right, we are blessed with peace as we plant a seed in the other person of what is right in God’s eyes. Remember, perspective dictates perception and purpose. Don’t view yourself as a victim but as an ambassador of God. You’ll be empowered to bring the light to the darkness.

We all have goals and desire success. How we construct and pursue our goals and what we view as success determines how we choose to live each day. It’s important for us to have a correct perspective and to build on a sure foundation.
Correctly define success. It’s important that we align our definition of success to God. Zig Ziglar said, “The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love, and loyalty.” Stephen R. Covey said, “If you carefully consider what you wanted to be said of you in the funeral experience, you will find your definition of success.” We all want to hear those words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” but are we living each day aligned with God to bring Him honor and glory in our calling? Are you truly living to one day have Jesus say those words to you, or are you living for a pat on the back from someone else?
Submit to God. He works in the present, regardless of our past. Look at some of the major players in God’s Word—Moses, King David, and Paul. They all committed murder, yet as they sought God and turned away from themselves, God used them in mighty ways. Psalm 37:4-5 advises us all to “delight thyself also in the Lord: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”
Set goals. Zig Ziglar said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” God’s Word instructs us to seek Him, plan wisely, and work diligently, having our confidence in Him and not ourselves. Planning in the Lord is a must for success. Luke 14:28 asks, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”
Understand your timeline. What’s it based on? Is it set in stone or flexible? Remember that God’s timeline may not match our expectations for reaching our goal. God reminds us in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.”
Enjoy what you do. God’s work is not drudgery. There’s a joy and peace in knowing that you are doing what God calls you to. Charles Stanley shares in the foreword to his book God Has a Plan for Your Life, “It all begins with faith in an all-powerful, loving Savior who has your very best in mind—always. Once you place your faith in Him, nothing can hold you back from gaining the peace and contentment that He has for you.” Is your work drudgery or workplay? Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Hard work is enjoyable when you have peace and joy in your heart. That doesn’t remove difficulty, but it does take away drudgery.
Do it daily. Work diligently every day with your goal in mind. Zig Ziglar said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.” To borrow from the beloved deceased American writer and motivational speaker, Napoleon Hill, “It’s not what you are going to do, but it’s what you are doing now that counts.” Zig Ziglar also said, “You don’t have to be great at something to start, but you have to start to be great at something.” Consider the advice to the sluggard in Proverbs 6:6-8, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” The ant gets it done, working day in and day out, for the present and the future.
Develop good habits. To begin working toward your goal, “Begin with the end in mind,” Stephen R. Covey teaches in his best-selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He defines a habit as “the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire.” In order to develop good habits, it’s important to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), cast “down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:5), and think on things that are “true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue and praise” (Philippians 4:8).
Don’t stop short. God calls us to work diligently in well doing and know that “in due season we will reap if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Proverbs 12:27 says, “The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.” Don’t waste what God has blessed. You must finish the job, persevering to the end, to enjoy the fruit of your labor.
You reap what you sow. Effort reaps results, not perfection. Do your part and trust God for the harvest. Psalm 85:8 says, “I will listen to what God the Lord says; He promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly.” If we sow peace in faithfulness to God, we will reap that peace. If we sow in folly, that will we also reap. You cannot plant green beans and expect to harvest tomatoes.
Know if you are content or complacent. Being content means knowing that you are diligently seeking God, and you are working as He leads. Complacency results from stagnating and becoming satisfied with your current success. John C. Maxwell states in his book, The Success Journey, “Complacency kills growth.”
Don’t live in the past. In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul encourages believers to persevere: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Don’t let fear freeze you. Former NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton said, “Fear causes people to draw back from situations; it brings on mediocrity; it dulls creativity; it sets one up to be a loser in life.” American Businessman David Joseph Schwartz said, “Do what you fear and fear disappears.” 1 Peter 5:7 encourages, “cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Don’t be dissuaded by critics. Understand that others may not understand or support your goals. Regardless, God calls us to live peaceably as much as possible. Charles R. Swindoll says in A Life Well Lived, “Humility chooses a gentle response to the petty hostility of critics.” Psalm 119:165 says, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Rest assured that in doing God’s will, you will encounter opposition and criticism, often from surprising sources, but you can remain in God’s peace by not engaging in confrontation with your critics.
Carefully craft your circle. American Businessman David Joseph Schwartz said, “If you want to be the best, hang out with the best.” Colin Powell said, “A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.” Proverbs 13:20 says, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
Know that you set an example, no matter what you do. Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that we always affect others with what we do, good or bad: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
Pair success with leadership. According to Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “The basic task of leadership is to increase the standard of living and the quality of life for all stakeholders.” We should seek to improve our craft and share with others. Many writers who’ve “made it” with dozens of New York Times bestsellers continue to mentor younger writers. Jerry B. Jenkins, co-author of the Left Behind series, is just one example. “Those who continue along the path of a life well lived will not only gain the pleasure of spending their years in a worthy pursuit; they will also enjoy the crowning reward of finishing well.” (Charles R. Swindoll, A Life Well Lived).
So if you want to be successful, seek God, and the rest will surely follow, just as Jesus promises in Matthew 6:33.
Let me leave you with these wise words from Dr. Charles F. Stanley:
“The circumstances of your life are extremely important. Never ignore them because they are exactly what God uses to direct your life and to reveal His promise to you. When God is involved, it is never a matter of luck or good fortune. There is no such thing as luck in the life of a believer. It is the hand of God that opens and closes the doors you face each day. There is no chance encounter—just the divine moments when God moves to answer your prayers and accomplish His purposes.”
Recommended Reading:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey
The Book of Joshua in the Bible
The Success Journey: The Process of Living Your Dreams, John C. Maxwell
The One Year Daily Insights, Zig Ziglar
Developing the Qualities of Success: How to Stay Motivated, Zig Ziglar
Born to Win: Find Your Success, Zig Ziglar
A Life Well Lived, Charles R. Swindoll
God Has a Plan for Your Life, Charles F. Stanley