Develop Personal Convictions

To pursue integrity, we must establish personal convictions. Our convictions will keep us steady in life!! This will result in our actions matching up with what we profess, and people will see wholeness and integrity in our lives.

A conviction is “the quality of showing that one is firmly convinced of what one believes or says”  according to Oxford dictionary.

In order to avoid hypocrisy, we must firmly be convinced of what we believe!! There should be part of us that does things unto God and out of obedience to God that no one will ever know.  We simply want to live in integrity before God and not have a need to advertise our uprightness before people!!

Sometimes if we live or work with a person who has a strong personality, people find it easier to go along with that person’s ideas/convictions rather than wrestling to find their own!  Some people don’t even know what their convictions are because then it means they have to verbalize them to someone who could overpower them. It’s easier not to go there. This is especially true for those who have a great need for man’s acceptance and don’t want to “rock the boat”.

If we are the one with strong personality, we have to be careful not to overpower people with our convictions. We can share the scripture, and pray for individuals, but there needs to be room for the Holy Spirit to do the work that He can only do!! He is the one who changes the  hearts and minds of people and has the power to transform any of us!! To try to speed up the process, we foster Christians to stay babes in Christ. They may feel pressured to conform, but they are not transformed inside out!!

To establish our own convictions, we have to ask more tough questions from God and not be so quick to have an answer for everyone. We read the Bible, pray, and ask the Lord to show us where adjustments are necessary in our beliefs and perspectives.  This requires work, and it takes longer.  Some are not willing to do the hard work for themselves; they would rather eat the prepared meal that someone else has made!!

We can see the difference between someone who is convinced about an issue versus one who is only regurgitating someone else’s conviction. Those who are a mouthpiece for someone else, their statements have no substance or weight to them although they seemingly sound good. If you press for further examination of one’s beliefs within a couple of questions, they can fall back on what they learned from their mentor. Sometimes their words are just based on a book they read or what they heard a Christian superstar speak about!!

holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. Titus 1:9

If we are going to be prepared as an end time church, we are called to have a backbone that is established on the word of God and the word of our testimony. It’s a lot of easier to just repeat someone else’s convictions and a lot harder to grow in our own, but the test of time and the test of suffering will show us how we have been building.

Second hand conviction is just a belief and will not withstand the tests that will be coming, but when we develop our own, that’s gold and silver. When tested we will come forth more pure and powerful. We inspire others believers to grow in their convictions. We can also impact those who are against the faith and help them  see the light of Truth.

Let’s pray and allow the Lord to sharpen us in this area!!

In a world of situational ethics and subjective standards, the pursuit of integrity is paramount for every believer!! God is a God of integrity, and it is His desire for His children to look like Him!

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. Psalm 78:72

Integrity (G8537): integrity, completeness, fullness, innocence, simplicity,

The scripture tells us that God’s desire to shepherd us comes from the integrity of His heart. His intent towards us is in congruence with His actions. He has no hidden agendas. He has no ulterior motives. His heart is pure towards us. The Lord is complete in who He is; as a result He can love us without hypocrisy. He doesn’t just tolerate us or hope that we weren’t around, but He always has open arms towards us, to love and change us.

What is integrity?

Integrity (according to Oxford Dictionary): the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness, the state of being whole and undivided: the condition of being unified, unimpaired, or sound in construction:

A person of integrity is one whose words and lifestyle match up. For a Christian, it also means that our words and our actions match the standard of the Bible. As soon as we claim we are a Christian, we’re declaring we are followers of Christ’s life and teaching.

People of integrity are not afraid to take an unpopular stance. They are not concerned whose agreement they have on a certain matter, but they will stand for their convictions. Joseph out of his integrity rejected sleeping with Potiphar’s wife, and that got him into trouble, false acccusation, and the loss of his job. Nevertheless, he remained a person of integrity before God and man!! What are we willing to lose to remain people of of integrity?

To pursue integrity, we must avoid certain things and hold on to some important character qualities. I will highlight some of them in this next couple of devotionals.

Avoid Hypocrisy

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. Luke 12:1-3

 Hypocrisy:  the acting of a stage player

A hypocrite has good showman ship. He/she knows how to play the game and say all the right things to be accepted as part of a crowd or a group of people; but internally, their heart isn’t right, and they have no desire for real change!!

Hypocrites are divided in their behavior. They can be one way with one group and another way with another group, because to them how they are seen is more important than the condition of their heart! They can also act very much in agreement with a person, but gossip or complain behind their back. It is a division about how they really feel about things as opposed to how people perceive them. As a Christian, this affects the conscience of a believer, and if one is not careful we will ignore and suppress the voice of the Holy Spirit!!

A fertile ground for hypocrisy is a place where a lot of rigid rules are established and those that don’t follow them are easily condemned and judged. Sometimes those who set the rules don’t plan to follow their own rules, but they want to ensure that the behavior of others can be controlled by them.

As parents, we have to be careful to live lives that are full of integrity. Our children are watching everything, not just the things that we are intent on teaching them. If we speak about honesty yet  in  our next phone conversation we give a lame excuse to not attend a function, it shows that honesty is followed only when it’s convenient.

The good news is that we don’t have to be suspicious of people, but recognize that if an individual makes a life style of hypocrisy, sooner or later they will be found out. Their hidden activities will be exposed by God.

The Bible tells us that God delights in a person of integrity. It is His desire for us to be people of integrity and live a life that matches up with His truth and with our own words.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

Lord, if there is any area of hypocrisy in me, please show me and change me inside out!!!

Do you know any courageous people around you?

One of the faces of courage is a young lady who is one of my daughter’s best friends. This young lady was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was 14 years old. She has had many hospital visitations and stays along with her courageous mother. She has gone through being poked, pricked by needles, experiencing side effects, hair loss, and many other things that she would probably not share with most people.

In the midst of it all, I have seen this young lady with great courage, always having a smile on her face, speaking energetically, doing her school work, and desiring to face life even in the midst of all the disappointments!

She could not even visit with her friends on her sweet16^th birthday because she was sick! I’m sure this illness has touched every area of her life, challenging her schooling, activities, friendships, and so many other things that we will never know, but I applaud this young lady for who she is. I’m so glad she is in our life. She has a strong and courageous mother who has stood by her going through the process and continually believing the best in the midst of much heartache.

How do we develop courage?

Rely on Christ for strength

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Paul was determined that regardless of the circumstances of life, he could face any situation through Christ. He was confident that Christ was going to give him the strength, ability, courage, and stamina to get him through any circumstance.  Sometimes the strength comes moment by moment, or day by day. Maybe looking down the road looks overwhelming but there is grace available for today’s challenge. We depend on God’s truth that His provision will be available for the journey ahead. My Pastor says that when you are out of your natural strength, God’s super will come on your natural and will give you supernatural strength. However,  we must excercise  the strength we already have!

A righteous life before God produces confidence

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. Proverbs 14:26

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

When we fear God and walk closely with him, we have a strong confidence in Him.  We know He will back up His promises and His word to take care of His children. He will protect us and cover us in times of difficulty and fear. We can run to Him and are protected by Him. We can also speak boldly because we know what we speak is righteous and there is no shame to stand for truth and righteousness!

The less compromising we are in our walk with God, the more courageous we become facing the challenges before us.!! That doesn’t mean we will not struggle, but we don’t have to allow the enemy to play with our mind or emotions manipulating the situation to get us off track and derailed from God’s purpose or God’s love for us!!

Another example of great courage is a friend of mine with a daughter who has special needs. I have known them for the last five years, and their daughter is 6 years old now. The little girl is very fast, active and on the go all the time, so she requires one person to pay complete attention to her at all times and ensure she won’t hurt herself. This woman of God is very courageous, showing great hope and love for her daughter and the rest of her family. She does everything she can to keep her other children involved and active in sports and various activities, so they won’t feel that their family lacks anything because of their little sister.

For all the years I have known her, she and her husband have taken turns coming to a church service; now that we have one service, they both help support each other by watching their daughter. This woman of God does a lot of work, and she is persevering under huge pressure; having three other children who still need her, having a busy husband who has to travel for work, and sharing him with church for his ministry responsibilities within the body. She is a remarkable lady, and she is a hero in my book!!

We have many courageous men and women who are fighting various battles all around us. Let’s recognize and appreciate those who press against opposition everyday and come along side of the ones who need extra encouragement!

And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 1Chronicles 28:20

Courage (H553): To be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard

b)  to strengthen, secure (for oneself), harden (heart), make firm, assure c) to be determined, to make oneself alert, strengthen oneself, confirm oneself, persist in,

When we look at the above definition of courage, we find that to be a courageous person is a multi-faceted quality. We are called to be brave, strong, alert, persistent, firm, and bold. A courageous person does not succumb to fear. They may feel the fear, but they will keep pressing forward in the right direction.

Daniel was faced with fearful situations at various times. Each difficult situation looked different, but every one of them had the potential to get Daniel off track. In one situation,  King Nebuchadnezzar asked the wise men in Babylon to interpret his dream but the King said that he wasn’t going to tell them the dream. The wise men had to figure it out or else they would get killed (Daniel 2).

Daniel was firm and strong in his resolve. He wasn’t overcome with fear and trepidation, and he knew that God was his only deliverer from this situation. He asked the King for a little bit of time to get the answer for him. That’s already very bold and courageous!! Then he asked his other three companions to pray to God for his mercy that He would give them the dream and the interpretation. It’s interesting the scripture doesn’t say that he was in sackcloth and ashes, and  that he fasted to get the answer. There was calmness and confidence that God would give him what he needed!!

Do we believe God will give us what we need for the challenge facing us? We may cry and scream when we are faced with a seemingly impossible situation, but can we see God in the midst of it?

Our courage is not something that we can muster up to ensure that we can battle the forces against us, but it is the recognition of who God is!! King David, as powerful and as strong as he was, charged his son Solomon in the above scripture  (1 Chronicles 28:20) to be courageous and look to God. He reminded Solomon that God will not fail him nor forsake him. The Lord will see Solomon through his journey and his assignment before God!!

Why do we need to be courageous?

Living a Christian life in a world that is full of unbelief, darkness, & ungodliness requires great courage!! There are many battles to be fought. Some are fighting for their marriages, others have unruly children, and there are some who have tough illnesses and disabilities. There are others who have been single for decades, believing for a godly man or woman and are still courageously waiting. A mother whose husband has gone to war and has to raise her newborn without her husband is strong and courageous. A woman abandoned by her husband requires firmness and bravery to move on and not fall apart. The teenage boy/girl who has to continually say no to the temptation of alcohol, sex, and drugs is exercising courageous determination in the midst of great peer pressure around them. The businessman who works with integrity where he can get promoted easier and faster if he is willing to make certain compromises and go along with shady practices shows persistence and solid character in the face of temptation!!

The faces of courage are all around us. Most of us may not consider ourselves courageous, but when we look at the choices we have made in order to serve Christ, we must admit, it has taken some degree of courage to be where we are at.

I will continue with the subejct of courage in the next devlotional.

How is judging different from discerning?

Many times in the Christian circles, we use the word “judging” and “discerning” interchangeably, but when we look at the scriptures and the definition of those two words, we find very different uses for them.

To judge (G2919): to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose

1) to approve, esteem, to prefer

2) to determine, resolve, decree

3) to be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one’s case may be examined and judgment passed upon it

Biblically speaking to judge something,

1. Someone is in a position of authority to judge someone or a situation
2. They also have the responsibility to decree a judgment on the situation.

God used Moses in this capacity as he sat as judge over the people of Israel while he also had other representatives who judged people under him.

Solomon as King had the authority to judge over the matters of people’s lives and declare the outcome of a situation. This is why he asked for wisdom, so he can judge uprightly before a holy God.

You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. John 8:15-16

And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. John 12:47-48

When we look at the above scriptures, we see that Jesus declared that He didn’t come to judge the world, but to save it. He had the power and authority to judge the world, but His purpose in His first coming was to save the world from sin, hell, and judgment. Judgment will be passed over those who accept Him and receive Him. For those who don’t receive him, there will be judgment in the last day, and there will be no redemption left for the ones who choose to reject him.

Jesus knew Judas’ plan, but he didn’t judge him. He didn’t tell other disciples what Judas was about to do. He just chose to go through it calmly while treating Judas with love as with all the other disciples. He discerned what was about to happen, but He didn’t close His heart towards Judas and draw a judgment on Him.

Sometimes we tend to judge to protect ourselves from harm. That causes us to close our hearts toward someone. If we follow the path of Jesus, we can choose to discern a situation but refrain from drawing a judgment on it before its time. It takes faith not to close our heart and choose to stay loving and in relationship with people. We also need to trust the Lord that whatever the outcome, He will use it for good of those who love Him. Our part is to stay in the right relationship with God and with people.

To discern (G1253): a distinguishing, discerning, judging

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14

Judgment has to do with making a final call or decree. It is to pass a judgment or declare a verdict on something. Discernment is different. It has to do with distinguishing between right and wrong. As God’s people, we are continually faced with choices. There are all kinds of darkness, deception, false teaching, and  temptations, and we have a responsibility to be trained well enough to distinguish between good and evil.

As parents we teach discernment to our children. We want them to learn not to say, “yes”, to everything, but to recognize good choices versus bad choices, right kind of friends versus the bad company, and so on. The Lord desires for us to be discerning that way as well and not just accept and receive anything as good or holy.

Discernment makes a differentiation, and it encourages us in going on the right path. A discerning person can sound an alarm if they notice something that doesn’t look right, but their goal is not to draw a judgment or a conclusion, but to help move the situation or the person in the right direction. Discernment is redemptive and helps to move someone choose better.

As God’s people let us use the gift of discernment to distinguish between good and the evil. When we see the good, we should encourage it and help it to grow and become strong. When we see evil, we’re called to pray, maybe warn someone, but always with a heart to see the situation changed and redeemed.

If we’re a person in authority, we will be called from time to time to judge a situation. In those times, we truly want to be a righteous judge. Please see the devotionals from June 24, and 28th on “Being a Just Person”. It is important to represent the Lord as the righteous judge and declare a verdict that is fair, righteous, impartial, and that it fits the trespass.

If Jesus, the perfect one, chose not to judge the world while He was on the earth, we need to be careful in judging people or situations before its time!!

Lust operates on what’s in it for me, and puts a lot of stake on what is visible with the natural eyes. On the other hand, love operates on the basis of who God is and what He has done for us. Lust grows on the basis of our likes and preferences. Love grows on the basis on our faith in the Lord and looking at the cross.

Just as Jesus gave His life for us, so we may have life, we’re called to give of ourselves for the benefit of others. That’s the main dividing line between love and lust. Lust seeks the benefit of self, and love seeks the benefit of the kingdom and of others!!

Love holds onto relationships and perseveres through trials even when at times one may not see the benefit of staying in the relationship. Love is not possessive, but it is secure and doesn’t hold on tightly to anything or try to control people or situations.

Love builds others up even at the expense of one’s own position. Love has a great trust in God and as a result does not depend on what is visible or how one feels or thinks. Love is willing to be patient. Love is not looking for attention, or a pat on the back, but it gives generously and does not expect a repayment. Love is willing to wait and it does not have a time line associated with its giving. Love has great humility and is willing to serve and give to a wide group of people. Love does not envy, and it isn’t competitive. Love is not divisive.

That’s a tall order for many of us, but that’s how Jesus has called us to be.  In order to take on love to that degree, it will require a great resolve, consistency, and dependency on the Lord. Sometimes, we may look around and say, “I don’t see anybody doing it that well.” That may be true, but God’s will for us does not change despite of how few may be following it successfully!!

We need to pursue love with a wholehearted focus. It should bother us when we could have loved better and we didn’t. It should make us very uncomfortable when we find ourselves envying someone. Those are carnal characteristics!!

Jesus spent 3 ½ years with Peter and the rest of the disciples. They each had their own idea of who Jesus was and what His Kingdom was all about. Peter was the one who recognized Him as the Christ. However, Peter had too much carnality still in Him to be much of a benefit to the Kingdom. After denying Jesus three times, he came to true understanding of his own carnality and self-absorption.

After the Resurrection,  Jesus showed Himself to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21).  For the first time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. Jesus could have asked that question during the 3 ½ years that he spent with Peter, but He knew that Peter excitedly and quickly would have said that he loved Jesus without understanding the strength of his own flesh, and the shallowness of his love towards Jesus. After the denial of Jesus, he wasn’t quick to answer that question anymore. Jesus asked about Peter’s unconditional love (Agape love) toward Him, Peter responded by saying he had a friendship love (phileo love) towards Jesus. Peter had finally understood his limitations and that he was incapable of the kind of love Jesus was asking!!

For those of us who have walked with God for a number of years, we are in danger of hypocrisy. The reality is that we can have a good Bible knowledge and quote scriptures well. We can declare that we love God and everyone around us, but if we are not pursuing God passionately to take lust and carnality out of our hearts, we are deceiving ourselves. We can think that if we attend church and Bible Study regularly, we must be spiritual. However, others can look at us and say in their hearts,”Your competitiveness, control, or envy doesn’t match up with your claim to love and Truth”.

We have to ask ourselves, “Do I live life differently internally than before I knew Christ?

Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Luke 11:39

The above scripture basically tells us that our actions and activities may have changed, but our internal world (things that cause us to strive, war, and envy) may have remained untouched. We are never justified to lust or envy, but we are always called to love!! Love will look differently at different times. Sometimes it can be tough, and sometimes it will be nurturing, but it will always be motivated by a desire to honor God and work towards someone else’s benefit.

Lord we pray that you would increase our capacity to love others without feeling like we will lose something if we do. Give us the courage to deny ourselves, so we can love better.

Letting go of lust is part of our sanctification process. We don’t wake up one day deciding that we won’t lust anymore. There is a gradual transition that has to happen from carnality and fleshliness to Godliness and spirituality. Paul demonstrates a great example of this.

though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:  circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ, Philippians 3:4-8

Paul had an impressive resume which gave him honor and an important position in his circle of Judaism. After finding Jesus, though, he realized how insignificant those things were. As a matter of fact, some of his past credentials were the key issues that kept him from faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing what he knew after conversion, he was willing to let go of it all for the sake of Christ. The lust of fame and power had shown their ugly faces to him, and he was so nauseated by them that he didn’t want to have anything to do with those rubbish things; he just wanted to serve Christ!!

Many of us come to Jesus in a desperate moment in our lives. For some of us, we have gone through so much difficulty in the past, that we now think that because of our dramatic turn around to God, we deserve honor, position, & recognition. For others, they’ve had honor, position, and recognition before they knew Christ, and now they feel that  people should honor them and utilize their giftedness in the body of Christ. Each group may have good reasons for what they feel, but ultimately those reasons are carnal and can cause lust in people’s hearts.

Our desires must be examined against the word of God to see if there is any lust or envy in our hearts. If our desires are God given, then we can trust God for His provision and timing. Easier said than done!! Sometimes, the desires are God given, but over time because nothing happens, a person can move in the flesh and start lusting after what God already desires to give to the person. If the desires are produced by our own flesh or by looking at what other Christians have, then we need to crucify those desires.

For example, we can be zealous for God, but if we become competitive people and try to outdo everyone else, that’s not being zealous for God anymore. It is a personal lust for selfish ambition that masquerades itself in being zealous for God. The self is still at the center and ruling the person’s actions and behaviors!!

Love operates in the opposite way of lust.  1Cornithians, chapter 13 is a great chapter on describing what love is. Love gives sacrificially. Love is willing to take losses in life just as Paul did in order to serve Christ and serve others. Love has a great stability because it is not dependent upon people’s actions or reactions. Love is genuine. It doesn’t flatter to gain access to someone. It does not depend on external stimuli to decide whether one is ok, valuable, or loved.

Oh Lord, change us to love better!! Awaken us to areas of lust and carnality in our lives and take us deeper in you!! In Jesus’ name. Amen!!

More on this subject in the next devotional!

When we hear the word lust, many times we think about forbidden sexual appetite. Lust is a lot broader than that. The word “lust” has to do with anything that is motivated by fleshly or soulish desires. It is about those appetites and passions that are self-focused and are led by the flesh.

There are many symptoms of lust in our society. We live in a culture that thrives to impress and be impressed. Magazines and various TV programs elevate various sports or entertainment figures to positions of wisdom, knowledge, and know it all. These stars give us advice on marriage, parenting, or spirituality. There is an assumption that just because they are successful in one arena that translates into other arenas.

People are also very curious about stars and how they live their lives and what is important to them. The bottom line is that we live in an era where we want to impress and be impressed by others. People feel that if everybody knows about what they are doing, they are important and they can feel valued.

That kind of thinking has crept into the church and Christians have a tendency to make Christian stars out of men and women of God who are here to serve Him. Some even have their own personal desire to be a star at least in their local church and then possibly in the greater body of Christ. There are others who have a desire to write a book about their lives and let the world know the difficulties they have encountered and how they overcame them.

There is nothing wrong with testifying about the power of God and what He has done in our lives. We’re called to be His witnesses. It is also important to honor those who labor among us. However,  in the midst of it all we need to consider how much of this is led by carnality and how much is led by the Spirit. Are we infatuated by someone or are we impacted by God? Those who are led by lust can think someone is great and wonderful in one moment, but  at the first sign of disappointment can jump ship and abandon someone or an organization!

for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 1Corinthians 3:3

Carnality and lust are very closely associated with each other. They are dependent on the soulish realm and on the fleshly desires. A spiritual person’s goal should be to let go of carnality and lust and move in the Holy Spirit realm.

Before we knew Christ, we continually operated on lust and carnality. We were flaky people who were dependent upon our emotions, reasoning and will to understand life and making things happen. When we become a born again believer, we receive a new nature. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live life dependent on the Spirit. Now we need to re-train our will, emotion, and mind so they don’t operate independently anymore. They have a ruler and they need to take their orders from the Spirit.

How do we know if we walk in the spirit or in carnality and lust? This is what the below scripture tells us to be the symptom of carnality and lust:

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ”James 4:1-4

According, to the above scripture, lust causes an internal war. It seeks for what it does not have, and it is willing to envy others for the strong desire that is warring in the heart. Lust is willing to take someone else out to have the desire fulfilled. Lust is willing to fight and war in the flesh for what it desires.

If someone is a fighter type of a person, they may be deceived into thinking that it is a spiritual war against the enemy, but all along it is their own internal battle. Jacob is good example of that. His issues were internal character issue of scheming and competing with his brother and had nothing to do with any spiritual attack from the enemy.  Lust is about ensuring that self wins. It looks to be recognized, valued, and elevated. Lust seeks the worldly definition of success, honor, and possessions.

Lust has a time limit and will get impatient. It will desire to be seen. Lust enjoys being flattered and it flatters others. It is insecure in relationships and tries to control them and move the relationship in a certain direction. Lust is easily impressed and has an idealistic view of things and as a result it is easily disappointed. Lust has no problem forsaking people or projects because they are not going according to the person’s agenda. Basically lust is controlled by external stimuli. This causes great instability in the person’s actions or emotions. Lust keeps things at the soulish or carnal level by depending on the will, emotion, and the mind to navigate through life. Lust is rooted in the pride of man and thinks about what is the benefit to the person.

In the next devotional, I will discuss how love operates differently from lust.

Let’s pray for the Lord to expose any form of lust in our hearts!

Jonah was swallowed by a big a fish and spent three days and three nights there. After repenting and the fish vomiting him out, he was ready to follow God’s instructions. This time, he went to Nineveh and preached repentance.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.  So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it isbetter for me to die than to live!”

 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Jonah 4:1-4

The Assyrians heeded the Lord’s warning and repented, so God relented and did not allow disaster to come upon them. Jonah’s response was displeasure and anger towards God!! He was angry at God because of God’s patience and mercy towards Assyrians.

Isn’t it interesting that God just saved Jonah from the belly of the fish because he repented, but Jonah didn’t want others to have the same advantage or privilege that he just enjoyed? Did he think that his sin wasn’t as big as the Assyrians? Or did he presume he is God’s special person, so those idolaters shouldn’t get the same good treatment that he is getting?

Jonah the prophet had God’s words, but he didn’t have His heart. This is an important aspect of ministry that needs attention. We can prepare, study, and know the word of God. We can learn God’s principles and try to live by them, but those things don’t always translate into having love and mercy for people. We think we love people until the Lord tests our hearts by bringing different situations to see how much mercy and love we can show towards others.

A prophet or a representative of God must have a desire to have God’s heart for people. If we don’t have His heart, we can become frustrated, like Jonah, when God relents His anger instead of being joyful. We can’t be more righteous than God is. When God wants to show mercy and we have a problem with it, we are basically saying that we have set our righteousness above God. That’s self-righteousness!!

This is similar to being an ambassador for our nation and the President wanting to reconcile with a hostile nation;  we, having lived there for a long time and seeing the nation’s wickedness, are not happy that America wants to create peace with them. Well, as an ambassador we’re only there to represent our nation and our president. We are not there to represent ourselves; if we can’t align ourselves with that, then we’re not qualified to be there because our presence will hinder the process!!

Jesus set a wonderful example for us. People humiliated him, spat on him, and ultimately crucified him, but He didn’t get angry with people. He could have been obedient to the cross but angry at the people who were treating him so unfairly. Instead he cried out “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”(Luke 23:34a)  That was a heart of love, mercy, and compassion. If we are going to be effective in reaching people, we need to pray that God would give us His heart and His compassion for people.

The Lord asks Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry?”. The Lord is basically saying that Jonah, you don’t the right to be angry. This anger was Jonah’s own issue; it was not a righteous anger.

There are times that we can be exasperated with a person or a group of people, and we often have our own good reasons. However, the Lord is not treating them the way we think they should be treated. His treatment can cause a fleshly anger in our hearts. We may think they don’t deserve God’s mercy or blessings. The Lord may ask us, also, “Is it right for you to be angry?” If the Lord is choosing to show mercy and kindness then we need to let go of our anger. We need to stay aligned to Him and hear His heartbeat!!

What is interesting about Assyrians is that while they repented at that time, their repentance didn’t last forever and later they went to back to their idolatry. Ultimately this great empire lost its kingdom and Babylonians took over. God dealt with their disobedience eventually, although He showed patience for a long time and was merciful when they were repentant. Jonah became angry and embittered by God’s seemingly slow response, and as a result he didn’t get to enjoy God’s process.

This is a place where we can learn from Jonah to  guard our hearts. God will deal with people and situations in His time and in His way. If we set a certain expectation on how things should happen and our expectations don’t match up with God’s plan,  it could affect our faith and our relationship with the Lord. If He is the Lord, then He is the one who leads us and we’ll follow even when we don’t understand, when things look unfair, and at times others are adversely affected.

Lord help us to have your heart for people and have the courage and desire to do what you ask us !!