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But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 1 Kings 11:1-3

God knew in advance the temptations faced by the kings of Israel, and centuries prior to the Israelites having a king, He warned them and gave them principles by which the kings should govern God’s nation.

“When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’  you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. Deuteronomy 17:14-17

The Lord specifically told Moses that the kings should not amass horses, gold, and silver, and neither should they be polygamous and marry foreign wives. Solomon went against everything God had warned. He multiplied his horses, and he did intermarry foreign women, and in turn, he saw the consequence of his bad actions.

Intermarriage was part of the customs in that era allowing the the kings to form alliances with other nations. Solomon may have excused his behavior because it was cultural. Sometimes we excuse our actions and blame it on our history or our culture, but anything that does not line up with the truth has to be driven out of our lives. This may mean not attending certain family gatherings or celebrations, or it may cost us some friendships because people expect us to do certain activities with them. When we walk with God, we are accountable to the truth we know, and we need to follow through with what He has instructed us about.

Having many horses may have caused Solomon to begin relying on his military prowess rather than the power the Lord provides. Similarly, we may rely on our titles, wealth, or certain relationships to cover up our insecurities or to prop us with fictitious power.

In addition, by Solomon giving his heart to foreign women, his heart was not engaged with pleasing God anymore. He loved the women he married, so he desired to please them by worshipping their God and making altars for them. Solomon had to be a hefty price as the consequence for his actions, and God announced that his  kingdom was going to be divided after his death.

We live in a culture that many things are permissible and lawful, and people in the world would not look down upon us if we sinned. However, God’s law is higher than the laws of the land. It is important not to evaluate our morality based on the culture around us or what is lawful. The Bible provides us with plumb-line for Godly living,  Godly wisdom, and evaluates our actions against its standard. Much of the ills of society can be prevented or minimized, if people followed God’s counsel and instructions instead of doing what everybody else is doing.

In his old age, Solomon penned the book of Ecclesiastes where he shared about the vanity and the meaningless of life and wealth. Apart from God, the things of this world only have a temporary satisfaction, and they eventually leave us empty and bankrupt. Our relationship with God gives us the stability and the wholeness that keeps us steady regardless of our possessions or circumstances. In the last verses of the of book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon concluded with the following:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

After all the glamour, the glory, and the pitfalls, Solomon understood that the most important thing in life is to fear God, for someday, we will all give an account of our lives to Him!

The  Solomon Series will be continued next time, but the Lord led me to write on the topic of the Cross!

There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. Luke 23:32

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”  And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43

Jesus and two criminals were all being crucified on calvary. For a casual observer, it would have been easy to assume Jesus was guilty by association. Perhaps, they crucified the two criminals at this time to convolute the issue and to convince everyone that Jesus was just as guilty.

Man has a tendency to cover up his sins by variety of ways such as focusing on other people’s sin, comparing his sin to others, or thinking that everyone does it. This takes attention away from our issues in an attempt to minimize our sins.  The Lord does not deal with us or our sins as a group.  He designed us to be in a relationship with Him, and He never intended for people to have a higher priority in our lives. Regardless of others’ sin, we will each stand before the Father on our own, and we cannot use other people’s actions, attitudes, or teachings to explain or convult our sin. 

The two criminals had much in common up to the point of crucifixion. However, this moment changed the direction of their eternity. One criminal mocked Jesus’ identity and told Him that if He was the Christ, He should save Himself and the two of them.  The sad truth was that the first criminal never acknowledged his sin but was expecting to get away from being punished. In addition, the criminal was used by the enemy to tempt Jesus one more time into questioning His identity.

Everyone of us will have to face Jesus and respond to His work on the Cross. Some will try to ignore their sin and expect cheap grace. Others will expect that their good works is enough for them to be pardoned, but none of those can fix our sinful condition before a Holy God. If our self-effort were enough, Jesus did not have to be crucified. 

The second criminal scolded the first one, and he acknowledged that he feared God. He recognized that he was a sinner and the punishment he was receiving was just for what he had done. He knew that Jesus wasn’t like them and that He was innocent of the charges. He also acknowledged Jesus to be the Messiah and that He had a heavenly Kingdom.

The second criminal was able to look at his own actions and take responsibility for them. This is critical for our Salvation and our walk with God. Some people do not recognize their depth of sin or think they have something special to offer to God. We will stand before a holy God and none of our accomplishments and accolades will justify our goodness. The criminal could not offer anything to Jesus except confessing his sins and believing in the Messiah. Jesus mercifully received him immediately into the Kingdom without finding fault with him. He also has the power to receive us into His family when we invite Him into our lives.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1John 8-10

We are all faced with the two decisions that the criminals had. One denied and tried to get away from his sin. The other confessed and accepted the Messiah.  One died in his sin and the other one went to be with the Lord! Praise God for His marvelous work and for Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross!

Then she [queen of Sheba] said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” 1Kings 10: 6-9

Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. 1Kings 10:13

The queen of Sheba came from southwestern Arabia (current day Yemen) to observe Solomon. She was most likely an unbeliever seeking and searching for the truth! The Queen asked Solomon hard questions, and he was able to answer all of them. She was not only pleased with Solomon’s answers, but she was also impressed by his way of life. 

The queen of Sheba understood that it was God who had placed Solomon in his position to do justice and righteousness. The wisdom of God in solomon’s life drew her and others to know about Solomon’s God. While the Bible does not tell us what happened to queen of Sheba after she returned home, it is possible that she had encountered the true God  after spending time with Solomon. In answering her questions, he might have shared some of the wisdom and insight that he penned in the book of Proverbs. In addition, Solomon blessed queen of Sheba with many material things on her journey back to her country. However, the most valuable treasures that she must have taken with her were an understanding of the true God and that divine wisdom comes from fearing God. 

How do we steward our leadership roles? When God sends people our way, do we point them to Jesus or do we relish on the fact that they are impressed with us? The Lord gives each of us a sphere of influence, and there are people who are drawn to us because they are hungry for truth.  As people of God, we should take advantage of every opportunity to share the wisdom of God and point people to Jesus! 

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2

The queen of Sheba observed that those who were under Solomon’s leadership must be very happy and satisfied with his wisdom. She understood that it was the God who picked Solomon to be the ruler over His people. She also remarked that God certainly had loved Israel by blessing them with such a man. While Solomon did not have the experiences of his father, God anointed him for the position and allowed him to be the wisest person ever known. Solomon set the standard for wise leadership, and leaders can gain must insight on how to lead and judge righteously from the wisdom Solomon shared in the book of Proverbs. We need to pray for wise leadership in every arena of our society. 

The wisdom of God allows a person to live righteously, rule righteously, and judge righteously. We all need the wisdom of God to lead our lives, families,  and ministries, and to be an influence to those around us.  

How is it that most people appreciate wisdom but there is such a lack of wisdom in society and in leaders? Solomon’s life answers those questions as well. I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

In the last devotional, I shared that Solomon had a vision where he asked God for an understanding heart.  His heart’s desire was to lead God’s people with equity and justice because they were valuable to the Lord.

The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,  behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.  And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.  So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 1Kings 3:10-14

The Lord was greatly pleased with Solomon’s request and made him the wisest and the most understanding person ever known. He also blessed Solomon with wealth and honor, which Solomon had not requested. In addition to blessing him richly, the Lord reminded him to walk in all of His ways.

God has blessed with us with many spiritual and natural blessings, but none of those blessings are intended to derail us from walking in God’s ways. The blessings of God should not make us walk independently of God. Instead, the more responsibility He gives us, it should cause us to be more dependent upon Him for the wisdom we need to navigate through various decisions. 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Solomon received much insight and wisdom, and he penned some of those insights in the book of Proverbs. The secret to Solomon’s wisdom was the fear of the Lord! Revering God and honoring the Lord is the starting point of wisdom. When we put God first in everything, it strips away our personal plans and ambitions. We empty ourselves of our own ideas, and we allow God to fill us with His wisdom and insight. Wisdom and understanding protect us from evil, and they help us to navigate successfully through various junctions of life without making too many detours. True wisdom is potent and effective in the person’s life, and it is a blessing to those around them.  

Wisdom comes from the foundation of respecting and honoring the Word of God. Love and respect are two separate things. Some people have grown in families where there were no  boundaries. As a result, children love the parents but do not honor them.  Others have had harsh or neglectful parents, as a result, they did not respect their parents and rebelled against them. When people come to salvation, some bring their past experience and mindset to their relationship with the Lord. They love Him, but they still do what they want to do. They selectively pick and choose what they want out of the word of God, and they think they can get away with it. 

If we desire to be wise, we must ask ourselves, do we revere God and desire to know Him? Are there areas of your life that you still operate as the little boy or the little girl dealing with his/her parents? The Lord has designed a system with healthy boundaries for our good. It is a system where we thrive and fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. Honoring Him and taking His seriously opens the door to wisdom and insight. 

God backed up David’s decision, blessed Solomon as king, and allowed Solomon’s kingdom to be established (See 1Kings 2:12). After Solomon became the king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream. His encounter with the Lord reveals the heart of a man who desired to do right in ruling God’s people.

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.  Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:5-9

Solomon acknowledged that he was immature and did not know how to lead a nation. He recognized that he had to look to the Lord for he what did not have in himself.  The scripture tells us a lot about David’s struggles that became his training ground in shaping him to be a king, but Solomon did not have the struggles that his father experienced. He came to the position by virtue of the fact that he was David’s son. He needed God’s wisdom to take on this great responsibility as he could not rely on his past experiences. 

Sometimes we come to a position after much processing by God. In those cases, we come equipped with the leadership skills that God developed in the secret place, and then God exposes them to others.  David and Joseph experienced this type of training. On the other hand, there are those who were placed in a leadership position by God’s and/or man’s favor, but they are not seasoned in leadership. They come with the raw material, and it takes years for them to develop to become a skilled leader. Solomon had the humility to admit his lack of knowledge and depended on the Lord to develop him.

In addition, Solomon asked for an understanding heart to judge people adequately because these people belonged to the Lord! Solomon understood the immensity of his role, and he knew that it was a huge task to take on ruling and judging God’s people. Israel was God’s prized possession,  and stewarding God’s people is no small task. Solomon earnestly desired to get it right because God’s people were very valuable. 

We also need to consider the weight of leadership when we lead God’s people in whatever capacity He has given us. Sometimes we can be too easily influenced by our preferences or by people’s personalities.  God is looking for impartial leaders who judge people with a heart of understanding and discern good and evil according to God’s standard of right or wrong. God’s people are His bride. We should highly value them but recognize that they do not belong to us. We just get to have the privilege of stewarding them for a season. Therefore, we should have a holy fear in dealing with His bride appropriately for we will give an account someday. 

Our culture heavily values leadership and that value system has infiltrated the church as well. Many people wish, seek, or strive to be in leadership roles, but don’t consider the consequence of being an unprepared leader who may not be ready to do justly and treat God’s people with care and equity.

If you desire to be in a leadership position would you be able to pass the above criteria in leading God’s people? If you are in a leadership role, it is a good time to evaluate yourself and see if you are hitting the mark in leading God’s people. We all have the opportunity to repent, seek forgiveness, and adjust where change is required. 

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

Please leave your comments below.

Solomon’s life offers us many lessons. This man climbed the highest heights, but he also fell to the deepest despair! He was a man of great wisdom, yet he walked in folly later in life. 

Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. And the king took an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress,  just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.” 1 Kings 1:28-30

In the line of the succession, Solomon was not supposed to be the next king (See 2 Samuel 5:14). As a matter of fact, David’s son Adonijah was the next logical son to take the throne since a couple of David’s sons had already died. Adonijah even made preparations presuming to be the next king (See 1Kings 1-10). However, David had sworn to God and had promised Bathsheba that Solomon was going to take his place as the future king.

Solomon was favored by God and by his parents, but his favor had a purpose to bring glory and honor to God. At the beginning of his reign, Solomon humbly understood this great responsibility very well, but later in his rulership he veered off from this truth. 

Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:  “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;  that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 1Kings 2:1-4

After David recognized and declared Solomon as the future king, he also left him with his leadership instructions. Inheriting the kingdom is no small task, and David wanted to ensure that Solomon had his father’s last spiritual will and testament. David charged his son to prove himself to be a man of strength. David also told Solomon that his success will be dependent on keeping all of God’s ways. Solomon was given a great favor, and now he had the responsibility to steward this gift well and prove that he was the right man for the job and follow the Lord in all His ways.

At various points of children’s lives, most of us as parents charge our children and give them instructions for success. Parents want their children to do well, and they do not want to see their children to veer off in a wrong direction. Those lessons along the way are so much more valuable than any material inheritance left for the children. Nowadays, the focus is more on children’s education, grades, and sports, and the significance of walking in faith pales in comparison to all the demands and distractions around the children. 

If children do right in the eyes of God, the Lord will be with them and lead them in the way of peace and success. However, if they ignore those instructions, it does not matter how much worldly success they gain, it will leave them empty and restless. In addition, their decisions will impact the generations that come after them.

Many people prepare a last will and testament to ensure their children inherit their wealth after they leave this earth. King David provided a spiritual will and testament for his son solomon before handing off the kingdom to him. How many people actually leave spiritual instructions for their children, so their children can be reminded of their spiritual legacy and responsibility before inheriting all the wealth!?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

Please leave your comments below. 

The Bible shows us the consequences of people’s decisions when they go against the will of God and choose to do things according to their own ideas or in their own timing.

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.  According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.” 1 Samuel 8:6-9

The Israelites grumbled and demanded to have a king over them just like all the other nations. Centuries prior, the Lord had already proclaimed to Abraham that kings were going to come out of his lineage. The Lord wasn’t against a king who would have a heart after Him. However, not all kings were going to follow the Lord, and  a carnal king would have had a devastating affect on His people.

The Lord told Samuel that Israel was rejecting Him not Samuel. He directed Samuel to give them what they wanted but to warn them of the consequences of their actions (See 1 Samuel 8:11-17). Despite the terrible consequences of an earthly king, the people still chose to have one.

Sometimes we want something so badly, that we are not willing to hear the consequences of our actions or don’t believe those consequences would happen to us. Worldly ideas seem great from a distance until we get very close, and then we find out, they were not what they appeared to be. For example, some Christians marry an unbeliever and go against God’s counsel in the Bible (See 2Corinthians 6:14). In God’s eyes, marriage is much deeper that just two people loving each other. It is a covenant between two individuals and between them and God. Therefore, it does not make sense to make a covenant with someone whose understanding of marriage is limited and they are not in a covenant relationship with God. Marriage is already hard work, but those who choose to go in that direction, will find that their marriage and parenting will be a lot more challenging. 

The Lord permitted the Israelites to have kings. The Lord gave them what they asked for and Israel’s history showed that until Jesus came, many kings had issues and the consequences that Samuel described to them did come pass.

If God is not for something, there must a good reason for it, and we should take heed and pay attention to it. Let’t thank God for His loving boundaries. He is a parent who is always available to counsel and guide us in the right direction. Ignoring or rebelling against Him, hurts us and does not bring about any good fruit. Praise God that He gives us the power to make our own choices, but let’s choose to glorify Him!

Jesus sought God’s will above all else. One of the first things that Jesus prayed for in His model prayer was: “Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) Paul desired God’s perfect will as well. In the last devotional, I shared Apostle Paul’s explanation on how we discover and abide in God’s perfect will.

While we all desire God’s perfect will, sometimes out of impatience, ignorance, pride, or fear we step into a realm that it is not God’s perfect will for us.

The Lord has given man the power to choose, and He does not overrule people’s will when He does not like their choices. This is God’s permissive will. God honors His own governmental system by giving room for each person to choose regardless of the quality of their choice. 

The most important thing that God desires is that all to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, He still does not force people to choose His son, even though there are eternal consequences to their choice. Instead, the Lord continually pursues us with his love, kindness, and patience with the hope that we will come to repentance.

“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 (CSB)

“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (CSB)

In the above scriptures, Paul is  stating that there are many choices given to us. However, just because something is permitted, it does not mean that it would be beneficial to us or others. Those areas or people that have the potential to trap us emotionally, spiritually, physically, relationally, or financially, we should pay close attention to them. Those things that tear us down or hurt others are not beneficial to us. This kind of evaluation has to do with being sensitive to the Spirit of God and being in tune with what is happening in us and around us.

God’s permissive will does not mean that He has pleasure in what we do, but He gives us a choice. This could be in the areas of entertainment, relationships, personal habits, employment, or even conversations. Choosing what is beneficial means that we continue as a living sacrifice not seeking our own pleasure or dreams, but we pay attention to what is good, true, and noble. This allows us to turn away from bad choices that could lead to years of pain and distress, it gives us the opportunity to live a life that is simple and peaceful.

Some questions that we can ask ourselves about our choices are as follows: What are the long term affects of my decision? Do my decisions please and honor God? Do I reflect the character of Jesus by what I am involved in? Do my actions distract me from my intimacy with Christ?

How do we know God’s will in any given situation? The scripture tell us that God has a perfect will that He desires to make known to us. As we begin to grow in our relationship with the Lord, we develop the desire to know His will. We look to the Word of God to find out His instructions for life. We also seek Him in prayer to hear God’s will in various situations. The scripture tells us that there are some foundational things that need to be in place before God’s perfect will is revealed to us and in us.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2

The scripture tells us that we can know God’s perfect will when we are no longer seeking to conform to our environment or passively live by its value system. In addition, we can know God’s will when we allow God to renew our minds from false cultural values, traditions, and past patterns. When our minds are not clogged with old ideas, we are available to receive the mind of Christ and be transformed into his way of thinking brilliant thoughts.

We have a tendency to hold on to the past patterns because they give us false security and safety. In some twisted way, they have worked for us, but if we desire to grow and have the mind of Christ, we have to let go and trust God for new ways of thinking and doing things. When our minds think right, our emotions will follow suit, and we become available and acceptable vessels to God who are willing to be a living sacrifice.

Some people confuse being a living sacrifice with doing things to the  extreme to show their devotions to God. That’s actually just religious works that stems from our strong volition rather than God’s leading. There are religions where people walk on fire, beat themselves with chains, or kill themselves and others to show their devotions and faith towards their God.  That is not being a living sacrifice. If we have  to jeopardize in any area of our lives, such as our marriages, children, health,or  finances in the name of being a living sacrifice, please seek Godly counsel. There is a great chance that the enemy is using your zeal to confuse you and destroy your life and your relationships. 

Being a living sacrifice is about allowing the spirit man to rule our minds, emotions, will, and body. It is about denying self to follow Jesus. The ultimate goal of being a living sacrifice is to look like Jesus and display the fruit of the Spirit. As a living a sacrifice, we are not trying to prove anything to ourselves or others, and we are not in the driver’s seat. We are just willing to do what the Lord ask us to do. Whether He asks us to be still, go, sit, or wait, we are willing to do it in spite of not having all the answers.  

When we no longer conform to the patters on this world, have renewed minds, and we are offering our bodies as living sacrifice, God’s perfect and acceptable will becomes evident in our lives. 

Consider paying closing attention to your thoughts for the next 21 days. When your thoughts about yourself, others, or circumstances are destructive, reject them right away. Replace those thoughts with words of faith, hope, and love. Ask the Lord to give you the mind of Christ about yourself, others, or your circumstances. You will begin to see your emotions changing and the fog lifted off of your spirit man. 

Please share your comments below.

As I shared in the last devotional, Paul make some key points about the ministry of reconciliation and what it means to us as believers. Jesus came to the world to reconcile man to God, and in turn, He has given us the ministry of reconciliation that we can draw others to the truth. I will continue with the same scripture from last time.

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,  that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5: 16-19

In the above scripture, Paul states that “we regard no one according to the flesh.” This is a critical point that sometimes we forget. The Cross showed that everyone is in need of reconciliation with God. We cannot regard people according to the flesh. That means that we cannot hold a different standard for our family members, friends, those in power, or those with similar political views.

Sometimes, when you ask someone if their loved one is a born again believer, they have to go through a long dissertation to explain this person’s relationship to religion or God. They seem to have a hard time saying that their loved one is not a believer. How can we reconcile someone to God if we are not clear about their spiritual state? Every person has to be looked at through the prism of the Cross and every person is in need of repentance before God. While we can be merciful and compassionate towards others, we still understand that God’s word is the way to the truth and the freedom that the person is seeking. 

Furthermore, as ministers of reconciliation, we need to hold on to the Biblical standards in relationships, so we can assist in reconciling people to one another and avoid showing favoritism due to our fleshly love for one of the parties in the relationship. This leads to the issue of loyalty in relationships. If we are loyal to someone more than being loyal to the truth, we are not in a position to be effective minsters of reconciliation.

Loyalty to the truth will get us out of our comfort zone and will make us uncomfortable with the facts. We cannot justify anyone’s sin or shortcomings because they are our friends. If we know their actions or attitudes have not lined up with the Word of God, the Lord is available to forgive them when they repent. However, by us taking their side or act like they are always right, we are not doing them a favor, and neither are we fulfilling our call as ministers of reconciliation. In addition, when we protect our loved ones from facing their sins or shortcomings, we reinforce those issues to continue to grow and become a stronghold in their lives. Eventually, our loved ones’ actions or attitudes will come back to bite us as well. 

If we are going to be effective in our ministry, our focus should be that God is always right, and He is the only perfect one. Each person has to look at their own actions and allow the Lord to deal with their part in the relationship. Seeking His wisdom and His heart rather than someone’s side, is going to help us in understanding the situation and speak the truth lovingly to both sides.  

Are you able to remain neutral in dealing with others’ relational issues and listen to the Lord about the relationship?

I will continue to with this subject in the next devotional.