By: Undre Griggs, Jr. The task of becoming a Christian can seem daunting; and the task of remaining faithful until death can be equally overwhelming (Revelations 2:10). For this reason, many feel they are not worthy or unable to devote their life to Christ in baptism. The reality we all have shortcomings should be a call to action; not a reason for inaction. Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV): “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Jehovah is a loving Father who is willing to give His children whatever they need to succeed. The first step is ours to take; we only need to humble ourselves and ask the Father for help. If we pray to the Father to allow us to read the Bible more, we only need to be willing to accept the Bible teacher position offered to us the next week. If we pray for patience, then we should be accepting of the manner in which God helps us to grow our patience. That could be God chastening us by providing us with interactions where others are showing us more kindness than we would show others in the same situation. God is going to give us what we need to be able to achieve the results we ask for. We have to be aware of these blessing by seeking them out. At times we will find the grace of God in some unlikely places; but if we labor for the Lord, we will find our reward. Matthew 7:9-11 (ESV): Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! We ask God to help mold us into a better person because we want to be pleasing to Him. We seek God’s satisfaction for our work in His church because we ultimately want God to open the gates of Heaven when we knock. Jehovah is righteous, trustworthy, and honest in His interactions with His children. If we live in obedience and earnestly try to learn God’s will, He will reward us. Since all good gifts come from above (James 1:17), it is up to us to our requests known to God. It is not His role to give us any more than what He has already given us. The Apostle Paul speaks on the beauty of the world as a way for the world to know there is a Creator (Romans 1:20). His willingness to give His Son on the cross while we were still sinners shows a love that words cannot describe (Romans 5:8). There is enough evidence for us to comfortably be able to know there is a Creator and that the Creator loves us beyond words. All we need to do is be humble enough to ask, diligent enough to seek; to know that when we knock, the door will be opened.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr Offering assistance to someone in need is a great way to express our love for them. Love can be expressed by helping someone move, making someone a lunch, or even helping someone study for an upcoming test or certification. Each task requires an investment of time and resources; but they each have an end date. When the person has moved, lunchtime passed, and the test has been taken; our assistance is no longer needed. Isaiah 58:11 (ESV): And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. This should make us wonder how much love God has for us to “continually” work to “satisfy our desires”. How many people would we be willing to make a lifetime commit to assist? God goes on to say that He will provide us nourishment (watered garden) in times of suffering (scorched places). There is no issue that God cannot restore us from because there is no drought that God cannot provide us water. God is always going to be by our side and that means He is someone we can consistently believe in. How difficult would it be for us to live in a manner where others can be certain they can believe in us? Though life can be hard enough trying to take care of ourselves, we should always make time to tend to the needs of others (Galatians 6:2). Luke 6:32-35 (NKJV): “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Jesus Christ was longsuffering and willing to live His life in service to others; many times forsaking his own well-being. This is part of the reason why love never fails; because love is selfless, longsuffering, and enduring (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). It is not until we put the needs of another above our own that we can truly say we love them. That is part of the reason we are to even show love and kindness to those who dislike and hate us; because we should be more concerned about others than we are about our own feelings. It is important to remember we know love because God loved us first; meaning the standard is not our own to set, but it was handed down to us from God because God is love (1 John 4:8).
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. When understanding God, it is valuable to understand why He believes it is important to treat everyone equally. There are many dangers and assumptions we have to make when we show partiality or favoritism. James 3:17 (ESV): But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. When looking at the wisdom of God, we can see the interconnectivity of each attribute in this verse. It is unlikely someone can be open to reason if they show partiality to someone or some group. Reason being, their bias will play a significant role in how they process the available information. If we prefer someone, we will excuse actions as them, “having a bad day” or something being “taken out of context”. If we dislike someone, we will say, “yeah but” to every rational point or action they take. Perhaps we will find it difficult to show mercy and be gentle when discussing something with someone we have a prejudice against. Even if we find ourselves able to say the right thing to their face; we may lack sincerity in our hearts. James 2:1-4 (NIV): My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? The danger of us showing partiality for any reason is the judgment we are making on them. For example, if we assume one person is always right; then we are naturally assuming the other person is wrong. If we always value something someone does or says higher than others; then it is reasonable to conclude we are devaluing whatever the other person is saying. We can begin to see why God would find an issue with partiality, because showing partiality is to value one person’s life greater than another’s. Acts 10:34-35 (ESV): So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. God looks at all life as equally valuable and judges each of us the same way. If we abide in His doctrine, He is pleased with us; if we ignore His will, He is saddened by us. God does not care whether we were saved yesterday or thirty years ago; when we ignore His will the judgment is the same. By treating people differently, we defame the righteous and pureness of God and replace it with our personal impure judgment.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. We often find people explaining trust in layers or levels, with several caveats and disclaimers. These caveats usually have to do with the ability or character of the person. For example, I will not allow my ten year old daughter to babysit her one year old sister; but I am more likely to allow her to babysit her three year old sister. The trust issue is not derived from any malice towards my oldest daughter; it is simply a judgment on her ability to handle a baby versus a toddler. It is important to recognize the reason for my misgivings is of no consequence when determining whether I trust my daughter. That is why God looks for us to trust Him with all of our heart; we do not get to pick or choose what aspects of life we trust Him. Proverbs 3:5-8 (ESV): Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. The good news is God is so righteous and majestic; we do not have a valid reason not to trust Him. God’s grasp on life, love, and wisdom are more comprehensive than any book or training will provide us in a lifetime. In fact, science is just starting to scratch the surface on the nature that God designed. Look at how the helicopter is designed from a dragonfly or how a submarine mirrors a whale. Job 39:26-27 (NIV): “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high? We find in Job 39 several examples of the things we take for granted, yet God did not overlook. Jehovah speaks on the wisdom He imparted on many creatures of the earth. He speaks on the fact they do not have the awareness to understand why they are doing what they are doing (v.17). Due to the fact animals are not aware of themselves on a conscious level; they cannot trust or love God. As humans, we are fortunate because God imparted enough wisdom for us to be aware of Him and ourselves. The choice of whether we will completely trust God is an important one with immense implications. We must humble ourselves and understand we cannot save ourselves, nor can we solve the world’s greatest problem. Trust in the One who loves you so much He gave His only begotten son and do not lean on your own understanding. Romans 4:20-21 (NKJV): He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Lying is saying something with the intent of creating a false belief or impression. It is an attempt to get someone to believe something that is not true. But why lie? People lie to avoid consequence; whether the consequence is hurting someone’s feelings, losing a job, losing a friend, or a child losing out on their favorite dessert. Based on Proverbs 12:2, it is apparent God sees lying as a faithless action. Proverbs 12:22 (ESV): Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Matthew 5:37 (ESV): Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. Reflecting on the reasons a person would lie helps us to see why God would see it as a faithless action. If we are lying to avoid a consequence that the truth would surely bring about, are we not taking matters into our own hands? Are we not leaning on our own understanding and foregoing God’s wisdom? 1 Peter 2:20-21 (ESV): For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. The truth may cost us much in this world, but if our mistakes are bringing about the punishment, the minimal we can do is accept the consequence. If speaking the truth is all we are guilty of, Christ wants us to endure and know that God is pleased with our self-sacrifice. When we speak the truth, we no longer have to worry about what will happen in the future. We do not have to worry about whether we will be able to remember which lie we said to which person. No matter the size of the first lie, one lie begets another lie, which begets another lie. The only way to free ourselves of this prison is to tell the truth. Whether the truth comes out in the beginning or near the end is of no consequence, the reward is the same. John 8:32 (ESV): And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Walk upright in truth and understand any short term gain a lie may provide ends in destruction. Proverbs 11:3 (ESV): The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
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Dean Road
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