PC3 Devotions

Statistics show that more than 60% of people lose their temper at least once per week. These stats should get you angry because you know the other 40% of respondents are not being honest. Each one of us has buttons that, if pushed correctly, amp up our emotions and cause us to freak out. These triggers have the ability to set us off on a path of destructive words, thoughts, and behaviors if not dealt with properly.

When you are angry, you should take notice. Why? Because anger serves as an indicator of disarray happening within your heart. Our anger is a gauge of what is taking place on the inside. Jesus confirms this point. In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Later on in Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus takes it a step further. Take a moment and consider these words found in Matthew:

Matthew 15:18-19

18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

To understand anger, we have to look at our heart. Proverbs 4:23 encourages us to guard our heart because it serves as the “wellspring of life.” What is taking place within our heart when we get angry? There are numerous reasons our emotions get all amped up: feeling our “rights” have been violated, frustrated over our current circumstances, not having control over a situation, our pride getting hurt, feeling misunderstood, being disrespected, or someone blocking what we desire.

At the core of all these reasons is the fact that you wanted something and didn’t get it. James 4 tells us that the source of our quarrels and fights “come from the evil desires at war within you.  You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.” Kill seems like a pretty harsh word. But in Matthew 5:22, Jesus placed the anger you hold towards someone on the same playing field as the sin of murder. The Bible says we shouldn’t take our anger lightly. It is no wonder, then, that scripture also urges to not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26) and to put all anger away (Colossians 3:8, Ephesians 4:31).

Selfishness, ungratefulness, and impatience define our anger. We get angry when we don’t get what we want and sometimes think we deserve. This places us on shaky ground because people who feel they are owed something walk around with a chip on their shoulders. The longer we let this anger fester the more it clouds our judgments. Proverbs 27:4 compares anger to a flood in its power to destroy and harm.

Other parts of scripture go as far as saying anger kills the foolish man (Job 5:2). How? By consuming our thoughts and dictating our actions which tend to bring with it all kinds of sin (Proverbs 29:22). Getting angry rarely solves problems and, in fact, tends to produce more conflict and trouble (Proverbs 30:33). Losing our cool only makes things worse because we tend to act like fools (Proverbs 14:7, Ecclesiastes 7:9). The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires (James 1:20).

Yet, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, expects us to experience anger.  He understood that emotions are God-given. Paul is more concerned that his readers understand how to manage their anger, and from his perspective the key is not allowing it to get wedged inside your heart. In other words, cut it off at its source as quickly as possible.

Instead we are commanded to be slow to anger (James 1:19, Proverbs 16:32). Yes, patience in difficult situations does bring peace and perspective (Proverbs 14:29). But that is not our main purpose for being slow to anger. During those moments of patience, we are reflecting God’s heart (Exodus 34:5, Numbers 14:18). The kindness of God, seen through His being slow to anger, is what allows us to repent. We get rid of anger and bitterness through the difficult act of forgiveness, which is both an event and process. We must forgive just as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).

Understanding the love God has for us is critical in helping us process through our anger and tense situations. We want so desperately to control our own world and have everything fall into place. We desire to be the one who dictates our path and our direction. In a way, believing we are in control of anything is foolish. God is in complete control and holds everything together by His hand (Psalm 103:19, Romans 8:28). He controls the laws of the universe, the tides of the ocean. Our very existence depends on Him. We can rest in the fact that the one who is in control of everything loves us deeply. This helps us from agonizing over trying to control every situation or fuming with negative anger over our current situation.

God, may I not take my angry lightly. Help me to confront the real reasons I freak out and get angry. Enable me to see the deeper issues taking place within my heart. Shine your light on these areas. Expose them for what they are. Amen.

James 3:3-18

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Our words have enormous power. They have the ability to heal and encourage just as much as they do to cripple and destroy. The only thing words can’t do is be neutral. Burned into our memory, either for good or for bad, words stay with us for such a long time. For some the words of a loving parent or mentor spurred them on to greater deeds while for others hearing they were “unlovable,” “stupid,” or a “screw up” have plagued them for years.

Words uttered in the midst of a freak out can quickly lead us into situations in which we do not want to find ourselves. The imagery James uses to speak of this direction is a bit and rudder (v.3, 4). Both are very small items, but both have a profound impact on one’s direction. Even though it is easy to underestimate their power, our words control the direction of our entire body.

We might feel it is no big deal that a few words spoken in anger escaped during the heat of the moment. However, what started as a small spark (a momentary freak out) can quickly turn into a raging fire (v.6). These words can ruin a relationship for years to come. Just like a fire that has raged out of control, there is often no way to reverse the damage your words have caused.

We can get ourselves into trouble with our mouths.  But there is something happening deep beneath the surface that often goes unnoticed. Scripture is very clear in saying that our words reveal what lies inside the heart (v.14-16). It is only normal, then, to want to hide your condition, whether it is poor self-esteem, anger, envy, depression, pride, or a host of other crippling conditions. Yet, as hard as you might try to hide your condition, in the heat of the moment it is brought to light through your words.

Until we realize the value of our words, how they speak to something deeper taking place inside of us, and the impact of what we say has on others, we will be taken down a destructive path and end up in places that we did not want to go.  We need to cultivate the habit of stewardship when it comes to our words. Stewardship simply means to manage.

Controlling our tongues involves more than mere discipline. It is about leveraging the potential of our words to become a fountain of life. In order for this to take root in our lives, we must continually be drawing water from the well of our surrendered heart.  The reality of a trusting, surrendered heart is that we are righteous, and scripture tells us the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life (Proverbs 10:11).

The types of words we speak are directly tied to the maturity of our faith (Ephesians 4:15). The whole concept of this is not carefully controlled words that conceal what is really going on inside our heart but words centered on a truth that is rooted so deeply in love that our mouths can be trusted to gush out life-giving water.

God, too often I don’t give a second thought to the power of the words that I speak. They flow out of my mouth with little to no thought. This carelessness has caused many people hurt and pain. Please give me the courage to seek their forgiveness and become more aware of how my speech affects others. I desperately want to experience control over my tongue but realize this is impossible without your grace and the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

James 1:19-21

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

How many of us walk through our days living out the words to the famous children’s song:

I’m a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle. Here is my spout.

When I get all steamed up hear me shout, “Tip me over and pour me out.” 

We might not realize it, but 212 is our favorite number. Freakouts excel at exactly 212. You see, 212 degrees is when water begins to boil. If you were to stick your finger in tepid water, it might make you jump.  Simmering water might sting your skin for a bit, but touching boiling water can cause permanent scars. These marks won’t go away and are a permanent reminder of your nasty encounter.

The same can be said with the devastating effects uncontrolled anger can have on one’s relationships. These scars remain deep below the surface where the heart resides and can remain there for years. Everyone can think of somebody’s words and actions that caused deep emotional pain. When selfish anger goes unchecked, it will eventually boil to the surface and spew out of control leaving everybody in its wake.

This type of anger goes against the very heart of God because its purpose is self-seeking. Selfish anger begins when our focus is on ourselves and why our needs and expectations haven’t been met. We were designed to be in relationships and put the needs of others before our very own. The picture of God laid out in scripture is of a creator who is immensely patient with his creation. Time after time we fail to remember God’s faithfulness in our lives and obey him. Yet, we can always trust in God’s love, forgiveness, and mercy.

We are told in James 1 that the cure for selfish anger is to train ourselves to utilize our ears before opening our mouth. This enables us to keep things in perspective and remember the amazing love God extends to us through Jesus and the cross. Reflecting on the depths to which we have been forgiven helps us realize that in the realm of things our petty issues are insignificant.

Lord, there are times when I let my anger go unchecked and say or do things before I think them through.  Please teach me to train myself to use my ears before I open my mouth so that I might be able to exercise self-control and allow my words to be those that provide encouragement and comfort.  I am forever grateful for your forgiveness and amazing love and pray to live daily in that.  Thank you. 

James 1:22-25

 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

As we learned over the past few days, the issue of trust plays a critical role in one’s walk with God. Trusting in our forgiveness frees us to live confidently, while doubt forces us to chase good works to ensure our salvation. This confidence we find in Christ and the trust we have in His character allows us the freedom to live transparently before others. Knowing God’s character enables us to better trust Him and increases our faith. If we are to live as examples of Christ, we must know his heart intimately.

The words trust, faith and belief are dependant on one another. It’s nearly impossible to define one of these words without using the other two. You simply can’t do it without robbing them of their meaning. When you study the Bible, you will find that trust, faith and belief share the same Greek root word.

If this is the case, in order to trust God more and deepen our faith in Him, we must get to know His heart. There are several ways to grow in intimacy with God. In the book of Philippians, Paul’s prayer for the church was that they would desire to learn more about God (Phil 1:9). He sees this taking place through the sharing of common experiences with people inside of community, as well as consistent quiet time with God. When Paul speaks of wanting to know Christ in Philippians 3:10, the Greek word he uses means “to know by experience.”

When we begin a relationship with Christ, those areas in which we struggled with trusting Him do not instantly go away. We bring baggage into this relationship, reasons why we can’t trust and fear that if we do trust we will only be let down.  It is by getting to know God and understanding His heart that we can begin to let go of the things that hold us back from trusting fully in Him.

Unfortunately, there are some who never experience this level of trust because they hesitate in pursuing go deep with God. When we don’t experience this level of depth in our relationship with God, this vacuum doesn’t remain empty. We try to fill this void with everything and anything. Even though it was shaped for God, it continues to suck things into its center until something finally fits.  It remains empty but is always pulling.

We try to mask this intimacy void by creating an “appearance” of depth. Whether it be using spiritual language, displaying our knowledge of scripture or our right habits or beliefs, all of these actions are driven by our pursuit of religious credibility. We are experts in keeping up a spiritual image among others. This appearance has become such a part of church culture that this image is how many would describe a person who has a deep, abiding walk with God. The activities you participate in and the rules that you keep quickly define your relationship with God. 

Pursuing religious credibility is a cheap substitute for a deep relationship with God, but it is incredibly easy for one to fall into this mindset. What we need to understand is that knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. We cannot mistake trivia for depth. Knowledge without application is deception. Depth is not revealed in our knowledge alone, but rather our response to that knowledge. Our response reveals our faith.

God, I don’t want knowledge of you. Instead, I want to know your heart. I desire a type of depth in my relationship with you that would cause a change in my character and heart. I yearn to learn more about you in order to trust and obey. Amen.

 “What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” –A.W. Tozer

Psalm 63:1-5 (NIV)

1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

According to one study, by the age of seven, sixty-five percent of children report that they have had an imaginary companion at some point in their lives. They were our best buddies who we’d play with and talk to from sunrise to sunset. Our deepest secrets were safe with them. They understood us, were at our beckon call and did everything we asked of them. Because we created them, we knew all too well about their elaborate personalities and unique behaviors.

Some say our imagination begins to fade as we get older due to peer pressure and cultural expectations. Yet, part of me begs to differ. Our imaginations are still very active and I would say the things we create in our minds are on an even grander scale. No longer are we dealing with the harmlessness of a childhood companion, but our very picture of God himself. The reality is everyone has a theology, a way they think about God.

In a way, we all have created an “imaginary” god in on our minds. This character came to have its being through how one was raised, assumptions made off of half-truths or even the cards one was dealt in life. It could be shaped by cultural perceptions or messages received from the media. Some develop their imaginary god based off of what is convenient for them. There are those who use their created character to justify behaviors, speak harshly to others or relieve a guilty conscious. This image is so powerful it shapes the way one perceives the world and their place in it. As a result of the concoction in their mind, some see their life as meaningless while others feel like life is all about them. What you know about God will determine what you trust God with.

This can have devastating effects on our faith, our willingness to trust God, our walk and our ability to have confidence in our identity in Christ. Whether we realize it or not, the way we think of God affects how we approach Him. Understanding a person’s character is what ultimately determines whether we place our trust in them.

When one possesses a skewed version of God built upon misunderstandings, assumptions and the disappointments they have experienced from humanity, they often react to life based off of circumstances and feelings. The only way we can conquer this distortion is striving to see God as God. There is such an incredible tendency for us to define God by our own standards and we invent a god that is not a thing like our creator.

This doesn’t cause a problem until we run into God because one cannot trust what they do not know. We try and comprehend Him from where we see.  Yet, this would be similar to looking down your nose to see the mountains.  You must look up because you don’t behold something that is incomprehensible. One must start by looking up and exploring scripture to understand the true heart of God.

Seeing God for who He is serves as the beginning of true change. Fortunately for humanity, God did not keep His identity a secret for only the truly enlightened to grasp. He proclaimed His nature in the Bible for all to see and experience. The scriptures are where God shares who He is and how He is. When someone reads this book and reflects on its’ content, their picture of God becomes clearer and more refined. Understanding His heart has the ability to drastically alter and revolutionize an individual’s life. Hope lies in knowing His heart.

In Psalm 37:4,5 we are told that if we delight ourselves in the Lord that He will give us the desires of our heart. To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This can only happen when we know that person intimately. You cannot delight in something you know little to nothing about. If this is true it means we must get to know God better. How do we do this? It begins with spending time with Him through reading the Bible, journaling and regular prayer. We begin to realize that the desires of our heart can only be found in God. Something clicks inside our head and heart when we begin to realize God is everything we are longing for.

Understanding the character of God, His faithfulness, and His amazing love not only allow us to delight in the Lord, but also free us to commit ourselves to Him. We find security in the promise found in James 4:8 that if we come near to God He will come near to us. Because we know His character we know we can trust Him with every detail of our lives. By giving everything –our lives, families, jobs, and possessions – over to God, we believe that the one who created us knows what is best for us.

God, I admit my picture of you is incomplete. I yearn to have a more intimate knowledge of the one who created me. Help me to see you for who you truly are and may this understanding enable me to trust you with my whole heart. Amen.

James 1:4

4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Change will always be met with resistance. Maturity is found in those moments when we embrace the struggle by facing it head on. Many of us see our struggle as wrong. Somehow, though we understand that every other life change is hard, we believe that spiritual change should be easy.

Likewise, we are puzzled when destructive thought patterns keep popping up, or when bad habits are hard to break, or when we feel like we’re spending more time stumbling then actually walking with God. The truth is, you can’t become like Christ in 3 or 4 easy steps. Our transformation is a process in which struggle is inevitable and resistance is expected. This struggle, this resistance, builds strength, but only when we surrender to God.

James 1:4 should give you hope: it gives you permission to struggle. When we are tempted to give in is not the time to quit. This is the moment in which we look to God to see what he is teaching us. My One Word is about learning and embracing something new.

Your One Word should serve as a lens through which you see not only how you should respond to things that you encounter, but also to help you see why you don’t respond the way you should. This makes room for your struggle. Keeping your eyes focused on God is the key to being formed into the image of God, because what you see determines the direction you go.

Your One Word focuses on effort. Instead of trying to do everything, your one word is going to help you narrow your focus so your efforts will be effective. It will be hard. It is not in our nature to embrace struggle. Instead, we resist it. In the face of uncertainty and risk, we tend to eliminate struggle. We want hassle free maturity. But, when it comes to the condition of your heart, you must embrace it. Your One Word will help focus the necessary effort to embrace the struggle required in the formation of your heart.

Change cannot and does not come without struggle. The encouraging thing is that God wants to meet us in the midst of our struggle. That is exactly where he wants us to be: Where we have exhausted all our human strength, patience and will, and have nothing else to rely on but him.

Your effort is not to change, but to remain in a place where God can change you. The goal is not commitment, but rather dependence. Make no mistake, this exercise will require tenacity. Commitment is required. But, you are not just making promises to yourself that you will be different. Rather, your commitment helps you focus on your dependence on Christ. You discipline yourself to walk with God, not merely keep the rules.

The challenge is going to be for you to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. You must have an articulated, measurable map to determine how God’s image is being formed and revealed in your life. You are not promising to never do something again; instead you are creating a lens through which you can see your life changing and being formed into the image of God. This will enable you to have some tangible and measurable way in which you are able to depend upon God to work in your life.

God, help me to embrace the struggle. Instead of shrinking from resistance, may I meet it head on. Allow me to trust those moments when I want to quit are the same exact moments where my character transforms the most. Amen.

When we find ourselves dissatisfied, we tend to look around to find something or someone who will make us happy.  It is just the way we are wired, always looking, always pursuing.  Often, the things we depend on for satisfaction are temporary.  When the satisfaction wanes, we are on to something else… or someone else.  This devastates a marriage.

When we look to a spouse or a date to fulfill us, we place a pressure upon them they cannot withstand.  And when we begin to feel empty or dissatisfied or disillusioned, resentment will follow.  Why?  Because they become what lies between us and what we believe will make us happy.

Happiness becomes something I get from someone else which leads to looking around to find someone who will do what I need to make me happy.  The challenge from our series is for us to allow God to define our marriages and our relationships…  and might I add, our pursuit of happiness.

We have learned from James 4:1-2 that the source of the fighting and quarreling is often caused by the desires we have within us.  We long for something that we do not have or that our spouse is not providing. We can’t find it in our relationships or our pursuits.

Today, I want us to look at a passage from Psalms that calls us to turn our attention from everyone or everything else and look to the Source of our lives.

Psalm 4:6-7
There are some who say, “Who will show us some good?”
Lift up the light of Your face upon us O Lord!”
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

This passage from Psalms speaks to this chasing very directly.  Everything we pursuit to make us happy pales in comparison to the Light of the face of God.  Looking around to find where we can find someone to ‘show us some good’ is a futile exercise.  Searching around to see if there is something better than what you have will lead to frustration and ultimately devastation.  Your heart was made to behold breath-taking beauty and experience the intimacy of the deepest love.  The Light of His face takes our breath and the look in His eyes fill our hearts.

Your relationship with your husband or wife is simply designed to be an expression of His love and His beauty.  You are no longer trying to get what you want from one another, but rather you are giving what God has given you.  Marriage is designed to be a safe place where you are given fully and freely to one another as an extension and expression of what God has given to you.

So when satisfaction wanes, look to His face.  God puts more  joy in your heart than a marriage ever could.  God puts more joy in our hearts than anything else can.  This is a promise from the Bible.  And as long as you are chasing what you’ve already been given, you will look everywhere except where what you are looking for can be found.  Your heart was made to be filled with the love of God and will nothing else can satisfy the desires of your heart.  Let’s pray the Psalm we just read.

Lord, lift up the Light of Your face upon me so that seeing You might put an end to my wandering eyes and restless heart.  Release me from trying to find my joy in my relationship with anyone or anything other than You.  Let me live in Your joy in such a way that I am set free from trying to get my fill and allow me to express my fulfillment- a fulfillment that is found in You!  Amen.

Do we really trust God’s definition of marriage or are we pouring all our energy in attempting to live out our own? If we’re honest, we feel this tension in our marriage. What we don’t realize is that tension is a wrestling with God. We don’t actually trust Him with our marriage because we believe we have a better design. Not only do we face the tension with God’s definition, but also we live with a spouse who has their own picture of what they think marriage should look like. Whose definition are we fighting for?

A good portion of marriage conflict is dictated by this definition problem. The reality is we don’t struggle with each other’s flaws in marriage. Instead, we struggle because our spouse stands in the way of what we want.  When two different people with two different sets of definitions are trying to come together as one there is bound to be problems.

Because we have these different sets of definitions wreaking havoc in our marriages, no one is ever 100% satisfied. This is where the Doughnut Principle comes into play. The principle is simple – we want, we need, we demand, we expect and then we resent. Let’s say you have 100 doughnuts and those doughnuts represent perfection in your relationship. So, if you are 85% satisfied you’ve got 85 doughnuts on one table while 15 sit on another. Rather than rejoicing in the huge stack of doughnuts, you fight, bicker and complain about why you can’t have those extra 15. In your eyes, your spouse stands in the way of the doughnuts you deserve.

The question you must ask yourself is what is your doughnut? These doughnuts can be anything. They could represent a husband who listens, helps around the house or demonstrates his love to you. It might be a wife who respects and admires you, doesn’t nag and keeps the house clean. We begin to believe that if we could just have this doughnut then things would be perfect.

The doughnuts that we are not given begin to move from a want, to a need, to a demand and then to an expectation. These expectations that we place on our spouse set us up for resentment. The problem with expectations is that they are planned resentments. We have to seriously look at whether or not we are demanding our dream or trying to live within the design of marriage that God has defined. God’s word is very clear on why we face difficulties. Consider the words of James 4:

James 4:1-3

¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive; because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Why do we fight? Why do we argue? Why can’t we get along some times? James speaks of an internal struggle taking place in our heart. It is a battle of wills. But is not one we are having with our spouse; it is a battle between God and you. However, we try to fix the problem by pointing the finger at our spouse. We grow resentful and begin to kill them with our words. We destroy and tear each other down. Sometimes it is subtle while other times it is direct. Then, if we are not careful we covet. When we think about those missing doughnuts for too long, we begin to do some really dumb stuff. Some people throw away a perfectly good marriage for a measly 15 doughnuts.

We desire for our spouse to change. We might even pray about it, but we sometimes pray with the wrong motives. When we ask God for our spouse to change, we are being selfish. We’re not concern with their hearts, but instead hoping for our needs to be met.  We would love for them to change in all kinds of ways to fulfill our desires. In essence, we are asking God to give me the 15% that I feel I deserve.

Obviously, we know this isn’t how we should live or treat our spouse. So, what are we to do? How do we not get consumed by the 15% How do we trust God with the 15%? We’ll talk about that tomorrow. Don’t worry there is hope. Today, all we want you to do is look at your relationship and ask: what’s your doughnut?

God, help me to stop fighting for my definition of marriage and start trusting your own. May I seek your face with pure motives. Examine my heart and expose those selfish desires. Amen.

When confronted with our sin often our first reaction is to point the finger or to place the blame squarely on someone else’s shoulders. This tactic has been practiced since the Garden of Eden and man’s first encounter with temptation (Genesis 3:12,13). Adam took things a step further by not only throwing Eve under the bus, but God as well. Like many of us, Adam blamed God for his own failures as he said the equivalent of “If YOU wouldn’t have given me Eve in the first place, we would never be in this mess.”

Adam’s response is eerily similar to ones we have uttered in the past, “If God wouldn’t of put me in this situation, I wouldn’t of _____________ (fill in the blank with your struggle).” To even suggest God played a part in our temptation is an affront to His character. God does not delight in evil and never entices anyone to sin.

If this is the case, we must ask ourselves where does sin and temptation originate? The easy answer is to say the “devil made me do it.” Even though there is some merit to this line of thinking, it is just another excuse we use to pass the blame for our struggles with lust. Consider these words found in James:

James 1:13-15

13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Verse 14 puts an end to this blame game once and for all as it says that we are individually responsible for our own sin. The temptation that leads to sin comes from within us.

The process of temptation is similar to a dog race where the greyhound chases after a fake bunny that remains just out of his reach. The bunny serves as the bait that gets the dog’s attention (ENTICE) and now becomes his sole focus (DRAG US AWAY). The desire to devour the fluffy bunny (OUR OWN DESIRES) is what causes the dog to storm out of the gates. Some external lure catches our eye while our own lust allows the gaze to move towards pursuit.

According to verse 15, just as there is a process to our temptation, our lust follows a consistent pattern: LUST GIVES BIRTH TO SIN –> SIN GIVES BIRTH TO DEATH. Thinking our actions are not that big of a deal, we pursue the bait, but what we thought was a harmless pursuit causes harm in our lives and slips out of control. Giving into our lust culminates in indulging in sin and sin always leads to death.

If we allow these thoughts to make room in our heart and mind, lust will eventually lead to indulgence. This is why these lustful desires cannot be tolerated or taken lightly.  Letting them remain will always lean to ruin. These desires never remain dormant. They are looking to move and to be acted upon. Either we will fulfill the desire or give them up, surrender them to Christ or crush them with God’s word. Commit to taking the time needed to do some housekeeping when it comes to cleaning out the dark places of your heart where lust has made itself at home.

Lord, help me to examine the places in my heart and mind that I allow lustful desires to feel at home. Speak to these areas and help me realize why I have enabled them to be such a stronghold in my life. Allow me to see how these desires are just twisted desires I have for intimacy with you. I want to break these patterns of lust that have only led to devastation in my life. May I surrender them to you at the foot of the cross. Amen.

Wisdom begins with God.  More specifically, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  So this morning, take a moment and think about your Creator.  Look outside and see the expanse of the sky. Now, look at your hand. God formed every cell and stretched the tendons and wrapped it in flesh.  He is big enough to stretch the sky and tender enough to clothe your hands.

We want to learn to trust Him.  We do this by seeing Him for who He really is and this is the beginning of wisdom.  In fact, when we are uncertain of where our faith should be, when we wonder or worry, we are invited to ask for precisely for what we need:

James 1:5-8
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

First, notice what you learn about God.  Have you ever wondered about the heart of God? God is generous.  He gives freely.  This is the very character of God and serves as the reason why we are pursuing Him thorough prayer, reading scripture and journaling. We engage in the spiritual disciplines in order to know Him.

Next, He tells us what we need to do: ask Him for wisdom. But let’s look at how we are suppose to approach God.  We come to Him without doubting or wavering.  Instead of being indecisive and eventually immobilized, we depend and trust in God’s faithfulness and consistency. Fear prevents you from ever beginning.  Doubt and fear go hand in hand. Fear paralyzes while faith mobilizes.

Lord, this morning, I ask for wisdom.  Not wisdom like the world gives, but wisdom from above.  I desire wisdom that provides stability. Give me the sort of wisdom that allows me to make decisions and then live with them—believing in your faithfulness!  I ask this with confidence in You and Your character!  Amen.

How does faith mobilize?