“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” –Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

We do not like confrontation. It is messy, uncomfortable, and often creates conflicts that we would rather avoid. When faced with the destructive lifestyle or erroneous thoughts of a loved one, we may know deep down that something is amiss and want to speak up. Yet we refrain from doing so out of fear that we will create unnecessary tension and end up hurting the other person. We try to justify our silence by saying that it is an act of love; that refusing to say anything about the behaviour of the person we love is proof of our concern and sympathy for them. However, in truth it is the exact opposite. It is not an act of love to remain silent for we will simply be letting them go down a road that will bring them pain and misery.

True love will warn someone when they are going in a direction that will end with regret and despair. Such love goes beyond a simple concern for the other person’s feelings, and finds itself caring for their well-being. When driven by such love we will not cease to speak the truth to our loved ones, even if they ignore our words and find us annoying, because we do not want them to go down that path to total oblivion. However, if we try to do this on our own we will find ourselves lacking the courage to speak boldly and the wisdom to use our words well. It is only when we are enabled by Christ’s Spirit that we will find the wisdom and courage to act in love. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and seek with humility to abide by His Spirit, we will be careful to walk according to His leading. Guided by Him we will find that He will give us the strength and tact to boldly speak the truth in love so that those who hear may find life abundant.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.”- Psalm 119:142 (NIV)

Today as I was traveling on the bus, I came across an interesting advertisement. Amongst images of everything pretty, cute, and pleasant on could think of was written, “Dressing it up doesn’t make it true.” It was an advertisement for an organization which helps to expose false messaging in advertising and take them to task. What was more striking was that the sub-heading said, “Truth matters”. In this world it seems that truth has become little more than a personal preference on the lines of a favorite color or what feels good for the moment. But looking at that sign on the bus it was encouraging to know that people still care about objective truth and whether something is universally right or wrong.

As the world comes closer together and new ideas are being constantly churned out, there are many philosophies and worldviews advertising themselves as truth. Wanting to minimize conflict between the plethora of ideas, our culture has taken the position that one truth is just as valid as any other truth. But if truth is simply reduced to something that is dependent on individual preference, we will end up living in an internal contradiction that will lead us into hypocrisy. We will find ourselves condemning a horrendous act in one context yet in the same breath justifying that same act because it took place in a different context. Two contrary ideas cannot exist side by side and there will come a point where we will have to be honest with ourselves and discover what is that objective and absolute truth.

There is only one truth in the world which brings life, and that is found in Christ Jesus. He has revealed His righteousness and law to us through His Word and wants us to be restored through Him. When we have allowed His Spirit to enter our hearts and desire to seek after Him by reading His Word, we will know that His truth is the only way through which humanity can find true hope, healing, and life abundant. If our faith in Christ is based on simply because it feels good for us, then our faith is weak for it is based on human feelings and sentiments that are prone to change and ignore the truth. But when our faith in Christ is based on understanding the truth, our faith in Him will be stronger; having the knowledge to know what is right and wrong so that we may bring life to others by His Spirit.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’ He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” –Judges 16:19-20 (NIV)

Samson had physical strength that was without parallel. He was well respected in Israel, but feared by Israel’s Philistine enemies. The strength Samson had been given to him by God on the condition that Samson not cut off his hair. But Samson also loved a woman named Delilah. The problem was however that Delilah was a Philistine spy whose sole mission was to find out Samson’s weakness and ensure that he would no longer be a threat. Relentlessly nagging Samson to tell him the secret of his strength, Delilah was finally able to discover Samson’s secret and cut off his hair unawares. When the Philistine ambush came, Samson was unable to defend himself for the Lord left him when he compromised his secret with Delilah.

The story of Samson and Delilah illustrates the struggle we often have with sin and temptation. Just as how Delilah continued to pressure Samson into telling her the secret of his strength, our sinful nature continues to demand that we give in to its desires. Under the weight of this pressure we, like Samson, are quick to surrender ourselves to temptation. However, though we may think that our momentary lapse into sin has had little effect on our strength, the reality is that sin has weakened our resistance to it. The moment we compromise with sin, it saps us of our ability to fight against it and we fall into its destructive clutches. If we think that we can resist temptation by solely relying on our willpower, we are sadly mistaken. Sin is too strong a force for us to resist it alone. But the wonderful hope is that Christ has overcome sin and death. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts He will strengthen us by His Spirit to fight against the pressure that sin levels against us. It is only when we remain in Him that He will continue to provide us with His strength and though we may fall we can rest in the assurance that God will always give us a second chance; not taking advantage of His grace, but by His grace seeking to abide by His Spirit so that we may find true freedom in Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.” –Numbers 11:17 (NIV)

Working together in a group setting can often come with its disadvantages. Conflicting personalities, differing expectations, and a lack of unity can not only serve to hinder productivity, but create a very unpleasant environment in the process. That is why we can sometimes be so loathe to working with others, fearing that our vision will not be realized and thinking that it would be better if we did not entrust others with our aspirations. But what a joy it is when people work together in unity! Grasping a common vision everyone diligently works together towards that vision no matter the disappointments and failures. When the successful end result is achieved every member of the group is satisfied, echo one celebrating the victories gained and congratulating each other on a job well done.

God has placed within each and every one of us a vision. Those good and pleasing plans and ambitions which we cherish come from Him who assures us that He works to give us hope and a future. However, we may not trust others with this vision and keep it to ourselves thinking that if we get others involved they will only ruin it for us. Yet what often is the case is that God has given us a vision that was not meant to be borne by ourselves. Rather, for it to be fulfilled He requires that we allow others whom He has strategically placed to help carry out His perfect will for us. If we jealously guard our dreams and desires, we turn them into idols that will only serve to hinder the work God is doing through us. But if we surrender every area of our lives to Christ, giving back to Him the desires He has placed in our hearts, He will lead us to others who have caught the same vision He has given us so that His will may be fulfilled.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” –James 1:5 (NIV)

Imagine yourself in a thick and foreboding forest with nothing but the clothes on your back. It would definitely be a frightening experience! Perhaps one of the greatest fears we have is the fear of the unknown. Without something to guide us and provide us with that sense of direction and security, we would walk aimlessly into unfamiliar territory. Lost and confused we become paralyzed by fear, constantly dreading where each step of ours will take us. Now compare this to if we were placed in the same forest but with a map, a compass, and even a GPS system. What a difference this would make! We would be able to walk confidently through that forest knowing that we are going in the right direction.

Sometimes life can feel like as if we are walking through a vast forest with nothing to aid us. In the face of uncertainty we become fearful of the future and wonder if we are going in the right direction or stepping into disaster. Nothing seems to make sense and in our frustration we cry out for help and guidance. But the wonderful truth is that our cries do not fall on deaf ears. God hears us when we call out to Him in our despair and He wants to help us. For each and every person on this Earth He has a perfect plan that He wants to have fulfilled in our lives; plans to give us hope and a future. When we have allowed Christ to reside within us and continue to submit ourselves to Him, He will gives us wisdom and guide our steps towards the fulfilment of the great purposes He has for us. We will not fear uncertainty for when we are guided by God’s flawless wisdom we can rest knowing that He is taking us along the path He wants us to go so that we may praise His faithfulness and love.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’” –Exodus 3:4 (NIV)

As Moses was out tending to the sheep and going about his daily routine, he noticed an unusual sight. In fact a burning bush in which the flames did not consume the plant would definitely be worth an investigation for anyone with a basic knowledge of the laws of nature. But as Moses drew closer, he realized that he was about to enter the presence of God. Calling out Moses’ name, God was about to reveal His plan for the redemption of His people out of Egypt’s tyranny and tell Moses of his role in that plan. At this point Moses did not know this. But regardless he approached God with humility and waiting to hear what God had to say to Him. Though Moses was first apprehensive when God told him the plans He had in store for him, Moses ultimately obeyed knowing that God would be with him each step of the way.

God is always calling out to us. Through situation and circumstances He seeks to bring our attention to Him so that he may reveal to us the perfect plans He has in store for us. Yet how often do we fail to listen? Content with our own little lives we do not want to acknowledge His call and in our human arrogance we think that we know better than Him; believing that only we know the best way to live our lives. However, when we adopt such an attitude, we deprive ourselves of the blessings of walking within the will of God. Forever we will live in our small little worlds and there will come a point when the feelings of living an unfulfilled existence will consume us. But it is never too late to claim the promises of God. What He requires is only a heart that is willing to be guided by Him. When we allow Christ to enter our lives and carry out His redemptive work, He will break us of our sinful pride so that He may give us life. In Him we have the assurance that as long as we keep in step with Him, He will fulfil a plan that accomplishes His fullest for our lives; giving us hope and confidence in His faithfulness and love for us.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.