What Have We Resolved in Our Heart?

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself (Daniel 1:8).

We make hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of choices every day. From the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, we’re making choices. Most of the things we choose may not ever seem to bear much consequence, but there are certainly choices we do make that bear a lot of consequence on the moment and into our future, even into eternity. As the apostle Paul put it: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Satan seeks to distract us from the things that matter most. And what matters most? Our relationship with our Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Who we choose marry, who we choose to be friends with, the jobs we choose to make a living, the things we choose to entertain our thoughts … all of these things have a bearing on our relationship with Jesus, for better or worse.

Being a disciple of Jesus doesn’t mean we’re supposed to have nothing to do with the world. But it does mean we need to be wise. In our thinking we need to hold in the highest esteem the relationship we have with our Savior (Matthew 10:34–39). Consider what the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:9–13).

I know a lot of people who know nothing about the Bible remember Matthew 7:1 — “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Part of the problem, honestly, is that a lot of so-called Christians are quite judgmental. Part of the problem, also, is that the world doesn’t seem to understand or appreciate context. Jesus went on to say:

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you (Matthew 7:2–6)

We need to resolve in our hearts — where it all really needs to begin in our service to the Lord — not to “pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother” (Romans 14:13). We need to aim to conform ourselves to God’s way of thinking and behaving by loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43–48). How was Jesus among us? He didn’t act or speak condescendingly, but lovingly (Mark 10:17–23; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Timothy 2:1–6).

Indeed when we’re living right (or trying to live right) someone’s going to have a problem with us (2 Timothy 3:12). But we press on (Hebrews 5:12—6:1; Ephesians 4:11–16). We set our minds on things above where Christ is (Colossians 3:1–3).

If we’re going to resolve in our hearts to be more like Jesus, then we’re going to make the best effort to love others: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this attitude among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3–5).

Resolving to be like Jesus means we’re going to pursue love (1 Corinthians 14:1). Why?

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends (1 Corinthians 13:4–8).

Do We Believe Prayer Works?

1 Thess 5:17 reminds us to “pray without ceasing.”

Initially this may sound daunting—pray without ever stopping? We eat without ceasing—every single one of us eats without ceasing because, otherwise, we’d be dead from starvation.

Again, what about our praying? Do we pray without ceasing? How might we know?

In any and every relationship communication is the lifeline—the connecting point. Without communication there’s really no relationship to speak of. God speaks to us through His word: Are we listening to Him?

We all want more faith. That’s great, but how are we helping ourselves to His word? “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17).

Are we growing in Christ? Do we only call upon Him in prayer when we’re in need? Or do we make the time in prayer to praise Him?

1 Pet 2:9 reminds us that we “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

James reminds us that if we lack wisdom we are to “ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (1:5-8).

The story is told of a congregation in a farming community that had been praying for rain. After one such prayer had been offered, a little boy sadly assessed it all by saying to his Dad that no one believed. “Why would you say such a thing?” The boy replied, “Because no one’s carrying an umbrella.”

Do we really believe prayer works? Are we asking God for rain and not carrying an umbrella?

Where Is Our Zeal?

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11–14).

Zeal is essential in our service to the Lord. Consider the Lord’s zeal for the Temple:

In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:14–17).

Zeal isn’t everything, though. Zeal must be tempered by a knowledge of what it is that God wants (Ephesians 5:6–10). For example, the apostle Paul bore witness to the zeal of some of those Israelites for God, but their zeal was “not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:1–4).

We say things like, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” This is not entirely untrue. But with the Lord and his family — our family in Christ — we’re supposed to grow together; we’re not supposed to be so petty. This doesn’t mean that everything is going to go perfectly at all times, but it does mean that we’re going to bear with one another in love, being eager to maintain unity in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2–3).

Working together requires love. “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. . . . Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:11, 13–15).

Working together requires patience. The first thing the apostle Paul mentions about love is that it is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

Working together requires working together. “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (Proverbs 18:1). I know there are times when we might want some space to ourselves. I don’t believe this is always wrong, but if we get to the point that we feel a lot better being alone than with being with brothers and sisters, then there’s a problem. Congregational growth often doesn’t happen because not everyone’s working toward it, which means they’re not even praying about it.

Paul wrote, “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15–16).

If we think we have nothing to contribute to the growth of the congregation, or we think that’s what others are thinking, then let me be clear: that’s Satan in your ear. Every member has an important part to play in the body of Christ:

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. . . . For the body does not consist of one member but of many. . . . But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. . . . Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it (1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 18, 27).

So, where’s our zeal for the Lord? Discouragement is real, and can directly affect our zeal for the Lord, and for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. The solution? Look longingly to the cross! “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. . . . but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6, 8).