Work Out Your Own Salvation

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV).

We want things handed to us with little effort. We want it easy, but hardly anything that we can call our own comes easy. 

There will always be things in life that challenge what we believe. These circumstances often are outside our own control, but we do control how we react. 

The older I've become, the more I realize the importance of being slow to react. I'm not saying I've learned exactly how to not overreact, but I know now how important it is to be slower in reacting to what people say and do to me, or what I think they're saying and doing to me. I still frustrate myself by overreacting. And each and every time I hope and pray that I've learned the important lesson.

The Weather Exposes Our Vulnerability

I am often amazed by the beauty of powerful storms. Whether it be a hurricane or winter storm, the power cannot be ignored or denied.

Sometimes we forget how powerless we really are … until a storm comes barreling through.

Here in South Florida we enjoyed a beautiful day yesterday: highs in the 80s, a nice breeze coming in off the Atlantic, and lots of sun. Today, it is dark and windy and cold. A 20 degree difference from one day to another!

We need to learn how helpless we are. We need help. We are dependent and vulnerable whether we recognize these things or not.

"Who can know the intensity of your anger? Because our fear of you matches your wrath, teach us to keep account of our days so we may develop inner wisdom" (Psalms 90:11-12 ISV).

Do We Visualize God With A Smile Or A Frown?

Ecclesiastes 8:15  And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

Someone recently wrote that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

After reading that statement, I had to read it again. I think sometimes we fail to appreciate what God has done for us in providing us so much joy. James reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). In other words, if it is good, then it has come from God. I would advise that just because people may classify something as good doesn’t necessarily make it good — consider Isaiah 5:20 as an example where people get things turned around by calling bad things good and good things bad.

Maybe we only see God as a taskmaster commanding us nothing but to fear him and literally shake in our boots. But the word he provided to us suggests a proper balance (Romans 11:22). Yes, he is God and there is no other (Isaiah 46:9; Romans 8:12-17; 1John 4:17-19), but he is loving and desires that all be saved from deserved wrath (Romans 2:3-11; 1Timothy 2:1-4; 2Peter 3:9).

Sometimes we don't associate happiness with God; again, we may only see him as a taskmaster handing out impossible commands. 

One test for ourselves might be this — Do we visualize God with a smile or a frown?