Balance

Balance

Have you ever heard someone say, ‘He is too Heavenly minded to be any earthly good.’? Although Scripture is clear that it is not our place to judge the heart/intent of others, if someone is so focused on learning about God that they never help those who need to experience God’s love, they are probably too focused on one aspect of their Christian life. Conversely, if someone is so focused on serving others that they never take time to read the Bible, pray, attend church/Bible study, etc., perhaps they are neglecting a vital aspect of their relationship with God.

We must heed the Bible’s warning about going to extremes.

• Ecclesiastes 7:16-17 Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?
• Although we are righteous before God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), don’t be self-righteous or a know-it-all (James 1:19).
• Although we all fall short of God’s standards and commands (Romans 3:23), don’t be intentionally wicked or deny the existence of God (Psalm 14:1).
• Ecclesiastes 7:18 goes on to tell us, the key to finding the correct balance in life is our awe of and reverence for God (see also Proverbs 9:10).

Here are some additional verses that communicate the importance of finding an appropriate balance between our ongoing pursuit of God and our day-to-day interactions with others.

• Matthew 5:6-7 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
• Hebrews 13:15-16 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
• James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
• James 2:15-17 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Obviously there are seasons of life where you may spend more time on a particular aspect of your Christian walk (e.g. going to seminary, completing a major service project, a short-term mission trip, etc.). However, as God leads by His Word and Spirit, and provides opportunities through our circumstances, we should always be prepared to respond in obedience with Christ-likeness.

• Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
• Matthew 25:35-36 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

Prayer

Lord, I pray for myself, anyone who reads this devotion, and Your children everywhere, that You will provide perspective and guidance on how to obtain and maintain the appropriate balance between diligently seeking after You and faithfully sharing the love of Christ with those You place in our path along the way. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

 

  

4D

4D

Have you ever watched a 3D (three-dimensional) movie? If so, did you reach out and try to touch the objects that seemed to ‘jump’ off the screen; or did you see someone else reach out? Why? Through science, our eyes are fooled into believing that objects projected onto a flat screen somehow extend off that screen. A third dimension, depth, seems to have magically been added to the two-dimensional screen. Our brains, taken in by this mirage, stimulate an instinctive reaction to touch or grab the phantom objects. For the young or gullible, there may be an actual sense of surprise or disappointment when they realize there is nothing there.

In a similar way, ignorance or rejection of God’s truth allows Satan, the world and our flesh to warp our perceptions, thinking, desires and behaviors in a way that leads to disastrous results. Below we examine four dimensions related to deviation from God's truth.

In the Garden of Eden, God spoke to Adam saying:

• Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
• God created man and placed him in paradise. In love, He gave Adam and Eve the freedom to obey or rebel. God set humanity apart for His special purposes and then clearly shared the truth about the consequences of their choices.
• John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Deception

• Genesis 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
• In direct contradiction to the Word of God, Satan deceived Eve and a seed of doubt was planted in her mind. There is no truth in the father of lies!
• John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Delusion

• Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
• Once Eve doubted the Word of God, the seed of doubt germinated and delusional thinking began to grow. God will not be glorified when ungrateful arrogance leads to foolishness.
• Romans 1:21-22 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

Desire

• Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
• The evil fruit of unholy desire blossomed as Eve freely chose to disobey God; human sin was born. When Adam followed his wife into sin, death began its reign on earth.
• James 1:15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Death

• As Jesus prayed in John 17:17, the Word of God is truth.
• Without the truth, people are susceptible to lies.
• Lies believed lead to false perceptions.
• False perceptions give rise to corrupt longings.
• Corrupt longings uniting with a willing heart results in sin.
• Unforgiven sin separates a person from God.
• Separation from God is spiritual death.
• As declared by God in Genesis 2:16-17, sin results in death.

With regards to God’s Truth, the ignorant (those who don’t know), the immature (those who don’t accept) and the iconoclast (those who corrupt and reject) are all in danger of eternal separation from God!

• 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

Jesus Christ is the only means by which sinful humanity can be saved from God’s wrath against sin.

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Prayer

Father, it is only by Your Spirit that these truths can be understood. It is only Your Word that can bring about the salvation of those who have not surrendered to Christ as Lord and Savior. I beg You Lord, use the truth of Your Word and the power of Your Holy Spirit to move in the heart of anyone who may read this devotion. Send a witness to anyone who needs a Christian to explain these truths. I praise You for Your grace and mercy. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.