From the early days of our children’s lives, we wanted to instill in them an attitude of giving.  Of course, it is never too early to begin these things.  We’ve always told them that when we give offerings in church we are giving to Jesus and that He is pleased with our offerings.
Once we were visiting a church where they kept a box on a table in the back for offerings.  After the service, we instructed the children to put the money into the box.  Then we lingered for a while chatting with several people.  When we left, my son looked at the table in the back with astonishment and said, “What happened to the box?  Somebody took the box.”  My daughter quickly responded; “that man took it.”  My son agreed and said, “Yes, he will take the money and throw it into the air, and Jesus will catch it from up there in heaven.”
What is our concept of money and giving?  Generally, Christians give such a small percentage, that the situation is alarming.  Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Luke 6:38).  Could it be that God has “limited” his measure because of our giving habits?  We often point to many reasons for our financial woes. All the while, part of the fault may be with our own giving habits.
A “poverty mentality” has gripped many believers.  Their concept of money and wealth has been tainted by their own deeds (or the lack of it).  Proverbs says, “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor” (Pr. 22:9).  We cannot expect God’s blessings without a giving heart.  Too many have the misconception that they don’t have enough, so they won’t give, when their lack of giving could be one of the reasons for their financial burdens.
Christians will do well to adopt a simple, Biblical financial plan for their lives that begins with giving.  Take all the income you receive whether weekly or monthly, and give 10% as tithe to your local church where you attend every Sunday. Then take another 10% and put into a long-term savings that you will not touch.  That gives you 80% to live on.  Of course, the 80% should include whatever taxes you owe to the government, and sufficient gifts to the poor.  These principles are simple, yet Biblical.
Am I guaranteeing God’s blessings if you follow this plan? Not a guarantee from me, just Jesus’ words: “Give and it will be given to you….”
What do you think?
Leave your response in the comments section of this blog post by clicking here.
 

*When things are forced on you, you feel like you are not in control. *When you’ve got your back to the wall, you feel like you’re not in control. *When you’re overloaded, and over-worked, you feel like you’re not in control. *When people take advantage of you, you feel like you’re not in control. Now, let’s face it. Others are not in control. You’re not in control. Fear is. It’s fear that controls your actions and your reactions to what goes on around you. Fear? It may be a fear of being controlled. Fear of losing control. Fear of giving up control. Fear of the unknown. For each person, the factors are different. Here is how you can handle the fear:

1. Acknowledge fear. When you recognize that your reactions are the result of fear, be willing to acknowledge it. Identify fear as the reason for what you experience. We may find situations or other people to blame for our experiences, but that does not correctly help to resolve the issue at hand.

2. Face fear. When you come to such a situation fueled by fear, you have two choices. The easiest and usual pattern is to run. Running from situations that cause fear to rise within you is surely a solution, but it is too short lived. What you really need to do is to face the fear head on. Move forward and do that very thing that is causing fear to rise up within you.

3. Reject fear and replace it with boldness.  “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2Timothy 1:7). God’s Spirit will give us a regular supply of power, love, and self-control. You can begin to renew your mind by repeating Bible verses such as this one.

So when you recognize that what you face may be directly caused by fears within you. It’s time to take action and move forward. Give your response in the comments section of this blog post by clicking here.

As the train approached the platform, the little boy was excited and began walking toward the moving train. The mother yelled at him and the boy immediately turned back toward the mother. But as he walked back, he placed one hand over his head and the other one over his face. As soon as he moved his hand, the mother slapped him several times on his head and face.
I was surprised at the reaction of this boy as well as his mother’s mode of discipline. I suppose she could have sat him down and explained the dangerous situation to him. Unfortunately this was not her way of discipline.
So it seems the boy got what he expected: a full round of slapping from head to face. His quick reactions showed that he’s quite familiar with this from his early childhood. Fear has developed in his mind and whenever he faces his mother in a difficult situation, fear takes over his reactions.
When this boy grows up, it’s quite possible for this fear to take control of his reactions in other areas of life as well. This fear will cause him to be insecure when he needs to make decisions. Fear may become the forefront aspect of his personality.
Due to various reasons, many of us, just like that boy, are riddled with fear and the inability to make firm decisions. But the Bible says: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” It is this Spirit, God’s Spirit, that gives us confidence in life.
So next time you are about to make a decision and you begin to stall – check your heart. See if you sense fear rising within you. Begin to identify that fear. Don’t let it go undetected and uncontrolled. Look at it right in the face and begin to deal with it. Next week, we’ll look at some steps to overcome fear.
Please leave your response in the comments section of this blog post by clicking here.

It was cold that evening as we sat by the open fire. Since I wore only a light jacket and began shivering in the cold, I moved to the side of the fire that was opposite the wind. The smoke from the flame came toward me, but I endured it since I needed the warmth.

We all sat and talked for most of the evening. I continued to endure the smoke in my face and all over me. Everyone sat there shivering. But I enjoyed the warmth of the flame.
The next day, as I traveled from there, I wore that same jacket. But that jacket held the smell of smoke and everyone around me wondered what was going on with this strong smell. That really got me thinking about how that consistent, prolonged exposure to the smoke left a strong smell on my jacket.
In Deuteronomy 6:5-9, there is clear instruction of how God’s word is to have a consistent prolonged exposure on our lives: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Such prolonged consistent exposure to God’s words will have a major impact in every area of our lives. In a former post, I wrote about a simple three step plan of Meditation and Time Alone With God. You can read that at this link. Every day, follow those simple three steps and that will be your initial move toward a more consistent and prolonged exposure to God’s word in your lives. Be warmed by the fire of God’s word.
To help you along in the journey, I’ve been recording my thoughts as I work through scripture. I’ve been posting those thoughts as a separate blog that you can subscribe to. Click here to open that blog. Read through what I’ve been writing the last few days. Subscribe at this link and receive updates in your inbox. If you wish, you can unsubscribe at any time.
You can also leave your comments to this blog post by clicking here.

Our kids were small and studied at a school near the seminary where my wife and I teach. As we were late dropping the kids to school one day, I was driving fast with my eyes fixed on the road. At one point both of our children pointed out someone from our church standing on the side of the road. By the time I looked, I saw the man waving at me, but our car passed quickly and I could not wave back.
The following Sunday, the man came to church with a very sad face and approached me. He wanted to know why I was not willing to acknowledge him even though both my kids did. The sadness and rejection he experienced was quite deep and he was clearly hurt. Of course, I explained my situation to him, but he was not willing to accept my explanation at all.
Although I had not “rejected” this person, that is exactly what he felt. That was his experience at that moment. Even my explanations could not calm his heart nor clear the feeling of being rejected. Knowing his background, I know the complex situations of rejection that he experienced from his childhood up to the time of this incident. All of those experiences of rejection built up a mindset of rejection within him. That mindset filters every experience that he has and anything that resembles the rejection he previously experienced, may be interpreted as rejection too.
As many of us have experienced rejection in our lives, what is the solution to this problem? To be set free from rejection hinges on the choices you make. Start listening to God’s opinion of you, and let Him reprogram you until His estimate of you becomes a part of your life, right down to your innermost feelings.
Such work is a continuous part of your life, right down to your innermost feelings. It is a process, not a sudden crisis. I don’t know of any single Christian experience that will change your self-image overnight. You are to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The verb in this verse represents continuous action, and the word mind describes the way you think, the way you look at life as a daily process.
So reject the lie and accept the truth.
Here are some truths about us from the Bible:

1. You are valuable. You are someone whom God values so highly as to give the life of His own dear Son to redeem you (Romans 5:7-11).

2. You are a child of God. You are a child of God not born of natural decent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:13).

3. You belong to God. He has anointed you and put His seal of ownership on you.

4. You are loved. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with living-kindness (Jeremiah 31:3).

5. God rejoices over you. “…He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

6. The old is gone. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2Corinthians 5:17).

7. You are an heir to God’s Kingdom. “And I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29-30).

Develop a picture of your worth and value from God, not from the false reflections that come out of your past experiences. Will you continue to live in all the lies of rejection that has filled your mind  or will you hold on to the truth of what the word of God says. Jesus said: If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:31,32).
If you are a person who constantly experiences the fruits of rejection, here is an important exercise for you. Twice each day, read the seven points listed above. Allow God’s view of you to have prominence in your mind.
Leave your response in the comments section of this blog post by clicking here.

• Click here to read the first part of this post.

• For those struggling with issues of rejection, read the series on Inner Healing.

“Hey Alexi, it’s too windy out here. Go inside. The wind will blow you away since you’re too thin.” “The rain should be ok for you. You can walk between the rain drops since you are so thin.” I’ve heard such statements from a young age on a regular basis.
These words were funny and fun for everyone. Except for me. But why should it be a problem for me?
The answer lies in the fact that we form an image of ourselves from how others perceive us. Their words become the “mirror” through which we see ourselves. From a young age we form a “picture” of ourselves by way of this mirror.
We say we should not allow the perception of others to impact us, but we are tremendously affected. We begin to think we don’t measure up as compared to others.
Our mind interprets all of this as rejection. Those who speak such words may never have meant to reject the person in any way, but on the receiving end, this is what the person feels: Rejection
Rejection simply does not remain as something we experienced in the past. It becomes our mindset. It becomes the grid through which we filter everything that we experience. Through our ongoing experience, rejection continues to be a present reality.
Here are some examples of experiences that trigger such a response in us:

• When compared with others
• When someone says we don’t measure up
• When our performance is evaluated
• When overlooked for a promotion
• Failure in an exam
• Joblessness
• Chronic illness
• Any failure

Our minds filter these and other experiences and interprets them as rejection.
Please leave your response in the comments section of this blog post by clicking here.
*This is part one in a series on rejection. Click here to read part 2.

• For those struggling with the effects of rejection please read the series on Inner Healing.

The question was a clear true/false option: “Would you spend up to one hour for resolving a difference of 35 cents in your calculation?” The test was for a promotion to the management team in a company I worked for.
The obvious answer is “no” to spending so much time for an insignificant amount of money. That would be a foolish decision. The test included other questions evaluating the person’s ability to make value judgments that would benefit the company.
On several occasions, Jesus was questioned about his practice of associating with people of less reputation and sinners. It was not seen as a wise decision for a person of his stature in society.
Jesus replied with the story of the shepherd who had one hundred sheep. When he lost one sheep, he left the 99 with someone and personally searched for the one lost sheep. You see, that’s how God the Father handles every sinner who is lost.
But what an unwise and foolish decision. That shepherd risked the entire herd just to search for one. Bad management decision, but that’s the heart of the Father. He values each person so much that he was willing to send his only Son to the earth to be tortured and murdered like a criminal. What a foolish decision!
It was this foolish decision that benefitted you and me as sinners in need of God’s mercy. And it’s this same decision that ought to drive us to see sinners from a different perspective. To God, every sinner is a highly valuable person.
Leave your response in the comments section of this blog post by clicking here.

Years ago I meet a man who practically couldn’t get along with anyone. Not his real name, but I’ll call him John. It was rather odd at first because I realized that everyone walked on eggshells around him. His family members couldn’t stand being around him. In fact they cringed at any contact with him. Almost every time they connected, it was a time filled with tension and strife. He was easily offended and quickly retorted with his words or attitudes.

John had only a few friends. I quickly realized that these were people who lived far away from him. It seemed that the only way people could connect with him was to keep a distance. These friends spoke with him on the phone occasionally and personally met only once a year. They understood his irritability and kept their distance from him physically and emotionally.
We’ve all encountered such people and wondered how to handle the situation. These are the people you see walking up to you and your emotions react with fear and confusion. You know that this interaction will be full of strife and tension. How are we to handle this situation? The ancients understood such people and said: “The vexation (annoyance) of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult” (Proverbs 12:16). Either an insult or simply something annoying can rub your ego the wrong way. Proverbs says it’s the fool who allows the emotions to go out of control and takes it out on others. But the prudent learns to ignore such insults.
So when you see such a person walking up to you, check your mind and your heart early. Get ready for this upcoming difficult encounter with an attitude of “pre-forgiveness” for that person. This is where you get ready to meet that person with a preset attitude of forgiveness. Check your heart and see if there is an inflated ego that could easily get deflated by this person’s reactions. Ask the Lord to give you a heart of compassion for this person. Speak to the person with an understanding that you are that “prudent” person who will be able to ignore the insults sent your way.
This perspective of pre-forgiveness is a proactive way of dealing with such people who are habitually abrasive and difficult to deal with. In this way, you don’t ignore the person, nor do you put yourself in the risky situation of being hurt. You are guarding yourself as you continue to interact with this person.
Ready to put your pre-forgiveness to work? Try it this week with at least one person who is difficult to deal with. Then come back to this blog and share your experience in the comments by clicking here.