Even toothpaste can be a test.

 

Go with me here for a moment.

 Let’s say you have just filled your shopping cart with everything on your list. You notice all the checkout lines are crowded, so you mosey on over to the self-checkout area. Under the wary supervision of the self-checkout checker/staffer, you scan and bag your items and place them back in your shopping cart.

 You roll on over to the exit, where the welcome/receipt checker looks in your cart and waves you on.

 Now in the parking lot, you load all your bags into your vehicle.

 

Then it happens.

 Suddenly, you notice a loose item in the bottom of your cart. It’s a tube of toothpaste, and the box is the same color as the cart.

 “Did I miss scanning this thing?” You ask yourself.

 So you check your receipt, which is about two feet long, even though you only purchased about 20 items. And you discover that you did not scan and pay for the toothpaste.

 What do you do?

 

This actually just happened to me.

 Here’s what I did. And I’m not spelling this out for extra points or for pride’s sake. I’m not a perfect Christian. I slip up daily in all sorts of ways. Thank God for His grace. I’m just sharing this story because the experience made me ponder the potential impact our seemingly simple and relatively insignificant choices can have on ourselves and others.

 OK, so I grabbed the toothpaste and my receipt, locked my car, and went back into the store. I walked directly to the exit of the self-checkout area, where the same self-checkout checker/staffer was standing. She asked me what I needed. I handed her my receipt and explained that I had neglected to scan the toothpaste. Then I went to an empty register, scanned the item, and paid for it.

 The self-checkout checker/staffer didn’t react or respond. Maybe she didn’t care. Perhaps she was simply bored with her job. But it could be that she was pondering why someone would go to all that bother to pay for an item that cost about $5.

 It doesn’t make any difference whether she even noticed.

 

No matter how someone else responds to our choices, those choices matter.

 WWJD is still a thing. This catchphrase may not be bandied about as much as it used to be. But the warning behind it still stands.

 

1. We live by faith, but it is demonstrated by action.

 We’re not here to show off for the Lord. But what we do shows, whether we realize it or not. How often do pre-believers evaluate Jesus by what they see in His followers? (We know we don’t measure up. That’s the crux of the Gospel. But that’s a question for those who have not yet trusted in His grace..)

 What if that self-checkout checker happens to spot me at church? Will she judge because of my behavior? Sure, we don’t make moral choices based on what others will think of us, but we also know that our actions can prompt others to assess not only us, but everything we stand for.

 Can you imagine her glancing down the row of seats? Maybe I’d smile at her, trying to be welcoming and friendly. But she might just imagine stolen toothpaste on my smile.

 Is it worth risking offending someone who might be considering Christ, just to save a few steps back into the store to pay for a small unpaid item?

 You bet it’s not.

 

2. We have to live with ourselves.

 Once we trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are freed from guilt and shame because of His atoning sacrifice on the cross on our behalf.

 We still have to live out this life until He calls us home to Heaven. We still have to wrestle with sin and fend off the enemy’s darts that accuse us every time we mess up. And we still contend with our own God-given consciences. I know mine can send me spinning when I make a poor choice. Sure, my eternal salvation no longer hangs in the balance, but my peace of mind sometimes does.

 Because we are awed by God, grateful for grace, and eager to please Him, we consider even the smallest choices to matter.

 

3. We live for God, if we belong to Christ.

 That’s the bottom line. And He is the one who said, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10, ESV).

Toothpaste is free at the dentist, but not at the store. And that errant tube only cost five bucks. But a clean conscience is priceless.

 

It wouldn’t matter much to God if my teeth were shiny white, if my truth was tarnished.

 I stumble in all sorts of ways. I can even trip over my own feet. But I believe that our ability to hear from God is fine-tuned, every time we listen and obey. Lord, help me.

Image/s: Public domain photo adapted by this user

 

Related items:

• Finishing the race: It's OK to be a little emotional
• Here's a gift, lady. Now, don't use it.
• My heart hurts because you matter
• Slinging Snow Cones and Sloppy Lies
• Will God let everybody into Heaven?

 

 

Feel free to follow on X. Don’t miss the Heart of a Ready Writer page on Facebook. You are invited to visit my Amazon author page as well.

 

Heads-up! Who needs a holy facelift?

 

(Raising hand sheepishly.)

 Things are looking up – except when they’re not. Or perhaps more accurately, things are looking up when I am looking up.

 

How does everything improve when we look up, as in keeping our eyes on God, instead of on ourselves and our own concerns?

 First, here’s an important clarification. Our God is omnipresent. That means He is everywhere – not just up. When we talk about looking up towards God, we’re speaking physically, not geographically. We’re pointing to His higher honor, wisdom, nobility, strength, power, and dominion – not to any tangible destination that we could mark or measure.

 

OK, back to the original question: How does looking up improve our outlook?

 How does everything improve when we look up, as in keeping our eyes on God instead of ourselves and our own concerns?

 

Let’s start with a big basic biblical truth. God is the one who lifts our heads.

 We might say that God does all the heavy lifting, when it comes to building our faith and raising our spirits. (To be clear: the Lord does all the heavy lifting in every situation His children face. And whatever lifting we do, we only do because He equips and enables us to do so. That’s not a trite, coy, or cute statement. It’s the bedrock of our belief.)

 

Another important Scriptural truth is this: God lifts our heads when we bow them to worship Him. (This becomes clearer when we consider the Scriptures cited below.)

 King David wrote the third Psalm after his own rebellious son drove him away from his royal city. In hiding, David might have been described as keeping his head down. But his outlook was upward, as he covered his head to pray to the Lord.

 “Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him. But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and He answers me from His holy mountain” (Psalm 3:1-1, NIV, emphasis added).

 The Hebrew word וּמֵרִ֥ים (pronounced ū·mê·rîm) pertains to lifting, raising, elevating, exalting, extolling, offering up, or setting on high. The same word (or related derivatives) appears nearly 200 times in the Old Testament, including these spots:

 “The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2, NKJV, emphasis added).

 “All the gold of the offering which they offered up to the Lord, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels” (Numbers 31:52, NASB, emphasis added).

 “The Lord makes some poor and others rich; He brings some down and lifts others up” (1 Samuel 2:7, NLT, emphasis added).

 “O, my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens” (Ezra 9:6, ESV, emphasis added).

 “Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.” (Nehemiah 9:5b, KJV, emphasis added).

 “And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (Psalm 27:6, AMP, emphasis added).

 “Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:3, NLT, emphasis added).

 “Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at His sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy, I will sing and make music to the Lord. (Psalm 27:6, NIV, emphasis added).

 

Look up!

 I’m feeling better already. Are you encouraged by these holy verses too?

 Let’s wrap this up with a favorite Scripture that always give me a lift. I hope it will lift your spirit (and your head) as well.

“The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” (Numbers 6:25-26, NKJV, emphasis added).

 Image/s: Public domain photo

 

Related items:

• 15 Handy Ways to Memorize Scriptures and Important Quotes
• A to Z Answers: Joy when the Journey Seems Junky
• Arms up or up in arms?
• Everyday Exceptions and Eternity’s Expectations
• Stick-necked or Soft-hearted?

 

Feel free to follow on Twitter. Don’t miss the Heart of a Ready Writer page on Facebook. You are invited to visit my Amazon author page as well.

When well-meaning advice does more damage than good

Advice from trusted friends is often a great gift – except when it isn’t.

 Wading through the book of Job this week, I am so struck by contrasts. This book begins as a narrative of the onset and progression of this faithful follower of God’s life-changing losses and agonies. But it soon becomes a volleying of speeches offered by Job’s friends, with his own responses interspersed.

 As Job and his seemingly well-intentioned friends discuss his remarkable suffering, it may be challenging for the reader to pick out the good advice from the bad. Although each of his friends offers some nuggets of truth and wisdom, they also go out of bounds. 

 

 OK, these guys do spend an impressive amount of time listening to Job first, as he airs his woes. But then they launch into their own diatribes:

• They attempt to analyze Job’s situation, even though they lack insight into it.
• They add insult to injury by complaining about other problems besides Job’s (as if he needs additional worries or concerns at this point).
• They blame Job for his troubles.
• They offer pat answers, claiming the faithful will come out alright.
• They question Job’s faith.
• They critique their friend Job, making themselves sound better by comparison.
• They seem to explain away some of his troubles, as if he might be exaggerating his misery.
• They call Job to repent, which is always a good idea before God, but they do not know that Job’s suffering did not result from sin on his part.
• Basically Job’s friends offer him counsel (right or wrong) when what he really needed was comfort.

 (I’m cringing because I realize that I have been both the giver and the recipient of similar well-meaning, but off-target commentaries over the years.)

 In all of this, despite his own agony and his having to endure all of their hot air, Job remains faithful to God. He dares to ask difficult and honest questions, knowing that God is able to take that. And as believers, we know that God will answer Job (and will answer us) in His time.

Spoiler alert: This proves to be true before the end of the book, as God restores Job.

 God is not afraid or threatened by our difficult and honest questions. And there are times when He is the only wise counsel, even when others earnestly are trying to help. Maybe that’s why the Apostle John instructed believers thusly:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.” (1 John 4:1a, NKJV)

 We are also limited. We need His wisdom — oh, how we need it — especially in our most difficult times.

 One of my most frequently prayed promises of the Scriptures wasn’t around in Job’s time. But it’s here for us:

 “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)

 Bring it, Lord. How we need Your wisdom.

 

Related items:

• Arms up or up in arms?
• Betrayed again … but Jesus knows the feeling
• Dark and difficult emotions don’t negate our faith
• Does mother-grief last forever?
• Fighting for heir time
• My heart hurts because you matter
• Snotty snubs and hot coals

 

Feel free to follow on Twitter. Don’t miss the Heart of a Ready Writer page on Facebook. You are invited to visit my Amazon author page as well.

Image/s: Mr. Mel's Neighbors by Evan Harrington, 1860, public domain

Shot in the street - Can't we all stop and mourn?

Another kid was shot dead this week in one of our cities. By law enforcement. He was 20. How heartbreaking it is to hear of a young life cut short.

I’m not bashing cops. And this particular story is evolving. But however it plays out, it’s calamitous.

The police have officially called it an accidental weapon discharge. It began with a routine traffic stop over an expired registration. There may have been an outstanding warrant as well. The situation devolved. The police officer supposedly intended to zap the unarmed driver with a Taser, but used a gun instead. The kid’s mom was on the phone (from home) at the time and heard commotion before the call dropped. He died from a bullet wound in the chest. The whole thing was recorded on the officer’s body camera.

The question remains about whether this particular police officer made a grave mistake or acted intentionally. Maybe the truth will come out with incontrovertible proof. Maybe not.

Even if that happens, the loss of the young life still looms. And oh, so many more.

 

The grieving mom’s life will never be the same, echoing so many others.

How could it ever be?  Losing a child has to be the most unbearable sort of pain life can bring.

And this mother’s sudden unspeakable loss was ruled a homicide by the county medical examiner.  How many times will this grieving mom replay that dropped phone call in her own head?

“He lit up the room in our classroom workshops,” Project Success posted on Facebook. “We are heartbroken and thinking of his family, friends, and community.” The youth organization works with local schools to provide curriculum, workshops, arts experiences, mentoring, and more.

The devastating incident has made headlines around the world, primarily for its tragedy, but also for its timing. This happened in the same city where another white police officer is currently standing trial for the death of another man of color under his uniformed knee. Four local counties declared a state of emergency, and the state Governor declared a curfew, as protestors filled the streets.

And the spiral continues, bringing more unrest and violence and loss and grief.

  

Can we all stop and mourn awhile?

Tragedies like these bring to mind the oft-quoted prayer of Robert Pierce (1914-1978), the American Baptist pastor and missionary, who founded World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse. Pierce prayed thusly:

“Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.”

Surely God weeps when sons and daughters lose their lives. The Creator cries when violence storms our streets. He mourns when the unarmed are gunned down, the meek are murdered, and hatred prevails.

When will we stop spilling blood in our streets? When will we learn to love those don’t look like us? Or those who don’t vote like us? Or those who don’t (Dare I say it?) talk or pray or sing or do church like us?

This isn’t to throw fuel on the fire, but to call us to compassion.

 

How long will racial rages remain?

Someday, God will bring His Kingdom to pass. And all His people will belong there … together. There’s so much about that promise that is unimaginably miraculous, but perhaps one of the most unfathomable concepts is that He will bring unity and harmony to our diversity.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” (Revelation 7:9, ESV)

 

Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus. Bring it!

How about us?  This kid’s disturbing death needs to drive us to prayer, if nothing else does.

Oh, Lord. May we long for the day when people will “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4, NIV).

Let’s ask God to break our hearts with what breaks His, just as Pierce prayed. Today, my heart breaks (and many other hearts break) for the family of this young man, unnecessarily slain.

May the Lord build in each of us a longing for the day He brings beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning (see Isaiah 61:3), and an end to racial divides.

In the meantime, can we care more? Can we learn more? Can we do more? Can we stop writing off others’ pleas to matter, justifying our own callousness and inaction by claiming we all do?

Isn’t it time for us to practice the unity of God’s coming Kingdom? In what tangible ways can we better participate in Christ-like love for one another?

 

Here’s an aside, if we’re serious about compassion.

That cop’s life is also forever changed, whether she acted inattentively or intentionally.

Mother of two adult sons, she’s been a police officer for more than a quarter of a century. At the time of this agonizing event, she was training a new officer on the job. Respected by her peers, she’s served as police union president. She has resigned from the police force and has been charged with second-degree manslaughter for this awful incident. Whatever happens legally or professionally, and whether the shooting was accidental or not, we have to suppose her heart will always carry the burden of this horrible event that occurred at her own hands.

Oh, Lord. Bring healing to us all.

 

Image/s: Public domain photo

 

Feel free to follow on Twitter. Don’t miss the Heart of a Ready Writer page on Facebook. You are invited to visit my Amazon author page as well.