Honor

Affirming: Seeing and Saying – VOTD.04.03.18

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Last time we looked at 2 ways we can affirm the people around us. 1) listen to them. 2) Use positive words. There’s power of our words. And if we’re believers, that power is for good: If people make any effort, commend them on that. If they make any effort to being more responsible, more productive, whatever… when we see something good in their life, compliment it and that area will grow. What we compliment tends to grow.

We left one more way we affirm the people around us: 3) Pray for them. Paul writes, “You are helping us by praying for us” (2 Cor 1:11). Pray for them and see what happens. And tell them we’re praying for them. We can even ask them, “What do you want me to pray about?” When this is done in the right attitude (not holier than thou), even unbelievers may respond positively. Whenever we pray for someone else, we’re building a bridge on which we can minister to people.

And while you and I are praying, maybe we should take time to pray that God would enable each of us to be more affirming of the people around us. Because for many of us, it’s going to take a heart change to become affirmers. And the Holy Spirit is the one who Changes hearts.

Most of us want to be affirming, but don’t even know where to get started. Here are a few suggestions to jump-start our thoughts about how we can be affirming that I pulled off the internet:

1.      Take time to affirm someone you know who is doing something risky yet right.
2.      Next time a friend’s birthday reminder pops up on social media, instead of just writing “Happy Birthday”, add a few words of affirmation highlighting a Christ-like quality you see in that person.
3.      Positively compare someone you know to a Bible hero or point out an example of them constructively using their spiritual gift.
4.      Commend a parent you know or see. “What a beautiful family” goes a long way in a checkout line and can be a good conversation starter.
5.      Affirm people you know who solve problems without waiting to be asked, commending their initiative.
6.      Rather than sending a card written by someone who works for Hallmark, spend some time studying the phrasing in the cards in the card section, and then take time to deliberately compose your own card.
7.      Next time an error of yours is brought to your attention, not only own it, but affirm the person who brought it to you for their alertness in catching it.
8.      When someone passes along a good idea, or helps you change your mind about an issue, affirm their taking the time to set you straight.
9.      Affirm the flexibility you see in others when they readily adjust plans to accommodate a need.
10.     In conversation, ask people to tell you about the nicest compliments they ever received. See if you can learn from their experiences and implement ideas on your own. (more…)

Continue ReadingAffirming: Seeing and Saying – VOTD.04.03.18

Affirming People – VOTD.04.02.18

Encourage each other and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

We live in a very pretty negative culture—in a society where put downs are the number one form of humor. People are marginalized, ostracized, and criticized in an attitude of elitism, where exclusiveness and snobbery seem like the only way to not get swept down the disapproval drain. And it happens in the world, it happens in our churches, it happens in our homes.

God calls us to do the exact opposite. He says, as believers, we are to value everybody. When we look around at people—even people who are insulting us and putting us down, denigrating values we hold dear—we must keep focused on the truth that Jesus died for them. They matter greatly to God.

And while this is true of our attitudes toward the obviously disenfranchised, the needy…those on the outside, it’s also true of those we interact with on a daily basis. We all need affirmation and encouragement.

Call it appreciation, affirmation, when we encourage others and build them up, we raise their value. We treat them as if they matter. We say nice things about them—both in their hearing and out of their hearing. So how can you and I affirm people? (more…)

Continue ReadingAffirming People – VOTD.04.02.18

In Search of Joy in a Discouraged World Pt 1 – VOTD.08.28.17

Even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an unspeakable joy that is full of glory. 1 Peter 1:8

God fills His people with joy. But we often have a hard time living in that joy. You see, we live in an unspeakably distressed world and that negativity affects us, and those depressing events can end up leaving us feel hopeless and dejected. Even if discouragement sometimes seems like the easiest mindset to fall into, we know that joy is by far the happiest and most fulfilling way to live our lives.

It is in joy that we are filled with God’s own glory. Joyful people are more content with their life circumstances, and are more fulfilled and satisfied with life. Joyful people are more content in the mundane tasks of life, and they are more engaged in their work and more productive.

Have you ever wondered how joyful Christians manage to routinely be that way? I want to share a few ideas on that this week:

1. Joyful Christians have unshakable faith that God is working all things out for our good for us (Rom 8:28). Confidence in God is always the key to feeling good about ourselves, and joyfulness is no exception. When we know that we know that God is in control and He’s a good God—then we have the confidence to reach for all we can be in Him—then joy is the natural result. (more…)

Continue ReadingIn Search of Joy in a Discouraged World Pt 1 – VOTD.08.28.17

Restoring that Which was Lost: Acceptance – VOTD.05.23.17

Always be completely humble and gentle, patiently putting up with each other and loving each other. Ephesians 4:2
With compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bear with each other and forgive one another Colossians 3:12-13

The New Testament has an amazing number of passages about accepting each other. I could have picked from dozens of verses about acceptance. Paul wrote, “Accept one another just as Christ accepts you” (Rom 15:7). We must accept others even though they have faults and sins—just as God accepts us even though we have faults and sins.

To fail to accept each other is sinful, itself, because God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality with any of us (Rom 11.2)…If we don’t accept each other, we are setting ourselves up as their judge and that is God’s job, not ours (Rom 14:4).

Acceptance is the first ‘A’ in honoring the people around us. People we live with. People we work with. People we church with. Neighbors, friends, extended relatives…wait-staff, the guy at the gas station, the list goes on. Obviously, we have more opportunity (and authority) to honor some of those around us than others, but the characteristics I’m sharing, fit no matter who we find ourselves in contact with.

These people around us all have legitimate, God-given needs for “the 4 a’s” we talked about last time: Acceptance. Affection. Attention. Affirmation. Jesus intends for His followers to receive them from each other, laying a foundation of a healthy sense of their individual identity in Him and their place in His Kingdom. This is how we honor each other. Nothing will kill honor faster than seeing it as a one-way street. (more…)

Continue ReadingRestoring that Which was Lost: Acceptance – VOTD.05.23.17

Judgment vs. Restoration – VOTD.05.22.17

Heaven was opened, and (Jesus) saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17

We saw last time that love does not stratify the value of people. Judgment depends on that kind of stratification. The person judging is often seen as or wants to be seen as having a higher status than the person being judged. The need to be seen as or consider oneself as above or below others feeds this stratification and further judgment.

And it is to this that James refers when he writes that Christians must not show favoritism (2:1). The brand of favoritism he speaks of is wealth and most of us have seen that kind of favoritism in our local churches and perhaps in our own lives. But we’ve all seen the same thing in regards to any number of other judgments. (more…)

Continue ReadingJudgment vs. Restoration – VOTD.05.22.17

Christian Kindness (Pt 1) – VOTD.10.03.16

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.  Ephesians 4:32

I sometimes see bumper stickers urging other drivers to practice random acts of kindness. Personally, I’m all for kindness, because it’s one of those things that makes life a happier experience, both in the giving and in the receiving. But that’s mostly kindness in the natural realm.

Christian kindness is a special kind of kindness, because it’s undeserved, just like the grace from which it flows. Christian kindness has more than just warm fuzzies at the center of it. When Christians practice kindness it is not just an outward change of behavior; it something that comes from an internal change of heart. And that makes Christian kindness unique, because it comes from the heart that has been redeemed and transformed by God in to His own likeness.

Today’s verses say, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.” At its core, Christian kindness is tenderhearted. That is, it comes from a tender heart. It’s not a hard heart on the inside that pretends to be kind and caring on the outside. It’s not “Well, the sun is shining and I’m having a good day so I treat people kindly”. That supposes that if I’m having a rotten day I have a free pass to treat people crummy…as if they are worthless. (more…)

Continue ReadingChristian Kindness (Pt 1) – VOTD.10.03.16

Resulting Glory – VOTD.08.08.16

Understand what the Lord’s will is: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:17-21

The result of the continual presence of God in our lives (what we’ve been calling Remaining Glory) is that it makes us different people. It is not the other way around. I want to look at a few areas in which the growing presence of God in our lives changes us as believers: Here are 3 areas we will look at; as the presence of God fills us day by day:
1) God is worshipped
2) The Word of God is revered
3) The characteristics of God are manifested in our lives (more…)

Continue ReadingResulting Glory – VOTD.08.08.16

The Respect Measure: Maturity – VOTD.06.14.16

Be devoted to one another in love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10

Spiritual maturity is not the display of our gift, but the way we love. You don’t have to look hard to find people who are profoundly gifted but lack love; even common curtesy seems to elude them. Maturity isn’t about impressive positions in ministry/ politics/ business or power or influence or any of those things that people look up to.

Respect is simply how we treat the people around us—figuring out what makes them feel valued or cared for and treating them that way. Which brings us to relationships. (more…)

Continue ReadingThe Respect Measure: Maturity – VOTD.06.14.16