Today's Word Is Archives — Page 2 of 17

Today’s Word Is COURAGE

Thu-Jul-9-2020

“It often takes more courage to change one’s opinion than to stick to it.” – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742-1790) Physicist and Philosopher

Sometimes you need to change your opinion and sometimes you need to stick to it. A great feat of maturity is to learn when and how to do both. Many people are out of balance and are far better at one than the other.

At one extreme are folks who are good at making decisions and sticking to them … but pride will not let them admit they might be wrong … thus they lack the courage to admit a mistake or to change their opinion. From the perspective of others, it is hard to respect someone who will never change their mind. Why do people remain adamant and unchanging? Sometimes they are bullies. It may also be to avoid intimacy in relationships. Never changing your mind is a good way to keep people at a distance or under control.

At the other extreme are those who are humble and honest enough to admit their mistakes … but often will fold easily when challenged about an opinion they truly believe in … thus they lack the courage to stick to their opinion. From the perspective of others, it is hard to respect someone who wavers on nearly everything. Why do such folks as these give in so easily? It might be fear of conflict or failure, possibly a poor self-image, not understanding who they are in Christ. But again, it is also another way of avoiding intimacy in relationships or of having the need to protect oneself.

Jesus had a better way … a way that requires courage, honesty, and humility.

“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” – Jesus (Matthew 5:37)

Making yes be yes, and no be no, is in one sense about removing the playing of emotional games from our conversations. It is much more enjoyable to converse with someone who does not have a hidden agenda. It works well when both have the courage to be honest … honest about their true convictions, but also courageous to admit when they need to change their mind about something.

(If you believe there is nothing you ever need to change your mind about, your name would be “God” … just sayin’ … don’t mean to sound harsh. None of us has perfect theology or doctrines or opinions or knowledge. Surprise, surprise.)

The takeaway is this … ask God for what you need.

If you need courage to stick to your opinion … ask God. (Many folks who need the courage to be bolder are painfully aware that they need it and perhaps too afraid to try it.)

If you need courage to admit when you are wrong … ask God. (However … Many folks who need the courage to be humble are blissfully unaware that they lack humility or are too proud to try it.)

Choose to be balanced, to be able to say equally well, “I’m right this time,” or “I’m wrong this time.” This requires courage, honesty, and humility. Making it more complicated than this involves offering excuses for our behavior, and is, as Jesus said, “from the evil one.”

It takes courage to be honest, bold, and humble all at the same time!

Chaplain Mark

(NOTE: If you are in a relationship where the other person is virtually always right and certainly never wrong, and where you feel the pressure of conformity, this is a red flag. Seek some godly advice from a trusted pastor or friend.)

Today’s Word Is AGREE

Wed-Jul-8-2020

I once had this conversation with a co-worker …

ME: You’re very smart.

THEM: No. Not really.

ME: I’m smart. I made straight A’s mostly.

THEM: Yeah, so did I.

ME: Then you’re pretty smart.

THEM: Well … hmmmm … Okay.

It’s okay to say you’re smart or talented in some way, or whatever your characteristics are, in an honest and humble way. It’s part of having a good, healthy, and accurate view of yourself. Many of us were taught not to compliment ourselves because it sounds like “bragging.” Often our solution is to belittle ourselves as a way of ensuring that we don’t think too highly of ourselves. It took me 40-plus years to stop this bad habit.

The Bible talks about how you should view yourself.

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” – The Apostle Paul (Romans 12:3)

A “sober judgment” means a correct evaluation. This means you should not think “too highly” nor “too lowly” of yourself. Now who do you think has the most “sober” or accurate evaluation and opinion of you? Well … It’s God, of course.

You should agree with God and his opinion of you. He knows your value, your potential, your strengths, your weaknesses. For some of us, it is a great discovery to learn that “God thinks of me more highly than I thought He did!” God is for us, not against us. (See Romans 8 below.) So, if someone has told you that God thinks poorly of you … that’s a lie. If you think you should deny your strengths as a way of being humble, consider that this is a form of false humility, and not at all biblical. Instead, affirm who you are and the gifts you have been given, and then delight in using them for God’s purposes.

In addition, don’t bemoan your weaknesses. Everyone has them. Accept them. Improve on them when you can. This is all part of agreeing with God about who you are and who you are to become. And if you can agree with God about the total you, there will be greater peace, and probably more smiles.

If you still are going to have a hard time with this God-centered view of yourself, then let me add this. Once you are saved, there is no condemnation against you. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) Only those who are denying God or refusing Christ should fear condemnation.

Once you are born again, there is no issue that will cause God to reject you. You are his adopted child, an heir to the Kingdom. Every objection you have to your new position of worth in Christ, every struggle to accept your high value in his eyes can be answered by this … God our Father loves you, Jesus loves you, Holy Spirit loves you. You are loved, loved, loved. However much you think God loves you, it is more than that! Receive it. Return it. Stop any practice of self-condemnation and reject any tendency to expect punishment. God may discipline, but he does not punish those who are his. Smile and relax when you consider the amazing and wonderful love God has for you.

Agreeing with God about who you are is a good thing. Thinking that God is against you is not. No one can take your God-given value away from you. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Please don’t take as long as I did to internalize that and live with joy and freedom. If you truly do this, it will not create arrogance but humility and peace.

Have a blessed day,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is INTIMIDATION

Tue-Jul-7-2020

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” – The Apostle Paul (2^nd Timothy 1:7)

Sometimes fear serves a useful purpose, right? For instance, … Fear could keep you away from the edge of a dangerous cliff. … or … Fear could cause you to keep your distance from a poisonous snake. … or … Fear could cause you to run out of a burning building.

Those, of course, are things God designed into our nature to protect us. What we are not supposed to have is the type of fear that debilitates us, keeps us in misery, or prevents us from being the person that God calls us to be.

The normal Greek word for fear is “phobia,” which is used 150 times in the New Testament. Another New Testament word for fear is “deilia,” used only once by Paul in this passage, and once by Jesus (Matthew 8:26 and Mark 4:40), on the occasion where a frightening storm came up while the disciples were in a boat with Jesus. “But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

This use of the word fear can also be translated as “intimidation.” Why would Paul tell Timothy not to be intimidated? Interestingly, the name Timothy comes from the same root word, as if describing someone who is easily intimidated. Timothy was a young man with great potential in ministry, but how easy it is to let yourself be intimidated, being a young person teaching people older than yourself, and often much wiser. I know. I pastored my first church at age 19.

Also notice that Paul didn’t say, “we are not given fear.” He said, “We are not given a SPIRIT of fear.” This is a spiritual issue. There are evil spirits that have certain characteristics or tactics, and yes, there is a spirit of fear, whose strategy is to intimidate you out of your destiny.

In the 6^th grade my first male teacher, Mr. Webb, was a combination of caring, wise, and tough. We would go to the playground and the whole class of 30 kids played softball. He divided the class in half, and we scattered all over the field to play, lots of infielders and outfielders. Mr. Webb was the pitcher.

One day I hit a ball past the outfielders, a “for sure” home run, rare for me. I rounded first, second, third and looked back over my shoulder as I was halfway to home. And, oh no, Mr. Webb was standing in a throwing position with his arm back over his shoulder, ready to throw the ball. I stopped and froze in disbelief! How could they have retrieved the ball so quickly!? As I stood there staring, waiting for him to throw me out, the ball came bounding in from the outfield and stopped at his feet. He smiled, leaned over, and with his empty hand, scooped up the ball, and threw me out. He had bluffed me … intimidated me … out of a home run. I was so focused on Mr. Webb that I didn’t see where the ball really was. I could have had a home run! I will never forget that lesson.

Think about it … this is what your “enemy” wants to do to you … bluff you into thinking you’re not good enough, smart enough, innovative enough, persistent enough, or enough of whatever you may need to succeed. He has no weapon to harm you, so he intimidates you into giving up. I thought Mr. Webb had the ball in his hand … nope. I was not robbed by the power of the enemy, but by being intimidated out of claiming what was mine.

If you have a spirit of fear, God didn’t give it to you. I repeat … If you have a spirit of fear, God didn’t give it to you! And he wants to replace it with power, love, and a sound mind. Suppose you just “spoke” to this spirit of fear you’ve been burdened with and served it an eviction notice! I will no longer be intimidated out of my blessings! Then ask God for his three replacement gifts … power, love, and discipline.

Power – that’s like the engine of a car. The Holy Spirit will give you his kind of power.

Love – that’s the proper fuel. It will help you to do things with right motives. If you are fueled by anger, for instance, things will often not turn out so well.

A Sound Mind (or Discipline) – that’s the steering wheel. It means guiding how you apply the love and use the power God has given you. Not too fast or slow, staying on track, waiting sometimes, proceeding at others.

The experience of ridding myself of the spirit of intimidation, with God’s help, created a quantum leap forward in my faith. I still get intimidated occasionally, but I am quicker to rebuke it now.

Blessed to be a blessing,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is PRIORITIES

Mon-Jul-6-2020

“When we have our priorities in order, we feel the love God intended us to feel, for Him and for our families.” – Matt Holliday, Former Left Fielder, Colorado Rockies, Now on the Coaching Staff at Oklahoma State University

***“I try to spend as much time as possible with God and my family. That’s more important than anything I’m doing in baseball.” – Albert Pujols, First Baseman, Los Angeles Angels***

Your work life is important, but not the most important. You will not look back at the end of your life and say, “I wish I had spent more time at my job.” You are more likely to be thinking, “I could have spent more time with my family, developed my faith more, known God better, accomplished more kingdom things, and influenced the next generation in a more positive and powerful way.”

Priorities change throughout life, and the priorities that are most important are our priorities right now. In hindsight, I have lost time over the years that could have been spent on a higher priority. I would tell myself, “I will wait until later to do that.” But right now, it is best to repent of the past, be refreshed and forgiven, then adjust our ways, and live more consistently to God’s priorities for this time in our lives.

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Self-criticism has no place in this process. Lay down the old way. Pick up the new way. Don’t look back. Don’t entertain regrets. Move on in faith. God has some important things for you to do, maybe some of which you have known about for quite a while, or maybe new things. If you should have acted on certain things long ago, that’s OK, that moment is gone … not to worry … look ahead not back. Act now.

God is more concerned about “this day forward” than “what you missed.” Once you are faced forward with a renewed attitude, God may have a new direction for you, one He has yet to reveal. Perhaps God has been waiting for a day like today, when you stand up, listen, feel a passion rise up within yourself, and make a declaration: “Yes, Lord. It is time. I am ready.”

Have a blessed day!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is HEARING

Fri-Jul-3-2020
It’s Humor Day!

An elderly gentleman named Frank is having a regular checkup at Dr. Jones’ office.

At the end of the exam the doctor says, “Everything looks OK. Do you have any questions or other concerns?”

Frank replies, “Well, Doc, there is one other thing. My wife Beulah is hard of hearing and I’m having trouble talking her into going to get it checked. Any ideas how to convince her?”

Dr. Jones suggests, “Try this. When you get home and get in the door, say something to her while her back is turned. If she doesn’t hear you, get closer and try again. Keep doing this until you figure out how close you have to be before she can hear something. This should help her to realize that she has a problem.”

Frank gets home and Beulah is facing the kitchen sink doing dishes. So, Frank says, “What’s for supper, honey?” … No response …

Frank moves halfway to the kitchen and repeats, “What’s for supper, honey?” … Still no response …

So, Frank gets right behind her and rather firmly repeats, “What’s for supper, honey?”

Beulah wheels around, hands on her hips, gives him a glare, and says, “For the third time, chicken!!!”

Oops …

By the way, not all hearing is with the ears. Many times in the Scripture, the idea of hearing has to do with whether what was said not only got into someone’s ears, but went further … into the heart and mind. Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15) Obviously he meant both to hear and to understand!

By the way, a similar phrase … “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” … appears seven times in Revelation … once at the end of each of the letters to the seven churches. There are church folks who hear but don’t hear.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus calls a person “good soil” if they are able to hear the word, understand, and act. “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:15)

Sometimes things that are said to us “go in one ear and out the other.” I am sure I have missed some of God’s whisperings because I didn’t pay enough attention to what he was trying to convey through something I heard or saw or read. It takes effort and concentration to hear these subtle inputs from the Lord. Thankfully, once we practice and understand how it works, we can develop a habit of hearing his voice better.

My elderly grandfather was kindly referred to by everyone as “hard of hearing.” You had to get right next to his ear and speak loudly and hope for the best.

I certainly would not want to be considered by others as “hard of hearing” in a spiritual sense. That’s something worth thinking about for a minute of your time. Am I hearing God well? Does he have to shout in my ear from up close? Am I tuned in to his voice so that I can hear him, even if it’s a whisper?

Blessings!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is FREEDOM

Thu-Jul-2-2020

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Nelson Mandela

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“Those who deny freedom to others, do not deserve it for themselves.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Freedom as an external condition is something we must fight to preserve in our country. To some degree, it is an issue in every nation on earth. We continue to pray for those people and nations where personal freedoms are denied or repressed. In America, some of our immigrants have come from countries who are notorious for suppressing the people, denying freedoms, and even mass murdering their own citizens.

I believe we should be proud to offer a better environment in our nation. Yet even in America, there are strides that need to be made as we seek to rid our society of prejudice. Although we are based on freedom, nevertheless, it is not always available as it should be. The words of Nelson Mandela above are a reminder that desiring freedom for oneself cannot be a valid pursuit without also demanding freedom for all. Lord, please help us achieve freedom for all.

There is, however, another experience of freedom that surpasses the notion of political freedom as described in our constitution. That is the inner experience of freedom, which is a gift from God. This type of freedom can be had whether we live in a free country or not.

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl describes his experience in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Many times, he and others were marched around, tortured, stripped naked, and degraded. During one of these moments he had a revelation that there was one thing that could not be taken away from him … his thoughts.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

This is the freedom of which Jesus spoke, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) It is available to all, regardless of their race, culture, national origin, or political system under which they live. Freedom through Christ cannot be taken from us, as it is planted in us by the Holy Spirit through salvation.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” – Apostle Paul (Galatians 5:1)

What does this mean … “for freedom Christ set us free”? Well, it is possible to be free, but not feel free. I have heard that a baby elephant is tamed by being put on a rope leash attached to a stake in the ground. It learns immediately that it cannot escape because the stake is strong enough to hold it back from running loose. However, as the elephant grows it retains this feeling of captivity when it is staked to the ground as an adult, even though the elephant is eventually strong enough to pull the stake out of the ground easily. It doesn’t even try, because in its mind, it believes it is a captive.

But for us, it must be different. We must believe that Christ has truly set us free. Paul says this in Romans 8:1 … Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

And in John 8:36 we read … So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I am thankful for our freedom as a nation. I pray that this freedom will be applied to all. And I am especially thankful for my freedom in Christ. Unlike the freedoms of this world, my freedom in Christ can never be taken from me.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is PRESENCE

Tue-Jun-30-2020

I have a memory from age four of being leery of a tiger under my bed. Starting at the door of my bedroom, I would run and leap into bed. In coping with this, there were times that I wanted one of my parents to stay with me until I went to sleep. When I awoke, it was a relief that nothing “got me” during the night! As an adult all this seems so silly, but at the time it was real.

There are adult versions of this feeling in which strange emotions stir within us of feeling alone and helpless in a time of stress, fear, or loss. These feelings are not invited in. They just rise up from within us, and at first, we feel helpless and even empty. For instance, one of my sisters died in a car wreck when she was 17. I was 23 and away attending seminary. This shook me up. I felt helpless and empty. It was as if some part of me died with her. Have you ever felt like that?

Seven years later, I again got shaken up emotionally by going through the pain of divorce. It rocked my world. For months I would feel queasy in my stomach just from the emotions of loss. At first it was daily, then occasionally, but still there. It lasted so long that I wondered if it would be permanent. I wanted desperately to know how to overcome it. Thanks be to God, there is a way, and this is my testimony.

Through these and other difficulties, my faith became to mean everything to me. I learned that it was only through faith and God’s grace that I could make it. This happened because thankfully I believed what I had heard and read that this is how you heal. God has helped me put my roots down into him, as I grew upward toward my dreams and destiny. I can’t identify the exact moment I became “thoroughly” secure in his love, but it would be sometime near age fifty … finally!

No longer do I have to wonder if there is something under the bed … LOL … which in adult language means I believe that nothing can overpower or overwhelm me, because there is no longer any doubt or lack of the inner experience of God’s presence. No more wondering if something could go wrong or separate me from his love.

Today’s verse says, “And when I wake up, you are still with me.” (Psalm 139:18) I hope you make this transition in life. We must move on from experiencing God’s presence in the moment, but all the time wondering if there might come a moment when we are alone. It is like being just unsure enough that we get surprised each time and say, “I was hoping God would always be with me, and thank goodness, again today, it still feels like he is. I sure hope I feel like this again tomorrow morning.”

There is a profound sense of deeper peace in which I know God is with me, and I know I will never be alone. It is a sense of warmth in the heart that never leaves. It is great to know God’s constant presence, to know that whether I am awake or asleep he is with me.

I don’t have to wait until tomorrow morning to know that “when I awake, God is still with me.” I already know it will be true for every single morning for the rest of my life, he will still be there. This is God’s gift to you and to me … not just his presence with us right now, but also the assurance of his future presence.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Another verse:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Today’s Word Is BROKENNESS

Mon-Jun-29-2020

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” – King David (Psalm 51:17)

The first place to start is this … everybody needs fixing. I need fixing. You need fixing. The list of perfect people is not very long, there has only been one name on that list … ever.

The second thing is this … you can’t get fixed until you admit you are broken. This is a problem. Who wants to admit they need help? But we are like a broken watch in need of the watchmaker.

King David wrote some very wonderful poems. He was a wise man. He was a warrior and conqueror extraordinaire. But, he had a thirst for power and a lust for women. (You can read that story in 2^nd Samuel Chapter 11.) His attraction to Bathsheba led to adultery, followed by a plan to get rid of her husband so that no one would find out.

The prophet Nathan cornered David into a discussion and confession. David was brash and gutsy, but he knew from history that if you are guilty, you don’t challenge God or one of his prophets. It will not end well.

So he hit his knees, and admitted his brokenness.

It is amazing and sad how many people will not do the simple thing of confessing their wrongdoing, admitting their brokenness, taking on a contrite attitude, and asking God to forgive and restore. By the way, when I say “they,” I really mean “me” first. People sometimes revere pastors and spiritual leaders, but we are not exempt.

I once saw a woman get a new start on life by forgiving her sister for something done 30 years before. (She was waiting for the apology that was never coming.) I have seen an adult daughter reconcile with her mother over something that happened as a teenager. I have seen two employees look at each other with a contrite heart, and both simultaneously say, “I’m sorry.”

Feeling broken may seem like a bad thing, but if it is acceptable and even desirable to God, then it really is a very good thing. Having worked as a hospital chaplain, I have seen many patients trying to be their own doctor, instead of listening to those who know how to heal. By the same token, I have also seen many people trying to be their own spiritual doctor instead of listening to God or the wise counsel of a spiritual leader.

It is human nature to take a different approach than humble confession. One way we do this is just to deny the problem. Another is to make excuses for why we think we were justified in our sin or failure. And yet another is to defiantly think we should just be let off the hook. Court cases end up like this sometimes … the accused pays a penalty without admitting wrongdoing. For David, this was not going to happen.

If we can’t admit our wrongdoing, we won’t get far in our faith journey. A song by Micah Stampley, called “Take My Life,” starts out … ”Holiness, Holiness is what I long for; Holiness is what I need.” A later verse adds, “Brokenness, Brokenness is what I long for. Brokenness is what I need.”

God mends broken people, but first comes admitting we are broken. A good posture for this is on our knees, hands out, eyes looking up to God. At this point, tears often come. And then begins the healing and restoration. Get used to this. It will come again and again as you get washed more and more. The 51^st Psalm was written by David during the Bathsheba experience. Verse 2: Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Verse 7: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Clean on the inside, that’s what God wants to do.

Broken and Blessed!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is ASSUMPTIONS

Fri-Jun-26-2020

The newly promoted department manager decides to float around the mass of cubicles surrounding his new office and let his new employees know that he is here and ready to take charge. Most everyone seems to be busy, except across the room he spots a guy leaning up against one of the cubicles. There is obvious casual conversation taking place, so Mr. New Manager decides he will let his new workers know what he expects in the way of productivity.

He strides up and says, “Young man, you need to get back to work instead of wasting your time.”

The fellow replies, “Whatever you say, man. Just getting in a little chit-chat time.”

Mr. Manager is appalled at the attitude. “Young man, how much money do you make a week?”

Undaunted the fellow looks at him and replies, “I make about $450 a week. Why?”

The manager reaches into his pocket, takes out $450 and says, “Here’s a week’s pay! Now GET OUT and don’t come back!”

Feeling rather good about his first firing, he looks around and sees several people with mouths and eyes wide open. “Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-off did here?” he asks. And someone toward the back of the room mutters, “He delivers pizza from Dominoes.”

Oops …

This verse might apply … “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

One thing pride does to us is to fool ourselves into thinking we know more than we do. We sometimes come up with false assumptions and then proceed to act on them. I have heard it said … “Engage your brain before opening your mouth!”

There are thirty-six Proverbs about the use of the mouth and the things we say, like this one: “The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives.” (Proverbs 18:7)

I have said some pretty foolish things along my way in life, but I’m learning how to think before speaking. Something that helped me was to embrace God’s acceptance of me. Thus, when I don’t know something, I can say, “I don’t know.” There’s nothing wrong with that. And if I do say something presumptive or foolish, I can say, “Oops, I’m sorry. I got that wrong. My apologies. Help me get this straightened out.”

There’s always more to learn!

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

NOTE: The BEMA Podcast is a great Bible Study tool from a Messianic Jewish perspective, which I highly recommend. It is a long-term study which will increase your understanding of the Scriptures in a new and deeper way. You can also get it on your other devices by going to the Google PlayStore or Apple App Store.

Today’s Word Is TRUTH

Thu-Jun-25-2020

This coming Sunday marks the 4^th anniversary of the death of well-known Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summitt. Her premature death was due to early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. If you recall, I quoted her just recently in a devotion called “Today’s Word Is Team.”

Here is another great quote from Coach Pat Summitt:

“The absolute heart of loyalty is to value those people who tell you the truth, not just those people who tell you what you want to hear. In fact, you should value them most. Because they have paid you the compliment of leveling with you and assuming you can handle it.” – Pat Summitt

If you are going to value those friends who tell you the truth, you will need to value yourself first. And you can do that because God values you first and most.

If you do not accept and value yourself, you will not be able to …

Properly value those who are honest with you,
Handle the truth when it is painful,
Speak the truth to others without flinching,
Care about and value friends enough to speak the truth openly.

The Apostle Paul talks about “speaking the truth in love.” It takes maturity to do that. Some folks think that they should just “tell it like it is,” but end up leaving a trail of wounded people. While others think that their job is to soothe people, to the extent that they don’t “level” with anyone because it might “hurt” them.

Somewhere in the middle of that is “the way.” If someone who cares about you tells you a painful truth, then as Coach Summitt says, they have actually paid you a compliment … they believe in you, that you can hear what is difficult to hear and be able to “handle it.” And not just be able to handle it, but to be inspired by it, challenged to change, to grow, to improve, to succeed. And as Coach Summitt also says, if you can find someone who will treat you that way … both truthful and caring … you should value that person with your loyalty.

“… but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ …” – Apostle Paul (Ephesians 4:15)

As Paul points out, Jesus was the best at doing this … at speaking truth, and at loving others. It should cause us to want to “grow up” to be like Jesus, who is the head of our faith.

Carry this thought with you always … “Speak the truth in love.” You will know you are fulfilling this Scripture when you can do this without unnecessarily hurting others while you love them enough to speak to them the truth they need to hear.

Sometimes people get hurt by the truth. But hurt is not always a bad thing. It is through processing the hurts in life that we grow. They will make you “bitter” or “better” … your choice. But our reaction need not be to blame the person who had the courage to tell us the truth we needed to hear. Rather our response should be to turn to God in humility and ask how we may use this opportunity to grow forward into Him.

Good stuff!

Chaplain Mark