Sorrow

Godly Sorrow Vs. Worldly Sorrow

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

We see in the verses above that there are two sorrows you must deal with in life. When I talk about sorrow, I am talking about a person being sorry when their sin is revealed. When a person is caught doing wrong, their heart will either have a godly or worldly sorrow. Each sorrow leads to a different end, and each sorrow truly reveals the heart. Let me show you each of these sorrows.

The first type of sorrow is godly sorrow. Godly sorrow is a sorrow that is caused because you know you did wrong, and you want to get right with God. This sorrow always causes a person to get right and change what they were doing. Often a person will say they are sorry, but godly sorrow will cause them to change their ways.

However, there is a worldly sorrow that only leads to death. Worldly sorrow is when a person is sorry that they got caught. They are not sorry that they did wrong, only that someone caught them. You can identify this sorrow by how they respond to being caught. Worldly sorrow causes a person to lash back, attack the one who exposed their sin, cause them to try to explain their sin away, point the blame to someone else, try to change the story so they can continue their sin, and will cause a person to become bitter towards the one who exposed their sin.

Let me explain by showing you two different people. Saul had a worldly sorrow. When the prophet came to Saul to expose his sin, he tore the prophets garment wanting to save his reputation with the people. Saul was more concerned with his perception with people than he was with correcting his sin. Saul’s sorrow led him to attack those who were closest to him and those who wanted to help him the most. On the other hand, when the prophet came to David, he had a godly sorrow. Instead of attacking the prophet, David’s godly sorrow caused him to get right with God. David’s godly sorrow was not as concerned with how the people saw him, but rather with getting his relationship right with God. The end of these two men show their sorrow as Saul’s sin caused his death, and David’s spirit was revived.

Worldly sorrow always causes death. Romans 6:23 teaches, “For the wages of sin is death…” Christian, you can get upset with those who expose your sin, but you truly need to get right with God and turn from your sinful ways. Instead of getting upset with the messenger when you do wrong, you need to have godly sorrow that will lead you to changing your ways. Godly sorrow always lead to happiness. I challenge you to have such a tender heart towards God that when your sin is revealed, you accept the admonishment and change your way. This is what leads to true happiness.

Let me take this one other direction. If you are a leader who must confront someone with their sin, you must determine whether their sorrow is godly or worldly. Knowing the difference will determine how you must deal with that person. As a parent, you cannot allow worldly sorrow in your home. You need to work with your children so that they understand the death that sin brings. As a leader in the church or workplace, a person who has godly sorrow can be trusted, but a person with worldly sorrow will hurt you and others around them; you cannot allow them to hold any leadership positions. Knowing which type of sorrow a person has will determine their usefulness. Only use those who have godly sorrow, for their heart is tender towards God.


Who

Watch Out For the “Who”

Galatians 5:7

“Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?”

God likens the Christian life to a race. Normally a race is an individual sport where only one person receives the prize; however, the Christian race is a relay race in which everyone can receive a prize. What is interesting about the Christian race is that though we are all on the same team, some on the team will receive a prize and others will not.

Twice in the Book of Galatians, God asked these Christians who caused them to fall away from the truth. He did not ask them “what” caused them to fall away from the truth, for things are not the greatest cause of compromise. Certainly, there are some who left the truth for the pleasures of this present world, but things are not the common thread for which someone compromises from truth. God asked these Christians “who” caused them to fall away. It is commonly a person who will cause others to compromise.

There are two ways that people cause compromise. First, God asks in Galatians 3:1, “…who hath bewitched you,…” The word “bewitched” means, charmed or fascinated. In other words, some people compromise because someone was charming enough to get you to leave the truths of the Word of God. Being “bewitched” is almost like someone cast a spell over you with their charming words and fascinating personality. God is warning you to watch out for the suave personality who can speak so well that they can charm you away from truths of the Word of God.

The second way people cause you to compromise is found in the verse above when God says, “…who did hinder you…” The word “hinder” means, to beat back. God is warning that if you are not careful, you will become so tired of being beaten up from the attacks of others that you will finally give in and compromise. These attacks are not always from the heathen or even liberals; rather, these attacks often come from within your own ranks. Many people have become so tired of being beaten up that they compromise. Let me give you some cautions about these thoughts.

First, be careful with whom you associate. If people can charm you into compromise, then you must be careful to whom you listen. Many people listen to and read the books of liberals for the sake of ideas, only to allow their charming words to pull them away from the truth. Christian, be very careful about whom you allow to influence you. Anytime you read someone’s book, listen to them teach or preach, you are allowing them to influence you. Don’t let them charm or fascinate you away from the truth.

Second, no matter how good someone says something, always make sure what they said is confirmed by the Word of God. There are many people who have been fascinated by an individual that they take their statements as gospel. Let me warn you that nobody should ever be given that open sheet in your life. You should make sure everything you hear from others is confirmed by the Word of God. Make God’s Word your final authority.

Third, never let the battle tire you into compromising. It does get tiring fighting battles. If you are not careful, the Devil will get you to compromise because you are tired of fighting. Don’t let the battle cause you to compromise. Don’t give up! The Devil will keep sending battles your way just to get you to compromise if he knows that’s what it takes to get you to surrender.

Christian, always be careful of the “who” in your life. The “who” will cause you to compromise more than the “what.”Let these guidelines guide you so that it can never be said about you, “who” was it that caused you to compromise.


Unlocking

Unlocking the Door to Limitless Accomplishments

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Imagine having the ability to accomplish anything you set your mind to do. If you could do something like this, your future potential would be tremendous. The confidence that you would have going into each project would be astounding. Well, there is a way you can unlock the door to be able to accomplish anything you set your mind to do. The verse above shows how to unlock the door so that there is no limit to what you can accomplish.

First, you must take personal responsibility for your own actions. The very first word in this verse is “I.” You will never be able to accomplish anything until you take personal responsibility for your own actions. Excuses cannot be a part of your life. Excuses are simply a crutch for laziness and lack of initiative. The door to limitless accomplishments starts to unlock when you decide to lay aside every excuse and take personal responsibility for your own actions.

Second, you must believe that you can accomplish what you set out to do. Notice this verse says, “I can…” If you don’t believe that you can accomplish what you are doing, then you surely are not going to do it. Half of the battle is in your head. Whenever you start a project, you must remove all doubts and carry the belief that it can be done. This is part of the key to unlocking the door to limitless accomplishments.

Third, you must not put a limit on what can be done. Notice the verse above says, “I can do all things…“ It did not say some things, but “all things.” Don’t put a limit on what God can do through any project. Leave the door open for the LORD to do greater things than what you could imagine. I fear we often limit what God wanted to do because we close our mind to the possibilities of what God wanted to do. Don’t ever get to the point where you think that part of what you are doing is possible, but there is a limit to what can be done. Go into every project with an open mind and heart for God to do more than what you thought could be done. When God opens greater doors, don’t slam the doors shut, but walk through them and trust the God Who opened them for you.

Fourth, here is the key to this whole verse. The key to unlocking the door to limitless accomplishments is getting God involved in every step. Every accomplishment must be done through Christ, or else you will find yourself hitting the ceiling and limiting your potential. Don’t let Christ be an afterthought, but let Him be the One Whom you rely on throughout the whole project. Start every project with prayer, then continue to bathe it in prayer as you work through the project.

God says when you do all these things, He will strengthen you. In other words, God is saying that if you will do all these things, that He will give you the strength to overcome anything that may try to hinder you from accomplishing the tasks that you attempt. You may not have the strength when you start the project, but if you will follow each of these steps, you will find the strength you need at the moment you need it.

Where are you in this process of unlocking the door to limitless accomplishments? Christian, I challenge you to raise your horizon on what God can do through you. You ultimately determine what God can do through you by how much you follow His advice in this verse. Unlock the door in your life to limitless accomplishments and step out and go after what the LORD has laid on your heart to do.


Importance

The Importance of God

Numbers 6:6-7

“All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.”

One of the things I appreciated about my mother is that she never stopped teaching me. To the day of her death my mother taught me the importance of God. One month before she went to Heaven, I was at my mother’s hospital bed, when she made me promise not to cancel a meeting when she went to Heaven. She expressed to me that she would be fine because she would be in Heaven, and that God’s work shouldn’t be cancelled because she was gone. Though it was difficult to fulfill that promise, I’m glad she taught me that God is more important than anything or anyone.

This principle is taught in the verse above. God commanded the Nazarite not to defile his body by touching the dead, even if the dead were an immediate family member. God said the reason they could not touch the dead is because they were consecrated to God. In other words, God took preeminence over family, friends and possessions. He took preeminence because they were consecrated to Him.

The word “consecration” in the verse above means, “to be declared or separated for God.” In other words, when a person took the Nazarite vow, they declared themselves for God. They set themselves apart for God’s service. It is similar to a person enlisting in the armed forces. For four years that person declares themselves as a soldier for their country. They belong to their country until that vow is over. Likewise, the Nazarite set themselves apart for God, and He took preeminence over all.

The importance of God can certainly be seen in this verse. Too many people today don’t understand God demands that He take preeminence over everything in their lives. You may think you didn’t take the Nazarite vow, and you surely didn’t, but when you got saved you signed yourself over to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” You can see that when you got saved your body became the “temple of the Holy Ghost;” therefore, God should take preeminence over everything in your life because you belong to Him.

Furthermore, God commands in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Christian, you have no choice but to put God first in every area of your life. That means that God should never be pushed back for something else. If you must choose between God and something else, you always choose God. He is more important than anything in your life.

Though you may think that if you do this you will lose in life, that is not what Matthew 6:33 teaches. This verse teaches that if God takes preeminence over everything in your life then He will be sure to take care of you. When you make God more important than anything, including family, then He will be sure to add to your life.

My question for you is this, does God take preeminence in your life? Is God of more importance than your job, money, friends and family? This is what God desires, and this is what He demands. You will never lose when you make God the most important aspect of your entire life.


Catching up

It Catches Up

Numbers 20:28

“And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.”

There are many stories in the Scriptures that sadden me as I read them, and the story from the verse above is one of them. Aaron had a big part in Israel coming out of Egypt. He was Moses’ right hand man. He stood in the beginning with Moses when nobody understood that he would lead Israel out of Egypt. When others attacked Moses, Aaron was always by his side. When others questioned Moses’ leadership, Aaron was the one who vindicated him. Aaron could have easily hurt Moses and caused division in Israel, but he did not.

Yet, one action caused Aaron to miss the Promised Land. That one action led to the verse above when it says, “And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar…” I can only imagine the humiliation this must have brought. For close to forty years, Aaron wore those garments. For forty years Aaron was the high priest, but his actions finally caught up with him and caused him to be stripped of his garments.

Christian, sin always catches up to people. I have watched many people think they got away with something, only to see it catch up to them in the end. This story of Aaron being stripped of his garments can teach us several lessons that we must keep fresh on our minds.

First, one bad action can ruin years of many good actions. Honestly, this seems unfair, but it is simply the way of life. If you were to honestly look at Aaron’s life, you would find more good than bad, but one bad action cost him his dream. You must always remember that all it takes is one bad decision to ruin years of hard work. It only takes one time to destroy everything for which you have worked. Don’t let one bad action ruin years of hard work.

Second, sin always strips you of your dignity. The humiliation that Aaron experienced must have been great. To have the robes of the high priest stripped from him and given to another had to be humbling. Here was a man who was second-in-command, yet one action took that from him. You must always remember that sin will humiliate you and strip you of your dignity. Sin doesn’t care who you are or what you have done, the only thing it cares about is taking your dignity from you. Always remember that if you choose to sin, you choose to let it strip you of your dignity.

Third, your actions will catch up to you. You may think that you have gotten away with what you’ve done, but it will catch up. Many years had passed from the time that Moses and Aaron smote the rock, but it caught up to them. I have never found the person who is fast enough to outrun sin. Sin always seems to outrun any person. Always remember that you will not get away with what you are doing.

Finally, God still forgave Aaron. This is my favorite thought about this story. Though sin caught up to Aaron and he was stripped of his dignity, he still went to Heaven. Christian, God is in the forgiving business. If you will fess up to what you have done, you will find that God will forgive you. The best way to keep sin from stripping you of your dignity is to confess your sin to God and let Him forgive and cleanse you from it.

Don’t ever forget that sin takes and never gives. Sin has horrible consequences, and you must daily ask God to keep you from sin’s temptation. When temptation comes, always remember this story of Aaron and remember that if you yield to sin’s temptation, this will eventually become your story.


Instructions

Instructions to Live By

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Have you ever bought something without the owners manual and really didn’t know how to properly use the product? That can be very frustrating! Having the instructions on how to use a product you purchased is important to the enjoyment of the product.

Having instructions for life is also important to the enjoyment of your life. You often hear people say that the instruction manual was not included when a child was born. That is not true! God does give us an instruction manual on how we should live, and that instruction manual is the Word of God. God’s Word is the instructions by which we should live. If you live according to those instructions, then you will find the greatest enjoyment in life, but if you ignore those instructions you will find life will not be as enjoyable as God intended for it to be.

There are several things God says in these verses on how we should live. The first thing we learn is that the Scriptures should be of great value to us. Notice that He says, “And these words…shall be in thine heart:…” Without the Word of God in your heart, you will find that sin will be a regular part of your life. God says in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” You will never find enjoyment in life without taking God’s Word to heart and making It important.

Second, you should be diligent to teach God’s Word to your family and others. The word “diligently” means to be careful or conscientious that you teach God’s Word correctly. Don’t be flippant about the Word of God. When it is time to read the Scriptures and to teach them, you should be careful not to add your preference, but make God’s Word the basis of what you teach.

Third, you should begin early with God’s Word. The importance of getting your instructions from God early in the morning cannot be stressed enough. I know you hear this often, but do you read God’s Word first thing every morning? Don’t wait till later in the day to get your instructions, but “when thou risest up” be sure to take time in God’s Word.

Fourth, incorporate God’s commandments in your daily life. God says in verse 8 that you are to “bind them…upon thy hand…” In other words, you should have daily reminders to serve the LORD. The Israelites would often tie a not on a garment to remind them of God’s commandments. I don’t know what you need to do, but God’s commandments need to be incorporated in your financial life, family, workplace, marriage, church and personal life. No matter what you do, you need to be sure to incorporate God’s commandments in every aspect of your life.

Christian, don’t take God’s commandments lightly. If you will live by them, you will find enjoyment to its fullest in your life.