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First Things First

When it suddenly hits you . . . .

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The other morning, I was reading from a familiar passage. Truthfully, I was checking my Bible study off my list for the day. People say all of the time that something jumped off the page. It’s been used so much that it has become completely cliche. I won’t say that the words jumped, but they certainly seemed to grab my attention in a new way. I usually read one chapter a day. I was near the end of Exodus and using the Amplified version. Typically, I am a King James only girl (simply because the majority of scripture I have memorized came from that version.

In Exodus 20:7 it reads, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power]. ” If you had asked me as a child (or even leading up to this one morning), I would have told you not to use the Lord’s name as though it’s a swear word or not to use His name as though you really mean it as an exclamation of surprise or annoyance. You only call on His name when you mean to address Him; otherwise you are using His name in vain or for nothing.

What struck me though was the phrasing ” irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God.” I wondered (in that moment- and in many times of quiet reflection since) how often I call on God but lack the faith to believe that He will actually act. Sometimes, I wonder if I believe that He can act on my behalf. At those times, I think I am guilty of taking His name in vain because I am impugning His character.

To impugn is to call into question, to doubt, or to mistrust the character, motive, or actions of a person. God’s character, His truthfulness is holy, pure, blameless. His thought are higher than ours. I know this. Yet, if I am honest, there are times that I seem to want proof of His intentions toward me, my future, my children, my job (and the list goes on).

Today, I repent for taking His name in vain, for not trusting His character, and for looking to my own understanding. I thank Him that His thoughts are not my thoughts, and that His mercies are new every morning. I resolve to be less careless in what I think about Him and how I allow myself to believe about Him.

Citations: BibleGateway. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2019, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus+20:7&version=AMP.

All Things Being Equal

There is this idea that we need to live balanced lives. It is okay to have dessert if you eat your vegetables first. You can sleep in on the weekends, but you shouldn’t sleep in every day. You can stay up late; sometimes, but not too often.

I read a great deal of young adult literature because I need to be able to recommend books for the kids I teach. This includes reading fantasy and science fiction. There have been several series in the last few years about creatures like vampires, werewolves, or Greek and Roman gods. There have even been a great many books about “angels” and “demons.” In each book or series, the idea is that if we believe in these traditionally mythic creatures we give them power. If we do not believe, they lose their power.

I don’t see these books as evil or bad, but they do cause me to question a couple of common and growing beliefs. The first is that God (Who is good) is balanced by evil. The second is that what we believe about God somehow changes His character. We create truth with what we believe. Both of these ideas are not Biblical. Both are really quite dangerous.

The first is that there is a balance to good and evil. This is not true. God has no really adversaries. There is no one who is equal to Him. He cannot change or lie. He is not evolving. His power is not checked by anyone or anything. In Isaiah 40: 25-26 God says “‘Who will you compare Me to, or who is My equal?’ asks the Holy One. Look up and see: who created these? He brings out the starry hosts by number; He calls all of them by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing.” God is not balanced out. He is above and before all things.

The second idea is that we somehow change God with our understanding. If we believe He has more power. If we do not believe, He becomes less. God is not changed or lessened by what we think or do not think about him. Psalms 10225-27 says, “In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”

I am not talking about what happens when a believer, agrees in prayer with God’s plans or purposes for their lives. I am talking about the idea that as our ideas or theologies change, then God changes. He does not. He has been the same since before the foundations of the world. He is infinite, and He does not change. Any growth or development, or change is in the believer.

There is a song that we sing it church. It is speaking of God when it says, “You have no rival. You have no equal.” Often songs, (even Christian ones) contain some ideas that are contrary to sound Biblical teaching. This song gets it right. God has no rival. He has no equal.

You might ask, “What difference does it make?” These books are fantasy. They are not intended to depict reality. This is true to an extent. It is also true that the things that you focus on or give your attention to can (and often do) affect how you live your life. They change the decisions that you make. Notice what Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

It is important to pay attention to the messages you are getting. It is also very important to measure them against what God’s word says. You really need to be able to identify the ideas that you are exposed to, test them against God’s standard, and discard the ones that do not align to the Word of God.

Introduction

First and foremost, I am a Christian. Then, I am a wife and a mother. My husband (Gregg) and I have been married for fifteen years. We are a blended family and have three children. They are all grown and out of the house (as of the beginning of the school year this year). I have taught school for the past twenty years. In that time, I have worked as an English teacher, taught English a Second Language, been a Reading Specialist, and served as an Instructional Facilitator. In my free time, I read, sew, crochet, and spend time with friends and family.