As I may, or may not, have reported in blogging, I am taking a Beth Moore Bible study on Daniel - Lives of Integrity - Words of Prophecy. Each Wednesday morning I am blown away by this study. Each morning in my quiet time I am learning that the times of Daniel are exactly what we are living this very day. Some of the things I want to share with you this morning will not be my own original ideas. They will be Beth Moore's , but in sharing her thoughts I will share some of my own insight. The things I am learning are "for such a time as this" and have come at just the right time in my life and in the life of our nation. Here are some truths I have learned thus far:
Lives of Integrity - I want to be a person of integrity. I am afraid that we as Christians have allowed ourselves to get used to decaying morals and standards. This has been a slow and tactful advance in our lives - one put into action by satan - without our even realizing it. There are things that we see on television and on movie screens that should actually make us die from embarrassment yet we allow these things to pass right on by without recognizing them as satan inspired in order to chip away at our integrity. We can not get used to this. We as parents have the obligation to begin teaching our children when they are young what is acceptable and what is not. Whenever I am in any way subjected to ungodly language or behavior on television, I think of my two sweet little grandsons. Their Mommy and Daddy are setting the standard for learning and for what comes into their lives. We have been watching television together and when I have control of the remote(which is not often) they will give me specific instructions on what shows they are allowed to watch. Their Mommy and Daddy only allow them to watch appropriate shows - no violence - no bad language - shows that are morally good. Even when their parents are not with them, they are quick to let me know the shows they can and can not see. I commend my daughter and her husband. I thank God for their commitment to Jesus and what is right in His sight for their children. They are setting the example of integrity.
Humility - No one rich or poor, powerful or oppressed, healthy or infirm, enslaved or free, male or female, old or young, from east or west, of color or not, is exempt from the temptation to dangerous pride. One of Beth Moore greatest points, in my opinion, is the fact that some of our egos are swollen over what we do and others are swollen over what we don't do. It is sooooooo easy to get puffed up. We as Christians are not to be prideful. Worldly Christians are snared by things like power money, appearance, and position. Perhaps we are prideful over the good works that we do - helping the poor, giving to missions, taking food to the sick, singing moving solos in worship, teaching Sunday school after we have given of our time to study. Perhaps we are prideful over the things that we do not do -never drinking alcohol, not telling a lie, never missing a worship service, never gossiping, never loosing our temper, never using ungodly language, never being critical. We as Christians can not give into pride. It ruins our testimony, makes us unattractive to others, and in the end will cause us to be disappointing to God and disappointed in ourselves.
Prosperity - America enjoys prosperity. Most people want to be prosperous. The definition of prosperity is living in the lap of luxury. Having all the stuff we want and finding more stuff that we think we want! In today's study, Beth asks the question, "how important is our stuff?". What would happen if we lost everything? There are many in America that are experiencing that right now - some through no fault of their own. How would we react? Perhaps we are thinking of prosperity in the wrong way. Perhaps we should think of it as living in the luxurious lap of Jesus. Experiencing all the spiritual stuff he can supply us with and not all the worldly stuff we can supply ourselves with. We need to prosper ourselves with an abundance of Jesus. We need to live so that no earthly luxury will ever cheat us of true prosperity.
Contentedness - Curling up in my comfortable chair, covered by an afghan, Chessy, my dog, beside me, watching a chick flick, things going my way, safe and secure - that's my definition of contentedness! That is not all of it. One of the most difficult things I have had to learn in my 62 years is that being content is being happy within myself, which comes from the Lord. He has given me the freedom to be happy. He takes away the insecurities that cause us to doubt ourselves and fills us with the knowledge that we will never be happy until we completely surrender to Him and His will for our lives. He gives us the security that we so desperately crave. Nothing - not money, youth, relationships, beauty, professional status - can give us satisfaction and contentment within ourselves but Him.
I do not want to live my life by the Babylonian motto: "I am and there is none besides me". I do not want to think myself more important than others - I do not want to be puffed up and prideful. I do not want to be a modern daughter of Babylon. I want to live a life of integrity. I want to be humble. I want to be content because I am secure in Jesus. I want to be prosperous but prosperous in the things of Christ. This is my prayer.
I have written these things because they are the truths I am gleaning from this study. Maybe something I have said will be something someone needs to hear. There will be more to come in the weeks ahead and I can't wait to share!
