𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆

𝑏𝑦 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑇𝑜𝑚

 

𝗕𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿):

𝑎. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑥𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑏. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑 𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠

 

Someone recently asked me if ABF has a dress code. I responded by stating that we have no formal written policy other than what the Bible teaches. Our understanding is that all who come to worship the Lord on a Sunday morning would dress in such a way that honors God and does not intentionally draw attention to themselves and away from God. This position is applicable for all men and women. I thought it would be helpful for us to have a reminder of what Biblical modesty looks like.

 

As I started to dive into the subject of modesty more closely, I came across a very well written statement about the subject from a faithful website called 𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.𝗼𝗿𝗴. I copied it into this note because it expresses clearly the biblical teaching on modest dress.

 

In describing the mode of dress appropriate for women in church, the apostle Paul exhorts them to dress “modestly” with “decency and propriety” then goes on to contrast immodest dress with the good deeds which are appropriate for those who profess to be true worshipers of God (𝟭 𝗧𝗶𝗺. 𝟮:𝟵-𝟭𝟬). While the Bible only specifically addresses the need for women to dress modestly in this passage, the same teaching would apply to men in principle. Both men and women should bring glory to God in their attire. This would include clothing and accessories.

 

Modesty in the way we dress is not just for church meetings; it is to be the standard for all Christians at all times. The key to understanding what constitutes modesty is to examine the attitudes and intents of the heart. Those whose hearts are inclined toward God will make every effort to act and dress modestly, decently, and appropriately. Those whose hearts are inclined toward self will dress or act in a manner designed to draw attention to themselves with little or no regard of the impact to themselves or others.

 

A godly woman endeavors to do everything with a ‘God-ward” perspective. She knows that God wants His people to be concerned for His glory and the spiritual state of their brothers and sisters in Christ. If a woman professes to be a Christian yet she dresses in a way that will unduly draw attention to her body, she is a poor witness of the One who bought her soul by dying for her on the cross. She is forgetting that her body has been redeemed by Christ and is now the temple of the Holy Spirit (𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗿. 𝟲:𝟵). She is showing the world that she determines her own worth on a purely physical basis and that her attractiveness depends on how much of her body she reveals to them. Further, by dressing in an immodest fashion, displaying her body for men to lust after, she prevents an unnecessary temptation to her brothers in Christ that can quickly lead to sin, something condemned by God (𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁. 𝟱:𝟮𝟳-𝟮𝟵). 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝟳:𝟭𝟬 mentions a woman “dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent”—here, the woman’s condition is displayed by her manner of dress.

 

The Scripture says that we are to dress modestly, but what exactly does that mean in modern society? Does a Woman have to be covered from head to toe? There are religions in the world that demand this of women. But is that the biblical meaning of modesty? Again, we have to go back to the matter of the attitudes of the heart. If a woman’s heart is inclined toward godliness, she will wear clothing that is neither provocative nor revealing in public, clothing that does not reflect negatively upon her personal testimony as a child of God. Everyone else in her circle may be dressing immodestly, but she resists the temptation to go along with the crowd. She avoids clothing designed to draw attention to her body and potentially cause men to lust, for she is wise enough to know that type of attention only cheapens her. The idea of tempting men to sin against God because of her dress is abhorrent to her because she seeks to love and honor God and wants others to do the same.

 

Men are far from exempt when it comes to modest clothing and adornments. You have probably heard the saying “clothes make the man” or “a red tie is the sign of power”. In 𝟭 𝗦𝗮𝗺. 𝟭𝟲:𝟳 God points out that people are prone to look at the outward appearance of a man to judge him, but God looks at the heart. Wearing anything that is intended to draw the attention of other people to one’s self rather than God, fails the test of modesty. Modesty in dress reveals a modesty and godliness of the heart, attitudes that should be the desire of all women and men who live to please and honor God.

 

As parents, we have a responsibility to train up our children in these matters. This becomes exceedingly more important as our young sons and daughters mature and begin to notice the opposite gender. We all bear some responsibility as members of the Body of Christ as well. Older women, with love and gentleness, encourage modesty in younger women. Older men, with love and gentleness, encourage modesty in younger men.

 

Let’s seek to honor God in our actions and our dress. Let’s adorn the heart rather than the body. If called to stand before Jesus, what would you wear? Guess what, you stand before Him every day. Think about that for a minute!

 

“𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿”

𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗵

by Pastor Tom

 

Our mouth is an amazing thing, I had not really stopped to consider how amazing it is until just recently. Our lips can seal things in or out with the lightest of pressure. Our teeth are designed to rip and tear most anything that is allowed past our lips. Teeth are like the bars in a jail cell. Nothing can get out without opening the vice-like grip they possess.

 

What caused me to ponder this wonderful part of our body you might ask? Well, it’s simple. I came across a quote by someone that I have not been able to get out of my thoughts.

 

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉.”

 

I had to stop and think about it for just a moment. This was a clever, albeit true, description of the tongue.

 

God’s word is not silent about the mouth and the tongue. In fact, there is much said about it. I started looking up passages regarding the use of our mouth and tongue and I was quickly overwhelmed by the volume of verses, some encouraging and many more convicting. The tongue can certainly be a monster.

 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. Luke 6:45 “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭; 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.”

 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. Psalm 10:7 “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯; 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. James 3:4-6 “𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴. 𝘚𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦! 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘺; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭.”

 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. James 3:7-10 “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢, 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦; 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥; 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨. M̲y̲ ̲b̲r̲e̲t̲h̲r̲e̲n̲.̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲s̲e̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲n̲g̲s̲ ̲o̲u̲g̲h̲t̲ ̲n̲o̲t̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲b̲e̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲w̲a̲y̲.̲”̲

 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗲. Proverbs 12:18 “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨.” Proverbs 10:20 “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳.” Ecclesiastes 10:12 “𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮;”

 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗲. Eph. 4:29 “𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳.”

 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. Rom 10:9-10 “𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥; 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯”

 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗮 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗼. The mouth of the earth spews out destruction stored up in its core causing irreparable damage to anything in its path. So is the way of the tongue that expresses what is in an evil heart.

 

Is there a monster behind your teeth or as Rom 14:11 says, “𝘈𝘴 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘰𝘥.”

 

“𝙃𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧”

 

by Pastor Tom

 

The heart of the Christmas season is over and we, as a society, look quickly toward the New Year. Christmas festivities and a lot of the Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness (and cookies) are now becoming visible in the rear view mirror. Sometimes we see regrets and sometimes accomplishments. The anticipation of a New Year is becoming visible in the front windshield (along with the credit card hangover). Most folks anticipate the New Year as a new start and often make promises or express the desire to “turn over a new leaf” in some way or another. I’ve heard it said that new gym memberships are highest in January. Studies by those who spend their time tracking such things show that 80% of January memberships are cancelled within five months of joining.

 

The leaf referred to in this old saying was originally a word for a page of a book. The phrase has been used in this metaphorical sense since the 16th century, and while it now means change for the better, it previously allowed for just change or even change for the worse. If you say that you are going to “turn over a new leaf” in our day and age, you probably mean that you are going to start to behave in a better or more acceptable way; maybe even set a goal that you intend to accomplish.

 

What are some of the things that you can actually change? What changes or goals are important to you? What changes or goals in your life are important to God?

 

You may not have considered this, but God is working on change and accomplishing goals in your life daily. God has clear direction as to what areas of our lives need constant course corrections and what our goals should be. Pay close attention to the therefore as you read the following passage in 1 Peter 1. “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. …. Therefore. prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, and fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior: because it is written. “You shall be holy, for I am holy. “

 

Do you see the changes and goals that God sees as important? How do we use this as a template for positive change? You do so by breaking it down a little and applying it to your life. Prepare your mind for action, stay clearheaded, trust God completely, be an obedient child, be holy. That alone should give us many areas to look at. Next, don’t look like the world. To look like the world means that you are still conforming to the lusts of this world. What we did before in ignorance, we should not be doing now because we have been called by a Holy God and we now should know better. Our behavior should be holy, that is, set apart from the world. It’s a lot easier to know what the separation looks like if the Word of God dwells richly and actively in your heart and mind.

 

You probably know what’s coming next. Well I would feel bad if I didn’t remind you of the perfect timing of a commitment to read God’s Word daily. What better way to prepare your mind for action. I would go so far as to say that a plan to read through the entire Bible would surely demonstrate to God a lack of conformity to the ways of the world. It’s certainly not something the world does.

 

I would suggest that you take a simple approach. First, choose a reading plan that takes you through the Bible in a chronological way or simply divided up in reading segments. Both ways have their advantages. Choose a reading plan, stay committed to your reading plan. Second, spend some additional time as you discover passages that have raised questions or raised awareness. Study and search for understanding.

 

I guess that is “turning over a new leaf” in the truest form. What will you see in your rear view mirror next year? Will it be things you actually did to know God better or just another gym membership?

 

 

by Pastor Tom

 

I heard a man bark a question at a woman the other day, but I don’t think he was really searching for an answer. The question was, “Hey, what’s your problem?” The question was asked in the context of a husband and wife. My first thought was he should look in a mirror and see who really has the problem. Then I got to thinking about so many marriages and relationships that are struggling. I am going to skip all the usual issues like communication problems, infidelity, anger, envy, money, etc. because all of these can be boiled down to a single root cause, a failure to love God the way we should. In order to love God you must know God. How do you know if you really know God? 1 John 2:3-6 – “by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him, the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

 

These are pretty convicting words. Is your marriage in trouble? Do you have relationships that have big problems? Does your life seem to be riddled with wars and rumors of wars? Is joy absent from your day? This is not a good place to be. So I’ll ask the question again, do you know God? If you do, are you using the Word of God to guard your actions and attitudes? Do others want to have a relationship with God like you have? When your spouse fails, do you speak words of condemnation or show compassion and forgiveness? If you know God, you know what the answer should be. If you struggle with relationships, do you seek the best for others or is it all about meeting your desires? If you know God, you know what the answer should be. Can you imagine how good things would be if you would love one another even a little bit like God loves you? Well if you know God, you know you can and you know you should love your neighbor. (That is a spouse, friend, neighbor, acquaintance, child, parent, etc.) So, “Hey, what is your problem?” Unlike the guy I overheard, I am actually searching for an answer. Now if you are thinking, wait a minute, I love God and I trust Him and I believe Him. These problems are not my fault. Well that may or may not be true (the part about whose fault it is). However, I can tell you this with certainty, before you speak to your spouse, or your child, or a friend, or a neighbor, you have the power and example of God’s love to help you form words that edify and comfort. Nobody makes you say hurtful words, that’s your choice. Matt. 15:18-19 – “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slanders.” If you really know God your heart has been changed. Can you truly love God and act this way? Sure, but not without conviction, concern, and a desire to be forgiven with a clear sense of repentance and actions that show the changes. That’s what obedience to God looks like.

 

Oh, if it could only be this simple. Well, actually it is. Love God. Love your neighbor. It is foundational. If you build on the foundation of loving God, you will love your neighbor. That’s just the way it is. It can’t be denied. Of course we are not going to get it perfectly right, but at least trying to get it right is better than knowingly doing it wrong. By the way, you can only truly love God for yourself. You can’t make your spouse or child or neighbor love God. You can, however, make it more desirable for them when they see the changes in you. Spending time trying to fix everybody else is like pushing water uphill with a rake. (A lot of effort for very little results). The best thing we can do is make sure we truly love God and know His word enough to know what He expects if we call Him Father. The greatest thing is love. Why do we know that in our head, but find it so hard to actually do what love requires?

 

Be the first one on your block to have love and share love with all those you know. Make sure you have a vocabulary that includes words like “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you” Love with obedience is the cure for what ails you. It’s a prescription that is covered by God’s health care plan.