Where Are You On The Road From Capernaum to Cana?

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14 ESV).

It has often been said that two things are certain in this life – death and taxes. I would add one more to the list – problems. We all face problems in life that are too great for us alone to handle. I do not know your particular story but I do know that each reader is in one of three seasons in life: (1) in a storm, (2) exiting a storm, or (3) preparing for the next storm.

The Bible documents many examples of people with faith bringing their problems to Jesus. One of my favorite stories regarding faith is minimal in length but enormous in its impact and is found in John 4:43-54.

A man identified as a royal official from Capernaum left his hometown and approached Jesus in Cana. “Come heal my son” the man asked Jesus. The man must have had faith to leave his town and seek out Jesus. Our Lord responded to the man and said the boy would be healed. The man then began his trip back to Capernaum. While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him, with the news that the son was alive and well. The good news from the servants was met with a good question from the father: “What time did he get better?” The reply was “One o’clock.” This was the very time Jesus had spoken the word. His word was powerful, effective, and immediate.

Scripture teaches of the power of the laying of hands on the sick (Luke 4:40, Acts 6:5-6, 8:14-19). However, in this instance our Lord performed a double, long-distance healing. The miracle was not just in the life of the boy but in the saving faith of the entire household.

However, the boy eventually died. The life-giving miracle of Jesus was short-term, but the faith-giving miracle of Jesus was eternal and will continue serve to draw His children near to Him until He returns in final victory. The entire household believed in Jesus, and this resulted in everlasting life. At the beginning of this post, I wrote that as Christians we can really count on two things – taxes and trouble. Jesus has providence over life and death. The Apostle Paul knew this when he wrote, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). Jesus acknowledged that taxes are inevitable. “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s (Mark 12:17). Jesus also recognized that we would all face problems, but He gave us a powerful encouragement! “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

Let’s return back to our from journey Capernaum to Cana. The father likely thought he was walking the road to Capernaum all alone. Quite the contrary. Our Lord had supernaturally gone ahead (Exodus 13:21) into the nobleman’s residence and not only healed the son, but also won the hearts of the entire household. The father’s prayer was answered in a manner greater than he had requested or expected because he claimed the promise of John 14:13 and received favor. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

All prayers are answered. The answer may be yes, no, or not now. Some are answered while we walk this fallen world, but others are saved for when we are healed.

Your prayer will receive an answer. So, what is the lesson for us regarding the road from Capernaum to Cana? For me, this story urges me to keep walking and believing in our God who is our “ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Ever present. That’s the message of this miracle, and that’s the message of the Gospel.

This life contains many, many walks from Cana to Capernaum, journeys between prayer offered and prayer answered. Jesus promise to the boy’s father is a promise for us also. I have lots of people that I want to talk to when I am healed and join the Great Cloud of Witnesses. I want to thank this man for inspiring this verse: “The man took Jesus at His word and departed” (John 4:50). May we be so wise and blessed as to go and do likewise.

The journey is completed one step at a time. The race is never won until we get off the starting block. Place one weary foot in front of the other. Jesus has spoken! He promises provision and protection far better than anything secular of this fallen world. If you feel you are an outcast, receive His living water. If you are tired, take refuge in His arms. If you have sinned, return as modeled by the prodigal son. Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is revealed to us in Christ Jesus. Your debt is cancelled. Your sins are forgiven. Victory is now! The victory is in Jesus! He is the life, the truth, and the way.

Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for the encouragement we receive as you read Scripture. Forgive our impatience as You walk with us between prayer and provision. Help us to always have at least a mustard seed of faith even on our darkest days and may we never forget the power of that seed. Amen

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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The Ministry Of Listening

“To answer before listening– that is folly and shame” (Proverbs 18:13 NIV).

Most men like to take action to solve a problem. We tend to jump in and begin formulating a solution before we have even heard the entire story. Fixing a problem is great but before it is fixed, it needs to be felt. I think God wants us to feel the pain before we fix the pain.

Have you ever been just seconds into a conversation about a problem and say, “I know how to fix this.” But that’s not loving. It has been said that people don’t care what you know until they know that you care. You show that you care by listening. People want to feel heard. They want to feel loved. They want to feel understood.

As men we want to fix problems, and that is fine, but we need to first consider the feelings behind the problem. Perhaps our desire to fix someone else’s problem is also due to a need to shift the focus to ourselves? Philippians 2:3 warns, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” This is a matter of the heart and only you and God know what is truly in your heart.

How did Jesus respond when He encountered people with problems? His typical response was to listen. One of the most well-known Bible stories is when Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus hears that His friend Lazarus is sick, Jesus takes three days to travel to see him. This is noteworthy because the trip should have taken less than a day. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus is dead, and his sisters are grieving and tell Jesus that if he had come sooner Lazarus would not have died.

Jesus’ delay might seem callous at first glance, but God is love and not callous. He doesn’t want to simply heal Lazarus. He wants to raise him from the dead to show His divinity. Jesus already knew the solution before Lazarus even got sick. Jesus was not unconcerned about their pain. When He sees others around Him crying, He weeps with them. Yes, Jesus knew the solution to the problem. However, He stopped to share their grief to show that He cares before He implements a solution. He was present in the moment and listened. This is how a real man handles a problem!

You may know the solution, but you need to hold off. If you’re going to be a good friend or husband, you’ve got to listen to the feelings behind the story and enter into that person’s pain.

I find it interesting that as Jesus was arrested one of His disciples drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the guards from the Temple (Luke 22:47-52). Perhaps Jesus healed the ear because He knew that the ear was essential for its owner to hear His call in the future? Jesus said in Matthew 11:15, “He who has ears, let him hear.” Before the gospel can be lived or told, it must be heard. Jesus did not come to call the righteous but rather sinners to repentance. This includes temple guards, you, me, and all of our fellow sinners.

You have probably heard it said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Did you realize that your ears are an instrument for healing? There is healing that begins when someone starts sharing their pain with you. So please do not disturb the healing process by rushing to implement your solution. Listening is showing love. Listening is modelling Christ. Listening is ministry. I love the motto of the Kairos prison ministry teams – listen, listen, love, love. Amen?

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for our ears and the ability to hear our brothers and sisters as they communicate their problems to us. Grant us wisdom and discernment to actively listen and engage in their lives. I pray that all solutions that we formulate are done so in tandem with You, to glorify Your name, and be a testimony to Your love, grace, and mercy. Amen.

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Choose Humility, Not Pride

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6 (NLT).

Pride is perhaps the most serious of the seven deadly sins from Scripture. It is the most demonic because by its very nature it is a rejection of God. Pride is a gateway sin for many men because it is the root cause of other capital sins. Pride is terrible motivator and will lead to a terrible outcome. Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

One of the most important but also most difficult things we can do in life is an honest self-examination. The Psalmist taught us how to do this by writing, “Search me, God, and know my heart (Psalm 139:23).” If God performs the search, then our job is to ask for revelation and discernment of His search by listening to the still, silent voice.

God will search us and reveal our prideful sin (and all other sins) if we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. Then, He promises to hear us from heaven and forgive our sin (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Pride is a serious sin and our response is even more serous because it has eternal consequences. If we remain prideful, the result is death because the wages of sin are death. If we repent, then the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Our repentance must be sincere. We must actively choose humility. We have the gift of free will to either use wisely to honor God or poorly to be spiritually dead until physical death.

I love Joshua 24:15 because it boldly declares a choice that honors God. “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” As you read your Bible you will notice that you are never told to pray to God to make you humble. God wants you to choose humility.

The Bible says, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6). As Christians we want to be more like Jesus each day. Humility is a God-like feature because Jesus identified himself as “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

There is a big difference between pride and humility. Pride is when you accept credit for things that God and others did through you or for you. Humility is not thinking of yourself as inferior. Philippians 2:3 describes humility. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

Many teachings of the Bible are contrary to our self-serving, secular lives. For example, the last will be first and the first will be last. Also, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). Be humble. Be exalted. Be blessed.

Prayer: Dear God: When we live in the flesh, we walk using our eyes and do what is right in our own eyes. Help us dear Lord, to always seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness. Thank you for loving us, walking with us, and being the Light that we so desperately need. Please continue to shape us as you are the potter and we are the clay. We could not be in any better hands. Amen

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What is in Your Heart – Envy or Contentment?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).

Hebrews 12:1 teaches us that God has prepared a “race” for each of us. To me, this means we each have our own unique life. We don’t all have the same race, experiences, joys, and failures but we each have a unique race. God has a plan that He wants us to pursue that is better than any plan we could dram for ourselves. We need to be persistent and focused to live into His plan.

However, we tend to compare ourselves to others, and if they appear to be ahead of us in the race, we become envious. This could happen if our neighbor gets a new boat, a family member wins the lottery, or a coworker gets promoted. We tend to shift our attention away from our own race and become preoccupied with someone else’s race. These are all distractions to our real purpose – understanding and living out God’s will for our own lives.

Henry David Thoreau was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. He wrote in the book Walden that the “mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” My readings and understanding of Thoreau indicate to me that he had a deep appreciation of nature but his relationship with God was hindered due to the rigid nature of Christianity in New England. I suspect that he himself led a life of quiet desperation, as do many men today, because they do not follow the greatest commandment in the Law as spoken by Jesus. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:5) but we also have nothing which to me is the very essence of quiet desperation.

I enjoy watching horse races and have noticed that some horses wear blinders (also called blinkers) next to their eyes when racing. The blinders are usually made of leather or plastic cups placed on either side of a horse’s eyes – attached either to a bridle or to an independent hood. Many racehorse trainers believe that blinders keep horses focused on what is in front, encouraging them to pay attention to the race rather than to distractions such as crowds. I wonder if envy would gain much traction in our human hearts if we kept our focus what is in front of us.

As I think of envy, my mind goes to the story of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16). A group of workers were hired at the start of the day and agreed to work for a denarius, which was a typical daily wage. Different workers were hired throughout the day for an unspecified wage. At the end of the day, those hired last, who worked the least number of hours, received the same pay as those hired at the start of the day, who worked a full day. Those that worked a full day for the same amount of money as those that worked less than a full day were angry.

The response of the landowners is a great lesson for us all when it comes to envy. The landowner responded, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:15 NIV, emphasis added).

Envy can be defeated once we begin to discover and pursue the unique purpose that God has for our lives. We can then be released from the tyranny of always having to be best. Life is simpler when our focus is on growing closer to Christ each day and bring others to Him rather than trying to outcompete others. Each day I want to see more Jesus in me and less of me in me. Some days are more successful than others. My success is largely determined by how I honestly answer and respond to two questions. What baggage am I carrying that I need to release, and what spiritual practices do I need to improve? These two questions will help us all to successfully run our own races and claim the peace that transcends all understanding. Be blessed as you bless others.

Prayer: Dear God, Help us to avoid distractions that take our focus away from you and your plan. Help us to always embrace your sovereignty and providence. Amen.

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The Greatest Threat To The Church Is…

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others” (Matthew 6:5 NIV).

I think when most people think about threats to the local church, they think about declining membership and attendance and associated financial issues. Yes, it is true that many small churches have closed or will close in the near future due to insufficient membership and finances. However, in the book The Myth of the Dying Church by Glenn T. Stanton, the author presents a strong case that churches that are offering Biblically-based teachings and programs are thriving and those that have drifted away from the Bible are hurting.

I don’t consider church membership or finances to be the biggest threat to the church because I know the Church does not need our money. Of course, the local church needs money to operate, but the Church universal is the bride of Christ and wants for nothing.

The Church universal comes alive when it is actively engaged in evangelism in accordance with the Great Commission. Evangelism of new members is hurt by the hypocrisy of existing members. I understand that there would be no need for the church if we did not sin. The cross would have no meaning if we were without sin. The problem occurs when men attend church on a regular basis and do not live out what they hear on Sunday mornings. It is easy to fool your pastor, family, and friends with regular church attendance, clean clothes, and a warm smile. However, if you are living a lie, it will eventually become known. Luke 12:2 warns us, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” You can fool other people, but they will not judge you on the day of your death. Matthew 6:4 tells us that our Father “sees what is done in secret.”

Men are visual creatures and as such some men struggle with perversion in their private lives. They may appear as a “great guy” in public but are slaves to filth and obscenity in private. These men commit adultery, rape, view pornography, sleep with prostitutes, and are spiritually perverted. These men do not honor their own bodies. More importantly they do not honor the women in their lives, and they certainly do not honor God. The Bible warns us against sin of this nature. “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

These men can not lead their family to Christ because they themselves are separated from Christ due to unrepented sin. The blood of Christ will forgive us our sins but there must be confession and repentance. The Bible teaches, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Now, if we do not confess our sins, He will not forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Men that are living in unrepentant sin are already dead. God hates sin. We may be very strong and healthy physically, and yet be spiritually dead, which is far more serious. The right next step could not be clearer. Confess your sin to God and repent. Chose life everlasting. Chose Christ. Chose wisely.

Prayer: Dear God, Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and search us for anything that separates us from you. Help us to break the chains of sin and death and chose a life in you which is everlasting. Amen.

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The Thorn of Divorce

“Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me,but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV).

Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong commitment. Jesus described the relationship between husband and wife this way in Matthew 19:6: “They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” I think our divorce rate is high because we fail to truly comprehend this message. Dr. Craig Keener, Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, explained the importance by saying, “Jesus reminds us that in the beginning God joined man and woman together. “One flesh” often refers to one’s relatives or kin, so the husband and wife becoming ‘one flesh’ should be a family unit no less permanent than our families of origin should be.”

The Bible only explicitly allows divorce for two reasons. Jesus stated divorce is permissible due to adultery (Matthew 19:9). Paul adds a second exception, in instances where an unbelieving spouse abandons the marriage (1 Corinthians 7).

If marriage is a Godly uniting of a couple together, then divorce is a secular process to separate what God has united. The separation is not done with surgical precision and results in a “tearing apart.” This tearing is painful reminds me of the thorn in the side of the Apostle Paul as described in 2 Corinthians 12.

In verse 7 Paul states, “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” First, we need some context about the “thorn.” In the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint, the word skolops (thorn) is “something which frustrates and causes trouble in the lives of those afflicted.

Notice that Paul states that the thorn was “given to him.” His focus is not on the immediate pain but rather his assurance of the future glory that will come from this situation. This is faith! This is the same Paul that wrote to the church in Rome about this very concept of God turning bad into good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

A “thorn in your soul” is what’s left of your soul after it has been torn apart by divorce. God can and will heal you if you draw nearer to Him. Your painful soul can be mended. The Bible says, “He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3). Many believe that God can restore their soul but are frustrated when He does not. To claim the promise of Psalm 23 we need to live out the command of Psalm 19:7. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.” Scripture is intended to revive your soul, but that can only occur when we do our part – trust and obey.

Proverbs 3:8 says that wisdom will bring “healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.” Wisdom comes from seeking God, learning more about Him, and surrendering fully to Him. God understands our need for wisdom. James 1:5 teaches, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” It takes a wise man to recognize his need for wisdom and a wiser man knows the true source of all true wisdom. Imagine the decrease in divorce rates if men loved their wives as Christ loved His church. Imagine.

Prayer: Dear God, Forgive us for tearing apart what you have joined together. Send your Holy Spirit to teach us as we read Scripture. Open our hearts and minds and help us to use your Word in our daily lives. Grant us wisdom that can only come from You. Amen.

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An Identity Crisis Hurts Men and Families

Be Childlike, Not Immature: Embracing Childlike Faith and Humility

“At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25 NIV).

One of the most cherished Scriptures in the Bible is, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). Jesus clearly demonstrated a deep love for children. He wants us to embrace childlike faith and humility because children are naturally eager to learn. As followers of God, we must strive to know Him and seek His face through study, worship, tithing, prayer, and service.

Jesus encourages us to be willing listeners, eager learners, and open to suggestions and corrections from others. Proverbs 12:15 teaches, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” A teachable spirit recognizes that no one can know everything about every subject. Life is too short to learn solely from personal experience—it’s wiser to learn from the experiences of others.

The Greatness of Childlike Faith and Humility

Jesus likens greatness to childlikeness. Anyone approaching Him must do so with absolute childlike faith and humility. Jesus lovingly referred to His disciples as “my children” (John 13:33), and the apostle John extends this affectionate address to us as well. Proverbs 15:12 states, “Conceited people do not like to be corrected; they never ask for advice from those who are wiser.” Pride makes us act like we know it all, which is not a fruit of the Spirit—it’s immature and the opposite of childlike faith and humility.

A true disciple of Jesus follows Him in complete dependency and humility, seeking to bring others—regardless of age—closer to Him. This is the essence of childlike faith and humility. Jesus’ embrace of His disciples as “my children” is a reminder of the loving relationship He desires with us.

Choosing Humility Over Pride

What is our response when someone shows us a better way or points out a mistake? Do we respond graciously, appreciating their guidance, or do we become defensive? Each of us faces a choice: to be humble and receptive to learning and correction, or to remain immature and prideful.

God loves all of His children, regardless of their maturity, but He desires us to be teachable. He wants us to continually learn about Him as He reveals Himself to us. To keep learning about God, we must maintain a childlike heart. The more we understand Him, the more we comprehend His will for our lives and the joy that awaits us when we live in the Spirit.

Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for being our Good Father. May we always approach you with the curiosity of children that seek to be clay in your hands. Amen.

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Showing Humility Is Showing Jesus

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather; in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV).

Jesus walked the earth and engaged in meaningful and transformational relationships with people. Today, we are called to be in relationship with Him and with others. But how can we be the Face of God to others in our relationships? Some may dismiss this notion out of hand because we are not Jesus. How can we be expected to show His face?

The simple answer is we can’t, but with the Holy Spirit we can and we should. After His death, Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon His disciples in John 20:22. The Spirit was later breathed on to us all at Pentecost, 50 days after the Resurrection and 10 days after the Ascension. Through our baptism and profession of faith, we also have received the power of the Holy Spirit just as the people gathered at Pentecost in Acts 2.

Our faith is evidenced in our humility with others. Humility is a form of kindness and as such is a fruit of the Spirit. The opposite of humility is narcissism, which is an extreme selfish inward focus, a lack of empathy for others, and a failure to “value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). It is inconsistent with the nature of our Lord as revealed through Scripture. Jesus described Himself as “gentle and humble at heart” (Matthew 11:29). This disorder is typically manifested in men that are inwardly spiritually bankrupt and consequentially are incapable to lead like Jesus as a servant leader.

Showing humility and blessing others can also be a blessing for ourselves. Hebrews 13:2 reads, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” I think we can safely substitute the word “humility” for “hospitality.” God often works through people that others would overlook.

We show God’s face, and humility, when we truly listen to others. According to Trevor Hudson in Pauses for Lent: 40 Words for 40 Days, “Listening lies at the heart of life with God. But in order to listen to God, we need to learn how to listen to the person next to us. After all, how can we listen to God, whom we cannot see, if we cannot listen to the person we can see?” Our failure to listen is included in the prayer of confession and pardon prior to Holy Communion in the United Methodist Church – “We have not heard the cry of the needy.”

We show God’s Face, and humility, when we give honor to all and use our words to build up others. We do this by paying attention to other people. We honor others by, “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:4). Our real relationships with real people are important, not our status on social media or the comments of those that are slaves to gossip and division. We lay the groundwork for real relations by showing kindness to others that are not in a position to return the favor.

Meaningful relationships with others allow us to identify and respond to the needs of others. Jesus told us that, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Imitation is often called the sincerest form of flattery. As Christians, we want to imitate Jesus. The next time you are talking with a friend, stranger, or family member please listen. Jesus might be talking.

Prayer: Dear God: Bless us with lips of fire that speak your truth in love, kindness, and compassion to all that we meet. May all that we do and say bring honor to you so that others may see your Face when they see us. Amen.

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Meekness Is Not Weakness

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 NIV).

Jesus described himself as gentle in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (emphasis added). A gentle man is meek. Meekness is a humble attitude that expresses itself in the patient endurance of offenses. Meekness is not weakness. Many men confuse the two. However, the difference between a meek person and a weak person is a weak person can’t do anything. A meek person, on the other hand, can do something but chooses not to do it out of strength, not weakness.

When we “turn the other cheek” we do so out of meekness. We may have the ability and even the right to retaliate, but in strength, not weakness, we show restraint. Meekness is a virtue that we cannot

Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount about the meek. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Jesus saw the virtue in meekness. Meekness is a Christ-like attribute and a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It’s a virtue that draws courage, strength, and conviction not from self-centered flesh or pride. Meekness is certainly not weakness; it is power under control.

Probably the least admired character quality in America is meekness. And yet the greatest one who ever lived was a meek and humble man. He was certainly not weak.

We are quick to judge others as weak when they may indeed be showing meekness. I read a story about a man that murdered a stranger. The evidence was overwhelming, and he admitted to the crime. The family of the deceased woman forgave the man and asked the judge to not sentence the man to death. I was overwhelmed with the meekness of this family. I know some viewed the family as weak or cowardly, but I wonder if these people understand the difference between weakness and meekness.

I saw a story on television years ago about a man that was released from prison after spending many years inside for a crime in which he was later proved innocent due to DNA evidence that was not available at the time of his trial. He was given a very small cash award from the state and released to get on with his life. This man had every right to curse those responsible for his time in prison. Instead, he prayed blessings on all those involved to relieve them of any pain and regret that they may feel due this injustice. He became a Christian while in prison and later became a minister to many of the other inmates. He was meek. May we all be so blessed as to show such meekness the next time we have the opportunity to seek revenge.

Prayer: Dear God: Help us remember that by showing meekness we are showing strength, and we are showing Jesus. Amen.

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Gentleness In Action

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1, underline added for emphasis).

What image comes to your mind when you hear the word “gentleness”? I think most men (and probably most women too ) envision someone that is extremely kind, does not cause any trouble, and always has a smile on their face. However, we can show gentleness and also be actively engaged in the lives of others. In fact, we can be gentle while helping a fellow brother or sister in Christ become aware and repent of the sin in their life. Some might try to argue that what somebody else does in their life is their business. But how are we to follow the instructions of 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to “build each other up” if we do not help to tear down those things that are separating us from God?

I think it is important to stop here and acknowledge that all Christians can and do sin. While we are all growing in Christian perfection, the only one to achieve it on earth was Jesus. We all know that a Christian is called to trust in God. However, the calling goes deeper and requires us to stop living for the sins of our human nature (flesh) desires (Galatians 5:24). We are no less of a Christian if we fall into sin and fail to immediately follow the direction of the Spirit away from sin. Paul is telling us that we need help, and God will provide this help in the form of other Christians.

Paul is expanding upon Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron so does one man sharpen another.” He is teaching others, particularly spiritually mature Christians, to step in and help reconcile us to God. It is imperative that those performing this task are clearly walking with the Spirit. We can tell if they are in the Spirit because then the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) will be evident in the them. In this case, the fruit of gentleness is important. To avoid being tempted by the same sin, they must possess humility. Paul teaches about the importance of humility in Colossians 3:12. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (underline added for emphasis)”

The bottom line is a Spiritually mature person must help restore sinners in order for the body of Christ to continue to grow and function. To restore something is to make it whole and functional again. When it comes to sin, it must involve repentance and a return to a Spirit-led life. We all have sinned and made poor choices, but just like the prodigal son (Luke 15), the Father is always waiting to welcome us back!

Prayer: Dear God, We confess our sins of omission and commission in helping to restore others. Please reconcile us to You and be with us as we work with You to reconcile others to You. Amen.

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