HOW TO DEFEAT THE BULLY

Have you ever experienced or witnessed a playground bully at work? He will evaluate the various groups and zero in on the smallest, weakest, or loneliest person. Once the bully has chosen his “mark” his goal is to insert himself into the circle and disrupt all activities, instill fear and in general make life miserable. If he can infiltrate and consume the life of the “mark,” he feels important because he is now, “Top Dog.” The only way to defeat a bully is to face him and give him a dose of his own medicine. Also, having a big, strong friend to stand by you is a definite bonus.


When my son, Philip was in 8th grade, he experienced a bully. The other student picked on him and tormented him until finally Phil reached the breaking point. I was not aware of the situation until one day Philip came home from school with bruises, a bloody nose and broken glasses. It seems the other student came at Phil one last time in the locker room. Something inside of Phil, said, “Not this time!” He turned and unloaded on the other kid. I will never forget his words as he relayed all the details of the encounter. He said, “Mom I know I shouldn’t have been fighting, but it felt so good!” To my knowledge, the bully never bothered Philip again.

Satan reminds me of the playground bully. Like the bully, he lurks around, observing the group, choosing his next victim, and just waiting for an opportunity to disrupt and instill discord and fear. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.” He will wait until we are at our most vulnerable, and then rush in with lies, temptation, and discouragement. He thrives on picking at you until he becomes the focus of your day. There are other times that the devil attacks when we seem to be at our strongest. The minute you get your eyes off him and focus on your relationship with God, you can bank on Satan making an appearance; this time with reinforcements. If he cannot bully you through temptation or discouragement, he will use a friend or a “Christian” brother or sister to begin the process. Turn around, look him in the eye and say “NOT THIS TIME SATAN!!!”

Isaiah 59:19 promises, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” Suddenly, we aren’t in this fight alone. When Satan looks up and sees our big strong friend joining the fight, the dynamics instantly change. Fully equipped with the necessary weapons, you can finally turn and unload on him.  He will scamper off with his tail between his legs looking for someone a little less confrontational. You may come out of the scuffle with a few bruises a bloody nose or broken glasses, but on your knees you can look up to Jesus with a victorious smile and say, “It felt so good!”

HELP, MY BETTER ANGEL IS MISSING IN ACTION

Over the last few years, I have heard politicians and journalists repeat the phrase, “our better angels” with increasing frequency. This is not a phrase that I had ever heard used in my circle of friends and family. So, what does it mean? It sounds good, but I’ve learned that every phrase and cliché that sounds good sometimes has a deeper meaning that may not be so pure. The first reference to “our better angels,” is found in Abraham Lincoln’s first Inaugural Address. President Lincoln uses the phrase, “by the better angels of our nature,” in asking the United States to come together as one and preserve the Union. President Obama has used this quote several times, most recently in reference to the Arizona shooting of a Senator. My question is do we really have a “better angel in our nature?” And if we do, does that mean there is a “worse angel” in our nature?”


In the beginning, God created man in His own image. Man was pure and sinless but it didn’t take long for the “worse angel” to come along. Satan presented an offer that obviously mankind could not resist. Sin entered the picture and the war began. In Romans, the Apostle Paul discusses the lifelong struggle in a most unique way. Romans 7:15 says, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. He goes on in verse 18 and 19, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. It seems that we all suffer from the same malady as the Apostle Paul; we are all infected with the SIN NATURE. We want to do the right thing but our flesh seems to always choose the other. Some may call it a tug of war between the better angels and the worse angels of our nature, but the Bible calls it a war between the Spirit and the Flesh.

Now then, should I just give up? Does good ever win? According to Paul, nothing good dwells in us; so much for the “better angel.” Paul even calls himself a “wretched man” and asks, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Hey, Paul, maybe now would be a good time to call on the “better angel of your nature.” But the great Apostle realized that it wasn’t the “better angel” that was going to change his will but it was, as he states in Romans 7:25, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The idea of a “better angel” with a halo on one shoulder and a “worse angel” with horns and a pitch fork on the other is really only a cartoon. There is a constant battle between our carnality and God’s holiness and our carnality will be victorious every time unless we submit our will to Jesus Christ our Lord. Galatians 5:16 gives us the antidote to our malady and the key to defeating our carnal nature, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Our greatest weapon to winning the war; Walking in the Spirit. So if the “better angel of your nature” seems to be missing in action, the best place to begin your search is on your knees. Submit your will to God and soon you will stop doing that which you hate and discover how to perform that which is good.

HE DELIGHTS IN ME

Recently, I spent two weeks taking care of my two grandsons, Caleb and Nathan. Their mom was in the hospital giving birth to their little sister, Maicie, who made an appearance 6 weeks early. Grandma was privileged to spend some quality time with the boys until Maicie was strong enough to come home. We played games, read books, told stories, talked and cuddled. I learned which were their favorite toys, movies and books. They showed off their climbing, jumping and tumbling skills and I marveled at their strength and intelligence. It didn’t take much to entertain Grandma and get her to smile. Sitting one day enjoying their antics, I realized how much I delighted in every little thing about them. Caleb’s scribbles on plain paper were works of art, Nathan’s happy dance was worthy of awards, just hearing my name whispered or yelled gave me immense pleasure. What was it about these 2 little people that evoked such emotion within me? Sure all little kids have cute moments but there was something different about these two. You see, they don’t have to perform to get Grandma’s approval; it is enough to just spend time with them because they are MY grandchildren and I delight in them.


Did you know that God delights in us? Proverbs 12 and 11 tells us that God delights in us when we deal truly and are upright in our ways. According to Proverbs 15, our prayers are His delight. Psalms 37:23 says that when our steps are ordered by the Lord, He delights in our way. Just as I feel great joy at my grandchildren’s accomplishments and obedience, God delights in us when He sees that we want to follow His leading and obey His Word. He cheers us on when He sees us make the extra effort to please Him and allow Him to accomplish His will through us. As a grandmother, however, there is no greater joy than just being with my precious grandchildren, hearing their voice and holding them close. Oh, how it must fill God’s heart with delight when we set aside time just to be in His presence, to tell Him our deepest desires or sit at His feet as He speaks to us.

Psalms 18:19 says, “He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.” I love this verse because it doesn’t speak of my performance. It isn’t about me doing, or praying or following, but it just says HE DELIGHTS IN ME! Sometimes, God pours out a special blessing on us just because we are HIS CHILDREN and He DELIGHTS IN US.

Psalms 37:4 tells us to “Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” What a wonderful promise from God that is made even more wonderful by the knowledge that at the same time I am delighting myself in the Lord, He is delighting in me.

A WANTED CHILD

I don’t remember a time when I felt unloved, because there has never been one. There have been times when I was unlovable and undeserving of love but I still felt completely loved. Long before I knew there was a God who loved me unconditionally, I felt that love through my Dad and Mom. Like all infants, there was nothing I could do to earn the love of my parents. I was demanding and self-serving with no thought of anyone or anything but my needs, yet they loved me. My Mother made sure that a day did not pass without me hearing her say, “I love you.” Even today, every phone call ends with her assuring me that I am loved. Every card tells me I am special and that I was loved from the moment of my first breath. I was definitely a “wanted” child.


Perhaps, this is why it is so easy for me to believe that God loves me beyond imagination and I am His “wanted” child. The Bible, God’s love letter, tells me in 1 John 4:10, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” It is not such a miracle that I love God because He is worthy of such love. The miracle is that He loves me, not because I love Him, not because I perform acts of kindness, not because I am a good person but because I am His creation. His heart longs for me; I am a “wanted” child.

Can you imagine what would happen if we could ever really understand and accept God’s perfect love for us? We would follow Him without question, knowing that wherever he leads us there is a rainbow with a pot of gold. We would be bold to tell everyone we meet about this amazing circle of love that surrounds them too. Every hardship and trial would be endured with gladness of heart, confident that it is just part of the shaping process in our life. All fear and doubt would disappear because His perfect love casts out all fear. Just as a baby rests in total peace, so would we, knowing that all our needs would be supplied according to His riches in Glory. We would walk with our head held high confident that we are a “wanted “child.

On this Valentine’s Day, I want to grab hold and never let go of the fact that “He loves me with an everlasting love” and I am a “wanted” child.

CHECK YOUR WINDOW SILLS

The windows were shining, the furniture dusted and the carpet vacuumed. Ahhh, the feeling of accomplishment was sweet; time to let the fresh breezes blow out the lingering staleness created by the hot, humid days of summer; time to settle back with a well-deserved cup of coffee and admire the results of my fruitful morning. Tying back the curtains and raising the window, I suddenly recoiled in horror!!! My feeling of satisfaction and my beautiful room was suddenly marred by filthy window sills. The sills were grimy with dirt, dead bugs were strategically lining the wells and cobwebs filled the corners. Where had all the filth come from and how had I allowed it to accumulate to that extent? Paper towels and window cleaner work wonders and a half hour later I was sitting back enjoying my cup of coffee, secure in the knowledge that my rooms were spotless.

Pondering the situation, I realized how thankful I am for windows. The sills reflected what a great job the window had done in trapping the dirt and bugs before they took up residence in my house. God created our bodies with some pre-emptive devices to protect important sensitive areas from ingesting the filth and germs that swirl around us every day. If you are the mother of daughters or are extra sensitive, you may want to stop reading now or write your own ending to the story. I am the mother of two boys and believe me when you raise boys; all sensitivity quickly flies out the window. With boys, bodily fluids and noises were not subjects to sweep under the rug or discreetly discuss in hushed tones. OH NO!!! They were loudly proclaimed, a subject of masculine rivalry and at times actually celebrated. Now that you understand how my mind works, blow your nose, clean out your ears and wash the sleep out of your eyes. These are all systems that must be cleaned from time to time; systems that protect the body from ingesting foreign objects that would harm delicate tissue. If you never blew your nose, you would finally be unable to breath. Ears can become so plugged, that it seems you are hearing everything from inside a barrel and of course who would want their eyes glued shut with the goop that accumulates every night while you sleep? We make sure to take care of our bodily hygiene every day but what about our spiritual hygiene?

We have repented and turned toward Christ, our sins have been washed away through baptism and He has filled our emptied soul with the Holy Ghost. The inside is all clean!!! We live by the motto, WWJD. Our homes have been set up as a testimony, there are certain places and situations we shun, and we are careful to let our speech glorify God. The outside is all clean!!!! Before we settle back and rest in what God has accomplished in our life, CHECK THE WINDOW SILL. What is lurking in the corners, down in the wells and under the layer of dust we have allowed to accumulate. We still live in a world that doesn’t follow WWJD. We are bombarded with filthy words, images and evil imaginations every day. Although we may guard our heart and refuse to embrace the world’s view of life, we have to daily cleanse the accumulation from our mind. The Apostle Paul says it in such an eloquent fashion in Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Spending a little time with the Lord, listening to Godly music, reading a passage of scripture, and just allowing His love to gently wipe away all the outside crud will keep all the pre-emptive devices in good working order. If you haven’t checked the window sills of your heart in a while, take a few minutes, you’ll be reaching for the paper towels and Windex, with lightening speed.

I, PRIDE, MYSELF

While listening to a sermon audio of a recent conference, I heard one of the speakers make the following statement, “I pride myself in usually knowing what to do.” What was it about this statement that just didn’t seem quite right? Three words, Pride sandwiched between I and Myself.

The dictionary defines pride as, “high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority.” Is God concerned with pride? Oh, yes! The word, “Pride,” is found 46 times in the KJ version of the Bible. We can all quote Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Romans 1 goes even further and lists pride as a sin worthy of death, right beside fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, backbiters, and haters of God. Whoa, pride the same as a hater of God? What’s wrong with having a little pride? Can’t I take pride in my appearance, my accomplishments, things I’ve worked hard for and earned? Look closely at your questions, pride cannot be mentioned without using the word I, my, me, myself or mine. Herein lies the problem with pride, one of the attributes God hates. Pride omits God from our accomplishments, who we are and with what we have been blessed. All glory belongs to God and He will NOT share it with anyone even you or me.

In the Bible we find an account of Saul, Israel’s first king. Saul’s humbleness was apparent when Samuel first spoke with him. Saul reminded Samuel that he was a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel and when the time came for him to be anointed king, he went and hid. Let’s jump ahead a few years; what a change. Saul began to believe his "own press;" power and position now defined him. Eventually pride totally consumed him and we read the sad conclusion in 1 Samuel 15:17, “And Samuel said, When thou was little in thine own sight, was thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?” Verse 23, “Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” Pride cost King Saul his favor with God, his peace of mind, his kingdom and finally his life. What a high price to pay for “myself,” “I will,” and “my way.”

Mankind has had a problem with pride since he listened to the serpent in the garden. I have never met a person who does not struggle daily with pride. My personal war with pride always ends with a fall; either I fall on my knees or I fall on my face. I have found it to be a softer landing when I fall on my knees and let God strip my pride away. As His face comes into view and I allow His will to replace my plans, my accomplishments and my desires, I realize that I am nothing without God. “Dear God, I need your grace to help me to never again “pride myself” in anything but in all my ways acknowledge You.”