“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak of good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned”. Matthew 12:34-37

This is very powerful, because Jesus is saying that even idle words matter. How many times have we said something under our breath that we shouldn’t have? Jesus issued many stern warnings to the Pharisees, and they also apply to us. This passage is important because we tend to focus on the big things, like the 10 commandments, but evil still sits in our hearts and our daily interactions reflect that. Jesus knew he didn’t have alot of time to teach those chosen to spread his message (which was given to him by God), so his admonishments were harsh and plentiful. This needed to be heard by all of us to come.

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a new blog entry, but during this hiatus I’ve been capturing some of my personal notes in my notebook. I’d like to share those with you. 

This particular entry contains my notes on Disipline and Obedience.

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Steward: Someone who manages property or other affairs of someone else (source: Princeton Wordnet) / One employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns (Merriam Webster dictionary)

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”(forgot to write scripture number when I first wrote this in my notebook… I’ll have to do some research and add it later).

To Serve: perform duties of services for

Servant: a person employed to do domestic work

We are to do the work of Christ, by this we are to serve him. He is our Lord and Savior. We are stewards of the mysteries of God. We manage it on behalf of God. We do not own it. They are not ours, we manage the mysteries that are given, created and owned by God. Because we are faithful, we are not to pervert or distort his mysteries. We are also to stand firm and protect them from distortion. To be a good steward, we must be mature in the word of God. We must know his character fully. What pleases God? What displeases God? We must know this. When we stray from the word and begin to come to our own conclusions and interpretations based on our feelings, we are headed down a path that leads to darkness. I know this by my own personal experiences. Feelings can be misleading if we are not spiritually mature enough to discern what is truly from God.

God leads us… not our “feelings”. If we only do what we “feel” like doing, we lack discipline and true Godly guidance. A child may not “feel” like going to school, but as a parent it is our responsibility to steer them toward a good education. We correct them. We give them rules to follow. These must be followed regardless of how they feel. Well, God is our Father. He has rules that we must follow if we want to excel in what he has in store for us.

A five year old does not see their potential future as a doctor, but as a parent, we know that a good foundation is necessary to be a Doctor. The child wants to play. What harm could one play day make. The parent knows that giving in to that one play day over school will plant the seed of absenteeism and they may forget the value of a good education. This child may grow up being guided by their “feelings”. “I don’t feel like going to college”. I don’t feel like going to work today”. If as a parent, we allowed that seed to be nourished, then what does that make us? Do you think that God wants anything less than 100% obedience?

We must study his word. Honor our responsibilities. Have discipline. He is our Father and we must obey him. Yes, it is very enticing to do what we “feel”. That is how the new age cults/movements hooked me. It feels real good to not be bound by any rules. It feels good to only do what you feel like doing. But where does it lead us? If feels good to play all day, but does it feel good to lose your job? It may feel good to give in to eating cheeseburgers everyday (my personal weakness), but does it feel good to have a heart attack? 

We must discipline ourselves. It’s an area where I have personally struggled and continue to struggle, but if we remain faithful to the word of God, our discipline grows. The most wonderful feeling is seeing the fruits of your labor…but only when they are rooted in obedience, self-discipline and faithfulness. It is a guarantee that you will see the fruits of your labor, whether they be good or bad. But it’s up to you to determine what they are going to be.

Today, I’d just like to thank God for the many blessings in my life. So often, I get so busy that I do not take the time to praise God in the way I should. Last night before bed, I stopped to look out of the window and although it wasn’t the first time, I took a moment just to recognize the beauty of nature. There was a beautiful bird at the lake’s edge. The sun was just beginning to set and the reflection of the sun on the water was just breathtaking. I see this beautiful scenery every day, but yesterday it was brand new. I believe this is due to my re-commitment to God and truly surrendering all to him. God opened my eyes yesterday, which allowed me to see the beauty all around me. I am just so thankful for everything.

• What fruit are you focusing on this fruit this week?
  • The fruit I am focusing on this week is faithfulness.

• How does the Bible define this fruit?
  • My favorite verse in the bible is Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.” To me, this verse clearly defines what true biblical faithfulness is.

• How does God reveal this fruit to us?
  • God reveals faithfulness to us often when we only have a small amount of faith in him. This is when he displays his true mercy and power. In my life, I’ve struggled with faithfulness, and when I’m only holding on to a small amount, God shows himself is such an amazing way, my faithfulness grows as well as my love and adoration for him and how he can move in unfathomable ways in my life if I only trust in him.

• What is the evidence of this fruit in one’s life?
  • Peace is the evidence of faithfulness in a person’s life. When you have 100% faith in God, you no longer have worries or problems, because you’ve handed it all over to God.

• Share an example of the presence of this fruit in someone’s life.
  • When my mother was diagnosed with Cancer instead of giving up she turned to God. In that ordeal I can say that both her and my own faith was strengthened because we both focused on God and today she’s 100% cancer free.

• How does fruit or lack of it in our life affect others? (spouse, children, friends)
  • In my life, when I’ve lacked faithfulness, it’s made me very “flip-floppy”, which in turn affects my husband. Although he’s not a believer in Christ (still searching), he admires my belief system and faith. When he sees it faltering, it’s almost as though I’m confirming his doubts in Jesus. He has said many times that he wants to believe but he just can’t until he knows for sure. I’m that vessel that can show him the true peace and joy in Christ, so when I lack faith, what example am I displaying to my husband?

• What can you do to express more of this fruit in your character?
  • To remain faithful, I recommend studying your bible on a daily basis. Keeping his words in your heart really does help you grow in faith.

So now I’m wondering what I can do to stay on course consistently… since I don’t have the answer now..I’ll end this blog entry with the question.

~Franki