The most important elements

Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

When we offer our gifts to God, whether it’s money or abilities, we are to give them to him whole-heartedly, but how can we put our whole heart into it when it’s burdened with anger and guilt. Both of these emotions, if left to grow, will destroy any relationship. Eventually, they will begin to grow to an obsession that can fill our heart and mind, pushing out any positive emotion. Ephesians 4:26 says, “In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

Christ, in Matthew 5:23-24, talks about reconciliation. According to the “American Heritage Dictionary” the word “reconcile” means to reestablish a relationship. It also means to settle or resolve. If we are to love God with all our heart, we can’t allow it to be dominated by anger; we must settle any argument with our loved ones before they grow, and reestablish our relationship with them.

We know that we have to release our anger, but reestablishing the relationship completely is not so easy. There are two elements required to give a relationship its strength. The first element, forgiveness, will help you settle your anger, whether you forgive, or ask for forgiveness. Either way, forgiveness must be present in order to keep anger and guilt from being consuming.

The second element is more important in keeping the relationship from falling apart completely, and that is trust. Even after you have forgiven each other, and the anger has been settled, trust may take some time before it can fully be restored. If we are to restore trust, strengthen our relationship, and keep anger from dominating our heart, we must give full priority to our relationship to God first, then to each other.

Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and give priority to your relationships, for this is the only way to give your gifts to God with all your heart.

Challenge: If you have a relationship that has fallen apart from anger, forgive each other, then make restoring trust a priority. This will reestablish the relationship, and give it strength. Then you can give your whole heart to God.

Enjoy,
Allen

Don't hide your head in the church

Proverbs 2:6
For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

One of the things that humans have never been able to understand about God, besides the part where he had no beginning, is how he can have three separate parts and yet, be one God. Many people think of Christ as beginning with Mary, but his spirit was always there. John 1:1-3 describes Christ as the word of God. What does this mean? Proverbs 2:6 is actually talking about Christ as both knowledge and understanding. This is where wisdom comes from.

Christ is the beginning of all life, and the universe, so it is through him that we get our spirits. When we hear the call of wisdom, it is actually Christ trying to help us through life’s problems, and keep us safe.

I once had a conversation with a girl I worked with about “evolution vs. creation”. It was a civil conversation, but every argument she came up with, I had a rebuttal. Her final argument was, “You’re just close minded.” This is how a lot of arguments against Christianity end up.

With wisdom, knowledge, and understanding being from Christ, we are very open minded. If anything, the more I learn, the more the knowledge that comes from Christ can stand up to the lies of society.

The biggest myth I’ve heard about Christian teachings is that the church is trying to hide us from the truth by banning books and regulating what we learn. Christ doesn’t try to keep us from the truth; he gives us the knowledge and wisdom to open our eyes to the truth about evil so that we will know it when we see it. We can’t hide behind the doors of the church forever. He gives us the knowledge to go out and inform the world of his love.

We can’t protect our kids, or ourselves from the effects of the world; it is our job to share the truth so that our kids can make informed decisions on what they believe. If we do our part in sharing the gospel, we can trust that Christ can lead all of us closer to him.

Challenge: Trust that Christ will give us the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, to take us safely through this world.

Enjoy,
Allen