The Greatest Battlefield

When you think of the greatest battlefields our world has ever known, you might think of places like Waterloo, Gettysburg, Normandy, or, close to home, Shiloh. I read a quote by Casey Treat that said, “The greatest battles are fought in the mind.” The more I think about that, I think it is true. Why? Because so often what I think comes out in my life. If I think about food, I usually go get something to eat. If I think about a task I need to do, I try to go do it.

I think this may be what Jesus is discussing in Matthew 5:21-31. Where does murder usually come from? Anger. Where does adultery usually come from? Lust. Those start in the mind. It is not enough to just not do the act, but you must deal with the thoughts. Fight the sin war in your mind before those thoughts become your actions. We need a godly filter in our minds. Just like an oil filter cleans the bad out of the oil, a scripture filter can clean the bad thoughts out of our mind. I have a thought, and I ask myself, “Is this in accordance with the word of God?” If it is, fine, but if not, I need to throw that thought out. I think that is what Philippians 4:8 is discussing. If anything is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

So often our problem comes in our filter. We have a filter not trained by the word of God but by the world. This thought is ok because that is what I want or that is what everyone else is doing. Be careful what you watch, listen to, and who you hang around with because those things can get into your thinking and in turn into your life (Proverbs 4:23). It is like the boat. For it to be successful, it must be in the water but not let the water in it. If we want to glorify God, we must live in the world but not let the world in us.

This Little Light of Mine

One of the favorite kids’ songs is, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” It is a great song when you remember the words of Jesus found in Matthew 5:14-16. As our kids, staff, and faculty get ready to go back to school, it is a good reminder as well.  One verse of the song is: “All around the neighborhood (Huntingdon, Rocky Top, America, Universe, etc.)” We should let our light shine wherever we go which would include our schools.

Another of the verses says, “Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine.” It can be easy to get so caught up in the academic work, extracurricular activities, or friendships that we forget about our walk with Christ. We cannot hide it; we must put it on a lamp stand and let it shine so that others may see Christ. Your life might be the only Bible someone gets in their life. Let your light shine for God’s glory, not your own.

The song also reminds us not to let Satan blow it out. Again, it can be easy to get around some that do not believe and practice what you believe and feel fearful of letting your light shine. But it is in the darkest places that we need the light of Jesus to shine the brightest. You will face temptation to let your light go out. Do not do it. Trust God and glorify Him.

There is no doubt this a great passage and song to remember as we prepare to get back into the school year, but the reality is, it is a good reminder for all of us. We need to let our light shine in our homes. We need to let our light shine in our work places. We need to let our light shine wherever we go. The reason is because of all that God has done for us, we want to glorify Him. And the life you are living can make an eternal difference in someone else’s life. Let it shine all the time.

Pay Back

I read a quote the other day that has stuck with me. The quote by G.K. Chesterton says, “It is the highest and holiest of the paradoxes that the man who really knows he cannot pay his debt will be forever paying it.” Let that roll around in your head for a minute. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? I agree with the quote. It reminds me of a story that I heard about Abraham Lincoln. The story says he saw a slave sale and a little girl up for auction. He felt compassion and bought her. Upon receiving her, he told her she was free. She did not understand what that meant. He explained that being free meant she could go where she wanted to and do what she wanted to do. She said, “I want to follow you.”

You might be wondering why the preacher is telling you about this quote. I think this is our relationship to Christ. At one point in the lives of Christians, they had sold themselves into the slavery of sin. There was absolutely nothing they could do to fix the situation. Because of God’s great love for us, He paid the price of our redemption: His son on the cross. As a Christian, I have taken advantage of that free gift by obeying His commands. There is absolutely nothing I can do to earn it. After I have it, there is nothing I can do to pay back what I owe. Because of that, I want to do all that I can to follow the one who paid the price for me.

On my best days and on my worst days, I am just an unprofitable servant. But because of what He has done in my life, I want to follow Him and bring Him glory. I do that in saying no to some things and yes to others. The only way for me to make those decisions is the book He has left me. I strive to bring Him glory by living according to His word because I can never pay Him back.