“Goody two shoes”

A child’s fable from the 18^th century extolling hard work and upright behavior in a young orphan girl nick-named “Goody Two-Shoes” gave us the not so complimentary phrase, “goody two shoes.” A person who is self-righteous, who tries hard at piety, fits the description. To our loss, the ideal of virtue has become suspect, one committed to a virtuous life considered somehow a lesser person. The ‘bad boy’ is the character lauded in our pop culture, the one who defies authority is admired. Ask any school boy (or even most grown men) if he wants to be known as ‘good,’ and you will most likely get a strong negative reaction.  “Good” is for wimps; or is it?

Virtue is not simply being a ‘goody two shoes.’ If it is born of fear of criticism or inability to take a risk, it is not true virtue! The Bible teaches us that one of the evidences of the Spirit’s life in a disciple is ‘goodness.’  Both Peter and Paul urge Christians to be virtuous people, people who live with excellence as their guide; practically and personally. Paul urges these traits on those who claim the Name: "true, … noble, … just, … pure, … lovely,  … good report, … virtue and … praiseworthy." (Philippians 4:8, NKJV) While I have no desire to be so void of fire or passion that I am a weak man, insipid, and ineffectual; I want to be known as a good man. Jesus was a man of virtue, yet He was capable of strong emotion, of challenge to those who abused authority, of resisting evil.  Children loved him and moneychangers in the Temple fled His wrath!

A major sickness in America of 2011 is the loss of personal virtue, which produces self-restraint and respect for others. Our radical self-love is destroying the fabric of a nation once lauded by Alexis de Tocqueville in the 18^th century for such virtue that the need for government regulation was reduced to nearly non-existent. When personal virtue is lost, law must attempt to restrain selfish acts. Greed and injustice are unthinkable to the person of virtue, but they are a natural, even laudable, choice in a society where radical individualism and personal happiness trumps all other things.

Virtue is not simply the result of learning civility or even attempting self-discipline. True virtue is made possible by a transformation of the heart by the power of Christ. Faith in Him breaks the power of sin. He gives us the Spirit who subdues our sinful nature and create a hunger for righteousness in us. That righteousness allows us to walk with the broken, the fallen, the debauched, those lost and confused, without adopting their values or being corrupted.  Yes, the virtue created by the Spirit living in us allows us to "become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." (Philippians 2:15, NIV)

So, are you a person of virtue?

Do you fear the label of “goody two-shoes” so much that you will not allow the Spirit of God to develop the beauty of Christ’s holiness in you?

Or, are you hungry for His righteousness, ready to abandon sin and Self, becoming a noble, holy, and good man?

_________________

Truehearted, wholehearted, faithful and loyal,

King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be;

Under the standard exalted and royal,

Strong in Thy strength we will battle for Thee.

Wholehearted! Savior belovèd and glorious,

Take Thy great power and reign Thou alone,

Over our wills and affections victorious—

Freely surrendered and wholly Thine own.

Peal out the watchword! Silence it never!

Song of our spirits, rejoicing and free;

Peal out the watchword! Loyal forever!

King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be.

n  Public domain

The Crust of Self

Ah, the failures that come to us in the unguarded moment!  In the middle of a good and productive day, I allowed my temper to rise. I spoke in anger as passion eclipsed reason for a few moments!  Does it happen to you?  Does some noble desire become compromised by selfish interest?  We must, because of the sin nature that continues to war against good and God, remain vigilant and prayerful, asking God to keep us in His grace, to renew the likeness of Jesus in us. Each new day our motives need to be held up to the Light to see where any ugly stain of sin is spreading, corrupting even our best and highest intentions to do the will of God.

George MacDonald, a Scot preacher/poet who lived a century ago, wrote in his book, The Diary of An Old Soul:

With ev'ry morn my life afresh must break
The crust of self, gathered 'round me fresh;
That Thy wind-Spirit may rush in and shake
The darkness out of me, and rend the mesh
The spider-devil spins out of the flesh --
Eager to net the soul before it wakes,
That it my slumberous lie, and listen to the snake.


What an ugly line! Waking to break the 'crust of self.'    But, it is an accurate one. We break that shell that would block out the Spirit, so that the Life of God's Breath may bring us freedom, renewal, and the beauty of holiness.

The book of Genesis tells us that in the very beginning, "the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7, NIV) Apart from His breath, we remain 'dusty men!' But we need not remain creatures of the dirt, living to satisfy only the needs that press themselves on us so powerfully. The Spirit can make us noble and new, morning by morning.

Have you broken away the 'crust of self' today and invited the Spirit of God to breathe new life into your service, your worship, your words?

Here's a word from the Word to take with you through this day.
"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins." (Psalm 51:1, NLT)  "For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night." (Psalm 51:3, NLT)  "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you." (Psalm 51:10-12, NLT)
_________________________


Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure.
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine.
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.
Breath on me, breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee
The perfect life
Of Thine eternity.
© Public Domain

Dirty mouth, sick heart!

Did you know that a $1.59 item readily available in any supermarket is important to having a healthy heart? That’s right! It’s your toothbrush. Brushing your teeth thoroughly twice a day and flossing can prevent serious heart disease! The American Academy of Periodontology says that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to have coronary artery disease (also called heart disease).  If a person has gum disease (gingivitis), cavities, and missing teeth, he has as strong an indicator of future heart disease as high cholesterol levels. You knew there was a reason you were harping on your kids to brush their teeth, right?

Much of life is like that. We see the BIG issues and don’t connect them to the little decisions made along the way.  The simple act of putting on a seatbelt every time you get in a car is a huge factor in avoiding one of the leading reasons for extended hospital stays; serious injuries in a vehicular accident. Making coffee at home instead of stopping at Starbucks every morning can put a $1000 back into your pocket each year. Learning simple courtesy – please, thank you – predicts a life of better relationships, which is one of the keys to emotional and financial success! Yes, it’s true. A person who knows how to relate well, who has good empathetic skill, has a much higher earnings potential.

Why am I writing about all of this? It is has a spiritual connection. Great Christians who find intimacy with God and life-enriching meaning in their faith almost never discover those things in a single BIG moment, a crisis experience, or in a moment of revelation. They "keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, NIV) 15 minutes of Scripture and contemplative prayer every morning can make the difference between an empty religion and a love for Jesus. A choice to quickly forgive others allows us to know God’s love more deeply. Moment throughout the day when we ‘check-in’ with the Lord can help us to avoid falling into temptation.

A recent roundtable discussion with a dozen teens from Christian families revealed an alarming fact to me. To a person, each of those teens said that their parents seldom, if ever, had a discussion in which their faith was connected to specific life decisions. Most reported that as far as they knew for their parents prayer was a perfunctory gesture before meals, not a predictable response to needs and/or problems. The Scripture was seldom opened in search of guidance and never taught at the table. One teen said, ”I think my parents believe that I understand how to live as a Christian because we go to church together.”  In that hour, I discovered why so many kids raised in church appear to abandon their faith at age 16 to 20:  they never owned it to begin with because the hand-off never happened!  Again, it’s the little things that make a huge difference. When Johnny is having a rough time in school, meaningful prayer with him shows him how to trust God. When Susan is trying to figure out how to deal with insecurity, teaching her what the Bible says about her incredible worth to her Father gives her a foundation for life.

Spiritual health is a daily decision. God tells us that "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." (Deuteronomy 6:6-8, NIV) In other words, keep my Truth close at hand, everywhere, all the time.

Want to find a deeper, richer life in the Spirit? Do the little stuff!  Get up in time to spend some time alone, reflecting on your day and inviting God to lead you. Open the Scripture and feed your spirit.  Get a devotional guide if you don’t know how! "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11, NLT) When the Spirit whispers: “Stop that.” “Say this.” “Go there.” – just do it.  You will "grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do." (Ephesians 4:15, The Message)

________________

Let me be a man

With a perfect heart,

Let me be a son

Who will please You, Father;

Let me be a child

Who reveals Your will

In all I do and say.

Fill me with Your Spirit,

Lord, I pray, that Jesus

Will be seen in all of my life;

Let me be a son

Who will please You, Father,

Let me be a man

With a perfect heart.

A Man With A Perfect Heart

Hayford, Jack

© 1995 Annamarie Music (Maranatha! Music [Admin. by The Copyright Company])

CCLI License No. 810055

Slime in our soul

The desire just kept returning. Each thought made it seem sweeter. I wanted it. NO, I needed it.  YES, I was going to …  Then, I reminded myself that the desire was an expression of my longing for comfort in a time of stress, so I thanked God for His provision, spent some time meditating on His goodness, and the temptation faded as I moved on to other things. It will be back. Temptation always is!

We’re all tempted.  Temptation shows up in dozens of ways. Seemingly out of nowhere thoughts like these show up. “Give in to rage, it feels so good to vent!” “Eat too much food, it makes the inner ache disappear for a while.”  “Go buy something and feel great for a time.”  Look at pornography online; gossip about that person at work; fantasize about a sexual conquest; be lazy, avoiding responsibility.

It’s no sin to feel tempted! It’s part of our human nature which is subject to failure. Understanding why we experience these urges helps us to meet and defeat them. We like to think that temptation comes from external sources, that if we wall ourselves off from ‘the world’ we will avoid them. But to believe that is to leave their real approach route wide open so they can march straight into our lives. The truth is that temptations are a response to some unmet need within us, some place of disappointment or unfulfilled desire. They cross lines. Physical fatigue, our bodies crying for rest, may produce temptation of a sexual nature, for example. The Bible is clear about how temptation develops. ”Remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters." (James 1:13-16, NLT)

If we want to overcome temptation, we must understand ourselves and our impulses. Prayer is a great revealer. If we will be authentic before the Lord, praying honestly about what we desire, even those things that we keep carefully hidden from others, the Spirit will help us to understand the root of the temptation. He will, if we are full of the Scripture, wed the Truth of the Word with our need, which allows us to dispatch the longing. Jesus did it! When He was desperately tired, hungry, and alone in the time of testing prior to His public ministry, the devil showed up with temptations.  He met each one with Truth and overcame. The key is being honest with God and ourselves. Soul rot grows like slime when we refuse to let the Light shine in!

Feeling tempted today? You’re not particularly evil. You’re just human. Here’s a word from the Word. Believe it and take your victory over ‘the world, the flesh, and the Devil.’

"No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. " (1 Corinthians 10:13, The Message)  

_________

Am I a soldier of the cross,

A follower of the Lamb,

And shall I fear to own His cause,

Or blush to speak His Name?

And when the battle’s over

We shall wear a crown!

Yes, we shall wear a crown!

Yes, we shall wear a crown!

And when the battle’s over

We shall wear a crown

In the new Jerusalem

Wear a crown (wear a crown)

Wear a crown (wear a crown)

Wear a bright and shining crown;

And when the battle’s over

We shall wear a crown

In the new Jerusalem.

-      Isaac Watts, public domain