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Are Feelings Deceptive?

I was raised in a church culture where “feelings” were believed to be the indicator of a person’s heart. One guest speaker’s fundamental motivation was to incite people to come to an altar and cry profusely. Feelings motivated other speakers just to get a large number of people to come forward at the end of her/his speaking and go through the motions of “praying the sinner’s prayer.” They would then boast of the number saved in the last service or series of services. One song sung a lot was “O Lord, send the power just now,” which usually was interpreted as experiencing a special feeling. What confused me the most is how few of those who cried profusely or came forward to be ‘saved’ or experienced some form of God’s power actually reflected a changed lifestyle or value system, that of pursuing God’s righteousness instead of their old unrighteous ways of life.

Please do not misunderstand me. I value my feelings and those of others. God gave us feelings to express our deeper emotions. But feelings, by themselves, are far less stable than the weather in Nebraska. A person can swing from ecstasy to despair and back again, all regarding the same issue, several times in a day—maybe in an hour. I used to think I encountered God’s Spirit most when I cried, but I came to realize that wasn’t true at all! Jesus heard His Father’s voice many times but rarely did he cry in those moments.

The Jews often confused their feelings with authentic faith in God and love for Him. They tore their clothes as an outward expression of sudden grief, but that display of feeling was not equal to true repentance or a broken heart.  The prophet Joel said, the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God… (Joel 2:12-13a, NLT2). You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God (Psalm 51:16-17, NLT2) to be distressed in a godly way causes people to change the way they think and act and leads them to be saved. No one can regret that. But the distress that the world causes brings only death (2 Corinthians 7:10, GW).

My outward religious expressions are fruitless unless they flow out of my inward heart, where the very fiber of who I am is transformed. Each of us deeply desires to be an authentic apprentice of Jesus. However, each of us sin more than we would like. It is what we do AFTER we sin that defines the status of our apprenticeship to Jesus. The more we humbly confess our sin to God, in contrast to glibly saying, “God will forgive me” and move on, reveals our proximity to Christ. The more I imitate Jesus, the more others will see His character and value system in me. However, it requires a lot of saying ‘No’ to our feelings in order for His character to grow deeper into our hearts. Feelings alone can deceive us to think we are better or worse than we really are.

The Bible never teaches us to trust or follow our feelings in any area of our lives. That is not His purpose for giving us the capacity of feeling. He gave us His truth to follow. He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what GOD is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously (Micah 6:8, MSG). Paul wrote, I discipline my body (driven by feelings) like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27, NLT2).

It is disturbing to see youth raised in church slowly withdraw from God during their senior year of school. It grieves me to watch the spiritual passion in veteran clergy fade into the shadows. These former spiritual leaders morph from being enthusiastic worshipers into being complainers with fragmented passion for God. They now prefer talking more about their past activities, hobbies, or relationships than about God’s continued enlightenment or the shaping of their spiritual lives.

This slow drift isn’t a recent pattern. The Old Testament king Hezekiah heroically began his reign as king of Judah, by turning the people from worshiping false gods to worshipping the only true God. However, by the middle of his reign, his own passion for God had regressed into a passion for himself and his many accomplishments. Was this decline, as some suggest, evidence of his faith was never real? Or was it a spiritual cancer that consumes his love for God and still destroys it in lives today?

The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, in chapter 4, of the Old Testament’s promise to the early Jews, to empower them and give them a supernatural rest. That promise excited the people for generations. However, among all the Hebrews who God miraculously delivered from their Egyptian bondage, only Joshua and Caleb and their families actually entered their promised land. That would be only two families out of millions who enjoyed God’s promise. The writer of that book revealed the reason and left a challenge to each reader through the generations.  For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Hebrews 4:2 (NIV) This means they heard and believed the message about the supernatural rest but died never experiencing it. Why? They didn’t mix their inner faith with the truth they heard. They only said they believed. Satan used disappointed expectations, giants in the land, and many distractions to rob them of what God had promised them.

Jesus prophesied more than once, all who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. John 14:23 (NLT2) Notice, He didn’t say they occasionally might do what I say. He said they will carefully watch over or guard themselves so they will conform to all Jesus taught. The Bible explains this birth of fervent desire is implanted when a person is spiritually regenerated. I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:27 (NLT2)

Note this. The desire to follow His regulations is NOT mental gymnastics or self-discipline issues! It’s acting upon the God-given desire implanted in one’s spirit to motivate one to carefully obey Him. With that gift and empowerment, He commands each of us to simply diligently seek to know Him through His Word, pray, and serve with the abilities you do have. In doing so, the Holy Spirit within you will make us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18b (NLT2) Did you notice this transformation is a gradual process, not instantaneous?

Whether it is youth walking away or veteran clergy having only a shell of a passion for God, losing connection with God can happen to anyone who becomes passive. If you want to avoid this slow drift, you must honestly consider this. Examine yourselves to see whether you are still in the Christian faith. Test yourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5a, GW)! If you find you have drifted away, ask the Holy Spirit to alert you to what has been distracting you from a close relationship with God. Then take the initiative to reposition yourself so you can again enjoy His close presence on a regular basis. Remember this axiom. Any dead fish can float downstream. It takes a live one to buck the current and swim upstream.

I loved being around Dave. While he was a bright, gifted man, I was most attracted to the effect he had on my thinking and my heart for God. Rod was a guy I tolerated. He, too, was bright and very talented, yet the effect he had on my thinking and attitude was not healthy. His focus was on gratifying his desires by manipulating or using people. He talked a good talk about God, but what he said sounded like a broken, clanging cymbal. Think about it. How does being around a cynical, complaining, or fault finding or rebellious person leave you? How does a grateful, joy-filled, loving, or one passionate about God leave you? Like it or not, you do affect others.

Philemon was a Bible character I want to imitate. Paul wrote of him, your love, dear brother, has brought me great joy and much encouragement! You have cheered the hearts of all of God’s people (Philemon 1:7, TEV). Did you notice that Philemon not only positively affected Paul and many other believers? He is a model for each of us! Although I sincerely desire to lift the spirit of those who need encouragement and challenge those who have become complacent about God, I have not done it enough! I’m still pressing towards that mark.

Several in the Bible were named Zechariah, but one was the least notorious. He was as ordinary as you and me. He was mentioned in the Bible because of how he affected a teenager, Uzziah. Uzziah was made king when he was 16 when his dad died. The Bible provides no information about how Zechariah connected with Uzziah. We can only speculate that when it happened, Uzziah sensed something drawing him to pay attention to Zechariah’s mentoring. This begs the question, are you and I living a life so connected to God that a spiritually hungry teenager would want to have you as his life-giving spiritual mentor? That is especially a challenge for me these days!

The Bible describes this relationship this way. As long as Zechariah, his religious adviser, was living, he served the LORD faithfully, and God blessed him (2 Chronicles 26:5, TEV). The successes King Uzziah experienced were very impressive. But did you notice things changed when Zechariah died? The Bible tells us when King Uzziah became strong, he grew arrogant, and that led to his downfall. He defied the LORD his God by going into the Temple to burn incense on the altar of incense (2 Chronicles 26:16, TEV) We see this happen in every walk of life. No one is immune. Pride tastes delightful, but is deadly. Uzziah died a horrific death because of it.

Please know, unless we intentionally mentor/coach someone’s heart or spirit, they will not have learned to know and trust a very personal God. This is a quite common mistake well-meaning, God-fearing parents make in raising their children. Unless their parents’ clear passion tutors their child’s heart for God, all the Bible or church knowledge is of little value.

This same thing happened when a priest (Jehoiada) mentored Joash, a 7-year-old boy who became king when his father died. The Bible tells us [Joash] did what was pleasing to the LORD as long as Jehoiada the priest was alive. 2 Chronicles 24:2 (TEV) He too was successful at first. However, when Jehoiada dies, the direction of the nation soon went south.

Looking back, I wish I had worked harder at discipling hearts instead of indoctrinating the mind and behavior of others. I have found GREAT comfort in those whose hearts I was able to shape. They have been faithful, to God alone be the glory. I only wish I would have been able to affect more hearts. How intentional have you been in affecting the hearts of those around you to love God with ALL their hearts?

How do you find yourself responding to all this talk about discrimination these days? It has expanded far beyond racial issues and now includes gender, religious, ethnic, social status, financial, sexual, and the list goes on. Our culture is being victimized by politicians seeking power or others with immoral agendas. It feels as though we are in an earthquake triggered by intense competition between parties seeking the largest market share of public opinion. It reminds me of high school and college days when students competed by searching to find an emotionally charged, controversial issue to publicize their name. This harmless learning exercise temporarily divided the student body until someone was elected. Today, that same process has evolved to the place it is no longer just a person being elected. It is over ideologies to be forced upon our culture.  Today, it has become disgustingly hostile and seriously divisive. Instead of resolving errant biases, it is crushing our democracy.

What exactly is discrimination? It is to treat another person differently or less favorably for some reason. I find it interesting that the theory of evolution in nature is based on survival of the fittest, which is discrimination against the weakest. Medicine is all about discriminating against sickness or the least effective medicine. It begs the question then, does God discriminate? The answer to that question depends upon the perspective.

The Bible tells us God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11, ESV). Another translation of that verse reads, For God judges everyone by the same standard (Romans 2:11, TEV). This could mean God is very open-minded and inclusive. But is He? The Bible says, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16, NLT2). Everyone is very inclusive word. But what happens to inclusiveness when you add the qualifying words who believes in him? Isn’t there a form of discrimination in the fact God doesn’t treat those who don’t believe in Him the same way He does those who do? Jesus, the Son of God, explicitly stated, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6, NLT2). That is discriminating against all other gods or religious leaders. However, this discrimination is not about race, gender, sexual preference or personal perspective. Each person will stand before Him on level ground. There, He will hold each person accountable for their personal choices while on living on this earth.

The most remarkable thing is, God is not just inviting each human to make a hard choice. He offers the same incentive to each person who chooses to believe in Him. He offers an intimate friendship with Him, the Lord of Host, Almighty God, Creator of all the galaxies of the universe and every inanimate and animate animal and human. That blows the circuits in my finite mind! That would be exceedingly better than being intimate friends with the most powerful world leader, wealthiest man/woman, or most esteemed celebrity. And as His very close friend, just being in that tight relationship over time, He literally transforms how we think, what we value and how we behave into being like Jesus while He lived on this earth.

All this comes with authentically believing and trusting His truth, wisdom, and knowledge instead of being governed by our own independence. As we approach Good Friday and Easter, it is a vivid picture of what must happen to each person when they encounter Christ. We are called to vicariously die to our self-centered thinking along with Jesus dying on the cross. AND vicariously come out of the grave with Him into a new way of living on this earth. Just as the cross had to precede coming out of the grave, so our death to self must precede His life being planted within us. The way you know this transition has occurred is the desires within you have begun to change. As you simply follow those deep desires to love and obey Him, you will continue to die to more and more of your old way of thinking and behaving. This transformation is so significant. He offers this only to those who chose to fully believe, love and follow Him.

Have you noticed how people will do crazy, torturous things if they perceive the rewards to be attractive enough?  Jesus endured the despicable treatment in Passion week because He looked from a different perspective than the average person. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2, ESV).

No normal, healthy female would go through the agony of giving birth to a child if she didn’t first anticipate the joys of having a child of her own. The Bible uses the word “travail” to describe all that goes into having a baby AND raising that child to be a respectable adult. It is the perspective that makes travail endurable—even joyful satisfaction.

The Bible (King James Version) used that word describing Jesus when He died to give birth to a new creation of humanity. The New Living Translation puts that verse this way; it was the LORD’s [God’s] good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. Isaiah 53:10-11 (NLT2) These profound words would require far more time and words to more fully understand, so I will only highlight a few of them.

Jesus saw all His anguish accomplished and was satisfied! Keep in mind, His anguish was NOT limited to the cross. Every parent has learned that parenting doesn’t stop with giving birth! It is a far deeper pain when parents, after having given boundless love, to then watch their child make a horrible choice or reject them. I deeply regret the anguish I repeatedly put God through each time He assigned me a task because I had a different perspective than He had. I did not think my gifting fit the assignment. Has He had to agonize with your independence and disrespect after He has given so much to you?

 Try to imagine God’s anguish after providing so much for the Hebrews, yet they rebelliously served other gods. The prophet Hosea described God’s response saying, “Ephraim mixes [to become one with the world’s culture/lose most essential distinctions in the mixing] with other nations. Ephraim, you are like a half-baked loaf of bread (Hosea 7:8 (GW)! It is no wonder Paul warned us don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2, NLT2). Ask yourself, Lord, am I like Ephraim, an unfinished product, a disgrace to Your name, an unstable man who cannot seem to make the grade? Or, can You display me as proudly as You did Job when You said, have you considered my servant Job? (Job 1:8). Do you need to look at yourself from a different perspective so that you can bring pleasure to God as your children bring pleasure to you?

Do the words “I’m sorry” consistently represent how a person feels when they use those words? While parents or an authority often force children to say those words, saying them doesn’t mean they feel it. By the time they are adults, they often use that phrase to appease or otherwise get what they want. So, how does a person know if those who verbalize those words mean them or if they are only using them to appease others? There is something mystical about discerning authenticity.

Authenticity means to be true to your core values, personality, and inner being convictions regardless of adverse circumstances or social pressure. A discerning person will sense if a person is repeating what they’ve learned to say to get what they want, or if their words align with their inner convictions. Those who heard Jesus sensed this invisible virtue in Him because they said He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:29, ESV). This raises an important question we need to ask ourselves. Do those I encounter sense I am an authentic person, not just in what I say, but in who I am as an individual? Could it be I was authentic, but somewhere along the line, I lost it?

It has intrigued me as I’ve examined King Hezekiah. In the first half of his kingship, he was superhero of spiritual life and leadership. At age 25, after his father had led the people away from loving and serving God, Hezekiah led a stunning spiritual reform among those in his kingdom. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did (2 Kings 18:5-7a, NLT2).  To be candid, that has been my overall perception of him. However, I discovered something happened within himself that resulted in a not so good last half of his life.

He continued saying and doing the right things, but spiritual cancer of some sort ate away his authenticity. Eventually, while his spiritual life continued to sound and look reasonably healthy, his spiritual life actually sounded as a hollow empty 50-gallon barrel. But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So, the LORD’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:25 (NLT2). It also says he knew he had crossed the line with God and therefore essentially said “I’m sorry” but his subsequent choices revealed this response lacked authenticity. After Isaiah the prophet informed him of God’s strong judgement on his subsequent choices, there was no remorse. Instead, Hezekiah said to Isaiah, this message you have given me from the LORD is good. For the king was thinking, “At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime (Isaiah 39:8, NLT2).

Like cancer, pride first hollowed out his authenticity until he knew what was right, but had spiritually disengaged. Eventually, that leads to being a Christ-follower in name only. This alerted me to how easily I could begin to subconsciously claim past ministry accomplishments as my own—and in doing so, not even realize I had lost my spiritual authenticity. Without that, I would be like a noisy gong or clanging cymbal (1 Cor. 13:1b, NLT2). I don’t know how that possibility affects you, but for me, it motivates me to give myself more to loving and knowing God better through His Word. Jesus said the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 24:13 (ESV). I look forward to hearing Christ say to me, Well done, good and faithful servant (Matt. 25:23a, ESV).

I’m facing a dentist appointment and four different doctors’ appointments in the next 10 days! Ugh! I hear and understand what the doctors tell me I should do, but I don’t always do what they say. How about you? Most of us already know far more than what we practice. Our follow-through depends on two factors. First is the level of respect we have for the person giving the directions. Second, it depends on the perceived severity of the consequences for not following the directions. If we have low respect or are unconvinced of the negative consequences of not obeying the direction, we make pathetic attempts to follow their directions or just ignore them.

Those factors also play out in how we respond to God and His Word. If we are in awe of God, His truth and emotionally accept His great love for us, we are far more insistent on examining what the Bible says and walking out what He teaches us in His Word. Conversely, if we see God as a grandfatherly figure in the sky whose love we do not feel and who indiscriminately gives bountiful grace when we disobey, we will do what we want rather than what God wants. This is true even though we have made vows to love and obey Him. What might your follow-through suggest about how much awe and respect and love you have for Him?

Exactly what has God asked of us and how have we responded? The apostle Paul prayed for believers to be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:9-10, ESV). Jesus defined His expectations by saying, I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than [exceeds] the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:20, NLT2)! The righteousness of the Pharisees consisted of carefully practicing outward observances of the ceremonial and traditional law. They offered sacrifices, fasted often, prayed much, were very meticulous about religious cleansings, paying tithes, and faithfully attended all religious ceremonies. HOW can a person be expected to be more righteous than that?

God is looking at the heart, the why factor, NOT the righteous deeds. The why factor changes everything in God’s economy. Therefore, those who live a righteous life because they love and believe God is God far surpass the works of the religious leaders! Again, it is not what you do that impresses God; it is why you do it. But that right motive can easily melt down and evaporate!

Hezekiah, an admirable king of Judah, began being driven by a strong passion for God. The Spirit then enabled him to accomplish incredible spiritual changes in the nation. His success went to his head. He became proud of his accomplishments and loved the people’s accolades. Later, when he became deathly sick, Isaiah, the prophet, warned him to prepare to die. Hezekiah’s subsequent prayer (2 Kings 20:3) revealed how spiritual pride had so twisted his thinking that he now expected his good works to have earned God’s favor. The motives of his heart had become like that of the religious leaders mentioned above. Success can be like a deceptive Trojan Horse that secretly gets into our unguarded computer and devastates it.

When you are alert and know what the perpetrator is, you CAN exceed the righteousness of the religious leaders by practicing what God’s Word teaches. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (Proverbs 4:23 (NLT2) Protect it from pride (self-righteousness) by seeking to know and love God more than you did three months ago. This is how to be proactive and meet God’s expectations for you. You CAN do it.

If you recognize you have left your first sense of awe and respect for God, don’t beat yourself up. Simply allow it to humble you and motivate you to turn around and seek a fresh revelation of the triune Godhead.

Can you think of a word that has kept its original meaning? The evolution of cultures in our own country has changed the meaning of words, some more drastically than others. A while back, the Washington Post published a list of words that have changed meanings.

• Silly: went from referring to those who are ‘pious’ or things worthy or blessed to our modern sense of absurdity, foolish or giddy.
• Naughty: Long ago, if you were naughty, you had naught or nothing. Then it came to mean evil or immoral, and now you are just badly behaved.
• Viral went from relating to, or caused by a virus, to now meaning becoming very popular by circulating quickly from person to person, especially through the Internet.
• Text went from referring to a book or other piece of closely examined writing to a message sent on your cell phone.
• Unplug went from disconnecting a lamp or television from its power source to shifting from cable TV to internet streaming.

The current hybrid usage of the label ‘Christian’ used in many secular and religious communities has been very twisted from its original meaning. So much so, some believers today openly say, “I’m a Christ-follower, not a ‘Christian’.” So, what is the difference and why does it matter?

Unbelievers living in Antioch (Acts 11:26) created the label ‘Christian.’ Because the believers in Antioch were making such a powerful impact on their community, the unbeliever cynics labeled them ‘Christians’. The anatomy of the word first refers to Christ (“the anointed one”). The ‘ian’ (means “little”) which makes ‘Christians’ were the little anointed ones or apprentices of Jesus Christ. When Paul was in prison, the unbelieving king asked to visit with him. He also used this term when saying Paul almost convinced him to become a ‘Christian’ (Acts 26:28). My point is, a biblical ‘Christian’ is such an avowed apprentice of Jesus Christ that unbelievers clearly see His virtues expressed with little verbal persuasion. The difference was in who they were on the inside.

If compared side by side, the most obvious difference between early Christ-followers and today’s Christian is evident in one’s level of passion to be Christ’s apprentice. Quite contrary to today, early believers boldly faced lions rather than compromising their apprenticeship to Jesus. They were willing to sacrifice their good jobs, businesses, homes, friends and family, and financial securities, to have the type of love Jesus had for His Father. What sacrifices today might compare to that of the earlier Christ-followers? How might such sacrifices determine the spiritual fruit of a person’s life?

Peter uses the label ‘Christian’ one time. It was in his letter to encourage believers spread throughout the middle east who were suffering persecution (1 Peter 4:16). Their Christlikeness so convicted the unbelievers they encountered; the unbelievers looked for ways to take their misery out on apprentices of Jesus. Please try to understand, the convicting factor then was not the title of Christian, it was the Christlikeness that always has been and will always be the critical factor.

Do you suppose your unbelieving acquaintances would label you as an apprentice of Jesus Christ who incessantly seeks to be more like Him, or a current twisted, hybrid Christian? If your honest answer is not what your heart desires it to be, what is your next step to discovering the inner conviction, security, gratification, and joy a closer relationship to Him would bring? Will you continue life as you now live it? Or, will you seriously Ask God about it and seek solid direction on how you can be what your hearts calls you to be?

Raised in Sunday School and church, I began reading through the Bible each year. I remember checking the little square boxes as I completed the chapters. Later I added intermittent journaling of interesting thoughts I read. I found practicing this habit enabled me to experience a greater satisfaction with God; it became my spiritual security blanket. To be candid, it was so comforting I was afraid if I ever stopped doing it, I would fall spiritually as other notable ministers had done.

In my time with God about 15 years ago, a few of David’s words captured my attention. Psalm 9:10 (NLT) Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you. I intuitively sensed God had an important truth here for me. It was the words those who know your name trust in you… that gripped me. I trusted God, but not as much as I would like. This confused me because it didn’t appear to say how to trust more. Then it dawned on me. The ‘how to’ was in that verse! My investment in knowing God more fully would automatically result in greater trust. He was inviting me to take the initiative to seek to know more about who He was; not just His title, gifts, or what He said or did. Wow!! My hunger to know God more deeply became greater than my fear of falling away from Him. I took the leap, stopped my routine Bible reading and obeyed His gentle whisper to trust Him to keep me close to Him.

I found this principle to be true. If I wanted more of God, I must give Him more of myself. I saw that as a bargain, so I gladly gave Him more of me. I felt an urgency to discover what a passage was telling me about who God is; His character, values, ways and whatever else it might reveal about Him. These revelations then humbled me, forcing me to acknowledge my total depravity and what I needed to do in response to these findings. To my delight and amazement, I discovered my investment resulted in a deeper love for God and His Word—greater than I could have imagined. Plus, I found myself trusting Him in more practical ways, just as the verse promised. It so affected me it appeared I had been born again!!

A Biblical example of this principle was when God told Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28 to… subdue [the earth]; and have dominion over [it]. He didn’t just give them dominion. They had to first invest personal initiative and struggle to subdue it, but it was worth it. Then they had to maintain dominion over it. A similar example is when He engaged the Hebrews in the process of learning to know God as God Almighty. Exodus 10:1-2 (ESV) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.” Fascinating! Through passage like these, I could see the critical importance of habitually investing myself in seeking to know Him more personally.

My regular reading of the Bible had been vital! It had taught me the balancing essentials I needed to reduce my chances of misinterpreting what I read. However, I had only skimmed the surface issues of what He said and did, totally missing His ways, values, or character. Life-change has continued to come as I spend time prayerfully meditating on exactly what His Word says. His Spirit frequently responds by revealing more of who God is and His heart, not just what He did/does or doesn’t do. I share this with you, praying that it may inspire you to slow your Bible reading way down and embark on a quest to know the author in a more personal way. If you would like support in how to do this, let me know and I will do my best to share what I’ve learned about this quest. My sole desire is for you to know Him more intimately as I’m learning to do.

We learn from childhood pleasing others makes an easier life. But pleasing others results in a sense of insecurity as we listen to the voices in our head, our parents, schoolteachers, and friends. The sin nature leaps on that misguided notion and links our worth to our performance. This performance-based thinking is low-level legalism in Christianity. It deceptively teaches that God treats us based on how well we perform. This minor sounding difference was precisely what Jesus consistently disagreed with the Jewish leaders about. It motivated them to crucify Jesus.

The Bible repeatedly stresses that God has fundamentally different values and judges us accordingly. He values why something is done far more than what or how it is done—the performance issue. The consequence of adopting our culture’s performance values over God’s values will be catastrophic if that false teaching is not corrected before death. The sobering part is a person can start out seemingly having the right motives, but the track of their false belief ends in a train-wreck. Consider this case in point.

Hezekiah was the son of a very ungodly king of Judah, Ahaz. After his father’s death, he became king at 25 years of age and he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David, his father, had done (2 Chronicles 29:2, ESV). While His father, Ahaz, had stopped worship in the temple, In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the LORD and repaired them (2 Chronicles 29:3, NLT2). He brought such spiritual reform the Bible records that Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time (2 Kings 18:5, NLT2). Please note this. Performance is noteworthy ONLY if it flows out of a genuine heart that is passionate about God, NOT ego motivated honorable deeds.

After God richly blessed Hezekiah, he looked at all God had done through him and his sin nature led him to imagine, ‘look what all I have done’. He began to think and feel his leadership skills, personality, or religious ideology accomplished all those things instead of God doing them through him. When he learned Egypt and Babylon had rebelled against the Assyrians, without consulting God, he thought he could also do that. Later, when he heard the king of Assyria was coming to crush his rebellion, again without consulting God, he attempted to use his negotiating skills with Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, by giving him the gold that had been on the temple doors.

After God had graciously delivered him from the Assyrians AND healed his near-death sickness, his heart was still not humbled. He accumulated great wealth. When given the opportunity, he showed the visiting Babylonian entourage all the wealth he had amassed. God then had Isaiah tell him the time was coming when everything in his palace, along with many of the people, would be carried off to Babylon. Hezekiah replied, that is fine with me if it doesn’t happen in my lifetime. (2 Kings 20:19, NIV) This irreverent, unrighteous attitude is what he imbedded into his young co-regent son who would become one of the most wicked kings of Judah. The Bible also says Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So, the LORD’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:25, NLT2). The church of Ephesus (Revelations 2:17) also found out that God is not as concerned with what we do (our performance), as He is in why we do it.  The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT2) My prayer is for the Holy Spirit to help me keep my heart fully committed to Him. Can you join me in praying this for your life?