Honest Summary

Honest Summary

Genesis 44: ²⁴ “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. ²⁵ And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ ²⁶ But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ ²⁷ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; ²⁸ and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. ²⁹ But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

 

============

 

Being forced to turn around from their journey home, Judah carefully explains what happened in an attempt to apply logic to an illogical situation. Joseph had the servant of his house place his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. To top it off, Joseph said Benjamin would need to stay as a slave and the rest could go free.

 

My Observations:

• Judah summarized the conversation with his father by using the truth.
• Judah explained how his father would feel if Benjamin did not return.
• Judah explained that his father experienced a great deal of loss when Joseph was presumed dead.

 

Facing a dire situation, the best thing was to tell the truth. He said how Israel felt possibly to appeal to the human side of Joseph. He did not know he was speaking to Joseph so he did not have anything to gain by lying.

 

Judah said the truth in front of his brothers who were conspirators in the attempted murder of their brother. Judah never said who was the primary contributor to the murder attempt, rather he kept his conversation focused on the truth of Israel's sadness.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about Judah’s summary of his conversation to Israel?
• Have you ever been in a situation that you caused and knew it was time to start telling the truth to keep you from getting in deeper trouble?
• Is your summary of what happened filled with the truth so GOD will be pleased?

Words of Integrity

 

Words of Integrity

1 John 4: ⁴ But you belong to God, my children, and have defeated the false prophets, because the Spirit who is in you is more powerful than the spirit in those who belong to the world. ⁵ Those false prophets speak about matters of the world, and the world listens to them because they belong to the world. ⁶ But we belong to God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever does not belong to God does not listen to us. This, then, is how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

 

============

 

“Spin” was the word used in explaining a difficult situation in a way that made it look as if the company was not at fault or was not responsible. “You should learn how to spin things” was the statement made to me as advice in the new role I had.

 

• Something didn’t feel right about “spinning” words.
• Something inside me said “this is wrong” but “everyone” else said I should go with the new statement.
• I felt bad delivering the “spin” but eventually got used to it.

 

John attempted to address integrity. He may have seen people who were believers, willing to use the words of the world, instead of using the truth. He may have also seen that people may have been discouraged because some people were not listening to the words of love being presented. He gave believers of JESUS assurance.

 

My Observations:

• GOD’s word is made with love for you and me.
• HE wants us to find HIS lost sheep, so we can bring HIS loving message to them.
• I have to realize that some people will not listen to the message of GOD because they do not know HIM.

 

When I say “JESUS loves and forgives you” I get a couple of different responses. I mean, one person will not say anything or may even say “get away from me”, while the other may burst into tears of joy and say “Thank YOU LORD.” GOD wants me to seek those who will hear HIS message.

 

This means I have to get used to people who may reject JESUS as their Savior, whether I like it or not. HE doesn’t need me to be heard, because HE is the one who draws people to HIM in the first place. I just need to be ready with HIS message. I am glad people spoke to me about JESUS.

 

Challenge

• What concern so you think the writer was addressing?
• Have you ever told someone about your belief in JESUS and got an unexpected response?
• Will you seek those who can hear GOD’s message of love by keeping your integrity, no matter what the world may think today?

Money Eyes

Luke 16: Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. ² So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

³ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— ⁴ I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

⁵ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

⁷ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

⁸ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. ⁹ I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

¹⁰ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. ¹⁵ He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

============

• GOD wants me to be honest.
• GOD wants me to be just.
• GOD wants me to see money as a tool, not a life saver.

Three were times when I sunk very low and would almost do anything for money. When creditors were calling and no money was headed my way, I felt miserable. BUT GOD showed me something different. HE showed me that I am made of much more than money. HE gave me HIS mercy so I could love others. GOD’s mercy is worth more than riches to me.

• Are you stuck?
• Do you spend most of your time talking about or thinking about money or the lack thereof?
• Can you examine your heart to see how much of a hold does money have on you?
• Will you serve GOD over money today?

Desire to Win

Luke 3: ¹² Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

============

“How did you beat him?” I asked. “It’s my secret” was the reply. I watched him play the game again and noticed he was taking money out of the bank as his opponent wasn’t looking. He was cheating! This seemed like a great idea. “Maybe now I can win” I thought to myself.

• There were times when I would do whatever it would take to win.
• There were times when I would stretch the truth in order to win.
• There were times when I would cut corners, stack the deck and lean things in my favor in order to win.

John said to the tax collectors “Collect no more than what is appointed for you” knowing most of them would skim a lot off the top for themselves. The industry was corrupt and it was widely accepted amongst people so their practices, while sneaky, were accepted. BUT GOD wants me to act differently.

• GOD says to me “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is HIS delight.”
• GOD says to me “The LORD wants weights and measures to be honest and every sale to be fair.”
• GOD says to me “Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am the LORD your GOD, and I brought you out of Egypt.”

Honesty should be placed higher than winning every time. The desire to please GOD is in fact “winning” every time I play. Whether it is a game or a business deal, GOD wants me to ask HIM “How do you want me to handle this transaction?” HE can decide the outcome and when HE does, I win every time because I accept GOD’s will.

• Are you hung up on winning?
• Do you lie to yourself in order to justify your actions?
• Can you stop trying to win and start listening to GOD who always has a great plan for you?  

Spinning the Spinners

Mark 4: ¹⁰ But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. ¹¹ And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, ¹² so that

‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’”

============

In an effort to make the situation better, my bosses told me to “Update the message to make it more palatable.” In other words they wanted me to put “spin” on the message. Instead of saying “This flat out does not work” they suggested “At this time, certain features are being reviewed.” I wonder if I try to “spin” the explanation of JESUS.

• There were times when I used “spin” to make the story easier.
• There were times when I used a more palatable story to explain things.
• There were times when I would take a lie and try to spin it to “a” truth that was close enough.

JESUS saw through the hearts of those who would never believe in HIM. HE spoke in parables because speaking in direct terms to someone who would never believe in HIM would be a waste of HIS time. HE wants me to believe in HIM whether HE speaks directly or indirectly to me.

• JESUS speaks to me through written history and letters compiled in a Bible.
• JESUS speaks to me through humans who speak highly of HIM.
• JESUS speaks to me through circumstances that only HE can orchestrate.

Amazement can happen on a daily basis if I allow it. I mean I could walk out my door and be absolutely amazed if I were to open my eyes and ears to what GOD is doing. Unfortunately the worries of the world blind me at times to the amazing things around me. GOD says “Relax. Let ME guide you with MY plan.” When I allow HIM to be GOD I can truly “perceive” and “understand.”

• Are you confused about something?
• Do you have a very specific answer for your problem that you are not getting no matter how hard you try?
• Will you open your eyes and ears to GOD so you can see what HE is doing in your life today?

Conducting Business GOD’s way

2 Kings 12: ¹³ The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the Lord; ¹⁴ it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. 

¹⁵ They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.

============

Sleep was my coveted desire.  I mean I gallivanted all night and I had to be at work at 7:00AM downtown in the big city. They wouldn’t mind if I slip into the bathroom and take a few winks. After my nap my boss questioned where I was. I stuttered and stammered through my explanation and thought to myself… “I have to take shorter naps!”

• When I think I can take liberties at work, it spills into other areas of my life.
• When I think I can steal even a paperclip from work I may steal large amounts later.
• When I think I can cheat customers on small items I will probably try to get more money from them than deserved.

I have run into a few business people who have acted with integrity and they are marvelous. In fact some of them made me change my ways. They told me to show up on early, tell the truth and to do what was right when no one was looking. By adding this character to my work ethic, I was promoted time after time.

• GOD wants me to be honest in my business dealings or HE will deal with me.
• GOD wants me to have integrity with my business or HE will not bless it.
• GOD wants me to have character with my business so HE can use it to draw people to HIM.

Slick and slippery don’t mesh well with GOD. HE wants service from the heart and it takes work to push the greedy part of me out and allow GOD to fill my heart.

• Are you trying to be slick?
• Have you fooled yourself into thinking you can get away with the tiny lie you just told?
• Can you stop lying to yourself?
• Won’t you start acting with integrity?

Grow up and give it back!

Joshua 7: ¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. 

¹² That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

============

Toner got all over my hands and finally some got on my clothes.  I fixed numerous paper jams and it seemed like the automatic stapler went nuts as soon as I fixed other problems.  It was after hours and I had to fix everything myself because I was making copies for my social group. “My company wouldn’t mind because they made lots of money”, I thought to myself.

• When I permanently borrow something without permission it’s stealing.
• When I use something without permission it’s stealing.
• When I go outside the boundaries for my own personal gain, it’s stealing.

Stealing was not my mode of operation.  I would never consider myself a thief.  I mean thieves break in and take what’s not theirs. So what’s the harm in taking stuff from work? “These folks are thieves themselves, they have plenty!”

• GOD wants me to mature enough to not want even a paperclip that’s not mine.
• GOD wants me to grow up enough to realize that even the time spent goofing off at work is stealing.
• GOD wants me to ripen enough to desire HIS supply of my needs rather than me taking them from someone.

Slipping out of work early or taking material from the job or doing inferior work to collect a check has not build the best relationship between me and GOD. I may even justify my actions by classifying the company or even my boss as jerks, but it still doesn’t fit well within GOD’s favor.

GOD wants me to be honest in my dealings and desires that I focus my attention on HIM more and more.

• Are you stealing from work by not giving your best?
• Are you stealing from GOD by not serving, giving, or praying?
• Can you give back what you have taken and start over?
• Won’t you grow up enough to admit what you are taking?

GOD wants me to come clean

Leviticus 8: ² He said to Aaron, “Bring a bull calf for your sin offering. Bring a ram for your burnt offering. They must not have any flaws. Offer them to the Lord

============

GOD doesn’t want stolen money from me. HE also doesn’t want “pretend” service to HIM that aggravates others and pushes them away from HIM. HE wants me to have “clean” sacrifice. HE wants me to earn money the way HE dictates and give generously as HE blesses.

HE wants me to serve out of love, not hatred for “those” people or disdain for “that” person. HE wants me to come to HIM as clean as I can.

Are you hiding your "light" to fit in?

Luke 8:16"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

=====================================

For a long time I lived a double life. I was a Christian but I didn't want people to know it. Other people seemed like they were having so much fun. They would laugh and joke and drink, cuss, and well you get the picture.

I just wanted to fit in so I went with the crowd. I thought I was having a ball. It was very exciting at first. I started with a foul joke here and a sarcastic remark there. Soon I could weave a tapestry of obscenities so wide your mother would slap me!

I didn't drink heavily, but the drinking games were part of "the fun." My room mate and I had 3 or 4 people come over and the drinks would flow with laughs and jokes. This grew into 20 people being squeezed in a tiny dorm room.

Our solution to this problem was to get an apartment. Now we can have parties with more space! On graduation weekend, we held a nonstop 3 day party in our apartment. We had people laid out on the floor that we didn't know.

We were definitely "the life" or were we? After graduation I moved to a small town. I had grown so accustomed to my phone ringing off the hook in college that no calls seemed like a prison sentence. I didn't know anyone except a handful of people at work.

I started hanging out with some of them and we trolled the clubs and bars. Something was missing though. I couldn't put my finger on it. Then a strange thought popped in my head. One that I had not thought of in years. Why not go to church?

Okay, I will try church. I visited the boring church, then the loud church, then the good music church, the begging church, the church with the most women. I finally settled on a Bible teaching church.

I got excited and felt the desire to teach. I began to read the Bible and teach on Sunday's. But on Saturday's I would still go out to the clubs. One Sunday I had finished teaching my students and I walked down the hall with them in church. A Saturday night guy recognized me and started talking about the great time we had the night before."

Shhhh! Not in front of the students", I thought to myself. Then it hit me, maybe I shouldn't be doing the stuff I was doing. Living a double life is difficult. It is hard to be a good witness of GOD in the middle of sinful acts. Can you imagine telling the person you just lied about to believe in CHRIST? It doesn't work.

It actually is a struggle inside every Christian. GOD knows humans are sinful so I learned to cut myself some slack. I'm not perfect so I don't expect other humans to be. I now tell people that I was and continue to be a sinner. This points people to CHRIST. They don't look at my attempt to be perfect rather that get blessed because they see GOD accepts imperfect people.

GOD wants us to be open and honest with each other about sin. The more a person pretends to be perfect, the more GOD takes away from them. Think about it... the whole purpose of Christianity is to serve CHRIST. By pretending to serve people in order to look good defeats the purpose of being a Christian.

• Shining light means not being ashamed to say no to the crowd.
• Shining light means you know CHRIST is more than job, title or wealth.
• Shining light means giving people the great news about CHRIST.
• Shining light means you will be hated by the world and churchy people just for following CHRIST.
• Shining light means everyone around you knows you follow CHRIST.

Our lives are made for CHRIST and we should never forget it. GOD was not made for us, we were made for HIM. Our focus should always be "How can we serve HIM?" versus "what can HE do for me today?" With this new attitude, our light will shine!

• Are you trying hard to fit in the crowd?
• Can you be honest with people and tell them about your sins?
• Are you embarrassed about your past?
• Can you turn your bondage of the shame of sin into a statement of victory?