When Dogs Are Coons - Martin Wiles

For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it. Ephesians 5:8 NLT

 

A deep growl reverberated from the terra cotta pipe extending under our driveway. But when dogs are coons, I get a little confused. 

 

I was a middle school student living in Jackson, Tennessee. As a couple of neighborhood boys and I played in my front yard near the road, we suddenly heard a deep growl from a roadside pipe. I quickly called Mom, and we all began calling what we imagined was a dog stuck in the pipe. When the calling didn’t work, we tried a little food to entice this frightened little pup. What emerged wasn’t a pup, though. We all stepped back when a raccoon walked out.

 

According to Paul’s philosophy, no one should mistake a child of God. Before Christ, we are sinners under God’s condemnation. After receiving Christ’s forgiveness, he fills us with the light of his love. As a result, our growls should make it clear to everyone that we belong to the Lord. But some things can lead others to mistake our identity.

Watch the Lifestyle 

Mistaken identity will occur when I’m out of step with God’s plan for my lifestyle. I was there during my teenage years. I was a pastor’s son who didn’t want his friends to think he was a goody-two-shoes. So I lived as they did, and, sadly, most of them never knew I was a Christian. A holy lifestyle will always give away who we are, but a wicked one can disguise our identity.

Watch the Gifts

Our identity can be hidden when we don’t use God’s gifts. All believers have one, and many have more. Using our gifts helps others see whom we belong to.

Watch the Focus

 

When our focus is off, others will also misidentify us. Just as I can’t see clearly when I remove my glasses, I also hide my identity when my priorities are out of focus. What’s important to us reflects who we are to others.

 

Falling in love with Jesus and relishing that relationship helps others identify who we are. Don’t let fear, rebellious living, or misplaced priorities hide your identity.

Father, help me shine my identity brightly to others.

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Age Doesn’t Matter - Martin Wiles

Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. Psalm 92:14 NLT

I couldn’t imagine what a sixty-year-old person was doing in my college classroom. I soon found that age doesn’t matter. 

 

Eight years after graduating high school—and finally succumbing to God’s call to enter full-time ministry—I enrolled in college. I wasn’t excited about attending a traditional college where most of my classmates would be newly graduated high school students. Fortunately, I found a college that accommodated people in my age category who were also entering ministry. 

But when a retirement-age student walked into the classroom, I couldn’t help but wonder why God would call someone that late in life. For a person in their late 20s—as I was—a person in their late 60s was near dead. Now, that I am near that age, however, I no longer hold the same opinion. 

Age Is Relative 

 

Attending college with some older students taught me the truth of what the psalmist wrote. Age is relative and doesn’t keep anyone out of God’s service. Even now, I have a Canadian friend who is in her 80s and in a nursing home, but still writing for God.

God Has No Requirement Age

 

In God’s work, there is no retirement age. Some places of employment might require us to retire at a certain age or after we’ve worked a certain number of years with their company, but God never will. He offers the best retirement plan, but he’ll never ask us to retire early, or at all.

 

Age brings certain limitations, but it never takes away all possibility of serving God. He always has something we can do that will trump any physical limitations age may place on us. If nothing else, we can pray or send a card of encouragement to someone. We could even find someone to mentor in the faith.

 

I plan to eat right (well, most of the time) and stay in good shape so I can serve God with vigor for as long as possible. Then when it comes time to enjoy his retirement plan, I can die satisfied—knowing I did all I could for as long as I could.

 

Don’t let age—along with its limitations and ailments—keep you from serving God.

Father, thank you for the years you give me to serve you. Encourage me to give you my all until I take my final breath.

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Life on a Higher Plain - Martin Wiles

I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe in him. Ephesians 1:19 NLT

Almost without exception, it happened every time we backpacked.

From my late thirties to early forties, my brother, daughter, and I observed a regular backpacking routine. Several times a year, we trudged the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee mountains. We planned our trips meticulously and looked forward to each one. With one exception—the uphills. Camping spots were almost always in a valley, meaning an uphill climb was the first thing we faced the next morning. But the strenuous climbs were always worth it. Reaching the tops provided us with vistas never before witnessed.

Although Paul wasn’t describing a hiking trek or a higher plain, he could have been. Obviously, many of the first-century believers didn’t understand the power they had in Christ. They were dwelling in the valley of satisfaction when there was a higher plain to reach. Understanding their power in Christ would propel them to these high peaks.

Living on a higher plain of understanding allows us to use the power God gives to witness. Sharing our faith can be a frightening thing. We never know how people will react and sometimes don’t know the right words to say. Some may just walk away, while others might berate or physically attack us. Though we may fumble our words and risk harm to ourselves, God’s power to witness will enable us to overcome both possibilities.

Life on a higher plain entails trusting God’s power for life’s trials. No temptation will be greater than His power to help us endure and overcome, nor will any terrible situation be so unbearable that He can’t walk us through it.

On the higher plain, God also gives us the capacity to touch others in His name. Loving them as we do ourselves is the second greatest command, according to Jesus. God will provide the opportunities and resources if we merely ask.

When living on a higher plain, we’ll experience God’s ability to help us endure to the end. Jesus said the one who does so will be saved. Life can throw some terrible curves that might tempt us to give up, but the Spirit’s power in us is greater than anything the enemy can lob our way.

Don’t live in the valley. Choose the higher plain.

Father, help me realize the power You give that enables me to live on the higher plain.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Be Secure - Martin Wiles

For I can do everything with the help of Christ, who gives me the strength I need. Philippians 4:13 NLT

Donned in my walking attire, I looked at my wife and said, “Anyone who can wear this is secure in themselves.”

For years, I’ve walked to keep off the extra pounds. But one day, when I dressed in the clothes I intended to wear while walking, my wife took one look and said, “That’s a hot mess.”

My pants had stripes, and my jacket had checks. I topped off my outfit with a striped Fedora hat. I really didn’t care what anyone else thought about my outfit—but that hasn’t always been true.

When I was a young lad, my appearance caused me great insecurity. Somewhere along the line, I stopped caring what others thought and became secure in my identity.

Paul had many reasons to be insecure after choosing to follow Christ. He was hounded frequently by unbelievers who would have loved nothing better than to destroy his ministry. The multiple trials he faced also added to his precarious situation. But he was confident.

As followers of Christ, we can be secure in our identity. The Bible calls us saints. The last time I checked, I was far from sainthood, but that’s my position in Christ. When we trust Christ as our Savior and receive his forgiveness, we trade in the label of “sinner.” Though we still sin, it’s not the pattern of our lives, nor does it have to be. The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live above sin regularly.

As believers, we can also be secure in our life situations. Paul experienced good times and bad times. He established many churches and witnessed thousands trust Christ as their Savior, but he also experienced patience-trying and life-threatening situations. Yet he was secure. In another place, he wrote, I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. Learning that lesson isn’t easy or quick, but when we’ve mastered it, unpleasant situations won’t cause us to feel insecure.

Further, as God’s child, we can be secure in our gifts. God gives all believers at least one gift of the Spirit, but most have more. Our responsibility is to use it (or them) wisely, faithfully, and in ways that honor the God who gave them.

If your life is hounded by insecurities, God can empower you to overcome them.

Father, I give my insecurities to you, believing you can help me conquer each one. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Junking for Jewels - Martin Wiles

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. Romans 8:29 NLT

We can sometimes find jewels among junk. My wife calls it “junking for jewels,” and she once did it quite often.

When possible, I tagged along. We didn’t visit junkyards or stores, but we called what we did junking because we did it among a lot of discarded stuff—stuff many termed junk. We, however, adhered to the old cliché, “One’s man trash is another man’s treasure.”

Our junking occasionally took us to yard sales but more often to thrift stores. Whenever we went to a conference or on vacation, my wife searched for thrift stores, mapped them out, and visited each one. Once we discovered our jewels, we took them home and made them look more like the treasures they once were. We placed them in the dishwasher or washing machine, splattered them with lemon oil, or tightened their loose joints with a screwdriver or hammer.

Once our jewels were cleaned and repaired, we made a decision. Some we chose to keep in our home. Most we resold, sometimes for a handsome profit. One person’s junk often helped us make ends meet.

When God gazes down from heaven, He sees discarded people littering the shelves of earth—people others have rejected, abused, and scorned. People, however, He created and loves, but many of whom have rejected Him. Sin has duped them, causing them to think they no longer need Him. Sin has led them in directions that are slowly killing them emotionally, spiritually, and physically. God, however, keeps junking.

God cleans us up when we allow Him to purchase us through repentance, forgiveness, and salvation. The blood of Christ washes us, the grace of God changes our perceived purpose, and the strength of God allows us to enjoy life once again. As God molds us into the likeness of His Son, He transforms us from junk into jewels.

God is in the business of making jewels of what many consider junk. 

Tweetable: Be one of the ones God is cleaning and restoring.

Father, thank You for Your amazing grace that makes me more than I could ever be. 

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God’s Grasshoppers - Martin Wiles

We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that’s what we looked like to them. Numbers 13:33 NLT

Quan struggled with a foreboding sense of insignificance. His people were celebrating a feast for their gods because they didn’t want them to send evil spirits to punish them. Quan, however, wasn’t participating. He would rather spend time with the local Christian missionaries, the Folicks. They had arrived on his island two years before to tell his people about a greater God. Only a few listened. Quan was one of them. His life had radically changed, but he felt insignificant. What could one person do to influence the actions of so many?

Joshua and Caleb no doubt felt insignificant as well. Among twelve spies Moses had sent to spy out the Promised Land, they were the only two who returned with a favorable report. Yes, the cities were walled, and yes, the people were fierce, but they had God on their side. They could conquer the land. God rewarded their diligence. Joshua was chosen to lead the new generation of Israelites into the Promised Land, and Caleb was given a parcel of land.

I—like Quan, Joshua, and Caleb—have felt the creeping fingers of insignificance. I listen to media sources, and it appears evil is overwhelming good. What can I possibly do to stem the flow? Christians are in a minority, and I circulate in a very small part of the world. How much of an influence could I possibly exert?

Lack of trust will keep us feeling helpless, and this is exactly where Satan would love for us to camp. God, on the other hand, wants our faith. Faith—even as small as a mustard seed—can move mountains because it is placed in the One who can shift them. We can do great things because the One who lives in us is greater than the One who lives in the world. What appears small to us, He can use to make a major impact.

One thing we have that Quan, Joshua, and Caleb knew nothing about is technology. With the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger, we can send the gospel—along with spiritual encouragement—across the world.

Think of one way you can use your technology to overcome feelings of insignificance.

Father, when I feel insignificant, remind me who I am in Jesus Christ. 

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Prayer Works - Martin Wiles

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. Luke 11:10 NLT

People lined the streets as the Roman emperor's chariot snaked along the road in the town parade. Legionnaires hovered nearby, deterring anyone trying to approach the dignified ruler.

As the emperor approached the place where his family was seated, a young boy broke from the crowd and lurched for the emperor’s chariot. A guard quickly grabbed him, saying, “You cannot go out there, boy. Do you know who is in that chariot? That is the emperor. You cannot go near him.”

Struggling for freedom from the legionnaire's grasp, the young lad laughed and remarked, “He may be your emperor, but he’s my father.” Then he continued his run into his father’s arms.

Jesus tells of a friend who visited another friend’s house at midnight. His friend had just arrived for a visit, and he had nothing to feed him. The friend who was asleep had no intention of getting up. He had locked the door and brought the animals inside. His family was snuggled in for the night. But the friend’s persistence persuaded him to get up.

The story isn’t about friends but prayer. God doesn’t have to be begged to answer our requests, but He does reward our persistence. My continual prayers demonstrate my faith and that I’m convinced what I’m praying about is within His will and power to answer. God knows when I’m serious about something. He wants me to know as well.

God isn’t like the friend who didn’t want to get up to give his friend food. He loves to answer our prayers. Doing so demonstrates His love and increases our trust in Him. He has good things in store for us. All we must do is keep asking, seeking, and knocking.

When God chooses not to answer immediately, we must trust He knows what’s best. Perhaps the timing is wrong, or we’re not ready for His answer. If He says, “No,” he knows something we don’t. He knows what’s best for us, just as parents often know what’s best for their children.

Though we may not understand how prayer works, millions of believers can testify it does. Try it regularly.

Father, thank You for allowing me to come before Your throne with the assurance of Your love, interest, and power to answer. 

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Just Bursting Rocks - Martin Wiles

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 NLT

They were all doing the same thing, but their perspectives were different. Some thought they were just bursting rocks.

He lumbered through what appeared to be a construction site. As he came upon one who was bursting rocks, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The worker replied, “I’m bursting rocks.”

He asked another. “I’m working for my family,” he said.

Then a third, “Sir, what are you doing?”

“I’m building a church,” he replied.

In fact, they were all bursting rocks—the results of which would be used to build a magnificent cathedral. But only one grasped that perspective. For the others, it was just work to pass the day or support a family.

On God’s construction site, we should never say, “We’re merely bursting rocks,” or “We don’t know why we’re here. God wasted His time creating me.”

Every believer has at least one spiritual gift. Among them are wisdom, knowledge, faith, discerning false teachers, and mercy.

How many gifts we have or get may in part be determined by what we do with the one God gives us. God removes what we don’t use but gives more when we’re faithful. Nor does He expect us to use them all the same way. Our opportunities are unique. Even when we have the same opportunities, we use them differently because our personalities differ.

What gifts we have isn’t nearly as important as what we do with them. Christians aren’t in competition. We are bursting rocks for a greater purpose—to advance God’s Kingdom. If we lose sight of that, we’ll lose our excitement in doing His work. Focusing on the result—the salvation and growth of souls—helps us maintain our perspective.

Most of us won’t live to see all the results of our work for God. Many of the construction workers died before the cathedral was completed. While it is wonderful to witness someone coming to Christ or deciding to get serious in their walk with God, we will only see the entire impact of our work when we reach eternity. But we have the confidence that nothing we do in God’s name with the right motive will go unnoticed by Him.

Are you merely bursting rocks? If so, ask God to change your perspective.

Father, remind me that whatever I do in Your name is important and will not go unnoticed. 

Tweetable: How do you view your life's purpose? 

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Passed Over - Martin Wiles

In honor of the LORD your God, always celebrate the Passover at the proper time in early spring. Deuteronomy 16:1 NLT

Having a team captain choose team members can be a frightening occurrence. There’s always the chance of being passed over. And I was. Often.

Sports were never my thing. I suppose my build fought against my involvement. While I loved attending games and watching sporting events on television, I never played a single one from first grade through graduation. Neighborhood games and PE classes were my only connection—and I hated both. Neighborhood friends never picked me first. Neither did the team captains. I was too skinny . . .  too shy. So, I settled for being passed over until the very last.

Being passed over can damage a young person’s emotions. Feelings of inadequacy surface quickly and often. These feelings affected more than my involvement in sports. They transferred over into academic life and relationships. As a teen, they upset my dating habits. Not until I became a young adult did my self-perspective change.

For the Israelites living in Egyptian slavery, being passed over was a good thing. It meant the death angel that traveled through the land and killed the Egyptians’ oldest children, along with the firstborn of all their animals, would pass over their homes. He would see the blood they had smattered on the doorframe and keep moving.

I didn’t enjoy being passed over by the popular girls or the team captains, but I am glad God passed over me when it came time to deal with my sins. Focusing on God’s love is easy; realizing there is a holy wrath side of His nature is more difficult—yet biblical.

We are born with sinful natures, but we are also responsible to God. Since God is holy, He can’t associate with sin. Sin makes us unworthy to serve on His team. Yet He is willing to pass over that if we do our part. For the Israelites in Egypt, it meant sacrificing an animal and spreading its blood on their doorframes. For us, it entails accepting what God allowed His Son to do on Calvary’s cross—pay our sin debt.

Knowing what Christ did isn’t enough. We have to incorporate Him into our lives. Being on the team doesn’t automatically happen.

Has God passed over your sin because you are in Christ?

Father, I thank You that in Christ You will pass over my sins. I am no longer under condemnation. 

Tweetable: Have you been passed over? 

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