Accepting Rejection - Martin Wiles

He did not retaliate when was insulted. When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 1 Peter 2:23 NLT

Accepting rejection is never fun.

Peer pressure is a part of growing up. As a middle school teacher, I’ve watched the lengths students will travel to be accepted—especially new students who want to fit in. Parents spend extra money so kids can have name brand clothes or the most popular tech games. New students sometimes completely change their personalities, trying to become the person they feel their peers want them to be. I watched one student overdose on an over-the-counter drug just to get attention. Some who have no interest in sports play anyway. Others make poor grades just so they won’t be made fun of for being smart.

The only perfect person who ever lived also faced rejection. But Jesus didn’t retaliate, change his personality, or try to become someone else to fit in. He accepted rejection as a part of God’s plan.

Rejection is worth the cost when the cause is admirable. Jesus’ cause was worth everything he had to undergo. He was going to die for our sins. His death would usher in a new existence for those who accepted him as God’s perfect sacrifice.

As a believer and Jesus’ representative, we should expect rejection. And I’ve received it. During middle school, in fact, I was rejected and laughed at by some because of my moral values. I wouldn’t let anyone copy my homework—which I actually viewed as important. I figured if I suffered through the agony of doing it, the lazy students could as well. Nor would I cheat simply to make a good grade.

With God’s wisdom, however, we can process our rejection. If we're rejected because we follow Christ, we can depend on God’s strength to help us accept the rejection—regardless of how much it hurts.

When rejection comes, we can also be assured that God will never reject us. In the scheme of life, the reasons others reject us are often trivial. Our ultimate acceptance must come from God—even if it means being rejected by everyone else. When we're accepted by God, our purpose in life will become clear and our joy will be complete.

Think about whom you seek acceptance from, and at what cost?

Father, remind me that following you is worth any price I might have to pay.

I invite you to try my book A Whisper in the Woods 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.

Jesus’ Reverse Psychology on Dependence - Martin Wiles

Then he said, “Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Then he put a little child among them. Mark 9:35-36

As a middle school teacher, one of my tasks is to instill responsibility in the students. At their age, most of them buck my efforts. Although I give them due dates for their papers and projects, most want me to remind them. And even though the school handbook states a student must consult their teacher about make-up work, many don’t and receive a reduced grade or even a zero. Some parents think we’re overly harsh on their young children, but we know teaching children responsibility—even when it stings--will benefit them later in life.

Jesus, however, used reverse psychology. While on the way to Capernaum, his disciples argued about which of them was the greatest. Ironically, Jesus didn’t say it was the one who was the most responsible but rather the most dependent one. And he put a child in their midst to demonstrate it.

Jesus’ intention was a little different. Total dependence on someone else is risky and unhealthy. But total reliance on him is essential and spiritually healthy. Children, at least initially, have total trust in their parents. Jesus wants the same from us. Total trust leads to a spiritually fulfilled life. Jesus will never disappoint us and will always guide us in the right direction.

As with their teachers, children often think their parents know everything. Later, they discover they don’t. Jesus, on the other hand, does know all things. He is omniscient, and since he is, we can place our total trust in Him.

Children also think their parents can do everything. Getting, “I thought you knew how to do everything,” when a child discovers their parents aren’t all-knowing isn’t unusual. Jesus, however, can do all things. He’s all-powerful—omnipotent.

And perhaps most basic of all, children believe their parents will care for them—now and forever. Many do; unfortunately, many don’t. Jesus always will. He never abandons his children.

Learn to trust Christ like a child.

Father, help me trust you as children do their parents. 

Tweetable: Who are you depending upon? 

I invite you to try my newest book, Mastering English Grammar Basics, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book 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.

Held Accountable - Martin Wiles

Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign Lord, for the awesome day of the Lord’s judgment is near. Zephaniah 1:7 NLT

I had to take the initiative, or the consequences would come quickly. I would be held accountable.

Middle school was a frightening experience. Cliques formed, peer pressure increased, and girls stopped being icky. But the most significant change was acquiring responsibility. If I were absent, the teacher would no longer remind me about make-up work. Instead, if I didn’t schedule make-up work, she would record a zero for the assignment. The rule was plain: “When students miss school, it is their responsibility to decide with their teachers to make up assignments. Failure to do so in a reasonable amount of time will result in a zero.” The late penalty or the “I forgot to turn it in” excuse didn’t work either. The teacher subtracted thirty points if the assignment was one day late. After that, it was a zero. Some middle school rules seemed harsh, but the teachers were trying to teach me a more important lesson: accountability for my actions.

The people Zephaniah preached to were adults who hadn’t learned accountability. Because they disobeyed God and wouldn’t repent, God sent a foreign power to exile them. Unfortunately, Zephaniah’s audience repeated their actions, so he warned them about their responsibility to God.

As a teacher of middle school students, I attempt to instill in my students the same thing my teachers tried to instill in me: accountability. My actions affect me and usually others. If I make bad eating choices, my health suffers. If my kids make lousy homework choices, their grades flounder. And poor relationship choices may lead to losing a spouse, job, or position at church.

While there are many earthly sources to whom I’m accountable, my ultimate accountability is to God.

Whether I like his rules matters not. He’s the Creator and gives the orders. I can obey and hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” or disobey and hear him say, “Depart from me.” The choice is mine. Personally, I’d rather hear the “Well done.”

How is recognizing your accountability to God impacting your life?

Prayer: Father, remind us we are accountable to You for our actions, words, and attitudes. 

Tweetable: How are you holding yourself accountable? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Can’t Entertain God - Martin Wiles

“What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle.” Isaiah 1:11 NLT

I’ve discovered I can’t entertain God.

I suppose the first entertaining I did—other than as a child wanting attention—came at the first church I pastored. Someone concocted the idea we should have a womanless beauty contest, so a few deacons and I dressed as women, paraded before church members, and let them pick the winner. I lost. Not long after this, the school where I taught held a similar contest. Guess who was selected to enter? I lost again.

A few years later—when I wanted to grow a beard, but when doing so as a preacher wasn’t widely accepted—I portrayed the prophet Jonah in a church drama. I entertained and got to grow a beard in the process.  

I can’t remember doing any other entertainment until mid-life when I began teaching middle school. Although I didn’t do womanless beauty contests or dress as biblical characters, I entertained them with stories of “old times.” I also made sarcastic remarks—roasted them, according to their lingo—when they asked irrelevant questions or questions I’d already answered.

God’s people in Isaiah’s time tried to entertain God, but He wasn’t interested in their theatrics. They brought sacrifices, which He had commanded, but He told them He didn’t want them because they attempted to mix entertainment with hypocrisy—a mixture He didn’t find entertaining.

God wants obedience from us, but we can’t impress Him. He’s perfect; we’ll never be. No matter how hard we try, we’ll never live up to the standard of perfection He requires. Thinking we can translates into only entertainment. As hard as we may try, our efforts will always be imperfect. Our sinful nature gets in the way, which, even when transformed at salvation, still troubles us.

Grace provides the good news. By God’s grace and through His forgiveness, we can obey, not entertain, God. Also, God clothes us in something we can never earn: Christ’s righteousness. Our works can’t save us, but Christ can and does.

What we can do for God is obey and show our appreciation for what He has done for us by serving Him and others. Then, He’ll accept our acts of worship, and we’ll experience joy as we never experienced before.

Don’t try to entertain God. Just obey and love Him.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for giving us the power to obey You, not entertain You. 

Tweetable: Are you trying to entertain God? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Keep Calm - Martin Wiles

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 NLT

The note gave one simple suggestion: “Keep Calm.”

Teaching challenges the best of us. Teaching middle schoolers presents a greater test, and teaching any students two weeks prior to summer vacation is yet more challenging. But I had the task, as I had had for the past six years.

One young student knew her class had pushed my buttons to the limit. Not her. She was a model student who always came in with a smile on her face, maintained a positive attitude even when her grades weren’t what she wanted, and did her best. 

Near the end of class, she asked for a sticky note. I handed her a small one, thinking she needed it for a bookmark. Class ended, and I didn’t see her again until the end of the day when she pranced into my room, handed me the note, smiled, and left.

The note wasn’t plain blue anymore. She had multicolored it. When finished with the coloring, she wrote the message, “Keep Calm,” in large letters. She gave me a big smile as she handed me the note. “I made this for you,” she beamed. I thanked her, and she went on her merry way.

Little did she know how much I needed the message. Not only because of the hectic scenarios that can arise when we near the end of a school year but also because of the challenges my wife and I faced at home.

I had been doing a lot of what the psalmist had done, but I hadn’t been freed from all my fears. Anxiety and worry dominated my thoughts. I was giving in to the messages of the enemy when I should have been listening to the verse … and the note.

Some days and life seasons make anxiety and worry easier to come by. Overcoming them means recognizing the perceived sources because the perceived sources are not the origins at all. For sure, some scenarios make it easier to be anxious, but no one or nothing can make me anxious, just as no one or nothing can make me angry. I choose anxiety and worry.

We can also choose the opposite: freedom from fears. God gives us the free will to do so, along with the promise that He controls our situations and can bring peace during them if we’ll face them with the correct mindset. The choice is ours, but so are the consequences. Fear and worry bring anxiety, while prayer and trust bring peace.

When you think you just can’t face one more day—or one more problem—keep calm.

Prayer: Father, help us to remain calm when it appears that everything is out of control.

Tweetable: Are anxiety and worry dominating your life? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Attitudes and Actions - Martin Wiles

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Philippians 2:5 NLT

The sound pierced the early morning silence of my classroom.

As a teacher, arriving at school early provides the only quiet time of the day, so I take advantage of the silent moments until the students begin arriving thirty minutes ahead of time.

But one day, a blaring announcement from our marketing manager disturbed that silence: “Attention, students. I’ll be making a clean sweep this morning and removing any extras I see. We have tours this morning, so make sure you clean up around your lockers.”

Our manager takes her job seriously, so making a good first impression is important. Following her announcement, I heard several elementary students talking outside of my room. One immediately began cleaning her locker out—not just around it as the announcement had instructed. Not only did she clean her locker out, but she instructed all other students who arrived to do the same.

“Mrs. ____ said to clean our lockers out, or she will throw our stuff away.”

I teach middle school students, and I wondered if their reaction would be the same. I knew better. Their attitude would be more like, “Yeah, whatever. Throw my stuff away. Less I have to clean up.” Or, “Let someone else pick up that clutter.”

Attitude determines action. Paul instructed us to have the same attitude as Christ. Though He was God, he did not let that prevent Him from coming to earth and dying a criminal’s death on a cross for humanity.

Three attitudes are worth adopting—and will make a huge difference in our resulting actions. One is putting others ahead of self. Jesus did. Had He not, we would have died for our sins and spent an eternity in hell. During His early ministry, He did the same. The needs of others occupied His time.

The second attitude involves serving. Jesus served others more than He did Himself. Feeding, healing, teaching. All things He spent His days doing.

The third attitude entails sacrifice. Instead of letting us pay for our sins, God let Jesus do it. He sacrificed in death, but also in life.

God wants us to love Him supremely and others as ourselves. When we do, we won’t have a problem serving and sacrificing for others, the world will be a better place, and we’ll live more fulfilling lives.

Think of at least one act of service you can perform for someone else.

Prayer: Father, let your attitude be like that of Christ’s.

Tweetable: What are your attitudes and actions? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Push On - Martin Wiles

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:14 NLT

Sometimes, the rules don’t seem to work.

And one particular year, the middle school rules for one class didn’t appear to. The class began the year well. Middle school was new for them. Fear peppered their faces, but it didn’t last long. Soon, they had adapted, and their new natures sprouted.

Some rules vary between classes, but others are constant throughout. Such as no talking without permission, raising hands before speaking, no chewing gum, respecting your neighbor and the teacher. Many in this class didn’t like the rules and bucked them every chance they got.

Disciplinary measures didn’t work. Lunch detentions flowed freely. They continued the behavior. Some received discipline slips. Those didn’t work. A few made it to the assistant principal and even the principal’s office. The bad behavior continued. A few were suspended. Their behavior changed only for a couple of days.

When the year ended, the teachers agreed we hadn’t seen much improvement. We hoped they’d mature and calm down over the summer. Yet, we didn’t give up on them, nor resign our positions. We were there because we cared for the children, wanted them to do their best academically, and desired to see them succeed in life as good citizens and obedient believers. We pushed on.

So did Paul. The trials we teachers faced paled in comparison to those he faced. His list could fill pages and included life-threatening attacks and tragedies. But he kept going, taking the story of God’s love and forgiveness to every place God opened a door. He met his end at the guillotine, but he remained faithful until the blade or ax fell.

God does for us what we teachers do for middle schoolers and what Paul did for God. Our behavior is sometimes bad, and at other times we simply get off track from where God wants us to be. His love won’t allow Him to leave us alone. As we pushed the kids, so God pushes us. To be our best. To adopt love instead of hate. To forgive rather than hate. To move beyond our circumstances and look for a brighter tomorrow. To try again after we’ve failed. To tell one more person about His love.

God wants us to push on. Make up your mind that nothing will keep you from doing God’s will for your life.

Prayer: Father, we ask for the strength to push on, no matter what our circumstances are.

Tweetable: Are you pushing on despite the circumstances? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Depression…Or Not - Martin Wiles

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5 NLT

The question shocked me … and caused me to ponder an answer before giving one.

Middle Schoolers are known for their questions. As a teacher, I answer numerous questions every day—some relevant, others designed to get me off subject. But this question came during study hall, a time when the only two questions are normally, “Can I go to the library?” or, “Can I go to my locker?”

The young lady raised her hand and asked if she could ask me a question. Then she paused and said she needed to determine how to ask it. I expected something silly ... but got something serious.

“Which would you rather have: one week of depression followed by many happy experiences or many happy experiences with no depression, ever?”

I wondered if a teacher had asked them this question, and she needed help answering it. Or, had she read it in one of her devotional books … or had a youth minister ask her.  

I initially said, “I don’t know,” but then rethought my answer. I finally said, “If we never experience anything bad, how will we know what good is—or how will the good be better if we have nothing to compare it with?”

She seemed satisfied. I suppose I passed her test … and maybe gave her one explanation why evil and sorrow are present in our world. The psalmist was familiar with depression and sorrow, but he also knew it would not last. Joy would come in the morning—maybe not the next one, but one of them.

Times of sorrow, as unpleasant as they may be, help us appreciate the good times—making them better. When we experience sorrow and depression, we have something to compare the pleasant times to. This helps me make better choices so that I don’t unnecessarily bring sorry or depression on by making poor decisions.

Sorrowful times also remind me I serve a good God. He doesn’t author the sorrow or depression—unless perhaps as a form of discipline—but He does bring the joy. Joy that comes from leaning on Him. Joy that arrives when I remember He’s in control and loves me. Joy that comes because I know He is teaching valuable life lessons I can share with others.

Don’t detest times of sorrow; rather, let God steer you to the even greater joy that will follow.

Prayer: Father, cause us to lean on You when sorrow comes, knowing You will bring a greater joy when the sorrow passes.

Tweetable: What do you do when depression comes?

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Get It Right - Martin Wiles

Jesus replied, “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 NLT

“We’ve never had a teacher tell us to do our homework wrong.”

Middle Schoolers are an interesting breed, particularly the sixth graders who are experiencing their first year in Middle School. To have a teacher tell them to do their homework incorrectly confuses them—and I do it every year.

One particular year, we began by studying typos—grammatical or formatting mistakes that we tend to overlook when proofreading. After one day of studying typos, I gave them a homework assignment to write five sentences with typos.

Their eyes got wide, and confused looks decorated their faces. That’s when one of the little tikes made the comment about never having had a teacher tell them to do their homework incorrectly. But I had a reason. The students would switch papers and try to locate the typos in their classmates’ work. I wanted them to get it right, so I asked them to do it wrong.

Not so with God. He doesn’t want us to experiment with the wrong to get it right. He wants us to obey from the start. Jesus says He and the Father will dwell with those who do what He says. Obedience is the key to getting it right in life—or, for my students, getting it wrong.

God has moral standards whether or not we choose to accept them. Some chose to live by relativistic standards. Right and wrong are measured by circumstances—or by what they’d like to be right or wrong. God doesn’t measure right and wrong by those, or any other ways. He measures right and wrong by what He, the ultimate authority, establishes as correct and incorrect behavior, attitudes, and words.

Once established, He then measures our behavior by His standards. Although He gives us the free will to obey or disobey, He doesn’t do so at the expense of discipline or punishment. Total disobedience brings punishment, and periodic waywardness leads to discipline.

Obedience, on the other hand, ushers in a life such as we’ve never experienced before. Through the presence of His Spirit, God gives us the power to obey. When we do, we’ll wonder why we ever wanted not to. Joy, along with a strong presence of God in our lives, accompanies a life of obedience to commands that God designs for our ultimate spiritual, mental, and physical health.

Don’t see how close you can come to getting it wrong. Let God help you get it right so you can experience the best life possible.

Prayer: Father, guide us along the right paths so that we can get it right presently and in eternity.

Tweetable: Are you trying to get life right...or wrong?

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Good for What? - Martin Wiles

Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? Psalm 73:13 NLT

I was a goody-two-shoes, but for what?

John Newbery published the story, “Goody Two-Shoes,” in London in 1765 and popularized the phrase. The story tells about an orphan girl nicknamed Goody Two-Shoes who goes through life with one pair of shoes until a rich gentleman gives her a complete pair. She’s so happy she tells everyone about her good fortune. The phrase refers to someone who is particularly good, but is used in a derogatory manner—as in my case.

During my trek through elementary and middle school, I exemplified a goody-two-shoes. I couldn’t help it. My parents reared me in a Christian home and indoctrinated me with the teachings of the Bible and punished me if I didn’t live up to their—and God’s—dictates.

In elementary school, everyone appeared to be a goody-two-shoes, so being one didn’t take much effort. Middle school differed. Suddenly, many of my good friends turned bad—and wanted me to turn bad with them. They cussed, and wanted me to. They talked about pornographic matters—and thought I should too. And some didn’t want to do their homework or study for tests—and thought I should let them copy mine. My refusal brought on bullying and threats of bodily injury.

By high school, I, like the psalmist, wondered if I’d been a goody-two-shoes for nothing. The psalmist looked at the wicked, who seemed to prosper despite their wicked behavior. He, on the other hand, who had lived righteously, experienced trouble and pain. I did what the psalmist didn’t do: became bad with the bad.

I later discovered that being a goody-two-shoes was the right way to live. I may not be rewarded in this life by God or others, but that doesn’t negate that I’ve done the right thing. Such as Job. A righteous man who suffered pitifully.

God, however, takes note of my good living. He expects it, and it’s the right thing to do. He often rewards good behavior on earth, but even if He doesn’t, He does in heaven. I don’t get there because I’m good, but God rewards me there for being good. And I’ll never regret making the good choices.

Go ahead and be a goody-two-shoes. 

Others may not always appreciate your goodness, but God loves it—and His opinion is the only one that really counts.

Prayer: Father, give us the strength to stave off the temptations to be bad, knowing that You want us to be holy, even as You are.

Tweetable: Are you a goody-two-shoes or a bad-to-the-boner? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Joy in the Body - Martin Wiles

For the joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

Buffed bodies and bragging rights. But not me.

The bragging started around middle school. I heard the remarks from male classmates: “I can bench press ….” Or, “I can leg lift …” Or I can squat with ….” I wasn’t one of the braggers. They either played sports—and were trying to build their muscles—or attempted to make an impression on some of the popular girls.

Me? I had no interest in sports. For one thing, I was as skinny as a rail. I could have buffed and toned it and been lean and mean, but I still wouldn’t have made the team. And my interest in girls hadn’t started yet. Nor were they interested in skinny boys—who, by the way, were shy also.

Although only a middle schooler, my joy came not from sports or girls but from another place: my relationship with the Lord. Dad and Mom taught me the need of attending to my relationship with God . . . making Him happy. I attempted this through spiritual disciplines that to me carried more importance than anything else. As a result, the girls ignored me and most of the boys made fun of me. But my joy remained.

As Ezra the priest, Nehemiah the governor, and the Levites read and interpreted God’s Word for the people, the people wept. They realized how far they had fallen below God’s standards. But Nehemiah encouraged them. God would forgive their sins. They needed to find their joy in serving the Lord.

I could have played sports, lifted weights, and served the Lord at the same time. Sports and weightlifting weren’t sinful. I decided, however, to find my joy in spiritual pursuits.

Weeping over sin almost seems a lost art. I’d rather use another word that’s less offensive and picture God as a God who overlooks sins. Sin offends God, but God also forgives when asked. When my slate is clean, I find joy by serving the Lord. Doing so changes my priority list. I don’t have to own certain things to find happiness—which is only momentary. Joy lingers no matter what I have and regardless of my circumstances.

Joy is the overflow of having received Jesus—along with His continual presence—and of living obediently to His principles.

Don’t look for joy anywhere else other than in your relationship with God.

Tell us how you handle self-esteem issues. 

Tweetable: Are you satisfied with your body?

Prayer: Father, may the joy we experience be found in our relationship with You.

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.