Unashamed - Martin Wiles

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes. Romans 1:16 NLT

Some things that I was ashamed of growing up, I’m now ashamed I was ashamed of.

Until my middle school years, I was proud of my parents. While they didn’t give me everything I wanted, they gave me all I needed. I never had to wear raggedy clothes or holey shoes. Mom prepared home-cooked meals, and our cabinets were never bare. Although my parents were not lovey-dovey, they always acted in ways that let me know I was loved. Abusive or negative words never flowed from their mouths. They wanted the best for their three sons.

When I reached the teenage years, my attitude changed. Suddenly, feelings of shame over who my parents were arose. I didn’t enjoy telling people my father was a preacher because then they labeled me a “PK.” They expected me to be good all the time. And the rules I had previously willingly obeyed now seemed foolish. Being made to go to church every time the doors were opened didn’t help either. Many of my friends never darkened a church’s doors.

Reflecting now, I’m ashamed that I ever was ashamed of my parents. Unfortunately, I was sometimes ashamed of what Paul proclaims loudly that he isn’t ashamed of: the gospel of Jesus Christ. I didn’t like others to know I was a preacher’s kid. I certainly didn’t flaunt my faith and rarely shared it.

Things changed when I was in my mid-twenties. I adopted Paul’s attitude—and for good reason. The gospel is good news, and people need to hear some good news. After all, bad news is almost all we hear from media sources. Telling people they are loved unconditionally and can be forgiven of their sins is encouraging news worth spreading.

I’m not ashamed to share something that includes an invitation for everyone. God excludes none except those who refuse on their own volition to come. Nor am I ashamed to share something that has eternal consequences. Refusing to accept God’s gospel means an eternity in a less-than-pleasant place.

Sharing news that has the power to change lives is something to be proud of, not ashamed of. When we receive the good news of the gospel, everything changes: our outlook on life, our priorities, our relationships, and our eternity.

Don't be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Father, give me the fortitude to boldly proclaim the best news I could ever share.

 

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Doing Things the Right Way - Martin Wiles

So Sarai took her servant, an Egyptian woman named Hagar, and gave her to Abram so she could bear his children. Genesis 16:1-2 NLT

Turning the handle the right way produced gas flow; turning it the wrong way produced nothing.

Having a gas tank on his property was essential for my maternal grandfather. After all, he was a full-time farmer who lived twenty miles from a gas station. Getting fuel from the tank took a little know-how. And I didn’t. But my cousin, who lived next door, taught me. 

The large fuel tank was equipped with a pump and a large handle. The handle had to be reversed three or four times to prime the pump. Once primed, the pump handle had to be turned in the opposite direction. When done correctly, fuel flowed into the gas tank.

God’s plan entails a right and a wrong way. God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah. Both were elderly and past the age of having children. Abraham believed God’s promise; Sarah laughed at it. Sarah also suggested a plan to help God after the promised heir didn’t arrive quickly enough. Sadly, Abraham agreed. A son was born, but it wasn’t the son of promise.

God has a plan for each of us, as well as a world plan. He had a specific direction He wanted me to travel. I did, but not initially. At the same time, I’m not a robot. God gives me free will, enabling me to thwart his plan, at least to a degree, just as Abraham and Sarah did.

Since God is all-powerful and all-knowing, He can work around my goof-ups. He allowed me a few years of rebellion, during which I made many stupid mistakes. He also allowed Abraham and Sarah the opportunity to do it their way.

God’s love leads him to bless us in spite of our periods of disobedience. He blessed me with extended opportunities and gave Abraham and Sarah another chance to do things the right way. God works within the confines of our free will to bring about his purposes and plans.

Of course, when we ignore God’s plan, he will send discipline and punishment. Altering or temporarily postponing God’s plan can bring the same. God has a perfect plan and a permissive plan. And some parts of God’s plan are simply non-negotiable—like the Second Coming of Christ.

Make sure you are doing things the right way as they relate to God’s plan for you.

Father, give me the faith I need to do things your way.

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Respecting the Boundaries - Martin Wiles

He makes peace in your borders, And fills you with the finest wheat. Psalm 147:14 NKJV

 

During the day, they roamed freely, but at night . . .

 

As the early morning light graced the farmland surrounding her house, she inched across the backyard, scattering food for her chickens. As they gathered around her feet, vying for the corn and scratch feed she sprinkled on the ground, she snatched one by the neck—a nice plump hen. Before that chicken knew what was happening, she had wrung its neck, plucked its feathers, removed its innards, dissected its body, and placed the various parts into a cast iron frying pan boiling with hog lard.

 

I never actually saw my grandmother do this—but I did in my mind as my mother told the story. My grandmother loved chickens—or at least what they provided. She even knew how to cut and cook the pulley bone—a piece rarely cut now. When the person eating it finished, they often invited someone else to put their hand under the table and help them pull the bones apart. Whoever got the longest bone would have good luck.

 

But at night, my grandmother confined her chickens in a small coop nestled just behind her house and outside her bedroom, where she could hear if something got in the chicken coop. Nocturnal creatures wouldn’t bother the chickens during the day, but at night they slithered around. Coons, opossums, foxes. Her chickens were too valuable to lose. They provided meat for her family and eggs for baking and cooking.

 

Evidently, the chickens didn’t mind the boundaries. When my grandmother called them at dusk, they willingly walked the small plank into the coop.

 

My grandfather followed suit with his hogs and hunting dogs by placing fences around their areas. Years ago, folks allowed hogs to run free in the woods and only penned them before butchering, but not my grandfather. Had he not fenced them in, they would have wandered into the road or strolled miles away for someone else to catch and kill. The same thing would have happened with his hunting dogs. If the road had not killed them, someone else would have gladly taken them.

 

God, too, placed boundaries around His Old Testament people—limits that are still in place for believers. He calls them His commandments. God promised fruitful harvests and peace within their borders if they obeyed. If they disobeyed, the opposite would happen. Some boundaries we might not understand—and some might appear burdensome—but He places them there with purpose.

 

I’ve not always appreciated the boundaries others placed on me: parents, employers, doctors, government officials. But deep inside, I know they benefit me—especially God’s borders. His guiding commands and moral principles protect us from harmful things, nurture us so we can grow spiritually into the person He wants, and demonstrate His matchless love.

 

How can you learn to live willingly within God’s boundaries? Remember, He puts them there out of love.

 

Father, thank You for the boundaries You have placed around me. 

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Holier Than the Rest

Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Deuteronomy 5:12 NLT

Sunday was a tense day because it was holier than the rest.

As a child, the list of things I couldn’t do on Sunday outpaced the list of things I could do. For Dad, most of the rules of the Old Testament Sabbath (Saturday) had been transferred to Sunday.

Thankfully, Mom could cook and clean up the kitchen. But no cleaning the house, washing clothes, working in the yard, shopping, or going to the movies. Some of these don’ts didn’t pose an issue since the only stores open were the drug stores and a few gas stations. And I’m quite sure the theaters weren’t either.

I grew up believing Sunday was holier than all the others because of all the things I couldn’t do.

Observing the Sabbath was one of the Ten Commandments. Over time, religious authorities added their interpretations about how a person did this. By the time Jesus arrived, hundreds of “don’t” rules applied. Jesus had to remind people they weren’t created for the Sabbath, but rather the Sabbath was created for their benefit. 

Early Christians celebrated the first day of the week instead of the Sabbath because Jesus arose on that day. Their observances focused on celebration rather than what they couldn’t do. They fellowshipped, ate, observed the Lord’s Supper, and tended to each other’s needs. It was a day of dos.

Perhaps the original command—and the later celebration of the first day of the week—has less to do with worship than we might imagine. After all, we should worship and reverence God every day. This one day, however, benefits us in more ways than merely worship. God commanded rest on this day. No work. Not even for animals. Observing one day each week reminds us our bodies are not machines. They need rest and rejuvenation.   

Hallowing one day also reminds us we need other people. In the dark days of the early church, believers needed each other. Persecution and opposition were rife. We still need each other. We can watch preaching and singing on television or the internet. But there’s something special about worshiping God with other believers who we can share and empathize with.

God established one day as holier than all the rest. Whether it’s Saturday or Sunday is immaterial. What we do on that day is. Make your one day about the do’s rather than the don’ts.

How can you better observe the true meaning of the Lord’s Day?

Father, thank You for giving me one day when I can worship You collectively and share with each other bountifully. 

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From Sane to Senseless - Martin Wiles

When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before. Daniel 4:36 NLT 

I did it . . . went from sane to senseless.

 

As a young boy, I never questioned the rules my parents, grandparents, or other authority figures dished out. If they said, “Don’t lie,” I didn’t lie—and never thought about why I shouldn’t. I figured they knew why I shouldn’t and wouldn’t tell me to do anything that wasn’t right. If they said, “Don’t steal,” I didn’t steal—and for the same reason.

 

But when adolescence hit, things changed. For some reason, I began to question things authority figures said. No longer did I accept the dos and don’ts at face value. Instead, I critically evaluated the rules, wondering whether they were right. Something inside me rose up, making me want to disobey many of the rules I had previously obeyed.

 

For eight years, I decided which rules I would and would not obey. No one was going to tell me which ones to live by. And I lived by few—as did most of my friends. My sanity had turned into insanity.

 

Then something strange happened when I was a young adult. My sanity returned. Suddenly, the rules made sense again, and I wanted to obey them . . . at least most of them. Some of my parents’ rules I discarded. They were legalistic and didn’t align with my interpretation of God’s rules. But most, I kept because they did align. I pulled a “Nebbie.”

 

Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the great kingdom of Babylon, but pride got the best of him. He went from sane to senseless because he imagined he had built his empire. For a period, God let him live like an animal to show him differently. When Nebbie came to his senses, God restored the kingdom to him.

 

I made some of the same mistakes old Nebbie did. When I chose to rebel and go my own way, I did so because I forgot to whom I was responsible. Nebbie thought he was in charge. God showed him otherwise. Even though Nebbie wasn’t a God worshiper, God still controlled his rule over Babylon. After all, God is omnipotent and sovereign—a big word that means He’s in control.

 

Nebbie also forgot his sole purpose in life was to obey what God had planned, not what he wanted to do. I forgot that for eight years, too. When I remembered life entailed obeying God with my entire being, my sanity returned—like ole Nebbie’s.

 

Leaving God out—or relegating Him to a position other than number one—is insanity. Giving Him first place makes sense.

 

Examine your priorities and see if you have gone from sane to senseless.

 

Father, keep me sane so I can enjoy the life You have created for me. 

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Barriers to Acceptance - Martin Wiles

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. Roman 14:1 NLT

We all crave acceptance, but barriers to acceptance often keep us from receiving it—or giving it.

Contrary to popular opinion, accepting another person doesn’t mean we must accept their beliefs or practices. I love family and friends, but I don’t always love their actions or attitudes. Accepting someone whose beliefs or practices differ from mine isn’t easy.

Growing up, I was taught Sunday was a sacred day. The most Mom could do was cook Sunday lunch. No washing clothes, working in the yard, or going to the store. The day was reserved for attending church and resting. Seeing someone cutting their grass or working in the yard on Sunday was unusual. But could I accept someone who “violated” the Sabbath? Or what about the person who didn’t have the same philosophy about child rearing, dancing, playing cards, types of music, manner of dress, or mode of baptism? Then there’s the person who doesn’t even share my faith . . . and doesn’t want to.

Paul refers specifically to accepting other believers. The plethora of denominations witnesses that believers don’t agree on a number of things. Divisions within denominations also show disagreement among like-minded believers. Acceptance was even a problem in the first-century church. Was it acceptable to eat meat that had been used in pagan rituals? 

We should love all people because they are God’s creations, made in his image, loved by him, and have the potential to be used by him. This doesn’t mean, however, that we must also accept their beliefs or lifestyles. Acceptance doesn’t necessarily equal approval. 

When we let pride in, we’ll reject others instead of accepting them—thinking we’re better because we follow God or because our brand of spiritual living is better than theirs. Beliefs we were taught in childhood by well-meaning parents can quickly take us to this level. Maybe the person who went to the store on Sunday wasn’t a bad person after all. Perhaps they had a better understanding of spiritual freedom than I did. Misunderstanding God’s love can lead us to avoid others rather than accept them. God loves all, but he doesn’t accept all their actions.

What barrier do you need to tear down so you can accept others as God does?

Father, help me see others as You do and love them as You do. 

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One Day You Will Thank Me

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 NLT

“One day, you’ll thank me.”

My wife and I—along with my brother and sister-in-law—decided to celebrate Christmas day and the two days after with a trip to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One of the things on our to-do list involved walking the new Skybridge in Gatlinburg. Throngs of people thwarted our first attempt, so we decided to return earlier the next day.

Sure enough, our second attempt rewarded us with shorter lines and wait times. As my wife and I awaited our turn to step onto the bridge, two families with a teen boy in each preceded us. Signs decorated the railings around the bridge, telling visitors not to jump on the bridge or shake it.

As soon as one of the teenage boys set foot on the bridge, he did exactly what the sign warned against: jumped. An attendant scolded him. He responded with a vulgar hand motion. The worker said nothing—nor did his parents.

We continued to follow the two families across the bridge. Halfway across, the other teenager grabbed the rail and shook. Another misdemeanor—one that his parents again ignored.

A little farther, the two families stopped to take pictures. Wanting to hurry across, we passed them. The father of one of the teens—who also had a smaller child—responded by tossing out the “f” bomb because we thought we were too good to wait.

I thought of this Bible verse and also of one of my dad’s sayings. I wondered if these children would be able to say their parents had guided them along right paths. Sure, they spent time with them, but they also ignored their bad behavior by overlooking their disobedience to rules and authority figures.

Dad always used this saying when I didn’t like one of the rules he and mom had made. When I balked, he reminded me that one day I’d thank him for the rule. I didn’t think so then, but he was right. During my teen years, I, too, went astray—as the bridge-walking teens appeared to be doing. But during my forays into disobedience, my parents’ rules—which represented God’s rules—always haunted me. When I became a young adult, I gave up my disobedience and returned to the right path.

God has given parents the responsibility to train their children in the right way. This entails teaching them God’s principles, but it also involves noticing what gifts and talents God has given them and then encouraging them to use those gifts in God’s service to make the world a better place.

God holds parents accountable for adhering to His guidelines for parenting. Although we can’t control what decisions our children make—and shouldn’t beat ourselves up when they go astray after our honorable efforts—teaching is our job. We must make the effort. How they respond is on them, but laying a good foundation makes it more probable they’ll choose the right path.

Are you laying a foundation your children will one day thank you for?

Prayer: Father, give us parents the wisdom and fortitude to raise our children and grandchildren in a way that pleases You. 

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Rules That Don’t Change - Martin Wiles

For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Malachi 3:6 NKJV

Rules that don’t change do exist.

“Please don’t ask me that.”

For fifteen years, my wife had permitted the question. Suddenly, she didn’t want me to ask it anymore. In my mind, the question was harmless, but it grated her nerves. I said, “Okay,” and went about my business, but I couldn’t help but think of a few questions she asked me that irritated me a little.

What’s a couple to do? How can they know what to ask and what not to ask? I suppose I could make a list with headings: “Acceptable Questions,” “Unacceptable Questions,” and “Questions I’m Not Sure Of.” But who has time to consult such a list?

Conversations usually happen abruptly. Rarely do I have time to consult a list before I speak. I can envision me saying to my wife as we converse, “Honey, wait a minute. Let me consult my list before I ask the question I want to ask.” Or her saying the same to me.

The rules had changed for a fifteen-year-old question. Now I had to adapt. Fortunately, God doesn’t operate the same way. Through the prophet Malachi, He told the people He never changed. Specifically, in this case, His grace never changed. That’s why God had not consumed them because of their disobedience.

We live in a world where some old rules change, and lawmakers and others make new rules. As a teacher, we often have a few new rules every time a new school year begins. And every church I’ve belonged to had rules that changed or were newly established.

God’s rules don’t change. However, moral absolutes—along with absolute truth—do exist, regardless of what people think. God’s Word houses both. 

For me, that’s comforting. To know I can go to a place where things stay the same, no matter how much the world around me changes. To find things that held truth in the beginning and still do thousands of years later.

Finding absolute truth—and believing that God’s Word is absolute truth—brings a sense of peace and confidence. God will be fair and judge by truth that never changes. He won’t change His mind about forgiving my sins or letting me into heaven. He won’t alter the way He thinks about working all things together in my life for my good. He won’t love me today but stop tomorrow. The list is endless, but the point is clear: some things never change.

In a world where the rules often change, thank God that His moral absolutes never do.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for Your unchanging truth. 

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