Absolutes

October 24

Then they can train the younger women to … be self-controlled

and pure.

Titus 2:4

Shania realized she’d made a terrible mistake accepting Reggie’s offer of a ride

home. She grabbed his hand, pulling it away from her breast. “No!” she said

adamantly. “Stop it!” The timbre in her voice left no doubt that she meant what

she’d said. “I want to go home now!”

“Aw, c’mon, Shania. What’s wrong with a little exploration?” Reggie’s hor-

mones were cranked, and he wasn’t going to be easily dissuaded. “You didn’t

mind it when we kissed. What’s the big deal?” he asked, genuinely perplexed.

But as she scooted away, he sensed his expectations dying an emotion-

filled death. This doesn’t make any sense. He thought. After all, she kissed me, didn’t

she? What’s up with that?

“What makes this so wrong?” he said, confusion and frustration driving him.

“I’m a Christian, Reggie,” she stated with conviction. “I made a commit-

ment to Jesus not to have sex before marriage. I want my husband to be the

only man I ever have sex with, and I don’t intend to break that vow. You offered

me a ride home,” she reminded him, “not a sexual encounter. Now, please take

me home.”

Completely baffled but resigned not to push her anymore, Reggie restarted

the car and drove Shania home.

h

It’s difficult for teens to remain pure until marriage while television and block-

buster movies are constantly sending the message, “Everybody’s having sex!”

Society has removed moral absolutes because of their restrictions, yet

refuses to make the connection to the rising rate of teen pregnancy, teen abor-

tion, teen rape, and teen suicide.

When we fail to teach the spiritual reason for abstinence, we remove the

ability to understand why morality matters. The consequences of sex outside of

marriage can run the gambit from disease to unwanted pregnancy, not to men-

tion being open to spiritual assault.

Paul instructed the older women to train the young ones. Sadly, many have

failed in their responsibilities by modeling a life of promiscuity, so the cycle

repeats itself.

The cycle will end when those who understand absolutes step up and show

our young women how to reclaim their purity.

Prayer

“Forgive our turn from moral absolutes, Lord. Help us

reestablish them in our homes so our children might understand

Your purpose for their lives. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Genuine Reproductions

October 23

As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects a man.

Proverbs 27:19

The three-hundred-foot covered bridge was located on an old railroad bed

turned horse trail that traversed the Mohican River Valley in north central

Ohio. Glen stood on the bridge, taking pictures of the colorful fall foliage.

He leaned through one of the bridge’s windows and directed the camera

toward the water, snapping frame after frame. The scene was breathtaking; all

the colors of the surrounding hillsides were mimicked in reflection, not quite

as brilliant, yet showing two images: genuine and reproduction. The reflection

was marred only by the ripples in the current as the water flowed downstream.

While Glen was drinking in the wild beauty of his surroundings, a bald

eagle soared up the river valley toward his location. As the majestic bird glided

closer, it suddenly dived toward the surface of the water. Glen snapped frame

after frame, hoping to capture the bird’s hunting prowess. In one swift motion,

the eagle grabbed a fish in its talons, disappeared under the bridge, and flew

from sight.

At home, with photos transferred to the computer, Glen was ecstatic; he’d

caught it all! He’d gotten several incredible photos for his portfolio.

As he brought the images up on the monitor, he was fascinated by one

photo in particular. It was the frame in which the eagle’s talons sliced into the

water after its prey. In the troubled water, the eagle’s reflection was anything

but majestic; it appeared distorted and grotesque. Shaking his head in wonder,

Glen catalogued it along with the rest.

h

As Christians, we are the image bearers of Christ. When people look at us, they

should see grace and compassion, love and understanding. Yet, is that what

they see in us? Do we, by the life we live, have a Christlike appearance? Or,

like the image of the eagle, does the reflection appear distorted and grotesque?

The choices we make are reflected in the way we live. What’s sown into our

heart is apparent to the world.

Only by sowing grace and love with the help of the Holy Spirit can we

become a genuine reproduction of Christ’s image.

Prayer

“Father, find in me the likeness of Your Son and

bring it to the surface so my reflection is pleasing

to You and those whose lives I touch. Amen.”

The Greatest Acquisition

October 22

Do not store up treasures on earth.

Matthew 6:19

You could describe the Connor family in two words: scuba fanatics. They spent

much of their free time diving along the Carolina coast, one location in particular.

“Can we go diving tonight, Dad?” Rafe asked.

“Sure,” Logan said. “I was actually thinking about making another dive

this morning. A little more treasure, and we’ll cash in.”

Rafe’s father, Logan, had been a merchant marine when he was younger.

He’d listened closely to his co-workers’ endless tales and folklore of bygone

years as they’d recounted fables of buried treasure along the eastern seaboard.

After several years, Logan decided to take a stab at treasure hunting. On

one of his forays he’d actually found treasure: two pieces of eight, to be precise.

He’d stumbled upon the location quite by accident. He had staked a pseudo-

claim according to maritime law, but lived in fear of someone finding his secret

cache. So far no one had. Weekend dives provided small amounts of treasure

that were kept in the family safe.

On the day they cashed in, the Connor family found out their claim held

no legal bearing. News of the discovery spread quickly. Salvage crews scram-

bled to stake legal claim to the wreckage. One crew managed to procure legal

claim and went on to discover some 2.5 million dollars in treasure, none of

which the Connor family shared.

h

Our devotion to the acquisition of material goods is staggering; we place per-

sonal wealth ahead of the needs of others yet wonder at the broad-based suf-

fering throughout the world today.

As with the Connor family, we can lay claim to future riches only to find

out too late that what we hoped in could be taken away.

Jesus spoke clearly where wealth is concerned, instructing us to invest

heavily in heavenly endeavors, endeavors that cannot be stolen.

By seeking earthly wealth, we stake our future in material possessions

instead of relying on God for our daily needs.

God’s promise is that if we acquire the hope in His Son Jesus Christ, it

will never be taken away.

Prayer

“I like being comfortable, Lord. Help me change

that mind-set to one of helping meet others’ needs

instead of amassing great wealth on earth. Show me

what You’d have me do. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Cancer of Greed

October 21

Put to death … sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and

greed, which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:5

Kenny was executor of the estate when his father died. His mother’s passing a

few years before meant the entire estate would now need to be settled. It was

a sizable estate to be settled among the three children: Kenny, his older sister,

Kate, and their younger brother, Kurt.

For years Kenny had dreaded this day, but now that it was here he saw an

unexpected opportunity. With startling clarity, he realized the will was rather

generic in nature, and there was room for interpretation.

Having lost his life savings in a recent securities venture, Kenny was

financially insolvent, completely broke. Here was an opportunity to recoup his

financial losses by siphoning off funds from the estate.

So, deciding to make the most of it, Kenny fudged the books to reflect

fictitious debt his father had accumulated. By filtering the finances to cover

those debts, Kenny would make a substantial amount of money and receive

three times more than his siblings in the settlement.

His plan almost worked. Kenny was unaware that his father had taken

Kurt into his confidence weeks before his death because he was afraid of this

very thing happening. When confronted, Kenny initially denied any impropri-

eties. The resulting feud tore the family apart. Kenny was unremorseful over his

veiled attempt to defraud his own family, and greed claimed another victory.

h

Greed is a cancerous evil. It changes a person’s character, gradually increasing

its grip, claiming more and more of the person’s heart, until finally he or she is

consumed by it.

Greed tells us we are deserving, subtly gaining our allegiance, all the while

making it harder to recognize its influence in our own lives.

And it doesn’t always show itself in a deliberate manner as in today’s story; it

frequently comes cloaked in possessive behavior such as stinginess or entitlement.

Paul tells us to kill it.

Through prayer and purposeful giving, without thought of personal gain,

we can resolve any issues of greed in our lives. By committing random, anony-

mous acts of generosity, we put to death the idol of greed.

Prayer

“Help me hold on loosely to what You’ve given

me, Lord. Teach me to have a giving heart instead

of a selfish one. In Jesus’ Name, amen. “

 Offhanded Prejudice

October 20

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing … this should not

be.

James 3:10

“Okay,” Kevin started his joke. “There was a Jew, a German, and a blonde—”

“Wait a minute, Kevin,” Martin interrupted. “Look, I know you’re just try-

ing to be funny, and maybe you don’t mean anything by it, but I don’t appreciate

those kinds of jokes, and I’d appreciate it if you’d not finish it.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Carlos. “To be honest,” he continued, “I used to think

it was okay. But then I realized that it’s a form of implied prejudice hidden in

unsavory humor. It’s a slam against individuals or a race of people meant to

generate laughter. I have to admit that when someone told a Hispanic joke in

my presence, it made me angry.”

“Excuuuuse me!” Kevin dragged the word out for effect. “I didn’t realize

you two were too good to listen to a simple joke anymore.”

“Not too good, Kevin,” Martin gently corrected. “I’m just trying to be

more thoughtful of the language and words I use these days. You yourself know

that I used to freely slander ethnic groups and blondes because it got laughs.

But then God showed me that these people I’d been slamming are no different

than me; they’re actually just like me, and they’re undeserving of my offhanded

prejudice. Whether you believe it or not, what we say influences others toward

those we speak. And I, for one, don’t want to be responsible for planting seeds

of prejudice anymore.”

h

If confronted, many of us would do as Kevin did and immediately defend our-

selves. “It’s just a joke for goodness sake!” we’d say. But that’s just not true. It is

an audible statement of opinion—whether unconscious or otherwise—and we

are responsible for it.

James addressed this issue two thousand years ago: double-talk, or what

society now calls being two-faced—saying one thing while pretending to say

something else.

If in the future you are tempted to use this form of prejudice or are present

when others do, remember God’s exhortation through James and have nothing

to do with it.

Prayer

“Lord, reveal to me the consequences of offhanded

prejudice so that I might know in my heart how wrong this

form of insensitivity really is. In Jesus’ Name, amen."

 Refuse to Quit

October 19

I will strengthen you and help you.

Isaiah 41:10

Darla slouched at the piano, discouraged; her little fingers didn’t stretch far

enough. Each time she tried to play full chords, a sour note resounded from the

piano. “I’ll never get it right,” she said in distress. “My hands are just too small.”

With complete understanding, Mrs. Netching placed her arm around

Darla’s shoulders and said, “Darla, when I was your age, my fingers didn’t reach

either, and I wanted to quit. But my mother wouldn’t allow it. She told me I

would one day appreciate the hard work of today. So I determined to make the

best of things by playing well the things I could, understanding that someday

my fingers would grow long enough to reach all the keys. 

I want to share with you what my piano teacher taught me.” Rising from the bench, 

she stood behind Darla, reached around her, and asked her to play the single-note 

melody for the music in front of her.

As Darla began to play the simple notes, Mrs. Netching began to accom-

pany her, adding the chords that were impossible for Darla to play. The result-

ing harmony was beautiful!

“Can we do that again?” Darla asked, excited by the rich sound they had

created.

“Why sure, honey,” Mrs. Netching responded. “Just remember this day

when your lessons are hard. Don’t let today’s limitations dictate tomorrow’s

potential. Keep practicing; commit yourself to doing the best you can. Refuse

to quit, and I promise someday you will be an accomplished musician.”

h

Life is full of difficult lessons. And there are moments that the only thing we

want is to quit. But quitting in the midst of trouble is accepting defeat without

bringing all the power of heaven to bear on our situation.

Like Mrs. Netching, God wants to orchestrate our lives, accompanying

and encouraging us until we are capable of reaching further in faith.

As the Master comes alongside us, it’s His skill that causes our lives to

become something beautiful. And the music is heard the way it’s meant to be.

God wants us to fight when things get rough and refuse to quit.

Prayer

“I need an awful lot of help, Lord. Please be patient with

me while I get this thing called life right. Amen.”

 I’ll Never!

October 18

Children, obey your parents in the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1

“I hate you!” Benny screamed at his dad. “When I have kids, I’ll never treat ’em

like this!” And with that, he slammed his door.

Geneva looked at her husband and impishly said, “Sounds like the boy I

met in high school. Whatever happened to him?” she teased, hoping to ease her

husband’s frustration at having his son stomp off in rebellion.

“For two cents … ” He decided not to finish a statement he knew he didn’t

mean. “Yeah, I was an awful lot like him, wasn’t I?” He reminisced. “I even

remember saying the exact same thing to my dad.” Then it hit him. “Am I just

like my dad?” he asked.

“Well, I happen to love your father—” she began.

“You weren’t his son.” He parried.

“No, but he’s a good man, Paul. And you could do much worse than to

emulate your father. As a matter of fact, you are very much like him: kind,

compassionate, loving, tender, thoughtful, and considerate. Those are wonder-

ful attributes, and I hope Benny inherits every one of them,” she said with

conviction.

Paul knew she meant every word. “I guess those traits got lost in the dis-

cipline. Yes, Dad is a good man. I guess Benny is just like me; I never liked the

word no either,” he lightheartedly said.

h

Our parents love us. And because they do, they seek to keep us from harm.

Rules serve a necessary purpose. That we don’t like them remains irrelevant to

the fact we need them.

Sometimes the rules can be imposing. And in the midst of that imposition,

we can get out of sorts, forgetting that although everything is permissible, not

everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23).

Most, if not all, of us have made the claim, “I’ll never treat my kids like

this!” And with few exceptions, we’ve treated them exactly that way: with love

and concern for their well-being. To do otherwise would be to fail them. So

when you find yourself facing an obstinate child, consider this: you were once

just like them; then try to smile as you enforce the rules.

Prayer

“Father of grace, teach me to be the parent I

need to be. Guide my actions and help me to not

exasperate my children. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”