God has a calling on each man’s life. Furthermore, He enables men to fulfill their appointed work. Man, however, must be strong and DO the work.
Man must spend his strength on things that matter. In doing so, we must focus our efforts upon the right things while working through and by God's power.
If there is anything in this world worthy of man’s respect, it is the Bible. God’s word is far superior to any other book to which man may wish to compare it.
There are times when we attempt to do the right thing only to have our motive judged as impure. In such times, we can learn much from David's example.
Once confronted by the presence of the Holy One, man’s personal viewpoint always becomes increasingly realistic. By all standards, Job was a good man, yet the presence of God caused him to abhor himself “and repent in dust and ashes.” Conviction always magnifies the greatness of God and reminds man of his own vile nature. Ezra’s conviction was described as heaviness (Ezra 9:5) which caused him to rend his garment. That conviction humbled Ezra to the point where he said, “I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens” (Ezra 9:6).
The steward is not distinguished for his own possessions but, rather, for the care of another’s possessions. This is true of the life and ministry of every believer. He has been purchased by the blood of Christ and claims nothing as his own. If he has a family, his family is a blessing from God still belonging to God. If he has any ministries, they too belong to God. Even his own spirit, soul, and body belong to the Lord and not to himself (1 Corinthians 6:20). Understanding these truths makes a steward prosper in his walk with the Lord and in his service to the Lord. He recognizes and accepts that life is not all about him. He knows that every aspect of life should revolve around caring for each of the possessions of his heavenly Master.
Only a foolish man thinks he can hide anything from the Lord. This includes his thought life. The Lord knows all man’s thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9) which includes the good (Malachi 3:16) and the bad (Psalm 94:11). David expressed this truth to the Lord when he said, “Thou knowest . . . my thought afar off. . . . For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether” (Psalm 139:2-4). The Lord Jesus Christ often exhibited this capability during His earthly ministry (Matthew 12:25; Luke 5:22; Luke 6:8; Luke 9:47; Luke 11:17). Even the written word of God reveals this ability by being “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
The common misconception concerning love is that it simply involves an emotion felt for those for whom we care. Although love is associated with our emotions, love is, in reality, much deeper than an emotion. It is first and foremost a choice that we consciously make. When God commanded His people to love Him, He was not asking them to feel an emotion, but rather, to choose to care for Him. In like manner, when the Lord commanded husbands to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25), He was not asking merely for an emotional attachment, but something much deeper and far greater. In fact, love is something that can be taught and learned. In Titus 2:4, the older women are to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children. Therefore, when God asks us to love, He is asking us to make a choice to love others regardless of our swinging moods or wavering feelings. Love is a choice to make and a decision to do what God has directed His children to do.
Everyone should and must learn how and when to forgive others. However, forgiveness has some inherent limitations. True forgiveness of sins comes only from Almighty God. People may and should forgive others for things in which they have been wronged, but only God has the capacity to forgive transgressions against Himself and His word. Once an individual has trusted Christ as Saviour, he has been forgiven of all trespasses and the shed blood of Christ serves as the sole basis for that forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). Though it is important to seek forgiveness from others whom you may have wronged, everyone must still go directly to the Lord to seek the forgiveness for sins. The forgiveness offered by others cancels the conflict amongst and between them; however, the conflict caused by sin between God and man may still remain even after reconciliation has taken place between individuals.
