By far the most important quality of a good steward is faithfulness. God expects consistent obedience. Consider the difference between the last judge of Israel (Samuel) and its first king (Saul). The king (Saul). Saul did not have a heart for God, while Samuel, was cnaracterized by consistency, obedience, and a deep desire for God’s will. Saul was dedicated to himself, while Samuel was dedicated to God. God also expects consistent faithfulness, A little sin can be the first step in turning away from God. We must never allow any sin in our lives to go unchallenged. And we must also understand God expects consistent follow-through on our promises. It is not enough to get off to a right start in building our marriage, career, or church on God’s principles; we must remain faithful to God to the end of our lives. God must be in control of our life from the beginning of our relationship until the end of our lives. God is faithful to us, and He enables us to live in peace. … READ MORE

In 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Paul clearly points to the fact that what should compel us to say what the King would say and the way the King would say it is the love of Christ. It is the kindness of the Lord that leads people to repentance, Christ’s glorious, substitutionary love is the most compelling argument for change. In every setting and circumstance of life, we have been called to speak in a way that pictures the love of God. What a high and humble standard! We need to humbly admit that the methods the Lord uses are very different from those we would naturally select. It is not our natural first response to bless the person who mistreats us according to Romans 12:14. It is not our tendency to forgive the person who is confessing the same sin for the seventh time that day according to Luke 17:3-4. It is not my first choice to fight evil with good according to Romans 12:21. It is not natural for me to forsake revenge for peacemaking according to Romans 12:17-20. We find it difficult to be patient, gentle, humble, and persevering under provocation according to Ephesians 4:2. We would rather wait … READ MORE

the most powerful and pervasive of all idols is the idol of the self. All of us struggle with that idol in one way or another. God’s focus is not primarily on our actions, but on our hearts and our tendency toward idolatry. Like Adam and Eve, every sinner has the desire to be in control and to have the world operate according to their pleasure and will, Jesus lived, died, and was raised again to break our bondage to this idol. As God’s ambassadors we must speak with the heart in focus. Most of the time our words reflect our attempt to get what we want or our frustrations when we fail. All of this communication focus on the physical world and flows out of the heart that worships and serves the creation more than the Creator. God’s agenda in these moments is fundamentally spiritual. God knows that only when He owns our hearts unchallenged, will we relate to the world in the way He has ordained. God wants our hearts to be revealed because we need to see them in order to repent. We must always remember that God is focused not only on the momentary solution to … READ MORE