The Daily Dose

Be the same with all                     

Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.  2 Corinthians 10:11

I may be taking some liberties with this scripture, but I believe the premise is the same.  Paul said in today’s passage that whether he is writing a letter, or he is with them in person, he behaves the same.  It seems that he heard that the people of Corinth thought his letters were bold, but in person he wasn’t much of a speaker.  Paul straight up says he is the same in person as he is in his letters.

Do people say that about you?  Do those in your life see you living different life styles depending who you are with?  Do you take on different postures depending on where you are?  Do you act one way at work, another way at home and yet take on an even different personality at church or with friends?  I recognize that we live in an entirely different time than the apostle Paul did, but we can still be an example to the world around us.  You do not have to try to fit in with the people you are with, you can be different and still connect.  At work, for example, you can be kind and considerate while doing your job well.  You can hold your standards high for yourself and yet show grace to those whose actions aren’t so high.  Look for opportunities to be helpful to your co-workers and show them that they are important.  Don’t become frustrated because they are not doing their job in the same way that you do yours or up to your standard, just love them where they are.  In this way, they will not have bad things to say about you and they will not have any evil words about Christians.

At home, you can be the same way.  This seems like it shouldn’t have to be said, but it is easy to get comfortable around those closest to you and slack off on your “good behavior”.  I’m not saying you cannot go home and relax, but you should treat those you live with in your home and family as if they are the most important people in your life.  Because, quite frankly, they are!  It can become easy to get stressed or even disappointed with family members because you know them better than anyone and what their weaknesses are.  Instead of speaking your disapproval, encourage and build them up.  Home will be a much happier place to be and you will also enjoy your life more.

Same with your friends and people you go to church with.  Even if they are the kind of individuals that want to talk about the latest scandal in the government or the current CDC guidelines, you can be helpful instead of adding fuel to the fire.  Turn the conversation to the hope and peace of God.  Let them know the exciting things God is doing right in the middle of all this controversy.  Stir others up in their faith, not in their fears.  These are things that a good friend will do and it will be like a breath of fresh air instead of a stifling stench.

Today I want to encourage you to be the same person no matter who you are with.  Whether in person, on social media or texts and emails, stop being the grumpy, complaining criticizer you used to me.  Take on a new perspective and a new disposition and enjoy the days you have in this world.  God didn’t save you to look and feel just like everyone else in the world.  He saved you to be the light to all those around you.  Start today by becoming a beacon of hope and a guiding leader that takes all people you meet to a place of joy and contentment.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 10:7- 11

7 You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. 8 So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

Cast down arguments

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, by casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5

Our minds are a battlefield and our words combat our thoughts.  The ideas and concepts that come into your head are merely suggestions that you have the power to receive or reject.  One of the reasons we submerge ourselves in God’s Word is to discern the thoughts and intents that come every minute of every day.  If we do not recognize that we have authority and control over our thinking, our enemy will continuously mess with our heads/thoughts. 

Today’s verse starts out with telling us that we have weapons to pull down thoughts that are trying to take us captive.  However, we cannot fight thoughts with physical weapons, or even other thoughts for that matter. Our thoughts must be taken captive by our words.  When you speak God’s Word, or even the words of what you would rather be thinking about, you are actively changing your mind, or way of thinking. 

This scripture shows us how to identify the thoughts that we should cast down and get rid of.  First of all, we are to get rid of arguments.  These are the internal struggles that plague us when we don’t know what to do, or do not want to do what we know should be done.  Usually, my arguments are trying to justify why I do or do not want to do or say something.  So now that I know this, I stop arguing and start listening.  I ask God for a scripture or “word” to discern which side of the argument is right, and then I ask Him for the strength and desire to do what He is leading me to and what will honor and glorify Him.  I don’t always get it perfect, but the first step is to recognize and be honest with yourself since you may need help with your internal conflict.

Second, the verse says to cast down EVERY high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.  For years I was confused about this verse.  I thought I was to cast down any thought of confidence by belittling who I was, so I didn’t get into pride.  However, that way of thinking backfired.   When I had a thought that I was a child of the most high God, I would push that aside and think “oh no, I’m just an old sinner saved by grace.” Or if I had thoughts about how much God loved me, I would push that aside and think “what could He possibly love about me?”  I thought I was being humble, but actually I was stepping into agreement with my enemy by taking on his way of thinking.  This is the reason it’s so important to know God’s Words starting with what He says about you personally. Such verses as “He became sin so you could become His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), and you are a joined heir with Jesus! (Romans 8:17) The truth is I was an old sinner, but I got saved by grace and He made me brand new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) You are a child of the most High God! (Galatians 4:7) Don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking any less of yourself! 

Lastly, bring every thought and I mean every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  This is taking control of your thoughts by guarding what goes in and not letting your imagination run away with you.  Make sure you are the one directing where your thoughts are going and what you spend time contemplating.  If your thoughts are causing you to fear, you need to turn them to scriptures that talk about the protection and provision of your heavenly Father.   If your thoughts are causing you to be stressed, fill your mouth and thoughts with scriptures that fill you with the peace of God.  You get the picture.  God’s Word is the greatest weapon to cast down any imagination that goes against what He wants you to believe about yourself or anything else, for that matter.

Today I encourage you to take your authority as a child of God and cast that imagination and devil thought down and get rid of it.  Then line your thinking up with all the wonderful things God says about you!  Once you do that, the devil won’t be able to trick you with those “traps” and arguments ever again!

Today’s scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 10:1-6

1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Live above the line

We are sending a team in order to avoid any criticism over how we handle this wonderfully generous gift, for we intend to do what is right and we are totally open both to the Lord’s inspection and to man’s. 2 Corinthians 8:20 & 21

Wow!  In this passage, Paul goes to great lengths to make sure there is no question about how his team is handling an offering that was given to them to carry to the church at Corinth.  Certainly, he is the apostle Paul and can be trusted to carry a significant offering, right?  Yet, he said that he didn’t want there to be any questions, criticism or suspicion about how they handled the delivering of this generous gift.  He is sending this letter of endorsement with the carriers to makes sure that the entire team is involved in the whole process for checks and balances.

So how do you keep yourself in check?  How do you make sure that you are being accountable for all you do, all you give and all you are responsible for?  How do you live above the line of deception? Are you the kind of person that wants to keep their own business to themselves?  Are you the kind of person that doesn’t want to answer to anyone?

I was that way for years.  I kept my distance from others and in the process kept my business to myself.  I thought I was being responsible.  I was determined to make it on my own without anyone else to help me, but the problem with that mentality was I had no accountability.  Nobody knew the debt I had gotten into and no one knew the struggles I faced because of it.  What’s wrong with that?  I wasn’t bothering anyone and I thought I was content to suffer on my own so I didn’t have to burden anyone with my troubles. 

As I’m sure you already know, there was a problem with living that way.  First of all, I wasn’t living honestly, and I wasn’t living with integrity.  Sometimes I schemed, sometimes I cheated and sometimes I even stole.  Sure, I could try to justify my actions because of my circumstances, but the truth was I was in these circumstances because of my actions.  It was a very dark time in my life, in fact, it resulted in many failures and many bad decisions.  All because I kept myself from accountability.

So, what is the key to accountability?   Mostly, it is living a surrendered life and surrounding yourself with trusted people who are themselves accountable to others.  Surrendering first to the will of your heavenly Father, then to your spouse and then to a body of believers that can come along side you in your daily walk. Surround yourself with people who will love you through the difficult time and encourage you to do the right things and make wise life choices.  Most of all, become the child of God that He created you to be by walking out the integrity and honor of your Father. 

Now the question is, where do I find people worthy of being accountable to?  Start with prayer.  Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to live above reproach and to lead you to someone trusted and willing to step into the role of accountability partner with you.  Set your limits and desired steps with them and ask them to help you stay on track with these goals.  Get into a small group with your local church to connect with other who also want accountability.  If you don’t have a group around you, start one.  In that way, you can collect a group of people who all have the same goal of living a life above your circumstances and the integrity to go with it.

Today I want to encourage you to look for at least one person to make yourself accountable to.   I’m sure you haven’t sunk as low as I was, but accountability is important for everyone.  Don’t stand in the place where you think you got it all handled.  It can become all to easy to let things slide.  A little white lie, a slightly stretched truth or a small miscalculation in your favor overlooked.  So easy to let these things slide when no one is paying attention.  Make sure someone is and most of all know that your heavenly Father always is because He loves you and wants the best life for you.  Bring someone along today to help you live above suspicion, criticism and temptation.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 8:16-24

16 We give thanks to God for putting the same devotion I have for you into the heart of Titus. 17 Of course, he enthusiastically accepted our request to go to Corinth, but because he carries you in his heart, he’d already planned on coming. 18 So we’re sending with him the brother  who is greatly honored and respected in all the churches for his work of evangelism. 19 Not only that, he has been appointed by the churches to be our traveling companion as we carry and dispense this generous gift that glorifies the Lord and shows how eager we are to help. 20 We are sending a team in order to avoid any criticism over how we handle this wonderfully generous gift, 21 for we intend to do what is right and we are totally open both to the Lord’s inspection and to man’s. 22 So we’re sending with them another brother who is faithful and proven to be a man of integrity. He is passionate to help you now more than ever, for he believes in you.23 Concerning the credentials of Titus, he’s my partner and coworker in ministry for you. As for the brothers coming with him, they are apostles of the churches, which are the glory of the Anointed One.  24 So demonstrate to them how much you love, and prove that our boasting of you is justified.

Abundant Grace

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”  2 Corinthians 9:8

Grace is a wonderful thing!  It is through God’s grace that we are saved by our faith. (Eph. 2:8) God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6) and His grace is sufficient for every need we have. (2 Cor. 12:9) But what exactly is grace?  I’ve heard people say that it is unmerited or unearned favor.  I’ve also heard the acronym God’s Righteousness At Christ Expense.  Some say it is divine enablement.  While all these ideas are certainly true, I think the best way to define grace is to let God’s Word give the definition.

Today’s verse is the best explanation I’ve found for the grace of God.  It says: Grace is always having what you need, when you need it, in abundance/overflow to accomplish every one of God’s good works that you are called to.  The bottom line is God’s grace in our lives empowers us to be who God created us to be.  Think about it, everything we need to become children of God is in His grace, our salvation, our peace, our ability to complete our purpose, and our citizenship in Heaven.  I like to think of it as grace is the Holy Spirit’s power within me to accomplish everything God has planned for my life.  All the resources, all the ability, and all the strength are wrapped up in God’s grace!

Today I encourage you to spend time considering the grace of God.  Think about how extensive it is.  Remember that everything you have ever needed or ever will need is in His grace.  Then thank your heavenly Father for the unlimited supply of His grace that is in and on your life.  Ask Him to show you how to walk in that grace daily to do the things He planned for you to do.  When you walk out your life living in God’s unending and unfailing grace, you will have everything you need to complete the missions you were designed to do for His Kingdom. Lastly, I would ask you to remember that we walk out the plan of our life by God’s grace for His honor and glory, but we also do it to bring God’s will to earth as it is in heaven.

Today’s scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 9:6-15

6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Giving

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”   2 Corinthians 9:7

Giving is a subject that a lot of churches are uncomfortable talking about.  Since I don’t have anything to gain or lose by talking about it, I want to spend a little time on it today.  Giving originated from God and He is the author of giving.  He started the world by giving us His breath, then He freely gave His own Son for us and doesn’t hold back any good gift.  He is generous and tells us we only need to ask to receive. (Matthew 7:7)  So when God talks about giving in His Word it is not because He is after our stuff or our money.  He is, however, after our hearts.  Giving of your resources is a true indication of where your heart is.  Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  From this scripture we can without a doubt see that our heart and our treasure, or what is important to us, are connected.

Today’s scripture is only one of many that talks about giving.  This one, however, is a little more specific because it tells us to plan ahead of time.  It says give what you have purposed or planned ahead of time to give.  Then you will not be giving grudgingly but be a cheerful giver!  I recently saw this demonstrated clearly in my own life.  At the beginning of the year, I recognized that I was struggling with opportunities to give in everyday life.  When I would pass by someone needing help or see someone that I could bless in some way, I wasn’t always sure what to do, or give, or how much, or in what way.  After talking to God about it, I was inspired to plan to give before the opportunity presented itself.  I wasn’t quite sure how to do that, but I had an idea that I wanted to give in a way that would cause a person to look toward God with the gift.  I got some cards with scripture on them and then asked God about an amount to give.  I put it all in an envelope and kept it with me so that when occasions came to give I was ready and didn’t have to decide what the appropriate thing to do was.  So last week, I was at an event that was taking a special offering for a specific need and as I considered what to do, I thought about how much cash I had on me and what I should give.  So many thoughts went through my head about what I wasn’t going to be able to do if I gave that money.  Then the LORD reminded me about the envelope I had already prepared ahead of time for giving.  Oh, that was wonderful.  It was a great gift that I didn’t have to worry about giving and there was no stress in giving it because I had already set it aside for giving.  I had purposed in my heart and now I could give cheerfully instead of grudgingly.  It was such a clear example of what the Holy Spirit was talking about in this passage. 

Many other opportunities for giving can be planned out, so that they can be done cheerfully.  Things such as a child fund for underprivileged children, or mission work, maybe community outreach or a building fund at your church.  The point is, when you plan ahead of time what and where to give.  It frees you from the stress, worry, and decision of the moment. 

Today I want to encourage you to listen to the prompts of the Holy Spirit inside and He will let you know when and where to give your preplanned gifts. He is the true voice to follow.  You don’t have to be led by guilt, necessity, or even a plea, but be ready ahead of time and all missed opportunities will be eliminated.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 9:1-7

1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. The Cheerful Giver 6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Solet each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 

Godly sorrow

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Once I was living life by my own wits.  The decisions I made and the things I desired were pretty much like everyone else in the world.  I did things that I thought I wanted, and I didn’t consider the consequences of the way I acted.  I received Jesus as my Savior at a very young age, but I always pushed the limits to get my own way.  I didn’t understand that I was a child of the most high God and that He was leading, but I wasn’t following Him.  I was following the “sorrows” of the world that were leading me down the road to death.

This is what today’s scripture is talking about: It says, when you recognize that you are heading in a different direction than following God, you stop, have a change of mind and heart, turn around to consider God’s better way.  You receive His salvation by surrendering all your old impulses and following Him and His plans.  You will never regret it, but if you continue on the course of doing things the world’s way or even your own way, you are chasing after death and separation from the God that loves you.

I was a citizen of heaven and a person in God’s family, but those truths were not real to me.  I tried being a good person and doing what I should do, but my desire to please my self was greater than my desire to please someone else, even my heavenly Father.  As I became an adult, I was in and out of church for years.  I could not find my place and was not satisfied to just come and sit, not to be connected in.  My heart knew that I was a part of a body that had become detached from, and the life was draining out of me. 

The deeper I got in the world, the more I was feeling the “sorrow” of it.  The choices I made were producing regrets more than contentment.  Finally, something changed on the inside and I began to go a different direction.  When I realized that God actually had a planned successful life for me and I could know what it was, I repented by changing my heart, my mind and stopped doing what was right in my own eyes. 

Today, I am determined to follow His plan for my life every step of the way.  Because I spent the first half of my life on the wrong path, I press in close to Him every day, so I don’t get off track.  I don’t always get it right, but I am aware now when He is speaking to my heart and if I notice when I am having any “I don’t want to do that” thoughts, I turn to Him for the strength and desire to do these things because I know they produce joy in my life.

Today I want to encourage you to examine your life.  Are you making choices based on what you want in life or following the plan He made?  Maybe you aren’t doing bad things, but you have become distracted by what is going on in the world around you. You can identify His plan by the lives you are impacting for Him.  Do you spend time praying for those who need salvation?  Do you share the love of God with those who are hurting in the world?  Making your own plan for life will produce regrets and eventually a separation from the God who loves you.  But when you have godly sorrow, you can quickly run back to His arms, His great salvation and the blessed life that He planned for you from the beginning of time.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 7: 8-16

2 Corinthians 7:8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind at ease. 14 I had told him how proud I was of you—and you didn’t disappoint me. I have always told you the truth, and now my boasting to Titus has also proved true! 15 Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect. 16 I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you.

Blessed to be a blessing

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”    2 Corinthians 8:9

I love this scripture because it literally says that Jesus became poor so we could be rich.  It is like the exchange He gave us for our salvation.  He became our sin and gave us His righteousness. (2 Cor. 5:21) I know that some would say that this is talking about being rich spiritually, and it certainly is.  He has given us an exceedingly “rich” salvation! However, the entire passage is talking about offerings and giving, so I believe it is also referring to tangible riches. 

Think about it, we know that God wants us to be successful in life.  We are His children and if we represent the kingdom as paupers, that doesn’t make our salvation look very appealing.  No, our God is a God of abundance, and He wants to lavish us with His love and goodness. We have already seen in 2 Peter that He has given us all things that pertain to this life and godliness, so why wouldn’t we believe that He wants us to be rich in this world’s goods? 

There are also many warnings in scripture on how to handle the world’s wealth which would also indicate instruction for righteous living in God’s success.   1 Timothy 6:17 says, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”  Once again, we see from this passage that God gives us all things to enjoy.

The truth is that having riches is not a sin but loving riches or putting wealth before God is.  God wants to bless us so that we can bless others.  Also, He trusts us with much, so that we can support His missions around the world.  The sad part is that many Christians take on the world’s view and believe they need to go into debt to have all the comforts of life.  That is not the blessing the LORD plans for His family.  Debt brings stress and we are to owe no man anything but love. (Romans 13:8) Yes, He does want us to be rich, but it isn’t just to consume on ourselves, and it isn’t so we can pay all the bills we have accumulated.  It is to bless and help others and to further the work of the ministry.

The passage in 2 Corinthians 8 says that the churches in Macedonia were “rich” in their giving (liberal). They were generous givers.  Even though they were not rich, they brought their resources together to bless the work of God’s ministry.  Verse 2 says they were abundant in joy in their giving.  In being a blessing to Paul and the ministry of God, they were blessed with great joy in return.

Today I encourage you to consider how God has blessed you and the opportunities He has placed in your path to bless others.  Whether it is financially or with your abilities and talents, ask Him how you can bless others with the gifts He has given to you.  If you do have some debt, don’t feel bad about it, just ask for God’s wisdom to get you out and He will be glad to help you.  God desires for us to wisely manage the things He gives us charge over and He will always give us His wisdom to distribute our “riches” in the best way.

Today scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 8:1-15

1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. 6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. 7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also maybe a completion out of what you have. 12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

We are His sons and daughters

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 6:18 – 7:1

Filthiness of the flesh, wronged, corrupted and cheating others. These are the ideas Paul suggested that the Corinthians cleanse themselves from.  Notice he doesn’t say that God is going to do this for them, they are the ones that are to do it.  This encouragement is for us today, too.  Thankfully, we are not alone in the process.  When we ask our heavenly Father for help, we are empowered by His Spirit to be cleansed from all filthiness.  It means that we step away from the old way of living and become new.

You too have the help of the Holy Spirit, but there comes a time in your relationship with God that you begin to do things because of who you are in Christ Jesus, not because what you can get from God by being good.  For example, Paul says to cleanse yourself from all filthiness.  When you are trying to step away from the worlds influence and you want to begin to take on better habits because you know it is the right thing to do, you try to create new habits.  In contrast when you become a child of God and recognize that you are part of His family, now you have become a different person.  Not in controlling your habits, but in becoming part of the kingdom of heaven family. You take on your royal personality.

Let me put it this way.  Before you accepted Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior, you were an orphan.  You were stolen away from your real Father and left to survive on your own.  Then, you acted like an orphan.  You didn’t have a home, you didn’t have a name and you didn’t have a family.  You acted like all the other orphans, alone and afraid with no one to care for you or look out for your best interests.  When you received Jesus, you stepped back into your family with God.  You are now back home with your loving Father.  Now you know who you belong to and who you were created to be.  You now have someone who is always looking out for you, and He will take care of all your needs.  He loves you unconditionally.  You are no longer afraid, and you are no longer lost.  You are safe with your Heavenly Father in the royal family of God.  You know where your home is with Him and you dwell there confidently.  Now you take on a new view of life and you walk in the ways of righteousness because of who you are not because of obeying a set of rules.

When you go to work, you do things honestly and uprightly because you are a child of God, not because of the company’s regulations.  When you go home you love your family and the people around you because you belong to the kingdom of heaven, not because you are trying to be a good “Christian.”  When you go to church you go because you want to fellowship and encourage others in your family, not because it is what you are supposed to do because you are a “Christian”.  You get my point.  You began to live life God’s way because you are like your Father in heaven.

Today I want to encourage you to put away the filthiness of the flesh.  Put away your old worldly habits.  Get rid of the cares of this world that drag you down.  Don’t be that person that becomes angry and offended because of others, be the person that makes a difference in the world by loving others the way your Father loves you.  Start to live your life like a child of God because that is who you are not because you are trying to be a good person. Your Father is looking out for you best interest, so you don’t have to.  Instead, you can look out for His best interest and start bringing more of His lost children back into the kingdom, safe at home with our loving heavenly Father.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 7:1-7

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

Unequally Yoked

“Do not be unequally yoked/connected with unbelievers. What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness?     2 Corinthians 6:14

            A yoke is a tool used by farmers to connect a team of oxen. They are connected so that they can work together to accomplish the same purpose. They are trained to obey the commands of their master/owner and to use their strength to successfully do a task that they cannot complete on their own. Ideally, they would be of equal strength, but by coupling them together their strength is increased tremendously. In contrast if an ox is teamed up with a mule, their stride will be out of step and the load will become unbalanced. Not to mention they will work against each other because one will know the commands and follow, but the other will try to go its own way.

            This is a picture of what a believer looks like when partnered with an unbeliever. At first and on the surface, it may look like the two can walk together in agreement. Yet, as the relationship deepens, the core values and convictions of the two will become magnified and the relationship will become unstable and unbalanced. They will be walking out of sync and there is going to be a struggle for sure! These two will begin pulling in a direction that is based on their internal belief system. The Christian will pull toward the things of God and His Word and the unbeliever toward the world and its ways. It will not be long until the two are pulling against each other. They will not be able to do the task they set out to do because of their differences. Inevitably, one will be stronger and pull the other in their direction. This is the reason the believer often feels compelled to compromise to make the relationship seemingly stable. This connection is not limited to a dating/marriage relationship, it extends into business partnerships, friendships, and even outreach organizations. Being joined to anyone that has a different belief system will not end up with the best possible results. That is why today’s scripture says that righteousness has no fellowship with lawlessness nor light with darkness.

This idea reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:24. He said you cannot serve two masters: Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and the world/money.  Jesus says that when you connect yourself with people or things of the world, your love and devotion will be taken away from your relationship with Him. You are unequally joined together with something other than what God has planned for you as a child of God.  He says in this passage that you will actually serve as master what you have attached yourself too.

            Today I want to encourage you to consider your relationships. Are there any relationships in your life that may be out of sync? If you are unsure of the answer, ask the LORD to reveal to you any place that there may be an unbalance. Also ask for the wisdom and ability to correct it. This is not to say that you cannot have contact with others outside of your faith. Certainly, we encounter unbelievers every day that we can encourage and point toward the love of God. But, your closest relationships work best when both parties agree and God is at the core!

Today’s scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 6:11-18

11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 

12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 

13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!

14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 

15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 

16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:“I will live in themand walk among them.I will be their God,and they will be my people.

17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.Don’t touch their filthy things,and I will welcome you.

18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

What are you waiting for?

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. ”Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.  2 Corinthians 6:2

Have you ever heard someone say “Some day I’ll get my life right with God” or “Before I die, I will call on Him”?  The problem with that statement is that day will never come.  There will always be an excuse or time to put it off.

I used to have that mentality.  I was living far from God, but I always had it in my mind that I would find my way back to Him somehow.  Like it was within my power to pull myself out of the pit I was in and raise myself up to Him.  That’s not how it worked out at all.  There came a day when I hit rock bottom and I cried out to God to come to my rescue.  Of course, He did, but I was in so deep there was no way I could get out of that mess by myself.

People that think this way are fooling themselves.  Some people even go so far as to question why God has gotten their life into such a mess.  Even though they have never included Him or talked to Him, He still gets the blame. They don’t realize that God comes when we call on Him.  Sure, we have to make the decision, but He will not come and rescue you and then keep you from falling into the next ditch if you do not turn it all over to Him.  There has to be a surrendered and changed heart.

In today’s key verse, God wants us to know that He will come and rescue us and He wants to do it today!  Right now.  He doesn’t want us to spend anymore time in the trouble we have made.  He doesn’t want us to struggle our way through every circumstance of life.  He has a perfect plan for each of us and although we may not execute it perfectly, His grace is perfect to get us through.  In fact in the first verse of this chapter, Paul begs with us not to receive God’s grace in vain.  He is saying, don’t receive God’s grace and then not live by it.  Instead, walk in His grace each day to keep you on His path where His best life for you is possible.

Today I want to encourage you to accept God’s offer of salvation.  If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior and the One who paid the penalty for your sin, do it today.  If you are living far from God, come back to Him today or if you just need to get on track with His plan and off of your own road, invite Him back now.

Pray a prayer like this:

God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me.  Please forgive my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new.  I know Your Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father through this salvation in Jesus. I thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to guide and empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus name, Amen

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10