This was written by Jerry Price.

The topic today is, “Me Games”. Without getting into a big word like narcissism, how about let’s give a simple definition of me games? “Me games” means “I outshine others, especially you, and my view of myself is less than true.”

When i think i’m more than i am, bigger than you, faster than you, brighter than you, wiser than you, the stage is set for one great big frustration and disappointment after another. Me games motivate us to exaggerate the value of our own thoughts. It causes us to elevate our opinions and raises the importance of the fulfillment of what we perceive as our needs, even above God’s and, of course, decidedly higher than anyone else. Here is a sticky statement, please let it sink down into your thinking machine: Pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness will cause us to slit our eyes to see only what we want to see, close our ears to hear only what we want to hear, and will turn the song in our mouth into the braying of a donkey.

Whether adolescent or adult, this all-about-me person won’t admit if they’ve hurt others, pushing people away. They only look at their good side, they only play the parts of their mental movie that shows themselves being the hero, and they play it over and over and over. i wonder if we do that because we figure if we play the movie of our own exaggerated importance maybe, just maybe, we’ll actually become as important as we wish we were. Now, it’s true, there is indeed something to be said for having a positive mental image of ourselves, absolutely, but when we play it out at the expense of others, with no regard for anything other than our own elevation, we can rest assured, the Lord is going to address this. It is the game of “I win at your expense”.

There are many areas of life the Bible doesn’t seem to say much about, but oh, you can believe it, it is there, we’re just not seeing it. It says a lot of things are right, it says a lot of things are wrong, you should do this, you shouldn’t do that, but it doesn’t seem to say much concerning a few other things. i call them gray areas, between the black and the white of the bad and the good. Not everything in life is cut and dried so we must read and listen closely. It is true, as a Christian we do indeed have liberty. If what we’ve got in mind isn’t scripturally incorrect or maybe even the Lord just straight out says, “Don’t do that”, then i believe we have the technical and the moral right to do it. But, there are two things basically that should determine whether you do or don’t. It is a discipline within ourselves to think and determine the following, so don’t give up. One, how will it affect others, and two, how will it affect you? Me game players rarely play the entire movie, they only play out the part where they get to be the champion, and thinking to themselves about the negative effect of their actions for themselves or others, well, that simply isn’t part of their process.

My wife recently gave me an article entitled Burglar abuses “dumb” victim in apology letter. The letter from a 16-year-old burglar was released by the West Yorkshire police in London to show the mindset of criminals who target people’s home.

The young burglar writes, “To be honest I’m not bothered or sorry about the fact that I burgled your home. I don’t know why I am writing a letter to you! I have been forced to write this letter by ISSP.”

The young offender went on to say the victim failed to draw their curtains before they went to sleep and were “thick enough” to leave their downstairs window open. Then he says, “I’m not going to show any sympathy or remorse.”

Notice this offender’s Me Game? There is no thought for how he hurt someone else, only that he was gratified and that he was more right, and he leveraged the outcome in his favor at someone else’s expense. And, there it is: he leveraged the outcome in his favor at someone else’s expense. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a criminal offender or a regular citizen, this game can be played by anyone, anytime, anyplace. It’s all about me, me, me, the great and mighty me, yes me and the other person is just collateral damage the great and mighty me is more than willing to live with. The Me Game player is more important and everyone else, well, they’re simply disposable.

Out of many thoughts on this, one is demonstrated by Jesus. The Bible states in Matthew 20, “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in various forms.”

Even in my motives for serving, it can still be all about me, but when I see Jesus, i mean really “see” Jesus, it is obvious, God truly has a heart for others and sacrificed Himself for us. Those who play Me Games won’t do that. That’s right, not “can’t” do that, but “won’t” do that. They are choosing.

Let us all be more like Jesus, having a genuine heart for the well being of others, like Timothy, who Paul speaks of in Philippians 2:20, saying there is no one among his companions like him, for he will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

Thanks for listening, i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.

Wees outentiek, geloofwaardig, eerlik en opreg.

“Titus 2:1 “Maar jy moet die dinge onderrig wat ooreenstem met gesonde onderrig, wat die karakter en regte lewe behels wat ware gelowiges identifiseer.”

Paulus het vir Titus opdrag gegee om gesonde onderrig toe te pas en die mense te leer hoe om reg te lewe, volgens God se Woord, sodat hulle as ware gelowiges in Christus geïdentifiseer kan word. Een van die grootste behoeftes van die kerk vandag is geloofwaardigheid. Ons, as gelowiges, word dikwels meer geken deur die wêreld,  vir waarteen ons staan, as waarvoor ons staan. Ek het na die stad toe gegaan en ‘n klein opname onder jong mense gedoen en was geskok om te ontdek dat baie, die kerk van vandag, beskou as bedrieërs, swendelaars, leuenaars, manipuleerders, egbrekers, ensovoorts. Ja, dit is die woorde wat baie gebruik het. Lewe ons die ‘wet’ of leef ons op aarde soos in die Hemel? Ons moet elkeen ‘n uitsonderlike lewensstyl kies wat die karakter en eienskappe van Jesus Christus weerspieël.

Wanneer ons ‘n Christelike “bumpersticker” op ons motor sit, juweliersware met ‘n kruis dra, of t-hempies met Skrifte dra, kan ons gerus wees dat mense kyk… hulle is op soek na egtheid. Ons moet die mense van God wees, nie net soos die mense van God lyk nie. Ons moet Jesus Christus weerspieël en die mense wees wat Jesus so graag wil hê ons moet wees.  Kom ons leef ‘n lewe wat die onderrig van die geloof mooi maak. Miskien moet ons studeer om te leer wat die einskappe van God is, en dan ‘n koers uitstippel om aanpassings in ons lewens te maak om die stralende goedheid van God te weerspieël. Kom ons besef dat dit dalk ‘n rukkie kan neem om eg en deursigtig te wees voordat ander begin glo in ons geloofsbewerings en ons ernstig opneem. Dit is nie genoeg om net rond te loop en Skrif aan te haal nie, die wêreld wil resultate sien wat ooreenstem met ons bewerings.

‘n Pragtige prentjie in die Skrif word gegee in Titus 2:1, waar ek glo dat een siening van die skrif ‘n beeld is van ‘n krans om die nek van elke gelowige in Christus Jesus. Daardie krans kan baie dinge verteenwoordig, maar vir hierdie bespreking, kom ons noem dit gesonde onderrig. Die idee van ‘n krans is ‘n oorwinning of kroon, maar dit is ook een van ‘n pragtige versiering om ‘n venster met ‘n uitsig. Elke gelowige is soos ‘n venster met ‘n uitsig, en die vrug van die Gees, heiligheid en Godsaligheid versier daardie venster, soos ‘n krans van genade. Daardie krans is vir elke gelowige, en daar is geen kantlynbankie vir die onbevoegde spelers nie. Elkeen is op die speelveld, self al dink jy nie jy is nie, luister na die Here… jy is. Hoe lyk jou krans?

Watter nut het dit om ‘n “Jesus is lief vir jou” stieker op jou motor te hê en dan padwoede te beoefen, of om onbeskof te wees teenoor mense met ‘n slegte houding, voor jou kollegas, of selfs waneer jy buite sig is van ander? Ons houding is aansteeklik. ‘n Paar goeie vra wat ons, onself kan vra, is : Wat vang ander mense van ons op?  Wie se lewe weerspieël ons wanneer ons daardie soort houding vertoon? Die bybel is ons finale maatstaf wat ons Gedrag, Karakter en Geselskap betref. 1 Timoteus 3:15 – “Ek skryf sodat jy mag weet hoe om jouself in die huis van God te gedra, wat die kerk van die lewende is, die pilaar en grond van die waarheid”. Hoe ons BINNE die huis is, is hoe ons BUITE die huis moet wees. Dit is ‘n ernstige misverstand van die Liefde van God wanneer ons “op ‘n Sondag na die Hemel toe gaan”, en dan die res van die week “soos die hel” leef. In jou gedagtes, hoe lyk dit as jy die  soort persoon sou wees wat heilig en soos God is in jou gedrag ? Sien jy jouself rondloop met ‘n gloeiende gloriekrans, wat lang gewade dra, heeltyd heilig opgetrek en altyd opkyk? Of dalk net ‘n gewone mens wat eenvoudig eerlik en eg is? Die Hebreeuse woord wat vir “heiligheid” gebruik word, impliseer sterk dat dit beteken om “afgesonder” te wees, of geskik vir ‘n spesifieke doel. Kom ons wees nie ontrou aan God se ontwerp nie.

Ek moedig ons almal aan om ons lewens te ondersoek en seker te maak dat die manier waarop ons lewe, sover ons kan, die Here te verteenwoordig.  Dat dit wat ons sê, geloofwaardig is. Wees eg.

Vertaling is deur Chané de Clercq

Dankie dat jy gelees het, ek is “Social Porter” van “Living in His Name Ministries”

Of the three C’s, character is the last, and quite probably the most important, it being the engine which drives our conduct and conversation.

Across history many have spoken about the value and importance of being upright in our character, most importantly for those in leadership or are leadership hopefuls. If you go online there are literally thousands of books, articles, meme’s, quotes, short and long winded speeches about character. The truth is, God considers character so, so important, He has associated it with trust, reliability, kindness, patience, faithfulness, honesty, transparency, self-control, and loyalty to name a few. Yep, those are all things of Galatians 4 concerning the fruit of the Spirit, and yep, it’s a really big deal.

Jesus said, “Follow me”, which means “accompany I AM”, meaning, walk like me, talk like me, believe like me, trust the Father like me. Additionally, when Jesus said, “follow me” it also means, you and me together, walking together, talking together, not just you over there and me over here, but we’ll go together as a team, you and me. Rubbing shoulders with God builds us into the person He’s interested in using, and part of our upright character is not being an actor, but honest, accountable, and transparent. Everyone has a public face, or what i call a “presentation face”, but the Lord calls each of us to be instant in season and out. Most folks think of that in a ministerial sense, but that phrase, “in season and out”, in Greek represents, in addition to a ministerial sense, another angle which is to say, i’ll be the same day in and day out, and the face you see is really the person i am. It is a state of being where our outside matches our inside. It means for us to be the real deal, more than how we appear but literally who you are. Not rules to keep but someone to be.

i have watched video’s here and there of someone intent on stealing from a retail store, how they walk in, cruise the isles, watching to see when no one is looking, and right as they start to put something in their pocket, they look up and see the security camera. Suddenly, the look on their face is, “i need to watch what i’m doing here because it’s probably being recorded.” This spoke to me about myself in that our real character is who we are when we think no one is looking.

Many many years ago, i was living life as if i had a split personality. No i didn’t have a split personality, but i did life as if i did. Who i was in the dark where no one could see, was not who i was in the light where everyone could see, and it never occurred to me that my secret self was just as contagious as anything else about me. One day, the Lord caught me up short and posed me a question which rocked my world. He said, “Do you do the things you do because you don’t believe I can see you? Or do you do them because you don’t care if I can see you?” i had a growing conflict within myself which the Lord in the following years came to resolve, making me to be not just merely well, but healed and whole, as in, i am one person.

The character which motivates our conduct and conversation is something we choose. One fellow said that “your character is the sum total of your life choices”. That’s sounds about right to me. Our character is strengthened, not by doing things right, or by doing the right thing one time, but by the habit of doing the right thing all the time, as a second nature. Remember, managers do things right, but leaders do the right thing, and it is always the right time to do the right thing. Let us be willing to pay the price in order to become more like Jesus, not willing to ever play it cheap concerning our character. Let us pursue the Lord and endeavor to live an upright life, never allowing ourselves to muddle the line of choosing by saying to ourselves, “Well, it’ll be alright if i cheat just a little.” Doing the right thing can be just as habit forming as persistently doing the wrong thing. The more we behave in a way that is damaging to ourselves and others, the more “natural” the damaging behavior will seem and will eventually become, Just the way we are.

N.T. Wright wrote that, “our drift away from the Lord begins by our not remaining under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gradually, more and more often excusing bad behavior, and ending up congratulating vice.”

Mr. Wright goes on to say, “The Bible presents us with a better idea, as seen in the vision of being a “good person” based on our constant relationship with God and His promised future. We must be willing to pay the full price of possessing the character which drives our conduct and conversation, not trying to “get in advance something which we didn’t really pay the price of owning, but merely posing a face of having genuine moral thought, decision, and effort.” Friends, if we think others do not see our true character, we are wrong. They may not realize what they’re looking at, but something in them is aware that, in us, is a darker alternate who is allowed to persist.

We are truly powerless to make ourselves conform to God’s higher standard. The world’s perspective of a higher moral code is easier to adhere to considering the world doesn’t mind redefining right and wrong in order to suit their purposes. Many say, “I’ve tried it, it didn’t work,” so they just left the faith feeling guilty. We need Jesus to truly exact right justice, hold and practice high moral fidelity, and consistently be honest and transparent. The Lord is calling us all to be people of good morals, ethics, and principles. It’s not enough to simply appear as the called of God, He’s calling us to BE the people of the Lord with His morals, ethics, and principles, as genuine lights to the world because it’s who we truly are. Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Let’s embrace the Lord’s work in us and never lose sight that the world is watching.

Here ends the very brief, yet important, discussion of the three high points of leadership which i call the three C’s, conduct, conversation, and character, with our character as the engine driving our conduct and conversation.

What do you think?

Thanks for listening. i’m Social Porter with Living In His Name ministries.

Of the three high points of leadership which i call the three C’s … conduct, conversation, and character, and our conversation, like our conduct, is a big indicator of our character.

Most of us probably just talk along, and may not give much thought to this, but God considers the words of our mouth to be among the things He considers as, utmost importance. For the cause of the testimony of Christ in us, we need to consider carefully the words we allow past our lips. In Job 8, Bildad accused Job of being a windbag in saying, “How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a great wind?” The Lord warns us to guard our mouth with all diligence in Prov6, lest we are caught, or snared by the words of our mouth. If that happens, go quickly and apologize before your own words dig a pit not so easily escaped.

Conversations encourage exploration of contexts, decisions, and behaviors of relationships. Conversations are not just passing out information, and instructing others, but a two way street of participation. It is as much an employment of our faith to tell others about Jesus as it is to also be facilitators of conversation, allowing others to see in our lives concerning who God has made us to be, in hopes they will see the green shoots of grace in our own backyards, that’s called getting “eye level”.

i think it should be made clear, the idea of getting “eye level” with God and others is a metaphor as well as a physical action. Good conversation that is “eye level” is personal and relational because God is personal and relational, and nowhere, and i mean nowhere in the Bible, cover to cover, is God impersonal and non-relational. He was personal and relational in the beginning and He is personal and relational all the way to the end. “Eye level” means to be honest, straightforward, and to be on common ground as in direct, personal conversation where there is no third party mediator. By the blood of Jesus, we have direct access to the Father, and have no need of anyone going to God for us, as if the Lord hears one above the other due to title and position. The dialogue we keep with the Lord is highly influential in the conversations we have with other people. Our conversation is the first thing people hear of us. i believe it is the truth, on the average; most people have already struck a general opinion about us within the first 2-3 minutes of opening our mouth.

1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

According to Websters dictionary, a conversation is an informal exchange of views, observations, opinions, feelings, or ideas, and there’s all kinds: quiet conversations, loud ones, personal or private conversations, and others which are the open forum type for anyone who would participate. Conversations typically go in directions which aren’t predictable either, after all if it were scripted it wouldn’t be a conversation, it would be called a “play”. A good conversation, not just any but a good conversation is also “emotionally available”. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t share anything of themselves? It doesn’t go far without some degree of vulnerability, and without vulnerability it usually feels more like someone gleaning information from you than actually wanting to be involved with you. A good conversation is a risk because it requires transparency.

Our conversation is reflective of our character, so if someone tells you they’re a believer, go to church, maybe even a deacon or pastor etc, etc, then turn around and tell a foul joke, laughing out loud even if no one else laughs, it’s highly likely they’ll not be taken too seriously, maybe even avoided eventually. A good conversation is more valuable than we imagine. It is us allowing others into our lives and others allowing us into theirs. Do you see it? It’s a two way street!

Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”

We should not just be a distant light in the darkness in people’s lives, we should be the soft light of grace up close and personal. And if we’re going to let our lights shine up close and personal, let us allow the Holy Spirit to resolve our worldly hearts of sourness, bad language which reflects our heart, fault finding, ignorance, and a downcast countenance. If we will let Him, God will fill us with aspects of courtesy, insight, grace, and salt. We are not monotony on two legs you know, we possess the very life and light of the universe in our hearts.

Our external conversation is born from our internal conversation, and i think we need to ask the Lord to redeem our internal narrative, which is where our conflict resolution begins. Within everyone there is a conversation going on, we may not be aware of it, we may not want to admit it or admit to the contents of that internal narrative, but it is there. The Hebrew word for conversation draws a picture of a well-worn path, or a path which is worn from constantly being walked on, and when in groups, it draws a picture of marching together, or, a conversation, like people who are going somewhere together.

In Proverbs 31:3, “your ways” doesn’t necessarily mean the way you do things, but more speaks of your internal narrative, in other words, don’t give your internal conversation over to those things which destroy, or don’t allow yourself a downward spiraling internal conversation so often you begin to believe your own rhetoric. You want to be in leadership? Consider then, in addition to conduct, your conversation is contagious. How you present the words of your mouth is highly likely to be emulated by those around you. Inviting people into a conversation is a door for clarification and an opportunity to venture below the surface of our presentation face. Conversation is a call to allow our thinking’s and musings to be elevated above the horizon, in other words to lift them above street level to be discovered and to not allow our thoughts to remain buried like secrets concerning hidden things.

Conversation is how people get to know what we’re about, it’s how people get to look at aspects of us which aren’t so readily seen. In our vulnerability during the back and forth talk of conversation, we get to see the green shoots of grace growing in other people’s back yards, and if we don’t master small talk, we’ll never see those things. Conversation is where we connect and are connected with, it’s as much an art as letting God make us beautiful for the world to behold.

There are three necessities of leadership, i call them the three C’s…conduct, conversation, and character, and this is the second of the three.

What do you think?

Thanks for listening. i’m Social Porter with Living In His Name ministries.

Being a good leader is about having such exemplary conduct, character, and conversation others want to be like you. As a leader, you are the example, and as an example all that you are is contagious, even the hidden stuff can be imparted. It doesn’t require you wear a suit, slick back your hair with religious hair gel, or have church-speak down pat. It doesn’t require you be amazing or relevant. Our conduct demonstrates who we are more than anything, anything, anything else. There are people who call themselves leaders, yet are irresponsible, inconsiderate, foul mouthed, and maybe even down right feckless. That’s not even a good manager. It appears to me that’s just someone who has the look and talk down pat, and knows how to spit out numbers and percentages at meetings, but in truth, no one wants to be like them, not many appreciate their character, and others simply avoid any continuing conversation.

Most places who need managers, need someone to figure out time schedules for employees to work, keep track of stock, handle the money and receipts, and sometimes more than anything else, be the go-to person for resolving conflicts between the people who work there or with customers.

Alan Murray wrote that, “The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon. The manager imitates; the leader originates. The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it. The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person. The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing. Did you catch the subtle differences? It’s important we perceive them.

From God’s perspective though, our conduct is one of three primary things which are of utmost concern. Conduct is how we set our feet on territory or an object. In fact, the Hebrew word for “conduct” is a derivative of the word “tread”, as in Deut33:29, “treading upon the high places of the earth.” It’s not IF we place our feet on territory, but HOW we establish our feet there. We can either be a terror and tyrant, or we can live with confidence in Christ, with good boundaries and grace.

From God’s perspective, our Godly conduct requires humility, a stooping down. It’s amazing how far a little humility goes, and nowhere does God mean to be sniveling and spineless, that’s not humility. No sniveling allowed. Humility brings us clear eyes and a clear head for God will always help those who get low. Remember, Prov15 says that humility comes before honor. If we want to be leaders with honor, then humility is the doorway to God’s house. There is actually an element of action in the Lord’s word for conduct. It’s more than just saying good stuff causing people to nod in agreement with us, but is more about putting righteousness into action.

Leaders, real Godly leaders, don’t merely assign people a task, but define for them a purpose. Managers may organize workers to maximize efficiency, but real leadership strengthens Holy Spirit giftings, nurture skills, develops talent, imparting inspiration and passion. Conduct, it’s not IF you stand, but HOW you stand.

i believe we can learn to be a manager, but leadership, real leadership is a gift developed by God. We can read all the 5 easy steps to leadership books we want, but the truth is, if we’re not called to it, we’re simply not called to it. Now, look, if God has not called you to be leadership, don’t let it get you down. Just because we have a different calling, doesn’t mean we have a lesser calling.

The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about conduct. Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Righteous leadership tips the house towards the Lord and uprightness, and atrocious leadership tips the house toward atrocity. Proverbs 29:23, “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” And here again, the goal of being a leader is not one of putting yourself in a position of being honored, sitting in high places, strutting around in mock authority. That kind of conduct is not conducive to leading anyone except those who live in the same swirling madness. Remember, humility comes before honor, so if your goal is to get to a platform and own that microphone so everyone will listen to you, you’ve gotta get low first. In order to make good wine there must first come the crushing of grapes.

God has called us to actually, actually, truly possess a heart inclined to Godly conduct, not just a heart which puts on airs of good conduct for the hidden agenda of gaining a platform. A man is judged by his works, his achievements, his deeds… his total conduct, all of which is intrinsic to being a leader. Godly conduct is the result of being boiled down through trial, or hewed to a shape, as God has been allowed to form our character, like a potter shapes the clay.

Jesus is our most outstanding example of leadership, of our exemplary conduct, character, and conversation. Study how He conducted Himself and then follow His example. Ephesians 4:20-24, “But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

We have been empowered through the blood of Jesus to continually live in what Paul describes in that scripture as foundational to good conduct. Good conduct is not IF you place your feet on territory, but HOW you place your feet there. 1Tim3:15, “if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

This is speaking of responsible, Godly leadership, where our conduct in God’s house lays the ground work of truth, and being in leadership demands a special kind of conduct. Did you get that? Our Godly conduct lays the ground work of truth in Christ. God is using you as an example.
John Maxwell says if you think you’re a leader, look behind you and if no one is following you, you’re not a leader, you’re just someone out for a long walk. Not everyone with the title of leader is a leader. Managers are not necessarily leaders. CEO’s are not necessarily leaders. Politicians are not necessarily leaders. Pastors are not necessarily leaders. Some people just wind up with a title because: No one else wanted it. OR No one else was qualified. Leaders don’t have to call themselves leaders in order to be leaders. If we have to tell people we are a leader so they’ll know we’re in leadership, chances are good we’re probably not all we think.

Paul Turner asks, “So my friends, is your conduct as a leader speaking loud enough? Look behind you…is anyone following? If no one is there, you may not be in leadership like you think. Who are you inspiring and how can you tell?” And i say, Remember, if you want others to be different, you be different. What do you think?

Thanks for listening. i’m Social Porter with Living In His Name ministries.

This week has been like every other week in that there have been extraordinary moments, a very few low moments, but by far and large time has passed in the everyday doings of life, just like everyone else.

On a side note, i find it interesting how many people have something in mind they feel God has called them to do, or what’s more commonly called, “a ministry”, but yet when the money isn’t there to pay them to do what they believe God has appointed them to do, suddenly they question whether God actually appointed them in the first place. i was recently asked, “What is your ministry?” i actually have an answer, and it’s a reply which doesn’t point myself out or elevate my status. Here it is: My ministry is to live a life which is a constant upward pointing to the sovereignty of God as my second nature, and to do what so ever He asks of me to do with all my heart, to be at the ready at all times, to do more than do rules but to yield and let His words persuade my heart. You know, if there really is only one name under Heaven, then i figure i’ve got no business tagging my name on everything so people will know who i am.

i have a truth i picked up from an old minister of the gospel many years ago, he said, “Where God’s appointment is, therein is the provision.” i think maybe our dilemma is our perspective of “Just what exactly constitutes God’s provision?” As an example, we expect money, God gives character and anointing. Would you be willing to trade a little of your character and anointing for an increase in pay? Can we accurately judge if the Lord is in our midst by how many people come to our church?

Think about it – there are more than a few golden calves around with lots of people in attendance. Can we accurately judge if God is with us by how much money people give us? Money follows ministry, ministry doesn’t follow money. There’s more than a few services around which people give lots of money to, and God has long ago left the scene. Don’t get me wrong, money and provision are a minor indicator of God’s calling, but, but absolute far and large, there are more important things than money which indicate God’s calling. Be circumspect, meaning to take all things into account to discern the Lord. Exodus 23:13, “… And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.”

When our money, or lack thereof, becomes a measure of our worth, anointing and calling, there is a serious conflict within us which needs resolution.

That’s not tonight’s topic, it’s just a side bar which seemed to need some encouragement for us to think carefully about.

This evening, our table topic is compassion, what is it, do we have a heart of compassion, and how do we access the most compassionate heart in the universe? 

Jesus demonstrated compassion, He responded to the compassion of others, He went beyond words, and was THE example of the compassionate heart of the Father.

Jesus not only demonstrated great power; he also demonstrated mercy and compassion as an example to us. Compassion is derived from the word for mercy and in many places the early translators used compassion instead of mercy, although there is a difference. Our politically correct and conveniently polite society avoids the suffering multitudes, they just look like trouble, and the three L’s bother us, the Least, the Left Behind, and the Lost. But Jesus reached out and helped anyone in need.

In light of that, what exactly is compassion? Consider this: the kindness of God threw a drowning man a rope of hope, and compassion encouraged the man to grip that rope to receive God’s extension for rescue. Compassion. We all say we’ve got it, but i wonder if we really understand what God has deposited in us?

i believe compassion involves having a different perspective than empathy when it comes to how we perceive others, often being confused with empathy. Compassion has the added element of having a desire to reduce the suffering of other people, more than empathy, it’s taking action and getting involved. i define empathy as the ability to put myself in the other person’s shoes without joining them in their circumstances. In other words, sympathy says you are sick and i join you in your sickness, empathy says you are sick and i help you get over it without my joining you in your suffering, and apathy doesn’t care if you’re ill or not.

God was compassionate towards us as fallen mankind, but His Son, Jesus, not only empathized with us, but He also SYMPATHIZED with us. He not only understood our dilemma, but He also joined us in overcoming that dilemma without capitulating to participating in the cause of our dilemma, with the cause being iniquity, transgression, and sin.

Hebrews 4:15: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Do you see that phrase “touched with the feeling”? That phrase is from the Greek word, sympatheo (soom-path-eh’-o), or sympathy, meaning Jesus understood our suffering, AND He suffered everything we suffer while He was here as God in the flesh. Wow, what a Savior!!

Compassion is the forerunner of and leads to empathy. The early church fathers considered compassion more virtuous than simple empathy because, as St. Augustine said, “compassion commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another’s suffering.” “Active” being a very important word there, not passive, but “active”. Universally, across the board, in most all religions on the earth, compassion is held as among the greatest of virtues. Now i can’t remember ever, in my life, hearing someone use the word virtue, outside of a biblical context, so i’ve got to wonder, what is virtue? Here’s a very good idea: Virtue is excellent character, kindness, faith, generosity and moral goodness according to God. Take special note of that, it’s according to God.

So, here’s the crossroads … if we’re honest, in addition to understanding why some people suffer the things they suffer, drug addiction, homelessness, hunger, etc. … would you be willing to consider taking action to alleviate their suffering? There’s nothing wrong with giving money, but the Lord calls us to more than just throw money at suffering. Someone must actually have the heart to do the work. Understanding someone’s suffering and actually taking action to alleviate their suffering is two different things. Empathy says we understand the situation, compassion says we go the extra mile and take action. Just because we acknowledge and agree that something is true is not the same as actually doing something about it. Agreement with the truth and commitment to take action based on the truth are different. Sincerity is not the same as following Jesus.

Matthew 5:41”If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” The Lord is leading us to enlarge our compassion for the suffering world around us.

We in church today say we love our neighbor, but if we won’t hardly go the extra mile for ourselves, what makes us think we’ll go the extra-mile for anyone else?

In 2007, a stabbing victim lay dying on the floor of a Kansas City convenience store. Five shoppers who were in the store at the time stepped over the woman, and continued to make their purchases being careful to not step in the blood. The store video showed the woman struggling to her feet three times without anyone stopping to help. All but one person stepped over her, and the one who did stop, stopped to take a picture. The outright lack of compassion for this young woman’s life, or anyone else for that matter, is deeply troubling. What is wrong with our society? Maybe people generally feel that every time they are empathetic, someone tries to take advantage of them, i don’t know. Does the lack of compassion within our society reflect the lack of compassion in the ranks of our leadership? We need God-grown compassion, and it only comes from Him.

i don’t know if the following has ever happened to you, but it certainly happened to me one time. At one point, life was very hard for me. i cried a lot. One day i met up with a friend from work who asked how i was doing. As i began to explain my situation, a couple tears rolled out of my eyes, but when i looked up, my buddy was gone. Vanished. In the following days as i pondered those events, i realized that some people get overwhelmed with the suffering of others and they put physical and emotional distance between us and themselves. It may not have anything to do with the person in crisis, they may have a similar crisis of their own going on and just can’t bear to hear of someone else’s pain. Some may even stay and listen but, simultaneously, emotionally disconnect, when that happens the person in crisis, like i was, experiences something like emotional abandonment and often have no idea why the feel that way. The Lord’s compassion is unwavering though. He always hears us and never abandons us.

The compassion God grows in our heart makes us capable of reducing suffering and fulfilling our God ordained purpose of transforming the world into something which reflects the Kingdom of Heaven. It may be only the environment in your space, and could include an entire business.

Again, it needs to be said, from before the foundations of the universe was laid, the character of the cross was worked in the heart of the Father, and out of love and compassion, from before the beginning, God laid a plan of salvation for the object of His affection. It was Love and compassion for the condemned gripped-by-sin-universe which compelled Jesus to relate to us and also to die for the sins of the world.

Compassion and Love were the motivation of Christ for healing! It’s never for the thrill of sensationalism, nor for the prospering of our selves.

The rivers of God’s compassion and mercy run full throttle, constantly, and never run dry; they are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23, ^“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness oh Lord.”

Every morning without fail, to be seen by those who have eyes to see, we have fresh instances of God’s compassion towards us and just because we don’t see doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Every morning He brings his judgment to light, Zephaniah 3:5, “Morning by morning He dispenses His justice, and every new day he does not fail…”

When our personal comforts fail, God’s compassions do not. He renews our strength with compassion, Psalm 86:15-16, “But you, O Lord, are  compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant.”

Identifying with another person is an essential process for human beings. When people feel no one can identify with their problems they lean toward feeling abandoned, rejected, isolated, and alone. As our world collapses in upon itself, life seems to be taking a nose dive and nothing is working out, or when the end of this world is finally in sight, let us take refuge in Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

           What should we do with someone who really has no empathy or compassion for those who are suffering and burdened with grief? What do you do when someone says something that is ignorant and/or hurtful? We could just let our woundedness drive us backwards adding the hurtful situation to our list of victim credentials, or we can let the Lord change our hearts and turn our hurts into compassion for others. One man said, “When someone throws dirt on you, learn to grow flowers.” One thing which has really helped me to maintain my footing around people who seem uncompassionate, right off, is to stop caring so much about what other people think and start caring about what God thinks. Let the Lord teach you how to be comfortable in your own skin. Another thing to do is to know that your life is a meaningful and worthy existence, just as God made you, and it’s ok to look and sound like yourself. It’s good to know you are a sinner saved by grace, it’s important to know you are dead to sin and God no longer calls you sinner but saint. If you only stop there though, never taking in the full counsel of the Lord, you’ll always be stuck in all your unworthiness like something trapped in the washing-machine beater, just pounding back and forth. Let gratitude for even the small things seep into your heart, like laughing children, the light of the moon, good food, shelter … those are things we take for granted so often it seems.

Lastly, be in the moment, be present and in the room. You may think those are small things, but they really do make a difference.

Oh, this next part is so good. Matthew Henry speaks of God’s compassion in his “Commentary of the Whole Bible” saying, “For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.”

Matthew Henry continues, “Mountains have sometimes been shaken by earthquakes, and removed; but the promises of God were never broken by the shock of any event. “When our friends fail us our God does not, and neither does his compassion and kindness depart. Do the kings of the earth, and the rulers, set themselves against the Lord? They shall depart and be removed. Great mountains which stand in the way of the salvation of the church, they shall be made low (Zachariah  4:7), but God’s compassion and kindness shall never depart from his people, for whom he loves he loves to the end; nor shall the covenant of his peace ever be removed, for he is the Lord that has mercy on his people. Therefore the covenant is immovable, because it is not built on our merit, which is an uncertain thing, but on God’s mercy, which is from everlasting to everlasting.”

An open hand is indicative of generosity, and a closed fist is about judgment and the restriction of any generosity. We, who are believers, ought to pursue the Lord that we would be people similar to Him in more than just being prosperous with good words, yet operating so much of our lives with a closed fist. We need God’s compassion to become our compassion. Jesus was compassionate to the masses before we were, and because He was that way, it is made possible that we can be that way. Because Jesus loved, we can love. Because Jesus had compassion and empathy, we can be that way too. Not just “act” like that, but “be” like that. The entire Hebrew language, which the O.T. is written in, is highly action oriented.

God has a never ending compassionate heart towards us, and when we make a mistake, He’s not a cruel task master standing over us with a whip held high above His head, ready to strike. That is the doctrine of men, and not the heart of the Father. So many of us are so, so afraid of making a mistake and getting something wrong. A well-known evangelist said, concerning mistakes, “…what matters to God is our heart, not our performance. He knows we aren’t perfect and He’s totally OK with it. The devil loves to remind us of our mistakes, but just because we make a mistake doesn’t mean we ARE a mistake. The biggest mistake we can make is to be afraid of making one. Stop being held hostage by the fear of making mistakes, because you will, we all will, and there’s a difference between unintentional mistakes, and purposeful sin. God is not calling you to NOT make mistakes, He’s calling you to be bold and fearless and to break out in faith, trusting Him to lead you.”

Wow! i’ve read and heard many things, but that…. that just rocks my world! Our God, the Lord has compassion on us, and to say, “Mountains have sometimes been shaken by earthquakes, and removed; but the promises of God are never broken by the shock of any event.”, oh what a mighty God we serve!

The Lord delights to show us mercy. Out of His great love and compassion He delights to forgive us. He has compassion to save us. Do we delight to have mercy on others who we consider offensive, or do we secretly hold them in contempt, almost feeding off of the snurling lip of our attitude? It is the compassion of God to forgive and acquit us of our wrongness of character, and it seems to me we need to begin our walk down the road less traveled to discover the compassion of God in our hearts towards a dying world.

So, what did God impart of Himself when He created compassion? Compassion is a heart and head concept in that it is an attitude of heart and an action in our head…and by action i mean we get involved and do something about those of more unfortunate circumstances. With the Lord compassion is a continual spring of water, a flowing stream making Him a pillar of support from beginning to end. The call of God bids us to be as He is. In compassion is impartable hidden goodness, but it’s the kind of goodness that is concealed and also revealed. A little of God’s goodness in us goes a long way, or it could be said, it is the “little which holds much”. The last two Hebrew letters of the word for compassion is spelled yod, hey, which is God’s shortened name, Yah! His very name is right in the middle of righteous compassion, making us walking miracles through whom He gives support to the fallen and broken ones who put their trust in Him. Think about that one, catch the passion of God’s heart.

These are all qualities of the Lord which He is developing in us that we would be like Jesus. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Since Jesus tore the veil in the temple, the veil of separation, He is no longer hidden from us … we can now look Him, eye to eye. As a result, we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

If there was ever an example of compassion it is the heart of God Himself. The Lord Jesus, The Name was moved by the lostness of the people around Him, as seen in Matthew 9:36 where it says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

In Luke 15, As Jesus tells the story of the lost son returning home, the father sees his son while he is still far away, suggesting the father’s longing for his son’s return. When he sees him, the father feels deep love and compassion for his son. According to Jesus, this illustrates the way God sees mankind in their condition of least, lost, and left behind, the three L’s. The compassion of God does not deny his just anger over sin. Yet the God who judges our sin is the same God whose heart is moved by our sinful, lost condition.

Here is some things to ponder: Do you ever think of God as having feelings for you? If not, well … why not? If you do, which feelings do you tend to attribute to God?

Do you believe that God is “filled with love and compassion” for you? If you really believed this, how does it impact your relationship with God? How does that belief impact your relationships with others? Think about it!

i’m Social Porter and thank you for joining me here at Outposts for cool jazz and contemplative conversation, it’s a semi-live broadcast from the late night, cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River, where the trees gently lean over the rivers edge, and every evening is pleasant.

This evening’s brilliant topic was brought to you by Living In His Name Ministries, Area 22 Guitars, the home of brilliant creativity and dynamic forward thinking, the Mebane Freedom League with Allan, Kevin, and Tommy, Clay Hyder of Clay Hyder Trucking, good ol’ Bob at the Ranch Motel, and Trinity Bakers, the sweet spot on main street where there’s always something good in the oven.

i read somewhere that one of the ugliest things ever seen is a human being with no compassion. A basic concept of the Hebrew for compassion is to touch and be touched, it is more involved than simple empathy, compassion commonly inspires an active desire to alleviate another’s suffering, and is connected to justice, and fairness. As a parting thought, i figure one of the greatest cruelties is our casual blindness to the despair of others. If we’re supposed to love others as the Lord first loved us, let us take to ourselves the compassion of God to begin the transformation of the world around us. Let compassion and love for a world of transgressors motivate us, to extend relief to the suffering, joining with the Lord to lead the lost sparks home. Remember, everyone we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Be kind.

Drive carefully this week, extend yourself to someone for good, tell the truth, be honest, and let Jesus shine in all you do. Amen.

Today’s program was written by Jerry Price.

If there’s anything that sets up twisted games, it’s the Overconfident game. i find it interesting that confidence and arrogance often look very similar, except overconfidence is quite glaring and tells another story … now there’s a problem.

There was a young man who had bragged to his companions how he could jump onto a moving train, make the grab and find his footing, just like in the movies. One day his friends bet him he couldn’t do it as he’d told them. As they watched, with all overconfidence and bragging, he jumped on the ladder of the moving train up between two train cars, just as he said he could … but this time, as he swung onto the frame between the two cars, his foot slipped down between the coupling, right, exactly as one car pushed forward, closing the gap. He lost half of his foot that day, all due to his overconfidence and bragging.

As a kid, I remember standing in an open lot and taking a baseball bat to hit stones. I would imagine myself being some well known ball player on the 1960 Detroit Tigers team. In my imagination i was always a home run hitter. Don’t you know, every boy dreams of being a hero on some level. i mean, i don’t think any little boy hits rocks with a bat and imagines himself only hitting pop fly’s to be caught by some agile outfielder, or always striking out. No, i’d bet every little boy always dreams of being that home run hitter.

There’s nothing wrong with imagining who you can be like. All of us operate with images in our minds, they provide powerful energy to accomplish what we want to do or be. The problem comes when we distort who we think we are, using images to reflect something which confidence was never intended to be, and that is – Overconfident.

It’s amazing what a person will do to protect their overconfident images. The overconfident person quits on anything that threatens their mental self-portrait. In truth, the overconfidence hides their fear of failure not because of failure per se, but because the failure exposes them as being no different than anyone else! For others, among many other reasons, the same fear of failure and exposure appears as additional negative confirmation of who they believe they are, or were told they were by someone in their lives. In an effort to offset their negative self-image, they overcorrect, becoming overconfident.

Our faith in the Lord must be strong enough that we can stand alone when we need to, without being hyper-spiritual or overconfident. Don’t get me wrong here, it’s great to have fellow Christians who can pray with you and support you. But there are many times when fellow Christians and maybe even your family will not stand with you. They may distance themselves from you because of your convictions. They may criticize you for being too gung ho about your faith. But, there truly does need to be a necessary balance to be struck between being confident vs being cocky.

Before my father came to know Jesus Christ, his heroes he admired were Baby Face Nelson, Al Capone, and Pretty Boy Floyd – criminals – and look out if anyone challenged him.

Here’s a sticky statement: Overconfidence is the poster child for entitlement issues. All twisted games rest on this cornerstone image of being different and better than anyone else. Now how dangerous and arrogant do you think that is?

A commercial from Canon featuring Andre Agassi used to say Image Is Everything, meaning how you look is more important than anything else. Is it possible to pursue excellence to our last breath and still not live off of some distorted image which really expects more out of others than we’re committed to deliver to ourselves? Yes! Did you get that? … expects more out of others than we’re committed to allow of ourselves.

i was an observer in a conversation between two men where one fellow challenged a long standing believer concerning his behavior, which honestly, had recently been quite on the edge of right and wrong. Upon being challenged the second fellow replied, “Look, i’m saved, i’m baptized, i’m instructed, i’m mature, and i come behind in no gifts. I’ve seen many things in my spiritual life. i am free and i’m fully sure i can go and do all these things you’ve mentioned, and they’re not going to have any effect on me, i’m too far along to get trapped. i’m not concerned.” i was astounded at the overconfidence and was glad i was only an observer. i smiled, and left him where he was. Interestingly, the Lord used his words to confront my own similar attitudes. Let’s be clear, He spoke to me about me, not about him.

Jesus taught us about commonality and living a relational life. He left the glory of heaven and became flesh, just like us. He made himself a servant and didn’t quit on us when things got tough – like at the cross.

Let us take care to not step off into a ditch here, we can pursue excellence, of course, afterall we’re all made of the same stuff. We can ask for help when we need it and stay out of any self-imposed isolation or fantasy world which has no accountability for the images of who we think we are. And like Jesus, we can choose to serve others out of love. i’ve pondered how can anyone live overconfident when we know Jesus? That’s like rubbing shoulders with God and walking away with no wisdom or understanding, i just don’t see how it can be done.

i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name.