Blog Archives

Fear Should Not Come Into the Equation

5/27/2018

By: Undre Griggs, Jr.

Sometimes we get caught up in our daily lives and lose focus on what is truly important. We allow failures at work, arguments with loved ones, and things not turning out the way we planned to depress us. Throughout the Bible, believers reflect on the promises of God when they find themselves in tough situations.

Psalm 27:1-10 (ESV): The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

It is critical to understand that God is your salvation and nothing on earth comes close in comparison. Jesus puts it another way and asks what benefit is it for someone to gain the entire world and lose their soul (Mark 8:36)? Another way to think about His words is to ask yourself, what would I be willing to exchange my soul to receive? Would you be willing to trade your soul for an immaculate career? How about a perfect marriage? Maybe the promise for all your earthly dreams to come true?

Psalm 27:6-10 (ESV): And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.

When you take the time to put things in perspective, it becomes easier to remind yourself how insignificant things are on earth. As a result, fear should never be a part of your decision-making process. It is part of the reason that “cowards” do not inherit the kingdom of Heaven (Revelation 21:8). When fear prevails, you will find yourself compromising your faith to maintain the peace. Just as there is no wrath on earth that compares to the love of God, there is no love on earth that compares to the wrath of God. Stay committed to the Lord and everything else will take care of itself.

What's In a Name

5/19/2018

By: Undre Griggs, Jr.

As a child, my parents made it clear I was to live in a manner that would not embarrass my family or me. My dad would go a step further and say, your name is all you have at the end of the day. They can take your job, they can take your friends, and they can take your wealth; but they cannot take your name. The writer of Ecclesiastes is expressing the same sentiment. He wants the reader to understand dying with a good name is better than being born in wealth.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 (ESV): A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

We already know the writer of Ecclesiastes believes that life on this earth is a life “full of vanity and misery”. It stands to reason that the writer is reminding us that the indulgences of the flesh are not beneficial in the long-run. As a result, it is better to mourn at a funeral than it is to celebrate at a wedding. It is better to find sorrow than it is to find laughter. Notice that those who are wise (because they are living a life that is pleasing to God) are in the house of mourning. The wise can see the “vanity and misery” of the world, so they do not indulge in the pleasures of this earth. It is only the fools who are focused on short-term pleasure, while living in a world of corruption and misery. Maintaining a good name in spite of the ability to prosper through wickedness and corruption, shows one’s ability to focus on God and His ultimate reward on Judgment Day.

Proverbs 22:1-4 (ESV): A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all. The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

The apostle Paul speaks on the love of money being the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). People are willing to steal, cheat, and make decisions based on personal gain when they love money. However, when you are focused on maintaining a good name, you are humble and live a life of respect to the Lord. You are focused on spreading the name of God and furthering His kingdom, even if that is at the expense of your well-being. In addition to the fact that people will find it difficult to speak ill of you, you will not be tempted by all the world has to offer. You will stay clearheaded, understanding that the precious ointment of the world comes at a great cost. Focus on humbly maintaining your good name in the Lord and everything else will take care of itself.

How Much Love Does God Have for You

5/12/2018

By: Undre Griggs, Jr.

Every Christian should have the goal to save the lost. As with any goal, you are going to face setbacks and challenges because everyone is not interested in obeying the Gospel. Keep in mind that there will be those who reject your message and never become a Christian; but other times, the seed you planted will one day save their soul.

When trying to help someone see the light, Jesus shows us the importance of emphasizing God’s love. To ensure everyone understands the meaning of God’s love, Jesus shares that God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son to save it. Jesus wants to make sure everyone knows that love is not being defined by loose worldly standards, but by God’s divine measure.

John 3:16-18 (ESV): “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Jesus balances God’s love of the world with the fact that He is righteous and therefore consistent. As a result of the wages of sin being death, there will still be those who will perish (although no one should perish). This is important because there will be some who see God’s love as an unconditional relationship, without any expectation of us from God. God expects His people to be holy because He is holy.

John 3:19-21 (ESV): And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Jesus draws a clear distinction between those who obey the Gospel and those who ignore it. Those who are not pricked by the love and righteousness of God are considered evil. They are seen as people who would rather hide in the ignorance of darkness than come into the light of truth. It is imperative to understand all of your evangelism efforts will not bring everyone to Christ, and that does not mean you did something wrong. It is also true if dozens of people are pricked and turn their life over to God, that does not mean you did everything right. The most important aspect of evangelism is a willingness to share your faith with others. If you have done everything you can to help bring someone to Christ, you need to be content with the results. On the other hand, if you are not following Jesus’ pattern of love and compassion, make an effort to add it to your evangelism repertoire.

Blurring the Line Between God and Man

5/5/2018

By: Undre Griggs, Jr.

Those who are humble are often portrayed as someone who is unsure or lacks confidence. The prideful person is seen as a go-getter and someone who gets things done. In actuality, the humble person is going to be the most effective. It is the prideful person who is wasting a considerable amount of time appeasing their ego. Have you ever met someone who found it difficult to admit they were wrong? Instead of simply acknowledging the truth and moving on, they find themselves trying to defend the indefensible.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV): Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

On the other hand, when you are humble, you are more focused on outcome than you are on who gets credit. This is important because you have to remember all good things come from God. Throughout Scripture, God makes it clear that is important for us to acknowledge Him in all of our endeavors. To aid us in this task, God looks for the humble to elevate. The humble will not accept credit, nor do they seek praise.

Another method God utilizes to help us spot His mighty hand is to uplift the “weak”. We see this with King David, who was seen as the smallest and least threatening of his brothers. When David killed Goliath, everyone immediately knew that it could only be accomplished through the hand of God. A similar situation occurred with Joseph, when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph went from slave to second in command of the most powerful empire of that time.

Numbers 20:11-12 (ESV): And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

God knows it is human nature to give credit to what we can see and to ignore what we can’t. Moses lost his ability to enter the Promise Land because he did not speak to the rock. As a result, the Hebrews were going to give undue credit to Moses. While it may not seem like a big deal to us, it is of the highest importance to God. So important, that everything Moses did up to this point (plagues, traveling, commandments, leaving a lavish lifestyle) could not compare to the mistake of blurring the line of God and man. Consequently, the strength found in a humble person who has God on their side becomes immeasurable; and the strength found in a prideful person who is without God becomes trivial. Do not live in a manner that diminishes your works because you are blurring the line between God and man. Be humble, be gracious, and be willing to give God the glory.

Fear Should Not Come Into the Equation

What's In a Name

How Much Love Does God Have for You

Blurring the Line Between God and Man

Dean Road
church of Christ

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Archives

Fear Should Not Come Into the Equation

What's In a Name

How Much Love Does God Have for You

Blurring the Line Between God and Man

Dean Road​church of Christ

Categories

Archives

Dean Road
church of Christ