Rubber On The Road  

Being the Pastor’s secretary meant that I had to attend many of the funerals that the Pastor was called upon to officiate over. 

Of course, most of the funerals were for church members or their family. But, Pastor was occasionally called on to speak at the funeral of persons who did not have a church home.

One of my responsibilities was to gather information about the life of the deceased for the funeral message.  As I typed the words for Pastor to read, I realized that “we” write our own eulogy.

Those who had died hadn’t known today was the day of their death. Those who were old and sick, of course, knew their time was at hand.  But, sadly, Pastor had preached at funerals for both old AND young, the sick AND the healthy.

This gave me pause for thought; I too have no guarantee of more time (Hebrews 9:27-28).  True, I’m far too young to think about dying, but obviously, the length of my life is known only by God. If today were to be my last day, what  would my life leave as a testament to be shared as my eulogy?

Would there be mention made of how I influenced others to follow Jesus?  Will there be friends from my church and my neighborhood crying tears of loss?  Will my children mourn my passing or be relieved I’ve finally gone on?  Will my grandchildren and, if I live long enough, my great grandchildren, make tearful pledges to love Jesus as much as “Mamawl” did? 

Today, by my life, I am writing my own eulogy.  Will the heritage I leave be one of victorious living for Christ (Psalms 37:25); or one of unredeemed time? Will my loved ones have to look up a church in the phone book to find a Pastor that will have to search for empty words to speak over my dry bones?  

Or will my own Pastor, my longtime friend,  comfort my grieving family through personal memories of my life lived fully for Christ?  I’m the only one that can determine the answer to these questions.

The decisions that I make today will write my eulogy and determine the legacy and example I leave for my children and my grandchildren to follow.  Time passes quickly, and life can be too soon over (Psalms 103:15-16). Each day that I live NOW is part of my legacy; what eulogy am I living to be read?

James 4:13-14 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Prayer:  Father, help me to live each day you have given me to the fullest. Show me ways to touch the lives of those around me with the love of Chris. I want my life to be lived fully for you. Amen.

Scripture References

Psalms 37:25  I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.

Psalms 103:15-16  As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.¹⁶ When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.

When I was a kid there was a saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” 

Cute song but, it isn’t true.  Words can not only hurt, they can leave scars that can affect you emotionally for a very long time.

Today, there’s even a name for belittling, hurtful words, “dissing.” (defined as: To show disrespect to, often by insult or criticism)  This is nothing but an effort of satan to make God’s beloved creation (you and me!) feel worthless. Sadly, sometimes even Christians use “dissing” in an effort to be popular. It isn’t cool or trendy, it’s destructive and– it hurts.

When satan can demean our individuality, he belittles the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. If what was bought (us) was worthless, then the price paid, (the son of God) was also worth nothing.  The spiritual version of “if it isn’t worth much, it doesn’t cost much.” When we know who we are in Christ we acknowledge the huge price that was paid at Calvary.

The best weapon we have to fight the devil is the Word of God. Jesus, Himself, never argued with satan, He used ‘it is written’ to fight the enemy . (Matthew 4:1-11). When people say mean things to belittle you, remember the truth found in God’s word.

I am intelligent; I have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:16 For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.)

I am good looking; I’m created in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.)

I can do ANYthing through Jesus! (Phillipians 4:13 I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.)

Remember that you are so important that the Lord God Almighty sent His son to die for you so that He could have a personal relationship with YOU!  WORD in your face, devil!

Prayer:  Father, help me to know who I AM, to understand and rightfully use the power in the Word of God.  I need you, I want you in my life. I love you.  Amen

Scripture references:

Matthew 4:1-11  Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”  

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”   Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

A dear friend of mine told me that as a young woman, she had stopped going to church for awhile because somebody in her church had been a hypocrite.  She said she had decided that if ‘that’ was what being a Christian was, forget it!  In time,  my friend determined to set Jesus as her example instead of people and returned to fellowship. 

A survey, taken by Lifeway Research, revealed that the second most common reason people  turned away from the church was because of a bad example set by somebody who was ‘a Christian’.  Satan loves to use hypocrites as a ‘tool’ to get folks to turn aside from the strength of fellowship. Most likely, the ‘hypocrite’ is unaware that they have even been used! Perhaps, the offended person was looking for an excuse to leave church anyway, but the first thing I have to ask myself is; am I one of those “tools”?

This is a hard question to ask, yet, if I’m to be effective for Jesus, I must ask myself, could it be me? When I’m busy living my life, when I think nobody who knows me is looking—do I represent Christ?  If the clerk at the store where I shop, the waitress where I drink coffee, the person who works with me, walked into my church Sunday, would they be surprised to see me there? 

Today, as we do our quiet time with our Lord, we must—I MUST, ask the Holy Spirit to search my heart and see if there is any way in my life that represents Him badly. What is the Gospel according to—–ME?  

I Timothy 4: 15-16 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 

The Holy Bible, New International Version®. Pradis CD-ROM:Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Corporation, © 1973, 1978, 1984.

Moses was a great leader. The Bible says he talked to God “face to face” (Exodus 33:11).

After Moses’ death, Joshua was chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel. Can you imagine trying to follow in the footsteps of Moses?  Talk about PRESSURE! 

Often, the ordinary sequences of life thrust us into the lead position.  Being the oldest sibling, parenthood and friendship are all every day leadership positions.  The opportunities to lead at church, work, school and in our neighborhood are always plentiful.

Whether you are following in the footsteps of a great leader or starting something you’ve never done before; God is with you. Wherever life takes you, in God’s will, He has prepared you somewhere along the line for what you are about to do. Psalms 37:23 says that the steps of a righteous (person) are led of the Lord. 

Seek God moment by moment in prayer for direction. Read the Word to learn from the life experiences of the saints who have accomplished great things for God in the past.

When you make a mistake, and you will, don’t let satan hold that magnifying glass up over your faults and failures so they appear bigger than life!  If you messed up, repent; if you make a mess, clean it up with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  

Keeping your eyes on Jesus, go forward, learning from your mistakes. If you are caught in the circumstances of somebody else’s’ mistakes, learn from that too. You are never a failure unless you quit moving forward in Christ. In all you do, remember, “–the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of cood courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Prayer:  Father, help me to honor you in whatever role you place me in.  If my role is to be a leader, anoint me to lead in the wisdom of your Spirit, doing your will.  If my role is to follow, place me with a leader who is full of your Spirit. I want to be in the center of your perfect will.  I love you. Amen

Psalms 37:23 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him

I had a friend who worried about everything.  

She worried about finding work; after she found a job, she worried about losing it.  

She worried about being sick, growing old, her car breaking down, her kids getting sick—EVERY thing.

Whenever I saw her, her brow would be furrowed in concern!  Jesus, Himself, acknowledged that we all have concerns; no life is without trouble. (John 16:33) 

One of the most useful tools satan has is that vague disaster that looms just before us. He takes every opportunity to point out life’s troubles. In Christ, we are able to look through the “noise” of now and see the faithfulness of God.  (John 10:10-11) 

The Word reminds us that when bad things do happen, God is faithful to hold us close and direct our path. (Proverbs 3: 5-6) Through God’s Word, good preaching and the remembrance  of past victories, we have the assurance that even when bad things happen, we will be ok. (Romans 8:28) 

God’s Word offers us insight on controlling worry. Focus on the good things, not the hard things (Philippians 4:8).  It is God’s will that we give thanks for His presence and guidance in every circumstance. (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18)  God’s Word tells us, in II Timothy 1:7, that, being fearful does not come from God; strength does. 

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

One afternoon, a young mom baked cookies to take to the PTA open house. As she left to run some last minute errands, she told her husband to not eat the cookies.  She told him to tell their son to not eat any when he got home from school as well; they were for a meeting.  

When mom came home the little boy was happily eating a cookie! She said, “I told your Daddy to tell you not to eat any cookies!”  The little boy nodded, saying, “He DID tell me, but then I saw him eating one so I took one too.” 

Kids often learn a lot more through observation than what they are taught with words. “Do as I say not as I do” is not going to inspire anything but rebellion and a callous heart. 

As parents, we all make mistakes!  Always be tender to the voice of the Holy Spirit and quick to back up if you find yourself out of step with Godly principals.  

The most important thing we can do for our kids is show them Christ in our everyday life. We teach what we ‘know’ but our kids learn more from watching how we live.   

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.

One of the first decisions every person makes each day is “What am I going to wear?” 

Wearing fashionable clothes and wanting to be attractive is not a sin when Godly standards are applied (Romans 13:14).   

I love how God’s Word uses every day experiences, like putting on your clothes, to illustrate Biblical truth. Both women AND men are to “put on” compassion and humility as we would a garment (Colossians 3:12).  Just like we choose what to wear, we make a conscious decision to ‘put on’ our God clothing.   

When we choose to put on a garment, it’s because we have taken the actions necessary to make that piece of clothing available. We, the church, become Christ like by the action of washing our hearts by the Word of God (Ephesians 5:26-27).    

When we make time to read God’s Word and spend time in prayer, we choose to put on the “clothes” of Christ. Just like choosing what to wear each day, choosing the things of God is done daily.  

Colossians 3:12  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Everybody knows what the greatest commandment is! Ask any child in Kid’s Church and they’ll quickly quote, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”  

“Like”, who wouldn’t love the Lord?  He’s—wonderful—He loves me and he wants me to have a relationship with Him!  No other god wants to KNOW me!   

But, do you know the second greatest commandment? It’s a bit more difficult than the first. But, according to Jesus, equally important.   

The second greatest commandment requires more effort, “to love our neighbor as ourselves”. Again, it’s all about relationship! When you look at the main attacks of satan, we find that the attacks all have the same intent; to ruin our relationships, with each other and, ultimately, with God.   

When we love the Lord with all of our heart, we have intimacy with Him; spend time with Him, in prayer and in His Word.  Through that intimacy, we turn toward things that build up, not tear down. As we become more aware of what love in Christ is, we speak in loving words and treat each other with kindness.  (II Corinthians 13) 

Love is both a verb and a noun.  It is an action and an emotion.  The scripture says that people will recognize us—by our love.  Not by our ability to teach, preach, build buildings, raise money or acts of benevolence, but by our love.   

Love is patient, love is kind—. Until we have intimacy with the Lord, we can’t love or even know what love is.  First, we love the Lord then we know how to love each other. 

Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When a robbery takes place, the first thing the thief does is over power the victim. They tie them up, cover their eyes and tape their mouth shut! Once the thief has incapacitated them, he takes everything they have.  

In Matthew 12:29, Jesus used the illustration of being tied up so a robbery could take place.  Satan ties us up and robs us of living a life fully for Christ.; but only when we let him be the ‘strong man’. 

Life has many ongoing dramas that satan tries to use to keep me from an intimate relationship with Jesus. Everyday stuff, like financial setbacks, sickness and difficult relationships, are all part of the devils robbery tool kit.  

When satan can “tie me up” worrying about things or being angry about some person or event that has come against me, he has taken my eyes off of Jesus. When the cares of life assault me, it’s easy to set my relationship with Jesus aside and focus on ‘fixing’ whatever the crisis is.  

When I set aside prayer and Bible study, I weaken my defenses and the ‘strongman’, the devil, holds me captive. I cannot move forward, the ‘robber’ blinds my eyes so I don’t see truth and covers my mouth so I can’t witness. 

In my humanity, I often don’t recognize satan as the thief; blaming people, circumstances and events instead of the actual culprit. The scripture says that evil is the reason for our problems (Ephesians 6:12), yet, we blame everything but the devil! 

So, how do we stop being a victim of this crafty robber?  By recognizing satan as the culprit (II Corinthians 2:11). Realize we are not alone, everybody faces “stuff”, (II Corinthians 1:3-7). When we realize that uncomfortable life situations are part of life; but in Christ, it works out (John 16:33), satan begins to lose his grip.  

Through continued Bible study and prayer, even when we are under attack; we can overcome the wiles of satan and not be held captive. Even though ‘stuff’ doesn’t feel good ‘now’, in time, everything, good and bad, works through to be to our good (Romans 8:28). 

We are not ignorant of satan’s tricks (II Corinthians 2:10-11)! Let’s not look at the situation; choosing instead to look at the scripture (Romans 8:38-39).

NOTHING can separate us from the love of God; UNLESS WE LET IT.  We can’t always control circumstances but we can control our response to circumstances. Satan can only tie us up and rob us if we let him! 

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

 Remember when we were kids and something got broken; mom would say, ‘who did this?’ 

Our first response was to shout, “Not me!”  If mom persisted in finding out who had committed the offense, we’d point to somebody else and proclaim, “They did it!” And if that didn’t work, “They made me do it!”   

We all have times when we stumble and must face the sting of guilt. Thankfully, the Bible gives us a standard to go by when we face the uncomfortable challenge of accepting responsibility for something we’ve done wrong.  

Psalm 51 shows how David, said to be a man after God’s own heart, accepted the responsibility for his own sin. Notice that David didn’t try to lessen his guilt by moving attention to all the circumstances surrounding his fall. 

David didn’t make an excuse of how lonely it was ruling a nation or how tough it was being king.  Neither did he point his finger at how tempting it was for Bathsheba to be standing naked where he could see her. David didn’t point to others’ failures to justify his sin.  

He accepted full responsibility for having failed. He began by seeking God’s mercy then made bare his heart. David recognized the condition his sin had left him in and made the humble realization that only God could make things right. 

David understood that God requires truth when we confess our sins.  He submitted himself to God’s discipline and acknowledged not only his sinful act but his sinful state in life.  

There was complete repentance, not sorrow at being caught, but sorrow for the sinful state of his heart. David sought God’s wisdom in how to make his path straight as a part of his confession.  

As with our sins today, David’s sin had consequences; hard consequences. But, in God’s mercy, David was able to pull his life together and move on.

We must do the same thing when we sin. Confess to God, repent, accept God’s mercy and then, with God’s help, work through the circumstances our rebellion has caused.    

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise

Prayer:  Father, thank you for the blood shed at Calvary that covers my sins.  Forgive me for my sins and the things I do that don’t please you. Help me to stand with a pure heart. Thank you SO much. Amen