Never Betray a Confidence

...he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. Proverbs 11:13
We all need a shoulder to cry on. When we're battling habits and hang-ups we need a safe place to go, confident we'll be loved, understood, supported and prayed for. If those who are hurting can't find these qualities in church, where are they supposed to go? The betrayal of a confidence is a terrible sin. 'But what I said was true,' you object. So what? 'A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.'(Proverbs 11:13 NKJV) Note the words 'reveals' and 'conceals.' The Hippocratic Oath says: 'Whatsoever I shall see or hear in the course of my profession, I will never divulge, holding such things to be holy secrets.' That oath is taken by physicians and other professionals in positions of trust. But it ought to be binding on every one of us! How would you feel if your doctor, counsellor, minister or a trusted friend violated your confidence and broadcast your holy secrets? Hurt? Betrayed? The longer we live the more we realise there's a severe shortage of people who can be trusted to keep their mouths shut, and the more we value them. If you were asked to define a person of integrity, wouldn't the ability to keep a confidence be close to the top of your list? So here are some ground rules to live by: a) Instead of talking, pray about it; b) Instead of criticising, look for something good; c) Instead of showing anger, show grace. How you handle others determines how God will handle you!

Fresh Oil

...You anoint my head with oil... Psalm 23:5

The shepherd anoints his sheep with oil for two purposes. First, to repel insects. If allowed to deposit their eggs into the soft membrane of a sheep's nose they can drive the sheep insane; the ewes stop giving milk and the lambs stop growing. So the shepherd anoints his sheep with an oil-like repellent that keeps the enemy at bay and the flock at peace. Second, to heal wounds. Most wounds result from living with the flock. So the shepherd regularly inspects his sheep because he doesn't want today's wound to become tomorrow's infection. Whether circumstances are driving you crazy, or you've just been wounded as a result of living with the flock, always go to the Shepherd. Before you go to anybody else, go to God because 'He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds' (Psalm 147:3 NIV). Then, bow before Him. In order to be anointed the sheep must lower their heads and let the shepherd apply the oil. Humble yourself, call on the Lord. 'God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him... he will not be slow to answer them' (Luke 18:7 NCV). David writes, '...I shall be anointed with fresh oil' (Psalm 92:10). Yesterday's oil is quickly contaminated by the dirt and grime of the journey, so you must go to God daily and ask Him to empower you with His Spirit. A sheep doesn't understand how the oil works, but it doesn't have to. It's enough to know that something happens in the presence of its shepherd that happens nowhere else.

Live Caleb's Way (1)

...the Lord has kept me alive... Joshua 14:10

At the ripe old age of eighty-five, Caleb said to Joshua, '...the Lord has kept me alive...just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war...give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day...And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb...because he wholly followed the Lord...' (Joshua 14:10-14 NKJV). There was nothing half-baked or half-hearted about Caleb. His dream kept him alive; he got out of bed every morning intent on pursuing it. When God gives you a dream as big as a mountain, it will keep you going while others around you are giving up. But be careful who you listen to. Don't let the critics discourage you by saying, 'You're too old.' The Bible says that like a palm tree, you can produce your greatest harvest of fruit in your final years (Psalm 92:12-14). When the sun goes down the stars come out-so you can shine brightest in the closing chapters of your life. Barbara Klassen says: 'My great-great uncle lived to one hundred and six. He was healthy and spry and took joy in chauffeuring his less able-bodied senior friends around town. On his hundredth birthday his driver's licence came up for renewal. When he went to the licensing bureau a sceptical clerk said, 'You're a hundred years old! What do you need a driver's licence for?' My uncle, completely nonplussed, replied, 'Somebody has to drive the old folks around!' He continued to have a legal driver's licence for the next five years.' Do it Caleb's way: live to the moment you die!

It's Only Money

Keep your [life] free from the love of money... Hebrews 13:5
A lot of us think that the goal of work is to accumulate enough money so that we can quit working. No, if your work is not fulfilling, eventually you'll resent it. That's so, whether you make much or little. Money alone is not worth giving your life to. John Ortberg writes, 'I have a friend. He's a businessman. He is in his seventies now. Years ago I attended his church when he gave a terrific message. We talked afterwards and he said to me, "You know, when I was a young man I always felt that I ought to go into pastoral ministry."I asked him, "Why didn't you?"Well, when it came right down to it, it was just money. He was doing well in the business world so he didn't follow what he sensed was God's calling on his life. Now he was financially secure - but he was running out of time. It's only money! We get all twisted up in knots over it, stay awake at night thinking about it, stew, get anxious, scheme, trade away our integrity to get a little more of it... and we worry that somebody else might get hold of it. It's only money! It's never a reason not to follow Christ. It's never a reason not to do the thing that He has called you to do.' Billy Graham hit the bull's-eye when he said, 'If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area of his life.' It's okay to make money, and enjoy money, but 'Keep your [life] free from the love of money'.