Seeking Wise Counselors

Few would argue with the idea of having people in your life who can provide wise counsel when faced with a decision. Proverbs calls the person who does not seek counsel a fool.

Proverbs 12:15 (NASB) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

So you know you need counselors in your life, but what should you look for in your counselor? First, be wise in how much influence you give any person in your life. Their worldview should be biblical and they should be a person who makes good decisions.

Seek counsel from God. I know it seems obvious, but we sometimes miss the obvious.

Proverbs 19:20 (NASB) Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days. 21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, But the counsel of the Lord, it will stand.

When faced with a decision, ask God to help you know what to do. If it is a big decision, then spend some time asking God to reveal the right path. Prayer, Bible study, and meditation on Scripture can provide great insight.

Listen to your spouse. God has placed this person in your life, your lives are yoked together, and they have a vested interest in your success.

Proverbs 31:10 (NASB) An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.

Listen to the counsel of your friends. Assuming your friends have your best interest in mind (see below), they should be able to provide insight into your decisions.

Prov 27:9 (NASB) Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. 10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, And do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

Listen to people who will tell you the truth. Too many people only want to hear what will make them feel good and not be confronted with the truth. Denying reality will lead to terrible decisions. Only seek advice from people who love you enough to be honest with you.

2 Timothy 4:3 (NASB) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.

Numbering Our Days

The topic of insurance can be somewhat intimidating because of the complexity, jargon, and number of different products that are available. Dave did a pretty good job of making the subject enjoyable and explaining what is needed for the average family.

One reason why some people don't like to deal with life insurance is because it forces us to face our own mortality. No one likes to think about death, especially their own. However, Scripture encourages us to be aware to the reality of our finite numbers of days.

"As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away.

So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:10, 12

This passage teaches us four important lessons when it comes to our mortality.

1. A life lived for self leads to labor and sorrow. Death is inevitable and has no meaning if there is not an afterlife. The strongest man will eventually die and focusing only on the material world leads to sorrow.

2. We must let God teach us to be aware of days. Our perspective is limited. God sees the beginning and the end. When we let Him inform our understanding of reality, we see life from the proper perspective.

3. Being aware of our days changes our hearts. Purpose and urgency have an interesting effect on our lives. When we know that what we do is making a difference with others and time is short, we are much more intentional about how we invest our time, energy, and money.

4. A changed heart by God brings about wisdom. Being aware of your days leads to different decisions. It is not enough to know that our days are limited, we must let it change how we live our lives.

Let the discussion of insurance help you to "number your days" and live accordingly.

Richard Dawkins Taken To The Woodshed

There is a great article in the Telegraph about Richard Dawkins that you must read. Dawkins has been avoiding a debate with William Lane Craig about Christianity, that was to take place in Oxford. I urge you to go and read the article. However, I do have a couple of observations.

First, the author of the article rips Dawkins for who he has chosen to debate in the past. I was impressed by his honesty about Dawkins avoiding people who are serious thinkers. Too many people assume that the quality of the "opponent" has no bearing on how a debate is done. Dawkins is demonstrating himself to be the light weight that he really is because he only engages light weights in debate.

The second point is his observation about why some Americans are the ones who are the better apologists. He notes that the quality of thinker is often shaped by the marketplace in which his ideas must be argued. A wimpy faith that believes it is more important to be liked that to be truthful produces people who can't make a reasonable statement about the truth of Christianity. A person who is willing to argue for truth, but do so in a winsome and engaging manner, will be much more successful.

The lesson for all believers is to jump in the fight and sharpen our skills as we share the truth of the Gospel. Our content is true, but our presentation skills can and should be sharpened by the public debate. Besides, we have an Ally that the opponents do not have... the Holy Spirit. Remember, the goal is not to win the argument. Instead, the goal is to present the truth so that those who hear may believe in Jesus as Savior.

Of course, it never hurts to win the debate as well!

Al Mohler on Mormanism

Dr. Al Mohler had another great posting on his blog recently. He discusses the issue of Mormonism and how Christians are to tackle this issue from a biblical perspective. I'll let the article speak for itself, especially in regard to whether a Christian can vote for a Mormon. However, I will share are a couple more of my thoughts about the issue.


From just about any definition you want to use for the word cult, as a Christian, Mormonism fits that definition. It is not Christian is it's theology in any way. Just because they want to use traditional Christian words to describe some of their beliefs, the fact that they redefine those terms to suit their needs makes them different than (and opposed to) Christianity.

Mormonism (LDS) is not a Christian denomination! To fully embrace the tenets of Mormonism is to reject such things as the inerrancy of Scripture, the deity of Christ, salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ, among other central Christian beliefs. The theological differences are inescapable. To say anything different is either disingenuous or ignorance.

Those differences in theology does not mean that Mormons are evil people who are to be shunned. On the contrary, most Mormons I have met are ethical people, who love their families, and are good citizens. On many ethical and moral issues, Christians and Mormons share common ground. However, Christians and Mormons differ sharply in the theological implications of many of those ethical and moral issues.

Don't fall for the media trap in this situation. We can disagree about a person's beliefs and still have a friendship with that person. We can disagree on deeply held beliefs, and still work together towards a common good, such as the betterment of our country. The media would say that to reject a person's belief system is to reject that person. To that I say, "Nonsense." I have friends who disagree with my faith, but we are still friends. We just have areas of disagreement.

Hope When Things Seem Hopeless- 2 Kings 4:1-7

Below is the devotion for people who are struggling with a hopeless situation when it comes to their finances. The point is not that God will perform a miracle for everyone who is in dire circumstances. Instead, what this passage teaches us it to have faith in God, who provides wise counsel and is sovereign in all our circumstances.

Some of you may be struggling right now because of the debt you have. It may seem like the amount is so large that there is no hope of ever getting out from under that tidal wave of red ink. Don’t give up! There is a great passage in 2 Kings 4 that can teach us some things about God and how we are to act in these circumstances.

Go to http://about.esvbible.org/ and look up 2 Kings 4:1-7.

1.       The widow went to a man of God for help in this situation. I hope we are learning that managing finances is as much a spiritual matter as it is anything else. If you are not thinking about your finances from a biblical perspective, seek wise counsel from a trusted Christian friend.

2.       Be aware of what you have available. Dave has said at least three times to “sell so much stuff that the kids think they are next.” The widow didn’t have a lot of resources, but she had one. Elisha recognized that God could use the oil to help this family.

3.       Faith matters when it comes to making it out of difficult circumstances. I hope you caught what happened in verse 6. The oil stopped flowing when they ran out of vessels. The implication is that if the widow had gotten one more vessel, then she would have been able to fill it up as well. Our God has unlimited resources, so we should depend upon Him to meet our needs knowing that He loves us.

4.       God provides the miracles, but we have responsibilities as well. The point of the story is the miraculous way that God provided the oil to this family, but there is another lesson in the story. The widow and her sons had to work as well. They went around gathering the empty vessels to fill with oil. If the family had gathered fewer vessels, they would have had less oil to sell. On the other hand, if they had gathered more vessels, they would have had more oil to sell. Pray and ask God to help you through your difficult time, but be about the things that you can do to provide for your family.

When Joshua was called upon to lead Israel after Moses’ death, he faced the task of leading the people to conquer the Promised Land. As Joshua stood on the edge of this monumental task, God gave him encouragement that applies to you as well.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8b-9

The Challenges of a Budget (1 Corinthians 9:25-27)

Our church is going through Financial Peace University right now. This is a devotion I did for those taking Financial Peace University drawing from 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

Week 3 is the toughest of all the lessons in FPU because it is a call to discipline and self-control. Everything up to this point has really been theory, now is when we put the lessons into practice.

As Dave mentions in the video of lesson 3, we must develop the habit of working on our budget every month so that it is ingrained in our lives. As I considered what it would take for me to develop and use a budget, I realized the main issue will be self-control.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about self-control. I think 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 provides a great help for us to know why we must use a budget in our lives. Paul says that we must exercise self-control “in all things.” Failure to do so disqualifies us.

He uses two analogies to help illustrate the benefits of self-control. First, he says, “I run in such a way, as not without aim.” A budget gives us a target to aim for each month. This target provides the purpose necessary to know where our money is going each month.

Some are lamenting how much detail is expected with the monthly cash flow statement. A common question is “Why do I have to be so detailed?” There is a great line in “The Patriot” about shooting a gun that applies to cash flow planning: “Aim Small: Miss Small”. If your aim is precise, your misses will be much closer to the target.

The second analogy is “I box in such a way, as not beating the air.” There are several ways this could be applied, but one meaning would be tied to the issue of futility. I have a twin brother. Let’s just say we would sometimes have disagreements that would lead to the need for finding a solution. One way to settle our issues were boxing gloves. Taking a lot of swings and missing tires you out much faster than if you connected your punch. Missed punches waste energy and open you up to a counter-punch that can knock you out.

Living without a budget does the same thing as boxing and missing your punches. Your money does not go as far because it is wasted on unimportant things. In addition, it opens you up to not having money available when unexpected events happen in life, or you’re not prepared for big events.

Don’t get discouraged. Do the hard work of putting together your budget, knowing it will lead to a better sense of security and purpose about financial issues in the future.

Galatians 6:1-4: How To Mend Damage To A Relationship

This is a devotion for people who are taking Financial Peace University at the church. The lesson in FPU dealt with how people have different personalities when it comes to dealing with money. These differences can lead to conflict.

Galatians 6:1 (NASU) Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; [each one] looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have [reason for] boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

Lesson 2 is about relationships, preparing families for Week 3 and being honest about where your family is financially. It may create some hard feelings, but the Bible tells us how to handle those difficult moments.

Galatians 6:1-4 tells us how we are to handle the relationship after the realization that mistakes have led to some bad results. There are five things to keep in mind as you start working through issues.

1. Check where you are at spiritually before launching into a fight. Let the Holy Spirit reveal to you where you are failing and broken before you examine your spouse's situation. Read Luke 6:41-42.
2. Restore with gentleness not anger. Seek to build up your spouse, not tear them down. 
3. Bear the burdens of your spouse. Sometimes, you just have to suck it up and put up with their failings. Instead of heaping guilt on them, help them by carrying some of that burden for them.
4. Be humble. We all have our flaws. Be aware of your own failings.
5. Own up to your own sins when it comes to finances. Your family didn't get in your current circumstances through one person, and you won't change things alone either.

Please note that these verses do not call on you to ignore the financial issues facing your family. The goal is to tackle the hard questions facing your family's finances, but to do so with husband and wife working side-by-side, not as adversaries.

1 Timothy 6:10: Proper View of Money

This is a devotion I did for those who are taking Financial Peace University at the church.

One of the issues that should be addressed when it comes to finances is to settle once and for all in your mind what money is and is not. People can fall into one of two extremes, and the Bible has a word to say about both. Today's devotion looks at those who believe money is "bad."

Is the following statement true or false? "Money is the root of all sorts of evil." Your answer affects the way you view finances, so think about your answer for moment. Is money the root of all sorts of evil?

Read 1 Timothy 6:10. What does the Bible say about money? Does it say money is the root of all sorts of evil? No, it says "the love of money" is a root of all sorts of evil. There are two ways this can be seen. One issue is greed and a consuming desire for something other than God. Another way this is demonstrated is seeing money as the source of security rather than God: a misplacement of faith.

Money itself is neutral. It is neither good or evil; it is a tool to help facilitate the exchange of goods and services. Jesus used money to pay his own taxes, and taught lessons about giving without condemning the use of money. The proper way to view money is to keep it in its proper perspective, a tool that is neutral.