The Word For Today

How can you grow spiritually? By doing these five things:

(1) Rediscover the Bible. You will never grow spiritually without soaking your mind in Scripture. When Jesus told the devil, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God' (Matthew 4:4 NKJV), he was quoting a verse from Deuteronomy that he'd memorised. If Jesus needed the Scriptures, you do too. (2) Restart your prayer life. Charles Spurgeon said, 'As well could you expect a plant to grow without air and water as to expect your heart to grow without prayer and faith.' When you venture into the realm of the impossible and start praying for God to move supernaturally in your life, you will begin to see miracles. (3) Reconnect with God's people. 'Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together...but encouraging one another' (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV).

(4) Resist your sinful habits. 'The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure' (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT). Always choose God's 'way out'. (5) Invest in others. God has a place for you to serve and people for you to invest in. Make a quality decision that you are not going to just sit in church and soak up one more sermon; instead, begin to act on what you have learned.

During the Korean War, a South Korean civilian was arrested and ordered to be shot. When the young communist leader learned that the prisoner was the head of an orphanage caring for young children, he decided to spare him. Instead, he ordered the execution of the man's son. The son was shot in the presence of his father. After the war, the young communist leader was captured by United Nations forces and condemned to death. But before the sentence could be carried out, the Christian whose son had been killed pleaded for the life of the killer. He argued that the communist had been young when he ordered the execution, and that he didn't know what he was doing. 'Give him to me,' the man requested, 'and I will train him.' Unusually, the United Nations forces granted his request, and the father took the murderer of his son into his own home and took care of him.

The Bible says, 'Love never fails' (1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV). And by being exposed to the love of God, that young communist leader became a Christian and eventually went on to become the pastor of a church.

Have you been hurt, betrayed or treated unfairly? Instead of retaliating in anger, handle it scripturally: 'Never pay back evil with more evil... Never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the Lord...Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good' (Romans 12:17, 19, 21 NLT).

Jesus said: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches' (Matthew 13:31-32 NIV). A mustard seed is only one to two millimetres in diameter, but within that seed is a remarkable nutritional profile, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, E and K. It's also a source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Jesus pointed out that when a mustard seed is planted, it can grow to become one of the largest trees in the garden, blessing the birds of the air by providing them with a home.

Paul wrote: 'Now may he who supplies seed to the sower...multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness' (2 Corinthians 9:10 NKJV). To whom does God give 'seed'? Sowers, not hoarders! What does God do with your seed when you sow it? He multiplies it! The seed you sow can be in the form of time, service, wisdom, money, compassion, etc. And God promises that when you sow, you will reap his blessing: 'God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work' (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV).

God has given you seed - sow it!

Rosalie Elliot made it to the fourth round of a national spelling contest. The eleven-year-old from South Carolina was asked to spell the word 'avowal'. In her soft southern accent she spelled the word, but the judges were unable to determine if she had used an 'a' or an 'e' as the next-to-last letter. They debated among themselves for several minutes as they listened to the recording, but it was too accent-blurred to decipher. Finally, the chief judge put the question to the only person who knew the answer. 'Was the letter an 'a', or was it an 'e'?' he asked Rosalie. By this time, being surrounded by whispering young spellers, Rosalie knew the correct spelling of the word. Still, without hesitation, she replied that she had misspelled the word, and she walked from the stage. The audience stood and applauded, including newspaper reporters. The moment was a proud one for her parents. Even in defeat, she was a victor. And, more has been written about Rosalie Elliot over the years than about the 'unknown' winner of the event.

As a redeemed child of God, your heavenly Father requires honesty in word and deed. 'Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed' (Proverbs 12:19 NLT). 'Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds' (Colossians 3:9 NKJV). 'Therefore, put away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbour," for we are members of one another' (Ephesians 4:25 NKJV).

Anger scares many of us because we've been harmed by it. But anger can be evidence that a person cares about someone or something. Some things are made right because someone got angry about them. If you shut down all anger, you eliminate passion, intimacy and love.

Here are two ways to make anger work for you: (1) Direct your anger at the right target. Your spouse is not the enemy; Satan is. He comes to 'steal, and to kill, and to destroy' (John 10:10 NKJV). He's the one trying to drive a wedge between you. Consciously move your focus from your spouse to the problem. For example, get angry at your lack of finances, not your spouse's spending. Get angry at demands pulling you in different directions, not your spouse staying late at work. Get angry at the limitations on intimacy, not your spouse saying no to sex. Put the problem 'out there', separate from you and your spouse. See yourselves as fighting the problem together. Attack the problem, not each other.

(2) Look for the pain. Find the pain that triggered the anger; it's almost always there. Look for it in your spouse and in your own heart. What need isn't being met? What wound has been exposed? What shame or fear is aroused? When you identify the pain, you'll be much closer to the solution. But beware! By being vulnerable, you could further wound each other; so acknowledge it and forgive quickly. Staying engaged while risking vulnerability increases intimacy more than anything else. So embrace anger as God's gift, and learn how to make it work for you.

You can actually use anger to deepen the bond between you and your spouse.

Here's how: (1) Acknowledge the place of anger. A person ruled by anger is not safe, healthy or wise. 'Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls' (Proverbs 25:28 NKJV). But if you and your spouse can learn to rule anger instead of letting it rule you, it can be invaluable. Think of the emotion as a flare sent up by your brain telling you there's something you need to deal with. Find your own way to acknowledge your feelings. If you struggle to control your anger, take a walk and let the temperature decrease. Then come back, re-engage and deal with the issue.

(2) Don't run away. If you're truly in danger, you need to get somewhere safe. But if not, staying engaged with your spouse validates the feelings of both of you. It's the only way to get a solution. If either of you is angry, agree to deal with it. You may need to plan a time to do so, but don't wait long. If nothing else, determine to deal with it before going to sleep that night. You may not find a solution to the whole problem, but make a pact to defuse the situation before the day ends. 'Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil' (Ephesians 4:26-27 NLT). If necessary, schedule a time to address the issue. You both deserve it, and your marriage is worth it.