True children of the Father are just as kind, forgiving, generous, good, just as He is.

You know it is very tempting to read Psalm 110 and think in futuristic terms, because David was speaking of the manifestation of the Christ in the future. Well, that future is NOW. Today is the Day of His Power and your situation can turn around for good if you believe.

The resultant effect of the mercies and compassions of God is His goodness. When His mercies and compassions meet, His Goodness is inevitable. Halleluyah! So if His mercies and compassions follow me everyday, if they fail not, if God is steadfast, committed at sending mercies and compassions towards man, surely, goodness must be an everyday experience with God too.

We are to love all people; lovers, users, haters, persecutors, cursers, etc with the love of God. We are to bless them, do good to them, and pray for them (Matthew 5:43‭-‬48). Responding with love where love seems underserved is one way we grow and mature in love (agape).

A lot of Christians haven’t really understood love. A few others talk about love in the light of something they expect to receive from others. But can you imagine if every Christian thought about themselves every time 1 Corinthians 13 flashes through their mind? Christianity will be truly defined. How do you love?

A lot of Christians haven’t really understood love. A few others talk about love in the light of something they expect to receive from others. But can you imagine if every Christian thought about themselves every time 1 Corinthians 13 flashes through their mind? Christianity will be truly defined. How do you love?

The title of this blogpost would seem like an oxymoron, consisting of a phrase with conflicting or opposing ideas. It seems to be saying ‘don’t think‘ and yet ‘think‘ 🙂 It is impossible to continue to live and not think 🙂 so what is this blog about?

To guard something means to watch over it in order to protect and control it, to protect something against damage or harm.

The heart (mind) plays a key role in human existence. It is the seat of emotions, locus of thoughts and the centre of intellect.

Science describes the heart as a hollow muscular organ which pumps blood round the circulatory system and around the body. Thus far in human existence, no one has actually seen the heart (mind) as used in the Bible. However, we find from studying the scripture that a person’s personality, character and behavior reveal their heart.

“for as he thinks in his heart, so is he (in behavior -one who manipulates}. He says to you, “Eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you….” {Proverbs 23:7}.

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” NKJV

Looking at the 2 scriptures above, we immediately see a link between the heart, behaviour (actions) and spoken words.

I was browsing through my last birthday messages from friends and family and I observed something that kept recurring through the messages from different people; “beautiful in and out” that stood out to me (*wink, wink). It’s a good report and I celebrate God’s Word in my heart 🙂

God wants us to guard our heart and by so doing control our actions, reactions and words.

“Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life”
Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

To keep means to continue or cause to continue in a specified condition, state or course.

This is so important because all issues of life spring from our heart. Emotions of fear, hurt, love, anger, worry all stream from the heart. Our intellect is built and influenced hugely by the things we expose our heart to, thoughts emanate from our heart.

Clearly then we must control what goes into our heart and by so doing automatically control what comes out of it- as thoughts, words or actions.

Truth is, our emotions, thoughts (and actions) can either cripple or energize us.

God wants us to be selective about what we permit or allow access into our heart and we have a reference;

Philippians 4:8

“Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy– meditate on these things. NKJV.

So we should consciously put every thought (from within or without) against true/noble/just/lovely/of virtue/of good report. Any thought/word/action found wanting on this weighing scale must be discarded and ignored. A thought flashes through your mind that does not pass the litmus test? Discard. Somebody says something to you that displaces the balance of the weighing scale? Discard and ignore.

Reminds me of an incidence that took place in my office some years ago; someone became very upset and restless because another colleague referred to him as ‘a rat’ 🙂 The matter escalated to the point that the overall boss had to intervene, he called a meeting. After listening to the two people involved, one of his admonitions to the offended colleague was a question ‘Are you a rat?’ If someone refers to you as a rat, and you are not a rat, you haven’t behaved like a rat, then why are you so upset. 🙂

I believe that the easiest way to align our thoughts according to Philippians 4:8, is to always operate in Godly wisdom. And Godly wisdom flows freely from the Word of God.

In recent times, my most treasured status is that of being at peace. So I purposefully ‘guard my heart to think’ by protecting it from harm and exposing it to the truth sourced directly from the word of God. I consciously resist any attempt by life issues to destabilise this state 🙂 I keep my peace. Sometimes I miss it, but then I chase after it until it returns.

You can do same 🙂

The peace of God is available to us always but we must choose to walk in it.

To have a well-kept heart, a well-guarded heart, there are places we cannot go, there are movies/shows we cannot watch, there are books we cannot afford to read, there are associations and gatherings we must avoid, there are discussions we cannot be part of, there are pleasures we cannot indulge in.

I leave you with the complete words of wisdom from Proverbs 4:23;

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”
Proverbs 4:23‭-‬27 KJV

Shalom.

A Business Owner had worked all year round to keep his business afloat amidst regular dips in profits. His hard-work paid off, business still made sense; his profit margin wasn’t bad at all. Only thing was, he has become really exasperated, irritated by trivial issues, excitable by mundane ones. He needed a break!

He called for a management meeting with all departmental heads and informed them of his plan to proceed on an extended leave. Business must remain profitable in his absence. He assigned tasks and targets to each managerial portfolio with accompanying resources to aid achievement of expected outcomes.

Few days before proceeding on his vacation, he assembled his managers again and distributed seed stocks. To the Sales Manager he handed $5,000 and a list of tasks. He must at least double the money before the business owner returns. Standing next to the Sales Manager was the Finance Manager, who thought to himself, ‘Oh! the company’s net worth is better this year than it was last year, that attests to my hardwork. I’ll surely get more than $5,000. He got $2,000! The other person in the room was the Operations Manager who, just like the Finance Manager was full of great expectations. ‘He has kept everything together this past year, he thought’. If not for his dedication and commitment, their experience could have been worse considering global economic recessions. His Master would certainly give him more than $5,000 to trade with. He got $1,000!

Spread across the faces of the Sales Manager and the Finance Manager was a mix of chagrin and delight, they are certainly unhappy with Mr. Business Owner but then their fate seemed better than that of Mr.Operations. ‘At least the Master considered them more productive and superior to Mr. Operations. They busted into laughter. Mr. Operations went all red.

The Business Owner watched them in utter bewilderment. ‘These people don’t get this, he thought’. He quickly called them to order, explaining the criteria for distributing the resources. Every man has received according to his strength, ability and role in the organisation. This was not a reward system. His hopes are that each manager would employ given resources, maximize profits, without neglecting his primary responsibility. He wished them well and embarked on his journey.

Despite the explanations given by the Business Owner, the Operations Manager went away disgruntled, depressed and disillusioned. ‘The Master surely hates me, he thought‘ He is not only ungrateful and selfish, he is a wicked man and cares about nothing more than his profits.’ Mr. Owner has treated him badly despite all his years of hard-work and commitment. Instead of rewarding him for ensuring the smooth running of daily operations in the organization, he humiliated him in the presence of his colleagues by giving him the least money to trade with. He was going to do absolutely nothing with the $1000 given to him. If the Master didn’t trust his ability to trade, then he shouldn’t expect any further gains from him.

We find the response of the Business Owner to Mr. Operations on his return in Mathew 25:

“…. ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.”

Mr. Operations was right; his Master didn’t trust him to deliver. His initial explanation on the criteria for distributing the resources was only a cover up. Mr. Business Owner obviously see him as wicked {selfish} and lazy. He was of little or no benefit to him personally or to organizational growth. The only reason operations were still great was because he weighed in most times. Giving him one talent was simply an act of generosity, he would have gotten nothing.

Interestingly, they had made clever judgment about each other .. well, to a great extent 🙂 Business Owner was profit-oriented and result-driven, Mr. Operations was seen as selfish but didn’t know it}.

Jesus gave the Parable of the Talents to teach on faithfulness to the things of God. Profitability of the Kingdom of God is about making disciples of all men (Matthew 28:19). If the One-Talent Servant knew the overall organization goal and focused on it, he would (1) Continue to work towards achievement of the overall organizational goal irrespective of his perception about his Master’s feelings towards him. (2) He would have become more self-aware of how his Master saw him and seize the little opportunity given to improve himself or set things right.

He missed both.

Jesus never gave a condemning parable without admonition on the way to repentance 🙂

Let’s stay faithful and committed to the things of God. We will reap where we sow if we do not faint. And let us stay relevant in the vineyard in which we’re planted, always being reminded of 1 Corinthians 12: 20

“But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.” NKJV.

Torat Moshe, also known as the Torah, is traditionally believed by the Hebrews to have been written by Moses. The Torah refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. These books are replete with God’s laws handed down to Moses and Moses’ teachings based on them. Generally, adultery was considered a hideous offense throughout the Torah.

Much as every adult knows how impossible it is to have an accusation of adultery solely laid on one individual, the punishment meted out to an adulterous woman going by the Torah came nothing close to what the male counterpart received.  The society did more than frown at it, she must be stoned to death.

In John 8:11, Jesus seemed to have reacted differently and contrary to expectations, to an adulterous woman.

“….neither do I, said Jesus, ‘Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.” 

Jesus discharged and acquitted a woman condemned by law to death!

Let us not rewrite the Bible in a hurry just yet. Is adultery an offense?  YES it is,  before man and God!   So did Jesus not act contrary to God’s laws in John 8:3-11? Were the people not right in their accusations?

It may be true that your wife deeply indulged in adultery to the point that she offered her body generously to men at no good price. And that your boss has decided to keep you ‘under’ because he is intimidated and threatened by God’s glory o’re you. It may have also happened that your husband recently threw you and you 6 months old baby out of the house, preferring a younger woman.  Or your parents really don’t give a hood where you are, what you do or how you do it.

In all of this , what does God expect of you…..and I?

This article was informed by one of my recently discovered near favorite scriptures in the Bible, 🙂  Colossians 3:2;

“And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.”   (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition-AMPC).

Look at that scripture one more time; is it any obvious that Believers have a choice to act differently in situations were they can legitimately apply the law?

Is it possible to be like Jesus Christ before Pontius Pilate and be given opportunity to exonerate ourselves from false accusations and yet choose not to, because of a secondary gain to another?  (Selah).

What are the ‘Higher things’ being referred to in Colossians 3:2?

Am sorry to say it is not Tithing & Offering, as we’ve all been taught in recent times. Jesus classed Mercy, Justice and Faith as the Weightier Matters (Matthew 23:23). The Tithe is a Command from God, you just do it. And your offering is expected as a sign of gratitude. God expects it. However, mercy, justice and faith to me are reflections of a believer’s spiritual growth and maturity. And Agape Love envelopes these 3 attributes!

Now if you think the story of the adulterous woman in John 8 is too archaic to be true, then please patiently read through the following brief real life issue:

A man’s wife was neck-deep in adultery to the point that she didn’t need any man to chase her, she personally made advances at men without struggle and offered her body freely without requesting any form of compensation or payment.

Did I hear you say demonic influence?  Well, demonic influence or personal choice, the humbling and yet liberating part for me remains that this woman’s husband chose to forgive her and take her in as though nothing happened in the first place! I mean Matthew 19:9, offers this man an opportunity to separate from his wife if he chooses to even if only to protect himself from contracting sexually transmitted diseases or gaining a personal gratification having been treated badly or just to ensure his wife suffers for her wicked acts.

Pause please….

Could there possibly be a secondary gain of forgiving this woman assuming she is willing to change her ways? Could she like the adulterous woman in John 8, become wholly yielded to Christ, or like Mary Magdalene, never leave the Master’s side?

Isn’t it much more profitable spiritually if one wicked, mean, sinful, wife, boss, colleague, child or whosoever, submitted to God and to His ways?

These are higher thoughts and they attract higher gains. They don’t come naturally, but requires complete disconnection from the senses. They are supernatural choices that bring supernatural rewards.

Colossians 3:15 instructs us thus;

“And above all these {put on} love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness (which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony). And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts {deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds in that peaceful state} to which as (members of Christ’s) body you were also called (to live). And be thankful (appreciative) {giving praise to God always}.” Amplified Bible, Classic Edition.

It was an unusual kind of love that kept Jesus mute before Pilate, choosing instead to die than be acquitted of wrong doing.

Agape is the highest form of love, the kind of love that God has for man and sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. agape is unconditional, does not consider acts done (positive or negative), does not rely on feelings or emotions, it transcends the natural and loves when there’s no reason to love.

We cannot continue with an ‘eye for an eye’ approach to life, neither can we continue to seek personal gratification in every situation; constantly wanting to appear smart, well learned/schooled and in control of everything and everyone at every time.

There’s a ‘yielding’ to God’s spirit necessary to execute and sustain higher things.

When the adulterous woman said to Jesus, ‘none of her accusers condemned her, she also seemed to be saying to Jesus; ‘do you Lord? Jesus did not condemn her, instead He told her and those around her how not to continue to walk in darkness (or indulge in any kind of sin, including adultery)…

“Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV.

Whether you’re in the position of the accused or accuser, following The Light (Jesus Christ) guarantees that we continue to walk in The Light of Life, so that we live life to its fullest (John 10:10). That is the only way to stay away from adultery and all forms of sin, and to continuously illuminate others with agape. In The Light, Jesus Christ!

Help us Dear Lord Jesus Christ to always recognize and prioritize kingdom gains above personal gains in Jesus Name. Amen.