Playing

CONSIDER
It is a tremendous delight to watch children “play house.” A toddler may make the announcement that she will fix dinner for the family and then proceed to her play kitchen. Pulling a pot from the cabinet she lists the ingredients that will be included: ketchup, macaroni, carrots, cereal, cheese, but no peas! In the mixing bowl she plans to add salad, mustard, salt, and hamburgers, of course. But wait! She still has to fix the chicken nuggets! Since the dipping sauce is missing, she broadcasts that she is going to town as she heads out the door with her purse and Mom’s car keys. Mom has been chuckling while watching the preparations, but when the toddler actually opens the door to the family car and inserts the keys into the ignition, terror grips her heart. Making a mad dash to rescue her child from “play,” Mom reminds the toddler that she is not big enough to drive the car. Of course, a temper tantrum ensues because the toddler has big dinner plans that cannot happen if she does not drive to the store to get dipping sauce for the nuggets! Although Mom may offer alternatives, the toddler will insist, “I want to do it myself!” But the wise mother knows her child is not capable of handling everything she desires.

BIBLE TRUTH

Trust in the Lord and do good.
      Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
      and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
      Trust him, and he will help you.(Ps. 37:3–5 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
As children “play house,” in our feeble attempts we “play God.” We imagine a multitude of strategies to promote our self-interest in order to feel good about ourselves and avoid pain. Usually we are controlling every situation perceivable. During our playtime we may say things such as, “Show me how to control my situation better”; “Give me more ideas on how to please myself”; “Teach me to be a better god.” We stomp our feet and assert, “I want to do it myself without any help!” Our self-sufficient attitude exudes extreme confidence in our own ability and worth. But an all-wise God knows we are not capable of handling everything we desire.

PRAYER
Lord, I cry out to the You; I plead for the Your mercy. I pour out my complaints before You and tell You all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn. . . . (Ps. 142:1–3)



(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Pearls and Pigs

CONSIDER
Many people are surprised to learn that Jesus taught there are times we are to “treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector" (Matt. 18:17). In those days, if a corrupt tax collector saw you on the street and said you owed $10,000 in taxes, you would be required to pay or you would be put in jail. So the corrupt tax collectors were avoided with extreme measures. It would not be uncommon for people to walk on the other side of the street with eyes down in order to circumvent any contact. Can you believe Jesus would actually promote such conduct?

BIBLE TRUTH
“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you” (Matt. 7:6 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Yes, there are actually times when we should make wide circles to steer clear of people. But as we are addressing these situations that cause anger to us and to God, we ultimately must grieve the truth and forgive the debt. God is the final authority, and it is His job to see that the appropriate judgment is satisfied. We must yield to His way and give up our will in all areas of our lives.

PRAYER
God, I humble myself before You. Enable me to resist the devil, so he will flee from me. I desire to come close to You, so You will come close to me. I wash my hands, because I know I am a sinner; please purify my heart, for my loyalty is divided between You and the world. There are tears for what I have done. I am filled with sorrow and deep grief. I am filled with sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. I humble myself before You. Please lift me up in honor. . . . (James 4:7–10)



(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Should Christians Be Treated Differently?

CONSIDER
“Is the person a Christian?” This criterion does make a difference because God offers a specific course of action for guilty Christians. If the wrongdoer is not a Christian, we must grieve and allow God to mete out His justice as we forgive the debt. Remember, grieving is about adjusting our lives based on the truth. In regard to the unsaved, we must realize the truth that unsaved individuals are unable to conduct themselves with the love, grace, and mercy of a forgiven soul. They cannot be held to the same standards God expects of the saved. Often we jump to confrontation and boundary setting without grieving the truth that a person cannot evidence godliness and goodness apart from the grace of Christ. Rather than being angry with the sinner, we must grieve for his or her soul.


BIBLE TRUTH

“It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, ‘You must remove the evil person from among you.’”
(1 Cor. 5:12–13 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?

“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.”(Matt. 18:15–17 NLT)

PRAYER
Lord, You are righteous in everything You do; You are filled with kindness. Lord, I know You are close to all who call on You, yes, to all who call on You in truth. You grant the desires of those who fear You; You hear my cries for help and rescues me. Lord, You protect all those who love You, but You destroy the wicked. . . . (Ps. 145:17–20)



(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Would God Be Angry?

CONSIDER
If we suspect that an unmet expectation has resulted in anger concerning an issue that God would also be angry about, we must first ask, “Is there biblical proof?” Many times we assume God would be angry about a particular situation, but we cannot find the scriptural backing for our assertion. So often we seek for biblical proof to justify our own solution to accomplish the end result we desire. We must truly seek His solutions. Seeking Him in desperate dependency will unveil His plan.

BIBLE TRUTH

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” (Matt. 7:3–5 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
With biblical proof evident, our next decision to consider is this: “Can I expose and confront the sin?” We can never be ready to confront what is in others’ lives until we are content in Christ with the way things are in our lives. Otherwise we may be trying to control people and situations to make our lives better instead of ministering Christ to others.

PRAYER
Jesus, I am going to keep on asking for Your answers, so that I may receive Your answers. I want to keep on seeking Your solutions, so I may find Your solutions. I will keep on knocking, so the door will be opened. You promise that everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. . . . (Matt. 7:7–8)



(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

If you would like to receive our blog posts via email, simply submit your email address in the box on the left. They will make you verify your request by jumping through a few hoops, but that is for your safety!

We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.