Wranglers and Stranglers

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Heb. 10:25

Years ago a group of brilliant young men at the University of Wisconsin, with amazing creative literary talent, met regularly to read and critique each other's work. They were merciless in their criticism. They dissected the most minute literary expression into a hundred pieces. Their critique sessions became such arenas of literary criticism that the members of this exclusive club called themselves the Stranglers.

At the same time, the women of literary talent in the university formed a comparable club. They called themselves the Wranglers. They, too, read their works to one another and critiqued them. However, their criticism was much softer, more positive and encouraging. Every effort, even the most feeble one, was encouraged.

Twenty years later, an alumnus of the university was researching the careers of this particular class when he noticed the vast difference in the literary accomplishments of the Stranglers as opposed to the Wranglers. Of all the bright young men in the Stranglers, not one had made a significant literary accomplishment of any kind. But from the Wranglers had come six or more successful writers, some of national renown.

The talent level of the men and women was probably about the same. Their level of education was similar. The difference was that the Stranglers strangled out hope, while the Wranglers wrangled from each writer their most hidden gifts through their words of encouragement.

[Zig Ziglar, Over the Top. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994, p. 241)

You Can't Get Away

As part of my job, I monitor the police and sheriff's department's radio transmissions. Recently I listened as a person fled by car from an officer and a manhunt ensued. They didn't chase him (they don't do that here). They put a BOLO out and even sent a helicopter up to see if they could locate him but to no avail. The cops never seemed all that worked up about it because they knew who the person was. His tag revealed who the owner of the car was and unless this person never returned home again they knew they would catch up to him eventually.

The thought I had as I listened is that God knows where we live. We can run from Him all we want. We can ignore or neglect Him... we can live just like we choose... we can not communicate with Him or when we do cover up our issues with rationalizations... but the fact is He knows where you are and everything about you.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. [Psalm 139:7-10]

Now for some this would be terror. The thought that an all seeing God who is holy is checking out our lives is not a pleasant thought to the one who has not made their peace with God through Jesus Christ. For the believer who is backsliding into sin it also would be unsettling for the same reasons I suppose. Even as a believer faithfully serving Christ it can be a little concerning as we often think, do and say things that are not the most Christlike. No one can escape His sight. No one. There is no place in all of creation that one can be hidden from Him. He's God and He is everywhere.

But let's consider this: He knows all about us and yet He loves us. He may be grieved and He may be working overtime to change us but He loves us (Romans 5:8). He can take the challenge. We can be honest and upfront with Him about our lives.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. [1 John 1:9-10]

Let me be clear, this is all with a view towards His changing us for our own good but the one thing I believe expresses our belief that God is indeed God is that we are honest and open about our lives instead of running from Him or covering them up or rationalizing/justifying our sins. We should talk to Him often of our lives and then trust His grace and His power to work out His will in our lives.

Running from God is really silly. Just stop, pull over and throwing yourselves on His mercy, tell Him the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You will be glad you did.

What Opportunity Reveals

Thus [Potiphar] left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

Genesis 39:6a

In July of this year, a bank teller pled guilty to embezzling nearly two million dollars from the State Bank of Lincoln where she worked as a head teller. She pulled off her crime by having access to the bank's vault and by changing audit numbers. Because she had worked at the bank for nearly two decades, she was trusted.

Joseph, in a much shorter time, grew to be totally trusted by his master, Potiphar, a wealthy official in Egypt. In fact, Potiphar turned over so much responsibility to Joseph -- managing everything he owned -- that all he knew about his property was the food he ate every day. Joseph managed everything else. How easy in such a situation -- complete, trusted access to great wealth -- would it have been for Joseph to line his own pockets with Potiphar's goods? What the playwright Oscar Wilde said -- "I can resist anything except temptation" -- was not true of Joseph. His integrity was not changed because of his privileged position.

Circumstances don't create character; they reveal character. Arm yourself today with the integrity of Christ.

David Jeremiah

"The three most important ingredients in Christian work are integrity, integrity, integrity." Charles Colson

No Power

My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. Proverbs 1:10

Temptation has been around since the days of Adam and Eve, but it's never been as virulent as today. Sexual temptation, especially, has been intensified by technology, and it tends to reach people earlier in life. Still, we read in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that no temptation has overtaken us except what is common to humanity; and God is faithful to provide pathways of escape. He did this for Joseph in Genesis 39. When tempted by Potiphar's wife, Joseph was able to say "No" because he had established his convictions before the crisis. His moral principles were set in advance, so Joseph instinctively resisted the lure of lust.

Temptation has many guises, but God gives power over temptation. Our greatest weapons are: (1) a preset determination to obey God; (2) memorized Scripture on needed topics; and (3) prayer. Jesus told us to watch and pray so we don't fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41).

Don't wait until the moment of crisis. Plan ahead, hide God's Word in your heart, and pray in advance for victory, holiness, and a life pleasing to God.

Are you protecting yourself, your family, and your church from falling into temptation through active prayer to the Father?

Henry and Norman Blackaby, in Experiencing Prayer with Jesus