“But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8)

Pessimistic vs optimistic

When problems come along, people view them from opposite perspectives. Sir Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” The beautiful thing about being children of God is that we can expect God to work out every situation that comes along. That means we should always be optimistic, because God is good and faithful. So choose to be optimistic!

God is a stronghold in the day of trouble

“The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)

Make God your confidence

“For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.” (Psalm 71:5)

Trust in God’s Word and don’t be afraid

“In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid What can mere man do to me?” (Psalm 56:4)

Watch and wait expectantly

“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation My God will hear me.” 

Therefore…

“I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” (Psalm 91:2)

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.” (Psalms 27:1-3)

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13)

Quote: 

“If I regarded my life from the point of view of the pessimist, I should be undone. I should seek in vain for the light that does not visit my eyes and the music that does not ring in my ears. I should beg night and day and never be satisfied. I should sit apart in awful solitude, a prey to fear and despair. But since I consider it a duty to myself and to others to be happy, I escape a misery worse than any physical deprivation." -  Helen Keller

“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.” (Lev. 19:11 ESV)

There is a humorous TV commercial showing President Lincoln, famously known by his nickname, “Honest Abe,” standing in his bedroom next to his wife, who had just put on a new dress. She then says to him, “Do you think this dress makes me look fat?” On his face is the expression of panic and confusion; should he tell her the truth or fib?

I know, I know! You might argue that it's acceptable to tell a “white lie” in order to protect someone's feelings. But there is no such thing as a white lie. A lie is always a lie and always wrong to resort to.

Lie defined: A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood. Something meant to deceive. To present false information with the intention of deceiving.

Question: When is it acceptable to tell a lie?

Correct Answer: Never!

There is always a way to be truthful without being unkind, mean, or rude. Ask God for wisdom in every situation. Unfortunately, lying has become common and acceptable, even encouraged, these days. We tell our children that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy are real. By doing this we are telling (and teaching) our children that we believe it’s acceptable to tell lies occasionally. Then, when we tell them about Jesus, they are skeptical. Because of this, Susan and I told our children these things were only pretend. None of them felt cheated because we were truthful with them. They always knew that Christmas was about Jesus and presents came from loved ones. By the way, they are all adults now and raise their children the same way.

What the Bible teaches about telling lies

·      God hates lying: “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” (Prov. 6:16-19 ESV

·      Lying is of the devil: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”(John 8:44 ESV) 

·      Liars will perish: “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.” (Prov. 19:9 ESV) “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8 ESV)

Therefore…

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Col. 3:9-10 ESV) 

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Eph. 4:25 ESV)

Quote:

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth.” - William Faulkner

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:22-23)

New every morning

In today’s world the concept of a fresh start has become increasingly important as individuals seek to reinvent themselves or overcome past mistakes. But, the Bible puts it very clearly when the promise In the above passage is understood, proclaiming that God’s steadfast love never ceases and His mercies are new every morning.

Therefore

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Quote

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.” - John Wayne

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phil. 4:8)

A penny for your thoughts

What are you thinking about? It is important. The Bible says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7). That is why it is important to be careful what you put into your mind; the kind of tv shows and movies you watch, what you read and even the musical lyrics you listen to. It all becomes a part of your thinking and affects you negatively or positively. What goes into your mind will eventually affect your opinions, your attitudes, and your behavior in some way. You must be careful to guard what goes in because everything you do flows from it. (Prov. 4:23)

Therefore

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Prov. 4:23)

Quote

 “You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think.” - Marianne Williamson

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.” (Eph 3:16-17)

You can pray for good gifts for others

You can ask God for some specific “gifts” for them.  “If you ... know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11 NIV)

The gift of strength

Today, Ask God to grant others you care about strength through his Spirit in their inner selves so that Christ might dwell in their hearts through faith. (Eph. 3:16-17)

Therefore

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isai. 40:29-31)

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

Self control

The dictionary defines self control as the ability to control oneself, in particular one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations. Self control is to be able to take a step back from a situation and respond in a controlled fashion, instead of reacting in an out-of-control manner.

God has given us self-control

2 Tim. 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Therefore

Prov. 25:28 “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

Quote

“Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.” - Benjamin Franklin

“To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” (Titus 3:2)

Gentleness is misunderstood

Perhaps a struggle we have with gentleness is that we don't really understand what it is. The dictionary describes gentleness as being kind, sympathetic, considerate, understanding, compassionate, benevolent, and good-natured.

Charles Swindoll writes: “In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness—being soft and virtually spineless. Not so. Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self esteem and dignity. Instead of losing, the gentle gain; instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead.”

Gentleness can be firm, even powerful

To behave in a gentle manner requires that you stay centered in strong values used with controlled strength - that you are active rather than reactive. Confirming from this center, a gentle word or touch can channel your energy into healing or making peace.

Therefore

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17)

“Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.” (Phil 4:5)

Quote

“I choose gentleness... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.” - Max Lucado

Luke. 12:42-44 “And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.’”

Faithfulness defined

The passage above defines faithfulness as a wise servant who manages his master's household diligently. He is therefore blessed as a result of his faithfulness.

The dictionary definition of faithfulness is “the quality of being loyal and steadfast in one's commitments, promises, or duties, often demonstrated through consistent support or adherence to a person, cause, or belief. It can also refer to the reliability and accuracy in maintaining truth or fidelity to something.“

Faithfulness is keeping to a task faithfully without giving up or quitting, no matter what happens. The following poem says it well.

Don’t quit!

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

 Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

 Don't give up though the pace seems slow—

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

 Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out—

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

 So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

God is faithful

“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (Deut. 7:9)

Be faithful, too

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23)

Therefore

“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.” (Isa. 25:1)

Quotes

“God has not called me to be successful. He has called me to be faithful.” - Mother Teresa

“I know success or failure in my life or ministry does not depend on my own skill or even on external circumstances, it depends only on my faithfulness. God will give me the gifts necessary to do whatever He calls me to do, and He will not be hindered in His work by circumstances.” - Lester Sumrall

Rom. 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people

In Victor Hugo’s classic masterpiece, Les Misérables, he tells the story of a man named Jean Valjean, who was imprisoned for 19 years because he stole a loaf of bread. Once he is released he cannot find anywhere to work or stay because he is an ex-convict. He finally finds a compassionate bishop who takes him in, but he repays the man’s kindness by stealing his silverware and slipping away in the night.

The police arrest Valjean and bring him back to the bishop to be charged, but in a stunning display of mercy, the bishop tells the guards that the silverware was a gift and demands that they release him. He challenges Valjean to take the silver and use it to become an honest man—a moment that powerfully transforms his life. 

It is easy for us to forget just how powerful and redemptive mercy can be. It is also easy for us to forget that none of us were actually deserving of mercy. The bishop had no way of knowing that Valjean would actually keep his promise and become a better man. In the same way, Jesus had no guarantee that we would all receive His sacrifice on the cross, but He did it anyway, making our redemption possible.

Therefore 

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal. 6:10)

Quote

“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” -  Henry David Thoreau