Frank’s Reflections

The longer I live, the more I see and experience. Two words make my brain spin. They’re all about character. 

The first word is honesty. Hopefully, you were taught at a young age to be honest. Lying is as natural as breathing. We learned to lie early in life. We think it will hide the truth and keep us out of trouble, but it doesn’t. Usually, we get into deeper trouble because of our dishonesty. It’s always better to tell the truth even if there are negative consequences.

Honesty pays positive dividends in the long run. Honesty is another word for truth-telling. Honesty reveals character. People trust you if they know that you are honest. Other honest people appreciate this human characteristic. Honesty is included in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:16). Do not tell lies about others (CEV).

The second word that I can’t get out of my mind is integrity. This word goes beyond honesty, which implies being truthful even when we are wrong. Integrity implies being dependable regardless of the circumstances.

A person of integrity is not only honest but also guided by deep-rooted principles. There is no wavering in his character. People know how a person of integrity will answer regardless of the surrounding events.

We were not born with an integrity gene; we developed that over time. Somewhere in our past, we realized honesty was the best policy. Later, when the winds of adversity blew in our face, we decided to stand on our moral principles regardless of the wind’s velocity. That’s when integrity became a foundational part of our lives. Then we realized some things are valuable to our world and, more importantly, to our Lord.

May you rightly decide to be a person of integrity above all else.

Saying I’m sorry isn’t always acceptable to the recipient. The receiver has the responsibility to accept or reject the words, “I’m sorry.” To accept brings forgiveness. Hopefully, the ill feelings will disappear. However, forgiveness doesn’t always disappear from one’s memory. That apology doesn’t always erase the hurt feelings. Sometimes the pain lasts for years, depending on the depth of the scars.

Forgiveness has a healing effect, and it’s vital to our personal lives. Without forgiveness, bitterness can creep in, poisoning a person’s mind and relationships, and even damaging one’s mindset forever.

On the spiritual side, forgiveness is liberating. When an individual comes to the Lord and experiences redemption, he’s free! The weight of his guilt is gone—removed and covered by the blood of Jesus. The amazing part of the Lord’s forgiveness is the erasure and eradication of it from His memory. That kind of forgiveness is beyond our human understanding because we still have a memory and we don’t have an erase button. But Jesus has the power to forgive, forget, and move on. We don’t have that ability. We can forgive, forget most of the time, and move on sometimes, but ever so slowly. The grace of our Savior encourages every believer to forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13). 

Our sins are gone, forgotten, and never to be remembered by the Lord. With that thought and promise of forgiveness, we too can move on with our lives and serve the Lord as long as we have breath.

Life has many twists and turns—some will come unexpectedly and challenge my mental well-being. After several recurring events, it is easy to become overly cautious. With that thought, I remembered the old Boy Scout motto: “Always be prepared.” The word always stuck in my mind. Consequently, the acronym below: 

A stands for attitude. If I can get myself in the right frame of mind, I can find a positive thought or behavior to share with those around me.

L reminds me to listen; listening is one of my fallacies. I’ve failed many times to listen to someone complete their thoughts before I interjected my line of thinking.

W is the nudge to be watchful. Some of life’s greatest lessons are learned from others rather than our own trials and errors. Being watchful is a better alternative than enduring unnecessary pain and heartache from our mistakes. 

A reminds me to adjust. Adjust to what people are saying and respond appropriately. My response should always be tactful, while sticking to my beliefs and convictions.

Y reminds me not to yell, but to yield respectfully. Yielding does not mean compromising my convictions but choosing my words wisely.

S stands for service. It’s our godly responsibility to serve others, especially before we serve ourselves. Putting others first is the biblical example for our behavior.

These six musings may be helpful in case you want to “always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope” (1 Peter 3:15 CEV).

Have you ever asked the question, “Why do you pray?” Here’s a thought to consider. Do I pray because someone taught me to or because it has become a habit? When you get into a bind and have nowhere else to turn but to God, what do you do? Turn to the Lord and be completely honest with Him about my thoughts—the ones I kept private, even the ones I didn’t want God to know.

I expressed my hurts to Him—those inflicted by others and those I inflicted on myself. When hurt by others, I’ve had thoughts of revenge. After all, they deserved to be hurt. It wasn’t long before I realized that revenge wasn’t my job; that’s God’s (Romans 12:19). But letting go and trusting the Lord to honor His Word was another lesson for me.

Personal desires have surfaced in many prayers; after all, the Lord did say that He would give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). God didn’t grant many of my requests. I’m thankful for His discernment. Some of my requests would hinder my service for Him. Many of them were not for the betterment of God’s kingdom.

Many of my prayers concern the healing of friends and acquaintances. Once again, our wonderful Lord intervened in the lives of many, but not in the lives of some. That caused me to question some of His decisions, but through prayer I learned to trust His resolve. Yes, He does what is best for His plan and purpose, not just personal desires.

Salvation for the unsaved is a major concern in the expansion of God’s kingdom. Self-discovery helped me realize that, in many cases, my pleading was short-lived. Consequently, I didn’t see my desired answer. Maybe someone else did. Sometimes we expect God to take care of us first, and to leave others to fend for themselves in the meantime.

The reality is that God hears and answers all our prayers. His answer is best, and ours isn’t. If we accept His answer, whatever His answer, it’s always best.

All our requests are in heavenly records. He did answer every request, even if not in the way we expected. Many of His answers were yes. Let’s be thankful for the privilege of making a request.

Lord, help me to ask in the proper way for Your glory.

Why did Jesus ask The Disciples 90 questions?

He Had to Ask is a chronological journey through the Gospels that explores the questions Jesus posed to His disciples. These questions weren’t just for them; they’re for today’s believers. Your reading will cause you to reflect on Jesus’ questions, inspire you, and encourage you in your faith. Your relationship with God will deepen your joy of living in God’s kingdom. 

Using Scripture as its foundation, He Had to Ask uncovers key themes, including:

• The importance of faith and trust in God’s provision.
• Living a life of service, compassion, and humility.
• Recognizing and engaging in spiritual warfare.
• Seeking eternal rewards over earthly gains.
• Forgiving others as God forgives us.
• Sharing the Gospel with boldness and urgency.

He Had to Ask offers practical applications for our daily lives, while encouraging you in your daily walk with Jesus.

In case you are interested, Frank has the following books available at your favorite online store:

Dare To Start: 32 Devotions For Young Men

He Had To Ask: 90 Questions Jesus Asked His Disciples

They Had To Trust: Stories of Those Who Said Yes to Gods

They Had To Ask: Questions the Disciples Asked Jesus

What motivates you? Have you ever given it a thought? Where does the thought originate? Why did you have it? Were your intentions honorable?

All good things have their roots in God. Conversely, all evil things are not of God but of His enemies. The ultimate source of evil is the devil. When you really think about the previous three sentences, they can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

God knows every heart of every person on His earth. He knows our thoughts and intentions; yet He still loves us. That’s hard to fathom. In spite of us, our Lord still cares about us. He wants only the best for His children.

His best requires our obedience, not perfection. No one can reach flawlessness. That’s impossible because of our sin nature. Recognizing our imperfections and limitations should motivate us to live honestly before our Savior.

When you pray, bring your heart, not your mind. Our thoughts can try to justify everything. Whatever our wrongful actions are, God already knows about them. Trying to convince Him otherwise is useless. Instead, be honest with God and yourself. You can fool yourself but never try to fool God.

Your best motive and action should be to do what pleases the Lord. Treating people right, including those who mistreat you, is a better choice. That will bring inner peace to your heart. Even that thought originated from God. The Bible says, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you (Matthew 6:33 CSB).

Most of us don’t understand our potential, whether in our early or senior years. Our mindset isn’t open to achieving beyond our call to duty. We limit ourselves mentally. We are afraid to attempt something new or extraordinary. There’s a biblical pattern for doing more for God and ourselves. It’s found in 1Thessalonians 5, starting with verse 14.

The first directive is self-encouragement. You can do more, but you have to try. Certain things do not fall into your lap. There is initiative on your part, coupled with determination, effort, and patience to achieve.

With the above, there should be enjoyment. You must like what you’re trying to do or achieve to build the inner satisfaction that you are making a difference in your world. It may not be tangible, but someone or something will improve as a result of your efforts. That’s the inner joy of companionship, thanksgiving, and the privilege of knowing your prayers bring results.

When you examine your accomplishments, whether large or small, there’s a sense of pride. Be warned not to gloat but to savor the moment. Self-induced harm may occur from elation lasting too long. Or the failure to recognize those who helped along the way. None of us are independent of others.

The next thought is to keep going forward. There’s always more to do. More people to help, more ways to improve. God’s not finished with you until you breathe your last breath. Even then, you may do more by leaving a self-sustaining project. You can leave the means to help others after you arrive inside the pearly gates. That may not happen if you quit along the way. Your potential is unlimited with the proper mindset.

Many of us are in a hurry. We think the prize is for the quickest, the one who is ahead of everybody else. That’s what the hare thought about the tortoise. That’s what society generally thinks.

There’s a story in the Bible about the wheat and the tares. The laborers considered pulling up the weeds among the young, tender wheat. They thought the wheat would grow better without the weeds’ struggling influence. But the Lord knew better. He said, “Let both grow together, and at harvest time, the better results will be obvious.” Trusting in our all-knowing God is difficult for us in certain areas. The surprising benefit of waiting is that the tares make the roots of the wheat stronger. By doing so, the wheat can grow and produce golden grain at harvest. The weeds fade in influence. The wheat becomes the true harvest, reassuring us that God’s timing is perfect.

Believers need troublemakers! Mischief makers strengthen the faithful. Wisdom comes with time and develops through trials. Steadfastness endures the storms.

The sun will come out. Your day will glisten. God is in control. The reward will come at harvest and not before. The faith to wait is your wisest choice.

We complain when people use us. They get what they want, and then they’re gone, for a while, until the next time they have a need. That explains the typical Christian.

We’re fine as long as God meets our needs and some of our wants. When something goes wrong, as it often does, we cry for help, maybe even complain about it to someone. Sometimes, we are bold enough to blame God for the situation. That’s a bad idea, but God still loves us.

Our situation may be a learning experience for us or someone else. I think of Daniel in the Bible. He was in the lion’s den. He was guilty of praying in defiance of the king’s order. When the king realized his mistake, he couldn’t undo his edict. The king’s decree allowed Daniel to sleep with the lions. King Darius rushed to the den the next morning to see if Daniel’s God was the true God of deliverance. God has a way of showing up to demonstrate His power. 

If perchance we are mistreated, it may be so that others can see that our faith is real. Our mistreatment is not to hurt us but to show that our Lord wants to use us to reach others. Our hurt is for our good, both here and in eternity.

Our dilemma, whatever it is and wherever it is, is for our eternal good and a witness to all who see or hear about our situation. If Daniel can sleep with lions, then you can look to the same God and know that He can take care of us.

Bible reading refreshes your mind, spirit, and soul. The Lord knows just what we need and when we need it. Our refreshment is truly timely for each believer. Surprisingly, the Holy Spirit, in writing the Bible (2 Peter 1:20,21), tucked in some jewels right before our eyes. Such was the case in reading Psalm 119. I know it’s the longest chapter in the Bible, but one term inside caught my eye. The King James Version uses the term “quicken,” whereas the New King James Version uses the word “receive.” “Preserve” is the term found in the NIV, and “give” is in the ESV. Each of these terms appears nine times in its respective Bible. But each of these verses carries a different admonishment.

We will look at these words. This Psalm repeats two of them for emphasis. I’ll use the term from the New King James Version. Receiving the “word” is the first designated term in the list of nine and appears twice (vs 25, 107), signifying that the Bible provides foundational principles for living. The second term to receive in the sequence is “in your way.” There is only one true way for believers to serve God, and that is with our whole heart. And all of us fall short in this category, but it’s our goal to live for God with our whole heart.

The next expression is “righteousness,” indicating the degree of our commitment. We are encouraged to receive what is right in God’s sight. The word “lovingkindness” comes next, and it appears twice, also, in this Psalm (vs 88 and 159). It is also the last term, indicating our pattern for living in loving God and humanity.

“Justice” appears in verse 149, directing and correcting our conduct. God brings justice to all. The last term to appear is judgment in verse 156. God certainly will bring punishment for the wrongdoings of those without Christ.

Our kind, heavenly Father gives the last word again:” lovingkindness.” It’s a reminder for all of us to be kind in all that we do. Kindness is better received by more people than anger.

If we receive these nine terms and apply them to our lives by spreading them amongst our friends and acquaintances, our lives will be better, and so will our community.