​America. Time to wake up.
Our nation is rapidly descending into a pitch black, bottomless abyss of hopelessness and despair. Immorality, violence, crime, abuse, corruption, indecency, rebellion and disrespect for authority is crippling our once moral, decent, honorable, respectful country.
As a proud, patriotic, God loving, God fearing citizen of the United States, I am very concerned regarding the critical, judgmental attitudes and spiteful, hateful, vindictive, vengeful actions exhibited by some toward fellow citizens.
Many people in our country are harsh, hard-hearted, calloused, mean-spirited, cold and alarmingly short on granting others the benefit of the doubt. Across America, cutting people some slack is bordering on extinction in our supposedly enlightened culture.
Increasing numbers of individuals and entire segments of our society treat others, not the way they would like to be treated, but the very way they would not want to be treated.
Is there any hope for our nation that is quickly losing all sense of respect, honor, dignity and decency when dealing with others? I am glad you asked.
The Bible helps us with the remedy for our tendency to be hard on people. Jesus, God’s only Son and Savior of the world, taught you and me how to treat others.
“Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12.
Thank you Jesus. This is not complicated. Doesn’t require a committee or a “conversation” to investigate what Jesus means. Here it is: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Period.
Someone tagged this verse as The Golden Rule. Children are taught this timeless, “golden” truth in Sunday School and kid’s ministries. Adults often refer to The Golden Rule, especially when they want someone else to treat them in a certain way.
But how many people in our nation allow the golden rule to rule their lives?
Giving people the benefit of the doubt means giving people a chance.
I know what it feels like when folks do not cut me some slack. So do you. I don’t like it. Neither do you. So why do you and I treat others the same way? Shame on us. Ruined reputations, fractured friendships, estranged relationships, divisive factions, and lost livelihood are some of the many costs we cannot afford to pay.
There is no good thing about not cutting folks some slack!
Sadly today, our society has it backwards. People are often automatically presumed guilty before being proven innocent instead of being presumed innocent until proven guilty.
In am not proud of the fact that in times past I have not cut some people slack, not given the benefit of the doubt, not given them a chance to defend themselves. The Lord has forgiven me and I hope those I have judged improperly might to do the same.
Helpful Hints For Cutting Folks Some Slack 

• Wisdom watches and waits to get the whole story. Never presume, assume, prejudge or cast aspersions about others when you don’t know the facts and circumstances.   
• It is foolish to take on the role of judge, jury and verdict regarding other people’s lives that we know little or nothing about. Do not judge. Jesus said so in Matthew 7:1-6.
• Grace grants people the benefit of the doubt. Grace means I don’t deserve it, but God gives it, and so should I when others offend or sin against me.
• Be a merciful person. Mercy always looks for and extends slack to all who need it. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. (Matthew 5:7).
• Lovingkindness keeps our hearts soft with compassion instead of hardened by a critical, judgmental spirit. Keep your heart tender towards God and people.
• Be more discerning when assessing a person’s situation. Do not be duped by “group think” and the court of public opinion splashed on social media by self-opinionated people bashers. Do not drink the Fool-Aid of foolish people.
• Earnestly and sincerely seek to identify with and be empathetic toward other people and their life situation. You don’t know what burdens and troubles people bear.
• Always, always, give the benefit of the doubt when possible. When tempted to not give the benefit of the doubt, don’t do it. Pause, Take a deep breath. Pray. Ask God for the proper response if it is necessary. Always cut folks some slack.
• As a Christian, make it your habit to treat others the way Jesus would. He always cuts people some slack because of His unconditional love for each one of us.  

Walk in another person’s shoes for a few miles before you knock the shoes they are wearing.
What would our world look like if we were less hard on one another, more gracious toward each other, and extended people who are just like us the love, mercy and lovingkindness the Lord gives to them?
I would like to give it a try, wouldn’t you?
God has cut you and me a lot of slack through His Son Jesus Christ. Shouldn’t those of us who claim His name do the same toward others who need the same benefit of the doubt we have experienced through personal faith in Jesus?
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32
A Word For Your Week: Give others the same benefit of the doubt you would like from them.

​You and I live in a world and American culture of confusion.
Confusion is the order of the day. Few folks have a sense of clear direction for the purpose of their life. Sadly, people everywhere are confused about moral values, human gender, politics, economics, religion, race, ethnicity and whatever else can generate controversy.
Confusion produces disorder. Disharmony. Distrust. Disunity. Lack of peace.
Paul addressed the Corinthian Church when they were confused, divided and disorderly about the operation and ministry of spiritual gifts in the church. He wrote in I Corinthians 14:33:
““For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” Moffat translates this verse as” For God is not a God of disorder but of harmony. The New English Bible reads “For the God who inspired them is not a God of disorder.”
Paul made it clear: God is not a God of confusion, not the author of confusion, but a God of peace and order.
The instigator of confusion, the one who incites confusion and disorder is Satan. The devil deceives us by creating confusion that disrupts peace and order.  
In James 3:13-18, James contrasts earthly wisdom with heavenly wisdom.  In verses 15-17 he writes “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, THERE IS DISORDER AND EVERY EVIL THING.”
“The wisdom from above is first pure, THEN PEACEABLE, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy.”
I like wisdom from above, don’t you?
Confusion clouds vision, disrupts direction, derails peace. arouses anxiousness, paralyzes progress and divides people. Confusion keeps us spinning our wheels in uncertainty and doubt. Confusion stalls our progress in walking by faith and not by sight.
 God’s will, God’s wisdom, is peace and order, not confusion and disorder for you and me. His order produces peace for our minds and hearts.
The remedy for confusion (What is happening? What shall I do? Where do I turn? What steps should I take?) is clarity. What is clear. Clarity from the Bible directs us how to live our life.
When you study the life and ministry of Jesus in the Gospels you never seen God’s only Son confused. He declared His purpose statement in Luke 19:10. “For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which is lost.” It was clear to Him that He was sent to do the Father’s will: save the lost.
Never confused about his mission, the Lord Jesus went all the way to the Cross, fully intent on fulfilling the Father’s will. Misunderstanding, obstacles, opposition, adversity, affliction. betrayals and persecution did not derail His clear commitment to do the Father’s will. You, me and mankind would not be saved if Jesus was confused about whether to be nailed on the Cross or not.
Thank you Jesus that God’s peace and order ruled your heart, not confusion or doubt.   
What To Do If You Are Currently confused

• Admit you are confused. Do not deny the fact that you are not sure what to do.
• Do not, I repeat, do not make important, critical decisions when confused. Confusion’s choices always yield negative consequences.  
• Step back from your situation. What has happened or is happening that is causing you to feel confused? Honestly evaluate your confusion. What is really going on?
• Explore options you can take for diminishing your confusion. Even when confused, we can do something, which is always better than nothing!
• Study scripture regarding God’s direction, guidance, leading, order and good plans for our lives. Seek the Lord and His Word to help you overcome the spirit of confusion.
• Seek counsel from seasoned, experienced, mature, battle-tested, wise Christians. Their encouragement will bolster your faith to leave confusion in the rearview mirror.
• Tell Satan to take a hike. Send the author of confusion back to hell where he belongs!
• Thank God for delivering you from confusion during and after He sets you free from the clutches of confusion.   

My friend, confusion is not our friend.
I have been confused at times in my life. I did not like being uncertain about purpose or direction. I have counseled with many confused people who are struggling with what to do with their circumstances. When I ask them what they want me to pray for them they ask for clarity. Steve, I need to be clear, not confused about my situation and my response.
A spirit of confusion will keep ourselves, families, society and world in chaos. God’s peace always overrules and clears up confusion. 
God’s clarity clears the dust so we can see clearly to do His will.
There is nothing like a crystal clear, bright, sun-shiny day I am seeing today after a dark, dreary, threatening thunderstorm rumbled across Oklahoma yesterday.  
Confused? Take your spiritual eyes off the storm clouds of confusion and put them on the light of God and His Word.
“Those who love Thy law will have great peace and nothing will cause them to stumble.” Psalm 119:165
“And your ears will hear a word behind you saying “This is the way, walk in it” whenever you turn to the right or the left.” Isaiah 30:21
A Word For Your Week: When confused, look to God to bring order out of your confusion.

​Change is a certainty in life, and honestly, most of us don’t like it!
 
Think about it. Who gets up in the morning saying, “I can’t wait for change to come my way today?”  
 
Change can be positive or negative. Change of any sort carries the potential to breed uncertainty, questions, frustration, anxiety, doubt, a negative attitude and even fear.
 
If you and I are not watchful and careful, change can cause us to lose perspective.
 
According to Webster perspective means “to look through, to see clearly; the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.
 
 Simply put: To keep perspective means to see things as they really are.
 
Personally, when change comes, I can initially become anxious. Just ask those closest to me. Slowly but surely (I am a bit thick-headed at times!) I have learned, through many tests of my patience, to step back for a moment, catch my spiritual/emotional breath, and then look at the change in the light of God’s Word.
 
It is a fact of life…all things change. Or do they?
 
Our word for this week answers that question with a resounding no! The prophet Malachi declares to us that God does not change. “FOR I, THE LORD, DO NOT CHANGE; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6.
 
Did you catch what Malachi said? The Lord, Almighty God declares that He does not change! The God of the Bible is an unchanging God.  
 
Because the Almighty is changeless, we as His people are not consumed by changes in life. Life does not eat our lunch when things change because God remains the same.
 
What never changes about God is His character.
 
God is love (I John 4:16). Look what Micah says about God’s love. “Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, BECAUSE HE DELIGHTS IN UNCHANGING LOVE.”                                          Micah 7:18.
 
God never changes because His love never does! God delights (takes great joy!)  in unchanging love. No matter what is going in life, God’s love for us remains unchanged. Changing circumstances have no effect on God’s love.
 
Circumstances are just that…circumstances. They change all the time. Circumstances shift like blowing sand. But God’s love is a solid rock which no life change can move. God’s steady, stable, secure, loving hand is on the helm of His perfect will for our lives.
 
God Himself is the anchor for our soul in times of change. God can be counted on to be God every time, in every situation. His constant character and consistent conduct overrides all changed circumstances. Things change. People change. Life changes. God does not.  Bank on His unchanging love for you every time!
 
Change can’t change God. So change shouldn’t change God’s children who trust in His love either!!!!
             
When things change, and they will, cling to that which doesn’t. God can be counted on to be who He says He is and to do what He says He will do. Every single time!
 
 Change can work for or against us. Changes can consume us or we can conquer change. depending on our perspective. Bottom line: you and I choose how to respond to the challenges of change.
 
 The Christian perspective on life circumstances is this: Life changes, but God never does. Therefore, life is secure in Him. It is awesome to know that changing circumstances will never consume us because circumstances never change God!
 
 Keeping Proper Perspective
 

• EXPECT change will come from time to time.

 

• EVALUATE changes in the light of God’s Word

 

• EXERCISE faith that looks beyond circumstances to Jesus Christ.

 

• EMBRACE the good you can see in the change.

 

• ENCOURAGE others to overcome change in their lives through faith in Christ.

 

• EXALT in God’s unchanging, unending love for you.

 
Are you currently experiencing some changes? Is a significant transition attempting to rattle your emotional cage? Are you worried about what is next in light of a life adjustment?
 
Maintain proper perspective.  Keep your personal faith fixed on the unchanging, changeless Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and yes, forever.”   Hebrews 13:8.
 
A Word For Your Week:  Surrender change to the unchanging God who loves you.  

​Have you ever felt like nobody sees you? Notices you? Recognizes you? Acknowledges you? Knows you exist? Appreciates you? Gives a rip about you?
We have all been there at one time or another in our life. Honestly, sometimes it would be nice to just be noticed. I heard an amen!
A recently divorced lady once lamented “I wonder what my former spouse is thinking about me?” I said to her “Mam, sorry to tell you this, he is not thinking about you. He is thinking about himself and his life without you. As far as he is concerned you are an unseen person to him.”
We humans can be so self-absorbed, self-centered, selfish and stuck on ourselves that we do not see others. Unfortunately, unseen people number in the billions on planet earth.
So, what are you and I to do when we feel unseen? I am glad you asked.
You and I are never unseen because God sees us.
The Bible tells us we are seen by God when we think we are unseen.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye upon you.” Psalm 32:8
“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” Psalm 34:15
“The eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness.” Psalm 33:18
“He does not withdraw His eye from the righteous.” Job 36:7
You and I are never out of God’s sight.
As a father and grandfather, I watch over my kiddos. They are seen by me. I know where they are, what they need and how to care for them. My eye is always on my loved ones.
I think Almighty God has really big eyes. He can see all of us at the same time. Awesome!
The Bible records a number of “unseen” people who God and Jesus saw.
In the Old Testament God saw a giant slayer and King in an unnoticed shepherd boy (I Samuel 16-17 ). He saw an exiled Moses in the wilderness who would deliver Israel from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 2-12). He saw a depressed Elijah on a mountainside desiring to die (I Kings 19). He saw a mother preparing a last meal for her and her son (I Kings 17).
In the New Testament Jesus saw a woman at a well who thirsted for salvation (John 4). Jesus saw a little boy with a lunch of two fish and five loaves of bread that would feed a multitude (Mark 6). Jesus saw a widow put into the temple treasury all the pennies she had (Mark 12:43). Jesus saw a tax collector named Zacchaeus up in a tree who the Lord had a meal with and his household came to faith in Christ. (Luke 19).
Many, many more examples are in the Bible of people who felt unseen, unnoticed were seen by Jesus. You and I belong to that group.
When Jesus hung on the Cross and said “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) God’s battered, bloodied, suffering Son saw you, me and all of humanity. The Son of God sacrificed Himself for us because He saw sinners who needed saved.
Incredible! Our Creator and Redeemer saw us in our mother’s womb, planned out our days, died on the Cross, rose from the dead and will welcome to heaven all who put their faith in Him. Does not sound like unseen to me!
God’s sons and daughters are seen and will be seen for eternity in His holy presence.
See yourself the way God sees you.

• Love yourself the way God loves you.
• Accept yourself the way God accepts you.
• Approve of yourself the way God approves of you.
• Forgive yourself the way God forgives you.
• Treat yourself with grace the way God graciously treats you.
• Believe in yourself the way God believes in you.
• Rejoice in your salvation because heaven sees you and rejoices over you!

My friend, there are people in your life who see you. Look around. See them. Thank the Lord for them. Ask God how you can help them feel seen by you.   
If you feel no one sees you, stop looking around and look up to the One whose eyes are on you. God sees us twenty-four seven because the Bible says He never sleeps (Psalm 121:1-4).
If you desire to see Jesus, seek to see Him. John 12: 21 records a group of men asking Phillip “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
Every day see Jesus with a heart of faith then you will understand how much He sees you.   
My faith is bolstered, built up, strengthened, and encouraged when I know God sees me!
“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are numbered. Do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12 :7
A Word For Your Week: God sees you because He loves you.

​I wrote this piece in the fall of 2006. I felt it was worth sharing again.
 
I love the fall season because fall means colored leaves, cool evenings and college FOOTBALL! 
 
I think I just heard a collective groan from many of the women reading this. While watching a big game this weekend with my fellow football fanatic son, I was tickled when my daughter in-law asked us when the football season would be over. You can tell where her priorities are!
 
During the game we were obviously glued to, a running back rushed toward a hole opened up by his offensive linemen. Lurking on the other side of the rapidly closing gap was a pair of head-hunting linebackers laying in wait to lay some hurt on the ball carrier. Crashing the line, they put a horrendous hit on the halfback. Stopped dead in his tracks and falling down, the fullback fell forward toward the line of scrimmage. 
 
As he got up, the feisty fullback taunted his tacklers. He pointed forward toward the defenders goal as if to say “Don’t get too excited guys. You hit me, and I fell down. But I am up. Ready to run again. I got the first down by falling forward. So take that and get ready for me to head your way again.”
 
Game officials called timeout. Measurement was taken. And you guessed it; the ruling was first down by a few inches.
 
FALLING DOWN and FALLING FORWARD, the running back secured another opportunity for his team to continue to march down field toward the end zone.
 
A few inches meant the difference from keeping the ball or giving it up to the opponent. Inspired by the forward moving fullback’s effort to gain a first down, the team did indeed move downfield to score and win the game.
 
FALLING FORWARD WHILE FALLING DOWN WAS THE KEY TO VICTORY!.  
 
 The prophet Micah was a fall forward kind of guy. His response to taking a hit in life is inspirational. Micah’s personal resolve to get up, fall forward and stick it in his enemy’s face fires up my faith!
 
“Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.”                                                        Micah 7:8
 
 
 
Look what he says to his adversary. Hey enemy, don’t throw a party over me. Though I fall, I will be right back up in your face. You dweller of darkness. Prepare to meet me again. The Lord is a light for me. Even though darkness surrounds me, I will not be kept down. I will rise up, go forward by faith and rejoice over you.
 
Micah could take this faith stand because he was a man of faith who chose to fall forward when he had fallen down.
 
Let’s be honest: nobody likes to fall down in life. But falling is a fact of living in a fallen world. We may fall down from time to time. Micah says “though I fall, I will rise.” He did not deny the fact the he might fall. But he also decided that if he fell, he would rise.
 
Micah would rise up in God’s power to fall forward.
 
Let’s face it. We all take hits in life that can cause us to fall down. Maybe you have fallen down right now and feel like you have failed.
 
How you handle your fall will determine your future.
 
How we handle hits in life, not the hit itself, is the real issue. Will we stay down or rise up? Will we fall backward or fall forward. Will we move forward by faith, gain that important first down, and take another shot at the end zone, or will we have to punt the ball to our opponent? 
 
Winning in the Christian life requires that we fall forward by faith when we take a hit from the enemy.
 
My brother or sister in Christ, if you have fallen down, get up. Lean your faith forward. At all cost, do not fall backward. The devil is back there. Never give up God’s ball to Satan. You are playing on the Lord’s team. He is with you and in front of you clearing the path for you to run your faith race.  
             
Falling forward, not backwards, is the difference in winning and losing in life.
 
As a man or woman of faith, choose to fall forward. Fall forward and walk forward by faith to the victory Jesus Christ has provided for you.
 
The next time you take a fall are you going to fall forward?
 
“In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old.”                                  Amos 9:11
 
“When the righteous fall, they will not be hurled headlong because the Lord is the One who holds their hand.” Psalm 37:24
 
“But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”                                                                                                                                  Philippians 3:13b-14
A Word For Your Week: Falling forward by faith turns failure into success.