People with wisdom seem to be on every life corner. They stand ready to dispense advice whether you want it or not. They will help you fix your problems with quick and easy solutions. Some people, through the own naked loneliness, will help strip you of your own ability to love. They are the revolutionaries who rebel against the very thing they desire most: love. Rebels can drag you down or lift you up. How can you tell the difference?
The guy was sitting on a log hanging his head. He just looked at us unsmilingly in silence. We passed him as we were hiking on the North Mt. Elbert Trail in the Rocky Mountains. This trail leads to the highest mountain in Colorado. At 14,440' Mt. Elbert is the 2nd highest peak in the contiguous United States and the highest Rocky Mountain. Our custom greeting to everyone we meet is: "It's good to see ya!" After we smiled and greeted the man, he never said a word. We kept hiking.
Many times in the mountains you will pass and be passed by the same people as you take a break. We all travel at different speeds. As we were resting, the unsmiling man came up the trail. He looked up and brought his finger to his lips signaling me to be quiet. At first I thought maybe there was some wildlife nearby and he didn't want to startle them. After seeing none, I asked him why we needed to be quiet? He explained that he was hung over and that any noise hurt his head. I smiled and said that Jesus could heal hangovers. He yelled: "Oh no! Religious people! I'm getting away from you!" He took his hangover and ran up the trail without a smile. We never saw him again.
The hungover man rejected us and rebelled against what we represented. He wanted to live life in his world. I would guess that hiding in alcohol through inebriation was a way of rebelling against the loneliness inside his heart. Alcohol, drugs, and sex can become tools of manipulation used by controlling people who rebel against the deep rooted loneliness in their own hearts. Instead of seeking healing, they seek commiseration and camaraderie in their rebellious life style. They hurt and they spread hurt. The rebels sphere of influence includes any other lonely people willing to cast blame on anybody who seems happy. They smile sweetly as the venomous poison drips from their words. A hardened and bitter heart can appear soft and sweet on the outside. Soon, wallowing in their own loneliness is not enough, they need to draw others into the snare of controlling others. They become the "Poison Coach" and disciple unsuspecting souls in their poisonous ways.
How can you recognize a Poison Coach? Read your Bible. How do the actions of the people in your life who are dispensing wisdom stack up against the Galatian Character Scope?
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| Mountains & God's glory as far as the eye can see! |
Many times in the mountains you will pass and be passed by the same people as you take a break. We all travel at different speeds. As we were resting, the unsmiling man came up the trail. He looked up and brought his finger to his lips signaling me to be quiet. At first I thought maybe there was some wildlife nearby and he didn't want to startle them. After seeing none, I asked him why we needed to be quiet? He explained that he was hung over and that any noise hurt his head. I smiled and said that Jesus could heal hangovers. He yelled: "Oh no! Religious people! I'm getting away from you!" He took his hangover and ran up the trail without a smile. We never saw him again.
The hungover man rejected us and rebelled against what we represented. He wanted to live life in his world. I would guess that hiding in alcohol through inebriation was a way of rebelling against the loneliness inside his heart. Alcohol, drugs, and sex can become tools of manipulation used by controlling people who rebel against the deep rooted loneliness in their own hearts. Instead of seeking healing, they seek commiseration and camaraderie in their rebellious life style. They hurt and they spread hurt. The rebels sphere of influence includes any other lonely people willing to cast blame on anybody who seems happy. They smile sweetly as the venomous poison drips from their words. A hardened and bitter heart can appear soft and sweet on the outside. Soon, wallowing in their own loneliness is not enough, they need to draw others into the snare of controlling others. They become the "Poison Coach" and disciple unsuspecting souls in their poisonous ways.
How can you recognize a Poison Coach? Read your Bible. How do the actions of the people in your life who are dispensing wisdom stack up against the Galatian Character Scope?
Choose your friends wisely. A fool and his facade will soon be revealed as a fake friendship. Be wary of anyone who encourages rebellion against the principles of God. God is the ultimate authority. He appoints authority and removes authority. Rebellion is acceptable when authority has rebelled against God.
Galatians 5:16-26 Amplified Bible
16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.18 But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.19 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),21 Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [[a]that can bring a charge].24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.25 If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit [b]we have our life in God, let us go forward [c]walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]26 Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.
Galatians 5:16-26 The Message
16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.
Today's Wise Saying is from Proverbs 24:21-22
Proverbs 24:21-22
New International Version (NIV)
Saying 30
21 Fear the Lord and the king, my son,
and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction on them,
and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction on them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring?
Proverbs 24:21-22
The Message (MSG)
30
21-22 Fear God, dear child—respect your leaders;
don’t be defiant or mutinous.
Without warning your life can turn upside down,
and who knows how or when it might happen?
don’t be defiant or mutinous.
Without warning your life can turn upside down,
and who knows how or when it might happen?
Proverbs 24:21-22
Amplified Bible (AMP)
21 My
son, [reverently] fear the Lord and the king, and do not associate with
those who are given to change [of allegiance, and are revolutionary],
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knows the punishment and ruin which both [the Lord and the king] will bring upon [the rebellious]?
Proverbs 24:21-22
King James Version (KJV)
21 My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
Heart-Storming Challenge
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
Heart-Storming Challenge
- When is rebellion acceptable?
- When have you rebelled?
- How do you deal with people rebelling against their own loneliness?
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
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