A wave of the sea

I am currently working on the final stages of my new book (yeah!). People are proofreading, I am editing, making corrections, and rewriting sections here and there.

My new book will be the tenth and final book in a series about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century. The book is based on the first commandment that tells us not to have other gods before Him.

It will probably come as no surprise that the title of this new book will be 'No other gods' and it basically deals with the importance of undivided loyalty towards God and His Word. My free translation of 'no other gods' would be 'no compromise.'

👉Undivided loyalty will make us stand firm, especially in a world that is getting crazier by the day! We see new ideas, trends, and philosophies popping up like mushrooms and people are being tossed around like ragdolls trying to follow all that is 'new'. 

I will not be tossed around for I am standing on solid ground and I hope the same is true for you. We need to guard our position, however, and pray for wisdom. James 1:6 says about such prayer, But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

Aha, we will be blown and tossed by the wind if our loyalty is divided. We should therefore ask ourselves if we feel like a ragdoll because of everything that is going on in the world. If the answer is yes, we should check our loyalty towards God and His Word. Does the Good News still stand above all the bad news in our lives?

James continues: Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. Ouch. Instability is the result of divided loyalty. I have the feeling that it's time for a faith check-up for many believers. Let's do it now!

Snakes and doves

Have you ever been sent out to do a certain task? 

Maybe you had to sell raffle tickets, gather up a group of people to do some volunteer work, visit someone and bring a message, or go to some foreign country to preach Jesus.

Sending out

Whatever the case, such 'sending out' is often accompanied by a wish for good luck, farewells, warnings (be careful, come back as quick as you can), and lots of advice of course.

When Jesus sent out His twelve disciples, He said this:

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves [Matthew 10:16].

One or the other

Uh, excuse me Lord? You want me to be as a snake and as a dove? I don't think that will go very well together. It's either one or the other, right? One is either clever or stupid, extravert or introvert, loud or quiet, obnoxious or sweet. Oh, how we love to add labels and put people in boxes. We don't even realize how much we limit ourselves when we do so.

Perfect example

God is different. With Him all things are possible and He wouldn't be God if He had not set the perfect example Himself. Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. Yeah, both the lamb and the lion. Jesus displayed tender compassion as well as harsh anger. He is the judge as well as the savior.

We have a tendency to accept the side of God we like the most and ignore the rest. But, let's not forget, God is love but He is also just. Yes, God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Yes, God forgives but He also corrects and disciplines.

Pure in an evil world

When Jesus says we should be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves, He is not asking for the impossible. He wants us to be pure in an evil world. He wants us to be determined and yet dependent on Him. He wants us to be outspoken and diplomatic at the same time. He gives us both courage and meekness, power and love, alertness and rest.

In Him, we will have the perfect balance. In Him, we will speak up when necessary and be silent when required.