Ever Wonder Why Some Christians Can Handle Life's Curve Balls?

Why is it that when serious difficulties arise in life, certain Christians remain at peace and still very much 'alive' while others succumb to depression and some even end up rejecting the faith they thought they had?  Well, interestingly enough, the Apostle Paul gives us the answer to that question in his letter to the Romans.  In chapter 8, verse 6, he writes, "To be spiritually minded is life and peace."

We see the answer to the question is that one needs to be "spiritually-minded".  And the best, or should I say the only way to be spiritually minded is to be filled with the One and Only True Spirit of God.

Now please, as you read the rest of this, don't go saying, "this guy thinks he's spiritual".  That's not at all what I think and that's not at all what I'm saying.  There is a big difference between being "spiritual" and being "spiritually-minded".  And the biggest difference comes with the idea that true spiritual-mindedness stems from being "Spirit-filled".   So, do detect the nuances.  For example, one can be 'spiritual' if one simply has an interest in spiritual things.  One tends to be 'spiritually-minded' if one then views the world through the lens of their spiritual knowledge.  The third state of being is that of "Spirit-filled", a Christian concept, which means to have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling within a person.

Charles F. Stanley, commenting on this verse, says this: "Spirit-filled men and women are not isolated from what's going on around them . . . "  In the last two days I heard of some world-wide calamities.  I learned about persecution of Christians.  I learned about death in the families of friends.  I learned about the loss of work by people I know.  And so on.  Each of these things are known to me and for some I broke down and cried.  No man is an island.  We are indeed not isolated from what's going on around us.  We can't be and many of us do not want to be, isolated, as difficult as dealing with some of these things can be.

Charles continues: "(Spirit-filled men and women) experience hurt and disappointment like everybody else."  During these same two days I had to deal with my own physical illness.  I felt disappointment in the progress one of our missions was making with respect to certain initiatives.  And there were other things.  Due to my illness I could not even get out to buy my sweetheart a rose or something nice for that special day we celebrate in February.  I could not go to my grandchildren school's bake sale for which my nine year old grand-daughter and two friends sold bracelets they had made to raise funds for a school in Kenya I will be visiting in a couple of months.  You see, we're all human and those that are Spirit-filled seem to have to deal with our humanity even more.  It is as though the devil has been told "no, stay out" of that Spirit-filled person's life.  And so naturally, that's where he wants to focus.

Charles continues: "They have their daily bouts with temptation."  No kidding.  Those that are filled with God's Spirit do in fact deal with just about every sin we can think of on a regular basis.  Temptation is not eliminated.  I see it on television.  I see it on the streets and in the newspaper I read.  Sometimes I get it from my own wife, in church no less and I start to distract her ability to listen to the sermon.  Sometimes I'm faced with it at my dinner table as my daughter is a great cook.  And so on.  Sometimes I deal with temptation that says "boy, I'd like to do so and so to so and so" when I think of some of my colleagues or board-members or people in my church.  The temptations are always there, even for or especially for, those that are Spirit-filled.  You see the devil goes after the bonus points -- Spirit-filled people who submit to temptation give him more points.

Charles Stanley now gives us the upside: "What sets (Spirit-filled men and women) apart from the rest of the world is their response.  When circumstances wreak havoc with the peace of Spirit-filled people, there will be some downtime.  But they won't stay down.  They refocus their attention on the big picture, acknowledging the truth that their peace is from the Lord, and then move on. . . . They know that "the mind set on the things of the Spirit is life and peace."

So there you have it.  How is your response to life's curve balls?  When one of them smashes the peaceful vista window through which you view life each day, what do you do?  Yes, you'll be shocked that the window, the one with the beautiful stain-glassed sectiona got smashed.  And the pieces are all over your beautiful hardwood foundations of life.  You will lament for a time.  You'll eventually go and get a broom and bucket and get down there and start cleaning up the mess.  Whatever it takes.  Then you'll look around and you'll start focusing again on the rest of the room and the rest of the beautiful home you have -- representing all the other aspects of your life -- maybe it's children, or your spouse, or your church, or your health, or your job, or your friends, or whatever was not damaged when that curve ball hit your life.  You'll see the big picture again.  And you'll know the Truth and the One Who is The Truth and He shall make you at peace again.  You'll get the window replaced somehow.  It may not be exactly the same, but if you ask Him, He'll fill the hole the curve ball made.  And then you'll move on.  And in the process you will have been refined and made a more experienced and stronger person ready to serve others better, for Him.

Life did not end.  Life did not even stop.  It just required you to breathe harder for a while.  Now you know the rest of the story about how some stay at peace during life's hardest experiences.

-- Thanks for dropping by.   Sign up to receive updates.  --  Ken B. Godevenos, Church & Mgmt. Consultant, bringing you relevant information from all sorts of sources.  Subscribe free to Epistoli or follow us by clicking on the appropriate link in the right side bar.  And don’t forget to “share” this blog with your friends by clicking the “Share” link on your Navigation Bar.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Potiphar’s Wife Makes One Last Effort - Genesis 39:11-12

Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

These two verses are packed with images and lessons. To begin with Joseph is alone in the house with another man’s wife who we know has strong desires for him. And there are no other men around. This is problematic. While I personally am not of the belief that a man must never be alone with another woman who is not his wife, daughter, or other close relative, I am convinced that he should not be alone with another woman if there is or ever has been any evidence of his desiring her or her desiring him, or if one of them knows that the other makes a habit of pursuing adulterous affairs, or if one of them knows his or her own weakness in this regard. Certainly if any of these feelings arise even momentarily during their private, yet legitimate, encounter, one or both of them must immediately put a halt to it and take steps not to repeat the circumstance.

After the information we have in verse 10 of this chapter, Joseph should have known that going alone into Potiphar’s house when only his master’s wife and perhaps her private servants were there, would not be a good idea. Perhaps there is something in a man (and I am sure some women) that causes them to think, “I am above becoming a victim; I can protect myself”. How wrong can one be? And yes, even if you can ‘run away’ as Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife insisted he sleep with her, he still left himself open to becoming the victim he may have thought he would never be.

After being refused, Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph’s garment, leaving him no choice but to push her away and flee. In the process he left behind his garment in her hands. Men, I am sure that at some point in your life you have discovered the spurning ability of women, I am sure you will admit that some women cannot be stopped when they have been rejected. In fact, for those of you who are Hollywood movie fans, you will note that millions have been made from movies like Fatal Attraction and other similar ones that play on just that. What we have here in verse 12 is a perfect setup for revenge. Joseph has indeed become the victim and the consequence is about to be felt.

What is the lesson for us? Well perhaps more than one. First, know yourself. Second, know those you work with or for. Third, if you are indeed the innocent victim, know you are not alone. In today’s world, there are more and more charges of sexual assault all the time. Often they are legitimate, but there are also occasions when they are not. I remember once having a sexual harassment complaint made against me by a woman working for me. It turned out, once the company started investigating, that I was indeed her third victim. She had had a record of planning such charges (with her husband’s knowledge) and then settling for considerable sums of money and moving on to the next employer. Fortunately, we exposed her practices and let her go. I was not alone. God was with me through the ordeal. Had I been alone or tried to solve this on my own, I could have lost everything.

As you face temptation today, know yourself, know those you deal with, and know God is with you. And with that knowledge do the right thing.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.