Entertaining Time Thieves—Part 2

In Part 1 of “Entertaining Time Thieves,” I (Dawn) focused on the massive amount of time we waste. While we need time to relax and be creative, we also need to be more intentional with our use of time during our regular workdays.

Part 2 focuses on two more ways we can stop entertaining time thieves in the new year.

Just as a reminder, the first two points were:

1. Live with an Eternal Perspective, and

2. Choose Activities with Purpose.

These last two points are just as practical and biblical.

3. Guard Time, because It Is Precious.

William Penn once said, "Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." Time is precious. If we do not guard it, time thieves will slip in to steal not just our time, but also our productivity and effectiveness for God and His good plans for our lives.

Guarding our time means we must first determine what matters to us and, more importantly, to God. We need to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5; Proverbs 2:6), and then obey what He says to do.

In our obedience to God, we may need to say "no" to others—or even ourselves.

Before COVID-19 and before my diagnosis, I loved to go shopping. I'm not talking about buying necessities; I'm referring to wasteful shopping. I'd meander up and down aisles, looking for sales, but more often than not, I bought things I didn't need. A jam-packed clothes closet testified to that. I only wore maybe 20% of the clothes in my closet.

A good dose of rational minimalism cured me of the shopping habit, and freed up my time (and money!) for better things.

In time, I found many other areas that stole my time.

Each of us likely needs to say "no" to unnecessary things so we can say "yes" to more things that fit our calling and biblical priorities, especially the priority of spending time with our Creator and with our key relationships (Matthew 6:33; Mark 12:30-31).

As we make our plans, we need to hold them loosely, allowing God to use, re-shape, or replace them according to His will. Truly, our "times"—whatever He allows to come into our lives—are in His hands (Psalm 31:15a). Guard your time. It is precious.

4. Strive for Excellence in All Things.

One key to not wasting time is focusing on a life of excellence. This is not the same as achieving perfection, which we won't accomplish until heaven (and even then, it's all God's doing, not ours).

Excellence is a mindset and approach to life that says we want to improve and do our very best. We don't want to be slackers!

Paul encourages Christ-followers in this regard.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God . . . . For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Colossians 3:23; 1 Corinthians 10:31b; Romans 11:36, ESV).

That sounds like a Christian life lived with excellence to me!

There are many contrasts between people who are time wasters and those who strive for excellence. Here are just three contrasts.

(1) Time wasters are content to get by with less than their best so they'll have more time for endless, worthless pursuits.

Those who strive for excellence desire to discover and do all the things God has planned for them to do (Ephesians 2:10).

(2) Time wasters forget they are accountable to God for how they use time—whether it is used with excellence or with mediocrity.

Those who strive for excellence become more and more conscious that focused use of time matters, especially as we move toward the Lord's return (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Mark 13:33).

(3) Time wasters forget they only have a little while to obey God.

Those who strive for excellence know they must work for "the night is coming" when we will no longer serve God on earth (John 9:4). So they are more and more driven to share the gospel, build His Kingdom, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit in becoming more like Jesus.

Is it foolish to focus on wise use of time? Not at all.

The Bible tells us we will receive rewards or "crowns" for our lives of service and sacrifice for Christ. One crown in particular stood out to me as I meditated on the subject of time.

The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) is for those who long for heaven—for Jesus' return. If we long for heaven, we will want to use our time wisely to please God, because we know we'll see Him soon!

The apostle Paul understood this. He rightly admonishes us in Ephesians 5:15-17 to redeem time:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity ... do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Does this focus on time feel like a huge GUILT TRIP to you? Remember, there is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1).

But God wants us to grow in our understanding of how to wisely use our time.

(I said in Part 1 that I recognize I'm failing in this area. I've confessed it as sin. I am going to do better as God helps me. A good place to start is a forward-looking strategy for social media use.)

In this new year, my point is this: We ALL can pray for discernment and make better use of our time.

Are you guarding your time and striving for excellence? If not, how can you reclaim your time and invest it for the Lord and His glory? What changes could you make this week to "redeem the time"?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

 Graphics adapted, courtesy of PhotoMix-Company and Foto-Retusz at Pixabay.

Entertaining Time Thieves—Part 1

Happy New Year! So many make New Year's resolutions. I (Dawn) really do not. And yet, do I?

I've become aware that I have allowed "time thieves" to steal precious hours. One of my goals this year is to "redeem" (buy up) more time that I can use for the Kingdom of God. Hopefully, that is your desire as well.

In this Time Management UPGRADE (which has two parts), I want to help us focus on how we're spending our time. It's a huge topic and a little intimidating, but an important one in light of eternity.

Are you entertaining "time thieves"? What are they stealing, besides your time?

I recently spent two hours "scrolling." It went by so quickly, and I'll never get those two hours back.

I've noticed lately how much time I've spent on frivolous things, or on things that don't matter much in terms of eternity.

For example, as of May 2023, I have loaded 5,359 pins onto Pinterest into 127 categories. I have only once accessed these pins to actually USE any one of the entries!

Why on earth do I continue to load Pinterest pins that I will likely never use?

Yes, it's enjoyable. Yes, I appreciate a place to store things I see that I "like." And yes, I will probably store special recipes. But I've spent far too much time storing recipes I'll never use. It's like shopping for things we don't need.

Waste of time.

Another example. I spend hours on my iPhone scrolling through cute videos, informative videos, funny videos, shocking videos, tear-jerker videos, etc.

It's so easy to do. It's easy to vegetate with my iPhone rather than doing something productive.

Massive waste of time!

Yes, we need time to relax.

Yes, we need time to allow creative juices to form.

But we also need to BE CAREFUL not to waste vast amounts of time. 

Perhaps we might justify scrolling on our iPhone at an airport, waiting for a flight. Or at a doctor's office. But think about that. We have time to scroll, but not to read scripture on a scripture app, or memorize scripture on a memorization app?

God help us to stop justifying our "lack of time." God help me!

We rationalize that we don't have time for a special project—to clean out files, to draft an email, to clean our garage, to write a book or article, to write an encouraging note, etc.—but we had time to pin and scroll.

Unfortunately, many of us don't have a wise strategy for social media use. We so often want the easy-and-not-challenging thing, not the harder-but-more productive thing.

Why is this so important?

We think we have more time to do what's valuable and productive. But the Bible says, don't be so sure! James, Solomon, and Job said we can't be assured of what will happen tomorrow.

... you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. ... You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14 NIV)

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring (Proverbs 27:1 NIV).

My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles, and then the yarn runs our—an unfinished life! (Job 7:6 MSG)

One would think I would remember this, having gone through years of struggle for life after my Multiple Myeloma diagnosis.

How soon we forget about the brevity of life!

In light of our short lifespan, Paul encourages us to make "the best use" of our time.

How do we do that? How do we stop entertaining time thieves and make the very best use of our time?

1. Live with an Eternal Perspective.

As noted above, our life is a "mist," a vapor that quickly shows up and then vanishes, like steam rising from a teapot. We make great plans for our future on earth, but they may be cut short. We need to make every "today" count.

Realizing our time is short should help us stop spinning our wheels spiritually and make better choices. We'll want to be more conscious of what we spend time accumulating. We'll also want to consider what we will leave to those who follow us, and the example of time stewardship we are leaving them now.

Also important—living in light of eternity isn't simply a matter of not doing some things; we also won't want to miss any opportunities to go good.

2. Choose Activities with Purpose.

In order to use time wisely, we have to be purposeful. And in order to be purposeful, we need to ask ourselves some questions. Questions like: Why am I doing this? What value does this have for today? What value does this have for eternity? Is this developing my spiritual maturity or hindering it?

It's crucial to plan time purposefully rather than letting it slip through our fingers.

• Plan times of work (Colossians 3:23-24) with purpose. That plan includes doing our best for our earthly boss, remembering that we ultimately serve our heavenly Master. (If we work "for ourselves," that's good to remember too.)
• Plan times of rest (Mark 6:31; Psalm 127:2) with purpose. Plan to re-energize, nap, or "chill out." Plan regular vacations.
• Plan times to be creative with purpose, allowing creativity to bloom into beautiful and functional things to the glory of God (Proverbs 22:29).
• Plan times to shop with purpose—not spending indiscriminately but investing in worthy things, knowing our "wealth" comes from Him (1 Chronicles 29:12-14; 1 Timothy 6:17; Matthew 6:19-21).
• Plan time for growth—invest in personal spiritual growth (Colossians 1:9-10; 2:6-7; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 2 Peter 3:18) and in the lives of others (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24).
• Plan time to meditate on the use of time, and consider what matters most to God and how we can spend more time on those things. Our time is His, a God-given resource, and He can help us use it best (Proverbs 16:9).

I'm sure you can think of other things to plan for.

The things we plan for will become our priorities, so we must live with intentionality. 

In Part 2, we'll consider two more ways to stop time thieves and make the most of our time.

Are you living with an eternal perspective and making wise choices for good time maneagement? If not, what changes can you make to live with intentionality?

Dawn Wilson, founder of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of Upgrade with Dawn. She works for Revive Our Hearts revival ministry and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters, and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphics adapted, courtesy of PhotoMix-Company and Foto-Retusz at Pixabay.

The Happy Truth about Valentine's Day

In this Valentine's Day UPGRADE, we can upgrade our understanding of this holiday—what it is and why we celebrate it, and whether Christians should happily take part. First, a little history lesson, and then some positive encouragement.

     What Is the Origin of Valentine’s Day?

I debated a man once concerning Valentine’s Day. “So what’s with Christians and Valentine’s Day,” he said. “Why celebrate a pagan holiday?”

To be honest, I stumbled around with my answers. I really didn’t know much about the celebration’s background, and the theories I put forth were woefully weak. Later, I decided to study it out; and maybe what I discovered will help you too.

St. Valentine’s Day, like St. Patrick’s Day, is popular in Europe and the modern west. While there are texts by Patrick himself that tell us about the godly man and help explain why he is celebrated, the origin of Valentine and Valentine’s Day aren’t entirely clear.

In secular articles, you’re sure to read about the pagan origins of Valentine’s Day. And in religious articles, the story is all about a martyred saint.

So which is right?

Maybe a little of both.

Some historians say the likely origin of the holiday was the ancient Roman festival, Lupercalia, which was celebrated on February 15^th. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, but also to the Roman founders, Romulus and Remus, who were believed to have been cared for as infants by a wolf (a lupa).

The fertility festival was quite involved, ending with young women placing their names in an urn and bachelors drawing names to pair off for the year, a practice that often led to marriage.

Pope Gelasius (5^th century) abolished the fertility festival for its “un-Christian” practices, and replaced it with a day honoring St. Valentine.

The term “Volantynys day” showed up in a romantic, 14^th century poem, “Parliament of Fowls,” by Geoffrey Chaucer. The poem explicitly linked romantic love to Valentine. The concept behind the poem is that a group of birds gather on “seynt valentynes day” to choose their mates—hence, the day’s romantic theme. By the 15^th century, lovers sent each other love notes on Saint Valentine’s Day.

For some reason, Cupid was later added into the Valentine’s Day mix. The Cupid figure was originally Eros, the son of Aphrodite, in Greek mythology. Later, in Roman mythology, the name was switched to Cupid, the son of Venus. In both cases, he was the son of the mythical goddess of love and armed with a bow and two kinds of arrows—gold arrows to spark love and lead arrows to ignite hate.

Cupid was devious and played on his targets’ emotions. In later writings, Cupid was portrayed as a mischievous cherub, and later still, he became something like a mascot for Valentine’s Day.  

February 14 is listed on the “Calendar of Saints” in Anglican and Lutheran churches, but the Roman Catholic Church practiced it as a local celebration. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrated Saint Valentine’s Day too, but on July 6.

The modern-day celebration is a romantic holiday, primarily developed in Victorian England. It included the giving of cards, flowers, and chocolates. Commercialized Valentine’s Day cards were created in the early to mid-19^th century. In some countries, the day is considered a celebration of friendship rather than romance.

The oldest known written valentine is at the British Library in London, written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife—from his prison cell in the Tower of London.

But what about Valentine himself?

Was Valentine a Martyred Saint?

The name “Valentine” was a popular name, with about a dozen early Christians having that name. The Catholic church recognizes at least three Christians named Valentine or Valentinus. All three were Christian martyrs, like Bishop Valentine of Terni who was beheaded.

Tradition, however, embraces Valentine of Rome, an Italian bishop who was killed on February 14, 296 AD, at the command of Emperor Claudius Gothicus of Rome.

As the story goes, Claudius decided that single men would make better soldiers than those who had wives and families, so he outlawed marriage for young men. Feeling this was an injustice, Valentine defied the emperor and continued to perform secret marriages for young lovers.

Emperor Claudius, angered to hear about Valentine's actions, interviewed Valentine and told him he could only escape death if he converted to paganism.

Instead, Valentine tried to convert Claudius to Christianity!

So was Valentine a true Christian? Unlike "St. Patrick," we don't know what Valentine believed about Jesus or salvation.

Only God knows Valentine's heart, just as He knows our hearts.

Stories about him were likely embellished to solidify his commemoration as a Catholic saint.

For example, prior to his execution, it’s said Valentine healed a jailer’s blind daughter, Julia, who encouraged him in prison. Some renditions of this account say he wrote a letter to Julia before his death, signing it, “Your Valentine.”

It’s also said that he gave parchment hearts to soldiers and to persecuted Christians to remind them of God’s love. Some stories suggest Valentine was killed for trying to help Christians escape torture in Roman prisons.

While the Valentine stories are murky, in all accounts, he was heroic and he deeply loved God.

Should Christians Celebrate Valentine’s Day?

So how does all this play out for Christians? A writer at the Bible research site Compelling Truth says that the holiday is “neither biblical nor anti-biblical.”

The Happy Truth about Valentine's Day is that it is permissible to celebrate, but perhaps in a uniquely Christian way.

“Christians are free regarding the celebration of Valentine’s Day,” the writer said. “There are many positive things to be said about celebrating love for one another.

There is nothing inherently wrong with expressing love through cards and gifts on a specific day of the year. "But there is nothing inherently righteous about it either," the writer said, "and we should also express our love for one another throughout the year and in a variety of ways.”

Valentine's "sainthood" is an issue for some. It's important to note that in early translations, believers in the Bible are called “saints,” meaning “holy ones” (Acts 9:32; Romans 16:2; Ephesians 4:12; Philippians 4:21)—even though some of them might have had serious sin problems. In some newer translations, they are simply called "the Lord's people" or "believers"—perhaps as a reaction to the misuse of the term "saint."

There is no such thing biblically as "sainthood" as it expressed by the Catholic Church.

• But there’s nothing wrong with commemorating Christian martyrs or faithful Christians in the past.
• Neither is there a biblical mandate to commemorate them.

In the article, “Valentine’s Day Belongs to God,” Jon Bloom at Discovering God says, “So what should Christians make of today’s Valentine’s Day?

"As much as purely possible!”

Bloom notes that “Valentine was a saint and Eros (love) in not Cupid’s domain.” So, he says, Christians should be “the most unashamed and exuberant celebrators of romantic love there are, and the strongest guardians of God’s design and boundaries, because God made it for us to enjoy, along with many other things (1 Timothy 6:17b).” For example, Song of Solomon is packed with intoxicating, romantic love. Solomon was intoxicated with his bride!

The mystery of married love is to be celebrated (Proverbs 18:22; Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7), and yet it is only a shadow of what is to come, Bloom said. He calls God the “greatest romantic in existence,” and said our Creator has designed romance to give us “a taste of the greatest romance that will ever exist, of which all Christians will experience.”

What does Bloom mean? At the marriage supper of the Lamb, when we drink the wine with our Groom and enjoy spiritual intimacy with Him that we had only previously known in metaphors (Revelation 19:6-8).

Four closing thoughts:

1. Valentine’s Day should not be something used to divide God’s people.

How should Christians deal with disagreement in the Body of Christ about Valentine’s Day? Biblically! 

Paul wrote about special days:

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:5).

In other words, we may not think the same concerning special "days," and we need to be careful in judging other believers. (Be sure, when you take issue with other Christians, that there's a biblical truth behind your concerns; and if you do share concerns, do it in a spirit of humility and love.)

2. Every day is a good day to celebrate biblical love.

Christians may disagree with the whole premise of Valentine's Day, but they can always celebrate the human loves God gives us.

• We can celebrate the love of a spouse.
• We can celebrate the love of our family and extended family.
• We can celebrate the love of friends.
• We can celebrate the love of those who have served and blessed us.

3. Use Valentine’s Day as a reminder of a greater love.

Valentine’s Day can be a might be a positive prompt for us to remember the love that surpasses all earthly loves.

First, there is the love of God for us in sending His Son, and second, there is the love of Jesus in becoming our Savior (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:14).

And then their great love prompts us to love others (John 13:34; 15:12; Ephesians 5:2).

4. What might you say to Valentine?

Assuming Valentine genuinely trusted in Jesus, rejoice that you might meet him in heaven.

What would you say to him? Would you want to chat with him and all the others throughout history who died for their confession of faith in Jesus.

I think it would be wonderful to thank Valentine for modeling genuine love—in life and in his martyrdom.

How might you use Valentine’s Day to focus on your earthly loved ones and the One who loved you so much that He died for you?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. Dawn and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and she has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Monkia at Pixabay.

Steps to Peace When You Feel Unsettled

Kathy Carlton Willis reminds me of the Energizer Bunny. She accomplishes more in one week than I do in one month! In all her busyness, she's always got a wise and cheerful word of encouragement as she spreads God's truth along her way. However, Kathy is very transparent about her humanness. In this Peace UPGRADE, she reminds us that there are times God allows uneasiness in our lives for a reason—He wants us to find our peace and purpose in Him.

“I’m starting the year feeling uninspired and restless,” says Kathy.

When I (Dawn) read that, honestly, I was shocked. Kathy is one of the most goal-oriented people I know. But knowing her, she didn't stay unsettled for long.

Kathy continues . . .

I live life with intention, and I try not to base my to-do list on what I feel. Productivity can only happen with a plan and with discipline.

But there are times God allows us to feel unsettled because He’s about to help us let go of something and reach ahead to something different.

That’s where I am right now. Even while I wait, God is giving me peace, and I know He will give peace to you as well.

Sorting Out the Essentials

I’ll never forget the year we moved from a 4,100-square-foot historic home to an 800-square-foot rental. As you can imagine, it took a great deal of sorting our belongings into essentials and non-essentials. Learning to prioritize what to keep, what to sell, and what to store helped.

I asked myself these questions.

• Is it necessary?
• Will it go with my new surroundings?
• Do I have room for it?
• Will I miss it if it’s gone?
• Does it have special meaning to me?

These questions also come to my aid when I ask God to help me prioritize my life choices.

Is it necessary? When our choices match up with the direction of God in our lives, the Holy Spirit gives us a satisfied peace.

Will it go with my new surroundings? Our locality dictates how we can best reach others for Christ. There are different cultures and traditions we must learn and adapt to (without changing biblical doctrines, of course).

Do I have room for it? There are many good options, but God doesn’t expect us to have room for each one of them in our lives. He will help us determine how to best use the abilities He has gifted us with for His glory and for the good of others.

Will I miss it if it’s gone? I’m sensing God is leading me to let go of some things in my life to make room for the new. This question helps me sort it out and add the essence of what I might miss into a new option.

Does it have a special meaning to me? We allow so many mundane, ordinary activities to fill our lives that we lose our joy. Will the love, joy, and peace in my life bubble over and splash on others so they can experience how special a life in Christ can be?

Do you have any extra life baggage you need to get rid of?

Letting go will deliver a new parcel of peace your way. We can do that as we seek God’s direction.

Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. (Psalm 119:165 NLT)

There are two great benefits to loving God’s instructions. When we desire to obey His Word, we have all the resources we need for great peace and the ability to not stumble.

There’s never enough reserve in our own selves to work up even a limited version of peace, let alone a God-sized portion of peace. But the good news is that we can always find peace as we find our way back to God.

 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3 NLT)

This is one of my all-time favorite Bible verses on peace in Scripture.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• How do you fix your thoughts on God?
• Where do you tend to let your thoughts be focused instead?
• What does trust have to do with being kept in perfect peace?
• What does fixing your thoughts on God have to do with experiencing perfect peace?

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NLT)

Paul gave the Romans so much rich detail regarding the victory we can have as we determine to grow in trusting God.

There is something special about seeing words such as fill, completely, and overflow. We often study about peace because we do not feel filled to overflowing!

If we’re honest, sometimes, we feel empty or drained.

Is there an area in your life in which you are struggling to trust in God for your peace?

Kathy Carlton Willis is God’s Grin Gal. She writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Over a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books in her Grin Gal brand. Today’s Upgrade with Dawn is inspired by Kathy’s latest Bible study, The Grin Gal’s Guide to Peace. Consider using one of Kathy’s books for your next small group or study. More information at www.kathycarltonwillis.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Aaron Burden at Unsplash.

Why Did God Ask Questions in the Bible?

Kathy Collard Miller has the wisdom gained from both the Word of God and practical experience, dealing with many tough issues of life from a biblical perspective. In this Biblical Discernment UPGRADE, she explores the question of . . . questions!

"Does that title question seem silly? After all, God knows everything," Kathy says.

"So why are there more than 300 questions God asked, including the questions of Jesus, as recorded in the Bible?"

Did you know there are so many questions in the Bible? I (Dawn) sure didn't. Kathy's question about questions really got me thinking. Are there questions God might be asking me that I'm not hearing? This is a good study for upgrading our biblical discernment with wisdom for living.

Kathy continues . . .

It’s true God and Jesus asked many questions in the Bible. Certainly, it’s an intriguing thought—why questions?

When I first began noticing all the questions Jesus asked (and His Father), I was surprised. I knew He knows everything, yet He still asked questions.

In fact, in the third chapter of Genesis (so soon!), He asked His first question, “Where are you?”

So why does God ask questions?

Three Ways to Consider the Questions

1. READ the Question Personally.

As we are reading the Bible, God wants us to stop and consider whether He is asking us a similar question.

For instance, if you were to read God’s question of Adam and Eve—“Where are you?”—maybe the Holy Spirit wants you to hear the inquiry of God’s heart into your heart.

He might be saying, “It’s time to evaluate the location of your heart.

Are you in a place of trust or believing lies?

Are you on a mental treadmill ruminating on reasons for worry, fear, and anxiety?"

Second Corinthians 10:5 reminds us we can "destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."

By evaluating our thoughts, we can stop the arguments and opinions which are lies against our loving and sovereign God—just like God invited His rebellious first humans to come out of their hiding place, stop believing He wouldn’t forgive them, and receive His redemption.

2. EXAMINE the Question Wisely 

When we focus on God's and Jesus’s questions, we might begin to feel a little insecure.

Does Jesus need to ask the paralyzed man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-15), “Do you want to get well?”

Does Jesus require the man’s efforts?

Is Jesus so insecure He is looking for approval or cooperation?

I would suggest Jesus asks this question to help this invalid get in touch with his hopelessness or other feelings and beliefs.

Knowing he has been there for over three decades must have drawn him into believing he would never be healed.

Jesus is asking whether he has a victim mentality. Jesus is much more interested in the man’s heart condition than whether he can run around on his two legs.

All the questions of God the Father and God the Son are about connecting with people at a spiritual level. Physical health will always end in eternal death, but salvation is for eternal life.

Maybe you are seeking health for your body. That’s great! But your loving Lord may be inquiring into your eternal posture, which is more important.

3. LOOK for God’s Character Eagerly.

The questions Father God and Jesus ask most often point to their own perfect qualities.

For instance, going back to the Garden of Eden, God, in effect, is asking,

“Do you think I am blind and uncaring where you are hiding?

You have wrong thinking about who I am.

I know where you are—and I care.”

With Jesus and the man by the pool, Jesus seems to also be asking, “Is your hopelessness preventing you from seeing my power to heal?”

Notice the intent of God’s questions—they usually point to His love, grace, faithfulness, mercy, kindness, wisdom, and so many other incredible perfect qualities.

He desires to draw us into more intimate connection with Him by learning the truth about Him.

Then we will seek Him more, trust him more and obey him more often.

Which of God’s and Jesus’s questions in the Bible are most meaningful to you?

Can you remember a time you noticed one of those questions and knew God was inquiring into your heart and life? What happened?

Kathy Collard Miller has continued to be in awe of God’s ability to use her through writing over 60 books and speaking in 9 foreign countries and over 30 US States. Kathy’s two books (co-written with her husband, Larry) about God’s questions are: God’s Intriguing Questions; 60 New Testament Devotions Revealing Jesus’s Nature; and God’s Intriguing Questions: 40 Old Testament Devotions Revealing God’s Nature. Her other books include women’s Bible studies, Bible commentaries, compiled books, and Christian Living books. Her memoir about overcoming being an abusive mom is No More Anger: Hope for an Out-of-Control Mom. Kathy and her husband, Larry, of more than 50 years, are parents, grandparents, lay counselors, and live in Boise, Idaho. Visit her at www.KathyCollardMiller.com.

Graphic adapted, photo courtesy of Sophie Janotta at Pixabay.