Liv
Extracts of Truth & Encouragement from a Growth Journey with God
Encourage or Harden?
Today is full of many opportunities that we choose to invest in or slam the door on. If you’re a parent, you know you have different opportunities to make time for your kids, but even during that time, you have the choice of how or if you truly invest in your child. Same goes for your spouse, if you have one. What kind of choices are you making with your time? If you’re single, those choices are still there, especially with your close friends!
“You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called ‘today.’ If you don’t, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn.”
Hebrews 3:13 CEV
The compound Greek word translated “encourage,” here, means “to call from being close beside.” It makes sense that we’re going to have a hard time doing this, if we keep people at a distance. “Call,” in this instance, relates to speaking to another to warn or encourage them. There’s another word, kata, that shows up in the Greek, but its meaning isn’t as pronounced in the English translations of this verse. It can mean “during,” but it can also mean “by” with reference to someone testifying by something. In this context, one would be a testifier of Truth, sent by God through the Holy Spirit, urging someone or requesting, with serious, intense conviction, that they do something or stop doing something. We are to call on others to also testify, by the Spirit, of Christ…to declare His truths or give evidence of Him and/or His living in them; their testimony would include doing this something you are urging them to do, as the Spirit has prompted/directed, or not doing something that would hinder a positive representation of Christ. The meaning of this word, kata, is “bring down exactly, complete.” In this verse, we would be testifying to the Spirit’s teaching or prompting and the truths of Christ, bringing them down to the earth by fleshing it out.
It’s pretty hard to do any of this with any hope of making a positive impact, if we aren’t walking with someone in life: a) We won’t know what they’re dealing with, because we haven’t spent time connecting with them and b) We won’t have the relationship with them through which they may be willing to hear what the LORD is wanting to say through us. This can be challenging in a world marred by Covid, in which we may have turned more inwardly, but this verse commands us to do this every day…sun up to sun down. Whenever we can call it “today,” we’re responsible for this. This speaks to me.
Have you been making time for people?
Is there someone the Holy Spirit has been impressing on your heart to encourage or warn?
Have you done it?
Maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal if we miss an opportunity or two…but it does when we see that the person may be deceived by their sin, if we don’t, which leads to their becoming stubborn. I’ve known the definition of sin as “missing the mark,” but another definition of this Greek word is new to me. Sin’s a compound word and means “not” + “a part, share of.” What is doing the deceiving in this verse is not a part of God, not a share of Who He is. If someone is participating in or believing something that’s not even a part of God, they may become stubborn, being super determined not to change their view or attitude toward the sin. They rely on their own power, rather than God’s, or doing what they want. That’s scary and very concerning, when I think of this. I don’t want my not doing something the Spirit of God calls me to do to allow even an opportunity for someone to become hardened in their sin! I think we may act more on what the Spirit is prompting us to do and not be concerned with a “lack of time, inability, the fact that it’s uncomfortable, or that we may lose a friend if we say something,” if we know something bigger is at stake. The verse before calls it “an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12b CSB).” I don’t want to be responsible for that or have that myself! Do you?
This section of verses (Hebrews 3:7-15) starts and ends with the Holy Spirit’s call to us. Last post, we talked about being tethered to (or walking with) God’s Spirit. Just like He is wanting us to do to others, He is wanting to walk in relationship with us, so we can hear Him call to us more clearly and be more open to the instruction, encouragement, and warnings He wants to share with us. Verses 7 and 15 say, “Today” (which is every day, right?), if you hear [(identify or recognize the noticeable words of)] His voice, you won’t harden your heart [(the extent of your voluntary, moral desires or choices) by resisting what God says is right].”
Are you walking with the Spirit today, listening to His voice?
Are you doing what He’s commanded you to do?
Tethered to the Holy Spirit
Early last school year, we saw a man and woman, running side by side together, attached with a tether. I hadn’t seen anything like it! The only thing I’d seen that was somewhat close was those little backpacks littles wear that tether them to their care givers when they’re in a crowded, public place, so the care givers don’t lose them. Apparently, some runners choose this when one of the runners is blind or partially blind; one of the runners serves as a guide to the other. Some tethers have a loop on each end of a piece of fabric or band; each runner either hangs onto their end’s loop or lets it hang around their wrists. The couple we saw had a rope tied around each runner’s waist; this type of tether is, apparently, used when the runner in need of a guide has better vision…or just a lot of practice.
“But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].”
Galatians 5:16 AB
The Greek word for “walk” in this verse concerns all moral aspects of our lives. It refers to how we conduct ourselves, according to what standard; what the standard is dictates how we live. According to this verse, the directed standard we should have is God’s, which is made known to us through the instruction and guidance of His Spirit. When we walk with Him, this verse says we won’t carry out the desire of our sinful nature (or “flesh”). However, if we rely on ourselves or the world as our standard, we’ll live life, making our own decisions, based on what gratifies us. The Greek word for “flesh” (or “sinful nature”), in this verse, talks about our temperament (how our nature affects our behavior in a permanent kind of way) and includes how we perceive things, when our senses are stimulated, as well as how we justify or explain things; the focus here is “we” and makes a point that it’s done without the Spirit of God’s influence and is opposed to Him.
When one of your senses was peeked, recently, was your reaction carried out with or without the influence of the Spirit of God?
Months ago, before training and getting our “walking collar,” our puppy was a train wreck to walk! He was growing in size, and his then 60 lbs. would abruptly “yank my arm out of socket” any time he saw something that excited him or “needed” further investigation. I stopped trying to walk him for a time and found other ways to exercise him, because I, physically, had such a difficult time with this.
After training and introducing him to his new “walking collar,” he looked at me and our walks in a whole new way! His leash is kept short; he stays right by my side; he stops and sits when I stop; he starts walking when I start to walk; he looks around, but doesn’t stare (most of the time); he doesn’t bark at other dogs, barking at him, or chase squirrels or birds…It’s so refreshing!!! He’s happy; I’m happy! We both enjoy our walks, now, immensely!
Maybe, to us, it doesn’t seem like we’re yanking or pulling too hard away from God; we’re in “the vacinity” of His Spirit. There’s a heart check in the verses that follow the one above (vs. 19-26) that helps us see if our perceptions match reality. If any of the following (among others in these verses) are in our lives, it should be evident to us that we are pulling away from (opposing) God, choosing our own direction:
- Letting sin mix in with the purity God desires (i.e., letting our nature dictate how we perceive things, rather than God; justifying our sinful thoughts and actions).
- Having an enemy that we hate; we are unfriendly to them, oppose them, and aren’t interested in having a friendly relationship with them. In fact, we openly wish that they would suffer.
- Being ready to have a heated disagreement with people, even those we typically get along with.
- Allowing our thoughts or emotions to get piping hot and boiling over, fueled by our wanting something or wishing something would happen.
- Allowing our “temperatures” to rise; our breathing becomes stronger or more pronounced, and we act out of this anger.
- Acting out of an interest in gaining something for ourselves, whether it causes a disagreement with others or not.
- Taking a stand against something that wrongly divides us from others into cliques, due to unnecessary conflict.
- Holding to a strong personal choice (opinion) that causes disagreements with others.
- Being glad when something bad happens to someone, or they encounter pain or difficulties.
- Believing something that isn’t true and boasting about it, hoping it will increase our value in others’ eyes.
- Calling attention to ourselves, irritating others.
- Having a stinging or sour response to someone’s success.
I’m praying for you. May we all see clearly the areas in our lives the Spirit is wanting to guide us in and give us further training. May we be willing to obey and reap all the benefits of a tranquil walk with Him!
Loving the Unloved
She was unloved, yet she longed for the attention, the affection, the favor of one.
Has your focus ever been on securing the attention, affection, or favor of one particular person (i.e., a spouse, a future spouse, a boss, a friend)?
Wherever the LORD is taking your thoughts right now, sit quietly there. Is He beckoning for your attention? If so, do you hear the desire in His voice…the desire He has for you; the desire to show you His love and for you to receive it; the desire for you, His child, to love Him above all else?
I’ve embarked on a new, little routine. One of my favorite authors, Kelly Minter, started a podcast. Each episode is a good half hour long and digs deep into different portions of Scripture. I love this kind of thing, but 30 minutes of quiet can be tough to achieve amidst already needing quiet time to write different posts as well as the Bible study the LORD and I are working on and carving out time for my family. However, an idea popped into my head; I started using the time when I put make-up on, do my hair, etc., to listen to an episode of her podcast. These times aren’t super often these days; my “dolled up” days are declining, but God still uses when I have them to speak while I’m getting ready, as He faithfully has.
I recently listened to Episode 4: When People Aren’t Enough. This podcast took a deep look at the familiar story in Genesis of Rachel and Leah. It uncovered their desires and where their focus was. After listening to this episode, I dug further into portions of this text. Here are some additional things the LORD revealed, that I found interesting.
- Leah’s name comes from a Hebrew word, laah (law-aw’), that means “be weary or impatient, to tire; to be (or make) disgusted; grieve, make weary selves.” Yikes!
“Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children.”
Genesis 29:31 NASB
- In Genesis 29:31, the word “unloved,” adopted by many translations, actually, means “to hate” in Hebrew. You can see why she would grieve, right?!? Jacob didn’t just “not like” Leah; he hated her!! He found her repulsive, according to the meaning of the word. In fact, the word lends itself to an enemy kind of feel or an opponent of Rachel, in Jacob’s mind. Leah wanted desperately to be loved by Jacob, so we can imagine that she tired herself out, thinking about how he hated her, how having his child would make him love her…
- God saw this! One of His names is El Roi, which means the God Who Sees Me (Genesis 16:13)! God is true to His character, so I can assure you; whatever you’re going through, God sees you! He sees your pain and your suffering.
- Not only did God see Leah, but He heard her cries (Genesis 29:33), whether they were heart cries or verbal. This is why she named her second son Simeon, which comes from a Hebrew word, meaning “to hear.” He was paying attention to Leah. He hadn’t forgotten her! I don’t know what you or someone you know is going through right now, but know this: God is paying attention to you and hears you, whether it looks, to you, like He’s acting on your behalf or not!
- Leah wasn’t just loved less than Rachel (Genesis 29:30); in the Hebrew text, we see she was compared to her. Jacob was doing it, and Leah and Rachel both were taking part in it. The comparison game is a trap I’ve fought for a long time. It’s easy to fall prey to it, if I’m not intentional on maintaining where my focus should be.
- Leah’s third son was named Levi, meaning “to join.” Isn’t it neat to think of the meaning of this name/tribe from which men were chosen to serve the LORD as priests, to intervene between individuals of the nation of Israel and God in order to reconcile their relationship?
Here are a couple things I loved, that Kelly brought out in her podcast about Leah, in particular.
- Leah wanted Jacob’s love, yet God was loving her. God had a plan for her, though she didn’t see it.
- Leah’s fourth son was named Judah, which means “praise.” Her reaction to this son was, “Now, I will praise the LORD” (Genesis 29:35). We all should praise the LORD for how He worked through Leah and the gift of this son, Judah; it was through this lineage (His earthly father, Joseph’s line) that Jesus came!
Take some time to marinate in any of these truths that the LORD is making stand out to you, even if it’s just engaging with His Word on your heart throughout the day. If you have extra quiet time and want to take in this episode of Kelly’s podcast, click on the link below. Come back, afterward, and let me know what you think!
https://kellyminter.com/podcast-episode-4/
If you have a Leah in your life, would you encourage them by sharing this post with them?
Focus and Run the Race Well
Have you ever been somewhere, when you feel like you’re being watched? You look around, only to find out that, indeed, you are?!?
“As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.”
Hebrews 12:1 GNT
“[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, Who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], Who, for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him, endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].”
Hebrews 12:2 AB
I know we dug in a bit to these verses a few months ago, but the LORD made it clear that He wanted me to revisit them in this post…with additional treasures to uncover.
You may have heard this verse in a translation that says, “a CLOUD of witnesses.” This word, translated “cloud” and “crowd,” DOES mean “crowd,” or a multitude that’s closely compacted. Think of a race, where all the runners are tightly packed together. If the person in front of you trips, slips, falls, stops, or is going slow, your race is going to be hindered. Similarly, in this race we call “life,” there are those around us who are witnesses to how we run. In fact, the word for “witnesses” actually refers to someone who knows by seeing and/or hearing.
Think of who is around you at varying times during your week, seeing the way you act and what you do, hearing what you say, how you say it, and what you talk about. What are they witnessing?
Is how you act and speak hindering others’ race?
This verse goes on to say that we should place away from us EVERYTHING that is weighing us down. The meaning of the Greek word, here, means that it’s a mass that is heavy and bends you over.
Years ago, I traveled to visit a friend of mine and stay with her and her family. During my time there, we journeyed to many places I’d never been. One day, the two of us and her kiddos went hiking along beautiful, wooded trails with several breathtaking views of water falls. One of her daughters was young, so my friend carried her on her back, during the entire hike, in a backpack-type carrier. Her daughter started out fairly light, but as the trek went longer and longer, I could tell her daughter was feeling heavier and heavier on her back. She still trudged along with perseverance, but her energy was visibly draining; her climbing began to gradually slow. Any of you who have had a little one on your back for any length of time on a trek can relate; I’m sure! It’s tough to run…or even traverse long roads…with a heavy load, weighing you down.
Many times in our lives, we weigh ourselves down with what we deem as important in addition to sin. We may not really pay attention to them at first or think they’re that big of a deal, yet one thing leads to another. Before long, we feel the tremendous weight of our choices (I’m NOT including kids in those choices, if my previous story sounds like that!!). Sometimes, we want to rid ourselves of the weight, but we feel pressure from somewhere to keep carrying it…or it just seems to hang onto us so tightly!
Is what’s important to you important to God?
Are there any sins hanging onto you, like heavy weights around your ankles, leaving you exhausted and struggling to keep moving forward?
This is where determination and pursuit come in! We need to focus our eyes on Jesus and finish strong, as He did. There is joy in finishing well, in pursuing well, in being so determined to finish well that the choice between putting sin and the weight of what we think is important in its place (on the side of the road…away from us) is a no-brainer.
I don’t know about you, but there are times when I catch myself gazing at my circumstance. I’m thankful the LORD, through His Spirit, loves me enough to redirect me. It’s like He gently takes my face and turns it toward Himself…and I see His eyes…and I’m captivated! I don’t want to miss another thing He has to show me!
Where is your gaze?
I pray your eyes lock with His, and He gives you new strength. I pray He energizes you to continue moving toward the ultimate goal–to bring Him glory! Run well, Liv sibs! Run well!
Ride out the Rain Delay
I can hear thunder, as I begin to type this. It started about 10 minutes ago, but the rain is just now coming down. My kids are walking to a local park to watch a friend’s baseball game, and we’ve been playing phone tag, wondering if the game will get rained out. It makes me think of when my son played Little League. One game, in particular, it started raining SO hard (you know, the kind of rain that soaks you from head to toe after being out in it for one second!?!)! I remember that game; we and other families all ran for the covered areas as quickly as possible, as the rain beat down. From under the protection of the roof, we watched the rain bounce off the concrete as high as our shins. We were soaked, but we laughed. In that moment, there was togetherness that broke through the storm. Before long, the sun, too, broke through the clouds, the rain stopped, and we were able to walk out to our car.
Are you going through a storm in your life, where one minute, the sky seemed bright blue and sunny; then, an ominous cloud appeared, followed by an all-out downpour?!? Maybe you’re not in one right now; however, you know someone who is. Maybe you can think of a storm you’ve endured in the past.
What has felt like a storm?
“God will bless you, if you don’t give up, when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as He rewards everyone who loves Him.”
James 1:12 CEV
The Greek word translated here as “don’t give up” is “hupomenó.” This compound word means “remain under.” I love this picture, as God reminded me of that Little League game and riding out the storm. Many families grabbed their stuff and bolted for their cars in the torrential downpour, getting drenched, as they chose to run in the elements; yet, we “remained under” the protection of the ramada (or pavilion). We certainly got wet on our way there, but the level of soaking was MUCH less than those who ran to their vehicles in the pouring down rain! James calls us to “remain under” each test…to patiently suffer through the thing that is incredibly difficult or painful…to wait it out.
“My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy, when you fall into all sorts of trials,”
James 1:2 NETB
According to James, our first thought…the thought that leads all other thoughts and actions, when we “fall into” tests or temptations (when we feel like they completely surround us), is that it’s an opportunity for joy! This joy is demonstrated when it recognizes God’s favor. You may be thinking that “favor” seems super far from your mind, when you think about the storm you or someone you know is in. It may not seem fair or that God is looking favorably on you. Yet, we need to read on…
“because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
James 1:3 NETB
“But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:4 HCSB
God, in His grace, wants to give you what you need to be mature and complete, lacking nothing, so He gives you a test to produce endurance. This word for “endurance” is the exact same word, “hupomenó,” that we saw earlier in James 1:12. If you patiently wait out the storm, you remain under His protection during the test. Once the storm is over, you will see His promised blessings. These blessings may look different than what one may expect, but they are opportunities to give God glory through your life, as you share what He has done, how you saw Him in the storm, etc.
As my brother, Jason, said yesterday during our conversation (he didn’t know God already had me writing about this, which is yet another way I saw God knitting this post together), “Growth happens when we’re uncomfortable.” God wants you, His child, to grow and mature. Remember, He allows these tests for your good, because He love you SO, SO much, and, ultimately, for His Kingdom’s good! There’s a lot of joy to be found there!
In the midst of the storm (test), is joy leading your other thoughts?
Are you taking the opportunity to give God glory by sharing how you saw Him during a storm in your life?
Please feel free to share with the Liv community! He WILL bless others through your life, as you give HIM glory!
Transformed or Conformed?
It’s been said that after a husband and wife have been married for a long time, they start to look like each other. Maybe it’s especially so, if they’re best friends, as it’s also been said that best friends’ faces start to look alike! According to Psychology Today, “Over time, there is the possibility that friends’ faces become more alike because of using similar facial expressions; lots of frowning or laughing or looks of disgust may actually lead to changes in facial patterns.”1
“Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God–what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect.”
Romans 12:2 GNT
This verse may be really familiar to you, if you’ve been absorbing the truths of Scripture for any length of time. It presents us with a choice, which we can use to assess where our minds are…and, therefore, our actions. We can either conform ourselves, or we can let ourselves be transformed by God. In essence, it starts with whether or not we want control. If we do, then we haven’t let God transform our minds and are already conforming ourselves to the standard of this world; this is evident by our initial decision for control. Whoever is taking control shifts or alters our thoughts and behavior.
The Greek word, in this verse, for “conform” is suschématizó (soos-khay-mat-id’-zo). It’s made up of two words: sýn, meaning “identified with,” and sxēmatizō, “having outward shape.” Together, they mean that you’ll be identified with whatever form you exhibit on the outside. We all know that what we think and value is evident on the outside by how we talk, what we talk about, what we wear, and how we conduct ourselves. If we value and strive after things that others, living in this cycle of time, who don’t faithfully follow after God, value and strive for, we will be identified with them, whether or not we say we’re different. Our words may say we’re different, but our behavior will look like we agree with them in their pursuits.
Who might others identify you with, based on what you exhibit on the outside (it could be a type of person, actual individuals, individuals who behave in a certain way, etc.)?
The other option, is to let Adonai-Yahweh (Lord LORD/Sovereign LORD), be Who He is: master and sovereign ruler (this refers to all three persons of the God-head, since “Adonai” is plural), GOD of gods (Yahweh). As author Stephen Neilsen put it, Adonai-Yahweh’s name could be translated as, “Our Lord [master]…is GOD…,” which would mean that He rightly holds the position of authority (sovereignty) over our lives.
Can you honestly say that GOD of all gods is the master of your life?
Do you make your daily decisions based on His rulership of your life…with the mindset of serving Him?
If we believe Him to be our master, sovereign ruler, GOD of gods, we can choose to “let [Him] transform us inwardly by a complete change of our minds.” The Greek word, here, for “transform” is metamorphoó (met-am-or-fo’-o). The two words used to make up this compound verb are metá and morphóō; metá means “change after being with” and morphóō means “changing form in keeping with inner reality.” I love the word metá!! This so goes along with the truths we have been digging into in previous posts about the fruits of the Spirit…That it’s the Spirit of God Who produces these outward results in our lives, because of what He has done inside us, in the deepest part of us. Our outward, visible form takes on qualities of God, which He is and has been cultivating, invisibly, within us; and it’s all because…we have been with God…Whew! Does that give anyone else chills and cause you to praise?!?
So, where are you today?
- Are your decisions falling in line with the truths of Scripture, or are you “tweaking” truths to your liking or to popular opinion?
- What are the outward results of your thoughts? What does this tell you about your thoughts?
Feel free to share a comment on this post. Your story or how GOD is speaking to you about this may resonate with another Liv life and encourage them to be transformed by GOD.
1 Gibson, Brittany. “The Real Reason You and Your Friends Look So Much Alike.” Reader’s Digest. 8 May, 2019, https://www.rd.com/article/why-you-and-your-friends-look-alike/.
2 Nielsen, Stephen. “Hebrew Names of God: Adonai.” Prayer A to Z. 8 January, 2012, https://studyingprayer.com/2012/01/08/hebrew-names-of-god-adonai/.
Service with Kindness
I love this sweatshirt of my daughter’s! It’s amazing how many compliments she’s received when wearing it! You can see people read it, then re-read it! Their heads kind of tilt to the side, like a dog, when he’s trying to figure out what’s going on. The words make you think, especially since so much communication these days seems to be motivated by self!
We’re Chicago Cubs fans and were watching a game recently. Anthony Rizzo, our four-time Gold Glove award winning, starting first baseman, was “hauling it” toward the rolled-up tarp out of the field of play, attempting to catch a foul ball. He’s done it numerous times and has even jumped up ON the rolled-up infield tarp as well as on a ledge in front of the fans to successfully catch multiple foul balls, so we held our breath while he ran all out! This particular time, the Cubs were on the road, and his efforts wouldn’t become a highlight reel; he, unfortunately, didn’t get to the ball in time. We still applauded his efforts and replayed his past accomplishments in our minds. That’s when I heard one of the opposing team’s fans yell, “A [insert the other team’s name] would’ve caught that!” Really?!? Some things just ought not be said! I don’t care who I’m watching! If someone displays great effort, give them credit! Why do people love to hate on people, verbally?!?
What have you said this week that, in your tone or in your words, were the opposite of kind?
Kindness is not just something we act out physically! It’s verbal, too! Yet, even in kindness, we seem to want something out of it. Maybe we’re kind, so we can be noticed, have a good reputation, get a good tip, or even receive recognition. Is kindness about the one we’re being kind to at all, or has it become more about us, in our minds?
Can you think of a time when your kindness had a selfish motive?
In Galatians 5:22, which we’ve dug into a bit here and there this month, we find that one of the results of the Spirit’s work or activity inside of us is kindness. What I love about this is that the Greek word, here, for “kindness” means “(‘useful kindness’) [and] refers to meeting real needs, in God’s way, in His timing. [It’s] Spirit-produced goodness which meets the need and avoids human harshness (cruelty).”1 This kindness can only be Spirit-produced, as God is the One Who fully knows what’s going on in others’ lives, hearts, and minds as well as what they really need right then! Kindness is part of His character and what He displayed to us through Christ (Ephesians 2:7), so it makes sense that it can only be produced by His Spirit! Our tendency, apart from Him, is to think about ourselves and how we can benefit from a kind act, which depletes the act of real service (meeting the real needs of others)!
“Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”
Romans 2:4 HCSB
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it, again: Our God is purposeful! While I know this, it doesn’t stop me from being in awe of Him when I read this verse! The Greek word for “despise” is kataphronéō; it means that we “thought down” on God by willfully disobeying Him and/or openly disrespecting Him. In fact, the second part of the word, “phronéō,” is, technically, our heart/our thoughts regulating (or controlling) us from within, which, then, translates to how we act. Our outward disobedience or disrespect of Him, going against His character and purpose for us, boils down to our thinking our way is best…elevating our will above His (i.e., paying no regard to Who He is or what He says)…and desiring control of our lives. His character, the very essence of Who He is, is what He demonstrates to us through His Son, Jesus, with the purpose of leading us to Himself! He also leads us with the intension of changing our minds, which is what “repentance” means here, to allowing His Spirit to regulate (or control) us from within.
Do you have thoughts that are blatantly disobedient to God?
Are you willing to see His kindness for what it is, to move toward and look more like Him?
Kindness, by definition, here, is meant to be useful, to fulfill its purpose! God first showed us kindness by restraining His wrath and being patient with us; His purpose in this was to lead us to change our thoughts from disobedience to obedience, from disrespect to respect, from our way to His. Once our minds change to resemble Christ more, then the Spirit of God works His kindness out in how we act, so others can develop a different opinion about Him, as well, and repent! Kindness isn’t the only thing that has purpose! So do we!
1HELPS Word-studies. “5544. chréstotés.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/5544.htm (accessed May 26, 2021).
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