goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Ablaze With the Holy Spirit

By Linda Tancs

The apostle Paul exhorted the Romans to be ablaze with the Spirit (Romans 12:11). The Bible often describes God’s presence as a fire, and the Holy Spirit is like a fire that burns within believers. The principle is also expressed in the Old Testament, wherein it is commanded that the fire on the altar be kept burning (Leviticus 6:12-13). How do we keep the fire ablaze? One way is through good works that evidence the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Another way is to follow the Holy Spirit’s direction and guidance (Galatians 5:25) rather than quench it (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Would you describe yourself as ablaze with the Holy Spirit?

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Acts of Righteousness

By Linda Tancs

Theologically, righteousness is being in right standing with God. But what constitutes righteousness? In Genesis, Abram (later Abraham) put his faith in God for an heir, and God credited Abram’s faith as an act of righteousness (Genesis 15:1-6). What other acts can be credited as righteousness? Surely, among other things, it’s love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Think about your behavior. How can you increase your acts of righteousness?

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Patience

By Linda Tancs

Patience is defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset. The definition hints at the fact that it isn’t just about waiting; it’s how you act while you wait. How do you act when traffic comes to a stop and you’re in danger of being late to your destination? Or what about when a customer ahead of you in the “10 items or less” grocery line has more than 20 items? Or when a website takes several minutes to load? Patience is important enough to be enumerated as one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). What can you do to improve yours?

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Catch More Flies

By Linda Tancs

There’s an old Italian proverb that says you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. In other words, you’ll get on better in life if you’re kind. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Popular campaigns like Random Acts of Kindness and Pay It Forward encourage us to be kind. In Ephesians 4:32, to be kind is mentioned first. Kindness benefits the one being kind (Proverbs 11:17) and honors God. So spare the vinegar and use more honey.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Discipline Brings Dividends

By Linda Tancs

Do you consider yourself a disciplined person? Do you watch what you eat? Exercise? Mind your manners? As any fitness guru will tell you, discipline brings dividends. Even the apostle Paul exhorted his followers to be disciplined (1 Corinthians 9:27). Self-control is a form of discipline, and it honors God. After all, it’s referred to as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). In what areas can you practice better self-control?

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

By Linda Tancs

No doubt you’ve heard the expression, “Actions speak louder than words .” American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way: “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” That’s a manner of expressing caution about how you act with others (Colossians 4:5). How do your actions comport with your words?  Your behavior informs others as to your nature. Does your behavior reflect the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) or something less appetizing? Your life is a sermon, as another expression goes. Walk the talk.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES, Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Easy Street

By Linda Tancs

I saw a commercial vehicle on the highway with an address on Easy Street. That made me think about the phrase “on easy street,” living a life of ease. It also brought to mind Jesus’s admonition against pursuing the wide road that leads to destruction, an eschatological reference implying that those who choose easy ways (to feel good in the moment) face separation from God (Matthew 7:13). Easy Street often evokes consumption, pleasures and distractions. It can be a place of temptation, a place fostering bitterness, revenge, anger, frustration, greed and unforgiveness. There’s no room for the Spirit there. That’s why Jesus promotes the straight and narrow road. It might not be easy, but it leads to a better life (Galatians 5:22-23).

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES, Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Learn more at goforwardinfaith.com. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

 

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

A Thorny Problem

By Linda Tancs

A popular song bears the title “Every Rose Has its Thorn.” You could say the same about us. As the sower’s parable in Mark’s gospel illustrates, we’re all capable of having thorns, like worldly anxiety, the lure of riches and the craving for other things (Mark 4:1-20). The key is to eliminate them. When a florist removes thorns from a rose bouquet, it creates more room in the vase. Likewise, when you remove the thorns from your life, you have more room to grow, to bear good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). You’ll come out smelling like a fragrant rose, an aroma pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 2:15).

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES, Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Learn more at goforwardinfaith.com. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Rules

By Linda Tancs

American poet Mary Oliver wrote, “Even paradise must have rules.” How right she was. After all, God did impose a rule in the Garden of Eden. He told Adam that he could eat of every tree in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Well, we know how that turned out.

In our own world, we recognize that community rules are integral to an ordered society. We even impose rules on ourselves. I’ll only eat dessert on weekends. I’ll walk 40 minutes each day. Calls will be returned within 24 hours. But, of course, rules are broken. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). The remedy is prayer. In fact, Paul exhorts us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). That may sound impossible, but it really isn’t. Every thought can be a form of prayer, a resolution to live out the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Which rules are you breaking? Pray over it so that, in time, you’ll mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31) and soar above the tendency to break the rules.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES, Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Learn more at goforwardinfaith.com. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

The Highest Good

By Linda Tancs

The Latin phrase summum bonum means “the highest good.” So what is the highest good? Literally, it is God; it doesn’t get any higher than that (Luke 18:19). You’ve heard it said hundreds of times, “God is good.” Throughout the Bible we’re reminded that God represents every good thing: love (1 John 4:8), light (1 John 1:5), forgiveness (1 John 1:9), compassion (Exodus 33:19), generosity (Psalm 84:11) and so on.

It is impossible to be as good as God (Isaiah 55:8-9), but we should aim to be as good as possible. In the philosophical context, our highest good is a virtuous life. Paul defined those virtues as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). It’s your highest good and your highest calling. Jesus left you an example to follow (1 Peter 2:21), so follow Him.