On more than one occasion I’ve heard this compliment about my daughter Shari… “She is a very wise shopper! She knows quality when she sees it (AND she knows when someone is trying to deceive her). She is able to consistently get a good deal!” (Just gotta say, that is true of Shari … AND ALSO her mother Sharon!! “Like mother, like daughter” I guess J)
I wish Christians were just that “SAGACIOUS” (now there’s a good “word for the day”) in spiritual things! Thought of that today as I read Apostle Paul’s warning in Romans 16.17-19 this morning…
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them! For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people… I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”
So here is the deal… Don’t believe all the “marketing” you hear about spiritual things, what the Bible teaches, or doctrine! Program (“format” if you please) your mind and heart with God’s word and depend on the Holy Spirit to work within you to produce authentic spiritual maturity and the discernment you need so that you can recognize a “spiritual scam” and reject it when you see it, hear it, or read it! On the other hand, prepare yourself to recognize, affirm and respond to “the real deal” – embrace it and act upon it with faith and obedience!
Coffee With The Lord 