Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

JAMES 3:13.

GROUNDED. UNFLAPPABLE. Got it together. A few people among us seem to have learned the secret of life. When others around them are losing their cool, these people remain calm, think clearly, and make good choices. No, they aren't supermen and superwomen, and no, they aren't on drugs. They've learned to tap into G.o.d's wisdom.

The Scriptures give us a thousand snapshots of wisdom, and the Proverbs paint many pictures of wise living. People who are wise have a deep reverence for G.o.d, first of all. They are in awe of His power and love, and their trust in Him permeates their response to every situation, every interaction, and every decision. A shift has taken place in their hearts: They have learned to care more about G.o.d's purposes than their own selfish desires. They've found out that pursuing G.o.d's design with an open mind and a full heart leads to the richest life possible.

At work, they function with integrity, and they make everyone around them more successful. At home, their spouse and children know they are loved and safe and they enjoy being with one another. They have learned to handle money wisely, and they receive G.o.d's many gifts with a heart of thankfulness. They never brag, because they don't have to prove themselves, and they resolve conflicts so that each person comes out with his or her reputation intact.

Is this kind of life possible? Yes, and it begins with an honest a.s.sessment of our current condition.

Give yourself an honest a.s.sessment of your life at this point.

In what areas do you need to grow in G.o.d's wisdom?

"That best portion of a good man's life: His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."-WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

SEPTEMBER 17.

DRAW NEAR TO G.o.d.

Draw near to G.o.d and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

JAMES 4:8.

A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with G.o.d has always been an amazing thing to contemplate. The Scriptures tell us that G.o.d's love is as comforting as a mother's tender care, but they also remind us that He is a consuming fire! How do we relate to a G.o.d like this? James gives us some suggestions.

Our relationship with G.o.d begins with His invitation. Isn't it amazing that Almighty G.o.d stoops low to communicate with us? We offer Him nothing, yet He gives us Himself. James tells us that our efforts to pursue G.o.d will certainly be rewarded, but we shouldn't come to Him with a cavalier att.i.tude. Like the priests who cleansed themselves before entering the Temple, we, too, need to cleanse ourselves if we are to experience G.o.d's presence.

James also addresses our actions and our att.i.tudes. Our "hands" represent our choices, either to obey G.o.d or act selfishly. Our "hearts" reflect our att.i.tudes and perspectives. James reminds us that we are too often "double-minded," pulled between G.o.d and money, spiritual riches and earthly treasure, our position in Christ and our position at work or church.

It's easy for us to drift along each day without a thought of how dirty our hands and hearts may be-until we think about entering G.o.d's presence. When we bow before the Holy One, He shines His light on the dark recesses of our lives and points out any dirt He finds there. At that moment, we can turn and walk away or we can say, "Yes, Lord. I see it too. Thank You for forgiving me." And we draw near to Him.

Why is cleansing important for us as we draw near to G.o.d?

Do you long to draw near to G.o.d? Explain your answer.

"The first duty of the gospel preacher is to declare G.o.d's law and to show the nature of sin."-MARTIN LUTHER

SEPTEMBER 18.

EXCESS BAGGAGE.

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of G.o.d.

HEBREWS 12:1-2.

WHEN OLYMPIC MARATHON RUNNERS get ready for a race, they give plenty of attention to their gear. The race may be long, but often only a few seconds separate runners at the finish line. Because every ounce-and every portion of an ounce-counts, the runners find every possible way to eliminate excess weight. In fact, it's an obsession for them. Shorts and shirts are made of the thinnest, lightest material. Most of them don't wear socks, and if they do, the socks are very lightweight. Their shoes, the heaviest item in their wardrobe, have gone through technological transformations so they are as light as can be. Nothing is going to slow down these runners.

The writer of Hebrews compared the Christian life to a long-distance race, and he told us to get rid of excess baggage and sin in our lives. Many of us carry around baggage of neglected areas that have become bloated or weak, such as how much money we spend, a lack of exercise, too little time with our families, or watching too much television. Our sins are areas of disobedience that weigh us down with guilt and fog our vision of G.o.d's purpose in our lives.

What do we do about these things? First, we need to recognize the negative impact they have on us. Yes, we're still running, but not as far or as fast as we could run without them. When we look to Jesus and are free from the weight of baggage and sin, we can run toward Him and His purpose for our lives even faster.

What are some things that are slowing you down in your race of faith?

What are you going to do today about those things?

"It is cynicism and fear that freezes life; it is faith that thaws it out, releases it, and sets it free."-HARRY EMERSON FOSd.i.c.k

SEPTEMBER 19.

GIVE YOURSELF AWAY.

Be imitators of G.o.d as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to G.o.d for a sweet-smelling aroma.

EPHESIANS 5:1-2.

IN A SENSE, all of us give ourselves away and smell like something to the people around us every day, but what do we give, and what do we smell like? In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul sets the standard very high. G.o.d wants us to give ourselves to others in the same way Jesus gave Himself to us: unreservedly-with kindness, boldness, and amazing love-taking great risks of being misunderstood and rejected.

When we think about those traits and the impact they have on others, it's easy to envision a huge, fragrant, beautiful bouquet of flowers filling the room with their wonderful scent. All our senses are drawn to the bouquet, and we delight in it, not rushing along to check off the next thing on our to-do lists. G.o.d wants each of us to have that kind of impact on people around us because of the sweetness and love we show them.

Is it possible to be that loving? Only if we imitate G.o.d the way a dearly loved child imitates his or her parent. The source of our love for others is our experience of the deep, rich, transforming love of G.o.d. We can look at it from another angle too: If we don't demonstrate much love for people around us, perhaps we need to experience more of G.o.d's love to fill our tanks so they overflow in love for those around us.

What, do you think, do you smell like to others?

What do you need to do to fill your tank with G.o.d's love for you?

"The secret to a life of fulfillment is learning to give yourself away."-JEAN HENDRICKS

SEPTEMBER 20.

G.o.d'S VESSEL

In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

2 TIMOTHY 2:20-21.

G.o.d HAS GIVEN US an incredible opportunity to choose the value of our lives. When we go to the department store, we find finished goods for sale. Someone has made the choice to make a bowl out of pottery or of silver, to make a platter out of wood or of bone china. The items themselves cannot choose to be used for honorable or dishonorable purposes; we the buyers are responsible for that. In the spiritual world, though, we are able to choose to be valuable or worthless, full of honor and useful to G.o.d or dirty and broken, not serving any purpose.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy that you and I can cleanse ourselves and become useful to G.o.d. To be cleansed, though, we first need to see the dirt. Far too often, we rationalize, minimize, or excuse our sins. We say, "It doesn't really hurt anybody," "It wasn't that bad," or "I couldn't help it." But those responses leave us dirty and unusable. Early in our Christian experience, the Spirit shines His light on public, obvious sins, and as we grow, His light reveals more subtle and hidden sins such as pride, jealousy, and resentment.

At any point that the Spirit reveals sin in our lives, we have the opportunity to choose our response: We may choose to say yes and repent, to say no and continue in sin, or to act as if we didn't get the message and stay stuck in our sinfulness. When we have the courage to say yes to G.o.d, He moves in our hearts to cleanse us, heal us, motivate us, and give us opportunities to serve Him. When we say yes, He prepares us "for every good work." It's a pretty good deal.

What does it mean to be usable to G.o.d? What are some ways He uses you?

Is the Spirit pointing out any sin in your life that you need to repent of? If so, how will you respond?

"Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of G.o.d and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him."-HUDSON TAYLOR

SEPTEMBER 21.

A GREAT EXCHANGE.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as G.o.d in Christ forgave you.

EPHESIANS 4:31-32.

ALL OF US LIVE on an emotional watershed. On one side, if anger builds and festers, it turns to resentment and bitterness, souring every relationship. On the other side, if forgiveness becomes a way of life, we grow in love, compa.s.sion, and a deeper appreciation for G.o.d's forgiveness of our own sins.

No matter how much we've been hurt, and no matter how much we've used our resentment to give us a sense of ident.i.ty as the one who was wronged, we can experience a great exchange-one that will revolutionize our lives. The key, Paul explains, is to focus first on the forgiveness we've experienced in Christ. The more deeply we grasp our sinfulness and G.o.d's grace, the more we'll be able and willing to forgive those who hurt us.

The warmth of G.o.d's grace melts our resentment, cools our tongues, and replaces our anger with love. It doesn't mean the wound didn't happen or that it doesn't hurt, but it means we choose to focus on G.o.d's grace instead of our wounds and live in thankfulness instead of demanding justice.

Living on the side of forgiveness, love, and kindness is a decision and a process. We recognize the damage resentment causes and we choose to forgive, but if the wound is deep, G.o.d often takes us through layers of pain, grief, and forgiveness until the vat of bitterness is drained dry.

Whom do you know who has exchanged resentment for forgiveness and love?

Are there some people in your life for whom you've harbored some resentment? If so, begin the exchange.

"Things you say in a matter of seconds are never forgotten in a lifetime."-IKE REIGHARD

SEPTEMBER 22.

GOOD NEWS.