RUDE LEADS TO RUDE.

A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.

PROVERBS 15:18.

WE DON'T NEED TO BE as wise as Solomon to see this proverb in action every day. The pace and pressures of life have escalated in recent years. Only two generations ago, most Americans lived on farms, where the pace was measured in seasons and the expectations were far lower than today's. A generation ago, many people still walked to work, and they enjoyed a stable family life, nightly dinners together, and minimal distractions. Today, we live in a whole new world. Greater mobility and high expectations create tremendous stress, and when stressed people don't get what they demand, the lid blows off!

We call them hotheads because the slightest provocation causes steam to blow out of their ears and produces fiery words. The people around them are just as stressed, so in reaction, they erupt like volcanoes! The cycle continues until somebody finally backs off, but they remain on "simmer," waiting for the next encounter that will trigger another explosion. Where do these people with short fuses live? Next door, in the next office, in the next bedroom, and next to us in bed.

Cooler heads, though, can reduce the fire and tension. G.o.d calls us to be peacemakers. That doesn't mean we're to be pushovers, but it means we can speak the truth calmly and pursue resolution instead of escalating the problem. To be a peacemaker, we first have to be at peace with G.o.d and not be stressed out ourselves. Our first task, then, is to take stock of the stresses in our lives and take steps to reduce them. Only then can we be slow to anger and reduce the fires of anger in people around us.

When have you seen tension escalate between angry people?

Are you a peacemaker? If not, what can you do to reduce stress so you can have a cool head?

"Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember, the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 4.

EACH ONE REACH ONE.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

COLOSSIANS 4:5-6.

MOST OF US are around unbelievers every day, but sadly, we often don't even think about the opportunities G.o.d gives us to touch their lives. We're so busy doing our own thing and so absorbed in our own stresses that we hardly notice them-unless they bother us!

Paul was acutely aware of his mission to reach as many lost people as possible, especially in parts of the world n.o.body else would visit. He saw every interaction as an open door to represent Christ to people. Touching them with the grace of G.o.d was on the front burner of his heart. He was convinced that every word he said and every att.i.tude he expressed could make a difference in someone else's life.

In addition to reminding us to reach out to the lost, Paul reminds us to season our speech with salt. What does that mean? Throughout history, salt has been used for two purposes: to add taste and to preserve food. When our speech is seasoned with salt, we add flavor to people's lives. A painful but often accurate stereotype of a committed Christian is someone who is straitlaced, sober, and sad. Nothing should be further from the truth! Of all people, we should be the most creative, optimistic, compa.s.sionate, sensitive, and alive. And when the time is right, we can explain the reason for our s.p.u.n.k-the amazing grace of G.o.d that has been given to us in Jesus.

Very few of us have the role of an apostle Paul or Billy Graham, but G.o.d has put all of us in relationships with people who desperately need Him. We just need to be a little salty so that each one of us can reach one who needs Him.

At this point in your life, how salty are you? Explain your answer.

Who are some unbelievers G.o.d has put in your life? How can you be salty with them?

"I'm convinced that the lost person will respond to a sincere believer far better than to an insincere Bible scholar."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 5.

IF YOU KNOW, YOU'LL OBEY

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.

1 JOHN 2:3, NIV.

JOHN HAD HEARD JESUS say that we can identify the type of tree by the fruit it produces (see Luke 6:43-47). John explained that people who claim to know Christ demonstrate their faith by their obedience in following His commands. If they don't obey, and if there's no intent to obey, then we have reason to wonder whether their faith is genuine.

Simply knowing Christ, however, doesn't guarantee perfect obedience. Only a few verses earlier, John had written that those of us who claim to be without sin "deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). Instead, true believers exhibit a general pattern of obedience, looking to Christ for guidance and often (if not always) doing what He says to do.

One of the evidences of a genuine commitment to Christ is a lifestyle of repentance. When G.o.d points out a sin of selfishness, apathy, or defiance, we respond by humbly admitting our sin and getting back on track with Him. In this way, the Spirit moves us ahead on our path of following Christ, and we take one step at a time.

Our obedience (or the lack of it) is most often seen by those closest to us, the ones we may take for granted. We may want to show what a fine Christian we are to those in our community and our church, but those under the same roof know best whether Christ is real to us. Simple acts of love such as helping with the dishes, taking out the trash, reading to a child, listening to a story, helping with homework, and countless other seemingly insignificant acts of love are, for some of us, dramatic steps of obedience to G.o.d.

Whatever G.o.d puts on your heart, follow Him and obey.

What does your level of obedience say about your faith in Christ?

Is there anything G.o.d has told you to do that you aren't doing? If so, when will you start?

"Read your Bible. It's easy to understand if you'll ask the Author to guide you in it. And He is always available."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 6.

CHEAP IMITATIONS.

Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house; he took everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had made. Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king's house.

2 CHRONICLES 12:9-10.

REHOBOAM WAS EMBARRa.s.sED. He was the king of Israel, steward of the great Temple and all the riches ama.s.sed by David and Solomon, but he was a neglectful man, more interested in avoiding risk than trusting G.o.d. Because Rehoboam was disobedient, G.o.d sent the Egyptian army to defeat Israel and plunder its riches. To replace the gold shields, Rehoboam ordered bronze ones to be made. They looked pretty good on the outside, but they weren't the real thing. Who knew? From a distance, bronze looks a lot like gold, especially if it's polished. Maybe some of the people didn't realize the counterfeits, but the captains of the guard certainly knew. They had carried the gold ones, and now they had to carry cheap imitations. We can only imagine what they thought of the king.

One of the most attractive traits of any believer is authentic faith-genuine trust in G.o.d along with brutal honesty about our failures. Authenticity surfaces our continuing need for G.o.d's grace, and it builds trust with others. When people realize we are the genuine article, not wearing a mask of superspirituality that says, "I've got it all together," they let their guard down and open up to us, and in turn we pursue G.o.d together.

If Rehoboam had been honest with the guards, he would have won their respect. Together, they could have rebuilt the kingdom. Like the king, we may be tempted to cover up the truth so we look better to the people around us, but living a lie tarnishes our hearts and ruins our relationships.

It's better to be the real thing-with G.o.d and with those around us.

How do you respond to people who aren't authentic?

What are some things that tempt you to be less than genuine with G.o.d and with others?

"You cannot solve a problem until you acknowledge that you have one and accept responsibility for solving it."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 7.

ALWAYS WITHIN REACH.

[G.o.d] has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

ACTS 17:26-27.

IN HIS FAMOUS SPEECH to the Greeks in Athens, Paul didn't begin with the death and resurrection of Christ. Instead, he started by connecting with their culture and their beliefs, acknowledging their statue to "the unknown G.o.d" (Acts 17:23). "It's this G.o.d," he explained, "that I want to tell you about."

The Greeks had a long, rich history of philosophy, and Paul wanted to let them know he appreciated their culture. The history of nations, he explained, is the story of G.o.d's work to create man, populate the earth, and establish states. None of this was or is out of G.o.d's sovereign control.

Ultimately, G.o.d's design for human history isn't about governments, rulers, or philosophies; it's about salvation. Into every culture, G.o.d puts glimpses of grace to capture people's attention and prepare them to hear the message of Christ. Countless stories of missionaries are about people on riverbanks in the remotest jungles of the world and people in bustling cities whose hearts were prepared by G.o.d. Then, when a missionary brought the message of Christ's forgiveness, they were ready to embrace it.

On a local, personal level, G.o.d has put symbols of His grace in the lives of our neighbors, our friends, and our family members, so that He is always within reach of those with seeking hearts. Our job is to be like Paul, to study people, to ask a few questions to discover those glimpses of grace in each person's life, and then tell our story of finding Christ. He's not far from each person we know.

What are some glimpses of G.o.d's grace in people's lives around you?

What are some questions you can ask and topics you can discuss to connect them with G.o.d's grace?

"Many times people complain that G.o.d is not using them. G.o.d cannot do much through us until He gets in us."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 8.

AUTHENTIC LOVE.

[Jesus said,] "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

JOHN 13:34-35.

PEOPLE AROUND US aren't transformed by fancy church buildings, dramatic lighting, or exciting props in messages. They might be impressed by those things on a superficial level, but what they're really looking for is authentic love-the real thing. They want to know if the love Christians talk about touches hearts and changes lives. They want to see love in action, not just in slogans on the marquee. They have seen and heard too much hypocrisy to be fooled again.

Jesus said that believers' authentic love for one another is the litmus test of whether we follow Him or not-and people are watching us. When people are hurting, do we step in to mend a broken heart? When a tragic accident occurs, do we show up at the hospital the first day . . . or also at the house a week after the person leaves the hospital? When a marriage dissolves, do we help each person put the pieces back together and provide stability for the children? When needs surface, do we really care enough to step in and help? When someone is boring, do we continue to listen?

Jesus was saying that people have a right to wonder if our devotion to Him is real, and the true test of our loyalty to Him is our care for one another. G.o.d is invisible; needy people aren't. Plat.i.tudes don't cut it. Arm's-length programs can be sterile, but costly; glad service to those in need speaks volumes about the authenticity of the love of G.o.d in us.

Are you pa.s.sing the litmus test?

How would you define "authentic love"? What does inauthentic love look like?

What is one thing you can do today to demonstrate authentic love to someone in need?

"Love each other as G.o.d loves each one of you, with an intense and particular love. Be kind to each other: it is better to commit faults with gentleness than to work miracles with unkindness."-MOTHER TERESA "Learn to love and you learn to serve."-ZIG ZIGLAR