Comments Off

By Paula Marolewski, March 25, 2010 11:42 am

“Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.” – Proverbs 9:8

We all want to be wise. But here’s an interesting point: we tend to think that people who are wise are pretty much perfect. Certainly they don’t act in ways that deserve reproof, correction, or discipline! Isn’t that the essence of being wise?

That is true in the abstract: perfect wisdom would indeed yield perfect action and be a sign of perfect character. In fact, that describes God himself: he is Wisdom personified.

But we are humans – and as such, sinners. So though we may attain a level of wisdom, we are hampered by human limitations and human failings. No matter how wise we may be, we can fall into sin. (Remember Solomon and his wives and idols?)

It is then that Proverbs 9:8 comes into play: when we are wise, we will recognize, accept, and be thankful for the reproof of others that calls our sinful actions to account. Only by doing so will we continue to grow in wisdom.

• What is your first reaction when someone reproves you for something you said or did?
• Why can it be difficult to recognize that we have sinned?
• Why can it be difficult to accept our personal responsibility when we have sinned?
• Why can it be difficult to be thankful when someone corrects us?

Copyright © 2010, Paula J. Marolewski. All rights reserved.

Make life easy! Click here to have new Seedlings sent directly to your email inbox!

Comments Off

By Paula Marolewski, December 28, 2009 8:46 am

We think of indoctrination or brainwashing as a horrible, negative event. And, oftentimes, it is. But in many circumstances, indoctrination can be extremely pleasant.

Consider Daniel – a Hebrew captive in Babylon:

“Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abednego” (Daniel 1:3-7).

Don’t kid yourself – the king, Nebuchadnezzar – had in mind one thing: to indoctrinate these Jewish lads into Babylonian (Chaldean) culture so that they would be useful to him. What did it look like to Daniel and his friends?

• A new name.
• Good food. 
• Shelter.
• Education.
• Authority.

If you were a captive in a foreign land, fully expecting a life of menial and perhaps painful slavery, this list would sound heavenly.

But Daniel saw immediately that this was a program of indoctrination. He was fully willing to serve in his new home and to honor his new king, but he would not compromise his convictions – and that started with protesting the food, since it had most likely been offered to idols on an altar prior to being set on the table as dinner.

His convictions carried the day … as they did throughout his life, culminating in a night spent in the lions’ den for refusing to worship anyone other than the LORD God.

Of all the many, many lessons we can learn from Daniel, spend some time considering this one today: is our culture and are the people around us trying to give us a pleasant indoctrination into beliefs, attitudes, and actions that are contrary to our convictions? (Phrases like, “Appearances are everything,” “The one with the most toys wins,” and “If it feels good, do it” come to mind …)

Remember – indoctrination can be a very enjoyable experience. It’s the final exam that can prove fatal.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

Like this? Read more at: 

• Good vs. Evil: The Discipline of Discernment
• The Deceitfulness of Sin
• How Does Deception Begin?

Make life easy! Click here to have new blog postings sent directly to your email inbox!

Comments Off

By Paula Marolewski, December 21, 2009 10:14 am

The question is not . . .

     Do you bow your head before you eat?

but rather,

     Do you bow your knees before your Father?

The question is not . . .

     Do you curse when you’re mad?

but rather,

     Do you bless when you’re angry?

The question is not . . .

     How many times did you go to confession last year?

but rather,

     Have you confessed your sin today?

The question is not . . .

     Do you go to church on Sunday?

but rather,

     Are you the church every day?

The question is not . . .

     Do you read your Bible?

but rather,

     Do you obey God’s Word?

The question is not . . .

     Did you take communion this month?

but rather,

     Do you have communion with Jesus?

The question is not . . .

     What did you do for Christ last year?

but rather,

     What are you doing for him today?

The question is not . . .

     What we do not do.

but rather,

     All that we do.

The question is not . . .

     How little we can get by with.

but rather,

     How much we can sacrifice.

The answer is not . . .

     Whenever it is convenient, and whatever is easy.

but rather,

     All that I have, all that I am, every day of my life, with every ounce of my strength.

For we must live for God –

     And God alone.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

Like this? Read more at:

• Kaleidoscope: A medley of poems, musings, drama and devotionals.
• Devotionals
• Articles on Prayer

Make life easy! Click here to have new blog postings sent directly to your email inbox!

Comments Off

By Paula Marolewski, October 15, 2009 7:54 am

Long ago and far away (longer ago than I care to admit!), I trained in karate. I learned many lessons there that translated to the Christian life. The value of Christian discipline is one of the biggest:

Imagine for a moment that you are walking at night down a New York alley. There are no streetlamps lighting your way, and you get jumped by a dude who not only wants your wallet, but fully intends to beat you to a pulp.

Now, if you are habitually a couch potato, I can pretty much guarantee the result: you will get beaten to a pulp.

But if you regularly trained five or ten hours a week in one of the martial arts, you’d have a really good chance of getting away with all your body parts and fluids intact.

The same is true of the Christian life. Satan jumps us when we are at our most vulnerable. If we haven’t been spending time in prayer and in the Word, if we haven’t made a habit of confessing our sin and seeking sanctification, if we aren’t in fellowship with other believers and engaging in worship … in fact, all the Christian disciplines … then we are going to fall, and we’re going to fall hard. We’re going to get beaten up badly.

But if we have been on our knees every day, if we study and meditate on the Word of God, if we consistently seek spiritual growth, if we find our deepest friendships within the Body of Christ, etc., then we are going to 1) recognize Satan’s attack when it comes – whether that is in the form of persecution, deception, or temptation; and 2) know how to respond effectively. We’re going to “Stand firm” as Paul urges in Ephesians 6.

Don’t expect to develop strength and skill when trouble arises. By then, it’s too late. Spend the time and make the effort now … then you’ll always be ready to stand firm, come what may.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

Like this? Read more at: 

• Articles on Christian Growth
• Walk with Me: Being a Faith Partner in the Family of God
• Running the Race: A Look at the Life in Christ from the Book of Romans

Make life easy! Click here to have new blog postings sent directly to your email inbox!

Comments Off

By Paula Marolewski, October 6, 2009 9:20 am

As I was praying for a friend, the chorus to an old hymn came to mind:

“Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of these days…”

It summed up what I was praying, but it made me think: how often do we pray just the opposite? How often are our prayers really composed of the plea:

“Answer my questions and get me out of this problem!”

Praying for wisdom is not the same as praying for answers. When we pray for wisdom, we are asking God to grant us the discernment to make wise choices. When we pray for answers, we are asking God to simply “tell us what to do.” Children need to be told what to do. Adults understand the necessity and accept the responsibility of making wise choices.

Again, praying for courage is not the same as praying for God to take the problem away. It is certainly appropriate to pray for deliverance (the psalms are full of such prayers), but we have to recognize with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that:

“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).

These three men knew that God could deliver, but they also drew on courage, knowing that God might not choose to deliver them. And in fact, they needed that courage, because while God did finally deliver them, they were first bound and thrown into the fire!

Let us learn to pray for ourselves and others that God will truly:

“Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of these days…”

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

Like this? Read more at: 

• Debunking the Myths about Knowing God’s Will
• How to Pray for the Complete Person
• Praying the Scriptures
• Sentence Prayers
• Answers vs. Wisdom

Make life easy! Click here to have new blog postings sent directly to your email inbox!

Comments (3)

By Paula Marolewski, September 29, 2009 7:06 am

Frequently, I hear people praying something like this:

“God, if this isn’t your will, then shut the door. Just take it away.”

I challenge that type of prayer as a spiritual abdication of responsibility. We are not praying in that instance for wisdom to make a right choice about the situation. Instead, we are praying that God would remove the possibility of making a wrong choice about the situation. And that, to me, is passing the buck, and is the antithesis of spiritual maturity.

Will God sometimes close doors that aren’t his will? Yes. But should we count on him always to do so? Emphatically “No!”

Think of it in terms of raising a child. When the child is very young and toddling around the house, you do remove him from harm’s way. You literally shut doors on danger. He doesn’t know any better, and he can’t know any better. You don’t expect him to. He’s too young.

Now fast forward eighteen years. The child is now a young man. Would you consider him mature if you continued to remove all possibility of him getting into trouble or making a foolish decision? No. He is only considered mature when he is able to make a wise decision with all options open to him.

Don’t pray that God will remove the need for you to make a decision. Pray that you will have the wisdom to make the right decision.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

Like this? Read more at:  

• Debunking the Myths About Knowing God’s Will

Make life easy! Click here to have new blog postings sent directly to your email inbox!