Dale Cresap's blog

How receptive are the people you meet to the gospel message? It is not a difficult concept. Do you find that people respond to a simple explanation? How many times were you exposed to the gospel message before you responded to it? Have you found this to be the experience of your believing friends as well? Things of the spirit are spiritually discerned. They are incomprehensible to the unenlightened. I have given you my Great Commission to declare my message to every creature, for that is your part, and I am pleased when you do.

You know that it is wrong to engage in self-promotion. You have seen how unattractive this is in other people. Yet there is also a false humility that would like other people to be more enthusiastic about and more eager to advance your ideas than you are. What would be more validating to you than that? But this is not a reasonable expectation. Is there another alternative? Recognize that your ideas are from me. Then you can hold them with true humility and move them forward in my timing as you are led by the Spirit. In this case you are serving and promoting me rather than yourself.

What is your understanding of the flesh? This term generally has a negative connotation for believers based on the biblical distinction between flesh and spirit, and verses about the works of the flesh, and the statement that no good thing dwells in the flesh. But the same bible affirms that I came in the flesh. You call this the incarnation, literally being made as meat.

Do you find it easier to judge in the abstract than it is to judge people you know? If you hear a reliable account about the conduct of some stranger is it easy to conclude  they are guilty? What about people you know? Does your familiarity with them and their situation make you hesitant to offer judgment, since you know of their difficulties and extenuating circumstances? King David was eager to stand in judgment of a stranger until he realized that he was  the man. Are you familiar with how merciful, accepting, and forgiving I am? I know everyone better than they know themselves.

Do you vote? You are fortunate if you live in a country where you have a voice in selecting your leaders, but even with regular election cycles this occurs at infrequent intervals. You ‘vote’ every day with the money you spend, but you vote with your feet constantly. Presence matters, and you can’t do the right thing if you are in the wrong place. Life presents you with a continual sequence of opportunities to choose your location. The importance of making good choices in this regard is implied in my invitation to follow me. I will provide the guidance if you are willing to go.

I told you to love your enemies. Do you find this to be the most difficult commandment of all? Even if you can get past your natural aversion at doing this, how do you go about it? You could pray for them; a prayer of loving and blessing and favor rather than judgment. For those who hurt you is your first response to hurt them back or to try to understand their situation? Is there anything you can do that is more concrete and visible? I address this question by teaching you to turn the other cheek, and to be kind to those who despitefully use you.

When you have heard an action or idea proposed, have you ever heard anyone say, ‘Why not?’ This implies a default answer of yes.  Consider how much different it sounds to respond with, ‘Why?’ That places a burden of justification on the one making the proposal. Is ‘yes’ your default response? What do you think mine is? Consider the story of the Prodigal Son in which the father represents me. The son comes to the father with a stupid proposal to receive his inheritance early. Do you think the father was aware that this was a bad idea? And yet he agreed to it.

How do you value your time? Most people are keenly aware of their pay scale while they work at a job, whether it is in an hourly wage or some other means of compensation. Yet if someone has a hobby such as woodworking, they tend to describe their projects in terms of cost of materials and say that it doesn’t include the value of their time. So if they are doing something they love it isn’t enough of a burden for them to make the value of their time a part of the equation. Doesn’t everyone have the same number of hours in a day and the same basic needs to fulfill?

Do you have a comfort zone? Is it big enough for your life or would your life be better if your comfort zone was larger? How can you enlarge it? Do you avoid anything that makes you uncomfortable? That is an understandable reaction, but it works against your growth and enlargement. If you never push yourself to try something you are uncomfortable with you will never enlarge your comfort zone to be big enough for your life. Can you see that if being comfortable all the time is your top value it leads to a diminished life?

Do you resent it when you see the advantages that other people have? Do you think that they resent yours? Are you aware of the ways in which you are privileged? It is easier to see advantages when they belong to other people, and to think of your own as normal. Another way to express this is taking them for granted. But your advantages are gifts from me. Does this put you in a position to be ungrateful for your blessings? Ask me to open your eyes and reveal them to you. Blessed are those who know that they have obtained my favor, for they shall live lives of gratitude.