"The Narrow Road": Blogs By Shane Kastler

Permission To Be Happy

By Shane Kastler

There are several different errors we can make when God blesses us in some way. One error is to take the blessings for granted. All too often, we fail to recognize that our blessings come from God; and consequently we fail to give Him the glory and praise He deserves for them. If you have a roof over your head, food in your cupboard, and the good health to read these words; then it is because God has blessed you in some measure. And while we often complain that others are blessed with more, the fact is God doesn't owe us anything. Whatever He has given us, should result in our praising Him for it. Too often we forget this basic truth. But there is another error we can make as well.

Just as we can take God's blessings for granted, we can also go so far in the other direction that we fail to enjoy what He has blessed us with. Undoubtedly you are aware of the fact that a good day can turn bad on a moment's notice. And there is always the danger of living life scared and/or bitter; even when things are going good. Rather than enjoying God's blessings, we can fall into the trap of being overly paranoid as we wait for the inevitable letdown. But this is also the wrong way to treat God's blessings.

The book of Ecclesiastes admonishes us, “In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider—God has made the one as well as the other.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14) On the one hand, we should not gloss over the first part of the verse. There is nothing wrong with being happy when God blesses you. In fact, we are told to be happy. But prosperity is fleeting, and when adversity strikes we are likewise admonished that this too comes from the hand of God. For God is not only sovereign over the good things in life. He is sovereign over all things, both good and bad.

The righteous man Job understood this truth. This is why he praised God regardless of what his circumstances were. When he was prosperous, he was thankful. And when he lost everything, he clung to his belief in the goodness of God. Even when he couldn't understand why he was suffering. Job accurately said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

We should also have this mindset. Be joyful when God blesses you. And recognize God's sovereignty when adversity comes. God is still God, regardless of our circumstances. And we should praise Him for who He is. Not simply for what He gives us. Proceed through life with joy. Yet be aware of life's changing circumstances. In all things, look to the Lord and praise Him. In doing so, you will find contentment; and God will be glorified. And ultimately, this should be our life's goal.

Thinking Deeply About God

By Shane Kastler

Do you have the ability to think deeply about the things of God? Modern day people have largely lost the ability to think deeply about anything. While technological advances like the internet, social media, and cell phones have been beneficial in many ways, they have also been counter productive in other ways. We are so bombarded with information that many times we become overloaded and just mentally “check out.” The idea of spending time thinking deeply about an issue is largely foreign to our thought processes. But we can and should think deeply about God.

King David lived in a much different world than us. And before he was a King, he was a shepherd who spent a lot of time in the wilderness, by himself. He was probably in just such a place when he penned Psalm 8. In the silence and solitude of the country, with no electronic gadgets to distract him; David looked up at the sky and thought deeply about God. Then he wrote: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)

While David's thoughts were deep, the process was fairly simple. He thought about God, and one thought led him to another thought. He saw God's creative power in the moon and stars, and this led him to think of God's sovereign power as the one who “ordains” things. Then as he thought of God's sovereign power, it led him to think of man's nothingness in comparison. Then as he thought of God's sovereign power and man's nothingness, this led him to be amazed that God has any regard for man at all. “What is man that you take thought of him, and the son of man that you care for him.”

Thinking deeply takes time and patience. And these are things that the modern world wars against. No one wants to be patient and take the time to think deeply. But if we will make the commitment to doing this, then our lives will be drastically changed.

We should take the time everyday to read God's word and think deeply about Him. We should verbalize our thoughts to Him in prayer as we read and think about what He has given us in His word. We should think deeply about God, so that we can grow in godliness.

Renew your commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and devote time everyday to growing in godliness by thinking deeply about the things of God. This world is full of distractions. Resist them, and fight for the things that will still be around, long after your latest cell phone has bit the dust.

 

A Fresh Start

By Shane Kastler

Do you ever feel like you need a “do over?” Maybe you've messed up. You've made a mistake that you can't take back. And you just wish you could go back in time and do things all over again. While time travel isn't an option, a fresh start is.

The Bible says, “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23) I also try to remember this when I am struggling with sin, or if I've done something to hurt someone. God can and will forgive me. And I can start fresh every day, having learned from yesterday's mistakes.

Of course, learning is vital to this process. If you are completely unbothered by your failures, then this might be a sign that you don't truly know the Lord. But if you are bothered, then take heart that God grants forgiveness to the repentant. You should seek to improve and rest in the forgiving mercy that God provides.

Past failures also have a devastating way of hindering our present and future spiritual progress. Satan would love to remind us that we are nobodies who have nothing. We are weak and worthless. But if we know Christ, then we can truly say we are new creatures in Christ. And though we fail, we also persevere in the grace that God provides.

Maybe you've made some horrible mistakes this week. And maybe they were so bad that some people on earth will never forgive you. But take heart that you can still know God the Father, through Jesus the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit as you seek the Lord while he may be found. His mercies are new every morning. So take advantage of this unbelievable grace. Shake off the dust of yesterdays failures, embrace the grace that is provided and press on. Today is a new day. Learn from yesterday, and look forward to tomorrow.

 

Righteous Sinners

By Shane Kastler

Are you righteous? Or are you a sinner? The fact is, you might be able to answer the question as “yes” in both cases. While the two words would seem to be opposites, there are people in this world who are righteous sinners. The “sinner” part is easy, because it applies to everyone by nature. As a result of being human, we are natural born sinners. Every single one of us displays a natural rebellion against God, on some level. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Jesus was once ridiculed by the Jewish Pharisees because he “ate and drank with sinners.” When questioned, Jesus response was simple and yet profound. “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) So while Jesus was spending time with tax collectors and sinners, the religious leaders of the day shunned such people. They thought Jesus should also do this, and only associate with the “righteous.” Yet the great irony here, is that the ones who think themselves to be righteous, are not righteous at all. Jesus made it very clear that the Pharisees were self-righteous and uppity toward others. And such an attitude is in fact, quite sinful. The righteous were actually sinners, in desperate need of a savior, but their pride would not allow them to see this. But, by the grace of God, the lowly sinners of society were able to see their own unworthiness and Jesus's sufficiency as a savior.

Of course, when a sinner turns from their life of sin in repentance and commits their life to Christ by faith; they actually do become righteous. They receive credit for the perfect righteousness of Christ and are exonerated of their sin. As Jesus pays the price for it at the cross. Then, the new believer begins to have newfound desires for the things of God. Their righteous standing is seen in their righteous behavior. The very ones who were once spiritually dead, are now alive and bear fruit in accordance with their faith. The sinners have become righteous.

So are you righteous, or are you a sinner? There's no question that you are a sinner. But you can only be righteous through Christ. Commit your life to Him and turn your back on the sin that so easily entangles you. Look to Christ and point others His direction as well. The rewards will last the rest of this life, and beyond.