Character Archives - Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Life can be difficult. We are surrounded with issues, events, opinions, politics and posts that continuously bring us stress and strain. As if this isn’t enough, we add to the frenzy by putting up self-designed roadblocks to block our own way! Why would we do that? Why would we make things harder for ourselves? Turns out that this is a common thing.  The imperfect human mind can create all kinds of coping mechanisms that keep us from dealing with perceived trouble. While this sounds good, the problem is that our avoidance of perceived trouble often leads us directly into the path of real trouble. Essentially, we can at times become our own worst enemy. The bad news is we easily and often sabotage ourselves. The good news is, because we do this to ourselves we can also learn how to change that behavior.

In a book entitled The Self-Esteem Workbook, by Glen R. Schiraldi, PhD, we found the self-damaging thought processes we often cling to are called “Automatic Thoughts and Distortions.” “Making Feelings Facts,” “Rejecting the Positive” and “Catastrophizing” are examples of the several thoughts and distortions we can face each day without even realizing it. Why are these things so insidious? First, it is because they are thoughts. Our everactive minds produce thoughts at an unfathomable rate. We are in a constant state of determining which of these numerous thoughts are worthy of our attention. Automatic thoughts – those that occur without conscious effort – usually are most powerful.

Being continually influenced by automatic thoughts is one thing, but when you add distortion to those thoughts the frustration party begins. How can we expect to cope with the hard realities of life when our mind is automatically feeding us seriously distorted interpretations of the truth? What’s worse is these automated distortions come in all shapes and sizes!

Fortunately, answers are available if we look for them. To help us understand how “Rejecting the Positive” works, we look at the Apostle Peter in his dramatic experience with Jesus and walking on the water. The moment he took his eyes off of Jesus, off of the source of his stability, he began to sink. What Peter focused on determined what his outcome would be! There is much we can learn here, not only form Peter’s fears but also from the stability of Jesus as well. The bottom line is that most of us have choices regarding the automatic thoughts we struggle with. We end up being our own worst enemy.

Check out our May 31, 2021 podcast, “Am I My Own Worst Enemy?” for more. We address seven of these automatic thoughts and distortions one at a time with Bible in hand. As each of these distorted views of our lives has its own unique challenge, so each answer has its own unique suggestion. This conversation can be a real eye-opener. It can help us to see what is driving our reactions and responses and compare that answer with the facts of our Christian walk. Please join us on the pathway to more clearly understanding our personal thoughts.

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Truth matters. This is something I imagine we would all agree upon and yet we seem to rarely get to the truth. Why?  Because we bicker with and debate those who see things differently based on our different versions of the truth. Enter exaggeration. It is a tool of language to make a point, sway an opinion, build up our ego and embarrass others. Exaggeration by definition has within it seeds of truth, but they are suffocated by the fabrications built upon and around them. The ninth of the Ten Commandments is focused on not lying about others. It is about the necessity for truth on all of our interactions. When God said, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” did He also mean, “You shall not exaggerate about anything your neighbor has said or done”? Do we need to be on our guard when it comes to exaggeration?

At first glance, this ninth Commandment sounds like its primary application is in a legal sense. Don’t lie about your neighbor when they could suffer unrighteous punishment because of it. While this is a necessary application of “you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” it only scratches the surface. This Commandment is, in actuality, a sweeping statement about our standards of behavior in everyday life.

As God’s Law to Israel is further explained in Leviticus, we see that slander was absolutely included as a forbidden action in this ninth Commandment. We can easily think that we are safe here. As Christians, we would never slander anyone, no matter how much we may dislike them. But let’s think further. When you slander, you speak an untruth about another person or group. Is there a difference between this and when we exaggerate as we talk about someone?

Let’s be clear, all exaggeration is not bad. We can exaggerate as we embellish a story for the purpose of making someone laugh. Laughter is good, and as long as we are not misrepresenting someone in our humor, bring it on. We can exaggerate when we tell our spouse our love for them is as “deep as the ocean” or as “bright as the sun in the sky.” Such poetic proclamations can be powerful bonding expressions, so long as we are genuine about our affection. It is when we exaggerate about someone and it misguides other’s impressions and conclusions about them that gets us into trouble. It is here that exaggerated responses can degrade into bearing false witness.

Check out our May 17, 2021 podcast, “Is There a Difference Between Exaggerating and Lying” for more. The subtleties of lying and exaggeration are examined so we can better put our speech in order based on scriptural principles. We discover a biblical account that shows how “bearing false witness” can even be insidiously accomplished without words. We discuss how minimizing can be a tool of exaggeration and bearing false witness. To exaggerate can be fun and upbuilding or it can be utterly destructive to our Christianity and to others. Join us and learn the difference!

Study the rest of the Commandments with us to see how they are still valid for Christians today.

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Have you noticed how blurred the world has become? It has become increasingly more difficult to locate and abide by any life guidelines that represent clear boundaries and a clear direction forward. The eighth Commandment was simple: “You shall not steal.”  This was a clear directive to not take what is not yours. Fast forward society several thousand years and we have quotes that call that simple statement into question, like this one: “It’s not stealing if you don’t get caught.” Then there is the more philosophic approach like this one from Mohsin Hamid: “You see, it is my passionately held belief that the right to possess property is at best a contingent one. When disparities become too great, a superior right, that to life, outweighs the right to property. Ergo, the very poor have the right to steal from the very rich.” What exactly is our Christian responsibility regarding stealing? How definitive are the guidelines, and are there any grey areas?

The first thing we notice about this “You shall not steal” Commandment is how broadly it applies. In Exodus 21 – the very next chapter after the 10 Commandments were given – we see the same word for “steal” in the 8th Commandment translated as “kidnap.” Exodus 21:16 tells us the penalty for kidnapping, for stealing any person, is death. What a serious consequence! Other aspects of stealing outlined by God’s Law given to Moses had to do with the general business of life and with buying, selling and trading. The penalties in these cases were still serious, as stealing from your neighbor was also stealing from God.  When someone stole the ability to feed your family (such as the taking of an ox that plows the fields or sheep that supply wool) the penalty was much more serious. Stealing from your neighbor on any level led to major consequences.

Let’s look at the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus. Here stealing was still a serious crime against your neighbor. Interestingly, Jesus focused us on the “why” of thievery and not the “what.” He plainly said it is driven by a corrupted and sinful heart. And he didn’t reserve this association just for the most serious thefts. Ouch! This should make us look inwardly. Do we in any way have some level of corruption in our hearts?

Then there is the age-old question about stealing: Is stealing still wrong if I have no choice?  Check out our May 10, 2021 podcast, “Is It Still Stealing if I Deserve It?” for more.  We deal with this question in a way that may be surprising. We also wade through the many other issues that tend to complicate the simple right and wrong nature of stealing. The bottom line here is simple yet challenging: being a Christian requires a high integrity approach to even the small things in life. This needs to take place in a world that really doesn’t care. Join us as we gather the principles and inspiration to stand for things that matter!  Study the rest of the Commandments with us to see how they are still valid for Christians today.

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Let’s set the record straight right from the start. As Christians, God does NOT want us to suffer! Having said that, we know He does want us to learn and grow and mature. This means he will permit us to suffer and will use it as a tool to serve our eternal welfare. Now, what about the rest of the suffering experienced by everyone else? The answer is essentially the same – it is part of the permission of evil, which will be an eternal lesson for all. While these are good lessons, how do we cope with our individual suffering here and now? There are two groups of people who are suffering that we want to talk to today. There are those who may know of and appreciate Jesus and there are those who have dedicated themselves to follow him as his disciples.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus famously invites all who are “weary and heavy-laden” to come to him so he can give them rest. While this invitation is comforting and encouraging, understanding it requires a deeper look. The first thing we notice is that it is an open invitation. Jesus had just finished talking about how those with power and influence tended to reject his teaching and miracles. He thanked God that the beauty of the salvation he was bringing was so readily received by the everyday people.

To be weary and heavy-laden means you are exhausted and overburdened. This simple description fits so many of us here and now. Even though our world is amazingly advanced, stress and suffering are rampant.

We are:

-challenged with physical things like illness and aging

-burdened with financial stresses like job loss and too much month at the end of our money

-pressured with social conformity and political unrest

We face emotional traumas like broken families, severed relationships, and loneliness.  Our struggles include psychological things like depression, anxiety, phobias and mental illness.

Because we know that our time in Christianity is not a time of healing, how can Jesus give us rest? What can he possibly do for us with physical healing off the table? Check out our May 3rd 2021 podcast, “Does God Really Want Me to Suffer?” for more. We look carefully into what Jesus can do for whom. The bottom line here is that there are two different answers as to what Jesus will do for us, depending on our relationship with him. In both cases, there is really good news.

So, does God REALLY want us to suffer? The answer is no! That being said, the next logical question is then why doesn’t He take our suffering away?  The responses here are bigger than a one or two-line explanation. More than that, they are very encouraging and uplifting as well. If you are suffering in any way and are looking to God and Jesus for relief, please join us for this important conversation. Seeing our suffering with biblical understanding can absolutely help us to cope!

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No one wants to be lonely. It is a sad and painful state of being that daily grows more and more common. There is a major difference between being alone and being lonely. To be alone is to be without anyone to engage with. This can be a productive place to be when in the right frame of mind. On the other hand, we can feel isolated in a crowded room or when we are with family and friends. We can be lonely at work, at play and even at church. Perhaps we are lonesome when with our spouse or when engaged in social media. Loneliness is not dictated by outward circumstances, rather it is driven by our interpretations of our experiences and our perceptions of our environment. To be lonely is to feel unimportant. It is to be convinced we do not belong and that we in some way, are unacceptable and even unwanted. Loneliness can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are ways to combat it!

If we are stuck in a lonely corner of our lives, the last thing we want to do is to let others know. Such an action is far too risky, as it brings on the anxiety of a further sense of rejection. We don’t want to hear, “Pull yourself together!” or “Get out there and meet someone!” While these statements may be meant as encouragement, they feel like judgment and enhance our fear of failure. Loneliness, therefore, is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Feeling lonely provokes actions of loneliness and expectations of continued isolation. How do we begin to  break down this destructive pattern?

We suggest five action steps for Christians. The first is prayer. Why? Prayer is a private experience. No one needs to know about it which relieves us from the ever-present sense of judgment we feel. Think about this – God ALREADY knows we are desperately lonely. He ALREADY knows how we arrived at such a state of mind. The purpose of approaching God through Jesus about our isolation is not to inform God of what is happening but to say it. The purpose is to humbly admit to our heavenly Father the extent of our misery and to place our experience into His eternally-capable hands. We begin to seek His will in coping with it.

While taking such a first step requires the courage to be honest and humble before God, its benefits can be dramatic. Understanding ourselves through the lens of God’s mercy and love can help us develop the fortitude for the next steps. Check out our April 12, 2021 podcast, “How Do I Cope With Overwhelming Loneliness?” for more. We round out the approach to and benefits of prayer.  The next four steps are introduced, seeing how steps two and three are basically private and therefore less daunting. Don’t miss this opportunity for profound and practical insight. Loneliness does not have to rule our daily life if we learn how to cope with it!

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Ancient biblical history paints a very specific picture of the world regarding morals and ethics. In the days of the Jewish Law, there were unmistakable lines that anyone of Jewish descent knew they simply should not cross. Just as lying, stealing and murder were lines not to cross, committing adultery was one as well. Fast forward to our world today, and what do we see? Adultery not only sounds old-fashioned, it is common and even sometimes encouraged. There are websites that exist for the purpose of making it easy to find someone to have an affair with! As Christians, how should we look at all of this? Should we determine that the Law is outdated and adjust to modern-day thinking? Should we focus on the Law and what Jesus taught and condemn everyone else? Is there a middle ground?

It is a simple, straightforward statement that leaves no ambiguity. According to the Old Testament Jewish Law, committing adultery was punishable by death. This may seem harsh to us here in the 21st century. There are several things we overlook when we quickly judge ancient laws and practices, especially those of biblical origin. First, life back then was much more basic and survival was tenuous. You became an adult and had a family. You dedicated yourself to your role in providing for that family because life and death risks surrounded you. Things like adultery were an affront to the basic survival of your family and community and were simply not tolerated. There was too much at stake!

Even though we focus on the severe destruction physical adultery brings, there is another kind of adultery mentioned in the Bible – spiritual adultery. In the Old Testament, it had to do with Israel’s infidelity toward God. God spoke through the prophets about the betrayal Israel engaged in by “playing the harlot.” They worshipped and followed pagan gods while pretending to honor Him. How was this adultery? It was all about violating a sacred commitment, just like the act of physical adultery blatantly violates the sacred covenant of marriage. In both cases, there is a physical walking away from the one to whom you are bound and attaching yourself to another.

Check out our March 15, 2021 podcast, “Is Adultery Really That Wrong?” for so much more. We delve into God’s amazing justice and mercy in dealing with adulterous Israel. We open up Jesus’ words on this Commandment and find that he challenges us much more deeply than the Old Testament Commandment. Jesus speaks to the very heart of what causes adultery and raises the bar for every Christian to live up to.  His words are both inspiring and daunting! We also uncover what spiritual adultery looks like in the New Testament – and it isn’t pretty.  It is disturbing that the symptoms of such infidelity to God are very much present in our modern-day Christianity. Join us as we learn some of the most important faithfulness lessons of our time! Study the rest of the Commandments with us to see how they are still valid for Christians today.

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The first four of the Ten Commandments all have to do with humanity’s relationship to God. These directives came first because our relationship with God should always be the driving factor in our lives. The fifth Commandment focuses on our relationship with our parents and is fashioned after the first four, with honor and respect being paramount. “You shall not murder” is the sixth Commandment.  This is the first of the Ten Commandments to focus us on our relationship with all other human beings. It is a simply stated, emphatic directive teaching us about the sacredness of human life. It sets the stage for the rest of the Commandments. But it is not as simple as it sounds.  Its importance cannot be overstated! Further, Jesus not only taught its importance, he also dramatically expanded its meaning for his disciples. We will find “You shall not murder” to be a life-governing principle in every corner of our experiences.

Life under the Old Testament Law was in many ways a very black and white experience. The Ten Commandments were concise statements as to how we should act towards God, our families and everyone else. Obey the Commandments and God blesses you, break the Commandments and God is angry with you. “You shall not murder” seems like a no-brainer  We all should know this, right?  Few ever consider why God made this simple statement part of the ten most basic laws He ever gave to humanity.

First, this particular Commandment has to do with the taking of another’s life outside of acts of war, protection of person and property, and as a consequence of harsh crimes. It is all about an individual taking justice into their own hands. Usually, such an assumption of power is based on hate, jealousy or rage and is not just. Second, this Commandment is making obvious to all humanity that  God created humanity in His own image. It is as though God is saying, “You are My children. I directly created you to have dominion on this earth. Human life is sacred in My eyes, so do NOT haphazardly destroy it!”

Understanding God’s perspective helps us dramatically when we fast forward to the New Testament and observe what Jesus taught. Jesus took the “You shall not murder” Commandment and explained it to his disciples in a higher and far more challenging way. He introduced the idea of murdering someone’s character or reputation by the way we talk to them. Not only that, he talked about the accountability for such words in a very pointed way.

Why would Jesus do this? Why would he make “You shall not murder” about what goes on in our heads and with our words? Check out our March 8, 2021 podcast, “Could God Convict Me of Murder?” for more.  We dive right into Jesus’ words to find the lessons. Then we look at all the things we as Christians need to be wary of. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to take the high road in preserving the lives of others rather than damaging them! Study the rest of the Commandments with us to see how they are still valid for Christians today.

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As Christians, we face the potential for deep trouble each and every day. Why? We live in an age of knowledge, choice, technology and accessibility. This would all be thoroughly awesome, except for one thing. These opportunities come with a healthy dose of what I will call an “entitlement of excess.” Because we can, we therefore feel we must. Many of the myriads of things available to us are good and healthy. We can learn to garden, sew and carve wood by watching videos online. We can be part of several social communities without the disadvantage of distance. Amazingly, we can learn about other cultures, appreciate art and music from anywhere, read, absorb and watch to our heart’s content. So, how much is too much? Where should we draw a line, and more importantly, why should we draw lines?

You’d think the question of good things potentially becoming bad would be easy for Christians.  Colossians 3:17 tells us, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” This seems so simple –  do whatever you are going do with thankfulness to God and in Jesus’ name, and you are fine.  Keep Jesus in mind and carry on! While there is powerful truth in this, it is far from complete.

What if we are blatantly taking advantage of others and doing it in the name of Jesus? Is that okay? Of course not! What if we are supporting an organization we know does bad things but supports what we think are good and godly causes? Is that okay? Still no, but perhaps this is not as easy to determine. What if we are engaged in good and healthy human activities that directly or indirectly interfere with our Christianity? Is that okay? Hmmm, we may need to think about this. How much do they interfere? Is it really interference or is it just minor inconvenience?

The “Is it really that bad?” question is a life-altering query.  How are we making Christian decisions, assessing the countless ways we can occupy our time? How do we clearly quantify when something that starts out worth our time and effort but ends up being an unprofitable path to continue on? To adequately answer these questions, we obviously need the Bible. More than that, we need the relevant Scriptures put in order so we can follow their guidance.

Check out our March 1, 2021 podcast, “Can Good Things Ever be Bad?” for more. We put the complex process of finding godly guidelines for all aspects of life into a Decision Tree. We pose the important questions and attach Scriptures to them as guidance. Then we put the several levels of questions needed to secure a God-honoring answer in sequence. The result is a roadmap to guide us with every life decision regarding things like friends, leisure, research, curiosity and hobbies. We can choose if the good things in our lives remain good. Join us and find out how!

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To honor your father and mother is the 5th of the Ten Commandments given to Moses for Israel. Like all of the other Commandments, this is a very old-fashioned and worn-out sounding principle. I mean, we all know that we should respect our parents to some degree, but are we supposed to let them run our lives? What exactly is entailed in honoring parents? And what if your parents were not good parents? Maybe they were absent, or worse. Does our present age of overwhelming personal freedom and choice override this ancient law? Can honoring your parents in some circumstances be detrimental to them and you? Fortunately, the Bible does put all of this in order. It provides us with sound reasoning and direction so we can enthusiastically fulfill this Commandment.

When God gave the Ten Commandments, the first four were all about honoring Him as Creator, God and Deliverer.  Did you ever wonder why the very next Commandment was about honoring parents? God as their sovereign was guiding them as to how to establish a successful nation. His point was plain. God must ALWAYS be first as He delivered and established them as a nation. Parents must then be honored in a similar fashion, as they were the life givers and providers for every individual in that nation. Often when God reminded Israel that He comes first, he also reminded them to honor their parents as well.  According to God, these two Commandments are inseparable.

The big question arises when we think about parents who, unfortunately, are not good people. What if they lead evil lives and do ungodly things? Would God really want us to honor them? This seems like it would be contradictory, but it really isn’t.  According to the Bible, the word for “honor” relating to our parents has to do with prizing or valuing something.  When we “prize” something, we care for it.  We are not careless with it and we are not impatient or half-hearted in its care. Our honor for parents who have been or are destructive should be this way. It should reflect our determination to do what is ultimately best for them in the eyes of God. This does NOT mean blindly following their evil thoughts or desires!

Check out our January 18, 2021 podcast, “What Does Honoring Your Father and Mother Look Like?” for more. We list several practical examples of what honoring a bad parent looks like and does not look like. For many of us, this is a powerful, eye-opening conversation. We also talk about what honoring parents who are God-honoring themselves looks like. This is so much more than listing out nice things to do for them. Honoring our father and mother is a foundational principle of a high-functioning society. God made it clear that if we lose this generational honor, we eventually lose our ability to hold onto that which is righteous for all. Join us and reclaim the value of the family unit! Study the rest of the Commandments with us to see how they are still valid for Christians today.

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Last week we talked about perseverance as an essential aspect of our Christian lives. We saw that persevering means much more than simply hanging on when things are tough. It means we set our hearts and minds on moving forward, no matter how small the steps might be. We examined some Isaiah scriptures that gave us a glimpse of what Jesus’ own focus – what his “game face” – looked like. And we established that we need perseverance in many areas of life and discussed it in the context of our trials and afflictions. We heard the story of Jonathan, a 14-year-old young man who is persevering through a serious case of Scoliosis. Today, we expand the scope of our perseverance conversation as we look at the persecutions and tests of loyalty every Christian must endure. We do this both scripturally and through the stories of Lorain and Fred, two mature Christians whose life experiences pressed them to persevere in ways they never saw coming.

Lorain was a dedicated Christian whose focus was always on serving God. Several years ago at age 36, she was struck with Multiple Sclerosis and her life’s trajectory dramatically changed. We recently caught up with her and observed her experiences and growth. What we found was an amazing story of perseverance. She helped us to understand that sometimes our life requires us to approach it like a soldier who is always preparing for or facing battle.

As Christians, we are sometimes called upon to persevere through persecution.  Often this persecution comes from those who are close to us, from friends, associates and even family. This is difficult, as there is usually no place to hide when this happens. How do we handle it? Like Lorain, we soldier up. We fight these battles by wearing the armor of God as instructed in Ephesians chapter 6. Here’s the thing – our mission may not be to vanquish someone persecuting us. It may be to instead witness our Christian character to them. Our mission as soldiers is to do what God would have us to do and not what we feel like doing. This can only happen when we apply Christian perseverance to this fight.

Fred was a happily married, dedicated Christian when nine years ago his wife died suddenly and without warning. This experience broke many parts of him, but it didn’t break his faith. Fred shared with us how over years he picked up the pieces and reset his life’s direction. His perseverance was and is like that of a farmer. Slowly, methodically and according to Scripture, he did the work to cultivate Christian growth and maturity. His story is one that helps us understand how our perseverance should be solely focused on our loyalty to God through Christ.

Check out our January 11, 2021 podcast, “How Can I Persevere When Life Gets Tough? (Part II)” for more. Not only is this journey thoroughly inspiring, it is deeply educational as well. Mastering Christian perseverance is one of the secrets to living a fulfilled life. Join us and get on the path to victory!

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