Reading: The Way of the Wise, Part 2

The Way of the Wise, Part 2
Henry Reyenga

Help People Grow in Faith
If you have trouble believing in God, you’re not alone. Even the disciples who walked and talked with Jesus had trouble. They saw God’s awesome power close-up in his Son, but it was still hard to get their mortal minds around it.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 517-518). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Help People See that God Wants Us to Act on Our Faith!
Ever hear someone say, “If there is a God, why does he allow people to starve in Africa?” I want to shoot back the question, “Why do you allow it?” You see, God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things in others’ lives. And you can be a part of that— in a small or large way.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 534-536). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Model Generosity
Each day is a gift, but how we spend that gift is up to us. Gifts and talents should never be used only for ourselves. I believe wholeheartedly in something I call natural tithing. If you see a need in someone’s life and you can meet it right then, do it. If you can do it anonymously, all the better. For example, if a person needs a meal, and you have seven bucks in your pocket and can buy him a Big Mac at McDonald’s, complete with fries and a Coke, do so.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 538-541). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Help People See the Realistic Love Picture
You must choose to love. You must be faithful to love. Those who say love is a decision are right on the mark. It’s easy to love when the person is lovable. But the blessing is in loving that person even when he or she isn’t lovable. If you commit to love your spouse and remain faithful for a lifetime, then you have a bond that won’t be broken by any hardship or threats of divorce. Love and faithfulness mean thinking of another’s needs first, before your own.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 583-587). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Help People Process Failure
So what if you do fail? So what if people do laugh? Will the world end? Or will you get up tomorrow morning and brush your teeth like you always do? If you trust in God with all your heart, you don’t need to fear any earthly failure because your position in heaven is secure. But could your fear have to do with more than not trusting God? Could it have something to do with what I call the “deception of perfection”?
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 790-793). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Help People See Balance in Their Relational Roles
God’s style, though, is not authoritarian. He doesn’t get his way by scaring the bejeebies out of you— grabbing you by the scruff of the neck
God also isn’t permissive. He doesn’t say, “Oh dear, did you mess up again? Let’s get a Band-Aid to fix you right up so you can go back out there on your own.”
No, God is authoritative. He simply is the supreme authority in all things, the ruler of heaven and the ruler of this earth. The God before whom every knee shall bow!
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 841-843). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Help People Relate to God Via His Word
Perhaps we should all get a healthy dose of fear by taking the time to understand who God is. Our own perspective of him— tainted by our previous experiences with so-called godly people— isn’t enough. The only way to gain true understanding of him is by reading his words in the Bible and by choosing to have a personal relationship with him. After all, you can’t get to know anyone without learning about their background, who they are, and what their mission is, can you?
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 865-868). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Help People See the Role of God in Their Relationships
So, let me ask you, if God is really who he says he is— the Creator of the entire universe and everything in it— then why are we acting like he can’t help us with the problems we face? Is it because we truly don’t understand who God is? Or how much we mean to him? Or how much he wants the best for us? If the King of Kings and Lord of Lords loves you, but you put yourself down and say you’re not good enough to have a relationship with him, how much sense does that make? Aren’t you putting down the very person he created, sent his Son Jesus to die for, and thinks has inestimable value? He calls you his child— his son, his daughter. You are the son or daughter of the King of the universe!
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Counseling and Evil
When we understand who God is and we acknowledge who he is, then we can grapple with one of the biggest questions humankind asks: If God is in control, then why do bad things happen? Was he just looking the other way when a young couple and their three children were killed in the middle of an intersection by a drunk driver? Or when your elderly neighbor’s house burned to the ground because of faulty wiring?
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 962-964). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Understanding the Set Up for Relationships
When God created the universe, he put into play certain physical and spiritual laws. So when a driver drives south in a northbound lane, innocent people are going to pay for that mistake. When the electrician makes a wrong judgment about wiring, the result is that your neighbor loses his house.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 965-967). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

God Allows Bad Things to Happen in Relationships
God isn’t a puppeteer who controls humankind like marionettes on a string. Things happen because the physical and spiritual laws he put into place are violated. Is God all-knowing? Yes. All-powerful? Yes. Always present? Yes. But many of our maladies are a direct result of human free will and choice, which God has allowed.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 967-969). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

God is Not Your Co-pilot
The reality is that God sent his only Son to die on a Roman cross in a very terrible way so that each of us, if we acknowledge him, can spend eternity with him in heaven. Now that’s a pretty good deal, factory worker in Moline. But God is a jealous God. He’s not your copilot. You can’t put him in a box. He doesn’t need to prove anything to you, his creation. And you can’t give him your “best shot.” He’s not interested in your second-best effort of believing in him. With God, it’s all or nothing.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 974-978). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Sin Must Be Acknowledged in Relationships
May I be blunt? There are some people and some relationships that cannot be made straight because one of the people in the relationship is not willing to change and is downright sinful. Sin is a word not often used in our culture because people are afraid they might make someone feel guilty. Well, some people need a good dose of guilt. And others need to stand up for themselves and hold a wrongdoer accountable.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 1016-1019). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Help People Get Perspective!
In the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn (one of the books that has made a significant impact on my life and thinking), one of the things Randy said that struck me the most was that when you enter heaven, there will be a reception line for you. And the ones you love the most will be in that line. In case you wonder who’ll be making those arrangements, you don’t have to worry. The one who knows when a sparrow falls, knows the number of hairs on your head, and orchestrates the entire universe can certainly handle the guest list for you. [48] I am convinced that everyone is put on this earth for a reason. I used to apologize for using humor everywhere I go. Then, 25 years ago, I realized humor is a gift from Almighty God— a legacy that I can pass on to others.
Leman, Dr. Kevin (2013-02-01). The Way of the Wise: Simple Truths for Living Well (Kindle Locations 1016-1019). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.