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By Paula Marolewski, July 11, 2010 4:14 pm

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” – I Thessalonians 1:5

I have good news for you today about the Good News! Here it is: the success of evangelism doesn’t depend on you. You don’t have to have a silver tongue, a doctorate in theology, or deep insight into the human heart.

God only requires two things from you: a conviction of the truth and the willingness to speak that truth to the best of your ability. Then he adds two things of his own: divine power to trample the forces of hell and the Holy Spirit to restore and renew broken hearts.

Never worry about your human limitations. Don’t beat yourself up because you “botched” an opportunity. Don’t fall into despair because your sin got in the way of the message (repent, yes – but don’t despair!). God is so much bigger than your limitations, your failings, and your sins. After all, that’s what the Good News is all about!

• Has anything ever kept you from sharing the Good News with others? If so, what?
• Where have you seen God’s perfect grace work through your imperfections to accomplish his will?
• Ask God for an opportunity to share the Good News!

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

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By Paula Marolewski, April 20, 2010 4:44 pm

“Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near to [Jesus] to listen to him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” – Luke 15:1-2

A word of warning: it can be all too easy to immure yourself in the Christian community. To only have friendships with Christians, to engage in activities exclusively with Christians, and to focus all your attention on Christians.

When you do, it can be very easy to slip into another attitude: looking down on anyone who associates with non-Christians. Getting on your religious high-horse and throwing up your hands in horror at anyone who (heavens!) befriends a practicing homosexual, a drug addict, an adulterer, a convicted felon … or even just an unchurched neighbor. After all, we must avoid the corruption of the world, right?

Yes, we must. But not by hiding away in ivory towers. Jesus kept himself unstained by the world, but he ate every day with tax-gatherers, sinners, and prostitutes. He touched lepers, unclean women, and the demon-possessed. He associated with Samaritans, Syrophoenicians, and Romans. He was, simply, “the friend of sinners.”

We are called to follow his example. 

• Have you ever looked down on someone because they had friends who were “questionable”?
• Have you ever avoided befriending someone because of their sin, past or present?
• Would you rather live in the safety of the church than be a light of the world? If so, why?

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

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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.

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By Paula Marolewski, March 6, 2010 5:49 pm

“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this he called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm …” – II Thessalonians 2:13-15a

Do you struggle with a feeling of unworthiness? Then listen carefully: God doesn’t roll his eyes when he thinks of you. Your salvation is no afterthought. God isn’t grudgingly cracking the doors of heaven to let you slip in.

His word here reminds us that we – each and every one of us! – are:

• beloved by the Lord,
• chosen for salvation,
• sanctified by the Spirit, and
• destined for glory! 

Worthless? No way! God has given us a true evaluation of our worth – signed in blood and sealed with love!

• Take time right now to meditate on these four amazing truths: that you are beloved by the Lord, chosen for salvation, sanctified by the Spirit, and destined for glory. 
• Ask God to help you stand firm with a true understanding of your worth!

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

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By Paula Marolewski, February 27, 2010 11:48 am

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

“There is an appointed time for everything.” These words are followed by the familiar litany of opposites: “A time to give birth, and a time to die … to plant and to uproot … to kill and to heal … to tear down and to build up … to weep and to laugh …” and the list goes on (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8).

We can take one of two approaches as we consider all the events that make up life. On the one hand, we can look at life and say, “Life is always going to have ups and downs. Therefore, since I know that something bad will always follow something good, I’d better not get too comfortable or really throw myself into enjoying the moment, because at some point things are going to get ugly again. I just need to resign myself to that.”

This edges toward a Buddhist attitude: desire nothing, remove emotional attachments, accept life as it comes.

Alternatively, we can look at life and say, “Life is always going to have ups and downs. Therefore, I will enjoy all the good moments that God brings my way thoroughly and completely, with praise and thanksgiving. And when the bad times come, I will accept them, too, as part of life. But I will do so with the knowledge and confidence that God will see me through them with his grace and strength and presence. And at some point, I know things will get better again, so I will praise God even in the dark times.”

That is the Christian attitude: experience the fullness of life, the fullness of humanity, and the fullness of God.

• Which approach and attitude do you have toward life? Why?
• Do you secretly hold to the belief that as a Christian, life should always be good and only get better? Why?
• How have you tended to react when bad things happen in life?
• Are you able to fully enjoy the good times in life? Why or why not?

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

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By Paula Marolewski, February 22, 2010 11:40 am

“By him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible … all things have been created by him and for him.” – Colossians 1:16

On occasion, I think we peg God in the Middle Ages. He seems to fit well in Gothic cathedrals, surrounded by candlelight and worshiped with antiphonal choirs.

Or perhaps we place him back even farther: on the shores of Galilee, preaching from the boat and breaking bread in the upper room.

If we think that way too often, however, he can seem removed and distant from our 21^st century life. He doesn’t seem to “fit” in a world of Blackberries, iPods, video conferencing, and satellite TV. I mean, where would Jesus have hooked his cell phone? On his sash? 

It’s important to take the time to realize that God is just as much the God of the 21^st century as he was of the 1^st century. And one way to help bridge that gap is to spend some time worshiping God by acknowledging how his creation – the physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc. – that he set up impacts us in our every day lives. The technology of the 21^st century comes as no surprise to him, my friends – God is the one who made it all possible!

So as you go through your daily life, consider: 

• God made instant telecommunication possible. Praise him when you make your next phone call or send your next email.
• God made the information age possible. Praise him the next time you hit “Search” on Google.
• God made cutting-edge medicine possible. Praise him the next time you open your medicine cabinet or visit your doctor.
• God made high-speed travel possible. Praise him the next time you get in your car or board a plane.
• God made modern conveniences possible. Praise him the next time you go to your fridge or use your microwave.

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

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By Paula Marolewski, February 14, 2010 5:23 pm

“And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” – Isaiah 30:21

“Your ears will hear a word behind you …” I get the feeling that Isaiah wasn’t talking about God standing a few feet away, cupping his hands around his mouth like a megaphone, and hollering at the top of his lungs to get our attention. Instead, I picture him close beside us, just over our shoulder, giving a helpful whisper in our ear.

If that is the case, can you hear him?

Can you hear him through your cell phone or iPod, or would he have to physically disconnect you just to get a word in edgewise?

Can you hear him over the noise of the TV, radio, sports, or movies?

Can you hear him through the chatter of family, friends, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter?

Can you hear him in the midst of your own turbulent thoughts, to-do lists, and busyness?

This is not about casting a judgment on any of the above. Cell phones are great, iPods are fun, TV can help us relax, Facebook provides valuable interconnectedness, etc. It’s simply a question of balance. All those things are “loud.” They grab and engage our attention. We need to instill a balancing amount of “quiet” in our lives as well, so that we can “hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”

• How would you describe the balance of your life: do you have a healthy amount of quiet time in which you can focus on God and hear his voice?
• Where do you most often get out of balance in life? Watching TV or surfing the Internet? Too much chatting on the phone? Trying to accomplish too many things in too little time?
• If you feel like your life has too much “noise,” what steps will you take to carve out areas of quiet?

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

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By Paula Marolewski, February 8, 2010 12:10 pm

“If the devil tells you something is too fearful to look at, look at it. If he says something is too terrible to hear, hear it. If you think some truth unbearable, bear it.” – G.K. Chesterton

The devil has many schemes to hold us back. One of his key methods is fear. Consider:

• We are afraid of failing. So we never try.
• We are afraid of what might be lurking deep inside us. So we never root out the sin in our lives.
• We are afraid of facing the consequences of our actions. So we run away.

The list goes on. Fearful to speak, lest we upset the person spoken to. Fearful to confront, lest we destroy a relationship. Fearful to admit, lest people scorn us. Fearful to commit, lest we not be able to live up to expectations.

And on, and on.

When we are afraid, we do what a child does during the scary part of a movie: we hunch up, screw up our eyes tightly, and clap our hands over our ears.

If I can’t see it, if I can’t hear it, if I deny it exists … it can’t get me.

But the truth is, shutting our eyes and ears will never succeed in protecting us from the scary things in life. Think what would happen if a soldier was afraid and closed his eyes and started singing nonsense songs loudly so he couldn’t hear the noise of battle around him? He would be dead in a moment.

No, the only way to conquer both fear and the enemies you are frightened of is to open your eyes. Open your ears. Acknowledge the truth. Look reality right in the eyes.

When you do, you will see the situation is vivid color. And it may be even scarier than you thought. But by opening your eyes, you’ll be able to see something else as well: the God who is right beside you, leading you, guiding you, directing you.

And suddenly, you’ll find there’s nothing to fear.

•  How have you historically dealt with issues that frightened you? Why?
• Are you frightened of anything right now? Why?
• If you are fearful of something today, take a deep breath, and bring the whole matter before the Lord in prayer. Be detailed and specific – about the situation, about why you are frightened, and about what you have done about it to date. Then ask the Lord to give you the courage, wisdom, and grace to face the situation.

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

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By Paula Marolewski, January 31, 2010 3:33 pm

“For you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” – Exodus 34:14

Shepherd. Savior. King.

The Lord my Provider. The Lord my Banner. The Lord my Righteousness.

El-Shaddai. Elohim. Adonai.

But … Jealous? Are you serious? One of God’s names is “Jealous”?

Yes – and no less than that, it’s not even one of the descriptive names we gave him: it’s a name he gave himself.

That tells me that we should pay close attention to this name of God. He describes himself as Jealous. The jealous one. A jealous God.

Isn’t jealousy something to avoid? In most cases, yes. That is, when it has connotations of “envy, apprehension, or bitterness” (The American Heritage Dictionary). But there is another meaning of “jealous” listed in the dictionary: “intolerant of disloyalty.”

That is what God means when he describes himself as jealous. He wants our complete love, obedience, trust, and loyalty. He wants us: 100%. Anything less than that, and he experiences a holy, consuming jealousy.

• Have you allowed God’s rightful place in your life to be taken by any other person, idea, thing, or activity? If so, how and why did this happen? What steps will you take to correct the situation?
• Are you giving God 100% of yourself: your energy, time, love, obedience, worship, etc?
• Pray a prayer centering around this special name of God: Jealous. 

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

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By Paula Marolewski, January 23, 2010 12:08 pm

“For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you…” – II Timothy 1:6

We have all been given spiritual gifts by God (cf. I Corinthians 12:7). It would be great to think of these gifts as working almost independently of us … always pouring out strong and clean and powerful, like Niagara Falls. Unstoppable.

But the truth of the matter is, spiritual gifts are more like a fire – a fire that waxes and wanes depending on what we’re putting into it. Their effectiveness depends not only upon God, the Giver of the gifts, but also upon us, the recipients of the gifts. What are we doing with what we have been given?

To keep a fire burning steadily requires constant vigilance and effort. You have to gather the right kind of wood, place it properly, and feed the flame regularly. Failure to do so will allow the fire to burn down to its embers, and to eventually go out entirely.

That is why Paul, in his second epistle to Timothy, reminded the young man to “kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you.” He knew that the world could easily smother Timothy’s fire. He then showed Timothy exactly how to ensure that the fire of his spiritual gifts would burn hot and strong: Timothy would need to be disciplined (II Timothy 1:7). To ground himself in Scripture (II Timothy 1:13). To devote himself completely to God (II Timothy 2:4). To pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace (II Timothy 2:22). To use his gifts in every time and place (II Timothy 4:2,5).

What was true for him is also true for us. Let us “kindle afresh” the gifts that God has given to us. When we do, we will set the world on fire.

• What are your spiritual gifts?
• Is the fire of your spiritual gifts burning hot and strong, or are the darkness and the cold closing in around you?
• If the fire of your spiritual gifts is waning, what do you need to do to “kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you”?

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

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