I spent my childhood summer vacations at my grandparents’ farm, located in a small fishermen’s village in South Brazil. The farm is by a breathtaking saltwater lake.

One of the most beautiful sceneries that I recall from those days was the sight of the lake at night. As you drove by on the interstate along the lake, the vision would fool any stranger to the area. One could swear that the lake was actually a village filled with street lights.

Around 5 p.m. each day, our “neighbors” would come by grandma’s house, carrying their nets in large wicker baskets, along with a kerosene lamp that would go on the poles by their fishing site. One by one, the fishermen would set their trap to catch the fish: giant nets, and a small kerosene lamp, shining a steady, however dim, flicker of light.

The fishermen in the village know it too well. The fish in that lake will not come unless the light attracts them. No light, no fish.

The scene reminds me of Jesus’ famous words at the beginning of this column, recorded in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Like fishermen, we cannot “fish” in the dark either. Truly, if our light does not shine wherever God plants us, those who don’t know his grace are more likely to flee instead of run to him.

Truly, if our light does not shine wherever God plants us, those who don’t know His grace are more likely to flee instead of run to Him. @AJC #MondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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I have seen it one too many times. Children of churchgoers (and even ministers) rebel against God because their parents’ talk does not match their walk. It’s true — how many people cringe at the mention of Jesus or God because of exposure to self-righteous, religious parents or relatives whose words did not translate into actions?

The apostle Paul reiterated this crucial aspect of the Christian life in his letter to the church in Ephesus:

“Walk as Children of Light! For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!”

Indeed, those of us who claim to love and serve God should take this light-shining business seriously because the implications of having a testimony that does not match our words can be devastating.

How many people cringe at the mention of Jesus or God because of exposure to self-righteous, religious parents or relatives whose words did not translate into actions? @AJC #MondayThoughts #MondayMotivation
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We may go to church every Sunday, serve in 10 committees, sing in the choir and teach. Yet, if we come home and make our family miserable because of attitudes that scream that we are walking in the flesh, we will push the “fish” swimming near our nets away from the Lord instead of closer to him. And what great representative of God’s kingdom would I be at my job if I had Bible verses hanging all over my cubicle but displayed a bad attitude with a co-worker, or did a careless job?

“What will they say when you leave?”

I was recently listening to a song when this phrase in the chorus pierced my heart. The piece challenges believers to remember that each act and word of love, compassion, carelessness or hate builds a testimony that will outlast.

Indeed, when life is over, everything that we strive so hard to acquire is left behind. But the impact that you and I make in the lives we touch will generate ripples that can impact generations to come.

Indeed, when life is over, everything that we strive so hard to acquire is left behind. But the impact that you and I make in the lives we touch will generate ripples that can impact generations to come. @AJC #MondayMotivation…
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This impact rests in gestures that show that we care. It lingers in the hearts of our children each time we wipe tears away and kiss boo-boos. It echoes in the forgiveness we extend when someone hurts us or the smile we offer when no one else seems to care. These tiny beacons of light are the heritage our journey on Earth will leave behind. More than empty words, these acts more effectively attract people to the God we love.

As this year comes to an end and we fill our minds with new goals for the new year, may we be challenged to inventory our testimony to those around us honestly. More than determining our success by the number of checks on our to-do list, may we challenge ourselves to examine the impact of our actions and words: Did we show compassion to those who were hurting? Did we offer forgiveness to those who hurt us? Did we say that we love our family, not only with empty words but also with gestures that confirm what our lips proclaim? In other words, did we effectively live as a light in the darkness around us?

I used to say that it did not matter what people thought about me. But in a sense, I have decided that it does indeed matter. For I hope that every time I leave a room or, ultimately, the day I leave this world, my life song will say that even with all my imperfections and mistakes, God’s love steadily shone through me and that the world was a better place because I lived.

What do people say when you leave the room, and, ultimately, what will they say when you leave this world? @AJC #MondayThoughts #Foodforthought
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This article was originally published in Patricia’s column to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, December 18th, 2021. Click HERE to read it on the AJC’s website.

The post Take Inventory of Your Testimony This Year-End {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

“How to turn a disagreement into a feud:

1. Be sure to develop and maintain a healthy fear of conflict, letting your own feelings build up so you are in an explosive frame of mind.
2. If you must state your concerns, be as vague and general as possible. Then the other person cannot do anything practical to change the situation.
3. Assume you know all the facts and you are totally right. The use of a clinching Bible verse is helpful. Speak prophetically for truth and justice; do most of the talking.
4. With a touch of defiance, announce your willingness to talk with anyone who wishes to discuss the problem with you. But do not take steps to initiate such conversation.
5. Latch tenaciously onto whatever evidence you can find that shows the other person is merely jealous of you.
6. Judge the motivation of the other party on any previous experience that showed failure or unkindness. Keep track of any angry words.
7. If the discussion should, alas, become serious, view the issue as a win/lose struggle. Avoid possible solutions and go for total victory and unconditional surrender. Don’t get too many options on the table.
8. Pass the buck! If you are about to get cornered into a solution, indicate you are without power to settle; you need your partner, spouse, bank, whatever.”

I read the list and could not help but laugh at the shrewd insight the authors offered on passive-aggressive conflict. Truthfully, most people can think of at least one person they know who display this type of behavior when it comes to disagreements.

I confess that it took me many years to understand and identify the passive-aggressive personality. I was raised in an environment highly influenced by the culture of southern Spain and Portugal. One of the characteristics of people that originate from the Iberian Peninsula in comparison to those of Anglo-Saxon origin, is their tendency to be direct and wear their feelings on their sleeves, so to speak. I never had to wonder how my mother felt. If someone disagreed with me, they simply told me so. We would sometimes fight, make peace, and, more often than not, forgive and forget.

Because of the culture I was brought up in, it took me a long time to learn how to identify passive-aggressive behavior. Truth is — I still have a hard time dealing with people who are hard to read.

Passive-aggressive individuals may seem peaceful and controlled on the outside, but truth is, deep down, anger, jealousy and contempt simmer like a volcano, ready to explode.
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“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

Jesus said these words in his longest sermon recorded in Scriptures: The Sermon of the Mount. While doing some research about the sermon for a paper I am currently writing, I came across interesting geological information about the Mount of Beatitudes. This mount is located on the Korazim Plateau — a volcanic plateau, located in northern Israel. I find it interesting that Jesus would give instructions about peace, purity and mercy, while his audience was sitting on a dormant volcano.

Think about the paradox of the imagery: Peace on the surface is not always a reflection of what lies deep within.

Peace on the surface is not always a reflection of what lies deep within. #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation @AJC
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Indeed, throughout the sermon, Jesus called his Jewish audience to look past the outer aspects of religion, which were so widely revered at the time. This beatitude particularly teaches that seeking peace with others is a characteristic observed in those who have truly found peace with God.

Those who find peace with God seek peace with others. #MondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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As funny as the “eight-step process on how to turn an argument into a feud” may be, it delivers a sobering reflection on the condition of one’s heart: Will we value pride over peace? Or will we choose to resolve our differences with honesty, clarity and humility?

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – March 2, 2019.

This article is Part 5 of the Sermon of the Mount Blog Series published in this blog. Read the other messages here:

Part 1 – The Most Challenging Sermon of All Time

Part 2 – The Heart of Christmas

Part 3 – Another Strange Blessing

Part 4 – The God-Shaped Hole

May we choose today to become peacemakers instead of peace-breakers, lest all our religious efforts be mocked, our influence shattered and our words … forgotten!
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The post Blessed Are the Peacemakers – The Sermon of the Mount Series {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

The Sermon of the Mount is believed to have been delivered in the beginning of Christ’s ministry, after His baptism by John the Baptist and after His many miracles in Judea and Galilee. The focus of the sermon was to teach His newly appointed 12 disciples and the multitude that followed Him on the New Covenant’s standards of righteousness.

The words have possibly been the most repeated sermon since the first century. It is a practical discourse, which transcends the credenda of Christianity and bleeds into humanity’s yearnings; for gentleness, comfort, mercy and peace are gifts desired by all.

The first sentence out of Jesus’ mouth sets the tone that revolutionized the beliefs of first-century Jews.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The first sentence out of Jesus’ mouth sets the tone that revolutionized the beliefs of first-century Jews: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. #SermonoftheMount #Christmas #MondayMotivation
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I confess that I was puzzled by the first line of the Beatitudes for a long time. At first glance, both in my native language Portuguese as well as in English, the word “poor” conveys a negative meaning, and one would think that Jesus would want his followers to be spiritually “rich.”

A study on the context of the setting of the sermon and the Greek language, however, opens our eyes to the deeper and strategic meaning of those first words.

As Jesus performed miracles, multitudes followed him — some seeking his gifts, others out of mere curiosity. While the onset of his ministry involved many signs and wonders, Scriptures also say that he taught in synagogues, confronting many of the teachings of the Pharisees. These first-century teachers of the law associated righteousness with observing Jewish feasts, following rituals and abiding by endless rules, many of which had been established by rabbis throughout Israel’s history as supplements to the law of Moses as established in the Torah. Christ confronted their teachings as legalistic rather than spiritual, and the first words on the Sermon of the Mount clarify that position: “Poor in spirit” in Greek, refers to the humility needed by those who seek God. The poor in spirit (otherwise also translated as “the meek” or “the lowly”) are those who humbly acknowledge their need and dependence on God. Those find the blessedness and joy of having access to the father.

Humility and dependence. I cannot help but smile as I realize the connection between Jesus’ first words as recorded on his first sermon and his advent to this world.

Humility and dependence. I cannot help but smile as I realize the connection between Jesus’ first words as recorded on the Sermon of the Mount and His advent to this world. #SermonoftheMount #Christmas #Humility
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The king born in the lowliest of places. A manger. The little baby whose birth distressed the great Herod, moved wise men to travel for months to bear Him gifts, and ultimately changed history like no one else before or since, came to the world as a modest carpenter’s son. Messiah, born as a completely dependent baby, reminds us, as a grown man, that if we are to be blessed by God, we are to humbly depend on Him.

Messiah, born as a completely dependent baby, reminds us, as a grown man, that if we are to be blessed by God, we are to humbly depend on Him.
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As we gear our hearts to celebrate Christmas, I am challenged to connect His birth to His words on the mountain that day. From His lowly birth to His challenge to those who would hear him … from the moment I realized my inadequacy to come before a holy God on my own merit, to my desire to follow His teachings, I believe Jesus’ words translate the very message of Christmas:

Blessed are those who are humble as the Baby in the manger … humble to acknowledge that nothing they can do gives them access to an almighty, righteous God.

Humility and dependence are indeed the heart of Christmas. They are also the key to God’s heart.

This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – December 7, 2018.

Blessed are those who are humble as the Baby in the manger … humble to acknowledge that nothing they can do gives them access to an almighty, righteous God. Humility and dependence are indeed the heart of Christmas. #Christmas…
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The post The sermon of the Mount and the heart of Christmas {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.