Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Catching Lightning Bugs

I fondly remember the fun I had as a young girl after the summer sunsets. With my older brother or a childhood friend, I would run barefoot all over the yard catching lightning bugs. As they blinked their pretty golden tail lights, I’d carefully place them into the fruit jar. Dad would, of course, punch holes in the lid so they could breathe. I wouldn’t trade my simple, country, growing-up years for a ranch in Texas!

I don’t know if God created lightning bugs just so kids could have summer fun or not. But I’m sure glad He did. I recently saw a coffee mug with the following imprinted on it: “If God can make a bug’s butt light up, just think what He can do for you.” I thought this was hilarious, plus it was a pretty good theology too!

Sometimes Christ followers settle for dry crumbs out of the toaster instead of a loaf of  hot bread out of the oven. Apostle Paul’s prayer for spiritual growth in believers is a vital tool in order for us to believe and receive. We, too, can say this prayer: “I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:16-17 NLT). God is not limited in what He can do, but we sometimes limit Him with our little faith.

Paul continues his prayer: “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT). The fullness of life and power that believers desire and require is not found in self-help books or autobiographies of famous dead people. The abundant life only comes from God through Christ Jesus.

This is a life-changing prayer — and Paul isn’t finished yet: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think (Ephesians 3:20 NLT). Amazingly, God’s power is working in His followers to accomplish above and beyond anything we can even imagine. God has unlimited resources, but we need to pray and tap into all that’s available to us as His children. God can do everything Himself, but He chooses to work through His followers. We need big faith that’s rooted in God’s love if we want to “let our little light shine” in real time.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught: “You are the light that shines for the world to see. You should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14,16 ERV). A little later, He then rhetorically asked the crowd, “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin…will He [God] not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28,30 NKJV). We ought to thank God every day that He has given believers unlimited resources to help us live victoriously.

The Key: Consider the lightning bug and just think what God can do for you!

A foolproof way to find out if you are a true, authentic friend is if you are thrilled when others have success.  No matter what happens to you.  No matter if they got the promotion you wanted, they got the book deal you prayed for, they were healed and you were not, they have perfect kids and yours spend more time in detention than in the classroom. No matter what!

This, of course, works both ways.  You will know if your friends are authentic if they celebrate your accomplishments when they themselves are struggling.  I have some friends who meet that description, but I wonder if I don’t have “a little” work to do in this area.

In Genesis 4, we read that Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel.  Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.  In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.  And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 

Many of my Christian author friends admit they struggle with envy when they cannot manage to carve out time to write their second or third book, yet their fellow authors post about their 40^th book going to print or how a respected publishing company has offered them a huge endorsement. We (yes, I fall into that category) understand Cain’s frustration.

Frustrations over God’s generosity towards others aren’t a new concept. In fact, the idea that we are entitled to God’s blessings coupled with our irritation over God’s generosity to others is at the heart of the first recorded murder in Scripture. Big brother Cain is one unhappy camper when little bro Abel got the “atta boy” from God and he didn’t.

God does not comfort Cain.  He lets him know that if he does what’s right, he also will experience God’s favor.  Cain has a choice.  He can accept God’s sovereignty—even though he might not agree with it—or he can allow his jealousy and pride to rob him of what little peace he has.  We all know which he chose, ultimately ending with him murdering Abel.

Granted, no one I know—including me—has ever murdered because another author’s book received more accolades.  God does not suffer from limited generosity.  He blesses as He sees fit, meaning He blesses me in different ways than He does my friends.  Who am I to think that I deserve a blessing He has not given me?  God is limitless in His ability to love, show grace and mercy, and bless.  I should do likewise.

So, if you find yourself disappointed when others are the benefactors of something that you had hoped for, maybe even prayed for, God understands your feelings.  Nevertheless, like Cain, we have a choice to trust in God’s decisions to bless others (and be happy for them), or we can allow sin to take root and be consumed with a bitter heart.

I know which kind of friend I want to be.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Embarrassingly Honest

I had purchased an item at a department/grocery store and needed to return it. I slipped it into the original bag with the receipt, as required. When I entered the store, I headed toward the friendly greeter. As I approached he asked, “Do you have a return?” I said, “Yes.” I was hoping he would just place the sticker on the bag and send me on my way. But no, he opened the bag and asked, “What have we here?” I answered, “Well, it’s a bra and it won’t fit you either.” When I’m backed into a corner with no way out, I usually respond with humor because it helps with the embarrassment of being bluntly honest.

When the truth of God’s Word or the conviction of the Holy Spirit backs me into a corner,  there’s only one way to move forward – repent. And this is no laughing matter because prayer is serious business. When Christ followers realize we’ve sinned, the only option is to admit the sin, ask for forgiveness, and pray for grace to not do “it” again. Thankfully, we have hope when we fail to please God: “…if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT).

Believers have to be embarrassingly honest when we confess our sin to God. Beating around the bush just doesn’t cut the mustard. God already knows what we’ve done, so it’s for our own good and spiritual progress to make a truthfully-blunt confession out loud to God. I appreciate the following scripture penned by John the beloved apostle: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father, He is Jesus Christ, the One who is truly righteous. He Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 2:1-2 NLT).

John’s letter was inspired of God to bring truth and hope to our hearts and to keep us from evil. Christ followers should be thankful that we have Jesus as our advocate to plead our case before God. When a stumbling Christian asks for forgiveness, Lawyer Jesus never loses a case – He wins every time. God isn’t looking for believers with perfect outward performances, He’s looking for those with perfect hearts. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV).

A perfect heart is one that wants to please God, and one that is grieved over personal sin when it occurs. Other identifiers of a perfect heart include a desire for inner purity, alignment with God’s will, complete loyalty to God, and a lifelong commitment to seek God wholeheartedly. And, in the deepest part of our heart, it’s important to know without a doubt that God is patiently waiting to forgive and will restore all who are truly sorry and genuinely repent. Having a perfect heart doesn’t mean believers will flawlessly follow Christ. But it does mean we’ll commit to loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“…let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need” (Hebrews 4:16 NASB). Sometimes our greatest need is God’s forgiveness.

The Key: You can’t pull the wool over God’s eyes, so you might as well be embarrassingly honest with Him.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Words Never Die

Some things I forget and some things I remember — it just depends. When I attended   Draughon Business College in Springfield, Missouri in 1976, I didn’t know any of the students when I arrived. However, I quickly made several new friends. One was a Chinese kid and, I don’t remember his name now, one day he and I were talking. In the middle of our conversation he said, “You have teeth like rabbit.” His out-of-the-blue statement made me laugh; I’ve told this funny incident many times throughout my life. (I got braces in 1979, and I’ve never had anyone tell me that my teeth looked like a bunny rabbit’s again.) Even though I can’t recall the guy’s name, I remember what he said. I’m sure he has forgotten all about me and my two front teeth.

This is a fact: The words we speak outlive us. I could author a small book using quotes from my parents. Their words influenced my life at the time and they’re still echoing in my day-to-day life even though their hearts ceased to beat in 2012 and 2015. Believers should consider the fact that what we say is being recorded in heaven and on earth. God keeps a record and so do the people with whom we have interaction.

James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote spiritual instruction on crucial topics regarding relationships. Christ followers are to choose our words with great care because words are powerful. “Indeed, we all make mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire” (James 3:2,5-6 NLT).  Right words can help and wrong words can hurt.

I think we all know how powerful words are. They cause wars, end marriages, start fights; bless family and friends, encourage the downcast, and vocalize prayers. “…the tongue is a fickle unrestrained evil that spews out words full of toxic poison! We use our tongue to praise God our Father and then turn around and curse a person who was made in His very image! Out of the same mouth we pour out words of praise one minute and curses the next. My brothers and sisters, this should never be! (James 3:8-10 TPT).

James uses the endearing terms of “brothers and sisters” in his wisdom sermon. He is writing to Christ followers who evidently needed a whippin’ behind the woodshed!  Welp, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander! Christ followers today are no different from those in the New Testament. If we want to shine the light and love of Jesus on others and represent Him well, we need to control the words that topple out of our mouth.

It would be to my benefit if I seriously considered this truth every day: “O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand” (Psalm 139:1,4,6 NLT). God is fully aware of every word spoken. Like King David, believers can pray this scripture: “Lord, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say” (Psalm 141:3 NCV).

The Key: Folks may not remember your name, but they’ll remember what you said.

Within a split second, I could have become a statistic when I came close to being run over by a speeding car. Dave and I were biking on a two-lane street, and the only reason I wasn’t turned into road-kill was that the female driver swerved into the far lane.  The only reason she wasn’t killed was that no one was in that lane.

It was my fault.  I pulled out of a side street, and instead of making a sharp right turn to stay on the edge of the road, I pedaled out too far in the direction of the car.  You know, the car with the driver with the right-of-way. The driver who fortunately was not texting or applying lipstick or smacking her kids in the back seat. The driver who was alert and paying attention.  Unlike me.

Dave was supportive.

“What in the world were you thinking?”

“Obviously I wasn’t.”

“Why didn’t you use your brakes?”

“Because I panicked.”

“Obviously.”

Sometimes, being alert is hard.  I’ve left my credit card, my favorite jacket, and even my kids when I failed to take care of what was important. But there is a day coming when staying alert will determine where we spend eternity, which, in my case, could have come from not paying attention while riding my bike.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV) we are warned.  “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

Noah’s neighbors certainly were not alert when God warned that the flood was coming.  Only eight people believed and were saved. Lot warned his family that the city was about to be destroyed, but they did not listen.  Starting in Genesis, all the way through Revelation, we are bombarded with stories of individuals with their heads in the figurative sand.  Perhaps that description is fitting for us as well.

Hebrews 2:1 does not mince words. “Therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Jesus voiced the same priority: “Pay careful attention to how you listen” (Luke 8:18). Careful listening (staying alert) is the first step to faithful living.  It’s the difference between listening to a Bible app while also posting family pics on our Facebook account and giving God undivided attention to what He says.

Matthew 24 reminds us that being alert is critical. He warns his followers to remain steadfast and not be led astray by false teachings or distractions from the world. The command to “be ready” is not merely about anticipating His return but also about living a life that reflects His teachings and values—loving others, seeking justice, and maintaining a personal relationship with God.

“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Jesus emphasized that His return—for us—will be sudden and unexpected. This calls for believers to cultivate a lifestyle of preparedness.

You know, exactly what I did not do on that bike ride.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

At least I didn’t say it out loud

When I have a not-nice thought, but don’t say it out loud, I’m always thankful I zipped my lip. Examples of some of my unkind thoughts are: “Did you not look in the mirror before you left the house?” “Just because a fashion model can wear that doesn’t mean you can.” “Where do these people come from?” “How dumb can you be?” And last, but not least, “Could you drive any slower?” (I actually say that one out loud.) I’m not proud of these negative heart thoughts, nevertheless, they pop up every now and then.

It’s been said that you can’t keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can sure keep it from building a nest in your hair. That’s the way mean thoughts tend to be. They come from out of nowhere (usually after something annoys the tar out of you). Christ followers have to immediately switch these thoughts to the positive. During WWII, Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters popularized the song, “Accentuate the Positive.” The lyrics set to this big band sound are still good advice.

We need to be more aware of the fact that Jesus knows our thoughts…which should make us think twice about some of the thoughts we have. “Knowing their [Pharisees] thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?’” (Matthew 9:4 NIV). Jesus let them know that He knew their thoughts – you’d think they’d have enough sense to be embarrassed rather than argumentative. So when thoughts are “entertained” it means they’re not just fleeting ones. One of the best tips to eliminate negative thoughts is to say to ourselves, “It’s none of my business. Let it go.”

“Then His disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so He brought a little child to His side. Then He said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf welcomes Me…Whoever is the least among you is the greatest’” (Luke 9:46-48 NLT). It’s hard to imagine that Jesus’ disciples actually argued in front of Him regarding which one of them was the greatest! This squabble was definitely an unChristlike spirit. How dumb could they be? Jesus rebuked them and explained that true greatness is seen in humble service. I suspect they changed their way of thinking after their scramble for first place was an embarrassing fail.

“Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, ‘Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces’” (Luke 11:17 MSG). Unity in a family is vital and unforgiveness is a destroyer of solidarity. In order to keep the family together, we have to think on the good attributes of one another and not the negative.

There’s just no way to argue that Jesus doesn’t know our thoughts. But, Apostle Paul gives great advice in Philippians 4:8 NLT regarding how Christ followers should think:  “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” 

The Key: Believers need to think about what we’re thinking about and fix our thoughts  to accentuate the positive.