Me! Me! Me!

 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

—Philippians 2:3-4

No clear-thinking individual can watch a child grow from infancy into young adulthood without observing the stark reality that each of us has an in-born sin nature that we inherited from our parents, and they from their parents, all the way back to Adam’s original sin. Infants focus totally on themselves. Toddlers focus totally on themselves. Parents have to teach young children to focus on someone other than themselves.

By our very nature, we focus on: “ Me! Me! Me!” We have to learn and then motivate ourselves to think about and focus on others. What a joy exists when we observe someone who has put himself or herself so totally in the background of his or her thinking that he or she seems to have concern only for others.

During this time of worldwide strife, we find outselves surrounded by individuals who have chosen to focus only on the needs of others. All of the individuals who serve us during this tragic time—military men and women, public safety officials, medical professionals, service industry employees, and a host of others—countless numbers of individuals have put aside their own safety and well-being in order to make certain we have what we need to continue living in as much safety as possible.

The Apostle Paul instructed the “Christ’s-ones” gathered in the church at Philippi with the words contained within the Scripture verse quoted at the beginning of this blog post. “Make humility your guide,” Paul declares. “Do not let your own self-interest motivate your actions. Rather, put the needs of others first.”

As we begin another new day of life, these words should penetrate our consciousness and motivate us to follow the Apostle”s teaching. Let’s not allow our own selfish wills to set the pathway of our lives. Rather, let’s determine to push ourselves to learn the needs of others and do our best to meet those needs. Whether such action occurs within the boundaries of our own families, or within our own churches, or within our communities, or within whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we will do well to live in such a way.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Children of Light

 

… for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

—Ephesians 5:8-10

If you have chosen to read very many of my nearly 1,900 blog posts, by now you realize that I am generally writing to individuals who, at some point in their lives, sensed the convicting power of the Holy Spirit pushing them to believe in the life-transforming power of God’s precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Said another way, for the most part, I have aimed these blog posts at believing “Christ’s-ones” or Christians. By so doing, I prayerfully hope that my words will encourage Christians in their daily walk along the pathway that God has laid out for them.

The teaching of the Apostle Paul, found in the verses at the beginning of this particular blog post, describes exactly the condition in which each one of us followers of Jesus found ourselves. “At one time,” Paul insists, “you were in darkness.” Truthfully, each one of us entered this world in darkness—the darkness of the sin-curse that we inherited from our parents, and they from their parents. Then, at some point along the pathway of our lives, the Holy Spirit began to speak words of conviction to the depths of our innermost being. Those words of conviction prompted us to recognize that we were trapped in sin—the original sin we inherited, and also the sins we had committed on our own.

The revelation of the Holy Spirit didn’t stop with that conviction. He spoke to our inner beings in such a way that we became fully aware of the great gift that God had given us in the redeeming power of the blood of His Son, Jesus. That sacrifice of Christ on the cruel cross of Calvary became a once-and-for-all covering of our sins with His precious blood. We had previously been condemned before the holiness of God. But now, we were redeemed! God had chosen us to belong to Himself. In fact, as we would soon learn, God had chosen us to belong to Himself before the foundation of the earth.

No human reasoning could explain why God chose us. We were not worthy of His choosing. Nevertheless, God did, indeed, choose us to belong to Himself. Having chose us, He drew us to Himself through the convicting power of His Holy Spirit. Once we began to understand what God had done for us, we became increasingly aware that we belonged to Him. We passed from the darkness of sin into the glorious light of His holiness.

The Apostle Paul proceeds from this revelation—that once we were children of darkness and now we are children of light—to urge us to walk the pathway of our lives as children of light. Paul urges us to live as children of light by discerning which decisions we make and actions we take will please the Lord.

So, the question that each of us must ask ourselves, every moment of every day: “Am I living in such a way that is pleasing to God?” I cannot answer that question for you. I can only answer that question for me.

I can and do encourage both you and me to walk as children of light. In this moment and the next and the next, let’s determine, with help from the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, to live as children of light.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Good Conduct Shows

 

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

—James 3:13

Growing up in the 1950s in a very strict, Fundamentalist Christian environment, I was told that some misguided churches taught that an individual could “earn” his or her way into heaven. Those who taught me insisted that such thinking was gravely in error and that people who believed this were seriously mistaken. In fact, or so I was taught, such individuals are likely not “true” Christians at all.

I was also taught that accepting Christ as my Savior was a decision that I, alone, could make. When I reached Houghton College—now Houghton University—in the fall of 1965, I was shocked to learn that other devoted followers of Jesus believed in Reformed theology, which taught that God had actually chosen them before the foundation of the earth to belong to Himself. It wasn’t really their choice at all. It was God who chose those individuals who belonged to Himself.

At the same time, I learned that those who believed God had chosen them did indeed also believe that God had given them the free-will choice as to whether or not they would follow the pathway God had laid out for them. In other words, while these believers had no personal choice in whether or not they belonged to God, they did very much have a choice as to whether or not they would follow God in loving obedience.

It wasn’t that so-called “free will” had no part in their belief system. It was just that the exercise of their free will came into the equation after they came to the understanding that God had chosen them.

The interesting part of this revelation arose from the fact that Houghton University existed as an institution of higher learning sponsored by the Wesleyan Church (originally called the Wesleyan Methodist Church) and actually embraced the same theological position as the denomination in which I grew up—the Evangelical United Brethern Church, now merged to become the United Methodist Church. This theological position was called the Arminian position of Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), as opposed to the Reformed theological position of John Calvin (1509-1564).

It was rather interesting that I would become exposed to the Reformed tradition while attending an Arminian college. But, that’s what happened, and largely because of the belief on the part of the Bible professors at Houghton University that students needed to understand the full breadth of Evangelical theology.

Having now embraced the Reformed tradition, I have come to understand that such teachings of the Apostle James, as illustrated by the verse at the beginning of this blog post, made sense, in light of the fact that my personal obedience, and the exercise of my free will, would come into play as I allowed my good conduct to show my good works in the meekness of wisdom. God has chosen me to belong to Him. Now, it was my responsibility, out of love and obedience to God, to live in such a way that my good works would testify to His having chosen me.

I have many, many dear friends who fully embrace the Arminian theology of Jacobus Arminius and believe that humans need to make a purposeful decision to follow Jesus as their Savior and Lord. I also have many, many dear friends who fully embrace the Reformed theology of John Calvin and believe that before the foundation of the earth God chose them to belong to Himself. But, each of these groups of friends also strive now to live in obedience, either to the decision they made to follow Jesus, or to God’s chosing of them.

Each of these dear ones longs to share what Jesus means to them with others. Each of them desires to see other men, women, boys, and girls experience the life-transforming power of the living Lord Jesus Christ. Each of them longs to see a great revival sweep across our land and bring profound change to our nation and our world. Each of them believes that good conduct stands as one of the strongest testimonies to the power of the love of God.

Theology has a definite place in helping us try to comprehend what it means to be a child of God. But, in the end, the way we live out our beliefs and show God’s love to others makes all the difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Abiding in God's Love

 

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

—1 John 4:16

Many years ago, I had a two-week series of business meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada. I do not place Las Vegas high on my list of places I would most like to visit again. Most of my visits there have overwhelmed me with the noise and so-called glamour of the gaming industry. I do not gamble. Thus, most of the excitement of Las Vegas is totally lost on me. Spending two weeks there offered a unique challenge.

One truly enjoyable benefit of that particular business trip was the Saturday morning drive over to the Hoover Dam. One of my colleagues had arranged a special tour for us that allowed us to explore the very depths of this amazing structure. I can still remember seeing the awesome power of the water that flowed through the hydroelectric generators. It was absolutely amazing to see the huge turbines rotated by the force of the water from Lake Mead flowing from the intake, through the generators, and out of the dam.

As great as the power of that water is, the greatest power in the universe is greater still. And, that greater power is the love of God.

A gospel song-writer, Frederick M. Lehman (1868-1953), penned these words: ¹

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain: O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Refrain: O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Refrain: O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

As we “Christ’s-ones” move through this new day, may the love of God enliven and sustain us to obediently follow the pathway that the Holy Spirit opens up before us. Please listen, as the late George Beverly Shea sings this lovely gospel song:

 

 

 

______________________

1 Lehman, Frederick M. “The Love of God.” This is a gospel song in the Public Domain. This gospel song is also included in various Hymnals that themselves are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that in each case, whenever a citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such a citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

One Accord and One Mind

 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

—Philippians 2:1-2

Have you ever thought about the fact that life seems like a series of cascading “ifs”?

• If I receive another government stimulus check, perhaps I can buy that iPad I’ve wanted.
  
  
• If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, I hope to be able to go to the beach.
  
  
• If I get a good report from my doctor, I will plan to start walking each morning at the Mall.
  
  
• If my wife asks what I want for dinner, I believe I will ask for steaks on the grill.
  
  
• If I get up early enough tomorrow, I will plan to buy gas for my car on the way to work.
  
  
• If my boss accepts the report I turned in yesterday, I believe I will offer to pay for my friend’s lunch.
  
  
• If my favorite TV program is on tonight, I will pop some popcorn and settle in for a nice evening.
  
  
• And on, and on, and on!
  
  

In our walk of faith, “ifs” play a big role, too. In the verse at the beginning of this blog post, the Apostle Paul relies on a series of “ifs” to encourage the Christians in Philippi:

• “If you find encouragement in Christ …”
  
  
• “If you find any comfort in God’s love …”
  
  
• “If you participate in allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you along the pathway of your life. …”
  
  
• “If you experience affection and sympathy from your fellow believers …”
  
  
• “Then, I urge you to complete the joy I feel for you by having the same love for one another and by being of one mind in the decisions you make.”
  
  

Those words of the Apostle Paul apply to us today, as well. We show our thankfulness to God through our obedience to His written Word and to His divine will for our lives. We set aside our own selfish human wills and allow God’s divine and perfect will to prevail in our lives. That is definitely the way to live.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Help Me!

 

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

—Psalm 121:1-2

You’ve all likely seen the television commercial that begins with these words:

“Help me! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

Lots of comedians have made much of that scenario. I used to laugh a bit at it, too. Then, I became someone who, if I fall, literally cannot get up on my own.

I can remember the first time it happened. I had decided to attend an evening worship service on the shore of Lake Erie at Presque Isle State Park. I’m not certain that I realized we were actually going to meet on the beach. This was in the summer of 2002. For over a year, I had used two canes in order to walk. I didn’t think about how difficult it might be to walk on sand with two canes.

I arrived at the designated spot. Got out of the car and began to walk across the sand to where the other worshippers had gathered. Just a few steps and down I went. Within seconds I realized I could not get up by myself. Fortunately, a very kind man saw my plight and —because of my extreme obesity, with no little amount of difficulty—he helped lift me back up, so that I could stand alone. If I had been alone, I would still be stuck in the sand.

Since that time, I have fallen only four times in the intervening 24 years. In each case, I have needed help getting back up. I am so concerned about falling, that I take every precaution to guard my steps.

The truth is that, for one reason or another, we all need help at some point in our lives. Whether we need help in our physical lives, we most certainly need help in our spiritual lives. That’s why the verse at the beginning of this blog post is so important.

On this day, as we consider the terrible tragedy 25 years ago in New York City, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, we must understand that the Psalmist declares when he needs help he looks to the one source from which genuine help comes:

… the Lord who made heaven and earth.

This day, let us follow the example of the Psalmist. When we need help in our lives, let us look quickly to the only One who can truly help us. God loves us with His everlasting love. He waits patiently for us to call upon Him. Let’s be quick to do so.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Please, Carry Me!

 

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”

—Isaiah 46:3-4

One of the great joys of a little child comes when a mom or dad picks the little one up and carries him or her. Yes, children like the freedom to run wherever they want to run and do whatever they want to do. But, there always comes a time when a child becomes tired, or needs the comfort of his or her parents. At such a time, to have mom or dad gather the little one into loving arms and lift them up into a loving embrace brings such comfort and joy to the child.

It is this kind of joy and comfort that God expresses through the Prophet Isaiah, in the Scripture verses at the beginning of this blog post. The people of Israel have had free reign for quite some time. They have wandered far away from the protection of God’s perfect will for them. It is high time that they returned to God and sought the comfort that only He can give.

Look closely at what God promises Israel in these verses. He reminds them that He is the One who has brought them into being and sustained them all throughout their lives. He now extends to them the truth that He will bear them up, He will carry them and save them. No longer do they need to run about without His divine protection. His love will enfold them and keep them safe from all harm.

What God has promised to the nation of Israel, He has also promised to those whom He has called to Himself and redeemed through the precious blood of His one and only Son, Jesus. God has grafted we “Christ’s-ones” into the vine of Israel. We Gentiles have become one with God’s chosen people, the Jews. (see Romans 11) Just as God enfolds Israel, carries them, and saves them, so He will constantly do the same for you and for me.

One of the reasons why we carefully study the “whole counsel of God” by meditating upon both the Old Testament and the New Testament, stems from the fact that the whole of Scripture applies to us in our walk with God. While God has given a new covenant in the incarnation, life, suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, His promises to Israel apply to us today. And, there is much we can learn from observing how patiently, kindly, and lovingly God has dealt with His first-chosen people.

Let’s determine to seek to have God carry us and save us. And, let’s make certain we do so every moment of every day.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}