Mike was living the American Dream. As an executive for a large company, he was making $4 million a year. He had a wife and two children. But Mike was offensive to everybody at his workplace, including his boss, the CEO. So the CEO sent Mike to train with a leadership development group known as Executive Coach.

The leadership trainer, Marshall Goldsmith, had a tough time with Mike because he couldn’t challenge his job performance. He told the executive, “Mike, I can’t help you make more money because you’re already making a lot. Let’s talk about your ego—how do you treat people at your house?”

Mike insisted he was a totally different person outside the office. When Goldsmith called Mike’s wife to verify his words, she admitted they weren’t true. Mike’s two kids also agreed their dad was just as rude and demanding at home. Goldsmith asked Mike, “Do you really want to have a funeral that no one attends?”

After giving Goldsmith’s question some thought, Mike said, “If I don’t change, in 20 years, my two sons will be ashamed to call me their father.” Mike finally learned his family was more important than his money.

Would anyone be ashamed to call you their friend because of the way you treat other people? Maybe you’ve noticed people have been avoiding you lately. Make sure it’s not because of your attitude or actions. If this is something you’re dealing with, pray and ask God to help you demonstrate His love in all you do. Your relationships are really worth it.

A man’s feeling of good will toward others is the strongest magnet for drawing good will from others. — Chesterfield

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder

When Satan speaks, it never pays to listen. In one of Aesop’s Fables, Aesop told the story of four bulls that were best friends. They would always walk together side-by-side. They faced every adversary as a united force, and no animal could defeat them.

But one day, the bulls were observed by a clever lion who desperately wanted steak for dinner. The lion followed closely behind them as they took their daily stroll. He came just close enough to whisper lies that one bull had been talking about the others. Over a length of time, the bulls started believing the lies and doubting one another’s friendship. One by one, they became angry at each other and separated. And one by one, they were picked off by the lion.

Lions are infamous for the stealth they use to stalk their prey. You would never want a wild lion in your community, much less in your house. It wouldn’t matter how well-groomed its appearance—there is no way you would tolerate having this killer on the loose. But many Christians entertain a far greater enemy when they allow the devil to open his mouth. Rather than fearing Satan for the enemy he is, they engage in candid conversation.

No relationship is safe when the devil opens his mouth. He was not given the title “the father of lies” without earning it. He slanders God to men, men to God, and men to their peers. He even utters slander about us to ourselves. But the lion is lying. We must counter his disparaging words with the truth of God’s Word. If we make this the object of our meditation, our relationships will be spared, and we can experience lasting joy and peace.

The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn’t exist. — Unknown Author

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

It was the worst night of his life. Darius had been hoodwinked into approving legislation which became the death sentence for Daniel, his most honorable official. So Daniel spent the night in the den of lions while Darius tossed and turned in the fine linens of his royal bedchamber.

No matter how much Darius tried, sleep simply would not come. Just the thought that his trusted advisors had unanimously consented to this underhanded ploy made the king shudder with anger. It appeared that evil had prevailed.

Early the next morning, Darius rushed to the lion’s den to see what had befallen the man of God. With an unforgettable cry, Darius pleaded, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” Then he waited for a response.

The sound of Daniel’s voice made the king’s heart leap for joy. It also confirmed the power of Daniel’s God. The king immediately ordered Daniel’s release, and the wicked men who accused him took his place in the lion’s den.

Even when it looked like Daniel’s wicked enemies had prospered against him, God was in control. Maybe you’re discouraged because you took a moral stand and now your boss deals with you harshly. Remember Daniel’s story. The wicked can only get by for so long before God intervenes. God is able to deliver you in the direst of circumstances.

If God sends us on stony paths, He will provide us with strong shoes. — Alexander Maclaren

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

The next time you’re tempted to think no one notices your conduct, think again. When the prophet, Daniel, attained celebrity status as one of Medo-Persia’s leading government officials, his life wasn’t exactly displayed on a projector screen for all the Persian residents of Babylon to witness, but people started watching him—ever so closely.

Daniel’s office undoubtedly brought its share of fair-weather friends. But it also brought a host of enemies. The last thing the princes and presidents who worked with him wanted was accountability to a God-fearing, Jewish man. So with diligence they sought to find fault by screening his leadership background and qualifications for the office.

To their dismay, Daniel’s record was flawless. Their investigative probe only revealed the genuine quality of his walk with God. He was not superhuman, but was an ordinary man, born in sin like the rest of us. What made Daniel stand out above his peers was his exceptional testimony and his determination to put God first at all costs.

All the world is watching you, Christian—and they’re looking for an excuse to reject your faith. Can you really pull off what you call Christianity? Your spouse and children ought to see your commitment to Christ at home through your selection of reading materials and television programming. Your boss and co-workers should see a difference in your language and your work ethic. If there is no such distinction, your faith is in vain. Determine to be found faithful—not in fault—before the watching world today.

When men cease to be faithful to their God, he who expects to find them faithful to each other will be much disappointed. — George Horne

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

Most fish don’t go with the flow. Take salmon, for example. This fish is anything but a pushover. Salmon are not the kind of fish you would see taking either the shortest route from Point A to B, or the path of least resistance. Rather than being carried along by the current, some species travel over 900 miles and climb nearly 7,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean as they return to the place of their birth to spawn.*  Then they give birth to salmon which possess the same tenacious spirit.

Even stronger than the rapids through which salmon migrate is the rip current of the world. Sadly, many spiritually stagnant Christians are being swept up in its torrent. The Bible doesn’t mince words when speaking about believers who pledge their loyalty to the world. It calls them the enemies of God. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that label on my conscience. I want to be a friend of God, and I know you do, too.

This means we have to swim against the current of popular, yet unbiblical, opinion on the issues of gay marriage and abortion. It involves swimming upstream against the tides of doctrinal compromise and relative truth—because the survival of future generations is dependent upon it.

Are you willing to swim against the current for the sake of the next generation and your relationship with God? You may face persecution, ridicule, unjust criticism, and a tidal wave of enemies on account of your stand. But count the cost—would you rather be a friend of the world, or of God? Then start swimming upstream today.

No faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. — C.H. Spurgeon

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

* Facts taken from an online article at Wikipedia.com.