Chapter 12, Part One The Five Sides of the Triangle 2025
Life is about balance. You don’t do it, productivity suffers. Period. Those who accept that do well, those who do not simply remain inconsistent, frustrated and forever chasing an invisible, unquenchable, unobtainable, fleeting dream of success in all areas of life, coming up short time after time. Keep in mind, I’ve been working with and watching people over thirty years. So, what about balance?
How can I hear God’s voice if I can’t listen, if I don’t know how? What does the devil see when he looks at you? An easy target, or something else? In order to be something else, it requires obedience and obedience requires the knowledge and wisdom of God. Am I obedient? Are you obedient. To know how to be obedient and what that means, when and how, it occurs to me a clear mind is helpful. I can’t listen to anybody, much less God if I’m not in good order. This chapter is how I achieve a clear mind, sometimes for only a moment at a time. That’s better than not at all and if I keep practicing, well, it gets better.
If you decide that this chapter is not for you, and you already have a system that works, I would say bravo, however it would be a good question to ask, “when the devil looks at your “system,” what does he see? It took a pretty strong tie-line to reel me in from the world. I thank Jesus for that. When the journey started, I realized real quick my body needs to be in good shape, my mind and in general, the whole me. No more liquor, drugs, or rockn’roll lifestyle. The changes needed to happen quickly, if not, precious time and strength would be compromised. Oh, yea, time! When living incorrectly, time is wasted, both in recovery and physical strength. Oh yes, mental acuity and physical strength are compromised to the point of unfortunate failure. In God, you get that back.
Jeremiah 30:17 “I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
I thought of three areas of life that needed immediate protection; mind, body and spirit. It’s pretty self explanatory. I drew a triangle. Each side marked respectively M-B-S. Things began to make more sense, more than ever before. What is this, I thought?
Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Now get this, three sides, my mind, body and the spirit of inspiration. I’m going to point out that the triangle has five sides, good memory help. What does that give me when in order. Good thought. I asked the Lord.
Isaiah 11:2
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Where then, did knowledge and understanding happen, with only three sides of a triangle. Bam, it was so simple for me. The thing, the triangle, has a front and a back. Like a picture frame holding an optical lens. The triangle has a front and a back. I see it as a lens to look through the eyes and ears of God, i.e., the Holy Spirit. What’s my point here. When I came to Jesus, I was so retarded I needed learning aids to help me “get God.” To get God, I had to get me in order. If I could get Mind, Body, Spirit back up and running, I might be able to understand the Wisdom of this book, the knowledge God was trying to get into my thick skull. I think of it now, always, five sides of triangle, I can help with three sides. I can get up, study, workout, be inspired by the work of the day, however I cannot order up knowledge and wisdom.
God gives the knowledge and wisdom of two sides, I can’t do that, not possible. Truth be known, I can’t even do three sides without Him. If I look at this, using this study aid, I learn to hear Him
1 Thessalonians 5:23 New International Version
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Side #1: Mind. Reading, studying, going in depth in the bible, politics, what the world and my business are up to. Line up scripture with current events, understand prophecy, philosophy, what makes your children tick, you, spouse, business.
Side #2: Body. Sleep, correct food, exercise, oxygen to the brain. Alcohol is not my friend, drugs, stupid people, be aware. Repeat that last sentence.
Side #3: Spirit. Inspiration. Chores accomplished yield a great feeling of accomplishment. Kids, writing, re-painting a room, creating new spaces to work, walking, problem solving, achieving a personal goal, sharing testimony, breathing in your life.
If I use these three sides of this triangle correctly, Im too busy to focus on stupid. If I try and stick to this thing, if I pray that He help me push towards the goal of correctness, what could happen? What did happen? Knowledge and wisdom, God speaking, me learning to listen. I could see the truth better and what was most enlightening is I noticed the truth could see me, God could see me, me, useless me. This lens, I thought, this sharpness of focus, it is the Holy Spirit, I could almost hear him but my stubborn nature still got in the way, things I wanted to do.
Hosea 14:9 Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
What happened when I slipped away from it? I immediately began scheduling things that led me down a path of stupid. Then I got a job. A big job, and I needed the money. And the job? Working for God, I just didn’t quite understand it all yet. However, like you and your company one day there it was. I was faced with real things.
Leadership, authority, responsibility, honor — a critical position. The measure of me was at hand. Working the triangle, kept me better, suddenly I needed to be better, and to stay better.
1 Timothy 3:2 Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b]sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
God could give me knowledge and the wisdom to utilize that knowledge, if only I continue to hear His voice in obedience.
1 Corinthians 14:40 But let all things be done decently and in order.
Impossible? Yes. Without Him, it is impossible.
All of you are very stubborn and you want what you want, you prioritize what you want, you disagree and think the opposite in the face of absolute direction. All of us have that challenge. When I do that, I miss out on side four and five. Let me write down what I found in my “learning aid” of the fourth and fifth side of the triangle.
Side 4 (front) Knowledge = Reading and studying God’s word, hearing His direction, discernment in all matters, understanding historical evidence, letting go of theories and generalities, observing the evidence of God in all things, the power of prayer and then what? I can hear Him better.
Side 5 (Back) Wisdom = the difference between needs and want, God and men, flesh and spirit, fact and fiction, stewardship and arrogance, listening for God’s direction in the Word, authentic and true. The actual use of the Knowledge God has given. How can I use this Wisdom, I must hear Him better. For me, work it, mind, body, spirit, three sides, for the prize of knowledge and wisdom and what? Learning to listen for God’s voice.
Proverbs 2:6-8 All wisdom comes from the Lord, and so do common sense and understanding. 7 God gives helpful advice[a] to everyone who obeys him and protects all of those who live as they should. 8 God sees that justice is done, and he watches over everyone who is faithful to him.
Matthew 11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Either I accept the challenge of balance using this triangle, or perhaps stay crippled without it, find another way? I assure you, if you would’ve found another way, we would not never met. You’d be in a much different place in life.
I want it, and it isn’t easy to achieve. I ask Him for help, but you know what? First, He may ask you if that’s what you want? He asked that of a cripple. Is it easier to stay a cripple or get up and live life?
John 5:6-10 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
Great scripture, I guess the question is, “do you want to get well, or stay as scripture says, “in this condition..” I had a thought the other day. What’s the opposite of the this triangle? Ah, yes, then I remembered my life before these lessons. Three sides of hell’s triangle: distraction, destruction and demonic, the fourth and fifth sides: envy and jealousy. I don’t want that triangle anymore, and I’m assuming neither do you. What is the goal?
Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
How do you hold yourself together against the world’s temptations? Balance in all areas? Good idea, or just a concept?
Proverbs 11:1: A just weight is His delight, but a false balance is an abomination to the Lord.
Let’s take a page from the playbook of early America
- The Washington Monument. The aluminum cap bears the inscription, Laus Deo, “Praise God.”
- What is written on the Jefferson monument?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men. - What Bible verse was used in the founding of our country?
Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.”
Sounds like the longest most successful democracy in history saw God as a verb, His relationship crucial, and the gift of freedom His blessing to learn. The country has forgotten God, it’s out of balance. It’s up to the church to rally what’s left and give those who don’t know God, a fighting chance, give the country a fighting chance.
We lie to ourselves, sell a bill of goods that’s just nonsense. Our own idea about time and the relevance of priorities, bla, bla, bla. All of it nonsense. It takes real dedication to keep things in correct order and it is not convenient. Heck, I talk myself out of everything in the name of being important all the time, bla, bla, bla. My only hope? Stick with the Holy Spirit, ask for strength, clarity, God. We become so important and then, hard to hear God’s voice.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]
Next week the sliding scale, how to measure the triangle. Yea, not only did I realize I couldn’t keep track of the triangle, but that I needed a trick for that, too. So I invented a little mechanism called “the sliding scale,” I’ll talk about it next week. Maybe you see this as a real cliff hangar. I hope so. In the mean time, stay alert, all of us have a tremendous amount of responsibility, not tending to the balance of self will allow for great difficulty.
Chapter 12, Part One The Five Sides of the Triangle 2025
If you didn’t understand it, listen to it until you do. I did ask a pertinent question at the beginning of this chapter: “what do you think the devil sees when he looks at you?” I’ll tell you what he sees. An easy mark, a selfish, self absorbed perfect target, indulgent, arrogant and very, very weak. Based on that, this is what I pray.
“My Jesus, when the devil looks at me, I pray he sees You, in the reflection of my obedience.”
By the way, in case you’re wondering about the cripple I spoke of a minute ago. Jesus asked him if he wanted to stay that way?
John 6-7 The Healing at the Pool
6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
Maybe we should all do the same. I hope the triangle helps you, it’s free, it’s always here and maybe it’ll help you hear His voice. Amen.
