I'll admit to being busy. Too busy. I'm looking at my life and thinking, "Ok, what to cut?".
I think I have a hard time answering that question because, if I find myself with free time, I somehow feel guilty. I automatically think that I could be using that free time to serve someone or to volunteer for something or to be doing something. So what do I do? I say yes. Yes, yes, YES! All the time. I am beginning to think that "no" isn't even in my vocabulary. Then what happens? I become tired, overworked, and under-fortified with spiritual strength because suddenly all that I said yes to has stolen my time and captured my interest, holding it hostage until I say yes to the next thing.
I'm not silly enough to think that those asking for my time are the culprits here. Unfortunately, I'm the one to blame :( I'm the one that allows myself to say yes. I'm the one who volunteers, raises a hand, feels compelled to help. It's not a bad trait, to want to help, but it is bad when my attention is no longer first and foremost on the Thing that it should be.
Once again I'm at a crossroads. Do I continue on, spiraling out of control into the hectic-ness that is my life? Or do I opt for change? Do I ask God where He'd like to prune back my schedule? I want to choose to accept His decision as the best for me and then, instead of wallowing in my new found free time, use my time more wisely! To experience true rest in Him. To breathe easy out of a life that is simplified.
I guess I'm not superwoman, huh? Could have fooled me with the way I've been going.
Lord, please give me guidance. Show me where to cut back, where to be diligent, and where to stick it out.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
a life well lived
I've been thinking about Heaven today. I just learned this morning that a dear friend and devoted member of our church, Mort, passed away yesterday. It came as a shock because, though he was ill, one of our pastors had just had lunch with him and everything seemed to be going okay.
When I think back on my time with Mort, I think of a strong man of faith who loved the Lord well. Our staff occasionally had lunch with him, and every time we would get together he would make a point to let our server know he was a Christian and if there was anything they needed prayer about, he would love to pray for them. He was always sincere, never pushy, and you can believe he came across as genuine.
I remember one time at lunch when we were talking about cruses. He loved to take them and was telling us all about them. Somehow, we got on the subject of a friend of his attempting to "set him up" with one of her friends to take a cruse together. Of course, lost of joking ensued, but he got serious for one moment and, in all apparent honesty said, "I wouldn't get married again, even if she looked like J-Lo!" Needless to say, we all lost it for a good five minutes. To hear an 80 something-year-old man admit that Jennifer Lopez is attractive but he still wouldn't marry her was hilarious!
I also think of his faithfulness to our church. Every Sunday morning, usually 20 to 30 minutes before service, he would come in and sit in the front row and listen to the worship team practice. He was always there for a friendly smile or a "good morning" when I walked by and I know he loved hearing the music.
I will miss him. I will miss his stories about the people had the chance to minster to. I will miss his ever present form in the front row. I will miss his grin as we joke with him at lunch. And I will miss his dedication to the Lord, acting as a guide for us who are younger. I am thankful I got to know him and thankful for the time the Lord allowed him to be on this earth. I'm also excited for his reunion with his wife and, most of all, his union with Jesus!
This was Mort's favorite song - nearly every Sunday he would ask if we could sing it, and I post it here in his honor.
Take Me In...
Take me past the outer courts
Into the secret place,
Past the brazen altar,
Lord, I want to see Your face.
Pass me by the crowds of people,
The priests who sing Your praise;
I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness
And it’s only found in one place.
Take me in to the Holy of Holies,
Take me in by the blood of the Lamb;
Take me in to the Holy of Holies,
Take the coal, cleanse my lips,
Here I am.
Take the coal, cleanse my lips,
Here I am.
Dave Browning 1986 Glory Alleluia Music
CCLI #19272
His faith is now sight. I look forward to seeing you again someday, Mort.
When I think back on my time with Mort, I think of a strong man of faith who loved the Lord well. Our staff occasionally had lunch with him, and every time we would get together he would make a point to let our server know he was a Christian and if there was anything they needed prayer about, he would love to pray for them. He was always sincere, never pushy, and you can believe he came across as genuine.
I remember one time at lunch when we were talking about cruses. He loved to take them and was telling us all about them. Somehow, we got on the subject of a friend of his attempting to "set him up" with one of her friends to take a cruse together. Of course, lost of joking ensued, but he got serious for one moment and, in all apparent honesty said, "I wouldn't get married again, even if she looked like J-Lo!" Needless to say, we all lost it for a good five minutes. To hear an 80 something-year-old man admit that Jennifer Lopez is attractive but he still wouldn't marry her was hilarious!
I also think of his faithfulness to our church. Every Sunday morning, usually 20 to 30 minutes before service, he would come in and sit in the front row and listen to the worship team practice. He was always there for a friendly smile or a "good morning" when I walked by and I know he loved hearing the music.
I will miss him. I will miss his stories about the people had the chance to minster to. I will miss his ever present form in the front row. I will miss his grin as we joke with him at lunch. And I will miss his dedication to the Lord, acting as a guide for us who are younger. I am thankful I got to know him and thankful for the time the Lord allowed him to be on this earth. I'm also excited for his reunion with his wife and, most of all, his union with Jesus!
This was Mort's favorite song - nearly every Sunday he would ask if we could sing it, and I post it here in his honor.
Take Me In...
Take me past the outer courts
Into the secret place,
Past the brazen altar,
Lord, I want to see Your face.
Pass me by the crowds of people,
The priests who sing Your praise;
I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness
And it’s only found in one place.
Take me in to the Holy of Holies,
Take me in by the blood of the Lamb;
Take me in to the Holy of Holies,
Take the coal, cleanse my lips,
Here I am.
Take the coal, cleanse my lips,
Here I am.
Dave Browning 1986 Glory Alleluia Music
CCLI #19272
His faith is now sight. I look forward to seeing you again someday, Mort.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Easter
As midnight rapidly approaches (as in, 40 minutes away...) I take a moment while my triple layer apple pie bakes to think about Easter. I took part in a Messianic Passover Dinner last night with some good friends and then we watched The Passion of the Christ. Talk about heavy stuff. The dinner was really amazing (I've never celebrated one before) but the reality was a lot deeper than eating 'strange' things and drinking red wine.
The reality of it is... we wouldn't have hope without Easter. Without Christ.
Actually, I think it's even more than that. We wouldn't have hope without His resurrection.
That's the main thing that separates us from any other religion. Our God is a God who lives. He not only died for our sins, He brought life back with Him. I don't think that really hits me very often - or at least not often enough. The separation that Jesus allowed, the excruciating pain of a tortured, human death is unimaginable...even down to the drops of blood that flowed freely from His body. It's these things that cleanse us. That free us. That give us assurance.
Most people don't understand that. Why would we celebrate blood? Why would we be okay with suffering and condemnation from everyone when the easy way is just a few steps over? But it's not about the easy way. Christ didn't take the easy way.
Tonight, I'm just in awe of my Savior. I'm in amazement that He went to the cross "like a lamb led to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). I'm humbled that He chose to make a way for us. I'm ashamed to think of all the times I've disobeyed, but encouraged to recognize that I have been shown grace. And I'm hopeful. Hopeful that He will use me in whatever way He wants, knowing that He is more than worthy of my trust.
Happy Easter to you all!
The reality of it is... we wouldn't have hope without Easter. Without Christ.
Actually, I think it's even more than that. We wouldn't have hope without His resurrection.
That's the main thing that separates us from any other religion. Our God is a God who lives. He not only died for our sins, He brought life back with Him. I don't think that really hits me very often - or at least not often enough. The separation that Jesus allowed, the excruciating pain of a tortured, human death is unimaginable...even down to the drops of blood that flowed freely from His body. It's these things that cleanse us. That free us. That give us assurance.
Most people don't understand that. Why would we celebrate blood? Why would we be okay with suffering and condemnation from everyone when the easy way is just a few steps over? But it's not about the easy way. Christ didn't take the easy way.
Tonight, I'm just in awe of my Savior. I'm in amazement that He went to the cross "like a lamb led to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). I'm humbled that He chose to make a way for us. I'm ashamed to think of all the times I've disobeyed, but encouraged to recognize that I have been shown grace. And I'm hopeful. Hopeful that He will use me in whatever way He wants, knowing that He is more than worthy of my trust.
Happy Easter to you all!
 |
| My pie made it out just fine :) |
Thursday, April 5, 2012
you can't have one without the other
I've been thinking a lot about love. Real love. True love. Not just the fuzzy, pink-haloed 'love' Hollywood portrays where you're falling in love with a man you just met a a grocery store or something, but rather a deeper, more genuine love. Do we even know that that is? What that looks like? What the requirements are for this type of love?
I think we have lost sight of true love and instead have replaced it with a vision it was never created to be. Love has now become tolerance. People will say, "I'm different, you have to love me" but really what they want is acceptance. Sure, they call it love, but I don't think it's the same thing.
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek it's own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Genuine love is so much deeper than what we think we want from others. Sure, it can feel great to have another person say they love you but if they let you down (which, eventually they will) it cheapens their love. The only type of love that a person can fully be satisfied with is love from God. He is the only one who could ever fulfill everything listed in 1 Corinthians.
So, as I thought about love, I also thought about justice. I was listening to a Tim Keller sermon the other day and he was explaining about love and justice. He said (much more eloquently than I) that God shows true love by being both loving and just, that you can't have one with out the other. If God truly is a loving Father, then he couldn't allow sin to go unpunished because that would be unloving. The wrong could never be righted. The injustice would never be avenged.
It struck me how simple and yet how complex it was. So many people I've talked to say that God is not loving because He allowed some consequence in someones life or because there is injustice in the world, but that is far from the truth. That view also overlooks quite a few things. Who were the first to disobey God? Adam and Eve. What did they do? They ushered in sin and with it consequence into the world. What did God do? He forgave them, clothed them, and made a way for them to continue to be forgiven (because He knew they would sin again). He didn't forsake them. It was their own sin that caused them to face painful consequences.
God shows His love to us in so many ways. The hardest to understand is that He is loving because He allows consequences. Even more than that though, He is loving because, despite all of our sin and our rejection of Him, He still chose to save us. He made a specific way for us.
We were selfish from the start, our pride desiring only what we wanted.
Jesus, in his unselfishness, went to the cross for us.
Our unrighteousness deserved (and still does) death.
Christ, in His righteousness, covered us by the blood He freely shed on the cross for us, redeeming us from death into true life.
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
Romans 6:4-7
Praise God that He made a way for us to be saved! Through His death we have life. And life in Him means we have an ability to love because He first loved us (1 John 4:7-21).
Going back to my first point about love, I am saddened that people have the wrong perspective of what love is. They compare it to having people accept them just as they are, the good and the bad. True love is so much more than this! It's having someone see just who you are (sin and all), die for you, and then promise you the strength to change so you are no longer in the sin that was ensnaring you.
As Easter approaches, now is the best time to think (or start thinking) about what this means. "For he who has died is freed from sin" - if we have aligned ourselves with Christ, we have taken part in His sacrifice, died to sin, and are freed from sin. Freed! That mean's we don't have to sin and every time we do, we chose to do so. How amazing to realize that Christ has purchased our freedom out of love. Now that is true love.
I think we have lost sight of true love and instead have replaced it with a vision it was never created to be. Love has now become tolerance. People will say, "I'm different, you have to love me" but really what they want is acceptance. Sure, they call it love, but I don't think it's the same thing.
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek it's own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Genuine love is so much deeper than what we think we want from others. Sure, it can feel great to have another person say they love you but if they let you down (which, eventually they will) it cheapens their love. The only type of love that a person can fully be satisfied with is love from God. He is the only one who could ever fulfill everything listed in 1 Corinthians.
So, as I thought about love, I also thought about justice. I was listening to a Tim Keller sermon the other day and he was explaining about love and justice. He said (much more eloquently than I) that God shows true love by being both loving and just, that you can't have one with out the other. If God truly is a loving Father, then he couldn't allow sin to go unpunished because that would be unloving. The wrong could never be righted. The injustice would never be avenged.
It struck me how simple and yet how complex it was. So many people I've talked to say that God is not loving because He allowed some consequence in someones life or because there is injustice in the world, but that is far from the truth. That view also overlooks quite a few things. Who were the first to disobey God? Adam and Eve. What did they do? They ushered in sin and with it consequence into the world. What did God do? He forgave them, clothed them, and made a way for them to continue to be forgiven (because He knew they would sin again). He didn't forsake them. It was their own sin that caused them to face painful consequences.
God shows His love to us in so many ways. The hardest to understand is that He is loving because He allows consequences. Even more than that though, He is loving because, despite all of our sin and our rejection of Him, He still chose to save us. He made a specific way for us.
We were selfish from the start, our pride desiring only what we wanted.
Jesus, in his unselfishness, went to the cross for us.
Our unrighteousness deserved (and still does) death.
Christ, in His righteousness, covered us by the blood He freely shed on the cross for us, redeeming us from death into true life.
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
Romans 6:4-7
Praise God that He made a way for us to be saved! Through His death we have life. And life in Him means we have an ability to love because He first loved us (1 John 4:7-21).
Going back to my first point about love, I am saddened that people have the wrong perspective of what love is. They compare it to having people accept them just as they are, the good and the bad. True love is so much more than this! It's having someone see just who you are (sin and all), die for you, and then promise you the strength to change so you are no longer in the sin that was ensnaring you.
As Easter approaches, now is the best time to think (or start thinking) about what this means. "For he who has died is freed from sin" - if we have aligned ourselves with Christ, we have taken part in His sacrifice, died to sin, and are freed from sin. Freed! That mean's we don't have to sin and every time we do, we chose to do so. How amazing to realize that Christ has purchased our freedom out of love. Now that is true love.
Monday, March 26, 2012
what truly satisfies
Over the last few months I've come to a deeper understanding of my relationship with the Lord. This is not to say that I've in any way "arrived", in fact, with this understanding comes a renewed urgency to know Him more. Nonetheless, it is an amazing feeling to realize that when God says's He is enough, He is. I don't say this to be flippant or to in any way simplify this notion, but to enhance it by stating it plainly.
In relation to this, we are studying through Psalm 119 in our women's group at church (The Aletheia as I've mentioned before). I have been so encouraged by breaking this large Psalm down into manageable chunks and really trying to dive into what the Psalmist is saying. Over and over again it is repeated that the word of God & His commandments are what establishes us, what we give thanks for, how we remain pure, what we praise Him for, what comforts us...and the list goes on. I have never before been so challenged to ask myself what the word means to me and if I'm desiring it like I should.
I've also recognized the longing the psalmist has for the Lord. Just a few phrases from the beginning section of Psalm 119 (emphases mine):
v2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart
v10 With all my heart I have sought You
v20 My soul is crushed with longing after Your ordinances at all times
v31 I cling to Your testimonies
v40 Behold I long for Your precepts
v45b For I seek Your precepts
v48 I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love and I will meditate on Your statues
v57 The Lord is my portion
v58 I have sought Your favor with all my heart
In my mind, I picture the psalmist on his knees in utter disbelief that God is his portion and strength. The words he uses are not fluffy, soft words but intense, deliberate words like all, sought, crushed, longing, cling, seek, and love. There is so much passion and emotion and clear thought wrapped up in these words and phrases bringing me to a clearer understating of what it means to truly desire God.
In every day life we are faced with countless distractions. With magazines and adds that show 'perfect' people and bodies, with endless things to desire and lust after either owned by our neighbors or displayed in store windows, and with television and movies that allow us to escape our own (sometimes bleak) reality. We are constantly hit by a barrage of stuff that is supposed to make us happy but in the end will let us down. We'll get old and, no matter the amount of botox we use, we'll still have wrinkles. No matter the quantity or price of stuff we buy, it will never last forever and will always need to be replaced by the "next greatest thing". Our lives will continue on and we wont be able to escape the reality of death.
Compare this reality with that of the psalmist and you see a stark contrast. Desiring stuff versus desiring the Lord. For me, it's recognizing that the desire of the psalmist is the only desire that can be truly fulfilled. "I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4) and "...Seek, and you will find...for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds..." (Matthew 7:7). God promises to answer us and deliver us when we seek Him. God is there to be found. These are just a few of the promises He makes to us! Can a magazine give you that? Can a movie truly change your life? Can stuff really fulfill a lonely heart?
The best part is found in Romans 6:8-11...
"Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him...Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus". God promises us life. True life! Not just someone elses life or someone elses stuff, but our very own, personal relationship with the creator of the universe. He hands that to us free of charge. A gift. The best gift.
I know it's easy to get caught up in the things of this life but we must remember that they are hazards to us. They sneak in and shift our focus from what truly satisfies to a momentary fix that, once it's gone, will leave you wanting more. I know that, for myself, the only thing I want established in front of me is the Lord and His precepts and I know that that will satisfy me completely. Nothing I could purchase or even make myself become would come close. It's amazing the complete satisfaction and confidence that can be found in our relationship with the Creator.
Who or what is satisfying you?
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
Psalm 119:9
In relation to this, we are studying through Psalm 119 in our women's group at church (The Aletheia as I've mentioned before). I have been so encouraged by breaking this large Psalm down into manageable chunks and really trying to dive into what the Psalmist is saying. Over and over again it is repeated that the word of God & His commandments are what establishes us, what we give thanks for, how we remain pure, what we praise Him for, what comforts us...and the list goes on. I have never before been so challenged to ask myself what the word means to me and if I'm desiring it like I should.
I've also recognized the longing the psalmist has for the Lord. Just a few phrases from the beginning section of Psalm 119 (emphases mine):
v2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart
v10 With all my heart I have sought You
v20 My soul is crushed with longing after Your ordinances at all times
v31 I cling to Your testimonies
v40 Behold I long for Your precepts
v45b For I seek Your precepts
v48 I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love and I will meditate on Your statues
v57 The Lord is my portion
v58 I have sought Your favor with all my heart
In my mind, I picture the psalmist on his knees in utter disbelief that God is his portion and strength. The words he uses are not fluffy, soft words but intense, deliberate words like all, sought, crushed, longing, cling, seek, and love. There is so much passion and emotion and clear thought wrapped up in these words and phrases bringing me to a clearer understating of what it means to truly desire God.
In every day life we are faced with countless distractions. With magazines and adds that show 'perfect' people and bodies, with endless things to desire and lust after either owned by our neighbors or displayed in store windows, and with television and movies that allow us to escape our own (sometimes bleak) reality. We are constantly hit by a barrage of stuff that is supposed to make us happy but in the end will let us down. We'll get old and, no matter the amount of botox we use, we'll still have wrinkles. No matter the quantity or price of stuff we buy, it will never last forever and will always need to be replaced by the "next greatest thing". Our lives will continue on and we wont be able to escape the reality of death.
Compare this reality with that of the psalmist and you see a stark contrast. Desiring stuff versus desiring the Lord. For me, it's recognizing that the desire of the psalmist is the only desire that can be truly fulfilled. "I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4) and "...Seek, and you will find...for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds..." (Matthew 7:7). God promises to answer us and deliver us when we seek Him. God is there to be found. These are just a few of the promises He makes to us! Can a magazine give you that? Can a movie truly change your life? Can stuff really fulfill a lonely heart?
The best part is found in Romans 6:8-11...
"Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him...Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus". God promises us life. True life! Not just someone elses life or someone elses stuff, but our very own, personal relationship with the creator of the universe. He hands that to us free of charge. A gift. The best gift.
I know it's easy to get caught up in the things of this life but we must remember that they are hazards to us. They sneak in and shift our focus from what truly satisfies to a momentary fix that, once it's gone, will leave you wanting more. I know that, for myself, the only thing I want established in front of me is the Lord and His precepts and I know that that will satisfy me completely. Nothing I could purchase or even make myself become would come close. It's amazing the complete satisfaction and confidence that can be found in our relationship with the Creator.
Who or what is satisfying you?
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
Psalm 119:9
Thursday, March 15, 2012
comparison & perfection
Comparison kills. I heard it described once (and I'm totally paraphrasing) that if a girl walks into a room with other girls around she will automatically compare herself to all of those girls. She'll eventually end up deciding that she is equal to some, better than others, and not as good as some too. The sad thing is that this is all too true.
What is it that makes us do this? Girl or not, I'm sure everyone has struggled with comparing themselves to others when it comes to their relationship with God. This too is a grievous thing. We start to analyze our relationship with God and then we see others who we think are better at it than we are, and we get discouraged. Suddenly, this newly established standard of "near-perfection" is unobtainable and results in a few different responses. We can become despondent and apathetic, thinking that our faith will never be that great or that inspiring and we slide down the slippery slope of self-deprecation. We can become angry and frustrated, blaming God for our own lack of zeal and motivation. We can become drastic, thinking that, at this point in time, we are not what we should be so therefore we never will be, which can lead to giving up. Or we can see the inspiration that someone elses walk with God can be, latch hold of it, and use it to fuel a desire for deeper devotion to the Lord.
This last option is of course the best response, but isn't always the easiest. There have been so many times in my life that I've seen someone else react to a bad situation with such hope and strength that I've been tempted to respond like the prior three. There have also been times where I've gotten to know someone and thought, "I wish my faith was as deep and genuine as theirs - I fear I'll never be that devoted to God". It's easy in those situations to compare my situation or my faith with theirs but what a ridiculous thing to do. If I were to be advising myself in the situation I would have said something like, "Really? You're comparing your faith to someone who has been a Christian for at least 10 years more than you?".
When I really stop to think this through, I almost laugh (almost) because, no matter the situation I'm in, someone has probably gone through something similar to it and more than likely they responded poorly the first time. I hype these things up in my mind and think, I'm hopeless because my first response wasn't what it should have been. Praise God I even recognized that it was a poor response! The right reaction and response, I believe, comes from responding poorly the first time. This may not be the case in every instance, but how do we as humans learn? We fail, and then we adjust the next time by His grace.
I am saddened to see myself fail or to see others fail as well, but that doesn't mean there isn't hope for the future! When we compare ourselves to others we are setting a standard for us that God never intended. I think we forget one BIG truth that supersedes all of this - Who should we really be comparing ourselves to? Christ! And, if we all were compared with Him, we'd all fall short (Romans 3:23) so that puts us all in the same sinking boat! It's only by God's grace that any of us is saved or that any of us can respond in the correct manner and that is a huge relief! When we realize this, we are no longer convicted by others faith that seems 'greater' than our own but instead we are inspired.
I guess this has just been heavy on my heart recently. My eyes have been opened by conversations with women who I would have initially thought were perfect but, when it comes right down to it, struggle with the exact same things I do. It's a danger when we feel as if we need to appear like we have it all together. It creates this false sense of security for ourselves as well as a false image for others.
The only Perfect One is Christ. By His grace He has allowed some to be a little 'further along' in their walk and that should never been seen as a hindrance but rather an encouragement! Paul said, "I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children...I urge you, then, be imitators of me." (1 Corinthians 4:14,16). Let's be real with one another, encourage one another, and not let the shame of our own failings seep in and cause us to disrepair.
What is it that makes us do this? Girl or not, I'm sure everyone has struggled with comparing themselves to others when it comes to their relationship with God. This too is a grievous thing. We start to analyze our relationship with God and then we see others who we think are better at it than we are, and we get discouraged. Suddenly, this newly established standard of "near-perfection" is unobtainable and results in a few different responses. We can become despondent and apathetic, thinking that our faith will never be that great or that inspiring and we slide down the slippery slope of self-deprecation. We can become angry and frustrated, blaming God for our own lack of zeal and motivation. We can become drastic, thinking that, at this point in time, we are not what we should be so therefore we never will be, which can lead to giving up. Or we can see the inspiration that someone elses walk with God can be, latch hold of it, and use it to fuel a desire for deeper devotion to the Lord.
This last option is of course the best response, but isn't always the easiest. There have been so many times in my life that I've seen someone else react to a bad situation with such hope and strength that I've been tempted to respond like the prior three. There have also been times where I've gotten to know someone and thought, "I wish my faith was as deep and genuine as theirs - I fear I'll never be that devoted to God". It's easy in those situations to compare my situation or my faith with theirs but what a ridiculous thing to do. If I were to be advising myself in the situation I would have said something like, "Really? You're comparing your faith to someone who has been a Christian for at least 10 years more than you?".
When I really stop to think this through, I almost laugh (almost) because, no matter the situation I'm in, someone has probably gone through something similar to it and more than likely they responded poorly the first time. I hype these things up in my mind and think, I'm hopeless because my first response wasn't what it should have been. Praise God I even recognized that it was a poor response! The right reaction and response, I believe, comes from responding poorly the first time. This may not be the case in every instance, but how do we as humans learn? We fail, and then we adjust the next time by His grace.
I am saddened to see myself fail or to see others fail as well, but that doesn't mean there isn't hope for the future! When we compare ourselves to others we are setting a standard for us that God never intended. I think we forget one BIG truth that supersedes all of this - Who should we really be comparing ourselves to? Christ! And, if we all were compared with Him, we'd all fall short (Romans 3:23) so that puts us all in the same sinking boat! It's only by God's grace that any of us is saved or that any of us can respond in the correct manner and that is a huge relief! When we realize this, we are no longer convicted by others faith that seems 'greater' than our own but instead we are inspired.
I guess this has just been heavy on my heart recently. My eyes have been opened by conversations with women who I would have initially thought were perfect but, when it comes right down to it, struggle with the exact same things I do. It's a danger when we feel as if we need to appear like we have it all together. It creates this false sense of security for ourselves as well as a false image for others.
The only Perfect One is Christ. By His grace He has allowed some to be a little 'further along' in their walk and that should never been seen as a hindrance but rather an encouragement! Paul said, "I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children...I urge you, then, be imitators of me." (1 Corinthians 4:14,16). Let's be real with one another, encourage one another, and not let the shame of our own failings seep in and cause us to disrepair.
Friday, March 9, 2012
true strength
I've heard the phrase "in God's strength" a lot recently - whether it
is from my own lips or from someone I know. I like those words, but
this morning I stopped and asked myself what does "doing something in
God's strength" really look like? It's kind of like a buzz-word (though
it's a phrase) for us as Christians and I think (as with many other
things) we say it without stopping to think what it truly means.
In God's strength. Where is that found in the Bible? Well, here are a few instances though not all...
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm 73:26
"Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!"
Psalm 81:1
"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."
Psalm 118:14
"He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength."
Isaiah 40:29
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
"That according to the riches of His glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being..."
Ephesians 3:16
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
" I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service"
1 Timothy 1:12
Wow! I can honestly say I didn't realize how many verses there were in the Bible where God promises to be our strength (and there are even more!). Reading through these, it's easy to see that God desires to give us strength. The wonderful thing is that, though He asks much of us in the way of obedience and doing His will and many other things, He is faithful to give us the strength to accomplish these deeds.
Unfortunately, I know that I personally don't always actively remember His strength. In fact, I think sometimes I take on the attitude of saying, "Thanks Lord, but I've got this." How utterly ridiculous is that? With this in mind, I came up with an example for what this kind of attitude is like - hopefully it will make sense.
It would be a similar concept if you were going in to surgery for a very rare procedure that only one doctor in the world knew how to preform. In fact, this doctor had invented and perfected the technique and he was willing to preform the surgery on you. But, instead of accepting this surgeons help, you chose a nurse who had never done this procedure, had never even heard of the doctor, and just got her license a few weeks before. Not the wisest choice eh?
I think we chose the nurse over the doctor so often! In fact, to bring the metaphor home, I think we become that nurse who decides to take on a case that is clearly way beyond her field and expertise. We think, yes, I can handle this, but when it comes down to it, we realize we cant. The amazing thing is the nurse could potentially preform the surgery if the doctor was there to help her. He could instruct her movements, advise her, and teach her how to accomplish the best out come if she would let him help.
This analogy is so simple and cannot completely explain the complexities of how God gives us His strength, but for me, it helps to point out many of my weaknesses. I fail all the time by thinking that my plan is better than His plan. I attempt to make things turn out the way I want. When the going gets tough, I try and get tougher but eventually end up crashing and burning - exhausted and disappointed that I messed up.
That's not how the Lord wants us to live. "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." That, to me, does not sound like God is sending me on my way to make my own mistakes. Instead, He says He will be my strength and portion forever! I want to live understanding that and putting it into practice. How, you my ask? I think sometimes it is as simple as recognizing in any situation that we aren't in control (we're not even asked to be). Taking a step back, opening up our tightly clinched fists, and handing it all over to Him. Being aware of His leading and prayerfully considering life gives Him the necessary room to instruct us.
I'm looking forward to (and praying about) enacting this in my own life on every occasion - not just the times where life gets rough.
In God's strength. Where is that found in the Bible? Well, here are a few instances though not all...
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm 73:26
"Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!"
Psalm 81:1
"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."
Psalm 118:14
"He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength."
Isaiah 40:29
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
"That according to the riches of His glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being..."
Ephesians 3:16
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
" I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service"
1 Timothy 1:12
Wow! I can honestly say I didn't realize how many verses there were in the Bible where God promises to be our strength (and there are even more!). Reading through these, it's easy to see that God desires to give us strength. The wonderful thing is that, though He asks much of us in the way of obedience and doing His will and many other things, He is faithful to give us the strength to accomplish these deeds.
Unfortunately, I know that I personally don't always actively remember His strength. In fact, I think sometimes I take on the attitude of saying, "Thanks Lord, but I've got this." How utterly ridiculous is that? With this in mind, I came up with an example for what this kind of attitude is like - hopefully it will make sense.
It would be a similar concept if you were going in to surgery for a very rare procedure that only one doctor in the world knew how to preform. In fact, this doctor had invented and perfected the technique and he was willing to preform the surgery on you. But, instead of accepting this surgeons help, you chose a nurse who had never done this procedure, had never even heard of the doctor, and just got her license a few weeks before. Not the wisest choice eh?
I think we chose the nurse over the doctor so often! In fact, to bring the metaphor home, I think we become that nurse who decides to take on a case that is clearly way beyond her field and expertise. We think, yes, I can handle this, but when it comes down to it, we realize we cant. The amazing thing is the nurse could potentially preform the surgery if the doctor was there to help her. He could instruct her movements, advise her, and teach her how to accomplish the best out come if she would let him help.
This analogy is so simple and cannot completely explain the complexities of how God gives us His strength, but for me, it helps to point out many of my weaknesses. I fail all the time by thinking that my plan is better than His plan. I attempt to make things turn out the way I want. When the going gets tough, I try and get tougher but eventually end up crashing and burning - exhausted and disappointed that I messed up.
That's not how the Lord wants us to live. "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." That, to me, does not sound like God is sending me on my way to make my own mistakes. Instead, He says He will be my strength and portion forever! I want to live understanding that and putting it into practice. How, you my ask? I think sometimes it is as simple as recognizing in any situation that we aren't in control (we're not even asked to be). Taking a step back, opening up our tightly clinched fists, and handing it all over to Him. Being aware of His leading and prayerfully considering life gives Him the necessary room to instruct us.
I'm looking forward to (and praying about) enacting this in my own life on every occasion - not just the times where life gets rough.
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