Wow. That's all I can really say...
Have you ever believed something to be true, but then when you actually experience it - it completely knocks the wind out of you...you're stunned. This just happened to me...I just received a divine message from the Lord - "get your hands off My stuff."
Lately, I've been experiencing a series of P&G (Patience & Grace) tests...I've failed most of them. :-) I'm not discouraged though because I know that God will work my impatient nature out of me eventually...There isn't enough room for it if He's going to stay in my life. Anyway...the more I learn about relationships, the more tests (I feel) have been set in front of me.
Have you ever had a friendship in which you feel a little neglected at times? Your friend seems to be extremely busy at some points (or all of the time in some cases) and you feel as if you don't measure up on the importance scale. I've been the busy friend and I've been the neglected friend. In either situation, it is really easy to want to call up the other friend and tell them your feelings and how their actions are affecting you. Don't do it. Seriously - don't. You'll only exacerbate the hurt feelings.
Last night, God stunned me. I was praying about a friendship in which I felt as if I'd been temporarily placed on the back burner. It was frustrating for me and I really wanted to take matters into my own hands. But I felt God saying, "get your hands off My stuff"...so I surrendered in the moment...giving the situation to Him. He got an earful from me about my feelings - not complaining...just informing. After sharing, I asked Him to take care of the situation for me because anything I would say (in my emotional state) to the friend would probably frustrate and perpetuate the problem. I asked Him if I could express my feelings at whatever point He saw as appropriate.
Not even 30 seconds later, my friend called and said that s/he had been sleeping but woke up and thought of me...knowing that s/he should call me. I was able to share my feelings and we worked through finding a balance together.
Stunned.
Tell me there is no God and I'll know you're a fool (
Psalm 14:1). Tell me God doesn't want to hear about your feelings and troubles and I'll reassure you that He cares.
"Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you." 1 Peter 5:7
Here's a learning experience for everyone...Make sure you have the correct receipt when you go to the store to exchange an item. This weekend, I picked out a ring that I really liked and my mom offered to buy it for me. Something was all jacked up with how the coupons worked during her transaction so they had to redo the whole order. Well, I guess in the process - it invalidated the items on the receipt. So, when I went to return the ring and exchange it for one that fit my finger, the receipt said that the item had already been returned. How wonderful since I found a ring I liked better (but also cost a little more) and wanted to just pay the difference. Here we go...the fiasco begins.
Not only was the sales associate not understanding what the transaction was all about (because of the receipt), she was also extremely rude. To spare myself from repenting for bitterness again I won't go into detail. :-) But I will say that my sparks tend to be ignited when people are rude and inconsiderate. There's no need for it...I get heated quick-fast-& in a hurry! While I was standing there, I was praying for patience and that God would give me grace to deal with the woman...I was trying to help her (and the company out) by doing the right thing when they rang it up incorrectly the first time...and she's belittling ME! "Oh, Lord...come quick!" Shoot!
I had calculated the difference to be about $7 or $8. After she tried to convince me that, in the second attempted transaction, she had credited the original ring and that I now owed
x (which was actually the price of the new ring) I was REALLY frustrated. Where did the credit go from the original ring? Then she re-did all of it AGAIN and the difference came out to $2 and something...I didn't argue anymore...I accepted this as the reward for not flipping out when I felt like I could.
What is my point in all of this? Not to rant and rave about my experience...but to tell you about what God is trying to work out of me...impatience. This is the latest P&G (Patience & Grace) test...there have been many others (that I've failed miserably). These P&G tests are not only tests about self-control...but also about my ability to love others - regardless of what they are doing.
I can't keep my composure on my own...God has to keep me in line. In moments that are overwhelming like that - it helps to think of it as a test (because it very well may be)...it is then and only then that I am able to respond to the Holy Spirit and His peace.
Which test seems to recur over and over in this season of your life? Perhaps God is trying to work something out of you to replace it with something more like Him. Surrender in the moment and you will be surprised with the strength He provides to overcome.
Where I live, the ground is frozen for 9 months out of the year, everywhere you look you will see white and everyone wears Ugg boots year round (regardless of the outfit...we make it work). Living in such a cold and tundra-like environment for a few years, it is plausible that some people may become used to the slap-in-the-face wintery air and the inability to walk normally on pavement without sliding around a bit (or wiping out). The truth is, however, most of us complain about it just as much as those who visit...none of us like the weather and it's always at the forefront of new conversation. Usually in the form of a complaint.
I'm so guilty of this...I'll be straight up honest - I hate the weather here and I'm sure I encourage others to join in on my rants when I start raving. It seems like every time I complain though, there is a check in my spirit...a still, small Voice saying -
quit complaining...just shut your mouth.
Why though? I
really do hate this weather! ... Well, here's why...
Galatians gives us a list of all of the characteristics (fruit) that others should be able to identify when they interact with us or simply observe our behavior...Do we operate in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?
Tell me...when we are complaining about something (the weather)/someone or judging other people - which of the above "fruits" are we cultivating? Any?
There are plenty of verses that tell us to shut our mouth...They speak against grumbling (
Phil 2:14-15,
1 Peter 4:9) and judging others (
Matt 7:1-2,
Prov 3:30,
James 5:9). We must have control over our tongue (
Prov 13:3,
Prov 21:23,
Matt 12:36,
1 Peter 3:10) at all times.
Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. - Ephesians 4:29
Father, shut our mouths for us when we're too stubborn to do it ourselves...even in what seems like -68 degree weather.
Sore loser: Someone who believes s/he is better than his/her competition, entitled to first place and will not succumb to anything but the best or highest position/honor. (That is my own creative definition...it's not dictionarial...and probably less than accurate...it's a working street definition.) I'm sure we all know someone who fits this definition. If you don't, it might be you. I've been a sore loser at some points in my life...no one really enjoys losing - that's not ever our goal when we set out to compete in something...but someone has to lose.
So, if we insert God into this definition...does He qualify as a sore loser? Let's see...
Someone (God) believes He is better than His competition, entitled to first place and will not succumb to anything but the best or highest position/honor. I do believe the shoe fits his (probably gigantic) foot...but consider the following with me, if you will.
Given the definition above, these verses (NLT version) support the argument that God could be considered a sore loser:
He says there is no other god but Him:
-
Exodus 20:3/Deut 5:7 “You must not have any other god but me.”
-
Isaiah 44:6 "This is what the Lord says - Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven's Armies: 'I am the First and the Last; there is no other god.'"
-
Psalm 96:4 "Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods."
-
Deuteronomy 6:4-5/Mark 12:29-30 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”
-
Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."
God comes before anyone else, it is Him or the other - not both:
- Psalm 118:8 "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people."
-
Acts 5:29 “...'we must obey God rather than any human authority.'”
- Romans 6:16 "Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."
-
Matthew 6:24/Luke 16:13 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
- Galatians 4:7-9 "Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you His heir. Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?"
-
Romans 1:25 "They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen."
I chose the term "sore loser" because the definition fits what God has said about Himself...however, "sore loser" implies that it is possible to be beaten by someone better. The fact of the matter is...there
is no one like our God.
-
Exodus 15:11 "Who is like You among the gods, O Lord - glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?"
- Psalm 113:5 "Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high?
-
Deuteronomy 33:26 "There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor."
-
2 Samuel 7:22 "How great You are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like You. We have never even heard of another god like You!"
-
Jeremiah 10:6 "Lord, there is no one like You! For You are great, and Your name is full of power."
So no, God is not a sore loser - because He can't be beat. I'm sure there are plenty more verses to support each of these sections, but I'm hoping you get the point. If not, I'll tell you exactly what it is.
God is first - before everything and everyone. If you tend to your relationship with Him as the special thing that it is, everything else will fall into place.
Please understand that if you choose to follow God, you will struggle everyday of your life to put Him first. Following Christ requires endurance...it is not for the faint of heart. Distractions will bombard you and temptation will try to bust down your door day in and day out. But our testing and trials are not in vain (Galatians 6:9, James 1:2-3, Hebrews 10:36) and we will be blessed for remaining steadfast.
What would the world look like if Christians really allowed God to sit on His rightful throne in their life?
What would [insert your name here] look like?
That's right...I'm sick of my "self." I'm sick of how she acts. For the past few weeks, I have been living Paul's conundrum. You know, the one where he says,
"I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate" (Romans 7:15 NLT). What is this all about? As good as our intentions may be, we still do what our "self" wants to do in the end.
Paul says,
"...I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway" (verses 18b-19). Why, at times, does this seem to be the headline for the story of my life?
For a long time I prided myself as being the girl who did what she said and knew what she stood for. But that girl got saved. Pride went out the window. Now, as the developing of a Godly woman ensues, there is no shortage of struggles or distractions in the way to deter the progress.
So what's wrong with me? Why can't I just get my act together? How long will I continue to fight the same battles and struggle with the same things?
Paul -
"I have discovered this principle of life - that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?" (verses 21-24)...
All I have to say is,
preach it!
My circumstance may be the same or very different from yours...if you struggle with binge drinking (or anything else that is so common today) - that's no different from filling my schedule with every pointless activity under the sun (which I tend to do) and leave no room for God (which happens far too often). No different from my surrendering something and then holding onto the corner of it in order to maintain some kind of control.
What is the difference? Neither of us are getting to know God any better because our "self" is getting in the way and doing what s/he wants to do. "Self" is inhibiting our ability to trust God.
So, what can we do??? I can't stay in this trap...I'm sick of it. I'm growing restless and...angry. There is more to life than what currently is.
"Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin" (verse 25).
Jesus already forgave us for letting our "self" run wild...but that doesn't give us the excuse to continue. Let's bust out of this joint because I'm sick of spending time with my "self"...I need Someone better...Someone who can teach me about the things I can only dream about.
Are you sick of your "self" yet?
(This is taken from the NLT Study Bible: "Who's Who in the Bible")
- Adam - Our sins have far greater implications than we realize.
- Noah - Great rewards come from obeying God.
- Abraham - Faith alone makes one right in God's eyes.
- Isaac - Seeking peace brings true respect.
- Esau - It is never too late to put away bitterness and forgive.
- Amalek - There are evil men and nations who seek to harm God's people.
- Israel (Jacob) - While our sins may haunt us, God will honor our faith.
- Judah - God can change the hearts of even the most wicked people.
- Tamar - God works His purposes even through sinful events.
- Perez - Your background does not matter to God.
- Boaz - Those who are kind to others will receive kindness themselves.
- Jesse - Never take lightly the impact you may have on your children.
- David - True greatness is having a heart for God.
- Joab - Those who seek power die with nothing.
- Amnon - Giving in to lust leads only to tragedy.
- Absalom - Those seeking to oust a God-appointed leader will have a difficult battle.
- Adonijah - God must determine what is rightfully ours.
- Bathsheba - One wrong act does not disqualify us from accomplishing things for God.
- Solomon - Human wisdom is foolishness without God.
- Reuben - What is gained from a moment of passion is only perceived; what is lost is real and permanent.
- Aaron - Don't expect God's leaders to be perfect, but don't let them get away with sin either.
- Nadab - Pretending to be God's representative is dangerous business.
- Eleazar - Those who are consistent in their faith are the best models to follow.
- Korah - Rebelling against God's leaders is rebelling against God and will always be unsuccessful.
- Joshua - Real courage comes from God.
- Saul - Those who say they follow God but don't live like it waste their God-given potential.
- Jonathan - True friends always think of the other person, not just themselves.
- [[[ Insert Your Name ]]] - What would we learn from your life?
From a heart that has shed many tears, I can tell you that going through "the fire" isn't easy. There are times in life when God draws us into an uncomfortable place...whether for a moment or a season.
Imagine a fiery wall built up all around you. Your vision is blurred, your senses play tricks on you and nothing makes sense. It seems as if no one is around and you are left to fend for yourself. Abandonment. Your heart is affected most severely...it breaks and wants nothing more than to escape. You long to find some kind of relief - even if it's temporary. All the while, you have voices surrounding you on every side - "give up," or "move on"...some say, "hang in there" and "keep fighting."
There is a saying that is said in may different ways, but the essence of it is - "Anything worth having is worth fighting for." After listening to many different voices and opinions of how to get yourself out of the fire, this phrase seems empowering. It seemingly offers hope and strength when all that you've previously known seems to have disintegrated into ashes.
But I want to pose this as somewhat of a counter-question...When we're in the uncomfortable place of refinement - where God strips us of ungodly things and makes us more like Him...What are we fighting for? To take it a step further...who are we fighting?
Are we fighting back the tears that don't seem to end? The tears that flood from your heart when your eyes dry up. Are we fighting to be strong for the voices surrounding us and the eyes recording our every move? Or...are we fighting against God for what we feel has been taken away from us?
I would argue that, more often than not...we pick the wrong battles. I'm learning that the fight is against ourselves.
We must fight the desire to hold onto what God is trying to free us from. Fight the inclination to entertain any voice other an God's. Most importantly, we must fight -daily- to nurture our connection with God. He is our Source of life...He promised to "guide [us] along the best path for [our] life. [He] will advise [us] and watch over [us]." (
Psalm 32:8)
If the best path for my life is through testing and trials to make me more like (and closer to) Him...I surrender, knowing full well that it won't be easy and it'll be the furthest thing from comfortable...But so was the cross.
Lord, make us better. Send Your refining fire.
There are moments where I hear the Word of God and I’m encouraged that I’m on the right track. But not even as much as two minutes after that, the Lord will send a test to show me that I’m still a mess. Thanks for that.
Last night at our organization’s gathering, we had a guest speaker. He talked about relational wisdom that we glean from reading a few key verses in Proverbs. Unfortunately, the one that stood out to me was talking about people behind their back. One of my weaknesses has been expressing my negative opinions about someone in the form of “venting.” Venting is just an excuse to gossip or tear someone down.
Later on at our “after party,” I was talking with an individual who I’ve never met before. Some time into the conversation, he began to talk about how Communication Studies wasn’t a real major and how there is no inherent value in it…we need more innovative people to keep the country running. :-) (For all of you who don’t know, I happen to hold a BA in Communication Studies…how ironic that he would pick
that major out of all majors…) So, initially I took offense to it and all kinds of judgments (out of defense) flooded my mind. As soon as I escaped the conversation, my eyes were searching the room for someone I could vent to. But I remembered our speaker saying, “When you feel like [venting], take it to the Lord and pray about it for a week. See if you still feel the same when that week is up.” So I left and went home – on the way, I started my week of prayer. :-)
Shoot…sometimes I wish I didn’t have to turn that other cheek…
Matt 5:38-39. But this is a good test. A great reminder that I can’t do what I’m supposed to do in my own strength. My integrity suffers when I try to maintain it. The Lord doesn’t play…He doesn’t wait around – He’ll put you in check on the spot. I’m a witness.
My prayer about this? Teach me how to love regardless of how others act. Diminish the offense and spirit of pride that tries to rise up within as a result. Yuck.
Am I alone in this struggle? What's your strategy?
Today I braved the snow and slush to visit the post office. While there, I had both a good experience as well as an embarrassing experience (that you can read about at
DIY Intercultural). Every time I’ve ever gone to the post office and a particular clerk is working, she has
always been very upbeat and cheery. She makes the postal experience less irritating. So, I wanted to write a short little poem dedicated to her. For creative purposes, I have asked a dear friend of mine to co-author it with me. Here’s our pending-copyrighted dedication to Ms. Postal Princess:
Dearest Postal Princess,
You’re truly elegant and quite lovely.
Your personality is just so bubbly!
You make my visit worth the while,
The room lights up with every smile.
This is not just for our postal princess, but is dedicated to all of the hard working cheery postal workers who deal with more than they signed up for. Thanks for all you do!
In my post, “
9 Reasons Why I Used to Be a Christian” I listed reasons that motivated me to become a Christian. But those reasons were not enough to convince me that there was any significance or merit to the title, “Christian.” We can all think of people who call themselves Christians but are the biggest hypocrites we know. I’m sure we can also think of times where we ourselves have been hypocrites and the finger should’ve been
or was pointed at us. We all mess up – but being a Christian isn’t about us. It’s about Christ – and His
awesomeness (…what an inadequately inefficient and grammatically incorrect way to describe God. Apologies.)
Today I give you reasons why I can’t follow anyone
but Christ…how God has ruined me for anyone but Himself… whether or not that makes me a
Christian is up to you…
- God loved me first and He’s never stopped (Isaiah 46:3).
- He gave me the choice instead of forcing me to love Him in return (Ephesians 2:4-5) (1 John 4:9-10, 19-20).
- He doesn’t determine His love for me based on how I treat Him (Psalm 130:7) (Isaiah 54:10).
- God is patient (1 Timothy 1:16)…a complete gentleman that never forces His way but always waits for my response.
- He doesn’t flip out on me when I mess up (Exodus 34:6) (Psalm 86:15) (Psalm 103:8) (Nahum 1:3).
- He forgives every mistake I’ve ever made – regardless of what it is (Numbers 14:18).
- His standards are perfection and yet (because of Jesus) He accepts progression instead. No matter how many times I fail Him, He still accepts me with open arms (2 Timothy 2:13) (Titus 3:4-5).
- He sees everything I do (Job 34:21) (Psalm 11:4) (Psalm 139:2-4) (Proverbs 15:3) (Hebrews 4:13) but…
- He also sees everything I go through (Psalm 10:14)… He doesn’t miss anything (Psalm 56:8).
- He knows me intimately…every single detail... (Psalm 139: 1) He even knows my name (Isaiah 43:1).
- He knows what I need (Matthew 6:8).
- He knows what’s coming up for me…He helps me prepare for it (Proverbs 3:5-6) (Jeremiah 29:11).
- He wants me to spend time with Him (James 4:8)…to come looking for Him so that He can show me who He is (Jeremiah 29:13-14).
- He doesn’t leave me when others seem to disappear (Hebrews 13:5) (Psalm 27:10).
- He hears me…He listens to what I say… (Psalm 6:8-9) (Psalm 116:1-2).
- He never has a weak moment (Isaiah 40:28) (Ephesians 1:19-20).
- He rescued me from a dead-end life (Ephesians 2:4-5) that caused me heartache, confusion and disappointment (Psalm 18:16-19).
- He fixes what I’ve ruined (Joel 2:25). Not because He has to…simply because He wants to.
- He took my place because He considers me a friend (John 15:12-15) (Revelation 3:20).
- He is the only Man who has always kept His word (Joshua 23:14b) (Psalm 33:4) (Psalm 146:6).
- He has never ever lied (Numbers 23:19) (Titus 1:2) (Hebrews 6:18).
- He’s not indecisive (1 Samuel 15:29).
- He doesn’t change…I can always count on who He says He is (Malachi 3:6).
I don’t need another obligation for my calendar. What I need is a Friend who is committed to me regardless of how I act because I am so wishy-washy. All of the reasons in the other post for being a Christian are very common – but the problem is that they are all
me-focused rather than
God-focused. Those are all reasons that I benefit from or that have to do with me receiving credit or recognition for doing something.
But, it’s not about me – it’s
never been about me. And that my friends, is the mistake we’ve made as the Body of Jesus Christ. We’ve misrepresented Him because we each want to be seen/heard. It’s not about us…not then, not now, not ever. The message of the cross is essential, but it is just a demonstration of the love that God has been consistently showing for generations. Eternal life isn’t just being spared from hell…it’s about getting to know the One who sacrificed it all to be with us. Unwarranted love. So romantic!
God has ruined me by revealing Himself to me. How could I settle for being a “Christian” (as in my other post) when I have the opportunity to know Christ personally?