Today, Charlie came over to install some bathroom fans in our house and brought a helper, Liam. This five year old boy always has something to say, and it was a lot of fun to listen to him talk about how he'd like to weigh 45 pounds and that I should eat cookies to get my baby to come on his due date....but the most interesting conversation centered itself around dinosaurs...and Jesus. Here's a transcript of our lunch conversation while watching a dino-documentary.
L: "I wish God would have made me in the time of the dinosaurs. Maybe God will make dinosaurs again."
G:"Well, I think God knew what he was doing when he made you for this time. But I guess God could make dinosaurs again if he wanted to. And he could even make them nice."
L: "Really? How could Jesus do that?!"
G: "Well, He's God. He can do anything! The Bible says when Jesus comes back and sets up his kingdom, we will all get new bodies."
L: "But God will stay in Heaven?"
G: "Well, no, I think God comes with Jesus and they reign together."
L: "OK! God and Jesus both come down, and Jesus gets one half of the earth, and God gets the other half!"
G:"...Noooo, they reign together because they love each other, and we reign with them too."
L: "Oh. But they're not here now. They're in Heaven."
G: "Yes, and the Holy Spirit is with us now."
L:"And God can make the dinosaurs nice. That's good. 'Cause I'm strong!!!!"
There you have it. Theology with a 42 pound five year old...I mean, five and a half. He's been five and half since March 5th and he'll be sure to let you know it.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Activity vs. Intimacy
This blog has really been helping cement the things that I believe the Lord is teaching me. However, I got convicted the other day when I started getting more excited about posting here than actually spending time with the Lord.
Two main thoughts fueled the conviction.
When Jess and I were in Michigan spending time with his family for Christmas, we would often end the day by watching a Christmas movie. We weren't really communicating, just sitting together doing something. Towards the end of the two weeks we were there, and his mom, sister and I went out for a coffee/girls chat, his mom said,
"Activity should never take the place of communication. We have been doing a lot of things together since you've been here, but we haven't really been talking."
She was lamenting the fact that although we were all together in one house, we weren't really of one mind. This led me to think of another situation.
Our pastor is really good about being transparent from the platform. He will usually repent for a wrong heart attitude from the pulpit, with tear stained eyes, because he so wants the best for all of us and does not want to get in the way. It's really refreshing, and we all respect him and appreciate him so much more for it. I also really like it because I haven't really ever had a male spiritual head in my life (other than Jess :) ) who is so transparent. It also makes me more apt to really hear what he has to say when he dishes out the hard-to-swallow-truths on Sunday mornings.
Anyway, in the middle of one of our pastor's confessions from the pulpit he said,
"I thought DOING stuff for God could take the place of SPENDING TIME with Him, so I became so busy DOING stuff that I neglected BEING with Him."
There's a problem when we're sitting beside each other, but not sharing our hearts.
There's a problem when we're so busy doing, that we forget being.
I'm sorry I got so busy doing things for You that I forgot how to just spend time with You.
You are the most important.
Two main thoughts fueled the conviction.
When Jess and I were in Michigan spending time with his family for Christmas, we would often end the day by watching a Christmas movie. We weren't really communicating, just sitting together doing something. Towards the end of the two weeks we were there, and his mom, sister and I went out for a coffee/girls chat, his mom said,
"Activity should never take the place of communication. We have been doing a lot of things together since you've been here, but we haven't really been talking."
She was lamenting the fact that although we were all together in one house, we weren't really of one mind. This led me to think of another situation.
Our pastor is really good about being transparent from the platform. He will usually repent for a wrong heart attitude from the pulpit, with tear stained eyes, because he so wants the best for all of us and does not want to get in the way. It's really refreshing, and we all respect him and appreciate him so much more for it. I also really like it because I haven't really ever had a male spiritual head in my life (other than Jess :) ) who is so transparent. It also makes me more apt to really hear what he has to say when he dishes out the hard-to-swallow-truths on Sunday mornings.
Anyway, in the middle of one of our pastor's confessions from the pulpit he said,
"I thought DOING stuff for God could take the place of SPENDING TIME with Him, so I became so busy DOING stuff that I neglected BEING with Him."
There's a problem when we're sitting beside each other, but not sharing our hearts.
There's a problem when we're so busy doing, that we forget being.
I'm sorry I got so busy doing things for You that I forgot how to just spend time with You.
You are the most important.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Right Question
Have you ever seen the movie "I, Robot"? Will Smith plays a cop/detective who ends up investigating the murder of his mentor. Since the movie is set way in the future (where cars drive themselves and basically everyone has a personal robot), the mentor figure left behind a trail of breadcrumbs for Smith's character to follow through an interactive hologram of the mentor. Whenever Smith's character would reach a turning point in the investigation, he would light up a device and ask the hologram-ed mentor a question. Sometimes, the hologram would reply that it did not understand the question, but when the detective did hit a nerve with the hologram that would lead to the next "bread crumb" of the investigation. If this description is rather convoluted, you can watch a clip of the movie with Smith interacting with the hologram below.
Last night at InterVarsity, the student who presented on hearing God said something that I've been turning over in my mind all day. When going through transitions and making decisions, sometimes we ask God the wrong questions. For example, if a graduating student feels like they are being led to go to a certain university, but receives mixed and mostly negative feedback from friends and family, they might become frustrated feel like they should ask God if they are supposed to go to that university or if they are hearing right...and those aren't bad questions to ask. However, the real reason they are asking God those questions is because they are frustrated that others aren't believing them. The right question to ask might be, "God, why am I so frustrated that my friends do not seem on board with my decision that I am convinced You are leading me to make?"
Lately I've decided to be more proactive in my prayer life - not sectioning God off to a certain time everyday, but choosing to always be in conversation with Him. A good way to keep a conversation going is to ask questions - and, so, questions have really fueled and expanded my relationship with the Lord...and I feel like I am learning to ask the right questions.
This morning in the shower I was thinking about a close friend that I've had since high school who has been through the worst battles with mysterious health issues, spirituality, and finances since we were roommates in college. She and her husband have fallen in and out of so many religions and have been around the Christian circles long enough to be deeply wounded by them. It has really broken my heart to watch them both go through these battles...and it's been even worse knowing that I possess the hope they need, but can't offer it to them because they have so much venom towards anything remotely about Jesus. *sigh* I've prayed for them both for such a long time, but not really seen or felt much change. I was just instructing God on what I thought He should do to remedy the situation. Finally, for the first time I can remember since praying for them for years, I asked God, "What is your strategy to redeem them?" I didn't get an answer, but I did get what I felt like was a smile from God - a genuine grin that said, "Now you get it! That's the way to pray." I think my soul is too loud right now for Him to answer because it is so excited that there is finally a sense of movement in my prayers for them. As I quiet my soul in the coming days and keep asking questions, I believe God will answer.
I'm going to keep asking Him that question for them...and I'm going to keep trying to learn to ask the right questions.
Thank You for teaching me how to pray, Holy Spirit. I so anxiously await Your answers and strategies. I am so excited to work alongside You, because all of Your works are good. Amen.
Last night at InterVarsity, the student who presented on hearing God said something that I've been turning over in my mind all day. When going through transitions and making decisions, sometimes we ask God the wrong questions. For example, if a graduating student feels like they are being led to go to a certain university, but receives mixed and mostly negative feedback from friends and family, they might become frustrated feel like they should ask God if they are supposed to go to that university or if they are hearing right...and those aren't bad questions to ask. However, the real reason they are asking God those questions is because they are frustrated that others aren't believing them. The right question to ask might be, "God, why am I so frustrated that my friends do not seem on board with my decision that I am convinced You are leading me to make?"
Lately I've decided to be more proactive in my prayer life - not sectioning God off to a certain time everyday, but choosing to always be in conversation with Him. A good way to keep a conversation going is to ask questions - and, so, questions have really fueled and expanded my relationship with the Lord...and I feel like I am learning to ask the right questions.
This morning in the shower I was thinking about a close friend that I've had since high school who has been through the worst battles with mysterious health issues, spirituality, and finances since we were roommates in college. She and her husband have fallen in and out of so many religions and have been around the Christian circles long enough to be deeply wounded by them. It has really broken my heart to watch them both go through these battles...and it's been even worse knowing that I possess the hope they need, but can't offer it to them because they have so much venom towards anything remotely about Jesus. *sigh* I've prayed for them both for such a long time, but not really seen or felt much change. I was just instructing God on what I thought He should do to remedy the situation. Finally, for the first time I can remember since praying for them for years, I asked God, "What is your strategy to redeem them?" I didn't get an answer, but I did get what I felt like was a smile from God - a genuine grin that said, "Now you get it! That's the way to pray." I think my soul is too loud right now for Him to answer because it is so excited that there is finally a sense of movement in my prayers for them. As I quiet my soul in the coming days and keep asking questions, I believe God will answer.
I'm going to keep asking Him that question for them...and I'm going to keep trying to learn to ask the right questions.
Thank You for teaching me how to pray, Holy Spirit. I so anxiously await Your answers and strategies. I am so excited to work alongside You, because all of Your works are good. Amen.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Hearing God
Tonight at InterVarsity, a senior student spoke about hearing God's voice. It was a really thorough talk and she did a great job. Here are a couple of thoughts that struck me.
Communication is what makes the difference between "Jesus time" and living intimately together.
It's important to carve out consistent time to meet with the Lord, but it's equally important to continue the conversation all day. The wonderful thing about Him, I'm learning, is that He really wants to live life with me, and He has lots of things to say all the time! "How precious are Your thoughts towards me, O God! How great the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:17) If God has a great sum of thoughts towards me, I don't think He just sections them off for my quiet time. I think He wants to tell them to me all day long, as they come to Him and as they apply to where I am and what we're doing together.
In Islam, Allah only speaks Arabic. Our God, the Living God, speaks all languages - English, French, Spanish, Ebonics. He speaks in the vernacular, and He can speak to me in my vernacular.
The student speaker, at this point in her talk, cited God's use of visions in the Bible to speak to different people, and then even shared her own story about how God used images from her childhood to minister to her and heal her heart in hard transitional phases of her life. This really resonated with me because God speaks to sometimes in inside jokes that only make sense to me - and when I try to explain them to other people, the words He tells me sometimes don't make as much sense or don't hit them as deeply as they hit me...which can be rather discouraging. I'm learning that when I receive that sort of affirmation from the Lord, to either really treasure it up in my heart and keep it to myself, or to provide a firm context to others when I share that word with them. This also reminds me that God loves me so much He really knows me enough to learn myspeak well enough to use it to penetrate my heart. He's such an involved God.
To hear God, you have to still yourself down.
Our souls are constantly talking. They're talking about the amazing lunch we had or the new shoes we just bought or worrying about the bill that was a little high or the neighbor that looked at us funny...and that's okay. God created our souls just like He created colors and emotions for a reason. They're not bad. However, it's really, really hard to listen to someone if you're constantly talking. That's why it's so important to quiet our souls before God when we meet with Him. We have the power to command our souls to be still, just like we have the authority to command them to rejoice. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10a
Communication is what makes the difference between "Jesus time" and living intimately together.
It's important to carve out consistent time to meet with the Lord, but it's equally important to continue the conversation all day. The wonderful thing about Him, I'm learning, is that He really wants to live life with me, and He has lots of things to say all the time! "How precious are Your thoughts towards me, O God! How great the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:17) If God has a great sum of thoughts towards me, I don't think He just sections them off for my quiet time. I think He wants to tell them to me all day long, as they come to Him and as they apply to where I am and what we're doing together.
In Islam, Allah only speaks Arabic. Our God, the Living God, speaks all languages - English, French, Spanish, Ebonics. He speaks in the vernacular, and He can speak to me in my vernacular.
The student speaker, at this point in her talk, cited God's use of visions in the Bible to speak to different people, and then even shared her own story about how God used images from her childhood to minister to her and heal her heart in hard transitional phases of her life. This really resonated with me because God speaks to sometimes in inside jokes that only make sense to me - and when I try to explain them to other people, the words He tells me sometimes don't make as much sense or don't hit them as deeply as they hit me...which can be rather discouraging. I'm learning that when I receive that sort of affirmation from the Lord, to either really treasure it up in my heart and keep it to myself, or to provide a firm context to others when I share that word with them. This also reminds me that God loves me so much He really knows me enough to learn myspeak well enough to use it to penetrate my heart. He's such an involved God.
To hear God, you have to still yourself down.
Our souls are constantly talking. They're talking about the amazing lunch we had or the new shoes we just bought or worrying about the bill that was a little high or the neighbor that looked at us funny...and that's okay. God created our souls just like He created colors and emotions for a reason. They're not bad. However, it's really, really hard to listen to someone if you're constantly talking. That's why it's so important to quiet our souls before God when we meet with Him. We have the power to command our souls to be still, just like we have the authority to command them to rejoice. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10a
Monday, April 23, 2012
Romans 13:13
Romans 13:13
"Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, and not in strife and envy."
"Let us walk properly, as in the day...
During the day, when it's light outside, I'm less apt to do wasteful things. On especially sunny days, the pleasant weather inspires me to do my household chores with an extra spring in my step. That's not to say that I never do anything wasteful during the day. Actually, I used to be a professional time waster - mindlessly browsing the internet, watching Netflix, and taking naps. Although pregnancy can take a lot out of you, I am pretty sure there were some days when I did have energy to more than just sit..but I sat anyway. This verse isn't really about that though. Here, Paul encourages the Romans (and me!) to live their lives responsibly - naturally and supernaturally - as if it were a beautifully inspiring spring day, every day.
...not in revelry and drunkenness...
Revelry = boisterous festivity
Drunkenness =marked by intoxication
There's a time and a place for merry making and a good glass of wine...but that's not what Paul is talking about. I think revelry for me means not living in obnoxious inside jokes or laughing to loud (and sometimes fakely) about things that really don't matter. In my past, especially one summer when I was living in total rebellion to the Lord, my friends and I were like this when we were sober, and then exorbitant amounts of alcohol only encouraged us to be more obnoxious.Want to know another thing? We were usually doing this at night ;-)
Though I have said goodbye to that lifestyle, I think it's possible too to walk in spiritual revelry and (irresponsible) drunkenness. Sometimes (and I did this a lot when I was on the opposite side of rebellion - trying to be super holy and to prove to everyone that I was indeed holy and spiritual ) God does something cool, like give us a word of knowledge or something, and then we worship that word and make it out to be this incredibly huge spiritual experience where the audible voice of God shook the room and lightning bolts came out of our ears...when really it was His still, small voice that whispered to us. I guess what I'm trying to say is spiritual revelry and drunkenness looks a lot like an obnoxious spiritual bragging contest. Its a serious mark of immaturity.
Is Paul talking about spiritual immaturity? Maybe. Based on the context of the passage he's probably really talking about actual obnoxiousness and drinking irresponsibly.
...not in lewdness and lust...
The word translated "lewd," "lewdness" in the King James Version occurs only twice in the New Testament, and in each instance is more correctly translated in the Revised Version (British and American) by another word: vile. Other Greek translations for this word include "bad," "evil," "grievous," "harmful," "malicious," "wicked." I think by "lewdness" Paul is talking about coarse, mean spirited joking - which reminds me too of my friends and I from our rebellious summer. Isn't it strange that the people I called "friend" were probably the most verbally ruthless towards me?
So what does avoiding malicious and lustful behavior mean to me? Well...in the context of the last paragraph, it means spending my time and most importantly my words building others up instead of tearing them down, not being taken in by sexual temptation or just longing for things that aren't healthy for me or my relationships with God and my family.
...and not in strife and envy."
strife=vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, antagonism
envy=a feeling of discontent or covetousness towards others for their possessions, successes, or advantages
I think this is actually the hardest segment listed. It is so easy to give yourself to drama, no matter what kind of social situation you find yourself in. Sometimes, I think it's a human tendency to want to stir up trouble just to have something to talk about..and a lot of times, we choose to center our strife around the object of our envy. I remember when there was a girl who was skinnier and more athletically inclined than me who I saw talking to my boyfriend at the time. It was a completely innocent conversation - I was just seething with so much envy that I punished my then boyfriend via the silent treatment and a completely unnecessary argument later, otherwise known as strife.
Even in the arena of a social life full of believers, we can allow our envy of others' spiritual gifts bring strife to our relationships with them and even with God. I've caught myself before being so mad that another person could sing so much better than me or had lots of prophetic dreams or cook meals better that I would distance myself from them and get mad at God for not "gifting me better!" Isn't that ridiculous? Envy and strife are so destructive. In this case, they separated me from people I should have been pursuing, so I could learn to how be a better singer, cook, and listener!
Jesus, help me to walk in the light as You are in the light. Remind me when I am given to foolish carousing and dark mindsets. Teach me what it is to walk properly.
"Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, and not in strife and envy."
"Let us walk properly, as in the day...
During the day, when it's light outside, I'm less apt to do wasteful things. On especially sunny days, the pleasant weather inspires me to do my household chores with an extra spring in my step. That's not to say that I never do anything wasteful during the day. Actually, I used to be a professional time waster - mindlessly browsing the internet, watching Netflix, and taking naps. Although pregnancy can take a lot out of you, I am pretty sure there were some days when I did have energy to more than just sit..but I sat anyway. This verse isn't really about that though. Here, Paul encourages the Romans (and me!) to live their lives responsibly - naturally and supernaturally - as if it were a beautifully inspiring spring day, every day.
...not in revelry and drunkenness...
Revelry = boisterous festivity
Drunkenness =marked by intoxication
There's a time and a place for merry making and a good glass of wine...but that's not what Paul is talking about. I think revelry for me means not living in obnoxious inside jokes or laughing to loud (and sometimes fakely) about things that really don't matter. In my past, especially one summer when I was living in total rebellion to the Lord, my friends and I were like this when we were sober, and then exorbitant amounts of alcohol only encouraged us to be more obnoxious.Want to know another thing? We were usually doing this at night ;-)
Though I have said goodbye to that lifestyle, I think it's possible too to walk in spiritual revelry and (irresponsible) drunkenness. Sometimes (and I did this a lot when I was on the opposite side of rebellion - trying to be super holy and to prove to everyone that I was indeed holy and spiritual ) God does something cool, like give us a word of knowledge or something, and then we worship that word and make it out to be this incredibly huge spiritual experience where the audible voice of God shook the room and lightning bolts came out of our ears...when really it was His still, small voice that whispered to us. I guess what I'm trying to say is spiritual revelry and drunkenness looks a lot like an obnoxious spiritual bragging contest. Its a serious mark of immaturity.
Is Paul talking about spiritual immaturity? Maybe. Based on the context of the passage he's probably really talking about actual obnoxiousness and drinking irresponsibly.
...not in lewdness and lust...
The word translated "lewd," "lewdness" in the King James Version occurs only twice in the New Testament, and in each instance is more correctly translated in the Revised Version (British and American) by another word: vile. Other Greek translations for this word include "bad," "evil," "grievous," "harmful," "malicious," "wicked." I think by "lewdness" Paul is talking about coarse, mean spirited joking - which reminds me too of my friends and I from our rebellious summer. Isn't it strange that the people I called "friend" were probably the most verbally ruthless towards me?
So what does avoiding malicious and lustful behavior mean to me? Well...in the context of the last paragraph, it means spending my time and most importantly my words building others up instead of tearing them down, not being taken in by sexual temptation or just longing for things that aren't healthy for me or my relationships with God and my family.
...and not in strife and envy."
strife=vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, antagonism
envy=a feeling of discontent or covetousness towards others for their possessions, successes, or advantages
I think this is actually the hardest segment listed. It is so easy to give yourself to drama, no matter what kind of social situation you find yourself in. Sometimes, I think it's a human tendency to want to stir up trouble just to have something to talk about..and a lot of times, we choose to center our strife around the object of our envy. I remember when there was a girl who was skinnier and more athletically inclined than me who I saw talking to my boyfriend at the time. It was a completely innocent conversation - I was just seething with so much envy that I punished my then boyfriend via the silent treatment and a completely unnecessary argument later, otherwise known as strife.
Even in the arena of a social life full of believers, we can allow our envy of others' spiritual gifts bring strife to our relationships with them and even with God. I've caught myself before being so mad that another person could sing so much better than me or had lots of prophetic dreams or cook meals better that I would distance myself from them and get mad at God for not "gifting me better!" Isn't that ridiculous? Envy and strife are so destructive. In this case, they separated me from people I should have been pursuing, so I could learn to how be a better singer, cook, and listener!
Jesus, help me to walk in the light as You are in the light. Remind me when I am given to foolish carousing and dark mindsets. Teach me what it is to walk properly.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Thought of the Day
Our pastor did an incredible job on his sermon today. You can listen to it here. The sermon title is The Power of God. Don't let that scare you away. It is really, really good teaching about the purpose of the Holy Spirit. I will have to write another post with a more thorough reflection, but for now, the thought of the day, spawned from his sermon is this:
"God does not anoint me to make me feel good. He supernaturally empowers me to bring lost people into His family."
I'm so thankful it's not about me. It's about Him.
"God does not anoint me to make me feel good. He supernaturally empowers me to bring lost people into His family."
I'm so thankful it's not about me. It's about Him.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Romans 13:12
Romans 13:12
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."
"The night is far spent....
My time dawdling in willful sin and rebellion has been too too long. Years of practicing sin have had their toll on my life - emotional, spiritual, physical - and it's time to say goodbye. I can't imagine how the three years I spent doing what I wanted to do have not just hurt me, but others too. No more.
...the day is at hand.
It's high time to walk in honest openness before Jesus. Change will come when I set myself and my choices before Him. How exciting! No more secrets, no more condemnation - just authenticity before my Father.
Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness...
It's time to wage war against the willful sin in my life. As I heard in a sermon yesterday, "There is no excuse for willful sin in the life of the believer. God forgives us of our unconscious sin, which we commit without thinking, but deliberating choosing sin and practicing darkness should not have a place in the life of a believer. That is not holiness." This also bounces off a statement made from the pulpit on Sunday. "Following Jesus isn't hard. It's the choosing the follow Him in all the little things everyday that is hard."
...and let us put on the armor of light."
Choose to wear the clothes of a child of the Most High King. I must put on the reality of my identity in Him every morning. Realizing that I am His and that I have intimate access to His heart and mind at any time not only revolutionizes my life, it enables me to walk in the destiny of every believer - constant, honest fellowship with our Father.
Jesus, I choose You today. I choose to listen to You today.
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."
"The night is far spent....
My time dawdling in willful sin and rebellion has been too too long. Years of practicing sin have had their toll on my life - emotional, spiritual, physical - and it's time to say goodbye. I can't imagine how the three years I spent doing what I wanted to do have not just hurt me, but others too. No more.
...the day is at hand.
It's high time to walk in honest openness before Jesus. Change will come when I set myself and my choices before Him. How exciting! No more secrets, no more condemnation - just authenticity before my Father.
Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness...
It's time to wage war against the willful sin in my life. As I heard in a sermon yesterday, "There is no excuse for willful sin in the life of the believer. God forgives us of our unconscious sin, which we commit without thinking, but deliberating choosing sin and practicing darkness should not have a place in the life of a believer. That is not holiness." This also bounces off a statement made from the pulpit on Sunday. "Following Jesus isn't hard. It's the choosing the follow Him in all the little things everyday that is hard."
...and let us put on the armor of light."
Choose to wear the clothes of a child of the Most High King. I must put on the reality of my identity in Him every morning. Realizing that I am His and that I have intimate access to His heart and mind at any time not only revolutionizes my life, it enables me to walk in the destiny of every believer - constant, honest fellowship with our Father.
Jesus, I choose You today. I choose to listen to You today.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Responsibility
A couple days go, a passage in Romans stood out to me because I felt that it clearly summarized where I am in this current season - learning to grow up, and fast! When I first read it, I thought that I should memorize it. Well, trying to memorize the first verse this morning was rather...rough. I kept fumbling through the words and adding my own....so then I felt direction to just take the next couple of days to meditate on each verse. I'm so glad that the Holy Spirit never condemns me when I mess up, but knows best how to teach me the truth for the day.
To provide some context, the passage is found at the end of Romans 13. Paul is exhorting believers to submit to authority, even authority figures that aren't believers because they have been put over them as authority by God. He stresses that they have been put there to minister for our good, not for evil. If we want to live without fear of authority, then we must do rightly by them - paying taxes, etc. He also warns that if we do not do these things, the authorities do not possess power for nothing. We will reap evil for our evil, but good for our good if we live responsibly. It is very important to give each person what is owed to them - taxes, customs (I'm not sure what he means by that), fear, and honor. Believers should owe each other nothing but love.
So, the first verse of the passage:
Romans 13:11
"And do this, knowing the time, that it is now high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."
Response:
When I choose to make good, grown up decisions (getting up early and putting myself together even if I'm just staying at home) and carrying out household administrative tasks (recording expenses in the budget sheet and not dragging my feet to send paperwork out to AES), I have to remember that I'm not just being responsible for the sake of being responsible citizen - although being responsible is good! When I do these things, I am choosing to shake off the sleepy stupor and live rightly because Jesus' return is quickly approaching. The verse says that it is nearer to me than when I first believed.
I have to take advantage of the time that He has granted to me here on earth, in this specific season, to learn the lessons that He has planned for me. It is important to choose to learn these lessons too so when this season ends and a new one begins, I am ready for those new lessons with a firm foundation of already learnt lessons to stand on.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, thank You for waking me from the sleepy stupor of complacency. Thank You for giving me hope and empowering me to live rightly. Show me how to give honor to whom honor is due. Please help me not to be scared. I love You.
To provide some context, the passage is found at the end of Romans 13. Paul is exhorting believers to submit to authority, even authority figures that aren't believers because they have been put over them as authority by God. He stresses that they have been put there to minister for our good, not for evil. If we want to live without fear of authority, then we must do rightly by them - paying taxes, etc. He also warns that if we do not do these things, the authorities do not possess power for nothing. We will reap evil for our evil, but good for our good if we live responsibly. It is very important to give each person what is owed to them - taxes, customs (I'm not sure what he means by that), fear, and honor. Believers should owe each other nothing but love.
So, the first verse of the passage:
Romans 13:11
"And do this, knowing the time, that it is now high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."
Response:
When I choose to make good, grown up decisions (getting up early and putting myself together even if I'm just staying at home) and carrying out household administrative tasks (recording expenses in the budget sheet and not dragging my feet to send paperwork out to AES), I have to remember that I'm not just being responsible for the sake of being responsible citizen - although being responsible is good! When I do these things, I am choosing to shake off the sleepy stupor and live rightly because Jesus' return is quickly approaching. The verse says that it is nearer to me than when I first believed.
I have to take advantage of the time that He has granted to me here on earth, in this specific season, to learn the lessons that He has planned for me. It is important to choose to learn these lessons too so when this season ends and a new one begins, I am ready for those new lessons with a firm foundation of already learnt lessons to stand on.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, thank You for waking me from the sleepy stupor of complacency. Thank You for giving me hope and empowering me to live rightly. Show me how to give honor to whom honor is due. Please help me not to be scared. I love You.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Psalm 114
Today I felt led to read Psalm 114. You can read it here. To be honest, it was a boring read at first. "What do parting seas and skipping hills have to do with me?" I thought. It seemed like the lost verse to a song in The Sound of Music. Not only are the hills alive, they skip! Sometimes the Bible's imagery is weird to me.
Then, of course, I read it again and the Holy Spirit helped me understand. The writer was re-counting Israel's rescue story from Egypt, and God's faithfulness to Israel when they were in the wilderness, going to the Promised Land. It struck me that, hundreds of years after the event, there were still people talking and writing songs about it. Then, I realized that it was probably one of Israel's favorite histories to recall, because it was so AWESOME. God, through a series of miraculous events, miraculously released the Israelites from their merciless captors, and then miraculously parted seas, rivers, and performed wonders to keep His people safe in the wilderness. That is a pretty sweet story. Who wouldn't want to be reminded of God's miraculous faithfulness - even hundreds of years after the fact?
The Israelites' tendency to remember this awesome rescue reminded me of how I love to insert God's rescue story to me whenever I can, and we're talking about God's ability to redeem anything. Inspired by Psalm 114, here would be my version:
Then, of course, I read it again and the Holy Spirit helped me understand. The writer was re-counting Israel's rescue story from Egypt, and God's faithfulness to Israel when they were in the wilderness, going to the Promised Land. It struck me that, hundreds of years after the event, there were still people talking and writing songs about it. Then, I realized that it was probably one of Israel's favorite histories to recall, because it was so AWESOME. God, through a series of miraculous events, miraculously released the Israelites from their merciless captors, and then miraculously parted seas, rivers, and performed wonders to keep His people safe in the wilderness. That is a pretty sweet story. Who wouldn't want to be reminded of God's miraculous faithfulness - even hundreds of years after the fact?
The Israelites' tendency to remember this awesome rescue reminded me of how I love to insert God's rescue story to me whenever I can, and we're talking about God's ability to redeem anything. Inspired by Psalm 114, here would be my version:
When I left the rebellion of my youth
and turned from practicing wickedness,
You embraced me and called me your own.
The hopelessness I had before turned on its head,
My companions marveled at the change,
And You restored me to my first love.
Why do you run, hopelessness?
Why do you marvel, friend?
How do you accept me, beloved?
Embrace wisdom and stand in awe of ferocious love -
which restores a concubine to a king
and makes her whole destiny new.
Thank you, Jesus, for making me new.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Set In My Ways
Lately I've been getting frustrated - with my husband.
He has so many little ticks and particularities about him that can make living with him an adventure....and sometimes, an infuriating one. From hanging bath towels to how quickly we clean the coffee pot and the picture quality on the television, the man has an informed opinion on it all. Yes, you read that right - i.n.f.o.r.m.e.d. Anytime I ask him why he likes something a certain way, he has a prepared diatribe as to why his way is the only logical, best way to do it.Because one of the things I admire about him is his attention to detail, I try to do my best to accommodate them. Cleaning the whole coffee pot is now a habit, as is re-hanging his towel in that "just-so" way. I joke that he's trained me, but it's mostly a labor of love. Mostly.
However, my frustration hasn't been accommodating his needs. It's been feeling like he doesn't recognize my little pet idiosyncrasies, or that they're not as important as his bath towel being dry. Shouldn't he care about my not-so-bad habits too? Can't he just straighten the hand towel or make the bed just once? The cherry on top was overhearing a conversation he had with someone about marriage and his age (he's a little bit older than me) and relaying to the listener, "Perhaps if I had been married sooner, I wouldn't be so set in my ways."Aha! Set in his ways! Do I always have to accommodate him just because he is older and has had his habits longer than I've had mine?? The injustice!!
I let this marinate in my head and heart too long and of course, we ended up in an argument about it. After a door had been slammed, and I was in tears, I felt the Lord whisper to my heart, "I accommodate you, and you do not always accommodate me. You have been set in your ways". Then, I remembered all the times He has been so gracious to me when I am fearful and angry, and all the times He forgives me after blatant rebellion. He uses love to draw me close to Him. He never grumbles that He has such a wimpy horrible daughter. He never reminds me how sinful and ungrateful I am. He just overwhelms me with love...and I repay Him with inconsistency. How can I accommodate Him if I am not spending enough time with Him to discover the things that make Him glow with pride or burn with fury? (Aside from the really obvious things, you know, like murder and grieving the Holy Spirit). And how can I expect my husband to accommodate every little tick I have when I do not always accommodate my Creator?
I still have so much to learn, but I do not want to be set in my ways anymore. And when I feel a grumble rising up in my heart against my husband, I have to show him mercy, because so much mercy has been shown to me. Thank You, Father, for endless mercy.
He has so many little ticks and particularities about him that can make living with him an adventure....and sometimes, an infuriating one. From hanging bath towels to how quickly we clean the coffee pot and the picture quality on the television, the man has an informed opinion on it all. Yes, you read that right - i.n.f.o.r.m.e.d. Anytime I ask him why he likes something a certain way, he has a prepared diatribe as to why his way is the only logical, best way to do it.Because one of the things I admire about him is his attention to detail, I try to do my best to accommodate them. Cleaning the whole coffee pot is now a habit, as is re-hanging his towel in that "just-so" way. I joke that he's trained me, but it's mostly a labor of love. Mostly.
However, my frustration hasn't been accommodating his needs. It's been feeling like he doesn't recognize my little pet idiosyncrasies, or that they're not as important as his bath towel being dry. Shouldn't he care about my not-so-bad habits too? Can't he just straighten the hand towel or make the bed just once? The cherry on top was overhearing a conversation he had with someone about marriage and his age (he's a little bit older than me) and relaying to the listener, "Perhaps if I had been married sooner, I wouldn't be so set in my ways."Aha! Set in his ways! Do I always have to accommodate him just because he is older and has had his habits longer than I've had mine?? The injustice!!
I let this marinate in my head and heart too long and of course, we ended up in an argument about it. After a door had been slammed, and I was in tears, I felt the Lord whisper to my heart, "I accommodate you, and you do not always accommodate me. You have been set in your ways". Then, I remembered all the times He has been so gracious to me when I am fearful and angry, and all the times He forgives me after blatant rebellion. He uses love to draw me close to Him. He never grumbles that He has such a wimpy horrible daughter. He never reminds me how sinful and ungrateful I am. He just overwhelms me with love...and I repay Him with inconsistency. How can I accommodate Him if I am not spending enough time with Him to discover the things that make Him glow with pride or burn with fury? (Aside from the really obvious things, you know, like murder and grieving the Holy Spirit). And how can I expect my husband to accommodate every little tick I have when I do not always accommodate my Creator?
I still have so much to learn, but I do not want to be set in my ways anymore. And when I feel a grumble rising up in my heart against my husband, I have to show him mercy, because so much mercy has been shown to me. Thank You, Father, for endless mercy.
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