Ever notice how easy it is to get distracted? I find that I have to fight the temptation to do "something else", when I am trying to be productive on a consistent basis. Even getting down to writing this blog has been more than an effort lately. I haven't written in 10 days, and I was going full steam when I first started this. Blogging every single day. So what happened? Am I no longer on fire for the Lord and getting His message out? Have I become apathetic to life? Am I just so busy that I don't have time? The answer is an unequivocal NO. None of these reasons even ring at the truth.
The truth is I get distracted. The temptation to do other, less important or sometimes even not important, things gets a hold of me and all my good intentions go out the window. I go to Facebook and start talking to old friends, only for a minute mind you. Right. Or, I start trying to clean out my email inbox 'cause that's uber important. Not, as my kids used to say. Or, I start reading. Nothing wrong with that, but I can do that at anytime. How about when I start playing the stupid Facebook games? Oh, yeah that downright imperative!
My point is that I have been allowing myself to get side-tracked. The enemy throws out something I think may be interesting and I get caught up in it. He plays on my propensity to be inconsistent. I realized this today while listening to Joyce Meyer on t.v. She talked about being consistent, and the Holy Spirit didn't nudge He shoved, THAT'S IT!
While I considered this, it came to me that this is another application of what James is talking about. James 1:6 - "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."
I ask God for something, such as being blessed in writing and being able to make a living at it. However, when it comes to being obedient to what He tells me to do to help it along, I allow myself to get thrown off course. Why? Because, a part of me is doubting that it is really going to happen. That He will deliver on His promise. I allow the enemy to sabotage me, by sabotaging myself and not staying consistent.
Consistency is the firm footing of Christianity. You can't be a true follower of Christ and change your mind on a regular basis. Jesus, stood by His actions and continued on no matter what was coming at Him. So did the Apostles. No matter what they were threatened with they kept spreading the good news. They were consistent. They didn't allow good times or having fun distract them either.
Neither did Jesus. Let's look at His first miracle. It was in the middle of having a good time. John, Chapter 2:1-11 tells the story. He and his disciples are partying at a wedding they have all been invited to. The wine runs out, probably because this person didn't have enough money to buy more, so he went with what he had and hoped for the best. This was an act of faith in itself. Mary, Jesus' mom says, "Son, the wine is gone. Fix it." He replies to her that it's not His time yet, but rather than ignore His mother's (and child's - interesting paradox, huh?) request. He grants it.
This is representative of Jesus' ministry. He was consistent in granting the requests of those who believed and had faith in Him. Even though it was not "time" for His ministry to begin, he did not get sidetracked by that. He fulfilled His calling and did what He knew He had the ability to do. Turn the water into wine.
Not only was He able to reinforce the faith of His disciples, but think about what the guys who scooped the water out of those jars must have been thinking. The jars were the ceremonial washing jars. YUCK! Who knew what kind of nastiness was in there. Yet, God turned the cleansing liquid into an extraordinary ambrosial drink. So much so that the master of the ceremony regaled the host for saving his best for last. I'm sure he was quite shocked as well.
What good can be done when one embraces consistency? The sky truly is the limit. For when I am consistent in seeking the Lord, studying His word, loving myself as He loves me so I can show love to everyone else, and yes...writing. I am showing the world what it is to truly be an obedient Christian. I can't accomplish this unless I am consistent. Honestly, no one can.
Daddy,
Help us to stay consistent in being obedient to Your will and ways. Keep us on track with what You want us to do. Protect us from the evil that can come from being distracted. We love You, we praise You, and we want to be inline with Your every desire. Help us to see when we are being tempted to get off course, and bring in Your angels and tune our ears to Your Holy Spirit so we can stay on task until it is completed.
We praise and thank You that You are there for us, and You answer our every prayer. That You are faithful to deliver when we do not doubt or become discouraged.
We claim the righteousness that can only come from You, in Jesus' precious name.
Amen
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Yardwork in My Mind
Every time I work in the yard, I am brought back to the correlation between our spiritual lives and horticulture. I understand why Jesus used agricultural analogies so often in His parables.
Today, as I was pulling out weeds I paused as I reached out for one. I was hesitant because I wasn't sure if it was a weed or a plant I would like to keep. Let me explain further. I live in Southern Nevada, where many plants "blow" into our yard. Some are beautiful and useful, like the tree we know have growing in our front yard. Others are not, like the crab grass that I am consistently battling.
Over the years, I have planted numerous flowering plants that didn't make it. This is a desert climate and only the heartiest of plant life survive. Although, the mature plant died, in it's death seeds were dropped into the soil which tend to come up later, sometimes years later, as the offspring of the original.
So today, my hesitation stemmed from my wondering was this an offspring of what I wanted or what I was trying to get rid of?
As I thought about this, it occurred to me that my thought life has, in many ways, the same dilemma. As thoughts come up I have to determine to keep them or pluck them out. So many times though, the thought as it is just forming is difficult to determine if it is good or bad because in the beginning they look very much alike. Just as the weeds look like a keeper at first, but as it grows I realize it was a sleeper agent. Fooling me into believing in the interim that it was going to enhance my psychological and emotional landscape.
It is so difficult to tell the difference, at first. When I'm really unsure, I'll go look it up and see what I have going on. By the same token, I must do the same thing with my thoughts. When I'm unsure as to if it is good or bad, an encourager or a discourager I need to turn to the Authority. I take the thought and compare it to His word, if it fits I keep it if not I pluck it and chuck it.
When I pluck negative thoughts from my mind, I can't keep them in a jar somewhere. I have to through them away like the weeds from my yard. Bag them up and cart them off to the dump, where they belong. In actuality they are nothing more than garbage. Also, if I don't get them out they will start to choke the positive thoughts that God has given me, just like a weed.
When Jesus spoke of the parable of the four soils in Luke 8:5-8, this is exactly what He was talking about. The various soils represent the states our minds can be in.
The seed that falls along the path and is trampled, is a mind set that is so caught up in getting where its going way it doesn't have time to stop and let the seed in. It spiritually tramples the truth of His word underfoot with double dealing and willingness to do anything to get ahead. It listens to Satan and his lies about how success is achieved in life and acts upon it. Subsequently, God's word is crushed beneath the unbelief and supposed self-reliance.
The seed that falls among the rocks is a mind set of willingness to believe, at first. As long as it is easy. When the trials and tribulations come, that James book states we should count as pure joy, this mind counts it as overwhelming torture. It believes the lies of Satan that tell it, Jesus and God lied to them and there is no truth to what it first believed, otherwise these things wouldn't be happening. This thought life soon turns to the previous way as the seed of truth is stolen, and they try to do things on their own.
The seed that falls among the thorns is a mind set that is unwilling to sacrifice all for Christ. Worry is it's constant companion because it is trying to determine how to hold on to everything it has while serving the Lord. Unwilling to seek first the Kingdom, day by day the thoughts go first to what is going on in life and God gets pushed further and further into the background, until He is the foundation of their life walk but not the reason. Study of God and His will for life is not a priority, this mind never becomes useful for growing more Christians because the weeds of negativity are never plucked from this garden.
The seed that falls on good soil is a mind set that puts God first, no matter what. This mind is willing to let go of all that it possess to possess Christ. It regularly weeds its garden by reading and studying and hearing the Word of God. Thoughts that are not in line with what it is learning are plucked and discarded. This mind is able to reach other minds and help them grow into what God created them to be, while becoming itself what He had in mind. (No pun intended)
So you see, Jesus used parables that spoke to tending the soil because our minds are like soil. What we plant in them is what grows. The only way to keep ugliness from growing is to have a regular schedule of weeding and pruning so that the thought life flourishes and spreads out its positive seeds to other fertile soil.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for speaking to us in ways that we are able to understand. For letting us see the correlation between the natural world around us, and how you created us to think and be. We love You for Your willingness to do what ever it takes to get through to us. Thank You for Your patience, mercy, grace, and loving kindness to a species that does not deserve it. Please, continue to show us the truth of Your word around us, and how to implement it on a daily basis.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Today, as I was pulling out weeds I paused as I reached out for one. I was hesitant because I wasn't sure if it was a weed or a plant I would like to keep. Let me explain further. I live in Southern Nevada, where many plants "blow" into our yard. Some are beautiful and useful, like the tree we know have growing in our front yard. Others are not, like the crab grass that I am consistently battling.
Over the years, I have planted numerous flowering plants that didn't make it. This is a desert climate and only the heartiest of plant life survive. Although, the mature plant died, in it's death seeds were dropped into the soil which tend to come up later, sometimes years later, as the offspring of the original.
So today, my hesitation stemmed from my wondering was this an offspring of what I wanted or what I was trying to get rid of?
As I thought about this, it occurred to me that my thought life has, in many ways, the same dilemma. As thoughts come up I have to determine to keep them or pluck them out. So many times though, the thought as it is just forming is difficult to determine if it is good or bad because in the beginning they look very much alike. Just as the weeds look like a keeper at first, but as it grows I realize it was a sleeper agent. Fooling me into believing in the interim that it was going to enhance my psychological and emotional landscape.
It is so difficult to tell the difference, at first. When I'm really unsure, I'll go look it up and see what I have going on. By the same token, I must do the same thing with my thoughts. When I'm unsure as to if it is good or bad, an encourager or a discourager I need to turn to the Authority. I take the thought and compare it to His word, if it fits I keep it if not I pluck it and chuck it.
When I pluck negative thoughts from my mind, I can't keep them in a jar somewhere. I have to through them away like the weeds from my yard. Bag them up and cart them off to the dump, where they belong. In actuality they are nothing more than garbage. Also, if I don't get them out they will start to choke the positive thoughts that God has given me, just like a weed.
When Jesus spoke of the parable of the four soils in Luke 8:5-8, this is exactly what He was talking about. The various soils represent the states our minds can be in.
The seed that falls along the path and is trampled, is a mind set that is so caught up in getting where its going way it doesn't have time to stop and let the seed in. It spiritually tramples the truth of His word underfoot with double dealing and willingness to do anything to get ahead. It listens to Satan and his lies about how success is achieved in life and acts upon it. Subsequently, God's word is crushed beneath the unbelief and supposed self-reliance.
The seed that falls among the rocks is a mind set of willingness to believe, at first. As long as it is easy. When the trials and tribulations come, that James book states we should count as pure joy, this mind counts it as overwhelming torture. It believes the lies of Satan that tell it, Jesus and God lied to them and there is no truth to what it first believed, otherwise these things wouldn't be happening. This thought life soon turns to the previous way as the seed of truth is stolen, and they try to do things on their own.
The seed that falls among the thorns is a mind set that is unwilling to sacrifice all for Christ. Worry is it's constant companion because it is trying to determine how to hold on to everything it has while serving the Lord. Unwilling to seek first the Kingdom, day by day the thoughts go first to what is going on in life and God gets pushed further and further into the background, until He is the foundation of their life walk but not the reason. Study of God and His will for life is not a priority, this mind never becomes useful for growing more Christians because the weeds of negativity are never plucked from this garden.
The seed that falls on good soil is a mind set that puts God first, no matter what. This mind is willing to let go of all that it possess to possess Christ. It regularly weeds its garden by reading and studying and hearing the Word of God. Thoughts that are not in line with what it is learning are plucked and discarded. This mind is able to reach other minds and help them grow into what God created them to be, while becoming itself what He had in mind. (No pun intended)
So you see, Jesus used parables that spoke to tending the soil because our minds are like soil. What we plant in them is what grows. The only way to keep ugliness from growing is to have a regular schedule of weeding and pruning so that the thought life flourishes and spreads out its positive seeds to other fertile soil.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for speaking to us in ways that we are able to understand. For letting us see the correlation between the natural world around us, and how you created us to think and be. We love You for Your willingness to do what ever it takes to get through to us. Thank You for Your patience, mercy, grace, and loving kindness to a species that does not deserve it. Please, continue to show us the truth of Your word around us, and how to implement it on a daily basis.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Friday, October 15, 2010
You Have To Fight to Stay Faithful
Faith doesn't come easy. It isn't an automatic pilot type of thing. It requires that we focus on God and not our circumstances consistently. The enemy is going to try to steal your faith, every single day of your life. Whatever he can do to make you doubt, which is the opposite of faith, he's going to do it.
This has been going on since the beginning. Before man was on the scene there was a battle in heaven. Why? Because Lucifer convinced other angels that God's sovereignty was in doubt. That His supremacy could be challenged.
The one thing that Satan is is tenacious. Even though he was booted out of Heaven, and doomed for the Lake of Fire he doesn't stop in his rebellion. Perhaps it is a, "I've got nothing to lose" mentality. Who knows? What matters is that he goes after God's prized creation, man.
He does this by planting seeds of doubt into Eve. Here we see the first incident of man not fighting to stay faithful. This is from two people who had direct interaction with God daily. If they had these difficulties staying faith, how much more of a fight is it for us? Yet, I digress from my point I am trying to make here.
Let's see how they didn't fight to remain faithful. In Genesis 3, Satan approaches the woman in the guise of a serpent. The serpent must have been a willing party to this because he gets in trouble later, but let's stay on track that's a commentary for another blog. He starts the conversation by questioning her faith in God's desire for them to have the very best of everything. "He said to the woman, "Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Let's dissect this statement, the first part is immediately a challenge to her faith. "Did God REALLY say..." How many times do we question what God has told us? Did He really tell me to forgive that person? Did He really say to tithe 10%? Did He really tell me to speak to that person about my faith? The list is infinitesimal. This is working on our faith, any time we question what God has said we are not being faithful. I'm not talking about making sure it is God speaking to you, no I'm talking about when you know that you know it is God and you question what He has told you to do. That is what Eve did, let's continue...
Verse 2 has her answering the serpent with what God has instructed, that they are not to touch the tree in the middle of the garden or they will die. Satan responds with a rationalization, he tells her that she won't die. That in reality the only reason God doesn't want them to eat of this tree is because they will become like Him. Essentially, he perpetuates the lie that God is afraid of them. Why in the world would God be afraid of what He had lovingly created? He has provided for their every need, denying them nothing, and wanting to protect them from what would hurt them. Just as any loving parent would.
So often as children we question our parents' decisions, not understanding why they say no to things that can ultimately do us harm. This is the same situation for God and His first creations, as well as us today. Satan did not create the lack of faith, Eve did not fight to maintain her faith it what she knew from what she had seen her entire existence. She takes a second look at the tree, and starts to rationalize again. It's good for food (she has plenty of other sources of food), it's pleasing to the eye (she was in the Garden of Eden everything there was pleasing to the eye), and it was desirable for gaining wisdom. The last is the most important part, her desire was to gain wisdom on her own instead of relying on her faith in her loving Creator to give her wisdom. She gave up, and gave in without a fight. Adam, did even less although he had known God longer that Eve he did not question for one moment her actions, he just went along with it. Not putting up one once of a fight at all.
As you can see, from the beginning of mankind we have had to fight to maintain our faith. When we don't we fall prey to the enemy and his unscrupulous and conniving ways.
What are you not being faithful about? Look into your life and honestly exam your walk with Christ. Are you fighting for your faith or are like Adam and Eve are you giving in to the temptation of unbelief? Faith is a gift, as it states in Ephesians 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God --" (Italics mine). You see faith is a gift that we must protect. Don't take it for granted. If you cherish something you will fight for it, tooth and nail.
Fight for your faith, fight to remain faithful. Through prayer, and petition, as Philippians 4:6 states for us to remain in faith. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." When we act in faith seeking God for direction because we trust Him to take care of all things Philippians 4:7 continues the promise with "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
You can't understand faith, or the results that it creates. Yet, it is the most precious thing we have, with it we can move mountains. Mountains of debt, bad relationships, health problems, or any other issue that may be happening in your life. You have enough faith to do whatever God has destined you to do. I know because His word says He gave us our faith. Why wouldn't He have given us enough to get us to the other side, to help us walk on water so to speak?
You have to decide will you fight or will you fold?
Daddy,
Please forgive us for the times we have not fought to stay faithful, for the times that we have listened and believed the words and lies of the enemy. Help us to keep focused on Your truth and fight to protect the faith You have gifted us with. It is a treasure as is our salvation. We praise You for Your love and devotion to us, even in our fallen state. Thank You Jesus for Your sacrifice to bring us into right standing with our Father. Thank You Lord, for the faith You have bestowed upon each of us, and help us to see it every day of our lives and live every aspect of these gifted lives for You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
This has been going on since the beginning. Before man was on the scene there was a battle in heaven. Why? Because Lucifer convinced other angels that God's sovereignty was in doubt. That His supremacy could be challenged.
The one thing that Satan is is tenacious. Even though he was booted out of Heaven, and doomed for the Lake of Fire he doesn't stop in his rebellion. Perhaps it is a, "I've got nothing to lose" mentality. Who knows? What matters is that he goes after God's prized creation, man.
He does this by planting seeds of doubt into Eve. Here we see the first incident of man not fighting to stay faithful. This is from two people who had direct interaction with God daily. If they had these difficulties staying faith, how much more of a fight is it for us? Yet, I digress from my point I am trying to make here.
Let's see how they didn't fight to remain faithful. In Genesis 3, Satan approaches the woman in the guise of a serpent. The serpent must have been a willing party to this because he gets in trouble later, but let's stay on track that's a commentary for another blog. He starts the conversation by questioning her faith in God's desire for them to have the very best of everything. "He said to the woman, "Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Let's dissect this statement, the first part is immediately a challenge to her faith. "Did God REALLY say..." How many times do we question what God has told us? Did He really tell me to forgive that person? Did He really say to tithe 10%? Did He really tell me to speak to that person about my faith? The list is infinitesimal. This is working on our faith, any time we question what God has said we are not being faithful. I'm not talking about making sure it is God speaking to you, no I'm talking about when you know that you know it is God and you question what He has told you to do. That is what Eve did, let's continue...
Verse 2 has her answering the serpent with what God has instructed, that they are not to touch the tree in the middle of the garden or they will die. Satan responds with a rationalization, he tells her that she won't die. That in reality the only reason God doesn't want them to eat of this tree is because they will become like Him. Essentially, he perpetuates the lie that God is afraid of them. Why in the world would God be afraid of what He had lovingly created? He has provided for their every need, denying them nothing, and wanting to protect them from what would hurt them. Just as any loving parent would.
So often as children we question our parents' decisions, not understanding why they say no to things that can ultimately do us harm. This is the same situation for God and His first creations, as well as us today. Satan did not create the lack of faith, Eve did not fight to maintain her faith it what she knew from what she had seen her entire existence. She takes a second look at the tree, and starts to rationalize again. It's good for food (she has plenty of other sources of food), it's pleasing to the eye (she was in the Garden of Eden everything there was pleasing to the eye), and it was desirable for gaining wisdom. The last is the most important part, her desire was to gain wisdom on her own instead of relying on her faith in her loving Creator to give her wisdom. She gave up, and gave in without a fight. Adam, did even less although he had known God longer that Eve he did not question for one moment her actions, he just went along with it. Not putting up one once of a fight at all.
As you can see, from the beginning of mankind we have had to fight to maintain our faith. When we don't we fall prey to the enemy and his unscrupulous and conniving ways.
What are you not being faithful about? Look into your life and honestly exam your walk with Christ. Are you fighting for your faith or are like Adam and Eve are you giving in to the temptation of unbelief? Faith is a gift, as it states in Ephesians 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God --" (Italics mine). You see faith is a gift that we must protect. Don't take it for granted. If you cherish something you will fight for it, tooth and nail.
Fight for your faith, fight to remain faithful. Through prayer, and petition, as Philippians 4:6 states for us to remain in faith. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." When we act in faith seeking God for direction because we trust Him to take care of all things Philippians 4:7 continues the promise with "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
You can't understand faith, or the results that it creates. Yet, it is the most precious thing we have, with it we can move mountains. Mountains of debt, bad relationships, health problems, or any other issue that may be happening in your life. You have enough faith to do whatever God has destined you to do. I know because His word says He gave us our faith. Why wouldn't He have given us enough to get us to the other side, to help us walk on water so to speak?
You have to decide will you fight or will you fold?
Daddy,
Please forgive us for the times we have not fought to stay faithful, for the times that we have listened and believed the words and lies of the enemy. Help us to keep focused on Your truth and fight to protect the faith You have gifted us with. It is a treasure as is our salvation. We praise You for Your love and devotion to us, even in our fallen state. Thank You Jesus for Your sacrifice to bring us into right standing with our Father. Thank You Lord, for the faith You have bestowed upon each of us, and help us to see it every day of our lives and live every aspect of these gifted lives for You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Monday, October 11, 2010
Keep Our Mind On Things Above!
This has been a particularly hard day. The battle for my mind has been arduous to say the least. However, as long as I can keep it in perspective, I'm okay. It is a battle for my thoughts, between God and the enemy. God wants me to keep my mind on things above, Satan wants me to think about all that has gone wrong, and could go wrong in my life.
When I allow the negative to win, my mind goes to places it shouldn't. Like, why am I here? I have no purpose, I should just give up. That's the lie!
God says, that I have a purpose, that before time began He had plotted out my destiny. So what gets in the way? Doubt and unbelief. Lack of faith. All of which are sins. How can I doubt the One who created me?
When I begin to doubt it shows two things at work in my mind. The need to control and lack of patience. The more I want to control and the more impatient I am, God is funny this way, the longer He makes me wait. Think about it. Whenever you have been anxious about something, it never seems to happen.
It's like the child who is promised that they will go to Disneyland soon. The day never seems to come, and the longer the parent delays in taking them the more impatient and demanding the child becomes. However, if the child were to say to the parent, "You're never going to take me, I don't believe you!" The parent would probably say, and rightly so, "If you're going to act like that, you are correct we aren't going."
Sometimes we step on our own blessings by trying to "demand" that God do it our way and in our timing. How do we do this? We go out and try to make the situation happen according to our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5, say we are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and we are not to lean on our own understanding.
When we attempt to handle things according to our own understanding and ideas, we really mess it up. We have to be on constant guard with our thoughts, and ever vigilante against the ploys of the enemy. Temptation comes from both sources. We must be careful not to blame or give too much credit for our wrong thoughts to the devil.
The only way to stay on top of this and keep our minds straight is to keep our minds on things above. Reading scripture on a regular basis, praying consistently, turning away from the things that would distract us or make us despondent.
One way to handle this is to memorize a Psalm in it's entirety. These treasures are the key to sanity when all is falling into insanity around us. I would not suggest trying to remember the 119th Psalm unless your just a glutton for wearing out your brain. That's a very, very long one.
It may sound cliche, but I recite the 23rd Psalm when things are feeling overwhelming. Sometimes I repeat it a couple of times, until I am sure that my mind is back where it belongs. Focusing on God's grace and mercy, and the fact that He is in control.
Write the Psalm out on an index card so you can carry it around with you until you have it down, or download an app on your smartphone. Whatever works, just have it with you always until you have it down to memory. Try it, I promise you'll like it.
Father,
Please help us to stay focused on You and Your word at all times. Keep us meditating on what is pleasing in Your site. We praise You for Your patience with us as we waver in our faith and belief. Trusting You to get us back to right standing with You, in all our ways, thought and deeds.
In Jesus name, Amen
When I allow the negative to win, my mind goes to places it shouldn't. Like, why am I here? I have no purpose, I should just give up. That's the lie!
God says, that I have a purpose, that before time began He had plotted out my destiny. So what gets in the way? Doubt and unbelief. Lack of faith. All of which are sins. How can I doubt the One who created me?
When I begin to doubt it shows two things at work in my mind. The need to control and lack of patience. The more I want to control and the more impatient I am, God is funny this way, the longer He makes me wait. Think about it. Whenever you have been anxious about something, it never seems to happen.
It's like the child who is promised that they will go to Disneyland soon. The day never seems to come, and the longer the parent delays in taking them the more impatient and demanding the child becomes. However, if the child were to say to the parent, "You're never going to take me, I don't believe you!" The parent would probably say, and rightly so, "If you're going to act like that, you are correct we aren't going."
Sometimes we step on our own blessings by trying to "demand" that God do it our way and in our timing. How do we do this? We go out and try to make the situation happen according to our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5, say we are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and we are not to lean on our own understanding.
When we attempt to handle things according to our own understanding and ideas, we really mess it up. We have to be on constant guard with our thoughts, and ever vigilante against the ploys of the enemy. Temptation comes from both sources. We must be careful not to blame or give too much credit for our wrong thoughts to the devil.
The only way to stay on top of this and keep our minds straight is to keep our minds on things above. Reading scripture on a regular basis, praying consistently, turning away from the things that would distract us or make us despondent.
One way to handle this is to memorize a Psalm in it's entirety. These treasures are the key to sanity when all is falling into insanity around us. I would not suggest trying to remember the 119th Psalm unless your just a glutton for wearing out your brain. That's a very, very long one.
It may sound cliche, but I recite the 23rd Psalm when things are feeling overwhelming. Sometimes I repeat it a couple of times, until I am sure that my mind is back where it belongs. Focusing on God's grace and mercy, and the fact that He is in control.
Write the Psalm out on an index card so you can carry it around with you until you have it down, or download an app on your smartphone. Whatever works, just have it with you always until you have it down to memory. Try it, I promise you'll like it.
Father,
Please help us to stay focused on You and Your word at all times. Keep us meditating on what is pleasing in Your site. We praise You for Your patience with us as we waver in our faith and belief. Trusting You to get us back to right standing with You, in all our ways, thought and deeds.
In Jesus name, Amen
This has been a particularly hard day. The battle for my mind has been arduous to say the least. However, as long as I can keep it in perspective, I'm okay. It is a battle for my thoughts, between God and the enemy. God wants me to keep my mind on things above, Satan wants me to think about all that has gone wrong, and could go wrong in my life.
When I allow the negative to win, my mind goes to places it shouldn't. Like, why am I here? I have no purpose, I should just give up. That's the lie!
God says, that I have a purpose, that before time began He had plotted out my destiny. So what gets in the way? Doubt and unbelief. Lack of faith. All of which are sins. How can I doubt the One who created me?
When I begin to doubt it shows two things at work in my mind. The need to control and lack of patience. The more I want to control and the more impatient I am, God is funny this way, the longer He makes me wait. Think about it. Whenever you have been anxious about something, it never seems to happen.
It's like the child who is promised that they will go to Disneyland soon. The day never seems to come, and the longer the parent delays in taking them the more impatient and demanding the child becomes. However, if the child were to say to the parent, "You're never going to take me, I don't believe you!" The parent would probably say, and rightly so, "If you're going to act like that, you are correct we aren't going."
Sometimes we step on our own blessings by trying to "demand" that God do it our way and in our timing. How do we do this? We go out and try to make the situation happen according to our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5, say we are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and we are not to lean on our own understanding.
When we attempt to handle things according to our own understanding and ideas, we really mess it up. We have to be on constant guard with our thoughts, and ever vigilante against the ploys of the enemy. Temptation comes from both sources. We must be careful not to blame or give too much credit for our wrong thoughts to the devil.
The only way to stay on top of this and keep our minds straight is to keep our minds on things above. Reading scripture on a regular basis, praying consistently, turning away from the things that would distract us or make us despondent.
One way to handle this is to memorize a Psalm in it's entirety. These treasures are the key to sanity when all is falling into insanity around us. I would not suggest trying to remember the 119th Psalm unless your just a glutton for wearing out your brain. That's a very, very long one.
It may sound cliche, but I recite the 23rd Psalm when things are feeling overwhelming. Sometimes I repeat it a couple of times, until I am sure that my mind is back where it belongs. Focusing on God's grace and mercy, and the fact that He is in control.
Write the Psalm out on an index card so you can carry it around with you until you have it down, or download an app on your smartphone. Whatever works, just have it with you always until you have it down to memory. Try it, I promise you'll like it.
Father,
Please help us to stay focused on You and Your word at all times. Keep us meditating on what is pleasing in Your site. We praise You for Your patience with us as we waver in our faith and belief. Trusting You to get us back to right standing with You, in all our ways, thought and deeds.
In Jesus name, Amen
When I allow the negative to win, my mind goes to places it shouldn't. Like, why am I here? I have no purpose, I should just give up. That's the lie!
God says, that I have a purpose, that before time began He had plotted out my destiny. So what gets in the way? Doubt and unbelief. Lack of faith. All of which are sins. How can I doubt the One who created me?
When I begin to doubt it shows two things at work in my mind. The need to control and lack of patience. The more I want to control and the more impatient I am, God is funny this way, the longer He makes me wait. Think about it. Whenever you have been anxious about something, it never seems to happen.
It's like the child who is promised that they will go to Disneyland soon. The day never seems to come, and the longer the parent delays in taking them the more impatient and demanding the child becomes. However, if the child were to say to the parent, "You're never going to take me, I don't believe you!" The parent would probably say, and rightly so, "If you're going to act like that, you are correct we aren't going."
Sometimes we step on our own blessings by trying to "demand" that God do it our way and in our timing. How do we do this? We go out and try to make the situation happen according to our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5, say we are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and we are not to lean on our own understanding.
When we attempt to handle things according to our own understanding and ideas, we really mess it up. We have to be on constant guard with our thoughts, and ever vigilante against the ploys of the enemy. Temptation comes from both sources. We must be careful not to blame or give too much credit for our wrong thoughts to the devil.
The only way to stay on top of this and keep our minds straight is to keep our minds on things above. Reading scripture on a regular basis, praying consistently, turning away from the things that would distract us or make us despondent.
One way to handle this is to memorize a Psalm in it's entirety. These treasures are the key to sanity when all is falling into insanity around us. I would not suggest trying to remember the 119th Psalm unless your just a glutton for wearing out your brain. That's a very, very long one.
It may sound cliche, but I recite the 23rd Psalm when things are feeling overwhelming. Sometimes I repeat it a couple of times, until I am sure that my mind is back where it belongs. Focusing on God's grace and mercy, and the fact that He is in control.
Write the Psalm out on an index card so you can carry it around with you until you have it down, or download an app on your smartphone. Whatever works, just have it with you always until you have it down to memory. Try it, I promise you'll like it.
Father,
Please help us to stay focused on You and Your word at all times. Keep us meditating on what is pleasing in Your site. We praise You for Your patience with us as we waver in our faith and belief. Trusting You to get us back to right standing with You, in all our ways, thought and deeds.
In Jesus name, Amen
Thursday, October 7, 2010
True Faith Results in Courage
Faith and courage are interesting things. So often we say we don't have it when God instructs us to do something, yet we show it in another not so great way. Now, Paul defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen. It causes us to be double minded as James spoke of in chapter 1. Verses 6 - 8, "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
Looking through the Bible, I see several instances of folks being double-minded. Pure faith, means that I have to do things afraid. That no matter how I "feel", faith gives me courage and allows me to do it anyway. Let's look at a few examples of this through the Scriptures.
If we look at the literal meanings of faith and courage, the dictionary defines each word as follows:
Faith - Confidence or trust in a person or thing; belief that is not based on truth;
Courage - The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear. Bravery.
Both words require my mind to be in the right place. I believe there is another definition, that faith is me acting in spite not in response to my fear, which results in courage. Yesterday, I spoke of acting versus re-acting, this is another instance of it. I can either act, and do God's will, or re-act to the stimulus of the circumstances in my life. There are so many stories of this in the Bible. What folks put their faith "in", inspired their action or re-actions.
- Moses - After killing someone, he flees for his life. Why? He was the grandson of Pharaoh, he had killed a "guard". What reason would he have had to be afraid that he would be put to death for this? He was of much greater worth in their hierarchy than a servant of Pharaoh. He ran because he did not have faith that he would not get into trouble. He neither had faith in who he was, or the courage to face what he had done. What if he had faced the music? Who knows he probably would have been exonerated, and continued to know the luxury of living in the palace. He also would have done nothing to help his people. Staying as a prince, over time he would have had no interest in the plights of the slaves. God causes him to run and hide in the desert for 40 years. When God comes to him 4 decades later, in a burning bush and tells him he needs to go back and help the slaves. His first response exhibits his faith in the his fears, which destroyed his courage. Yet, he argues with God about his inability to speak clearly. He clearly speaks to God that he is unable to speak clearly! What a contradiction. He has the faith and courage to argue with God about his perceived inabilities, but not to do what He has commanded?
- Barak - I have blogged about this story before. Deborah and Barak are an amazing team. However, they were not intended to be a team. God has been telling Barak to go fight Sisera, yet he has not moved. He doesn't go until Deborah comes to him and "reminds" him he has been instructed by God to attack their oppressors. He shows his faith in his inabilities, and destroys his courage by stating he will only go if Deborah goes with him. His faith in Deborah was stronger than his faith in God. He was re-acting to his fear, instead of acting in faith. Jael acted in faith. She hammered a tent peg through his temple. Do you think she had no fear while she walked up to him? He was drugged, he was simply sleeping. He could have woken up at any time. I envision her hands shaking as she approached, and her holding her breath as she positioned the stake over his head. Quivering fingers as she raised the hammer, and then drove it home. She had more faith in what she knew she had to do, than in him waking up. Her faith resulted in courage.
- Esther - A young Jewess is selected to be the next queen, after the former one disrespects the king. However, she is instructed by her cousin Mordecai to keep her ancestry a secret. Haman, the king's second hand man, hated her cousin and his hatred led to his desire to destroy every Jew. He devised a plan to get rid of all of them, and tricked the king into signing their death warrants. Esther had to go before the king to deal with this, however he had not called her in quite sometime into his presence. It was a death sentence to go into him unsummoned, unless he pardoned the indulgence. She has everyone pray and fast for her, and she does the same. She summons up her courage by having faith that God will take care of the situation. It turns out well, and because of her faith and courage, Haman's duplicity is uncovered and the Israelites are allowed to protect themselves and survive.
- Peter - Where do you start with this disciple? Peter continually wavered between faith and doubt. Courage and cowardice. The most infamous of all of his exploits is probably his ascertain that he would never turn his back on Christ, then denies he even knows him 3 times. He re-acted, on both occasions. Both times he came from emotion, he didn't act from faith at all. Yet, in Acts he stands before a large crowd and preaches to them, converting 3000 in that one day. His faith was renewed and courage ensued.
The facts are very obvious, when we act in faith, God gives us courage. He tells them in Joshua 1:6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them." He is calling him to act in faith, when he does strength and courage will follow.
He tells us the same, that each and every time that we will step out in faith, He will give us the strength and courage to finish it. This is why Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
Each of the stories above, shows where people had to face their fear or run from it. God only gives us strength and courage when we walk in faith that it is His ability to get us through whatever it is He has brought us to face.
So you have to ask yourself, "What do I have faith in?"
Father,
Thank You for teaching us how to connect with you, and the importance of doing so. Thank You that Your word shows us not only the successes, but the failures. That You do not expect us to be anyone other than who we are. We praise You that You consistently show us how to follow You, and the benefits of doing so. Thank You for Your grace and mercy.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Re-Actions Benefit No One...
Life is full of choices, or so we are told. In reality we have only two choices, we can act or we can re-act. Jesus says we are to act, not re-act. Acting is coming from love and humility, re-acting is from the self and a need to defend one's self.
Your probably thinking, "Cyndi what in the world are you talking about?", at this moment so I will clarify the revelation that the Lord placed on my heart today.
When people inter"act", they are bouncing off one another. This is considered conversation and develops our relationships. One person speaks about something and the other responds. How the person who is receiving the message responds is based on many factors. Their mood, the climate, past exchanges with this person or people whom they consider to be like them, outside distractions, the list goes on. Conversations and relationships are a conglomeration of these verbal and physical (body language) ball passes.
If I am speaking to someone and they act as if they are not really listening to me, or seem to be not particularly interested I can act or re-act to this. God showed me today that reactions are just that, an action that is replayed to the other person (or people) based on what they did (or didn't do) to us. He showed me that the action is repeated back and forth until one of the individuals decides to break the cycle by purposely "acting".
Now, I am speaking about negative actions mostly. However, positive can be done as well. If someone gives me a present than I usually want to give them something back. That is a re-action.
The same applies when they criticize me. When I re-act, I criticize them in return. I am acting as they are acting towards me. To break this pattern requires that I stop, think and pray about what I should do next, and ACT accordingly. Acting is on purpose, re-acting is not. Re-acting happens when we are coming from an emotional mind set. It causes us to act in ways that many times we thought we would never behave.
Jesus was the perfect example of action vs. re-action. In the story of the woman caught in adultery, he is placed in a situation where many, no most would have reacted to the emotional tension of the moment. The Pharisees were acting in a judgmental and condemning manner. Jesus could have reacted to their behavior and judged and condemned her as well. Yet, take a look at what He does.
In John 8, He is in the temple court very early in the morning, at dawn actually. He is teaching the people who are there, when in comes a group of Pharisees and scribes with a woman. I have to believe they had set her up, because seriously how would they have known to catch her before the sun came up?
Verse 3, "When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him."
Verse 4, "Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery."
They then proceed to remind Him of the Law and what Moses had commanded. (That women offenders were to be stoned to death). Which is not what it says at all, according to Deuteronomy 22:22, "If a man is found lying with another man's wife, they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel." (italics mine) Again, I believe that she was set up, because where was the man? Did they promise him immunity if he would do this despicable deed, solely for the purpose of trying to trip up Jesus?
Anyway, back to the story. So they, point out just this portion of the commandment and ask what Jesus thinks they should do with her. They are trying to get a re-action out of Him. However, Jesus acts instead. He bends down and begins writing on the ground with his finger. He didn't not respond, so they kept at Him.
Finally, He stands and says, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7b. He then bends back down and continues to write.
They all stopped and listened to Him, then they began leaving one by one, their conscience had gotten to them. Jesus effectively stopped the bouncing ball of re-action and forced each of them to stop and think and ACT.
The key here is that to act instead of react, we must STOP and think about what we are doing. Think through our responses, and compare them to the Word of God. Does what we are about to do coincide with it, or contradict it?
The next time you find yourself in a situation where you have something negative happening, STOP. Then with the help of the Holy Spirit, get your emotions in check and ACT, not re-act. Mercy which is an action, must always be ON PURPOSE. No one reacts in mercy or grace or love, no this is something we must do, a way we must act, in response to all interactions.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for showing us the difference in our responses. For letting us know we do have a choice. That when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us we will alway act. This lets us stop the horrible tail-spin of re-actions. Letting You be in control, and helping us to treat each person with the greatest commandment, LOVE. Love is never a reaction, but an action. It calls for us to do what is not expected or deserved to another. It is what You gave us by sacrificing Your Son on the cross. Love brings us to mercy and grace and can only come through purposeful actions. We praise and worship You for teaching us these truths.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Your probably thinking, "Cyndi what in the world are you talking about?", at this moment so I will clarify the revelation that the Lord placed on my heart today.
When people inter"act", they are bouncing off one another. This is considered conversation and develops our relationships. One person speaks about something and the other responds. How the person who is receiving the message responds is based on many factors. Their mood, the climate, past exchanges with this person or people whom they consider to be like them, outside distractions, the list goes on. Conversations and relationships are a conglomeration of these verbal and physical (body language) ball passes.
If I am speaking to someone and they act as if they are not really listening to me, or seem to be not particularly interested I can act or re-act to this. God showed me today that reactions are just that, an action that is replayed to the other person (or people) based on what they did (or didn't do) to us. He showed me that the action is repeated back and forth until one of the individuals decides to break the cycle by purposely "acting".
Now, I am speaking about negative actions mostly. However, positive can be done as well. If someone gives me a present than I usually want to give them something back. That is a re-action.
The same applies when they criticize me. When I re-act, I criticize them in return. I am acting as they are acting towards me. To break this pattern requires that I stop, think and pray about what I should do next, and ACT accordingly. Acting is on purpose, re-acting is not. Re-acting happens when we are coming from an emotional mind set. It causes us to act in ways that many times we thought we would never behave.
Jesus was the perfect example of action vs. re-action. In the story of the woman caught in adultery, he is placed in a situation where many, no most would have reacted to the emotional tension of the moment. The Pharisees were acting in a judgmental and condemning manner. Jesus could have reacted to their behavior and judged and condemned her as well. Yet, take a look at what He does.
In John 8, He is in the temple court very early in the morning, at dawn actually. He is teaching the people who are there, when in comes a group of Pharisees and scribes with a woman. I have to believe they had set her up, because seriously how would they have known to catch her before the sun came up?
Verse 3, "When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him."
Verse 4, "Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery."
They then proceed to remind Him of the Law and what Moses had commanded. (That women offenders were to be stoned to death). Which is not what it says at all, according to Deuteronomy 22:22, "If a man is found lying with another man's wife, they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel." (italics mine) Again, I believe that she was set up, because where was the man? Did they promise him immunity if he would do this despicable deed, solely for the purpose of trying to trip up Jesus?
Anyway, back to the story. So they, point out just this portion of the commandment and ask what Jesus thinks they should do with her. They are trying to get a re-action out of Him. However, Jesus acts instead. He bends down and begins writing on the ground with his finger. He didn't not respond, so they kept at Him.
Finally, He stands and says, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7b. He then bends back down and continues to write.
They all stopped and listened to Him, then they began leaving one by one, their conscience had gotten to them. Jesus effectively stopped the bouncing ball of re-action and forced each of them to stop and think and ACT.
The key here is that to act instead of react, we must STOP and think about what we are doing. Think through our responses, and compare them to the Word of God. Does what we are about to do coincide with it, or contradict it?
The next time you find yourself in a situation where you have something negative happening, STOP. Then with the help of the Holy Spirit, get your emotions in check and ACT, not re-act. Mercy which is an action, must always be ON PURPOSE. No one reacts in mercy or grace or love, no this is something we must do, a way we must act, in response to all interactions.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for showing us the difference in our responses. For letting us know we do have a choice. That when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us we will alway act. This lets us stop the horrible tail-spin of re-actions. Letting You be in control, and helping us to treat each person with the greatest commandment, LOVE. Love is never a reaction, but an action. It calls for us to do what is not expected or deserved to another. It is what You gave us by sacrificing Your Son on the cross. Love brings us to mercy and grace and can only come through purposeful actions. We praise and worship You for teaching us these truths.
In Jesus name,
Amen
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