Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
You Are More Than Broken Pieces
We all have things in our life we wish we could go back and fix or have the opportunity to make different decisions. We all have broken pieces rattling around inside of us.
Sometimes the broken pieces of my life are just so overwhelming I don't know what to do or where to go. I begin thinking of all I have messed up on and put myself in a place that is so low that nobody could understand what I'm feeling; nobody could understand the pain.
My solution, even since I was 9 years old, has been to just end my life. I didn't want anything to do with people because everyone knows people hurt you. "Trusting only ends with pain" I told myself. On and on it went, me hiding and causing myself pain, pain that nobody could give me the words of encouragement I needed, no matter how sincere or how much they love me. They just didn't get it.
This past year I went through something that was the second most painful, confusing, life shattering thing I have ever experienced. I felt so alone, even with my family standing there right beside me, holding me close and encouraging me. "Again" someone that meant the world to me was gone in the blink of an eye. Through that time before they were gone, my old habit came back and the only thing I could think of was that I just wanted to die. Driving was the easiest way, I could do it when I was alone; I wouldn't hurt anyone but me and everyone would be happy. The ties between the two groups I loved would be gone and nobody would be hurting anymore. Ending me meant ending everyone else's hurting. Everything was just so painful; sleeping meant nightmare after nightmare and staying awake meant painful memories flashing through my head. Nothing helped, nothing soothed the pain I was feeling.
This was probably the biggest and lowest point in my life. Even though I had gone to God in all that happened, prayed to Him more than I ever have, I didn't have my trust placed fully in Him. For that time, I had put my trust, love and dreams in the hands of a person more than I did God.
When God knows we are drifting from Him, He will do what it takes to bring us back. In my case, it was dropping me to the lowest point at this time in my life. I was in a mess; I WAS a mess.
That whole time, God was there. He was beside me, begging me to let Him have all of my pain, brokenness and heartache. I wasn't handing it to Him because my pride said "I want to fix this on my own." I was looking at God, but I was focused on the person in front of me as I let go of them and they walked away. I watched my dreams, hopes and future leave my life and I felt like I had nothing left.
This, my friends, though incredibly painful, is a beautiful place to be. When you have what you feel is everything torn from your life, it makes you focus on the ONE thing that is left: God. The powerful, forgiving, gracious, loving God standing there with open arms just waiting for you to run to Him. Like a father who has had their child taken from him for a long time and finally gets them back. He embraces us with nothing but love.
This is not a sob story; this is not a "let's have a pity party on me" story. I want this to be a story of encouragement for those who have been broken and hurt. I want you to know that you will NEVER be alone. You will never be too far for God to reach. No matter what you have done, where you have been, what you've seen or what you have said...God still wants you. His love is there for you if you'll just reach out.
It is people like YOU that have been broken so far that can do so much more for the cause of Christ. You can reach people that others couldn't. Someone who has never suffered can't empathize with someone who has gone through deep heartache. But YOU can! Take what has happened to you and run with it; run to the people who need you. You are an inspiration to people who don't think they have anything left to give.
Life is hard, it is just that simple. It is even harder when you have people who turn on you or beat you down with harsh words. You just have to keep going. The only thing that can keep you going is Jesus. Take a hold of HIS love. Never forget HIS promises. Receive HIS forgiveness. People hold grudges and will attempt to drag you down with lies that you will never amount to anything...but you mustn't listen to their voice. Listen only to the "voice of TRUTH" which is only God's. I love the quote that says, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Don't let people tell you who you are; don't let people define what your life should look like. Let God mold your life, and once He is complete, never look back or let anyone tell you that you need to be different.
We are the Broken, He is the Healer.
Sometimes the broken pieces of my life are just so overwhelming I don't know what to do or where to go. I begin thinking of all I have messed up on and put myself in a place that is so low that nobody could understand what I'm feeling; nobody could understand the pain.
My solution, even since I was 9 years old, has been to just end my life. I didn't want anything to do with people because everyone knows people hurt you. "Trusting only ends with pain" I told myself. On and on it went, me hiding and causing myself pain, pain that nobody could give me the words of encouragement I needed, no matter how sincere or how much they love me. They just didn't get it.
This past year I went through something that was the second most painful, confusing, life shattering thing I have ever experienced. I felt so alone, even with my family standing there right beside me, holding me close and encouraging me. "Again" someone that meant the world to me was gone in the blink of an eye. Through that time before they were gone, my old habit came back and the only thing I could think of was that I just wanted to die. Driving was the easiest way, I could do it when I was alone; I wouldn't hurt anyone but me and everyone would be happy. The ties between the two groups I loved would be gone and nobody would be hurting anymore. Ending me meant ending everyone else's hurting. Everything was just so painful; sleeping meant nightmare after nightmare and staying awake meant painful memories flashing through my head. Nothing helped, nothing soothed the pain I was feeling.
This was probably the biggest and lowest point in my life. Even though I had gone to God in all that happened, prayed to Him more than I ever have, I didn't have my trust placed fully in Him. For that time, I had put my trust, love and dreams in the hands of a person more than I did God.
When God knows we are drifting from Him, He will do what it takes to bring us back. In my case, it was dropping me to the lowest point at this time in my life. I was in a mess; I WAS a mess.
That whole time, God was there. He was beside me, begging me to let Him have all of my pain, brokenness and heartache. I wasn't handing it to Him because my pride said "I want to fix this on my own." I was looking at God, but I was focused on the person in front of me as I let go of them and they walked away. I watched my dreams, hopes and future leave my life and I felt like I had nothing left.
This, my friends, though incredibly painful, is a beautiful place to be. When you have what you feel is everything torn from your life, it makes you focus on the ONE thing that is left: God. The powerful, forgiving, gracious, loving God standing there with open arms just waiting for you to run to Him. Like a father who has had their child taken from him for a long time and finally gets them back. He embraces us with nothing but love.
This is not a sob story; this is not a "let's have a pity party on me" story. I want this to be a story of encouragement for those who have been broken and hurt. I want you to know that you will NEVER be alone. You will never be too far for God to reach. No matter what you have done, where you have been, what you've seen or what you have said...God still wants you. His love is there for you if you'll just reach out.
It is people like YOU that have been broken so far that can do so much more for the cause of Christ. You can reach people that others couldn't. Someone who has never suffered can't empathize with someone who has gone through deep heartache. But YOU can! Take what has happened to you and run with it; run to the people who need you. You are an inspiration to people who don't think they have anything left to give.
Life is hard, it is just that simple. It is even harder when you have people who turn on you or beat you down with harsh words. You just have to keep going. The only thing that can keep you going is Jesus. Take a hold of HIS love. Never forget HIS promises. Receive HIS forgiveness. People hold grudges and will attempt to drag you down with lies that you will never amount to anything...but you mustn't listen to their voice. Listen only to the "voice of TRUTH" which is only God's. I love the quote that says, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Don't let people tell you who you are; don't let people define what your life should look like. Let God mold your life, and once He is complete, never look back or let anyone tell you that you need to be different.
We are the Broken, He is the Healer.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Time For A Heart Cleanse
How often do we have God clean our hearts? As humans, we have major flaws, many of which dirty us all up on the inside. Sooner or later, all the gunk will start to show on the outside, as well. The longer we let bitterness, anger and hatred build up in our hearts, the more it becomes unforgiving and filthy.
"the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." -Luke 6:45
"It all begins, and ends, with our hearts." -Elizabeth Duke
Such a statement this friend made on my heart today. It was a great reminder to me.
You see, God doesn't want us to accept Him into our lives just once. Hear me correctly, this does NOT mean you will ever lose your salvation (ever). It means He doesn't want us asking forgiveness from the wrong we've done just once. He wants us to die to ourselves again, every single day. We are the wretch the song is talking about.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound! That saved a WRETCH like ME. I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see." This is the gospel. This is what we believed when we put our faith in Christ. We are all heading to hell, eternal damnation, if we do not put our faith in Christ.
Putting your faith in God is the biggest decision you'll ever make, but it doesn't stop there. You don't make one decision and let everything else drop the rest of your life. Any life worth living requires work. It's not a care-free-do-what-you-want kind of life. It is so much more than that!
You will make good choices and bad choices, but you are stuck with each of them however fully God forgives them in the end. Don't give up on something simply because it gets hard or you make a bad choice. God will take EVERY decision you make and cause it to glorify His name.
The bible says:
"Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes;
but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought
nor cease to yield fruit. The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the LORD, SEARCH the heart, I TEST the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds." -Jeremiah 17:5-10
God doesn't just watch our actions; He looks deep inside of us. He sees to the depths of our souls, what our intentions in any circumstance or situation are. He can see what our true intentions are any time He pleases. He knows where our hearts REALLY are throughout our day. It should cause us to tremble to think about such a thing. It should cause us to guard our thoughts and heart even more, making sure what we're thinking and believing in are true and pure.
What makes sense to us, what we tell ourselves is truth, is often just the opposite. We can hear lies of Satan and make ourselves think it was from God. We give excuses for unorthodox actions or thoughts.
I think it's time we start listening to God instead of the enemies lies. We say this and take it so lightly everyday. But do we really pay attention enough to hear God's whisper? Do we really stop and talk to Him, or do we say a little "please help me do well on____" or anything else asking Him to help us succeed instead of actually listening to Him? I think most of the time my problem with praying is that I make it all about me. I let God know what I WANT or what I feel I DESERVE instead of asking that HIS will be done. I mean seriously ...it's just plain insulting to God for me to act like I know better than Him!
Like many other things, one of the best solutions to fixing this ever present problem is...you guessed it...LOVE. "What do you mean?" you ask? Well, when we truly love God "with all of our heart" that really means our heart is filled with HIM. How is there room for anything else, any other filth, when He is there?
There's not.
What is true love, though? It is God. And a more detailed explanation is this: God sacrificed His Son for us, so that we could have the choice to follow or reject Him. Plain and simple. No big fancy words, no fluffy decorations, no added mess. He is pure, unblemished love. "Because TRUE love requires sacrifice." (Jarrid Wilson) God had to give a sacrifice to show He truly loved us, and so be it that we must do the same.
-Husbands and wives, your marriage is (or at least was) based on love. That vow you took? It wasn't a few fancy words for a day filled with flowers and fireworks. It was a PROMISE to each other, and more importantly to GOD, that you were partners for life. Ending that is not a choice (that's coming from God, not me.) What the world teaches today, though, is that divorce comes with marriage. If it doesn't work out after awhile, it's okay...we can just try someone else. It's a test-run-then-throw-away kind of thing. This is the view of the world NOT God, my friends, and is not to be taken to heart. Otherwise it will eat at you and spread through your entire being until it rings loud and clear like truth.
-Friendships require love and sacrifice. Friendships, like marriages, should NEVER happen because you "get something" out of it. That is one of the many ways your heart will begin filling up with dirt and grime. Be the kind of friend you want to have! "A man that has friends must show himself friendly."
-Family members; there is no greater bond than family. You see each others good and bad (and REALLY ugly,) but you keep loving them. You must love them even when they seem unlovable! You must love them even when they don't want you to. True love loves the unlovable.
You cannot say someone is impossible to love. If you're still living then there is still a reason to love people. God had to die to prove His love, because people didn't believe it... What is our excuse? They say mean things to us? It's a pretty sorry excuse if you ask me (believe me, I've said it enough!)
God is love + true love requires sacrifice + to truly love is to sacrifice something of ourselves + being a Christian =being Christ-like. This is our goal, to be like Christ.
Through Him alone our faith is found, through Him alone we have the strength and ability to love, to have our hearts cleansed and our minds renewed.
It is time to do a little Heart Cleaning. Start your heart cleanse today, there is never a better time to start than right now.
"the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." -Luke 6:45
"It all begins, and ends, with our hearts." -Elizabeth Duke
Such a statement this friend made on my heart today. It was a great reminder to me.
You see, God doesn't want us to accept Him into our lives just once. Hear me correctly, this does NOT mean you will ever lose your salvation (ever). It means He doesn't want us asking forgiveness from the wrong we've done just once. He wants us to die to ourselves again, every single day. We are the wretch the song is talking about.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound! That saved a WRETCH like ME. I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see." This is the gospel. This is what we believed when we put our faith in Christ. We are all heading to hell, eternal damnation, if we do not put our faith in Christ.
Putting your faith in God is the biggest decision you'll ever make, but it doesn't stop there. You don't make one decision and let everything else drop the rest of your life. Any life worth living requires work. It's not a care-free-do-what-you-want kind of life. It is so much more than that!
You will make good choices and bad choices, but you are stuck with each of them however fully God forgives them in the end. Don't give up on something simply because it gets hard or you make a bad choice. God will take EVERY decision you make and cause it to glorify His name.
The bible says:
"Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes;
but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought
nor cease to yield fruit. The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the LORD, SEARCH the heart, I TEST the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds." -Jeremiah 17:5-10
God doesn't just watch our actions; He looks deep inside of us. He sees to the depths of our souls, what our intentions in any circumstance or situation are. He can see what our true intentions are any time He pleases. He knows where our hearts REALLY are throughout our day. It should cause us to tremble to think about such a thing. It should cause us to guard our thoughts and heart even more, making sure what we're thinking and believing in are true and pure.
What makes sense to us, what we tell ourselves is truth, is often just the opposite. We can hear lies of Satan and make ourselves think it was from God. We give excuses for unorthodox actions or thoughts.
I think it's time we start listening to God instead of the enemies lies. We say this and take it so lightly everyday. But do we really pay attention enough to hear God's whisper? Do we really stop and talk to Him, or do we say a little "please help me do well on____" or anything else asking Him to help us succeed instead of actually listening to Him? I think most of the time my problem with praying is that I make it all about me. I let God know what I WANT or what I feel I DESERVE instead of asking that HIS will be done. I mean seriously ...it's just plain insulting to God for me to act like I know better than Him!
Like many other things, one of the best solutions to fixing this ever present problem is...you guessed it...LOVE. "What do you mean?" you ask? Well, when we truly love God "with all of our heart" that really means our heart is filled with HIM. How is there room for anything else, any other filth, when He is there?
There's not.
What is true love, though? It is God. And a more detailed explanation is this: God sacrificed His Son for us, so that we could have the choice to follow or reject Him. Plain and simple. No big fancy words, no fluffy decorations, no added mess. He is pure, unblemished love. "Because TRUE love requires sacrifice." (Jarrid Wilson) God had to give a sacrifice to show He truly loved us, and so be it that we must do the same.
-Husbands and wives, your marriage is (or at least was) based on love. That vow you took? It wasn't a few fancy words for a day filled with flowers and fireworks. It was a PROMISE to each other, and more importantly to GOD, that you were partners for life. Ending that is not a choice (that's coming from God, not me.) What the world teaches today, though, is that divorce comes with marriage. If it doesn't work out after awhile, it's okay...we can just try someone else. It's a test-run-then-throw-away kind of thing. This is the view of the world NOT God, my friends, and is not to be taken to heart. Otherwise it will eat at you and spread through your entire being until it rings loud and clear like truth.
-Friendships require love and sacrifice. Friendships, like marriages, should NEVER happen because you "get something" out of it. That is one of the many ways your heart will begin filling up with dirt and grime. Be the kind of friend you want to have! "A man that has friends must show himself friendly."
-Family members; there is no greater bond than family. You see each others good and bad (and REALLY ugly,) but you keep loving them. You must love them even when they seem unlovable! You must love them even when they don't want you to. True love loves the unlovable.
You cannot say someone is impossible to love. If you're still living then there is still a reason to love people. God had to die to prove His love, because people didn't believe it... What is our excuse? They say mean things to us? It's a pretty sorry excuse if you ask me (believe me, I've said it enough!)
God is love + true love requires sacrifice + to truly love is to sacrifice something of ourselves + being a Christian =being Christ-like. This is our goal, to be like Christ.
Through Him alone our faith is found, through Him alone we have the strength and ability to love, to have our hearts cleansed and our minds renewed.
It is time to do a little Heart Cleaning. Start your heart cleanse today, there is never a better time to start than right now.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Using and Abusing
People can put a lot of labels on a lot of different things. You go into stores and it seems everything has a label. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed how pasting labels has gone from products to humans? It's a very interesting thing to look back on and watch the progress (or would that be regress?) This has even gotten so far that we now see people labeling things with the name of God.
Organizations, churches, activities, bands, lifestyles... The list could go on for awhile so I won't bore you by naming all of them off. The thing I've seen, or more haven't seen, IS God. At least when it comes to these specific things. People place the name of God or the title "Christian" on their agenda because they know shallow "I grew up a Christian" people will fall right in, thinking they're doing something great, or at least being better than the next person.
We have been fooled by these labels and it is time to coat them in Goo-Gone. Time to stop embarrassing God by placing His name where He is nowhere to be found.
In East Texas, it's pretty normal to be a Christian, even "popular" to some extent. Most people you meet will tell you "Oh sure, I'm a Christian" without a hesitation. But let me stop you right there, because this is a very dangerous place to go. To set part of this misconception straight; going to church as a child, having a father who was a deacon or elder, a grandfather who was in a Southern Gospel group or a mother who had a strong faith does not make you a Christian. Putting yourself into a group you do not belong is very deceiving, to others around you and yourself as well. It gives the appearance that you do not need saving because of something that went on in your background. You are simply using God to fit into certain groups or feel better about yourself.
Let me put it this way.
You're a popular actor but, before your budding career, nobody even knew who you were. Nobody ever noticed you; as a matter of fact, you were the ONLY one nobody noticed everywhere you went. All of the sudden people seem to idolize you. Everyone "cares about you" and watches what you do so they can mimic you and, maybe, have some class of their own. People stop you to have a picture taken with you, they ask for you to sign your name on things (who would have thought!) and even fight over things you've simply touched! You feel like you're on top of the world! Finally, people notice you!
Then one day, you're older, your producer and agent start losing clients and their popularity begins to decline, taking your popularity with theirs. You aren't making the big scenes anymore. People still get excited to see you...most of the time...but they don't have that glowing look that they actually care a whole lot about getting to meet you. It's almost a false excitement. You (finally) see; nobody really cared who you were. They used you to get to their own time in the spot light; to get their own 2 seconds of fame. You were the trophy people used to help show off to their friends and family. You made them feel good, so they used you to do so. Nobody truly appreciated you for who you were, but what you could do for them.
Putting aside the actor part...have you ever been here? You thought someone truly cared about you only to learn they just wanted something out of the relationship (whether it was family, a friend, coworker, etc.)
I've had it happen to me and it is one of the most painful things you'll ever feel. It hurts not only physically but mentally and spiritually. That one person, or many people, who you had grown to love and felt that same love returned...only to find out it was all false; you are then dumped when you've completed your usefulness and they've gotten what they needed.
It's very sad.
The thing is, if you have gone through something like that, you know exactly how bad it hurts. You know that you will never heal, you know how long it takes for you to be able to trust anyone again. It takes even longer time to let love in again.
The way you were treated, that pain you felt, that is how God feels when we use Him to our advantage. When we love Him in the good times and dump Him in the bad. He has gone through being tortured, mocked, beaten, spat upon... All for what?
I know our reactions to such depressing subject are among many different things:
-Alcohol
-Starving yourself
-Cutting yourself
-Using drugs
-Thoughts of suicide (this was always mine)
-Major depression
Any number of things is our reaction to such deep, hard pain.
Take a look. What did God do? He had friends turn on Him, friends He had become so close to...He had friends deny they even knew Him! All of that, and He still loved them enough to willingly give His life. He chose to die a painful death to save the very ones that put Him on the cross.
He was used for His power, for His miracle or healing, for His teaching and countless other things...but He responded every time the same way: With love.
Do we truly care about God, or do we more often abuse the gift of such a magnificent relationship? Do we put our relationship with Him at the highest of all other priorities? Some people might say that is unfair to the other people in your life, that by doing that you will neglect everyone and everything else. This is so far from the truth and just an excuse to get away from God. When you put God above all else, when you put pleasing HIM above pleasing the world, the rest of the relationships in your life will blossom! Don't misunderstand me, you won't have a perfect life filled with butterflies and daisy's...you will still have trials and rough patches, but with God as your guide and light you can conquer anything. He is there for you. 24/7, 365. His shoulder is there to cry on, His wisdom is there for the taking when you need it, His strength is there when you feel you can't go on or things seem too hard, His hands are always open to receive all of the pain and brokenness you will turn over to Him.
He is our perfect example. To be a Christian is to be "Christ-like" and therefore means we are to model our lives, reactions, actions and lifestyle after Christ. We will not always succeed...but we can strive to be more like Him every day that we are blessed to wake up.
Do not tell God what He can do for you, but ask what you can do for Him.
Organizations, churches, activities, bands, lifestyles... The list could go on for awhile so I won't bore you by naming all of them off. The thing I've seen, or more haven't seen, IS God. At least when it comes to these specific things. People place the name of God or the title "Christian" on their agenda because they know shallow "I grew up a Christian" people will fall right in, thinking they're doing something great, or at least being better than the next person.
We have been fooled by these labels and it is time to coat them in Goo-Gone. Time to stop embarrassing God by placing His name where He is nowhere to be found.
In East Texas, it's pretty normal to be a Christian, even "popular" to some extent. Most people you meet will tell you "Oh sure, I'm a Christian" without a hesitation. But let me stop you right there, because this is a very dangerous place to go. To set part of this misconception straight; going to church as a child, having a father who was a deacon or elder, a grandfather who was in a Southern Gospel group or a mother who had a strong faith does not make you a Christian. Putting yourself into a group you do not belong is very deceiving, to others around you and yourself as well. It gives the appearance that you do not need saving because of something that went on in your background. You are simply using God to fit into certain groups or feel better about yourself.
Let me put it this way.
You're a popular actor but, before your budding career, nobody even knew who you were. Nobody ever noticed you; as a matter of fact, you were the ONLY one nobody noticed everywhere you went. All of the sudden people seem to idolize you. Everyone "cares about you" and watches what you do so they can mimic you and, maybe, have some class of their own. People stop you to have a picture taken with you, they ask for you to sign your name on things (who would have thought!) and even fight over things you've simply touched! You feel like you're on top of the world! Finally, people notice you!
Then one day, you're older, your producer and agent start losing clients and their popularity begins to decline, taking your popularity with theirs. You aren't making the big scenes anymore. People still get excited to see you...most of the time...but they don't have that glowing look that they actually care a whole lot about getting to meet you. It's almost a false excitement. You (finally) see; nobody really cared who you were. They used you to get to their own time in the spot light; to get their own 2 seconds of fame. You were the trophy people used to help show off to their friends and family. You made them feel good, so they used you to do so. Nobody truly appreciated you for who you were, but what you could do for them.
Putting aside the actor part...have you ever been here? You thought someone truly cared about you only to learn they just wanted something out of the relationship (whether it was family, a friend, coworker, etc.)
I've had it happen to me and it is one of the most painful things you'll ever feel. It hurts not only physically but mentally and spiritually. That one person, or many people, who you had grown to love and felt that same love returned...only to find out it was all false; you are then dumped when you've completed your usefulness and they've gotten what they needed.
It's very sad.
The thing is, if you have gone through something like that, you know exactly how bad it hurts. You know that you will never heal, you know how long it takes for you to be able to trust anyone again. It takes even longer time to let love in again.
The way you were treated, that pain you felt, that is how God feels when we use Him to our advantage. When we love Him in the good times and dump Him in the bad. He has gone through being tortured, mocked, beaten, spat upon... All for what?
I know our reactions to such depressing subject are among many different things:
-Alcohol
-Starving yourself
-Cutting yourself
-Using drugs
-Thoughts of suicide (this was always mine)
-Major depression
Any number of things is our reaction to such deep, hard pain.
Take a look. What did God do? He had friends turn on Him, friends He had become so close to...He had friends deny they even knew Him! All of that, and He still loved them enough to willingly give His life. He chose to die a painful death to save the very ones that put Him on the cross.
He was used for His power, for His miracle or healing, for His teaching and countless other things...but He responded every time the same way: With love.
Do we truly care about God, or do we more often abuse the gift of such a magnificent relationship? Do we put our relationship with Him at the highest of all other priorities? Some people might say that is unfair to the other people in your life, that by doing that you will neglect everyone and everything else. This is so far from the truth and just an excuse to get away from God. When you put God above all else, when you put pleasing HIM above pleasing the world, the rest of the relationships in your life will blossom! Don't misunderstand me, you won't have a perfect life filled with butterflies and daisy's...you will still have trials and rough patches, but with God as your guide and light you can conquer anything. He is there for you. 24/7, 365. His shoulder is there to cry on, His wisdom is there for the taking when you need it, His strength is there when you feel you can't go on or things seem too hard, His hands are always open to receive all of the pain and brokenness you will turn over to Him.
He is our perfect example. To be a Christian is to be "Christ-like" and therefore means we are to model our lives, reactions, actions and lifestyle after Christ. We will not always succeed...but we can strive to be more like Him every day that we are blessed to wake up.
Do not tell God what He can do for you, but ask what you can do for Him.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Is "Politically Correct" The New Christian?
How often do we worry about what others think? I'm not just talking peer pressure here, but more politically correct kind of worry.
You may or may not notice, but most anything we talk about that our country was founded on, in today's age, it's considered "offensive." Hear me out before you call me crazy.
Greeting people around Christmas: we have resorted to saying "Happy Holidays!" so we don't offend anyone by saying a word with "Christ" in it. We can still wish people a happy Valentines, happy St. Patrick's day, happy new year, happy Halloween...even happy Hanukkah...but we have to make it a wide range word for the Christian's holiday (or what USED to be "our" holiday.)
We cannot talk about morals, because it might come across wrong to someone of a different religion. How many times do we not speak up because of fear? Personally, I am fed up with the word "offensive." It has no meaning anymore except to keep people from speaking up against what's wrong. It started with politicians...well of course, because they couldn't say what their morals really were otherwise they would lose votes. Heaven forbid! Then it started to sneak and inch it's way into the religious crowds, or more specifically, the circle of Christians. See, there is a HUGE difference in purposefully going out and offending people and standing up for what is right. The line is actually very clearly drawn and simple to see, though we claim it's too blended to see.
We are told in the bible not to lie...we all know that one even if we don't have a relationship with Jesus...but lying doesn't just mean saying something that isn't true. We can lie by not speaking up, or more, letting someone believe we believe a certain thing by NOT speaking up.
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." -2 Timothy 1:7
We have the most powerful Being, THE God of everything, on our side. He tells us that He has already won all of our battles for us before they've even started! All of that...and we can't stand up and tell someone that killing an unborn child is wrong? We can't even tell someone Merry Christmas much less stand up for larger problems we hear about every day.
Have we all become spineless beings?
The term WWJD isn't just a silly fad. It is a very valid question.
-What Would Jesus Do?
-Who Would Jesus Love?
-Who Would Jesus Care For?
-Where Would Jesus Plant?
-How Would Jesus Answer?
Would Jesus stand up for what we're NOT standing up for?
It's time to stand up, speak out, let other people know what is wrong.
Do we watch what we say, making sure to be gentle and stay shy of the toes of other people so we don't upset them?
How far will we go, how watered down will we weaken the truth before it becomes nothingness? Soon, what we call "truth" will be nothing but people speaking words. It will mean nothing and do nothing; we will become as loud gongs and clanging symbols.
Go back and look in history; how many people died to make this country what it is today, to have the standards we used to hold so dear?
You go listen to interviews on regular people, everyday Janes and Johns, and you will be shocked. When asked about what is right and wrong, whether it is simply put like that or questions of more detail (such as "is lying wrong?"). People will say "Well, I think it depends on who you ask. Everyone has a different idea of what is right and wrong, and it's not my place to tell them what is and isn't." No joke. Person after person.
Like I already said, we shouldn't purposefully go out and make people mad or offend them. But we also shouldn't keep our mouths shut because their could possibly be a disagreement. The worst thing that can happen from us speaking the truth is someone telling us they disagree. But our job is done; we have made the truth known.
Truth: a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle
Will you let the truth fade? It's a choice.
You may or may not notice, but most anything we talk about that our country was founded on, in today's age, it's considered "offensive." Hear me out before you call me crazy.
Greeting people around Christmas: we have resorted to saying "Happy Holidays!" so we don't offend anyone by saying a word with "Christ" in it. We can still wish people a happy Valentines, happy St. Patrick's day, happy new year, happy Halloween...even happy Hanukkah...but we have to make it a wide range word for the Christian's holiday (or what USED to be "our" holiday.)
We cannot talk about morals, because it might come across wrong to someone of a different religion. How many times do we not speak up because of fear? Personally, I am fed up with the word "offensive." It has no meaning anymore except to keep people from speaking up against what's wrong. It started with politicians...well of course, because they couldn't say what their morals really were otherwise they would lose votes. Heaven forbid! Then it started to sneak and inch it's way into the religious crowds, or more specifically, the circle of Christians. See, there is a HUGE difference in purposefully going out and offending people and standing up for what is right. The line is actually very clearly drawn and simple to see, though we claim it's too blended to see.
We are told in the bible not to lie...we all know that one even if we don't have a relationship with Jesus...but lying doesn't just mean saying something that isn't true. We can lie by not speaking up, or more, letting someone believe we believe a certain thing by NOT speaking up.
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." -2 Timothy 1:7
We have the most powerful Being, THE God of everything, on our side. He tells us that He has already won all of our battles for us before they've even started! All of that...and we can't stand up and tell someone that killing an unborn child is wrong? We can't even tell someone Merry Christmas much less stand up for larger problems we hear about every day.
Have we all become spineless beings?
The term WWJD isn't just a silly fad. It is a very valid question.
-What Would Jesus Do?
-Who Would Jesus Love?
-Who Would Jesus Care For?
-Where Would Jesus Plant?
-How Would Jesus Answer?
Would Jesus stand up for what we're NOT standing up for?
It's time to stand up, speak out, let other people know what is wrong.
Do we watch what we say, making sure to be gentle and stay shy of the toes of other people so we don't upset them?
How far will we go, how watered down will we weaken the truth before it becomes nothingness? Soon, what we call "truth" will be nothing but people speaking words. It will mean nothing and do nothing; we will become as loud gongs and clanging symbols.
Go back and look in history; how many people died to make this country what it is today, to have the standards we used to hold so dear?
You go listen to interviews on regular people, everyday Janes and Johns, and you will be shocked. When asked about what is right and wrong, whether it is simply put like that or questions of more detail (such as "is lying wrong?"). People will say "Well, I think it depends on who you ask. Everyone has a different idea of what is right and wrong, and it's not my place to tell them what is and isn't." No joke. Person after person.
Like I already said, we shouldn't purposefully go out and make people mad or offend them. But we also shouldn't keep our mouths shut because their could possibly be a disagreement. The worst thing that can happen from us speaking the truth is someone telling us they disagree. But our job is done; we have made the truth known.
Truth: a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle
Will you let the truth fade? It's a choice.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A Single Man or Unified Group?
Wow. February 4th, 2012 was probably one of the biggest blessings I've had in a very long time.
For the first time in almost 2 years I have pure unblemished joy overflowing in my heart. If only all of my readers could have come along for the ride I had on that blessed day!
It started off fairly normal, Saturday morning movies with my brother. Then off we went to our weekly Prayer Walk around one of the many schools in Tyler. That in and of itself is exciting, but it got even more so after an unexpected visitor came and touched each of our hearts with a "street sermon."
This man's name was Christopher; my goodness was He overflowing with the joy of the Lord! He gave his testimony of how he used to be into drugs. He showed us the very corner he had his first two drug deals, then of his finding God in prison. He was sentenced 20 years for his crimes, but is now out living for the Lord! The joy and excitement he has is just infectious! It was so incredible. I honestly don't know if I've ever met anyone who had the joy of the Lord like this man did.
Stories like this are what we've run into each week during our Prayer Walks. The first week we met a man named Frank who also went around town and prayed for the community and happened to be on the same street we were walking that week. He joined our group in a time of prayer on one of the corners then talked with some of the men for awhile about what all he did.
Last week, we met a woman named Gloria, who just happened to be going through a hard time with very serious health problems; we were able to gather in her house and pray with her, encourage her and love on her.
This week we met Christopher and all of the excitement he brought to our time of prayer. He prayed for our group, talked with us, gave a mini sermon and just set us on fire even more for God!
If that isn't proof enough of how God is moving in our community, then maybe the word "proof" needs to be redefined.
Some say a single man is all you need to get something done, and where as I can see that being partially true, I also know that a group united and infected with the love and power of Jesus Christ can not only accomplish great things but also grow quickly because the goal is pure. When a group is moving ahead each towards a different goal, that may or may not be there, your group is mediocre at best. But when you have a group that is together in spirit AND body, moving towards a common goal... you'd better get ready for an avalanche of wonders!
As exciting as all of this has been, there are many who fight against unity. I don't think we realize just how controlling Christians can be until we try to change the status quo. Anything different than "what's always been done" is greatly frowned upon and smacked down just as fast as it was brought up. Excuses start arising and people become angry and bitter.
You might hear things like:
"I don't see why we need to help the poor, it's their own fault they're there anyway."
"Well God really didn't say we have to go help others. It was just a suggestion."
"That's just ridiculous! Do you honestly think you'll make a different? God will come back before long, so there's really no need to waste time on them."
"I will not risk my children's lives or health by taking them to places like that. I don't care how needy they are."
"Go to places where I could be endangered? I don't think God's calling me to that. Besides, I'm busy on Saturdays anyway."
"I wouldn't want my kids seeing or hearing the kind of things that might be there where "they" are, I don't want to take that risk."
You know, something hit me the other day while I was watching a movie. It was when African American people started moving into towns that hadn't had any for a long time, if ever, and the people were treating them so terribly. The main character, his wife and two daughters were teased, mocked and treated like filthy heathens. It was so sad. One night when the dads co-worker let his daughter come to his house, some teens came by and threw bricks through a few windows, frightening everyone horribly. The next day the dad of the other girl goes up to the African American dad and tells him his daughter wouldn't be going to their house anymore, then went on to chew the dad out for putting his daughter in danger and scaring her so bad. The dad just looked at him and said "now maybe you'll know a little bit of what my daughters have gone through all of their life."
Do we even stop to think about other people and how scared their lives might be, having to live in certain places or being treated poorly because of the color of their skin? Shame on us. Shame on all of us.
These people are exactly that: PEOPLE. They're not aliens, not animals, not dirt, not beings too low for us to speak to. They are HUMANS. Every. Single. One. Has been created in the image of God. Each one of them has a name, a life, a story to tell, a list of hurts that hides deep in their heart, each one God MADE SPECIFICALLY. Not a one was made by accident. He knows everyone, cares for everyone, loves everyone and has a purpose for everyone. We, on the other hand, try to be our own version of a god, choosing who is good enough and who isn't. Who will get attention and who we will ignore or walk around or over. You know what, God even loves the unmarried mother just as much as the happily married one.
"There is none good, NOT EVEN ONE." If the wealthy or blessed depended on those who were "good enough" then we would all be out! We're all sinners. That word means everything. Sin is sin is sin, no matter how bad or deep it is. Every sin, from telling a lie to killing a man, is as bad as the next. Why do we fancy ourselves more than those in the worst situations? Because we're prideful and full of judgment on all but our own life. It's time to stop. Stop with the excuses, stop with the lies, stop being selfish with love that was never intended to be kept inside our hearts in the first place.
This gift we've been given is not to be held tight to our chest selfishly, but given freely to EVERYONE. God said "go to ALL the world and preach the gospel" (that we are all sinners, but we are ALL loved.) Granted some might be called to other parts of the world, but the rest of us have a job right here where we live. We have people being killed, fathers leaving their children before they're even born, mothers doing drugs to the point where the child has to take care of her at a young age instead of the other way around. We have families being torn apart with divorces, unfaithful spouses, rebellious kids and unloving members.
Oh God, where have we gone wrong? When did we become so numb at heart that we care more for endangered animals that we do for our own brothers and sisters?
How often do you see the word "joy" in the bible? Well if you'll look, you'll see it many many times! We either have the joy of the Lord bubbling over infecting those around us, or we have the joy of the Lord squeezed into a tiny room buried so deep in our hearts that we don't even have it showing in our life. If you have God, you have His joy. Period. It is not a demand, but rather an outcome of the change that's been made in our hearts.
The joy God gives isn't just something that should come when we receive His gift, but something that stays with us everyday! It is something we should have, inwardly and outwardly, for the rest of our lives! Doesn't mean there won't be times of sadness, tears or pain; there is a season for each of those. It simply means even when things are rough, we will remember the joy we are ABLE to have through HIM!
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13
For the first time in almost 2 years I have pure unblemished joy overflowing in my heart. If only all of my readers could have come along for the ride I had on that blessed day!
It started off fairly normal, Saturday morning movies with my brother. Then off we went to our weekly Prayer Walk around one of the many schools in Tyler. That in and of itself is exciting, but it got even more so after an unexpected visitor came and touched each of our hearts with a "street sermon."
This man's name was Christopher; my goodness was He overflowing with the joy of the Lord! He gave his testimony of how he used to be into drugs. He showed us the very corner he had his first two drug deals, then of his finding God in prison. He was sentenced 20 years for his crimes, but is now out living for the Lord! The joy and excitement he has is just infectious! It was so incredible. I honestly don't know if I've ever met anyone who had the joy of the Lord like this man did.
Stories like this are what we've run into each week during our Prayer Walks. The first week we met a man named Frank who also went around town and prayed for the community and happened to be on the same street we were walking that week. He joined our group in a time of prayer on one of the corners then talked with some of the men for awhile about what all he did.
Last week, we met a woman named Gloria, who just happened to be going through a hard time with very serious health problems; we were able to gather in her house and pray with her, encourage her and love on her.
This week we met Christopher and all of the excitement he brought to our time of prayer. He prayed for our group, talked with us, gave a mini sermon and just set us on fire even more for God!
If that isn't proof enough of how God is moving in our community, then maybe the word "proof" needs to be redefined.
Some say a single man is all you need to get something done, and where as I can see that being partially true, I also know that a group united and infected with the love and power of Jesus Christ can not only accomplish great things but also grow quickly because the goal is pure. When a group is moving ahead each towards a different goal, that may or may not be there, your group is mediocre at best. But when you have a group that is together in spirit AND body, moving towards a common goal... you'd better get ready for an avalanche of wonders!
As exciting as all of this has been, there are many who fight against unity. I don't think we realize just how controlling Christians can be until we try to change the status quo. Anything different than "what's always been done" is greatly frowned upon and smacked down just as fast as it was brought up. Excuses start arising and people become angry and bitter.
You might hear things like:
"I don't see why we need to help the poor, it's their own fault they're there anyway."
"Well God really didn't say we have to go help others. It was just a suggestion."
"That's just ridiculous! Do you honestly think you'll make a different? God will come back before long, so there's really no need to waste time on them."
"I will not risk my children's lives or health by taking them to places like that. I don't care how needy they are."
"Go to places where I could be endangered? I don't think God's calling me to that. Besides, I'm busy on Saturdays anyway."
"I wouldn't want my kids seeing or hearing the kind of things that might be there where "they" are, I don't want to take that risk."
You know, something hit me the other day while I was watching a movie. It was when African American people started moving into towns that hadn't had any for a long time, if ever, and the people were treating them so terribly. The main character, his wife and two daughters were teased, mocked and treated like filthy heathens. It was so sad. One night when the dads co-worker let his daughter come to his house, some teens came by and threw bricks through a few windows, frightening everyone horribly. The next day the dad of the other girl goes up to the African American dad and tells him his daughter wouldn't be going to their house anymore, then went on to chew the dad out for putting his daughter in danger and scaring her so bad. The dad just looked at him and said "now maybe you'll know a little bit of what my daughters have gone through all of their life."
Do we even stop to think about other people and how scared their lives might be, having to live in certain places or being treated poorly because of the color of their skin? Shame on us. Shame on all of us.
These people are exactly that: PEOPLE. They're not aliens, not animals, not dirt, not beings too low for us to speak to. They are HUMANS. Every. Single. One. Has been created in the image of God. Each one of them has a name, a life, a story to tell, a list of hurts that hides deep in their heart, each one God MADE SPECIFICALLY. Not a one was made by accident. He knows everyone, cares for everyone, loves everyone and has a purpose for everyone. We, on the other hand, try to be our own version of a god, choosing who is good enough and who isn't. Who will get attention and who we will ignore or walk around or over. You know what, God even loves the unmarried mother just as much as the happily married one.
"There is none good, NOT EVEN ONE." If the wealthy or blessed depended on those who were "good enough" then we would all be out! We're all sinners. That word means everything. Sin is sin is sin, no matter how bad or deep it is. Every sin, from telling a lie to killing a man, is as bad as the next. Why do we fancy ourselves more than those in the worst situations? Because we're prideful and full of judgment on all but our own life. It's time to stop. Stop with the excuses, stop with the lies, stop being selfish with love that was never intended to be kept inside our hearts in the first place.
This gift we've been given is not to be held tight to our chest selfishly, but given freely to EVERYONE. God said "go to ALL the world and preach the gospel" (that we are all sinners, but we are ALL loved.) Granted some might be called to other parts of the world, but the rest of us have a job right here where we live. We have people being killed, fathers leaving their children before they're even born, mothers doing drugs to the point where the child has to take care of her at a young age instead of the other way around. We have families being torn apart with divorces, unfaithful spouses, rebellious kids and unloving members.
Oh God, where have we gone wrong? When did we become so numb at heart that we care more for endangered animals that we do for our own brothers and sisters?
How often do you see the word "joy" in the bible? Well if you'll look, you'll see it many many times! We either have the joy of the Lord bubbling over infecting those around us, or we have the joy of the Lord squeezed into a tiny room buried so deep in our hearts that we don't even have it showing in our life. If you have God, you have His joy. Period. It is not a demand, but rather an outcome of the change that's been made in our hearts.
The joy God gives isn't just something that should come when we receive His gift, but something that stays with us everyday! It is something we should have, inwardly and outwardly, for the rest of our lives! Doesn't mean there won't be times of sadness, tears or pain; there is a season for each of those. It simply means even when things are rough, we will remember the joy we are ABLE to have through HIM!
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
All You Need Is LOVE
"Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel." -Proverbs 20:3
Arguments. We all have them, it's part of being a member of fallen man. Since the beginning of time mankind has fought. Cain and Abel...brothers. They fought and Cain's anger became so great it finally ended in the death of Abel.
We all excuse our bickering or call it "friendly disagreement" by saying we're not really upset. But really? Is there any truth to that? Let's say I make a statement, of which I believe to be truth. You come back and contradict what I said with a fact of your own. What is going to be the most common reaction? Do I humbly step back and let you explain, see if I could be wrong? Or do I get bug eyed in disbelief that you would dare disagree or think I was wrong and start a big tirade saying how "I know I'm right, therefore you must be wrong."
"He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly." -Proverbs 14:29
Does this sound at all familiar? One word: Pride.
"Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?" -Proverbs 20:6
"Who can say, 'I have cleansed my own heart, I am pure from sin?' " -Proverbs 20:9
"Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts." -Proverbs 21:2
"He who loves transgression loves strife; he who raises his door seeks destruction." -Proverbs 17:19
The downfall of mankind is pride. It is what started the snowball of sin and is what keeps us from perfection; what keeps us from living together peacefully.
Did you know that Satan used to be an angel? Most Christians know this fact, but because it is not taught in depth it is not really understood fully. Satan was what we might have called God's right hand man, in a way. You also learn that he was very beautiful. One day he decided "Why does God get to be #1? I think I deserve it just as much as He does." Right then God struck him down. He was cast out of heaven, with all who followed his way, and turned into a serpent, punished by having to crawl on his belly. It all started with pride. He could have been the servant to the most amazing, powerful Being there is. But he made a choice; he chose pride over all of that.
You see, being prideful isn't just wrong; it's dangerous, harmful, and has grave consequences. Jesus is over all, the One true God. That is the way it was made to be, and when we start thinking more of ourselves than we should, God will strike us down every time. Some might say "He is the one who is prideful! He just wants His own way." Well, yes. He has to have His way, because He is holly, just, righteous and pure. We cannot even comprehend His infinite wisdom. He MADE you. He has the right to expect certain things from you, just as a loving parent should expect their child to obey their rules that are placed to keep them safe.
I often wonder how many things I could have made a more positive impact in had I just kept my mouth shut. The spoken word is often more regretful than the unspoken word. The tongue is one of the harshest, most fierce weapons we have. What we cannot do in actions we make up for by lashing out with our tongue.
"He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles." -Proverbs 21:23
We must ever so carefully guard our tongue. We need to ask ourselves BEFORE we speak, "Would Jesus say this?" or "would this be edifying to Christ?"
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise make knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools sprouts folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good." -Proverbs 15:1-3
"The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." -Proverbs 13:3
If we have love for God and others, we will almost automatically have our pride pushed aside. When we think more of HIM and THEM, we will begin thinking of ourselves less. It is a much better thing to think about anyway, if you ask me. (I get pretty tired of thinking about myself, it's actually very depressing.)
It's not quite, but I think love is pretty close to the opposite of pride. Love can really be the positive side to any negative situation or attitude.
I don't know why, but ever since I was a little girl I've always thought what I would do if I were to learn I only had a short time left to live my life.
-Who would I go to for forgiveness?
-What would I step out and finally go do?
-Who would I make a special trip to go see?
-What would I try to finish that I had always put off?
-What would I change in myself, whether it be attitude, daily tasks, priorities or dreams?
Looking at each of those, I COULD make a change in every single one and it would come down to removing pride out of the middle of each of them. When you dig deep down to the roots of yourself you'll find all kinds of junk; lots of it hard to swallow. It all comes down to one thing: living for oneself.
"A heart knows it's own bitterness," -Proverbs 14:10
I can pretend all day that I don't see issues built up inside my heart, but even if I can trick my mind into putting a band-aid on them or cover them up, my heart still knows what's going on.
If we could just make the conscious effort to live for someone and something (example: God and the gospel) other than ourselves I truly believe we would see a drastic difference in our lives!
There's a book and a few songs with the title "Crazy Love." It might sound a tad strange at first, but this should be what we have! We should be crazy IN love with Christ if we wish to keep that relationship blooming with Him, and we should GIVE love like crazy to other people!
Most of the time we do to make US feel better, learn to make US look more intelligent, spend to help US look better, boast to show that WE are wise or talented. Let me tell you, if we put as much effort into others as we put into ourselves, how many people do you think we could help? How many lives would have a positive difference made in them?
It's time to make a focus swap.
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, SO ALSO SHOULD YOU. Beyond all these things PUT ON LOVE, which is the perfect BOND OF UNITY. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, DO ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Love, love, love= UNITY. I cannot stress the matter enough. God cannot tell us enough. We MUST turn to love to make anything in our lives work or have purpose. Though we do not deserve it, we must first learn to accept God's love for us. That is the first step. We cannot love in and of ourselves, because apart from Christ we are too broken to love perfectly. Next, we must learn to love others like we won't ever get another chance; like their life depends on it, because you never know when one kind word or even just a smile will save a broken life.
"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not may mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God." -1 Corinthians 1:26-29
The more we build up ourselves, the more we become like those who will not be used by God. He doesn't use the strong, wise or fearless but, to show His power, He uses the weak, less intelligent or dumb, and fearful. He chooses those who are mocked, teased and broken because once He has empowered them, people will definitely notice a change. "I am weak but He is strong." We can have strength, wisdom and courage through Christ alone. No other way.
* Toss out pride.
* Love like you won't get another chance.
* Let the "joy of the Lord" be your strength!
* Put others BEFORE yourself to show you truly care
* Live at peace with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ...just remember, you'll be spending eternity with them.
Arguments. We all have them, it's part of being a member of fallen man. Since the beginning of time mankind has fought. Cain and Abel...brothers. They fought and Cain's anger became so great it finally ended in the death of Abel.
We all excuse our bickering or call it "friendly disagreement" by saying we're not really upset. But really? Is there any truth to that? Let's say I make a statement, of which I believe to be truth. You come back and contradict what I said with a fact of your own. What is going to be the most common reaction? Do I humbly step back and let you explain, see if I could be wrong? Or do I get bug eyed in disbelief that you would dare disagree or think I was wrong and start a big tirade saying how "I know I'm right, therefore you must be wrong."
"He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly." -Proverbs 14:29
Does this sound at all familiar? One word: Pride.
"Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?" -Proverbs 20:6
"Who can say, 'I have cleansed my own heart, I am pure from sin?' " -Proverbs 20:9
"Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts." -Proverbs 21:2
"He who loves transgression loves strife; he who raises his door seeks destruction." -Proverbs 17:19
The downfall of mankind is pride. It is what started the snowball of sin and is what keeps us from perfection; what keeps us from living together peacefully.
Did you know that Satan used to be an angel? Most Christians know this fact, but because it is not taught in depth it is not really understood fully. Satan was what we might have called God's right hand man, in a way. You also learn that he was very beautiful. One day he decided "Why does God get to be #1? I think I deserve it just as much as He does." Right then God struck him down. He was cast out of heaven, with all who followed his way, and turned into a serpent, punished by having to crawl on his belly. It all started with pride. He could have been the servant to the most amazing, powerful Being there is. But he made a choice; he chose pride over all of that.
You see, being prideful isn't just wrong; it's dangerous, harmful, and has grave consequences. Jesus is over all, the One true God. That is the way it was made to be, and when we start thinking more of ourselves than we should, God will strike us down every time. Some might say "He is the one who is prideful! He just wants His own way." Well, yes. He has to have His way, because He is holly, just, righteous and pure. We cannot even comprehend His infinite wisdom. He MADE you. He has the right to expect certain things from you, just as a loving parent should expect their child to obey their rules that are placed to keep them safe.
I often wonder how many things I could have made a more positive impact in had I just kept my mouth shut. The spoken word is often more regretful than the unspoken word. The tongue is one of the harshest, most fierce weapons we have. What we cannot do in actions we make up for by lashing out with our tongue.
"He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles." -Proverbs 21:23
We must ever so carefully guard our tongue. We need to ask ourselves BEFORE we speak, "Would Jesus say this?" or "would this be edifying to Christ?"
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise make knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools sprouts folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good." -Proverbs 15:1-3
"The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." -Proverbs 13:3
If we have love for God and others, we will almost automatically have our pride pushed aside. When we think more of HIM and THEM, we will begin thinking of ourselves less. It is a much better thing to think about anyway, if you ask me. (I get pretty tired of thinking about myself, it's actually very depressing.)
It's not quite, but I think love is pretty close to the opposite of pride. Love can really be the positive side to any negative situation or attitude.
I don't know why, but ever since I was a little girl I've always thought what I would do if I were to learn I only had a short time left to live my life.
-Who would I go to for forgiveness?
-What would I step out and finally go do?
-Who would I make a special trip to go see?
-What would I try to finish that I had always put off?
-What would I change in myself, whether it be attitude, daily tasks, priorities or dreams?
Looking at each of those, I COULD make a change in every single one and it would come down to removing pride out of the middle of each of them. When you dig deep down to the roots of yourself you'll find all kinds of junk; lots of it hard to swallow. It all comes down to one thing: living for oneself.
"A heart knows it's own bitterness," -Proverbs 14:10
I can pretend all day that I don't see issues built up inside my heart, but even if I can trick my mind into putting a band-aid on them or cover them up, my heart still knows what's going on.
If we could just make the conscious effort to live for someone and something (example: God and the gospel) other than ourselves I truly believe we would see a drastic difference in our lives!
There's a book and a few songs with the title "Crazy Love." It might sound a tad strange at first, but this should be what we have! We should be crazy IN love with Christ if we wish to keep that relationship blooming with Him, and we should GIVE love like crazy to other people!
Most of the time we do to make US feel better, learn to make US look more intelligent, spend to help US look better, boast to show that WE are wise or talented. Let me tell you, if we put as much effort into others as we put into ourselves, how many people do you think we could help? How many lives would have a positive difference made in them?
It's time to make a focus swap.
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, SO ALSO SHOULD YOU. Beyond all these things PUT ON LOVE, which is the perfect BOND OF UNITY. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, DO ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Love, love, love= UNITY. I cannot stress the matter enough. God cannot tell us enough. We MUST turn to love to make anything in our lives work or have purpose. Though we do not deserve it, we must first learn to accept God's love for us. That is the first step. We cannot love in and of ourselves, because apart from Christ we are too broken to love perfectly. Next, we must learn to love others like we won't ever get another chance; like their life depends on it, because you never know when one kind word or even just a smile will save a broken life.
"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not may mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God." -1 Corinthians 1:26-29
The more we build up ourselves, the more we become like those who will not be used by God. He doesn't use the strong, wise or fearless but, to show His power, He uses the weak, less intelligent or dumb, and fearful. He chooses those who are mocked, teased and broken because once He has empowered them, people will definitely notice a change. "I am weak but He is strong." We can have strength, wisdom and courage through Christ alone. No other way.
* Toss out pride.
* Love like you won't get another chance.
* Let the "joy of the Lord" be your strength!
* Put others BEFORE yourself to show you truly care
* Live at peace with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ...just remember, you'll be spending eternity with them.
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