Hello.
My name is Pamela and I am a grateful believer and follower of Jesus Christ who struggles with depression, post traumatic stress syndrome, and the subsequent addiction to alcohol.
God has shown me that He wants me to be transparent with you because otherwise, you might miss the opportunity to witness firsthand the amazing power of His grace, His kindness, His love, His Mercy.
That’s what I am, a living, breathing, miracle of His mercy and love.
I want to talk to you about Mercy. Compassion. This time of year is so very difficult for so many. Especially those who don’t know Jesus—those struggling with poverty, addiction, abuse, no home…when our focus at Christmas turns from Jesus to the events and the parties and the presents, the Christmas story can easily be downgraded in our own hearts and lives and become just a nice Christmas picture. I hope that tonight, we might look upon it again through personal eyes, through a couple of lives that have been, and are being, restored through the mercy of Jesus Christ.
I don’t want to focus on my hurts, or to air my dirty laundry, but I do want to share some of my story so that you can see how God’s gift of Celebrate Recovery is in the business of embracing us with God’s mercy: a mercy that pities us, touches us, heals us, then prepares a place for us.
In a little while, I’ll share more about Celebrate Recovery, but for now, I want to focus on this question:
What is your compassion quotient?
As many of you know, I am a missionary kid. I grew up in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and witnessed first hand, in my parents a genuine love and compassion for others. My story is particulary poignant, because you see, I grew up knowing Jesus’ love. I never doubted it. So what happened? What turned a good girl bad?
Luke 10:25-37
[25] On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
[26] "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
[27] He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
[28] "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
[29] But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
[30] In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. [31] A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. [32] So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. [34] He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. [35] The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
[36] "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
[37] The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
Yes, I’ve been there.
During a brief stint in the Army, back in the 80s, my barracks room was broken into by 4 very drunk, very young soldiers, who only had one thing to prove—women did not belong in the Army. They left me broken and lifeless in places not visible to the naked eye. My entire chain of command turned a blind eye, including my Chaplain, who attempted to provide “Hug Therapy” instead of kind and merciful Christian counseling and protection. I was quietly and honorably discharged from the Army, without any formal treatment other than scratch and dent first aide, after I signed several disclaimer documents saying that I would keep my mouth shut. Consequently, I began a battle with post traumatic stress syndrome and depression. In my crippled mental state, I spent the next 20 years in and out of a series of relationships with extremely violent and abusive men, and a real thirst for my favorite numbing agent: Vodka.
I certainly know how the poor man felt: broken, in pain, exposed.
In Jesus' story, both the priest and Levite see the wounded man and pass on the other side of the road. They see the man's need but choose not to help.
So, here we have two very high ranking men in the religious cadre, who don’t wish to defile themselves with an un-holy situation. Apparently legend of the hypocracy in the pulpit has been circulating since Jesus’ time!
And yet, in the law of those high ranking religious cadre, it is pretty clear about helping those who are in need, both man and beast, friend and foe—even if he is your enemy! They would have been aware of:
Exodus 23: 4-5: If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you, fallen down under it’s load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him." (Proverbs 24:17-18)
"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." (Proverbs 25:21-22)
And, of course, the very verse the lawyer had quoted makes the priest and the Levite's obligations clear: "Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord". (Leviticus 19:18).
Placing religious purity over helping a person who was perhaps still alive is gross hard-heartedness and selfishness.
And walking on the other side of the road displays a deliberate "I don't want to know!" attitude. The less they saw about the man's condition, the less they would feel obligated to help him. After all, he might be dead that then there would be nothing they could do. Our modern-day equivalent of this attitude is, "I don't want to get involved."
After years of living a double life, of hard working career minded woman during the day, and nights filled with alcohol driven brawls and beatings, I found myself in 2005, at rock bottom. My sister Charlotte had died of ovarian cancer, and I returned from the funeral to Ft. Myers, Florida and promptly tried to drown my hurt the best way I knew. Several months later, when I finally crawled out of the bottle and took a hard look at my surroundings: a run-down mobile home with grass growing through the floor, in a sinful relationship with a man who encouraged me to remain intoxicated, unable to hold down a job; I cannot lie. I wanted to die. I. Wanted. To. Die.
It was at that point, I realized, that my relationship with the Father had been severed. I’ve always felt that suicide was the most selfish and most sinful act against God a person could commit. To even have that thought, to even entertain the possibility was actually, in itself, my moment of clarity…that my life was nothing without Him. I was nothing without Him. The reason I felt like a big Nothing, was because I was without Him.
Praise God. Praise you Jesus, thank you for stepping in and calling my name. And thank you Jesus for sending your Samaritan disciples my way!
[33] But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. [34] He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. [35] The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
I swallowed my pride, and called on my own personal missionaries: mom and dad. The nature of my illness was such, that I couldn’t comprehend the depth of their pain in losing Charlotte. I still struggle with the extent of my self-absorption that was enabled by my illness and addiction...I am so ashamed at my selfishness…inside, though, I knew the alternative was no longer an option. I needed to live, if only long enough to make amends for my unfortunate activities and sad choices.
I would like to tell you that it was all sunshine, peace, rainbows, and love since that moment of clarity 5 years ago in that dilapidated trailer in Florida, but it was a daily battle. I began attending church every time the doors were open, and did not rest until I had a quiet time with the Father each day. But something was missing…I wasn’t feeling it. It’s hard to explain, really… I was going through all the motions, making the lifestyle changes, but something was missing.
Now, I know, physically and mentally I was changing, but my heart was still broken. I had never taken inventory of all the bruises, broken bones, and pain…the catalyst for my illness. I had never known mercy or healing for all that trauma inside of me.
At this point in time, Celebrate Recovery found me…or rather Daniel led me to Celebrate Recovery. Y’all all know the romance version of the story so I’ll skip that for now. Sufficed to say, I began to feel God’s mercy immediately upon walking through the door of my first meeting.
I will never be the same again.
People that have known me for only a very short period of time see the dramatic and complete change of heart.
Let me tell you a little about Celebrate Recovery so that you’ll understand how the program dramatically changes lives. I believe God placed me in this program because He knew it would speak to me. God gave me this precious gift of recovery, because I am precious to Him.
Basically, Celebrate Recovery is a 12-Step, Christ centered recovery program, using the Beatitudes.
Most of you are familiar with secular 12-Step Recovery programs. I believe AA, NA, SA, OEA; all of the “A” programs all use a similar 12-step recovery program. The Celebrate Recovery 12-Step Program uses the same steps, but is Christ centered—and therein lays the life-changing difference.
The Celebrate Recovery program was designed by pastors Rick Warren and Jon Walker of Saddleback Church in California, to assist pastor Walker with his alcohol recovery program…not a program he was teaching…a program he needed for himself…for alcohol addiction.
I point this out because it’s important to realize that no matter your walk in life, your position in the church, we are all flawed individuals and easy targets for the enemy. Look at me! A missionary kid! With intimate knowledge of God’s promises, yet, just now at middle age, discovering His awesome power and love!
Yes, God sent my mom and dad, Daniel, and Celebrate Recovery as my Good Samaritans.
"But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him." (10:33)
The Samaritan traveler doesn't move over to the other side of the road, but when he sees the wounded man he takes pity on him.
Jesus is saying that Love, sympathy, and mercy are motivated by the need of another, while withholding mercy is essentially an act of selfishness, of self-protection.
"He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine." (10:34a)
The Samaritan binds up the wounds of the injured man, perhaps with his own head covering or by tearing strips from his garment. The Samaritan also pours on oil and wine as healing agents.
"Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' " (10:34b-35)
The Samaritan's love of his neighbor was costly. He used his own supplies to cleanse and soothe the man's wounds, his own clothing to bandage him, his own animal to carry him while the Samaritan himself walked, his own money to pay for his care, and his own reputation and credit to vouch for any further expenses the man's care would require.
Love can be costly.
But if we have the means to help, we are to extend ourselves. The Apostle John taught, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:17-18).
You know what? I believe God had me in mind when He helped Pastor Warren design this program. God has seen me, this whole time. He has felt sorrow for me! He has felt loneliness for me! He has longed for my presence when I hid from everyone! He had mercy.
The rest of the story…I now try to show the same mercy toward others, as was shown to me—in 2nd Corinthians Paul says: He comforts us every time we have trouble, so when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ. I am now a leader of a women’s group for drug and alcohol addiction and life struggles at Celebrate Recovery. It is my daily prayer to show compassion and mercy to, especially girls and women, in all walks of life. Because God was so good to me, it is my honor and responsibility to be compassionate to others.
Yea! I’m “all better now” because my family, my husband, my God were merciful.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, with our wonderful Samaritan friend…
There wasn't an emergency room where the Samaritan could take the man, and just drop him off. Instead, he took him to a "motel" and cared for the man himself that night. He trusted the innkeeper enough to advance him money to care for the wounded man. And he promised the innkeeper to reimburse him for any additional costs when he returns from his trip.
The Samaritan's mercy is a generous mercy. A mercy that doesn't just keep the letter of the law, but its spirit as well. "Whatever he needs," is the limit of his mercy.
" 'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?'The expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him.' " (10:36-37a)
Now Jesus makes his point. He asks the lawyer which of the three proved to be a neighbor to the wounded man, and the lawyer is forced to reply, "The one who had mercy on him."
Micah 6:8: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Mercy is required of us. Jesus commands his disciples very specifically: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36).
The lawyer began by asking for a definition of "neighbor" in order to justify limiting his love to his fellow Jews only.
Jesus makes it clear that our neighbor is whoever has a need. It doesn't matter who they are. Jesus' command to love our neighbor as ourselves knows no self-satisfying limits.
"Jesus told him, 'Go and do likewise.' " (10:37b)
As Christians, are we supposed to be “do gooders”? Yes. But! Our motivation for doing good must be love for others, an interest in meeting their basic needs…and having a heart of mercy that is moved by compassion.
I must ask myself, what we -- as disciples of Jesus -- are supposed to learn from this story. For me, the answer is to examine my own heart.
What motivates me? How much have selfishness and sticking to my own agenda robbed away the mercy that Jesus holds dear and wants to flourish in my heart through his Holy Spirit?
I may be efficient, but am I merciful? When cornered, do I put myself first, or do I put the needs of others first?
To me, Jesus' command, "Go and do likewise," means that I must value acts of mercy over personal productivity.
What does it mean for you?
What is your compassion quotient?
Be compassionate to someone this Christmas.
Thank you for letting me share.
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
His Wish = Your Request
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them And this is how we know that he lives in us: we know it by the Spirit He gave us. 1 John 3:21-24.
I may be a “mature” lady, but still a veritable toddler in my grasp of God’s incredible generosity, providence, and grace through an effective prayer life.
One thing I’ve found is that at some point, we all have the same question: “Why did my prayer go unanswered?”
Some prayers go unanswered because we never really prayed specifically, and we are out of fellowship with God. To walk in fellowship with God means we must, to the best of our ability, live according to His will, relying on Him for help. We fail hourly, or in my case, each minute of the day and we must confess our sins immediately to always remain in a mindset pleasing to the Father.
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me. Psalm 66:18-20
Some prayers go unanswered because they are self-centered rather than God-centered, and there is no expectation that God is going to do anything in response to our prayers. We go through the motions of saying “Thy will be done”, uncaringly…sort of like a teen rolling their eyes and saying “What-eh-ver.” We are pouting, immature humans, flawed, and self-centered. We insist on asking only for what we want and do not understand God’s way and heavily oriented to our own desires. Remember that we also pray “in the name of Jesus,” so how does it honor Him that we ask for anything in His precious name that would grieve and hurt Jesus?
You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:2-3.
It’s not magical or enchantment. It’s not rocket science. It’s pretty simple, really. The closer we walk with the Father, the stronger our will becomes desire to honor Him. He wishes for us to follow His commands and that is our strongest desire. Then, our requests are heard by the Father, because (epiphany warning!)He placed the desire in our hearts! The more I pray for God’s will to be done, the more my dreams come true, because my will is His, my dreams are things He desires for me. In my God’s world, there is no such thing as an impossible dream, or an unanswered prayer.
I may be a “mature” lady, but still a veritable toddler in my grasp of God’s incredible generosity, providence, and grace through an effective prayer life.
One thing I’ve found is that at some point, we all have the same question: “Why did my prayer go unanswered?”
Some prayers go unanswered because we never really prayed specifically, and we are out of fellowship with God. To walk in fellowship with God means we must, to the best of our ability, live according to His will, relying on Him for help. We fail hourly, or in my case, each minute of the day and we must confess our sins immediately to always remain in a mindset pleasing to the Father.
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me. Psalm 66:18-20
Some prayers go unanswered because they are self-centered rather than God-centered, and there is no expectation that God is going to do anything in response to our prayers. We go through the motions of saying “Thy will be done”, uncaringly…sort of like a teen rolling their eyes and saying “What-eh-ver.” We are pouting, immature humans, flawed, and self-centered. We insist on asking only for what we want and do not understand God’s way and heavily oriented to our own desires. Remember that we also pray “in the name of Jesus,” so how does it honor Him that we ask for anything in His precious name that would grieve and hurt Jesus?
You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:2-3.
It’s not magical or enchantment. It’s not rocket science. It’s pretty simple, really. The closer we walk with the Father, the stronger our will becomes desire to honor Him. He wishes for us to follow His commands and that is our strongest desire. Then, our requests are heard by the Father, because (epiphany warning!)He placed the desire in our hearts! The more I pray for God’s will to be done, the more my dreams come true, because my will is His, my dreams are things He desires for me. In my God’s world, there is no such thing as an impossible dream, or an unanswered prayer.
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Double-Minded Malady
Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me—I mean nothing good lives in the part of me that is earthly and sinful. I want to do the things that are good, but I do not do them. I do not do the good things I want to do, but I do the bad things I do not want to do. So if I do things I do not want to do, then I am not the one doing them. It is sin living in me that does those things. So I have learned this rule: When I want to do good, evil is there with me. In my mind, I am happy with God’s law. But I see another law working in my body, which makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and it makes me its prisoner. What a miserable man I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:18-25 NCV
A few weeks ago, our pastor told the story of a missionary visiting an indigenous tribal chief whom the missionary had brought to Christ. “How is the Christian life?” the missionary inquired of the new follower of Christ. “Ah, the Christian life is a difficult one. It feels sometimes as though two dogs battle within me: a good white dog, and an evil black dog,” lamented the chief. “Which dog wins?” asked the missionary. The chief sagely replied, “The dog I feed the most wins.”
Well, seems as though the chief was plagued with the Double-Minded Malady.
Remember the old adage “two heads are better than one?” Using two noggins may in some instances be advantageous… except when two heads occupy the same space! Clearly, we only have one literal head, but when we have Double-Minded Malady, our thoughts, affections, hopes, and purposes are always at odds with one another.
I don’t want to catch this Double-Minded Malady! I know that the best way to ward off illness is to be prepared, or inoculated. So, I did some research—I surfed Internet, googled the term double-minded, and read my Bible. The first occurrence of the term “double-minded” is found in Psalms 119:113 where King David contrasts the laws of God with double-minded men saying, “I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.” Of course, King David was clearly aware of the double-minded malady. At certain moments in his life, he came down with the illness himself. The Apostle James, however, is the one who defines the double-minded malady.
James uses the term double-minded twice in his New Testament letter addressed to “all of God’s people who are scattered everywhere in the world” (James 1:1) and it is the theme throughout the letter. James describes a double-minded person as someone who is divided in his interests or loyalties, wavering, uncertain, two-faced, and half-hearted.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible defines the double-minded person as “one who is unstable in all his ways; he is confused in his mind; restless in his thoughts, unsettled in his designs and intentions; inconstant in his petitions; uncertain in his notions and opinion of things; and very variable in his actions, and especially in matters of religion; he is always changing, and never at a point, but at a continual uncertainty, both in a way of thinking and doing: he never continues long either in an opinion, or in a practice, but is ever shifting and moving;” in direct opposition to the Father, “with whom there is no variation of shifting shadow.” James 1:17.
The prophet Elijah held that such non-commitment as “limping between two sides,” (1 Kings 18:21). And Joshua told his people to make a firm commitment to one side or the other. He said, “Choose this day whom you will serve,” (Joshua 24:15).
I don’t know about you-- if someone were to describe me as two-faced, or half-hearted it would really hurt! But we’re all guilty. Even Paul (Romans 7:18) clearly struggled to bring his heart around to the singular focus of Christ and Christ’s behavior. John, who baptized Jesus Christ, witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon the Savior “in bodily form like a dove” and heard a voice from heaven declare, “You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22). Yet, while in prison, John sent men to ask Christ “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Luke 7:19-20). And Peter—we don’t have enough time to discuss his double-minded malady!
Jesus said that He would rather people be for Him or against Him rather than be half-hearted. He called it being "lukewarm" and He was, and is, disgusted by it (Rev. 3:15-16). He insisted that no one can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). The Lord calls upon us to make Him our clear-cut choice.
So, what to do in this era of attention deficit disorders—real, imagined, or self-imposed—to stay single-mindedly focused on Christ? Those of us in recovery plans such as AA, SA, NA, or CR are aware of “triggers” that lead us into sin. Add to the triggers the constant bombardment of “corrupt” communications—from coworkers, friends, television, books, movies—behavior far removed from that God expects of His followers is ubiquitous.
Whether in recovery for past sins, or simply struggling to walk in Jesus’ steps, we are flawed, imperfect individuals. To make sure we don’t “catch” the double-minded malady, the Apostle James outlined environments where our attention may be misled. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you have the symptoms of double-minded malady:
What Kind of Prayer Life Do I Have? As a Christian, the first area where double-mindedness demonstrates itself is in our prayer life. Do we pray assuredly? Do we pray with doubt? Doubt in our communication with God short-circuits our relationship with Him. Before asking God for anything, we need to ask ourselves “Is what I am asking His will?” “Is my attitude and is my life in God’s will?” “Are my motives self-centered or God-centered?” James 1:6-8 says, But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown up and down by the wind. Such doubters are thinking two different things at the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They should not think they will receive anything from the Lord. We must remain single minded in our prayer lives.
Do I Hear God’s Word and Live God’s Word? James admonishes us against only hearing the Word, and not living the Word. James says that double-mindedness can creep into our attitudes, and advises us to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22). As followers of Christ, studying God’s word is the way to become like Christ. We must move beyond just feeling good after reading the Word, to actually striving to be good. We must not let a pleasant, satisfied feeling from learning the Word deceive us into thinking we’ve accomplished something when we haven’t. Christ spoke of imprudent people whose lives are not built on the Rock. Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them is foolish (Matthew 7:24-26). Although no one can earn salvation by anything they do, we can lose our salvation by being hearers only (Hebrews 2).
Am I Guilty of Selective Obedience? Next, James targets double-minded keeping of the law (James 2:8-13). For centuries the Christian world has been of two minds concerning God's law. Its double-mindedness has resulted in the breaking of the royal law according to the scripture (v8). The Old Testament records God's giving of the royal law, which is summarized in Leviticus 19: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (v18). James shows the double-mindedness of embracing one point of the Ten Commandments while breaking another point of this law of love. Notice that the breaking of one point of the law is the same as breaking the whole law (vs 10,11). James warned against inconsistency in our obedience to God. It's much easier to address the broad expression of God's royal law—love (Leviticus 19:18)—than to embrace the specifics of it (Exodus 20:1-17). Without specifics, we each decide for ourselves what love is. But The Bible plainly defines love: For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). What sin do you hate the most? Stealing? Lying? Adultery? God wants us to hate every sin. He wants us to hate the breaking of any of the Ten Commandments, as well as anything else that is not pleasing in His sight (1 John 3:22).
Am I a Believer, but Not a Worker? It’s great to have an unwavering belief in the Father, but do my works reflect that belief? In Chapter 2, James warns that faith means more than just belief in God. As followers of Christ, we should be aware that faith without works is dead (v20). James says we should show tangible evidence of our beliefs: Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works (v18). Belief is not enough. Even the demons believe and tremble! (v19). Are my actions clear indications of my loyalty to Christ?
Do I Have My Thought-to-Mouth Filter In Place? Ouch. Probably not. Am I guilty of having an Unbridled Tongue? You know the shame: you think something ugly about someone, and before you can stop the words, they are leaving your lips, the forevermore un-retractable inappropriate comment. “We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself” (James 3:9). An abusive conversation can undermine the powerful influences of prayer, the inspired reading of God's Word, the impartial treatment of people, and faith with works. Before passing along information that could hurt someone, ask yourself: Does this need to be said, or do I just want to say it? Would more harm come by saying it or not saying it? If it needs to be said, am I sharing it with the right person? We all make many mistakes. If people never said anything wrong, they would be perfect and able to control their entire selves, too. (James 3:2)
Is My Lifestyle Reflective of God’s Will? Remember God’s Perfect Law? God's law expresses His will. Jesus spoke of His return in Matthew 7:21-23, when many will cry out “Lord, Lord,” to Him but sadly His reply may be I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. It doesn’t matter how much you believe, Christ said that only he who does the will of My Father in Heaven (v21) will enter His kingdom. God’s will and law are spoken of together, because His Law is an expression of His will.
And finally, How Does My Heart Look? Jesus said, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). We cannot always control what we hear, but we can control what is in our hearts. Every moment the prince of the power of the air relentlessly appropriates us with a multitude of improper thoughts. We must take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Remember, the stronger your desire to enjoy the Father and His word, the more vigorously the enemy will try to steal your attention! The enemy will go to great lengths to entertain and divert your thoughts away from Jesus. James advises us to purify our hearts. We must assimilate God’s words and ideals; they must become a part of us—in our hearts and minds.
What is our best prevention against the double-minded malady? We must bring ourselves back, front and center, in each situation, each new day. What we focus on in any given situation will determine our attitudes and our responses. Realistically we know that we’re unable to just focus our heart and minds at one setting and expect to be permanently locked in. Circumstances change, new diversions arise. We must fill our minds and hearts with the right thing. Our Lord deserves better than a lukewarm response to attacks of the enemy.
There is only one requirement for single-minded devotion: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. He must be our focus.
So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you. Come near to God, and God will come near to you. You, sinners, clean sin out of your lives. You who are trying to follow God and the world at the same time, make your thinking pure. James 4:7, 8. NCV
A few weeks ago, our pastor told the story of a missionary visiting an indigenous tribal chief whom the missionary had brought to Christ. “How is the Christian life?” the missionary inquired of the new follower of Christ. “Ah, the Christian life is a difficult one. It feels sometimes as though two dogs battle within me: a good white dog, and an evil black dog,” lamented the chief. “Which dog wins?” asked the missionary. The chief sagely replied, “The dog I feed the most wins.”
Well, seems as though the chief was plagued with the Double-Minded Malady.
Remember the old adage “two heads are better than one?” Using two noggins may in some instances be advantageous… except when two heads occupy the same space! Clearly, we only have one literal head, but when we have Double-Minded Malady, our thoughts, affections, hopes, and purposes are always at odds with one another.
I don’t want to catch this Double-Minded Malady! I know that the best way to ward off illness is to be prepared, or inoculated. So, I did some research—I surfed Internet, googled the term double-minded, and read my Bible. The first occurrence of the term “double-minded” is found in Psalms 119:113 where King David contrasts the laws of God with double-minded men saying, “I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.” Of course, King David was clearly aware of the double-minded malady. At certain moments in his life, he came down with the illness himself. The Apostle James, however, is the one who defines the double-minded malady.
James uses the term double-minded twice in his New Testament letter addressed to “all of God’s people who are scattered everywhere in the world” (James 1:1) and it is the theme throughout the letter. James describes a double-minded person as someone who is divided in his interests or loyalties, wavering, uncertain, two-faced, and half-hearted.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible defines the double-minded person as “one who is unstable in all his ways; he is confused in his mind; restless in his thoughts, unsettled in his designs and intentions; inconstant in his petitions; uncertain in his notions and opinion of things; and very variable in his actions, and especially in matters of religion; he is always changing, and never at a point, but at a continual uncertainty, both in a way of thinking and doing: he never continues long either in an opinion, or in a practice, but is ever shifting and moving;” in direct opposition to the Father, “with whom there is no variation of shifting shadow.” James 1:17.
The prophet Elijah held that such non-commitment as “limping between two sides,” (1 Kings 18:21). And Joshua told his people to make a firm commitment to one side or the other. He said, “Choose this day whom you will serve,” (Joshua 24:15).
I don’t know about you-- if someone were to describe me as two-faced, or half-hearted it would really hurt! But we’re all guilty. Even Paul (Romans 7:18) clearly struggled to bring his heart around to the singular focus of Christ and Christ’s behavior. John, who baptized Jesus Christ, witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon the Savior “in bodily form like a dove” and heard a voice from heaven declare, “You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22). Yet, while in prison, John sent men to ask Christ “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Luke 7:19-20). And Peter—we don’t have enough time to discuss his double-minded malady!
Jesus said that He would rather people be for Him or against Him rather than be half-hearted. He called it being "lukewarm" and He was, and is, disgusted by it (Rev. 3:15-16). He insisted that no one can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). The Lord calls upon us to make Him our clear-cut choice.
So, what to do in this era of attention deficit disorders—real, imagined, or self-imposed—to stay single-mindedly focused on Christ? Those of us in recovery plans such as AA, SA, NA, or CR are aware of “triggers” that lead us into sin. Add to the triggers the constant bombardment of “corrupt” communications—from coworkers, friends, television, books, movies—behavior far removed from that God expects of His followers is ubiquitous.
Whether in recovery for past sins, or simply struggling to walk in Jesus’ steps, we are flawed, imperfect individuals. To make sure we don’t “catch” the double-minded malady, the Apostle James outlined environments where our attention may be misled. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you have the symptoms of double-minded malady:
What Kind of Prayer Life Do I Have? As a Christian, the first area where double-mindedness demonstrates itself is in our prayer life. Do we pray assuredly? Do we pray with doubt? Doubt in our communication with God short-circuits our relationship with Him. Before asking God for anything, we need to ask ourselves “Is what I am asking His will?” “Is my attitude and is my life in God’s will?” “Are my motives self-centered or God-centered?” James 1:6-8 says, But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown up and down by the wind. Such doubters are thinking two different things at the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They should not think they will receive anything from the Lord. We must remain single minded in our prayer lives.
Do I Hear God’s Word and Live God’s Word? James admonishes us against only hearing the Word, and not living the Word. James says that double-mindedness can creep into our attitudes, and advises us to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22). As followers of Christ, studying God’s word is the way to become like Christ. We must move beyond just feeling good after reading the Word, to actually striving to be good. We must not let a pleasant, satisfied feeling from learning the Word deceive us into thinking we’ve accomplished something when we haven’t. Christ spoke of imprudent people whose lives are not built on the Rock. Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them is foolish (Matthew 7:24-26). Although no one can earn salvation by anything they do, we can lose our salvation by being hearers only (Hebrews 2).
Am I Guilty of Selective Obedience? Next, James targets double-minded keeping of the law (James 2:8-13). For centuries the Christian world has been of two minds concerning God's law. Its double-mindedness has resulted in the breaking of the royal law according to the scripture (v8). The Old Testament records God's giving of the royal law, which is summarized in Leviticus 19: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (v18). James shows the double-mindedness of embracing one point of the Ten Commandments while breaking another point of this law of love. Notice that the breaking of one point of the law is the same as breaking the whole law (vs 10,11). James warned against inconsistency in our obedience to God. It's much easier to address the broad expression of God's royal law—love (Leviticus 19:18)—than to embrace the specifics of it (Exodus 20:1-17). Without specifics, we each decide for ourselves what love is. But The Bible plainly defines love: For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). What sin do you hate the most? Stealing? Lying? Adultery? God wants us to hate every sin. He wants us to hate the breaking of any of the Ten Commandments, as well as anything else that is not pleasing in His sight (1 John 3:22).
Am I a Believer, but Not a Worker? It’s great to have an unwavering belief in the Father, but do my works reflect that belief? In Chapter 2, James warns that faith means more than just belief in God. As followers of Christ, we should be aware that faith without works is dead (v20). James says we should show tangible evidence of our beliefs: Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works (v18). Belief is not enough. Even the demons believe and tremble! (v19). Are my actions clear indications of my loyalty to Christ?
Do I Have My Thought-to-Mouth Filter In Place? Ouch. Probably not. Am I guilty of having an Unbridled Tongue? You know the shame: you think something ugly about someone, and before you can stop the words, they are leaving your lips, the forevermore un-retractable inappropriate comment. “We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself” (James 3:9). An abusive conversation can undermine the powerful influences of prayer, the inspired reading of God's Word, the impartial treatment of people, and faith with works. Before passing along information that could hurt someone, ask yourself: Does this need to be said, or do I just want to say it? Would more harm come by saying it or not saying it? If it needs to be said, am I sharing it with the right person? We all make many mistakes. If people never said anything wrong, they would be perfect and able to control their entire selves, too. (James 3:2)
Is My Lifestyle Reflective of God’s Will? Remember God’s Perfect Law? God's law expresses His will. Jesus spoke of His return in Matthew 7:21-23, when many will cry out “Lord, Lord,” to Him but sadly His reply may be I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. It doesn’t matter how much you believe, Christ said that only he who does the will of My Father in Heaven (v21) will enter His kingdom. God’s will and law are spoken of together, because His Law is an expression of His will.
And finally, How Does My Heart Look? Jesus said, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). We cannot always control what we hear, but we can control what is in our hearts. Every moment the prince of the power of the air relentlessly appropriates us with a multitude of improper thoughts. We must take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Remember, the stronger your desire to enjoy the Father and His word, the more vigorously the enemy will try to steal your attention! The enemy will go to great lengths to entertain and divert your thoughts away from Jesus. James advises us to purify our hearts. We must assimilate God’s words and ideals; they must become a part of us—in our hearts and minds.
What is our best prevention against the double-minded malady? We must bring ourselves back, front and center, in each situation, each new day. What we focus on in any given situation will determine our attitudes and our responses. Realistically we know that we’re unable to just focus our heart and minds at one setting and expect to be permanently locked in. Circumstances change, new diversions arise. We must fill our minds and hearts with the right thing. Our Lord deserves better than a lukewarm response to attacks of the enemy.
There is only one requirement for single-minded devotion: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. He must be our focus.
So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you. Come near to God, and God will come near to you. You, sinners, clean sin out of your lives. You who are trying to follow God and the world at the same time, make your thinking pure. James 4:7, 8. NCV
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sing Them Over Again to Me--Wonderful Words of Life
I’m all about words. I love the pictures words paint in my mind, the feelings evoked by words, and the sounds made by words. When someone speaks to me, or I’m reading, pictures with sound are moving in my mind (most of the time cartoons, but that’s another story for another day).
For instance, read these words out loud: “pink,” “angel,” “kitty,” “puppy,” and “sunny.” Now, don’t you feel a little less tightly-wound? (If you’re not wound tightly enough, say the words “weight gain” or “Internet service not available” out loud.)
The word “snorkel” always makes me laugh. I don’t know why—it’s just a funny word. What exactly is the origin of a “snorkel?” It’s like a sound someone makes while laughing and drinking water simultaneously. So, not only does snorkel sound funny, it creates a funny image. “Pop” and “bump” make sounds. “Pain” is felt.
I can never say the word “behold” without doing so dramatically-- standing on my tip toes, sweeping my arms open wide and gazing toward the heavens to the sound (in my head) of a harp. In my small world of words, without drama, “behold” just doesn’t carry a whole lot of weight.
But the word “Commitment” --now that’s a word with some heft. Commitment requires a capital letter (it’s important). Commitment stops me in my tracks (it’s physical). I pay attention. I honor the word. Commitment isn’t a soft, calm-feeling word. Commitment has angles and edges. Commitment doesn’t amuse us—it’s a very solemn word. In fact, Commitment frightens a lot of us. Commitment has the sound of strength. The word Commitment creates pictures of steadfastness: a tired and wounded soldier on the battlefield, a couple pledging devotion and faithfulness before God, the witnessed signature of a binding legal document …these are all life-changing, imposing acts of allegiance. Commitments.
Why do we make a “commitment?” For love? For status? Do we make commitments simply because of entitlement and reward? I believe that we were created with a profound desire for commitment to God. Our deep-rooted yearning for connection with the Lord is reflected by our commitment to His service, and by living lives that are exemplary of the lifestyle, mind set, and emotional maturity He commands of us. After all, He made a commitment to us, first; and then as proof of His commitment, offered His only Son as a living sacrifice, so we would know the level of His love and commitment to us. Commitment to our church, our choir, our Sunday School class are not obligations, but invitations to connect with God through His Son, Jesus. How small are our struggles in comparison. How trivial are our pops, bumps, and pain. How amazing is His love and grace.
How do we keep our commitment to Him? By living in His Word. His Word is felt. His Word creates an image. His Word comforts and strengthens us for our earthly journey. The apostle Paul has a word for us:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for me, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23, 24
I just love God’s Word. Don’t you?
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. *
*Phillip P. Bliss, 1838-1876
For instance, read these words out loud: “pink,” “angel,” “kitty,” “puppy,” and “sunny.” Now, don’t you feel a little less tightly-wound? (If you’re not wound tightly enough, say the words “weight gain” or “Internet service not available” out loud.)
The word “snorkel” always makes me laugh. I don’t know why—it’s just a funny word. What exactly is the origin of a “snorkel?” It’s like a sound someone makes while laughing and drinking water simultaneously. So, not only does snorkel sound funny, it creates a funny image. “Pop” and “bump” make sounds. “Pain” is felt.
I can never say the word “behold” without doing so dramatically-- standing on my tip toes, sweeping my arms open wide and gazing toward the heavens to the sound (in my head) of a harp. In my small world of words, without drama, “behold” just doesn’t carry a whole lot of weight.
But the word “Commitment” --now that’s a word with some heft. Commitment requires a capital letter (it’s important). Commitment stops me in my tracks (it’s physical). I pay attention. I honor the word. Commitment isn’t a soft, calm-feeling word. Commitment has angles and edges. Commitment doesn’t amuse us—it’s a very solemn word. In fact, Commitment frightens a lot of us. Commitment has the sound of strength. The word Commitment creates pictures of steadfastness: a tired and wounded soldier on the battlefield, a couple pledging devotion and faithfulness before God, the witnessed signature of a binding legal document …these are all life-changing, imposing acts of allegiance. Commitments.
Why do we make a “commitment?” For love? For status? Do we make commitments simply because of entitlement and reward? I believe that we were created with a profound desire for commitment to God. Our deep-rooted yearning for connection with the Lord is reflected by our commitment to His service, and by living lives that are exemplary of the lifestyle, mind set, and emotional maturity He commands of us. After all, He made a commitment to us, first; and then as proof of His commitment, offered His only Son as a living sacrifice, so we would know the level of His love and commitment to us. Commitment to our church, our choir, our Sunday School class are not obligations, but invitations to connect with God through His Son, Jesus. How small are our struggles in comparison. How trivial are our pops, bumps, and pain. How amazing is His love and grace.
How do we keep our commitment to Him? By living in His Word. His Word is felt. His Word creates an image. His Word comforts and strengthens us for our earthly journey. The apostle Paul has a word for us:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for me, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23, 24
I just love God’s Word. Don’t you?
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. *
*Phillip P. Bliss, 1838-1876
Monday, July 19, 2010
Loving the Unlovable
"Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and can't really get rid of it." The Case for Christianity, C.S. Lewis
I don’t know where I first heard the term “The Unlovable”.
Beth Moore refers to “The Unloveable” as The Testy’s. We all have at least one. I respect the anonymity of my Testy, but to tell you the truth, any dealings with this person drives me to so much distraction, I must quickly find, then consume, copious amounts of Bryers® ice cream, doesn’t matter what flavor, slathered in rich, dark, sweet Hershey’s® chocolate syrup.
Okay, so I have more than one Testy. Different Testy’s, different distraction, all food related.
Sigh.
Anyway, my pastor is a gifted, anointed, holds-no-punches, directly-from-the-Word-of-God man, and purposed us last Sunday, to love one another without judgment; The Testy’s, The Unlovable, brothers and sisters in Christ, family members…everyone. E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E.
This made me wonder …what exactly makes a person an “Unlovable” or a “Testy?” Why is it so difficult for us to love some folks?
I have come to the belief that my Testy and Unlovable are difficult to love because they do things differently from how I feel they should. In other words; I judge!
Is it just me? Aren’t we all carrying around some smugness, because, as Christians, we don’t judge or attempt to correct the irritable cashier, or the young man with gravity-defying pants without a belt, or those that seem pleased with themselves? Hmm, how many judgments did I just pass in that last sentence?
We convince ourselves we’re not judging…but we are! We’d like that cashier to be a little happier; for that young man to pull up his pants, and we’d really like to humble that self-congratulatory social climber. They steal our joy! How insensitive of them! We need to feel our God all of the time, and they are guilty of stealin’ the feelin’!
If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. Matthew 5:46, The Message.
We all do it. We are all guilty of judging and not loving. Jesus told us it wouldn’t be easy. It isn’t. Sometimes, when we’re around our Testy or our Unlovable, we just don’t “feel” God.
Think about your immediate family and your family in Christ for a moment. Do you love them all without judgment? Our families are full of those we have judged mercilessly and deemed as Testy or Unlovable, because they behave differently than we feel they should; but really, who are we to judge? Maybe they are secretly harboring shame, grudges, pain. Perhaps they are branded very publicly by divorce, an abusive spouse, an addiction, or contaminated by a disease they never wanted. Are we able to overlook sins and love them as Jesus commanded?
Why do we think we are the expert, the evaluator? We base our judgment on our individually warped perspectives; a view through our personally-built walls of defense mechanisms. We’ve harnessed away our own painful circumstances and built up towers of denial and bravado. Instead of looking at others through the eyes of Jesus, we are peering over a huge wall of Self. So, how can we know, for sure, who is behaving badly?
I believe that instead of focusing on changing others, I must always pray to change myself.
It’s fairly simple, really. Love is found within a person; and if that love begins with the love of God, then it becomes easy to love The Testy, the Unlovable. God is love and, unless we have God in us, we are incapable of loving the unlovable.
Look, problematic people don’t perturb the Eternal One. Hard hearts don’t faze the Father! There are hearts in our world that we cannot change. But Jesus can! So we must pray for change, especially within ourselves!
The next time those thoughts of judgment intrude your peace, or your Testy and Unlovable makes you doubt the presence of God, take a look around.
Is God in you? Are you avoiding His presence?
Romans 12: 9, 10 Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves. 12 Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times. Share with God’s people who need help. Bring strangers in need into your homes. Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and be sad with those who are sad. 16 Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant.
Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love.
I don’t know where I first heard the term “The Unlovable”.
Beth Moore refers to “The Unloveable” as The Testy’s. We all have at least one. I respect the anonymity of my Testy, but to tell you the truth, any dealings with this person drives me to so much distraction, I must quickly find, then consume, copious amounts of Bryers® ice cream, doesn’t matter what flavor, slathered in rich, dark, sweet Hershey’s® chocolate syrup.
Okay, so I have more than one Testy. Different Testy’s, different distraction, all food related.
Sigh.
Anyway, my pastor is a gifted, anointed, holds-no-punches, directly-from-the-Word-of-God man, and purposed us last Sunday, to love one another without judgment; The Testy’s, The Unlovable, brothers and sisters in Christ, family members…everyone. E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E.
This made me wonder …what exactly makes a person an “Unlovable” or a “Testy?” Why is it so difficult for us to love some folks?
I have come to the belief that my Testy and Unlovable are difficult to love because they do things differently from how I feel they should. In other words; I judge!
Is it just me? Aren’t we all carrying around some smugness, because, as Christians, we don’t judge or attempt to correct the irritable cashier, or the young man with gravity-defying pants without a belt, or those that seem pleased with themselves? Hmm, how many judgments did I just pass in that last sentence?
We convince ourselves we’re not judging…but we are! We’d like that cashier to be a little happier; for that young man to pull up his pants, and we’d really like to humble that self-congratulatory social climber. They steal our joy! How insensitive of them! We need to feel our God all of the time, and they are guilty of stealin’ the feelin’!
If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. Matthew 5:46, The Message.
We all do it. We are all guilty of judging and not loving. Jesus told us it wouldn’t be easy. It isn’t. Sometimes, when we’re around our Testy or our Unlovable, we just don’t “feel” God.
Think about your immediate family and your family in Christ for a moment. Do you love them all without judgment? Our families are full of those we have judged mercilessly and deemed as Testy or Unlovable, because they behave differently than we feel they should; but really, who are we to judge? Maybe they are secretly harboring shame, grudges, pain. Perhaps they are branded very publicly by divorce, an abusive spouse, an addiction, or contaminated by a disease they never wanted. Are we able to overlook sins and love them as Jesus commanded?
Why do we think we are the expert, the evaluator? We base our judgment on our individually warped perspectives; a view through our personally-built walls of defense mechanisms. We’ve harnessed away our own painful circumstances and built up towers of denial and bravado. Instead of looking at others through the eyes of Jesus, we are peering over a huge wall of Self. So, how can we know, for sure, who is behaving badly?
I believe that instead of focusing on changing others, I must always pray to change myself.
It’s fairly simple, really. Love is found within a person; and if that love begins with the love of God, then it becomes easy to love The Testy, the Unlovable. God is love and, unless we have God in us, we are incapable of loving the unlovable.
Look, problematic people don’t perturb the Eternal One. Hard hearts don’t faze the Father! There are hearts in our world that we cannot change. But Jesus can! So we must pray for change, especially within ourselves!
The next time those thoughts of judgment intrude your peace, or your Testy and Unlovable makes you doubt the presence of God, take a look around.
Is God in you? Are you avoiding His presence?
Romans 12: 9, 10 Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves. 12 Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times. Share with God’s people who need help. Bring strangers in need into your homes. Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and be sad with those who are sad. 16 Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant.
Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Celebrate Recovery Lesson 14: READY
Wow! We’ve been busy! In lessons 1 through 13, we’ve:
1. Admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, and admitted that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
3. We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
But now is not the time to stop, settle down, and get lazy! In fact, our recovery is not inert. Our recovery involves constant motion, constant activity.
Lesson 14: Ready, is a compilation of Principle 5: Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5:6.
And Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all those defects of character. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. “ James 4:10.
A lot of the Celebrate Recovery material refers to this Lesson as where the children separate from the adults, because up until this point, we’ve done a lot of admitting to ourselves and before God, of our wrongs.
But now? We must give up, and let go, of some of our very own personality traits that make up our character. Even though we are very willing to have certain character defects go away, some are hard for us to give up, and after all, involve CHANGE…which is one of our biggest fears.
And some of our character defects are hard to give up, because we don’t see them as defects. For instance, as a victim of abuse, PRIDE, I felt, helped me stand up for myself, take action, not be a doormat.
GREED made me protective of my income, my home, my job, but also isolated me my own prison of solitude—the very thing I was afraid of!
LYING, I thought, helped me reassure family and close Christian friends that I did not have any addictions.
There was that time in my life, my moment of clarity, when I wanted to die, and instead reached out to God…but was I ready to stop lying? Ready to stop being greedy, ready to HUMBLE myself?
We’ve all spent a lot of time indulging our character defects, whatever they may be. In fact, that is why we’re attending Celebrate Recovery! It’s all an effort to remove these character defects, so that God’s glory shines through.
Now, however is not the time to indulge those defects. Now is the time to humble ourselves and admit to ourselves PRIDE, GREED, LIES, whatever your defect ARE INDEED defects, and they are stifling and disabling our healing, and our efforts to lead purposeful, God-filled lives.
So we’ve done a lot of work, and have come to this principle, lesson, and step.
You and God, together, are going after those defects. ALL of them.
I am a word person, I love words, semantics…so the first word that popped into my mind about lesson 14 was: Humility. So tonight, let’s try to remember: Humility is not a character defect!
When you think of the world humility, what person comes to mind? I don’t know about you, but I always think of Jesus, and I live to be more like Jesus, so I must be humble.
Let’s put this thought in our hearts and minds: Father, I am nothing, without Jesus, who is everything.
And with that in our hearts…let’s go to the first letter of Ready.
R: RELEASE control. I call this The Codependents NIGHTMARE.
In Principle 5, you must be willing to let God into every area of your life. He can’t come in and clean up an area until you are ready and willing to ask Him.
In much of the CR material, I found the following quote. It’s never referenced, so I don’t know where it was generated, but it’s a good analogy.
“Willingness is the key that goes into the lock and opens the door that allows God to begin to remove your character defects. “
Listen to what David says in Psalm 143:10: “Help me to do your will, for you are my God. Lead me in good paths, for your Spirit is good.”
God is a gentleman. He doesn’t force His will on us. He waits for us to invite Him in.
RELEASE control. Let go and Let God.
E: Easy Does It! This would probably be the prideful person’s nightmare!
These wonderful principles and steps are not quick fixes. We must learn to apply them day by day, or in my case, minute by minute, thought by thought. God needs time to work in our lives. And we’re not just stopping our bad behaviors and habits, our sins.
Our sin is a symptom of the character defect.
Let’s think about that for a moment: our sin, is our addiction, be it alcohol, drugs, sexual integrity. Imagine your “sin” as a weed in a garden. How do you get rid of weeds? You don’t just address the surface and make it temporarily disappear. You must pull it out by the roots.
The roots are the actual defects of character that cause the sin. In my case, the major sin in my life was alcohol. That was the act, the sin. The defect of character that caused the sin was lack of a positive self image, and mainly FEAR that cause me to sin by abusing alcohol.
It takes time to dig beneath the surface of our sin, to uncover the character defects that cause us to sin. And it’s more difficult to let go of these character defects, especially since we’ve given up the sins…but giving up the sins is only half the battle! If we don’t let go of the character defects, we will continue to sin.
So go easy, but do go forward. Allow God time to work. He will do it. He promised! Again, who better than David knew this:
Psalm 37:5 says “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and HE will.”
A: ACCEPT the Change
Yes, I said ACCEPT. Change is tough…we think we’ve mastered our sin when we see the need for change, but that is simply not so.
Seeing the need for change and allowing the change to occur are two different things.
The space between recognition and willingness can be, most assuredly will be filled with fear. And, FEAR triggers our old dependency on self. Right?
Again, remember humility. This principle will not work if we are still trapped by our self will. We need to be ready to accept God’s help throughout the transition.
1 Peter 1:13-14 says: “So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant.”
Ultimate surrender.
James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
All we need is the willingness to let God lead us on our road to recovery.
D: DO Replace Your Character Defects
Again, we’ve spent a lot of time with our old hang-ups, compulsions, obsessions, and bad habits…we’re comfortable with them. So when God in His mercy and grace removes one, we need to replace it with something positive, such as church activities and volunteering.
If you don’t, you open yourself up for a negative character defect to return.
After living in more than one domestic abuse environment with a psychopath, and seeing craziness and disorder occur in front of my own eyes, and directed toward me…I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that I developed hypersensitivity to nuances, temperatures, and auras circulating.
I’ve expressed to many of you, that, since I have been in recovery, I’ve become very aware of being in a situation, be it conversation, or environment, that was not Godly, in fact, that may be ‘bad” for me.
So…I got cold chills when I read Matthew 12:43-45: “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can’t find one, it says to itself, “I will go back to my house.” So it goes back and finds the house empty,…then it goes out and brings along seven other spirits even worse that itself, and they come to live there.”
Since we are in recovery for sins that took up a lot of our time, it’s important to fill that new time on our hands with positive, healthy, Godly things, that bring us closer to him. I was fortunate to have married a Godly man, who I enjoy spending time with, and finding a church where God is definitely in da house!
Giving up my pride and my fear, has put me in the presence of more Godly people and environment…I will be forever grateful and humbled by His work in my life.
Y: YIELD to the Growth.
Speaking of being sensitive to nuances, feelings, you are at war with yourself.
The Holy Spirit is working in you.
But, Self is telling you that you’re not worthy of progress. Low self image will tell you that you are the ugliest of uglies, the dirtiest of dirties.
So, you think your sins are too big for God? How prideful is that?! Don’t listen! When has your low self esteem ever been right about ANYTHING?!
Stop being a whipping post, instead listen to the Holy Spirit who will tell you: “The person who has been born into God’s family does not make a practice of sinning, because now God’s life is in him; so he can’t keep on sinning, for this new life has been born into him and controls him—he has been born again” 1 John 3:9.
Give in, yield to God, and embrace the changes He is making in your life.
Wrap it up: the question is, Are you entirely ready to voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in your life?”
Are you humble enough?
Are you ready for the powerful work God can do?
If you are, then pray this prayer with me:
Dear God, thank You for taking me this far in my recovery journey. Now I pray for Your help in making me be entirely ready to change all my shortcomings. Give me the strength to deal with all of my character defects that I have turned over to You. Allow me to accept all the changes that you want to make in me. Help me be the person that You want me to be. In the name of Jesus, your Son, I pray, Amen.
1. Admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, and admitted that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
3. We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
But now is not the time to stop, settle down, and get lazy! In fact, our recovery is not inert. Our recovery involves constant motion, constant activity.
Lesson 14: Ready, is a compilation of Principle 5: Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5:6.
And Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all those defects of character. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. “ James 4:10.
A lot of the Celebrate Recovery material refers to this Lesson as where the children separate from the adults, because up until this point, we’ve done a lot of admitting to ourselves and before God, of our wrongs.
But now? We must give up, and let go, of some of our very own personality traits that make up our character. Even though we are very willing to have certain character defects go away, some are hard for us to give up, and after all, involve CHANGE…which is one of our biggest fears.
And some of our character defects are hard to give up, because we don’t see them as defects. For instance, as a victim of abuse, PRIDE, I felt, helped me stand up for myself, take action, not be a doormat.
GREED made me protective of my income, my home, my job, but also isolated me my own prison of solitude—the very thing I was afraid of!
LYING, I thought, helped me reassure family and close Christian friends that I did not have any addictions.
There was that time in my life, my moment of clarity, when I wanted to die, and instead reached out to God…but was I ready to stop lying? Ready to stop being greedy, ready to HUMBLE myself?
We’ve all spent a lot of time indulging our character defects, whatever they may be. In fact, that is why we’re attending Celebrate Recovery! It’s all an effort to remove these character defects, so that God’s glory shines through.
Now, however is not the time to indulge those defects. Now is the time to humble ourselves and admit to ourselves PRIDE, GREED, LIES, whatever your defect ARE INDEED defects, and they are stifling and disabling our healing, and our efforts to lead purposeful, God-filled lives.
So we’ve done a lot of work, and have come to this principle, lesson, and step.
You and God, together, are going after those defects. ALL of them.
I am a word person, I love words, semantics…so the first word that popped into my mind about lesson 14 was: Humility. So tonight, let’s try to remember: Humility is not a character defect!
When you think of the world humility, what person comes to mind? I don’t know about you, but I always think of Jesus, and I live to be more like Jesus, so I must be humble.
Let’s put this thought in our hearts and minds: Father, I am nothing, without Jesus, who is everything.
And with that in our hearts…let’s go to the first letter of Ready.
R: RELEASE control. I call this The Codependents NIGHTMARE.
In Principle 5, you must be willing to let God into every area of your life. He can’t come in and clean up an area until you are ready and willing to ask Him.
In much of the CR material, I found the following quote. It’s never referenced, so I don’t know where it was generated, but it’s a good analogy.
“Willingness is the key that goes into the lock and opens the door that allows God to begin to remove your character defects. “
Listen to what David says in Psalm 143:10: “Help me to do your will, for you are my God. Lead me in good paths, for your Spirit is good.”
God is a gentleman. He doesn’t force His will on us. He waits for us to invite Him in.
RELEASE control. Let go and Let God.
E: Easy Does It! This would probably be the prideful person’s nightmare!
These wonderful principles and steps are not quick fixes. We must learn to apply them day by day, or in my case, minute by minute, thought by thought. God needs time to work in our lives. And we’re not just stopping our bad behaviors and habits, our sins.
Our sin is a symptom of the character defect.
Let’s think about that for a moment: our sin, is our addiction, be it alcohol, drugs, sexual integrity. Imagine your “sin” as a weed in a garden. How do you get rid of weeds? You don’t just address the surface and make it temporarily disappear. You must pull it out by the roots.
The roots are the actual defects of character that cause the sin. In my case, the major sin in my life was alcohol. That was the act, the sin. The defect of character that caused the sin was lack of a positive self image, and mainly FEAR that cause me to sin by abusing alcohol.
It takes time to dig beneath the surface of our sin, to uncover the character defects that cause us to sin. And it’s more difficult to let go of these character defects, especially since we’ve given up the sins…but giving up the sins is only half the battle! If we don’t let go of the character defects, we will continue to sin.
So go easy, but do go forward. Allow God time to work. He will do it. He promised! Again, who better than David knew this:
Psalm 37:5 says “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and HE will.”
A: ACCEPT the Change
Yes, I said ACCEPT. Change is tough…we think we’ve mastered our sin when we see the need for change, but that is simply not so.
Seeing the need for change and allowing the change to occur are two different things.
The space between recognition and willingness can be, most assuredly will be filled with fear. And, FEAR triggers our old dependency on self. Right?
Again, remember humility. This principle will not work if we are still trapped by our self will. We need to be ready to accept God’s help throughout the transition.
1 Peter 1:13-14 says: “So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant.”
Ultimate surrender.
James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
All we need is the willingness to let God lead us on our road to recovery.
D: DO Replace Your Character Defects
Again, we’ve spent a lot of time with our old hang-ups, compulsions, obsessions, and bad habits…we’re comfortable with them. So when God in His mercy and grace removes one, we need to replace it with something positive, such as church activities and volunteering.
If you don’t, you open yourself up for a negative character defect to return.
After living in more than one domestic abuse environment with a psychopath, and seeing craziness and disorder occur in front of my own eyes, and directed toward me…I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that I developed hypersensitivity to nuances, temperatures, and auras circulating.
I’ve expressed to many of you, that, since I have been in recovery, I’ve become very aware of being in a situation, be it conversation, or environment, that was not Godly, in fact, that may be ‘bad” for me.
So…I got cold chills when I read Matthew 12:43-45: “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can’t find one, it says to itself, “I will go back to my house.” So it goes back and finds the house empty,…then it goes out and brings along seven other spirits even worse that itself, and they come to live there.”
Since we are in recovery for sins that took up a lot of our time, it’s important to fill that new time on our hands with positive, healthy, Godly things, that bring us closer to him. I was fortunate to have married a Godly man, who I enjoy spending time with, and finding a church where God is definitely in da house!
Giving up my pride and my fear, has put me in the presence of more Godly people and environment…I will be forever grateful and humbled by His work in my life.
Y: YIELD to the Growth.
Speaking of being sensitive to nuances, feelings, you are at war with yourself.
The Holy Spirit is working in you.
But, Self is telling you that you’re not worthy of progress. Low self image will tell you that you are the ugliest of uglies, the dirtiest of dirties.
So, you think your sins are too big for God? How prideful is that?! Don’t listen! When has your low self esteem ever been right about ANYTHING?!
Stop being a whipping post, instead listen to the Holy Spirit who will tell you: “The person who has been born into God’s family does not make a practice of sinning, because now God’s life is in him; so he can’t keep on sinning, for this new life has been born into him and controls him—he has been born again” 1 John 3:9.
Give in, yield to God, and embrace the changes He is making in your life.
Wrap it up: the question is, Are you entirely ready to voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in your life?”
Are you humble enough?
Are you ready for the powerful work God can do?
If you are, then pray this prayer with me:
Dear God, thank You for taking me this far in my recovery journey. Now I pray for Your help in making me be entirely ready to change all my shortcomings. Give me the strength to deal with all of my character defects that I have turned over to You. Allow me to accept all the changes that you want to make in me. Help me be the person that You want me to be. In the name of Jesus, your Son, I pray, Amen.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
O Ye of Little (size of a mustard seed!) Faith
The apostles said to the Lord, “Give us more faith!” The Lord said, ‘If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Dig yourself up and plant yourself in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Luke 17:6 NCV
Is it just me, or are ya’ll a little tired of folks telling you, as you stumble along life’s trials, that you just don’t have enough faith?
If you’ve not heard that from a well-intentioned brother or sister, I’ll bet you can remember times when loved ones were very ill, not improving, it was said they “just didn’t have enough faith.” Maybe there was an occasion when your family experienced crisis and someone attempted to “cheer you up” by admonishing “You just don’t have enough faith!” You’ve got to have more faith.”
It’s become a cliché! I’m aware I may be a little hypersensitive to the phrase…as you know my tolerance toward clichés is limited, at best. But it’s just not helpful! Telling someone they “don’t have enough faith” doesn’t help them acquire more faith!
I believe the problem with this (shudder) cliché is that it implies that the person saying it has more faith…is on a higher standard of belief. Naturally, this offends us. Yet, Jesus said, oh ye of little faith, on several occasions to his disciples. It was a rebuke leveled at the disciples of Christ, when seeming to doubt his divinity.
Hmmmm. I wonder how would my faith stand up to walking on water if told to step out of the boat in the middle of the ocean?
On the other hand, Jesus said about the Centurion and the Samaritan woman, that they both had “great” faith.
James 1 v 2-4 say, 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.'
According to this verse, faith is clearly something that has to be developed in us through trials and tribulations. James says that this testing of our faith will lead to maturity.
Perhaps your brother or sister in Christ has been through tests, trials, and difficulties that you have yet to face. Through these times they have grown to see the Father’s faithfulness. Some of us have yet to walk those hard paths; yet none of us lack faith.
When our faith is being tested, we are maturing. That is the time to really live in His word and rejoice in the difficulties that come our way, knowing that our Heavenly Father has a particular reason for allowing this “refining.”
God doesn’t ask for the size and shape of our faith, just that we have faith! It’s not about the measure of faith you have, it’s how you cling to your faith in the LORD when tested. Where do you place your faith when struggling?
So, the next time someone tells you “You’ve got to have faith!” smile and reply, “I do, brother! I do!” Then, ask God how your suffering can bring you closer to Him, and thank Him that He is a good God and will provide shelter for you no matter what you’re going through. That’s faith enough for Him!
Is it just me, or are ya’ll a little tired of folks telling you, as you stumble along life’s trials, that you just don’t have enough faith?
If you’ve not heard that from a well-intentioned brother or sister, I’ll bet you can remember times when loved ones were very ill, not improving, it was said they “just didn’t have enough faith.” Maybe there was an occasion when your family experienced crisis and someone attempted to “cheer you up” by admonishing “You just don’t have enough faith!” You’ve got to have more faith.”
It’s become a cliché! I’m aware I may be a little hypersensitive to the phrase…as you know my tolerance toward clichés is limited, at best. But it’s just not helpful! Telling someone they “don’t have enough faith” doesn’t help them acquire more faith!
I believe the problem with this (shudder) cliché is that it implies that the person saying it has more faith…is on a higher standard of belief. Naturally, this offends us. Yet, Jesus said, oh ye of little faith, on several occasions to his disciples. It was a rebuke leveled at the disciples of Christ, when seeming to doubt his divinity.
Hmmmm. I wonder how would my faith stand up to walking on water if told to step out of the boat in the middle of the ocean?
On the other hand, Jesus said about the Centurion and the Samaritan woman, that they both had “great” faith.
James 1 v 2-4 say, 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.'
According to this verse, faith is clearly something that has to be developed in us through trials and tribulations. James says that this testing of our faith will lead to maturity.
Perhaps your brother or sister in Christ has been through tests, trials, and difficulties that you have yet to face. Through these times they have grown to see the Father’s faithfulness. Some of us have yet to walk those hard paths; yet none of us lack faith.
When our faith is being tested, we are maturing. That is the time to really live in His word and rejoice in the difficulties that come our way, knowing that our Heavenly Father has a particular reason for allowing this “refining.”
God doesn’t ask for the size and shape of our faith, just that we have faith! It’s not about the measure of faith you have, it’s how you cling to your faith in the LORD when tested. Where do you place your faith when struggling?
So, the next time someone tells you “You’ve got to have faith!” smile and reply, “I do, brother! I do!” Then, ask God how your suffering can bring you closer to Him, and thank Him that He is a good God and will provide shelter for you no matter what you’re going through. That’s faith enough for Him!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I Love to Tell the Story
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6
One of the most thrilling ways for me to share Jesus is to give my pure, wholehearted testimony. My testimony is the basis of my witness. It is my story and it carries great authority because it is my account of what God, through Jesus Christ, has done in my life.
Honestly? It’s easy to share my testimony. My Father performed such miraculous healing in my life, I’m nearly bursting at the seams to share the story of my complete reconstruction by God’s grace.
For you, giving your testimony may be challenging. You may be wondering, “Where do I start? How do I finish?” Or your may be thinking, “My story isn’t special. My story isn’t finished yet…I’m not at the testimony stage yet.” Perhaps you feel you are still harboring some hurt and shame and need to make amends. Hey, our hearts aren’t perfect, but neither are they decayed. And even though we’re not invincible, at least we’re engaged in God’s timing and handiwork! You can be assured that the One who created you knows exactly how to purify you, from the inside out.
Regardless, remember your story is precious—especially to those who know you. God’s family is interested in you and your life. Most of us can relate to your story on a personal level. And, no one will be able to argue with the fact that your life has been changed. There is impact in your story.
If you read my testimony, you’ll know that I place great importance on The Beatitudes. Read Matthew 5, thinking of your personal story: (1) You recognize you need God (you are poor in spirit), (2) You repented of your self-sufficiency (you are sad), (3) You stop being power freaky and self-sufficient and surrender control to God (you’re humble); (4) You are so grateful for His presence that you want to fill yourself with Him, you yearn for Him (you want to do the right thing more than anything else); (5) As you grow closer to Him, you become more like Him and you forgive others (you are merciful); you change your attitude (your thoughts become pure); and (6) You love others (you are a peacemaker).
Your salvation was not a casual shift of attitude. It was absolute demolition of the old self and a creation of the new. In my case, a fairly radical change created great joy. And it’s worth every effort, for this is the joy of the LORD.
Don’t keep your personal truth to yourself. Share your story wholeheartedly, trusting that the Father will guide you—He will use your story to shine His light on others. Hard to deny the importance of His light!
I love to tell the story of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them. Matthew 4:16 and Isaiah 9:1,2 NIV
One of the most thrilling ways for me to share Jesus is to give my pure, wholehearted testimony. My testimony is the basis of my witness. It is my story and it carries great authority because it is my account of what God, through Jesus Christ, has done in my life.
Honestly? It’s easy to share my testimony. My Father performed such miraculous healing in my life, I’m nearly bursting at the seams to share the story of my complete reconstruction by God’s grace.
For you, giving your testimony may be challenging. You may be wondering, “Where do I start? How do I finish?” Or your may be thinking, “My story isn’t special. My story isn’t finished yet…I’m not at the testimony stage yet.” Perhaps you feel you are still harboring some hurt and shame and need to make amends. Hey, our hearts aren’t perfect, but neither are they decayed. And even though we’re not invincible, at least we’re engaged in God’s timing and handiwork! You can be assured that the One who created you knows exactly how to purify you, from the inside out.
Regardless, remember your story is precious—especially to those who know you. God’s family is interested in you and your life. Most of us can relate to your story on a personal level. And, no one will be able to argue with the fact that your life has been changed. There is impact in your story.
If you read my testimony, you’ll know that I place great importance on The Beatitudes. Read Matthew 5, thinking of your personal story: (1) You recognize you need God (you are poor in spirit), (2) You repented of your self-sufficiency (you are sad), (3) You stop being power freaky and self-sufficient and surrender control to God (you’re humble); (4) You are so grateful for His presence that you want to fill yourself with Him, you yearn for Him (you want to do the right thing more than anything else); (5) As you grow closer to Him, you become more like Him and you forgive others (you are merciful); you change your attitude (your thoughts become pure); and (6) You love others (you are a peacemaker).
Your salvation was not a casual shift of attitude. It was absolute demolition of the old self and a creation of the new. In my case, a fairly radical change created great joy. And it’s worth every effort, for this is the joy of the LORD.
Don’t keep your personal truth to yourself. Share your story wholeheartedly, trusting that the Father will guide you—He will use your story to shine His light on others. Hard to deny the importance of His light!
I love to tell the story of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them. Matthew 4:16 and Isaiah 9:1,2 NIV
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Wow!
Just got back from the last class in the series The Names of God. A rose by any other name is still a rose...and my Father is God with many names--all-seeing, constantly providing, the God who heals me...who knew there were so many names for my God? Thank you Shelly for opening my eyes and heart to the many ways to petition and praise my Father.
This past weekend at a get together for classmates I've not seen in (gasp!) 30 plus years, I experienced Jehovah Rapha--the God Who Heals Me, and El Roi--the God Who Sees. I can't speak for my fellow classmates and friends, but my heart experienced real healing and rejuvenation. It occurred to me, while enjoying the warm embraces and joy, that My. Father. Sees. Everything. Everything! From the time I was 16 and free spirited to now, God-spirited, my Father has seen and orchestrated each moment! How awesome is that?!
All these years, I have hidden from these incredible individuals who've had such an impact on my life--hidden because I was ashamed of me. I hid because I saw myself as fearfully flawed--not incredibly made whole. Now, my only shame is that I stayed away for so many years. How I have missed their friendship!
Why does it take so long for us to realize that God is all we need? He is Elohim: The Creator. He is El Elyon, God Most High; Jehovah Yaweh: I AM! El Roi: The God Who Sees (our own personal accountability partner!); El Olam, the Eternal God--He's ever present! Jehovah Jirah: The God Who Provides; El Shaddai, God Almighty.
You know what? I believe El Roi, Jehova Jira, and Jehova Rapha arranged this class and this reunion for me. It was His breath of provision and love that placed me exactly where He knew I needed to be. God has many names; I call Him…Magnificent!
Just got back from the last class in the series The Names of God. A rose by any other name is still a rose...and my Father is God with many names--all-seeing, constantly providing, the God who heals me...who knew there were so many names for my God? Thank you Shelly for opening my eyes and heart to the many ways to petition and praise my Father.
This past weekend at a get together for classmates I've not seen in (gasp!) 30 plus years, I experienced Jehovah Rapha--the God Who Heals Me, and El Roi--the God Who Sees. I can't speak for my fellow classmates and friends, but my heart experienced real healing and rejuvenation. It occurred to me, while enjoying the warm embraces and joy, that My. Father. Sees. Everything. Everything! From the time I was 16 and free spirited to now, God-spirited, my Father has seen and orchestrated each moment! How awesome is that?!
All these years, I have hidden from these incredible individuals who've had such an impact on my life--hidden because I was ashamed of me. I hid because I saw myself as fearfully flawed--not incredibly made whole. Now, my only shame is that I stayed away for so many years. How I have missed their friendship!
Why does it take so long for us to realize that God is all we need? He is Elohim: The Creator. He is El Elyon, God Most High; Jehovah Yaweh: I AM! El Roi: The God Who Sees (our own personal accountability partner!); El Olam, the Eternal God--He's ever present! Jehovah Jirah: The God Who Provides; El Shaddai, God Almighty.
You know what? I believe El Roi, Jehova Jira, and Jehova Rapha arranged this class and this reunion for me. It was His breath of provision and love that placed me exactly where He knew I needed to be. God has many names; I call Him…Magnificent!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Praise the Lord! It's Required!
As a normal rite of passage in the life of a missionary kid, I moved away from Honduras (home) and attended boarding school in Tennessee in 11th and 12th grades. Yes, all by myself. I assure you this was considered normal tradition, and not a disciplinary measure. Honestly! But, boy, I was heartsick! And sure missed my mom, if you must know…
Mr. and Mrs. Harper (not their real names) were the resident house parents of the girls’ dormitory. Much to our amusement, Mr. Harper’s perfunctory situational assessment was always, I mean, ALWAYS, “Well, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord!” Being experts in the art of female teenage behavior, we tested Mr. Harper’s ever-present praise and worship mindset as often and as ruthlessly as possible.
“Mr. Harper! I’ve just set fire to my room with my curling iron!” “Well, praise the Lord!” Honest to goodness, at Homecoming? For the half-time entertainment and homecoming queen coronation, Mr. Harper parachuted out of a perfectly good airplane onto the playing field. He landed directly on the 50 yard line, breaking his leg in the process. As the EMTs toted him off the field, from the stretcher he triumphantly pumped his fist in the air, smiled (or grimaced, perhaps), and shouted, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
Oh Father, that hurt, that was harsh, my confidence is shaken.
Have you ever wondered, how can I summon up wholehearted praise and worship? I hurt, Lord.
I find useless, mind-numbing platitudes in times of sorrow distasteful and disrespectful. At my sister’s funeral? Well-intended, fine Christian folks walked up to me and said things like, “She’s in a better place,” or God needed her with Him.” Uhhh—no! I needed her here with me! A much better place would be here, with me!”
But, this is what I’ve learned: No matter the hurt, I must praise my Father. I must thank Him, whatever the circumstances. When I am happy, I enjoy myself and praise Him. In times of pain, when I suffer, I thank God for the trials because I know, without doubt, that these difficulties will, in time, yield truly awesome results. When I hurt, I tell my Father, and my surrendered heart of worship always brings a beautiful, life-changing encounter with God. No matter what my external circumstances, God is with me and for me. He desires and commands my praise.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. (Psalm 126:5) and The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
Here is another token of assurance: We are part of Christ’s family. Have you ever been caught up in a moment of angst or really struggling, when, all-of-a-sudden, you are overcome by an unexplained warmth, calm? Someone in the Family of Christ is praying for you. You are feeling the arms of Jesus, the Great Comforter, loving you because someone, somewhere, is praying you through. So don’t give up! God WILL show up. And while you’re waiting, praise Him. Praise Him, Jesus our Blessed Redeemer.
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Mr. and Mrs. Harper (not their real names) were the resident house parents of the girls’ dormitory. Much to our amusement, Mr. Harper’s perfunctory situational assessment was always, I mean, ALWAYS, “Well, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord!” Being experts in the art of female teenage behavior, we tested Mr. Harper’s ever-present praise and worship mindset as often and as ruthlessly as possible.
“Mr. Harper! I’ve just set fire to my room with my curling iron!” “Well, praise the Lord!” Honest to goodness, at Homecoming? For the half-time entertainment and homecoming queen coronation, Mr. Harper parachuted out of a perfectly good airplane onto the playing field. He landed directly on the 50 yard line, breaking his leg in the process. As the EMTs toted him off the field, from the stretcher he triumphantly pumped his fist in the air, smiled (or grimaced, perhaps), and shouted, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
Oh Father, that hurt, that was harsh, my confidence is shaken.
Have you ever wondered, how can I summon up wholehearted praise and worship? I hurt, Lord.
I find useless, mind-numbing platitudes in times of sorrow distasteful and disrespectful. At my sister’s funeral? Well-intended, fine Christian folks walked up to me and said things like, “She’s in a better place,” or God needed her with Him.” Uhhh—no! I needed her here with me! A much better place would be here, with me!”
But, this is what I’ve learned: No matter the hurt, I must praise my Father. I must thank Him, whatever the circumstances. When I am happy, I enjoy myself and praise Him. In times of pain, when I suffer, I thank God for the trials because I know, without doubt, that these difficulties will, in time, yield truly awesome results. When I hurt, I tell my Father, and my surrendered heart of worship always brings a beautiful, life-changing encounter with God. No matter what my external circumstances, God is with me and for me. He desires and commands my praise.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. (Psalm 126:5) and The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
Here is another token of assurance: We are part of Christ’s family. Have you ever been caught up in a moment of angst or really struggling, when, all-of-a-sudden, you are overcome by an unexplained warmth, calm? Someone in the Family of Christ is praying for you. You are feeling the arms of Jesus, the Great Comforter, loving you because someone, somewhere, is praying you through. So don’t give up! God WILL show up. And while you’re waiting, praise Him. Praise Him, Jesus our Blessed Redeemer.
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Notes for the Distracted
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8.
I confess. I am an easy target for the enemy. Sometimes I think I must have an enormous bull’s eye painted on my forehead.
The enemy is fully aware of how my mind works, and offers constant distraction to my wholehearted commitment to what is true, noble, and lovely.
That is why I am a chronic note-taker. Ideas come to me in small sparks of enlightenment and I must write them down at that precise moment or “poof!” they are gone forever.
Then, when feeling reflective, I simply empty my Bible, pocketbooks, jeans pockets, glove compartment, and desk drawers of my bits of paper containing randomly scribbled moments of epiphany, then translate my notes into something that will stick with me for awhile…keep me committed to the Father.
Let’s be honest--we’re all easy targets. Somewhere along the line, we’ve lost, or never acquired, the emotional resiliency God commands of us. We’ve misplaced the ability to check negative thoughts against actual facts. The enemy knows this and creates in our minds common harmful distortions: “I can’t believe I’m so stupid!” or “Ugh, I HATE me.” Or “Why is he so mean?” And before you know it, your commitment to the Father’s way begins to slip.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. Psalm 23:2
According to my random notes, it’s a simple and liveable theory. Replace negative thoughts which are distorted, into positive reality God-based patterns. And when we’re struggling, cry to Jesus as the desperate father did:
Right away the boy's father cried out, "I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:24.
The Apostle Paul was a chronic letter writer. This is what he says: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4: 12, 13
Now, those are some notes to live by.
I confess. I am an easy target for the enemy. Sometimes I think I must have an enormous bull’s eye painted on my forehead.
The enemy is fully aware of how my mind works, and offers constant distraction to my wholehearted commitment to what is true, noble, and lovely.
That is why I am a chronic note-taker. Ideas come to me in small sparks of enlightenment and I must write them down at that precise moment or “poof!” they are gone forever.
Then, when feeling reflective, I simply empty my Bible, pocketbooks, jeans pockets, glove compartment, and desk drawers of my bits of paper containing randomly scribbled moments of epiphany, then translate my notes into something that will stick with me for awhile…keep me committed to the Father.
Let’s be honest--we’re all easy targets. Somewhere along the line, we’ve lost, or never acquired, the emotional resiliency God commands of us. We’ve misplaced the ability to check negative thoughts against actual facts. The enemy knows this and creates in our minds common harmful distortions: “I can’t believe I’m so stupid!” or “Ugh, I HATE me.” Or “Why is he so mean?” And before you know it, your commitment to the Father’s way begins to slip.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. Psalm 23:2
According to my random notes, it’s a simple and liveable theory. Replace negative thoughts which are distorted, into positive reality God-based patterns. And when we’re struggling, cry to Jesus as the desperate father did:
Right away the boy's father cried out, "I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:24.
The Apostle Paul was a chronic letter writer. This is what he says: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4: 12, 13
Now, those are some notes to live by.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Living Wholeheartedly
What does “wholehearted” mean to you?
I grew up in an exciting, lively, joyful Christian missionary home in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. My mother and father are loving, generous, Godly individuals. They are living proof that Jesus lives within the hearts of men--and women! From a very early age, I acquired the talent of “blending” and behaving appropriately, and consequently became the consummate performer. Some would see that as a talent…not me. It was survival. And, I knew how to “behave,” I just didn’t know how to “feel”. My heart was never in “it”, whatever “it” was. I was simply too busy trying to blend--blending was very important!
Throughout the years, lack of introspection and reflection on my part--merely surviving and staying busy, led me down a road I would not wish on any other. Instead of a committed relationship with my Savior and Lord, I became more involved in a world that took me far away from my richly culture childhood. From one hurt to another, temporary indulgences, disposable feelings—I never experienced a committed relationship to my Savior. You know why? Because my heart was not in it. My heart wasn’t “whole”.
My heart was broken and in bondage by alcoholism, relationship toggling, bouts of depression, isolation, and abandonement issues. I couldn’t give my heart wholly to God, because my heart was shattered and numb from bad usage. I knew the words to say, I just didn’t allow myself to feel the words. I knew how to comfort others; I just didn’t know how to allow God to heal me.
It was a very painful journey, I will not lie. My eyes were opened to things I did not want to see. I didn’t like me very much. I still struggle with that. But I discovered the meaning of Wholehearted in 2008, because God healed my heart.
See, I believe that if you have a broken heart, you can’t do anything whole-heartedly. Wholehearted commitment is not an obligation; it is a privilege and an invitation to connect with our Lord through Jesus Christ. If you are truly committed to your church, your choir, your Sunday School class, your community—you are whole-heartedly committed, because you want and desperately need to nurture your relationship with the Father.
Now, daily, I remember where and how I was. I’ll never forget how He made my heart whole.
“Oh Lord, I want to serve you with all my heart…with all of my whole, healthy heart. I know where I was, I know where you’ve brought me. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your love. Thank you for saving me and bringing me to you Lord. My deepest desire is to serve you and know you Lord. I am committed to you Lord, whole-heartedly.”
Becoming wholeheartedly committed to your life with the Father is the most liberating experience you’ll ever have.
I grew up in an exciting, lively, joyful Christian missionary home in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. My mother and father are loving, generous, Godly individuals. They are living proof that Jesus lives within the hearts of men--and women! From a very early age, I acquired the talent of “blending” and behaving appropriately, and consequently became the consummate performer. Some would see that as a talent…not me. It was survival. And, I knew how to “behave,” I just didn’t know how to “feel”. My heart was never in “it”, whatever “it” was. I was simply too busy trying to blend--blending was very important!
Throughout the years, lack of introspection and reflection on my part--merely surviving and staying busy, led me down a road I would not wish on any other. Instead of a committed relationship with my Savior and Lord, I became more involved in a world that took me far away from my richly culture childhood. From one hurt to another, temporary indulgences, disposable feelings—I never experienced a committed relationship to my Savior. You know why? Because my heart was not in it. My heart wasn’t “whole”.
My heart was broken and in bondage by alcoholism, relationship toggling, bouts of depression, isolation, and abandonement issues. I couldn’t give my heart wholly to God, because my heart was shattered and numb from bad usage. I knew the words to say, I just didn’t allow myself to feel the words. I knew how to comfort others; I just didn’t know how to allow God to heal me.
It was a very painful journey, I will not lie. My eyes were opened to things I did not want to see. I didn’t like me very much. I still struggle with that. But I discovered the meaning of Wholehearted in 2008, because God healed my heart.
See, I believe that if you have a broken heart, you can’t do anything whole-heartedly. Wholehearted commitment is not an obligation; it is a privilege and an invitation to connect with our Lord through Jesus Christ. If you are truly committed to your church, your choir, your Sunday School class, your community—you are whole-heartedly committed, because you want and desperately need to nurture your relationship with the Father.
Now, daily, I remember where and how I was. I’ll never forget how He made my heart whole.
“Oh Lord, I want to serve you with all my heart…with all of my whole, healthy heart. I know where I was, I know where you’ve brought me. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your love. Thank you for saving me and bringing me to you Lord. My deepest desire is to serve you and know you Lord. I am committed to you Lord, whole-heartedly.”
Becoming wholeheartedly committed to your life with the Father is the most liberating experience you’ll ever have.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Aaauuuggh! I Can't Focus!
Be still and know that I am God! Psalm 46:10
It’s early morning; got my coffee, my Bible, my highlighter, my journal…kitty get off my lap, I can’t see my Bible. What in the world were my neighbors thinking, partying until 2 this morning!? March madness, or something. Kitty! Please! You’re distracting me. I’ll tell you what is distracting, it’s the sound of those neighbors of mine until 4 this morning…I wish I’d mailed that tax return in earlier, we sure could use…hey, I wonder what time mom’s doctor appointment is today? I’d like to take her and keep her company…I know I entered the time in my phone…where is my phone? I sure could have used a few more hours of sleep…if only those crazy neighbors…my goodness it’s almost 7:00, I’d better focus, have to get breakfast ready…
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT.
Sigh. If only my partying neighbors hadn’t just now gone to bed a little before 6 this morning, I’d be better equipped to focus on what I just read. What did I just read?
Sound familiar? Sometimes, I find it difficult staying focused on Bible passages and my conversation with the Father during my “God time”. Even worse, I am guilty of skimming the verses and then not really understanding what I just read, then have to re-read several times until the passage “gels”.
So, what to do in this era of attention deficit disorders—real, imagined or self-imposed—to stay focused during our Bible study? I pray constantly for the discipline and the tools to wholeheartedly study my Bible. I’ve taken classes, conducted research, and read books on how to better study God’s word. I recognize that I require structure and discipline in the form of devotionals, guidelines, and prayer lists. Also, I must set aside the same time each day for my Bible study. Yet, even with these tools, I find myself straying from time to time. Don’t you?
When this happens, I always gently chide myself, and bring my heart back around to the Father, remembering: the stronger my desire to enjoy my Father and His word, the more vigorously the enemy will try to steal my attention! The enemy will go to great lengths to entertain and divert my thoughts away from Jesus.
What we focus on in any given situation will determine our attitudes and our responses. We must fill our minds and hearts with the right thing: Focus on Jesus, not the circumstances around you--things left undone, chores—all of those things will happen when they are supposed to. Right here, right now, in our time with the Father, Jesus is the center of our attention.
Realistically we know that we’re unable to just focus our heart and minds at one setting and expect to be permanently locked in. Circumstances change, new diversions arise. We must bring ourselves back, front and center, in each situation, each new day. There is only one requirement for wholehearted Bible study: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. He must be our focus.
It’s early morning; got my coffee, my Bible, my highlighter, my journal…kitty get off my lap, I can’t see my Bible. What in the world were my neighbors thinking, partying until 2 this morning!? March madness, or something. Kitty! Please! You’re distracting me. I’ll tell you what is distracting, it’s the sound of those neighbors of mine until 4 this morning…I wish I’d mailed that tax return in earlier, we sure could use…hey, I wonder what time mom’s doctor appointment is today? I’d like to take her and keep her company…I know I entered the time in my phone…where is my phone? I sure could have used a few more hours of sleep…if only those crazy neighbors…my goodness it’s almost 7:00, I’d better focus, have to get breakfast ready…
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT.
Sigh. If only my partying neighbors hadn’t just now gone to bed a little before 6 this morning, I’d be better equipped to focus on what I just read. What did I just read?
Sound familiar? Sometimes, I find it difficult staying focused on Bible passages and my conversation with the Father during my “God time”. Even worse, I am guilty of skimming the verses and then not really understanding what I just read, then have to re-read several times until the passage “gels”.
So, what to do in this era of attention deficit disorders—real, imagined or self-imposed—to stay focused during our Bible study? I pray constantly for the discipline and the tools to wholeheartedly study my Bible. I’ve taken classes, conducted research, and read books on how to better study God’s word. I recognize that I require structure and discipline in the form of devotionals, guidelines, and prayer lists. Also, I must set aside the same time each day for my Bible study. Yet, even with these tools, I find myself straying from time to time. Don’t you?
When this happens, I always gently chide myself, and bring my heart back around to the Father, remembering: the stronger my desire to enjoy my Father and His word, the more vigorously the enemy will try to steal my attention! The enemy will go to great lengths to entertain and divert my thoughts away from Jesus.
What we focus on in any given situation will determine our attitudes and our responses. We must fill our minds and hearts with the right thing: Focus on Jesus, not the circumstances around you--things left undone, chores—all of those things will happen when they are supposed to. Right here, right now, in our time with the Father, Jesus is the center of our attention.
Realistically we know that we’re unable to just focus our heart and minds at one setting and expect to be permanently locked in. Circumstances change, new diversions arise. We must bring ourselves back, front and center, in each situation, each new day. There is only one requirement for wholehearted Bible study: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. He must be our focus.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
His Word--His Voice
I have bionic-strength hearing. Ask my husband who, much to his disappointment, is never able to startle me, and he will tell you that my hearing ability is sometimes maddening. When in a crowd, I hear bits and pieces of several different conversations, babies crying, the overhead lights buzzing, a mobile telephone on vibrate, the squeaky wheel of that one grocery cart five aisles over…I hear all of these “noises” simultaneously. It’s not uncommon for me to experience sensory overload. Today as I was wavering between gratitude for and delivery from this ability, I thought, “Lord forgive me, I don’t want to ever be out of range of Your voice!”
Amidst the chaos and confusion, I am always able to clearly hear God’s voice in His word. Job 33:14 says, “God does speak, sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” God wishes to communicate with us through His word, to tell us His ways and His will. As new Christians we wonder how to distinguish between our thoughts and desires and God’s will. How do we know God’s will? Ephesians 5:17 admonishes disciples of Jesus Christ “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
There is only one reason we question His will: we’re not “tuned in” to His word. Once we’ve matured in our walk with the Father we understand that God’s primary way of showing us His will is through the Bible. We must refer to His instruction not only daily, but situationally.
Just imagine God has handed you a personal instruction manual that you must follow procedurally in order to perform your job. For each situation that arises, you must check the instruction manual. After a period of training, you begin to know His voice, and recognize an overall purpose and focus. Then, once you’ve mastered several trials and made a few errors, even a fractional detour from the manual will seem silly. God’s will is clearly defined in His manual, and He would never ask us to do something that was in violation of His instruction.
Having trouble knowing His will? Let His manual be your guide.
The Sovereign LORD has given me His words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to His will. The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me and I have listened. Isaiah 50:4,5 NLT
Amidst the chaos and confusion, I am always able to clearly hear God’s voice in His word. Job 33:14 says, “God does speak, sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” God wishes to communicate with us through His word, to tell us His ways and His will. As new Christians we wonder how to distinguish between our thoughts and desires and God’s will. How do we know God’s will? Ephesians 5:17 admonishes disciples of Jesus Christ “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
There is only one reason we question His will: we’re not “tuned in” to His word. Once we’ve matured in our walk with the Father we understand that God’s primary way of showing us His will is through the Bible. We must refer to His instruction not only daily, but situationally.
Just imagine God has handed you a personal instruction manual that you must follow procedurally in order to perform your job. For each situation that arises, you must check the instruction manual. After a period of training, you begin to know His voice, and recognize an overall purpose and focus. Then, once you’ve mastered several trials and made a few errors, even a fractional detour from the manual will seem silly. God’s will is clearly defined in His manual, and He would never ask us to do something that was in violation of His instruction.
Having trouble knowing His will? Let His manual be your guide.
The Sovereign LORD has given me His words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to His will. The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me and I have listened. Isaiah 50:4,5 NLT
Wholehearted Prayer--Pray (Outloud) Confidently!
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:26, 27.
Are you a good pray-outloud-er? My missionary kid peers and I didn’t call it “leading prayer.” We said that so-and-so was a great pray outloud-er. As MKs we judged our missionary “aunts and uncles” on their praying outloud abilities…this was our gauge: when their prayers vehemently called upon God’s name and scripture was quoted with sermonesque voices, frightening us or at least making us slightly squirmy, they were good outloud prayers.
I am sadly lacking in pray outloud-er abilities. Though my faith is strong, my love for serving the Lord unquestionable, and I’m a fairly confident public speaker, I often find myself lacking confidence when asked to lead prayer in a large group. I used to frequently “borrow” prayers from The Book of Common Prayers. Did you know that The Book of Common Prayer has specific prayers for (#32) The Good Use of Leisure Time, and (#43) Rain? I’ve even sponged from #17 for Bro. Brent: The Church Musicians and Artists.
Once, I was tasked with saying a blessing for a corporate Thanksgiving dinner, only I wasn’t allowed to use the words God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, or Son. Even The Book of Common Prayer couldn’t help me with that! As if asking me to pray outloud to a group of 200 agnostics wasn’t uncomfortable enough, I couldn’t even petition my Father! This event rated high on my “slightly squirmy” scale, for completely different reasons.
I can only speak for myself, but I believe it’s not just speaking anxiety that makes us lose focus at the thought of praying outloud. Sometimes, our hearts condemn us…disappointment has a way of turning prayers into silence. It can be hard to pray when we are bitter and angry toward people, or when we feel that God has let us down. Other times, our lack of confidence in ourselves because of sin, past hurt or damage makes us feel less than adequate about approaching our loving Father outloud and publicly.
In times like these, I remember, God understands our feelings. He has made a way for us to come with confidence to His throne of grace, even when we have lost confidence in our own ability to find His attention in prayer. God Himself prepares our heart to pray, the Spirit of Christ leads us to the throne of grace and keeps us there, then presents our objects of prayer, and draws our soul into deep sympathy with God.
If we forget about trying to impress the public, and trust God’s integrity, His character, compassion, love, wisdom and righteousness, it does not matter how, when, or where we petition Him, only that we do. He knows our desires, no matter how we express ourselves. Thank you Holy Spirit!
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17 NAS
Are you a good pray-outloud-er? My missionary kid peers and I didn’t call it “leading prayer.” We said that so-and-so was a great pray outloud-er. As MKs we judged our missionary “aunts and uncles” on their praying outloud abilities…this was our gauge: when their prayers vehemently called upon God’s name and scripture was quoted with sermonesque voices, frightening us or at least making us slightly squirmy, they were good outloud prayers.
I am sadly lacking in pray outloud-er abilities. Though my faith is strong, my love for serving the Lord unquestionable, and I’m a fairly confident public speaker, I often find myself lacking confidence when asked to lead prayer in a large group. I used to frequently “borrow” prayers from The Book of Common Prayers. Did you know that The Book of Common Prayer has specific prayers for (#32) The Good Use of Leisure Time, and (#43) Rain? I’ve even sponged from #17 for Bro. Brent: The Church Musicians and Artists.
Once, I was tasked with saying a blessing for a corporate Thanksgiving dinner, only I wasn’t allowed to use the words God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, or Son. Even The Book of Common Prayer couldn’t help me with that! As if asking me to pray outloud to a group of 200 agnostics wasn’t uncomfortable enough, I couldn’t even petition my Father! This event rated high on my “slightly squirmy” scale, for completely different reasons.
I can only speak for myself, but I believe it’s not just speaking anxiety that makes us lose focus at the thought of praying outloud. Sometimes, our hearts condemn us…disappointment has a way of turning prayers into silence. It can be hard to pray when we are bitter and angry toward people, or when we feel that God has let us down. Other times, our lack of confidence in ourselves because of sin, past hurt or damage makes us feel less than adequate about approaching our loving Father outloud and publicly.
In times like these, I remember, God understands our feelings. He has made a way for us to come with confidence to His throne of grace, even when we have lost confidence in our own ability to find His attention in prayer. God Himself prepares our heart to pray, the Spirit of Christ leads us to the throne of grace and keeps us there, then presents our objects of prayer, and draws our soul into deep sympathy with God.
If we forget about trying to impress the public, and trust God’s integrity, His character, compassion, love, wisdom and righteousness, it does not matter how, when, or where we petition Him, only that we do. He knows our desires, no matter how we express ourselves. Thank you Holy Spirit!
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17 NAS
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