Sharing My Honesty

Lately I've been avoiding God's word. Not God, just the Bible. See, things have been rough in my life lately as I have been struggling with anger and hurt in my relationship over something relatively small. (But isn't that the way it seems to go?) And as I took steps away from the beautiful gift God has given me the only thing I could do was reach out to Him in prayer and ask him to show me the right way to handle things. Two days too late later God forced my opportunity to confront the situation and work it out. Which I am so thankful for...the weight i had carried on my heart was almost too much to bear. And I had cause it to be there! Anyway, looking back over the past few days I realized there were several time when I felt God calling me to His word but I ignored it, ran away from it even. And I think the reason was this: I knew that His word would expose the wrong thinking and the hurt in my life and I just didn't want to face it and heal yet. I wasn't ready to give up my pain in exchange for forgiveness of myself and my other. Seeing it now I see how stupid that was and wonder what in the world I thought I would accomplish by dragging it out any longer. But at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. Isn't it strange how we can view a situation so wrongly when we don't allow ourselves to view it through the clarifying lens of God's perfect Word?
God, may I never again run away from Your Truth and exchange it for my petty, blind thinking.

The Trials We Face....

"8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." - 2 Corinthians 4:8-12

All trials come so that we may be sanctified; but even more so that our struggle may be used to further the Kingdom and give the hope of an eternal life with Christ to another.  May we never forget, in the midst of our struggles, the true meaning and purpose of our lives here on earth.

Clarity in His Word

I just want to honestly share with you for a moment. Lately I've been avoiding God's word. Not God, just the Bible. See, things have been rough in my life lately as I have been struggling with anger and hurt in my life over something relatively small. (But isn't that the way it seems to go?) And as I took steps away from the beautiful gifts God has given me the only thing I could do was reach out to Him in prayer and ask him to show me the right way to handle things. Two days too late later God forced my opportunity to confront the situation and work it out. Which I am so thankful for...the weight I had carried on my heart was almost too much to bear. And I had caused it to be there!
Anyway, looking back over the past few days I realized there were several times when I felt God calling me to His word but I ignored it; ran away from it even. And I think the reason was this: I knew that His word would expose the wrong thinking and the hurt in my life and I just didn't want to face it and heal yet. I wasn't ready to give up my pain in exchange for forgiveness of myself and my other. Seeing it now I realize how stupid that was and wonder what in the world I thought I would accomplish by dragging it out any longer. But at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. Isn't it strange how we can so wrongly view a situation when we don't allow ourselves to view it through the clarifying lens of God's perfect Word?
God, may I never again run away from Your Truth and exchange it for my petty, blind thinking. Amen.

Isaiah 29 and the Potter

"You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like clay! Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, 'He did not make me'? Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'?" - Isaiah 29:16 (NIV)
How ignorant we are to continually reject God and refuse to see Him as Master of all! How much I must repent from the daily belief that I am wise, good, and in control of my life. I need humility.

Embracing Change

Lately it seems like my life perspective is seriously changing. It's been a gradual thing but I'm finally starting to see what will soon be the result of God's working on my heart and changing my attitude of how I see the future.
See, I used to view the future as this unknown, scary thing that mostly encompassed the thing I hate most: change. And while to some degree I still hold that view, a different perspective has emerged in my mind of what good may lie in wait for me, and how change can even be a positive thing. (*Gasp!* I know...I'm still shocked myself. The idea that change can be positive goes against everything I have ever relied on when it comes to decision-making and faith.) I no longer hope that my life will forever stay the blissful little image I desire it to be where nothing ever changes, but am ready to face head-on the challenges and advertures that come with embracing the change God brings into my life.
Now this doesn't mean I will always love it and be perfectly happy in the situations God places me. If course I won't! I am fully aware that sometimes my life will suck eggs and I'll revert back to the change-hating, cautious me that wants nothing to do with God's sovereign plan for me. But I pray those moments are short-lived and become reminders of why change is so very necessary. (Especially for someone stubborn like me.)
Another thing I am seeing is that change shows itself to, well, change. It always comes about in an unexpected way and bring new things to every situation.  For me, the changes I may soon be experiencing are things like: marriage, moving for the first time, graduation, my first "real" job, etc. But for you, God may have something completely different in store. I think the key is just learning to accept and trust that His hand is the driving force and He will bring you through it and to it in His perfect time and way. And that's definitely something I'm still working at learning.
How do you cope with change?

Heart Focus and the Fruit of Salvation

James 1:26-27
"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

As I was first reading this I wondered why James would write these things one right after the other? They almost seem to contradict each other. Verse 26 referring to how you shouldn't cuss, speak negatively, and stuff (generally, the "don't" of religion you could say), and 27 speaking of helping others (the do's of religion). But really, after thinking on this a while, I think these go hand-in-hand.
Though the passage talks about opposite things, the idea behind them is the same. That it is the heart of our religion that guides our actions. Are we supposed to check our words and watch what we say? Yes.   (Luke 6:45) Are we supposed to take care and watch after widows and orphans?  Yes. (clearly v. 27)  But this is only accomplished by having a God-focused heart, being changed through the process of sanctification which can only be a result of salvation through Christ. (2 Cor 5:17; 2 Thess. 2:13)
(Side note:  This is mostly pertaining to the 2 Thessalonians verse....  Salvation must come first before anything.  We cannot do good works without first being chosen by Christ, moved by the Spirit, and accepting of Him as our savior.  It is only after this that our hearts can be changed enough for God to produce good works out of us.  (Acts 2:23; Eph. 2:8-10))
So back to the topic...what I'm trying to say here is that everything we do or don't do is a result of God's work in our life.  It's that simple, folks.  If we have opened our heart to God and are allowing Him to work within us the fruit (see Gal. 5:19-24) produced will be in step with "true religion" - what God desires from us.  But if we are hiding from Him, not letting Him work in us what comes out of our life will match that of the world, not God.  I think the final phrase of that last verse sums it up well.  "...keep oneself unstained from the world."  Let Christ wash you clean and God remake you.  Even if you have already been saved by His amazing power and love, sometimes you just need to confess and allow Him to cleanse your heart once again.

So what fruit is being produced from your life?  Where is your heart?

Asking With The Expectation To Receive

James 1:5-8
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Why is it so important to not just ask, but to ask with faith, believing that God hears and will answer us?  Because God desires to have us rely on Him for everything.  But to do that we must trust Him.  And one way we show our trust in Him is by expecting a response from Him.  Even though we can't see Him and can't touch Him necessarily we can still make contact and have a relationship with Him.  In some ways it's like an earthly relationship.  No one wants to go make a request of someone they know will not follow through, right?  Then why go to God with something if you don't think He will follow through either?  I would even venture to say that it is useless to go to God with something if you don't believe He will respond.  If we approach Him, we must expect response.  This is one way in which we can show our faith in Him, and our faith in His power and love for us.

Case in point:  Me. (Of course.  I'm the best example of flaws I know...since I know myself so well...anyway.)  For a while now I have been praying to God about a particular circumstance hoping that He will give me answer, direction, something. Hoping.  Catch that word?  HOPING.  It seems so innocent to think, "Maybe God will answer and maybe He won't.  I don't  know if He really has time for me.  Or maybe He didn't hear me."  But we can't think like that.  1 John 5:14-15  tells us that, "...if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him." So how will it help me if I don't really know and believe that God will answer me?  
(Side note:  Please don't take this passage to mean that God will give us anything for which we ask.  Notice that little phrase in verse 14?  "...if we ask anything according to His will..."  He (God) is very specific in granting requests.  But this is not about knowing the right answers for God's little trivia game.  It is about having our hearts in-tune and in-line with God's.  Basically, God does not spoil His children!  So check your motives....)
I know now that I must have confidence in God's reply and I must wait for it expectantly.  Knowing that my question is in line with His will, I will now begin praying anew, with faith, with the expectation of an answer.  (After I apologize for my unbelief of course!)
Do you believe God will respond to you?  Are you struggling in the wait for his reply?   Have confidence that He does hear you.  He loves you enough to listen and make time for you.

Hypocrites, Jews, and the Importance of Life Focus

Galatians 2:14
"...'If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?'"

To me this passage is such an example of today's Christian. Acting like the world, indulging in all its sinful pleasures and pursuits, and then wondering why our witness is tainted.
Obviously, this is not exactly what Paul is talking about here. In this case he is speaking about Cephas and his hypocritical conduct, being a Jew. Now I am not a Jew. I do not have to follow all of the Jewish customs and such. But I am a Christian. And I am called to be faithful and pure in my words, thoughts, and actions. For lack of better, more tactful works...
If we are set apart, then let us act like it!
As believers in Jesus the Lord, we are the holy, saints of Christ. And I think it's time our lives start reflecting the holiness that the Spirit is working so hard to create and/or refine in us. (I am writing this as much to me as to you.)
So how can we stop this hypocritical, ungodly lifestyle and start living as saints? If your focus is completely, 100%, and foremost on God, you're heading the right direction.  Keep going! If it's not, maybe that's where you should start. What is your life focus?

Hebrews 2:1 - Connecting with God

Hebrews 2:1
"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

It's not just about reading. It's hearing, understanding, retaining. It's soaking in the words God is saying to you. It's being immersed in His presence. That is what we should desire, seek from each encounter with His Word. How is He speaking? What is He whispering to YOU?

I'll be honest now. I'm not always the best at this. I know this should be my heart- and mind-set. But so often the Bible just becomes this chore for me to do and speaking and listening to God is just a distance chat; not the deep, intimate discussion it should be. I think this is because I too often let the world and it's silly demands wear me down and don't look for God's strength to carry me. It is only with GOD'S strength that I am strong enough to spend time with Him as I should.
So that is my challenge for myself: to lean on God's strength and abundance, instead of my own, and use it to do what I need to do most...spend time in His midst.
How do you need to be challenged?