I have just started to read a book entitled, "When Sinners Say, 'I Do' ", by Dave Harvey, and it is certainly not your average marriage "self-help" book. As you might have guessed from the title, the focus of the book is not on "Three key principles of communication" or "Seven ways to divorce-proof your marriage", but understanding the heart of the whole matter of why marriage (and life!) is not and will never be perfect - because WE are the problem (we're sinners!).
Once we have this concept understood, it is easy to see why even the best marriages have conflict, hurts, and less-than-perfect stories to tell. While there are many aspects of sin that the author talks about as he lays the groundwork for recognizing we are sinners, one of the points he made that stuck out to me is on the issue of sinning against others. Harvey makes the claim (to which I agree) that while we sin against other people, such as our spouse, children, friends and other family, our sin is "most strongly, and therefore primarily, against God! ...Every sin, however small or great its apparent impact on people, violates the purity of the perfectly just and holy God. Sin is always aimed first and foremost against God (Deut. 9:16, 1 Sam. 15:24, Ps. 51:4)."
This is truly something great to understand, for when we realize that our sin does not just affect ourselves and others, but each sin is also a direct offense to the author and sustainer of the universe, we realize that an empty, "I'm sorry" does not satisfy God's call to repentance. Being human, as we are, we like to maximize pleasure and avoid pain - but this is not the call of a Christian. We must realize the true gravity of our sin, seen by God as a rebellion against His perfect ways, and then confess it before Him, repent of our continued sinfulness, realize God's mercy and grace in His forgiveness of our sin, and then turn from it into His way. When we realize who our sin is really offending, we get to the heart of the matter, and can then practice grace and forgiveness toward those who offend us (reminescent of the Lord's prayer: "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors").
Taste and see the grace, mercy, and peace that comes from knowing God has forgiven His children even when we do not acknowledge we have sinned against Him! "For it is by grace I am saved, through faith, and this not of myself - it is the gift of God."
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
One last item for submission...
As I continued reading, more was said on this topic, so I decided to add more that continued what I was saying in my earlier post, one more time from John Ensor:
"When God sets forth the complementary expression of love - manly sacrifice and womanly submission - he connects it to something so profound and powerful that it must be highlighted as its own directive in doing things right in matters of the heart...Brothers, to love sacrificially is not a sacrifice! Sisters, in submitting you are not giving up something, you are gaining something!
...Christ's sacrifice, as is true with all godly sacrifice, is a sacrifice that brings gain. Sacrifice is a means of increasing and fulfilling our own lives. Sacrificial love always increases personal joy in the long run. It is a self-fulfilling self-sacrifice...The power, or motivation, for sacrificing and submitting comes from seeking your own happiness in the other person's well being, as if your spouse is truly an extension of your own body...
Love is basically seeking your own happiness in the well-being of another. It may be more than that, but it can never be less. Selfishness is seeking your own need separate from the needs of others, or at the expense of others, or apart from God...Seek your happiness in the holy happiness of the other."
"When God sets forth the complementary expression of love - manly sacrifice and womanly submission - he connects it to something so profound and powerful that it must be highlighted as its own directive in doing things right in matters of the heart...Brothers, to love sacrificially is not a sacrifice! Sisters, in submitting you are not giving up something, you are gaining something!
...Christ's sacrifice, as is true with all godly sacrifice, is a sacrifice that brings gain. Sacrifice is a means of increasing and fulfilling our own lives. Sacrificial love always increases personal joy in the long run. It is a self-fulfilling self-sacrifice...The power, or motivation, for sacrificing and submitting comes from seeking your own happiness in the other person's well being, as if your spouse is truly an extension of your own body...
Love is basically seeking your own happiness in the well-being of another. It may be more than that, but it can never be less. Selfishness is seeking your own need separate from the needs of others, or at the expense of others, or apart from God...Seek your happiness in the holy happiness of the other."
What's all this about submission?
Submission - another unfriendly word, almost anywhere you go. But why? Don't people realize that every day we are submitting to somebody, something, somewhere? Unless we are running around doing every single thing our heart desired (yikes!) we are submitting to some authority other than ourselves, whether it be the government (law), our boss / teacher / parents, or God. So why when the Bible talks about women submitting to their husband as to the Lord does everyone have a hissy fit?
Most likely because we do not realize we are submitting to someone or something every day, and we live in ignorant bliss. Either that, or we do realize it and are mad at the world, government, etc. for making us do what we don't want to. But most of the time, we do things, submitting to some higher authority, without even realizing it. What would the world be like if people didn't obey traffic laws and employees told their bosses to take a hike? Chaos, for one, and unhappiness for another - because God created us as people who need direction, and in most cases, people figure out that they are happier submitting their own desires to a higher authority than taking matters into their own hands and suffering the consequences. In this same way, wives can submit to their husbands in happiness, not even realizing it, and reap great rewards from it in the meantime! But it doesn't come naturally, and sometimes we do have to learn the hard way before we give our own desires over to God.
John Ensor's quote below shows us how true submission is not a burden, but in fact a blessing; while selfishness will never lead to happiness:
"Sacrificing and submitting must become the established patterns of our lives, especially in seeking agreement and resolution (remember unity - not winning - is the heart of the matter) when the inevitable conflicts come. Without unity as the goal, battles are won and lost in daily interchanges of "what about what i want?" and "what about my needs?" Whenever these words are spoken, something in the relationship dies...These words kill. Unity has been sacrificed on the altar of self. One has returned to two. It is no longer 'you and me against the world!' It has become 'to each his own.'...
[However...] In a marriage of two equals, the way the husband shows his reverent submission to Christ is in submitting to the burden of leadership. The way the wife shows her reverent submission to Christ is in respecting her husband's obligation to lead and submitting to it in spite of his weakness and inadequacies...Submission is a disposition or attitude of honor and respect for her husband as the leader."
Ladies, when we submit our own desires to our husband, we tell him that we respect his decision and will follow him, even if we don't agree with it. Ultimately, he is responsible before God for making that decision and we are responsible to follow him in it [unless it is against God's law]. A loving husband, on the other side, should also be sacrificing his own desires for the better happiness of his wife, so that he might show her he cares for her before himself. With both husband and wife looking towards the other person first, there is no fear of a domineering husband or a rebellious wife, but a unified relationship seeking happiness in serving each other (which, in fact, is what Christ calls us to do in life).
Most likely because we do not realize we are submitting to someone or something every day, and we live in ignorant bliss. Either that, or we do realize it and are mad at the world, government, etc. for making us do what we don't want to. But most of the time, we do things, submitting to some higher authority, without even realizing it. What would the world be like if people didn't obey traffic laws and employees told their bosses to take a hike? Chaos, for one, and unhappiness for another - because God created us as people who need direction, and in most cases, people figure out that they are happier submitting their own desires to a higher authority than taking matters into their own hands and suffering the consequences. In this same way, wives can submit to their husbands in happiness, not even realizing it, and reap great rewards from it in the meantime! But it doesn't come naturally, and sometimes we do have to learn the hard way before we give our own desires over to God.
John Ensor's quote below shows us how true submission is not a burden, but in fact a blessing; while selfishness will never lead to happiness:
"Sacrificing and submitting must become the established patterns of our lives, especially in seeking agreement and resolution (remember unity - not winning - is the heart of the matter) when the inevitable conflicts come. Without unity as the goal, battles are won and lost in daily interchanges of "what about what i want?" and "what about my needs?" Whenever these words are spoken, something in the relationship dies...These words kill. Unity has been sacrificed on the altar of self. One has returned to two. It is no longer 'you and me against the world!' It has become 'to each his own.'...
[However...] In a marriage of two equals, the way the husband shows his reverent submission to Christ is in submitting to the burden of leadership. The way the wife shows her reverent submission to Christ is in respecting her husband's obligation to lead and submitting to it in spite of his weakness and inadequacies...Submission is a disposition or attitude of honor and respect for her husband as the leader."
Ladies, when we submit our own desires to our husband, we tell him that we respect his decision and will follow him, even if we don't agree with it. Ultimately, he is responsible before God for making that decision and we are responsible to follow him in it [unless it is against God's law]. A loving husband, on the other side, should also be sacrificing his own desires for the better happiness of his wife, so that he might show her he cares for her before himself. With both husband and wife looking towards the other person first, there is no fear of a domineering husband or a rebellious wife, but a unified relationship seeking happiness in serving each other (which, in fact, is what Christ calls us to do in life).
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Thoughts on Chastity
What a word. These days, it seems like a bad word - Who wants to be described as "chaste"? Pure, yes, but chaste? They mean pretty much the same thing when it comes to sexual abstinence, but they seem to have different connotations. To me, something that is pure is undefiled and untouched by others, a state of being; but being chaste seems to require action on the part of the person described, to prevent himself from becoming defiled. With these definitions in mind, take a look at what John Ensor has to say about chastity and purity with respect to men and women in his recent book, "Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart".
"Men protect women by their chastity. Women, by their chastity, test the maturity and character of the man pursuing them...
Brothers, our power to abstain from sexual impurity and to practice sexual self-control with those with whom we fall in love comes from two sources. One is the love of God accompanied by a childlike desire to please him. The other is love for others, accompanied by the desire to protect, that such love prompts within us. Brothers, practice sexual self-control out of a desire to protect her from sin, guilt, shame, embarrassment, pregnancy, and the fallout that all women bear so disproportionaltely from sex outside of marriage.
Sisters, abstaining from sexual immorality is, for you, to, a matter of submitting to God and his commands. But it is more, It is God's 'Mature Manhood Test Kit' for women. The immature, self-centered ungodly man will test negative in a matter of weeks. The deceitful and cutnning predator will test negative in a matter of days. Men willing to wait, and wanting to wait, will test positive. It is not a lack of sexual interest; it is a healthy fear of God. It is love, which at this point rightfully expresses itself as protection from sin and shame. If he weakens, help him succeed. If all else goes well in the development of the relationship, you know you are marrying a godly man, on who has self-control and a clear sense of his calling as a man."
Amazing, isn't it? Doing the things that the world tells us are so old-fashioned and timid actually work out for our best interest in the long run! While the world tells girls to dress provacatively, speak your mind, and let that boy know you're interested, God tells us to be modest, wait on Him, and allow the man to lead the relationship. If you've found a godly man, he will respect your modesty and cherish it more than any other half-dressed body on the street. If you've found a godly man, he will ask for your opinion and take your feelings into consideration. If you've found a godly man, he'll let you know that he's serious about pursuing a relationship. But if you take the first step, if you give into the temptation to wait, you'll never know how godly that man might be.
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."
Titus 2:11-12
"Men protect women by their chastity. Women, by their chastity, test the maturity and character of the man pursuing them...
Brothers, our power to abstain from sexual impurity and to practice sexual self-control with those with whom we fall in love comes from two sources. One is the love of God accompanied by a childlike desire to please him. The other is love for others, accompanied by the desire to protect, that such love prompts within us. Brothers, practice sexual self-control out of a desire to protect her from sin, guilt, shame, embarrassment, pregnancy, and the fallout that all women bear so disproportionaltely from sex outside of marriage.
Sisters, abstaining from sexual immorality is, for you, to, a matter of submitting to God and his commands. But it is more, It is God's 'Mature Manhood Test Kit' for women. The immature, self-centered ungodly man will test negative in a matter of weeks. The deceitful and cutnning predator will test negative in a matter of days. Men willing to wait, and wanting to wait, will test positive. It is not a lack of sexual interest; it is a healthy fear of God. It is love, which at this point rightfully expresses itself as protection from sin and shame. If he weakens, help him succeed. If all else goes well in the development of the relationship, you know you are marrying a godly man, on who has self-control and a clear sense of his calling as a man."
Amazing, isn't it? Doing the things that the world tells us are so old-fashioned and timid actually work out for our best interest in the long run! While the world tells girls to dress provacatively, speak your mind, and let that boy know you're interested, God tells us to be modest, wait on Him, and allow the man to lead the relationship. If you've found a godly man, he will respect your modesty and cherish it more than any other half-dressed body on the street. If you've found a godly man, he will ask for your opinion and take your feelings into consideration. If you've found a godly man, he'll let you know that he's serious about pursuing a relationship. But if you take the first step, if you give into the temptation to wait, you'll never know how godly that man might be.
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."
Titus 2:11-12
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
That Knight Fell Off His White Horse Again!?
Alright, so how many of you girls have boyfriends (or wifes who have husbands) out there who are just the perfect "Knight in Shining Armour?" They know exactly what you're thinking when you frown, they respond estatically to that little "cute" surprise you threw them, and they jump at the first chance to go shopping with you for hours on end. Anybody? Ok, so maybe some of you could answer those three examples with a "yes", but my guess is your guy doesn't always do exactly what you want or expect him to. And should he? Well we often think so, or at least we are told so by the movies we watch, the books we read, or the dreams we have of "the perfect man" rescuing us from our distress, no matter how little. Is that really how things work?
Uhmmm, no. (And on the same token, praise the Lord we aren't held to such high standards ourselves!) So why do we have this "idolatry of idyllic love", as John Ensor puts it in his book, "Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart"? Ensor explains it this way:
Isn't that so true! More often than not, we girls tend to think that if we only had a boyfriend, or if we only were married, then we would be happy and fulfilled. But God tells us in His Word that nothing of this world will truly satisfy the longings of our heart. Even the most fulfilling human relationship can only pale in comparison to the eternal relationship we can have with our Creator. It is also for this reason that the Bible tells us there will be no marriage in heaven. Even the most intimate relationship we enjoy on this earth cannot come with us into the next life - nor should it! For we will be enjoying our True Love for all eternity and praising His Name forevermore, no longer infatuated with the "loves" of this world.
So ladies, as you look to your boyfriend, fiance, or husband to be your "all-consuming delight", remember that you are not only setting him up for failure and dissappointing yourself, but you are also missing the one true fulfillment in life - Christ. (Ensor, 49 )
Uhmmm, no. (And on the same token, praise the Lord we aren't held to such high standards ourselves!) So why do we have this "idolatry of idyllic love", as John Ensor puts it in his book, "Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart"? Ensor explains it this way:
"No man can fulfill the deepest longings of the human heart because these longings belong to God alone and connot be fulfilled by another. Our desire for a healthy, tender, passionate, enduring mutually fulfilling life with a good man or woman will always be a work in progress. There is no perfect marriage, only two people pledged to live together for better and worse. The best lover is still a sinner."
Isn't that so true! More often than not, we girls tend to think that if we only had a boyfriend, or if we only were married, then we would be happy and fulfilled. But God tells us in His Word that nothing of this world will truly satisfy the longings of our heart. Even the most fulfilling human relationship can only pale in comparison to the eternal relationship we can have with our Creator. It is also for this reason that the Bible tells us there will be no marriage in heaven. Even the most intimate relationship we enjoy on this earth cannot come with us into the next life - nor should it! For we will be enjoying our True Love for all eternity and praising His Name forevermore, no longer infatuated with the "loves" of this world.
So ladies, as you look to your boyfriend, fiance, or husband to be your "all-consuming delight", remember that you are not only setting him up for failure and dissappointing yourself, but you are also missing the one true fulfillment in life - Christ. (Ensor, 49 )
"Do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [or 'Who shall we marry?'] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matther 6:31-33, addition mine.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
All this talk about marriage
I must confess, I have been held captive by a most popular topic for young women (or any woman, for that matter) - marriage...whether it be the events leading up towards, the wedding itself, or the life changing process afterwards. It is the thing most women long for, and many spend countless hours planning for, but all for what? Is the wedding ceremony the culmination of the entire marriage? Or perhaps the honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas? But what happens after the wedding? Does the marriage continue in wedded bliss?
Well, from one on the outside, looking in, I can't answer those questions from my own experience. But I can sure try to find out, with all the books written out there on how to "divorce-proof" your marriage, "spice up" your sex life, and especially those written on how to find "the one" worth keeping, even (or especially) on the Christian side of things. So how many people does it take to unlock the mystery of marriage? Ten? One Hundred? One Thousand? Thankfully, we don't have to read all the books (and believe me, I've tried) or catch the latest "trick" on how to get through married life, because we have God's inspired word to guide us through any problem. I'm not proposing that the Bible is an explicit "how to" book on every issue we face in life, but I am proposing that the Bible is sufficient for any situation we may face in this life, and provides ample direction for our choices. So the next time you pick up a "self-help" book, attempting to solve (or avoid) the problems in life, think again and pick up your Bible instead. While it may not have a table of contents to point you to the exact chapter and verse of wisdom, His Word is sufficient for everything we face in this life, for Christ was tempted in every way known to man, and yet did not sin. He is not only familiar with our trials and temptations, but He endured them unto death on a cross, bearing our sins because we could not.
So when you think that marriage will solve your problems, think again, and look to Christ as your Savior, forever, amen.
Well, from one on the outside, looking in, I can't answer those questions from my own experience. But I can sure try to find out, with all the books written out there on how to "divorce-proof" your marriage, "spice up" your sex life, and especially those written on how to find "the one" worth keeping, even (or especially) on the Christian side of things. So how many people does it take to unlock the mystery of marriage? Ten? One Hundred? One Thousand? Thankfully, we don't have to read all the books (and believe me, I've tried) or catch the latest "trick" on how to get through married life, because we have God's inspired word to guide us through any problem. I'm not proposing that the Bible is an explicit "how to" book on every issue we face in life, but I am proposing that the Bible is sufficient for any situation we may face in this life, and provides ample direction for our choices. So the next time you pick up a "self-help" book, attempting to solve (or avoid) the problems in life, think again and pick up your Bible instead. While it may not have a table of contents to point you to the exact chapter and verse of wisdom, His Word is sufficient for everything we face in this life, for Christ was tempted in every way known to man, and yet did not sin. He is not only familiar with our trials and temptations, but He endured them unto death on a cross, bearing our sins because we could not.
So when you think that marriage will solve your problems, think again, and look to Christ as your Savior, forever, amen.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Thoughts on Cultivating a Pure Passion
It has been a long while since I have posted, and of course a lot has happened in the past five months, but the significant event I speak of today happened only two days ago. This past weekend was a blur of activity, craziness, joy and sadness, all wrapped up into a "simple" event most every little girl (and big girl, too!) dreams about. Have you guessed yet? Yes, this past weekend was (one of) my best friend's wedding, and I had the pleasure of being one of her bridesmaids. It is funny to reflect on the past four years of our lives together, thinking of all the times we worried about finding a guy, and then worried about how to find the "right" guy amongst all the wrong ones, worried about if the guy we liked was really the guy God had specially picked out for us, and finally worried how we would make it until the wedding day! All along, however, God was at work in both of us, in vastly different ways, forming our relationships and cultivating love, while we worried about what was coming next!
Looking back, however, after my best friend has finally found and married that one special person that she will share her hopes and dreams with, I see how far their relationship has come in the short year and a half they have been courting. When I first learned of my best friend's interest in her now husband, I must say that I was not just a little skeptical. I mean, how could any guy understand my best friend enough to think he was worthy of her companionship? I know now that I was wrong, but at the time, it only seemed like he was taking her away from me. In a short amount of time (a year, but really only 5 months was he there), I learned that not only did he care for her, respect her, cherish her and love her, but he also cared about getting to know her friends better too (Guys, getting in with her girlfriends is the key)! I soon was assured that this "boy" that took my best friend away from me was not only a really wonderful guy, but also was genuinely the best man in the world for her. And so even though I already do and know I will miss our "roomie" experience terribly, I can honestly say she traded me for an even better roomate, and more importantly, the most perfect mate she could have found. All this, and more, God had planned and designed just for her! How silly of us to worry then, and how silly of us to worry now, for as He clothes the wildflowers in all their splendor, so much MORE will he clothe each of us, providing for our deepest needs in ways greater than we could ever imagine.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
True Humility
What happens when all is said and done, when no one else is looking, and God is the only one left to see your heart? Do we put on a show for Him, like we try to for everyone else - saying all the right words, doing all the things we are supposed to do - and wait for God to say, "Well, done, Jennifer, you are certainly a humble servant," as we then bask in our own pride for being humble? Somehow, I do not think this is the standard Christ calls us to when He says in Matthew 5, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (5)
God's call for us to be humble is far above what the world thinks humility is. On one hand, the world does not treat humility (even in the wrong sense of the word) as something to be desired. According to the world, those who are humble will never succeed in life because they are never agressive enough to make something happen. On the other hand, when the world does recognize humility as a desireable trait, it is usually a fake humility that even the most proud person can pass off on others. This happens when people appear to "pass" on credit "due" them by saying, "It was really nothing" or "You would have done the same for me" when questioned about a particular action.
However, while we may outwardly say that to people, on the inside we're really thinking, "Well it's about time you noticed something I did, because I certainly didn't do this NOT to get some recognition for it!" Some people will say this aloud, and on one hand, at least they are telling the world the truth about what they think, instead of trying to disguise their motives by hiding behind a fake humility like the rest of us.
So how are we to be humble in a world that doesn't even know what true humility is? Let us look to Christ, the perfect example of humility embodied for us in the Gospels. Often we think being humble means not talking much, not insisting on our own opinions, and not taking a stand for ourselves, but that is actually the exact opposite of what Jesus, the perfect humble man, did on earth. Not only did he speak a lot about the truth of God, but He most certainly insisted everyone believe Him, and stood entirely against the Jewish Pharisaical concept of humbleness. He called the Pharisees "whitewashed tombs" exactly for the reason that they gave the appearance of holiness and humility while having dead, rotting hearts, set only on themselves!
Now that isn't exactly our idea of what it means to be humble, but really it should be - Jesus spoke the truth and had nothing to gain for it -- Actually, he had everything (in the material sense of the word) to lose! Remember, the Pharisees didn't really like Him as it was, much less after He calls them rotting tombstones. Yet Jesus did not speak to gain recognition for His actions - He spoke because the Pharisees offended God by their appearance of holiness, and the Jewish people needed to see that their way was not God's way.
So before we think we are humble, consider Christ's words in Matthew 23:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence...First cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also... You are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (25-28)
God's call for us to be humble is far above what the world thinks humility is. On one hand, the world does not treat humility (even in the wrong sense of the word) as something to be desired. According to the world, those who are humble will never succeed in life because they are never agressive enough to make something happen. On the other hand, when the world does recognize humility as a desireable trait, it is usually a fake humility that even the most proud person can pass off on others. This happens when people appear to "pass" on credit "due" them by saying, "It was really nothing" or "You would have done the same for me" when questioned about a particular action.
However, while we may outwardly say that to people, on the inside we're really thinking, "Well it's about time you noticed something I did, because I certainly didn't do this NOT to get some recognition for it!" Some people will say this aloud, and on one hand, at least they are telling the world the truth about what they think, instead of trying to disguise their motives by hiding behind a fake humility like the rest of us.
So how are we to be humble in a world that doesn't even know what true humility is? Let us look to Christ, the perfect example of humility embodied for us in the Gospels. Often we think being humble means not talking much, not insisting on our own opinions, and not taking a stand for ourselves, but that is actually the exact opposite of what Jesus, the perfect humble man, did on earth. Not only did he speak a lot about the truth of God, but He most certainly insisted everyone believe Him, and stood entirely against the Jewish Pharisaical concept of humbleness. He called the Pharisees "whitewashed tombs" exactly for the reason that they gave the appearance of holiness and humility while having dead, rotting hearts, set only on themselves!
Now that isn't exactly our idea of what it means to be humble, but really it should be - Jesus spoke the truth and had nothing to gain for it -- Actually, he had everything (in the material sense of the word) to lose! Remember, the Pharisees didn't really like Him as it was, much less after He calls them rotting tombstones. Yet Jesus did not speak to gain recognition for His actions - He spoke because the Pharisees offended God by their appearance of holiness, and the Jewish people needed to see that their way was not God's way.
So before we think we are humble, consider Christ's words in Matthew 23:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence...First cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also... You are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (25-28)
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Trusting God
What an idea..."Trusting God". Do I even have any clue what that encompasses? I say I trust God, but really I think it is more trusting in myself to get things done. Then, when they do get done, I congratulate myself on a job well done, and of course throw up some haphazard thanks to God for helping me (if I remember). ..."Helping" me? He's basically doing it for me, and I just happen to be following His direction, if it happens to be the same direction I'm going! Only by the grace of God does anything get resolved in life. And yet whom do I place my trust in? Myself. [Yeah, that makes sense...riiiiight]
So what exactly does trusting in God mean? Well, for starters, it means that when we have no idea where life is taking us, we can have comfort in the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for us that are better than we could ever put into place ourself. It also means that not only do we need to trust God with those things that are out of our hands, but also trust God with the things that are IN our hands! (That's the hard part!) So whenever we have to make a decision, we need to look to our Guide for direction, and then actually follow where He leads us, in full knowledge that HE knows what He's doing (we don't!).
In the end, life becomes so much happier - we stop worrying about things we can't control (big relief!), and we stop worrying about things we CAN control, because we trust God's Word and direction to lead us in making the right decision. Wow! What a relief! If only it were as easy as I say it is, right? :) Well, it is - Just look what God himself tells us ---
"Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more precious than they? ...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin...Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ...Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." -- Matthew 6:25-34
So what exactly does trusting in God mean? Well, for starters, it means that when we have no idea where life is taking us, we can have comfort in the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for us that are better than we could ever put into place ourself. It also means that not only do we need to trust God with those things that are out of our hands, but also trust God with the things that are IN our hands! (That's the hard part!) So whenever we have to make a decision, we need to look to our Guide for direction, and then actually follow where He leads us, in full knowledge that HE knows what He's doing (we don't!).
In the end, life becomes so much happier - we stop worrying about things we can't control (big relief!), and we stop worrying about things we CAN control, because we trust God's Word and direction to lead us in making the right decision. Wow! What a relief! If only it were as easy as I say it is, right? :) Well, it is - Just look what God himself tells us ---
"Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more precious than they? ...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin...Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ...Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." -- Matthew 6:25-34
Thursday, February 01, 2007
More thoughts on Passion
As I think about the whole idea of having a passion in life, it continues to astound me how easily we are distracted by our other "passions". Whether they are for work or play, though they may be good things to do, they still must be subordinate to our first passion, or love, for Christ. It may be that we have these good passions because we love Christ, but they must not become more important than Him, or they will cease to be good and instead become idols. The fine line every person must learn to define is when a passion becomes an idol.
Good questions to ask are, "Does this passion of mine draw me closer to Christ or farther from Him?" "Does this passion cause me to think about myself or it more, and Christ less?" "Is my life, thoughts, time and energy directed towards this passion more than Christ?" Passions can very easily turn into idols, especially under the disguise of being "spiritual" passions. May we be discerning in evaluating our loves and likes, and learn to focus on our true passion - Christ.
Good questions to ask are, "Does this passion of mine draw me closer to Christ or farther from Him?" "Does this passion cause me to think about myself or it more, and Christ less?" "Is my life, thoughts, time and energy directed towards this passion more than Christ?" Passions can very easily turn into idols, especially under the disguise of being "spiritual" passions. May we be discerning in evaluating our loves and likes, and learn to focus on our true passion - Christ.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
God's Call to Holiness
How many times a day do we think about what we want to do? Well, I'd have to say pretty much 24/7. I mean, when don't we think about what we want to do? If we don't think about ourselves, chances are we're trying to please someone else, and usually that someone else isn't God. But amazingly enough, God calls us to think about and pursue what He has commanded above EVERYTHING else. And just what has God commanded and demanded of us? Holiness.
Wow - so basically, when I'm thinking about everything I need to do for this reason and that, and when I'm rationalizing my actions because I think my own desires are more important than God's commands, God says, "What?! You think you know better than the Creator of the Universe? You think that anything you could think of would be better than doing exactly what I have told you? How much you have to learn!" (Actually, God wouldn't be surprised, because that man-centered attitude is typical of me and everyone else who calls himself human.)
Of course I have much to learn! So I must continue to press on toward the goal - not towards life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but towards God's perfect standard of holiness. Though I know I will never reach it in this lifetime, I am still expected to move towards it with all my strength, which I have only through Christ Jesus. May Christ strengthen each of you who seek to move towards holiness, further from the old man, and closer to the new.
Wow - so basically, when I'm thinking about everything I need to do for this reason and that, and when I'm rationalizing my actions because I think my own desires are more important than God's commands, God says, "What?! You think you know better than the Creator of the Universe? You think that anything you could think of would be better than doing exactly what I have told you? How much you have to learn!" (Actually, God wouldn't be surprised, because that man-centered attitude is typical of me and everyone else who calls himself human.)
Of course I have much to learn! So I must continue to press on toward the goal - not towards life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but towards God's perfect standard of holiness. Though I know I will never reach it in this lifetime, I am still expected to move towards it with all my strength, which I have only through Christ Jesus. May Christ strengthen each of you who seek to move towards holiness, further from the old man, and closer to the new.
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