Tripping On Number One?

Which of the Ten Commandments do we break most frequently? Do you lie every day? Perhaps steal on a regular basis? Commit adultery, even if it’s ‘only in your mind’?

In Exodus 20 we read the commands God gave Moses. God wrote them Himself on stone tablets (Exodus 31:18). God begins with what might look like the obvious, but the first commandment is one we commonly break, without even thinking about it.

‘And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ –Exodus 20:1-3 and yes, I’m quoting the King James Version because it just sounds holier.

While reading Lysa Terkeurst’s Made to Crave this week, I’ve marked numerous quotes and even shared some on Facebook. I never realized how many verses in the Bible are, or can be, related to eating, quite fascinating, really. Think about it – the very first temptation Satan ever used on humans was food!

But at one point in the book she brings up the story of the rich young ruler that approaches Jesus saying he’s kept God commands since birth (quite a righteous man, isn’t he?) But he asks what more he needs to do to obtain eternal life. Many of you know the story, Jesus tells him to sell all he has and then to come follow Him. Many of us have been taught that this means God doesn’t want us to have money. Like Lysa, I don’t believe that for a minute. It was simply that his money came before his love for God, or he’d have been able to give it up and follow Jesus.

The ‘other gods’ we put before God are more than statues. Take a minute and ask God what you’re putting first, it may surprise you. I know it did me.

It Depends...

Two city girls driving down a country road saw a shirtless farm boy carrying two large buckets of water. His muscles brought on the giggles as they pulled over, calling out, “How heavy are those buckets?” Without looking up, he hollered back, “Depends on how far you have to carry ‘em.” Insulted, one girl approached him asking, “How far do you have to carry them?” Glancing her way he said, “Depends where I’m taking ‘em.” Intent on his attention she boldly asked, “Do you think I’m pretty?” He smiled, “Depends on how tired I am.” He put the buckets down and walked toward her with quick, long strides. She laughed coyly, and backed up toward her car till he was chasing her. Wide-eyed, she climbed in behind the safety of her door, and asked, “Are you crazy?” Tossing his head back with friendly laughter he replied, “Depends on how long it’s been since I’ve seen a pretty girl!” 

Depends….                                             

Am I a good person? …depends on who you’re comparing yourself to.

Is there a purgatory? …depends on which religion you’re asking.

Once I’m saved by grace, can I do anything I want? …depends on who’s doctrine you’re going by.

Will I go to heaven when I die? …depends on where your faith lies.   

That farm boy knows it and so do we, our questions wear more Depends than folks with bladder control issues. If you’re anything like me, one question leads to another. Answers that include the word ‘depends’ leave me frustrated. Aren’t there absolutes in this world? Again, we can say, “Depends on _____” and fill in the blank with any number of answers. I’d say; depends on whether or not you’re willing to accept the absolutes. Sometimes black is simply black and white is simply white. And sometimes we have to face things we’d rather not look at, believing it’s easier to hide in a ‘depends…’

Some of us believe we’re ‘not so bad’ – ‘basically good’ people. Good and bad are both relevant words, and words we interchange as time goes on. (Younger generations use the word ‘bad’ when referring to something they think is very good.)

Ponder this:                                                                

There are (at least) four verses in the Bible that make the point: “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:3; Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:10; Romans 3:12)

And First John, verses 7-10 tell us that: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (KJV)

Perception

Perception is everything. It’s responsible for life and death decisions and for unwinnable arguments and most likely for every war waged.

Years ago I spoke for a Christian women’s organization, my topic? Perception. You can tell me at every turn and show me in every manner you can think up – that you love me. But if I perceive the motive behind your words and actions is something other than love, I won’t believe you love me.

If I perceive something to be a myth or a lie it will be quite difficult, even next to impossible to convince me otherwise, even if you present me with evidence that backs an opposing view point.

I don’t say this to suggest that I’m close minded and shallow, but simply to point out that most of the people I know – and I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest that most people in general, think in like manner. The reasons we believe the things we believe vary as much as the infinite array of ideas we entertain.

But what do we do when we recognize that someone close to us has skewed perceptions? Do they necessarily see things incorrectly, or is that merely our perception?

What makes one viewpoint correct and opposing viewpoints incorrect?

As a Spirit-filled Christian, I fall back to where I perceive the lines of truth are drawn – in God’s Word.

Yet listening to the viewpoint of a teenager the other day, I had to agree when he pointed out that one can use scripture to argue most any point. Scripture can be twisted and taken out of context – and who’s to decide the correct context of God’s Word?

When I write a poem, perhaps I am actually the only one to know its true intent, because it came from my heart.

When God gave us His Word – it came from His heart. He alone can know the true intent behind every word He’s given us. Only His Spirit can impart His intent to us. When we invite His Spirit to live within us we have access to His heart and the very mind of Christ…. Have you tapped in lately?

Don’t believe you can perceive truth without Him. And though you pray or believe He exists doesn’t mean He resides within you – He has to be invited in and allowed to rule and reign on the throne of our heart. Though He created you and breathed life into you, the one thing God doesn’t possess until you choose to give it to Him, is you.

Where Does The Time Go?

Time. What more precious gift can we give than that of quality time; love manifested?

Alone time is needed to cultivate inner strength and reliance on God. But when we’re not spending time alone with God, we’re giving our time to or for something or someone. Perhaps it would be a good idea to pick up a pen and diagram where and to whom our time goes. Who or what are we giving our time to? We may see that more of our time goes to petty things that will pass, rather than to those we truly love.

It’s a great idea to be sure to thank those who invest their time in us.

When my husband and I started dating we found ‘our song’. It’s Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce. Next to God, spending time with Dave is my most favorite thing to do.   Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce

1 Peter 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. (NIV)

Time For A Clock

Time to remember

Time to forget

Anticipation

Or lonely regret

Time that is wasted

Time on your hands

Time so elusive

Like hourglass sands

Time that stands still - as

Time marches on

Times of reflection

To ponder upon

Time heals all wounds -

A lie to our hearts

Time has no end

Nor a tangible start

Time has expired

Or we’ve too long to wait

Time can hold secrets

Delivered by fate

Time that you borrow -or

Time that you kill

Time is the order

God only, can fill.

~Helen Williams! 7/5/03

Harder to Love?

Love is tough, but it has to be. I read a great blog post the other day, you can find it here: Hope Flinchbaugh

It challenged me. There are so many places I don’t really want to go. It’s not like God is going to send me to hard places because He’s mean and wants to see me squirm. But because He loves me so much, and wants to see me conform to His image and reflect His beauty in this world, He takes me places that require me to love like He does. I’ll be honest, there are times that I’m tempted to shirk that responsibility. He loves unconditionally. That’s not always a fun thing for me to do in this mortal body. There are people that know how to ‘push my buttons’ and get away with it.

I find myself wanting to challenge God with, ‘Does loving them mean I have to like them?’ Love the sinner, hate the sin. That’s the truth, but so often, a person’s sins follow them around and scream in your face as you’re trying to love through the hurt they’ve caused.

I don’t think I’ve met anyone that I cannot say I love, honestly. But there are people that try my patience and challenge my sanctification. Yet, I constantly feel the hand of my Father on my shoulder as He reminds me yet again that this is easier to do when I allow Him to love through me. And it’s easier to do when I let Him help me forgive. 7 x 70? (Matthew 18:21-22) Who keeps count? I don’t have time for that – besides, the point is to always forgive. Always.

Is someone having a hard time loving me today? Is someone struggling with forgiving me for something?

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV)

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. – Mark 11:25-26 (KJV)

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. – Luke 11:4 (KJV)

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. – Luke 23:34 (KJV)

Fertilizing Our Garden

While talking to my cashier at the store yesterday, he put my most recent blog post in a better perspective for me. The other day I wrote about fertilizer, this will make more sense if you read it first – I quoted Paul in Philippians 3:7-10. I guess I’d never realized where Paul was really going with his statement.

My cashier pointed out that by accomplishing the things we do in life, but not giving God the glory, or by not doing them for God’s glory – they becomes dung, manure not even fit to be used for fertilizer.

Though I took a different train of thought, counting all my experiences, good and bad, as the fertilizer that grows the garden of my life, his comments struck a chord with me. What if I let all that fertilizer go to waste by not allowing my life to bring glory to God? My travails and triumphs should make me a better person, all for the glory of God – but if my fertilizer becomes sterile, my garden will be a barren wasteland.

I pondered this a while.

Does my life glorify God? Does the garden of my life produce the fruit of the Spirit?

Do I praise Him in the midst of my miseries? Do I thank Him in the midst of my daily blessings? Do I show Him to the lost and dying world around me – or am I too busy making fertilizer that I’m not using effectively?

‘All for the glory of God’ - what does that mean to you? Does what you’re going through from day to day count for anything?

Romans 4:20-21 ‘He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.’ (KJV)

Manure Happens

My paraphrase for one of the famous passages Paul wrote in the book of Philippians goes like this: I consider it all fertilizer used in growing the garden of my life.

What he actually said, according to the King James rendition is: ‘But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith…’ (3:7-10)

So everything that counts for me as gain, or success or fame or fortune, I consider the growing experiences that make up the fertilizer that makes the garden of my life beautiful.

Furthermore, I count all my losses, my sorrows, my struggles and pain, my heartaches, my sicknesses and my frustrations as part of that fertilizer for this incredible garden as well.

The people I meet along the way and the experiences I go through all cultivate my life. Love drives it all, bringing it all together with a perfect harmony only my Father in heaven could pull-off.

Rain without sunshine would drown us, sunshine without rain would leave us parched and dying. There is a perfect balance in the peace of God, which exceeds our human understanding, but gives rest to the weary and empowers us for life.

The only way to obtain God’s peace is through His living Word. Our losses and gains are merely a wasted pile of manure without the peace of God. Engage with His Word today.