Clinging to My ... Teddy

There are things in life we hang on to much too tightly; whether a child with his teddy - for comfort, security and friendship or a mother with her child - to love and protect them.

But even scripture tells us to let go. Luke 14:33 says, “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” That can be a hard truth to digest.

What I cling to, for whatever reason, becomes used, damaged, controlled and eventually, useless. But when given up to God, He alone can set them free and heal them and multiply them and be glorified in them and through them.

I picture a child with a teddy bear that’s loved so much it goes everywhere the child goes, it gets dirty and loses an eye or gets an ear ripped off, needs to be re-stitched from time to time, the stuffing becomes flat and it’s fur gets dingy and faded from washings. The bear isn’t abused on purpose, but our human love has a way of wearing things out.

Why do we hold on so tightly? Do we really believe we need that teddy, that God won’t be our security? Do we believe our children need us more than they need God? Or that we can serve and protect them better than He can?

The bottom line is; what do we believe about God?

Do we believe God is Who He says He is and will do what He says He’ll do – or not?

This morning I asked myself that question and started to answer, “I do, but….” No. Either I do – or I don’t.

“Our greatest single difficulty in following God may come at this point of full surrender.” –Henry Blackaby, (Experiencing God workbook, page 158)

Just Look at that Filthy Gown!

What was at stake there? In the biblical account of the woman with the issue of blood, she could have risked her life just being in the crowd. According to tradition and law at the time, with a disease such as hers, she was unclean, and anything or anyone she touched became unclean, too. At the very least, she’d have to cry out ‘unclean’ as she approached like the lepers. If discovered, imagine the outburst from those she’d just made unclean.

Being the inquisitive person I am, I can’t help but wonder if anyone recognized her as the diseased woman or if they all focused on getting to Jesus. (How many other unclean people were in their midst?) All four gospels tell us she had this medical condition for twelve years. She’d spent all her living on physicians and none could heal her. Surely there had to be someone in the crowd she’d fear would recognize her. She was an outcast and had been for a long time. No wonder she cowered in fear when Jesus asked who touched Him; the fact that she was in the crowd was pointed out to everyone.

If we wrote this as a superhero cartoon, it might read: Filthy Monster meets the Spotless Lamb, doesn’t sound like the lamb has a chance. This unclean, or filthy, woman had to either presume that this Man of God would heal her, or that she would make Him unclean, too. She sought to reach out and touch the very opposite of what she was.

If detectives touch something at a crime scene, they risk contaminating evidence versus solving their ‘who-dunnit’. There’s risk involved until you know for sure and go for it. Matthew 9:21 tells us this woman was sure: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Isaiah 64:6 tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags before a holy God. So dressed in our own righteousness, we wear filthy rags. And it’s in those wretched, filthy rags that the God of the universe invites us to reach out and touch perfection. Instead of us making Him unclean, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

Ponder this: If I reach out to Him, what's the worst/best thing that can happen?

Chisel Marks

This interruption [from blogging] is brought to you by NaNoWriMo. That’s National Novel Writing Month for those who don’t know. We’re challenged to write (at least) 50,000 words of a novel in the month of November.  http://www.nanowrimo.org/


I first took up the challenge in November 2009 and was declared a winner, because I exceeded the 50,000 word goal. I think my novel was around 67,000 words when I put it down. I’ve not finished that story yet. Then last year I started another but didn’t make the mark, I stopped at around 25,000 words. This year I’ve started a novel I’ve titled: Chisel Marks. It’s a fictionalized version of my life. I’m altering the characters from my real life so no one will know who I’m really talking about, besides me. [Big grin!]


When they asked Michelangelo how he made his statue of David he is reported to have said, "It is easy. You just chip away the stone that doesn't look like David."

- Michelangelo

He also said: I saw an angel in the block of marble and I just chiseled 'til I set him free. – Michelangelo

(Did you know that Michelangelo was only 26 years old when he sculpted David?)

This is what God is doing in my life – chiseling away anything that doesn’t look like Him. I was made in His image, but I’ve been hiding behind lies and deceit, locked away in doctrine and false conceptions about God, my purpose and who I am in Christ. He’s ‘chiseling ‘til he sets me free!’

Who hasn’t asked themselves, Who Am I? Let the chiseling begin!

The Power Agreement

Agreement is the place of power; one of the prominent statements in my notes from church this morning. Consequently: Disagreement is the place of powerlessness. No wonder the strategy of divide and conquer is so popular; it displaces agreement.

We are free to choose who we agree and disagree with. So why do we agree with the negative things and the lies in our lives? We’re in agreement with the father of lies; the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

We need to agree with Truth. Quoting Henry Blackaby, ‘Truth is not just a concept to study. Truth is a Person. Jesus did not say, “I will teach you the truth.” He said, “I am … the truth”’ (John 14:6)

We need to investigate what God’s Word says about us, about our lives and God’s will for us and come into agreement with it. This is where the secret to power and purposeful living come alive for us.

Do we agree with those we believe or do we believe those we agree with? There is a political movement in America now that has many people coming together. Many agree with those taking a stand, but don’t know really what they’re agreeing with because the beliefs within that movement vary. Some of what they say sounds very good, but some of what they’re saying sounds hateful, even sinful, to me. But there’s power in the agreement going on. Voices are louder; points of view are noted. I admire the coming together.

In Genesis 6:11 (AMP) we read about this kind of unity: ‘And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them.’

So why is the Christian voice not louder? Why is there so much disagreement within the body of Christ? The discord and distrust, the backbiting and bickering, the legalism and lies believed make our enemy mock us and laugh at us. Our own thoughts and words make his labors of evil easier to accomplish as we turn on one another.

Pick up your Bible today and find something to agree with God about. Do it again tomorrow and the next day. Make a habit of it.

Peace

I miss my dad. He would have celebrated his 80th birthday today if he hadn’t already left this world for heaven. I wonder what he’s doing there. I wonder if he can see me. I wonder if he’s already seen the future revealed…

With my feet still planted here on Earth, I watch as my father-in-law takes strides, some great and some ugly, to live the way he wants to; the way he’s used to. The great things include his body healing. The ugly things include his violent demands to get his own way. I suppose we all want our own way in most circumstances. Some of us are demanders and others of us are submitters.

I’ll admit there are times it makes me feel incredibly selfish to want my own way. I can justify both sides of pretty much any argument (something which has frustrated my husband for years now). But for example:

It’s Christ-like to be selfless and give everything I am to others ~ VS ~ I have other people who depend on me, too, and giving all my energy and time to one person knowing others need me is too draining.

God will supply all my needs ~ VS ~ I don’t always want to be Wonder Woman and handle it all.

I can honor the present while God deals with the past in His own ways ~ VS ~ Sometimes I just don’t want to!

I’m being loving ~ VS ~ I’m being manipulated and used

The bottom line is seeking and accepting what God wants of me and submitting to Him, not to the confines of what man demands I think, say or do.

This is where I’ll actually find peace.

'Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.' –Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

This Mountain Won't Stop Me

Apparently learning the big lessons in life isn’t easy. The enemy has plans in place to fight you all the way. It’s normal to feel like a failure when you recognize your struggles seem to form a repetitive pattern in your life. I find myself asking if I’ll ever make it over this particular mountain. Then I can’t decide whether to laugh or cry, thinking that once I reach this pinnacle, the next one is liable to be an even bigger leap.

But some things I know. I know them because God has declared them to be. I don’t have the understanding yet that backs everything God has decreed, but one great thing I have going for me is that I’m determined not to give up; that what is before me is greater than what is behind me. When I come through this life, I will have ‘fought the good fight of faith’ and reached out for the wisdom and knowledge and understanding that we’ve been promised.

In Proverbs Solomon writes: ‘My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;’ (Proverbs 2:1-6 NKJV)

Read all of Proverbs chapter two – it’s empowering to know what we’ve got coming to us. It makes the search and the struggles worth it. The worth of our lives isn’t based on our past and every battle we perceive we’ve already lost. We have to look forward to the ultimate goal. Like Paul, I too choose to ‘…press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 3:14 NKJV)

I want to be like Jesus. I want to love like Jesus – and I’m not giving up until I do. That’s my goal. I’m looking past all the earthly hindrances that try to stop me, because I AM God’s ezer, His image bearer, He perfects me, He completes me. I just need to stay in the game ‘being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;’ (Philippians 1:6 NKJV)

One Little Revelation

‘Being’ love is easier than ‘doing’ love. When love makes up who we are, how can it be hard to love someone?

Food for thought, apply it somewhere if you can:

‘He came into my life disguised as a man with a past. Should I have been able to tell? Should I have recognized him? Now I see he wasn’t simply the man I thought he was. But then, it’s only revelation when you’re the one it’s revealed to.’

This short story has brought me one step closer to being a truly loving person.

Jesus said, ‘What you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me.’ (Matthew 25:31-46) Did He mean: when you love the least of these, you love Me? At this point in my life I add yet another layer of knowledge and wisdom to my repertoire as I apply this revelation to the disguised man that came into my life to expose God’s truth to me, though in reality, he doesn’t know God at all.

Who are ‘the least of these’? Perhaps they are the people we would be least likely to choose to rub elbows with, the ones we look away from when, suddenly, there they are right in front of us, without warning.

Might God choose to visit us in their skin?

Years ago, I heard God say to me, ‘Would you still love me if I was ugly?’ I heard this while looking at a poorly made wall hanging of Jesus with a flock of sheep. The person who made the hanging clearly took little pride in their work. The Jesus looked like a Star Trek alien, and not a pretty one.

Can I look beyond my reservations to see God in every human soul I encounter?

Do you hear me wrestle when I blog?