Movie Quote I'm reflecting on:
"We see a deadly sin on every street corner.....and we tolerate it...."
If you picked up right away where this quote came from, don't tune out just yet or think I've gone nuts. I know this isn't exactly from a movie you would expect a devotional to derive from, but I think it is worthy of thinking about.
The quote is from the movie Seven. Super brief cliff-notes version of the movie if you haven't seen it is that two detectives are investigating a string of murders. They find that a string of murders are all linked to one of the seven deadly sins. Eventually.......(SEMI SPOILER IF YOU CARE, ALTHOUGH NOT REALLY GIVING ANYTHING IMPORTANT AWAY ABOUT THE END)....the murderer turns himself in. Long story short, in discussion with the detectives, he talks about how the world has become numb to sins that happen all around us, and he was opening everyone's eyes....
So what's my point. Obviously I'm not advocating going out and killing someone we see committing a sin, so what's the point of focusing on this movie quote.
"We see a deadly sin on every street corner...and we tolerate it...". This is about as true as it gets for a majority of the country. You'll have a hard time being out in public for any significant period of time and not seeing some pretty significant sins. So as Christians, what are we supposed to do?
I've come to realize in the last year or so that the area I live in is particularly, well, "sinful". Let me preface by that by saying that I know I am no perfect angel, nor is there anyone out there who is perfect. But it's hard not to notice just the general negativity, and lack of spirituality around where I am at. As I start noticing this, I begin to myself, what are we supposed to do about it? Are we (we being the Christian community) supposed to do anything at all? Is there something personally I should be doing? Do we preach to people we see? Do we just try to lead by example?
Reflection:
I don't have any real answers to the questions I posed, but I believe Romans gives us some great guidance when thinking about this:
Romans 12:2 - Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think, Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Paul was giving Christians a warning in this letter that is still valid for us to follow today. Some people may be compelled to try and preach to those who seem lost. Some may offer advice. Some may ignore them. But the one thing we are warned about is not to conform.
"Conforming" is easier to do than we may think, and we probably do it sometimes without even realizing it. I know I've been at parties I shouldn't have been at, and conversations I shouldn't have been a part of in the past. And even though I didn't contribute to what made those things "wrong", I was "conforming" by being tolerant, which is just as wrong.
A specific example I can think of was at an interview I had where I received questions about the Christian nature of my law school. The questions were certainly asked in a way that looked down upon Christianity (at least in respect to school), and I believe the answer they were looking for was for me to join in with their beliefs in some way. Looking back I think I had three choices, 1) to conform, 2) to tell them what I thought about t heir question, and in some way "preach" to them, or 3) avoid their negativity without conforming or preaching. I basically made an attempt at #3 by changing the subject in a way, but I made a firm stance not to conform. (which for me was the first time I ca remember thinking whether to make a firm stand not to conform).
I don't know whether the way I handled it was right or wrong, but I bring that example up 1) as an example of how conforming can be tempting, and 2) because while I can't say if how I responded was correct, I do know that option #1 WOULD have been wrong, and something we all must avoid doing.
Final Thought:
I keep that reflection short because I think it is better written merely as food for thought than as any definitive statement. Everyone has different situations that will occur in their day-to-day where they will have to avoid "conforming" to the behaviors and customs of this world, in the way that Paul warned. As society becomes more and more secular, situations will continue to come about where you are put in a situation where you will have to make a choice about whether to conform, make a stand, or something else.
Think about situations in your life where you maybe let yourself conform, and reflect on how you can change that. Think about situations that may arise, and reflect on what you should do. Do you get stuck in the middle of office conversations where you find yourself "conforming" just to not make a scene? Do you find yourself being talked into going to a bar, restaurant, or party that you don't want to be at, but conform just so you're not labeled as a buzzkill or party pooper? We can't be prepared for everything, but thinking through how we can avoid conforming will help us when the situation comes around. And the reward is certainly worth it. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. I know I certainly can't wait to learn that....
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Self-Reflection Part 2
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Colossions 3:12
"Since God has chosen you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patients."
(CONTINUATION OF PREVIOUS POST)
(BACKGROUND REFLECTION IN PREVIOUS POST)
Reflection:
I started thinking about what to write for the second part of this devotional, and realized I didn't quite have the reflection that I had for the compassion part of the verse. Kind. Gentle. Humble. Patient. These are words we all know, and I'd be insulting everyone's intelligence if I tried to explain what these words mean. So instead I put the words with some select verses....
"Kindness" (kind)
1. of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, as a person: akind and loving person.
Proverbs 11:17 - Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.
Ephesians 4:32 - . . . be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
1 Corinthians 13:4 - Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful, or proud or rude.
"Humility" (humble)
1. not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful.
James 4:6 - "God opposes the proud but favors the humble"
Proverbs 3:34 - The Lord mocks the mockers, but is gracious to the humble.
"Gentleness" (gentle)
Proverbs 15:1 - A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare
Philippians 4:5 - Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.
"Patience" (patient)
bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship,pain, etc., with fortitude and calm and without complaint, anger,or the like.
Romans 12:12 - Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer
These words are fairly common knowledge. We all know how we are supposed to act to be in accordance with these words. Kindness. Treat people with respect, listen to them, respond with compassion, care about them. Humble. Don't be overly proud, don't be a showoff, don't do things to be in the spotlight, be modest and kind. Gentle. Don't be aggressive, angry, don't stir things up, be kind, compassionate. Patient. Don't overreact, think before you act, be kind, be gentle.
Notice how these words are all connected with each other.
Final Thought:
It's easy to say these things. The true test comes in actually doing these things. It's easy to be kind to one of your friends, or a nice person you see in the store. But are you kind when interacting with someone you are on bad terms with, or someone you dislike? When you are in disagreement with someone, are you gentle? Or are you highly aggressive, or confrontational? Are you humble when something good comes your way? Or do you go advertise your good fortunes? Your blessings? Do you make sure someone you are in competition with knows about your success? Are you patient with others, particularly people you may not be the best of friends with? Or are you quick to write someone off? Are you patient in letting God take whatever time he deems proper to answer your prayers? Or do you get impatient when you don't get immediate results, or don't get the results you want?
I know in answering these assessments honestly, that I pass some of the tests and fail at others. I do fairly well with the humble part, but struggle mightily with the patience part. Learning patience in prayer in particular has been something I am battling heavily in the last month. Evaluating myself under this verse however, will help me in improving myself on these areas in the future.
The Bible is filled with verses encouraging us to act as this verse directs us too. There is no one who can question the importance to be kind, to be gentle, compassionate, humble, patient. Assess yourself honestly under this verse, and see where your strengths and weaknesses are; and seek the guidance you need to turn the weaknesses into strength, allowing yourself to shine that much more under God's glory.
2.
having, showing, or proceeding from benevolence: kind words.
3.
indulgent, considerate, or helpful; humane (often followed by to): to be kind to animals.
4.
mild; gentle; clement: kind weather.
Proverbs 11:17 - Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.
Ephesians 4:32 - . . . be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
1 Corinthians 13:4 - Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful, or proud or rude.
"Humility" (humble)
1. not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful.
2.
having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.:In the presence of so many world-famous writers I felt very humble.
courteously respectful: In my humble opinion you are wrong.
James 4:6 - "God opposes the proud but favors the humble"
Proverbs 3:34 - The Lord mocks the mockers, but is gracious to the humble.
"Gentleness" (gentle)
kindly; amiable: a gentle manner.
2.
not severe, rough, or violent; mild: a gentle wind; a gentle tap onthe shoulder.
3.
moderate: gentle heat.
Proverbs 15:1 - A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare
Philippians 4:5 - Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.
"Patience" (patient)
bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship,pain, etc., with fortitude and calm and without complaint, anger,or the like.
Romans 12:12 - Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer
These words are fairly common knowledge. We all know how we are supposed to act to be in accordance with these words. Kindness. Treat people with respect, listen to them, respond with compassion, care about them. Humble. Don't be overly proud, don't be a showoff, don't do things to be in the spotlight, be modest and kind. Gentle. Don't be aggressive, angry, don't stir things up, be kind, compassionate. Patient. Don't overreact, think before you act, be kind, be gentle.
Notice how these words are all connected with each other.
Final Thought:
It's easy to say these things. The true test comes in actually doing these things. It's easy to be kind to one of your friends, or a nice person you see in the store. But are you kind when interacting with someone you are on bad terms with, or someone you dislike? When you are in disagreement with someone, are you gentle? Or are you highly aggressive, or confrontational? Are you humble when something good comes your way? Or do you go advertise your good fortunes? Your blessings? Do you make sure someone you are in competition with knows about your success? Are you patient with others, particularly people you may not be the best of friends with? Or are you quick to write someone off? Are you patient in letting God take whatever time he deems proper to answer your prayers? Or do you get impatient when you don't get immediate results, or don't get the results you want?
I know in answering these assessments honestly, that I pass some of the tests and fail at others. I do fairly well with the humble part, but struggle mightily with the patience part. Learning patience in prayer in particular has been something I am battling heavily in the last month. Evaluating myself under this verse however, will help me in improving myself on these areas in the future.
The Bible is filled with verses encouraging us to act as this verse directs us too. There is no one who can question the importance to be kind, to be gentle, compassionate, humble, patient. Assess yourself honestly under this verse, and see where your strengths and weaknesses are; and seek the guidance you need to turn the weaknesses into strength, allowing yourself to shine that much more under God's glory.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Self Reflection #1 - Compassion
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Colossians 3:12
"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."
*Note - I had a hard time understanding what was meant by "tenderhearted mercy" for some reason, so I looked up other translations and it seems like most of them use compassion in that spot. I tend to understand that meaning a little better, so that is what I used below.
Background for next few reflections:
This verse will probably be the first in a series of devotions I do on this verse, and maybe chapter 3 in general.
I have been spending a little extra time in prayer lately, and keep getting stuck, for some random reason, on an interesting thought/fact/revelation. Not really sure why because it's not at all what I intend to pray about, but the fact I keep coming back to it makes me believe that its on my heart for a reason, so I'm attempting to address it in part by writing about it. Bear with my thoughts, as I'm not sure how much it will even make sense outside of my brain.
My reflection is on the difference in my social life among those who are strong Christians and those who are not. "Huh?" you probably say. Bear with me. The reason I used "strong Christians" is because in my group of close friends that I grew up with, many are in fact Christians. It is however not as big a part of their life as friends that I have met through school (both where I am now and where I went to High School), which is why I make the separation. "Strong" may be a poor choice of words, but hopefully you get the point. What's am I telling you all this for? Again bear with me...
As I said, my reflection is in how different my social life is in these two groups. Within the "social circles" of my friends growing up, I was the person everyone got along with. Everyone talked to me. Everyone came to me first if they wanted to get something off their chest. There really wasn't anything I didn't know about my friends, because everyone shared everything with me. This didn't just apply to my really close friends, but even people I didn't see that much. However, both in high school when I transferred to a Catholic High School, and now at Christian University, this couldn't be more opposite. I don't engage in a lot of conversations. Rarely (if ever) has someone came to talk to me about anything more than pleasantries. I could go on and on with the comparisons, but that's not really the point. I don't really no what to make of it. Do I not fit in with Christians? Do I personally act differently in the two groups? Are all these thought just loony? I don't really know. A few years ago, I ran into some high school "acquantinces" (not sure what word to use, but friends would be overstating it). Long story short, one of them confessed that I put out a vibe of someone who didn't want to be bothered, didn't want to be approached. The exact words slip my memory, but they basically were telling me that there first impression of me wasn't one of "friendliness." I didn't think much of this at the time, because I thought it was the farthest thing from the truth. I was "The Friendly Guy" everywhere else in my life. I was the person who could fit in with all the "cliques", all the "social circles." But was there something to this line. Was I acting differently when I went to Catholic School. I dont know.
There may be something to my perceptions. There may be absolutely nothing. There may be something way deeper than I even know about about. Again, this is not really the point, but I think it helps you understand where I'm coming from going forward.
The point (yes I'm there), is it has made me really evaluate whether I am acting in the way God commands me to act? It's easy for me to write about how I'm a full believer now, its easy to say I'm walking in the light, walking in God's glory, it's easy for me to "proclaim" such things, but am I acting it out like I'm supposed to? I realized as I asked myself these questions, I really don't know. My initial answer was, of course I am, but I dont know, am I? The last couple of weeks have been particular downers for me, and I wonder during this time if I have started acting in a way that would displease God, that doesn't live up to his expectations. So I made one of my few wise decisions this week and turned to the Bible and this verse is where he led me.
Reflection:
Instead of just breezing through the reading like I find myself doing from time to time, I have decided to take this verse (which really stuck out to me), and break it down word by word. The word I am focusing on in this specific reflection on, is compassion.
"Compassion - a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering."
Compassion I think is particularly notable for men to reflect on (don't worry, I'll focus on women when I get to the patience reflection.......(jk).....kinda.....:). I was actually a little surprised when I went to find this definition. For some reason I associated compassion with something happy, something pleasant. But it's not really (starting to realize why my SAT verbal score was so bad). It's how we should act when others need our love, need our support, need our understanding. I used to value myself as the best listener. Patient. Understanding. Able to relate to anyone and any circumstance. I attributed this to why so many people chose me to talk too. But as I reflect on that, I ask myself, am I really this person? I want to believe I am, but can I say so for sure?
My typical response to someone telling me about a problem in their life is to provide a quick fix. I can't imagine I am the only male that does this. There seems to be a natural inclination to "pull out the toolbox" and try to fix everything right away. But this isn't compassion. This isn't helping someone who's in "deep" sorrow. People want to know that you understand what they are going through. That you sympathize with them. That you will pray for them. They don't want to hear about what they should have done to fix the issue. They don't want to hear about what they could have done to "not be feeling that way." They want COMPASSION.
I have seen divorces from every angle. I've seen them through my work in family law, through my closest friends parents, and through relatives. Running through my closest 15 friends growing up, I realize the sad truth that 9 of them had parents who have divorced (which I believe even more sadly is not too far off from the national average). Through these observations, I have seen two main reasons why almost every divorce goes down. The #1 reason I'll save for a different devotion, as it's one I have some pretty strong feelings about. But the #2 reason boils down to communication issues, and ultimate breakdowns. Somewhere along the way, couples seem to either stop communicating, stop communicating genuinely, or go about engaging in negative communication, which all lead to bigger issues. I think this issue of compassion, is one of the major centerpieces of these issues.
A little compassion can go along way in maintaining a healthy relationship. A wife needs to know they can go to their husband (vice versa) with their problems and receive GENUINE COMPASSION. When you cannot find compassion from your spouse, opportunities arise for marriage breakdowns. Whether the result is turning to someone else for compassion (refer back to reason #1 to be addressed later), building up feeling of animosity towards your spouse, or just going into a bad mental state, a lack of compassion will ultimately lead to BAD issues if unaddressed.
Final Thought:
A general final thought to all of these next few devotions will be the same. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. What do I want when I am feeling down? I want someone to tell me they understand. I want someone to tell me its going to be ok. I want to know I have that person's prayers. I don't want to hear what I should have done to avoid this. What I could have done better? Sure there's times to give and receive advice. But you have to pick these times appropriately, and immediately telling someone this who comes to you with sorrow is not the right decision.
Visualize the emotions of other's before try to console then. When you can truly understand what they are feeling, it will go along way in your ability to console and help them.
Prayer: Lord, give me the guidance to see the emotions of others, and genuinely understand what they are going through so I can give them the support they need.
"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."
*Note - I had a hard time understanding what was meant by "tenderhearted mercy" for some reason, so I looked up other translations and it seems like most of them use compassion in that spot. I tend to understand that meaning a little better, so that is what I used below.
Background for next few reflections:
This verse will probably be the first in a series of devotions I do on this verse, and maybe chapter 3 in general.
I have been spending a little extra time in prayer lately, and keep getting stuck, for some random reason, on an interesting thought/fact/revelation. Not really sure why because it's not at all what I intend to pray about, but the fact I keep coming back to it makes me believe that its on my heart for a reason, so I'm attempting to address it in part by writing about it. Bear with my thoughts, as I'm not sure how much it will even make sense outside of my brain.
My reflection is on the difference in my social life among those who are strong Christians and those who are not. "Huh?" you probably say. Bear with me. The reason I used "strong Christians" is because in my group of close friends that I grew up with, many are in fact Christians. It is however not as big a part of their life as friends that I have met through school (both where I am now and where I went to High School), which is why I make the separation. "Strong" may be a poor choice of words, but hopefully you get the point. What's am I telling you all this for? Again bear with me...
As I said, my reflection is in how different my social life is in these two groups. Within the "social circles" of my friends growing up, I was the person everyone got along with. Everyone talked to me. Everyone came to me first if they wanted to get something off their chest. There really wasn't anything I didn't know about my friends, because everyone shared everything with me. This didn't just apply to my really close friends, but even people I didn't see that much. However, both in high school when I transferred to a Catholic High School, and now at Christian University, this couldn't be more opposite. I don't engage in a lot of conversations. Rarely (if ever) has someone came to talk to me about anything more than pleasantries. I could go on and on with the comparisons, but that's not really the point. I don't really no what to make of it. Do I not fit in with Christians? Do I personally act differently in the two groups? Are all these thought just loony? I don't really know. A few years ago, I ran into some high school "acquantinces" (not sure what word to use, but friends would be overstating it). Long story short, one of them confessed that I put out a vibe of someone who didn't want to be bothered, didn't want to be approached. The exact words slip my memory, but they basically were telling me that there first impression of me wasn't one of "friendliness." I didn't think much of this at the time, because I thought it was the farthest thing from the truth. I was "The Friendly Guy" everywhere else in my life. I was the person who could fit in with all the "cliques", all the "social circles." But was there something to this line. Was I acting differently when I went to Catholic School. I dont know.
There may be something to my perceptions. There may be absolutely nothing. There may be something way deeper than I even know about about. Again, this is not really the point, but I think it helps you understand where I'm coming from going forward.
The point (yes I'm there), is it has made me really evaluate whether I am acting in the way God commands me to act? It's easy for me to write about how I'm a full believer now, its easy to say I'm walking in the light, walking in God's glory, it's easy for me to "proclaim" such things, but am I acting it out like I'm supposed to? I realized as I asked myself these questions, I really don't know. My initial answer was, of course I am, but I dont know, am I? The last couple of weeks have been particular downers for me, and I wonder during this time if I have started acting in a way that would displease God, that doesn't live up to his expectations. So I made one of my few wise decisions this week and turned to the Bible and this verse is where he led me.
Reflection:
Instead of just breezing through the reading like I find myself doing from time to time, I have decided to take this verse (which really stuck out to me), and break it down word by word. The word I am focusing on in this specific reflection on, is compassion.
"Compassion - a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering."
Compassion I think is particularly notable for men to reflect on (don't worry, I'll focus on women when I get to the patience reflection.......(jk).....kinda.....:). I was actually a little surprised when I went to find this definition. For some reason I associated compassion with something happy, something pleasant. But it's not really (starting to realize why my SAT verbal score was so bad). It's how we should act when others need our love, need our support, need our understanding. I used to value myself as the best listener. Patient. Understanding. Able to relate to anyone and any circumstance. I attributed this to why so many people chose me to talk too. But as I reflect on that, I ask myself, am I really this person? I want to believe I am, but can I say so for sure?
My typical response to someone telling me about a problem in their life is to provide a quick fix. I can't imagine I am the only male that does this. There seems to be a natural inclination to "pull out the toolbox" and try to fix everything right away. But this isn't compassion. This isn't helping someone who's in "deep" sorrow. People want to know that you understand what they are going through. That you sympathize with them. That you will pray for them. They don't want to hear about what they should have done to fix the issue. They don't want to hear about what they could have done to "not be feeling that way." They want COMPASSION.
I have seen divorces from every angle. I've seen them through my work in family law, through my closest friends parents, and through relatives. Running through my closest 15 friends growing up, I realize the sad truth that 9 of them had parents who have divorced (which I believe even more sadly is not too far off from the national average). Through these observations, I have seen two main reasons why almost every divorce goes down. The #1 reason I'll save for a different devotion, as it's one I have some pretty strong feelings about. But the #2 reason boils down to communication issues, and ultimate breakdowns. Somewhere along the way, couples seem to either stop communicating, stop communicating genuinely, or go about engaging in negative communication, which all lead to bigger issues. I think this issue of compassion, is one of the major centerpieces of these issues.
A little compassion can go along way in maintaining a healthy relationship. A wife needs to know they can go to their husband (vice versa) with their problems and receive GENUINE COMPASSION. When you cannot find compassion from your spouse, opportunities arise for marriage breakdowns. Whether the result is turning to someone else for compassion (refer back to reason #1 to be addressed later), building up feeling of animosity towards your spouse, or just going into a bad mental state, a lack of compassion will ultimately lead to BAD issues if unaddressed.
Final Thought:
A general final thought to all of these next few devotions will be the same. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. What do I want when I am feeling down? I want someone to tell me they understand. I want someone to tell me its going to be ok. I want to know I have that person's prayers. I don't want to hear what I should have done to avoid this. What I could have done better? Sure there's times to give and receive advice. But you have to pick these times appropriately, and immediately telling someone this who comes to you with sorrow is not the right decision.
Visualize the emotions of other's before try to console then. When you can truly understand what they are feeling, it will go along way in your ability to console and help them.
Prayer: Lord, give me the guidance to see the emotions of others, and genuinely understand what they are going through so I can give them the support they need.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Scattered, Jumbled, Mumblings
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Judges 11:7-8
". . . Aren't you the ones who hated me and drove me from father's house? Why do you come to me now when you're in trouble?"
"BECAUSE WE NEED YOU"
Jephthah was run off of his land by his own brothers, and stripped of his inheritance, all over something that was out of his control. He suffered because his mother happened to be a prostitute, and was shunned. But in the end, these people that shunned him with hatred, had to be saved from the Ammonites by the very man they had kicked off their land...Jephthah.
Reflection:
I've read a few different commentaries on this section of Judges and there seems to be many different reflections on this passage. A lot of people focus on Jephthah's somewhat response as a bad thing, or an angry thing, and the reason that later on Jephthah made a vow that turned out to be a devastating mistake. But I don't read this verse like that at all. Was Jephthah's response really "bad". I don't think so. He was kicked out of his home by these people, some who were his own brothers. He was rejected, and had his inheritance stripped from him. And worst of all, he did nothing to cause any of it. I think his response to them now begging for his help was only natural. Regardless of how "different the times were" between now and the Old Testament, I can't imagine anyone who could say Jephthah didn't have a little "wiggle room" to be mad.
The message I choose take away from this verse is a message of hope, and a message or advice. A message of hope for when we are wronged by people we care about. Rejected. Made fun of. Ignored. Neglected. God turned around this hatred into something good. Jephthah became one of the most powerful men in the world. And the men who rejected him were taught a valuable lesson. I like to believe that God acts like this in all of our lives. Maybe not the extremes of this story, but I do believe that he turns anger, hostility, and disrespect in our lives into something good over time. I think if we all truly reflect back in our lives, we can remember something bad that God turned into good.
The message of advice comes as a reminder NOT to be like the people that rejected Jephthah. All of us, all of us, at some point in our lives have slipped up like the men in his verse did. Obviously not to the extreme of kicking someone out of their land, but have you ever ignored someone for no reason? Have you ever lied to someone? Have you ever used someone, rejected them, turned them down as a friend, made fun of them? I'll give you the first thing that I thought of when reflecting on something I had done. When I first moved away from home, my family, parents, grandparents, etc. would always ask me to call them. But I would only call them when I needed something. When I needed information. When I needed advice. But never just to talk. Never just to put a smile on their face. As I reflect on that, I shiver at the thought of just how similar my actions were to the people of this verse.
There are people out there who only talk to someone when they need something. There are people who are only nice to someone when they want something. Relationships end all the time when one person doesn't need anything from the other anymore, or have found someone that better "fills their needs." Friendships end when one person finds cooler, more powerful, more wealthy friends to "fill their needs."Don't become one of these people.
Final Thought:
I'm actually sitting here thinking about deleting this, so if your reading this I guess it made the cut. Admittedly, this is one of my worst writings, as my thoughts are totally jumbled and scattered, and I can't really put into words what I felt on my heart when I read this verse. But I feel really strongly about passing along the message, so this is it.
To summarize it simply, I take away two things from this verse that I think are good devotionals for all. The first is simply a reflection of hope. God sees when you are mistreated, and he will turn it around into something good if you have faith. Whether it be someone disrespected by their family, whether it be someone who was used by someone in a relationship, whether it be someone was a victim of being mocked or joked behind their back, God will turn things around for these "someones" as long as they believe in Him. The second thing is simply to not be on the other side of this message. Don't be the person who causes another pain. You never know when this will turn around on you. When you will need them.
If these situations happen to you, don't be overcome with hate or anger towards these people. You never know when they will need you. When God will turn around these actions for your good.
Treat others with respect, and look to God when you are treated with disrespect. HE will take care of the rest.
". . . Aren't you the ones who hated me and drove me from father's house? Why do you come to me now when you're in trouble?"
"BECAUSE WE NEED YOU"
Jephthah was run off of his land by his own brothers, and stripped of his inheritance, all over something that was out of his control. He suffered because his mother happened to be a prostitute, and was shunned. But in the end, these people that shunned him with hatred, had to be saved from the Ammonites by the very man they had kicked off their land...Jephthah.
Reflection:
I've read a few different commentaries on this section of Judges and there seems to be many different reflections on this passage. A lot of people focus on Jephthah's somewhat response as a bad thing, or an angry thing, and the reason that later on Jephthah made a vow that turned out to be a devastating mistake. But I don't read this verse like that at all. Was Jephthah's response really "bad". I don't think so. He was kicked out of his home by these people, some who were his own brothers. He was rejected, and had his inheritance stripped from him. And worst of all, he did nothing to cause any of it. I think his response to them now begging for his help was only natural. Regardless of how "different the times were" between now and the Old Testament, I can't imagine anyone who could say Jephthah didn't have a little "wiggle room" to be mad.
The message I choose take away from this verse is a message of hope, and a message or advice. A message of hope for when we are wronged by people we care about. Rejected. Made fun of. Ignored. Neglected. God turned around this hatred into something good. Jephthah became one of the most powerful men in the world. And the men who rejected him were taught a valuable lesson. I like to believe that God acts like this in all of our lives. Maybe not the extremes of this story, but I do believe that he turns anger, hostility, and disrespect in our lives into something good over time. I think if we all truly reflect back in our lives, we can remember something bad that God turned into good.
The message of advice comes as a reminder NOT to be like the people that rejected Jephthah. All of us, all of us, at some point in our lives have slipped up like the men in his verse did. Obviously not to the extreme of kicking someone out of their land, but have you ever ignored someone for no reason? Have you ever lied to someone? Have you ever used someone, rejected them, turned them down as a friend, made fun of them? I'll give you the first thing that I thought of when reflecting on something I had done. When I first moved away from home, my family, parents, grandparents, etc. would always ask me to call them. But I would only call them when I needed something. When I needed information. When I needed advice. But never just to talk. Never just to put a smile on their face. As I reflect on that, I shiver at the thought of just how similar my actions were to the people of this verse.
There are people out there who only talk to someone when they need something. There are people who are only nice to someone when they want something. Relationships end all the time when one person doesn't need anything from the other anymore, or have found someone that better "fills their needs." Friendships end when one person finds cooler, more powerful, more wealthy friends to "fill their needs."Don't become one of these people.
Final Thought:
I'm actually sitting here thinking about deleting this, so if your reading this I guess it made the cut. Admittedly, this is one of my worst writings, as my thoughts are totally jumbled and scattered, and I can't really put into words what I felt on my heart when I read this verse. But I feel really strongly about passing along the message, so this is it.
To summarize it simply, I take away two things from this verse that I think are good devotionals for all. The first is simply a reflection of hope. God sees when you are mistreated, and he will turn it around into something good if you have faith. Whether it be someone disrespected by their family, whether it be someone who was used by someone in a relationship, whether it be someone was a victim of being mocked or joked behind their back, God will turn things around for these "someones" as long as they believe in Him. The second thing is simply to not be on the other side of this message. Don't be the person who causes another pain. You never know when this will turn around on you. When you will need them.
If these situations happen to you, don't be overcome with hate or anger towards these people. You never know when they will need you. When God will turn around these actions for your good.
Treat others with respect, and look to God when you are treated with disrespect. HE will take care of the rest.
Friday, November 16, 2012
God's plan: Perfect to the most minor detail
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Exodus 23:29
"But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you."
God promised the Isrealites their own land, full of abundance and blessings. He promised to do all that was necessary to make sure they could claim this land. But this was by not an instantaneous thing. God thought out His plan for His people, and made sure he acted in their best interest.
Reflection:
I am particularly fond of this passage, and is one I currently really needed to read. It might not be something a lot of people really think about, but I really take comfort in knowing that God puts this kind of intuitive thought into his plans. Not that he needs any sort of blessing or approval from me, but I do enjoy knowing that fact. God could have easily cleared the land immediately and just let His people deal with the consequences afterwards, but he did not, because he wanted to be sure not only that they received their promise, but also could handle what came with that promise. Not that God's intelligence is ever in question, but I think it is encouraging to read how he uses this intelligence to make well-thought out decisions to make sure he finds the perfect plan for all of us.
I don't always understand God's plan in my life. "I rarely understand" may be a more accurate statement, and I certainly do not understand where he is taking me right now. But I can take away two comforting reflections from this verse. 1) God has a well thought out plan for me, and 2) God will take precautions to make sure I can handle His plan for me. He will take this amount of care in all of our lives, as long as we have faith and let Him.
I have a bad habit of questioning the Lord's timing. Why did this just happen? Why didn't this happen today? Why did God put something on my heart that didn't come to fruition? I have to consistently remind myself that God doesn't have "bad timing." His plans aren't "flawed." God assesses all of our situations, all of our daily circumstances and guides us in the right direction. It is up to us to follow this guidance. It is up to us to trust Him. Up to us to believe in Him. And up to us to keep serving Him, to keep glorifying Him, while doing our due diligence in walking in His plan for us.
Final Thought:
Believing in God's plan isn't always easy. I write this partially trying to preach to myself, because I can't seem get myself to 100% believe that there is a plan for me right now, and consequently have been finding myself lately regularly questioning the plan I thought God had guided me towards, the plan I thought He had put on my heart just a short time ago. But this is not for me to question. Not for me to doubt. And not for me to give up on just because His plan doesn't meet my "impatient wants."
Find a verse that you can reflect on when you find yourself questioning the plan for your life. Maybe it's a verse like this that shows just how intelligent God is in thinking through ALL of the details of your plan. Maybe it's one of the hundred verses that speak to how caring God is, how much God loves you, and how much God wants to see us succeed. Whatever helps you, find it. Figure out a way to find peace in knowing that God is looking out for you, has a plan for you, and will make sure you can handle all of the things in His plan, even the most minor details.
"But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you."
God promised the Isrealites their own land, full of abundance and blessings. He promised to do all that was necessary to make sure they could claim this land. But this was by not an instantaneous thing. God thought out His plan for His people, and made sure he acted in their best interest.
Reflection:
I am particularly fond of this passage, and is one I currently really needed to read. It might not be something a lot of people really think about, but I really take comfort in knowing that God puts this kind of intuitive thought into his plans. Not that he needs any sort of blessing or approval from me, but I do enjoy knowing that fact. God could have easily cleared the land immediately and just let His people deal with the consequences afterwards, but he did not, because he wanted to be sure not only that they received their promise, but also could handle what came with that promise. Not that God's intelligence is ever in question, but I think it is encouraging to read how he uses this intelligence to make well-thought out decisions to make sure he finds the perfect plan for all of us.
I don't always understand God's plan in my life. "I rarely understand" may be a more accurate statement, and I certainly do not understand where he is taking me right now. But I can take away two comforting reflections from this verse. 1) God has a well thought out plan for me, and 2) God will take precautions to make sure I can handle His plan for me. He will take this amount of care in all of our lives, as long as we have faith and let Him.
I have a bad habit of questioning the Lord's timing. Why did this just happen? Why didn't this happen today? Why did God put something on my heart that didn't come to fruition? I have to consistently remind myself that God doesn't have "bad timing." His plans aren't "flawed." God assesses all of our situations, all of our daily circumstances and guides us in the right direction. It is up to us to follow this guidance. It is up to us to trust Him. Up to us to believe in Him. And up to us to keep serving Him, to keep glorifying Him, while doing our due diligence in walking in His plan for us.
Final Thought:
Believing in God's plan isn't always easy. I write this partially trying to preach to myself, because I can't seem get myself to 100% believe that there is a plan for me right now, and consequently have been finding myself lately regularly questioning the plan I thought God had guided me towards, the plan I thought He had put on my heart just a short time ago. But this is not for me to question. Not for me to doubt. And not for me to give up on just because His plan doesn't meet my "impatient wants."
Find a verse that you can reflect on when you find yourself questioning the plan for your life. Maybe it's a verse like this that shows just how intelligent God is in thinking through ALL of the details of your plan. Maybe it's one of the hundred verses that speak to how caring God is, how much God loves you, and how much God wants to see us succeed. Whatever helps you, find it. Figure out a way to find peace in knowing that God is looking out for you, has a plan for you, and will make sure you can handle all of the things in His plan, even the most minor details.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
God's Grace: Not for sale
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Galatians 5:4
For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace.
What are the first images that come to your mind when you think of someone who has "fallen from grace?" A sinner? Maybe someone who committed a crime or cheated on their girlfriend. Someone who lost their faith? Maybe someone who has converted to a different faith or given up believing in God.
Paul was not speaking to any of these possibilities. Paul was talking about people who were doing "good", doing "right". Huh? How does this make sense?
Paul goes on to further explain that when we do good for the purpose of earning brownie points with God, we are falling from grace. He further explains in later verses that we stay in grace simply through faith in Jesus Christ. When we have faith in Jesus, we are in God's grace. When we are in God's grace, we do "good" because it is what we are called to do, not with the intention of "earning points" with Christ.
Reflection:
I struggle mightily with this concept, which made it appealing to post on here. As I reflect on this passage, I have to admit that when I really want something, when there's something I'm really praying about....I tend to go out of my way to do good things in order to "better my chances." If I help someone out today, I'll better my chances of having that prayer answered. If I read a few extra pages in the Bible tonight, I'm sure God will come through for me. How wrong this thinking is......
We can do all the good deeds we want. We can read the Bible a hundred times through. We can donate large amounts of money to charities, missionaries, churches, etc. None of this is bad. However, if we do not have trust, if we do not have faith in Jesus Christ, all of this is really moot. All of this is worthless in our efforts to be in God's grace.
This is a scary verse for me to face. I find myself looking back on prayers I view as unanswered wondering if this mentality I had was the cause. I find myself wondering if things I thought God had put on my heart were really there because of this mentality, this "fall from grace." I even spent an hour before writing this wondering if what Paul was saying was logical. I tried to justify the notion that "A good deed is a good deed, is it that big of a deal if the intention had some personal benefit involved?" Doesn't seem all that crazy at first thought.
Thankfully I came to my senses. Of course its a big deal. Your intention, your motivation, your heart, means everything to God. Which person do you think will find more of God's grace. A CEO who donates $5 million dollars to charity, partially motivated by the alluring tax incentive he gets, or a minimum wage worker who decides to take $5 out of their grocery allowance for the week to donate to an organization they see doing good things? Good deeds aren't like a magic lamp. We don't get a prayer answered, or in other words, we don't earn "one wish" for doing something good. If it was like this, if by donating to a charity, helping someone in need, or reading through the Bible earned us "answered prayers"....... "wishes".......then everyone would do "good". But that's not how it works, and consequently, not everyone does "good." We are given the opportunity to separate ourselves as Christians by doing truly selfless acts, selfless good deeds, selfless acts of faith...to keep ourselves in God's grace.
Is there anything in your life right now causing you to think you are gaining God's approval? If you thought of anything besides faith, let it go. Clean it our of your thoughts. There's nothing wrong with being proud of the good things you have done, but we know from this verse there is something wrong with believing that the good things we done will help our approval rating with God. A lot of things in life work this way. Drive good, get better insurance rates. Help people, win humanitarian awards. Practice hard, win games. Be friendly, make influential friends. Don't be tempted to think God works this way. The way to God is much simpler....through Jesus Christ.
Final Thought:
Take it from my personal experience, do not fall into the trap of doing good things in order to gain favor or have a prayer answered. I can't count how many times in the last week that I've wondered, what good deed did I forget? What act did I neglect performing that caused my prayer not to be answered? What did I forget to do that caused me not to hear God properly?
Stupid thoughts. I have no doubt good deeds make God smile, WITH ONE EXCEPTION, when they are done with the intention of gaining favor with him. Do good because you are good, because you are in God's grace. Paul makes it very clear, you are not in God's grace when you are performing good deeds for personal benefit.
Father, I am sorry for trying to earn my way to You.
For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace.
What are the first images that come to your mind when you think of someone who has "fallen from grace?" A sinner? Maybe someone who committed a crime or cheated on their girlfriend. Someone who lost their faith? Maybe someone who has converted to a different faith or given up believing in God.
Paul was not speaking to any of these possibilities. Paul was talking about people who were doing "good", doing "right". Huh? How does this make sense?
Paul goes on to further explain that when we do good for the purpose of earning brownie points with God, we are falling from grace. He further explains in later verses that we stay in grace simply through faith in Jesus Christ. When we have faith in Jesus, we are in God's grace. When we are in God's grace, we do "good" because it is what we are called to do, not with the intention of "earning points" with Christ.
Reflection:
I struggle mightily with this concept, which made it appealing to post on here. As I reflect on this passage, I have to admit that when I really want something, when there's something I'm really praying about....I tend to go out of my way to do good things in order to "better my chances." If I help someone out today, I'll better my chances of having that prayer answered. If I read a few extra pages in the Bible tonight, I'm sure God will come through for me. How wrong this thinking is......
We can do all the good deeds we want. We can read the Bible a hundred times through. We can donate large amounts of money to charities, missionaries, churches, etc. None of this is bad. However, if we do not have trust, if we do not have faith in Jesus Christ, all of this is really moot. All of this is worthless in our efforts to be in God's grace.
This is a scary verse for me to face. I find myself looking back on prayers I view as unanswered wondering if this mentality I had was the cause. I find myself wondering if things I thought God had put on my heart were really there because of this mentality, this "fall from grace." I even spent an hour before writing this wondering if what Paul was saying was logical. I tried to justify the notion that "A good deed is a good deed, is it that big of a deal if the intention had some personal benefit involved?" Doesn't seem all that crazy at first thought.
Thankfully I came to my senses. Of course its a big deal. Your intention, your motivation, your heart, means everything to God. Which person do you think will find more of God's grace. A CEO who donates $5 million dollars to charity, partially motivated by the alluring tax incentive he gets, or a minimum wage worker who decides to take $5 out of their grocery allowance for the week to donate to an organization they see doing good things? Good deeds aren't like a magic lamp. We don't get a prayer answered, or in other words, we don't earn "one wish" for doing something good. If it was like this, if by donating to a charity, helping someone in need, or reading through the Bible earned us "answered prayers"....... "wishes".......then everyone would do "good". But that's not how it works, and consequently, not everyone does "good." We are given the opportunity to separate ourselves as Christians by doing truly selfless acts, selfless good deeds, selfless acts of faith...to keep ourselves in God's grace.
Is there anything in your life right now causing you to think you are gaining God's approval? If you thought of anything besides faith, let it go. Clean it our of your thoughts. There's nothing wrong with being proud of the good things you have done, but we know from this verse there is something wrong with believing that the good things we done will help our approval rating with God. A lot of things in life work this way. Drive good, get better insurance rates. Help people, win humanitarian awards. Practice hard, win games. Be friendly, make influential friends. Don't be tempted to think God works this way. The way to God is much simpler....through Jesus Christ.
Final Thought:
Take it from my personal experience, do not fall into the trap of doing good things in order to gain favor or have a prayer answered. I can't count how many times in the last week that I've wondered, what good deed did I forget? What act did I neglect performing that caused my prayer not to be answered? What did I forget to do that caused me not to hear God properly?
Stupid thoughts. I have no doubt good deeds make God smile, WITH ONE EXCEPTION, when they are done with the intention of gaining favor with him. Do good because you are good, because you are in God's grace. Paul makes it very clear, you are not in God's grace when you are performing good deeds for personal benefit.
Father, I am sorry for trying to earn my way to You.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The staff is mightier than the sword
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Exodus 4:2
"Then the Lord asked him, "What is that in your hand?" "A shepherd's staff," Moses replied.
Moses was being asked to stand up to a mighty pharaoh. Was he equipped with a mighty sword, a fierce axe, an intimidating spear? Nope, just a shepherd's staff. Moses was no doubt ill-equipped to take on the leaders of Egypt. But God took something that seemed to irrelevant a staff, and made it into one of the most powerful symbols in the history of Christianity.
Reflection:
Do you ever feel ill-equipped in life?
My spiritual enthusiasm has been fading this week and I can't really figure out why. I've begun to question whether I've truly made the changes necessary to be really walking with God, and whether the things I thought I heard from God were maybe just things I created because I wanted to hear them. Sure I've made lifestyle changes, but is that enough? Sure I've felt things on my heart that I hadn't before, but is this really God speaking to me, or just what I want to believe? Needless to say, I've been questioning a lot of what I felt so strongly about just weeks ago. I came a click away from removing this blog because I'm not questioning whether what I have wrote is really inspired by God, as I once thought.
I needed to find some sort of motivation to keep it up, and for now this verse has done it. And strangely as I must admit, as I blew through this verse without much through the first time I read Exodus. But the story is powerful. If God could turn a man with no confidence into the ruler of a nation with a mere staff, then he can and probably has already put things in my life for my to fulfill my duties, fulfill my dreams, fulfill my destiny.
Are these writings my "staff." Probably not, but maybe? Regardless, I am thankful that I even have the opportunity to post a blog, to have a computer to do so, to have internet, to be able to post something that people from around the world can read. Maybe this reaches someone. Maybe it never will. But this verse gave me the motivation to keep it up for a little while, just in case this is one of the "staffs" in my life.
Moses questioned God's plan repetitively, but God stuck with Moses and always gave him what he needed to be successful. This gives me the glimmer of hope I have been looking for. There's numerous quotes throughout the Bible reminding us that God will provide for us. For some reason, it is easy to forget this when we're not in our best of moods. But its true, and when we really stop and reflect on it, we will find that God has always provided for us.
Final Thought:
What has God put in your hands today? How do you plan to use it? Will how you use it please God?
Find your staff. God provides us with what we need, but it is up to us to recognize and use this for His glory.
"Then the Lord asked him, "What is that in your hand?" "A shepherd's staff," Moses replied.
Moses was being asked to stand up to a mighty pharaoh. Was he equipped with a mighty sword, a fierce axe, an intimidating spear? Nope, just a shepherd's staff. Moses was no doubt ill-equipped to take on the leaders of Egypt. But God took something that seemed to irrelevant a staff, and made it into one of the most powerful symbols in the history of Christianity.
Reflection:
Do you ever feel ill-equipped in life?
My spiritual enthusiasm has been fading this week and I can't really figure out why. I've begun to question whether I've truly made the changes necessary to be really walking with God, and whether the things I thought I heard from God were maybe just things I created because I wanted to hear them. Sure I've made lifestyle changes, but is that enough? Sure I've felt things on my heart that I hadn't before, but is this really God speaking to me, or just what I want to believe? Needless to say, I've been questioning a lot of what I felt so strongly about just weeks ago. I came a click away from removing this blog because I'm not questioning whether what I have wrote is really inspired by God, as I once thought.
I needed to find some sort of motivation to keep it up, and for now this verse has done it. And strangely as I must admit, as I blew through this verse without much through the first time I read Exodus. But the story is powerful. If God could turn a man with no confidence into the ruler of a nation with a mere staff, then he can and probably has already put things in my life for my to fulfill my duties, fulfill my dreams, fulfill my destiny.
Are these writings my "staff." Probably not, but maybe? Regardless, I am thankful that I even have the opportunity to post a blog, to have a computer to do so, to have internet, to be able to post something that people from around the world can read. Maybe this reaches someone. Maybe it never will. But this verse gave me the motivation to keep it up for a little while, just in case this is one of the "staffs" in my life.
Moses questioned God's plan repetitively, but God stuck with Moses and always gave him what he needed to be successful. This gives me the glimmer of hope I have been looking for. There's numerous quotes throughout the Bible reminding us that God will provide for us. For some reason, it is easy to forget this when we're not in our best of moods. But its true, and when we really stop and reflect on it, we will find that God has always provided for us.
Final Thought:
What has God put in your hands today? How do you plan to use it? Will how you use it please God?
Find your staff. God provides us with what we need, but it is up to us to recognize and use this for His glory.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Disrespect goes in one ear and out the other
Scripture I'm reflected on: 1 Peter 2:23
"He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly."
What is our first response when someone insults us? Talk behind their back. Get in an argument. Let it bother us all day. Change. Implement "Eye for an eye." Probably one of the hardest things we as Christians have to battle is these emotions when we are insulted, mistreated, or disrespected. Having the will, the courage, the patience to not respond to our critics as Jesus did is one of the true challenges of our faith.
Reflection:
One of the common mistakes I think many of us (or maybe just me?) have a tendency to think is that we need to respond to everyone who insults us, mocks us, disrespects us, or treats us wrongly. This can be in any situation, whether its over our faith, or anything else. Society teaches us to "man up" "be tough" "stand up for ourselves. But does this ever lead to anything good for anyone? While there are certainly times where a gentle response can benefit a situation (Proverbs 15:1 - "A gentle answer turns away wrath,...), there are many times where we just have to brush off someones comment, stay in peace, and enjoy the day. There are people in all of our lives that just aren't going to be happy, that aren't going to treat us kindly, that won't give us respect no matter what. Whether it be a co-worker, family member, classmate, store clerk...there's bound to be someone you encounter almost every day who has the potential to ruin your day. But do we have to respond to this? Do we have to respond to the co-worker who consistently treats us with disrespect. Do we have to respond to the family member who singles us out, leave us out of discussions? Do we have to respond to that classmate who talks behind out back. The answer is no. If we respond with anger, we are falling into their poison. If we respond with deceit, we are no more respectful than they are. If we respond by trying to conform to their views, then we are abandoning our beliefs. Respond with peace of mind. Respond by not changing who you are, your positive attitude, or your faith. A quote from a pastor that inspired this writing was "The more critics talk about you, the more God blesses you." Think about that the next time you find yourself angry and ready to act on that anger.
There are plenty of stories in Scripture to back up this philosophy. Without going back to get the exact facts, I remember a story in Kings where Elijah was traveling from Jericho when a young group of men made fun of him for being bald. Did Elijah bicker back? Did he challenge them to a fight? Did he tell a yo momma so fat joke? No, he kept going on with his duty. And what happened to the men? God had them mauled by bears. God will fight our battles. If we have faith in this, if we believe this, then it will be real easy to let negative comments roll off our back. No, I'm not saying someone who insults us will get mauled by a bear, or anything close. But God will respond, He will fight battles for those who are faithful to Him.
People do not control our destiny, God does. What others say to harm you, God will use to our good. Be on alert, the happier you are, the more successful your life becomes...the more people will try to bring you down. Whether it be jealousy, anger, or frustration, people have a natural tendency to want to knock people off their pedestal. Don't let this affect your mood. Don't let this make you question yourself. It's natural to wonder, are they right? Do I need to change, do I need to conform? Do not worry about what others say you are, only listen to what God says you are.
Jesus' own brothers wouldn't respect him. No one in his hometown recognized his miracles, his power. He was never accepted there. "He's just a carpenter." Jesus could have easily responded, could have easily shown off his power to make his hometown accept him. But he knew he wouldn't be accepted, so he left. He didn't waste time trying to win people over who had already judged him as a carpenter. Jesus made a decision to go elsewhere, go to where he would be celebrated. How much time have you wasted trying to get someone to accept you? Some people just flat out don't want to have peace with you. If you've been kind, been respectful, and they still don't want to have peace, then that is their problem. Your time is better spent in peace, in the Lord, in happiness, then in trying to make people accept you.
Final Thought:
We have a constant battle with evil, with sin, with Satan. This battle is happening all around us. Save your energy for this battle. Everytime we respond to an insult, try to get even with someone, or try and gain approval from people who are knocking us down, we are engaging in a battle we are not supposed to be in. God assures us that he will put the right people in our future. Save your energy, your "battle", for God.
Matthew 10:14 - "If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave."
What does your Dad say when you get knocked down, wait does your coach say when you get fouled? Shake it off. Use this attitude when you are disrespected. Shake it off. Shake off the insult. Shake off the condescending tone. Shake off the negativity. Be kind, be respectful, move on and fulfill your destiny despite of the negativity.
"He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly."
What is our first response when someone insults us? Talk behind their back. Get in an argument. Let it bother us all day. Change. Implement "Eye for an eye." Probably one of the hardest things we as Christians have to battle is these emotions when we are insulted, mistreated, or disrespected. Having the will, the courage, the patience to not respond to our critics as Jesus did is one of the true challenges of our faith.
Reflection:
One of the common mistakes I think many of us (or maybe just me?) have a tendency to think is that we need to respond to everyone who insults us, mocks us, disrespects us, or treats us wrongly. This can be in any situation, whether its over our faith, or anything else. Society teaches us to "man up" "be tough" "stand up for ourselves. But does this ever lead to anything good for anyone? While there are certainly times where a gentle response can benefit a situation (Proverbs 15:1 - "A gentle answer turns away wrath,...), there are many times where we just have to brush off someones comment, stay in peace, and enjoy the day. There are people in all of our lives that just aren't going to be happy, that aren't going to treat us kindly, that won't give us respect no matter what. Whether it be a co-worker, family member, classmate, store clerk...there's bound to be someone you encounter almost every day who has the potential to ruin your day. But do we have to respond to this? Do we have to respond to the co-worker who consistently treats us with disrespect. Do we have to respond to the family member who singles us out, leave us out of discussions? Do we have to respond to that classmate who talks behind out back. The answer is no. If we respond with anger, we are falling into their poison. If we respond with deceit, we are no more respectful than they are. If we respond by trying to conform to their views, then we are abandoning our beliefs. Respond with peace of mind. Respond by not changing who you are, your positive attitude, or your faith. A quote from a pastor that inspired this writing was "The more critics talk about you, the more God blesses you." Think about that the next time you find yourself angry and ready to act on that anger.
There are plenty of stories in Scripture to back up this philosophy. Without going back to get the exact facts, I remember a story in Kings where Elijah was traveling from Jericho when a young group of men made fun of him for being bald. Did Elijah bicker back? Did he challenge them to a fight? Did he tell a yo momma so fat joke? No, he kept going on with his duty. And what happened to the men? God had them mauled by bears. God will fight our battles. If we have faith in this, if we believe this, then it will be real easy to let negative comments roll off our back. No, I'm not saying someone who insults us will get mauled by a bear, or anything close. But God will respond, He will fight battles for those who are faithful to Him.
People do not control our destiny, God does. What others say to harm you, God will use to our good. Be on alert, the happier you are, the more successful your life becomes...the more people will try to bring you down. Whether it be jealousy, anger, or frustration, people have a natural tendency to want to knock people off their pedestal. Don't let this affect your mood. Don't let this make you question yourself. It's natural to wonder, are they right? Do I need to change, do I need to conform? Do not worry about what others say you are, only listen to what God says you are.
Jesus' own brothers wouldn't respect him. No one in his hometown recognized his miracles, his power. He was never accepted there. "He's just a carpenter." Jesus could have easily responded, could have easily shown off his power to make his hometown accept him. But he knew he wouldn't be accepted, so he left. He didn't waste time trying to win people over who had already judged him as a carpenter. Jesus made a decision to go elsewhere, go to where he would be celebrated. How much time have you wasted trying to get someone to accept you? Some people just flat out don't want to have peace with you. If you've been kind, been respectful, and they still don't want to have peace, then that is their problem. Your time is better spent in peace, in the Lord, in happiness, then in trying to make people accept you.
Final Thought:
We have a constant battle with evil, with sin, with Satan. This battle is happening all around us. Save your energy for this battle. Everytime we respond to an insult, try to get even with someone, or try and gain approval from people who are knocking us down, we are engaging in a battle we are not supposed to be in. God assures us that he will put the right people in our future. Save your energy, your "battle", for God.
Matthew 10:14 - "If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave."
What does your Dad say when you get knocked down, wait does your coach say when you get fouled? Shake it off. Use this attitude when you are disrespected. Shake it off. Shake off the insult. Shake off the condescending tone. Shake off the negativity. Be kind, be respectful, move on and fulfill your destiny despite of the negativity.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Life Rankings: 1) God 2) The rest
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Matthew 6:33
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."
Matthew 6:25-34 has become something I am finding myself reading quite frequently, as I still...despite reading and even writing on some of these verses...cant break the habit of worrying about things that I should just trust in God to work out. I began reading these versus again just now to reiterate the message, but tonight the Lord put a new spin on this particular verse for me, and made me remember something that happened long ago that I'm certain I wouldn't have remembered otherwise.
Reflection:
I believe I was a sophomore or junior in college when we were given an exercise in one of my classes (business ethics I think, although maybe wrong and either way, not relevant to the story). The exercise basically listed 6 items, and we were supposed to rank them in their order of importance in our lives (I cant remember what the point of this was if you were wondering why this was going on in a college class). I don't remember the exact order I put down, or even all of the exact items, but I believe my list went something like this: 1) Family 2) Health 3) Career 4) Friends 5) Money. While I'm not positive on whether this was the exact order I ranked them (or if these were even the exact choices), I remember with 100% certainty what I listed next.
6) God (last)
Not only did I put this as my answer, but I remember almost laughing at the idea that God would be on the list to put ahead of family, ahead of health, even ahead of career. It didn't make sense to me.
It does now.
This exercise was from 5 minutes of a class I couldn't have cared less about, that I took probably about 8 years ago. I shouldn't remember this. Yet, God has given me remarkable clarity in remembering this event tonight as I read through this verse. And with good reason. It reminds me just how true this verse is.
I write all of this on here to say that as someone who lived on the complete opposite end of this verse for many years, not only is this phrase true, that in "seeking the Kingdom...He will give you everything you need: but that if you do not do this, you will always have a void in your life. At the time I was referring to in college, I really was living a worry free lifestyle. I was in college doing well, I had a good job that I enjoyed, I had more friends than I've ever had, and I never was without something to do, without some event to go to, party to attend, without friends to hang out with. I was in great health, and I had some promising internships and career connections lined up. Everything was golden with my family. Basically, the top 5 items on my list were rock solid. But in reflection looking back, there was definitely something missing. I could never figure it out at the time, but I remember that I was never really that happy. I tried to make myself believe I was. I tried to make myself believe that things couldn't be better. I tried to make myself believe that the party last night was one of the best times ever. I distinctly remember the feelings of getting home on Saturday nights after what seemed like a fun night with friends...feeling like something was lacking, missing, vacant. That something, was spiritual. That something, was God.
I say all that not to pat myself on the back for changing my ways, or trying to show off my once "semi-cool" lifestyle. I say that simply as testimony for anyone who might either be in the same boat I was, or to someone who has been diligent through their life in seeking God, but that wonders if it's really worth it. Trust me, it is. You're not missing out on anything. I've been on the "seeking God" boat, and the "not seeking God" boat, and they are not comparable. The former is a yacht, the latter is a pool float with a hole at the bottom.
I certainly do not have the confidence in my future career now that I had back then. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to a party. When adding up all the comparisons, I should've been a ga-billion times happier 8 years ago then I am now. But I'm not. Not even close. And that is only because of one reason, because that list of 6 items, has changed. It now reads 1) God. The rest of the list really doesn't matter. This alone has led to a feeling of true happiness. I wake up in the morning now, regardless of whether I did something "cool" the night before or whether I sat alone in my room, truly happy. Yea often I'm stressed about school, yea often I'm stressed about personal stuff not going to plan, yea often I'm worried about something I have to do that day. But deep down, I'm happy. Happier than any morning I had before I found God. Happy because I know God is on my side, giving me what I really need.
Maybe this story speaks to you, probably for many it will not. But regardless of whether my personal story speaks to you, this verse most certainly should. Who wants "everything they need?" Well if you answered yes, here's your answer on how to obtain it. Seek God and live righteously. Seems like a pretty fair deal to me.
Final Thought:
Don't confuse "everything you need" with some sort of Christmas list. As much as I'd love to read this phrase to think that in seeking God, He will provide me with the improved golf swing I "need", this is certainly not the case. God knows what we truly need, and it is not in our power to try and dictate this. We just need to Trust that he is right, which shouldn't be that hard of a concept.
Think about what you really need in your life right now. I catch myself all the time thinking I need more money, more "clout" at school, more time to get stuff done. But what I really need is more Trust. The next time you find yourself wishing for something you think you need, try and change this thought by seeking God and thanking him for what you have.
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."
Matthew 6:25-34 has become something I am finding myself reading quite frequently, as I still...despite reading and even writing on some of these verses...cant break the habit of worrying about things that I should just trust in God to work out. I began reading these versus again just now to reiterate the message, but tonight the Lord put a new spin on this particular verse for me, and made me remember something that happened long ago that I'm certain I wouldn't have remembered otherwise.
Reflection:
I believe I was a sophomore or junior in college when we were given an exercise in one of my classes (business ethics I think, although maybe wrong and either way, not relevant to the story). The exercise basically listed 6 items, and we were supposed to rank them in their order of importance in our lives (I cant remember what the point of this was if you were wondering why this was going on in a college class). I don't remember the exact order I put down, or even all of the exact items, but I believe my list went something like this: 1) Family 2) Health 3) Career 4) Friends 5) Money. While I'm not positive on whether this was the exact order I ranked them (or if these were even the exact choices), I remember with 100% certainty what I listed next.
6) God (last)
Not only did I put this as my answer, but I remember almost laughing at the idea that God would be on the list to put ahead of family, ahead of health, even ahead of career. It didn't make sense to me.
It does now.
This exercise was from 5 minutes of a class I couldn't have cared less about, that I took probably about 8 years ago. I shouldn't remember this. Yet, God has given me remarkable clarity in remembering this event tonight as I read through this verse. And with good reason. It reminds me just how true this verse is.
I write all of this on here to say that as someone who lived on the complete opposite end of this verse for many years, not only is this phrase true, that in "seeking the Kingdom...He will give you everything you need: but that if you do not do this, you will always have a void in your life. At the time I was referring to in college, I really was living a worry free lifestyle. I was in college doing well, I had a good job that I enjoyed, I had more friends than I've ever had, and I never was without something to do, without some event to go to, party to attend, without friends to hang out with. I was in great health, and I had some promising internships and career connections lined up. Everything was golden with my family. Basically, the top 5 items on my list were rock solid. But in reflection looking back, there was definitely something missing. I could never figure it out at the time, but I remember that I was never really that happy. I tried to make myself believe I was. I tried to make myself believe that things couldn't be better. I tried to make myself believe that the party last night was one of the best times ever. I distinctly remember the feelings of getting home on Saturday nights after what seemed like a fun night with friends...feeling like something was lacking, missing, vacant. That something, was spiritual. That something, was God.
I say all that not to pat myself on the back for changing my ways, or trying to show off my once "semi-cool" lifestyle. I say that simply as testimony for anyone who might either be in the same boat I was, or to someone who has been diligent through their life in seeking God, but that wonders if it's really worth it. Trust me, it is. You're not missing out on anything. I've been on the "seeking God" boat, and the "not seeking God" boat, and they are not comparable. The former is a yacht, the latter is a pool float with a hole at the bottom.
I certainly do not have the confidence in my future career now that I had back then. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to a party. When adding up all the comparisons, I should've been a ga-billion times happier 8 years ago then I am now. But I'm not. Not even close. And that is only because of one reason, because that list of 6 items, has changed. It now reads 1) God. The rest of the list really doesn't matter. This alone has led to a feeling of true happiness. I wake up in the morning now, regardless of whether I did something "cool" the night before or whether I sat alone in my room, truly happy. Yea often I'm stressed about school, yea often I'm stressed about personal stuff not going to plan, yea often I'm worried about something I have to do that day. But deep down, I'm happy. Happier than any morning I had before I found God. Happy because I know God is on my side, giving me what I really need.
Maybe this story speaks to you, probably for many it will not. But regardless of whether my personal story speaks to you, this verse most certainly should. Who wants "everything they need?" Well if you answered yes, here's your answer on how to obtain it. Seek God and live righteously. Seems like a pretty fair deal to me.
Final Thought:
Don't confuse "everything you need" with some sort of Christmas list. As much as I'd love to read this phrase to think that in seeking God, He will provide me with the improved golf swing I "need", this is certainly not the case. God knows what we truly need, and it is not in our power to try and dictate this. We just need to Trust that he is right, which shouldn't be that hard of a concept.
Think about what you really need in your life right now. I catch myself all the time thinking I need more money, more "clout" at school, more time to get stuff done. But what I really need is more Trust. The next time you find yourself wishing for something you think you need, try and change this thought by seeking God and thanking him for what you have.
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