When I think of surrender, there are two scenarios that go through my mind. One of them is an image of a soldier (usually from a pre-Civil War movie, of which I watch very few) going out to the enemy, all alone, carrying with him the white flag. I picture him dreading this job, feeling as though it's dishonorable and pathetic to be the guy carrying out the flag (or the guy that made the decision to do so). I think of all the things running through his mind as he waves the flag--all of the fears and emotions he feels. He must despise what he is doing at that moment.
The second scenario that comes to my mind is that of an average person. Many people, especially in our American culture, don't have the privilege of knowing how to manage their time and life, so they keep trucking along frustrated and overwhelmed. And many more people are going through circumstances that they wish they didn't even have to think about. I think about these people and imagine that they must wish they had a white flag with them. They probably want to just collapse at the feet of any person who could take away their problems or help them in the slightest.
Surrender. It's not a popular action. And because it's so unpopular, we--humans--make such a huge deal about it. We think about all that goes into surrender and what happens afterward. And even though we might wish all of our problems away, sometimes we would rather deal with them than worry about what would happen after giving it all up.
I laugh at this. I laugh because I've been there, time and time again. Jesus didn't say, "Come, follow Me. They're going to throw a fit when I roll into town; but you? Nah! They'll leave you alone. The devil? Psh, don't worry about him. It's not like you need armor to protect yourself or anything!" Can I get a witness!
Jesus has already paved the way for us. It's not going to be easy (in a natural way). But He is everything we need, when we need it. So why wouldn't we just look to Him to help us out? He already knows what's coming: what we'll do, what will happen. The decision to surrender our everything to God (drama, attitudes, trials, treasures, broken hearts, offenses, shame) only seems big because we're looking at all the stuff we're giving Him, instead of just looking at Him. He's ready to take it all on. Actually, He already took it on at the cross. He's now just waiting for us to realize it so He can fill our hands with better things.
When we can stop looking at what we've got our hands full with and just life them up to the Most High God who's got our backs, then we've surrendered. When we let our problems go and seek God to fill us with new and better things, then we've surrendered. When we daily remind ourselves, and the devil, who and whose we are, we've surrendered. It only seems hard when our perspective is off. It's time for a shift. I know I need one!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Get it Right
For some, this post might be like a broken record, repeating the same thing over and over again that it becomes background noise. For most, I hope this is a new way at viewing who God is, and our role as His creation.
Salvation. If you are a Christian, then you remember the moment you first asked Jesus to be your Lord ans Savior. It might be a very detailed memory, or possibly a vague yet powerful one. But here's the deal: Salvation doesn't end there. Yes, we are from then on disciples of Christ, living a new life with the purpose He designed us for. But we aren't forever perfect. In fact, we still continue to sin and miss the mark--every day.
The church wasn't designed for the "holy" and "religious" people who don't need to repent of anything. It was designed for God's people to gather, worship Him, and be unified as one body of Christ (body = church). I don't go to church because I'm a good person or it makes me a good person. I go to church because 1. I love and need Jesus and 2. Jesus needs me to love on other people that need His love. It's the purpose of the church: Love God, love people.
Here's the Catch: So, daily I'm a sinner needing to be washed and renewed by His love. Most people think that in order to come before God and even ask for forgiveness (repent), that they have to become "better" or "good enough". Here's a secret: we'll never be good enough. But that's the grace of it--God still loves us anyway. Before and after I ask Jesus to change my life, He loves me unconditionally.
And He loves me, still knowing that tomorrow, and in the future, I'm going to miss the mark again. I'm going to sin again, because I'm not perfect. But in that future, He's already forgiven me.
So then, what's the point of getting "good enough" to fall on my knees before God and ask Him to wash away my sins and help me get on track again? There is no point. We have it backwards. We don't get "good" so we can go to God, we go to God so we can get good!
Titus 3:4-7 says this: "4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
I hope that is a relief and a revelation to you. Instead of spending your time worrying about reading your Bible enough times you feel good enough to go to church--and then going to church enough times you feel good enough to actually pray--instead just stop and sit somewhere and let God speak to you. Or you can talk to Him, He knows what you're going to say already. And all He wants is for you to go to Him.
What we can conclude: God's grace covers all of our sins, no matter how extreme, horrific, or embarrassing. And He's waiting for us to come to Him and fall at His feet in surrender. Because whether you've gotten "good enough" or not, He loves you just the same.
Again: we don't get our stuff together to go to God, we go to Him to get our stuff together. Get it right : )
Salvation. If you are a Christian, then you remember the moment you first asked Jesus to be your Lord ans Savior. It might be a very detailed memory, or possibly a vague yet powerful one. But here's the deal: Salvation doesn't end there. Yes, we are from then on disciples of Christ, living a new life with the purpose He designed us for. But we aren't forever perfect. In fact, we still continue to sin and miss the mark--every day.
The church wasn't designed for the "holy" and "religious" people who don't need to repent of anything. It was designed for God's people to gather, worship Him, and be unified as one body of Christ (body = church). I don't go to church because I'm a good person or it makes me a good person. I go to church because 1. I love and need Jesus and 2. Jesus needs me to love on other people that need His love. It's the purpose of the church: Love God, love people.
Here's the Catch: So, daily I'm a sinner needing to be washed and renewed by His love. Most people think that in order to come before God and even ask for forgiveness (repent), that they have to become "better" or "good enough". Here's a secret: we'll never be good enough. But that's the grace of it--God still loves us anyway. Before and after I ask Jesus to change my life, He loves me unconditionally.
And He loves me, still knowing that tomorrow, and in the future, I'm going to miss the mark again. I'm going to sin again, because I'm not perfect. But in that future, He's already forgiven me.
So then, what's the point of getting "good enough" to fall on my knees before God and ask Him to wash away my sins and help me get on track again? There is no point. We have it backwards. We don't get "good" so we can go to God, we go to God so we can get good!
Titus 3:4-7 says this: "4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
I hope that is a relief and a revelation to you. Instead of spending your time worrying about reading your Bible enough times you feel good enough to go to church--and then going to church enough times you feel good enough to actually pray--instead just stop and sit somewhere and let God speak to you. Or you can talk to Him, He knows what you're going to say already. And all He wants is for you to go to Him.
What we can conclude: God's grace covers all of our sins, no matter how extreme, horrific, or embarrassing. And He's waiting for us to come to Him and fall at His feet in surrender. Because whether you've gotten "good enough" or not, He loves you just the same.
Again: we don't get our stuff together to go to God, we go to Him to get our stuff together. Get it right : )
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Absolutely Perfect Timing
I named this blog "Spectacular Timing" because over the last couple years, I've learned in so many ways just how perfect God's timing is. And when I say perfect, I don't mean perfect for my schedule.
If I'm going to be completely honest (and why wouldn't I?), I'm a selfish person. I whine when I don't get my way; sometimes I pout; and worse, sometimes I throw pity parties for myself. I probably just lost a lot of points on the I'm-a-grown-up-young-adult scale by saying that. I really like it when things go my way--how and when I want them. I've matured enough to let most of the little things go. My pizza at Messenger's was cold. My coffee was gross. My jeans ripped. She got the cuter cell phone case. I ran out of gas...again. Someone once taught me a valuable word: "shmeh". Okay so it's not a word, it's an attitude with a sound to accompany it. Whenever plans fall apart, or people fail me, or I get offended at something, I try to practice this "shmeh" attitude and let it roll off my shoulders. I'm at a loss when I let it ruin my day. Although, to continue being honest, sometimes a bad hair day can truly be a bad day. I'm not perfect.
Recently, I've gone through a few seasons where I really needed things to happen at a certain time. And they didn't. In fact, some of them still haven't happened yet. It's a lot harder for me to have the "shmeh" attitude and not let it ruin my day...or year. There were times in those seasons where I daily had to come to the Lord, surrender my thoughts and desires and say, "You are God. You are in control. I trust You with this situation. And I thank You, Lord" and train my heart to trust Him. I am not perfect. The only perfect thing I know is God; and I don't even know His complete perfection! Perfect timing was not and is not going to be something I always understand.
Isaiah 55:8 NLT says this, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."
God doesn't work according to our schedule, as hard as that may be to believe. His plans are way greater than our 24-hour blocks of time. And most of the time, we can't see right away the purpose of His timing. But it is perfect.
So for me, right now, in the midst of multiple imperfections, God is working things out in His perfect way. No pity parties, no "shmeh", just "I trust You, Lord". And that's all He wants anyway.
If I'm going to be completely honest (and why wouldn't I?), I'm a selfish person. I whine when I don't get my way; sometimes I pout; and worse, sometimes I throw pity parties for myself. I probably just lost a lot of points on the I'm-a-grown-up-young-adult scale by saying that. I really like it when things go my way--how and when I want them. I've matured enough to let most of the little things go. My pizza at Messenger's was cold. My coffee was gross. My jeans ripped. She got the cuter cell phone case. I ran out of gas...again. Someone once taught me a valuable word: "shmeh". Okay so it's not a word, it's an attitude with a sound to accompany it. Whenever plans fall apart, or people fail me, or I get offended at something, I try to practice this "shmeh" attitude and let it roll off my shoulders. I'm at a loss when I let it ruin my day. Although, to continue being honest, sometimes a bad hair day can truly be a bad day. I'm not perfect.
Recently, I've gone through a few seasons where I really needed things to happen at a certain time. And they didn't. In fact, some of them still haven't happened yet. It's a lot harder for me to have the "shmeh" attitude and not let it ruin my day...or year. There were times in those seasons where I daily had to come to the Lord, surrender my thoughts and desires and say, "You are God. You are in control. I trust You with this situation. And I thank You, Lord" and train my heart to trust Him. I am not perfect. The only perfect thing I know is God; and I don't even know His complete perfection! Perfect timing was not and is not going to be something I always understand.
Isaiah 55:8 NLT says this, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."
God doesn't work according to our schedule, as hard as that may be to believe. His plans are way greater than our 24-hour blocks of time. And most of the time, we can't see right away the purpose of His timing. But it is perfect.
So for me, right now, in the midst of multiple imperfections, God is working things out in His perfect way. No pity parties, no "shmeh", just "I trust You, Lord". And that's all He wants anyway.
Introduction
I've been wanting to blog for, well, probably the past three years. Ever since I started my new walk with Christ, there has always been something in me that's wanted to come out. Oh wait, I know what that is.
Love.
That's how it works. He fills us with His love so that we can pour it out. I've procrastinated too long on doing this. For a while, this is just for me; it's practice. I'm not writing to impress anyone or fulfill some requirement. I'm just trying to be obedient to what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying to me. And right now I think He's telling me to write my God-thoughts down.
So that's what this blog is: God-breathed thoughts and ideas. At the least, I will be able to look through this blog and see what God's done in my life. And maybe you, as the reader, will find some encouragement along the way!
Let's get this started...
Love.
That's how it works. He fills us with His love so that we can pour it out. I've procrastinated too long on doing this. For a while, this is just for me; it's practice. I'm not writing to impress anyone or fulfill some requirement. I'm just trying to be obedient to what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying to me. And right now I think He's telling me to write my God-thoughts down.
So that's what this blog is: God-breathed thoughts and ideas. At the least, I will be able to look through this blog and see what God's done in my life. And maybe you, as the reader, will find some encouragement along the way!
Let's get this started...
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