Hey guys! I have 2 other blogs that im working on, if you want to check them out. I might repost some of the posts ive written on this blog on the other ones. :)
The first one is called The Violet Diaries:
lovingthatjesus.wordpress.com
And the second one is Confessions Of A Jesus Freak:
Jesusfreakconfessions.wordpress.com
I wanted to switch to wordpress, blogger just wasnt doing it for me. :P
Friday, February 1, 2013
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Vision Gives Pain A Purpose
I'm reading a book called "Purity: The New Moral Revolution" by Kris Vallotton, and am learning a whole lot from it.....actually, more like getting a fresh perspective from it.
Purity nowadays is kind of a relative term, especially to teenagers. What does it really mean? If I say that I'm committed to purity, does that just mean I'm not having sex before marriage? That I don't look at pornography or read steamy dime romance novels from the half-priced bookstore? That unfortunately I have to suppress my sexuality and ignore the desires that I have? Faking that I don't struggle?
I don't think that's what being pure is all about.
The book I mentioned opened up a whole new outlook on what being pure, and striving for purity, means.
Purity is a lot more involved than barely keeping your V card until you jump the broom.
Kris calls it a battlefield. Fighting for your purity(mental, emotional, and physical), is honestly a battle. But your pain isn't for nothing. What I love about what he talks about is how your purity is actually a prize! Its like a trophy. Sometimes I wonder why God gave us sex drives before we turn 25, because I bet it would make it a whole lot easier on us young people to stay pure! Well, the thing is, when you have to fight for something, the value and worth of it skyrockets. When I get married, I want to know that my husband has fought and kept his purity and saved those thoughts and actions for me, because that's how much I meant to him, even before he met me. I would feel so honored that he did that for me. I want to do the same thing! I want to be careful to value my mental and physical purity, so one day I have something valuable to give to my husband. I think, and I would hope, that even right now, whether I know him or don't know him, that we are fighting for our purity to save for each other.
I also want the purity and pure actions to not have to just be grueling choices, but choices that come out of my heart. I was buried with Christ and resurrected into His life. Because of that, I am literally dead to sin. I am no longer a slave to sin. The Bible says anyone who is not of Christ is held captive by the devil to do his will, so I have the choice now. I have been enabled to make righteous choices!
Kris says in his book: "Free people are not the slaves of their physical desires; rather, they train their bodies to behave in order to fulfill the higher desires created by their own virtues."
He later says "You can't just wait until the car windows are steamed up to decided who you are going to be."
He talks about planning for the future, writing out who you want to be, and what virtues you want to live by.
We need to decided beforehand what is okay and what isn't. Run from temptation, the bible says!
Purity isn't a list of "Yes" and "No"s. Purity is a fighting lifestyle, and a desire of your heart.
I titled this, "Visions Gives Pain A Purpose" because I know what I want to achieve. I've already kind of talked about the hopes I have for my future marriage, but there is so much more than that. I think that the spirit of God can more easily flow through me to touch people when I am being faithful to Him.
1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."
By striving for purity, I can set an example for people younger and older than me. I can be an encouragement and a statement. I have the power to be able to show people that you don't have to give in to the lusts of the world, and filling your fleshly desires. It is possible. Is it possible to be perfect? I can assure you, it's most definitely NOT possible. I have messed up, and I can't promise I won't mess up in the future. But I pray every day that God would create in me a clean, pure heart and renew a right spirit within me. Oh man, being pure can be a struggle and a fight sometimes. Most of the times it's a fight in my own mind, and almost always a fight against myself. But God is sooooo much bigger. He alone can actually fulfill me. Nothing else can. The more time I spend in His presence I realize this.And He's fighting with me.
You know how when you are dieting and exercising, it helps to keep a vision of the reason why? Whether that be a healthier lifestyle, or a nice body? Usually when I am tempted to eat that donut or have seconds during dinner, the picture of what I am working to look like will pop into my head. Even though resisting is painful at the moment, the vision of the outcome keeps me going. It's usually what motivates me the most.
That's kind of the way I am starting to look at my purity. I have a vision of a beautiful, passionate marriage that is a prize for me and my husband. A marriage we have both fought for and finally we get to experience the many amazing things God created for one man and one woman to experience together. On my wedding night I will be able to have the joy of knowing we fought the battle for each other, and both of us have saved ourselves so we would have something worth more than all the gold in the world to give to the other.
I have a vision of setting an example of purity for my friends, and younger girls. Even people who are older than me. I want them to be able to see Christ when they think of me, and be strengthened by knowing they are not alone in their fight, and that it is quite possible to have victory in our everyday battles.
If I didn't have those visions, the pain that comes with resisting flesh and temptation might not be worth staying pure. But the prizes far outweigh the immediate gratifications. And a lot of times there is a painful price for not staying pure.
Jesus, I ask for a revolution in my generation, that young people would keep rising up and claiming purity and fire for living for you. Please strengthen us and help us to strengthen each other. Divided we fall, together we stand. Give us those powerful visions that will help enable us to have the determination to fight for our purity and for each others purity. Amen.
Purity nowadays is kind of a relative term, especially to teenagers. What does it really mean? If I say that I'm committed to purity, does that just mean I'm not having sex before marriage? That I don't look at pornography or read steamy dime romance novels from the half-priced bookstore? That unfortunately I have to suppress my sexuality and ignore the desires that I have? Faking that I don't struggle?
I don't think that's what being pure is all about.
The book I mentioned opened up a whole new outlook on what being pure, and striving for purity, means.
Purity is a lot more involved than barely keeping your V card until you jump the broom.
Kris calls it a battlefield. Fighting for your purity(mental, emotional, and physical), is honestly a battle. But your pain isn't for nothing. What I love about what he talks about is how your purity is actually a prize! Its like a trophy. Sometimes I wonder why God gave us sex drives before we turn 25, because I bet it would make it a whole lot easier on us young people to stay pure! Well, the thing is, when you have to fight for something, the value and worth of it skyrockets. When I get married, I want to know that my husband has fought and kept his purity and saved those thoughts and actions for me, because that's how much I meant to him, even before he met me. I would feel so honored that he did that for me. I want to do the same thing! I want to be careful to value my mental and physical purity, so one day I have something valuable to give to my husband. I think, and I would hope, that even right now, whether I know him or don't know him, that we are fighting for our purity to save for each other.
I also want the purity and pure actions to not have to just be grueling choices, but choices that come out of my heart. I was buried with Christ and resurrected into His life. Because of that, I am literally dead to sin. I am no longer a slave to sin. The Bible says anyone who is not of Christ is held captive by the devil to do his will, so I have the choice now. I have been enabled to make righteous choices!
Kris says in his book: "Free people are not the slaves of their physical desires; rather, they train their bodies to behave in order to fulfill the higher desires created by their own virtues."
He later says "You can't just wait until the car windows are steamed up to decided who you are going to be."
He talks about planning for the future, writing out who you want to be, and what virtues you want to live by.
We need to decided beforehand what is okay and what isn't. Run from temptation, the bible says!
Purity isn't a list of "Yes" and "No"s. Purity is a fighting lifestyle, and a desire of your heart.
I titled this, "Visions Gives Pain A Purpose" because I know what I want to achieve. I've already kind of talked about the hopes I have for my future marriage, but there is so much more than that. I think that the spirit of God can more easily flow through me to touch people when I am being faithful to Him.
1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."
By striving for purity, I can set an example for people younger and older than me. I can be an encouragement and a statement. I have the power to be able to show people that you don't have to give in to the lusts of the world, and filling your fleshly desires. It is possible. Is it possible to be perfect? I can assure you, it's most definitely NOT possible. I have messed up, and I can't promise I won't mess up in the future. But I pray every day that God would create in me a clean, pure heart and renew a right spirit within me. Oh man, being pure can be a struggle and a fight sometimes. Most of the times it's a fight in my own mind, and almost always a fight against myself. But God is sooooo much bigger. He alone can actually fulfill me. Nothing else can. The more time I spend in His presence I realize this.And He's fighting with me.
You know how when you are dieting and exercising, it helps to keep a vision of the reason why? Whether that be a healthier lifestyle, or a nice body? Usually when I am tempted to eat that donut or have seconds during dinner, the picture of what I am working to look like will pop into my head. Even though resisting is painful at the moment, the vision of the outcome keeps me going. It's usually what motivates me the most.
That's kind of the way I am starting to look at my purity. I have a vision of a beautiful, passionate marriage that is a prize for me and my husband. A marriage we have both fought for and finally we get to experience the many amazing things God created for one man and one woman to experience together. On my wedding night I will be able to have the joy of knowing we fought the battle for each other, and both of us have saved ourselves so we would have something worth more than all the gold in the world to give to the other.
I have a vision of setting an example of purity for my friends, and younger girls. Even people who are older than me. I want them to be able to see Christ when they think of me, and be strengthened by knowing they are not alone in their fight, and that it is quite possible to have victory in our everyday battles.
If I didn't have those visions, the pain that comes with resisting flesh and temptation might not be worth staying pure. But the prizes far outweigh the immediate gratifications. And a lot of times there is a painful price for not staying pure.
Jesus, I ask for a revolution in my generation, that young people would keep rising up and claiming purity and fire for living for you. Please strengthen us and help us to strengthen each other. Divided we fall, together we stand. Give us those powerful visions that will help enable us to have the determination to fight for our purity and for each others purity. Amen.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The Call To Life
Once upon a night,
I heard my Savior call..
Desire, darkness, doom, and death,
I heard Him through it all.
I didn't hear His whisper,
I knew not what He said.
He nudged me just a little
to try and get inside my head.
He spoke a tad bit louder;
the voice becoming clear.
Though sense Him I did not,
to me Himself drew near.
I admit, so lost was I
in this world of sick decay..
But even in the darkness,
the Son revealed the way.
"I love you! Follow me!
Have you heard my cries and pleas?"
He said as tears fell from my eyes
and I dropped, filthy, to my knees.
"I know not why you want me!
If you are just, and fair...
I'm not fit for your loving arms,
about me you shouldn't care!"
I felt crippled and disgusting;
all he gave me was true love.
That's what makes life worth it all,
the kind from up above.
He said, "I came to die for all,
but there's something you should know...
I would've done it just for you
because I love you so."
All my sin and shame is gone
because to Him I gave it all.
Jesus died my soul to save...
Can you hear His call?
{I wrote this in 2010, and just found it as I was going through old folders and notebooks. Thought I would share:) }
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Your Heart, God
It's a song that really gets me, ya know? It's one of those songs that makes me fall to my knees, and sing from my heart. The first time I heard this song, I was sitting on my friend Elise's bed with her. We were talking about the story of David; I had read a book from the perspective of Jonathon, and she had read a book from the perspective of David. Although the books had different outlooks on various points of the stories, the general point was, obviously, still the same. What was really, really cool was that we were both, like, seriously impacted by getting a new view on that story. We talked for atleast an hour or two about how we wanted to have hearts like Jonathon's, and David's. We talked about how we desired to delve into the Psalms, now that we knew the depths of David's story. What was once a bible story was now coming alive to us, all thanks to 2 god-led authors who wrote historical fiction recounts of the same section of the bible.
Realization sunk in that these guys were, well, REAL. They aren't just an epic story we read about to give us courage. Oh, no. They are much, much more than that. Their stories are, most definitely, some of the most action-packed and heart-wrenching stories I've ever heard. But alot of times it's easy to look at them as just that- stories. The reality is that they were real people; people who experienced heartache, doubt, joy, triumph, loss, and any other emotion or experience we have in our every day lives.
What is so inspiring about David and Jonathon's story is that they have one thing in common: a fierce passion and loyalty towards the God of Israel! They devoured the Law as if it was their daily bread. That was all they had of God in written form, and they wanted all of it they could get! They constantly reflected this crazy love for others. God's victory and favor went with them. Even though we often see David as the champion in the story, God's power went with Jonathon as well. Him and a little servant boy attacked a full army of Phillistine's and had victory over them that only God could have given! I believe God loved Jonathon's zeal and confidence in Him.
I know Jonathon must have went through some pretty rough times in his faith. I mean, your dad becomes king! That is pretty sweet! But not too long afterwards he starts going astray and pleasing people instead of God. No matter how hard you try to convince him to see what he is doing, he keeps going along his not-so-merry way. Then, God blesses you with the amazing gift of a best friend. Furthermore, your dad becomes jealous of how ridiculously anointed he is, and decides to pursue him so that he could murder him. You, know, in case he might try to overthrow the kingdom and prove he would be a much better king than Saul, even though David never once did something that would threaten Saul's kingship.
It said that Jonathon and David's spirits became one! That's equivalent to the type of connection you have when you get married! The closeness and trust and Christ-centered love that can be found in a Godly marriage is what Jonathon and David found in each other. No, it wasn't anything weird, or gay for heaven's sakes. They had just found a soul-brother, ya know what I'm sayin'? Like, the kind of friend you would gladly give your life for. I don't know how many people can say that they have found a friend like that.
Anyways. Its a pretty amazing book. You should definitely read it. The one that I read is called, "The Prince" by Francine Rivers.
The thing I wanted to touch on is David's heart. His life just drips with the heart of God. That explains why God Himself called David, "A man after my own heart."
Oh, how I so desperately long to have a heart after God's own, and David's.
This is why the song, "Your Heart" by Chris Tomlin really gets me. Because It's, quite literally, my heart's cry. If I accomplished one single thing in this life on earth, it would be to have a heart like God's. To know his heart, to live with His heart in my physical body. To love so much it hurts in an amazingly good way. I want people to be thoroughly convinced that THERE IS A LOVING GOD.....because how else could she be loving so insanely, loyally, and continually if there WASN'T? That's what I want people to think when they think of me. Someone who always stands on the Word Of God as her light and guide; someone who always gives a helping hand when one is needed; someone who will always be there for them, and always meet them right where they are at. Someone who always wants more of God.
And just like David, when I mess up big time, and even continually mess up big time, I am brought down to my knees in tears and break back down those walls that sin and deception built between me and God.
I want God to be my number one priority. Not in comparison to anything else, because I don't want anything else to compare to my longing, love, and devotion towards God. I want that passion and zeal that comes with the realization of who God is, and I want to look up when I'm on a tight-rope and it's too scary to look down. Hard circumstances? God's got it. Yeah, yeah I know. Even David had doubts. Not all of the Psalms are happy-happy-joy-joy! But You know what? God was always there. And David was always delivered because of his faith and his heart.
I think that maybe, a heart that is after God's is in the process of being made after God's. Oh snap!
A heart after God's will become a heart after God's.
Thanks for that one, Jesus!
So, basically, I need to stop criticizing myself, and stop trying to fix myself.
If I want God's heart, and I do, and I hope you do as well, then what do I need to pursue? My own perfection? The "good" in me? Do I need to just break fewer rules and give more money to the church?
Um, I don't think that's it...
I think that I should begin pursuing, even more than I am, the thing that I want most.
God's heart.
Nope, definitely not the easiest, laziest choice. It requires alot of me, actually, all of me.
It requires complete surrender.
But oh......it is SO worth it.
You won't even know what hit you.
Join me in making the daily decision to pursue God's heart?
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Rescue Me?
"He brought them out of darkness
and the deepest gloom
and broke away their chains."
Psalm 107:14
{If your so inclined, listen to the following songs while reading this post:}
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzqjLVwV2sA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yq9jYTcsoc&list=PL5-BkNlqu3ArFbbOCJArkRUZ51MiYuSWy&index=2&feature=plpp_video
This verse is so precious and powerful..
I just imagine.....a man (or woman) with a broken heart and spirit,
sitting in a disgusting jail cell of their own sin...
tangled in the chains of yesterday; the shackles that keep them in an endless cycle of
fear, disobedience, pain.....
regret and sadness dripping from every cry into the darkness
What hope do I have?
Where can I run?
Everywhere I turn, the shadows of my past taunt me
they mock me
they know there's no escape...
Their maniacal laughter echoes in the chasm of my soul,
etching permanent signatures
of what eternity holds
The chains around my wrists, neck, feet...
carving me into someone who I want to run away from
but can't
Someone save me...
can anyone save me???
In the midst of desperate, gut-wrenching cries for redemption
for a second chance, somehow...
A small ray of light
slipped through the rocks and crevices of the walls..
Beams began bursting forth, lighting up my darkness
nearly blinding me
Uncontrollable fear of my shame being exposed came upon me like seizures;
but, in the center of my soul...
I was reaching out, fighting to take a hold of this rapidly growing hope-
a hope of escape from groveling and clawing
on the crumbling walls of the endless black hole beneath me
starving for my being
What was this force as strong as death?
Can it be that I'm straining against my very self??
From within I begin to sense a new will;
a new strength;
a fighting spirit
my nearly blind eyes searched for the source of this white hot, pure heat
Could I leave this lying excuse of my existence?
Can you truly be offering me a way out??
Time is running thin
I heard a thundering voice from thin air, telling me that it was real
I needed to take His hand
and that He came for me
......come with Him
But why???
My body recoiled into a heap of doubt;
what is this illusion?
No God would come back for me...
I failed Him time and time again
I felt...love...radiating from behind the trembling walls
rattling from the intensity of heartbreaking desire
love dying to burst into my cell and rescue me
Rescue me?
Trembling, shivers racking my body, I stagger forward,
about to make the biggest decision I had ever made
I fell to my knees and cried with every ounce of my being,
"Father, forgive me!!!!"
All it took was the blinking of an eye
for my jail cell walls to come crumbling down with a marvelous crash
the depths of Hell felt its shaking, and shuddered with hatred for the sound
It knew it had lost
I was swept up into the air, being spun faster and faster
I felt every fear being melted away;
every selfish desire dissolving into nothing;
The sensation of a healing touch caused me to look at my wrists and feet-
I saw the scarred wrists of Jesus;
I saw the scarred feet of Jesus....
Binding and healing my wounds with the same hands that broke off the chains;
With the same loving hands that I nailed to the cross, at Golgotha
The place of the skull
The place where He was crowned as King-
my King-
and won the battle of our minds.
We have naught to do but let Him in-
He conquered, not so we could battle and war our entire lives
but so we could live in victory
and thrive
walking the path he paved for us!
A path filled with earth-shaking love, pouring from our hearts,
which he made into wellsprings of life!
Tears of indescribable, completely humble thankfulness streaked my face
Drawing me into his presence, where I felt for the first time, the fullness of joy
He spoke:
"My child, I LOVE YOU.
It overtakes me with joy that you have chosen to let me love you
and to let yourself love me back...
Will you fight for me?
The battle is already won,
but we must keep hold of what is rightfully ours!
The devil will try to take whatever his claws can grasp
I know it's hard
and yes, your strength will fail you at times...
But I have unending strength I will give you when you are at your weakest-
You will rise up on eagles wings
and have feet like hinds feet on high places
And when you finally come Home,
we will dance the streets of gold together, my child!
Run to me every day
every moment counts
drink deeply of my presence, child.
I love you."
There are no words, not even these, to describe the glory that shone
to describe my fierce loyalty, this insane love, I had never before known
for my Savior
He brought me out of my darkness,
stole me from my deepest gloom
and broke away my chains;
replacing them with an eternal crown,
and a place by his side, forever~
Monday, September 24, 2012
Called Out, Brought In
In one way or another, God is calling each of us out. Calling us out of our everyday routine, or out of the mediocrity of lukewarm Christianity. Maybe he's calling you out of sin, out of something that you are involved in or doing that you know you shouldn't be.
The reason he calls us out is because he has something WAY better for us! When we are in the mud and the mire, he just holds out his nail-pierced hands and says "My love, my love..I have so much better for you. My plans for your life are hand-crafted and so much more than this. My plans for you are, in all reality, mind-blowing; you and I will touch so many lives. You and I will change the world, one step at a time. Please, take my hand, and I will pull you out of this sinking sand."
And so many times, we shake our heads no, and sink farther down....hoping, maybe, that nobody will see the things that the mud is covering up. That even Jesus will not see the things, little or large, that we feel guilty about or are ashamed of.
I'm going to let the bible do the talking for a moment here.
"What benefits did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!" (Romans 6:21)
Thank you, Paul.
Hence the term, "dirty little secret"? I think so.
When you hide things from anyone, or God, it begins to grow, sort of like bacteria.
"If you're not feeding your spirit person, then chances are, you're feeding your sinful nature."
Keeping it in the dark. Feeding it every so often with your actions or thought life. Do you think that you can control whether or not it grows? When you hide it, deny it, or downsize the seriousness of it, you are blinding yourself from seeing how fast its growing. Oh, and it will grow. Things like that don't remain stagnant. You either get rid of it, or it keeps growing.
I think, honestly, I was called out yesterday! At the Called Out by Get Real event. That title alone should tell you that you are about to get called out. Maybe that's why some girls didn't come...oh...
Anyways.
I got called out yesterday when I was listening to the speakers. I was reminded that I was taking part in something was bigger than me. I was also reminded that God was leading me in a direction bigger then I keep on thinking. As I looked around the huge venue that God provided for our event. I was really starstruck by everything God did for our event. I realized that he really did have his hand in what we were doing. And I was getting to be a part in it. I was interviewing this women's basketball star, in front of who-knows-what news stations. You don't get that opportunity every day. Not very many people ever get a chance like that. I got to ask her questions and listen to her testimony.
I just had this....feeling.....the entire event. I can't shake the feeling. I know God has big things for me.
I want to write a book. I have no idea how, or what the book should be about, but I felt God calling me out of my day-to-day life to start thinking about the bigger picture. Reaching lives....reaching out and opening my heart and life. Because I think that if other girls hear my thoughts then they would really be able to relate! I also think that I will be teaching. I don't know. But it opened my eyes to the huge playing field before me of opportunities.
God is calling me out of my every day life. He wants me to live in preparation for the things he has for me. I honestly have no idea how I am supposed to do that, besides just pursuing God and keeping my eyes on the prize, so to speak, instead of getting obsessed and intertwined with the little distractions of everyday life.
I am so excited about what he is doing and what he is going to do through me. I'm ready to get off of my butt and start getting some things done for the Kingdom!!! :)
The reason he calls us out is because he has something WAY better for us! When we are in the mud and the mire, he just holds out his nail-pierced hands and says "My love, my love..I have so much better for you. My plans for your life are hand-crafted and so much more than this. My plans for you are, in all reality, mind-blowing; you and I will touch so many lives. You and I will change the world, one step at a time. Please, take my hand, and I will pull you out of this sinking sand."
And so many times, we shake our heads no, and sink farther down....hoping, maybe, that nobody will see the things that the mud is covering up. That even Jesus will not see the things, little or large, that we feel guilty about or are ashamed of.
I'm going to let the bible do the talking for a moment here.
"What benefits did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!" (Romans 6:21)
Thank you, Paul.
Hence the term, "dirty little secret"? I think so.
When you hide things from anyone, or God, it begins to grow, sort of like bacteria.
"If you're not feeding your spirit person, then chances are, you're feeding your sinful nature."
Keeping it in the dark. Feeding it every so often with your actions or thought life. Do you think that you can control whether or not it grows? When you hide it, deny it, or downsize the seriousness of it, you are blinding yourself from seeing how fast its growing. Oh, and it will grow. Things like that don't remain stagnant. You either get rid of it, or it keeps growing.
I think, honestly, I was called out yesterday! At the Called Out by Get Real event. That title alone should tell you that you are about to get called out. Maybe that's why some girls didn't come...oh...
Anyways.
I got called out yesterday when I was listening to the speakers. I was reminded that I was taking part in something was bigger than me. I was also reminded that God was leading me in a direction bigger then I keep on thinking. As I looked around the huge venue that God provided for our event. I was really starstruck by everything God did for our event. I realized that he really did have his hand in what we were doing. And I was getting to be a part in it. I was interviewing this women's basketball star, in front of who-knows-what news stations. You don't get that opportunity every day. Not very many people ever get a chance like that. I got to ask her questions and listen to her testimony.
I just had this....feeling.....the entire event. I can't shake the feeling. I know God has big things for me.
I want to write a book. I have no idea how, or what the book should be about, but I felt God calling me out of my day-to-day life to start thinking about the bigger picture. Reaching lives....reaching out and opening my heart and life. Because I think that if other girls hear my thoughts then they would really be able to relate! I also think that I will be teaching. I don't know. But it opened my eyes to the huge playing field before me of opportunities.
God is calling me out of my every day life. He wants me to live in preparation for the things he has for me. I honestly have no idea how I am supposed to do that, besides just pursuing God and keeping my eyes on the prize, so to speak, instead of getting obsessed and intertwined with the little distractions of everyday life.
I am so excited about what he is doing and what he is going to do through me. I'm ready to get off of my butt and start getting some things done for the Kingdom!!! :)
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Luke 10:41-42
"Martha, Martha" The Lord answered,
"you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."
Sometimes I feel like Martha. So caught up and worried about the things "in the now", you know? The things that are only temporary, and don't really matter that much in the long run. Sometimes I put a magnifying glass over the little problems and it makes them enlarged and supersized to me. I cause stress and anxiety for myself for no good reason! Actually, there is a reason. A reason NOT to cause myself stress and anxiety, haha! The bible says "Be anxious for nothing". its that simple...
The bible also says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct the way you should go."
So basically, I should put off stress, worry, anxiety, and any feeling that I need to control things. I should put on trust. If I try to figure things out all by myself, I am going to fail miserably, and be miserable in the process. Not a fun path to frolic on, let me tell you. There is actually no frolicking allowed on that path, because you cannot frolic until you've got everything you are supposed to do completely laid out in black and white; every choice you need to make as lucid as spring water. There is no time for frolicking until that has been accomplished, since it's kind of wasting time that could be spent worrying, and planning, and running around in nervous circles wondering what to do with yourself, your money, and your life. Ahem.
Oh and by the way, you never actually accomplish what you are trying to accomplish. You'll never have things perfectly laid out. And if you do? Well, life will teach you a lesson, because plans change, and things that are out of your control will probably change your circumstances, and any expected circumstances.
"So what's left?!" You may ask. "Am I destined to worry my life away, and my worry will ultimately have not helped one smidgen in any grand scheme, or plan, that I, or God, had for me???" Well, if that's what you choose! Many people choose this, and at one time or another, everyone does. It must seem to be the easier path.
Actually, it's the path that doesn't require something specific of you. Something that is valuable to you, and makes you vulnerable. Something the other path requires of you.
Trust.
We choose to worry because we fail to trust. That's the bottom line.
Ouch! I mean, we are only helping, right? Not hindering?
Well, if what God wants is our trust, then we are failing to see the reason He puts us in situations where there is no way for us to do it ourselves.
Maybe, just maybe, it's so that we can learn to trust Him. To make the situation better, let me assure you of something you already should be assured of:
God wants to prosper us in our lives, and He knows what is best for us. He knows our needs and wants and has a proper timing for everything. So if we stop fussing and throwing temper tantrums and just go with His will, and TRUST Him, whatever happens is in His hands. If it was what we planned or what we wanted, AWESOME. If it's not, then obviously that doesn't mean He has ceased to be in control. It just means that "His ways are higher than our ways; His thoughts higher than our thoughts". And guess what? He is still working everything out for his ultimately amazing plans for us! He's God, and we're not.
Okay. Deep breath. :)
Back to the small story of Martha and Mary.
Every day, we should consciously think about how we can focus on what's necessary.
No, not the necessary you're probably thinking of.
Jesus said, "only one thing is needed".
I think He was referring to what Mary was doing. She was focusing on what was needed. The essence of Jesus.
We should just close our eyes for a few minutes and breathe in His presence, inhale His very existence each day.
Guess what? This is a burden off of our shoulders!
God's got it!
Hes got everything under control!
Speak it to yourself when you feel stress or worry climbing up inside of you. Speak, and say something like this:
"No. I refuse to stress. I refuse to feel like I need to handle this. God's handling it for me. I'm trusting Him, because I know He loves me, and has control of this."
And maybe a second something like this:
"Jesus....I accept the peace you offer me as your child; thank you for taking care of me. You always have my back, and I oftentimes ignore and forget that truth. I love you. Help me to rest in your arms. Speak to my heart, Lord, and help me see all the many ways you declare your love to me, even daily. If I've been acting like Martha, help me to be Mary."
It's as simple as that.
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