Dreams Can Be Misleading Wednesday, Aug 13 2008

I think we all grow up with dreams.  I think we all also grow up with someone telling us that God has put a dream within us and that we must always strive to achieve His will for our lives.  I have recently been realizing, however, that I think somewhere along the line, our dreams get tangled in a web of our own personal desires for fame and selfish ambition, and suddenly, self-promotion and God’s dream for us have become one and the same in our minds.  This can’t be right.  God’s desires for us are good, yes, but He is not about our fame.  He is all about His name being glorified, and so if I take a step back and realize my dreams have become all about me getting some sort of level of recognition, I think I’ve missed the boat!  If I am doing things for any other reason beside trying to bring God glory, I’m off.  

Today, I am trying really hard to untangle my selfish flesh from out of the beautiful picture of God’s true dream for my life.  Ouch, this hurts.

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A Self Problem Saturday, Aug 2 2008

So many of my problems can be solved very simply – by a shift of focus off of myself.  I have a self problem.  I put myself first WAY too often.  As I was thinking about that, I thought, “Lord, help me to put others first.”  Right?  Well, sort of.  When you go to the Word, the Lord says to put Him first, then others, then yourself.  Wow, my priorities sure have been out of whack.  Care for others will flow naturally out of putting God first, because He is in the people business.  A nice added bonus is that a lot of my “problems” will go away when I realize my priorities correctly, simply because I take the focus off myself, thus removing my “magnifying glass of selfishness.”  The cure for my self problem is to put God first, let Him lead me in care for others, and then watch as my problems become less and less a priority.

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wow… Monday, Jun 23 2008

“Maybe it’s time to stop creating God in your image and let Him create you in His.”

-Mark Batterson

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Super Spiritual Vs. Super Practical Friday, Apr 25 2008

The dichotomy of these two concepts has often been a place where I find myself in the middle of, wondering, confused, and agitated by the stark difference of choosing to live completely one way or another.  For example, when bad things happen in our lives, as they inevitably will, the super spiritual person can comfort themselves in the wake of all their questions of “why?”, by chalking it up as “that’s of the enemy, warfare, etc.”  This can be fine and encouraging, because we know that in no way did God do this bad thing to us, and we just decide to get mad at the devil.  The problem comes, however, when we see no immediate deliverance from this “warfare” and we begin to find ourselves angry with God, wondering why He is not stepping in, since He is obviously greater than the enemy.  

The super practical person in the same situation may have the upper hand in some ways, reasoning that “this is just life,” and not attaching any blame to God and His actions or lack of actions.  Interesting point, however, comes when something truly good happens.  Is that now something to thank God for, or just another thing that has “happened.”  It certainly can diminish the joy of the victories that a super spiritual thinker gets to celebrate.  But then how does a super spiritual believer deal with what seems like unanswered prayer?  

 

Proverbs 20:24

“A man’s steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?” 

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Simple Pleasures Saturday, Apr 12 2008

Life is way too complicated sometimes.  Find pleasure in the little things:

1. a yummy glass of sweet tea
2. petting a dog
3. your favorite dinner
4. the smell of fresh-cut grass
5. hearing your favorite song on the radio
6. a good night’s sleep
7. getting a card in the mail
8. a great joke
9. a HUG
10. finding a great parking spot
11. warm socks on a cold night
12. a baby’s smile
13. indulging in a bag of M&Ms
14. receiving a special text message
15. sharing a secret with a friend
16. knowing that even if today was bad, tomorrow will be better

This is what it’s all about.

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Let Go Wednesday, Feb 13 2008

Let go, because you’re only holding yourself back When you keep holding onLet go, because your heart can’t be all HisUntil you remove your fingers and release your graspLet go, because the pain you think you’ll avoidIs nothing compared to the joy you’ll receiveLet go, because He is asking if you trust HimAnd your answer should be reflected when youLet Go 

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God is… Monday, Jan 21 2008

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat was told that “a great multitude is coming against you,” and he had the natural human reaction of fear.  So what did he do?  He went to the Lord in prayer, acknowledging His power and His graciousness to all the past generations, imploring Him to deliver them from trouble.  The word of the Lord that comes as a reply is this in verse 15, “‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’”  The Lord continues further to say in verse 17, “You will not need to fight in this battle.  Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you…Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”This tells me that the Lord certainly understands our fear, but is also quick to rescue when we come to Him, acknowledging who He is and then allowing Him to answer in His own way.  My guess would be that the people of Judah and Jerusalem would have preferred if God had just destroyed the enemy before it was even a threat to them.  But no, God had a way of delivering them that would forever stay with them as a memorial of just who their God was.  Verse 22 says this, “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.”Remember today as we are faced with the approaching battle these 3 things:1.  The battle is not yours.  You my truly be afraid, because the things that you are facing are bigger than you, but they are NOT bigger than God!  He is ready to fight for you, so even in the scariest of situations, know that He will fight for you, so hope should never be lost.2.  Come to Him in prayer and acknowledge Him.  We should come to the Lord with our situations, but always remembering to acknowledge Him and His greatness above all else.  Tell Him who He is, who He has been to You and to those You love, and thank Him, all the while submitting your requests to Him as well.  3.  Praise God!  Your praise is a powerful weapon and shows God that even though you see no natural way out of your situation, you are acknowledging the One who has the answer!  It shows your trust in Him as your Father.  It will send your enemy running, defeated by a God who is Mightier than anything that can and ever will come against you!  What a reassurance!  You are not alone, so stand still, praise and acknowledge Him, and watch as He destroys your battles with praise! 

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Extraordinary Hope Friday, Jan 18 2008

What a week of realizations…I had something this week that shook me to the core and challenged every belief in me. I felt hopeless. When we feel hopeless, we lose at life, because hope keeps us going. Why do we lose our hope? Often, because the picture in front of us dictates it to be so. Things look bad, so we lose hope. This can’t be. If we lose our hope based upon life and it’s current status, then our hope will come and go, leaving us tired and lifeless in it’s wake. Emotions will try to rob our hope, but we have to rise above. When your situation is trying to tell you to give up hope, stare it down and know that there is a loving, gentle, and merciful Heavenly Father, who offers His Hope to us for our lives. This is the best hope, because it is not changed when life throws a curve ball. No, it remains steadfast and strong, because it is anchored in an Almighty and Sovereign God, who does NOT change. He is not moved by how bad your picture looks. No, He is bigger, higher, and stronger than WHATEVER you face, no matter WHAT others say, how you feel about it, or what emotions have come to lead you to believe.Someone needs to hear this today…THERE IS HOPE!!!

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Rx for Worry Friday, Jan 18 2008

Worried?  Something laying heavy on your heart?  Me too…most of the time it seems.  But this morning I found a prescription for worry that I had never quite seen before.  Check it out:”Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men.  The Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by PRAYER and SUPPLICATION, with THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God; and the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  - Philippians 4:4-7

It is easy for someone to tell us not to worry and to pray for God to give us that “peace that passes all understanding,” but if we read these verses, we will notice that this isn’t something that can just come.  No, we have been given exact instructions on what to do.  First, pray and supplicate (“to pray humbly; make humble and earnest entreaty or petition”), and with thanksgiving, let our requests (the things we want to see happen) be made known to God.  THEN, once we have done all that, it says that the peace of God will guard our hearts.  

 I love God’s peace.  It truly does pass our understanding, because it doesn’t come only when our situation has been made right, like a natural peace would, but comes during the very thickest part of our storm or struggle.  Whatever you are praying for today, follow God’s Rx for worry, and then sit back as His peace takes over in the middle of your chaos.  He is good.

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