Living in a Chaotic World

Yesterday contained two sermons in one. A bit of a tongue-in-cheek one first, titled "Finding Personal Comfort in a Chaotic World." The main bullet points of this one:

1. Limit your exposure to the needs of the world. Keep those blinders on, folks!
   
2. Wait for lost, needy people to come to you. We have a big, pretty church. They know where to find us.
3. Stay in your comfort zone. It's safe and comfy here. 
4. Make sure the pursuit of Christ doesn't interfere with your pursuit of the American Dream. Yes, God wants you to have that big house, the boat, the fancy car, even if it gets a little in the way of following Christ.
5. Wait for God to give you a specific calling for ministry before you do anything to serve Him.
6. Minister in ways that aren't messy. Stay a safe distance & don't ever get mired up in the muck of other people's messes.
7. Face facts that one person just cannot make a difference.

So that's the have-it-your-way sermon. This leaves us with a very comfortable life, but such an empty, unfulfilling one!

The REAL message is that we're called to take up our cross and deny ourselves daily! Coming to Christ and trusting Him for our salvation does get us to heaven but we can miss out on so much of the purpose He has for us on earth. If He had no purpose for us, then we'd be transported straight to heaven at the moment of our salvation. 

So here's what we really ought to do (as opposed to those bullet points above):

1. Confront the reality of our fallen world. 
2. GO into the world! Take the church beyond the boundaries of our walls!
3. Live like comfort is not an issue. Get way out of our comfort zones!
4. Don't let the American standard of living interfere with the pursuit of Christ! 
5. God calls us ALL to be involved in ministry. We're all given certain gifts and talents, but there are some general commands in scripture we should all obey, like sharing the gospel and caring for those less financially blessed than we are, etc...
6. Join God in the messiness. He reached down into the mess of our lives to save us from ourselves, so we should do that for others as well!
7. You CAN make a difference!

We can ask the Lord to show us the needs around us, and find out what He would have us do. 

One Anothering

Our most recent lesson in Sunday school has got me thinking: how am I doing in regards to treating others the way scripture tells me to do? How well am I "one-anothering"? Here's what the Word tells us we should be doing...

• Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
• Admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)
• Bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2)
• Bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2)
• Build up one another (Romans 14:19)
• Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)
• Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
• Confess faults to one another (James 5:16)
• Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10a)
• Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
• Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)
• Greet one another (Romans 16:16)
• Be honest with one another (Colossians 3:9)
• Honor one another (Romans 12:10b)
• Be hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
• Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
• Love one another (Romans 13:8)
• Members one of another (Romans 12:5)
• Pray for one another (James 5:16)
• Be of the same mind with one another (Romans 15:5)
• Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
• Spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
• Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)

Wow. I could do a whole post on every one of those! (Hmm... not a bad idea; I'll have to ponder that possibility further.)

So, how are you doing on the "one anothers"?

Navigating Life

"You reveal the path of life to me;
in Your presence is abundant joy;
in Your right hand are eternal pleasures."
Psalm 16:11

God shows me what to do, which way to turn, how to prioritize my days; He teaches me everything I need to know to navigate this life. Real joy, the kind that is not dependent upon circumstances, comes from spending time alone with God, knowing Him, and having a relationship with Him. He is the source of all true treasures. We tend to worry so much about temporary pleasures that we forget that eternity begins now, not when we arrive in heaven.

I'm asking the Lord to reveal the path of life for me in all things, specifically right now as I'm planning our upcoming homeschool year. I want Him to guide me as I choose exactly which books to purchase, what outside activities to participate in, what our budget should be, how to best organize our school room, as well as showing me the particular bent of each child, and how best to parent and teach them. We've made the decision that our house serves the Lord, and that includes our homeschool. I never want us to get so caught up in busyness, buying into the illusion that more (activities, etc,) is always better. Keeping our priorities in order, most especially putting a relationship with the with Lord above all, is key to maintaining joy in our home.

Essential

Recently, having been completely blown out of my comfort zone with a brand new 14-year-old daughter in the home (through adoption), I have been having some fears and insecurities to deal with. This passage spoke to me today:

"Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go... recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do... Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7-9

Staying in God's word is absolutely essential for me to be able to do what He's called me to do. Not just in adopting a teenager, but in all things. Spending time with Him daily and knowing the truth of what the Bible says is the only way to succeed in doing hard things.

What's Missing?

I'm loving a new Bible study book I'm doing with a few friends. It's called Tune In: Hearing God's Voice Through the Static. The author, Jen Hatmaker, is funny but just in our first week of this study, I've already had a few "aha!" moments.

For instance, she asks us to consider this question: When you hear "in God's will," what do you think of? For me, the answer most often relates to decisions. Jen talks about life as a mom, saying, "Yes, I am sometimes there to tell them [the kids] what to do. But I also teach them kindness and a strong work ethic. I offer protection even when they think they are safe. Every disappointment they face is a teaching moment for me. Sometimes I communicate with no other objective than to lavish them with my love. Although they would surely disagree, telling them what to do is only a tiny fraction of my daily communication."

She goes on to ask, "If this is how God parents us, what are we missing when we seek His voice only to help us make a certain choice?"

Wow! That hit me right between the eyes. What we're missing when we seek God's will only in decision-making is the RELATIONSHIP with Him!!! We're viewing Him as a cruise director, rather than as a loving, teaching parent.

Trust Me

For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, 'Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.' ~Isaiah 41:13

Not long ago, I asked my daughter to stand on an overturned barrel, so she could get closer to a baby goat she wanted to pet. Though I was holding her hand, and assured her that the barrel was perfectly sturdy, she didn't want to do it because she didn't think it was safe. I'm her mother, and I have never, ever, asked her to do anything that would endanger her life or harm her! So I wondered, why won't my child trust me completely?

This was one of the many times when God takes my thoughts/words towards my child and points them to me. It's as if He said, "Have you noticed that you do the very same thing to me? You claim to know that I love you and that I always have your best interest at heart, so why don't you trust me completely? Sometimes I may ask you to do something that seems scary, but I am right there with you, holding your hand, and I won't let you fall."

Crown or Disease?

A good wife is like a crown for her husband,
but a disgraceful wife is like a disease in his bones.
Proverbs 12:4

A few definitions of a crown are: 1) any of various types of headgear worn by a monarch as a symbol of sovereignty, often made of precious metal and ornamented with valuable gems; 2) an ornamental wreath or circlet for the head, conferred by the ancients as a mark of victory, athletic or military distinction, etc; 3) the distinction that comes from a great achievement.

Based on that first definition, if I am a crown to my husband, I would be precious and valuable. I know I am that in the eyes of the Lord, and my husband shows me that he thinks of me this way as well. I don't think it has much to do with what I do; I feel that this is unearned merit on both counts. Based on the second and third definitions, though, I can be a crown by lifting my husband up, encouraging him. I can be the "good woman" behind him, helping him to do all he is called to do. By making a point to show my respect for him, both at home and publicly, I can increase the level of respect others have for him as well.

But if I treat him disrespectfully, if I don't honor and encourage him, I become like a disease in his bones that will affect every part of his life. I found this definition of disease: "a disordered or incorrectly functioning part or system of the body." In any marriage where the wife does not respect her husband and allow him to be the head of their household, that is a disordered or incorrectly functioning marriage. A disease.

I'm sad to say that I was a disease in my failed first marriage. It's one of the primary reasons that marriage failed: I was toxic. Though I am far from perfect, I now seek to be a crown that bestows honor upon my husband.