I am a White knuckle flyer - as a passenger on an airplane it means I am clinging to my seat for dear life.
Lets think about that for a second - is my strangle hold on the arm rest going to keep that plan in the sky? Is my terrified, jaw clenching, eyes squeezed shut expression going to help us get to our destination? Probably not- in fact it will probably just freak out the other passengers around me, they might even start to wonder if they should be holding on for dear life too.
If salvation is based on grace by faith - not of works (Ephesians 2:9) Then what about the rest of the ride - is it my job to keep the plane in the air? Is it my job to work work work to get to be a better person? Or is that sanctification also the act of Christ and all my working about as helpful as me clinging to the armrests in a 747?
I think it is a little bit of both - I have to have the desire, the willingness to surrender to Christ's will in my life - but after that point I do not think that it is my job to make a list of good goals, promises, and routines to keep me on my way to a front row seat in Heaven - I honestly think that is about as helpful as my white knuckles on an airplane - no help at all. Ephesians 2:10 says God saved me so that I could do the good things HE had planned for me long ago.
Ephesians is actually a really good book for this subject because it clearly illustrates the need to obey and the complete dependence on Christ that we have.
Ephesians 4:21-23
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, -22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
My job is to let the Spirit work in my life. An ongoing remodel that is never quite finished - my job is not to keep all the things checked off my own personally satisfying, front row sitting, good rep building, redemption checklist - it is instead to surrender to, and completely focus on God's will.
Why do the apostle's lives look so amazing to us? How did they sit in jail cells and call for their manuscripts to finish a life's work? How did they endure beatings, sing while in chains, witness to jailers, encourage others and live lives worth our remembering?
The had surrendered to the purpose of God in their lives - not what they thought it should be, but what it was - and it completely transformed them -they did not rely on their own works, their own goody goody checklists, or their own ideas. Ephesians talks about one of the "checklist" goals of that time - circumcision - and Paul addresses it as completely unneeded and worthless.
So as I imagine Paul waiting in his cell to die, knowing the day comes soon, I do not hear him singing I wait for God - but I hear I wait with God. Waiting, with Him, for His plans to be accomplished. Paul is under no disillusion that his life is his own, or that his good goals will save him, instead he writes Ephesians 5:10 "Carefully determine what pleases the Lord" and 5:17 "Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."
Admitting Sin -Surrendering to God's salvation
Accepting His purpose - Receiving His sustaining strength
Allowing Him to do all the work - Sanctification
Working on your own - eternity in hell
Picking "good" goals and working towards them - exaustion and exile
Working to be a "better" person (aka sinner) - wandering in the desert until you die
My death grip on the arm rest isn't going to help fly the plane, so maybe I better realize that I am a passenger - and let the Pilot worry about the flying.
Amanda
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Charm is fleeting and beauty fades
I read something this morning that turned my stomach - I thought - I can not be reading this right, there must be some mistake. But after further investigation I found there was no mistake, a "Christian" book teaching young women to focus on outward beauty, even body measurements and a caloric guide (with a few chapters at the end that throw in gossip and communication, conflict resolution via "breaking fellowship" - are you kidding me!!!)
A good Christian girl taught to live the lies of the world - that charm, poise, and body size can be used as power over other people. You will feel superior and look superior, so your ideas will be given more consideration and you will be able to bait a good husband. This book actually acknowledges that this is the way of the world "fair or unfair".
While I am not naive enough to believe that this is untrue - I thought we were supposed to be teaching our children to be Godly adults - to work at this so they will not stumble as we have- not how to water down truth with a way to wield power and fit in with the world. I was so disappointed when I read this - but on a good note - it explains so much!
I am not a mother of daughters, but I am a mother of sons - and I plan to buy that book and read it to them so that they know just what to watch out for and when to RUN the other way!!!!!
So this came to mind
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life. (she is honest)
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life. (she is loyal)
13 She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it. (she looks for ways to serve)
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar. (she is resourceful)
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. (she is dedicated)
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard. (she is a good money manager)
17 She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night. (she goes the extra mile)
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber. (she is always working for her family)
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy. (she is merciful and generous)
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes. (she is prepared)
22 She makes her own bedspreads. (she is industrious)
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. ( she is like royalty, with all her hard work her husband adores her)
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders. (behind every good man....)
24 She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants. (she is come up in the world, because of her dedication)
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Not once does this mention her "poise" or how she should cross her legs at the ankle, how she should have good posture, learn to speak enticements without being obvious, or focus her attention on beauty- there is however another section of Proverbs that does address this!
1) FLATTERY--She "flatters with her words" (Proverbs 2:16). "Her mouth is smoother than oil" (Proverbs 5:3). See also Proverbs 7:21; 6:24 and compare Proverbs 22:14. She uses "sweet talk." She draws people to herself with nice, inviting language. She has charm to her voice ( I am sure it is not deep or gravely- that was expressly mentioned in the book) and her words pull a man to herself as a magnet.
2) BEAUTY--This woman is outwardly beautiful (Proverbs 6:24-25). She is attractive to the eyes. While there is nothing wrong with dressing discreetly and attractively - there is something wrong with it if the motive is to attract and attain approval from men or from the world.
3) LOCATION--This woman knows where to locate herself so as to be most effective(see Proverbs 7:11-12). A skilled fisherman needs to know where to drop his line. To catch mice you need to know where to place the mousetrap. This woman knows where to place herself.
4) DECORATIONS--This woman knows how to decorate herself and her surroundings (Proverbs 7:10,16,17). She must look attractive, and this is done by clothes, perfumes, make-up, etc. All of this is done to draw attention to herself and wield power over others. In contrast, the believing woman is concerned about MODESTY (1 Timothy 2:9). She gives careful thought to what she should wear and how she should dress. She knows that she is not to be conformed to the world’s standards (Rom. 12:2), and must set aside many of the popular attitudes and fashions of the day. At the same time she ought to display good taste in the clothing she wears, not drawing attention to herself with extremism in either direction: The message that comes from the life and witness of a modest and humble believing woman is this: "Look at Christ living in me (Gal. 2:20). I belong to the Son of God." Such a woman is rare (Proverbs 31:10). On the other hand, by her attitudes, manipulations and dress (or lack of dress) the immodest, and haughty woman is saying, "Look at me! I am so much sweeter! Look at what I offer!"
5) ARRANGEMENTS--This woman tries to make all the necessary arrangements so that people will think they can spend time with her and get away with it. See Proverbs 7:14 and 7:19-20. This idea is something like this: "It’s all arranged. It’s all set up. No one will ever know that you were with me. You can do it and get away with it and you will not suffer any ill effects or bad consequences. Everything has been taken care of; there is nothing to worry about and there is no reason why you should not do this!"
6) THE FINAL INVITATION--See Proverbs 7:18,21 and Proverbs 9:16-17. By now she is irresistible. She has a man right where she wants him. Now she moves in for the kill!
Lord,
Please help the parents of this generation to see through the lies of the world and surround themselves with the Truth of Your Word. Please help us to not place our focus on manipulations and worldly power, beauty and charm - but on the things of Your world with Your perspective. Please guide Drason and I in raising sons who can see through the manipulations and poise of a girl whose heart has been deceived and help us to give them perspective so that they might live to glorify You. Amen
A good Christian girl taught to live the lies of the world - that charm, poise, and body size can be used as power over other people. You will feel superior and look superior, so your ideas will be given more consideration and you will be able to bait a good husband. This book actually acknowledges that this is the way of the world "fair or unfair".
While I am not naive enough to believe that this is untrue - I thought we were supposed to be teaching our children to be Godly adults - to work at this so they will not stumble as we have- not how to water down truth with a way to wield power and fit in with the world. I was so disappointed when I read this - but on a good note - it explains so much!
I am not a mother of daughters, but I am a mother of sons - and I plan to buy that book and read it to them so that they know just what to watch out for and when to RUN the other way!!!!!
So this came to mind
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life. (she is honest)
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life. (she is loyal)
13 She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it. (she looks for ways to serve)
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar. (she is resourceful)
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. (she is dedicated)
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard. (she is a good money manager)
17 She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night. (she goes the extra mile)
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber. (she is always working for her family)
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy. (she is merciful and generous)
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes. (she is prepared)
22 She makes her own bedspreads. (she is industrious)
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. ( she is like royalty, with all her hard work her husband adores her)
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders. (behind every good man....)
24 She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants. (she is come up in the world, because of her dedication)
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Not once does this mention her "poise" or how she should cross her legs at the ankle, how she should have good posture, learn to speak enticements without being obvious, or focus her attention on beauty- there is however another section of Proverbs that does address this!
1) FLATTERY--She "flatters with her words" (Proverbs 2:16). "Her mouth is smoother than oil" (Proverbs 5:3). See also Proverbs 7:21; 6:24 and compare Proverbs 22:14. She uses "sweet talk." She draws people to herself with nice, inviting language. She has charm to her voice ( I am sure it is not deep or gravely- that was expressly mentioned in the book) and her words pull a man to herself as a magnet.
2) BEAUTY--This woman is outwardly beautiful (Proverbs 6:24-25). She is attractive to the eyes. While there is nothing wrong with dressing discreetly and attractively - there is something wrong with it if the motive is to attract and attain approval from men or from the world.
3) LOCATION--This woman knows where to locate herself so as to be most effective(see Proverbs 7:11-12). A skilled fisherman needs to know where to drop his line. To catch mice you need to know where to place the mousetrap. This woman knows where to place herself.
4) DECORATIONS--This woman knows how to decorate herself and her surroundings (Proverbs 7:10,16,17). She must look attractive, and this is done by clothes, perfumes, make-up, etc. All of this is done to draw attention to herself and wield power over others. In contrast, the believing woman is concerned about MODESTY (1 Timothy 2:9). She gives careful thought to what she should wear and how she should dress. She knows that she is not to be conformed to the world’s standards (Rom. 12:2), and must set aside many of the popular attitudes and fashions of the day. At the same time she ought to display good taste in the clothing she wears, not drawing attention to herself with extremism in either direction: The message that comes from the life and witness of a modest and humble believing woman is this: "Look at Christ living in me (Gal. 2:20). I belong to the Son of God." Such a woman is rare (Proverbs 31:10). On the other hand, by her attitudes, manipulations and dress (or lack of dress) the immodest, and haughty woman is saying, "Look at me! I am so much sweeter! Look at what I offer!"
5) ARRANGEMENTS--This woman tries to make all the necessary arrangements so that people will think they can spend time with her and get away with it. See Proverbs 7:14 and 7:19-20. This idea is something like this: "It’s all arranged. It’s all set up. No one will ever know that you were with me. You can do it and get away with it and you will not suffer any ill effects or bad consequences. Everything has been taken care of; there is nothing to worry about and there is no reason why you should not do this!"
6) THE FINAL INVITATION--See Proverbs 7:18,21 and Proverbs 9:16-17. By now she is irresistible. She has a man right where she wants him. Now she moves in for the kill!
Lord,
Please help the parents of this generation to see through the lies of the world and surround themselves with the Truth of Your Word. Please help us to not place our focus on manipulations and worldly power, beauty and charm - but on the things of Your world with Your perspective. Please guide Drason and I in raising sons who can see through the manipulations and poise of a girl whose heart has been deceived and help us to give them perspective so that they might live to glorify You. Amen
Friday, November 20, 2009
Relational
I found this online tonight and thought I would share it. It is rare to find such a contrast from a Christian perspective and I was happy to see it. The Bible is a relational book - it is about God's relationship with me from the day of creation, until the "end of the age". The Bible addresses our relationships continually - in fact the two greatest commandments are relational "Love God, Love Others", The Bible covers relationships from every angle. Husbands and wives, parents and children, employer and employee, shepherd to sheep, peers, Christians, non- Christians, friends, enemies - YOU NAME IT - it is in there when it comes to our relationships. This was a good reminder for me, I hope it blesses and challenges you as well.
"There are many contrasts between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Taken together they chart a continuum between the secular model and the biblical model. Understanding these contrasts can help us understand how healthy relationships work – and how we can grow toward them as part of the recovery process.
A healthy heart can enter into healthy relationships. Healthy relationships are central to recovery from sin and shame. Recovery without healthy relationships only perpetuates the sinful self-obsession that led to a sin addiction in the first place. In recovery we must learn to shift our focus, thus becoming free to share intimacy with others.
A healthy heart involved in healthy relationships fosters the precise opposite of sin - it fosters genuine love and spiritual growth. Sin maintains a secret life marked by fear and control. Genuine love, on the other hand, is marked by openness, trust, and the freedom to give oneself to another.
"1. Reality vs. Fantasy. Healthy relationships are based in reality. Each person is aware of his own strengths and weaknesses. There is no need to hide or to try to fool the other. Each person is also aware of the other’s strengths and weaknesses. There is no need to pretend that problems don’t exist or to tiptoe around “unmentionable” areas. If the partner is weak in some area, he or she accepts it and helps accommodate or strengthen it.
Unhealthy relationships, by contrast, are based on fantasy. What could be or should be replaces what is. The elements of unreality become the focus. The relationship is built on a foundation that isn’t really there.
2. Completing vs. Finding Completion. In a healthy relationship, each person finds joy in sharing in the other person’s growth, in playing a role in “completing” the other.
In an unhealthy relationship the focus is on completing oneself. This selfish dynamic is at the heart of codependency. Too many people fling half a person into a relationship, expecting that it will be completed by the other. It never works. No one can ever meet such expectations. It is only a matter of time until substitutes are sought – either in the form of other relationships or in the form of dysfunctional and addictive behaviors.
3. Friendship vs. Victimization. A healthy relationship can be described as two good friends becoming better friends. The strongest and most successful relationships – even the most passionate and romantic marriages – have this kind of true friendship at the base. Where this base of true friendship is absent, the relationship is shallow and susceptible to being marked by victimization.
4. Sacrifice vs. Demand for Sacrifice. Few of the magazines that clutter the checkout counters of grocery stores publish articles extolling the joys of sacrifice. But no relationship can grow without it. Unfortunately, most of us are more accustomed to demanding sacrifice from our partner than to sacrificing our selves.
It’s one thing to love another when the going is easy. But character and depth are wrought in a relationship when love requires the surrender of preference and privilege. Nothing strengthens a relationship like sacrifice. Indeed, it often seems that the greater the sacrifice, the more thorough the death to self, the greater the potential for the relationship.
Our relationship with God requires sacrifice. His relationship with us required nothing less than the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Building a relationship – or restoring one that has been ravaged by the effects of sin – depends on the willingness of both parties to sacrifice for each other, without demanding anything in return.
5. Forgiveness vs. Resentment. Forgiveness is a miraculous gift between two people. A relationship flourishes when we are willing to forgive past hurts and disappointments. Refusing to forgive is like carrying around a garbage bag full of hurts of the past. Every time someone makes a mistake, we toss it into the bag and carry it with us forever.
There are no garbage bags in healthy relationships. Out of love, the partners take the hurt and disappointment of the past and burn it up in the flames of forgiveness. What greater gift can we give someone than to set them free from the weight of their mistakes? When we unlock others from a past they cannot correct, we free them to become all they can become, and we free our relationships to become all they can becomes as well.
6. Security vs. Fear. Security is a rare commodity in our world. Often people come from such insecure childhoods they can only hope that their adult life will include a relationship that allows them to rest in the arms of someone who really cares. So much of life is lived on the edge of risk, we feel an overwhelming need for at least one relationship to make us feel safe.
The Bible says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). When we shift from trying to use others to satisfy our security needs to trying to meet the security needs of others, we find ourselves in a new dimension. We are focusing on their needs, not ours. We are filling their doubts and fears with the reassurance of our consistent behavior. We calm their fears by being reliable. We become, in a word, loving: other-focused and totally selfless. That is the kind of love that drives out fear and provides genuine security.
7. Vulnerability vs. Defensiveness. In a secure environment, a person is free to open up and be vulnerable. It is wonderful to be vulnerable, to do an emotional free fall and have someone there to catch you. That delightful taste of vulnerability enables you to open up even more, discover more about who you are, appreciate all the good that God has created in you.
In a relationship characterized by fear, just the opposite happens. There is a need to build up a wall of defensiveness. If you do not protect yourself, after all, you will be violated, robbed of your identity, controlled, or smothered. The dynamics of defensiveness lead to death rather than to life and growth.
8. Honesty vs. Deception. There is no way to build a lasting, healthy relationship on a foundation of dishonesty. Honesty must be at the core of a relationship; there is no substitute for it. It is fashionable in our day to paper over unpleasant truth. We deceive those we love, rationalizing that keeping secrets is really for their good."
Virtually all sin is maintained under the cover of some sort of deception, which eventually is woven into a vast tapestry of lies and cover-ups. Dishonesty is a very hard habit to break. One of the main functions of the Church is the accountability it provides, holding up the standard of open communication and truthfulness. Without accountability, trust and the restoration of intimacy in relationships is impossible.
Amanda
"There are many contrasts between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Taken together they chart a continuum between the secular model and the biblical model. Understanding these contrasts can help us understand how healthy relationships work – and how we can grow toward them as part of the recovery process.
A healthy heart can enter into healthy relationships. Healthy relationships are central to recovery from sin and shame. Recovery without healthy relationships only perpetuates the sinful self-obsession that led to a sin addiction in the first place. In recovery we must learn to shift our focus, thus becoming free to share intimacy with others.
A healthy heart involved in healthy relationships fosters the precise opposite of sin - it fosters genuine love and spiritual growth. Sin maintains a secret life marked by fear and control. Genuine love, on the other hand, is marked by openness, trust, and the freedom to give oneself to another.
"1. Reality vs. Fantasy. Healthy relationships are based in reality. Each person is aware of his own strengths and weaknesses. There is no need to hide or to try to fool the other. Each person is also aware of the other’s strengths and weaknesses. There is no need to pretend that problems don’t exist or to tiptoe around “unmentionable” areas. If the partner is weak in some area, he or she accepts it and helps accommodate or strengthen it.
Unhealthy relationships, by contrast, are based on fantasy. What could be or should be replaces what is. The elements of unreality become the focus. The relationship is built on a foundation that isn’t really there.
2. Completing vs. Finding Completion. In a healthy relationship, each person finds joy in sharing in the other person’s growth, in playing a role in “completing” the other.
In an unhealthy relationship the focus is on completing oneself. This selfish dynamic is at the heart of codependency. Too many people fling half a person into a relationship, expecting that it will be completed by the other. It never works. No one can ever meet such expectations. It is only a matter of time until substitutes are sought – either in the form of other relationships or in the form of dysfunctional and addictive behaviors.
3. Friendship vs. Victimization. A healthy relationship can be described as two good friends becoming better friends. The strongest and most successful relationships – even the most passionate and romantic marriages – have this kind of true friendship at the base. Where this base of true friendship is absent, the relationship is shallow and susceptible to being marked by victimization.
4. Sacrifice vs. Demand for Sacrifice. Few of the magazines that clutter the checkout counters of grocery stores publish articles extolling the joys of sacrifice. But no relationship can grow without it. Unfortunately, most of us are more accustomed to demanding sacrifice from our partner than to sacrificing our selves.
It’s one thing to love another when the going is easy. But character and depth are wrought in a relationship when love requires the surrender of preference and privilege. Nothing strengthens a relationship like sacrifice. Indeed, it often seems that the greater the sacrifice, the more thorough the death to self, the greater the potential for the relationship.
Our relationship with God requires sacrifice. His relationship with us required nothing less than the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Building a relationship – or restoring one that has been ravaged by the effects of sin – depends on the willingness of both parties to sacrifice for each other, without demanding anything in return.
5. Forgiveness vs. Resentment. Forgiveness is a miraculous gift between two people. A relationship flourishes when we are willing to forgive past hurts and disappointments. Refusing to forgive is like carrying around a garbage bag full of hurts of the past. Every time someone makes a mistake, we toss it into the bag and carry it with us forever.
There are no garbage bags in healthy relationships. Out of love, the partners take the hurt and disappointment of the past and burn it up in the flames of forgiveness. What greater gift can we give someone than to set them free from the weight of their mistakes? When we unlock others from a past they cannot correct, we free them to become all they can become, and we free our relationships to become all they can becomes as well.
6. Security vs. Fear. Security is a rare commodity in our world. Often people come from such insecure childhoods they can only hope that their adult life will include a relationship that allows them to rest in the arms of someone who really cares. So much of life is lived on the edge of risk, we feel an overwhelming need for at least one relationship to make us feel safe.
The Bible says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). When we shift from trying to use others to satisfy our security needs to trying to meet the security needs of others, we find ourselves in a new dimension. We are focusing on their needs, not ours. We are filling their doubts and fears with the reassurance of our consistent behavior. We calm their fears by being reliable. We become, in a word, loving: other-focused and totally selfless. That is the kind of love that drives out fear and provides genuine security.
7. Vulnerability vs. Defensiveness. In a secure environment, a person is free to open up and be vulnerable. It is wonderful to be vulnerable, to do an emotional free fall and have someone there to catch you. That delightful taste of vulnerability enables you to open up even more, discover more about who you are, appreciate all the good that God has created in you.
In a relationship characterized by fear, just the opposite happens. There is a need to build up a wall of defensiveness. If you do not protect yourself, after all, you will be violated, robbed of your identity, controlled, or smothered. The dynamics of defensiveness lead to death rather than to life and growth.
8. Honesty vs. Deception. There is no way to build a lasting, healthy relationship on a foundation of dishonesty. Honesty must be at the core of a relationship; there is no substitute for it. It is fashionable in our day to paper over unpleasant truth. We deceive those we love, rationalizing that keeping secrets is really for their good."
Virtually all sin is maintained under the cover of some sort of deception, which eventually is woven into a vast tapestry of lies and cover-ups. Dishonesty is a very hard habit to break. One of the main functions of the Church is the accountability it provides, holding up the standard of open communication and truthfulness. Without accountability, trust and the restoration of intimacy in relationships is impossible.
Amanda
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Respite often equals focus
Sometimes it is good to have a period of respite, time to clear the mind and focus the heart on what is really important.
I have heard Pastor Noel use this illustration quite often -
Imagine a beautiful painting - if you focused in on a 1 inch square of that painting it might look like nothing - it might look like everything - but by keeping our focus on the entire painting you gain perspective. God's work is like a painting - we need to keep our focus large - not small.
Small perspective leads to narrow mindedness - singleness of purpose, but not in a good way. We need to watch out for this, and stop this from happening whenever we can.
For example - singleness of purpose says we need to clean the house. Yes we should keep neat and tidy homes - but what good does that do if you never mow the lawn?
People aren't going to come into your clean house, if they have to beat their way through the weeds to get there.
True purpose - God purpose - says, don't neglect the house - but don't neglect the yard either – in fact don't neglect the neighborhood, the city, the state, the country.
Would you visit a house at night in a criminal neighborhood? In a very dangerous city? In a communist state? Of course not!
By the way - who enjoys a clean house? The people who live there? or the people who need to live there but can't get past the weeds to get in the front door?
So then the question becomes how do you "mow the lawn"? How do you fix up your neighborhood? How do you clean up your city?
Ministry - pockets of Christians (some might even call them small groups) OUTSIDE of the house.
Homeschool co-ops
Community health clinics
Community help centers (heartbeats, look-up center)
Connecting with other like minded churches to offer Community Seminars
Kid focused community activities (VBS and Upwards)
Volunteering in shelters or jails
Back to School supplies and Christmas toy drives
Food drives
Community friendly lessons - sharing skills (music lessons, ballet, karate)
Some people will read this and completely agree and some will read this and completely disagree -
Is that because one is right and one is wrong? NOPE!
Is it because one is holy and one is not? NOPE!
Is it because one or both are the much dreaded "trouble-maker" ? NOPE!
It is because we each, every member of the body of Christ, have a specific and usable gift, and we see purpose in using our gifts - we will identify areas where our gifts would be useful.
People who focus on serving the inside of the church might have a gift that speaks to them in that way - they use it to serve inside the church walls.
People who focus more on serving outside of the church probably have a gift that they see as being most effective in that arena.
The problem comes when everyone either starts trying to, or allows themselves to be confined to use their gift in the same place - either in or out. You wind up with many people who want to serve and can't find a place where they fit, or many people who are unhealthy in "defending" their territory (that they call ministry) You create rivalry and strife ( imagine too many cats stuffed in a box.)
How do you fix this?
Generally people find other likeminded people, through the direction of the Holy Spirit, and they start a Work that glorifies God (not men.) They stop playing the lethal political games and they follow the beat of the Drummer, the beat of the moving, growing, living Christ.
The other part of a Spiritual gift is that it is needed, God didn't accidentally give you a sense of purpose, if you fail to use your gift, for any reason - even when it seems your talents are not wanted or appreciated - you defy God, and you live in constant sin. If you refuse another believer the chance to use their gifts - (aka - defend your territory) you sin, and you cause them to sin as well.
Respite often equals focus.
In case you didn't notice the comments are turned back on - and your comments will be posted (anonymous comments will not be accepted)
I have heard Pastor Noel use this illustration quite often -
Imagine a beautiful painting - if you focused in on a 1 inch square of that painting it might look like nothing - it might look like everything - but by keeping our focus on the entire painting you gain perspective. God's work is like a painting - we need to keep our focus large - not small.
Small perspective leads to narrow mindedness - singleness of purpose, but not in a good way. We need to watch out for this, and stop this from happening whenever we can.
For example - singleness of purpose says we need to clean the house. Yes we should keep neat and tidy homes - but what good does that do if you never mow the lawn?
People aren't going to come into your clean house, if they have to beat their way through the weeds to get there.
True purpose - God purpose - says, don't neglect the house - but don't neglect the yard either – in fact don't neglect the neighborhood, the city, the state, the country.
Would you visit a house at night in a criminal neighborhood? In a very dangerous city? In a communist state? Of course not!
By the way - who enjoys a clean house? The people who live there? or the people who need to live there but can't get past the weeds to get in the front door?
So then the question becomes how do you "mow the lawn"? How do you fix up your neighborhood? How do you clean up your city?
Ministry - pockets of Christians (some might even call them small groups) OUTSIDE of the house.
Homeschool co-ops
Community health clinics
Community help centers (heartbeats, look-up center)
Connecting with other like minded churches to offer Community Seminars
Kid focused community activities (VBS and Upwards)
Volunteering in shelters or jails
Back to School supplies and Christmas toy drives
Food drives
Community friendly lessons - sharing skills (music lessons, ballet, karate)
Some people will read this and completely agree and some will read this and completely disagree -
Is that because one is right and one is wrong? NOPE!
Is it because one is holy and one is not? NOPE!
Is it because one or both are the much dreaded "trouble-maker" ? NOPE!
It is because we each, every member of the body of Christ, have a specific and usable gift, and we see purpose in using our gifts - we will identify areas where our gifts would be useful.
People who focus on serving the inside of the church might have a gift that speaks to them in that way - they use it to serve inside the church walls.
People who focus more on serving outside of the church probably have a gift that they see as being most effective in that arena.
The problem comes when everyone either starts trying to, or allows themselves to be confined to use their gift in the same place - either in or out. You wind up with many people who want to serve and can't find a place where they fit, or many people who are unhealthy in "defending" their territory (that they call ministry) You create rivalry and strife ( imagine too many cats stuffed in a box.)
How do you fix this?
Generally people find other likeminded people, through the direction of the Holy Spirit, and they start a Work that glorifies God (not men.) They stop playing the lethal political games and they follow the beat of the Drummer, the beat of the moving, growing, living Christ.
The other part of a Spiritual gift is that it is needed, God didn't accidentally give you a sense of purpose, if you fail to use your gift, for any reason - even when it seems your talents are not wanted or appreciated - you defy God, and you live in constant sin. If you refuse another believer the chance to use their gifts - (aka - defend your territory) you sin, and you cause them to sin as well.
Respite often equals focus.
In case you didn't notice the comments are turned back on - and your comments will be posted (anonymous comments will not be accepted)
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