Bringing the best out of a mess like me

Romans 12: 1-2 (MSG) So here's what I (Paul) want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12: 1-2 (NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Growing up, I was in church every time the doors were open – Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday night. I gave my life to Christ at a very young age (11) but didn’t fully understand the words Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2. Yes, I did feel led to step out of my pew and walk what seemed like miles down to the alter at the front of the church and talk to the preacher that morning. I felt led to tell him I wanted to accept Christ as my savior because of all he had done for me. But offer my body as a living sacrifice? I didn’t know what that meant at all. As a result, in my mid-teens I fell away from God and the church completely.

By the time I was 20, I had made some really poor decisions, in which I didn’t even think about asking Christ to be a part of...I was following the world instead of following him. When I went back to church as an adult (32), I realized how far I had gotten away from God and how much I desperately needed him in the decisions I was making in the midst of my everyday life. Had I not fallen away, I am secure in saying I probably wouldn’t have made the same mistakes…well at least not so many of them. 

My commitment to follow Christ as an adult, has led me down another road entirely. About 13 years ago, as I stood in the middle of a group of people who so desired to be drawn closer to God through singing songs of worship and praise I knew I needed to lay aside my own agenda and follow Christ. In that moment, the tears began to fall like rain and there was no way to control it. Christ was beginning to work in me. I was a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) in Him, being changed from the inside out. Sure my friends saw the same old me, but something had changed. God was at work in the way I saw the world around me. From that day to this, He is transforming me into the person he desires me to be. Like a potter with clay, He has put me on his potter’s wheel and is shaping and molding me. All I have to do is be willing to get out of the way and let him do the work.

"Shopping cart" madness

Leviticus 20:7-8 (MSG) Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am God, your God. Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you. I am the God who makes you holy.

Today, I believe God wants me to understand that HE is God and I am not.  (Simple truth right...why can't I get that through my THICK head sometimes?) I have a tendency to "control" things that are completely and totally out of my control. Like grabbing a shopping cart at a grocery store and "steering" it up and down desired isles, I grab a "shopping cart" in my life and won't let go. I try so hard to "steer" things the way I want them to go. By trying to control the "cart" (outcomes of circumstances that I have no business trying to control in the first place) I fail miserably. 

Plain and simple: When I try to "take control",  things don't get better…they get worse. 

God doesn't want me calling the shots of my own life. He wants my total surrender. He wants me to hold back NOTHING from Him. He wants it all: my life, my spouse, my child, my finances, my job/vocation, my talents, my time...etc. 

I have to let go of the "cart".

When I surrender fully to Christ and allow him to "steer the shopping cart of my life" amazing things begin to happen. I see Him instead of the circumstance. I feel His peace instead of the chaos that surrounds. I find deep joy that carries me through the most emotionally gut-wrenching blow. I see abundance in the midst of despair and poverty.

This process of "giving up control" or "total surrender to Christ and his lordship" never ends. When I decide to release control of my life over to Christ, He will show up in ways I would have never dared to dream or imagine.

Pulling weeds in the garden of the soul

 Galatians 5:19-23 (NCV) The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins, worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God’s kingdom. But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong. 

I spent the better part of the morning int he back yard weeding and cleaning dead leaves out of the flower beds. I'm so  amazed at how fast weeds can grow. I'm also convinced that like laundry, dead leaves have a tendency to reproduce themselves month after month.

As I raked away old mulch, leaves and gum balls, I thought about how Christ works in our lives. When we first come to Jesus we are like the un-kept flower bed, covered in leaves (our sin) and weeds (alcohol, drugs, depression, adultery, pride, anger) with roots that run deep. We ask Jesus to come into our hearts and forgive us of our sin. In an instant, the sin is gone, just like leaves are removed with one pull of the rake. But just because the leaves are gone, doesn't mean the entire flower bed is clean. There is still work to do. The same is true with our Christian walk.

Yes! Christ forgives our sin and remembers them no more, but  the garden of our soul must be "weeded" so we look more like Jesus and less like the world. As I knelt down to begin working in the flower bed, I thought about the weeds Christ has pulled in my life. Weeds of insecurity, jealousy, anger and bitterness have all been replaced with beautiful flowers of security, confidence, peace, and joy. 

So what weeds does Christ need to pull in the garden of your soul? Perhaps you’re struggling with an addiction, or maybe you have allowed pride to rear its ugly head. No matter what is planted, our Master Gardener is at work, cleaning out weeds and replacing them with spiritual fruit that will last an eternity. 

Lack of discipline leads to an out-of-control life

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled, but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.”

As I read this verse I couldn’t help but wonder if God gave us children as an illustration of our relationship with Him – especially when it comes to discipline. We love our children and we want what’s best for them. We, as parents, know the harsh realities our children will have to face in this world so we work hard to discipline them in love, encourage them in all they do, and comfort them when they fall. Without this loving discipline, we know our children would be uncontrollable and ill-prepared to face the challenges awaiting them beyond the front door of our safe and comfortable homes.

Even if you’re not a parent, just envision the picture in your head. Think about it in terms of your own life. You are the child and God is the loving Father. Without his discipline our lives spin completely out of control. Even though we may not see it….a path that doesn’t honor God will bring pain and suffering. Why? Because His word (the Bible) confirms it. As Christians we must “enter through the narrow gate. In Matthew, Jesus tells us “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life (Matthew 7:13 – 14).”

In Luke’s gospel, chapter 11 verse 28 he says, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” At first, disciplining children takes a lot of hard work, consistency, and patience. The same is true for us. Our spiritual journey is not a sprint. It’s a life long journey with our heavenly Father. As we grow through the stages of our Christian life, take a minute to look back at how far you’ve come. How has your life changed since you said yes to Jesus and NO to this world?

Related reading: 1 John 5:2 – 4; 1 John 2:3 – 6; Isaiah 48: 17 – 19; Isaiah 38:17

Is your hope deferred?

Proverbs 13:12 (ESV) “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is the tree of life. “

For the longest time, I have been waking up between 4:45 and 5 to have my quiet time with the Lord. I find that the first thing in the morning is the best time for me to hear His voice. It’s also the absolute best way for me to start my day…. filling my “tank” with love from the Father.

One morning a few years back my son had other plans for my morning routine. He accidently wet the bed and was up in full force at 4:10…  UGH! 4:30 is one thing but 4:10 that was entirely too early. After cleaning him and his bed, I turned the TV on got him his traditional breakfast of muffins and milk. I had high hopes of returning to my quiet time. I tried to read Proverbs 13 through one time. The operative word being “tried”, my morning routine was out of sorts and I found myself thinking “this is hopeless.” I had my owned agenda for the morning; I wanted to spend time in the word and then the few minutes I had writing. I also felt hopeless over the fact that my typical morning had been messed up.

When I arrived at work that very same morning I found the office empty. I decided to read back over Proverbs 13. I could definitely relate to the words in verse 12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” My morning routine had been messed up and I had given up all hope that I would find time to have my quiet time and write. A series of thoughts crossed my mind “how I am supposed to start my day off on the right foot when I can’t have my quiet time?  My mind raced as the thoughts ballooned from there.  Can you relate?  

My spirit spoke “how many times do you actually get to have this extra bit of time with Niko?” 

Yes my apple cart might have gotten upset, but it’s only one morning. When my son called for me to come and sit with him, I closed my Bible and enjoyed the extra time I with him.  I have often said that I wish I didn’t have to work a full time job so I can spend more time with Nikolas. God gave me that time with Nikolas. It was our special time in the quietness of the morning hours.

The “tree” of my life is full of answered prayer for my son. God gave us the desire of our heart when Nikolas became a part of our family.  He has brought us such joy and life and I cherish each moment God gives me with him.

Wisdom speaks... are you listening?

Proverbs 8: 6 (NIV) “Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.”

Proverbs 8 calls us to listen to Godly wisdom and make right choices rather than ones that would lead us astray. One example I’d like to share is from my own personal life. After a small group Bible study one night, a couple and I were talking about the possibility of me developing a website for her business. We setup a meeting for the upcoming Sunday during our second service to talk about what she wanted on the website. It was a great start. Once the discussion was over and meeting was set, we all went our separate ways to prepare for Sunday’s meeting.

It was on the drive home that this incredible uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach came over me. Have you ever had that happen to you? That “gut” feeling when you know something is not right? I couldn’t get the conversation with the couple off my mind. I began to pray about the nights events and as I prayed the story of Jesus at the temple throwing out those who were buying and selling things for profit came to mind immediately followed by the scripture “My house will be called a house of prayer.” (Matthew 11:17)

I knew right then and there what I had to do. I resolved to call the couple the next morning and change the meeting to a different location. I felt much better once I did. Wisdom speaks, it’s up to us to listen and act on what we hear.

What does God see when He looks down at you?

I am so thankful that God’s grace and mercy allowed me to get out of bed this morning. As I sat down to read Psalm 14, I couldn’t help but be reminded of His great mercy when I read verses 2 & 3:

(NIV) “The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned side, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

No one on this earth is perfect. Not one. When God created us, He created us to be in relationship with Him. Adam and Eve were given an entire garden to live in and walk with God. BUT, everything changed when they made the decision to disobey Him. There was a penalty that had be paid and the wages, death (Romans 6:23). So who should die? God set in motion his plan of salvation. He still wanted a relationship with His children so He sent His only Son as a ransom for all (John 3:16).

We are invited to come to Christ all battered and bruised with the junk this world throws at us. We give Him our “hurts” and ask Him to begin the healing process in our lives. As we begin to trust Christ with our “stuff” we turn more and more of ourselves over to Him. The relationship begins to blossom. The closer our walk with Christ becomes, it’s important not to take it for granted. We must always be searching our hearts and minds and constantly be in prayer and His word or Satan will find a way to gain a foothold in the way we think.

When we are closer to Christ, Satan has to work harder to trip us up; but sin is Satan’s specialty. Satan can plant a seed of doubt and make it grow quicker than the blink of an eye. Don’t fall for it. Stay grounded in Christ. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your path straight (Proverbs 3:6).