Turns Out I'm Not a Nag After All

Any of you friends out there ever been accused of being a nag?  Me either.

What?  You don't believe me?  Who've you been talking to?

OK, I'll admit I think maybe once or twice my husband and/or my kids have told me I have been given to reminding (excessive) from time to time.  But I really don't think it's my fault.  You see, I have a theory.  If they just do what I want, when I ask them to or by the time I ask them to....there's no need to nag.  Can I get an Amen?  Seems pretty straightforward to me.

As I read through the Bible this year, I have discovered something about God.  Nagging doesn't bother Him.  He calls it persistence.  And He's looking for it on the Earth.  Check out this passage:

Luke 18:1-8
The Story of the Persistent Widow

18 ^1-3 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

^4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”
^6-8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for (rescue) his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

I think the wicked judge would consider the widow a nag. She wouldn't quit.  She knew she was being violated and was done putting up with that!  She wanted to be treated fairly, at the very least, like a person created in God's image deserves to be treated.  (We all deserve that.)  She went to the highest authority she knew for rescue.

As I read these words, I thought of some friends of mine. Friends who are needing rescue.  Friends who may have grown weary of asking for help.  The promises in verses 6-8 excited me and I began praying these words and promises on their behalf and I secretly pledge to continue until they are free. Look at it again.

"So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for (rescue) his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"

Did you see it?  God says nagging is ok.  Can I go so far as to say He's looking for nags?  Ahem, those with persistent faith.  Those who don't stop asking when the answer doesn't seem to be on the horizon.  Jesus invites us to keep asking. 

1 Thess 5:16-18
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 

You may not want to nag, and you might be tired of asking, but hear me say to you today - don't give up!  Jesus says to ask.  You've got permission to revisit the issue.  Often.   He says He's looking for 'that kind of persistent faith'.  He digs it.  It shows Him that we know who to turn to to meet our needs (faith).  He finds in our prayers that we trust Him more than man.  And He says He will step in and rescue His people, those who continue to cry out for help.  I've been that person many times.  Is it you right now?

If you need rescue from whatever is a violation to you, ask and keep asking.  Persistent faith is persistent believing.  (And it sounds so much better than nagging.) While you're asking, don't forget to give thanks in advance for your Rescuer who hears and is on the way!  

Bonus gift for reading this entire post-----a song for your ipod or go buy the CD.  This is A song that sums it all up and puts an exclamation point on it!  In case you don't remember my great appreciation for this band, you can read about it  here.

P.S. This was the opening song that night and it was AWESOME live!

The Kind of Love I'm Looking For

How are you feeling today, my friend? 

I wonder if you find yourself in the camp of not being a real fan of today's Hallmark Holiday.  Does it magnify what you might conisder lack or longing in your life?  It can be harsh to stomach how those in love gush their giddyness.  You wonder when it's your turn.

Well, that's why I'm writing to you today. Today's the day.  It's your turn right now.  Here's the good news:

There is only one Love that is lasting.

Only one Love that never fails.

Only one Love that is eternal.

Only one Love that forgives.

Only one Love that forgets.

Only one Love that is unconditional.

Only one Love that satisfies fully.

Surely you know that man and woman love fails.  Remember that.

It is situational.

It is conditional.

It is fickle.

It is imperfect. 

It only fulfills to a point.

So here's your gift.  The real gift of Love.....Jesus, Lover of your soul.  

Don't minimize or dismiss it because you can't "see" Him.

He sees YOU.  He loves YOU.  He wants YOU.  He gave His life for you.  He forgives you.  He will never turn away from YOU.  He will always wait for YOU.  He will never leave YOU.

He is positioned before you with open arms, kind eyes, and a child-like 'I-love-you-so-much-I-can't-wait-to-show-you" kind of grin.  Maybe He's wearing red.

Receive the gift today that has your name on it. 

I wanted to type out a few "love" verses from the Bible for you but it's impossible!  I looked in the back of my Bible to find just the right one(s).  How can I choose?  I think it's best if you see for yourself.   If you're lonely today or wanting or wondering if what you've already read is true and for you....find a Bible, turn to the back (concordance) and look up Love.  You'll soon see that Love is the main theme of God's Book.  The story He is writing for all mankind.  For you and for me.  I hope it makes you smile.  You aren't the only one longing.  I'm right there with you.  We all are if we're honest.

In fact, I'm so tickled pink with this list that I plan to spend some minutes today soaking these words in right along with you. 

Take that, Valentine's Day.  And take this too - we get to celebrate and lose ourselves in this Love everyday of the year!  Not just this one. 

May I add one more thought?  Don't wait around today to be shown love, human love, today...instead spend your energy pouring out the love inside that you have for others. Giving is always more rewarding.

Girlfriend, Be Loved today and everyday!

For All the Moms Out There Trying to Get it Right

To my fellow mom friends....

I'm thinking about you (us) today.  Have you noticed we are bombarded with messages, information and advice on how to do just about anything regarding parenting? When I was a young mom (or shall I say mom of young kids) I desperately sought parenting advice from as many sources as were available to me.  This is both good and bad.  Good when I come upon an idea that resonated and was relatively easy to put into practice but bad when I became paralyzed with too much information.  I think when this happens we typically implement few ideas and end up parenting  by the seat of our pants rather than being on the offense.

So, if you're in that camp I have a little encouragement for you today.  I came across just one little idea that should be relatively easy to make happen in our homes.

"The best thing you can do to love your kids is create a haven home where they are wildly enthusiastic about coming home every day." M. DeMuth

I just love that.  I know I love coming home at the end of a busy day but it may be for different reasons.  Not too many kids or teens are eager to hit the couch with a hot drink and a book.  But there are fun ways to make it a haven for them too.

I can testify that this works!  For example, sometimes the menu at our house can get sort of humdrum, same old same old if you know what I mean.  Recently I heard this from a college kid - that his mom's cooking is what makes him want to come home (often) and bring his friends.  So when I went grocery shopping yesterday, I ignored my dominating "mom's eating light so we are ALL eating light" tendencies and got some things that my kids love, things that scream 'home cooking comfort food' or as my husband would say 'I know my wife loves me' food.  After all, child #2 is going to leave home in a few months.  I need to draw him back occassionally.  I am not above bribery.

Try it and see.  Be creative.  It doesn't have to be about food.  It's the little things you know.  And take yourself off the hook from having to do everything right all the time.  (Preaching to myself here.)

Tonight's menu:  Fettuccine Alfredo and Grilled Chicken.  Maybe I'll even make my homemade rolls that they contend I only make for company.  I resent that!

Tomorrow's the Day....Are You Participating?

Some of you who have known me for a few years know that I'm always looking forward to the next celebration on the calendar.  I really love them all, especially the sacred ones.  As followers of Jesus, we have so much to celebrate.  I'm always struck by this when reading through the Old Testament and noting how often God's people dropped everything and celebrated God and His goodness to them - often for days at a time. (Abraham halted his journey and built many an altar, later they often feasted for 7 days, and more!)  I'd like some of that party action! 

Easter is the major holiday on the calendar.  It's early this year and would have caught me by surprise had I not been looking forward to it.  You may be thinking - it's not til the end of March - more than six weeks away, isn't it a little early?  True, but what about the days leading up to the big day?   In my opinion, this doesn't get as much attention as I think it deserves.  Of course, we may buy new Easter dresses (and bonnets if we're cool) or shop for baskets and bunnies, but could we be missing something much more meaningful?  We do so much to prepare for Christmas worship (read Advent devotionals, listen to sacred songs, meditate on the birth of Christ in Luke 2, etc.) but we don't hear too much about preparing the heart for Easter.

You rarely hear this time of year referred to as the Easter season.  It can sneak up on us if we're not careful.  We can just be going along and then one day it's Palm Sunday.  A few days later we might attend a Good Friday service and suddenly it's Easter Sunday.  We get dressed up, sing "Up from the grave He arose" at church, hear a sermon about the empty tomb and then go home and eat ham with our families. Then it's over.  That's it.

A few years ago, I realized that's just not enough for me.  We are talking about the gift of the life, death, burial and resurrection from death to life of Jesus Christ on my behalf and that of the whole world?  Salvation from sins, eternal life and a purpose for living here on Earth purchased and offered to all who believe?  Kind of a big deal. The cornerstone of our faith.  For without Jesus' resurrection, our faith is worthless. (1 Cor. 15:14)

So I  began asking God about it.  How can we as a family intentionally prepare our hearts to give God His due for such an amazing gift?  More than just a day's worth. What would He like our Easter worship to look like?  It started out by marking the forty days prior to Easter Sunday with fasting of some sort.  Not as a work, mind you, but as an act of worship - a time set aside to ponder and appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made.  It seems to me that Christmas is a time of abundance - we buy many gifts, we party and we eat (too much) "holiday food" because we are in the party mood - we are celebrating the most important baby of all time and that's a good thing.

But what about Easter/Resurrection Sunday?  Since we are recognizing suffering and death, it feels right to deny self.  In America, you don't hear much about denying self, but it is a very Biblical approach to life and worship and it can be life changing.You see, the thing about fasting is that you choose something you think you can't live without.  It's got to hurt or you won't get the full effect and longing fasting is meant to produce.  My experience is that a food item(s) is the most Biblical and the most challenging because we want that thing so much and we think about it all the time.  So what happens is that everytime we want that thing, we turn our desire into a prayer.  I pray, "Lord, I want you more than that coffee, chocolate, bread, fried food, etc.  Fill me with you!"  You find out really quickly  how much you are preoccupied with food.  A good exercise in making sure our God is not our stomach. (Phil. 3:19)

This year when our family met to discuss what our individual offering will be, we kind of broke it down into 3 categories to choose from:

1. Fast from something you will really really miss (it's got to hurt)
2. Add a discipline (ex. memorize Scripture or pray 3x a day).
3. Focus on a character trait that you know you need to work on - and back it up with a verse and prayer for God's help.

I love so much about pre-Easter fasting. I could talk about it for hours!! I love exercising my spiritual discipline muscles that can be quite lax the rest of the year.  I love being preoccupied with Jesus!  Seriously, He takes over every time my mind goes to food - and that is more than I care to admit.  I also love spending time reading the Gospels and imagining the three years Jesus walked this Earth.

Each year this practice evolves into something more stretching and thus more meaningful.  By the time Easter Sunday arrives, we are bursting with excitement!  The celebration becomes so much more intense.  What's really fun is that shortly after Easter and we've celebrated - He gives me a glimpse into what He may have in mind for the next year.  Last year, the day after Easter, I knew that it wouldn't be a fast in 2013.  (see end of post)

The other day I read what one of my favorite authors, Margaret Feinberg posted on facebook and I screamed "How does she know exactly what I'm thinking!!!?"  Check it out:

"As many of you know, I’ve fallen in love with the 40 days before Easter. For me, it’s more than a set of dates on the church calendar—it’s a season to passionately pursue God and live wide-eyed to the wonder of who He is.

I don’t stumble into this without much thought and prayer. With Easter’s arrival, I begin prayerfully considering how to approach this season the following year. I pray, “God, what are you calling me to?”, “God, how can I set aside this time to seek you?”, “God, where are you calling me to transformation—to become more like you?”" (italics mine)

YES YES YES!  Does that get your blood pumping like it does mine?  I'd like to ask you to join me in a passionate pursuit of God before Easter this year.  A 40 Day Adventure.  I promise if you make this effort, your Easter will be so much more lengthy and meaningful.  You will grow closer to God.  He will captivate your attention perhaps as at no other time of year.  And most importantly, HE will be glorified in it.

After many seasons of fasting, my preparation is taking a turn this year.  God has been nagging me about this for some time and I'm ashamed to admit my continued resistance.  But now I'm motivated.  Unless He indicates something else, I'm going to focus on memorizing the Beatitudes. I can't wait for His Word to soak deep into my mind and heart.  To change me.  So tomorrow marks the forty days before Easter.  Why not ask God those questions above and be ready to embark when the day comes?  If He's in it, He will show you what He has in mind for you. 

Need a little more incentive?  I can't remember where I read or heard this, but love it....

"I heard it called spiritual housekeeping:  Praying (drawing close to God), fasting (denying self for a spiritual purpose) and giving (to the poor what we no longer need). What an intentional way to begin preparing to celebrate Easter, to lengthen and give honor for a season the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the foundation of our faith."  

Participating in these disciplines in private makes the public celebration on Easter Sunday so much more powerful and motivating for our "rest of the year living", remembering what was given and suffered and secured for us.  What do you say?  Join me?  Let's keep each other accountable and enjoy the journey together.  Send me a message if you're "in" and what you will  be doing?

P.S. invite the whole family to join you.  Kids and all.  It's so much more wonderful to do together!

Part 3 One Woman's Pursuit of the Perfect Climate

Good morning!  Here we are 3 days in a row.  I hope you are enjoying this time as much as I am.  I wish we could be face to face over a cup of coffee discussing all these good things of God, but this is good too.

Parts 1 and 2 are further down on the blog.  Please feel free to review.  Today we wrap up.

3.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

When I read this, the first thing that comes to mind is the opposite of filled. Empty.  I have felt empty too many times and it's not pretty.  It gets worse when I try to fill the empty space with lesser things.  Less than God.

  
We fall into this trap when we fail to hunger and thirst for righteousness above all else.  We have to realize that these are verbs - action words.  There are so many things we can hunger and thirst for that are truly lesser things and ultimately  not worth it.  Things like man's approval, career success, pleasures of this world, perfection, and many more...you fill in the blanks.

The question becomes, "What do I want most - what I'm in hot pursuit of?"  As I look back over my life since giving it to Jesus, I see that at times I have chased more after the stuff of this world and what I thought it would give me instead of a pure pursuit of God.  I liked God a lot and wanted Him a part of my life, but it wasn't what I would call an obsession.  That's a fun word.  I am obsessed with lots of things: my children's laughter, my husband's love, spending time with good friends and family, Christmas, snow, etc.  But when it comes right down to it, am I obsessed with God?

As we launch into February, I'm well into the first books of the Old Testament and there is a common theme - God wants us to consider Him first, obey His commands, be obssessed with everything about Him.  And when we are....we are blessed. His plan has always been to set apart a people to call His own.  I love being in that category.  He deserves my first allegiance.

Psalm 42:2, Psalm 63:1 and Psalm 143:6 share this theme: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?” and “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”   

Does this describe your heart’s deepest longing?  Or have you fallen for the counterfeits that our enemy has placed before us?  Like me, have you gone through stages where you don't even think about God throughout your day?  Maybe you give Him a few minutes in the morning for prayer and Bible reading and quick mealtime prayers, but go to bed wondering if you missed His presence all day?  It doesn't have to be this way.

Indicator on my internal thermometer:  As I go through my day, what reminds me of His presence?  Do I detect when He’s put someone or something in my path simply to delight me?  Can I see it in nature, the weather, someone’s face or remarks, a provision I wasn’t expecting, a favorite song on the radio,etc.?  What am I in pursuit of?  What do I want more than anything else?  Am I preoccupied with thoughs of Him?

 Pray that God will make you aware.  Pray that God will give you the “want to”.  First recognize then reject anything that comes in the way of this intimacy you should be feeling toward your Savior.  Time with Him really should be our favorite time of day, not to mention a non-negotiable because as we mature in our faith we recognize we can do nothing without the indwelling and power of the Holy Spirit.  You only get this when you spend sufficient time with Him getting to know Him through His Word.   

Also through spending lengths of time talking life through with Him – and taking the disciplined time to wait to hear Him. There is no other way to mature spiritually. THAT is hungering and thirsting for righteousness.  And true satisfaction comes from doing it wholeheartedly, devotedly, enthusiastically from the inside out. 

In conclusion, our verses in Matthew tell us how to live a blessed life.  REPEAT AFTER ME… (blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness).

Girlfriends, isn’t that what we want? The blessed life. Being filled with all the good stuff of God.  When we are we become contagious!  Any outsider looking into our lives will be able to see that what we have is something they want.  God!  

Ok, let’s check our temperature.  We use the analogy to keep temp, but then we have to make a decision about it.  How intimate are you with Jesus today?

Are you COLD?  Is there a little chill?

-          Do you allow sin and sinful tendencies to reside in your heart, brushing them off as “little sins”, being justified by comparing yourself to someone who is much worse in your eyes or are you “not that bad”?

-          Are you preoccupied with self?  Do you seek personal comfort and happiness in every waking moment, not considering others until after your needs are met?  

-          Have you allowed counterfeit gods to take residence in your life and heart?  Would you rather spend time with friends/family, go shopping, eat indulgently or something else instead of pursuing God’s righteousness through a strong devotional life? 

OR are you HOT?    

-           You are in tune to your sin tendencies.   You mourn over and quickly confess to and repent over every offense God brings to your attention because you are genuinely broken.

-          You intentionally put others before yourself.  You are teachable and humble in the way you respond to difficult people/situations not having to have your own way.

-          You passionately pursue your personal time with God.  You want Him more than you want someone or something else.  Meeting with Him is not occasional - you can't live without it!

Let’s not be like the frog in the pot of water, not noticing changes around us until we are boiled to death by our enemy.  Let’s have an acute sense of the intimacy level in our relationship w/Jesus at all times.  

 I pray for you and for me that we will have HOT, passionate hearts for God.  That we will live blessed lives in God’s economy being aware of the temperature changes of our hearts – and dealing with them immediately!   
We will be comforted (have peace), we will inherit all that matters (a purpose filled life serving others) and we will be filled with a God-filled life.  That is the perfect climate!  Be blessed.

Part 2 One Woman's Pursuit of the Perfect Climate

Good morning!  Thanks for joining me again.  How's the temp at your place today?  Another artic day here, but warm inside.  Here's the continuation of yesterday's post just as promised.  If you missed it, you can read part 1 here.

Here's our passage again.  Matt. 5:4-6

   2.  “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth.”  

 The scope of this powerful word goes from unpretentiousness to freedom from pride.  Meekness is NOT timidity, weakness or shyness.  Meekness is clearly not thinking too highly of ourselves.  But it is not thinking less of ourselves; it is thinking of ourselves less. Did you catch that?  It's thinking of ourselves less often.  Instead, meekness focuses on the needs/attention of others.

I think we all know how God feels about pride.  He hates it.  He resists it.  Therefore, when I give in to pride, God resists me.  I don’t want God to have to resist me.  I want Him to find me irresistible.  This means, I must seek humility in my life.  Meekness builds on humility.

Living meekly looks like this:

•  Pretension turns to authenticity (when will we stop pretending to be church ladies who’ve figured it all out and instead admit our need to be taught?);
• Vengeance transforms to self-control (can we get to the place where we say “God, you knew this person was going to hurt me – I leave it in your hands?”);
• Impatient anger becomes strong gentleness (can I settle down and wait for a better solution than anger?)

In Chip Ingram’s book God As He Longs For You To See Him Chip says, “What difference would it make if you firmly believed that the problem in your life that is most pressing and difficult – the one you don’t understand, that you chafe against, that makes you feel overwhelmed and ready to give up – was allowed and orchestrated by an all-wise loving Father?  What if everything in your life was part of a wise plan?”   

JI Packer says, “All that comes my way is from the hand of a good and loving God, who, knowing all things actual and possible, is exerting His unlimited power to execute the best possible outcomes, by the best possible means, to fulfill the highest possible purposes for me.”  A meek person understands this!

How do I get there?  By seeking to look at things from God's perspective, praying for the ability to “see others” and what is important to them and not look at life through the lens of self. (How does this affect me?  How do I position myself to get my needs/wants met first?)

Have you noticed we are living in the “ME” generation?  We need to rehear phrases like “It’s a ME day!”  I understand the value of taking care of self so that we have something to offer those we care for, but come on!  If it really is all about God, how can it ever be about me?  This attitude couldn’t be more anti-scriptural or anti-meek.  Remember our definition of meekness is “not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less.”  1 Cor. 10:24 says, “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”

And if we don’t tackle this issue, we will pass it right down to our kids.  Ipods, texting, laptops – all scream “it’s all about me”.  Are you training your kids to think of themselves less and others more or self-gratification first? Have you set boundaries for use of phones and electronics?  Especially while in public? What about intentionally raise them the opposite, to live counterculturally (Romans 12:1,2)? They won't come upon it naturally any more than we will.  In our natural state, we are preoccupied with self to the exclusion of others.  This training/discipline starts with us.  When we do this, we will possess everything that matters.

 Indicator on my internal thermometer:  Ask, “Am I preoccupied with myself?”  "When was the last time I put someone else's desires first and the expense of my own?"  "When was the last time I accepted humbly a difficulty/difficult person into my life, not taking matters into my angry, self-protective hands?"

To be honest, I am the most self-centered person I've ever met.   I know what I want and when I want it (usuallly now).  I know I’m self-driven and I discuss this with God daily, asking Him to forgive me and help me to get it out of my life.  I do not want to just live day to day doing everything possible to ensure my own comfort and happiness.

Once again, God's got it all written down for us....check out Phillippians 2:3-11 (Jesus' example) 

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Just the idea that God wants us to be like Jesus and helps us take on His characteristics is so amazing.  His desire is always for us to be growing and changing.  I love that.  What a good lesson on how to keep our spiritual temperature from spiking and dipping, don't you think?

One more to go....come back tomorrow for #3?

Is it cold in here or is it just me? One woman's pursuit of the perfect climate. Part 1

It's a beautiful cold winter day here today which makes me very thankful for heated buildings.  However, I can become preoccupied with the temperature in our home no matter what the season.  In the summer I like to have a cool house to escape the brutal humidity outside.  In the winter, a warm and comfy house is priority.  I was describing this to a friend once and he said, "So in essence you are always looking for the perfect climate."  Well, when you put it that way.....I sound a little spoiled.  Not cool.

The truth is, I think I've achieved it.  I can be going along in my daily activiites and suddenly think, "it's kind of cold in here" and immediately I hear the 'click' of the thermostat and boom, the heat comes on.  Same thing in the summer, "is it hot in here?" I might ask and immediately I hear 'click' and the air comes on.  I'm not exaggerating when I use the word immediately.  I am in tune with the climate in this house.  Maybe it's my super power. 

 As I was considering this, a deeper and much more meaningful thought came to mind.  Am I this in tune to my spiritual temperature/condition?  Is it possible to be that aware?   

Can I immediately sense when I’m not as close to Jesus as I had been moments before or in my quiet time that morning?  Are there any indicators that send off alarms within my spirit? 
  
If there are, how quickly do I tend to it?  As quickly as I adjust the thermostat in my home/car to ensure my ultimate comfort?

I asked God about it and knew He was leading me to His Word, the Bible, for the answer, which is yes, of course this is a spiritual issue.

I spent some time in the beatitudes, Matthew 5:4-6 and found three concepts that can be indicators to the temperature of my spiritual condition.  Three things to be constantly aware of and questions to frequently quiz myself with.  Here they are...check it out for yourself.

 

1.  "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

 Are we talking here about mourning over a loss or death or could it be over our sin?

Does a siren go off in my heart when sin crosses the radar, every time I commit it?  Do I grieve over my sin?  Do I feel any sorrow or anguish for having displeased God?  Or do I brush it off as some little thing, expected because I can't be perfect.

One of my favorite missionaries (favorite because her life has had the most impact on who I want to be when I grow up), said once, “God will not wink at our sin.  He is holy and expects us to pursue holiness.  If you’re not aware of your sinful pettiness, you’re not on first base to getting close to Him.  We soften guilt to such a mush that it hardly exists unless we get caught."  That certainly packs a punch and is true.  I don't want to minimize my sin and how God feels about it.

I think it's important to regularly ask God what He sees down deep in our hearts and what's at the surface.  I regularly pray David’s prayer of “Search me, O God and know my heart.  See if there is any wicked way in me" and from a song, “search my soul with a fine toothed comb” and “show me if there’s any area in my life that displeases you, keeps me from your presence or isn’t under your authority”.  I even add, "don't let me get away with any little sins that could grow into big sins."

God orchestrates everything to bring us closer to Him. Even revealing the darkest parts of our inner being.  We need to not be afraid of this, but we do need to respond.  Part of growing in our faith is confessing our sins and agreeing with God at how offensive they are to Him and sometimes to others. 

This is not negative message or meant to inflict guilt.  Confession and forgiveness bring freedom – and that’s where we want to live, isn’t it?  This is a positive passage!  When we do this, He not only forgives (1John 1:9), but He comforts us and gives us a fresh start.  It pleases Him!  And we grow.  The verse says, blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Jesus brings the comfort WHEN we confess.  If you’re at war within yourself – perhaps there is something that’s gone unconfessed.

Indicator on thermometer:  How detailed and often are my confessions?  Do I just occasionally throw up a “forgive me of my sins” prayer?  Or do I spell out the offenses because they are equally grievous to me?  We can’t repent of something vague and unspecified.  In order to turn from it specifically, we have to name it.  

Then the promise from God, I will be comforted and blessed.  I want that.  Do you?  So thankful today for forgiveness.

To be continued.....2 more to come