Am I Consistent?

“You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe, then you know you are out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.” (Romans 14:22-23; MSG)

This topic is on my heart tonight. It’s been on my heart more than usual recently, and certainly is on my list of things for self-examination this Lent. Especially as I write these devotionals and publish them in a public forum, I must ask myself, “Do people in my inner circle see behaviors, actions and attitudes in my life that reflect what I claim to believe?” ¹

Tough question.

I find the thing I’m grappling the most with right now to be selfishness. It’s so very easy to explain away a lot of my selfishness. I do give a lot of time and energy to people and things outside of myself. Some people even tell me they consider me selfless. But I know in my heart that I still could do better. Isn’t that always my battle, though? Constantly striving to be a better version of myself?

Perhaps the reason for the nag on my heart about being selfish is connected to a recent event in which I acted out of selfishness. Perhaps it is a recent event where self-will dominated, not God-will. Perhaps I’m simply feeling over-sensitive given some recent emotional events.

Perhaps God is letting me know it’s time again for growth.

Often when I feel something so heavily on my heart it is a good indicator both that my behavior requires some examination and also that it’s time to grow a little stronger in that area. Where am I selfish? Why do I feel the need to be selfish in that situation? What can I do to change the behavior? Am I lacking firm boundaries? What is the nature of the relationship in which I feel selfish? Is it healthy?

Of the many little cards and notes of prayers, inspirational sayings and scripture I have around my home, one says, “Lord, I want to be more like you. May I see where changes are necessary, and trust you for the help I need.”

Sometimes when my eyes pass over this card I find myself unwilling to read through it because I know it can mean hard evaluation and difficult change.

Following Jesus is not a calling to take lightly. Constantly striving to be more like him means constantly fighting my human nature. I am not naturally selfless; by nature I am selfish. And in my selfish nature I can end up withholding love from those who need it, wasting gifts God so graciously gave me, and hiding my light under a bucket.² I don’t want to be that girl.

My prayer today – as I suck in my breath, preparing for hard work ahead – is that God reveal to me where I am selfish and that I trust him to help me make a change. No excuses. I also pray that God grant me the ability to have grace and patience with myself, as I am human and therefore often prone to falling short of my expectations.

Amen! =D

¹ “Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by your integrity.” (1 Timothy 4:12; MSG)

“Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.” (James 3:13; MSG)

² “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? Shine!” (Matthew 5:14-16; MSG, para.)

This verse appears in an earlier reflection as well.

Spiritual or Worldly?

"The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. Spirit can be known only by spirit - God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion."  
(1 Corinthians 2:14; MSG)

In my limited experience from this corner of society, on the whole we are not concerned with spiritual matters. We are materialistic consumers who want what we want and we want it now. We are on the go, always busy, not getting enough sleep, not eating right, not spending enough time nurturing ourselves. Go, go, go; work, work, work; do, do, do; spend, spend, spend. We compete for status, trying to keep up with the Jones's possessions, job titles, social circles, piety. Sometimes we compete with the non-conformists, trying to prove that we can conform the least and therefore better than the others.

Even churches and places of worship compete in this world for which denomination (or lack thereof) best exemplifies what it means to be Christian or who lives out the Bible as precisely as possible regardless of inconsistencies. The true meaning of what we claim to believe and follow gets lost and trampled underneath arguments, discord and rivalry.

It is impossible, when wrapped up in all these things, truly to be spiritual. How can I expect to connect openly with God if I'm placing all these other things before him?1 How can I receive what he is so ready and willing to give if I'm too busy trying to get things in this world?2

There is a movement taking place, though, which is pushing more toward the spiritual side of life. Right now it manifests itself in various forms other than religious. A few examples are: Nutrition & fitness self-care, a grassroots effort to move people to healthier eating and living while also taking better care of our God-given planet; Random acts of kindness as a steady trend with an upward swing showing our desire to love our neighbor and make the world a better place; Working for freedom of the expression of love among each other and the different ways that may look in order that we might find harmony.

People yearn for more. We're ready to move out of the desert and stop going in circles around the mountain.3 We are hungry for the spiritual, although it still may seem too taboo among some social groups to admit it. So we move about the undercurrent of acceptable forms of spiritual living, at times completely unaware that what we are doing is exactly that for which God hopes - moving closer to him as we open to our own spirit and in doing so open to God's Spirit. Then, living, breathing and moving together in communion with him, we find our gifts from God.

My prayer today is that I remain focused, not allowing the things of this world to jockey for position with God. In the moments that worry, fear or anything else seek to distract me, I pray for God's wisdom to guide me in righting myself that I may remain open - my spirit and God's Spirit in communion - living and using my gifts to the glory of the Lord.

Amen! =D





1-"Be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:6-8; NLT)
2-"So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give." 
(Hebrews 4:16; MSG)
"What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving." (Matthew 6:31; MSG)
3-"Then we turned around and went back into the wilderness. We worked our way in and around the hills for a long, long time. Then God said, "You've been going around in circles in these hills long enough."
(Deuteronomy 2:1-3; MSG para.)

Because I Said So

Zechariah 10:7

“I know their pain and will make them good as new.  They’ll get a fresh start, as if nothing ever happened.  And why?  Because I am their very own God, I’ll do what needs to be done for them.”  (MSG)

I used to live in a world of darkness and pain.  It eventually became easier to believe that I was defective in a way that could not be healed than to try method after treatment after long-shot, losing hope with each failed attempt that I would ever find a way out of the dark. 

Plenty of those bleak years I spent yelling at God, cursing God, blaming God.  He created me, he made my life, therefore he was responsible for my pain.  After the first major shift in my universe when I stopped moving away from him and began my journey moving toward him, more often than not my simple plea was a weak, “God, help me, please.”

I had gotten to the point, however, that I didn’t even believe I deserved to be healed.  I had decided that I was being punished, that I somehow deserved my darkness and the aching of my soul.  So I didn’t really believe God would heal me, I just desperately wanted him to ease my pain. 

I rarely considered God’s purpose in all of it.  Toward the end of my depression I was so utterly lost that I couldn’t summon up any kind of purpose for my life and everything I had been through.  I knew God had his reasons and I wanted to trust in his plan, but I was tired.  I was so tired.

Today, as I sit and think about how life was then, I stop, as I often do, and simply say, “God, thank you for my life.” 

He brought me out of the darkness.  When it was time, when I was ready for whatever he had in store for me, he reached into the depths of my soul and not only eased my pain, but healed it.  I was, indeed, made new.  And I returned to my life to find myself in a position to make a fresh start.

God will do what needs to be done for me, but it’s up to me to trust that he has the plans for the architecture of this life.  It is not for me to understand, and while he may grace me with revelations, I must be content in not always knowing why things happen.

A line from a morning prayer I wrote reads: “May I always remember that you have the top of the puzzle box and trust that each piece you place next is chosen at that time for a reason or reasons which may remain unknown to me.”

I don’t ask why very much anymore.  Coming into my new life, that was one of many huge changes.  I no longer sat in the dark and cried, “Why, God?”  But if I look at this verse and follow its, “Why?” then I see the answer plain and simple.

So if I find myself tempted to ask God, “Why?” about something, I pray that I can remember the answer as he said it through Zechariah:

“Because I am [your] very own God, I’ll do what needs to be done for [you].”  (Zech 10:7b, MSG)

Trust me.  I’ve got things under control.  --God

Amen!  :D

Did I Remember to Pack That?

1 Peter 1:18a**

“Your life is a journey you must travel with deep consciousness of God.” (1 Pet. 1:18a MSG)

The messages that I am receiving lately are all very much about developing an awareness of and a deeper relationship with God.  I am coming into the understanding that my life will never feel fulfilled without these things.  It is when I drift away – when I lose consciousness – that, in my disconnect, I find myself in discord, prone to confusion, chaos, discontentment, anxiety and fear.

When life seems to get really difficult is precisely when I should stop what I am doing and devote time to getting back to God.  When God gets out of focus, life gets blurry.  I have to make the time to clean my lens and make the appropriate adjustments so I can see clearly before trying to move forward.  What blows my mind is how long it takes me to do this, even when I know how much better it will make everything. 

No, my problems don’t disappear when I reawaken myself to the presence of God.  What changes is how the world around me affects me.  The reason it is said that God’s peace passes all understanding is because it does.  There is no human understanding of the magnitude of God’s peace.

While over and over it is reinforced that we are Loved and that God’s desire is for our joy and to provide us with all we need, it is also said a number of times that there will be suffering.  (It’s in a lot of places in the bible, but you can also find all of it in John 15.)  To have joy does not mean to be without suffering.  What makes all the difference is how I define suffering and how I let suffering define me.

As with many words, suffering has several variations of a similar definition tied to it.  From Merriam-Webster: Suffer – 1)To submit to or be forced to endure; 2) undergo, experience; 3) to put up with, especially as inevitable or unavoidable; 4) to allow, especially by reason of indifference.

It is such a common thing automatically to think of suffering as a negative, painful and unpleasant thing.  It can just as easily be seen as simply another experience.  God said there will be suffering meaning, life isn’t easy.  Stuff happens. 

But suffering does not cancel out joy, and in developing an awareness of God, cultivating a relationship and being deeply conscious of him I can find joy in my life here on earth regardless of my circumstances.  This is how many of the great masters across several religions and philosophies were able to maintain peaceful lives.  This is at the heart of the Way, the Truth and the Light.  This is where it all begins: Deep Consciousness of God.

Dear Lord, even when times are tough, keep me from losing consciousness.  Help me to fully experience life here by living in you, in your love, with your peace and joy through all the hills and valleys of my journey. 

Amen!  :D

**In The Message, this scripture is at the beginning of verse 18.  In my checking against other versions of the bible, comparable language falls at the end of verse 17.  Ever want to check out other translations of the bible without having to buy them?  BibleGateway.com has 30 different English translations as well as translations in many other languages.

Act Accordingly

Romans 14:22-23

“You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. ... If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.”  (Rom. 14:22b, 23b; MSG)

Not too long ago a friend of mine and I were having a discussion about God.  This friend is not a member of a church and does not ascribe to any particular set of beliefs.  Out of our conversation, the thing about which she felt strongest was seeing people all around who profess a faith, spout scripture on their Facebook walls and proudly claim belonging to a church, yet their lives are inconsistent with their declarations. 

I knew this was in no way directed at me, but it gave me pause.  Do I live what I believe?

I am human, I am fallible, there will be inconsistencies where my beliefs and actions don’t line up at times.  Those are times to be thankful that God doesn’t expect perfection.  Still, this does not take away from the fact that I should strive with all my effort to live up to my own beliefs, to live my faith.  The NIV poignantly puts it this way: “Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.” (Rom. 15:22b; NIV)  I read this with the meaning that what he approves is what he believes, therefore would condemn himself by not living by his beliefs.

I laid in bed this morning thinking about that conversation and asked myself, “If I never said a word about God, if I never shared the Good News, if I couldn’t speak, would it be evident that I’m living a life of Love? 

A lot of us know the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words.”  I love words.  I’m a wordy girl.  God definitely gave me the gift of language.  But language isn’t enough.  Because a few good words won’t feed the orphans, and a well-spoken sermon won’t keep the widows warm.  (See James 1:27)

“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.  Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.  Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.  And regardless of what else you put on, wear love.  It’s your basic, all-purpose garment.  Never be without it.”  (Coloss. 3:12-14; MSG)

May my actions speak louder than my words, may I do the work that God has given me to do, and may I always remember to check what I do against what I believe.

Amen!  :D

I Probably Ought to Get Spiked Shoes for This

Isaiah 2:3

“They’ll say, “Come, let’s climb God’s Mountain, go to the House of the God of Jacob.  He’ll show us the way he works so we can live the way we’re made.” (MSG – italics mine)

This was one of those open the bible randomly to a page & verse with prayerful hand moments.  I read Isaiah 2:1-5, but verse three is what stuck out to me the most. 

At first reading, the second half stuck out – that God will show us how he works so that we can live the way we’re made.  We can live the way we’re made.  And how are we made?

We are made in God’s image.  We are made of love.  We are made of light.

The problem – at least for me – is that it is so easy to get caught up in seeing how the world works that I forget to pay attention first and foremost to the way God works.  So I see what I think the world thinks.

I’m not good enough.  I have friends, but I still feel really alone.  I somehow often manage to do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, act the wrong way. 

Lies.  Lies the world tells me.  Lies the enemy sneaks into my thoughts.  If I listen to God, if I seek the truth, I hear that I am beautiful, that I am talented, that he loves me and has big plans for me!  So I need to pay attention to what God is doing so that I can see how he works and I can live the way I am made.

In order to do that, however, I must climb God’s Mountain.  And the way that translates to me today is that I have to lean on my trust in God and step out in faith to do that which he is calling me to do.  I must conquer any fear I may have, face the responsibilities he wants to bestow upon me, do the work he has asked me to do and climb that mountain. 

It will not be easy.  Climbing mountains of any kind is not easy.  There are many risks and dangers along the way.  Obstacles to overcome.  Which is where leaning on trust comes into play.  It is through trust in God that I will find confidence – confidence that should my foot slip and I start to tumble backward down his rocky crag, he will catch me and put me right back on my feet.  Confidence that, should I encounter an obstacle which feels far too large for me, God is always bigger and he’s got everything under control.

Thank God!

So here’s to stepping out in faith, to determination, to developing discipline to keep me on the path, to perseverance and to God’s gifts of mercy and grace.

“Come, let’s climb God’s Mountain, go to the House of the God of Jacob. He’ll show us the way he works so we can live the way we’re made.  Come, family of Jacob, let’s live in the light of God.” Isaiah 2:3, 5 (MSG)

He Knew You'd Click the Link

Psalm 139:13-16

“Body and soul, I am marvelously made!” Psalm 139:14b (MSG)

Oh, how amazing the difference in my attitude toward myself inside and out when I look in the mirror and gleefully say this verse out loud in praise to God!  In this joyful Psalm David shouts his praise to God for how wonderfully God has made him. 

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

you formed me in my mother’s womb. 

I thank you, High God – you’re breathtaking! 

Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 

I worship in adoration – what a creation! 

You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I’d even lived on day.” 

Psalm 139:13-16 (MSG)

This is a lovely bit of scripture on which I think it would be good to meditate daily.  It’s a great reminder not only of how God “marvelously” made me, but also of how he knows every single moment of every single day long before I ever encounter it.  He knew, for instance, that I would get to writing today’s meditation late because of the string of events – both good and bad – that happened this morning.  And he knew that after I worked through my emotions that I’d be in my usual spot on the couch in front of the laptop asking for inspiration while the sliding glass door was open to the screen so the kitties and I could enjoy the cool fall weather. 

I don’t want to take my moments for granted.  In that moment I spill coffee on my new shirt or that moment I ram my toe with great force into something hard and stationery, I want to smile because I know that God already knew it was going to happen and, somehow, it’s all part of a grander plan.  ...even if that part is God’s comic relief. 

Amen!  :D

He Ain't Lettin' Go

John 6:37

Near then end of my first week in treatment, a rather negative, opinionated girl came to join our community.  Fresh out of detox, she was sick as could be and the only words that came out of her mouth were complaints – usually littered with the “f-bomb” – about how awful she felt, about how much pain she was in, about how she didn’t want to be there, about how everyone was irritating her, about how she couldn’t get what she needed (*ahem* wanted).

Many of the other women in the community paid her no mind except to complain about her as she was always negative, always making our group late, and in general, just a miserable person to be around.  Another young, Spirit-filled lady and I pounced on her the first night we found her unhappy self slouched on the sidewalk by the clubhouse, wrapped in a flannel blanket, pale, shivering and sweaty, freezing and looking like death on a glorious, warm Florida evening. 

She was too sick to get away from us, and complaining or telling us to go away did her no good.  We raved about how life can get better, about the amazing things God could do, about how turning her attention and all the focus from all the bad stuff to something good, even if it was just the thought, “Today, I feel a little bit better than yesterday,” could make an incredible difference in how she entered and came through her recovery.

Queen of the “yeah, buts,” she slowly started asking questions, bringing up issues and ideas that kept her from wanting to believe in God or accept any kind of spirituality into her life.  Many of the other ladies started to see that there was something much more valuable in this young woman and came at her more from a caring mother/sister viewpoint rather than the irritated co-worker viewpoint.  My roommate took her under her wing like a child and all of us worked to show her the love she’d never had in her life. 

I’ll never forget the morning she got into the van and was as bright as the sun.  She’d figured it out, and was experiencing the newness of God’s joy.  That night she handed me a prayer she’d written about accepting Christ into her life and asked if I would find something just for her in the bible to read when we said the prayer together. 

I’m not sure why God worked it out the way he did – it’s not for me to understand – but we never got to pray that prayer.  God had me place her prayer in my bible next to the verse he’d picked just for her, but I never got to read it with her. 

Filled with this new joy and getting this new attention from the kind of people who before may never have given her the time of day, she got distracted.  She fell for one of the guys in treatment and he was good to her, which was also foreign, new and exciting.  The enemy, angry that she had thought about walking away from him reached in and grabbed her and took over just long enough to create a situation which resulted in her removal from the center. 

That night, as my roommate and I sat on our patio, praying for her, I opened my bible to where her prayer and my highlighted verse were.  The verse God had chosen clearly illustrated he knew it would be more for me than it would be for the young lady who wanted him in her life.  He knew we would never read it together, that it would be I coming back to it when I needed to hear it, to be comforted by it.  Because I knew more about the life she’d led, I had grown to love her like a part of my family, and now I watched her having been tossed back into the world unprepared.  I was worried and scared for her, understanding I may never know what happened to her.  But God pointed out to me that Jesus said,

“Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me.  And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go.” John 6:37 (MSG)

Amen.  :D

That Wasn't Thunder...

Luke 9:28-36

This passage is typically referred to as the Transfiguration of Jesus since his appearance changes while he is praying.  According to Luke, “at once” after his appearance changed, Moses and Elijah were there with him.  They likely shared wisdom, offering guidance and counsel as they talked over Jesus’ future of death and resurrection.  

The disciples, who just can’t seem to stay awake while Jesus prays on the mountain (see also Luke 22:45; Mark 14:37, 40), suddenly wake up to find their beloved Master with his new dazzling, glorified appearance standing with Moses and Elijah.  Peter, unable to contain his enthusiasm, immediately wants to capture the moment.  Not having a camera, he suggests building three memorials, one for each of the three men. 

Suddenly, a “light-radiant cloud enveloped them.” Luke 9:34a (MSG)  All of my translations but The Message end this verse saying that the disciples were afraid, frightened, even terrified as the cloud rolled over them.  Admittedly, I would be quite fearful if a cloud were to envelope me just after I saw Jesus in his glory standing and conversing with Moses and Elijah.  But The Message gave this verse a much more profound meaning for me.  It spoke to me with such an absolute reaching into my heart that I had to stop for a moment after the first time I read it.

“As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God.”

Luke 9:34b (MSG)

Having spent nearly all of my memorable life in pain, despair and depression with only brief respites of happiness or perceived joy, I know what it is to be buried in a cloud.  The idea of finding God in that cloud, the possibility of becoming aware of God in that cloud, is a source of hope for even the least hopeful.  To know that I can be buried at the center of my dark, dark storm cloud and still know that God is with me brings comfort, even if the pain is still there and the darkness has not yet given way to light.

Follow that with God speaking to me in the cloud, pointing me toward Jesus, telling me to listen to Jesus.  Listening to Jesus provides a manual for living a life not so consumed with darkness.  I didn’t always see it that way – I was too far in the cloud and too stubborn to believe there was a way out – but it is true.  It doesn’t mean no more suffering and no more pain, but it does mean peace through every trial, joy in despair, and love that knows no limits. 

As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God.  Then there was a voice out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen!  Listen to him.”

Amen!  :D



©LKB

Holy Spirit, Come on Down!

1 Corinthians 2:6-13

“No eye has seen or heard anything like this,

Never so much as imagined anything quite like it –

What God has arranged for those who love him.” 

1 Cor 2:9

This verse goes hand-in-hand with another popular verse:

“I know what I’m doing, I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG)

When I daily ask God to open my heart so that I may receive his Spirit, he gives me his peace and joy, letting me know that he is right here with me, and promising that, no matter how things may look now, he’s got great plans for me.  But in no other way than inviting the Holy Spirit into my life can I possibly fulfill God’s will and see those plans.  I can’t do it on my own.  But God gives me his spirit and:

“The life-giving Spirit brings wisdom and understanding, gives direction and builds strength, instills knowledge and fear of God.” Isaiah 11:2-3 (MSG)

That same Spirit, “not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.”  1 Cor 2:10  That same Spirit dives into the depths of God, dives into the depths of me, and brings out the glory and the light and the love – guides me with wisdom and understanding, and strengthens me in God – if only I will ask for it!

 How awesome is that??!

I may have been baptized in the Holy Spirit years ago, but it is my job to continue asking that the Spirit stay with me.  It is all too easy to give in to the world around me, making my heart an inhospitable place for the Spirit to live.

So, Holy Spirit, I most solemnly ask that you dare to dive from the depths of God right into the depths of my soul, penetrating my core, that very first part of me which God formed, and pull those things which God has planned for me to the surface one-by-one, that I may live in his joy and peace all the days of my life.

Amen!  :D

Breathe, Believe, Pray

James 5:13-20

“Are you hurting?  Pray.  Do you feel great?  Sing.  Are you sick?  Call the church leaders together to pray...” James 5:13 (MSG)

Very simple instructions, yet hard to remember and follow without having complete faith in God.  Incredibly difficult to follow or even know without knowing God at all.

Other than a simple prayer of, “God, help me,” praying wasn’t the first thing to which I ran when I was hurting.  My tendency was to stay stuck in self-pity, focusing on all the reasons things would never get better and not believing God would help me because I wasn’t worth it.

I’ve never had trouble singing when I feel great, but I struggled with reaching out for healing prayer.  In the last few months before going into treatment, I did go for prayer after communion the few times I made it to church.  But that was the extent of my reaching out to the church.

I’ve been prone to believing in the power of prayer – when others pray or when I pray for others.  I didn’t think there was much power in praying for myself.  Of course, how could there be if I didn’t really believe?

Yet!  “Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet.  And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven – healed inside and out.”  James 5:15 (MSG)

The power of belief extends to the power of prayer.

In today’s society of consumerism, importance of appearance, popularity contests, political strife, etc, it is difficult to turn my eyes away from the world and focus solely on God.  I know to do so keeps my heart at peace and my worries decrease.  But, though I know he’s there, I can’t see him.  What I can see are my troubles, my bills, my state of unemployment in a bad economy...  Though I can hear him, the voice of the world is louder through friends and family, the news, etc.  I have to stop, listen and pay attention to hear him.  All the other voices are ready and available without any effort on my part at all.

In order to get to the place where I can turn away from the world and latch onto believing prayer, I must exercise.  I must hit the spiritual gym at least twice a day, morning and night.  And I must do little exercises throughout the day, always reminding myself, “Breathe.  Give it to God.”

So as I head to the unemployment office in a little bit to find out why my claim isn’t going through, I will not be anxious, worried or upset.  I will breathe, and I will give it to God.

Amen! :D 

There May Be No Tomorrow

James 4:13-17

What is your life?

The Real Miracle-Gro

James 1:19-25

“In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.” James 1:21b (MSG)

I love the imagery in this verse.  All the ways to describe God: Shepherd, Father, Creator, Comforter...  Gardener.  I can see God, knees in the soil, no gloves because he likes to get his hands dirty, gently tending his garden.  He carefully plants seeds, pulls weeds, waters and provides sunlight to his plants.  In the parable of the scattered seed (Mark 4:1-20), Jesus compares believers to planted seeds.  He related the strength of the believer’s dedication and faith to the type of soil in which the seed landed.  The good soil represents the Word of God, and the seeds that land in the good soil and take root will thrive. 

If I take root in God’s Word and let him mold me through what I read in the Good Book, I will have communion with God and my life will have joy.  But I have to be sure I am not merely reading and reflecting on what I read.  If I do not put what I learn into action, I’m not doing God’s will, and I will not have his joy.   

“Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and [immediately forget] who they are, what they look like.” James 1:23-24 (MSG) 

My memory is less than stellar these days.  I need to write everything down.  If I have a meeting, an appointment, lunch with a friend, or anything outside my ‘normal’ routine, I must write it down and stick it on my bathroom mirror or I will forget.  I put some things into the calendar on my phone to alert me if it happens later in the day and I haven’t been by my mirror in awhile.  I also do not retain information well unless I have studied and studied a certain subject or read a book several times. 

So it delights me to no end to find I am remembering more and more verses from the bible – even if I don’t know the book, chapter and verse numbers that go with them.  Between time spent with God’s Word, making notes of particular verses and writing these devotions, the Good Stuff is starting to stick.

I’m getting good instruction and I’m allowing God to landscape me with his Word.  I’m taking root in the good soil and taking it with me when I step away from the Good Book.  The next step is ensuring that I am acting on what I am learning. 

Amen!  :D

I remember my dad making me work in the garden, too.  :)

This Is Why He’s My Rock!

James 1:16-18

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV)

This is what I want to think about.  I like the good stuff that comes from God.  But I do understand that I have to have the bad stuff to know the good stuff. 

This verse is stuck in the middle of a couple of topics in James.  I know it’s related to the previous chunk about temptation, but I wanted to set it apart for a crucial element in this sentence: 

“...who does not change like the shifting shadows.” 

I am a small, miniscule, tiny, tiny little human being who deals with other tiny little human beings here on earth.  There is absolutely no way I can even begin to comprehend the magnitude of God.  He created our entire universe, and possibly other universes beyond that.  He gave light to the sun, set the stars in the sky, and placed us on this earth, giving us everything we need.

But I only have my tiny little human understanding.  I do believe that God is bigger than everything, that he can do anything, and that he infinitely loves and forgives me.   Yet my human brain wants to relate him to something in order to make him more tangible.  The problem here is that the only thing I have to which to relate him is other tiny little humans. 

Tiny little humans who change with the wind.  Tiny little humans who lie, cheat, steal.  Who abandon, abuse, betray, deceive.  Who, without fail, never fail to let me down.

This is why it can be so hard sometimes simply to trust God.  It is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.  I’ve got all my human-inflicted wounds, my people trust issues, my expectations to be let down.  All of this wants to carry over to God and it is a daily task to work beyond that.  I must remind myself that my heavenly Father is not my earthly father.  My Friend among the stars is not like unreliable friends I’ve had here on earth.  My Eternal Love is not at all like the romances I’ve experienced on this planet.

I pray that this is something I never forget, and that it is a task which will become less and less work over time.  Because I know God.  I just have to stop trying to assign human characteristics to God in an attempt to understand him. 

Amen!  :D

Put the Corndogs Down!

James 1:12-15

Temptation.  Yet another theme that shows up all over the bible.  Being human, temptation is a daily struggle.  Even if it’s little things, temptation shows up everywhere, sometimes in the least likely of places.  It’s a tricky component of human nature. 

Tempt: to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral (dictionary.com – italics mine).  In other words, to persuade one to do something that goes against the will of God.

I am very familiar with temptation – especially where it connects to my lack of impulse control.  There was one particular grocery shopping trip where a box of fifty mini corndogs jumped in and out of my cart at least four times.  I lost the battle and it came home with me (and I am primarily a vegetarian).  This may be a small, silly example which doesn’t adversely affect my life in any big way, but I still gave into temptation.  

For any of us who are addicts of any sort, temptation plays a huge role in how we live our lives.  Due to the nature of our physiological and psychological addiction, when we get that urge to use, to drink, to gamble, etc, it can be next to impossible to resist.  Somehow the car ends up in the dealer’s driveway.  “Well, I’m already here.  I might as well go in.”  Walking by a bar, “Oh, one drink won’t hurt.  At the most I’ll have two and then I’ll leave.”  I think plenty of folks other than myself know where both of those situations will lead.

What I find interesting about this passage is that James is clear that it is not God who tempts us.  “God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.  Temptation comes from our own desires which entice us and drag us away.” James 1:13b, 14 (NLT)

What about Job?  God allows Satan to wreak havoc upon Job’s life to tempt him to curse God, but God himself in no way tempts Job.   What about Jesus in the desert with the devil?  In Matthew 4:1, Mark 1:12 and Luke 4:1, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert.  Yet the devil, not the Holy Spirit is the source of the temptation.  God doesn’t do the tempting, the enemy does.  James says temptation to give in comes from us. 

While another entity may be the source of that which tempts me, what causes me to succumb to temptation is within my human nature.  I give in whether it is due to my brain chemistry, my seeking of approval or attention, my desire to do something other than what I am doing...  The list goes on. 

The good thing in all of this is that I am reassured that God will never allow my desires and temptations to be more than I can handle.  “God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so you can endure.” 1 Cor 10:13 (NLT)  He will always provide a way out, I just have to pay attention.  And the best way I can keep myself equipped to see the way out is to have my nose in the Good Book and recognize things which are in accordance with God’s will instead of my own. 

Amen!  :D

p.s. While looking over various topics of temptation, an image of Peter from Family Guy showed up in the search results.  Of course I had to look.  Rev Peep: Resisting Temptation

Why Can't I Just Flip a Switch?

James 1:5-8

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father.  He loves to help. ... Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.” James 1:5a, 6a (MSG)

So many times I have asked for help, yet not really expected to receive it.  Did I know God could do it?  Sure did!  Did I think he’d do it for me?  Sure didn’t.

I believed in the power of God.  I believed in the power of prayer.  And for a short time, I even believed it could work in my life.  But then my world fell to pieces again, and I feared that believing God would do anything for me would only set me up to be let down.  While I had experienced plenty of good things in my life, mostly what I felt was pain, disappointment, and abandonment.

So in my darkest hours, I couldn’t find the light.  In great desperation, all I could pray was, “God, help me,” but I didn’t really believe he would.  Because if I really believed he would and then he didn’t, there truly would be no hope left at all.  Better to ask and not expect to receive than to ask, believe, and be left in the dark anyway. 

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.” James 1:6a (NIV) 

Doubt.  Defined as: 1) to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe; 2) to distrust; 3) Archaic. to fear; be apprehensive about.  (Dictionary.com)

Uncertainty, hesitation, fear...  Distrust.  Having doubts about God is the number one way to prove I do not trust him.  I do not trust that he will provide.  I do not trust that he will catch me if I fall.  I do not trust that he will ever pull me out of my darkness into his light.  I couldn’t believe because to believe was to have hope, and to have hope meant opening myself up to the possibility of being hurt.  And I hurt enough as it was.

The thing is, truly trusting God and believing he will do all of those things listed above, even in the midst of trying times, takes the weight of the world off of my shoulders.  God will do what I cannot do, and there is a lot that I cannot do.  Surrendering to him and his will for my life, spending a great deal of time in prayer, meditation, and the Good Book makes life a lot less difficult to live, even when it still brings pain.

So I’ll keep earnestly believing.  I will keep trusting, I will continue to lift my hands high, and I will walk in his light.

“If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going.  As you have the light, believe in the light.  Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives.  You’ll be children of light.”  John 12:35b, 36 (MSG)

Amen!  :D

Thanks, But I Wanted a Pony

James 1:1-4

The book of James is a great book in the bible.  God called me to read it again last night and I've decided to meditate on James over the next few days.  The more time I spend with the Good Book, the more the Good Stuff sticks.  I like it when it sticks, so I'm going to take this particular Good Stuff bit by bit.  For better digestion, take smaller bites.  :)

James, acting as a leader, is writing to Jesus' followers who have moved away from Jerusalem and are in different parts of the early world.  Unlike Paul, he isn't simply writing to one group of people, rather addressing Christ's followers as a whole.  

In reading the bible, just about any chunk of it seems to contain a lesson on going through trials.  James is no different.  He starts out strong, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides." James 1:2 (MSG)  A gift?  Really?  NLT says, "...consider it an opportunity for great joy."  Not just joy, but great joy.  

"Because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:3 (NIV)  Now James sounds like Paul, "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance..." Rom 5:3 (NIV)  When I had my business I was known practically to snarl the words, "Perseverance is the key!!!" near the end of a grueling day or during a particularly difficult project.  I obviously didn't believe it, as I was overworked, overwhelmed, and spiritually undernourished. 

While going through any difficult time, I knew I had to stick it out, but I could not make myself be happy about persevering.  My spiritual hat was pulled down way too low for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  My hard work always paid off - job well done, happy clients...  But I hated constantly being stressed and under pressure.  Job-wise or otherwise, I never wanted to stay in my trials. 

But, "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:4 (NIV) 

If all I am focused on is making it through a tough time, I am missing the point.  I'm stumbling through an obstacle course, twisting ankles and getting bruises because my eyes are on the finish line, not the obstacles, and most importantly, not on God.  Maturity develops as I patiently examine each obstacle, look to God for help, then step out in faith, trusting that he'll catch me if I fall.

Now, I am glad to have "an opportunity for great joy" these days.  I am focused on my obstacle: I got laid off.  I need to find a job.  The economy isn't the best right now and there aren't many jobs out there.  But I am also focused on God: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NIV)  God will provide.  So I am thankful, and it is a gift because it allows me to lean on God, to strengthen my faith and to grow spiritually in a way that I could not if I never were tested. 

When Paul writes of one of his trials, he says, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in [your] weakness." 2 Cor 12:8-9 (NIV)

Amen!  :D