Just Lunch
4 days ago
Monday, October 30, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Trying to Relax
I had a massage today. Although it was not the first one I'd had, it was perhaps the most relaxing one I'd had. Previously, I'd struggled to fully relax on the massage table. I had a hard time keeping myself from "helping" my masseuse by moving my arms or legs whenever she needed to move them. I was trying to be helpful, but in reality I was making myself more tense, thus creating more work for her. Several times before I'd had one masseuse or another quietly but firmly tell me to relax and let her do the work.
Today, however, was different. A combination of physical and emotional fatigue motivated me to really relax and enjoy the treatment. Although there were times when I was tempted to move around for my masseuse, I continually lay there and let her move me around as she needed.
I felt God whispering to me to relax and let Him work in me. I'm currently going through one of the most painful times in my life, and there is really nothing that I can do to fix it or change it. (You'd think that those facts alone would prevent me from trying to fix things, but no!) Today I sensed God urging me to relax, leave my trial in His hands and let Him do the work. That is not easy to do. But at this point, that's really all I can do.
Today, however, was different. A combination of physical and emotional fatigue motivated me to really relax and enjoy the treatment. Although there were times when I was tempted to move around for my masseuse, I continually lay there and let her move me around as she needed.
I felt God whispering to me to relax and let Him work in me. I'm currently going through one of the most painful times in my life, and there is really nothing that I can do to fix it or change it. (You'd think that those facts alone would prevent me from trying to fix things, but no!) Today I sensed God urging me to relax, leave my trial in His hands and let Him do the work. That is not easy to do. But at this point, that's really all I can do.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Can We Know God's Will?
Good article on Crosswalk about knowing the will of God for your life...
The author makes an excellent point that in order to know God's will for us, we have to search for it, and the place to do that is through Scripture. So often, whenever I am confused and in need of wisdom, I turn to the people around me first. Certainly, God can and does speak His wisdom through His people--but our primary source of wisdom should be through studying His Word.
Returning to the Word not only refreshes my supply of wisdom, but it also helps combat Satan's lies that he is perpetually whispering in my ear. I need daily doses of the truth to keep my mind focused on God and His will for me.
Even well-meaning, Godly people can give false wisdom if we are not careful. That is why we need to stay in the Word and let that be the source of our wisdom. It's not wrong to seek the advice of other Christians--but we should use the Bible as the plumbline which all counsel is measured against.
The author makes an excellent point that in order to know God's will for us, we have to search for it, and the place to do that is through Scripture. So often, whenever I am confused and in need of wisdom, I turn to the people around me first. Certainly, God can and does speak His wisdom through His people--but our primary source of wisdom should be through studying His Word.
Returning to the Word not only refreshes my supply of wisdom, but it also helps combat Satan's lies that he is perpetually whispering in my ear. I need daily doses of the truth to keep my mind focused on God and His will for me.
Even well-meaning, Godly people can give false wisdom if we are not careful. That is why we need to stay in the Word and let that be the source of our wisdom. It's not wrong to seek the advice of other Christians--but we should use the Bible as the plumbline which all counsel is measured against.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Do the Right Thing
So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you. (I Peter 4:19)
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Walking Blindly
I am going through a trial right now that is filled with confusion and uncertainty. It's difficult to not be able to see the road ahead, to feel like I'm walking blindly with no idea of what's to come. This morning I was reminded of and encouraged by II Corinthians 5:7:
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Notice that Paul does not say that we walk by our own faith, but simply, by faith. Maybe that can include the faith of others as well as our own faith, particularly when our own faith is so weak.
A blind person typically does not walk on his or her own. They seek assistance, whether through a person who can see, or a guide dog, or a cane. They don't rely on their own sight, which is imperfect and perhaps nonexistent. They trust in the person or object that they lean on to guide them safely.
When my own faith is weak, and my spiritual eyes are dim, I need to lean on God and on those who He puts in my life whose faith can strengthen and guide me.
Another verse from II Corinthians also came to mind this morning:
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9a)
One of the most difficult aspects of what I'm dealing with right now is not being able to fix the situation. Even if I could make things better, I wouldn't know how. Considering my penchant for wanting to be little Miss Fix-It, perhaps God is withholding answers from me because He knows that if I had a clue as to how to make it all better, I'd get to work and promptly short-circuit His own plans.
Right now I have to not depend on answers from God but rather rely on His grace, trusting that His power is working overtime in the middle of my weakness.
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Notice that Paul does not say that we walk by our own faith, but simply, by faith. Maybe that can include the faith of others as well as our own faith, particularly when our own faith is so weak.
A blind person typically does not walk on his or her own. They seek assistance, whether through a person who can see, or a guide dog, or a cane. They don't rely on their own sight, which is imperfect and perhaps nonexistent. They trust in the person or object that they lean on to guide them safely.
When my own faith is weak, and my spiritual eyes are dim, I need to lean on God and on those who He puts in my life whose faith can strengthen and guide me.
Another verse from II Corinthians also came to mind this morning:
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9a)
One of the most difficult aspects of what I'm dealing with right now is not being able to fix the situation. Even if I could make things better, I wouldn't know how. Considering my penchant for wanting to be little Miss Fix-It, perhaps God is withholding answers from me because He knows that if I had a clue as to how to make it all better, I'd get to work and promptly short-circuit His own plans.
Right now I have to not depend on answers from God but rather rely on His grace, trusting that His power is working overtime in the middle of my weakness.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Reminder for When Life Doesn't Make Sense
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Harvest Time
I am part of the microwave generation, the generation of instant rebates and fast food. I don't like to wait. "Patient" is not a word that I normally use to describe myself, unless I'm visiting my doctor.
I like to see instant rewards to my work. When I'm eating properly and working out on a regular basis, I love to see the numbers on the scale go down, love to see some increased muscle definition. I want to see results. And if I don't, I can become discouraged pretty quickly.
When I don't see results in my Christian walk, it's easy to become discouraged as well. When I've been praying for answers and they don't seem to be coming, or when I'm serving others and no one seems to care, pride can start to take over and I focus more on myself than on what God has called me to do.
Throughout Scripture, God reminds us that our sowing will not be in vain. The problem is, we want the harvest to come on our time table. But His time is not the same as ours. In His inifinite wisdom, God withholds the harvest until what He deems to be the proper time.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:9-10, emphasis mine)
When you are tempted to give up on the good work that you've been doing, remember that the harvest IS coming. Our job is not to go out and bring the harvest in; our job is to keep sowing, to not give up, and to wait upon God's timing.
I like to see instant rewards to my work. When I'm eating properly and working out on a regular basis, I love to see the numbers on the scale go down, love to see some increased muscle definition. I want to see results. And if I don't, I can become discouraged pretty quickly.
When I don't see results in my Christian walk, it's easy to become discouraged as well. When I've been praying for answers and they don't seem to be coming, or when I'm serving others and no one seems to care, pride can start to take over and I focus more on myself than on what God has called me to do.
Throughout Scripture, God reminds us that our sowing will not be in vain. The problem is, we want the harvest to come on our time table. But His time is not the same as ours. In His inifinite wisdom, God withholds the harvest until what He deems to be the proper time.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:9-10, emphasis mine)
When you are tempted to give up on the good work that you've been doing, remember that the harvest IS coming. Our job is not to go out and bring the harvest in; our job is to keep sowing, to not give up, and to wait upon God's timing.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Good Intentions
Yesterday I intended to work out. I set my alarm Sunday night so that I'd wake up in time to get some exercise in before work.
When my alarm sounded Monday morning, I was too tired to get up, so I re-set the alarm and slept a little later.
No problem, I thought, I'll work out after work. I loaded my gym bag into the car, fully intending to work out at my church's life center after work. Instead I decided to go to the grocery store for a few provisions for the week.
When I got home, I called a friend who lives in my neighborhood to see if she wanted to join me for a walk. She was busy, and I soon got busy doing stuff around the house and skipped the walk.
Finally, I thought I'd do a little exercise while watching TV. No dice. I curled up with a magazine instead, then later worked on some articles that I've been writing.
So I had good intentions all day of squeezing in some exercise, and I certainly had ample opportunity to do so, but I chose other activities instead. Somehow I still feel entitled to pat myself on the back for "intending" to exercise, but the bottom line is, I didn't follow through on my intentions. Good intentions won't burn calories or build my muscles. My clothes won't be any looser on me because I meant to work out, but didn't.
I'm afraid that many times I give myself "credit" for thinking about doing good and intending to do good, but not following through on it. I'm reminded of James' admonition about not just hearing (or seeing) what we should do, but being faithful in acting on it:
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:19-27, emphasis mine)
Just because I *meant* to spend time in Bible study but got distracted by a phone call or some other interruption, that does not mean that I get the same benefits of actually studying my Bible. In fact, intentions that are not acted upon can actually mislead us into thinking that intentions are all we need in order to have an intimate walk with God. We need to not be fooled by Satan into believing that as long as the intentions are good, then the follow-through doesn't matter.
As Proverbs 3:27 says, Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
Having a truly blessed life involves doing good, acting upon the intentions that God plants within our hearts.
When my alarm sounded Monday morning, I was too tired to get up, so I re-set the alarm and slept a little later.
No problem, I thought, I'll work out after work. I loaded my gym bag into the car, fully intending to work out at my church's life center after work. Instead I decided to go to the grocery store for a few provisions for the week.
When I got home, I called a friend who lives in my neighborhood to see if she wanted to join me for a walk. She was busy, and I soon got busy doing stuff around the house and skipped the walk.
Finally, I thought I'd do a little exercise while watching TV. No dice. I curled up with a magazine instead, then later worked on some articles that I've been writing.
So I had good intentions all day of squeezing in some exercise, and I certainly had ample opportunity to do so, but I chose other activities instead. Somehow I still feel entitled to pat myself on the back for "intending" to exercise, but the bottom line is, I didn't follow through on my intentions. Good intentions won't burn calories or build my muscles. My clothes won't be any looser on me because I meant to work out, but didn't.
I'm afraid that many times I give myself "credit" for thinking about doing good and intending to do good, but not following through on it. I'm reminded of James' admonition about not just hearing (or seeing) what we should do, but being faithful in acting on it:
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:19-27, emphasis mine)
Just because I *meant* to spend time in Bible study but got distracted by a phone call or some other interruption, that does not mean that I get the same benefits of actually studying my Bible. In fact, intentions that are not acted upon can actually mislead us into thinking that intentions are all we need in order to have an intimate walk with God. We need to not be fooled by Satan into believing that as long as the intentions are good, then the follow-through doesn't matter.
As Proverbs 3:27 says, Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
Having a truly blessed life involves doing good, acting upon the intentions that God plants within our hearts.
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