How easily we miss the big picture.
How quickly it destroys us, and it hurts the heart of the God we say we love.
I've been reading And the Bride Wore White by Dannah Gresh for a class, and one chapter talked a lot about the biblical parable of the pearl of great price. Gresh emphasized the devotion needed to give up every lesser thing to obtain the pearl, the greatest thing.
I began to think of lesser things in my life. Ironically, though I knew they were lesser, they were some of the things that were most important to me.
To my shame, I began to mentally argue with God.
"They aren't bad things!"
"Why would you ask me to give that up or re-evaluate it?"
Can you see the point I missed? Think about it! What did I miss?
In surrendering the things I love to God, He gives me something better. Something beyond anything I have. In surrendering my sin, He gives me salvation. When I surrender my desires and plans, He gives me a life that honors Him and brings me joy and fulfillment.
I'm no different than Eve. She lived in a garden with all the wonderful things she could ever need, she had a perfect relationship with her husband, and she had an unbroken relationship with God Himself. Yet instead of being thankful and content with all she had, she became fixated with the one thing she was not allowed to have. She decided God wasn't right to keep it from her. She decided she was wise enough to make her own choice and disobey God.
In Eve's story I see myself. I run to trees God has told me to avoid and ask, "Why not this tree?"
I can imagine a response from the Lord. "Why that dangerous tree when I have given you so many good trees to enjoy?"
When I choose the forbidden over the gift, I take marred happiness instead of joy.
I choose temporary pleasure over lasting fulfillment.
I chase destruction and evade restoration.
I cling to wounds and refuse healing.
Don't mistake my meaning. I'm not suggesting that if I give God all my money, He'll give me more. That's not the kind of blessings I'm talking about at all here. I'm just making one statement about God's goodness.
God gives to His children above and beyond anything He takes.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015
It Dies Today
I see it fading. My heart is torn between disappointment and glad acceptance.
A selfish dream of my heart fades. Its absence confuses me. It has been a part of me so long that I almost can't imagine myself without it.
I will never be strong.
How many times have I fought and worked to be a strong person? At my core, I wanted to be the girl who could take every hit and still get back up. I thought I could find enough fight in me to keep myself going. I shouldn't need anyone. I shouldn't ever be overwhelmed or past my abilities. I craved control.
And I can't have it.
Because I am weak. I read God's Word and I see it. I'm a sinner (Romans 8:28) who doesn't even understand the mess of her own heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus's statement in the garden of Gethsemane seems to describe me: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). I see these truths in my life. My failures and sins clearly demonstrate that I am unable to overcome.
What good is a weak person, one who is saved but still unable to handle her own life?
Apparently ... that's just the person God tends to use.
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
Why is weakness such fertile ground for God to work? Because it shows that He is the One doing the work. And He does the work.
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
My own strength is utterly insufficient. When I try to rely on myself, I only end up disappointing myself, others, and God.
But when I allow Him to work through me, then I can obey every command He gives.
So in the end, I will never be strong.
But I will have strength.
It just won't be mine.
A selfish dream of my heart fades. Its absence confuses me. It has been a part of me so long that I almost can't imagine myself without it.
I will never be strong.
How many times have I fought and worked to be a strong person? At my core, I wanted to be the girl who could take every hit and still get back up. I thought I could find enough fight in me to keep myself going. I shouldn't need anyone. I shouldn't ever be overwhelmed or past my abilities. I craved control.
And I can't have it.
Because I am weak. I read God's Word and I see it. I'm a sinner (Romans 8:28) who doesn't even understand the mess of her own heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus's statement in the garden of Gethsemane seems to describe me: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). I see these truths in my life. My failures and sins clearly demonstrate that I am unable to overcome.
What good is a weak person, one who is saved but still unable to handle her own life?
Apparently ... that's just the person God tends to use.
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
Why is weakness such fertile ground for God to work? Because it shows that He is the One doing the work. And He does the work.
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
My own strength is utterly insufficient. When I try to rely on myself, I only end up disappointing myself, others, and God.
But when I allow Him to work through me, then I can obey every command He gives.
So in the end, I will never be strong.
But I will have strength.
It just won't be mine.
Monday, June 22, 2015
What Life Is
Without ever meaning to, I began to believe a lie.
I believed that my life consisted of the little moments. Which sounds good, right? It sounds like a popular quote, something you'd see on a plaque or on pintrest. And it seemed to fit with my experience. The things I tend to cherish the most are hikes with friends, visiting a favorite coffee shop, or learning a new skill. Identifiable points in time that add up to a happy "life."
I believed life was something I was supposed to build and compile. Like a garden, I was supposed to plant the good things and weed out the unhappiness and struggles.
I don't think I fully realized what I believed and how I was acting. But things began to make more sense as I read God's Word.
My life is not here.
I believed that my life consisted of the little moments. Which sounds good, right? It sounds like a popular quote, something you'd see on a plaque or on pintrest. And it seemed to fit with my experience. The things I tend to cherish the most are hikes with friends, visiting a favorite coffee shop, or learning a new skill. Identifiable points in time that add up to a happy "life."
I believed life was something I was supposed to build and compile. Like a garden, I was supposed to plant the good things and weed out the unhappiness and struggles.
I don't think I fully realized what I believed and how I was acting. But things began to make more sense as I read God's Word.
My life is not here.
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. "
Colossians 3:1-3
It made me pause when I read it. My life is hid? It's with Christ? Then another passage came to mind.
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
John 17:3
Again, this passage describes life as something not on this earth. While I do have a "life" here on earth in one sense, in the truest sense my life is my relationship with God. He is my sustainer and fulfiller. He is the One Who gives me breath, existence, and purpose.
With this understanding, I'm finding that the only way to evaluate life is to measure the depth of my walk with God. If I'm having the happiest earthly life--full of all the things I love--but I'm not praying, reading the Bible, walking with God, then I'm not living much of a life. If on the other hand things aren't going well--if I struggle financially or I fall short of my goals or I fail in a career--but I'm close to God, then my life is a full one.
As hard as it is, in each joy or struggle of my earthly life, I have to remember that this is not my life.
My life is hid with Christ in God.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Christian, You Are Not A Writer ... Not Like You Might Think
I used to think that I was a writer. That I would write until my dying day, and if I didn't I would lose myself. I think maybe other writers, especially young ones, have the same feeling.
But if you're a believer, that's not the truth. Not by a long shot.
College has forced me to re-think writing. I still love it and plan to pursue publication in the future. But right now it's not a part of my life. Not like it used to be. I'm taking 19 credit hours, I'm on a drama team, and I sneak some fun in here and there. So even though I have story ideas, they sit mostly untouched.
This would have bothered me a while ago. It doesn't now.
I have come to realize that my identity can never be tied to whether I can write a novel or can't string two words together. My identity is in Christ. I am God's child.
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3).
I want to seek Christ, not a writing career.
So here's my encouragement to my fellow Christians who write: embrace your writing, whether it be now, later, always, or for only one season of life. But remember that you are not a writer, not when it comes down to it.
You are God's child.
Follow Him.
But if you're a believer, that's not the truth. Not by a long shot.
College has forced me to re-think writing. I still love it and plan to pursue publication in the future. But right now it's not a part of my life. Not like it used to be. I'm taking 19 credit hours, I'm on a drama team, and I sneak some fun in here and there. So even though I have story ideas, they sit mostly untouched.
This would have bothered me a while ago. It doesn't now.
I have come to realize that my identity can never be tied to whether I can write a novel or can't string two words together. My identity is in Christ. I am God's child.
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3).
I want to seek Christ, not a writing career.
So here's my encouragement to my fellow Christians who write: embrace your writing, whether it be now, later, always, or for only one season of life. But remember that you are not a writer, not when it comes down to it.
You are God's child.
Follow Him.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Light ... and Darkness -- Part II
Sometimes I feel smothered by the evil and pain in this world.
The darkness is all around. Violence. Horrible accidents. Corruption of all kinds. We hear it on the news. We see it in our own lives and in the stories we hear from many others. It's enough to discourage even believers. If we let it.
But Christians have hope that no one else possesses ... because we know the darkness has already lost.
Jesus said this shortly before His death: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
In His life, His death, and His resurrection, Jesus conquered the powers of evil.
The darkness is still in this world. It is still around us and will trouble us, and yes, we will likely be discouraged by it at times.
But Christians don't have to live that way. We can have peace, because our Lord said so. We can be of good cheer, because He told us to be.
Light has won. Darkness is defeated.
Peace is ours.
The darkness is all around. Violence. Horrible accidents. Corruption of all kinds. We hear it on the news. We see it in our own lives and in the stories we hear from many others. It's enough to discourage even believers. If we let it.
But Christians have hope that no one else possesses ... because we know the darkness has already lost.
Jesus said this shortly before His death: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
In His life, His death, and His resurrection, Jesus conquered the powers of evil.
The darkness is still in this world. It is still around us and will trouble us, and yes, we will likely be discouraged by it at times.
But Christians don't have to live that way. We can have peace, because our Lord said so. We can be of good cheer, because He told us to be.
Light has won. Darkness is defeated.
Peace is ours.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Switching POV
I've heard that it's easier for most new writers to write in third person.
Is that even possible?
Maybe you're one of those blessed people who can naturally write a novel in a third person point-of-view (POV). But I am not one of you. First person is my style. Remember that genre shift I talked about last week?
For my new genre, my new work in progress, I need to be able to write in third person.
Have you ever tried use your non-dominant hand to write a note, or even your name? That's kind of what it felt like as I tried to write in third person. My sentences, which usually pour into my mind in first person, were choppy, boring, and hard to come by.
Because of this, I've had to think a little about how to switch POVs, and I have at least one solid tip to pass on to you: Think in your dominant POV, then translate the sentence before you type it. If that doesn't work so well for you, try typing a paragraph in your dominant POV, then change the pronouns and verbs and such.
I tried this for my work in progress, and between that and thinking about the style I was going for, I was able to transition. I wouldn't say third person is easy for me yet, but that little trick helped me take my first steps into writing third person.
Any other POV suggestions? Let me know!
Is that even possible?
Maybe you're one of those blessed people who can naturally write a novel in a third person point-of-view (POV). But I am not one of you. First person is my style. Remember that genre shift I talked about last week?
For my new genre, my new work in progress, I need to be able to write in third person.
Have you ever tried use your non-dominant hand to write a note, or even your name? That's kind of what it felt like as I tried to write in third person. My sentences, which usually pour into my mind in first person, were choppy, boring, and hard to come by.
Because of this, I've had to think a little about how to switch POVs, and I have at least one solid tip to pass on to you: Think in your dominant POV, then translate the sentence before you type it. If that doesn't work so well for you, try typing a paragraph in your dominant POV, then change the pronouns and verbs and such.
I tried this for my work in progress, and between that and thinking about the style I was going for, I was able to transition. I wouldn't say third person is easy for me yet, but that little trick helped me take my first steps into writing third person.
Any other POV suggestions? Let me know!
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Needy People
"Don't be too needy."
This seems to be a constant whisper, a hidden or even blatant message I keep hearing in the world around me. "Don't be too needy, or no one will want to be around you." "Don't be too needy; that's selfish." "Don't enable a needy person." "Needy people need serious counseling."
But here's a little dose of truth: Every. Single. Human. Being. Is. Completely. Needy.
Yes. I just lumped you in with the needy people. Sorry, not sorry.
The facts are simple:
We can't be righteous in our own strength; we're sinners (Romans 3:10, 23).
We can't solve our sin problem on our own (John 14:6; Hebrews 10:1-18).
We can't seek God without His enabling (John 6:44).
We need God for the saving of our souls. We need God for our joy, peace, goodness, self-control, and everything else (Galatians 5:22-23)! Without God there would be no earth (Genesis 1-3). Christ sustains the world that He made (Hebrews 1:3). We have nothing without God.
See, that's where the problem is with "needy people." The problem is not that people are needy. The problem is that sometimes people seek the fulfillment of their needs in people, things, or accomplishments, and they fail to realize that God is the only one Who can supply their needs.
That being said, God does want Christians to love and serve each other--we are supposed to care for our brothers and sisters in need! "Bear ye one another's burdens" is still in the Bible (Galatians 6:2).
Yet when we find ourselves or others becoming a little too "needy," it is time to learn to depend upon God. This won't be a quick-fix. Though it sounds a little funny, you may need to help the "needy" person learn to depend on God if they've lost their way and don't know where to start.
But, ultimately, each of our needy, needy hearts can only be satisfied by Almighty God.
This seems to be a constant whisper, a hidden or even blatant message I keep hearing in the world around me. "Don't be too needy, or no one will want to be around you." "Don't be too needy; that's selfish." "Don't enable a needy person." "Needy people need serious counseling."
But here's a little dose of truth: Every. Single. Human. Being. Is. Completely. Needy.
Yes. I just lumped you in with the needy people. Sorry, not sorry.
The facts are simple:
We can't be righteous in our own strength; we're sinners (Romans 3:10, 23).
We can't solve our sin problem on our own (John 14:6; Hebrews 10:1-18).
We can't seek God without His enabling (John 6:44).
We need God for the saving of our souls. We need God for our joy, peace, goodness, self-control, and everything else (Galatians 5:22-23)! Without God there would be no earth (Genesis 1-3). Christ sustains the world that He made (Hebrews 1:3). We have nothing without God.
See, that's where the problem is with "needy people." The problem is not that people are needy. The problem is that sometimes people seek the fulfillment of their needs in people, things, or accomplishments, and they fail to realize that God is the only one Who can supply their needs.
That being said, God does want Christians to love and serve each other--we are supposed to care for our brothers and sisters in need! "Bear ye one another's burdens" is still in the Bible (Galatians 6:2).
Yet when we find ourselves or others becoming a little too "needy," it is time to learn to depend upon God. This won't be a quick-fix. Though it sounds a little funny, you may need to help the "needy" person learn to depend on God if they've lost their way and don't know where to start.
But, ultimately, each of our needy, needy hearts can only be satisfied by Almighty God.
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19
Philippians 4:19
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