I do somedays...
Can't we just run away from everything and hide?
This is too hard. This life is too hard.
It's too hard to be the loving mother I want to be because my own agenda, pride, wants, irritations get completely in the way and I can sometimes look at my children as if they are in the way. (ugh)
It's too hard to be a good wife, especially when he disappears emotionally and I'm left here to deal with all of this by myself.
It's too hard to walk in the path of Christ when everything around us is showing an easier, softer, more fun and certainly easier way to go.
It's too hard to eat what I'm supposed to and not indulge in anything and everything decadent!
It's too hard to keep putting myself out there and gathering the strength to deal with another rejection, another misunderstanding, another hurt, another failure.
It's too hard to not just slip away and disappear.
....and my life is pretty easy compared to many....
We make ourselves crazy 50 weeks out of the year so we can be completely lazy for 2 weeks and disappear...at the beach, in the mountains...in our own room.
Why can't we find a way to live in greater harmony every day?
I want to take mini vacations every day...just a few moments here and there where I can stop seeing all that needs to be done and become more aware of all that already is being done.
Even in my awareness of the over abundance of blessings and gifts in my life...
Even in the presence of the hugs and "I love you's" from my children....
Even in the afterglow of notes, emails, phone calls and letters of thanks....
Even in the midst of grace, I am still so lost sometimes.
We were never promised this life would be easy. We were never promised it would be without pain, suffering, irritations, setbacks, failures, losses. We were promised that we would never have to be alone in the midst of it.
How do we keep walking when everything just gets so hard?
Read the promises and cling to the hope of a future time.
When we are looking at where we are going and stay focused on that, our present doesn't overwhelm.
"Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I
shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Psalm 43:5
"We have hope as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within
the veil." Hebrews 6:19
It is only when I look at me that I become disquieted, disoriented, disappointed and discouraged.
When I look at Christ I am comforted, called, consoled and claimed!
Phillipians 4:8
"Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."
for today, I will not look at all that I am not accomplishing, becoming.... for today, I will choose to look at all the He did and rest in His accomplishment.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Close to Jesus
When James and John asked to be the ones sitting closest to Jesus, the response was fairly close to "be careful what you ask for."
We ask to be close to Jesus. We ask for Him to show us His way for us and allow us to walk in His footsteps.
I'm not so sure we realize what we're asking.
I know I'm not. I know that I have felt that if I pray, ask for guidance, seek to follow his will and give Him glory for my life that I will enjoy a happy, comfortable and fulfilling life. Where do we learn that because it certainly isn't in Scripture!
Our generation has never really had to deal with any true long-term tragedies as a culture. We were born in the midst of or following the Vietnam War and while we have been engaging in the War in the Middle East and many men and women have suffered and sacrificed...those of us at home go about business as usual on most given days.
We were told that if we worked hard and made good decisions, we would experience success...and that success was an unspoken reference to worldly success.
We have confused the American Dream with the Walk of a follower of Christ.
I would love to experience greater worldly success, sure. I would like to travel and enjoy the comforts that money can buy....but at what cost? And how do I respond when that comfort or that pleasure is removed or interrupted? Usually with irritation and confusion.
Yet in 1 Peter 4:12 we hear, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."
It would be more of a concern then I would think if we never experienced worldly discomfort, persecution or trials in this life....would that then suggest that I am not actually following Christ. He said his followers would be persecuted in this world.
I am not looking for suffering and I'm not seeking persecution. However, I am seeking the Kingdom of God and seeking His glory and seeking His favor and His eternal reward. The world is not. When we stand for what is righteous, what is True, what is just, what is worthy, what is eternal, what is pure, what is the Way of our Savior, we must expect there to be worldly backlash. And....1 peter 12-14
"But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you"
Rejoice? Rejoice in hardships and suffering that comes from seeking a closer relationship with Jesus? That can't be right! That's not what we hear....
We hear, God wants you to be successful and wealthy and prosperous!
Well, that may be true. God may in fact want some of us to have worldly wealth that may further His Kingdom. With that comes great challenge though...for we all know Matthew 19:24 that tells us "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."
However, that is not a promise of God...that we will be healthy, prosperous and free of affliction. His promise is "Do not fear, I will be with you. " Isaiah 41:10
We will be with him in paradise. This world is passing away. Our life here is but a vapor....
Where is our focus? Where is our heart? Where does our treasure lie?
I pray for the resolve to resist the world and the courage of the Spirit to rise up in me so that I may accept with joy everything that He brings into my life that will glorify Him and bring me closer to His heart.
For today: what is your pursuit? the heart of the one, true and Holy God....or The American Dream?
We ask to be close to Jesus. We ask for Him to show us His way for us and allow us to walk in His footsteps.
I'm not so sure we realize what we're asking.
I know I'm not. I know that I have felt that if I pray, ask for guidance, seek to follow his will and give Him glory for my life that I will enjoy a happy, comfortable and fulfilling life. Where do we learn that because it certainly isn't in Scripture!
Our generation has never really had to deal with any true long-term tragedies as a culture. We were born in the midst of or following the Vietnam War and while we have been engaging in the War in the Middle East and many men and women have suffered and sacrificed...those of us at home go about business as usual on most given days.
We were told that if we worked hard and made good decisions, we would experience success...and that success was an unspoken reference to worldly success.
We have confused the American Dream with the Walk of a follower of Christ.
I would love to experience greater worldly success, sure. I would like to travel and enjoy the comforts that money can buy....but at what cost? And how do I respond when that comfort or that pleasure is removed or interrupted? Usually with irritation and confusion.
Yet in 1 Peter 4:12 we hear, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."
It would be more of a concern then I would think if we never experienced worldly discomfort, persecution or trials in this life....would that then suggest that I am not actually following Christ. He said his followers would be persecuted in this world.
I am not looking for suffering and I'm not seeking persecution. However, I am seeking the Kingdom of God and seeking His glory and seeking His favor and His eternal reward. The world is not. When we stand for what is righteous, what is True, what is just, what is worthy, what is eternal, what is pure, what is the Way of our Savior, we must expect there to be worldly backlash. And....1 peter 12-14
"But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you"
Rejoice? Rejoice in hardships and suffering that comes from seeking a closer relationship with Jesus? That can't be right! That's not what we hear....
We hear, God wants you to be successful and wealthy and prosperous!
Well, that may be true. God may in fact want some of us to have worldly wealth that may further His Kingdom. With that comes great challenge though...for we all know Matthew 19:24 that tells us "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."
However, that is not a promise of God...that we will be healthy, prosperous and free of affliction. His promise is "Do not fear, I will be with you. " Isaiah 41:10
We will be with him in paradise. This world is passing away. Our life here is but a vapor....
Where is our focus? Where is our heart? Where does our treasure lie?
I pray for the resolve to resist the world and the courage of the Spirit to rise up in me so that I may accept with joy everything that He brings into my life that will glorify Him and bring me closer to His heart.
For today: what is your pursuit? the heart of the one, true and Holy God....or The American Dream?
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