The last area I am going to examine in this study will be our motives. It’s easier for me to just try to enforce behavior modification and try to be more legalistic about these types of issues. I want a very simple, easy-to-follow guide on how to fix the problem. Unfortunately, most areas of the Christian walk are not simply quick fixes based solely on our outward actions. Most issues are heart issues. So that’s the final part of the study- we’ve covered some behavioral changes; but at the root of behavioral changes is a heart change. We can’t expect a behavior modification to truly be effective and lasting if it is not a symptom of a deeper change.
So we must ask ourselves- what are my current motives?
What are my motives when I choose what clothes to wear? Am I picking out fits based on what makes me look good? What I feel comfortable in? What I feel confident in? Core issue: Am I choosing what to wear out of respect for myself, and my brothers in Christ? Is that a daily consideration for you?
Confession: when I choose what to wear in the mornings, I used to just go based on what I thought looked nice, and what made me feel attractive. However, that has changed drastically over the past few years. Each morning, I try to consider a few things. First- what message is this outfit sending to the people I will interact with today? Does this portray me as a woman of God? Second- Will this outfit cause others to stumble? Will it be a stumbling block to my brothers in Christ who are trying to fight lustful thoughts? Will it cause my sisters in Christ to struggle with self-esteem issues? Is this outfit beneficial to the church family, or is it going to be a temptation? Third- is this outfit practical? Not quite as spiritual, but you’ve got to consider that! Fourth- Will wearing this outfit glorify God, or hurt my testimony? If you’re having a hard time discerning, ask yourself ‘Is this something I would wear to church or in front of my grandparents?’
I often employ the same considerations when choosing reactions and behaviors. However, behaviors can be a bit more tricky. Different people perceive things in different ways; flirting, for example, is SO hard to get a handle on. That is why motive is so essential! I can’t control the way someone perceives my behaviors, but I can make sure that my motives were pure and above reproach. Do you intentionally examine the way you behave around others, particularly members of the opposite sex? Do you try to guard your heart (and theirs as well)? This is phenomenally applicable during the awkward phase of the co-ed friendship when you are determining if it is JUST a friendship, or if you’re flirting. (I know you’ve been there too!) I strongly encourage you to make sure you are not only guarding your own heart (Proverbs 4:23), but also try to be guarding your friends heart as well. What does that mean? DON’T SEND MIXED SIGNALS. Don’t be flirtatious then say you just want to be friends. Again- I mean don’t intentionally be flirty if you don’t intend to follow through. If you realize that someone is perceiving your behavior as flirtatious (and that’s not the message you want to be sending) then change your behavior!! Examine your motives. Try to protect your brothers in Christ, too. They are fighting a battle; they struggle with sin just like we do. We need to build each other up as much as we can- we already have an enemy out there who is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking to kill and destroy. We don’t need to help him out; we need to help out our brothers and sisters in Christ.
So examine your motives. Are you living intentionally as an ambassador for Christ? As an
image bearer? Do you seek to honor God in everything that you do?
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Part 3b: What Jesus can teach us about guys trying to holla.
We’ve covered flirting and outfit choices…now on to reactions. This is probably one of the hardest ones for me. How does a Godly woman react to a man being disrespectful or crude?
Here is where I’m going to take a slight detour from our character study. The character studies from those women have been crazy beneficial, but I want to take a second to look at the character of Jesus. He wasn’t a woman (I get that), but I want to look at one key event that may help decipher how we can appropriately react to men being disrespectful. (*As a point of clarification: specifically for this point (but also generally for the blog-series as a whole), I am referring to men who are asking a girl out/hitting on a girl disrespectfully, not guys who are asking you out and you want to say no. That is a big, important difference.)
So what event are we going to look at from the life of Christ that could possibly help us when we are being hit on??
When Jesus tossed the temple tables.
One of my favorite stories from the Gospels, not gonna lie. This is one of my favorite memories of Jesus. He wasn’t some pacifist hippie. He exercised discernment in how He reacted, but He would get fired up about the things that mattered. When He walked in and saw His Father’s house being treated like a “den of robbers”- that was not ok. So He did what He needed to do; He redeemed the image of the temple and restored it back to its original purpose.
So how on earth does this apply to us? I’m glad you asked. 1 Corinthians tells us that our body is a living temple, and that we are to honor God with our body. When Jesus saw the temple being treated disrespectfully, it wasn’t ok with Him. He refused to tolerate anyone who would treat the temple like a market place; it was to be held in the highest honor. It was where the Spirit of God would dwell. The temple was intended to remind people of the God they served and draw them in to worship Him.
Our bodies are supposed to do the same thing.
We are temples of the Holy Spirit; He lives in us! We were also made in the image of God. That is not something that should be cheapened and objectified! And please don’t think that I am saying that we can’t appreciate how attractive someone is- but there is a respectful way to do that. Don’t dwell on it. Don’t lust after it. Don’t cheapen it and objectify that person. That is degrading.
Our body being a temple also means that we need to make sure we are treating it like a temple. We need to take care of our bodies and make sure that we are respecting ourselves and treating our body with honor and respect. It was the Jews that made the temple a marketplace after all- ladies (and gentlemen, too!)- your body is not a marketplace. It is not a bargaining tool. It is not bait. It is sacred. It is a temple, designed and intended to honor God. It’s about time we started treating it like that. Don’t act like the woman from Ezekiel 16. Behave and dress with dignity.
Now that we’ve established briefly what it means for our bodies to be a temple, what does this have to do with Jesus tossing the temple tables? Well, we can see that He had a righteous anger when His House was disrespected. He drove out the people responsible, and He began to redeem the Temple so that it could be restored to its original place of honor. I think it is permissible to apply the same logic here.
If our bodies are temples, and people are treating them disrespectfully- we have a right to defend ourselves. We have a right to demand to be treated with respect (provided that we are indeed treating our bodies like a temple). Now, I am NOT saying that we can go flipping people over and chasing them away from us with whips. That may have been Jesus’ flair, but that isn’t quite as acceptable in today’s society.
So how should we react? Be firm and clear. This doesn’t mean be rude. However, that doesn’t always mean to be polite, either. Be clear that you don’t want to be treated that way, or spoken to in that way. Surprisingly, that has worked for me quite a few times. If it doesn’t work, do what ever you can to avoid those situations/people so it doesn’t happen again. Make sure you aren’t encouraging their behavior (a lot of times they’re only looking for a reaction). And be even more firm about where the boundaries are. Jesus was abundantly clear about the way he felt about the way the temple was being treated. Many people would say that it wasn’t exactly a “polite” reaction, either. I think it is occasionally ok to be a little harsh. Sometimes it is the only thing that will get your point across. Let them know that you are serious. If it is a consistent behavior, sit down with them and tell them exactly why you don’t appreciate it.
Another twist- try to use this as an opportunity for ministry. I would guesstimate that a majority of the men that I have ministered to/am currently ministering to were trying to hit on me at one point, but that opened the door for me to share my faith with them. Use all things for the glory of God, right? It’s crazy how God can open doors. Again, I want to stress- don’t put yourself in situations where guys are going to be disrespectful. But if you’re stuck in them, make the best of it. This is a HUGE part of my ministry at work. These conversations have opened so many doors for ministry opportunities. And it has served to set me apart in the work place. They know that I’m serious about my faith; and they know they can always come to me if they have questions. Quite a few of them have. But a lot of it started through inappropriate comments. It sucks, but if God can use it for His glory, then I’ll be thankful for the opportunity to glorify His Name. As bizarre as the situation is.
Here is where I’m going to take a slight detour from our character study. The character studies from those women have been crazy beneficial, but I want to take a second to look at the character of Jesus. He wasn’t a woman (I get that), but I want to look at one key event that may help decipher how we can appropriately react to men being disrespectful. (*As a point of clarification: specifically for this point (but also generally for the blog-series as a whole), I am referring to men who are asking a girl out/hitting on a girl disrespectfully, not guys who are asking you out and you want to say no. That is a big, important difference.)
So what event are we going to look at from the life of Christ that could possibly help us when we are being hit on??
When Jesus tossed the temple tables.
One of my favorite stories from the Gospels, not gonna lie. This is one of my favorite memories of Jesus. He wasn’t some pacifist hippie. He exercised discernment in how He reacted, but He would get fired up about the things that mattered. When He walked in and saw His Father’s house being treated like a “den of robbers”- that was not ok. So He did what He needed to do; He redeemed the image of the temple and restored it back to its original purpose.
So how on earth does this apply to us? I’m glad you asked. 1 Corinthians tells us that our body is a living temple, and that we are to honor God with our body. When Jesus saw the temple being treated disrespectfully, it wasn’t ok with Him. He refused to tolerate anyone who would treat the temple like a market place; it was to be held in the highest honor. It was where the Spirit of God would dwell. The temple was intended to remind people of the God they served and draw them in to worship Him.
Our bodies are supposed to do the same thing.
We are temples of the Holy Spirit; He lives in us! We were also made in the image of God. That is not something that should be cheapened and objectified! And please don’t think that I am saying that we can’t appreciate how attractive someone is- but there is a respectful way to do that. Don’t dwell on it. Don’t lust after it. Don’t cheapen it and objectify that person. That is degrading.
Our body being a temple also means that we need to make sure we are treating it like a temple. We need to take care of our bodies and make sure that we are respecting ourselves and treating our body with honor and respect. It was the Jews that made the temple a marketplace after all- ladies (and gentlemen, too!)- your body is not a marketplace. It is not a bargaining tool. It is not bait. It is sacred. It is a temple, designed and intended to honor God. It’s about time we started treating it like that. Don’t act like the woman from Ezekiel 16. Behave and dress with dignity.
Now that we’ve established briefly what it means for our bodies to be a temple, what does this have to do with Jesus tossing the temple tables? Well, we can see that He had a righteous anger when His House was disrespected. He drove out the people responsible, and He began to redeem the Temple so that it could be restored to its original place of honor. I think it is permissible to apply the same logic here.
If our bodies are temples, and people are treating them disrespectfully- we have a right to defend ourselves. We have a right to demand to be treated with respect (provided that we are indeed treating our bodies like a temple). Now, I am NOT saying that we can go flipping people over and chasing them away from us with whips. That may have been Jesus’ flair, but that isn’t quite as acceptable in today’s society.
So how should we react? Be firm and clear. This doesn’t mean be rude. However, that doesn’t always mean to be polite, either. Be clear that you don’t want to be treated that way, or spoken to in that way. Surprisingly, that has worked for me quite a few times. If it doesn’t work, do what ever you can to avoid those situations/people so it doesn’t happen again. Make sure you aren’t encouraging their behavior (a lot of times they’re only looking for a reaction). And be even more firm about where the boundaries are. Jesus was abundantly clear about the way he felt about the way the temple was being treated. Many people would say that it wasn’t exactly a “polite” reaction, either. I think it is occasionally ok to be a little harsh. Sometimes it is the only thing that will get your point across. Let them know that you are serious. If it is a consistent behavior, sit down with them and tell them exactly why you don’t appreciate it.
Another twist- try to use this as an opportunity for ministry. I would guesstimate that a majority of the men that I have ministered to/am currently ministering to were trying to hit on me at one point, but that opened the door for me to share my faith with them. Use all things for the glory of God, right? It’s crazy how God can open doors. Again, I want to stress- don’t put yourself in situations where guys are going to be disrespectful. But if you’re stuck in them, make the best of it. This is a HUGE part of my ministry at work. These conversations have opened so many doors for ministry opportunities. And it has served to set me apart in the work place. They know that I’m serious about my faith; and they know they can always come to me if they have questions. Quite a few of them have. But a lot of it started through inappropriate comments. It sucks, but if God can use it for His glory, then I’ll be thankful for the opportunity to glorify His Name. As bizarre as the situation is.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Part 3a: What exactly does "above reproach" look like?
Alright. We’ve met these women, talked about their character- now what? Let’s see how we compare, shall we?
I’ll start by saying that we obviously aren’t perfect, and these women aren’t either. We’re just going to see what lessons we can learn from them to grow in our process of sanctification. Don’t worry, this will only hurt a little bit ☺
I mentioned in an earlier post that I think it is essential to examine our own behaviors through out this whole process to ensure that we are not encouraging a guy’s disrespectful attitude.
I want to unpack that a bit more. We’re going to start by identifying beneficial behavior, and destructive behavior. Then, in the next post, we’ll try to tie everything together to how it applies to those awkward moments when a guy is trying to holler, and hopefully outline some practical things we can do to a) prevent those situations and b) address those situations when we’re stuck in them.
We’ve already established a few of the basics for beneficial behavior: don’t put yourself in bad situations, be teachable/mature/wise, and display wisdom and intentionality in your actions. We need to be sure that we are taking ownership of any responsibility we have in a particular situation, but we also need to make sure we aren’t taking the entire burden upon ourselves. This is a pet peeve of mine, particularly when it comes to modesty/lust issues. I definitely encourage helping out our brothers in Christ. I realize that this struggle is so much harder than I know, and I want to help my brothers in any way that I can. I pray that my brothers in Christ know that. I am not here to make you stumble. But, having said that- men: OWN YOUR OWN STRUGGLE. MAN UP AND LEARN TO FIGHT TEMPTATION. Don’t push the responsibility on us- we’ve got our own struggles we have to deal with. I can’t fight your battle. I won’t fight your battle for you.
So when I say “examine our own behaviors,” what exactly does that mean? What does it look like to behave in a way that is “above reproach” and honoring to God? Here’s where we’ll start to get in to the meat of the application; so far it’s mostly been gathering the info- now it’s time for interpretation and application. Strap on your big girl pants….here we go.
First, “above reproach”- does that seem slightly ambiguous to anyone else?? This is one of the awesome/frustrating things with Scripture. It’s so awesome because it allows the Scripture to remain dynamic and applicable, despite the fact that it was written thousands of years ago. That is also where it becomes frustrating….it isn’t spelled out for us. As humans, we typically like to be legalistic. We want a “to-do” list that will spell out exactly what is expected of us. We want to know what we have to do to get by. That way we don’t have to do more than the bare minimum, right? WRONG. The “bare minimum” doesn’t apply here! We usually find ourselves asking what we can get away with, or what qualifies as “wrong” and “sinful.” We want to know how close we can get to the line. We fail to realize that we are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking “is it wrong?” we should start asking “is this beneficial?” It conveys a total attitude change! Instead of seeing how much I can get away with without getting in to trouble, I start to evaluate how much more I can be doing to glorify God. Completely different attitude. And that attitude will make a world of difference.
So to behave in a way that is “above reproach” should be shaped by asking the question “is this honoring to God?” When I think of something that is above reproach, I think of something that no one can find fault with, something that is blameless. That is such a high standard! Yet it’s the standard we are told to strive for. But don’t be discouraged! The Gospel is full of grace, not guilt. God knows that we are not perfect; He doesn’t expect us to be. But, He does want us to strive for it. Constantly be evaluating your behavior to see where you aren’t reflecting Christ’s character.
However, this gets really tricky when we start to apply it to flirting and outfit choices, am I right, ladies? Even today as I’m choosing an outfit for work, I’m struggling with choosing dresses that aren’t too short, pants that aren’t too tight, shirts that aren’t too low, or too tight, but also can’t be too loose where they may leave a gap open guys to peak in if I lean forward- it’s DIFFICULT. Because I don’t want to have to wear a trash bag and dress like a blimp- because even then some guys may still be lusting! Some guys are just going to lust, no matter what I am wearing. So I have to choose something that is respectable, but also need to accept that I can’t prevent any and all lust from occurring. I just have to evaluate my motives, my outfit choices, and my behavior.
Same for flirting- it’s different for everybody. How should we behave in a way that’s above reproach?? Well, that’s different for each relationship. (Difficult, I know. Determining what is “above reproach” is pretty brutal- but SO worth it. Please don’t forget that. This is a lesson that is essential in our Christian walk; we need to be able to analyze Scripture to determine if our behavior lines up with the faith we profess. Sorry for the tangent- back to flirting.) It’s specific to each relationship. There are some general boundaries that you may want to enforce across the board though. For example, I don’t pray alone with a guy, nor do I hang out with them alone unless I'm ok with it being a date. For some people, that may seem extremely legalistic (I thought it was when it was first suggested to me). But I can tell you- I have found it to be insanely beneficial. Pray and ask God to show you which behaviors you need to be changing. I had to be a lot more intentional with how I talk with people- I usually touch the arm of the person I am talking to, or I’ll use a lot of nicknames. I have to be really cautious about how much I do that, especially when talking to guys. I need to guard my heart (Proverbs 4:23), but I also need to help him guard his heart as well. But different people perceive things a different way, so you have to be able to gauge your behavior, and alter it when necessary. Be cautious about what conversations you have with guys, how you dress around them, how you behave around them, and also when/where you talk with them. Use discretion. Seek wise counsel. Get in the Word.
I’ll start by saying that we obviously aren’t perfect, and these women aren’t either. We’re just going to see what lessons we can learn from them to grow in our process of sanctification. Don’t worry, this will only hurt a little bit ☺
I mentioned in an earlier post that I think it is essential to examine our own behaviors through out this whole process to ensure that we are not encouraging a guy’s disrespectful attitude.
I want to unpack that a bit more. We’re going to start by identifying beneficial behavior, and destructive behavior. Then, in the next post, we’ll try to tie everything together to how it applies to those awkward moments when a guy is trying to holler, and hopefully outline some practical things we can do to a) prevent those situations and b) address those situations when we’re stuck in them.
We’ve already established a few of the basics for beneficial behavior: don’t put yourself in bad situations, be teachable/mature/wise, and display wisdom and intentionality in your actions. We need to be sure that we are taking ownership of any responsibility we have in a particular situation, but we also need to make sure we aren’t taking the entire burden upon ourselves. This is a pet peeve of mine, particularly when it comes to modesty/lust issues. I definitely encourage helping out our brothers in Christ. I realize that this struggle is so much harder than I know, and I want to help my brothers in any way that I can. I pray that my brothers in Christ know that. I am not here to make you stumble. But, having said that- men: OWN YOUR OWN STRUGGLE. MAN UP AND LEARN TO FIGHT TEMPTATION. Don’t push the responsibility on us- we’ve got our own struggles we have to deal with. I can’t fight your battle. I won’t fight your battle for you.
So when I say “examine our own behaviors,” what exactly does that mean? What does it look like to behave in a way that is “above reproach” and honoring to God? Here’s where we’ll start to get in to the meat of the application; so far it’s mostly been gathering the info- now it’s time for interpretation and application. Strap on your big girl pants….here we go.
First, “above reproach”- does that seem slightly ambiguous to anyone else?? This is one of the awesome/frustrating things with Scripture. It’s so awesome because it allows the Scripture to remain dynamic and applicable, despite the fact that it was written thousands of years ago. That is also where it becomes frustrating….it isn’t spelled out for us. As humans, we typically like to be legalistic. We want a “to-do” list that will spell out exactly what is expected of us. We want to know what we have to do to get by. That way we don’t have to do more than the bare minimum, right? WRONG. The “bare minimum” doesn’t apply here! We usually find ourselves asking what we can get away with, or what qualifies as “wrong” and “sinful.” We want to know how close we can get to the line. We fail to realize that we are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking “is it wrong?” we should start asking “is this beneficial?” It conveys a total attitude change! Instead of seeing how much I can get away with without getting in to trouble, I start to evaluate how much more I can be doing to glorify God. Completely different attitude. And that attitude will make a world of difference.
So to behave in a way that is “above reproach” should be shaped by asking the question “is this honoring to God?” When I think of something that is above reproach, I think of something that no one can find fault with, something that is blameless. That is such a high standard! Yet it’s the standard we are told to strive for. But don’t be discouraged! The Gospel is full of grace, not guilt. God knows that we are not perfect; He doesn’t expect us to be. But, He does want us to strive for it. Constantly be evaluating your behavior to see where you aren’t reflecting Christ’s character.
However, this gets really tricky when we start to apply it to flirting and outfit choices, am I right, ladies? Even today as I’m choosing an outfit for work, I’m struggling with choosing dresses that aren’t too short, pants that aren’t too tight, shirts that aren’t too low, or too tight, but also can’t be too loose where they may leave a gap open guys to peak in if I lean forward- it’s DIFFICULT. Because I don’t want to have to wear a trash bag and dress like a blimp- because even then some guys may still be lusting! Some guys are just going to lust, no matter what I am wearing. So I have to choose something that is respectable, but also need to accept that I can’t prevent any and all lust from occurring. I just have to evaluate my motives, my outfit choices, and my behavior.
Same for flirting- it’s different for everybody. How should we behave in a way that’s above reproach?? Well, that’s different for each relationship. (Difficult, I know. Determining what is “above reproach” is pretty brutal- but SO worth it. Please don’t forget that. This is a lesson that is essential in our Christian walk; we need to be able to analyze Scripture to determine if our behavior lines up with the faith we profess. Sorry for the tangent- back to flirting.) It’s specific to each relationship. There are some general boundaries that you may want to enforce across the board though. For example, I don’t pray alone with a guy, nor do I hang out with them alone unless I'm ok with it being a date. For some people, that may seem extremely legalistic (I thought it was when it was first suggested to me). But I can tell you- I have found it to be insanely beneficial. Pray and ask God to show you which behaviors you need to be changing. I had to be a lot more intentional with how I talk with people- I usually touch the arm of the person I am talking to, or I’ll use a lot of nicknames. I have to be really cautious about how much I do that, especially when talking to guys. I need to guard my heart (Proverbs 4:23), but I also need to help him guard his heart as well. But different people perceive things a different way, so you have to be able to gauge your behavior, and alter it when necessary. Be cautious about what conversations you have with guys, how you dress around them, how you behave around them, and also when/where you talk with them. Use discretion. Seek wise counsel. Get in the Word.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Part 2b: Attributes of Godly Women
One of the most important things I’ve learned through this struggle (and the third thing we can learn from these women) is that I am only responsible for my own actions; I cannot control the actions or thoughts of those around me. I have to constantly remind myself of this when I deal with guys being disrespectful. My automatic reaction is to blame myself. To be clear, I think it is essential that I examine my own behaviors thoroughly. I reflect back on what I’ve said, the way I’ve behaved, what I am wearing, etc. But sometimes, men are just going to be dogs. Just calling a spade a spade. You can be behaving in a way that is pure, modest, and above reproach- yet a guy will be disrespectful.
And this can manifest in so many different ways! I think it is wise to avoid situations that may invite guys to be disrespectful, but sometimes things just happen. And you’re stuck. This happens all the time! I’ll be at work, or studying in a coffeeshop, on a run, driving, shopping, crossing the street, walking around campus- anything- and then there’s that guy that’s trying to holler. That guy. We’ve all had to deal with him. The guy shouting from a car window as he drives by, the creeper that traps you while you’re sitting somewhere by yourself, the guy trying to be more than just a customer while you’re stuck at work. He’s disrespectful, rude, crude, and makes you feel more like a piece of meat than a lady.
I really have to pray through how I deal with “this guy.” I’ve got to be honest, I have such a hard time trying to love this type of guy! I want to be rude, disrespectful, and do whatever I can to get this guy out of my face, pronto.
But then it hit me one day: this guy- this obnoxious guy trying to holler at anything with two X chromosomes- this guy is still a child of God. He is still a mission field. He could one day be my brother in Christ (or may undergo some serious progress in his process of sanctification).
Now, that does not mean that I let this guy get away with anything. This means that I change my attitude; I do not respond out of anger and malice. I respond firmly and clearly, out of love. It doesn’t mean that I am a doormat and let him talk to me however he wants. There are still boundaries. It is not okay for guys to talk to me a certain way, look at me a certain way, and use me to satisfy their lust problem. I am here to glorify God, not be dragged in to their sin struggles.
Fourth, it is not a sin to be attractive. One thing that I LOVED about the character study of these women in Scripture is that almost all of them were described as being beautiful. I think that this is something that, as Christians, we sometimes have a distorted perception of. In the name of modesty, we are sometimes a bit misguided. Girls end up constantly looking busted, pitted out, and to’ up! …but "it’s ok, because they’re only doing it to be 'modest,' right?" Modesty is not synonymous with ugly; appealing is not synonymous with inappropriate. It is ok to be pretty! Just don’t squander it! Ezekiel 16 uses the analogy of an adulterous bride for the church; at one point it describes how she has used the beauty that was perfected through the Lord to play the whore. She trusted in her beauty, then gave that beauty to any passerby. That is when beauty becomes a problem- when it is an idol.
Scripture also warns us that beauty is only temporary in Proverbs 31 and again in 1 Peter. It says our beauty should come from our “inner selves.”
Scripture is clear that we need to not rely on our beauty or let it become an idol; but it is also clear that beauty is not a sin. In fact, almost every woman that we’ve studied was described as beautiful. Don’t feel guilty about being attractive; God can use that. He used it for so many women in the Bible already! Esther was made queen because she was so pretty! Don’t sell God short on the things He can use to glorify His Name.
And this can manifest in so many different ways! I think it is wise to avoid situations that may invite guys to be disrespectful, but sometimes things just happen. And you’re stuck. This happens all the time! I’ll be at work, or studying in a coffeeshop, on a run, driving, shopping, crossing the street, walking around campus- anything- and then there’s that guy that’s trying to holler. That guy. We’ve all had to deal with him. The guy shouting from a car window as he drives by, the creeper that traps you while you’re sitting somewhere by yourself, the guy trying to be more than just a customer while you’re stuck at work. He’s disrespectful, rude, crude, and makes you feel more like a piece of meat than a lady.
I really have to pray through how I deal with “this guy.” I’ve got to be honest, I have such a hard time trying to love this type of guy! I want to be rude, disrespectful, and do whatever I can to get this guy out of my face, pronto.
But then it hit me one day: this guy- this obnoxious guy trying to holler at anything with two X chromosomes- this guy is still a child of God. He is still a mission field. He could one day be my brother in Christ (or may undergo some serious progress in his process of sanctification).
Now, that does not mean that I let this guy get away with anything. This means that I change my attitude; I do not respond out of anger and malice. I respond firmly and clearly, out of love. It doesn’t mean that I am a doormat and let him talk to me however he wants. There are still boundaries. It is not okay for guys to talk to me a certain way, look at me a certain way, and use me to satisfy their lust problem. I am here to glorify God, not be dragged in to their sin struggles.
Fourth, it is not a sin to be attractive. One thing that I LOVED about the character study of these women in Scripture is that almost all of them were described as being beautiful. I think that this is something that, as Christians, we sometimes have a distorted perception of. In the name of modesty, we are sometimes a bit misguided. Girls end up constantly looking busted, pitted out, and to’ up! …but "it’s ok, because they’re only doing it to be 'modest,' right?" Modesty is not synonymous with ugly; appealing is not synonymous with inappropriate. It is ok to be pretty! Just don’t squander it! Ezekiel 16 uses the analogy of an adulterous bride for the church; at one point it describes how she has used the beauty that was perfected through the Lord to play the whore. She trusted in her beauty, then gave that beauty to any passerby. That is when beauty becomes a problem- when it is an idol.
Scripture also warns us that beauty is only temporary in Proverbs 31 and again in 1 Peter. It says our beauty should come from our “inner selves.”
Scripture is clear that we need to not rely on our beauty or let it become an idol; but it is also clear that beauty is not a sin. In fact, almost every woman that we’ve studied was described as beautiful. Don’t feel guilty about being attractive; God can use that. He used it for so many women in the Bible already! Esther was made queen because she was so pretty! Don’t sell God short on the things He can use to glorify His Name.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Part 2a: Attributes of Godly Women
Now that we’ve established a general character study and background of each woman, let’s begin to dive a little deeper. Hopefully we would agree that, for the most part, these women mentioned in Scripture can teach us valuable lessons about what it means to be a woman of God. As we study them more in depth and get to know each one a bit better, we can begin to understand this whole “Biblical femininity” thing more thoroughly.
Each woman offers valuable lessons for us. There are so many lessons we can learn from each of them, but for now, we’ll stick to just a few.
Most of the women show us a great deal about being cautious about the authority we submit to. Not only is this applicable to marriage, but it is also phenomenally applicable to single ladies too. First, if we aren’t able to submit to Christ and His leadership, why on earth would we think that we are ready to submit to our husband’s leadership? Second, we must learn to recognize Christ-like leadership, especially when it comes to relationships. When theses women submitted to ungodly/unwise authority in their lives, it made for some very difficult situations for them. Sarah and Abraham could have been killed because of Abraham’s silly plot; Esther risked her life in an attempt to plead on behalf of her people; Ruth had to resort to manual labor to provide for her and her mother-in-law; Abigail (along with her entire household) was almost killed because of her husband’s pride and ignorance. Yet the women in Proverbs 31 and Song of Songs are exuberantly satisfied in their marriages. They were able to respect their husbands, because their husbands were worth respecting! But if we aren’t intimately familiar with the way the Christ leads us and loves us, how can we possibly recognize the way a man can lead and love like Christ? And if we can’t recognize a man of God, we most likely won’t marry a man of God.
Second, almost all of these women were teachable, mature, and wise. These are huge indicators of a Godly woman. Are we willing to accept rebuke, and learn from it? This is one thing that I have dealt with a great deal in striving for modesty. I often say “without Jesus, I would totally be Ke$ha,” but it is SO true! It has taken me a long time to acquire a firm definition of “modesty.” I’ve had to seek counsel, ask friends “is this appropriate?” and learn to accept rebuke. But this whole struggle would be pointless if I weren’t teachable! Being teachable is how you gain wisdom and maturity; if you can’t learn, how do you expect to grow in maturity and wisdom? And if you aren’t growing in maturity and wisdom, how can you expect to be a Godly person?
Each woman offers valuable lessons for us. There are so many lessons we can learn from each of them, but for now, we’ll stick to just a few.
Most of the women show us a great deal about being cautious about the authority we submit to. Not only is this applicable to marriage, but it is also phenomenally applicable to single ladies too. First, if we aren’t able to submit to Christ and His leadership, why on earth would we think that we are ready to submit to our husband’s leadership? Second, we must learn to recognize Christ-like leadership, especially when it comes to relationships. When theses women submitted to ungodly/unwise authority in their lives, it made for some very difficult situations for them. Sarah and Abraham could have been killed because of Abraham’s silly plot; Esther risked her life in an attempt to plead on behalf of her people; Ruth had to resort to manual labor to provide for her and her mother-in-law; Abigail (along with her entire household) was almost killed because of her husband’s pride and ignorance. Yet the women in Proverbs 31 and Song of Songs are exuberantly satisfied in their marriages. They were able to respect their husbands, because their husbands were worth respecting! But if we aren’t intimately familiar with the way the Christ leads us and loves us, how can we possibly recognize the way a man can lead and love like Christ? And if we can’t recognize a man of God, we most likely won’t marry a man of God.
Second, almost all of these women were teachable, mature, and wise. These are huge indicators of a Godly woman. Are we willing to accept rebuke, and learn from it? This is one thing that I have dealt with a great deal in striving for modesty. I often say “without Jesus, I would totally be Ke$ha,” but it is SO true! It has taken me a long time to acquire a firm definition of “modesty.” I’ve had to seek counsel, ask friends “is this appropriate?” and learn to accept rebuke. But this whole struggle would be pointless if I weren’t teachable! Being teachable is how you gain wisdom and maturity; if you can’t learn, how do you expect to grow in maturity and wisdom? And if you aren’t growing in maturity and wisdom, how can you expect to be a Godly person?
Friday, November 4, 2011
Step 1: Character Study
One of the easiest ways to form a clear idea about what a woman of God looks like is to study women of God from Scripture. So that is where we will start. By examining their character and their lives, we should hopefully form a more thorough basis for our idea of how we should behave as women of God. The women we’re going to be getting to know are Sarah, Ruth, Abigail, Esther, the infamous “Proverbs 31 Woman,” and Solomon’s beloved from Song of Songs.
I’m not going to be diving too deep into the character analysis of each woman mentioned for the sake of time and space; I would challenge you to really study each of these women’s stories though! I have been so blessed and challenged by them, and they have contributed in large ways to my understanding of Biblical femininity. But that’s enough intro; lets dive right in.
Sarah/Sarai was Abraham’s wife. We get to see a few different sides of her throughout Genesis. She made some mistakes, for sure, but Scripture holds her in high esteem. 1 Peter 3:5-6 says “For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” That’s pretty amazing! She submitted to Abraham’s authority, but she still had her moments struggling with the curse. She wanted to control things. But she learned. She matured. In the brief narrative of Sarah and Abraham’s life, we get to know them so much. When they first left in search of the Promise Land, Abraham was still learning to lead well. Scripture tells us that Sarah was beautiful, and Abe was afraid other men would try to holler at it, and kill him in order to get to her. So he told his wife to lie, and say she was his sister. That plan was an epic fail. Fast forward to when God surprises them by informing them that they will have a child…after literally laughing at God, Sara tries to take over and tells Abraham to sleep with her maid servant, Hagar, so they can pass down the family name through that offspring. We’re still fighting a war in the Middle East over that poor life decision. Yet, 1 Peter tells us to be like her. She learned that God is sovereign, and her and Abraham are respected through out the Scriptures. None of us are perfect; we all go through the process of sanctification. But, we need to be teachable. That’s what makes a world of difference.
Ruth: Ruth was such a hard worker! After her hubby died, she stayed loyal to her mother-in-law and helped provide for her. She went out to glean in the field, and did HARD work. Manual labor. She wasn’t some prissy, high-maintenance, helpless charity case. She was a woman. She was able to provide for herself, but also humble enough to be provided for (…enter Boaz. If you haven’t gotten to know him very well, prepare to fall in love. What a man.) She knew how to submit to authority, but she was also able to challenge Boaz to fulfill his full potential. She needed a kinsman redeemer, and he was eligible to fill that position. And once he knew that- he didn’t rest until the matter was settled. They were so good for each other.
Abigail: She isn’t as well known as the other women we’re studying, but I just love her. She is briefly mentioned in 1 Samuel 25, but she has a huge impact. She is married to an idiot and is forced to pick up his mess, but she is so wise! She is described as being “discerning and beautiful.” She ultimately saves the entire household from being killed by David’s troops. Her husband, Nabal, is ultimately killed for his ignorance. David was also quite smitten with her; when he heard that her husband had died, he sent for her, and married her! Talk about making a good first impression. Obviously David’s polygamy was quite misguided, but he knew that this woman would be a source of wisdom and blessing to him. And he had to have her as part of his life.
Esther: She was a hottie. She was so beautiful that King Xerxes chose to marry her of all the women in the kingdom. God ultimately used her position as queen to save His people. Beauty as a spiritual gift? Maybe not, but God can use our beauty for sure.
Also worth noting from Esther’s story is Queen Vashti. She was Xerxes’ previous wife. He tried to show her off to his friends at a party because she was beautiful as well. She refused to come out and be treated like a trophy wife/objectified, and he exiled her. However, Scripture doesn’t speak decisively about her reaction; it merely presents it like a narrative, which leads us to our own conclusions. Xerxes and Vashti obviously had a dysfunctional relationship, to say the least. There was no love or respect (they obviously had not read Ephesians 5! Silly).
Proverbs 31 Woman: Holy cow. Where do I even begin? The good thing is that most of her characteristics are pretty easy to see, since they are essentially spelled out in the passage. So let’s step back and do a general evaluation, shall we? First, one thing that completely changed the way I view my behavior as a single woman was “she does good to her husband all the days of her life.” Ladies- ALL the days include the days before you meet him. Dude. Did that blow your mind the way it blew mine the first time I heard that? It completely rocked my world! The way that I dress, the way I speak, the way I behave, how I represent myself- all these things will affect my husband one day. The woman I am today affects who I will be tomorrow. We can’t just expect to suddenly have our act together and know how to love and submit to God and our husbands if we can’t even love and submit to God today! God is perfect- our husbands won’t be. It is infinitely easier to submit to God and love him than I would imagine it would be to submit to and love a man. Humans are flawed! If we can’t trust God today, don’t expect to suddenly have your act together when you get in to a relationship. (That advice is free. Not really related to what we’re talking about, just a little nugget to chew on for later. You’re welcome.) Additionally, she works hard. She is a blessing to her husband. She helps provide for the family by making wise investments, stewarding the money well, and taking care of them. She plans ahead. She works hard. She loves well. She continues to invest in the women around her. She reflects well on her husband, and on her God.
Song of Songs: I LOVE this book! It is like the well kept secret of the Bible. It is so risqué! But so holy at the same time! Such a delightful picture of the way God designed a marriage to be. Their intimacy isn’t something to be ashamed of- it is something that is to be used to glorify God and reflect His love for us. Just some key verses I want to focus on here: First one- “Why should I be like one who veils herself besides the flocks of your companions.” Whoa. Let’s unpack this verse for a sec. Do you get what she’s saying here? It’s quite bold; and so encouraging. In those days, prostitutes would veil themselves and wait for shepherds while they grazed their flocks at night. It was apparently a lonely lifestyle, so they would be available for “companionship” at night. The woman in this passage is saying, “I’ll meet you somewhere at noon. In the daylight. I will be treated with respect and honor, and behave in a way that is above reproach. I don’t need to stoop to cheap tactics to try to seduce you; I will not behave like a whore. I will be respected, and treated with dignity.” What an amazing example for us!
The second verse that I want to unpack a bit is “dark am I, yet lovely.” In those days, pale was hot. It meant you didn’t have to work; you were wealthy, and could stay inside. This girl didn’t have that luxury. It explains elsewhere in the book that she was forced to work in the vineyard (remind anyone else a bit of Ruth gleaning in the fields?), so she was sunburned. She probably had calluses on her hands. She knew what it was like to work hard, to sweat. She was beautiful by societies standards. But she certainly caught the eye of the king. He was so in love with her. And not just her personality! He loved her body, too! He delighted in every aspect of his bride. And she delighted in him as well.
Third verse- “a garden locked up.” “Garden” is used a few times throughout the book as a metaphor for her body. She saying she has saved herself for him! Her body has been kept locked up, for his eyes only. She is more of a “secret garden,” not a public botanical garden, you get what I’m saying? She was pure and chaste, and saved certain things just for her hubby. A little mystery is a good thing, ladies.
I’m not going to be diving too deep into the character analysis of each woman mentioned for the sake of time and space; I would challenge you to really study each of these women’s stories though! I have been so blessed and challenged by them, and they have contributed in large ways to my understanding of Biblical femininity. But that’s enough intro; lets dive right in.
Sarah/Sarai was Abraham’s wife. We get to see a few different sides of her throughout Genesis. She made some mistakes, for sure, but Scripture holds her in high esteem. 1 Peter 3:5-6 says “For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” That’s pretty amazing! She submitted to Abraham’s authority, but she still had her moments struggling with the curse. She wanted to control things. But she learned. She matured. In the brief narrative of Sarah and Abraham’s life, we get to know them so much. When they first left in search of the Promise Land, Abraham was still learning to lead well. Scripture tells us that Sarah was beautiful, and Abe was afraid other men would try to holler at it, and kill him in order to get to her. So he told his wife to lie, and say she was his sister. That plan was an epic fail. Fast forward to when God surprises them by informing them that they will have a child…after literally laughing at God, Sara tries to take over and tells Abraham to sleep with her maid servant, Hagar, so they can pass down the family name through that offspring. We’re still fighting a war in the Middle East over that poor life decision. Yet, 1 Peter tells us to be like her. She learned that God is sovereign, and her and Abraham are respected through out the Scriptures. None of us are perfect; we all go through the process of sanctification. But, we need to be teachable. That’s what makes a world of difference.
Ruth: Ruth was such a hard worker! After her hubby died, she stayed loyal to her mother-in-law and helped provide for her. She went out to glean in the field, and did HARD work. Manual labor. She wasn’t some prissy, high-maintenance, helpless charity case. She was a woman. She was able to provide for herself, but also humble enough to be provided for (…enter Boaz. If you haven’t gotten to know him very well, prepare to fall in love. What a man.) She knew how to submit to authority, but she was also able to challenge Boaz to fulfill his full potential. She needed a kinsman redeemer, and he was eligible to fill that position. And once he knew that- he didn’t rest until the matter was settled. They were so good for each other.
Abigail: She isn’t as well known as the other women we’re studying, but I just love her. She is briefly mentioned in 1 Samuel 25, but she has a huge impact. She is married to an idiot and is forced to pick up his mess, but she is so wise! She is described as being “discerning and beautiful.” She ultimately saves the entire household from being killed by David’s troops. Her husband, Nabal, is ultimately killed for his ignorance. David was also quite smitten with her; when he heard that her husband had died, he sent for her, and married her! Talk about making a good first impression. Obviously David’s polygamy was quite misguided, but he knew that this woman would be a source of wisdom and blessing to him. And he had to have her as part of his life.
Esther: She was a hottie. She was so beautiful that King Xerxes chose to marry her of all the women in the kingdom. God ultimately used her position as queen to save His people. Beauty as a spiritual gift? Maybe not, but God can use our beauty for sure.
Also worth noting from Esther’s story is Queen Vashti. She was Xerxes’ previous wife. He tried to show her off to his friends at a party because she was beautiful as well. She refused to come out and be treated like a trophy wife/objectified, and he exiled her. However, Scripture doesn’t speak decisively about her reaction; it merely presents it like a narrative, which leads us to our own conclusions. Xerxes and Vashti obviously had a dysfunctional relationship, to say the least. There was no love or respect (they obviously had not read Ephesians 5! Silly).
Proverbs 31 Woman: Holy cow. Where do I even begin? The good thing is that most of her characteristics are pretty easy to see, since they are essentially spelled out in the passage. So let’s step back and do a general evaluation, shall we? First, one thing that completely changed the way I view my behavior as a single woman was “she does good to her husband all the days of her life.” Ladies- ALL the days include the days before you meet him. Dude. Did that blow your mind the way it blew mine the first time I heard that? It completely rocked my world! The way that I dress, the way I speak, the way I behave, how I represent myself- all these things will affect my husband one day. The woman I am today affects who I will be tomorrow. We can’t just expect to suddenly have our act together and know how to love and submit to God and our husbands if we can’t even love and submit to God today! God is perfect- our husbands won’t be. It is infinitely easier to submit to God and love him than I would imagine it would be to submit to and love a man. Humans are flawed! If we can’t trust God today, don’t expect to suddenly have your act together when you get in to a relationship. (That advice is free. Not really related to what we’re talking about, just a little nugget to chew on for later. You’re welcome.) Additionally, she works hard. She is a blessing to her husband. She helps provide for the family by making wise investments, stewarding the money well, and taking care of them. She plans ahead. She works hard. She loves well. She continues to invest in the women around her. She reflects well on her husband, and on her God.
Song of Songs: I LOVE this book! It is like the well kept secret of the Bible. It is so risqué! But so holy at the same time! Such a delightful picture of the way God designed a marriage to be. Their intimacy isn’t something to be ashamed of- it is something that is to be used to glorify God and reflect His love for us. Just some key verses I want to focus on here: First one- “Why should I be like one who veils herself besides the flocks of your companions.” Whoa. Let’s unpack this verse for a sec. Do you get what she’s saying here? It’s quite bold; and so encouraging. In those days, prostitutes would veil themselves and wait for shepherds while they grazed their flocks at night. It was apparently a lonely lifestyle, so they would be available for “companionship” at night. The woman in this passage is saying, “I’ll meet you somewhere at noon. In the daylight. I will be treated with respect and honor, and behave in a way that is above reproach. I don’t need to stoop to cheap tactics to try to seduce you; I will not behave like a whore. I will be respected, and treated with dignity.” What an amazing example for us!
The second verse that I want to unpack a bit is “dark am I, yet lovely.” In those days, pale was hot. It meant you didn’t have to work; you were wealthy, and could stay inside. This girl didn’t have that luxury. It explains elsewhere in the book that she was forced to work in the vineyard (remind anyone else a bit of Ruth gleaning in the fields?), so she was sunburned. She probably had calluses on her hands. She knew what it was like to work hard, to sweat. She was beautiful by societies standards. But she certainly caught the eye of the king. He was so in love with her. And not just her personality! He loved her body, too! He delighted in every aspect of his bride. And she delighted in him as well.
Third verse- “a garden locked up.” “Garden” is used a few times throughout the book as a metaphor for her body. She saying she has saved herself for him! Her body has been kept locked up, for his eyes only. She is more of a “secret garden,” not a public botanical garden, you get what I’m saying? She was pure and chaste, and saved certain things just for her hubby. A little mystery is a good thing, ladies.
Bet you haven't done this Bible study before!
I’ve been doing a topical study through Scripture recently. It’s on a topic that I’ve never heard anyone preach on before, but I would love to hear a sermon on this. Because I have NO clue if there is a correct answer. But this is something I’ve been struggling with for months, and I’ve rarely been able to get a straight answer from anybody.
How can you be hit on/hollered at/asked out (rudely and disrespectfully) for the glory of God?
I’ve got to be honest: this is probably one of the most difficult topical studies I’ve tried to do through Scripture, for multiple reasons. First, it was not “normal” for women to be hit on during the time period that the Bible was written. Meaning, I can’t seem to find a single event recorded in Scripture of a woman being hit on. Not completely unexpected, but still a difficulty to overcome for this study. Second, there are so many ways that guys hit on girls! These various tactics will obviously require different responses, so it is impossible to provide a single answer for how to handle men hitting on you. Third, there’s such ambiguity in the term “for the glory of God.” We use it so often, yet we rarely stop to define it.
So that’s where we’re going to start: What exactly do we mean when we say “for the glory of God”? John Piper has a great answer; in his sermon “What is God’s glory,” he states “The public display of the infinite beauty and worth of God is what I mean by "glory," and I base that partly on Isaiah 6… So God's glory is the radiance of his holiness, the radiance of his manifold, infinitely worthy and valuable perfections.”
I thought this was a very thorough, helpful definition. When we publically display Christ as a priority, He is receiving glory. So if we are doing something for the glory of God, we are doing something that displays the work and importance of Christ in our lives.
Which brings us back to the original question: How are we able to glorify God when we are being hit on?
First, we could start with an easier question: Can we glorify God when we are being hit on?
That one is a definite YES. Scripture tells us to do all things for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). So, what would that look like? Here’s where we get in to the meat of the study. I invite you to join me in this noble quest. It may be a bumpy ride, but hopefully we’ll stumble upon some answers along the way.
First, I think it is wise to examine women of Godly character that we can study from Scripture. From there we will try to list qualities in that define their character (good or bad). Thirdly, we should analyze how our character compares, and what areas we need God to purify us for His glory. Fourthly, we can start to apply these qualities, along with wisdom, to our lives (specifically when guys hit on girls). I’m hoping to separate each step in to its own post; that way it will be a bit more manageable to read. Sounds like a plan? Sweet. Let’s get started. I'll have the first post up soon.
How can you be hit on/hollered at/asked out (rudely and disrespectfully) for the glory of God?
I’ve got to be honest: this is probably one of the most difficult topical studies I’ve tried to do through Scripture, for multiple reasons. First, it was not “normal” for women to be hit on during the time period that the Bible was written. Meaning, I can’t seem to find a single event recorded in Scripture of a woman being hit on. Not completely unexpected, but still a difficulty to overcome for this study. Second, there are so many ways that guys hit on girls! These various tactics will obviously require different responses, so it is impossible to provide a single answer for how to handle men hitting on you. Third, there’s such ambiguity in the term “for the glory of God.” We use it so often, yet we rarely stop to define it.
So that’s where we’re going to start: What exactly do we mean when we say “for the glory of God”? John Piper has a great answer; in his sermon “What is God’s glory,” he states “The public display of the infinite beauty and worth of God is what I mean by "glory," and I base that partly on Isaiah 6… So God's glory is the radiance of his holiness, the radiance of his manifold, infinitely worthy and valuable perfections.”
I thought this was a very thorough, helpful definition. When we publically display Christ as a priority, He is receiving glory. So if we are doing something for the glory of God, we are doing something that displays the work and importance of Christ in our lives.
Which brings us back to the original question: How are we able to glorify God when we are being hit on?
First, we could start with an easier question: Can we glorify God when we are being hit on?
That one is a definite YES. Scripture tells us to do all things for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). So, what would that look like? Here’s where we get in to the meat of the study. I invite you to join me in this noble quest. It may be a bumpy ride, but hopefully we’ll stumble upon some answers along the way.
First, I think it is wise to examine women of Godly character that we can study from Scripture. From there we will try to list qualities in that define their character (good or bad). Thirdly, we should analyze how our character compares, and what areas we need God to purify us for His glory. Fourthly, we can start to apply these qualities, along with wisdom, to our lives (specifically when guys hit on girls). I’m hoping to separate each step in to its own post; that way it will be a bit more manageable to read. Sounds like a plan? Sweet. Let’s get started. I'll have the first post up soon.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Holy Spirit: My divine translator
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:19-28 ESV)
That is one of my FAVORITE passages in Scripture. I used to just read through it so brazenly, not truly soaking up the truth of those words. Fortunately, God has forced me to slow down a bit and truly experience this passage. Don’t you love when He makes the Scriptures come alive like that?
We recently went through this passage at 757 worship nights, and Dalton explained that the “eager expectation” creates the image of all of creation on its tip-toes, craning to see the coming salvation and adoption as children of God. Isn’t that such amazing imagery?! I absolutely love that. It resonated with me so strongly. For a lot of people, it has been a while since you’ve had to stand on your tip-toes and crane your neck to see something. God, in His grace and mercy, created me to be 4’11”, so I understand what it is to be on tip-toes. But this analogy rings so true- when I want to see something, I am on my tip-toes, straining to see over any obstacles in my way.
This is how we should be while wait eagerly for our Savior! When is the last time you have really been anxious for Jesus to return? The last time you were so broken by the sin of this world that you couldn’t even express your longing for God in words? Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit interceding for you in prayer? Let me tell you- it is one of the most comforting feelings in the midst of gut-wrenching experiences.
God has allowed me to experience the Spirit’s intercession so many times while I’m praying for the hockey team. I can not even tell you how often I have just come to God, held out my hands and just laid them before Him with “groanings too deep for words.” Whether I’m frustrated, discouraged, confused, hurt, angry- the Spirit knows exactly how to intercede for me. And He does. Faithfully.
This passage speaks specifically to the groanings as we wait for “the revealing of the sons of God.” This is the portion of the Scripture that has most recently been hitting home for me. Some days, I just look around at the creation around me, and it just hits me: We are so broken. We are with out hope, unable to save ourselves. Nothing that we do on our own can please God. Scripture even tells us that “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). That’s pretty heavy stuff. Have you ever just looked around at the sin that enslaves our world, our friends, our families, and just wept for the brokenness of humanity? It is only then that I began to even begin to comprehend the Father’s heartbreak over sin. We were created in His image. And then we fell. Now we are constantly seeking to reflect His image as best as we can, but we are still like broken mirrors.
It was then, and only then, that I began to feel the weight of my sin. The true weight of my sin. My sin is what made Jesus leave the right hand of the Father. My sin led Him to leave heaven, come down to earth, humble Himself, and give Himself up for His church. For me. For you. He died for the sins I haven’t even committed yet! His blood covers me and allows me to fellowship with God.
That is inconceivable.
I’ve been hard-core desensitized to that. I’ve just grown up taking Christ’s sacrifice for granted. That is so offensive! Even my best works are like rags before Him. And not just rags; the original language there is referring to menstrual rags. I don’t care who you are, or what culture you’re from- that’s NASTY. Our sin is offensive. It’s heartbreaking. It’s a problem. And when we begin to realize that, we can start to truly recognize our need for a Savior. And when we see how much we need Him, we miss Him so terribly. We long to be with Him. We ache to throw weight of our sin and run into His loving arms.
But we’re stuck here.
Not to be whiney and constantly complain about the flesh. But to be foot soldiers. To redeem creation, to take every thought captive, and to glorify our God among this fallen creation. We don’t deserve to worship our God. Yet He uses us in His plan.
I’m not saying its bad to yearn for God and focus on Him. Obviously that is what this Scripture is talking about! We are supposed to know that we have been set apart; we shouldn’t feel at home here. We’re supposed to miss our Creator and long to be with Him. But if we stop there, what good is that?? We must proclaim this good news! That is why God has us here- to glorify Him. So be focused on Him. Let Him mold you, shape you, and mold you in to His image. Then let Him use you. “Bloom where you’re planted, then let Him transplant you.” Serve Him whole heartedly where ever He has placed you for the time being. Run the race with perseverance. One day, He will graciously call all of us home. But that day may not be today. Be faithful with every moment He has given you, so that when we see Him face to face, He will warmly welcome us with “well done, my good and faithful servant.” There is nothing in this world that can be better than seeing the loving face of the Father as He proudly speaks those words.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:19-28 ESV)
That is one of my FAVORITE passages in Scripture. I used to just read through it so brazenly, not truly soaking up the truth of those words. Fortunately, God has forced me to slow down a bit and truly experience this passage. Don’t you love when He makes the Scriptures come alive like that?
We recently went through this passage at 757 worship nights, and Dalton explained that the “eager expectation” creates the image of all of creation on its tip-toes, craning to see the coming salvation and adoption as children of God. Isn’t that such amazing imagery?! I absolutely love that. It resonated with me so strongly. For a lot of people, it has been a while since you’ve had to stand on your tip-toes and crane your neck to see something. God, in His grace and mercy, created me to be 4’11”, so I understand what it is to be on tip-toes. But this analogy rings so true- when I want to see something, I am on my tip-toes, straining to see over any obstacles in my way.
This is how we should be while wait eagerly for our Savior! When is the last time you have really been anxious for Jesus to return? The last time you were so broken by the sin of this world that you couldn’t even express your longing for God in words? Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit interceding for you in prayer? Let me tell you- it is one of the most comforting feelings in the midst of gut-wrenching experiences.
God has allowed me to experience the Spirit’s intercession so many times while I’m praying for the hockey team. I can not even tell you how often I have just come to God, held out my hands and just laid them before Him with “groanings too deep for words.” Whether I’m frustrated, discouraged, confused, hurt, angry- the Spirit knows exactly how to intercede for me. And He does. Faithfully.
This passage speaks specifically to the groanings as we wait for “the revealing of the sons of God.” This is the portion of the Scripture that has most recently been hitting home for me. Some days, I just look around at the creation around me, and it just hits me: We are so broken. We are with out hope, unable to save ourselves. Nothing that we do on our own can please God. Scripture even tells us that “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). That’s pretty heavy stuff. Have you ever just looked around at the sin that enslaves our world, our friends, our families, and just wept for the brokenness of humanity? It is only then that I began to even begin to comprehend the Father’s heartbreak over sin. We were created in His image. And then we fell. Now we are constantly seeking to reflect His image as best as we can, but we are still like broken mirrors.
It was then, and only then, that I began to feel the weight of my sin. The true weight of my sin. My sin is what made Jesus leave the right hand of the Father. My sin led Him to leave heaven, come down to earth, humble Himself, and give Himself up for His church. For me. For you. He died for the sins I haven’t even committed yet! His blood covers me and allows me to fellowship with God.
That is inconceivable.
I’ve been hard-core desensitized to that. I’ve just grown up taking Christ’s sacrifice for granted. That is so offensive! Even my best works are like rags before Him. And not just rags; the original language there is referring to menstrual rags. I don’t care who you are, or what culture you’re from- that’s NASTY. Our sin is offensive. It’s heartbreaking. It’s a problem. And when we begin to realize that, we can start to truly recognize our need for a Savior. And when we see how much we need Him, we miss Him so terribly. We long to be with Him. We ache to throw weight of our sin and run into His loving arms.
But we’re stuck here.
Not to be whiney and constantly complain about the flesh. But to be foot soldiers. To redeem creation, to take every thought captive, and to glorify our God among this fallen creation. We don’t deserve to worship our God. Yet He uses us in His plan.
I’m not saying its bad to yearn for God and focus on Him. Obviously that is what this Scripture is talking about! We are supposed to know that we have been set apart; we shouldn’t feel at home here. We’re supposed to miss our Creator and long to be with Him. But if we stop there, what good is that?? We must proclaim this good news! That is why God has us here- to glorify Him. So be focused on Him. Let Him mold you, shape you, and mold you in to His image. Then let Him use you. “Bloom where you’re planted, then let Him transplant you.” Serve Him whole heartedly where ever He has placed you for the time being. Run the race with perseverance. One day, He will graciously call all of us home. But that day may not be today. Be faithful with every moment He has given you, so that when we see Him face to face, He will warmly welcome us with “well done, my good and faithful servant.” There is nothing in this world that can be better than seeing the loving face of the Father as He proudly speaks those words.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
When God calls you a whore, it really gets you thinking...
Have you read Hosea recently? If you haven’t- you totally should. I read the first two chapters of it a few hours ago, and it convicted the mess out of me! It was so challenging, yet it offers so much hope.
In Hosea, God tells His prophet to go marry a whore. They have three kids together, then Gomer (Hosea’s wife) leaves and returns to her previous lifestyle. God uses this as a parallel to the way that we behave towards God.
Let’s take a moment to consider that, shall we?
God just called us whores. That is not supposed to be flattering. He is pointing out our tendency to waste our affections on things that don’t deserve them. Hosea 2:13 says that she went after her lovers but forgot the Lord. It took me a long time to realize how serious of an offense that was. She forgot about God to chase after the physical attention from men. As I’m reading this, I’m thinking to myself, ‘This chick is DUMB. Doesn’t she see what she is missing?!” And then I remember my own life, and the way I used to behave before God graciously saved me.
In high school, I was great at playing the “Christianity” game. I would go to church every week, obey my parents, and behave the way any “good Christian girl” should behave. But it was all so superficial! It didn’t penetrate my heart and soul; it didn’t define me to my very core. It was all a game to me. As time went on, I was quite pleased to forget about God and chase after the affection of guys around me. In God’s great mercy, He prevented me from making any huge mistakes, and reminded me of who He was. That was my Hosea 2:14-20 moment; God hedged up my path (2:6) and prevented me from making any huge mistakes that I would surely regret later. He mercifully allured me to the dessert, spoke tenderly to me, then betrothed me to Himself. I’ve learned so much about God, but more importantly, I’ve fallen so deeply in love with my heavenly Father, and come to experience so many new facets of His character. He is absolutely enticing. If you haven’t experienced Him yet, I would strongly encourage you to do so. Trust me- He always keeps things exciting. He is the only one worthy of our affection.
Which brings me to my main point:
We need to realize who we are really married to. I am tired of watching girls set all of their hopes and dreams on a wedding and a husband that is supposed to swoop in and fix all of their problems! Girls, please hear me- HE CAN’T FIX YOUR PROBLEMS. He is human and broken, just like you and me. He will fail. He will let you down. He will disappoint you, and hurt your feelings. And I’m sure he will apologize, and he won’t mean to fail you- but he’s broken. It will inevitably happen. Don’t worry- you’ll do the same to him.
But there is good news- our real knight in shining armor has already come. He died on a cross for you and for me, and His Name is Jesus. He came to seek and save what was lost; He died to save us from our sins; He rose from the dead and is currently seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you and me. He is preparing a home for us, and one day (hopefully soon!), He is coming back to bring us home.
So stop waiting for your “knight in shining armor” to come in to the picture! Stop wasting the present by constantly daydreaming about the future. Live in the present, where God has placed you today. Fulfill His purpose for your life know. Prince Charming will take care of himself, and God will bring the two of you together in His own perfect timing. And when he does show up, he won’t be able to fix everything. He will be flawed, just like you and me. And he will never replace God’s place in your life. God should always be your first priority- married or not.
In Hosea, God tells His prophet to go marry a whore. They have three kids together, then Gomer (Hosea’s wife) leaves and returns to her previous lifestyle. God uses this as a parallel to the way that we behave towards God.
Let’s take a moment to consider that, shall we?
God just called us whores. That is not supposed to be flattering. He is pointing out our tendency to waste our affections on things that don’t deserve them. Hosea 2:13 says that she went after her lovers but forgot the Lord. It took me a long time to realize how serious of an offense that was. She forgot about God to chase after the physical attention from men. As I’m reading this, I’m thinking to myself, ‘This chick is DUMB. Doesn’t she see what she is missing?!” And then I remember my own life, and the way I used to behave before God graciously saved me.
In high school, I was great at playing the “Christianity” game. I would go to church every week, obey my parents, and behave the way any “good Christian girl” should behave. But it was all so superficial! It didn’t penetrate my heart and soul; it didn’t define me to my very core. It was all a game to me. As time went on, I was quite pleased to forget about God and chase after the affection of guys around me. In God’s great mercy, He prevented me from making any huge mistakes, and reminded me of who He was. That was my Hosea 2:14-20 moment; God hedged up my path (2:6) and prevented me from making any huge mistakes that I would surely regret later. He mercifully allured me to the dessert, spoke tenderly to me, then betrothed me to Himself. I’ve learned so much about God, but more importantly, I’ve fallen so deeply in love with my heavenly Father, and come to experience so many new facets of His character. He is absolutely enticing. If you haven’t experienced Him yet, I would strongly encourage you to do so. Trust me- He always keeps things exciting. He is the only one worthy of our affection.
Which brings me to my main point:
We need to realize who we are really married to. I am tired of watching girls set all of their hopes and dreams on a wedding and a husband that is supposed to swoop in and fix all of their problems! Girls, please hear me- HE CAN’T FIX YOUR PROBLEMS. He is human and broken, just like you and me. He will fail. He will let you down. He will disappoint you, and hurt your feelings. And I’m sure he will apologize, and he won’t mean to fail you- but he’s broken. It will inevitably happen. Don’t worry- you’ll do the same to him.
But there is good news- our real knight in shining armor has already come. He died on a cross for you and for me, and His Name is Jesus. He came to seek and save what was lost; He died to save us from our sins; He rose from the dead and is currently seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you and me. He is preparing a home for us, and one day (hopefully soon!), He is coming back to bring us home.
So stop waiting for your “knight in shining armor” to come in to the picture! Stop wasting the present by constantly daydreaming about the future. Live in the present, where God has placed you today. Fulfill His purpose for your life know. Prince Charming will take care of himself, and God will bring the two of you together in His own perfect timing. And when he does show up, he won’t be able to fix everything. He will be flawed, just like you and me. And he will never replace God’s place in your life. God should always be your first priority- married or not.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Jesus as our High Priest
Let me start by first saying that our God is awesome. His love continues to amaze me each day. Not only did He die for us, but He LIVES to make intercession for us every moment of every day. Isn’t that amazing?! But wait, it gets even better! He live to make intercession for us, but He also invites us to take part in His plan; He allows us to share the Gospel with others, and to intercede for them in prayer. What an unmerited blessing!
In the past two years of praying for Ryan and the hockey team, God has taught me a lot about Himself. One part of His character that I have truly fallen in love with is His persistence in intercession. Intercession is emotionally taxing! Truly interceding for someone and submitting them fully and completely to the Father’s will requires such a raw trust and vulnerability that I was previously not familiar with. Yet that is one of the characteristics of the Trinity. And God lets us partake in a glimpse of that! Hebrews tells us “in the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:7-10). Later, Hebrews 7 says “but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7: 24-25).
When Jesus was here on earth, He prayed to God with passion and emotion. He didn’t offer up stoic prayers about meaningless things. He was open and honest with His Father. He submitted to His Father’s will. He trusted His Father. THAT is how we are called to pray! Honestly, genuinely, trusting in the goodness of our God. Jesus also was named our high priest forever; not only did He know how to pray to God on earth, but He continues to talk to Him even today! There is such amazing communication within the Trinity. Jesus is interceding for us, God is always listening to us, and when we aren’t sure how to pray, the Holy Spirit is there with groans that we can’t even comprehend!
Additionally, we are able to be involved in intercessory prayer for others. God has been so patient as I’ve learned about this. While praying for the hockey team, God has had to teach me a lot. I wish I could say that I have always been mature and a fast learner- but that would make me a liar. I have thrown so many temper tantrums, questioned and doubted God, and tried to make my own plan more times than I care to admit. God has been SO patient as He’s taught me to trust in Him. His plan is not always identical to mine (in fact, it is rarely even SIMILAR to mine!), but I know that His plan is always better. No purpose of His can be thwarted, and He fights valiantly for His children. He is so worthy of our trust and affection!
In the past two years of praying for Ryan and the hockey team, God has taught me a lot about Himself. One part of His character that I have truly fallen in love with is His persistence in intercession. Intercession is emotionally taxing! Truly interceding for someone and submitting them fully and completely to the Father’s will requires such a raw trust and vulnerability that I was previously not familiar with. Yet that is one of the characteristics of the Trinity. And God lets us partake in a glimpse of that! Hebrews tells us “in the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:7-10). Later, Hebrews 7 says “but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7: 24-25).
When Jesus was here on earth, He prayed to God with passion and emotion. He didn’t offer up stoic prayers about meaningless things. He was open and honest with His Father. He submitted to His Father’s will. He trusted His Father. THAT is how we are called to pray! Honestly, genuinely, trusting in the goodness of our God. Jesus also was named our high priest forever; not only did He know how to pray to God on earth, but He continues to talk to Him even today! There is such amazing communication within the Trinity. Jesus is interceding for us, God is always listening to us, and when we aren’t sure how to pray, the Holy Spirit is there with groans that we can’t even comprehend!
Additionally, we are able to be involved in intercessory prayer for others. God has been so patient as I’ve learned about this. While praying for the hockey team, God has had to teach me a lot. I wish I could say that I have always been mature and a fast learner- but that would make me a liar. I have thrown so many temper tantrums, questioned and doubted God, and tried to make my own plan more times than I care to admit. God has been SO patient as He’s taught me to trust in Him. His plan is not always identical to mine (in fact, it is rarely even SIMILAR to mine!), but I know that His plan is always better. No purpose of His can be thwarted, and He fights valiantly for His children. He is so worthy of our trust and affection!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Praise Jesus the Body of Christ is more than one person!
God is SO sneaky! As you know, I was able to serve at a hockey camp recently. I can not even express to you how amazing it was! I obviously still have a lot to learn about hockey ministry, but it was such an amazing experience. And God is SO much bigger than I expect sometimes! I don’t have the room or time to type out all of the adorable and encouraging stories from camp, but I do want to share one story ☺
My first day at camp, I met one of the counselors, Tod. I introduced myself, and he said that he had heard about me when he served at another hockey camp earlier this summer in Pittsburg. He served at the same camp as Dalton, Ryan and Mark! He even roomed with Ryan and Mark the week that they were at camp! He said that he is planning on sending Ryan a Hockey Ministries International New Testament. I also found out that a former NHL player gave Mark and Ryan new testaments when they were at camp. That means that Ryan has received at least 4 new testaments in the past year and a half! FOUR!! How cool is that! Jesus is hard-core fighting for this boy. And He works in such crazy ways! Let’s think about this for a moment- God has called a complete stranger to pray for him, He has brought a Canadian college pastor to coach the team, has given people in Virginia a heart for hockey ministry, and has used strangers/former NHL players to give Ryan new testaments. That is so cool! God has brought people together from all over to be ministering to the CNU hockey team, and to Ryan! He is so much bigger and international than I realize!
It’s also been cool to see God use this to really put things in to perspective for me. God is working on people all over the world. The kids I was able to interact with at hockey camp, the people I interacted with last night passing out door hangers for the opening of the new worship center, my coworkers, guests at church, customers at Aromas- any of these people could be someone else’s Ryan Dove! Each person has a story, a history, and could have someone praying fervently for them. God may be graciously trying to use me as a vessel to minister to them as an answer to someone else’s prayer. That is so humbling, and it challenges me to be so much more intentional with everyone! Tod had no idea how much I have been praying for Ryan when he met him and roomed with him. Praise Jesus he was so intentional! I hope he knows that he was such an answer to prayer! I tried to convey that to him, but I can’t even express how thankful I am that he was able to minister to Ryan and to Mark that week. That is an opportunity I never would have been able to have! I wasn’t able to serve at that camp, and I certainly wouldn’t have been rooming with them! Thank goodness the body of Christ is so much bigger than just one person. I pray that God would continue to remind me that I am a part of something so much bigger than myself; I may not see how He is using me now, but I pray that I will be faithful with the tasks He gives me, and that I would be able to glorify His Name in every situation.
My first day at camp, I met one of the counselors, Tod. I introduced myself, and he said that he had heard about me when he served at another hockey camp earlier this summer in Pittsburg. He served at the same camp as Dalton, Ryan and Mark! He even roomed with Ryan and Mark the week that they were at camp! He said that he is planning on sending Ryan a Hockey Ministries International New Testament. I also found out that a former NHL player gave Mark and Ryan new testaments when they were at camp. That means that Ryan has received at least 4 new testaments in the past year and a half! FOUR!! How cool is that! Jesus is hard-core fighting for this boy. And He works in such crazy ways! Let’s think about this for a moment- God has called a complete stranger to pray for him, He has brought a Canadian college pastor to coach the team, has given people in Virginia a heart for hockey ministry, and has used strangers/former NHL players to give Ryan new testaments. That is so cool! God has brought people together from all over to be ministering to the CNU hockey team, and to Ryan! He is so much bigger and international than I realize!
It’s also been cool to see God use this to really put things in to perspective for me. God is working on people all over the world. The kids I was able to interact with at hockey camp, the people I interacted with last night passing out door hangers for the opening of the new worship center, my coworkers, guests at church, customers at Aromas- any of these people could be someone else’s Ryan Dove! Each person has a story, a history, and could have someone praying fervently for them. God may be graciously trying to use me as a vessel to minister to them as an answer to someone else’s prayer. That is so humbling, and it challenges me to be so much more intentional with everyone! Tod had no idea how much I have been praying for Ryan when he met him and roomed with him. Praise Jesus he was so intentional! I hope he knows that he was such an answer to prayer! I tried to convey that to him, but I can’t even express how thankful I am that he was able to minister to Ryan and to Mark that week. That is an opportunity I never would have been able to have! I wasn’t able to serve at that camp, and I certainly wouldn’t have been rooming with them! Thank goodness the body of Christ is so much bigger than just one person. I pray that God would continue to remind me that I am a part of something so much bigger than myself; I may not see how He is using me now, but I pray that I will be faithful with the tasks He gives me, and that I would be able to glorify His Name in every situation.
What Lazarus Taught Me About Prayer
I recently read John 11, and God showed me a whole other side of that passage than what I am used to. I was listening to a Mark Driscoll sermon recently on predestination. He has mentioned how Ephesians 2 tells us that we were dead in our sin, and he paralleled that with how Christ is able to raise the dead. This was fresh in my mind when I was dong my quiet time the next morning and read through the story of Lazarus.
Wow- that passage took on a whole new meaning for me! I have always enjoyed how personal Jesus is in this passage- He weeps twice over the loss of his friend. He even knows that Lazarus isn’t going to be dead for long, but He mourns for the sadness and grieving of those around him. He feels the same way about us! He is SO personal. He knows our heartbreak, our struggles, our trials. Hebrews 4:15 is so true.
As I was reading through this passage though, I couldn’t help but think of Ryan Dove, a player on the hockey team that I have been praying for over the past couple years. God put it on my heart to pray for Ryan in November 2009, and I have prayed for him every day since then. God has used this prayerful battle to teach me SO much about His character. John 11 is such a great lesson for me! Right now, Ryan doesn’t love God- he is spiritually dead. Similarly, Lazarus was physically dead. If we parallel the stories, we can learn so much!
By watching Mary and Martha’s reactions to Jesus in the midst of Lazarus’s death, I can see how to respond to God in difficult times, especially as I’m praying for Ryan so fervently, and he is still dead in sin. Like Mary and Martha, I can rest assured in my Lord; I can say with full confidence “Lord, if you had been here, he would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” There is no question in my mind that God is able to save. But I trust Him and His perfect timing. Things will happen according to His will, in His perfect timing. He could have saved Ryan years ago- but He has a reason for doing things the way He does them. I trust him, and I wait eagerly to see what He will do next. Additionally, when Mary saw Jesus, she immediately fell at His feet. Falling to someone’s feet is a position of submission and respect- the proper attitude to have towards God! Also, as she left to meet Jesus, people followed her to see where she was going. In the midst of her mourning, she was able to lead people to the Christ! In the midst of my struggles, does my attitude point others to Christ? Do I run to Him for comfort?
As we read further in the passage, we see that Jesus is deeply moved by the people mourning the loss of Lazarus. This is so cool for me- this is where prayer comes in! God knows that (even though I don’t know Ryan) I am so upset about his ignorance to the Gospel. I am upset about his “death.” And Jesus, seeing this brokenness, is deeply moved. In fact, He is so moved, that He too starts to weep. And then He intercedes and prays to the Father. I pray that this is what I happening right now on Ryan’s behalf. When I lay awake at night praying and fighting spiritually for this guy- Jesus is deeply moved. He knows. He doesn’t just sympathize- HE KNOWS. That is huge.
Then (even more shocking) Jesus asks Mary to lead him to where Lazarus was buried. He pursues Lazarus! He seeks him out in order to raise him from the dead. He doesn’t ask the Jews to bring him Lazarus’s body, He doesn’t refuse to save him because Lazarus didn’t come to him for help on his own- He seeks Lazarus out, and raises him from death to life. He takes all the action- dead people can’t do anything for themselves! Likewise, Jesus sought us out while we were still sinners and reached out to save us. He called us from darkness in to light. And the same God that saved me can save Ryan. ☺
This passage taught me SO much about prayer. God may not answer our prayers immediately, but He answers them perfectly. Sometimes He wants us to rely on His promises (John 11:4, 40), sometimes He wants us to comfort one another by finding comfort in Him (John 11:28), sometimes He wants us to seek Him (John 11:31), sometimes He wants us to weep and truly connect (John 11:33), sometimes He wants to make sure everyone is watching (John 11:31), sometimes He wants to silence His critics (John 11:37), and sometimes He is needs to wait to be most glorified (John 11:42).
But one thing is certain: He will always answer for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Wow- that passage took on a whole new meaning for me! I have always enjoyed how personal Jesus is in this passage- He weeps twice over the loss of his friend. He even knows that Lazarus isn’t going to be dead for long, but He mourns for the sadness and grieving of those around him. He feels the same way about us! He is SO personal. He knows our heartbreak, our struggles, our trials. Hebrews 4:15 is so true.
As I was reading through this passage though, I couldn’t help but think of Ryan Dove, a player on the hockey team that I have been praying for over the past couple years. God put it on my heart to pray for Ryan in November 2009, and I have prayed for him every day since then. God has used this prayerful battle to teach me SO much about His character. John 11 is such a great lesson for me! Right now, Ryan doesn’t love God- he is spiritually dead. Similarly, Lazarus was physically dead. If we parallel the stories, we can learn so much!
By watching Mary and Martha’s reactions to Jesus in the midst of Lazarus’s death, I can see how to respond to God in difficult times, especially as I’m praying for Ryan so fervently, and he is still dead in sin. Like Mary and Martha, I can rest assured in my Lord; I can say with full confidence “Lord, if you had been here, he would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” There is no question in my mind that God is able to save. But I trust Him and His perfect timing. Things will happen according to His will, in His perfect timing. He could have saved Ryan years ago- but He has a reason for doing things the way He does them. I trust him, and I wait eagerly to see what He will do next. Additionally, when Mary saw Jesus, she immediately fell at His feet. Falling to someone’s feet is a position of submission and respect- the proper attitude to have towards God! Also, as she left to meet Jesus, people followed her to see where she was going. In the midst of her mourning, she was able to lead people to the Christ! In the midst of my struggles, does my attitude point others to Christ? Do I run to Him for comfort?
As we read further in the passage, we see that Jesus is deeply moved by the people mourning the loss of Lazarus. This is so cool for me- this is where prayer comes in! God knows that (even though I don’t know Ryan) I am so upset about his ignorance to the Gospel. I am upset about his “death.” And Jesus, seeing this brokenness, is deeply moved. In fact, He is so moved, that He too starts to weep. And then He intercedes and prays to the Father. I pray that this is what I happening right now on Ryan’s behalf. When I lay awake at night praying and fighting spiritually for this guy- Jesus is deeply moved. He knows. He doesn’t just sympathize- HE KNOWS. That is huge.
Then (even more shocking) Jesus asks Mary to lead him to where Lazarus was buried. He pursues Lazarus! He seeks him out in order to raise him from the dead. He doesn’t ask the Jews to bring him Lazarus’s body, He doesn’t refuse to save him because Lazarus didn’t come to him for help on his own- He seeks Lazarus out, and raises him from death to life. He takes all the action- dead people can’t do anything for themselves! Likewise, Jesus sought us out while we were still sinners and reached out to save us. He called us from darkness in to light. And the same God that saved me can save Ryan. ☺
This passage taught me SO much about prayer. God may not answer our prayers immediately, but He answers them perfectly. Sometimes He wants us to rely on His promises (John 11:4, 40), sometimes He wants us to comfort one another by finding comfort in Him (John 11:28), sometimes He wants us to seek Him (John 11:31), sometimes He wants us to weep and truly connect (John 11:33), sometimes He wants to make sure everyone is watching (John 11:31), sometimes He wants to silence His critics (John 11:37), and sometimes He is needs to wait to be most glorified (John 11:42).
But one thing is certain: He will always answer for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Oh, hey hockey camp.
These past few weeks have been an absolute roller coaster.
I was supposed to help serve at a Christian hockey camp this past week, but I found out a week before that things had fallen through and I wouldn’t be able to serve after all. To say I was upset would be a drastic understatement. I had a really hard time accepting that I wouldn’t be able to serve. I knew that God’s plan was best, that He works for the good of those who love Him, and that He is sovereign. But I wasn’t able to understand why things happened the way they did. I realize it’s not really my right to know why; I realize that God is faithful, and I simply need to trust Him.
But, that is hard. I’m not sure how often you’ve tried this whole “trust” thing. When I have a sneak peek of how things will be going, it is so much easier for me to trust in Christ. But blind faith and trust in my Almighty Provider- man. That’s tough for me sometimes. Particularly when He’s not “following my orders.” I so easily fall in to the trap of thinking that my plans are better than God’s! I am so conceited! You would think that I would have comprehended the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 by now.
And I would probably say that I have comprehended it; I’ve understood it, experienced it, and I trust in it. But it is hard to live in light of it when God’s plans seem to be different than mine. Especially when He lets the devil fight dirty. I am no stranger to spiritual attack. I know that the devil is actively fighting against those who follow Christ. He attacks what we hold dear and tries to make us renounce the Lord. I get that. I’ve seen Satan attack my family, my finances, my relationships, my self-esteem, my identity- and all that has been difficult, but not too terrible. God has always been faithful to give me abundant mercy in the midst of trials. When I first found out on Monday morning that I was not going to be able to serve at the hockey camp, I was so upset. I had no idea what God had planned, I simply had to trust that He would be good and faithful to fulfill everything that He had planned, and that everything He had planned was for my benefit and His glory.
And man, is He good. And quite sneaky. I am currently in Lynchburg waiting for hockey camp to start. I get to serve on the medical team there, and even get to help run dry-lands on Wednesday! He spoils me rotten. But, more than that, He disciplines me for my benefit. He has gently been teaching me to trust Him over the past few months. He is always faithful, and it is so humbling to see His hand orchestrating everything for His glory.
I’m not saying it has always been easy. It is difficult to learn to trust God. But the more I learn about His character, the more I learn how worthy He is of my trust. He is the only one worthy of my trust. I’m a slow learner, but He is a patient teacher.
I was supposed to help serve at a Christian hockey camp this past week, but I found out a week before that things had fallen through and I wouldn’t be able to serve after all. To say I was upset would be a drastic understatement. I had a really hard time accepting that I wouldn’t be able to serve. I knew that God’s plan was best, that He works for the good of those who love Him, and that He is sovereign. But I wasn’t able to understand why things happened the way they did. I realize it’s not really my right to know why; I realize that God is faithful, and I simply need to trust Him.
But, that is hard. I’m not sure how often you’ve tried this whole “trust” thing. When I have a sneak peek of how things will be going, it is so much easier for me to trust in Christ. But blind faith and trust in my Almighty Provider- man. That’s tough for me sometimes. Particularly when He’s not “following my orders.” I so easily fall in to the trap of thinking that my plans are better than God’s! I am so conceited! You would think that I would have comprehended the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 by now.
And I would probably say that I have comprehended it; I’ve understood it, experienced it, and I trust in it. But it is hard to live in light of it when God’s plans seem to be different than mine. Especially when He lets the devil fight dirty. I am no stranger to spiritual attack. I know that the devil is actively fighting against those who follow Christ. He attacks what we hold dear and tries to make us renounce the Lord. I get that. I’ve seen Satan attack my family, my finances, my relationships, my self-esteem, my identity- and all that has been difficult, but not too terrible. God has always been faithful to give me abundant mercy in the midst of trials. When I first found out on Monday morning that I was not going to be able to serve at the hockey camp, I was so upset. I had no idea what God had planned, I simply had to trust that He would be good and faithful to fulfill everything that He had planned, and that everything He had planned was for my benefit and His glory.
And man, is He good. And quite sneaky. I am currently in Lynchburg waiting for hockey camp to start. I get to serve on the medical team there, and even get to help run dry-lands on Wednesday! He spoils me rotten. But, more than that, He disciplines me for my benefit. He has gently been teaching me to trust Him over the past few months. He is always faithful, and it is so humbling to see His hand orchestrating everything for His glory.
I’m not saying it has always been easy. It is difficult to learn to trust God. But the more I learn about His character, the more I learn how worthy He is of my trust. He is the only one worthy of my trust. I’m a slow learner, but He is a patient teacher.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Matthew 6
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” [Matthew 6:25-34]
This Scripture has truly started to come alive for me over the past few weeks. As an official college grad with bills to pay and jobs to work, I have come to learn a different type of worry. I was well accustomed to the worry caused by stress, school work, and time management. However, I was amazingly unaccustomed to the stress of paying bills and budgeting. I’ve budgeted before, and I’ve had bills to pay, but my parents were always gracious enough to help me out. They paid for my college tuition (HUGE blessing!) and most of my big expenses. I was only responsible for minor expenses, like gas and some food.
That is not the case anymore. I’m starting out on this whole “grown-up” thing, and so far it has been quite the thrill ride! Stressful, for sure; but I don’t think I have ever experienced God in this way before.
God has been teaching me what it means to truly rely on Him for everything. I’ve always trusted in Him, but now its time to really put my money where my mouth is (quite literally). This past month, I had no clue how I was going to be able to afford my rent. My job started cutting back on hours, so instead of getting the 40 hours a week I was told I would have, I was getting 12-16 hours. Those are not at all the same, in case you were wondering. Unfortunately, my bills were ever so constant, and not easily covered by 16 hour work weeks. My internship also had some hiccups in the paperwork (shocking), so I wasn’t being paid for that either. It was a stressful time for me!
But God came through.
After pulling together graduation money, tips, and money that I was hoping to use for a mission trip next May, I had exactly the amount of money that I needed for July’s bills. Our God is good, He is faithful, and He is a Provider. Worrying didn’t help me at all. In fact, it only made me cranky and stressed out. But resting in the loving provision of my Father- that completely changed the whole situation. I was at peace, knowing that He had this under control. “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” That is such a comforting Scripture for me at this point in my life. God knows my needs before I do! He had provided for my needs/July bills through graduation money that I had received in MAY! He is so stealthy. I love it.
God has also been reminding me to count the blessings that I have. I've been going to downtown Newport News recently to feed the homeless people there. As I was worrying about paying my rent, it really hit me how easily I could be living on the streets too. Fortunately, I have a wonderful family that would help me if I ever needed it, and is able to help me if I ever needed it. Very few people have that! I was fortunately enough to be born in to a middle-class family in America. I have so many resources and blessings available to me on a daily basis that I so easily take for granted. I own a car, I am able to go to the grocery store and buy food pretty much whenever I need it, I live in an amazing apartment...America just has such high standards of living compared to other countries globally. Finances may be tight, but God is SO much bigger than my finances! My bank account is exactly where He wants it to be. I really need to start recognizing everything He is capable of, and trusting that He will do it.
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” [Matthew 6:25-34]
This Scripture has truly started to come alive for me over the past few weeks. As an official college grad with bills to pay and jobs to work, I have come to learn a different type of worry. I was well accustomed to the worry caused by stress, school work, and time management. However, I was amazingly unaccustomed to the stress of paying bills and budgeting. I’ve budgeted before, and I’ve had bills to pay, but my parents were always gracious enough to help me out. They paid for my college tuition (HUGE blessing!) and most of my big expenses. I was only responsible for minor expenses, like gas and some food.
That is not the case anymore. I’m starting out on this whole “grown-up” thing, and so far it has been quite the thrill ride! Stressful, for sure; but I don’t think I have ever experienced God in this way before.
God has been teaching me what it means to truly rely on Him for everything. I’ve always trusted in Him, but now its time to really put my money where my mouth is (quite literally). This past month, I had no clue how I was going to be able to afford my rent. My job started cutting back on hours, so instead of getting the 40 hours a week I was told I would have, I was getting 12-16 hours. Those are not at all the same, in case you were wondering. Unfortunately, my bills were ever so constant, and not easily covered by 16 hour work weeks. My internship also had some hiccups in the paperwork (shocking), so I wasn’t being paid for that either. It was a stressful time for me!
But God came through.
After pulling together graduation money, tips, and money that I was hoping to use for a mission trip next May, I had exactly the amount of money that I needed for July’s bills. Our God is good, He is faithful, and He is a Provider. Worrying didn’t help me at all. In fact, it only made me cranky and stressed out. But resting in the loving provision of my Father- that completely changed the whole situation. I was at peace, knowing that He had this under control. “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” That is such a comforting Scripture for me at this point in my life. God knows my needs before I do! He had provided for my needs/July bills through graduation money that I had received in MAY! He is so stealthy. I love it.
God has also been reminding me to count the blessings that I have. I've been going to downtown Newport News recently to feed the homeless people there. As I was worrying about paying my rent, it really hit me how easily I could be living on the streets too. Fortunately, I have a wonderful family that would help me if I ever needed it, and is able to help me if I ever needed it. Very few people have that! I was fortunately enough to be born in to a middle-class family in America. I have so many resources and blessings available to me on a daily basis that I so easily take for granted. I own a car, I am able to go to the grocery store and buy food pretty much whenever I need it, I live in an amazing apartment...America just has such high standards of living compared to other countries globally. Finances may be tight, but God is SO much bigger than my finances! My bank account is exactly where He wants it to be. I really need to start recognizing everything He is capable of, and trusting that He will do it.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Who would have thought you could use Rugrats to explain the Gospel?
I woke up this morning at 3:30, and could NOT fall back asleep. This is kind of unusual for me, but I tried to make the best of it. My sister has given me her Netflix password, and I have definitely been taking advantage of it! Since I couldn’t fall asleep, I got on Netflix and played an episode of Rugrats. In this particular episode, Chuckie thought he had gotten the maple tree in the back yard “sick” because the leaves were changing colors and falling off the tree. The babies tried tirelessly to save this tree! They tried juice, medicine, even gluing the leaves back on, but nothing worked! As they mourned the loss of the tree, I was thinking about how the next spring, the tree would grow back all of its leaves. But, despite our best efforts, we are unable to prevent the leaves from falling, and likewise unable to initiate their re-growth in the spring. We don’t have that kind of power!
Likewise, we often try to save ourselves from our own sin. We try to cover it up, use self-help strategies and will-power; but like the babies efforts to “heal” the tree, our best efforts prove futile and useless. The leaves will fall, and we are slaves to sin when left to ourselves.
BUT, there’s good news! God is able to save us from our sin. Take the Rugrats illustration for example: the babies were trying relentlessly to “save” the tree and put the leaves back on. However, their efforts were futile- the leaves were all going to fall off, and they couldn’t stop it. But, every spring, the leaves grow back. The babies couldn’t do anything to make that happen, just like they couldn’t do anything to prevent the leaves from falling. Similarly, we are dead to our sin. We can’t do anything to save ourselves. We can try to cover our sin, try to fight it with our own efforts, but at the end of the day- we are slaves to sin. Our leaves will fall.
But God saved us! Just like He orchestrated the leaves to grow back in the spring, He saved us from our sin! He sent His Son to die for us, and He alone is able to save us from sin. Our efforts are in vain; but His work is sufficient. (“It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Romans 9:16)
We are completely and totally unable to save ourselves. But our God is able to save. He is mighty to save, He is willing to save. That’s so cool.
Likewise, we often try to save ourselves from our own sin. We try to cover it up, use self-help strategies and will-power; but like the babies efforts to “heal” the tree, our best efforts prove futile and useless. The leaves will fall, and we are slaves to sin when left to ourselves.
BUT, there’s good news! God is able to save us from our sin. Take the Rugrats illustration for example: the babies were trying relentlessly to “save” the tree and put the leaves back on. However, their efforts were futile- the leaves were all going to fall off, and they couldn’t stop it. But, every spring, the leaves grow back. The babies couldn’t do anything to make that happen, just like they couldn’t do anything to prevent the leaves from falling. Similarly, we are dead to our sin. We can’t do anything to save ourselves. We can try to cover our sin, try to fight it with our own efforts, but at the end of the day- we are slaves to sin. Our leaves will fall.
But God saved us! Just like He orchestrated the leaves to grow back in the spring, He saved us from our sin! He sent His Son to die for us, and He alone is able to save us from sin. Our efforts are in vain; but His work is sufficient. (“It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Romans 9:16)
We are completely and totally unable to save ourselves. But our God is able to save. He is mighty to save, He is willing to save. That’s so cool.
Monday, June 6, 2011
It's not an obligation, it's a privilege.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Many of us are familiar with this passage. It’s one of the main things we learn as young believers- we are “supposed” to share our faith. I was timid for years about sharing my faith; I still am sometimes. I felt guilty because I was supposed to be telling people about Jesus, but I wasn’t. But over the past few months, God has really been challenging my attitude.
I don’t have to share the Gospel; I get to. One of my friends pointed this out to me last year. We often list a bunch of things that we have to do as Christians. We see things as an obligation, when they are truly a gift. And attitude truly makes all the difference! This applies to SO many things! Take chores for example: I so often complain about having to do laundry. However, if I step back for a moment and truly think about it, I am SO blessed to have clothes to wash! People we worked with in El Salvador didn’t even have clothes to wash. They only owned what they were wearing. And I complain because I have “so much laundry to do”, instead of thanking God for blessing me with clothing to wear. I also whine about going grocery shopping. I have cabinets FULL of food, and I complain because I have to buy it. Some people won’t eat at all today!
Then, even more offensive, I felt guilted in to sharing the Gospel. Sometimes I feel like I have to do it. The God of the universe came down to save us from our sins, and He lets ME tell people about it! He is so gracious! We are sinners, unable to save our selves. Yet He uses our lips to proclaim His Gospel. We are unworthy to even speak His Name, yet we get to share the words of eternal life with those around us. Are you starting to see what a huge blessing this is?? It took me WAY too long to start to comprehend this truth. But now that I am starting to get it, it has really changed the way I live. God has graciously decided to use us as His tools, His ambassadors, His vessels. I LOVE to see the ways that God has used us for His glory. It is so humbling to think about. He is far too good for us, yet I so often snub my nose at His blessings instead of showing Him the gratitude that is His due. Man, I am so broken.
I pray that God will continue to challenge me in this area, and continue to show me that the world is SO much bigger than me. There are people out there who need the Gospel. There are people out there who don’t know about Christ yet. They are with out hope, with out God, and with out the Gospel. We get to go. We get to share. We get to tell them about Christ, and we get to glorify God. He is so generous to let us participate in His plan for redemption of man kind.
Many of us are familiar with this passage. It’s one of the main things we learn as young believers- we are “supposed” to share our faith. I was timid for years about sharing my faith; I still am sometimes. I felt guilty because I was supposed to be telling people about Jesus, but I wasn’t. But over the past few months, God has really been challenging my attitude.
I don’t have to share the Gospel; I get to. One of my friends pointed this out to me last year. We often list a bunch of things that we have to do as Christians. We see things as an obligation, when they are truly a gift. And attitude truly makes all the difference! This applies to SO many things! Take chores for example: I so often complain about having to do laundry. However, if I step back for a moment and truly think about it, I am SO blessed to have clothes to wash! People we worked with in El Salvador didn’t even have clothes to wash. They only owned what they were wearing. And I complain because I have “so much laundry to do”, instead of thanking God for blessing me with clothing to wear. I also whine about going grocery shopping. I have cabinets FULL of food, and I complain because I have to buy it. Some people won’t eat at all today!
Then, even more offensive, I felt guilted in to sharing the Gospel. Sometimes I feel like I have to do it. The God of the universe came down to save us from our sins, and He lets ME tell people about it! He is so gracious! We are sinners, unable to save our selves. Yet He uses our lips to proclaim His Gospel. We are unworthy to even speak His Name, yet we get to share the words of eternal life with those around us. Are you starting to see what a huge blessing this is?? It took me WAY too long to start to comprehend this truth. But now that I am starting to get it, it has really changed the way I live. God has graciously decided to use us as His tools, His ambassadors, His vessels. I LOVE to see the ways that God has used us for His glory. It is so humbling to think about. He is far too good for us, yet I so often snub my nose at His blessings instead of showing Him the gratitude that is His due. Man, I am so broken.
I pray that God will continue to challenge me in this area, and continue to show me that the world is SO much bigger than me. There are people out there who need the Gospel. There are people out there who don’t know about Christ yet. They are with out hope, with out God, and with out the Gospel. We get to go. We get to share. We get to tell them about Christ, and we get to glorify God. He is so generous to let us participate in His plan for redemption of man kind.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Updates from El Salvador
I’ve heard tons of stats on third world countries. I’ve seen a bunch of videos exposing the poverty that people are living in, listened to stories about the varying living conditions around the world, and heard about people living on less than $1 a day.
But I had never experienced it until last week.
I just got back from a trip to El Salvador, and I cannot even begin to fully explain the experience to you. Hearing about poverty is one thing, but witnessing it is another. We were so blessed to be able to serve for a week in El Salvador; during that time, we built a house for a family, fed the homeless, and helped out at orphanages. The needs there are so much greater than the needs in the United States.
The first full day we were there (Tuesday), we served at an orphanage for children, young girls, and teen moms. After we finished our tour, we were able to play soccer and do crafts with the kids. We noticed that they all seemed quite young, so we asked our translator Jenny if there were a lot of teen moms at the center. She told us there were quite a few. Many had been victims of rape or sexual abuse. Some of them were as young as ten years old. It was very sobering to witness the needs of the children there. Yet they were so joyful! They were so satisfied with what they had, and so thankful for everything they received.
Tuesday night and Sunday night we were able to feed the homeless. Kurt would drive around downtown El Salvador, and we would distribute food from the back of his pick up truck. The homeless know the sound of Kurt’s truck and will typically wake up and come running. In case they don’t hear the truck, we would shout “Comida!” (Food!) from the back so that they could come get a sandwich. If we saw someone sleeping, we would also go leave a sandwich for them. We were privileged to be able to feed the homeless twice while we were there. It was so heartbreaking to see how many people needed food! We would stop, and people would just start running for the truck. People were lining the streets, sleeping in front of buildings. We had close to 200 meals each night, yet it wasn’t enough to feed everyone. We would have to limit them to one sandwich per person, yet that was likely the only thing they would eat that day. The first night, one man was pulling on my arm, begging me for a second sandwich. I think he was saying it was for his wife, but we didn’t have any more for him. That was SO hard. There was nothing I could do to help him, and it just tore me apart. I was so glad we were able to meet some needs, but it was so hard to not be able to meet everyone’s needs.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we were able to build a new house for the Quintanilla-Martinez family. First, we tore down their old house, being sure to save all the materials because they were going to reuse them. As we were tearing down their house, we were really confronted with the true poverty that this family was living in. Their house consisted of sheets of metal and tree branches held together by scraps of wire they were able to find in the community. They slept on the dirt floor, and every time it rained (which is quite frequently in El Salvador), their home would flood and they would wake up covered in mud. As we removed the walls, we found all kinds of new critters- spiders, roaches, mice, and scorpions were some of the most memorable. I already don’t like bugs, so I was NOT happy to see these new friends. However, this family had been sleeping with these bugs and rodents for years! These children had been sleeping mere feet from scorpions and poisonous spiders! It was so convicting.
We were able to build a house for the family in two days. It was hard work, but it was so humbling. The house we build was smaller than the apartment I live in; yet a family of five was living there, and they were SO grateful for it! This house was like a palace for them. A neighbor that was helping had even had a dream about us coming a few days earlier! He said he had dreamt that a group of “gringos” (white people) had come to help distribute a blessing from God. They said we were like their angels. Wow. It was so humbling to think that God was in fact using us as His hands and feet. I mean, I had realized it, but I fail to really think about it on a daily basis, and live in light of that.
We were also able to help serve the community that the family lived in as well. We did crafts and sports with the children at the school and also distributed food to the families in the area.
On Sunday we were able to go to a church in El Salvador. It was so cool to participate in international worship. We sang one song that I had never heard before, two songs that I knew in English, and another song in Spanish that I had heard before. It was such an awesome taste of what heaven will be like, with people from every nation and tongue singing praises to the One True God. We were able to sing for the congregation, and then do some crafts with the kids and teenagers in Sunday school.
After church, some boys from Cisna came to play soccer with us. Their orphanage had been flooded when the sewage system backed up, so they had been relocated to different orphanages in the area. However, they were confined to their rooms most of the day due to the limited space, so it was great for them to be able to run around outside for a few hours. We made ice cream sundaes with them after they finished playing capture the flag and soccer. After that, we were able to go out and feed the homeless again.
Monday we visited a special needs orphanage and a center for children who were infected with HIV/AIDS. The special needs orphanage housed people who had mental retardation and other handicaps that made it difficult for them to take care of themselves. Some were only there until they were 18 and then they would be kicked out of the center and left to fend for themselves. However, they didn’t really have school or occupational training, so they were forced on to the streets with minimal training, not really equipped to provide a living for themselves. A good portion of the residents at the center were severely handicapped and would remain in the center for life. They needed someone to take care of them all the time. A nurse was at the center from 9-5, and a doctor would be there for 3 days a week. There was also a psychiatric center. It was so great to be able to do crafts and play games with the kids there and at the AIDS center. They were so joyful and happy!
One child in particular stood out. Kique, a young boy about 15 years old lived at the special needs center. One of our translators, Chris, had told us Kique’s story the night before. When Kique was a child, drug traffickers had cut him open and stuffed him full of drugs in an attempt to smuggle them over the border. When he tried to cross the border, the police found out, and they beat him. He now lives in the center. He is so tiny and frail! It was heart wrenching to be confronted with the reality of such corruption and sin. Our world is so broken. We so desperately need the Gospel.
It was great to be able to serve in El Salvador. It really opened up my eyes to humanity’s need for the Gospel. God is so much more gracious than we deserve. He lets us be a part of taking this Great News to the ends of the earth! I am SO thankful that He would allow me to serve and glorify His Name. I wish we could have done more to help the people of El Salvador, but it was a privilege to be able to help in whatever way we could.
But I had never experienced it until last week.
I just got back from a trip to El Salvador, and I cannot even begin to fully explain the experience to you. Hearing about poverty is one thing, but witnessing it is another. We were so blessed to be able to serve for a week in El Salvador; during that time, we built a house for a family, fed the homeless, and helped out at orphanages. The needs there are so much greater than the needs in the United States.
The first full day we were there (Tuesday), we served at an orphanage for children, young girls, and teen moms. After we finished our tour, we were able to play soccer and do crafts with the kids. We noticed that they all seemed quite young, so we asked our translator Jenny if there were a lot of teen moms at the center. She told us there were quite a few. Many had been victims of rape or sexual abuse. Some of them were as young as ten years old. It was very sobering to witness the needs of the children there. Yet they were so joyful! They were so satisfied with what they had, and so thankful for everything they received.
Tuesday night and Sunday night we were able to feed the homeless. Kurt would drive around downtown El Salvador, and we would distribute food from the back of his pick up truck. The homeless know the sound of Kurt’s truck and will typically wake up and come running. In case they don’t hear the truck, we would shout “Comida!” (Food!) from the back so that they could come get a sandwich. If we saw someone sleeping, we would also go leave a sandwich for them. We were privileged to be able to feed the homeless twice while we were there. It was so heartbreaking to see how many people needed food! We would stop, and people would just start running for the truck. People were lining the streets, sleeping in front of buildings. We had close to 200 meals each night, yet it wasn’t enough to feed everyone. We would have to limit them to one sandwich per person, yet that was likely the only thing they would eat that day. The first night, one man was pulling on my arm, begging me for a second sandwich. I think he was saying it was for his wife, but we didn’t have any more for him. That was SO hard. There was nothing I could do to help him, and it just tore me apart. I was so glad we were able to meet some needs, but it was so hard to not be able to meet everyone’s needs.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we were able to build a new house for the Quintanilla-Martinez family. First, we tore down their old house, being sure to save all the materials because they were going to reuse them. As we were tearing down their house, we were really confronted with the true poverty that this family was living in. Their house consisted of sheets of metal and tree branches held together by scraps of wire they were able to find in the community. They slept on the dirt floor, and every time it rained (which is quite frequently in El Salvador), their home would flood and they would wake up covered in mud. As we removed the walls, we found all kinds of new critters- spiders, roaches, mice, and scorpions were some of the most memorable. I already don’t like bugs, so I was NOT happy to see these new friends. However, this family had been sleeping with these bugs and rodents for years! These children had been sleeping mere feet from scorpions and poisonous spiders! It was so convicting.
We were able to build a house for the family in two days. It was hard work, but it was so humbling. The house we build was smaller than the apartment I live in; yet a family of five was living there, and they were SO grateful for it! This house was like a palace for them. A neighbor that was helping had even had a dream about us coming a few days earlier! He said he had dreamt that a group of “gringos” (white people) had come to help distribute a blessing from God. They said we were like their angels. Wow. It was so humbling to think that God was in fact using us as His hands and feet. I mean, I had realized it, but I fail to really think about it on a daily basis, and live in light of that.
We were also able to help serve the community that the family lived in as well. We did crafts and sports with the children at the school and also distributed food to the families in the area.
On Sunday we were able to go to a church in El Salvador. It was so cool to participate in international worship. We sang one song that I had never heard before, two songs that I knew in English, and another song in Spanish that I had heard before. It was such an awesome taste of what heaven will be like, with people from every nation and tongue singing praises to the One True God. We were able to sing for the congregation, and then do some crafts with the kids and teenagers in Sunday school.
After church, some boys from Cisna came to play soccer with us. Their orphanage had been flooded when the sewage system backed up, so they had been relocated to different orphanages in the area. However, they were confined to their rooms most of the day due to the limited space, so it was great for them to be able to run around outside for a few hours. We made ice cream sundaes with them after they finished playing capture the flag and soccer. After that, we were able to go out and feed the homeless again.
Monday we visited a special needs orphanage and a center for children who were infected with HIV/AIDS. The special needs orphanage housed people who had mental retardation and other handicaps that made it difficult for them to take care of themselves. Some were only there until they were 18 and then they would be kicked out of the center and left to fend for themselves. However, they didn’t really have school or occupational training, so they were forced on to the streets with minimal training, not really equipped to provide a living for themselves. A good portion of the residents at the center were severely handicapped and would remain in the center for life. They needed someone to take care of them all the time. A nurse was at the center from 9-5, and a doctor would be there for 3 days a week. There was also a psychiatric center. It was so great to be able to do crafts and play games with the kids there and at the AIDS center. They were so joyful and happy!
One child in particular stood out. Kique, a young boy about 15 years old lived at the special needs center. One of our translators, Chris, had told us Kique’s story the night before. When Kique was a child, drug traffickers had cut him open and stuffed him full of drugs in an attempt to smuggle them over the border. When he tried to cross the border, the police found out, and they beat him. He now lives in the center. He is so tiny and frail! It was heart wrenching to be confronted with the reality of such corruption and sin. Our world is so broken. We so desperately need the Gospel.
It was great to be able to serve in El Salvador. It really opened up my eyes to humanity’s need for the Gospel. God is so much more gracious than we deserve. He lets us be a part of taking this Great News to the ends of the earth! I am SO thankful that He would allow me to serve and glorify His Name. I wish we could have done more to help the people of El Salvador, but it was a privilege to be able to help in whatever way we could.
Monday, April 4, 2011
"Jesus was a man's man, so men followed Him..." (Man Up, by Da Truth)
I would love to see men own the masculinity that God has designed for them.
That’s right boys- this post is directed at you. Strap on your big-boy pants gentlemen, this could be fun.
OK guys, lets chat here for a bit. You may not know this about me, but I am a HUGE fan of Biblical masculinity, and I love to study the ways that God has designed men and women to specifically bear His image. Bearing His image is a huge responsibility, and God has gifted each gender with specific characteristics and qualities to enable us to understand more of His character. Men and women were each designed with a specific purpose, and each gender struggles with its own issues. For instance, many women struggle with believing the lie that they are not worth anything, and that God is holding out on them. That is a reason why it is common for women to struggle with wanting to seize control and prove their independence and assert that “we don’t need men- I can handle things on my own.” It is also a reason why women typically struggle with constantly seeking male attention- we want to know that we are indeed enticing and captivating. (Forgive me for my sweeping generalization!)
Boys typically struggle with different issues, especially speaking up in boldness when they need to. Men- you were created to SPEAK TRUTH. We were all created to speak Truth. In order to speak Truth, you must know Truth. Men are called specifically to be spiritual leaders, and know the Word of God, and REMEMBER the Word of God. The word “male” is translated from the Hebrew term “zakar,” which means “the remembering one.” You guys have a responsibility to remind others of the Truths of God; this calling is directed specifically at you as men. While girls are also supposed to hold others accountable to the Word, it is a heavier burden for guys. Just look at a couple of the instructions that are given to men:
“Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in His ways and keeping His statutes, His commandments, His rules and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses…” (1 Kings 2:2-3)
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” (1 Timothy 6:11)
There are quite a few verses in the Bible that are specifically directed to men, and most of them are calling men to action. You are not called to be passive men! Even before the fall of man took place, God placed Adam in the garden to “work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Work is not a result of the fall. We were always supposed to work. The result of the fall is how difficult the work would prove to be. Now we struggle. But men- you were always called to be active. Stop submitting to passivity! I would be so delighted if guys would really start to man up and accept the calling that God has placed on their lives. Men- I am not interested in your excuses. In fact, I am quite tired of hearing them. ACT. Go out and DO something!
I’ve recently fallen in love with reading the stories of the warriors from the old testament. THOSE were men who weren’t afraid of action. In fact, all men who are mentioned as role models in the Bible were men of action. Think about it. They all went forward with boldness because they knew their God was with them. Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, because he knew that God has promised him this child. He trusted in God’s goodness because he knew that it would prove true. He received the command to sacrifice Isaac and set out THE NEXT DAY. David went out to fight a giant, and won. He was astounded at the terror of the Israelites. He kindly reminded them, “Don’t you know that God is on our side? Hand me my sling shot” and then he trotted off to battle, and SLAYED A GIANT! (Catoe paraphrase- you get the main idea). Joshua brought down a city by merely marching around the wall and blowing some horns. Gideon defeated thousands of Midianites using just 300 men (remind anyone else of Sparta?). Samson killed 1,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone. The Israelites defeated the Philistines with out using any weapons! David’s soldiers were referred to as “mighty men.”
Doesn’t that stir something with in you? These men were willing to ACT on what they believed. They KNEW the God they worshiped. They were able to recognize His voice. The boldness of the early church spread Christianity all over the world. They were persecuted, but even when they were in prison they were preaching the Word. They trusted in the Lord, took Him at His word, and were willing to risk it all.
THAT is the type of action we are called to. Men and women. But men- you have a specific calling. You are called to lead in this, to remember the commands, to remember the warriors mentioned in the Bible. Remember the character of God, and how He is faithful, and will fulfill His promises. Men, I would love to see you step up and claim the victory that Christ have given you; be bold. Lead. Remember. DO SOMETHING.
That’s right boys- this post is directed at you. Strap on your big-boy pants gentlemen, this could be fun.
OK guys, lets chat here for a bit. You may not know this about me, but I am a HUGE fan of Biblical masculinity, and I love to study the ways that God has designed men and women to specifically bear His image. Bearing His image is a huge responsibility, and God has gifted each gender with specific characteristics and qualities to enable us to understand more of His character. Men and women were each designed with a specific purpose, and each gender struggles with its own issues. For instance, many women struggle with believing the lie that they are not worth anything, and that God is holding out on them. That is a reason why it is common for women to struggle with wanting to seize control and prove their independence and assert that “we don’t need men- I can handle things on my own.” It is also a reason why women typically struggle with constantly seeking male attention- we want to know that we are indeed enticing and captivating. (Forgive me for my sweeping generalization!)
Boys typically struggle with different issues, especially speaking up in boldness when they need to. Men- you were created to SPEAK TRUTH. We were all created to speak Truth. In order to speak Truth, you must know Truth. Men are called specifically to be spiritual leaders, and know the Word of God, and REMEMBER the Word of God. The word “male” is translated from the Hebrew term “zakar,” which means “the remembering one.” You guys have a responsibility to remind others of the Truths of God; this calling is directed specifically at you as men. While girls are also supposed to hold others accountable to the Word, it is a heavier burden for guys. Just look at a couple of the instructions that are given to men:
“Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in His ways and keeping His statutes, His commandments, His rules and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses…” (1 Kings 2:2-3)
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” (1 Timothy 6:11)
There are quite a few verses in the Bible that are specifically directed to men, and most of them are calling men to action. You are not called to be passive men! Even before the fall of man took place, God placed Adam in the garden to “work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Work is not a result of the fall. We were always supposed to work. The result of the fall is how difficult the work would prove to be. Now we struggle. But men- you were always called to be active. Stop submitting to passivity! I would be so delighted if guys would really start to man up and accept the calling that God has placed on their lives. Men- I am not interested in your excuses. In fact, I am quite tired of hearing them. ACT. Go out and DO something!
I’ve recently fallen in love with reading the stories of the warriors from the old testament. THOSE were men who weren’t afraid of action. In fact, all men who are mentioned as role models in the Bible were men of action. Think about it. They all went forward with boldness because they knew their God was with them. Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, because he knew that God has promised him this child. He trusted in God’s goodness because he knew that it would prove true. He received the command to sacrifice Isaac and set out THE NEXT DAY. David went out to fight a giant, and won. He was astounded at the terror of the Israelites. He kindly reminded them, “Don’t you know that God is on our side? Hand me my sling shot” and then he trotted off to battle, and SLAYED A GIANT! (Catoe paraphrase- you get the main idea). Joshua brought down a city by merely marching around the wall and blowing some horns. Gideon defeated thousands of Midianites using just 300 men (remind anyone else of Sparta?). Samson killed 1,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone. The Israelites defeated the Philistines with out using any weapons! David’s soldiers were referred to as “mighty men.”
Doesn’t that stir something with in you? These men were willing to ACT on what they believed. They KNEW the God they worshiped. They were able to recognize His voice. The boldness of the early church spread Christianity all over the world. They were persecuted, but even when they were in prison they were preaching the Word. They trusted in the Lord, took Him at His word, and were willing to risk it all.
THAT is the type of action we are called to. Men and women. But men- you have a specific calling. You are called to lead in this, to remember the commands, to remember the warriors mentioned in the Bible. Remember the character of God, and how He is faithful, and will fulfill His promises. Men, I would love to see you step up and claim the victory that Christ have given you; be bold. Lead. Remember. DO SOMETHING.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Let's talk about SEX.
SEX. That is not a common topic that comes up among Christians today, unfortunately. Sex has become taboo in a lot of churches, and it has had some unfortunate consequences on our society, as well as our theology. My parents and I were talking about the issue of sex before marriage recently; most people are familiar with the commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery." But, while many of us KNOW about this commandment and claim to follow Jesus, it seems that adultery is one of those sins that society has deemed as "permissible." Did you know that by the age of 19, the CDC has said that 80% of men and 75% of women have lost their virginity? This is obviously a HUGE issue in our society! And yet, the Church a lot of times will simply tell people "Don't do it until you're married." But when it comes to offering a reason, many Christians don't know what to say; they can only offer the cliche "Because God said so." But its got to be more than that! Saving sex for marriage made God's Top Ten- it wasn't just a whim that He had. He made sex to be AWESOME; He must have a reason for adding stipulations to when we can have it, and who we can have it with.
After talking about it briefly with my parents, I really felt led to share with them what God has been showing me over the past few years concerning this particular commandment. As a college student, obviously sex before marriage is a pretty big issue for my demographic. I sent my mom an email a few days ago, and my dad asked me to post it to the blog. So, here you go friends. Hopefully this will be encouraging, edifying, and most importantly, glorifying to God.
First, I wanted to fully explain why I think God would tell us to guard the sanctity of marriage. If you look at the way that God designed marriage, He designed it to be a metaphor for our relationship with Him. He frequently calls us “His bride” through out Scripture. Ezekiel 16, Hosea, and Song of Songs are excellent
examples of this. Because of this, we are supposed to hold marriage in high regard. Additionally, marriage is a covenant relationship. It is one of the only covenants that we, as humans, can enter in to. Most covenants are initiated by God, not man. However, God is still a huge part of the marital covenant. Wives are called to be submissive to husbands (as the church is to Christ), and husbands are called to be the head of the household (like Christ is the head of the church).
But, Christ is to be the head of the man, and the center of the marriage, too. It’s the whole idea of the “cord of three strands” mentioned in Ecclesiastes 4:12, and a nice parallel to the Trinity. If Christ is the center and the foundation of a marriage, then the marriage will not be shaken. Christ is immovable, unshakable, and
unchanging.
However, since this is a marital covenant, there is always a sign of the covenant (Noaic Covenant- rainbow; Abrahamic Covenant- circumcision, etc). The sign of this covenant is sex. It “consummates” the covenant and makes it official. When we share the sign of this covenant with people other than people who are partakers
of the covenant- that’s a problem. It is not good, and it shows a blatant disregard for the covenant. It belittles the covenant. That is why it is so serious to have sex before marriage, to have gay marriage, divorce, adultery, etc- it isn’t just us being close minded. It is that marriage is a covenant relationship that we enter in to; we make the commitment to God to love that person, to honor God together, and to represent the relationship between Christ and the Church through our marriage. We bear that image in a marriage. That is NOT a small responsibility, and it is not something to be shrugged off and belittled.
Additionally, we are told in Genesis that we were created in God’s image- that makes us His image-bearers. In our bodies, we bear the very image of God, the same “invisible God” that is mentioned in Colossians 1:15. On top of that, out bodies are also temples of the living God. Again- BIG DEAL. If you’ve studied the Old Testament, you’ve seen how much detail God put in to the construction of His Temple. He specified the materials to be used, the dimensions, even who was allowed to go where. Well- He has some input on similar issues for our body. (That’s why gluttony, drunkenness, etc. are considered sinful or unwise at best- it’s a blatant disregard for the Temple of God; its also one of the reasons why He had so many regulations in the Mosaic law about what people were allowed to eat, and all of their purification rituals. It was sanitary and prevented infections). Paul points it out very clearly in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 that all other sins are committed outside the body; but sexual immorality- that is committed against the body. Against the image of God; against the temple of God. Double whammy. When you add in the factor about it violating the covenant- yikes. Definitely displays deeper theological issues.
While it is beneficial to know WHAT God has commanded, I think it is extremely important to build a foundation for WHY God gives a command, too. If you don’t know why you’re supposed to do something, you are much less likely to do it when it is seriously questioned.
I hope that helped to shed some light on what I was talking about
Saturday. I haven’t heard many people actually talk about this issue; but again, this is typically the type of issue that would be addressed in a discipleship/small
group atmosphere, not from a pulpit. Discretion is essential. But, God has been gracious in opening my eyes to the truths that He has plainly revealed in Scripture.
After talking about it briefly with my parents, I really felt led to share with them what God has been showing me over the past few years concerning this particular commandment. As a college student, obviously sex before marriage is a pretty big issue for my demographic. I sent my mom an email a few days ago, and my dad asked me to post it to the blog. So, here you go friends. Hopefully this will be encouraging, edifying, and most importantly, glorifying to God.
First, I wanted to fully explain why I think God would tell us to guard the sanctity of marriage. If you look at the way that God designed marriage, He designed it to be a metaphor for our relationship with Him. He frequently calls us “His bride” through out Scripture. Ezekiel 16, Hosea, and Song of Songs are excellent
examples of this. Because of this, we are supposed to hold marriage in high regard. Additionally, marriage is a covenant relationship. It is one of the only covenants that we, as humans, can enter in to. Most covenants are initiated by God, not man. However, God is still a huge part of the marital covenant. Wives are called to be submissive to husbands (as the church is to Christ), and husbands are called to be the head of the household (like Christ is the head of the church).
But, Christ is to be the head of the man, and the center of the marriage, too. It’s the whole idea of the “cord of three strands” mentioned in Ecclesiastes 4:12, and a nice parallel to the Trinity. If Christ is the center and the foundation of a marriage, then the marriage will not be shaken. Christ is immovable, unshakable, and
unchanging.
However, since this is a marital covenant, there is always a sign of the covenant (Noaic Covenant- rainbow; Abrahamic Covenant- circumcision, etc). The sign of this covenant is sex. It “consummates” the covenant and makes it official. When we share the sign of this covenant with people other than people who are partakers
of the covenant- that’s a problem. It is not good, and it shows a blatant disregard for the covenant. It belittles the covenant. That is why it is so serious to have sex before marriage, to have gay marriage, divorce, adultery, etc- it isn’t just us being close minded. It is that marriage is a covenant relationship that we enter in to; we make the commitment to God to love that person, to honor God together, and to represent the relationship between Christ and the Church through our marriage. We bear that image in a marriage. That is NOT a small responsibility, and it is not something to be shrugged off and belittled.
Additionally, we are told in Genesis that we were created in God’s image- that makes us His image-bearers. In our bodies, we bear the very image of God, the same “invisible God” that is mentioned in Colossians 1:15. On top of that, out bodies are also temples of the living God. Again- BIG DEAL. If you’ve studied the Old Testament, you’ve seen how much detail God put in to the construction of His Temple. He specified the materials to be used, the dimensions, even who was allowed to go where. Well- He has some input on similar issues for our body. (That’s why gluttony, drunkenness, etc. are considered sinful or unwise at best- it’s a blatant disregard for the Temple of God; its also one of the reasons why He had so many regulations in the Mosaic law about what people were allowed to eat, and all of their purification rituals. It was sanitary and prevented infections). Paul points it out very clearly in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 that all other sins are committed outside the body; but sexual immorality- that is committed against the body. Against the image of God; against the temple of God. Double whammy. When you add in the factor about it violating the covenant- yikes. Definitely displays deeper theological issues.
While it is beneficial to know WHAT God has commanded, I think it is extremely important to build a foundation for WHY God gives a command, too. If you don’t know why you’re supposed to do something, you are much less likely to do it when it is seriously questioned.
I hope that helped to shed some light on what I was talking about
Saturday. I haven’t heard many people actually talk about this issue; but again, this is typically the type of issue that would be addressed in a discipleship/small
group atmosphere, not from a pulpit. Discretion is essential. But, God has been gracious in opening my eyes to the truths that He has plainly revealed in Scripture.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Is my life a sermon?
I was talking with a friend this weekend about the topic of suffering. As both of us grew more and more passionate about the injustice of American prosperity and comfort, she excitedly exclaimed, “Girl, I could preach a sermon on suffering.”
It hit me in that moment- there are probably a lot of things I could discuss theologically, perhaps even preach a sermon on. But- how many things is my life preaching a sermon on? Do I exhibit behaviors that challenge people to reconsider the way they are living their lives? I have acquired a decent amount of head knowledge concerning theology over the past few years, but how much of it am I actually putting in to practice? A verse that has been particularly convicting for me over the past few days has been Romans 10:2: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”
This verse has a few applications, but the two that have been most prominent for me recently are:
1) Do I have a zeal according to knowledge? Does my knowledge of God increase my passion for Him?
2) Would people even say that I have a zeal for God? Is that apparent through my actions, or is God just some thing that I think about, and occasionally discuss? If He isn’t changing my actions, do I really believe what I claim I believe?
It has been quite humbling to consider the answers to these questions. Over the past year, my knowledge of God has definitely been increasing my love for Him, and my worship of Him. If we can’t worship God in His entirety, then can we really worship Him at all?
The second question has been a bit harder to answer. There are a lot of things that I intend to do, or would like to do “someday.” But I am a master of procrastination. Unfortunately, this doesn’t only apply to school, but I procrastinate in my spiritual life too. I don’t tell my friends about Jesus as much as I should. I don’t even have the excuse of persecution- I’m just afraid people might not like me. How lame is that? A person’s decision to follow Jesus is a choice that literally affects eternity. And I’m too afraid to talk to someone about it because it might be a little awkward. I am so unworthy of God’s grace.
I pray that we would all become a people whose lives preach sermons to those around us. I pray that my life would be a testimony to the saving grace of Christ, that I would be an image-bearer of the Most High God, and that I would really start to take that calling seriously. I pray that, as a body of believers, we would become more intentional about sharing the Gospel with those around us- through both our actions and our words.
It hit me in that moment- there are probably a lot of things I could discuss theologically, perhaps even preach a sermon on. But- how many things is my life preaching a sermon on? Do I exhibit behaviors that challenge people to reconsider the way they are living their lives? I have acquired a decent amount of head knowledge concerning theology over the past few years, but how much of it am I actually putting in to practice? A verse that has been particularly convicting for me over the past few days has been Romans 10:2: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”
This verse has a few applications, but the two that have been most prominent for me recently are:
1) Do I have a zeal according to knowledge? Does my knowledge of God increase my passion for Him?
2) Would people even say that I have a zeal for God? Is that apparent through my actions, or is God just some thing that I think about, and occasionally discuss? If He isn’t changing my actions, do I really believe what I claim I believe?
It has been quite humbling to consider the answers to these questions. Over the past year, my knowledge of God has definitely been increasing my love for Him, and my worship of Him. If we can’t worship God in His entirety, then can we really worship Him at all?
The second question has been a bit harder to answer. There are a lot of things that I intend to do, or would like to do “someday.” But I am a master of procrastination. Unfortunately, this doesn’t only apply to school, but I procrastinate in my spiritual life too. I don’t tell my friends about Jesus as much as I should. I don’t even have the excuse of persecution- I’m just afraid people might not like me. How lame is that? A person’s decision to follow Jesus is a choice that literally affects eternity. And I’m too afraid to talk to someone about it because it might be a little awkward. I am so unworthy of God’s grace.
I pray that we would all become a people whose lives preach sermons to those around us. I pray that my life would be a testimony to the saving grace of Christ, that I would be an image-bearer of the Most High God, and that I would really start to take that calling seriously. I pray that, as a body of believers, we would become more intentional about sharing the Gospel with those around us- through both our actions and our words.
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