Yes, we should!

I’ve been on the same train of thought for a few days now. I’m still not done processing it.

How do we know when to make binding commitments, to pursue our dreams, to invest in something? How do we use our strengths to climb out of holes? When do we know when, “Yes, we can!” needs to become, “Yes, we should”?

I lay everything out before God: my strengths, my weaknesses, my aspirations, my motives, my desire for affirmation, my vanity, my anxieties, my yearning for happiness, my eagerness to please my loved ones, my predilection for security, my desire to do God’s will, to be a conduit for His love, to bring Him glory. I ask the Holy Spirit to sort through all of this and to help me come up with a plan. I write everything down. I ask for HIS power and wisdom.

I invest my time and energy into projects, once I feel I have God’s approval. I consult Him daily. I have to admit that as soon as I hit obstacles, I question if I heard God right! When I’m tempted to quit, I pause to pray. I call out to God for help. I express my frustrations. I ask for His affirmation. Sometimes this takes a very long time to come, because my insecurities are battling within me. Eventually, His peace comes over me, and I resume on the path He has laid out.

Stumbling into Bondage

Yesterday, I wrote about how our strengths can trip us up. This got me thinking of how often our abilities lead us into positions of bondage.

Some home owners have mortgaged their lives to buy and maintain their dream homes. Others are shackled by their careers. Some are limited by their relationships. The more we invest in something, the more power it has over us. We get tied up in our roles, in our talents, by our accomplishments. We work really hard and devote our lives to digging our own holes.

A friend of mine, who was physically strong, routinely lifted heavy objects by herself. She has a bad back now. I used to tell her: “Just because you have the ability to do something, doesn’t mean you should.”

I’ve had to remind myself of this on a daily basis:

-Just because you can afford it, doesn’t mean you should buy it.

-Just because you can clean up someone else’s mess, doesn’t mean you should.

-Just because you can say whatever you want, doesn’t mean you should.

-Just because you have incredible potential, multiple talents, and unlimited opportunities, doesn’t mean you should pursue success at the expense of everything else.

In an effort to prove our worth, we tend to bind ourselves in ways that cause damage in the long run.

Still searching…

Tripped up by Strength

“You have remained true to God under great and intense trials--now beware of the undercurrent… Unguarded strength is actually a double weakness, because that is where the least likely temptations will be effective in sapping strength. The Bible characters stumbled over their strong points, never their weak ones.” (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

Normally we think of our weaknesses as leading to temptations. If you have a weakness for chocolate, you are more likely to guard yourself when walking by a candy store. But let’s say you are a great musician and a great cook. Your musical skills give you public accolades, and you feel energized when you perform on stage. On the other hand, cooking feeds your family, but it also leaves you alone in the kitchen with a lot of dirty dishes. The temptation to pursue the strength that brings you more satisfaction is subtle, yet justifiable. Especially if these strengths lead to greater financial rewards, respect in the community, and self-sufficiency. Or to put it more bluntly, we are tempted to use the strengths that lead to money, prestige and power.

How can we guard against stumbling over our strengths? First, we must be aware of all our personal assets, including the freedom to make choices, money, education, health, time, skills, family, friends, talents, etc. Then, we must carefully consider how each of these abilities might lead us away from God’s will. If you have the freedom to make choices, what motivates you to make one choice over the other? If you have money or an education, do you use it for self-gratification? Do you use your health, time, skills, and talents for self-glorification? Are your relationships and connections leading you closer to God, or are they more of a distraction?

Searching for answers…

Bandwidth Hogs

In computing jargon, bandwidth is the rate of data transfer. But in colloquial language, it means the resources needed to complete a task or project. Thus, a bandwidth hog is any program or application that takes up a lot of resources at the expense of others.

I’m starting to be aware of bandwidth hogs in my life. Certain projects or habits take up an inordinate amount of resources. Before I set out on new ventures, I consider my limited resources of time and energy.

Let’s say I’m thinking of committing to a new project or job. How will this affect the other commitments in my life? What other areas will have to be neglected? Who will suffer?

Certain careers suck up more bandwidth than others. I’ve noticed that high-powered jobs tend to leave very little margin for anything else. How much are we willing to sacrifice for success? I’m willing to give up leisure time and a cushy lifestyle. I understand that hard work is a prerequisite to reach goals. But I am not willing to offer up my family, relinquish my relationships, or diminish my soul for any aspiration.

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8 :36 NLT)

Spiritual Vacancy

Empty houses can attract unsavory inhabitants. They can become a haven for vandalism, drug use, and other illicit activities. They are a safety concern to the whole neighborhood.

Similarly, souls devoid of God’s Spirit can become a magnet for evil. Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 12 and Luke 11.

“On return it (the evil spirit) finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up… You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you weren’t hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in!” (Matthew 12:43-45 MSG)

Long periods of spiritual vacancy can be harmful to one’s soul. Some of us would rather stay vacant than allow an incomprehensible God into our lives. We want to know, be absolutely sure, before we hand over the keys to our soul. We don’t recognize the danger in the void. Flirting with agnosticism can open up our souls to harmful squatters.

We must accept that it is impossible to understand God fully with our human minds. We may have doubts about the details, but we can be sure of this: A life with God is better than a life without God.

Rising to the occasion

I’ve been noticing that two people can go through similar crises and come out completely different from each other. I have a friend who went through a terrible divorce but came out of the experience as a stronger, sweeter, more grace-filled woman than she was before. On the other hand, another divorced woman I know seems brittle and broken. I’ve noticed similar differences among people who have gone through health issues, death in their families, financial troubles, etc.

This reminded me of the following verse: “God’s kingdom (sphere of influence) is like yeast that a woman works into dozens of loaves of barley bread--and waits while the dough rises.” (Matthew 13:33 MSG)

When faith is worked into our lives and allowed some time to grow and rise, we react differently to crises. When we go through fire, we are not as frangible as before. God works the gift of faith into our lives. Under ideal conditions, we rise to His expectations; we go through the fire and come out as fragrant as freshly baked bread. Yet, like all bread, we are meant to be broken, to be torn apart, to provide sustenance for others.

Life-Crashers

The Home and Garden channel (HGTV) has a series of shows called Room-crashers, Bath-crashers, etc. The hosts go to home improvement stores and ambush customers who are planning remodeling projects. The host offers to remodel a room in 3 days, free of charge. But there’s a catch. The homeowner has to agree to let the designer do whatever he wants. If a client refuses the offer of a free remodel, the host just moves on to someone else.

As I’m watching this show, I’m thinking to myself… No way would I let some strange guy come into my house and decide what my bathroom is going to look like!

I think I have a similar attitude toward faith. Our Lord has offered to remodel my life, free of charge. (The 3-day parallel wasn’t lost on me either!) He has offered to change my life, if I can hand over control to Him. I’m not so sure I want to do this. What if His design doesn’t suit my taste?

If I relinquish control and trust God, He could rebuild me in ways beyond what I could envision.

“I’m about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, lay your foundations with sapphires, construct your towers with rubies… You’ll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble,-- nothing to fear.” (Isaiah 54:11-17 MSG)