Striving or Sliding

I thought love would be easier. I was mistaken. I thought love flowed naturally, smoothly, uncomplicatedly. Instead, I’m discovering it takes time, effort, and constant commitment. Whether it is loving God, your spouse, your child, your friends, or the difficult people in your life--it all takes attention and dedication.

It seems counterintuitive to strive in the name of love. Yet, we do whatever it takes to stay connected with the ones we love. We accept pain and become vulnerable. We climb and we descend. We defend and we surrender. We strive and we slide.

As long as we are controlled by the Spirit, our movements, whether up or down, are purposeful. Conversely, when we are operating under our own strength, driven by our own agenda--all our striving amounts to nothing. Loving God--staying connected, faithful, surrendered--takes a great deal of dedication, time, and effort. Remaining committed to Christ is no easy task.

Lord, grant us the grace to always abide in you and be faithful and fruitful.

Heavier End

“God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears.” (Psalm 34:4 MSG)

When we move large pieces of furniture around, my husband always takes the heavier end. He is much stronger than I am, so I don’t argue. I just pick up the lighter end and listen to his directions. He tells me how to turn around tight corners and when and where to set things down. We have to be in constant communication.

When we have to carry large burdens, God meets us more than halfway. He takes up the heavier end. Our role is to pick up the lighter end and listen for directions. If we need to rest midway, or set the load down to get a better grip on it, we just have to let Him know.  Allowing God to bear the bulk of our burden, frees us from anxiety and fear.

“He pulled me out of my despair

He taught me how to walk

From fear into security

From quicksand to the Rock.”

( Lyrics from the song: “I waited for the Lord on High,” by Petra)

Positive Change

“The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.” (1 Sam 10:6 NIV)

A huge storm hit our neighborhood the other day--high winds, thunder, lightning, rain, hail--it was quite scary. It lasted about an hour. Luckily, we didn’t have any major damage. Once the storm passed, the sky cleared quickly, the birds were out chirping, and everything looked green and thriving. The sudden change made me wish that all of life’s storms passed so quickly and harmlessly.

We all desire positive changes in our lives, and we want it immediately. We would rather not have any storms, just gentle showers, at opportune times, that lead to growth. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. Instead we experience storms that last years and years, storms that cause severe, long-term damage, storms that suck up all our hope, strength, and resources.

The Spirit of God is holy and powerful, but its timing is unpredictable. It reveals truth. Once our mind is cleared of false thoughts, we are open to enlightenment. Prophesying is the expression of truth; truth brings positive change and fresh, new growth in our innermost being.

Everything Matters

“You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Luke 12:7 NLT)

Most cultures do not value sparrows. They are common, noisy, and not particularly attractive. Adult sparrows feed on grain, while baby sparrows eat insects. In the 1950’s the Chinese government tried to exterminate sparrows, because they saw them as agricultural pests. Crop production increased initially, but after a few years, insects and others crop pests caused dramatic crop failures that resulted in mass human starvation. Everything matters, even sparrows.

I used to equate value with usefulness. Your life mattered if you contributed more to this world than you consumed.  In the last few years, my perspective has changed. I have met people who are intrinsically valuable. Their lives inspire, encourage, and transform those around them--not necessarily by what they do, but by who they are. Now, I suspect that everyone and everything matters, even if I am not able to recognize their worth.

This has been a humbling discovery. Once I admitted that value exists outside my limited understanding and system of measurement, I look at people and experiences more fluidly, less judgmentally. Now, I recognize that all is worthy in God’s eyes, and thus everything matters.

Prodigals

“Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? (Isaiah 44:8 NLT)

I believe that God created each of us with a purpose in mind. However, most of us have our own agendas. Like young adults who want their independence, we move out from our Father’s house--away from His protection and provision. We no longer want to be under His control. We want to make our own decisions and choices. We rely on our limited self-sufficiency to execute our individual aspirations. When we reach the end of our supplies and talents, we are filled with fear and agitation.

Trust is difficult for those of us who have a history of instability and broken trust. We can’t imagine that anyone is dependable or that love can be unconditional. We suspect that surrendering control to anyone, will eventually lead to manipulation and misery. We would rather take our chances and go out on our own.

Like the prodigal son, we eventually realize that we have been operating under an illusion. Once we can admit our inadequacy, we feel compelled to return to our Father’s house. We discover that His purposes and plans are better than anything we come up with on our own.

Lord, fill us with courage and fortitude, so that You may fulfill Your intended purposes through us.

Saturated by Grace

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27 NLT)

Worldly peace is circumstantial, short-term, transient. Thus, it tends to be accompanied by fear--fear of instability, distress, abandonment, suffering, and loss. Wouldn’t it be great to have a higher level of peace? A peace that is satisfying, long-term, unshakable, eternal?

“The term Holy Spirit is actually another name for the experience of eternal life working in human beings here and now.” (My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers)

How can we experience this Holy Spirit, this eternal peace here and now?

When the Spirit is inside us, not merely walking beside us--when our hearts and minds are saturated by Grace, when the Holy Spirit has taken over all control--then, we experience God’s peace that surpasses human logic and worldly circumstances.

Valley of Fear

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)

God does not intend for us to operate from a place of fear. Yet, we often camp out in the valley of fear, surrounded by irrational beliefs and distorted truth. We pitch our tent, gather worries, hunt and pursue anxieties, dig up insecurities, and stew everything over the campfire. We are immobilized in dread, panic, and indecisiveness. Why would we choose such an unpleasant campsite? Why would we stay and dig ourselves deeper and deeper pits, as if we were on an archaeological study?

It is time to move from this dysfunctional campsite to a better place--a higher plateau of faith and trust in God--where there is an abundant supply of boldness, power, love, mental stability, and self-discipline. This requires some effort. We have to dismantle current cognitive structures and change our thought patterns. We have to climb to a higher elevation and get used to a different perspective.  Once we are able to breathe in the Spirit of Grace and bask in the Light of Love, we are able to operate boldly, sensibly, and purposefully.