Day 27: Master's smile, Father's path
So today's post has nothing to do with Heartwork. But it has everything to do with God.
A couple of days ago, my family received the movie The Battle of Five Armies in the mail, because we had pre-ordered it on the internet. When we got it, we watched it. It is a fantastic movie throughout, but there was one particular shot that struck me with a thought.
One weird thing about this lesson is that I learned it from a villain. This was an underling who, earlier in the movie, had brought a bad report to his master.
The part that I learned from was in the final battle. This underling was in a fight with one of the good guys. In this fight, the underling actually wins and kills the good guy, who was a prime target for his master. The shot that caught my attention was right after the good guy dies, because the camera looks at the underling, and the guy smiles. I realized that he wasn't smiling just because he was a bad guy and had just killed a good guy. He recognized that he had done well, and could feel his master's pleasure.
Of course, both he and his master are killed during the course of the battle, but not before they had taught me this lesson: We need to be so in touch with God and what he desires that we can feel his pleasure when we accomplish something he would be proud of and happy about.
Another lesson I learned this week I learned on Thursday (the 26th). I was driving on a busy street at a busy time of day. I had entered on the far left lane, and I needed to move over to the right 2 lanes in order to be in position for my next turn. I eventually made it over there.
Soon after I was in position, a spot opened up on my left. I had just been watching for openings in order to change lanes, so that's why I noticed it. I was thinking about taking the spot, but I decided that there may not be enough time to move back over to the lane I needed to be in before I had to turn.
This instance reminded me of the times in life when we have an opportunity before us, that we are perfectly capable of taking, that God may say "no" to. Just because there is a spot open in another lane, doesn't mean we are necessarily supposed to take it. God may need us in the lane we are already in in order to make our next turn.
So here are the two lessons summed up: Feel your master's smile when you accomplish his will, and follow your Father's exact directions, even if there is a good opportunity that takes you just a little off course.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Week 3: Compassion. Day 22
Day 22: Rice and Righteousness
During this week, one of the Heartwork challenges was to set aside a couple of meals at which you eat only beans and rice, and to remember the people around the world who have that meal as their only option, once per day, every day. Personally, I don't care much for beans, and I don't know how to prepare them. So I decided that for lunches all week I would eat rice. The day I started was Tuesday, and God added something to the commitment that I wasn't expecting. He didn't want me to add anything to it. So I put the salt and pepper back in the cabinet, and ate my rice plain.
Now that the week is concluded, we are supposed to write down what we learned. One of the first things that I noticed was that it takes a lot of rice to actually satisfy my hunger, and that is after eating a full meal of breakfast just hours earlier. There were times when I finished my meal and I was still hungry. So what would I do if that unsatisfying portion of rice was the only food I got all day? I would be hungry all the time, even when I had just finished eating.
But now is the first time it has occured to me that that is exactly what many people live with every day. Real people. So I am going to pray for them.
Heavenly Father, you told us through your Son to pray for our daily bread. There are many people in this world who need food, but they don't get it. There are many more who need it, but don't get enough. Father, please incline my heart and the hears of your people who have plenty to share with those people who have nothing. Give us each our orders, tell us what to do. There are so many options out there as to who to donate to, volunteer with, or pray for, that sometimes it overwhelms me into inaction. You told us that religion that you consider pure and faultless is one that cares for the orphan, the widow, and the stranger. You told us that anything we do out of compassion for those in need, we do for you. So, God, make us, make me, pure and faultless. Give us the courage to fully take hold of the life you have for those who follow you. Help us recognize the work of the Enemy, and help us realize what authority and power we have over him. And above all, Father, use your people to bring glory to yourself. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaking of religion, the other thing that I have been contemplating lately is righteousness. I have been going through Psalms, which constantly compares the righteous with the wicked. But another common character is the fool. This morning, I read a verse that says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" and my Bible gave me a footnote. The footnote basically says that the Hebrew words for "fool" in the Psalms denote one who is morally deficient. So basically, someone who is wicked.
That got me thinking about another verse, this one in the New Testament. In it, Jesus says that anyone who says to his brother, "You fool!" Is in danger of the fire of hell. So if we are calling someone morally deficient, does that mean that this is a case of self-righteousness? If so, then it is no wonder that the punishment is so severe, because self-righteousness is something that Jesus abhored.
So what is real righteousness? Psalm 15 summarizes it pretty well:
"LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,
who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken."
I couldn't have said it better myself, although I will add that it is easier said than done.
Another thing about righteousness goes along with what I learned and blogged about in week 2. God sees us as righteous. That is why David can say over and over again phrases like "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High." (Psalm 7:8) I don't know about you, but one month ago, I would not be willing to ask God to judge me according to my righteousness, because I know that I fall short. But now that I know how God sees me, the prayers of the Psalms make a lot more sense, and I feel like I can even make them my own.
So to conclude week 3 of Heartwork, with only one week left, I leave you to think about Rice and Righteousness.
During this week, one of the Heartwork challenges was to set aside a couple of meals at which you eat only beans and rice, and to remember the people around the world who have that meal as their only option, once per day, every day. Personally, I don't care much for beans, and I don't know how to prepare them. So I decided that for lunches all week I would eat rice. The day I started was Tuesday, and God added something to the commitment that I wasn't expecting. He didn't want me to add anything to it. So I put the salt and pepper back in the cabinet, and ate my rice plain.
Now that the week is concluded, we are supposed to write down what we learned. One of the first things that I noticed was that it takes a lot of rice to actually satisfy my hunger, and that is after eating a full meal of breakfast just hours earlier. There were times when I finished my meal and I was still hungry. So what would I do if that unsatisfying portion of rice was the only food I got all day? I would be hungry all the time, even when I had just finished eating.
But now is the first time it has occured to me that that is exactly what many people live with every day. Real people. So I am going to pray for them.
Heavenly Father, you told us through your Son to pray for our daily bread. There are many people in this world who need food, but they don't get it. There are many more who need it, but don't get enough. Father, please incline my heart and the hears of your people who have plenty to share with those people who have nothing. Give us each our orders, tell us what to do. There are so many options out there as to who to donate to, volunteer with, or pray for, that sometimes it overwhelms me into inaction. You told us that religion that you consider pure and faultless is one that cares for the orphan, the widow, and the stranger. You told us that anything we do out of compassion for those in need, we do for you. So, God, make us, make me, pure and faultless. Give us the courage to fully take hold of the life you have for those who follow you. Help us recognize the work of the Enemy, and help us realize what authority and power we have over him. And above all, Father, use your people to bring glory to yourself. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaking of religion, the other thing that I have been contemplating lately is righteousness. I have been going through Psalms, which constantly compares the righteous with the wicked. But another common character is the fool. This morning, I read a verse that says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" and my Bible gave me a footnote. The footnote basically says that the Hebrew words for "fool" in the Psalms denote one who is morally deficient. So basically, someone who is wicked.
That got me thinking about another verse, this one in the New Testament. In it, Jesus says that anyone who says to his brother, "You fool!" Is in danger of the fire of hell. So if we are calling someone morally deficient, does that mean that this is a case of self-righteousness? If so, then it is no wonder that the punishment is so severe, because self-righteousness is something that Jesus abhored.
So what is real righteousness? Psalm 15 summarizes it pretty well:
"LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,
who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken."
I couldn't have said it better myself, although I will add that it is easier said than done.
Another thing about righteousness goes along with what I learned and blogged about in week 2. God sees us as righteous. That is why David can say over and over again phrases like "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High." (Psalm 7:8) I don't know about you, but one month ago, I would not be willing to ask God to judge me according to my righteousness, because I know that I fall short. But now that I know how God sees me, the prayers of the Psalms make a lot more sense, and I feel like I can even make them my own.
So to conclude week 3 of Heartwork, with only one week left, I leave you to think about Rice and Righteousness.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Week 3: Compassion. Day 19
Day 19: Remember Those Who are Suffering
Warning: This blog is a bit stronger than my others.
Verse from Heartwork for today:
Hebrews 13:1-3
"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."
I want you to hold your breath for as long as you can (up to one minute). While doing so, time yourself, and keep track of every 6 seconds with your fingers (as in 6sec=1finger).
When you are done, look at your hands and see how many fingers you are holding up. That is how many children died in the time it took for you to hold your breath. Now multiply that number by 1440, which is how many minutes are in one day.
Every day, about 142,000 children in the world die from malnutrition, bad water, preventable diseases, neglect, or abortion. Oh, and one more thing: not one of them got to see their 5th birthday.
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates that "17,000 children under the age of 5 die every day, mostly from preventable or treatable causes." (http://www.unicef.org/statistics/)
Of the 142,000 children, 115,000 are abortions. 3,300 of those occur in the United States. (Abortion facts-Allied Women's Center)
I have another 10,000 in there to cover what I assume isn't reported (such as deaths due to neglect in government orphanages, abuse in the trafficking industry, or organ harvesting), and those who are over the age of 5, but are still under age 18. Another statistic that UNICEF had was that every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, an adolescent girl dies as a result of violence (same webpage).
In short, enough children die around the world every day to fill Red Rocks to capacity 14 times, to fill the Pepsi Center 7 times, or to fill Mile High Stadium 1.8 times. That adds up to about 50 million every year. (So next time you watch a Broncos game, you can look at the stands and imagine all of those people dying, and compound that by 365)
I did this research because I was curious, but now that I know I am stunned.
So what's the good news? This: now you know. If you don't know, you can't do anything. But now that you know, that's the first step towards action.
But what can we do? Personally, I don't know. But I know this: we serve a God who knows, loves, and sees every single child, and he has the power to save them. All we need to do is pray, to get linked in with what he wants us to do.
My advice is that every night for a week, before you go to sleep, think to yourself "Another 142,000 children died today." Then pray. Pray for them, and for you. Maybe by the end of it, you will know what you should do. It may be that you will pray for workers to be sent, or for those who have already been sent. Maybe you will donate to an organization or sponsor a child. Maybe you will adopt or foster. Maybe you will share these numbers with those around you to spread awareness. But there is one thing that I am convinced of: We should not stand by any more. Ignorance may be bliss, but God does not call us to ignorance. Instead, he calls us to service and to change.
My prayer is almost perfectly reflected by Psalms 9:18-20
"But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men."
The needy will not always be forgotten. Remember those who are suffering. Remember the 142,000.
Warning: This blog is a bit stronger than my others.
Verse from Heartwork for today:
Hebrews 13:1-3
"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."
I want you to hold your breath for as long as you can (up to one minute). While doing so, time yourself, and keep track of every 6 seconds with your fingers (as in 6sec=1finger).
When you are done, look at your hands and see how many fingers you are holding up. That is how many children died in the time it took for you to hold your breath. Now multiply that number by 1440, which is how many minutes are in one day.
Every day, about 142,000 children in the world die from malnutrition, bad water, preventable diseases, neglect, or abortion. Oh, and one more thing: not one of them got to see their 5th birthday.
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates that "17,000 children under the age of 5 die every day, mostly from preventable or treatable causes." (http://www.unicef.org/statistics/)
Of the 142,000 children, 115,000 are abortions. 3,300 of those occur in the United States. (Abortion facts-Allied Women's Center)
I have another 10,000 in there to cover what I assume isn't reported (such as deaths due to neglect in government orphanages, abuse in the trafficking industry, or organ harvesting), and those who are over the age of 5, but are still under age 18. Another statistic that UNICEF had was that every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, an adolescent girl dies as a result of violence (same webpage).
In short, enough children die around the world every day to fill Red Rocks to capacity 14 times, to fill the Pepsi Center 7 times, or to fill Mile High Stadium 1.8 times. That adds up to about 50 million every year. (So next time you watch a Broncos game, you can look at the stands and imagine all of those people dying, and compound that by 365)
I did this research because I was curious, but now that I know I am stunned.
So what's the good news? This: now you know. If you don't know, you can't do anything. But now that you know, that's the first step towards action.
But what can we do? Personally, I don't know. But I know this: we serve a God who knows, loves, and sees every single child, and he has the power to save them. All we need to do is pray, to get linked in with what he wants us to do.
My advice is that every night for a week, before you go to sleep, think to yourself "Another 142,000 children died today." Then pray. Pray for them, and for you. Maybe by the end of it, you will know what you should do. It may be that you will pray for workers to be sent, or for those who have already been sent. Maybe you will donate to an organization or sponsor a child. Maybe you will adopt or foster. Maybe you will share these numbers with those around you to spread awareness. But there is one thing that I am convinced of: We should not stand by any more. Ignorance may be bliss, but God does not call us to ignorance. Instead, he calls us to service and to change.
My prayer is almost perfectly reflected by Psalms 9:18-20
"But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men."
The needy will not always be forgotten. Remember those who are suffering. Remember the 142,000.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Week 2: Identity. Day 11
Day 11: God-based
This morning, the Heartwork devotional told me that God loves me, and that I have found a new identity in him by being adopted. It had me make three lists: How I see myself, how others see me, and how God sees me. It also had me watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsDQEb-qlyM
I hadn't realized before how much my perception of myself is based on other peoples' opinions. Now that I think about it, though, I see that in the day-to-day interactions with people I am constantly performing. I'm always trying to earn a good word, or some other recognition. It's not because I don't get recognized, but because I'm not satisfied with what I have. I think this is because I'm looking for recognition from the wrong source.
When I made the lists, I labeled them as What I think, What others say, and What God says. But when the lists were complete, I changed the names to People/Self-based, Performance-based, and God-based. It started to sink in that God doesn't see who I try to be, he doesn't see the same person I see. I think I'll include the lists.
What I think:
This morning, the Heartwork devotional told me that God loves me, and that I have found a new identity in him by being adopted. It had me make three lists: How I see myself, how others see me, and how God sees me. It also had me watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsDQEb-qlyM
I hadn't realized before how much my perception of myself is based on other peoples' opinions. Now that I think about it, though, I see that in the day-to-day interactions with people I am constantly performing. I'm always trying to earn a good word, or some other recognition. It's not because I don't get recognized, but because I'm not satisfied with what I have. I think this is because I'm looking for recognition from the wrong source.
When I made the lists, I labeled them as What I think, What others say, and What God says. But when the lists were complete, I changed the names to People/Self-based, Performance-based, and God-based. It started to sink in that God doesn't see who I try to be, he doesn't see the same person I see. I think I'll include the lists.
What I think:
- Proud
- Needy
- Naive
- Good-ish
- Wise
- Responsible
- Patient
- Smart
- Sweet
- Worried/Anxious
- Delicate (too easily broken)
- Child of God
- Loved
- Saved by grace
- Christian
- Cowardly
- Cheerful
What others say (based on real comments):
- Sweet
- Kind
- Awesome
- Flawless/Perfect
- Considerate
- Patient
- Responsible
- Smart
- Cute
- Pretty
- Shy
What God says:
- New
- Loved
- Wanted
- Beautiful
- Unique
- A Masterpiece
- Pursued
- Powerful
- Courageous
- Set apart
- Holy
- Obedient
- Wise beyond my years
- Confident
- Trustworthy
- Faithful
- Princess
- Joyful
I realized that other people see what I want them to see (performance-based perspective), then they tell me what they see, and I believe it. I see all the flaws, imperfections, and mistakes (that I make). But that isn't what God sees in me. God sees the person that I am in Christ. He really does. He sees the person that I could be if there was no sin in me. It's a really hard feeling to explain, like most of my revelations this past week.
In the list of God's perspective you probably noticed that I put trustworthy in bold. That ties into this revelation (and helped bring it home) that God sees the new me. I'm going to put this next statement all by itself to make sure you notice it.
God puts trust in people
It's easy to understand us putting trust in him, because we know that he is infinitely trustworthy. But humans are not. Humans cannot be trusted. Humans can't keep themselves on the straight and narrow; they are bound to fail in some way. But God trusts them anyway. It's mind-blowing. This is the very definition of free will. Our parent's don't trust us with free will until we are older, but God trusts us with free will from birth. When we're little, our parents remind us to do our chores, they don't leave us alone in the house, they correct us when we're impolite or if we mess up. Then, when we're older, they stop. They let us face the consequences of our own actions. They let us make our own choices. But that isn't what God does. He never controls us, even though he has the power to do so. Seriously, he could make us physically incapable of making the wrong choice. Want that piece of candy you found on the ground? Sorry, you can't bend down to pick it up. Not happening.
God lets us face the consequences. But he also enables us to make good choices. He gave us wisdom.
That was a little sidebar. Back to finding identity. I really don't have any more to say on the matter, but this topic reminded me of a few songs.
Namely:
Beautiful for Me by Nichole Nordeman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orc4TuIO56s
Drops in the Ocean by Hawk Nelson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZH13wFGffg
And, Identity, which I wrote a few years ago. I have yet to put music to it, but it has lyrics and a melody. Obviously, I don't have a good way to post the melody, but I'll wrap up my post with the lyrics:
V1
Sometimes I feel like a flower from the hills
Like I don't stand out next to all of these peers
What is the purpose that drives me on?
I feel like a bird that can't find my song
Chorus
So show me my identity
Show me the jewel you make of me
Bring in my crown
So I can turn around
and lay it down at your feet
Show me how you love me
Show me what you see in me
I wanna live my life
Reflecting the light
That comes from your great beauty
Show me my
Identity
V2
Sometimes I feel like sand on the shore
Like I'm just one grain among so many more
What is the vision that sets me apart?
I feel like a runner with no place to start
Chorus
Bridge
God, I feel lost here
Don't know where to turn
He says, "Child there's no need to fear
I'll make your steps firm
For I know my plans for you
I'll never leave
Don't doubt the beauty of the princess I see!"
Ending Chorus
He showed me my identity
He showed me the jewel he makes of me
He brought in my crown
And I turned around
and layed it down at his feet
He showed me how he loves me
He showed me what he sees in me
Now I'll live my life
Reflecting the light
That comes from his great beauty
He showed me my
Identity
Identity
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Week 1: Letting Go. Day 7
Day 7: Renewing of my mind
I like to do things by myself. I like being solely responsible for success or failure. I don't trust others to do as well as I can, and that includes God. I have a lot of trouble sometimes trusting that God will be able to do with my life everything that I could by myself.
But I am learning to do better. This study is helping a lot with giving me a fresh perspective. I don't know how it works, but fully committing to something like Heartwork, where you are focusing on others and decidedly not on yourself, changes you. I've never experienced anything like it. It's not at all what I expected, where I'd get more compassion for those in need and be motivated to do more for them. Instead, so far I have been the one who benefits from the study. It is so hard to describe. The best way I can think of is with the verse Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
Paul is totally right. As soon as you set yourself apart from what the world would consider as normal behavior, God replaces your heart and mind with something radical, a heavenly perspective. Now it sounds too dramatic. It just feels like my eyes are opening. I can't wait to see what the next three weeks hold.
John 10:10 "A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and life to the full."
I like to do things by myself. I like being solely responsible for success or failure. I don't trust others to do as well as I can, and that includes God. I have a lot of trouble sometimes trusting that God will be able to do with my life everything that I could by myself.
But I am learning to do better. This study is helping a lot with giving me a fresh perspective. I don't know how it works, but fully committing to something like Heartwork, where you are focusing on others and decidedly not on yourself, changes you. I've never experienced anything like it. It's not at all what I expected, where I'd get more compassion for those in need and be motivated to do more for them. Instead, so far I have been the one who benefits from the study. It is so hard to describe. The best way I can think of is with the verse Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
Paul is totally right. As soon as you set yourself apart from what the world would consider as normal behavior, God replaces your heart and mind with something radical, a heavenly perspective. Now it sounds too dramatic. It just feels like my eyes are opening. I can't wait to see what the next three weeks hold.
John 10:10 "A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and life to the full."
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Week 1: Letting go; Day 4
Day 4: Miniature Reformation
Who knew that you could learn so much through one realization? This morning, Heartwork was talking about what they called "The Backwards Kingdom." We were learning about how we as Christians are not supposed to serve ourselves and pursue success the way the world sees it. We are supposed to serve Christ and others, and pursue a higher form of success.
This led me to taking a fresh look at how I define success, and as it turns out, I was wrong. I wasn't defining success in the way the world does (how much money you earn, what level of college degree you have, etc.), which may be why I was able to believe it for so long. My defenition of success came from an audio drama, which I now realize was hinting at the totally wrong philosophy. This drama is not all bad, I think I just misunderstood the point it was stressing. This drama is called Afabel. It is what first installed the fear of the Lord in my young heart, and greatly contributed to my starting to pursue a personal relationship with him. I still believe that it did me so much good, but it is not fully correct.
What Afabel hints at is that we get into heaven on our own merit. It literally measured the success of the characters by how many people they had an impact on for the Kingdom. The one who is highly honored is credited with 5,000 people. The one who gets in, but in a lower spot (almost like a caste system), is credited with 17. The other three characters don't even make it in, for some reason or another. This morning I realized that almost my entire life has been in pursuit of what this drama says, not what the Bible says. My favorite character is rejected for not forgiving someone. Someone else is rejected for pursuing his own interests, for taking "Jaden's" grace for granted. The one who is highly honored opened a charity kitchen and told everyone the Gospel. These things have been subtlely playing on my life for almost a decade. I have shaped my style of living after it. I hadn't started reading the Bible for myself yet, and a lot of it was "backed up" with Bible verses that I was familiar with. So it made sense, and my perfectionist nature went kind of overboard with it. I always forgave people (that part is what shocked me the most the first time), because the story literally threatened me with hell if I didn't.
But now, I'm re-thinking my entire lifestyle. It is good, though, to do so. I don't mind breaking down my "house". After all, it still has a foundation of rock: Jesus Christ, who is my savior and my redeemer. So now I don't have to worry about getting converts in order to somehow earn God's favor. Not even a little. Instead, all I have to do is love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength. This is the same kind of realization that threw the Church into a reformation so many years ago. That is why I call this a "miniature reformation."
I can now say with confidence: I have been saved by grace, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. This, not by my own power, but by the One who empowers me for salvation and sanctification. He guides me on paths of righteousness, and following this wrong philosophy for so long may have been in pursuit of that goal. But now I know that He will always lead me on the path He wants me to take, regardless of what other people do. I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind, and now I am able to test and approve what God's will is. His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Who knew that you could learn so much through one realization? This morning, Heartwork was talking about what they called "The Backwards Kingdom." We were learning about how we as Christians are not supposed to serve ourselves and pursue success the way the world sees it. We are supposed to serve Christ and others, and pursue a higher form of success.
This led me to taking a fresh look at how I define success, and as it turns out, I was wrong. I wasn't defining success in the way the world does (how much money you earn, what level of college degree you have, etc.), which may be why I was able to believe it for so long. My defenition of success came from an audio drama, which I now realize was hinting at the totally wrong philosophy. This drama is not all bad, I think I just misunderstood the point it was stressing. This drama is called Afabel. It is what first installed the fear of the Lord in my young heart, and greatly contributed to my starting to pursue a personal relationship with him. I still believe that it did me so much good, but it is not fully correct.
What Afabel hints at is that we get into heaven on our own merit. It literally measured the success of the characters by how many people they had an impact on for the Kingdom. The one who is highly honored is credited with 5,000 people. The one who gets in, but in a lower spot (almost like a caste system), is credited with 17. The other three characters don't even make it in, for some reason or another. This morning I realized that almost my entire life has been in pursuit of what this drama says, not what the Bible says. My favorite character is rejected for not forgiving someone. Someone else is rejected for pursuing his own interests, for taking "Jaden's" grace for granted. The one who is highly honored opened a charity kitchen and told everyone the Gospel. These things have been subtlely playing on my life for almost a decade. I have shaped my style of living after it. I hadn't started reading the Bible for myself yet, and a lot of it was "backed up" with Bible verses that I was familiar with. So it made sense, and my perfectionist nature went kind of overboard with it. I always forgave people (that part is what shocked me the most the first time), because the story literally threatened me with hell if I didn't.
But now, I'm re-thinking my entire lifestyle. It is good, though, to do so. I don't mind breaking down my "house". After all, it still has a foundation of rock: Jesus Christ, who is my savior and my redeemer. So now I don't have to worry about getting converts in order to somehow earn God's favor. Not even a little. Instead, all I have to do is love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength. This is the same kind of realization that threw the Church into a reformation so many years ago. That is why I call this a "miniature reformation."
I can now say with confidence: I have been saved by grace, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. This, not by my own power, but by the One who empowers me for salvation and sanctification. He guides me on paths of righteousness, and following this wrong philosophy for so long may have been in pursuit of that goal. But now I know that He will always lead me on the path He wants me to take, regardless of what other people do. I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind, and now I am able to test and approve what God's will is. His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Week 1: Letting Go; Days 1-3
Intro: This month, March 2015, my church is going through the 30 Days of Heartwork devotional. On day 3 I decided to start posting what I learn.
If you want more info on Heartwork, you can go to heartwork.tv or download the YouVersion Bible app.
Day 3: Lust of the flesh.
Last night, I slept on the floor of my room. This morning, I took a cold shower (right before a snowstorm :D). These are exercises in getting out of my comfort zone, as well as helping me remember those who don't have access to a bed or warm water.
I confess, it was definitely uncomfortable. It took me a while to fall asleep, and once I did, I didn't sleep very deeply. And stepping into cold water is usually not the first thing I want to do in the morning. But God was with me. He pointed out that even though the water was cold, it was still cleaner than most people on this planet get to drink every day. I also had clean, dry, warm clothes to step into when I was done. Besides, I didn't waste very much because I was so fast. And even though I wasn't very comfortable last night, I still had a pillow, and enough blankets to keep me warm.
In the devotion reading, we looked at 1 John 2:15-16.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (KJV)
The particular wording of this passage is new to me. I'd never heard the term "lust of the flesh" before because it isn't in the version I read (I know, I searched for it). I was wonderig what the difference is between lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes, but I didn't have to wonder about it for longer than a split second. God reminded me of the feeling I get when I'm craving something. He convicted me of my addictions to things like sugar, entertainment, and attention. These are the things that I get a physical craving for if the thought of them enters my head. To me, then, that is what it means to have "lust of the flesh" and to love the things of this world. So over the next few days, I will be speaking with my forgiving Father about what he would have me do.
If you want more info on Heartwork, you can go to heartwork.tv or download the YouVersion Bible app.
Day 3: Lust of the flesh.
Last night, I slept on the floor of my room. This morning, I took a cold shower (right before a snowstorm :D). These are exercises in getting out of my comfort zone, as well as helping me remember those who don't have access to a bed or warm water.
I confess, it was definitely uncomfortable. It took me a while to fall asleep, and once I did, I didn't sleep very deeply. And stepping into cold water is usually not the first thing I want to do in the morning. But God was with me. He pointed out that even though the water was cold, it was still cleaner than most people on this planet get to drink every day. I also had clean, dry, warm clothes to step into when I was done. Besides, I didn't waste very much because I was so fast. And even though I wasn't very comfortable last night, I still had a pillow, and enough blankets to keep me warm.
In the devotion reading, we looked at 1 John 2:15-16.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (KJV)
The particular wording of this passage is new to me. I'd never heard the term "lust of the flesh" before because it isn't in the version I read (I know, I searched for it). I was wonderig what the difference is between lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes, but I didn't have to wonder about it for longer than a split second. God reminded me of the feeling I get when I'm craving something. He convicted me of my addictions to things like sugar, entertainment, and attention. These are the things that I get a physical craving for if the thought of them enters my head. To me, then, that is what it means to have "lust of the flesh" and to love the things of this world. So over the next few days, I will be speaking with my forgiving Father about what he would have me do.
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