*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
Galatians 5:13, 14 says, "... But through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" There are so many Biblical references to our last Back to Basics lesson on service, but this is the one I find to be all-encompassing and thus easier to remember. Through love, we must serve one another. Our first Back to Basics lesson spoke of how much God loves us. I think it is fitting to end emphasizing how we ought to love others in turn.
Jesus said that there were two great commandments, both equally important and inseparable. They are to love the Lord, and to love others. [Mark 12:29-31]. Loving others is often the harder of the two, because a perfect God does not require our forgiveness. But we are required to forgive even when we do not wish to do so, as we learned in lessons 5 and 6. Forgiveness alone, however, is not enough. I believe, stronger than ever before, that love requires action.
Christ Himself set the example for us to follow in John 13:1-17. The Last Supper was His last time with all of His disciples before His death. In those final moments, Jesus did the unthinkable, washing the feet of His followers, a job that was assigned to lowly servants. When Peter refused, Jesus said something critical, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in Me." Flip-flopping Peter took it to mean a ceremonial cleansing, and immediately changed his tune, asking to have his hands and head cleaned as well. But that was not Jesus's purpose. He explained that He was setting a standard as their Master. As He humbled Himself in servitude, so we ought to do one another.
Following the Lord's example sows a seed in heaven, for once taking our eyes off ourselves and placing them on others. Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, who thought he would store up his bountiful harvest into barns and live off it his whole life, not knowing that night his soul would be required of him. [Luke 12:13-21] During this Christmas season, it reminds me of Mr. Scrooge, working so diligently to save every penny without investing in the eternal bank. Christ warns us to spend our efforts storing up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal [Matthew 6:19-21] (see Absolutes). The more I think about that verse, the more practical it becomes. Focusing on myself is costly:
- I spend money on expensive toys and quick pleasures.
- I spend time working for the money for those toys and pleasures.
- I spend effort trying to secure those toys and pleasures, worrying constantly.
Why not invest in something that cannot be stolen or destroyed? That saves me effort and money, and saves me from worrying. I used to argue that I hadn't the time to spend helping in soup kitchens or counseling an acquaintance, but I have found that time multiplies when you're doing God's will by establishing His kingdom on earth.
Tony Campolo argues convincingly that when we do God's will, we should see a reflection of God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. His kingdom is vividly described in Isaiah 65:17-25. If we're not seeing the kingdom of God, and we're not doing something about it, then can we say we are doing God's will? I'll give an example. Verse 22 of that chapter says that the people of that kingdom will not build and another inhabit. That verse convicts me when I think of migrant workers who make a living (if you can even call it that) off of infrequent construction jobs, building up homes worth hundreds of thousands, while they live as nomads.
This is not a social commentary, because I am tired of commenting. This is a call to action. The people of God spend a lot of time talking about problems and not enough time doing something. You may think the problems of this world are so large that one person, one day cannot make a difference. I'm reminded of the story of a boy who saw thousands of starfish washed ashore, and futilely threw them back one by one. Some passerby told him he'll never be able to make a difference; there were just too many fish. But the boy picked up one starfish, and after tossing it into the ocean he said, "Made a difference to that one."
You can make a difference; you just have to start. Stop sitting down at your computer and do something. Even extending a cup of cold water to the glory of God has its reward [Matthew 10:42]. It's never too late and no action is too small. But action is necessary.
I have spent over two years now writing devotionals for Strong Christian Women, encouraging them to a deeper relationship with their Creator. I still feel that is important. But now I feel God is calling me to be more than a woman of the Word. I need to be a woman of my word. I cannot expect those of you who have faithfully followed these devotional series to do something I have not done myself. God is calling me to take a leave of absence for some time, to resign as a commentator and start a life of action. I know not for how long, but when God calls me back to this group, He will have laid a foundation of experiences from which I can instruct. Until then, be the women who God has called you to be. Be courageous and do not back down. Be strong Christian women.
God bless,
Alisha
Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Gaining perspective
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
In her song "Where You Go I Go," Kim Walker emphasizes through repetition the importance of following Jesus's example. A phrase she chooses to repeat in her chorus is, "What You pray, I pray." It's funny because she is singing this chorus to God, saying, "What You pray, I pray." I think that there is a problem with Christian society today in that we do not pray as God prays.
That sounds so weird. Can we believe that God prays? Can we understand that He prays to Himself? We know that Jesus prayed when He was here on earth, but I always assumed that He prayed because He was human, and He prayed in order to resist His humanity and embrace His divinity. I guess that's true to some extent, however (or maybe in conjunction with it), I now think He prayed because He wanted to say the words that God wanted Him to say. He would only pray as God prayed.
Let's consider this word "prayer." I remember in a movie, The Preacher's Wife, the preacher tells this ruffian kid that prayer is just hope. So, using his definition, when we tell God, "What You pray, I pray," we are actually telling Him is, "What You hope is what I hope for." In other words, we say, "I am going to work toward Your will. I know what Your general will is, and I am going to submit to it."
We know God's will by reading His word. Recall in an earlier devotional that I wrote of the sovereignty of God and living under His sovereign Word, knowing that if He says it, then that is how it is going to be. I compared it to the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, being able to supersede and at times negate other laws. It simply is what's going to happen. If we know God's will, we should be working towards it because that is what is going to ultimately occur. And if we have that faith, then our hope is assured. It's the certainty of our hope.
Isn't it crazy? That is the most effective type of prayer. It's a prayer that says what God intends for it to say. It speaks using our mouths but His words. How frustrating! It is particularly convicting, especially when I consider my prayers, which tend to be about what I want for myself and what I want for others, qualified with the phrase, "But only if it's Your will." And then I sit and say that I have given into God's hands, but I am still worrying because I do not know if it is God's will. That cannot be the way God wanted us to pray. I can't believe that.
I think God wants us to leave our prayer with an assurance of that we know God's plan. I think of Daniel's fast [see Daniel 10:10-14]. Daniel would not relent in his fast, refusing to get up until God's answer came. This was one man who really knew God and His plans. God revealed incredible things to Daniel. And even he fasted for 21 days! The amazing thing is that an angel tells Daniel that he was sent to him the very day that Daniel "humbled himself." The answer surely comes, but it may take a while before it reaches our ears.
Can I sit there and wait until I know God's answer to a situation? How many of us can honestly pray like that? I should tell you ladies that this is not originally my idea. It is something Philip Yancey writes of in his book on prayer. One of his key points is that we gain perspective when we pray. I want to gain perspective. I don't know about all of you, but I really do not know how this world works. I am very childish - I'm young in my heart, young in my mind, young in my spirit. There is many things left for me to learn. If I can barely figure out how the world works, how much less do I understand the ways of God! Granted, God's ways are always going to be mysterious to us, but I want to know what He is doing.
I am going to tie this to an unexpected Biblical character - Zaccheus. Luke 19:1-10 tells us that Zaccheus was a very evil man. He was a tax collector notorious for taking more money from the already oppressed than the government required, pocketing the difference. He was truly a vile extortionist. And this man dared to approach Jesus because he was driven by his desire to see Him. He had a problem though; he was a very short man, and there was a large crowd surrounding Jesus. He could have chosen to push through the crowd. As a little man, I am sure it would not have been too difficult to maneuver. But that was not what he wanted to do. He was not concerned with the people but Jesus Christ. He decided the best thing to do was to get away from the crowd and go up a tree to see what Jesus was doing. After this, Jesus sees him, calls him down, and Zaccheus's life is forever changed. He even restores fourfold what he illegally took from his fellow citizens.
What was the pivotal turning point? I think it was his choice to go up that tree. If he did not go up to the tree, he would have ever saw what Jesus was doing. If he did not see what Jesus was doing, he never would have changed his ways. Notice Jesus called him after he went up the tree, not beforehand. Maybe Jesus was unaware of Zaccheus being behind the crowd. But the important point is that when Zaccheus took that step, when Zaccheus was determined to see who Jesus was and what He was doing, that is when his life was changed and he started doing what Jesus always wanted him to do. Most of us get it twisted. We think that if we do the things Zaccheus did after his heart changed, then we can come before God and pray and see what He is doing, as we have a right to come before God. But Zaccheus did it the right way. He went away from the crowd and gained a higher view.
I am going to admit something. I am short of stature when it comes to my Christ. I am incredibly short. If I am short, then what right have I to come before Him? I cannot push through the crowds; I have no reason to interrupt what Jesus is doing. But I want so desperately to see Him. I know that I have a purpose in His grand will, and I am going to learn what it is by gaining a new perspective through prayer. I know you can do what I am going to try to do, which is to not leave and get up off my knees until I have the assurance of the answer, until I gained the perspective, until I have learned what it is that Jesus is doing. Then we will pray what God prays.
God bless,
Alisha
In her song "Where You Go I Go," Kim Walker emphasizes through repetition the importance of following Jesus's example. A phrase she chooses to repeat in her chorus is, "What You pray, I pray." It's funny because she is singing this chorus to God, saying, "What You pray, I pray." I think that there is a problem with Christian society today in that we do not pray as God prays.
That sounds so weird. Can we believe that God prays? Can we understand that He prays to Himself? We know that Jesus prayed when He was here on earth, but I always assumed that He prayed because He was human, and He prayed in order to resist His humanity and embrace His divinity. I guess that's true to some extent, however (or maybe in conjunction with it), I now think He prayed because He wanted to say the words that God wanted Him to say. He would only pray as God prayed.
Let's consider this word "prayer." I remember in a movie, The Preacher's Wife, the preacher tells this ruffian kid that prayer is just hope. So, using his definition, when we tell God, "What You pray, I pray," we are actually telling Him is, "What You hope is what I hope for." In other words, we say, "I am going to work toward Your will. I know what Your general will is, and I am going to submit to it."
We know God's will by reading His word. Recall in an earlier devotional that I wrote of the sovereignty of God and living under His sovereign Word, knowing that if He says it, then that is how it is going to be. I compared it to the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, being able to supersede and at times negate other laws. It simply is what's going to happen. If we know God's will, we should be working towards it because that is what is going to ultimately occur. And if we have that faith, then our hope is assured. It's the certainty of our hope.
Isn't it crazy? That is the most effective type of prayer. It's a prayer that says what God intends for it to say. It speaks using our mouths but His words. How frustrating! It is particularly convicting, especially when I consider my prayers, which tend to be about what I want for myself and what I want for others, qualified with the phrase, "But only if it's Your will." And then I sit and say that I have given into God's hands, but I am still worrying because I do not know if it is God's will. That cannot be the way God wanted us to pray. I can't believe that.
I think God wants us to leave our prayer with an assurance of that we know God's plan. I think of Daniel's fast [see Daniel 10:10-14]. Daniel would not relent in his fast, refusing to get up until God's answer came. This was one man who really knew God and His plans. God revealed incredible things to Daniel. And even he fasted for 21 days! The amazing thing is that an angel tells Daniel that he was sent to him the very day that Daniel "humbled himself." The answer surely comes, but it may take a while before it reaches our ears.
Can I sit there and wait until I know God's answer to a situation? How many of us can honestly pray like that? I should tell you ladies that this is not originally my idea. It is something Philip Yancey writes of in his book on prayer. One of his key points is that we gain perspective when we pray. I want to gain perspective. I don't know about all of you, but I really do not know how this world works. I am very childish - I'm young in my heart, young in my mind, young in my spirit. There is many things left for me to learn. If I can barely figure out how the world works, how much less do I understand the ways of God! Granted, God's ways are always going to be mysterious to us, but I want to know what He is doing.
I am going to tie this to an unexpected Biblical character - Zaccheus. Luke 19:1-10 tells us that Zaccheus was a very evil man. He was a tax collector notorious for taking more money from the already oppressed than the government required, pocketing the difference. He was truly a vile extortionist. And this man dared to approach Jesus because he was driven by his desire to see Him. He had a problem though; he was a very short man, and there was a large crowd surrounding Jesus. He could have chosen to push through the crowd. As a little man, I am sure it would not have been too difficult to maneuver. But that was not what he wanted to do. He was not concerned with the people but Jesus Christ. He decided the best thing to do was to get away from the crowd and go up a tree to see what Jesus was doing. After this, Jesus sees him, calls him down, and Zaccheus's life is forever changed. He even restores fourfold what he illegally took from his fellow citizens.
What was the pivotal turning point? I think it was his choice to go up that tree. If he did not go up to the tree, he would have ever saw what Jesus was doing. If he did not see what Jesus was doing, he never would have changed his ways. Notice Jesus called him after he went up the tree, not beforehand. Maybe Jesus was unaware of Zaccheus being behind the crowd. But the important point is that when Zaccheus took that step, when Zaccheus was determined to see who Jesus was and what He was doing, that is when his life was changed and he started doing what Jesus always wanted him to do. Most of us get it twisted. We think that if we do the things Zaccheus did after his heart changed, then we can come before God and pray and see what He is doing, as we have a right to come before God. But Zaccheus did it the right way. He went away from the crowd and gained a higher view.
I am going to admit something. I am short of stature when it comes to my Christ. I am incredibly short. If I am short, then what right have I to come before Him? I cannot push through the crowds; I have no reason to interrupt what Jesus is doing. But I want so desperately to see Him. I know that I have a purpose in His grand will, and I am going to learn what it is by gaining a new perspective through prayer. I know you can do what I am going to try to do, which is to not leave and get up off my knees until I have the assurance of the answer, until I gained the perspective, until I have learned what it is that Jesus is doing. Then we will pray what God prays.
God bless,
Alisha
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Faith after defeat
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
When I started writing this devotional, I wanted to write about the amazing feats of Joshua's generation. I thought about how Joshua commanded that the sun stand still over the battlefield, and how the Lord listened and made the sun be still for a whole day. [Joshua 10] The Bible says that the Lord did something that day that He never did before nor did He ever do again - He heeded the voice of a man [Joshua 10:14]. What an amazing testimony! There are rare occasions when we see people so in tune with God that He actually does as they ask. All I could think about was, if there was never a precedent for it, what faith did it take for Joshua to ask for the sun not to move. It was audacious faith, and I wondered have such a faith.
But today, I feel convicted to write about a different type of faith. I have to address the attitude of a generation of faith after defeat. If you turn a few chapters earlier, we see the story of Ai in Joshua 7, a story often neglected by ministers who only want to speak about God's love and not His justice. After the incredible victory over Jericho, the children of Israel began to develop a name for themselves. Through worship, they defeated this great city, and so when they came to Ai and saw how small it was, they were confident that they could win easily. The craziest part was that Ai went to battle at all, knowing the reputation of the Israelites. They could have tried to make a treaty with Israel like the Gibeonites, but Ai was stubborn and chose to fight. So who won? Not whom we wanted. Joshua's generation suffered a great loss that day, not in number necessarily but in spirit. "The hearts of the people melted and became like water." [Joshua 7:5]
I can't tell you how many times that happens in our lives as Christians. We are coming off the high of a recent spiritual victory, and something ever so small trips us. Often times, Ai represents our flesh - a seemingly insignificant but ever persistent, constantly pestering enemy that we have to sacrifice perpetually or we fall readily.
Joshua cried out to the Lord and asked, "Why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all?" [Joshua 7:7] God revealed to Joshua the problem. He told him that one man had done an accursed thing; he had stolen from the spoil of Jericho in his greediness. The Lord revealed to Joshua the identity of this man, Achan, and the people of Israel threw great stones upon him, his family, and all his possessions. Nothing of Achan's was spared on its own innocence. [Joshua 7:16-25]
I think about Achan's children and maybe even grandchildren who were stoned to death. It makes me want to ignore the story and move on to the next chapter, but this story is in the Bible for a reason. Sometimes, we have to lose heart over an unexpected defeat for us to listen to God and look inside to see the sin within. As I said, often this sin is related to our flesh, but sometimes it is something else. I don't know with what you struggle today, but I assure you that unless you repent of your ways, you will never defeat Ai, and you will make a mockery of the name of God as those around you see your fear and inability. It's hard to hear, but unless you kill Achan and everything related to him, you are not living in Christ, but live as an enemy of God and an enemy to His people. Sometimes innocent things are the fruit of our small sins. The example that comes to mind is the innocent love that springs from the blatantly wrong decision to have a relationship with a non-Christian, or even to pursue a relationship with a Christian that you know is not a part of God's will. It has to be severed, and everything that goes with it must die.
After you have honestly put your sin behind you, there is another obstacle to face. You need to have teh faith that you will win this time around. before it was easier, because you had just overcome a problem you thought was so much greater than Ai. Now it is different. You are a soldier staring across the battlefield at the same warrior of Ai who killed your friend and left you running for cover. Can you be confident this time that God will be with you? How do we have faith after a defeat? How do we know this time God will fight for us?
I don't know. Our "Ai struggles" are incessant and more powerful than we give them credit for, and so it can be daunting to think we have to face them again. The only thing I can suggest is to make sure God sends you to battle. The next chapter starts, "Now the Lord said to Joshua ..." [Joshua 8:1] Notice that Joshua did not think, "Now that we've taken care of that nasty business, we can go ahead and fight again." Joshua understood that handling our Ai struggles usually takes time; it does not easily resolve. I'm sure that Israel had to suffer through pain and mourning over the loss of Achan's family. But when the time was right, the Lord called Joshua to take up his armor and fight. And God, being the omniscient God He is, knew the heart of Israel and said, "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed ..." Furthermore, He instructed that all the people go to war this time, not just the few thousand sent before. When we fight Ai, it is imperative that not a single part of us is reluctant. It really does take full surrender or defeat is certain. But we can be confident in this: God has promised that Ai "has been given into [our hands]." [Joshua 8:1]
Faith takes courage I admit. First, we need the courage to put to death the Achan inside. Second, we need the courage to fight again. Both are extremely difficult. Essentially, we are ripping out a part of our heart, and then building it up again. No one but God can give us teh strength to do this. But my prayers are with you in this struggle, and I know that when you obey, God is going to surrender this Ai into your hands. Take this, cling to this as your personal promise.
God bless,
Alisha
When I started writing this devotional, I wanted to write about the amazing feats of Joshua's generation. I thought about how Joshua commanded that the sun stand still over the battlefield, and how the Lord listened and made the sun be still for a whole day. [Joshua 10] The Bible says that the Lord did something that day that He never did before nor did He ever do again - He heeded the voice of a man [Joshua 10:14]. What an amazing testimony! There are rare occasions when we see people so in tune with God that He actually does as they ask. All I could think about was, if there was never a precedent for it, what faith did it take for Joshua to ask for the sun not to move. It was audacious faith, and I wondered have such a faith.
But today, I feel convicted to write about a different type of faith. I have to address the attitude of a generation of faith after defeat. If you turn a few chapters earlier, we see the story of Ai in Joshua 7, a story often neglected by ministers who only want to speak about God's love and not His justice. After the incredible victory over Jericho, the children of Israel began to develop a name for themselves. Through worship, they defeated this great city, and so when they came to Ai and saw how small it was, they were confident that they could win easily. The craziest part was that Ai went to battle at all, knowing the reputation of the Israelites. They could have tried to make a treaty with Israel like the Gibeonites, but Ai was stubborn and chose to fight. So who won? Not whom we wanted. Joshua's generation suffered a great loss that day, not in number necessarily but in spirit. "The hearts of the people melted and became like water." [Joshua 7:5]
I can't tell you how many times that happens in our lives as Christians. We are coming off the high of a recent spiritual victory, and something ever so small trips us. Often times, Ai represents our flesh - a seemingly insignificant but ever persistent, constantly pestering enemy that we have to sacrifice perpetually or we fall readily.
Joshua cried out to the Lord and asked, "Why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all?" [Joshua 7:7] God revealed to Joshua the problem. He told him that one man had done an accursed thing; he had stolen from the spoil of Jericho in his greediness. The Lord revealed to Joshua the identity of this man, Achan, and the people of Israel threw great stones upon him, his family, and all his possessions. Nothing of Achan's was spared on its own innocence. [Joshua 7:16-25]
I think about Achan's children and maybe even grandchildren who were stoned to death. It makes me want to ignore the story and move on to the next chapter, but this story is in the Bible for a reason. Sometimes, we have to lose heart over an unexpected defeat for us to listen to God and look inside to see the sin within. As I said, often this sin is related to our flesh, but sometimes it is something else. I don't know with what you struggle today, but I assure you that unless you repent of your ways, you will never defeat Ai, and you will make a mockery of the name of God as those around you see your fear and inability. It's hard to hear, but unless you kill Achan and everything related to him, you are not living in Christ, but live as an enemy of God and an enemy to His people. Sometimes innocent things are the fruit of our small sins. The example that comes to mind is the innocent love that springs from the blatantly wrong decision to have a relationship with a non-Christian, or even to pursue a relationship with a Christian that you know is not a part of God's will. It has to be severed, and everything that goes with it must die.
After you have honestly put your sin behind you, there is another obstacle to face. You need to have teh faith that you will win this time around. before it was easier, because you had just overcome a problem you thought was so much greater than Ai. Now it is different. You are a soldier staring across the battlefield at the same warrior of Ai who killed your friend and left you running for cover. Can you be confident this time that God will be with you? How do we have faith after a defeat? How do we know this time God will fight for us?
I don't know. Our "Ai struggles" are incessant and more powerful than we give them credit for, and so it can be daunting to think we have to face them again. The only thing I can suggest is to make sure God sends you to battle. The next chapter starts, "Now the Lord said to Joshua ..." [Joshua 8:1] Notice that Joshua did not think, "Now that we've taken care of that nasty business, we can go ahead and fight again." Joshua understood that handling our Ai struggles usually takes time; it does not easily resolve. I'm sure that Israel had to suffer through pain and mourning over the loss of Achan's family. But when the time was right, the Lord called Joshua to take up his armor and fight. And God, being the omniscient God He is, knew the heart of Israel and said, "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed ..." Furthermore, He instructed that all the people go to war this time, not just the few thousand sent before. When we fight Ai, it is imperative that not a single part of us is reluctant. It really does take full surrender or defeat is certain. But we can be confident in this: God has promised that Ai "has been given into [our hands]." [Joshua 8:1]
Faith takes courage I admit. First, we need the courage to put to death the Achan inside. Second, we need the courage to fight again. Both are extremely difficult. Essentially, we are ripping out a part of our heart, and then building it up again. No one but God can give us teh strength to do this. But my prayers are with you in this struggle, and I know that when you obey, God is going to surrender this Ai into your hands. Take this, cling to this as your personal promise.
God bless,
Alisha
Friday, September 4, 2009
Jesus Is No Fool
As I mentioned in the last devotional, there is a group of Christians who I honestly do avoid. One I addressed were the proud Pharisee-type Christians. The second group are the worldly Christians.
The phrase "worldly Christians" is of course an oxymoron. Romans 12:2 admonishes, "Do not be conformed to this world ..."
Clarification is necessary. Christians do not have to take a monk-like oath to remain completely separated from the world. The separation that comes with Christianity, holy separation, is internal. A popular phrase is to be "in but not of" the world. Abstaining from interaction with non-Christians is fruitless, and when I find myself doing this I seriously have to question my relationship with Christ. The joy I find in a relationship with Jesus Christ should make me want to share this with everyone, particularly those I love. If I do not share my experience with the world, then it stems from two reasons: either I do not find particular joy in this relationship ,or I do not love the non-Christian enough to want her to experience the same joy.
While in this world, though, we are expected to not conform to it. This is what the worldly Christian does. How can I describe her? She goes places that where temptation is rampant, her mind more concerned with saving face than saving her non-Christian friend. She allows herself "slips" of the tongue, so her non-Christian friends know that she is not uptight. She takes on popular ideologies, not thinking of their roots (and more importantly their intentions), and often tries to incorporate them into Christianity. She finds similarities between Christianity and all other religions so that she does not stand out in the world, but enjoys standing out in her uptight church. She frequently condemns pride and seldom lust - which, by the way, stems from pride - and spends most of her time using Christianity politically to make it a happy face that the world can easily accept.
I hate that she dilutes the word of God, twisting it for her own use. I hate that she goes to places where ethos is suffocated. I hate that she sings hymns on Sunday and songs about sex and money the other six days. I hate that she knows she's a hypocrite, and so avoids the topic of her meanderings by intellectually condemning the black-and-white viewpoint of Christianity. And, as is the case with the Pharisees, I hate her because I am her.
I want to get along with the world, especially my non-Christian friends. I love that they do not condemn me for my wrongful deeds, often laughing at my "slips" as mere child's play. I am comfortable here, on a common ground with all humanity, pushing for world peace but forgetting the Author of its truest form. Sometimes, when I think about how kind and loving some non-Christians are, especially those with whom I've recently come in contact, I want Christianity to be an easy thing to accept. I want to show them the verse about the "easy burden" [Matthew 11:30] and not the verse about "taking up the cross." [Matthew 16:24]. I want to reveal to them the Old Testament God who calls Abraham a friend [Isaiah 41:8], and not the One who was satisfied with the death of Achan and his children [Joshua 7]. I want the Bible to fit to our culture, to make sense to our era, our mantras. But it doesn't. It is not from this world and so the world cannot accept it without rejecting their own standards.
I fear, like with the Pharisees, that if I expose myself to these worldly Christians, I will become them. Yet I find myself becoming them as I expose myself to and get closer with non-Christians. Nevertheless, there is this task I have to minister to the lost, whether it is the lost non-Christian or the lost worldly Christian. How can I find strength to do so, when all I desire is appeasement?! How indeed.
The answer, I'm finding, is that I can't. I can't have a lost best friend. But we're all lost at some level, so what is my hope? I find strength only in Christ. He took on 12 best friends who were losers through and through. They were shabby men from the crudest backgrounds, and He made them missionaries who shook the globe. I'm convinced that if I let Him be my best friend, He can change me. His fellowship is the catalyst that will then change my fellowship with others.
I must admit these devotionals on fellowship are killing me. The emphasis that His is fellowship that we need to change and improve our fellowship with others is correct It's His fellowship, however, that is difficult. God is neither tangible (though we feel Him) nor audible (though we hear Him). Working on a relationship with Christ has all the difficulties and strains of a earthly relationship. Actually, it's backwards: earthly relationships have all the strains of the crucial relationship with Christ. But they're easy in comparison because people are on our level and thus predictable.
I mention this only to warn you, that when you seek after Christ's fellowship, that is indeed what you receive. It is a relationship, thus you must deny yourself to follow Him.[Matthew 16:24]. But He will train you. Then perfect abiding with others will come naturally, not only because people are easier to understand, but because you will finally truly understand them when you look through Christ's eyes. You may, and probably will, understand yourself better, too. Thus, fellowship with Christ is worth bearing the cross. It was to Him, and Jesus is no fool.
God bless,
Alisha
The phrase "worldly Christians" is of course an oxymoron. Romans 12:2 admonishes, "Do not be conformed to this world ..."
Clarification is necessary. Christians do not have to take a monk-like oath to remain completely separated from the world. The separation that comes with Christianity, holy separation, is internal. A popular phrase is to be "in but not of" the world. Abstaining from interaction with non-Christians is fruitless, and when I find myself doing this I seriously have to question my relationship with Christ. The joy I find in a relationship with Jesus Christ should make me want to share this with everyone, particularly those I love. If I do not share my experience with the world, then it stems from two reasons: either I do not find particular joy in this relationship ,or I do not love the non-Christian enough to want her to experience the same joy.
While in this world, though, we are expected to not conform to it. This is what the worldly Christian does. How can I describe her? She goes places that where temptation is rampant, her mind more concerned with saving face than saving her non-Christian friend. She allows herself "slips" of the tongue, so her non-Christian friends know that she is not uptight. She takes on popular ideologies, not thinking of their roots (and more importantly their intentions), and often tries to incorporate them into Christianity. She finds similarities between Christianity and all other religions so that she does not stand out in the world, but enjoys standing out in her uptight church. She frequently condemns pride and seldom lust - which, by the way, stems from pride - and spends most of her time using Christianity politically to make it a happy face that the world can easily accept.
I hate that she dilutes the word of God, twisting it for her own use. I hate that she goes to places where ethos is suffocated. I hate that she sings hymns on Sunday and songs about sex and money the other six days. I hate that she knows she's a hypocrite, and so avoids the topic of her meanderings by intellectually condemning the black-and-white viewpoint of Christianity. And, as is the case with the Pharisees, I hate her because I am her.
I want to get along with the world, especially my non-Christian friends. I love that they do not condemn me for my wrongful deeds, often laughing at my "slips" as mere child's play. I am comfortable here, on a common ground with all humanity, pushing for world peace but forgetting the Author of its truest form. Sometimes, when I think about how kind and loving some non-Christians are, especially those with whom I've recently come in contact, I want Christianity to be an easy thing to accept. I want to show them the verse about the "easy burden" [Matthew 11:30] and not the verse about "taking up the cross." [Matthew 16:24]. I want to reveal to them the Old Testament God who calls Abraham a friend [Isaiah 41:8], and not the One who was satisfied with the death of Achan and his children [Joshua 7]. I want the Bible to fit to our culture, to make sense to our era, our mantras. But it doesn't. It is not from this world and so the world cannot accept it without rejecting their own standards.
I fear, like with the Pharisees, that if I expose myself to these worldly Christians, I will become them. Yet I find myself becoming them as I expose myself to and get closer with non-Christians. Nevertheless, there is this task I have to minister to the lost, whether it is the lost non-Christian or the lost worldly Christian. How can I find strength to do so, when all I desire is appeasement?! How indeed.
The answer, I'm finding, is that I can't. I can't have a lost best friend. But we're all lost at some level, so what is my hope? I find strength only in Christ. He took on 12 best friends who were losers through and through. They were shabby men from the crudest backgrounds, and He made them missionaries who shook the globe. I'm convinced that if I let Him be my best friend, He can change me. His fellowship is the catalyst that will then change my fellowship with others.
I must admit these devotionals on fellowship are killing me. The emphasis that His is fellowship that we need to change and improve our fellowship with others is correct It's His fellowship, however, that is difficult. God is neither tangible (though we feel Him) nor audible (though we hear Him). Working on a relationship with Christ has all the difficulties and strains of a earthly relationship. Actually, it's backwards: earthly relationships have all the strains of the crucial relationship with Christ. But they're easy in comparison because people are on our level and thus predictable.
I mention this only to warn you, that when you seek after Christ's fellowship, that is indeed what you receive. It is a relationship, thus you must deny yourself to follow Him.[Matthew 16:24]. But He will train you. Then perfect abiding with others will come naturally, not only because people are easier to understand, but because you will finally truly understand them when you look through Christ's eyes. You may, and probably will, understand yourself better, too. Thus, fellowship with Christ is worth bearing the cross. It was to Him, and Jesus is no fool.
God bless,
Alisha
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Jesus Loved the Pharisees
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
I've known for a while that I wanted to do a "Back to Basics" lesson on fellowship. But with time I realized that fellowship means so many things, especially in regards to with whom I fellowship. After much thought, I broke it down into these 3 categories.
Group A: The Christians I like to hang out with. These are my accountability partners, my very best friends. I can share with them my most intimate spiritual experiences and not feel like a wacko or have them think me boastful. I love these people, and if you don't have this group, I pray that God bring them into your life very soon. The devotional set will not be about this group, because they are easy to love, and fellowship with them comes naturally.
Group B: The Christians I don't like to hang out with. These are the people who, if I'm at a bigger church, I try to avoid speaking to. (I intend to be honest today). Group B subdivides into 2 sects: the proud and the lost. The proud are the Christian "fundamentalists," often comparable (I'm sorry to say) to the Muslim fundamentalists in that they are the ones who make all Christians look bad, the ones who the world points to and says, "Why would I even want to be like that?" They are close-minded and judgmental. Contemporary Pharisees. The lost are another sect who I avoid because I don't know how to not help them without judging. How can you experience God's love and claim Him to be your Savior and yet still participate in the most lewd and vulgar of habits and activities? They are the worldly Christians, those who feel like they are the coolest because they can pass judgment on the judgment-passing Pharisees, but inside they can be the most broken of all. I mostly avoid both sects of Group B for the same reason - I'm afraid I'll turn into them.
Group C: The non-Christians. They are broad and diverse and unique, and though I hate to generalize, I have the liberty to lump them together for this reason - they all have not come to the decision of accepting Christ. That means they're all in the same boat, heading in the same direction.
Today I will like to address the first sect of Group B. Pride is disgusting, particularly in the church. I often call it a cancer. A tumor seeks to perpetuate only cells of the same kind, continuously multiplying, absorbing the resources of the cells around it, spreading to other areas, killing off the cells in the new area which eventually destroys the body because each cell has different shape and different purpose. A body cannot survive on one type of cell. That's how I feel about this group. They use up the resources and talents in their church solely to build up their church only, mass-producing people of one mindset, confusing convictions for doctrines. They grow because no one wants to disagree, and their mentality spreads because of their growth (i.e., the "Well, they're a mega-church so they must be doing something right" idea), and other churches start become more legalistic like them. It spreads and spreads, and the body of Christ suffers because without variety we tailor to the needs of only a few, and we're left with a massive tumor. Single-minded, single-function churches that forget the call to the broken that Christians were made to answer. And yet, we are called to love the Pharisees.
I didn't want to write this devotional. I knew I should, but I have heard so many stories of pain and experienced a few myself, but one thing changed my mind. I thought of Matthew 5:46 - "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" I must love the very people who are the hardest to love, because to be Christian is to be like Christ, and Christ loved everyone. Even the Pharisees. People get confused, because when they think of Pharisees and Jesus, they think of Jesus turning over tables and calling them "white-washed sepulchers." [Matthew 23:37]. Jesus certainly chastised them, but He did not hate them. He warned them out His love for them, wanting desperately for them to change their ways and come to light of God's love, realizing grace and not works gets you into heaven. The Pharisees couldn't see, which justifiably upset Christ, but He never stopped loving them.
I have to love my enemies, because Christ said so. [Matthew 5:44]. And He lived it,as well; what else but love would cause a person to forgive the people who were murdering Him? [Luke 23:34] I really struggle to love this group. I want to hate them, to condemn them, to pass judgment on the judgment-passers. I want to never forgive them for the heartache they've caused me, caused my friends, for the hurt they inflict, for the way they keep anyone in the world from even approaching Christ by misrepresenting Him. I hate them ... because I am them. I pass judgment. I misrepresent Christ with my pride. I role my eyes at the flagrantly swearing God-basher, deeming them not worth my time and never thinking to initiate a conversation about Christ. I fear the bringing out of this side of me when I'm around the Pharisees, so I avoid them like the plague. But I'm suppose to forgive them as they drive nails into my hands and feet, spearing my side, stripping me naked and casting lots for my garment. They know not what they do.
So how do I address this group? Surely pure forgiveness perpetuates they wrongdoing. We cannot simply let them sin so that grace may abound [Romans 6:1, 2]. I'm not sure how to treat them. A part of me feels like they will be like the Pharisees, never understanding the power and importance of God's grace, never seeing Jesus as the only hope, the only true source of the power to change us from our sinful ways. That makes me think I should turn over some of their tables and leave them. But then I think of Paul, the Pharisee of all Pharisees. He changed when He encountered Christ. From that I gather that it is our duty to pray for these people, to pray that they will have a real encounter with Christ that will be life-changing. That way ,they are not living in ignorance; they will know what they do. The second thing is that once Paul converted, there was a Barnabas to encourage him. We all need to be Barnabas to someone who wants to change. We need to be ready to forgive them for persecuting us, to open our arms in embrace.
I've been thinking about how difficult it is to turn the other cheek. If I'm talking to someone and they slap me, my face turns to the side. But to turn the other cheek doesn't mean to look to the opposite side; it means to face them again, knowing that they could very well slap the other side. When they hurt me, I want to walk away, but I am instructed to look at them again. To not avoid them, but to look at them, talk to them, and try to bring them to the light of God. It is impossible without God's help, but that is what makes Christianity different. We do not live by our own strength, but His strength is made perfect in our weakness. [2 Corinthians 12:9]
For all you ladies who have been broken and are struggling to forgive, learn to rely on His strength. He is faithful to provide it.
God bless,
Alisha
I've known for a while that I wanted to do a "Back to Basics" lesson on fellowship. But with time I realized that fellowship means so many things, especially in regards to with whom I fellowship. After much thought, I broke it down into these 3 categories.
Group A: The Christians I like to hang out with. These are my accountability partners, my very best friends. I can share with them my most intimate spiritual experiences and not feel like a wacko or have them think me boastful. I love these people, and if you don't have this group, I pray that God bring them into your life very soon. The devotional set will not be about this group, because they are easy to love, and fellowship with them comes naturally.
Group B: The Christians I don't like to hang out with. These are the people who, if I'm at a bigger church, I try to avoid speaking to. (I intend to be honest today). Group B subdivides into 2 sects: the proud and the lost. The proud are the Christian "fundamentalists," often comparable (I'm sorry to say) to the Muslim fundamentalists in that they are the ones who make all Christians look bad, the ones who the world points to and says, "Why would I even want to be like that?" They are close-minded and judgmental. Contemporary Pharisees. The lost are another sect who I avoid because I don't know how to not help them without judging. How can you experience God's love and claim Him to be your Savior and yet still participate in the most lewd and vulgar of habits and activities? They are the worldly Christians, those who feel like they are the coolest because they can pass judgment on the judgment-passing Pharisees, but inside they can be the most broken of all. I mostly avoid both sects of Group B for the same reason - I'm afraid I'll turn into them.
Group C: The non-Christians. They are broad and diverse and unique, and though I hate to generalize, I have the liberty to lump them together for this reason - they all have not come to the decision of accepting Christ. That means they're all in the same boat, heading in the same direction.
Today I will like to address the first sect of Group B. Pride is disgusting, particularly in the church. I often call it a cancer. A tumor seeks to perpetuate only cells of the same kind, continuously multiplying, absorbing the resources of the cells around it, spreading to other areas, killing off the cells in the new area which eventually destroys the body because each cell has different shape and different purpose. A body cannot survive on one type of cell. That's how I feel about this group. They use up the resources and talents in their church solely to build up their church only, mass-producing people of one mindset, confusing convictions for doctrines. They grow because no one wants to disagree, and their mentality spreads because of their growth (i.e., the "Well, they're a mega-church so they must be doing something right" idea), and other churches start become more legalistic like them. It spreads and spreads, and the body of Christ suffers because without variety we tailor to the needs of only a few, and we're left with a massive tumor. Single-minded, single-function churches that forget the call to the broken that Christians were made to answer. And yet, we are called to love the Pharisees.
I didn't want to write this devotional. I knew I should, but I have heard so many stories of pain and experienced a few myself, but one thing changed my mind. I thought of Matthew 5:46 - "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" I must love the very people who are the hardest to love, because to be Christian is to be like Christ, and Christ loved everyone. Even the Pharisees. People get confused, because when they think of Pharisees and Jesus, they think of Jesus turning over tables and calling them "white-washed sepulchers." [Matthew 23:37]. Jesus certainly chastised them, but He did not hate them. He warned them out His love for them, wanting desperately for them to change their ways and come to light of God's love, realizing grace and not works gets you into heaven. The Pharisees couldn't see, which justifiably upset Christ, but He never stopped loving them.
I have to love my enemies, because Christ said so. [Matthew 5:44]. And He lived it,as well; what else but love would cause a person to forgive the people who were murdering Him? [Luke 23:34] I really struggle to love this group. I want to hate them, to condemn them, to pass judgment on the judgment-passers. I want to never forgive them for the heartache they've caused me, caused my friends, for the hurt they inflict, for the way they keep anyone in the world from even approaching Christ by misrepresenting Him. I hate them ... because I am them. I pass judgment. I misrepresent Christ with my pride. I role my eyes at the flagrantly swearing God-basher, deeming them not worth my time and never thinking to initiate a conversation about Christ. I fear the bringing out of this side of me when I'm around the Pharisees, so I avoid them like the plague. But I'm suppose to forgive them as they drive nails into my hands and feet, spearing my side, stripping me naked and casting lots for my garment. They know not what they do.
So how do I address this group? Surely pure forgiveness perpetuates they wrongdoing. We cannot simply let them sin so that grace may abound [Romans 6:1, 2]. I'm not sure how to treat them. A part of me feels like they will be like the Pharisees, never understanding the power and importance of God's grace, never seeing Jesus as the only hope, the only true source of the power to change us from our sinful ways. That makes me think I should turn over some of their tables and leave them. But then I think of Paul, the Pharisee of all Pharisees. He changed when He encountered Christ. From that I gather that it is our duty to pray for these people, to pray that they will have a real encounter with Christ that will be life-changing. That way ,they are not living in ignorance; they will know what they do. The second thing is that once Paul converted, there was a Barnabas to encourage him. We all need to be Barnabas to someone who wants to change. We need to be ready to forgive them for persecuting us, to open our arms in embrace.
I've been thinking about how difficult it is to turn the other cheek. If I'm talking to someone and they slap me, my face turns to the side. But to turn the other cheek doesn't mean to look to the opposite side; it means to face them again, knowing that they could very well slap the other side. When they hurt me, I want to walk away, but I am instructed to look at them again. To not avoid them, but to look at them, talk to them, and try to bring them to the light of God. It is impossible without God's help, but that is what makes Christianity different. We do not live by our own strength, but His strength is made perfect in our weakness. [2 Corinthians 12:9]
For all you ladies who have been broken and are struggling to forgive, learn to rely on His strength. He is faithful to provide it.
God bless,
Alisha
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Thanksgiving
How much of our lack of health is our own fault? In class this week, we explored the issue of personal responsibility. We tend to arrive at the conclusion that a large portion of our health is our own culpability. We say, "If you are willing, you can be made well." I feel like we apply the same principle when considering healing - if we are willing and have the faith, we will be made well.
Therein lies the problem. The Bible says, "If You are willing, Lord, You can make me well." [Luke 5:12]. Healing depends on God's willingness. I am certain that it requires faith on our part. But God's will has to be to restore us then and there. That is what makes it glorious. His favor in our lives is precious. Luke 7:11-15 tells the story of a widow who's son had passed away. Verse 13 says that Jesus had compassion on her and restored her son's life in front of not one, but two large crowds. This was totally not Jesus's modus operandi, but He was compelled by His compassion. Truly His intervention in our life is precious.
This is Back to Basics Lesson 4: Be Thankful. It is so important to offer our thanks whenever we can, acknowledging that it is really His grace that keeps us from a car accident, that we have a meal before, that we survive another day of school and/or work, that we have a school and/or job to attend. There are so many other things to be grateful for, but the important thing is to be grateful genuinely. Routine tends to diminish sincerity, so if we need to, we should change up how we offer our thanks, but do please be sincere.
Philippians 4 advises us to rejoice for what He's done for us in the past instead of focusing on the problems of the future. Recall Peter turning his eyes away from the miracle of water-walking to the waves, causing him to sink. [Matthew 14:25-32]. In thanks, we ought to offer up our supplications to God. Don't be afraid to try it. It makes it easier for us to believe when we ask for something while simultaneously thanking God for the last time He helped us. When spoken with thanks, God's peace will reign. We studied previously of God's sovereignty. His peace will reign through the problems, guarding our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. As Jesus's focus was constantly on His Father, offering up thanks will refocus us on the God of heaven, knowing that it is truly His will to shepherd us. [Psalm 79:13] Praise comes naturally when we remind ourselves of God's goodness. Take the time now to remember His provision and be blessed.
God bless,
Alisha
Therein lies the problem. The Bible says, "If You are willing, Lord, You can make me well." [Luke 5:12]. Healing depends on God's willingness. I am certain that it requires faith on our part. But God's will has to be to restore us then and there. That is what makes it glorious. His favor in our lives is precious. Luke 7:11-15 tells the story of a widow who's son had passed away. Verse 13 says that Jesus had compassion on her and restored her son's life in front of not one, but two large crowds. This was totally not Jesus's modus operandi, but He was compelled by His compassion. Truly His intervention in our life is precious.
This is Back to Basics Lesson 4: Be Thankful. It is so important to offer our thanks whenever we can, acknowledging that it is really His grace that keeps us from a car accident, that we have a meal before, that we survive another day of school and/or work, that we have a school and/or job to attend. There are so many other things to be grateful for, but the important thing is to be grateful genuinely. Routine tends to diminish sincerity, so if we need to, we should change up how we offer our thanks, but do please be sincere.
Philippians 4 advises us to rejoice for what He's done for us in the past instead of focusing on the problems of the future. Recall Peter turning his eyes away from the miracle of water-walking to the waves, causing him to sink. [Matthew 14:25-32]. In thanks, we ought to offer up our supplications to God. Don't be afraid to try it. It makes it easier for us to believe when we ask for something while simultaneously thanking God for the last time He helped us. When spoken with thanks, God's peace will reign. We studied previously of God's sovereignty. His peace will reign through the problems, guarding our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. As Jesus's focus was constantly on His Father, offering up thanks will refocus us on the God of heaven, knowing that it is truly His will to shepherd us. [Psalm 79:13] Praise comes naturally when we remind ourselves of God's goodness. Take the time now to remember His provision and be blessed.
God bless,
Alisha
Friday, August 7, 2009
Confession: It's all in His Hands
*Scriptures provided by Biblegateway.com
There is a common saying that confession is good for soul. God has shown this to be so true in my own life. Often times, for me at least, it is the point of confession taht is hardest for me. I struggle with trusting that God will forgive me yet again when I put shame to the cross by stumbling over the same sin. It is at these times that I turn to 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is so reassuring to know that it is the faithfulness of God, and not my own faithfulness to Him, that ultimately matters. If my relationship was wholly based on myself ... well, I would fail from the very onset. But it doesn't, praise be to God! I'm like the wounded man on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus is my Good Samaritan who shows me kindness, bandaging my wounds, placing me on His donkey as he endures the treacherous road, and then places me at comfortable inn at His expense. He has done all the work on the cross. There is no more need for me to do anything else but to surrender.
And to surrender I must confess, because confession is the very gate transporting me from my place of sin to the place of forgiveness. There are other advantages in confession besides my own forgiveness. In confession, I realize my frailty and God's sovereignty; admitting to fault keeps me decreasing whilst He increases [John 3:30]. Thus, I gain perspective on our relationship to Him. I also, in acknowledging my fault, find it easier to forgive others, knowing that they, like I, are not perfect. And we know that if we forgive men their trespasses, so our heavenly Father will forgive our sins [Matthew 6:14]. Amazing, isn't it, how everything is intertwined?
Now, I must impress on you all the importance of confessing everything, even the "small sins." It is imperative because a total confession correlates to total surrender. I know that as I escalate in my relationship with Christ, I want to be increasing wholly (and no, this isn't a misspelling). I want to learn to be wholly His, trusting that He takes care of me and knowing that He set up this system of confession not to embarrass me with my shameful thoughts/actions, but to bring about the forgiveness that will strengthen me to do better tomorrow.
For me, this often means confessing that I don't know where God is leading me and am tempted to despair. But God has shown me a very useful analogy, and I hope it encourages you all. We learned as a child that God's "got the whole world in His hands." I mean, everything in the universe, physically and metaphysically speaking, is in His hands. That includes myself. Now there are certain things in my life that are in my hands - my study habits, my decisions, my choice of words, etc. But as I get older I find there are much bigger things that I try to control but I really just can't. They are too big to fit in my hands. Here I am, struggling to hold them but finding that they're so overwhelming. Confession is my letting go. And as I let go, I am reassured and find peace. Why? Because I, along with everything else, am in His hands. The problems and trials remain in His hands, even as they slip through my own.
I know for a fact that there are women of all different stages of life in this group. Many of us are older; some have children. And I'm sure some of those children, brothers, sisters, etc. are not where they should be in life. We hurt to see that that way. But I encourage you ladies to let go; it's in His hands. Some of us thing about our loans that are wracking up to the thousands, maybe tens of thousands. Let it go; it's in His hands. Some of us are facing the loss of our jobs, homes, cars ... let it go; it's in His hands. I don't know what each of you are facing, but I can tell you that you are not facing it alone. He is more than with you; He is holding you.
God bless,
Alisha
There is a common saying that confession is good for soul. God has shown this to be so true in my own life. Often times, for me at least, it is the point of confession taht is hardest for me. I struggle with trusting that God will forgive me yet again when I put shame to the cross by stumbling over the same sin. It is at these times that I turn to 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is so reassuring to know that it is the faithfulness of God, and not my own faithfulness to Him, that ultimately matters. If my relationship was wholly based on myself ... well, I would fail from the very onset. But it doesn't, praise be to God! I'm like the wounded man on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus is my Good Samaritan who shows me kindness, bandaging my wounds, placing me on His donkey as he endures the treacherous road, and then places me at comfortable inn at His expense. He has done all the work on the cross. There is no more need for me to do anything else but to surrender.
And to surrender I must confess, because confession is the very gate transporting me from my place of sin to the place of forgiveness. There are other advantages in confession besides my own forgiveness. In confession, I realize my frailty and God's sovereignty; admitting to fault keeps me decreasing whilst He increases [John 3:30]. Thus, I gain perspective on our relationship to Him. I also, in acknowledging my fault, find it easier to forgive others, knowing that they, like I, are not perfect. And we know that if we forgive men their trespasses, so our heavenly Father will forgive our sins [Matthew 6:14]. Amazing, isn't it, how everything is intertwined?
Now, I must impress on you all the importance of confessing everything, even the "small sins." It is imperative because a total confession correlates to total surrender. I know that as I escalate in my relationship with Christ, I want to be increasing wholly (and no, this isn't a misspelling). I want to learn to be wholly His, trusting that He takes care of me and knowing that He set up this system of confession not to embarrass me with my shameful thoughts/actions, but to bring about the forgiveness that will strengthen me to do better tomorrow.
For me, this often means confessing that I don't know where God is leading me and am tempted to despair. But God has shown me a very useful analogy, and I hope it encourages you all. We learned as a child that God's "got the whole world in His hands." I mean, everything in the universe, physically and metaphysically speaking, is in His hands. That includes myself. Now there are certain things in my life that are in my hands - my study habits, my decisions, my choice of words, etc. But as I get older I find there are much bigger things that I try to control but I really just can't. They are too big to fit in my hands. Here I am, struggling to hold them but finding that they're so overwhelming. Confession is my letting go. And as I let go, I am reassured and find peace. Why? Because I, along with everything else, am in His hands. The problems and trials remain in His hands, even as they slip through my own.
I know for a fact that there are women of all different stages of life in this group. Many of us are older; some have children. And I'm sure some of those children, brothers, sisters, etc. are not where they should be in life. We hurt to see that that way. But I encourage you ladies to let go; it's in His hands. Some of us thing about our loans that are wracking up to the thousands, maybe tens of thousands. Let it go; it's in His hands. Some of us are facing the loss of our jobs, homes, cars ... let it go; it's in His hands. I don't know what each of you are facing, but I can tell you that you are not facing it alone. He is more than with you; He is holding you.
God bless,
Alisha
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Supreme Law of the Land
*Scriptures provided by Biblegateway.com
Last week we celebrated July 4th, and I promise I thought of the title before the holiday hit. It comes from the U.S. Constitution, and essentially says that no matter what state laws may say, whatever is written in this document has to be followed. It has greater power because it holds greater authority. It is supreme.
That's how I've learned to view the Bible. Its authority is supreme, defying even physical principles at times. I'll put it this way - Back to Basics Lesson 2: God's Word is Sovereign. His Word carries the very weight of the King of kings, like a decree would carry the weight of the government official who declared it.
It's easy enough to put on paper, but what about in everyday life? How can this been seen as a fundamental Christian principle and not as a deep theological mystical property? We know God's Word serves a purpose, as shown in 2 Timothy 3:16. This verse tells of the disciplining power of the Bible, and we must be mindful that the law did not make us imperfect but rather revealed our state of imperfection. This law was fulfilled by Jesus (recall Reconcilation of the Law) and established a new covenant, or New Testament, with us. But the promises of old remain as well as some new ones: "I will never leave you," "I will never forsake you," "When you pass through the waters ... they will not overflow you." [Isaiah 43:2, Hebrews 13:2]
That's okay when all is well. It's easy to believe that God is with us when we have His favor. But remember that's just what it is - favor. An irregular, undeserved period of grace. And when it removed, it doesn't mean God has left. His "favor" may, but He does not. As Regina Spektor sings, we treat Him like a genie or Santa Claus who grants us wishes. The true Christian, the strong Christian woman who understands Lesson 2 must see that God's Word is still true during moments when His grace is less evident to us. It's there and still all-sufficient, but we have to look deeper to see it.
It's then that I have to contemplate God's character and recall Lesson 1 - He loves us. It makes me sigh with deep resignation. I quit fighting it anymore; I accept the fact that He loves. And, knowing this because I know Him, I agree with the song by Third Day, that "nothing compares to the greatness of knowing You, Lord." [Based on Philippians 3:8]. I am amazed by His love, the most fundamental truth of all, and, knowing Him and knowing His love for me, I can trust (yes trust) that all His promisses are yes and amen. [2 Corinthians 1:20].
Ladies, here I make an appeal to you. I know for a fact that all of you know someone is going through/has gone through some terrible things, things that are/were unfair and tempt/ed her to doubt God. (That girl may even be yourself). It has caused her to become a pessimist (or "realist" in her terms). I've experienced that. But I urge you to appeal to that woman. Tell her God's Word is still sovereign; His promises are still true. Romans 5:5 tells us that His love gives us the right and authority to hope. It's okay, I repeat, it's okay to hope. Hope comes from character which developed from pereservance built up during our tribulations [verses 3 and 4]. His grace will always enable us to stand thorugh the storm [verse 2] In this we can rejoice. In this we can rejoice. You are allowed to hope, my sister. You can trust in Him. [Psalm 34:8] He is good.
God bless,
Alisha
Last week we celebrated July 4th, and I promise I thought of the title before the holiday hit. It comes from the U.S. Constitution, and essentially says that no matter what state laws may say, whatever is written in this document has to be followed. It has greater power because it holds greater authority. It is supreme.
That's how I've learned to view the Bible. Its authority is supreme, defying even physical principles at times. I'll put it this way - Back to Basics Lesson 2: God's Word is Sovereign. His Word carries the very weight of the King of kings, like a decree would carry the weight of the government official who declared it.
It's easy enough to put on paper, but what about in everyday life? How can this been seen as a fundamental Christian principle and not as a deep theological mystical property? We know God's Word serves a purpose, as shown in 2 Timothy 3:16. This verse tells of the disciplining power of the Bible, and we must be mindful that the law did not make us imperfect but rather revealed our state of imperfection. This law was fulfilled by Jesus (recall Reconcilation of the Law) and established a new covenant, or New Testament, with us. But the promises of old remain as well as some new ones: "I will never leave you," "I will never forsake you," "When you pass through the waters ... they will not overflow you." [Isaiah 43:2, Hebrews 13:2]
That's okay when all is well. It's easy to believe that God is with us when we have His favor. But remember that's just what it is - favor. An irregular, undeserved period of grace. And when it removed, it doesn't mean God has left. His "favor" may, but He does not. As Regina Spektor sings, we treat Him like a genie or Santa Claus who grants us wishes. The true Christian, the strong Christian woman who understands Lesson 2 must see that God's Word is still true during moments when His grace is less evident to us. It's there and still all-sufficient, but we have to look deeper to see it.
It's then that I have to contemplate God's character and recall Lesson 1 - He loves us. It makes me sigh with deep resignation. I quit fighting it anymore; I accept the fact that He loves. And, knowing this because I know Him, I agree with the song by Third Day, that "nothing compares to the greatness of knowing You, Lord." [Based on Philippians 3:8]. I am amazed by His love, the most fundamental truth of all, and, knowing Him and knowing His love for me, I can trust (yes trust) that all His promisses are yes and amen. [2 Corinthians 1:20].
Ladies, here I make an appeal to you. I know for a fact that all of you know someone is going through/has gone through some terrible things, things that are/were unfair and tempt/ed her to doubt God. (That girl may even be yourself). It has caused her to become a pessimist (or "realist" in her terms). I've experienced that. But I urge you to appeal to that woman. Tell her God's Word is still sovereign; His promises are still true. Romans 5:5 tells us that His love gives us the right and authority to hope. It's okay, I repeat, it's okay to hope. Hope comes from character which developed from pereservance built up during our tribulations [verses 3 and 4]. His grace will always enable us to stand thorugh the storm [verse 2] In this we can rejoice. In this we can rejoice. You are allowed to hope, my sister. You can trust in Him. [Psalm 34:8] He is good.
God bless,
Alisha
Friday, June 26, 2009
Vested Interest
*Scriptures provided by Biblegateway.com
There is a thought that seems to have gotten lost along the path that begins when I first became a Christian and continues on to heaven. Or maybe, because I've lost this notion, I'm not on the path anymore, but rather I've lost my way by meandering as I seasonally do. The thought is this: God loves me.
I knew it when I accepted Christ. Why else would He send His Son? Why else would He die? I knew He loved me to save me. But I got caught up in legalism in my strive to acquire "holiness," forgetting that true holiness is only found in Christ. I forgot that it is my love for God that should compel me to obey, not that I had to obey for Him to love me. I had it backwards. For that matter, I had it backwards from the beginning. He didn't have to love me to save me; He had to save me because He loved me. I mean, of course, it took nothing short of love to endure what He did, but that's only an angle, not the whole picture. Ultimately, He saved me because He loved me so much that He couldn't bear to see my life in ruins without Him.
Proof. In this divorce-ridden world, we want proof of love. Let us turn to His love letter. For brevity's sake, I'll list it:
1 John 3:1 - God shows His love by making us His children.
1 John 3:5 - Jesus manifested Himself to take away our sin.
1 John 3:16 - Because He laid down His life for us, we know love.
1 John 3:20 - If our hearts condemn us, God's love is greater than our heart.
1 John 4:9 - Jesus was sent into the world so that we may live through Him.
1 John 4:17, 18 - His love perfects us, and this perfect love casts out fear.
1 John 5:3 - His commandments unto us are not burdensome.
Notice all these promises come from just one book. Imagine in the entire Bible! Each of these points can serve as a devotional by themselves. I could go into excruciating detail of how much work goes into each of the afore-mentioned actions that God undertook for our sake. But I fear that in the narrowing of the topic, I'll have lost the purpose of this devotional series - Back to Basics. Trust me. God's love took work. He invested in you.
Hence the title. He has a vested interest in you. When an American sugar company hears news of insurgency in the land where its plantation lies, it doesn't scrap the whole thing, ignoring the problem because it's not in the United States. It convinces American government to talk to the plantation's government to solve things peaceably in order to protect their investment. God has invested His most precious treasure in you when He turned over His Son. The price He paid was just too great for Him to give up on you now.
So all you ladies who thnk God has shut heaven, don't worry. He's just having a metting with the Board of Directors. He cannot afford to let you go. So don't you let go of Him.
God bless,
Alisha
There is a thought that seems to have gotten lost along the path that begins when I first became a Christian and continues on to heaven. Or maybe, because I've lost this notion, I'm not on the path anymore, but rather I've lost my way by meandering as I seasonally do. The thought is this: God loves me.
I knew it when I accepted Christ. Why else would He send His Son? Why else would He die? I knew He loved me to save me. But I got caught up in legalism in my strive to acquire "holiness," forgetting that true holiness is only found in Christ. I forgot that it is my love for God that should compel me to obey, not that I had to obey for Him to love me. I had it backwards. For that matter, I had it backwards from the beginning. He didn't have to love me to save me; He had to save me because He loved me. I mean, of course, it took nothing short of love to endure what He did, but that's only an angle, not the whole picture. Ultimately, He saved me because He loved me so much that He couldn't bear to see my life in ruins without Him.
Proof. In this divorce-ridden world, we want proof of love. Let us turn to His love letter. For brevity's sake, I'll list it:
1 John 3:1 - God shows His love by making us His children.
1 John 3:5 - Jesus manifested Himself to take away our sin.
1 John 3:16 - Because He laid down His life for us, we know love.
1 John 3:20 - If our hearts condemn us, God's love is greater than our heart.
1 John 4:9 - Jesus was sent into the world so that we may live through Him.
1 John 4:17, 18 - His love perfects us, and this perfect love casts out fear.
1 John 5:3 - His commandments unto us are not burdensome.
Notice all these promises come from just one book. Imagine in the entire Bible! Each of these points can serve as a devotional by themselves. I could go into excruciating detail of how much work goes into each of the afore-mentioned actions that God undertook for our sake. But I fear that in the narrowing of the topic, I'll have lost the purpose of this devotional series - Back to Basics. Trust me. God's love took work. He invested in you.
Hence the title. He has a vested interest in you. When an American sugar company hears news of insurgency in the land where its plantation lies, it doesn't scrap the whole thing, ignoring the problem because it's not in the United States. It convinces American government to talk to the plantation's government to solve things peaceably in order to protect their investment. God has invested His most precious treasure in you when He turned over His Son. The price He paid was just too great for Him to give up on you now.
So all you ladies who thnk God has shut heaven, don't worry. He's just having a metting with the Board of Directors. He cannot afford to let you go. So don't you let go of Him.
God bless,
Alisha
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What Do You Believe?
A lot of us who grew up in church have heard hundreds, maybe thousands, of sermons, and in the process grown much in the Word. However, I worry that we have learned so much of the intricacies that we have forgotten the very basic truths.
Join me as I personally dive into the unshakeable truths of Christian belief. Should we waver in our faith, should we blur the lines for our own convenience, we place ourselves in a most precarious position, one that the enemy is sure to use to its advantage.
Don't worry. This is not an attempt to "dogmatize" anyone. I'm talking about addressing the points that Jesus Christ Himself always emphasized, the very points that drew all of us to Him - His love, His life, His purity, and His dedication to His Father's work.
I pray you will all be blessed.
Join me as I personally dive into the unshakeable truths of Christian belief. Should we waver in our faith, should we blur the lines for our own convenience, we place ourselves in a most precarious position, one that the enemy is sure to use to its advantage.
Don't worry. This is not an attempt to "dogmatize" anyone. I'm talking about addressing the points that Jesus Christ Himself always emphasized, the very points that drew all of us to Him - His love, His life, His purity, and His dedication to His Father's work.
I pray you will all be blessed.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Heart/Mind
I was debating whether or not this could be considered stewardship. After all, if we're responsible for our heart and mind, isn't it because this is really ours? Don't we "own" our heart, and are not just stewards of it?
My confirmation to write this devotional came when a minister reminded his audience that we are a spirit, and that we have a soul. A soul is what I mean by "heart/mind." The soul is source of our emotions and contemplative thoughts, and I suppose I can see how that can be confused with one's spirit. Realize this, though - the soul does not continue into eternity; it is the spirit that lives on. That is a somber reminder that we should endeavor to do more to feed and train our spirits than our souls.
Nevertheless, the soul is with us while we are here on earth, and thus we have the responsibility to take care of it. It reminds me of a story I read by Joshua Harris, called "The Room." With powerful and convicting imagery, he describes the depth of God's love for us, and the grotesque nature of the sin that somehow does not limit it in the slightest. After reading this story, I personally understood that my sins break the heart of my Father, and wanted to henceforth be a good steward of my soul. Soul stewardship can be remembered like this:
1. Watch what comes in.
"The lamp of the body is the eye." [Matthew 6:22, 23] Jesus warned us long ago to be careful what we see. Casting Crowns' song "Slow Fade" reminds us that it is just that, a slow fade that dissolves our relationship with Christ. I do believe that every person is given different levels of tolerance in different areas. Some people need to separate themselves from worldly music because the suggestive lyrics will run through their mind without their permission. Others choose to not watch movies with explicit scenes, knowing that the worst parts will be replayed late at night when no one can judge them. Still others separate themselves from individuals who have destructive, pessimistic thoughts that induce worries in all their peers. Some need all three. Sometimes, our sanity requires the our minds' sanctity. Sanctification is separation for a holy purpose. Separating ourselves from what we know will defile us can help serve as our defense for holiness. If you want to "love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind ..." [Mark 12:30], then you will make this small sacrifice. Remember that the liberty we find in Christ is greater than the slavery of sin.
2. Watch what stays in.
What if something is already in our hearts? Unforgiveness certainly falls into this category. I know so many stories of people who let past wrongs sit down and fester in their souls, allowing them to spiritually decay from the inside out. I understand that there are some emotional pains that make the most excruciating physical pain seem like a paper cut. My heart breaks for those who suffer, and I know unforgiveness is an impossibility. Fortunately, we serve a God of the impossible. He has sent a Helper to counsel us, enabling us to let go. Unforgiveness is one of the most deceiving sins. We think that we're hurting that person, but ultimately who we're really hurting are ourselves. We also hurt those we care about, because hatred sucks the love out of us like a black hole sucks out light. Only Jesus can make us whole again, and He desires that we forgive not just for the sake our relationship with that individual, but also for our relationship with Him. "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." [Matthew 6:14, 15] Be careful what you let sit in your heart. Make sure there's always room for God's love.
3. Watch what comes out.
Have you ever had a "Freudian slip"? It's when what we say reveals something we unconsciously desire. It's a misnomer, however, because Freud did not invent this idea. Jesus said, "... Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." [Luke 6:45]. I use these slips of the tongue to monitor my heart. I'm grateful for them, because I think we can deceive ourselves into thinking a matter is settled when it is not. This often happens when we have head knowledge, and not heart knowledge on the matter. What I mean is that often times, for some more often than others, it takes a while for something we know in our minds to be acknowledged by our hearts. For example, when I really caught grasp of the meaning of grace, it still took a while before I would go to God to ask for forgiveness. Oswald Chambers tells of a God who waits arms-open at the back of the wall of the world, "and every man driven there is driven into the arms of God." Even though I knew God to be this loving Father, I still was reluctant, seeing instead a drill sergeant waiting to reprimand me. Over time, and with much prayer, my heart has slowly changed. Prayer is key. When we see a matter is not resolved, we should take it to the Lord in prayer. The song is right; it truly is a privilege of which we should take greater advantage.
The Bible warns us that "the heart is deceitful above all things." [Jeremiah 17:9] That's why it's imperative that we learn to not let our heart govern us, but rather to be strong enough to govern our hearts. Ultimately, we cannot do it in our own strength. Really, we require divine wisdom, for it is the Lord who searches the heart and tests the mind [Jeremiah 17:10]. Pray that God grants us the ability to know when our hearts and minds are leading us astray. Let the Word of God be our guiding light. As David prayed,
Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts. [Psalm 119:133, 134]
God bless,
Alisha
My confirmation to write this devotional came when a minister reminded his audience that we are a spirit, and that we have a soul. A soul is what I mean by "heart/mind." The soul is source of our emotions and contemplative thoughts, and I suppose I can see how that can be confused with one's spirit. Realize this, though - the soul does not continue into eternity; it is the spirit that lives on. That is a somber reminder that we should endeavor to do more to feed and train our spirits than our souls.
Nevertheless, the soul is with us while we are here on earth, and thus we have the responsibility to take care of it. It reminds me of a story I read by Joshua Harris, called "The Room." With powerful and convicting imagery, he describes the depth of God's love for us, and the grotesque nature of the sin that somehow does not limit it in the slightest. After reading this story, I personally understood that my sins break the heart of my Father, and wanted to henceforth be a good steward of my soul. Soul stewardship can be remembered like this:
1. Watch what comes in.
"The lamp of the body is the eye." [Matthew 6:22, 23] Jesus warned us long ago to be careful what we see. Casting Crowns' song "Slow Fade" reminds us that it is just that, a slow fade that dissolves our relationship with Christ. I do believe that every person is given different levels of tolerance in different areas. Some people need to separate themselves from worldly music because the suggestive lyrics will run through their mind without their permission. Others choose to not watch movies with explicit scenes, knowing that the worst parts will be replayed late at night when no one can judge them. Still others separate themselves from individuals who have destructive, pessimistic thoughts that induce worries in all their peers. Some need all three. Sometimes, our sanity requires the our minds' sanctity. Sanctification is separation for a holy purpose. Separating ourselves from what we know will defile us can help serve as our defense for holiness. If you want to "love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind ..." [Mark 12:30], then you will make this small sacrifice. Remember that the liberty we find in Christ is greater than the slavery of sin.
2. Watch what stays in.
What if something is already in our hearts? Unforgiveness certainly falls into this category. I know so many stories of people who let past wrongs sit down and fester in their souls, allowing them to spiritually decay from the inside out. I understand that there are some emotional pains that make the most excruciating physical pain seem like a paper cut. My heart breaks for those who suffer, and I know unforgiveness is an impossibility. Fortunately, we serve a God of the impossible. He has sent a Helper to counsel us, enabling us to let go. Unforgiveness is one of the most deceiving sins. We think that we're hurting that person, but ultimately who we're really hurting are ourselves. We also hurt those we care about, because hatred sucks the love out of us like a black hole sucks out light. Only Jesus can make us whole again, and He desires that we forgive not just for the sake our relationship with that individual, but also for our relationship with Him. "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." [Matthew 6:14, 15] Be careful what you let sit in your heart. Make sure there's always room for God's love.
3. Watch what comes out.
Have you ever had a "Freudian slip"? It's when what we say reveals something we unconsciously desire. It's a misnomer, however, because Freud did not invent this idea. Jesus said, "... Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." [Luke 6:45]. I use these slips of the tongue to monitor my heart. I'm grateful for them, because I think we can deceive ourselves into thinking a matter is settled when it is not. This often happens when we have head knowledge, and not heart knowledge on the matter. What I mean is that often times, for some more often than others, it takes a while for something we know in our minds to be acknowledged by our hearts. For example, when I really caught grasp of the meaning of grace, it still took a while before I would go to God to ask for forgiveness. Oswald Chambers tells of a God who waits arms-open at the back of the wall of the world, "and every man driven there is driven into the arms of God." Even though I knew God to be this loving Father, I still was reluctant, seeing instead a drill sergeant waiting to reprimand me. Over time, and with much prayer, my heart has slowly changed. Prayer is key. When we see a matter is not resolved, we should take it to the Lord in prayer. The song is right; it truly is a privilege of which we should take greater advantage.
The Bible warns us that "the heart is deceitful above all things." [Jeremiah 17:9] That's why it's imperative that we learn to not let our heart govern us, but rather to be strong enough to govern our hearts. Ultimately, we cannot do it in our own strength. Really, we require divine wisdom, for it is the Lord who searches the heart and tests the mind [Jeremiah 17:10]. Pray that God grants us the ability to know when our hearts and minds are leading us astray. Let the Word of God be our guiding light. As David prayed,
Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts. [Psalm 119:133, 134]
God bless,
Alisha
Friday, April 10, 2009
Family
* Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
As the Easter season is upon us, I think about the joy I get from spending time with my both my biological family and my spiritual one. At the same time, I cannot help but think about my friends who will be unable to celebrate Easter with their family, those who carry the burden of desperately wanting to see their family members come to Christ. I understand.
Lately, God has been showing me a lot about families and why He instituted it. Family was the basic structural unit from the beginning. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." [Genesis 2:24] Family begins with marriage and continues on until death. At death, we join our spiritual family. It is important to realize this, because sometimes I think people are under the impression that when a family member passes, they continue their role in the family. For example, if a grandfather passes, some feel they can pray to the grandfather and continue to request his guidance. Jesus addresses this issue when speaking to the Sadducees in Matthew 22:23-33. This sect questioned Jesus about a woman who had been married to a man with seven brothers. The man passed before an heir was produced, so according to Jewish law it was the duty of the brothers to produce an heir for him, so that his inheritance may not be lost. They asked Jesus to whom would the wife be married at resurrection. Jesus answered, "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." Now if there is no marriage when we leave this world (save for the marriage of the Lamb) and marriage is the foundation of a family, then there can be no family unit (except for the universal church family). That is what makes it stewardship; we are responsible to our families but for a time, because ultimately they are God's.
The family on earth originally was meant to consist of a man, his wife, and their children. The children were to grow up and leave their home to start their own families, so that they could "be fruitful and multiply ... fill the earth and subdue it." [Genesis 1:28] Of course today the structure of the family unit is not as simple as a nuclear family. There are one-parent homes, no parent homes, and homes with various members of extended family. The show "Full House" comes to mind. Are these families in disobedience to God by not having His original setup? I think we know the answer is no. But certainly God instituted the structure for a reason, and when positions are lacking we try to fill the void with the "next best thing." Some of us do not use the best discretion in choosing with what we fill the hole, and are left embittered and more broken-hearted than before. I understand.
That's why I have a special prayer this Easter. I pray that all of you are able to have for yourself family figures: a father, mother, brother, and sister. A "father" can teach us women the role men should play in society, and also show us love as Christ has loved us. A "mother" can show by example how to be submissive (not subjected) to her husband. A "brother" offers practice, showing us how to deal with men when the generational gap with our fathers raises questions. And a "sister" so that we can learn fellowship, and not the harsh cat-like behavior shown when media portrays female relationships. Certainly, we will be able to receive much from these kinships.
I cannot, however, stress enough that we are required to give much as well. As I am writing this devotional, I lie in my grandmother's bedroom, the site of countless prayers offered daily. And as I said my nightly prayer yesterday, I realized that one day I would have to take up the reign and intercede for my family as she has for so many years. Prayer is, after all, the best thing you can do for a family member, for I promise you that it truly works miracles. I tried something new; I prayed for each family member by name and asked God to make me a better daughter/granddaughter/sister/neice/cousin.
As I did so, I knew what I was really asking - the humility to learn what that relationship would entail. For those older than me, it would mean I'd have to learn how to give proper respect in exchange for being taken care of, i.e. learning to be submissive. We can consider this relationship as a type for our relationship with our heavenly Father. He takes care of us and nurtures us, and in exchange we offer our humble gratitude and utmost respect. I know personally of a few rebellious teens whose improvement in their relationship with God was simultaneous with an improvement in their familial relationships. I don't think this a mere coincidence. For those younger than me, it requires me to be less selfish and more giving. This duty parallels that of an minister, to give sound counsel and lead by example. If any of you be 'elders' in your household, understand your God-given position of authority that is coupled with responsibility.
Many of these ideals are embraced in traditional ethnic communities, so for some of you it is nothing new, and for others it will sound too conservative (and I'm sure some fall into both categories). These things are hard to swallow, especially when we're in a point in our lives where ethnic traditions interfere with our pursuit of self-actualization. Separating ourselves from our families for the sake of personal growth is important, but it does not relinquish us from our obligation to care for our family members. That's another thing family teaches us - obligatory love. No matter how deeply a family member hurts us, if they apologize, then there is something inside of us that has to forgive. Whether or not we want to, it just has to forgive- because in the end, we're family. It's probably the closest thing to grace we can experience on human terms. Anyone who has not felt this kind of love in their family, know that I am truly sorry. But Christ is calling you to step out of your harsh upbringing so that the generational curse of conditional love would end here and now. Make the decision to be the person who forgives mercifully.
We all should make the decision to be better family members. It's difficult to be submissive and it's hard to be responsible. Again, I understand. But as I think about the resurrection and ascenscion of Christ, the day when heaven's Family was reunited in part and longs for the day when we're reunited in whole, I long to have a family that is at least a glimpse of the glory to come. And I know I want to do whatever I can to make it so.
God bless,
Alisha
As the Easter season is upon us, I think about the joy I get from spending time with my both my biological family and my spiritual one. At the same time, I cannot help but think about my friends who will be unable to celebrate Easter with their family, those who carry the burden of desperately wanting to see their family members come to Christ. I understand.
Lately, God has been showing me a lot about families and why He instituted it. Family was the basic structural unit from the beginning. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." [Genesis 2:24] Family begins with marriage and continues on until death. At death, we join our spiritual family. It is important to realize this, because sometimes I think people are under the impression that when a family member passes, they continue their role in the family. For example, if a grandfather passes, some feel they can pray to the grandfather and continue to request his guidance. Jesus addresses this issue when speaking to the Sadducees in Matthew 22:23-33. This sect questioned Jesus about a woman who had been married to a man with seven brothers. The man passed before an heir was produced, so according to Jewish law it was the duty of the brothers to produce an heir for him, so that his inheritance may not be lost. They asked Jesus to whom would the wife be married at resurrection. Jesus answered, "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." Now if there is no marriage when we leave this world (save for the marriage of the Lamb) and marriage is the foundation of a family, then there can be no family unit (except for the universal church family). That is what makes it stewardship; we are responsible to our families but for a time, because ultimately they are God's.
The family on earth originally was meant to consist of a man, his wife, and their children. The children were to grow up and leave their home to start their own families, so that they could "be fruitful and multiply ... fill the earth and subdue it." [Genesis 1:28] Of course today the structure of the family unit is not as simple as a nuclear family. There are one-parent homes, no parent homes, and homes with various members of extended family. The show "Full House" comes to mind. Are these families in disobedience to God by not having His original setup? I think we know the answer is no. But certainly God instituted the structure for a reason, and when positions are lacking we try to fill the void with the "next best thing." Some of us do not use the best discretion in choosing with what we fill the hole, and are left embittered and more broken-hearted than before. I understand.
That's why I have a special prayer this Easter. I pray that all of you are able to have for yourself family figures: a father, mother, brother, and sister. A "father" can teach us women the role men should play in society, and also show us love as Christ has loved us. A "mother" can show by example how to be submissive (not subjected) to her husband. A "brother" offers practice, showing us how to deal with men when the generational gap with our fathers raises questions. And a "sister" so that we can learn fellowship, and not the harsh cat-like behavior shown when media portrays female relationships. Certainly, we will be able to receive much from these kinships.
I cannot, however, stress enough that we are required to give much as well. As I am writing this devotional, I lie in my grandmother's bedroom, the site of countless prayers offered daily. And as I said my nightly prayer yesterday, I realized that one day I would have to take up the reign and intercede for my family as she has for so many years. Prayer is, after all, the best thing you can do for a family member, for I promise you that it truly works miracles. I tried something new; I prayed for each family member by name and asked God to make me a better daughter/granddaughter/sister/neice/cousin.
As I did so, I knew what I was really asking - the humility to learn what that relationship would entail. For those older than me, it would mean I'd have to learn how to give proper respect in exchange for being taken care of, i.e. learning to be submissive. We can consider this relationship as a type for our relationship with our heavenly Father. He takes care of us and nurtures us, and in exchange we offer our humble gratitude and utmost respect. I know personally of a few rebellious teens whose improvement in their relationship with God was simultaneous with an improvement in their familial relationships. I don't think this a mere coincidence. For those younger than me, it requires me to be less selfish and more giving. This duty parallels that of an minister, to give sound counsel and lead by example. If any of you be 'elders' in your household, understand your God-given position of authority that is coupled with responsibility.
Many of these ideals are embraced in traditional ethnic communities, so for some of you it is nothing new, and for others it will sound too conservative (and I'm sure some fall into both categories). These things are hard to swallow, especially when we're in a point in our lives where ethnic traditions interfere with our pursuit of self-actualization. Separating ourselves from our families for the sake of personal growth is important, but it does not relinquish us from our obligation to care for our family members. That's another thing family teaches us - obligatory love. No matter how deeply a family member hurts us, if they apologize, then there is something inside of us that has to forgive. Whether or not we want to, it just has to forgive- because in the end, we're family. It's probably the closest thing to grace we can experience on human terms. Anyone who has not felt this kind of love in their family, know that I am truly sorry. But Christ is calling you to step out of your harsh upbringing so that the generational curse of conditional love would end here and now. Make the decision to be the person who forgives mercifully.
We all should make the decision to be better family members. It's difficult to be submissive and it's hard to be responsible. Again, I understand. But as I think about the resurrection and ascenscion of Christ, the day when heaven's Family was reunited in part and longs for the day when we're reunited in whole, I long to have a family that is at least a glimpse of the glory to come. And I know I want to do whatever I can to make it so.
God bless,
Alisha
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Body
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
The most abused part of me, I must admit, is my body. When I start slacking in a particular area, most often in my work ethic, I pay the price physically. Some of you know what I mean. If I, in my laziness, did not study enough for an exam or put off some project, I use the time that should have been meant for sleeping or eating to do my work. At some point, I realized that had I been a more efficient steward of my time, then no sacrifice would have had to been made (see Time Stewardship).
There is another extreme that I must acknowledge. There are times when I put the body's needs at the top of the list, and find myself succumbing to the flesh. I refuse to discipline my body for the sake of building up my spirit. How many of you can identify with such actions as:
When I started college, a friend of mine really showed me what true discipline was about. Her stance always was that if the body really is the temple of God [1 Corinthians 6:19], then we ought to respect it as we do any other edifice of worship. She would regularly go to the gym and ate healthy foods as a way to keep her body strong. Now, healthy food does not make us holy. Paul dealt with this issue when many argued that the Christian Gentiles ought to take on the Jewish diet. Jesus said that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him [Matthew 15:11], so the opposite is also true - what goes into man cannot make him pure. Both food and stomach will be destroyed in the end, and will only be redeemed when the body is glorified by resurrection. [see 1 Corinthians 6:12-13] Also, self-denial does not holiness make. Colossians 2:23 reminds us that fasting from the flesh without building the spirit only serves to feign wisdom. Asceticism is not the goal. Discipline, however, does show that we respect the creation of God, and recognize that this body is a loan. We discipline ourselves so as to build up our body, not to tear it down.
Discipline obviously extends farther than diet and exercise. One of the most commonly quoted verses in the Bible is Romans 12:1, 2:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Here Paul states two specific conditions for our bodies - that they be holy, and that they be acceptable to God. Holiness entails setting ourselves apart for God's glory. Being acceptable means being able to "come correct." Of course when we first come to God, we are disheveled, torn, broken and bruised. But when we are saved, we ought to strive to live lives of purity.
This is no small request. In order to understand what Paul is writing of, we need to look earlier in the epistle. Paul says to present our "members," essentially our body parts, as "slaves of righteousness for holiness." We ought to be let righteousness dominate in ourselves, and not let lawlessness lead to uncleanness. [Romans 6:19]. We are all under the dominion of something; that is to say we are all slaves to something, and we can choose to be slaves to righteousness or slaves to the lusts of our flesh [Romans 6:12]. Realize today that it can be one or the other. Darkness and light cannot coexist. 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 warns us that we should not use our bodies for glorifying God and then participate in harlotry. If so, then we are going against the very definition of holiness, and not setting ourselves apart.
This is an aspect to this that I feel we women forget when we engage in such actions. The Bible tells us that when we commit adultery (which it is whether or not we are married), we are "becoming one flesh." One minister explains this as a part of us is being given to that man. We are losing a part of ourselves in the process. If this man does not end up being our husband, then we end up offering our husbands less than all of us. What a terrible thought! Of course the same goes for the guys as well. If we really care for a man but know it is not God's will for us to be with them, then we are selfishly taking more and more of him, leaving less and less for him to give to his future wife.
Now I understand that not all of us are under the best conditions when we fall to temptation. Sometimes it is not even our fault; we are taken advantage of. Others fell way before they decided to truly live for Christ. To them and to those who are willing to change their lives this day, I offer this hope. My God is still a Creator. He is able to restore that which was lost, because restoration is a part of salvation (see Psalm 80:3, Matthew 18:11). He is mighty to save us from whatever has overtaken us. But to those of you (and I promise I am admonishing myself as well) who partake in this actions and hope to still enter into God's loving presence, know that you are bringing much disrespect to your Father. For the Bible tells us that we were bought with a price. That is what makes this stewardship. Our bodies belong to God. We are the earthen vessels that hold the treasure of Christ [2 Corinthians 4:7]. Let us strive to keep these vessels clean.
God bless,
Alisha
The most abused part of me, I must admit, is my body. When I start slacking in a particular area, most often in my work ethic, I pay the price physically. Some of you know what I mean. If I, in my laziness, did not study enough for an exam or put off some project, I use the time that should have been meant for sleeping or eating to do my work. At some point, I realized that had I been a more efficient steward of my time, then no sacrifice would have had to been made (see Time Stewardship).
There is another extreme that I must acknowledge. There are times when I put the body's needs at the top of the list, and find myself succumbing to the flesh. I refuse to discipline my body for the sake of building up my spirit. How many of you can identify with such actions as:
- Falling asleep during prayer?
- Starting a fast with only water and ending up nibbling on a snack or drinking soda?
- Committing adultery in your heart because you're "too holy" to do it in the natural?
When I started college, a friend of mine really showed me what true discipline was about. Her stance always was that if the body really is the temple of God [1 Corinthians 6:19], then we ought to respect it as we do any other edifice of worship. She would regularly go to the gym and ate healthy foods as a way to keep her body strong. Now, healthy food does not make us holy. Paul dealt with this issue when many argued that the Christian Gentiles ought to take on the Jewish diet. Jesus said that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him [Matthew 15:11], so the opposite is also true - what goes into man cannot make him pure. Both food and stomach will be destroyed in the end, and will only be redeemed when the body is glorified by resurrection. [see 1 Corinthians 6:12-13] Also, self-denial does not holiness make. Colossians 2:23 reminds us that fasting from the flesh without building the spirit only serves to feign wisdom. Asceticism is not the goal. Discipline, however, does show that we respect the creation of God, and recognize that this body is a loan. We discipline ourselves so as to build up our body, not to tear it down.
Discipline obviously extends farther than diet and exercise. One of the most commonly quoted verses in the Bible is Romans 12:1, 2:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Here Paul states two specific conditions for our bodies - that they be holy, and that they be acceptable to God. Holiness entails setting ourselves apart for God's glory. Being acceptable means being able to "come correct." Of course when we first come to God, we are disheveled, torn, broken and bruised. But when we are saved, we ought to strive to live lives of purity.
This is no small request. In order to understand what Paul is writing of, we need to look earlier in the epistle. Paul says to present our "members," essentially our body parts, as "slaves of righteousness for holiness." We ought to be let righteousness dominate in ourselves, and not let lawlessness lead to uncleanness. [Romans 6:19]. We are all under the dominion of something; that is to say we are all slaves to something, and we can choose to be slaves to righteousness or slaves to the lusts of our flesh [Romans 6:12]. Realize today that it can be one or the other. Darkness and light cannot coexist. 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 warns us that we should not use our bodies for glorifying God and then participate in harlotry. If so, then we are going against the very definition of holiness, and not setting ourselves apart.
This is an aspect to this that I feel we women forget when we engage in such actions. The Bible tells us that when we commit adultery (which it is whether or not we are married), we are "becoming one flesh." One minister explains this as a part of us is being given to that man. We are losing a part of ourselves in the process. If this man does not end up being our husband, then we end up offering our husbands less than all of us. What a terrible thought! Of course the same goes for the guys as well. If we really care for a man but know it is not God's will for us to be with them, then we are selfishly taking more and more of him, leaving less and less for him to give to his future wife.
Now I understand that not all of us are under the best conditions when we fall to temptation. Sometimes it is not even our fault; we are taken advantage of. Others fell way before they decided to truly live for Christ. To them and to those who are willing to change their lives this day, I offer this hope. My God is still a Creator. He is able to restore that which was lost, because restoration is a part of salvation (see Psalm 80:3, Matthew 18:11). He is mighty to save us from whatever has overtaken us. But to those of you (and I promise I am admonishing myself as well) who partake in this actions and hope to still enter into God's loving presence, know that you are bringing much disrespect to your Father. For the Bible tells us that we were bought with a price. That is what makes this stewardship. Our bodies belong to God. We are the earthen vessels that hold the treasure of Christ [2 Corinthians 4:7]. Let us strive to keep these vessels clean.
God bless,
Alisha
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Work
Before I write this devotional, I want to mention why I feel the need include disclaimers before each one. I'm simply incredibly convicted of how I fail to live up to the Bible's standard for living. And once I realized - from writing this devotional set - that it's really all about doing it for God's glory because everything is His and we are just stewards ... it's just too much. I hope you all have had the same epiphany and know the gravity of what we've been discussing.
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
Not everyone has a job right now, so I feel I should clear up what exactly I mean by work. To put it in child-like terms, work is simply whatever you "do." If you have a profession, which I confess to not having, then that is your work, or at least part of it. If you're going to school, then you're job is to be a student. And if you are actively involved in extracurricular activities (here's I'm excluding ministries, which we'll discuss on a later date), those too are your work.
How is work an act of stewardship? Surely at least this is ours. My reply is to consider when we got notice that we received our job, or got into that school. Were we not grateful? Was that the proper response? Of course it was! Would we not think it horrible to believe otherwise? The reason for our thanksgiving is that, in the end, we know it is not by our own hands that we received this blessing. God's grace provided it to us. Now if God is the Provider, then how can we claim ownership?
Now that we've cleared that up, let's see what the Word of God has to say about work.
First, let's briefly consider the principle of tithing. Malachi 3:8-12 strictly warns us about robbing from God. I don't need to tell you how crucial this is. We discussed in the devotional on time stewardship the comparison of tithes and offerings. Tithes are owed to God, hands down. Offerings are whatever extra we give in addition to our tithes out of a grateful heart. It is in our offerings that we receive the true blessings, because our offering is a sign of our growing affection toward our Lord. Here is a good place to mention stewarding our money. Our money is not ours, similar to how property is not ours. Thus, it is critical that we know how to use and save our money appropriately. I'm sure this is nothing new to all of you, and I trust you all are not robbing God (after all you are Strong Christians), and since I do not like to talk much about money, we'll move on.
Second, keep your commitments. We shouldn't accept an occupation if we honestly do not think we will be able to handle it. The Bible says, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” [Luke 9:62]. We must learn not to have a hasty tongue. On the smaller scale, when we are asked by our bosses to complete a task as part of our job, we should not be so quick to say yes. I understand that we want to impress them, but we must also remember that it's better to say no and go back later than to say yes and not complete the task given to us [see Matthew 21:28-31]. It will more impressive to be dependable than to be a yes-man.
Third, once we agree to a task, it's important to keep ourselves from complaining about the weight of it. We should learn to let our "yes" be "yes" [Matthew 5:37], and to add nothing more to it. For example, if another person, over whom we have seniority, receives the same benefits as us, then we have no be angry, because we agreed to work for those same benefits. This may be hard to swallow, especially when we think of worker's rights. I'm not against all the many perks for which unions and other institutions have worked so hard. But I also feel that when we give our consent to do something, we do not have a right to complain when we get exactly what we have asked for. It's actually not Christian-like. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard [Matthew 20:1-16], Jesus speaks of workers protesting to their employer that those hired later are receiving the same wages. The vinedresser replies, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?"
This ties into our fourth point. Whatever we do, we must do so with diligence [Proverbs 10:4], always remember who we are representing. Here I'll give a personal example. I am a pastor's daughter, and so I know what it's like to have things unrelated to church judged by those who are not a member of a pastor's family. If things are done wrong, they are twice as worse because for some strange reason, a pastor's kid is supposed to know better. The same thing is expected of us as Christians from outsiders. We are just suppose to know better. Is this logical? Of course not! But should that be our excuse for failing? Of course not. The world has no knowledge of the thought process of Christians, outside of the occasional glimpses that have been illuminated by our gracious God. Come to think of it, neither do we. But as Christians, we spend more time with God, and thus become more attuned to His will and His style. So if the world judges us wrong, we ought not to complain. Rather, we must consider what they're asking, and, if it's in line with God's Word (as we showed it was in Proverbs), then we should just do it without reservation.
My friend, who I assure you has a heart of gold, often tells me to "Suck it up" and "Walk it off." I think that's what we need to do here. The world should not hold us to a higher standard, because we are just as fallible as they are. So what? The worldly worker has no right to work less diligently than we Christians do. Who cares? We cannot use that as an excuse. I personally know how tempting it is to evaluate our work ethic based on the procrastination of others, and to pat ourselves on the back when we compare. But is that any different from the Pharisee who compared himself to the tax collector [see Luke 18:9-14]? This parable was about comparing spirituality, but in essence, we should not compare ourselves with anyone except the Infallible One. What was Jesus's work ethic? We should "go and do likewise."
God bless,
Alisha
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
Not everyone has a job right now, so I feel I should clear up what exactly I mean by work. To put it in child-like terms, work is simply whatever you "do." If you have a profession, which I confess to not having, then that is your work, or at least part of it. If you're going to school, then you're job is to be a student. And if you are actively involved in extracurricular activities (here's I'm excluding ministries, which we'll discuss on a later date), those too are your work.
How is work an act of stewardship? Surely at least this is ours. My reply is to consider when we got notice that we received our job, or got into that school. Were we not grateful? Was that the proper response? Of course it was! Would we not think it horrible to believe otherwise? The reason for our thanksgiving is that, in the end, we know it is not by our own hands that we received this blessing. God's grace provided it to us. Now if God is the Provider, then how can we claim ownership?
Now that we've cleared that up, let's see what the Word of God has to say about work.
First, let's briefly consider the principle of tithing. Malachi 3:8-12 strictly warns us about robbing from God. I don't need to tell you how crucial this is. We discussed in the devotional on time stewardship the comparison of tithes and offerings. Tithes are owed to God, hands down. Offerings are whatever extra we give in addition to our tithes out of a grateful heart. It is in our offerings that we receive the true blessings, because our offering is a sign of our growing affection toward our Lord. Here is a good place to mention stewarding our money. Our money is not ours, similar to how property is not ours. Thus, it is critical that we know how to use and save our money appropriately. I'm sure this is nothing new to all of you, and I trust you all are not robbing God (after all you are Strong Christians), and since I do not like to talk much about money, we'll move on.
Second, keep your commitments. We shouldn't accept an occupation if we honestly do not think we will be able to handle it. The Bible says, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” [Luke 9:62]. We must learn not to have a hasty tongue. On the smaller scale, when we are asked by our bosses to complete a task as part of our job, we should not be so quick to say yes. I understand that we want to impress them, but we must also remember that it's better to say no and go back later than to say yes and not complete the task given to us [see Matthew 21:28-31]. It will more impressive to be dependable than to be a yes-man.
Third, once we agree to a task, it's important to keep ourselves from complaining about the weight of it. We should learn to let our "yes" be "yes" [Matthew 5:37], and to add nothing more to it. For example, if another person, over whom we have seniority, receives the same benefits as us, then we have no be angry, because we agreed to work for those same benefits. This may be hard to swallow, especially when we think of worker's rights. I'm not against all the many perks for which unions and other institutions have worked so hard. But I also feel that when we give our consent to do something, we do not have a right to complain when we get exactly what we have asked for. It's actually not Christian-like. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard [Matthew 20:1-16], Jesus speaks of workers protesting to their employer that those hired later are receiving the same wages. The vinedresser replies, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?"
This ties into our fourth point. Whatever we do, we must do so with diligence [Proverbs 10:4], always remember who we are representing. Here I'll give a personal example. I am a pastor's daughter, and so I know what it's like to have things unrelated to church judged by those who are not a member of a pastor's family. If things are done wrong, they are twice as worse because for some strange reason, a pastor's kid is supposed to know better. The same thing is expected of us as Christians from outsiders. We are just suppose to know better. Is this logical? Of course not! But should that be our excuse for failing? Of course not. The world has no knowledge of the thought process of Christians, outside of the occasional glimpses that have been illuminated by our gracious God. Come to think of it, neither do we. But as Christians, we spend more time with God, and thus become more attuned to His will and His style. So if the world judges us wrong, we ought not to complain. Rather, we must consider what they're asking, and, if it's in line with God's Word (as we showed it was in Proverbs), then we should just do it without reservation.
My friend, who I assure you has a heart of gold, often tells me to "Suck it up" and "Walk it off." I think that's what we need to do here. The world should not hold us to a higher standard, because we are just as fallible as they are. So what? The worldly worker has no right to work less diligently than we Christians do. Who cares? We cannot use that as an excuse. I personally know how tempting it is to evaluate our work ethic based on the procrastination of others, and to pat ourselves on the back when we compare. But is that any different from the Pharisee who compared himself to the tax collector [see Luke 18:9-14]? This parable was about comparing spirituality, but in essence, we should not compare ourselves with anyone except the Infallible One. What was Jesus's work ethic? We should "go and do likewise."
God bless,
Alisha
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Property
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
Again, I feel the need to include a disclaimer. I know that I have no right to write the following words; I am as poor a steward as the worst of us. But let these words encourage us to work harder than ever before.
"The earth is the Lord's, and all of it's fullness." [Psalm 24:1] All the world belongs to our Father in heaven. Nothing is ours. That's a concept that is really hard to grasp, especially in our materialistic society. We constantly seek what we want to have, but nothing, absolutely nothing is ours. This requires further exploration. Whatever He gives to us, when we truly think about it, is just a loan. We cannot take it beyond the grave, as hard as the Pharaohs of Egypt may try. Neither our wealth, nor our friendships, nor our accolades, nor our achievements will continue on with us, though they may continue on in this world. We leave the world as we entered - naked.
This leaves us with two responses. First, we must learn to never take pride in what we have or what we have accomplished. I like to think of it this way. Either I was born with it, and thus had no part in its acquisition and have no right to feel proud, or I had to work to get it, and thus must realize that anyone else could have attained the same thing. Of what then do I have to be proud? There is no room for pride. In fact, pride has a habit of taking over everything, and it's distaste will cost us every relationship we have, the most important of which is our relationship with God. Pride makes ourselves the idol, and to attach our worth to our property is like building an altar to it.
What then ought to be our reaction? Are we to sell all we have and live as hermits? Certainly not! God has placed us in charge of various things because He wants to see those things taken care of. An example of bad stewardship can be seen by the Israelites, who had worked their lands to exhaustion. They were required by law to give the land a year of rest every seven years, with the promise that the sixth year's harvest would be plentiful enough to sustain them for two years. So they would see the evidence of the promise before they had to make the commitment to not work the land. But in their greed, they harvested for 490 straight years. Finally, during their 70 year exile, God gave the land the rest it was due, but at such a great price to the people of Israel. We should learn from their error.
That leaves us with the second response of seeing all that we own as God's gift to us. This includes everything from houses (or dorm rooms for you college girls) to cars to smaller items like books and glasses and cell phones. And, make no mistake, it definitely includes the earth and every element in it, of which we were first called into stewardship [Genesis 1:28]. That's right - going green has a Christian element to it. God wants to see how you maintain what He gives you, so that He can put you in charge of many when you deliver it back to Him, just as He did in the parable of the talents [Matthew 25:14-30]. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have those words we all long to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant"? We always assume this refers to how many works we can do for the Lord, but to think of how it relates to our stewardship of property is truly convicting. I know it is for me.
Let us make a commitment to be good stewards of God's blessings, realizing that we receive them by His mercy, and will give an account to Him one day.
God bless,
Alisha
Again, I feel the need to include a disclaimer. I know that I have no right to write the following words; I am as poor a steward as the worst of us. But let these words encourage us to work harder than ever before.
"The earth is the Lord's, and all of it's fullness." [Psalm 24:1] All the world belongs to our Father in heaven. Nothing is ours. That's a concept that is really hard to grasp, especially in our materialistic society. We constantly seek what we want to have, but nothing, absolutely nothing is ours. This requires further exploration. Whatever He gives to us, when we truly think about it, is just a loan. We cannot take it beyond the grave, as hard as the Pharaohs of Egypt may try. Neither our wealth, nor our friendships, nor our accolades, nor our achievements will continue on with us, though they may continue on in this world. We leave the world as we entered - naked.
This leaves us with two responses. First, we must learn to never take pride in what we have or what we have accomplished. I like to think of it this way. Either I was born with it, and thus had no part in its acquisition and have no right to feel proud, or I had to work to get it, and thus must realize that anyone else could have attained the same thing. Of what then do I have to be proud? There is no room for pride. In fact, pride has a habit of taking over everything, and it's distaste will cost us every relationship we have, the most important of which is our relationship with God. Pride makes ourselves the idol, and to attach our worth to our property is like building an altar to it.
What then ought to be our reaction? Are we to sell all we have and live as hermits? Certainly not! God has placed us in charge of various things because He wants to see those things taken care of. An example of bad stewardship can be seen by the Israelites, who had worked their lands to exhaustion. They were required by law to give the land a year of rest every seven years, with the promise that the sixth year's harvest would be plentiful enough to sustain them for two years. So they would see the evidence of the promise before they had to make the commitment to not work the land. But in their greed, they harvested for 490 straight years. Finally, during their 70 year exile, God gave the land the rest it was due, but at such a great price to the people of Israel. We should learn from their error.
That leaves us with the second response of seeing all that we own as God's gift to us. This includes everything from houses (or dorm rooms for you college girls) to cars to smaller items like books and glasses and cell phones. And, make no mistake, it definitely includes the earth and every element in it, of which we were first called into stewardship [Genesis 1:28]. That's right - going green has a Christian element to it. God wants to see how you maintain what He gives you, so that He can put you in charge of many when you deliver it back to Him, just as He did in the parable of the talents [Matthew 25:14-30]. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have those words we all long to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant"? We always assume this refers to how many works we can do for the Lord, but to think of how it relates to our stewardship of property is truly convicting. I know it is for me.
Let us make a commitment to be good stewards of God's blessings, realizing that we receive them by His mercy, and will give an account to Him one day.
God bless,
Alisha
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Time Stewardship
*Scriptures provided by BibleGateway.com
Let me begin by saying that I am the last person who should write this devotional. God has taught me so many principles about being a good steward of my time, and, on a good day, I implement maybe 25% of them. I always think that it should be champion who tells you how to win the fight, not the one laying knocked out on the floor. But the verse I've shared with you all numerous times still rings true - His strength remains perfect in my weakness [2 Corinthians 12:9].
We've all been made stewards of various things; money, relationships, and our physical bodies are probably the things to which you usually hear stewardship referred. We will get to these things later. But equally important is how we handle our time. Again, I admit to be the queen of procrastination. I recognized this and have prayed numerous times that God show me a way to overcome. This is what I have learned. (For here on out, I'm going to make personal references because I realize that some things apply only to myself. Feel free to implement them as you prayerfully see fit).
First, I have learned to make a schedule, and to try my hardest to stick to it. Making the schedule is not the hard part, but choosing not to deviate is. In the schedule, I need to include time for sleeping and eating, but also time for relaxation and of course spending time with friends.
This is important for the second principle. I need to recognize that not all my "free time," time that I graciously get simply when things get done faster than I accounted for, is not necessarily meant for watching TV or movies, or for hanging out with friends. Sometimes, this is the case. But I have come to realize that God gives me those extra hours to get a head start on things that I planned on leaving for tomorrow. Usually, this is because the next day I find out that the particular task will take much longer than I expected, and I find myself smacking my forehead, wondering why I went out instead of working on that paper. Here is the key: I am a woman and thus I am finite. God is God, and thus He is infinite. God, in His wonderful mercy, looks into the future and sees the obstacle that I am going to face, and He makes a way for me to prepare for that obstacle beforehand. When I am not sensitive to His leading, I ignore His warning and do what I want. On the rare occasion that I listen, I am so grateful for His urging, because I see how I would otherwise be overcome.
The third thing I have learned is one that extends to mostly to being a steward of our finances. The principle of tithes and offerings will be further explained when we discuss stewarding our money later on. For now, I will tell you that I heard the radical idea of tithing our time (giving God 2.4 hours or 2 hours and 24 minutes) to God from a pastor friend of mine. I tried it, and failed miserably. I feel so disgusted with myself, much like how I feel if I forget to tithe my money. But when I started to implement the offering side - offering here meaning giving something extra beside the tithes - I realized something important. If I give God only 2.4 hours, what am I doing with the rest of my time? Should I not be honoring God with my whole life? Don't get me wrong; we cannot spending our entire time reading Scripture and praying. We have other obligations while we live on this earth, many of which require undivided attention. But I have also learned that through it all, I can and should maintain an attitude of prayer [Colossians 4:2]. I must realize that God is ever watchful of my behavior, and I should utilize every opportunity I have to glorify Him, especially when it comes to ministering to others [Colossians 4:5]. If I allow myself to lose focus, then I will not recognize those opportunities when they present themselves. I will admit that it is exhausting to be vigilant and wary, but the rewards of such living is an incredible strength that others will perceive and be encouraged by.
Now what of the time that I do spend in prayer and reading the word? Does that still need to be tithed? I have no answer for that. I can tell you that I have tried several times to spend 2.4 hours solely in God's presence, and I find it very difficult, even on weekends. But I will share this fourth and final principle with you. It comes from Psalm 46:10, specifically the phrase "Be still." I personally try to spend time studying the Word of God and praying to God. This is critical and should not be stopped. But recently, I learned about being still. Philip Yancey, in his book Prayer Does It Really Make a Difference? speaks of when he was on a retreat where he was instructed to spend "quiet time" with God. At first it was difficult and tedious, but after a while he realized how God could speak to Him in something as simple as nature. I personally have decided to go on a sort of mental retreat once a day. Today was actually the first day I implemented this, and from it was birthed the idea for this devotional set. I have a very active mind, and so in complete honesty knew I could no more than 15 minutes of stillness and silence. Silence was the key. I would not pray, making my requests known to God. I would not even open my Bible. I wanted it to be purely just God speaking to me. Before the 15 minutes, I prayed the Lord would direct my thoughts so that I would be able to give him my whole 15 minutes, as I surrender one hundred percent. I kept my prayer journal open, and was ready to write down whatever I received. This one of the entries I wrote:
I need this 15 minutes of silence to open my mind passed the tasks for the day and the worries and the sometimes overwhelming reminders of yesterday's failures just to get where I can praise Him. And when I come to the garden alone, a wellspring of praise is on my lips that I don't need to analyze. It is beautiful.
You see, in the course of the 15 minutes, I did not allow myself to think about my tasks, but surrendered them to God. And when I was reminded of how unworthy I was to enter into His holy presence, I surrendered my failures to Him, too. About 10 minutes into it, I found myself spontaneously praising God, saying things that assured me of where I stood in my relationship with Him. And though I so desperately wanted to analyze it and take it apart, knowing that I should constantly evaluate my relationship with God and measure my growth, I also knew I didn't have to do it just then, because I would miss out on this wonderful experience. It was too beautiful to miss.
I encourage you all to implement these principles, especially the fourth. I know it's difficult, but you will have someone has prayed for you, that you will try and succeed. You will not regret it.
God bless,
Alisha
Let me begin by saying that I am the last person who should write this devotional. God has taught me so many principles about being a good steward of my time, and, on a good day, I implement maybe 25% of them. I always think that it should be champion who tells you how to win the fight, not the one laying knocked out on the floor. But the verse I've shared with you all numerous times still rings true - His strength remains perfect in my weakness [2 Corinthians 12:9].
We've all been made stewards of various things; money, relationships, and our physical bodies are probably the things to which you usually hear stewardship referred. We will get to these things later. But equally important is how we handle our time. Again, I admit to be the queen of procrastination. I recognized this and have prayed numerous times that God show me a way to overcome. This is what I have learned. (For here on out, I'm going to make personal references because I realize that some things apply only to myself. Feel free to implement them as you prayerfully see fit).
First, I have learned to make a schedule, and to try my hardest to stick to it. Making the schedule is not the hard part, but choosing not to deviate is. In the schedule, I need to include time for sleeping and eating, but also time for relaxation and of course spending time with friends.
This is important for the second principle. I need to recognize that not all my "free time," time that I graciously get simply when things get done faster than I accounted for, is not necessarily meant for watching TV or movies, or for hanging out with friends. Sometimes, this is the case. But I have come to realize that God gives me those extra hours to get a head start on things that I planned on leaving for tomorrow. Usually, this is because the next day I find out that the particular task will take much longer than I expected, and I find myself smacking my forehead, wondering why I went out instead of working on that paper. Here is the key: I am a woman and thus I am finite. God is God, and thus He is infinite. God, in His wonderful mercy, looks into the future and sees the obstacle that I am going to face, and He makes a way for me to prepare for that obstacle beforehand. When I am not sensitive to His leading, I ignore His warning and do what I want. On the rare occasion that I listen, I am so grateful for His urging, because I see how I would otherwise be overcome.
The third thing I have learned is one that extends to mostly to being a steward of our finances. The principle of tithes and offerings will be further explained when we discuss stewarding our money later on. For now, I will tell you that I heard the radical idea of tithing our time (giving God 2.4 hours or 2 hours and 24 minutes) to God from a pastor friend of mine. I tried it, and failed miserably. I feel so disgusted with myself, much like how I feel if I forget to tithe my money. But when I started to implement the offering side - offering here meaning giving something extra beside the tithes - I realized something important. If I give God only 2.4 hours, what am I doing with the rest of my time? Should I not be honoring God with my whole life? Don't get me wrong; we cannot spending our entire time reading Scripture and praying. We have other obligations while we live on this earth, many of which require undivided attention. But I have also learned that through it all, I can and should maintain an attitude of prayer [Colossians 4:2]. I must realize that God is ever watchful of my behavior, and I should utilize every opportunity I have to glorify Him, especially when it comes to ministering to others [Colossians 4:5]. If I allow myself to lose focus, then I will not recognize those opportunities when they present themselves. I will admit that it is exhausting to be vigilant and wary, but the rewards of such living is an incredible strength that others will perceive and be encouraged by.
Now what of the time that I do spend in prayer and reading the word? Does that still need to be tithed? I have no answer for that. I can tell you that I have tried several times to spend 2.4 hours solely in God's presence, and I find it very difficult, even on weekends. But I will share this fourth and final principle with you. It comes from Psalm 46:10, specifically the phrase "Be still." I personally try to spend time studying the Word of God and praying to God. This is critical and should not be stopped. But recently, I learned about being still. Philip Yancey, in his book Prayer Does It Really Make a Difference? speaks of when he was on a retreat where he was instructed to spend "quiet time" with God. At first it was difficult and tedious, but after a while he realized how God could speak to Him in something as simple as nature. I personally have decided to go on a sort of mental retreat once a day. Today was actually the first day I implemented this, and from it was birthed the idea for this devotional set. I have a very active mind, and so in complete honesty knew I could no more than 15 minutes of stillness and silence. Silence was the key. I would not pray, making my requests known to God. I would not even open my Bible. I wanted it to be purely just God speaking to me. Before the 15 minutes, I prayed the Lord would direct my thoughts so that I would be able to give him my whole 15 minutes, as I surrender one hundred percent. I kept my prayer journal open, and was ready to write down whatever I received. This one of the entries I wrote:
I need this 15 minutes of silence to open my mind passed the tasks for the day and the worries and the sometimes overwhelming reminders of yesterday's failures just to get where I can praise Him. And when I come to the garden alone, a wellspring of praise is on my lips that I don't need to analyze. It is beautiful.
You see, in the course of the 15 minutes, I did not allow myself to think about my tasks, but surrendered them to God. And when I was reminded of how unworthy I was to enter into His holy presence, I surrendered my failures to Him, too. About 10 minutes into it, I found myself spontaneously praising God, saying things that assured me of where I stood in my relationship with Him. And though I so desperately wanted to analyze it and take it apart, knowing that I should constantly evaluate my relationship with God and measure my growth, I also knew I didn't have to do it just then, because I would miss out on this wonderful experience. It was too beautiful to miss.
I encourage you all to implement these principles, especially the fourth. I know it's difficult, but you will have someone has prayed for you, that you will try and succeed. You will not regret it.
God bless,
Alisha
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Fruits
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
To be perfectly honest, I have hesitated in writing this final devotional for our series on the sermon on the mount. The lesson I learned and will soon share comes with a stern but entirely doable commandment – one that I, nonetheless, have not done. If experience qualifies the teacher, then I certainly should not be teaching this one. But in humility I will present my case, and I hope you all will take the challenge as seriously as I have.
Here we see Jesus's warning of "wolves in sheep's clothing." Their appearance is deceptive but their fruits are not. "You will know them by their fruits." [verse 16] He blatantly states that it is impossible for a good tree to bear bad fruit and for a bad tree to bear good fruit. Their fruits are the ultimate sign of their veracity. So what is the fruit?
Let's first address what composes one's appearance. Off the top of my head, appearances comprise of first impressions, mannerisms, clothes, and style preferences. You all will probably compose a similar list. I would never think to add works to that list. After all, should not works be considered the fruit? Do we not frequently quote James's declaration, "Faith without works is dead" [James 2:17]? When we continue reading, however, we see that Jesus admonishes about a group of people who will be able to prophesy, cast out demons, and do many wonders in His very name. Yet to these same people He says, "I never knew you." What a disappointment. And what a somber reminder that it is perfectly possible to "bestow all [our] goods to the poor" and "give [our bodies] to be burned," but, without love, it profits us nothing [1 Corinthians 13:3].
At first, this really upset me. Can you imagine, doing such wonderful things in the name of the one true Savior Jesus Christ, and then be completely shunned? It is one thing if He said, "Alisha, you have disappointed Me." I can say I have heard that one more than once. But to have Him say, "I never knew you" would be worse than eternal fire and brimstone. I cannot be rejected by my Savior, the Lover of my soul. And I know those of you who have drawn close to Him would feel the same way. But what hope have I, having done so little for him, when there are those who do these incredible things who will be turned away?
My hope comes in the next phrase: "Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" [verse 23]. You see, Jesus does not care about the magnitude of the works we commit. He cares about us practicing the law. Now this obviously does not mean the strict levitical commands that, even at that time, were virtually impossible to fulfill. What had He to say about the Pharisees, who made a spectacle of their commandment-obeying? "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" [Matthew 5:20]. If those who made it their career and pastime to perform the law could not do it, what hope, again have we?
The real question is, who then can fulfill the law? That is easy enough to answer, since we did so in a previous devotional. Jesus earlier said, "I did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill" [Matthew 5:17]. Jesus alone has the righteousness needed to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ alone. We need His righteousness to enter in. And if we seek it, we shall surely have it, because He said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" [Matthew 5:6].
So what shall we do to obtain this righteousness? Paul tells the Romans, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes … If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" [Romans 10:4, 9, 10]. It is imperative that we believe in Lord Jesus, the Christ. This is more than just an altar call, though. Belief, in its truest form, always precipitates action. Luke 6:46-49 connects this section with Jesus's analogy of building a house on the rock. Christ does this by bluntly saying that we have no right to call out "Lord, Lord" and not do the things He says (in other words, all the things mentioned beforehand in the sermon). If we are to call Him Lord, then should He not be just that – our Lord? And make no mistake, we are going to be held accountable for what we have learned. If we choose not to obey, we will be the foolish man who built his house of the sand. When the storms come in our lives, we will find everything we have built up will be swept away in a flood. But if we choose to obey, we will not be shaken, for our house will be built on the solid Rock of Christ.
What will be your decision?
God bless,
Alisha
Friday, January 9, 2009
Narrow Gate
*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com
Matthew 7:13, 14
Wouldn't it be nice if we could pray for people and their souls would automatically be given access into heaven? It's so difficult for us to consider the possibility of not seeing those we love on the other side. But here Jesus paints the picture of two paths, two ways of living.
Path # 1 - a broad way with a wide gate. This is how many choose to live their life. This way is easy because it's so broad. There's plenty of room for us to meander, so we don't have to get worried about constantly caring if we're on the right track. Plus there's so much room for so many people. We can help others get through the wide gate, bringing them in right along side us. But this is the way that leads to destruction.
Path # 2- a difficult way with a narrow gate. Few are lucky enough to find it. The way is difficult, filled with roots and holes that try to trip and ensnare us. It is absolutely necessary to constantly be wary, making sure we're staying on the straight and narrow. And the gate is indeed narrow - meaning that there is only room for one; you can't go in with someone else. This is the way that leads to life.
There seems to be some talk going around about relationships. I am no expert on the topic; I freely confess that. But I believe God has placed multiple people (some of you even) into my life with questions on this topic particularly because I was studying these two verses.
How does it all relate? Firstly, there's the reference to the narrow gate. I have a distant relative with whom I was speaking to about relationships. He said he was glad that his wife was so spiritual, because he's depending on her to get him into heaven, basically believing he can ride in on her coattails. Unfortunately, this is a real viewpoint many share. But the Bible is clear - every tongue will confess and give an account to God [Romans 14:11, 12]. Every person must individually make the decision to follow God. I meet a lot of girls give the excuse, "I can change him." An excuse is really what it is - they are excusing themselves for taking part in a relationship that can be detrimental on both sides. Even if someone is willing to change their entire ideology for another, can it really constitute a true conversion? Choosing to follow God takes two people, and two people only: the repentant sinner and the Holy Spirit. We do not convert, we can only bring them to the cross. The rest is their decision.
Secondly, there's the last phrase. When I read this passage, I was reminded of a scene from the popular movie The Pursuit of Happyness. The protagonist asked, "How did Jefferson know to put the word 'pursuit'?" I similarly thought, "How did Jesus know to say that there are few who find the way that leads to life? Does that mean that my search is futile, that I ought to be enjoying a capricious lifestyle instead?" As the apostle Paul said, "Certainly not!" So many verses refer to the searching aspect of our Christian walk:
Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the Lord while He may be found ...
Jeremiah 29:13 - And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Matthew 6:33 - Seek ye first ... and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 7:7 - ... Seek and you will find ...
(*emphasis added*)
The unifying theme with all these verses is that when seek God, when we actively search Him out, we will surely find Him. Although God warns us that someone is not His choice, it can be very difficult to consider letting go. We can feel insecure, unsure that we will find anyone as good as whom we have now. But I promise, when you are in the perfect will of God, the person whom He chooses is just that - perfect for you. Still, remember that it is not the spouse's duty to fulfill every need; that falls under God's job description. But it is our duty to take this blessed time of singleness (for those of us who are single) to develop ourselves in godly character. As a pastor friend of mine put it, "Then, look at the gift you have to present to your loved one."
Following God's path in anything - finding a life partner, a career, even a school - can be difficult. There will be things that tempt us as the easier, sensible choice. But hold firm to God. He has great plans for us, so we shouldn't sell ourselves short because of impatience or temporary emotions. Seek His perfect will through prayer. He promised that we will find it.
God bless,
Alisha
Matthew 7:13, 14
Wouldn't it be nice if we could pray for people and their souls would automatically be given access into heaven? It's so difficult for us to consider the possibility of not seeing those we love on the other side. But here Jesus paints the picture of two paths, two ways of living.
Path # 1 - a broad way with a wide gate. This is how many choose to live their life. This way is easy because it's so broad. There's plenty of room for us to meander, so we don't have to get worried about constantly caring if we're on the right track. Plus there's so much room for so many people. We can help others get through the wide gate, bringing them in right along side us. But this is the way that leads to destruction.
Path # 2- a difficult way with a narrow gate. Few are lucky enough to find it. The way is difficult, filled with roots and holes that try to trip and ensnare us. It is absolutely necessary to constantly be wary, making sure we're staying on the straight and narrow. And the gate is indeed narrow - meaning that there is only room for one; you can't go in with someone else. This is the way that leads to life.
There seems to be some talk going around about relationships. I am no expert on the topic; I freely confess that. But I believe God has placed multiple people (some of you even) into my life with questions on this topic particularly because I was studying these two verses.
How does it all relate? Firstly, there's the reference to the narrow gate. I have a distant relative with whom I was speaking to about relationships. He said he was glad that his wife was so spiritual, because he's depending on her to get him into heaven, basically believing he can ride in on her coattails. Unfortunately, this is a real viewpoint many share. But the Bible is clear - every tongue will confess and give an account to God [Romans 14:11, 12]. Every person must individually make the decision to follow God. I meet a lot of girls give the excuse, "I can change him." An excuse is really what it is - they are excusing themselves for taking part in a relationship that can be detrimental on both sides. Even if someone is willing to change their entire ideology for another, can it really constitute a true conversion? Choosing to follow God takes two people, and two people only: the repentant sinner and the Holy Spirit. We do not convert, we can only bring them to the cross. The rest is their decision.
Secondly, there's the last phrase. When I read this passage, I was reminded of a scene from the popular movie The Pursuit of Happyness. The protagonist asked, "How did Jefferson know to put the word 'pursuit'?" I similarly thought, "How did Jesus know to say that there are few who find the way that leads to life? Does that mean that my search is futile, that I ought to be enjoying a capricious lifestyle instead?" As the apostle Paul said, "Certainly not!" So many verses refer to the searching aspect of our Christian walk:
Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the Lord while He may be found ...
Jeremiah 29:13 - And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Matthew 6:33 - Seek ye first ... and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 7:7 - ... Seek and you will find ...
(*emphasis added*)
The unifying theme with all these verses is that when seek God, when we actively search Him out, we will surely find Him. Although God warns us that someone is not His choice, it can be very difficult to consider letting go. We can feel insecure, unsure that we will find anyone as good as whom we have now. But I promise, when you are in the perfect will of God, the person whom He chooses is just that - perfect for you. Still, remember that it is not the spouse's duty to fulfill every need; that falls under God's job description. But it is our duty to take this blessed time of singleness (for those of us who are single) to develop ourselves in godly character. As a pastor friend of mine put it, "Then, look at the gift you have to present to your loved one."
Following God's path in anything - finding a life partner, a career, even a school - can be difficult. There will be things that tempt us as the easier, sensible choice. But hold firm to God. He has great plans for us, so we shouldn't sell ourselves short because of impatience or temporary emotions. Seek His perfect will through prayer. He promised that we will find it.
God bless,
Alisha
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