Be Still

Burdened by life's challenges. Overwhelmed by surrounding pressures. Moments of anxiety convincing you that "down" is the only direction your life will spiral...

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

This Scripture, so simple and yet so difficult. It's hard for us to wrap our minds around surrendering what appears insurmountable to someone else. Our worry gives us a twisted sense of control and we can't fathom victory in our lives apart from our own efforts. I mean after all this is BIG stuff we're faced with, but all of the stress and loss of sleep isn't quite working for us, is it?


Be still.

Part of the literal translation is "to let drop, let go, cease from striving, release." We need to drop our hands from fruitless, fleshly efforts, let go of the worry that torments our minds, tune out the other voices, and just release it to Him. KNOWING that He is God takes the pressure off of our shoulders to be in control, and allows Him to take over supernaturally. We need to get ourselves out of the way; lay back in His arms and know He's got this taken care of; that He only wants what's best for His child.


Yes, the giants in our life are big, but our Daddy is bigger!

Be still...

Love Your Neighbor

 

 

Is it merely a rule to live by?  Is it a way to prove our love for God?  Do we do it in hopes for a "blessed life?"  Surely loving others should be an attribute of those who say they love God, and there are indeed blessings in obedience, but ultimately all guidelines that God lays out for us are laced with an eternal purpose much bigger than ourselves.

The way we live our lives isn't only about us.  It isn't about being able to put a check mark on the clean conscience section of our Christianity.  It isn't even about hearing one day, "Well done, you good and faithful servant."  It's about people.  It's about every single person that God so chooses to cross our paths.  Starting in our homes with our spouse and children and stretching through every phone conversation, email exchange, and our day to day interactions.  All people.  We love others and do good because it is the right thing to do, yes, but also because in doing so it touches lives... for Him. 

When Jesus walked the earth, He presented a way of living among the people that reflected the Father.  This God they read about, this God they heard about... Jesus brought a visual of who that God was.  He came with a face to show He is a reachable God; making Himself available to all who called upon Him.  He came with skin to reveal He is a touchable God.  He came as a friend to confide in, and yet a servant that ultimately laid down His life for not only His friends, but for those who rejected Him.

We are called to do the same.  We are to put a face to the God we serve to everyone we encounter in life.  Our interaction with others is so far beyond doing right and being a nice person.  It is for the sake of THAT person.  We may never know on this side of Heaven what our influence will do, but it is so worth it.  Allowing God to shed His love upon others through us, what a privilege and responsibility to take seriously.

Think about this! Those who lowered the Apostle Paul through the window to escape the death threat on his life were actually letting down 13 books of the Bible! You never know the affect you have when you do something to help or encourage another... Your act of love could reshape one's entire future.  A generational domino effect!  :)

Woman at the Well

 

 

"You've been married FIVE times, are living with a man, and engaging in sex before marriage." 

Words of condemnation?  Was Jesus telling her she was unclean and needed to repent? OR were these words of compassion spoken from Love Himself? Perhaps revealing her secret in order to receive her heart.

He knew her.  He knew her pain. He knew her past.  He knew her present.   At that very moment, Jesus became the face of the Father that loves us no matter how stained and soiled we are.    Right smack dab in the middle of her mess, He initiates a relationship with her. 

This woman knew all about religion and the law.  I’m sure her family taught her the rules and traditions of what "worship" was to look like.  Yet her heart still ached.  There was a void that wasn't being filled by knowing all the right things to say and do.  She probably mastered the "art" of appearing religious, while maintaining a hidden lifestyle.   She grew to understand that acceptance and love are only given when you act a certain way and maintain a certain look.  Yet Jesus comes along and shows her another way.  He wasn’t interested in her weekly "timecard punch” at church, her singing a few songs, her fluent Christian lingo, or her proper and polite speech...  He wanted her eyes to be opened to true worship. Worship is about Him having all of her, and her having all of Him.  True worship is birthed out of relationship. 

He says, "I want you to understand My heart toward you.  I want you to know that I love you regardless of yourself.  I know all your weaknesses and sin struggles, and I still love you.  I already know that apart from My Spirit you cannot fix it yourself.  It’s out of a love relationship with Me where your true freedom is found.  Stop trying.  Stop beating yourself up because you keep messing up.  The more you drink of My life-giving water, you will learn how to just be.  It won't be striving anymore for you.  The only "doing" you need is to stay close to Me.   Staying close to Me is what worship is all about.  As I pour into you, who I've created you to be will come out naturally."

 

 

Drawing from a source

That is only temporary

A thirst never quenched

Issues only buried

 

A desire that is craved

But you never truly get

No matter how much you have

The need is never met

 

Come see what I offer

You’ll never again thirst

It’ll become a well within you

In which eternal life is birthed

 

If I told you all your secrets

And counted your failed tries

Would you draw from My well?

Where you’ll finally be satisfied?

 

(John 4)

 

Repentance

Oftentimes, we are so driven to a life of perfection and self willpower that our "repentance"  to God becomes a method.  It becomes about us; OUR feeling "a clean slate," OUR feeling "right," OUR success driven thinking to personally have victory over sin.  In doing so, we miss the real point of repentance:  An opportunity to connect with the very One whose heart we grieved.   A time to reflect on Who enables us to overcome.   A turning of direction.   A moment of embrace.   A beautiful occasion to hear, “You and I are okay.”

Worth It

As I walked one afternoon, I meditated on what may be two familiar verses to some:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

 

God loved us smack dab in the middle of our sin.  He demonstrated His love while we rejected Him.  He poured His life out as an offering with the chance we may never love Him back.  Why would He lay Himself down for us in the midst of our wickedness? Why would He provide a way of escape for us when we lived a life that mocked His ways?  Why?  In that moment of question, I felt Him gently speak, “Not because you were worthy of it, but because you were WORTH IT.”

 

Immediately I was reminded:

 

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

It is not a suggestion, but a commandment to love as He loved.  We are called to love those who do not deserve it.  Just saying we love people isn’t what He meant.  Love is a verb.  It is demonstrated in our actions, in our attitudes, in our words towards EVERYONE… even the unlovely.  Yes, even the one who disrespects you, the one who speaks evil of you, the one who has smeared your name, the one who has broken your heart, corrupt leaders, misguided politicians, the harsh boss that takes you for granted…

We've become accustomed to the idea that we are only to respect and love those who have earned it and are deserving of it. However, God's ways are much higher than our human logic:

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy; But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you to show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers alike. For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?  And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the heathen do that?  You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:42-48

Each of us was once lost in our sin and living a life separated from God… and yet - Jesus found us WORTH IT.  When we're tempted to pull our judgmental swords and withhold “the love of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts” let’s remember where we came from and love those who have not yet found The Way. 

"And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"  Romans 2:3-4

The goodness of God.  The goodness of God in what Jesus already did, the goodness of God in our everyday lives, and could it also be the goodness of God THROUGH US to others that will lead them to true repentance?  

 

May our love walk demonstrate the God who loved “while we were yet sinners.” May God's love in action - in us - be the very tool that gains us access to speak the Truth into those people’s lives who Jesus found WORTH IT! J

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xx0d3R2LoU