I'm sure we have all come across problems that are not our own, yet have adopted them confidently, knowing that some how, some way, we are going to find a solution and make everything better. I have been in the middle of an internal battle for nearly two months now because of this.
I'm not going to go into the details simply because that is not what this post is about. It is about letting go and letting God. Every problem I hear about does not equal me taking care of it. I know that prayer is powerful. I know that God answers all prayers. Absolutely all of them. And that not all answers are what I wanted or expected, but all answers that God gives are the best answers there are. So why do I constantly act as though prayer isn't enough? Why must I try to fix things that are entirely too big for me to take on?
I am constantly in need of God's grace as I continually stumble through life. He must chuckle at me every time I try to do His job. My job is to love. Deeply and fully. Even when it is hard.
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails...There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord... There is surely a hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." (Selection of God's promises.)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
I have everything in common with Christians
Is that true? Do all Brothers and Sisters in Christ have everything in common? We should. Or at least that is the example that the Jerusalem church left for us. Yet here in America we are too caught up with denominations, moral issues, who is voting for which candidate, and even which church sings contemporary vs. traditional that we have neglected to love each other and stand united on the front lines of the battlefield.
I am not saying that issues where we, as individuals, take a stance are not important. To each of us, our beliefs make up who we are. We sometimes let them define us to our core. But I believe that too long as Christians in this nation, we have let outside things that we believe define us rather than our belief in Jesus being the core of who we are.
Acts 4:32 reads "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common." I have heard this passage preached on several times, and each time I am convicted by my lack of love for fellow believers, our lack of unity in the American church, and my unwillingness to let what is mine be yours as well.
We, myself included, have to stop caring about ourselves selfishly, and start caring about each other. We need to start loving each other. We need to enjoy the company of our fellow brothers and sisters. We need to encourage one another, build each other up. We need to strive to be like our Brother, Jesus Christ, following His example, and following the example of the brothers He left to spread the gospel; we need to strive to be a church that has one heart and one soul.
The church in America has become political. We have conservatives and liberals. There are issues that no matter how hard we try, we won't reconcile. It is my belief that those things aren't reconcilable because we allow our ideas and desires to be more important than God's. We let the world shape what we think 'should be,' and turn our backs on what God's Word says. I've seen it, and it absolutely breaks my heart. I can't express in words how sad my soul becomes when I think about the church being split on issues that are so clearly, in my eyes, pointed out in the Bible with no gray area. How do we fix it? We don't. We can't. But God can. And we, as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, need (and this is not to be taken lightly or be convicted of and then forget) to become a nation that prays. It isn't an option. We must become prayer warriors not only for each other, but for the church as a whole. We must ask that the Holy Spirit move in the life of the church, and move in our lives, to unite us. For God to have His way with us. To get us out of the way so that Christ can live through us. And truly shine in our lives.
I am not saying that issues where we, as individuals, take a stance are not important. To each of us, our beliefs make up who we are. We sometimes let them define us to our core. But I believe that too long as Christians in this nation, we have let outside things that we believe define us rather than our belief in Jesus being the core of who we are.
Acts 4:32 reads "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common." I have heard this passage preached on several times, and each time I am convicted by my lack of love for fellow believers, our lack of unity in the American church, and my unwillingness to let what is mine be yours as well.
We, myself included, have to stop caring about ourselves selfishly, and start caring about each other. We need to start loving each other. We need to enjoy the company of our fellow brothers and sisters. We need to encourage one another, build each other up. We need to strive to be like our Brother, Jesus Christ, following His example, and following the example of the brothers He left to spread the gospel; we need to strive to be a church that has one heart and one soul.
The church in America has become political. We have conservatives and liberals. There are issues that no matter how hard we try, we won't reconcile. It is my belief that those things aren't reconcilable because we allow our ideas and desires to be more important than God's. We let the world shape what we think 'should be,' and turn our backs on what God's Word says. I've seen it, and it absolutely breaks my heart. I can't express in words how sad my soul becomes when I think about the church being split on issues that are so clearly, in my eyes, pointed out in the Bible with no gray area. How do we fix it? We don't. We can't. But God can. And we, as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, need (and this is not to be taken lightly or be convicted of and then forget) to become a nation that prays. It isn't an option. We must become prayer warriors not only for each other, but for the church as a whole. We must ask that the Holy Spirit move in the life of the church, and move in our lives, to unite us. For God to have His way with us. To get us out of the way so that Christ can live through us. And truly shine in our lives.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Welcome Back
This is more of a welcome back to myself. Over the last several months, I have taken a break from blogging...from writing really. I've picked up a new hobby: crocheting. Not crocheting just anything. I've only been crocheting Baby Beanies due to being pregnant and wanting to purchase every beanie I saw.
Two posts ago I wrote about how my patience was wearing thin while waiting on God to open up the door for Zane and I: where he was going to work, where we were going to move, our lives changing drastically with needing a new church, a new OB at 30 weeks pregnant, etc. Wouldn't you know that God had everything work out? All for His glory, and I wish I could have been more patient during that time. More joyful. That my trust in Him would have shined through more than my weariness of waiting.
So we now live outside Nashville, TN. Which is PERFECT! It might not have been what we had our sights on, but God brought us somewhere that feels like 'home.' At least, as much as a place on earth can feel like home. Zane has a job, we have found a church, I adore my OB, and we had a....the wait is over, baby BOY!
Little Roman was welcomed into our family a couple of days after his due date, stubborn boy. (He gets that from my side of the family.)
I look forward to writing again as I'm inspired more and more by God, his gifts, and my family. Have a beautiful day, and whatever God is doing in your life right now, be patient. He will see His plan come through!
Two posts ago I wrote about how my patience was wearing thin while waiting on God to open up the door for Zane and I: where he was going to work, where we were going to move, our lives changing drastically with needing a new church, a new OB at 30 weeks pregnant, etc. Wouldn't you know that God had everything work out? All for His glory, and I wish I could have been more patient during that time. More joyful. That my trust in Him would have shined through more than my weariness of waiting.
So we now live outside Nashville, TN. Which is PERFECT! It might not have been what we had our sights on, but God brought us somewhere that feels like 'home.' At least, as much as a place on earth can feel like home. Zane has a job, we have found a church, I adore my OB, and we had a....the wait is over, baby BOY!
I look forward to writing again as I'm inspired more and more by God, his gifts, and my family. Have a beautiful day, and whatever God is doing in your life right now, be patient. He will see His plan come through!
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