Don't Discount Ash and Dust

Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and formed a man from it. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nose, and the man became a living person.

Genesis 2:7 

Today is Ash Wednesday.  To some, that may be meaningless.  But consider that God took the dust of the ground, formed us, and breathed HIS OWN breath into us.  God also reminds us that, because we are dust and will return to dust, we should remember that God is God and loves us beyond our ability to perceive.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent and is purposed to consider our sins as ashes before Christ, so that we may spend the next 40 days focusing on Our Savior.  This year, as I have in years past, I am not focusing on giving up anything for Lent,  rather I will be focusing on adding to my Season of Lent.  This year, I want to focus on clearing my heart of anger, hurt, frustration, and replace them with caring, love, forgiveness.  This quest became clear to me over the course of this year past.  How can I properly pray if I am holding onto anger, hurt, and frustration?

"Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires." Psalm 51:10  This is my prayer.  Join me?

"NO FAIR!"

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

 - Matthew 5:43-48

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" Have you ever heard someone say that? Have you ever said that? I said it many times over the course of my life thus far.  Someone gets the promotion or job you wanted; someone hits the lottery; someone finds $100 in the parking lot; someone has the life we wanted and it's not fair so we blame God. Why?

Does God make the rain fall on one person and not another? Does God send the sun to warm one person but not another? Let's take it a little further. Does God offer His love, forgiveness, and mercy to one but not another? No, God offers to all.

When God brings rain, some will complain about the weather while some will dance it it. When God brings the sun, some will gripe about the heat while some enjoy the day. When God offers His love, forgiveness and mercy, some will say "I don't need anything from God. I've got this", while some are so grateful for His gifts that they follow and trust Him.

This world is not fair. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. What makes believers different? We share what God has given with others, even with those who don't appreciate it.

What's My Purpose?

“Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do." - Jeremiah 18:2-4

Have you ever watched a potter work with clay? It's pretty interesting. The potter has to make sure the clay doesn't get too dry; has to make sure the wheel spins at just the right speed; has to make sure the right pressure is applied in the right places at the right time to form the vessel.

I remember hearing this story in Sunday School. I had been discouraged and after hearing this story I told my pastor that God must be turning me into a dog dish. My pastor, whose keen wisdom had a way of clarifying even the most muddled minds, told me, "The potter makes whatever he wants out of the clay, but every piece he makes has a purpose to serve. You think you are being made into a dog dish? When we put food in the dog's dish we are showing the dog that we love them. So if God wants you to be a dog dish, share that love with every dog you see."

What is God turning you into? God makes each of us for a purpose. God has never made a mistake or a worthless pot, and He's not going to change that record for you.

Are You Serious?

The Disciples began to argue with one another about having no bread.

Mark 8:16 

 

"Don't make me stop this car!"  A statement my brother and I heard on every single family trip because when we were in close proximity to each other, we aggravated each other to the point Dad got testy.  I remember a pastor telling a similar story of his own trips with his two children, and he said, "Now I can appreciate a little of what Jesus had to put up with. I only have two children, Jesus had 12!"  

 

Jesus and the Disciples were headed off on another boat trip, when the Disciples discovered they only had a single loaf of bread for the journey.  That's when they started in on each other about who forgot to bring food, what are we going to do for food, and on, and on, and on.  Sound familiar? In my mind's eye, I sometimes wonder how many times Jesus rolled His eyes at the antics of these 12. I honestly believe that Jesus, being fully human yet fully divine, still had some human qualities.  I believe Jesus had times when He would laugh.  We know He cried. We know He got hungry.  We know He got tired.  I'll bet He had more than a few "are you kidding me?" moments with this band of brothers.

 

Jesus heard the bickering and finally stepped in.  “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened? ¹⁸ Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t you hear? Don’t you remember?"  The Disciples had been present when Jesus had performed miracle after miracle, yet they still worried about what they would have to eat.  So Jesus reminded them: ^"19 When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They replied, “Twelve.” ²⁰ “When I broke the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They replied, “Seven.”"

 

Don't we do the same thing?  We've experienced God's mercy, love, caring, and provision time after time, yet when we find ourselves in another quandary we worry.  Yes, I'm talking to my own insecurities as well.  God has promised to take care of us, that's His job! When we worry, we have, essentially fired God from His job because we don't believe He can perform.

 

After Jesus reminded the Disciples, and us, of the way He has provided when it seemed impossible, He asks them: ²¹ Then he said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

 

Abba, Forgive me when I doubt You. Help my unbelief. Remind me that, as Your child, You will ALWAYS provide.  Amen.  

 

"Why Did This Happen?"

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.  “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

John 9:1-2 

Have you ever noticed that when things are good, we never ask God "Why is this happening"?  But let something not-so-good happen and we cry out "Why Did This Happen?" There are those who will tell you that things will always be prosperity and happiness as long as you are "in God's good graces" and if things are not going well for you it's because you lack faith.

Look at today's passage...Jesus and his Disciples saw a man who had been blind since birth.  The Disciples asked, "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that cause him to be born blind?" Why did they ask this? Because that's what they had been taught!  If you are good, good things will happen to you.  If bad things happen, it's because God is not happy with you.  And here's the part that is frightening...we believe God is really that fickle!  We forget the part about God is love and loves us.  We forget that God is constant!

My favorite part of this passage is verse 3 where Jesus tells the Disciples: "It was not because of his sins nor his parents' sins, but that the POWER of God could be seen."  When bad things happen to us, it isn't because of our sins. God is the one with the power over everything and every circumstance.  Sometimes He allows us to endure bad times because He wants to show others through us that He has the power to handle every single thing!

Irritated With Christ?

This time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!

Luke 5:6 

 

Remember in "Forrest Gump" when Forrest first bought a shrimping trawler and spent day after day catching nothing but tires, license plates and various garbage from the sea floor?  Peter and his crew had spent the entire night fishing with absolutely no success.  As you can imagine, they were probably exhausted, frustrated, and ready to go home to rest.  Yet here came this "Jesus" guy wanting them to take him out a little way from shore so he could teach.  When he finished teaching, Jesus told Peter and company to go out deeper and cast their nets again.

 

Now, Peter and his crew were sore, exhausted, and frustrated, so when Jesus told them to go out further and throw out their nets, I'm willing to bet that Peter was more than a little irritated.  After all, Peter's business was fishing.  He, most likely learned the trade from his father going back several generations.  Peter knew fishing better than the back of his hand. So to have this Carpenter's son tell him where and how to throw out his nets must have been a bit chafing.  I mean, who is THIS guy to tell the PROFESSIONAL how to do his job?  That would be something similar to telling a trained mechanic how to change your oil.

 

But while Peter knew about fishing...Jesus knew Peter and He also knew fish because God had created both.  So, I imagine with a snort of derision and a touch of sarcasm, Peter told his crew to head out into deep water so they can toss out their nets.  Imagine how embarrassed Peter was when THIS TIME, their nets were so full that they began to tear.  Not only that, but they were so full that Peter had to call for help.  Both boats were so full that they were both on the verge of sinking.  Peter fell at the feet of Jesus and begged Him to go away and leave him alone because Peter disbelieved.

 

Now...look at the end of verse 10: [Jesus said to Peter] "Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men."  Have you ever wondered why Jesus tells people over and over "Do not be afraid"?  Because we become fearful with Jesus shows us a new way of thinking, a new way of ministering, a new way of relating, a new way to reach others for Him.  We may get stuck in the idea of "This how we have ALWAYS done it before" that we close our minds to what can be!  Open your ears, open your eyes, open your hearts!  There are people that need to know what it is to just be loved!

"But...what about him?"

So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to live until I come back, what concern is that of yours? You follow me!” 

John 21:21-22 

One of the phrases my parents heard quite often, way back when I was a child, was "But what about him?" referring to my brother. Both of us would be aggravating each other, yet when I was the one who was called out, I was offended and wanted to remind my parents that I wasn't the only one being rowdy.  My parents had the same response that Jesus had for Peter: "You don't need to worry about anyone else except you right now".  

You see, we have the tendency of wanting others to want to know everyone else's business instead of focusing on what God has planned for each of us.  God has an INDIVIDUAL plan for each of us. Our job is to focus on Him, and ask Him to reveal that plan to us.  Our enemy will whisper to us how unfair God is for growing us when we don't see others enduring the same (or greater) growing pains.

Jesus tells us, as He told Peter, "Your job is to follow Me. NOT worry about what everyone else is doing."

Think About It

Files....we have lots of them.....gazillions of pieces of information about our existence.  Listing any accolades we may have received; awards we may have been given; corrections, address changes, marital changes, additions to insurance.....all kinds of tidbits of information.  If I picked up a file and read the contents, I could learn quite a lot about a person, but I would not be able to learn much of WHO the person happens to be.Recently, it hit me that our lives are merely reduced to a few pages in a file and a few lines in an obituary.  

Is that all God created us to be?  Mere pages and a few lines?  Absolutely NOT!  WE are the ones who have done that.  God created us to interact with each other; have an impact on each other; care about each other; support each other; help each other and, dare I say it, LOVE each other!  God designed our lives to go beyond our years on this rock.  God designed us in such a way that we are the legacy of the generations who were before us.  God designed us in such a way that we leave a legacy in the generations who will come after us.

How do we create such a legacy?  Let me give you something to think about: "It is in the every day acts of kindness toward others that leave the most lasting impressions."

Let's start right this minute and take our lives from the pages of a file to living the legacy we want to leave. 

 "Whenever you are able, do good to people who need help" (Proverbs 3:27).

 "When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10).

"It's Hard to be Humble...."

"Look at what you were when God called you"

1 Corinthians 1:26 

 

Do you believe that God blesses our minuscule faith?  He does.  He takes that tiniest speck of faith and nurtures it so that it will grow.  In the beginning, we are extremely humble that God would take such an interest in us.  Somewhere along the line, the enemy seeks to corrupt that gift...not by stealing it, rather by applauding it.  

 

Think about it.  When we begin to receive accolades for our "humility" it feels good.  When people notice and acknowledge our "humility" we begin to think a bit better of ourselves.  The more our "humility" is noticed, the less humble we become.  THAT is the enemy corrupting God's gift to us, by making us proud of our "humility."

 

The Apostle reminds himself AND us that we must remember where we were when God called us.  Were you in the depths of despair?  Were you embroiled in some sort of habitual sin?  Who WERE you when God touched your soul and claimed you as His?  The best way to remain humble is to continually remember where God found us and thank Him!