It's A Struggle~

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor 

and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."

Ephesians 4:31

 I've been struggling of late.  An event occurred in my family over Christmas which brought back to my mind a lot of negative memories from my past.  The more I remembered, the angrier I became.  I know in my heart of hearts that I cannot change anything in the past.  I also know in my heart of hearts that holding onto my anger and resentment is not only sinful, but it also destroys my joy.  This I openly confess: I've been angry and resentful about things I can not change or alter.

Having said that, Abba has reminded me, in His ever so gentle poke between my eyes, that the reason I entertained the anger and resentment was due to my own lack of faith!  In my own weakness, I listened to the whispers of the enemy.  You see, that is one of the ways our enemy works...waits until we are weak and then whispers to us to "remember when...?".

When Oliver Cromwell died and the monarchy was restored, the powers that be were so angry with Cromwell that they supposedly had his corpse exhumed, had it whipped, hung and beheaded.  Why do this to something that was already dead?  The same reason I brought to my own mind those "corpses" of past events...namely because I wanted to. It's just that plain and simple.  I listened to the one who does NOT have my best interests in mind and wants to keep my focus off of the ONE who does.  And I fell right into that pit.

Therefore, I am learning and will continue to learn to leave the past in the past.  Let it go!!!  Turn EVERYTHING over to Abba, and let Him deal with it!

 

"Do It For YOU!"

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Colossians 3:13

We've discussed this before, but I felt compelled to broach the subject again...FORGIVENESS!  We want it. We like knowing that we have been forgiven. But we're not so keen to be the Forgiver!  In fact, we seem to rather enjoy holding grudges.  We even trot them out every so often to look at them again. We talk about them.  We hope others will join us in our grudges.  It's almost as if we are addicted to them and we don't know how we can live without them. In the prayer that Jesus taught His Disciples, there is the line: "And forgive us OUR trespasses IN THE SAME WAY WE forgive those who trespass against us."

Think about this: What purpose do grudges serve?  What purpose does our anger serve?  What do these two do to the ministry you have?  Yes, each of us has a ministry. We are to be the example of Christ in this world.  How can we be the example of Christ when we are unwilling to forgive?

Have you ever thought about the things we do instead of forgiving?  Let me tell you some of the things I have done. Stopped speaking to them....I would talk about them, but not to them. I would avoid going to places I thought they might be. I would, on occasion, ask God to punish them for what they had done to offend me.  Any of these sound familiar?

What God showed me when I prayed that He would punish them, was the heavy burden I was carrying.  Holding onto grudges is like pushing a car uphill with the emergency brake on.  It would be much easier to get inside and drive it uphill, but means we'd have to let go of the burden.  We MUST learn to let go of the anger.  We MUST learn to let go of the grudges. We MUST learn to love others as Christ loves us (Jesus died for them just as He did for us).

When we truly forgive, we take away the power that our enemy has over us.

The Courage to Pray for Dragons

But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 

Luke 6:27-28 

 

One of my favorite books is "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Perhaps you've read it.  One of the most interesting characters in this tale, for me, is Smaug the Dragon.  Greedy, evil, laughed about hurting others, very self-serving.  Believe it or not, each of us have Smaugs in our lives, those who want your demise (personally, professionally, relationally).  These people want to promote themselves by tearing you down.  

 

Know a Smaug in your life?  What is our reaction when our dragon(s) cause us pain and suffering?  Anger, frustration, thoughts of revenge are our natural responses to the pain caused by our Smaugs.  Sometimes we even try to involve God in our desire for retaliation and revenge, praying that God would do to them what they did to us (only worse).

 

Yet Jesus teaches a different approach.  Not only did Jesus tell us to treat others in the same way we would like to be treated by them, He also teaches that we should pray FOR them, do good FOR them, LOVE them.  All of which go against our natural responses.  We have to DECIDE to follow Jesus' teachings!  

 

And here's the kicker, praying for them, doing good for them, loving them...it's not FOR them!  It's for US!  When we change our perspective, God will change our hearts.  Jesus never said it would be easy...He said it's the right thing to do.

Does Your Past Control Your Present And Your Future?

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:13-14 

 

In Philippians 3, Paul reminds the church at Philippi that he hasn't yet arrived in life. He will still make mistakes. But he doesn't let his past dictate his future either. He strives forward with the goal of Christ at the forefront. And the Apostle Paul's resume has mine beat. He tortured, imprisoned, and murdered Christians before his conversion. Just imagine how much shame and guilt he could have had around that portion of his life. Instead, he doesn't let his past wounds and sins dictate who he is in the present.

 

When we choose freedom from our past, it's because we see ourselves as Christ sees us—holy and blameless due to his life, death, and resurrection that covers our past. We're not fatherless. We're not alcoholics or addicts. We're not even victims. All those words people and society have lobbed at us no longer hold any power over us because Jesus gives us a new heart and a new mind that breathes his unending love into our being. But that's the hard part also, because it's a choice. We can hand over our identity to Christ and let him impart a new one, or we can continue to believe the lies the accuser whispers to us.

 

But like Paul reminds us, we will stumble along the way. The life of faith and our identity in Christ is a marathon, not a sprint. The goal of a marathon for most people is just to complete the race. As long as you keep running, you'll reach the finish line. Don't forget to keep your eyes fixed on the finish line and the way Christ continues to cheer for you. The past is behind you, but the future looks bright.
 

Best Words To Hear

When Jesus saw their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 5:20 

 

I was sitting in a Seminary Class with a lot on my mind, when the Professor said something that cut through my foggy mind. "You can only love to the extent you have experienced love.  You can only forgive to the extent you have experienced forgiveness."  Honestly, I didn't really hear the rest of the lecture because my mind grabbed those two statements and began pondering them.

 

How many times do we say "I love you" without ever meaning it?  How many times do we say "I forgive you" yet we refuse to?  If you have ever known the forgiveness of Christ, you know what an indescribable feeling that is.  Why would we not want to share that with each other?  If you have ever experienced the unconditional love of God, you know what joy it is to know that you are accepted and loved in spite of our past, present and future.  Why would we want to withhold that from each other.

 

 Today, I issue this challenge: Let us love and forgive each other as we are loved and forgiven by God through Christ. 

The Gift

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Ephesians 2:8-9 

I found a quote, by Max Lucado, that resonated with me: "To accept grace is the vow to GIVE it.  You don't endorse the deeds of your offender when you forgive them. Jesus didn't endorse your sins by forgiving you. The grace-defined person, still sends thieves to jail and expects the ex to pay child support. Grace see the hurt full well. BUT grace refuses to let hurts poison the heart."

Now, according to my research, the word "Grace" is the Greek word "charis" which means "good will, loving kindness, favor - of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues"

If we are willing to accept God's grace and forgiveness, we must be gracious to those who would cause us hurt and refuse to allow the hurt to poison our hearts.  One of the most freeing things you can do is to be gracious enough to forgive!

Out Of Options

“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

John 5:7 

 

Ever feel as though, no matter how hard you worked, you just didn't seem to be getting any better?  Have you ever felt guilty, especially after you asked God to forgive you?  You look at your options and find that you don't have any?

 

In today's story, from John 5, there is a man who has been invalid for years.  At the Pool of Bethseda, when the water bubbled up, the FIRST person into the water would be healed, and this man had been waiting and trying to get in on his own, but couldn't.  Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed and the man replied that he has no one to put him in the pool.  He was out of options and seems to have resigned himself to his state.

 

Now Jesus could have simply told the man, "Hate it for you. Have a good day." and walked away.  But is that how Jesus worked?  Instead, Jesus offered the man another option when he told the man to get up, take up his mat and go home.  This man took the new option Jesus offered him.  How about us?  Over and over, Jesus tells us that our sins are forgiven, yet do we really take Him up on His offer?  Imagine if we actually took His offered option and stopped letting guilt run our lives.  Imagine if we actually took His offered option and quit worrying about things we have done for which we have been forgiven.

 

What's stopping us from taking His offered option? 

We Need To Shift Our Focus

Every single time you see them, you feel the pain all over again and the anger boils over again, and you "Just can't forgive them."  I get it.  There are people in my life who have hurt me and I still struggle with being able to forgive them.  

How many times have we recited the Lord's prayer, "And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" while we are holding on the the anger and hurt while choosing to NOT forgive them?  Here's something God has been showing me: Hanging on to the hurt and anger is just as much of a decision as it is to let go of it and forgive them.  

When I am faced with the choice to hang onto the anger or to forgive, I will hang onto whatever I am focused on.  Therefore, I need to change my focus from the person, deed, word, that caused me pain, to focus on the One who forgives me!  If we want a deeper relationship with Christ, we must remember that relationships don't thrive because the guilty are punished, they thrive because the innocent are merciful.  Christ has been merciful with us, so who are we to withhold mercy from those we should forgive?

Ponder that for a bit. 

How Strong Are YOU?

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Colossians 3:11 

 

When you think of strength, what comes to mind?  Could it be extreme muscular abilities?  How about someone who can remain calm in the face of terrifying circumstances? When we think of strength, it usually involves some physical or mental capability. However, one of the greatest feats of strength is to FORGIVE. And forgiveness is one of the most precious gifts we have to give.

 

Let's take a look at that for a moment, shall we?  If someone has hurt you or a family member it is very natural and easy to hold a grudge and, quite probably, seek revenge in some way. Yet every moment we hold onto a grudge, the venom seeps into our spirit and turns us bitter.  However, when we go against our nature and forgive, we are expressing that the love we have for others, even those who have hurt us, is far more important to have than to do without.  

Being angry, hurt and carrying a grudge is easy...for a while.  Soon it will become a burden that will eventually destroy us and rob us of any joy!  Let us also consider how God forgives us....quickly and without malice.

 

Edward Teech, also known as the pirate Blackbeard, upon choosing to leave Charleston Harbor after he got his ransom rather than destroying the entire city, is credited with saying, "True power comes in knowing you can utterly destroy, and so do they, yet you choose, instead, to withhold your hand."    

 

So the question we need to address is "How Strong Are YOU?"

Thief!!!

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come so that they may have life,

and may have it abundantly."

John 10:10

 

Believe it or not, there are those who do not believe the Pit Dweller exists. Because if he exists then we have a choice to make; if he doesn't exist, we can just chalk our sins up to "human nature" and thus deny any responsibility for our actions and words.

 

The Pit Dweller is very real and very active.  His purpose is to steal our joy and sense of security in Christ, so he can replace it with fear and doubt.  His purpose is to kill our desire to seek God and reach out in love to others.  His purpose is to destroy your desire to love and care so that EVERY relationship and friendship will become a source of pain and anger.

 

Today...this very moment...you must decide to pull out ALL stops and go to God for your warplan. Brace yourself for the fight like no other. The Pit Dweller does not fight fair and takes no prisoners, and gives no quarter. 

 

God found you worthy of Christ's coming to die for you...what worth do you place on His gift?  Is it worth fighting for?  Is it worth forgiving others for?  Is it worth letting go of your anger and animosity for? Is it worth reaching out to restore those bruised and broken relationships for?

 

You decide! 

Load Too Heavy Yet?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 

 

 Way back when I was in the Army, our diabolical Drill Sergeants had pounded into us that when one wins ALL are winners and when one fails ALL pay the price.  And guess what we finally figured out?  When one of us won, that meant the rest of us had failed and we had to bare the punishment.  I told you they were diabolical!

 

In order to teach us teamwork, they had a telephone pole which we were expected to pick up and carry with us throughout the "Day of Punishment."  When it was chow time, we had to either eat in shifts or learn to eat one handed, because our friend the Pole was not permitted to touch the ground.  Thankfully, our platoon happened to be quick studies and it didn't take us long to learn to work together as a single unit.

 

There are no words which could possibly express the relief when we finally got to "Put The Pole To Bed." Nor are there words which can accurate describe the aching muscles we experienced for the following three days.  I found it rather odd that our Chaplain chose the Sunday of after we put the pole to bed to share with us Matthew 11:28-30.

 

Here I am, years later, remembering that enormous burden we carried and remembering the burden of the sins I carry (my past, my present, my actions, my words, my thoughts), that pole cannot compare to the burden of sin.  Yet, Jesus invites us to "Put The Pole To Bed" and take his lightweight yoke (love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; Love your neighbor as yourself).  Which would be easier to carry?

I'm Supposed To Do WHAT?

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32 

Is there ANYONE among us who has not done or said something so boneheaded that we wished we could disappear?  How many of us have blurted out something in a moment of anger that we wish we could take back?  How many of us have done something we wish we could undo?  If you have never made a blunder, then I'd truly like to shake your hand.

How many of us would you think are carrying some sort of grudge because of something that was said or done?  Here's a nugget of information: More people that will admit are carrying around a grudge because of something someone has done or said, and we have carried it for so long that we don't realize the way it slowly changes us into cynics.  That cynicism will seep into every aspect of life and can ruin relationships once held dear.

We sometimes choose to hang on to the anger and hurt rather than risk forgiving, because we want the person who caused our pain and anger to suffer!  WE want THEM to suffer!  Why?  Who made us their judge, jury and executioner?  And, if we are wanting them to suffer for what they did to us, doesn't that make us....just.....like....them?  You see, revenge is NOT forgiveness.  Revenge is not a prerequisite to forgiveness!  Revenge has no part in the forgiveness process.

I've said it before and I will say it again, "Forgiveness isn't true forgiveness unless it costs YOU something!  It will cost you the perceived right of revenge.  It will cost you the bruises of the pain caused to you.  It will cost you!"  Having said that, forgiveness does not mean we forget what has happened.  Forgiveness quite literally means: "To send away."  In truth, when we forgive, we are sending away the pain and anger.  When we forgive, we no longer hold their words or deeds against them (even if they never apologize), because we are sending the situation to God to deal with.

As a matter of fact, next time you are tempted to be unforgiving, as this question: "If that were me, how would I want to be treated?"  Let's be honest, we are ALL guilty and we ALL want to be forgiven, so if God forgives us because of Christ Jesus who are we to do any less?

Today's Challenge....Getting Along!

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Colossians 3:13-15 

 

Wonder what would happen if your fingers no longer liked being part of the same body as your mouth and, as a result, decided not to put food in your mouth anymore? What would be the end result?  Your body would slowly starve to death.  Now, while that is a far-fetched analogy, isn't that the same thing we do when we refuse to be part of one another?  

 

Someone says something that we don't like, or does something that offends us, and we get angry then we just ignore them (much like the fingers ignored the mouth), and what is the end result?  We are called to live in peace with one another, encouraging each other, being thankful for each other, and loving each other (sometimes in spite of each other).

Yeah, I got a whack between the eyes with this one too.  Today's challenge is to get along with others.  Talk with someone you haven't spoken to in a while because of a falling out.  Lift each other up and encourage each other.  Be thankful for each others, after all, God brought each person into our lives for a purpose.  Remember, we are ONE body!

Replace Your Load!

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32

I'm guilty of it, and if I'm guilty all of us are.  We have some sort of disagreement or we get upset with someone and we hang on to it, all the while putting on the appearance that we have a halo and are angelic in our conduct.  And we lie to ourselves.  We're not lying to God, because He already knows we're full of.....well.......garbage.  And we are broken. We need help to become unbroken.

We think things and say things that can damage someone, destroy their reputation, crush their ministry, and not think twice about it because "they deserved it."  Honestly, thinking back, I don't know what, if any, effect this might have, but if I have said or done something that has offended you, or hurt you, or caused you grief, please accept my apology. 

As Believers, we are to BE the epitome of verse 32.  We should be so kind to each other that others wonder why we're so weird.  We should be so tenderhearted that we are the first to apologize, and we should also be so tenderhearted that we are the first to forgive.  Why?  Because of the example of Christ who took our garbage with Him to the Cross. 

 

When You Walk Through A Cattle Pasture...

So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

James 4:7 

The question was asked of me, "If I have forgiven someone who has hurt me, but when I come in contact with them, I get angry and upset all over again, does that mean I haven't truly forgiven them?"  Forgiveness is not forgiveness unless it costs you!  End of story!  Forgiveness will cost you the "right" of revenge.  Forgiveness will cost you the "right" to slap on a happy mask and pretend everything is okay.  You see, forgiving someone does not mean the scars are gone.  And if someone has hurt you, then forgiveness might even cost you a relationship with that person.

One thing to consider, Forgiveness does not remove the temptation to let our humanity show.  Take for example if I get a bottle of water, and that water is scalding hot, the wise thing for me to do is not touch that bottle until I can handle the heat.  The same applies when others hurt us.  We can forgive them, but the wise thing to do is to not be in proximity of the person who hurt us until we are completely able to handle their company without being fake.  Why? Because once you have forgiven someone who has hurt you, you don't want to be tempted to be hurt by them again or to become angry with them again.  You should distance yourself from them until that hurt within you has healed completely.

If you are familiar with cows, they are quite prolific in the manufacture of manure and aren't too particular where they leave this gift.  I don't know about you, but I've never seen anyone who works with cows walking through a pasture without shoes, boots, waders, or some covering.  Why? Because once you've stepped in it, you learn it's not something you want to step into again.

Think of it this way, if you know that where the traps are, wouldn't it be wiser to walk around them rather than step into them.  We are told to resist temptation.  When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, His approach was to remind us that the temptation to do wrong begins in the heart.

Therefore, if you want to avoid the temptation, sometimes you have to separate yourself from the place where your temptation lurks.  The enemy knows where you struggle and sets traps for you, avoid them!

How Many Lives?

Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. 

You will reap exactly what you plant. 

Galatians 5:7 

 

Wouldn't it be good if we were all like Pinocchio, so that every time we told a lie our noses would grow?  I'm willing to wager that the world would be a much quieter place because people would be afraid to talk. Yet we seem to enjoy telling each other what we think they want to hear so we can get what WE want out of them.  And, on the other side of that, there are those who will blindly believe everything they are told by some because they want to be "supportive" and "help them."  

 

There is a word for the ones who blindly believe....ENABLER!  We are willing to believe any melodramatic tale, any wild story, any improbable yarn because we want to be helpful and we don't want to be "Confrontational."  So, we listen.....we give in......and we lose a bit of ourselves every single time....then when our enabling is pointed out....WE become the liars (agreeing with the person who pointed out our enabling, telling them whatever we think they want to hear so we can go right back to being a doormat for the person we are enabling).  Grandparents do this with their grandchildren.  Parents do this with their children.  And on and on.  Because life is "mean" and we "don't want them to get hurt."  

 

So we enable.  We give.   Then we lie to others.  Every lie we tell damages the very relationship that could help us.  Yet we don't seem to want help.  We have gotten used to being used.  

 

Remember this: "NO ONE makes a fool of God!"  Did you get that?  NO ONE!  What a person plants is what they will reap.  If you plant lies, expect to be lied to.  In Galatians 6:5, the Apostle Paul is crystal clear:  "EACH OF YOU MUST CARRY HIS OWN LOAD!" 

 

Remember the story of the Prodigal Son?  The son had to face the reality of his own decisions and actions!  The father forgave him and welcomed him back AFTER he understood that his actions had consequences.  AND the father reminded the other son that the prodigal was no longer entitled to any inheritance because he had already squandered his share.

 

So think about this:  YOU have your OWN life to live.    If you have vowed before God to share that life with your spouse, NOTHING should get in the way and NO ONE should be put between you and your spouse!  When we enable, we destroy our own lives, the lives of the ones we are enabling, and any relationships we had hoped to encourage us.

 

In other words, "You can't through manure in the well and serve it up as pudding!"

Pete's VERY Bad Day!

So they arrested Jesus and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

Luke 22:54-56

Pete was not having a good day.  His best friend had just been arrested and hauled off to bond court, and the rest of his friends had disappeared like a burp in a tornado.  Pete followed the guards to the bond court building but waited outside.  Some of the guards decided to warm themselves with a little fire and Pete joined them.  Then some girl started yapping about how Pete was one of the Accused's buddies!  

Pete had a choice to make and neither option was going to go well for him.  He could admit to being part of the Accused's gang and face the same consequences or he could deny everything and lose all face with those he counted on so closely.  What would you have done? 

Pete was NOT having a good day.  The choice he made was the choice he had been told he would make (and the choice he adamantly declared he would NEVER make).  And because of Pete's decision, his best friend was killed and his other friends went back to their lives.  But Pete knew.

But here's the part we tend to forget. Pete had gone back to his fishing career with his partners and while they were pulling up empty nets for the umpteenth time Jesus called out to them and told them to try the other side.  When they did, they had so many fish that Pete's boat started to sink and they had to call another boat to come help.  Eventually, Pete figured out that the man giving them advice was his best friend, Jesus, so Pete jumped out of the boat and swam back to shore where he found Jesus cooking fish for breakfast.

Jesus also had a choice at this point.  He could tell Peter to what a freaking idiot he was for denying Him and tell Pete EXACTLY what he should do to himself (and the boat he rowed in on), or Jesus could tell Peter what Peter needed at that point....another chance.  Jesus reminded Peter that he was still loved by Jesus and that he was forgiven.  Because of Jesus' decision to give Peter a second chance, Peter was instrumental in building the ministry that became the church.

Let me ask you something...ever made a decision your regretted?  Me too.  LOTS of them.  Ever been given a second chance?  Yes.  Now for the hard questions: Have you even had someone make a bad decision that hurt you deeply?  I have.  Have you ever offered them a second chance? 

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!

For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.

~Ecclesiastes 3:1

A couple of years ago, for all my Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffett did a little ditty called "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere."  The point of the song is exactly what Solomon is reminding us in  today's Scripture!  There is a time for everything, and that means the time is always NOW!  Think about this message! 

This means:

     *  the time to do what is right is NOW!

     *  the time to tell your loved ones that you love them is NOW!

     *  the time to do your best at work is NOW!

     *  the time to make those positive changes is NOW!

     *  the time to stop procrastinating is NOW!

     *  the time to make things right with someone you are on the outs with....is NOW!

     *  the time to be that good friend is NOW!

     *  the time to step up and PARENT is NOW!

     *  the time to stop cutting corners is NOW!

     *  the time to remember that you are God's chosen child and act like it, is NOW!

     *  the time to stand on your own two feet is NOW!

The time to do the best things for yourself and for those you care about....is NOW!  Make those changes! Mend those relationships! Take those steps! Do it NOW!  After all....It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!

                            

5 O'Clock

God Is How Big?

And we know that God causes everything to work

 together for the good of those who love God and are 

called according to his purpose for them.

~Romans 8:28

 

 

This verse seems to be unclear for many, so let's take a look at it.  How big is God to you?  Is God only God when you think you need Him?  Is God only God when you find yourself on the horns of a dilemma? Is God the one you say "thank you" to at mealtime?  Is God the one you call to when things are not going according to your plan?  Is God surprised by the things we do, think, or say?  Is God ever taken off guard?  Can we hide from God?

 

Let me be blunt...

     * God is the God who spoke the entirety of everything into creation.  

     * God is the God who took dust, shaped it, and breathed life into it and called his breath bag "Adam."  

     * God is the one who told the sea that they can only come so far and no farther.  

     * God is the one who named every single star.  

     * God is the one who knows exactly how many hairs you have.  

     * God is the one who satan has to report to, and God also has set limits on satan (not to mention has already defeated him). 

     * God is the one who knows everything about everything because He made everything.

     * God is the one who tells us not to worry because He has everything under control.

     * God is the one who reminds us to let Him fight our battles for us.

     * God is the one who has never lied.

     * God is the one who cannot be defeated.

     * God is a LOT smarter than we could ever hope to be.

     * God is ALWAYS with us even when we can't see Him because we are focused on our storms.

     * God is the God who takes our screw-ups, mistakes, blunders, and outright defiant rebellion and works it all for OUR good.

     * God is the one who woke you up this morning (and let you see the world around you).

     * God is the one who created all those amazing place we dream about going to relax.

     * God is the one who put the mountains in their place in such a way as to direct the winds.

     * God is also the one who put beaches at the edge of the ocean to draw us there.

     * God is the one who CALLS US BY NAME and loves us more than we will ever understand or appreciate.  He loves us IN SPITE of ourselves.

 

So let me ask you again, "Just how big is YOUR God?"