One of the biggest reasons that the prosperity gospel is flawed would be ‘the come up.’ Most people do not do well with a drastic and/sudden change in resources and lifestyle. There is something to be said for working and earning what one has over time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a more comfortable lifestyle. But the truth is that too many become ugly inside from how having money changes the individual.
If too much is given or obtained too quickly, there is a lack of appreciation for what one has and nothing is sufficient or enough. But there is also the lack of empathy for those around the one who feels that they are now removed from their previous situation. It manifest in many ways but in most cases it makes one a great consumer and not a producer. The money is not the problem, the true refection of the heart is the problem. I would even go so far as to say that money can have a negative affect on a person's prayer life. This is why Christians often times dont do well with wealth, the wealth comes at the cost of having a heart, toward God and others.
Consumers are those who love to use their spending power on things that they didn’t have before. How one spends their resources is the easiest way to tell old money from new money. New money makes poor spending decisions on items that are mostly for bragging rights and with very little or no asset value, and most often to impress people who are not impressed anyway. It is the fear of depravity wearing a mask of abundance. It is a facade.
The sudden ability to have what one never had before becomes overwhelming and even can lead to poor decision-making and gluttony. Being a consumer becomes addictive..... it becomes the high of being able to obtain what one never had, therefore leading to overspending, and poor decision making in purchasing more than what is needed. This is exactly why most professional athletes and lottery ticket winners, and drug dealers end up in the exact financial state with a few years. There is little to no knowledge about saving, investing, sound purchasing, or philanthropy.
When fear controls the individual it will cause a level of selfishness that leaves no room for investing in vetted causes or charities, and definitely not becoming a resource by founding a charitable or philanthropic organization. When Christians forget to help others, they risk missing out in the greatest way to be like Christ, and that is to become a giver and a producer. When Jesus fed the people, he did with no expectation of return or compensation. As a matter of fact, most of the time, Jesus told those that he did something for not to tell others. This is because the nature of God is to give. We learn to be like Christ in the way that we treat others. How we treat others is a direct reflection of how we see our relationship with God. When we have a positive outlook on our relationship with God, there is an openness to share not only the Good News of the Gospel, but to overall have a positive impact in the lives of others. We can truly be living examples of Christ on earth.
It has been proven that giving and affinity go hand-in-hand. A person will invest in what they have some emotional attachment to. Therefore, it can be said that those who suddenly obtain too much too fast become detached and lose their ability to care or to love others. Their affinity goes toward the obtained material wealth or objects obtained. This is why loving people, those you can see, is essential because it is a reflection on one’s relationship to God. And it can only be faked or pretended for a short span of time. The state of one’s heart will eventually be shown for how it truly is.
At the core, the basic need is a sense of resolve that comes only from right relationship with God. Therefore it can be said that the individual is seeking a form of peace that will never come from the material that is bought/purchased, but can only come from an internal peace. Like any other addiction the issue is not the outward manifestation, but is in fact the internal turmoil that is causing the outward affect. A lack of peace and the inability to see what God has gifted the person with besides material objects and economic ability will always leave the person to rely on what they can grasp and that is material and superficial. This all leads to a person who is shallow and superficial.
Money or material gain is not a guarantee of happiness. The most current events of the past few years where more and more famous/rich individuals are committing suicide is proof that one's internal state of being is much more important than tangible material gain or wealth. There are some things that every human being needs that money can not buy.
God wants us to have abundant life, including nice things, but as good stewards of that abundance, not wasteful and overindulged. Because we live in a culture that loves amenities and creature comforts, it’s hard to imagine living a life with less than the newest most fashionable and most desired objects. This is what capitalism is built on, the reliance on human beings to fulfill their depravity with objects instead of seeking internal peace. People in sales love hurting people because they purchase, they become repeat spenders. As a matter of fact, if more people had the Peace of God, the spending patterns of our entire world would change.
This is exactly what religious vows of poverty are about, not becoming consumed with being a consumer but actually becoming comfortable enough in the sufficiency of having basic needs met that one becomes productive both spiritually and naturally. Christians should be producers, should be people who seek out ways to help others find peace through sharing the gospel, the good news, but should also live a lifestyle that reflects the internal peace and the strength to not always needing to follow the trends of obtaining the newest object.
Let’s be honest money changes a person. There are very few people that are not affected by gaining wealth. or even a higher salary. But the important thing is to remember that the higher salary or the wealth is not the issue, it is a matter of what this does to the internal workings of the individual. One of the most grounding things that a person can do to remember who they really are is to remain a giver. Giving to others allows one to remain empathetic, if the individual allows their thought process to remain open and clear about the difference between self and the other person. Spending time around one's old neighborhood and staying connected to everyday life of everyday people can keep one open to receive the realization of how powerful God's sufficiency really is in keeping one resilient (Philippians 4:13). This is how you learn to be content and remain grateful. One of the things that I heard quite often growing up was the saying “but for the grace of God, there go I.”
Showing posts with label Success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Success. Show all posts
June 11, 2018
January 16, 2018
Eating Crow
To figure out that you are wrong about something may or may not be a big deal. When this realization is a private one, it is only your own processing of the information that has to be taken into account. But when you have to admit to others that you are wrong, the error in judgment, the details, and miscalculations take on a whole different level of internal response. Not only does one have to deal with the outcomes and need for adjustments because of the error, but there is also the added communication that others want to have about something that one would rather not talk about.
All of the thoughts of dread that go with the conversation about the error are not only unwanted, but can be overwhelming because of the multiple times that one repeatedly answers the same or similar questions about the matter. It becomes hard to navigate who is genuinely concerned and who is simply seeking out a juicy bit of information.
To talk about what has happened is part of the healing process. Each individual heals at their own pace, and therefore each individual is ready to talk about their miscalculation with no specific appropriate time frame to be determined as right or wrong by anyone else. Add to this the distinct differences in how men and women process information, respond to information, and need to talk to process information, and you have a variety of ways in which human beings deal with the mistakes that they make in life.
There are times when a person realizes their mistake but refuses to make the necessary adjustments because of pride. In some ways this can seem to others as form of stubbornness. More often than not, the person who is processing their mistake and what making the needed changes entails wants to do so on their own terms and not the terms of others. This can be very stressful when others want to rush or force the transitions necessary to handle a mistake in one's own life. This will cause the individual to avoid making the necessary decisions because there is a sense that others are pressuring or attempting to orchestrate one's life for them. This pressure adds to the resistance by the individual to do what is necessary because that is a mechanism built into being stubborn in the process.
Theologically, when a person is walking in disobedience to God, not only is there the issue of stubbornness, but there is usually some sort of attempt to negotiate with God. Negotiation, in many cases is caused by the unwillingness to trust God or to surrender to God's Will. The mistakes that happen in one's life because of disobedience can be disheartening because the limitations of being human dont allow us to see into the future. And many times, attempting to negotiate with God can lead us into situations that we could not have possibly seen coming.
On our best day, each of us wants to believe that we are up for any challenge and because of this we can sometimes believe that we can handle situations without realizing that God sees all sides of a situation and we are only able to see what is present before us at any given time. Our speculations are not guarantees, but we yet have to make life decisions based on the information that we have, and this does not always work out the way that we planned.
There are other times, when there are warning signs, and even divinely inspired clues that let us know that we should do things differently or make a different decisions but we dont always heed the warning signs. Often times, these warnings and clues come from those closest to us, friends and family. And this can also become part of the challenge to figure out who is giving genuine insight or divinely inspired insight versus those who are giving advice based on how it will work best for themselves. Each of us usually knows who the self serving individuals are around us, be we can not always be 100% certain in every situation, because trust can sometimes be very fluid.
So when a situation does not go the way that one has planned, and this realization means that it is time to come to terms with the mistake and admit that it didnt work out as planned, this can sometimes be hard to admit. And this is where the concept of 'Eating Crow' comes into being part of the reality that one must face. The term comes from the fact that crow is not palatable or good tasting bird. It is said to have a bad smell and taste, and be very hard to digest. Being reduced to eating crow, means putting one's pride to the side.
As I said earlier, it is one thing to admit a mistake to yourself privately, but to admit a mistake to others takes on a whole other level of character building because mistakes rarely happen when or the way that we expect them to, simply because we rarely start anything hoping for a negative outcome, and most times we dont have a completed back up plan, we just make it up and adjust as we go. So when others start asking questions that one does not want to answer, there is the additional stress of people asking questions that one has not had time to fully process or plan for alternative ways of dealing with the situation. All of this can be overwhelming.
But this is what redemption is all about. God is always there to receive us and to help us get back on track. Once we are willing to put our pride aside and acknowledge that we want and need God's guidance, God is faithful. Even when there is residue from our mistakes on our lives, God is still there welcoming those who come back home.
A young man bought a new boat. He was excited about the boat because he had plans of being a great fisherman. He was going to take his new boat and the cute little kitten that he had found out to sea for the fishing season.
Several people around him told him that they thought his boat was fine for staying close to the shore, but would not endure the long season in the deep waters miles away from the shore. They also told him that the kitten was not a good idea because he would not want to be stuck out at sea with the kitten.
The young man looked into the kitten's eyes and thought it most adorable and could not image how this kitten could become a problem out at sea. He thought that he would be able to feed the kitten from his catch of fish and he had visions of both he and the kitten being happy keeping each other company during the fishing season.
When the day came to begin his time out at sea, the young man happily told his friends that he would be fine, all the while they were still wondering how he was going to make it through the rough waters of the sea in his new boat with the kitten. As the boat floated a couple of miles away from the shore, the young man notices a small puddle of water on one end of the boat. He thought maybe the splashing of a wave had brought some water onto the boat and he thought nothing more about it. But the next day, there was more water on the boat. He look around wondering if he had slept through a rain the night before, but took the only thing that he could find, a small cup and scooped out the water, throwing it back into the ocean.
After a few days, the young man began to notice that the kitten was changing, looking a little different, but still just as adorable. He was occupied most days with catching enough fish to feed the kitten who was seeming to take on a huge appetite with each passing day. This had left him little time to be attentive to navigating the boat because he spent most of his time constantly removing the water that was seeming to collect in the boat much faster than in the beginning. And the rest of the time he was only catching enough fish to feed the kitten, and some times was not always able to catch enough to feed himself. This whole process was making him weak and weary.
One day, he looked at the kitten and realized that it had matured into a bobcat. He now understood the warnings that he had been given by his friends and family about taking the kitten along on the journey. Even though it was clearly a bobcat, when he looked at it what he saw was the memories of what he thought was a cute and harmless kitten. But the nature of the cat had now changed and his interactions with it also had to change. And at the same time, the boat had taken on so much water that it was going to be near to impossible to get all of the water out of the boat.
Faced with saving himself and the bobcat, the man contemplated what to do, knowing that he would have to decide soon because his life depended on it. When he looked around to try to decide what his options were, he realized that with all of the time he had been out in the water that he had not navigated but had drifted a few miles from the shore. Land and safety was still an option.
Having to decide about swimming in the waters and without having eaten much, knowing that his body was weak, he looked caringly at the bobcat and wondered how would he save both himself and his kitten. The bobcat was hungry. The boat was taking on water. He was going to have to decide something. He was already living with his mistakes, and now he really wanted to get it right.
As he looked toward the shore, dread come over him. The dread was of coming back on shore, back to land and safety, but having to admit that he had made a mistake. The thought of admitting his mistake became more important than saving his own life. His pride was about to consume him.
All those who had warned him were watching from the shore. They had all wanted the best for him, but now they just wanted him to choose to save himself. Even though he was to far away to hear them, they were all cheering for him, hoping that he would make it back to safety. But as he look to the shore, the only thing he could think about was having to explain what had happened to him and why he was wrong. It didnt occur to him that everyone who had warned him was doing so because they had the insight to warn him for a reason and that they cared enough to say something. Their words were not built from negativity, but from care and concern. All of the warnings had been an attempt to show support and warn him for his own safety. And this also meant, that they were not as surprised as he thought they would be about how things had turned out for him.
He hesitated. They watched. No one could make the choice for him.
Would the ship sink first or would the bobcat eat him before the ship sank, or would he choose to risk the swim toward shore, back to land, safety, and a welcomed return filled with too many questions?
All of the thoughts of dread that go with the conversation about the error are not only unwanted, but can be overwhelming because of the multiple times that one repeatedly answers the same or similar questions about the matter. It becomes hard to navigate who is genuinely concerned and who is simply seeking out a juicy bit of information.
To talk about what has happened is part of the healing process. Each individual heals at their own pace, and therefore each individual is ready to talk about their miscalculation with no specific appropriate time frame to be determined as right or wrong by anyone else. Add to this the distinct differences in how men and women process information, respond to information, and need to talk to process information, and you have a variety of ways in which human beings deal with the mistakes that they make in life.
There are times when a person realizes their mistake but refuses to make the necessary adjustments because of pride. In some ways this can seem to others as form of stubbornness. More often than not, the person who is processing their mistake and what making the needed changes entails wants to do so on their own terms and not the terms of others. This can be very stressful when others want to rush or force the transitions necessary to handle a mistake in one's own life. This will cause the individual to avoid making the necessary decisions because there is a sense that others are pressuring or attempting to orchestrate one's life for them. This pressure adds to the resistance by the individual to do what is necessary because that is a mechanism built into being stubborn in the process.
Theologically, when a person is walking in disobedience to God, not only is there the issue of stubbornness, but there is usually some sort of attempt to negotiate with God. Negotiation, in many cases is caused by the unwillingness to trust God or to surrender to God's Will. The mistakes that happen in one's life because of disobedience can be disheartening because the limitations of being human dont allow us to see into the future. And many times, attempting to negotiate with God can lead us into situations that we could not have possibly seen coming.
On our best day, each of us wants to believe that we are up for any challenge and because of this we can sometimes believe that we can handle situations without realizing that God sees all sides of a situation and we are only able to see what is present before us at any given time. Our speculations are not guarantees, but we yet have to make life decisions based on the information that we have, and this does not always work out the way that we planned.
There are other times, when there are warning signs, and even divinely inspired clues that let us know that we should do things differently or make a different decisions but we dont always heed the warning signs. Often times, these warnings and clues come from those closest to us, friends and family. And this can also become part of the challenge to figure out who is giving genuine insight or divinely inspired insight versus those who are giving advice based on how it will work best for themselves. Each of us usually knows who the self serving individuals are around us, be we can not always be 100% certain in every situation, because trust can sometimes be very fluid.
So when a situation does not go the way that one has planned, and this realization means that it is time to come to terms with the mistake and admit that it didnt work out as planned, this can sometimes be hard to admit. And this is where the concept of 'Eating Crow' comes into being part of the reality that one must face. The term comes from the fact that crow is not palatable or good tasting bird. It is said to have a bad smell and taste, and be very hard to digest. Being reduced to eating crow, means putting one's pride to the side.
As I said earlier, it is one thing to admit a mistake to yourself privately, but to admit a mistake to others takes on a whole other level of character building because mistakes rarely happen when or the way that we expect them to, simply because we rarely start anything hoping for a negative outcome, and most times we dont have a completed back up plan, we just make it up and adjust as we go. So when others start asking questions that one does not want to answer, there is the additional stress of people asking questions that one has not had time to fully process or plan for alternative ways of dealing with the situation. All of this can be overwhelming.
But this is what redemption is all about. God is always there to receive us and to help us get back on track. Once we are willing to put our pride aside and acknowledge that we want and need God's guidance, God is faithful. Even when there is residue from our mistakes on our lives, God is still there welcoming those who come back home.
THE STORY:
A young man bought a new boat. He was excited about the boat because he had plans of being a great fisherman. He was going to take his new boat and the cute little kitten that he had found out to sea for the fishing season.
Several people around him told him that they thought his boat was fine for staying close to the shore, but would not endure the long season in the deep waters miles away from the shore. They also told him that the kitten was not a good idea because he would not want to be stuck out at sea with the kitten.
The young man looked into the kitten's eyes and thought it most adorable and could not image how this kitten could become a problem out at sea. He thought that he would be able to feed the kitten from his catch of fish and he had visions of both he and the kitten being happy keeping each other company during the fishing season.
When the day came to begin his time out at sea, the young man happily told his friends that he would be fine, all the while they were still wondering how he was going to make it through the rough waters of the sea in his new boat with the kitten. As the boat floated a couple of miles away from the shore, the young man notices a small puddle of water on one end of the boat. He thought maybe the splashing of a wave had brought some water onto the boat and he thought nothing more about it. But the next day, there was more water on the boat. He look around wondering if he had slept through a rain the night before, but took the only thing that he could find, a small cup and scooped out the water, throwing it back into the ocean.
After a few days, the young man began to notice that the kitten was changing, looking a little different, but still just as adorable. He was occupied most days with catching enough fish to feed the kitten who was seeming to take on a huge appetite with each passing day. This had left him little time to be attentive to navigating the boat because he spent most of his time constantly removing the water that was seeming to collect in the boat much faster than in the beginning. And the rest of the time he was only catching enough fish to feed the kitten, and some times was not always able to catch enough to feed himself. This whole process was making him weak and weary.
One day, he looked at the kitten and realized that it had matured into a bobcat. He now understood the warnings that he had been given by his friends and family about taking the kitten along on the journey. Even though it was clearly a bobcat, when he looked at it what he saw was the memories of what he thought was a cute and harmless kitten. But the nature of the cat had now changed and his interactions with it also had to change. And at the same time, the boat had taken on so much water that it was going to be near to impossible to get all of the water out of the boat.
Faced with saving himself and the bobcat, the man contemplated what to do, knowing that he would have to decide soon because his life depended on it. When he looked around to try to decide what his options were, he realized that with all of the time he had been out in the water that he had not navigated but had drifted a few miles from the shore. Land and safety was still an option.
Having to decide about swimming in the waters and without having eaten much, knowing that his body was weak, he looked caringly at the bobcat and wondered how would he save both himself and his kitten. The bobcat was hungry. The boat was taking on water. He was going to have to decide something. He was already living with his mistakes, and now he really wanted to get it right.
As he looked toward the shore, dread come over him. The dread was of coming back on shore, back to land and safety, but having to admit that he had made a mistake. The thought of admitting his mistake became more important than saving his own life. His pride was about to consume him.
All those who had warned him were watching from the shore. They had all wanted the best for him, but now they just wanted him to choose to save himself. Even though he was to far away to hear them, they were all cheering for him, hoping that he would make it back to safety. But as he look to the shore, the only thing he could think about was having to explain what had happened to him and why he was wrong. It didnt occur to him that everyone who had warned him was doing so because they had the insight to warn him for a reason and that they cared enough to say something. Their words were not built from negativity, but from care and concern. All of the warnings had been an attempt to show support and warn him for his own safety. And this also meant, that they were not as surprised as he thought they would be about how things had turned out for him.
He hesitated. They watched. No one could make the choice for him.
Would the ship sink first or would the bobcat eat him before the ship sank, or would he choose to risk the swim toward shore, back to land, safety, and a welcomed return filled with too many questions?
October 16, 2017
Parts and Divides
This past weekend something came to my mind that I really hadnt thought much about in years. It was a very hurtful and devastating phase of my life. It doesnt take up much space in my thoughts because it is in the past; and God got me through the situation and beyond the situation.
But today, as I reflect, I think about how faithful God was to me in the midst of a great trying time in my life. Against all odds, God provided for me as a single mother. There were times and challenges, and there still are, but through it all God has been faithful. My testimony is a very amazing one. It causes me to stand in awe of how great God truly has been to me. It has given me such a grateful heart. It has also shown me how to be ok with and without over the years.
Just thinking about how badly things could have gone for me is enough to make what I survived even more amazing. God's hand of protection was with me through some things that seem to be more dramatic than anything in a movie plot. But sometimes reality is more extreme than anything a movie writer can formulate for the big screen.
Even some of the things that I am currently dealing with fall under the category of 'troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.' Adversaries thought I would be destroyed, but what they found out was that God has created me to be formidable. Storms have been brewing all around me and God has given me so much grace that I am watching it all take place as if I have a great seat in a theater in the round.
When I think about the characteristics of God, I have to remember that along with being a Creator and Sustainer, God is also a Divider and a Separator. Initially these may seem to be negatives, but when we read God's Word, we see in the the very beginning of creation God divided light from darkness. This can lead to a plethora of theological and homiletic themes. Much of the biblical text carries out this theme of separation that God makes dividing lines, if you will.
The parting of the Red Sea is talked about in terms of its miracle quality, but we must not forget the logistical components of God being able to divide. This is proof that God can part or separate anything that God so desires. This kind of divide meant that not only did the water divide, but every creature and composition within the ecological environment of the sea. What was created by God, must submit to God's command. What an awesome thought. What a humbling thought.
Whatever the situation, all that is needed is for God to speak. God clearly makes distinctions at times to accomplish the Will and Purpose of God. It may be temporary and it may be permanent. But it is God's pleasure that the creation must obey. This has been true in many of the fine details of my life. I thank God for keeping me separated from foolishness. God has done some things that can only be credited to the ONE, the TRUE, and LIVING GOD.
But today, as I reflect, I think about how faithful God was to me in the midst of a great trying time in my life. Against all odds, God provided for me as a single mother. There were times and challenges, and there still are, but through it all God has been faithful. My testimony is a very amazing one. It causes me to stand in awe of how great God truly has been to me. It has given me such a grateful heart. It has also shown me how to be ok with and without over the years.
Just thinking about how badly things could have gone for me is enough to make what I survived even more amazing. God's hand of protection was with me through some things that seem to be more dramatic than anything in a movie plot. But sometimes reality is more extreme than anything a movie writer can formulate for the big screen.
Even some of the things that I am currently dealing with fall under the category of 'troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.' Adversaries thought I would be destroyed, but what they found out was that God has created me to be formidable. Storms have been brewing all around me and God has given me so much grace that I am watching it all take place as if I have a great seat in a theater in the round.
When I think about the characteristics of God, I have to remember that along with being a Creator and Sustainer, God is also a Divider and a Separator. Initially these may seem to be negatives, but when we read God's Word, we see in the the very beginning of creation God divided light from darkness. This can lead to a plethora of theological and homiletic themes. Much of the biblical text carries out this theme of separation that God makes dividing lines, if you will.
The parting of the Red Sea is talked about in terms of its miracle quality, but we must not forget the logistical components of God being able to divide. This is proof that God can part or separate anything that God so desires. This kind of divide meant that not only did the water divide, but every creature and composition within the ecological environment of the sea. What was created by God, must submit to God's command. What an awesome thought. What a humbling thought.
Whatever the situation, all that is needed is for God to speak. God clearly makes distinctions at times to accomplish the Will and Purpose of God. It may be temporary and it may be permanent. But it is God's pleasure that the creation must obey. This has been true in many of the fine details of my life. I thank God for keeping me separated from foolishness. God has done some things that can only be credited to the ONE, the TRUE, and LIVING GOD.
October 10, 2017
Sea of Forgetfulness
As I attempted to settle down for the night, I thought about all that has been going on with me lately. And to be completely honest, this thought process includes some people that I truly wish I had never met. In the midst of my thought process, I had to face the fact that I cant just un-know these people. Instead, I have to figure out how to move on from this phase to the next, and hopefully just move on to what is ahead for me in my life, both naturally and spiritually.
This doesnt mean that I was not trying to figure out the most perfect solution to the hurt and disappointment that has been the effect of betrayal and disloyalty. In my mind, I really wanted there to be a way to truly just forget that I ever knew these people that have had this negative impact on my attempt to be a friend. I thought if there were really a way for me to put all knowledge of these people into the sea of forgetfulness and never to remember that I ever met them at all.
The more I thought about it, I began to realize that this is not very different from what is being talked about in Micah 7. We always want to use the concept of the Sea of Forgetfulness as this wonderful blessing that we get from God. Which is true. ... and here comes the conjunction...... BUT.
But what we dont want to face is the fact that something is going on in the text that we must make not of. The attitudes and behaviors that God expected from the People of God were not how the people were living. God had high expectations and high hopes for the People of God. That is still true today. God has high hope and high expectations of God's People. So when the behaviors of the individual, of the community of faith fall short, God is disappointed. Then there is something worse than just disappointing God, it is disgusting God.
Abomination is much more than disappointing God, it is being completely disgusting to God. As I thought about how disgusted I am with those who have disappointed me, I also had to think about how God views abomination. How is God able to tolerate dealing with a human who is living so far below God's expectations? I had to search out a way to understand that what God has to do is just put the sins of humanity into a place to be forgotten so that God can remain able to be available to humanity.
It is the mercy of God. It is the patience of God when God's patience has run out. It is God wanting to stay in relationship with the People of God, even though the people have lost sight of the value of the relationship with God. The kindness of God reaches much farther than we realize. God is so willing to forgive us of our sins. When we dont even try to do right, knowing that God is watching, we are disappointing God, and we are disgusting God.
So more than bragging about how God will forgive and forget, the more important concern should be why would we want to be such a disappointment to God that we disgust God? What if we just decided to live right, so that we could be intentional about pleasing God?
After all, isnt that what being given another chance is about?
This doesnt mean that I was not trying to figure out the most perfect solution to the hurt and disappointment that has been the effect of betrayal and disloyalty. In my mind, I really wanted there to be a way to truly just forget that I ever knew these people that have had this negative impact on my attempt to be a friend. I thought if there were really a way for me to put all knowledge of these people into the sea of forgetfulness and never to remember that I ever met them at all.
The more I thought about it, I began to realize that this is not very different from what is being talked about in Micah 7. We always want to use the concept of the Sea of Forgetfulness as this wonderful blessing that we get from God. Which is true. ... and here comes the conjunction...... BUT.
But what we dont want to face is the fact that something is going on in the text that we must make not of. The attitudes and behaviors that God expected from the People of God were not how the people were living. God had high expectations and high hopes for the People of God. That is still true today. God has high hope and high expectations of God's People. So when the behaviors of the individual, of the community of faith fall short, God is disappointed. Then there is something worse than just disappointing God, it is disgusting God.
Abomination is much more than disappointing God, it is being completely disgusting to God. As I thought about how disgusted I am with those who have disappointed me, I also had to think about how God views abomination. How is God able to tolerate dealing with a human who is living so far below God's expectations? I had to search out a way to understand that what God has to do is just put the sins of humanity into a place to be forgotten so that God can remain able to be available to humanity.
It is the mercy of God. It is the patience of God when God's patience has run out. It is God wanting to stay in relationship with the People of God, even though the people have lost sight of the value of the relationship with God. The kindness of God reaches much farther than we realize. God is so willing to forgive us of our sins. When we dont even try to do right, knowing that God is watching, we are disappointing God, and we are disgusting God.
So more than bragging about how God will forgive and forget, the more important concern should be why would we want to be such a disappointment to God that we disgust God? What if we just decided to live right, so that we could be intentional about pleasing God?
After all, isnt that what being given another chance is about?
August 24, 2017
Insomnia
It is 1:30am and I cant sleep.
I have so many thought in my mind right now. I spend so much of my prayer life interceding for the needs of others that I often forget to really spend time praying about the things that I need in my own life.
And this is why being awake right now is so frustrating to me. Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night, I pray for the people and the situations that have been on my mind during the day or that come to my mind when I wake up. But when I woke up this time, my mind was flooded with thoughts of things that I need in my own life.
In the clinical world of providing services to others, there is an emphasis on self care. It is the understanding that you cant give to others if you not keeping yourself in a good place mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The most basic example of this would be to think about the speech that they give you on the airplane about what to do in case of emergency. The instructions are to give yourself oxogen first, then share the oxogen with those around you. In this way, you are more capable when you have what you need.
And this would be the sum total of why I am awake in the middle of the night. I am being forced to face the truth of my own life. I have spent the last few years frustrated with myself because I know that I am not reaching my fullest potential, nor am I achieving at the rate that I should have been. And like a perfect storm of reality checks, it is clear to me that I am not getting what I need to flourish. I have just been existing and trying to function as if it has been sufficient and it has not been and the state of my life is proof of that fact.
So now, I am awake creating an order of importance for the things that I need to do for my self, for my own life. There are some voids in my own life that I need to give some attention to so that I can be nourished and therefore function at a higher level of efficiency. It is not being selfish in a way that doesnt care for others, but it is being selfish in a way that will help me to care for others better.
I have so many thought in my mind right now. I spend so much of my prayer life interceding for the needs of others that I often forget to really spend time praying about the things that I need in my own life.
And this is why being awake right now is so frustrating to me. Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night, I pray for the people and the situations that have been on my mind during the day or that come to my mind when I wake up. But when I woke up this time, my mind was flooded with thoughts of things that I need in my own life.
In the clinical world of providing services to others, there is an emphasis on self care. It is the understanding that you cant give to others if you not keeping yourself in a good place mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The most basic example of this would be to think about the speech that they give you on the airplane about what to do in case of emergency. The instructions are to give yourself oxogen first, then share the oxogen with those around you. In this way, you are more capable when you have what you need.
And this would be the sum total of why I am awake in the middle of the night. I am being forced to face the truth of my own life. I have spent the last few years frustrated with myself because I know that I am not reaching my fullest potential, nor am I achieving at the rate that I should have been. And like a perfect storm of reality checks, it is clear to me that I am not getting what I need to flourish. I have just been existing and trying to function as if it has been sufficient and it has not been and the state of my life is proof of that fact.
So now, I am awake creating an order of importance for the things that I need to do for my self, for my own life. There are some voids in my own life that I need to give some attention to so that I can be nourished and therefore function at a higher level of efficiency. It is not being selfish in a way that doesnt care for others, but it is being selfish in a way that will help me to care for others better.
May 16, 2017
Success is Relative
Success is relative. Each person has their own idea of success and each person has their own measure for where one is in the journey to accomplishment. One of the biggest mistakes that anyone can make is to measure one's own level of accomplishment by someone else's accomplishments in a different area or field.
Most of the time when envy and jealous occur it is because of comparing apples to oranges, not comparing the same skills and the same types of success to each other. One thing that I have noticed is that people who are striving for their own excellence dont really have the mental energy for such comparisons anyway. The most critical opinions come from the most stagnant people. And when I say stagnant, I dont mean this to imply that the person or persons have not accomplished, but that they realize their own limitations and have some sort of regret because of how their own life choices created those limitations.
The choices that a person makes can totally shift the events of the rest of one's life. The truth is that we can not see into the future and at the time that we make the decision, we feel it is the best decision or the right decision based on the current information that we have at the time. And in most cases, there are ways to adjust or modify the decision, but some times the decisions that we make just have to walk out and live with, accepting what it brings with it.
A spirit filled Christian should always be prayerful about major decisions. In this, one must be willing to be obedient to what the Holy Spirit is guiding one to do. When it comes to living out one's calling, this really cant be determined by anyone else. We live in a world that says that you must get the approval of others, but in truth, people may not always understand or agree with your calling. This can be challenging for the person who needs the affirmation of others to feel comfortable taking certain steps in life. It is normal for each of us to want to be loved and accepted, but we may not always get this from the people that we look to provide it for us.
Finding the love and support that one needs to nourish one's human need for affirmation and a sense of community can be challenging for us all, and especially for those who dont fit in with mediocrity. So may people who have gifts and callings to go farther and higher in areas of success dont do so because of the need for a sense of community, and the fear of being isolated in the process of reaching for more within the context of one's goals.
The truth is that one can not truly flourish and reach the fullest potential of one's own goals until one is really ready to let go of the atmosphere of mediocrity. Getting uncomfortable is what pushes one forward, gives one the determination to proceed regardless of the opinions of those who are comfortable in mediocrity. Along the way, one begins to meet others who are on similar journeys, and this provides a more natural and organic sense of community, a community of people who can understand and affirm the journey.
Let's be honest, everyone is not built for the same types of success. And some dont have the drive to go out into the unknown with the courage that it takes to face what others cant imagine. Most of the time, the people who discourage others from working toward their vision do so because it is not their vision. You cant expect people to understand what they cant see or imagine. Anyone who does not understand the vision will have a hard time being a part of your journey towards accomplishing it.
It is my prayer that the God given vision will take you into the fullness of following the calling and the gifts that God has place in this time and space for a reason. I pray that God surround you with people who understand what it is like to step out of the routine and reach for all that God has for you. True happiness is living affirmed in what God created you to do and to be.
Most of the time when envy and jealous occur it is because of comparing apples to oranges, not comparing the same skills and the same types of success to each other. One thing that I have noticed is that people who are striving for their own excellence dont really have the mental energy for such comparisons anyway. The most critical opinions come from the most stagnant people. And when I say stagnant, I dont mean this to imply that the person or persons have not accomplished, but that they realize their own limitations and have some sort of regret because of how their own life choices created those limitations.
The choices that a person makes can totally shift the events of the rest of one's life. The truth is that we can not see into the future and at the time that we make the decision, we feel it is the best decision or the right decision based on the current information that we have at the time. And in most cases, there are ways to adjust or modify the decision, but some times the decisions that we make just have to walk out and live with, accepting what it brings with it.
A spirit filled Christian should always be prayerful about major decisions. In this, one must be willing to be obedient to what the Holy Spirit is guiding one to do. When it comes to living out one's calling, this really cant be determined by anyone else. We live in a world that says that you must get the approval of others, but in truth, people may not always understand or agree with your calling. This can be challenging for the person who needs the affirmation of others to feel comfortable taking certain steps in life. It is normal for each of us to want to be loved and accepted, but we may not always get this from the people that we look to provide it for us.
Finding the love and support that one needs to nourish one's human need for affirmation and a sense of community can be challenging for us all, and especially for those who dont fit in with mediocrity. So may people who have gifts and callings to go farther and higher in areas of success dont do so because of the need for a sense of community, and the fear of being isolated in the process of reaching for more within the context of one's goals.
The truth is that one can not truly flourish and reach the fullest potential of one's own goals until one is really ready to let go of the atmosphere of mediocrity. Getting uncomfortable is what pushes one forward, gives one the determination to proceed regardless of the opinions of those who are comfortable in mediocrity. Along the way, one begins to meet others who are on similar journeys, and this provides a more natural and organic sense of community, a community of people who can understand and affirm the journey.
Let's be honest, everyone is not built for the same types of success. And some dont have the drive to go out into the unknown with the courage that it takes to face what others cant imagine. Most of the time, the people who discourage others from working toward their vision do so because it is not their vision. You cant expect people to understand what they cant see or imagine. Anyone who does not understand the vision will have a hard time being a part of your journey towards accomplishing it.
It is my prayer that the God given vision will take you into the fullness of following the calling and the gifts that God has place in this time and space for a reason. I pray that God surround you with people who understand what it is like to step out of the routine and reach for all that God has for you. True happiness is living affirmed in what God created you to do and to be.
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