Tuesday, December 02, 2008

It’s Not About Me

A piece from today’s Oswald:

"When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary --- that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God's standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God's purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants."

This was a topic that came up in one of my meetings today—that God would be so much a part of my (our) life that others see HIM and desire God in their own lives. And most importantly, IT’S NOT ABOUT ME!! It is what GOD is doing in me that has an effect on others. I feel like I have to say that many times over and over again because that is one of the many things I tend to trip over… over and over again ;)

One of the things I forgot to mention in my last entry was God’s financial provision. God has been providing through G and F, but last week I only spent two hours with them on Tuesday, and since my normal day with them is Thursday (and that was Thanksgiving) they didn’t need me. It is so cool how God provided the house-sitting job at just this time to more than make up for the financial provision. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness!

Another very cool thing happened tonight. LB, Tom and I were eating dinner and she asked if we had a place to go when their kids got here for the holidays. We said not yet but we knew God had a place already prepared for us (I shared the revelation that God gave Tom at BA’s house), we just didn’t know where yet. I asked her when her kids would be here (because I never really heard a definite date and we were guessing around the 17th) and she said the Sunday before Christmas.

So, tonight I get an email from a friend who lives just down the street and she said that she will be going out of town for two weeks and wanted to know if we needed a place to stay while she was away. Here is a part of her email:

"I'm not sure if I mention to you that I am planning to be away for the majority of a two week stretch the end of December. I was wondering if you and Tom needed a place to stay during that time. It would be Dec. 21–Jan 4th. I'd love to open my home to you during this time. I hope you will consider it and decide you can come."

When I looked at the calendar (and then I asked Mark for confirmation of the date), the 21st is the day their kids will be arriving… OH MY GOSH! Is God not amazing or what! So, we have a place to stay for the rest of the year and through the 4th of next year. I am once again amazed at God and His wonderful faithfulness and perfect timing :) He even gave us a little advanced notice this time! I actually think He did that for M and L, because I think they were concerned about “putting us out” without a place to stay. Now they are seeing how He is working in our lives and they are praising God :)

Just as an interesting side note, when we went to pick up the check from T last night we asked her if she had plans to go out of town for the Christmas holiday. She said she wasn’t sure but thought they might go the week after Christmas… (the same week that M and A needed us). That would be three houses that we will possibly be watching during that week. I pray that we are able to manage it all! Lord, you said you wouldn’t give us more than we could handle… right!? :)

Thursday, December 04, 2008

The Law of Opposition

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7 

Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.

Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health.

The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.

Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.

And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation . . .” (John 16:33). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, “. . . but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.

Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.

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Ok, this spoke to my heart in a big way this morning! I feel like all I have been doing the last couple of weeks is battling the “Law of Opposition”!! Physically I am fighting to recover from the crud, trying to figure out how much I should work out to keep from relapsing, trying to balance my eating so that during this down time I am not over-eating and gaining…

Morally I don’t struggle so much, but mentally the battle rages night and day! I guess that could also be considered “spiritual battle” since the enemy is constantly challenging my thoughts on my marriage, children, ministry and situation.

Thank you Jesus that you have “overcome the world”! Help me Lord to “learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness”… so that it will become a delight to meet opposition.

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10:45pm – The Lord is so faithful to answer our prayers!! I continued to struggle today with these stupid mental battles and I kept thinking I needed to talk with Tom about what a lame husband he has been lately (the distorted views projected by the enemy). I have a habit of isolating and avoiding him when I struggle which does not help matters. Tonight my group didn’t meet and Tom’s meeting canceled so I asked him if we could spend some time together.

But, before that, I picked up a book that L showed me a week or so ago by Beth Moore called Praying God’s Word. I started reading it tonight while Tom was working on something and I felt like the Holy Spirit led me to it because I was reading exactly what I needed to hear. It is so sad that you can “know” something and “teach” something but not necessarily be able to apply it to your own life on a consistent basis.

Beth was talking about the full armor of God and how all but one piece of the armor was “defensive” in nature. The one “offensive” weapon the Lord gives us is the “Word” of God, but she notes that 2 Corinthians 10:3 states that we have “weapons” of warfare, and then points out that the scripture right after listing the armor says that we should “pray in the Spirit on all occasions…”

Ephesians 6:17–18 – “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

So, our weapons are the Word and Prayer, and she likens them to sticks of dynamite (to demolish strongholds in our lives). When two sticks of dynamite are wrapped together they are more powerful than two placed in separate places.

This seems so silly because I already “know” these things, but tonight the Holy Spirit showed me that I was not applying the information to myself and using the weapons properly. I have been praying A LOT and repeating scriptures that I know, but I have not been praying the WORD. Thank you Jesus for helping me in this daily battle in so many ways! Not only do you supply the weapons, you give me the strength to use them and Your Holy Spirit guides and teaches me when I forget. I feel so lame!!

Anyway, I ended up emotionally and spiritually throwing up all over Tom tonight, but I feel so much better :) I told him that I really needed his prayers and support to help me get through this battle, so he prayed for me and we spent more time reading and praying God’s Word. Thank you Lord for being so faithful even when I am so weak and pathetic. Father, please forgive my arrogance, pride and self-idolizing and help me to be more like you. Holy Spirit thank you for your guidance, encouragement and strength to do the will of my Father. In Jesus name, amen.

Here are a couple prayers from Beth’s book that I combined:

"Father, I acknowledge that You are the Lord Almighty. You are the first and You are the last, and apart from You there is no other God. Make me witness to the fact that there is no other Rock but you. Enable me to say with full assurance, ‘I know not one.’ (Isa. 44:6, 8) You are my Lord, my Holy One, my Creator, my King. You are the One who made a way through the sea, a path through mighty waters. (Isa. 43:15–16) My Father, You are the Lord my God. I desire to love you, listen to Your voice, and hold fast to You, for You Lord are my life."