1 Cor 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
When I read this passage, I'm always humbled; Ifeel that I basically fail at love. But the spirit pressed on my heart earlier this week that GOD is LOVE. So if we substitute GOD where LOVE appears in this passage, we get a reassuring reminder that HE is patient, kind, he gives us free will, he doesn't hold our sins against us (since we have accepted his son), he rejoices when his truth wins out. He'll never give up on us, or lose belief in us, and is always hopeful that we'll turn to him in every circumstance. WOW. Also, I may not be good at loving, but I can set my sights to be good at knowing and becoming more like Jesus, and by doing that I'm by default, going to become more loving as a result of the spirit's sanctification work inside of me. Dear Lord, thank you for your Love that transforms me from the inside out, help me grow in your love and share that with others, AMEN.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Comforting words for troubling times
Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
Coming off a hectic week that at times felt like professional tribulation, I was in the right place to connect with this verse. Three key things to keep in mind for the next hectic week that comes along:
1. Rejoicing in hope: this means, rejoicing before we get what we want. Hope implies that it's still not obtained or achieved. I am usually only willing to rejoice when I get what I want, not when I still waiting for it.
2. Patient in tribulation: to me, this basically means that I can expect hard times--whether minor inconveniences at work, struggles with personal health and relationships, loss of a loved one, spiritual persecution, or [insert issue here] . However, as believers, we can also expect that they will come to end in God's timing--just be patient.
3. Continue steadfastly in prayer: steadfastly is one of those familiar Bible words that you can't define. I found out today that it implies something that you lean on for stability or something that you can rest on. Is this how I view prayer during troubled times? Do I continue in prayer in such a way that I rest on it. Sadly, I don't. I usually see prayer as a "check the box" thing or a "break glass in case of fire" thing. Maybe I need to start seeing communication with the almighty God as something on which I can continuously trust to support me--no matter what is going on in my life.
Coming off a hectic week that at times felt like professional tribulation, I was in the right place to connect with this verse. Three key things to keep in mind for the next hectic week that comes along:
1. Rejoicing in hope: this means, rejoicing before we get what we want. Hope implies that it's still not obtained or achieved. I am usually only willing to rejoice when I get what I want, not when I still waiting for it.
2. Patient in tribulation: to me, this basically means that I can expect hard times--whether minor inconveniences at work, struggles with personal health and relationships, loss of a loved one, spiritual persecution, or [insert issue here] . However, as believers, we can also expect that they will come to end in God's timing--just be patient.
3. Continue steadfastly in prayer: steadfastly is one of those familiar Bible words that you can't define. I found out today that it implies something that you lean on for stability or something that you can rest on. Is this how I view prayer during troubled times? Do I continue in prayer in such a way that I rest on it. Sadly, I don't. I usually see prayer as a "check the box" thing or a "break glass in case of fire" thing. Maybe I need to start seeing communication with the almighty God as something on which I can continuously trust to support me--no matter what is going on in my life.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
It all makes sense why it doesn't all make sense
A lot of my bloglessness in September came not from an absence of quiet times, but an absense of understanding what I was reading. When I really went in depth into Romans 9 - 11, there was a lot of theology that I had a hard time sorting out. It got to the point where it was a little frustrating, but then I hit the summary by Paul in Romans 11:33-36:
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “ For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “ Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
The morning that I turned the page and read these three verses was a huge moment. Four things that really hit home:
1. It seemed that Paul--the author, the one to whom this was divinely inspired--couldn't figure it out either! At least I was in good company.
2. In my struggles through chapters 9-11, I often found myself questioning God and being frustrated with how He had set things out. So, it was good and humbling to be reminded in v. 34-35 that I have nothing to add to God but praise.
3. Maybe the purpose of not being able to grasp everything is an issue of trust. If I could fully know and understand everything about God, would I really be trusting? Following Him even when I can't understand Him--that is trust.
4. The chapter ends with v.36 stating that all things (whether I can understand them or not) are created by God, sustained by God, and for God's glory.
I closed my Bible that day no longer worried about what it all meant, but satisfied knowing that the bottom line is that all glory goes to God--that makes sense.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “ For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “ Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
The morning that I turned the page and read these three verses was a huge moment. Four things that really hit home:
1. It seemed that Paul--the author, the one to whom this was divinely inspired--couldn't figure it out either! At least I was in good company.
2. In my struggles through chapters 9-11, I often found myself questioning God and being frustrated with how He had set things out. So, it was good and humbling to be reminded in v. 34-35 that I have nothing to add to God but praise.
3. Maybe the purpose of not being able to grasp everything is an issue of trust. If I could fully know and understand everything about God, would I really be trusting? Following Him even when I can't understand Him--that is trust.
4. The chapter ends with v.36 stating that all things (whether I can understand them or not) are created by God, sustained by God, and for God's glory.
I closed my Bible that day no longer worried about what it all meant, but satisfied knowing that the bottom line is that all glory goes to God--that makes sense.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Diligence
Romans 6:11a
"not lagging in diligence"
In the context of this phrase, I don't see any clear indication for when or where we are supposed to be diligent. I take that to mean that diligence is supposed to characterize everything we do. Whether it's quiet time, serving, going to work, cleaning the house, writing a book...whatever it is that is before us, we should do it with diligence for the glory of God.
It's easy to think that diligence is synonymous with doing more and more and achieving bigger and better. However, that only leads to burnout, which is not a very diligent use of our time and resources. No, sometimes diligence is doing less to achieve more...like only reading 4 words of scripture so I can finally get back to blogging about what God is teaching me.
"not lagging in diligence"
In the context of this phrase, I don't see any clear indication for when or where we are supposed to be diligent. I take that to mean that diligence is supposed to characterize everything we do. Whether it's quiet time, serving, going to work, cleaning the house, writing a book...whatever it is that is before us, we should do it with diligence for the glory of God.
It's easy to think that diligence is synonymous with doing more and more and achieving bigger and better. However, that only leads to burnout, which is not a very diligent use of our time and resources. No, sometimes diligence is doing less to achieve more...like only reading 4 words of scripture so I can finally get back to blogging about what God is teaching me.
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