We live in a world of talk. Talk, talk, talk. Speak, speak, speak. Ours is the age of talk radio (news talk, sports talk, money talk, self-help talk, car talk, I-just-want-to-talk talk), podcasts and cell phones. Everyone, it seems, wants to be heard. Think of the news today it’s about who can talk over each other and get their own words in, we don’t listen.
I was in Starbucks the other day and the gentleman in front of me was ordering a caramel macchiato while talking to a buddy on his iPhone. The barista was more than gracious as the customer stopped and started his order apparently not able to put his other conversation on hold (I saw a sign in a restaurant that said, "We'll serve you once you hang up the phone". Think about how many conversations we hear while traveling on an airplane. People try and get in their last-minute calls before it takes off and then when it lands, it picks right back up. I was on a business trip a few months ago and after being in training all day we had to load up in a bus back to our hotel. Instead of just sitting back and looking at the window and watching the Atlanta traffic, everyone was making calls after calls. I heard conversations from them talking to their friends and family and the hearing some conversations that I didn’t need to hear. We have become a culture full of talking heads regardless of where we find ourselves. And the chatter is deafening. While I was sitting there I thought about what is said in James: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak. This exhortation is almost unintelligible to a culture intent on talking. We have it backwards: we are quick to speak, slow to hear. I remember when I was a young leader, I had a meeting with a rep about their performance. I asked a question and as they started to tell me what going on, I jumped in. I started talking and talking… giving advice and telling them how to fix what was going on. After about 5 minutes of me talking the rep jumped in and said I appreciate the advice but you didn’t listen to what I said. I sat back in my chair and thought in my head of course I did, but of course I didn’t say that. I said to them “Ok so tell me again what you said” telling myself I heard exactly what they said. I was so wrong about what they were telling me. I was so quick to jump in that I heard something totally different and here I was giving them advice on something they didn’t even need. How many times have we given wrong advice to people because we were not listening to them? I thought about the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 Luke offers us a helpful contrast in speaking and listening. Martha was frantically trying to make dinner preparations for Jesus and the disciples. I envision her running around the house uttering things under her breath like, “I can’t believe Jesus is here on such short notice—not to mention all his disciples—and I have to pull this dinner together.” And, “Why doesn’t Mary get in here and help me?” Unlike Martha, Mary "sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching" (10:39). Not surprisingly, Martha gets a bit frustrated at Mary’s lack of effort with the event. So Martha does what we probably all would do under similar circumstances—she starts talking: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me” (10:40). We are not left to wonder which course of action Jesus commends. We see it in his gentle rebuke: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Mary was quick to listen and slow to speak. She knew when to be quiet. In a culture full of chatter I want to learn the discipline of silence so I can hear what the Lord wants to teach me. He’s speaking; am I listening? We have to learn to be fast to listen and slow to speak if we are wanting to grow in our relationships and even in our relationship with Christ. If you a believer do you do a lot of talking with Christ or do you stop and listen. Remember God does wanting to talk to him but it’s no different than your own relationship with your spouse or Friends. As they want you to stop and listen to them so does God. What radical measures can you take to help you listen not only to God but to other people? What things in your life are blocking out the voice of God?
0 Comments
Forgiving yourself. It’s easy to say, but so much harder to actually do! We all mess up sometimes, whether it’s lashing out at a friend, damaging a marriage, engaging in a self-destructive behavior or cutting corners at work. We have all been there before. I have made choices in my life that have affected my kids with a lot of hurt and with these mistakes came overwhelming feelings of guilt. Shame. Self-condemnation. Humiliation. My Counselor told me that these emotions can lead to stress, depression and anxiety disorders. Which is very true because I have struggled with all of these.
However, I have some great news for you, if you’re struggling with this. Forgiving yourself is not specifically addressed in the Bible, but there are principles regarding forgiveness that should be applied. For example, when God forgives us, it states that He remembers our sins no more (Jeremiah 31:34). This does not mean that our all-knowing Father God forgets, but rather, because He forgives us, He chooses not to bring up our sin in a negative way. Peter said, "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality" (Acts 10:34). Applying "no partiality" to the issues of forgiveness, God does not choose to forgive one person and not another. He forgives everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Applying His "no partiality" standards to ourselves, it is just as important to forgive ourselves as it is to forgive others. Forgiving yourself is not about forgetting. It is about not bringing the offense up to yourself in negative ways. Forgiving yourself is simply letting go of what you are holding against yourself so that you can forward with God. If God has moved forward, shouldn't we do the same? Philippians 4:9 states that we are to put into practice those things that we have learned from God and from His word. To continue to rehearse in our thoughts the events of our transgression, opposes Philippians 4:8 which tells us to dwell on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Forgiveness is also a personal choice. I had to come to that conclusion on the things that I struggle with. The thing is you cannot move forward in life if you continuing to look at your past mistakes. When your driving a car, can you drive the car in the right direction if you are continuing to look in the review mirror? Of course, this answer is no! This goes the same thing in life. No matter what your dealing with, you can move forward. Proverbs 16:28 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." The energy it takes to harbor anger, hatred, and resentment towards yourself is exhaustive. Every bit of energy we give to negative activities and dwelling on regrets, robs us of the energy we need to become the person God wants us to be. When we reject the forgiveness extended to us by God and others, when we refuse to forgive ourselves, what we are doing is setting ourselves above others and that is pride! Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Unforgiveness of oneself will bring self-destruction, a haughty spirit, and a fall. Christian forgiveness will bring peace. I learned if I didn’t forgive myself I would continue to hurt the ones around me. Forgiving yourself is also important for those around you. It is a well-known fact that hurting people hurt others. The longer you avoid forgiving yourself, the longer you allow yourself to harbor the feelings that you deserve to suffer for what you did, the more explosive you will become and, therefore, the more apt you are to hurt others. Forgiving yourself will change the direction of your life. Here is a prayer that I came across when I was struggling with forgiving myself. I read this prayer every day and continue to read it. Dear Heavenly Father, I understand that there is nothing to gain by holding myself in unforgiveness and there is everything to gain by releasing myself from unforgiveness and beginning the process of healing. I want to move forward and make a positive difference in the future. I confess the ungodly accountability, self-abasement, and the vows I have made to never forgive myself. Because Jesus died for my sins, I choose to forgive myself--to no longer punish myself and be angry with myself. I forgive myself for letting this hurt control me and for hurting others out of my hurt. I repent of this behavior and my attitude. I ask for Your forgiveness and healing. God, help me to NEVER again retain unforgiveness of myself or others. Thank you for loving me and for Your grace to move forward with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. If you’re dealing with self-forgiveness please know there is a way to let it go. It’s not easy and it’s a struggle each day. I have been there, and I know there is a way out of the pit. Lets look at Question 2: Is my self-condemnation drawing me into a closer relationship with God, or is it driving me further from Him?
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Can you honestly look in the mirror and tell yourself, "I love you" and mean it with your heart? I'm not talking about a prideful way, but in a humble means of accepting who God has formed in you. We need to love and accept the person that Christ has made in us, and forgive ourselves as Christ has forgiven us! In the past when I look inside, I hated myself for things that I have done, I kicked myself over and over for your past failures and choices. I came to Jesus and repented, but I didn’t really accept the truth about what Jesus has done for me. I still felt ashamed and guilty over my past and I kept holding it against myself. The way I saw myself is not an accurate picture of what Christ has done for me. It is basically denying the work that Jesus accomplished for me on the cross! If my sins were forgiven, then I needed to see myself as separated from my sins... but no, the enemy kept reminding me of my past and continued to beat me up over choices that I made - that I was supposed to leave at the cross. I was wrapped up in guilt and condemnation, I needed to forgive myself. I can do this through deliverance, but if I don't forgive myself for the mistakes I made, I won't experience the breakthrough that I need to be totally set free. When the recipient of a gift receives it gladly and with joy, the giver is glorified. But when the recipient receives the gift, but ignores it, the giver is mocked, belittled and feels unappreciated. When I failed to forgive myself, I’m like a child who has been given a trip to Disney World for Christmas, yet I keep complaining that I can't go... even after my parents have already packed the car and are waiting on me to get in! How would you feel if you were my parents? Wouldn't you feel sick inside, knowing that you spent all that money on this trip, the tickets, the hotel reservations, etc., and your son refuses to go because he doesn't believe that what you gave him was real? Think how your heavenly Father feels when He looks down and sees His children walking around beating themselves up over things that He shed His blood so that they could be forgiven and set free from? After much studying and reading, Gods word it is clear that failing to forgive ourselves for past mistakes is denying the work of the cross and the shed Blood of Christ in our life which allows us to get further away from Christ. When God's Word tells us that we have been washed with the Blood of Christ, and our sins are removed that is us saying, "I don't care what the Blood of Jesus has done, I still hate myself for what I've done!" It's stagging to think such a thing, but that is what really happens when we refuse to forgive ourselves. If you don't see yourself as a new creature in Christ, then we have a problem. You will be hindered and held back from freely and confidently living out who you really are in Christ! You will be hesitant and feel unworthy to approach your Heavenly Father, because you feel you're a failure and unworthy... this is why it is vital for your conscience to be cleansed of dead works (your past failures) . Hebrews 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Failing to forgive yourself will put blinders on your spiritual eyesight quickly. It will cause you to see things through the eyes of guilt, shame and condemnation. It will ruin your faith and cause you to go blind spiritually. So you have two choices. You can either forgive yourself and move closer to God or not forgive yourself and walk in direction away from God. I didn’t learn this until I lay my choices at the feet of Christ and walk with him and by doing this I was able to forgive myself and not live with the burden I was dealing with each day. Self Forgiveness - Why should I continue to condemn myself when the Christ no longer condemns me?6/25/2018 Let’s look at the 1st question to ask yourself when struggling with self-forgiveness. “Why should I continue to condemn myself when the lord no longer condemns me?” But before you and I jump into this, it will serve us well to have a clear definition to work with. Self-condemnation is blaming yourself after you have failed to do or be something you know you should do or be. Instead of responding to conviction by confessing, repenting, and being empowered by God’s grace, self-condemners choose to heap condemnation on themselves.
Self-condemnation makes you inward focused and works driven. I wish I would not think of myself as much as I do, but this is something I often find myself doing. As I see my shortcomings each day, I analyze what I could have done differently—or even more, how I could be different. I dealt with this a lot when I went through my divorce and how I handled it with my kids. I should be a better Dad. I should spend more time. I should do more for them. But, I keep telling myself I’m not doing these things. And by me telling myself I’m not doing these things I keep telling myself I have failed. So, then I start to go into works mode. I tell myself I can do better tomorrow. I will do things to be a better dad, and then again, I fail. So, I sulk in the disgrace I have been to myself, to my kids, and to the Lord. In the process, I somehow believe that thinking about myself in these ways will produce a being who is, in fact, different. But instead, I find myself jumping into an ocean of pride–and it’s not the kind of pride of delights in thinking much of myself but the pride that finds great satisfaction in heaping condemnation, rather than grace. C. J. Mahaney, in his book Living the Cross Centered Life, says this: “Don’t buy the lie that wallowing in your shame is pleasing to God.” God is pleased, sister, when we die to ourselves and call upon the name of Christ to make us a new creation at the moment of salvation, and to continue making us new each day (2 Cor. 5:17). We no longer have to fix our gaze inwardly; we can fill our minds with thoughts of the great grace God has and continues to show us. Mahaney reminds us. We can hold fast to the promise in Romans 8:1, that, “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Some of us have been carrying so much for so long that we think it’s normal to go through life weighted down. And the truth is that, apart from the cross, condemnation IS normal”. But, we don’t have to live apart from the cross. God sent his only son, Jesus, to be the perfect sacrifice—to stand in our place and receive the condemnation and punishment we deserved. God did that, not so you and I could sulk in our shame, but so we could marvel at the grace of God in caring for lowly sinners such as you and I. He did this, so we could live in the grace He has shown to us. Let’s take our eyes off our own failings and look instead at the cross where those failings were laid to rest once and for all I will be going through a series of self forgiveness.
Our past can sometimes weigh very heavily on us. There is no way to travel back in time to undo things we have done in the past, though many of us wish we could. Even the great apostle Paul looked at his past with great regret, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Paul wrote these words about 20 years after his persecution of the early Christians, and they indicate that he had by no means forgotten his shameful and destructive actions as a young man. The Bible record shows us that Paul left that life behind and went on to lead a much more constructive and productive life. And, as we will see, he had much to say about forgiveness and not remaining stuck in feelings of guilt. What can we do when guilt and regret about our past actions keep us from moving on with our lives as we should? How can we learn to leave those things behind and move forward? The Bible doesn’t speak in terms of forgiving ourselves, but it does give a blueprint to follow in freeing ourselves of past guilt and regaining mental health. We can start by realizing that forgiving, whether it involves forgiving others or forgiving ourselves, is not about condoning wrong actions. It is not about a lack of accountability. It involves understanding that God forgives sinners who turn from their sins and turn to Him, and that God then allows and wants them to move forward. Let’s look at seven questions to ask yourself when you struggle with self-condemnation. 1. Why should I continue to condemn myself when the Lord no longer condemns me? 2. Is my self-condemnation drawing me into a closer relationship with God, or is it driving me further from Him? 3. What good am I doing by refusing to forgive myself? 4. Does self-condemnation help or hurt my relationships with others? 5. Does my refusal to forgive myself impress God? Does He find me more devout because of my guilt and shame? 6. Is there any biblical basis for withholding self-forgiveness? 7. How long do I intend to condemn myself? What will be the end result? Normally, the answers to these questions are obvious. However, if you’re in the throes of self-condemnation, the truth may seem hazy. Often the only way to work through times of self-doubt and remorse is to focus on the basics of who God is and what He wants for your life. If you are struggling with an inability to forgive yourself, prayerfully consider the seven questions above. Read them aloud, and let them work through your spirit. What helps me is, journaling. I prefer to take some quiet time in the morning to write out my thoughts. If you don’t have a journal, don’t let that stop you from putting your thoughts out there. Take out a sheet of paper to record your thoughts or put them in the notes on your phone as the Lord speaks to you. Don’t be surprised by some intense wrestling in your heart as you consider these points—and as God reorders your thoughts about yourself. If you are having a tough time answering these seven questions, set aside time to really think through them. I will be breaking down each question over the next few weeks and share my thoughts and experiences from walking through this process of self-forgiveness. As I was driving down to Tampa for work to see a client, I missed the exit sign where I was supposed to get off at. I was not paying attention to the signs and had to drive out of my way to find a place to turn around. I remember thinking this is crazy and I was so upset with myself for not following the signs or paying attention. By not following the signs or paying attention, I had to go 20 miles out of my way and ended up being late for my meeting. Another time I was driving and not paying attention to the speed limit sign and yep you guessed it, I was pulled over for speeding. Thirty minutes and $200 later I was on my way to my destination and it cost me time and money. I remember telling the cop when I got pulled over that I didn’t see the speed limit sign and it needed to be placed where it could be seen. He looked at me like I was crazy and said it’s where everyone else can see it. I rode back by that sign the next day and yep there was the speed limit sign clear as day and where everyone can see it.
So, think about the signs God puts in front of us that we don’t pay attention to. By us not paying attention to Him, what has it cost us? Did it cost you a job, a meeting, or a relationship because we were so focused on our own needs and wants. How many times has God placed a sign in our life to direct us but we missed because we are focused on our own desires and wants? As I read Proverbs 13:13 “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandments will be rewarded.” The word contains thorough instructions which, if followed, lead to fulfillment, righteousness, and salvation. But, if we choose to ignore God, the results are as predictable as they are tragic. Just as me not follow the speed limit it cost me money and time. A righteous life as many components: faith, honesty, generosity, love, kindness, humility, gratitude, and worship, to name but a few. If we seek to follow the steps of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we must seek to live according to His will. Let’s us follow his signs and leadership. This way we can live our lives as examples. This morning while I was in my office and I had the TV on. I usually have it on but the volume is turned down because of the negativity on the news and shows that are on in the morning. However, this morning the volume was up and I was listening to all the negative things that are being said and what’s going on in this world today and it was driving me crazy. However, right before I muted the TV a story caught my attention. It was about a 12-year-old little girl who committed suicide. Let that sink in for a second! YES, a 12-year-old. I started to listen to the story about this little 12-year-old girl who had the whole world in front of her took her own life. I was thinking what caused this as everyone on TV was asking. Then it came out from her parents who shared she was being bullied for some time by kids at her school. Yes, we can all say at some time we were bullied in some way, but today these kids today are being bullied 24 hours a day through social media. As I continued to listen to this story it had me thinking about a verse out of Ephesians 4:9 “Don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit them.” There are two parts to this verse. Let’s look at the first part “Don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth.” As adults are we teaching this to our kids? Are we teaching them to think about what they are saying to others? This little girl had kids posting and texting her “When are you going to Kill yourself.” Is this wholesome? If you’re not a Christ follower this is something we should still be teaching and if you’re a Christ follower we are held accountable for this. Remember our kids are for sure not seeing this in the world today. Our kids and people need to see this coming from us.
Let’s look at the second part of this verse “but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit them.” Are we using our words to build people up or break them down people? If you would had heard the show that was on my TV this morning all they were doing was breaking people down and not building them up. We may not agree with people during our walk on this earth and that’s ok but we can’t use our words to break then down because we don’t agree. We should use our words to build people up. As a parent I ask myself are my words building up my kids or breaking them down. As a leader in my company I ask this question everyday while I’m meeting with my team. Sometimes I will have hard conversations with my team but I still try to use words to help build them to be better reps. Let’s teach others to use word to build up people and not tear them down because we don’t agree with them or because they are different then we are. As a Christ follower we are command to “Love others as Christ loved us” so let people see that kind of love and not us tearing people down because they don’t agree with us. It’s not our Job to judge them it’s our Job to love them and share what Christ has done for us. And come on folks don’t use scripture for your own agenda to have an excuse to tear someone down, but use it to build people up. Remember it’s not about us as Christ Followers but about our Father. It’s time to step up and help teach people to use building words and to stop bulling. Our kids are watching us. They see enough of this from TV shows to our own political leadership from the left to right! MAKE A STAND! USE BUILDING WORDS AND STOP USING UNWHOLESOME WORDS! There is one thing I have learned over the years and that is action speaks louder than words. You can look at these two different ways - at work and in your personal life. I remember a time when my baseball coach was giving me some coaching on my swing. After he was done, he said let me see you apply this. So, as I got back in the batting cage and after a few swings my coach said didn’t we just talk about changing your swing up, and I said yes. He then asked why was I not doing what he coached me to do? My answer was ok I will try that. So back to hitting I went. This time, I applied the coaching and was practicing what the coach said. But a few minutes later after the coach walked away, I went back to my old swing and was wondering why I wasn’t hitting the ball as well as I did before the coach walked away. My coach walked back over and said hey you’ve gone back to the old swing again and he asked why again? I said to the coach, “ok, you’re right” and shook my head acknowledging yes I got it. This time the coach looked at me and said “look, I don’t need a yes player I need a player who is going to take action.” He later said to me, “Remember, actions speak louder than words. I want to see your action not just your words saying what you think I want to hear.”
Don’t we do this in life or in our marriages. We say things to our bosses that we think they want to hear and to our spouses, but then they see no action. If we want things to change from work to our marriages, we need to let our actions speak louder than our words. Whether it’s after we get coaching from our boss or coaching from someone about our marriages. This brings me to Romans 14:23 “If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.” As Christians, we must do our best to ensure that our actions are accurate reflections of our beliefs. Our theology must be demonstrated not only by words but, more importantly by our actions. In short, we should be practical believers, quick to act whenever we see an opportunity to serve God. Are you the kind of practical Christian man who is willing to dig in and do what needs to be done when it needs to be done? If so, congratulations: God acknowledges your service and blesses it. But if you find yourself more interested in the fine points of theology than in needs of your neighbors, it’s time to rearrange your priorities. God needs believers who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work for him. I know I am not the one who should be writing this because I have not lived the life that called me to be over the past year. I have lived not by actions but by words. By living just by words are not good enough you have to live by actions. So I ask you to live by actions not by words, I don’t want you to go through losing friends and family. So yesterday I spent time with my three daughters and grandsons for Father’s Day. We took the boat out and had a great time at the beach. My daughters are 23,19 and 16 and during our boat ride over to the beach, I started thinking back when they were younger and how on Father’s Day they would make these cards and give them to me on Father’s Day. At that time, those cards were such a blessing for me because I know they set time aside and put so much work into them. The key word in that last sentence is “TIME”. Now the things that are such blessings to me as they are older is the “Time” that we spend together. As kids get older, they start living their own lives and going in many directions. I appreciate that they still find a way to have time for their Dad.
As we spent time talking and paying in the water, I enjoyed being able to catch up and hear about what’s going on in their lives these days. It was a blast to hang and what a great day for a Dad with daughters, because we all know little girls love to talk. As we were on our way home and everyone was tired, and the grandkids were out like a light, I started thinking about our heavenly Father. Do we set time out each day to spend with him and catch up with Him? I might not see my daughters everyday, but I try to touch base with them daily. It might not happen but at least I can send a text to them letting them know I am thinking about them. Our heavenly Father wants the same from us. Do we talk to him daily? If not, remember He would love it if you did. So, set aside that time aside to talk with him. Think about the things we learn when we set that time aside to talk with our kids. Just think of what you can learn when you set aside that time to talk with our Heavenly Father. We might not receive a text from Him or a phone call, but he gives us words to read each day. Even though God knows what goes on with us each day and every minute, He still would love for you to set time aside and talk with him. If you’re a father, please remember to set time aside for your kids. For them, nothing is more important to them then your time. They are only young once before they are grown like my children. Then like me, you will be wishing you had that time back to spend with them before life hits them. I was meeting with a client today and we were talking about what it is to wait and what it looks like these days. As we talked about what waiting looks like today compared to what it looked like when we were young, we discussed about what it was like to have to wait until we got home to make a phone call. We didn’t have a cell phone and the ability to call someone right away. In today’s world with the technology we have, the world is teaching us waiting does not have to be an option. We can post something on social media and the whole world sees that we had lunch with a friend within seconds of the post.
I mean to think about it, text messaging is faster than a telephone call and we get a response instantly. For example, my kids can call me while I’m in a meeting and if I can’t answer I can text them right back. An email is faster than snail mail and again we get a faster response. We can pay for our meals and have them delivered to our car within minutes. I’m not saying any of this is bad but what are we teaching our kids and even ourselves? However, we must ask the question “Is this really good?” Think about it! Back in the day we had more time before we had to wait to respond to something. Today, we do too much reacting because we don’t have to wait. So, are we creating more issues because we don’t wait to respond to an email or text? Again, we live in a world today that teaches us “We don’t have to wait.” I’m here to tell you and myself we have been deceived. So, put this in perspective, we might get our food quickly, but if we waited to get our food we most likely we would choose a healthier food option. I mean look at Facebook we see a comment or picture and we don’t take time to think through how we should respond, we just react because we don’t wait. This goes for emails and texting. On the other hand, if we push through the want with a timely wait, we could thoughtfully respond so others, so they will see Christ in us. Can we collectively agree, things usually turn out better when we wait? I remember when I was younger, my brother and I played football and we wanted these special air pack helmets. The reason we wanted these helmets is because we thought we could hit people harder because they had air packs in them. My dad told us we could have them, but we would have to work and save money to get them. My brother and I saved money from cutting grass and going to work with our Dad. In time, we both were able to get one. However, the thing we didn’t realize was that our dad was teaching us that we had to wait and most importantly we were still learning how to hit correctly while playing football. If we didn’t wait and had instant gratification, we have likely damage ourselves or someone else Because in our minds, if we had these helmets then we could just run through people. Isn’t this like life today? We get things without waiting and then what damage did we caused because we didn’t wait? As adults, the value of what we wait for is far greater than the cost of an air pack helmets. We wait for the salvation of a loved one, the healing of our friend, the end of our own long-term health issue, deliverance from addictions, a positive result on a pregnancy test, or the end of unemployment. The value of what we wait for is so great that we can easily become derailed from life. These things are important to pray about, for sure. But when they become all-consuming, their value is magnified — especially the longer we wait. Some carry greater weight than we originally thought, while some carry less. As the days, months and years pass, we can put more energy, effort, prayer, conversations, and yes, sometimes manipulation and guilt trips, into making these things come to pass. Without realizing it, we exchange the Person of our faith for the object of our wait. Waiting well means staying peaceful in the present while looking forward to the future. Our wait may not be as quick as a social media post, but we can trust God to work while we wait and bring about an ending for our good and His glory. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). |
AuthorJust a man who follows Christ and writes for fun.. Archives
September 2024
Categories |