"if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. for whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." matthew 16:24-25
"truly, i say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life." luke 18:29-30
no one ever said it would be easy. in fact, "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." matthew 7:14
oh that we would find that narrow gate and keep on that path no matter how hard it gets.
"let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil." proverbs 4:25-27
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
he who hates reproof is stupid
well that's what the english standard version says in proverbs 12:1. but don't we all hate reproof. don't we all hate being told we're wrong. doesn't discipline and correction just leave a bitter taste and a sting that we really just want to ignore until it goes away.
i've been dealing with a correction this week and i'm trying not to be stupid. i got busted. my mouth has always gotten me into trouble. witty remarks can very quickly turn into rude sarcasm. and the Lord has been trying to whisper to me about idle words (matt 12:36) and about making sure that every word counts for something (1 sam 3:19). and i heard Him. i even encouraged my girls with the same word. but i hadn't quite put it into action yet and i got put in my place. and then i cried...all...day...long.
but faithful are the wounds of a friend. it's good to have someone in your life who can call you out when you're being a jerk.
and EVERYTHING has been about speech lately. i even had a little chuckle sunday morning because the message was about honesty and many of the verses that have been on my mind were shared. here are just a few verses that have come up and that i'm meditating on, as by the grace of God this tongue of mine gets tamed.
matthew 12:36 but i say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
proverbs 10:19 when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
proverbs 10:32 the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable...
proverbs 12:18 there is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing
james 3:8 ...no human being can tame the tongue. it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
matthew 15:18 (this is the kicker...how icky my heart must be!) but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
proverbs 18:13 if one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. (even today i read this verse and then had it quoted to me when i failed to follow through!)
we automatically think correction is bad because it's uncomfortable. but the Lord disciplines those He loves. and sometimes we hear it directly from Him and repent and move forward. but not always. sometimes it hits us harder, especially when it comes from another person. i was asking God yesterday why i was still so affected by this and the verse proverbs 17:10 jumped out; "a rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool." ouch! we should be affected when someone legitimately calls us out. we should be bothered by our sin. we should be so taken aback that we take a look at ourselves, seek the truth and start allowing the grace and power of God to work in our lives.
"sensitivity to reproof is the surest sign we need it" - fenelon
i've been dealing with a correction this week and i'm trying not to be stupid. i got busted. my mouth has always gotten me into trouble. witty remarks can very quickly turn into rude sarcasm. and the Lord has been trying to whisper to me about idle words (matt 12:36) and about making sure that every word counts for something (1 sam 3:19). and i heard Him. i even encouraged my girls with the same word. but i hadn't quite put it into action yet and i got put in my place. and then i cried...all...day...long.
but faithful are the wounds of a friend. it's good to have someone in your life who can call you out when you're being a jerk.
and EVERYTHING has been about speech lately. i even had a little chuckle sunday morning because the message was about honesty and many of the verses that have been on my mind were shared. here are just a few verses that have come up and that i'm meditating on, as by the grace of God this tongue of mine gets tamed.
matthew 12:36 but i say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
proverbs 10:19 when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
proverbs 10:32 the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable...
proverbs 12:18 there is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing
james 3:8 ...no human being can tame the tongue. it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
matthew 15:18 (this is the kicker...how icky my heart must be!) but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
proverbs 18:13 if one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. (even today i read this verse and then had it quoted to me when i failed to follow through!)
we automatically think correction is bad because it's uncomfortable. but the Lord disciplines those He loves. and sometimes we hear it directly from Him and repent and move forward. but not always. sometimes it hits us harder, especially when it comes from another person. i was asking God yesterday why i was still so affected by this and the verse proverbs 17:10 jumped out; "a rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool." ouch! we should be affected when someone legitimately calls us out. we should be bothered by our sin. we should be so taken aback that we take a look at ourselves, seek the truth and start allowing the grace and power of God to work in our lives.
"sensitivity to reproof is the surest sign we need it" - fenelon
Saturday, June 6, 2009
set up
for the protection of my sources, i can't share the hilarious story that's been going on in my life. but i will tell you that someone is trying to set me up with a guy. perhaps down the road when this all blows over i will be able to share the saga. but here's the spiritual application to it all...
when i found all this out, i went to this unhealty place of panic and planning. all i had done was shake a guy's hand and say, "nice to meet you." but i allowed myself to freak out and yes, start thinking about a wedding. how wrong is that! thursday night i even became a little teary-eyed because i didn't know who would be my maid of honor and bridesmaids!
that's when it had gone too far. i started praying and thinking in a different way. oh that i would be so excited about my Bridegroom and begin preparing for meeting Him. that wedding is a guarantee, thankfully. and i began to think about the parable of the 10 virgins. only some of them were prepared when the Bridegroom came for the bride. who am i taking with me to my wedding? will i help them to be prepared?
thankfully, my life is the Lord's and He can do what He wants with it. i don't have to worry when people try to make plans for me, because God is the sovereign One.
On being single:
a while back as i was driving to work the Holy Spirit threw a thought to me: "you're holding out for the ram in the bushes." i knew exactly what He was talking about. when God and i talk about me being single, i say i'm ok with it and i start to sacrifice marriage on the altar. but all the while i'm looking around, thinking there's something else. thinking maybe it's just temporary. maybe the Lord is just testing me, as He did with abraham and isaac. and maybe He is, but that's not for me to decide or wait around for. my attitude has to be one of complete surrender and obedience. i can't live in an unhappy state of singleness (not that i'm unhappy), longing for something else. i have to be content with where the Lord has me. i have to live fully for Him, completely abandoned. i can't hold out that there MIGHT be marriage in the future.
when i found all this out, i went to this unhealty place of panic and planning. all i had done was shake a guy's hand and say, "nice to meet you." but i allowed myself to freak out and yes, start thinking about a wedding. how wrong is that! thursday night i even became a little teary-eyed because i didn't know who would be my maid of honor and bridesmaids!
that's when it had gone too far. i started praying and thinking in a different way. oh that i would be so excited about my Bridegroom and begin preparing for meeting Him. that wedding is a guarantee, thankfully. and i began to think about the parable of the 10 virgins. only some of them were prepared when the Bridegroom came for the bride. who am i taking with me to my wedding? will i help them to be prepared?
thankfully, my life is the Lord's and He can do what He wants with it. i don't have to worry when people try to make plans for me, because God is the sovereign One.
On being single:
a while back as i was driving to work the Holy Spirit threw a thought to me: "you're holding out for the ram in the bushes." i knew exactly what He was talking about. when God and i talk about me being single, i say i'm ok with it and i start to sacrifice marriage on the altar. but all the while i'm looking around, thinking there's something else. thinking maybe it's just temporary. maybe the Lord is just testing me, as He did with abraham and isaac. and maybe He is, but that's not for me to decide or wait around for. my attitude has to be one of complete surrender and obedience. i can't live in an unhappy state of singleness (not that i'm unhappy), longing for something else. i have to be content with where the Lord has me. i have to live fully for Him, completely abandoned. i can't hold out that there MIGHT be marriage in the future.
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