by tascha |
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In my last post, I alluded to a relationship between Psalm 15 and the book of James…
Verse 1 of Psalm 15 asks a very interesting question: Lord, who shall abide in they tabernacle…?
We begin to see the answer with verse 2: He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
I like to break sentences apart and examine individual phrases (did I ever mention I was an English major in college?) as well as define words to their most basic meaning in order to understand.
So this verse tells me that if I am to dwell in God’s Holy Hill (His tabernacle, now ME)…
I must:
walk uprightly
to walk means to go the way of, a manner of life, traverse.
uprightly means whole & entire, sound or perfect, in accord {agreement} with truth and fact, with integrity, wholesome and innocent.
work righteousness
work means to make or commit or do.
righteousness is justness of law; what is right; proper weights & measures [balance]; ethically right.
speak truth in my heart
truth is the state of being true, something accurate based on reality {in this instance, I would suggest that Scripture is our only truth… feelings and emotions will lead us astray every time. We must line up with Scripture}
in my heart… my own heart. I must not try to deceive myself. I must be so in-tune with Scripture that I recognize a lie, whether I try to tell it to myself or another is trying to sway me.
Is my manner of life whole and full of integrity?
Do I walk in agreement with the Truth of Scripture?
Do my works commit justice of law? Are they ethical?
Are my deeds properly weighted or balanced?
Is my mind and heart so saturated with hearing and learning and mediating on truths from Scripture that I recognize a lie when the deceiver brings one to me?
These are all weighty questions I am asking myself… and I am trying not to deceive my own heart.
Because, as Jeremiah writes in chapter 17: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
…and when I do NOT do these things… my Spirit {God’s Spirit IN me} is troubled and there is no peace in God’s Tabernacle!
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by tascha |
One of the passages I read this morning was in Luke 6… where the Lord Jesus says:
Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? …why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? … Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye. [select from verses 39-42]
Usually I hear this passage preached or spoken of as a reason for “not judging” your brother… And I like this quote I have seen recently: “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.” which implies that we all sin, because we do!… but there ARE appropriate times and places to give judgment.
And I don’t think I’m going where you think I’m going… { 🙂 }.
I am turning the tables on myself here.
Often, I find myself disciplining my children… for acting: just-like-me!
Not – how I acted when I was a child {that’s another post!}, but how I acted… – yesterday.
I see the mote in my brother’s [child’s] eye but NOT in my own, until it has driven me crazy… in my child’s life!
Recently, and again this morning, I have purposed to asking God to help me see the beam/mote/problem in my own life before the same thing in my children causes me frustrations.
Because- while I can punish them for doing wrong and teach them about what is appropriate and kind, etc. {as I should!} -until I actually acknowledge [that’s the hardest part] and change these situations in my own life, all the teaching and disciplining and punishing will be counter-productive!
And then the Lord gives grace and wisdom for me to deal with the same in my children’s lives. {It is always a lesson in patience.}
{Being a mother is one of the
most rewarding things I have ever done,
but it is also quite humbling! 🙂 }
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by tascha |
I read recently where someone was saying that [one of] the problems with the church is that she is not teaching us about how to “work.” One commenter dubbed it the “doctrine of vocation.”
Here is a quote which nearly sums the article:
“Christianity is given (sold?) to us, in the main, as a life of evangelism, morality and church activities. [yet] Our lives are made up of finely drawn details. Each day is full of countless ones. We do all these ‘little’ things at home, at work, and in the marketplace and they just don’t get a lot of sermon time.” [you can read its entirety here]
{And I believe this man is honestly speaking from a sincere heart. This is no attack on him or his thoughts. I do not even know him!}
This got me to thinking… and wondering:
Are we supposed to learn how to “act Christian” at work?
Is there a different way to express our faith in the workplace as opposed to in church on Sunday?
…and that made me be still… to listen and know.
It is almost cliche among Christians {especially those who are faithful to church and church activities} to say: Let Christ have preeminence…
{this is the first verse that popped in my head after reading the blog post: Colossians 1:18, And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence}
It seems to be often preached: Put Jesus first… and you will have peace, you will know joy, life will have meaning, etc.
Often, both phrases are used interchangeably.
But they are not the same.
And I am not actually supposed to put Jesus first.
I am to put Him only.
Preeminence implies that nothing else can compare.
There is no list for Him to be “first” on because He IS “the list.”
In the beginning of my Christian journey, He was the “first one” that I reached for/called out to in certain situations… but because He is always enough, then I ended up realizing that He is the only anything that I need in any situation. We’re all learning.
The problem, as I find in the Bible, is not that the church does not meet this supposed need of teaching us how to live in our different compartments: church, work, play, with friends, with family, in a store, in a restaurant, at a church function as opposed to a work function, with church friends as opposed to unsaved colleagues,etc.
The problem is that: WE LIVE IN COMPARTMENTS.
If I could just realize {and convey through example and testimony} that Christ is to simply be my life… I would see how He permeates [fills] every aspect
… without special training or doctrines.
Further reading in that same passage reveals:
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;….by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him… whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. Colossians 1:18-20. {He is the fulness of all things… in heaven or on earth.} [emphasis mine]
and further still…
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled… through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:If ye continue in the faith … and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, …even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known …the glory of this mystery… which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, … whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.Colossians 1:21-29 [selected, emphasis mine]
If I remember correctly, Paul, though a traveling missionary… worked. He had a “vocation” outside of being a minister of the Gospel. And yet, when speaking of Christ, Paul never mentions anything apart from Jesus is the fulness… of… well, of life.
Jesus is the fulness of life–all life.
He is not just the fulness of going to church or of witnessing or of having family devotions.
If the Spirit whispers within me to speak to a perfect stranger about the Gospel, Jesus is being the fulness “in the store.” If I realize that I have not given a true effort in a particular area of my secular job, then I know that I have not allowed Jesus to be the fulness in my “vocation.”
When I rest in His strength and find joy in His contentment, He becomes the fulness of any area/compartment I may have in my life.
Thus, Jesus becomes my life; and I do not need to blame my church for not teaching me how to live in my compartments.
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by tascha |
For nearly 2 weeks I have posted each day of things the Lord has shown me either from personal Bible reading to in the simple day-to-day of being at home with my children.
Today, I have read several familiar passages {as was in my scheduled reading} and 1 of my usual “daily devotionals” and there has not been one particular thought or lesson that has made itself shareable. Several previous posts have been brought to mind though. {:) -ever learning:
~ [being a more faithful witness of His Love] ~ [personal responsibility] ~ [how I can have strength] ~ [seeing my own faults in my children’s needs] ~ [learning to live as His child from my own children] ~ to name a few}
Often the Lord shows me things that simply are not meant for me to share with the world, because my desire for this blog is to not be divisive. I do realize there are some who do not agree with 100% of what I share, but my prayer is that nothing I write can be taken and turned on the Lord to say: Look, she claims to be following Jesus and yet she is constantly having other Christians criticize or rebuke her for this or that. That makes my testimony of no effect for God’s glory.
Some things the Lord shows me personally are quite controversial, such as with dress standards or music our family will listen to or even how I plan to vote…I have personal, God-directed, husband-approving {yes, that is important to me!}, philosophies and opinions about all of those areas.
And there are blogs out there where the blogger’s simple desire to to share everything… and that’s fine!
But that is not my blog’s purpose. I strive to only speak of how God is changing my own heart.
Some posts I hesitate to publish because I am uncertain of the reaction, and I must be sensitive to my family’s place of influence in our church. I do not want to come across as pointing a finger at anyone. The “followers” number often fluctuates and I wonder… was it something I wrote or did they just really not understand what this blog was about when they first started following? [I don’t actually write to grow a “following,” but I do notice those things.] Most of my posts are first read by my husband. A few posts have been read by close, Godly friends before I hit “publish.”
One verse in my reading today that perhaps prompted these thoughts was in Proverbs 13:10- Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well-advised there is wisdom.
While I wish to speak only truth, and I strive to do it in love, I also wish to do so with a visible humility so as to avoid contention due to my personage.
My heart’s desire is to not come across as someone who gushes that she has found all the answers because even though the principles I do find and share come from Scripture, I will never have ALL the answers [and neither will you 🙂 ].
And aside from
salvation, there is much of our life as Christians that is simply to be governed by the two great commands Jesus shared in Matthew. I wrote a little about that on
{day 1}. But I do praise the Lord that I know where to FIND the answer to anything I need.I suppose that is it for today. I was
still... the Lord showed me things I have already written about that need more attention in my own life.
And He reminded me of my need to be peaceable and show humility in all things I write.
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by tascha |
Sunday’s and today’s “be still and know” posts both come from the messages yesterday.
Last evening the preacher spoke from Psalm 119:33-40 about several attitudes of King David that caused him to have such a close relationship with God.
Amid the points such as: be teachable, desire understanding, bend your ear towards listening to God, and others…. the point that I suppose stood out the most to me was the last one.
Coming from verse 40: Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness…
and focusing in on the word quicken, he went on to give an example of it…
**At the end of music camp where where his granddaughter attended this past summer, he and his wife went to here the grand performance that would close the 2 weeks. Not really knowing what to expect, they were pleasantly greeted with beautiful music well-performed by dedicated teenagers.
What impressed the evening on him most was the obvious love and enthusiasm the conductor had! He described him as taking the wand and pointing vigorously at the different sections and waving it up and down and all over to direct the various instruments in their different parts of the music. The way he was gesturing to convey what he meant left me tired. {lol} To think of a man moving with such vigor for an entire symphony is exhausting. He had an evident joy for the music… for leading the orchestra. And the students played with equal enthusiasm to the point they were not still but moving and swaying with the music during the entire performance.**
This… this obvious enthusiasm and excitement was used to describe the word: quicken.
And David used quicken to describe how he wanted to live righteousness-with enthusiasm!
And it got me to thinking…. about my children {of course!}. How it brings an unspeakable joy and thrill to my heart when my children are happy to see me.
But I think especially of those few months as small babes when they cannot express their joy verbally… and their whole little, tiny bodies express it for them. Their arms wave, their faces nearly split from smiling, their little legs just pump like they are trying to push themselves into orbit { 🙂 }.
My heart melts, and I just enjoy holding them.
When I have obvious [meaning others notice it] enthusiasm for whatever I am doing …simply BECAUSE I am serving the Lord… could that not bring God a little bit of a “parent thrill”?
I realize that I am giving God my finite emotions, but we know that God joys in knowing His children obey His word, desire to serve Him, have His joy… and He patterned the Christian relationship after “father & child” for a reason.
Maybe He wanted us to have the opportunity to know more about Him as we teach and train children for His glory.
And today, I am trying to be enthusiastic about some housework I need to get done! { 😉 }
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by tascha |
Sometimes, the difference between having rights and doing right is a wavy, blurry line.
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| this is not about gun control! {but aren’t they cute?} |
I have many privileges as an American.
I have vast amounts of opportunities when I am willing to work and sacrifice.
And I have all the ability I need to DO right, because Jesus is [or should be] my strength.
But this “my rights’ attitude” [me time, anyone?] that I have, on occasion, been sucked into is not Biblical.
For one thing, it is putting the focus on ME. I’ved studied through a little of that before. [This is not to say we do not ever need rest or an occasional break. But there is a “me mentality” that comes from thinking only of me and what *I* need/want. And that is what I am talking about being caught up in.]
And if, as a wife and mother, I am overwhelmed by certain tasks or expectations, then that is my cue to step back and take a few evaluations of myself and my motives.
I must evaluate my motive for doing this overwhelming task and determine who exactly set the expectation.
The only true, pure Biblical motive is to do all to the glory of God [I Corinthians 10:31].
let her rest while she will…
The Lord sets expectations of what He requires from us; but He also ALWAYS gives us the strength to meet them. {-because God gets glory when His strength is magnified through our weakness: 2 Corinthians 12:6-10-}
Evaluating my motive is often a soul-searching, prayerful endeavor.
Because our hearts are deceitful [Jeremiah 17:9].
We will lie to ourselves when not careful to ask the Lord to shed His light on our motives, because sometimes we try to do things {even GOOD things} for the wrong reason.
And sometimes we let others put expectations on us that are not from Him.
So, if my motive is pure and the expectations set are from the Lord, why may I feel as though there is not sufficient strength?
This is where I often get convicted, because there are so very many times that I KNOW I am doing what I ought. But the strength is not there.
When there is not enough strength to get through the day or the project or whatever, I realize that I really am doing this “good thing” all by myself. I have once again taken the reins into my own hands... plucked them from my Father, who expertly handles them while I falter and stumble through.
So, while I have many “rights” as an American and I even have much freedom as a Christian, when I get into the mindset of “having a right” for something or to do something, I forfeit the strength that comes from following the path God has set for my day, because God will not give me His strength to follow my own path.
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And the fact that he is harder to be won than a strong city seems to imply that I should try to win a friend back. If the friendship was broken over something offensive I did or said, etc., I should care when a friendship is broken or hindered.
