Anticipation

Anticipation

Last summer my daughter got married. We planned and prepared for a year for that one day. 

Every year we celebrate Christmas. We plan and prepare for over a month for that one day.

Sometimes we go on a vacation. We plan and prepare for months for those few days.

See a pattern here? There’s a lot to ponder about these patterns, but I want to focus on anticipation.

Planning                            

                                                        I love to plan things.

The details and charts and lists and preparations are part of the fun for me. I enjoy the anticipation because it makes the final event more than just one day. It’s the process, the journey that I love even more than the event. Really, for us at this time of life with our little family, grown children and no grandchildren, Christmas day is not a huge event as it has been in the past. Yet, I still love the preparations of baking, decorating, shopping, etc.  The wedding was only one day, now long gone, yet the fun was in the shopping for dresses, sending out invitations, making flowers, etc. and the photos that remain remind me of that joyful day. So, as I have said, I love the anticipation and the planning of events, but not everything can be planned.

Waiting

Sometimes, I am just waiting and not knowing what is in store. I can’t plan for what I don’t know might be ahead of me. It’s the times when I am praying for direction, looking for a new job, a new church, a new project, etc. that leaves me more waiting and not anticipating. I am kind of in that place right now. I am not looking for a job, and we have found a church community, but I am waiting for God’s direction on the next project or purpose for this time in my life.

Just “being” is really difficult for me. In my mind, it’s as if I need to justify my existence by producing or contributing something of value. I’m the stereotypical Martha, ready to serve others but not taking time to sit. So I was thinking….what if I could “plan” to be, what if I could learn to anticipate my quiet times? How would that change how I view the waiting?

Choosing

I could plan times to write in my journal. I could plan times of soaking in worship music. I could plan my day to make sure I allow time to pray and listen. I could anticipate hearing from the Lord. I could anticipate a sense of His peace. I could anticipate the joy of being in his presence instead of the dread of being alone.

I think it all comes down to how we think about things. We can look forward to something or we can have anxiety. I want to choose to anticipate and have confidence that good things are coming. I am realizing that it is a choice.  

How do you look at waiting, planning, anticipating? Are those things a joy for you or a drag? Are you better at waiting and resting than you were before?  These are all things that I hope to grow in, with the Lord's help. How about you? 

God Wants to Talk to You

There are many ways that God speaks to us. A lot of those ways are clearly mentioned in the Bible. First of all, there is the audible voice of the Lord. Adam and Eve had the clearest connection before the whole forbidden fruit episode. Since then, God has spoken audibly to many in the Bible. One strong example is Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus. Of course, he ended up blind for three days, but that's not a normal result of hearing God's voice. And since there is nothing in the Bible that notes the end of hearing God audibly, we may assume that sometimes, for very important reasons, we might possibly hear Him speak aloud. However, I have never experienced this myself.

Another way that God speaks to us, and probably the most common way, is by reading or listening to His word, the Bible. The scriptures are our manual, our guidebook, for how to live. Within the pages, we learn concepts and principles for a life that is pleasing to God. But this has to be taken in context. One cannot open up any page, pop a finger on a verse, and expect to hear direction from God. That's as silly as looking for a recipe for baked chicken and opening up any page in the cookbook and making whatever recipe appears on that random page. Silly, but sadly some people have done that. This is why we need to be familiar with the Bible and read it regularly, to know what is written and to apply it sensibly.

God also speaks to us through people. We hear good words from teachers, preachers, singers and song writers, authors, poets, counselors, and friends, etc. Personally, I learn quite a bit from reading books. I can browse through a book store or the public library and find just the right book for where I am at the moment. I believe God uses this method to speak to my life. Other people may love to listen to preaching, or poetry. God knows what touches your heart and I believe He can place the right message in your path, if you are open. People are only human though, and messages from God coming through other people are filtered by our experiences and limitations, and motives. I recommend never blindly taking direction from one person without cross checking the message from the Bible and from your inner spirit.

Other ways that God speaks to us include dreams and visions. He can show us things while we sleep. That is mentioned many times in the Bible. The circumstances we find ourselves in can contain a message from God if we take the time to seek it out. If we have a problem, perhaps God is trying to get a message across to us that we may learn wisdom in handling this situation. Entire books have been written on hearing the voice of God, so I will not list in detail with scripture verses for each potential way we can hear from God. He is so creative and will try many ways to reach you because He loves you.

If we are believers in Jesus, our spirits have become alive in Him so we can have the Holy Spirit speaking to our spirit. In this way, an inner voice, speaking to our heart is how God speaks to us. For example, when someone prays over us, if we have this inner warning, we must listen to it. That could be God letting you know that this person has an impure motive. Or if we hear a message in a song and our heart wants to cry, that could be God speaking a message through that song and your spirit will connect with that. Of course, any message from any method must absolutely line up with God's word and principles. If it does not, we automatically know that word is not from the Lord. 

One thing to be careful of is when someone claims, " God said for you to do .....". We can't take our direction from other people claiming to hear from God.  When someone gives a declarative word from God, "God said this...", I automatically back away. I would rather they prefaced their statement with " I believe I heard from God that ......". This less direct approach allows us to judge in our spirit and with the Bible whether we agree that this is truly a message from God to me. Many people like to claim they have a more spiritual lifeline to God. When they state that God said something, they could be trying to boost their own self-importance. This is an area that we need to be most careful in judging what is right for us.

It all comes down to the fact that most people really want to hear from God. We really want to be pleasing to Him and to do what is right. Even when we try to influence others, we want to be helpful, to point people into the direction that we believe is the best. We do the best that we can. Some things are very clear cut in the Bible. We can often find two or three other verses that support the same statement. For example, it's clearly stated that Jesus is the savior of the world.The reason He came and the reason He died are not up for grabs. Yet, other things are more subject to interpretation. When we are looking for direction on whether to take a certain job or how to make a specific decision, these things are not specifically written out in God's Word. 

Really, we all need to learn to hear God's voice for ourselves. First, we ask, we pray, we present our requests to God. Then, we must believe that He hears us and wants the best for us. Next, we keep our spiritual eyes and ears open. We search the scriptures, we look for messages that come to our attention, maybe songs, magazine articles, conversations with friends. God wants to speak to us. He loves us and wants us to hear Him. God doesn't usually work on our time table, but He does speak to us in these days. This takes patience and practice, but as you gain experience, hearing and discerning God's voice can get easier and clearer. I'm so glad we have a personal God.

Holy

I like the word “Holy”. I like how it sounds. It’s great to speak it in prayer.     I love to sing that word. I love songs that repeat “holy, holy, holy”.  I was just thinking about what it means.

Holy is not a noun, not a concrete thing like snow or even wind. It can be used as an adjective like beautiful or friendly. But unlike those adjectives, it’s more difficult to quantify.

My understanding of the word “Holy” is for something to be set apart, to be special for God, such as the Holy Bible. Yet God also is set apart. He is not like anyone or anything else. He is Holy; He has characteristics that set Him apart from what we can understand. He does not do evil, He is beyond time and space, He has unlimited knowledge and power. He is totally other than what we know in our lives.

In God’s directions for setting up the temple in the Old Testament, He established specific instructions for the creation and use of items for worship. He said that all of those things were to be holy, set apart and not used for other purposes. Even the incense and oils were for the use in worship alone. He did not want it to be used as perfume for people. We couldn’t smell like Him. The candlesticks, bowls, and other items were to be set apart to be used for this holy purpose, to worship Him. We couldn’t use them in our houses, in our kitchens. God’s things are special.

When people want to be treated in that same special way, we think they are getting a big head. Who do they think they are? We get annoyed because they think they are above others. New flash: All humans are created equal. None of us is worth more than another and we ought not to worship other humans. Respect, yes, but not worship. But God is not a human.

God is not created and He is not equal. Actually, He is the only one who we can say is truly set apart and worthy to be special, worthy to be worshiped because there is no one or nothing like Him. He is the only one who can demand that we bow before Him and worship Him. He is our Creator; He is not carrying an attitude, as we would think if a human acted that way. That’s why it’s hard to grasp sometimes. We look at the world through our own eyes. But God is truly worthy of our worship and praise. So we can call Him holy and can sing “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”. Yeah!

The Bible also states that we are to be holy, to be set apart for Him. I take that to mean that we set ourselves apart from the ordinary. We are special in that we are an instrument of worship for God.  Our lives should be used to do what He wants of us. It doesn’t mean that we are expected to be perfect or carry a super spiritual attitude that makes us unapproachable. So how does this work out in practical application?

First of all, we are an instrument of worship.  A portion of our time should be spent, set aside, dedicated to God in prayer, singing, studying God’s word so we know Him more. This isn’t always easy as our lives are so busy, or really, we haven’t made it a priority. I am speaking from experience here.

Secondly, we are His representative on this planet. Other people get to know Him by knowing us. We have to live our life in such a way that others will see Jesus in our day to day actions. Again, we aren’t perfect, but we want our words, our actions, our choices to answer the question of “What would Jesus do?”.

Lastly, I think we have a tendency to take the things of God too casually.  I know I do. We are too familiar, not as filled with awe and respect in the presence of God as I think we could be. Some of us have gone so far from the hushed halls of cathedrals that we joke about Jesus our homie. Really? There has to be a better balance. God is approachable though Jesus, but He is not our buddy.

For me,understanding holiness and living it is a life-long process. I don’t often think of myself as being set apart for God. But really, I am His property. I gave Him my life. We made a deal and   I got the better end of the bargain. My prayer is that I would continue to grow in the understanding of holiness and how I am to respond to God. I want to give more of my heart, mind, and soul in worshiping Him. I also want to be a worthy representative of Him to those who have contact with me. Far from perfect, but on the path, I want to live my life ready for Him to choose me and use me as one of His holy possessions. I hope you do too. 

What Should I Do Now?

Why am I here on this earth? Why did God make me and what does He have for me to do? Everyone needs to feel valuable and to have a reason to exist. I think our purpose can change over the years as we live and grow and develop skills and wisdom. The different seasons of our lives can lead us into new directions. So how do I know what my purpose is for now?

I remember taking quizzes which try to identify skills and interests and direct one into a path. For example, there was a survey that I took in high school which was meant to guide my career choices. One of the top results for me was embalmer or mortician. Really? What high school senior would choose that path based on a survey? I did not, although, I may have been good at it.  As a young church going person in my 20's, I took quizzes which would identify the ministry gifts that could use. I didn’t really need a survey to tell me what I was already doing, but I suppose some people may have needed that.

More often, I tended to get sidetracked by what I saw others doing. If one of my friends was heavily involved in an area of ministry, then I would feel compelled to be a part of that. Or if the church announced a need which required able and willing bodies to participate, I would volunteer. Yet, after a while I would become frustrated and maybe bored or pressured to do the work. My intentions to help were good, but my heart was not in it. I was just trying to fill a need.

What Has God Called You to Do?

I just read an article by Daniel Kolenda in the January/February 2013 issue of Ministry Today magazine. He writes about grace, that God will give us the grace to do what he is calling us to do. He says there are two lessons: 1.” Don’t make the mistake of trying to force those around you to do what God has called you to do.  And don’t look down on them for doing something other than what you think is so important.” and lesson 2. “If you think everyone should be doing one particular thing, chances are that is what you are called to do!”

This makes so much sense. God has so many areas that are important and even urgent. I know people who have a strong heart for missions, evangelism, prayer, stopping abortion, nutrition, adoption, healing, biblical equality, financial stewardship, feeding the poor, etc. Each is a vital and essential part of the heart of God for us. If there is an opportunity to support those areas by financial means or by learning about it, or even participating in an activity, I think we should try to do what we can to forward the cause in the kingdom of God. But imagine if we had to dive in, wholeheartedly, for every good thing! We could not keep it up because we would be exhausted; it would be a divided focus and we couldn’t possibly give our best to any one thing.

Our Attitude Matters

Daniel Kolenda makes two very good points. First, our attitude about others is to not be critical. We have to accept that everyone has their own special calling and God will give them the grace to follow what He has equipped them to do.  It’s really easy to judge other people or to pick up an attitude because they didn’t attend our special event, or class, or volunteer for our project. I confess that I have done that.  I need to remember that God does the drawing of their hearts, not me doing the pushing of their guilt.

His second point is that we need to pay attention to what God has called each of us individually to do. What do I think needs to be done? What is God laying on my heart to do? Once I take the time to figure it out, then I have found what’s my job. That’s how I know what direction to go into.

What SHAPE are You In?

In that same Ministry Today issue, there was an article by Erik Rees about the S.H.A.P.E. tool used at many churches to help determine someone’s role or purpose. I found online assessment tools that use these five areas to help you find your way. This takes into account the following areas:

• ·        Spiritual Gifts: A set of special abilities that God has given you to share His love and serve others.
• ·        Heart: The special passions God has given you so that you can glorify Him on earth.
• ·        Abilities: The set of talents that God gave you when you were born, which He also wants you to use to make an impact for Him.
• ·        Personality: The special way God wired you to navigate life and fulfill your unique Kingdom Purpose.
• ·        Experiences: Those parts of your past, both positive and painful, which God intends to use in great ways.

In thinking about myself (and sharing without too much detail), I find that I like to organize things. I have skills in planning and I have developed computer skills which help in that area. I have a heart for women, to build relationships with each other. I like to be around people. I am not overly shy. I’ve been through some things that have shaped my outlook. I can review all of these things and realize that I like to organize events, parties, get-togethers. I feel like God can use me to help people connect in relationships. This is just one aspect of how God can use me, based on examining characteristics from this model.

Yes, this takes some work and introspection to see what your purpose is. So, we need to do some of this to see what God is saying. Of course, we bathe all of this in prayer. If we ask Him, He will show us what we are to do next in our lives.

Comparing Kills Passion

I know some people do not believe they have gifts or a purpose. Or they haven’t

figured out what to do in this next season of life. Some have a lack of confidence to step out in the area of their calling. We have to stop comparing ourselves with others.  I’m never going to be like someone else. Neither are you. You are who you are. When we compare, we find ourselves lacking. Then we do not have motivation to do what we are called to do because we view ourselves as a failure. Not true. We just are not called to be that other person. God has a success for you, He is not setting you up to fail. Now quit comparing and get on with your life.

Take a Step

What should we do while we are waiting to see what we should do? We start doing. We stay active. We volunteer for things, get involved, try out different areas. God will show you where He wants your heart.  He may even place you somewhere and you may not want to be there, but He can give you a heart for it.  God is amazingly creative and He doesn’t work the same way for each of us.

I do know that He has things for you to do, things for me to do. God has two main commandments: to love God and to love people. Whatever we do has to involve both of these. We have a purpose, and usually that purpose is to touch other people, to be a representative of the God of Love to those around us.

Are you currently searching for your path? Are you comfortable with what you are doing now? How do you know what God has for you right now? 

Oh No, Not Again!

Oh No, Not Again!

How Do We Sin?

Sin, missing the mark, we all do it. We think things, do things, say things that displease God, that go against His commands and guidelines. We are disobedient and rebellious. Sometimes. Not all the time, though.

Other times, probably most of the time, our hearts are turned towards God, if we claim we are Christians. We deeply desire to obey God, to make Him proud of us, to follow His ways because we know they are in our best interest. Oh, that my heart would always be tuned into God, synched with what His heart desires. But it’s not.

At my advanced age, some of the most obvious sins are not real problems for me. I’ve never murdered anyone, though I have seriously disliked people. I don’t steal from people I know or from stores or banks.

I have no other Gods before The Lord God, but I can put my own desires before His. I don’t bow to any graven images, but I sure do love my smart phone.  Raise your hand if you can relate.

The issue of sin is on my mind regularly though. I am conscious of the ways I grieve the Lord. I notice, a bit too late, when my attitude is wrong, or my words come out sharp and cutting. A few years ago, I had a focus in my life of trying to seek out my deeper motivation. When I felt like being critical of someone, what was I really feeling? Was I unconsciously comparing myself to her? Was I feeling lacking or overly superior? What motivated my thoughts? Doing all that soul searching on a regular basis can bring some ugly things to the surface. It sure did for me and some surprises as well.

Still in Need

The first letters of the word sin can make out a nifty little phrase:

Still

In

Need

I am still in need of a savior. So are you. No matter how long we have been believers, no matter how many Bible studies we have been in, how many church services we have attended, no matter how many prayers we cried, we are still lacking, still in need of Jesus to clean us and forgive us and set us back on the right path to godliness.

I became a believer in October 1976. That makes me 38 years old,( spiritually speaking. One would think that at 38, I would have achieved some sort of gold star status, on my way to perfection, couple of trophies and crowns on my mantel.  But no, we don’t ever really reach perfection. Actually, as disappointing as it seems, the older I get, the less sure I am of some things I was certain of in my younger years and the more flaws I see in myself.

My Prayer

“Lord Jesus, we are so messed up, us humans. And to think that you care for us, each one of us, so much. I can’t even begin to understand how you suffered and died for me, for me? Why me God? You know my weaknesses, you know how I long to be better than I actually am. You know the struggles I face, the thoughts I battle, the attitudes I can’t seem to control. How could you love me so much that you would sacrifice for me? What? You say you love me? You hear how I long to be righteous, how I long to please you? You know I can’t be good enough on my own, but you know my heart, you hear my desire for you? Oh, my Lord, I guess that’s why you said that man looks on the outside of a person, but you look at our hearts.  Thank you. Really, truly, thank you. Once again, I give you my heart, my soul, my whole being, flaws and all. Take me and change me to reflect your image. Amen. “

Choose Your Own Adventure

Choose Your Own Adventure, Choose Your Own Life

Do you remember reading those “chose your own adventure” books? They are stories that allow the reader to decide at certain key points in the book which direction the story may turn. It’s like coming to a fork in the road, except you can read the story again and make different choices to affect the outcome. In reading the books, you get a chance to have a “do over” and get a new ending. In real life, we rarely get to have a “do over”, but we can choose to look for a new path that leads from the place we are today.

How in the World Did I End Up Like This?

At times, I have looked at my life and wondered “how did things end up this way?” Then I start to dwell on the “if only I would have’s” and the “what if I would have’s” kind of thoughts. I look back on the choices I made both big and small and “should” all over myself.

               What if I chose a different major in college?

               What if I did not home school my kids?

               If only I didn’t eat that donut!

               Why didn’t I keep my thoughts to myself?

 I think we all take seriously our major life direction choices such as where to live, whom to marry, what job to pursue. When these big things come up, we usually take the time to seriously consider our options and potential consequences. Yet, little do we realize at the time how even our small daily choices such as what to eat, what to speak, what  to do, what to buy, etc. all adds up and leads us down a path littered with bad decisions. Often the accumulations of those small choices limit us when the larger choices come up.

Here is an example: What kind of job should I have? That path depended on how well I studied in school, what courses I took in college, what internships or volunteer experiences gave me the skills I need, what connections have I made to help me in my job search, how well my interviewing skills are, how much time did I goof off in school, was I trying to get by or did I really try, etc. All of those previous steps and more ultimately affect my current job situation.

Is There a Remote Control for That?

Our inaction as a result of choices can also have serious consequences. Not exercising and being a couch potato leads to a body that is out of shape. Not talking to people we know and not pursuing friendships can lead to loneliness. Not doing the laundry, not mopping the floors, not cleaning out the refrigerator will lead to a dirty, sloppy house. You get the point. Sometimes it’s laziness that keeps us from taking action, other times it may be depression or anxiety over making the wrong choice. Whatever the reason, there is a consequence to inaction as well as to action.

Okay, Now I Feel Guilty

I got the point. My actions and decisions or lack of those have led me to the life I have today. Of course, not everything is in our control; things happen such as accidents, illnesses, choices of others, the economy, etc. to affect the course of our lives. Guilt, shame, and blame never serve as proper motivating factors in life. Actually, they add crippling effects heaped onto the pile of problems we already have.

Since our past choices helped to lead us to our current situation, it only makes sense that our current and future choices can help to lead us to a better place. I am reminded of the Roman Centurion in Luke chapter 7.  We think the story is about his faith because Jesus comments on how He has not seen such faith in Israel but there is more. It’s also about the choices that the Centurion makes. Yes, he has to have the faith to believe in the healing by command, yet he also must decide to approach and ask a favor of Jesus (Romans and Jews don’t hang out together), and hope that in return he would be granted his request.

A Step in the Right Direction

Many times I don’t have the faith or the conviction to take action. How about you? I think we all know what we should do, this isn't really a new thought for most of us. If we are stuck in a place where we don’t like our circumstances, we need to look back at the choices we made which contributed to where we are today. We then need to go over choices we can make to get moving into another direction.  This is the hard part. We need to do something-take a step in the right direction-a baby step maybe – make a good choice.  Examples include: drop that donut and eat a piece of fruit, get the kitchen counter cleaned, call that friend you have been thinking about, make that doctor appointment you have been putting off, ask an associate to practice interviewing with you, take a ten minute walk, say I’m sorry, just do one thing the right way to start the process.

Who knows, it could be the beginning of a miracle? It will certainly be an adventure with a different ending.

Make New Friends but Keep the Old

Make new friends  but keep the old

One is silver and the other's gold

Those are part of the lyrics to a song I used to sing when I was in Girl Scouts many, many years ago. Since that time, I have learned just how true the meaning of that song can be.

There are all kinds of friends and levels of friends. Some people are friends for a season; others are friends for a reason. There are acquaintances, co-workers, group friends, close friends, best friends, ex-friends, etc.  I think we need all of the friends we can have in our lives. I've been thinking about friendship lately as I have had the chance to spend time with several friends I haven't seen for years. Have you thought about how our friendships change over the course of our lives?

Childhood

This is the first point in your life when you don't have much choice in the friends that you have. I remember playing with the kids in my neighborhood. We hung out together because we lived in the same area. Not any of those people are my friends now and I wouldn't have it any other way. Many of them were not especially nice even back then. But by interacting with these neighbors I had to learn skills of cooperation, reaching out to others, self- protection, and learning that every household had their own rules and ways of doing things. So, ultimately good things came out of those early years.

School Years

Once in school, we have more of a selection of people to choose from to be our friends. We tend to choose people who are similar to ourselves or who have similar interests. I was not a popular kid back then, I was frumpy, dumpy, and had ethnic, fresh off the boat, parents. I felt like an outsider from day one and tended to gravitate toward others who felt like outsiders. That's probably not a great reason to be friends. I am not currently in contact or friends with most of those folks either.

Young Adult Years

Ah, the best  years of our lives, we are told. Yes, they were fun times before children and responsibilities took priority in life. I remember great Bible study groups and shared times of worship and recreation. This is the time of my life where I felt alive, where I began to have friends and make friends because we really liked to spend time together. Many of those people are still good friends in my life, maybe not daily contact friends, but we still get together a few times a year at least. We were in each other's weddings, attending baby showers, and helped each other move from apartments to houses.

Babies, Church, and Work 

Life moves on. We get married, have babies and tend to hang out with other young parents. As our
children grow and move into other stages, we cultivate family friends where we can include our kids as part of our social times. This includes the school years for our kids as we participate in school activities or homeschooling in my case.  We go to church and get involved in the programs and activities there. We take a job and spend a good portion of our day with people who may have nothing more in common with us than the fact that we were both hired to work at the same company.  Still we collect more friends. Some of these remain as acquaintances, some true friends, and others become more intimate friends, moving beyond the circumstantial limitations.

On Top of the Hill

At some point in life, when our kids are grown, when some of our friends have passed away, and still others have moved away, we find that our circle of close friends may be shrinking. I thinking making close friends takes time, having shared experiences that bond people together. This is where I am at this point. I cherish every friend that has stayed in my life thus far. Some people are not friends with  whom I keep in daily contact, but I notice with some amazement how we can get together and pick up our friendship as if years and miles have not separated our lives.

This is not the time of life to rest our friend making skills. We may find ourselves in a new job, a new church, or even a new city. We might need to polish our friend making skills, inviting people out to lunch or over for coffee and dessert. It may take more effort but we can't give up. We need the old friends and the new friends, as the song says. It is not good to be alone.

Down in the Valley

I'm not there yet, but some day if I live long enough, I may need friends to see me through my senior years. I expect to stay in touch with my friends forever. Perhaps we can visit those who moved away.  I may be needing friends to attend my funeral. But don't count on me being around to see that event. Once I am gone from this earth, I will be with my friend who is closer than a brother, the one who knew me before I was formed in my mother's womb, the lover of my soul, Jesus.