there is a worship song used in my church (and I know that this makes me a sinner, but I can't remember the name) with a line that says "you use the weak to lead the strong". Now I have heard this song MANY times and songs like it and verses from the Bible which say the same thing "God uses the weak to lead the strong", and this never bothered me before. before I would think of it from the point of view of God humbling the strong, reminding them of just how much they need God and others, by using the weak to lead them. As far as I know there is nothing wrong with that view (scripture seems to agree with it) but there is another view that I had never even thought of before! one Sunday I had had a long week (which went right a long with a long 3 1/2 months I've had) and I was just tired, ready for things to be better. I was weak. And then we came to this song (whatever it's name is) and for some strange reason I knew the song but when we got to "You use the weak" I totally forgot what the next line was! I was stuck on "you use the weak" as if that was the end of a thought. Instantly I thought "you use the weak, you could do this all on your own and I really don't have much to offer but you still come into my weak life and you work in me, and you use me, the weak". As soon as I thought that I heard the music say "...to lead the strong". What?! lead the strong? I can't lead anyone! I'm hardly holding on to MY situations! I can't help someone else! especially someone who doesn't think they need help. and just like that for the rest of the day I was stuck on the question of why God uses the weak (to lead the strong, to do anything at all) when they are weak?
yes, God has to break us down and take away everything that is "us" so that He can build us up with everything that is "Him". Yes we don't listen to God nearly as much as we should when everything is fine. But I just have to say that being weak hurts, just living life is hard, and to be asked to do great things for God while weak feels impossible.
So why does God do it?
Maybe the weak and strong are learning the same lesson, we all need God's strength to make it
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
live your life
the world is full of possibilities just follow your dreams. do you have any idea just how true that is? no really! it is true!
I've been reading a book that's talking about just living your life and it's got me thinking about stuff.
we've grown up in a culture and generation that was taught to believe as kids that you could do whatever you wanted to, as long as you tried hard enough if you could get whatever you wanted out of life; and then life happened and we learned the hard way in one situation after another that that just wasn't true (case in point: wanting to date someone and getting rejected, or that perfect summer job you didn't get).
the problem is that we put our minds on the wrong thing! Guys, God is in control! He knows what's going on and He's got this! I read recently the statement "we can take risks because God isn't" and that is so true. The Bible says that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Rom. 8:28) and for God's glory (sorry, I can't remember the passage). He knows what's going on and He has it all worked out. Don't freeze your life waiting for God to tell you what He wants you to do, afraid that if you make the wrong choice then that's the end. If God REALLY wants you to do something then He'll lead you in that direction. But one of the ways He leads us is through our hearts.
What do you want to do? God gave you the desires and abilities that you have for a reason. "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you" (Matt. 6:33).
simply put: Die to self, live for Him, and just live your life. that's all you need
oh yeah, and be smart about it (a.k.a. don't jump off a bridge without a bungee cord just because you felt like it)
sorry if this was random, I just felt like writing about it
I've been reading a book that's talking about just living your life and it's got me thinking about stuff.
we've grown up in a culture and generation that was taught to believe as kids that you could do whatever you wanted to, as long as you tried hard enough if you could get whatever you wanted out of life; and then life happened and we learned the hard way in one situation after another that that just wasn't true (case in point: wanting to date someone and getting rejected, or that perfect summer job you didn't get).
the problem is that we put our minds on the wrong thing! Guys, God is in control! He knows what's going on and He's got this! I read recently the statement "we can take risks because God isn't" and that is so true. The Bible says that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Rom. 8:28) and for God's glory (sorry, I can't remember the passage). He knows what's going on and He has it all worked out. Don't freeze your life waiting for God to tell you what He wants you to do, afraid that if you make the wrong choice then that's the end. If God REALLY wants you to do something then He'll lead you in that direction. But one of the ways He leads us is through our hearts.
What do you want to do? God gave you the desires and abilities that you have for a reason. "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you" (Matt. 6:33).
simply put: Die to self, live for Him, and just live your life. that's all you need
oh yeah, and be smart about it (a.k.a. don't jump off a bridge without a bungee cord just because you felt like it)
sorry if this was random, I just felt like writing about it
Sunday, September 5, 2010
how dare we...
I hate the church.
not the Church as in the body of believers who have asked God to forgive them of their sins and are living to serve Him, to follow His will in loving and serving others. I LOVE the Church! but I hate the church. The church building where the Church meets along with people who think they are the Church, or really doesn't care but they want others to think they are of the Church. People who have served God for years and now they just want to lay back and enjoy the rest of life, don't come near them if you see things any differently than they do.
I totally believe that the Church is just a body of sinners saved by grace, but we shouldn't remain there. If all we are doing is going back and forth to the starting line, we'll never finish the race. God loves us enough to take us just as we are, but He also loves us too much to just leave us there. we should be growing, learning, loving; if we aren't doing that then what's wrong with us? and the first step in change is to admit that there is something that needs to be changed!
I have known too many people God loves and longs to use for His glory, but they fall away from because there have been too many people in the church who refused to be changed. we are loosing people God died for, He loves, He longs to use, they are full of potential and we know this because we can already see God using them. We are loosing these people because the church refuses to change, we are too comfortable just the way we are.
I hate the church, but if things are to change, may God start the change within me
not the Church as in the body of believers who have asked God to forgive them of their sins and are living to serve Him, to follow His will in loving and serving others. I LOVE the Church! but I hate the church. The church building where the Church meets along with people who think they are the Church, or really doesn't care but they want others to think they are of the Church. People who have served God for years and now they just want to lay back and enjoy the rest of life, don't come near them if you see things any differently than they do.
I totally believe that the Church is just a body of sinners saved by grace, but we shouldn't remain there. If all we are doing is going back and forth to the starting line, we'll never finish the race. God loves us enough to take us just as we are, but He also loves us too much to just leave us there. we should be growing, learning, loving; if we aren't doing that then what's wrong with us? and the first step in change is to admit that there is something that needs to be changed!
I have known too many people God loves and longs to use for His glory, but they fall away from because there have been too many people in the church who refused to be changed. we are loosing people God died for, He loves, He longs to use, they are full of potential and we know this because we can already see God using them. We are loosing these people because the church refuses to change, we are too comfortable just the way we are.
I hate the church, but if things are to change, may God start the change within me
Sunday, June 6, 2010
moving on in-spite of it all
can I just say that I would really like to just rewind life to about 3 months ago and start some things over again? If there is one thing I hate about life it's that you have to go through trials, and you can't already know the lesson you need to know, instead you have to learn it in the process.
If there is anyway at all to know everything you need to know, without ever having to go through a hard time, I would pick that way every time. And when things get hard and you have no idea why on earth you're going through this, then you learn something. It would have been helpful at the start, but you have to go through a problem in order to learn the solution. I have realized that my problem is learning my lesson but then taking even longer to put it into action. Making my "hard time" even longer.
Oh how I wish I could go back in time with what I know now and just start over! or is that part of grace? maybe not grace... not mercy...?? I don't know, part of God. maybe I shouldn't look at it as "I have to keep going from here and still have to deal with the outcome of what I have already done when I really just want to start over" but I should instead look at it as "this is not the end! I can still move on! I still have to live with the outcome from what I have already done but I can change part of the outcome by what I am still capable of doing!"
Yes, I like this look a lot better.
The end, now to move on
If there is anyway at all to know everything you need to know, without ever having to go through a hard time, I would pick that way every time. And when things get hard and you have no idea why on earth you're going through this, then you learn something. It would have been helpful at the start, but you have to go through a problem in order to learn the solution. I have realized that my problem is learning my lesson but then taking even longer to put it into action. Making my "hard time" even longer.
Oh how I wish I could go back in time with what I know now and just start over! or is that part of grace? maybe not grace... not mercy...?? I don't know, part of God. maybe I shouldn't look at it as "I have to keep going from here and still have to deal with the outcome of what I have already done when I really just want to start over" but I should instead look at it as "this is not the end! I can still move on! I still have to live with the outcome from what I have already done but I can change part of the outcome by what I am still capable of doing!"
Yes, I like this look a lot better.
The end, now to move on
Monday, May 10, 2010
The love of God that cries
over the past weekend I have understood a little more about the love of God. you know that question we all seem to have?
How could God still love me just the same after I've made such a huge mistake? I've made such a mess, and I know I've hurt Him; how does He hurt, love, and feel anger toward someone all at the same time?
There is a couple I know (not the couple you're thinking of, it's another couple) who has been together the last couple years and everyone just knew that one day they would get married. Even if they didn't end up staying together everyone knew that they would always be best friends and they would always be there for each other, after all, they already were. They were so different but they worked well together, things were hard at times but they made it work, they made THEM work (if you know what I mean) and you could tell that they loved each other.
well recently the unthinkable happened: they broke up. The term was thrown around "they're taking a break" but once you really talked to them you knew that that wasn't it. this was for real the end. and when I talked to one of them I just couldn't help but feel hurt, disappointment, almost anger, I wanted to just cry. I knew these 2, I knew that they were both made for greatness because I could already see greatness in them now. God is going to use them later in life but He is already using them now.
And yet here they were, hurting each other, the very person that they loved. yes it hurts, yes it's confusing, yes sometimes life is just hard. but there is a time to morn and a time to move on. I know that you were made for greatness because I have already seen it at work within you, and yet here you are stooping to the lower ways you know won't get you anywhere! yes it's easier than doing what is write but it won't help anyone in the long run. As soon as I found out about this I felt it, and as time has past and I have had time to really think about it I have realized something, several somethings actually: 1. I still love these 2 greatly, God can still use them and they can still grow Him, I am still seeing how God is using them. 2. I am reminded that they are humans, mistakes will happen, and that is ok, I allow myself to put too much faith in people and in the end I get hurt, but it is a good reminder of how human and frail we all are, we will all make mistakes and that isn't bad, it's when we refuse to learn from and move on from those mistakes that problems happen. 3. there are people all around who are capable of GREAT things if they would only let God have His way. we can't do this on our own, we need God and other people who have been before where we are now to lead us.
Is there anything in all the world that breaks the heart of God more than seeing His child stoop to lesser things when it's "easier" than what God has for us? The love is still there, but so is the broken heart
How could God still love me just the same after I've made such a huge mistake? I've made such a mess, and I know I've hurt Him; how does He hurt, love, and feel anger toward someone all at the same time?
There is a couple I know (not the couple you're thinking of, it's another couple) who has been together the last couple years and everyone just knew that one day they would get married. Even if they didn't end up staying together everyone knew that they would always be best friends and they would always be there for each other, after all, they already were. They were so different but they worked well together, things were hard at times but they made it work, they made THEM work (if you know what I mean) and you could tell that they loved each other.
well recently the unthinkable happened: they broke up. The term was thrown around "they're taking a break" but once you really talked to them you knew that that wasn't it. this was for real the end. and when I talked to one of them I just couldn't help but feel hurt, disappointment, almost anger, I wanted to just cry. I knew these 2, I knew that they were both made for greatness because I could already see greatness in them now. God is going to use them later in life but He is already using them now.
And yet here they were, hurting each other, the very person that they loved. yes it hurts, yes it's confusing, yes sometimes life is just hard. but there is a time to morn and a time to move on. I know that you were made for greatness because I have already seen it at work within you, and yet here you are stooping to the lower ways you know won't get you anywhere! yes it's easier than doing what is write but it won't help anyone in the long run. As soon as I found out about this I felt it, and as time has past and I have had time to really think about it I have realized something, several somethings actually: 1. I still love these 2 greatly, God can still use them and they can still grow Him, I am still seeing how God is using them. 2. I am reminded that they are humans, mistakes will happen, and that is ok, I allow myself to put too much faith in people and in the end I get hurt, but it is a good reminder of how human and frail we all are, we will all make mistakes and that isn't bad, it's when we refuse to learn from and move on from those mistakes that problems happen. 3. there are people all around who are capable of GREAT things if they would only let God have His way. we can't do this on our own, we need God and other people who have been before where we are now to lead us.
Is there anything in all the world that breaks the heart of God more than seeing His child stoop to lesser things when it's "easier" than what God has for us? The love is still there, but so is the broken heart
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Have we really changed?
50 years ago tomorrow 4 young college students in Greensboro walked down the street to a coffee shop and tried to order food. Nothing strange about that, except that these 4 men were black and they were sitting in the all white area. This action was at the beginning of a revolution in America that involved brave people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.; people who knew that things had to change and they were willing to put their lives at risk to bring that change. But what were they fighting for? If they knew for sure that they would never see this change for themselves would they have still done what they did? I think they would have; they weren't doing it for themselves, to make their own lives easier but to make the lives of people after them better. To teach people to look at the heart of a person and not their skin color. I agree with this totally and I am not out to argue against this. But I think America has gone to the other extreme. Now we aren't trying to keep different people out, we are trying to bring different people in. Is this bad? No. Is how we are doing it bad? In many ways I would say yes. We are so anxious to look multi-racial that we will do anything in our churches, businesses, and government to make everyone happy. And America beamed with pride when our first African American president was elected. Am I against this? Having a black president No. I guess this is a good thing, it looks like we are moving forward. But I don't think that this is really what these people were going for when they sat in restaurants and buses where they weren't supposed to, or when Martin Luther gave his "I have a dream" speech. their goal wasn't that we would one day have a black president and then an oriental president. I think their goal was that we wouldn't even notice when we did! What if we really did spend more time looking at the heart and soul of a person rather than their skin color? what if we looked at how they lived instead of where they lived? Has America changed? yes. Has America changed for the better? that's debatable.
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