Does the Lord ever ask us to do something that we are incapable of doing? Of course not! He knows us so very intimately and each one of us is different from everyone else. Yet too many times in this lifetime we say "I can't." I believe what we are really saying is "I won't." What we must realize is that we will stand before God and be held accountable for every word. (Matthew 12:36)
I think about people who use their personality as an excuse not to sing to the Lord in church. I have known a few who stand stoically, not opening their mouth. They may say they are singing to God in their heart. Really? Seriously? Since when is it okay to hide your candle under a lampstand? I thought the Lord wanted us to shine it on a hill. Doesn't have to look pretty or sound pretty. It just has to be a witness. A testimony. NOT of your quality of voice but of the work of the Lord in your life. Well, I guess if you have nothing to thank God for, you really shouldn't be singing. You probably shouldn't even be in church. BUT WAIT!!!! Seriously? You have NOTHING to thank God for? NOTHING to praise Him for? What does I Thes. 5:16-18 say? And what about Phil. 4:4? I can hear it now..."but it doesn't say we have to do them out loud." "I have an introverted personality and I can't do that." SERIOUSLY?!?!? Put two and two together and get four! PLEASE! Do you you really think God put you on this earth to keep your mouth shut about the things HE is doing? Speak up - NOT for your sake! Do it because you love the Lord! He doesn't NEED you to do it. He WANTS you to.
Now before you "introverts" get all worked up and say, "That's easy for you to say," why don't you consider how difficult this life is for us extroverts? I mean, do you hear the stuff that comes out of our mouths sometimes? And what about getting angry? Have you read James 1:19? Oh, my! Don't even get me started on the number of times this mouth has gotten me in hot water! How often do we, as extroverts, somehow take the credit for things happening in our lives instead of showing off God? we just plain fail to point others to the Lord and stand in the limelight, soaking up the attention of those around us? Do I have the right to say. "That's just the way I am?" I think not! It is downright grueling to control my tongue some days. It's probably as difficult for an introvert to OPEN their mouth as it is for an extrovert to CLOSE theirs.
My point is this. Living a godly life on this earth is difficult. Trying to praise the Lord through the circumstances is difficult. But as long as we are saying "I can't" we are, in essence, saying "I won't." God has given us all the tools to accomplish the things He would have us to on this earth. He has given us each strengths and weaknesses. We are to surrender the strengths to Him and rely on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit within us to overcome the weaknesses. IT is in THAT that we glorify the Lord!
That's all I have to say - FOR NOW,
Petra
Friday, July 18, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
I am completely befudled by a phenomenon that I believe is taking place in the Christian community. I am going to label it (because I love labels) "blinders for love." Odd, you say? Let me explain.
Recently I have been reflecting on a situation that happened three years ago. I will waive going into too many details, but suffice it to say that I believe I have been done wrong. I am sure that that other parties invloved feel as if I have done them wrong, but I don't believe that to be the case. Nevertheless, this "wrong" I speak of has slowly seeped in and has caused others, I believe, to be wrong as well. But they put on "blinders for loving" because they refuse to either admit that they are allowing wrong to happen or not admitting that it is wrong to begin with.
Am I being a little vague? I'm sorry. Let me try and explain it another way. I believe that many times a person will see a friend who has been hurt and has fallen in to some kind of sin. Let's say that sin is rebelion. If you are that person you now have a very tough choice to make. You can either confront the friend in love and show him the error of his/her way or you can ignore the sin because you value the friendship more. You don't want to risk losing that friendship. If you choose the latter decision, you have put blinders on to the sin in order to save the friendship, for the sake of "love". But is that a true agape love? Does the Lord care more about restoration to Him or appeasing a person's conscience?
This is compounded and made even more complicated when the "friend" is actually a relative. We may justify our "blinders" by saying that God created family and that we should forgive and forget. All true! But what we fail to remember is that family comes SECOND to Christ. We do need to forgive, but we are NEVER to overlook sin. As parents we may fall into that trap when our child does something "foolish." We wave it off as a childish behavior. However, we must never wave off sin. It must be dealt with, even if our child ends up not 'liking' us. Our children must be taught that obedience to the Lord is the most important characteristic for ANY believer.
Let me take this a step further...
When we as a family member see another family member sinning against a third family member, our role is to what? Be a friend because that family member may be hurting and alone? Skim over the blantant sin and try to reason it away? Try to find the good and forget the bad? What do any of these accomplish? Does it restore that family member to Christ? Does it restore the family member to the hurt one?
I wish to say to all of you dear brothers and sisters in Christ who are, in the name of love, putting blinders on to another fellow believer's sin, You will be held accountable in the Lord's eyes. You may think you are doing the right thing by not making waves, but at what cost? Please examine your hearts and see that no relationship is worth losing a soul over. Stop protecting the sinner and stand up for truth. Allow the Lord to be the one to keep relationships in the palm of His hand, restoring them as He deems fit, and you just be obedient.
I know I am on a little bit of a soap box, but today I found out a few things that I simply find horrendous. I discovered that some dear friends and even family members have been knowingly allowing my children to be disrespectful and downright un-Christianlike to me. I am hurt, yes, but I am more disappointed that these friends and family members value my children's friendship more than they value truth. They refuse to call sin sin and put it in the forefront of those children's minds. They are walking around with blinders for love.
I only pray that I will not be ashamed of the truth of God's word and boldy proclaim in love that sin is sin and risk losing a friend or even family member.
Am I wrong in my way of thinking?
Recently I have been reflecting on a situation that happened three years ago. I will waive going into too many details, but suffice it to say that I believe I have been done wrong. I am sure that that other parties invloved feel as if I have done them wrong, but I don't believe that to be the case. Nevertheless, this "wrong" I speak of has slowly seeped in and has caused others, I believe, to be wrong as well. But they put on "blinders for loving" because they refuse to either admit that they are allowing wrong to happen or not admitting that it is wrong to begin with.
Am I being a little vague? I'm sorry. Let me try and explain it another way. I believe that many times a person will see a friend who has been hurt and has fallen in to some kind of sin. Let's say that sin is rebelion. If you are that person you now have a very tough choice to make. You can either confront the friend in love and show him the error of his/her way or you can ignore the sin because you value the friendship more. You don't want to risk losing that friendship. If you choose the latter decision, you have put blinders on to the sin in order to save the friendship, for the sake of "love". But is that a true agape love? Does the Lord care more about restoration to Him or appeasing a person's conscience?
This is compounded and made even more complicated when the "friend" is actually a relative. We may justify our "blinders" by saying that God created family and that we should forgive and forget. All true! But what we fail to remember is that family comes SECOND to Christ. We do need to forgive, but we are NEVER to overlook sin. As parents we may fall into that trap when our child does something "foolish." We wave it off as a childish behavior. However, we must never wave off sin. It must be dealt with, even if our child ends up not 'liking' us. Our children must be taught that obedience to the Lord is the most important characteristic for ANY believer.
Let me take this a step further...
When we as a family member see another family member sinning against a third family member, our role is to what? Be a friend because that family member may be hurting and alone? Skim over the blantant sin and try to reason it away? Try to find the good and forget the bad? What do any of these accomplish? Does it restore that family member to Christ? Does it restore the family member to the hurt one?
I wish to say to all of you dear brothers and sisters in Christ who are, in the name of love, putting blinders on to another fellow believer's sin, You will be held accountable in the Lord's eyes. You may think you are doing the right thing by not making waves, but at what cost? Please examine your hearts and see that no relationship is worth losing a soul over. Stop protecting the sinner and stand up for truth. Allow the Lord to be the one to keep relationships in the palm of His hand, restoring them as He deems fit, and you just be obedient.
I know I am on a little bit of a soap box, but today I found out a few things that I simply find horrendous. I discovered that some dear friends and even family members have been knowingly allowing my children to be disrespectful and downright un-Christianlike to me. I am hurt, yes, but I am more disappointed that these friends and family members value my children's friendship more than they value truth. They refuse to call sin sin and put it in the forefront of those children's minds. They are walking around with blinders for love.
I only pray that I will not be ashamed of the truth of God's word and boldy proclaim in love that sin is sin and risk losing a friend or even family member.
Am I wrong in my way of thinking?
Thursday, March 20, 2014
So, Spring is technically here. Shouldn't that be more of a question than a statement for most people? The weather just doesn't know what it wants. And many people are looking forward to warmer weather because the calendar says it should be so. I am a hopeless optimist, and I say that spring IS here - even if it is just in my soul! Because isn't spring a time of rebirth and hope? Why does the weather have to be warmer in order for us, as children of the Lord, to be in a season of rebirth and hope?
Here's the way I see it. I can change my habits and thought patterns and the weather can stay just the way it is. I liken it to when I get all dressed up on a regular day just so I will 'feel' better. It works! So change starts on the outside sometimes, like dressing to affect attitude. And sometimes it starts on the inside, like changing thought patterns . Either way, "change" is here and it is inevitable.
So, how is that going to manifest itself in my life? Well, first I am going to shift some priorities around. For a while now I have been putting writing on the back burner so that I could do other things that I THOUGHT needed to get done. Well, I have come to realize that those other things really weren't important to the Lord, so I am back to writing. It's coming along slowly, but it is moving forward. I also am working on changing my lifestyle - or should I say my eating habits. I am praying that this is not temporary, but a permanent change. I have a heritage of some health issues that I am determined to avoid, if at all possible.
I would like to challenge you, as well, to possibly facilitate your own "spring" this year and determine what you might need to give rebirth to or what you may have lost hope in and you need to not defer any longer. Because what does the scriptures say about deferred hope? "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12.
Along with this challenge comes a favor, though. And I am praying that you will be up for it. I was wondering if any of you might partner with me in these steps I am taking. I am needing accountability in my health progress. Facebook messaging, texting (if you have my number), emailing, or responding to this blog post are all great methods. Also, I am really excited about my writing and I am needing all the prayers I can get in determining how to most effectively share the things the Lord lays on my heart, whether it be via a novel, a website, this blog, a non-fiction work, or Facebook. It is imperative that I do what He calls me to do and my desire is to please Him in all things. So, if you have suggestions, thoughts, or complaints, please "voice" them. There will come a day (hopefully in the next year) when I will have my book completed and I will need all the support I can get.
So, HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE! May your hopes be not delayed and may this be a time of rebirth for you!
Blessings,
Petra
Here's the way I see it. I can change my habits and thought patterns and the weather can stay just the way it is. I liken it to when I get all dressed up on a regular day just so I will 'feel' better. It works! So change starts on the outside sometimes, like dressing to affect attitude. And sometimes it starts on the inside, like changing thought patterns . Either way, "change" is here and it is inevitable.
So, how is that going to manifest itself in my life? Well, first I am going to shift some priorities around. For a while now I have been putting writing on the back burner so that I could do other things that I THOUGHT needed to get done. Well, I have come to realize that those other things really weren't important to the Lord, so I am back to writing. It's coming along slowly, but it is moving forward. I also am working on changing my lifestyle - or should I say my eating habits. I am praying that this is not temporary, but a permanent change. I have a heritage of some health issues that I am determined to avoid, if at all possible.
I would like to challenge you, as well, to possibly facilitate your own "spring" this year and determine what you might need to give rebirth to or what you may have lost hope in and you need to not defer any longer. Because what does the scriptures say about deferred hope? "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12.
Along with this challenge comes a favor, though. And I am praying that you will be up for it. I was wondering if any of you might partner with me in these steps I am taking. I am needing accountability in my health progress. Facebook messaging, texting (if you have my number), emailing, or responding to this blog post are all great methods. Also, I am really excited about my writing and I am needing all the prayers I can get in determining how to most effectively share the things the Lord lays on my heart, whether it be via a novel, a website, this blog, a non-fiction work, or Facebook. It is imperative that I do what He calls me to do and my desire is to please Him in all things. So, if you have suggestions, thoughts, or complaints, please "voice" them. There will come a day (hopefully in the next year) when I will have my book completed and I will need all the support I can get.
So, HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE! May your hopes be not delayed and may this be a time of rebirth for you!
Blessings,
Petra
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