You two got married today. I can't quite believe it. But at the same time, I am ridiculously happy for you both.
I mentioned to someone today that I remembered that very first "it's not a date!", Brushy, and how you were teased mercilessly that it was. I guess, in some ways, you were all right. After all, it ended with wedding vows today.
No, not ended. It led to this new stepping stone, this new beginning for you both. Oh! I'm so very happy!
My dear sister, it was a joy to spend the last three years of high school with you. To sit in class and see the "I don't know how to respond to this" expressions from our French teachers as you and Amber combed each others hair with forks or staged coups in Biology. To sit under Stath's guidance in Bible study and discuss the word of God. And to go on missions with you was such a great privilege! Your gentle, loving, wisdom and your godliness and desire to see God glorified have been an encouragement for me to witness. I know that you are God's and that He will see you safely home. And, my word, didn't you just look spectacular today?!
As for your husband, he has gone from being your faceless boyfriend to a man I respect and fully believe will holdfast to his faith. It was a privilege to get to know you at the beginning of the year, Jake, and knowing you I can celebrate your marriage to Brushy (although, I guess we can't really call her that any more) with even more joy. Because I know that you (both of you) will work to have Christ at the centre of your lives and your family.
And so, there isn't really too much else to say but this: congratulations, my beloved brother and sister in Christ. I pray that you will walk with God always and grow together until the final day. May your marriage come through the fires of life stronger and more secure. May you always treasure it as the gift from God it is - even on the days when you wonder if you should have ever made those vows! And may your children (if and when you have them) know Christ as Lord, Saviour and Brother.
With all my love,
May God bless you richly in His love for you and your love for each other,
Laura Ruth
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Sunday, 28 September 2014
By the Grace of God
It's been one of those weeks.
Well, it's been whole months of them. But these last two weeks have been "one of those weeks" even more so than usual.
One of those weeks when "chin up and charge the mountain" is a distant rallying cry scratched down on a piece of paper and looks really good sitting there, all inked up and fancy-like but just isn't possible. One of those weeks when keeping "head down and keep ploughing" is the painful reality.
Keep your head down, blink back the tears, push down the pain. "Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know." (Frozen, anyone?) Keep your head down and do your job. Sweep that floor, hug that child, answer that text, make that phone call. I know it hurts, but, honey, you've got to keep on loving because if you can't do that, then you're not worth the love others give you. (Cue the cracking whip).
And Sunday last week I sent a friend a text, my heart was there and was screaming in pain. I begged her and her husband to pray for me. It was a whisper. A loud one full of desperation. I'll share it with you here, cause I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way:
And all week, both sermons, I've heard since then. Books and blog posts that I've read, they all say the same thing:
I can't be good enough. Ever. Never, ever, ever will what I do be good enough.
That's the bad news.
But right on its heels comes the Good News: I don't have to be... Jesus did that for me. God who became a baby, who became a man who died and returned to life, defeating death and sin - yeah, Him, He covers all my flaws, all my inadequacies and He makes my life an offering worthy of God. All I have to do is give it to Him.
And today, today I read these words and they've been ringing around my head all morning. I've shared them with my mother, my friends. Because it's something I hadn't realized before, and, oh boy is it freeing. Cause Holley Gerth she got it right when she typed these words out:
And sure, it'll be head down and keep on working many days - because life is hard. But life doesn't have to be a burden. Not when the grace of God is coming down in torrents.
Well, it's been whole months of them. But these last two weeks have been "one of those weeks" even more so than usual.
One of those weeks when "chin up and charge the mountain" is a distant rallying cry scratched down on a piece of paper and looks really good sitting there, all inked up and fancy-like but just isn't possible. One of those weeks when keeping "head down and keep ploughing" is the painful reality.
Keep your head down, blink back the tears, push down the pain. "Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know." (Frozen, anyone?) Keep your head down and do your job. Sweep that floor, hug that child, answer that text, make that phone call. I know it hurts, but, honey, you've got to keep on loving because if you can't do that, then you're not worth the love others give you. (Cue the cracking whip).
And Sunday last week I sent a friend a text, my heart was there and was screaming in pain. I begged her and her husband to pray for me. It was a whisper. A loud one full of desperation. I'll share it with you here, cause I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way:
I've been feeling very tired in the bone weary, muscle aching, head empty, shoulders weighed down kind of way. And God keeps telling me to let it all go, but I don't know how, and if I did, I don't know if I could. I'm just... I feel like I'm carrying a burden so heavy it is forcing me to my knees in the mud and on the one hand I have a hideous task master cracking a whip and pushing me to keep going. And on the other hand, I have God telling me He has cut the straps and I can just up and walk away and into His arms. And there are moments when I can feel it happening. Moments when the burden is eased. But then something will happen. The whip will crack and the burden will come back in full weight and I'll feel trapped and the worse for knowing the taste of freedom.You all know what I'm talking about, right?
And all week, both sermons, I've heard since then. Books and blog posts that I've read, they all say the same thing:
I can't be good enough. Ever. Never, ever, ever will what I do be good enough.
That's the bad news.
But right on its heels comes the Good News: I don't have to be... Jesus did that for me. God who became a baby, who became a man who died and returned to life, defeating death and sin - yeah, Him, He covers all my flaws, all my inadequacies and He makes my life an offering worthy of God. All I have to do is give it to Him.
And today, today I read these words and they've been ringing around my head all morning. I've shared them with my mother, my friends. Because it's something I hadn't realized before, and, oh boy is it freeing. Cause Holley Gerth she got it right when she typed these words out:
You can't disappoint God, because disappointment is about expectations. And expectations are about an unknown future. But God already knows everything, so He doesn't have expectations.And if I don't need to worry about being a disappointment to God, why should I worry about being a disappointment to man?
And sure, it'll be head down and keep on working many days - because life is hard. But life doesn't have to be a burden. Not when the grace of God is coming down in torrents.
Friday, 5 September 2014
Justice, Injustice and the State of the World
Have you ever wondered why the rape victim gets blamed for it? Or why they blame themselves? I have.
Have you ever wondered why a bully victim is told to "just toughen up and they'll back off" as though it somehow their fault the bully chose to target them? I have.
And have you ever wondered why an abused spouse gets so little support from so many people? I definitely have.
Did you wonder, as I did, reading about the Rotherham report why the police looked the other way? Or why sex abuse victims of Asian background stay silent because of the shame they'll bring on their family?
Or do you hear about the recent sex crimes (let's call it like it is) against celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence and wonder why on earth everybody is blaming her? I did.
Then I read an article on Psychology Today addressing exactly that issue. Are we blaming the famous victims of the nude photo thefts? And, after I read it, I understood the world a little bit more. And saw more clearly just what the affects of sin has had on the world.
Turns out, there's this thing called the Just World Phenomenon. This is essentially our instinctive belief (or need to believe) that the world is a just and fair place. Humans have such a strong reaction against injustice that in order to create the perception of justice, they find reasons to blame the victims of injustice. The greater the injustice, the stronger the reaction of blaming the victim. This, therefore, eradicates the injustice of the world and everything is right and fair and proper again.
Except that it isn't. Because children are still being abused. Women (and men) are still being taken advantage of. Private property is still being stolen. And now, not only is the unjust act happening, it is also being encouraged as people look the other or blame the victim.
And the great irony of this entire phenomenon is that the very desire for justice, the need for justice, is what causes some of the greatest injustices.
It's what says that prostitutes must enjoy their work or they would leave - allowing extreme sexual, emotional, psychological and spiritual abuse to continue unchecked. It's what leaves abused husbands and wives trapped in their abusive circumstances. It's what leaves a child feeling drained and empty as they are being bullied - because let me tell you, as someone who spent years of my life being bullied, it is the thought that you deserve what is happening to you that hurts the most. As though somehow my white skin, funny accent, strange religion and intelligence gave the bully a license to bully me.
And here's what I have realized: it is only when we recognize that the world is an unjust place that justice can be served. It is only when we can wrap our heads around the contradiction that is our world - the belief in the existence of justice and the undeniable presence of injustice - that we can begin to heal the wounds of the hurting.
Because it's true - justice is a fundamental part of the design of the world. Injustice was never the intention of our Creator. I'm starting to think that the longing for, the desire for, justice is part of what it means to be created in His image. Our world was designed to be a place of justice. And humans were designed to be just and fair.
Only something went very, very wrong. One split second of desiring something more than perfection has led to a whole world of imperfection. One split second of desiring something more than justice has lead to a whole world of injustice. We sinned. And the world became an unjust place. And people became an unjust people.
And so we can understand a little more of the state of the world. We were designed for justice, so we long for it and see the world through the lens of "is this just?" But we sinned, so we live in the middle of injustice, dishing out injustice.
But, hey! Good news. Our perfectly just God will do something about all the injustice. It hurts Him even more than it hurts us. He will rectify injustice. He will bring justice to all those who perpetrated injustice. He will punish them, severely.
But in His perfect justice, He is also perfectly merciful. So He has provided an escape from His punishment. By passing the punishment to One who did not deserve it. To Jesus. Injustice merits death. Just Jesus died (and then came back to life!) so that unjust humans could live. And this escape? It is sufficient for everyone. But it is efficient only for those who choose to take it.
And it's when we realize that a) the world is unjust, b) justice will be served and c) mercy has been given that we can begin to heal the wounds of injustice. Because we're not pointing fingers or pretending that injustice doesn't exist. Instead, we're acknowledging that injustice is rampant - and offering the solution.
Have you ever wondered why a bully victim is told to "just toughen up and they'll back off" as though it somehow their fault the bully chose to target them? I have.
And have you ever wondered why an abused spouse gets so little support from so many people? I definitely have.
Did you wonder, as I did, reading about the Rotherham report why the police looked the other way? Or why sex abuse victims of Asian background stay silent because of the shame they'll bring on their family?
Or do you hear about the recent sex crimes (let's call it like it is) against celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence and wonder why on earth everybody is blaming her? I did.
Then I read an article on Psychology Today addressing exactly that issue. Are we blaming the famous victims of the nude photo thefts? And, after I read it, I understood the world a little bit more. And saw more clearly just what the affects of sin has had on the world.
Turns out, there's this thing called the Just World Phenomenon. This is essentially our instinctive belief (or need to believe) that the world is a just and fair place. Humans have such a strong reaction against injustice that in order to create the perception of justice, they find reasons to blame the victims of injustice. The greater the injustice, the stronger the reaction of blaming the victim. This, therefore, eradicates the injustice of the world and everything is right and fair and proper again.
Except that it isn't. Because children are still being abused. Women (and men) are still being taken advantage of. Private property is still being stolen. And now, not only is the unjust act happening, it is also being encouraged as people look the other or blame the victim.
And the great irony of this entire phenomenon is that the very desire for justice, the need for justice, is what causes some of the greatest injustices.
It's what says that prostitutes must enjoy their work or they would leave - allowing extreme sexual, emotional, psychological and spiritual abuse to continue unchecked. It's what leaves abused husbands and wives trapped in their abusive circumstances. It's what leaves a child feeling drained and empty as they are being bullied - because let me tell you, as someone who spent years of my life being bullied, it is the thought that you deserve what is happening to you that hurts the most. As though somehow my white skin, funny accent, strange religion and intelligence gave the bully a license to bully me.
And here's what I have realized: it is only when we recognize that the world is an unjust place that justice can be served. It is only when we can wrap our heads around the contradiction that is our world - the belief in the existence of justice and the undeniable presence of injustice - that we can begin to heal the wounds of the hurting.
Because it's true - justice is a fundamental part of the design of the world. Injustice was never the intention of our Creator. I'm starting to think that the longing for, the desire for, justice is part of what it means to be created in His image. Our world was designed to be a place of justice. And humans were designed to be just and fair.
Only something went very, very wrong. One split second of desiring something more than perfection has led to a whole world of imperfection. One split second of desiring something more than justice has lead to a whole world of injustice. We sinned. And the world became an unjust place. And people became an unjust people.
And so we can understand a little more of the state of the world. We were designed for justice, so we long for it and see the world through the lens of "is this just?" But we sinned, so we live in the middle of injustice, dishing out injustice.
But, hey! Good news. Our perfectly just God will do something about all the injustice. It hurts Him even more than it hurts us. He will rectify injustice. He will bring justice to all those who perpetrated injustice. He will punish them, severely.
But in His perfect justice, He is also perfectly merciful. So He has provided an escape from His punishment. By passing the punishment to One who did not deserve it. To Jesus. Injustice merits death. Just Jesus died (and then came back to life!) so that unjust humans could live. And this escape? It is sufficient for everyone. But it is efficient only for those who choose to take it.
And it's when we realize that a) the world is unjust, b) justice will be served and c) mercy has been given that we can begin to heal the wounds of injustice. Because we're not pointing fingers or pretending that injustice doesn't exist. Instead, we're acknowledging that injustice is rampant - and offering the solution.
Thursday, 4 September 2014
Safe Water September
Clean water is a rather remarkable thing. It allows us to keep our bodies, clothes, dishes and houses germ and disease - well, not entirely free, but mostly free. Cold water on a hot day is delicious. Hot water as tea or coffee provides us with the energy boost we need. Our food is often cooked using water - and we all know how important food is!
In my house, if I open the fridge, I'll find a bottle of clean water. If I open the freezer, I'd find clean water frozen as ice. If I turn on any tap, clean water comes gushing out. And the pool outside is filled with the clean water. Or it would be clean if it was maintained more regularly.
For this reason, I think clean water is a gift from God. But one that is taken too much for granted.
750, 000, 000 people in the world have absolutely no access to clean water. 750, 000, 000 people.
That statistic is staggering. Especially when I think about how freely clean water is available to me. And I do believe that it is an unacceptably high statistic.
Our world is not water pour. Here in the west, we take clean water for granted, so we waste most of it. And right there is the great injustice of the issue. One which I believe God is asking us to address.
For that reason, I have decided to partake in Safe Water September. What this means is I will be going for the entire month of September (and the first 4 days of October) not drinking anything except water. (Which means no tea for me...) But I fully believe it is worth it.
As I spend this month abstaining from all beverages except water, I will ask you, my dear friends, to be sponsoring me. The money you donate will go to Embody who will use the money to provide men, women and children in Zimbabwe with clean water. Every $20 that is raised will give one more person access to clean water.
This will dramatically improve their standard of living. From something as practical as water collection no longer sucking hours of their time to improving their health as germs, viruses and worms in dirty water are removed from their diets.
With this in mind, I am starting with a fundraising goal of $500. I fully believe that through the generosity of my friends and family and the graciousness of God, we can achieve (and even exceed) this goal. In order to donate, head over here. As all the money is going to a central fund, it would be awesome if you could write my name in the comment section of your donation to let them know that you are sponsoring me. This will help us to keep track of how much we are raising.
Thank you so much in advance for your generosity!
In my house, if I open the fridge, I'll find a bottle of clean water. If I open the freezer, I'd find clean water frozen as ice. If I turn on any tap, clean water comes gushing out. And the pool outside is filled with the clean water. Or it would be clean if it was maintained more regularly.
For this reason, I think clean water is a gift from God. But one that is taken too much for granted.
750, 000, 000 people in the world have absolutely no access to clean water. 750, 000, 000 people.
That statistic is staggering. Especially when I think about how freely clean water is available to me. And I do believe that it is an unacceptably high statistic.
Our world is not water pour. Here in the west, we take clean water for granted, so we waste most of it. And right there is the great injustice of the issue. One which I believe God is asking us to address.
For that reason, I have decided to partake in Safe Water September. What this means is I will be going for the entire month of September (and the first 4 days of October) not drinking anything except water. (Which means no tea for me...) But I fully believe it is worth it.
As I spend this month abstaining from all beverages except water, I will ask you, my dear friends, to be sponsoring me. The money you donate will go to Embody who will use the money to provide men, women and children in Zimbabwe with clean water. Every $20 that is raised will give one more person access to clean water.
This will dramatically improve their standard of living. From something as practical as water collection no longer sucking hours of their time to improving their health as germs, viruses and worms in dirty water are removed from their diets.
With this in mind, I am starting with a fundraising goal of $500. I fully believe that through the generosity of my friends and family and the graciousness of God, we can achieve (and even exceed) this goal. In order to donate, head over here. As all the money is going to a central fund, it would be awesome if you could write my name in the comment section of your donation to let them know that you are sponsoring me. This will help us to keep track of how much we are raising.
Thank you so much in advance for your generosity!
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." ~ Matthew 25: 34 - 40
Sunday, 31 August 2014
A Future Burning Bright with Hope
There are moments when God's timing simply blows me away.
Moments when His goodness, grace and sovereignty catch me off guard, re-shape my thinking and opens up whole new possibilities. Moments where He tells me to stop worrying, that He has my future in His hands and even blesses me with a glimpse of what it may look like - so long as I keep on saying yes to Him.
The past week and a half have been a struggle for me. Talks on and discussions about marriage and singleness and having families made it abundantly clear that God was asking me to do more than just entrust my choice of husband to Him: He was asking me to put my dream of a husband in a drawer - potentially permanently.
Which also meant putting my dreams of bearing my own children in a drawer.
Now, before you all jump on whatever bandwagon it is you're about to jump on, let me explain.
I've known for a while now that there is a call on my life to live and serve in places that are dangerous to people it would be dangerous to associate with. And, to be perfectly honest, the thinking of the last few weeks has not been knew thinking - this has just been the first time I haven't skirted the issue. The first time I have had to really face the matter - and all that it entails - head on. And deal with the consequences.
And yes, the pain.
Do I want a family? Yes.
Do I want a husband? Yes.
Do I want to hear my children's first cries? See their first steps? Hold them as they cry? Yearn to soothe their teething pains? Deal with their broken hearts? Teach them about what it means to live - and to live as a child of God? Yes, oh yes!
But far more than that, I want to serve God. I want to be free to go where He calls me, when He calls me.
And I'm not giving up my those dreams - just putting them in a drawer. They're still there. And I firmly believe that if God chooses to, He will fulfill them. But, as a friend of mine said, if there is a man God wants me to marry, I will not be able to avoiding meeting Him just because I choose to serve God first. And serving God does come first.
Still, even knowing that God does come first and that He might still fulfill those dreams, the past few days have been a struggle. I have been in tears at least once and come close to them more than once at the thought that I might never be a mother. I might never be a wife. (Because surely it's better to realize that, process and embrace it now than to turn around in 20 years time and be bitter about not having anything? Surely life will be the sweeter whatever happens if I don't expect those particular gifts. Because they are gifts, not entitlements.)
Then, yesterday afternoon, I walk into my bedroom to see that Mum had bought me a book I'd been eying off for months - Kisses from Katie.
And as I read those words, as I read the story of that woman not much older than me - the same age as me when she first set out - who just said yes to God, who just keeps on saying yes, and the crazy, out-of-this-world way God has used her simple yes to transform hundreds of lives. Her own included. The way that 18 year old just out of high school wound up as a 26 year old with 13 adopted girls (or more) and the founder of an entire ministry in the villages of Uganda. How the girl who gave up her dreams, her boyfriend, her friends, found herself living a dream far more wondrous and more fulfilling than anything she could have dared imagine. As I read about all that; I realize something:
The friend who held me after my confession of heart break over the weeks realisation was right: I will always be a mother.
I will always be a mother because there will always be people who need to know the love of a mother and I have that love and a reason to give it to them. I have a Father telling me to love the orphan because He loves them. Because He loves them and He wants them to know that, but how can they if they've never known love?
And all I have to do is keep saying yes. To keep saying yes to loving the people right in front of me. To keep saying yes to loving people I've never yet met. To keep saying yes to loving God. To just keep saying yes to God.
My life will go to places far greater and far more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. Because the very centre of God's will is wondrous.
And a sense of deep peace fills my soul. No, more than that, a sense of deep, wild, excited joy, of glee fills me up.
And that crazy girl from Nashville, Tennessee and her 13 Ugandan children teach me a lesson about living solely for God: the joy, the sheer, inexplicable, all-consuming joy of obeying God far outweighs the pain of any sacrifices that are made along the way.
Moments when His goodness, grace and sovereignty catch me off guard, re-shape my thinking and opens up whole new possibilities. Moments where He tells me to stop worrying, that He has my future in His hands and even blesses me with a glimpse of what it may look like - so long as I keep on saying yes to Him.
The past week and a half have been a struggle for me. Talks on and discussions about marriage and singleness and having families made it abundantly clear that God was asking me to do more than just entrust my choice of husband to Him: He was asking me to put my dream of a husband in a drawer - potentially permanently.
Which also meant putting my dreams of bearing my own children in a drawer.
Now, before you all jump on whatever bandwagon it is you're about to jump on, let me explain.
I've known for a while now that there is a call on my life to live and serve in places that are dangerous to people it would be dangerous to associate with. And, to be perfectly honest, the thinking of the last few weeks has not been knew thinking - this has just been the first time I haven't skirted the issue. The first time I have had to really face the matter - and all that it entails - head on. And deal with the consequences.
And yes, the pain.
Do I want a family? Yes.
Do I want a husband? Yes.
Do I want to hear my children's first cries? See their first steps? Hold them as they cry? Yearn to soothe their teething pains? Deal with their broken hearts? Teach them about what it means to live - and to live as a child of God? Yes, oh yes!
But far more than that, I want to serve God. I want to be free to go where He calls me, when He calls me.
And I'm not giving up my those dreams - just putting them in a drawer. They're still there. And I firmly believe that if God chooses to, He will fulfill them. But, as a friend of mine said, if there is a man God wants me to marry, I will not be able to avoiding meeting Him just because I choose to serve God first. And serving God does come first.
Still, even knowing that God does come first and that He might still fulfill those dreams, the past few days have been a struggle. I have been in tears at least once and come close to them more than once at the thought that I might never be a mother. I might never be a wife. (Because surely it's better to realize that, process and embrace it now than to turn around in 20 years time and be bitter about not having anything? Surely life will be the sweeter whatever happens if I don't expect those particular gifts. Because they are gifts, not entitlements.)
Then, yesterday afternoon, I walk into my bedroom to see that Mum had bought me a book I'd been eying off for months - Kisses from Katie.
And as I read those words, as I read the story of that woman not much older than me - the same age as me when she first set out - who just said yes to God, who just keeps on saying yes, and the crazy, out-of-this-world way God has used her simple yes to transform hundreds of lives. Her own included. The way that 18 year old just out of high school wound up as a 26 year old with 13 adopted girls (or more) and the founder of an entire ministry in the villages of Uganda. How the girl who gave up her dreams, her boyfriend, her friends, found herself living a dream far more wondrous and more fulfilling than anything she could have dared imagine. As I read about all that; I realize something:
The friend who held me after my confession of heart break over the weeks realisation was right: I will always be a mother.
I will always be a mother because there will always be people who need to know the love of a mother and I have that love and a reason to give it to them. I have a Father telling me to love the orphan because He loves them. Because He loves them and He wants them to know that, but how can they if they've never known love?
And all I have to do is keep saying yes. To keep saying yes to loving the people right in front of me. To keep saying yes to loving people I've never yet met. To keep saying yes to loving God. To just keep saying yes to God.
My life will go to places far greater and far more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. Because the very centre of God's will is wondrous.
And a sense of deep peace fills my soul. No, more than that, a sense of deep, wild, excited joy, of glee fills me up.
And that crazy girl from Nashville, Tennessee and her 13 Ugandan children teach me a lesson about living solely for God: the joy, the sheer, inexplicable, all-consuming joy of obeying God far outweighs the pain of any sacrifices that are made along the way.
Monday, 18 August 2014
Things to Remember When You're Struggling with Temptation
I had a realization last night. It was one of those things where you think of something you've always known in a slightly different light and suddenly you find yourself blown away.
I was chatting to one of the woman at church about Jesus. About how He was 100% human, so He faced all the temptations we face. About how He was also 100% divine, so He never gave in to those temptations.
And it struck me, as we spoke, that that meant Jesus was tempted by sex.
It also struck me that it meant Jesus was tempted to be discouraged over His singleness. To be discontent with His lot in life. (And let's face it, which of us would be content knowing that our life was lived for the purpose of dying to save a bunch of people who didn't care in the least?)
Yeah, He face sexual temptation. And discontentment temptation. And selfishness temptation. And laziness temptation. And gluttony temptation. And lying temptation. And every temptation under the sun.
And He stood firm.
He did not once compromise His godliness and sinlessness.
And somehow we think there's this big no-no when it comes to temptations. As though admitting we even have them makes us look weak, never mind actually giving into them.
There's a shame that goes with being tempted. How dare that good Christian boy/girl struggle against the temptation to think lustfully? How dare that good Christian boy/girl struggle against the temptation to lie? To steal? To (fill blank with your biggest temptation)?
And it's a shame that stops us from talking to each other. But even worse, it's a shame that stops us from talking to God?
And how crazy is that when God as man was tempted in just the same ways we are?
Why do we have this nutso idea that we can only come to God when we've got everything right?
Why do we think the Church is a boarding house for saints when really it's the ER for sinners?
Why does the Christian who doesn't have it all together get condemned and judged by other Christians? Maybe it's because we're all hoping that if people are looking at others they will be too busy to look at us.
Too busy to see that we really should not put that DVD into the player because oh my word does it make us hate our lives.
Too busy to see that we really should not read that book because the amount of time we spend pouring over that sex scene is, well, sinful.
Too busy to see that we really should not go on Youtube because it just sucks all of our time away.
Too busy to see all those little temptations we face. Too busy to see all those little ways we give into them.
And maybe, if they don't see them, then God doesn't and we'll still be acceptable as His child...
And suddenly, we're not going to God with empty hands. We're going to God with hands hidden behind our backs clutching guilt and shame. And how are we meant to cling to the cross like that?
And so we don't talk about it. We don't pray about it. And all the while we're slowly dying and God is calling "While you were still sinners, I died for you. Not after you got it all together, while you were still sinners. Nothing can separate you from my love, not even that temptation, that sin you think you're hiding from me.
"Let go of it. Let me take it away. Just trust in my grace."
O, my dear, dear friend, I'm as guilty of this as everybody else. I think I have to go to God with all my problems solved. As if the Creator of the Universe doesn't already have the solution.
I think I somehow have to not be tempted so that will accept me. As if the God who became a man doesn't know what temptation is. Doesn't know how to fight it.
And when every day is a battle against something, why don't I go to my commander for advice?
When every day is filled with guilt, why don't I let go and trust God when He promises that nothing, nothing will ever separate us from Him as long as we cling to Him?
When every day is full of weariness and exhaustion, why don't we answer when God says "come to me, you who are weary, and I will give you rest?"
So, next time we face temptation, why don't we pray?
Why don't we pray to the God who understands because He was a man?
Why don't we pray to the God who faced temptation and won?
Why don't we pray to the God who counts us as righteous because of the blood of Christ?
Why don't we pray to the God who chose us to be heirs of eternal life in the full knowledge that we would be sinful?
Why don't we pray to the God who already knows every little detail about us - and has proved He loves us anyway?
Life is a battle against spiritual forces - so let's fight as we are. Members of the family that has already won, because of the Father who defeated death and sin and temptation.
I was chatting to one of the woman at church about Jesus. About how He was 100% human, so He faced all the temptations we face. About how He was also 100% divine, so He never gave in to those temptations.
And it struck me, as we spoke, that that meant Jesus was tempted by sex.
It also struck me that it meant Jesus was tempted to be discouraged over His singleness. To be discontent with His lot in life. (And let's face it, which of us would be content knowing that our life was lived for the purpose of dying to save a bunch of people who didn't care in the least?)
Yeah, He face sexual temptation. And discontentment temptation. And selfishness temptation. And laziness temptation. And gluttony temptation. And lying temptation. And every temptation under the sun.
And He stood firm.
He did not once compromise His godliness and sinlessness.
And somehow we think there's this big no-no when it comes to temptations. As though admitting we even have them makes us look weak, never mind actually giving into them.
There's a shame that goes with being tempted. How dare that good Christian boy/girl struggle against the temptation to think lustfully? How dare that good Christian boy/girl struggle against the temptation to lie? To steal? To (fill blank with your biggest temptation)?
And it's a shame that stops us from talking to each other. But even worse, it's a shame that stops us from talking to God?
And how crazy is that when God as man was tempted in just the same ways we are?
Why do we have this nutso idea that we can only come to God when we've got everything right?
Why do we think the Church is a boarding house for saints when really it's the ER for sinners?
Why does the Christian who doesn't have it all together get condemned and judged by other Christians? Maybe it's because we're all hoping that if people are looking at others they will be too busy to look at us.
Too busy to see that we really should not put that DVD into the player because oh my word does it make us hate our lives.
Too busy to see that we really should not read that book because the amount of time we spend pouring over that sex scene is, well, sinful.
Too busy to see that we really should not go on Youtube because it just sucks all of our time away.
Too busy to see all those little temptations we face. Too busy to see all those little ways we give into them.
And maybe, if they don't see them, then God doesn't and we'll still be acceptable as His child...
And suddenly, we're not going to God with empty hands. We're going to God with hands hidden behind our backs clutching guilt and shame. And how are we meant to cling to the cross like that?
And so we don't talk about it. We don't pray about it. And all the while we're slowly dying and God is calling "While you were still sinners, I died for you. Not after you got it all together, while you were still sinners. Nothing can separate you from my love, not even that temptation, that sin you think you're hiding from me.
"Let go of it. Let me take it away. Just trust in my grace."
O, my dear, dear friend, I'm as guilty of this as everybody else. I think I have to go to God with all my problems solved. As if the Creator of the Universe doesn't already have the solution.
I think I somehow have to not be tempted so that will accept me. As if the God who became a man doesn't know what temptation is. Doesn't know how to fight it.
And when every day is a battle against something, why don't I go to my commander for advice?
When every day is filled with guilt, why don't I let go and trust God when He promises that nothing, nothing will ever separate us from Him as long as we cling to Him?
When every day is full of weariness and exhaustion, why don't we answer when God says "come to me, you who are weary, and I will give you rest?"
So, next time we face temptation, why don't we pray?
Why don't we pray to the God who understands because He was a man?
Why don't we pray to the God who faced temptation and won?
Why don't we pray to the God who counts us as righteous because of the blood of Christ?
Why don't we pray to the God who chose us to be heirs of eternal life in the full knowledge that we would be sinful?
Why don't we pray to the God who already knows every little detail about us - and has proved He loves us anyway?
Life is a battle against spiritual forces - so let's fight as we are. Members of the family that has already won, because of the Father who defeated death and sin and temptation.
Thursday, 14 August 2014
The Gift of Now
So, I was sorting through some papers that had accumulated on the desk now removed from my room. It's surprising what builds up over a twelvemonth (ok... it's been longer...).
As I sifted through the piles, most of it well out of date and needing to meet the recycling bin, I came across a letter I wrote to a friend. But never got around to sending. Life gets a bit like that.
Still, I decided to read it. Wanted to know what I'd been thinking all those months ago. What I'd thought important enough to write down.
Having settled down to read it, the thick paper rough in my hands, I was glad I did. It reminded me of something I've been forgetting to do recently.
So, I'm going to share it here, because I'm sure I'm not the only one.
"I hope you'll stop a moment to read this letter. I hope you'll take a minute to breathe, to see that in this moment, in this second, you are blessed. This second, you are alive. In this second you breathe in the richness of God's world, you see the glory of His creation.
"I know that the next few months will be busy. know they will be full of goodbyes. I know they will be full of pain. I have been there.
"Time is the most precious of gifts, the most valuable of all commodities. Once it is gone, there is no bringing it back. Yet so many of us allow it to slip through our fingers, letting it run like sand, too busy to see that it is really gold dust.
"In the business of life and the distractions of work, it seems we can not find time to simply be. We long for hours with friends that we may have memories to share forever. Yet this is unattainable, for who has hours to spare? Not I, that's for sure.
"Stop a moment to read this letter. Take a moment to breathe, to see that in this moment, in this second, you are blessed. In this second, you are alive. In this second, you breathe in the richness of God's world, you see the glory of His creation. Enjoy this moment, for you may not get another.
"Forget about chasing after hours. It is meaningless, for when you turn, you find you have run past the hours, through them. Instead, look for the moments. Don't miss the joke your brother tells, or the sound of your friend's laugh. Don't be too busy to miss the sun or the rain. Look for each moment. Treasure every minute. For they are a gift from God. When you look on every moment, every laugh, smile, joke, tear, exchange in the hallway, you'll find He has given you hours.
"Stopping to smell the roses doesn't mean you sit with the roses and ignore the rest of the garden. It just means you don't rush through the garden and miss the colours and the smells. Pause with every moment and think "thank you, God, for now".
"In years to come, how you spent your hours with your friends will be forgotten, but those little moments will still be with you.
"And this is why I wrote a letter, instead of sending a Skype or Facebook message. I wanted you to stop a moment to read this letter. To take a moment to breathe, to see that in this moment, in this second, you are blessed. In this second, you are alive. In this second, you breathe in the richness of God's world, you see the glory of His creation.
"Give over worrying about how you'll spend tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come, and if it does, it will take care of itself. Today is a gift. Tomorrow is just a promise of more.
"With all God's love, LRD"
As I sifted through the piles, most of it well out of date and needing to meet the recycling bin, I came across a letter I wrote to a friend. But never got around to sending. Life gets a bit like that.
Still, I decided to read it. Wanted to know what I'd been thinking all those months ago. What I'd thought important enough to write down.
Having settled down to read it, the thick paper rough in my hands, I was glad I did. It reminded me of something I've been forgetting to do recently.
So, I'm going to share it here, because I'm sure I'm not the only one.
"I hope you'll stop a moment to read this letter. I hope you'll take a minute to breathe, to see that in this moment, in this second, you are blessed. This second, you are alive. In this second you breathe in the richness of God's world, you see the glory of His creation.
"I know that the next few months will be busy. know they will be full of goodbyes. I know they will be full of pain. I have been there.
"Time is the most precious of gifts, the most valuable of all commodities. Once it is gone, there is no bringing it back. Yet so many of us allow it to slip through our fingers, letting it run like sand, too busy to see that it is really gold dust.
"In the business of life and the distractions of work, it seems we can not find time to simply be. We long for hours with friends that we may have memories to share forever. Yet this is unattainable, for who has hours to spare? Not I, that's for sure.
"Stop a moment to read this letter. Take a moment to breathe, to see that in this moment, in this second, you are blessed. In this second, you are alive. In this second, you breathe in the richness of God's world, you see the glory of His creation. Enjoy this moment, for you may not get another.
"Forget about chasing after hours. It is meaningless, for when you turn, you find you have run past the hours, through them. Instead, look for the moments. Don't miss the joke your brother tells, or the sound of your friend's laugh. Don't be too busy to miss the sun or the rain. Look for each moment. Treasure every minute. For they are a gift from God. When you look on every moment, every laugh, smile, joke, tear, exchange in the hallway, you'll find He has given you hours.
"Stopping to smell the roses doesn't mean you sit with the roses and ignore the rest of the garden. It just means you don't rush through the garden and miss the colours and the smells. Pause with every moment and think "thank you, God, for now".
"In years to come, how you spent your hours with your friends will be forgotten, but those little moments will still be with you.
"And this is why I wrote a letter, instead of sending a Skype or Facebook message. I wanted you to stop a moment to read this letter. To take a moment to breathe, to see that in this moment, in this second, you are blessed. In this second, you are alive. In this second, you breathe in the richness of God's world, you see the glory of His creation.
"Give over worrying about how you'll spend tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come, and if it does, it will take care of itself. Today is a gift. Tomorrow is just a promise of more.
"With all God's love, LRD"
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