A relationship with God can be a hard concept. Especially for those that perhaps need that physical angle to feel loved. It's easy to love a human being because they can hug you, hold your hand, put their arm around you, etc. You can see them, touch them, stare into their eyes. You can't literally do those things with God. This causes some people to question His part in the so called "relationship" or even doubt His existence.
"If He cares then where was He when...?"
"If He wants something out of me He needs to show me some proof first."
"I don't feel the love."
Our view of what love is supposed to be has been screwed up by the "love" that the world serves us.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us a good idea of how God intended love to be.
"Love is patient, love is kind,. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails....."
He didn't write this for only our relationships down here. He wrote this so that we know what our relationship with HIM was supposed to be. He's not a God that wants to loom over us and bash us on the head. He wants to walk BESIDE us! He even gives us a choice.
Still think physical is better? He's covered that. Look at John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
Or Romans 5:8:
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Or 1 John 3:1:
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."
Would you rather have a physical relationship or a phenomenal relationship?
One of the girls....
Taylyr
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Bravo to Parents!
I think a lot of times we can mistaken a shallow content for love.
How can we say we're not loved when our parents constantly warn us of tripping paths? Or when those we love speak hard truths to us? How can I listen to the snarls of my demons over the perhaps corrective truth of those caring for me?
I may not always see the positive parts of myself, but perhaps that's because I've somehow become content with living in my own world of self-pity and inside the walls of a heart that I'm allowing to harden. I speak of wanting peace inside myself and yet I create a poor world like that of Mr. David Copperfield in which I would need an escape from. All this because I want what isn't good for me and I want to give people who see my questionable choices an "excuse" to defend me with.
"She's going through a stage,"
"It's just the depression,"
and the like are prime and common examples.
Some parents might be thankful for the excuses of their child's awful influences to those younger. I am, however, fortunate to have parents who take no such relief in such cover ups. Rather, they allow people to be in the knowledge that our family of five isn't perfect and they take more interest in helping our generation with the beatings of the world, our minds, and sometimes even our hearts.
How can we say we're not loved when our parents constantly warn us of tripping paths? Or when those we love speak hard truths to us? How can I listen to the snarls of my demons over the perhaps corrective truth of those caring for me?
I may not always see the positive parts of myself, but perhaps that's because I've somehow become content with living in my own world of self-pity and inside the walls of a heart that I'm allowing to harden. I speak of wanting peace inside myself and yet I create a poor world like that of Mr. David Copperfield in which I would need an escape from. All this because I want what isn't good for me and I want to give people who see my questionable choices an "excuse" to defend me with.
"She's going through a stage,"
"It's just the depression,"
and the like are prime and common examples.
Some parents might be thankful for the excuses of their child's awful influences to those younger. I am, however, fortunate to have parents who take no such relief in such cover ups. Rather, they allow people to be in the knowledge that our family of five isn't perfect and they take more interest in helping our generation with the beatings of the world, our minds, and sometimes even our hearts.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Through the Dirty Window
We all look back.
Even as I said that your mind shifted back in time.
Why do we look back? Something will remind us and make our minds go back in time. Smells, pictures, items, words, sounds...a lot of things can trigger memories. Some are sad and painful to go back to, and some are joyful and bring a smile back to our faces. What happens when we remember mistakes? Do we cast our eyes down in shame on the already forgiven or do we shift our gaze back forward on how God's using our mistakes for His glory?
Consequences can come of looking back. We can be hurt, sad, ashamed, etc. by what we remember. It's like putting gas into a fire. Our emotions get inflamed and burn a hole not only into our confidence, heart, and day. It also burns a hole into our relationship with God. We go back to the "Why God?"s and the "Where were you there?"s. It brings back the forgiven.
Lot's wife looked back. In Genesis 19 they tell in verse 26 that she became a pillar of salt for doing so. She looked back at her worldly "home" being destroyed instead of looking ahead at her heavenly home that was being prepared for her. We often look through dirty windows.
Ever try looking outside of one? You miss a lot because you can't see everything. The spots block your view. When we look back through a dirty window the spots of our mistakes block the beautiful parts of God in our lives. We can't see the whole beautiful picture of God's work with spots blocking our view.
In Luke 9, verse 62 tells us what Jesus thinks about looking back.
'Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."'
God can't use people who spend their lives walking backward.
You can't see what amazing plans He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11) if you're not looking in the right direction. Looking back is something we learn to do. Looking through dirty windows is a decision.
What are you learning to do now? How clean do you CHOOSE to make your windows?
One of the girls.....
Taylyr
Even as I said that your mind shifted back in time.
Why do we look back? Something will remind us and make our minds go back in time. Smells, pictures, items, words, sounds...a lot of things can trigger memories. Some are sad and painful to go back to, and some are joyful and bring a smile back to our faces. What happens when we remember mistakes? Do we cast our eyes down in shame on the already forgiven or do we shift our gaze back forward on how God's using our mistakes for His glory?
Consequences can come of looking back. We can be hurt, sad, ashamed, etc. by what we remember. It's like putting gas into a fire. Our emotions get inflamed and burn a hole not only into our confidence, heart, and day. It also burns a hole into our relationship with God. We go back to the "Why God?"s and the "Where were you there?"s. It brings back the forgiven.
Lot's wife looked back. In Genesis 19 they tell in verse 26 that she became a pillar of salt for doing so. She looked back at her worldly "home" being destroyed instead of looking ahead at her heavenly home that was being prepared for her. We often look through dirty windows.
Ever try looking outside of one? You miss a lot because you can't see everything. The spots block your view. When we look back through a dirty window the spots of our mistakes block the beautiful parts of God in our lives. We can't see the whole beautiful picture of God's work with spots blocking our view.
In Luke 9, verse 62 tells us what Jesus thinks about looking back.
'Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."'
God can't use people who spend their lives walking backward.
You can't see what amazing plans He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11) if you're not looking in the right direction. Looking back is something we learn to do. Looking through dirty windows is a decision.
What are you learning to do now? How clean do you CHOOSE to make your windows?
One of the girls.....
Taylyr
Saturday, March 30, 2013
for-GIVE-ness
What is forgiveness?
The dictionary says that forgiveness is "the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven".
The dictionary leaves out a VERY important part of this action, which is why Jesus came to fill in the blanks. Around Easter, people talk about how Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins. Some even go far enough to marvel about how He came to save personally them and the person suddenly feels unworthy of it looking back on the dirt of the week. I think that one part that people miss in this is how Jesus came to save everyone.
He came to give EVERYONE a second chance. EVERYONE.
While it's amazing that Jesus came to personally save you, we all need to think about this. Do we give people second chances? Third chances? Fourth chance? How many times did Jesus tell Peter to forgive? In Matthew 18 Jesus says to Peter in verse 22, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
There are people out there that abuse forgiveness and just make the same mistake over and over again. Why should we forgive them? Well, don't we abuse God's forgiveness everyday? Don't we have to ask for God's forgiveness several times a day?
Forgiveness has a very key word in the middle of it: give. We didn't have to pay for someone to save and forgive us. Why do we make someone else pay for what we get free everyday? This doesn't mean be a softy or to be easy with these people. But it does mean that we don't hold on to what they've done in the past. Every time they want a clean slate give them one.
If we strive to be the image of Jesus then we have to learn how to not look back! Looking back just causes us to stumble over something that we would've seen if we were looking forward. We miss things when we look back. Like that change in someone's life! That relationship that you were supposed to be ready for! Or you could miss something dangerous. Like how that pregnant girl is abused everyday because people are looking back at that one night of weakness. Like that father is in prison because he was accused of a crime he didn't commit because of his past record. Looking back not only hurts other people, it's hurts us. Sometimes we don't know how far back our head is until it hits the ground.
Next time someone asks you for a clean slate remember what you were supposed to get, but what Jesus did so that you wouldn't have to pay it. Give forGIVEness!
One of the girls....
Taylyr
The dictionary says that forgiveness is "the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven".
The dictionary leaves out a VERY important part of this action, which is why Jesus came to fill in the blanks. Around Easter, people talk about how Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins. Some even go far enough to marvel about how He came to save personally them and the person suddenly feels unworthy of it looking back on the dirt of the week. I think that one part that people miss in this is how Jesus came to save everyone.
He came to give EVERYONE a second chance. EVERYONE.
While it's amazing that Jesus came to personally save you, we all need to think about this. Do we give people second chances? Third chances? Fourth chance? How many times did Jesus tell Peter to forgive? In Matthew 18 Jesus says to Peter in verse 22, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
There are people out there that abuse forgiveness and just make the same mistake over and over again. Why should we forgive them? Well, don't we abuse God's forgiveness everyday? Don't we have to ask for God's forgiveness several times a day?
Forgiveness has a very key word in the middle of it: give. We didn't have to pay for someone to save and forgive us. Why do we make someone else pay for what we get free everyday? This doesn't mean be a softy or to be easy with these people. But it does mean that we don't hold on to what they've done in the past. Every time they want a clean slate give them one.
If we strive to be the image of Jesus then we have to learn how to not look back! Looking back just causes us to stumble over something that we would've seen if we were looking forward. We miss things when we look back. Like that change in someone's life! That relationship that you were supposed to be ready for! Or you could miss something dangerous. Like how that pregnant girl is abused everyday because people are looking back at that one night of weakness. Like that father is in prison because he was accused of a crime he didn't commit because of his past record. Looking back not only hurts other people, it's hurts us. Sometimes we don't know how far back our head is until it hits the ground.
Next time someone asks you for a clean slate remember what you were supposed to get, but what Jesus did so that you wouldn't have to pay it. Give forGIVEness!
One of the girls....
Taylyr
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