Fear Not

The Bible study group I am involved in is working through "Taming My Fears" by Carol Kent.  This week we discussed destructive and constructive ways to respond to our fears.  The constructive approach (otherwise known as the OBEDIENT approach) takes us through these steps:

• Sorrow--Honestly and openly telling God of my fears, sadness, anxiety, anger, hurt, etc.  
• Brokenness--Again, honestly admitting before God that I can't fix this.
• Surrender--Submitting to God.  Admitting that I need HIM!
• Faith-filled decision--Responding in obedience to God's guidance

I played out a conversation with God in my mind.

       

         Me:  "God, I am scared to death.  

         God:  "I know."

         Me:  "I can't get rid of the fear, God"

         God:  "No, you can't."

         Me:  "God, would you do it for me, please?"

         God:  "Now, we are getting somewhere!"

 God's paths get you where you want to go. 

Hosea 14:9 (MSG)

Skiing Lessons

The sun was shining so brightly in the clear blue sky.  The gentle wind blew across my face.  I breathed in the fresh air.  Ahh! 

Now before pictures of summery days on sandy beaches or spring mornings in a lush green meadow start forming in your mind, let me add that the air temperature at the moment was 11^o and the gentle breeze was 20mph with gusts of at least 40mph.  That paints a different picture, doesn’t it?

It was our second day on the ski slopes in Colorado.  And it was COLD!  And I should have been miserable.   I am the gal who lives in wool socks and fleece jackets all winter.  I leave my coat on when I come inside.  I have been known to take more than one hot shower in a day because that is the only time I am warm. 

But here I was having fun in the snow and the cold and the wind chill.  About half way through the morning I thought, “What am I doing!  I don’t like being cold.  But I am having a blast!  What gives?”

I spent a few moments contemplating the situation as we rode up the lift for another run down the mountain and two words came to mind:  Perspective and Preparation.

Perspective

I did not see this day as a miserable day outside in the cold.  I saw it as a day of fun with my husband, daughter and son-in-law.  I viewed it as a great day of skiing with adequate snow and no lift lines.  I was enjoying the fact that this middle age body could still manage the slopes.  I understood that skiing is done in the cold months of winter.  I expected to be chilly.    

If I had been back home in the flatlands on such a day I may have seen it as a day that was too cold to venture out to the mailbox.  I would have bundled up in my fleece and wool and hunkered down inside, shielding myself from the frigidness.  I would have fought the urge to grumble about the temperature.  I would have longed for the coming of spring. 

But here in Colorful Colorado I was rejoicing in the snow and the chill.  The context was different.  My focus was on all the reasons to rejoice and as a result the cold didn’t seem so terrible and I didn’t mind it so much. 

What if I had the same mind set in the uncomfortable situations of life back home?  What if I looked for the good; set my mind on the things above more?  What if altered my expectations? 

Then I thought on the second word, Preparation. 

I considered the way I was dressed for the day in the cold.  I was wearing a ski helmet that not only shielded my head from hitting something hard but also kept my ears and head warm.  The ski goggles protected my eyes from the glare of the sun.  The fleece neck gater covered my neck and chin and mouth and cheeks and nose.  (Get the picture?  Nothing was exposed to the elements.)  I wore a layer of cold weather gear under my insulated snow pants and jacket.  My hands were toasty in the waterproof mittens with hand warmer inserts.  My wool socks kept my toes from becoming icicles. 

Back home I may have dressed in wool socks and fleece but I would have left the house with a bare head, stylish knit gloves and no extra layers to keep me warm.  I wouldn’t have prepared the same and I would have felt the cold more. 

I saw the life lesson that God was revealing through my day in the cold and snow. 

"Mary, If you would develop the correct perspective by setting your eyes on My blessings and goodness each day and prepare yourself appropriately by dressing up in My armor each morning you would experience the joy of each day in a deeper way." 

       Romans 8:6 (NASB)

            For the mind set on the flesh is death, but

            the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

        Ephesians 6:13 (NASB)

            Therefore, take up the full armor of God,

            so that you will be able to resist in the evil 

            day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

I was so thankful for God showing up in the midst of a snowy vacation day.  It is just like Him to make an object lesson out of life situations.  I am so thankful that He speaks so clearly. 

And if you see me out and about wearing a helmet and goggles and neck gater and layers of clothing on a below zero wind chill day, you will understand, right?

 

Done!!!!

Yesterday was a monumental day for me.  I crossed a task off my to do list that had been there for-ev-ah! 

I cleaned out and organized my "craft room".  Woo Hoo!

I made an attempted over a year ago to convert the basement bedroom into my crafty area but only succeeded in creating a dumping zone of leftover craft supplies, unfinished projects, ideas in the making, and shopping sacks full of stuff I "knew" I could do something with sometime.  It had reached the point that the thought of going downstairs to fetch something from the room or work on a project in it made me cringe.  Obviously my creative juices where being stymied not encouraged.  So I geared up and began by taking everything out of the room and double closet, sorting it into somewhat sensible piles and tossing the real junk.  (But keeping the valuable junk, of course.)  My piles filled the pool table and the ping pong table and the small game table and the futon and the couch and spilled over onto the floor.  You get the picture of how much was packed into that room.  After two afternoons of decision making (what to toss, what to garage sale, what to keep, what was I thinking!) and letting go I now have this...

And this...

I found out that I had good intentions at one time because I already possessed all of those plastic storage containers and labels.  I was sure that the process would require a trip to the store for organizing stuff. Love it when a project is low or no cost.


I feel so much better with that job completed


But before anyone starts to think that I am an organizing genius I offer to you this evidence of how far I still have to go...

A Fresh Start

I decided to spend some time reading through the minor prophets in the Old Testament beginning with Hosea, a book about a man whom God asks to marry a prostitute knowing that she would eventually be unfaithful and break his heart.  

The lesson I learned today was so appropriate for the first month of a new year.  It was all about fresh starts.

God instructs Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute, and have a family with her.  Her harlotry was an example of God's people chasing after other "loves" and forsaking their God.  The couple have three children and then Gomer returns to her former way of life saying, "I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink." Hosea 2:5

My translation--"Someone other than God can fulfill my needs better."

Little does Gomer realize that her husband, Hosea, is the one who really was supplying all of those needs.  Hosea says, "For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil and lavished on her silver and gold." Do you see that?  Hosea gave her even more than she needed. Eventually she comes to her senses. (Mainly because God hedged up her way with thorns and built a wall against her so that she could not find her path. Hosea 2:6) 

Gomer's indiscretion is revealed and her shame is made evident. 

But this is where I was really amazed. 

Hosea says in 2:14, "And now, here's what I'm going to do:  I'm going to start all over again.  I'm taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I'll court her." (The Message) 

After her unfaithfulness, her looking to others to fulfill her needs, Hosea says he will take her back and give their relationship a fresh start.

Gomer's new start began with her returning to her first love, Hosea.  She recognized the error of her ways, the foolishness of her thinking.  She found out the hard way that chasing after the wrong "supplier" could not fulfill her needs at all. 

A fresh start!

That's what January 1st represents.  That's why there is a first of the month 12 times a year.  That's why every week has a Sunday.  That's why every day has a sunrise.  Every 60 minutes there is a top of the hour.  Every minute starts with a new count of 1 to 60. 

God offers fresh starts, new beginnings.


Lamentation 3:22,23 states that "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning.  Great is Thy faithfulness."

When I find myself on the wrong path and relent and return to the Supplier of all my needs, the Lord meets me with a new compassion and gives me a fresh start. 

As a new year begins, it signals a fresh start.  The house is cleaned up of the Christmas decor and clutter and feels fresh and simple.  I am anxious to begin a new set of goals and objectives.  I am ready to get started on a new Bible study guide.  I am looking forward to what a new year has to offer.  


I will try to be intentional to fulfill the goals I have set but I know that there will be set backs.  I am not expecting myself to fail but I am trying to be realistic here.   If or when those stumbles occur I can have a fresh start after confession of my errors.  This knowledge gives me the encouragement I need to start again, to accept God's offer of a fresh start.

Thank you, Lord, for fresh starts, for new beginnings.  Thank you for Your compassions that are new every morning. Thank you for this new year, 2012.

It'll cost ya!

Psalm 4:5

 "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord."  

           

Why does God call righteousness and trust in Him a sacrifice? 

In order to answer this question I started with definitions of the words.  

I love to look up words in English, Greek and Hebrew dictionaries when studying the Scriptures.  Even words that seem so obvious, like sacrifice.  It's an offering, right?  But looking further I begin to see that it is an offering that costs me something.  

So the next question: What do righteousness and trust in God cost me?  Again, I considered the words.

Righteousness--being right, doing right.  As I do what is right I am offering a sacrifice to God of my will, my way.  I choose to do it His way, not mine.  That requires a submission of my will.  God's way, not my way. 

  

So what does trust offer to God?  Trust implies confidence in Him and His ways.  Trust requires me to offer up control on the altar of sacrifice.  I give up the control of my life, my circumstances.  I take my hands off and allow God to grab hold of my life, my circumstances and I follow. 

Notice the number of times that "me" or "my" shows up?  It's ME that God is requesting as a sacrifice.  He says, "Give Me you, Mary."

Does giving up my way and my control cost me something?  Yup!  Does it hurt sometimes?  You bet ya!  Is it difficult?  I would say so.  

But look deeper into Psalm 4.  Consider verse 8-"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for Thou alone, O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety."

Sacrifice cost something but the returns are so much more. 

           Peace

           Safety

           Rest

God asks me to let Him be in charge, to give Him the reins, to offer the sacrifice of my way and my control.  And He offers peacefulness, security and a place of rest in the midst of life's chaos.  

As they say, "That's worth the price of admission!"

Falling in love

It wasn't love at first sight.  But it was love at first drive! 

We test drove a new vehicle yesterday.  I basically spent less than 30 minutes in this automobile.  I drove to Walmart and back but that was all it took for me to go from "we don't need this nice of a car" to "Oh, how I would love to drive this everyday!" I fell in love with the heated seats, the sun roof, the XM radio.  I loved the way it looked sitting in our drive way.  I loved the way I looked sitting in it.  But, alas.  We knew it was not for us and much to my surprise, when we returned it to the dealer and proceeded to look at a lesser model I teared up.  Tears?! Over a car I had known less than an hour?!  And I was even more amazed when it took the rest of the evening for me to "get over it" and "let it go".  If I had just looked at the car I may have admired it's good looks but doubt that I would have made a heart connection with it.  But touching it, driving it, sitting in it, interacting with it produced a desire for it!

Then this morning I read in Psalm 119 "I rejoice at Thy word, as one who finds great spoil." "I love Thy law." "Those who love Thy law have great peace." "I love them (Thy testimonies) exceedingly." And I made the connection between what happened with a car and what can happen with God's word.  Just looking at it from the outside may result in a passing interest or admiration.  But when I touch it, sit with it, interact with it, experience it I develop a heart connection.  I grow to love it and become awed at its "bells and whistles".  I come to realize I don't want to live without it.  I want to "drive" it everyday.  I love the way I look when I have spent time in it.  Just like a new flashy car, I fall in love with God's word when I open the door, get in and experience the drive.  

"Oh, How I love Thy law!

It is my meditation all the day."

Psalm 119:97

Can I trust my conscience?

The apostle Paul had always interested me.  When I was a young believer I would read his comments ("...be imitators of me" 1 Cor. 4:16) and think "Sounds a bit arrogant to me."  But as God has increased my understanding I have come to the conclusion that he may have been arrogant before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus but once his personal relationship with the Lord began his arrogance was transformed by God to confidence because of the grace of his Lord ("by the grace of God I am what I am" 1 Cor. 15:10).  

This week the Bible Study I am involved with studied the role our own conscience plays in our lives.  My conscience is that God-given moral rudder that helps me discern between right and wrong and encourages me to do the right thing and avoid the wrong thing.  

My "friend" the apostle Paul had lots to say about the conscience.  Maybe because he knew first hand how it can fail a person.  He had ravaged the church, dragging the believers out of their homes and the synagogues, voting in favor of their death all the while thinking he was doing the right thing (Acts 26:9) His conscience had led him astray and many, many suffered the horrible consequences.  But then Jesus showed up on the road to Damascus and Paul was transformed.  After he became a follower of Jesus Paul said "I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men." (Acts 24:16)  He knew that the conscience cannot be left on autopilot.  It must be maintained.  It has to be "managed".  

The conscience can be trained to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). The study made me aware of the need to keep my communication with God ongoing.  I need to keep short accounts with God through confession and repentance.  The Holy Spirit must have control of me.  I need to pray for my conscience.  Honesty has to be a priority for me.  And I need to be accountable to others who will point out the wrong thinking that creeps into my thoughts. 

Training my conscience begins with baby steps.  I ask myself,  "What little choices can I make that will help me train my conscience to think like God thinks?" Just as little chips in the windshield can turn into big cracks if left unattended so can lapses in judgement turn into major messes.  But the opposite is true also.  Make a few little choices in the right direction and it will lead to better choices down the road.  

I am encouraged that Paul's conscience which was a train wreck on its own became a trusted guide under the control of God.  I am encouraged because I can become an imitator of him because he has worked through some of the same issues that I deal with.  I can imitate Paul because he purposed to imitate Jesus.