We see God not as God is, but as we are!
We see God through our eyes, our experiences, be they good, bad or otherwise. This is why, I believe, it is very difficult for a person who has lived a hard life or a life filled with insurmountable struggles both inwardly and outwardly, to hear and accept the words, "God loves you." Such a person cannot fathom a loving God in the midst of the painful circumstances of their life, especially if all they've known has been turmoil and pain.
Such a person may not even know what true love looks like or feels like. This is why I believe Jesus was about action and not just words. Maybe that's why he didn't write down anything he said-because he knew that people would fixate on the written words moreso than the doing of those words. We love to quote scripture but are we living what they say? Are our lives living expressions of the scriptures? It's easy to say to someone, "God loves you," but what about demonstration of that love. What do those words really mean and how does one manifest them? It's like a husband telling his wife,"I love you," while he continuously ignores her needs or fails to take time to show her that she matters to him.
Jesus was a man of action and words. The parables he shared, the stories he told were coupled with his feeding of the 5,000 along with his healing of the lepers, the blind, and the crippled. He spoke about God as his Father but he also demonstrated God. He came to show who God was.
When he spoke to the woman at the well, he pierced her heart simply by talking about regular drinking water from a well versus living water that he alone could supply. He went deeply into her personal life about the many men she'd had in her life. By the time Jesus was done talking with her, something inside her had been forever changed. She, from that moment on, knew God in a completely new way.
Someone once said that God created us in His image and we've returned the favor by making God in our image, meaning we oftentimes bring God down to our level.
Check out your life.
Check out your thoughts.
What are your beliefs about God?
Do you equate God's ways with the ways of people?
Do you believe God is just like man?
God says that His ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts our thoughts. As a matter of fact, His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, as the heavens are higher than the earth.
Perhaps this is why there are so many strains of Christianity, so many varying views and beliefs about God. We all tend to see God as we are.
When will we make room for God to show up in our lives as God truly is and not the God we want Him to be? Let God in, you might be surprised!
Peace
God is much different than we thought and also much better than we feared.
- Richard Rohr,
Things Hidden, Scripture as Spirituality
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Taste and See
Be still and know that I am God. Be still, stop the running around, to and fro. Be still, stop letting your anxieties and your fears control you and drive you into making rash decisions. Be still, you wield much power when you are at peace! Be still.
Stop believing the lie that you're only productive and of value if you're constantly on the move fulfilling all the obligations demanded of you.
Be still for a moment and let God remind you who is really in charge. It ain't you and it ain't me!
Be still, take a minute.
Breathe.
When you are still, so much comes to you. You don't have to be running around like a crazy person searching for answers. Be still and allow the answers to come to you.
Be still and know that I am God- Psalm 46:10.
Why this scripture? Well, I think that we sometimes forget who we are and whose we are. We take it upon ourselves to run things according to our point of view. But do we ever stop to ask God what we should do?
Oh, yes, I forgot that many times we don't ask because we don't really want to hear the answer God might give.
The book of Exodus tells the story of the children of Israel and their journey from Egypt to Canaan, their promised land. It is an incredible story of God's amazing leading of them out of bondage into freedom through Moses. Although they were excited about escaping slavery at the hand of Pharoah, they weren't quite prepared for God being at the center of their very survival. Many times they spoke angrily of wanting to go back to Egypt instead of living day to day in the wilderness dependent on God to care for them. Suddenly Egypt looked better to them than their new life with God running the show. At least when they were slaves back in Egypt, they understood how things worked. They knew their boundaries and they knew very well what each day would bring. Nothing new, nothing exciting, no changes, just more back breaking, soul destroying labor! Interesting!
I enjoy reading this story because in it I see myself and how I sometimes prefer a life of security and familiarity and even mediocrity in place of a new life with God directing my steps. After all, who knows what God might do in my life if I actually let go of the reins?
True, the Israelites were not at all familiar with this God that Moses adored,worshiped,followed and obeyed. Egypt was a place where many gods were worshiped. It must have been mind boggling for the Israelites to hear this God speak to them and perform various signs and wonders before their eyes. They probably wondered could this God be trusted? This was no easy transition. This was more of a mental change than the change in their physical surroundings. And so it is with us. A large part of the change God is trying to bring about in our lives has to begin with our minds and our deeply entrenched beliefs about ourselves, our lives and God.
But God revealed Himself to them over and over again, constantly providing their needs, speaking to them and showing them what a life of trust looked like and what true freedom felt like.
But, sadly, they were more comfortable with their past experience, namely slavery and its many cruelties. Imagine that!
Fast forward many years to the times of Jesus Christ and again you read about those who preferred slavery to freedom. Wow!
Are we any different today? Much God talk abounds in our culture but how many have really tasted and seen that the Lord is good? We love to talk about the promised land but few actually enter therein.
Stop believing the lie that you're only productive and of value if you're constantly on the move fulfilling all the obligations demanded of you.
Be still for a moment and let God remind you who is really in charge. It ain't you and it ain't me!
Be still, take a minute.
Breathe.
When you are still, so much comes to you. You don't have to be running around like a crazy person searching for answers. Be still and allow the answers to come to you.
Be still and know that I am God- Psalm 46:10.
Why this scripture? Well, I think that we sometimes forget who we are and whose we are. We take it upon ourselves to run things according to our point of view. But do we ever stop to ask God what we should do?
Oh, yes, I forgot that many times we don't ask because we don't really want to hear the answer God might give.
The book of Exodus tells the story of the children of Israel and their journey from Egypt to Canaan, their promised land. It is an incredible story of God's amazing leading of them out of bondage into freedom through Moses. Although they were excited about escaping slavery at the hand of Pharoah, they weren't quite prepared for God being at the center of their very survival. Many times they spoke angrily of wanting to go back to Egypt instead of living day to day in the wilderness dependent on God to care for them. Suddenly Egypt looked better to them than their new life with God running the show. At least when they were slaves back in Egypt, they understood how things worked. They knew their boundaries and they knew very well what each day would bring. Nothing new, nothing exciting, no changes, just more back breaking, soul destroying labor! Interesting!
I enjoy reading this story because in it I see myself and how I sometimes prefer a life of security and familiarity and even mediocrity in place of a new life with God directing my steps. After all, who knows what God might do in my life if I actually let go of the reins?
True, the Israelites were not at all familiar with this God that Moses adored,worshiped,followed and obeyed. Egypt was a place where many gods were worshiped. It must have been mind boggling for the Israelites to hear this God speak to them and perform various signs and wonders before their eyes. They probably wondered could this God be trusted? This was no easy transition. This was more of a mental change than the change in their physical surroundings. And so it is with us. A large part of the change God is trying to bring about in our lives has to begin with our minds and our deeply entrenched beliefs about ourselves, our lives and God.
But God revealed Himself to them over and over again, constantly providing their needs, speaking to them and showing them what a life of trust looked like and what true freedom felt like.
But, sadly, they were more comfortable with their past experience, namely slavery and its many cruelties. Imagine that!
Fast forward many years to the times of Jesus Christ and again you read about those who preferred slavery to freedom. Wow!
Are we any different today? Much God talk abounds in our culture but how many have really tasted and seen that the Lord is good? We love to talk about the promised land but few actually enter therein.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Judging
We all do it. We may fool ourselves into believing that we don't judge, but we all do. We judge each other by appearance, by the color of our skin, by the neighborhood we live in, by our material assets or lack thereof. We even judge one another according to religious affiliation. But didn't Jesus say, "Judge not, that you be not judged?"
Why is it that the simplest words spoken by him seem to be the ones we have such a hard time following?
But, you may say, what's wrong with judging others?
Well, the act of judging automatically sets you up as being perfect, no faults, no blemishes,just a great person all around. Judging is limiting because our view of others is quite limited. We only see what's readily visible at that particular moment. It is impossible to see/know everything about another human being. The only one who is able to see everything is God. So, judging is also made from your point of view, your experiences, your beliefs,likes, dislikes, and your overall take on life. How do you know that your view about things isn't a little skewed?
Several years ago, I thought I had it going on concerning how I believed things should be, how people should be and of course, how God should be. I didn't know it at the time but I was quite smug in my understanding of life. I lived in a very small, tight box and I put others into boxes as well with labels and all.This made me feel very secure, by the way.
The labels helped me to figure out who was who and helped me to determine how to approach others, treat them, distance myself from them, trust them etc. Of course,if the person shared the same religion or belief system as I did, we were compatible.Because then we could come together around a shared belief and look down our noses at those who were "different." This worked greatly for awhile until I began to notice how small minded and self-righteous I was becoming. I wasn't the happiest person to be around because I was always looking to tell others what they needed to do to change their lives, which was my prescription. Who made me God? Self-righteousness, by the way, is an exhausting hobby. Don't take it up, it will drain the life out of you!
Jesus says, don't judge- Why? because when you do it you set yourself up by telling a lie, which is that you are perfect and that you know what every one else should be doing. Remember God looks at the heart. God is the only one able to look within at the heart and judge rightly.This is why, I believe, God is a forgiving God over and over again.
Judging requires lots of energy and the energy expended on others could be energy used on oneself to be about your own business.If I am busily judging you, I can't see where I'm going or what I should be doing in my own life. Perhaps this is why Jesus spoke these words. He knew that judging creates division, anger,fear, a false sense of security, and even hatred among people.
Why is it so difficult to let God be God in our own lives and the lives of others?
He's been in the God business for a very long time. I think He knows what He's doing and is more than able to do what He does best.
Why is it that the simplest words spoken by him seem to be the ones we have such a hard time following?
But, you may say, what's wrong with judging others?
Well, the act of judging automatically sets you up as being perfect, no faults, no blemishes,just a great person all around. Judging is limiting because our view of others is quite limited. We only see what's readily visible at that particular moment. It is impossible to see/know everything about another human being. The only one who is able to see everything is God. So, judging is also made from your point of view, your experiences, your beliefs,likes, dislikes, and your overall take on life. How do you know that your view about things isn't a little skewed?
Several years ago, I thought I had it going on concerning how I believed things should be, how people should be and of course, how God should be. I didn't know it at the time but I was quite smug in my understanding of life. I lived in a very small, tight box and I put others into boxes as well with labels and all.This made me feel very secure, by the way.
The labels helped me to figure out who was who and helped me to determine how to approach others, treat them, distance myself from them, trust them etc. Of course,if the person shared the same religion or belief system as I did, we were compatible.Because then we could come together around a shared belief and look down our noses at those who were "different." This worked greatly for awhile until I began to notice how small minded and self-righteous I was becoming. I wasn't the happiest person to be around because I was always looking to tell others what they needed to do to change their lives, which was my prescription. Who made me God? Self-righteousness, by the way, is an exhausting hobby. Don't take it up, it will drain the life out of you!
Jesus says, don't judge- Why? because when you do it you set yourself up by telling a lie, which is that you are perfect and that you know what every one else should be doing. Remember God looks at the heart. God is the only one able to look within at the heart and judge rightly.This is why, I believe, God is a forgiving God over and over again.
Judging requires lots of energy and the energy expended on others could be energy used on oneself to be about your own business.If I am busily judging you, I can't see where I'm going or what I should be doing in my own life. Perhaps this is why Jesus spoke these words. He knew that judging creates division, anger,fear, a false sense of security, and even hatred among people.
Why is it so difficult to let God be God in our own lives and the lives of others?
He's been in the God business for a very long time. I think He knows what He's doing and is more than able to do what He does best.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Change It
If you don't like something, change it,
If you can't change it, change your attitude.
Don't complain.
-Maya Angelou
Why? Because complaining accomplishes absolutely nothing. It simply states and restates the problem with no solution. But why do we do it? Because it just feels good to gripe, and murmur and look sour, unhappy and miserable. Pity parties are fun especially when you get to be the center of attention. Complaining is a self-centered endeavor that guarantees an unhappy outcome. It positions us to look at and focus on the problem and WHAT YOU FOCUS ON EXPANDS. And there are times when we do not want a solution. We just want to linger awhile in our condition of unhappiness and familiarity and comfort, albeit it negative comfort.
In the gospel story (John 5), the ill (perhaps crippled) man at the pool of Bethesda is asked by Jesus if he wants to be made whole.
The man answers,"I have no one to help me into the water. Every time the water is stirred and I'm about to get in, someone steps down ahead of me."
Notice how he focuses on his problem and never once answers Jesus' question.
Finally Jesus just bypasses the man's pity party and tells him to get up, pick up the mat he was lying on and walk.
Could God be asking us the same thing?
What do you want? Do you want to be made whole?
Do you want to be restored?
Do you want health in your mind, your body and your soul?
Do you want to change?
Or will you sit there and complain and tell God what He already knows about your situation or will you answer, "Yes, Lord, I am ready to change my circumstances or my attitude."
He sees and He knows and He cares. The majority of the time God is waiting for us to make a decision!
If you can't change it, change your attitude.
Don't complain.
-Maya Angelou
Why? Because complaining accomplishes absolutely nothing. It simply states and restates the problem with no solution. But why do we do it? Because it just feels good to gripe, and murmur and look sour, unhappy and miserable. Pity parties are fun especially when you get to be the center of attention. Complaining is a self-centered endeavor that guarantees an unhappy outcome. It positions us to look at and focus on the problem and WHAT YOU FOCUS ON EXPANDS. And there are times when we do not want a solution. We just want to linger awhile in our condition of unhappiness and familiarity and comfort, albeit it negative comfort.
In the gospel story (John 5), the ill (perhaps crippled) man at the pool of Bethesda is asked by Jesus if he wants to be made whole.
The man answers,"I have no one to help me into the water. Every time the water is stirred and I'm about to get in, someone steps down ahead of me."
Notice how he focuses on his problem and never once answers Jesus' question.
Finally Jesus just bypasses the man's pity party and tells him to get up, pick up the mat he was lying on and walk.
Could God be asking us the same thing?
What do you want? Do you want to be made whole?
Do you want to be restored?
Do you want health in your mind, your body and your soul?
Do you want to change?
Or will you sit there and complain and tell God what He already knows about your situation or will you answer, "Yes, Lord, I am ready to change my circumstances or my attitude."
He sees and He knows and He cares. The majority of the time God is waiting for us to make a decision!
When...
When all the trees have been cut down,
When all the animals have been hunted,
When all the waters are polluted,
When all the air is unsafe to breathe,
Only then will you discover you cannot eat money.
-Cree Prophecy
Sound familiar?
When all the animals have been hunted,
When all the waters are polluted,
When all the air is unsafe to breathe,
Only then will you discover you cannot eat money.
-Cree Prophecy
Sound familiar?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Think on these things
What is the opposite of Love?
Believe it or not,it is not Hate, but Control.
The opposite of love is control.
And when I take a moment to think about this, I do believe it is true. Love allows you to be you, to choose the way that you want to go. Love is kind and patient and always looks out for your best interest. Love allows you space to explore, to grow, to become. Love wants you to live life abundantly.
While control, on the other hand, insists on having its way. Control is restrictive and limiting and just feels tight. Control is always about keeping its interests and desires number one. Control is selfish.
The scripture says, God is love. God does not coerce us into anything. We have the ability to choose our course of action, concerning our lives. Love looks out for you and promises to direct your path, leading you in the way that you should go. Love promises to never leave you nor forsake you. Love says, "cast your cares upon Me because I care for you." God is Love and Love is good.
Believe it or not,it is not Hate, but Control.
The opposite of love is control.
And when I take a moment to think about this, I do believe it is true. Love allows you to be you, to choose the way that you want to go. Love is kind and patient and always looks out for your best interest. Love allows you space to explore, to grow, to become. Love wants you to live life abundantly.
While control, on the other hand, insists on having its way. Control is restrictive and limiting and just feels tight. Control is always about keeping its interests and desires number one. Control is selfish.
The scripture says, God is love. God does not coerce us into anything. We have the ability to choose our course of action, concerning our lives. Love looks out for you and promises to direct your path, leading you in the way that you should go. Love promises to never leave you nor forsake you. Love says, "cast your cares upon Me because I care for you." God is Love and Love is good.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Guard Your Heart
Proverbs 4:23- Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
The year was 2002 and I was in the throes of ministry with my Pastor in West Africa. On day two, I was introduced to a prophet who amongst other things, told me very pointedly, "to guard my heart."
I had no idea what he meant. I believed myself to be in the company of God's best servants, people who would look out for me and have my best interest in mind. I thought that we were all on the same team, with the same goals-winning souls for Christ. Boy, did I have a lot to learn!
"Guard your heart," the scripture says. I was totally clueless as to what that meant because I was in the habit of easily dismissing myself (dreams, aspirations, goals, even joy). I came of age in a church environment where you were taught to die to the self. Pretty much all interests, dreams, and desires that did not coincide with the pastor's vision of ministry were dismissed and counted as a waste of time. From this teaching, I became very good at silencing my inner voice (myself).
Secondly, guarding my heart didn't make sense to me because of the teaching that says, the heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt and severely sick (Jeremiah 17:9). So, needless to say, I automatically applied this to myself as the church was very thorough at reminding its congregants of their sins. Amazing,while we are taught that we are forgiven by God, there still remains that teaching that has to remind people that no matter what, they are still sinners. So then, what's the point of being a new creature in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17)? Yet, I was taught that I could not trust myself, listen to myself or to the roaring of my own heart. The roaring inside was not that of a lion seeking to devour and destroy me. It was the gentle sound of my own voice moving me toward my destiny, God's purposes and plans for me.
"Guard your heart for out of it flows the springs of LIFE. The heart is that place where God speaks to us. Remember hearing this phrase?-"follow your heart, follow your gut." The way a thing feels inside us matters. But we oftentimes fail to hear God because our hearts are cluttered with so many other things. If we are being told to guard it, that means there are things that need not gain entrance. I think it's safe to say that what is in a person's heart is what eventually manifests. Talk is cheap; who a person truly is, will show itself. So the heart can harbor both good and evil. This scripture, however is speaking of the heart as a well of life.
We can have a cluttered heart by listening too intently to the voices of other people. Their opinions about us often outweigh our opinions about ourselves. I used to hang onto every word my pastor uttered,even when his words didn't feel right in my spirit. I always deferred to him because I believed his connection to God was better and more accurate than mine.
If out of the heart flows the springs of life then I would assume that listening to your heart will not steer you wrong. But if you are in the habit of looking for answers outside of yourself, you will never come to trust yourself.
Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you"(Luke 17:21).
Guard your heart- it is God's dwelling place. Keep it safe and free of distractions, go there often for it is there that He awaits you!
Peace
The year was 2002 and I was in the throes of ministry with my Pastor in West Africa. On day two, I was introduced to a prophet who amongst other things, told me very pointedly, "to guard my heart."
I had no idea what he meant. I believed myself to be in the company of God's best servants, people who would look out for me and have my best interest in mind. I thought that we were all on the same team, with the same goals-winning souls for Christ. Boy, did I have a lot to learn!
"Guard your heart," the scripture says. I was totally clueless as to what that meant because I was in the habit of easily dismissing myself (dreams, aspirations, goals, even joy). I came of age in a church environment where you were taught to die to the self. Pretty much all interests, dreams, and desires that did not coincide with the pastor's vision of ministry were dismissed and counted as a waste of time. From this teaching, I became very good at silencing my inner voice (myself).
Secondly, guarding my heart didn't make sense to me because of the teaching that says, the heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt and severely sick (Jeremiah 17:9). So, needless to say, I automatically applied this to myself as the church was very thorough at reminding its congregants of their sins. Amazing,while we are taught that we are forgiven by God, there still remains that teaching that has to remind people that no matter what, they are still sinners. So then, what's the point of being a new creature in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17)? Yet, I was taught that I could not trust myself, listen to myself or to the roaring of my own heart. The roaring inside was not that of a lion seeking to devour and destroy me. It was the gentle sound of my own voice moving me toward my destiny, God's purposes and plans for me.
"Guard your heart for out of it flows the springs of LIFE. The heart is that place where God speaks to us. Remember hearing this phrase?-"follow your heart, follow your gut." The way a thing feels inside us matters. But we oftentimes fail to hear God because our hearts are cluttered with so many other things. If we are being told to guard it, that means there are things that need not gain entrance. I think it's safe to say that what is in a person's heart is what eventually manifests. Talk is cheap; who a person truly is, will show itself. So the heart can harbor both good and evil. This scripture, however is speaking of the heart as a well of life.
We can have a cluttered heart by listening too intently to the voices of other people. Their opinions about us often outweigh our opinions about ourselves. I used to hang onto every word my pastor uttered,even when his words didn't feel right in my spirit. I always deferred to him because I believed his connection to God was better and more accurate than mine.
If out of the heart flows the springs of life then I would assume that listening to your heart will not steer you wrong. But if you are in the habit of looking for answers outside of yourself, you will never come to trust yourself.
Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you"(Luke 17:21).
Guard your heart- it is God's dwelling place. Keep it safe and free of distractions, go there often for it is there that He awaits you!
Peace
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