Far warning, this is not a warm and fuzzy post. It might hit close to home and you might even be offended. What I'm writing about hits home for me. I spend way too much time thinking about the "me parts"and not enough on the "God parts". This is written not as a "Christians are bad" post, but hopefully as an eye opener and direction changer.
I have a problem with how me and many Christians read verses in the Bible. We grab onto the "me part" and tend to ignore the "God part". What do I mean by that? Well, here's some popular examples.
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not evil, to give you a future and a hope." I admit this is one of my favorite verses, who wouldn't love it! But read the verse before it: "For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place." Um, seventy years later and then the promise! Yikes, that part isn't on any of the pictures of this verse. But wait there's more.
There's the two verses afterward: "Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart." So, wait I have to seek after God with my whole heart to get the promise? What? I have to call on, pray to, and seek after God in order to get what I want? Yes! Yes, I do. And it isn't even about me getting what I want. The Israelites were bad, very bad. God allowed them to be taken into captivity by Babylon. Then He promises them that after they have suffered for 70 years, they will finally start to seek Him! That's when He will fulfill the promise of Jeremiah 29:11. See, they weren't getting ahead, getting something brand new. They were getting to go back home, to Israel. They weren't getting more than the Promised Land; they were getting to go back to the Promised Land.
Here's another one.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." I have literally heard Christians walking around and claiming that all things work together for their good. Do you notice the one little change they make to the verse. God didn't promise that we would have good for ourselves, He promised that everything, even the yucky things of life, will work together for good, not necessarily our "give me what I want" good, but maybe more like that "suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope" kind of good. I have been dumbfounded when I hear people declare that they are going to get what they want because they claim God promised it in this verse.
But that's the "look at me" part, not the "God part". The verses before are about how we don't even know what to pray for, so the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. About how He intercedes according to the will of whom? Nope, not my will or your will, but God's will. The Holy Spirit doesn't pray that we get all the good that we want. He prays that we get all the good that God wills us to have, the good that comes for suffering and being able to endure, grow character, and end up with hope.
The list of verses could go on and on, but let's look at just one more.
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Let's be totally honest, most of us just focus on the first five words, "I can do all things". There are bracelets, posters, cute photos online that declare that we can do all things. Too many times, they don't even mention how it is possible that we can do all things. We can do all things "through Him who strengthens me" and the Him, there is God, of course.
Christians want to start a new business. I can do all things! Christians want to win in a sporting competition. I can do all things! Christians want to get a new car. I can do all things! I want what I want. I can do all things!
Once again look at the verses around verse 13. Paul is telling them that he has learned that in tough situations, and he had his share of them, he can be content. He has also learned how to face having plenty and having need. How, you might ask. He states "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." He's telling them, and us, that he has learned to live with a lot and with a little because God is the one who gives him what he needs. His doesn't focus on "I can do it" but on "God can do it".
Once again, this is as much about me as it is about anyone else. I love Jeremiah 29:11 for the promise as much as anyone does. But I have learned, well still learning, to read the promise verses in context. I need to be open to hearing how God wants me to endure through trials and how He wants me to seek after Him with my whole heart. I need to remember that I need to humble myself, delight in the Lord, and take the focus off of me. I need to remember that He fights my real enemies, satan and his demons, and not the people who I see as being in my way or annoying to me. I need to focus more on seeking after God and less on what He promised.
In terms of a fairy tale, I need to be the Cinderella who wants to be with the prince, to marry him, rather than the step-sisters who wanted to have all the good that goes along with being married to the prince. I need to seek to know Him and not seek to get from Him.
I know that I need to be reminded to read the promise verses in context and look for God in them, and I figured I'm not the only one.
Showing posts with label It's not about me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label It's not about me. Show all posts
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Not About What I Must Do!
It's all about me! That is something I say jokingly. I hope people realize I am joking! I mean I know it is NOT all about me. I know that I am just one person in a world full of billions of people. I know that it isn't about me but about God. So why is it that I know it but sometimes act like I don't?
Read any books about how to become a better, you name it, person? man or woman? husband or wife? pray warrior? money manager? Christ Follower? I have! So many of these books focus on Me! They mention God, but focus on what I need to do. What I need to do. How I need to do it. How often I need to do it. Advice is good, nothing wrong with that. But is it really about me?
I was thinking about this today and looked up one of the classical verses of the Bible to make sure I was remembering it correctly. John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease." KJV. In the King James Version Bible the words that were added are in italics to indicate that. So the word "must" was added. I am not sure why. But I think with it there is work for me to do and without it there isn't.
Now, I'm not saying we don't have work to do. 1Cornintians 3:6-7 seem to back that up. "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (Other versions have less "eths" but I wanted to focus on the word "increase".) Paul goes on to say these are labor jobs and each receives reward based on the job he does. The point is we can do the work but if God is in there is an increase. Which means the opposite is also true. If God is NOT in it then there is no increase.
Which goes back to John 3:30, God MUST increase in order for me to decrease. If I try to decrease on my own I will have to become rule minded in order to do so. I will have to become religious in my approach. It will be all about what I MUST do and how I MUST do it and how often I MUST do it that makes me decrease. But will I really?
A sense of pride will increase within me. Oh, I might do all these things that look like decrease, but I will, deep down, take pride in the fact that I did it. I pulled myself up by my boot straps. God helps those who help themselves, right? Not that He can't, because He can, but who is the emphasis on in those statements? Me!
If we look at John 3:30 without the italics "must" it reads, "He must increase, but I decrease." Do you see the difference. With the word "must" in there about me, it seems that we are both in this together, equally. But without the "must" He is doing the work, the increasing in my life, and because of it I decrease. The focus is on Him. Isn't that where it belongs.
Paul said that his work of planting was important. He says that we will be rewarded based on the labor we do. But the labor must be the work that God calls us to. Paul went traveled and spread the message of Jesus with the people, but he didn't stay. He moved on, and people like Apollos then had to water the seed. If Paul had stayed and watered too, I dare say he would not been as successful as he was at spreading the Word. He would have tried to rise up Christ Followers where he was, but that wasn't his job. God planned for him to take the Word to people. If he had tried to do it in his own strength, stay and water, then I think the increase would have been much less.
One thing I know I must do is open myself up to His increase in my life. As He increases the "musts" that so many of us do will become parts of our lives anyway. As He increases I will be drawn to spend more time with Him. As He increases in me I will be drawn to pray more, listen more, serve more. I will see more of His hand at work in my life as He increases. The idea of I must do this or that will change as I hear Him speak about what He wants me to do. Just like Paul and Apollos, we don't all do the same thing. Sometimes we fall into the "serving trap". The one that sees a place to serve, or even all the places to serve, and we rush in and try to do them. You may look like you are decreasing because you are serving so much, but in reality the "I" in you is increasing. You feel more drained than joyful. You feel more proud of yourself than humble.
I can try to ignore His increase in my life too. When that happens I am not open and He waits for me to be open. He won't force His increase on you. He will wait, He is very patient. Once I realize that I have started "musting" again He can start to increase in my life again.
I prayed this morning to become more like Him. That starts with the focus being on Him. As I focus on Him He gets bigger and bigger and I get smaller and smaller.
Read any books about how to become a better, you name it, person? man or woman? husband or wife? pray warrior? money manager? Christ Follower? I have! So many of these books focus on Me! They mention God, but focus on what I need to do. What I need to do. How I need to do it. How often I need to do it. Advice is good, nothing wrong with that. But is it really about me?
I was thinking about this today and looked up one of the classical verses of the Bible to make sure I was remembering it correctly. John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease." KJV. In the King James Version Bible the words that were added are in italics to indicate that. So the word "must" was added. I am not sure why. But I think with it there is work for me to do and without it there isn't.
Now, I'm not saying we don't have work to do. 1Cornintians 3:6-7 seem to back that up. "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (Other versions have less "eths" but I wanted to focus on the word "increase".) Paul goes on to say these are labor jobs and each receives reward based on the job he does. The point is we can do the work but if God is in there is an increase. Which means the opposite is also true. If God is NOT in it then there is no increase.
Which goes back to John 3:30, God MUST increase in order for me to decrease. If I try to decrease on my own I will have to become rule minded in order to do so. I will have to become religious in my approach. It will be all about what I MUST do and how I MUST do it and how often I MUST do it that makes me decrease. But will I really?
A sense of pride will increase within me. Oh, I might do all these things that look like decrease, but I will, deep down, take pride in the fact that I did it. I pulled myself up by my boot straps. God helps those who help themselves, right? Not that He can't, because He can, but who is the emphasis on in those statements? Me!
If we look at John 3:30 without the italics "must" it reads, "He must increase, but I decrease." Do you see the difference. With the word "must" in there about me, it seems that we are both in this together, equally. But without the "must" He is doing the work, the increasing in my life, and because of it I decrease. The focus is on Him. Isn't that where it belongs.
Paul said that his work of planting was important. He says that we will be rewarded based on the labor we do. But the labor must be the work that God calls us to. Paul went traveled and spread the message of Jesus with the people, but he didn't stay. He moved on, and people like Apollos then had to water the seed. If Paul had stayed and watered too, I dare say he would not been as successful as he was at spreading the Word. He would have tried to rise up Christ Followers where he was, but that wasn't his job. God planned for him to take the Word to people. If he had tried to do it in his own strength, stay and water, then I think the increase would have been much less.
One thing I know I must do is open myself up to His increase in my life. As He increases the "musts" that so many of us do will become parts of our lives anyway. As He increases I will be drawn to spend more time with Him. As He increases in me I will be drawn to pray more, listen more, serve more. I will see more of His hand at work in my life as He increases. The idea of I must do this or that will change as I hear Him speak about what He wants me to do. Just like Paul and Apollos, we don't all do the same thing. Sometimes we fall into the "serving trap". The one that sees a place to serve, or even all the places to serve, and we rush in and try to do them. You may look like you are decreasing because you are serving so much, but in reality the "I" in you is increasing. You feel more drained than joyful. You feel more proud of yourself than humble.
I can try to ignore His increase in my life too. When that happens I am not open and He waits for me to be open. He won't force His increase on you. He will wait, He is very patient. Once I realize that I have started "musting" again He can start to increase in my life again.
I prayed this morning to become more like Him. That starts with the focus being on Him. As I focus on Him He gets bigger and bigger and I get smaller and smaller.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
There is None Like You, God!
Last Sunday my pastor, Pastor Rob, told us about the revival meetings that another local church was having and that they had asked other local churches to lift them up in prayer. Well, it seems that no one was taking them up on the offer, accept Pastor Rob. The revival is a 12 day event and Pastor Rob asked 120 people to gather this Friday evening to pray.
Well, it became more than prayer. There was worship and then we watched the message brought by Matt Chandler that night. When I pulled into the parking lot there weren't many cars and even though it was a little before 7, when it was supposed to begin, I wasn't sure that 120 people would show up.
The time of prayer and worship was wonderful! There was a time when we were asked to pray alone and ask God to search our hearts. This was the sweetest part of the prayer and worship time for me. I had been thinking lately about pride and I spent this time talking with God about prayer.
I think pride is interesting. There is obvious pride. Everyone knows a prideful person, someone who brags about EVERYTHING! But there is a much more subtle pride. The kind of pride that no one else seems to notice as pride, the kind you don't even realize is pride. The kind that says, "I have to do this. I have to do this well. I have to do this well enough to see positive results. I have to do this well enough to see positive results that others notice."
Now I am a teacher and I want my students to be successful. I want them to all do well academically. I want them all to pass the states test, the thing that unfortunately measures them and me. Okay, so the above statement comes into effect because it's my job and if I want to keep it I need to have positive results that others notice. But, for me, this has become a point of pride. I work really hard to make sure the kids get what they need. My day is full of instruction, small group work, and one on one. That is very important to me because I believe it helps them learn and I believe it will help them when it comes state test time. BUT I want others to notice. I want them to see all my hard work and be impressed. Since I'm being honest, I want them to be so impressed that they try to be like me. Ugh, that made me cringe to even right, but it's true.
So that is one thing that God and I have been talking about. I have been trying to still do the job I believe that being a teacher is, but giving Him the glory for it. When someone compliments me I have to check the pride and remember Who gave me the abilities to be the teacher that He made me. I also need to be checked to remember that there is always areas that I need to improve in.
Then there is the awesome things He has done in me in the last year or so. I feel like the me of before 2011 is a very different person. He has moved me outside my comfort zone so much in the last year. This blog is something WAY outside my comfort zone. Going to Haiti, wasn't even on my radar, but He took me there. Becoming a Life Group leader and having it be for seekers is still such a scary thought, but I know He is telling me to do it.
So could I like at the last year and see all my accomplishments? Yes, I could and have. Ouch, once again, pride. I DID NOT do anything. I could have tried to do those things in my own strength and they would have failed. He DID it! Yes, I had to be willing, but He did all the work.
So back to last night. After we prayed and worshipped we watched the message. Guess what? It's not about us, it's not about me. It's all about His glory! It was a straight to the heart message. It was a pull no punches, but done in such a wonderful way message that I knew it was a God message. I walked away from it speechless. (By the way exactly 120 showed up to pray!)
I got in my car, and prayed like they asked us to pray as we left. Then a phrase kept repeating over and over in my heart, my head, and out of my mouth. "There is none like You, God!" Wow, even writing it now stirs in me. I went to bed saying it instead of praying, which is what I would normally do. I woke up in the night saying it. I woke up this morning saying it. I knew I had to write it and share it with you. I guess if you want God to deal with your subtle pride, or if you don't want it but need it, He will show you that there is none like Him!
Well, it became more than prayer. There was worship and then we watched the message brought by Matt Chandler that night. When I pulled into the parking lot there weren't many cars and even though it was a little before 7, when it was supposed to begin, I wasn't sure that 120 people would show up.
The time of prayer and worship was wonderful! There was a time when we were asked to pray alone and ask God to search our hearts. This was the sweetest part of the prayer and worship time for me. I had been thinking lately about pride and I spent this time talking with God about prayer.
I think pride is interesting. There is obvious pride. Everyone knows a prideful person, someone who brags about EVERYTHING! But there is a much more subtle pride. The kind of pride that no one else seems to notice as pride, the kind you don't even realize is pride. The kind that says, "I have to do this. I have to do this well. I have to do this well enough to see positive results. I have to do this well enough to see positive results that others notice."
Now I am a teacher and I want my students to be successful. I want them to all do well academically. I want them all to pass the states test, the thing that unfortunately measures them and me. Okay, so the above statement comes into effect because it's my job and if I want to keep it I need to have positive results that others notice. But, for me, this has become a point of pride. I work really hard to make sure the kids get what they need. My day is full of instruction, small group work, and one on one. That is very important to me because I believe it helps them learn and I believe it will help them when it comes state test time. BUT I want others to notice. I want them to see all my hard work and be impressed. Since I'm being honest, I want them to be so impressed that they try to be like me. Ugh, that made me cringe to even right, but it's true.
So that is one thing that God and I have been talking about. I have been trying to still do the job I believe that being a teacher is, but giving Him the glory for it. When someone compliments me I have to check the pride and remember Who gave me the abilities to be the teacher that He made me. I also need to be checked to remember that there is always areas that I need to improve in.
Then there is the awesome things He has done in me in the last year or so. I feel like the me of before 2011 is a very different person. He has moved me outside my comfort zone so much in the last year. This blog is something WAY outside my comfort zone. Going to Haiti, wasn't even on my radar, but He took me there. Becoming a Life Group leader and having it be for seekers is still such a scary thought, but I know He is telling me to do it.
So could I like at the last year and see all my accomplishments? Yes, I could and have. Ouch, once again, pride. I DID NOT do anything. I could have tried to do those things in my own strength and they would have failed. He DID it! Yes, I had to be willing, but He did all the work.
So back to last night. After we prayed and worshipped we watched the message. Guess what? It's not about us, it's not about me. It's all about His glory! It was a straight to the heart message. It was a pull no punches, but done in such a wonderful way message that I knew it was a God message. I walked away from it speechless. (By the way exactly 120 showed up to pray!)
I got in my car, and prayed like they asked us to pray as we left. Then a phrase kept repeating over and over in my heart, my head, and out of my mouth. "There is none like You, God!" Wow, even writing it now stirs in me. I went to bed saying it instead of praying, which is what I would normally do. I woke up in the night saying it. I woke up this morning saying it. I knew I had to write it and share it with you. I guess if you want God to deal with your subtle pride, or if you don't want it but need it, He will show you that there is none like Him!
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