Tuesday, November 8, 2011 - Surrender The Judge (A Lesson in Grace)
Justice. I value it. As I should, for God does. BUT, "...Mercy triumphs over judgment." (James 2:13)
I want my judgment to be from God's perspective - to determine justice as God determines justice. HOWEVER, I think that in my striving for God's perspective, I'm trying to align it with what I see as God's "Ideal" portrayed in Scripture. That is good, EXCEPT, I think I play the Judge in determining the justice of a situation and that's NOT MY role. And as God is The Judge, HE looks at things through the lens of The Fallen World, whereas I am striving (in my judgement of justice vs. mercy) to make the world look like Eden.
The illustration that came to mind was a pair of glasses: it's as if one lens is Justice and one lens is Mercy. God looks through both and judges situations accordingly.
I tend to close one eye on the Mercy lens in order to uphold Justice to make the world look a little more like Eden.
BUT, we now live in the Fallen World and therefore God NEEDS to and does look at it more through the lens of Mercy. I think if I wanted to see more with God's "Post Fall" perspective, I will need to close the other eye and look through His lens of Mercy more often.
To surrender me being the judge of justice, means I get to be more like Jesus and live as a Giver of Grace.
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
Showing posts with label Gentleness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gentleness. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
40 Days of Surrender - Day 28
Monday, November 7, 2011 - Mouth
"...I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress." (Psalms 17:3, ESV).
I was reviewing memory verses this morning and this one struck me. As I am reminded of that which I am convicted to surrender, it often seems to come back to my words - too harsh, too quick, too disrespectful, too impatient. My need to seek forgiveness is often correlated to the sins of my mouth. What a claim: to purpose that my mouth will not transgress!
To me, that seems like it would take a lot of focus and energy.
The last verse of this Psalm (v. 15) says: "As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness."
Oh, how the focus and energy to have a mouth that does not transgress is all worth it as it refines us to the likeness of Christ in which our satisfaction lies!
And to think "...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks...I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak..." (Matthew 12:34b, 36)
Oh, LORD, may I allow You to purify my heart, that my words may be righteous. Teach me to surrender my self-consumedness with my words - striving for my perspective to be shared, my point to be made, my words to be heard...
"in your presence there is fullness of joy" (Ps. 16:11)
"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart by pleasing in your sight, O LORD..." (Ps. 19:14)
"and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph. 4:22-24)
"are being transformed into into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18)
Oh, to be like Christ...to have a mouth that does not transgress...to please the LORD and be a blessing those around me with words like honey instead of vinegar!
"Us word girls just wanted to tuck some words into your heart today, because we’re really thinking that The Word in our words might really change our worlds… Isn’t that exciting?" ~ Ann Voskamp
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
"...I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress." (Psalms 17:3, ESV).
I was reviewing memory verses this morning and this one struck me. As I am reminded of that which I am convicted to surrender, it often seems to come back to my words - too harsh, too quick, too disrespectful, too impatient. My need to seek forgiveness is often correlated to the sins of my mouth. What a claim: to purpose that my mouth will not transgress!
To me, that seems like it would take a lot of focus and energy.
The last verse of this Psalm (v. 15) says: "As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness."
Oh, how the focus and energy to have a mouth that does not transgress is all worth it as it refines us to the likeness of Christ in which our satisfaction lies!
And to think "...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks...I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak..." (Matthew 12:34b, 36)
Oh, LORD, may I allow You to purify my heart, that my words may be righteous. Teach me to surrender my self-consumedness with my words - striving for my perspective to be shared, my point to be made, my words to be heard...
"in your presence there is fullness of joy" (Ps. 16:11)
"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart by pleasing in your sight, O LORD..." (Ps. 19:14)
"and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph. 4:22-24)
"are being transformed into into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18)
Oh, to be like Christ...to have a mouth that does not transgress...to please the LORD and be a blessing those around me with words like honey instead of vinegar!
"Us word girls just wanted to tuck some words into your heart today, because we’re really thinking that The Word in our words might really change our worlds… Isn’t that exciting?" ~ Ann Voskamp
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
40 Days of Surrender - Day 20
Saturday, October 29, 2011 - Forgiveness
I had two chances yesterday to humble myself and ask for forgiveness. Both to people close to me, both people I can tend to speak sharply to. And that AGAIN was my sin in which I was needing to ask forgiveness for again. In both instances 21 days ago I would justified the sin of my harsh words in my mind and then not addressed it with the person and keep going as if I hadn't just spoken degradingly to a human being who is bearing the very image of My Creator God. (James 3:7-12)
But The Fast held me accountable, I surrendered my temptation to justify my sin, humbled my pride of "being right" and sought reconciliation in the relational withdrawal through asking forgiveness. And the one instance was a special challenge because I "corrected" a friend in front of my son, so I had to make sure I asked forgiveness in front of my son also. Hard, but freeing and peaceful.
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
I had two chances yesterday to humble myself and ask for forgiveness. Both to people close to me, both people I can tend to speak sharply to. And that AGAIN was my sin in which I was needing to ask forgiveness for again. In both instances 21 days ago I would justified the sin of my harsh words in my mind and then not addressed it with the person and keep going as if I hadn't just spoken degradingly to a human being who is bearing the very image of My Creator God. (James 3:7-12)
But The Fast held me accountable, I surrendered my temptation to justify my sin, humbled my pride of "being right" and sought reconciliation in the relational withdrawal through asking forgiveness. And the one instance was a special challenge because I "corrected" a friend in front of my son, so I had to make sure I asked forgiveness in front of my son also. Hard, but freeing and peaceful.
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
Friday, October 14, 2011
40 Days of Surrender - Day 5
Friday, October 14, 2011 - Motive for Freedom
I sensed that drive to be free from this "thorn in my flesh." And I realized that it's not even that I am anxious for the "process" to be done, which is a step in itself for me as I am usually looking for the end of the journey instead of being content IN THE MIDST of the Journey.
What I noticed in my drive to be FREE was not by striving for the end of the process as much as looking forward to the comfort and benefit it will be for ME and in MY life when God uses this fast of surrender to graciously break me from this ugly addiction. And in that itself I was convicted of how my perspective is so caught up in MySELF. (Which is the root of this whole surrender!) I DO want this brokenness to be for God's glory, but if I am honest my main motive is for MY good.
Reading 1 Peter 3:1-12 this morning for Bible Study...
"so they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives"
"quiet and gentle spirit"
MayI win souls souls be won by and to Jesus through my quiet and gentle spirit! (Even as I wrote out that prayer, I had to change my wording to correct perspective.)
May THAT be my motive!
It's not just worthy to surrender in my own life, but it's worthy for Christ's eternal Kingdom.
LORD, please be molding my heart so that its motive is more and more FOR YOUR GLORY!
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
I sensed that drive to be free from this "thorn in my flesh." And I realized that it's not even that I am anxious for the "process" to be done, which is a step in itself for me as I am usually looking for the end of the journey instead of being content IN THE MIDST of the Journey.
What I noticed in my drive to be FREE was not by striving for the end of the process as much as looking forward to the comfort and benefit it will be for ME and in MY life when God uses this fast of surrender to graciously break me from this ugly addiction. And in that itself I was convicted of how my perspective is so caught up in MySELF. (Which is the root of this whole surrender!) I DO want this brokenness to be for God's glory, but if I am honest my main motive is for MY good.
Reading 1 Peter 3:1-12 this morning for Bible Study...
"so they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives"
"quiet and gentle spirit"
May
May THAT be my motive!
It's not just worthy to surrender in my own life, but it's worthy for Christ's eternal Kingdom.
LORD, please be molding my heart so that its motive is more and more FOR YOUR GLORY!
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
40 Days of Surrender
Here it goes...
It will be worth it, it will be worth it, it will be worth it...
YOU are worthy, LORD, You are WORTHY, LORD, You ARE Worthy, LORD!
So, 31 years to this place. And I've been here before, but this time I truly want it to be different. I want to say that I "desperately" want it to be different, but although the "desperate" feeling has poked it's head in, it hasn't taken root. I think because it's going to be HARD...
It's going to be hard to surrender my SELF. Not my spirit, not my personality, but my SELF-WILL. Ugh! That thing that continually causes conflict between me and those I love - heck, the thing that causes conflict within myself! (Galatians 5 - we do not do want we want to do because our flesh and spirit are at war with each other.)
So, I had posted that I had fasted Sunday, October 2nd in order stir up my hunger for God. Less of me, more of Him! Throughout that week, that stirring was present. Then Sunday, October 9th the sermon was on Matthew 5. Our Pastor made the point that the commandment "Do not murder," which applies to very few, quickly applies to EVERYONE when Jesus gets to the heart of the Law -- anger toward others, insults against God's image bearers. As many times as I've read this passage and heard messages on the Sermon on the Mount, it seems as though the LORD was preparing me for such a time as this - fasting the previous week, having my mother-in-law visiting who I spoke disrespectfully to, stress of company leading to quicker disrespect toward my husband. Nothing over the top, no blow-ups, just that annoying continual drip. That underlying irritation of mine that gets fanned and then expressed in harsh words and does as much damage as a spark of fire in a dry forest (James 3).
I came home Sunday and read some of Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book "Brokenness, the heart God revives" I've read it twice before. It's a short book that I return too when I know there is need for brokenness in an area of my life.
And so, Monday, journaling, it occurs to me that fasting is what I need again, a brokenness from that idol of "self" in my life. That which makes me strive for control, that which makes me irritable (another word for angry) when things don't go "my way", that which is so strong that it blurts out what it's thinking before I can reign in that powerful tongue - words that hurt or heal.
LORD, I want to SURRENDER my self-will, so that I am able to have the gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4) that is pleasing in your sight. An open-handed life, a soft spirit that is moldable in Your hands and flexible toward the people and circumstances around me.
Oh, this is going to be HARD...but doing the RIGHT thing IS often hard...Obedience is sometimes hard but always right...LORD, I believe you are calling me at such a time as this to Obey this Hard road - so I look more like your Son, Jesus and thus bring You more glory! It will honor You and those around me (specifically my husband and those close to me who get hurt by the affects of my Self-Will expecting it's way:))
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
It will be worth it, it will be worth it, it will be worth it...
YOU are worthy, LORD, You are WORTHY, LORD, You ARE Worthy, LORD!
So, 31 years to this place. And I've been here before, but this time I truly want it to be different. I want to say that I "desperately" want it to be different, but although the "desperate" feeling has poked it's head in, it hasn't taken root. I think because it's going to be HARD...
It's going to be hard to surrender my SELF. Not my spirit, not my personality, but my SELF-WILL. Ugh! That thing that continually causes conflict between me and those I love - heck, the thing that causes conflict within myself! (Galatians 5 - we do not do want we want to do because our flesh and spirit are at war with each other.)
So, I had posted that I had fasted Sunday, October 2nd in order stir up my hunger for God. Less of me, more of Him! Throughout that week, that stirring was present. Then Sunday, October 9th the sermon was on Matthew 5. Our Pastor made the point that the commandment "Do not murder," which applies to very few, quickly applies to EVERYONE when Jesus gets to the heart of the Law -- anger toward others, insults against God's image bearers. As many times as I've read this passage and heard messages on the Sermon on the Mount, it seems as though the LORD was preparing me for such a time as this - fasting the previous week, having my mother-in-law visiting who I spoke disrespectfully to, stress of company leading to quicker disrespect toward my husband. Nothing over the top, no blow-ups, just that annoying continual drip. That underlying irritation of mine that gets fanned and then expressed in harsh words and does as much damage as a spark of fire in a dry forest (James 3).
I came home Sunday and read some of Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book "Brokenness, the heart God revives" I've read it twice before. It's a short book that I return too when I know there is need for brokenness in an area of my life.
And so, Monday, journaling, it occurs to me that fasting is what I need again, a brokenness from that idol of "self" in my life. That which makes me strive for control, that which makes me irritable (another word for angry) when things don't go "my way", that which is so strong that it blurts out what it's thinking before I can reign in that powerful tongue - words that hurt or heal.
LORD, I want to SURRENDER my self-will, so that I am able to have the gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4) that is pleasing in your sight. An open-handed life, a soft spirit that is moldable in Your hands and flexible toward the people and circumstances around me.
Oh, this is going to be HARD...but doing the RIGHT thing IS often hard...Obedience is sometimes hard but always right...LORD, I believe you are calling me at such a time as this to Obey this Hard road - so I look more like your Son, Jesus and thus bring You more glory! It will honor You and those around me (specifically my husband and those close to me who get hurt by the affects of my Self-Will expecting it's way:))
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Strength of a Stallion
I heard a blurb on the radio that really stuck with me. It was about:
GENTLENESS.
What was profound to me was that the speaker said that Gentleness is not weakness but strength.
He used the illustration of a stallion. He said that the strength of a stallion under control can produce and beautiful, gentle animal, but unrestrained that strength is just dangerous.
He paralleled that to gentleness by saying that gentleness is strength under control. But that same strength (of conviction, etc.) unrestrained can produce the dangerous harshness of words, attitudes, and actions. His context was the defense of your hope in 1 Peter 3: 15,16 being shared with gentleness and respect. But I think we can apply that gentleness, that strength under control in an abundance of circumstances. I know my strong feelings on something too often come out in unrestrained harsh, disrespectful, hurtful words instead of the influential words of strength under control expressed through gentleness.
May our words, attitudes, and actions be expressed gently and be as captivating as a beautiful, strong stallion!
GENTLENESS.
What was profound to me was that the speaker said that Gentleness is not weakness but strength.
He used the illustration of a stallion. He said that the strength of a stallion under control can produce and beautiful, gentle animal, but unrestrained that strength is just dangerous.
He paralleled that to gentleness by saying that gentleness is strength under control. But that same strength (of conviction, etc.) unrestrained can produce the dangerous harshness of words, attitudes, and actions. His context was the defense of your hope in 1 Peter 3: 15,16 being shared with gentleness and respect. But I think we can apply that gentleness, that strength under control in an abundance of circumstances. I know my strong feelings on something too often come out in unrestrained harsh, disrespectful, hurtful words instead of the influential words of strength under control expressed through gentleness.
May our words, attitudes, and actions be expressed gently and be as captivating as a beautiful, strong stallion!
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