Mark and I are reading "The Case For Christ: Student Edition" by Lee Strobel as he prepares for his role as Small Group leader for the 9th grade boys at our church.
We read a part the other night that really stuck with me. As I become more and more comfortable in my role as a Christian, I still struggle with the "who gets to go to heaven" part. It always seemed to me that when Christians claimed that only those who believe in and devote their life to Christ "get in" that it was really arrogant and not very accepting and welcoming. I knew that this truth was clearly stated in the Bible, but I still didn't fully understand it or feel good about it. Then we read it explained this way...and I am feeling a little better...
"One of Jesus' most outrageous claims is this "I am the way and the truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Of all the incredible statements Jesus made, this is the one I found most offensive. If anyone else had said it, he'd be blasted as exclusive, intolerant, and narrow-minded. It's one thing to claim to be "a" way-but the "only" way to God? That sounds pretty judgmental....But as I looked into the claims of Christianity, I discovered one big difference between it and other religions. Other religions are based on people doing something to earn the favor of God. They must perform good deeds, chant the right words...or faithfully follow other religious drills. By contrast, Christianity is based on what, according to the Bible, Christ has already done on the cross. According to the Bible, nobody can do anything to earn God's favor; rather, Jesus offers forgiveness and eternal life as a gift. Imagine two college frat houses. The first has a strict set of rules and allows in only people who have earned their membership....No matter how hard they try, a lot of people just wont make the cut. They'll be excluded. That's what every other religion is like...But the other house throws it's doors wide open and says, "Anybody who wants membership is invited inside! Rich or poor, black or white, honor student or rebel, we would love to include you. All you need to get in is to accept the invitation." That, according to the bible, is what Christianity is like."
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Temper Tantrums
My soon to be 4 year old daughter, Katelyn (her birthday is next week!!) has had an awful 4 days. She has had the stomach flu and it's been so hard on her. (and her parents!) I will spare you the gross details, but she was really having a rough time. She seems to be on the mend now and I pray that she wakes up this morning with that sparkle back in her big blue eyes!
Last night she was so irritable and grouchy because she really wanted to eat something and I kept telling her "no." She was having a difficult enough time keeping sips of water down. She got in her head that she needed to have some yogurt. She was furious that I wouldn't let her have some. She threw a temper tantrum, was crying, yelling, kicking at me, begging for me to let her have it. Poor thing, she was so hungry and couldn't understand why I was depriving her. Bless her heart, I've taught her so well, she was saying things like "You're really hurting my feelings. Yogurt is healthy. Let me have some healthy food!" As much as it broke my heart not to give her what she wanted, I knew that I was doing the right thing. I knew that I was making this tough choice on her behalf out of my love and care for her. I knew that she couldn't see that I was withholding this from her because I had her best interest in mind. All she cared about was her discomfort in that moment and she thought that she knew what was best. But from my bigger perspective, as much as it hurt me to tell her no, I knew that I couldn't grant her request. Maybe when she is better she'll understand and see that I love her, that I am always for her and that she can trust that I will take care of her the best way possible.
Isn't this how God must feel in dealing with us?
Over the last several months, I must have looked a lot like Katelyn to God. With Mark out of work, I have been crying, yelling, kicking, begging for God to fix our problem, throwing temper tantrums every time I didn't get what I wanted. It wasn't yogurt that I demanded, but it was any and every job that he interviewed for. I would pray so diligently for God to work it all out so that Mark would get hired. Then we would get the dreaded call that they really loved him, but it wasn't going to work out. I just couldn't understand what God was doing and was trying so hard to trust that he would come through, but I was getting really good at these temper tantrums.
Mark got offered a sweet position yesterday with a great company and we are beside ourselves with relief and joy!!
As I look back over it now, it's so clear how God had his hand in every detail of this experience. The position that Mark ended up with is the best of all of the opportunities that he pursued. It is perfectly suited for his personality and gifts, it will provide abundantly for our family and truly is better than we could have hoped for. Had God listened to my begging and pleading months ago, Mark would be in a position that isn't nearly as good.
I was so uncomfortable in our circumstance and upset with God for depriving me what I was asking for. As much as it must have broken God's heart not to give me what I wanted, He knew that he was doing the right thing. God was making this tough choice on our behalf out of his love and care for us. He knew that he was withholding these jobs from us because He had our best interest in mind, had something incredible in store for us and needed us to be patient and trust Him. From his bigger perspective, as much as it hurt him to tell me no repeatedly, He couldn't grant my request. Now that things are better, we understand and see so clearly that God indeed loves us, that He is always here for us and that we can trust that He will take care of us the best way possible.
In our own little worlds, as we make these selfish demands on God, thinking we know what is best for us, it can sometimes seem like God isn't listening. When things aren't happening the way we want, when our prayers for this or that aren't being granted, it can feel like God has abandoned us and isn't answering us. But we have to know that He never leaves, that sometimes his not answering is exactly His answer. He just wants for us to be patient, faithfully patient, never doubting his power or plan. I'm sorry I doubted this time, because He surely answered, and I pray that I can remember this the next time I throw a temper tantrum.
Last night she was so irritable and grouchy because she really wanted to eat something and I kept telling her "no." She was having a difficult enough time keeping sips of water down. She got in her head that she needed to have some yogurt. She was furious that I wouldn't let her have some. She threw a temper tantrum, was crying, yelling, kicking at me, begging for me to let her have it. Poor thing, she was so hungry and couldn't understand why I was depriving her. Bless her heart, I've taught her so well, she was saying things like "You're really hurting my feelings. Yogurt is healthy. Let me have some healthy food!" As much as it broke my heart not to give her what she wanted, I knew that I was doing the right thing. I knew that I was making this tough choice on her behalf out of my love and care for her. I knew that she couldn't see that I was withholding this from her because I had her best interest in mind. All she cared about was her discomfort in that moment and she thought that she knew what was best. But from my bigger perspective, as much as it hurt me to tell her no, I knew that I couldn't grant her request. Maybe when she is better she'll understand and see that I love her, that I am always for her and that she can trust that I will take care of her the best way possible.
Isn't this how God must feel in dealing with us?
Over the last several months, I must have looked a lot like Katelyn to God. With Mark out of work, I have been crying, yelling, kicking, begging for God to fix our problem, throwing temper tantrums every time I didn't get what I wanted. It wasn't yogurt that I demanded, but it was any and every job that he interviewed for. I would pray so diligently for God to work it all out so that Mark would get hired. Then we would get the dreaded call that they really loved him, but it wasn't going to work out. I just couldn't understand what God was doing and was trying so hard to trust that he would come through, but I was getting really good at these temper tantrums.
Mark got offered a sweet position yesterday with a great company and we are beside ourselves with relief and joy!!
As I look back over it now, it's so clear how God had his hand in every detail of this experience. The position that Mark ended up with is the best of all of the opportunities that he pursued. It is perfectly suited for his personality and gifts, it will provide abundantly for our family and truly is better than we could have hoped for. Had God listened to my begging and pleading months ago, Mark would be in a position that isn't nearly as good.
I was so uncomfortable in our circumstance and upset with God for depriving me what I was asking for. As much as it must have broken God's heart not to give me what I wanted, He knew that he was doing the right thing. God was making this tough choice on our behalf out of his love and care for us. He knew that he was withholding these jobs from us because He had our best interest in mind, had something incredible in store for us and needed us to be patient and trust Him. From his bigger perspective, as much as it hurt him to tell me no repeatedly, He couldn't grant my request. Now that things are better, we understand and see so clearly that God indeed loves us, that He is always here for us and that we can trust that He will take care of us the best way possible.
In our own little worlds, as we make these selfish demands on God, thinking we know what is best for us, it can sometimes seem like God isn't listening. When things aren't happening the way we want, when our prayers for this or that aren't being granted, it can feel like God has abandoned us and isn't answering us. But we have to know that He never leaves, that sometimes his not answering is exactly His answer. He just wants for us to be patient, faithfully patient, never doubting his power or plan. I'm sorry I doubted this time, because He surely answered, and I pray that I can remember this the next time I throw a temper tantrum.
Monday, November 12, 2007
It's Strange Until You Know Him
I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my savior
I take him at his word and deed
Christ died to save me, this I read
And in my heart I find the need
Of Him to be savior
That He would leave his place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count as strange, so once did I
Before I knew my savior
"My Savior, My God" by Aaron Shust
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my savior
I take him at his word and deed
Christ died to save me, this I read
And in my heart I find the need
Of Him to be savior
That He would leave his place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count as strange, so once did I
Before I knew my savior
"My Savior, My God" by Aaron Shust
Friday, November 9, 2007
Complaining In The Wilderness
I'm such an Israelite!
Just in my last blog I was singing God's praises for the miraculous work that He has done in my heart and recently in Mark's. I was giving Him all the credit and all the glory for the way He is able to change people, arrange circumstances and truly make a difference in the lives of His creation. My faith was at an all time high as I could testify to the power of God's holy spirit in my very own life.
It wasn't but just a couple of days later that I was pouting, arms crossed, lips all puffed out and a sour attitude. Things weren't going as I was hoping they would. It's been a couple of months now that Mark hasn't been working, and I just can't understand why he isn't getting the jobs he's gone after. He's brilliant, successful, hard working and never had an issue getting a job. I found myself having conversations with God that sounded a lot like "Why God? Why are you doing this to us? Why isn't he getting a job? What are we supposed to do? Where are you in all of this? What is your solution? Your answer? Your plan? Is there something that you want us to learn here? Some big "ah ha!" that we are supposed to see? Can you please reveal it to me? Let's get this learning and growing this over with....quick!"
Yep, sound familiar? Just like the Israelites that we read about in Exodus and condemn for such a rotten attitude after all that God had done for them. Here He had lead them safely out of Egypt, out of years and years of slavery, performed miracle after miracle right before their eyes, protected them, saved them, rescued them, and proven himself trustworthy and reliable. They safely got to the other side of the Red Sea, had a huge time of worship where they sang songs to the Lord and proclaimed Him triumphant, powerful, majestic and glorious. Then what happens, they have a few hard days in the wilderness without food and begin to wonder if the Lord will provide for them. They start grumbling, crying out, complaining and doubting. And let's not forget, they do this, only to be embarrassed when God provides them with an abundance of food.
I know that I too will be embarrassed. (i hope sooner rather than later!) I know that God has a plan for my family, that He already has every last detail worked out, that He has our very best interest in mind, that He has something so wonderful up His sleeve, more wonderful than we could plan on our own. Our challenge now is to just trust Him. We have to hang on to those miraculous things that He has done for us in the past and know that He again will prove victorious.
Just in my last blog I was singing God's praises for the miraculous work that He has done in my heart and recently in Mark's. I was giving Him all the credit and all the glory for the way He is able to change people, arrange circumstances and truly make a difference in the lives of His creation. My faith was at an all time high as I could testify to the power of God's holy spirit in my very own life.
It wasn't but just a couple of days later that I was pouting, arms crossed, lips all puffed out and a sour attitude. Things weren't going as I was hoping they would. It's been a couple of months now that Mark hasn't been working, and I just can't understand why he isn't getting the jobs he's gone after. He's brilliant, successful, hard working and never had an issue getting a job. I found myself having conversations with God that sounded a lot like "Why God? Why are you doing this to us? Why isn't he getting a job? What are we supposed to do? Where are you in all of this? What is your solution? Your answer? Your plan? Is there something that you want us to learn here? Some big "ah ha!" that we are supposed to see? Can you please reveal it to me? Let's get this learning and growing this over with....quick!"
Yep, sound familiar? Just like the Israelites that we read about in Exodus and condemn for such a rotten attitude after all that God had done for them. Here He had lead them safely out of Egypt, out of years and years of slavery, performed miracle after miracle right before their eyes, protected them, saved them, rescued them, and proven himself trustworthy and reliable. They safely got to the other side of the Red Sea, had a huge time of worship where they sang songs to the Lord and proclaimed Him triumphant, powerful, majestic and glorious. Then what happens, they have a few hard days in the wilderness without food and begin to wonder if the Lord will provide for them. They start grumbling, crying out, complaining and doubting. And let's not forget, they do this, only to be embarrassed when God provides them with an abundance of food.
I know that I too will be embarrassed. (i hope sooner rather than later!) I know that God has a plan for my family, that He already has every last detail worked out, that He has our very best interest in mind, that He has something so wonderful up His sleeve, more wonderful than we could plan on our own. Our challenge now is to just trust Him. We have to hang on to those miraculous things that He has done for us in the past and know that He again will prove victorious.
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