How much of your conversation is filled with mindless, faithless chatter? When you get together with a friend for coffee, what do you talk about? Do the words that are flying outta your mouth sound any different from Jerry Seinfeld’s gang at The Corner Coffee Shop?
Really stop and think about this for a moment.
Seinfeld said that his popular sitcom was entertaining…but, actually….“a show about nothing," just a lot of yada, yada, yada, ya know what I mean?
Jerry achieved fame & fortune from “his show about nothing.” Fans around the world recognize him; not as many as when his show was #1 a decade ago; and 2 decades from now, (as he wrinkles and perhaps gets crankier), fewer will know him. Fame is fleeting; finances are fickle; faces remain wrinkle-free in syndicated-TV only. Even People Magazine’s Sexiest Men & Women can wind up in rehab and rest homes...broke and broken. A secret human fear is that our lives will turn out to have been “a show about nothing.”
The world, holds a mindset of Americans have it all! Many nations get by on $1/day; by that standard Americans are rich… You probably have a car, a place to live, a bank account, a computer … outward appearances that scream success. But, how ‘bout our heart condition: Why so many antidepressants? Why childhood obesity? Why TV 8 hrs/day? Why this celebrity obsession? Are these poor nations actually happier, richer-in-spirit than we are?
Our stuff isn’t stuffing up the hole anymore.
Truly, ONLY Jesus Christ can fill the hole.
I have been a Christ follower for about 10 years now, but everyday continues to hold Joy in the discovery of more of HIM! He is alive and active in each of our lives, whether we chose to see Him at work or not. Our worth does not need to depend on our ever-changing circumstanes; our worth can come from a rock solid place... anchored in the knowledge that we are a child of the Most High God! Glory to God for how He is changing us, bringing Truth to our lives, opening our eyes and showing us what real life is all about!
*Here’s the challenge: If we read our Bibles, and agree that Jesus is our treasure, and hide more of His Words in our hearts, then, will we really put Him 1st in our lives? And, if He is our #1 focus, then we should find that we TALK ABOUT HIM MORE, right? Our words should contain more of His Words. What stops us from bringing up The One & Only Eternal Celebrity and centering the conversation there? Next time you get together with a friend for coffee ask, "How GOD is working in your life, and share what HE is doing in yours!"
Holy Spirit, help us stop the chatter about nothing, when we do have something…SOMEONE amazing to talk about. Sprinkle our conversation with your Life-giving Words! Deliver us from old temptations…put on the brakes on when we start to speak false, faithless, fruitless words.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths; but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" Eph 4:29
"Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks" Mat 12:34
Lord, let Your Words change our hearts AND let our words glorify You.
4/9/09
I Hope You Dance!
My friend Kathleen sent me this, thought it was beautiful...
Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
And everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
Both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
Or by pressing lightly in one direction or another;
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
attentiveness from one person (me);
And gentle guidance and skill from the other (God)
My eyes drew back to the word G U I DANCE.
When I saw 'G': I thought of God, followed by 'U' and 'I.
'God, 'U' and 'I dance.' God, you, and I dance!
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust Him to lead.
Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
And everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
Both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
Or by pressing lightly in one direction or another;
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
attentiveness from one person (me);
And gentle guidance and skill from the other (God)
My eyes drew back to the word G U I DANCE.
When I saw 'G': I thought of God, followed by 'U' and 'I.
'God, 'U' and 'I dance.' God, you, and I dance!
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust Him to lead.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I was reading Psalm 30 when Kathleen sent this to me. I was thinking about how God sings over us and invites us to dance with Him. He is a gentleman He does not force us to dance. He called to me; held out His Nail-piereced Hands many times before I accepted His invitation. My only regret has been that I did not say 'yes' sooner. Choosing to wait for His Guidance, to follow as He leads, has been the best decision of my life.
Psalm 30:11
You turned my wailing into DANCING;
You removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with JOY
that my heart may SING to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I give you THANKS forever.
If you get the choice (and we all do!) to sit it out or dance, I Hope You Dance!
4/6/09
No Fear
Fear of the known;
Fear of the UN-known;
Fear of the future, what looms ahead?
Fear of the past, what's behind, but perhaps catching up to us?
Fear that propels us into action, forward momentum;
Fear that keeps us stuck, in quicksand, immobilized;
Real Fears, Imagined Fears, Persistent Phobias;
There’s nothing to Fear but Fear itself…oh really?
Slogans you hear; T-shirts you see that shout “NO FEAR”
Tattoos and piercings that silently whisper “Hey you, be very afraid of me”
Fear of so many unfinished things, loose ends that we must tie up,
today, now, get to it immediately, hurry up, RUN, faster, faster...
Fear of falling behind and not having the strength to get back up.
This a working woman's fear: Not enough time to do it all well.
Lord, help us let go of our desire to do everything perfectly.
Oh, we may get it all done, little red checkmarks, done, done, done;
but at what expense to our physical, emotional, mental health,
not to mention.... JOY.....DO YOU REMEMBER JOY?
Remember what it felt like the first day of spring break?
Remember when ice cream didn't add extra chins?
Remember when new freckles were cute, not cancerous?
Remember relaxing, resting, resisting the urge to do; and just living?
FEAR STEALS OUR JOY! Fear is a thief; a liar. When we run, crazy-busy, our joy evaporates. At first, it feels good to get lots of stuff done, but there has to be more to life than doing. When we loose touch with that child-like joyful state, how do we get it back?
Fear of the UN-known;
Fear of the future, what looms ahead?
Fear of the past, what's behind, but perhaps catching up to us?
Fear that propels us into action, forward momentum;
Fear that keeps us stuck, in quicksand, immobilized;
Real Fears, Imagined Fears, Persistent Phobias;
There’s nothing to Fear but Fear itself…oh really?
Slogans you hear; T-shirts you see that shout “NO FEAR”
Tattoos and piercings that silently whisper “Hey you, be very afraid of me”
Fear of so many unfinished things, loose ends that we must tie up,
today, now, get to it immediately, hurry up, RUN, faster, faster...
Fear of falling behind and not having the strength to get back up.
This a working woman's fear: Not enough time to do it all well.
Lord, help us let go of our desire to do everything perfectly.
Oh, we may get it all done, little red checkmarks, done, done, done;
but at what expense to our physical, emotional, mental health,
not to mention.... JOY.....DO YOU REMEMBER JOY?
Remember what it felt like the first day of spring break?
Remember when ice cream didn't add extra chins?
Remember when new freckles were cute, not cancerous?
Remember relaxing, resting, resisting the urge to do; and just living?
FEAR STEALS OUR JOY! Fear is a thief; a liar. When we run, crazy-busy, our joy evaporates. At first, it feels good to get lots of stuff done, but there has to be more to life than doing. When we loose touch with that child-like joyful state, how do we get it back?
THE OPPOSITE OF FEAR IS FAITH! We can re-anchor our hope in God's Reliable Word, instead of our unreliable feelings! Feelings put us an emotional roller coaster, God's Promises help to settle and restore us. What does God's Word say about FEAR?
2 Timothy 1:7 For God did NOT give us a spirit of FEAR.... but of Power, Love, and Self-discipline.
Lord, help me surrender this fear to You. I really don't want to carry this weight anymore. Help me to admit that I can't, but you can. All things through Christ who gives me strength!Help me to bring my problems, sorrows, worries, regrets and fears to the foot of The Cross and then Help me to leave them there, knowing that You are trustworthy and responsible for things that are just too big for me:
What we give over to God, He’s responsible for; What we choose to hold onto, we are responsible for.
When the truth of that statement grips you; you'll release fear as if it were a hot potato!
3/31/09
Lost & Found
Psalm 36, 5-8, from The Message:
God’s Love is METEORIC,
His Loyalty is ASTRONOMIC,
His Purposes are TITANIC,
His Verdicts are OCEANIC;
Yet, in His Large-ness NOTHING GETS LOST;
Not a man, not even a mouse, Nothing slips through the cracks.
Ever misplace stuff?
Ever loose a brand new roll of stamps, one sock from a favorite pair, a key chain full of jingly keys, a vitally-important document, or your cell phone (ever lost your phone more than once in the same week?) Me too, last week as a matter of fact.
Ever do something really dumb like put the milk in the pantry and then wonder if its your mind you may have lost?
Ever say to yourself, I better put that in a safe place? That's a troublesome one for me. Whenever I assign an extra-special place for something, then, I pretty much know I'll never see it again ... unless of course I come across it while searching for some other lost thing.
I grew up in an Irish Catholic home where different Saints were assigned to specific jobs. St. Anthony was frequently summonsed to our house. He was the "finder of things" and we had that poor patron saint working overtime, 24/7. There was even a little song that you sang as you rooted through drawers and turned the house upside down in a frenzy. It was meant to calm you down and help you to remember that God is in control of all things, it went like this:
Dear St. Anthony,
Please come around,
There's something that's lost and cannot be found!
You know where it is, won't you show it to me now?
It usually began as a happy little sing-songy ditty, that eventually escalated into an angry dirge as you began to imagine all of heaven staring at the lost object but not showing it to you!
What if YOU were in charge of everything in the universe?
What if YOU had to keep it all properly filed and under control?
What if YOUR task list included "seeking and saving lost people?"
How would YOU do with that one, day in day out? Yiikes.
Now that I've been found, I find that I don't always have a lot of patience and perseverance for "the lost." I tend to forget that I was once a wretch too, till Jesus found me. God you are so good, so infinitely long-suffering, H-E-L-P us Lord, only YOU are perfect.
Re-mind us that we are ALL lost without You, Jesus.
Even in Your Large-ness, Nothing gets lost.
God’s Love is METEORIC,
His Loyalty is ASTRONOMIC,
His Purposes are TITANIC,
His Verdicts are OCEANIC;
Yet, in His Large-ness NOTHING GETS LOST;
Not a man, not even a mouse, Nothing slips through the cracks.
Ever misplace stuff?
Ever loose a brand new roll of stamps, one sock from a favorite pair, a key chain full of jingly keys, a vitally-important document, or your cell phone (ever lost your phone more than once in the same week?) Me too, last week as a matter of fact.
Ever do something really dumb like put the milk in the pantry and then wonder if its your mind you may have lost?
Ever say to yourself, I better put that in a safe place? That's a troublesome one for me. Whenever I assign an extra-special place for something, then, I pretty much know I'll never see it again ... unless of course I come across it while searching for some other lost thing.
I grew up in an Irish Catholic home where different Saints were assigned to specific jobs. St. Anthony was frequently summonsed to our house. He was the "finder of things" and we had that poor patron saint working overtime, 24/7. There was even a little song that you sang as you rooted through drawers and turned the house upside down in a frenzy. It was meant to calm you down and help you to remember that God is in control of all things, it went like this:
Dear St. Anthony,
Please come around,
There's something that's lost and cannot be found!
You know where it is, won't you show it to me now?
It usually began as a happy little sing-songy ditty, that eventually escalated into an angry dirge as you began to imagine all of heaven staring at the lost object but not showing it to you!
What if YOU were in charge of everything in the universe?
What if YOU had to keep it all properly filed and under control?
What if YOUR task list included "seeking and saving lost people?"
How would YOU do with that one, day in day out? Yiikes.
Now that I've been found, I find that I don't always have a lot of patience and perseverance for "the lost." I tend to forget that I was once a wretch too, till Jesus found me. God you are so good, so infinitely long-suffering, H-E-L-P us Lord, only YOU are perfect.
Re-mind us that we are ALL lost without You, Jesus.
Even in Your Large-ness, Nothing gets lost.
Help, Ya Know I Need Somebody!
When Jesus rose, He FIRST appeared to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. Mark 16:9
Mary Magdelene was an eye-witness, to the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus invited a woman, a former prostitute, an outcast plagued by demons, into His inner earthly circle.
Can you imagine what Mary's life was like before Jesus came to town?
Can you imagine Him choosing her to be one of His closest followers?
Can you imagine how upsetting seeing her with Him, must have been to the Right-wing Politicos? How utterly scandalous!
No doubt, Mary Magdalene had been used and abused her whole life; tossed to the side, discarded, unimportant. Then, miraculously, Someone, The Savior, heard and responded to her lifesong:
Help, Ya know I need somebody,
Help, not just ANYBODY!!! Help, Ya know I need someone, H-E-L-P!
When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured, Now I find I've changed my mind and I've opened up the door. H-E-L-P!
Our prayers don't need to be fancy. We don't need to sing well or write a #1 hit to catch His attention. Jesus responds to an open door and a humble call for H-E-L-P!
Imagine the gratitude Mary must have felt after being freed! She must have hung on her Savior's every Word, watching, waiting, wondering what He would do next. Letting Him lead the way, trusting Him to know what's best and resting in that. How amazing it must have been for Mary Magdalene to walk around with Jesus as He helped people.
~ Do you think she observed how His Eyes truly saw the over-looked?
~ Do you think she observed how His Ears heard the cries of children?
~ Do you think she observed how His Touch healed the un-touchables?
~ Do you think she observed how His Words lifted the weak and lowly;
and upset the high & mighty?
Now think about this... Jesus has given us EVEN MORE than the gift of observing Him.
Yes, we have a record of His earthly actions in The 4 Gospels and it is wonderful to be able to read about Him there... but He left us even more....
He sent The Holy Spirit to come and live inside of us! When we cry out for H-E-L-P and admit our need for a Savior, He comes to the open door of our hearts and sets us free.
No longer just around us, God wants to get closer, through the power of His Holy Spirit He loves us from the inside, out. And, That is amazing love!
He is so vast; yet, so intimate. He keeps everything in the universe in motion... from black holes in distant galaxies ... to black holes in human hearts ... only His Perfect Love fills the void. Help us Lord, the Somebody we all need is YOU, Jesus.
Mary Magdelene was an eye-witness, to the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus invited a woman, a former prostitute, an outcast plagued by demons, into His inner earthly circle.
Can you imagine what Mary's life was like before Jesus came to town?
Can you imagine Him choosing her to be one of His closest followers?
Can you imagine how upsetting seeing her with Him, must have been to the Right-wing Politicos? How utterly scandalous!
No doubt, Mary Magdalene had been used and abused her whole life; tossed to the side, discarded, unimportant. Then, miraculously, Someone, The Savior, heard and responded to her lifesong:
Help, Ya know I need somebody,
Help, not just ANYBODY!!! Help, Ya know I need someone, H-E-L-P!
When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured, Now I find I've changed my mind and I've opened up the door. H-E-L-P!
Our prayers don't need to be fancy. We don't need to sing well or write a #1 hit to catch His attention. Jesus responds to an open door and a humble call for H-E-L-P!
Imagine the gratitude Mary must have felt after being freed! She must have hung on her Savior's every Word, watching, waiting, wondering what He would do next. Letting Him lead the way, trusting Him to know what's best and resting in that. How amazing it must have been for Mary Magdalene to walk around with Jesus as He helped people.
~ Do you think she observed how His Eyes truly saw the over-looked?
~ Do you think she observed how His Ears heard the cries of children?
~ Do you think she observed how His Touch healed the un-touchables?
~ Do you think she observed how His Words lifted the weak and lowly;
and upset the high & mighty?
Now think about this... Jesus has given us EVEN MORE than the gift of observing Him.
Yes, we have a record of His earthly actions in The 4 Gospels and it is wonderful to be able to read about Him there... but He left us even more....
He sent The Holy Spirit to come and live inside of us! When we cry out for H-E-L-P and admit our need for a Savior, He comes to the open door of our hearts and sets us free.
No longer just around us, God wants to get closer, through the power of His Holy Spirit He loves us from the inside, out. And, That is amazing love!
He is so vast; yet, so intimate. He keeps everything in the universe in motion... from black holes in distant galaxies ... to black holes in human hearts ... only His Perfect Love fills the void. Help us Lord, the Somebody we all need is YOU, Jesus.
2/17/09
He is Enough
My Grace is sufficient, My Power is made perfect in weakness 2 Corinthians 12:9
Is God ENOUGH for you?
In times of heartbreaking sadness, financial loss, or physical distress (weakness), we cry out to God. When we are weak, we remember that God is Strong and Sufficient. We pray: “Almighty God, You CAN help us, You CAN do anything, so please get us out of here pronto! Put out this fire, heal our friend, replenish our bank account, make everything ‘good’ for us again (today if possible.) Amen.”
Why do we forget God in good times, but desperately seek Him in times of trouble?... How fickle we are! But, we expect God to come through for us immediately!
If He CAN…well then....Why Doesn’t He?
God may allow great pain in our lives so that we will learn the lessons of greatest importance:
KNOWING JESUS is the most important lesson we will ever learn! Jesus already knows & loves us intimately; but, often we fool ourselves & fail to love. It is through tough trails that the Lord reveals to us what is truly in our hearts. Sometimes we discover that we've been lying to ourselves.
We may say "He is Enough!" but what about our walk? Will we step into a fiery furnace or step out of our comfortable boat when He calls us to come? Do we really trust God? OR, Do we subscribe to a "JesusPlus+ Insurance Plan," by that I mean are we really still controlling the show, but then adding a prayer for Jesus to bless our mess. Who are we kidding? God knows when He is Our Everything, and when He is simply an "add-on."
Where is your confidence rooted?
This seems to be "The Question" that God is asking American Christians today. A lot of things are being shaken up in our country right now. Have you ever considered that God’s Hand may be doing the shaking? He wants to truly be our Sufficiency; I wonder if He is asking us, "Are you looking to Me or to your 401K for security? Does your portfolio include any treasures stored up in heaven or are you preoccupied with sheltering your earthly nest egg?"
He sees the whole panorama of our lives, envisions the whole pie that is "us," cooked to perfection, finished and fragrant. Perhaps today’s ‘slice of life’ is filled with cherry pits and bitterness, but someday He will say "Well done!" ...if we stay in step with Him. Lord, we want to rely on Your Finished Work, not our own strength, make us pleasing to You, set the temperature, cool us down when we get angry, heat us up if we get luke-warm. Help us rest in what You are creating.
You've probably heard it said that we are 'human do-ings,' not 'human be-ings.' We love achievement, love to measure things, love to see results: Did we hit our sales quota, loose 10 pounds, balance the budget this month? If we don’t like 'our numbers' we will scramble to fix them. Lord, teach us to go with the flow, help us to put away our measuring tapes, and just be. Jesus, You are Enough. Holy Spirit guide us into all truth. Self-sufficiency is a myth, we are NOT sufficient. We need a SAVIOR, WE NEED YOU JESUS, Teach us about the Sufficiency of Your Grace.
Is God ENOUGH for you?
In times of heartbreaking sadness, financial loss, or physical distress (weakness), we cry out to God. When we are weak, we remember that God is Strong and Sufficient. We pray: “Almighty God, You CAN help us, You CAN do anything, so please get us out of here pronto! Put out this fire, heal our friend, replenish our bank account, make everything ‘good’ for us again (today if possible.) Amen.”
Why do we forget God in good times, but desperately seek Him in times of trouble?... How fickle we are! But, we expect God to come through for us immediately!
If He CAN…well then....Why Doesn’t He?
God may allow great pain in our lives so that we will learn the lessons of greatest importance:
KNOWING JESUS is the most important lesson we will ever learn! Jesus already knows & loves us intimately; but, often we fool ourselves & fail to love. It is through tough trails that the Lord reveals to us what is truly in our hearts. Sometimes we discover that we've been lying to ourselves.
We may say "He is Enough!" but what about our walk? Will we step into a fiery furnace or step out of our comfortable boat when He calls us to come? Do we really trust God? OR, Do we subscribe to a "JesusPlus+ Insurance Plan," by that I mean are we really still controlling the show, but then adding a prayer for Jesus to bless our mess. Who are we kidding? God knows when He is Our Everything, and when He is simply an "add-on."
Where is your confidence rooted?
This seems to be "The Question" that God is asking American Christians today. A lot of things are being shaken up in our country right now. Have you ever considered that God’s Hand may be doing the shaking? He wants to truly be our Sufficiency; I wonder if He is asking us, "Are you looking to Me or to your 401K for security? Does your portfolio include any treasures stored up in heaven or are you preoccupied with sheltering your earthly nest egg?"
He sees the whole panorama of our lives, envisions the whole pie that is "us," cooked to perfection, finished and fragrant. Perhaps today’s ‘slice of life’ is filled with cherry pits and bitterness, but someday He will say "Well done!" ...if we stay in step with Him. Lord, we want to rely on Your Finished Work, not our own strength, make us pleasing to You, set the temperature, cool us down when we get angry, heat us up if we get luke-warm. Help us rest in what You are creating.
You've probably heard it said that we are 'human do-ings,' not 'human be-ings.' We love achievement, love to measure things, love to see results: Did we hit our sales quota, loose 10 pounds, balance the budget this month? If we don’t like 'our numbers' we will scramble to fix them. Lord, teach us to go with the flow, help us to put away our measuring tapes, and just be. Jesus, You are Enough. Holy Spirit guide us into all truth. Self-sufficiency is a myth, we are NOT sufficient. We need a SAVIOR, WE NEED YOU JESUS, Teach us about the Sufficiency of Your Grace.
1/23/09
None of My Business
Your opinion of me is none my business, I live for an Audience of One (paraphrasing The Apostle Paul.) "We live by FAITH, not by sight...we make it OUR GOAL to please Him." 2 Cor 5:7,9 NIV
Why, O Why, do we REALLY do what we do?
We sometimes get so busy that we forget "our Whys."
We stop stopping, to ask why: What’s my TRUE motivation here?
Just like the Energizer Bunny, we just keep going and going … putting one Nike-clad foot in front of the other, running … in a hurry, but WHY, toward what end?
Sometimes my motivations are obvious.
Sometimes they are hidden in some dark recess of my heart.
Sometimes I’m not even sure what I’m up to...OR why I'm up to it!
How can this be? It’s my brain, my heart, my life… I'm in control of myself, right?
I used to believe I was in control of…well…everything, everyone, and pretty much whatever was going on around me. I looked around and saw that life was good (and if it wasn't, I fixed it.) Yep, I had set myself up as my own God. But, if a relationship went haywire, or if a big deal started to tank, I’d think, O God help me, beam me out of this mess, (mostly though, I relied on me, just adding the God-talk for extra insurance.)
I’m a people-pleaser by nature, toss in my sales & marketing background and I can be quite adept at manipulation. No big, bad lies, mind you… just careful, colorful wording to better-illuminate my key points, be relate-able...speak the language' of the audience at hand, set the stage, sugar-coat any ugliness, be selective with the facts when the whole truth may be 'complicated or unpleasant.' Why all this “massaging of words,” rather than straight-talk?
Because I had a desperate need to be loved and respected, didn't want to offend or alienate anyone. We all want to be liked, but my need was a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10. And I didn't even see it! I just thought hey, I like people and people like me! OPO (Other People’s Opinions of me) formed the core of my self image. If someone didn’t like me, then I must be a failure, so I'd better get busy, do whatever it takes to win them over.
You may be thinking, hey I think I do that too, hmmm maybe I’m an OPO-addict too? Is there a 12-step deal for this, what books should I run out and buy? There is ONE BOOK that changed everything for me. I started reading it about 10 years ago when Jesus came into my life. He is The Change-Agent. He began a major remodel on me the instant I said yes to Him; but, change in the area of OPO has been gradual... 3 steps forward, 10 back! When I start looking around instead of up for feedback, I'm sunk. That old familiar trap door opens and in I fall, unless I stop and ask The Lord to give me His strength.
I have had seasons of walking so closely with Him, reading His Word daily, then for some stupid reason I start self-directing again. Can Jesus change everything about a person upon their acceptance of Him? Yes, but for most of us acceptance is just the 1st step of a life-long process. Every morning the decision is ours, to yield... or not.
Strong-willed women require extra helpings of grace. On yielded days, days when I am still, and remember that He is God… then, I know for sure that His Opinion of me is the only one that matters. He is The Lord of my life He has an everlasting love for me, and He says that I am His Treasure, His Pearl; and He is mine. God wants to hear from me and help me. It seems too good to be true, but I know that it is True….not just for me, but all who seek His Face.
When I start wondering what people think of me, I open my Bible to one of Paul’s Letters. Paul achieved worldly success as a young man; then traded it all for the cause of Christ. Paul concluded that other’s opinions did not matter a hoot…and,not only that, he said OPO, other people’s opinions of him were none of his business. How about that! His only care was Christ… how freeing!
What if we all spoke the Truth, simply and lovingly... without defending ourselves, or manipulating others? What if we all truly lived for Christ Alone, An Audience of One!
Lord, let people's opinions of me be none of my business.
Lord, let pleasing YOU be my business and the motivation for everything I do.
Why, O Why, do we REALLY do what we do?
We sometimes get so busy that we forget "our Whys."
We stop stopping, to ask why: What’s my TRUE motivation here?
Just like the Energizer Bunny, we just keep going and going … putting one Nike-clad foot in front of the other, running … in a hurry, but WHY, toward what end?
Sometimes my motivations are obvious.
Sometimes they are hidden in some dark recess of my heart.
Sometimes I’m not even sure what I’m up to...OR why I'm up to it!
How can this be? It’s my brain, my heart, my life… I'm in control of myself, right?
I used to believe I was in control of…well…everything, everyone, and pretty much whatever was going on around me. I looked around and saw that life was good (and if it wasn't, I fixed it.) Yep, I had set myself up as my own God. But, if a relationship went haywire, or if a big deal started to tank, I’d think, O God help me, beam me out of this mess, (mostly though, I relied on me, just adding the God-talk for extra insurance.)
I’m a people-pleaser by nature, toss in my sales & marketing background and I can be quite adept at manipulation. No big, bad lies, mind you… just careful, colorful wording to better-illuminate my key points, be relate-able...speak the language' of the audience at hand, set the stage, sugar-coat any ugliness, be selective with the facts when the whole truth may be 'complicated or unpleasant.' Why all this “massaging of words,” rather than straight-talk?
Because I had a desperate need to be loved and respected, didn't want to offend or alienate anyone. We all want to be liked, but my need was a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10. And I didn't even see it! I just thought hey, I like people and people like me! OPO (Other People’s Opinions of me) formed the core of my self image. If someone didn’t like me, then I must be a failure, so I'd better get busy, do whatever it takes to win them over.
You may be thinking, hey I think I do that too, hmmm maybe I’m an OPO-addict too? Is there a 12-step deal for this, what books should I run out and buy? There is ONE BOOK that changed everything for me. I started reading it about 10 years ago when Jesus came into my life. He is The Change-Agent. He began a major remodel on me the instant I said yes to Him; but, change in the area of OPO has been gradual... 3 steps forward, 10 back! When I start looking around instead of up for feedback, I'm sunk. That old familiar trap door opens and in I fall, unless I stop and ask The Lord to give me His strength.
I have had seasons of walking so closely with Him, reading His Word daily, then for some stupid reason I start self-directing again. Can Jesus change everything about a person upon their acceptance of Him? Yes, but for most of us acceptance is just the 1st step of a life-long process. Every morning the decision is ours, to yield... or not.
Strong-willed women require extra helpings of grace. On yielded days, days when I am still, and remember that He is God… then, I know for sure that His Opinion of me is the only one that matters. He is The Lord of my life He has an everlasting love for me, and He says that I am His Treasure, His Pearl; and He is mine. God wants to hear from me and help me. It seems too good to be true, but I know that it is True….not just for me, but all who seek His Face.
When I start wondering what people think of me, I open my Bible to one of Paul’s Letters. Paul achieved worldly success as a young man; then traded it all for the cause of Christ. Paul concluded that other’s opinions did not matter a hoot…and,not only that, he said OPO, other people’s opinions of him were none of his business. How about that! His only care was Christ… how freeing!
What if we all spoke the Truth, simply and lovingly... without defending ourselves, or manipulating others? What if we all truly lived for Christ Alone, An Audience of One!
Lord, let people's opinions of me be none of my business.
Lord, let pleasing YOU be my business and the motivation for everything I do.
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