Archive for August 2016
The Real: When We Weary of Spiritual Things
My friend posted something on Facebook that struck a chord in me a few weeks ago. She said our flesh hates God. Hate is a strong word I thought, and I know the Word of God. Scripturally she is right… in allllll my thinking I didn’t think of it this way. And I will explain. It is why we gravitate toward things that get our minds off Him. I remember early in my walk sometimes feeling like I needed a break. I was tired… I didn’t want to backslide, but I was tired of church no matter how good it was and tired of praying or reading (yet I stayed in church). But when I stopped reading or praying, the light in my life dimmed. And I fell anyway! I finally realized there is no good place outside of Him and that my attitude was… carnal.
Romans 8:5-8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. [6] For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [7] Because the carnal mind is enmity (hostility, hatred and ill will) against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. [8] So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Did you see that?
Because the carnal mind is enmity (hostility, hatred and ill will) against God.
Hard, but true. Some of us may even want to justify how this isn’t true. But it is the Word of God… I am only the delivery agent. I had to learn this too!
We have to know how GOD sees our attitudes. Complaining, arguments, lies (ALL of them), greed, lust, complacency, depression, anxiety, perversion, cheating, indifference, rebellion, doubt, unbelief, selfishness, stealing, gossiping, hateful sarcasm, passive aggressive behaviors, hypocrisy, self-righteousness, entitlement. These are the parts of us that hate Him because they are outside of Him. They are hostile toward Him. We write comedies and dramas around these subjects and we are entertained by them. We live them out in our lives and say… “God knows my heart”. We brush off our behavior as “being human” and we forget to repent.
YET HE LOVES US SO INTENSELY. He gave His Son’s life in exchange for what was… hateful children… who sometimes will fall back to their old ways when they were against God. The key is not LIVING according to our flesh and acknowledging to ourselves that at times we do act in flesh anyway, though we hopefully try not to.
The choice is ours. He knows these parts of us are still in “process” of dying. He doesn’t condemn us. But He also doesn’t want us to be comfortable and make excuses for it either. He desires that we strive to work on what is within us that may be “at odds” with Him. This walk isn’t just about “doing” the right things. It is a total transformation of our heart, minds and LOYALTIES. He is our Creator, but He is also our greatest Love. We should strive in our hearts and actions to be in agreement with this beautiful God we have pledged our lives to. And not to be in agreement with “the Other” man… be it our flesh or the enemy. But loyal to God…. because He deserves every part of us. When we come to Him, He covers the ugly parts and helps us to overcome. We don’t always do THAT for those WE love the most.
Prayer, the Word, faith and church are not “tools” we use… they are vehicles to an invisible King that passionately loves us. An invitation to the presence of The Best! We should feel valued, treasured and honored that we “get” to read and pray… why? Because reading is not just to gain Biblical information. Over the years I developed such an affection for God’s Word. I would blow kisses to God, being so endeared by it. The life that He poured into me, the love and joy I saw through His promise gave me hope. My faith increased, my eyes illuminated from darkness. I prayed but realized I was in conversation now. I would cast my cares on Him because I realized HE DOES CARE FOR ME! 1 Peter 5:7.
Resist everything in you that hates God and the things of God. Get stirred up into a place of joy for Him. Submit yourself to Him. And know that the battle against flesh never ends. There is always a place in us… as long as we are in our flesh… that hates God. But allow God to guide you out of that place daily through His Word and Presence. Ask Him for joy in Him. We need Him daily! To step into relationship with Him is to step out of a carnal and hateful mindset.
Keep Asking Questions
I remember being 13 years old and thinking that I needed 2 things. I needed wisdom and discernment. So it was the first thing that I ever remember asking God for. I made plenty of mistakes in these areas… as we all have. But over the years these are two things that I cherished most from God and from others that walked in it. He has been faithful to give it and I have been eager to receive. I never really stop asking questions because He never stops answering. Sometimes my question is a “12th grade” question and my understanding is at an “8th” grade level (metaphorically speaking). So I am aware that He takes me through a series of levels in understanding before the question can be answered to where I can understand. I later saw in the word of God that no matter what, if I asked without doubting Him, He would answer.
James 1:2-8 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
So why do I tell you all this? Don’t give up on unanswered questions or give up on asking God to explain things because you haven’t gotten an immediate answer. What parent answers the same way to a 4 year old than they would a 15 year old? For instance “Mom… where do babies come from?” You can only explain so much to the younger but can give more detail to the older along with greater wisdom, cautions and consequences etc. So stay on the journey to maturity and don’t stop asking… seeing and knocking. Don’t get discouraged. If you keep asking, you will get to “graduate” in more areas.
#StayHisChild
#WeAreNeverGrownToGod
#HeIsTheUltimateTeacher
#AnswersComeInManyDifferentWays