I mentioned a few weeks ago that I've been doing some reading up on marriage. Recently, I've been reading Dr. David Jeremiah's book What the Bible Says about Love, Marriage, and Sex which is based on Song of Solomon and Tim LaHaye's Understand Your Man. I also already mentioned a few others in previous blogs like Martha Peace's The Excellent Wife. I've discovered on common thread among all of them:
Men really want to please their wives and they NEED affirmation from them.
If a husband doesn't seem to want to please his wife, it's probably because he got tired of trying and failing. The Scriptures command over and over for wives to respect their husbands. And, Song of Solomon is overflowing with both public and private admiration and praise from both lovers.
One suggestion of Tim Lahaye's that I really like is keeping a note card with a list of wonderful traits your significant other possesses. He says that if you read that card everyday, there is no way that you will not love your spouse. It just doesn't work. Truly reflecting on their good qualities just doesn't allow you to not like them! :) And daily reflecting on their good qualities? Well, that's entirely scriptural! Philippians 4:8 says, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Reviewing a list of all of the "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy" traits of our loved ones quite possibly could be one of the best ways we can be obedient to this verse!
So, I decided to go public with my praise as Dr. David Jeremiah suggests and offer you all a list of 10 reasons (in no particular order) of why my fiance is great! :)
1. He's a REALLY good listener.
I know there are so many stereotypes about guys not listening and wanting to watch TV while we want to talk, but that just isn't Don. In fact, he's taught me about how to be a good listener. He's showed me that often times telling a story of my own to show I understand isn't as good as just being quiet and maybe repeating back what the other person has said to show that I understand.
2. He's committed to me.
We all have our bad days. And, I've had my fair share--days when I've been selfish or sulky. And, you know what, it's on those days that Don shows his love best. He's bought me flowers on those days. He's even spent hours looking at Proverbs 31 verse by verse and writing out how I exemplify each one of those verses in the way I live! And, this is when I haven't been on top of my game!
3. He's confident.
He's not swayed by the opinions of others quite like I am. I tend to be tossed about by the waves of people's opinions, but he knows who he is and what he believes, and he doesn't let the disapproval of men shake him.
4. He's a great writer.
Have you checked out his blog? http://donnypapuanist.wordpress.com/ He's really incredible.
5. He's brilliant!
Don is really, really smart! Really! He told me the first day I met him that he did his undergrad at a "small liberal arts college in New Hampshire". That "small liberal arts college" just happened to be Dartmouth! What?! I'm so glad he didn't tell me that. This little state-school girl would have realized she was out of her league! :) And now, he's getting his Ph.D. in Linguistics! I'm really proud of him.
6. He's humble.
Did you notice how he chose not to tell me where he went to school? He's really humble. He's confident in who is he is and he doesn't feel the need to name drop or brag about his accomplishments. I really like that about him. And, it just gives me more opportunities to do it for him! :)
7. He's handsome!
His grandma was showing us pictures of his grandpa (whom Don is named after) one day last summer, and she said, "Look what a handsome devil I got!" I have to say, Don didn't just get his grandpa's name, he also got his devilish good looks. :)
8. He's respected by his peers.
The first week that I met Don, I had his professors telling me, "Have you met Don? He's such a great guy" and his fellow students saying, "Man, Don is the real deal!" When you're a linguist, you can't get much better than being the real deal.
9. He's romantic.
Oh goodness, have I not posted on here how Don proposed? Oh, it was lovely. Truly lovely. Mementos from our relationship, a tree house, flower petals. Absolutely perfect.
10. He seeks God wholeheartedly.
While in PNG taking on this rigorous 7-month fieldwork, he's been incredibly faithful and consistent in his love of the Lord. He's even been reading a Gospel every Sunday and memorizing the entire book of Mark! But, all that would be useless, if he didn't have love and if the fruit of that work didn't show up in his life. But, he does love the Lord and he is bearing incredible fruit for the kingdom. And, his heart is becoming more and more like Christ's everyday. I see it.
He's really great. And, the more I reflect on the qualities on my note card, the longer the list gets! It's really amazing! Try it! Your marriage will be better for it. Guaranteed.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
My Story
"This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long."
I heard Third Day's rendition of the hymn "Blessed Assurance" on the radio today. As I emphatically sang it's word with the radio blaring, I began to question, "Is that really my story?"
I had a traumatic experience (for me, anyway) this past week. I turned in a rough draft of a paper for one of my classes, and I my professor gave it back saying that I had based my argument on some questionable assumptions which led me to some questionable conclusions. He told me my paper was not able to be fixed and that I would have to rewrite a new paper. Mind you, this was the last week of classes. Just as I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel--Poof! It was gone. And, needless to say, I was crushed emotionally. I felt like such a failure. A totally unacceptable paper? How had I done that? I must be the worst person in the class. (Remember, I'm competitive). I wallowed in these feelings for the whole day after he'd broken the news.
I called my mom right after my meeting with him, and she prayed that God would send special encouragement from people at school even if they didn't know the situation. And, you know what, God heard her prayers and answered them in a mighty way.
I walked into my next class right after getting off the phone, and my professor asked how I was doing. You know what happens after a question like that...I had a nervous breakdown right there in front of him and three other classmates. I bawled through my story about how I would have to start over on my paper and how I was so tired I didn't think I could do it. But, you know what? My professor walked up behind where I was sitting and he put his hand on my shoulder for about 10 seconds. It was the most glorious comfort in all the world at the moment. He didn't even say a word. But, he offered what my mom couldn't at that point. A comforting touch. After class, a fellow student told me she and her husband had been praying for me that week, and she gave me a hug. Later on that evening, another student sent me a short email encouraging me that he was glad to be working in Bible translation together and that he was confident God was going to use me to spread his fame. The next day another student told me he noticed that I wasn't myself the day before and that he had prayed for me.
God is so good. Even when we are not faithful, He is faithful. I did not take his command in 1 Thessalonians 5 seriously. It says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I was not obedient in this. I sobbed and let self pity creep into my heart. And, yet, God heard the prayers of my mom, and he answered them faithfully. And, after receiving his comfort, I praised him again.
My prayer is that I would grow in my faith in his sovereignty and that I would learn to be obedient to his call to "give thanks in ALL circumstances". My prayer is that I would be found praising my Savior all the day long. My prayer is that no matter what, in success or in failure, in the harvest feast or the fallow ground, my prayer is that this would be my story.
I heard Third Day's rendition of the hymn "Blessed Assurance" on the radio today. As I emphatically sang it's word with the radio blaring, I began to question, "Is that really my story?"
I had a traumatic experience (for me, anyway) this past week. I turned in a rough draft of a paper for one of my classes, and I my professor gave it back saying that I had based my argument on some questionable assumptions which led me to some questionable conclusions. He told me my paper was not able to be fixed and that I would have to rewrite a new paper. Mind you, this was the last week of classes. Just as I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel--Poof! It was gone. And, needless to say, I was crushed emotionally. I felt like such a failure. A totally unacceptable paper? How had I done that? I must be the worst person in the class. (Remember, I'm competitive). I wallowed in these feelings for the whole day after he'd broken the news.
I called my mom right after my meeting with him, and she prayed that God would send special encouragement from people at school even if they didn't know the situation. And, you know what, God heard her prayers and answered them in a mighty way.
I walked into my next class right after getting off the phone, and my professor asked how I was doing. You know what happens after a question like that...I had a nervous breakdown right there in front of him and three other classmates. I bawled through my story about how I would have to start over on my paper and how I was so tired I didn't think I could do it. But, you know what? My professor walked up behind where I was sitting and he put his hand on my shoulder for about 10 seconds. It was the most glorious comfort in all the world at the moment. He didn't even say a word. But, he offered what my mom couldn't at that point. A comforting touch. After class, a fellow student told me she and her husband had been praying for me that week, and she gave me a hug. Later on that evening, another student sent me a short email encouraging me that he was glad to be working in Bible translation together and that he was confident God was going to use me to spread his fame. The next day another student told me he noticed that I wasn't myself the day before and that he had prayed for me.
God is so good. Even when we are not faithful, He is faithful. I did not take his command in 1 Thessalonians 5 seriously. It says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I was not obedient in this. I sobbed and let self pity creep into my heart. And, yet, God heard the prayers of my mom, and he answered them faithfully. And, after receiving his comfort, I praised him again.
My prayer is that I would grow in my faith in his sovereignty and that I would learn to be obedient to his call to "give thanks in ALL circumstances". My prayer is that I would be found praising my Savior all the day long. My prayer is that no matter what, in success or in failure, in the harvest feast or the fallow ground, my prayer is that this would be my story.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Envy and Selfish Ambition
I'm competitive. I always have been. Sadly, I think competition is one of the driving forces behind why I work so hard at the tasks I set myself to. But, many times I find that competition kills. It kills my spirit. It kills my love for others. It kills my relationships. And, many times I find that competition also brings life. It brings life to envy. It brings life to selfish ambition. It brings life to a spirit that cries out for more attention, more awards, more glory.
God convicted me of my sinful spirit today when I read James 3:16, "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
Surely not, Lord. Surely I can be competitive without sinning. Surely I can envy the skills and talents of someone else without all of those other evils.
There is always danger in holding my beliefs over God's truth.
When I read that verse, I was drawn to the fact that James couples envy with selfish ambition. That was it. My envy was stemming from my competitive spirit. And my competitive spirit was growing up out of my selfish ambition. At the root of it all, I wanted glory, attention, praise, and respect for myself. And, I didn't want anyone else to have it. Just me.
Zechariah 14:9 says that at the end of time, "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name."
His name the only name. At the end of time, no one will know my name. My name will not even exist in the minds or hearts of anyone on earth--not even my own. So, why do I compete? Why do I envy? Am I not here to bring glory to the one who is King over all the earth? Am I not here to magnify the one name that will endure forever?
Forgive me, Yahweh, Jehovah, the Self-Existent One, for the times that I forget that your name is the only name.
God convicted me of my sinful spirit today when I read James 3:16, "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
Surely not, Lord. Surely I can be competitive without sinning. Surely I can envy the skills and talents of someone else without all of those other evils.
There is always danger in holding my beliefs over God's truth.
When I read that verse, I was drawn to the fact that James couples envy with selfish ambition. That was it. My envy was stemming from my competitive spirit. And my competitive spirit was growing up out of my selfish ambition. At the root of it all, I wanted glory, attention, praise, and respect for myself. And, I didn't want anyone else to have it. Just me.
Zechariah 14:9 says that at the end of time, "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name."
His name the only name. At the end of time, no one will know my name. My name will not even exist in the minds or hearts of anyone on earth--not even my own. So, why do I compete? Why do I envy? Am I not here to bring glory to the one who is King over all the earth? Am I not here to magnify the one name that will endure forever?
Forgive me, Yahweh, Jehovah, the Self-Existent One, for the times that I forget that your name is the only name.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
A Caveat
It's funny, you know. Every time I post something, God spends the next two weeks teaching me how to live out what I wrote. And, most times, he shows me that I don't have it all figured out. So, here's a caveat to my last post: We can cast off the flesh easily when we're living in the Spirit. If we've given ourselves over as slaves to the flesh again, it will take surrender to the Spirit anew to help us cast off the flesh.
A few weeks ago, I blogged about submission. I wrote that blog at a time when I was filled with Spirit, enjoying obedience to God and obedience to the authorities he's placed in my life. It was wonderful. And, I thought, "I've figured it out!" But, then I realized that I was a bit too hasty in my judgment. Over the last few weeks, Satan has sneakily crept back in and whispered empty promises about what good there is in living for myself and what danger there is in submitting to others. Without even realizing it, I started building walls again--fortresses against any attack by the ones called to protect me.
I've been trying to knock down those walls again--trying to get back to the submission and joy I had just a short time ago. And, that's the place that my last blog was written from. A place of victory. I wanted to take hold of the truth that a stubborn--or, what is called these days?--strong-willed spirit was not my real identity. My true spirit is like Christ's spirit. As Paul says in Romans, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." I wanted that to be my identity. I am free. I am not governed by the sinful desire to stubbornly refuse to obey.
However, over the last week, I've tried over and over to claim that as my identity. But, it hasn't worked in changing my heart. I've still been stubborn. No matter how much I verbally cast off the flesh or claim that it is not me, I still feel like it is me. My heart still seeks what I hate, and I still do what I do not want to do. So, God showed me what I missed before.
In Romans 8:7, Paul says, "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." No wonder, I wasn't able to cast off the flesh. I had let my mind be governed by it again. Though I'd already been set free, I let myself become a slave to it again. Once I did that, I could not please God. My heart was not willing to please God.
But, Paul goes on to say, "but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Hmmm...--"by the Spirit"--I guess I missed that last time. I cannot, especially if I'm operating out of the flesh, put to death the misdeeds of the body. But, the Spirit can. So, in order to take hold of my true identity and my new life in Christ, I'm resurrendering myself to the Spirit--allowing him to change my heart back to the new creation that it is and give me the power to walk in truth. Resurrendering at this point has looked like bathing myself in the Word, spending more time in prayer, and memorizing Scriptures that apply to the issues I'm trying to overcome. And, by God's grace I have faith that by His Spirit, "I will live".
Saturday, May 26, 2012
On Hypocrisy and Humility
One of the most popular criticisms against the Church today is that Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites.
So, how has the Church responded? By conceding. By saying, "Okay, you're right. We're not perfect. We're just sinners saved by grace."
But, I think we've missed the mark.
Those who criticize the Church today are right. We've got some major problems among us still.
But, the answer we've chosen has not gotten us to the root of the problem. In fact, I think it's moved us farther from the truth. In an effort to remain honest and humble, we've taken on a self-deprecating stance that admits we're just defeated and beaten down people who will get to go to heaven when we die not by our own works but by our faith in Christ's death and resurrection.
But, this doesn't seem like what the Scriptures say. Sure, the Scriptures say that we are saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. But, they also say that we are more than conquerors. They also say that the old has gone and the new has come. They also say that we have been given the mind of Christ. They also say that we are saints. They also say that we will do even greater things than Jesus did.
But, the attitude I described above doesn't sound quite so victorious. No wonder people aren't interested in Christianity today!
I'll admit we have been hypocrites. We have still sinned even after being saved. But, the answer is not to just concede that we can't win the battle against Satan and the battle against sin. We can! And, we have!
So, why are we still sinning? Because the Father of Lies has convinced of another little fib. He knew when God raised Jesus to life that he had lost. But, he had to find a way to keep his power. So he said, "They aren't slaves to sin anymore. They are free and governed by a new spirit. But, if I can get them to believe that they aren't free and that they don't have power over sin, they'll stay just where they are." And, you know what? We've bought into his lie. We've said, "You're right. We are still sinners."
So, what do we do now? STOP BELIEVING HIM. NOW. We are victors! We should claim our identity as saints! We are not governed by sin any longer! Do you feel like you just can't stop that habitual sin? YOU CAN. Throw off the sin that so easily entangles. It is that simple. It is! Cast out Satan and his lies. He has no power over us. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. And, he will always give us a way out of temptation. We are not governed by our sinful nature or by Satan any longer. So, cast him out and be the holy saint that you are!
I think that this is the grace through faith that the Scriptures talk about. The faith that Jesus conquered sin and death and that we are not slaves anymore. Salvation is here. Today. We are eternal beings living in the victory that Christ bought. If you don't believe this, then the sanctifying work of salvation through FAITH is probably not working in you very well. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world any longer, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2). Renew your mind by believing the truth about your identity in Christ. It isn't by our works, so we can't boast. We can only boast in the cross of Christ. And that's humility. Confidence in Christ's work not our own. But, this does not mean that we should claim an identity as sinners. Scripture says we can boast! We can boast in Christ's work! We are saints! And, we must cling to the truth that Christ's death brings salvation and victory today!
So, how has the Church responded? By conceding. By saying, "Okay, you're right. We're not perfect. We're just sinners saved by grace."
But, I think we've missed the mark.
Those who criticize the Church today are right. We've got some major problems among us still.
But, the answer we've chosen has not gotten us to the root of the problem. In fact, I think it's moved us farther from the truth. In an effort to remain honest and humble, we've taken on a self-deprecating stance that admits we're just defeated and beaten down people who will get to go to heaven when we die not by our own works but by our faith in Christ's death and resurrection.
But, this doesn't seem like what the Scriptures say. Sure, the Scriptures say that we are saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. But, they also say that we are more than conquerors. They also say that the old has gone and the new has come. They also say that we have been given the mind of Christ. They also say that we are saints. They also say that we will do even greater things than Jesus did.
But, the attitude I described above doesn't sound quite so victorious. No wonder people aren't interested in Christianity today!
I'll admit we have been hypocrites. We have still sinned even after being saved. But, the answer is not to just concede that we can't win the battle against Satan and the battle against sin. We can! And, we have!
So, why are we still sinning? Because the Father of Lies has convinced of another little fib. He knew when God raised Jesus to life that he had lost. But, he had to find a way to keep his power. So he said, "They aren't slaves to sin anymore. They are free and governed by a new spirit. But, if I can get them to believe that they aren't free and that they don't have power over sin, they'll stay just where they are." And, you know what? We've bought into his lie. We've said, "You're right. We are still sinners."
So, what do we do now? STOP BELIEVING HIM. NOW. We are victors! We should claim our identity as saints! We are not governed by sin any longer! Do you feel like you just can't stop that habitual sin? YOU CAN. Throw off the sin that so easily entangles. It is that simple. It is! Cast out Satan and his lies. He has no power over us. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. And, he will always give us a way out of temptation. We are not governed by our sinful nature or by Satan any longer. So, cast him out and be the holy saint that you are!
I think that this is the grace through faith that the Scriptures talk about. The faith that Jesus conquered sin and death and that we are not slaves anymore. Salvation is here. Today. We are eternal beings living in the victory that Christ bought. If you don't believe this, then the sanctifying work of salvation through FAITH is probably not working in you very well. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world any longer, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2). Renew your mind by believing the truth about your identity in Christ. It isn't by our works, so we can't boast. We can only boast in the cross of Christ. And that's humility. Confidence in Christ's work not our own. But, this does not mean that we should claim an identity as sinners. Scripture says we can boast! We can boast in Christ's work! We are saints! And, we must cling to the truth that Christ's death brings salvation and victory today!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Musings Beyond Marriage #2: Desiree
I have a friend. Her name is Desiree. She's 51. She lives in my neighborhood. But, as of April 30, she's homeless. I don't see her often--only when I drive past her on the road. She doesn't have a phone or a house, so planned meetings aren't really possible. She walks about 3-5 miles a day to get where she needs to go. She's half African American, half white. She has a daughter who's 19 and a grandson who's 3. She's been in prison before for drugs. She doesn't have a car. She doesn't have her license--it was taken away for driving without insurance. When she did have an apartment, she couldn't use electricity because she didn't have the money to pay the bill.
How did I meet Desiree? Obedience.
A few months ago I was driving home from church after we heard a sermon on evangelism. As I drove through my neighborhood, I started thinking of all the things I needed to do that day--what I was going to have for lunch, what homework needed to get done, when I was going to clean the kitchen--when I saw her. She had a purple jacket and a scarf wrapped around her head, and she was pushing a cart with a couple TVs and a baseball bat in it. I sensed the Holy Spirit urge me to stop and talk with her, but I was afraid. And, I didn't want to disrupt my plans for the day. So, I drove on. I got to the intersection of my street, and I knew I had to go back. So, I turned around, and she looked right at me. Our eyes locked, and I smiled. I put the car in park and rolled down my window, wondering if I'd just made a mistake, "Can I talk with you for a second?" "Yeah," she replied. So, I pulled over and got out. "How are you?" "You know, I'm makin' it." "Yeah? Well, I was just wondering if I could pray for you for anything?" "You can as a matter of fact."
She proceeded to tell me that she was being evicted from her apartment the next day because she couldn't pay the rent. She was in the process of moving all of her belongings by cart to her daughter's apartment a couple miles away. I prayed for her, and I spent the next hour helping her move her stuff in my car. She said over and over that day, "Are you an angel? You just appeared out of nowhere--poof! Are you sure you're not an angel?"
I'm not an angel, of course. But, what a blessing it was to be a vessel of God's blessing in Desiree's life that day. And, to think, I almost drove on. God knows what we need. He knows what's best. As I have learned to walk in obedience and submission to Don; I have learned a little more what it looks to walk in obedience and submission to God. Each day, he has good works planned out for us (Ephesians 2:10), but too often we're too busy to listen. When we feel that nudge, we don't need to fear--His ways are always higher than our ways. We are not just called to obedience when we understand the rationale behind the request. When Jesus called the disciples it says, "...at once, they left their nets and followed him." They had no idea what he was calling them to or even why he was calling. (If they did, they probably never would have followed.) But, they were obedient.
Sometimes we can fear that it is not the voice of God but our own voice calling us to action, but if the nudge we feel is in line with the Scriptures calling us "to act justly and to love mercy" (Micah 6:8), we can be confident in our obedience. And, the confidence grows each time we obey, and we see the fruit that God blesses us with. The goal of the Christian life is "to walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). We will probably start out in obedience in fits and spurts "soaring on wings like eagles" but crashing to the ground with fatigue from going it alone, running hard but growing weary, but He's promised that those who hope in the Lord will be strengthened to walk and not faint. Apart from Him we can do nothing, but He's promised to remain in those who remain in Him (John 15:5). And, He's promised that those who are faithful with little will be given much and will share in their Master's happiness (Matthew 25:21).
Her name is Desiree. That means "desire" in French. Psalm 34:1 says, "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." I'm so thankful that God keeps his promises. As I learn to delight in Him, He continues to give me the "desires" of my heart. I love Desiree. She is my friend.
How did I meet Desiree? Obedience.
A few months ago I was driving home from church after we heard a sermon on evangelism. As I drove through my neighborhood, I started thinking of all the things I needed to do that day--what I was going to have for lunch, what homework needed to get done, when I was going to clean the kitchen--when I saw her. She had a purple jacket and a scarf wrapped around her head, and she was pushing a cart with a couple TVs and a baseball bat in it. I sensed the Holy Spirit urge me to stop and talk with her, but I was afraid. And, I didn't want to disrupt my plans for the day. So, I drove on. I got to the intersection of my street, and I knew I had to go back. So, I turned around, and she looked right at me. Our eyes locked, and I smiled. I put the car in park and rolled down my window, wondering if I'd just made a mistake, "Can I talk with you for a second?" "Yeah," she replied. So, I pulled over and got out. "How are you?" "You know, I'm makin' it." "Yeah? Well, I was just wondering if I could pray for you for anything?" "You can as a matter of fact."
She proceeded to tell me that she was being evicted from her apartment the next day because she couldn't pay the rent. She was in the process of moving all of her belongings by cart to her daughter's apartment a couple miles away. I prayed for her, and I spent the next hour helping her move her stuff in my car. She said over and over that day, "Are you an angel? You just appeared out of nowhere--poof! Are you sure you're not an angel?"
I'm not an angel, of course. But, what a blessing it was to be a vessel of God's blessing in Desiree's life that day. And, to think, I almost drove on. God knows what we need. He knows what's best. As I have learned to walk in obedience and submission to Don; I have learned a little more what it looks to walk in obedience and submission to God. Each day, he has good works planned out for us (Ephesians 2:10), but too often we're too busy to listen. When we feel that nudge, we don't need to fear--His ways are always higher than our ways. We are not just called to obedience when we understand the rationale behind the request. When Jesus called the disciples it says, "...at once, they left their nets and followed him." They had no idea what he was calling them to or even why he was calling. (If they did, they probably never would have followed.) But, they were obedient.
Sometimes we can fear that it is not the voice of God but our own voice calling us to action, but if the nudge we feel is in line with the Scriptures calling us "to act justly and to love mercy" (Micah 6:8), we can be confident in our obedience. And, the confidence grows each time we obey, and we see the fruit that God blesses us with. The goal of the Christian life is "to walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). We will probably start out in obedience in fits and spurts "soaring on wings like eagles" but crashing to the ground with fatigue from going it alone, running hard but growing weary, but He's promised that those who hope in the Lord will be strengthened to walk and not faint. Apart from Him we can do nothing, but He's promised to remain in those who remain in Him (John 15:5). And, He's promised that those who are faithful with little will be given much and will share in their Master's happiness (Matthew 25:21).
Her name is Desiree. That means "desire" in French. Psalm 34:1 says, "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." I'm so thankful that God keeps his promises. As I learn to delight in Him, He continues to give me the "desires" of my heart. I love Desiree. She is my friend.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Musings Beyond Marriage #1: Professors
All of these revelations about submission and respect have had a huge impact on my life--even in spheres beyond the husband/wife relationship. 1 Peter 2 says that we should submit ourselves to EVERY human authority--every single one. That means parents, professors, teachers, pastors, husbands, the government.
Although every one of these authorities needs to be submitted to, the one that has impacted me most (beyond husbands) in my current stage of life has been professors. I get the feeling that we've lost respect for teachers in American society. A lot of parents side with their children in most matters these days. And, our individualist culture says that we shouldn't listen to what the teacher says unless we're convinced he or she knows more than we do. However, the Scriptures say nothing about respect being earned by those in authority. They simply command us to give respect. In other words, it seems that respect is not earned, it is simply given. It's not about what the authority does, it's about what the subordinate does.
Yikes! When God revealed these things to my heart, I was immediately convicted. My mind raced to a hundred different scenarios even in the last year when I've sat around with my peers looking over homework assignments frustrated at the "harsh" grading. We've commiserated, complaining that it was "so unfair" that the professors were being so "nit-picky" by taking off so many points for such a "tiny error". And, I thought of all of the times when I was overwhelmed with the activities and assignments that I chose not to do assigned readings for certain classes.
My heart had been filled with pride. I refused to submit myself to the authority that God had placed over me. My professors have their PhDs. They have spent 30 years working in Bible translation. They've translated New Testaments and written dozens of academic papers. They know what I need to know, but even if they didn't, I am called to be obedient. And I'm called to be obedient without complaining or arguing.
So, I'm learning. I'm learning that I must "show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, and honor the emperor." (1 Peter 2:17) "For it is God's will that by doing good, [we] should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people." (1 Peter 2:15) May we be empowered to go and do likewise.
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