MY BLOG POSTS
The WORST 4-Letter Word
There’s a new 4-letter word these days: a word that causes chaos in checkout lines and rages at red lights, a word whose very syllable makes us cringe in horror. We hear – or experience – this word and our entire day can be ruined. That word?
Move small children away from the screen….
WAIT.
Mmmm-hmmm.
We used to have wait for stuff all the time. I waited for “Wizard of Oz” to come on TV (once a year, at Christmas, right after “Sound of Music”). I waited for cartoons on Saturday mornings. I waited to get my film developed to see what my pictures looked like. Later, I waited for Dave to get off the phone so I could get online. Then I waited for the dial-up internet to pop up on my huge desk top computer.
Waiting was part of life for millennia.
Not anymore, though. We – and by “we”, I mean “I” – no longer accept waiting. Food should be fast. Information should be faster. Want to watch “Wizard of Oz”? Sure! On your tablet, your phone, or your TV? And waiting for pics? What?! It’s actually kind of sad that we have no more terrible pictures floating around. Unless someone screen shots a Snap chat…
I am a big fan of technology (she types on her blog, attached to her social media sites…), but I recognize that we have lost something precious as we have gained all these cool gadgets. We have lost the discipline of patience. We have lost the gift of a gentle and quiet spirit. We are so desperately trying to keep up with all the things we don’t have to wait for that we no longer have the ability to enjoy the silence (what is that??).
Patience is a virtue, it is a gift, it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. And patience is developed by *gulp* waiting. So don’t see it as a bad word or an inconvenience – waiting is an opportunity for God to speak to you, to be real to you, to develop patience in you. It really isn’t a 4-letter word. Except that it is. But you know what I mean.
So hurry up….and wait!
“Extracting” Sin
God has been working on me, lately, in the area of hating sin. We hear this a lot in reference to others: “Hate the sin, love the sinner” and all. But adages like that tend to make me even more self-righteous than I already am. I need to focus far more on my own sins than the sins of others.
I was reading part of A.W. Tozer’s book, The Pursuit of God (free on Kindle!), and was hit pretty hard with this discussion of our sinful nature:
“The tough old miser within us will not lie down and die obedient to our command. He must be torn out of our heart like a plant from the soil; he must be extracted in agony like a tooth from the jaw. He must be expelled from our soul by violence as Christ expelled money changers from the temple. And we shall need to steel ourselves against his piteous begging, and to recognize it as springing out of self-pity, one of the most reprehensible sins of the human heart.”
I have had more than my fair share of dental work in my lifetime, so the image of ripping a tooth from the jaw really resonated with me. When I have had an infected tooth, I HATED it. I wanted that thing out. Now! Whatever it took.
But have I ever viewed sin like that? Take gluttony, for instance. I know it’s a sin. But since my weight is within the “normal(ish)” range, I figure it’s no big deal. Eat that second donut, that handful of leftover Halloween candy…Even though I know I don’t need it. And what about laziness? Also a sin. But, again, I have grown accustomed to it. I know I should clean up, but I’d really rather read. Those dishes will still be there tomorrow. No big deal.
But Tozer reminds me that sin IS a big deal: Jesus had to die because of our sin, because of MY sin. Yet, daily, I squander the amazing gift of salvation by willfully choosing to sin against the God who loves me so deeply.
God doesn’t ask me to let go of sin because He wants me to be miserable, but because He wants me to soar. He knows I can know Him better, serve Him with greater passion, minister more effectively to others when my mind and heart aren’t weighed down by sin.
So I want to hate my sin and love my Savior. I want these “entanglements” gone so I can “run with endurance the race marked out for” me (Heb. 12:1).
Prepare to Be Hated
I was reading an article today about the young terminally ill woman in Oregon who chose to end her life last weekend. The author, Joni Erickson Tada, gave her perspective on the controversy. I thought it was a gracious and well thought out discussion of a complex issue.
But many readers did not think that. In fact,as I scrolled through the comments, I saw that several readers were angry – VERY angry. And they weren’t just angry that Christians are giving opinions on this matter, they are angry at Christian opinions in general. They are angry that we hold to scriptural principals. They are angry that we believe the Bible. They are angry that we think we’re right about what we believe. So. Very. Angry.
Part of me wanted to just exit out of the site. I only like conflict in fiction. I hate it in real life. Another part of me wanted to respond to some of the comments, so I could convince people to like us. I don’t want to be hated.
We can all see that America is far less “Christian” today than it ever has been. Being a believer used to be totally acceptable, popular, even. But that is changing, and we Christians don’t quite know how to handle it. Some are holing up and avoiding the world all together; some are trying to win the world back to Christianity by accepting sinful actions and attitudes; and some are lashing out, spewing out toxic words and actions, and pushing people even farther away from the Truth.
But the bottom line is that this is what it means to be a Christian — we will be hated. We just haven’t had to deal with it much, as Americans, until now. Ask believers in other countries. They know. They’ve dealt with it for centuries.
As much as I want to be liked, I have to be careful not to let that desire override my desire to be like Jesus. I must love, yes. Deeply and passionately and sacrificially. But I must also stand up for what is right, without compromise. I must be willing to be hated. I must love those who hate me, forgive them, pray for them. But I must not allow their hate to change who I am and what I know to be true.
Brothers and sisters, there are worse things than being hated by the world. Let us not fear it, let us not be surprised by it. After all, ” If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” ~Jesus (John 15:18)
On Finding God’s Will for Your Career
“How do I know what God wants me to do?” This is a question that people of all ages ask – from teens finishing high school to retirees finishing their careers.
First, God has called all of us who are believers in Him to do the same thing: live a life that glorifies God in all that we do. This is of primary importance. I have had several different occupations in my life – day care worker; bank teller; stay-at-home mom; missionary; teacher; writer – but in every one of those jobs, I was first and foremost a follower of Christ. If you aren’t seeking Him in ALL you do, nothing you do will be truly satisfying.
If you are seeking Him, and you’re looking to begin, or maybe change, a career, here are a couple questions to ask:
“What do you like?” God won’t call you to something you hate. He might call you to something you’ve never thought of, or never imagined yourself doing. But it won’t be a job you hate. So think about what interests you: My love for reading led me to major in literature, which ultimately led to my jobs as both an English teacher and a writer. My husband’s passion for the word of God led him to seminary, where he trained to be a professor of the Bible. One of my favorite former students, Janell, took the love she’s always had for science, combined with her deep compassion for others, and chose a career in the medical field.
The second question is, “Where does God put you?” For me, from the time I turned my life over to Him, God kept giving me opportunities to teach. From VBS to Sunday school to Bible studies…age sixteen on, I was thrown in situations where I needed to teach. I didn’t see it at the the time, but looking back, I know it was God preparing me, showing me what He made me to do and helping me to get better at that. So where does God put you? Are you often asked to help organize events? To care for the hurting? Do people always come to you for advice? Consider the places and situations God places you in, in the present, and evaluate what that may mean for your future.
Don’t be among the people – young and old alike – who choose a job because of the prestige it may bring or the salary it may pay. Seek God’s direction. He knows exactly what you should be doing.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11