Entries for the 'Grazing Spiritual Pastures' Category
LEARNING CONTENTMENT
August 28th, 2008 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
Philipians 4:11b (NAS) For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
This particular Scripture has always been difficult for me … in the sense that I thought it was quite noble … but beyond human possibility … at least in MY humanness. I care about way too much in life … not just about the things that we probably should care about … but those things that cause worries, anxiety, etc. So, when things seem to go down the “not so positive” path, I tend to think of the idea of contentment as being a “pie in the sky” possibility. I’m just being honest here! Sometimes I wish I didn’t care so much.
But how do you NOT care about all of the stuff in life? Hmm! Well … I’ve tried the denial path and believe me, that doesn’t work … just shuts you down … which isn’t so good for the abundant living, full of peace and joy life we are looking for. I’ve tried the venting, the crying out to God path … which works better … Certainly, God responds to our cries … but still no real resolution … at least with regard to the problem of caring too much about life’s issues.
Lately, I have had a statement stirring within me. It’s a German phrase that I learned back in my youth when I stayed in Germany two Summers. The phrase is, “Es Machts Nichts” (pronounced, S-Mox-Nix). Literally, it means, “It matters not.” The Germans use it in a way similar to the way we might respond to a question, “Do you want the brown one or the black one”? “It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t have a strong opinion. I’m neutral.” Sometimes we Americans even say, “Whatever!” or “I don’t care.”
Which brings us back to our CARING TOO MUCH theme.
So the cry in my being (of late) has been, “Lord, I want to be able to look at life and all of the “stuff” that happens (both good and bad) and say, “Es Machts Nichts (S-Mox-Nix). It matters not. I’m neutral. I don’t care.” But not with a defeatest, non-motivated, kindof attitude but rather,”I’ll take whatever comes my way, trust You in it, and trust that You are working good in it and out of it and in me and through me! I’ll step into it with faith, listening for that Good, that Purpose You have in it.”
Why DO things matter so much anyway? Why can’t we be neutral about things? Two points to ponder on this subject, no explanations, just points to ponder (taken from the book, The Shack, by William P. Young, that I have just read):
1. “You try to make sense of the world in which you live based on a very small and incomplete picture of reality.” p. 126
2. “The real underlying flaw in your life … is that you don’t think that I (God) am good.” p. 126
Extremely poignant. Selah! (which means “Think about it!”)
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GIVING INTO PRESSURES IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN
July 10th, 2008 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
“God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Life presses against all of us every day. There are pressures … things that we feel, or others feel, we just MUST take care of … They cause us to want to act … to figure out what to do … JUST DO SOMETHING! Get this pressure off me PLEASE!
And yet, hasty decisions made under pressure often bring terrible results.
Looking at the life of Saul, for example, we see that he gave into the pressures and lost dearly:
1 Sam 13:6-14
6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. 7Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 11But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” 13Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14“But now your kingdom shall not endure The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
How many of us have have acted because business and/or those around us “were scattering,” what we are waiting on “did not come,” and our enemies “were assembling against us”? Sounds like a great deal of pressure, huh? I can SO relate!
In terms of Saul’s life, God was looking for a leader and Saul failed to act like one. He was following, not leading!
In terms of our life, God is also looking for those He can trust with His purposes in this Earth.
Mistakes happen when we take action and make changes that truly are not ours to make. According to the Serenity Prayer (which seeks a life of serenity, I think something we all want!) what we really need to discern in life is what we actually have control over, what we have the capacity to change. Once discerned, then we ask for the wisdom to know what and how to change what we have control over and then the courage to actually do it.
Otherwise, we accept what we can not change … which means being comfortable with non-action … Giving God His portion to deal with.
Knowing our portion and living in our portion. It requires focused attention … Acting under pressure simply is not the answer.
Rather, first submission! “Lord, I realize I don’t have the capacity to change all things here. What do I truly have control over here? What portion are you giving me to change? What portion is Yours? What wisdom will you give me to walk this out?”
Knowing our portion (and God’s) and then trusting God enough to let Him work out that which we can’t!
Difficult? Yes! Yet it is the path of true serenity!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and Lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6
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HOW DO WE LIVE OUT THE DAILY GRIND?
July 8th, 2008 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
Tuesday – 7/8/8 – How do we live out the daily grind?
13And so faith, hope, love abide
[faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things;
hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation;
love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
Happy Tuesday–
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OUR VALUES
April 16th, 2008 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
There are different seasons in people’s lives. During each season, we value things differently (e.g., what’s important to us). We try things in life (put our hearts into things) and, at that stage, we believe what we are pursuing is most important. One season is not better than another. It just a different season. It’s all about discovery.
What we value determines who we want to be with … We are all looking for those we call “Like Kind,” those with similar values to our own. Here’s a list of what we value.
Our Values
We seem to be drawn to people we call “Wayfarers” or “Wayfaring Strangers,” probably because we are wayfarers ourselves. Some traits that describe these wayfarers are:
- Made our share of mistakes in Life
- Understand the Grace of God
- Passionate about Living for Christ and Living out Christ through Ministry to others
- Have tried in the past to find a place in the traditional church … just don’t seem to fit there
- Want community, not church
- Keen awareness of hypocricy
- Don’t want to be a “pew sitter”
- Love God … but want love for Him to manifest differently than earlier in life
- Realize the Goal in Life is to Love God … but recognize the value of healthy relationships – true love for others
- Currently pursuing the “How to” of that
- Want to give life for something that truly matters … in process of discovering it
- In Hot pursuit to discover what really matters in life
- Understand that the best things in life are “Hidden”
- Have thoroughly learned that “it’s not all about me”
- Want to learn to truly live out of a “God centered life” (vs. self centered)
- Are open to listen to the Lord to try a new (or at least different) format of community that manifest all of this
- Want the “coming alive of all” and “all people being significant” to be the goal
- Want the goal be for all to discover the “real” person they are in Christ
- Want the goal to be so “full of Christ” that there is a natural overflow in loving/serving others
- Want to build a community, not an institution
- Recognize that there is a tendency to conform to traditional “church” ways (e.g., worship first, message second, deacons, elders, etc.)
- Willing to be “edgy” and try some nonconforming ways in order to gently resist institutionalizing anything that develops
- Recognize that leadership arises out of “who a person is,” not a title given
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