Quantity versus Quality

Comparing these two as it relates to our time with God and relationships we have.

I think sometimes we think that quantity is better when it comes to our quiet time with the Lord, our friends, spouses, children. But is it really?? It seems as though when we have a lot of time on our hands (quantity), we tend to take it for granted and use that time in ways that do not bring life to the time given.

We are distracted by many things, because, after all, we have plenty of time. So, for example I may have all day with the Lord or my husband, but how much of that time is really spent talking and listening versus watching T.V. or thinking about what needs to be done around the house? Or I may be “doing” many things to further my relationship with the Lord, but how much of it is empty promises and busy work just to check it off my list?

Whereas, when our time is limited, we try to cram as much in as possible. We turn off the T.V., our phone and our mind to the distractions because we want to “engage” ourselves as much as possible. Just ask someone that’s been given a time-frame of life…..they make a bucket list of everything they want to accomplish in that time.

So I am here to say, why wait? Why wait, to “get right with the Lord”, to love our family, to do and say things we think we have time for? When I think of all the things that consume our time, (i.e., TV, Facebook, unusual amounts of time sleeping or working on our “hobbies”, etc.) we do a lot, but often times that “a lot” produces very little. (Quantity not Quality)

Let’s evaluate what is taking our time and if there is not much quality in it, then maybe it needs to go and be replaced with something of substance.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. James 4:14-17 (NIV)

Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out. Colossians 4:5-6 (Message)

Earn the "Right"

I apologize in advance if this post is not politically correct or if it offends anyone, that is not my intention, this is just what the Lord has been dealing with me on.....

We, as Christians (the body of Christ), need to earn the right to inquire about a persons’ actions and most definitely earn the right to speak into their life. Allow me to unpack this….

I am so tired of us showing “concern” for a persons’ choices we do not have a relationship with; honestly it is nothing more than glorified gossip. How dare we show concern for a persons’ bad fruit and lifestyle choices when first we have not shown compassion. But isn’t it so much easier to gossip than to get our hands dirty? We have no right judging or confronting if we have not earned the right by building a relationship that can be honoring and trustworthy. But instead of investing in people, we sit on our thrones dictating what sin we will and won’t touch. Honestly, I am talking about “rights” but actually we have no rights, because didn’t Jesus come so that we ALL may be cleansed (which implies we all need it)? But instead, when a brother falls short of our standards, we brush them to the curb until they clean up their act; rather than picking them up, washing them through the spirit of Jesus Christ and walking along side them.

Heaven help us, the body of Christ, the place for broken and dirty people, not people who are already fixed and clean. Are we so far removed from our own filth and brokenness that we forget who and what the cross was for?

Do we confront sin? Absolutely, but if we want that confrontation to be received in love; we have to first be love, be compassion, be Jesus with skin on. Therefore, earn the right to do so.

The Prodigy In Me

We are doing a series at church called “The Prodigy In Me”. As God always does, He brings things to light so that it can be used for His glory. It was through Pastor Furtick’s message last week (www.elevationexperience.com) that I realized how my low view of myself was really a reversed form of pride. Allow me to explain.

Pastor did a terrific job at helping us realize that we all have a prodigy inside of us. Prodigy meaning: someone having extraordinary talent; a marvelous example of; something wonderful, you get the picture. Anyway, through that message I realized this to be true about myself as well. However, another truth was exposed through the message that day and every day since then. My caution of being seen as prideful, arrogant and overly confident caused me to press down the prodigy in me; which are the gifts God has given for His glory, and that is really a reverse form of pride.

See, this form of humility causes me to think less of myself than I should and the pride I wanted to avoid was thinking more of myself than I should. Both are PRIDE, and both hinder the gifts GOD placed in me and YOU. God gives us gifts and talents to exalt Him and be used for Him. So who am I not to use them because of thinking too much of myself in either way. I should have God confidence in what I have been gifted to do and do it with complete abandon. I love this poem and I think it speaks to what I am trying to convey here.

Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Marianne Williamson

Have you ever struggled with the fear of making a mistake.

Have you ever struggled with the fear of making a mistake that it literally paralyzed you from moving forward with anything?

As I am filtering through some transitions in my own life, I am smacked in the face with that realization. “I am so afraid of making a mistake that I am growing stagnant and not doing anything” (God forbid)

If I expect to walk through life making no mistakes, isn’t that a form of pride? I mean, isn’t it about the journey more than the destination? It takes courage to make mistakes; it takes being vulnerable; it takes being able to say, “I don’t know, but I know God does.”; it takes trust and blind faith. Maybe therein lies the problem~~

I don’t want to be vulnerable to my lack of courage.
I don’t want to be vulnerable to my lack of faith.
I don’t want to be vulnerable to my lack of trust.
I just don’t want to be vulnerable at all, because being vulnerable says….I can’t do it on my own.

Oh boy! I don’t know, but I have made a choice to do it fearful and trust that not “if” but when I make a mistake, God’s grace is enough to carry me to the next victory or mistake.

Thoughts from a recovering perfectionist to appreciator of grace. :)

When our beliefs collide with the world’s standards

I don’t know if you ever struggle with this but I have been struggling lately with compromising my beliefs to fit in with the world and with those around me. I have been listening to those voices in my head saying,

“Loosen up”
“Stop being such a prude”
“Get over your-self”
“Everybody else is doing it”

So as I was struggling with the Lord in my quiet time this morning, these are the scriptures He offered me…..

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people ~ Romans 16:17, 18

A man without self-control is like a city broken in to and left without walls ~ proverbs 25:38

However, when I go to scripture and look at the promises He gives me on living right before the Lord, I find it compelling to move forward in righteousness.

Godly people find life; evil people find death ~ Proverbs 11:19

As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You]. ~ psalm 17:5

Look again at the promises…..Godly people find “life”. “I shall be fully satisfied and have communion with Him”.

I don’t write this to bring condemnation and to say that it is easy, because the world makes its’ way look so tempting and appealing, but I have lived enough to know it can never offer the promises our Jesus offers.

So I write to share what the Lord spoke to my heart as I struggle with these same issues; and I have to ask myself do I want to be like everybody else or do I want to be like Jesus? Do I want to fill myself with the world’s standards that result in an empty and promise-lacking life or do I want to fill myself with Jesus and all the promises He offers me? What about you my friend?

I have decided!

Just a video from our last two weeks at our church......

Follow from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

Gift of Intercession & Codependency

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

I have heard it and believe it to be true…..”The enemy likes to pervert what God creates” Take for example, sex; God created it for marriage and in its purest form, it is a blessing; however, taken outside of marriage, it can bring on curses and consequences that the enemy would like to hide from us.

Well, I feel like God has revealed that our giftings can operate very much the same way. What God meant for good, the enemy perverts. I personally have always struggled with anxiety and codependency issues. I have come a long way in both of these areas; however, I still have tendencies toward both strongholds. But, I feel the Lord is revealing that through my anxiety and codependency is my opportunity to intercede on behalf of the people I am seeking to change or control. (root of codependency) and the things I get anxious about are also my opportunity for prayer. I am realizing that when the strongholds are heightened, it’s more than likely because I have taken back the wheel of control and not turned it over to the Lord. (The one with the real power to control or change things).

The times when I have turned my anxiety and codependent moments into times of interceding prayer, that’s when real change can take place….because I am putting my trust in “the one” that can make things happen and that is the only responsibility I have….to intercede and trust.

Keeping it Real (baring it all)

I have had a really hard time in my relationship with the Lord, as He continues to peel away the layers. One of those seasons where I am doing good to muster a mere “Jesus help me” phrase. Have you ever been there? It’s not a very peaceful place to be, is it? Well, I have been begging Him to rescue me from this dry season and last week during the message at church, He did.

Our pastor has been preaching on “getting our spiritual momentum back” and the very first bullet point hit me right between the eyes. (no pun intended…wink) He said, “The first step in getting your momentum back is… GO TO GOD”. Sounds great, right? However, what he said next was my moment…..he said, “it’s hard to go to God when you are blaming him for your situation” WOW! Let’s sit here for a minute……we may not outright blame him, as Pastor was saying, it’s a heart thing….we may not come out and recognize or readily admit that we blame God for our situation, circumstances, relationships or lack of, etc. But I had to go home and get real and admit where I was in my heart.

My prayer went something like this, “Lord, I have been blaming you, I am angry with you, you could change this season (circumstance, situation, relationship, etc) I am in and I don’t see you moving…….where are you God? I thought you said you would never leave me, well I feel pretty alone right now!!” “So there, I said it, I bared it all and I don’t know what to do with it, but your word says that if I will confess it, you will do the rest….so that’s all I have” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

And you know what friend?? That’s all He needs to work with, is our honesty and confession. We can’t get healing on things we aren’t willing to be real about. Nothing can come from keeping things buried and denied. So who or what are you blaming today for your situation, relationship, circumstance? Get real and bare it all before the Lord, He is faithful to handle it from there. I am not out of the dry spell yet, but with each day as I simply learn to acknowledge where I am and by faith, give it back to Him…..I know I will get back my momentum and no things may not get better, but my perspective sure will.