Hanging on my fridge, for approximately 4 years now, is a writing by Max Lucado, one of my all time favorite Christian writers, that seems to hear the heartbeat of our God. As I was pouring my coffee this morning, I was thinking of my girls enjoying their Thanksgiving week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Cape Hatterus in Frisco. What a beautiful beach! And they both are sharing this time together, with those they love. I love that.
A few things must be accomplished this a.m...but I have this nagging desire to give all those who need a hug from God, a copy of Mr. Lucado's insight. So, without further ado...
EACH DAY
by Max Lucado
It's quiet.
It's early. My coffee is hot.
The sky is still black.
The world is still asleep.
The day is coming.
In a few moments, the day will arrive.
It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose.
And so I choose.
I choose love...
No occasion justifies hatred;
No injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...
The tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace...
I will live forgiven.
I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
I will be kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust.
My associates will not question my word.
My wife will not question my love.
And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I choose gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.
I am a spiritual being...
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
"...the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness."
~Galatians 5:22
May your day be blessed in Jesus.
Until that day when I meet Him face to face, you will find me here...in Mary's World.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
To Adorn or Not to Adorn
"And let not your adornment be MERELY external...braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses, but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." I Peter 3: 3-4
In my study of the Scriptures this morning, this particular verse grabbed me because of so much misunderstanding of what the apostle Peter was trying to convey. Much of the time we grab a verse and say, "aha! I KNEW those people were sinning against God and all that is holy!" Please understand I am not set on proving anyone wrong in their faith of the Scriptures and their understanding of them. I love trying to unlock the mysteries of the Word of God. Some things just seem contradictory, yet I know that not to be true. We must "study to show ourselves approved, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." And I realize I am far from understanding all that is in there. But it is our guide to living and we must find a place of peace with the Spirit of God. So here is my take on this particular situation:
The apostle does not condemn true ornament, nor does he condemn the desire to appear in such a way as to secure the esteem of others. God does not condemn real ornament. The universe is full of it. The colors of the clouds and of the rainbow; the varied hues of flowers; the plumage of birds, and the covering of many of the animals of the forest; the green grass; the variety of hill and valley; the beauty of the human complexion, the ruddy cheek, and the sparkling eye, are all of the nature of ornament. They are something superadded to what would be merely useful, to make them appear healthy or more alive. Few or none of these things are absolutely necessary to the things to which they are attached. The eye could see without the various tints of beauty that are drawn upon it, and the lips and the cheeks could perform their functions without their beautiful tints, and the vegetable world could exist without the variegated colors that are painted on it; but God meant that this should be a beautiful world; that it should appear well; that there should be something more than mere utility. The true notion of ornament or adorning is that which will make any person or thing appear well, or beautiful, to others; and the apostle does not prohibit that which would have this effect in the wife. The best thing she was to seek, was not that which is merely external, but that which is internal, and which God regards as of so great a value. The outward adornment was not to be the main or principal thing. Her heart was not to be set on it. He does not say she should wholly neglect her personal appearance, for she has no more right to be offensive to her husband by neglecting her personal appearance, than by having an obsession with it.
Synopsis:
Those whose heart is set on God, will from the heart honor and adore Him above all else. I feel better about myself when I do not neglect the external as I build upon the truth of God's Word for my spirit life. I can accomplish so much more when I feel I am at my best outwardly as well as inwardly. My outward appearance does not make my heart glad, it adds to my heart. "First the natural, then the spiritual." How we care for the external shows pretty much what the internal is. God is a God of beauty and order. Don't be ashamed to make yourself look well. Sure there is a limit. But I think we all know what that limit is. He is faithful and will draw us back to the truth if we wander too far away. It's all a heart issue. Be beautiful today!!!
Until the next time, you will find me here...in Mary's World
In my study of the Scriptures this morning, this particular verse grabbed me because of so much misunderstanding of what the apostle Peter was trying to convey. Much of the time we grab a verse and say, "aha! I KNEW those people were sinning against God and all that is holy!" Please understand I am not set on proving anyone wrong in their faith of the Scriptures and their understanding of them. I love trying to unlock the mysteries of the Word of God. Some things just seem contradictory, yet I know that not to be true. We must "study to show ourselves approved, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." And I realize I am far from understanding all that is in there. But it is our guide to living and we must find a place of peace with the Spirit of God. So here is my take on this particular situation:
The apostle does not condemn true ornament, nor does he condemn the desire to appear in such a way as to secure the esteem of others. God does not condemn real ornament. The universe is full of it. The colors of the clouds and of the rainbow; the varied hues of flowers; the plumage of birds, and the covering of many of the animals of the forest; the green grass; the variety of hill and valley; the beauty of the human complexion, the ruddy cheek, and the sparkling eye, are all of the nature of ornament. They are something superadded to what would be merely useful, to make them appear healthy or more alive. Few or none of these things are absolutely necessary to the things to which they are attached. The eye could see without the various tints of beauty that are drawn upon it, and the lips and the cheeks could perform their functions without their beautiful tints, and the vegetable world could exist without the variegated colors that are painted on it; but God meant that this should be a beautiful world; that it should appear well; that there should be something more than mere utility. The true notion of ornament or adorning is that which will make any person or thing appear well, or beautiful, to others; and the apostle does not prohibit that which would have this effect in the wife. The best thing she was to seek, was not that which is merely external, but that which is internal, and which God regards as of so great a value. The outward adornment was not to be the main or principal thing. Her heart was not to be set on it. He does not say she should wholly neglect her personal appearance, for she has no more right to be offensive to her husband by neglecting her personal appearance, than by having an obsession with it.
Synopsis:
Those whose heart is set on God, will from the heart honor and adore Him above all else. I feel better about myself when I do not neglect the external as I build upon the truth of God's Word for my spirit life. I can accomplish so much more when I feel I am at my best outwardly as well as inwardly. My outward appearance does not make my heart glad, it adds to my heart. "First the natural, then the spiritual." How we care for the external shows pretty much what the internal is. God is a God of beauty and order. Don't be ashamed to make yourself look well. Sure there is a limit. But I think we all know what that limit is. He is faithful and will draw us back to the truth if we wander too far away. It's all a heart issue. Be beautiful today!!!
Until the next time, you will find me here...in Mary's World
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