Click on this link! It's from John Piper's blog, Desiring God. Really interesting to think about..and quite convicting!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Beware: The Bible Is About to Threaten Your Smartphone Focus
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Just Listen
Well, I have realized that much of this blog has been about my walk with the Lord/general things that I have learned. But that was not the purpose of this blog- it was to write about what I've been learning about God's intention for women. I think that that I will still write about that sometimes, but I think that much of the Christian life is mortifying sins and humbling ourselves and trusting the Lord-things that apply to both men and women. So I still want to write about that stuff too. But something has been on my mind lately that applies to women especially (but really to everyone).
As a girl, I know exactly how easy it is to talk-and talk, and talk, and talk. We talk about friends, boys, clothes, school, families, life, goals, jobs, experiences, dreams, emotions, regrets, theology, and the list goes on and on. We are all avid talkers, talented at sharing what we're thinking and feeling. But how good are we at listening? I don't just mean in a conversation where we're going back and forth with a friend, interjecting our thoughts when we consider it necessary. I mean the kind of listening where, while another person is talking, all we do is hear them and think about what they are saying. We need to not sit there and plan our response, but give them our full attention, and think of a response after they have finished speaking. And, we need to recognize that we don't always need to give our input. Sometimes when people need to talk, they just need someone to listen. They don't need our advice or opinions.
Another thing- we need to listen to wisdom. When talking with parents/people older and more wise than us, rather than thinking that they are out of touch or weird, we can listen to what they have to say. Proverbs 22:17 says, "Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise..." Often, older people have amazing advice. If we would just sit down and listen to them, we could glean their insight into particular situations.
I'm not saying that I've perfected either of these things-I haven't. But I know I need to work on them, and I'm probably not alone.
As a girl, I know exactly how easy it is to talk-and talk, and talk, and talk. We talk about friends, boys, clothes, school, families, life, goals, jobs, experiences, dreams, emotions, regrets, theology, and the list goes on and on. We are all avid talkers, talented at sharing what we're thinking and feeling. But how good are we at listening? I don't just mean in a conversation where we're going back and forth with a friend, interjecting our thoughts when we consider it necessary. I mean the kind of listening where, while another person is talking, all we do is hear them and think about what they are saying. We need to not sit there and plan our response, but give them our full attention, and think of a response after they have finished speaking. And, we need to recognize that we don't always need to give our input. Sometimes when people need to talk, they just need someone to listen. They don't need our advice or opinions.
Another thing- we need to listen to wisdom. When talking with parents/people older and more wise than us, rather than thinking that they are out of touch or weird, we can listen to what they have to say. Proverbs 22:17 says, "Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise..." Often, older people have amazing advice. If we would just sit down and listen to them, we could glean their insight into particular situations.
I'm not saying that I've perfected either of these things-I haven't. But I know I need to work on them, and I'm probably not alone.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Lord Provides
Something that I have constantly been reminded of lately is the fact that God provides. Isaiah 58:11 says, "And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones, and you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." These are just two of the passages where God says that He will provide everything we need. We can always rest assured that not only will He always be faithful to fulfill His promises, but He is also "able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).
But this morning I was thinking of this and realized something else. One name for God that I remember learning about even back in early elementary school is Jehovah Jireh. This name translated means "the Lord provides". God is not our Provider because He provides, but He provides because He's our Provider-it's who He is. Excuse my lack of more profound words or in depth thoughts. This is just what I was thinking this morning as I got ready for church, and it was an encouragement to me so I thought I'd share. :)
But this morning I was thinking of this and realized something else. One name for God that I remember learning about even back in early elementary school is Jehovah Jireh. This name translated means "the Lord provides". God is not our Provider because He provides, but He provides because He's our Provider-it's who He is. Excuse my lack of more profound words or in depth thoughts. This is just what I was thinking this morning as I got ready for church, and it was an encouragement to me so I thought I'd share. :)
Monday, February 7, 2011
A Consistent Inner Struggle
There are several things that I am constantly struggling with. I often fight with myself about one thing or another. The question of God's will is often on my mind-what is His will for my life? It's something that has caused me to worry too much, and though it can excite me at times, it can also make me stressed.
Matthew 6:34 says, "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Often there are verses that I find very comforting, but at the same time hard to apply. This is one of those verses. It is so comforting to know that I do not need to worry about tomorrow, and that all I need to focus on is today. But that is so hard to do! It's so easy to worry about what's going to happen tomorrow. It's so hard not knowing God's will for my life. No matter how much I pray about it, I still worry about it at times. But recently I have begun to understand how to change this.
Another thing that has helped is what I remember hearing quite often from my junior high Bible teacher. Mrs. Johnson was one of the best teachers I've ever had, and she had many sayings that were memorable and would be life-changing if lived out. One of the things she always said was "Just do the next right thing." Often we get caught up in what to do about the big things in life. But if we daily do just the things for that day that need to be done, the bigger picture things will work out. This is not to say that we never plan for the future (remember the ant in Proverbs). An example of this is finding a job. People often worry about working and making money, especially in this economy when it's hard to find jobs. But the "today" thing to do would be to fill out applications, and leave the rest to the Lord. As He opens doors, He will make it clear what to do. But rather than worrying about it, just do the right thing (fill out applications, do interviews, make sure your resume is updated, etc.). The rest is the Lord's job, and it is important to remember this: He will always provide what you need. But His idea of what we need is often quite different than our idea of it.
Matthew 6:34 says, "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Often there are verses that I find very comforting, but at the same time hard to apply. This is one of those verses. It is so comforting to know that I do not need to worry about tomorrow, and that all I need to focus on is today. But that is so hard to do! It's so easy to worry about what's going to happen tomorrow. It's so hard not knowing God's will for my life. No matter how much I pray about it, I still worry about it at times. But recently I have begun to understand how to change this.
Lately I have been journaling nearly every day and it has been great. I can go back to specific days and see what I read in my devotions and what I was struggling with or learning on top of that. January 12, I was particularly frustrated with the question of what God's plan for my life is. Here is part of what I wrote that day:
Again I feel the pull to be anxious over things in the future...[God] will make my path abundantly clear as I acknowledge Him (Proverbs 3:5-6)...God is faithful and has never let me get out of His will so much that it can't be reversed. He will guide me and all I need to do is do the right things for today. As Betsie ten Boom said, “the center of His will is our only safety.” As along as I'm seeking His face and obediently doing His will for right now, the long-run things will fall into place.
Yesterday afternoon this subject was brought up again. Some older friends encouraged my friend Abby and I to seek the Lord and do the things He requires of us to do today. One of them talked about how usually when the Bible talks about the will of God for our lives, it's not about a career, spouse, or things like that. He reminded us of one thing the Bible says about God's will: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification..." (I Thessalonians 4:3, emphasis added). God desires our sanctification, and as we walk with Him and obey Him, the bigger picture will be revealed and will work itself out.
I am not claiming to have mastered this by any means, but it is a way that God has been teaching me to rely on Him more, so I thought I'd share it. :)
p.s. In the excerpt from my journal I talked about never going outside of God's will so far that it can't be reversed. Not that I completely understand the will of God, because I believe that no one does or ever will, but here is what I meant: I know that God is sovereign and will work things out the way He plans in His own time. But I also know that He gave us a free will, and that we have a sin nature. These two things combined mean that we can go outside of His will in the smaller picture, by sinning. But I don't believe that we can really mess up the bigger picture, even if our small "mistakes" seem like they could ruin our lives.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Quotes
It's been forever since I have posted a blog. Rather than giving excuses for it, I will just continue.
God has taught me so much about Himself and about myself and my sin this past semester. Christmas break has been a time of great reflection and refreshment. I thought I would share several quotes that have impacted me. Though it is more impersonal than taking the time to write out the various things I've been learning, these quotes have had profound meaning to me. So, it really is personal, at least to some extent.
"Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see."
-Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place
"There are no 'if's' in God's world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety.
-Betsie ten Boom, quoted in The Hiding Place
"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn."
-Martin Luther
"Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church."
-C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
[If you are unfamiliar with this book, the premise is that one demon is writing to his nephew, also a demon, about how to gain the victory over a man's soul. It's great read but it requires your full attention.]
"You must therefore conceal from the patient the true end of humility. Let him think of it not as self-forgetfulness, but as a certain kind of opinion (namely, a low opinion) of his own talents and character."
-C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
I'll end with not a quote, but a verse that has also been an encouragement.
"This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in Him.'" -Lamentations 3:21-24
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Several Ways to Make Yourself Miserable
Tonight, while reading Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot, I came across a great chapter. It was pretty great, so I'm going to write it out here.
Several Ways to Make Yourself Miserable
1. Count your troubles, name them one by one-at the breakfast table, if anybody will listen, or as soon as possible thereafter.
2. Worry every day about something. Don't let yourself get out of practice. It won't add a cubit to your stature but it might burn a few calories.
3. Pity yourself. If you do enough of this, nobody else will have to do it for you.
4. Devise clever but decent ways to serve God and mammon [wealth]. After all, a man's gotta live.
5. Make it your business to find out what the Joneses are buying this year and where they're going. Try to do them at least one better even if you have to take out another loan to do it.
6. Stay away from absolutes. It's what's right for you that matters. Be your own person and don't allow yourself to get hung up on what other expect of you.
7. Make sure you get your rights. Never mind other people's. You have your life to live, they have theirs.
8. Don't fall into any compassion traps-the sort of situation where people can walk all over you. If you get too involved in other people's troubles, you may neglect your own.
9. Don't let Bible reading and prayer get in the way of what's really relevant-things like TV and newspapers. Invisible things are eternal. You want to stick with the visible ones-they're where it's at now.
Clearly, she using sarcasm. No one really wants to make themselves miserable. But so often we (at least, I) do these things subconsciously. I often get caught up in complaining and only looking out for myself. But it's those times where I take my focus off myself and look around me to see if there's a way I can help someone else that I have true joy. Looking out for self really does only lead to being miserable. I am so grateful for women like Elisabeth Elliot who will point out this kind of thing, because other wise I probably would not be thinking about it. I would like to encourage anyone reading this to remember this and learn to focus on eternal things and other people's needs rather than their own.
Several Ways to Make Yourself Miserable
1. Count your troubles, name them one by one-at the breakfast table, if anybody will listen, or as soon as possible thereafter.
2. Worry every day about something. Don't let yourself get out of practice. It won't add a cubit to your stature but it might burn a few calories.
3. Pity yourself. If you do enough of this, nobody else will have to do it for you.
4. Devise clever but decent ways to serve God and mammon [wealth]. After all, a man's gotta live.
5. Make it your business to find out what the Joneses are buying this year and where they're going. Try to do them at least one better even if you have to take out another loan to do it.
6. Stay away from absolutes. It's what's right for you that matters. Be your own person and don't allow yourself to get hung up on what other expect of you.
7. Make sure you get your rights. Never mind other people's. You have your life to live, they have theirs.
8. Don't fall into any compassion traps-the sort of situation where people can walk all over you. If you get too involved in other people's troubles, you may neglect your own.
9. Don't let Bible reading and prayer get in the way of what's really relevant-things like TV and newspapers. Invisible things are eternal. You want to stick with the visible ones-they're where it's at now.
Clearly, she using sarcasm. No one really wants to make themselves miserable. But so often we (at least, I) do these things subconsciously. I often get caught up in complaining and only looking out for myself. But it's those times where I take my focus off myself and look around me to see if there's a way I can help someone else that I have true joy. Looking out for self really does only lead to being miserable. I am so grateful for women like Elisabeth Elliot who will point out this kind of thing, because other wise I probably would not be thinking about it. I would like to encourage anyone reading this to remember this and learn to focus on eternal things and other people's needs rather than their own.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Dying Every Day
Luke 9:23 - "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.'"
Gospel.com, when talking about this verse says, "Following Jesus isn't always easy--in fact, it often requires us to go against the grain of our natural human impulses. The work of loving Jesus and acting righteously is an everyday struggle of denying our own desires."
I like this statement. So often, as Christians we subconsciously think that it should be easier to follow Him. We think that if we have our priorities straight and love Him above all else, then nothing would truly feel like a struggle. Really though, there are many hardships, no matter how much you love Christ and have an eternal perspective. Also, I like how the author of that statement said that following Jesus means doing things that are unnatural to us. It's not natural to be holy ('set apart'-honestly, who really wants to be different from everyone else?) or to obey when it's hard. It also says that loving Jesus and acting righteously are work. Of course, these things can be easy at times and will produce blessings out the wazoo, but sometimes they are hard goals to have! The last part-"...everyday struggle of denying our own desires" is what I really want to focus on.
First of all, let's take a look at what "death" means. Dictionary.com defines death as "the act of dying; the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism" and "extinction; destruction". There are some other definitions it gives too but they pretty much all mean the same things. As Christians, we have died to sin and are made alive in Christ. Our sin's life has ended; all the vital functions of our sins have totally and permanently ceased. It is no more. We, of course, still sin. But we are no longer held captive by the bondage of sin. We can now escape it.
But death to sin is not the only death we encounter as believer in Christ. We must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily, as Jesus said. The term "deny self" implies that it will be a hard thing. Each day we have to surrender to God and ask Him to help us deal with our sin and live righteously. We have to let go of our fleshly desires and learn to want what God wants. In her book Passion and Purity, Elisabeth Elliot says, "Life requires countless 'little' deaths-occasions when we are given the chance to say no to self and yes to God." Denying myself means that when I want to go to sleep instead of finishing my homework, I need to press on and finish what I've started, still doing it as if it were for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). It means that when I don't want to volunteer to do the dishes, I should do it in order to serve my sisters. I have to say no to my flesh and do what God requires of me.
A big part of being a Christian, or a woman seeking to please her Lord, is denying self and doing what God requires. Thankfully, we know what He requires of us- "He has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). God is not someone who expects things but never tells us what it is that He expects. He shows us through His word and through the example of His Son exactly what He wants from us, and will gladly help us do it. The only thing that is needed to be able to do this is denial of self.
Addison Leitch said, "When the will of God crosses the will of man, somebody has to die." Every time I want something that God would not want, I have to let go of my own desires. This is hard work, but it brings immeasurable joy.
Gospel.com, when talking about this verse says, "Following Jesus isn't always easy--in fact, it often requires us to go against the grain of our natural human impulses. The work of loving Jesus and acting righteously is an everyday struggle of denying our own desires."
I like this statement. So often, as Christians we subconsciously think that it should be easier to follow Him. We think that if we have our priorities straight and love Him above all else, then nothing would truly feel like a struggle. Really though, there are many hardships, no matter how much you love Christ and have an eternal perspective. Also, I like how the author of that statement said that following Jesus means doing things that are unnatural to us. It's not natural to be holy ('set apart'-honestly, who really wants to be different from everyone else?) or to obey when it's hard. It also says that loving Jesus and acting righteously are work. Of course, these things can be easy at times and will produce blessings out the wazoo, but sometimes they are hard goals to have! The last part-"...everyday struggle of denying our own desires" is what I really want to focus on.
First of all, let's take a look at what "death" means. Dictionary.com defines death as "the act of dying; the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism" and "extinction; destruction". There are some other definitions it gives too but they pretty much all mean the same things. As Christians, we have died to sin and are made alive in Christ. Our sin's life has ended; all the vital functions of our sins have totally and permanently ceased. It is no more. We, of course, still sin. But we are no longer held captive by the bondage of sin. We can now escape it.
But death to sin is not the only death we encounter as believer in Christ. We must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily, as Jesus said. The term "deny self" implies that it will be a hard thing. Each day we have to surrender to God and ask Him to help us deal with our sin and live righteously. We have to let go of our fleshly desires and learn to want what God wants. In her book Passion and Purity, Elisabeth Elliot says, "Life requires countless 'little' deaths-occasions when we are given the chance to say no to self and yes to God." Denying myself means that when I want to go to sleep instead of finishing my homework, I need to press on and finish what I've started, still doing it as if it were for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). It means that when I don't want to volunteer to do the dishes, I should do it in order to serve my sisters. I have to say no to my flesh and do what God requires of me.
A big part of being a Christian, or a woman seeking to please her Lord, is denying self and doing what God requires. Thankfully, we know what He requires of us- "He has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). God is not someone who expects things but never tells us what it is that He expects. He shows us through His word and through the example of His Son exactly what He wants from us, and will gladly help us do it. The only thing that is needed to be able to do this is denial of self.
Addison Leitch said, "When the will of God crosses the will of man, somebody has to die." Every time I want something that God would not want, I have to let go of my own desires. This is hard work, but it brings immeasurable joy.
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