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Monday, 08 August 2011

You Wanna Take This Outside?

It's funny how some people are aggressive and others are passive. This week Julie and I were hanging with some other really cool girls, and each of us revealed our natural tendencies when we get angry/upset. Julie and a few others were honest and said they want to punch people lol, while I and some others have more passive reactions. Julie told the story of how when I was a teenager and someone would make me upset, I would lock myself in my room and throw every shoe I owned at the wall. Julie's room was downstairs below mine, and she would hear thud after thud and know that I was upset. Ah, it made me laugh.

But it also made me think, "Where's the fight in me?" Some things are worth fighting against. We shouldn't lose control of ourselves or sin in our anger... but we can't just isolate ourselves from the world and wallow in our pathetic self-pity.

Discouragement is one of the greatest weapons that the devil will try to destroy us with, and we've got to learn how to fight it instead of let it steamroll us.

"Since we are joined together... we do not become discouraged. Instead, we have renounced all the things that hide in shame; we refuse to live deceptively or use trickery, and we do not pollute God's word with any other agenda." (2 Cor. 4:1-3)

This passage spoke volumes to me this week about how to fight discouragement.

First, being joined to others PREVENTS discouragement in the first place. One of the biggest lies the enemy makes us believe is that we are all alone and the only ones going through this or feeling this way. That's so not true! And in our pride, we try to suck it up and not burden others with how we feel and yada yada... but we need each other. So many times, once I've finally opened up to someone, I've felt so relieved to hear that they have been there too! "What? So I'm not crazy?" YES, I'm not alone. But I will be if I choose to be.

Second, we've got to renounce all secret sin and/or shame. We isolate ourselves when we feel ashamed. Maybe we are ashamed of our own secret sin. Maybe we are ashamed of the secret sin that has been committed against us. Either way, the Bible tells us to confess our sins one to another and be healed. How crazy is it that God designed us to need others in order to be healed? It's more than just our relationship with Jesus! It's our relationship with other people (who have Jesus living in them!) that is so important to the healing process.

And last, we've got to lose "any other agenda" outside of what's in God's Word! Man, most of the time the reason I'm discouraged is because my agenda isn't succeeding! That goal I set for myself that I can't seem to get there (maybe God doesn't have this same goal for me?) Or the plan of how I want things to go that just isn't happening. When my expectations don't come to pass, disappointment automatically comes. And disappointment leads to discouragement if I don't surrender it to God. This week I've been honest with God about my agenda and repenting of caring more about mine than His.
Expiration Dates

Most of the time expiration dates annoy me. It's early in the morning, you pour that milk into your coffee and take your first sip and "Blech! Nasty!" Then you look at the side of the bottle and realize it's expired! Seriously? With all of our technology, we can't overcome these pesky expiration dates? Side Bar: When you really think about it though, it's actually kind of creepy that milk sometimes lasts a good 3 weeks from the time you buy it.

Expiration dates are generally an inconvenience when you want the good stuff to just keep coming and now it's over. Time to go buy a new one.

There are other times when you wish so bad there were an expiration date on something! Something more like a trial in your life. People say, "This too shall pass," but you can't see how that's possible! You're longing for the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'll be honest and say that sometimes I wish there were expiration dates on God's commands to me. And sometimes I act as if there were, when clearly I know that there aren't. "That thing God told me to obey 3 years ago? Oh that was for back then! It's probably expired now."

Jesus reminded me this week that there are no expiration dates on his commands.

Every time I act like there is an expiration date on something he told me a while ago, and I attempt to go back to it, I only end up miserable. It might take a few days or a few weeks but it always ends the same way. The thing that I think will bring me freedom, I become enslaved to once again. God knows what's best for me, like a loving Father. If I keep trusting that His commands to me are for my good and for my freedom, and I obey, that is living in true freedom.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Cor. 3:17.) If I'm feeling stuck and enslaved, it's time to ask myself where I'm disobeying Jesus.

"The Word of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul." (Psalm 19:7)

"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever!" (Isa. 40:8)

His Word - not just the Bible, but the commands he speaks specifically to me to obey - never expire! They never become irrelevant or obsolete.
Image

Mark 12:[16] When the Pharisees handed the Roman coin to him, Jesus asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”“Caesar’s,” they replied. [17] “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”His reply completely amazed them.
This is awesome! I feel like I truly understand this passage today now! I am loving the Discovery Bible reading plan for the eye-opening commentary it gives me! Jesus isn’t just talking about money here, he is talking about OURSELVES. The Roman coin had Caesar’s picture on it (any produced images were offensive to Jews because it was against the 10 commandments) and an inscription that read “Son of the divine Augustus” and “High Priest.” Jesus was saying because it bore Caesar’s image and title that it belonged to him and should be given back to him. But when he says, “and give to God what is God’s” he isn’t talking about money. It isn’t truly referencing dividing up our money to what belongs to God or bills or government, or even dividing up our lives to what belongs to God, to our family, to our job, etc. Money isn’t made in God’s image, WE ARE! And the Jewish audience totally recognized the reference he was making. WE bear God’s image and his inscription (Eph 1:13) so rightfully we should give our entire selves and lives back to God!
Isn't It Ironic

“Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’” -Jesus, Mk 12:10-11

Wow I feel like I understand this parable for this first time! Jesus is the stone the builders rejected. When you’re building a building, you need a bunch of stones/bricks the same size and shape. We come across Jesus and he is NOT the size and shape we think we are looking for… he is very inconvenient and just doesn’t fit into our life. But as it turns out, he is the cornerstone! The cornerstone is an oddly shaped stone that fits perfectly into the top of the arch, and you need an arch in your building to be complete. Without it, you are incomplete, and so is your life. Turns out the inconvenient-not-fitting-into-your-life-or-your-plans-Jesus is the most essential thing you need in your life.
Go Shawty
Birthday Highlights!
- Got to be with my TWIN on our actual birthday for the first time in…. we couldn’t remember how long! could be since our 18th- that’s the last one we can remember together!
- I got to spend the WHOLE DAY with TJ- my favorite person in the WHOLE WORLD to hang out with. He got me a music card that sings Taylor Swift’s LOVE STORY (freakin love that song!) and he made me a “mix tape” (ok, CD) to listen to in the car. If you haven’t heard Lecrae rapping on Crowder’s “Shadows”.. it is BOOMSAUCE!!
- Went to Panera- one of my FAVE places to eat! I could live on soup, salad, sandwiches, and BREAD for the rest of my life!
- Went SHOPPING!!!! I LOVE shopping and I HARDLY ever do it, and when I do I am totally low-maintenance. I like to go to Salvation Army cuz you can get so much and BRAND NAME for so cheap! Although I don’t spend lots of money, TJ is still a saint for taking me shopping because I spend lots of TIME. HOURS.
- Saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2! It was HILARIOUS! I am a sucker for all things tween entertainment (I truly like the Disney channel lol.)
- Went to Starbucks! Of course! and I got a Birthday Cake Pop! soooooooo good. If you haven’t had one, it is the BEST CAKE EVER inside that little pop!
- Facebook makes birthdays so much better!! I love hearing from people I haven’t heard from in so long! You just feel so loved getting bazillions of people writing on your wall. :)
- It has really been more of a birthday WEEK! This past weekend we got to shoot pool and have an awesome SEAFOOD dinner with Rob & Julie and the OV Crew (I was overwhelmed with love already from these new friends! Thanks so much DP & JB!)
- This weekend MY MOM is visiting. Who knows what adventures await?
- Overall I’m another year older, but still only 26!! It goes downhill at 27, right? hahaha J/K old people!