Are You Pleased?

I walked away from a conversation at the beginning of the week feeling like a loser.  Why did I feel like a loser?  The person had made one remark that felt like a put down, and I came to the conclusion that I was not pleasing them.  I struggled hard as the accuser (Revelation 12:9-10) used this conversation to bombard me with all the reasons I should give up, quit, walk away from what I was trying to do. It's ironic that one of my thoughts shortly after the conversation was, "oh well, everyone's a critic."  I know I can't please everyone.  If I try to please one person, the very thing I do to satisfy their wishes will offend or disappoint someone else.  Regardless of what I know, I let myself be taken down that dark and bumpy road. 

I started to pray about it.  What else could I do.  I was a mess.  I was discouraged and depressed, and I had no ability to change this persons view of me.  But praise be to God, when I asked for his help he reminded me that I don't have to please people. I knew this, but when God tells me something it means more than my knowledge.  He is truth.  What He says is.  The verse that I was lead to was Galatians 1:10  "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."  

As long as I am obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit who is always consistent with the written word,  I don't have to worry what anyone else thinks of me.  There are people who don't like me, the things I do, or sometimes just the way I do them.  I may feel sad sometimes, but I can have peace and joy knowing that God is pleased.  He's made me his child.  (John 1:12) I am an heir with Christ!  (Romans 8:17)  He helps me to do what is right, though sometimes I try to go it alone and I fail.  I am sinful and flawed, (Romans 3:23) but Christ has paid the debt for my sin (1 Corinthians 15:3-5), and the Holy Spirit is working in me to make me more like Christ as I walk with him (Romans 12:2).  I am under construction, and I won't be perfect until God calls me home (Philippians 1:6), then I will be a completely finished masterpiece. (1 Corinthians 15:51) 

My actions fall short of pleasing God, but He is pleased with me because he sees the righteousness of His Son.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)  As I strive in this world to be a pleasing aroma, let it be for God alone. (2 Corinthians 2:15)  I will be considerate of people to the best of my ability, but I will have to let go of trying to please them. (Romans 12:18) I will serve them as Christ taught me to, but if they reject me I am not responsible for that decision. (John 13:14) (John 15:18)  (Luke 10:16) I will live my life for Jesus who gave His life for me, and I will strive to please God and not man.  

So, don't answer the question in the title.  It really doesn't matter as long as God is pleased.  :)

Of Camels and Needles and Such

Have you ever heard the testimony of someone who turned to Christ and was delivered from a life of addiction or crime?  Do you know anyone who thinks that they are a good person and deserve to go to heaven?  There are times when I think some unbelievers who are obviously "bad" may have a spiritual advantage over others who have always been relatively "good."  That sounds outrageous, but let me explain.  No one deserves to go to heaven.  We all need a savior.  None of us is really good, but for some folks it is easier to see their need than others.  Jesus said, "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."  (Mathew 19:24 NIV)  The rich man depends on his wealth and therefore overlooks his need for Jesus, and sometimes the "good" man does the same.  Anyone who depends on their own goodness to save them will be disappointed though.  Isaiah 64:6 says, "but we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade like the leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."  No one is an exception to this save Jesus who in His perfection was able to substitute himself for us as the Bible tells us.  "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."  (Isaiah 53:5)   The problem is that many people refuse to admit the guilt that they should be punished for, and will be punished for if they do not accept his gift of forgiveness.  "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them."  (John 3:36)  People who can plainly see the sin in their lives can repent, unlike those who think their offenses are inconsequential.  Telling a lie or spreading gossip is just as much of a sin as murder or robbery.  Sometimes we sin without even knowing it.  On our own we are held accountable for it all.  That is why I am so thankful Jesus came to save me.  In the sermon on the mount Jesus tells us that anyone who is angry with his brother without cause is in danger of judgement, and that looking at someone lustfully is adultery of the heart. (Matthew 5) No one is without sin, but there is a sinless Savior waiting to remove the guilt of those who are willing to admit their wrong and trust in Him.  Thank you, Jesus!

Martha, Martha

Today I read through the past two months of my journal so I could jot down the prayers that have been answered.  So many times I pray about things while I am worried and barely even notice after the prayer is answered.  I want to have an attitude of gratitude, so I started this practice at the beginning of the year.  It is sometimes amazing when I look back just two months and see what my prayers and concerns had been.  Sometimes I see that God worked things out the way I had asked Him to.  At other times I see that He had a much better plan.  Sometimes I am still waiting for an answer two months later, but I know that God's timing is perfect. As I turned in my little notebook to the page marked July 2, 2013, I was blessed by what I read there...

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"Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things."  Oh how soothing those words seem to me this morning.  Jesus wasn't speaking them with judgement or condemnation, but with compassion and understanding.  Mary had chosen not to be upset or worried.  She sat at the Lord's feet, enjoying His presence.  Martha hustled and bustled around trying to "serve" Him.  Martha didn't think that it was fair that Mary could just sit there like that, unconcerned about anything else.  

When my heart becomes overwhelmed with all there is to do, or with decisions that must be made, I want to remember the kindness in the way my Savior responded to Martha.  "Juanita, Juanita, you are worried and upset about many things."  Often when I become frustrated with a person, as Martha was frustrated with Mary, it's the same way.  It may not be as much about that person and what they are doing or not doing, but more about the "many things" that I need to let go of so that I can rest comfortably at my Savior's feet.  

Lord, give me peace and rest today that continues through my life.  Amen

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The passage of scripture that inspired this reflection is Luke 10:38-42

OMP

On Labor Day our family was out geocaching with our friend Tom who is visiting from Wyoming.  We had been to the parks at Benner Township and Bernel Road, taken a walk along Blue Course Drive, eaten lunch at Dairy Queen, and stopped various places along Martin Street.  Our quest to find hidden "treasures" had finally taken us to Circleville.  As we finished up our day of walks and searches I heard my daughter burst out with a frustrated, "OMP."  One of her brothers had asked her to do something he easily could have done himself, and she complied with a measure of annoyance.  We all looked at her a bit perplexed because none of us knew what OMP was supposed to mean, and then she spelled it out for us, "Oh My Pumpkins!" 

Part of me wanted to laugh, and part of me wanted to scold her.  I was about to tell her she couldn't cover up the meaning of what she was saying by changing the word to pumpkins, but before I did I mentally flipped the proverbial coin and looked at the other side.  Maybe she really is just say the word pumpkin in vain.  What if she were to say this among her peers at school?  Would they react the same way we did?  Her brothers just sort of rolled their eyes, and maybe even laughed at her silliness, but would someone who doesn't know her so well wonder why she would change the phrase?  I know why!  She respects God and doesn't want to use His title flippantly.  I say title because the One True God who created everything has many names that express His attributes.  Many people worship gods that are not real.  They are not divine, in fact many of them are not even alive.  Could OMP be Heather's way of saying, "I am frustrated, but I respect God?"  

I didn't actually say anything to her about it, but pondered the thought for a while.  In a culture where there is very little respect for anything, might this be one of the subtle ways that Heather stands out from the crowd?  Could it cause her friends to ask her questions and open the door to conversations about her faith that she would not otherwise have?  Is there anything wrong with exclaiming pumpkins? I'm not sure I know, but I think that I am often inclined to take things a little too seriously.  My prayer is that Heather will stand out as a light in the darkness, as one who knows the true and living God, and as someone who is eager to lead her friends to Him.  I can see that this is the desire of her heart, and so I am glad that I took a look at the other side of the coin before casting a judgement.  Heather, you are one special girl! 

Exodus 20:7  “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Late In August

The sky above is blue.  

The clouds are floating softly.  

They are big white puffs of cotton on this calm and peaceful day. 

The breeze brushes against my arm.  

Strands of hair tease my face.  

A little bug lands on my leg and I flick him away.  

The sun is shining brightly, 

but I am sitting in the shade from a great cluster of trees.  

They are standing proudly.  

Their leaves are green in this summer scene,
but very soon they will be changing.  

Shades of flaming orange and fiery red
will creep up the mountain behind me.  

Golden streaks will stir themselves into the mix.  

The air that is now moist and heavy
will soon be crisp and clear.  

Those birds that are gliding overhead
will fly south to their winter home.  

The bugs will go to sleep, 

and I will hide my legs from the chill.  

The friendly breeze will become harsh and cold.  

The wood piles that we have split and stacked
will soon be in demand. 

Steaming hot milk flavored with rich dark chocolate
will once again be my faithful companion. 

 How the world changes!  

...and yet, it stays the same.  

From year to year the days shorten and lengthen
as constant as the tide, 

and there is peace and contentment in knowing that
trees will bud again and the sun will warm the earth once more. 

Jesus taught about signs of the changing seasons...

^{Matthew 24:32} “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. ³³ In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. ³⁴ I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

You have to read the whole chapter to know what "these things" are.

Lilies Of The Field

Matthew 6:28-31 "And why are you worried about clothing?  Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more cloth you?  You of little faith!  Do not worry then..."

Having clothing to wear is not something I have ever had to worry about.  It is not something my children have had to worry about either.  Having the right clothing to wear; that's a different story.  It would sound ridiculous to a person who really doesn't have a garment to protect them from the elements.  Recently though, two separate occasions arose in which an appropriate article was called for, and we did not have it.  

The first was when our Drama Club went to the awards ceremony known as the Issac's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.  It is a formal occasion, and girls wear gowns to it.  Heather didn't have a gown that fit her, and none of mine worked for her either.  I went to The Faith Center, a local thrift store, in search of an appropriate gown that was affordable for this one time use.  Donna, the owner of the store is an officer in the Drama Booster Club for our school, and her son was attending the event as well.  In fact, her son had been individually nominated for one of the awards.  It was half an hour to closing time when we arrived, and all of the gowns had been put in storage since prom was over.  When we told her what our errand was, Donna was excited to try and help and showed us where we could find them. We looked, but nothing seemed to work for Heather, either being the wrong size or cut too low.  Just as the store was about to close Donna remembered a gown that was set aside in her office.  We were first amazed that it was Heather's favorite color, and then found that it was here size too.  It couldn't have been more perfect! Donna was the first to give glory to God for having the dress ready and waiting, and she let us borrow it for the event.  I had waited until Wednesday to go looking, and the event was on Sunday.  Praise be to God for providing!

The second occasion hasn't actually happened yet, but today God provided what we need for it.  After Youth Group on Sunday the kids told us that Austin was going to need white pants for the Drama that the teens are doing for Reservation Sunday coming up this weekend.  When I looked at Wal-Mart and Target today I found nothing.  I headed to Khol's and found a pair, but they were on sale for $40.  I had to take Heather to the doctor at the end of the school day, so we swung around by Ollie's after the appointment.  "Good Stuff Cheap!" is their motto.  The first thing I found was a $70 pair of pants marked down to $12, but they were not pure white.  I wandered around for a few minutes and soon saw shelves with white pants stacked on them.  When I checked the price tags they were only $3.99, and I quickly found Austin's size.  Heather had been out in the car praying about it, and I had been asking for help too.  I am really looking forward to seeing the Youth presentation on Sunday, and pray that it draws people to the Savior! 

Thank you Lord that you provide.  Not only did You provide a dress, but it was just the style and color Heather wanted.  Not only did you provide the pants for the drama, but you led me to an inexpensive pair while we were already near the store.  These experiences bring new life to the verses in Matthew 6 for me.  You are teaching me all the time just how much You care about the small things as well as the large.  "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more cloth you?"

Update:  The presentation that the white pants were needed for went very well!

Do Motives Matter?

When my second son was about eight months old I volunteered as a helper in the Bible Story Room for VBS.  The woman who had volunteered to teach was significantly more than twice my age and was brand new to the church. I guess we all figured she had experience, but no one really knew her. We quickly found out that she wasn't interested in teaching the Bible to children; she had an agenda of her own.  She aspired to write and perform country songs, and her purpose for being there seemed to be to have a captive audience.  At about twenty-four years of age I worked to steer the class time back to the Bible Story and give the kids something they could apply to their lives.  I wasn't prepared to teach the lesson since I was only helping, but I tried to point the kids to the truth.  The woman I was working with could have sought to use music to bring glory to God, but instead she used the class for her own purpose.  I'm not sure that I ever saw her at church again after that week.  

Paul wrote in Philippians 1, "It is true that some preach Christ out of rivalry and envy, but others out of good will.  The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here (in prison)  for the defense of the gospel.  The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.  But what does it matter?  The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.  And because of this I rejoice."

The lady in my story wasn't really preaching the gospel at all, but she certainly is a case of misguided intentions.  Her objective might have kept the kids from hearing God's word, but He had other plans that would not allow that to happen.  I am not suggesting that she intentionally attempted to prevent God's word from being taught, just that teaching it was not her purpose. Perhaps she heard something that would later change her life.  I'll probably never know.  So do motives matter?  Whether the issue is teaching, feeding the hungry or healing the sick, I think Paul's message applies to the outcome for the recipients:  they are taught, fed and healed.  For the individual with a selfish agenda, they will end up frustrated unless the Holy Spirit  changes their hearts.  I think it is important to examine ourselves often for false motives, and when we see that we have been doing something for the wrong reason, ask God to change our perspective.  

My oldest son questioned his reason for singing in the church choir, and decided that it was best for him to give that up.  He mostly stays in the back helping out with sound and projection, but also plays bass on the youth worship team.  A little over a year ago I had to step away from the worship team for a couple of months because I needed to reevaluate my objective in that ministry.  Thankfully, the Lord used the time to teach me so that I could return with a new perspective.  I recently had a disagreement with a friend who I thought was pushing their own agenda, but then I had to step back and consider what my "spin" was.  I'm still not sure how that will all turn out, but I am looking at things from different angles now and trying to make sure that I really have the good of everyone in mind as I was first convinced that I did.  Life is full of learning and growing, and for me, evaluating why I do what I do.