He's Still Working on Me!

     Three weeks ago we began a project to fix three rooms that had received water damage as a result of Hurricane Irma last year.  It is not a small thing to move three rooms of living space into the rest of your home.  We have dressers in the living room, a mattress in our study and too many boxes of our "stuff" filling up another bedroom.  This took us three or four days to accomplish so the contractor would have easy access to the rooms.
     Along the way, we began discarding items we had held onto for years and never used.  Fortunately, the church was having a rummage sale and we were able to put these items to good use.  It is amazing how much we accumulate.  This was a great time for a deep clean.  Of course, we have to put everything back in its place when the work is finished, but there will not be as much!
Certainly this whole process is messy and at times uncomfortable, but the same is true when God begins to work on us.
     Philippians 2:13 tells us "It is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  He is our contractor and master builder.  In His hands, He changes the desires of our heart, points out our weaknesses, binds up our wounds and sets us on a steady course to use our talents and gifts for Him.  It is a messy process, though, not unlike our construction project.
Sometimes, we do not want to let go of that habit or behavior that causes us or others to stumble.  Having a critical spirit, a sharp tongue to condemn others, being filled with self-pity and lack of contentment can clutter our lives and keep us from the joy we could have in Christ.
     In this letter to the Christians at Philippi, Paul pointed out that God is working in us on a daily basis.  We certainly struggle with any type of changes in life when we do it in our own strength, but with the power of the Holy Spirit living in our hearts, we can become that new creation in Christ.  It is a process however.  There are no "McInstant" Christians who will act perfectly in this life.  God will continue His work in us until we meet Him face to face.  Nevertheless, we still have our part in this process as well.
     Being immersed in His Word each day will lead to changing our minds so that we will think God's thoughts after Him.  It is a living Word that can carefully help discern the thoughts and intents of our heart and point out areas that need attention and repentance.
     Likewise, we need to be praying on a regular basis asking God to show us how we can walk by the Spirit and not get caught up in the circumstances of this world.  Our conversations with our Lord bring us into a closer relationship with Him so that we can hear Him more clearly as we read the Word.
     All of this has been made clear to me through a recent disagreement on a social media site I was visiting.  I made a statement that another party said was "unchristian".  How quickly the world judges us!  Yet, we can answer back that we are not perfect only Jesus is perfect and He is still working on us!  We just have to be open to the leading of His Holy Spirit.
     Yes, I will be happy when our construction work is finished and we can once again enjoy our own bedroom.  No more mess and no more clutter....unless we begin to hang on to things we do not need.
Lets be certain that in our spiritual walk with the Lord we release those things that hold us back from bringing glory and honor to the Lord.  By His grace, we were saved and by His grace, He is at work in us.  May He make us shining lights for His kingdom!  Selah!

Scars Are Just Reminders

     Last year at this time (September 10th at 4:02), we lost our power.  It was not to be restored until ten days later.  The full force of Hurricane Irma swept across our state and hit our rural county with ferocious winds of well over 100 mph.
     I remember trying to play a game with our son, daughter in law and their children by electric camping light as our house creaked and groaned.  We had barricaded our windows, had plenty of gas for our generator and lots of food to tide us over.  Yet, the next day was such a shock to see.  There were trees down everywhere along with parts of our neighbors porch laying in the road.  It took us a long time to clean up the mess.  In fact, a year later, there are still some tarps over area roofs, and we are now just getting several rooms in our home fixed after having some water damage.  Things are never quite the same after a storm of this magnitude, and still, God was with us.
     While there are still scars (leaning trees and dead fallen trees), we have moved on because that is what life in this world does.  We move on after a catastrophe, but we do not forget.  Scars serve their purpose to remind us about what just happened and to be ready in the future should this happen again.
However, scars are also useful in recounting to the next generation how we got them and what we learned in the process.  There are scars not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually.
     All of us have experienced the scars from sin.  In fact, the Bible teaches us "that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  When we live in rebellion to God, there are consequences whether we realize it at the time or not.  Sex outside the bonds of marriage that leads to an unexpected pregnancy, adultery that destroys the covenant of marriage, emotional and physical abuse are some of the sins that leave us wounded.  The GOOD News is that Jesus Christ provides for us a healing balm like no other.  When we come to Him repenting of our sins, He not only forgives us, but begins to heal these deep gashes in our heart.  But there are still the scars we carry as a solemn remembrance of what sin can do in our lives.
     I carry several scars near my left eye from the three times I disobeyed my mother.  Twice I fell on steps when she told me not to run and one time came from jumping on a roll-away bed where I hit the metal frame.  All three times required stitches, and each time I look in the mirror, I remember just how I got those lovely reminders.  Then, I broke my left arm because I was in hurry to get across an icy driveway.  This required surgery and left a not so nice scar.  If I bump it, I am reminded of the whole scene.  I am healed but the scars remain.  The same is true for us in the spiritual realm.
     God forgives us and removes our sins far from His remembrance..."as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12).  The only thing He does not remove are the consequences we may experience as a result of our sin.  King David is a perfect example.  David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband was pointed out by the Prophet Nathan.  While David repented of such evil sins, God told him that the baby they had as a result of their adultery would not live.  David also did not enjoy peace in his own family from that day forward (2 Samuel 12:10).  There are countless other examples in the the Bible in addition to this one that demonstrate why and how sin leaves painful scars.
     Just like a good parent, I believe that God allows these reminders of our sin so that we will learn from our sins and never go there again.  Furthermore, we can use what we have learned to teach our children and grandchildren to avoid the mistakes we have made.  God uses all things to work together for our good so look at that scar as a reminder that Jesus paid it all for us through His sacrifice on our behalf.  His blood brought healing to those wounds caused by our sin.  This is the Good News we need to share!  Selah!

Change of Focus

     Our lives are full of activity whether we are working a job or fully retired.  There is never a loss for projects large and small around our homes; so one thing which I have had the privilege to learn lately is that we can change our schedule to include looking at God's amazing creation.  This did not happen by chance.  It was divine providence.
     When I go for walks in the morning, I like to use my phone app "Map My Walk".  I have it on my watch too so I synchronize them both before I leave.  In the past, this app was able to post directly to Facebook.  However, circumstances changed and the app could no longer post directly.  The creators of this app suggested that we could post a picture with our walking stats if we wanted to and explained how this would work.  Therefore, on each walk, I now look for something beautiful or an animal I can photograph that I can share on Facebook along with my stats.  It helps me to keep accountability for my daily routine.  Plus it gives others a look at some of the beauty that surrounds us here.
     One of the things I have noticed is that my focus has changed as I exercise.  I am not just going for a walk.  I am challenged to observe the things around me more intensely as I search for a beautiful picture I can take.  My exercise routine has taken on a new focus, and I should not be surprised.  After all, the Apostle Paul told us where our focus in life should be.
     In his letter to the Corinthians (2 Corthinians 5:7), the Apostle Paul writes these words:  "...for we walk by faith, not by sight."  We are to walk each day fearing God, trusting in Him and not allowing our circumstances of living to overwhelm us.  We are to see with the eye of our soul rather than our physical eye that tells us a different story.  Our focus in this life is to be on God despite the ups and downs of living in a fallen world.  When we start our day with prayer and reading God's Word, our focus has shifted.  We are seeing life through the Lord's eyes.  What a difference this can make in our day!
     Jesus told us not to worry or be anxious over anything in His "Sermon on the Mount".  Joy-less living comes from stewing over things we cannot change or control.  Unfortunately, we all have this tendency to get upset unless we have learned to see daily events through the eyes of our Savior.  This is not necessarily easy to do, but it is worth the peace that comes when we are faithful.  This is why I likened it to my walks in the morning.
     I really hated my daily exercise because it was hot, humid and generally miserable outside.  I went through the motions but never enjoyed it.  Since I began to look for something beautiful to photograph and share, my attitude has changed.  It has become a fun exploration each day and not just an exercise routine.  The same is true in our spiritual life.  Each day when we seek the Lord, we are on a mission to see others through His eyes.  Rather than the circumstances of the day causing us annoyance, we can begin the day looking for the beauty of His holiness finding new ways to glorify Him.  It will make a great difference in our day!  May we look to the Lord for joy each day; for when we do, we will not be disappointed.  Selah!