A Song for You

I just want to share with you today these lyrics from Kari Jobe's song Find You on My Knees.
I hope that it encourages and speaks to you as it has to me.

"Troubles chasing me again,
Breaking down my best defence,
I'm looking, God, I'm looking for you
Weary just won't let me rest and fear is filling up my head.
I'm longing, God I'm longing for you

But I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees.

So what if sorrow shakes my faith,
What if heartache still remains,
I'll trust you, my God I'll trust you.
'Cause You are faithful and

I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees, my knees.

When my hope is gone, when the fear is strong
When the pain is real, when it's hard to heal
When my faith is shaken and my heart is broken and my joy is stolen, God I know that

You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,

Find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees."

Here's the video if you want to listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkER_ll5Ed0

The Beneficial Life...

Lately it seems that God has been trying to teach me about being unselfish. This seems like a pretty basic lesson to learn...we have grown up with our parents telling us to be unselfish, share with others, and "Do unto others as you would have them do to you." But I've realized that living "unselfishly" goes beyond just polite manners and trying to remember to think of others before yourself. It requires living in a way that is actually beneficial to others. It goes beyond "I won't hurt you so you won't hurt me," but living in such a way that says "If I were in your position, how would I wish to be treated? Then doing that for them BEFORE they "desreve it." It's acting before there is merit earned, and even when merit is lost on their side.

I will be the first to confess to you that I do not live this way. I rarely think of others first much less go out of my way to be beneficial to them. Thinking like this puts others so far ahead of yourself that it is nearly impossible to be selfish. Your entire mental state is looking to see what you can do for them.

I think its funny that we expect everyone to treat us well and when someone doesn't they are blacklisted, and punished by us for hurting us. We are very concerned about our rights as individuals and how dare someone infringe on those rights. But we don't extend that same courtesy to others. We can walk all over them and then we are shocked and annoyed with their hurt. We forgive when it is easiest or there is again merit to deserve our forgiveness. I read somewhere last week that forgiving someone is setting them free. We have the ability, in our forgiveness, to free someone from the burden of having hurt us or the sin they have committed against us. And lest we forget that we have been forgiven and set free by our very gracious heavenly Father for absolutely no good reason at all except he loved us. We definitely didn't merit forgiveness...somehow show God we were "worthy" of his forgiveness...No "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." So that person that I can barely stand who hurt me so bad with their words, the one who is difficult to love because of their personality...while they still hurt me...while they still dislike me...while they are still repugnant...I must remember that this is me before a holy God. When I remember where I stand it makes the compassion for them so much easier to grasp.

You know God has gone above and beyond what was necessary for our lives. He blesses us in ways we can't imagine or count or return. "He works all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes." I think we get to a place where we just expect God to bless us. To answer our prayers no matter what they are. We almost feel we are entitled to it...Now I don't want to say that we shouldn't pray for things and Hope (believe it as if it had already happened) that God will answer us, or that we shouldn't live in the knowledge that God is a good God...but sometimes we kind of expect God to just be good to us, but we stop there. It isn't an outpouring of our lives. All we are concerned with is our own personal contentment. I guess I'm just starting to realize that our understanding of God's gracious dealings with us should inspire us to be the same toward others, not inspire us to think more of what God should do for me.

I'm rambling a bit I know...I don't have my thoughts all figured out on this one as I am still learning this difficult lesson. But it has been on the forefront of my mind for several weeks now, and I felt I needed to share and process it here.

My desire has been for God to help me change my mental attitude...just to BEGIN to see a different way. So that my FIRST reaction is to look, to FIND ways to be beneficial to others, instead of my first reaction being to be concerned with myself and waiting on them to be kind to me first.

I had never given much thought to the golden rule...its something that if you grew up around people...you've heard your whole life. "Do to others what you would have them do to you." The Jews used to teach this in a negative way...essentially "Don't hurt me and I won't hurt you." But Jesus teaches this positively "You do first what you wish someone would do for you." I pray that I would be on the lookout for opportunities to do for someone else what I often wish someone would do for me. And that includes at home with my family, at work with my bosses and coworkers, and with my friends, and with the stranger in the store, and the jerk in traffic, and with the annoying person in the theater, and...well you get the idea.

I'm going to leave you with this very timely Wisdom Hunters quote that I read this morning which reminded me to share this:

"Are you motivated first by “He”, second by “we” and lastly by “me”? If so, you are set up for relational fulfillment. The sequence for successful thinking is Him, them and you. “Me” will try to squeeze in and monopolize relationships, cannibalize conversations and hijack heaven’s agenda. Thus, by God’s grace, put to death the “me monster” and replace it with love for the Lord and people. “We not me” is the motto of mature Jesus followers."

Discipline

I don't know about you but I struggle with discipline in my life. I lean on the side of lazy where most things are concerned. It's something that I need to improve on in my life. I read this from Wisdom Hunters this morning and it really spoke to me.

"“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.” I Corinthians 9:25

Discipline is a prerequisite for a disciple of Jesus Christ. A wise disciplined person knows how to stay focused on the most important, and trusts other urgent matters will take care of themselves in the right time. Paul uses the illustration of athletic training to motivate us to discipline. A compelling motivation for the athlete is the reward at the end.

The reward at the finish line makes worthwhile the sometimes painful workout process and regimented routine. This is why we memorize scripture now, for wisdom later. We exercise now, for energy later. We rise early now in prayer, for peace later. We give generously now, for rewards later. Discipline in the now creates benefits for the future.

“Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.” Titus 1:7-8

Discipline becomes a habit of life when there are clearly defined goals and steps to achieve them. Discipline provides laser beam focus through structure and accountability. However, it is not all altruistic, there is progress and fruit along the way to enjoy. You feed discipline when you are able to enjoy its fruit with like-minded friends.

Disciplined people make discipline infectious. Surround yourself with people of discipline and you will become better disciplined. A parent, friend, mentor, teacher and other role models can coach and encourage you through a disciplined process. Disciples are disciplined and people who are disciplined can be effective disciples of Jesus Christ.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7)."

I hope this encourages you. Sorry for so many posts based on Wisdom Hunters, but they are just so good!

Be Encouraged!

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2Corinthians 12:9-10

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:31-39

I just wanted to throw these two verses out there. They have encouraged me so much today. I hope they do the same for you. I want to be thankful today for my weaknesses and know that my savior is praying for me and that nothing can separate me from him. If this doesn't encourage you, that we are MORE than conquerors, then I encourage you to meditate on these scriptures for a few days.
:)

Kindness

This.
Wisdom Hunters:

"“Love is kind”… 1 Corinthians 13:4

Kindness is a natural application of love because it makes one feel loved. It is the ability to be accepting when everything within you wants to be rejecting. It is a strategy for forgiveness when you are wronged or when someone takes advantage of you. When your trusting spirit has been violated, you still love by being kind; you stop fighting, and you start forgiving.

Kindness means you are pleasant to be around because your countenance is inviting and shows interest. It is as much an attitude as anything, and it is the ability to see beyond the immediate to the potential. Kindness means you go out of your way to love someone. People who are unlovable become prime candidates for your kindness. A family member who is far from God, deep down desires unconditional love and kindness.

Love keeps you kind, especially toward those who are closest to you. They do not deserve your dredging up hurtful, bitter, and unforgiving words from the past. Love is kind in its conversations. Harsh and abrasive speech is absent from kind conversation. Love produces words that are “kind and tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:32). Love is able to extend kind words that cheer up heavy hearts (Proverbs 16:24). Pray to God for kindness to reign in your relationships with kids and teenagers. Children translate kindness into love, for it is their language of love.

We all have blown up and lost our temper over disrespectful attitudes and actions from our offspring. The temptation is to disrespect them when we have been disrespected, and the natural response is to become angry when someone else spews out his or her frustrations on us. But God has not called us to natural responses but supernatural ones. Kindness in the face of frustration is a fruit of the Spirit, and only through submission to your Savior will kindness come front and center. The fullness of the Holy Spirit in your life is what causes kindness to come forth.

Lastly, loving others with kindness does not preclude difficult decisions. Kindness is not patronizing, but it is authentic care and concern, and it is able to deliver hard truth that softens hard hearts. You can dismiss an employee with kindness. Likewise, you can disagree with kindness in a heated debate. Harshness has no hold on those who are controlled by Christ.

Therefore, kindly love people through difficult situations. Serve those who are experiencing financial difficulties, for example. Kindness is king for followers of King Jesus, so love with kindness and watch them come around and embrace Christ. Kindness kills sin and sadness, and brings to life love, forgiveness, and hope. Allow Jesus’ loving kindness to flow through you, for kindness toward the needy honors God (Proverbs 14:31). Kindness resides where love is applied, because love is kind."

Self-Evaluation

Self-evaluation is one of those things that I hate doing...but love doing. Here's a quote from a book by Jerry Bridges called The Transforming Power of the Gospel.

"We will not grow unless we see our need to grow, we will not pursue holiness unless we see how much we are still unholy, and we will not see our unholiness unless we look at the holiness of God instead of what we perceive to be the unholiness of our neighbor. This is why we must face up to the sinfulness of our own sin. Our sins are not mere "mistakes"; no, they are acts of lawlessness, of rebellion, of despising God and his law... dwelling on the seriousness of sin causes us to realize our need of the gospel and our need of embracing it everyday. It is against the dark backdrop of our sinfulness that the beauty of the gospel shines so brilliantly. Nothing prepares a person to understand and embrace the gospel so much as a personal awareness and conviction of one's own sin."

"The best preparation for the study of the gospel is neither great intellectual ability nor much scholastic learning but a conscience impressed with a sense of our actual condition as sinners in the sight of God. A deep conviction of sin is the one thing needful in such an inquiry, a conviction of the fact of sin, as an awful reality in our own personal experience of the power of sin as an inveterate evil cleaving to us continually, and having its roots deep in the innermost recesses of our hearts." - James Buchanan

I don't know about you, but I know that after reading this chapter I was overwhelmed with my own conduct. I don't want to become the person he talks about that focuses so much on others sins that I forget to look at my own and then when I do just see them as mistakes. I think it has been a long time since I have been overwhelmed with my sinfulness. I think sometimes we focus so much on the freeing power of the Gospel that we almost begin to look at our sin as a small thing. The "God will forgive me" attitude is very present. Even if I would never admit out loud that is what my actions portray.

"the gospel keeps us from self-righteousness because the gospel is only for sinners. Embracing the gospel every day forces me to acknowledge I am still a sinner in need of the mercy of God. It keeps me from lapsing into a performance-based relationship with God because I know that my performance is never good enough." -JB

I know that I do not want to forget to feel the weightiness of my sin, but there is the forgiveness. We can not forget the repentance part or that Christ has already paid for our sin. So we can rejoice in that...but how can we truly rejoice if we have never felt the weight of our sin? So I leave you with this line from "It is Well with My Soul."

"My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!"

Proverbs 30:1-9

"The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.
Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son's name?
Surely you know!
Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty or riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
and say, "Who is the Lord?"
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God."