What would life be like...?

A few days ago my routine for the morning started a little differently. The first thought that unexpectedly popped into my head after waking was, “What would I be like if I lived totally like God would want me to?” 

A simple question. Right?  …not!

But the question intrigued me. And the more I thought about it the more intrigued I became. It’s one that contains a lot to chew on especially in light of the serous dilemmas we’ve recently been finding ourselves in as a people and as a nation.

The first thing I saw with the question was it focused on what type of person I would “be”, not what I would “do”.  And as we all know (at least I hope we do) there’s a big difference between the two. When I’m “be-ing” I’m doing what comes natural, and simply reflect what I feel, think and believe deep inside. “Do-ing” takes more forethought and planning, and can help us mask who we really are inside, successfully fooling even ourselves at times. There’s a lot more truths here to explore but that’s another topic all by itself… so I’m not going any further with this one folks!

I then started contemplating, “What type of person would I be?”  …which led me back to “being.”  The type of person I am simply reflects again what I feel, think and believe deep inside, which determines my outward attitude… my character… my personality… the side everyone around me sees, and regretfully experience at times!

All this then naturally led to the clincher question… “What would LIFE be like if we ALL lived like He wanted?”

Wow! The thought is mind-boggling! What would life be like…? You know the peace, joy, happiness, security, better health… and more, that most of long for?  That’s what it would be like! No, not a perfect world (that’s reserved for later)… but one that’s pretty close!

I realize some folks might have trouble envisioning this, for how they think God wants them to live is tragically skewed or they mistakenly believe that God’s “rules” for living are very restrictive and gets in the way of them enjoying a fulfilling life. A belief that is also tragic for they end up missing the best life and God gives us.

It’s clearly spelled out in the Bible that God presented us with only one simple rule that is foundational to all others for personal living, and I believe it also gives us a glimpse of what makes Him tick: Love! “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. All other commands are built on this one.”

Is God’s way really restrictive?  Absolutely not! In fact it’s just the opposite… and more! His way is freeing. It enables. It builds up. It protects. It generously gives. It values, respects, and cares about others. And at the root of it all is love.  

And that my friend defines what I and life would be like if we all lived like GOD wants us to. Utopia would no longer be an imaginary place… but a very real one! And we would be living there!

Our society and country are now experiencing what life is like doing things “man’s” way… why then not do things His way for a change? We have everything to gain….   

Yep… that’s why I’m reaffirming my decision to follow and trust in Christ, and using the Bible as my instruction manual for life.

Desiring to live like He wants…

Evelyn

P.S.  Feel free to share your own thoughts on this topic (click on the “Comment” text link below this posting).  Or you might want to share another reference that applies too. Sharing thoughts and perspectives and chewing on scripture is a great way to cut through preconceived ideas and discover the truth for ourselves about how HE truly wants us to be, individually and as a nation.

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For those of you who want to see for yourself what the scriptures have to say on this topic, here’s some to help you get started:

 Love God and others:  Matthew 22:37-40

The Golden Rule: Matthew 7:12

The Love chapter: I Corinthians 13

Bear good fruit: Galations 5:13-26

We all struggle with living this way:  Romans 12

Are you willing to take it?

Recently I began thinking about one of the major turning points in my life. It was a VERY traumatic time. And then I realized my story might be an encouragement to some fellow travelers.

The title above is based on a question a wise woman once challenged me with many years ago. And it helped change my life. Will it change yours too?

Her name was Ruth Dearborn. If you’re from the Tri-Valley area, the one that isn’t far from Oakland, California, you might have known her—or known of her. For many years she and her husband owned and operated a successful chain of Bible book stores throughout the area. If I remember correctly they were simply known as the Dearborn Bible Book Stores. She was also a very knowledgeable student and adult teacher of the Word at the church I attended.

To me Ruth was an enigma. She came across as being kind of “crotchety,” yet people were attracted to her insights on the Word and her zeal for the Old Testament. She truly intimidated me, yet God used her richly in my life.

At the time our lives connected I was a broken human being… literally struggling to survive. Every area of my life (spiritually, physically, relationally, and emotionally) lay in ruins. And other Christians had unwittingly played a rather large role in my demise. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, I had also been left floundering alone.

My proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back” was a shattered relationship. A friend had misunderstood my intentions on a matter and subsequently had very painfully hurt and rejected me. I’ve come to believe that since this came at a time when I was already experiencing a deep spiritual struggle and emotional issues, and my husband and I were also facing business failure and financial ruin, this rejection and everything it meant must have been the final blow for me. I began feeling violated and traumatized by man and God. Life had finally beaten me down. I literally felt like a broken, empty shell. I later learned my condition was so severe I probably would have been hospitalized if we had been insured. 

One day, while continuing to struggle with severe depression, I felt impressed to ask Ruth if we could talk. Thus started our God-ordained relationship; she was the gracious giver and I was the desperate taker. But thankfully it did not remain that way. Looking back I can now see she was my spiritual mother for a while. She was also an invaluable mentor.

Just as a side note: one of the things I appreciated about Ruth was her directness. She didn’t pull any punches with me. She could be very direct and firm, yet she also knew how to soften the blows when need be. God knew just the type of person I needed at that critical point in my life!

During one of our visits she very pointedly told me I was continuing to rehash the same thing (my broken relationship) over and over again, and that I needed to let it go… and until I did so would not be able to move forward with my life!  Something told me she was right, but I could not make sense of it. In my mind the situation was out of my control. The only thing I could see was I felt like the discarded victim of another, and so as such was the helpless party. From my perspective I had been callously wronged… and it continued to plague me! I later came to realize that I was trapped in a debilitating cycle of emotional blame and pain.

But thank God He was able to break this destructive cycle when I was helpless to do so! And as you probably already know, he used Ruth to do so.

During one of our visits she asked me a series of questions, with good explanations and conversation in between. She wanted to make sure I understood the importance of each, before moving on to the next. Greatly condensed, the questioning session went something like this…

(For those interested, I’ve provided endnotes of scripture references that supports her wise counsel.)

She first shared with me about Job[1], and what he went through, then asked:  Evelyn, just like Job, God loves you and has put a hedge of protection[2] around you. Do you believe that?

Yes, I believe that. I may not be feeling like it right now, but deep down I believe it.

OK then… do you also believe that God is in control of all things[3]? That even Satan can’t do anything unless God allows him to?

Yes, I believe that.

Now do you believe that as a Christian, God can work all things together for your good[4]?

Yes I do.

Then picture this… there you are with God’s “hedge of protection” surrounding you. And outside the hedge, picture Satan… shooting his arrows at you… throwing rocks… whatever he can get his hands on. But they’re not reaching you because of the hedge. Are you with me so far?

Yes… I can see that.  

Now picture God’s hand reaching down from heaven and parting the hedge every once in a while, allowing some of Satan’s missiles to reach you. If God is in control that means He’s controlling which ones get through too. And he’s allowing those particular ones for a reason—for your good. Is that right?

Yes. I believe He always has a purpose.

Now picture Jesus himself standing before you with his hand outstretched, handing you an item, saying, “Evelyn, Here are some hard things to deal with that you’re not going to understand, but they will serve a purpose for you and the Kingdom.” Then He asks, “Will you trust me? Will you willingly take it?” What would your response be?

I answered, “Since I would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was truly God, and I do love and trust him… yes. I would willingly take it.”

Her final questions were very pointed and challenging. Then if you’re willing to take it directly from His hand, and if you really believe all these things you say you do… why then can you not accept this situation and hurt the same way?

You’re assured by Him that he’s allowed it for a reason. If you really believe all these things like you say… but yet continue to complain about what’s happened, isn’t that saying otherwise? Aren’t you then rebelling against God, and rejecting what He has asked of you? Aren’t you really saying, “I don’t like the way you’re running things… and I don’t trust you?”

Needless to say Ruth gave me much to think about! Looking back I believe that is when my life took a dramatic about face. I began looking at difficult circumstances very differently. And because of it I'm able to experience many more victories! 

I shared this story because her wise words are timeless, and can be meaningful to others too. So, if (or when) you find yourself in despair, can you picture God’s hedge and hand, Satan’s missiles, and Ruth’s challenge?  “Are you willing to accept the situation as if it's from His hand?”  

If you do, I believe you too will find that your answer has made all the difference in the world!
   

The Lord sometimes takes us into troubled waters NOT to drown us but to cleanse us.  –Unknown

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

About the endnotes: I used the New International Version (NIV) from www.Biblegateway.com for the references. I’ve also included links for your convenience.

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[1] Read the book of Job in the Bible for the whole story.

[2] Job 1:9-10  The end of verse 10 is another subject, so stop at the beginning of verse 10.

[3] Job 38&39  These verses not only point out the handiwork of God, but they also show his power, control, and authority. There are other good verses too in the Bible, but I like these particular thoughts that were recorded in the book of Job, from God’s perspective.

[4] Romans 8:28

Thinking a little deeper this morning...

I realize you’re going to find the following a bit satirical, but that’s how I started thinking this morning after reading this verse. But that does not dispel the truth behind my thoughts. On the contrary, I’m hoping the satire will better reveal it.

I know I must have read Ezekiel 34:31 before, but don’t remember these words: “As for you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, you are men and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.

They caused me to think:

As much as we human beings fight against it, God will always be who He is and we will always be who we are… the ultimate supreme being and frail, miniscule creatures who are like puffs of smoke when compared to the universe or eternity.

We live on a world that belongs to Him, endeavoring to live by the illusion we can do a good job of taking care of it and ourselves—in spite of the fact our worsening track record with one another and the earth tell us otherwise!

This ultimate supreme being has not left us clueless as to what we need to do to get along and get the most out of life (like so many would like us to believe). No… instead we frail miniscule creatures live like we know more than this all-knowing supreme being, and so openly scorn his counsel.

With our finite brains and capabilities, we creatures will never be able to understand the whys of an infinite being or his way of life... but yet we ignorant creatures pridefully continue to condemn him?!

Now let me get this straight, you think us “puff of smokes” standing our ground against this supreme being is going to get us... what?!

I think more of us have got to better think this whole thing through!

God’s wrath? ...or natural happenings?

Good morning family, friends and countrymen! 

It's been too long since I've been blogging. It's good to be back!

I was just innocently sitting here this morning, preparing my still sleep-numbed thoughts and heart for the day when seemingly out of nowhere a thought hit me. It’s one of those times you’re not even thinking on a topic when suddenly there it is; a whole concept seems to just pop into your brain. Do you know what I mean? As you can tell, the way this happens intrigues me!

This sudden “revelation” takes a closer look at God's wrath, and many people’s claim that when bad things happen or there’s a horrible disaster of some kind that God has caused it... while others claim that’s foolish, for according to them there is no God that controls things!  (Have you noticed, poor God seems to be the most popular fall guy of all time, and frequently gets accused of all that goes wrong in the world while man gladly takes all the credit for the good!)

So who’s right? If the atheists are wrong, as I believe they are, and there truly is a supreme God, does He REALLY call down his wrath on us poor, innocent little human beings (wrote with a tinge of sarcasm of course) through trouble and disasters? 

Are you ready for this brilliant answer? The answer in a nutshell is, “Yes” and “No”.  And, “No", I’m not toying with you. (But I sure enjoyed being able to answer that way!)  

Seriously, this morning I could see so clearly the reality that when God withdraws his presence and hand of protection and blessing from our lives, the result is chaos for we are then exposed and vulnerable to the natural progression of things.

This is what America is now experiencing. Not his wrath (yet) but a withdrawing of Himself.  And as he withdraws, so goes too with Him the loving attention, protection and blessings that He has so abundantly provided—and which we have so arrogantly denied! Through the years He has patiently warned, entreated and pleaded with us to return to a standard of uprightness, telling us He will not be able to stick around us too much longer if we continue to choose the darkness over his Light. But we could not hear it for we have willingly and happily allowed ourselves to be distracted by his benefits. (We've also become so accustomed to them that we have arrogantly taken these precious benefits for granted, even to the point of claiming they’re our “God-given right" to have!)

As a Christian, have you ever considered what life would be like without the stabilizing factor of God’s presence and affect on man?  I have. The thought is frightening and very similar to what we’re starting to see happen around us.

Read the book of Romans. There it tells of God “turning people over” to their own carnal desires and appetites, which by their own rebellious acts have shown that is what they’ve wanted all along. “By “turning over”, this means he establishes a hands off policy, and lets them have their way. He’s essentially saying, “You want it... you’ve got it!” and steps aside (a withdrawing). They then arrogantly grab it, refusing to accept they are also bringing dire consequences right along with it.

We clearly see a downward spiral from blessing to chaos.

So do I believe God is responsible for all the chaos we’re beginning to see? “No.” I believe we’re seeing the natural consequence of kicking God aside, catering to self and rebellion, 

Is He to blame for the rapid rise of natural and man-made disasters around the world, and here at home? Is he "punishing" us? “No.” I don’t believe so. It too is the natural consequence of telling God we don’t need Him, and to get lost. We have failed to recognize his wonderful care and hand of blessing and so have scorned it. We are simply beginning to experience the natural consequences of a world without it.

Think of what we are seeing in this way: if you fire your maintenance person because you don’t recognize his value, after he’s departed and is no longer a part of your company is it his fault when the facility starts falling apart around you? Of course not! It would be ludicrous to blame him. You are simply bearing the natural consequences of your poor decision. Yet isn't that what we're doing with God?  On the one hand we tell him to get lost, that we don't need him, while on the other we blame him and loudly cry, "Where was God when...!" You can fill in the rest. I believe this hypocrisy is something we each need to seriously think about, as individuals and as a nation.

Does God take his “wrath” out on man?  Without a doubt, “Yes.” The Bible reports that God has occasionally resorted to it. But how often has he done so? Wrath seems to be the rarity with God, not the norm.  I can’t help but wonder… have any of us ever witnessed his true wrath? Has mankind experienced it in recent history? I lean toward the answer of, “No,” to both questions. There is something in me that says when man experiences the true wrath of God, we’re going to know it! There will be no doubts. God will have spoken.

If we’re wise, we will take this downward spiral toward chaos as a warning of things to come, and so recognize the need to clean up our act. For when he finally does speak….

What do YOU think? 

Let's remember Lot, not his wife!

I always enjoy getting new spiritual insights about my walk with God, or receiving a “freshening up” on something I already know.  Don’t you?  This most recent one seems to fall in between the two.  It’s a new insight for me yet it touches on truth I already know… and you probably already know it too.  But it’s nice to be able to take another look at an old piece of knowledge from a new perspective. For some of us it then seems to “click in” better. Plus we all need a good reminder now and then of important things that can become overlooked or misplaced in the shuffle of life.

This particular insight centers around Lot’s name, which led me to take a closer look at the man. Even though he depicts something I don’t want to become, I can learn from him.  The reason is I sometime learn best by recognizing and focusing on a negative!  Sounds weird, doesn’t it?  But when you think about it, I believe we all do this to one degree or another. 

For example, years ago someone I knew well had a serious problem.  They were going through a time of extreme paranoia, and also seemed to not like or trust anyone.  Their day to day life was clearly a very miserable one.  At the same time, I happened to be going through a very traumatic time, and people who played a large role in my life had contributed greatly to the reason.  I was also dealing with deep depression, both physically and spiritually.  I was a mess!  Even though it was many, many years ago, I still distinctly remember standing at my bedroom window, looking out at the world, darkly thinking, “It wouldn’t be such a bad world if it wasn’t for people!”  Those I had trusted most had seriously wounded me.  I no longer liked nor trusted others—especially Christians. Every facet of my world was being critically shaken. I was unwittingly at a life-altering crossroad.

Looking back, I feel confident the Holy Spirit directed my next thoughts; it hit me like a bolt of lightning… I knew that I knew if I continued down the path I was on, I was going to end up just like my paranoid friend.  That prospect scared me to death!  I then recognized how unhealthy my thoughts and attitudes had become, which I recognized is what happened to my friend. I then urgently turned onto the road that would lead to healing.  I had just learned an invaluable lesson by taking a close look at a frightening negative, which I was able to turn around to a positive by taking corrective action.

Similarly, we can apply that same positive-coming-out-of-a-negative oxymoron to learn from Lot.

When we read in between the lines of his story, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that he was a “what’s in it for me,” type of person, and that he lived a life of compromise to function in society.  And because of this, he was ethically weak.  Yes, you’re right. We have no indicator that he adopted the immoral attitude and lifestyle of those around him.  But think about it.  He chose to live and function daily among those who did, and so ignorantly became contaminated by them!  Why?  I believe it’s safe to say the reason for his choice is he was enticed by an easier life of plenty, and of self fulfillment and satisfaction.¹   Ironically the end result was he lost all that had originally enticed him! When his story in Genesis ends, I’m left with the distinct impression he ended up being a broken man. 

Lot’s story is a depressing one to me, as I believe it is for most of us.  His choices and subsequent problems seem to be a good example of what not to do or be.  In recognizing the negatives about him, I have come to the positive conclusion that I do not want to become like him! 

But I do want to remember his name, Lot, for it makes a perfect acronym for healthy growth.   

Everything I read about in scripture that defines and instructs us in how to be successful in our Christian Walk (from the teaching of Christ himself to the writings of Paul, the Apostles and the prophets) can be distilled into three critical components, “love”, “obey” and “trust”.   

Think about it for a minute.  There’s a reason we’re told to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.”² As Christians our goal is to become more and more like Christ.  And we humans tend to become like those we admire and give our attention to.  We idolize them.  We’re devoted to them.  And yes we “love” them. 

The scriptures have a lot to say about the importance of love. Coincidentally, that was the topic of my previous blog. The type of love we’re talking about is foundational to the Christian life.  It’s then very appropriate that love is represented by the first letter of our LOT acronym.

The second is “obey.” There’s a well-know hymn, Trust and Obey” that says it well: “Trust and obey | for there’s no other way | to be happy in Jesus | But to trust and obey.”  Did you notice?  “Obedience” is also linked to “trust”.  They go hand in hand.  They’re intertwined.  In fact, all three characteristics intertwine.  Jesus told us that, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”³ The desire to obey is a natural by-product of love! And it makes it next to impossible to obey if you don’t trust… which is another critical element to examine.

Trust. It holds a lot of meaning to be such a small word. And it too is so intertwined with love, that you can’t have one without the other. How can you trust someone you don’t love… or know… or you might dislike?  You can’t! 

As you can see, these three key characteristics feed and grow on each other.  The more your love for Christ grows, the easier it is to trust him.  And the more you trust him, the easier it is to obey him… and the more you obey him and experience its benefits, the more you trust him, and the more you trust him, the more you love him… and so you become more and more like Christ.     

There’s still much that can be said about these three ideals, Love, Obey and Trust, which can be the topic of future blogs.  But for now I want to concentrate on Lot, and how NOT to be like him! And what an easy way to remember what can help us become more like Christ—his name, LOT!

How about you?  Do you think it’s important to think about LOT every day?  It would be wonderful if every time we hear his name, we think of the need to love, obey and trust, instead of his wife!

Have a good walk with God!

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¹ You can read about Lot in the book of Genesis, in chapters 11:27 & 31; 12:1 & 5-9; 13:1-13; 14:8-16; and 18:16 through 19:26 & 29-38

² Deuteronomy 6:5

³ John 14:15

Real Love is Mind-Boggling!

“Love.”  Each of us often hear the word used in a wide variety of ways. When we’re sharing a meal with a friend, how many times do you hear something like, “I just love the flavor!” Or how about overhearing a conversation where someone has just romantically confessed with stars in their eyes, “I’m in love.” Or, sadly, in the news we hear the report of someone who declared he “loved” his girl friend so much he just couldn’t bear to have her leave him, and so killed her.     

Not too long ago I realized that with this abuse and overexposure to the love word, I’ve lost sight of its rich meaning and significance for me as a Christian.  Yet it’s a key element to living a truly fulfilled Christian life as described in the Word! 

Come join me as I rediscover its rich meaning.  I’ve enjoyed pondering on this taken-for-granted concept, discovering just a smidgen of the wealth held in this great gift—God’s gift of love.  I think you will too.      

There is a divine reason Jesus’ answer to the arrogant Pharisee was, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 niv)

When I looked up this portion of scripture, the words, “All the Law… hang on these two commandments,” jumped out at me. He was saying the Jew’s whole religious, legal and social system, including the well-known 10 Commandments, hinged on the concept of love! And so does Christianity.

Do you realize what that means? Simply put, without love we’re not able to put into practice a life of spiritual victory, and reap its benefits… or be able to have meaningful relationships with others!  (Think about it. Can you imagine what a world without love would be like? Talk about a “living hell.” We would be in it!)

Whoever first penned the well-known words, “Love makes the world go round,” in their love song was inadvertently right on.  Love provides the framework for all that is good from the heart of man.   

As my thoughts went deeper, I began to understand that even after accepting Christ as my Savior, if I don’t love Him I will have very little desire to be with him, let alone serve and emulate him! My contact with him will then be out of a sense of duty and drudgery, not enjoyment. Other things that I do enjoy will then quite naturally take precedence above Him in my life.

To see this at work, think of a child with a stepfather he doesn’t love, and just tolerates as being a necessary part of his life. What will the child do if the stepfather wants to spend some quality time with him, or share something, so they can get to know one another?  He may not express it as such, but won’t the child see him as an interference in his life? Someone who doesn’t understand him? And so he will either blatantly tell his stepfather to buzz off, or will keep his mouth shut but ignore his stepfather’s overtures of companionship. Either way, the child will want to do as he pleases. Not what will please his stepfather.

Now let’s add love to this same scenario. Let’s say the child loves and idolizes his stepfather. Isn’t the child now hungry for his attention? Doesn’t he desire to be like him? What then happens when his stepfather invites him to spend some time with him?  Is the child anticipating a time of duty and drudgery? Of course not! He’s excited! He’s anticipating a good time of camaraderie and enjoyment with his new dad.

But loving God that way is just the beginning. From there it isn’t too hard for me to see how this kind of love also affects our relationship with others.  I decided to reread what’s known as the “Love Chapter.” (I Corinthians 13) It reminded me of some wonderful things.

Did you know the Bible tells us that we can possess great knowledge and riches, and even be the greatest givers of all time, but if we lack love we have nothing?  It’s true. Take a close look at verses 1 – 3 of the Love Chapter.

And did you know scriptures tell us that love is even more important than faith or hope?! (Verse 13)  This one really blew my mind!  Did you pick up on what I saw?  The verse was telling me that love is even more important than “faith”!  But this is one I’m going to dig into later.  As I mentioned in the beginning, we have used the word so loosely for so long we’ve lost sight of its rich meaning and significance as Christians. So for now I’m going to concentrate on getting a grasp on what God means by “love.”

Verses 4-7 gives us a marvelous picture of what love looks like in action, and describes what a loving person is not.  We see that a person full of love is patient and kind, and always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. They don’t envy what others have. They don’t build themselves up, or put others down. They’re not full of pride. It takes a lot to make them angry.  Truth is important to them, and they take pleasure in living righteously. 
     

I’m beginning to understand why Jesus said everything hangs on love of God and neighbor. It’s a powerful gift!   

This kind of love makes a tremendous difference; its presence changes attitudes and lives.  That is the kind of love I want to reflect in my life.  How about you?