Wearing The Crown

Romans 8:16-17

  "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

Lately I have had the chance to spend a little time with a princess of sorts...Miss Brainerd. I am 

not here to talk about her, but rather what I have noticed in the few interactions we have had. When she has her crown on, well, people really take notice.  There is just something about a crown that causes people to stop, and even desire to spend a little time in your company!  For us, being a child of the King of kings, we are called to the wearing of a crown and to be clothed in fine garments.  How are we to do that, you might ask?  For starters we could turn our minds to the attitudes, behaviors, and physical appearance of what we know of royalty, and then parallel that with what we know of a child of God.

The life of royalty...think poise, esteem, and adhering to a certain standard of living.  A person of such royal lineage surrounds themselves with those of similar standing.  Granted there is usually a level of pride going on there, and I am most certainly not suggesting we follow that model exactly, but rather that we see ourselves as heirs of God who are to surround themselves with others heirs of God.  "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"2Cor. 6:14.  It is easy for anyone surrounded by others with different standards to lose sight of that which they believe, even more so for a child of God in a dark world!  Yet, we do not want to take on an air of pride that we are better than others, for we are placed in this world to be a light to the darkness around us.  We need to keep our feet firmly planted so that we are able to be in the world, but not of the world.

How about that crown, and fine clothing?  I know we are all awaiting this part=)  The robes of splendor and the jewels beyond compare...God desires us to behave as though we are wearing a crown(Isaiah 61:3) and fine linens.  How different do you think you would feel towards yourself if you had a crown and luxurious garments on?  Would you carry yourself with shame, embarrassment, or confidence?  God does not desire that we look upon ourselves,(that which He created and said was "Good") and insult Him with our self loathing and constant put downs.  He desires that we carry ourselves in a manner that says God did create something good, and I can put self aside and share it with others!  Our crown of beauty is not to come in physical form but "it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight".  1 Peter 3:4  I love knowing that the world's pressure of outward stuff, is just not of great value in God's sight!  Let's not forget our fine clothing!  I can think of a few examples of what we are to be clothed in, and I know there are several more.  We are commanded to put on the full armor of God(okay maybe we have stepped from royalty, to royal workers but hang with me a minute), in Ephesians 6.  The belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet that are fitted with the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and finally to PRAY.  Whew!  I feel ready and definitely armed for battle.  What battle are we fighting?  The one against light and darkness.  Each and every day we are afflicted in some sort of way to hold tight to that which is right.  And we are to stand firm.  Now, getting back to the royal clothing...after we are armored up, and in right focus, how could we not experience or exude the outpouring of the fruits of the Spirit?  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.(Galatians 5:22,23)  That to me is to be our fine garments.  That which is displayed to those around us, that which causes others to Stop..Listen..and Desire to be in our company.  

Praise belongs to God alone who is the King of kings and has chosen us to be His heirs.  I pray that we daily desire and embrace the honor of Wearing the Crown! 

Insecurity Inadequacy

INADEQUATE.  Has that feeling ever happened to you?  Like you just do not measure up, you are not good enough for the task at hand, or you just are not what you wished you could be.  Tonight, the enormously, heavy feeling of INADEQUACY came crashing down on me.  UGH!  It makes me wonder why I am involved in the things that I am, and why I take on things that I am not too sure of.

From a biblical perspective we know that God allows uncertainties in our lives, and does at times push us out of our comfort zone, but it is all for our own good and for His glory.  It is really only through times of the unknown or something totally new that we grow and are challenged to become people with greater understanding of others and ourselves.  But what about those times when you are wondering whether this task really is not for you, or could it be that you are just being really insecure about that which you really should do?  Maybe the inadequate feelings stem out of it just being the unknown, then I would say pray to be encouraged and strengthened to endure the great unknown!  From out of that may come a new found talent, or great blessings in disguise.  On the flip side, those inadequate feelings may have root in a buried sense of insecurity.  That is when ME becomes greater than whatever it is that you are facing.  I don't know about you, but I can identify the difference between the two fairly easy.  The inadequacy from a new challenge is much easier for me to overcome.  Usually when I am really bothered it is due to insecurity inadequacy!  It is when I want a different outcome, different abilities, or have taken focus off of Christ and onto me, that I get bogged down and I guess depressed.  Not only do we need to remember "For when I am weak, then I am strong"(2Cor.12:10), but also that "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"(1Cor.10:31). Thank goodness we are not to do things for our own glory.  If that were the way, I truly do not think that we could ever be satisfied. Taking the Me out of the situation and remembering why it is that we are on this earth, brings the sunshine back in whatever it is that we are facing.

I feel better already....maybe this post was more for my peace of mind, but I hope it touched your thoughts in some way.  Remembering who we are and where we came from is enough to knock INADEQUACY out of our minds!

Changes

I heard the last blog design was hard to read, so lets try this one!

The Lie About Self-Confidence

Okay, it has happened.  This week I have hit a what I am calling blogger's block.  I just can not think of anything to write.  So yes, I am passing on to you a few paragraphs written by someone else.  This excerpt is taken out of the book "Being the Person God Made You To Be" by  Joyce Meyer.

The Lie About Self-Confidence

"Everyone talks about self-confidence.  All kinds of seminars are available on confidence, both in the secular world and the church world.  Confidence is generally referred to as "self-confidence" because we all know that we need to feel good about ourselves if we are ever to accomplish anything in life.  We have been taught that all people have a basic need to believe in themselves.  However, that is not the truth.

Actually, we don't need to believe in ourselves- we need to believe in Jesus in us.  We don't dare feel good about ourselves apart from Him.

If we believe the lie of self-confidence, we will create many complicated problems.  We will never reach our full potential in Christ; we will live ruled by fear without knowing true joy, fulfillment, or satisfaction, and will lose sight of our right to be an individual.  The Holy Spirit will be grieved.

Don't be concerned about yourself, your weaknesses, or your strengths.  Get your eyes off of yourself and onto the Lord.  If you are weak, He can strengthen you. If you have any strength, it is because He gave it to you.  So either way, your eyes should be on Him and not on yourself."

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.' 

Proverbs 3:5,6 

Who Are Our Role Models?

With Mother's Day fast approaching, my thoughts get a little reflective on just what it is that we will be celebrating.  For me, and I pray most, thoughts of my mother are filled with joy and thankfulness.  She indeed is a fabulous role model. 

A role model is... someone we look up to, enjoy being around, and one whose qualities we would hope to obtain.  More importantly though, a role model should in fact encourage us in our pursuits in life, all the while displaying and teaching us that which is true and noble.  The topic of role models has two avenues of thought....who are my role models and what kind of role model am I?

At first glance I believe it may be easier to contemplate who my role models are, rather than put myself under the microscope and see just what kind of role model that I am.  Being diverse people by nature, it would be highly unlikely that we would each have just one role model.  Chances are, there are several, each of them encouraging us in different facets of life.  My prayer for myself and for you too, is that the people and their qualities that we look up to and allow to influence our thoughts in life, would have the characteristics that line up with the qualities of Christ rather than the world.  How easy is it for celebrities and "do gooders" of the world, to become the people we emulate!  Not that they are necessarily awful role models, the problem is that we do not truly know them.  It is frightening, especially for mothers, to see how easily children get caught up in the latest actor, actress, or singer and desire to become like them, instead of choosing to follow the pathway of Christ likeness.  We need to be so careful when choosing what/who we allow to become our role model.

On to the second thought....what kind of role model am I?  One way to find out would be to ask someone ; )  but a better way would be to ask yourself some questions.  Do I seek to live a life that reflects Christ to others?  Is my attitude towards others uplifting and encouraging?  Am I filled with love for others that spills forth into their lives?  I am sure that there are plenty more ways of putting it, the bottom line is.....do we live lives that reflect Christ?  I know I have good moments and not so good moments, but it is never too late or too early to make a change for the better!

Don't forget to take the time to thank those around you who have truly blessed you by being a great role model.  I will start by saying "Thank you Mom, and Happy Mother's Day weekend!".

The Jealousy Disease

(www.funnyfreepics.com)

We all may have a chuckle or two when we look at the photo above, but how often does jealousy rear its ugly head in our lives? Some emotions that come right along side jealousy would be, envy, bitterness, insecurity and fear. Yet I think that we could all agree that those emotions are not something that we would be jealous of! In this particular blog entry I am not referring to the type of jealousy that God has for his children. 2Corinthians 11:2 "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.", is more of a protective care, rather than referring to jealousy in a unhappiness sort of way. I am talking about the ugly, angry, dissatisfied sort of jealousy that breeds and thrives the more it gains a foothold in your life.

Have you ever realized when you become jealous over one thing in someone else's life, it rarely stops there? It seems that once those negative emotions are flowing in your mind, they seem to multiply and suddenly you find yourself contemplating, or shall I say complaining, over the oh so many things that are not right or are "missing" in your life. For example, Sally moves in next door, and wow isn't she a beauty! Suddenly jealousy overcomes you as you realize that she might have something that you wish you did. Not only do you notice her beauty, but her designer clothes, polished set of wheels, and look at the size of that ROCK on her finger!!! Jealousy has officially taken root, and lets watch it spread. It infiltrates your thoughts every time you see her outside, and not only her, but it sure seems like most women have it better than you. Whether it be in the looks, personality, or material possession department, they got it made and it sure seems like God left you in the dust! Not only does jealousy spread in your being, it leaches out and affects those around you. Your family hears your complaints, your friends notice your unhappy demeanor, and it holds you back from loving others as you should. Not only may others hear and see it in you, but now those thoughts have been placed in their mind for them to either dispel, or take root and grow. Now I can understand what the proverb meant in Proverbs 27:4"Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?". The incredible potential of power that jealousy can have in our lives is astounding.

This quote by Francois de la Rochefoucauld states it great, "In jealousy there is more of self-love, than love". When we are so self focused there truly is not much room for love. Jealous is in fact a dissatisfaction with what we have been given, and a greed over the blessing of another. Why should God not have blessed others with the gifts He has? Are the gifts that I have been given not good enough for me? As I write this I am saddened by how much energy and emotion I have wasted in desiring that which is not mine instead of cherishing that which I do have and blessing others with it. Not only that, but I should be thanking God for the many blessings that He has bestowed on others. So when jealousy rears its ugly head lets"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above ourselves." (Romans 12:10) and not allow selfishness to overcome that which is good in our lives.

On Jealousy by William Strode

There is a thing that nothing is,
A foolish wanton, sober wise;
It hath noe wings, noe eyes, noe eares,
And yet it flies, it sees, it heares;
It lives by losse, it feeds on smart,
It joyes in woe, it liveth not;
Yet evermore this hungry elfe
Doth feed on nothing but itselfe.

Making Moments That Last A Lifetime

Lately I have felt challenged to step back and savor whatever life throws my way. Maybe it is due to an extended vacation where I was able to slow down and really enjoy my family, or it could be from seeing a life here on this earth end at 6 years old, or it could be influenced by dealing firsthand with the aging process of an 85 year old loved one. Whichever it may be, or a combination of all 3, my life at this moment feels very contemplative.

How easy it is to get so involved in activities and responsibilities that we easily lose sight of what really matters. This day in age we seem to be pressured or even feel a sense of pridefulness in being involved in every ministry or social opportunity thrown our way. It has even affected our children with the constant pressure to have them in every activity they so desire, just so we can fulfill the expectation that society has set, to bring up well rounded and well adapted future generations.

Of course, we want only the best for our loved ones, but I guess I am feeling challenged to step back, pray and ask "What is best?". My kids, husband and loved ones are a blessing from God and I really only fully appreciate that blessing when I slow down and make the moments count. I do not want to look back so many years from now and experience overwhelming regrets because I was too "busy" to appreciate that which I already had. Yes, we are indeed in this world to be a witness for Christ to others, but what kind of witness will I be if it does not reflect in those closest to me?

Dear God, I pray that I can take each day moment by moment, enjoying that which I have been given, and growing in faith not looking so far ahead and trying to figure it all out. Amen.