Hi all,
In
the top drawer next to our stove are 40 large spoons, ladles, knives
and other assorted things one might need when preparing food and cooking
on the stove. (Yes, I counted them) At least 30 of those in my opinion
are clutter, as Barb and I generally use just our favorite 'go to'
utensils on a day to day basis.
One
day I was trying in vain to find my favorite slotted spoon as I was
cooking spaghetti sauce or something, but it was hidden deep among the
40, and I couldn't find it anywhere. So I grabbed handfuls of spoons and
knives and such and laid them on the counter and sifted through them
like I was a giant gray headed squirrel looking for the perfect acorn,
but not finding it, leaving about 20 items still in the drawer.
Just
then Barb walked past, and seeing the mess I was making scattering
utensils across her formerly uncluttered counter top, stopped and asked
what in the world I was doing with that tone of voice that was both
amused and slightly annoyed.
When
I told her I was looking for my favorite plastic tipped slotted spoon,
she looked down into the open drawer, reached in and pulled out my spoon
from among the 20 and plopped it down on the counter loudly, shaking
her head and muttering something about 'men' to herself as she walked
away. Sheepishly I uttered a 'Thanks honey' and wondered how in the
world I couldn't see it sitting there in plain sight.
What I've been talking about
The
last 6 weeks I've talked about Christians who are emotionally
unhealthy, about abusers and the abused, and many readers have noticed
they are related topics. Today I want to share a common thread, and that
is in both cases their unhealthiness causes them to focus on things
that take them away from the Prime Directive from the Lord, which
is: Daily becoming more like Him.
Anything
and anyone that takes us away from growth as a person in Him, is a
distraction and often a plan of the enemy to make us look at the 39
things in the drawer of life to the point we can't see the all-important
40th thing, which is what we really need: Christ.
When
a person is emotionally unhealthy or an abuser all they see is the
object of their pain, the source of what they believe is their problem.
They can't emotionally 'step back' from the issue to see the larger
picture. That singular focus causes them to lay aside growth in Christ
in order to address their crisis, or whatever is the object of their
attention and affection. That could include an off balance teaching, or
focus on a legitimate Bible teaching just taken to such an extreme they
ignore balance, or a person who has made them angry. Either way, they
stray off the path of balance and wholeness in order to devote
themselves to a single point.
Is your focus in life leading you deeper into maturity in Him, or away from maturity in Him?
"Giving
all diligence add to your faith moral excellence, and to that add
knowledge, and to that self-control, and to that consistency, and to
that godly character, and to that brotherly love, and to that
unconditional love." II Peter 1:1-10
"Walk
in the Spirit/spirit and you won't walk in the flesh, the fruit of the
Spirit/spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self control." Galatians 5:22-23
"If
I speak with tongues of men and of angels yet don't have love, I'm like
a brass bell or cymbal. If I prophesy, and understand all mysteries and
all knowledge, and have all faith so that I could even remove
mountains, yet don't have love, I am nothing."
(Many
distractions and off balance teachings and 'moves of God' come under
the heading of mysteries and knowledge - are those interests leading you
deeper into the love of God and love for the people in your life, or
does your focus cause division and alienation?)
"Even
if I give all I have to the poor and even if I am martyred by being
burned to death, yet don't have love, it profits me nothing. Love
suffers long and is kind. Love doesn't envy, doesn't exalt itself,
doesn't get puffed up in pride. Love doesn't behave incorrectly, nor
does it seek to push itself above others. Love isn't easily provoked,
nor does it think evil of others. It doesn't rejoice in sin, but
rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, endures all things. Love never fails..." I Corinthians
13:1-8
Here is how to stay free of offense
When
you have deep in your heart the Prime Directive of growing in Christ,
you understand anything that comes your way is first to be treated as an
opportunity to walk in greater Christ-like character.
As
a result, you won't be offended by someone who believes differently
than you because you will take what they believe under advisement to the
King, realizing what they believe they believe unto the Lord, and
you stay emotionally separated from what they believe even if you think
it is a goofy as can be. You are looking for how what they believe and
your interactions with them cause you to grow deeper in Christ and cause
you to exercise Christ-like character and growth.
You
won't be offended because someone chooses to worship on a different day
than you, or is mid-trib when you are pre-trib, or think tongues and
miracles faded with the first century of the faith. You won't be
inclined to enter into the aforementioned 'word battles' because you are
exercising Christ's patience and knowing that what they believe they do
unto the Lord - He accepts them in spite of themselves, so you do as
well. You don't make their issues your issues. All you are looking for
is the grace of God in them, looking for what He has done in their life,
and how you can grow in Christ in your interactions with them.
Righteousness comes through faith in Christ, but is unproven,
as I've said many times. Anyone can say they are born again. Anyone can
say they love God but He remains unseen at that point. God in His
wisdom has caused righteousness in Christ to be proven and matured
within the framework of relationships, and that is how He is seen and
how a person is proven to know God.
That
means things like adding moral excellence, knowledge, consistency and
patience, love and joy, patience and meekness, self control and long
suffering, seen in scripture are all written with the understanding
these things grow in us through the ups and downs of relationships.
That's how we know Christ is in us, and in our spouse, our friend, our
sibling, our neighbor - because they are endeavoring to live out their
righteousness within the framework of healthy relationships.
That means God intends marriage to make us holy
God
intends our relationships with our neighbors to make us holy. God
intends our relationships with our families to make us holy. Every
relationship is intended by the Father to help us (and them if they are
willing) grow in Christ, maturing as people each day.
Your
spouse isn't in your life just to complete you, be your soul mate, or
to make you laugh. While elements of those things and more may be part
of the mix, the primary purpose for a married couple is their
differences will lend themselves to growth in Christ, both individually
and as a couple, thus becoming one.
Your
boss isn't there to make you angry or frustrated, but that Christ may
work within that relationship to mature you. Your neighbor's barking dog
isn't there to irritate you, but to afford you an opportunity to grow
in Christ and do good to your neighbor, proving you know Christ by
letting His love be manifest towards them.
That
which causes us to retreat into ourselves, that causes us to retreat
from walking in closeness with our spouse, friends, and neighbors, is a
distraction and in direct conflict with the purpose Jesus put us on this
earth. Righteousness is proven within the framework of relationships.
What
we really need is hiding in plain site among the 40 things in life we
are juggling, we just have to stop paying attention to the 39 to see the
40th, which is Christ. As Paul said in his closing words to the
Galatians: "Neither Jew nor Gentile means anything, but the power of the
new birth. And peace is on all who live by this principle.." Stay
focused on Him and ask, "How do you want me to grow in this?"
A 'random thought' next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
New CD/MP3 Series
This
series goes into details of Paul's instructions to Timothy concerning
Christians who Paul calls 'emotionally sick' or 'mentally ill', and how
he should handle such people. Paul tells of Christians who reject
healthy spiritual teaching in favor of arguments over words and word
meanings and off-balance teaching, who focus so much on 1 topic or 1
issue within them that logic, friends, teaching, and encouragement to
return to balance elude them. Paul outlines many characteristics of the
emotionally ill believer, describing them as having a morbid fascination
with something that becomes a mental disease to them - and outlines how
to help them and how to pray for them. For anyone who knows that
certain person in their life who is emotionally and spiritually
unhealthy, the listener will gain understanding and insight with a view
towards restoration for that person.
In David
the King we look at the Psalms he wrote after King Saul died, but
before David's son Absalom rebelled against him and sent him into exile.
The Psalms take on a different tone than in part 1 of the series, and
include prophecy about Jesus, because during this peaceful time in his
life he is able to focus on worship and the goodness of the Lord. We
look at his Psalm that was shouted at Jesus on Palm Sunday, and the
Hallel, which Jesus and the disciples sung on the night He was betrayed,
and its prophecy. The series also looks at the Psalm David wrote when
he was confronted about his affair with Bathsheba. David the King gives
wonderful insight into the tenderness of the heart of David, his heart
for his son, Solomon, and so much more!
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