Why is it So Hard?

If you have been reading my blog regularly, you know I am memorizing James and I am praying on my knees for at least 15 minutes a week. Are you joining me? Let me know by leaving a comment and telling me about where you are in James or what God has been doing in your prayer time.

Anyway, I have made it to James 3 and here came this verse:

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. James 3:2

First I am struck with we all stumble…Not only do we stumble, but we stumble in many ways. OUCH! That is pretty harsh. I don’t like to admit that I stumble at all and now James is telling me that we all stumble in many ways. Then he mentions our words. Yes our words…If we are never at fault in what we say, we are perfect. Seems simple right?

So why is it so hard? Why can’t we never be at fault in what we say? Why do words matter so much that if we could keep our tongue in check we would be perfect?

Words…I want to use life-giving words. I want to pass on wise words, words of grace, words of truth. But too often my words are harsh, they tear down, they convey irritation.

Words are that important. Jesus confirms this when He says, “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45b)

We speak what is in our hearts. If our hearts are in check our words will be in check…So our words are a good indicator of the condition of our hearts. Are we speaking in love and with patience or are we irritated and grumpy? God is more interested in our hearts than our actions. We can fake a lot of things, but our words often give away where our hearts are…

Let’s do some heart checks. We need to think about what we have said, ask others if what we say is harsh or said in love. We need to measure our words carefully. They are important.

What do you think? Are words really something that can “never hurt me” unlike sticks and stones? Is it possible that words are important and that they show the condition of our hearts? Do you have a story about that? I can’t wait to hear it!

Here is another post I did on the Word…Click here to read it.

Wrestling with God…

I couldn’t understand what was happening.
None of it made sense.
It doesn’t happen this way.

Yet there I was, in less than six months my ability to conceive was stripped from me.
My tubes ruptured my womb empty, my heart grieving, my babies lost.

I had so many questions that didn’t have answers, at least not on this side of eternity.
I had to choose. I had to decide if I would cling to God despite the fact that He could have intervened, that He could have made my babies implant in the right place, He could have kept my tubes from rupturing. I had to choose to believe that either God was good and faithful all the time or He was bad and unfaithful.

So I chose. I chose to cling to my omnipotent, amazingly loving God. Oh, but I didn’t only cling. I wrestled. I brought to God my questions, my pain, my barren body. I asked why. I wrestled over how unfair it was that children were given to mothers and fathers who didn’t care or wouldn’t care or would abuse them. I wrestled with Him over whether fertility treatments were right for our family or not. I clung to Him as I begged for a miracle in my body.

In the wrestling, in the clinging I discovered something. When I wrestled with Him, I was close enough to hear Him speak. He spoke words of comfort, He spoke words of direction, He spoke words of healing. That healing often involved painful cleansings and death to myself, my desires, my way. Oh, but God is bigger than my doubts, bigger than my questions, bigger than my inability to conceive naturally. In the wrestling I grew closer to Him. In the wrestling God blessed me. In the wrestling I have been forever changed.

Are you facing a difficult time in your life? Have you decided to cling to God? If not what are you waiting for?

Are you wrestling with God? As you wrestle are you listening to Him? What is He telling you?

Consider reading Daniel 3:16-18 (Shadrach Meshach and Abednego had to choose whether to cling to God or not. Read their choice).

Then read Genesis 32:22-32 (Jacob wrestles with God and clings to Him until God blesses Him, but he walks away changed forever).

How do these passages shape your ideas of clinging to God and wrestling with Him?

I can’t wait to hear what you think.

Amazed by God

Don’t ask me why, but I am still amazed at God. I guess that is good, but it seems I should expect Him to do something unexpected. Yet I am forever amazed. What has so amazed me this time?

That He would use me.

Don’t get me wrong. I think I am pretty smart, I accepted Christ at a young age, I have gifts…I mean I can cook a great meal (not so great at the clean-up part), I can sing tolerably well, I LOVE to teach others stuff God has taught me, I adore writing. Here is where it gets sticky…I often get in the way…

Yes I have gifts, but who gave them to me? GOD! Yes I can use my skills (in the kitchen, choir, microphone, or pen) to bring God glory. Oh, but I try to steal that glory. If I am not careful it becomes all about me, when deep down because God’s Spirit lives in me, I really what it to be for HIM!

Knowing that I try to steal God’s glory, being aware of my sinful, depraved nature, makes me amazed. Amazed that He would use me. Each door He has opened has driven me to my knees, face to the floor, in AWE of HIM! I don’t deserve it, but He does it anyway. Pretty amazing stuff!

So with that in mind, I begin my list of things I am thanking God for…

226. (in)courage featured me as a daily guest!
227. warm showers
228. God is bigger than all the issues I wrestle Him over
229. the blessing I receive when I wrestle with God
230. my life forever changed by the wrestling
231. strength comes as I wait for the Lord…just wish I was better at the waiting
232. the sound of the washer and dryer
233. honest critiques that sharpen me
234. red and white tulips (my hubby brought me flowers again)
235. siblings showing love
236. new jeans
237. birthday gifts that come in the mail after my birthday (extending the celebration)
238. encouragement given from unexpected people
239. support of my sweet man
240. watching my husband play with the kids
241. patches of sunlight through skylights that move as the earth rotates
242. our amazing bodies, how the ward of sickness, fight disease, our Creator is amazing!
243. the quiet right before the sun rises you can almost feel it
244. at dusk when the world seems to glow golden
245. the privilege to speak to 5th and 6th graders about purity (pray for me Wed night)
246. discussing ideas with my sister on the phone
247. the stillness after my blessings go to bed
248. the crazy sounds of morning as we all get ready for the day
249. the sound of my kids singing worship songs
250. the sound of my husband’s laugh

Please share with me the amazing things God is doing for you. What are you thankful for? Often amazing things are things that we are thankful for! I can’t wait to hear what you have to share!

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