Just Wondering.....

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)

I was just wondering.....

What do you think God thinks about the way we celebrate Christmas?

I wonder if it makes him happy or sad. I wonder if he looks at all the elaborate decorations and thinks about the manger and thinks we missed the point.

I wonder if he looks at the money we spend on giving each other (and ourselves) extravagant gifts instead of giving to people that Jesus’ heart is breaking for and shakes his head. 

I wonder if it bothers him that we only really reach out to those in need during this season...because it’s what you are supposed to do. You know, that we don’t do it all the time.... like he wants us to.

Of course, I am not saying everyone celebrates Christmas like this. But, most of us do. 

I wonder what he thinks about the fact that we don’t wonder what he thinks when we are celebrating Him.

I was just wondering.....

The Real Potter

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NLT)

Imagine it. The potter is sitting at the potter’s wheel. He is working with a hunk of clay. As the clay is forming, the potter realizes that it’s not going to look like it should so he says “You worthless piece of clay. How could you turn out like that? What is wrong with you? You are good for nothing.” Then, he beats it senseless so he can start over.

This is how I sometimes feel we think of God. We see him as watching us from above waiting to pounce on us the moment we make a mistake or don’t do something we should. We feel that he is criticizing us and hurting us. But that is not what happens at the potter’s wheel.

Instead, the potter says “Oh my. It looks like your edges could be a little better-rounded. You could definitely be more beautiful with just a touch here and there. That inside glory is not yet seen. Just a little more molding, a little more shaping and you will be as stunning as ever. I can help you with that.”

God, as the potter of our lives, wants nothing more than the best for us. He wants us to shine from within. He wants us to reflect Jesus in all His glory. And so he shapes and molds us. He grows us through the good, the bad and the ugly so we can be all he designed us to be. He does this with the same love the potter feels when he creates a thing of beauty….only more intensely. He has given his all for us. He sacrificed everything so we can be transformed by his love.

God is our potter. We are the clay. And I praise him each day that in his hands we can be transformed into a unique, one-of-a-kind work of art.

The Revival Inside Me

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:14-16 (KJV)

We just finished the Thanksgiving holiday....anyone spend time with family?  Anyone spend too much time with family? We spent a lot of time with family over the last couple of weeks and sometimes, "I wasn't pretty."  Yes, you read that correctly.

One thing I noticed as I spent more time with family, I started reverting back to my old "family" habits. You know what those are. Those are the habits you learned as a child in your specific family that you worked your whole life to change and as soon as you get back around family there they are.  Things pop out of your mouth and thoughts pop into your head that you would never say in a different group of people.  My habits were not pretty. Some you could see on the outside, some you could not (thank God), like my judgemental thoughts.

Last week I posted about things you take for granted and one of the things I didn't list but should have was my Bible. Toward the end of the holiday, I was having my worship and reading my Bible and God brought today's text to my attention. The King James Version says "Study to show thyself approved." Notice that word....thyself. As I read and prayed God revealed to me that my behavior was something I should take notice of.  And he brought to mind some of the things I said and how I was behaving and he reminded me that this is not who I am. 

My heart broke. I don't know why we (I) do this - revert back to old behaviors when we get around old surroundings but I am asking God to change that in me. And then he brought this text "I live in the dust; revive me by your Word." Psalm 119:25 (NLT)

Yes, Lord. Revive me by your Word. Teach me to be more like you and less like me. Continue to change who I am into who you want me to be.  Amen

There Are Better Things Coming

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 (KJV)

Last week I posted that we lost a family member.  The day we buried him, another family member passed away. I said to my husband "This is too much death." That statement doesn't make sense does it?  Death is always "too much". It's a reminder that this world can sometimes be very difficult. It reminds us that there are tears and pain and heartache. 

It also reminds us that this life we live is not the end of the story. It is temporary. This is not our home. Our home will be a place with no more tears; no more pain. Our home will be a place where Jesus is and because he is, we will be as well. 

What do we do in the meantime? We live like he did - being truth and grace in all that we do (John 1:14). Loving everyone we meet unconditionally. Offering comfort and acceptance in all circumstances. We draw close to him every single day so we come away slightly transformed, even if ever so slightly, so that we look just a little more like him.  Then, we share that sliver (because let's face it - we don't always reflect him well) that we received with the world and in that tiny moment, Jesus will shine and the world will be a better place.