Monday, June 24, 2013
Busy Bloggers
I have noticed I am not the only blogger having a hard time making a post of any significance. Several of us are busy caring for our friends and family, enjoying summer activities, going to church meetings, and planning weddings. Good for us!!! It is right that our actual lives interfere with our blogging lives, and not the other way around. So for the 8.23 of you who read this poor, little blog, I am sorry, but you will have to continue to wait. Life is too busy right now for my online meanderings to take precedence. But never fear, school will start, routines will resume, and blogging will flourish again!! ;)
Monday, June 17, 2013
What I Want
There is a couple that I know who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this week. They have raised six children, and by the grace of God, all of them are members of the church and productive citizens. She is a wonderful, loving friend and mother . He has spent more than 30 years as a minister of the gospel, wearing himself out in the Lord's service while maintaining a significant role in his family as leader and father. What I love about this couple is how in love they still are after all of that living. So many couples get wrapped up in raising children, that when the children leave they barely know each other. So many couples get wrapped up in the business of life that they forget how to connect with their spouse. But this couple have done it right. When I celebrate my 40th year of marriage, I want to be that in love with my husband. I really do. I must get these friends to tell me all of their secrets. They have this marriage thing figured out. Maybe I can learn from their wisdom.
FYI
Blog posting will be sporadic, at best, for the next four weeks as I help one of the sweetest ladies I know plan and execute her wedding. She held my wedding train in my wedding, and I am coordinating hers....that makes me feel old! I'll post if and when I get the chance, but most of my spare time will be involved in wedding prep. Thanks for understanding!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Three Tests
Proverbs 14:12....."There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
So how do we know when something that seems right is right? How do we know what seems right is the leadership of the Spirit and not our natural reasoning leading us into a way of destruction? There are three tests that can help us answer those questions.
Test One - Is the way I want to go contrary to scripture? The Holy Spirit will never contradict the word of God. We may try to wrest the scripture around to give us the answer we want, but if instead we will honestly read the Bible and heed it's teachings, it will help us interpret our "feelings" as to the way we should go. The Bible should interpret our lives...not vice versa. If I have to reason away scripture to pursue my chosen plan, I am probably on a way of death. If scripture supports and encourages my actions, I am probably following the Spirit.
But sometimes scripture is silent on a specific topic. Sometimes there is no definite right or wrong. How do we know what to do then?
Test Two - Does it offend my brother? Sometimes we don't need to do something for the simple reason that it harms our brethren, it is a stumbling block to them....it makes their Christian walk harder. In the fourteenth chapter of Romans, Paul gives us this lesson. To summarize, some of the early Christians thought eating meat was sinful. Paul, acknowledging that a person's diet has nothing to do with their devotion to God, advises the meat eating brethren to abstain from partaking of meat in front of their weaker brethren. He does not tell the weak brethren to just get over it. He tells the meat eaters to stop and to instead pursue 'the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." So if scripture is silent on a matter, and our brother is offended by our actions, to continue to pursue those actions could be a way of death.,,,death to fellowship and to peace. Ceasing from offensive behavior will yield blessings. Scripture is filled with praise for peacemakers. The world is full of problems that could be avoided if we better applied this test in our decisions. I want to be a pursuer of peace. I would love to be known for that. That is a New Year's Resolution worth striving toward!
So if scripture is silent on a matter, and my brother is not offended by my actions, then I am good to go...right? I think there is still one more test to pass before I say my choice is safe.
Test Three - What is the still, small voice saying? The world has many names for this still, small voice; intuition, gut feeling, inner voice. For the child of God, I believe the quiet voice inside yourself, guiding you toward right and away from wrong, is the Holy Spirit placed within you at regeneration. But often, we are too busy to listen to this voice. So before any big decision is made, I think it is of the utmost importance to STOP moving, talking, and doing; and to just BE STILL and LISTEN. Don't try to justify or support the way you want to go. Just be quiet, and honestly check to see if something inside of you is saying "no." If the still, small voice says no, then wait. Maybe later it will say yes, or maybe it won't, but to take off willfully ignoring that voice is dangerous.
The trick is to know if fear is saying "no", or if the Spirit is saying "no." That is why it is important to spend time every day trying to find that quiet voice within yourself. Then you will recognize that voice when you need guidance. It just "sounds" different than fear.
So there they are. Three tests to help determine if the way that seems right is right. I am sure others have different ways, better ways, and I would be thrilled to hear what they are.
So how do we know when something that seems right is right? How do we know what seems right is the leadership of the Spirit and not our natural reasoning leading us into a way of destruction? There are three tests that can help us answer those questions.
Test One - Is the way I want to go contrary to scripture? The Holy Spirit will never contradict the word of God. We may try to wrest the scripture around to give us the answer we want, but if instead we will honestly read the Bible and heed it's teachings, it will help us interpret our "feelings" as to the way we should go. The Bible should interpret our lives...not vice versa. If I have to reason away scripture to pursue my chosen plan, I am probably on a way of death. If scripture supports and encourages my actions, I am probably following the Spirit.
But sometimes scripture is silent on a specific topic. Sometimes there is no definite right or wrong. How do we know what to do then?
Test Two - Does it offend my brother? Sometimes we don't need to do something for the simple reason that it harms our brethren, it is a stumbling block to them....it makes their Christian walk harder. In the fourteenth chapter of Romans, Paul gives us this lesson. To summarize, some of the early Christians thought eating meat was sinful. Paul, acknowledging that a person's diet has nothing to do with their devotion to God, advises the meat eating brethren to abstain from partaking of meat in front of their weaker brethren. He does not tell the weak brethren to just get over it. He tells the meat eaters to stop and to instead pursue 'the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." So if scripture is silent on a matter, and our brother is offended by our actions, to continue to pursue those actions could be a way of death.,,,death to fellowship and to peace. Ceasing from offensive behavior will yield blessings. Scripture is filled with praise for peacemakers. The world is full of problems that could be avoided if we better applied this test in our decisions. I want to be a pursuer of peace. I would love to be known for that. That is a New Year's Resolution worth striving toward!
So if scripture is silent on a matter, and my brother is not offended by my actions, then I am good to go...right? I think there is still one more test to pass before I say my choice is safe.
Test Three - What is the still, small voice saying? The world has many names for this still, small voice; intuition, gut feeling, inner voice. For the child of God, I believe the quiet voice inside yourself, guiding you toward right and away from wrong, is the Holy Spirit placed within you at regeneration. But often, we are too busy to listen to this voice. So before any big decision is made, I think it is of the utmost importance to STOP moving, talking, and doing; and to just BE STILL and LISTEN. Don't try to justify or support the way you want to go. Just be quiet, and honestly check to see if something inside of you is saying "no." If the still, small voice says no, then wait. Maybe later it will say yes, or maybe it won't, but to take off willfully ignoring that voice is dangerous.
The trick is to know if fear is saying "no", or if the Spirit is saying "no." That is why it is important to spend time every day trying to find that quiet voice within yourself. Then you will recognize that voice when you need guidance. It just "sounds" different than fear.
So there they are. Three tests to help determine if the way that seems right is right. I am sure others have different ways, better ways, and I would be thrilled to hear what they are.
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