Sunday, January 15, 2012

Who's Value?

I have come to some new places today that can only be gotten to by the grace of God! I tend to think, at times, that this whole spiritual exercise thing is just a lot of wasted time. I feel like my head get's so blocked up that I couldn't find Luke in the Bible if I had the page number! Then I beat myself up cuz I don't get it, I won't ever get it and God surly has no use for the likes of me! Today, God showed me different and he showed me it was a process, sometimes a very long process.


I have been raised to go after what I want, grab hold of it with both hands and claim it. What I possess, defines me. The approval of others defines me and my worth. If you think I'm all that and a ball of wax, then it must be true! In the process of believing what you say about me, I gain my self-sufficiency and my independence! So guess who this makes me dependent on? That's right! Me, myself and I. Guess who's plan I have just walked into without even knowing it? Again, right! Satan's!


What's that? You don't agree? Well, I didn't either until God showed me different and that happened this week. The values of satan are riches, honor and pride. The values of Christ are poverty, humiliation and humility. Goes against everything our country stands for huh? That in itself might be where we need to look, but for now I will limit it to asking this question: Who do you follow?


The Beatitudes express Christ's way. Are they hard? You beat they are! Are they impossible? Nope! We would like for them to be impossible, cuz then we wouldn't feel the need to be what we're called to be. We could just say: Jesus, I love you and all, but this stuff just doesn't fit into my plan of things! And on top of that, I have needs and I want those clothes I saw yesterday in the store and I have to have that job I've been training for cuz them I can have the money that will buy all the stuff that I want! This becomes an Idol and I'm thinking that God said something about having no other God before HIM!


I am to be in want and to seek my filling from Christ. My freedom comes in union with Christ, poor. The Message says it like this: You're blessed when you've lost it all. God's kingdom is there for the finding.


Luke 6:24-25 in the Message: 
But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
What you have is all you'll ever get.


And it's trouble ahead if you're satisfied with yourself.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.


And it's trouble ahead if you think life's all fun and games.
There's suffering to be met, and you're going to meet it.


I have been struggling with why I'm here and what I'm suppose to be learning or doing here. I have said on many occasions, Don't you know who I am and what I can do!? I am relearning this life lesson straight from God and it's painful. I have not made many friends here and that blows my mind, cuz I can make friends. I am learning to be transparent and real and honest, which isn't always popular. But God is telling me in no uncertain terms:


Your task is to be true, not popular!
  
    

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I have struggled with this even after I learned it. He does want us to call upon Him each AND everyday to provide for us. It does go against all we have been taught but we have been fed a lie. I don't like depending on others to supply my needs but that is where God has us and he has blessed us as well as the givers!
It's hard to wrap our brains around but we just have to keep practicing trust!