Thoughts on Colossians 3:12

Last night I was having one of those moments where you just lie in bed, thinking deep thoughts...I know what you're thinking, it's Christmas break! Deep thoughts are for geeks! I agree, I agree! But it turns I just so happen to be a geek..so there I was lying there thinking deep, geeky thoughts about what I really want out of life. Do I really want to glorify God in my every day life, in everything I say & do? In how I manage my time? In how I treat others? In what I focus my thoughts on? Or do I just want "enough God" to make me look good to my Christian circle of friends & family? In considering this & searching my heart, I decided, yes, I really do want God, His character, & the life of His Son Jesus Christ to permeate everything I say & do...not just when I'm in public, but every moment. I started considering what exactly that looks like, & my once-deep thoughts started drifting into sleepy thoughts. Well, I usually spend about 20 minutes in prayer before I drift off to sleep, but last night I still could not sleep! So, I turned over again, & picked up a devotional book that my mom had borrowed me earlier this week. It is called "A Gentle Spirit," & it is by a conglomeration of different authors; it has a short devotional entry for every day of the year. I've never really been a "go in order & read just one page" kinda person, so I'm pretty sure the entry I read was from some date in June. But it was just perfect for what I had been musing about earlier! God in His word lays out what a Christ-like life should look like moment-by-moment. Particularly in the verse that this entry was based out of: Colossians 3:12. This entry was authored by Barbara Johnson & she uses the analogy of a wardrobe to give a unique perspective into this verse:

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, hold & beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."

Have you checked your spiritual wardrobe lately? The apostle Paul listed the Garments of the Holy Spirit in his letter to the Colossian believers. First on his list is tender mercies, which are acts of empathy for weak or hurting people. These tender mercies are kind of like the underclothes of the wardrobe. They are the foundation of everything that goes on the outside. Next on Paul's list is kindness: treating others with honor & significance.
Humility is next. No matter how much we win or lose in life, God wraps us in a beautiful cloak of grace.


Meekness is one of my favorite things to wear. Meekness makes it possible to endure difficult circumstances & poor treatment at the hands of others. 
How about longsuffering? Sometimes I wish that old rag would just wear out so I could get something more glamorous & colorful. But I know God has fashioned even this to enhance my life. Bearing with others & forgiveness are the outerwear of God's designs. They are the last things we pull on over everything else before we go out into the world. 


Above all else, Paul says, put on love. Without this, we are never fully dressed. 


I LOVE her perspective of meekness. It just struck me in a way that I had never really thought about before. I finally went to sleep shortly after reading through that entry, but it stuck with me through this morning. So instead of my current study of the gospel of Luke, I took some time to study this verse more in-depth. I wanted to look up the definition of some of the key words so I could have a deeper understanding. It was a huge encouragement to me! So I would just like to share a bit of what I found.
My personal devotions are out of the ESV version, so here is Colossians 3:12 again from the ESV =)

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy & beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, & patience."

• Compassion: a feeling of deep sympathy & sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
• Christ was moved by His compassion (Matthew 9:35-38). Many times I feel compassion for people, but I don't do anything about it. It doesn't move me into action. True compassion doesn't allow apathy; it causes you to serve in a self-sacrificing way.
• Kindness: Of good or benevolent nature. Considerate, helpful, self-sacrificing, mild, & gentle. Desiring to help others; charitable. Generous. 
• I looked up the word "considerate" as well in regards to kindness. The definition was "showing kindly awareness or regard for another's feelings, circumstances, etc. Carefully considers actions; deliberate." I often get so wrapped up in my own life, that I act without thought of how it will impact others. Even if it's something as simple as going for a run when instead I could take some extra time to be an encouragement to others. This makes me consider ways that I could be less selfish with my time & try to find ways to be more aware of the needs of others.
• Humility: Not proud or arrogant: modest. Courteously respectful. Having a modest opinion of one's own importance.
• Of course the passage I always think of when it comes to humility is the example of Christ in Philippians 2, who " though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
• Meekness: Humbly patient. Controlled strength. Meekness does NOT = weakness. 
• In looking into the definition of Meekness, I found an acronym that was useful:
• M ighty
• E motionally Stable (don't let your emotions dictate your actions.)
• E ducable (this coincides well with James 3:17 & the concept of being "easily entreated."       You willingly forfeit the "right to be right" in favor of being open to the teaching & critique of others.)
• K ind
• Patience: Bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship, pain, etc., with fortitude & calm, without complaint, anger, or the like. Quietly & steadily persevering or diligent, especially within detail & exactness. Having or showing the capacity of endurance. An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. 
• This was one of the most impacting character traits for me. Part of the reason I couldn't sleep was because of restlessness. I want to know what God has planned for my life, NOW. I'm not the most patient person in the world when it comes to the future, because I just love having a plan & a schedule. But the Lord wants me to wait right now...& not only to wait, but to wait patiently. This next paragraph sums up the kind of patience I desire to develop:
• Composure, stability, self-possession, submissiveness, sufferance. Endurance, Fortitude. Implying qualities of calmness, stability, & persistent courage in trying circumstances. Patience may denote calm, self-possessed & unrepining bearing of pain, misfortune, annoyance, or delay--"to bear affliction with patience." Endurance denotes the ability to bear exertion, hardship, or suffering. Fortitude implies not only patience, but courage & strength of character in the midst of pain, affliction, or hardship.

One verse, so packed full of truth. God's word is SO rich! 

UN-Tangled: Part II!

Oh hey there!! Well, a very near & dear friend/sister recently pointed out to me that I never posted the other part of the UN-Tangled blog entry. It has been a LOOONG time, but I didn't forget, I promise! I've just been very busy with staff training, lifeguarding, sessions, meeting campers, etc. But that is no excuse, so I give you, part dos!! =)

4) The Cross Already Cut the Ropes of Entangling Sin!!

I LOVE this point!!! How amazing to know that those strongholds that so easily ensnare us actually have NO power over us! Colossians 2:13-15 says "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling dthe record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities2 and eput them to open shame, by ftriumphing over them in him."

Christ canceled not just the debt we owed, but also every record of the debt! His righteousness was transferred to you when you accepted His gift of salvation, so now it is as if you never sinned.

Sometimes we submit to the bondage of sin without even fighting it. Idk about you, but there are some temptations that Satan doesn't even have to try to hard to tangle me in. Take self-consciousness/envy. All that has to happen for me to get caught up in these sins is to see someone who is prettier/skinnier/more talented than me, & I'm throwing the ropes around myself! Why didn't God make me that way? (Discontentment/exalting myself above God.) I wish I looked like that way (Jealousy). I hope she gets fat someday (bitter envy!!).
Do you see how easily Satan traps a lot of us? We trap ourselves! But with Christ, we don't have to submit to our natural sinful tendencies. They are powerless over us. The chains have been broken by Christ's victory on the Cross!

5) Those Once Untangled can be WELL Entangled Again.

Have you ever thought that you have overcome a sin only to find yourself struggling, or falling again? Then what happens? You get discouraged, major guilt complex, etc! Be careful to guard your heart. Be aware of your weaknesses & keep them in regular prayer! Don't just clean up your life, FILL it with all the fullness of God!

6) A Grudge Can Entangle Us Where We Need Untangled Most.

Bitterness comes with holding a grudge bitterness is poison & can only hurt you. Why do we hold grudges? Someone hurts us...we feel like if we distance ourselves & hold out on forgiving them, then we are getting back at them. The OPPOSITE is true! Whoever or whatever you're holding a grudge against, you are bowed down & tied to! Forgive as Christ has forgiven, & the freedom will be a huge blessing to you. You will come to a deeper understanding & appreciation of God's forgiveness when you come to a situation where you have to forgive someone who never asked for your forgiveness. Someone who honestly does not deserve your forgiveness. Ephesians said that we were all enemies of God; our flesh HATES God. But He still loved us & gave His son to die for us, so that we could be forgiven. Can you not forgive?

I hope that these points give you something to think about this week! Lord willing, I'll be able to carve out some time to post an update on my life as of late, & then soon after I'll finish out this Untangled series with the last 3 points =) Have a great week!

UN-Tangled

Ever find yourself in this kind of mood? I know I have!





Do you feel tangled lately? No, I'm not talking about a bad hair day, but rather that inner conflict that we all deal with at some time or another. Sometimes circumstances confuse us, but sometimes we confuse ourselves!!  Or at least I do! Lol. This past weekend I had the privilege of going to a Beth Moore conference in Minneapolis with my sister, my mom, & 41 other ladies from my home church. If you have never heard of Beth Moore, I highly recommended that you check out her blog, Bible study materials, etc. She has a great gift of communicating God's truth in a very clear & profound way. This weekend's conference theme was "UN-Tangled." I'll tell you, I definitely needed to get some things un-tangled & rest in God's peace again. It was a huge blessing to sing praises to God with the 4300 other women that were in attendance & then be refreshed by God's word in the sessions that Beth Moore gave. I would just like to share with you the 9 points that Beth made in the sessions because they were such great reminders! 


1) God can UN-Tangle us when life is about to kills us!


Psalm 116:1-6
"I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.  The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me."


I don't know about you, but sometimes I try to put on a front before God....make that a LOT of times! We all do it with people; someone asks you how you're doing, & what do you always say? "I'm fine." Even when the whole world can tell, you are not fine. But why do we always try to tell God, "I'm fine." He knows everything & He's told us to come to him in times of distress; He is mighty to save!


2) God can UN-Tangle us when we are tangled up inside.


Hmmm....I am one tangled up girl on the inside. I feel just like Rapunzel in the clip I shared at the beginning. Especially when it comes to guys!! Haha! What if he likes me? But sometimes it seems like he just wants to be friends. But he took me for coffee! But he's just super nice, he would take a 90 year old grandma for coffee!! Lol! Ok, so maybe not quite THAT bad...but you get my point. I also get all tangled when it comes to more serious things, like, am I majoring in the right thing? Am I where God wants me to be? What will I do after college? How am I going to finish paying for school? 


SO many tangles! But God knows all of them & He has the solution to every tangle in our lives. Ask God for wisdom; ask Him to simplify the situation & make a solution clear to you.  SEEK wise, godly counsel. Also, ask Him for patience to wait on HIS timing in making everything clear to you. 


One of the most amazing passages to me is Romans 8:26-27. Sometimes I get so confused about what would be best, I don't even know how to pray anymore, but God made an amazing promise that we can rest in:


"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."


Even when we aren't sure of the will of God, the Holy Spirit makes intercession on our behalf, according to the will of God!! How amazing is that?


3) God can UN-Tangle us when our motives are in tangles.


...this one hit me. I LONG for the day when I will no longer have to battle my flesh & I will have 100% pure motives. Even when I am doing something for someone else, I always feel like there is a small part of me...sometimes even a big part of me, that is doing it for my own good. Pride, to make myself feel better, because I'm expected to...etc! 


God has commanded us to love HIM with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, & might. And, we are to love our neighbors as ourself. Only God & His Holy Spirit can take control of us & allow us to serve Him with pure motives. Walk in the Spirit, & you shall NOT fulfill the desire of the flesh!








Well, if I go through all 9 points, ya'll will have to be reading ALL day! So I'll leave you to ponder these three & I'll share the others soon! Hope that you have a wonderful day! 


"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." ~Philippians 1:6

Perception of Beauty

This is something I struggle with almost every day...what is true beauty? We are bombarded with images of unattainable beauty every where we look; airbrushed models, anorexic celebrities, etc. This video was an encouragement to me this week as I try to maintain a healthy perspective on what true beauty is:

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

Need some humility with a side of encouragement topped off with a healthy dose of awe? Watch this video by Francis Chan:





WOW!!! Now consider that the same God who created all of that, has this to say about you:


"I have loved you with an everlasting love..."


The same God who created all of that, sent His only Son, for you:


"Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. "


...but why?!


"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. "






I am blown away by this!! How could the same God who created the universe have also made me; loved me; and ultimately died for me? What a privilege to know that God knows us intimately & cares about me & you---just little specks in the universe. In Psalm 139, David was equally awed by this knowledge:






O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
  You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
  You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
  Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
  You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.




Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
  If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
  even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.


For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
  My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
  Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.


How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
  If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

Dying to Live

One of the things I love about the Bible is how it is so full of paradoxes. Statements that at first glance may appear to be an oxymoron, but through closer examination expose life changing truths that could only be revealed by God Himself. One of these life-changing statements can be found in Mark chapter 8, where Christ tells His disciples & the surrounding crowd “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"


Over this past semester, God has really been challenging me through this idea. Am I really willing to give up my life in order to follow Christ?  The day that really made me think about this was when we had our Day of Prayer at school; we spent about 8 hours praying for members of the persecuted church across the world. These are people that are beaten, imprisoned, & even killed simply because they claim the name of Christ & follow Him no matter what the cost. In America, we are lucky. We don't have to worry too much about suffering through any physical harm for sharing our testimony or attending church. But yet we're still afraid because we have so much pride & fear of what people will think about us. So that's where it comes back to the big question: Am I willing to die to myself, my wants, desires, plans...everything I think I need in order to follow Christ through anything?

As I kept coming back to this question, the Lord kept bringing me to two examples of Christ-likeness in the Bible. Stephen & Paul both exemplified what it means to be Christ-like in life & in death.

In Acts 7, Stephen boldly proclaimed the gospel & the people he was speaking to got so angry when confronted with their sin that they stoned Stephen to death. In his last moments he fell to his knees & cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” ...Sound familiar? Let's take a look at Christ's last moments before His death on the cross. In Luke 23, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Christ died as an innocent man to take the punishment for our sins. Stephen died proclaiming the truth in love to a crowd of people who had never heard the gospel. Both of these men were killed for no fault of their own; they both died for the sake of others. And they both asked God to forgive the people who murdered them. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Neither of these men died for people that loved them, they died for their enemies. "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5)  Do we as Christians have this kind of Christ-like love?


Paul is another example that just really stands out to me in Christ-likeness. One of the things he said just really struck me. In Romans 9, Paul says "for I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers." Paul was willing for himself to be separated from God in order for others to come to know Christ. That is pretty powerful when you think about it. People who have never had a close relationship with the Lord will not be able to relate to this, but for those of you who know the deep love & peace that can only come from knowing God, you know how incredible Paul's statement is. There is only one other man that I can think of in all of history that was willing to give up His intimate relationship with God in order to save many & that was Christ Himself. We sometimes read God's words in Hebrews 13:5 in a hurry & never grasp the depth of His promise to us: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Perhaps we don't grasp the full meaning of God's promise in this verse because we have forgotten another verse--Mark 15:34, when Christ was hanging on the cross for my sins & your sins. When God's own SON cried out in agony as He took on the weight of our sins & was separated from His Father's holiness. At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” God loved us so much that He was willing to be separated from His own Son in order to be able to promise you & I that He would never leave us or forsake us. Christ was willing to be separated from His own Father in order to save you & I! Isn't that crazy?! "the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" Here's another paradox for you found in 2 Corinthians 8: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich."   Jesus Christ was willing to leave everything He had in heaven in order to come to earth as a man to take the blame & the punishment for everything that we have done. He gave up everything He had for us. He was willing to be separated from His Father for us. Paul came to the point where he was also willing to be separated from God, all for the sake of others. Would you be willing to give up everything? Your relationship with God? His love? Eternal life? All for the sake of others? 

I know that the Lord is still continuing to work on my heart in this area & is daily showing me ways that I am still selfish, but it has been so incredible to see how God blesses when you truly do just obey & follow Him. Another crazy-awesome paradox in that passage is this: When we give everything to the cause of Christ, we don't lose anything! In fact, we gain everything!! "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him." I'm not going to lie to you; there are times that having faith in God can be very hard. Sometimes God chooses to lead us through very difficult situations. But He is faithful & He does reward those who seek Him & seek to do His will. It is always worth it. So here's my challenge to you this summer: Take up your cross daily & follow Him. Be faithful in the little things. Trust Him in everything! And don't get discouraged or feel guilty when you fail; God understands our human frailties & He always forgives us no matter how many times we fail. It doesn't do any good to focus on failure because wherever your focus is, that is most likely where you will end up again. Keep your eyes on Christ, even when you fall. 


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." ~Hebrews 12:1-2

What is God's Will?

Good morning!! So I just realized that I haven't blogged about what's going on in my life in quite a while now, so I promise I will do that soon. Hopefully before I go back to school. But this morning I had this video emailed to me & it was an encouragement to me, so I wanted to share it with you =) I love these guys! Lol. Enjoy.