Common Denominator

I have been reading in the Proverbs a lot this past few days, and yet again I have been struck by simplicity and complexity of the proverbs when applying them in our Christian walk.  Today I read Proverbs 27 and 28.  Here are the verses that stuck out to me.

“Better is open rebuke then hidden love…As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another…As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man…He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy…Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.” (Proverbs 27:5, 17, 19; 28:13, 14)

These verses all can be taken apart or together.  Some might find it difficult to see what they have in common, but to me they all boil down to our instinct to want, and yet run from community. 

No one likes to be alone or feel lonely.  No one likes to feel like they don’t have anyone to run to in times of hurt or times of tragedy.  God created us to have this desire of community.  He created Adam and Eve.  He knew that we couldn’t make it by ourselves.  When the nation of Israel was created, and when the Church was born, God created community.  Their were laws of protection for outsiders.  There were times of celebration, times of worship as a community.  In the Church, believers shared their belongings.  They gave to one another so that everyone would have.  God created humanity to be in community.

And yet for some reason when times get really hard, or things get personal, we flee from community.  We try to hide.  Whether we are caught in sin or hiding sin, we don’t want it to get out for fear of what the community will do or say.  The community that was created for good has now become a community for judging and a place of fear of rejection, the very thing community was created to get rid of.

So as I read these verses, I am struck with the fact that I must be in community with other believers.  I must be willing to be challenged when I need challenged, to be sharpened in my faith when I need sharpened so that I might start reflecting God in my life.  If my heart reflects me, then I want my reflection to look like Jesus.

Common denominator.  A commonality found among a particular group of items by which the whole group can be divisible by.  These verses, when dividing why the common denominator (accountability) equals community!

May we all strive to have this denominator in our life so that we live in true, Godly community.  So that we can begin to look like the Church as God designed it to be.

Grace and Peace

Are we there yet?

Every parent and children with younger siblings hate to hear this dreaded question.  Okay maybe hate is too strong a word, but most don’t like, especially when it is repeated every 3 minutes.  But sometimes, I wonder if God ever gets tired of hearing us ask this same question.

In my daily devotional time the other day, I was reading in Proverbs 19.  These two verses stood out to me.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purposes that prevails.”—Proverbs 19:21

“The fear of the Lord leads to life:Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.”—Proverbs 19:23

So many times we want to have everything figured out in life.  We want our questions answered, we want our directions set and we like our life plans and dreams to be set.  Maybe I’m the only one, but I love being spontaneous but hate not knowing my future.  It is so hard for me to rest in God’s plans for my life.  Like the Solomon says I have tons of plans in my heart.  Things I’d like to accomplish, places I’d like to go and it gets frustrating when God’s ideas and his plans don’t match up with mine.

If only I could learn to trust fully in God.  Then I might have the rest and contentment that I need to not go insane.  When we start to focus on ourselves, it is too easy to get distracted and to forget to find God.  It is then, when we seem not to be content but rather always searching for the next and brightest idea to entertain us.  I am reminded of a passage from Colossians 3 where Paul writes “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  If only I can remember this when I get distracted.

So are we there yet?  Only God knows the answer.  Just like a parent who knows the directions, the time of travel and the mileage one must go to reach his destination, so God is the one who knows about our journey, our plans and our dreams.  May we always learn to trust in God and find our satisfaction in his timing and contentment in His plans.

Grace and Peace

I Met God Tonight

I think I met God tonight…

Before you think I’m crazy, let me explain…

Tonight I was invited to a friend’s house for dinner and cards and just some plain ole fun.  Dinner was great and was followed by a time of laughter, a little sarcasm but mostly love.  Tonight as the conversations waned, I couldn’t help but look back and see that God was there.  He was there in the conversations.  There in the relationships.  There in the encouraging words from friends and their in the challenging words too.

I thought I had felt community before, but tonight marks a first for me.  I was able to be open, honest and lay my heart bare before an older man in my life, one whom I’m starting to consider more, and more as a mentor.

We sat outside on his driveway, watching the lightning and discussing life.  A lot about my future plans and goals in life.  He said some challenging words, but very encouraging ones at the same time.  And as he talked, I couldn’t help but know that what he was saying was heartfelt and genuine and was what I needed to hear. 

The most important thing he said to me tonight, was to rely on God, to let God take away any stress and frustrations I have and let Him take care of it.  Trust in God’s plan. 

So simple, yet so true.  I hope that all of this babbling will serve as a reminder to all who read this to stay strong, to listen to God and give any frustrations or disappointments you may have to God.  Trust in his ways and see where he leads.  You never know you might be surprised!

I met God tonight…

No it wasn’t an audible voice, but it was through community.  Through my adopted Christian family.  Thank you for all the guidance and wisdom and prayers you have said to me and for me.  It is my prayer now that I will keep my own challenge and to rely on God. 

No Matter What

This week I am trying to get everything lined up for this upcoming school year in Third Race.  I have worked the stage set and it is almost finished, I am finishing preparing my lesson for next week and I am almost done planning out the next couple of months teaching schedule.  I think it is going to be a a great semester and I know the possibilities are endless for what God is going to do here in Cassville.

This fall's theme is going to be "borrowed" from CIY.  We are focusing on the idea that God can use us and wants to and to never give up on his grace and the influence we have around us.  Our theme is NO MATTER WHAT.

I'm very excited to see how God will use these students and challenge them to go the distance no matter what, and to claim Christ in their lives and not live in their past or in their man made religious ideas.  Our key verse throughout the semester is going to Philippians 3:13-14, which says "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  

Our goal is to get to the students to realize that God has forgiven them of the their past and that when we let go of it, then we can truly become the people that God created us to be.  We want to create students who will cling to Jesus and Jesus only.  We want to help the students rid their lives of the their pasts and their preconceived ideas of Christianity.