Posts

Stay and fight

Staying is hard. The easier thing to do is to cut and run. I've never been one to run away though. It's not in me. There's something deep in my soul that screams, "Do whatever you can to make it work!" I have found this in all my relationships, in places where I've lived, and in all my jobs.  I feel compelled to stay and fight. I have to have those hard conversations. I cannot avoid or peace out when there is conflict, because it goes so against my make-up. I wasn't like this as a non-believer though. I wanted to run from everything and conflict scared the crap out of me. But Jesus changes everything and He's changed me. And He often asks me to stay. Staying sometimes sucks. In the in-between, there is toil and turmoil. In the waiting for resolution, there is wrestling and questioning. In the staying, there's a forced trusting in the Lord that you wouldn't find if you had just left at the beginning. I'm in a situation right now where I fee
Post a Comment
Read more

A God of Individuals

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matt. 6:26) Most people look to this verse (and the ones before and after it) when they are struggling with anxiety. I, however, thought of this verse the other night when I saw God's miraculous provision and care for someone else. He is such a God of individuals, and He cares for all of our needs so specifically. A couple nights ago, I went out with a friend to catch up. Before I left, I randomly decided to take our older car, which I rarely ever drive. My friend and I talked for a few hours at the coffee shop. I was tired because it was nearing 10pm, and thinking we should leave, but something told me to just wait a little longer. Pretty soon, the shop was closing down and we exited the building. As we walked out, we were met by a homeless woman who was crying. She had just asked someone for money, and they spit
Post a Comment
Read more

Want to mature? Stop trying to understand it all.

Christian, don't let the fact that you don't understand something stop you from knowing that it is true and good. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Prov. 3:5, italics mine) I've observed so much fear in the church recently. Fear of good things, even. There's a tendency to dismiss something when one cannot understand it. But Jesus tells us that we are not to lean on our own understanding in the first place. Our understanding is always skewed, always lacking because we are not fully complete yet--we only see things in part. I've seen people doubt miracles God has done because they cannot understand how they happened. I have seen people disregard an interpretation of Scripture because they understood it a different way. And, in truth, I have been one of these people at times. How arrogant are we though? That we would think understanding is in our grasp without the power of God is a total joke. Jesus's own di
Post a Comment
Read more

Zeal for your house has consumed me…

It makes absolute sense why Jesus would say this and fulfill this, but can this also my anthem? I’m finding it hard to keep my opinions (and most of them scripturally based) silent these days. I find myself having the same passion I had when I first met Jesus. However, instead of little knowledge and experience with Jesus and His Bride, I now have 23 years under my belt.  In growing in maturity, I'm able to ask questions freely that are leading me closer to Jesus. I keep asking questions like, “Why does church have to be so complicated?” “Why is there no space for God in God’s house?” “If the Spirit moves like the wind, why don’t we let Him blow and follow where He goes?” “Why has fear of man entered the church and stayed?” “Why wouldn’t the gifts still be alive?” "Don’t we serve a living God?" "Didn’t Jesus raise himself from the grave?" "Why does the church so often feel dead?"   Let's talk traditional church services. Many are based on liturgy a
1 comment
Read more