Monday, January 11, 2010

Coffee Talk Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of "What Happens When Women Say Yes To God" covered how we will never know how God will use us until we let him. 

This chapter really stretched me while I was reading it.  Gave me a lot to chew on, think about and pray about.  I had to ask myself the question, "Do I praise God in all that happens, good and bad?"   Do I trust God with my daughter, with my family and friends, with my finances, with my job, etc.  With every aspect of my life, do I trust God or do I have it all under control until I get overwhelemed, frustrated, or scared?  Is God my go-to person in all things in my life or only when things get hard? 

Really, truly, and in all honesty.

Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don't. 

But God knows that.  He knows that I'm going to run around like a chicken with my head cut off and that I'm going to get overwhelmed and that I'm going to doubt and that sometimes I'm going to miss it.  Just like we as parents know that when our children try to walk, run, ride a bike, drive a car, manage a checkbook, go off to college, etc. that they are going to make a mistake.  Do we expect it, yep.  Do we love them less because of it, no, No, NO.  We don't.  We love them through it. And that's exactly what God does with us.  but we have to trust Him and His plan for our lives.

Lysa and Art had one of a parents biggest challenges when their daughter became very ill.  They had to give her to God and "we had to get settled in our hearts that we will love God no matter the outcome".

No matter the outcome.

You lose your job, you lose your car, your home. You become sick.  A loved one becomes ill.  Pain, regrets, mistakes.  No matter what the outcome. 

Settle in your heart that you will love God no matter the outcome and see how that changes your perspective.  

Sounds easy to say but it is hard to practice but it is so much better to live a life that says yes to God every day and deciding now that you will love God through it all, then it is to wait until it is tested to decide that you will do it.   Satan wants to worm his way into our thoughts, and undermine our belief, not only in ourselves but in our God as well.  
"I got mad at DD and WH today, lost my temper and said some awful things.  What kind of Christian am I?  How can I profess to have Christ living in me when I can't even control my temper?" 
Ever had those thoughts?  God knows it, He knows we will never be good enough on our own, and Lamentations 3 tells us "His compassions are new every morning."  Every morning I get a new day, a new chance, and yesterday is gone.  Instead of allowing my thoughts to run rampant with "I'm not going to get a gold-star in Christianity today." I need to ask God for forgiveness, those that I offended and hurt for forgiveness and move forward.  Satan loves nothing more then to get us immersed in the quicksand of our mistakes and short-comings so that we are not able to step out onto the path God desires us to walk with Him on. 

God wants to use us my friend.  We all bring to the table a plethora of experiences, life-lessons, and stories of how God worked in our lives, how His promise and love are real, and He will use ALL of our experiences, not just the 100% gold-star, yeah I'm a good Christian moments, but also the "I messed up, I was wrong, I'm sorry, major oops, moments of our life too."  

There are people all around us that have bought the "I'm not good enough, God can't love me, I've made too many mistakes" that satan has been feeding them.  It's a lie. 

Did you hear me? 

IT IS A LIE!!

Don't believe it for one more second.  Don't waste one more day buying into it'  I did for too many years and all it got me were ulcers, gray hairs, and worry lines (not attractive at all).  Say yes to God starting right now, this moment.  Settle it in your heart.  I may sound bossy but I truly believe that it is that important. 

God, 
You are awesome, amazing, astounding, and we love you.  God thank You that Your compassion is new every morning and help each one of us settle in our hearts that we will love and trust You no matter what we are going through.  God, help me to continue in my pursuit of You and Your desires for my life and God no matter what You would have from me, give me the strength, the courage and the ability to say yes to you every single day.

Amen
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