Showing posts with label
operating in calm peace humility.
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Showing posts with label
operating in calm peace humility.
Show all posts
Psalm 46:10
Our God says, “Calm down,
and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth
will honor me.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This
morning, I stood in the shower and thought about the events that
unfolded in our world in the last 24 hours. And I made a very profound promise to God …”I will not ask…”
- I will not ask…why my
husband’s brother endured surgery for prostate cancer in late July that
brought a lengthy recovery, only to be involved in a deadly car crash
just before Christmas.
- I will not ask…why my
brother-in-law had to go through three surgeries for four bowel
resections, a concussion, stroke and fractured sternum – and all of the
tests, procedures and indignities that came with this, only to die ten
days later.
- I will not ask…why my 66-year-old
brother-in-law and his family members had to suffer through rounds of
cardiac arrest, when death was the ultimate outcome.
- I will not ask…why my 89-year-old mother-in-law had to lose her middle son.
- I will not ask…why my own mother continues to decline with cancer that seems to be rapidly overtaking her body.
- I
will not ask…why in the midst of all of this, Greg and I caught a
respiratory bug that pretty well knocked us to our knees for about a
week each.
- I will not ask…why others are sick, suffering, grieving…why wars are being fought and orphans have no home.
- I
will not ask…why people are struggling with addictions, homelessness,
money woes, discrimination and injustices of all kinds…and so much more.
I cannot
ask these questions…because every time I do, I hear God clearly saying,
“What if JESUS had asked why He had to suffer for you?” I hear Him
say, “How do you think what you are enduring could possibly compare in
the least to that?!” And I am stopped dead in my tracks.
I hear
God saying, “Don’t you think I am with you, even now? Do you really
know who I am?” And I am instantly humbled…and comforted…and blessed.
Even in the middle of such chaos, God wants me to calm down…to “be still
and know” that He is God – and He can handle all of this without any
input from me!
I have no clue what 2016 is going to bring our
way. But I know that we are going to get through every bit of it,
because of God. When I kissed Greg goodnight and wished him a Happy New
Year, my heart ached for him. I know the emptiness of losing a
brother…we’ve been down the road of watching a parent suffer from a
lengthy illness. I comforted my 80-something grandmother when my dad –
her only son – died at the age of 63.
In the last several days,
I’ve had my moments...but for the most part, I have been relatively
calm. And people have asked, “How are you doing that?” My answer is
simple…”I’m not…God is.” What about you? Who is holding you close
today and keeping you calm? Isn’t it time you knew?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Luke 6:37-42
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their
failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same
treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can
boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away
your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given
back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way.
Generosity begets generosity.”
He quoted a proverb: “‘Can a blind
man guide a blind man?’ Wouldn’t they both end up in the ditch? An
apprentice doesn’t lecture the master. The point is to be careful who
you follow as your teacher.
“It’s easy to see a smudge on your
neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you
have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own
face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you
mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living
your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be
fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
We’ve seen some pretty stark
examples in the news media lately of people who criticized others with
no regard to their own “ugly sneer.” Sadly, you can probably name
several…the list seems quite lengthy on any given day.
It is
puzzling to me that we cannot seem to get over ourselves…that we have
heard this passage of scripture all of our lives, yet criticism and
judgment of others has almost become a global hobby. We seem to take
delight in the misery and downfall of others. Perhaps it is because we
think this makes us look better. It doesn’t.
I can’t add a whole
lot to these words in Luke 6. Read them again and again until they are
imprinted on your heart and mind. The next time you start to bombast
“the other guy,” stop and take a look in the mirror. There but for the
grace of God go you…and on any given day, the spotlight could easily
shine a little brightly in your direction!
Here is your exercise
for today…sit quietly and think about Jesus. Picture Him on the
cross…or walking toward you – His soft-yet-strong, loving arms
spread widely to receive you. Imagine that you have just blown it – big
time. Still, He is there…embracing you…dying for you…forgiving
you…loving you. Now put that person you have just criticized or
condemned in your place. Yep! Jesus is still there…what He offers to
each of us, He also offers to that person you judged and discarded!
Let
this message really soak into the depths of your soul today. Learn to
stop yourself mid-criticism, and remember that you serve a God who loves
ALL of us – even that person. Get so comfortable with this
concept that you make love your all-purpose garment…that treating others
with contempt becomes almost a foreign concept! As you begin to go
easier on people, discover how much more peaceful your own daily living
becomes. Treat others as you wish to be treated…as JESUS treats them.
Operate in His love and peace…and trade the devil’s contempt for
Christ's continual peace and blessings.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Proverbs 16:24
Kind words are like honey—
they cheer you up
and make you feel strong.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
There is really not much I can add to this! Speak kind words to others today…particularly those people to whom you may not feel so loving or tolerant, for whatever reason. Let your “kindness” serve as a balm for their souls...and let them see the love of Jesus in your words and body language. You might catch a few people off guard…but it will all be good in the end. And as you lift another person, you will feel stronger, more lighthearted, and confident in your relationship with Jesus. You will be blessed to be a blessing!
So get going! Who will be the first to feel the love of Jesus in your kind words this day?
©2015 Debbie Robus
