Romans 8:5-8
Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.
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.
In the interest of fairness, I will talk about our other cat, Lucy, today. Lucy is a “tuxedo” (black and white) who is pretty much attached to me (while her sister, Mabel, prefers to hang with Greg 99% of the time). To say that Lucy is self-absorbed would be an understatement. Don’t get me wrong, we love and adore both of our cats – and spoil them rotten! Both are the most vocal cats we have ever known… but “No!” is not in Lucy’s vocabulary! When she wants my attention, she will squawk and squall like she is dying. Or if I am trying to sleep and she wants my attention, she will either paw at me incessantly (front paws declawed, thankfully!) or she will lie down next to me and thump her tail so loudly it echoes in the bed springs!
Granted, Lucy is a cat. And I guess a cat is entitled to be self-centered… it’s kinda their job! But when it comes to our own lives, we are often so much like Lucy – or worse – and God is not pleased. We are either kicking, screaming and insisting that He do something for us… that He give us every one of our heart’s desires (which are not necessarily the same as His desires for us)… or we completely ignore Him and strike out on our own to do things our way. OR… we figure out another way to get what we want. Like Lucy, if God doesn’t answer as quickly as we wish – or in the manner we prefer – we have ways of making our requirements known!
Often, end result is not pretty. We end up miserable, defeated and disappointed… and feeling anything but peaceful. If only we had sense enough to trust God… to seek Him in all things and to desire what He desires. If only we thought of God first…and second… and third…and put our ego on the back burner. We can’t even begin to imagine what God would do for us if we would do this for Him. But as my Mam-ma Polly would say, “I tell you what”… I’m willing to try. Are you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
James 4:1-2
Why do you fight and argue with each other? Isn’t it because you are full of selfish desires that fight to control your body? You want something you don’t have, and you will do anything to get it. You will even kill! But you still cannot get what you want, and you won’t get it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In one of her workout videos, trainer Jillian Michaels points to the rock-hard abs of one of her models and says, “I would do just about anything to get abs like these.” Serious athletes and trainers like Michaels are probably willing to put in the necessary hours of work and make dietary sacrifices to achieve such a look. Most of us are willing to settle for something less… or we desire this effect but are unwilling to put in the necessary work to achieve it. In fact, we are drawn like moths to a flame when we see ads for “10-minute Workouts” or “Ripped in 30”… or those "weight loss centers" where you can lose several inches and clothing sizes in an hour. Whether we are willing to practically “kill” for the results we desire… or we want them handed to us… we often lack peace about our situation. We are frustrated, stressed, and often express our feelings via arguments and outbursts. In the words of author Lysa TerKeurst… we “come unglued!”
Still others spend hours/days/weeks seeking a solution to their problems via life coaches, relationship experts, and “spiritual mentors” who write books, produce tapes and create programs designed to help us become rich, prosperous, and discover the secret to finding happiness. One of the most popular of late has involved letting us in on “The Secret!” I almost cringe every time I hear this phrase. It reminds me of an old spiritual song, “There Is No Secret What God Can Do”!
To me, this is the great part of my relationship with Jesus Christ… there are no secrets! The Bible clearly tells us what God has done for us… what He is doing for us each day… and what He will do for us into Eternity. Our role is precisely detailed… love God with all of our heart… love others as we love ourselves… and “go and make disciples” – or share the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ with others. Fighting and arguing accomplish none of this. Looking for a “quick fix” doesn’t work… and frankly, neither does pinning all of our hopes and dreams on some “guru” who is going to give us the “magic bullet” for turning our life around!
During Vacation Bible School, I talked to the children about hearing from God. Some said they had never “heard” from Him. So I asked… “When you talk to your mom or dad about a problem, and they give you a good solution… where do you think they got it? When you read your Bible and search for answers, and you find just what you needed… how do you suppose that happened?” You could see the “light bulbs” going on all across the room as children realized that God is at work answering us and helping us to get what we need… and He uses many tools to deliver His message. Notice, though, that I said He gives us what we need… and this is very different from what we may want!
You may think that you can only find peace and joy if you are rich, thin, pretty, famous, athletic, artistic, talented, popular – you fill in the blanks. But God sees us in a completely different way than we often see ourselves. His plans for us – which are perfect – may not be what we had in mind. But if we will listen and pay attention, God will show us how to find happiness and peace in HIS will. This means that we may not have as much money or material wealth as we had hoped… we may always have that extra bump or bulge we can’t quite shed… we may not be able to run a marathon or win a beauty contest… and we certainly may not be the next American Idol! But we will be the person God designed us to be… we will be His masterpiece. And if we operate out of a desire to serve Him with our whole heart, we will have joy and peace beyond anything we could ever have imagined.
What are your heart’s desires? What are you doing to get them? Isn’t it time you stopped and spent some time in prayer… asked God what HE wants for you? It truly is no secret what God can do in your life… if only you will ask Him and submit to His will. Aren’t you ready to operate in His complete peace? Have you prayed for it lately?
©2013 Debbie Robus
In the interest of fairness, I will talk about our other cat, Lucy, today. Lucy is a “tuxedo” (black and white) who is pretty much attached to me (while her sister, Mabel, prefers to hang with Greg 99% of the time). To say that Lucy is self-absorbed would be an understatement. Don’t get me wrong, we love and adore both of our cats – and spoil them rotten! Both are the most vocal cats we have ever known… but “No!” is not in Lucy’s vocabulary! When she wants my attention, she will squawk and squall like she is dying. Or if I am trying to sleep and she wants my attention, she will either paw at me incessantly (front paws declawed, thankfully!) or she will lie down next to me and thump her tail so loudly it echoes in the bed springs!
