Marked by God

Surrender

Our community group is doing "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. A few of us have read this book before, but it had been a few years.   We selected this book because we all felt like we needed something that would not be highly involved and would be "easy" to do going into the holidays.  Let me just say that God has a sense of humor. This "easy" book has turned out to be exactly what we wall needed, no matter what season of life we are in.  I see things igniting in some of these women, and in myself, that I had not previously seen.  I think that God probably sat "upstairs" and looked down on me and said "You think your getting easy....I am going to rock your world..one easy word, and one simple book at a time!"  I can just imagine the all-knowing smirk on his face!

A topic that really stood out for me in this weeks reading was Surrender.  The book talked about what it means to surrender.  "Surrender" and "Submit" have negative connotations in our society.  Life today is built on the principle that you have to win big, climb higher, get first place, etc.  To the average person, surrender means giving up, losing, accepting the status quo.  It means the exact opposite. Surrendering is not hiding your personality.  God wants us to use our unique personality...that is why He created us as he did.  Surrendering actually enhances who you are.  The more we let God take over us, the more we become ourselves-because He made us after HIS own image.  C.S. Lewis said "It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a really personality of my own".

How do I surrender?  Surrendering is best demonstrated by obedience.  Saying "yes, LORD".  Surrendered people obey God's word, even if it doesn't make sense.  Sometimes this means sacrificing your life or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed.  God often calls surrendered people to do battle.  It is often making a choice that we really don't want to make or doing something we don't want to do.

What area in your life do you feel God asking for surrender?  Money....lifestyle....job....relationship...? Ask God to reveal his commands and desires to you.... and then be willing to be obedient.  Not partially obedient, but FULLY obedient.

Doing life together

Our church is HUGE and I mean HUGE on community groups.  I was sitting here this morning thinking of how I really look forward to seeing my group every week.  I think sometimes people have the idea that fellowship and Bible studies can not be fun.  It is more than turning a few pages in the Bible or watching the next popular Bible Study DVD.... it truly is doing life together.  It is figuring out how to run this marathon we call life, and doing to with other people who can endure those long miles with you.  We share in the joys, fears, happiness, and tears of each other.  We hold each other accountable and challenge each other to be better people.

If you are not part of a Christian community group, then you are missing out on something BIG.  Just some food for thought this morning!

Love....

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is I Corinthians 13:4-8.

    "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

The Bible speaks in many places that God IS love.  Read the passage above again, but this time substitute the word "God" for the word "love".  These are all the things that God is to us and that God does for us.  

The age old concept is that we are to show "God's love".  I would challenge you to look at "love" not as an emotional feeling or response.  I would challenge you to look at all the ways in which you can show God to people.  This passage tells us exactly who God is and how He would look to us.

Start with patience.  I pulled these quotes from a book I am reading called "The Love Dare":

    "Patience brings an internal calm to an external storm....Patience is a deep breath"

    "Patience gives people  permission to be human"

So...today...dare to be patient and show others just how God looks and feels!

        I DOUBLE DARE YOU! 

Renewed Vows

WOW!  That is all I could think as my husband and I stood among a large group of couples at the front of our church last night.  We all looked very different.  Some old, some young.  Some married for 50 years and some for only months.  Some madly in-love, and some wanting to be madly in-love again. One thing we all had in common was the fact that we were renewing our wedding vows.  Not just to each other, but to Christ.

Something my pastor said during the "HOT" series at church is that our marriage is to mirror Christ relationship with us.  I thought a great deal about that.  Christ loves me unconditionally.  He loves me when I am in the wrong, He forgives me when I need forgiving, He doesn't keep score of who has given more, and He has my best interest in mind. 

A strong and healthy marriage, just like our walk with God, does not come passively.  It takes effort, devotion, and intimate communication on a DAILY basis. 

I Corinthians 13:4-5 says:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

Try keeping this passage somewhere you can see it every day.  It is a great prayer...married or not. "Lord, help me be patient in this situation and show kindness. Guard my tongue from angry words.  Remind me that I need to put others needs before my own.  Teach me to forgive as you have forgiven me."