Look up!...Turn in Faith To Him

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"To believe actively that our Heavenly Father constantly spreads around us providential circumstances that work for our present good and our everlasting well-being brings to the soul veritable benediction. Most of us go through life praying a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way. This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart. There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is natural enough, but it is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him."

-A. W. Tozer

True Freedom-Part 2

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"But what is the nature of our freedom? It is not release from all constraint. It is not license to indulge our sinful nature. Our freedom is the freedom to "serve one another in love." It is possible to do so, because the Holy Spirit enables us to act in ways that are contrary to that natural impulses of sinful nature. Walking by the Spirit, we are released from the old master that produces hatred, jealousy, fits of rage, envy, and such. We are released to be loving, patient, kind, faithful, and good."-Lawrence O. Richards

In our culture how often do we categorize freedom as a "run away" or "do what we want, when we want" type of thing? I cannot love God and the world; I cannot run freely if I'm hanging on to the things of this life. The Truth is that Christ died for us so that we can rid ourselves of the sin that enslaves us. It is the truth that sets us free!

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

Below is a list of the things I have decided to throw off. I am letting you know so you can keep me accountable. I want this blog to be a place of vulnerability and honesty. Call me out. Disucuss. Encourage. Commune. Pray.

1-The burden of carrying life myself. I am a control freak! I tend to run a busy life not including Christ at times. I notice when I have days like this I am more scatterbrained, irritated, I get nothing accomplished for the day, and I eat poorly. The Lord is my strength.

2-Bitterness. I realize that I am going to have to live with the consequences of others sin no matter what...but I could choose to live with it in bitterness or in the freedom of forgiveness. Forgiveness really has nothing to do with the other person's behavior. I don't really forgive them for their sake, but for my own. It's between me and God.

3-Anxiety and Fretting. When I worry about things I realize that it is usually a determination to get my own way. Christ never worried or was anxious in any way because he was not focused on his own ideas, he was out to realize God's ideas. Paul says in Phillippians 4 that we should pray and ask with thanksgiving- then the peace of God will follow. Being grateful about my life changes the focus to HIM and not me which amazingly makes it easier to not worry about life.

4-Discouragement. Freedom is not seeking approval from others, but doing everything for God's glory and not mine. Like I talked about before; people pleasing is definately not from God. I am learning what true fellowship with people looks like.

I feel that doing this is so important in order to see what God has planned for my life. It will take time and I will struggle, but if I struggle in God's way then I know the result will be peace. I need something to remind me of this freedom that is always there for me....humm...perhaps a tattoo....I dunno. :)

"True freedom exists only where the Holy Spirit works in a man, becoming the principle of his life, and where man does not block his working." - J. Blunck

True Freedom-Part 1

Why do I feel as if I am a hostage to other peoples opinions, thoughts, or feelings? Why do I feel enslaved to the need to be admired? I bend over backwards to receive continual approval from others especually the ones I am the closest to, but in the end I feel unappreciated, heavy, and tense. People-pleasing is not godly, nor is it healthy. Yes, I know this, but it is rooted so deeply in me it almost feels as if it would be impossible for me to completely throw it all off and run after what God has planned for me. It is hindering. It is discouraging. It is exhausting. I can not be all things to all people...and the funny part is, that they probably don't even expect me to.

When I was a teenager and my parents were going through a divorce I saw a councelor regularly. There was one thing the councelor told me that I remember today. She told me that I am not responsible for my parents feelings. I now can translate that to not being responsible to other peoples feelings. I can comfort and be sensitive, but in the end I can not do anything about their feelings. It is not up to me. I really wish I would have taken that step of freedom and not felt responsible. It is such a heavy burden. I know sometimes that there is nothing I can do, but I feel so deeply for people at times that I take on more then I was designed to. I don't want to be a slave to sin, to others, or to myself in order to feel good about who I am. I don't have to have the world tell me what will make me happy. What a sad life that would be. True freedom is life with Christ! Hebrews 12:1 says "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

I want to be like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:45, " my messege and my preaching were not wise and persuasive words, but with demonstration of the Spirit's power so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." This passage really hit home. It plays a roll in not only my everyday life, but here on this blog. With out knowing it I was under the surface feeling a little pressure about what I write and who was going to read it. I seemed to be writing for the approval of others. Since when did I ever care about that? After having a small "blogger fast" I realized this was not such a good thing and that everything I do should be for God's glory and not mine. It is such a simple concept, but super easy to fall into a pattern of approval-seeking followed by disappointment. I have decided that in all aspects of my life this seeking approval from man is always so dissappointing... I have had enough of it! I want out! Here is a quote I really like by George MacDonald..." I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I can think of..." I want to experience the aliveness that comes only from throwing off everything that hinders me and being truely free. Getting rid of all the pride, self-gratification, and anxiety and making "it" (meaning my life) all about HIM. I will let what God is pleased with be enough. It is a process, but I will no longer feel like I need to explain myself. There is one judge, and God does not look around to others for their opinions.

"Our Lord was never suspicious, never bitter, never in despair about man because He put God first in trust; He trusted absolutely in what God's grace could do for any man. If I put my trust in human beings first, I will end in despairing of everyone; I will become bitter, because I have insisted on being what no man can ever be-absolutely right. Never trust anything but the grace of God in yourself or in anyone else."-Oswald Chambers