Faces in the mirror

I'm always so amused by the great lengths my unusually camera shy kitties will go to, to avoid being photographed. It's as if the thought of a glaring lense capturing their likeness is to invasive for little creatures who don't like to gaze at their reflection in the mirror.

This reminds me somewhat of what the Apostle James wrote in James chapter 1 where he tells us that forgetting the word is like a man looking into the mirror and forgetting what he looks like.

We need to behold ourselves in the mirror of God's word, for it is as we gaze on Christ that our reflection is changed to mirror the saviour we behold.

Will you you gaze on Christ today and allow him to transform your heart?

His strength is perfect

So often in life we face situations where our expectations or dreams get shattered.  In times like this when the pain is so strong, it helps to know that we have a God who has felt our pain and can respond with love. 

Steven Curtis Chapman has a beautiful song about this and the chorus says," His strength is perfect when our strength is gone, He'll carry us when we can't carry on, raised in his power the weak become strong, His strength is perfect!" 

If you are facing disappointment right now, know that God sees your heart and knows how you feel.  God said to Paul, my grace is sufficient for you.  We sometimes think grace is weakness, but it is not, it is God's strength carrying us through our heartache. 

Oh please get organized!

Being a natural organiser myself, nothing frustrates me more than other peoples inability to plan, especially when it disrupts my schedule. There are various problems with this controlling tendency.

First, stressing about the problem is futile. There is good reason the bible tells us to caste our burdon on Jesus. Stressing won't change the outcome.

Second, when are over controlling we try to solve the problem ourselves, instead of making the responsible person take accountability. This disables their own learning process.

Lastley, controlling behavior typically shows little grace to the recipient of our frustration. Learning to be graceful during a crisis will require great personal constraint.

Now just in case you were wondering, this was another sermon to self. Hope someone else can benefit from it though :-)

What's on the cover?

Most people underestimate the value of a file label.  That is until the day they need to find something they filed a few years ago.  We are taught not to judge a book by its cover in order to avoid a judgemental attitude, yet we seldom remember that we all labelled uniquely based on our own attributes.

 

Colossians 3:3 tells us that we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God.  What does this really mean?  This means that when we accept Christ as saviour our old nature (the sinful one) no longer exists.  To be hidden with Christ means to be tucked in, unseen from the outside.  This would be something like a small baby Kangaroo in its mothers pouch.  From the outside you cannot see that the baby is there, you only see the mother.

 

When God looks at us, he no longer sees us, He sees Christ and the price that he paid for our salvation.  God only sees a blood washed lamb, because we have been hidden away.  All our sins are covered under the protective blood of Christ and that is why we can boldly proclaim that we are Christians, little Christ like ones.

 

That is our true label – Child of God!

 

 

Grave test

All of us struggle with bad habits of one kind or another.  We often hear people say, "I just can't kick that habit."  It can be smoking, drinking, swearing, abusive talk, the list goes on.  The reason we struggle with these habits is that over time we start to assimilate that habit with who we are (our identity).  If it then becomes part of our identity then giving up that habit becomes a denial of self.

I have to challenge this concept.  We are made up of spirit, soul and body.  When we die, our body gets destroyed but our soul and spirit leave together.  Our true identity is in who we are in soul and spirit.  I would like to call this the 'grave test'.  If your habit will stay in the grave when you die, it is not part of your identity. 

When you can separate your 'being' from your 'doing' you should be more clearly able to tackle the problem at hand.  Why hang on to something you can't take with you?  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"  Be strong in God, face your habits and deal with them!

 

Beautiful noise

Whenever I listen to my cats purr, I am reminded of Neil Diamond's song “It's a beautiful noise....it's the sound that I love”. Listening to them purr has a great calming effect and brings great joy.

I also noticed recently that they use the same vocal registers as humans do when singing. By this I mean that the sound is vibrated in the same parts of the body as human voices, i.e. the head, throat and chest.

If all creation shouts God's praise, shouldn't we lift our voices to the heavens and declare his goodness. When you praise the Lord, it is a beautiful noise in his ear that makes him stop and listen.

Naughty little rascals

Going out to visit friends at night is always fun.  My cats especially enjoy the activity and upon my return usually greet me with lots of hyperactive and disobedient play.

It may surprise you, but our natural response to God is not of love as you would think, but rather that of rebellion.  It requires a process of gentle wooing by the Holy Spirit before we are really ready to receive God's presence.

Where are you in that process with God?  Do you still feel yourself pulling away from the tender drawing of the Holy Spirit?  If you do, know that this is normal.  Ask God to help you come to that place of surrender, so that you can enjoy the fullness of his presence.