Giveaway

     I just started following Hillary McFarland of Quivering Daughters It's been very interesting and given me a lot of food for thought.
     I read the book So Much More about 7 years ago and followed the book quite literally. Only to have myself wondering later if I just placed myself under a bunch of rules that Christ never wanted me to follow. Yet I can't figure out how to "free" myself since now I only understand those Scripture the way So Much More taught me. How do I free myself of those preconceived notions? How do I read Scripture for what it is actually saying and not as something more than it was intended to be?
     That's why when Hillary mentioned that Soul Liberty Faith was hosting a giveaway of her book I was excited. I'm really not sure if I truly recognize what Spiritual Abuse is. I think this book will really help me understand both sides and get some of my questions answered. I can't tell you how many times I have entered a giveaway to win this book and haven't. :( But maybe this time around????
     I think Hillary is doing a wonderful job of dispelling the myth that honor equates obedience and dishonour equates disobedience. I have never gotten the sense that she disrespects her parents and is bitter against them. I know many people who come out of that legalistic lifestyle and are bitter at their authorities. But in some ways I feel sorry for those in authority. They are in a lot of bondage. They are trying to do what is right and do everything to please Christ because they fear judgement day and are afraid they won't hear "well done." They fear they don't measure up.
     I know. Almost every night I used to fear I hadn't measured up. That I hadn't been good enough. I remember hearing Christ say "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" and thinking, "No it isn't. It would be so much easier if I weren't a christian and I didn't have to try to please God. If God didn't exist"
    But praise the Lord! He sent me the teachings of Jason Henderson and The Right Foundation Series What an eye opener! I didn't have to try to live the "christian life" and measure up. It was Christ's work! He wanted to form me into His image. It wasn't my work!!!
     Ever since then Christ has been faithfully showing me Himself. It's been wonderful! I can finally say that His "yoke is easy and His burden is light"
     If any of you are struggling, I pray that you will continue to look to Christ. He is so faithful!!! He wants to help and guide you!!!! He will show you the way.
~Grace

What about me?

Jesus. Others. You. That spells JOY. Don't think of yourself but think of others first.

     I remember thinking to myself, "Don't I ever get to think of myself? Do I ever get to put my needs first? I have needs too that need to be met! Is there a balance?" I was finding this exhausting.
     Then I read about the 5 wise virgins and the 5 foolish. (Matt. 25:1-13) The 5 wise brought enough oil for themselves. The foolish did not. When the foolish realized that they needed more oil they asked the wise virgins and the wise said "no". No?!?!?!?!?! Wait a minute. Isn't that selfish???? Aren't we always supposed to think of others first? But God commended these wise virgins. He called them wise not selfish.
     Matthew 22:37-40 says, to love the Lord with all our heart etc. Jesus does come first. No matter what. But the second command is different. You should love your neighbor as yourself.  It didn't say more or instead of yourself, but as yourself.
     Now I do agree that Love can compel us. We can love someone so much that we give our lives in service for them and sometimes even our very lives for them. (John 15:12,13) But it is love for others that is driving it, not duty.
     1 John 4:19 says We love Him because He first loved us. and Gal. 5:22 says But the fruit of the Spirit is love. It's not us. It's completely Christ.
     When Christ fulfills and completes us we won't be looking at our needs and demanding it of others because we will already be filled. We will no longer need to look to others to meet our needs. We won't be selfish because Christ's love will overflow in us.  We will love others and want them to experience the same love that Christ has given us.
God's love is amazing!!!! Accomplishing what I couldn't!
~Grace

Convictions

     I believe God does call people to hold convictions in certain areas that aren't necessarily commands of Scripture. They need to follow that. But when convictions become someone's law and they start to look down on or gossip about those who don't hold those same convictions I think it's wrong.
     Many believe God has called them to certain convictions and then try to back it with Scripture often taking it out of context or making a Scripture verse into a command when it isn't. If God calls you to a conviction you don't need to try to justify it with Scripture!
      I was reading about the Rechabites and their father who had a conviction. (Jer. 35) The children chose to follow it. I don't think God is calling everyone to completely abstain from wine (though you shouldn't be getting drunk!) or live only in tents. But this is what one father believed. I think the Rechabites knew this was a father's command and not a command from Scripture. I don't get the impression they tried to twist Scripture to fit their father's conviction. They chose to obey their father's command and God honored them for it.
     Many times God will ask us to hold onto a conviction that isn't a command in Scripture. It's okay. We should follow it, but we need to remember its a personal conviction and nothing more. People shouldn't look down on us for having them and we shouldn't feel the need to justify it with Scriptures that aren't there. On the other hand those who hold convictions shouldn't look down on or gossip about those who don't have those same convictions.
     Just something that's been on my mind....
~Grace

Listen to your heart????

     Don't listen to your heart! It is desperately wicked. (Jer.17:9) It will lead you into sin. There is nothing good in it!
     What I thought until I read a John Eldredge book (not sure which one it was. It's been a while since I read the book!) It dared suggest that God gives our hearts desires and we should follow them. Obviously if something goes against Scripture we shouldn't, but it doesn't mean we completely disregard out heart desires either.
     I remember going to a Bible study on Spiritual Gifts and being surprised to be told by the teacher that a lot of times what you like to do is a good indicator of your Spiritual gift. What I like to do???? I honestly remember thinking, "Wouldn't it be what I don't like and what I struggle with? Doesn't God like to give us what we don't like so in our weakness He is made strong?"
     I know Conservative Christians are constantly quoting Jer. 17:9 about the heart being desperately wicked but what about Jer. 24:7? "And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart"
     Our hearts can turn to Christ. He can give us a new heart with new desires. It doesn't have to stay desperately wicked and something that has to be ignored. Christ must always come first before anything, but just because He does, doesn't mean we completely ignore our heart and desires.
     I really enjoyed this blog post.On Emotions
  

The Cross as Center

"I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry."
                                                                                                 ~D.A. Carson

This was true for me. I thought I was seeking Christ as I tried to be modest and a "conservative christian". Really, I just replaced my center with something other than Christ.