A Timely Word
Words. They're all around us, and they are powerful. Words can heal our hearts or rip them out. Inspire or destroy. Create or crush. Through the power of a timely word, I long to build up lives with my writing, to pierce the hearts of the broken and struggling, and infuse hope, grace and love into their soul. "...and how delightful is a timely word!" Proverbs 15:23
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
MEANING BEYOND A MEANINGLESS WORLD
SELFLESS SURRENDER
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
My Friends
They aren’t the ones that really matter anyway. It’s those who know that life is hard, sometimes even devastating, that I want to have in my life. They are the ones who have the ability to truly love because they have lost, to live because part of them has died, and to care because they have been neglected. I love you just as you are, because I have first been rejected. Judged. Abandoned. Ashamed.
I am no Will Rogers. I do not make friends easily, nor quickly. In fact, I am probably a pretty difficult person to get to know, a mysterious enigma that talks in riddles, tells lame jokes, and hides from those who love me. But if you are my friend, you can be certain of this, I will remain fiercely loyal to you, a trustworthy confidant of your deepest dreams, a steadfast cheerleader in all your endeavors. I accept you as you are, no strings, no expectations, no judgment.
Some of you have known me for ages, others mere months, but always remember this, if you get lost, I will look for you; if you fall into the gutter, I will bring you home; if you are stuck in the muddy mire, I will pull you out; if you are locked behind bars, I will visit and write; if you become ill, I will sit at your bedside. All this is to say, I will not turn my back on you, I am not going anywhere. You, my friends, have made me who I am, and part of you will live forever in me, through every breath I breathe.
I have petty little to offer you in return for your friendship, but I offer what I am, such as I am. If I have tagged you, know that you have made a difference in my life. I cherish you. And always remember, I am here.
Balaam: Prophet for hire
Ego-driven self-promotion earns permanent demotion
"As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly." (Numbers 16:31-33)
Numbers 16 is an old-testament, 21st century, action-thriller, containing conspiracy, violent death, and natural disaster. This catastrophic chain of events was induced by the ego of a Levite leader named Korah. Korah grew dissatisfied with his position of serving the Lord in the Tabernacle, and began to envy the leadership positions of Moses and Aaron.
To satisfy his growing ego, Korah, along with fellow leaders Dathan and Abiram, conspired to challenge the leadership team God had put in place. 250 community leaders were also recruited to join the rebellion.
Assembling together before Moses and Aaron, Korah’s stinging words in verse three reveal the depth of his arrogance, “ ‘You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?’”
He thought he was rebuking Moses, but he was actually despising God. He bought the lie that he deserved a different position than God gave him. How did God respond to Korah’s rebellion? He opened a sinkhole beneath his feet, sending him, along with his co-conspirators, their families and possessions, “down alive into the grave.” Immediately afterward, the 250 leaders who had joined the revolt perished in a blaze of heavenly fire.
Korah thought of himself as holy, but God considered him wicked. Korah wanted to make the rules and give himself a promotion. He learned (too late) that God makes the rules, and demotes unrepentant leaders.
Throughout this chapter we see Moses fall on his face in humility before God, seeking vindication, validation and wisdom. Because of Moses’ intercession, God extended grace. God allowed 24 hours for Korah and his group to repent. That’s grace. He gave the followers a warning and the choice to separate themselves from the conspirators. That’s grace. We also discover later in Numbers that God spared a strand of descendants of Korah, allowing them to continue serving Him in the Tabernacle. That’s extreme grace.
Moses humbly sought God in every circumstance listed here, and God honored his humility by extending grace.
God despises a self-important, self-promoting attitude. What begins as pride leads to envy of others, rebellion against leaders, quarrelling among families, and evil conspiracy. Instead, it is wise to humble ourselves, on our face before God in all situations, seeking his plan, and becoming willing to follow it.
You are Never Forgotten
Read Genesis chapter 40.
In three days, both dreams came to pass exactly as Joseph foretold. But the cup-bearer made no mention of Joseph to the King, in fact, he forgot him altogether. I can only imagine how Joseph’s heart lost hope a little more each day, as he slowly came to the conclusion that he had been forgotten. He had served the cup-bearer with compassion, even gave of his spiritual gift to interpret dreams, yet was forgotten.
By this time in Joseph’s life, he had come to know that the only one worthy of trust was God himself. People, sometimes even your own family, will forsake you. It is the result of fallen human beings living in a fallen world. But because of the transcendent nature of God, we still have the possibility of immense hope, even when others fail us. In fact, our hope need not falter at all when our life seems to go up in smoke. When we encounter strife, pain, or even tragic disaster that turns our world upside down, we will feel sadness, grief, and confusion, but if it goes beyond, toward hopelessness and desolation, that’s a sign our hope and trust was placed in the person, and not the God, behind our circumstances. God remembers you, always.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Power of Respect by Deborah Norville, Book Review
The Power of Respect is a common sense approach on the impact of respect in the world. Norville relates her topic to the reader in point blank, everyday language, and applies it to every area of life: home, relationships, school, business, leadership, and self.
I found this book to be a quick read, yet it made an impact. It took me back to the values I was raised upon, to treat others as I would want to be treated. But more than that, it made me realize that there is an entire segment of the population that wasn't raised with those values, and that this book could be a real growth experience for them.
I really enjoyed the book layout, which includes quotes, lists and "respect reminders" in each chapter. My favorite chapter is the last of the seven: It's on the Inside, The Power of Self-Respect. I know firsthand the importance of respecting yourself first, only because I lived many years not doing so. The more we learn about who we really are, and learn to accept ourselves, the less others' perceptions of us matter.
Respect can be cultivated, it can be learned, and it can change your life.