A Practical Reminder

 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.


- Matthew 18:15


This was a very meaningful passage for me this week as a reminder that when there is something wrong in my relationships with other people that I should not be afraid to speak the truth. Lots of times it is hard to deal with people because of mis-communications, misconceptions, biases, and assumptions. But sometimes people don't realize what they are doing is wrong, or hurtful, and they just need someone to let them know in a loving way. Telling your friend the truth about what you think of their actions or words can be a difficult thing to do at times because you don't want to hurt their feelings or offend them. But it must be done. Even if it doesn't seem like your friend would be very happy about you telling them that they have done something wrong, it is helping them to grow. A friend should understand that you are not trying to harm them, but that you are only wanting them to grow and they will be more grateful that you told them than pretended that nothing was wrong. 


It is very important to point out another person's faults in a loving way, as well as in private - as the verse emphasizes. Calling someone out on their faults in public can be more harmful than helpful. The accused may feel embarrassed, or feel that they are "losing face". They will not be very happy or welcoming about the accusations, and will be less open to what you have to say. I respect this verse in how much wisdom it gives; it teaches how to avoid bad situations, and it covers other possible situations if talking one on one doesn't play out. 




Lately I have encountered many situations in which I have felt wronged or I see something wrong that is going on. It has been difficult for me to address some of the issues in fear of coming off as offensive or rude, but I try my best to think of the most loving way to talk to those people. An important thing for me is that I have to calm myself down, separate my emotions from the situation, and pray to God to give me patience and the right words to say. Having the comfort that God is here to guide me so long as I obey is very helpful in these situations and I am thankful for Him always being there for me.

Beautiful

I heard this song while I was at work today.

http://youtu.be/UhXYpje7j-Y - Shawn Mcdonald

As I look into the stars
Pondering how far away they are
How You hold them in Your hands
And still You know this man
You know my inner most being, oh
Even better than I know, than I know myself
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I, what am I
As I look off into the distance
Watching the sun roll on by
Beautiful colors all around me, oh
Painted all over the sky
The same hands that created all of this
They created you and I
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I
That You might die, that I might live
What am I, what am I, what am I, what am I
What am I

Let That Be Enough

http://youtu.be/m9fPJM1qdWo

I wish I had what I need
To be on my own
'Cause I feel so defeated
And I'm feeling alone

And it all seems so helpless
And I have no plans
I'm a plane in the sunset
With nowhere to land

And all I see
It could never make me happy And all my sand castles
Spend their time collapsing

Let me know that You hear me
Let me know Your touch
Let me know that You love me
Let that be enough

It's my birthday tomorrow
No one here could now
I was born this Thursday
22 years ago

And I feel stuck
Watching history repeating
Yeah, who am I?
Just a kid who knows he's needy

Let me know that You hear me
Let me know Your touch
Let me know that You love me
And let that be enough

- Switchfoot

Can you live with nothing but God? The season of lent is for us to answer that question. Can we let go of our worries, our insecurities, our phones, our tv shows, coffee, and anything else that we seem to have a death grip on and give it all up to God? It is a reminder that these things can be a distraction, an idol, if we become too attached to them.

Don't Turn Away

" “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own."

- 1 Samuel 12 : 20-22

This was an excerpt from the passage that was preached upon today. This verse stuck out to me because the people of Israel had sinned by asking God for a king, but God responded by telling His people that He won't reject them, "because the Lord was pleased to make [them] His own". Wow. God is so good, so compassionate, forgiving, understanding, and loving; that even though we humans are so evil and cause so much trouble, He is willing to take us back when we realize our sins and repent. He still wants us to continue along the path of life - a life filled with blessings and growth so that we can continue to be His people and not perish (as it says in John 3:16).

Let Your Will Be Mine

Saturday...

"If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them." - James 4:17

This is the last verse of James 4, and a verse that I can strongly relate to. There are so many things that go wrong in this world, so much pain and suffering that I can't help but feel helpless thinking about it. Perhaps this doesn't just apply to me, but whenever I see something that I can do to help someone, or to improve a situation, I do my best to act. I feel this sense of responsibility to make things right, to comfort those who seem to need it, or even to just clean up a mess. I don't know why, but I feel like when something like this happens, it is God telling me what I should do. There have been some moments in my life where I have felt called by God to do something - it is a very strong feeling in my gut that urges me to do it, not letting my mind have peace until it has been accomplished.

There are so many situations where you can see something good that can be done, and the choice is yours whether or not you want to do it. But did you realize that it is a sin when you choose not to? This doesn't mean donating your whole pay check to a charity, but that if you are able, then you ought. If an old lady struggles to carry her groceries, if someone has dropped their wallet, or if someone got hurt, we should be there to help. Doesn't it make you feel unsettling when you are able but don't help someone clearly in need?

Sometimes I feel very disappointed in myself when I realize that I could have done something but walked away instead, or just stood and watched. What kind of follower of Jesus would I be? Didn't He serve others, didn't He heal the sick, and comfort the sad? He didn't have to, but He did. He didn't have to sacrifice Himself on the cross to save us - sinners in need of grace and mercy. But He did. So that is why there is such an urge, such a conviction in my heart do always do my best to be aware of people in need and to help them if I am able. I know that I can sometimes be very unaware or oblivious, but it's time to leave the comforts of my own world and get serving.


http://youtu.be/izvlfeVTNv0 - Love is the Movement, by Switchfoot

What is Your Life?

This was the passage from Friday! I forgot to post... hehe.. so here it is:


"Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil."  - James 4:13-16


I decided to continue reading James 4. It's so true that we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. We can't even be 100% certain of what will happen 10 minutes from now. What is my life? It's so small, so short. So we must make the most out of our lives, and do God's will. It is interesting when it says that "all such boasting is evil". I feel like sometimes people do good things, or nice things and then they boast about it to other people. Sometimes I feel like I fall into this sin too, it's hard to do something for someone and then not talk about it or mention it again. Especially when I don't get anything in return, or when the person doesn't even acknowledge what I did. Perhaps I am seeking recognition from them, or trying to gain satisfaction or approval from them through my actions. But that is not how I should be living. I usually don't mind doing things for other people or helping them out, but it does take a lot of time, energy, and effort to do so. This isn't to say that I shouldn't help people, or do my best to care for them, but I have to also realize that I am doing these things to glorify God, and not for my own personal satisfactory gains. I must make sure that my motives are good, in that I am not doing something in order to look like a good person, or get recognition for it; but because I really do want to help that person and follow God's example of caring for others. This is one of the bigger traps that I have been very wary of lately, as sometimes I feel as though I am getting too stressed or overly exhausted and maybe not for the right reasons. I know that there are some things that I can not fix, and that I have to take the back seat in. I must choose wisely as to where I use the gifts that God has given me and care for others out of love for them, and expect nothing in return. 

Who are you really?

"Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?" 


James 4:11-12

I stumbled upon these two verses today... and I can't say how true it is. Lately I've been thinking about how people judge each other and I've been very conscious about judging people myself, as it is not my place to judge them. It is quite unfair to just assume someone is a certain characteristic (in this case a bad one) without getting to know them, or asking them where they're coming from. I've also been on the other end of being judged by others, and it is rude, and it makes me feel terrible - especially if I believe that I am not like the way they have perceived me as. But I have also come to learn that it is impossible to please everyone as I would just end up not being happy with myself, or being able to choose what I want. There is a fine line between being considerate, and being a push over. There is also a fine line between judging others and letting someone know they are wrong. Life is all about balance, and not judging others is one of the harder things that I am trying to be more aware of. There is a story and explanation behind every action, every word spoken, and every thought. Mis-communication is another thing that can make things messy. A nerdy English joke that a high school teacher once told me is this: When you assume, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me". I don't swear, but I thought it was pretty true/punny.