Redeeming Every Moment
Once upon a time there was a girl/woman. This woman child thought she knew what was what. She was raised in church, married a godly man, had children, raised them to know and love Jesus, but this girl/woman didn't know how much she didn't know.
Like so many other women who profess to be Christian she thought a woman of God had to be "nice". She didn't know that she was to be kind and that kind is not always the same thing as nice. Nor did she know there is a difference between the two. Another thing the woman did not know was the difference between recognizing fruit in another's life and judging someone. This woman thought that if she recognized negative fruit in someone else's life she was judging them, and all Christians know judging is wrong. Don't they?
There were other things the woman thought she knew but didn't. Finally one day the woman realized something very important: there is a lot she does not know. "There is too much I don't know to think I do." the woman told her beloved. After considering his wife's statement the beloved agreed it is so. Together the beloved and woman began to consider all they do not know when making decisions and looking at various situations. Because of all they do not know they began working even harder than they had before not to jump to conclusions or get worked up at how things appear, sound, or feel. They chose to clarify facts before making decisions. They did this because they knew this was part of walking in Love and walking in Love pleases God, Who is Love.
Not too long after the couple began doing this, unrest began to stir within the church they were attending. The couple were very sad because they had seen the possibility of this happening but had not been taken seriously when they shared their concerns with others. The couple began to pray even more for their brothers and sisters in Christ. Soon the unrest grew and grew. Eventually it was no longer unrest but an unholy civil war. Brother against brother. Sister against sister. Hate, strife, manipulation, control, hurt feelings, confusion, the situation was rapidly descending into an out-of-control death spiral.
The Bible teaches how dangerous quarrels are and how we are to stop them before they cause damage, but few seemed to want to hear what God had to say. Even less seemed to care about what He wanted. "This is ours. We have a right. We must fight to protect ours." were frequently heard. Oh dear, the couple thought, those we care for and love are making choices they wouldn't make if they were living God-inside minded instead of "This is ours, and we will fight for it" minded. They are fighting for the enemy, the one who steals, kills, and destroys. In their hearts they want to fight for God and for right, but that is not what they are doing. Oh dear. We cannot be part of this. Even if the issues they are fighting for are right, the hate that is driving the war is not. This is not God's way. We must not go against God and His way of love.
Before long those who chose to hate or were deceived by it split away from the body. Now there are two churches where before there was one. The woman and her beloved still know there is much they don't know. They still don't know a lot. They do know that the church left behind is much nicer to attend when it isn't full of hate and fighting. They also know that the Word of God is being taught and God is being served. God is being glorified. This is good. The woman smiles each Sunday when she sees the brothers and sisters hugging each other more often and how genuine their greetings are. The woman can't remember a time when attending church at this church was so peaceful and real. She likes genuine and real. Neither the woman or her beloved know who was right or wrong. They still don't know. They do, however, know Love. Whatever happened, God didn't leave. God is still God. He is Good, and His love endures forever. His reputation hasn't been tarnished by the fighting of His children.
All of the who was right and who was wrong was a useless waste of time that could have been spent loving others in the name of Jesus. Children going to bed hungry could have been fed during those hours people were organizing their stand of hate. Elderly men and women lonely for a listening ear could have been visited with during those months when ears were listening to satan's lies and deception. Young families could have been encouraged with words of love when words of anger and slander were being spewed forth. Right or wrong, good or bad, no matter how a person feels, time, words, and resources that could have been used for loving, for God's Kingdom, in the name of Jesus were used to serve the enemy instead. Not to mention how all of the time spent upset can never be regained. It is forever gone.
I do the same thing every day. Every moment I spend on something ungodly and/or negative is a moment I could have spent in loving Godliness. Every moment I spend growling at a grouchy child for being grouchy I could instead be speaking God's love and grace into their grouchy heart. And why are they being grouchy? Do I even consider what is going on inside of them or do I just get upset about how they are disturbing the pleasantness of my day? Am I even acting like Jesus at all in my day to day life? How many moments am I wasting? How am I choosing to use my actions and words? God forgive me for not considering each and every moment important enough to choose Love. I repent of forgetting that You are first and foremost about relationship. I repent for making behavior more important than the heart. May I ever be mindful of You and may bringing You pleasure be my greatest longing and desire.
Learning to redeem every moment for Love,
Abundantly Blessed
Like so many other women who profess to be Christian she thought a woman of God had to be "nice". She didn't know that she was to be kind and that kind is not always the same thing as nice. Nor did she know there is a difference between the two. Another thing the woman did not know was the difference between recognizing fruit in another's life and judging someone. This woman thought that if she recognized negative fruit in someone else's life she was judging them, and all Christians know judging is wrong. Don't they?
There were other things the woman thought she knew but didn't. Finally one day the woman realized something very important: there is a lot she does not know. "There is too much I don't know to think I do." the woman told her beloved. After considering his wife's statement the beloved agreed it is so. Together the beloved and woman began to consider all they do not know when making decisions and looking at various situations. Because of all they do not know they began working even harder than they had before not to jump to conclusions or get worked up at how things appear, sound, or feel. They chose to clarify facts before making decisions. They did this because they knew this was part of walking in Love and walking in Love pleases God, Who is Love.
Not too long after the couple began doing this, unrest began to stir within the church they were attending. The couple were very sad because they had seen the possibility of this happening but had not been taken seriously when they shared their concerns with others. The couple began to pray even more for their brothers and sisters in Christ. Soon the unrest grew and grew. Eventually it was no longer unrest but an unholy civil war. Brother against brother. Sister against sister. Hate, strife, manipulation, control, hurt feelings, confusion, the situation was rapidly descending into an out-of-control death spiral.
The Bible teaches how dangerous quarrels are and how we are to stop them before they cause damage, but few seemed to want to hear what God had to say. Even less seemed to care about what He wanted. "This is ours. We have a right. We must fight to protect ours." were frequently heard. Oh dear, the couple thought, those we care for and love are making choices they wouldn't make if they were living God-inside minded instead of "This is ours, and we will fight for it" minded. They are fighting for the enemy, the one who steals, kills, and destroys. In their hearts they want to fight for God and for right, but that is not what they are doing. Oh dear. We cannot be part of this. Even if the issues they are fighting for are right, the hate that is driving the war is not. This is not God's way. We must not go against God and His way of love.
Before long those who chose to hate or were deceived by it split away from the body. Now there are two churches where before there was one. The woman and her beloved still know there is much they don't know. They still don't know a lot. They do know that the church left behind is much nicer to attend when it isn't full of hate and fighting. They also know that the Word of God is being taught and God is being served. God is being glorified. This is good. The woman smiles each Sunday when she sees the brothers and sisters hugging each other more often and how genuine their greetings are. The woman can't remember a time when attending church at this church was so peaceful and real. She likes genuine and real. Neither the woman or her beloved know who was right or wrong. They still don't know. They do, however, know Love. Whatever happened, God didn't leave. God is still God. He is Good, and His love endures forever. His reputation hasn't been tarnished by the fighting of His children.
All of the who was right and who was wrong was a useless waste of time that could have been spent loving others in the name of Jesus. Children going to bed hungry could have been fed during those hours people were organizing their stand of hate. Elderly men and women lonely for a listening ear could have been visited with during those months when ears were listening to satan's lies and deception. Young families could have been encouraged with words of love when words of anger and slander were being spewed forth. Right or wrong, good or bad, no matter how a person feels, time, words, and resources that could have been used for loving, for God's Kingdom, in the name of Jesus were used to serve the enemy instead. Not to mention how all of the time spent upset can never be regained. It is forever gone.
I do the same thing every day. Every moment I spend on something ungodly and/or negative is a moment I could have spent in loving Godliness. Every moment I spend growling at a grouchy child for being grouchy I could instead be speaking God's love and grace into their grouchy heart. And why are they being grouchy? Do I even consider what is going on inside of them or do I just get upset about how they are disturbing the pleasantness of my day? Am I even acting like Jesus at all in my day to day life? How many moments am I wasting? How am I choosing to use my actions and words? God forgive me for not considering each and every moment important enough to choose Love. I repent of forgetting that You are first and foremost about relationship. I repent for making behavior more important than the heart. May I ever be mindful of You and may bringing You pleasure be my greatest longing and desire.
Learning to redeem every moment for Love,
Abundantly Blessed