Monthly Archives: September 2014

Help Wanted (see God)

27 Saturday Sep 2014

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“But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, ‘Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ ”
—Jonah 4:1-3 

Imagine God taking out a want ad for a life-saving task He’s about to perform. He seeks a prophet to warn the people of a major city of impending judgment. Candidate must travel some distance. In addition, the following personality traits will turn the job into an adventure:

• A willful, disobedient spirit;

• A reluctance to follow orders, prefers hiding;

• A troublemaker;

• Argumentative;

• Subject to angry, selfish outbursts; and

• Could be classified as a slow learner.

He finds just the right man for the job:  Jonah, son of Amittai. Jonah gets right to it as soon as the Word of the Lord comes to him—he flees in the opposite direction of what God commands (Jonah 1:3). The adventure is off to a great start! And it never lets up as Jonah bucks God at nearly every turn…only to finally accomplish God’s given purpose—redemption for the people of Nineveh.

What in the world?

If you’re new to God’s ways, you might be thinking:  Couldn’t He have found someone better qualified for the job? Someone more agreeable to the task? Someone with fewer issues?

But the longer you’re a Christian, the more you realize God’s servants are always broken people—because that’s all He has to work with! Everyone IS broken, whether they know it and admit it or not. And the more broken ones are often the best to showcase God’s glory. 

For example, our friend Jonah. This Old Testament book is remarkable in that it just so plainly screams, “ISSUES!” 
That’s why I love it.

Most days, I feel totally unqualified to write an “inspirational” blog. I’m way too aware of my own shortcomings. But to God, it doesn’t seem to matter. Because it’s not about my limitations; it’s about His strength. My issues are merely a vehicle to:

allow God in;
showcase His powers; and
draw others to Him.

The same applies to you. And all this makes me wonder how God wants to work through your limitations? Are you missing an adventure with God? Giving yourself a pass because you’re not “together” enough?

Maybe you’re like Jonah (with your issues hanging out all over the place). Or maybe your deal is more underground. Either way…Congratulations! It’s a great starting place for God to work. Remember: issues are no issue to God. They don’t preclude you from being of service to Him.

Of course, He wants to polish you up and smooth those issues into the likeness of Christ, but while He’s doing that, be aware that you can still be of value. You never know who’s going to relate to your problems or what God’s larger plan is.

It truly is an adventure, and it doesn’t have to be as hard as Jonah made it. Take a shortcut and skip the running and hiding part. Dig in and see what God has in store!

Journey Along,

Beckie

Caution: Construction Ahead

14 Sunday Sep 2014

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“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
—James 4:17 (ESV)

After my last blog, a reader commented on my 10-year-old’s wise remark about assigning proper blame when someone in the church disappoints you. He said, “Don’t be mad at God, Mom. Be mad at Satan!”

Yes…

Truly…

To be honest, my son has been challenging my immaturity quite a lot these days. Which isn’t a hard thing to do. And maybe you’re thinking: Good! It’s about time someone did. Maybe God is thinking the same thing, too. 

Why else would He put this blunt kid wearing sports glasses in front of me saying things like, “You mean you didn’t know that already?” when  I explain that we are to forgive people who offend us. The Bible teaches forgiveness.

“You mean you didn’t know that already?!*” He says, turns on his heel, and walks out of the room. My husband and I roll our eyes and mutter a few words under our breath. Yikes!

Well…yeah, kid, I did know it; but knowing it and doing it are two different things (apparently). Let’s just say you’ve stumbled upon the construction zone between my head and my heart. It’s that place where God sets up a work area and things get messy, strange detours result, awful sounds erupt, delays occur, engines stall, and tempers flare. 

It’s that place where theory is challenging practice instead of seamlessly flowing into practice. My personal zone contains some ugly sites like biterness from past hurts, the temptation to retaliate, defensiveness, and the (previously-mentioned) resistance to forgive. 

Call it disobedience—or sin—as the apostle James does in the above verse. My son and James share a love of the blunt. Hey, we all need that from time to time.

Why?

Because we’re not there yet. We’re not where we’re supposed to be. There is work to be done on this heart project. And I’m sorry to air this mess publicly, but I think we all have those construction zones where God is working something out in us.

In fact, I know it! I’ve run into some snagged zones belonging to fellow travelers. Things get really hazardous when my construction zone meets your construction zone. Maybe we should all start wearing those “Pardon Our Appearance” signs on our chests. Or “Temporary Inconvenience for Permanent Improvement.”

What’s in the zone between your head and your heart? How long has God been trying to construct some new pathways there? Is He making progress? Are you letting Him make progress?

Before you get too bummed about the slowdown, let’s remember who the project manager is—someone we can know and trust! It’s our loving heavenly Father who “began a good work in us and will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Which means I’m hopeful despite the snarls, honking, and detours. That’s the beauty of a life with Jesus—we still encounter all the usual messes of life, but we can face them knowing the victory is imminent. 

So, let’s extend some grace to each other as we lurch along in the construction lanes of life. Smile and wave! Once we get through this, it’s a wonderful ride.

Journey Along,
Beckie