This morning was heavier than usual, I suppose. I started off like always in Luke, all of chapter 12, and then re-read (3 times total now) the Sermon on the Mount, and then proceeded in Philippians.
What stuck out to me this morning I first found in Luke, then in Matthew, and it was confirmed again in Philippians. Picking up in Luke 12:22:
"22 And he said to his disciples, 'For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor worry for your body, as to what you put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? 26 If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?'"
Now, I'm a worrier. In case you didn't now that, I am. Not exactly a worry wart, that would be my precious little sister, but I do have the incredible tendency to build up ridiculously false scenarios in my mind, thus torturing myself for hours on end until the truth hits the fan. At this point, I usually realize that nothing I worried about ever came true. So when I read this verse, I feel like it's speaking to me. Maybe it is, but here's how I unpacked it earlier this morning.
To make what could be a long story short, my boss and my fellow intern at church and work have a very good relationship, unique to anything else I see there. Nowhere do I find such a sense of camaraderie between Minister and Intern at FBC Belton. But, because he is also my boss, a lot of the times I feel completely left out.
But this morning when I read Luke 12:24"Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!" and Matthew 7:11, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" something inside me just went nuts.
I realized that they have a relationship that I will never know, but that is okay. God has given to them the good gift of their relationship with one another, and that is for them to enjoy and for me to NOT covet. When I am wanting something God has not given me, then I am not wanting something God has given me. That is not to say that God does not want me to have a good relationship with my boss or my fellow intern, but that I should not be jealous of their relationship, and I should not hold anything against either of them because they get along so well. Now again, that is not to say that I am keeping score against them or am mounting my counter-attack on their relationship, but just that I should rejoice for them because they have found each other, and I believe that is what God has intended for them.
For me? I have incredible relationships with incredible students in and out of the college ministry of FBC Belton that they will never have. Not that they can't, but that God has allowed me to have these relationships and they are mine. There are some overlaps in our circles, but I should have as much reason to rejoice in my relationship with some of these other students, as they should in their relationship with each other, and as I should in their relationship with each other.
Maybe this is a bit lengthy, maybe this is a bit wordy and thus confusing, but I have reached a major breakthrough and crossed a major barrier between me and doing my God given job better. I'm happy, I'm rejoicing.
Thank you God, for feeding the ravens, and for giving me a gift.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Sermon on the Mount
This morning I read The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5,6, and 7. All of it. Matthew 5,6, and 7.
I think I'm going to keep reading it until I find a way to "get it," or at least put into practice what I've been discovering and learning.
What interests me most is the correlations between Luke 11 (where I was this morning for my Luke devo) and The Sermon on the Mount (where I was this morning for my contenment devo).
I'm really enjoying it, and I would kind of like for some...challenges to come my way to put into practice these things, or at least some accountability on the part of another human being to check on me to make sure I'm doing these things. I can read all I want about being "blessed" or "happy," but there's a certain extent to which I need some other accountability than just myself.
Sorry if you were expecting some great new revelation, just today's commentary. Maybe tomorrow's will be better.
Thanks
I think I'm going to keep reading it until I find a way to "get it," or at least put into practice what I've been discovering and learning.
What interests me most is the correlations between Luke 11 (where I was this morning for my Luke devo) and The Sermon on the Mount (where I was this morning for my contenment devo).
I'm really enjoying it, and I would kind of like for some...challenges to come my way to put into practice these things, or at least some accountability on the part of another human being to check on me to make sure I'm doing these things. I can read all I want about being "blessed" or "happy," but there's a certain extent to which I need some other accountability than just myself.
Sorry if you were expecting some great new revelation, just today's commentary. Maybe tomorrow's will be better.
Thanks
Friday, July 25, 2008
Philippians 1:12-18
PREFACE
Currently I am reading through the Gospel of Luke, to better know Jesus' story, as well as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and Philippians in search of contentment.
"12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everone else..."
I read this and I think "Paul you've got to be kidding me. You're chained to the wall. You are locked up because you were preaching, and you begin by proclaiming how this is working out for the betterment for the gospel?"
Paul is in jail, and somehow he's managed to continue to witness the entire time. He's managed to share the good news of Christ with "everyone else," and he can't wait to tell the Christians in Philippi. I know if I were chained up, I don't think my first thought would be on how great this is for the gospel.
"14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more couage to speak the word of God witout fear. Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice."
Currently I am reading through the Gospel of Luke, to better know Jesus' story, as well as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and Philippians in search of contentment.
"12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everone else..."
I read this and I think "Paul you've got to be kidding me. You're chained to the wall. You are locked up because you were preaching, and you begin by proclaiming how this is working out for the betterment for the gospel?"
Paul is in jail, and somehow he's managed to continue to witness the entire time. He's managed to share the good news of Christ with "everyone else," and he can't wait to tell the Christians in Philippi. I know if I were chained up, I don't think my first thought would be on how great this is for the gospel.
"14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more couage to speak the word of God witout fear. Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice."
A Work in Progress
This is my attempt to put down my thoughts.
In Genesis 22, we read that "Early the next morning" Abraham got up to go sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac, the one he loves. The one, who, he hopes God will fulfill His promise of blessings. That's something worth striving for, I think.
So, as I get into the word, and as I study it more and more, I hope that I will be a constant "work in progress." I hope to rise up "early the next morning," EVERY MORNING, to meet God's call head-on. Willingly, I might add, as well.
This is simply a record of my discipleship by the Word, a record of how I feel or what I think about God's story. I may get it wrong, I may have to chew on it for a while, but these are my thoughts.
In Genesis 22, we read that "Early the next morning" Abraham got up to go sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac, the one he loves. The one, who, he hopes God will fulfill His promise of blessings. That's something worth striving for, I think.
So, as I get into the word, and as I study it more and more, I hope that I will be a constant "work in progress." I hope to rise up "early the next morning," EVERY MORNING, to meet God's call head-on. Willingly, I might add, as well.
This is simply a record of my discipleship by the Word, a record of how I feel or what I think about God's story. I may get it wrong, I may have to chew on it for a while, but these are my thoughts.
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