Suffering = Freedom

After my last blog I promised I would write on waiting on God even when it doesn't really make sense to us.  Well, here it is. 

So you have accepted and rejoice in the fact that God is working for your good, you are believing Him by faith putting your hope in His promises.  Yet, you're still waiting.  

God needs to do some work in us, and sometimes it takes time…often times it is more time than we imagined.  Yet, it’s here that we become whole and free.   God longs to free us and He will use these times of waiting to do just that.  How do I know?  Because I have seen Him do it in my own heart.  My faith, and yours too can become deeper and stronger than ever before.  

There will be some things God calls us to persevere and wait.  Why?  Because it’s there that we learn about who He truly is, a God of grace and amazing patience who is sufficient for us.  It’s also here that we become more like Jesus because as Rom. 5:3-5 tells us perseverance builds character, the character of Christ Jesus.  We are formed and shaped, prepared for the work God has for us, so we don’t work out of our unhealthy selves but out of Christ in us. 

  

Okay, but what do we do when the temptation comes to doubt the goodness of God and His plans for us? What is our remedy?  It is His Word.  I can’t get over it, there’s something so powerful about it.  So captivating.  I read it and it’s like my eyes are open, and I sense newness, I sense peace.   In fact, when it comes to our trails, James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Yes, God is at work in us, transforming us into the character of His Son, so that we will not lack a thing.  What a great God we serve!

Now I know that as our waiting continues we could ask why.  We could look back and be discouraged.  We could even look forward and be discouraged.  But that my friends is a pit of the enemy, used to steal our joy in Christ.  The Word tells us “It is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose.” (Phil. 2:13)  You better believe the Lord’s purposes are GOOD.  Scripture also tells me, “The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” (Ps. 145:17)  Not only is He good, but also He is RIGHTEOUS and KIND in ALL His ways.  God has purposes and plans that are so far beyond our comprehension, plans which are making eternal impacts.  I am fully convinced that the Lord uses our pain and our suffering for good and He allows it because He loves us. 

YEP, SUFFERING IS FOR OUR FREEDOM.

Who am I?

The other week I had two people ask me in a matter of just a few days if I was a runner.  Now, I haven’t been able to run for quite some time, this question made me think about how often we define ourselves by the things we have done or are doing.  Sure, I used to find identity in being a runner, a sense of pride and accomplishment come from it and I found some worth in that, I’ll admit that.  

God is so gracious, isn’t He?  Throughout this health journey I have been asking the Lord to give me His perspective, to continue to show me my own sin and areas of brokenness, and to empty me and fill me with His lasting peace and purpose.  Because now that running is not apart of my life I am faced with the question of who am I?  Why did this mean so much to me?  I could find a new thing to find identity and worth from, but that wouldn’t do me any good, in fact, it would work towards my destruction instead of giving me a fuller life in Christ and just expound upon my sin.  Friends, our identity is not found in the things we do—our jobs, our families, our finances, our hobbies, etc..  None of these can give us lasting purpose.  Why?  Because all of them could end in an instant.  Yes, these things can give us great joy when walked in with humility, BUT should not be looked too to give us our identity.

In fact Solomon says this about the pleasures of this life:

“And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil.  Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:10-12

So this is what I am learning, ready?  I don’t, we don’t, need these things to make us whole or give us a sense of worth.  We are really ok without it, whatever it is.  Jesus is what we need.  He gives us lasting identity, one that will never ever end.  His love.  His grace.  His Truth.  Yes, His salvation lasts forever.  Freedom is found in walking in obedience to the King. 

Trust me, I’m not making this up.  Solomon ends his book with this:

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecc. 12:13

So I'll trust God that if He sees it fit for me to run again then I will, if not, then He knows best, my duty is to honor and obey Him.  It's not burdensome, no friends, it's life! 

Asking for Help

So, I love Beth Moore.   I was reading her book, Get out of that Pit, and in her book she talked about how we have to ask God to take our “want to.”  Intrigued?  I hope so! 

How often have you said, Lord, I want to follow You, I want to be more loving, I want to obey You more, I want to love my neighbor, I want to believe in Your promises for me, I want to__________.  I personally want to do a lot of things; I want to choose the path to life and not death.  Yes, I "want to," but I find it to be so difficult at times, don’t you?  So for the past few months I have been asking God to take my “want to!”  The beauty of it all is that He does because that’s who God is.  He is a God of grace and mercy; He is a God of restoration and redemption.  If we’d offer Him our “want to” He would take them and bring something glorious out of them. 

Listen, I know you want too! J Ask Him for help, and He will.  We cannot overcome our imperfections on our own; we need the grace of God.  Newsflash:  We don’t have it all together or all figured out.  The knowledge of this last statement for me has been such a freeing experience.  I used to be a pretty prideful gal, still am, but I praise God for the ways He has open my eyes to my sin because in coming to the place where I can say, I don’t have it all right, I do things wrong and I need help is truly a glorious place of freedom!  When we act like we have it all together, and we do not need help we limit the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  But when we cry out for mercy He is right there to help.  “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 

Want to live in more victory and know the love, peace, and joy of the Lord in greater abundance?  Then start being real about the sin you have in your life.  This was and is my journey friends.  It was not until I became real about my sin that God really started to free me from some destructive thought patterns and strongholds in my life.  Maybe you’re not broken over your sin, but you want to be; I know how you feel!  I’m still asking God to break me over certain areas of sin, but you know what, I have confidence that He is and He will continue to do so.  In fact, I believe He longs to do this for His children because this is where true freedom lies.  It’s nothing to fear, it’s pure and utter freedom! 

Walking with Jesus

So I thought it would only make sense to have a little blurb about the title of my blog. :)

Is. 61:1a "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners..."

Over these past 3-4 years Jesus has really been doing some work in my heart.  Seminary was such a wonderful time for me.  A time when Christ really began to break down some of my own walls and strongholds I had built up to protect myself.  That Jesus, He's pretty great.  As I think about my own philosophy for ministry and the calling God has put in my life, I am overwhelmed by the idea of how Christ longs and loves for us to walk with Him.  This is the path to true healing and wholeness. 

I never realized how many lies I believed and followed before I really began to dig into my own junk.  It was here that I began to discover the unhealthy coping mechanism I had in my life.  Instead of my identity being found and hidden in Christ, it was in myself and my own abilities.  What a tiring and stressful place to live!  God has been so gracious to me and showing me little by little the lies I have believed about myself and even about Him.  I am so thankful Jesus walks alongside of us in this journey through life and shows us piece by the piece the brokenness which truly resides in our hearts.  If He did it all at once, I do not think I would be able to handle it all, praise God He knows what He is doing. 

Yes, Jesus longs for us to walk with Him.  He longs for us to say no to the lies, the sin, the deceit and to truly give Him all of our lives and follow Him.  He is our Rescue.  I truly marvel at the grace of God, who sent His Son to die for us so we could be free from our sin, shame, and the brokenness which pervades our hearts.  "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."(Rom. 5:8)  We do not deserve it, but truly that is what grace is. 

One thing God has been showing me over this past year is that everyone has junk, everyone has sin. (Check this clip out my sister did for a little encouragment to be real  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KxwFBtGiAg )  For so long I was not real about my own sin, and in doing so I limited the work of the Holy Spirit in  my life.  For the first time in a long time, or maybe ever, I am beginning to be real and broken over my sin and rebellion and am experiencing freedom over certain areas of struggle that have plagued me for quite some time. Thank you Jesus!  I take no credit. 

Walking with Jesus, what a glorious place to be; I do not want to ever be any other place.  Now, I would be a fool if I told you I had this all figured out, no, I have got a lot of work to do, but my job is to submit in obedience knowing God will do the work He will show me the path.  I've walked some of my own paths and I'm so done with it because those paths lead to pits of despair.  Yes, we may experience times of despair as we walk with Jesus, but I cannot begin to express to you how much He cares for you and the wholeness and hope that can overflow your heart when you walk with Christ. Keep walking, keep trusting.  Look to Him not yourself, not your circumstances, but to Jesus.  The Enemy is a liar, an accuser, and thanks be to God he is a defeated foe!  Let's not allow him (or our own sinful selves) to take one more inch of our freedom in Christ!