God for a Day

About a month or so ago, I asked the question “If I were God for a day/week/whatever, what changes would I make in my life (the life of Heyyoulady)?” I did not post my answer at that time because I didn’t want to influence anyone else’s answer by what I said. In all honesty, I had forgotten that I still had not posted my answer until I ran across this entry when I was looking for something else. (Thanks to chrislogan, ajforward007, quiet_strength, justthisonce_2 and legendairy for sharing your answers.)

So, if I were God for a day, what changes would I make in the life of Heyyoulady?

When this question first came to mind, my initial thought was that God has already changed so much in my life. I know that I’m still not fully the person that God intends for me to be.

Since no one can know the mind of God but the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:11), and I have the Spirit of God dwelling within me, then, by inference, I can know an inkling of the mind of God. But then again, God says to us in Isaiah 55:8, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." I have no idea if this change is what God would truly want to make.

But since I have (for the purpose of this post) taken on the role of God, here is what my answer would be:

Boldness. I would give Heyyoulady more boldness to speak up when she sees things wrong. More boldness to freely give praise to others for when they do well. To share her dreams, expectations, her trials and triumphs to others. To speak what’s on her heart, with assertiveness and authority, and not be so concerned about how others receive it. She will speak the truth with love, tempered with gentleness.

OK, I’m done being God.

Many people want to be bold spokespersons for God, sharing the Gospel and leading others to Christ. That’s what many people think of when “boldness” is spoken of. The boldness that I'm talking about is in just every day relating with people. Recognizing people for the little things they do. Giving encouragement where it’s needed. Giving correction where people are straying. Sharing my own stories of how I’ve known and experienced God’s love with others, and encouraging other people to share theirs.

This kind of change is something I cannot do on my own. In fact, from my limited human viewpoint, it is changing a part of how God “wired” me. In most situations, I am not necessarily the one to speak first to people. I am more of someone who observes and listens to what is being said. When I am asked to respond to a question, if I don’t give an off-the-cuff, trying to be funny answer, I may take a few moments to put the right words together. In group situations, those few extra seconds are sometimes taken by the bubbly, more expressive types, and what I intended to say is lost.

All that I have to offer to God for Him to work with is my flaws, my shortcomings, my missed opportunities, my pride, my brokenness, my sinfulness. But isn’t that what God wants us to surrender to Him in the first place?

"If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new is come!" But God does not want me (or anyone else for that matter) to be a new creation while still holding on to old ways. Before I can be that new creation I must confess my sins before God and receive His total forgiveness, and, once I am in right standing with the Creator again allow, Him to "re-wire" me to be the changed person that He wills for me to be.

life is a series of accumulations.

you attend school to gain knowledge, you gain wisdom, go to work to become gainfully employed, gain weight, gain wisdom, gain strength, lose the weight you gained only to gain it back again.

we get a life, get the credit, get involved, get high, get lost, get married, get divorced, get hired, get fired, get around, get around to it, and some of us just get it.

we get our fill. We are full of secrets, full of bottled-up emotions, full of things left unsaid, full of love that we are afraid to give.

a kind of fullness that is really ...

empty

Breach of contract???

I recently read an article titled "How Responding to People's Needs Hurts the Church" by Elizabeth I. Steele. The article talks about how in a consumer culture, talking about a church's ministry in terms of responding to people's needs, "puts the church in the position of being defined not by its faith or history but by people's wants." People come to church because the church feels a perceived need that is not fulfilled elsewhere. Some of the needs/wants that people expect to be fulfilled by a church are things such as unity, non-judgmental acceptance, fellowship, Biblical principles, and accountability with other Christians to strengthen each other to live holy lives. Some look for specific programs to meet the needs of their family, such as youth or children's groups, social outlets, or ways to use their gifts to serve the community.

But what happens when the church fails to meet these needs? Often, a person may see this lack of fulfillment as a "breach of contract" on the part of the church. After all, they see the church as a place that fills the needs of people. In response to this "breach," they may leave, or they may challenge what is (or is not) happening and who is in charge until the "promised" care-taking and attention are provided.

Wait ... I didn't realize that a church had a "contract" with its members to provide for such things. So I asked a few people on a Christian chat service for their input.

Most of the "wants and needs" the chatters mentioned are stated in the opening paragraph. One of the people that I talked with said that she and her family recently moved to their area and were presently attending a mega-church. She commented that in a church that size it was difficult to connect with other members who are like her. She also admitted that there are many opportunities to connect, and it was up to her to put forth the effort to start building relationships.

After a brief discussion, the general consensus was that if people want music and aesthetics and a message that gives them a warm-fuzzy feeling, then they're going to church for the wrong things. God's needs should be met first -- the need for us to be in a relationship with Him. Then our own needs will be met by God, starting with our need for reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 20:28, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." He also tells us, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 14:24). If we are followers of Jesus we should not have the mindset of the church exists to fill our needs. As Ms. Steele puts it, "Lost is the idea of people being and becoming the church. Lost is the understanding of the church as a community of faith whose members struggle together to draw closer to God and to express that closeness in how they live and interact with the world." As disciples of Christ, we should actively participate in partnering with God to use the gifts and resources He has given us to reach out to those who are lost, and point them to a place where they can encounter the saving grace found through Jesus Christ.

Reading the entire Bible

I recently read a post on Revelife by mr pine, where he talked about recently being given a copy of the book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. At the end of the post he posed the question "Do think it's important for Christians to read the entire Bible?"

Here my thoughts:

Bear with me for a bit, and let's step outside of the Christian bubble for a second, and take a look at an analogy. My intent is not to offend or diminish the transforming power of the Bible, but to put the question into perspective.

Let's take the word "Christian" and put "soldier" in its place. And let's take "Bible" and put the word "Comprehensive Operational and Battle Strategy Manual" in its place.

Do think it's important for soldiers to read the entire Comprehensive Operational and Battle Strategy Manual?

It depends on the role and goal of the soldier. Yes, there are some parts that are essential for basic survival in the life he has chosen. Without those basics ingrained into him, he may face serious, life-threatening danger. There are other parts that can give insight into various situations that he may encounter, or help to process a past experience to better understand it.

But does the soldier have to read the entire manual?

What's his goal? To remain a soldier? Or to be better equipped? If he feels that he does not want to advance in his soldiering career, then he is free to not pursue reading the manual further. If he is not satisfied with where he is, then digging deeper into what's contained between the covers is a good place to start.

Personally, I'm not satisfied that I have gone as far as I have in my Christian walk. I don't think that I ever will be. Have I read the essentials and understand the basics? Yes. I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, came to earth, died for my sins, and rose from the dead. I believe that I have eternal life through Jesus. Have I read the entire Bible? No, there are still pages in my Bible that have not seen light. Will I ever read every word of the Bible? That's hard to say.

Will my salvation be lost if I never read the entire Bible? Absolutely not! And that point is more important than whether or not I read every chapter and verse from Genesis to Revelation.

Listening to God ... (or not ...)

God speaks to us in many ways. But, being the independent-thinking human beings that we are, we sometimes use our "selective hearing" when receiving input from the Almighty. The following is a conversation between God and a fictional character called "ME". Any resemblance between ME and any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.


GOD: I've created you in my image, right down to the ability to decide things for yourself. I'll help you get started. Here are ten commandments for you, along with this book that will help you to fill in the blanks.

ME: Where's the rule book that you follow?

GOD: I wrote the rule book, based on my characteristics.

ME: So then why can't I let my character guide my decisions?

GOD: (thinking, "what, is she kidding me?") It's your choice ... but you really should read the book and refer to it as you go. Also, I want you to know that I am always available to help you if you get stuck or need anything. All you have to do is ask.

ME: So, you mean I can do this life thing however I want?

GOD: I've given you free will ...

ME: Cool!


It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where this will take ME ...

• Poor family relationships
• Divorce
• The kids don't respect ME
• Coworkers don't trust ME with much anything told to ME in confidence
• A mountain of bills from wanting to keep up with ME's best friend's lifestyle (a lifestyle that ME really couldn't afford to begin with)
• Loneliness
• ME's therapist won't even take his/her calls

ME: God, how did my life become such a mess?

GOD (ears perking up): ME? Is that you? Did you just call out to me?

ME: I thought you told me you'd always be here to help me. Where were you while my life was spiraling down the toilet?

GOD: Let's look back at our earlier conversation, shall we, ME? I did say I would be available to help. But you had to ask. I wanted you to acknowledge your need for my help. It was your choice to do things according to your own will, guided by your own imperfect human character.

ME: But you also said that I was created in your image. Shouldn't my character have been like yours?

GOD: You would have been a lot closer if you fol.lowed the commandments and referred to the book I gave to you.

ME: Oh, you were actually serious about that?

GOD: Mmm-hmmm ...

ME: God, I made such a mess of things. How can I even begin to make it right?

GOD: You can't. Not on you own.

ME: So you're telling me I'm stuck here.

GOD: (silence)

ME: But I don't want the life I have. It's not even living, really. I want something better. I want what you intended for me to have. Can't you help me?

GOD: You're starting to get it. I can help you.

ME: God, I don't even know where to start. To be completely honest, I've hurt so many people and in the process ended up hurting myself. I don't think anyone would ever be able to forgive me. I so much want to start over. I want a new life, like being made new.

GOD: I can do that. In fact, my son Jesus specializes in helping you with forgiveness and being made new.

ME: Why would Jesus want to help someone as wretched as me? I'd think he'd be too perfect to want to be around someone who lived my life. Someone who wouldn't listen to you.

GOD: Believe it or not, I knew from the start that if I left you to your own devices you'd end up where you are now. But in my holiness I could not allow your "wretched" self live in my glory. You see, my standard is absolute -- perfection. And the consequences for not meeting that standard is absolute as well -- death. Spiritual death. You'd be separated from me.

ME: Like where I am now.

GOD: Exactly. But I love you too much to spend eternity apart from you. So, in order to fulfill that absolute consequence of death, I sent Jesus -- my only son -- to take your consequences upon himself.

ME: I've been dealing with the consequences of my screw-ups here on earth, from people all around me. I didn't realize there was a punishment from you that was so severe.

ME: Let me see if I get this -- Your punishment is separation from you. Yet we're able to have this conversation right now because Jesus took that separation so I wouldn't have to?

GOD: You're getting it!

ME: No one ever loved me like that ...

ME: But wait ... your son is dead. You must be heartbroken.

GOD: Not at all. He came back from the dead!

ME: Really?

GOD: I don't lie. It's all here in this book.

ME (remorseful): You mean the one I should have been reading all along ...

ME: I'm so sorry I made a mess of the life you gave me. And I'm grateful to you that you would send Jesus to take my consequences upon himself. I couldn't have met your perfect standard on my own. I never can ... Can you forgive me?

GOD: I don't only forgive you, but I also give you a clean start. I don't even remember your past. In my sight, you're a new creation!

ME: You're giving me a do-over?

GOD: I Am

ME: Well, since I'm starting over, can I have a look at that book?

GOD: I thought you'd never ask.

What would you change? ...

Today I had this thought:
If I were God for a day/week/whatever, what changes would I make in my life (the life of Heyyoulady)?

(key word here is MY life ... I couldn't change someone else to make my life easier - for example, make my husband pick up his dirty laundry. The change had to be in ME.)

Part two of the thought:
What is the specific impact that these changes would have in the lives of other people around me?

And part three:
What can I do - with God's help - to make those changes take place? What is my initial plan of action?


Before I post my answer, I'd like to see what others think.

Anyone? ... Anyone?

Afraid - Very afraid....

There are things that make people afraid. Things like having to take a test. Scary movies. Roller coasters. Visiting the dentist. Speaking in public.

Then there are things that make people very afraid. Such as physical attack, facing a loss of freedom (i.e., going to jail), losing your security (your home or your income), facing death of a loved one (or your own, for that matter).

Yet it seems that there are some people who don't scare very easily. For example, a friend of mine got a phone call from her husband asking her to get him at work and take him to the emergency room to be seen by a doctor right away. He hadn't been feeling well for a few days, and his coworkers wouldn't let him drive anywhere.

Now, most wives would kind of freak out a little bit if they got a phone call like that. Not this chick. She was perfectly calm. She even threw some humor into the situation. "Worst case scenario, I get to his job and he's dead. At least he works at a mortuary..." (Turns out his blood pressure was out of whack. He's going to be OK.)

What makes her different? Why wasn't Ms. Chick very afraid, like she should have been? She's got a strong faith in God. There's a verse that she clings to in times where she should be scared out of her wits.

The Lord is my light and my salvation -
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life -
Of whom shall I be afraid?
- Psalm 27:1

This verse reminds her that the God she believes in is able - more than able - to protect us and accomplish His will, and that God keeps His promises to walk alongside of us, even when we don't sense Him. That's one Awesome God!

And one awesome woman. Maybe someday I'll be like her.

Gas Prices

I've been cringing whenever I find myself running extra errands on the weekends. Why? My "Fun Bucks" seem to be going more and more into my gas tank. And that's not much fun.

Everyone I know, and most folks I don't know, seem to be saying the same thing:

"Gas is so expensive!"

People everywhere have been re-evaluating their budgets to adjust to the new economy. And, sadly, relationships are suffering.

Have you noticed that your social life may be running a little empty compared to what it was just a year ago? Think about it ... A year ago, a friend might have invited you to a movie or shopping, or even doing something "touristy," and at the drop of a hat, you zoomed away in your car and had a great time being together, even if you happened to lose your direction in the process.

Now it seems that choices about which friends and relatives to visit are even coming under more careful consideration. Face-time that was limited in the past seems to be even more so now. A colleague of mine recently was invited to two events on the same day, one locally for a long-time friend, and one 70 miles away for a close family member. Last year it would have been an easy decision to go be with family. But now, as much as it broke her heart, she simply couldn't afford to be with them. What changed?

"Gas is so expensive!"

For some, even church attendance is a decision driven by whether or not you can afford the fuel. The fellowship we need the most when times are tough is ironically out of reach for some because times are tough. And I'm sure that in many churches where attendance and offerings are down, we can point to gas prices as a contributing factor.

Here are some things that we can do to help our relationships with one another thrive despite the pain at the pump:

• Carpool together when you run mundane errands. Everyone has to go grocery shopping.
• Help each other out. That's what friends are for.
  
• Make spending time together a priority. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another."
  
• Invite your friend and his/her family over to your place for dinner. If the table isn't big enough, spread out a blanket on the living room floor and have an indoor picnic. You don't have to serve anything fancy. Just be relaxed and have a good time.
• Visit your local park. Chances are, your community has one within a short walking distance of your home. Watch the kids play on the equipment. Let them roll down a small hill. Join them. Who says kids aren't the only ones that can have fun? Besides, your kids want your presence more than your presents.
• Take turns with your friends hosting a movie or game night at home. Board games are interactive, and you may even learn something new!
• Tell stories about different ways you have experienced God's love in your life, especially to younger generations.
  

Be creative in how you invest your time with your friends and loved ones. Even though the price of gas may be draining your wallet, you can experience the richness and fullness that comes from nurturing your relationships.

God is good, even when life is bad

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -- Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Not quite three years ago I participated in a process at church called "Focused Living." One exercise that we did individually was to make a timeline of our lives, writing significant events on yellow post-it notes. We then took the painful events and transferred them to pink post-it notes.

After putting all the post-it notes in chronological order, something significant surfaced.

It was during the "pink" times that I would ask God "Why?" It was during the pink times that I asked God "How could you let this happen? I thought you loved me!"

It was not long after the pink times that God would place me in situations and bring people into my life that would strengthen me and help me move forward in my faith.

One circumstance that comes to mind was when my husband and I relocate over 300 miles away from Long Beach a town of a little less than 50,000 people in Central California. Away from family and friends that we love and that love us, to a town where we knew virtually no one. About a year after the move, my husband made the decision to move back to Southern California (I won't get into reasons here). The problem was, I couldn't move back, because my job was where I was. So, for a year and a half we were geographically separated.

Pink Post-it Note. Big time.

God is good, even when life is bad. During this time I had people in my life that strengthened me spiritually. A guy named Pete H., who had been going through a huge pink post-it of his own at the time, gave me a word of encouragement. "Make your decisions based on eternity, not on your circumstances." Those words helped me to hold on, to work on rebuilding my marriage, to move forward in my relationship with God.

Even though that was a painful experience, and at the time I couldn't fully understand why God would allow it, I can see that God never left my side and brought me through it and toward becoming the person I am today.

Do you have a story of a "Pink Post-it" experience where you saw that God is good even when life is bad?

God at work

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 -- A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? (NIV)

There may be days when work feels like a curse. There may be other days when you feel great satisfaction in what you do. Believe it or not, both come from God. How can you make God a bigger part of your work life?

This is something that I have struggled with, and I'd like your input.

Whether you're an office worker, or farmer, or construction worker, or medical professional, or race car driver, or professional surfer, or student, or stay-at-home mom... or whatever you do for income...

How do YOU make God a bigger part of your work life?