God has never required us to be perfect to be in His presence.
In my mind I know this, but in my actions, my soul, my convictions . . . Well, that’s another story. Or another lie.
Frankly, On Faith . . . : My Imperfect Bible Reading
The enemy will use whatever he can to get to us, and that includes climbing inside our heads and making us think our thoughts are our own. But we can conquer those negativities one at a time.
When I chose to embrace my imperfections for this year, it opened up an attitude of joy. I’m no longer stressed or struggling to make everything “just right.”
It’s okay if my apartment is messy or I didn’t wash the car last week. I don’t have to balance the budget every day, and ice cream once in a while is good for my mood. Scribbles aren’t the death of a notebook. [That’s a big one!]
I bought a new Bible for the year. It’s the C.S. Lewis Bible, NRSV. I’m enjoying it abundantly. The quotes and meditations included from Mr. Lewis give new or refreshed insight into certain passages.
I even bought a cover and tabs. All went well until I placed 2 Kings under 1 Kings.
Frankly, On Faith . . . : My Imperfect Bible Reading
I could have become angry at myself. Frustrated. Disappointed. I could have tried to remove the tab, thus ripping the page. I could have carefully cut the tab and repositioned it with regular tape. I could have placed the next tab in its place. Or I could leave it as a reminder that I’m not perfect, but God loves me anyway.
Do you think God cares about the placement of Bible tabs? Only so much as it satisfies my soul. But if I allow the imperfect positioning of those tabs to come between me and God, that’s a whole ‘nother story.
The Bible tells us over and over of imperfect people whom God chose to deliver His message: Moses, Joseph, Esther, Paul . . . so why would He expect perfection of little ol’ me and not them?
Frankly, On Faith . . . : It is never a requirement to be perfect to be loved by God.
Answer: He wouldn’t.
No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
~Micah 6:8 NLT
God sees through to the parts of our hearts we’re unaware of. And if He can do that, and still love us as His own, why shouldn’t we love ourselves? Forgive ourselves? Respect ourselves?
Answer: We should.
Because in doing so to ourselves, it reflects outward and we will love, forgive, and respect others more.
I missed the last three days of Bible reading. The first day I thought I was too busy. The second day I was definitely too tired from being too busy on Day One. The third day I was catching up on what I didn’t do on Day Two. Yeah, I feel a little bad about not making my Bible reading a priority. But I did do some reading, and that’s a start.
Frankly, On Faith . . . : My Imperfect Bible Reading
Even without catching up on my reading, God still spoke to me.
How will you let Him speak to you today?
With an open heart and open hand,
Happy Sunday.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
I hate when there’s so much information coming at me that things get lost in translation. Too many people talking at once, too many this-that-and-the-other-thing. A lot of jumping ahead and jumping ship.
That’s when I put up my hands. Whoa. Stop. I can’t keep up.
Take it slower. Take it one bite at a time.
Start at the beginning.
Get the story to me, completely, in a way I can understand it.
And when we’re halfway through what I should know, but don’t, let’s do it again:
Reverse. Start at the beginning. Reaffirm what I do know. Help me learn what I don’t. And move forward.
Inch by inch. Stepping stone by stepping stone.
Learning is not a bullet. It’s a cha-cha.
We can do the same with God.
Whether you’ve just met Him or known Him all your life, we can always ask for more information. We can revisit lessons we’ve been taught to see what new insights He reveals. We can pray in basic terms. We can tell Him, “I should know this, but right now it’s not making sense. Will you help me?” And He will.
Life comes at us full force and if we’re not secure it can blow us down and send us tumbling.
That’s when we can step back and ask God to show us how to tie the ropes to Him. How to man the ship so we don’t capsize. How to strengthen and rebuild the necessary foundations for ourselves and our people.
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
~John 14:1 NLT
We can always relearn and reaffirm what we were previously taught.
Just like watching a favorite movie, singing a favorite song, or reading a favorite book, when we turn to God again and again, we can get more out of it if we focus on it instead of just going through repetitive motions.
Don’t become complacent in the familiar. Don’t let the media of God’s word play in the background for a distraction. Sit. Pay attention as if you are just now discovering Him and His word.
You can learn something new, even by revisiting an old lesson.
Franky, On Faith: Start at the Beginning. As many times as it takes.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
God is not a game player in the sense of messing with us. He doesn’t tease or do a bait-and-hook.
But He’s a great Team Leader. He’s honest from the get-go. Transparent in His game plan for us.
God gave up His star player so the rest of the team could win.
He has never changed the rules. He didn’t replace you with a better athlete, because He knows you are His better athlete. For this game you’re in, for the piece on the board that you represent, the cards you’ve been dealt, the track that you’re on.
He’s in it with you. 100%.
You don’t have to worry about being left behind. You’re not going to be forgotten. The bus isn’t leaving without you.
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them.
For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
~Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT
Never forget who’s team you’re on. Never forget who picked you first. And never forget you’re not alone, ever.
I screw up regularly. In case y’all thought my claim to Christianity is perfectionism, it isn’t. It’s forgiveness and being loved through the parts I need forgiveness for. [Can I get a sigh-of-relief-AMEN for that one?]
I am a perfectionist because I try to do everything right. But I’m about as far from perfect as Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. I don’t eat right, sleep enough, love enough. I’m just not that good at taking care of myself.
I do know one thing: God loves me through it all. No matter what. Which is kind of a foreign idea to me. I mean, when I mess up here on earth, people are quick to call me on it. And vice versa. I admit my anger. My judgments. My negative, sinful actions and thinking. How I feel inside is often manifested on the outside. And it ain’t always pretty.
I also admit I need Him. The parts of me that don’t want to work right. The parts I don’t want to fix, but know they should be. And I’m able to turn to Him and ask for help.
“Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.”
~Proverb 2:11 NLT
It’s easier, now. Getting to Him instead of pushing Him away.
It’s easier to just say, “Hey, God?” and let Him walk through the door. Even if I don’t think the door is open. Or that He’s listening. Because it is. And He is.
Frankly, On Faith: Earnestly Seeking God
So even if I’m too stupid to see what’s happening or how to handle it, I’m smart enough to step back, let go, and let Him lead.
Well, for starts, it doesn’t mean to not do anything else. I mean, we still have jobs to go to, houses to clean, people to take care of. But we can do all those things with a prayer on our lips or in our hearts. Praying without ceasing is to acknowledge that God is never ceasing.
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
Now, I know not every moment is a happy-cake-and-party moment. Some are sad, frustrating, hurtful and hurting moments.
You know what? God knows. And He is loving you through every millisecond of it.
Even if you don’t think so. Even if you’d rather He not.
He’s still here. Being God. Doing God things that no one else can see, and may never see. But that’s why He’s Abba-Daddy-God. Because even if we never recognize or acknowledge all the good He does, he’s still going to do it, anyway.
Because He loves us that much.
And this week’s Bible verse is Him imploring us to see that He’s still here with us. When we know we are His, how much of what this earth throws at us really matters?
