Making Frantic Efforts

“If the enemy can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” ~ Unknown

"He that believeth shall not make haste. There is plenty of time. You must not imagine that the result depends on you, or that a single human soul can be lost because you may fail. The question, as far as you are concerned, is whether you are to be honored in having a hand in the work that God is doing, and will do, whether you help him or not. Some will be honored: shall it be me? And this honor gained excludes no one: there is work, as there is bread in his house, enough and to spare. It shows no faith in God to make frantic efforts or frantic lamentations." ~ George MacDonald

Embrace The "Bad" -- Part 2

A few other notes on this topic (click here for Part 1):

1. Ricky and I were discussing this and about "blowing it" in certain situations when we do not react with grace or grow in maturity. He kept referring to this as failing a test. But maybe that is not the best way to look at it. With tests, there are grades -- passing or failing. I think the better description for these circumstances is opportunity. With opportunities, you either take advantage or miss out. But there are always a plethora of opportunities. Test makes you think of failing, but somehow we turn that action into a state of being and begin to view ourselves as failures. Opportunity instills hope -- for change, growth, and newness.
2. A number scale might help here. Although, it is an imperfect and possibly inaccurate way of looking at it. A qualitative view might be better, but my quantitative mind always chooses numbers over words! Anyway, let's put Christlikeness on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the perfect state of being only attainable once we are physically present with our Lord Jesus. So, 9 is the tops on this present earth. Let's put me at a 2-3. Now, if I die years from now and I am still at a 2-3, then I would be disappointed with myself. I would have missed out on every opportunity I have had to grow and mature (become Christlike) as I had not moved up on this scale one iota! May it not be so! I want to be at an 8-9 when I go from glory to glory. [Not to get me into Heaven, of course, because that is only accomplished by Christ's atoning sacrifice! Not by works.] I just want to take advantage of these opportunities to grow in grace. Don't you?! Either way -- whether I take advantage or not -- I thank You, Jesus, for grace in every opportunity!
3. I am reading Randy Alcorn's book on evil and suffering, called If God Is Good. A great, thorough guide on this topic. I thought that some of his words aptly apply to this subject.

We need to take a closer look at a verse I've mentioned, one of the most treasured (and also maligned) in Scripture: "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).

The context shows that the Holy Spirit’s main concern is conforming God’s children to the image of Christ. He brings challenging circumstances into our lives so we may develop Christlikeness.

Paul’s use of "we know" indicates that if you don’t know this, you know less than God intends you to; and when times of evil and suffering come, you’ll be ill-equipped to face them.

I believe that if God could not use something, in eternity, to contribute to the good of his child, then he will not permit it to happen. I know of no other way to interpret this passage, written in a context of profound evil and suffering. It does not say God causes some or most things to work for our good, but all things. And what does "all things" not include?

Romans 8:28 declares a cumulative and ultimate good, not an individual or immediate good...

We define our good in terms of what brings us health and happiness now; God defines it in terms of what makes us more like Jesus…

Whether suffering brings us to Christlikeness depends, to some degree, upon our willingness to submit to God and trust him and draw our strength from him. Suffering will come whether we allow it to make us Christlike or not -- but if we don't our suffering is wasted.

Join me in embracing these opportunities!

Embrace The "Bad" -- Part 1

How do you respond?

When things don't go your way. When someone offends you, hurts your feelings, ignores you, or frustrates you. When someone pulls out in front of you while driving 50 MPH. When your spouse still hasn't unloaded the dishwasher. When someone is 30 minutes late meeting you when you only have 45 minutes for lunch. When unrealistic expectations are held over your head. When you are rushed and knock down the entire display at the store. When you miss your doctor's appointment. When your baby won't stop screaming while you are on the phone. When you are in a car accident. When there is no explanation. When the unexpected occurs. When there is someone to blame. When there is no one to blame.

One of the most important lessons I learned from natural childbirth classes, as well as experience, was not to fight the contractions. When you feel one coming, do NOT tense up, squeeze your muscles, panic, or hold your breath. Instead, you should let it happen and focus on it. Feel it; embrace the contraction. Why? Because it simply is your uterus stretching and preparing to get the baby out. It is a muscle working out -- feel the burn! To the baby, a contraction feels like a massage. Back to the point. As your uterus stretches and pushes the baby further down, if you fight the contraction, you are holding that baby up there and refusing to let the uterus do its job. Uterus pushes baby down; you tense up and hold baby up. Baby didn't move and is no less closer to greeting the world. You just had a pointless contraction. For every one you resist, you'll have to have another one. Childbirth will take that much longer.

Now, Aidan, how in the world do these two thoughts combine? Here goes...

Things happen. People make choices that affect you -- often negatively. Free will. But, if everything went my way and everyone did what I wanted when I wanted, if I was in control, then my character would suffer. If life was peachy, then I would not develop patience, long suffering, gentleness, mercy, kindness, forbearance, forgiveness, self-control, compassion, unity, heroism, grace, determination, wisdom, etc. I would have no need of these traits, but I'd be at a loss. I'd be missing out and never know it.

When something doesn't go your way and you fight it by snapping or losing your cool, by not showing grace, it was pointless. You just had another chance to grow, but you blew it. You resisted the refining of your character. God is trying to develop the character of His Son in you. Don't tense up, but embrace the situation. Thankfully, there are many, many chances :)

Remember: What Satan means for evil, God intends it for good. When you fight it, you are giving in to Satan and his plans. When you embrace it, you are siding with God and saying 'Yes!' to Him and His plan.

I totally do not excel at this. What a challenging thought for myself! I want to embrace these occurrences. Join me in saying Yes!

Click here for Part 2.

Inconsistent with Myself

"God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, 'Do you believe there is a God?' you may find yourself answering, 'No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God.'” ~ Ernest Boyer, Jr.

“My love of consistency with my own doctrinal views is not great enough to allow me knowingly to alter a single text of Scripture. I have great respect for orthodoxy, but my reverence for inspiration is far greater. I would sooner a hundred times over appear to be inconsistent with myself than be inconsistent with the word of God.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

What I Was Waiting For

When I was younger in my faith (I turned 10 years old, in the spiritual sense, this past year), I was constantly waiting. I was eager, like a perched dog with head high and ears up, sitting by the back door just waiting for my master to come home at the end of the day.

Waiting for what? For something to come about that would prove God's existence.

Like what? Something tangible or visible. Something outward, not inward. Something undeniable.

Proof? Complete, total, 100%, beyond a shadow of a doubt. In other words, when this something would "happen" or "be uncovered," then everyone (and I mean everyone) would have to believe. Period. His existence would be irrefutable.

2 + 2 = 4. There is no denying that truth. That is what I was waiting for.

And then, years later, it comes to me. I remember. Faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God... Now faith is being sure of what I hope for, certain of what I do not see.

I was waiting for a proof that is never going to come. Indeed, it cannot happen. Because I was waiting for that undeniable proof that would eliminate my need for faith. God will never allow the kind of proof that will extinguish faith. God will always make faith necessary.

That's why there is ample extremely convincing evidence for Intelligent Design, the Creator, but not undeniable evidence. He will always give us plenty of the extremely convincing proof - just enough to remind us to have hope. In fact, it just keeps coming. I am unable to keep up with all the new discoveries that reveal our LORD. Yet, some people still deny Him. They are not convinced. The proof is not undeniable. But you know what, it never will be.

Faith is a necessity.

Panic is a Dead-End

I have a bad habit. Actually, habit should be plural, but let's focus on the singular.

I was analyzing those thoughts that run through my head occasionally, such as I cannot do this! or This is too hard! or I think I'm going to quit! Basically, these reactions are all the same and result from the same place - panic. Something bad/hard happens, I panic, and irrational thoughts break loose.

I usually have three responses when I feel the tide rising and panic is coming after me. This is the typical order that I seem to naturally follow:

1. Recall 2 Corinthians 10:5 ("We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.") and speak it. Yell it, if you need to :)


2. Anxiety and faith cannot coexist. It's that simple. I remind myself that I swim in the ocean of grace. If I am anywhere else, get out and dry off. I have a choice every moment that I have to make, and I choose faith.


3. This is very important step to me. I'll call it gaining perspective or being realistic or getting my head screwed on straight. When a tough situation would present itself, I would start to panic (aka freak out, in my head of course) - WHY? Because I would project that one occurrence onto forever. In other words, I would start to think that I cannot keep doing this one thing over and over for the rest of my life. I know, it's a preposterous thought! Time marches on, and eventually this situation will no longer even be an issue. I just take a deep breath and ask myself, "Can I do this one thing right now?" And just focus on the present and what is required in this moment.