the Book of Judges

We just finished a sermon series on the book of Judges, which was very interesting (and very graphic there at the end). The "wrap-up" message yesterday was really thought-provoking for me. Basically, we summed up a term we'd been referring to since the beginning: "Canannized."

The idea of a nation/person becoming "Canannized" is: rather than transforming the culture around them, they are consumed by it, which is the direct opposite of what we are told to do in Romans 12:2.

And the 5 signs that warn of this "canannization"/spiritual decline are:

1. Failure of leadership/followship
2. Moral relativism (everyone does as they see fit)
3. Playing fast and loose with the truth (willingness to tolerate dishonesty)
4. Depending on self rather than God (asking God to bless our will, rather than asking for His)
5. Manipulating God to our own ends (bargaining with god, for example "You do this ... and then I will do that ...")

I thought that was a good list to reflect on because I know I am guilty a lot of the time breaking each of those. I never understood Judges or it's importance, but this final sermon was a good overview of the book. You should check Judges out and see what you find!

Warning: the final chapters are rated "M" for mature.

Hannah: a Portrait of Feminine Grace

We are studying 12 extraordinary women from the Bible, and this week the lesson was on Hannah. It was quite relevant and thought provoking to me. The biggest lesson I took from it was the idea that her influence as a godly wife and mother came from three specific areas: love for her husband, love for God, and love for her home.

Love for her husband:

"Contrary to popular opinion, the most important characteristic of a godly mother is not her relationship with her children. It is her love for her husband. The properly situated family has marriage at the center; families shouldn't revolve around the children." (p. 95, 12 Extraordinary Women)

I'm not a mom. Quite yet. But I've always believed that my husband should come first - before children. I have heard that it is a hard balance - as a mother - to find. But it does make sense. While this was a great passage from the book, the next was what I loved:

"All parents need to heed this lesson: what you communicate to your children through your marital relationship will stay with them for the rest of their lives. By watching how mother and father treat one another, they will learn the most fundamental lessons of life - love, self-sacrifice, integrity, virtue, sin, sympathy, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness." (p. 95, 12 Extraordinary Women)

Wow. Doesn't that seem a little daunting? Our kids will see mostly everything we do to/for each other. In part that's great because we dance around the house together, snuggle on the couch during movies, and eat dinner together every night. However, we also occasionally disagree, which sometimes leads to arguments. That will of course be fine -- but we have to remember that how we handle conflict will stay with our kids. How we talk to each other, how we treat each other - those things they will remember.

Being a wife and mother is no easy task, but it is probably the most fulfilling challenge I will complete in my life.

Loving Well, Part III

Luke 15:3-7 (NIV) "Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

The hardest part of loving well, for me at least, is waiting. God is described many times in the new testament as different things waiting patiently (a shepherd, a father, a harvester, etc.). Part of loving well is learning when to wait patiently for God to do His job. Sometimes we try to tell people about Jesus because we love them and want them to know Him and life with Him ... but sometimes we are called to wait patiently.

It's so hard to believe/remember that God will not forget the people we love. He pursues people like a shepherd searches for even ONE sheep, and He rejoices at the the return of each.

Sometimes I do more harm than good when I try to do God's job. It's a hard truth to face, but sometimes I'm not the harvester. Sometimes I am just the planter or water-er. God will do what God will do. My challenge today in loving people is to remember that God loves them even more than I do. More than I can possibly imagine. So I trust that what He wishes will come to fruition - in His time. And I will prayer without ceasing until then.

I'll leave you with an encouraging parable.

The Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
...
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Loving Well, Part II

Matthew 25:34-40 (New International Version)
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Part of loving well is doing for "the least of these" (forgotten/overlooked people in society) what we would do for Jesus. What would happen in our world if every person who believed in Jesus treated others like they were Jesus?

How would you respond if someone (usually older) pulled out in front of you too slow? Now what would you do if Jesus pulled out in front of you too slow?

What if the person holding you up at the drive through was Jesus?

What if the homeless man on the street was Jesus?

What if the orphan bouncing around from foster home to foster home was Jesus?

Our world would be completely different if we loved others the way we say we love Jesus.

Brent had a great example of loving well this weekend. A guy from our neighborhood who is normally wandering around - asking Brent for money - was at Walmart. The guy asked Brent for money to buy something (some food item). So Brent offered to take him to get him food. So he drove him across the street to Arby's and got him a sandwich.

If that's not loving "the least of these," I don't know what is.

Loving Well, Part I

If you've read unChristian, you know the stats are not great when a survey was taken about Christians. In a survey of 440 people (age 16-29), only 16% said that "Christians consistently show love for other people." SIXTEEN percent. That's only 70 people out of 440 who think Christians are loving towards others.

That is SAD.

There are tons of verses in the Bible to challenge us in this weakness. I think I will just do a mini-series on the topic.

Genesis 12:2-3 (New International Version)

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

We are called to be a blessing to people, not a curse. Do the things we say and do to others bless their lives? Do we try to lift people up -- or bring them down? It's so easy to bring people down. It's almost natural, sadly. It has to be a constant thought in your mind - am I encouraging? Are people glad they talked to me about things? Do I lift them up?

Does that necessarily mean we don't tell people things that they might not like - no, I don't think so. The Bible says speak the truth -- IN LOVE. You can speak truth to people and still be a blessing to them.

It's a challenge to me, personally, to look at my words and actions and ask myself: Does my life bless others?

Ebb & Flow

I know it's normal to go through highs and lows spiritually, but I just feel a little distracted. I can't seem to get into reading (I know, shocking), blogging, crafting, and I just feel too tired at night to even spend time doing a devotion. I know it's just a self-discipline thing ... and I need to just do it. But it's just not happening.

Brent and I have had fun doing our thankfulness advent everyday, and I like that. I like verbalizing what I'm thankful for each day. But I need more -- and I know that.

So, just pray that I get back to it! It's Ebbing time!