How does one really deal with a situation in life that cannot be managed by our hand!? That is a giant concept...especially for me...being one who wishes she could control her mini-universe like a Genie! (*Just being honest*)
God has a lot of work to do on me...I'm beginning to really see that for myself. Not that I didn't "know" that before-- but it's now becoming an ok thing for me to accept. Boy, I have certainly resisted at different times!!! Being "in control" is really fun...not knowing where you're going, well, that's an aspect that has to deal with faith! My faith meter has certainly been tested this last year or two...much more than ever before.
Right now, I am in the process of reading the book of Job. Not a new book for me, as I have read it a couple other times. But, this time I am relating to it far more than ever before! I definitely feel like Job right now...or have, within the last year. I have said some of the things he has, and have had friends who meant well but really made me struggle worse by their words. Now, don't any of you doubt that you are one of those "friends"...it's easy for any of us, when we want to "do" something can try to fix what isn't ours to fix. I believe this is what Job's friends were trying to do...and I have certainly learned some valuable lessons from this book today. How just "sitting quietly, with arms of embrace" or "sharing from God words of truth" are some of the best things we can ever do for a hurting friend. May our words never be brought from presumption of why that one we love is where they are. God is doing far more than we could ever comprehend!
Another thought of mine comes from one of my current classes at Sunset: Letters of John, with Gerald Paden. We are going over the book of 1 John right now, and it has been a real "eye opening" experience for me. Not only to be in class with Gerald, but to actually SEE into the heart of God. The apostle John was a good "lover" of people. All his books were written in love, with their message being about how we are ought to love one another deeply, from the heart. I have always loved the way that John places emphasis on love, but also, Gerald has helped to show me (and many more) what God's love truly looks like! I have always struggled with God loving me. I have always been so grateful for it, and for His presence in my life. But, I have never been able to really accept His love...to my detriment! I've also have struggled with what it truly means to love Him! Because I feel so unworthy to actually be able to. But, being in this class has not only given be a better grasp on that...it has also given me a better lens in which to view Him through, and to view the world He's given me to live in for the mean time!
Some passages from 1 John that have impacted me:
- "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him....The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (2:15, 17)
- "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in Him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers....Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (3:15-16, 18)
- "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (4:16-18)
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