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skiddiet
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Name: Brendan
Country: United States
State: California
Gender: Male
Interests: Surfing, Reading, Guitar (real and hero)
Occupation: Student
Message: message me
Member Since:
6/12/2004
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| Topic Sentence: The rational must teach, mend and - though harsh - control the irrational.
Those of us conjoined to our feelings like lego’s liberally superglued have oft struggled with the feeling versus the logical, the irrational versus the rational. The full gamut of our emotions swing us to and fro. At any time, we can feel joy, apathy, or shame. Better put actually: electrifying, contagious joy, bitter apathy, or debilitating shame. We are so in tune with how we feel. Here in lies a recipe for Satan to put us in a dangerous and painful cycle of sin. When temptation gets the better of us, Satan pours the shame on us. “Oh you’re dirty.” “Now you’ve really done it.” “blah blah blah.” Notice the language: “you’ve” and “you’re.” This is condemning, meant to make us feel ashamed of our sin. Shame, as it does for me, leads us to hide-away from those around, even the ones we love the most. With our reclusivity, Satan comes again, this time to “comfort.” He tempts us with what the world has to offer and there we are, alone (debilitated by shame) and looking for a way out of this pit. Satan shows us a golden idol – a “gift” of comfort, while God shows us a ladder to escape– it’s neither gold nor silver, but it is tried and true. So often in my life, in that moment, I don’t want to climb. I want the comfort; I want the fix, and therefore, the cycle has reset.
Why won’t I climb the ladder? The shame and the lies from Satan birth self-deprecation and a distorted view of self. I think myself as “too weak” to climb the ladder. God counters this….Isaiah 40:28-31 ….we must accept this strength.
Steps of faith: I’ve only heard the phrase “step of faith” in the context of trusting the LORD in sharing and defending “the hope that is in us.” (1 Peter ?) I would like to introduce a new step of faith. It is the step from doubt to trust. It is the step from shame to forgiveness. It is the step from sorrow to joy. It is the first step onto God’s ladder. We must trust that strength will come from the LORD (see Isa. 40:29, 31) to climb the ladder. I think there is purpose in Isaiah including “though…vigorous young men stumble badly” (Isa. 40:30b) in his song of the LORD’s strength. I’ll counter that with this: “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” Where does this strength come from? It is from the abiding of God’s word in our hearts, minds and soul. Overcoming the evil one is trusting the Lord’s plan, accepting the strength and climbing his tried-and-true ladder.
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| Sent by God unto this people and place,
We and they look the same, from feet to face.
Put on this earth to share the Love;
Be a beacon much like a dove
Set free to skies that shine so blue:
It’s the freedom of Christ through and through.
Though not of, fallen to the world we are.
“Hearts set to evil” have taken us far
Away from Him, deserving death.
Traitors we’ve become, in every breath.
For us a traitors death required,
To propitiate,
His Son,
He hired.
How great this Love arise
From the grave up to the skies.
Look to the Heavens for His mercies anew -
Free in Christ to the near and askew
Free by Christ with death on a tree
Free - for Christ lives in you and me.
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| So I'll get straight to the point here....
2 Sam 12:20 "So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped. (it goes on)"
Why bring this up? After committing perhaps the most famous sin in the bible (taking Bathsheba as his own), David finds himself pretty upset (at himself). Not only that, the child she conceived was struck down by the Lord. David mourned and mourned and when the child died (7 days later) we find this verse. I'd like to point out "he... worshiped." How guilty do you think David was feeling then? how about shameful? How angry and disappointed was he in himself? And what did he do? He took it back to the Lord, in worship. I have some of the hardest times fighting the feeling of "you are so unworthy to worship - even more so to lead worship." David notes in his Psalm about this event (51): "For You do no delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." I'd imagine that David is pretty broken over this and he knows God - he knows that God wants us as we come. If joyful - come joyful. If sorrowful - come in sorrow. In either case (and more) - bring these emotions and feelings to God. Feelings of inadequacies and unworthiness should be turned into worship, not reasons to shy away. Worship, in one light, is thanking/praising God that in spite of all our (my) inadequacies and unworthiness, He saved us. He brought us to Him. ...and we all know how - Christ's life, death, and resurrection.
....I was thinking about this today.
"When our depravity meets His divinity, it's a beautiful collision." - Crowder. I promise I wasn't intentionally bringing this here, but it's so clear in light of those last few lines. Praise God for colliding with us! | | |
| So today, I reactivated my Xanga.
I'd like to think I'll write some random blurbs on here about things that have caused contemplation. We'll see I guess - let's see - 5 years member - this is my 3rd post?
School has come into full swing now and that is a bummer for two reasons: less time for surfing, and less time for Grace Church. What will i do!?
Speaking of Grace Church, I love that place. I want to make my last year something meaningful: to go deeper with relationships - not shy away, and to go deeper with College Group - not phone-it-in (so to speak).
Verse of the week- 1 Samuel 16:7: But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
This verse has been big for me as of late. I tend to judge the outcome of sunday morning by how many people are standing or how many hands i see raised. Though knowing this is the wrong thing to do, it is the only (yet feeble) attempt i have to gauge how God works. You know what that verse says to me? "Brendan, shut your eyes and trust Me. You keep seeking Me for the sole purpose of being closer to Me. Trust Me with My worship services at Grace."
I'm sure I'll exhaustively debrief from today - but maybe tomorrow (I'm such a procrastinator).
Peace! | | |
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