Tag Archives: presence of God

Examine yourselves – do not fail the test

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“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ jesus is in you unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

 

There’s sin in every church and in every Christian life. The question is whether we are repentant or not. Do we own up to our shortcomings and failings or do we try to brush them under the rug, keeping up pleasant appearances while things are rotting inside? Christ doesn’t call us to be perfect and faultless. In fact, he died for us precisely when we were still sinners. He doesn’t call us to be perfect but he does call us to be real….imperfect men and women of integrity, always aiming higher, always drawing intentionally closer to God.

 

One of the ways real Christians do this is to honestly examine themselves. Not satisfied with the title of “Christian” and beyond churchy talk and behavior, real Christians are called to look closely within and conduct spiritual checkups. Not content with playing the charade, they want to be “all in”, actively surrendering to God’s agenda for their whole life.

 

If being a real Christian were a job, would I be considered part-time or full-time?

 

Spiritual checkups aren’t for the part-time Christian. Each time I do one, I realize how far I fall short. It’s humbling. But it’s the only way to draw closer to God, to lay it all out in submission to him. What does a spiritual checkup look like? There’s no one size fits all, but here are some questions, if you’re up for the test:

 

Am I increasingly aware of the presence of Christ in my daily life? Am I quick to acknowledge him and turn to him when I feel attacked, hurt, or troubled? Do I invite him into my conversations? Is he in charge of my to-do list? Do I quickly turn to him in praise for so many blessings? Is he part of my life or is-he-my-life?!

 

Beyond practicing the presence of God in the details of my life, including my priorities and ambitions….am I living in his power? Am I purposefully creating boundaries that invite his protection of my heart and my family? Do I rely more on him or on my own abilities to succeed, to overcome sin, and to extend grace to others? Am I living for all life can offer me or am I constantly dying to self so God can offer all he is in me? When I need to confront others, does the love and joy of Jesus guide me or is it just good deeds? Am I taking active and intentional steps to draw close to God? If I’m not moving toward him, I’m falling away from him.  There’s no middle ground. Am I actively applying the Word of God to the details of my life or am I content to know about the Word? Am I always trying to look strong or do I invite God to display his strength in my weakness?

 

If God’s presence and power is evident as the mainstays of your life, then prayer is too. Are my prayers an after thought to my established plans? Are they a mere plea to be rescued from distress? Are they focused on primarily on me and those close to me or on who God is and his heart for the rest of the world? Are my prayers more about comfort for me or compassion for others?

 

The world knows real Christians from imposters. The test is their love, or rather the love of God that flows through them. Let’s determine to examine ourselves and not fail the test. Let’s aim higher today by purposefully drawing closer to God and letting him live through our transformed lives.

 

Are you tired and weary?

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We live in a busy world. In fact, by the way we fill up our lives with so much activity, you would think our goal is a tombstone that reads, “Sure kept busy!” Of course, that is not our goal in life, but it is often our pursuit. All this activity, albeit sometimes necessary in some seasons of life, is tiring, isn’t it? It robs us of energy for contemplation, meditation, prayer – for drawing close to God…and each other.

 

Being a rather ‘Type A’ personality with a high metabolism, much of my life has been driven by goals and activities. “Idle hands are the devil’s playground,” I was taught. While there is some truth to that, the constant weariness of Leukemia has taught me that only idle hands can be offered to God when seeking His presence. “Stop striving. Be still and know that I am God,” He calls to us (Psalm 46:10). “Come to me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)  The world tells us “no pain, no gain – push to the limit.” But Isaiah counsels us, “The Lord gives strength to the weary. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)

 

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Give it a rest. Stop striving. Stop worrying. Give it up to God – again and again. Practice resting in His presence. Find His grace and rediscover your light.

 

The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.  Numbers 6:25-26

 

 

Jars of clay

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We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

I got mad one day a week or so ago, really mad at myself. It is not my nature anymore to be mad and when rarely the emotion comes upon me it usually goes as quickly as it came. I used to be angry most of the time. I’d yell and sometimes cuss. That was over thirty years ago, before I really came to the end of myself and asked God to take the anger away because it was making me become someone I didn’t want to be. It was then I decided it was better to be better than bitter; better to fill myself with peace, not anger. What happened that day was my fault; my ‘chemo brain’ was at work and I couldn’t process a task as I intended and I became very frustrated with myself. After I punished myself for too long I finally gave it up and asked God for forgiveness and His peace.

This ‘jar of clay’ is a frail vessel that easily cracks, especially when we remove ourselves from God’s protective hands. It reminds me how much we desperately need God and depend on Him for our care. Sarah Young writes from the perspective of Jesus in Jesus Today, “Come close and rest in my presence. I am closer to you than the air you breathe. Trust Me with each breath you take. Discipline yourself in the practice of being in my presence. Don’t be discouraged by your tendency to wander and become distracted. Simply keep returning to Me, trusting in My unfailing love.”

Whether it is a sin we have committed or a deep pain or sorrow we bear, this frail jar of clay in which we live is not capable of bearing all the weight that comes upon us. We need to pour it out before God, turn from our focus on ourselves and our troubles and focus instead on remaining faithful to God, thanking Him for the peace, grace and strength He readily offers. Focus on your troubles and that is all you see. Turn your focus on God’s presence and the power of troubles’ grip, still present, diminishes.

We don’t like the feeling of being frail. We like to try to convince ourselves that we are really strong. And God does indeed give us strength. But that gift never replaces our inherent dependence on Him. So be content with being a jar of clay, for in it you will carry the great treasures of God: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.