Oh Dear! What Has Happened?

As many of you, I imagine, I have been trying to make sense of the changes of late in our world.  I have pondered and prayed and prayed some more, but I cannot make sense of so many things that others hold as undeniable truth.  So, I have decided to think through and record my reasonings in hopes of someday having a respectful conversation with someone who differs from my view.  Maybe, just maybe, I will then be able to understand where our differences lie.  I will not likely agree with him/her, and he/she will not likely agree with me, but we both may learn something new.  So here goes:

1      Right and wrong, moral and immoral, truth and lie are not contingent upon difficulty or emotions.  Yes, I understand that there are times where a lie can be compassionate, but it is still a lie.  Breaking a contract or a covenant is immoral regardless of the consequence.  Stealing, rape, murder, etc. are still wrong regardless of the reason.  When did we, as people, become so weak as to no longer take responsibility for our own actions?  In society, one of the changes that I have seen is that people actually fight for the right to redefine feelings and convenient actions as truth, right, and good.  Not only this, but the same folks tend to think it is their right to redefine the same issues for everyone as well.  So, let me get this right…you have the right to redefine all manner of concepts for yourself…which somehow means that if I disagree with you, that makes me wrong on a moral level?  Oh dear! 

So here is how I see it.  I am fine with your not agreeing with me.  If I disagree with you, that will not change my character, and I do not expect it to change yours.  I will still love you, treat you kindly, and even respect all of the things that are respectable about you.  Differing opinions do not define people.  I still expect people of character to behave as people of character.  Additionally, please know that, as a medical professional, I will not waver on the fact that life and death are definable and pronounceable (legally), and that body parts and chromosomes determine gender.  Feelings are real as well, but feelings should not redefine the meaning of language.

Yes, I am a Christian, and God’s Word is the basis of my reasoning.

Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six evils God truly hates and a seventh that is an abomination to him:¹⁷ Putting others down while considering yourself superior, spreading lies and rumors, spilling the blood of the innocent,¹⁸ plotting evil in your heart toward another, gloating over doing what’s plainly wrong,¹⁹ spouting lies in false testimony, and stirring up strife between friends.  These are entirely despicable to God!”

2.     All life is defined genetically.  Our chromosomal makeup as humans is unique among all living things, just as all other life is unique genetically.  We are genetically close to apes, but there are big differences.  Tyrannosaurus Rex was genetically close to sparrows, but there are huge differences.

3.     Thing that are alive grow, develop, or change.  Things that are not alive do not grow, develop or change.   Plants, animals, people, bacteria, viruses, etc. all changes and develop as they live.  When they die, other forces take over and cause decay.

4.     Seeds have life potential.  Horticultural seeds contain the genetic instructions to produce a specific kind of plant which will yield specific fruit or veggies or flowers, etc.  It is my assertion that a tomato seed is not a growing tomato plant, but it has potential to be a growing tomato plant.  In order to activate the life of a tomato seed it must be combined with a specific substance and be placed in a specific environment.  As soon as one places a seed in the dirt and adds water, viola, the transformation begins.  Within days, one could dig it up and see the evidence of growth and thus life.  Mix in some sunshine, and a tomato and mayonnaise sandwich in is your future.

5.     Sperm and eggs are people seeds:  Each sperm that is created within a man has the potential to provide half of the genetic material for creating a new human.  A sperm is not a person.  Actual live sperm are not people either.  The swimming/living part of each sperm is actually just a vehicle for the seed portion to get to the proper mixing ground.  An egg is not a person, but each egg with which a female is born carries half of a potential person’s genetic material.  In average people, sperm and eggs are lost on a regular basis.  Women lose at least one every month, and men lose them more often, one would imagine.  We see Biblical evidence that God designed it that way.  He encourages married people to love each other in way which facilitates that loss.  So, God does not equate the loss of an egg or sperm to the loss of life.  They are just seeds or potential life.

6.     Mix them up and the story changes:  When people seeds are mixed in the proper way and in the proper place, they immediately begin to grow and reproduce.  The product is alive.  The human is alive.  The zygote is genetically human and living.  It is constantly developing, changing, and progressing.  

7.     Before a woman even knows that she is pregnant… her baby has a face, his own blood type, and a beating heart.  No, none of it looks like it will look in a few months, but the heart tissue is beating around 65 beats per minute and the face is recognizably human.  During that first month since conception the placenta has formed so that Mom can supply oxygen and nutrients to the baby, but Mom’s blood supply is her own and the baby’s blood supply is his own.  They do not mix.  They are separate human beings.  Why does the baby need oxygen?  Because, he is alive.

Between the 17^th and 30^th days after conception the baby’s neural tube forms.  This is the tissue that will completely differentiate into the spinal cord, spine, brain, and skull.  These are all of the tissues which form thought, reason, feel pain, instruct the other organs, and enable one to love, hate, and experience the gamut of human emotions.  By the second month after conception, all of this is well formed. (That’s just 8 weeks pregnant)

By the 3^rd month the baby is fully formed.  All of his organs are in place and starting to function.  They still need time to mature, but the liver is making bile, the circulatory system is functioning and the urinary tract is producing urine.  By the 4^th month of pregnancy everything is fully developed:  eyebrows, fingernails, hair, everything!  The baby may suck his thumb, make faces, yawn, and move around in a coordinated, purposeful manner.  This is a human who simply needs time to fully mature.

8.      Abortion is the ending of a human life.  Because of the science and reasoning above I believe that abortion, at any stage, is equivalent to murder.  I cannot even begin to understand the stance that this is a choice about a woman’s own body.  Yes, the baby is being carried by the woman, but the baby’s body is in no way a part of the woman’s body.  It is genetically separate.  The blood supply is separate.  The only attachment is through the placenta which is much like an electrical outlet and a cord.  The placenta (which is at the end of the cord attached to the baby) is temporarily plugged in to mom, and it will be expelled as soon as the carrying is finished.  Abortion is the ending of a human life, and that is a very clear concept to my scientific mind.

9.     What about extenuating circumstances?  I have heard a number of arguments from pro-choice advocates who state that un-wanted pregnancy creates a hardship on women who are unable to care for the child.  What about when the child is the product of rape or incest?  What about when the pregnancy causes a woman to lose her career or her relationship? I can certainly sympathize with anyone who finds themselves in a very difficult situation. I cannot even imagine the emotional pain that one would endure carrying a child of her attacker.  However, I believe that, even though this is gut wretchingly difficult, one must really look at what is being asked.

The question that is being asked is, “Is murder alright when committing it to avoid heartache and difficulty?” 

The answer to that question is a resounding, NO!  People are not allowed to kill people without going to jail.  People are not even allowed to kill pets without going to jail.  What makes this situation different?  Please see point #1.  There are things that are right, and there are things that are wrong.  A woman’s choice comes before conception.  In the case of rape or incest the question becomes, “Does one horrific act justify another?”  No.  Oh, I can hear the gasps or indignation, but torture of one innocent person does not make it o.k. to murder another, separate, innocent life. 

My last point is to answer another situation about which I have heard from pro-choice advocates:  If the fetus is not self-sustainable or viable in the atmosphere, then it is not truly alive.  I believe that I have adequately given my stance on the definition of life, but please consider this.  If a baby is born and left to fend for himself, he will die.  He cannot feed himself, clothe himself, perform his own hygiene, or tend to his own medical care.  In this case the parents will be charged with neglect and murder, and jailed or worse.  Why?  Even in the states where abortion has few limitations (i.e.…  It is legal to abort babies regardless of gestation), there are laws which provide for an assailant to be charged with two murders when he/she takes the life of a pregnant woman.  So, which is it?  Is the baby a person only if someone other than his mother orders the killing?  I truly do not understand how the law can contain such a wide chasm as this.

I realize that I sound passionate about my stance, but that is only because I am passionate about it.  Please know that in all of these words there is no condemnation.  If you have made the choice for abortion I am not condemning you, just as I do not expect you to condemn me for my point of view.  Let’s talk.  I have laid my thoughts and reasoning out there.  It’s your turn.

...As If...

      In keeping with finding out what Romans has to say, here is the question of the day.  Is your employer giving you a gift when you get the paycheck that you earned, or is it a debt that your employer owes?  Duh!  I think that all of us would agree that it is a debt.  When we are faithful to do our work, then our employer owes us the previously agreed upon sum for that work.  Right?  Well, good news, Romans 4 agrees.  The cool thing is that the Kingdom of God does not operate on the principles of the world.  The Kingdom is based on a debt that was paid before anyone reading this was able to 'do' anything.  In fact, Romans 4 explains that even though the standard of debt/work was mediated by the law during Abraham's lifetime,  Abraham was already getting credit for a paid off debt that had yet to physically occur.  Isn't God cool?  Jesus paid our debt in full in His submission to death on the cross, but that was not the end of the story!!

     Even though God has laws and man has laws, the thing that God really pays attention to is faith...our hearts.  Romans 4 (NIV) says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  He did not get credit for what his body did or did not do.  It was all about that heart.  O.k., yes, I know that Abraham was the one who fathered a child with his very, very, post menopausal wife.  He also watched as God provided a ram in the thicket so that he would not have to sacrifice his child, but he was just a man.  He was a documented liar, and I am fairly certain that he did have some doubt about how God would make him fruitful in his old age.  However, he ultimately believed.  He knew that God was his source, and he chose to believe.

     I don't know about you, but for me it is sometimes difficult to separate the truth of the Kingdom of God from the experience of the world.  I mean, we are living in the world and receiving input from the world nearly constantly.  We know how people judge one another, and it seems natural for us to judge ourselves with the same standards.  We find ourselves thinking, "What will happen when they find out about my past?...or...that I am not qualified to do this.  What will happen when they find out I am not perfect...or not as smart as they think...or that I am still struggling with this sin or that sin"...or...whatever else that we believe disqualifies us from something that we think is important?

     The fact is, if you are thinking like this, it probably means that you are a person of character.  God knows your heart.  He trusts you, and He has promoted you because you take Him seriously.  The good news is that as we place our faith in God, as we allow His spirit to move and influence us, all of the past is covered over and separated from our existence.  Yes, we sometimes still have to deal with the consequences, but God no longer associates the past with who we are today.  Shouldn't we do the same for each other?
   
      Ok...so read this phrase really fast and out loud, "Just as if I'd."  When you read it very quickly, what word does it sound like?  I heard this decades ago, and I am almost positive that someone else should get credit for it.  However, I honestly do not know to whom credit is due.  Anyway...it sounds like the word, justified.  The word, justified, in the Bible literally means to make the situation, "just as if I'd never sinned."  David wrote in Psalms, and his words are quoted in Romans 4:5-8:  "Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them."  David knew this phenomena well, because he had committed all of the biggies.  Yet, God had his heart.  As soon as David realized what he had done he owned his sin, repented, and he knew that it was "just as if he'd never done it."

     So, who are we going to believe today?  Is God worthy of our faith?  What have you got to lose?  God is the One who does the justification.  He reveals truth.  He promotes those who trust Him.  Our only part in this is to take Him at His Word.  We owe nothing, but to love like God loves.

It is well!

Empty Handed

      Have you ever heard someone say that they were a "self-made man, " or an "independent woman?"  How about, "Well, I pulled myself up by my own boot straps," or "This accomplishment is all ME!?"  I recently had someone tell me that he/she needed no help and no grace.  (Literally, when the statement, "I do not need grace" was uttered, I looked around the room to see where the lightening was going to hit.)  All of this person's accomplishments would be his/her own, and that no one else would be able to take credit.  These statements remind me of my grandchildren who have frequently said, "I can do it myself!!"

    So, just like we do with our children and grandchildren, God will often let us have our way.  He often allows us to handle the situation.  All the while, He is watching and waiting for us to realize our desperate need for Him.  This is but one example of His kindness that draws us to repentance.  However, the truth of the matter is that we do need Him desperately.  By virtue of our very existence we should understand that our lives are a reflection of our Creator, but often it is just not the case.

     My inspiration this morning came from the song in the video above.  There is one phrase in particular that I think is key to being a fruitful follower of Christ.  It is the realization of the truth of this phrase that places us in the greatest position for success, power, and meaningfulness to the Kingdom of God:  "...Lord, I came here with nothing, but all that You have given me..."

     When discussing their physical problem of the day, I often quote Psalms 139:14 (NKJV),  "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well" to my patients.  But, it is not only our bodies that were designed and actually formed by our Creator.  The totality of who we are, mind, body, and spirit, were "fearfully and wonderfully made."  The way our brains are wired in order to function creatively, analytically, or compassionately is all Him.  Our gifts and callings really have nothing to do with us.  He placed them within us for His glory, and He empowers their use for the furtherance of the Kingdom.  According to the world, the point at which we realize that we have NOTHING to offer the most important Person in our lives should be our weakest point.  But it is not!  That is the point at which we are the most useful, the most fruitful, and the most powerful.  II Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV), "And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

      Although etiquette gurus would probably eschew this admonishment, God begs us to show up empty handed.  We do need grace.  We do need help.  We can not do it all by ourselves, regardless of what the "it" is.   We have nothing to offer Him, yet he calls us His treasure and assures us that He has given us everything that we could possible need to do life His way (II Peter 1:3).  It is good to grow up and know that we cannot do it all by ourselves.  Show up empty handed, and watch in amazement as God multiplies your nothing into something wonderful.

It is well.

Good?

       I had a recent conversation with someone very close to me about being a good person.  So, I have been thinking about this topic in one of the numerous open "windows" in my mind.  What do I know about this?  What do I think I know about this?  Well, God is good, and my certainty on this subject ends there.  So, this morning Roman's 2 chimes in on the subject.  With all of the political rhetoric swirling around us, not to mention all of the rest of life, it might be hard for us to judge what is good.  As I opened the Word, the heading, God's Righteous Judgment, was over the 2nd chapter in Romans.  So, here we go.

       In my mind, there are many factors to consider. So much of scripture is like putting a giant puzzle together.  We must consider the whole of scripture in order to be able to see the full picture.  It's a bit like pulling a few pieces out of a 5000 piece Christmas puzzle box, taking a glance only at the pieces, and declaring that we have seen the full picture.  Not possible.  But, isn't that what we do sometimes?  In this section of scripture, Paul writes, " You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."  Now, immediately our minds go to things like murder, adultery, thievery, etc.  How dare you say that I am guilty of murder if I judge a murderer!  O.K....Simmer down...that is not what this means.
  
        I believe that this section of scripture has to do with how we judge situations, motivations, and interactions.  Yes, it is talking about what we perceive to be sin, but I do not think that this is talking about the things that we humans would label as the big sins.  God dealt with several of those in Chapter 1.  He is seldom redundant.  In my opinion, He is dealing with the way in which we judge the hearts of others; the ways that we become offended at someone's actions or choice of words; the way that we are sure that we know the whole story, when the truth is that we have no idea. These are the judgements that we make just before we roll our eyes, or whisper, "How dare she speak to me like that," to a close friend.  These are the assumptions we mistake for truth when we hear of a divorce or a public accusation.  Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. 
  
       Yes, we think that we are discerning rightly because, after all, isn't the church supposed to judge sin?  Again, we have to look at the whole of scripture.  Yes, there is a time to judge sin and bring correction, restoration or separation, but in Romans 2, God is dealing with something else altogether.
God takes our hearts very, very seriously, and He reserves the judgement of hearts for Himself.  We excuse our own "bad moods" or lapses of our standards.  Things come out of our mouths before we know it, and we think that a quick, "Oh, I didn't mean that," should fix things up.  However, when someone else does the same things there MUST be a more insidious reason that it happened.  Right? 
   
       Well, here's how that story ends:  God takes our judging of another's heart very seriously.  It is His desire that our human failings be covered by His grace and mercy, but we put Him in the position of having to judge us when we try to do His job for Him.  Romans 2:4 even states that we, "...show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?"  Verse 5 goes on to explain that as we continue in our ways of judgement we build up a huge pile of wrath that will be unleashed upon us when judgement day arrives.  Some versions of the Bible paint this pile of wrath as a wall that brings more and more separation between God and us, and this is a wall that we are building out of our own willful, haughty, judgemental hearts. (As I wrote this my thoughts strayed to Ronald Regan declaring, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.")  The good news is that we can allow the Word of God to change our hearts.  We can repent and submit to God's process of changing our judgemental ways.  As we repent and submit, the wall crumbles into to nothingness, and fellowship is restored. 

     Isn't He sweet!!  His desire and His provisions are all for our good, because He is good.  I think that I have found my answer.  I really do not believe that any of us are inherently good.  Only He is good.  The good that we see in each other is Him, not us.  Knowing this fact keeps us from polluting our own hearts with pride, and helps to shield us from standing in judgement of someone else's heart.

It is well!

How is My Breath?

     This morning I began in Romans.  I have no idea how many times I have read the book of Romans, but there is always something new in scripture...always. In Romans 1:9 Paul writes, "God, whom I serve in my spirit..."  For some reason this phrase jumped out at me.  So, I went to Strong's concordance to see how it was translated from the Greek.  "Serve" is a verb and can literally be translated as being active in doing something.  No surprise there.  "In" is a preposition, and it literally links the aforementioned action to a specific moment in time.  It links the action and the "spirit" to right now...this moment...today.  The word "spirit", in this passage, is the word for breath, and it is also the word used for Holy Spirit.  Both are essential to life, and neither can be seen (except when it's really cold outside : ).
     I am fairly certain that I had not seen this nuance before.  Paul knew that he was performing the exact action at the exact moment that was ordained by God and empowered by Holy Spirit through Paul's breath...or his words...his words that were being breathed by Holy Spirit and that are still speaking life to us today. 
     As I sit her pondering how this relates to me, I can't help but realize that Roman's 1:9 did not just mean Paul's breath.  It meant my breath as well.  It meant your breath.  It meant our collective breath as the Body of Christ.  There is a popular worship song that I love called, Great are You Lord, and part of the lyrics say, "It's Your breath, in our lungs, So, we pour praise, pour out our praise..."  How awesome is it to know that our breath is that of Holy Spirit.   Or, is it?  Have you noticed that God always gives us choices in following Him?  As Romans 1 continues we see that God has made Himself clearly seen by all.  No one has an excuse to not know Him, but some make the choice to not follow Him.  Paul says in verse 25 that, "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator..."  The chapter ends with vivid descriptions of how this choice leads to judgement and separation from God.
     The good news is that we can also make the choice to take Him at his Word.  We can embrace the truth and serve Him in our spirits.  However, we need to realize that to serve Him continuously it is a moment by moment event.  Each breath is marked in time.  Each word, each breath, and each act counts eternally.  My prayer today is that my breath will honor Him; that my breath will reflect the truth of Who He is; and that I will pour out praise.  Thank You, God, that You are not done with me yet.  Thank You for Your mercy, Your kindness, and Your never failing love that forgives and forgets as I repent.  Thank You for Your breath of life and Your empowerment to serve You.  "It's Your breath in our lungs.  So, we pour out our praise.  We pour out our praise."

It is well!

Love Peter...What does that mean?

 
          A few days ago I shared a post on my Facebook page that compared Peter and Judas.  It basically said that Peter had a bad day, but Judas had a bad heart.  Love Peter and lose Judas.  This morning I was worshiping and praying...just spending time with God, and so many people came to mind.  As they came to mind I prayed for them and went back to singing and enjoying.  After awhile I began to realize that the people and situations that were coming to mind had a theme, but it wasn't the theme that I would have assumed. 
          So, before I get into this, here is some background.  I have been a Christian for approximately one half of a century.  Now, I did not say that I have acted and thought like a Christ follower for all of 50 years, but I HAVE been in the process of God working on me for that long.  How long does it take?  All I know is that 50 years is not enough, but God is faithful to complete the work that He started.  So, having been in church for that long I have been wounded and hurt.  I have been misunderstood.  I have been guilty by association and just straight up guilty.  I have believed the truth and I have believed some lies.  I have trusted in God and I have trusted in people (but since I am a person... I should have known better than to have done the later.)
         This is where my mind went in this conversation with God this morning.  Of course, Peter was the guy that Jesus called a rock upon which He would build the church.  He was a strong willed, trustworthy, tough guy with a heart so turned toward Jesus that he was seen by Jesus as foundational to the entire body of Christ.  Judas, on the other hand, was a slimy, money grubbing, yes-man who sold Jesus out for some pocket change.  Yes, Peter was also the guy who denied Jesus, but it wasn't a matter of weak character or corruption (like Judas.)  It was a matter of a weak moment and just plain being a human.  Afterwards he owned the sin and it made him even more strongly committed to his Savior. 
          In my years in the church I have seen Peters expelled...ridden out on a rail...crucified and completely demolished.  Heck, I have been Peter.   And...I have seen Judas loved, exalted, and declared infallible.  WHAT!!!  So, I started asking God about this.  How does this happen?  What makes some Peters so easy to discard while some Judases get catapulted into greatness?  How can good christian people be fooled?  Aren't most of us Peters at some point.  I mean...don't we all make mistakes or even choose the wrong path at times. (Hint:  the answer is yes!)
          As I asked God about this, the story of Abraham and Issac came to mind.  Issac had as much favor with Abraham as anyone could ever have.  He was the son of promise.  Yet, Abraham held on to Issac very loosely.  When God told him to sacrifice Issac, Abraham had no hesitation.  The picture that I got was that Abraham sought God and obeyed unconditionally.  So often we see people differently than Abraham saw Issac.  We treasure their skills, their opinions, their longevity in our lives, and because we see them as treasure, we begin to value them above others...we even value them above our relationships with God.  As people become treasure, we become blinded by their shine and sparkle. They sometimes become like jewelry because they make us look good.   I am not saying that we should not love and nurture our relationships.  On the contrary,  God is love and love is expressed between people.  What I am saying is that we need to find our treasure in God alone. God is never tarnished.  He is never a Peter having a bad day.  He is always wise counsel, and He is the ONLY one who can truly judge the heart of another.  We can't even accurately judge our own hearts.
          We need to be able to love God and one another so purely that we can easily give up the value that another person adds to our lives.  We need to be able to speak about and receive the hard conversations that need to be discussed.  We need to be able to join with and work with people who are not who we would pick, and we need to be able to leave situations that we adore if the leading of God moves us.  In Matthew 8 Jesus talks about the price of following Him.  When He calls us to follow Him we are not to question.  He expects us to drop what we are doing and take off after Him.
           We need to hold one another like Abraham held Issac...with open arms ready to give him up.  We also need to guard against discarding the Peters in our lives...just give them a chance to say they love you three times and get on with life.
         

Who You Gonna Ask?

So, I was sitting in church yesterday just minding my own business and my Pastor began reading from the book of Mark.  The scripture hit me like a ton of bricks:

     Mark 8:27-29 (NIV) Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi.  On the way He asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, other say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets." 29 "But what about you?" He asked.  "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah."  

Over the last couple of weeks I have heard and seen so many mentions on the subject of rejection, and when I heard this scripture it just seemed to make sense. (BTW - when you hear something mentioned over and over you probably need to think about it.)  He wasn't preaching about rejection.  So, I got two lessons in one.

I am absolutely positive that everyone reading this has had his or her share of rejection in life:  as a child in school, in the workplace, in family relationships, in romantic relationships, and even in church.  Can you relate?  I can!  Many times the people that matter most to us are the ones that hurt us the most deeply.  We open ourselves up.  We trust.  We build up expectations.  We rely upon them, and then the rejection hits us like a ton of bricks.  So, why does this happen?  Why does it hurt even more than a death?  Why is it so often completely crippling?

I believe that the answers to those questions are in the questions themselves...and in the questions that Jesus asked His disciples.  Please do not get me wrong.  God created us to have emotions.  He gave us tears that cause not only an emotional release, but a physical release as well.  He even made sure that we would understand that Holy Spirit is on the job when we are mourning. (Matthew 5:4 NIV "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."  He sees our suffering, and King David went so far as to say that God keeps track of every one of our tears. (Psalm 56:8 CEB "You yourself have kept track of my misery. Put my tears into your bottle—aren’t they on your scroll already?")

So, God expects us to be sad and mourn at the loss of someone or something important.  However, He does not expect or want us to allow the loss to destroy us.  There is a time for mourning, and then we must get on with life.  As followers of Christ, we know that He literally died to pay our sin debt.  He is the lover of our souls.  He is to be the director of our lives and the definer of our beings.  Right?  He says that everything that we need for life and Godliness comes from Him.  Right?  He also says that we are going to experience troubles in life, but that we should not fear when troubles come because He has already overcome it all.  Right?

I can hear all of you Christ followers out there saying Yes and shaking your heads up and down.  So, why is it that we allow mere humans to crush our souls?  Why do we left flawed people define us?  Why do we take our cues about our worth and destiny from people who do not behave responsibly with their own lives?  Why?

I believe that it is because we are asking Jesus' first question instead of His second.  When Jesus asked His disciples who people thought He was, He got all kinds of answers.  The bottom line was that nobody really seemed to know, but everyone had an opinion.  Do you feel like that?...everyone has an opinion about you, but no one really seems to know you?  Of course, that is human nature.  We form opinions from what we have heard or seen whether or not it is factual.  The problem comes when we allow those opinions to define us.  We, as Christ followers, have got to stop asking, "who do people say I am, " and start asking God, "who do YOU say that I am?"  We have got to stop giving people the power to shape us, and allow our Creator to finish His work in us.

I am not saying that God does not use people to help us grow and mature.  On the contrary, I believe that He uses all kinds of things to speak to us.  I am, however, simply saying that the voice of God comes from the perspective of loving us and building us up.  Sometimes that means pointing out something that needs to change in our lives, but He never...ever....ever brings condemnation.  His voice is comforting even when it brings conviction.  He is the very essence of love.  So, that is how we can tell the difference.  Rejection and condemnation go hand in hand.  They are not from God, and their opinions should not be considered.  The only opinion that we should consider is that of our Maker.  He actually knows the truth and loves us anyway!

It is well.