I'm tired of idoltary

So, I decided to start a series of I'm tired of…. I feel as Christians we may begin to hate our sin but it isn't until we make up our mind to allow God to get rid of it that the bondage starts to fade away.  So I encourage you to comment or let me know, if you have a topic you want me to touch on.  I would love suggestions.  It just has to be something your tired of… I hope you don't say my blog…lol JK!!! ;)

So today I'm going to introduce the concept of idolatry.

I know this is kinda a deep topic to start off with, but God gave me an insight this morning and I just had to blog about it.

So, I feel like when we picture idolatry; we may think of a man bowing down to a golden statue. But an idol is anything that you worship besides God.  The definition of worship, according to google, is the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration of a deity. Some synonyms are exaltation and reverence.

I don't know about you, but I have worshiped the television a couple of times.  I love to watch TV shows and there are nothing wrong with the TV itself.  But when I start to give it more time than I do God and give it more praise than I do God. Then, it becomes a problem.

For in the old testament times, a major form of worship was the sacrifices that they would give to God before the alter.  For more information read the book of leviticus.  Leviticus is basically a guide to how to worship God.  But in short, God would ask them for the best of their possessions to sacrifice to Him on the author.

If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect.You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord.  You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. You are to slaughter the young bull before theLord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. (Levitucus 1:3-5)

I find it interesting that in the member of the tribes of Israel, their herd was their livelihood. 

So, what are we giving the best of our possessions too?  What about the best of our time? How bout the best of our energy?

It makes me sick to think that sometimes I will watch TV for hours on end and then when it comes time to do my quiet time I have a lack of motivation.

Yet, there is encouragement.  God showed me something this morning.

So, if you know anything about me, you may know that my dad is my best friend.

My dad and I are really really close.  I tell him everything…yes I even tell him about who I like.

Anyways, college has been a little bit hard for me because I miss him so so much.

So, anyone that has missed someone can understand that you tend to be drawn to other people and things that remind you of him.  I find myself longing to spend time with these people because they remind me of my dad and it helps me when I miss him.

Yet I realized…these people aren't him.  Nor will they ever be him.

Don't we do this to God?  We spend time with people and do things that aren't him and could never come close to who He is.

We are just getting a replacement that can't even come close to who he is.

I find it encouraging to know that there is a God that is so great and so amazing that we nothing can even compare or come close to his presence and his love.

Lord, I Need You

So, It's the beginning of the week and I just wanted to encourage all y'all out there.

I'm not going to lie and say that last week was wonderful.  It was really hard for me.  Although I'm glad to be back at college, because I love my friends and my classes.  I have been a little overwhelmed.

I have been concentrating on the storms of this life and worrying about how I'm going to get it all done.  Yet, God showed me something today.

One of my favorite bible stories is the story when Peter walks on water.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God. 

Matthew 14:27-33

I realized that I have been stressed out because I have been counting the waves rather than directing my gaze to God.  

I have been so consumed by the things that I had to do, and so depressed by the fact that it seems like there is just NO WAY that I could get ALL of this done.  

Yet in this story,  God makes the IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE!!!  

Peter walks on water.  Say What?

So I say all of this to say that you may be overwhelmed, but that could be choosing to focus on the circumstances instead of God.  For the God that holds your heart is the very same God who spoke the earth into existence.  I think we often forget that from his mouth He breathed life into Adams lungs and from his mouth He declared His creation good.  God can allow you to walk on water this week.  

That being said.   Some of you may be sinking in the waves of circumstance, being swallowed by you worry and fears.  Yet there is a God who is ever-present to save you.  

As humans, we often think that asking for others help makes us weak.  Yet if we have a God who can save.  We are stupid to not ask him for help.

Lord, I need you is our battle cry   It is our victory stance.  For we have a God that is ever-present that can lift us up out of the wallows of our doubt, insecurity, fears, and anxiety. 

So this week, let us not be afraid to look up and call upon the God who is mighty to save.  

For this week, I honestly need God.  Every hour I need Him.  

So lets choose to look to Him when the waves and winds are howling, and look to Him, so that we can walk on water.  

Anxiety

I struggle with anxiety.  It is something that can get my heart racing for no reason.

Most often when we think of anxiety, we think it will be fixed, if we get something done or check something off or list.

This makes me think of a passage of scripture.

 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her (Luke 10:38-42).

I often feel like Martha, constantly bowing down to the tyranny of the urgent, so once I'm finished I can rest.  I often feel as if I constantly trying to find peace by checking items off on my to-do list or trying to nail down God's will. 

Yet as I'm running around getting things down…I could be missing out.  Martha sure was.  There was things that needed to be done.  Laundry to be put away.  Homework due tomorrow.  Yet where was Mary.  Mary was at Jesus' feet.  

Now, I'm not telling you to abandon schoolwork, cleaning and planning.  I'm just creating awareness, that the homework may never ever end and it's almost guaranteed that laundry will never be finished. 

So…why do we turn to the completion of these things for our peace.

Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28 

At Jesus' feet is where we will have peace.  It is where we can find fulfillment and hope.  

Yet first we must set down the books, and look up.  We must relish in presence and dig into his word. Why….because He cares for us.  Say what?  "Cast all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you" 1 Peter 1:9  

Hidden in this popular verse is the reason why we sit at his feet.  Because He cares about us.  Does that homework care about you?  Will that laundry love you back?  No, yet we know that we can give everything to the Lord because He loves us enough to provide us with what we need.  When we turn to Him because He cares for us, He will give us time, resources and energy to do what we need to do.  

So, Let us look to God for peace and fulfillment for we can trust Him to supply us what we needs because He cares of us.  Also, let us never be too busy for God…for He isn't too busy for us. 

I Want to Fail to Fear Failure

Failing, I've recently realized is my worst fear.  It drives me more than I would like to admit

I was that kid that cried when she got a B on her report card and as I grew up I would be disappointed if I got a low A on a test.  I'm a perfectionist what can I say?

Now, the pursuit of excellence is not always vanity.  It really depends on why you do it?   Is it out of love for God or fear for failure or maybe a little bit of both?

I long to please God in every action, but Satan always wants to take what is pure and make it corrupt.  He can take that longing and add fear too it.  This is what theologians may call legalism.

Legalism is when the fear of displeasing God overtakes you to the point where you can not longer enjoy life because your worried about what God will think of you.

Legalism has been a struggle with me.  As a perfectionist and a person who fears failure, it sometimes can be easy for me to do things with a legalistic bent.

This reminds me of a story in the bible:

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group  and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”  They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:3-11).

I have come to realize that a fear of failure is like picking up the stone and throwing it at yourself after Jesus gave you freedom.  How prideful am I?  That I think I'm a better judge of myself than Jesus is.  Jesus has no condemnation for me, then why should I condemn myself?

Yet my fear of failure runs deeper.  I recently gone through an experience that brought me more grief than it really should of.  The only reason why it wrecked me is because I saw the situation as a failure.  The thought that I failed caused me to suffer a whole lot more than the sensitive situation did.  

We should want to succeed and do our best, but that should be driven out of love not out of fear.  

God is showing me that He doesn't always want a perfect situation; He wants to teach us something even if that means we have to get a little bruised along the way.  

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

At the end of the day, we have to know that God isn't counting our failures but watching us with a smile as we grow and learn.  He doesn't count our falls but sees direction we are walking.  

God doesn't want perfection; He already has it with Christ.  All He wants for us is to do our best.  

So lets make an effort to not condemn ourselves or be afraid of failure.  But embrace the fact that God has already won the battle; we just need to decide which side we are on.

Vulnerability Breeds Genuine Love

 “When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50) 

 This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. There are a couple reasons why I find this passage interesting.

First, biblical scholars assume that this “sinner” was a prostitute.  This explains why Simon is so confused by Jesus is letting this prostitute touch him.  Also, she isn’t just kissing his feet but is wiping his feet with her hair.  In the culture of the day, to uncover your hair was the equivalent to taking your top off.  

What?  Jesus lets a prostitute touch his feet, and uncover her hair!!!

Simon is like “What you must not know that she is a prostitute, unless you wouldn’t allow her to be touching your feet like that” 

But Jesus rebukes Simon, and then does something magnificent. He gives the prostitute a new identity; She is forgiven and now she is redeemed.  

I don’t know about you, but I want to be the “sinner” in this story, not Simon.  I want to be the one on Jesus’s feet.  But in order to be the one at Jesus’s feet, we must first become vulnerable to our King.

I have a secret: God is not scared of you sin, he isn’t scared of your doubt.  So, why not lay fear at his feet?   

I picture this women walking into the room filled with love for Jesus, and so sorry that she sinned against him.  She walks towards him and maybe means to anoint his head but instead she falls at his feet.  Then, so overwhelmed by his presence and overcome by her sin she starts to cry, and undoes her hair so she can wipe his feet.  She, then, sacrifices her sweet precious valuable perfume, that was probably her only hope for a future.  Yet how great was the fragrance of her offering.

How beautiful is she?  She is beautifully broken at the feet of Jesus.  Now, what always seems interesting to me is that she is crying at Jesus’s feet.  Crying!! I’m sure it’s not a graceful cry but an ugly cry.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I hate to cry in front of people.  I hate it!! 

But God finds it beautiful, when we trust him enough to tell him everything.  He knows our thoughts, feelings and our sinful actions, but He longs for us to tell him about it.  He longs for His sons and daughters to come to Him with their problems.  You know why?

So, He can lift up our head and say “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.” 

Don’t think that God will be scared of you sin, Let’s go to him with everything, so you can fill the room with a sweet fragrance and He can be the lifter of our heads. 

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God's Will

 It seems like the topic of God's will creeps into almost every christian conversation.  Most all christians want to do what is God's will, or at least want to know what God's will is.  I often thought that people were envious of me because I seemed to know what I wanted to do in life but the truth is...

The search for God's will has been very very stressful for me especially sense I have gotten to college and all these new decisions have approached me.  Yet, God doesn't create stress. For it is written "For God has not given us a Spirit of Fear, but of power, of love and of sound mind" 2 Timothy 1: 7

Then, Why does discerning God's Will stress me out?

Maybe because I'm putting too much focus on the fact that I have to figure it out, when I should be focused on the fact that 1. He has already figured it out and 2. He is in control.

I was reading Follow Me by David Platt and it had a whole chapter on God's will that really caught my attention.  He starts off by describing different methods for discerning God's will.  The first method he describe is the " Random Finger Method" where you point to a random scripture in the bible and assume that that verse will dictate your decision.  Then, He describes the "Astonishing Miracle Method," where we wait for some fantastic burning of the bush miracle to happen.  Then, there is the "Striking Coincidence Method" which is when a coincidence happens and you assume that God sent that to tell you his will.  There is the "Cast the fleece Method" which is when we test God to discern what he wants us to do.  Then there is the "Open door method" and the "Closed door method" and etc…

The funny thing is I've probably used most of these in the last six months.  Wow……

I was struck by the fact that I, feeble Kenady, has been trying to comprehend God's will for my future and present by a million different methods.

Yet, I don't need to have methods because I have a relationship with the creator of this will.  He is my Father, Husband, Confidant, and Friend.  I think it's silly to think that God is going to send us on a wild goose chase when, in fact,  He was there all along.  I also find it kinda silly that we think that God will not tell us if we are in the wrong path or at least warn us.

David Platt, in his book Follow me, says "Such questions lead us to realize that far more important than looking and searching for God's will is simply knowing and trusting God. We yearn for mechanical formulas and easy answers when it comes to the will of God…We want to find shortcuts to the mind of God. But this is not God's design-or should I say, this is not God's will.  His ultimate concern is not to get you or me from point A to point B along the quickest, easiest, smoothest, clearest route possible.  Instead, his ultimate concern is that you and I would know him more deeply as we trust him more completely"

The issue of God's will has confronted me with a couple of issues specifically in my life.  God has made it clear to me that I need to stop stresses and trust Him.  He has made it clear that He doesn't want me to know His plans for the future because He wants to teach me a few things first.  He wants to first and foremost teach him to trust Him.

When we don't know what to do, We must trust that God knows and has the power and desire to get us to where we need to be.

When we do know what to do, We must trust that God knows us more than anyone else and that his plan is perfectly designed just for us and is, in fact, the best.

I may not know what classes I'm taking next semester?, if I'm going to continue studying to have a masters degree?, what my future job will be?, if I'm going to marry and if so who?, if I'm going to have kids and if so how many?

But one thing I do know.  "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19: 21).

Therefore, Lets trust God and know that He is in control.  Trust and worry can't go together so the more we trust, the less we worry.

Let us dedicate to stop worrying about the future and enjoy the present.  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34).   When we start to give the future to God, we will have more time and energy to enjoy today.  

Discipline vs. Legalism

Well, my car has proved to teach me more lessons about Grace.  When we think about Grace, we often think about the forgiveness portion.  We think, "Wow! God will always forgive me no matter what." Which is true, but  we sometimes take this to mean, that we can do whatever we want.

Yet, picture this.  You win a car, a very very nice car.  Would you say, "Well since I never paid for this car, I think I'm going to treat it like it was a piece of junk, I mean it was free!"  No, of course not!! You would do everything you can to protect it.  I can vouch for that.  I don't eat or drink in my car because I want to protect the new car smell.  For a while, I parked away from everyone so that I wouldn't get door dings.  I worry about it if their is a chance of hail.  I am more aware of the importance of it's maintenance.

The other day I was in my car and it told me that three of my tires had lost air.  I had figured it was probably due to the cold front that had just blown in.  Because of this, I had to go to Quicktrip and fill the air in my tires, for the first time.  I ended up messing it up because I didn't press the button and so I had to get back in line to try again. This was a process, and it wasn't my favorite thing to do, trust me.  Yet, this car is a gift and it's valuable to me to take car of it.  Yet, after awhile the occupation of taking car of the new car seems less important, we start to take the car for granted.  This is where discipline.

I say all of this to show you a subtle, yet very important different between discipline and legalism.  I have a nature to become legalistic due to my perfectionism and I've been trying to stray far from it for years. Yet, God has taught me that the way of life is not to be shy of discipline.

Sticking to the car analogy, Legalism is when you get a new car and you decide not to drive it, because you just don't want to wreck it.  True story: my grandma bought me a Betsy Johnson watch.  If you don't know, Betsy Johnson is my favorite designer.  I was so nervous that I would break it that I didn't wear it for months.

Legalism is a lack of trust in God's grace.  It's being so scared that we will fail that we just bail.  As a perfectionist it is often much easier to bail than to take the risk of failing and I can say I have done this many times.

Yet with God's grace, why not take the risk? I don't know about you but if their was one person I would bet on; it would definitely be God.  For when you drive the car, we as humans may mess up and we may fail, but we must trust in God's grace to catch us when we fall.

Discipline is taking care of God's gift and allowing God to change you from the inside out.  This is scary though.  We do not want to get in the car and fully trust God's grace, because we may be worried that we might fail.  Yet the key word in that sentence is We.  We do not need to be worried about what we do because God is in control.

Unlike a car, God's grace can never be totaled.

So let's try two things.  1. Let us stop trusting in ourselves and get in the car.  2. Let us decide to take care of the car, not because we are scared of displeasing God but because of the sheer responsibility that comes with the gift itself.

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Many blessings,
Kenady Shope

Grace

Okay, many of you know that I won a car.  If you didn’t, “Hey I won a car.”  Through this experience God taught me something really significant about his grace.  It was evident that he wanted me to win the car and now I can fully see why.

So, for a little background, my family loves the ministry of Grace, a non-profit organization, and we have volunteered for the past couple years at their fundraising event called the Grace gala.  

Since my dad loves the organization, he wanted to give a donation by way of a raffle ticket.  My dad who has a the spiritual gift of giving put my name on the single raffle ticket. 

Later, I hear my name.  I was majorly confused and then later realized that I won the car due to the shouts coming from the banquet hall.  People screamed “congratulations” and “you won a car!” One guy even shouted “Can she even drive?”  

So, here we were caught in a moral dilemma.  My dad, being the generous man he is, is uneasy keeping the car. But one of his friends told us that she was playing around with the raffle tickets before the official drawing took place and she thought that it would be fun to act like Vanna White and draw a raffle ticket.  She drew my name for pretend.  Of course she put it back and then when it came time for the official drawing, my name was drawn again by a different person.

Hearing this it became clear that God wanted me to win this car because my name was drawn twice...why I would later find out.

He wanted to teach me grace in a tangible way that I would never forget.

Grace had been a concept that I had believed but a concept that was also very hard for me to live out.  I am a perfectionist and so I have a very work based mind.  When people do things right, it makes me happy and when people do things wrong, I get disappointed.  Therefore, seeing Gods grace was warped by my own brain processes.  

The day I won the car I was discontent.  I wanted more, I was unsettled and so I was seeking to buy more things.  That day my dad encouraged me to use the money I wanted to spend to save up for a car.  He told me that if I started saving now in the 4 years I could afford a down payment of a used car.  At that point, I didn’t realize that cars cost that much. 

I also realized I was content with my car.  I loved my car.  I had a 2004 Jeep Liberty and though it was going to die on me in the next four years but I loved it.  My car was the one thing I was content with and so the thought of saving for a new one was hard but it definitely made since.  

So the day I was being discontentful, and some may say bratty, God blesses me with a car.  What???

As I started digesting the fact that I won a car, I was overwhelmed with the thought I don’t deserve this.  No, I don’t need a car; I already have a car.  No, a family who can’t afford there next grocery bill should have won this car, or a person who doesn’t have a car should have this car.  Not me, I don’t deserve this car.  

But God told me.  No, you didn’t deserve this car, but you didn’t deserve me either.

Wow.  That’s what grace is, God gave us his son when we deserved him least.  We weren’t just people that deserved hell, but we were people that were his enemies and we were the people who put him on the cross.  Yet, he gave us eternal love.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)

What a beautiful passage...I love that God has incomparable riches of grace.  Man, how sweet it is to taste the beauty of his grace.

But wait it doesn’t end there.  So, I won this car and I realize I didn’t just win any car. I won a convertible Camero.  Okay, as I began to understand the significance of this car, God showed me something else about his grace.  

God doesn’t just save us from hell.  He doesn’t just give us a car.  He “raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” I don’t know about you but I’m pretty content with going to heaven and being with Jesus but no God doesn’t just allow us to have something we don’t deserve, he gives us something we could never gain or earn, righteousness. 

As a freshman in college, I can’t afford a Camero. Many people look at me like dang she must be wealthy, and I say “ha I won this...I could never afford this.”

But isn’t this the gospel...we could never afford to live in heaven because that would mean perfection and we are not perfect nor can we ever be perfect despite how hard I’ve tried.  God paid our debt therefore we won the rights to eternity with him.

So, get excited!!! If you have Jesus, you just won something that you could never afford.  You just won something that is more than enough and more than you could ever need or want.  

So, I will boast and say I don’t deserve nothing, because “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

So, boast in your poverty of righteousness because if you have Christ you have won eternity.

Now, God has reminded me that I may have won this car but I didn’t earn it and he reminds me because there is sticker on the side of my car that says Grace.  It’s there because the non-profit organization gave it to me but I know why God put it there:) He put it there to remind me of his precious and undeserving grace.

So today, ponder grace.  I praise God for the way He taught me grace in a tangible way and I hope He does the same for you.

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