A Discussion on Life, Laundry, and the Pursuit of Godliness

                Any decent, self-respecting two-year-old will tell you the nagging question that occupies the majority of their Whole. Entire. Life.

                ”Why is the sky blue, Mom?”

                “Because God made it that way…”

                “Why?”

                “Because.”

                “Because why?”

While I try to NOT act like I’m two, I’ve been asking the same question. “Why?” Why do I do what I do? Why do I not do what I’m supposed to do?

Pastor Shane’s recent message on Romans 12, “The Attitudes that Energize our Faith” blew my mind. I may have teethed on pews, but I felt like I had never heard those truths before. Yes, I know what I’m supposed to do – I’m supposed to love the Lord and my family and my church. But how? Why?

So often, I wash dishes and fold laundry because I know what I’m supposed to do. I hate going to the grocery store and put it off until the point where I am eating stale pretzels and chocolate chips to survive. I scrub pink slime from shower floors because it embarrasses me as a human being – and for that reason only. I’m supposed to be Mrs. Titus 2: working at home, loving my husband and children (by bleaching pink slime to death), and throwing in epic amounts of Proverbs 31 industry and charity on the side. But how can I do all that when I don’t even want to get off of the couch?

                By sacrifice – as Romans 12:1-2 instructs me, calling me to daily present my life as a living sacrifice. As our pastor put it, I need to be getting up each day and having the urgent reminder that my life belongs to God. That is it. End of story. As Galatians 5:20 reminds me, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave His son up for me.” I only have the freedom to do God's will and serve Him.

                By humility – not wishing that I had a maid to do all my work for me, but having a realistic understanding of what I deserve. My Lord was born in a barn and did not have a place to lay his head or somewhere to call home. He washed feet and was a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Why do I think I deserve to be waited on hand and foot? Is the servant greater than her Master? The truth is that there is no task “beneath me.” I should instead be motivated because I’m grateful that my Lord loved me when I was unlovely, despicable, and hateful toward Him.

                By faith – doing the will of God outside of my comfort zone. I cannot believe the lie that tempts me to think that serving God should be easy and fit within my personality/schedule/favorite color palette. If I can rely on myself in my “service” to God, it ceases to be service and becomes self-worship. Another temptation for me is to put myself out there grudgingly, but Romans 12 tells us to exercise our gifts with attributes like “Diligence,” “Cheerfulness,” and “Liberality.”

                By love – Love that comes from God and is not generated by human emotion. It does not experience ebbs and rises, but stands, rooted firmly in truth. I struggle here, so much and so often. The Romans 12 love, the energizing attitude, shows me how I ought to be: “ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” Rom. 12:9-13. As I pursue godliness, I will be able to do this - knowing that I love because God first loved me.

               So this is how it’s done, folks. Here is why I need to do dishes and match socks and wrestle with new recipes. What about you? Where do you see your need for these attitudes in your life? 

"For by these trials I see my sin."

"For by these trials I see my sin."

I read this in a prayer from The Valley of Vision recently. These last few months have been full of trials that show me my sin... This sentence keeps echoing through my head, offering comfort when I am tempted to grow weary and discouraged.

"Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations,

if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil,

and be delivered from it with gratitude to thee,

acknowledging this as the highest testimony of thy love.

...

Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued

I must not only labour to overcome it,

but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it,

and he must become to me more than vile lust had been;

that his sweetness, power, life may be there."

(more excerpts from "Contentment," The Valley of Vision)

I seem to be reminded, over and over, what the some of purposes of these trials are. Lately I've found myself overwhelmed with the sin in my heart. When life gets difficult, what's in our heart seems to come out. Do I respond with a gentle, quiet spirit, trusting the Lord in each step? Or do I worry and fear, lash out at those closest to me, and grow angry and bitter? Do I learn to abhor this sin in my heart and turn from it (relying on Christ as I do this, and not on my own strength)? Or do I sit and wallow in self-pity over how sinful I am, all the while forgetting the hope I have because of Christ and His sacrifice on the cross?

Some of you may remember the Sunday last year that John Street preached from Hebrews 12. I re-listened to this message recently. This sermon reminded me of some pretty mind-blowing truths. These trials show us what is in our hearts. Often, it seems that when I am staring a difficulty in the face, I respond in a way that surprises me, and find myself thinking, "wow I had no idea that was in my heart..." But, where do we go from there? Repentance. Not just half heartedly repenting to rid ourselves of the guilt and continuing in sin because grace abounds. Repenting, turning from sin, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation, all the while relying on Christ because we can do no good thing apart from Him... Because His grace abounds. Because He is orchestrating every moment of every day for His glory and our good. Because He loves us enough to show us what is in our hearts.

He loves us enough to show us what's in our hearts.

"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"

- Hebrews 12:7
What a loving heavenly Father we serve. These trials... I wouldn't trade them. I find such comfort knowing that He disciplines His children. I want to see my sin and abhor it, be sorrowful with a godly sorrow that leads to true repentance. To be more like Him, though it hurts. I need Him every moment of every day. I can do no good thing apart from Him. How kind are His ways.
Ladies, I encourage you in this... Be thankful when the Lord shows you your sin. Repent and turn from it. Put off, put on. Excel still more. He is the one sustaining and growing His children; He is the one completing the good work that he began. Learn to talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself. When we are discouraged, we must rehearse truth in our heart and remember the hope we have. We are so quick to forget. He is so kind to His children. I love you ladies and I am so thankful for the fellowship that we share!

If you want to listen to the sermon I mentioned earlier, here is a link. Scroll down to the sermon from 4/7/13 :)

http://faithcommunitychurch.org/media.php?pageID=41

His love is relentless.

      Forgiveness. Love. Transparency. Maybe they seem disconnected, but these things have been topics of reoccurring thoughts in this crazy head of mine. What’s hard about forgiveness? Is it the act of forgiving or being forgiven? It’s amazing to me how God uses different things to show me his character. How do we know who God is? Primarily through His word, yes. But he also reveals himself in creation, and lately I’ve seen the love of Christ through people who are living out the truth. I think of 1 John 4:12 that says, “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” John MacArthur commentates on this verse, “Nobody can see God loving since his love is invisible. Jesus no longer is in the world to manifest the love of God. The only demonstration of God’s love in this age is the church. That testimony is critical…love originated in God, was manifested in his Son, and demonstrated by his people.” I have had some struggles over the past few months. Worries and fears of unknowns, mainly. There are have been some days when these fears have overwhelmed me and I’ve struggled to see past them. Through those fears there have been people who have loved me relentlessly and shown me grace. I cannot tell you how humbling it is for people to keep on loving you even when you’re at your worst. It’s been through this love poured by people that I’m reminded by the One that showed us what love truly is. The One who is Love. The love with which people love is just a taste of the love Christ has lavished on us…and what a beautiful picture it has been for me. Seeing a glimpse of His grace through His people. I know it’s His Spirit working inside them, inside me.  When I’ve seen this love the most is when forgiveness has been extended. When, despite what I’ve done, they continue to show grace. I’m all about transparency. When people are real about their struggles and can share it with others, allowing them to see the workings of grace in their lives…it’s such a beautiful thing. However, it’s hard to be on the other side. It’s sometimes hard to come before someone and be honest and open about struggles you’re having in your own heart. You may think they won’t understand or that they themselves will look down on you for your struggles. What a beautiful thing it is, though, when you open up your heart and share those inward struggles. When condemnation is not poured but grace encompasses. When you encounter a heart that says, “hey, I’ve been there too.” or, “I’m here for you no matter what.” And ultimately when you are reminded that the same spirit that was in Christ is in his children. This struggle doesn’t have to hold you hostage. There is freedom in Christ. He has conquered sin and death on our behalf. He won’t give up on us. He will complete the work he’s started. His love is relentless. This is the message of the gospel. The gospel that saved our souls, it’s that same gospel that rescues us on a daily basis. It tells our hearts that want to condemn that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We see the truth of his love and forgiveness in his word, but when we see it working in the lives of others, the gospel being worked out in the flesh of precious fellow brothers and sisters, the power of the gospel is seen. I have no other response but to be humbled by God’s grace and to be in awe of Him. May we be the feet, the voice, the hands, and the heart to carry the good news of the gospel. To lavishly love others, to have a heart that eagerly forgives, and to have the courage to be transparent with it each other—this is my prayer. Sometimes we need to help a brother or sister along, and sometimes we are that person who needs help. We must all help each other by reminding ourselves where our hope lies.