This is from the passage Ephesians 4:27
How many times do I give him opportunity? How many times do I open the door wide and say "come on in?"
More than I want, but less than I used to.
When I think about it in the above context, giving him opportunity, I'm ashamed. He has no power over me, I'm a child of God. I'm forgiven, redeemed and beautiful in God's eyes. However, I am a work in progress. Because of this I need to make sure that I am not giving him opportunity.
Depression, dissatisfaction, gossip, slander, apathy, gluttony, greed, all are giving opportunity to the devil. Opening a door and letting him in.
Say only that which is good for building up. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be PUT AWAY, with all malice (even if they deserve it, lol).
Be
KIND
Tenderhearted
Forgiving
As God in Christ Jesus forgave you.
Shut the door, keep out the devil, as the old spiritual says.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Sunday, April 3, 2016
The Death Grip
I Peter 5:7 "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
Last week Steve and I went to Cancun to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (a month late).
In this one week in Cancun, I faced several of my fears.
Leaving the country
fear I won't get back in (have you seen Locked Up Abroad?)
different foods as I have an iffy stomach a lot of the time
exchange rates
no diet coke (really happened, Mexico has Coca Cola Light, not the same thing)
Zip lining
Parasailing
ATV's through the jungle
Waverunners on the ocean
holding a parrot (I didn't know I was afraid of parrots, but yep, birds, check)
Wednesday evening eating dinner I had a revelation. I was scared of everything. EVERYTHING!
I had a death grip on the handle bars of the ATV. The harness of the superman zip line. The harness of the bungee swing. The body in front of me on the waverunner. The seat rail of the parasail. I had fun, but I couldn't let go.
It spoke to me. I want to control everything. I want to see the future. I want both feet on the ground. So I released even more. This may sound small, but I let Steve take a picture of me in my swimsuit in the ocean (yes, I went in) and then I let him put it on facebook. The areas I need to let go of are more important than a zip line or picture in a swimsuit.
I need to surrender some old hurt relationships to Christ, and let go of the hurt.
I need to surrender ALL of my finances to Christ. Not just the first 10% and then additional giving here and there (when I have it), but all. I'll tell a story on myself I'm not proud of. I got a bonus here a while back. Steve got a bonus from the gym. My 10% was almost triple what a normal week would've been. I struggled writing that big check. Steve was running the camera, so I couldn't have him make me do it, because he would've with no trouble. I had to do it. I wrote the big check, then I wrote a smaller regular check. Then I felt so guilty and untrusting and wretched that I got the big check out and asked forgiveness as I dropped it in the offering.
I need to surrender the fear of losing my dad. In the last two months he has had surgery for colon cancer and quintuple bypass. He survived, and we know it's only because God wasn't ready to take him yet.
I need to surrender the fear of my kids not living for God like I want them to.
Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Last week Steve and I went to Cancun to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (a month late).
In this one week in Cancun, I faced several of my fears.
Leaving the country
fear I won't get back in (have you seen Locked Up Abroad?)
different foods as I have an iffy stomach a lot of the time
exchange rates
no diet coke (really happened, Mexico has Coca Cola Light, not the same thing)
Zip lining
Parasailing
ATV's through the jungle
Waverunners on the ocean
holding a parrot (I didn't know I was afraid of parrots, but yep, birds, check)
Wednesday evening eating dinner I had a revelation. I was scared of everything. EVERYTHING!
I had a death grip on the handle bars of the ATV. The harness of the superman zip line. The harness of the bungee swing. The body in front of me on the waverunner. The seat rail of the parasail. I had fun, but I couldn't let go.
It spoke to me. I want to control everything. I want to see the future. I want both feet on the ground. So I released even more. This may sound small, but I let Steve take a picture of me in my swimsuit in the ocean (yes, I went in) and then I let him put it on facebook. The areas I need to let go of are more important than a zip line or picture in a swimsuit.
I need to surrender some old hurt relationships to Christ, and let go of the hurt.
I need to surrender ALL of my finances to Christ. Not just the first 10% and then additional giving here and there (when I have it), but all. I'll tell a story on myself I'm not proud of. I got a bonus here a while back. Steve got a bonus from the gym. My 10% was almost triple what a normal week would've been. I struggled writing that big check. Steve was running the camera, so I couldn't have him make me do it, because he would've with no trouble. I had to do it. I wrote the big check, then I wrote a smaller regular check. Then I felt so guilty and untrusting and wretched that I got the big check out and asked forgiveness as I dropped it in the offering.
I need to surrender the fear of losing my dad. In the last two months he has had surgery for colon cancer and quintuple bypass. He survived, and we know it's only because God wasn't ready to take him yet.
I need to surrender the fear of my kids not living for God like I want them to.
Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
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