Embrace Your Powerlessness

None of us like the idea of being powerless. It’s a difficult thing to accept because we’re told throughout our lives that we are masters of our own destiny. We’re told we must be in control. And so we try to control our lives; we sometimes even try to control other people’s lives. We take on the world with the conviction that we have the power to at least control our corner of it. But in truth we don’t and we can’t.

No matter what we do we can’t control the weather, we can’t control the passage of time, we can’t choose our family, we can’t pick the gift or abilities we are graced with and we have no idea what’s around the next corner. We are powerless to the drunken driver, the debilitating sickness, the unexpected tragedy.

And so I ask, wouldn’t it be better to hand all control over to the One who does have the power? Wouldn’t it be better to allow God to rule you, rather than your schedules, your jobs, your financial situations? After all, God knows you better than you know yourself and He cares what happens to you. He knows everything. He has already saved your eternal soul, so why not let Him save your life on earth as well? You have nothing to fear when He is in control.

Embrace your powerlessness. Accept it. Revel in it. Praise the Lord for it. Because He is the one with the power and He knows how to use it.

The Beatitudes

This past week of struggling with sickness reminded me of the beatitudes found in Matthew 5:1-11. When I was a new Christian I struggled with these verses. They basically said that those who suffer, mourn and struggle are blessed.

How is it a blessing to feel wretched? How is it a blessing to go hungry, to suffer loss, to be persecuted? How can I rejoice at those times? It sounded like a foolish declaration by a dreamer. Where was the reality?

God is the reality. He changes everything. When we suffer as Christians we cry out to Jesus. He provides for us. He comforts us. Because of Jesus we gain the kingdom of heaven (v3), we inherit the earth (v5), we are shown mercy (v7), we will see God (v8), and be called His children (v9).

It’s not the pain or suffering or struggles that bless us. It’s the fact that those things draw us closer to God. We cling to Him and cry out for relief, forgiveness, healing, and comfort. Our relationship with God is our blessing. When the focus is on God, we are transformed, the weight of our suffering becomes bearable, and we are blessed.

I'd just like to thank eveyone again for the prayers. I'm still not 100% but I can at last say with confidence I'm on the mend.

God of All Comfort

I am quite sick at the moment so I won't be able to post anything coherent for a few days. So, instead I thought I'd post a passage from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5(NIV):

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ⁵For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Many blessings to you all. I'll be back as soon as I can.

In the Light

The picture above is a pigmy pigface that grows around my mailbox. The flowers only bloom in spring and they only open in the light of the day. They close again at night.

We are like these vibrant flowers. We bloom when we turn our faces to God’s light. But we wither in the darkness. His light alone makes us glorious.

Our Lord sustains us. He wraps us in His warmth, His love, His care. He gives us everything we need to grow and blossom into the people we are meant to be.

So, turn your face to our Lord and soak in His goodness and His blessings.

Every Spiritual Blessing

I had a very good friend whose life was less than perfect. We’ll call her Becca. Her language was colourful, her habits questionable, her past mistakes regrettable. I invited her to church one time. She scoffed. She claimed the church was not a place where she belonged. She shuddered, not in distaste, but in fear.

“God will smite me the moment I walk through the doors,” she joked.

Of course, if that were true, then God would have obliterated the human race in holy fire and brimstone a long time ago. Becca didn’t realise she was no more terrible than the rest of us. She was no more unworthy than the holiest of saints. She didn’t know that it’s not about brownie points, punishment or perfection.

None of us deserve God's love.

None of us can earn His forgiveness.

But all of us belong in Him.

When we approach Him and ask for forgiveness for our wanderings, He won’t judge the filth under our nails, He won’t condemn us for the sludge in our darkest corners, He won’t smite us for our past. God will accept us as we are. He doesn’t hold back from us. He doesn’t wait for us to deserve His gifts. He doesn’t keep a tally or a scorecard. He blesses us with EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3).

Our God is an amazing God.

Giving to Refresh

Spring in Australia is a wonderful time. It’s a time to open up the house, give it a good clean and let the air flow. New warmth fills our lives, the clutter disappears and everything seems… happier.

Much the same happens when we give of ourselves. When we throw open the doors to ourselves, when we give with a generous heart, then we allow room for our Lord to not only refresh our minds and souls, but to give us even more blessings.

However, when we hold onto things, they begin to stagnate. We begin to gather dust and cobwebs. We then wonder why we find it so difficult to refresh or refill – there’s no room left!

So, give to others freely. Give to others generously. Give them your time, your patience, your kindness, your prayers, even your financial and material possessions if necessary. The rewards are great.

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Note: For some time now I've struggled to maintain two blogs. I started my writing blog because I wish to pursue a career as a novelist. This career is taking up a lot of time but I don't wish to quit this blog since writing about faith is also a passion. Therefore, I came to the difficult decision to reduce the number of posts here to once a week so I can avoid burnout.

Blessings,
Lyn

One Week Break

I will be taking a week off from this blog.

I'll be back on 20th September.

In the meantime,

Blessings to you all

and may you feel God's presence

in your whole life. 

May you be filled with His love

May you accept His forgiveness.

²⁴To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— ²⁵to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. 

Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)