How many times have we prayed 'Thy will be done'? I don't think I could count how many times I've said it. I've said it in church when reciting the "Lord's prayer" and probably prayed it many a time (just not those exact words).
We say it... but how much do we really mean it? I've realized that whenever I pray that God's will be done, I tend to assume that His will is going to match up with what I'm asking for. We have gotten this idea in our heads that when we ask the Lord for something, it will be given to us. Before I move on, I will say that yes, I know the verse in the bible that speaks of asking and we shall receive... but do we really know if what we are asking for is good?
Often times we commit things to prayer and we really expect a 'yes' in reply. We aren't ready for a 'no' and we certainly have a hard time accepting it when it's been given to us.
I remember, when I was much younger, I would ask my mom for something and, when she said no, I would simply go and ask Dad. Sometimes he would say yes (not knowing that mom had already said no).
Or, if they answered no, I would still go ahead and do said thing (or have said thing) and then later pretend that, "oh, I didn't hear you say that".....
Ok, enough about my childhood confessions.. hah! Seriously, though, I just recently realized that I do this to God... a lot. If He gives me an answer I don't like, I tend to pray about it several more times 'just to be sure'.
When I pray for God to give me a yes to buy that equipment, or write this book, or publish this story, or allow me to get married, I always have this little sub-conscience thought in the back of my mind.
He'll bring it to pass.
Why do I assume that? I'm not God. I don't know what God has willed for my life. I don't know if it includes getting married, raising a family, publishing hundreds of books, or getting fancy equipment to do recording and filming. I don't. But I assume that it will happen. I assume because it is what I desire and somehow I've allowed myself to think that if I pray for it hard and long enough, it will actually happen. The reality is, however, that God's will is perfect. Mine is not.
Now, it sounds great to say, "Oh, wow. I didn't realize I was doing that. No problem. Won't make the same mistake twice!"... nope.
It. Is. So. Hard.
It isn't easy to change! It isn't easy to realize when you're in the wrong. It isn't easy to confess and ask God's forgiveness for putting Him in a box and thinking I could make Him give me what I want. Nope. Not easy. In fact, I'm still working on getting over it. When we've formed a habit, it's difficult to 'un-form' it...
Now, here is a funny thing about God's perfect timing... We have recently been doing a bible study of sorts with 3 other families called "The Truth Project". Don't know if any of y'all have heard of it, but we are really enjoying it. The funny thing is that we got this study several years ago and never actually started it... yet, I realized that I'm not sure I really would have gotten a whole lot out of the study if we had done it back then. "Back then" I didn't really pay attention to bible studies, sermons, etc because I honestly wasn't really concerned about my personal growth. I really didn't like the idea of giving up everything to God. I really didn't. So, I didn't. I went to church with my family and all that, but usually I let my mind wander to other things. During Bible study before school, I honestly couldn't wait for it to end. I hated having to sit and listen to other's talk about the Bible. I really didn't care. It sounds terrible, I know, but I find it amazing to see how God works. I have gotten SO much out of The Truth Project (and we've only done 3 sessions so far!).
So, random bit there, but I thought it sort of applied. =)
Back on track again, I have made it another goal of mine to not assume with the Lord. I know there will be MANY times that I fail... but, as a wise person once told me, "'Failed' is just another word for "I have learned my lesson and now know how to do it differently'." Amen?
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Friday, December 30, 2011
Persecuted....really?
I don't know how many times I have heard a Christian complaining about how persecuted we have become in America. The other day I was thinking this over and started looking at the things that we feel we are persecuted over.
1. The fact that we can't say a prayer in public school without getting in trouble, or praying in a public place and getting weird looks
2. The fact that Hollywood puts inappropriate things in movies
3. The fact that when checking out at Walmart, one must make sure to keep their focus straight ahead and not look at the magazine rack.
4. The fact that SOMETIMES we get made fun of for our faith. (like people making fun of our modest clothing, the fact that we aren't into the latest music, or how large our family is...)
5. The fact that our faith can sometimes make situations awkward.
Yeah, that's about all I can come up with right now. Seriously?
I think that we really over exagerate when we talk about being persecuted. Honestly, we have tons of religious freedom compared to other countries.
In a video I saw, a guy tells his viewers, "It's clearly an inconvenience, but ah, nothing more...." When we talk about being persecuted, we really mean that we have an inconvenience to deal with. Having to close your eyes during scenes in a movie or watch where you eyes wander in the store or getting odd looks because you dress modestly does NOT mean you are being persecuted. It is seriously an inconvenience and that's it. Nothing more.
My sister got a neat book for Christmas called "The Narrow Road: Stories of Those Who Walk This Road Together" by Brother Andrew. It's basically about Andrew's life as he served the Lord.
The Forward is written by one of the guys in the Jars of Clay group. Here is just a section of what he wrote that I want to share.
"In the Spring of 2000 I read an article about reliegious persecution in the Sudan. Many more articles followed, along with some television reports, research, and a divinely appointed meeting with an activist named Steve Haas, the U.S. director of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
It became very clear to me that sleeping behind church walls would not satisfy a God who hates injustice. I had seen the pictures of toture victims.I had read the reports of women and children sold into slavery. I had been confronted with the tales of murder, rape, and starvation. But all I knew were stories that seemed to fill that morbid curiousity that draws us to car wrecks and real-life TV shows. These people were not real to me. They were not brothers and sisters.
I needed to know these people. I needed to hear them tell their stories. I wanted to see how God met them. It was this need that drove me and Jars of Clay to China and Vietnam to meet and pray with leaders of the underground church.
We were never the same.
We cried with these people. We rejoiced with them. We laughed with them. They laughed a lot- more than we thought possible, given their lives of suffering. But it was in their struggles that they found great joy. They are truly a suffering people, blessed by God."
That is just a small excerpt of the intro, but what a profound section it is! The Christian Church in other countries is truly going through persecution.
Imagine living with a daily/nightly fear that at any moment, the police could come bursting through your door to drag you all into jail because of your beliefs. Imagine, as a young woman, the fear of walking the streets because someone might rape you simply because you believe in Jesus. Or, the never dying knowledge that you could be killed for it... or worse.
THAT is what persecution is. What we are "going through" (if I can even title it as such) is NOTHING compared to what they live with daily. I mean, they have to meet in SECRET to even worship the Lord together. At least we get the chance to dress up, stand out from the crowd, and worship as we please.
Sure, maybe America will come to the point where we, as Christian, are being persecuted, but right now we are far from it.... and yet, look at the way we deal with it. We are grumpy, upset, frustrated, etc. Yet those people in the Underground church are worshipping with JOY! They are joyful in the Lord, and they are being persecuted. We are inconvenienced, and we are grumpy and frustrated.
Persecution in America? No. It is clearly an inconvenience but nothing more. I think that if we spent more time focusing on serving the Lord instead of worrying about all those menial things, then maybe we, too, will learn how to turn these "inconveniences" into an opportunity to be truly joyful.
I really can't stress how much it has suddenly frustrated me that the Church here in America can't act better. Now that is annoying.
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
1. The fact that we can't say a prayer in public school without getting in trouble, or praying in a public place and getting weird looks
2. The fact that Hollywood puts inappropriate things in movies
3. The fact that when checking out at Walmart, one must make sure to keep their focus straight ahead and not look at the magazine rack.
4. The fact that SOMETIMES we get made fun of for our faith. (like people making fun of our modest clothing, the fact that we aren't into the latest music, or how large our family is...)
5. The fact that our faith can sometimes make situations awkward.
Yeah, that's about all I can come up with right now. Seriously?
I think that we really over exagerate when we talk about being persecuted. Honestly, we have tons of religious freedom compared to other countries.
In a video I saw, a guy tells his viewers, "It's clearly an inconvenience, but ah, nothing more...." When we talk about being persecuted, we really mean that we have an inconvenience to deal with. Having to close your eyes during scenes in a movie or watch where you eyes wander in the store or getting odd looks because you dress modestly does NOT mean you are being persecuted. It is seriously an inconvenience and that's it. Nothing more.
My sister got a neat book for Christmas called "The Narrow Road: Stories of Those Who Walk This Road Together" by Brother Andrew. It's basically about Andrew's life as he served the Lord.
The Forward is written by one of the guys in the Jars of Clay group. Here is just a section of what he wrote that I want to share.
"In the Spring of 2000 I read an article about reliegious persecution in the Sudan. Many more articles followed, along with some television reports, research, and a divinely appointed meeting with an activist named Steve Haas, the U.S. director of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
It became very clear to me that sleeping behind church walls would not satisfy a God who hates injustice. I had seen the pictures of toture victims.I had read the reports of women and children sold into slavery. I had been confronted with the tales of murder, rape, and starvation. But all I knew were stories that seemed to fill that morbid curiousity that draws us to car wrecks and real-life TV shows. These people were not real to me. They were not brothers and sisters.
I needed to know these people. I needed to hear them tell their stories. I wanted to see how God met them. It was this need that drove me and Jars of Clay to China and Vietnam to meet and pray with leaders of the underground church.
We were never the same.
We cried with these people. We rejoiced with them. We laughed with them. They laughed a lot- more than we thought possible, given their lives of suffering. But it was in their struggles that they found great joy. They are truly a suffering people, blessed by God."
That is just a small excerpt of the intro, but what a profound section it is! The Christian Church in other countries is truly going through persecution.
Imagine living with a daily/nightly fear that at any moment, the police could come bursting through your door to drag you all into jail because of your beliefs. Imagine, as a young woman, the fear of walking the streets because someone might rape you simply because you believe in Jesus. Or, the never dying knowledge that you could be killed for it... or worse.
THAT is what persecution is. What we are "going through" (if I can even title it as such) is NOTHING compared to what they live with daily. I mean, they have to meet in SECRET to even worship the Lord together. At least we get the chance to dress up, stand out from the crowd, and worship as we please.
Sure, maybe America will come to the point where we, as Christian, are being persecuted, but right now we are far from it.... and yet, look at the way we deal with it. We are grumpy, upset, frustrated, etc. Yet those people in the Underground church are worshipping with JOY! They are joyful in the Lord, and they are being persecuted. We are inconvenienced, and we are grumpy and frustrated.
Persecution in America? No. It is clearly an inconvenience but nothing more. I think that if we spent more time focusing on serving the Lord instead of worrying about all those menial things, then maybe we, too, will learn how to turn these "inconveniences" into an opportunity to be truly joyful.
I really can't stress how much it has suddenly frustrated me that the Church here in America can't act better. Now that is annoying.
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
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