I am currently leading Beth Moore’s The Patriarchs on Wednesday evenings at my church. In week one, Moore emphasized Abraham’s being set apart, both as being chosen by God and by his isolating himself from the wicked cities of the valley. In class, we briefly discussed what it means for Christians to be set apart. Following are a few of the verses we discussed.
I Peter 1:15-16
…but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
I John 3:9-10
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodes a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Scripture makes it clear that there is a standard of conduct for believers that differentiates us from nonbelievers. However, since our class discussion, I have been thinking about other ideas related to being set apart that are important to understand as well.
I. Provenance
The first thing we must understand about the initial act of our being set apart, i.e. our salvation, is that God does it. Just as God chose Abraham to initiate his plan of redemption, God chooses us for His kingdom (Ephesians 1:4). One who is dead in his trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and who is an enemy of God (Romans 5:10) cannot set himself apart. Colossians 1:13 says, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son…” God rescued us, and God transferred us.
II. Process
The term we use for being made like Christ is "sanctification." The original Greek word is "hagiasmos," which means consecration or purification. It is encouraging to know that scripture often refers to us as already having been sanctified (I Corinthians 1:2, I Corinthians 6:11, Hebrews 10:11). Hebrews 10:14 makes it clear that our having been sanctified was completed in Christ.
However, anyone attempting to live the Christian life can attest to the fact that being conformed to the image of Christ in His purity is a process. I Thessalonians 4:3 says, “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” And Philippians 1:6 supports this as well, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Just as a sinful human being cannot initiate setting himself apart, neither can he make himself like Christ through the process of sanctification. He began the good work, and He will carry it to completion (Philippians 1:6. NIV). This does not mean we are passive in the process. We can choose not to cooperate. Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” We must determine to walk by the Spirit.
A couple of years ago, when my small group was studying Galatians, I began praying that God would show me how and enable me to walk by the Spirit. I have since concluded that this something at which I will never “arrive.” Learning what the Bible says about how I am to live and think and allowing the Holy Spirit to bring it to my mind and to direct my actions is something to which I must continually submit. I expect to see progress in my willingness to submit and in the mortification of sin in my life, but I will only be completely holy when I am no longer encumbered by my sinful flesh.
III. Purpose
Holiness is not an end unto itself. As those who claim the name of Christ we most definitely want to reflect His character and to bring honor to His name. However, we are also sanctified to be useful to the Master and to complete the good works that He has prepared beforehand for us to do. II Timothy 2: 21 says, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” And Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
The concept of being set apart is rarely taught in churches today, as evidenced by the number of so-called Christians whose lives are not substantively different from the rest of the world. I encourage you to make pursuing holiness a priority in your life. If you have not read the book, The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, I highly recommend it.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Temporary Alternate Reality, UPDATED
Did you see the film, The Family Man? Nicolas Cage stars as a New York investment broker who is given the opportunity to see what his life would be like if he had chosen to prioritize marriage and family over his career. He gets to temporarily experience an alternate reality in the suburbs, and he discovers that it is what he REALLY wants.
I need my own temporary alternate reality right now. I’m sure it would be helpful for me to spend a few days back in Atlanta living the life of a career woman as if I had never left. How high up the corporate ladder would I have climbed? Where would I live? Who would my friends be? What would I be doing socially and for entertainment? How would I really feel about the evenings and weekends at my disposal to do whatever I wanted? How much money would I be making???
I can imagine loving my job, going for runs along the Chattahoochee River after work, living within ten minutes of Barnes and Noble, eating at interesting restaurants, watching movies with subtitles (in the theater), having leisurely evenings at home to read or to watch videos or go to bed early. These things are easy for me to imagine because this is what my life was like before marriage and children and life in the boondocks. However, to provide no additional information would be misleading. Because regardless of how “good” my life was back then, what I wanted most was to be married and to have a family. In fact, this desire is what God used to draw me to Himself.
Those of you home schooling half a dozen children will find it hard to understand, but this stay-at-home mom thing is the hardest thing I’ve EVER done. It’s harder than graduate-level quantitative analysis. (Back in the day, I did my linear programming WITHOUT a computer.) It’s harder than being a teenager whose parents won't let her go to the prom. It’s harder than marriage. Going to work every day and dealing with incompetents and office politics is a cake walk compared to this. And if one more person tells me that it’s only going to get harder, I’m going to do something drastic—like eat a whole quart of Blue Bell Banana Pudding ice cream.
There is only one explanation as to how I got myself into this situation. It is not a choice that I could have made on my own “in the flesh,” as we say in Christian-speak. Only Christ in me working through the Holy Spirit could have motivated me to choose a life of self-denial and hard work. Philippians 1:6 says, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. God began a good work in me by saving my soul, and he is perfecting me through my being out of my element and through life being hard for me.
I never GOT I Timothy 2:15 until I was well into motherhood: But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. The Greek word for "preserved" is “sozo,” and Strong’s defines it as follows:
1) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction
a) one (from injury or peril)
1) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health
1) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue
b) to save in the technical biblical sense
1) negatively
a) to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment
b) to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance
What I get from this verse and from an understanding of the meaning of “preserved,” is that in becoming a mother, I was rescued from myself. I am confident that my experiencing a temporary alternate reality would not only demonstrate all of the temporal things that I long for on a bad day, but it would also demonstrate a lack of the eternal things I have gained through my present life. I was rescued from a life of purposelessness and delivered into a life of eternal possibility (Colossians 1:13).
I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 3: 13-14
Addendum:
I don't feel the need to defend myself against the negtive personal attack I recieved on this post. However, it occurred to me that perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough on something, which resulted in inadequate glory being given to God.
Prior to my marriage I was completely career-oriented. I have an M.B.A. with an emphasis in corporate finance, for goodness sake! I had absolutely NO intention of being a stay-at-home mother. I intended that my income should be adquate to provide for in-home child care or a nanny, if possible. What I am doing now is completely against my goal-oriented, ambitious nature. And the credit for that goes to God. He changed my heart, and He changed my life, and I am thankful.
I need my own temporary alternate reality right now. I’m sure it would be helpful for me to spend a few days back in Atlanta living the life of a career woman as if I had never left. How high up the corporate ladder would I have climbed? Where would I live? Who would my friends be? What would I be doing socially and for entertainment? How would I really feel about the evenings and weekends at my disposal to do whatever I wanted? How much money would I be making???
I can imagine loving my job, going for runs along the Chattahoochee River after work, living within ten minutes of Barnes and Noble, eating at interesting restaurants, watching movies with subtitles (in the theater), having leisurely evenings at home to read or to watch videos or go to bed early. These things are easy for me to imagine because this is what my life was like before marriage and children and life in the boondocks. However, to provide no additional information would be misleading. Because regardless of how “good” my life was back then, what I wanted most was to be married and to have a family. In fact, this desire is what God used to draw me to Himself.
Those of you home schooling half a dozen children will find it hard to understand, but this stay-at-home mom thing is the hardest thing I’ve EVER done. It’s harder than graduate-level quantitative analysis. (Back in the day, I did my linear programming WITHOUT a computer.) It’s harder than being a teenager whose parents won't let her go to the prom. It’s harder than marriage. Going to work every day and dealing with incompetents and office politics is a cake walk compared to this. And if one more person tells me that it’s only going to get harder, I’m going to do something drastic—like eat a whole quart of Blue Bell Banana Pudding ice cream.
There is only one explanation as to how I got myself into this situation. It is not a choice that I could have made on my own “in the flesh,” as we say in Christian-speak. Only Christ in me working through the Holy Spirit could have motivated me to choose a life of self-denial and hard work. Philippians 1:6 says, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. God began a good work in me by saving my soul, and he is perfecting me through my being out of my element and through life being hard for me.
I never GOT I Timothy 2:15 until I was well into motherhood: But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. The Greek word for "preserved" is “sozo,” and Strong’s defines it as follows:
1) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction
a) one (from injury or peril)
1) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health
1) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue
b) to save in the technical biblical sense
1) negatively
a) to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment
b) to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance
What I get from this verse and from an understanding of the meaning of “preserved,” is that in becoming a mother, I was rescued from myself. I am confident that my experiencing a temporary alternate reality would not only demonstrate all of the temporal things that I long for on a bad day, but it would also demonstrate a lack of the eternal things I have gained through my present life. I was rescued from a life of purposelessness and delivered into a life of eternal possibility (Colossians 1:13).
I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 3: 13-14
Addendum:
I don't feel the need to defend myself against the negtive personal attack I recieved on this post. However, it occurred to me that perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough on something, which resulted in inadequate glory being given to God.
Prior to my marriage I was completely career-oriented. I have an M.B.A. with an emphasis in corporate finance, for goodness sake! I had absolutely NO intention of being a stay-at-home mother. I intended that my income should be adquate to provide for in-home child care or a nanny, if possible. What I am doing now is completely against my goal-oriented, ambitious nature. And the credit for that goes to God. He changed my heart, and He changed my life, and I am thankful.
The Overriding Purpose of the Woodshed
This is my final post on my recent woodshed experience. I appear to have emerged. For a week or so, I wasn’t sure.
On August 4, as I was reading My Utmost for His Highest, God communicated to me through the following passage the overriding purpose of my recent time in the woodshed:
It is not a question of our equipment but of our poverty, not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a question of natural virtues of strength of character, knowledge, and experience—all that is of no avail in this matter.
In addition to the particular lessons I learned, the ultimate purpose of the woodshed was to make me absolutely certain of my own poverty as I begin a new semester leading a women’s Bible study at my church. It could be easy for me to lapse into confidence in my flesh. In the spirit of Philippians 3... I was a very successful member of my university’s debate team; I have taught college and university courses in economics and finance; I have additional experience with public speaking through past work experience; and I have much better than average knowledge of scripture, theology, and doctrine. However, I also KNOW that I am consumed with sin and selfishness, and that I am completely incapable of accomplishing anything for God’s kingdom except that which He chooses to accomplish through Christ in me. The woodshed simply reminded me of how bad I really am and how much I need Him, thereby providing the necessary humility for me to be effectively used during the coming weeks of the study.
Based upon my experience leading a study last semester, I KNOW that any good that came out of what I did was because Christ was working in me through the Holy Spirit. I was constantly claiming 2 Corinthians 12:9: My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. And God was faithful to demonstrate His power through an empty vessel. We cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit if we are full of ourselves. The woodshed ensured that I would not be full of myself.
On August 4, as I was reading My Utmost for His Highest, God communicated to me through the following passage the overriding purpose of my recent time in the woodshed:
It is not a question of our equipment but of our poverty, not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a question of natural virtues of strength of character, knowledge, and experience—all that is of no avail in this matter.
In addition to the particular lessons I learned, the ultimate purpose of the woodshed was to make me absolutely certain of my own poverty as I begin a new semester leading a women’s Bible study at my church. It could be easy for me to lapse into confidence in my flesh. In the spirit of Philippians 3... I was a very successful member of my university’s debate team; I have taught college and university courses in economics and finance; I have additional experience with public speaking through past work experience; and I have much better than average knowledge of scripture, theology, and doctrine. However, I also KNOW that I am consumed with sin and selfishness, and that I am completely incapable of accomplishing anything for God’s kingdom except that which He chooses to accomplish through Christ in me. The woodshed simply reminded me of how bad I really am and how much I need Him, thereby providing the necessary humility for me to be effectively used during the coming weeks of the study.
Based upon my experience leading a study last semester, I KNOW that any good that came out of what I did was because Christ was working in me through the Holy Spirit. I was constantly claiming 2 Corinthians 12:9: My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. And God was faithful to demonstrate His power through an empty vessel. We cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit if we are full of ourselves. The woodshed ensured that I would not be full of myself.
Lessons from the Woodshed—Prayerlessness
Looking back on my recent time in the woodshed, the whipping reached a crescendo during the message by Priscilla Shirer at the Precept National Women’s Convention. Shirer’s message was on prayer, and her text was Matthew 6:6: But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Shirer began her message discussing the power of prayer and the general need for prayer. Then it got personal. Here’s what I wrote in my notes: If you’re not praying, it’s an issue of what you love the most. You do what you love. You must understand prayer is NECESSARY for your life. Prayerlessness is the first sign of pride. = Not depending on God.
Shirer provided an excellent illustration from her life. For a number of weeks in a row, she had to go to her doctor's office for blood work. There was a gated parking area that required payment of a $3 fee to enter the lot. Around the third week, as Shirer pulled into the parking area, she looked in her review mirror and saw a McDonald’s across the street. Tired of paying the $3 fee, she backed out, drove across the street, and parked her car behind McDonald’s. When she returned to the McDonald’s parking lot after her appointment, her car was gone. It had been towed. Her telling of the story was much funnier and more entertaining than I can make it here, but as you probably have anticipated by now, it cost her more than $150 to get her car back, when she could have paid a mere $3 to park.
Shier’s point was that in making prayer a priority, it may cost you a little now, but it will cost you a whole lot more if you don’t make it a priority. To write an “ouch” here would be a gross understatement. Shirer’s entire message on prayer was excellent, but this portion of it brought a flood of conviction upon me. At the end of the message, I was very thankful that I had let my hair grow out because as my bent my head over and repented and wept, my mane provided a measure of privacy that I would not have had a year ago. (It’s strange, the things you think of in times of distress.)
I have written about prayer here before, and I have been praying for some time that God would teach me to pray and make me a woman of prayer. It’s not that I don’t pray, but I haven’t loved prayer the way I love studying the Bible. I haven’t looked forward to praying. I haven’t searched out time to spend with God listening to Him. I haven’t seized opportunities to pray such as when I lay down with my daughter to get her to sleep at night or when I’m alone in my car. I have prayed, but prayer has not been a priority.
Later that evening, as I was talking to my friend about the conviction brought on by Shirer’s message, I told her that in essence *I* had paid the $150 towing/impounding fee when I could have just paid the $3 parking fee. She encouraged me by telling me to be thankful for learning the lesson now rather than later.
Indeed I am thankful for this particular lesson from the woodshed. And I am thankful that God is full of grace and mercy and that His actions are not contingent on my prayers, but, rather, He ordains my prayers to accomplish and to allow me to participate in His purposes. To Him be the glory.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Sympathizing with My Sin
Never sympathize with the thing that is stabbing God all the time. God has to hurt the thing that must go.
My Utmost for His Highest, August 13
In my reading this passage today, God showed me that I have been sympathizing with a struggle that I have had for many months. I looked up the word "sympathize" at Dictionary.com and this definition stood out: "be understanding of."
I have prayed. I have confessed. I have repented. I have fasted. I have done everything but mortify the struggle completely because I have been understanding of it. In being understanding of it, I have analyzed how it came to be and why; I have tried to determine how God is using it in my life; and I have come to view it as a cross that I must die to daily. BUT I have not been entirely willing to kill or mortify it. This is something I can only see in retrospect.
I have been stabbing God with it, and it must go.
My Utmost for His Highest, August 13
In my reading this passage today, God showed me that I have been sympathizing with a struggle that I have had for many months. I looked up the word "sympathize" at Dictionary.com and this definition stood out: "be understanding of."
I have prayed. I have confessed. I have repented. I have fasted. I have done everything but mortify the struggle completely because I have been understanding of it. In being understanding of it, I have analyzed how it came to be and why; I have tried to determine how God is using it in my life; and I have come to view it as a cross that I must die to daily. BUT I have not been entirely willing to kill or mortify it. This is something I can only see in retrospect.
I have been stabbing God with it, and it must go.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Learning to Walk (Another Lesson from the Woodshed)
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
More than two years ago, my small group studied Galatians and Ephesians. Since that time, I have been praying that God would show me how and enable me to walk by the Spirit so that I would not carry out the desire of the flesh. When I first began praying this prayer, I didn’t really know what it meant to walk by the Spirit. Up to this point I had incorrectly assumed that if I were filled with the Spirit I would have a supernatural ability not to sin, and I couldn’t figure out how to tap into that power. Through our discussions in my small group, our leader helped us to understand that fundamentally, walking by the Spirit was simply choosing to be obedient to the will of God in everything we do. Power would follow obedience.
While I was in the woodshed, I was reflecting on what God had been teaching me about submission during the previous two weeks, and I was prompted to turn to Ephesians 5:15-21…
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
As I was reading through these verses God showed me that during the time I had been praying for direction in walking in the Spirit, He had been teaching me a series of lessons consistent with this passage.
Lesson 1: Make the most of your time.
Do not waste your time on fruitless activities that are of no eternal significance, and make sure your priorities are consistent with God’s priorities.
Lesson 2: Understand what the will of the Lord is.
The only way to know the will of God is to know His word, the Bible.
Lesson 3: Be filled with the Spirit.
Daily ask God to fill you with His Spirit and to enable you to walk by the Spirit so that you do not carry out the desires of the flesh. Then obey God’s word and submit to the Spirit’s direction.
Lesson 4: Always give thanks.
Pray that God would give you a thankful heart, and look for things to be thankful for in every situation.
Lesson 5: Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Philippians 2:3-4 says it best: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
I was excited when I realized what God had been teaching me. My only question was, “Why did it have to take so long?!” For more than two years, God has been showing me how to walk by the Spirit. Now my prayer is that He would enable me to DO it consistently.
The next lesson from the woodshed will be on prayerlessness.
Galatians 5:16
More than two years ago, my small group studied Galatians and Ephesians. Since that time, I have been praying that God would show me how and enable me to walk by the Spirit so that I would not carry out the desire of the flesh. When I first began praying this prayer, I didn’t really know what it meant to walk by the Spirit. Up to this point I had incorrectly assumed that if I were filled with the Spirit I would have a supernatural ability not to sin, and I couldn’t figure out how to tap into that power. Through our discussions in my small group, our leader helped us to understand that fundamentally, walking by the Spirit was simply choosing to be obedient to the will of God in everything we do. Power would follow obedience.
While I was in the woodshed, I was reflecting on what God had been teaching me about submission during the previous two weeks, and I was prompted to turn to Ephesians 5:15-21…
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
As I was reading through these verses God showed me that during the time I had been praying for direction in walking in the Spirit, He had been teaching me a series of lessons consistent with this passage.
Lesson 1: Make the most of your time.
Do not waste your time on fruitless activities that are of no eternal significance, and make sure your priorities are consistent with God’s priorities.
Lesson 2: Understand what the will of the Lord is.
The only way to know the will of God is to know His word, the Bible.
Lesson 3: Be filled with the Spirit.
Daily ask God to fill you with His Spirit and to enable you to walk by the Spirit so that you do not carry out the desires of the flesh. Then obey God’s word and submit to the Spirit’s direction.
Lesson 4: Always give thanks.
Pray that God would give you a thankful heart, and look for things to be thankful for in every situation.
Lesson 5: Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Philippians 2:3-4 says it best: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
I was excited when I realized what God had been teaching me. My only question was, “Why did it have to take so long?!” For more than two years, God has been showing me how to walk by the Spirit. Now my prayer is that He would enable me to DO it consistently.
The next lesson from the woodshed will be on prayerlessness.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Lessons from the Woodshed—Idolatry
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 6:1
Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
I Corinthians 10:31
My pastor refers to being in the place of receiving discipline from God as being taken to the woodshed. Culminating with the NWC last weekend, I was in the woodshed for more than two weeks, and I took quite a whipping.
Generally speaking, God showed me the extent of my problem with submission. I had no idea it was THAT BAD. Please understand, I am not one of those people who is deluded. “My sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3), and I usually take exhortation well because there ain’t nothin you can tell me about myself that I don’t already know. However, three weeks ago today, a dear friend sent me to the woodshed on God’s behalf, and if I have indeed emerged, I am now in what will probably be a long period of recovery.
Prior to entering the woodshed, I had been convicted about the place of Logoscentric in my life. I would have days where I spent a reasonable amount of time on the computer, and I would have days wherein many hours were spent reading and writing and tweaking and linking. In the woodshed, God provided the clarity that only the woodshed can provide: Logoscentric had become an idol.
Not only had my blog become an idol in my priorities, but I had become preoccupied with increasing readers and pleasing my “audience” rather than doing the thing for God’s glory. It’s not to God’s glory to write some insignificant blog post at the expense of one’s husband and children.
So in the woodshed, when I came face to face with my pride, my misplaced priorities, and the futility of my pursuits, I did what anyone truly desiring to please God would do, I offered to give Logoscentric up. COMPLETELY. “Lord, I will click on the delete button, if that is what you want me to do. Just say the word.”
Some of you may be thinking, Katy, how can you know if God is telling you to delete your blog? How do you know you’re not just talking to yourself, or that it’s not Satan wanting you to give it up? Believe me, once you’ve been in “sold out” mode long enough, you’ll know when God is communicating to you. He is not subtle.
So far the word has not been to give up Logoscentric (no pun intended), but to prioritize it appropriately. I also have been impressed with the need to be more intentional with what I am doing here, but I haven’t determined any specific direction yet. I would love feedback from you as God directs you to give it.
More lessons from the woodshed are to come.
Matthew 6:1
Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
I Corinthians 10:31
My pastor refers to being in the place of receiving discipline from God as being taken to the woodshed. Culminating with the NWC last weekend, I was in the woodshed for more than two weeks, and I took quite a whipping.
Generally speaking, God showed me the extent of my problem with submission. I had no idea it was THAT BAD. Please understand, I am not one of those people who is deluded. “My sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3), and I usually take exhortation well because there ain’t nothin you can tell me about myself that I don’t already know. However, three weeks ago today, a dear friend sent me to the woodshed on God’s behalf, and if I have indeed emerged, I am now in what will probably be a long period of recovery.
Prior to entering the woodshed, I had been convicted about the place of Logoscentric in my life. I would have days where I spent a reasonable amount of time on the computer, and I would have days wherein many hours were spent reading and writing and tweaking and linking. In the woodshed, God provided the clarity that only the woodshed can provide: Logoscentric had become an idol.
Not only had my blog become an idol in my priorities, but I had become preoccupied with increasing readers and pleasing my “audience” rather than doing the thing for God’s glory. It’s not to God’s glory to write some insignificant blog post at the expense of one’s husband and children.
So in the woodshed, when I came face to face with my pride, my misplaced priorities, and the futility of my pursuits, I did what anyone truly desiring to please God would do, I offered to give Logoscentric up. COMPLETELY. “Lord, I will click on the delete button, if that is what you want me to do. Just say the word.”
Some of you may be thinking, Katy, how can you know if God is telling you to delete your blog? How do you know you’re not just talking to yourself, or that it’s not Satan wanting you to give it up? Believe me, once you’ve been in “sold out” mode long enough, you’ll know when God is communicating to you. He is not subtle.
So far the word has not been to give up Logoscentric (no pun intended), but to prioritize it appropriately. I also have been impressed with the need to be more intentional with what I am doing here, but I haven’t determined any specific direction yet. I would love feedback from you as God directs you to give it.
More lessons from the woodshed are to come.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Home Again
I'm posting right now by sheer willpower. I'm EXHAUSTED. I got home Sunday evening around 10:00, and my DSL was back up and running on Monday morning, but between hitting the ground running yesterday and being so tired today, I just haven't been able to bring myself to post until now. I'm hoping to catch up on my rest in the next couple of days because school starts on Friday. No sleeping until 8:00 then!
The NWC was excellent. I was convicted, exhorted, encouraged, and motivated. My prayer is that it won't be yet another temporary mountaintop experience, but that I would be truly changed as a result of what God taught me. In future posts I plan to share some of the things I learned.
I must say that Kay Arthur rocks. One of the speakers made a theologically/doctrinally unsound statement on the first day, and Kay dealt with it with great spirit and authority in her closing message. I may not agree with her eschatology, and I doubt she describes herself as Reformed, but she sure knows what the Bible says about unconditional election!
I spent a good bit of time in the bookstore, but I didn't buy much. There just wasn't much that interested me. Ten years ago I would have needed an additional suitcase for books, but at this phase in my walk, I'm primarly interested in simply studying the Bible or reading the classics—old and new.
Speaking of which, one of my purchases was Out of the Salt Shaker and into the World by Rebecca Manley Pippert. She was one of the speakers, and I really liked her. She is erudite and down to earth. I had her sign my book, and I asked her about her doctrinal leanings. I was correct in my guess that we are like-minded. It was interesting to me that her book table did not draw nearly the crowd the others did. Her books primarily focus on evangelism, and she has been endorsed by the likes of Charles Colson and J.I. Packer. I'm really tempted to begin a rant here, but I'll trust the Holy Spirit to teach others, as He did me, that studying the Word itself will enable women to deal with their problems and challenges—as an endless stream of "Christian self-help" books cannot do.
Now she's back.
The NWC was excellent. I was convicted, exhorted, encouraged, and motivated. My prayer is that it won't be yet another temporary mountaintop experience, but that I would be truly changed as a result of what God taught me. In future posts I plan to share some of the things I learned.
I must say that Kay Arthur rocks. One of the speakers made a theologically/doctrinally unsound statement on the first day, and Kay dealt with it with great spirit and authority in her closing message. I may not agree with her eschatology, and I doubt she describes herself as Reformed, but she sure knows what the Bible says about unconditional election!
I spent a good bit of time in the bookstore, but I didn't buy much. There just wasn't much that interested me. Ten years ago I would have needed an additional suitcase for books, but at this phase in my walk, I'm primarly interested in simply studying the Bible or reading the classics—old and new.
Speaking of which, one of my purchases was Out of the Salt Shaker and into the World by Rebecca Manley Pippert. She was one of the speakers, and I really liked her. She is erudite and down to earth. I had her sign my book, and I asked her about her doctrinal leanings. I was correct in my guess that we are like-minded. It was interesting to me that her book table did not draw nearly the crowd the others did. Her books primarily focus on evangelism, and she has been endorsed by the likes of Charles Colson and J.I. Packer. I'm really tempted to begin a rant here, but I'll trust the Holy Spirit to teach others, as He did me, that studying the Word itself will enable women to deal with their problems and challenges—as an endless stream of "Christian self-help" books cannot do.
Now she's back.
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