"Beauty, according to the Christian worldview, is established by God himself, and is inseparable from truth and goodness. Attractiveness is the mere delight of the eyes. In a sinful world, our eyes delight in many wrong things, and many of the most beautiful realities are, to the mere eyes, unattractive."- Albert Mohler
I recently did a study through Proverbs 31:10-31 and learned a great deal about myself…something disgusting.
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”- Proverbs 31:30
Have you ever thought through this verse? Yes, we as women quote it often to ourselves and know that to men this whole passage is what should be sought after in a wife, but have we really used this passage as a mirror for ourselves? Does it really reflect what is in our hearts?
Not in mine.
What great conviction came when I read a “GirlTalk” blog on beauty and they asked these questions: (I urge you to answer these as well, not just in thought actually write it down as if you were truly having to answer these questions)
"Why do you try to make yourself look more beautiful and attractive? What do you hope to gain?”
and
"How has it worked out for you? Has the pursuit of physical beauty helped you achieve all you hoped it would? Explain.”
As I began to answer, heaviness came upon me and I became absolutely disgusted with myself, I was not living out this verse but actually holding beauty as an idol. Here’s what was answered:
"Why do you try to make yourself look more beautiful and attractive? What do you hope to gain?”
Most of the time I try to make my self more attractive and achieve beauty, not because this is most glorifying to God, but rather because of a standard that has been set. Before I was saved I modeled, which is a field that focuses so much on outward appearance you almost begin to lose who you truly are as a person...your looks define you. Putting on make-up and nice clothing becomes almost a putting on of yourself (the opposite of things such as "clothing yourself in humility"). This past life has embedded itself so deep into my mind that it has become so difficult to overcome since salvation, spiritual beauty has not yet come to reign over physical beauty in my heart and it is truly a daily struggle. I had someone say to me the other day "What would life be like the day Ashley doesn't receive a complement?" This hit me so hard...because honestly I would see myself as less beautiful and ultimately of lesser worth, this is why I strive for physical beauty...value.
and
"How has it worked out for you? Has the pursuit of physical beauty helped you achieve all you hoped it would? Explain.”
Physical beauty has not helped me achieve much except in a worldly sense, in the past I used it for many evil things, even getting a stranger to pay for my meal and when I find myself now a days trying to gain from physical beauty I am disgusted. From the world's eyes I had gain and achieved great things but in my heart and in the eye's of God all I gain is conviction of my sin. It's easy to flash a smile and bat your eye lashes; but it is beyond difficult to sit reverently at the Lord's feet allowing His view of beauty to become yours.
“Specifically, God's will includes salvation (1 Tim. 2:4); self-sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2); Spirit filling (Eph. 5:18); submission (1Pet. 2:13-15); suffering (1 Pet. 3:17); satisfaction (1 Thess. 5:18); and sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3).”- John MacArthur
When God graciously exposes our sin to us we become humbled, falling at his feet. God’s view of beauty is us following His will, it is not aligned with the world’s view of beauty.
I challenge you to perform a “heart check” in this area, even if you do not see it as being a struggle for you, because I didn’t think it was for me either…
“But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."- 1 Samuel 16:7
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Redeeming the Time
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”- Ephesians 5: 15-16
What I’ve come to realize about myself is that I love books…okay, I love buying books with the idea of reading them. Recently this problem has been getting better, I stay out of the bookstore and have organized all my unread books into categories to read on a monthly basis. But, as time went on and school started up again I thought to myself “I barely have time for personal prayer and bible reading time, let alone books!” Oh boy, was I wrong…
I had gotten a book awhile ago recommended by my pastor’s wife, Shopping for Time written by C.J. Mahaney’s wife and three daughters. I figured since I enjoy C.J.’s writings and sermons his wife and daughters are probably just as good. But to no surprise it sat on the shelf for months. That is until I spoke with a woman about how “busy” I was and feeling as if I had no time for anything, she mentioned the “5 am club.” Is it just me or does that sound like self mutilation? I barely sleep as it is, let alone wake up at some dreaded time! She said just to read the book and that I’d understand, so I did and here is what I gained from it…
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.”- Haggai 1: 2-5
How often we are like these men who claim to have no time for the work of the Lord, claiming we are just too busy for bible study and prayer and when life “settles down” we will start it up again. What foolishness this is to put off what God has commanded us to do, Charles Spurgeon was right in saying:
“If you have not the time, God gave it to you, and you must have misspent it. Nobody has more than twenty-four hours in a day, and you have no less.”
So, let us redeem the time, for we ourselves are redeemed!
How can you redeem the time? Think first of what “time wasters” we can take out of our day; such as TV, Facebook, books that are not geared to edifying your knowledge of God…? Then, take them off your mental list of things to do, plan ahead and finish your priorities before these activities!
Secondly, how can you add more time to your day? By arising earlier! This psalmist had it right when he declared “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” (Psalm 5:3) Remember the “5 am club” I mentioned earlier? Well, this past month I have joined what the “6:30 am club.” Waking up at 6:30 to begin my day had led to a series of amazing mornings! First I wake up, text my accountability partner, pray for the strength to be awake, drag myself to the kitchen for some coffee, then it’s straight to over an of hour of bible study and prayer time. As an extra bonus I get to see my parents before they leave for work. So, by the time I am finished with all these things is about the time I would have normally been waking up! I encourage you to start this as well, you can modify it to your schedule like most of the women I know doing this did, but just start by waking up earlier the amount of time you spend for quite times.
Thirdly, kill procrastination. This by far can be our biggest struggle when dealing with redeeming our time, but Alexander MacLaren makes an excellent statement about this:
“No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.”
By putting off those daunting tasks placed in front of you it becomes the same as the people putting off the building of the Lord’s house because we are told that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23) Replace procrastination with diligence. (See Proverbs 12:24)
“I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.”- Jeremiah 10:23
Your plans are not your own. Please keep this in mind as it is of the most upmost importance to surrender your plans to God’s will. He directs our path and prepares us to walk in it. We usually see these plans as “interruptions,” when in fact they are blessings! In the Mahaney girl’s book we get a nice insight to how their dad (C.J.) views his to-do list in sight of God’s:
“Only God get his to-do list done each day. We are not God. We are finite creatures with serious limitations.”
I began this blog with Ephesians 5:15-16 and would like to end with the verse following afterwards; “therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (v.17)
What is the will of the Lord? You may not know ahead of time that His will for you on a certain day is to not clean the house but to minister to a brother or sister in need or end up with a family emergency; but we can know that the will of the Lord is perfect and will be done over ours! Submitting ourselves to God’s will down to the smallest of tasks is the beginning of redeeming time because only from God do we receive the ability to carry out each and everyday. So, let’s give it back to Him.
“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”- Psalm 118:24
What I’ve come to realize about myself is that I love books…okay, I love buying books with the idea of reading them. Recently this problem has been getting better, I stay out of the bookstore and have organized all my unread books into categories to read on a monthly basis. But, as time went on and school started up again I thought to myself “I barely have time for personal prayer and bible reading time, let alone books!” Oh boy, was I wrong…
I had gotten a book awhile ago recommended by my pastor’s wife, Shopping for Time written by C.J. Mahaney’s wife and three daughters. I figured since I enjoy C.J.’s writings and sermons his wife and daughters are probably just as good. But to no surprise it sat on the shelf for months. That is until I spoke with a woman about how “busy” I was and feeling as if I had no time for anything, she mentioned the “5 am club.” Is it just me or does that sound like self mutilation? I barely sleep as it is, let alone wake up at some dreaded time! She said just to read the book and that I’d understand, so I did and here is what I gained from it…
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.”- Haggai 1: 2-5
How often we are like these men who claim to have no time for the work of the Lord, claiming we are just too busy for bible study and prayer and when life “settles down” we will start it up again. What foolishness this is to put off what God has commanded us to do, Charles Spurgeon was right in saying:
“If you have not the time, God gave it to you, and you must have misspent it. Nobody has more than twenty-four hours in a day, and you have no less.”
So, let us redeem the time, for we ourselves are redeemed!
How can you redeem the time? Think first of what “time wasters” we can take out of our day; such as TV, Facebook, books that are not geared to edifying your knowledge of God…? Then, take them off your mental list of things to do, plan ahead and finish your priorities before these activities!
Secondly, how can you add more time to your day? By arising earlier! This psalmist had it right when he declared “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” (Psalm 5:3) Remember the “5 am club” I mentioned earlier? Well, this past month I have joined what the “6:30 am club.” Waking up at 6:30 to begin my day had led to a series of amazing mornings! First I wake up, text my accountability partner, pray for the strength to be awake, drag myself to the kitchen for some coffee, then it’s straight to over an of hour of bible study and prayer time. As an extra bonus I get to see my parents before they leave for work. So, by the time I am finished with all these things is about the time I would have normally been waking up! I encourage you to start this as well, you can modify it to your schedule like most of the women I know doing this did, but just start by waking up earlier the amount of time you spend for quite times.
Thirdly, kill procrastination. This by far can be our biggest struggle when dealing with redeeming our time, but Alexander MacLaren makes an excellent statement about this:
“No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.”
By putting off those daunting tasks placed in front of you it becomes the same as the people putting off the building of the Lord’s house because we are told that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23) Replace procrastination with diligence. (See Proverbs 12:24)
“I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.”- Jeremiah 10:23
Your plans are not your own. Please keep this in mind as it is of the most upmost importance to surrender your plans to God’s will. He directs our path and prepares us to walk in it. We usually see these plans as “interruptions,” when in fact they are blessings! In the Mahaney girl’s book we get a nice insight to how their dad (C.J.) views his to-do list in sight of God’s:
“Only God get his to-do list done each day. We are not God. We are finite creatures with serious limitations.”
I began this blog with Ephesians 5:15-16 and would like to end with the verse following afterwards; “therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (v.17)
What is the will of the Lord? You may not know ahead of time that His will for you on a certain day is to not clean the house but to minister to a brother or sister in need or end up with a family emergency; but we can know that the will of the Lord is perfect and will be done over ours! Submitting ourselves to God’s will down to the smallest of tasks is the beginning of redeeming time because only from God do we receive the ability to carry out each and everyday. So, let’s give it back to Him.
“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”- Psalm 118:24
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Sheep who Cried Wolf
“More fierce than the evening wolves…” Habakkuk 1:8
The evening wolves have gone all day without food, they become more and more fierce as night moves on. Upon finding a small flock of sheep, he stalks, attacks, and kills one of the sheep; filling him-self on her precious flesh. This sheep was alone and weak, separated form the rest of the flock easy to be targeted by the wolf. What if this sheep had cried “wolf.”?
Who or what is this wolf amongst the flock? Perhaps your first thought was trials or tribulations…
We are promised in our Christian walk that trials and tribulations will come our way: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you…” 1 Peter 4:12. But how do we respond to these trials?
A few months ago I found myself in the middle of a trial. I was broken, confused and actually very scared of what could happen. I cried to God for this trial to be taken away, I didn’t want to go through it and felt as if a wolf were destroying me limb from limb. I wanted this trial to be over and desired comfort. How wrong was my thinking! One morning I found myself confronted and rebuked by God through a quote from Charles Spurgeon which reads:
“O that we thus walked more in the footsteps of our Lord, cheerfully enduring trial for His sake, promptly and willingly putting away the thought of self and comfort when it would interfere with our finishing the work which He has given us to do. Great grace is needed, but great grace is provided.”
This trial, at once shed of it’s costume of wolf became a blessing, a time of growth and entrusting myself completely in the arm of my Shepherd. Knowing that “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
So often we cry and plead for God to take away these trials, crying “wolf” to our perfect Shepherd. We think and see these trials as evening wolves coming out of nowhere to destroy us. Marked by thoughts such as “How could this happen to me?” Reconsider asking yourself this by pondering the last part of 1 Peter 4:12, “…as though something strange were happening to you.”
Christian, may you stand firm in trials and tribulation. Though the ways crash over head, remind yourself that your Shepherd is there to lead you through and it is for His glory and your benefit, seek to see grace in these roaring sea billows.
So, what are the real wolves?...
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Temptation, which leads to sin, which gives birth to death. Sin has the power to destroy us, like the ravenous evening wolf. We see this exact warning in 1 Peter 5:8:
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
We can often let ourselves think we are strong enough for temptation. This like a sheep meeting a wolf eye to eye and saying “bring it on.” Foolishness! This sheep is dead meat by tempting temptation, he needs to cry out for his Shepherd to save him from the wolf, and guide him to a safer path.
Friends, I plead with you to know view yourself as stronger than your sin, because you are not, God is. He is your great and merciful Shepherd who provides you with all strength necessary to overcome the world and not become conformed to it. Seek out your Shepherd before the wolves come.
Establish it in your heart to not “cry wolf” when none is there to destroy you, but stand firm in trusting God who knows the wolves before they come and is ready to protect you at all cost.
The evening wolves have gone all day without food, they become more and more fierce as night moves on. Upon finding a small flock of sheep, he stalks, attacks, and kills one of the sheep; filling him-self on her precious flesh. This sheep was alone and weak, separated form the rest of the flock easy to be targeted by the wolf. What if this sheep had cried “wolf.”?
Who or what is this wolf amongst the flock? Perhaps your first thought was trials or tribulations…
We are promised in our Christian walk that trials and tribulations will come our way: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you…” 1 Peter 4:12. But how do we respond to these trials?
A few months ago I found myself in the middle of a trial. I was broken, confused and actually very scared of what could happen. I cried to God for this trial to be taken away, I didn’t want to go through it and felt as if a wolf were destroying me limb from limb. I wanted this trial to be over and desired comfort. How wrong was my thinking! One morning I found myself confronted and rebuked by God through a quote from Charles Spurgeon which reads:
“O that we thus walked more in the footsteps of our Lord, cheerfully enduring trial for His sake, promptly and willingly putting away the thought of self and comfort when it would interfere with our finishing the work which He has given us to do. Great grace is needed, but great grace is provided.”
This trial, at once shed of it’s costume of wolf became a blessing, a time of growth and entrusting myself completely in the arm of my Shepherd. Knowing that “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
So often we cry and plead for God to take away these trials, crying “wolf” to our perfect Shepherd. We think and see these trials as evening wolves coming out of nowhere to destroy us. Marked by thoughts such as “How could this happen to me?” Reconsider asking yourself this by pondering the last part of 1 Peter 4:12, “…as though something strange were happening to you.”
Christian, may you stand firm in trials and tribulation. Though the ways crash over head, remind yourself that your Shepherd is there to lead you through and it is for His glory and your benefit, seek to see grace in these roaring sea billows.
So, what are the real wolves?...
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Temptation, which leads to sin, which gives birth to death. Sin has the power to destroy us, like the ravenous evening wolf. We see this exact warning in 1 Peter 5:8:
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
We can often let ourselves think we are strong enough for temptation. This like a sheep meeting a wolf eye to eye and saying “bring it on.” Foolishness! This sheep is dead meat by tempting temptation, he needs to cry out for his Shepherd to save him from the wolf, and guide him to a safer path.
Friends, I plead with you to know view yourself as stronger than your sin, because you are not, God is. He is your great and merciful Shepherd who provides you with all strength necessary to overcome the world and not become conformed to it. Seek out your Shepherd before the wolves come.
Establish it in your heart to not “cry wolf” when none is there to destroy you, but stand firm in trusting God who knows the wolves before they come and is ready to protect you at all cost.
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