MY BLOG POSTS

I don’t want to minimize this whole corona virus thing, but people…please. We are losing our minds over here. Schools are shutting down, store shelves are empty, we’re giving “elbow bumps” at  church. I’m not against healthy precautions, but we’re in Zombie Apocalypse mode.

In my Bible study, we’ve been in I Corinthians. I keep reading about Paul loving the people, encouraging the people, calling them out for sins, loving them some more, and above all, no matter what, preaching the gospel. He denied his own desires, he endured horrible persecution — all because he desperately wanted everyone to know and love Jesus.

I’ve been thinking that we have something far worse than a virus infecting our world — we have the curse of sin. That is the actual cause of death for every human. And yet, we don’t freak out about it. We don’t “sanitize” ourselves to avoid it, we don’t let everyone know to stay away from it, we don’t adjust where we go, what we wear, or who we hang out with as a result of our awareness of sin. We treat it like no big deal. Definitely not as bad as the corona virus.

But what would happen if we acted more like Paul? If what we wanted more than anything in this world was to make Christ known, to shine His light to others, to bring the ultimate cure to humanity? Imagine what a different world it would be!

We’re all going to die, friends. It’s what happens after that, that really matters. Are we so focused on this temporary life that we’ve forgotten the eternal? If so, let’s allow this moment to remind us of what is truly important, of what is really “life and death”. Wash your hands, yes, but also cleanse your heart. And lead others to the rivers of Living Water.

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” ~Mt. 10:28

Things will get better.

Last night, I had the sudden realization that a major issue I was stressing over just a few months ago wasn’t even bothering me anymore. The issue hasn’t gone away. But the feeling of worry has. I can’t name the exact moment it happened. It was gradual — a daily choice to trust God, to spend time in His word, in prayer, with other believers. But it’s gone. replaced by a peace and a lightness of spirit that I couldn’t have imagined a few months ago.

I thought back to other difficult times in my life, when I felt overwhelmed. And I realized, in every instance, the feeling passed. And, if I’m perfectly honest, those feelings passed a lot quicker when I clung to God and His promises rather than clinging to my fears and frustrations.

Some of those times, all God asked was that I wait patiently, trusting Him. That’s the case with my most recent struggle. Other times, God has asked me to act. A couple years ago, I was in a place where my relationship with God was being hindered. I needed to leave that place. It took action on my part – painful action. I hate change, hate confrontation, hate being disliked. And God was asking all that of me – and more. He was asking, ultimately, that I love Him more than I love myself, my own comfort, and my reputation.

In every case – whether waiting or working – obedience to what God has asked has brought greater peace, a greater understanding of Christ and who I am in Him, and greater joy. In every case, the feelings – and even the circumstances – have passed.  And in every case, God has blessed my obedience in unexpected and amazing ways.

Maybe you’re in a place where you feel overwhelmed, stressed, angry, upset, or hurt. Maybe you feel like you’ll never get past it, never get through this.

Hang on. Cling to God. Read His words and meditate on His promises. Spend time with other believers. Seek wisdom to know whether God is asking you to wait or to act.

Ultimately, this struggle WILL pass. You will feel joy again, you’ll experience peace. And, if you trust God through this, you’ll come out stronger, knowing God better, equipped to help others through similar struggles.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Is. 40:31

I am, and always have been, “artsy.” Growing up, I was pitiful at athletics and academics, but I excelled at drama and music. Songs speak to me. Standing on stage is fun. Standing on stage with people watching is really, really fun.

There are great benefits to being artsy: I’ve never been nervous going into a job interview. I love being asked to speak to a group of people, and I am fairly adept at speaking extemporaneously. I am confident (most of the time), and it takes a whole lot to embarrass me.

But there are also negatives: I spent a lot of years allowing other people’s opinions of me to determine my opinion of myself. So there were times I thought I was the greatest person on the planet and other times when I thought I was worthless.  I also spent a lot of years comparing myself to others, and feeling incredibly antagonistic toward people who were better than me.

In my late teens/early twenties, as I began to get really serious about my relationship with God, I began to be convicted of that sin of pride in my life. But rather than blaming my own sinful thoughts, I blamed the arts. So I stopped doing much of what I loved. Stopped acting, stopped singing anywhere but in church. And, when I did sing in church, I often chose songs out of my range, so I wouldn’t sound very good, thinking that “proved” my humility.

As I grew to know God better, I began to see myself more clearly. God revealed that my pride in my abilities wasn’t gone. It just transferred to pride in my refusal to use those abilities. The sin was still there, waiting to be dealt with.

When I finally dealt with that, God began to show me that those gifts I had were from him. He gave them to me to use. God is a creator. THE creator. Rather than being opposed to the creative arts, He is the author of them. When I learned to recognize that, to give Him the glory for the gifts he has given me, I found incredible freedom. Freedom to use my gifts to the best of my abilities, and freedom to recognize the abilities He has given others. Rather than feeling competitive, I can feel inspired by the many people whose abilities exceed mine. Talk about freeing!

If you’re artsy, own it! Know your gifts are from God. KNOW your gifts are from God. Know your gifts are from GOD. Allow yourself to experience His pleasure in you when you use them. Make your art an act of worship. Encourage other artsy people – be a community, not competitors.

“Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.”

Psalm 33:3