Saturday Morning at the Park

It’s one of those perfect summer mornings. Dark clouds loom overhead teasing rain that isn’t going to fall. Abby and I rush to the park trying to beat the sun. I suppose it decided to sleep in this morning, hiding under the covers just a little longer. It makes me glad that we didn’t so that we might share this perfect morning. Do I wish there were more mornings like this? Maybe, but I’m thankful that God knows what He’s doing when He gives us so few. I know they would go to waste and be lost on me if there were too many. Even worse, I might come to resent them, wishing for a change in the weather. Almost on cue, my thoughts bring the sun through a break in the clouds. We’ll enjoy these final moments as the sun plays peek-a-boo behind clouds racing across the sky. I guess everyone is feeling playful today; even the birds play tag in an open field. Abby and I hide under a shade tree to enjoy the cool breeze and stretch the morning out a little longer. By this afternoon I’ll be praising the sun as I bask in it’s rays and find cool relief by diving into a crisp pool of water. It sure seems as if God knows what He’s doing.

Worry Not

The key to me about worry is found in Philippians 4:6-8 in the NLT version. Paul tells us “Don’t worry about anything.” Worry is a wasted emotion. It is not productive; it only fills our hearts and minds with negativity. The problem is that when we are told not to worry, what should we fill that empty time with? You’ve taken the worry out of your day, so now what? The answer isn’t apathy or disinterest, it isn’t regret or disgust. Paul lets us know what we are to do with that newly vacant time. He gives us a productive alternative to worry when he tells us to “pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” This goal seems admirable right? Yet so many of us find comfort in our worry and find it hard to let go. We find a constant companion and we’d rather fill our heads with our good friend worry than a stranger that we are unfamiliar with. The devil feeds on that fear, the worry that we would be empty if it weren’t for worry. What a vicious cycle. However, there is hope if we can replace our worry with prayer.

Paul says that “if you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” It’s no wonder that we have trouble letting go of our worry. Worry is something we understand, something we can wrap our brain around, something we know. It takes zero faith to worry. The problem is that His peace is not available to us if we don’t have that faith. We must step out, letting go of our comfortable worry, and demonstrate our faith in God’s promise. How do we do that? Paul says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” It is that easy.

The easiest way to fill your mind with good is to be in and of the bible for it is all of these things. When you study the Word, you have a better understanding of what it means to be pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise. By memorizing scripture, you’re equipping yourself to think of good things when you are away from the word and in the real world. Pray because prayer releases your mind of the bad and filling it back up with faith, hope and love. If you fill your vacant time with any of these things, it becomes difficult to find the time or even a reason to worry.

Measuring Scale

Reflecting on my life, I realize that my measuring scale is all off. I want to be measured by Jesus but I don’t want Jesus to be measured by me. I want for God to look at me and see His son who died for my sins. I want Him to see me for what Jesus is: courage, faith, forgiveness, thanksgiving, perserverance, respect, humility, hope, patience, gentleness, self-control, integrity, LOVE. I want to be those characteristics to God and for God. Yet, I don’t want people to look at me and see Jesus. Don’t misunderstand me. It is not because I don’t want to glorify or reflect Jesus, it is because I don’t glorify and reflect Jesus. I don’t want anyone who may not know Jesus to look at me with all of my hypocracy, anger, hatred, laziness, and all out sinfulness and think, “If that is a Christian, than I don’t want to be one.”

Alas, ther is hope. In my weakness, He is made strong. The truth of that is liberating. God can use me even in my imperfections, even in my weakness. He can use me for the good of His kingdom. I cannot sit back any longer, paralyzed by the fear of failure, of judgement, of weakness. He can use me. The beauty of God and Jesus is that He accepts us all, no matter what our faults and weaknesses. So, is it really so bad if someone looks at us with all of our faults and weaknesses and sees that God loves us anyway. His love is unconditional and so for that I am happy for Jesus to be measured by me. It wasn’t just for the perfect and righteous that He came, it was for us all.