Turn Your Mess Into A Message

Have you ever felt afraid to slow down long enough to evaluate where you are, for fear of thinking “wow, what a mess?”.  Today, I caught myself thinking, this is not where I imagined myself to be.  I had dreams, I had goals and I had a vision of how I was going to get there.  Something arrived on the scene and managed to put roadblocks up all over the place; something that no matter which way I turned, I found myself heading into a direction I had not planned.  That something is called life.  Life is not all bad, but you can always take a look around and ask yourself, “what happened”?

There is this saying I have heard that says something to the effect of, “life was not meant to end with you all neatly preserved and in one piece; but was meant to end with you all broken and falling apart, saying “wow, what a ride”.  While that sounds like a great motto, whoever came up with it, was only considering the beginning and the end.  Had they considered the actual struggles in between, they would not have made it sound like something so fun and exciting.  The realities of life are that the ride can be painful, hard and sometimes a complete mess.

Society tells you when your life, your house, and your family is a mess; you should call a life coach, HGTV or the Super Nanny.  What is her number, does anyone know?  I sure don’t.  Maybe the recommendation should be to “Love it, or List It.”  I know which one at times I would have chosen, and it wasn’t to love it.  Most of us try to deny our messes.  No matter how pretty your life looks to everyone, someone always knows your mess.

One of my devotional messages this week was entitled “Greater than the Mess”.  I had to stop and reflect on that.  Greater than my mess, that would include what exactly?  The dog who refuses to stop barking, the child who thinks they can do whatever they want, the other child who won’t get off the video games, the house that needs new appliances, a staircase remodel, the other half of the roof shingled, and a garden and lawn that need to be taken care of.  There is so much more I could mention.

O.k., what could be bigger than that mess?  A lot!  It is true our world is also a mess.  There is political intrigue, military challenges , over spent treasuries, betrayals from whole countries, and death from diseases and sickness.  Wow! this can really make a person’s day, can’t it?

This week I read about David in 2 Samuel.  His life was a mess too.  His efforts to become king were faced with challenges all over the place.  And let’s not forget, like the rest of us, he totally messed things up for himself at times.  It wasn’t always someone else’s fault.

But there is a lesson to be learned from David, he never gave up! Sure, he cried out to the Lord for help and so should we.  Sometimes we need to humble ourselves and admit we can’t do it on our own.    When David spoke of his impending doom, he admitted, “I am in deep distress.” But his solution to that distress was, “Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great!”  Did his solution work?  It sure did.  What is different about David than the way some of us respond to our messes today?  Well, instead of grumbling like I just have, he praised God.  He told his message of how even in a mess, God’s way is perfect and the word of God is flawless.  David preached how God is the shield for all who take refuge in him.  The examples that David gave were: It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.  He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.  He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.  He thanked God for giving him the shield of victory; and stooping down to make him great.  He wrote of how God broadened the path, beneath him, so that his ankles did not turn.  He declared, “I pursued my enemies and crushed them.  I did not turn back till they were destroyed.”  Now that is a fight, but wow, what a victory!”  Praising God all the way!  David was the King of Israel because he didn’t give up!

Our messes need to become our message, like David’s.  A message for others to live by.  We can’t turn back on this journey called life, someone may be following in our footsteps.

I encourage you to read more about King David in the Old Testament, in the book of 2 Samuel.   Learn how to turn your mess into a message. Don’t give up, you are almost there!

Why Such A Hurry?

You can’t open your e-mail, go to the mailbox or walk into a retail establishment, where you won’t see advertisements that say; “FREE”, “Hurry Coupons Expire”, Double Your Savings”, “Chances to Save”, “Win This”, “Sweepstakes”.. “Feel Groovy” and “Enjoy!”

What does all this say about our society?  It says, we can’t be happy unless we have it all, “today”.  Is it any wonder that so many people feel depressed, disappointed and victimized?  Not only does our environment create an atmosphere of “I must have it all; but, I have it all today!”  Who could maintain all that quick fortune for any length of time? Not me.  We wouldn’t be honest if we didn’t admit that at some time or another, we have tried to have it all today.  Just today, I entered my e-mail address for the chance to win one of HGTV’s Dream Home Sweepstakes.  Can you imagine?  I had to ask myself, why?  What would that do for me and my family?  Well, we would have a new house, in a town we didn’t know anyone, and maybe a possibility at a new future and a fresh start in life.

As I thought about that, I also thought about how I could possibly expect a sweepstake to provide  a new future and a fresh start for me.  I also thought about my mother and how she was saying to me in the back of my head, “now Rhonda, you know gambling is a sin”, and I rationalized it in my head by saying, well, “it’s not like I am going to lose anything if I don’t win”.  Right? Wrong!  I have lost precious time.  I have lost a chance to find the ways that will help me to reach my goals; to be where God wants me to be in this life.  The thought of winning that dream home may have made me feel good for the moment; but, then reality stepped in and I didn’t feel so good-looking at the dirty dishes that needed to be washed, the homework that needed to be done, the child that needed to be checked on, and the house and laundry that needed to be cleaned.  What was I thinking?

I was thinking what we all think about from time to time; I want all of this to be over already, I want to rest and I want someone else to do it for me; oh, and I don’t want it to cost so much either.  Notice a pattern here? “I want!”

I thought, I wonder what the bible has to say about this?  So, I googled “What does the bible say about “I Want”.  Surely a prophetic word must be found there.  Here is what I found:

Romans 7:  15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^c For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

I guess the moral of that story is what?  “I am selfish, sinful, unable to change myself…”  How depressing is that.  But wait,

24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Oh hallelujah! What comes next is amazing and gives us hope and joy to live our life as intended

Romans 8: 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^a free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^b God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^c And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

So see, it is normal to want that instant gratification that we all desire; but we don’t need it.  God has given us everything we need.  We need to remember that through Jesus we have the power to slow down, rest in Him, and produce the fruit of the spirit that He has asked us to do.  What is that fruit?  the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

We don’t need to hurry.  We can be still.  While we are still, read God’s word, carry on with our daily lives, and listen to that sweet spirit that God uses to speak to us with.   Refresh and join together with your brothers and sisters to worship, at Thomaston Assembly of God of course.

Why hurry when we can double our savings today, that we may all enjoy the future and fresh start tomorrow that our savior died for.

Be Happy and see you at church!

When He Calls, I Will Answer….