This morning was a trial... I was stressed about almost everything that crossed my mind.
I wanted to be God, to have control over being a good piano teacher, having a love life exactly the way I think it would be good, being able to help as much as I think is needed at home, having easy and refreshing relationships at home.
God has me in different situations than those. He has me falling short of my expectations in teaching piano, doesn't have me in a relationship, is putting people that I don't know and can't know right now into my life, is only having me able to do the surface things that need to be done at home while other things go undone, and he's allowing the relationships with much of my family and many friends to be either hard, strained, or almost non-existent.
I was feeling anxious this morning. I had a head-ache, and I want even now to let life get me down.
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in every circumstance for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
[1 thess. 5:16-18]
If I'm worried about being a good piano teacher, instead of simply doing my best with joy, it's pride. Lord forgive me of my pride. You are my identity and the reason I can do my best in You.
If I'm worried about my love life it's because I'm believing that God is not GOD, and is not a good ruler over this area of my life. He is a good ruler, and He is ordaining every minute. That's pride as well.
If I'm worried about not getting things done at home, it's because I'm believing that I should have more time than God has given me to do more. He hasn't. He's given me the time that I have and I am only expected to do what is 'reasonable.'
If I'm worried about my relationships being hard, it's because I believe I deserve for them to be easy. God has given me my lot, and the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.
Ashley, ______, [reader]
The LORD has given you all things that you need right now. The only important thing is that you remember who you are in Christ- forgiven, and sealed with the HOPE of heaven. You are called in this life to share this joy, share this hope of salvation. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart- HE has overcome the world. He is working all things according to the purpose of His will, and He will be glorified in His every step in your sanctification. He has ordained even this morning to rearrange your mindset so that first, you are rejoicing that all you are called to in this world is to represent Christ, in everything you, even in weaknesses and failures, His power WILL BE made perfect in You.
He is rejoicing over His SAINTS even now, by the blood of Christ.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
...
The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep you life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore. [ps. 121]
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Two favorite books, and why I don't even want to read them
Two of my favorite books right now are Pleasures of God, by John Piper, and Humility, by Andrew Murray.
I've read them both once, and am reading through them, very slowly, again. I love reading them, and the following is what I am learning in light of reading them, but mostly, the reason I said I don't want to read them, oftentimes, is because What I really want is the meat of the truths they contain, found in Scripture.
But here is just a teeny, tiny, bit about what they are teaching me. I'll post more later.
Life is all about God.
John Piper was one of the first people to explain to me that life is all about God, not us. The chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever, and Piper explains that God is the guarantor that man will do that. [either by being destroyed by His wrath, or trusting in Jesus]
So Man is always ultimately glorifying God.
You say, "Whoa, Ashley... easy there... I don't know about that." and I say, well, it's true. Every person's life is planned by the Lord, no one can change the Lord's plans, and all His plans are glorifying to Him. [Piper has an illustration of a wide-lens and narrow-lens view of the Lord's pleasure, in Pleasures of God I believe, so check it out]
Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps. [Ps. 135:6]
in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed [happy] God with which I have been entrusted [1 Timothy 1:11]
That last one is used by Piper to prove that the Lord is always being glorified, is always happy, always blessed, in the fact that He is enjoying Himself. He does all things, ruling all things, for His own sake.
That is why we can trust Him with our lives.
I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins. [Isaiah 43:25]
He is out to make His Name great. And that is our hope. That He means all He says in the Word, every promise in the Scripture, because Him being our hope and help is what makes Him glorified.
I've read them both once, and am reading through them, very slowly, again. I love reading them, and the following is what I am learning in light of reading them, but mostly, the reason I said I don't want to read them, oftentimes, is because What I really want is the meat of the truths they contain, found in Scripture.
But here is just a teeny, tiny, bit about what they are teaching me. I'll post more later.
Life is all about God.
John Piper was one of the first people to explain to me that life is all about God, not us. The chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever, and Piper explains that God is the guarantor that man will do that. [either by being destroyed by His wrath, or trusting in Jesus]
So Man is always ultimately glorifying God.
You say, "Whoa, Ashley... easy there... I don't know about that." and I say, well, it's true. Every person's life is planned by the Lord, no one can change the Lord's plans, and all His plans are glorifying to Him. [Piper has an illustration of a wide-lens and narrow-lens view of the Lord's pleasure, in Pleasures of God I believe, so check it out]
Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps. [Ps. 135:6]
in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed [happy] God with which I have been entrusted [1 Timothy 1:11]
That last one is used by Piper to prove that the Lord is always being glorified, is always happy, always blessed, in the fact that He is enjoying Himself. He does all things, ruling all things, for His own sake.
That is why we can trust Him with our lives.
I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins. [Isaiah 43:25]
He is out to make His Name great. And that is our hope. That He means all He says in the Word, every promise in the Scripture, because Him being our hope and help is what makes Him glorified.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Service
Whoever said doing things for the Lord looks glamorous?
Whoever said doing things for the Lord involves doing more than simple service for the ones God places in your life? Lately I've seen so much Christian promotion of living lives that are CHOCK FULL of service to the Lord. their kind of service to the Lord.
What does the Bible say about godly service? When I look, it says things like
'the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than [john the baptist]' and 'But Jesus called to them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
I believe God calls us to simple service, faithfulness in little, in God-given priorities, seeking to displaying the fruits of the Spirit in all of those areas. Those things are the true marks of a Christian, and if you're anything like me you have a lot of growing to do regarding love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.
God is in the business of being glorified, and that comes not from the filling of days with as many good things as possible while failing in the tasks most important, loving family, serving the church body, and ministering to those around you. God is glorified by simple, faithful dependance on Him, in a heart that seeks after His heartbeat more than the approval of others. I know I need to work on that.
We should keep that in mind the next time we're tempted to strive after big, noble things for God without checking our motive, and our faithfulness to the simple thing that God calls us to- service, as our Christ served us.
Whoever said doing things for the Lord involves doing more than simple service for the ones God places in your life? Lately I've seen so much Christian promotion of living lives that are CHOCK FULL of service to the Lord. their kind of service to the Lord.
What does the Bible say about godly service? When I look, it says things like
'the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than [john the baptist]' and 'But Jesus called to them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
I believe God calls us to simple service, faithfulness in little, in God-given priorities, seeking to displaying the fruits of the Spirit in all of those areas. Those things are the true marks of a Christian, and if you're anything like me you have a lot of growing to do regarding love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.
God is in the business of being glorified, and that comes not from the filling of days with as many good things as possible while failing in the tasks most important, loving family, serving the church body, and ministering to those around you. God is glorified by simple, faithful dependance on Him, in a heart that seeks after His heartbeat more than the approval of others. I know I need to work on that.
We should keep that in mind the next time we're tempted to strive after big, noble things for God without checking our motive, and our faithfulness to the simple thing that God calls us to- service, as our Christ served us.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Songs and Providential Nights
I came across that infamous book Passion and Purity tonight, and rereading Elisabeth Elliot's insight led me to write this song; I hope it moves your heart to praise the Savior.
When my heart, lies awake
You meet, me here
When my heart, fails again
In your character my heart, can rejoice
I praise You
When my heart lies awake
But knows you are where
This restless heart finds peace
I praise You
Forever my heart will sing
For You love to bring me back
You love to be, Savior
Your merciful smile, bathes this sinner
Your relentless love, pursues my heart
Your glory to know, my heart you have captured
Your fathomless love, my only hope
I praise You
When your mercy I see
I have found you are where
This restless heart finds peace
I praise You
Forever my heart will sing
You love to bring me back
You love to be, Savior
The thirty three years, You spent on this earth
That precious lot of time, the one thing I know, I can know
When Hosanna they cried, still you rode onward
For You came to write Your love on wayward hearts
So I praise You
Savior
Only in You
This restless heart finds peace
I will praise Your Name
Forever
For You love to bring me back
You love to be, Savior
When my heart, lies awake
You meet, me here
When my heart, fails again
In your character my heart, can rejoice
I praise You
When my heart lies awake
But knows you are where
This restless heart finds peace
I praise You
Forever my heart will sing
For You love to bring me back
You love to be, Savior
Your merciful smile, bathes this sinner
Your relentless love, pursues my heart
Your glory to know, my heart you have captured
Your fathomless love, my only hope
I praise You
When your mercy I see
I have found you are where
This restless heart finds peace
I praise You
Forever my heart will sing
You love to bring me back
You love to be, Savior
The thirty three years, You spent on this earth
That precious lot of time, the one thing I know, I can know
When Hosanna they cried, still you rode onward
For You came to write Your love on wayward hearts
So I praise You
Savior
Only in You
This restless heart finds peace
I will praise Your Name
Forever
For You love to bring me back
You love to be, Savior
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