Worry is Selfish

Jesus said, "To whom much has been given, much will be required."

Lately I realized that the things I have-- both tangible and intangible-- are incredible! When I consider the big picture, there is very little suffering (read: legitimate suffering) in my life. My suffering is largely self-inflicted through worry, fear, and pride. How much LIFE I miss because of these sinful habits of the heart!

I heard a story about a painful journey one family experienced, almost losing their son, who is now going through rehabilitation and learning to walk and talk again in his early twenties. In many ways it was a wake-up call to look beyond myself and my perceived problems.

God is using this young man to bless the lives of so many, in his weakness. And I-- I know I am valuable, loved, and redeemed-- but really, God doesn't need me. So why not embrace LIFE as He intended?! How much time and energy I unnecessarily waste.

How selfish and prideful I am, to think that worrying about decisions and trying to control things will somehow impact the Kingdom.

God is so gracious to call me to serve and remain faithful to me-- as He lovingly works to continue to save me from myself. In light of everything-- all the problems and frustrations people experience everyday, and my freedom and ease and comfort-- I say, Bring it on.

Puritan Prayer

O LORD,

I am a shell full of dust,

but animated with an invisible rational soul

and made anew by an unseen power of grace;

Yet I am no rare object of valuable price,

but one that has nothing and is nothing,

although chosen of thee from eternity,

given to Christ, and born again;

I am deeply convinced of the evil and misery of a sinful state,

of the vanity of creatures,

but also of the sufficiency of Christ.

When thou wouldst guide me I control myself,

When thou wouldst be sovereign I rule myself.

When thou wouldst take care of me I suffice myself.

When I should depend on thy providings I supply myself,

When I should submit to thy providence I follow my will,

When I should study, love, honour, trust thee, I serve myself;

I fault and correct thy laws to suit myself,

Instead of thee I look to man's approbation,

and am by nature an idolater.

Lord, it is my chief design to bring my heart back to thee.

Convince me that I connot be my own god, or make myself happy,

nor my own Christ to restore my joy,

nor my own Spirit to teach, guide, and rule me.

Help me to see that grace does this by providential affliction,

for when my credit is god thou dost cast me lower,

when riches are my idol thou dost wing them away,

when pleasure is my all thou dost turn it into bitterness.

Take away my roving eye, curious ear, greedy appetite, lustful heart;

Show me that none of these things,

can heal a wounded conscience,

or support a tottering frame,

or uphold a departing spirit.

Then take me to the cross and leave me there.

The Valley of Vision, quoted in Simple Faith by Charles Swindoll

Collected Quotes

Over time I have come across of variety of quotes that mean something to me. Often I typed them out and taped them to my desk, as a reminder. Well, I decided my space was getting too cluttered and that it would be valuable to post them here. Hope they encourage and challenge your heart and mind.

Without a bitter experience of our own inadequacy and poverty [we] are quite unfitted to bear the burden of spiritual ministry. It takes a [wo]man who has discovered something of the measures of [her] own weakness to be patient with the foibles of others.
Such a [wo]man also has a first-hand knowledge of the loving care of the Chief Shepherd, and His ability to heal one who has come humbly to trust in Him and Him alone.
Therefore [s]he does not easily despair of others, but looks beyond sinfulness, willfulness and stupidity, to the might of unchanging love.
The Lord Jesus does not give the charge, "Be a shepherd to My lambs... to My sheep," on hearing Peter's self-confident affirmation of undying loyalty, but He gives it after he has utterly failed to keep his vows and has wept bitterly in the streets of Jerusalem.

- J.C. Metcalfe
(Quoted in Faith is Not a Feeling)

Earth's crammed with heaven,
and every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Great disciples become great because they have never done their own thing. "God's thing" is their thing. They have no desire to be free spirits, yet oddly they find personal freedom by surrendering compulsive individualism. Self-denial... is the agenda of those who have escaped all need to "be themselves."

- Calvin Miller

Thoughts on Theology

A.W. Tozer said something about "what comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you." What you think about God is your theology, and I would agree that your thoughts of God are the most important thing about you.

I've been thinking about theology in general though. Granted, theology matters and can either be true or false. I wish true theology for everyone.

Yet there are many issues within theology that eat away at the spiritual life-- the life Jesus intended for his followers to live.

Does Jesus want us focusing on whether we're celebrating Communion or baptism "right" or just how exactly we're supposed to apply 10 words of Scripture? We need Jesus more than the "right" view of these things.

I encourage everyone to study and to develop convictions influenced by the Bible in light of church history. Sometimes, though, we need to stop spinning our wheels and spend time on our knees with the Lord of Hosts.

Recently I appreciated a comment on a blog in the midst of an intense yet civil theological discussion. A woman commented, and I paraphrase, "You need to take a break and spend time with Jesus in prayer. None of this matters on your death bed! Jesus said that we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of Heaven. My advice to both of you is to grow up and grow down!"

Well said my friend in the blogosphere.

His Story

When I was a kid, my dad gave me different names based on different things I did. So by the time I was 10 or so my name was Sheridan Michelle Dunn Wolf Bear Tiger Firefly! From the outside I had a good family—a mom, dad, siblings; they taught me about God and Christianity was relevant to our lives. At a young age I believed it was true that I needed Jesus to be my Savior and asked God into my life. As I got older, though, my happiness became based on being a “good person” and I felt devastated if I didn’t live up to my standards. I felt a need to manage things and be in control to somehow keep my world from falling apart.

I grew up hearing about Jesus and sin and the cross but it didn’t become really meaningful until my twenties. My sophomore year of college I struggled with doubts about the spiritual beliefs I grew up with yet came to the point of not being able to get over Jesus and who He claimed to be-God’s Son. In John 6 after some of the disciples left Jesus asked the twelve if they too wanted to leave. Peter responded, “No, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life.” This really spoke to me; I knew I couldn’t leave Jesus.

After doubting God I felt that I had let Him down, since I had been given such a good foundation growing up. Yet God built my faith back up and taught me that when we come to Him we come with nothing and He gives everything. He wrote on my heart the things I didn’t really experience when I was younger—like His unconditional love. Sometimes God must break us before He can heal us.

Over time I learned my worth to God is not based on the things I do or don’t do. He accepts me because Christ died on the cross for all my failures and rose again so I can live a new life! And He gives me the power to obey Him out of love and a pure heart. Back to my names… it took a long time but I’m starting to take my last name “Dunn” seriously. Jesus said, “It is finished.” What He did for us is complete and we can find rest in Him and what He did for us.

Peace!

Thousands of people in this world profess to be happy without God. But if we could be truly happy and moral without Jesus, then why did he come? He came because that kind of happiness and peace is only superficial. Jesus Christ came to "bring... a sword" through every kind of peace that is not based on a personal relationship with Himself. (Oswald Chambers)

[I wrote this around the holidays last year.]

People love to talk about peace around the holidays. And it's very fitting considering the celebration of the first Christmas involves a proclamation of peace. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 1:14) Peace in the Bible encompasses so much more than these words to the shepherds over 2000 years ago, and it would do us well to consider the big picture. How often I fail to live in light of these truths! So, as a popular song communicates, "I'm talkin' to me..." Let's go back to the words of Isaiah, hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) Fast forward to the time of Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zacharias (John the Baptist's parents). Listen to the incredible words of Zacharias. They bring so much hope.

Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 'And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.'” (Luke 1:67-80 NKJV)

How incredible it would have been to be alive during this time, when the Jewish people saw the prophesies they believed for so long fulfilled before them! I love these words... "Might serve Him without fear... knowledge of salvation... remission of sins... Through the tender mercy of our God... give light to those who sit in darkness... guide our feet into the way of peace." There's peace again. I love God's topsy-turvy Kingdom, where things are not what's expected. The Jews expected political peace and liberation from Rome, yet Jesus Christ brought spiritual peace. "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." (Romans 5:1-2). In Philippians 4:9, we are reminded that God is the "God of peace." In the Amplified Bible, Colossians 3:15 says this, "And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]." Imagine! Christ's peace acting as umpire in our hearts! The gospel if called the "gospel of peace" in Ephesians 6:15, and if Jesus, the manger, and the shepherds has never been more real to you than Santa Clause, the Christmas season is the best time to realize it's significance for your life. It's good news! It's what God did for us! "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' ” (Isaiah 52:7) It's for all the people. (Luke 2:10)

Sisters!

"Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life." Charles Schulz's words hopefully do not ring true for my sisters! Although with four of them I suppose there's a chance (slim though). ;)

I couldn't resist posting this quote since it went so well with the recent design change to my blog.

I was also making sure I know how to post a picture to my blog! Great success.