How do you make those things that are hidden in your heart no longer places of shame. Some of those places were not your fault at all. Someone else did something to you and for some reason, shame took over. Sometimes we are the cause of those dark corners that we turn to, because we believe that if we ever revealed that place, everyone would know who we really are. It is that place in our own heart that scares us the most and it is that place that keeps us bound to the shame that holds us back.
For those who live in shames dark shadow it is often a place of sorrow. A place hidden within us because of something someone else did to us! But, somehow we take what should be their shame and place that upon our own hearts. From that time on, we live in fear and cower to the shame that we place on our own hearts. It is a tool the enemy uses well, for he knows that it was not our fault and yet we take the burden of that guilt and let it create a place within us that keeps us trapped in the darkness of a house without windows. A dark place that we somehow believe will protect us. A dark place where nothing green will ever grow. This is my prayer for you, as it was for me. For I did not know how to walk into any room with my head held high. My darkness of shame was overwhelming. This is for you who have been defiled by someone else...
"O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me! Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge. Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." (Psalm 25)
Then for those dark places within our own hearts that hold us captive, these places were brought on our-self. These places we hope no one ever knows, because these places were our choice. I cannot even begin to grasp the destructiveness of my own choices and what those choices did to myself and to others that I came in contact with. Many of these choices were things that I did because of the wounds that someone else gave me, but at some point I have to step up and take responsibility for my own life. I cannot live in the dark shadow that being a victim brings. At some point I have to look at what I choose to do. This part of the prayer covers those dark places...
"Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. For the honor of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins..." (Psalm 25)
God gives us a time of healing. A time to just sit with Him, so that we can see those dark places through His eyes. If we never allow others to see into our heart, those dark places can become a home with boarded up windows. A home that will eventually become our grave. If we are continually placing boards over the windows of our home, eventually no light shines and we cannot navigate freely. We become blind in our own home. Eventually there will be no life there at all. But, if we will truly allow God to shine His light on those places we want to keep hidden, eventually we will learn to live in a glass house. A house where there are not even any curtains on the windows. A house that allows ourselves, and others, to see in freely. A house that is surrounded by greenery. This is the house that I now choose to live in. It is a wonderful house where all are safe. A house where the light lives.
"O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant. My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies. May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you." (Psalm 25)
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Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Worth
Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, “On the material level, both you and a tree are made up of the same recycled elements. Mostly carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and other elements in minute amounts. You could buy these elements in a hardware store for a couple of dollars. The real difference between the two of you is between the energy and the information. Your body is not separated from the body of the universe. Because of the quantum mechanical levels, there are no well defined edges. You are like a wiggle, a wave, a fluctuation, a convolution, a whirlpool, a localized disturbance in the larger quantum field.”
So many people follow the Hindu, Buddhist, and New Age religions. In these religions, where is your worth? Where is your value? Chopra states very openly, "both you and a tree are made up of the same recycled elements... You are like a wiggle, a wave, a fluctuation, a convolution, a whirlpool, a localized disturbance..." Basically, you are nothing trying to reach nothingness. So this means that a no body made this statement. Everyone and everything is worthless.
In the teachings of the Christian religions the value and worth put upon you is priceless. You are more valuable than anything else. You, your body is worth more than anything else. 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself..” The emphasis is not put on your redemptive acts. Your goal is not to become a god. Your goal is not to die and have a thousand virgins at your disposal. You are the place that God chooses to make His temple. The creator of the universe chooses to make your body His dwelling place. And this is why it is such a tragedy when you choose to desecrate your body. Your body, YOU are the Temple.
So many people, I, have a tendency to see "sin". When we go into a church building, we hear about sin and how we are not living "up to" God's standards. But really this is not it. Everything in the Christian faith points to how valuable you are and when you "sin" you are using His temple as a market place instead of a place of worship. That is what it is all about.
What are you worth? How do you treat others? Do you treat them as the temple? Do you allow others to mistreat and abuse your temple?
I did not understand any of this until I started searching. I started reading the bible, begging God to reveal Himself to me. I read Psalms, then Proverbs, then the New Testament, then started the Old Testament. Everyday I begged God to allow me to hear Him. Everyday I just read words on a page with no meaning, no understanding... Nothing for a whole year. Then I read 1 Kings 6. Everything was so precise. This wall 7 1/2 feet long. That room 10 feet wide, with this in it, with that in it. Meticulous! Over and over... boring, boring. Until, it hit me! Why was this so important to know? Why was this still needed? So we can see how meticulously we are made. So we can see how valuable we are as the Living Temple.
John 2, "Then, going over to the people who sold doves, He (Jesus) told them, 'Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!' Then His disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God’s house will consume Me.'”
Why is it so important to take care of your body? Why is it so important to take care of others? We are God's house and His passion for us consumes Him! We are worth that much. We are that valuable. Jesus did not come into this world to make bad people good. He came so that the dead would live. Are we walking around treating ourselves with worth? Or are we walking around filling our house with death? We are not a wiggle, a wave, or a localized disturbance. We are the Temple of the Most High God. The questions are: Do we treat ourselves as being worth that much? Do we treat others the same?
So many people follow the Hindu, Buddhist, and New Age religions. In these religions, where is your worth? Where is your value? Chopra states very openly, "both you and a tree are made up of the same recycled elements... You are like a wiggle, a wave, a fluctuation, a convolution, a whirlpool, a localized disturbance..." Basically, you are nothing trying to reach nothingness. So this means that a no body made this statement. Everyone and everything is worthless.
In the teachings of the Christian religions the value and worth put upon you is priceless. You are more valuable than anything else. You, your body is worth more than anything else. 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself..” The emphasis is not put on your redemptive acts. Your goal is not to become a god. Your goal is not to die and have a thousand virgins at your disposal. You are the place that God chooses to make His temple. The creator of the universe chooses to make your body His dwelling place. And this is why it is such a tragedy when you choose to desecrate your body. Your body, YOU are the Temple.
So many people, I, have a tendency to see "sin". When we go into a church building, we hear about sin and how we are not living "up to" God's standards. But really this is not it. Everything in the Christian faith points to how valuable you are and when you "sin" you are using His temple as a market place instead of a place of worship. That is what it is all about.
What are you worth? How do you treat others? Do you treat them as the temple? Do you allow others to mistreat and abuse your temple?
I did not understand any of this until I started searching. I started reading the bible, begging God to reveal Himself to me. I read Psalms, then Proverbs, then the New Testament, then started the Old Testament. Everyday I begged God to allow me to hear Him. Everyday I just read words on a page with no meaning, no understanding... Nothing for a whole year. Then I read 1 Kings 6. Everything was so precise. This wall 7 1/2 feet long. That room 10 feet wide, with this in it, with that in it. Meticulous! Over and over... boring, boring. Until, it hit me! Why was this so important to know? Why was this still needed? So we can see how meticulously we are made. So we can see how valuable we are as the Living Temple.
John 2, "Then, going over to the people who sold doves, He (Jesus) told them, 'Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!' Then His disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God’s house will consume Me.'”
Why is it so important to take care of your body? Why is it so important to take care of others? We are God's house and His passion for us consumes Him! We are worth that much. We are that valuable. Jesus did not come into this world to make bad people good. He came so that the dead would live. Are we walking around treating ourselves with worth? Or are we walking around filling our house with death? We are not a wiggle, a wave, or a localized disturbance. We are the Temple of the Most High God. The questions are: Do we treat ourselves as being worth that much? Do we treat others the same?
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