Life of War

"Life without war is impossible..." (Oswald Chambers)

Do you ever get tired of the battle and just want a break. Last week my home came to a halt. My husband and oldest son had the flu. I was afraid I was going to get it as well, then the entire house would be quarantined and no one would be able to think, much less take care of the sick. One night I called in for back up/reinforcement/help, "Mom do you want to come stay with us?" She jumped and was here the very next day. She arrived with all of her herbs, needles, and books. We were going to war. Each of us were treated differently, but for the same reason. Jason had a very high fever and chills. Eric had a fever that ended up affecting his ear. William and I were given herbs to help block any incoming attacks and our bodies remained strong while the others battled to recover. Each one of us were on a healing path and when my mom's tonics were still not driving the evil out, she called our acupuncture friend here in town for other unknown properties she may have. Finally, my home is at peace.

"Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external.... Morality is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me... But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired" (The law of opposition)

N.T. Write gives this example in his talk After you believe: why Christian character matters, If you go to the hospital to visit a very sick friend, you may say to yourself, "They are just a shadow of their former self. But if we are in Christ, we are a shadow or our future self." Our goal, our longing is to know Him more so that we can better reflect Him and who we are to become through Him. Our future self in Christ is but the shadow we see here. This is why our character matters. This is why we must always be facing His light. Anyone can learn a vice. It is in living with no purpose and no goal that we venture into the world unprepared for battle and discover that we have been grabbed by a vice. We no longer are free, but trapped by a hidden snare that we walked into freely. Virtue is the opposite. Virtue is doing what we must in the small things so that when it really counts we are prepared and can land smoothly without any casualties along the way.

"And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, 'In the world you will have tribulation...' (John 16:33). This means that anything that is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, '... but be of good cheer, I have over come the world.'"(O. C.) He also told us to be born again and follow Him. 

When a baby is born we do not expect it to be full of knowledge and able to run. No, it is cradled and carried for quite some time. Then as she grow she gets her strength. She begins her life of adventure and discovery. It is the same with people who have been baptized\born again. They are not supposed to just have everything together. We are in a state of constant growth and development. There have been studies on taxi drivers that show how their brains are in a growth process. As they use the part of the brain called hippocampus, the part that coordinates spacial reasoning, this area is significantly larger than most. They have developed over time and become a new person. We are to develop over time. We are to become a new person. We are to become more like our future self. Be patient with yourself. I must be willing to allow myself time. But in this time I must keep my focus clear so that I do not become trapped by a vice. We must be strong in character, developing more and more each day with purpose and strength. 

"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13:11

Love is not our duty, but our destiny! Our greatest command...

Deeds of the Heart

"....Now someone may argue, 'Some people have faith; others have good deeds.' But I say, 'How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.'...” James 2:14-26

We have gotten things so out of line in our Christian teachings. I grew up with the thought that I needed to be good for God to save me. Not that that is what I was told, but that is what I heard through my young hearts understanding. The hell and brimstone approach was not working for me. "Live good and you'll go to heaven. Be bad and you'll be punished, possibly right to hell." Then there is also the other approach, "You can do anything you like. God loves you and He doesn't care how you live." Is there a balance? Why does it seem that God loves "sinners" till they are saved, then He expects them to change and be perfect? Or the other, that He doesn't expect anything from us, but Jesus does it all and He doesn't care how we live now?

When I started to have a better understanding of God and His love, I started to respond differently to life. When scripture talks about your deeds, it isn't to earn anything.  I don't live differently to make God love me or to earn my salvation. I live differently to "thank Him." I live differently so others can see Him through my life.  Not that I live perfectly now, but everything I do, I try and put Him first in my actions. I try and be a good representative of Him.

I have no doubt that others have been offended by me, don't like me, think I do not do a good job in this or that. My initial reaction is usually not the appropriate reaction. I must take a moment and let Christ have His way with my heart. I'm judgmental and give up very easily on others. If I do not see a change of actions on their part, I give up on them and assume they'll never change. That is my first response. My hope is that others do not see my response, but that they see His response through me. I pray that He opens my heart and eyes to them, so that I can see Him working (no matter what they are doing). 

"It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do- God's purpose to to make us one with Himself." Oswald Chambers, Christian Perfection

Do you see what I see? It's not about "them!" It's about me and my relationship with my God and how I respond to life. Do I allow Him to lead me and take control of my heart? Do I love Him when I am sick? Do I lean upon Him when I am well? 

"Oh God, help me to see you better today. Help me to respond with your love as I encounter your people. Help me to not judge with my eyes and let me have your heart. You are a good God and I am so thankful for Your jealous love for me. Help us Lord to live a life that responds to Your love for us with a thankful life response. Help us to live differently today. Help us to be a good representative for you in our work, in our home. Help us to love in truth, in Your truth. Thank You my Lord. In Jesus name, Amen."