Happily Ever Monday? – Can’t I just Chill.. in Christ? - Purity
534
Purity 534 09/27/2021 Purity 534 Podcast
Good morning
Today’s photo of the waters of Lake Ontario comes to us from a friend
who in part celebrated their birthday by visiting the scenic wonders at Chimney
Bluffs State Park in Wolcott NY on Saturday. I share it today because of its
scenic beauty and because the peaks and valleys of the bluffs on the shores of
Lake Ontario can represent the ups and downs that we will experience in life
that make us wonder what our ultimate purpose is.
Yesterday in our Bible study discussion Arthur and Suzanna Cincotti and I
discussed the concept of giving God glory and how, because He is the author of
all creation and will determine the course of all existence through history,
and as the Westminster Catechism (https://www.apuritansmind.com/westminster-standards/shorter-catechism/) affirms, the chief end
of man, our purpose, is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
While that is man’s stated end, or purpose, the concept may seem overly
spiritual, sentimental, or just confusing and is often simplified as “living a
good life” of being personally responsible and morally upstanding, for the most
part. So even for those that want to “glorify
God” and enjoy Him forever, this purpose could just be seen as an underlying
subtle part of our normal lives with its traditional goals of finding a career,
a life partner, and having a family.
These traditional goals are prominent in our lives because they are
integral in providing us with the means to support ourselves and a measure of
our need to feel accepted, significant, and secure. We may
spend years pursuing the goals of achieving a certain career position or in
finding that life partner that will “complete” us and building a family.
We pointed out yesterday in our discussion that these goals are good and
can lead to a thriving life of success and familial happiness but if God is not
honored in that life journey, all the accomplishments and close personal
relationships that were enjoyed will prove to be of little value as the person
finds themselves separated from God and consigned to the outer darkness of Hell
where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth”.
So obviously we recommended a relationship with God through faith in
Jesus Christ to remedy this situation. But as I have thought about our life’s
purpose today, I am pondering the question of next steps, for those who are
saved and who have reached their goals in life and ministry.
Because of the dissolution of my marriage in 2018, I had to face the
challenges of building a “new life” for myself by finding a new home and a
direction for the rest of my life, all the while having to work and try to
direct my children. The Lord has been
with me and provided for everything I needed in that regard.
As I walked alone, the question of the possibility of a new life partner
was always an “out there” possibility which I didn’t make any overt attempts to
pursue but at the same time was one that I hoped would materialize some day and
one that I remained open to receive.
The Lord has graciously sent a beautiful faithful woman of God into my
life and even though it took me some time to realize she was “right here in
front of me” I finally woke up and have been overcome with joy as we have not only
confessed our love for one another but are eagerly anticipating being married. So to paraphrase Sammy Sosa’s “baseball has
been very, very, good to me”, in my Christian walk , God has been very very
good to me!
I am thrilled that my “happily ever after” is on the horizon, but as we
all know life is not a fairy tale and “happily ever after” even in the Disney
universe, now, usually results in a sequel!
Because life is continuous our journey doesn’t end. So even though we
can accomplish some life goals and actually experience receiving the desires of
our hearts, we still must go forward in our life.
The question for the Christian is: Now that you have gotten what you
were hoping for, what do you do next? Do
you stop your walk on the path of Christian Discipleship to set up house and
relax with a new ministry of offering thanks and praise from the comforts of
your couch? Can we just chill… in Christ?
I absolutely love the song “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol that asks the
question:
“If I lay here,
If I just lay here,
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”
Now that I have found the love of my new life in Christ with Tammy Lyn
can I just spend the rest of my days with the purpose of just loving her in
Christian wedded bliss, forsaking all other activities?
As appealing as that might sound, the harsh realities of Monday morning
help us with answering that question.
We still must provide for ourselves. We still have to work. We still must
deal with the challenges of changing circumstances.
And because we are in the world, as Christians we are called to do more
than just chill… in Christ. Sure, I have found the love of Christ and now
have found the person who I am certain will be the love of my life… but other
people out there haven’t secured their place in God’s kingdom and are walking
in darkness and the suffering that I knew all too well for most of my
life.
So while I may want to lament over another Monday morning and the fact
that, while I have found the love of my life in Tammy Lyn, we still have miles
to walk before we can be married and live together, I need to remember that God
didn’t bring me into His kingdom for my personal happiness.
God calls us into His kingdom to represent Him on earth and to share His
love. We are to use our lives to glorify God and to endeavor to expand His
kingdom by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through our words and actions.
So don’t be down in the dumps because its Monday and we have to go back
to the grind and leave the good times of the weekend behind. God has given us eternal life and we should
rejoice over that regardless of the day, or the circumstances of our lives.
He has provided for us and blessed us, so we can rejoice over that
too. But we should never become so “happy”
that we forget that the people of the world desperately need God and they need
to know the truth of how they can be reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus
Christ.
So keep walking and talking with God. Rejoice over all He has done for you
but be sure to shine a light in the darkness by representing His kingdom by
sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, any way you can.
This morning’s meditation
verse is:
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV)
13 For this reason we also
thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you
heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it
is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
Today’s verse speaks
of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the practice of
thanksgiving.
As Christians, we
have been saved from God’s wrath and our just punishment because of Jesus
Christ. If we were to spend the rest of our lives suffering, we would still
have ample reason to thank God!
And even if we went
through various trials and sufferings for the rest of our days, the likelihood is
that no matter what we suffered, our suffering could somehow have been worse. Even those who have been prisoners of war or
consigned to concentration camps have been able to recognize that some days
were better than others and they were able to find things to be thankful for in
the most horrible and abysmal circumstances.
So as we recommend
for all Christians, begin, or continue, the daily practice of giving thanks to
God for: who He is, what He has done in general, and what He has done for you
specifically.
Today’s verse also
speaks of the fact that the “good news” is not something that man made up but
is God’s plan for the redemption of men and that we are to share it with
others. This verse indicates we are to present
the gospel with the Word of God in order to let God “effectively” use us to
bring people to believe in Him and be translated into His kingdom.
So thank the Lord
everyday for your salvation and all He is, and for all He has done for us in general,
and for what He has done for you personally.
Let your thanksgiving
draw you closer to the Father and motivate you to share His love with the world
that dearly needs it.
As
always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from
prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with
their walk.
Today we continue to share from June Hunt’s
Boundaries: How to Set Them, How to Keep Them.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and
to support her work. If you need this title you can find it online at several
sites for less than $5.00:
G. How to Respond When Boundary Lines Are Crossed
According to Bill Rodgers, Jacqueline Gareau's public response to crossed
boundary lines has been "amazing." "She doesn't have any ill
feelings to Rosie at all," Bill further shares. "To lose this moment
is pretty hard to deal with. She just kept cool under fire. She never said
anything terrible about Rosie. She didn't say anything negative about the BAA [Boston
Athletic Association]. She was just cool, and she's the same way today."
Considering Jacqueline's incredible athletic accomplishments, it is
"amazing" that she has been so genteel toward someone described as a
genuine cheat. She wins nine marathons, competes on the Canadian Olympic team,
wins the extremely fatiguing Mount Washington Road Race three times, and is
named Canadian Marathoner of the 20th Century.
Jacqueline manifests a forgiving heart toward Rosie, a vital virtue in
Scripture. . . .
"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you."
We all have physical, moral, and personal boundaries that should not be
violated. Do you know your specific boundaries? Do you know how to respond when
your boundary limits have been trampled? Do you know where to draw the line?
To help identify your boundaries, pay attention when your emotions are
intense, dark, shaming, or guilt-ridden in response to something someone has
said or done to you. . . . Your boundaries are being crossed.
The following responses will help you educate those in your life who are
verbally and emotionally crossing the line.
"Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies
kisses."
|
• Inform: |
"Do you realize that you are speaking loudly?" "Do you know how your words are sounding?" "Do you know that you are saying things that are making me feel
uncomfortable? |
|
• Identify: |
"Please lower your voice." "Please stop using that kind of language." "Please explain
your anger." |
|
• Implore: |
"Stop insulting me with your words." "Stop these painful
outbursts." "Stop hurting me in this way." |
|
• Insist: |
"You must stop speaking to me in that tone of voice." "You will have to change this way of communicating with me."
"You may not continue to hurt me in this way." |
|
• Instruct: |
"This is how I want you to speak to me." "When you communicate with me, this is what I expect..." "When vou (name behavior). it hurts me. This is what I want vou to
do." |
|
• Invite: |
"I am open to working this out when you can be reasonable." "I care about you and our relationship, but I need you to change your
ways when communicating with me." "I am willing to go to counseling with you if you agree." |
|
• Impact: |
"I am now leaving in order to protect myself." "Because this behavior is unacceptable to me, I am going to distance
myself from you for a time." |
"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the
Lord is kept safe." (Proverbs 29:25)
Biblical Counseling Keys: Boundaries: How to See Them - How to Keep Them.
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