One of the things that I love the most about following Jesus, is that by now I have learned, that if God brings something up in my life, I can rest assured that it will keep coming up until I understand the deeper point that He wanted me to understand. I don't have to sit for hours, agonizing and trying to figure it all out. God will, in His time, reveal.
This morning as I sat down to spend time in the word and read through my devotional (Abide), the same themes of the last month, whispered again.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:1-15
Beauty
Thoughts on beauty have been pressing in over the past few months. It began when I decided it was time to try online dating. Did you ever have those times where you are surprised by a bunch of junk that comes up again when you thought you were over it? Yeah...
All of a sudden, there I was, back at the start...struggling with feelings of worth and beauty once again. My thoughts began to drift to, "Who will even contact the "fat" girl?" Ugh. Really? Then there was the day, I dressed up in my most beautiful dress...and happened to be at my parents' house that day. All little girls, even the all grown up ones, want their daddy to think they are beautiful. My dad that day...said nothing. Old Agreements, 1, Freedom, 0. And down the spiral went.
I know deep down what's true--that in God's eyes I'm beautiful...and that's the message that I thought Jesus wanted me to understand. I think, in part, it is. My perspective has changed over the past three weeks, in part because I have resolved to trust the Lord of the Universe. But there's also this:
" As we strive to look beautiful, we need to encourage one another to be beautiful." That's what Colossians brings to light. Looking upward to a God that is the ONLY one who can transform our minds, our lives, and create something beautiful. He's created us beautiful, both inside and outside, and it's with a focus on His truth, that this comes into play.
"When our desire for outer beauty marries our desire for inner beauty, integration will take place in our lives and we will be standing on the edge of transformation.We will be drawing into the deepening places." ~Macrina Wiederkehr
And that brings me to theme #2. Inner beauty...
Mine needs some cultivation. One area that I feel Jesus tapping on my heart is in regards to
Thankfulness.
And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
That's where my heart is going to dwell this week. More on that later...
This morning as I sat down to spend time in the word and read through my devotional (Abide), the same themes of the last month, whispered again.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:1-15Beauty
Thoughts on beauty have been pressing in over the past few months. It began when I decided it was time to try online dating. Did you ever have those times where you are surprised by a bunch of junk that comes up again when you thought you were over it? Yeah...
All of a sudden, there I was, back at the start...struggling with feelings of worth and beauty once again. My thoughts began to drift to, "Who will even contact the "fat" girl?" Ugh. Really? Then there was the day, I dressed up in my most beautiful dress...and happened to be at my parents' house that day. All little girls, even the all grown up ones, want their daddy to think they are beautiful. My dad that day...said nothing. Old Agreements, 1, Freedom, 0. And down the spiral went.
I know deep down what's true--that in God's eyes I'm beautiful...and that's the message that I thought Jesus wanted me to understand. I think, in part, it is. My perspective has changed over the past three weeks, in part because I have resolved to trust the Lord of the Universe. But there's also this:
" As we strive to look beautiful, we need to encourage one another to be beautiful." That's what Colossians brings to light. Looking upward to a God that is the ONLY one who can transform our minds, our lives, and create something beautiful. He's created us beautiful, both inside and outside, and it's with a focus on His truth, that this comes into play.
"When our desire for outer beauty marries our desire for inner beauty, integration will take place in our lives and we will be standing on the edge of transformation.We will be drawing into the deepening places." ~Macrina Wiederkehr
And that brings me to theme #2. Inner beauty...
Mine needs some cultivation. One area that I feel Jesus tapping on my heart is in regards to
Thankfulness.
And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
That's where my heart is going to dwell this week. More on that later...
