Testing the new blackberry!:)

Whose World Are You Living In?

Whose world are you living in?

A couple of years ago, I was having a "discussion" with one of my closest friends, both of us having an opinion about something and neither one of us willing to budge. Her husband was sitting next to me, and tapped me on the arm and said...

"Don't you know by now that it's her world and we're just living in it?"

WOW! What a statement! It sure did shed a lot of light on my friendship with that person; and here a couple of years later, it still sticks in my mind, and I have to ask myself this question:

WHOSE WORLD AM I LIVING IN??

In the past few weeks, I have really meditated on that question. And I didn't like the answer I got. I didn't like it at all.

I realized that since I got saved in 2005, I have been more focused on pleasing other people than on pleasing God. I think this stems from a couple of things: First, when I got saved, God had to cleanse a lot of anger out of me. He used some special people in my life to help do this, and they confronted me (although sometimes it wasn't in a very loving manner) about my anger, my jealousy, and how I was sinning against God with these behaviors. I learned that when you get saved, God's goal is to grow you to be more like Him. Secondly, I never wanted anyone "upset" with me about anything.

But in that process, I focused more on those people who were correcting me, and often allowed their opinions to mean more to me than God's Word in the situation. Sometimes I just took their word for Gospel and didn't bother to read my Bible to see what God said about it. If my friends said I was wrong, then I must be wrong...these are Christians that should know what they are talking about, right?

Wrong. When we do this to each other, we are putting ourselves in the place of God. There is confrontation that is spiritual (Matthew 18) and we need to address things in people's lives that go against God's Word. But we need to make sure when we are confronting people, that we are doing it in a Scriptural manner and not of our own opinion.

My sin was placing people's opinions above God's Word. And I have lived too long in the bondage of living in someone else's world. I am weary from trying to meet others expectations of me, when they aren't God's expectations of me. I have to search His Word for my answers, and be careful of other people's opinions.

It's funny with people who expect us to live in their worlds...they aren't that open to being confronted about themselves. Especially Scripturally. I think that's where I struggled the most because even when I had to confront these same friends about things in their lives, they always brought it back to me.

Guess that explains fallen man...it's never our fault, is it? The boogeyman made me do it. Try that excuse when you stand before God to account for your life.

So today I have chosen to move out of other people's worlds: I will no longer dwell in the opinions of my friends, but will live freely in the Word of God and do the things He has called me to do. My friends don't have to agree with me, nor do I have to agree with them. I challenge them and myself to drink in God's Word so that we are walking in His Will and know the difference between loving, Scriptural confrontation and just having unrealistic expectations.

On that day when I am on my face before Him, I will not be able to blame someone else for my life. I will be wholelly accountable for all I have done. I want to hear "Well done, my good and faithful servant"...and I want to humbly walk into Heaven and live with my Saviour for eternity.

That's the world I want to live in.

It's just what's on my mind.

Her Life Spoke His Name

This past Tuesday I was honored to be in attendance to remember a very special lady.

My friend Debby's mom, Elsie Hall, went home to be with Jesus after 88 years full of serving Him. I didn't know her personally, but after I attended her funeral, I felt like we had been friends. I listened to several people speak of her life, and I was humbled by her relationship with the Lord.

The thing that sticks in my mind the most is when Rev. Tom Fowler told the story from the Bible of Mary and Martha; and he explained how Mrs. Hall was so much like Mary, and spent her life at the feet of Jesus, seeking His face and His will.

We need more examples of good, faithful servants such as this.

I truly see that her life spoke His name.

Does your life speak the name of Jesus?

It's just what's on my mind...