Beloved, Straighten Your Crown!
It was messy, but it was beautiful. Isn’t life like that? Life is messy. We are messy people, full of conflicting emotions and bold dreams and dark fears. We are never going to be able to control tomorrow, predict next week, or fully prepare for next year. We are messy. And guess what, we are beautiful!
What are we teaching our children about God? What spiritual foundation are we laying down for them? When our children are adults, will they have to tear down the faulty foundations we are laying down for them now? Or will they be able to build upon the firm foundation of faith we are laying down for them now? If we do not teach our children to follow God, the world will teach them not to.
As a little girl, I remember my grandmother telling me, “The devil cannot make you bad, but he can make you busy.” Well, these days I certainly have been busy. I have been busy supporting my husband in ministry. I have been busy homeschooling my children. I have been busy maintaining my house. I absolutely have been busy tackling the never-ending supply of dirty laundry and the never-empty sink of dirty dishes.
And then we become adults. We look around us, at our home and family and occupation. Maybe some us feel like we missed the boat, or took the wrong boat, or paddled around in circles. Maybe we feel that we have arrived, or that we will never arrive. Whatever our answer, the question remains the same: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “Am I where I am supposed to be?” “Am I doing what God created me to do?” “I just want to know I’m in the right place.”
Eucharisteo. The art of living in thankfulness. Made possible by grace. Paving the way to joy. Thankfulness. The cure for the "common cold" of the mundane life, of bitterness and fear. The remedy for the discontented life, of self-hatred and relentless anxiety.
The question is, my friend, are we preparing a place for our King? Have we prepared a place in our soul for Him? Have we prepared a place in our day for Him today? Do we squeeze Jesus in where we can, as an afterthought? Or do we PREPARE A PLACE for Him? This is an intentional act of preparation. Work done with anticipation of a great arrival. Do we come to God with anticipation and purpose, as He does when He is chasing us in passionate pursuit?
We are God’s MAGNUM OPUS. We are His greatest work. We are the crowning, finishing touch on creation. We are created in His image, as His children, crafted by His hands. So that He may pour out His love upon us, and that we may know and love Him. Let yourself believe you are the MAGNUM OPUS of the Creator of the Universe! We need to believe this! In God’s eyes, we are the most beautiful and greatest thing He created.
You are Beautiful. You are Fearfully and Wonderfully made. You are a Royal Heir to the King. You are a Warrior. You are Free! You are a Masterpiece You are Crafted by the Creator Himself. You are Fierce. You are Strong. You are a Victorious Conqueror. Ephesians 6:10-18
So, if we all need rules, and we are not living by the rules of the Lord and His Living Word, then we are living by our own rules - the rules of the flesh - the ways of this sinful world. Follow me as we compare the economy of God (the guidelines of the Living Word) and the economy of man (our set of standards we establish in a desperate effort to obtain security).
Today is Mother's Day. This is the day to honor the overworked, underpaid, sleep deprived, tired, strong, beautiful woman. I am reminded of the verse in Proverbs 31, "her lamp does not go out at night."
It is the will of God that we, as His children, are rooted and established in love, and built up in Christ. God's desire for us is to be so aware of the great love He has for us, that we never feel alone...even when we are alone. That we feel His presence even when our circumstances tempt us to doubt Him. That we trust His provision even when we have trouble understanding why certain things are happening. That we look outside and see the beautiful sunset, and the rushing ocean, and the majestic mountains, and know that our daddy made His creation to display His splendor to us and His love for us.
She was a harlot and a liar. But she was willing to believe that God could use her. Even though she was clearly defiled, broken, dirty, guilty.
Chain Breakhers 