Scrub Brush Theology

This post is going to be a little more off the cuff than normal, but here we go…

I was at work today and I noticed that the handrails were filthy.  I was so grossed out that I decided to clean them.  The only tool that I could find was an equally filthy scrub brush that had all sorts of adhesive stuck to its bristles.  I was thinking, “what good could this do?  I might as well find another one.”  But I stuck with this one.

As I was scrubbing the handrails, I noticed something odd.  The adhesive on the bristles were falling off, and by the time I was done I had a clean scrub brush!  Then I had an epiphany.

Often times, we think that we are the scrub brush.  Since we are covered in black gunk that other people leave on us, we feel that we shouldn’t be used for our intended purpose.  I found this in my life at times, and I have heard a lot of people use these phrases:

I would get back into the ministry, but I am still healing.

I would like to have a relationship someday, but I am still hurt.

I would like to pursue my dreams, but I am not in a good place right now.

To that, I answer:

As I begin to serve others in ministry, I find healing through caring for others and others caring for me as well.  It was frustrating for me to not get my career in church ministry or in the Navy Chaplain Corps, but once I engaged in my new vocational field, life sort of came together for me and made sense and I was able to let go of the frustration from the past.  But I had to put myself out there to get the gunk off.

If I focus on the gunk left on me due to drama from past relationships/interests, I will never accept the joy of a healthy relationship.  Even though I have dealt with dramatic and abusive women in the past, that is the past and I can't let it dictate or hinder my current relationship.  As time goes on I have found that the gunk that has built up over the years begins to disappear and healing is found in a reciprocating relationship.

God believes in you and he gave you dreams for a reason, it is never too early and rarely ever too late to pursue those dreams.  God has a funny way of bringing things into place as we pursue his will.  I have definitely seen the hand of God a few times when the impossible became possible.  That’s why when I find myself in his will, I find that fear, past failures, criticism, and other destructive thoughts that gunk up on me fade away as I am pursuing his will.  As for perfect timing, the only timing that is perfect is God's timing!

The thing is that as we pursue our intended purpose, we are like that brush that is scrubbing on the rail.  It is doing what it was made to do, and in doing so, it is freed of the burdens that are attaching itself to it.  As someone who has been going through that cleansing process, I can say that it is a great feeling and I hope that you all can experience it! 

Overcoming Stress

Helping people overcome stress and other issues that hinder them from reaching God’s best for their life is something that I am passionate about.  For me, I have always found it quite difficult “being still and know that I am God” when hell is throwing everything but the kitchen sink at me.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, chaos is the way of the devil.  Satan is a bull in a china shop and he wants to watch the world burn. 

Why does he act that way?  Because if we are constantly running around panicked and frustrated, we cannot focus on what needs to be done, most of all, it hinders our ability to hear from God and do what he asks.

Think about the different ways in which Hell tries to keep us out of sorts and unable to focus on God…

-We find ourselves too busy with things that need to get done and we tend to forget to talk to God.

-That contentious person that always seems to push our buttons at the wrong time and ruin our mood… do we really think that happens to be a coincidence?

-That financial problem that keeps you in the job that drains the life out of you and makes you think more about the problem at hand than living out God’s will.

-Those situations in your past that get thrown in your face to make sure that the past remains your present and future as well.

-That friend that you are loyal to who does not reciprocate that loyalty, and by doing so is keeping you from life giving friendships.

These are just a few distractions, but I noticed that Satan is full of surprises.  He knows how to get to us, and he will continue to do so if we do not know how to deal with the situation.

You might be asking, how can we do that?  Be still.

When you read Psalm 46, the Psalmist is talking about natural disasters and war.  What is the response during that time?  Be still.  You might ask, “why be still?  There is obviously something wrong here and we have to act now!”  But what good are we if we are acting without a clear mind?

In my life, I have found my worst decisions have been impulsive ones.  I have never known God to hurry me into a decision, and I doubt he will with you.   So what do we do?

-Know the shepherd’s voice:  This can be learned by reading the word, praying habitually, and engaging in many of the disciplines (see Richard Foster’s Celebration of Disciplines for a full list).   This way, you will never be fooled when a “false shepherd” comes and tries to convince you that they are the true shepherd.  The same way a banker knows a counterfeit dollar bill because they are constantly working with dollar bills, we will know the voice of God since we spend so much time with him.  If we are rushed, we might following the wrong voice.  Being still helps recognize his voice from the imposter’s voice.

-Control the Tempo:  In basketball, fast paced offenses rely on their ability to outrun the competition.  To shut down the offense, the team on defense must take away the speed game and force them into trying to be fundamental.  In the same way, when we give ourselves time to think and react to what Satan is doing, he is unable to rush us into bad decisions.

-Pray for strength and wisdom:  James writes that those who lack wisdom should ask for it, and it will be given to them (James 1:5).  It is also written that he will help us endure hardships (2 Corinthians 4:7-12).  Ask God for those as we take on our struggles and attacks from the enemy.  When I rush to counter the attack, I usually forget to ask for this.  God is stronger and wiser, so it is in our best interest ask for his help.

-Build a team to help you:  Often times, we try to do it alone.  We think that it is our burden to bear or we don't trust others.  This is why we have to remember to have people in our lives that keep us accountable, help us get tasks done, and stand along side us in prayer.   Remember, where two or three are gathered, so is God (Matthew 18:20).  While being still, carefully pick people to assist you through this time.

These are just a few things that can help you along the way, but I wanted to write this because it seems that I have known too many people recently who are being frustrated by they enemies chaos tactics. Elijah encountered God not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire.  It was a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13). 

So if you are struggling today with a chaotic life, take a deep breath, be still, and listen.  It is not easy, but in the end it is worth it because it is better to wait on the Lord patiently than run into a mistake that’s hard to undo.

In closing, I am praying for peace and wisdom for whoever reads this today.  God bless you, and may you find freedom from stress!

God Teaching Me About Grace

If you are anything like me, there are times in my life when I sit and wonder, “Why does God put up with me?”  I mean if I were God (I don’t want that job, so don’t think I am going there!)… I would be pretty frustrated.  I feel like I get stuck on the same sins and that I tend to do more harm than good sometimes.  So if you feel as if you are on a hamster wheel of terror, have no fear!  I am going to share with you what I have learned about God’s grace.

Lets say that you own a house and occasionally allow people to stay with you.  That, or lets say you have one of those houses where people are constantly coming in and out.  What you learn quickly is that people break stuff, dirty the carpet, and eat your favorite snacks whether you like it or not.  With that in mind, the guests react in a few different ways during these circumstances.

1.     There is the individual who is inconveniencing you but really not trying to do that.  They may stumble around and break something, or track in mud when they come in the house, but they are usually very apologetic and usually want to repay you or fix the problem.  There will always be consequences for actions, but it is easier to handle them because you know that this person did not set out to do it.

2.     Then there is the type of individual who knows that you are going to be gracious, and then proceeds to be careless because, “They will forgive you.”  These individuals tend to be very presumptuous and self-centered.  The problem here is that they have cheapened your generosity into a presumption.  In the same vein, they have dumbed down Jesus’ death and sacrifice into a “get out of jail free card” and truly miss the point.  Jesus died to save people, not let those who follow him do whatever they please without consequence.

3.     The third type is the type that stays in their room and does not interact with you for fear of doing something wrong.  These people are like ghosts and they never really form a relationship with you because of their fear.  In the same way, they never really have a relationship with Jesus and do not understand that he is not a cruel perfectionist and that he gives grace.

When God looks at our hearts, he looks for those who want to seek after him and are trying not to make a bigger mess.  They generally understand that they have received grace, and because of that they do not want to abuse that grace.  So if you are in that category, than you have nothing to be concerned about!  Most Christians are and I am sure you are, but hopefully this illustration can help you see this topic in a new light.  Especially because there are heresies going around that cheapen the blood of Jesus, and we must be able to dialogue with those people!

So if you are the type that is beating yourself up over failing to meet what you perceive as Gods standards, just remember that God knows your heart.  Yes, you might break a few things here and there or get frustrated, but if you are remorseful and try to improve, he sees that and honors your effort.  He also loves you and it saddens him at times when you make mistakes or the sins of others impact your life, so please don’t think that he is ready to smite you for a mistake!

He knows that working out your salvation can take a lifetime, so he knows that we are prone to making mistakes through out our lifetime.  Just as we are called to be patient and forgive with others in those circumstances, he too is patient and forgiving with us (Mark 11:25 & 26).  So lets begin to grasp hold of that reality while living honorably for a loving and patient God.

Take Captive Every Word

So this was definitely something that was impressed upon me as I was at work earlier today.  In the past few days, I have noticed that Satan to try to trash the self-esteem and self-image of my self and someone else close to me.  Instead of allowing us to accept the fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully created and that we are God’s work that is wonderful (Ps. 139:14), he has a tendency to point out our flaws to try to make us ineffective.

I told someone close to me the other day that Satan often times does not focus on the smaller things in life, but instead he tries to overwhelm us where we are strong.  In the past year, I have experienced that quite a bit.  I had a break through yesterday after I realized what it is that Satan is doing, and I feel as if God has lifted that burden from me.  Satan was discouraging me from pursuing my goal because he knows the damage that I can do to his kingdom.

So how do we change our perspective?  Many will say to surround yourself with wise counsel, healthy friends, study the word, and spend time with God.  Those are all well and good, but we must remember to do something at the very basic level: Take every thought captive.

Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians 10:5.  He talks about the spiritual battles that we encounter, and that the weapons that we us are spiritual and not earthly.  Things that are dangerous to our souls are errant words, insults we received growing up, and spiteful criticism to name a few.  Can we avoid these words or change these words?  No, unfortunately.  We have to be able to forgive those who said it and know that it is not our true identity and not let it stick to us.  How do we do this?  Take every thought captive and test it.

I wish I had a cool acronym for this, but here are the steps to taking words captive:

Identify:  You have to know where the attack is coming from.  Often times, if we do not know our enemy, we are sent into a panic or get frustrated because the picture is not very clear.  That is why we have to be able to sit and figure out that it is Satan sending these messages to us.

Engage:  If we just sit back and let him attack, we will lose.  This is why we have to take an active stand.  Pray against words and aggression that is tormenting you.  Establish a group of friends who will intercede when you are weak and be willing to stand along side you when you are strong.

Disarm:  Satan is the father of all lies (John 8:44).  Know that what he speaks is cancerous.  Once you expose his lies, yes, he may continue to fight and struggle, but the main point of his attack will be taken away.

Bind:  When someone is taken captive, they are bound and can be led around by force.  This is why we must make sure that when we have these words, that we show that we are the ones in control, and that the words do not control us. 

Detain:  After someone is taken captive, they are detained.  While being detained, the words will be tested and revealed as beneficial or malicious.  In this case, the malicious words will be destroyed or locked away because they serve no good.  But always remember, you are in power over the words… not them over you.

Today is the day that I hope that you will be able to take a stand against the destruction sent at us.  I know in my life, I had quite a few words that were thrown my way that were total lies.  Whether it was someone discouraging me when I was happy, being told that I was not adequate, someone trying to defeat me before I began something, it is evident that Satan is attacking me.  I continue to press on because I do not want to give him the satisfaction of winning. 

Also, it is worth noting, that Satan answers to God… not God to Satan (Job 1:6).  So continue to ask God for the strength to endure and the power to cast out his darkness. You are a conqueror through Christ who loves us (Rom 8:37), the battle might not yet be won, but it will be and we should live with that confidence that we will win.

Know that I firmly believe that you can conquer the negative words in your life.  God believes in you too.  There will be many trials that come our way and will shape our character, but he is there to help us through and to give us strength.  I know that he has in my life, and I know he can in yours.

During the darker times, I have a box of cards, hand written notes, and gifts from people who love me.  This reminds me of the positive things when it feels like Satan is trying to strip me of what God has blessed me with.  I also have friends who remind me from time to time when I am down.  If you do not have either of these, please start today!  It helps me tremendously and I am sure it will help you as well!  We need encouraging reminders when life gets rough.

In closing, I want to remind you that instead of the lies that you have been given, remember…

I am a child of God

I am fearfully and wonderfully made

I am a conqueror

Whatever negative words are thrown your way will never those descriptions away that away.  So stand tall, stand strong, and take captive every word.