Resolving conflicts. Sounds like a topic that someone would only write about after doing countless hours of research. And I have. I have read a lot of Internet articles, excerpts from books authored by scholars who "know what they are talking about".
However, they all seem to say the same thing.
One article I read summed it up. The author said that there are 7 easy steps to resolving personal conflict with your brother or sister. I would like to share them with you now.
1. If there is conflict
2. You
3. Go
4. To the person
5. In private
6. And discuss the problem
7. For the purpose of reconciliation
I love it!!! The author is trying to tell us to not make it more complicated than it is.
We think solving conflict is hard. But, Matthew 18:15 explains it so simply.
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him ALONE!
Why in the round world do we think we must involve everyone in our conflict?
I am so guilty of this. If someone hurts my feelings or angers me, I immediately go to a good friend, or my husband, or a mentor to "tell on them". If I am honest, the only reason I tell these people about the issue, is so they will feel sorry for me, or be on my side. God has taught
me this week, this is wrong.
What good comes from sharing others sins? None. If you tell me that "Sister-talks-a-lot"
has hurt your feelings again, what am I going to think about her? I will not look at her the same way, and she has done nothing to me. I keep hearing saints say, "She has hurt my feelings again, something has to be done about her". You got that right! Something needs to be done. She needs restoration. The kind of restoration that can only be done with love. Love covers a multitude of sins. But...the resolution needs to be between the two parties involved. Everyone does not need to be involved unless the "feeling-hurter" rejects the one hurt. Then, Matthew tells us to take one or two more to this person to see if this person will then hear. If that doesn't work we take it before the church.
It seems in our resolution process, we skip the first step. And we are praying, during the conflict, that God will resolve everything. We ask Him to work it out and to restore fellowship, but we don't want to do it HIS way. The right way. The only way. Why do we expect Him to bless our efforts?
This has been a hard lesson for me to swallow this week. I love to talk. I love to tell stories.
And, the more embellished they are the better. My love and pursuit of righteousness has to be greater than my love for talk. Because my "talk" turns into gossip and gossip is, simply put, sin.
I can paint it any color I want, but it is still sin. It keeps me from having a right relationship with my heavenly Father. I can't afford to be out of fellowship with the one who continues to deliver me.
Resolve your conflicts with others today, the right way!
Friday, 11 May 2007
Friday, 27 April 2007
It has been a few weeks since my last entry. I have taken on a 2nd job, and it seemed to consume all my time. I even allowed it to invade on my time with the Father. Shame on me. So... I have cut back on work. Everything seemed to be suffering because of this job. Mostly my job as a wife and mother.
I was reading yesterday in John. Thinking about what happened to Jesus and the disciples after the resurrection. I read in John 20 how Mary went looking for Jesus. The first verse tells us she went to the tomb while it was still dark. Why? Why was Mary up so early? Or... had she not slept the night before? What was she thinking? Why was she so anxious to get to Jesus' body?
We know that they could not go to the tomb before this particular morning because of the Sabbath. I wonder if she thought about Him all weekend? I believe she did. I think she went to the tomb at the first possible time.
How different would my life be, if I thought about Him constantly? How different would our times with Him be if we rose early and met with Him at the earliest time possible? Because of the law, Mary had to wait until the sun started coming up to be with Jesus, we don't. We have a 24/7 access to the throne of Grace. Do we take advantage of this opportunity? It is sad to think that Mary Magdalene wanted to be with Jesus so bad, but had to wait. We can be with Him anytime, but we choose to do other things. How sad.
Verse 17 tells us that when she finally got to be with the resurrected Jesus, He told her, "Mary, don't cling to me" (The Message). The word used here in the Greek, implies that she was holding on to Him. I can almost hear her saying "I have been wanting to be with you all weekend, I am not letting go of you now". But Jesus said "Mary, let go... I can't just stay here with you all day, I have stuff to do" (my translation). Don't you know she was probably holding on to Him with both hands desperately not wanting Him to leave her again. But Jesus was saying to her, that even though this is a great moment, we can't stay here. There are other things to do.
Sometimes we have great times with the Master. We are basking in His presence and loving being in His glory. But, we can't stay there. There is work to be done for the kingdom.
Will you work for His Kingdom today?
I was reading yesterday in John. Thinking about what happened to Jesus and the disciples after the resurrection. I read in John 20 how Mary went looking for Jesus. The first verse tells us she went to the tomb while it was still dark. Why? Why was Mary up so early? Or... had she not slept the night before? What was she thinking? Why was she so anxious to get to Jesus' body?
We know that they could not go to the tomb before this particular morning because of the Sabbath. I wonder if she thought about Him all weekend? I believe she did. I think she went to the tomb at the first possible time.
How different would my life be, if I thought about Him constantly? How different would our times with Him be if we rose early and met with Him at the earliest time possible? Because of the law, Mary had to wait until the sun started coming up to be with Jesus, we don't. We have a 24/7 access to the throne of Grace. Do we take advantage of this opportunity? It is sad to think that Mary Magdalene wanted to be with Jesus so bad, but had to wait. We can be with Him anytime, but we choose to do other things. How sad.
Verse 17 tells us that when she finally got to be with the resurrected Jesus, He told her, "Mary, don't cling to me" (The Message). The word used here in the Greek, implies that she was holding on to Him. I can almost hear her saying "I have been wanting to be with you all weekend, I am not letting go of you now". But Jesus said "Mary, let go... I can't just stay here with you all day, I have stuff to do" (my translation). Don't you know she was probably holding on to Him with both hands desperately not wanting Him to leave her again. But Jesus was saying to her, that even though this is a great moment, we can't stay here. There are other things to do.
Sometimes we have great times with the Master. We are basking in His presence and loving being in His glory. But, we can't stay there. There is work to be done for the kingdom.
Will you work for His Kingdom today?
Friday, 6 April 2007
Shall I Crucify Your King?
Good Friday. The day our Lord was crucified. As I open my Bible this morning to read John's recollection of the events of that day, I see something I haven't noticed before. John 19:15-16.
After talking with Jesus, Pilate realizes there is more to this man than he thought. He says to the Jews "Here is your King". But they cry "Crucify him". He begins to ask the Chief Priest, "Shall I crucify your King?"
And they answer "We have no King but Caesar.". This broke my heart this morning. The Chief Priests. The very ones God himself appointed,
reject His son, their Savior. They are the spiritual leaders of that time.
And yet they say, "We have no King but Caesar".
But, how many times do we live our life as if "I have no king but...". The definition of the word king means someone with a preeminent or superior position. Does my life show that Christ has a superior position over my life? Or, does my life show that I am in charge of my own life? Do I walk in obedience and submission? Or, do I walk in pride seeking my own way no matter who it hurts. Am I the King of my own life, or is He?
Later Pilate prepares a sign to hang over Jesus' head on the cross. It reads "Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews". When the Jews saw the sign, they wanted it changed. They wanted it to read "he says he is the king of the Jews". But Pilate said "what I have written, I have written".
In other words, this is His sentence, and it will not be changed. It is almost as if Pilate wanted them to know that Jesus was being crucified because He was their King.
The words of the crowd that day had to hurt as bad as the nails peircing His hands and feet. Jesus was 100% God, but also 100% man. I don't understand how, but I accept it on faith. As a man, those word must have stung. "Crucify Him..., we have no King but Caesar...he says he is the king of the Jews..."
My prayer today, on Good Friday, is that my life reflects that He is my King. If "self" is the King of my life, then I want it to be crucified. Dead. I want to be crucified with Christ, so that I might live in HIM!
What about you?
Will you crucify your King?
After talking with Jesus, Pilate realizes there is more to this man than he thought. He says to the Jews "Here is your King". But they cry "Crucify him". He begins to ask the Chief Priest, "Shall I crucify your King?"
And they answer "We have no King but Caesar.". This broke my heart this morning. The Chief Priests. The very ones God himself appointed,
reject His son, their Savior. They are the spiritual leaders of that time.
And yet they say, "We have no King but Caesar".
But, how many times do we live our life as if "I have no king but...". The definition of the word king means someone with a preeminent or superior position. Does my life show that Christ has a superior position over my life? Or, does my life show that I am in charge of my own life? Do I walk in obedience and submission? Or, do I walk in pride seeking my own way no matter who it hurts. Am I the King of my own life, or is He?
Later Pilate prepares a sign to hang over Jesus' head on the cross. It reads "Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews". When the Jews saw the sign, they wanted it changed. They wanted it to read "he says he is the king of the Jews". But Pilate said "what I have written, I have written".
In other words, this is His sentence, and it will not be changed. It is almost as if Pilate wanted them to know that Jesus was being crucified because He was their King.
The words of the crowd that day had to hurt as bad as the nails peircing His hands and feet. Jesus was 100% God, but also 100% man. I don't understand how, but I accept it on faith. As a man, those word must have stung. "Crucify Him..., we have no King but Caesar...he says he is the king of the Jews..."
My prayer today, on Good Friday, is that my life reflects that He is my King. If "self" is the King of my life, then I want it to be crucified. Dead. I want to be crucified with Christ, so that I might live in HIM!
What about you?
Will you crucify your King?
Wednesday, 4 April 2007
The Betrayal
The week before Jesus' death and resurrection, has always been very interesting to me, especially during the Easter season. As I study this Wednesday morning, I find myself reading about Judas, the betrayer.
Matthew said in chapter 26 that Judas went to the chief priest and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" How could he do such a thing? So I looked at what happened before he went to the chief priest. Interestingly, he had been with Jesus at Simon's house in Bethany. That night is when a woman came to Jesus with an Alabaster Jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on Jesus' head. Judas did not like this at all. He said the perfume should have been sold, and the money given to the poor. Yea right...he wanted the money for himself. See, Judas was the treasurer in the group. And he had been dipping into the money box for himself. Of course he was mad she didn't give that perfume up for "the cause".
The cause of Judas! He wasn't interested in the poor, he was interested in himself!
As I stand appalled at Judas' actions, I realize how many times some leaders of the church do the same thing. We start projects and "ministries" because it will be good for us. It will make us look good and fulfill a need that we have in our own hearts. Or because it will bring more people into the church, which will hopefully bring in more money, which will support our next projects. Unfortunately so many times it has nothing to do with the ministry of Christ at all. Nothing to do with bringing sinners into a saving relationship with the Savior.
When this woman poured that perfume on Jesus, she was preparing Him for burial. Jesus described her act as " a beautiful thing". Something that would be talked about around the world. It was meant to honor HIM. It was not meant to make her feel better, not to make her look good among all the other men in the room, she didn't give her perfume so people would talk about her sacrifice and praise her good works. She wanted to glorify and praise the one who had set her free from her sin!!
This Easter season I ask myself, "Am I like Judas?" "How have I betrayed Him?", "Is He pleased with my actions?". "Are the ministries I am involved in glorifying Christ?"
What are we willing to accept for betraying Jesus? Or do our actions ask the question Judas asked,
"How much will you give me to hand him over to you?"
Matthew said in chapter 26 that Judas went to the chief priest and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" How could he do such a thing? So I looked at what happened before he went to the chief priest. Interestingly, he had been with Jesus at Simon's house in Bethany. That night is when a woman came to Jesus with an Alabaster Jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on Jesus' head. Judas did not like this at all. He said the perfume should have been sold, and the money given to the poor. Yea right...he wanted the money for himself. See, Judas was the treasurer in the group. And he had been dipping into the money box for himself. Of course he was mad she didn't give that perfume up for "the cause".
The cause of Judas! He wasn't interested in the poor, he was interested in himself!
As I stand appalled at Judas' actions, I realize how many times some leaders of the church do the same thing. We start projects and "ministries" because it will be good for us. It will make us look good and fulfill a need that we have in our own hearts. Or because it will bring more people into the church, which will hopefully bring in more money, which will support our next projects. Unfortunately so many times it has nothing to do with the ministry of Christ at all. Nothing to do with bringing sinners into a saving relationship with the Savior.
When this woman poured that perfume on Jesus, she was preparing Him for burial. Jesus described her act as " a beautiful thing". Something that would be talked about around the world. It was meant to honor HIM. It was not meant to make her feel better, not to make her look good among all the other men in the room, she didn't give her perfume so people would talk about her sacrifice and praise her good works. She wanted to glorify and praise the one who had set her free from her sin!!
This Easter season I ask myself, "Am I like Judas?" "How have I betrayed Him?", "Is He pleased with my actions?". "Are the ministries I am involved in glorifying Christ?"
What are we willing to accept for betraying Jesus? Or do our actions ask the question Judas asked,
"How much will you give me to hand him over to you?"
Saturday, 24 March 2007
Why do we Celebrate?
God very gently tapped me on the shoulder this Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. I was surprised when I woke up, it was still dark outside and
I knew I didn't have to get up. So, not recognizing the reason for the stirring, I rolled over and went back to sleep. Within 5 minutes, I felt it again. Tap, tap, tap then a quiet whisper in my spirit "Hey, it's ME. I am waiting on you, get up". I almost laughed. I remembered teaching this past weekend about how the Holy Spirit will start awakening you to spend time with Him. Funny how I was the one that didn't recognize His calling.
But on to what I learned this morning. I am studying the old Passover traditions celebrated by the Jewish people. It is so interesting.
I have realized lately how we don't use our Christian celebrations as a tool for teaching. We have a HUGE celebration at Christmas, but it has been so commercialized that we forget the reason for celebrating. We even dread the celebration. And at Easter, we concentrate more on new clothes and food and candy than we do Jesus offering us new life.
How awful.
God instituted in the Old Testament certain celebrations. When talking about the passover Exodus 12:14 says:
"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord--a lasting ordinance.
He wants us to celebrate. But when it is time, we fall into a pattern that the world sets for us and we say things like "Oh, Christmas is right around the corner, I dread it". Shame on us!! We don't look forward to celebrating Christ's birth because if we are honest, His birth is not what we are celebrating. We are probably not celebrating at all, just going through the motions. Motions not ordained by God.
What if this year at Easter we taught our children and grandchildren and our neices & nephews about why we celebrate? What if we make it about more than new clothes and candy? What if everything in their Easter Baskets had meaning and we explained each meaning as they explored all the goodies inside? Do you think it could make a difference? I do! It is our responsibility as Christians to share our faith! Not just to our children but to each other. Psalm 78:4 says: We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.
This Easter I encourage you to share your faith with those around you.
Let this year's celebration be about our love for Christ and not useless motions the world has set in place. Let it be about new life in Christ Jesus!
I knew I didn't have to get up. So, not recognizing the reason for the stirring, I rolled over and went back to sleep. Within 5 minutes, I felt it again. Tap, tap, tap then a quiet whisper in my spirit "Hey, it's ME. I am waiting on you, get up". I almost laughed. I remembered teaching this past weekend about how the Holy Spirit will start awakening you to spend time with Him. Funny how I was the one that didn't recognize His calling.
But on to what I learned this morning. I am studying the old Passover traditions celebrated by the Jewish people. It is so interesting.
I have realized lately how we don't use our Christian celebrations as a tool for teaching. We have a HUGE celebration at Christmas, but it has been so commercialized that we forget the reason for celebrating. We even dread the celebration. And at Easter, we concentrate more on new clothes and food and candy than we do Jesus offering us new life.
How awful.
God instituted in the Old Testament certain celebrations. When talking about the passover Exodus 12:14 says:
"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord--a lasting ordinance.
He wants us to celebrate. But when it is time, we fall into a pattern that the world sets for us and we say things like "Oh, Christmas is right around the corner, I dread it". Shame on us!! We don't look forward to celebrating Christ's birth because if we are honest, His birth is not what we are celebrating. We are probably not celebrating at all, just going through the motions. Motions not ordained by God.
What if this year at Easter we taught our children and grandchildren and our neices & nephews about why we celebrate? What if we make it about more than new clothes and candy? What if everything in their Easter Baskets had meaning and we explained each meaning as they explored all the goodies inside? Do you think it could make a difference? I do! It is our responsibility as Christians to share our faith! Not just to our children but to each other. Psalm 78:4 says: We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.
This Easter I encourage you to share your faith with those around you.
Let this year's celebration be about our love for Christ and not useless motions the world has set in place. Let it be about new life in Christ Jesus!
Friday, 23 March 2007
God is Faithful!
God is faithful. He never fails to deliver. This morning as I began studying out of my
book "The Excellent Wife", I felt God had a fresh word for me. Fresh it was!
I was looking at the biblical motivations for submission. The number two reason (out of 20)
was "A Wife should look to the example of Christ's submission to the Father". I began to
think about how Christ submitted to the Father, even in His death on the cross.
I began to read the gospels recollection of when Jesus was arrested in the Garden.
John chapter 18 tells a little different view. When Judas and the "troops" came to arrest Jesus,
He wasn't surprised. In fact He had just said "Well, let's go, my betrayer is here" (totally my
own paraphrasing). And, of course, they were there to "get Him". I think they got a little more
than they bargained for however.
Verse 4 tells us that He went to them and said "Who are you looking for?" They answered
saying "Jesus of Nazareth". And then He said something I'm not sure they expected. He said
" I AM HE". I love what happens next. They fell to the ground. John describes those who came after Him as a "detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees".
The troops and chief "big shots" hit the ground at the sound of His voice. I believe at the moment Jesus said "I AM HE", He was telling them "I am more than Jesus of Nazareth. I am God. With the same power that God answered Moses at the burning bush, when He said
"I AM". I believe they fell at the glimpse of His glory, just like we will do when we are face
to face with Him.
So why did they fall? The power and majesty of His voice, declaring who HE was overpowered them all. A commentary I read describes it this way. "It was the glorious effulgence of the majesty of Christ which overpowered them. "This, occurring before His surrender, would show His power over His enemies, and so the freedom with which He gave Himself up" [MEYER].
He wanted them to know one thing for sure, " I am God. And I can speak and you will fall down.
You are only taking me, because I am letting you.
You see, He willingly went to the cross for us. They, the troops, and big whigs, had absolutely
NO power over Him! NONE!!! All He had to do was speak and they would fall down. Can you imagine what it looked like that day in the garden. I would have loved to have been a fly on the olive tree when all those "troops" hit the ground. I wonder if Jesus tapped His foot as He waited for them to get up. I wouldn't be surprised if He reached out His hand and helped them up. After all, He was going to the cross for them too. While they were on the ground, He could have ran away and hid. But He didn't because He was not only willing, but determined to die for us.
So.. Jesus submitted to the Father even to death. He is my example of submission.
I should submit to my husband as Christ submitted to the Father.
Lord help me to be an Excellent Wife.
book "The Excellent Wife", I felt God had a fresh word for me. Fresh it was!
I was looking at the biblical motivations for submission. The number two reason (out of 20)
was "A Wife should look to the example of Christ's submission to the Father". I began to
think about how Christ submitted to the Father, even in His death on the cross.
I began to read the gospels recollection of when Jesus was arrested in the Garden.
John chapter 18 tells a little different view. When Judas and the "troops" came to arrest Jesus,
He wasn't surprised. In fact He had just said "Well, let's go, my betrayer is here" (totally my
own paraphrasing). And, of course, they were there to "get Him". I think they got a little more
than they bargained for however.
Verse 4 tells us that He went to them and said "Who are you looking for?" They answered
saying "Jesus of Nazareth". And then He said something I'm not sure they expected. He said
" I AM HE". I love what happens next. They fell to the ground. John describes those who came after Him as a "detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees".
The troops and chief "big shots" hit the ground at the sound of His voice. I believe at the moment Jesus said "I AM HE", He was telling them "I am more than Jesus of Nazareth. I am God. With the same power that God answered Moses at the burning bush, when He said
"I AM". I believe they fell at the glimpse of His glory, just like we will do when we are face
to face with Him.
So why did they fall? The power and majesty of His voice, declaring who HE was overpowered them all. A commentary I read describes it this way. "It was the glorious effulgence of the majesty of Christ which overpowered them. "This, occurring before His surrender, would show His power over His enemies, and so the freedom with which He gave Himself up" [MEYER].
He wanted them to know one thing for sure, " I am God. And I can speak and you will fall down.
You are only taking me, because I am letting you.
You see, He willingly went to the cross for us. They, the troops, and big whigs, had absolutely
NO power over Him! NONE!!! All He had to do was speak and they would fall down. Can you imagine what it looked like that day in the garden. I would have loved to have been a fly on the olive tree when all those "troops" hit the ground. I wonder if Jesus tapped His foot as He waited for them to get up. I wouldn't be surprised if He reached out His hand and helped them up. After all, He was going to the cross for them too. While they were on the ground, He could have ran away and hid. But He didn't because He was not only willing, but determined to die for us.
So.. Jesus submitted to the Father even to death. He is my example of submission.
I should submit to my husband as Christ submitted to the Father.
Lord help me to be an Excellent Wife.
Thursday, 22 March 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog!
God has done so much in my life in the last year and half, I wished I had kept better journal
notes so I could share with others. This is an attempt to motivate me to keep better notes.
We will see how I do!
Starting today, Thursday, March 22, 2007, I want you to see how much God is working in my life.
It has been so awesome lately, I know He is not about to stop now.
I hope you are encouraged and blessed.
God has done so much in my life in the last year and half, I wished I had kept better journal
notes so I could share with others. This is an attempt to motivate me to keep better notes.
We will see how I do!
Starting today, Thursday, March 22, 2007, I want you to see how much God is working in my life.
It has been so awesome lately, I know He is not about to stop now.
I hope you are encouraged and blessed.
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