One of the most useful lessons I've learned is how to recognize and hate covetousness. I hadn't realized before just what it was or how damaging it is when we give in to it. We've all felt it. I think kids struggle with it in varying degrees multiple times per day, at least my kids do.

You know that feeling when you're driving or walking down the street and you see a beautiful home or a spiffy car and think to yourself, "Now why can't I ever have something like that?" Or you know a couple whose relationship is exactly what you think you want, and you begin to long for a relationship just like it and feel sorry for yourself when your own relationship(s) pale in comparison? Or you see a church that is growing by leaps and bounds and every ministry appears to be flourishing, and it causes you to be dissatisfied with your own church home if it doesn't happen to be growing in the same way or at the same speed? I believe that when those desires become inappropriate, when they cause us to be jealous, bitter, angry and/or to feel sorry for ourselves, we are sinning in covetousness.

So what is the antedote? If covetousness is the inappriate longing for something we don't have, then the natural antidote to it is to be grateful for and focus on what we do have. Thanksgiving. Honoring God for Who He is and where He's lead us. Trusting Him and being satisfied in Him. We have GOD the Holy Spirit living inside us (wow!!), and the promise of a heaven that far outweighs any earthly pleasure or accomplishment. How dare we sink into disappointment and dispair? Let's set our eyes on Him and seek Him for a fresh outpouring of His Spirit in our lives, relationships and churches. May He be forever glorified by all that we say and do.

We are where we are for a REASON! Not because we made a mistake or took a wrong turn somewhere. God moves and works through everything and anything. Our desires, our mistakes, our decisions, our inadequacies, and - miracle of miracles! - even our sin... May our eyes be opened to see what God wants us to learn from where we are right now, and to value what is truly valuable, and let go of all that is worthless.

A Simple but Life-changing Statement

I was reading John Piper the other day and came across a short, simple but incredibly profound statement that has provided much food for thought in recent days.

Here it is:

"The battle is not to do, but to see."

This struck me at the very core, and as I was pondering why, this is what I came up with. I believe that the Holy Spirit enlightened my mind and enabled me to grasp just a little bit of what this really means

Why is the battle to see rather than to do? Because when we see God, really SEE Him, as beautiful, merciful, gracious, righteous, fun, exciting, and the answer to every question and every problem and every need, we cannot HELP but love Him more than anything. The more we really see Him and know Him, the more we will value what He values, the more we will enjoy Him, and the more we will hunger for more of Him and greatly desire to experience ever-deepening revelations of Him and His nature and His character. The more we know Him, the more we SEE His greatness and inestimable value, the more His Spirit will fill us and move in us, and all of the actions that mirror His presence in our lives will flow from us naturally, easily, and effortlessly, for His glory and for the blessing of everyone around us.

Actions like:

Reading the Bible with joy and hunger and gratitude, instead of out of obligation.

Spending time with our loved ones instead of wasting it on mindless, fleeting and empty pursuits.
Valuing and appreciating all that God has trusted us with and being committed to using those precious gifts wisely.

I pray that God will continue to open our eyes to see all that is worthy to be seen, and close them to everything that does not honor Him.

(photo from an email)

He Will Work All Things Together For Our Good!

Something else that I think about more now than I ever have before is the Supremacy of Christ. He is supreme over everything and everyone. No words can describe it, but I will spend the rest of my life digging deeper into the riches of the Supremacy of God's Glory. (I know that I have just barely scratched the surface of this life-changing treasure store of truth, and I'm so excited to learn more...)

One aspect of this relates to the emotions of fear, frustration and discouragement. I believe with my whole heart that the more intimately we know God, the more clearly we will see Him, and the less we will experience these three emotions.

Pastor Lee spoke a message this summer regarding fear, and near the end of the message he said that fear is selfish and it sets the enemy in motion. Faith is the opposite of fear and God moves in response to it. Whenever I find myself heading towards fear of anything - loss, injury, pain, confrontation, etc - I remember Joshua and Caleb, who didn't see the giants in the land as threats to be feared, but saw instead God's power, love and mercy revealed through His promises to deliver the land into their hand. I want to be a Joshua as I face every challenge of this life.

We all face giants every day, and God is absolutely supreme over all of them. And He has already promised that He causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him. So I believe that if we are feeling fear, frustration or discouragement, it's because our eyes are focused on the problem instead of on our great Problem Solver.

(photo from the internet)

There's so much to say, and so little time, and I really don't want to write a huge blog entry that'll take an hour to read, so I'm trying to decide what to write about -- which one of the marvelous things I've learned in the last couple of months. Indecision has caused me not to write at all, and that's not going to happen anymore, if I can help it.

The most important and life-changing concept that God has revealed to me is that He is my all-satisfying Treasure. John Piper said that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, and this simple statement revolutionized my thinking. I found it at a time when I was struggling with sin and desiring inappropriate things. I was looking to other things to satisfy the needs of my heart, instead of going to the One True Source of happiness, joy, peace, satisfaction, enjoyment, fun, excitement, beauty, value, worth, acceptance and appreciation.

Everything in my life is so much brighter, clearer and more passionate, because I recognize, more than ever, the Value of the One Who gives it all to us and holds it all together. The rest of my life will be dedicated to knowing Him more intimately, appreciating Him more fully, and loving Him more supremely. By His grace and for His glory, may every single cell of my body and every aspect of myself be made an instrument of righteousness.