Change of Perspective-The "Good" Samaritan

So often in life, our perspectives are skewed or completely distorted. We live in our perspectives and think they are right until God brings us to the point of seeing that we are wrong. The truth will always win out over the lies that we and the world around us wants to carve onto the walls of our souls. So, I am reading about the story of the Good Samaritan for unknown number of times and God shows another angle, another perspective that is so profound. So let me retell the story that Jesus told. A Jewish man was on his way to Jericho when he was overcome by robbers, robbed, striped of his clothing, beaten and left for dead by the side of the road. A priest comes down traveling on this same road, sees the beaten, naked man and hurries on. What might he have been thinking? I have too much to do once I get to Jericho to stop and help this man. Someone else will come along and take care of him. Or maybe he is thinking, I have to be at that meeting at noon and I cannot be late. Someone else will have to take care of this man. Well, someone else does come by. He is a Levite and when he sees the man, perhaps his thoughts take a different path. Maybe he starts to get anxious and starts searching around the area to see if the robbers are still nearby. He thinks, I don't know where the robbers are but this could have just happened and I don't want to end up in this same condition. His fear motivates him to start walking faster and he tries to keep to the other side of the road near the bushes where he hopefully won't be seen. Alas, another someone comes by. This time it is a Samaritan. Samaritans and Jews did not like each other, in fact, call it more like they hated each other, something like the Democrats hating the Republicans and vice versa. There was so much bad blood between them that the thought of a Samaritan stopping to help a Jewish man was unthinkable but in this story he does the unthinkable. Now, interestingly enough Jesus never specifically called him the Good Samaritan. That is a label we have put on this man. I think the label is fair enough but this new perspective might make you think otherwise. So, I have felt the perspective of the priest being too busy or I have some place to be and don't have time to stop and help someone in need. I have also been the Levite who was too fearful to step in and doing anything. I had never put myself in the position of the naked, beaten Jewish man on the side of the road. Imagine you are that man. You have had everything taken from you, you have been left naked in humiliation and you have been hurt not only physically but emotionally, mentally, within the deepest parts of your heart and soul. And then, Jesus comes by the road and sees you. He comes across the road to you. He takes you in his arms and carries you to an inn. He cleanses and bandages your wounds. He pays the innkeeper and tells him he will be back to take care of anything else. Jesus has gone above and beyond what this man needed. He did that for us when he came down from heaven, lived among us, died the brutal death on the cross and rose from the dead and came out of hell as a conqueror. When we die on the cross with him in our repentance and faith in him, than we too rise from the dead and become a new creation. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit given to inhabit us, live with us in the very own temple of our body. But we can still be swayed by the sinful nature that is in us. We can still choose to let our busyness or our own selfish motives drive our behaviors and lead us to not stopping to help someone in need. Or we can choose to cower in our fear and let it hold us back from doing what we know is the right thing to do, to help the person in need. Or we can allow the Holy Spirit to direct us, to give us the other-centered outlook and attitude, to give us the trust and courage to conquer our fears and do what Jesus would do. He wouldn't care who it was or what he may or may not have done. He would take care of the man. He would take care of you. Jesus concluded his story with the command, "go and do likewise". We have him within us to help us to be the "Good" Samaritan or, in other words and perspective, to be like Jesus.

We Are Hardest on Ourselves

Encouragement came when I needed it and I didn't even know that is what I needed. As I was reading the chapter about Prayer of Tears in Richard J Foster's book Prayer-Finding the Heart's True Home, I found  myself in tears from the words he wrote. Here is a little excerpt:
Be encouraged by the observation of Thomas a Kempis that "habit overcomes habit." You are building new habits of prayer, and patient, kind, firm persistence is what you need with yourself.
Tears came as I read these words. I had been disillusioned and down on myself for my seeming inability to stop and prayer, to go to Him, to rely completely on Him. I was being too critical of myself, not forgiving myself for my humanity but these words brought a peace to my soul. It's okay. I am a sinner, I am human, I am not perfect but I can overcome because I have Jesus on my side. But, that is a life-long pursuit that will not be fully achieved. I can only keep striving to overcome the bad habits with the good ones, to rely and trust in my Father. It is with patience and kindness towards myself that I can continue to be persistent and keep moving forward and growing into being more Christ-like.

God Meets All of Our Needs

Matthew 6:30 "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you. O you of little faith?

I love this verse as it is such a great reminder of how much God cares for us. He does provide all we need. This isn't just our physical needs but our emotional, mental and spiritual needs as well. We should be trusting God with all of these needs: to be loved, recognized, affirmed, valued, respected and so much more. Thank you Lord for giving me all I need. Help me to trust in you and to look to you for my every need. When I don't recognize the need in me that is not being met, I pray you will shed light on it and help me to see that you provide for that need whatever it may be. To you all praise and glory be. Amen.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 330

The scripture the sermon was on was Matthew 21: 28-30. It is a short parable Jesus tells about a father and two sons. The father asks the first son to go work in the vineyard today and the boys first response is defiant but later he ends up going and working in the vineyard. The second son is asked the same thing and his initial response is obedient willingness but he ends up not going to the vineyard. What did I learn from the sermon and this parable? My initial thoughts on these verses were that it was about obedience but the preacher of the day, Dr Earl Palmer was given some insight from God that he shared. He didn’t focus on the obedience but rather on what motivates obedience. Our relationship with God should be one of love, respect and total trust but as Dr Palmer pointed out Jesus is very well aware of our humanness. Both of the sons had flaws that motivated their thoughts and actions. We aren’t capable of responding as I considered as the “third” son who says he will go to the vineyard and does. I can’t do it alone. Dr Palmer brought up the idea of “lag” time. This is the time in between God’s call and our response. Instead of jumping the gun and saying I will or I can’t or I won’t, I need to give my heart and soul time in prayer and meditation. Let the Holy Spirit work on my heart and give me what I need to say “I will” and mean it. How can I make prayer a consistent part of my life? I am thinking my two big goals for the coming year will be prepare and prayer so I will be praying and taking notes on how to prepare for my growth in preparing and praying.

Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 316

Reality TV has a special quality to it. It’s real. I love to see the interaction between people and what is said and not said. It is really a fascinating study on people and our relationships with one another. Survivor is my long-time running favorite reality show. Last night, a tribe member that was in a 5 girl alliance made the choice of going to another girl in the alliance and suggested voting out another girl in the alliance that she was personally getting annoyed with because of all her strategy talk. Unfortunately, the girl she told went to “annoying” girl and told her. The “annoying” girl went to the girl that started this all and asked her if she talked to so and so about voting her off. The girl that started this all chose at that moment to lie. At tribal council, it was mentioned in the discussion that “trust has to be earned”. And yes, they voted out the girl that broke the trust. This morning as I was thinking on this statement I was able to see how our trust in God works in the same way as with others. Trust is earned. When we meet someone for the first time, some of us more than others will be more naturally trusting but the truth is that it will take some time and getting to know this person before a real trust is formed. This real trust, however, must be maintained. If you lie to a person like this girl did, that other person has lost their trust in you and it will take more time and effort to regain that trust. The beginnings of trusting God will come more easily for some depending on what has happened in their life and what kind of foundation if any was built with learning about God as children. But to get to that “real” trust you have to get to know God. The more you study and pray, the more time you are spending working on building up the “real” trust, the deeper that trust will go. You have to keep working on getting to the point where you really know God and with that knowing you will have a “real” deep trust in Him. The things that happen to us in this world will not shake you. You will be able to overcome all trials and tribulations because you know God is always with you, never fails you and will never forsake you. Evaluate your trust in God this week and commit to working on building up the “real” trust through prayer and study in His word. The reward of having that trust is valuable beyond measure.  

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

 

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 263

The word “rely” means to have trust or confidence in. God demonstrates our love for us in so many ways. Every day of our life is filled with how he loves us but the greatest example of his love is through his son Jesus. I can’t even imagine being a parent and watching my child be tortured and brutally be put to death on a cross. God can do anything. He could have told Jesus “never mind these humans, speak up and defend yourself” or he could have made the cross turn to dust and the nails become invisible. He could have stopped his only son from dying on a cross if it were not for the amazing depth of his love for us. That love is our confidence! If you are ever feeling doubts, fears or separated in any way from God, look to the cross and be reminded of God’s amazing love.

Father, it isn’t even possible to convey with words the feelings of what you did for us. Thank you is not enough. Help us to show the kind of love you showed us through Jesus. Amen.

1John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 137

In preparing for the review of our bible study, Fearless by Max Lucado, I have been thinking a lot about fear and some of the things touched on in this study. I am finding that trust is the key antidote for fear. How hard is it for us to trust? I think it really is a day by day, moment by moment kind of thing. Trust is something that we have to ask for help with. Call on the Holy Spirit to fill us with faith each day. I think of the time I was in the hospital before Faith was born and feel like that what I felt was the ultimate in trust. I had peace and an assurance that everything was going to be alright. That was the Holy Spirit working in me. There have been other times since that I have felt the peace descend upon me but it isn't everyday. I want to trust and be filled with faith everyday and I know with that will be my courage. Thank you Lord for giving me what I need. I need to trust more and fear less. Help me to drink in the trust and pour out the love of you with courage and confidence.
John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.