Anecdote No. 3: Let Intellect Learn (and Learn From) Wisdom
We are surrounded by intelligent people: people who have years of education and have ultimately become (or are becoming) experts on some issue, topic, or skill; people who may not have as much education as others but, through hard work and motivation, earn good, honest money (which requires a good amount of intelligence) and spend it well; people who absorb what they can from the world around them and are able to engage in intellectual banter; people who just seem to know a lot about everything. Some of my closest friends are the most intelligent people I know personally. Intelligence is a value of our culture today and rightly so - we need to develop, and ourselves become, people who desire to learn and gain accurate knowledge, reasoning, and facts about the world and whatever else interests us. There's nothing wrong with being smart and striving to become more intelligent. Personally, I'd rather be smart (and perceived as so) than stupid. I think we all would.
But,
It is quite possible to be smart and yet a fool; one can be intelligent but lack wisdom. If the opposite of intelligence is stupidity, the opposite of wisdom is foolishness. Although some people may be naturally 'smart' (I envied those whom I felt fell into this category during high school and university), people are not born wise. True wisdom comes from God:
"[In Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3
Wisdom, according to the dictionary's definition, is knowledge of and insight to what is true and right coupled with acting upon such knowledge. Intelligence, on the other hand, is merely the capacity or ability for understanding. While intelligence capitalizes on one's ability to learn and understand, wisdom focuses on the true and right knowledge discerned and how that impacts how one chooses to act.
Psalm 111:10 declares that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding."
God's righteous people believe that wisdom begins with a deep and holy reverence for God. The notion of fear in this verse derives from the Hebrew word 'yir'ah' which, in this context, refers not to fear as in terror but rather to reverent fear, a deep respect for another. In other words, wisdom starts with recognizing who God is and allowing that conviction to guide one's thoughts and ways. Living by faith daily acknowledges God's supremacy in all and over all things and to put it simply, desires and seeks to put God first. When you revere someone, you naturally think of that person before yourself - how you can please that person and regard that person in the highest way possible. You listen intently to someone you deeply respect and are careful to consider your actions before doing them. What more when it is God whom we ought to revere?
I am always intrigued by the story of King Solomon, the richest and wealthiest man who has ever lived (cf. 2 Chronicles 1:12b). When Solomon became king after David, God appeared to him one night and told him to ask for whatever he wanted God to give him. Surprisingly enough, Solomon asked for wisdom:
"Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to givern this great people of yours?" 2 Chronicles 1:10
Solomon recognized that God made him king and that only God knew how to rightly govern and lead his people. So, in humility, he asked for God's wisdom to fulfill the task he had been given. God granted his request AND more (he gave him wisdom, wealth, riches, and honor too). What a blessing! Solomon could have asked for wealth or riches or long life, which I'm sure he desired. But he asks for what he knows he needs and what he knows is infinitely more valuable than possessions and status combined: wisdom. Solomon was no fool.
We all need wisdom to live a life of faith daily, to be able to discern what is right and true, to make good, God-honoring, God-revering choices and to act in accordance with God's Word. James exhorts us to "ask God [for wisdom if you lack it for he] gives generously to all without finding fault" (James 1:5). Wisdom comes from God and he gives it freely to those who ask. The question is: Do we ask? Or do we presume to have it already? Have we realized the need for wisdom in order to live a life of faith?
Friend, intelligence is valuable but so easily boasted of. Wisdom, on the otherhand, is indispensible and a virtue that only God can give. God's righteous ones recognize the difference between knowledge and wisdom and, by faith, seek God's wisdom primarily by studying His Word and living by it. Anything less is folly.
"Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." Romans 11:33-36
7.13.2011
24 hours
That's how long my shift as a mom, or more accurately 'caregiver', is every day. Sometimes I don't even know what time it is any more and I walk around permanently wired from running on 6 hours of interrupted sleep every night. Today was a rough day. Mischa started refusing to drink from a bottle at 2 months and since then I've tried (although not every day) to give her a bottle a day (sometimes twice a day) to help her re-learn what somehow slipped past her memory. Although from what I also hear, babies develop a preference at some point and clearly she decided she would not take anything artificial to get her meals. So that combined with introducing a new sleep-time technique to get her to fall asleep on her own without me having to rock or sway her to sleep made for an exhausting day. In the end, she took one bottle out of the three that I gave during feed times (after an hour of trying EACH time) and before bed tonight cried hysterically every time I tried to put her down awake but drowsy. She's asleep now, thankfully, after much "shhhhhh"-ing and patting. I'm beat.
This job has its work cut out for it!
This job has its work cut out for it!
7.12.2011
Blog Series: The Faith-filled Life of the Righteous
Anecdote No. 2: The Life of Faith is Living in Pursuit
Living by faith is anything but passive; it's active! We've already established in the first anecdote that it's the Holy Spirit who enables the righteous to live by faith; it is impossible otherwise. It has also been made clear that the Holy Spirit dwells within God's righteous people and is reflected in one's active pursuit of a life of faith (Galatians 5 gives a glimpse of what life by the Spirit looks like). I like the word "pursuit" because it connotes a sense of urgency and persistence, passion and desire. Living by faith requires mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual dedication to pursue righteousness and holiness. God's righteous people understand by faith that salvation is more than just life in eternity; it is life today - life in all its God-intended fullness. And abundant life while living on earth does not happen by chance or in good intentions; it happens as God's people actively pursue Him before and above all things. The Apostle Paul portrays this attitude when he writes in Philippians 3:12-16:
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...All of us who are mature should take such a view of things...Only let us live up to what we have already obtained."
Interestingly enough, he refers to those who consider themselves to be mature in the faith as having this drive to "press on" towards - to pursue - the goal that God has called us to claim: namely, knowing Christ and consequently being transformed and changed to reflect true righteousness and holiness. Maturity is not measured by the depth of one's knowledge or the impact of one's influence but rather by the active, unwavering, passionate pursuit of God.
The notion of pursuit continues in 1 Timothy 6:11 when Paul exhorts Timothy to "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called."
The bold, active words highlighted above imply that living by faith requires work! It's a fight against our sinful nature and against the enemy of God. It's a continual act of the will to: seek God each day and worship Him, daily read and value the truth of His word, talk about Him with others, pray without ceasing, resist temptation, humble oneself, love others, confess your sins, avoid legalism, trust in the Lord, endure hardship and suffering, exercise kindness and generosity, speak truthfully, overcome laziness, yield to the Holy Spirit who enables you to live by faith.
Friend, living by faith is active and requires daily pursuit of the things of God over the things of the world and the desires of the flesh which will always be in contrast to the desires of the Spirit. This pursuit is not always easy to do; dying to self is an impossible task without an unwavering yield to the Spirit who is the one who works in us to will and to act according to God's purposes. And though the Spirit gives us strength and is ultimately victorious, it is still a battle we must and will face as long as we live in this earthly body. One we must fight by faith. The truly righteous ones of God set as their goal in life the pursuit of righteousness and holiness, having been given a new self that is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:17-31). This pursuit must permeate how we work, the choices we make, how we relate to our spouse and children, how we serve, what we value in life, our ambitions on earth, what we do with our money, how we view, interact, and treat others and how others see us. We proclaim it, now let's claim it and live out the truth of what we preach!
Living by faith is anything but passive; it's active! We've already established in the first anecdote that it's the Holy Spirit who enables the righteous to live by faith; it is impossible otherwise. It has also been made clear that the Holy Spirit dwells within God's righteous people and is reflected in one's active pursuit of a life of faith (Galatians 5 gives a glimpse of what life by the Spirit looks like). I like the word "pursuit" because it connotes a sense of urgency and persistence, passion and desire. Living by faith requires mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual dedication to pursue righteousness and holiness. God's righteous people understand by faith that salvation is more than just life in eternity; it is life today - life in all its God-intended fullness. And abundant life while living on earth does not happen by chance or in good intentions; it happens as God's people actively pursue Him before and above all things. The Apostle Paul portrays this attitude when he writes in Philippians 3:12-16:
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...All of us who are mature should take such a view of things...Only let us live up to what we have already obtained."
Interestingly enough, he refers to those who consider themselves to be mature in the faith as having this drive to "press on" towards - to pursue - the goal that God has called us to claim: namely, knowing Christ and consequently being transformed and changed to reflect true righteousness and holiness. Maturity is not measured by the depth of one's knowledge or the impact of one's influence but rather by the active, unwavering, passionate pursuit of God.
The notion of pursuit continues in 1 Timothy 6:11 when Paul exhorts Timothy to "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called."
The bold, active words highlighted above imply that living by faith requires work! It's a fight against our sinful nature and against the enemy of God. It's a continual act of the will to: seek God each day and worship Him, daily read and value the truth of His word, talk about Him with others, pray without ceasing, resist temptation, humble oneself, love others, confess your sins, avoid legalism, trust in the Lord, endure hardship and suffering, exercise kindness and generosity, speak truthfully, overcome laziness, yield to the Holy Spirit who enables you to live by faith.
Friend, living by faith is active and requires daily pursuit of the things of God over the things of the world and the desires of the flesh which will always be in contrast to the desires of the Spirit. This pursuit is not always easy to do; dying to self is an impossible task without an unwavering yield to the Spirit who is the one who works in us to will and to act according to God's purposes. And though the Spirit gives us strength and is ultimately victorious, it is still a battle we must and will face as long as we live in this earthly body. One we must fight by faith. The truly righteous ones of God set as their goal in life the pursuit of righteousness and holiness, having been given a new self that is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:17-31). This pursuit must permeate how we work, the choices we make, how we relate to our spouse and children, how we serve, what we value in life, our ambitions on earth, what we do with our money, how we view, interact, and treat others and how others see us. We proclaim it, now let's claim it and live out the truth of what we preach!
Mischa Milestone
My baby girl is 3 months today! It's still hard to believe how fast she is growing. I think she's in a growth spurt again because she has been eating every two hours, even through the night. She laughed for the first time last week (haven't been able to make her do it again since, though), talks ALL the time, is starting to reach and grab for things, is trying very hard to roll over but she always gets one arm stuck underneath her and hasn't figured out how to move it yet, and has an infectious smile. She still needs help to hold her head up but her neck muscles are getting stronger. I love when she wakes up happy instead of crying and when we peek at her from above her crib she gives us the biggest smile.
Happy 3 months Misch bebe!
Happy 3 months Misch bebe!
7.09.2011
Blog Series: The Faith-filled Life of the Righteous
Anecdote No. 1: The Impossible Life Made Possible
Recently, in two separate conversations with my husband and my mother-in-law, I expressed my recent ponderings about possible reasons behind why there is such an array of difference with regards to lifestyle, speech, relationship, and attitude among Christians today. And what God must feel knowing that perhaps only a few of those who call themselves Christians are experiencing the 'fullness of joy' that is in His presence, as any human can while living on this earth. This begs the question: Are these Christians truly righteous? The spectrum of the Christian 'experience' of God is far and wide. If I were to walk into my church and ask every single person present to describe their salvation experience (their day to day journey with Christ having received salvation by grace through faith), I would more than likely get a variety of responses: from excitement to boredom to complacency to guilt to indifference to "mind your own business!" Why is that? Why is there such a significant divide among the righteous? How can one Christian brother or sister eagerly walk in the light of His Word and another not equally desire it, love it, grow in it? Why does it seem, in my opinion, that among many so-called Christians life has not changed much over the days, the weeks, the years?
In my opinion, the answer to these questions lies in one's understanding of, acceptance, and surrender to the Holy Spirit. Without the presence and dwelling of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to live by faith or even to understand what living by faith means. Furthermore, without daily surrender and yielding to the Holy Spirit, living by faith cannot and will not take place. The truly righteous possess the Holy Spirit of God who thus enables them to live by faith, abiding in Christ and in God's Word.
Jesus reveals this sentiment in John 14 when he tells the disciples about the Holy Spirit whom God the Father will give to them to live in them and be with them when he departs. He goes on to declare that those who have his commands and obey them are the ones who truly love Him. In the same token, those who do not love him will not obey his teachings. Ultimately, true Christianity is characterized by a life of faith made possible through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Often when Scripture is discussed in sermons, on the radio, during our devotions, we find it challenging and even difficult to merge our theology with our day to day reality. Perhaps we feel convicted for a time, but then we dispassionately reject or diminish the idea of change unaware that we are actually rejecting God's desire to work in our lives, ultimately grieving the Holy Spirit. For many, our "Christian life" remains on the whole separate from the rest of our life and we end up never really growing, never really experiencing the full life on earth that Jesus says is the reason for his coming (John 10:10). Can we truly call ourselves Christians if, by the measure of His Word, we don't listen to his voice (John 10:27), we don't abide in Him (John 14-15), we lust after the pleasures of the flesh (Galations 5:16-24), and our attitude towards others is void of love (1 John 4)? Can we call ourselves Christians if our lives are devoid of anything truly Christ-like? There must be some distinction between God's holy people and those who do not yet belong to Him. I believe that distinction is the Holy Spirit and his presence revealed in a life lived by faith.
Friend, if God's salvation has been made clear to you and you have received it by faith with an open heart, receive too by faith the knowledge that God's very presence, the Holy Spirit, now lives in you and it is his desire and will to enable you to experience Life as God intended and as Jesus has made accessible to you. Then and only then can you live day after day by faith and in doing so reflect true righteousness and holiness.
Recently, in two separate conversations with my husband and my mother-in-law, I expressed my recent ponderings about possible reasons behind why there is such an array of difference with regards to lifestyle, speech, relationship, and attitude among Christians today. And what God must feel knowing that perhaps only a few of those who call themselves Christians are experiencing the 'fullness of joy' that is in His presence, as any human can while living on this earth. This begs the question: Are these Christians truly righteous? The spectrum of the Christian 'experience' of God is far and wide. If I were to walk into my church and ask every single person present to describe their salvation experience (their day to day journey with Christ having received salvation by grace through faith), I would more than likely get a variety of responses: from excitement to boredom to complacency to guilt to indifference to "mind your own business!" Why is that? Why is there such a significant divide among the righteous? How can one Christian brother or sister eagerly walk in the light of His Word and another not equally desire it, love it, grow in it? Why does it seem, in my opinion, that among many so-called Christians life has not changed much over the days, the weeks, the years?
In my opinion, the answer to these questions lies in one's understanding of, acceptance, and surrender to the Holy Spirit. Without the presence and dwelling of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to live by faith or even to understand what living by faith means. Furthermore, without daily surrender and yielding to the Holy Spirit, living by faith cannot and will not take place. The truly righteous possess the Holy Spirit of God who thus enables them to live by faith, abiding in Christ and in God's Word.
Jesus reveals this sentiment in John 14 when he tells the disciples about the Holy Spirit whom God the Father will give to them to live in them and be with them when he departs. He goes on to declare that those who have his commands and obey them are the ones who truly love Him. In the same token, those who do not love him will not obey his teachings. Ultimately, true Christianity is characterized by a life of faith made possible through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Often when Scripture is discussed in sermons, on the radio, during our devotions, we find it challenging and even difficult to merge our theology with our day to day reality. Perhaps we feel convicted for a time, but then we dispassionately reject or diminish the idea of change unaware that we are actually rejecting God's desire to work in our lives, ultimately grieving the Holy Spirit. For many, our "Christian life" remains on the whole separate from the rest of our life and we end up never really growing, never really experiencing the full life on earth that Jesus says is the reason for his coming (John 10:10). Can we truly call ourselves Christians if, by the measure of His Word, we don't listen to his voice (John 10:27), we don't abide in Him (John 14-15), we lust after the pleasures of the flesh (Galations 5:16-24), and our attitude towards others is void of love (1 John 4)? Can we call ourselves Christians if our lives are devoid of anything truly Christ-like? There must be some distinction between God's holy people and those who do not yet belong to Him. I believe that distinction is the Holy Spirit and his presence revealed in a life lived by faith.
Friend, if God's salvation has been made clear to you and you have received it by faith with an open heart, receive too by faith the knowledge that God's very presence, the Holy Spirit, now lives in you and it is his desire and will to enable you to experience Life as God intended and as Jesus has made accessible to you. Then and only then can you live day after day by faith and in doing so reflect true righteousness and holiness.
7.08.2011
Blog Series: The Faith-filled Life of the Righteous
BLOG SERIES INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
In Romans 1:16-17 the Apostle Paul writes:
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Inspired by this verse, life's events thus far, and the daily struggles that I experience, I've decided to devote a blog series to understanding and discussing what 'living by faith' looks like; essentially, what should, I believe, characterize the Christian's inner self and consequently, outer reflection. The great thing about what lies ahead for both of us, is that I have so much to learn, too. I won't always write from experience but from what I understand from God's Word, which is also slowly changing me from the inside as I consciously yield to God's Spirit who is at work in me. What I desire and will endeavor to do is to make clear to myself and to those who end up reading my thoughts that it is action and conscious expressions of the will that denote true belief in Christ, God's salvation, and declarations that Jesus is the author of life and my Lord and God. After all, how we live reveals what we believe and the kind of heart we have.
With all that said,
Are you truly righteous? Who are the true righteous ones of God? What does it mean to be righteous?
Dictionary.com defines "righteous" as: 1) Morally right or justifiable, virtuous, 2)perfectly wonderful, fine and genuine
Ultimately, God sets the standard for righteous being and living. He is righteousness defined. It is through Jesus that we have been made morally right in the eyes of God (righteous being), and still through Jesus that we are able to live by faith (righteous living).
1 John 2:29 says "If you know He is righteous, you know that everyone who also practices righteousness is born of him." (NET)
So it comes down to this: Those who practice righteousness (live by faith) are those who have accepted and trusted in the righteousness of Christ. Just as Jesus himself alluded that those who are his listen to him and follow him (John 10:27). Conversely, those who do not listen to and follow him are not really his. True Christianity seeks to imitate Christ, living day by day through His Holy Spirit.
In this blog series I hope to capture some of what living by faith looks like. As I journey with Christ and learn to walk in His ways, I pray you will be encouraged to do the same in yours.
In Romans 1:16-17 the Apostle Paul writes:
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Inspired by this verse, life's events thus far, and the daily struggles that I experience, I've decided to devote a blog series to understanding and discussing what 'living by faith' looks like; essentially, what should, I believe, characterize the Christian's inner self and consequently, outer reflection. The great thing about what lies ahead for both of us, is that I have so much to learn, too. I won't always write from experience but from what I understand from God's Word, which is also slowly changing me from the inside as I consciously yield to God's Spirit who is at work in me. What I desire and will endeavor to do is to make clear to myself and to those who end up reading my thoughts that it is action and conscious expressions of the will that denote true belief in Christ, God's salvation, and declarations that Jesus is the author of life and my Lord and God. After all, how we live reveals what we believe and the kind of heart we have.
With all that said,
Are you truly righteous? Who are the true righteous ones of God? What does it mean to be righteous?
Dictionary.com defines "righteous" as: 1) Morally right or justifiable, virtuous, 2)perfectly wonderful, fine and genuine
Ultimately, God sets the standard for righteous being and living. He is righteousness defined. It is through Jesus that we have been made morally right in the eyes of God (righteous being), and still through Jesus that we are able to live by faith (righteous living).
1 John 2:29 says "If you know He is righteous, you know that everyone who also practices righteousness is born of him." (NET)
So it comes down to this: Those who practice righteousness (live by faith) are those who have accepted and trusted in the righteousness of Christ. Just as Jesus himself alluded that those who are his listen to him and follow him (John 10:27). Conversely, those who do not listen to and follow him are not really his. True Christianity seeks to imitate Christ, living day by day through His Holy Spirit.
In this blog series I hope to capture some of what living by faith looks like. As I journey with Christ and learn to walk in His ways, I pray you will be encouraged to do the same in yours.
Five years ago today...
I married my best friend. Today, although we have experienced our share of hardship and quarrels, challenges and joys (what's a marriage without them?), I can say in all honesty that it doesn't feel like five years (more like twenty! haha just kidding). What I mean to say is that since marrying Dale, life has not dragged on cumbersomely, boringly, or dispassionately as the years have added to our journey as a married couple. Yes, as in any marriage there are the down times, the lack of communication times, the both stupid and valid quarrel times, the disagreements, the annoyance, the tears. But in and through these times there has been the love, the laughter, and the mystery of our budding and continually growing romance. We often joke (sometimes seriously) about how different we are, and yet how God planned our lives to intertwine.
I am thankful for the last five years. My pride has been broken time and again and I am continually learning what it means to love as Jesus loves us, and to be a wife who honors and respects her man. It's a humbling process but one that I am glad to take part in with the man God designed to be my partner in life.
"Til' death do us part."
I am thankful for the last five years. My pride has been broken time and again and I am continually learning what it means to love as Jesus loves us, and to be a wife who honors and respects her man. It's a humbling process but one that I am glad to take part in with the man God designed to be my partner in life.
"Til' death do us part."
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