Let me just start with.... WOAH! What a ride the last few months have been. I'll try to catch up to my life on the blog soon. Life has been an incredible whirlwind ~ and that statement alone is an understatement!
This morning I'm reading in Romans 12. I recommend you take a minute and read it. It's full of great thoughts and ways we must place our life at the feet of God. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2012&version=MSG
My study this morning goes hand in hand trying to create God in my box... in my image... in my little life. How I try to fit Him in a box to fit in all areas ~ sometimes He fits better in some areas than other areas. We are told in the first few verses of Romans 12 to take our ordinary life... our sleeping, our eating, going-to-work, walking around and place every area at the feet of God as an offering. If we are not whole heartedly giving everything breath we have to God for Him to guide we are giving Him nothing. I know I find myself becoming so well-adjusted to my every day life that I forget to bow my head just to say thank you. I forget to give God the praise for the successes and the failures. I forget to give everything over to Him. Verse 2 of Romans 12 says that if I continue to fix my attention on God I'll be changed from the inside out. It's at that time I can recognize exactly what He wants for me and I can respond to it appropriately.
Just this week I changed jobs within the company I work for. I initiated this move for many reasons, but mainly because I was losing focus of why I was doing what I was doing. My motives changed. My heart changed and I was dreading coming to work every morning. I recognized this a few months ago and realized that it was time for a change. I felt like God was telling me to start a new chapter in my career. This week I've noticed a change in my attitude at home and work. It's amazing when you take the appropriate steps and really listen to what God wants for me and answering that call.
Every morning in our routine taking Natalie to school, I hold her hand and pray with her in the car. My prayer includes lifting our family up in prayer. We go through each member and pray for healing, strength, health and peace. Everyday we lift up Mimi and Pawpaw. We lift up Kim and Jim. We lift up BJ and Jerrie. We lift up Michelle and Mikey. We lift up Jeremy. We lift up Sissy and Bubba and AJ. We lift up my work. Among other things we specifically lift Natalie up and claim protection over her for the day. I pray for her teachers, her friends, classmates and the school building. I specifically pray for parts of her body. I claim protection over her tongue that she uses her words for encouragement and not to tear down even to those who are not nice to her. We pray for her feet to take her to the right place at the right time. We pray for her hands to be used to glorify God and to do the right things.
Just as our tongue, feet and hands make up our bodies, our roles and functions as individuals make up the body of Christ. I love how our bodies are representations of the body of Christ. Each of us have a role and function within the kingdom of God.
Verses 4-6 of Romans 12 it talks about the various parts of the human body in comparison of the body of Christ. "Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of His body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't."
Just as my job became a dreadful walk every day, I have to look at my spiritual walk and be sure that I don't become an empty body burning out and just going through the motions. Verse 9-13 says it beautifully: "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for deal life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourself fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality."
Some times I struggle with thinking someone "owes" me something. If they've done something to me or said something that my have hurt me. The last part of Romans 12 hit home for sure. Verses 14-21, "Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath." Oh, man... I'm guilty of that one. "Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy..." That seems easy enough. "...share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone..." So many times I judge "beauty" from the outside in. "...If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."" WOW! that put me in my seat.
20-21, "Our scripture tells us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good."
Lord, thank you for laying Romans 12 out for me today. I truly needed to hear what you had in store for me. Thank you for my little Natalie. Thank you for the babies you have placed in my care. Thank you for my supportive family and my loving husband. Please continue to use me in all aspects of life. Help me keep You lifted up and keep you as the primary focus in life. We give you the praise and glory in Jesus' precious name!
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