What are you going to do with your baggage?

QUICK REMINDER BEFORE WE MOVE ON: YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!

Okay, let's move on...

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

#1. Rest. Wait, what?
Resting should be the easiest thing for us to do, as humans, right? What's easier to do than doing nothing? I think that sometimes doing nothing can be harder for us than doing everything. This is so counter-cultural. It might be because we equate doing "things" with being important, and deep down we really want to know that we are important. God says you are important just by BEING who you are, not because of what you do. You don't have to DO anything or PROVE anything to BE important to Him.

Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
~Isaiah 54:10

Isn't that refreshing to know?

#2. Surrender. HUH?
Surrendering our "baggage" can be difficult. We're so used to carrying it everywhere. We don't know what to do once we let go of it. I think God designed us with a tendency to want to have some element of control over the things around us. This is not an entirely bad thing really. God does not want us to live in a world of chaos. There is a place for planning and creating strategy in our lives. But, there is also a place in our lives for surrendering as well. The question is, when do we work through something in faith, and when do we release that thing and let it go (which is also as an act of faith)?

As far as the "baggage" in your life goes, it becomes a matter of surrendering. If you want freedom from your "past baggage" it is not something you fight for, it is something you surrender to God. We don't have to FIGHT for our freedom from those things; we get to rest in God's freedom from those things as we lay them at His feet and allow Him to sift out the stuff we can't. Isn't that ironic? There is a spiritual warfare going on over your life that you cannot see. Satan wants you to think that you have to FIGHT tooth and nail, and wear yourself out fighting, working out every little detail of every little thing in your life. God tells you to stop fighting and to rest in Him, allowing HIM to be God. Lay "it" all down at the feet of the cross and in doing so you will experience the freedom you crave. Isn't that rich? Salvation is the moment you asked God into your heart. Sanctification is the ongoing process of surrendering of your will, and in doing so you will find freedom from the baggage that would otherwise wear you down. Both are in your best interest. God loves you and is crazy about you, and ALWAYS has your best interest in mind.

3. Serve. Ah...Yes. Okay. Now I get it.
So it was never really about me? No! It was! But, God also cares about everyone else as well. Once you are free from your "baggage" what are you going to do with your new freedom? Now you are free to serve those around you. Where once you were completely absorbed in your own "self", you are now free to serve those around you, to the glory of God. This will not sound appealing at all to some people who have not accepted Jesus into their heart yet. It might sound foolish, actually. Can I just tell you, though, there is NOTHING more satisfying in all your life then when you can get to this point... when you are free from the "baggage" and are able to joyfully CHOOSE to serve others, out of the love that God has placed in your heart for them. It's liberating and rewarding, and this is where God's blessings are POURED out. You'll love it. What are you waiting for?

Sanctification was the topic of our sermon this past Sunday at my church....allowing God to be God of your life, putting HIM on the throne where He rightfully belongs-- There is freedom in that. Why? Because putting God on the throne takes all of the other "things" off the throne and releases the bondage and the "hold" that they have on you, giving you the abundant life that God promises in the Bible. Well, now, that sounds good when you put it that way, doesn't it?
Here's a link to the sermon that my Pastor preached this past week if you are interested in listening to it in its entirety:
Pastor Gene Tanner preaches on sanctification on October 30, 2011.

Okay, awesome song time.

God's Redemptive Work. Part Three

I was reading a blog entry written by Leslie Vernick entitled "Do You Talk to Yourself?" I knew the answer right away because I am really smart like that. ;) In Leslie's post, she points out that the better question is not "DO we talk to ourselves?" but rather, "HOW do we talk to ourselves?" (I knew that too cuz I'm like a frickin' genius over here!) :)

HOW YOU TALK TO YOURSELF MATTERS (but you knew that too, cuz you're like the smartest cookie in the whole batch!)

It is one thing to be set free from sin, and it is quite another to believe you are set free, isn't it? It is one thing to say that I am bigger than my failures, and it is quite another to live a life that exemplifies that belief.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE

God loves you.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, we know Alisha. You tell us all the time!"

But do you? Cause I tell YOU all the time, because I am really still trying to convince MYSELF! He loves me??? FOR REAL!?! Because I am painfully aware of where I fall on the "loser" scale most days lately so I have to keep coming back to God and let HIM remind me who I am IN HIM.

I'm HIS girl! HIS BELOVED, for crying out loud!

I can choose to stay stuck at "I'm at the bottom of the loser scale" mentality, or I can let out a deep sigh, realize I let myself go there [AGAIN], and turn to God to let HIM tell me who I am... [again].

He offers you (and me) freedom and LOVE. Do you (and I) live like that? Do the words coming out of your (and my) mouth reflect that truth that God loves you (and me) and has forgiven you (and me)? Check out this tiny part from Leslie's entry.

We can only see ourselves truthfully when we place the eyes of our heart on Jesus and not on ourselves and our sins and failures.

Listen to what Paul writes about how God sees us.

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)

When we focus on Jesus, it’s not that we aren’t aware of our faults and failures, but our attention doesn’t stay on us. Instead it is fixed on the loving, forgiving, and merciful grace of God. Paul’s response to these great truths is, “So we praise God for his glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.“ It is all about Him. This is the gospel, the good news we celebrate and take refuge in.

(She's neat, don't you think?) Are you searching high and low for freedom, purpose, love, attention, etc. and coming up empty? Might it just be that you are looking in the wrong place? The mirror? Facebook? Magazines? TV? A person? Target's candy aisle? :) What? I'm just sayin'. Okay, and let's just be real. Freedom will never be found looking in a mirror, okay?! :) It might not be a bad idea to stop looking at yourself for a while and look to the one who made you and who delights in you.

Stop for a minute. Do you really want freedom? I mean, do you or not?

If you do,

Stop

for

a

m.i..n...u...t....e.

Choose to claim your freedom.

It's yours for the taking.

Might I suggest that you...

Slow your life d o w n.

. . . A l o t. . . .

Let all the other stuff go for a while. Look to the one who loves you unconditionally. Everything is SCREAMING for your attention! God is just whispering. The urgent is DEMANDING your attention while the important is waiting on your attention. The urgent stuff that is demanding for your attention (usually because someone somewhere is going to get money if you pay attention... you know that right?) :) --sometimes you have to make a choice to drop it for a while to tend to the important stuff in your life, right? GOD looks on you with the love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness that you cannot get ANYWHERE else...no strings attached. Do you want that? It's yours for the taking!! Drop everything else. All the baggage you're holding, juggling, balancing, frustratingly trying not to drop. . . it's okay. You can drop it. Lay it at God's feet and rest in HIM. God's REDEMPTIVE and comforting arms are open to you and you may rest in HIM at any time. Let THIS be your time. Let YOUR freedom RING! Right now. Choose to rest in HIM today.

Just a thought. That's all. If you are interested in reading all that Leslie had to say in this topic you may click here.

Okay... AWESOME SONG TIME!

OH! And YOU ARE LOVED!!!

God's Redemptive Work. Part Two

I've been listening to some of Casting Crown's songs lately because our church just hosted a Casting Crowns concert. I am realizing that I LOVE every single song they have ever written, so that's fun! :) This one, in particular, seemed to tie into the "Redemptive" theme that God brought to my attention yesterday and it SCREAMED comforting so I thought I might share it with you. Hope it blesses you like it blesses me. You are never tied to your past sins. God's message to you is that you may move forward in new freedom knowing that "it" is as far from you as the East is from the West when you ask forgiveness and lay it in God's hands. Lord, teach us to live out that freedom and to honor you with our lives. Amen. Enjoy this beautiful song. You are loved. <3

God's Redemptive Work.

Inspired while listening to Faith Radio today.

"When someone places a judgment on you they try to place a period on the end of that sentence. God takes that period and puts a new ending on that sentence."
~Susie Larson

Thank you Lord, for your redemptive work on our lives.

God, let us not be held down by our past failures, but be renewed by your sweet cleansing redemption. We need you Lord. We are available to you. Empower us. Speak your truth over us, and transform us into sons and daughters who bless you with our lives, Lord. We put our hope and our trust in you as we move forward in obedience to you. Take each stronghold and replace it with sweet release and freedom. Take each regret and transform it into something new and glorious.
Where we have emptiness give us fullness.
Where we have pain, give us healing.
Where there is sorrow, bring joy.

Amen.