Thursday, July 10, 2014

Life Is Totally Awesome (Not Worrying About the Rules)

I was sitting at church a few weeks ago and this little four year old boy was behind me singing, “It’s totally awesome” His dad said he had bought the new Lego movie. I took my future granddaughter to the movie, and I really enjoyed it. I especially liked the part about them being robots and having to follow all the rules.

If we try to follow all the rules all of the time, a person will be a miserable person. I've tried it -- living with a perfectionist, working a job for a perfectionist and being a perfectionist at one time.or another in life. I find with a perfectionist is that I can do 99 things right and they will focus on the one thing I do wrong.

Many people can't seem to wrap their minds around the grace teaching.  All we are saying is that the only reason we are breathing is because of the grace of God. Every blessing, every talent, and every breath I take is the grace of God. Paul said he worked harder than anyone, but it was not him, it was the grace of God in him.

But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me--and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 1 Cor. 15:10

When I left my job I thought it was interesting that I was not commended on 12 years of staying late on Fridays, working on vacation and at home authorizing students to register. Starting with a new school when a lot of procedures and programs were not in place -- having to call to different departments and get training by the Graduate Office to figure out what i was doing since there was no instructional manual.

I was commended on making a couple of Thanksgiving meals for International students. An idea I believe that God put in my mind to do in the first place. It's very hard to take credit for an idea I know that God gave me.

I had to pray that the old turkey roaster would not conk out that used to be my mother's since I was getting hit with insecurity that the turkey would not be good. My manager said it was the best (moist) turkey he ever tasted. Maybe food is the way to a man's (manager's) heart.

When we go out boating, we have to follow the rules of the DNR, or we can get a ticket, but than I have my own rules is ten minutes on a wave runner. Invariably a new person will come or some couple will idle for a "lover's lane" and then they burn up all the gas while we are sitting on the beach in the hot sun.

Then I'm praying, "Father I forgive them their trespasses against me, even as you forgive my trespasses against you." I seem to be praying that a lot lately...LOL

That is why it says, "the law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ." Galatians 3:24. We are now under the law of love. God is sure teaching me a lot of patience.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Cor. 13:1-8"

Many people remind me of robots, including Christians. They just mimic like a parrot what their pastor said. It’s all from their head, not their heart. The Berean Jews did not blindly follow what Paul preached. It says that they “were of more noble character” because they searched the scriptures daily.

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Act 17:11

When it says that “faith comes by hearing” and hearing by the word of God. Its talking about first hearing it with our physical ears and than our spiritual ears.

Many people mentally ascent to the word is that they hear it and than they don't act on it so it's meant to be heard first, understood by our spiritual minds (we have been given the mind of Christ) and than acted on.

We are told in James if we don't act on the word (obey it) than we deceive ourselves. When I find something in the word, I like to do it --act on it. It says to feed the poor so I go feed the poor, it says widows are given to hospitality. I've tried to take people in my home, but I find if people are not respectful of the rules of my house than it does not work well for me to take in people in my home. A person keeps me up all hours of the night talking loud, or smoking a cigarette outside. Rules are a "safeguard" and we do many things out of respect or love for another person.

I find it better when I give and do something out of love (an attitude of my heart) than a blind obedience. Even dogs and cats seem to have a mind of their own at times, but they do like praise, affection and attention from their master. Paul referred to himself as the "love slave" of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1

It says that God "loves" a cheerful giver:
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9:6-7
 

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