Concerned about someone's faith

I was concerned today about someone's faith. This person is close to me and has made decisions that I know are not going to draw him closer to God. So, I called my friend Connie, and asked her what to do. She listened to me and then said, "Marsha, you know that verse, 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling'?" I said, "Yes". She said, "Well, you can't work out his, just yours."

So apparently the lesson is, it's only my salvation I'm to work on figuring out - not someone else's. How freeing this is to my normally codependant ways.

The connection between prayer and humility

I was meditating on a verse the other day. (First, may I say, when I meditate, I'm not sitting in a room cross legged, saying 'om' over and over. Instead, I'm going about my day, doing dishes, making beds, running errands, but through the day I'm going over a verse, and trying to figure out how it works in my life.) This day, the verse was just 3 words long. It was a command. PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. I was trying to put that command into practice. EVERYTHING? You want me to Pray about EVERYTHING. What about finding my pencil? PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. What about the tiny things, every minute...help me be patient with my daughter. Help me not yell at that driver. Help me not eat that Chocolate Eclair while I'm on this diet. EVERYTHING. Pray about Everything. And then the thought came into my head, that God doesn't want to be bothered with the small things. And instantly I knew that was a lie from the Father of Lies...because the opposite is true. 1. God does want...he wants a relationship with me that is dependant on me responding to him and relating to him. And 2. I am not bothering him - I am delighting him. Every time I pray - he is delighted. And he inhabits my praises. WOW, when I praise, I am making a place for God to dwell...now that's a thought. But, there is one more reason that came to me, as a good reason to pray about everything, no matter how tiny: it takes humility to pray. It takes humility to ask for help on every little thing. And God wants me humble, so he can lift me up. (Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you...) And oh the heights to which HE lifts. Praying keeps me humble. When I don't pray, I'm saying, "I can do it on my own." And you know that's what Satan said.

The Deceitfulness of Riches.

This phrase, "the deceitfulness of riches' used to be a meaningless phrase to me. I had no clue what it meant in relation to my life. I suppose if I were rich, I'd know what it means, but for my family who was just trying to get by - well, I didn't think it applied to me. But, today, or at least this week - I got a tiny glimpse into it's meaning. My husband works for a company that has a Business Jet. Only the top executives get to use the jet. It's one of those modes of transportation that I've only read about, and seen pictures of - in expensive magazines. The Jet costs around 50 Million and it seats 5 people. This week, my husband was invited to be one of 5 people, who will be 'taking the jet' to a business meeting outside this country. When I heard that - I kept thinking, "I'm rich. I must be rich. My husband is taking the corporate jet to his meeting." I thought that every day, and the more I thought it, the more important I became in my own mind. "I am the wife of a very important executive who is going to be taking a 'private, corporate, 50 million dollar jet' to his next meeting." Now, I'm really the same woman, who struggles with the same financial pressures I had last week, when I didn't know Tom would be using the corporate jet - but somehow the deceitfulness of riches - made me think higher of myself. Or elevate myself. Maybe that's what Jesus meant when he talked about "the deceitfulness of wealth' - maybe part of the deceit that wealth brings - is it makes us think higher of ourselves than we ought. Maybe it makes us think so high of ourselves that we look down on others, and even God. Maybe poverty brings a clarity - a humility that causes us to look up. The deceitfulness of riches and the private jet - I experienced it a bit this week.

When I'm afraid and have no courage.

I've long been fascinated by the whole Mafia thing. I like the idea of a powerful mob boss, who protects me. Who says, "I've got people...you don't have to be afraid." I like knowing that whomever is looking out for me, 'has people' so I don't have to worry.

That's why I love the verses, in Acts 18:9 & 10 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: Do not be afraid: Keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.

God, my protector, my boss, 'has people'. And I don't have to be afraid. I can go forth with boldness. I can speak and not be silent. I love that.