Decisions, Decisions

Whether we are aware of it or not, every single thing we do is determined by our beliefs. Our worldview, if you will. I think often times, we have this knowledge in our heads of what we believe. We would stand up for it, fight against ideas which oppose it, and claim that we live by it. But is that how we are actually living? Are we blinded by lies festering in our minds that have come from the media, music, books, even our friends? Do our decisions come from what we claim to believe, or are they based on faulty thinking that we aren't even aware of?

Norman Geisler's book, Chosen But Free deals with the issue of God's sovereignty vs. free will. An age old debate which has not, and i believe will not be resolved until our life on earth is over. How much influence do I have over my decisions? Has God "pre-programmed" everything I'll ever do? Did I chose to believe in Jesus Christ and accept salvation? Or did God choose me? These are questions that are well worth researching and deciding what you believe. Because, as I mentioned, your beliefs will determine your actions.

In the first chapter of his book, Geisler discusses this concept. It’s the thought that all our ideas have consequences—both good consequences and bad consequences. He gives a few different examples of this, both generally and in history. He says “The Red Cross, hospitals, schools, representative government, and aid for the poor and oppressed are all examples of good ideas that led to good actions” (p. 12). However, Geisler also gives an example of how faulty ideas can have extremely horrific consequences. Adolf Hitler believed in the Darwinian theory of “survival of the fittest” or social evolution. He said in his book, Mein Kampf that nature clearly does not one weaker individuals to mate with stronger ones, or superior races to mate with inferior ones, because all the evolutionary progress of the past x number of years would be undone. (Paraphrase mine, p. 239-40). Because of his train of thought, millions of people were murdered.

I think everyone will agree that our decisions begin with a thought. A single thought turns into a trail of thoughts leading you straight to a decision to act. I then must ask the question: Where do our thoughts come from? What are we feeding our minds? It has long been said that negative behavior is easier to imitate than positive behavior. Are you surrounded by negativity? Are you quick to criticize and critique? Do you focus on the bad? Do you put people down?

Our minds can be very scary places. I had a professor who used to say “The smallest decision can change the trajectory of your life.” If this is true, and I do believe it is, I think it is vitally important that we evaluate the sources that we allow to influence our minds. There is only one source which to me is the highest standard to base my decisions on and that is the Bible; the very Word of God.

Philippians 4:8 says “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” If we do this, we can trust that our thoughts will be what they should be in order to make the right decisions.

Richer than a Win

Worship through song in the church today is a very controversial issue. Each individual church conducts worship through song in a unique way. Whether it is with the traditional hymns accompanied by only an organ, or with a huge choir accompanied by a full orchestra, the styles are innumerable. But, that is what they are – styles. The heart of worship is so much deeper and greater than they type of song song, the instruments used, or the person (or people) leading.

                God calls us to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). He doesn’t just want us to sing to Him. The song is the means by which we let our guard down and come face to face with the reality that God is God, and I am not, and praise Him for it. It is the means by which we tell Him how grateful we are that He is so much greater than we will ever understand and the eternal results of our lives do not ultimately depend on us. The song is the means by which I draw nearer to my Savior, the creator and lover of my soul.

The way a person prefers to do that is unbelievably diverse. A person’s church should be the place where they come to celebrate, with other believers, who God is. His attributes, His character, His immense love for us. Yet the fight among us is alive and well—HOW do we do this? WHAT type of instruments, songs and leading will allow the congregation to draw near to the Lord and offer Him our praise and thanks? The answers to these questions are undoubtedly not going to satisfy everyone within any given church. There will be those who wish things were more traditional. There will be who think the traditional worship style is boring and stuffy. There will be those who don’t like either, but can’t figure out what it is they do like.

This fight is exhausting. It is tricky, it is never ending, and it is ultimately over secondary things. C.S. Lewis said “You can’t get second things by putting them first. You get second things only by putting first things first.” I believe this is such an important truth. The “first thing” in the fight over worship is the condition of your heart. What is your motive in fighting for your preference? Are you incapable of drawing near to God through a style of worship different than your own? If you do get your way, what was the cost? You can “worship” in your preferred style, but is your heart still right with the Lord? That kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?

I would say, check your heart. Ask the Lord “search [your] heart…see if there is any offensive way in [you]” (Psalm 139:23-24). If you can ask the Lord to help you set aside your preference and draw near to Him in worship through song in a style different than your own, I think you have gained something richer than winning your battle.

What else do I need?

I was born into a family that believes in God, and I grew up going to church with my family. When I was three years old, my sister told me that I had to believe that Jesus was God’s son and choose to live like he wanted me to or after I died I would go to “a really bad place.” I told her I believed it, and I prayed and told God. I continued going to church and learning about all of the stories in the Bible. When I was about nine or ten, I decided I wanted to tell the world that I had become a Christian. 

As I grew older I learned that it wasn’t up to me to be perfect. God knew I couldn’t live perfectly, so he sent Jesus on my behalf. Jesus lived a perfect life, and then he sacrificed himself—to pay the price for my imperfection. But because he’s God’s son and has power, he overcame death and rose back to life. All I had to do was believe that was true, and God would forgive my imperfection, and allow me to have a relationship with him. 

My relationship with Him makes life worth living. When my world fell apart, God held me in one piece. He is everything I need to stay in one piece. Life is often incredibly painful and disappointing; my relationship with God brings ultimate healing and fulfillment that last forever. What else do I need?

Thank you, Lord, for wise old women!

         I'm reading a book for class called "Teacher: The Henrietta Mears Story." by Marcus Brotherton. Let me just tell you, it's fantastic. This woman loved the Lord. She knew Him, she was confident in her identity in Him, and she let Him have His wonderful way with her life.

         I read this today, and it just splashed over me like the cool refreshing water I didn't know I was longing for. It's  a beautiful answer to questions my heart has been pouring over and wrestling with.

"Here is our certainty. God is in us, and He is going to work in us to do His will and pleasure; this is the promise. And through what vehicle will He work to reveal His will except through our minds? We do not have to go chasing a will-o'-the-wisp, or strain after something outside ourselves. God is in us, working out His will and we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God...

       The Lord does most of the waiting, waiting for us to get up and get going. How can the Lord stop you if you haven't started? And how can He change your direction if you aren't moving but are just standing still? You can't steer a car that is standing at the curb. Even if you move the steering wheel, nothing happens. Ask any frustrated little boy who is trying to steer his daddy's parked car! Before you can guide a car, it has to be moving. So only when we're moving can the Lord direct us. He can stop us, or let us go on, or change the course.
        The psalmist says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet," which means that the Lord will light one step at a time. When you take a flashlight out into the night, you certainly don't say, "I can't see all the way, so I'm not going to start!" Of course not! You take the step that the flashlight reveals, then you have light enough for the next step; you take that step, and the flashlight gives enough light for one more, and one more, and so you get to your [destination].
        When I leave my home and start out for church on Sunday morning, I don't stop and pray on every street corner to see whether I should cross the street or not, or whether I should continue or turn back. I go happily and at peace, knowing that it is the Lord's will for me to go to church. When I come to a stoplight, I don't fret and scream and beat my head and wonder what's wrong; I just stop and wait for the light to turn green and on I go. Even as a preacher once said, "The stops of a good man are ordered of the Lord" instead of "The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord"; if we yield our wills and commit our way unto the Lord, we can have this confidence that the Lord is directing our paths."

        I hope this is as encouraging to you as it has been to me. It's Mission Emphasis Week here at Liberty, and Steve Saint brought a wonderful message to us on Monday. He was recording his mom telling her life story one more time before she died...and her cry to the Lord before she was sent overseas, before her husband was brutally killed was "Your will...in my life...no matter the cost." What an incredible testimony to the Lord, that at the end of her life, she stood by her early prayer and said that even if she had to do it all over again, she would still say "Your will...in my life...no matter the cost."


Lord, Your will...in my life...no matter the cost.

..Free to Live for You.

Psalm 147

 ¹ Praise the LORD.^[a]    How good it is to sing praises to our God,
   how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
 ² The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
   he gathers the exiles of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
   and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
   and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
   his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The LORD sustains the humble
   but casts the wicked to the ground.
 ⁷ Sing to the LORD with grateful praise;
   make music to our God on the harp.
 ⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;
   he supplies the earth with rain
   and makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He provides food for the cattle
   and for the young ravens when they call.
 ¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
   nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹ the LORD delights in those who fear him,
   who put their hope in his unfailing love. 


The past few weeks have felt pretty heavy--mentally and emotionally. They have been full of new things and God has been so near. I am taking six classes right now, and all six of them are about life. Life as a Christian woman, life in ministry, issues that people struggle with in life, how to help people who struggle with issues in life, and more. They have been so rich, as I'm sure they will continue to be. But one theme that keeps weighing heavily on me through these classes is how messed up our world truly is. How people are hurting, and crying out for someone to hear them. For someone to pay attention to them. For someone, anyone, to care. And I've noticed that it is no different in Christian bubbles. It's possibly worse. Because as Christians, we somehow have this unrealistic idea that people expect us to be perfect. That other Christians expect us to be perfect. We feel like we're going to be shunned if we admit fault, or admit that we're really struggling with something. That breaks my heart. As Christians, we should be a safe place for each other to unload. It's not our place to judge or make each other feel guilty. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts. God created us for community and for relationships. He gave us these for so many reasons, one of which is for growth. Proverbs 27:17- As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. I hate knowing that there are so many Christians out there who are struggling--deeply struggling--with sin, and feel like there is no hope for them, and feel too ashamed to talk to anyone about it. Regardless of what the sin is. The list is endless. There is FREEDOM from sin.

In one of my classes, we were just tested on "Ten Foundational Truths for Victorious Christian Living." One of them was "My sin does not have to continually make me feel guilty." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 goes through this long list of sin. The lifestyles people have who will not be with God eternally. But then in verse 11 Paul says, 

"And that is what some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God." (Amplified)


That is truth. Pure and beautiful. Truth that brings life. If you are feeling broken and weighed down by guilt, I encourage you to take it to the Lord, and talk to a trusted friend. God has already paid for it. In full. With His life. He died to pay for it. Claim that truth! You are forgiven! You have grace! Walk in freedom, my friend. 


And if you know a friend who is struggling, show them with your friendship that they can come to you. Be worthy of their trust. I encourage you to be a safe place for them. Lift them to the Lord in prayer. Remember that it is not your job to convict. Lead them to the freedom God is offering. The freedom you have claimed in your own life.


God wants to take our lives and transform them. We are so filthy. We are so self-centered, and prideful, and judgmental, and about a million other things. But through our willing and trusting spirit, God takes all of that and he gets rid of it completely. He changes us from the inside out. And that change points to Him. It shows off what He can do with a miserable sinning nobody. And that's the point. That we would make much of Him!


    Praise the LORD.^[a]
   How good it is to sing praises to our God,
   how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

"Oh, the joys of working with people..."

 You all know what I'm talking about. Those days when it's like people are trying to frustrate you and be unhelpful on purpose. There just seems to be a lot of frustration on all sides. And I'm just so wanting to be cranky right now and complain and give in to having a sour, self-pity kind of mood.

But, God being awesome and wise as he is...had a few reminders from Philippians for me this morning:

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." (1:27)

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..." (2:5)

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (2:14-16)

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (4:4-8)


Lets chew on these verses and let God transform us from the inside out. He is a good God.

Sorry Tim Warren...You're Wrong.

The Alternate Routes: "I've seen the future and the future's nothing new. Just another day to miss the things we used to do."

I was hit tonight with the full force of the FALSENESS of that line. That's a lot of Fs. Full Force Falseness.

WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ANYONE EVER WANT TO GO BACK TO "THE THINGS WE USED TO DO"???

I realize that all caps make it seem like shouting. That was intentional. Like I said, I was hit with FULL FORCE tonight. There is a verse for what I was hit with tonight. And by "verse" I mean five verses.

2 Corinthians 5:12-16 (NLT)
¹² Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. ¹³ If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. ¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
 ¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"


^"If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us."

Observation #1. Sometimes, we ARE crazy. We do crazy things that don't make sense to our friends or our family or to culture or even to ourselves. But if Christ's love controls us, we can be sure that it's a good crazy. A divinely orchestrated kind of crazy. And like the verse says, "it is to bring glory to God." I like crazy. I like that I can bring glory to God in my unique craziness.

"Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ."

Observation #2.
I've done a lot of dumb stuff. (Ahem, by the way, there is a difference between dumb and crazy). I've done a lot of dumb stuff, and I've made a lot of dumb decisions (I still do. But that is another issue for another blog at another time). All of my bad decisions stem from a deeply ingrained selfishness. But because of "Christ, who died and was raised for [me]," that "old self"...that person with the deeply ingrained selfishness gets to die. I'm a new person. That old life is GONE. GONE FOREVER. NEVER TO COME BACK. Sometimes in my futility of thinking, I invite it back. All. Too. Often. But it will never be who I ultimately am, ever again.

I am so overwhelmed by that. I am a child of God. The God who freely gives out as many second chances as you need. The God who views me as spotless and blameless even though my behavior and actions are far from it. I am declared clean. I am declared innocent. That is how God views me. Because of the gruesome sacrifice of my beautiful Savior. [Enter tearing up here.]

"At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!" Just think about that. Think about how Christ is viewed. Think about a perfect someone who knows your heart and soul at it's deepest level, and painfully gave up his own life to save those deeply hidden parts of you. Not because those deeply hidden parts of you are worth saving. Not because you deserve to be saved. But because that's how great He is. That's how loving He is. Then think about having a conversation with that person. What can you even say? How do you move past all the gratitude to even have a conversation? Honestly, I think I don't show enough gratitude before moving on to the conversation part. But that's the beauty of the "how differently we know him now" part of the verse! We know him on a supernatural level now! Not just a human point of view. He makes it possible for us to enter into a lifelong conversation with him!

I don't think words will conclude that paragraph sufficiently.




I've been thinking about my future tonight. Hence the beginning of the post. (My mind enjoys going off on trails of its own.) I was thinking, and talking to God about it and writing in my journal and I reached a conclusion. It's a girly conclusion, which is fitting for me, so if you're not a girl, well...maybe some guy's blog has a manly conclusion for you.

My future is like a dance. Like a beautiful dance. It has been perfectly choreographed for me. It's as if for every step and every movement, my strength and flexibility and the grace (or lack thereof) with which I move have been taken into account. It's not necessarily an easy dance, it's designed to stretch me, to teach me, and make me a better dancer. But it's not a solo dance. It's a partner dance. And my partner just so happens to be Jesus Christ. And instead of learning the choreography beforehand, I'm standing on His feet, letting Him lead me. It's quirky at times. It's unexpected most of the time. And it has a lot of uncoordinated moments. Those are the times I start to fall off his feet, or when I start to look at the people around me instead of looking into His face. When I step off His feet things get really tangled up, because I don't know the steps and I make them up. But all I really have to do is stand on Jesus, my rock, look into His face and let Him hold me in His arms and trust that he can and will lead me gracefully across the dance floor with beautiful twirls and embellishments.


Yep, that is my life. I rather like it.