The Conversation That Kills

With a family oriented holiday right around the corner of tonight's eve, I felt the Lord burden my heart with this concept. Here is the scene, it's dinner time. You and your not-often-seen extended family are sitting across from one another, making casual, (but fake) conversation.
Why do we always feel that in order to be "real" with our conversation we have to talk about things that are considered "hot button" topics. You know, politics, region, or whether or not women should wear their hair down in church. (I just through that last one in the rile you up. :) ) But in all honesty, why do we start these heated conversations with others when we already know the outcome? Why not try lovingly asking our extended family members personal questions about themselves we know will draw us closer together AND as a result make our family member feel loved and genuinely cared for? Isn't that what we would all desire? It is what I would want, for someone to lovingly and in a caring way ask about what is REALLY going on in my life...and then follow it up with some real empathy for my struggles. That is what I really think our families are missing these days, is genuine concern for one another, we are so concerned with voicing and sharing our (right) viewpoints that we completely miss golden opportunities to share with others the love of Christ.
I doubt that the Feast of the Passover Lamb Jesus sat there and said, "do you think Ceaser is a good leader?"  NO. I bet instead He asked the folks He was sitting with how they really were, and what cares and concerns they had for the children, and probably asked how He could pray for them, and quite possible He followed them home and helped them with some yard work. That is the kind of God we serve, and we are HIS children are we not? If we claim Christ as our Lord and Savior we ought to be trying to copy Him, (in His strength) a little more. Now, I say this more to myself than anyone of you. SO do not feel as though I am pointing my finger at any one of you who read these words. These are things the Lord has placed on MY heart for MY learning and I assumed perhaps there were some who would benefit from what He is teaching me. I am to be an ambassador of His love, and representation of who He is...and at it's core my actions should say to the world, "Jesus would do this too..." Because if my actions contradict what my Savior would do, then I ought to really rethink what I am about to do or say. Our words can be deadly you know. They have the power to breath life into someone (rejuvenate) or the power to make someone feel like death. Have you ever had life-giving words spoken to you by another who lovingly took an interest in what you were saying? You could tell that in that conversation that were genuinely interested in the pain or joy going on in your life? It's only through the power of Christ and the all sufficiency of the Lord's provision that we will ever reach a place in any of our conversations that resembles what I am describing here. These life-giving words that only Christ can supply us with are the oldest rule in the book. Christ breathed life into all those He shared His truth with, in the same way God breathed life in Adam's lifeless body in creation. We are all in need of fresh-breathed words, words fresh from the mouth of Christ. Have you have ever been in a situation where no one shared your views, beliefs or thoughts? It's hard to stay there for very long, and then you get back into your normal circle of surroundings and conversation and suddenly you feel as though you can "breath again?" Well the same is true for those we come up against in our conversations.
If we not so lovingly try to persuade people through our words that essentially "they are wrong..." they feel stifled. They feel as though they are being verbally suffocated, and will look for the first opportunity to get out of that situation. I feel that way so I know others do. Some will fight back, some will actually be able to attain a healthy dialog, but this is rare. And it usually takes place when the two talking together are not far off in their points of view.
I hope I have spurred some of you on towards love and good deeds through these thoughts that the Lord has placed on my heart this morning. These are not easy things to do, turning off our own desire to steer a conversation to our desires way. But in the end, arguing never brought anyone to Christ. (not that I can recall?) However, what does attract others to Jesus is a person who is first of all loving, gentle and willing to listen. A person who takes genuine interest in another persons struggles and a person who lovingly forgoes the opportunity to try and prove their point. In hopes to lead others to Him.
I am not simply say nothing, and turn into a bean bag with no mouth or opinion, but rather, we show up, and allow Christ to take over and do the rest. Have Holy Spirit led conversations, have Christ fueled conversations. How then will we do this? Through prayer. That is the only way we will thrive through these difficult situations.
He is our all sufficient source of everything we will ever need. And that includes being the provider genuine, loving thanksgiving conversation. SO before you cross the thresh hold of your Thanksgiving feast residence, pray. Pray as if your life depends on it, because the moment we let our guard down in Christ, the humanness that eats away at us begins to show it's ugly face.
And remember friends, "In all things, we are more than conquerors through Him who provides for us..." Romans 8...
Happy Thanksgiving conversations friends, and be blessed as you become Jesus to all those who would probably never darken the door of the church. Surprise your family members and friends with His presence, and I can't wait to hear how He shows off. To GOD be the GLORY!!!! (for this is why we live, for His glory.)

Distraction

What's so bad about getting distracted once and a awhile? Many things distract me. Kids yelling, messy house, laundry, cute new shoes, that new lamp I want, and of course, the battle that wages in my mind over what to do when, and  how to best do it. Yes there are lots of things that cause distraction in our day and age. As I was praying today and asking the Lord to show me the ways that I am tempted to sin, distraction came out of the woodwork like a red letter. I realized that over the past couple of weeks I've been distracted. Now, distraction is a tool of the enemy, it's not blatantly in your face or recognizable as a tool of his to myself and probably many others.  But distraction is a perfect tool for him to use on me!! The enemy knows I will never listen if he straightforward with his ploys with me, he knows he must be crafty, sneaky and deceitful with me, and also come in softly. He know's he isn't really going to sell me on something that isn't a temptation of mine! He isn't all knowing but he has studied me long enough to know that most of the time, I am easily distracted.  Satan knows that I would never listen to him if he said "throw your Bible away!" But I may listen if he says, "your house is really messy, you should clean your house instead of reading your Bible." And many times last week I ate that lie up. Now, my house is messy at times, but the truth that combats the lie the enemy was telling me, or distracting me with last week, is this: When I give God what I know is best, my very best, my time, my energy and so on, He fills me, and grants me favor. And somehow, someway, my house will still get clean. The Lord will empower me, fill me and provide me with the time and resources to clean my messy house. And this is just one scenario. Take the scenario of, "I need to shop online because the kids need winter coats..." God knows your kids need coats. Ask Him to provide you with the time to shop online, but put His word and spending time in before shopping for your kids. See what He does with that time, my guess is your time will sprout wings and expand and grow. Time has a way of the doing that when it's in the hands of the Father.
Now that I more clearly see the ploy of the enemy, I feel less frantic, and more uplifted...I recognize that as I give God first things first, He provides the rest for me. That is just the kind of God He is.
On a deeper level, in light of a certain election coming up, think of the ways, pray about the ways that perhaps the enemy will use distraction as a tool to "pull the wool" over our eyes just long enough to create a situation. And that distraction could lead to bigger problems. Don't let the enemy distract you from what you need to focus on. Ask the Lord for eyes to see through the lies, and ears to hear through the commotion so you can know and hear the voice of the Father, instead of the loud voice that longs to drown out truth.
As you go about your day, ask the Lord to show you where distraction has taken root in your life and heart, and then ask the Father what He wants you to do about it.
I realize for some this may seem odd, because each day is so full how can you possibly tell distraction from just normal busy life? But you can, and you serve a God who is bigger than your  full day, and He will make a way where no way is seemingly possible. He makes streams in the desert. He is that kind of God. If your time feels spent before in begins, ask Him to show you how to reorganize your day, time, and thoughts to fit the mold He has designed for you. I am watching this mold unfold in my own day today, and I can assure you, it is much better than the days I had last week feeling O so flustered and distracted. He is a God who grants favor to His children. He lavishes HIS time, and HIS resources on those who ask for eyes to perceive them! I had been forgetting to ask Him for His eyes to see. For HIS ears to hear. I have my own senses it's true, but my ears and eyes are not nearly as perceptive as His. His eyes pierce through the surface of things to the heart of the matter, and His eyes see through the walls and distractions that Satan puts in my path. The enemy is crafty, but Christ is the creator of all, is in all and knows all. And that has never been more reassuring to me than in such a time as we are in right now as a nation, and in my own simple personal life. He is the God who Lord over my life's circumstances, and He is Lord over our nations circumstances, nothing happens without His allowing it, and I'm not sure if you needed to be reminded of that or not, but I do. He is Lord over all, and is in all.  ( Ephesians 4:6 and Colossians 3:11)
So today I pray this:
"Lord, give me eyes to see the places in my life, mind and heart where I have been distracted. Show me how to have my eyes set fully on you, your plans for me and the attitudes that you want to settle in into my heart. That my attitude should be that as the same as Jesus Christ. That my day reflects the kind of day YOU Lord want me to have, and that I glorify you Father with every moment of my day, flicker of my eye and attitude in my heart. Thank you Jesus for being the kind of King who stands in the gap for me, sheds the light of truth into my life and then helps me up from the dirt when I fall down. I serve you with every single second, for there is a reason I'm alive for this blink of eye." AMEN!