Striving again?

Does anybody else feel like they are constantly striving? If only I pray enough, and read the best Christian books, and listen hard to all the sermons on Sunday, and really go deep in my small group, and offer a helping hand at every church event...and maybe volunteer a few hours for the soup kitchen while I'm at it, and make sure to pay my bills on time, and be available to all my friends, and read the bible everyday, and find my calling in life, and work out at least three times a week, and cut out sugar, and keep a positive attitude...then maybe I will finally feel peace and joy and healing. The problem is all that striving just results in stress and busy-ness and never really being present in the moment.

Can't for once God's grace be enough? I mean really? There is nothing I can add to it. I've already been set free. There's nothing I need to do to access peace and joy and healing. So what is all this going, going, going for? No matter how good these things are within themselves, if all they do is keep me distracted, my heart never really gets what it truly wants: more intimacy with God.

So my response? My temptation is to say, "Oh Courtney. You need to get your act together on this one." Haha. But nope. How about I just turn my brain off for a moment from all those things I think I need to do to be more whole...and just "be wholly Yours." It's time to throw the arms up (for the umpteenth time today) and simply worship the One who took care of everything.

The Summer of New Things

Out with the old and in with the new, right!? I guess I don't really need to take it that far...but at the very least, it is in with the new for this girl. I am excited to try a hoard of new things (or at least things I haven't done in so long, they're practically new). Items on the list include fishing, learning German and becomming a hiker. Today I have taken on my first new challenge...simple, yet exciting in my opinion: making ricotta cheese from scratch! I don't really like the stuff you buy at the store and this is so easy, why would I do anything else? Here is the recipe... Line a collander with two layers of durable food safe paper towel and place in a large bowl. In a separate microwave safe bowl, combine 2 cups of whole milk, 1/4 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar. I used lemon juice today. Microwave that for 2 to 4 minutes...until it is 165 degrees F on a food thermometer or it looks like the milk is really forming some good curds. I did the full 4 minutes. Spoon that over the paper towel and let drain covered with plastic wrap or a paper towel until it is the consistency you want it. I'm going with 45 minutes, but you can drain it anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Put it in a tupperware and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Should make about 1/2 c.

Trusting God rather than self

If you have your own plan of redemption for yourself, for your life, for your relationships or whatever, God may allow that plan to unravel until you are clueless, aimless, and maybe even hopeless unless you turn to God and seek instead His plan of redemption.

We often approach our lives and circumstances with our own ideas of how they will work out. These ideas may even be based on biblical principles, values and things we've felt we've heard from God. But when we rely on them rather than God himself, we will experience failure, disappointment and heartache. There is a difference between following what we believe God's plan is and actually just trusting the God who knows His own plans for our lives and exactly how to execute them.

One important thing to remember, however, is that trusting God does not mean the road will be easy. Because of our flesh, our view of success and a good life can look like self-glorification, false comfort and security in wordly things, and laziness. But success and a good life in God's eyes means freedom from fleshly desires; it means discipline and self control; it means humility and patience; it means placing the needs of others in high regard and understanding that all of our true needs are met by God. This is very difficult to accomplish and goes against our natural fleshly desires. Therefore, trusting God and choosing the good life in Christ is impossible without the Holy Spirit who transforms and renews us, reshaping our desires and characteristics to look more and more like God's.

But why is trusting God better than taking control of our own lives and following our own plan of redemption? Because we have freedom in Christ, but when we take control we become slaves to our flesh...resulting in bitterness, resentment, pride, hurt, disappointment and anger rather than joy, peace, humility, kindness and love.

Some scriptures for reading on the matter:
Ephesians 4:22-24
Romans 12:3-8
Luke 9:23
2 Corinthians 5:17
Galations 2:20
Romans 6:1-23

Trust God, not insecurities.

I learned a valuable lesson recently. It is one that had to be beat into because I seemed to have been missing it completely for a few months. I am going to share it with you now because it is very simple and straightforward. It is this: trust God instead of trusting insecurities.

You know those thoughts in your head...the quiet little naggy voices that make all kinds of assumptions or judgements...yeah, watch out for those. They tend to be the enemy trying to distract and destroy you with lies. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. I think one area he tries to steal, kill and destroy in most is relationships. Be it family, friends, lovers, even aquaintances...if he can prevent us from effectively showing God's grace and love to anyone, he will do that. Furthermore, if he can fixate us on anything other than worshipping God with our thoughts...well he will try anything.

And that is the thing...when we listen to those voices and begin to trust what they are saying, we stop trusting God; we stop worshipping God and begin worshipping idols...be it what others think of us or what we think of ourselves. If these things are not based on truth...either factual or biblical...they have no place in our lives.

So...here are my thoughts on battling these lies.
1) Pray that God would give you the discernment to recognize them for what they are.
2) Counter the lies with scripture and truth...for example, if the lie says "I am worthless", the bible tells us Christ has given us worth because He died on the cross for us.
3) If the lie is involving another person, ask God to examine your heart and expose idols like worshipping what that person thinks of you or your percieved value to them.
4) Ask God to forgive you and thank Him for His grace and forgiveness.
5) Finally and most importantly, praise God! God corrects our misdirected worship by focusing our hearts once again on him!

So may God help you (and I) to trust Him rather than trusting insecurities. :)