Saturday, September 13, 2008

ABC's - A Patient Reminder to Faith & Love

Cry Freedom …

My soul weeps. Hear me if you can.

When I last wrote, I left spontaneously and I had planned to write later on the same day. I felt like the theme was weighty and I wanted to be focused and not distracted by work.

I want to write for a moment on the subject of sin. To some degree I feel like I have the Herculean task of speaking a message to believers and non-believers alike; and with regard to both I feel compassion. For the believer who struggles to have a pure view of Christ in the face of many obstacles, not because you have determined to reject God but purely because you have done the exact opposite in receiving Him as Lord of your life. On the other hand there are people who deny the power of God because they don’t have a right perception of Him. To both, however, the subject of sin does apply.

As I was meditating earlier this week, I thought about my own personal struggles with sin, as both a believer and a deceiver. To most people, and not to toot my own horn, I am “just precious”. No one could imagine “Natrietia” having an impure, unholy, mean spirited thought at anytime or any place of life. But I have fought throughout my Christian life to dispose this untruth. And for the first time in the history of “The Lady’s Rage” myspace page … I am going to say loud and very clearly …

“I suck. I struggle. I make mistakes. I made a mistake this week. I yell. I get angry. I feel pain. I hurt. I think sometimes that I don’t wan to do this faith thing anymore. I cry.”

In fact, today this morning as I am writing, my daughter, Ari El, wants my attention and I have to stop and listen to her recite her ABC’s for the umpteenth time. My baby, Chloe, woke up unusually early and has postponed my prayer time this morning. Both of these things, slightly irritate me because I am so focused on “doing” what I feel needs to be done in the moment that I am doing it. Hearing ABC’s for the millionth time and a sleepy child who refuses to go back to sleep, when you are trying to focus your attention on an important thing, is frustrating. Not the “nicest” thing to say but notice, though that I didn’t say, It was MORE important.

I have learned and am continuing to learn to be a better mother. Not one who selfishly pursues her own righteousness by works but one who can take time out from ambition, to say “Hey, Baby let me hear you ABC’s.” Let me affirm you. Let me bring you some comfort. Let me rock you back to sleep. This is love. And Love is what I am after.

I mentioned previously, my uncomfortably with writing about the obvious repercussions to a life of sin. Obviously, no one wants or likes to point fingers and honestly, that is not my job. My job here is not to say, “Liar, liar pants on fire!” My occupation is to impart faith to you, so that you will believe that Christ has already paid the price for whatever sins that you deal with. If its lust? If it’s lying? If it’s stealing? If it’s hating? If it’s bickering? Christ died so that you could live.

According to the Law of Moses (aka “The Thou Shalt Nots”) if you did it you die, you cannot have communion with God. The only way out of it is to bring a sacrifice. In the case of you and I, Christ is “that” sacrifice. He died once and for all. He doesn’t have to die repeatedly for sin. He doesn’t have to come to your house, knock on your door and say, “Hi, I’m J.C. I’m selling forgiveness, want some?” Sin is done with, the price has been paid.

The problem with our culture is salvation is treated like an exclusive right. Only the “good people” get in. If you are a sinner then, in text messaging terms you are (S.O.L) and if you don’t know what that means then, n/m. (LOL).

Salvation isn’t exclusive to the elite. Salvation isn’t a member’s only club. In fact the parable that Jesus gave to his disciples was this:

“A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guest. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited,”Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses… The servant came back and reported this to his master … then the owner of the house … ordered his servant “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” Luke 14: 16-18, 21

In invitation has been made, you need only come. When He calls you, answer, accept the invitation. You don’t have to be perfect; you don’t have to own a house and two luxury cars. You don’t have to be a virgin. You don’t have to know how to budget your checkbook. You don’t have to wear a dress. You just need to believe. Believe in the awesomeness of the Lord. The greatness of His love for you. Believe that you are worthy, by God’s choosing, to receive the gift of eternal life.

My soul cries out. I’m weeping for change. Not because I have done something so horrible that I need forgiveness. But I am crying out to the Lost and to those who because of their sin believe that they can have no communion with God.

As it relates to the series of writings about The Nobility of Righteousness – I though tit integral to the conversation to address sin. Because sin is no longer the issue. Christ already took care of that. The issue is a matter of perception. Do you think you’re evil? Are you convinced that you have fallen from grace? Do you believe that you are condemned because you made a mistake?

Hebrews 5:13-14 “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

Salvation is the milk. Righteousness is the meat.

The power and the ability to resist temptation and sin in your life are by faith. You can believe something about yourself and begin to manifest it by entertaining those thoughts. If what you perceive about yourself is negative and you meditate in the negativity long enough, it will lead to sin. If what you believe about yourself is positive, meditate in it. As Phil 4: 8, expresses, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

Let me pray for you:

Lord, I pray that you would give peace to my friends. Help them in the areas of their lives where the struggle the most. Teach them about your love and show them that you care. Don’t let them think badly about themselves. But help them to see that they are worthy, by grace, to receive the very best that you have for them. Don’t let them settle for anything less than the very best. I know you Lord and you are good. There is no love like your love. And I just want my friends to know that you can help them. Jesus died for our sins and we can’t save ourselves. Save us Lord. Help us Lord. And we are saved. Thank you Lord for all of your goodness. I know that you have changed our lives today.

Amen.

In closing, I just want to share that though I have struggled to mature in certain areas of my life, I am in no way despondent. I know that God’s grace and love is sufficient to save me. Even when I “feel” like the challenges are too great for me and I just want to throw in my towel. I am convinced that the Lord loves me and will help me. The Lord has never failed me and I know that He never will. The challenges that I face exist only to make me stronger. If I keep in step with the Spirit of the Lord and do not deny his invitation to experience closer relationship, I know that I will only get stronger and better. I’m saved today not because I’m perfect or better or a more moral person than anyone else. I am saved today because of Jesus Christ. And whatever good that you see in me, know that its Christ who stands out in me.

I love you all and I hope that you have a wonderful day!

Xoxo, Natrietia