Last week, I evidently hit a nerve with not only some of my readers, but with a few on my team. When we met last Friday, I loved their honesty and their transparency. Some were struggling with, “God does not create a person to be homosexual.” (I’m not going to address this today. You’ll have to read last week’s post in order to get more.)
I started thinking about everything that irriates me in the Bible. Things that I don’t want to do. Things that make me cringe. Let me share a short list of those things:
- “Love your enemies. Bless your enemies” Really? Yuck! Who wants to do that?
- “Submit to your husband.” Are you kidding?
- “Tithe 10% of your income and be willing to give to ministries, to people, to whomever God impresses upon you to give. Your money is not your own.” I want it to be my own. I want to do whatever I want with my money.”
- “Honor the Sabbath by keeping it holy.” I need a catch up day to run errands, finish the laundry, clean the house etc. Who has time for a day of rest?
- “Forgive those who hurt you…” I don’t want to forgive them. I want to hold a grudge. In fact, I want revenge.
Oh girl, my list could go on and on. Do you have a list?
Let me share some Scriptures that I like! That roll around in my mind so that I CHOOSE to obey – even when it makes me cringe.
- See Deuteronomy 28: 1-14, “If you obey the Lord your God:
You will be blessed in the city and in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to.
The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.
The Lord will make you the head, not the tail.”
If you do not obey, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you…(see v15-68)
2. Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
3. John 10:10 AMP, “I have come that you may have life and have it in abundance.”
Throughout Scripture, cover to cover, the over arching theme is, “if you obey, I will bless.” It’s not, “pick and choose the principles that you like – then I’ll bless you.”
It’s similar to telling our children to eat to their fruits and vegetables. Many times they don’t want to, but I insist. Why? Because I know what’s good for them. I want them to have strong and healthy bodies. I also want their mind to be sharp. I know that nutruition plays a big part of that.
So it is with God. He knows what’s best for us. He sees the future and He sees the bigger picture. His ways are so much higher than our ways. He wants to pour down blessings upon our lives and our families…
But the choice is ours. We can obey, even the parts that make us cringe, knowing all will go well with us if we do. (That’s what Scripture says.) Or we can insist on our own way and face the consequences of what the Bible calls “curses.”
Do you want the blessings of God in your life?
If you, like me in the past, have chosen to pick and choose what you like, and ignore what you don’t like:
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Confess this to God and repent. Remember, He does not mind our honesty.
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Be specific – name some of the principles that you don’t like or understand.
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Ask Him to help you to CHOOSE TO OBEY, even when you don’t understand and frankly want to cringe –
Tomorrow: Why are we beating up our own?