Looking out the window wondering what need do I have that I could focus on as a means of finding my passionate need for God? I want to be real and relatable.
But I realized I had no urgent needs.
I felt so settled. So well. So peaceful.
But within all of that, my circumstances, my feelings, I could sense the reality deep within me that I had this longing.
A longing for something that nothing in this life could give me, because as I sat there thinking about what need I could speak on to encourage you guys, a need I myself also needed so that I wasn't just saying things but also feeling and living them...I found only a quiet longing.
At first it felt like a problem.
Longing is usually associated with lack:
I long to be loved!
I long for that new dress!
I long to be married!
I long for my child to succeed in life!
I long to be liked by others!
I long to not lose any good thing I have!
I long to be skinny!
I long to be wealthy!
I long long long for what I lack lack lack!
Immediate Or ASAP Change is wanted to get rid of our longing in these areas.
But I want to re-model our minds for a room where longing can stay until Christ comes. A room where when we step in, we don't ask for immediate or ASAP change, but we sit in the longing remembering that this longing in us is producing our ever deepening loving. Because in this room of longing we long for Christ's return, to make all things new, and to restore everything that sin sought to destroy. In this room we are like peasants who, having been adopted by the King, are waiting to be shown our inheritance. This longing is anticipation. This longing is confident hope already received. Here in the room of longing is also a well of love from which we can draw water for our thirsty souls.
- Re-mind, re-new, re-start, re-boot, re-calibrate, re-fresh, re-gain, re-pair, re-take, re-ceive you!
- Godly confidence
- The Longing
--------—--------—--------—--------—-------
Point 1: Re-call, re-mind, and re-new you!
Don't throw away what Jesus died to give you!
Recall the former days when,
after you were enlightened,
you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
sometimes being publicly exposed
to reproach and affliction,
and sometimes being partners
with those so treated.
For you had compassion
on those in prison,
and you joyfully accepted
the plundering of your property,
since you knew
that you yourselves
had a better possession
and an abiding one.
Therefore do not throw away
your confidence,
which has a great reward.
(Hebrews 10:32–35)
--------—--------—--------—--------—------
Point 2: What's godly confidence?
Confidence is to be mostly sure, convinced, persuaded of what is correct!
We all want to try and get people to think we are confident, we try to convince ourselves the most. Everyone here is trying to be right, because being right is right and being wrong is wrong.
Now their right could be wrong and your wrong could be right, but the point is that when it comes to God right is right and wrong is wrong regardless of opinions and preferences.
The opposite of being right is what?
Being wrong.
Who loves being wrong?
Being corrected?
Being viewed as problematic?
To throw away this godly confidence is to throw away what's right in exchange for what is wrong in the eyes of the one true Judge.
Fear of God is knowing He is the true Judge.
That what the Judge says, no matter what any other convincing sight or feeling may try to persuade you otherwise, is. That God--above any other powerful factor is--still more powerful.
Examples: Saul and Jonathan. (1 Sam. 13-14)
It's not just knowing, it's believing
and believing naturally produces feeling.
Satan knows all the right facts about God, but he feels all the wrong feelings for God because he doesn't believe God is right.
Our confidence is that God is right.
Our confidence is that God is wiser!
Our confidence is that God is better!
Our confidence is that God is good!
Our confidence is that God loves us!
Our confidence is that God is in control!
That's correct! That's right!
Confidence comes from knowing God through His Word, and believing Him by the evidence of our feelings.
So to throw away your confidence is to look at anything or anyone other than God for the feeling of being safe from what is wrong.
Looking at your friend's loyalty.
Looking at your spouses attitude.
Looking at your bank account.
Looking in the mirror at yourself.
Looking at snubs, lack of invitations, or even your awards and high levels of comfort.
If these are what give you your confidence (feeling) then you are throwing away your God-given confidence!
And when the day arrives that you feel hopeless or so low, it will only serve to humbly remind you that right is right and wrong is wrong. And hopefully you will turn to reclaim your true confidence by letting go of your idea of right and wrong and taking up God's Word for it.
Denying your self.
Crucifying the flesh.
Taking off the old and putting on the new.
You were once wrong, but now you have an opportunity to receive mercy and forgiveness because of Christ and be given all rightness, all His righteousness. The righteousness of God! The rightness of God!
That God is right and you are wrong.
How do we access or open our hearts for God to fill us with this confidence?
Preparing your minds for action
The loins of your mind need to FIRST be girded!
They wore longer flowing robes, so to help them move more quickly without clutter or hindrance they would gird their loins by lifting up their robes and making it easier to run!
- gird (up) one's loins, to prepare oneself for something requiring readiness, strength, or endurance: He girded his loins to face his competitor.
Gird the loins of your mind!
Declutter! To make ready!
Which means a cluttered mind is unfit for a godly confidence.
Some of us have cluttered minds, worries take up residence in our minds and like the philistine garrisons they lead our lives into fear and cowardice. Until someone like Jonathan with the fear of God goes into those garrisons and takes them down with just his arms bearer!
You got a brain, use it for what it's made for: HOPE fully in God.
“Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:13
The mind is given for the sake of the heart.
The mind is given to you to serve your emotions!
Life is indeed about our emotions. The pursuit of happiness.
What then is the brain for?
According to God who made our brains it's purpose and function for being girded up, and being sober, so that we would hope.
What is the brain supposed to do?
Study 1 Peter with all your might, dig into it, chew on it, wrestle with its meaning, and rehearse it day and night until the mind is now ready for action to lead your emotions.
The volume of your inner thoughts are what drive your feelings. What are you harboring within yourself that is producing in you a feeling of anxiety, stress, worry, or apathy?? Or what are you taking into the inner room that is speaking words producing life, peace, love and inexpressible joy?
What music and lyrics is on replay in your mind?
What visuals keep taking up space in front of you?
What words or thoughts are you letting occupy the land of your mind?
When we declutter and gird the loins of our mind for godly confidence...
Then comes the experience of longing.
--
Point 3: Longing
Now that your confidence is no longer in anything but God, you find yourself in the room of longing. Where once your confidence was in beauty you found yourself at the gym, in front of the mirror, at the mall, or at the dermatologist--but now you find yourself most present in the room of longing.
Where once your confidence was in your manhood you found yourself at work, at the bank, at being respected--but now you find yourself most settled in the room of longing.
“You love Him,
though you have not seen Him.
And though not seeing Him now,
you believe in Him and rejoice
with inexpressible and glorious joy,”
1 Peter 1:8
----------------------------------
Opening exercise: only works if you're honest.
- Write down a list of everything you have, but don't deserve.
- And all you deserve, but don't have.
...now show your neighbor, what do you think they think of your perspective?
Jmegrey
No comments:
Post a Comment