Truth Ain't Gonna Change

If your life is driven by your five senses, you are not a mature Christian.

Are you picking your face up off the floor? Take your time. This was a chin-checking statement for me too, considering that my emotions have been going through whirlwind-like channels over this last season in my life.

EMOTIONS DON'T HAVE THE FINAL SAY

Dr. Tony Evans, who said the thing about being an immature Christian above, also said that angels aid God's people and that even though a believer is having a difficult time in life, the angels are there ministering ... helping, [not judging our emotions].

I sometimes go through yielding to condemnation for feeling fearful, angry, sad, frustrated, or hopeless. But I believe I miss the mark when I hang my righteousness on condemnation around what I feel. This is because the only true difference between my best and worst days is my response to what's true ... not what I feel.

NOT SPILLED MILK, BUT ...

My 3 year-old spilled some orange juice on the dining room floor today after my time at school, where I'd been caged (did I say caged?) with my foul mouthed, disengaged, energy-sapping students [that I'm praying for daily] for hours.

My 7 year-old, whose orange juice it was, started to "lose it" after the cup hit the floor. Since I was on the verge of losing it myself (needing to hit my after school reset button so my own kids would have a fighting chance), I decided to verbalize to both of my boys that it was okay that the juice was spilled ... it was an accident ... we all have JESUS in our hearts and would be fine ... and that (arriving to screaming at the top of my lungs) "GOD IS STILL GOOD! HALLELUJAH!"

Can you picture this?

Can you hear me yelling?!

If you know me well, you probably can.

I figured that versus yelling to express the frustration I really felt at the time because of what I'd just left at school, I would speak age appropriate encouragement to my sons and scream praises to God so my emotions wouldn't get the best of me (because I sho could've yelled something else).

MASON-DIXON

I believe that herein lies the Mason-Dixon line of spiritual maturity. I may have looked and sounded like a fool, but I threw the devil a curveball that he couldn't connect with. The Bible says that God uses foolish things to throw the wise. He also gives us praise to confuse our enemies. So, even though I felt a little crazy in the moment and my three-year-old asked me why I was shouting, I wasn't the one confused, and the "crazy" felt kind of good.

At the moment, weighing probably about a buck 10 (on a 21-day church-wide fast), I feel big on the inside and am coming to the end of caring too much about what things look like. I'd rather concern myself with the truth, which my feelings can't change.

Thank You, Lord, that my weaknesses are Your sweet spots!

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

#Truth #Wontchange #Weakness #Strength