I was re-reading some of my recent postings and anyone who didn't know me would think, "Man, that girl has got it all together. She has her Christian walk secure and set and she and Jesus are 'tight'..." Yeah well: those who know me well, know that is hardly the case. I still straddle the fence (on a daily basis) and I am sure I cause my Heavenly Father to shake His Heavenly Head in amazement and wonder as I continue to blunder, falter and fall.
My pastor preached a sermon on Sabbath about the Laodecian church found in Revelation 3, and how God condemns the church members for being "lukewarm" in their relationship with Him. How He would much rather we be "hot" or "cold" about how we feel and interact with Him. In another life, I wrote the following thought about this very subject:
I may be giving away too much information here, but I am a morning shower girl as opposed to an evening bath person...I enjoy standing under the pounding spray of hot water each morning - it totally revives me and gets me ready for the day ahead. Did you note that I said HOT water? This morning, my shower was just LUKEWARM - it was horrible! No matter how I adjusted the water - more hot, less cold, more cold, less hot NOTHING worked! Except my little pea brain which finally understood why God tells us in Revelations 3:16 that He would rather that we be HOT or COLD when it comes to our relationships with Him, as opposed to the tepidness of LUKEWARM. But the other thing I realized this morning, because He is gracious and loves us beyond measure, He doesn't just "turn off the water and stomp away in disgust" [as I wanted to do this morning, believe me when I tell you!]. He sits there and "fiddles" with us to try to warm us up to His grace and mercy and love for us...isn't that wonderful!? I am constantly amazed at the patience that He shows me on a daily basis as I waffle between "hot", "cold" and "lukewarm" temperatures in my relationship with Him. If He can be that patient with me, doesn't it behoove me to be that patient with my family, my friends, my co-workers - and yes, believe it or not, even my enemies?
That was written in October 2005 and yet, for me, it still applies today. And I am still amazed at His patience with me as I straddle the fence in my relationship with Him and waffle between giving into my lusts, temptations, passions, and every day struggles. There is a valid reason why David is my favorite Biblical character. He and I have a LOT in common (and I look forward to having some in-depth conversations with him when we get to heaven), but what always encourages me when I think about David and his faults and failings - EVEN WITH THAT, God called him a "man after My own heart." [Now, if I could just get the "repent, turn away and never do that same sin again" part down like David did, I'd be straight.] Proverbs 24:16 admonishes us that 'though a "righteous man" [so, not your average Joe who ain't even TRYING to do right, but the "righteous", church going, striving to do right most of the time] will fall seven times, he rises again.' In his song, WE FALL DOWN, Donnie McClurkin puts it this way: We fall down, but we get up. For a saint is just a sinner who fell down, and got up....
Anyway, all that to say, God is still working with me to perfect me and make me the woman He desires me to be...just as He is still working with and in you. So, when you fall down, get up!
Be blessed. Posted by Just me thinking out loud... at 06:53AM (-04:00)