Wonder[ful] Belief- What Matthew 6:22-23 Teaches Me

Photo c/o: Anastasia Volkova Photography

(22-23)"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!"
- Taken from the Message Bible (Matthew 6:22-24)

Matthew 6 is not an easy chapter to swallow, I will admit. However, I'm learning some serious lessons through it and I know that it's been a blessing straight from God to study.
Today, I'll be sharing from a personal experience.
A couple days ago, I shared a vlog entry about being thankful and grateful. I was so excited (and still am) about the message that my pastor shared on Sabbath about being grateful. I took that sermon and applied it to having real joy and haven't looked back. It was funny because not too long after I made that video, I started to get ready for work that afternoon. While I was getting dressed, I remembered that I'd have to pack a lunch/dinner for the amount of time I'd be at the office.  The thought of preparing a lunch/dinner sounded so cumbersome. I really didn't want to spend that time in the kitchen. The night before, I was craving pizza and it was still a craving at that moment. So, I decided that I'd have the pizza. Before you judge, it's actually a small enough pizza for one person's servings for lunch and dinner :) I ordered it and then finished getting ready so that I could pick it up and go to work.

While in the car, I thought about my weight and that I was on my way to get pizza. My weight has been something I've struggled with for so many reasons but to be honest, I've gotten to a place where I really feel "defeated". So I started to think about what I'd do if anyone ever asked me if I was pregnant. I'm on this "be thankful for everything" tip so I really was searching for ways to turn it into a positive. Here's what I came up with:

"Why thank you!!! You think that I look like I could be a giver of life! What an honor!" 

"Thank you for the reminder that my health is my wealth and belly fat is a stepping stone to fatal disease. This was a good reminder! God bless you!"

The more I thought of those comments, I laughed harder and harder at myself. I was so tickled that I was beginning to turn the negatives into positives. I really do need to lose weight but I don't need to get depressed about it. So as I headed into the pizza place, I placed my mind back into the thankful and light-hearted place. I guess it showed on my face because when I walked in, the first guy I laid eyes on smiled back at me and came toward the register to help me. He was so cute too :) So, I pulled out the debit card to pay him and he was having trouble with it. I knew it wasn't me so I didn't even begin to worry. I was mentally reminding myself to not buy Sprite and settle for the water in my car (healthy choices! I am trying!). He then told me that something was wrong with the machine and that it would take 10-15 minutes for them to make my transaction. I was prepared to wait and he then told me that the pizza was free. I was happy to hear that. What would've been $6 and change ended up staying in my pocket. Yay! Since then, there were a couple "negative" issues but because of a change in perspective, those negatives are literally water off a duck's back. This isn't to say that life is easy like Sunday morning but once you're in a position of gratitude with open eyes and open heart to see the world through the lenses of joy, good things present themselves! 

This is how I believe verses 22 and 23 apply to life as I've known it the past couple days. :)

What these verses teach us about life:

Open your eyes in wonder and belief. We don't want any dark cellar-type Christians!

a. Wonder: (This may be too literal but this is what I understand it to mean) I had a friend once challenge me to ask God questions when I'm in tricky situations. One of the main questions I am supposed to ask is, "God, how can you be glorified in this situation?" Then follow-ups could include: "God, I am wondering how to see the positive. I'm wondering how do I see you in the midst of this. I am wondering where to find you. That's wonder, right? haha. Or it could be wonder like awe i.e. "I am in awe of you, God and the opportunities you've created for me to trust you more!" Man, talk about spiritual maturity! Whoooo!!!

b. Belief- This is a chance for you to actively trust God and have faith that He's got you. Instead of           stepping into each moment with fear and anxiety, mentally train yourself to understand that God will not put more on you than you can bear. You're equipped to handle any situation with Him on your side. Know that and believe it!

Let me remind you that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us! Phil. 4.13. 

Amen. 

Prayer Pleasing [Part 2]

Photo c/o:  Harmless Monster

It's funny because when I was thinking and praying about what to write, all I could think of was the musical version of "The Lord's Prayer". I've been humming it for half of the evening!
Today, I'll share two versions of the prayer. I'll start with the King James Version and end with the Message Version.

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen."

"Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what's best -- as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes."

* * * 

Now, I must admit that I was a little thrown off by some of the language in the Message. Since when did daily bread turn into three square meals?  In some places, their daily bread is one really great meal...or maybe not so great. Although the language was a tad bit off (at times) for me yet I still appreciate the message. I think of the original King James Version and I'm in awe of how good God is. I'm looking at the prayer totally differently right now. 

For some reason, it's just now hitting me that this prayer is a great summation of  how we should live our lives in relation to God. 

"Our Father"- God wants us to look at Him as "daddy". Whether there is a strong male figure in your life or not, there's is one who is the ultimate father, waiting to love you, spoil you, listen to you, and take good care of you if you let Him. 

"which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name"- Our dad is in that place that I can only DREAM of and still can't fathom. Anytime we describe something as heavenly, we mean sheer pleasure, pure decadence, amazingness beyond our wildest imagination up to this point. Imagine that we can talk to someone everyday who actually lives there. Hallowed essentially means holy. This reminds me that even though he brought himself down to our level to live life and face the same temptations that we face, let's not forget that He is sooo much more than just a man. He's really a holy God. Respect and honor Him for what He's done in your life. 

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"- Honestly, when I read this, my mind goes straight to the idea that if we just surrender to His will, we don't have to worry about anything. His will. Cast all your cares upon Him and let Him know up front that you're surrendering and giving Him full control. 

"Give us this day our daily bread"- I understand that since there's bread involved in this text, one would automatically think of something edible. I also believe that the daily bread could include the fact that we have jobs, cars to drive, breath in our body to move, breathe, and take of ourselves and one another. When you return a faithful tithe & offering, you're giving it back. So, God has to first give these things to you in order for you to return it. Catch my drift? 

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors"- It's so easy to ask God to forgive us but when it comes to forgiving others, God knows that's a stumbling block for a lot of people. Grudges kill. Holding onto anger takes so much energy. I remember hearing someone say that they regretted suing another person because it literally drained them of their own energy since they had to stay in that angry, bitter, unforgiving, vengeful state for such a long time to continue the lawsuit. Sometimes, it's just better to forgive, let things go, and pray to God for healing. 

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"- Imagine if every human being on this Earth prayed this one line. Imagine if all the politicians prayed this one line. What if every church member was on one accord and prayed this prayer? This isn't to say that the temptation wouldn't come. However, we need to have on the whole armor of God and know that God is in front of us delivering us from every attack of the enemy. It's not easy. It takes a disciplined and strong mind to rise above temptation but Jesus walked this earth and sinned not. It is possible to triumph over temptation. 

"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever"- Saying this line to God reaffirms in our minds how perfect God is and how much we surrender to Him. The kingdom, power, glory- it all belongs to God. Understanding that shift in power helps us to move in such a way that acknowledges that it's not our battle to win. We are free to be victorious because His will WILL be done. 

Amen. 

So be it. 

Prayer Pleasing [Part 1]

Photo c/o:Lacy Abercrombie Photography

There's a clip on YouTube of Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) sharing how her creative process goes. Essentially, she has to make sure the chaos is blocked off so that she can work in quiet and allow creativity to flow. She also wakes up early in the morning. Now, let me tell you! I've longed to become a morning person since college. Whenever I wake up and do an early devotion, I feel so at peace and more prepared to take on the world. My thoughts flow so much better. It's as if the world is still sleeping while God and I have our quiet time. It's beautiful. However, the early morning sessions don't happen nearly as much as I wish they would.

* * *

In the second installation of the Matthew 6 series (check out the first one here), let's take a closer look at prayer. Matthew 6:5-13 show how God feels about our prayers to Him (pt.1) and He also teaches us how to pray (pt. 2 that I'll share tomorrow). Prayer is the direct connection to God, allowing us to share cares and concerns with Him. You don't have to be prostrate or in a kneeling position to pray either. There are many times when I'm driving, sitting at my desk at work, or laying in bed while in communication with God. Prayer is simply a conversation. 

I have a friend who once shared that God helps her pick out clothes sometimes. I looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. She proceeded to explain an instance where she literally didn't know what to wear. She felt God showing her the right outfit but she kept trying on other stuff and feeling unsatisfied. Eventually, she went back to what she heard God telling her to wear. As she headed out the door, she felt the Lord tell her to grab a sweater. She thought that was a bit extra but grabbed the sweater  anyway and headed out the door. Come to find out, she ended up needing the sweater and wouldn't have thought to bring it if God hadn't told her. God speaks to us in different ways but we need to have the channel of communication - prayer- constantly open. Here's what Matthew 6: 5-13 (The Message Version) has to say about prayer: 

"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. (7) The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. "

Prayers in corporate worship can be very interesting. Some people pray with words so big that it's honestly difficult to say amen at the end because I have no idea what the prayer was for!!  It's almost as if some Christians are at higher rankings than others based on how many oversized words can fit in their vernacular. Expand your vocabulary. It's a beautiful skill. However, it's important to remember who we are truly speaking and as learned in verses 1-4, He is not fooled by our show. It's not about how much you say "Father God" in one sentence of your public prayer. How often do you commune with the Father God when you're in private?

My mother used to wake up early and go into the laundry room for devotion. She loved heat and the laundry room was the warmest place in the house. It also had a nice couch for her to be comfortable. It was that early morning time which she used in order to pray and be alone with God for a couple hours. You don't have to wake up and commune with God for hours on end. If what you have is 15 minutes to pray and meditate on a verse, be faithful with that. As your relationship grows, you'll yearn to make more time to spend with Him. But God says keep it simple. 

* * * 

I knew someone who used to memorize verses in her devotion so that she could brag about all the verses she knew. She really believed she was a prayer warrior. Talk about TOTALLY missing the point! Prayer time should be exactly that: prayer time.  It's not the time for you to cram for a bragging session of "Who knows the Bible better than me?" It's about building the relationship. You can't "one up" your peers on how much you know God better. Every person's walk is totally different. Focus on you and God and be vulnerable with Him. Holy water, prosperity songs, a selfish spirit: those are all gimmicks that God deplores. You wouldn't say, "Hey God! I want to pretend like I'm at least associated with you and your power to other Christians so I'm gonna use our hangout time to practice my lines that I'll use when I meet people in the streets." The gimmicks will get you nowhere. The wrong spirit will get you nowhere. There's nothing better than being authentic in your devotion time with God. Be real with God. There are times when I'm on shaky ground and am totally confused as to what God is doing. There are times when I'm furious with God. I tell Him. He knows my heart and he knows that I'm not trying to be disrespectful. Even though I'm feeling hurt by Him, I still would like to keep the line of communication open. Some Christians might disagree with that approach but God says to come as you are.  So I do *shrug*. 

So, remember: 

1. Stop the theatrics and gimmicks. They're a huge turn-off to God. 

2. Find time to be alone with Him.

3. Even when you're not alone, you can still keep the line open. Pray without ceasing. 

4. Be authentic and vulnerable within the relationship. 

Pt. 2 of this lesson will pick up tomorrow with the Lord's prayer. The Lord's Prayer needs it's own post :)

When do you communicate with God the most? Do you have a certain time of day when you prefer to have alone time with Him?