Putting on our God-focused Glasses

Where is your heart this morning? Not the beating one, pumping blood around your body (I'm hoping that is in your chest as it should be). I mean the one that contains your loves, your desires, your treasures. Since becoming a mum, I often feel so full of protective love for my family that I sometimes feel my flesh tugging my heart towards them more than to God. When this starts to happen, I feel my fears for them increase and my trust of God decrease. Know what I mean? 

In 1 John 2: 15-17 we read,

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

But doesn't God want us to love the world as he does? After all, "for God so loved the world..." (John 3:16). He does want us to love the world. What he doesn't want, is for us to be devoted to a world where he is not honoured or treasured (see James 4:4). In this passage, we see that John defines what he is talking about- 'all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life' (1 John 2:16). If our desires take the place of God or when they are not directed toward God, they become idolatrous (strong word hey!)

In the book, "Who Do You Think You Are?" (2013, Thomas Nelson), Mark Driscoll writes about idolatry in our lives and how easy it is for things of the world to creep in and take hold of our heart strings and define who we are. He gives a great little acrostic to help us remember what IDOLS can be. 

I- Items
Our desire for things can be a stumbling block for us. We go to the shops and look through the beautifully displayed clothes, food, furnishings and Lady Lust starts weaving her tentacles into our heart. "What we own is our public way of projective our desired image. The examples are endless...Consumer culture is so pervasive that we take it for granted, and almost no aspect of life is untouched by it. Everywhere we turn, we run into advertising telling us to buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't know..." (Driscoll, 2013, p.7).

D- Duties
It is so easy to fill our lives with things that we do. We feel satisfaction when we complete a task, or when we volunteer for serving others, or when we have achieved something. This has been a struggle for me stopping work and becoming a full-time mother. Somedays I don't feel a sense of achievement and this frustrates me. I perceive motherhood too is a culturally less-than-esteemed role, being a 'full-time mum' does not seem like some amazing achievement, particularly when you are asked, "Yes, but what do you do during the day" or "when are you planning to go back to work?" I find it a helpful reminder- "The truth is that you're not what you do. You have God-given natural talents, Holy Spirit-endowed gifts, and unique abilities. You also have duties, but these duties do not define you, because your identity is not determined by what you do. Rather, who you are in Christ helps you faithfully pursue your duties and use your abilities without them becoming the essence of your dignity and identity" (Driscoll, 2013, p.9).

O- Others
Do we put other peoples' opinions or relationships with others as a way that we feel valued and successful? Do we place how many Facebook friends or Blog followers as part of our identity? "This propensity to find our identity in others is commonly referred to as giving in to peer pressure, people pleasing, codependency, and having a fear of man. Practically, this explains why we'll often change our appearance and behavior depending on whom we're with and whom we seek to impress... This explains why some friends and family members can be so demanding, smothering, and needy. It also explains why we're so easily inflated by praise and deflated by criticism. It's as if others have the ability to determine our identity for that day based on a word or even a glance. In giving this power over our lives to others, we give them a god-like position to rule over us and define who we are." (Driscoll, 2013, p.10). 

L- Longings
What do you long for? Do you spend your days hoping and waiting for the next best thing? Sometimes, I find myself thinking... "When the kids are older, I'll be able to have more sleep", or "When we go on holidays, I'll be able to have a bit more rest" or "when I return to work we will have more money". These things I realise are me living in the future, instead of in the present. Enjoying the day I am given today, and really engaging with my God, my husband, my children and my friends in the here and now for eternity is what I am called to do. "Longings give us hope that tomorrow might be better so we can persevere today. We all have longings, but when they become the source of our identity, our life becomes inordinately governed by our feelings and our future rather than our present, and God's past, present, and future work on our behalf"  (Driscoll, 2013, p.10).

S- Sufferings
This one seems like a strange thing to have as an idol. We all dread the thought of suffering. But when we do suffer, it is often easy to wear it as a badge of honour, broadcasting our identity to others based on whatever we are going through- Cancer-survivor, enduring a long and hard pregnancy or labour, allergy-sufferer, exhausted mother. After the first year of being a mum, I realised I was saying how exhausted I was whenever someone asked how I was doing. I came to realise maybe this is just an aspect of motherhood. While it is good to share our suffering and be honest with one another, it is easy for this to become something that equates our worth- how strong and brave we are, or how hard we have things. We should be defined by Jesus, rather than by whatever hardship we are going through. 

I find it a challenging list. I so often think of idols as either the Israelites worshipping the golden calf in the Old Testament, or someone over-polishing their gleaming red sports car (weird that this is the first thing that always pops into my mind when I think of idol!) Instead, it is so much more. Our love for the world and what the world has, can slowly and sneakily creep into our thinking and our hearts. Augustine once wrote, "Hold fast to Christ. For you he became temporal, so that you might partake of eternity" (Homilies on the First Epistle of John 2) Let us fix our eyes on God and worship HIM, rather than the blessings that he gives us or trials he allows for us. 

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Walking in the Light

Light is an amazing thing when you pause to ponder it. I think I became fascinated with the power of light at university when we were studying the art of Marian Drew. A Queensland-based photographer, Drew creates photographs in a dark studio and then armed with a long exposure setting and torchlight, she uses light to 'paint' her still life. 

Her work deals with the effects of humanity on nature. When first viewing her work, there is such a whimsical beauty, yet on closer inspection, one realises that she has actually used dead animals (often road kill she has picked up and taken home) which she arranges delicately on her table like it belongs there. It use to amaze me that something so beautiful was actually made up of dead things. When I was living out in rural New South Wales, it certainly made me think differently about the plethora of road kill on the side of the roads!

Tasmanian Rosella with Apple, Marian Drew, 2005

Light illuminates the darkness. It exposes the reality of what is actually there. It brings comfort to some, it brings fear to others. Plato has been quoted as saying, "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” This is the same about the True Light:


"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7

As Christians, we should love the light of God. Yes, sometimes it exposes painful realities, as the Holy Spirit shines His torchlight on areas of sin in our lives. But we need to remember that a Holy God demands Holiness and because this is impossible for us to fulfil he sent his wonderful gift of Jesus.  That being said, "If we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we live and do not practice the truth" (1 John 1:6). In essence, we deceive ourselves if we think we can live in relationship with a Holy God and continue to bathe in the muck and filth of sin and darkness. 

BUT: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9) Praise God! No darkness is too dark for God. His light illuminates the way and leads us out. As Isaiah prophesied about the coming of Jesus, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone" (Isaiah 9:2). 

So how do we walk in light? 

"...for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:8-17).

Here it says we are to remove ourselves from the darkness and walk according to the light, the fruit of which is found in all that is good and right and true (Eph 5:9). 

Psalm 119:105 also tells us that "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." So when we are wondering whether something is of the light, we can allow the Bible to light our way and direct us. For it is God's Word and meditating on it that teaches us how to wisely walk in the light. Let us go forth, dancing and rejoicing for we are children of the Light!

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Confessions of a Christian Facebook Junky

My husband hates Facebook. He always has and probably always will. As an I.T. teacher, always keen on the latest technology, it was a surprise initially that he would so strongly be against something technological. After all, we first started dating through MSN (too young to remember? I'm sure Wikipedia has a page on it...) 

I distinctly remember our first discussion about Facebook. I was sitting at our computer spending hours trying to work out which photos I should upload that would make me seem exciting with a side of awesome. I remember looking at him and asking when he was going to make his Facebook page. His response? "Never." That made my fingers hesitate, momentarily suspended in between status updates. "Why?" I asked. "Because Facebook is the spawn of Satan" came his cheeky reply. From that moment, I have tried to present my man with the endearing qualities of Facebook. The fact it helps you connect with long lost friends. You get to share great enlightening blog articles. And recently, it helped me find out about a fantastic Vistaprint Sale where I managed to SAVE money! (The last one sounded better in my head). In spite of being a pro-Facebooker (and I know there are LOTS of positives to Facebook), over the last few days I've been wondering if maybe my hubby may just be on to something. Quietly, I've been convicted that maybe it isn't as amazing as I think it is and maybe, just maybe it has a bit too much of a hold on me. 

Hi. I'm Emily. I'm a Christian. Wife. Mother. And I'm a Facebook Junky. Here is My Confession. Yes, ironic I know- I am using social media to discuss a social media site. 

1. Facebook Promotes Narcissism 

In "How to Spot a Narcissist" by Samuel Lopez De Victoria, he defines Narcissism as the "egotistical preoccupation with self...and how he/she is perceived by others." While it is disputed whether Facebook is a cause of Narcissism, or if Narcissists are drawn to Facebook for its ease of presenting the self to others, I know on a personal level that my self-focus increases in proportion to the amount of time I spend on Facebook. How am I being perceived? How many Likes do I have? I haven't seen many status updates from so and so- have they deleted me as a Friend?  

Essentially, the preoccupation with ones 'self' over that of God is idolatry. While we may not be fashioning a graven idol (Exodus 20:3-6), we may be writing a status update or uploading a photo to point others to how great we are instead of how great our God is. 2 Timothy 3:1-8 also warns us against the preoccupation with self, informing us that in the last days, people will be lovers of themselves and evil. 

2. It Enslaves Me

With over 1.35 billion users, latest stats say that 72% of online adults use Facebook at least once a month and on average a user spends 21 minutes a day on Facebook. We are able to download apps that 'conveniently' inform us of online Facebook notifications at any time and in any place and broadcast how long it has been since we were last on Facebook or if in fact if we are online right now. This accessibility also becomes a little addictive for me,  luring me online to see what people have been up to and how people are responding to what I have been up to. I can almost hear Paul's admonition to the Galatians to stay free from the bondage of slavery ringing in my ear (Galatians 4:1-11). 

3. It Leads Me To Sin- Gossip, Lie, Pride, Lust, Deceit... etc.

When I'm on Facebook, I am usually found quietly 'stalking' my friends. Looking at their photos, reading their posts and often not even letting them know I'm doing so. But as soon as I get together with an in-the-flesh-friend, Facebook statuses, photos and posts often become the topic of conversation. Without even meaning to, we have slipped down the slick slide of gossip, separating friends and spreading strife (Proverbs 16:28). At other times, particularly when I'm knee-deep in the mothering trenches, I find myself lusting after the more interesting and glamorous life of a friend, or wishing it was me sipping those cocktails on the beach of Bora-Bora. In these moments, I am reminded of Galatians 5:19-21 and find my mind is not being filled with truth and things that are pure, lovely and admirable (Philippians 4:8). 

4. It Makes Me Forget My Home

I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20). As a child of God, my name is written in the Book of Life alongside the greats like Paul and Moses. Yet as I look at Facebook, my focus on eternity gets just a little blurry. I start forgetting that I shouldn't belong to this world (Romans 12:2), that I should be eagerly awaiting my Saviour, not my next popular status update. One day, my Lord Jesus Christ will transform me into something pretty amazing (Philippians 3:21). But it won't be for my glory, it will be for His. He will be the radiant beauty, the one all eyes are drawn to (Hebrews 1:3). 

At these moments, I am glad that I stand under the sweet sweet grace of Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). I am forgiven and set free. And so, I will press on toward the goal of heaven (using Facebook or not). And in the meantime, I might just take a little respite from the glossy world of Facebook to conquer this oh-so-enjoyable time-wasting addiction. 

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Wisdom- when to talk, when not to.

Over the past few years, I have often been faced with the decision of when to speak and when not to. Prior to mothering, I worked in a Christian School, where teachers gathered each morning, shared a devotion and prayed together. It was a thing of beauty. But it was also a time where doctrinal differences often surfaced. For the sake of love and unity, we tried not to major on the minors, and instead focused on Jesus and our ministry of training children to love and serve Jesus. Recently though, listening to "Word-Based Ministry" by Nancy Guthrie, I was challenged that sometimes true love is talking to a friend or questioning their interpretation of the Bible. After all, we are called to encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13) and have the Word of God dwelling in us to encourage, teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16).

This morning, in James, I read "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom" (James 3:13). So what is wisdom? How is a person wise? The Bible tells us that wisdom is firstly fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10) and then it is knowing and doing God's Word (Deuteronomy 4:5-6). We are told that a wise man builds his house on the Word of the Lord (Matthew 7:24). We are also told that God's Word makes wise the simple (Psalm 19:7). So if we are to be wise, we fear the Lord and we read, hear and do His Word. 

Proverbs 3:13-24 (beautiful and well worth the read!) tells us wisdom and understanding are beautiful things we are to pursue. It is more precious that rubies and brings peace, blessing, safety and security. When we are reading, meditating, trusting in God and His Word, we are secure in our knowledge and understanding of Him and have a firm foundation for our lives. 

So then, in James 3:13, how do we show meekness? Often I hear this word and in the English dictionary it refers to humility but there is also a sense of weakness about it. In the Bible, according to the Strongs Concordance, it says "Biblical meekness is not weakness but rather refers to exercising God's strength under His control – i.e. demonstrating power without undue harshness." In James 3:13, the Greek word used for 'meekness' is a derivative of this original form. It also means a a gentle strength brought about by reliance on God's Word and direction:  "For the believer, meekness (4240 /praýtēs, "gentle-force") begins with the Lord's inspiration and finishes by His direction and empowerment. It is a divinely-balanced virtue that can only operate through faith (cf. 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22-25) (Strongs Concordance). 

If we are to show true wisdom and understanding, we are to walk day-by-day with a gentle strength brought about by fearing God and loving and knowing His Word. As we rely on the Holy Spirit within us, our actions will then involve living out God's Word. Sometimes this will mean gently and loving correcting a brother or sister, recognising that we are growing together in the love and knowledge of our Saviour Jesus. For knowledge, understanding and love of God and His Word is TRUE WISDOM. 

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God's Word: Living and Active

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12

Lately, I have been feeling challenged about God's Word. I've been being convicted of the fact that too often, we take for granted our free access to the Bible and demote its role in our lives. In Hebrews 4:12, we are told that the Word of God is living and active. Unlike any other written words, the Bible is God's Word and so is more than just words on a page. As the passage continues, it is sharper than any two-edged sword. It cuts through to the thoughts and intentions at the core of our being. It convicts.

This morning, I was cooking with my almost three-year old. We were baking some muffins and as cooking with a three-year-old often goes, my newly cleaned kitchen floors and my clothes ended up covered in cocoa. Instead of shrugging it off as part of the fun, I became irritated that my daughter had, in her excitement, let the measuring cup enthusiastically miss the bowl. I expressed my displeasure at her carelessness and moved her out of the mess while I cleaned it up. Quickly, I felt the Holy Spirit admonishing me that I was in the middle of a mummy-meltdown, a grown-up version of a toddler-tantrum. After apologies were made and we finished our cooking, I sat down to read my Bible. 

Currently, I am working through James and wouldn't you know it I was up to James 1:19: "Know this, my beloved brothers; let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." I shouldn't be surprised when God's Word cuts to my heart and exposes my sinfulness, for this is exactly what God uses it to do! It continues to amaze me that in God's mercy, the Holy Spirit considers my sanctification important enough to stick at it. When I come to His Word, I should expect some of this sanctification to occur and in fact welcome it. 

I long to be a doer of the word, not only a hearer (James 1:22). I am humbled that God continues to chip away piece by piece at me, refining me, purifying me, making more like my Saviour Jesus. As James continues, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1:23-25). Woe to the one of us who reads or hears the Holy Word of God and does not come away a little more sanctified. Like the man in this passage who sees his reflection and then walks away unchanged, we too can read God's Word and not put into practise what the Holy Spirit has convicted us of. 

It is my hope that next time I cook, God may have helped me learn from this and be a little more patient. It is my hope that I will come to open God's Word and realise how precious it is. It is my hope that I will come to God's Word expecting to be convicted of my sin. It is my hope that I will be thankful that God considers my sanctification important enough to stick at it. It is my hope that I will close the Bible and be changed to be a tiny bit more like Jesus. Finally, it is my hope that in persevering, I will recognise God's blessing that is in store. 

Some Bible study resources that I've found helpful lately:

• "Women of the Word" Jen Wilkin, Crossway, 2014
• Word-Based Ministry to Women, Nancy Guthrie, Youtube Link

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Peter's Pursuit of God

The Apostle Peter has been on my mind lately. As I have thought through Biblical characters who pursued God, Peter is one who comes frequently to mind. Perhaps I relate to his impulsive nature (see for example John 13:6-9 or John 18:10-11), his misled desire to be acknowledged and esteemed for what he has done (see Matthew 19:27-28) or the fear Peter shows at standing up in a hostile crowd for Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75), even though Jesus predicted this would be Peter's reaction (Matthew 26:30-35).

But I think the thing I love most about the account of Peter's pursuit of God in the New Testament, is that it is a journey of sanctification. Peter doesn't stay as this somewhat unruly fisherman. The Holy Spirit enters Peter at Pentecost and Peter immediately begins to preach with power and conviction, bearing witness to the Truth in Jesus' fulfilment of Scripture (Acts 2:14-41). Peter then goes on to become one of the leaders of the church of Jerusalem. This is supported by historians, "Of the apostles, Peter and John seem to have been foremost, for Acts gives several indications of this, and they are two of the "pillars" to whom Paul refers in Galatians 2:9." (Justo. L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity Vol. 1, 2010, p.28)

In the corporate prayer time we have as a church, prayers yesterday were filled with us fervently pleading for strength, endurance and  deliverance for our brothers and sisters who are currently under sever persecution in Iraq and Syria. There is also the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa and cases of it appearing around the world. In these distressing times, we can take comfort in Peter's pursuit of God and see the Holy Spirit's sanctification of him. 

In 1 Peter 1:6-9, we read "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." As I read this, I earnestly desire to love Jesus, though I do not see him and to believe in him and rejoice with an inexpressible joy. 

Peter went on to impact the church greatly. He learnt from his denial of Jesus and followed Jesus to the cross. Historically, it is affirmed that "...Peter was in Rome, that he suffered martyrdom in that city during Nero's persecution. On these points, several writers of the first and second centuries seem to agree. We are also told that he was crucified- according to one version, upside-down- and this seems to be implied by the otherwise obscure words in John 21:18-19" (Justo. L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity Vol. 1, 2010, p.36).

As the time in which we live grows in public persecution for Christians, may we not waver in our faith. With eternity in the forefront of our minds, an inexpressible love for Jesus in our hearts, and a growing knowledge of the Word of God encouraging and equipping us, "let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."(Hebrews 12:1b-2). 

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