...don't just admit it- confess it.

The "Go" of Preparation

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. -Matthew 5:23-24

The "go" of preparation is to allow the Word of God to examine you closely. Do you have anything to hide from God? If you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don't just admit it- confess it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master? (Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Sept 24) 

This morning before I left for work, I decided to open my Bible (definitely a good move!) and asked that God would lay upon my heart a verse that would change my attitude. (If you've read the last two posts you would see why, if you haven't I'll just tell you, it needed changing!) And of course God was faithful and provided two verses that I clung to today and will have forever (for they are hanging on a card on my desk at work)... and they are both from the book of Colossians:

Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. -Col 3:12


There is so much hope in this verse you really can't read it and not be changed. One, we are chosen. Not everyone has the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, it truely is a gift that we must not take for granted. And if being chosen isn't enough, this verse goes on to say that we are holy and dearly loved. Another word for holy is perfect, we are perfectly loved by God. By God who created the universe, who is all knowing and all powerful loves you and loves me...perfectly. And dearly. When I see the word dearly as part of how God loves us, I think personal. When I write a note or email, I usually phrase it, "dear....". There's a level of closeness when the word dearly is used, what a realization that our Lord not only loves us perfectly, but personally too. And because we are chosen and holy and dearly loved, Paul says that we must clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Pretty sure I could go on for awhile on each of those attributes that God fully holds that we strive for, but I as I think about this idea of striving, a quote from a book I'm reading I think sums it up perfectly... and of course I can't find it! But I will summarize it by saying that as we strive to reach perfection in Christ, in our knowledge of Him, we are already perfect in Christ because of what He did for us. If we were to go to heaven at this moment we would be no less perfect that if we were to go in 50 years. Those 50 hears of striving to know Christ more and imitate Him better would make us no more "perfect" for God. At this very moment we have all we need. There is so much comfort found in that truth. It's not something that takes energy to clothe yourself in such qualities as it is a desire and a want to do so. It was a joy today to practice these qualities among those I was in contact with.

And the second verse was: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. -Col 3:23


I realized after reading this verse that I had gotten caught up in work being "work" rather than service to God. Getting paid for ministry is a huge blessing, but there is a real challenge that goes with it. My attitude of service to the Lord had been refocused on serving people. I was striving for people's praise instead of God's. (see yesterday's post)...This verse changed my whole perspective today as I saw the list of to-do's as work for the Lord that I am so blessed to be able to do for Him. Yesterday it felt like a burden, today it felt like a pleasure. How transforming His words are to us... I am so thankful for my Bible and definitely take it for granted at times. It really holds everything I need to live this life and God is willing to help me along, if I only turn to Him. The weight is getting lighter, the hole less deep, the outlook more positive.