1 Corinthians 13 - A Backwards Approach

This afternoon I am meditating on 1 Corinthians 13. It is so familiar I forget the richness in Paul's words sometimes.
Today as I think on these words I am reminded of my love for my children. This is the way God has expressed we are to love one another. Although there are times we don't "feel" like loving in this way, we must walk in Truth and obedience to His Word.However, not so long ago God revealed this passage to me in a very different way. Here's what happened:

I remember sitting in my dining room staring at a painting on my wall I had created using these verses. The Spirit began to nudge, I heard the question, "Is this how you love Me?" I had not considered the possibility that not only are we to love others in this way, our reciprocated love for God should take on this image as well. Over the next few days I asked myself, "What does it mean to love God patiently?" My response: It involves waiting faithfully on His timing, in spite of the circumstances and those things which appear to be an inconvenience or frustration. Each phrase held a new question and a new set of thoughts, a new set of truths.
I will never forget the most profound of all questions coming from this experience. "Do you keep a record of My "wrongs"?" What a silly question. God does nothing wrong. And then it hit me - there are things I legitimately believed in my heart He had done wrong. These things fell into a list of "if only's". If only you hadn't let me get raped...If only you hadn't let my grandmother die... if only you had given me a safer place to live... and the list goes on. The Truth: GOD IS SOVEREIGN. HE DOES NOTHING WRONG. Who am I to hold on to this list? So I let it go. Will you let it go? Do you hold a list of "if only's" attached to God's name, or your love for Him? Consider these verses today. Look at them from a fresh perspective.
And, if you have kiddos let me ask you this, how has God taught you to love them in these specific ways? How has He reminded you to be patient, or to keep no record of wrongs?
Many reading this do not have children but are still surrounded by those we are called to love. So, in what ways is God teaching you to love others?

1 Corinthians 13 has been challenging for me today. I hope it's Truth you find as rich as I have. Let me share it with you. If you can read it as though it were the first time, I challenge you to do so.

1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge ; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous ; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly ; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth ; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails ; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away ; if there are tongues, they will cease ; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part ; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child ; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face ; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three ; but the greatest of these is love.

A response to my Magic Mike Facebook post

In my initial post I was not throwing stones, or placing judgment. I was however asking a question with hopes that those reading would stop and think. So often we are controlled by our emotions, what is popular or even our hormones that we don’t give obedience to God a second thought. (Or a first thought for that matter)

I will say that I was astounded by the responses coming to the defense of this movie, or our freedom in Christ to see this movie. I kept quiet most of the day while working on my paper, but each response had a very deep impact on me personally as I watched you all debate with one another. I do not apologize for my original comment because it was an explanation of the burden placed on my heart from the Lord. However, I will be removing it due to the misleading comments which followed, many advocating for the watching of the movie.

As for the comments which were directed at my character, I have no desire to defend those. If you consider me judgmental or prude, that is your decision.

It is also your decision whether you see this movie, or not. I cannot make the choice for you, nor would I if given the opportunity. This is the joy of free will. In addition, I did not call this sin. I referred to it as unholy, and I maintain my position on the matter.

This was not intended for anyone who does not profess to be a believer of Christ, to walk in accordance with His Truth or live by the Word of God. This comment was for believers who have committed their lives to holiness and for married women in particular who took vows of Holy Matrimony.

When a husband and wife take vows before God, and others they have entered into a Holy Covenant. Marriage is intended to make us holy, more like Christ each day. For some, the release of this movie (and the 50 Shades of Gray series) is an opportunity to practice self-control, a fruit of the Spirit. It is a chance to walk in the way of God and not in the ways of the world.

Our husbands (and future husbands for those who are single) deserve our respect. We cannot un-see any of the images on that screen, and the words from the pages will forever fill our minds. We are called, as believers, to fill our minds with things that are true, noble and God-honoring. (Philippians 4:8)

Many women are devastated by the effects pornography has on their marriages as their husbands peer at women on a computer screen for lust and pleasure. Pornography is destroying Christian marriages and women are left feeling insecure and unloved. The only difference here is the size of the screen and the fact that hundreds of other women are crowding in to see it alongside you. It is disrespectful to your husbands (current or future).

I must ask, why would anyone want to see a man other than their husband in this way? Is there not potential for it to damage the respect we are to show our husbands and leave him to wrestle with insecurities if he does not look like these gentlemen? Furthermore, one comment expressed that women leaving the theater were potentially going home to “jump their husbands”, which is so incredibly disrespectful. Your husband alone should be the object of your desire, not the object upon which you act out your sexual arousal. Psalm 101:3 provides an accurate picture of how we should approach such movies: “I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them.” (NLT)

So, what is the point? Why subject your mind to the images on a screen which are clearly unholy, all in the name of entertainment? Why do you want to see this? What makes watching this movie justifiable to so many? Have those who watched it (or plan on watching it) dismissed its ungodliness? Have they somehow convinced themselves that it is okay?

I will say that the blood of Christ covers our sin, and for those who live under grace, we are free from the burden of sin – yet we still sin. In the sixth chapter of his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” And what was his response? “Certainly not!”  Although we are not brought into salvation through our works, nor kept there because of them, our actions impact our relationship with God, and bring about earthly consequences.

I take this idea of holiness as a calling for all believers from 1 Peter chapter 1. Peter is writing to a group of believers who are experiencing extreme persecution.

Peter writes: “¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written, “ You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷ If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13-19)

            There is no way to know what this persecution was like for them, but we do know people were being executed just for being a Christian. Such is not the case today. If we take a stand against seeing a movie, or reading a set of books for the sake of holiness, it is very unlikely we will die. We may lose friends, or be less popular but the truth is – not one of those people asking me to participate in these things shed their blood for me. They didn’t give up their son so that I might be free. Only God did that, and what he is asking of me, and of all those who claim His name is to “Be Holy”.

As far as marriage is concerned, it is a holy institution, for those who are in Christ. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled for fornicator and adulterers God will judge.” The Greek word used here for undefiled is ἀμίαντος (amiantos), meaning unpolluted, unstained, unsoiled, undefiled by sin, chaste, and of the worship of God. This word is used 3 times in the New Testament, all to describe the behavior of the Believer.

Once these images have become ingrained in our minds we have no control over when they will resurface. We cannot be sure that in the midst of worship in church or with our spouse that they will not come to mind, defiling the experience.

The truth is, the Enemy seeks to devour (1 Peter 5:7) those who follow Christ, and he doesn’t need any more help.

Open Confession is good for the soul...

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.  - James 5:16

Healing comes through confession.

According to an old Scottish Proverb – “Open confession is good for the soul”. Many leave out that first word – OPEN – because that can be so very uncomfortable. Why air our dirty laundry? Why let others see where we have fallen short or failed one another? Why confess openly when it is so much easier to do privately?

Let me say this – If you are confessing, either openly or in private, PRAISE GOD. A life of confession and repentance is a life that is seeking the will of God. In the verse above, found in James 5, we see that confession to one another brings about healing. As someone who has a heart to become a therapist for ministers, I believe there is great power in confession and reconciliation. So today, I ask you all for forgiveness.

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a dear friend that basically rocked my world, shattered my self-worth, and convinced me that I did not belong ministering to people at all. The enemy has used that conversation for a number of weeks to chase me out of the will of God. I have sat here basically paralyzed in my relationships and missing the confidence to boldly face the future. I did not want to proceed incorrectly, so I did not move at all. This person was well intentioned and showed a great deal of love for me by a willingness to have this conversation.

The greatest thing that has come from this conversation came in a revelation from God this morning: My relationships are important to me.

It seems simple, but it goes far beyond simplicity. It brings me to my knees, and now my keyboard, asking for forgiveness.

I want our relationship to be right. I want to know that you understand how much I love you, and how dear you are to me. I want you to know that I am sorry for any way that I may have offended you or hurt you.

I want you to know that there are no expectations attached to my advice, and when you seek it I will continue to offer it freely. I want you to know that my home is still always open to you, any day or any hour.

If I moved away and we lost touch, I am sorry. You are valuable to me. I should be more intentional about showing it. And if you moved away and we lost touch, I am sorry for this as well. Please let me know if this has hurt you.

For some, I want you to know that I have forgiven you as well, whoever you are, and for however you may have hurt me. It’s not a big deal. Our relationship is more precious than anything you could have ever done.

But I ask one thing from you – all of you – If you are reading this blog, note, or Facebook message, please be in touch. Let me know how we stand. Let me know if I have offended you, or if our relationship is right. Let me know if you wish we were closer, or in contact more. Let me know how or if I have hurt you or offended you. Let me know if you feel manipulated, or neglected by me. This was never my intention.

The enemy is all over me today, and so I ask that you come alongside me and help me understand the dynamic of my relationships, help me define them so the enemy can no longer use this against me.

I want to be right, before God and with each of you. Know how deeply you are loved today.

Blessings Overflow - Kim

A Little Pre-Marriage Advice (for women)

Just a heads up...this is a bit detailed. And this is only my experience!
Hey Girlie...
I just wanted to give you a little pre-wedding and post-wedding advice.
One week before the wedding:
First, start now drinking lots of water. Stay hydrated, and if you can tolerate bananas, eat some. Because of all the walking around and such you will be doing, leg cramps are a REAL possibility on the wedding night. (trust me) And even the night before!
After the honeymoon:
Second, know the signs of a UTI, this infection, when caught early can be manageable. However, when women start having a lot of sex, a UTI becomes a real possibility too! If it is not caught early enough, it can become VERY dangerous. (again, trust me) No one told me this stuff and I just thought I was feeling puny. Turns out I was almost septic with a major kidney infection. All from having sex!
For Life:
Third, remember that in marriage NOTHING is really a big deal. If it is, you will know it. If your husband does not put his socks in the hamper, it's not a big deal. Just pick them up, praise God for a chance to serve your husband, and let it go. The little things can destroy a marriage if you let them. I have heard myself say many times , "It's not a big deal" and then moved on.
Being married is the most amazing gift we are given (apart from Jesus) and it is to be cherished. But remember this: Marriage is not intended to make you happy. It is intended to make you HOLY. Every day you will have opportunities to serve and love, to forgive and extend grace like Christ. Through marriage you will be conformed to the likeness of Christ. If there is a trial, ask yourself, "How can this make me holy". Happiness is fleeting, and holiness is something worth chasing!

I love you my sweet sister, and I rejoice with you this week.
Blessings,
Kim

True Beauty

When I think about true beauty I am reminded that God calls us, as women, to refrain from adorning ourselves with fine jewelry and clothes. We are discouraged from wearing things that detract from our true beauty, those things often missed hiding behind the bling.

Basically, we need to care for our bodies in a way that says…I respect my body and so must you. I take care to tend to my appearance so that you know I respect my body. I dress in a way that says, I believe that I am beautiful, because God says I am beautiful.

When we walk around, not put together, a sloppy mess or dressed in a provocative way we pass on a message to the world that reflects our lack of care and respect for our bodies. If we do not care about our bodies, why should anyone else. Why shouldn’t men gawk at us when we walk by? We have given them every reason to look at those things we did not take care to cover up.

I do not want to be misleading. I believe that women are beautiful creations whether they are wearing sweatpants and no make-up or decked out in pearls and an evening gown. It is just my prayer that a woman who takes care to attend to their appearance will do so because of the respect she has for herself, not because she wants attention. I also hope those who do not put effort into their appearance would consider their motives as well. Is it laziness? Is it a poor self-image?

Remember, we are created in the IMAGE of God. Let his love be what people see when they look at look. It will make you RADIANT. It will make you BEAUTIFUL.