Covet

Whats it going to be...
cov·et

1.

to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another's property.

2.

to wish for, especially eagerly: He won the prize they all coveted.

verb (used without object)

3.

to have an inordinate or wrongful desire.

so coveting has been on my mind for quite some time.  I guess it could be due to this time of year where "keeping up with the Jones'" raises to another level, gifts.  We as a society covet.  Coveting is brought to a whole new level in the time of year where it should be at the lowest of the low.  We covet because we seek what only God provides...LOVE.  We covet because we have the mindset of "if I give my wife the gift that he is giving his wife, maybe then she will really love me..."  "if I give me friends that gift, maybe they will like me more..."  "if I give my children that gift, maybe they will love me more, maybe they will know how much we love them..."

Covet, what a nasty little sneaky word.  This has crept into our lives like a snake slithering through the grass, only visible when it is brought out into the open.  Naked to the eye 

James 4(NIV)

Submit Yourselves to God

 ¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 4(MSG)

Get Serious

 ^1-2Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.  ^2-3You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way.

To covet something is to allow your flesh to rule you.  Instead of coveting that gift that will make someone love you, or hopefully show someone how much you love them, why not pray to God?  What I mean is why don't we pray to gain wisdom from God on the situation.  If it is for love from someone, do we really know who God is?  If it is to show someone how much we love them, do we really know what Jesus did at the cross?  God our Father, and Jesus our saviour sacrificed for us.  Lets let that sink in a little.  They sacrificed for us.  God did not lavish His only begotten Son with possessions did He?  He lavished His only Son with agony, pain, and suffering.

Husbands and Wives.  Do we have that love of the Father towards each other?  Do we walk out in our actions and with our lips that we truly love our spouses?  Do we secretly covet the job of our best friends husband?  Or do we encourage and build up our husbands with our words instead of telling them they don't have a good enough job?  Do we covet anothers spouse?  Do we secretly covet the way our best friends wife keeps the house spotless?  Or do we step in and do "womens work" instead of hitting the links every weekend?  Do we covet anothers spouse?  Do we covet the way those kids behave and ours run amuck?  Or do we pray for wisdom as one(husband AND wife) for wisdom on how to discipline our children, or let us know what desire we are not meeting with them?  Do we covet others children?

So what causes quarrels among us?  If we read the Word of God above, it is this nasty little word...covet.  Letting our flesh rule us for wordly desires.  We feel we are entitled to it, we are spoiled children.  We want things to come how and when we want them.  And how do we do that?  If we look throughout history as a human race...it is done through possessions.  Possessions of wealth, resources, power, and even love.  Wars are fought over such things.  Love is spoiled because of such things.  Marriages are lost because of such things.  Families are broken because of such things.  Generations are cursed because of such things. 

I challenge us to be real with ourselves.  Do we covet possessions?  Or maybe we covet relationships?  Confess it to ourselves, confess it to God.  Let us pray as one for things of God instead.  Let us pray for wisdom on how we handle situations.  Let us pray for reconciliation.  Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us.  Let us pray for grace and to allow us to give more grace.  Let us pray for Gods will be done here on Earth.  Let us pray for His kingdom come, regardless of what we personally get out of it.  It is not about us, this thing called life.  It is about Him, it is about spreading His message of love.

It is what it is, and this be it...

what to say

what to say what to say...

Mark 13

¹⁰ And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹ Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

How true, so very true.  I count on the Holy Spirit to show up when needed.  Not when just going to court, but pretty much all the time.  Whenever a "talk" is needed, I expect the Holy Spirit to show up and do my speaking.

Whats the Holy Spirit telling you?

Time, it is such a perplexing thing.  Time heals all wounds.  In due Time.  Time is money.  Time is...

Man, these times are great.  Never in the past has there been a time like now.  The speed of time in this day and age is crazy.  In the past 100 years, think of all the things that the eye has seen compared to the times before.  Wow so crazy.  So much change, in all facets.  An explosion of all things has taken place from population to technology.  So much good to so much bad.  Times have never been like this, ever.  Regardless of what anyone says, times have never been like this.

It is my time, and by "my" I mean I am truly open to the Lord having His way with me.  At peace with it and expecting Him to show up big.  I'm at the edge of my seat, and oh so ready.

Are you?  If not what are you waiting for.  Is fear holding you back?

It is what it is, and this be it...

Identity Crisis

As a world we are in an identity crisis.  Finding out who we are and who we walk out as seems to be one of the biggest questions and most sought out answers of this age and day.

We have a desire to be "real" and there is a push to be "fake".  Finding the balance of who we are is a challenge.  Being "authentic" can be perceived and can be selfish and self involved with a reckless abandon for how we affect others.  Being "fake" is perceived as well, being fake, and can either be seen as selfless or selfish.  Being fake for your own gains is rather immature.  Being authentic for your own gains is rather immature as well.

Being authentic of who you are, putting your identity in Christ is mature.  Walking out His will instead of ours is difficult.  If we constantly worry how we're being perceived it is neither authentic or fake, it is just ceasing to exist, ceasing to thrive, ceasing to let God do what He does best...shine

Being fake is walking out in an identity other than what Christ gave you.  Being fake is becoming something other than yourself for reasons of this World.  Being fake is walking out your will for who you are rather than walking out your identity in Christ.

Being authentic does not give you the right to trump everyone elses feelings or thoughts.  Being authentic is walking out boldly knowing your identity is in Christ.  Being authentic is being who Christ designed for you to be.  Being authentic is being you, but submitting to His will and the wisdom of others.  Being authentic does not mean you run around letting your emotions control you giving you a free pass to be a fool and lash out at whoever.  Being authentic is being you, knowing that you will not always be right, knowing that you might offend others, knowing that you will be wrong from time to time.  Being authentic is putting your identity in Christ and submitting to His will.  don't let the salt lose it's saltiness

Finding your identity means put it in Christ, stop trying to be whatever, just be.  Be open to the Holy Spirit directing your steps, be open to wise council, just be...


Proverbs 20
²⁷ The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD
   that sheds light on one’s inmost being.

I am delving deeper

Proverbs 17
²⁷ The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
   and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
 ²⁸ Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
   and discerning if they hold their tongues.

I do not regret what I have done.  Have I made mistakes, abso-freaking-lutely.  Have I or my words been mis-perceived, yup.  Am I worried, not in the least. 

Here were the goals of this thing:

1.challenge myself - check
2.spread the message of the gospel around the globe- check
3.challenge others - check
4.become more well versed in the scripture - check check check (biggest accomplishment this thing did)
5.reach an islam majority country in the middle east - check check and check

What I learned:

1.how far i have to go
2.i will never go back to the old life, I will never give up
3.about other people
4.God is faithful
5.Jesus is my provider

This is a time of self reflection I am in of learning and equipping.  I am delving deeper.  I am going on a fast from this blogaroo.  It is time. 

I challenge you all to delve deeper as well.

Peace out

It is what it is, and this be it...