If I could label us, my boyfriend is the Perfect Gentleman and I’m the Independent Woman. He does so many things I’m not used to that it feels like I’m losing myself sometimes. He’s wired to open the car door for me every time we make a stop, but I wasn’t comfortable with him doing that all of the time. One day I asked,

“Can I open the door for myself this time, Please?”

He said, “Sure.” I opened my door, we both got out of the car at the same and I felt accomplished. But that feeling was short lived.

I thought about how ridiculous it would be to tell God something like that. Imagine praying,

“God, don’t open this door for me. Let me do it.”

The nerve. As if to say you could open a door as well as He could. And if so that there is a greater benefit or reward in doing it yourself when someone else is willing and ready to do it for you.

What would God do if you asked Him that? Surely He would let you try to be independent and do it on your own. And if you really thought you could do it alone, you wouldn’t give Him credit for the success. You wouldn’t remember that He enabled you to open the door yourself; you would remember that you opened it yourself. And who who get the honor? You.

What if you couldn’t open the door yourself? You really need assistance but you rejected help. To ask for help now you would have to admit that you’re not as strong as you thought and apologize for the haughty attitude.

I confess…I have the independence flaw. I’m a DIYer that rejects special treatment because accepting them makes me feel needy instead of appreciated. One thing I’ve learned (and must remember) is that kind gestures aren’t a handout; they’re expressions of love. Each time my boyfriend opens the door for me, he’s saying,

“I know you can do it, but I want to do it for you. I love you and you deserve this.”

I can’t reject that. He’s willing and ready to do it, so I’ll let him.

rbenlizar:

There are a number of topics that come to mind when speaking a bout Man’s ideas verses that of God’s …Lifestyle, Love, Wealth, … and whatever else may come to mind. Through it all, God’s way will tender the more favorable results.

This morning I asked myself a question: Why is it that…

Two sisters…one man. Rachel, with her beauty, captures the heart of Jacob. But having the privilege of love, Rachel has to w,ait for her ”happily ever after.” Leah, Jacob’s first wife, is deemed good enough to bear children, but not good enough to love. In time, God favors these women with honor. Rachel conceives 2 sons. Although Leah never gains the love of her husband, God exalts her through her son Judah, selecting him for the lineage of Jesus.

To the barren and to the unloved:

God has not forgotten you.

I just finished reading this. Now, I’ll read about the wife.

I’ve been busy (as usual) doing everything except living what I claim to be. I’ve dodged Bible study, ignored God tapping on my heart and mind for my attention and made up so many excuses for it. I said I would get to Him later. I cast Him to the side for another day when my schedule would be clear. Now when I wanna talk, He’s not there.

I’ve been searching for a balance I don’t believe exists. I can’t be what God and everyone else wants me to be…they’re two completely different things. I need to choose one master and stop submitting to everyone. I need to decide if I’d rather be cool with everyone or have real enemies and few friends.

Whom shall it be? Where’s my commitment?

James 1:2-8

² My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

³ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

⁷ For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

⁸ A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

It won’t work. I don’t pride myself on my knowledge. I there is a lot I don’t know, but I’m learning. Unlike most people, I refuse to speak on things I know absolutely nothing about. I understand that all knowledge comes from God. I’m limited in capacity; He isn’t. So while I agree with you, there is a lot I don’t know, there is a lot I do with the little that I do know. I pray that you, with your depth of knowledge, gain wisdom and apply it. Believe that when I speak, I speak what I know to be the truth. Therefore I see why you would prefer to silence me.

15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

*Given the signs of the times, I decided share some end time revelations. Instead of a scared-straight-don’t-get-left-behind threat, here is something that God revealed to me recently about His rescue mission to save His followers. I use reckless driving here as an example. Yet, the same principle can apply to any lawbreaking that has become widely accepted or considered the norm. Some people believe that you must conform to the world’s belief/value system in some way to “make it.” But as Believers, we need to trust that God’s will and instruction is best for us in everything.*

When I would drive my grandma and go a little above the speed limit, she would always correct me. She would read the speed limit sign and then then tell me how fast I was going. I couldn’t deny I was speeding so I would slow down to oblige my grandma and because driving the limit is supposed to be safe. However, anyone that’s been on the road today would tell you the most dangerous thing is trying to obey the traffic rules, especially the speed limit.

Everyone is going so fast, they won’t let you merge; it seems you need to be aggressive when driving these days. But why should that be? The law is posted for everyone to see yet it’s ignored by the majority. The highway has become a place where everyone can do what they want and only those that get caught are penalized. Everyone can speed, make their own lanes, intimidate and force the other drivers to conform to their driving style but everyone isn’t reprimanded. Sadly, it’s the law abiding citizens that risk their lives doing what’s right.

Every time I drive I think about how much motorists’ disregard for the traffic signs parallel the world’s disregard for righteous living. The Law is in plain view for all to see. The Law isn’t out of date or old-school; it’s just more people have the gall to ignore it. Because so many people disobey the rules, following the rules is dangerous. For example, slowing down or stopping when you see a traffic light turn yellow is dangerous, but it’s what you learned to do. Should you abandon your teaching to stay alive? No.

God didn’t create us all to be martyred in the process of being obedient to Him. He desires us to live and His instructions guide us in the best way to live. He knows the world is wicked and understands how we will be persecuted for simply trying to follow Him in doing what’s just. So He is going to take us someplace where we can live with and for Him without the threat of death. We can’t stay here and He knows it. That’s why He’s prepared a place just for us…away from the recklessness of willfully disobedient.

While you may think following the traffic may extend your life expectancy, remember the law exist for a reason. Everything outside of the law is a true danger zone. Believe that, as a Christian, losing your life should be the least of your concerns; an eternal life awaits.

We can’t stay here!

Ask God before I ask Google!

I love that God came down, lived in flesh, experienced all the craziness we endure, conqured it and remains understanding. Jesus has been there, done that and had the nail prints to prove it, yet He still cares about the small things that bother us. You can say, ”Lord, these backstabbers…” and He knows your struggle. He can relate therefore He is the perfect person to go to God on our behalf.

Genesis 5:1-24

1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

² Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

³ And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth:

⁴ And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

⁵ And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

⁶ And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

⁷ And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

⁸ And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

⁹ And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

¹⁰ And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

¹¹ And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

¹² And Cainan lived seventy years and begat Mahalaleel:

¹³ And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

¹⁴ And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

¹⁵ And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

¹⁶ And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

¹⁷ And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

¹⁸ And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

¹⁹ And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

²⁰ And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

²¹ And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

²² And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

²³ And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

²⁴ And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Here we see man was created in God’s likeness. Man lived, had children and died. Some lived longer than others and some had more children. We know these men worked, ate and did other things in their lives. We can’t say that they were neither good nor bad, but we know one man did something the others didn’t. “…Enoch walked with God.”

In what some could consider another boring geneology in Genesis, we see something especially interesting in verse 24. We see what Enoch did. We are also reminded by this remark about Enoch that this geoneology is more than just a list of names. Theses are accounts of actual people, however all of the quirks and peculiarities these men had that distinguished them as significant and not “just another___” don’t matter here. What Enoch did mattered so much that his endstate was different from that of his ancestors. “…God took him.”

I want God to take me too. I want my life be more than my employment status, how I dress and style my hair, and what random questions I type into Google. Those things, while they do have my focus sometimes, don’t matter. What matters is walking with God and being taken to Him.

Matthew 24:40-41

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two people, physically doing the same thing, yet one received the reward. Similar occupations…different lifestyles…different responses from God.