Surrendering to God

 

  It's amazing what can truly happen,

how your life can be so grand;

when you give up trying on your own,

and let an angel hold your hand.

-Unknown

     Have you ever tried to make something happen that has been deemed by everybody to be impossible? If you have never taken on a challenge undaunted then I propose that you must do this as soon as you feel you have it within you not to give up. You'll have to go beyond passion, which everybody is so fond of calling it nowadays and go right into absolute obsession. That is where your fondest dreams lie. It is the hope you never give up and the quest you hold onto when everything else seems to fall by the wayside. Human beings were constructed for the non-surrendering life. Our brains are wired with the desire to solve even the most difficult problems. People's potential for achievement is unlimited according to tests which have been carried on for decades by teachers, scientists and neurosurgeons. If you read books by authors like Norman Vincent Peale, Earl Nightingale or Nancy and Sheila Ostrander you can get a sense of your personal power and what it takes to live up to your full potential. Human experience alone shows and tells us that all this is true.

     As children we struggle through some of our problems trying to solve challenges alone or figure out our own ways of dealing with difficulties. New math, when it was introduced mid-20th century in schools had parents scratching their heads and the children wondering where to look for the answers they needed. The old math was easier to convey to children by parents but new math was introduced to make math easier. None of the old, hard ways would help them write out equations correctly and so the children were left to figure it out on their own. It may have been a blessing in disguise. Educators started talking about independent thinkers shortly after the introduction so it was best to part with the old- even as parents watched helplessly while their children struggled through homework problems by themselves.  

     We are like this also as adults but more so. Our thinking becomes more set in certain ways of thinking or dealing with problems and difficulties. Often, we find that those ways no longer solve the issues we face in the real world. Tried and true is almost an anomaly, ironically, in today's fast hi-tech, (so-called) high touch and change-is-good philosophy and if you don't move right along with the current hit-and-run technology and strategies you can be left in the dust wondering how to handle challenges in the old way. Even I sometimes long for days when many aspects of life were a whole lot simpler or at least, not as complex.

     Change is not necessarily good but it is inevitable. A current popular quote supports this idea:

          "As a job seeker, remember this: You only lack experience if they want it done the same old way." - Robert Brault

     There is a certain type of wisdom in that which is refreshing and welcomed because long-term problems such as economics, ecology, energy and substance depletion, pollution and toxic waste continue to hamper modern life. Our stubbornness in continuing to do everything as if it is working- when it's obvious it is not- created many of these problems and they won't be resolved or at least tackled until we admit that changes are inevitable and imperative.

     In God's Kingdom, change is also inevitable, irreversible and eventually required. Repentance, in its direct form, is basically changing your independent mind and habits to being more dependent on God and what is laid out in the holy scriptures. The Bible is indeed our 'set of instructions' for everything from dealing with jealousy to breaking bad habits along with being freed from the slavery of sin. God is not out to change who you are- that wouldn't make sense since God created you. He wants you to change your stubborn attitudes, to make better choices in life and proclaim that His way really is the best way to do everything.

     Back in the 70s there was a song which was made very popular by the Carpenters titled, Love is Surrender. I'll let it play out here the way it was written by Ralph Carmichael:

The Castle Lady     

The Lost Art of Forgiveness

If I have told you of earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?

John 3:12

One of the most often asked questions regarding Christianity is why we need to be forgiven and the other is why we should forgive others. Forgiveness is really not very natural for human beings. We remember so much when it comes to interaction and communication that, by comparison to what we read and write, researchers recommend learning done by rote in preference to all other methods. As a result we remember things we ought to forget and forget things we need to remember especially regarding communication. There is no perfection in our characters which protects us from feeling offended- regardless of people's intentions- and so we are bound to fall into offense one way or another. Even the kindest people will hurt someone especially in the hypersensitive world we live in now.

     Sin adds another dimension to this system which, for protocol, is still basically the same. We need to be forgiven for transgressions against natural and supernatural laws and we should learn to forgive others in the natural world and sometimes have to cull on supernatural forgiveness for what we often deem egregious offense. Exercising forgiveness shows the world that you have faith in God. If you have a Bible handy I want you to look up Matthew 18:23-35. This parable of Jesus illuminates what happens when you are forgiven by God but turn around and are unforgiving to others. Jesus closing statement was, "Then the angry king sent the man to the torture chamber until he had paid every last penny due. So shall my heavenly Father do to you if you refuse to truly forgive your brothers."

     Peter had just asked Jesus, prior to this telling, "How often should I forgive a brother who sins against me? Seven times?" Jesus answer was, "No, seventy times seven!" This clearly illustrates what Jesus expected of a follower. That's a lot of forgiveness. I don't know if it's humanly possible but I could say the same about a man dying on a cross for the sins of the world. Was it humanly possible? Obviously it was because even though Jesus was the son of God he was also very much a human being capable of everything we are and able to feel pain, exhaustion and hurt feelings just like us. He was showing His faith in the Father.

     Are you puzzled by my assertion that forgiveness is in the divine realm and requires faith in God? Why ? Faith is the vessel you carry your blessings in and one of the true blessings of any overcomer in this world is being able to forgive totally and wholeheartedly. Forgiveness is taking power over a situation and turning it around. Forgiveness helps you move on and even frees you of further obligation where none is due.

     I can already hear you say, "But what if they don't apologize or make amends? How can I sustain forgiveness toward a person who has no remorse or is simply unapologetic ?!"

     You are in command of your physical and emotional life and you can do anything if you are strong enough, mentally and physically, to do so. No one can actually make you do something you do not want to do. So if you knew that forgiving someone would help you take charge of your emotional life and dignify your choice to simply forgive why not do so? It won't take away your rights if you forgive but it does release you from obligation to respond in kind. It can only empower you because you rise above the situation or overcome and, in so doing, take your powers back. It is worth that, isn't it?

     If you think you cannot forgive someone then try to imagine the process of our salvation which Jesus went through every step to achieve. He didn't get to skip anything. We have been riding the crest of a wave for centuries since his crucifixion. He achieved more than we can ever imagine by this act and was able to do it in human flesh. In order to truly forgive you have to imagine Jesus' walk on the Via Dolorosa and on up to Calvary. As you follow him remember that you are not alone even though you are helping him carry that cross. Let it be, let it go and then let God take over. It is that simple and freeing.

    

Faithfully,

The Castle Lady

   

  

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Conceit: The Evil Invention

     Inventions capture curiosity and the keenest interest of humankind more than any branch of science and it has always been this way. Ask any applicant who's ever sat in patent office waiting to be the next approved. We prize the tinkerers and fabricators of our world because of the possibilities behind each device. All of it is fueled by great and complex imaginations. I'm sure everyone has, at one time or another, toyed with the idea of inventing something that will make a lot of money. Imagination is one of the most precious attributes we inherited from God, our creator and we, in turn, were his greatest invention because we were made as duplicates, capable of even greater inventions, according to Jesus. (John 14:12)

     However, these same attributes which contribute so much to our increasing cache of innovation can turn ruinous in certain instances, bringing to mind such thing as the A-Bomb, the fateful Hindenburg or the Titanic. Most of human manufactured disasters occurred because of error or misuse but there is also willful and wanton destruction at the behest of human imagination such as 9-11. Our world is staggering back from the glut of violent or greedy acts, increasingly.

     We stand back, even those of us who profess no allegiance to religion or God, asking, "How can such evil exist in beings who are also capable of great compassion, mercy and charity toward other humans and creatures suffering?" As a student of the Holy Bible and believer of God's sacrifice of His son, Jesus, for all our sin, I feel compelled to introduce you to another creation of God- His only failure- Satan. You may ask if this is possible for an omnipotent God. In this particular case it is but only because the failure began with Lucifer. If you read the 14th chapter of Isaiah you will get a true and faithful portrait of Satan. It illuminates what he was and what became of him.

     That event brought about the ruination of this once honored angel who, with words of plain conceit, brought about the first fall of God's creation. What he became is the archenemy to God and the rest of His creation. Lucifer's attempted act of usurpation brought about his sole invention; conceit. He uses it in continuity.

     Conceit is the catalyst to every weapon Satan uses against us. He generally chooses the path of least resistance when he comes at us and conceit makes his work easy. It is so prevalent that it's unusual for people to guard themselves against it. We often confuse self-esteem with conceit concerning ourselves and how we view others. It can be a dangerous assumption.

     In the verse James 4:10 we are urged by Paul to humble ourselves so the Lord can raise us to the level he desires for us. When we give into conceit, either by offense or ambition, we can easily become the tool of Satan. He loves conceit because he fuels himself and his minions on the momentum of it. As the quintessential bottom-dweller he will manipulate you through conceit and, he believes, bring you down to his level and that's where he does his dirty work on your true self-esteem. If you want to check yourself for this pitfall ask yourself how easily you are offended. Be honest with yourself.

     Getting control of your character and your self-esteem will require that you humble yourself. You can do this more easily if you will recognize and acknowledge God's sovereignty. Then, turn a deaf ear to Satan's dialogue which is demeaning or degrading and filled with lies and confusion. Thwart his attempts at putting you down by asking our almighty Father to lift you up. If you ask, He will do it. (Job 5:11)

     If this is a struggle for you, remind yourself that Jesus met with a similar struggle (read Luke, chapter 4) and came out victorious because he was given authority by God, the Father to rebuke Satan's words and still humble himself before God who had given him that authority. (Philippians 2:5-8) This displays true and proper self-esteem which will carry you with confidence. I cannot guarantee how others will perceive your new found assurance but you will please God and that is a blessed assurance. The best kind.

© February 6, 2012, Evelyn M. Wallace

All rights reserved by author

Be blessed,

The Castle Lady