Wednesday In The Word - Chaos Appreciation

Wednesday in the Word — James 5:16

May 16, 2012 By TheTadey 2 Comments

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**I am continuing my SOAP Study with Wednesday in the Word, hosted by Samantha at Sam’s Noggin**

Scripture

James 5:16
(NIV1984)
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Observation

I am quick to offer prayer. I will jump to be the first to say “Praise the Lord” at your good news. I am getting better at remembering to praise God first when I experience His Blessings. I keep my own needs to myself. Sometimes, if a friend senses a need and says they are going to pray for me, I feel guilty that they are wasting their precious prayers on me instead of a more worthy cause. Maybe I don’t ask for prayers because I know prayers bring answers and answers bring change and change brings fear.

Who am I to say my private prayers are enough?

Who am I to hide my sins, shortcomings, and needs as if I have none?

It doesn’t glorify God for me to pray for others while giving off the appearance that you may need prayer but I have my stuff under control.

Application

First I need to be more diligent in praying for others. I need to pray for those outside of my circle of friends. I need to forgive and pray for those who have hurt me. I need to pray for those too proud to ask for prayers, which requires me to be observant and attentive. I also need to stop apologizing when I need to request prayers.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Contrary to my behaviors, I do not believe that “I’ve got this”. I don’t. Not even remotely. I need You. Help me to stop comparing my sins, needs, hurts or losses to everyone else’s. Help me to be a better friend and a better listener. Help me to stop and pray for those I feel are against me instead of complaining about them. Help me to let go of my pride, or my fear, or whatever it is that makes me hesitate to reach out to other’s for assistance or prayers. I may be preventing them from doing work You have asked them to do.

Amen

Love and Blessings, The Tadey

Filed Under: Faith, Wednesday In The Word Tagged With: faith, James, prayer, Wednesday in the Word 2 Comments

Wednesday in The Word–Galatians 3

May 9, 2012 By TheTadey 2 Comments

This week my YouVersion Bible Plan took me into Galatians. The epistles are shorter making my reading appear more productive. I had fallen behind but am happy to say that I am all caught up.

I really enjoyed doing the S.O.A.P. method last week so I’m going to write this post in the same format.

Scripture

How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? –Galatians 3:3 NLT

Observation

I have spent all of my life working to be perfect, acceptable, and good enough. I know that there are events and people in my past that may have intensified my fear of rejection. Here it is, in my Bible, a verse showing me that I am not alone in my efforts to work for perfection. The fact is, I was born a sinner and the fear of someone finding out that I’m a sinner is a human emotion that may have been exaggerated by circumstances but the seedling of that emotion was with me at birth. It is with all of us at birth.

I read blogs and tweets, daily, of others working so hard to remind themselves that they don’t have to be perfect. Other blogger friends of mine rally around and remind each other that we all fall short and it is okay to not be perfect.

What if we all took a day, and remembered that we don’t have to work to be perfect. Christ did that for us already.

Application

A thought came to me today, as I tidied up my house for some last minute company. I will not lower my standards (homeschooling, housekeeping, appearance, etc.) to make you feel more comfortable; I WILL show you that sometimes I fall short of my standards, the world doesn’t end, it will be okay, because Jesus never asked me to be perfect. My efforts during my day should be at sharing the redeeming Grace of Jesus instead of making excuses for why I am less than the perfect mom, wife, teacher, and friend. I am, because God made me that way. Through Jesus, I am perfected.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Prayer

Dear Lord,

I overheard my daughters talking about how Jesus was “beat up” by the soldiers. I immediately felt the need to stop bathing the little ones and explain to my children that what Jesus experienced was way more than just a beating. Thank you for putting the words in my mouth for that conversation. Just enough detail for them to stop and get quiet and breathe in the intensity and seriousness of the crucifixion. “It wouldn’t be fair momma if I got in trouble for something someone else did.” She’s right. In this sinful world we would stomp our feet and cry out that it was “not fair”. Please, help me to stop taking the sacrifice my Savior made for me in vain anymore. Focus my eyes on Your expectations and not on the expectations of this world. I don’t want everyone to see a hard working mommy that is barely treading water. I want them to see You. Your Message. Your Grace. Jesus.

Amen

Love and Blessings, The Tadey

Filed Under: Faith, Wednesday In The Word Tagged With: crucifixion, faith, Galatians, good works, keeping up, perfect in Christ, SOAP Method, Wednesday in the Word, WITW 2 Comments

Wednesday in The Word–The Sixth Toe, a S.O.A.P. Post

May 2, 2012 By TheTadey 3 Comments

I’m linking up at Sam’s Noggin today for her Wednesday in The Word LinkUp:

Following the S.O.A.P. method of Bible Study:

Scripture

¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ~ 1 Corinthians 12: 14-20 NIV1984

Observation

I have heard sermons preached on this very piece of Scripture a dozen or more times. I even remember discussing it in a group Bible Study I participated in a few years ago. Two days ago this passage found it’s way in front of my eyes during my daily reading (a YouVersion Bible Reading Plan). My daughter interrupted me, causing me to go back and re-read the passage again. Then my son interrupted and I again had to go back to read the verses. It was on that final pass that fell the overwhelming sense that I really NEEDED to hear what was being said. God knows I have a fear of failure, of rejection. He also knows that in an attempt to fell included, good, special, wanted and needed I will assimilate whatever I see others around me finding success and joy in doing. It’s not that I can’t do what they are doing, or be what they are so happily being. The fact is I’m not supposed to be being you, I’m supposed to be being me. By being what God designed me to do (even if I can fill in for ‘you’ in a pinch) I will enjoy the sense of belonging to the whole, instead of just being a third eye, or sixth toe.

Application

What God has designed me for, whatever that purpose is, it is special, big, wonderful, and needed but not in a way that would please the world. It is important to He who made me. Before I tackle a new project or take off on some hair brained idea I need to stop and pray earnestly about whether this is in line with God’s plan and whether it is making the most use out of the gifts He gave me.

Prayer

Lord,

My insecurities and neurotic thoughts keep me reaching out for anything that might bring me into the “inner circle” of friends that I see chatting/tweeting/meeting around me. I need your Spirit everyday, to keep me focused on the only One where I already belong. I feel I know my gifts Lord, I am just too afraid of saying it out loud. Afraid I will be ridiculed. I would rather be ridiculed by those of this world than waste my time here doing nothing and miss out on eternity with you. Keep me from being a sixth toe in the body of Christ. You have already told me I am good enough, special enough, wanted, needed and loved. I pray that I will stop looking elsewhere for that which You have already given me.

Amen

Love and Blessings, The Tadey