Are You Wretched?

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Yesterday I wrote of every woman's desire for Fairy Tale Love & of God's predestined plan to create that desire within her. I created my own little ditty in an effort to show that Jesus is the Rescuer that every Damsel in Distress is waiting for. (If you didn't read that post but would like to, cop & paste this address:)
(http://striving2baproverbs31woman.blogspot.com/2012/12/romance-damsel-in-distress.html)

Within my story I described how the princess reaches a point of hopelessness, a point of realization that perhaps she will never be rescued & indeed might not be worthy of it...perhaps that sentiment struck you as odd? In most Fairy Tales the Damsel, Princess, Scullery Maid, or whoever the Fair Lady be is of fine character. She generally is a young woman of high moral principle & of integrity. She exudes wonderful qualities such as kindness, selflessness, & generosity...it can be assumed that these delightful traits in fact contribute to her beauty. If was asked of her "is this lady a good person?" & the proper answer would be a hardy "Yes." Can it therefore be assumed that if our Fair Lady is good that when distress comes the Damsel is then deserving of rescue? More simply: Does her goodness maker her worthy of a Knight in Shining Armor?

I venture to say that if most of us were to examine ourselves (our actions, our words, & the fruits they produce) that we conclude that for the most part we are good. We try to do what is right. We try to be kind. We hold ourselves to a certain standard & strive to achieve it. When compared to serial killers, indeed we appear to be very good. What am I getting at?  My fear is that our conclusion that we are 'good' leaves us feeling somehow worthy of Abba's Grace. My trepidation is that when we begin to see ourselves as 'for the most part' good that we cease to see ourselves as sinners...and when we lose sight of that fact that we are sinners, we begin to become something more in our eyes. Without realizing it (I do not believe this is anyone's intention), but subconsciously when we lose sight of the fact that we are wretched, we can very easily lose the proper wonder that is due to the Grace we have been granted. You see, if a Damsel is deserving of a Prince then it is not nearly so wondrous that she gets one...she was worthy of him. He is her due reward, but can I ever be so good as to be worthy of Jesus living & dying for me? Can I ever be of high enough character to have Grace be my just reward? When we become callous to the precious, selfless, undeserved gift of Salvation, we begin to take it for granted, and when we take for granted the extreme sacrifice of Abba & His son, how can we truly be in accord with Him? Why am I concerned with this you might be wondering...well let me tell you.

We live in a culture & in a world that would have us be the gods of our own universe. We live in a society that is full of the concept of entitlement. We deserve a job & a good paying one at that. We deserve a nice house & car & clothes & computers & games & the list goes on. On top of all the materials good that we feel we merit, we also want accolades & praise for achieving those things. Christians are no different, we often just word it differently & pretend to give the glory to God all the while joining Him on the podium for the praise. Notice Me. Admire Me. Envy Me.Me.Me.Me.Me.Me. I'm not exaggerating. This is not merely the concepts of a secular nation & world, but the plot of Satan to diminish God's grace & our need for it. When we feel entitled & worthy of...well you name it, we lose our boundary. So perhaps we do deserve a roof over our heads & food on the table, but where does the sense of entitlement end? If I deserve a luxurious life, do I also deserve a man to be brutalized & murdered for my sake? My fear sisters & brothers, is that Satan has not only won over the bulk of the world to this concept, but that He is slowly numbing the Church to the extreme gift of God's Grace. When we begin to have such a high opinion of ourselves, we no longer feel wretched. When we no longer feel wretched ,we no longer feel the need for His Amazing Grace.
My intent is not that anyone walk away from this post feeling stepped upon or discouraged...my hope is merely that we can keep in perspective that no matter how good we are that at our best we are still far from worthy of Jesus...When we remember that, we will remain in awe of His gift....we will remain grateful....we will remain in passionate love with Him.  We know from scripture that no one is good:
Romans 3:11-12
'There is no one righteous, no not even one; there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
But if that isn't enough to convince us that we are wretched, here's a Wretched Test:
1. Have you ever lied? Even once counts...
2. Have you ever stolen? Even something small & cheap counts...
3. Have you ever spoken God's name disrespectfully?
4. Have you ever wanted something someone else has?
5. Have you ever looked upon someone with lust? (Matthew 5:28)
6. Have you ever been more worried about missing a football game (submit your interest) than praying or reading the Bible?
7. Have you ever worked on the Sabbath?
8. Have you ever been angry with someone? (Matthew 5:22)
9. Ever spoken disrespectfully of or to your parents?

The answer of Yes to these would make you a : Liar, Thief, Blasphemer, Coveter, Adulterer, Idolater, Murderer, & well there's no fancy word for a disrespectful person so I guess Rude will have to do.
Friends, I am all of these things.  I am Wretched. I am in sore need of Amazing Grace...time & time again. The beauty of the love story that I wrote about yesterday is that I am a Damsel in Distress...my distress isn't the typical trials of life, but that I am wretched & unworthy of Rescuing. That dire situation makes Abba's love story all the more intense. My Hero rescues me because even though I am unworthy, I am of priceless worth to Him! Now don't think that because we are unworthy & because we are not good that that somehow gives us an excuse not to try to be...if My Prince chooses to ransom me to be His Bride...to make me an heiress to His Kingdom...to make me a daughter of the King of Kings...well Honey, you can be darn sure that I am going to spend every day of my life trying to bring Glory to the Family Name! Please be let this be an encouragement today. Please take this not as condemnation but as the re-establishing of clear perspective & as a humbling re-awareness of the precious gift of salvation.  I am, a Damsel in Distress....I am unworthy of my Hero, but I am so humbled by & thankful for His Rescue...I am thrilled & anxious to make my citizenship in His Kingdom one that bears fruit.

Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound, That Saved a Wretch Like Me...
Be Blessed Beloved Ones...

Romance & A Damsel in Distress

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There are 2 things that melt the feminine heart quicker than anything: Romance & Babies. What woman, or girl for that matter, doesn't delight in a good love story? Be it an age old fairy tale or a modern day novella, we females just have a hankering for romance. The setting & names of characters change from story to story, but the plot, climax, & resolution are always the same...a woman, most always 'a damsel in distress' (even if she doesn't realize she's well...in distress), needs rescuing...the kind of rescuing that only a hero, a knight in shining armor can provide...that rescuing (sometimes physical, but always an emotional deliverance) most typically has the hero (a man of integrity, both gallant & chivalrous) swooping in at the most dire moment to save the damsel from a most fearsome fate. The result of this great deliverance is, of course, an affection of epic proportions...a passionate, love-at-first-sight, happily-ever-after romance....be still my beating heart! Deny it all you want...but I am willing to wager that the vast majority of women get the same kind of rush when hearing such a story....and want such a story for themselves...a real live fairy tale.

Don't be shameful of such a desire...you were created by the Author of Love to want such a romance, & the truth of the matter is there is a glorious love story being written with you as the heroine...the princess, the damsel in distress! My preference is a historical romance so humor me & picture this scene...

Trapped in a great stone tower, surrounded by a vast fortress, was the  beautiful Princess _______ (insert your name here)...  

So great were the barriers entrapping her that she despaired of ever being free...truly free. Her one solace was a shred of hope...perhaps one day she would be rescued. Day in and day out the princess became more melancholy, smothered in the fear that she would always be captive to wretchedness...
There came a day when all hope was gone, when Princess _______ yielded to the truth...she would never be rescued...indeed she probably did not even deserve to be. That realization sent the princess spiraling into despair, & it was at this dire moment that hope became more than a dream...it became reality. In her desolate state, the princess had not noticed the ruckus below her tower...she had not heard the clink of swords striking one another or the grunt of effort from battling men. Through her tears & sobbing...awareness rose...something was amiss. She stumbled to the window & stared astonished at the scene below.

 A man had breached the walls of the fortress. He had struck down her captors, & he was relentlessly fighting...fighting for HER! From somewhere deep within hope sprang forth anew. On pins & needles she watched, breathless as this hero fought valiantly to rescue her. By the time the final obstacle had been overcome it was clear that the man was wounded...mortally so. With his last ounce of strength, he laid himself before her feet...his final words were an offering of the most precious, hard earned gift...She was free at last. This man, who owed her nothing, had fought to the death to release her from captivity...to set her free...to overcome obstacles that she herself could not conquer. He gave his life to do so...Her heart broke in bittersweet agony. She was finally free...but her liberation had come at such a cost. In her wildest dreams of rescue, the conclusion had never been this....but surely this, this sacrifice of life for her sake, for her salvation, was love....

Abba wrote a love story for each of us, dear sisters. He authored an account so rich in passion,so full of  romance...that no work of fiction could rival it. We are indeed damsels in distress...in dire need of rescuing. Without a hero, we are entrapped by a fortress of sin, ensconced in a miry pit that we are incapable of escaping on our own. We need a rescuer...a hero...a Savior...and the Author of Love provided one...
Remember the second thing that women adore?  Babies. Our hero, our rescuer, our Savior, the Lover of Our Soul, came not as a 'Knight in Shining Armor' but as a tiny, precious baby. He grew into manhood, not in the splendor of a kingdom but through the hardships of a commoner's life. He became a hero not cloaked in fine armor, but in humility. He fought for & won our rescue not by the sword, but the the laying down of His life. Our freedom cost Him everything. So often in love stories the hero is rich, wealthy, & powerful, but in this love story the Hero gave all that up, humbled himself in order to become common. He left a Kingdom & a King to become flesh. He willingly sacrificed it all to rescue me...to rescue you. We need not open the pages of a novel nor watch a movie to have a taste of earth shattering love...we need only accept the precious gift of Life that was offered to us that long ago Christmas morn...a baby, a hero in tiny form, a deity humbled...broken, beaten, & murdered to rescue us. What greater romance is there than Agape (selfless) Love? It is no coincidence that our hearts long for love...that we tremble at the thought of Love & at the sight of babies...it is the natural reaction to being created in His image...it is the proof that His love story is the Master Plan & that we have always had a role within it. We are guaranteed a Happily-Ever-After (Eternal Life) if we but embrace that gift, accept it & open it. Our salvation has come, we are rescued! I cannot read a romance novel or watch a chick flick without thinking of Christmas...without realizing that the greatest love story of all was not fiction, but truth, was not an imagining, but reality...without realizing that it is not about some made up character but of a hero in infant form.

Even as I write this my darlings are twirling around the living room, draped in their dress up gowns, & singing Disney songs of love...their hearts are hardwired to crave this romance...not far away their baby dolls are tucked in for a 'nap' & it is clear that even little ladies are already innately embracing the roles that Abba has written upon their hearts. It is my prayer that as Christmas approaches that we would make the connection of baby & hero, of love story & our role within it. It is my heart that we would accept our position as damsels in distress, to acknowledge that without him we are indeed in that hour of desperation, & that we would accept the precious offering of deliverance. If we have already embrace & opened that gift, my heart is that we would be reminded of this precious love, & that it would become new & real once again. Christmas is important because of Easter. The Hero, The Rescuer, The Savior began as a wee babe. My heartstrings are tugged...are yours?
Be Blessed!

Growing Pains

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A little before midnight I awakened to the heart wrenching sound of sobbing. Sweet & Sassy, clutched her beloved Piggy, blubbered incoherently, & in vain I attempted to discover the reason for her apparent misery. My second born has a cry that creates seismic activity, the pitch & the volume of it are so extreme. The Lone Ranger & I bolted into action, knowing that her weeping could soon have the other darlings awake & crying as well. We went through the usual list of questions. Bad dream? Did something scare you? What hurts? Finally (after what seemed like hours) we learned the source of her woe. Through mumbled words & in between the hiccups of sobs, Sweet & Sassy conveyed that her "wegs hurt"....Here I must pause to give due credit to my husband, as he was far more on top of things than I. As soon as our girl uttered "wegs", the Lone Ranger instantly knew that she was enduring the angst of growing pains, & I have to admit that at 4'10", I have never experienced them for myself...Once we knew the source of the problem, discovering what to do to ease her discomfort was another matter. Tylenol was a given, but as we waited for it to take effect, our parent's hearts were breaking as we watched our little one suffer. Big crocodile tears streamed from her eyes as she looked at us with expectation. Clearly written upon her face was the anticipation that we would take away the affliction...and now. My precious husband picked up our daughter, cradled her to his chest, & in a soothing voice explained to her that he too had endured this pain when he was a little boy. He told her how it was a sign that she was growing, becoming a big girl, & that while it hurt so badly right now by tomorrow morning she would feel all better & be bigger because of it. To my astonishment (& admiration), his explanation eased her crying a bit. The sobs turned to sniffles, & my husband relinquished our little lady to my arms. I began to rub the back of her knees, her calves, & her feet. The medicine & massage did their job and soon Sweet & Sassy was able to drift off to sleep. True to the Lone Ranger's word this morning my precious girl bounded into the living room, blissfully recovered from the trauma of the night....I daresay that she does look a little taller  :o)

In the wee hours of the morning, Abba reminded me of the growing pains I experience in my faith. As I journey through life from time to time aches arise. Conviction on a matter, trials & tribulation, misunderstandings, & even the simple worries of life often create a tenderness that leaves me stinging. In the midst of the affliction I am raw & emotional. I wonder why these things have to happen, & why my Abba allows it. Last night He spoke through my beloved husband to remind me. The pains are a sign of my spiritual growth...indeed the lack of them would be a sign that I was not growing as I should. While I am hurting it is difficult see past the pang, to see it for what it is...a symbol of deepening faith. Just as my daughter became incoherent in her agony, so do I lose myself in the angst of a situation. The muscles, tendons, & other anatomical matter of a child are stretched & strained to create room for growth, & perhaps this is where the correlation of my analogy ends. A child did nothing to warrant the pain of growing, & they can do nothing but endure it until it passes, but for adults & the growing pains of faith it’s a bit different. Here are a few reasons for spiritual growing pains & remedies for handling them:

1. Spiritual Warfare:  Increasing, deepening, influential faith is the greatest threat to Satan, & he will do his utter best to halt its progress. Spiritual manifests itself in any number of ways from minor annoyances to perpetual sickness, to extreme trials & persecution.

     Remedy:  Cloak yourself in the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)   

                      "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

 When Spiritual Warfare comes, be prepared to fight the battle. Take heart in knowing that if you are enduring Spiritual Warfare it is because Satan views you as a worthy foe. If he is taking time to cause you trouble that can only be because you are having a positive impact for the Kingdom....and that's a good thing! You must be doing something right!

2. Conviction: Abba brings to light sin within our lives. The revelation of that sin stings & results in many emotions: shame, embarrassment, self-consciousness to name a few. It leaves us in the place of needing to repent & to change our ways. Conviction is uncomfortable at best...agonizing would probably be a more apt description. 

     Remedy: There is only one effective way to alleviate the pangs of conviction: Repent, Believe, & Turn. Sincerely, wholeheartedly Repent (to feel regret, to change thinking) to the Lord & to any against whom the offense was committed.  “From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17)  Believe, 'being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 1:6) The third step of Repentance is to Turn & to amend our ways...to stop the sin & do what is right. “Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins,pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you."(Acts 3:19)

3. Revelation of Abba's Strength:  The fall of man originated from the misconception that we are capable of being godlike. One bite of fruit made terribly clear that we are not as smart as Abba nor as powerful as He is, yet we often still need reminding of that some 6,000 years later. The weakness that initiated sin in the first place still creates growing pains today. For whatever 

reason we are guilty of the presumption that we can outwit the Master Plan or re-orchestrate our lives & God-given, free will allows this 'stinking thinking' to play out...ultimately manifesting itself in predicaments of our own making. If we are honest with ourselves nearly all of the dramas, troubles, & stresses of our lives are direct effects of our own stupidity, & Abba allows us to suffer the consequences to teach us a lesson: He alone is omniscient (all-knowing),  omnipotent (all-powerful), & omnipresent (all-present)...He allows it so that we might be humbled.

      Remedy: Be mindful of our smallness in the grand scheme of who He is! When we become gods in our own minds, when we exalt other people & objects into idols...He will remind us who is Boss.

"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. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)

"But it is for this very reason that I have kept you alive — to show you my power, and so that my name may resound throughout the whole earth." (Exodus 9:16)

4. Consequence of a Fallen World:  Problems, struggles, opposition, sickness, & so on are normal repercussions of living in a sinful world. When people walk to the beat of their own drum, when they live with their own pleasure & gain at the forefront of their minds, when they pursue their own will no matter the consequence to themselves or others bad things will most certainly happen. As a people, as a culture, & as a church we are often guilty of blaming God for these miry pits we find ourselves in when the truth is we dive into them head first. Growing pains are very often just direct results of poor choices...of sin.

     Remedy:  Be a disciple of Christ, make disciples of Christ. Until the time of Christ's return or until we breathe our last, we will be living in this desolate world & we will suffer from the consequences of sin. The greatest thing we can do is to make wise use of the time Abba has granted & to do our best to have as much impact for the Kingdom as possible. We can also strive to handle our growing pains in a way that is glorifying to the Lord. A child handles the raw agony of pain in the the only way she knows how, to thrash about & to cry out, we have options. We should most certainly cry out to Abba when we are hurting, but we should also handle those times with grace & with behavior & actions edifying to Him. We have the assurance that He has already fought & won any battle we might face...so we must enter the fight with the heart of a champion & conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of His esteem. The Lone Ranger's favorite scripture pertains to this:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I am certain that I have missed reasons for why we endure growing pains...this is a rudimentary synopsis at best, but I hope that it has been an eye opening encouragement to view the tender situations of your life for what they are...evidence of a life lived for the glory of the Lord. Be encouraged! The more aware you are of the pain, the more you see it for what it is, the more you can be certain that you are indeed growing in faith! Just as the Lone Ranger lovingly & tenderly explained to Sweet & Sassy the reason for her discomfort, so does your Abba do the same for you...John 15 is a precious passage to me & I will close by posting it in it's entirety...if you have read this post this far, please do not close out until you have read that scripture. Your Abba loves you, & He allows you to endure growing pains so that you might draw near to Him, & most importantly He abides with you through that pain.  Be Blessed this Day & Continue to Grow!     

*The bolded verses in the passage are my doing

John 15

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.⁴Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.⁵“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.⁹“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other."