Communication...it's the key to...

On my way home from work today, I approached a part of the drive where traffic merges.  We don’t live in a heavily populated area such as LA, NY or Dallas, but the traffic can get heavy for our neck of the woods just like anywhere else.  I don’t like going through this area at certain times of the day only because most folks refuse to signal which way they’re going causing traffic to pile up and occasionally a wreck.  I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve made this point while going through this stretch of the drive.  Today was different, though.  I drove through it (with my turn signal on, btw!) and made it through easily.  Traffic in front of me merged harmoniously with signals...I looked in my rear view mirror and saw what I would consider a symphony for the eyes!  The cars behind me all signaled and merged perfectly as well, without stopping traffic…without causing confusion!  It! was! beautimus!

 

Using a turn signal in a car is a form of communication between drivers. (No need to discuss the other forms! HA!)  If you don’t use it, you’re not communicating.  It’s that simple.

 

I find communication to be of the utmost importance.  It’s beyond me why so many of us refuse to communicate.  If we don’t communicate by signaling in our cars, it causes confusion and potential danger.  If we don’t communicate in day to day life, whether socially, in the work place, family or even with strangers…inevitably, it may and probably does cause confusion and / or hurt feelings.

So…I wonder how God feels when we don’t communicate with Him?  Hmmm…I can’t answer for Him, but, I can tell you that I don’t like it when I extend a line of communication to someone and they don’t respond.  I have felt slighted, put off and even downright ignored.  Even though I have a healthy knowledge of who I am, it does still bother me from time to time when someone doesn’t reciprocate.

 

Our Heavenly Father wants to communicate with us.  He is always reaching out to us, but we don’t always respond to His calling to us.  Why is that?  Are we too busy doing our own thing?  Maybe we’re in a bad mood and don’t want to?  Do we have selective hearing?  Or just maybe we think that we’re above communicating with Him?  You know…an “I’ve got it all figured out, I don’t need help” attitude!  Whatever the case may be, God is the One we should be communicating with.  He sent His only son, Jesus, to live on this earth in a body of flesh so that He, God Almighty, could relate to us.  Jesus gave up everything in Heaven to come and live and die on this earth so ultimately we could have Salvation, but so that we could have communication with God as well as many other things.  Jesus is our High Priest. (See Hebrews 4:14) There’s no need for any of us to go through any. one. else. to communicate with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We are totally and completely free to communicate with Almighty God, the Creator of the Heavens and Earth on a one to one basis without any fear.  How awesome is that?!

 

God wants the very best for us.  He has already provided the very best for us in every situation we might be in whether we need healing, (physical, mental or emotional) wisdom, material or monetary needs.  You name it…He’s already made the provision. All we have to do is ask and believe.  Asking is partaking in communication.  Praying to God is communication with Him.  It’s easy!  There’s no need for fancy words…no need for long, seemingly, impressive speech!  He’s not impressed by that.  He wants someone with a heart for Him.  It’s as simple as speaking to Him and telling Him what’s on your heart and mind.  I have had prayers answered that I only thought in my mind.  I’ve had prayers answered that I spoke out loud in a normal speaking voice.  And, I assure you, I’ve had times in my life where I was afraid that I had let God know a little too loudly and a little too boldly what was on my mind.  But, what I found out is that, whatever the issue was, He already knew.  That’s right…He already knew...but He wanted me to communicate it to Him.  I also found out just how big God is…He can take whatever it is that I have to say…even if I’m angry with Him.  The beautiful thing is that He listens and then He helps me, in spite of how I feel or what I’ve said or done.  Yes, He still helps me no matter what I throw at Him.  I find that SO freeing and absolutely amazing!  Knowing that I can tell Him anything that’s on my mind and not having to worry about gossip or my words being twisted into something that I didn’t say and so on and so forth, is very freeing.  He is the only One I can totally and completely trust…hands down!

 

Now the flip side of the coin is listening for that still small voice…learning to say what I need to say, but then getting myself out of the way, being silent and listening for His response. (Be still and know that I am God… Psalms 46:10)   He’s answered me in many different ways.  We’re all different and He knows exactly what the best form of communication is needed for each of us.  Don’t get stressed over not hearing a voice either loud or soft.  Just listen…give Him your time…He is speaking to you now and always.

 

He’s the Creator of ALL things, but yet, He knows who you are and He wants a relationship with you.  (See Colossians 1:16-17, Job 7:17)

 

Communication…it’s the key to a good relationship, whether it’s with God, family, friends, co-workers or strangers. 

 

Are any of you suffering hardships?  You should pray.  Are any of you happy?  You should sing praises.  Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.  Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the lord will make you well.  And, if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.   James 5:13  

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  James 1:5              

The litmus test of our love for God is...

I must say my tail feathers have been a bit ruffled within the past few days!  As I continue on, it’s my intention to explain the things I’ve seen and heard in an honest, but to the point fashion.  Although my words may be stern in some places, there is no malice intended in them.  The point I wish to make here is not necessarily that my tail feathers have been ruffled, but in fact, how the things that I’ve seen and heard affect unbelievers and the body of Christ, both in negative ways.  My hope is that we can learn from instances like these and be guided by the Holy Spirit so that the Body of Christ can be most effective in these last days.

I recently had a discussion with a long time acquaintance while I was out and about doing some shopping.  Although I see this person only once every few months or so, I have been acquainted with this person for twenty plus years.   


The conversation started out quite commonly with the typical, “Hey, how’s life treating you”…and so on.  Then it quickly turned to a conversation where this person was telling me that the body of Christ is really hurting because of things like… the ceilings in the churches are painted black and people wear jeans to church and look like bums.  I could go on…but, I’ll leave it at these two statements.


The thing is…this is a free country and we’re all entitled to our opinions…just as I am freely stating my opinion now.  So, I’m not saying that it’s wrong for her to have her own opinions. What bothers me, is the example this person, a citizen in the body of Christ, is making in a fairly loud, condemning way without regard to others within earshot.    


It’s my understanding that as Christians, we will continually have something to work on in our lives until we enter Heaven’s gates.  God sees us as righteous because…and only because of what Jesus did on the cross for us.  None of us are perfect. Only Jesus holds that title.  He finds us in the muck and mire.  Even so, He picks us up and each at a different pace cleans us up.   


So, what if a unbeliever hears the words that this person speaking about how “it’s wrong to wear jeans to church?”  What if this statement keeps someone from attending church for the first time? Aren’t churches supposed to be places that accept hurting people…who perhaps may be wearing jeans? I have to tell you…I like to wear jeans.  I don’t even own a dress.  However, I do wear dress clothes when a situation calls for it.  And, I’m not a rebel; I just know what I like.  The last time I checked, though, I am still very much anointed to do what God has created and called me to do whether I’m wearing jeans or not.


I see this person’s statements as a negative for both the unbeliever and the Christian alike…but in different ways.  These types of statements hurt unbelievers because they already may feel unaccepted by those who are believers before they even darken the door of a church.  On the other hand, it just makes believers look bad and judgmental of unbelievers and believers alike!


Here in the United States, we have a church on nearly every street corner.  But yet…look at the state of our country.  Something is wrong here…and I don’t believe that it has anything to do with the fact that church ceilings are painted black or that people wear jeans to church.  I believe it’s a heart condition…not of all of us…but, of plenty of us.


I have to tell you, I did not grow up in a Christian family.  I did attend church as a child from time to time.  I even attended church camp and received Jesus as my Savior as a child. But my understanding of how God loved me didn’t hit me until way later in my life.  Needless to say, I have had A LOT of things to overcome…more than some folks, but less than others.  I don’t count myself perfect in any way, shape or form.  I will continue to ask God on a regular basis to take out of me what He doesn’t want in me and fill me with more of Him.    


Now, with that said, my experiences while God has been cleaning me up have been incredible.  What I mean by that is that when my “behavior” has been “less than” what some Christians “thought it should have been”, I have been ridiculed, scorned and iced out by them.  Really!  I wish they would have taken the time to get to know me so that they could understand why I was hurting…instead of deciding that I wasn’t “holy enough” to be around them.  There was a time or two in my life where I was so depressed that I was ready to take my own life (and nearly did once) because I didn’t think I could make it any longer.  My Christian friend didn’t help me, rather I was accused by this person of attempting to manipulate with the mention of suicide to her.  I was told that I was no longer wanted as her friend.  I have since then forgiven this person…just so you know.  J


The litmus test of our love for God is our love of neighbor. ~ Brennan Manning   OUCH!      


I’m grateful that God gave me the strength to hold onto Him so that I could get to the point where I have a better understanding of His love…something that wasn’t modeled to me by so many when I needed it the most.  But, I am also grateful that I went through these things in this way.  Yes…I am grateful!  My experiences have given me a unique understanding of what to do and not do.  Of course, I’m not perfect.  I still make mistakes which is exactly why I need the grace of God.


Where are we as followers of Christ if we cannot or will not help the hurting because of our own preconceived ideas of what they should look like or act like?  I’m grateful that Jesus didn’t turn me away because of the miry mess that I was in.  Who am I to turn another away because I don’t believe they’re “good enough”… for whatever reason? 


The fields are ripe for harvest.  But are we willing to accept the look of the ripened field and be Jesus to them?  He cleans us up from the inside out…or have we forgotten that?


Is it so important what our churches look like…inside or out?  What would we do if we didn’t even have a church building like so many around the world?  It’s the living God inside of us that makes the difference…not what we look like or the look of the place we worship.


We, the Body of Christ, need to take off our rose color glasses of what we “think” a believer or even a church should look like.  We need to remember that the righteousness that we partake of comes NOT from anything that we have done, but from everything that Jesus did for us.   As the body of Christ, we need to wake up and smell the coffee!  The time is short!  It’s God’s desire that ALL men be saved and come to know the knowledge of truth.  1 Tim 2:4


Now, it’s not my intention to pick on either of the folks mentioned in this blog at all.  One of them I approached years ago and discussed the way things were handled and the other; I did state my opinions clearly and kindly in opposition to what was said.  It is no secret as to how I felt about what was said in either instance.  However, the things that were said to me recently did stir things up within in me that I have wanted to put on paper for a long time.


God has a purpose for all things, and in His timing, He takes those things out of us that He no longer wants in us…opening our eyes to more of His truth…removing the rose colored glasses, so to speak, and allowing us to share with others as He leads us. 


Please do be in prayer with me for the body of Christ to rise up and be the Church that God intended us to be.  The time is short.                 

 ****Please check out my new blog which I update 2-3 days a week.  It’s more of a day to day inspirational blog.  Thanks!    http://actnowday2daydevo.blogspot.com/