To Speak or Not To Speak?

To Speak or Not To Speak?

by::  angie c tipton

act now ministries

9.4.2011

It’s true that we all have the freedom to speak our mind.  The truth of the matter is that we all have the freedom to NOT speak our mind, as well.  In many conversations, I find for myself, that the latter of the two choices is best.  It is not my job to judge others or give advice...advice that is, more than likely, not wanted, especially when someone is just venting.  The definition of vent is to “expel” or “discharge.”  When someone is venting, they are not looking to take in anything, let alone unwanted advice.

When speaking our mind causes us to step out of the boundaries that love has set for us is when speaking our mind may become hurtful to others.  What works for one person may not work for another.  There’s more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak.  If we were all the same, this world would be a very boring place.

My hope is that those who find it necessary to speak their “wisdom” don’t realize the harm and strife that they are possibly causing to those around them.  My fear is that they don’t care about the harm or strife caused by their careless words.  Hoping, believing and praying for the positive for others as well as ourselves, is a good thing.  Love never fails. It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to convict us all of our flaws or offenses.  In the words of someone who has a lot of experience in this area (Joyce Meyer)…”You’re not Holy Ghost, Jr.!”

Jesus is THE ultimate answer for any issue that we will ever have need of in this life.  He did not beat around the bush with things that needed to be confronted.  He confronted and moved on.  However, He did not approach everyone in the same way.  In John 8:2-11, a woman who was caught in adultery was brought to Jesus.  Those who brought her wanted to stone her.  Jesus stooped down and began to write in the dust with his finger…virtually ignoring them.  After the accusers continued on for a while, Jesus rose up and said, “Those who are without sin…throw the first stone.” The Bible says that eventually the one’s who heard His words were convicted by their own conscience and left out one by one, leaving Jesus alone with the woman in the midst.  He then spoke to her telling her that He did not condemn her and to “go and sin no more.”  Now Jesus did not point out every flaw that those condemning her had committed.  He did not “get in their faces” and “tell ‘em how it is.”  Rather, He silently stayed back and very likely, prayed for the appropriate response…even while her accusers continued ranting.  And, finally when dealing with the woman, He didn’t go on and on with her about why she was committing adultery because “maybe she had been abused as a child, maybe she had an absentee father, and just maybe she was lookin’ for love in all the wrong places”…and so on and so forth.  He simply told her that He did not condemn her and to go and sin no more.

Now, the woman’s accusers were definitely venting to Jesus in this situation as well as trying to entrap him.  BUT, Jesus used wisdom to handle this situation.  He KNEW that the Truth would set them all free…the accusers and the woman…and He did not have to say much for that to be accomplished.  What an amazing example for us!  Sometimes few words or even silence will handle whatever issue comes up, simply because we leave our hands off of it and let the Holy Spirit do His job.  It is not our job to judge and many times, it’s not our job to give advice.  Of course there are times when we MUST handle situations and give advice.  I’m not suggesting that we should always sit back and be mute.  But, we should use caution and most importantly, wisdom.

I find that I continually need wisdom in many different situations in my life.  And, this one thing I am glad to know when I don’t have the wisdom needed for a particular situation; “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and He will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.” ~ James 1:5. ~  Wisdom…it’s a good thing, and when we find ourselves lacking, all we need to do is ask…especially in “that moment” when the question is not what to say, but to speak or not to speak?

I have to tell you that this devotion has not been written because of any one incident in my life, but rather by trial and error over many years.  I cannot tell you how many years of my life I was “pushed around” verbally when all I really wanted was for someone to listen to me...allow me to vent.  But also, I’ve been on the other side of it…yes, the one doing the “verbal pushing”, so to speak, when someone else just wanted to vent.  It’s true!  And finally, I have witnessed seeing someone “verbally push” another...watching the entire process from the outside…it’s not a pretty sight!

Getting right down to where the rubber meets the road…Jesus came so that we not only would have life, but have it more abundantly. ~ John 10:10 ~ When we accept Him as our Savior, we are no longer our own.  We are His.  He paid the price for us and WE ARE FREE!!  Our freedom is found in Jesus and, at times, that freedom is to NOT do certain things as He leads us, such as, “to speak or not to speak?”

Ask and you will receive...Pray, Trust and Believe

Ask and you will receive…pray, trust and believe.

angie c tipton        

act now ministries

9.2.2011 

Having a difficult time sleeping tonight…fell asleep earlier for about twenty minutes, woke up and have been up since then.  It’s now seven past two am...and counting…

A lot of things have been going through my mind tonight.  A tragic accident happened less than twelve hours ago.  A senior from my son’s high school class was killed in a tragic car accident.  It’s a terrible thing for anyone to lose their life at such a young age…so difficult to understand. 

Situations like this cause me to think about priorities in life.  But it also makes me think, “What can I do in a situation like this?”

I found out about this accident while surfing the status updates on facebook.  Obviously, facebook is a social media where we post the things that are going on in our lives.  Most days I can find a wide variety of things happening with my friends…everything from humor to venting; political items to prayer requests.   But some days, like today, the needs of people seem to be overwhelming.  As I cruise through the status updates daily and sometimes several times a day, I often DO find the needs of my friends overwhelming.  Now, I don’t say this in a negative way.  I say this in an “I want to help, what can I do?” kind of way.  I see friends with health, financial, family issues, etc…whatever the issues may be, I think, “is there really anything I can do to help?”  Well, yes…I pray.  Some days I think to myself, “I don’t have time or I don’t know how to pray for these people…there are so many who have needs…it’s all so overwhelming!” And, the number of my facebook friends is only in the triple digits!  I could easily allow these many needs to bog me down.   I could turn away from them and do nothing or even decide that there is nothing that can be done.   I guess  I’m beating around the bush trying to get to a point.  That point is that our God…the Great I AM, the all knowing God, Creator of the universe knows everything that is needed to know about any and all of my friends, let alone every human who has ever been.  Now THAT is overwhelming!!  It is so easy to turn these requests over to Him.  Seriously!!  He already knows what we all have need of…all we have to do is ask for His help.  His word says, “ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened.”  Matthew 7:7 ~ (This scripture is perfect.  It is complete…in which the 7’s may or may not be alluding to ~ meaning perfection and/or completion…merely a suggestion! J)  It is so simple to ask through prayer?  We need only to ask?  Is it really that simple?  God wants us to communicate with Him.  He wants us to ask Him for what we need.  It’s a choice…to communicate or not to communicate?

Now, God is sovereign.  His ways are perfect…and, His timing is perfect.  For us to comprehend this can be a challenge.  Maybe you’ve been asking for something for years without an answer…I can’t explain that.  All I know is that He hears everything we utter and that we should not give up because our prayers are not answered in our time frame.  He is in control of everything and not in an “evil bwahhaahhaa, the world is mine” way.  He see’s everything from a different perspective than we do.  He see’s everything in a way that allows the population of the entire world to work together like a “well oiled machine”, so to speak.  He see’s the “big picture”…a picture that we cannot even begin to glimpse, let alone comprehend with our imperfect, human minds.  If we allow Him to, He will work ALL things out for the good. 

Pray, trust and believe.  That’s what he asks of us.  I, too, have prayers that have not come to fruition for decades…yes, decades!  But, at the same time, in waiting for some prayers to come to pass, I have learned that the more outrageous prayers I pray for, the more outrageous He answers them.  Yes, it’s true!  Some prayers He has answered have totally blown me away the way He has answered them. One time, many years ago, a friend called in the middle of the night in desperate need of help.  This person hung up the phone, leaving me in deep concern. I knew the name of the city, but was not familiar with it. (This was before caller id.)  I DIDN’T have an address as this person was at someone else’s home.  I did not have a clue, but, I didn’t let that stop me.  I prayed, trusted and believed.  I can tell you this; God led me directly to this person…to their surprise!!

God will not and cannot be contained in a box.  His word says that the heavens cannot contain Him, yet He lives in us!!  How outrageous is that?!  Without wanting to or at times even realizing it, in my humanness, I’m sure that I have placed the God of this universe in a box, but ever-expanding is this “box”!  And, oh how understanding, loving and kind He is even in my imperfect humanness!  Pray, trust and believe!!  Ask and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock; and it will be opened. 

Now, I don’t try to explain any of life’s difficult happenings.  I am far too small and insignificant in the whole scheme of things to pretend wisdom in this.  But, I, too, at a young age, experienced the loss of a close friend.  The word, “WHY” that I cried out in pain at that time is still travelling through space and time.  The further it is carried from me, the fainter it sounds, allowing God’s wisdom, sovereignty, love and peace rise to a greater volume in my life.  Does it mean that I understand that situation any better?  I’m not sure I can answer that with a “yes”.  But, this I do know.  I serve a God who loves me unconditionally and always…and He is sovereign.  He is a God of justice.  He knows what is best for me and He knows what is best for you…ALWAYS!!

Ask and you will receive…pray, trust and believe.          

The Vulture...The Enemy

The Vulture…The Enemy                                                     

by:: angie c tipton

act now ministries

6.25.10

    

Have you ever stepped out in faith to do something that the Lord has asked you do to, only to find great resistance?  Why all the resistance?  Could it be that the timing is wrong, nothing is going like you thought it would for various reasons, or maybe people discouraged or even tried to stop you.

Well, as I was reading Genesis 15 one day, I was especially drawn to verses 7-11.  Here, the LORD is telling Abram that He has given him the land as his possession.  Abram questions how he can be sure that he will possess the land.  Then, the LORD instructs him to bring animals for a sacrifice.  Abram obeys.  After Abram prepared the animals, verse 11 says, “Some vultures swooped down to the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.”  I find that verse interesting.

I believe what Abram experienced with the vultures, parallels the resistance that we experience when we step out in faith to accomplish more of what the Lord has for us in our lives.    

Webster’s definition of a vulture is; 1. a large bird that lives chiefly on carrion, or, the decaying flesh of dead animals.  2.  a greedy, ruthless person.

According to information from studies on vultures, the type of vulture in this story could be classified as an “old world vulture”.  This is a type of vulture that finds dead carcasses strictly by sight.  They would seldom attack healthy animals, but, would occasionally kill wounded or sick animals.   

Now, the way I see it in Abram’s case, the vulture is just “doin’ what vultures do best”… taking care of the dead carcasses.  That’s how they stay alive.  It’s their job or “calling” in life.  But, I believe the Lord is using this to show us just how brazen the enemy is in attacking us when we step up and do what God has called us to do. Also, and more importantly, Abram’s response to the vultures is an example of how we need to step up the spiritual warfare and chase away the enemy.

Abram faithfully gathered the animals, prepared them for the sacrifice and then, the “enemy” attacked.  At that point Abram didn’t just sit back and say, “Well, maybe this isn’t the right time for me to make a sacrifice” or “This sacrifice thing is just not going the way that I thought it would” or “These vultures are trying to stop me from doing what God has called me to do”.  No!  He took action!

Just as a vulture is able to find carcasses by sight only, I believe that is one way the enemy works against us.  When he sees us taking a step forward, he sees a possible “meal”, so to speak.  Then, he begins to encircle us.  The bible says,   “Be self controlled, your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8 If the enemy can discourage us enough, causing us to “weaken or be sickly”, I believe he then swoops in for the kill…doing everything he can to kill our God given dreams, desires or even us.  That is, if we allow him to do so! 

The second definition of a vulture is related to people.  Many times people do act as “vultures” when it comes to their response to our dreams and desires...ultimately, God’s plan for our life.  Remember, your dreams or desires are between you and God.  “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalms 37:4   “ In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”  Proverbs 16:9  No one else can tell you what God’s plan is for your life.  Others can give advice or guidance, but, don’t expect everyone to support the dreams and desires that you see for yourself.  So, get with God, go for it and keep in mind; “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:12   We’re not wrestling against people, even though it may feel that way at times.   Also remember that, “…if God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 

So, the vulture…the enemy, can really cause a lot of problems for us if we allow him to do so.  When we step out in faith and do something that the Lord is leading us to do, we shouldn’t be surprised when we experience resistance.   By the resistance, we should realize that we are most likely moving in the right direction, but it may take time…and maybe more time than what we might think.  The enemy just doesn’t like it and he’ll do anything to keep us from moving forward in Jesus.

Remember Abram’s quick action to chase away the vultures and parallel that action in your own life concerning spiritual warfare. Find scriptures that line up with what you are fighting against and speak the Word out loud. Don’t forget the words of Jesus; “The thief does not come, except to steal, kill and destroy.  I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10

 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

Don’t allow the enemy to get the best of you!  Grow in the Lord and enjoy your life!

Attitude...or Beatitude?

Attitude…or Beatitude?                                          

angie c tipton

act now ministries

7.21.10

I have a point blank question for you; do you treat people with piercings, colored hair, tattoos or anything out of the “norm” with the same respect as you do a person in a business suit?

Recently I observed a young man receive what appeared to be judgmental looks as well as an attitude from a business man. (With that said, there is NO way for me to know what someone else is thinking.  I’m going by my own experiences and what the appearance was at the time and place.)

This young man was taking orders and making sandwiches in a restaurant.  As I stepped up to order after the business man, the young man’s eyes just barely met mine so that I would know that it was my turn to order. (Whatever the reason was for his lack of eye contact, I felt compassion for him.)  I placed my order, went on, got my sandwich, and sat down to eat when I realized that it was missing one of the main ingredients.  I really didn’t want to say anything about it, but somehow I knew that’s exactly what I needed to do. I took the sandwich back to the counter where I had ordered.  The only person available to speak with was the young man with the piercings and blue and red colored hair.  I gently asked him about the ingredients on the sandwich.  He appeared somewhat stressed about the error, but quickly and politely took care of it.  As he handed the sandwich back to me, he looked as if he were dreading what I had to say to him.  “Thanks and have a nice day” was all that needed to be said.  He seemed somewhat surprised.

Oh, how important it is that we treat others with the same respect in which we want to be treated!!  As it says in the bible; “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”  Luke 6:31

At this moment, my heart was overwhelmed with compassion for this young man.  All I could do, at this point, was pray for salvation (if needed) for him, as well as salvation for anyone in the restaurant willing to do so, whenever and wherever possible in their lifetime.

In Matthew, Jesus spoke these words, better known as “The Beatitudes”.  They are guidelines in which to help us in our walk with the Lord…things that will be seen- in us- by others, as followers of Christ.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:3-12

Now, I have no idea whether or not the business man was a Christian or not.  That’s not for me to judge.  But, I do know this.  Those of us who have come to know Jesus as our Savior, really need to make the highest priority of allowing the love of God not only show…but, flow through us.  We have no reason to boast of our own salvation or anything else for that matter. If we are saved, we are saved, not by anything that we have done, but by the grace and mercy that God has extended to us through the death of His only son, Jesus.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says;  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.”   It’s now our job to “keep ourselves in a state” that allows God’s love, mercy and grace to be shown to others through us. Stir up the Holy Spirit within yourself.  Ask God to show you how to show His love to those around you…no matter where you are.  Do you have an attitude or are you practicing the beatitudes?

As I left the sandwich shop that day, all I could think of is how my Savior was pierced…for me...on the cross.  His hair was, more likely than not, colored red with blood…for me.  His body was tattooed with bruises and injuries from being beaten and whipped…for me…for my salvation…salvation through Jesus Christ, something I cannot earn or purchase.  Salvation is a gift that has been given to me and you, freely, by the Creator of the universe.  All we have to do is receive it.  “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes, we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5

I wonder if the business man would have reacted with the same look and attitude if it had been Jesus, pierced, red hair and tattooed with bruises, behind that counter?  I believe this is a good question for all of us.  (In no way, shape or form, do I intend an attitude of judgment towards the business man.)  Do you have an attitude or are you practicing the beatitudes?  I ask this same question of myself.  I want to continue to press into the Lord…more of Him and less of me.  It will only make me a better person.

I have to confess…I continue to be amazed by God’s ability to take such a common, everyday occurrence, show His love, grace and mercy through me, a sinner saved by grace, then, give me the words to share with others.  I intend no praise for myself through this or any other writing.  I am both humbled and grateful to be used and taught by God in this way.  It is my hope and prayer that you, too, will find God leading you in the same way.

Love your neighbor, Love your enemy...Go the extra mile!

Love your neighbor, Love your enemy…Go the extra mile!                                                                                         

by:: angie c tipton             
act now ministries
5.13.2009 

“Love your neighbor as yourself and love your enemies”. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says; If I speak in the tongues of men or angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.  Paul is telling us that even though we have all of these things, if we don’t have love, anything we do profits nothing.  It’s important that we use our gifts from the Lord.  But, it’s more important to have love in these things.  If we don’t, we are annoying and even potentially hurtful to others!  How important it is to simply love on another. 

Who is our neighbor and who is our enemy?  Ephesians 6:12 says; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”  God’s Word tells us that it’s not people we wrestle with, but rather things in the unseen realm.  We are warring against evil spirits, not flesh.  I pray that God will open our eyes so that we may see all people simply as our neighbors…I pray that He will let us see others through His eyes.  They still may fall into that category as an enemy, but let’s make a decision to see “the enemy” as our neighbor...love your neighbor as yourself! 

Who is our neighbor? Are they the people who live next door or across the street from us? Yes, they are.  But, I believe our neighbor is anyone who crosses our path.

I have to tell you, many years ago (20+), early in my Christian walk,   I went through a phase where I was very “religious”.  Well, many things contribute to that…where I was going to church, who I was hanging around with and so on and so forth.  I had a “superior” attitude towards those who were not saved.  Because that is what I was taught, that’s what I believed…for a short while anyway.  As I grew in my relationship with Jesus, I began to see things very differently from what I was being taught.  Thankfully, God lifted me out of that “religiousness” and revealed Himself to me.  He showed me that anyone who crosses my path is my neighbor.  At that point, I began to be aware of anyone who needed a “neighbor” anywhere I went.  When I went to the grocery store, the gym, the mall, a restaurant, anywhere…I tried to always remember to ask God to bless anyone who crossed my path and also for salvation for any and all who were/are willing to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I really believe that we, as Christians, ought to be thinking along these lines and you may be doing that already.  It’s our job to be a good example and have the love of God overflowing in our lives so that others will see it….not see US….but, see the love of God working in and through us.  You never know who may cross your path that, all they really need is a little nudge towards heaven.  You may be the only person who prays for them that day, that week, that year or who knows, maybe even in their lifetime.  Love your neighbor, love your enemies!
A couple of years ago, I was at Wal-Mart just before Thanksgiving.  The store was packed with people.  It was a frenzy!  I managed to get what I needed and headed to the checkout.  I got in line...a slow line of course!  The lady in front of me had about a million items. I had about a million items.  Short version…I was going to be there for a while!  It was time to take a breath and relax.  When I did, I noticed that an elderly man had walked up and gotten in line after me.  He had only a few items, so I offered to let him go in front of me.  He chose to stay where he was.  The Lord impressed upon me that this man was lonely and just wanted some company.  I had the time.  I certainly wasn’t going anywhere any time soon!  Why not? I enjoy talking to people anyway.  I know no strangers!  So, we visited.  Being a neighbor to him was as simple as listening and responding to him.  He was a nice man…just lonely.  That day, he was my neighbor.  Before I paid for my groceries, I had the cashier add his items onto my bill.  I knew that this is what the Lord wanted me to do and essentially, I wanted to purchase those things for him.  It was a simple gesture and not even an expensive one! BUT, it made this man’s day and mine as well. This is one way of showing what Jesus meant by love your neighbors and in Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus says…GO THE EXTRA MILE, as well.

I have to say, I’m not sure who felt better when we went our separate ways.   The Love of God was there.  The love of God was seen and felt by all of us…the man, myself, and the cashier as well.  It wasn’t me doing the good deeds.  It was me, allowing God to work in and through me in this situation. Love your neighbor as yourself, love your enemies…go the extra mile!!  

A few years later I was in Starbucks waiting for my coffee.  There also was a young woman with a baby there.  The baby was precious, so I approached her and told her how beautiful her little girl was.  I proceeded to get my coffee and left the store.  As I was backing out, the lady and her baby suddenly appeared beside my car.  I have to say I was somewhat startled!  I put down my window and asked if I could help her. She timidly asked me for food and supplies for her baby.  I made a list of specifics for the baby and then asked the woman if she wanted anything for herself.  She hesitated for a moment as I searched her eyes and then refused anything for herself.  I gave her some money for food while she waited on me and then I went to the store for the items. She was still there when I returned and I gave the items to her.  I have to tell you, I didn’t have a lot of extra money at the time.  The economy had just taken a dive, we had drastic pay cuts on our only income….you name it!  But, how many of you know that what we possess on this earth really isn’t ours?   It all belongs to God.  We are stewards of what He has provided for us.  God was there that day and it was my job to let Him do His work through me, not only by loving this young woman as my neighbor, but also by going the extra mile. 

God’s word says Love your neighbor as yourself, love your enemies…go the extra mile! As you are out and about in your everyday life, I pray that God will open your eyes to your neighbors. Step out in faith and do something out of the ordinary for a friend, an associate or even a stranger. You'll find that Loving your neighbors, loving your enemies and going the extra mile will not only make a difference in their life, but it will also make a difference in your own life. God is good and He is faithful.  

Wisdom From “Man’s Best Friend”

angie c tipton

act now ministries

9.24.2011

Several months ago, my husband, David, decided that he wanted a dog and with all of the abandoned dogs at local shelters he decided to adopt a pet. He searched until he found what he hoped was just the right dog for our family. When we made the visitation to see if this dog was “the one,” this adorable mutt stole our hearts.  Since then, we have considered Stewie a member of our family.  Over the past several months, I’ve observed a few things about Stewie that could easily be applied to our journey with God.

Stewie has a great personality and loves to play.  It seems that his favorite game is to fetch.  I think he would fetch for hours on end if he had someone to throw a ball or anything for that length of time!  Sometimes when David is playing with him, Stewie get’s super hyper and runs through our living room like crazy.  One of the things he does is run and jumps on the sofa, banks off of the back of it, leaps to the floor, runs a circle around the coffee table and starts the entire process over again…all at lightning speed.  He’s a bundle of energy and fun to watch!  We especially get a laugh out of him when he occasionally flat out misses the jump to the sofa.  He leaps like a gazelle with full intent of landing ON the sofa, but crashes, head first into the front of it, causing him to fall to the floor.  But, he doesn’t let it faze him in the least…even our laughter doesn’t faze him.  In fact, he just picks up where he left off and keeps on keepin’ on!  Honestly, I wish that I had his insight or stick-to-itiveness years ago!  Many times when I was going full on towards a goal and “failed” (not truly a failure, I just believed it was), I let the “failure” keep me down…it kept me from moving forward for a time.  I had to realize that it really wasn’t a failure, just a stepping stone to the next leg of the journey…a time of learning and strengthening of faith.  Knowing who we are in Christ…remembering that when something doesn’t turn out the way we thought…should be enough to keep us moving on that path towards our God given dreams and goals. 

Now, Stewie LOVES to ride in the car.  When I say to Stewie…”wanna go bye-bye?” he cannot move fast enough to get beside me.  In his frenzied way, he grabs the nearest toy, runs to me and then heads for the garage.  He is always ready to go!  This made me think about us “going with God.”  I wonder just how many of us are “ready to go” when our Master calls us to go?  How many of us run to His side, raring to go wherever and whenever our Lord and Savior calls us?  That’s something to think about!

But, on the other side of that, I wonder how many times we miss that call or even worse yet, how many times we hear the call and refuse to follow for whatever reason?  With Stewie, there are times when he has figured out that when we call him, it’s time for him to stay in his crate.  At that point, he refuses to obey...it’s something that he doesn’t want to do.  In fact, there are times when he puts himself in danger by staying outside, refusing to come to us, refusing to obey and refusing to come inside to safety.  We live in the country and have many coyotes that roam around our home at night.  They’re vicious and have claimed a few of our pet cats for themselves. (and most recently our try at raising chickens)  In Stewie’s hardheadedness, “self wisdom” and lack of true understanding, he puts himself in danger.  We only want what is best for him because, even though he is a dog, we consider him a part of our family and we love him. I believe that there are times in our lives when God is calling us, but for whatever reason, lack of understanding, hardheadedness, “self wisdom,” or just plain ‘ol rebellion, we refuse to follow Him.  I believe that, just like the danger that is out there awaiting Stewie in the darkness of night, when we refuse to follow God, we are leaving ourselves in a place of possible danger, therefore allowing the enemy access to us.  Oh how important it is that we put God first in our lives…always, not just when it is convenient!  We need to realize that not only does He love us; He loves us unconditionally and always, no matter what! So, even if we were to find ourselves away from God, off that path that He has for us, we are assured of His unconditional love for us.  And, if we ask for it, He will guide us back to where He wants us.  We are His children and He only wants what is best for us.  He has said He will never leave us or forsake us.  (By the way, we’re working with Stewie to correct his behavior and God will do the same with us if/when He needs to.)    

In the evenings after working all day, David likes to watch TV.  Stewie is perfectly content just lying beside David, his master…simply just being in his presence.  This, I believe, is another quality that we can see in “man’s best friend” and apply to our own lives.  Are we content with simply being with our Master? Or, do we feel the need to constantly “do something”…believing the lie that we must always be “doing something for the Lord?”  There is a time when we should simply “be” with our Master and a time when we should be active, as well.  Activity should not be confused with intimacy with our Lord and Savior…our Master.

Earlier I told of how my husband searched patiently until he found the perfect pet for our family.  That is how God seeks after us.  But, the time and energy my husband spent is only a tiny fraction of a fraction of the time and energy that God uses to seek us…yes, each and every one of us!  He loves us all equally…He is no respecter of persons.  We are all made perfectly in His eyes, as we each have our own giftings and works to use/do in our lifetime…that is, if we give ourselves over to Him fully. 

I urge you, if you haven’t already, to ask Jesus into your heart, surrender to Him and live for Him wholly.  He will not lead you astray.  He will NEVER leave you or forsake you.  Let’s take some of this wisdom from “man’s best friend” and apply it to our journey with our Master.  I assure you, it IS a great adventure!