Let me begin this post with this: I hate messing up. Not that I think anyone likes it, but I am particularly hard on myself when I do. Even more so when I look back on how I messed up and easily it could have been avoided and just how stupid I was. I get disappointed, irritated, and down right mad with myself when I do. I feel like a failure.
Now, don't misunderstand what I am saying here. This is not a "poor pitiful me" message. This is just part of the process I go though due to my struggle with pride. You see, I feel like I always have to have it all together. So, when the mess ups come (and make no mistake, they seem to come much more often than I would like) I go through all kinds of emotions and feelings that I know are not productive. I dwell on the issue, how I messed up, how to fix it, and how to avoid it in the future. It causes stress, robs me of my joy, and just makes for some lousy days. Which in turn, usually leads to even more mess ups.
The big thing I have come to realize from this downward spiral is this: Its hard to feel close to God when you are in the pit if despair.
I know i'm not alone in this. David had some of these same feelings. Look at Psalm 13:1-4.
Lord, how long will You forget me?
Forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long will I store up anxious concerns within me,
agony in my mind every day?
How long will my enemy dominate me?
Consider me and answer, Lord my God.
Restore brightness to my eyes;
otherwise, I will sleep in death.
My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,”
and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
So what are we to do when we feel like this? We have a choice to make. Either we can continue to stress and fret over our mistakes and beat ourselves up and continue to feel removed from God, or we can cry out to Him for forgiveness and ask Him to restore us back to Him. I need that. I need that because I hate feeling separated from my Savior more than the suffering I get from being mad at myself for messing up. David felt the same way. Look at how he finished Psalm 13 in verses 5 & 6:
But I have trusted in Your faithful love;
my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance.
I will sing to the Lord
because He has treated me generously.
Thank you God, for Your faithful love. Even when I have messed up. Thank You, Jesus, for Your forgiveness that you offer when we ask. Restore me, Oh Lord.
In Christ,
jon walton
Monday, November 19, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
It Means So Much That You Called...
Over the past year I have made lots of phone calls when people have lost a loved one or friend. I was calling just to see if there was anything I could do. I know it is a difficult time and many times people just don't know what to do. So, any comfort that I can offer I do.
Something I have learned from this is that you really don't have to have all the right answers, you just need to show that you care. I think so many times we don't do something because we are afraid we will mess up, say or do the wrong thing, or hurt someone. How many times have you not spoke to someone who needed comfort or to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ because of one of those reasons? Yet, when I call people to let them know I am praying for them or to see if there is anything I can do, it isn't the words I say that makes them feel a bit better, its the fact that I called. When we witness to people its isn't our vast knowledge of the Bible that will bring people to Christ, its Christ working though us that will bring that person to accept Jesus. We don't need be so consumed with saying the right thing, just doing the right thing!
What would you do differently in your life if you took these verses seriously?
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matt. 28:19, 20
See, I think the problem is too many times, we try to do the first part of those verses without remembering the second part. We try to do everything on our own, we get scared, and we wind up not doing it because we are afraid of saying the wrong thing before we even try. We need to remember the second part of those verses so we can effectively do the first part.
Tell you what, let's try this together and encourage each other along the way!
In Christ,
jon walton
Something I have learned from this is that you really don't have to have all the right answers, you just need to show that you care. I think so many times we don't do something because we are afraid we will mess up, say or do the wrong thing, or hurt someone. How many times have you not spoke to someone who needed comfort or to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ because of one of those reasons? Yet, when I call people to let them know I am praying for them or to see if there is anything I can do, it isn't the words I say that makes them feel a bit better, its the fact that I called. When we witness to people its isn't our vast knowledge of the Bible that will bring people to Christ, its Christ working though us that will bring that person to accept Jesus. We don't need be so consumed with saying the right thing, just doing the right thing!
What would you do differently in your life if you took these verses seriously?
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matt. 28:19, 20
See, I think the problem is too many times, we try to do the first part of those verses without remembering the second part. We try to do everything on our own, we get scared, and we wind up not doing it because we are afraid of saying the wrong thing before we even try. We need to remember the second part of those verses so we can effectively do the first part.
Tell you what, let's try this together and encourage each other along the way!
In Christ,
jon walton
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