13 December 2012

learning from God



One of the ways I typically learn from God is through a lot of reflection.

And those reflections, they go something like this.

I'm lying in bed (or driving around, or drinking my coffee, or whatever) thinking about a sermon, or something someone said, or a verse, or whatever.

Remembering the words.

Contemplating if they relate to me or if these are areas that have already been dealt with - and then if I'm ready for God to do some more weeding in my heart.

And then grace appears in my thoughts and quite often verses I've known since childhood come flooding into my memory.

And I listen to what God is saying.

And then we dialogue.

Sometimes I wonder what dialogue with God looks like for others.

I think one of my favourite aspects of God is that nothing He says is ever a one time thing.

Every word can be backed up by scriptures, so I don't need to worry if I've heard from Him. If the scriptures confirm, I can trust the words I hear.

And if I'm unsure, I can talk to the godly people in my life to hear/see what they think.

. . .

This conversation happened a few weeks ago.

. . .


The sermon had been good.

And I had decided that it was one of those sermons that I didn't need to worry about.

Ha! Anybody else do that? Sit in church and feel smug because the sermon is for others? Sometimes even decide who around me it is for.

Oh arrogance, how I hate you, and how often I repent of you (Even this sentence sounds arrogant to me).

So I went home. And went through my week.

But one line from the sermon just kept coming back to me.

(Speaking of the Pharisees and how they)

Made rules about the rules about the rules.

Rules aren't bad. Boundries keep us safe. But when I decide to make a rule about a rule about a rule, ALL in an attempt to look like a good Christian (cue white washed tomb reference), I've completely missed the mark.

Should I stay as far away from sin as possible? OH YES! Sooooo very far! 

Fleeing tempation. 

Running from opportunities that lead down destructive roads.

But.

I hadn't done that in this case. I was just being dumb.

If !this! was a sin, I'd added a formula to avoid it, so that I looked good. I'd turned normal things into sins, and judged others fiercely when they didn't see the sins my way.

So I'm learning (which is something I feel like I should probably put in every single post).

God is breaking down my feeble walls that I've build in a silly attempt to look strong, and He is pointing me back to Jesus.

Because in Jesus is freedom from sins.