The Lowly Things

Photo Credit La Melodie (creative commons)

The Lowly Things 

By

Emily Walters Laney

²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”” – 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like a loser. I messed up again, I didn’t do something right, I can’t find a good job. I’m not smart enough, pretty enough, or perfect enough to actually be used by God to make a difference in the world. Mind you, I don’t always feel this way, but I definitely have my moments where I don’t feel like I measure up. Sometimes it comes from other people, like that one friend who always makes me feel bad about myself. But most of the time, it comes from me. It comes from that seed of insecurity that I keep buried inside, just waiting to rear its ugly head when something mildly frustrating happens. And sometimes it comes from the images and the ideals the world puts forth that seem to bombard us from every side.

Take away those wrinkles! Shrink those love handles! Make yourself look sexier, more desirable! Lose 15 pounds in two weeks….. the list of messages could go on and on, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who has seen these messages plastered everywhere. We are obsessed with perfection, even if that perfection is fake. And it doesn’t have to be physical either. It could be that voice that says that you are never supposed to show weakness, especially to your friends at church. Or how you are supposed to have a perfectly clean house and happy, well-rested children along with a from scratch, organic home cooked meal waiting when your husband gets home from work. Or maybe you’re supposed to do all of the above while holding down a full time job (or two!) just to make ends meet. The possibilities are endless, and the stress we put on ourselves is ridiculous. And at the end of the day, if we mess up one time or feel like we don’t measure up in anyway, a small voice in the back of our heads tells us that we aren’t good enough, that God could never use us.

But guess what? None of that really matters. God doesn’t expect perfection from us. He doesn’t expect us to have it all together. I really needed to read the passage at the beginning of this post the other day. I needed to be reminded that God chooses the lowly, the weak, he wants to use us, even if we aren’t perfect by the standards of the world. God wants our strength to come from Him; he wants our boasting to be in Him, not in our own strength.  All throughout history you can see the thread of this truth. God uses people from all walks of life to change the world. On those days where you feel like you can’t continue for much longer, you can rely on His strength. When someone in your life makes you feel like you don’t measure up, remember that in the eyes of God, you are his precious child. And on the good days, when you’ve accomplished something great, remember that your boasting is in the Lord, because He held you up on those days where you didn’t think you could go on.

Christ is our cornerstone, our foundation. God uses us even if we feel like we aren’t “good enough”. Rejoice in HIS strength sister! He’s got this, and He’s got you.

 



Emily Laney is a social worker, educator and justice seeker. She has worked with vulnerable populations in the United States and abroad and loves to help startup nonprofits reach their goals. She is a Passion City Church door holder and leads a team of abolitionists at Not for Sale Georgia.  She loves her husband Brent and their rescue pup Biscuit. Sunsets and Sushi make her happy.
  
You can connect with Emily on twitter @emilylaney or on her blog www.emilylaney.com

I Will Boast Sing Along from zapdogyo on GodTube.

Completely Loved - by Melissa Haas @RestoreLifeUs

Photo by Melissa Haas

         Completely Loved  

                                    By

                          Melissa Haas

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, northings present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39 

I am completely loved and accepted by God. 

It had been a bad day. Back then, Troy and I were missionaries in Kenya, and we were getting ready to leave Nairobi to head back to the bush. I had done all of my shopping except my meats, and I intended to go by the butcher on the way out of town. Buying supplies was always a big deal because if we forgot anything we needed, we would have to do without until we made the twelve-hour drive back to town two months later. On this particular day, we were heading back to the bush on a Saturday, and I had under-estimated the time it would take us to pack the vehicle and get on the road. We were getting away later than I had promised—a big deal since it is dangerous to drive at night in Africa. Troy was irritated, and I was apologetic. We drove up to the butcher only to discover that they were closed. It was Saturday, and they only stayed open until noon.  

Troy was angry, I was in tears, and both of us were in a quandary about what to do. Did we stay an extra night in Nairobi—and have to unpack the truck and repack again the next day—or did we choose to go without beef or chicken for the next three months?  

We drove back to the mission office, and one of our fellow missionaries invited us to come in and have a cold drink. We were both obviously upset, and I felt like I had totally failed. Explaining the situation to Jack and lamenting about my mistake and the resulting consequences, he looked straight into my eyes and said, “Melissa, you are forgiven.” 

My breath caught in my throat, and it was if the Lord Himself had spoken those words into my heart. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and relief. Tears sprang to my eyes, and all I could do was whisper a quiet, “Thank you.” In that moment I felt completely loved and accepted in spite of my failures—not by my missionary colleague, but by my Lord. Jack embodied Christ to me that day. 

How about you?  Have you experienced God’s love in spite of your failures?    

One of the things God has told me over and over in my personal times with Him is that He loves me. Let me share some of my favorite love notes with you. 

Psalm 18:16-19 (NIV)            He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. 

Lamentations 3:19-23 (NIV)  I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet, this I call to mind and therefore I have hope; because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 

Zephaniah 3:15-17 (NIV)      The Lord has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.” 

I am always in awe when I read that He delights in me. He loves me. He finds pleasure in me.  His heart longs for me and rejoices when I come to Him. He accepts me completely and loves me unconditionally.

He loves you and me more than we can even imagine. A look at the cross only begins to explain the depths of His love.  

Are you resting in His love today?  Say it out loud, write in on sticky notes and post them everywhere, put it on your Facebook: I am completely loved and accepted by God.

Melissa Haas currently serves as the Director of Restoration Groups for HopeQuest, a ministry group in Woodstock, Georgia, which helps people struggling with life-dominating issues.  Melissa began her service in ministry in 1993 as an international missionary to Kenya, East Africa, where she and her husband Troy worked as church planters among the Turkana people.  When a significant marital crisis ended their missionary service, Melissa and Troy began a journey of healing and restoration that now serves as the foundation of their ministry to others.  Passionate about spiritual community, healthy marriages, and intimacy with God, Melissa regularly facilitates small groups and teaches and speaks on these topics in order to help the Body of Christ grow relationally with God and each other.  Melissa and Troy and their three children reside in Woodstock, Georgia.

Click here or on the picture below to see a music video for David Crowder's "How He Loves"

The Hyenas of Busyness - A Guest Post by @ Tal Prince

The Hyenas of Busyness 

ByTal Prince  

So - how’s your schedule these days? If you’re like most people, the answer ranges

somewhere between busy and insane. With the Holidays coming up, there’s no sign of

relief anywhere on the horizon. So what can we do but keep running? In today’s world everything shouts “RUN!” Our inbox alerts us to run. Our calendar alarms us to runs. Our cell phones ring out the call to run. Our jobs demand that we run. Our families cry for us to run. So we run.

And we run...

and run... 

and we run. 

Many times, not even knowing where we are going. In my experience speed and

uncertainty of direction are not good friends; when they get together, things rarely end

well. Yet, still we run. We are panicked, but running with our electronic leashes and

monitoring devices dangling around our feet ringing, alerting, and alarming us in the

event that we slow down. 

Have you ever watched hyenas hunt? They are among the cruelest of all predators. What makes them cruel? Pound for pound, they have the most powerful jaws in the animal kingdom, but that’s not it. It’s not their size - they are the size of a German Shepherd.

However, their hearts are twice the size as that of a lion. This gives them the capability of running for long distances. If cheetahs are sprinters, the hyenas are the marathon runners of jungle predators. 

Combine their hearts and jaws and they are capable killing machines, but what makes them cruel is their ability to hunt in packs. Hyenas travel in clans, and when they spot a herd of animals, they select their target. They then move in and systematically separate their target from the herd. They dart in and out causing their target to spin and turn in an effort to stay with the herd. The target starts to run and then get disoriented as uncertainty of direction and speed separates them from the protection of the herd. Then the hyenas begin to laugh. 

It. 

Is. 

Cruel. 

The hyenas circle and chase their prey while they laugh. They are capable of running great distances at 6 miles per hour, and they never let their prey rest. They bite at its heels if it slows down. They continue to force their hapless target to switch directions - adding to the desperate confusion and disorientation. They are cut off. Alone. And running. If they slow down, the hyenas move in at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour and nip at their heels.

The hyenas relentlessly pursue their hapless  prey until exhaustion takes over. Their

target: separated, exhausted and alone, loses hope and gives up. The hyenas then

move in and literally eat their prey alive. 

I have hyenas chasing me - do you? 

They keep me busy. 

They keep me running. 

They keep me disoriented.

When I slow down, they laugh - their laughter sounds like my iPhone, email, calendar

and task list. Their laughter reminds me that my perfectionism is at stake. “Look out, Tal

- you’re going to blow it! Something is going to slip through the cracks and it will be all

your fault! What are you going to do? RUN, Tal, RUN! 

Tal, you’re late for a call. 
Tal, you’re late for a meeting. 
Tal, you’re late on a deadline. 
Tal, your emails are backed up! 
Tal, you’re late picking up your kids from practice! 
Tal, what are you thinking? RUN!”

 Can you identify with that? Are the hyenas of busyness on your trail? Have you been cut

off from the herd? 

For me, it’s times like these when God’s Word makes the least sense. Look at how Eugene Peterson translates Psalm 46:10, “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at

me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”1 How do we take a verse like that when the hyenas of busyness continues to harass us? Is it as tough for you as it is for me at times?

I think, though, this is why the late Dallas Willard said, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life, for worry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our world today.” 

My personal struggle with perfectionism makes it hard for me to choose to step out of the traffic. It seems so much easier to pursue your opinion of me. Though it never really works, I continue to run, instead of rest.  Then I am too busy to pray and become separated from community and God, I become prey.  

What about you? How will you handle the hyenas of busyness today? We all know they are coming - can you ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life? Can you take the time to step out of the traffic to take a long and loving look at the most high God?  

1 Peterson, E. H. (2002). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (Ps 46:9–

10). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.