Battle

Silence. 

I have been silent lately because i felt as though the Lord was being silent.

I came to a realization this weekend, after the Lord graciously allowed me to see my sin...

He was and is not silent,

I have selective hearing. 

When I set my pride aside, I was able to hear what He was saying.

It was hard.

I didn't like it.

But He is making me new.

His love for me is so deep, so profound, that He will not leave me where I am,

despite how much I think I may want to stay here.

When I chose to listen, He taught me a marvelously painful lesson: 

So often as Christians, we assume our job, our purpose even, 

is to 'have it all together,' to be joyful and content and patient in affliction.

And while these are fruit of a relationship with the Lord,

we are never called to ignore, diminish, or hide 

areas of sin in our life for fear of being less than the 'good Christian.' 

In fact, I am beginning to believe the Lord loathes this common trend amongst Christ followers.

We will never be transformed to the likeness of Christ if we put all of our time and energy into "having it all together."

So I am here to say that I don't.

In fact, the Lord is beginning what I have no doubt will be one of the most painful reconstruction projects in my life that I will ever endure.

But I am not avoiding it any longer,

and if that means I don't fit the "good Christian" mold,

so be it.

I am a work in progress,

I am dependent on my Savior,

I am safe in His arms,

and I don't think He would have it any other way. 

What area of your life has pride not allowed the Lord's transforming power to permeate?

Give it up.

I believe it is far more honorable, noble and courageous to honestly lay your sin and burdens at the foot of the cross than it is to attempt to conceal them.

Let Him work, beloved. Let Him move and transform.

It's His speciality. 

Standing in a restaurant yesterday, 

I noticed a quote by Theodore Roosevelt hanging in a frame on the wall 

that really gripped me...

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

I want to be one who is in the arena,

who is marred and has battle wounds, 

because we are in a war. 

My cause is Christ and my loss is gain. 

The victory has already been won,

but I want to that victory to reign true in my own life. 

Let us battle.