Thoughts for Life: Strength and Space

Amy Carroll shares with us, "I’m not a big resolutions person. I’ve made
them in the past, but resolutions are slippery things.

By the end of January, I find they've usually slid into the 'I’ll do it some other
time' pile.

I love a fresh start, though, and this year a prayer is echoing in my heart

louder than any resolution.

It’s a simple prayer.

Lord, please make me completely righteous and not a bit self-righteous.

My personality loves to know the rules. Boundaries make me feel safe, and
that’s a positive thing. But I tend to swing toward the extreme and use the
rules and boundaries to define myself as 'good'.

Here’s what scripture has to say about me (and you) being good…

“All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one
who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:3 NIV)

As our youth pastor says it, even on my very best day–the day I think I’ve
acted rightly, spoken rightly and thought rightly–I still fall short.

I absolutely, positively cannot be good on my own.

That’s why I can’t follow the rules. I must follow Jesus.

The Message version of Psalm 14:3 gives a fresh perspective.

“He comes up empty. A string of zeros.

Useless, unshepherded Sheep, taking turns
pretending to be Shepherd. The ninety and
nine follow their fellow.”

When I read this version, I realized it
describes exactly what I do. When I am
following the rules and thinking I’m doing
well, I actually start seeing myself as the
Shepherd instead of a dumb sheep.

And THEN…(this is big)

…as I take my turn playing Shepherd, I begin to think I have a right to boss
the sheep.

That’s where self-righteousness begins to be a big stumbling block for me
and a big, stinkin’ mess for those around me.

I want to be vulnerable here but not whiny, so please hang tight.

There are others who have this same issue, and I’m not alone. In the past
few months, I’ve been one of the sheep being bossed by multiple
pseudo-Shepherds, and it doesn’t feel good to be on the receiving end.

Snarky comments, judgmental attitudes and a lack of grace, love and
compassion should have no place in the body of Christ. Period.

That’s a statement for all of us…including me. Being on the bossed sheep
end of things has broken my heart as I realize how often I’ve done it to
others.

So how do we begin to live out the prayer to live completely
righteously and not one bit self-righteously?

It starts by following close on Shepherd Jesus’ heels and recognizing
ourselves as dumb sheep.

That may seem very simplistic, but it actually takes immeasurable
self-control.

I really think if we took those two tasks seriously, we’d have seen so
much of our own mess to sort out that we’d have very little time to
evaluate and judge everybody else’s mess.

Humility fuels compassion, grace and love.

Secondly, we’d develop strength and give
space.

As we grow, we seek God and His Word to
strengthen our own convictions about how to
live while giving space to others to do the
same.

Several years ago I met three incredibly close
friends who beautifully painted a picture of this way of living. The friends
were at different points in their spiritual walks.

Rebecca was a mature Christian who had attended church her whole life.

Beth had been a Christian since a child, but she had only recently returned
to a close walk with Jesus after a period of choosing a sinful lifestyle. Ruth
was a brand new Christian. (Note: I’ve changed the names of these precious
women.)

The first time I met Ruth I was instantly struck by her beauty and the fact
she had a figure most women would envy. As we spent time over the
weekend, Ruth shared how God had convicted her heart about modesty.

Before she started to follow Jesus, she had capitalized on her beauty and
figure with very revealing and racy clothing.

One day during her prayer time, God began to show her how He saw her,
and it transformed Ruth.

Because of her change of heart, she almost completely emptied her closet
that day of every piece of clothing He showed her was inappropriate for one
of His own.

Over and over as the three friends told me this story, Ruth repeated that
her friends had only loved her and never nagged her.

Rebecca and Beth shared that although God had given them strong
convictions in the area of modesty, He had simply asked them to love
Ruth while letting Him change her.

I love that story, because it instructs me and shows God as the
transforming hero He is. I am thankful He is big enough to make each of
His sheep righteous without the help of pseudo-shepherding.

I’m praying for all of us that we’ll be
increasingly righteous sheep encouraging
each other on the path we form behind our
gloriously righteous Shepherd.

Lord, make us each righteous in 2014
without being a bit self-righteous.

Strength and Space by Amy Carroll

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 03:14 AM PST

Amy Carroll’s passion is living the untied life. She loves to see women
freed into the matchless pleasure of deep relationship with God and others.

Amy is a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries’ speaker team and the blissful
director of Next Step Speaker Services.

She lives in NC with her 3 favorite guys and a little, red dachshund. You can
find her on any given day typing at her computer, reading a book or trying to
figure out one more alternative to cooking dinner.

Visit Amy at www.amycarroll.org and find out more about speaker coaching at www.nextstepspeakerservices.org.

(Used by permission. Google images added)

Let’s pray:

Father, we are in need of Your grace to
follow the advice Amy has given us today.

Once we become aware of our attitudes,
which are in conflict with You, may we be
quick to admit our mistakes, and repent,
asking for forgiveness and guidance to do
better.

We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen

Today’s quotes: Rachel Mary Stafford -“The truth hurts, but the truth
heals … and brings me closer to the person and parent I want to be.”

Brenda K. Hendricks – “You have a right to set boundaries in relationships.
If someone has a tendency to draw you away from Christ, simply tell them
you cherish your relationship with them. But you wouldn’t go there.”

Some thoughts today: Come before God, and ask Him who you are.

- God wants His people to accept the help of others when He moves on

them to help with the need.

- Do you want to have relations with other Christians, so you can gain

their wisdom and learn from their experiences of being in God's Presence?

- This is why God wants His people to come together for worship and instruction.

- There's a move to meet with folks from other congregations around Jesus.

A neat idea!

Today’s Bible verse: Ps. 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God' I will be
exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

14th- Tuesday’s post: #53 What Faithful, Committed Intercession Brings

C. Peter Wagner

16th- Thursday's post;  #54 Rugged Individualism C. Peter Wagner

18th- Saturday's post:  God Stands in the Gap Ellen Romig

19th- Sunday's post:  Hope for Skeptics Randy Kilgore

A popular post: Mistakes or Opportunities? Mary Southerland "God
works the same way, taking our mistakes and our sins and bringing good out of them."