Matters of the heart
Colossians 3:1 says to set your hearts on things above. I don’t think this to be a suggestion. I believe it is a requirement of genuine conversion. Jeremiah 24:7 tells me I was given a heart to know God, by believing in the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 6:21 challenges me to question where my treasure is. Further saying that is where you will find my heart. I mean, would anybody enjoy answering that question aloud for people to hear? I would not. But if I’m honest, it’s written in my actions. It’s painted across my agendas.
Matthew 6:19 makes it clear what will happen to any treasures I attempt to store on earth. Could I then imply any time spent not treasuring God is a waste?
The parable of the hidden treasure in Matthew 13:44, has always bothered me deeply. The above commands, though hard to exude, are not rocket science. Treasure heavenly things, live eternally minded. I’m not great at it, but I get it God. But then He loses me.. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
This man found the treasure and then did what? Hid it here on earth where it would perish. Ugh, you just told me not to store up treasures on earth… now you’re telling me where to hide it?
I had it wrong. I was focused on the work, the action of it all. Not the faith behind his hiding spot. But, tonight I picked up something new and very exciting. This information was key to unlocking the beauty of this “Treasure” scripture speaks of. It’s not in what he did, but more of what he found. The treasure in the field is the fellowship of God in Christ. (John Piper) The direct result of finding this treasure was ecstatic, unspeakable, life changing… JOY.
And if I can, allow me to travel right back to Colossians 3. I wondered why Paul writes not only to set your hearts on things above, but to also set your minds on things above. Even though, I am a victim of the same verbiage, I question why the use of both? We do whatever we make up our little minds up to do. We rationalize lies. We Christianize idols. We have this silly beating heart that gets blame for a lot of stuff, when all it really exists to do is pump blood. But better even, the heart paints a picture of love. The heart seems to be the center of our emotions. And I believe now, what Paul is saying by ‘setting your heart’ is none other than to love. The man in the parable fell in love with his treasure.
I am afraid to admit, for far too long I have known God with my mind, often missing out on the experience of loving Him with my heart.
Ode to the discovery of Treasure.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The greatest Love.
I believe in Eve. I believe in beauty. A woman’s heart is a tiny glimpse of the Mother of all life and the tenderness she has passed down through the generations. I wonder what it would’ve been like to be on a coffee date with Eve. It would be purely intoxicating to listen to the stories of each and every passionate, undisturbed, vulnerable moment spent with the Lord. What would it look like to love God for who He is? How different would my life be if my hand could rest in His? I’d desperately want to learn the lines of his face, or count the specks in his eyes.
If I squint I can almost make out her vibrant beating heart as I sit across the table listening to her speak of her greatest Love--a Love that she knows personally and to no bounds. She is healthy, she is loved, and there is pure joy pulsing through her veins. It looks as if she might explode. There are no scars in need of mending. There is no worry on her mind. There are no tears to wipe, or pieces to pick up.
But then I blink and am back in a room with wounded souls, cursed to desire the above, yet walk and drink and talk of sorrow. I wonder how much more we can bare on these frail earthly backs. And the silly thing about women, is no matter their load.. they’ll make room for yours too. A woman can be burdened down and toppled over with hardship, but let them hear of your hurt and without missing a beat, they’ll toss your load to the top of their stack and continue on.
But even in the brokenness there is a fire. It can completely illuminate a room and I’ve seen it do so. On a night such as this, when women gather to share their hearts, their struggles, and their victories it’s as if a beacon of light shoots straight out of the ceiling and into the heavens as far as the eye can see.
We don’t know why, or what. We’re scared, broken, bruised, exhausted and without. But we will walk in the footsteps of faith. May we trust Him, not because we have no other option but because He is worthy of it. We will fight for joy amidst the pain. We will set our hearts on the hope to which we have been given. Let us desire Him with a fierceness that does not fade. Sweet one, let Him hold your heart. The weight is heavy and the road is tough, but He is near to the broken.
Praying for you.
If I squint I can almost make out her vibrant beating heart as I sit across the table listening to her speak of her greatest Love--a Love that she knows personally and to no bounds. She is healthy, she is loved, and there is pure joy pulsing through her veins. It looks as if she might explode. There are no scars in need of mending. There is no worry on her mind. There are no tears to wipe, or pieces to pick up.
But then I blink and am back in a room with wounded souls, cursed to desire the above, yet walk and drink and talk of sorrow. I wonder how much more we can bare on these frail earthly backs. And the silly thing about women, is no matter their load.. they’ll make room for yours too. A woman can be burdened down and toppled over with hardship, but let them hear of your hurt and without missing a beat, they’ll toss your load to the top of their stack and continue on.
But even in the brokenness there is a fire. It can completely illuminate a room and I’ve seen it do so. On a night such as this, when women gather to share their hearts, their struggles, and their victories it’s as if a beacon of light shoots straight out of the ceiling and into the heavens as far as the eye can see.
We don’t know why, or what. We’re scared, broken, bruised, exhausted and without. But we will walk in the footsteps of faith. May we trust Him, not because we have no other option but because He is worthy of it. We will fight for joy amidst the pain. We will set our hearts on the hope to which we have been given. Let us desire Him with a fierceness that does not fade. Sweet one, let Him hold your heart. The weight is heavy and the road is tough, but He is near to the broken.
Praying for you.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Community does a body good :)
Tonight I met with some amazing ladies.. ladies on a mission, my favorite kind. There isn’t much more beautiful a sight than women coming together with one heart, passion and mission. It will be exciting to enter into a partnership with these gals.
It’s been no shocker to anyone around me that (though I’d like to think I hide it well) I am in a rut. Break ups can do it to ya, but more so can lack of community. I can remember very early on in my Christian walk reading this silly Christian book (I am calling it silly, because really I’m just jealous that other people have actually accomplished such a task and I have not). The author seemed to have a plethora of great friendships to surround him, encouraging him and the like. At the time, I did not. I wanted to throw the book across the room. Sure, this life, this walk by faith was easy for him… he’s got help, lots of it. That night I argued with God. I tested Him. And literally almost overnight the seed’o’community blossomed. That next morning a blonde college student walked into the surf shop I was managing and asked if I wanted to go to church with her—more specifically their college ministry. I was in a bible study within a week and the friends I made in that season (7ish years ago) are some of the dearest people in the world to me.
What this says to me, is that God takes community very seriously. Real quick, let’s unpack that “churchy” word. Community is basically a circle of people that you can do life with, be vulnerable around, encourage, challenge, love, pray and cry with.
For me, being dumped right before your wedding was a huge embarrassment. Now, unavoidably to all who knew me I was damaged and wounded. To know me was to pity me, whether the case, I felt like all eyes were on the broken Christian girl to see how she would respond. I’d like to think I rebounded well enough.. it only strengthened my walk with Christ. I trust God now with a fierceness I had not known I was capable of. I say all of this to confess almost a year later, I see where the wreckage took place. I withdrew myself from community. I opted out of being vulnerable. It just seemed easier and less bothersome to have a breakdown in private.
Here’s what I’m pleading you this evening, find authentic community and anchor yourself deep within it. The truth of the good news in Christ is that we aren’t perfect, we’re actually pretty stinking messy. We are broken, ugly, and dysfunctional but Jesus has reconciled us to the Father… so thankfully I don’t have to put on my perfect Christian face every morning… so thankfully I can cry for help and watch as a team rallies around me and for me… so thankfully, thankfully, thankfully.
I was fortunate enough to have community around me, I just chose to shut it out for a bit; however if you are trying to do life on your own right now, please prayerfully consider joining us this next Monday, May 10th. We are getting a women’s group of out-of-college-single-20-somethings together to go through the book of Colossians. Email/facebook me for more details.
(Didn’t mean to turn this into a commercial, lol.. but hey? If it works.)
It’s been no shocker to anyone around me that (though I’d like to think I hide it well) I am in a rut. Break ups can do it to ya, but more so can lack of community. I can remember very early on in my Christian walk reading this silly Christian book (I am calling it silly, because really I’m just jealous that other people have actually accomplished such a task and I have not). The author seemed to have a plethora of great friendships to surround him, encouraging him and the like. At the time, I did not. I wanted to throw the book across the room. Sure, this life, this walk by faith was easy for him… he’s got help, lots of it. That night I argued with God. I tested Him. And literally almost overnight the seed’o’community blossomed. That next morning a blonde college student walked into the surf shop I was managing and asked if I wanted to go to church with her—more specifically their college ministry. I was in a bible study within a week and the friends I made in that season (7ish years ago) are some of the dearest people in the world to me.
What this says to me, is that God takes community very seriously. Real quick, let’s unpack that “churchy” word. Community is basically a circle of people that you can do life with, be vulnerable around, encourage, challenge, love, pray and cry with.
For me, being dumped right before your wedding was a huge embarrassment. Now, unavoidably to all who knew me I was damaged and wounded. To know me was to pity me, whether the case, I felt like all eyes were on the broken Christian girl to see how she would respond. I’d like to think I rebounded well enough.. it only strengthened my walk with Christ. I trust God now with a fierceness I had not known I was capable of. I say all of this to confess almost a year later, I see where the wreckage took place. I withdrew myself from community. I opted out of being vulnerable. It just seemed easier and less bothersome to have a breakdown in private.
Here’s what I’m pleading you this evening, find authentic community and anchor yourself deep within it. The truth of the good news in Christ is that we aren’t perfect, we’re actually pretty stinking messy. We are broken, ugly, and dysfunctional but Jesus has reconciled us to the Father… so thankfully I don’t have to put on my perfect Christian face every morning… so thankfully I can cry for help and watch as a team rallies around me and for me… so thankfully, thankfully, thankfully.
I was fortunate enough to have community around me, I just chose to shut it out for a bit; however if you are trying to do life on your own right now, please prayerfully consider joining us this next Monday, May 10th. We are getting a women’s group of out-of-college-single-20-somethings together to go through the book of Colossians. Email/facebook me for more details.
(Didn’t mean to turn this into a commercial, lol.. but hey? If it works.)
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