Messy Refinishing 3-24-14

“We are Christ’s handiwork.” Eph. 2:10

The hardwood floors in our home are currently being sanded to virgin wood.  The end result promises to be amazing, but before enjoying this gorgeous handiwork, we get the privilege of living through an enormous mess… every nook and cranny of our home covered in polyurethane dust. Furthermore, because we waited so long to begin this project, the sanding is all the more intense, the dust deposits are twice as thick, the stink is longer lasting, and the cleanup effort will be mammoth.

What does this have to do with my life you ask? Analogous to refinishing wooden floors, is God’s refinishing “the rough living spaces” in our personal life, a messy and inconvenient process. Let’s explore an example:

After years of oversight or neglect, Believer Joe-Mary recognizes an area that is in need of a spiritual overhaul. Joe-Mary earnestly comes to the Lord, fervently prays, and eagerly gears up for the “holy sanding”, fully entrusting life to the Master Craftsman.

The process begins and the inevitable “grime dust” gathers in every nook, seemingly affecting every area of life. As the dust mess gets thicker, Joe-Mary starts to lose sight of the end result and glamorizes former conditions.  As with the Israelites in the desert after God rescued them from oppressive slavery (Ex. 16), Joe-Mary becomes disheartened, starts to grumble, desiring to call off the whole exercise (after all, “the disheveled floors of my life weren’t really all that bad were they?”)

It is at this juncture, Joe-Mary has a choice: Truly trust God, the Master Craftsman, thus avail self to the Lord’s full makeover? Or trust the idea of God (Is. 29:13), and assign ultimate trust to self by simply quitting or reverting back to what’s comfortable? (Stated another way in the form of a personal question: Who’s on the throne of my life, God or me? …Am I abiding in His way or my way?)

God tells us:

“Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life,

which is corrupted by lust and deception.

Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy…

Think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

(Eph. 4: 22-24; 1Pet. 1:13)

Hard process? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1Cor. 2:9

In this together.  ~Much love and hugs, Shaun and Betsy

Helplessly Confused? 3-4-14

“When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matt. 9:36

Today, do you find yourself confused?

We are all sheep in need of a shepherd, ask yourself “who/what am I following?”

“The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves.

We’re still trying to give orders and interfering with God’s work in us.” (A.W. Tozer)

Discipline breeds discipline. And…

Fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Prv. 1:17)

Self-indulgence breeds self-indulgence. And so…

Amidst this foolish self-indulgent society, navigating life IS confusing!

But there is hope:

 Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,

and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28

(“Rest” means to refresh, allow to recover, of calm and patient expectation.)

Tozer shares, “An infinite God can give ALL of Himself to teach His children.

He does not distribute Himself that each may have part,

but to EACH He gives ALL of Himself as fully as if there were no others.

…We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God.

He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.”

Fact: No one ever “arrives” in this life; challenges persist until our final breath.

We Cleary's have learned to embrace challenges instead of being defeated or jaded by them. For us, this equation proves powerful:

• God is sovereign, He’s in complete control, and He loves me dearly.
• God has my best in mind; hence, if God is allowing “this” in my life, He has an exceptionally good reason. (God does not allow things for no reason.)
• Amidst this particular “yuk” God desires me to grow/mature in some way for my benefit. (And perhaps for the benefit of others as well.)
• So then, let’s get on with it; Lord, I am glued to You and Your lead.

We love you and are so thankful for you. May we seek our true Shepherd together.

Shaun and Betsy

“Not that we are competent in ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

…Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” (2 Cor. 3:5, 12)