Our Battle; May 10, 2019

Posted on May 12, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It’s interesting how context affects the way we read things. Normally I think of “flesh and blood” as simply referring to people, but right now, with my wife in the hospital having had back surgery two days ago, I realize it includes our own bodies. My wife’s surgery “went well” and her incisions “look good,” but the drain from the surgical site continues to fill the bottle with blood, etc., which is definitely concerning. She can’t be fitted for a corset to allow her to be vertical (sitting or standing) until the drain is removed. Also, until then she isn’t even allowed to turn over by herself, but must have a nurse’s help. This is more than a frustration, because with her Parkinson’s Disease, staying in the same position for very long quickly becomes painful in and of itself. This leaves her feeling very much like she is in a battle with her own body, which is very difficult to deal with. That’s where this verse comes in. She is under attack, and the difficulty is staying focused on the source of the attack to stand against it. There are actually many times when we feel we are in a battle with our own bodies. That can be in relation to temptations or addictions or disease or even aging. Paul spoke of keeping his body in submission, (1 Corinthians 9:27) but there are certainly limits to what we can do. When it came to medical issues, even Paul had to receive the Lord’s strong love and release himself to Him. (2 Corinthians 12:9) The point of this verse is that when we are under attack (which is to say, constantly) we aren’t to confuse the vector of the attack with the source of the attack. The devil uses anything he can lay hands on to try to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) We can’t ignore what he’s using at the moment, but we must remember that the attack comes from the devil, not from whatever it is he’s using, whether it’s something in our circumstances, another person, or even our own bodies.

In the present situation, I too need to remember that the enemy isn’t my wife’s body, much less the medical staff at the hospital. She is certainly consumed with her subjective experience of what is going on, so I’ve got to stand on her behalf against the genuine source of the problems. At the same time, I’ve got to remember that God never allows anything that He can’t use for our good – which is something I tell other people all the time! I am to stand firm in prayer and integrity against the enemy, and be strong in encouragement for my wife. This too is something God is using to teach both of us to be more like Jesus, for our blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. It’s certainly timely! Help me not just say, oh that’s nice, but make it part of me and live it out, so that Your name may indeed be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Serving People; May 9, 2019

Posted on May 12, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

I frequently quote the verse ahead of this in relation to parenting, as part of my faith declarations, but this verse can come as a gut punch! This and the several verses that follow deal with slavery as an accepted social institution, a part of “things as they are.” It’s not that slavery was thought of as a good thing, and it’s not at all that the abolitionist movement, and William Wilberforce in England, were at all unbiblical, whatever some in the US South insisted. However, the 1st Century was not when God chose to deal with that issue. The application today of the various passages, like this one, that address slavery is to employment relationships. Some of them can feel like slavery! (I need to include a caveat here that this does NOT apply to the current scourge of human trafficking. Yesterday’s reading is what applies there.) Paul’s words to slaves show the extent to which we are to be devoted to Christ. When we relate to others in authority over us as we relate to Christ, we will be independent but not rebellious. This section of Scripture sounds like a lot of employers would love to adapt it for their employee manuals! When we submit to others not because we fear their retribution but out of respect for Christ, amazing things can happen. I have heard various testimonies to that effect. A Biblical example is Joseph, the son of Jacob. He was literally a slave for a while, but his relationships to people were governed by his relationship to God. That got him into trouble when he refused immorality, but it eventually got him promoted to Prime Minister. We too are to refuse immorality, regardless of the consequences, but a sincere Christian is going to be an ideal employee.

I have had various jobs over the years, with good bosses and not so good. The only time I’ve ever been fired was when I really didn’t fit the company culture. (I honestly can’t think of another reason.) I have crossed swords with some bosses, and one such incident resulted in financial loss for me, but God turned it around for good, and I ended up with a good relationship with that person. Japanese employment situations can often feel like slavery to Americans, and the employment dynamics can seem strange. That’s all the more reason to apply what Paul says to slaves, not “slavishly” obeying your boss but doing what is asked, within moral bounds, as service to Christ even more than as service to your boss. For example, I’ve been to lots of bars with my boss, without drinking alcohol myself. Right now I am employed, but there is no one who gives me orders, which is nice. I am to relate to everyone as a reflection of my relationship to Christ, so that His presence in me by His Spirit may draw them to Him, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, looking back over the years, You have really been gracious to me in my employment situations. Thank You. Help me indeed serve You in all things, whoever else is involved in the process. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exposing Evil; May 8, 2019

Posted on May 11, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

I have underlined almost all of Ephesians, so I consciously thought of what God might be saying to me through what was not underlined, and this verse jumped out at me. The turn of phrase in the Japanese is interesting: “Don’t join the group/become friends with the fruitless deeds of darkness.” We choose what groups we join, and we need to choose carefully. After all, who we associate with has a major influence on our lives. That said, the next phrase is particularly striking. In English it says “expose them,” in Japanese it says “bring them out into the light.” Right now we are getting a steady barrage of “deeds of darkness” in the US government and elsewhere being brought out into the light. They are indeed rotten and really stink, so some people would prefer they not be brought out, but sunlight is a very necessary disinfectant. The Bible is clear that we aren’t to be judgmental, but that doesn’t mean we are to ignore evil or allow it to operate in secret. There are some investigative reporters operating today who are very much doing the work of the Lord! In this information age there is the danger of being overwhelmed by all the evil that is being exposed, so we need to work to keep our focus on God, knowing that He will eventually bring everyone and everything to account. There is a great deal of good in the world, too! What Paul is saying is that we need to be among those who are contributing to the good, bearing much fruit for the Father’s glory, (John 15:8) rather than contributing to the “fruitless deeds of darkness.”

Some might think I have nothing to worry about here, since I am a missionary pastor and not a swindler or adulterer or thief. I do associate with such people, however, just as Jesus did, so I’ve got to be careful the influence goes from me to them, rather than vice versa. I must recognize the truth of “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” I must never be holier-than-thou, but I must nevertheless be holy. I am to speak the truth in love and be careful that forgiveness doesn’t come across as condoning. I am not to allow my silence to contribute to the continuation of evil.

Father, this isn’t an issue I tend to think about very often. Japan being a shame culture, people are very sensitive as to what is exposed, and I have hurt some people needlessly by my openness. Help me be silent when I should be, but allow the light of Your Word and Your Spirit shine through me, exposing the good for praise and the evil for correction, so that Your kingdom may come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Participating in Sanctification; May 7, 2019

Posted on May 11, 2019 by jgarrott

[Since my wife went into the hospital May 7th, for back surgery on the 8th, I’ll be doing my own editing for a couple of weeks. Please excuse any missed errors or obscurities.]

Ephesians 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.

Human beings are very strange. We either want to do things all by ourselves, so that we can take credit for them, or we want someone else to do them for us entirely. Neither of those leads to the most growth and blessing for us. Sanctification is certainly a case in point. Jesus has already done the “heavy lifting” for us, by taking the penalty for our sin on the cross and then rising from the grave, but we still have a choice to make. We can choose to receive and walk in the holiness and righteousness He has provided, or we can choose to wallow in the world like we used to do. We are indeed saved by grace through faith, but failing to walk in what God has provided for us in Christ cuts us off from untold blessings. Paul reiterates this message many times, perhaps most famously in Romans 12:2. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” That transformation is exactly what he is talking about here. We aren’t to “go with the flow,” (unless it’s the flow of the Holy Spirit) but rather choose to move closer to God, to the example that Jesus set for us. Frankly, that can be hard work, but as Paul told the Philippians, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Peer pressure can be powerful indeed, but we often don’t realize how much our peers would really like an example they could follow to lift them out of the junk. We are called to be that example!

Of course this applies as much to me as it does to anyone else. I have felt like an outsider to at least some degree all of my life, so in some ways it might be easier for me, but I have done things to try to prove I was “one of the guys” more often than I like to remember. My sanctification certainly isn’t complete yet, and it won’t be, as long as I am in this body, but I am grateful for how far the Lord has brought me. As a pastor, I am deeply concerned with the sanctification of those in the church. I can’t do it for them! However, I can speak the truth to them in love, and I must do so with faithfulness and gentleness and plain, stubborn persistence. I must remember how patient the Lord has been with me, and exercise that same patience toward them. At the same time, I must remember that genuine love is not weak; I am not to condone lifestyles that don’t follow the Lord. I am reminded of something John said in one of his letters: “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.” (2 John 1:4, emphasis added) I’m not to be depressed because so few are at 100% – I’m not at 100% – but rather rejoice in each step of progress made by each individual, so that together we may be pleasing to God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There’s a lot going on, and I can hardly keep track of my own life, much less that of each person in the church. Thank You that You have no such limitation! I pray that I would be active in appropriating and walking in all that You have for me, not just for my sake but for the blessing of everyone around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ministry Gifts; May 6, 2019

Posted on May 7, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 4:11-13 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

My attention was focused on this passage back in the ‘70s and all the more so in the ‘80s as I learned more and more about spiritual gifts. Don and Katie Fortune helped me understand that the different pas-sages that talk about gifts use different Greek words for what they are talking about. For convenience they separated the discussion into Manifestation Gifts, (1 Corinthians 12) Motivational Gifts, (Romans 12) and Ministry Gifts, listed here. The bulk of their teaching was on Motivational Gifts, but they pointed out that whereas the first two types of gifts are given to people, Ministry Gifts are people given to the Church. That’s why it’s out of place for someone to claim they have “the gift of Apostle.” That’s a pretty good indication they aren’t designated by God as His representative, which is what “apostle” means! People are gifted as apostles, prophets, etc. to the Church. The whole point of the Ministry Gifts is that the Church very obviously needs the things that Paul says such people do for it. The problem is that the Church’s record of accepting such people to let them do their work is spotty at best. The flip side of that is that the average “person in the pew” completely overlooks Paul’s statement that those who are given to the Church are to “prepare God’s people for works of service,” not do all the work themselves. Also, those who are given as Ministry Gifts must never think that the “works of service” are for their personal benefit. Some people (whether they are given by God to the Church is open to debate) seem to feel that everyone is to serve them, and that brings disgrace on the name of Christ.

Since I am gifted as a Teacher (Motivational Gift) and given as a Teacher to the Church (Ministry Gift), this certainly applies to me. As a Pastor/Teacher my biggest problem has been that I tend to present truth without walking people through the process of applying it. That’s not really preparing God’s people for works of service! Often, if they’re really listening, it’s laying guilt trips on them, and that benefits no one. I am grateful to have been introduced to the idea of Coaching, because that is focused on helping people recognize and apply the truth themselves, rather than having it poured out on them from above, as it were. I’ve got plenty of room to grow there! The Motivational Gift of Encourager would seem to be very helpful in that, but God will supply what I need when I need it, if I am humbly open to Him.

Father, thank You for helping me understand that it’s never about me, but always about You and the Body of Christ. Help me indeed be and do what You desire and intend, fulfilling Your purposes for me to the blessing of others and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Calling; May 5, 2019

Posted on May 7, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

For someone with a good background in the faith, this one little verse takes care of just about everything! Paul starts by stating his credentials. His captivity illustrated the fact that he indeed walked out his faith, regardless of the consequences. After that reminder, he reminds his readers that they too are called by God. We tend to equate calling with occupation, and indeed, “vocation” is simply the Latin for “calling.” However, our calling from God starts with what we are, before going on to what we do. We are called, most fundamentally, to be children of God. (John 1:12) Everything else comes from that. Parents may indeed play favorites with their children, but God is big enough to love us all equally. However, we don’t respond equally. That’s where all of Paul’s “practical advice” comes in. When we are focused on living as children of God, all sorts of things become very simple, and gray areas disappear. We tend to agonize over all sorts of decisions, when if our focus is on being a child of God, our course of action seems much clearer. This starts with our interactions with those around us, as Paul goes on to say in the next two verses. Of course the ultimate example of a child of God is Jesus, the Son of God. He indeed told His disciples, and by extension us, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21) We are not called to die for the sins of mankind, but we are called to live as demonstrations of who and what God is. Paul spoke in terms of Christ being formed in us, (Galatians 4:19) and many times spoke of how we are being transformed into His likeness. (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18 etc.) What he is telling us in this verse is that we should live as who we are becoming, instead of as who we once were.

Given my background, some people might think that last sentence wouldn’t apply much to me. Raised in a missionary home, I don’t have a “great, sordid past” to overcome. However, I have walked in blind pride, and that is just as bad. Like Paul, I need to forget what is behind and press forward to what is ahead. (Philippians 3:13) I have made more mistakes in my life than I could count, and indeed more than I am aware of, but I am not to be bound by that. Rather, I am to focus on the reality that God has called me to Himself and has sent me out as His agent, so that through me others may know of His love and grace for them. I happen to be a missionary pastor, but I think that description of my calling applies to every child of God.

Father, thank You for calling me to Yourself. For that matter, thank You for creating me in the first place! May I indeed fulfill all of Your purposes for me, so that because of me many may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Faith; May 4, 2019

Posted on May 6, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Paul wrote one sentence from verse 14 through 19, and then one more for these last two verses, so it’s a bit difficult to pull out just one idea. That said, this is a glorious passage! In the first sentence he talks about how absolutely magnificent and powerful God is, and then in this second sentence he says that power is working in and through us. How good is that?! Our faith falters for one of two reasons: A, we don’t grasp just how great and powerful God is, or B, we don’t believe He cares enough to work on our behalf. Of course we also have to deal with our tendency to treat God like a celestial vending machine, wanting Him to crank out what we ask when we ask, and in our immaturity we don’t deal with the failures of that model very well. Hebrews 11 is a magnificent exposition of faith, starting with perhaps the only definition of faith in the whole Bible and then going through quite a list of people who exemplified faith. However, then it finishes up with a statement that really gives us pause. “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:39-40) How do we reconcile this with Jesus’ famous promise, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)? The thing is, God is the perfect Parent. He not only knows what is good for us, He knows when it is best for us to have it. Sometimes we ask for things that aren’t beneficial, but it never hurts to ask. Often, our time frame is badly skewed, and we want it NOW, instead of when it would be best. That’s where faith comes in. The longer we walk with God, the more we trust Him, the more we are able to leave such things in His hands, asking boldly and with assurance, but not presuming that we’ve got everything straight. When we do that, we discover the truth of what Paul has written here, and God is indeed glorified.

Well, this is timely! The devil is attacking me with all sorts of “what ifs,” and the answer is to rest, relax, and rejoice in God, as He has told me to do. Cathy has major surgery coming up in four days, and it has felt like I was coming down with a cold, which would greatly complicate things. However, last night we got 9 hours of sleep, which is rare indeed. I can’t say I feel perfectly healthy, but my feelings are nowhere near as reliable as God! Various other things in my life aren’t as I would like them to be at this point, but again, God is faithful, and He will use every detail for blessing, if I will release it to Him. (Romans 8:28)

Father, thank You for always knowing where I am, not just geographically but emotionally and spiritually as well. Your Godly Positioning System is the best! Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in you, with full assurance that You will do better than I could have imagined, for my blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Holiness of God; May 3, 2019

Posted on May 6, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 3:12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

This verse in itself is incredibly good news, and could even be said to be the essence of the Gospel. Paul is expressing something that is actually a flat impossibility apart from Christ. We tend to have a very low image of God, as though He were more like us than He actually is. What we generally fail to grasp is that He is perfectly holy. We hardly even know what that means. There is absolutely nothing in Him or about Him that is not holy and pure. Our image of God is polluted by the mythologies of other religions, in which the gods get drunk and carouse and get the hots for humans and the like. The Creator of the Universe is nothing like that! Actually, modern Physics gives us insight into what a miracle it is that we can draw close to God, because it has shown us that there is such a thing as antimatter. If matter touches antimatter, both are destroyed by being converted completely to energy. Sinful man and holy God are somewhat like that, except that God can never be destroyed. The Bible as a whole shows us that God created mankind for fellowship with Him, to be His children. That’s why it’s so tragic that mankind sinned and destroyed that relationship. God, out of the incredible depths of His love for us, sent part of Himself, that is, His Son, part of the Trinity, to earth to be born as a human baby in order to take the penalty for our sin, death itself, and wipe it out, opening the way for us to be united with our Creator as we were intended to do. We have so little appreciation for how universe-shaking this was and is! Not grasping the holiness of God, we have little fear of Him, yet the Bible says clearly, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) That’s why we are so foolish! Hebrews famously expresses the thought in this verse this way: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) We need a better grasp of the holiness of God, but at the same time remember that His love made a way, and run to Him instead of from Him.

This of course is at the heart of my message as a pastor and missionary. I regularly do weddings at a “wedding palace” in town, requiring a session of counseling for the couple beforehand, but making use of each chapel-full of non-Christians to declare this Gospel of the love of God. After over 30 years of doing it I still haven’t baptized anyone as a direct result, but yet I have seen many people over the years obviously moved by the message, and I can only pray that God would bring fruit whenever and wherever He sees fit. I guess I will find out once I get to heaven! I am never to give up declaring the holiness, as well as the grace and mercy, of God.

Father, thank you again for Your truly amazing grace. Help me be more effective in communicating it to all whom You have prepared to receive, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Overcoming Divisions; May 2, 2019

Posted on May 5, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:19-20 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Paul’s focus was on the barriers between Jews and Gentiles in general, but today the differences among various people-groups is very much in the news, whether or not it is in individual hearts and minds. The whole point is that in Christ, such differences no longer matter, period. Human beings are experts at creating differences, all the while demanding uniformity. God, in contrast, created infinite variety, but has provided for genuine unity through His Son. Countless Christians have discovered that their brothers and sisters in Christ are closer than blood relatives. When people fit into both categories the connection is indeed special, but not necessarily stronger. In society in general, however, divisions and barriers seem to be the order of the day. We are bombarded with news of “hate crimes,” as though there were such a thing as murder that wasn’t hateful. The news doesn’t like to recognize it as such, but in recent years persecution of Christians has continued to rise worldwide, with the bombings in Sri Lanka only being the most recent example. The pastor of one of the churches that was bombed gave an interview to a Christian agency in which he specifically and explicitly spoke forgiveness and love to those who had killed dozens of his church members. He confessed that there was anger there, but when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,” from the cross, there was nothing that was not covered. That is what Paul is talking about here. When human beings focus on their differences, that’s like a Japanese proverb that says, “acorns comparing height.” From the human perspective, any differences among acorns are totally insignificant.

As a Caucasian in Japan, human differences are very much part of my life. I am part of a Facebook group of adult MKs, (Missionary Kids) and similar feelings are widely expressed. Many people bear scars from being excluded, not accepted, and not just MKs. However, the answer to them all is the way our Creator, our Father, accepts us in His Son. Thankfully, my wounds aren’t nearly as raw as they have been at times in the past. My job at this point is to express God’s love and acceptance to those around me, however they respond, just as that Sri Lankan pastor has done. I pray that I would never be tested that severely, but I also pray that my assurance of God’s love would be fully that strong.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do continue to pray that Your name would be recognized as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, in Sri Lanka and everywhere else, specifically including right here where I am, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Good Works; May 1, 2019

Posted on May 5, 2019 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The previous two verses are enormously important and appropriately famous, but this verse gets overlooked at times. God doesn’t save us by grace through faith just to sit around like a bump on a log. We are not saved by what we do, but we are saved in order to do stuff. I have always thought that the cartoon representations of heaven were at times amusing but ultimately absurd, with people sporting wings and halos sitting around on clouds strumming harps. Harps do appear in the Revelation of John, but they aren’t why we go to heaven! I have read various things about our supernatural dominion and the like, but the vast majority of that is just conjecture. What we do know is that God has a plan, it’s good, and it involves us doing stuff. The important thing becomes discovering what God wants us to do. We do know that our first priority is loving Him, and then loving our neighbor. (Matthew 22:37-40) However, that will look different from one person to the next. The point then becomes getting close enough to the Lord to hear accurately what He is saying to do, and then do it with all that we have. The tricky thing is that there are a lot of good things that God doesn’t necessarily want us to do. They aren’t bad in themselves, but they become distractions from God’s purposes for us.

This is of intense interest to me at this point, for a number of reasons. A couple of days ago I attended a conference that talked about “The Seven Essences of the Church.” The speaker was talking about how some things may be good to do, but if they aren’t a reflection of the essence of the Church, they aren’t necessary. One example was prayer meeting, which immediately produced a reaction in me – and it wasn’t a good one! However, his point was that prayer is essential to the Church, but prayer meeting isn’t, particularly as a “mid-week prayer service.” That’s not at all to say that such meetings are bad, but that rather that if the form takes priority over the function, the meaning is lost. Then, I encountered a very personal example. I usually do my devotions on a computer I had set up as an audio workstation, both for working on music in Finale and editing and burning CDs of our services. The past couple of months it had become increasingly unstable, crashing repeatedly at unpredictable intervals, and I decided it needed to be replaced. However, for the purpose of burning 12 or more CDs every week, I had 4 DVD drives installed, requiring a case with that many drive bays. Accordingly, I decided to replace the motherboard, to give me a new computer on the inside while retaining the previous outside. (I have built computers several times in the past.) However, things have not gone well, and right now I am doing this on my tablet computer, rather than the work station. The question then becomes, are CDs something I need to keep doing? My pride really gets in the way here, and that is something I have struggled with all my life. I need to get quiet enough before God to hear what He wants me to do, and what tools He wants me to use in the process. Anything less is essentially meaningless.

Father, thank You for this experience. The depression and sense of failure are no fun at all, but I know that You are growing me to listen to You more accurately, and I thank you for that. Thank You for having me go back and read what You had me write on January 2nd of this year. I was amazed at how appropriate it was! Help me indeed live out all that You say to me and not deceive myself, (James 1:22) so that I may be and do all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment