Am I 'Counting the Cost' of my love for Him?

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3 ESV)

Extravagant wastefulness. That's what they called it. A beautiful thing, a good deed, a gift worth remembering, forever. That's how He saw it. 

She gave without counting the cost. Because He was worth it.

How could they not see? 

I wish I could be more like her, but I'm afraid, in my heart, I'm like them. A misguided disciple. 

Her gift was extreme. Wasteful. Lavish. Extravagant.

Extravagant: excessively high; exceeding the bounds of reason, as actions, demands, opinions, or passions; wandering beyond bounds (Dictionary.com)

She was unrestrained in her giving. A year's wages. Broken and poured out.

Me? I'm more measured, seldom wandering beyond the realm of reason.  More restrained. Calculating the cost. Justifying a better use for the wastefulness. A calm, unemotional, indifferent disciple. That's who I tend to be. Prone to forgetting.

Wholehearted devotion. That is what I see in Mary. That is what Jesus called 'beautiful'. And a depth of spiritual insight painfully lacking in the disciples. Mary saw Jesus for who He really was.  A King, a High Priest, a  Saviour who must die for her. 

Jesus had forewarned His disciples, told them of His impending death and resurrection. Perhaps they didn't hear, didn't understand.

But Mary knew. 

I believe, deep in her spirit, Mary saw who He was; she understood the sacrificial love of God the Son, forsaken by God the Father, in order that she may be counted blameless. She knew the extraordinary, pursuing, eternal love for one who was undeserving.

How could she not respond?  How could she not give him her all?

Mary knew that only one thing was needed: to be seated at the feet of Jesus in total surrender. And so, unabashedly, with her heart solely focused on Jesus and paying no mind to herself, she poured out her devotion to Him. 

Generous, timely, and memorable, not because of who gave it, but because of Who she gave it to. She didn't allow herself to get in the way of her gift.  Didn't allow the focus to remain on her. Not counting the cost, she did what she was compelled to do and 'the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.' (John 12:3b) 

What about us? How are we pouring out our love for Jesus? 

The One who 'took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted, the One who 'was pierced for our transgressions, . . . crushed for iniquities', who brought us peace through the punishment that was on him, and who has healed us by his wounds. (Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV)

Are we giving all that we have to the One who loved us without counting the cost?

Or are we giving just enough? Just enough to appease our guilty conscience? Measured, calculated, restrained. 

Oh, I pray to be a Mary - wholly devoted to the only One who takes away my guilt and shame, the One who looked at me in my helpless state and paid the price that I couldn't pay, the One who covered me with His blood and replaced my low-down, dirty sinfulness with his pure righteousness. 

I pray to be unabashed in my devotion, not because I have to, not because there's something in it for me, but simply because He is worth it.

*******************

What about you? 

Do you, like Mary, know deep in your heart, who Jesus really is? 

Do you understand the depth of God's sacrificial love? 

Has that love transformed your life? 

Are you taking all that you have, offering it as an extravagant gift to Jesus, 

and filling the 'room' with the sweet aroma of Christ? 

*******************

May grace and peace be multiplied to you,

Carlie

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Am I 'Counting the Cost' of my love for Him?

Do You Know God Well Enough to Trust Him?

I had grown tired of the long faces. For the past several weeks, every Monday morning would find my children grudgingly showing up for school. I decided to do something about it. 

I was going to take back Monday. Reclaim it. Re-name it. Rekindle the joy of learning in my children.

So, as they trudged down the stairs, I greeted them with the news, "Today, we are going to do something different!" 

They had gotten used to knowing exactly what to expect each day. Their daily assignment lists were usually written in their spiral notebooks, and following our morning time together, each would focus on his or her list. For the most part, it had been working like a charm, they thrived on it. But this morning, I had not filled out their lists; we were going to do something different. 

This morning, we were going to be a bit more free-spirited. We would work together on a project as a family, have some fun along the way, refine our vision for our goals and dive into God's word. They simply had to follow my lead and do as I say.

I thought they would be happy, over-the-top, no more dreary Monday.

But, they were noticeably uncomfortable. 

"What are we going to do?" 

"Can you just tell us what all we have to do first?" 

"What comes next?" 

"When will we finish?" my daughter asked anxiously.

The questions kept coming. 

Without any clear vision for the day... they just weren't sure... this day could go very well or it just might turn out badly. 

I held her concerned little face in my hands, looked deep in her eyes, and said, "You just have to trust me. I won't give you more than you can do. You'll see. It'll all work out fine."

And then it dawned on me. 

Isn't that the way I respond to God? ...we respond to God?

We want everything laid out nicely for us. 

No fuss from us, as long as we like what is coming up next. But, when we aren't sure we like where He is leading, well... we get a little antsy. Nervous. Worried. 

Then, we start to question Him. 

"How long, God?" 

"When, my Lord?" 

"Are you sure, God?" 

I mean... who could blame us? Who would be happy walking in the dark? 

As I peered into my daughter's eyes, her anxiety melted away as she chose to trust me, and I smiled at the way God uses my everyday circumstances to mold my heart and remind me of His great truths. 

My daughter chose to trust me because she knows me. I wouldn't expect her to trust a stranger or... someone she barely knows. 

I think as she looked up at my face, she remembered. She remembered who I was and all that I had been to her. Her trust in me was based on all that she knew about me. 

So, even though she had questions, she knew enough... knew me well enough to know that I would always guide, protect and seek the very best for her. She was convinced of my love for her... even when I pushed her to do hard things. She. Knew. Me.

And so it begs the question, 'How well do I... do you... do we know God? 

When you have questions... questions that perhaps cause you to doubt, fear or worry, what comes to your mind when you remember God? 

'What comes into a man's mind when he thinks about God, is the most important thing about a man'.  Knowledge of the Holy-A.W. Tozer 

Do we really believe that He wants the 'best' for us?

God...'a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth'... is it even possible to know GOD ....like my daughter knows me?

Here's the sweet, soul-satisfying answer... God desires a close, personal relationship with us and reveals Himself to us through His creation, His word and His Son.

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:19-20)

All Scripture is God-breathed... (2 Timothy 3:16a) 

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son. (Hebrews 1:1-2) 

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. (John 17:3) 

"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29) 

Pause a moment and think about it... God, the Creator, so wonderfully complex; His ways and thoughts infinitely higher than ours, yet He desires for us to know Him intimately and 'confides in those who fear Him' (Psalm 25:14).

But, have we settled for a cursory knowledge of God? Or are we so familiar with Him that we trust him like my daughter trusts me?  

Is that innocent, childlike trust displayed in our lives?

A trust that fills us with peace... God's peace, that goes far beyond anything we can imagine and assuages our questions, doubts and fears. A trust that sustains us through the 'hard' times.

How well do you know God? God makes it possible for us to know Him. Now, it's up to you. 

What do you choose today? 

To accept a limited man-sized view of God? Focusing on only one or two of His innumerable attributes?

Or to embrace the God-designed invitation to 'plunge... in the Godhead's deepest sea'... to be 'lost in his immensity'?  

I choose to know God more. I don't think I could ever know too much! And God promises that I shall 'come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated' and filled with childlike trust. 

What about you?

What steps are you willing to take to grow in your knowledge of God?

**********



I am thankful that this post was selected to be featured at countingmyblessings.com

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Do You Know God Well Enough to Trust Him?

How to Shine in the Impossibility of Parenting

Once upon a time, a long time ago,  I read an article about building cathedrals. 

It forever changed the way I envisioned  the seemingly never-ending impossibility of motherhood. 

I was inspired... yes, encouraged to keep building, even if no one sees, even if no one knows my name, or the countless sacrifices I make. 

So day in, day out, I build... minute by minute...never stopping, never resting...

But... the bricks are crumbling around me. 

No matter how carefully and painstakingly I lay them, they just don't seem to be holding up.

Mondays are the worst.

It is then that I feel most smothered in the dust as they come tumbling down. I grope around, unable to make out anything through the smog; I can't barely breathe through the suffocating thickness... can't even see where to lay the next brick... yet He asks me to keep on building.

How, Lord? 

How do I keep on building when I can't see past the fog? 

So, I wrestled with the Lord. 

Lord, I know You see and I know why I should build... deep down I know my labour is not in vain... But how? 

How do I do it?

You see, I'm a practical girl... I need the 'know-how', the steps to take... the over-arching vision that guides me as I lay yet. another. brick. 

So I asked and I waited. 

'Keep calm and shine on!' There it was again. Keep calm... remember who I AM, and shine on... do the next right thing. 

But, how God? You know; it is really hard to do the next right thing when you don't know what the next right thing to do is. 

So, I searched the scriptures and opened my ears to listen to what God was really saying to me. 

I felt God calling me to 'always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere'. (1 Corinthians 13:7) 

But there was one little problem. A.L.W.A.Y.S. That little word loomed large over my head. I felt its condemning glare. I can't 'always' anything.

I need more, Lord. How can I 'always' lovingly build as you have called me to?

Then I understood. It was as if God shone His light directly into my heart and I finally saw. 

Keep calm and SHINE on!

Keep calm! Remember who I AM, My abiding presence is always with you. When your vision is clouded... look up and remember the cloud of My glory. 

'Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40: 34-35

And remember... 

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Turns out, on days, Mondays even, when the smog grows thick, I simply have to look up or rather look in and remember... remember the abiding presence of God... always there... always present... protecting me and guiding me... always. 

That little word 'always' was beginning to look a whole lot better. 

So, my friends, I was beginning to grasp it; in the impossibility of parenting, God's abiding presence makes it possible to SHINE. 

*****

S - Set healthy boundaries with unconditional love.

When it comes to parenting, boundaries are essential to protect our children and guide them into becoming the persons God created them to be. But admittedly, some boundaries tend to be controlling and selfishly motivated. God reminds me to consider my child, and set boundaries in a loving way in order for my child to feel loved and secure.  

Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death. Proverbs 19:18 

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart. Colossians 3:21

Consider: Have I set clear expectations for my children that are motivated by unconditional love and lovingly enforced? 

H - Hold the criticisms and comparisons

When my buttons are pushed as so often happens in parenting, I often respond first and think after. But my tongue has the power of life and death and sometimes, I hurt the ones I love with demeaning or derogatory comments. Sounds harsh, but true! Am I the only one? 

Our children are created in the image of God and are each unique and special. Nothing we say should make them feel less than 'fearfully and wonderfully made'. 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14

Consider: Do I pause and ponder the power of my words before I react to my children? 

I - Imitate God - be present, protect and guide

When a parent surrenders to God; she teaches by her very example. This does not mean I try to live a righteous life in front of my kids by my own strength. That, my friends, is impossible. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, but as we remain in Him, we are transformed and we shine - we become bright with the reflected light of God's glory. 

Furthermore, just as God's abiding presence protects and guides us, so we too should protect and guide our children, but maybe even more importantly we should aim to be fully present with them - a feat that is not so easy in our (digitally) distracting world. 

Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children. Ephesians 5:1

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4

Consider: Am I daily spending time in the presence of my Father and allowing His grace to transform me? Do my actions point my children to Christ?  Am I so busy and distracted that I fail to be 'present' with them?

N - Never, ever quit, never stop believing, never stop trusting, never lose hope

Yes, we may grow weary, but remembering God's abiding presence, and entering the sweet rest He offers makes it possible to Keep. On. Building! 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. 1 Corinthians 13:7 (Amplified Bible)

Consider: Do I draw daily from God's infinite power or do I give in to discouragement and selfish desires?  

E - Encourage, encourage, encourage

And finally, my friends, encourage them by our words and actions. Embrace them as they are, image-bearers of our heavenly Father, searching, growing and prayerfully becoming who He has designed them to be.

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, Colossians 2:2

Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2b

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

Consider: When my children face the consequences of their actions, do I come alongside them and lovingly encourage them or are my actions harsh and rules-based? 

What about you? 

Are you shining in the impossibility of parenting?  

Have you met the One who makes it all possible? 

Perhaps you have, but you have somehow lost your luster. 

I encourage you, my friends, to spend some time 

beholding the glory of His presence, 

coming alongside Him, and learning from Him.

My prayer is that as you come down off of the mountaintop, 

and walk back into the fray of parenting, 

you will SHINE because you have been with God. 

********

This post shared today at Amy's blog: Busy Boys Brigade, a wonderful site for all things homeschool. 


This post also shared at Coffee & Conversation Link Party hosted by Pat and Candy.

http://patandcandy.com/coffee-and-conversation-83-dr-seuss/

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How to Shine in the Impossibility of Parenting