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General Newsy Update Crosspost
With finally feeling like we are on the upswing from illness, I realize how far behind I've gotten, not just in keeping in touch with family and friends, but life in general.
Today I decided that I have to "tidy up" my desk, since I am forever on my children about how cluttered theirs are. "Do as I say, not as I do" mentality has been mine for a long time. Honestly, though, I do TRY to keep my desk clear. Everyone sees it as a "dumping ground" for papers, catalogs, mail, and any other odd or end that they don't know where to else to put it, hence, it ends up on my desk, or windowsill. Sometimes one of them will get creative and set it among my few nic-nacs hoping I won't notice. They do this with cutesy or new small toys that they want near them during school time.
As I am writing this, The LORD put it on my heart to ask this question: Isn't that what we do with God? Isn't that how we keep our hearts and minds, or how we live our lives?
I/we are like my children. God says to "keep they heart with all diligence", "abstain from all appearance of evil", and many more admonishments about He wants us to act, walk, talk, think, pray. Unlike me, God, and His ways are always perfect, righteous and holy. He doesn't have to take time to "tidy up" Himself. He is altogether lovely, spotless, clean, and in him is no darkness at all.
Father has set the perfect example. He says, this is the way, walk ye in it.
If we aren't careful, to keep our hearts and minds, these will be a dumping ground for all manner of sinful thoughts, ideas, imaginations, and evil. We get cluttered with an assortment of things that clutter up our thinking, and make us less effective, or ineffective servants. Then we falter in our ministry at home, church, and to the lost world outside our doors.
Speaking for myself, lets just say that my children don't just happen to be good at sneakiness by accident. They are sneaky because Mom can be sneaky too. Usually it goes against the grain for me to share my faults and sins with others. Most of us proclaim our own good. Given the chance, many of us would beam with pride if someone erected a billboard glorifying us. It might be slightly embarassing at first, but when people saw it and would start to notice me, I think I'd start to think, I'm not such a bad gal after all. It would take alot of effort to hide my faults with more people watching me all the time.
God watches us all the time. He sees it all. He knows it all. Every intent of our affections, and actions are before Him. Gulp! When my children were little we used to sing the song, "Oh Be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see." The song goes on to the ears being careful about what they hear, the hands-what they do; the feet where they go; the mind-how it thinks... for the FATHER up above is looking down in love OH BE CAREFUL>>>>
Along the way to adulthood, maybe it is getting caught up in academics, and busyness of daily life, but we go about our business without a thought to God. How conscious are YOU of Father looking down from above? Truthfully, I am oblivious to that fact most days. That is a terrible thing to say, but it is true. Instead of wondering what would Jesus do, we need to think about the Father looking down in love and how we must grieve Him with forgetting He's even watching. Forgetting that He knows all we see, hear, think, do, where we go. How we must grieve Him day after day.
If your own child disappoints you, if a friend or loved one disappoints you, and you and I, we are fallen creatures, saved by grace, but we are flesh and blood, and imperfect. Doesn't it make sense that God, the Father up above, perfect, holy, sinless,...is disappointed in us.
I don't want to disappoint people. And more importantly I don't want to disappoint God. But shamefully, I often strive to please people more than God.
Let's be careful not to grieve Him. Let's thank and praise Him for His everlasting mercy and grace, the tender mercies that are new every morning. Thank Him for His great love wherewith He loved us, and the continuous love extended to us because of Jesus Christ.
And now dear friends, I am off to finish my task...tidying up my desk....and my heart.
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