Thursday, December 21, 2006

John 9-11

Is it right to replace jealousy and envy with Gratitude? Or is that just band aiding the problem? If…big IF…IF I am focused on what I have to be grateful for I am not looking at what others have that I want……but is looking at what I have compensating or running away from the feeling of jealousy. What is the cure for jealousy?

But then LaTonya calls and simply said she’s eccentric and yet or but……she is my sister in Christ and I thank YOU for the conversation with her today……a light…..that’s our job isn’t it…to BE light…to BE focused on You……to point each other eccentric or not to YOU....

So the cure for jealousy is YOU…to not be focused or concerned about me….to be so into YOU that ‘acceptance’ of what is and what will be…I KNOW is of YOU…from YOU that all I have to do is BE in YOU…..?? and that is a minute by minute battle but one I am wanting to be in…..John 9: 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.
John 11: 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”


Emotions not foreign to Jesus and yet He wasn’t ruled by them….He was about His Fathers business…..if I could be about Your business maybe I wouldn’t be so jealous all the time??? I don’t know, I do know that You are a God of love and I am loved……I want to be about YOUR business……I want to want what You want more than anything but you KNOW how far from that I am…..and yet YOU still love me….WOW….so now…for this minute / moment the battle is won……focus on You and love…….
Merry Christmas

7 comments:

Jada's Gigi said...

I am currently living outside the fellowship of the saints...for years I have been protected, calmed, focused, by the surrounding of that fellowship...now I find my self slipping back into almost foreign emotions such as jealousy, fear, deceit...the body of Christ is such an incredible buffer...after all they are His Body...He is the cure, yes....close fellowship with Him through His body can also be a cure....mostly the constant reminding of who He is and who I am in Him cures me...of almost every ill.
(your post give me thought for lots of blog posts...that I never seem to get around to..:)) Merry Christmas.

rebecca said...

Have you ever read "The Cry of the Soul." In a chapter it speaks about jealously and how God is a jealous God jealous for His people. The book differentiates between jealously and envy and when jealously becomes toxic. However, to have emotions is to be human. Sometimes I feel we as Christians castrate ourselves of emotions; that is we aren't to feel sad, lonely, down, angry, etc., but the reality is we feel those feelings. David felt those feelings. Christ felt those feelings. God feels those feelings.
Sometimes those feelings are indicators. Like you said, is it a bandaide? What is the heart of the matter.

nice post. I can relate.

becky

Anonymous said...

"Emotions not foreign to Jesus and yet He wasn’t ruled by them.."

really great line.. applies to each and every situation where Satan is trying to have his way.

loved this post.

Merry Christmas to you as well!!

~ jeff

Danielle said...

Beautiful prayers and reflections for the new year. Becky, Merry Christmas to you and yours and thank you for a year-long tribute of love and faith to the Father who loves us! Here's to more blogging in 2007!!

Anonymous said...

He made us with emotions, so guess we're supposed to use them, but not be ruled by them. I like that.

Merry Christmas to you, Becky, and to your beautiful family!

Curious Servant said...

Merry Christmas my friend.

Anonymous said...

You have been an inspiration, opening up with raw emotions, thank you for letting us have a view into your journey over this last year. His light shines and you have taught us and inspired so many to get real with God.
Thank you~