This got me to thinking and wondering...how do you tell when there is a "boat" or temptation just waiting and ready vs what is an open door that God opened to walk though?
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Jonah and the boat
In the story of Jonah, one of the interesting things is that it appears that there just happened to be a boat at the ready for him to run from God.
Friday, June 14, 2013
On parents...
Sometimes, you've heard something so often that the meaning behind it has started to lose it's "punch" or becomes more a thing you say, than a thing you do.
"Honor your father and your mother" - Exodus 20:12
Honor - Regard with great respect, or the Hebrew says to give great weight to or to promote.
So this is a reminder to me and, perhaps, to you. Give extra consideration for your parents, to the things they say, to how your behavior reflects on them, to the things you say about them to others. When they say something, pause a moment and give it a little extra thought instead of letting it slide by as a "they always say that".
"Honor your father and your mother" - Exodus 20:12
Honor - Regard with great respect, or the Hebrew says to give great weight to or to promote.
So this is a reminder to me and, perhaps, to you. Give extra consideration for your parents, to the things they say, to how your behavior reflects on them, to the things you say about them to others. When they say something, pause a moment and give it a little extra thought instead of letting it slide by as a "they always say that".
It's not all about starting a family...
"For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." - Luke 14:28-32 NASB
This verse, while talking about the cost of following Jesus, seems applicable to a number of other aspects of life as well. Since my church is talking about marriage a lot lately, this applies in the decision on pursuing a romantic relationship and for pursuit of marriage as well.
As with all things, there is a cost. It can be money, it can be time invested, it can be emotional...but all things have a cost and this includes people and relationships.
A number of my single friends have talked at length with me about this (you guys really have no idea how many of you all talk to me about the same things, even though most of you have never met) and how they *have* counted the cost and chose to stay unmarried in order to pursue other goals, ministries, non-romantic relationships, etc.
If anything, I applaud the thought put into whether or not to pursue a romantic relationship and the choosing of the unpopular decision to not pursue it (whether temporary or permanent). The fact that you "counted the cost" and took an honest look at it and chose wisely based on that...to me, that is a far more Godly choice than starting a family without taking a good look at what it will take.
(Note: This isn't bashing on starting a family but a reminder that life isn't as formulaic as we are tempted to believe and push. Start a family if that is where you are led, but not everyone is led to start a family...much like not everyone is led to be a counselor, a musician, or a preacher.)
Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." - Luke 14:28-32 NASB
This verse, while talking about the cost of following Jesus, seems applicable to a number of other aspects of life as well. Since my church is talking about marriage a lot lately, this applies in the decision on pursuing a romantic relationship and for pursuit of marriage as well.
As with all things, there is a cost. It can be money, it can be time invested, it can be emotional...but all things have a cost and this includes people and relationships.
A number of my single friends have talked at length with me about this (you guys really have no idea how many of you all talk to me about the same things, even though most of you have never met) and how they *have* counted the cost and chose to stay unmarried in order to pursue other goals, ministries, non-romantic relationships, etc.
If anything, I applaud the thought put into whether or not to pursue a romantic relationship and the choosing of the unpopular decision to not pursue it (whether temporary or permanent). The fact that you "counted the cost" and took an honest look at it and chose wisely based on that...to me, that is a far more Godly choice than starting a family without taking a good look at what it will take.
(Note: This isn't bashing on starting a family but a reminder that life isn't as formulaic as we are tempted to believe and push. Start a family if that is where you are led, but not everyone is led to start a family...much like not everyone is led to be a counselor, a musician, or a preacher.)
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