Monday, April 27, 2009

Pedestal Person Two

On Friday I wrote to you about how we can think more highly of ourselves than we ought to and wind up with stinking thinking -thinking which places us in the place of God and encourages you/me to study and judge the world by what is inside us, rather than what is holy and righteous and true according to the Word of Life.

Another way one can be on a pedestal is like this.  I can place someone else there and live life to please that person above the Lord. Many times and in a variety of ways this way of elevating another is just as difficult to discern because to our way of thinking, it is good. We might say or ask, "So what's wrong with wanting my husband, family, fiance', boyfriend, parents, boss, etc., to be happy?  When they're happy, I'm happy."

More often than not, it is difficult for us to accept the thought that we would ever place anything in our lives before God.  Every good Christian knows that isn't the way to live. And, as long as the happy feeling we need to "feel" better is achieved, all is well with us and, we will not likely be challenged to think any differently.

  However, the moment the need is not met or the person doesn't provide us with the kind of experience we need to be "OK," then we begin to see more clearly that things are out of order and our allegiance, or loyalty, to God is shared by another.  In either case, whether it's you on the pedestal or the throne of your own heart or whether you have placed another person there, life is revolving around someone else other than God and He will share His glory with no other.

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.  Isaiah 42:8

Know this: For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Psalm 62:5-7

Dear sisters, there is so much more that can be said on this topic and much has been written. One such book written by Ed Welch is, "When People Are Big and God Is Small."  In more ways than most of us are comfortable imagining, our view of God is way too small and therefore, we are easily undone by life's happenings. When we don't meet our own expectations and, when other people let us down, we sometimes/often don't know what to do.

Today's challenge: Examine your heart and life for pedestals. Are you thinking more highly of yourself than you ought? Is there a person or persons in your life around whom your well-being and peace revolve?

Today's encouragement: Remember your first love. Remember the joy of your salvation. Fall in love with Jesus. Hunger and thirst for Him and don't stop eating or drinking until your soul is satisfied. 

May we let Him fill all those gaps, all those leaky places. May we dare to trust Him to really and truly be our all in all.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.  Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.  So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:1-4

Stephanie

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