Me, God, or God, Me, Weighing my Choices

I have been doing a study in Proverbs in my daily devotional. I came across a sentence that read, ‘All men were born simple, ignorant, and foolish; without correction and instruction they will be perplexed and punished by life.” Proverbs ain’t no joke, it shots straight from the hip for real. Anyway, as I pondered this for a while, I thought about the effects this statement has had on my life, ladies, this goes for us as well. I have been simple in my understanding of most of life’s situations and circumstances. I have been ignorant in raising kids, in marriage, in relationships, in work and career choices, and in business dealings. I have done so many foolish things; I can even count them and don’t care too, but in all the bumps, bruises, beat downs, blisters, and bang ups, I have learned the many lessons needed to grow in life.

The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11 that God has a plan for our lives, one where He has worked out all the details for us, one to give us peace, one with a wonderful future, and one filled with hope. How awesome is that? The thing is we also have a plan for us, one to do any and everything we want to do, one to live selfishly, self-centered, self-righteously, and self-fulfilled. How senseless is that? The problem is we always want to live in our plan first; we want to see where we can get in life on our own, with no help from anyone, not even God. The study goes on to say, “We lack the ability to quickly and accurately discern, comprehend, analyze, and choose wisely, so we remain gullible, naïve, silly, and stupid.” Man this is harsh. I have never looked at myself in this way. I thought I was a fairly smart individual able to make good decisions concerning me and mine. They say the truth hurts, so I have to except my situations and circumstances along with the consequences that have followed.    

It is not until our plans have gone terrible awry that we begin to seek God and His plan for us. Oh what a simple, ignorant, and foolish people we are. Oh, but what an awesome God we serve. I’m so glad God is a God of second, third, fourth, and more chances. Say thank you and hallelujah somebody. He will allow us to stumble and fall until we have had enough and then like Peter walking on water, He is right there to pull us up when we fall and put us back on the path that He has planned for us, one of love, promise, and abundant living in Christ Jesus.

You always here Christians walking around telling everyone, “God is good all the time and all the time God is good.” I have a question for you, do you really believe that? If we really believe it, we would trust Him in His word instead of getting irritated in waiting for His perfect timing, thinking, “I can do this by myself.” We would trust Him when someone dies instead of blaming Him for our loss, “Why did you take so and so from me?” We would trust Him to find our mate instead of looking at everything walking as our next spouse, ending up in divorce court two years later, “God is that him, is that her?” All of these actions in believing God is good are simple, ignorant, and foolish. A man who truly believes in the goodness of God is stable, knowledgeable, clever, and wise. Next time you consider the goodness of God make sure you believe it and live in it with thanksgiving. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.       

Reading Between the Color Lines

I was reading something in one of the on-line groups I belong to and I was taken aback when I saw a post that started out, “Our guest speaker for today is a black man from…”  I thought to myself, “Why did she have to say he is black, does that matter at all in what he has to say?”  What importance did his color play in his words? If he is a Christian doing God’s work in growing the kingdom, how does his color play a role in that? I guess she got some flack, because later she retracted and said, “Our guest speaker from… (name of the organization).

When my youngest daughter was little, whenever she would meet someone new in school or at the park or wherever, she would always say, “mom this is my white friend or brown friend, or black friend.” Sometimes she would say my Mexican friend or if she didn’t know what they were she would ask them what color they were. Yes, this was embarrassing to say the least. She wasn’t being racist or anything, all she knew was that they were not the same color as she was. I didn’t want my daughter to grow up misunderstanding the racial divide, so I told her, “People are people, God made people in every color under the rainbow, which I should not have said, because she was then looking for red, yellow, and green people.

I myself have said in conversations with others, “this white lady or that black women, or that Mexican or Asian man.” My mother even told me I was prejudice against anything darker than me, to which I denied of course. I was bused to a white school in Junior High where blacks called me an ‘Oreo,’ because I hung out with more whites than blacks, that was hard, not being accepted by others is one thing, but to not be accepted by your own, wow. So being fixed on race has been an issue in my life as well.  

I remember years ago while I was at work talking to a customer on the phone and we were disconnected, when she called back she asked to speak to the colored girl. I laughed, and then asked what color she wanted, we had all kinds working there. Another time race reared its ugly head, I was having lunch with a friend and he didn’t want to eat anywhere there were Hispanic cooks. He was serious, when we got to the restaurant he went in the kitchen to see who was cooking. I thought, “Really.” Anyway, after he dropped me off back at home and left, the Holy Spirit ask me to call him back and ask if he thought there would be Hispanic’s in heaven. I did and he said, as long as they don’t speak Spanish he was okay with it, and as some of you are doing right now, yes, I laughed as well.

The truth is that the levels of color in our skin have to do with the amount of Carotene or Melanin in our DNA. That is what determines our complexion. If you really thing about it all of us are born with what we consider white skin until those two components reach the correct level of pigmentation that God intended. So today I beseech you to start erasing the color line by opening your heart to receive everyone no matter their color. Christians, we have got to remove the color line and start accepting people for who they are no matter what their color, because the change we want to see in the world should begin with the Church and not with the color that is inside the Church. Amen.

Matthew 10:6 say, “Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That sounds to me like a ‘promise,’ a ‘command,’ and a ‘praise God one time moment.’ People we have a job to do. We are called to expand the kingdom of God. How do we do that? By accepting each and every person whom God has created, we are truly accepting God. Some even argue concerning the color of God, who cares, He’s God. Will you not accept salvation, because a white man or a black man gave it to you? Really? Heaven is full of people from every walk of life; there is no color, no hatred of color, no violence against color, heaven is one big multi-colored family, waiting for you to enter, eternally.

       

Forgiveness the Rule of Thumb

Mia Charles was four years old when her little sister Stephanie was born. Mia loved her little sister and talked to everyone she met about her. She would take pictures of her to school for show and tell, so everyone could see her baby doll as Mia sometimes called Stephanie. Mia thought she was lucky to have such a cute and funny little sister.

When Stephanie was seven years old she wanted to take Mia’s doll over to a friends to play with, but Mia told her no, that was her special doll their grandmother had given her and she didn't want anyone playing with it not even Stephanie. One day while Mia was out shopping with her mother, Stephanie took the doll out to play anyway. She dropped the doll in the dirt and some little boy kicked it into a hole where some men had been working on the streets. When a man from the crew handed the doll back to Stephanie, it was ruined; she knew she was going to be in big trouble with Mia, but to her surprise, Mia wasn't mad. She told Stephanie, “I love that doll, but I love you more, so I forgive you, she gave her a hug and kiss and that was the end of that.

When Stephanie was thirteen she did the same thing to one of Mia’s favorite dresses. Mia was very upset with her, but she forgave her and let it go. Again when Stephanie was eighteen she took Mia’s car without asking and ran into two parked cars. Over the years Stephanie continued to screw up and Mia would forgive her, Stephanie was her sister and she loved her unconditionally.

Now Stephanie was twenty-five years old and she was having her first baby, she was so happy, she couldn’t believe it. She got married and bought a house just a few weeks before her little baby girl was born. She named her Star Mia Taylor in appreciation for all Mia had done for her over the years.

When Star was three years old, Mia came over for a visit. She stayed for lunch and played with Star for hours. She was so happy to be an Aunt longing to have her own children someday, but for right now Star would have to do. When she was ready to leave she said her goodbyes and headed out the door. She was backing out of the driveway when she heard Stephanie scream a gut retching wheal, causing Mia to slam down on her breaks wondering what happened. Mia got out of the car and ran back up to the house. Stephanie could not speak; she pointed to the driveway and there laid Star bleeding everywhere. Mia ran to her falling to her knees. She was screaming and crying and calling on God. Stephanie ran over and started hitting Mia. She was yelling at her and pushing her away from Star. A neighbor ran over and called for help. The neighbor tried to pull Stephanie off of Mia, but she would not let her go. Stephanie called Mia a murderer; she told Mia, she would never forgive her for killing her child.

Sixteen years has passed and Mia and Stephanie have not spoken since that tragic day. Mia got married without her sister there; she has three children who have never seen their Aunt.  She longs for her sister back, but Stephanie has never forgiven her. Stephanie was diagnosed with stomach Cancer ten years ago and is now living in a Cancer Treatment Center holding on to each day as best she can. She never had any more children and her husband left her seven years after the accident. She has never been the same and has never recovered. She has never forgiven Mia and will go to her grave with an unforgiving heart.

Forgiveness is the Rule of Thumb for the Kingdom of God. When someone wrongs you, no matter what the reason, you must forgive them. Mia lived to forgive her sister, because the love she has for her could never be overshadowed by a mistake, accident, or cause, merited or unmerited. Stephanie on the other hand, did not feel the same way. There are many Scriptures that live in me when it comes to forgiveness, but one sums up the totality of what it means to forgive with all your heart. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Colossians 3:13 NLT). 

Knowing the Goodness of God

Have you or someone you know ever blamed God when something bad happens in life?  I’m ashamed to say it, but I have blamed Him more than once. I remember when my grandson died eight years ago; I blamed God. I blamed God when my sister died many years ago. I told God, she was a good person, why did you take her? I have even turned away from God, because I believed He was mean for allowing bad things to happen to good people. I looked at kids who suffered with cancer, or little girls being beaten and molested and wondered why God would let these things happen if He was such a good God. I have done all these things, because I too did not know or understand the goodness of God. A lot of people will give God glory when something good happens, “Oh God, thank you, thank you,” but when the glory fads, they turn around and blame Him when something bad happens, “why God Why? Why did you do this or that?

Well guess what? I have some good news for you today. God is not to blame. God is good, God is love, and God is truth. The true goodness of God is expressed in the loving Man that hung on the cross, Jesus Christ. The key to experiencing God’s goodness is getting to know Him. When you learn about His character and His nature you will begin to see it for yourself.  

A long time ago in the Garden of Eden, man and woman lived in the perfect goodness of God. God created a tree called the ‘Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ He told the man and the woman that lived there not to eat of this one tree. The man and the woman allowed the devil to entice them to disobey God and eat of that tree. They questioned the goodness of God, creating a domino effect that has continued to plague us today. We as their children have the same opportunity to choose between good and evil.

When things bad happen in our lives, we have to look at the role we played in it. If it is something evil that happens to someone that we may feel didn’t deserve it, we have to look at those involved. We also have to look at the devil and his demons, because they play a major role in the corruption, destruction, evil and wickedness in the world. The devil does not want you to experience the goodness of God, because if you come to know and understand God’s goodness, you will no longer serve him, he wants you to experience the same fate as him, death. Believe me, God’s goodness is shown all around us daily, but we are the ones who have to look past ourselves to see it. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing (good) and cursing (evil); therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey his voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days (Deut. 30:19-20a NKJV emphasis mine).