40 Day Challenge....Day 11...."Put off" Jealousy/Envy, "Put on" Trust....

Oh me, Oh my!  It has been almost 2 weeks since I wrote last.  I wish I could use the old adage, "Time flies when you're having fun"....but the past 2 weeks have not been what I would call "fun", blessed...yes...but not fun.  My sweet sister-in-law, Barbara, was hospitalized last week with an esophageal bleed of unknown origin.  She went from bad to worse but through God's grace, she is stable and may be going home tomorrow.  For those of you that were praying for her, thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Then last Tuesday, our son got sick with what we thought was strep throat.  My hubby followed suit and I  kept him comfortable in a room I quaranteened for them for a couple of days and then I decided to join them.  We found out we all had Influenza "A".  We are blessed because we could have had something so much worse.  O.K. enough about me and them....let's get back on track. 

I think everyone may struggle with jealousy or envy to some degree, but I would venture to say that it seems to be something that plaques women more.  You know what is strange about jealousy?  Often there is no truth to it.  What we are jealous about has not merit.  You know what is even stranger?  The Bible tells us that when we are jealous or when we envy we are conceited.  That's right "conceited".  (Galatians 5:26). Guess what else the Bible says about envy (or jealousy...same difference)....when we are jealous we are also boastful and proud (A.K.A.  PRIDEFUL) (See 1 Corin 13:4).

Now for the "put on".....trust.  The best way to overcome jealousy or envy is to trust.  The first few years I was married to my sweet husband were not so sweet for him.  I would accuse and turn into a "green eyed monster" if a woman even so much as looked at him.  I knew my reason was not valid.  The bottom line was that I was insecure and needed to feel better about myself (there is that PRIDE thing again).  I will never forget my husband looking at me one day.  Exhausted he said, "if you can't trust me, you don't need me".  So many people think they demonstrate love by placing their loved one on a pedestal.  This is what true love is:  "It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres".  Need I say more?

40 Day Challenge - Day 10 - "Put off" Complaining", "Put On" Praise

So?  How has the challenge been going for you thus far?  I have to tell you that I have probably fought more obstacles since I started this "40 Day Challenge" post, than I have in awhile.  Granted my obstacles are nothing too big or cumbersome as many of you may be facing.  My biggest obstacle at present is lack of time and not using the time I do have wisely.  With this new time change, I will think it is just 8 p.m. and will look at the clock and it's 10 p.m. instead....then I stuggle to get out of bed in the morning....thank God for a husband that brings my coffee to my bedside!  O.K., so enough rambling about nothing.....

Probably the people that know me best are my family and my co-workers....I would love to say that I am not a complainer but if I had to put a dollar in a jar for every time I complain throughout my day, I could probably eat at Ruth Chris Steak House by the end of the week.  This should not be so....it is expected of an unbeliever to complain but a believer....we have every reason to praise God!  No, we are not immune to trials and circumstances but we have a hope that is beyond anything this old world can offer.  Also, all we need do is look at the person next to us and we can almost always find someone with more strife than we have. 

So here is the remedy the next time you (or I) are tempted to complain....turn your complaint to praise....I've sited some of my own personal examples below:
 
  I have no will power to lose weight.............Praise God I have an appetite!  (Especially when I think of a young boy named Hayden that doesn't have an appetite or is afraid to eat for fear of nausea)

  I wish I had more time to do what I want to do.....Praise God I have a job and am able to do what I do (it's not about me, it's about Him....that is so hard to grasp at times).

  I wish I had the resources to redo my floors.....Praise God I have floors, and A/C, and heat, and running water, and light, etc....)....to the Hondurans my home would be a mansion.....

The list could go on and on but I'll stop here because I am sure you get the gest of it....

So....today's scripture reading is:
     Phillipians 2:14
    Hebrews 13:15

                   Go forth and flesh it out!

 

40 Day Challenge - Day 8 - "Put off" Discontentment, "Put on" Contentment...

Happy Friday to you! 

Just when you think no one is reading your blog, you run into someone in the store that says, "How come you didn't write today".  I'll admit, I've been a slacker this week.  Let me hit you with the best excuse I can muster....a strange phenomenon has taken place in the Comb's household since I began to work full time.  I can't stay asleep and my husband can't stay awake.  In an effort to sync with his sleep patterns, I began taken a natural remedy called Melatonin and now, I can't curb my desire to hit the snooze numerous times in the morning.  (How is that for an excuse?)

So?  You caught me, I skipped a day.  It's the weekend and I'm going to end on a sour note.  Today's post involves "Putting Off" Discontentment and "Putting On" Contentment.  Have you ever found yourself with all your basic needs met and the majority of your wants met, yet you are not satisfied?  I have....it's a spirit of discontentment and as a child of God, it's a most miserable place to be.

I am not sure where contentment ends and discontentment begins but I believe in the world in which we live, it's not difficult to cross from one to the other without even realizing what has happened.  In America we are so accustomed to instant gratification that we struggle when our "wants"  are not met.  This is where we need to revert back to the previous day's post and remember what we do and don't deserve and be grateful for what God has given us.  Discontentment, if left unchecked, can become like a disease that invades every part of our being. 

Where are you?  Are you content with what you have or are you constantly in that spirit of discontentment.

The scripture focus for today is:    Hebrews 13:5 and 1Timothy 6:8.....

Have a great weekend....see you on Monday....

40 Day Challenge - Day 8 "Put off" ungratefulness, "Put on" gratefulness...

Try this exercise:  Write down everything and anything you can think of that you are grateful for....you might be surprised at how much God has blessed you with.  The biggest cure for ungratefulness is to look at what you have to be grateful for....

Scriptures for today are:  Rom. 1:21 and Eph. 5:20

If you can't think of anything to be thankful for, try the fact that you are living and breathing and that God offered His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for your sins....that is far better than we deserve!

40 Day Challenge - Day 7, "Put off" Impatience, "Put on" Perseverance

As I wrote the title to this post, I chuckled to myself.  I grew impatient just writing it as I considered all the items on my "to do" list for today.

I am going to jump right into today's scripture because I think this will explain the importance of this "put on-put off".

James 1:2-4 says, "Count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Hebrews 10:36 says, "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised."

How many of us ask God for trials?  I certainly don't...but I can tell you that in my christian walk as I have encountered trials that is when I've grown most.  I can think of many that are dear to me right now that are walking through the fire as they encounter heartaches and trials in this world.  Beth Moore, christian author and speaker/teacher, said in her study on the book of "Daniel" that God poses three scenarios for how we could be delivered during trials:

1. Delivered from the fire - This is where faith is built....(the suspicious lump in your breast that upon further examination by the physician is benign).
2. Delivered through the fire - This is where faith is refined....(the suspicious lump in your breast that is cancer, but is treatable, and you are cancer free several years later).
3. Delivered by the fire - This is where faith is perfected.... (The suspicious lump in your breast that is cancer and is incurable and you go on to be with the Lord).

(If you haven't done this study by Beth Moore, I encourage you to check it out....I will always remember these three points).

40 Day Challenge - Day "6" - "Put off" disobedience, "Put on" obedience

Let me apologize now for the "lateness" of this post.  My intention is to do most of my posts over this 40 day challenge in the mornings when my mind is fresh and when I've devoted time to studying God's Word and discerning what He would want me to write.  Unfortunately, the snooze button won out this morning (I must say I'm a little disappointed with "modern day" snooze buttons, they only give you a 5 minute delay - not the customary 9 minutes).  Anyway, here I am at the end of the day...with my mind spent from hours in front of a computer at work....and well, this post will be brief.  The "put off" for today is disobedience and the "put on" is obedience.  This is self explanatory....my pastor always says, "Blessings follow obedience"....God longs for our obedience.  The blessings that will follow our obedience are not the blessings falsely portrayed by the "properity preachers" seen on television.  The blessings we will inherit from God will be much more important than any material wealth or success....it will be the blessing of standing before an Almighty God and hearing Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant".  I think the majority of us see disobedience as a severe insult against God and not the more subtle forms of disobedience....we are disobedient when we neglect to do anything, no matter how great or how small, that we know the Lord has placed upon our heart to do.

O.K., so I am closing for tonight....the scripture references for today are 1 Sam. 12:15 and Deut 11:27....

Questions to ponder:  Are there any areas of my life in which I am being disobedient to God?

    Now, go forth and "flesh it out".....

40 Day Challenge....Day 5, "Put off" pride, "Put on" Humility

Scripture reading for today:  Proverbs 16:5, James 4:6

I will attempt to make this post brief....I'm tired, it's been a crazy week but much has been accomplished. In honor of spending time with my man, I am not going to post over the weekend.  I wish I could say that I've mastered all the "put on's" so far this week, but I'm still working on the "put off's".  I've struggled on several days....so much so that I've questioned why I'm even blogging about the "put on's" - then I'm reminded that I am a flawed being with hope and I am a continous work that won't be completed this side of heaven.  The "Put on-Put off" for today speaks for itself.  I used to "pride" myself in not being "prideful" (I know....that statement alone is full of pride).  I thought because I never complained or didn't boast, that I was humble.  My view of this changed when I heard Christian author/speaker Beth Moore say, "Pride is not just thinking too highly of yourself, but also thinking too lowly of yourself".  I have dealt with insecurities most of my life, many of them self-imposed...I have thrown huge pity party's and wallowed in things not  going as planned.  The focus (or over focus) was on me!  (There goes that "self" thing again).  Not sure if anyone else can relate to this....if not, I covet your prayers....

   So?  How can we be humble today?  Let's "flesh it out".....

40 Day Challenge, Day 4 "Put off" selfishness, "Put on" self denial....

Wow!  I started dreading this challenge the minute I layed eyes on it!  This has been a real struggle for me over the years, not in a monetary sense but when it comes to my time.  Anyone that constantly addresses "me", "my" and "I" in their conversation is usually caught up in self.  We exist in a very selfish society.  It's all about my desires, my happiness, my rights, my feelings....the list is endless!  There are numerous self help books (both Christian and secular) that tell us that we need to love ourselves more.  I beg to differ....we already love ourselves too much!  Just look at the checkout lines in the grocery store and you will see numerous magazines that cater to me, me, me....there is even one called "Self".   Phil 2:21 makes it clear that when we seek our own interest we are not seeking what interest Christ.  I can think of numerous self seeking motives that wouldn't be centered on Christ.  On the extreme side:

• my rights - abortion, gay marriage, 
• my desires - adultery, pornography

On the less extreme side:

• my rights - to be right, cheat on taxes
• my desires - success, popularity, idols (this includes a whole gamut of things that we cling to.

Whether we are bent towards the extreme or less extreme, they are equal when it comes to a self focus.
John 12:24 gives us the remedy for this in the form of an analogy....before we can produce fruit, we must die to self.  We must put off our desires and think about what Christ desires in and of us.  Personally speaking, I know that God would rather I spend time with my spouse then time worrying over mundane items on my "to do" list.  He would rather I spend time with someone in need of a listener then to spend time on the computer or watching TV.  He would rather I spend time in His Word and prayer then time worrying about whether every hair is in place (this is really not an issue for me....it's my husband that obsesses over his hair but don't tell him I said so.)
    Okay, so you get the point so far....So?  In what ways can you (and me, me, me) die to self today?
 
You know what I'm going to say next:  Go forth and flesh it out!

40 Day Challenge - Day 3 "Put off" Bitterness, "Put on" Compassionate/Forgiving"

I have a strong hunch that this will not be the only time that we encounter the issue of forgiveness throughout the next 37 days (3 days down).  That said, I'll just get to the point....
   Is there anyone you harbor a grudge against?  If so, beware!  That seemingly small little grudge could be the prelude to bitterness.  Read Hebrews 12:15, strong words!  Translation:  If you allow bitterness, it will cause trouble, it will make you filthy and dirty and you will not obtain the grace of God. 
  So, how does one become bitter?  If you've been keeping a tally of all who have wronged you and you have not forgiven them, you are on the road to bitterness.  Eventually you could be that person that appears to have been baptized in pickle juice.
  The remedy or prevention for bitterness (depending on how far advanced it is) is to simply forgive.  Ephesians 4:32 tells us why we need to forgive...because God forgave us (and we certainly didn't deserve it.)
  So, I've already told you the two scriptures for today....
         The "put off" is bitterness and the "put on" is compassionate/forgiving....

       Now....you know what I'm going to say next.....Go forth and "flesh it out"!

40 Day Challenge - Day 2 ("Judging" versus "Let God Search Your Heart"

John 8:9 says, "But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing beside Him."

Well just in case this is not familiar to you, let me recap it:

The Pharisees (who were caught up in religious law and teaching) have found an adulteress woman, perhaps caught in the very act.  I picture them grabbing her from both arms and hurling profanity and insults at her as they preach to her about her sins.  They bring her to Jesus and thrust her at His feet.  The Pharisees were not fair - you see.  They always had a motive.  Often the motive was to somehow make Jesus look less like Jesus and thereby make themselves look better (have you ever heard of such?)
   Jesus pretends not to notice when they enter the room, he actually looks down and writes in the sand.  Then He stands up and says, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."  Guess what happening next?  They begin to exit one by one, first the older ones exited, then the younger (possibly the older ones had sinned more because they had more years in which to do so). 
  Well, the end of the story...Jesus looks at the woman and tells her "Go and sin no more".  He didn't minimize or disregard her sin and he didn't enable her because of her sin.   He spoke truth in love to her and made her accountable by acknowledging her sin. 
  We can be so like the Pharisees, caught up in rules and religious teachings, keeping tabs on who has wronged us (thereby keeping ourselves enslaved).  I remember reading a book by Stormie O'Martian titled, "The Power of the Praying Wife".  I picked up the book and thought, "I am going to pray my man into helping in the house and being romantic".  HA!  The joke was on me!  In the intro of the book, the author said that instead of seeking to change your husband, you must first ask God to change you. 
  I will go ahead and warn you, asking and letting God search your heart are two different things.  It is very easy to ask God to search your heart, but it can sometimes be painful to let Him do so.
  In case I lost you in the babble, the "Put off" for today is "judging", the "Put on" is "Let God search your heart".  The scripture readings are:  Matt 7:1-2 , John 8:9....
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               Hope you have a beautiful day....now go forth and "flesh this out"....