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Saturday, December 15, 2012

Find it Joyous

I am melancholy. Most of you who know me know this. I tend to be a perfectionist. But on the same token, I am also phlegmatic; not a ton, but enough where I get lazy and just do NOT want to clean. I get overwhelmed and don't know where to start. I get frustrated and grouchy. Then I start the blame game in my head (sometimes it slips out of my mouth as well!). "Why can't he just pick up his clothes instead of leaving them on the floor?!" (while my clothes sit on the bathroom floor....) "If He would just...." "I could keep this house clean if He would just!" And on it goes. Then not only am I frustrated about the mess, I get bitter and resentful in my heart which yep you guessed it, seeps out in my actions.
Before I begin to talk about how I can change my actions, I need to realize the root of this issue....pride. It's as simple as that....though not as simple as one might think. By being prideful I am being selfish, I am spitting in the face of God and telling Him that the way He ordained my life and my days is stupid and wrong and I could do a way better job. Hmph! Sounds goofy doesn't it? It's like I am pitching a fit at the throne of God telling Him that He is mean and doesn't know what He is doing. If anyone had the right to do that, it would have surely been Job. He had everything stripped from him; he wasn't just dealing with socks on the floor or a broken mop. His family died, all but his nagging wife. All of his wealth was stripped away. His health was so bad his friends and wife told him to just curse God and die. When he did start to doubt, God gave Him quite the talking to. What did He tell Job? He didn't say you are right you deserve better, you have been so faithful. You are just awesome Job, you rock buddy and deserve better. Poor thing, look at the way I have been treating you. No, this is not what the mighty God of the universes who is sovereign over all says to Job. Let's take a look:



38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
“Or who shut in the sea with doors
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
“Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
“Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
“Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
“Has the rain a father,
“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,



But wait, God's not finished yet. He continues: 


“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
“Who has let the wild donkey go free?
“Is the wild ox willing to serve you?
“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
“Do you give the horse his might?
“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars

40 And the Lord said to Job:
“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?






Oh that I remember, even though it is something as insignificant as a clean house or organized bedroom, God is sovereign. Instead of being prideful and bitter, causing me to disrespect John (which is yet ANOTHER sin!). My prayer is that God helps me to fight my prideful self. A great book on Pride is "Humility: True Greatness" by CJ Mahaney. It is an amazing book that I think I need to read again!




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