If someone whom you didn't know offered you a gift, would you take it without reservations or would you reject it thinking that there had to be a catch?

Well this exact situation happened to me and I will tell you, I paused and did not receive the gift.  This was my loss, for the gift was a worship CD.  Let me give you some context.

Last Sunday we had a guest speaker in our service.  While many in the congregation where familiar with him, and even knew him, I did not know him.  It would be my first time to hear him deliver God's message.  So after he was introduced, he settled himself at the podium, and proceeded to thank the family that was hosting him.  He gave them a book by A.W. Tower on prayer.  I thought: man, that's so nice of him. 

After this he spoke to the congregation and lifted up a CD (for all to see) and asked who would like the CD?  It would go to the person who would come up to the front and take it.  No one stood up.  I was thinking, is this an object lesson?  Like when you get to the front, something is going to happen?  I most certainly don't want to be the one of whom an object lesson would be made (I'm extremely shy).  Again, he repeated the invitation to receive the FREE CD.  At this time, one of my brothers who was sitting behind me stood up and received it.  I was waiting for the trap to snap as soon as the cheese had been retrieved by the mouse.  Nope.  No such thing happen.  My brother made it back to his seat in one piece.  So then I moved from skepticism to disbelief.  

Next, he lifted up a book: A Collection of Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers.  So I confess, at this time, I thought: I really REALLY want that book! (Exclamation point and all)  And mind you, not just because I love books, but because I had actually been saving up to purchase a book with Adrianisms.  Just as before, he stated that whoever wanted the book would get it, to just come to the front and receive it.  So then I started thinking: This isn't for real; it just isn't.  The speaker was stunned, no one was getting up.  So much so, that he said something to the effect of:  what's going on with you people that you won't accept a gift.  So at this moment, I thought: well, this could be for real, but, I should not get up; there is someone else who needs that book and I would just be stealing it from them (if you think this is crazy, you should hear the conversations I'm constantly having with myself - it's the stuff of insane asylums).  He repeated his call: if you want this, come and receive it.  At this time I found myself in a crisis of belief, a la Henry Blackaby: Either I took action to move forward or stayed still and miss the boat.  So it was that I moved from disbelief to a crisis of belief.  

Somewhat hesitantly, I got up and sped-walked to the front,  received the book and sped-walked back to my seat and sat down (about this time I could hear my adrenal glands pumping out the adrenaline that was running through my body).  I barely looked at the book my hands were holding; I was trying to placate the thought that now something was going to happen and I would be, indeed, part of an object lesson.  To my incredulity, the speaker went on to give out another gift and promptly started his message.  At this time, the 1,001 thoughts that were racing thru my mind evaporated by the love-imbued, Spirit-filled, and truth-packed message that was delivered.

It turns out I was, indeed, an object lesson; and not one, but two.  However, it wasn't the speaker who made the lessons - it was God. 

Object lesson #1: T God's children, A FREE gift does NOT have strings attached.

I debated about using the word 'free' with gift, because honestly, it's redundant.  However, I cannot deny that I have been gifted in times past (as I am sure you have too) gifts that did come with strings attached.  It is actually those experiences that have made me cynical about receiving gifts.  If this is unfamiliar territory to you, then just think about political campaigns and donors of said campaigns; their donations are not donations, they are 'investments' and as good investors, they expect a good return on their investments. 

So, when God is giving us gifts, we should not expect for Him to treat it as an investment.  He gives us gifts because He loves us, not to get something in return.  The truth is, He doesn't need us or anything we can give to Him, so His gifts are truly NO STRINGS ATTACHED.  That is what Grace is: a gift.  If there is any guilt present, then know that it is not of God.  Guilt is a heavy burden that makes us run away from God, and it is from the enemy.  Conviction, on the other hand, is light, making us move toward Jesus and fall at His feat and repent.  Conviction is from God.  So: Guilt leads us away from Christ.  Conviction leads us to Christ.

Back to receiving gifts.  I must confess, that it is easier for me to accept a gift from God thinking it is an investment (and therefore I must give Him the return on His investment) instead of a gift (where He doesn't expect anything from me).  Why?  Well because, just as with salvation, it is easier to rely on my 'good' works to be sanctified.  If I am good, then I will get good gifts.  However, I have to tell you, I have received gifts from God even though I have not been good.  And that's where the monkey wrench comes to ruin my works-based sanctification, because even sanctification is by GRACE, not by works.  Otherwise, what would we do with the promise: He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6)?  What work was began? Salvation.  What will be completed? Sanctification (being made more like Christ).  Who's responsible for this?  God Himself.  The Holy Spirit is tasked with presenting the Bride of Christ blameless.  That means, I'm His makeover project!  And so are you! 

So if you sin, remember to confess your sins for He is faithful and just to cleanse us from ALL iniquity (1 Jn 1:9).  And when you receive gifts from God, remember that it is His lovingkindness that leads us to repentance (Rm 2:4), so receive it and thank Him for it.

So now to the other side of the coin...

Object lesson #2: To the lost, a free gift DOES have strings attached.

How many times have we sat back in frustration at how someone with whom the gospel has been shared rejects the gift of life?  I know I do.  In fact, it doesn't make sense.  Why would anyone reject a gift? This sounds awfully familiar...oh yeah! I answered this question by rejecting the worship CD, remember?

They live in a world of ALL strings attached.  So when we offer a gift, they are looking for the strings.  This object lesson helped me understand those who cannot accept that God would give them life thru Christ Jesus in spite of their wickedness.   This is a subset of all the people who ultimately end up rejecting God; so don't think I am generalizing this to everyone.  This is just applicable to those who cannot accept a free gift because they see strings where no strings exist.

Just as I have been burned many a time with 'investments', so, too, have these people who cannot fathom a free gift.  This lesson helped me put myself in those shoes, so that when I encounter someone who cannot get up from his or her seat to receive a gift, I can love them and encourage them and, most importantly, pray for their eyes to be opened to the stringless gift before their eyes.  In other words, do what is at my disposal to lovingly help someone incapable of getting out of their seat to receive the gift being extended to them.

This lesson was heartbreaking; I truly felt such compassion for lost souls who cannot get out of their seats because receiving something free cannot be processed by their minds and hearts.  Now I know how to pray.

So next time we encounter someone who seems to want the gift of salvation but is hesitating, pray for discernment.  Perhaps he or she is unable to move out of their seat to receive the gift because they expect the strings to be pulled and strangle them.  We must do what Jesus did for us, love them as they are and pray for them to see the truth and get a hold of that Truth - appropriate that truth.  And let us show them with our lives and love that the gift is truly FREE, and they will find freedom from all the strings that ever were in that Gift.

Well, I'm sure there are many more lessons to draw from this experience (and I would love to hear them if the Lord reveals them to you); for now, I need to mediate on these a bit more.

May the Lord bless you with all spiritual blessings - and may you receive them without guilt or hesitation!

The lie of meeting or exceeding expectations set by others is so damaging to the soul.

But without love, I would not have been able to feel the pain that had numbed me.  Without love, I would not have been able to see the lie that had pierced me.  Without love, healing could not have commenced.  Now abide faith, hope, and love...but the greatest of these is LOVE (1 Cor 13:13).  

I have been tacitly told that in order to be loved, accepted, and worthy of encouragement in the family of God, I had to behave a certain way.  I had to be exceedingly outgoing, unreserved, hop like a kangaroo, have a marsupial pouch, cry on cue, be available 24/7, never be down or depressed, take loveless criticism as an honor and privilege, change or work on my 'deficiencies' when compared to other believers, accept to be treated as a 'second-tier' child of God for not behaving a certain way....and on, and on it goes.  Expectations I did not meet or did not exceed.  But then, God happened.

Spending over six weeks and a concentrated weekend serving others with a group of beautiful and loving ladies and gents, all who loved UNCONDITIONALLY, who did not expect me or others to hop like a kangaroo - rather, just expected for God to work in and thru me - was such a soothing balm to my hurting soul.  And I didn't even know I was hurting.  Notice, the expectation was not for me to do something, but for GOD to do the work (can you hear the sound of impossible burdens roll down and hit the floor...and shattering?).

It took LOVE to allow me to identify the lies that had settled deep down within my heart.  It took LOVE to allow me to feel the pain caused by the lies.  It took LOVE for me to let the tears roll down my face, and not feel guilty for it.

I don't have to be anything God has not created me to be.  I do not have to be anything God is not expecting of me.  The only thing I have to be is an empty vessel, that way He can fill me with Himself.  The only thing I have to do is obey Him, that way He can work in and thru me. 

Oh how sweet the taste of FREEDOM.  And how liberating the weight of TRUTH.    

Praise the Lord for creating a group of ladies and gents who reminded me what UNCONDITIONAL LOVE truly is!!

Again, LOVE truly is the greatest of the three.  Praise the Lord Jesus showed us what LOVE truly is, and for creating brethren who are vessels of His love for, not just the lost, but also for the followers of Jesus who are also hurting.

Praise the Lord for not expecting us to be something we are not.  Praise the Lord for giving us the easy yoke, the light burden: faithfulness, obedience.  We only need to obey Him, and Him alone.  Not others, or even ourselves - especially ourselves.

May His lovingkindness be perceived by your heart today!

This next song, Just Be by Lindsay Taylor, has been such a great ministering song, that I wanted to share it with you in hopes your eyes are reinforced to be fixed on Jesus - the Author and Finisher of our faith.

P.S.  I have no idea who Amanda Boutchía is; I just found this nice youtube video with the song set to a beautiful background.  So, just FYI.  :)

Are you striving to meet a certain expectation?  How does it make you feel when you can never exceed it, let alone meet it?

We are surrounded by a world that, manipulated by the enemy and our own sinful desires, bombards us with the message that we have to meet a certain expectation, fit into a certain mold.

And while detecting this lie might seem challenging when speaking of our physical appearance, it is an entirely different ballgame when we try to detect the lie as it pertains to our being.  What am I talking about?  I'm talking about our personalities, our walk with the Lord, our maturity and understanding of the Way, and the steps we take in following after Jesus.

I've been living in this lie for quite a while.  Here's the sad part: I didn't even know I believed those lies.

It has taken me years to actually detect the pain I was in, to acknowledge the pain (because even after detecting it, I still denied the pain in my soul), and to realize that those expectations are not right.  THEY ARE NOT RIGHT.

Oh, how painful it is to try to act like a kangaroo when I've been a dolphin all along!  How can I hop like a kangaroo and carry 'my young' ones with me, when I don't even have legs or a marsupial pouch?

But I realized that what pained me the most, what took me into numbness, was that these expectations were set by fellow believers. strong believers.

If we speak in tongues, angelic and human, and don't have love - we are nothing.  If we speak truth, and speak without love - it's like rubbing a towel of glass shards over raw skin.  If we speak lies, and and do so kindly - the piercings that are made will go so deep into a person's soul, it will settle down where truth was to abide.

In a loving way, I was told lies that settled down deep in my soul.  And while there is much pain associated with it, I thank the Lord that He has made me aware of this so that I don't do the same thing to others; but, most importantly, to ask for forgiveness of those to whom I have already wounded in similar fashion.  

I must be careful with what I say to other believers; I do not want to perpetuate a lie or introduce one to their souls.  How do I prevent this?  Hiding His word in my heart, being filled with the Spirit of Love, obeying His command to love others as myself.  All this so that I may be used as an instrument to build up the Church, not tear it down; to elevate my brethren, not weigh them down with impossible burdens; to Shine like the Son, not dim or overcast fellow believer's Light.

So what specific lies about my personality and walk with God am I referring to?   Part 2 will detail the darkness behind the lies.

Meantime, I pray the Lord allows us to detect the lie of 'having to meet or exceed' someone's expectations and moves us to healing, so that we may be able to minister to others who are still trying to reach the end of the race but are racing inside a hamster ball.

Beautiful Things by Gungor

A beautiful song that summarizes what the Lord does in our lives: brings beauty from ashes.

Watch the first video in order to understand the lyrics of the song.  Then watch the second video (bottom) and meditate on the lyrics.  I pray it uplifts you! :)