Some time ago I went through a season in my life where I felt stuck. By stuck, I mean that simultaneously, in several different areas of my life, I was not moving forward. The areas were partly emotional, partly physical, and partly spiritual. This went on for quite some time, and I experienced great frustration and periods of unpleasant introspection as I sought solutions to my predicament.
During this time the Lord kept giving me a picture of a car stuck in the mud, it's wheels spinning wildly and mud slinging everywhere as it dug itself deeper and deeper into the mire. This was exactly how I felt! He then began to show me that all the car needed to free itself from the muddy prison was a thing called 'traction'. Traction defined is "the pulling or drawing of an object" or " how well something grips onto something, and moves ahead without slipping". I was definitely in need of traction.
I can remember as a child getting stuck in the snow in our car and my Dad placing some boards underneath the tires to provide the 'traction' needed to move forward. As I began to seek the Lord about the traction I needed, He led me into a process that would serve to provide the 'boards' that I would need to get me out of this muddy hole where I had lived.
The first area that He showed me was that I didn't fully trust Him. I was able to trust Him fully in some areas, but others I found were difficult for me to relinquish. I was shocked, humbled, and heartbroken to realize how this one thing had caused so much trouble in my life and emotions. Basically, I had believed some BIG LIES about His goodness and faithfulness in my life and this produced a fear based mentality. I gladly repented of my choices not to trust, and then received His love into my life. This didn't happen overnight, and this journey into His love continues as I write this blog. I am amazed some days at just how much my thinking has changed in this area, and how much more at peace my heart feels as He continues to change my fear based mentality into a love based mentality.
The second necessary area of traction He showed me involved my mouth. Many years ago, He began the process of revealing to me the damaging effect of my negative words and confessions. Ever so slowly, I began to change the way I spoke, and had prided myself on cleaning up this area of my life. What the Holy Spirit showed me was that it was not enough just to stop speaking negative words, but I would need to begin to speak positive or 'truth based' words in order to experience the change that I so longed to see.
I would like to tell you that speaking the truth and making these confessions was easy, but for me it was like World War III had broken out in my head. My spirit so wanted to move forward and vocalize the truth, but my soul (mind, will, and emotions) was screaming "No!" at the top of it's lungs. For a while, it was two steps forward and one step back, but little by little, I began to notice change. It was no longer as difficult to speak the truth. I could say, "By His stripes I am healed" without opposition from my head, though I still had not seen the manifestation of this truth in my body. I began to use my mouth as the traction needed to get from point A to point B in a number of different areas.
The last area of traction involved a phrase borrowed from Nike.....Just Do It! I became aware that the Holy Spirit was showing me the very next step to take in several different areas of my life, but for whatever reason, I had been lulled into a passive state or 'victim' like mentality. It sort of reminded me of the cows who had been put in a pasture with electric fence. They soon learned not to venture too close to the fence since they would be unpleasantly shocked. But, even when the fence was removed, the cows passively remained in their little square of pasture unwilling to venture out again or take a risk. After this realization, the Holy Spirit showed me the 'fences' were a lie in my life. Next, He had me write down in each area of my life, the very next step He was showing me to take, and then said, "Just do it."
I found that as I began to trust Him more fully, using my mouth to confess the truth of who He is, who I am, and where I am headed, then I could find the traction needed to make this next step and 'Just do it'. 'Just doing it' in my life involved lots of things like taking steps to forgive past hurts, restructuring my day for more time with Him, and making diet and health decisions. I have a feeling that 'Just do it' will remain a part of my personal language with the Holy Spirit.
Even as I write, I am still very aware of other areas of my life where I long to see change and the light of God manifest. The cool thing about walking with Him, though, is that the further down the road we go, the more we realize just how very good He is, and how faithful He is to bring about the desires of our hearts. He doesn't leave us where we are, stuck in our places of captivity. I am oh so grateful that I get to do life with Him. Thanks, Holy Spirit, for gripping me, and not letting go.
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. - Phil. 1:6
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Standing in Graceland
One day last summer, I stood in my backyard mindlessly watering my geraniums when I felt something resembling a hot poker touch my foot. A quick glance revealed the dreaded Texas enemy, fire ants. After a great deal of screaming, brushing off, and hopping around, I quickly found a new place to stand.
I thought of this incident today as I read Rom. 5:1-2, "Therefore, we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand."
It's important to know just exactly where we are standing. If we are born again, we are standing in grace! Before we met Christ we were standing in the enemy's territory. It might as well have been a bed of fire ants, because we were vulnerable there to his assault and his plan for us which was, and always has been, to kill, steal, and destroy. Romans tells us that Jesus provided access for us into a whole new place to stand.
As believers, an unfolding revelation of this 'grace land' in which we now stand, is one of the joys of discovery that Father has set before us. Imagine receiving a letter from a wealthy king inviting you to come and live with him in his kingdom. With a welcoming smile and a enveloping hug, he welcomes you in with a beautiful robe, sandals, and a ring. He tells you that everything he has is yours to enjoy. You have access to every part of the castle, grounds, and resources. You enjoy long walks with the king and hearing the plans on his heart. He asks you about the dreams on your heart and even tells you to "ask, and it shall be given to you".
If this all sounds vaguely familiar, it's because it is the reality in which we now stand. If you're like me, you probably feel as if you don't deserve such favor, and we don't. We didn't do, and can't do, a single thing to earn our way into this grace land. It's been paid for, and we've been given an access code. It's a five letter word called 'faith'. Our faith is placed solidly in Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for not only our sins, but the sins of all mankind. We are tempted to believe that it's too good to be true. But, no! It is true and it is good news! Very, very good news!
Sometimes it's so easy to only see through our natural eyes this realm in which we live every day, but we have been given eyes that can see the Kingdom according to John 3:3. Refuse to settle for the level of revelation that you are walking in today, and press in for greater sight, clarity and understanding. Stir up the expectation within you that there is more. We access the riches of His kingdom through the revelation given to us. We will not look for more if we don't believe there is more.
Try asking the King to show you the grace in which you now stand. Prepare to be amazed.
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Eph. 1:17-19
I thought of this incident today as I read Rom. 5:1-2, "Therefore, we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand."
It's important to know just exactly where we are standing. If we are born again, we are standing in grace! Before we met Christ we were standing in the enemy's territory. It might as well have been a bed of fire ants, because we were vulnerable there to his assault and his plan for us which was, and always has been, to kill, steal, and destroy. Romans tells us that Jesus provided access for us into a whole new place to stand.
As believers, an unfolding revelation of this 'grace land' in which we now stand, is one of the joys of discovery that Father has set before us. Imagine receiving a letter from a wealthy king inviting you to come and live with him in his kingdom. With a welcoming smile and a enveloping hug, he welcomes you in with a beautiful robe, sandals, and a ring. He tells you that everything he has is yours to enjoy. You have access to every part of the castle, grounds, and resources. You enjoy long walks with the king and hearing the plans on his heart. He asks you about the dreams on your heart and even tells you to "ask, and it shall be given to you".
If this all sounds vaguely familiar, it's because it is the reality in which we now stand. If you're like me, you probably feel as if you don't deserve such favor, and we don't. We didn't do, and can't do, a single thing to earn our way into this grace land. It's been paid for, and we've been given an access code. It's a five letter word called 'faith'. Our faith is placed solidly in Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for not only our sins, but the sins of all mankind. We are tempted to believe that it's too good to be true. But, no! It is true and it is good news! Very, very good news!
Sometimes it's so easy to only see through our natural eyes this realm in which we live every day, but we have been given eyes that can see the Kingdom according to John 3:3. Refuse to settle for the level of revelation that you are walking in today, and press in for greater sight, clarity and understanding. Stir up the expectation within you that there is more. We access the riches of His kingdom through the revelation given to us. We will not look for more if we don't believe there is more.
Try asking the King to show you the grace in which you now stand. Prepare to be amazed.
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Eph. 1:17-19
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Choosing Hope
"Why so downcast O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:5
As 2012 made her grand entry into all of our lives, you may have heard a theme emerging in many prophetic words and messages. Hope! Funny, but the very word 'hope' conjures up different images for different people. To some, hope may be a scary thing. Those who have hoped, only to have their dreams dashed on the rocks of the very shores from which they had longed to one day set sail, no longer want to risk this elusive thing called hope. Proverbs calls this 'hope deferred' and even goes so far as to say, 'it makes the heart sick'. The word 'deferred' means 'to put off until a later time'. And this is Satan's insidious plot. He inserts himself into our circumstances and his chief goal it seems would be to remove our hope. After all, his hope has been removed and he wants us to take a ride with him on the sinking ship called 'Hopelessness'. This is a miserable place to find ourselves. I know because I have been there before, and know that I never want to go back.
Long before 2012 arrived, I was being prodded by the message of 'hope'. A certain difficult issue had crept into my world and I hate to admit it, but I felt somewhat hopeless. I'm grateful that Holy Spirit wouldn't leave me alone on this one and kept nudging me towards the truth. In a moment of insight one day, I realized that hopelessness is really just unbelief in a little nicer sounding package. In other words, when I was feeling hopeless I was basically saying that it's too late for God to work, or it's too difficult for Him or He doesn't care about this situation.
Remember how it was unbelief that kept the children of Israel from entering into the Promise Land? If we could have interviewed them as they circled the desert over and over, they would have told us that they, too, felt hopeless. Repeatedly, they were given choices throughout their journey. Each time they had to decide whether or not they would trust God (and hope) or would they grumble, complain, and feel sorry for themselves, manifesting their unbelief and hopelessness. We know how the story ends.
It is no wonder that it was Joshua and Caleb who entered the land of promise. They were two men who chose not to look at the circumstances or giants who faced them, but who chose to be men of hope and believed in a God who does what He says He will do.
Though we may not be wandering in a sandy desert, we have our own set of issues to overcome and the choices really boil down to the same choices as those of Joshua and Caleb. Will I trust God in spite of what I can see with my natural eyes? Will I choose to hope in my God and not give way to self-pity, bitterness, and defeat?
I am so aware that there are incredibly difficult circumstances that many face everyday. The temptation to give up, throw in the towel, or even settle for a lesser level of living is something that we all will face just because we live on planet Earth.
But, we as believers are called to a higher level of living. In fact, one of my favorite quotes is from Francis Frangipane, " Any area of your life that does not glisten with hope is under the influence of a lie." When I first heard that I almost felt mad! How could every area of my life 'glisten' with hope? I began to learn that my perception of God was way too small. There is no situation too far gone that He can not still redeem. Anything other than that way of thinking is under the influence of a lie.
We have been in a season of training and things that were acceptable in our thinking 10 years ago are no longer acceptable. God has his finger on hope right now and as He births this new wave of grace to hope, I pray we will become a culture of hope that is attractive like a magnet to this hurting world.
We have a choice, and we can choose hope.
"He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Heb. 10:37-38
Monday, January 2, 2012
Monday, October 3, 2011
Trust, Honor, and Process
I've been involved in a study of the life of David and find myself marveling at his life in many ways. David was anointed to be King by Samuel at age 15 and yet it was 15 long years before he became King over Judah, and then another 7 yrs. before he became King over all of Israel.....a whopping 22 year wait from the point of his prophetic anointing until the actual occurrence.We can learn so much from David and the choices that he made during this difficult waiting period.
David had an understanding of honor. Imagine the battle that must have gone on inside of him as he knew that he had been anointed and chosen by God to be king, and instead began a lengthy love-hate relationship with King Saul, a man who had once known the favor of God but had it removed because of his inability to obey and choose God's approval over man's.
Initially, Saul liked David and appointed him to be his armor bearer. David, promoted into Saul's inner circle, was forced to live in the shadow of a man whose position would one day become his own. Saul soon became jealous of the favor on David's life to the point that he wanted him dead. In all of this, David watched over his own heart and maintained a position of honor.
Honor, in David's life, seems to be fundamentally linked with trust. David trusted that God would be the one to fulfill the anointing on his life and not himself. David's life reveals a beautiful picture and example of what it looks like to wait for God's timing, process, and promotion in a person's life. David was available and obediently walked through the doors that God opened for him, but you don't find David manipulating, scheming, or trying to pry open his own doors. He never violated God's principles of obedience, integrity, and honor as he waited for God's timetable and promotion to come to pass.
If ever we need to heed a lesson from David's life, it's this one. I think that God is way more concerned with process than He is with the end result. We seem to be a people obsessed with shortcuts and finding the easy way out of the situations we find ourselves dumped into. God is looking for those who won't always look for the easy way, but those who have positioned their hearts to obey no matter the cost. He is watching for those who won't lower the standards or bend them to meet their immediate need. Sometimes our obedience may look as simple as cleaning up the dirty dishes others have left behind, or staying up when you are tired to finish an assignment that is due, or apologizing to a friend when you shared some hurtful gossip. Other times it requires a larger sacrifice such as stepping away from a large salary to follow God's leading elsewhere, or receiving rejection from leaders or friends because you chose to follow God in making a very unpopular decision.
Whatever the case, our days of following God are made up of moments, and it is in the moments that we make our choices. In the end, it is the choices we make that determines the direction of our lives. It seems God is never in a hurry when it comes to promotion, and our microwave culture struggles with the day in, day out faithfulness and obedience required to see our process through to completion.
Another reason to marvel at David is that he operated out of a place of intimacy with God. It is worth marveling at because David did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling him as believers do today. David is a great example of one who "pulled" on his relationship with God to the point that he experienced an intimacy and favor that is challenging to us today. It is from this place of intimacy that David drew strength to face life's challenges and the moments that defined his life.
The good news is that because of Jesus' sacrifice we have an even greater level of favor and blessing made available to us as God's children. We now can experience unprecedented intimacy and access to the Father. You can tell someone who walks in true intimacy because the Father's interests have become their own. I believe that our Father God is raising up a generation who have known His love and heard His heartbeat. They will be willing to walk in trust and honor, following Him with a tenacity of Spirit, and able to submit to His ways and process.
Those who submit to process will walk and move in greater levels of authority. Having said "yes" to Him, and "no" to their flesh and soulish nature, they are able to walk freely and move unfettered in the realm of the Spirit. Like Jesus, they can say, "the enemy has nothing in me" (Jn. 14:30) They are free to experience love, peace, joy, and great contentment found in knowing the beauty and goodness of His ways.
Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit, sow a habit and
you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.- Ralph Waldo Emerson
David had an understanding of honor. Imagine the battle that must have gone on inside of him as he knew that he had been anointed and chosen by God to be king, and instead began a lengthy love-hate relationship with King Saul, a man who had once known the favor of God but had it removed because of his inability to obey and choose God's approval over man's.
Initially, Saul liked David and appointed him to be his armor bearer. David, promoted into Saul's inner circle, was forced to live in the shadow of a man whose position would one day become his own. Saul soon became jealous of the favor on David's life to the point that he wanted him dead. In all of this, David watched over his own heart and maintained a position of honor.
Honor, in David's life, seems to be fundamentally linked with trust. David trusted that God would be the one to fulfill the anointing on his life and not himself. David's life reveals a beautiful picture and example of what it looks like to wait for God's timing, process, and promotion in a person's life. David was available and obediently walked through the doors that God opened for him, but you don't find David manipulating, scheming, or trying to pry open his own doors. He never violated God's principles of obedience, integrity, and honor as he waited for God's timetable and promotion to come to pass.
If ever we need to heed a lesson from David's life, it's this one. I think that God is way more concerned with process than He is with the end result. We seem to be a people obsessed with shortcuts and finding the easy way out of the situations we find ourselves dumped into. God is looking for those who won't always look for the easy way, but those who have positioned their hearts to obey no matter the cost. He is watching for those who won't lower the standards or bend them to meet their immediate need. Sometimes our obedience may look as simple as cleaning up the dirty dishes others have left behind, or staying up when you are tired to finish an assignment that is due, or apologizing to a friend when you shared some hurtful gossip. Other times it requires a larger sacrifice such as stepping away from a large salary to follow God's leading elsewhere, or receiving rejection from leaders or friends because you chose to follow God in making a very unpopular decision.
Whatever the case, our days of following God are made up of moments, and it is in the moments that we make our choices. In the end, it is the choices we make that determines the direction of our lives. It seems God is never in a hurry when it comes to promotion, and our microwave culture struggles with the day in, day out faithfulness and obedience required to see our process through to completion.
Another reason to marvel at David is that he operated out of a place of intimacy with God. It is worth marveling at because David did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling him as believers do today. David is a great example of one who "pulled" on his relationship with God to the point that he experienced an intimacy and favor that is challenging to us today. It is from this place of intimacy that David drew strength to face life's challenges and the moments that defined his life.
The good news is that because of Jesus' sacrifice we have an even greater level of favor and blessing made available to us as God's children. We now can experience unprecedented intimacy and access to the Father. You can tell someone who walks in true intimacy because the Father's interests have become their own. I believe that our Father God is raising up a generation who have known His love and heard His heartbeat. They will be willing to walk in trust and honor, following Him with a tenacity of Spirit, and able to submit to His ways and process.
Those who submit to process will walk and move in greater levels of authority. Having said "yes" to Him, and "no" to their flesh and soulish nature, they are able to walk freely and move unfettered in the realm of the Spirit. Like Jesus, they can say, "the enemy has nothing in me" (Jn. 14:30) They are free to experience love, peace, joy, and great contentment found in knowing the beauty and goodness of His ways.
Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit, sow a habit and
you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Responding to "The Response"
I was not able to attend "The Response", an amazing gathering of some 30,000 believers in Houston, TX who assembled to worship, pray, repent, and petition God for rain. My husband and I were attending a wedding in Ft. Worth, but off and on throughout the day were praying ourselves for a monumental day and visitation of God.
Sunday morning(the day after The Response)during our pre-service prayer time, as we continued to pray for our state and nation, I saw 3 pictures. The first was a map of the United States and on the east coast and west coast were large dark clouds rolled up like a scroll. The scroll of clouds unrolled and the two met and clashed right in the middle of the map over Texas.
The second picture was a giant cauldron or black iron pot with a large stirring stick coming out of it. The stick was being stirred around and around. The waters were whirling around also and I heard the phrase, "I am stirring the waters".
The third, and last picture was of a stage, and there were actors being placed on the stage almost like chess pieces. I heard, "I'm positioning my people in place and setting the stage".
The drought, the day of prayer, and so much about the day we live in has had me thinking about Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. In I Kings 18, Elijah challenged all 450 prophets of Baal to place the pieces of a bull on the wood and then Elijah would do the same. He told them to call on their god to set fire to the wood, and then he would call on His God. And I so love these words that came out of Elijah's mouth next....."the God who answers by fire- He is God."
And we know well what happened next- the fire of the Lord came and completely burned up the sacrifice and even the water in the trench around it.
It is my prayer and I know the prayer of many, that our God who came and consumed Elijah's sacrifice will come and consume the sacrifice of praise, repentance, and prayers of so many contending for our nation. We pray that the rains come and reveal His glory to everyone, for we know that He "sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous". (Matt. 5:45)
I feel like we are already experiencing the effects of the "stirring waters" as so much around us is being shifted and re-shifted. It makes me think of the vs. in Heb. 12:26, "once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens". Thankfully, "we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken"! It is time to press in to the Unshakeable One and His Kingdom and hold on for the wild ride that will come as the waters stir and the earth shakes.
Out of His goodness and mercy, the Father has been in the process of revealing His incomprehensible love to His children all over the world. Everywhere you go, stories abound of God breaking through in unprecedented measures. He is truly setting the stage and will go to great lengths to make sure that those He wants and gave His life for, will take their place on the stage.
He is also setting the stage with those He has already equipped for this day and hour. Some who have been hidden behind the stage curtain will be brought forward and commissioned into leadership. They have walked through seasons of testing and been found faithful.
Just as Elijah's servant looked into the distant sky and saw a cloud the size of a man's hand, we are to lift our eyes to the horizon with eyes that see what God is doing.
May our faith rise to the level needed to see His plans accomplished on the earth today. May we press in to the Beautiful One who willingly made the sacrifice necessary to restore us to the Father. And may we, as a corporate Body and adoring Bride, take our place on the stage next to the Bridegroom to display the Kingdom and do great exploits in His name.
"Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, and a heavy rain came...."
I Kings 18:45
Sunday morning(the day after The Response)during our pre-service prayer time, as we continued to pray for our state and nation, I saw 3 pictures. The first was a map of the United States and on the east coast and west coast were large dark clouds rolled up like a scroll. The scroll of clouds unrolled and the two met and clashed right in the middle of the map over Texas.
The second picture was a giant cauldron or black iron pot with a large stirring stick coming out of it. The stick was being stirred around and around. The waters were whirling around also and I heard the phrase, "I am stirring the waters".
The third, and last picture was of a stage, and there were actors being placed on the stage almost like chess pieces. I heard, "I'm positioning my people in place and setting the stage".
The drought, the day of prayer, and so much about the day we live in has had me thinking about Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. In I Kings 18, Elijah challenged all 450 prophets of Baal to place the pieces of a bull on the wood and then Elijah would do the same. He told them to call on their god to set fire to the wood, and then he would call on His God. And I so love these words that came out of Elijah's mouth next....."the God who answers by fire- He is God."
And we know well what happened next- the fire of the Lord came and completely burned up the sacrifice and even the water in the trench around it.
It is my prayer and I know the prayer of many, that our God who came and consumed Elijah's sacrifice will come and consume the sacrifice of praise, repentance, and prayers of so many contending for our nation. We pray that the rains come and reveal His glory to everyone, for we know that He "sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous". (Matt. 5:45)
I feel like we are already experiencing the effects of the "stirring waters" as so much around us is being shifted and re-shifted. It makes me think of the vs. in Heb. 12:26, "once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens". Thankfully, "we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken"! It is time to press in to the Unshakeable One and His Kingdom and hold on for the wild ride that will come as the waters stir and the earth shakes.
Out of His goodness and mercy, the Father has been in the process of revealing His incomprehensible love to His children all over the world. Everywhere you go, stories abound of God breaking through in unprecedented measures. He is truly setting the stage and will go to great lengths to make sure that those He wants and gave His life for, will take their place on the stage.
He is also setting the stage with those He has already equipped for this day and hour. Some who have been hidden behind the stage curtain will be brought forward and commissioned into leadership. They have walked through seasons of testing and been found faithful.
Just as Elijah's servant looked into the distant sky and saw a cloud the size of a man's hand, we are to lift our eyes to the horizon with eyes that see what God is doing.
May our faith rise to the level needed to see His plans accomplished on the earth today. May we press in to the Beautiful One who willingly made the sacrifice necessary to restore us to the Father. And may we, as a corporate Body and adoring Bride, take our place on the stage next to the Bridegroom to display the Kingdom and do great exploits in His name.
"Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, and a heavy rain came...."
I Kings 18:45
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Integrity
My mother was a master at using meaningful quotes and funny Southern sayings. Some of this "gifting" transferred to me and I find myself remembering and using from time to time random sayings and phrases from my childhood. One such phrase popped up in my head just the other day and a little research reveals it as a quote from Shakespeare's "Hamlet", of all things. The phrase is, "To thine own self be true". As a child, I never really stopped to ponder the meaning, though I think even then I sensed it's meaning from the different contexts in which my mother chose to use it.
The Holy Spirit has brought this phrase to mind several times lately when I've been faced with difficult decisions. It probably has a different meaning to me than even what Shakespeare intended, but it has caused me to pause and reflect before making decisions on what I truly believe and who I truly am.
When all has been said and done, I am ultimately accountable to Him for the decisions I make and how I live my life. Being true to myself is choosing to live by the core values that I have adopted for my life, believing them to be how He has asked me to live. There are many decisions that I can make that will please others around me.....even well-meaning people. But when the dust settles, I have to face myself in the mirror knowing in my heart of hearts that I have followed Him to the best of my ability, and His voice has ruled in my heart over all the other clamoring voices.
The root word for "integrity" means "whole, complete, or undivided". Likewise, a person of integrity is whole, complete, and undivided in words, deeds, or standards. A person of integrity is the same in any given situation. We feel safe around these people because we can trust that they will not sway from their convictions. There are no double standards or double mind or hidden intentions. They are the same at home with their family as they are with their church friends or business associates.
James has some strong words about this in James 1:8 where he says that a "double-minded man is unstable in all he does". Being around a double-minded person is like riding a rowboat in a stormy sea. You never know which way you will be tossed or turned and there is no anchor that settles you into firmer ground.
Jesus modeled integrity and being true to Himself so beautifully. Though He was totally God, He was also totally man and experienced the gamut of human emotions, but He never swayed or veered from who He was or what He came to do. He so fully lived from His heart, loving those around Him unconditionally, yet also being willing to give a stern rebuke when words spoken by some of those closest to Him violated truth as He knew it. He wasn't willing just to allow the wrong mindsets reflected by their words to go unchecked to make them "feel good". He was not a people pleaser. He spoke the truth and trusted that His Father would take care of the rest.
Our integrity has to be based on something or we can become a standard unto ourselves. For the believer, the Word of God and an ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit is the basis on which our integrity is built. We should remain accountable to others, but the Holy Spirit is wonderful at holding up the plumb line at which we are to line up our lives. If a person is unwilling to submit to this ministry of the Holy Spirit, then Jesus is not truly Lord of their life.
Calling Jesus "Lord" has become so cliche in the Christian community that we have often forgotten it's true meaning. The truth is that He is Lord whether we acknowledge it or not. Our choice is whether or not in our day to day life we will choose to submit to His Lordship. Following His leading is often choosing the narrow road or the "road less traveled". If we compare ourselves with others we will usually find we have lots of company and we may be tempted to think we are doing just fine in our choices. But sometimes, He requires an unpopular choice and you may find yourself walking away from the crowd. Though not always immediate, the fruit and reward of following His voice always pays off. Choosing to walk in His Lordship naturally produces integrity.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
--William Shakespeare
The Holy Spirit has brought this phrase to mind several times lately when I've been faced with difficult decisions. It probably has a different meaning to me than even what Shakespeare intended, but it has caused me to pause and reflect before making decisions on what I truly believe and who I truly am.
When all has been said and done, I am ultimately accountable to Him for the decisions I make and how I live my life. Being true to myself is choosing to live by the core values that I have adopted for my life, believing them to be how He has asked me to live. There are many decisions that I can make that will please others around me.....even well-meaning people. But when the dust settles, I have to face myself in the mirror knowing in my heart of hearts that I have followed Him to the best of my ability, and His voice has ruled in my heart over all the other clamoring voices.
The root word for "integrity" means "whole, complete, or undivided". Likewise, a person of integrity is whole, complete, and undivided in words, deeds, or standards. A person of integrity is the same in any given situation. We feel safe around these people because we can trust that they will not sway from their convictions. There are no double standards or double mind or hidden intentions. They are the same at home with their family as they are with their church friends or business associates.
James has some strong words about this in James 1:8 where he says that a "double-minded man is unstable in all he does". Being around a double-minded person is like riding a rowboat in a stormy sea. You never know which way you will be tossed or turned and there is no anchor that settles you into firmer ground.
Jesus modeled integrity and being true to Himself so beautifully. Though He was totally God, He was also totally man and experienced the gamut of human emotions, but He never swayed or veered from who He was or what He came to do. He so fully lived from His heart, loving those around Him unconditionally, yet also being willing to give a stern rebuke when words spoken by some of those closest to Him violated truth as He knew it. He wasn't willing just to allow the wrong mindsets reflected by their words to go unchecked to make them "feel good". He was not a people pleaser. He spoke the truth and trusted that His Father would take care of the rest.
Our integrity has to be based on something or we can become a standard unto ourselves. For the believer, the Word of God and an ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit is the basis on which our integrity is built. We should remain accountable to others, but the Holy Spirit is wonderful at holding up the plumb line at which we are to line up our lives. If a person is unwilling to submit to this ministry of the Holy Spirit, then Jesus is not truly Lord of their life.
Calling Jesus "Lord" has become so cliche in the Christian community that we have often forgotten it's true meaning. The truth is that He is Lord whether we acknowledge it or not. Our choice is whether or not in our day to day life we will choose to submit to His Lordship. Following His leading is often choosing the narrow road or the "road less traveled". If we compare ourselves with others we will usually find we have lots of company and we may be tempted to think we are doing just fine in our choices. But sometimes, He requires an unpopular choice and you may find yourself walking away from the crowd. Though not always immediate, the fruit and reward of following His voice always pays off. Choosing to walk in His Lordship naturally produces integrity.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
--William Shakespeare
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