The Guilt That Doesn't Belong to You

It's been one of those days- when you think about all of the things you have said, thought, done, or DIDN'T say, think, or do that hurt other people or yourself.  The sins of years past come out from the shadows into the open and won't leave you alone.  The guilt weighs your heart down and prevents you from moving on with the day and even though you have asked God for forgiveness, you still worry about the feelings of others or if people will see or treat you the same way.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

So are you living with feelings of guilt, or in God's truth?

Guilt is a very powerful tool used by both God and the devil, but it is used in very different ways.

God uses guilt to remind us of our unconfessed sin.  It's like a flashing sign saying "Hey! There's something weighing you down, so bring it to me and repent of your sing."  God wants us to have a peaceful heart - he doesn't want us to live in guilt forever.  By confessing our sin to Him, that true guilt is no longer from God.

But what if I still feel guilty after repenting of my sin?

Satan doesn't want you to feel the peace that God gives. He gives us a false sense of guilt.  How do you know which guilt you are feeling?  Ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. Have I confessed and repented of this sin?
2.When did I confess it?
3. Was I sincere?

If you answer yes to all these questions then you are forgiven and the guilt you feel is a false guilt from Satan.  If you had a no, you can ask God right now for forgiveness and have peace in your heart.  And when memories of your sin and guilt come up in your head again, tell Satan that he has no power over you but that you have been reminded of God's mercy.

Of course, if your sin has also hurt someone else it is important to ask for their forgiveness too.  Anyone and everyone can be hurt by another's sin and it is important to let both God and others know how we feel.

Guilt hurts more than a splinter, more than a bee sting, more than steeping on legos....gasp.  But that doesn't mean you have to let it fester inside of you.  There is a way to free yourself from the guilt and know that God has forgiven your sin.

(If you'd like to read the full article "Living with Guilt" click here.)

"Crazy Love" - Part 1

I guess I'm a little behind - this book came out in 2008 along with all the hype surrounding it.  Honestly it's been on my bookshelf for a few years and I wish I hadn't waited this long to read it.  I'm working on chapter 6 right now, but there was so much content already covered so I decided to split my discussion into at least 2 posts.

"Crazy Love" is by Pastor Francis Chan.  The main idea of his book is that people are missing the mark of what God wants his followers to do and how to live for him.  At the beginning of the book, Chan asks the reader to watch this video in order to prepare your heart and mind for what he has to talk about.

Certainly the most interesting chapter so far is chapter 4, where he talks about "lukewarm Christians" or halfhearted love for God.  When I first started reading the chapter I was like "Of course I'm committed to God- what is he talking about?"  But after reading the chapter, I knew I was guilty of more than one of these statements.  (These are directly from the book)

1. Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians do, so they go. (Isaiah 29:13)

2. Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church…as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right? (1 Chronicles 21:24; Luke 21:1-4)

3. Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives (Luke 6:26; Rev. 3:1; Matthew 23:5-7).

4. Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one (John 10:10; Romans 6:1-2).

5. Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers (James 1:22; James 4:17; Matthew 21:28-31).

6. Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion (Matthew 10:32-33).

7. Lukewarm people gauge their morality or “goodness” by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren’t as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street (Luke 18:11-12).
I think I commit this sin every day.  "At least I'm not like THAT person" goes through my mind often.

8. Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives (Luke 9:57-62).

9. Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn’t really possible for the average person; it’s only for pastors and missionaries and radicals (Matthew 22:37-38).
I have to disagree with the 2nd half of this statement.  Only pastors, missionaries, and radicals can be completely devoted to God?  If that was the case, people with any other career than these 3 things would be considered "less Christian." 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  God wants all people to come to Him, not a select few.

10. Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached (Matthew 5:43-47; Luke 14:12-14).

11. Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money and energy they are willing to give (Luke 18:21-25).

12. Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come. Regarding this, C.S. Lewis wrote, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this” (Philippians 3:18-20; Colossians 3:2).

13. Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point out, “Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only that the love of money is.” Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel “Called” to minister to the rich; very few feel “called” to minister to the poor (Matthew 25:34, 40; Isaiah 58:6-7).

14. Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough” without it requiring too much of them. They ask, “How far can I go before it’s considered a sin?” instead of “How can I keep myself pure as a temple of the Holy Spirit?” They ask, “How much do I have to give?” instead of “How much can I give?” They ask, “How much time should I spend praying and reading my Bible? Instead of “I wish I didn’t have to go to work, so I could sit here and read longer!” (1 Chronicles 29:14; Matthew 13:44-46).

15. Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God (1 Timothy 6:17-18; Matthew 10:28).

16. Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a “Christian nation” (Matthew 7:21; Amos 6:1)

17. Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens-they have their savings account. They don’t need God to help them – they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live – they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis – their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God (Luke 12:16-21; Hebrews 11).
This one got me thinking too.  I live a comfortable life- I don't go hungry, I have a place to live, I have nice clothes, and nice things.  If I lost it all, would I be mad at God and still thank Him or would I feel insecure and lose trust?  "Prosperity hardens the heart." - William Wilberforce

18. Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong (Matthew 23:25-28).

Alright, how many can you relate to?  Kind of shakes you up a bit, right?

Of course, no one is perfect.  Certainly God's grace covers us - but we need to strive to break away from these habits and WANT to turn away from them.

In chapter 5, Chan makes a statement that many who have read the book find controversial.  He says that lukewarm Christians will not go to heaven.  I don't really know where to stand on this one...God says in John 3:16 that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  It depends how you define lukewarm I guess. Is there such a thing?

  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic and book in general :)

Patio Work

We are finally done with our patio work!  Here are some pictures to show you what's been going on...

We bought 8 packs of impatiens, which was a few too many so
we had a few left over.  The planters had old strawberry plants
in them which we had to rip out first.

Lots of dead....stuff.

We didn't know how far apart to plant these things
so I hope this works out ok!

Tada! We found this pretty patio set on sale that
came with 4 chairs and the table for $99.  I know it would
look nicer if I put away the bucket and dirt:)  Plus the 2 trash
bags in the back (I'm cleaning cast iron pans with oven cleaner
in those-they have to sit in the bag for 2 days ugh)

There was also a flower bed on the other side of the apartment that obviously hadn't been tended for the last one or five years.  We didn't plant any flowers there but the weeds had to go.  In the process we found a porcelain bed post knob, a nylon belt, a small plastic dump truck, and a shower curtain rod!  Who would have guessed?  So now all I have to do is find a windchime since all our neighbors have one :)

Root Beer Float Cookies

 

I found this recipe for Root Beer Float Cookies at Six Sisters Stuff and they were delicious!  Mine didn't turn out as flat or as dark as the ones in the picture, but they stayed nice and soft.  The original recipe can be found here - I actually havled the cookie recipe and thirded the frosting recipe since I don't like to overload my cookies with frosting.

Cookie Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. root beer extract or concentrate

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Frosting Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar (or icing sugar)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 Tbsp. milk

1/2 to 1 tsp. root beer extract or concentrate

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375º.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg an beat into mixture. Beat in buttermilk and root beer extract.

Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375º for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth.

Frost cooled cookies.

 

Makes 18-22 cookies.