Shine Brightly for Christ

I've been hanging around in Philippians 2 this week.  Do you ever do that?  Hang out in the same portion of scripture for a while?  Meditating, pondering? There is so much in this whole chapter. Deep things.  Awesome things.  I especially like this portion:

Shine Brightly for Christ

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God,[e] just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Don't you just love the sub-heading that is in this version?  Shine brightly for Christ!   That seems so appropriate for this time of year.  But really it is good all year round.  The world can be a dark and dreary place at times.  We have the creator of light inside us as believers.   He has been telling me to shine for quite a while now.  I was a little confused by it.  It didn't sound "Bibical" to me.  But I was praying and listening to the Lord.  I should have just trusted Him.  But hearing the Lord can be iffy at times.  I'm still learning to listen.  But when I found this in the NLT version it made my heart sing!  Yes!  I had heard Him correctly.  I was to shine.  Now to obey.  That seems hard but look at verse 13. God is working in you to give you the desire and power to do what pleases Him. WOW!!!  Does that amaze you like it does me?  He tells us to do something, like shining in my case, and than He gives us the desire and power to do it!  

Why have I struggled in my own power to obey?  Why did I not know this was in the word?  I don't know but I'm super excited that I've found it.  Now I can make headway in that shining directive.  

Look at verse 15.  Shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.  Think of driving through a city on a dark and foreboding night. Now think of driving on that same night but there are beautiful shining Christmas lights everywhere.   What a difference!   That is what we are to be doing shining, making a difference.  

Well these were just some random thoughts I've been pondering this week. This blog is "In Donna's head".  So now you know for this week what's been in my head.  I hope you feel inspired to obey that quiet nudging of God knowing he is giving you the desire and power to do it.  Blessings on you my sweet readers!  

JADED!

Buffaloes!  There is a field near me that has buffaloes in it.  There is even a white one.  I have been driving by them for 15 plus years.  I remember when I first saw them.  I was so excited.  I couldn't wait to show my girls.  It made me smile every time I passed them.  I wanted to stop and take a picture but I haven't.  I wondered why the owner had them and if they were happy in that field. It seemed a little small.  Did they have enough room?    You know buffaloes roaming and all.  Yes, I thought a lot about them, than.

But I've grown accustomed to them now.  They are old hat.  Been there, done that, have the T-shirt.
OH NO!  I've become JADED!  No longer excited.  No longer want to share the joy of them.  Yawn!

As I was thinking about them I thought, Have I become that same way about Christmas?  Don't get me wrong I'm the type that listens to Christmas songs in July but....  This year has been so busy and I'm so behind.  I feel a little over it.  Counting the days till its over.  Lord forgive me.  Than I have to ask myself, Why?  I think I know before I get the word out of my mouth.  I'm not focusing on Him.  Jesus!  Yes, I'm still showing up and praying each day having a lovely time of fellowship.  But I've been looking at all the trappings of Christmas;  the hustle and bustle, the shopping, the stress of getting the "right" gift etc.  Not stopping and looking at the wonder, the joy, the pureness of the love that came to the world that first Christmas.   I've become JADED!  Looking at Christmas but missing the true spirit, the true meaning.

I'm going to stop and breathe and enjoy!  Going to enjoy the joy!  I may even take another look at the buffaloes and the wonder of them and the wonder of their creator who sent His son for me!

Truth

I was reading something that reminded me that we need to be truthful.  The truth is that I don't have it together. I try to be honest and truthful.  I try to be real.  But I fail miserably.  I have fallen down more than I have walked this walk of faith.  But through my whole life, right in the middle of each hot mess, there is one bright bold truth.  God has been faithful, never changing, always there.  So in case you have read my writings here and think I am saying I have all the answers, let me say out loud:  I have no answers save the ones I have gotten from a faithful, awesome, never changing God.  My Heavenly Father. When I fall I grab my skinned bleeding knee and limping and struggling I run to him, to his outstretched arms.  And always he embraces me and forgives, heals, loves me.  Yes, I'm a child of God.  Yes, He says I'm beautiful.  Yes, His love never fails.  But often these truths I believe in my heart I struggle with in my head.  I see the stink of my sin at eye's level and I can't always understand how He can love me and call me beautiful.  How he can extend grace and love and forgiveness to one as sinful as me.  I guess that is a place where faith is called into play.  We have to have faith to receive and believe what he offers and says about us.  He says yes, our sins are disgusting, our righteousness is like smelly old bloody rags but His righteousness He gives us, freely.  His beautiful rightfulness, pure, pristine, clean, perfect rightness, He chooses to give to us mere sinful mortals.  It belongs to us and we can walk in it.  What a joyful thing!  What a marvelous thing!  What a wondrous thing!  And it's ours to walk in to marvel at and to be eternally grateful for and to walk out.  It may take a lifetime or more to understand to live it out.  But all I'm saying here is start.  Start contemplating His truths and what He says about you.  Confess your sins to Him and start the journey and if you have but you still struggle like me.  Let's start embracing truth and honesty. Maybe a little at a time.  The thought of being transparent is scary.  But lets start walking toward living that way.  Come join me.

More to come as I struggle and grapple with this.