Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Talking to yourself

I talk to myself frequently. Rachel catches me doing it and it gives her a good laugh. But I find solace in the fact that David and Paul do it too!

Check this out: David talking to himself -- "Why are you downcast oh my soul?...Hope in God!" (Ps. 42:5-6, 43:5)

And in Romans 6-8, Paul describes his fighting against sin like he's talking to himself --

1. "consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ" (6:11)
2. "what fruit were you getting from the things of which you are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death." (6:21)
3. "set your minds on the things of the Spirit..." (8:5)
4. "by the spirit but to death the deeds of the body and you will live...the spirit testifies that we are children of God...fellow heirs with Christ...suffering with him, that we may also be glorified with him." (8:13-17)

So how should we talk to ourselves as we are fighting our sin? Here's what I gather from these self-talkers:

1. Look at your sin and see how it can't deliver what it's promising. (i.e. approval, comfort, power, control)
2. Turn to God by the Spirit which testifies that you are a child of God, and heir with Christ, glorified with him. Fill your heart with these gospel promises of who you are in Christ.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Sin and Death as Illustrated by a Flying Roach

by Rachel

The other night I went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I opened the shower curtain and immediately saw some kind of large insect on the shower wall, furiously flapping brown wings. I thought it might be a huge moth. At any rate I let out an ear-piercing scream and bolted out, nearly jamming a finger in the process as I banged it against the sink counter. Ben came in and after I told him what I had seen, he began searching the bathroom and finally found the unwelcome visitor - a big roach. Texas-style, large flying cockroach.

The roach proceeded to crawl out of the bathroom and head straight for my closet, to my horror. I knew that if we lost it in my closet, there was no way I was going into my closet for the next few days, and I was going to have to beg my sweet husband to get my clothes out for me. Thankfully, Ben chased the roach as it went in and started throwing a bunch of my clothes out as he followed it. After a couple of requests for tools to assist him in his mission and a couple of misses, he got the roach under one of my slippers (which will be washed thoroughly) and pounded his fist on the slipper until the roach was, let's say, no longer a threat. He flushed it down the toilet, and finally I could breathe again. The rest of the night all I wanted to do was hug him, tell him I loved him and thank him for saving me from that awful creature.

I guess the Holy Spirit got me thinking - I was overflowing with love and gratitude to my husband, even thanking him for "saving" me. Why do I rarely do that with God? Have I EVER done that with God? I realized that maybe I have never seen my sin and the penalty of it with as much fear, horror and desperation as I saw with that roach. What a weird thought, but it felt so relevant. I felt more horrified and in need of a savior at the thought of a flying cockroach coming at me or hiding in my clothes than I usually do at the thought of my disobedience to God and utter failure to measure up to His holiness and righteousness.

Thank You, Lord, for reminding me of Your gospel of grace in these little experiences. Thank You for providing for my ultimate need for a savior even though I often don't even realize my need. Thank You that it's only by Your grace that I am saved, and not by anything I do.

NOTE: Please do not let this story deter you from ever visiting our home! This is not a common occurrence. Besides, whose house NEVER has any kind of random vermin show up every once in a while? This is reality, people. :)