How great is our God
Today went as unexpectedly as each day seems to go. Run this morning followed by a silent breakfast with a couple of my peers. Mostly silent that is. I'll try and come back to this.
Then to a coffee shop this morning after being released from any duties to the Army for a while. My friend and I intended on staying for a few hours and then we would each go do some other things. Jason would run some errands. I would go sleep myself silly (this week has been particularly full with the comings and goings of ministry related activity). We ended up staying there the better part of the morning and into the afternoon. Outside of the Word, I was reading in an interesting book by Tim Lahaey, the Left Behind guy, I think. Only this is called Why You Act the Way You Do. It is all about personality types and I'm finding it a very quick, interesting and certainly applicable book. Applicable in enabling me to have a better understanding of myself and others. Turns out I'm a "Melancholy/Phlegmatic." That is to say I'm predominately melancholy with phlegmatic as my secondary personality. I won't go into explaining any of that. I recommend looking into it for yourself.
After much reading, my friend and I squared off across a checker board. A moment of confession: I hate loosing. I love winning. I love playing games where I know I stand a good chance of winning. I don't enjoy playing games that I stand a good chance of loosing. I like strategy but I think I'm always frustrated by my inability to quickly and easily see multiple moves in advance. Ergo I torture my opponents with ridiculously long games anytime they coerce me into games such as checkers, chess, and the like. As my beloved brother Josh will tell you (who has a much faster and adept mind than I, hence my constant reluctance to take him on head to head) I rarely will sit down to such a worthy game as Risk or Axis and Allies. "It's not you, it's me." I hate the long drawn out agony of the competition, only to be left with the bitter taste of defeat. What it comes down to is that I've been a bad sport all my life. I'm no fun to play with unless I'm beating you, and that isn't all that much fun, I suppose. So I didn't really enjoy it when an... ungracefully aging woman happened by and felt the need to comment on our game with the tone of, "boy your are idiots. Don't you see what to do. Just look at the board." I lost to my friend shortly thereafter.
Oh, so back to the silent breakfast and I'll tie in a connection to the book I read and frustrations I've been experiencing lately. Primarily people want to be comfortable. At least in our society. If it is not the primary concern it is certainly one of the top priorities of our culture. Comfort can mean a variety of things. And to my natural fleshly self, my melancholy/phlegmatic self, I am constantly finding that I don't like being confrontational; I don't naturally enjoy being awkward in my relationships and conversations with people. I want it all to flow nice and smoothly and I usually have a hard time finding natural feeling ways to turn conversations (with people that aren't trying to follow God) on to subjects of eternal value, which it so happens stand a good chance of being... uncomfortable. So, why am I saying all this? Not sure. I suppose in order to challenge those of you that may experience the same tendencies and to ask for prayer, too. Let us not be abashed: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Romans 1.16 Also, let us not use any excuse to be obedient to Jesus as laborers in the harvest, even such a seemingly legitimate excuse as "this is how you made me God." God knows how He made us (Psalm 139). But we are His slaves and we must push through our weakness by the power of the Spirit. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." Consider this: Luke 12.47-48 He does not ask for excuses. He asks for a return on the investment He has made in us. Granted, it seems as though the Master will accept even mere interest (Luke 19.23), but why should we ever aim for the minimum? He has done so much for us. What excuses do we make to wait till tomorrow to obey? To Him who lacks wisdom, let him ask for it and the Father will grant it. We must ask Him to show us what knowledge we lack and then in love obey according to that knowledge.
That is what is on my mind. How great is our God, that He should count us as anything? That He should work in our hearts? That He should save any? That He has not forgotten me yet or ever been unfaithful? As my beloved grandmother says, He is "great and glorious."
Then to a coffee shop this morning after being released from any duties to the Army for a while. My friend and I intended on staying for a few hours and then we would each go do some other things. Jason would run some errands. I would go sleep myself silly (this week has been particularly full with the comings and goings of ministry related activity). We ended up staying there the better part of the morning and into the afternoon. Outside of the Word, I was reading in an interesting book by Tim Lahaey, the Left Behind guy, I think. Only this is called Why You Act the Way You Do. It is all about personality types and I'm finding it a very quick, interesting and certainly applicable book. Applicable in enabling me to have a better understanding of myself and others. Turns out I'm a "Melancholy/Phlegmatic." That is to say I'm predominately melancholy with phlegmatic as my secondary personality. I won't go into explaining any of that. I recommend looking into it for yourself.
After much reading, my friend and I squared off across a checker board. A moment of confession: I hate loosing. I love winning. I love playing games where I know I stand a good chance of winning. I don't enjoy playing games that I stand a good chance of loosing. I like strategy but I think I'm always frustrated by my inability to quickly and easily see multiple moves in advance. Ergo I torture my opponents with ridiculously long games anytime they coerce me into games such as checkers, chess, and the like. As my beloved brother Josh will tell you (who has a much faster and adept mind than I, hence my constant reluctance to take him on head to head) I rarely will sit down to such a worthy game as Risk or Axis and Allies. "It's not you, it's me." I hate the long drawn out agony of the competition, only to be left with the bitter taste of defeat. What it comes down to is that I've been a bad sport all my life. I'm no fun to play with unless I'm beating you, and that isn't all that much fun, I suppose. So I didn't really enjoy it when an... ungracefully aging woman happened by and felt the need to comment on our game with the tone of, "boy your are idiots. Don't you see what to do. Just look at the board." I lost to my friend shortly thereafter.
Oh, so back to the silent breakfast and I'll tie in a connection to the book I read and frustrations I've been experiencing lately. Primarily people want to be comfortable. At least in our society. If it is not the primary concern it is certainly one of the top priorities of our culture. Comfort can mean a variety of things. And to my natural fleshly self, my melancholy/phlegmatic self, I am constantly finding that I don't like being confrontational; I don't naturally enjoy being awkward in my relationships and conversations with people. I want it all to flow nice and smoothly and I usually have a hard time finding natural feeling ways to turn conversations (with people that aren't trying to follow God) on to subjects of eternal value, which it so happens stand a good chance of being... uncomfortable. So, why am I saying all this? Not sure. I suppose in order to challenge those of you that may experience the same tendencies and to ask for prayer, too. Let us not be abashed: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Romans 1.16 Also, let us not use any excuse to be obedient to Jesus as laborers in the harvest, even such a seemingly legitimate excuse as "this is how you made me God." God knows how He made us (Psalm 139). But we are His slaves and we must push through our weakness by the power of the Spirit. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." Consider this: Luke 12.47-48 He does not ask for excuses. He asks for a return on the investment He has made in us. Granted, it seems as though the Master will accept even mere interest (Luke 19.23), but why should we ever aim for the minimum? He has done so much for us. What excuses do we make to wait till tomorrow to obey? To Him who lacks wisdom, let him ask for it and the Father will grant it. We must ask Him to show us what knowledge we lack and then in love obey according to that knowledge.
That is what is on my mind. How great is our God, that He should count us as anything? That He should work in our hearts? That He should save any? That He has not forgotten me yet or ever been unfaithful? As my beloved grandmother says, He is "great and glorious."
posted by Brett at 11:11 PM
4 Comments:
ooooh maaaan.....I could use a book like that! ;-)
Well... my first comment is does "ungracefully aging woman " translate into old hag..lol... have to tell you that made me laugh outloud... and you are so right on you not wanting to lose.... never really fully understood that because i often times am the one on the team that everyone is like "gosh emily dont you care" :)
I really enjoyed your blog.... its cool to me how God works in peoples hearts, i love the way that he knows exactly what we need in order to get what we need in order to grow. I will so pray for you that God would give you the wisdom and guidance that you will need to know when to say what.... on one condition that you will pray for me for the exact same thing.
Brett I cant believe you are about to go.... there is so much that I want to pick your brain about, so much that I want to tell you, so much that i want to hear from you about what God is doing in your life... I will miss you more than you will ever know, and i will pray for you daily!
much love
emily
my brother...you are not as bad loser as I once was. Josh can tell you the Stratego story if you forgot. He is the best. Let's just get over it.....He's the best player in the family, up til now, but he is also one who will go off if he loses. So, judge not.
We miss you and keep you in our prayers. I sent your blog to Uncle Talmadge. He will likely write you. Bless the Lord who always finds ways into our hearts. Truly what a gift knowing Him is. Be patient and sure, He will deliver us unto himself.
I also read that book and found it a great help as well. I am glad that you know a little of what makes you who you are. You're the work in process too, so don't get stuck in a rut of "well that's just the way I am." Only Jesus gets to say that without it being prideful. So, glad to know you. Guten Nacht from T.
SEVERAL COMMENTS...
1. Florence Littauer has the best book on personality types I've ever read. And, no wonder I enjoy your blog...all my bestest friends are melancholy/phlegmatics!
2. ¿Did it occur to you that "ungracefully aging woman" was a shill paid by the ruthless opponent? The best way to deflate someone is using someone else. ¿Without confidence how could you win?
3.I don't believe it's necessary for you to take resposibility for turning a conversation toward eternal matters. God will do that Himself. You just need to be prepared when it happens.
4. You are a natural Barnabas. Thank you.
Aunt Donnave
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