today, i've been wrestling through my thoughts and reflecting on our full visiting weekend. (we hosted family for new year's and went to dixon for a big family event - celebrating Grandpa Hartzell's 90th birthday!)
my heart is heavy for our friends and family and brothers and sisters that are struggling through all sorts of issues. it's been reminding me of the lessons God has allowed us to work through for many years now. I think we're always in the process of growing and balancing, but lately God has been setting us free from yucky boxes that we've put Him in and ourselves as well as others.
on sunday, we were blessed to join with 2 families who are beginning to meet as a part of the church of dixon in their homes. we read through psalm 2. this and our conversation got me thinking and praying. here's where my thoughts and hopefully the holy Spirit have led me. . .
to begin, a gathering of yesterday's thoughts on psalm 2:
(maybe it would be good to read the psalm first before reading my thoughts on it)
-the nations turn against God, His truth, commandments, etc.
-but in vain as He has a sovereign plan, a coming King
-their (the nations) judgement is from God (not us)
-His plan is through the coming King, Jesus Christ
-serve and worship the Lord, fear Him (not the power of the nations)
-trust His sovereignty (even when things look bad)
-know Jesus Christ who is our blessing, refuge, and hope
so from that context and the context of various conversations throughout the weekend, here are further thoughts related to those above:
-all the yucky stuff we see and experience in the world is a consequence of SIN
-the Spirit helps us to discern and be convicted of problems in ourselves, others, the culture, the church, etc.
-we find solutions to these SIN problems in relationship with God's Word and Spirit
-the problems and solutions we see and find are to point us to our need for a Savior
-but we've gotten caught up in the excitement of movements that teach answers (ex. homeschooling, family integrated church, home church, creation, christian political action, etc.)
-in reacting to SIN and all sorts of answers with good intentions, we've made the mistake of worshipping convictions and have begun to set standards for ourselves and others
-we can fall back on the culture we've created by our personal reactions to SIN, but fail in the heart of all the issues - THIS IS VANITY!
-it is only through CHRIST that SIN is conquered
-we must focus on CHRIST and God's sovereignty! we must trust His sovereign plan! He lets SIN happen. He lets trials and persecution and trouble lead us to see our need for Him!
-we need to seek HIM for a BIBLICAL and SPIRIT LED true balance of LIBERTY
-then the true LIGHT will shine from us through our relationship NOT duty to Christ
-the heart of the issue is knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord - it's the message of the gospel, it's unstoppable!
i don't know that this even makes sense to anybody. but this kind of sums up what has been on my heart and mind. we have been so wrong to set standards for others and for ourselves. we want to confess to those that we have offended in this process of growing up in the Lord. we are so thankful that God has been revealing these things to us. and i guess whether it makes sense to anybody else it doesn't really matter. we rejoice that God is at work. we want to let God do His work in the hearts and lives of our friends and family and serve them and Him by sharing our lives in service however He leads. we pray that He will use our mistakes and the lessons we are learning to help others. and we hope that He will use us to be a light that shines of a sweet relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior and let us rest in the workings and timing of His plan.
He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it!
in Him,
kim milligan :)
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1 comment:
Still processing all of what you wrote, but it was wonderful to read. I know for me, too often, I struggle with how it is possible for God's will for my family to be so different from Hiw Will for someone else's family, that I end up hurting that relationship and put not only a wedge between myself and that person, but a bigger wedge between God and me.
Always good to have a reminder that Salvation and our Belief in God is what brings us together and should be the building point of friendships. I really need to work on that.
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