Love All the Colors!

Funny thing happened while I was teaching last week. We were talking about the Les Fauves technique and his use for colors. I had explained to one of my students "While painting your self portrait we can't use the normal colors. We need to use fun colors." My point was that he never used anything realistic, he focused on the more colorful aspect. When I said that, one of my students piped in and said "Are you saying not all colors are fun? That's a little rude, don't you think, stereo typing the colors and all?"

How could you not laugh at that? Such a funny thought coming out of young minds. But it reminded me how quick we are to judge, literally, everything around us. I know I try so carefully not to judge those around me, but I was shown today how I am capable of judging without even realizing it. Thankfully, I was only judging something small such as colors from a pallet in art class. But how often have I unknowingly judged people? The last thing I want to do is judge people. That's not my job or my place.

I'm so thankful for subtle life lessons provided for us. What a fun way for God to teach us through the laughable moments in our daily interactions. We just have to be open to hearing what He has to teach us. And the small lesson I learned while teaching art class today, love all the colors of the pallet, equally!

Deny Yourself

What does it mean to you to give up everything to be a follower of Christ? Would you? Give up absolutely everything you've ever known, to follow our one true king? What about the little things people don't think about when they are doing a spiritual spring cleaning? The memories of a hurtful past. A reputation. A way of living.

These past couple weeks one of my small groups has been working through the Radical study by David Platt. He really got my attention the first week when he explained that we have to deny ourselves completely to make room for Christ in our life. I loved that and prayed that God would fill me as I deny myself for Him. But this week alone, I've seen a whole new way of looking at denying myself. Its hard to truly deny yourself for Christ when you get down to it. Looking at yourself in a deeper more vulnerable way and deciding if you would actually give that part up in order to follow Christ.

You might be someone who has to change their view on living. Maybe you're someone who was abused as a child. Whether it be physical, verbal, or emotional. Maybe you've grown so accustomed to building up a wall around yourself that you don't even notice when you're shutting others out. Or worse you've started hurting the ones who love you most because someone else hurt you. Maybe you're the first Christian in your family, and its hard for you to wrap your mind around the life Jesus wants for you because all you've ever known was heartache and pain. Jesus wants to give you life, happiness, love. He wants you to experience everything He has to offer. But you might need to let go of your past to follow Him. You have to "deny yourself". Let go of the "this is all I've ever known" mentality to embrace a new way to look at life. A brighter way of life, God's way.

Maybe you're someone who grew up in a Christ-filled home. You went to church and Sunday School every week, maybe even the midweek services/programs. You read the Bible at home, your parents taught you how to look up passages if you weren't sure. And now that you're older, you might see a friend, spouse or loved one struggling and you want to show them in the Bible where it can guide them through the struggles or "throw the book at them". But you know that would be rude, because only God can reveal that to them. He might be able to use you to show them, but only in His timing. You have to "deny yourself". Let go of that "know it all" "I can help" thought process and just let God do the hard work. Focus on how you can grow closer to God, and He'll ease the stress on both ends.

Denying yourself can lead you down some very vulnerable roads. You might have to admit that you've been putting up a wall to shut others out, or you might have to let go of the controls and let God take the lead. Nobody likes to admit when they've been wrong. Its not fun.

I encourage you today, to look at your life to find a way to "deny yourself" as a way to follow Christ. Even when the pain seems unbearable. Having a support system at home is a great feeling, but letting Christ be the center of your life and letting Him take away your pain and struggles is a greater feeling.

Be a Party Animal

Quiet time. What is quiet time to you? Do you read your Bible? Do you play worship music? Do you have your own little praise and worship party on your own? Do you have a prayer closet? When I first started being diligent in my quiet times they were just that. Quiet. As I grow closer to God my "quiet times" are becoming less and less quiet. Don't get me wrong, sometimes its good for us to just be still, and listen to His voice. (Psalm 46:10) But we are also to make a joyful noise to the Lord. (Psalm 98:4; Psalm 100:1-2) I prefer to read my Bible in the morning with my coffee and do my reading plan through the Bible app. It gets my day started off on the right foot, and everything just falls into place. And yes, every now and then, I'll put on one of my favorite CDs and just worship the Lord right there in my living room.

A few weeks ago I was going through the reading plan by Dave Adamson, Chasing the Light. On the last day he talked about "quiet times." He asked us what we thought Jesus' quiet times looked like. What would His "quiet times" look like?? Mr. Adamson further mentioned that he asked a friend who was a Jewish Rabbi what he thought. The friend explained the traditional Jewish daily devotions for many centuries has been anything but quiet. They would do public readings of Scripture, singing praise and worship, and praying loudly while walking and moving continually. It's anything but quiet.
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/3353-chasing-the-light/day/5 (Great read, you should check it out sometime.)

Scarcely does the Bible mention Jesus' quiet times. Because He was ALWAYS talking to God. He took any chance He could to pray, focus on and exalt the Lord. His widest method of teaching, however, was by example. (Luke 11:1) The disciples wanted to so badly to become like Jesus, so they would ask Him to explain the "correct" way of praying, living, worshiping, anything. We also have to remember that God was with Him, and in Him. (John 1:1) While He did have some private time set aside to be alone with God, He also wanted to show us what it was like to be one with God. Just think, if Jesus (who was one with God) needed some time to be alone and grow closer to God, how much more do we need to set some time aside to just be alone with the Lord.

We can also learn from the other lessons Jesus taught us. We are a living example of God's love here on earth. After our quiet times alone with God, we then need to take that love and share it with everybody. Jesus never kept God to Himself, He shared Him with everybody. And not just other believers either, He went to the sinners, the beggars, the prostitutes. Jesus wanted to save them more than anything. As my pastor mentioned a few weeks ago in church, "Jesus was a party animal." He never turned anybody away, or avoided anyone. He welcomed everyone to His presence. As He was walking around, praising God with His life, He welcomed everyone to join Him.

Maybe you need to take the next step in your "quiet times." Maybe you need to get a little louder and pop in a worship CD or turn on Pandora and start a worship party of one right in your living room, or get your family involved. Or maybe you've got the home thing down, now you need to live it out loud and take it to the public. Be like Jesus, be a party animal, and welcome everyone into the splendor of the Lord.