Spiritual Identity Theft?

I’ve been uber busy people!  – pre-holiday cleaning for the burglars, post-holiday laundry, grocery shopping, trips home to visit my sister who’s poorly and a son going off to collage not to mention all the ‘church stuff’… yep it’s buzzzzzzy. Trying to get time with God has been a real challenge over this summer; our God time is often the first thing to go when life is squeezed isn’t it? As my role changes (I’ve now an empty nest) I’ve become acutely aware of my need for God to remind me who I am because without Him I’m not really, well… me! I posit there is a link between who we are after spending time with God and our identity. And I’m not the only one look at Moses after spending time with God his face shone…

We like to be shiny… we all have a public presentable ‘identity’ but God is after the real you. At the end of your life He won’t ask ‘why couldn’t you have been more like Mother Teresa’? There’s a great bumper sticker which reads ‘be yourself everyone else is taken’ and that’s the point. God made you – you for a purpose. Your temperament, your ethnicity, your gifts and limitations, your parenting even, was all thought through for a reason. Nevertheless we need to get smart our enemy is a great liar; if he can deceive you about who you are you’ll live an unfulfilled life. Do you ever find you to live to please people, or live through the distorting filter of comparison? Do you feel the pressure to be something or someone you’re not? Do you forget your royal position? These are all evidence of his handiwork and why we need regular Holy Spirit infilling.

I’m speaking to myself here but we can snooze into apathy and indifference to who we are and what we’re meant to be doing on this earth. We can easily be distracted robbing us of our identity and our part in the greatest show on earth! We need to pursue what God values; we need to know our ‘role’ so we can keep our focus passionate. You see our values and convictions shape our choices which shape our lives.  I’m a wobbly person deeply flawed and often wrong. I need my saviour to whisper who He says I am when the world says I’m useless; conversely I need Him to humble me when I forget without Him I’m nothing. Get with God today and ask Him to remind you who you are…

Hugs Ruth x

The Limitation of 'self help'

I'd like to flag up a less obvious, kinda quiet, culturally accepted ideal - if we just tried a bit harder or exercised more discipline we'd be able to accomplish oh just so much more!!! Self improvement strategies and how to 'be all you want to be' and 'get the most from life you can' is one of the fastest growing markets in the West. Our search for improvement is big business! Some of these tools can be useful in helping us negotiate life. It is healthy to be able to say 'no' at times to others or more often ourselves. It can bring life into our life, to rest, to forgive, to let go and more. However all our efforts are of limited value because the one thing strikingly consistent in humanity is our inconsistency... Many books, CD's or video's sit in a drawers gathering dust while our intention to change is seduced by another fad or worse still these things serve to reinforce our own negativity about ourselves. I think its part of the enemies plan, to fuel frustration, self loathing and discouragement... oh and did I mention big business? 

So what do we do with this? There most certainly is a need to press through stuff, to implements changes which will help us to waltz in rhythm with the music of our maker. To quote John Ortberg 'We are God's project not ours'. But that's the point, the changes we work through need to be Spirit led. In Zechariah 4:6  we're reminded 'No not by power nor even might but by My Spirit says the Lord God Almighty'! Boy doesn't that take the pressure off! I don't know about you but I'd rather eat my own personal elephant one Holy Spirit inspired bite at a time. I want to work in harmony with Him so my 'self' is changed for God's glory for eternity.

Be encouraged - 'We can do ALL things through Christ who strengthen us' Philippians 4:13. 

Hgs Ruth x

In Quiet in Crisis

Giving birth is a scary thing - I've been blessed to do it twice but both times there was a point at which mentally and physically I felt overwhelmed and I thought nope I'll do this another day. I actually tried to talk my husband into taking me home! One thing I noticed was my inability to make noise of any sort. On some strange unconscious level it seemed the quieter I was, the less reality the physical and mental meltdown held. This was in total contrast to the poor women in the room next to me! I guess what I discovered about myself is I'm simply not a screamer. Interestingly the medical staff told me they are more mindful of the 'quiet ones' because less alarm is raised when things go wrong. The danger is as we try and suppress or put on our stiff upper lip we can make ourselves unwell. Given the rise of diagnosis of mental health problems we can perhaps assume there are many people are going through life in quiet crisis.

We all deal with crisis in different ways like the woman next to me in hospital - you may be vocal, you may be a great communicator who works out solutions, reasons and understanding through interaction with other people or God in prayer. If this is you be encouraged that you've found a way to get purchase on the slippery rock-face of crisis. There are others who internalise in an equally healthy way. You may get your purchase through reading, information finding, meditation, reflective prayer or writing.

I am aware of a number of you going through different aspects of crisis (thanks to those of you who have shared privately via email- you are in my prayers and it is my privilege to encourage you). It breaks my heart to know there are folks going through awful situations feeling so very alone. For some of us the pain of life can be just too much, so gut wrenching that it feels like no one else could possibly understand. Beloved when you are paralysed in the moment of utter doubt, utter hurt, utter crisis there is one who understands. His name is Jesus and He gets you, He gets the situation from the inside out of who you are. He will sit with you till your head stops spinning and your breath returns. He will comfort you and nurse your brokenness back to life. You don't ever have to be alone - ask Him to meet you there humbly, quietly in your crisis for He cares. 

" Cor 1:3&4 'Praise be to the God and Father of out Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.'

very gentle Hugs this week

Ruth x