Live it or Lose It
My cell phone has an auto-correct option. This can be either be very good or bad, very mortifying or profound. Recently I was having a terrible time with our old cable company’s customer service and took it to the Twitter to complain. I meant to type the phrase, “About to lose my religion with these cable people!” Instead my phone auto-corrected me and it came out, “About to LIVE my religion with these cable people!” When I read it before I tweeted (because I’ve learned my lesson on that) I was ashamed at myself (because I hadn’t lived it with the customer service agent I had just spoken with) so I just deleted the thing. But that doesn’t mean I stopped thinking about it.
What if, in those moments we are about to lose our religion we live it instead? That we would get to that point of explosion and rather than vomit rage we would be a geyser of grace? That we would lay down our pride and get over ourselves for just a minute? Luke has been preaching a series on revival and it’s eating my lunch. One of the big issues I have faced this year is how to guard against bitterness when my family or church is maligned. My flesh tempts me to respond in kind because I’m so over it. OVER IT. But Jesus has reminded me so many times in my spirit, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” I have to remember that the majority of people who lash out are doing it out of their own issues and that those have nothing to do with me at all. Hurt people hurt people. So do we hurt them back? No. We reach out. We entreat. But if there is only a temporary response or no response at all and they continue their angry rants? Well, then we love them with the cross in between us. He is our justice and knows the cost of our obedient restraint.
I don’t know if that means anything to you at all or if you find yourself at a similar crossroads of losing it or living it. I would love to hear how you respond when you find yourselves in this ridiculously hard place.
*I wrote this post a few months back and desperately needed the reminder. Thought I would share it again with you in case you did, too.*
Girl thanks for that word. Jus what I needed as a reminder to be a gyser not a vomitter.(is that even a word? Must be. IPhone spell check didn’t change it! :-) )
Really guarding my heart against bitterness, my mind against ungodly thoughts, and keeping my big Mouth shut. Once again you spoke directly to me. Live you! (ha. That WAS an accident. Meant LOVE but I’ll just leave it!)
Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 6:16 am
I live you too MB! :) I love you my dear friend..
This was really good…thanks for sharing.
That was great. You so express yourself so well and it reaches so many of our hearts IF not all of them. You rock girl. I will be able to bring myself up short whenever the situation arises and I might lose my religion and not live it. I did have the opportunity a few weeks ago to lose it, but the situation did not present itself and for that I am so thankful. It would have been an awful testimony to those present and most especially to my grown son. Now, I have the means to not lose it but to live it…..your words got into my heart. Thank you.
Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 6:17 am
Mary Lou, I am so grateful when the situations don’t present themselves. I think a lot of my conflict is a product of my imagination. haha
Ummm I wish I would have had this to read yesterday BEFORE my postmaster came into the bathroom to “check on me” because I was taking too long!!! Oh yes she did. While I didn’t necessarily lose my religion my reaction was definitely without grace…lol
The good part was that I felt guilty about my reaction when clearly she was in the wrong! (All I did was look at her like she was crazy and went into probably more detail than I should have about why I was taking so long….bhahahahaha) wait is that remorse when im laughing about it??? hahahaha God help me!!!!
Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 6:18 am
hahahahahha…you make me laugh harder than anyone I know, you Jackwagon!! ahahahahahha
Fantastic reminder for us all!
This couldn’t be a more timely message! Love this post!! Sometimes in the flesh, it usually happens when I haven’t had a quiet time -so its easier to indulge. However, as the LORD Jesus would have it -He has such a way of changing my heart when I reapply feel like cutting loose, giggle!! He thinks He is so funny that way! Prayer in breaths usually suffice with packing a little extra strength! Thank you LORD Jesus! I am nothing without Him!!
Alisa Beets Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Talk about spellers on phones, that should have been really instead of reapply!! Go figure!! :-) ha ha!! You hit it him every time sweet friend!!