The phrase, "get with the program," means to get in tune with or become a part of what is going on. It's very use implies that someone has been out of tune or out of step with some activity or movement and is, consequently, being invited or directed to get involved.
While many of us profess faith in God, not all of us have been willing to "get with the program" with regard to fully integrating our faith into our way of living. We know that we are to "pray without ceasing", yet sometimes prayer is the last thing on our minds and definitely the furthest thing from our mouths based on what comes out!
We know that we are to take God's Word and "meditate day and night and observe to do according to all that is therein" but sometimes all we can meditate on are the irritations and disappointments we face--especially when they keep staring us in the face.
Sometimes the challenges of life get so intense that we wish we could just change the channel, like we do with television.
Actually... there may be something to that notion. Whenever we want to change the program on our televisions, we push a button on the remote control and the channel changes. If we don't like what we see, we keep changing until we get to a better program. In order for the remote control to work, however, we must first pre-program it to connect with the channels on the TV set.
What if we pre-programmed our minds and hearts with so much of God's Word that when things start getting crazy or discouraging in our lives, when life starts pushing our buttons, scriptural truths would start coming out?
Relationship drama building up to a crescendo? "Click!" Turn to Channel 113 where you'll see that "Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast...." Just got word that you're losing your job? "Click!" Turn to Channel 8 where you'll learn about a new beginning with God who "shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory." Dealing with a fearful or dreadful report? "Click" Turn to Channel 23 where one of the most popular programs features a shepherd singing, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
When life starts to get the best of us, we are all going to turn to something to help us get through. Instead of drugs, food, illicit sex or some other vice that tempts us with empty promises, why not let that "something" be from the someONE who took the time to leave us an instructional love letter to help us successfully navigate life? In it we'll find that God's program is one of prayer, praise, presence, power and purpose.
Are you starting to get the picture? Good. But, the only way you will really be able to get the picture is if you Get With the Program.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
A weekly posting of encouraging and challenging thoughts about life from Rev. Karen W. Curry, a pastor's wife and mother of two who is also --in her "spare time"-- a dynamic preacher, teacher, motivational speaker, facilitator, writer, reviewer, poet, MC, liturgical dance/drama consultant and storyteller. Contact Rev. Karen at BNcouraged247@msn.com to speak at your next service or retreat.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Fight the Good Fight
As we celebrate African-American History Month, we can recall the names of many great men and women who "fought the good fight" for freedom and civil rights-- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, the Little Rock Nine, and countless others.
But, the history we proudly celebrate today would have been vastly different if, instead of "fighting the good fight" these men and women chose to "fight the bad fight."
What if Dr. King advocated "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" when it came to responding to physical and verbal assaults from racists? What if Rosa Parks decided to cuss out the bus driver and hit him with one of her worn out shoes? What if the Little Rock Nine decided to go "gangsta" in the school they were sent to segregate?
If any of these heroes had chosen to "fight the bad fight," their stories and legacies would have been extremely short-lived, and so would ours. Thankfully, they made the right choices and decided to use the "fight" they had in them for the right reasons and in the right way.
Many of us have a lot of "fight" in us, but what are we doing with it? Are we using it to bully and intimidate others so we can always appear to be right or just to get our way? Are we using it to fight for our "right" to remain in unhealthy or dangerous relationships? Are we using it to fight against who and what God made us to be, choosing instead to be people pleasers? Are we fighting for our "right" to do whatever we want with and to our bodies, forgetting that we have been bought with a price? Are we fighting just for the sake of fighting because that's all we know how to do?
In 1 Timothy 6:12 we are told to "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
This reminds us that, at various points throughout our Christian journey, we will be required to fight. But the fight is not about the little skirmishes that many of us find ourselves so regularly and readily embroiled in. It is a fight of faith, not foolishness.
We have to fight to hold on to our faith in times of serious testing. Yet, some of us are so distracted by all of the little side fights that come our way that we lose sight of the "eternal life to which [we] were called...." and instead fight each other as if our lives depended on the outcome of some earthly turf battle. Then, when the time comes for us to stand up and fight major battles of faith, we are too weary from all the side battles and have little left for the real war.
We must never forget, that no matter how many people behave as "enemies" toward us, we really only have one enemy, and he is a defeated foe. That's how we can find the strength to "pray for those who despitefully use us...." and like Jesus cry out, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
When we forget who and whose we are and get drawn into petty and irrelevant fights, we are ''fighting the bad fight" not "the good fight." And, when we lose sight of the right fight, we are as bad as a football player who gets so turned around that he runs the football in the wrong direction and crosses into the end zone of the opposing team.
The next time you feel a fight coming on, slow down long enough to ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth about what's really going on. If there is no evidence of the fruit of the Spirit leading up to or resulting from the encounter, step back and let God handle it. Remember, God is the one who actually fights all of our battles anyway--"the battle is not yours, it's the Lord's." All we have to do is "Fight the Good Fight" and the Lord God, who is mighty in battle, will take care of the rest.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
P.S. Special birthday greetings to my dear sisterfriend, Angela Johnson who, on this very day is turning the ripe old age of....Well, I better not say. I don't want to start a fight! :-)
But, the history we proudly celebrate today would have been vastly different if, instead of "fighting the good fight" these men and women chose to "fight the bad fight."
What if Dr. King advocated "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" when it came to responding to physical and verbal assaults from racists? What if Rosa Parks decided to cuss out the bus driver and hit him with one of her worn out shoes? What if the Little Rock Nine decided to go "gangsta" in the school they were sent to segregate?
If any of these heroes had chosen to "fight the bad fight," their stories and legacies would have been extremely short-lived, and so would ours. Thankfully, they made the right choices and decided to use the "fight" they had in them for the right reasons and in the right way.
Many of us have a lot of "fight" in us, but what are we doing with it? Are we using it to bully and intimidate others so we can always appear to be right or just to get our way? Are we using it to fight for our "right" to remain in unhealthy or dangerous relationships? Are we using it to fight against who and what God made us to be, choosing instead to be people pleasers? Are we fighting for our "right" to do whatever we want with and to our bodies, forgetting that we have been bought with a price? Are we fighting just for the sake of fighting because that's all we know how to do?
In 1 Timothy 6:12 we are told to "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
This reminds us that, at various points throughout our Christian journey, we will be required to fight. But the fight is not about the little skirmishes that many of us find ourselves so regularly and readily embroiled in. It is a fight of faith, not foolishness.
We have to fight to hold on to our faith in times of serious testing. Yet, some of us are so distracted by all of the little side fights that come our way that we lose sight of the "eternal life to which [we] were called...." and instead fight each other as if our lives depended on the outcome of some earthly turf battle. Then, when the time comes for us to stand up and fight major battles of faith, we are too weary from all the side battles and have little left for the real war.
We must never forget, that no matter how many people behave as "enemies" toward us, we really only have one enemy, and he is a defeated foe. That's how we can find the strength to "pray for those who despitefully use us...." and like Jesus cry out, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
When we forget who and whose we are and get drawn into petty and irrelevant fights, we are ''fighting the bad fight" not "the good fight." And, when we lose sight of the right fight, we are as bad as a football player who gets so turned around that he runs the football in the wrong direction and crosses into the end zone of the opposing team.
The next time you feel a fight coming on, slow down long enough to ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth about what's really going on. If there is no evidence of the fruit of the Spirit leading up to or resulting from the encounter, step back and let God handle it. Remember, God is the one who actually fights all of our battles anyway--"the battle is not yours, it's the Lord's." All we have to do is "Fight the Good Fight" and the Lord God, who is mighty in battle, will take care of the rest.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
P.S. Special birthday greetings to my dear sisterfriend, Angela Johnson who, on this very day is turning the ripe old age of....Well, I better not say. I don't want to start a fight! :-)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I Choose to Worship
I love music and I have many favorite gospel songs that I turn to when it feels like life is starting to get the best of me. One of my newest favorites is "I Choose to Worship" by Pastor Wess Morgan. Pastor Morgan' voice ministers so powerfully through that song, and after recently learning about his equally powerful testimony, I appreciate the song even more.
Pastor Morgan readily admits that he gave his parents a real hard time when he was growing up. He turned to alcohol and drugs at a young age, around 10 years old. He was in and out of juvenile detention centers and lived a hard life even after he grew up and got married. But thank God his parents knew that if they would just "train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he would not depart from it."
God has done such a transformative work in him, that when Pastor Wess proclaims "I Choose to Worship," you know it's coming from the depths of his sanctified, Spirit-filled soul.
In spite of all the bad choices he made and horrible situations he found himself in, he still made the CHOICE to worship God. So,what's our excuse? There was a time when it wasn't easy at all for Pastor Wess to simply choose to do the right thing because the wrong things were literally driving past his house daily, seeking to tempt him. Hopefully, most of us don't have that level of pressure tempting us to do wrong. If we did, some of us would just have to go on permanent house arrest to keep from getting into trouble!
Too often, when we are tempted, hurting, frustrated or disappointed, no matter how much we say or proclaim our trust in Christ, the last thing we choose to do is worship. The key here, is that we have to remember we do have a CHOICE. The enemy, our pride or other emotions will tell us that we have no other choice but to be angry, get even, speak our mind, etc. These things usually only inflame the situation and burn out everyone involved.
R&B legends Earth, Wind & Fire were on to something when they sang, "When you feel down and out, sing a song, it'll make your day. You need a lil' time to shout on out, sing a song, it'll make a way...." Imagine what would hapen if, in the middle of a "heated discussion," instead of shouting at one another, we started singing one of our favorite gospel songs!
Ok, maybe that might not go over too well in every situation, but we could at least make melody in our hearts and let a favorite song bring us back into rememberance of God's faithfulness to us. It could help change the tone of the conversation, and if nothing else, change the tone in our hearts.
When we choose to worship and give a sacrifice of praise in the midst of adversity, it reminds us that God is the unseen presence in all of our conversations and interactions. We can't ever really leave God out of our discussions because He's already there and deserves our reverence and respect at all times, regardless of what we are doing or how we feel at any given moment.
Sure, we can choose to ignore His presence and instead curse one another out, threaten one another, gossip about one another, and so on. But, when I consider all my choices and what they will yield in the long term... I Choose to Worship.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Pastor Morgan readily admits that he gave his parents a real hard time when he was growing up. He turned to alcohol and drugs at a young age, around 10 years old. He was in and out of juvenile detention centers and lived a hard life even after he grew up and got married. But thank God his parents knew that if they would just "train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he would not depart from it."
God has done such a transformative work in him, that when Pastor Wess proclaims "I Choose to Worship," you know it's coming from the depths of his sanctified, Spirit-filled soul.
In spite of all the bad choices he made and horrible situations he found himself in, he still made the CHOICE to worship God. So,what's our excuse? There was a time when it wasn't easy at all for Pastor Wess to simply choose to do the right thing because the wrong things were literally driving past his house daily, seeking to tempt him. Hopefully, most of us don't have that level of pressure tempting us to do wrong. If we did, some of us would just have to go on permanent house arrest to keep from getting into trouble!
Too often, when we are tempted, hurting, frustrated or disappointed, no matter how much we say or proclaim our trust in Christ, the last thing we choose to do is worship. The key here, is that we have to remember we do have a CHOICE. The enemy, our pride or other emotions will tell us that we have no other choice but to be angry, get even, speak our mind, etc. These things usually only inflame the situation and burn out everyone involved.
R&B legends Earth, Wind & Fire were on to something when they sang, "When you feel down and out, sing a song, it'll make your day. You need a lil' time to shout on out, sing a song, it'll make a way...." Imagine what would hapen if, in the middle of a "heated discussion," instead of shouting at one another, we started singing one of our favorite gospel songs!
Ok, maybe that might not go over too well in every situation, but we could at least make melody in our hearts and let a favorite song bring us back into rememberance of God's faithfulness to us. It could help change the tone of the conversation, and if nothing else, change the tone in our hearts.
When we choose to worship and give a sacrifice of praise in the midst of adversity, it reminds us that God is the unseen presence in all of our conversations and interactions. We can't ever really leave God out of our discussions because He's already there and deserves our reverence and respect at all times, regardless of what we are doing or how we feel at any given moment.
Sure, we can choose to ignore His presence and instead curse one another out, threaten one another, gossip about one another, and so on. But, when I consider all my choices and what they will yield in the long term... I Choose to Worship.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
I Thought So
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think" (Romans 12:2a New Living Translation).
When someone says, "I thought so" it usually implies that he or she had an original thought, opinion or hypothesis that was later proven to be correct. However, if you add punctuation to the phrase, you can change its meaning from one that is closed and definitive to one that is more open-ended and invites deeper probing.
For example, adding ellipses (....) at the end of the phrase could indicate that the speaker is searching for just the right word to describe how he or she used to think. If many of us reflect honestly on how we used to think before we were saved, the phrase, "I thought so...." would be filled in with words like, "foolishly", "hastily", or "selfishly."
Some of us still think in those ways. If we continue to live by the world's standards, we can't help but think like that. We've all heard phrases like, "Looking out for number one", "Every man for himself", or "It's not my problem" or "They must not know who I am!" Where would we be today of Jesus thought like that when it came time to die on the cross for our sins? Those sayings come from selfish thinking and are contrary to the example Jesus set for us and what God expects from us.
If we add a comma to the phrase, "I thought so" we then change its meaning to indicate that a thought took place and something happened as a result of it. If more of us would take time to think before we speak, we might say, "I thought, so I realized I didn't have to curse back at her." Or, "I thought, so my words and my tone were more caring instead of harsh and judgmental." Or, perhaps, "I thought, so I realized it wasn't necessary for me to respond at all, just to listen."
Sometimes, even those closest to us will urge us to respond swiftly to negative encounters with promptings like, "Are you going to let him talk to you like that?!" Worldly reasoning makes us think we need to swiftly "give someone a piece of our mind" in response to their words or actions. Often, we would be a lot better off if we would just hold on to all the pieces we have and let the Lord transform them!
It might feel good to us at the moment to get something off of our chest, but a momentary satisfaction of "telling someone what's on our mind" can have longterm and lethal consequences for all involved if it doesn't come from the right place.
We can't always control what others do or what happens to us, but we can control what we think about people and situations. We don't have to get angry just because someone provokes us. We don't have to take it personally when someone speaks to us in a harsh tone. We could use situations like these as an opportunity to show compassion. Instead of fighting fire with fire, we could allow God to use us as cooling water to put out the flames consuming someone who's been agitated by the enemy and doesn't even realize what they are doing.
We never know who or what we will encounter in life that will put our faith to the test. If we just pause long enough to remember that God causes everything to work for our good, that we are more than conquerers through Jesus Christ, and that no weapon formed against us shall prosper, we can allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and...
"Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is" (Romans 12:2b).
Just think about it. Wouldn't life be a lot less stressful and complicated if we let God guide our thoughts, words and actions in accordance with His will instead of our own?
I thought so.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
When someone says, "I thought so" it usually implies that he or she had an original thought, opinion or hypothesis that was later proven to be correct. However, if you add punctuation to the phrase, you can change its meaning from one that is closed and definitive to one that is more open-ended and invites deeper probing.
For example, adding ellipses (....) at the end of the phrase could indicate that the speaker is searching for just the right word to describe how he or she used to think. If many of us reflect honestly on how we used to think before we were saved, the phrase, "I thought so...." would be filled in with words like, "foolishly", "hastily", or "selfishly."
Some of us still think in those ways. If we continue to live by the world's standards, we can't help but think like that. We've all heard phrases like, "Looking out for number one", "Every man for himself", or "It's not my problem" or "They must not know who I am!" Where would we be today of Jesus thought like that when it came time to die on the cross for our sins? Those sayings come from selfish thinking and are contrary to the example Jesus set for us and what God expects from us.
If we add a comma to the phrase, "I thought so" we then change its meaning to indicate that a thought took place and something happened as a result of it. If more of us would take time to think before we speak, we might say, "I thought, so I realized I didn't have to curse back at her." Or, "I thought, so my words and my tone were more caring instead of harsh and judgmental." Or, perhaps, "I thought, so I realized it wasn't necessary for me to respond at all, just to listen."
Sometimes, even those closest to us will urge us to respond swiftly to negative encounters with promptings like, "Are you going to let him talk to you like that?!" Worldly reasoning makes us think we need to swiftly "give someone a piece of our mind" in response to their words or actions. Often, we would be a lot better off if we would just hold on to all the pieces we have and let the Lord transform them!
It might feel good to us at the moment to get something off of our chest, but a momentary satisfaction of "telling someone what's on our mind" can have longterm and lethal consequences for all involved if it doesn't come from the right place.
We can't always control what others do or what happens to us, but we can control what we think about people and situations. We don't have to get angry just because someone provokes us. We don't have to take it personally when someone speaks to us in a harsh tone. We could use situations like these as an opportunity to show compassion. Instead of fighting fire with fire, we could allow God to use us as cooling water to put out the flames consuming someone who's been agitated by the enemy and doesn't even realize what they are doing.
We never know who or what we will encounter in life that will put our faith to the test. If we just pause long enough to remember that God causes everything to work for our good, that we are more than conquerers through Jesus Christ, and that no weapon formed against us shall prosper, we can allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and...
"Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is" (Romans 12:2b).
Just think about it. Wouldn't life be a lot less stressful and complicated if we let God guide our thoughts, words and actions in accordance with His will instead of our own?
I thought so.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
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