Only You are Holy

God has been speaking to me over the past few weeks.

It's always a wonderful thing when God speaks to you, although sometimes it's painful. No one likes to be told they're doing something wrong. As much as we try to pretend, no one truly enjoys being criticized. Yet, the Bible says we are the clay and God is the potter. We need to be pliable and allow God to form us and mold us into the person He wants us to be. Which means sometimes God needs to let us know when we start down a path He hasn’t laid out for us.

I am so accustomed to my way of doing things, to my way of thinking. I am set in my ways and to be completely honest I don't want to change. Change is hard. Change takes effort. Change takes energy. Change hurts. Change is humbling. Change means I have to be willing to say, "I need to do something different, because what I'm doing isn't working."

I like to think I have it all together. I like to think, "I have arrived." I like to think I am a good person. I like to be in charge! Oh, how prideful I have become.

Here's the thing God's been trying to teach me lately. It's one of those simple yet earth shattering truths. "It's more important to be with God than to work for God." God would rather someone spend time investing in their relationship WITH God than spend time working FOR God.

So pretty much God is telling me this. "Rachel, it's wonderful that you so badly want to work yourself to the bone for Me, but if that means you're sacrificing our relationship it's worth nothing. I would prefer an hour of your time over 10 hours of your work."

Then tonight I went to a prayer and worship service at the church and God added something else on top of what He's already been telling me. We sang a song that says:

Only You are worthy
Only You are wonderful
For there's no one else like You
Who is faithful ever true
All my love, my heart, my life
Is a testimony
Only You are holy

While we sang an extended version of this song in Creole the Lord opened my eyes to this painful truth; He is not number one on my priority list.

Why is it that the truth always hurts so much? I couldn't argue, He was right. Somehow the kids, the orphanage, my job has become my priority. Here I am, "Doing the Lord's work." and the work somehow slipped in front of the Lord on my priority list.

So now what? I'm back at step 1. There are some major changes that need to be made, and it's not going to be easy, it's not going to be comfortable. My pride will be hurt, that's unavoidable. Being molded from what I am into what God wants me to be is not going to be easy, or pain-free, but it's what I want. It's what needs to be done.

It's like in 1 Corinthians 13, when Paul talks about doing all sorts of wonderful, honorable things, but doing them without love, thus making them worth nothing. Since God IS love, if I am doing all these wonderful, honorable things without God as my center, without God as my focus, without God as my priority what is it worth? NOTHING.

I have to make God, my priority. If he isn't my priority than nothing I do is worth anything. But how does one go about changing the focus of their life? I’m not entirely sure. I guess I just have to be pliable and open to change.

I am the clay and He is the potter.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Baby Sized Miracle

Image
Today I witnessed a beautiful miracle. I saw God's love poured out in a lovingly selfless act. Today I saw the hands and feet of Jesus at work. Today in Leveque something amazing happened. It started with something terribly sad. A newborn baby was dropped into a latrine and left to die. Something I cannot fathom and which shatters my heart. I cannot even begin to understand what went through this mother's mind as she let go of her baby and watched him fall into the dark pit. Thankfully God has a wonderful plan for this little life and his sweet cry was loud enough to be heard by a good samaritan passing by, who quickly called Pastor Williamson, the deaf pastor from Leveque. A group of people worked together to smash the cement cover off the latrine carefully so the baby would not be injured. Then they somehow used some metal bars and a net or basket of some sort to lift the baby out of the pit. Miraculously he only had a few scraps on him. The community came together to care ...
Read more

How to Be More Effective in Cross Cultural Ministry

There is a sad truth I would like to share with you. All too often people with great intentions do harm in Jesus' name in cross cultural ministry. In my ten years on the mission field I have seen a lot of amazing things happen but I've also seen a lot of hurt caused by well meaning ministry workers. I have compiled this short list of things I have learned, and that I think you should know to help you be more effective in cross cultural missions. 1. Always remember that YOU are the foreigner. This is not your country, you are a guest and should act like one. 2. The people you are serving know SO much more than you ever will about their country, culture and needs. 3. Your way isn't the only way, or necessarily the right way. 4. You better work your butt off to learn the language, and quickly. If you have been living or serving in a foreign land for a year and still can't communicate more than basic greetings to those you came to serve you need to make some chang...
Read more

Gross, gross, gross!!

I can handle mice. I can handle rats. I can handle lizards. I can handle cockroaches. I can handle snakes. I can handle tarantulas. I can handle flying green leaf shaped bugs that smell funny. I can handle a lot more than your average woman, with two minor exceptions: Dead things and Haitian frogs. I can kill a mouse, a cockroach, a snake or a tarantula without fear, but once it's dead I'm not going near it! A lizard on my bedroom wall doesn't faze me, but a dead one in the closet makes me run for the door. Strange I know...but dead things just freak me out! Haitian frogs on the other hand have me running around screaming like a scared little girl. I specify Haitian frogs because Canadian frogs have never really bothered me, except that one time in grade 8 when Ben Lanteigne kicked a frog and it came flying right for my face! Haitian frogs are a whole other ball game. They are the kind of frogs you would see in the Toronto zoo. They always look wet and slimy and ha...
Read more