Monday, February 20, 2006

One Way, The Only Way...Do We Truly Allow This?

It's been an interesting month...due to a sick kid and ministry, I haven't been able to "catch" a sermon since the end of January. This Sunday, I got to go and teach during the together time with our older kids...we talked about the lame man and how his friends never gave up in terms of getting him to Jesus. We talked about how we all know people who are sick, or need God's love and even though things may seem impossible by ourselves, if we all grab a corner of the blanket or cot and work together, we can accomplish things and get them to Jesus. I'm always pumped after coming out from teaching the kids...they have such amazing faith, energy and love for God...and I went down there pumped, because I was singing on the worship team and the songs chosen for yesterday spoke so deeply to me...I felt truly engulfed by His spirit!

I picked up what I thought were the sermon notes for yesterday's sermon (as I was late getting back to the service and didn't get yesterday's), but they were actually from last week's, which I missed. There was a checklist and I just got around to reading it and it now has me really thinking...this is what it said:

Check the statements that are true of you:
- God's will and purpose is the determining factor as to how I spend my time.
- I pray, read scripture and listen for God's response before I make major decisions.
- In a typical week I involve others in helping me to be the person God is calling me to be and to do the things God asks of me.
- I factor into my schedule specific measures to assist me in growing in (mastering) my pursuit of God.
- Every week I take at least one full day as a "personal Sabbath" to restore my energy.

By faith and with God as my helper, I will commit to making the following changes:

I've got a lot of thinking to do over this next week...I'm always afraid of burdening people with things in my life, when they're so busy with their lives. I'm glad to have Mr. Cinder by my side, as right now, besides him, I don't really have anyone else I truly answer each week in accountability. Do I truly take a full day as a "personal Sabbath" and is there ever really much time where it's just me and God, just me trying to restore my energy? I'm taking the songs from yesterday with me into this week and am going to finish with parts from them.

Give Me Jesus (Fanny Crosby)
In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus

And when I am alone
Give me Jesus

And when I come to die
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

More Then Life
Stand by everything you said
Stand by the promises we made
Let go of everything I've done
I'll run into your open arms
And all I know

Fall back on everything you've done
Fall back on everlasting arms
When all the world is swept away
You are all the things I need
You're the air I breathe

I love you more then life
I love you more then life

How can it be
You were the one on the cross
Lifted for all our shame?
How can it be
The scars in your hands are for me?
You are the king of all

Jesus, You Alone (Tim Hughes)
Jesus, you alone shall be my first love
The secret place and highest praise shall be yours
To your throne I'll bring devotion
May it be the sweetest sound
Lord this heart is reaching for you now

Day and night I'll lift my eyes to seek you
Hungry for a glimpse of you in glory

So I'll set my sights upon you
Set my life upon your praise
Never looking to another way - Father
You alone will be my passion
Jesus you will be my song
You will find me longing after you

One Way (J. Douglass/J. Houston)
I lay my life down at your feet
You're the only one I need
I turn to you and you are always there
In troubled times it's you I seek
I put you first - that's all I need
I humble all I am, all to you

One way, Jesus, You're the only one that I could live for
One way, Jesus, You're the only one that I could live for

You are always always there
Every how and everywhere
Your grace abounds so deeply within me
You will never ever change
Yesterday, today the same
Forever til forever meets no end

You are the way the truth and the life
We live by faith and not by sight
For you - we're living all for you

6 comments:

audrey` said...

Yeah!

Jesus is our most faithful and loving helper.
We just need to call out to Him.
He is always there waiting for us :)

Jenny said...

C- I know what you mean about missing sermons because of "whatever" and also burdening people.

I think taking an ENTIRE day to rest... is probably like making the decision to tithe correctly.

Back when I didn't actually tithe, I thought it was impossible to do so, and now I see it as a very important part of my worship of Christ.

I work on Sunday after church, and I only have one day off per week and that day is SO CHOCKED FULL with "stuff" that I couldn't ever call it a true Sabbath.

So then what? I don't even have kids and I feel so under the gun timewise... is it POSSIBLE that I take a whole day to devote to Him?

You've really got me thinking here.

Take care and I shall pray for you.

M. C. Pearson said...

Wow. What a checklist...guess I'm overdue for an overhaul! Thanks for the b-day wishes!

God Bless.

Kc said...

I've been here four times now with the intent to comment and each time I re-read I'm turned inward and wind up only reflecting. You've really been blessed to be able to write in such a way as to provoke your readers into introspection. I too am inspired to do an overhaul (and an upgrade). ;-)

Anonymous said...

shucks, i think i need to upgrade too. you really got me to think things over.

Corry said...

Thanks for this thought-provoking post. It was much needed:-)
I need a U-haul to bring that into my life. I do it way too less.

God's Grace.