Tipping the Scale w/God
It turns out that God is in the small stuff ever more than you think.
God shows up and touches the small stuff more than we give Him credit for.
The truth is, there's WAAAYYY more small stuff than big stuff in life.
In truth, God is a god of details.
He doesn't want you to think that He should only be involved in the big stuff.
As you run across daily challenges, many times we are on the tipping point between love or frustration.
Here are some real-life examples in my life... the good, the bad, the ugly.
Let's step through the definition of LOVE from 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 to give a full range of how God applies in all of it.
Love is PATIENT, Love is KIND
- When I hear excuses or prideful justification, it triggers me. When it keeps coming, it triggers me even more. However, BEFORE I speak, if I can check in with God and ask Him "Is this ok to say?", God can saves me a LOT of heartache and conflict. Thank you Jesus!
Love does NOT ENVY, Love does NOT BOAST
- When someone else gets the attention or results I want, my flesh can crawl with envy. "I thought it was supposed to be me. Why not me?" A pity party can ensue.
- When something good happens that makes me look good, it can be tempting to brag about it in a back-handed self-compliment sort of way. You know one of those "I'm expressing gratitude but using it as a way to show off" comments? That is not God's spirit but the spirit of pride. Shoo, shoo! Out you go, spirit of pride, in Jesus name!
Love is NOT PROUD, Love is NOT SELF SEEKING
- I want to look good in front of others. I want to look capable and competent. When something happens that contradicts that, my pride wants to defend myself. My pride makes me want to be right. Pride is very tricky. It is both subtle and overt. It's a dangerous toxin. It is the first sin. Don't take it lightly. The struggle is real.
- Pride causes me to seek my desires rather than God's. "I want. I think. I feel"... Gimme, gimme, gimme. Yikes! Pride is an unwelcomed guest in life that grows out of control. But God is good and he gives us the strength to overcome pride in all it's shapes and forms. "I bind and uproot pride in Jesus name."
Love is NOT EASILY ANGERED, Love does NOT KEEP RECORD OF WRONGS
- When someone I love keeps doing things to hurt themselves, such as poor eating or work habits I get frustrated and angry. Especially when they complain about the results after I warned them over 100 times, it triggers me to be short tempered, judgemental and say "I told you so" in various ways. In that moment, only God can help me stop myself. If I can pray in my heart for strength and wisdom, it takes the edge off enough to zip my lips and not say anything hurtful. How does it work for you? "Lord, give me strength to zip my lips."
Love does NOT REJOICE IN EVIL, Love REJOICES IN TRUTH
- When I hear about a bad decision of troubled family member, it is really easy to get into judgement. A snide remark can fly out my mouth. But the Holy Spirit reminds me that He doesn't rejoice when we tear each other down. We should always build others up just as Jesus did. Our lips can be a loose cannon. That's why it's so important to be intentional about guarding it. Will you catch yourself today before you make a passive-aggressive or snide remark? Ask the Holy Spirit to catch your words before it flies out of your mouth. "Help me Lord to hold my thoughts captive and speak words that delight you."
Let God tip the scale in your life from frustration or fear to love, joy and peace. Let His love flow through you freely by asking for it. Invite God into your heart daily.
"God, I invite you into my heart. Show me Your love. Flow through me. Amen."
Who's got some examples? Share your thoughts!
Cheers to an amazing weekend!
