Worth it or NOT

This is something the Lord gave me a while back for a girl's class I did.  I really felt like it was from the Lord and He brought it back to mind as I was writing tonight...

Worth It or Not?

 As I set out to prepare for this talk I did not have a clue which direction to go.  I didn’t want to seem like a hardnosed “rule enforcer”; but then I didn’t want to be so, “understanding” it would give the impression that it wasn’t an important subject.

I was standing in my kitchen and this little thought crossed my mind.  Why do I try to live this life?  What is it that makes me try again every day?  Is it because I have been forced?  Is it because I don’t have a mind of my own?  What caused me to make the decision so long ago to lay down my will in some areas? 

I kept thinking of the word…WORTH…

As I was standing there this little scenario began to play out in my head.  Try to imagine this with me…Imagine my husband and our children. 

They loves pennies.  They are one of their most precious things.  When their daddy comes home and empties out his pockets to give them his change it is a BIG deal to them.  They will carry around their little penny all day…if it gets misplaced that is the end of the world and everyone must stop to help them find their penny.  That’s how important it is to them. 

Now imagine that one of them has just received a shiny new penny.  Her dad stands in front of her holding a diamond ring.  He asks her “*****…if you will give me that shiny new penny I will give you this diamond ring”.  She looks at that penny…it is so special to her…she would like to have that diamond ring too; but she doesn’t want to give up her precious treasure.  She slowly shakes her head and with a sad face she declines her dad’s offer. 

He could tell her that the ring is worth $5.00 or $10,000.00, and that the penny she wants to keep in comparison is worthless; but it wouldn’t matter…she does not understand the worth.  She can’t see that if she traded that cheap penny for the diamond ring she would be the winner.  All she can see is that precious treasure she holds so dear. 

Fast forward 10…15…years –

Once again her daddy stands before her offering the same diamond ring.  Without hesitation she would happily drop her penny and grab that diamond ring.  She wouldn’t even have to think about it.  Why?  Because she understands that what he is offering her is worth more than her penny.  She understands that the penny she thought was so important doesn’t even compare to the ring she is being given. 

Now close your eyes & keep them closed till I tell you:

Imagine Jesus is standing in front of you.  In His hand He is holding a crown…eternal life.  All He wants is to trade you that crown for what’s in your hand. 

Today we’ve talked about one thing; but in your mind look down at your hand. 

What are you holding in your hand?

Is it worth more than what Jesus is willing to give you?

Is it worth settling for a lesser prize or not one at all just to hold onto something you thought was more important?

Is there anything in your hand that you could keep that would be worth losing eternal life? 

Yes…I know that those things that we hold in our hands are so very dear…thoughts, attitudes, opinions, wants, etc…but those things are worth nothing compared to what He is offering you. 

As a child my kids love pennies…but as they grow up their understanding will change.  The more their knowledge…vision grows the more they will realize that penny they thought was worth everything is really worth just that…one lousy cent. 

Today we’ve talked about one thing; but the Lord is asking you to make a decision.  A decision to give up those things you’re holding onto in order to gain a closer walk with the Lord.  What is important to you?  If you don’t understand the worth ask the Lord to help you.  Ask Him to open your eyes and give you a vision of what He’s doing today.   

You can open your eyes:

How many times I have heard people say…and said it myself…”Why does ________matter”?  We ask this question because we can’t see the worth.  We can’t see what the value of it is. 

I can tell you why it is worth it…I can give you examples in my own life of the Lord proving to me it’s worth it…but until you begin to seek the Lord yourself you may not understand the worth.  It takes a revelation from the Lord.  It takes a vision of what he’s doing to help you see why it is worth it. 

You may question in your mind if things are important to Him.  I know I did.  If you’re having those thoughts then the Lord may be dealing with you.  You want to know for yourself if this really does matter.  To those of you I put forth a challenge to you…go home…and ask Him.  However you talk to the Lord…ask Him to show you.  You don’t have to just take my word for it; but you can go to the Lord and I promise if you go to Him in sincerity He will answer you.  He can give you without a doubt experiences that no one can ever take away from you.  So that without a doubt you know for sure that the Lord Himself has spoken to you. 

 My goodness…He is offering you eternal life!!!  Toss that old penny away and gain your crown!!

Willing to be Changed

“Willing to be changed

Willing to be changed

I know I can’t see all He’s planning for me

Till I’m willing to be changed”

 

This weekend was one of those weekends that you leave with a lot to think about.  It’s funny how you can sit in a service…services and hear the message going forth and be thinking “My goodness…I hope no one realizes that he is talking about me”.  You know that the words going forth are slicing and cutting the flesh and also feeding your soul; but at the same time you wish that without causing a scene you could quietly find a hole and jump into it…never to surface again.  At least not to surface again until those ugly spots are barely a glimmer of a memory. 

You go along in life and you the Lord shows you something about yourself…you mourn over that ugly spot…the Lord encourages you…He helps you get past it and wash that ugly spot…and then you look back on that spot and think WOW I really didn’t think I was gonna make it through that one; but look what God can do!!  You’re feeling really good and then He shows you an even uglier spot.  Ouchie…Lord that’s a really big one.  And it’s got so many facets that I’m not sure I can even clean that spot. 

As we heard this weekend you have to be willing to tell the Lord yes.  Whatever you need to do to save me Lord, whooie…whatever you need to do could be awfully painful.  As Aunt Karen said you have to make the decision to take that nail out of your foot and let go of whatever has been holding you back. 

As the Lord took the time to show me myself this weekend it began to make sense of some things I had been feeling, going through, and dealing with previously.  I even thought to myself “Awww man, are you serious???”   I looked at myself long and hard in a few areas. 

My first thought was “why do I have such a hard time saying yes”.  I thought about that this afternoon. 

Tonight my answer came in a not so nice…felt like it was tattooed across my forehead kind of way.  Because yes you have gained victory in some things…yes you have overcome some things; but it has only been when you closed your eyes, raised your hands; and cried out LORD I’ll do it YOUR way and NOT MINE!!! 

I guess I thought that if I finally made it and said that final yes to the Lord that it would all be smooth sailing from there.  You know like breaking the ice…you say the first yes which should be the hardest and then all the others after that get easier right??  Kind of like creating a habit??  WRONG!!!  The yes’s seem to me to get harder and require more trust in the Lord.  It’s not a onetime…fix all kind of yes.  It’s a continual “yes Lord…yes Lord…yes Lord”. 

Those ugly places sometimes have deep roots and they must be dug out little bits at a time till one day you hear a “POP” and that last and final hold gives way. 

My ugly places are U-G-L-Y for sure; but Lord I’m standing here…with my eyes closed…my head and hands raised to you…and I’m crying “Lord if I am going to be clean and holy…pure and true…if I’m going to stand before you without spot or wrinkle or blemish…Lord Jesus…Father in Heaven…it will be because of you!!!”  There is nothing I can do in myself; but say yes lord and begin to apply the truth that we have heard today.  If I make it…it will not be because I shouted the loudest…danced the hardest…preached the most…or received the most praise…it will be because YOU the God of heaven had mercy on my soul and looked down and applied grace to my life.  It will be because YOU looked at me and said yes she is a dirty lump of coal; but if she’ll say yes to me I do believe I can use her. 

No, I can’t see what lies ahead; but I can see how He has worked behind me till now.  All the steps that He has brought me through to this point to try to get me to let go of the things I am holding onto.  I don’t even know all the things I hold in my hand; but if when He shows them to me I can let go and let go again and let go again…one day I will look down at my hands and they will be clean…pure…holy…fit for the Master’s use.