I’m not perfect are you?

…So as I travel my earth walk I am increasingly astonished how much we as imperfect beings expect perfection from those around us. We want our little "mini – gods" so to speak. I know for sure that on a regular basis I am disappointed in many things, people, relationships, work, all the things that a typical person would look to for some type of fulfillment, and we continually come up empty.

Is it any wonder that from our own pain, our own hurt our own unmet expectations we lash out and begin externalizing the eternal struggle to become one, completely one with someone? The thing that I see here is that we were only intended to have total and complete fulfillment with one relationship, and that is the relationship we have with Christ, as our Savior, our Lord, our Friend, the Lover of our soul, and our true completeness.

I am reminded of the line that has become so cliché from the movie, Jerry McGuire… come on now you can even recite it by memory "You complete me" yep, that's the one. But a man or woman was never intended to complete an unfinished work of God; we find our completeness in Christ alone!

Yes, the marriage relationship is wonderful, and the wife is the helpmate, and the husband is the protector and defender, but this relationship is, not to over simplify, only a shadow of what is to come with a personal and intimate one on one with Jesus. An image in a mirror cannot completely tell the story of what it is reflecting, as it is only one dimensional, how can it reflect, depth, desire, joy, pain, elation, sorrow, grief and a million other variations of each emotion that we have? It is simply impossible, but when we look into the mirror of the word of God and we see how He sees us, then it is very easy to be fully satisfied, no matter what the state of our life is in.

So as I write this, I not only encourage you, but I speak this to myself, Be of good cheer, our perfection is found in Christ, our perfect relationship is in Him, our full satisfaction is with him and abiding in His Word.
May I leave you with an encouraging word from a book that not only parallels our love relationship with our spouse, but one that is an exact replication of what we can expect to experience with Christ. Now I don't know how that will happen exactly, but it is in God's word, and therefore, I know it to be true.

So, before you consider another relationship, or kicking to the curb your marriage because of unfulfilled expectations, or calling it quits on a friend that has hurt you, or turning your back on the person, but staying in the marriage. Can I ask you to consider that Jesus, the Lover of your soul may be just what you need?

Song of Solomon puts it this way: 5:10 - 16

My lover is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as raven. His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in mild, mounted like jewels. His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. His arms are rods of gold set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. His mouth is as sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my lover, this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

Oh my dear sisters if you could fall in love with this Jesus, there is nothing and no one that could ever take him away from you… But to expect a man, a person, a relationship to fit into this mighty God sized space is not only unreasonable, but impossible. Let Jesus take his rightful place in your heart, and the gap will be filled to overflowing, you will be found perfect (in Him).

Make it your BEST Day ever

Chilon

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Such an interesting question to ask one's self at a time in life when you have grown up , graduated from High School, Attended college, had a few children, raised a few and participated in life's happenings for several decades.

Today, I have mostly questions, but sometimes as I ask my questions (either out loud or in silence), the Holy Spirit is so wonderful to begin answering them for me. Does that ever happen to you? You are in the middle of discussing something with your friend and "Bam" as if Emeril Lagasse himself was in your head; an answer to your most puzzling question appears. I credit the most wonderful Holy Spirit with that. I hope that my statement is not an indictment against him, but a credit to the person of the Trinity. I respect the Holy Spirit with all of my being.

There are certain seasons in the life of a believer that the seed of the Word of God has germinated long enough and it begins to sprout. This live organic thing transports your soul to a place that wants to do more, be more, have more influence, touch more lives, and make a greater impact for the kingdom of God. This organic emotion is what begins to grow inside you and scream to be fully realized in a way that in your current state would only sprout and die, much like the parable of the seed that was dropped in the rocky soil. So now the thought begs the questions, what will you do when this, organic thing, this child of sorts as it begins to grow inside of you? What will you do when this part of you grows up?

It is happening again. As I am sitting here writing, the most wonderful Holy Spirit is speaking to me volumes of information to me that I cannot possibly keep up and write about, but I will do my best.

Birthing a dream, the organic thing, this "child" inside of you, takes time. Have we indeed been such a lazy and undisciplined people that we have not nurtured ourselves to become exactly what it is that we need to be in order to give birth to the blessing of God? Have we decided that our career, or search for significance has been of the greater importance? Has our seeking after the perfect mate taken our attention away from seeking after the developing child within us? Is the Lord telling you to seek something greater, education perhaps, service time, learning the Word, teaching a Study, something that will be a tool in your bag when you begin to birth this beautiful child that God has given you?

I don't know about you, but there is a reverential fear that wells up inside of me when I consider the talent that I have buried, or the one that I have not invested very wisely. I am reminded of the words in red, the exact words of Christ as recorded by Matthew. You know him, Jesus the Carpenter, our Lord and Savior; this is what he had to say.

Matthew 25:14-30 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents^[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. ¹⁷So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

¹⁹"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

²¹"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

²²"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

²³"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

²⁴"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

²⁶"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. ²⁹For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ³⁰And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Father in heaven I pray for mercy and for your longsuffering grace toward me. Please grant me forgiveness of my sin when I have not invested my life as I should have. Please forgive my selfishness and strengthen me to get up and do (put into action) that which I know I must do in order to be an obedient servant. What an honor God to call myself your servant, I pray in the name of Jesus that you see Jesus in me and not anything of me and that you would grant me favor to complete the work you have planted inside of me to do here on this earth. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in excellence. I love you Lord!

Make it your BEST day ever, and may you invest your life into something of eternal value!

Chilon

Footnote – a talent was a sum of money, in this specific passage, it was generally thought of as about $1000 dollars.