Complain or Remain

"Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you." Deut. 28:47-48

If we are complaining, we are not enjoying the Lord's presence.

This statement can take a lifetime to move from head to heart. However, as we dwell on it, it will make more and more sense. We did not become Christians to work for Father or to please Him; the work has been done, and the Father is well pleased with Jesus. We became Christians for God and God alone. As the understanding of our position in Father expands, we see that His presence is in us, just as it was in the Holy of Holies! Christ dwells in us! We are temples of the living God!(2 Cor. 6:16)
All of life's experiences to this point have been moving us toward this revelation, and once we have it, everything changes. We can enjoy His presence in heavy traffic, waiting in line, at a birth or a funeral, at the dentist!, or whatever we do.
His presence is an absolute, and the peace of it is never to be surrendered to a situation! If we are looking without, there is much to complain about. If we are looking behind the veil and seeing His presence with us in the midst of everything, we can have great joy! Christ in us, the hope of glory!
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me" John 15:4.

Procrastinator's Unite

Isaiah 56:12 "And tomorrow will be like today, only more so."

This is the life verse of the procrastinator, who never enjoys the moment, the moment being a constant interruption. The procrastinator lives with the fantasy that he will do in the next hour what has not been done in previous weeks. Because of this mental deception, he is always too busy to take time out for the joys of life. Of course he would like to read a book, go to the movies, go for a run, play more with the kids, even go away for a few days, but! "There is too much to do"...that won't get done till the last possible moment...but the procrastinator, don't interrupt him, he has too much to do.

What is comical, is that the procrastinator does not actually get to the job until the last possible moments. The exhaustion at the end of the day does not come from overwork but from the frustration and self-loathing, believing that tomorrow will be different. A schedule is in mind. But let's not forget, "And tomorrow will be like today, only more so."

Is this you? It's me. Here are a couple of suggestions.
Stop fighting the fact that you procrastinate, admit it, own it, and embrace it. You can make it work for you! Admit that you won't do the job till the last minute...then, go ahead and enjoy the interruptions that come in the meantime without getting frustrated that you should be doing something else. Yesterday I spent great alone time with my children. I didn't think of one thing I "had" to do. I enjoyed the moment. It was a great day, and believe it or not, I didn't feel guilty. I felt great. It was great!
Secondly, take up the cross and deny the feeling of inferiority.
Third, lower your standard. Remember that most procrastinators are perfectionists by nature. Your 80% is like another's 110%.
Lastly, start enjoying life! You will never be a "disciplined" person as defined by the "disciplined". You are what God made you!

Should I publish this post now.......or later?

Living For Man

There are several ways to live for man: giving glory, taking glory, showing preference to someone with "more", refusing to ask a question, avoiding a confrontation, or reacting to criticism. I have done it all, and it makes you miserable. The reason you become miserable, at the root, is because you know there is a better way to live, free from man's opinion or praise. You can live by faith in Father and Father alone. Our Father will provide in every way: financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He provides everything we need...everything! Only when I recognize Father as the ultimate "need meeter" am I free from thinking man has anything I need. If my self-worth, significance, value, and joy come from God, why try so hard to seek man's approval? If man has no praise, position, or possession to offer me, then I am free not to live for man. Father is enough.

Am I free from man altogether then? Can I be a monk or a snob? Do I not need them at all? Of course I need them...I need them to love...to love for Father.

Proverbs 29:25-26 "The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted. Many seek the ruler's favor, but justice comes from the Lord."