GodandMe2theMax

I Have Only Done My Duty...

Do you ever feel like you need a little extra credit for a job well done? Maybe a little more affirmation than what you are receiving? Do you want to somehow find a way to humbly brag about something really cool you've done? I've been there, and if being completely honest, most people would say they've been there, too.

I have been reading in Luke 17:7-10. "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

We have only done our duty.

As I read those words, I stopped still in my reading. How many times have you thanked someone for something and they said, "No problem; I was only doing my job." I've heard that response many times. In other words, no extra credit was necessary, it was all in the 'line of duty.'

So I started to think, what exactly does this mean when it comes to spiritual matters? What is MY DUTY, in relation to God? And when I do what God has called me to do, am I being a self-promoter or a God-promoter? Ouch! Certainly, as a blogger and song-writer, there's nothing wrong with sharing the talents God has given me with others. But the difference is in the attitude of the heart. Who is taking credit for the end result? Am I out there saying, "Hey everyone, look at this cool song I wrote?" Or am I out there saying, "Let me share with you what God has allowed me to do!"? Or "Let me share with you what God is teaching me."

This is a tough one for me. I wouldn't say I'm a proud person, but I'm definitely not a naturally humble person either. The truth is, I'm a talker. A communicator. And I'm the kind of person that likes to share everything going on in my life with my friends and family. However, I've been told by a close family member that "all my talking" comes across as bragging sometimes. That's a tough one to swallow.

So back to the phrase, "I have only done my duty." What is it that God has called me to do? He's called me to obedience. He's called me to write. He's called me to tell others about Him. But when the praise and accolades come from the various "work" that I do for Him, is my heart's response, "I have only done my duty."? Definitely, this is a convicting phrase for me.

I think it's no accident that this passage in Luke uses the words of a servant in the master's home. Isn't that what we each are supposed to be, a servant? We must be serving each other, not self-serving. The words to that old Maranatha song ring loudly this morning...

Make me a servant. Humble and meek.
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.
And may the prayer of my heart always be
Make me a servant. Make me a servant. Make me a servant today.

Father, keep me humble. Let me give all the glory in any accomplishment to You. Without You, I am nothing. Without You, I have nothing. And without You, life is not worth living. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart always be acceptable to You. Let my response always be, "I have only done my duty."

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

100% Pure

Titus 1:15-16a "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him..."

So as I read this morning, I was struck by these verses. I have several friends who claim to be Christians yet their actions don't match what I believe a Christian should look like. It's always a struggle for me because I don't want to outright judge them for differences in views, but at the same time, hypocrisy is something I have a very low tolerance for.

Think about it. When you go to a grocery store, how often do you see the word "pure" listed as an ingredient? 100% Pure Cane Sugar. 100% Pure Vanilla. 100% Pure Cosmetics. 100% Pure Fruit Juice. I could go on and on. But what will happen to one of those food ingredients if you add a drop of vinegar? That once sweet, pure thing turns sour. It's corrupted. Sure, the bottle will still have the label "pure" but the inside denies the truth.

Purity. In today's society, when you say that word, the first thing to pop into your mind is in relation to sexual activity outside of marriage. But purity is so much more than that. It's holiness. Seeking God. Confessing sin daily. Matthew 5:8 says "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." What does it mean? Blessed are those whose minds, motives, and principles are pure; who seek not only to have the external actions correct, but who desire to be holy in heart, and who are so. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. (Barne's Notes on the Bible)

Just another reminder, as it says in Malachi 2:15 "Guard yourself in your spirit." We must daily be on the lookout for attacks from the enemy. He walks around like a lion trying to devour us. He wants to inject us with his venom so much that we've built an immunity to it, not even knowing it's happened.

No, I will never be 100% Pure love. 100% Pure Beautiful. 100% Pure Anything. Not on this earth anyway. But I can definitely purge those ingredients that are making me unlovely, ugly, and unpure. May my mind never be so corrupted that I claim to know God with my lips but my actions deny Him.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Pulling off the blindfold...

When I was a teenager, my friend Anne and I used to take turns blindfolding each other while the other would drive around town. When we were done, the one who was blindfolded had to try to guess where we ended up. We always tried to be pretty creative with our turns and circles, so much that in the end, no matter how hard we tried to follow the turns, the guess of the final destination was usually wrong. Our sneaky lefts and rights had left the other disoriented enough to not know the truth.

That's where I was last night. Blindfolded by some sneaky lefts and rights thrown at me from the deceiver himself...so much to the point that I was disoriented from the truth.

Do you ever get in one of those moods? Maybe you can relate. Everything sets you on edge, and you have this angst in your spirit. Well yesterday evening, I was overcome with that exact emotion. I didn't feel it earlier in the day, but I have a feeling it's been there for a while...building. One thing set me off, and needless to say I got pretty ugly. And stayed that way. Even after everyone went to bed, I laid in bed, unable to sleep, just being plain miserable. Miserable with everyone around me. Miserable with situations out of my control. Miserable with my emotions. Miserable with...me.

As I often do when I can't sleep, I started praying. It's amazing when you ask God to reveal Himself to you how His Holy Spirit does just that. It didn't take long for me to see the problem. Me. (It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out - the problem is always me!) I've had a busy week, back and forth to Jacksonville, Florida, lots of extra hours at work to catch up from being out of the office, and something had to give. Unfortunately, I made the wrong choice, and the thing that "gave" for me was my quiet time.

As a seasoned Christian, I made a calculated error. "It won't matter if I miss spending a few days with my best friend. I'll catch up later, when I have time." The truth is, for me, if I'm not seeking God every single day, then I'm not growing. I went to bed thanking God that His mercies are fresh every morning. I went to bed knowing changes needed to be made in my morning schedule, and today will be different. He removed that blindfold that was disorienting me.

This morning as I sat down to read, the Lord brought my attention to these verses in 2 Peter 1:5-9.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. "

"Make every effort." Hmmm...nope, definitely I haven't made every effort to do much of anything but work lately. Ok, well, maybe I've made every effort to do the exact opposite of some of these things. Truth is, it comes so naturally that I didn't have to try much at all. I've defininitely not made every effort to add to my faith goodness, knowledge (and we won't even go there with the self-control issue when it comes to my raging temper the last few days!)...perseverance, godliness, mutual affection (what's that?!?) and love. Love? I've been so blinded.

"Add to your faith." ... "Increasing measure." Not only does God give me a big list of things I should be working on here, but He says to add to my faith and possess these qualities in increasing measure. If I can't measure my growth, if these things are not being added to my character daily, then it doesn't matter how seasoned of a Christian I am, I'm not in God's will, and I have been blindfolded.

You know, most people who are blind do not lose their sight overnight. Sure, some are born blind, and some have injuries that cause immediate blindness, but the majority of people lose their sight, over time. It's a process. And that's just how satan gets us. A little at a time. He chinks away at us when we least suspect it, when our guard is down, hoping to disorient us to the truth of who we are and where we should be in Christ.

I decided I would write what was on my heart about this, and I was shocked to see that I haven't even blogged once this year. Not once. Shame on me. I love writing. I love sharing what God's been doing in my life. But it looks like that blindfold has been attached a little longer than even I was aware.

Let me never forget what God has done for me. How he saved me. What a filthy person I could be and am without Him. Let me never allow the enemy to blindfold me, even for a moment. He is the great deceiver. He will go to no lengths to make lefts and rights and trick me into thinking I should be somewhere else. I am God's child. I will add to my faith. Increase in measure. And I refuse to go blind.

--Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Who is my god? The object of my affection...

Yesterday I downloaded a new book on my kindle called "Craving God: A 21 Day Devotional" by Lisa TerKeurst.  It was free, and published by Zondervann, so I figured I couldn't go wrong.  The book is about craving God instead of food.  (At least with the given title and my limited reading so far, that's what I can tell.)

As I read the first chapter, I was quickly allerted to the fact that this "devotional" had only a vague reference to Psalm 139 with us being fearfully and wonderfully made.  Sure, the content has been good so far, but when I finished the first chapter, I definitely didn't feel "fed" spiritually.  You know, just because something says "devotional" on it, doesn't mean it's filled with God's Word.  And to grow spiritually, we have to be cautious to not fill our mind with words from good people...we have to focus on God's inspired Word.  Ironic, yes, coming from a blogger.  But true, nonetheless.

Like I said, the content has been good, and I'm going to finish this book.  Struggle with food has always been a life-long battle for me.  Here's some quotes from the book so far...

"I had to get honest enough to admit that I relied on food more than I relied on God, I craved food more than I craed God."

"Is it possible we love and rely on food more than we love and rely on God?  Now before you delete this, hear me out.  This question is crucial.  We have to see the purpose of our struggle with food as something more than getting to wear smaller sizes and receiving compliments.  Shallow desires produce shallwo efforts...The process of getting healthy has to be about more than just losing weight and focusing on ourselves.  It's not about adjusting our diets and hoping for good physical results.  It's about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change for the right reasons."

But as I contemplated the words from the book, I turned to God's book, and for whatever reason, he led me to Psalm 23.  The Lord is my shepherd.  I shall not be in want.  Interesting that the Lord led me to that.  If I am craving food, maybe I'm not letting the Lord be my shepherd.  Hmmm...  He leads me...He restores me...He guides me...He's with me...He prepares my table...

So as I contemplated the combination of my new little "devotional" book with God's book, He led me to write this poem this morning.  It's a question we each have to ask ourselves, not once, but every single day.  Who or what is our god?  Who or what is the object of our affection?  I'm renewed today with an even greater desire to keep my God with a big - G on the throne.

Who is my god?  The object of my affection.

Wake up super early, phone by my bed.
No time for breakfast, gotta get the kids fed.
Must have my coffee, can’t live without it.
Then find time to work out so I can stay fit.

Making good progress, now it’s my time for me.
Kids are at school, and I’m finally free.
On the docket today, shopping and fun.
And of course some facebook while I’m on the run.

A glance at my watch says it’s time to stop
Kids will be home soon and the floors still need mopped.
Dinner is served.  Homework is done.
Kids are in bed.  Watch out tv, here I come.

The end of the day, it’s quickly in sight.
I got it all done, with all of my might.
Almost asleep.  Whoops, gotta say a quick prayer.
Then God speaks back in the dark night air.

“Who is your god?  You’ve replaced Me, you see.
The day is over, but what about Me?
You have time for shopping, you have time for fun.
You have time for friends, but time for me, there’s none.

Who is your god, the coffee, your phone?
Is it your food, your chocolate, am I still on the throne?
Am I King of Your life, ruling supreme?
Or have I been replaced with more important things?”

“But God, I just had so much to do.
Tomorrow will be better.  I’ll find time for You.”
But the pattern continues.  Night after night.
“I’ll change, God.  Tomorrow will start off right.”

Truth be told, nothing changes until the heart is clean
With motives and sin on the table to be seen.
The object of my affection each day must be You.
My big G-God, my provider, my only love true.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

I'm on vacation, so special thanks to my childhood friend Cindi (Goldfuss) Florit for letting me re-post her blog for the verse to memorize this week! 

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Ephesians 5:8  "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light."

 

Ephesians 5:6-11
Galatians 5:19-25

Have you ever heard of the nursery rhyme that says:

"Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row."

I am amazed at how often I have recited little rhymes like this, never knowing their origins. The Mary that this little poem was about was Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VIII, also known as Bloody Mary.  The garden was the graveyards that grew in number due to her instruments of torture, the silver bells and cockle shells. The pretty maids were not little bridesmaids nor maids who waited on her. They were guillotines. Lovely. Just exactly what I want my children to learn about. :-)

But you know, friends, this little rhyme with dark origins has one glaring truth: our actions "grow" something. That something may be good, and it may be bad, but it will grow. So, the obvious question is, how is MY garden growing? What am I sowing? For we know that "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7)  We sow with our words, our actions, even our thoughts. Are we sowing seeds that will result in the fruit of the Spirit? Are we sowing seeds of obedience, submission, love for our Almighty God and Savior? Or are we sowing discord among the brethren? Are we sowing true humility that can actually hurt us when we practice it but honor our Father most of all, or are we sowing pride and dissension? Seeds of humility in asking forgiveness when we truly need to, if for no other reason than to promote unity, or seeds of pride in ignoring situations in which we can technically say we are not wrong but which destroy those around us?

I am greatly intrigued by the similarities of this little poem that seems so innocent to us today but that originated in such horrible circumstances. Then again, I ask, if someone were to make a little ditty about me, what would it say? Would the words be "quite contrary, one who puts people in the graveyard (literally or figuratively or spiritually)? Or would it be "you could tell her God was real because there's no way she could have talked the way she talked, forgave the way she forgave, made right the things that needed to be made right, encouraged in Christ the way she encouraged if the very God of heaven and earth hadn't been there working in her." Would the poem be about my failings as a human being or about my Awesome God? What is the fruit that comes from MY garden? How is Cindi's garden growing?

How does YOUR garden grow? Can you honestly face the question? I challenge us all today to check out our gardens. We can pull the weeds and thorns and thistles, even if they have a hefty root system because they've been around too long. It may take some work. We may get poked. We may get hurt, but it is worth it to get the weeds out. Bloody Mary's garden consisted of her instruments of torture. Ignoring our sins of the past won't make them go away. Do we have the character to honor our Heavenly Father and make things right the way He has said to do so?

We can water in the fruit of the Spirit and choose to think about the things that are "true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

Having had the privilege and responsibility of working a 1-acre garden every summer as a child and teenager, I know a lot about weeds. :-P I know that real gardening is a lot of work. It is an unending process until the snow comes. It is easier to pull weeds when they are small and tender, and in Ohio's clay soil, it can be a nightmare to pull them when they've grown in and established a significant root system. But if you want good fruit, you have to get the weeds out. You have to break up the hard soil so that the vegetables can get air and water. You have to feed them. You have to find ways to keep out the animals and bugs. You have to put a lot of effort, time, sweat, thought into a garden. We have to do the same for our spiritual gardens. How's it growing today?

---A Coffee Conversation, from Cindi Florit

 

No distractions. No excuses. No ADD surfer moments.

Hebrews 12:2  "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Distractions.  Losing sight of the goal.  It happens to the best of us.  Sometimes we just get so focused on what we think is really important that we lose sight of what should be our real priorities.  I recently saw this exemplified last week while watching an episode of Untold Stories of the ER.  This particular one featured an ER in Hawaii with two surfer dudes as the prime focus.  Let me just say that these guys were ADD in action.  You see, they had decided to go out spear fishing, and I might add that they actually seemed pretty good at it.  Sure enough, one of the guys spotted a beauty of a catch, and with meticulous aim, he got it.  The problem?  He speared the fish right into his buddy's leg.  They arrived at the ER with one main goal.  I don't know about you, but I can think of a few things that should have been at the top of their priority list when arriving at the ER.  Perhaps questioning if the spear could be removed safely.  Perhaps focusing on not bleeding out when the spear was removed.  Perhaps getting medical attention to avoid infection.  But no.  The main goal of the two guys was to save that fish, still entangled between the leg and the spear, so that they could eat it for dinner.  I think these two surfers lost sight of what was really important, don't you.      

If you've been a member of Groupies4God very long, you might remember that back in September, we learned Hebrews 12:1. It encourages us to persevere in this race called life.  This week, we'll memorize verse two of Hebrews twelve, and it tells us how to persevere -- by fixing our eyes on Jesus!  That's the goal.  Focus on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith!  Our faith began and will be finished in Him.  He started it, and He's perfecting it in us, daily.

The verse  then goes on to say that "for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame."  Do you really think Jesus found joy in going to the cross, and suffering pain and shame for my sins and yours?  I don't think so.  In fact, in Matthew 26, we see Jesus praying that "the cup pass over Him."  I do believe, however, that the joy Hebrews 12:2 is talking about is the good that would come from His death.  Jesus knew that by enduring the cross, He would conquer sin and death so that we could have eternal life.  It was the greater good.  Yes, He gladly went to the cross on our behalf, without distractions.

Honesty time here.  If you know me, you probably also know that I have a bent to be just like those surfer guys.  When I am extremely stressed, my ADD brain kicks in, and it's hard for me to prioritize the fog clouding my brain.  Work, family, and friends distract me from what I know I should be doing.

What about you?  What has God called you to do that you aren't focusing on with all your effort?  Has He clearly told you to go on a mission trip, and yet you're holding on to your fear?  (Matthew 28 says go, that one should be a no-brainer!)  Has He asked you to serve in a particular area at church?  Maybe it's even more simple than that.  Maybe God is telling you to follow Him whole heartedly.  He's been pricking your heart to spend more time with Him, praying and reading your Bible daily.  What is it?  Take some time to write it down.  For me, writing it down in ink is the hardest part.  That's where I become honest with myself.  That's the point of commitment for me, no turning back.   

What distractions are in place that keep you from fixing your eyes on Jesus?  Financial pressures?  Stresses of work?  Busyness of life?  What about your friends?  Yes, even your "bestest" of friends could be distracting you.  All these things can lead us to give the same answer the disciples did to Jesus in Matthew 26, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  The disciples wanted to pray with Jesus, but they were just so stinking tired!  How many times do we use the excuse, "There just aren't enough hours in the day!"  Think about it.  Search your soul.  Ask our Father in Heaven to show you and reveal truth in your life today.

Back to the surfer dudes in the ER.  The cool thing is that even though they got distracted from the important issue, the doctor was able to bring their focus back.  He was able to help them realize what the real priority should be - removing the spear, not saving the fish.  In the end, they actually got the best of both worlds and came back that night with dinner for the doctor, a special thank you gift. 

I believe God, the Great Physician, is a lot like that doctor.  He helps us gain focus, and He heals us spiritually so that we can accomplish His will.  Are you ready to serve without distraction?  Are you ready to stop using excuses?  Get your pen and paper handy, and get honest with God.  No more distractions.  No more excuses.  And no more ADD surfer moments.

 ---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

What Not to Wear, Spiritual Lessons in Clothing from Colossians

Colossians 3:12  "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

It's the new year, and that means most of us are trying to figure out what changes need to be made in our lives for 2011.  Colossians 3:12, the verse to memorize for this week, is a perfect resolution for the New Year.  I heard someone say earlier this week that instead of focusing on the physical things you want to change in your life like your weight, you need to ask God what qualities you possess that are not consistent with His character.  Those are the areas that should be your focus of change for the New Year.   

With the advent of the tv show "What Not to Wear" on TLC, my teenager Amber is my personal fashion expert.  She watches every episode and gives me much needed fashion advice.  I usually will not walk out the door without her giving me a thumbs up.  In fact, it's not uncommon for me to change clothes numerous times until I get that nod of approval.  You see, I'm not really good at fashion.  I like it, and I love to shop, but putting it all together is a bit harder for me. 

Do you have any old items of clothing that you are emotionally attached to?  I used to have this pair of overalls.  They were too big for me, and I looked terrible in them, but I didn't care.  I loved them.  They were comfortable and unrestraining.  The last day I wore those favorite overalls was the day I met with a professional at my son's school.  Never in my life had someone talked to me like I was an uneducated and truly stupid person like that professional did.  I was so frustrated with how I had been treated, and as I tried to figure it out, I came to the conclusion that I was judged by my clothing.  Never again would I let that happen, so in the garbage the overalls went.

In Colossians chapter three, Paul talks about spiritual clothing.  Paul had style, in a spiritual sense, and he shares those spiritual "fashion" do's and don'ts with us.  Take some time to read Colossians 3, especially verses 7-17.  In this passage Paul says, don't wear the clothes that you used to wear, the sinful clothes of anger, rage, lying, etc.  He says, put those things away. 

You see, sometimes sin is like my old overalls.  It's comfortable.  It's unrestrained.  And although I know it doesn't look good, I don't care, because to be perfectly honest, it feels really good.  But, the truth is that I need to throw those old sinful 'clothes' in the garbage.  How do I do it?  Prayer.  Soul-searching.  Confession.  Commitment.  And only with God's help.

I think it's pretty awesome that God gives us a choice to get rid of our old clothes, and then He shows us a brand new wardrobe to put on.  This isn't a wardrobe from Goodwill.  It's a high-end spiritual fashion set of clothes.  It's the clothes you would see on the runway of heaven.  Paul says that we should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.  Most of these are the fruits of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23.  These clothes we should wear are all character qualities of Christ.  Think about it.  If you were given a jacket or article of clothing from your most revered person, would you not cling to it, smell it, hug it, sleep with it, and even live in it?  Why do we not do the same thing with Christ and the clothing He offers?

Then Paul closes the section with answering "how" we get this new wardrobe.  By letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.  By letting His Word dwell in me.  Doing everything in the name of Jesus.  And giving thanks to God.  I can get this new wardrobe and it doesn't cost me a financial cent!  Being the bargain shopper I am, that's my kind of wardrobe.  But, it does cost me myself, my commitment to Christ, my yielding to His way instead of mine...it costs giving up my wants and wishes for His will.  God's fashion must be my priority, not my own desire to wear sloppy, comfortable overalls.

Perhaps like me, you've read these verses hundreds of times.  Perhaps like me, you're starting the new year with good intentions and new resolutions.  Let's all make a new resolution to have a "What Not to Wear" experiment in fashion - God's way.  Let's start with memorizing the verse this week and internalizing it in our lives.  Whether you're a girl who loves to shop or a guy who hates it, I think you can relate to the wardrobe God wants us to be clothed in.  Shopping anyone?

 

 ---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Be Sure your sins will find you out...Proverbs 28:13

Proverbs 28:13  "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

Be sure your sins will find you out.

It was our first year of marriage, and it was Halloween time.  Candy was everywhere in the stores.  If you know me, you know chocolate is my weakness.  Everywhere I turned, it seemed like those bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were calling my name.  We really had no money, and in fact, at that time, we were going in the hole each month.  But those Reese's Cups still kept a-calling. 

My husband was a pastor in Ohio, and I remembered hearing another lady in the church talk about her "stash" of chocolate that she hid from her husband.  (She had chocolate-induced migraines, but she loved her chocolate so much that it was worth it.  Her husband, however, was not so fond of the migraines, and that's why she felt the need to have her "stash.")  Lightbulb illuminated in my head.  Hmmm.  Maybe I could go ahead and get those Reese's Cups and just have my little "stash" so my husband wouldn't know...

Now, problem #1 with that is that I knew my husband wouldn't want me to waste money we didn't have on chocolate.  Problem #2 is that my husband doesn't even like chocolate.  We had no children at the time to get into my little greedy stockpile, so there was absolutely no need to hide my purchase.  The truth is, if I did give in to temptation and purchase those Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, it really would have been ok with him.  It would not have been the unpardonable sin in the Banfill home to spend $3 on something we didn't need.  So if I did go ahead and purchase those Reese's Cups, I certainly didn't need to hide them.  

But no.  Not only did I buy, but I also stashed those Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in what I thought was a very safe place.  Now, you have to understand.  I was young.  And apparently, I wasn't only young, I was stupid, too.  You see, I grew up in a home with an electric stove, but the home we lived in during our first few years of marriage had a gas oven.  You may know where this is going, and it is not a pretty thought.  Yes, I stashed that bag of Reese's Cups in the "storage" drawer of the oven.  A storage drawer, right?  That's where my mom always kept a bunch of pots/pans/lids when I was growing up.  Little did I know that in a gas oven, that's no storage drawer -- that's called a broiler.

So one Wednesday, I called up my husband at the church and asked him what he wanted for dinner.  "Spaghetti?"  I suggested.  "No, how about fishsticks?"  he replied.  "How about spaghetti?"  "No fishsticks."  We went back and forth, but when it was apparent I would not be persuading him, I actually said in gest, "OK, I will be a submissive wife and make those fishsticks."

That's when the problem started.

I pre-heated the oven, and then I jumped on the couch in the other room and turned on Oprah.  Now, I always kept my oven pretty clean, so when I was on the couch and smelled something burning, I just assumed something had spilled over into the stove from the previous time it was used.  I jumped up, pulled the layer of tin foil off the wire rack, put the fishsticks in, and jumped back on the couch to watch more Oprah.

Within a few minutes, I looked up and noticed soot flying out of my kitchen.  I jumped up and ran to the kitchen, only to find flames shooting out of the back of my oven, my kitchen filled with smoke, and me still clueless as to the problem.  I called my husband at the church, trying to stretch the phone cord almost out the door to get away from the smoke.  My husband had already left the church, so then I decided to call 911.  Why I decided to call him first instead of the fire department, I can't even explain.  I told you I was young and stupid. 

The fire department came.  They cleared the house, and eventually they let me back in one of the back bedrooms.  I cried, still unaware of the real problem.  My husband came home, noticing the fire department at our house.  In a panic, I heard him yell, "Where's my wife?  Is she ok?"  They directed him to me in the back of the house.  I remember crying in his arms, shaking like a crying baby.  He consoled me and tried to calm me down.  Once the fire was put out, we ventured to the kitchen to talk to the firemen. 

"Do you know what caused it?"  I asked.  The fireman pulled what was left of my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup stash out of the broiler.  "Yes, ma'am.  Can you tell me what this is?"  Eyes wide open, embarrassed, with shock on my face, I answered, "Uh, those are my Reese's Cups I was hiding from my husband." 

The fireman then pulled out my fishsticks from the oven.  His exact words, "Ma'am, I don't think your sausages are salvageable."  Those fishsticks that Frank had his heart set on had shrivelled and darkened up to what looked like Jimmy Dean's breakfast sausages.  I was too much of a basket case to realize I really needed a picture of them, for posterity's sake.  What I wouldn't do to show you the end result of those poor fishsticks.

We ended up having to eat dinner out at the local Chinese restaurant.  Here's the kicker, and it's proof God has a sense of humor.  I mentioned it was a Wednesday.  We had prayer meeting that night, and we were doing spiritual preparation for a revival that was upcoming at our church.  In our prayer meeting, Frank called out a list of references, with those in the congregation randomly volunteering to look up the verses and read them when he called for it.  The verse I randomly chose:  "The Lord does not delight in burnt offerings."

Now, I can look back at that story and laugh.  It's ok, you can, too.  I used to be so embarrassed by it, but I've grown up a little, and I can now laugh at myself.  After all, that was almost twenty years ago!  But the truth is, every thing that led to that fiasco was sin.  Let's call it for what it was.  Sure, there's no sin in buying a bag of candy.  But if you know you really shouldn't, if you know you can't afford it, and certainly, if you think you have to hide the fact that you bought it, there's definite sin involved.  Yes, the Lord did not delight in my burnt offering that day.

Over the last few days, the Lord has repeatedly brought this story to mind, for various reasons.  He's also brought to my mind the question of hidden sin.  Just as regularly as we spend time in prayer interceding for others and praising God, we should also be asking Him to reveal sin in our lives.  This is something too often we neglect to do as Christians.  This is something I've not been disciplined to do, either.  Yet, it's what God expects, nonetheless.

The verse for this week says a person who conceals sin does not prosper.  It goes on to say that if we confess our sin and renounce it, we will find mercy.  Maybe you're not concealing sin, like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup kind of sin, but do you have unconfessed sin in your life?  When is the last time you've asked the Lord to show you what cancerous sin areas He wants to carve away?  The verse says we should renounce our sin.  That means to turn from it! 

I challenge you to make a list of sins.  If you're having trouble thinking of any, you can find some in Colossians 3:7-8.  Are any of these present in your life:  anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, lies?  Later in the chapter, Paul tells us to have compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.  Those are character qualities Christ commands, and if they aren't present, then that's sin, too.  Think of the fruits of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23.  What is the antithesis of those things mentioned?

I'll be honest, my first reaction to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the past has been nothing short of lust, but I'm hoping to change that now.  I hope the next time you see a Reese's Cup, you'll use it as a reminder for self-examination.  To grow closer in our walk with the Lord, we must have regular times of confession, admitting the sin.  Then we must also renounce the sin and turn from it. 

Confession and renouncing sin can be painful and raw.  I admit it, it's not easy seeing the ugly truth about yourself...the truth you try to hide from everyone...the truth you don't want anyone to see.  The end result, however, is being conformed to God's image.  I don't know about you, but that is my end goal, no matter how hard it hurts.  That's what matters in life, becoming more like Christ.  It's my prayer for each of you this week that you will set aside time for prayer focusing on confession of sins.

Be sure your sin will find you out.  Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, anyone?

 

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

Are you running on fumes?

Yesterday I glanced down at my gas gauge and noticed it was on empty.  The light was on, and I was at least fifteen miles from home.  Decision time.  Do I push my limits and get the van home so my husband could fill it, or do I try to cut over through traffic to the gas station on the opposite side of the road and get home even later than planned?  Chance it, I did, but fear finally took over.  I ended up pulling over for gas, just a few miles away from my house.  By then, the tank was below the "E" and I knew I had pushed my little van as far as I could.  I really don't think I could have made it home.  I was running on fumes, and quite easily, all forward motion could have stopped at any moment. 

Apply that to your life and relationship with the Lord.  Are you re-filling your tank on a daily basis?  Do you have forward motion?  Or are you shifting through life in neutral, or even moving in reverse?  Put bad gas into your car, and it will stop running efficiently.  Put no gas in your car, and it will stop running all together, guaranteed.

This morning I was reading in Matthew 12:34-37.  "...For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

For out of the overflow of the heart...  Let's stop there.  What's in my heart will overflow in my actions and the words that come out of my mouth.  Attitude check.  What is overflowing from my heart today?  Is it love?  Is it joy?  Is it peace?  Patience?  Gentleness?  Hmmm. Yes, definite time for attitude check.  Have I been filling my life with some bad gasoline?  If what is overflowing from my heart is a direct opposite of any of these things, then I have a problem. 

Do I want to complain about my situation?  Then I have a heart problem.  Am I angry with another person about a particular situation?  Then I have a heart problem.  Do I want to rip into another person because of how they act?  Yep, well, maybe they have a heart problem, but I certainly do, too.

The verses go on to say that we will have to give account for every careless word we've spoken.  Ouch.  Not such a pleasant thought for me, especially as of late.  Over the last few weeks, "spiritual maintenance" has been more my focus than "spiritual growth."  And truly, maintaining in neutral is not what God expects or wants from me.  I've noticed a slow shift in my aggression to seek to God each morning.  My prayer time has been coasting through the last few weeks while I have juggled a busy personal and professional life.  I've noticed my attitude during this time has shifted, too.  I've been more "me" focussed, I have had a quicker temper, and in context of the passage in Matthew, my mouth has been spewing some pretty ugly things.  I've complained more than I've encouraged, and I've definitely verbalized a judgmental opinion about others more times than  care to admit.  "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."  Hit smack in between the eyes, God has shown me this morning that my heart is not fully focussed where it should be.

I'm reminded of David's words in Psalm 139:23  "Search me, O God, and know my heart.  Try me, and know my thoughts."  I'm thankful His Holy Spirit works to convict and reveal sin in our lives.  I'm so thankful God forgives. 

If my tank is full, I have no problem stepping on the gas and gunning it, full speed ahead.  The more I seek after God and spend time with Him, the more His heart will be revealed in my actions.  I want the overflow of my heart to speak Godly things.  I want to overflow with love, joy, peace, and patience.  I am asking God this morning to give me a renewed passion.  I want to shift out of neutral and back into overdrive with forward motion, spiritually speaking.

Who is with me on this road trip?  Are you in neutral, drive, or are you actually in reverse?  Have you stopped all forward motion with the Lord?  All it takes is confession and a mental shift into drive.  Don't let circumstances, failures, or even a road block get in your way.  Let's fill our tanks and move that gauge over to full -- full of love, grace, truth, kindness, patience, and peace.  Full of God.

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Monday Memory Verse - Are you ready for some football?

Hebrews 12:1  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

I'm a football fan.  Let me clarify that---I'm a football fan, but I'm especially a Dallas Cowboys fan.  It took my husband and I about seven or eight years after coming to Texas to "get our life right" but in the end, it was unavoidable.  If you're going to live in the Dallas area and want to watch football with your friends, you gotta love the Cowboys. And we do!  Now, unlike some I know, we're not fair-weather fans.  But, I will say, it's quite easy to sit on the sidelines of my reclining chair and see all the mistakes going on in the opening season game.

You see, SNF (Sunday Night Football) on NBC this week has the Washington Redskins hosting the Dallas Cowboys.  The Redskins, led by Donovan McNabb, formerly with the Eagles, is a quarterback that we owned last season, beating him and his Eagles three times in a row.  Unfortunately, it's only currently minutes into the second half, and the Cowboys can't seem to throw off what is hindering them, namely the Redskins.  Yes, spiritually speaking, the Cowboys need some perseverance.

OK, enough about football, let's bring it home to me (and you if you want.)  First, let me say that I am so thankful I'm surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.  You see, sometimes I get really weary.  I get tired of being sure that I'm posting a blog and a verse to memorize by each Sunday night.  It's not that I don't want to stay with my commitment to learn a new verse each week, but the busyness of life sometimes just takes over.  I'm so thankful for our Groupies4God members who keep me accountable to do what God has called me to do.  When I get weary, all I have to do is spend a little time focusing on God and the race He has laid out.  But it definitely helps knowing that I have 570+ people waiting to see the new verse for the week, too.

Next the verse says that we should throw off everything that hinders and sin that easily entangles us.  Now if you know anything about football, think about the imagery.  The defensive and offensive lineman literally are in a battle to throw each other off throughout the whole game.  It's the good vs. evil scenario, and I probably don't have to mention which is which on NBC's Sunday night match-up. 

The verse ends with let us "run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  In football, I think the race marked out is for a Cowboy victory each week, paving the way to a home team advantage at the Super Bowl.  But in real life, I know that's highly unlikely, at least the 'undefeated' part.  That's why the author of Hebrews says to run with perseverance.   If you're guaranteed success, it's not too hard to have perseverance, right?

But for me, long term perseverance can be a struggle.  Sometimes staying up late to watch my favorite television show has repercussions with getting my hiney out of bed early enough in the morning to have a quality quiet time with the Lord.  Perseverance.  Sometimes my lack of discipline results in lack of encouraging friends who are struggling.  Perseverance.  Sometimes I just wear myself out working so much that I neglect even spending time with my own family like I should.  Yes, I need perseverance, in whatever the race marked out for me.

So are you with me?  Can you identify any areas where you haven't been practicing perseverance?  Have you stayed true to your commitment to learning a verse each week?  Are you struggling to maintain a consistent, active quiet time each morning?  What is the sin that so easily besets you?  We all are different.  Identify it, and throw it off. 

Persevere.  Now, I can't say the Cowboys persevered like I wanted them to during the season opener, but only the rest of the season will tell if they really do persevere and throw off what is besetting them.  What beset them on Sunday was penalties.  At least it came down to the final seconds and last play of the game.  What can I say, they at least made it exciting.  Football fan or not, I think we can all learn a lesson about finishing the task God has called us to do.

---Beth Banfill
www.Godandme2theMax.com