Passion: Held Hostage By Pajamas

    “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do.Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. ” John 17: 15-17 NIV

     A sign outside one of our local churches reads “No matter how you feel, GET UP, DRESS UP AND SHOW UP!”

     That is an excellent suggestion for so many, like me, who have come to love their beds more and more as we see the evil days approaching.

     My bed feels safe. I can crawl in under the covers and hide from the world. Just by putting on my pajamas sometimes I feel (if only fleetingly) like I am setting up an impenetrable force field against that enemy I feel crouching everywhere outside my door. My goodness! I want  that force field to stand for good and separate me permanently from the world. Some days I want to go in my front door and never come out again.

     Now some of us need a good nap. Some of us really just need to go home, throw on our jammies and relax a bit. But others face a temptation to never leave the pajama state. Some of us are held hostage by our pajamas or  by the fear that caused us to put on our pajamas in the first place. We have become escapist in our living. Our theme song has become “Let the world go away.”

   The only problem is, Jesus never prayed for us to be released from the world. In fact he said “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.”

     Apparently, God never intended for us to hide away and act like the world didn’t exist. The idea that we are safe in our pajamas is just a child hood fantasy. Staying in bed is no more a cure for depression fear or trouble than eating McDonald’s is a cure for heart disease.

      The cure is in being made holy and coming to know God’s Word experientially. Brother…Sister let me tell you that can’t be done in your pajamas! If the world seems a little scary and you are facing the temptation to become a hostage to your nightwear the only cure is to GET UP! DRESS UP! AND SHOW UP in the power God gave you the day you told Jesus He was Lord. Never fear. Somehow He will keep you safe from the Evil One.

Breathing Through

 In one of my recent posts Battling My Big Bad Buddy, I said that one of my methods of dealing with change was to remember to breathe. I thought that bore a little more explanation; So here goes.

      My lead pastor is constantly reminding me to “respond and not react to life.” That is good advice. Too often I shoot from the hip and ask questions later which really needed to be asked in the moment.

     My sister as I said has been heard to comment “Breathe in Jesus breathe out peace.”  Again that’s good advice. In the midst of big change so often I forget to consult Jesus for his will and direction. As soon as He is not involved peace goes flying out the window.

     Finally my mother has always told me that when I am faced with a trying situation I need to stop and count to ten before I say or do anything. This is breathing through at its simplest. But how often do I just flare up with a response before I count?

     Breathing through is first a physical response to change. It involves counting to ten. Yes I mean it literally. When your day changes, goes awry, or otherwise drops a bomb on you don’t blow up, BREATHE!  Counting to ten has three steps:

1. Stop in your tracks. Whatever you are doing or otherwise going to do stop. Step out of the situation. Leave the room if you have to. Detach.

2. Count to ten slowly in your head…aloud if you have to and focus on the numbers not the situation.

3. As you’re counting take deep breaths. Fill your lungs slowly and completely on the number one. Hold the breath on the number two. Fully release the breath on the number three. Start again on the number four.

By the time you are to ten you should be able to accomplish the next step of breathing through. That is putting off the situation for a bit until you can make a decision through prayerful consideration. Breathing is not something you do when a person is bleeding from an artery in front of you. But most situations are not life-threatening even if they are life-altering. So while the rest of the world wants you to make snap decisions, you need to give yourself permission to retire and consider what you are going to do.

Breathing in Jesus and breathing out peace also has three steps:

1. Take the situation to Jesus in prayer and ask for wisdom. The Bible says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

2. Spend time being quiet and listening for God’s voice. Now when I say that most people don;t know how to listen for God’s voice. So here it is.

     a. shut up. Stop talking.

     b. Pay attention to thoughts and impressions that come into your mind. Give specific attention to Scriptures that pop in and “good ideas” that could bring about a desirous solution.

     c. Look into perceived outcomes of the actions your inner dialogue creates. Which of the outcomes can you live with?

3. Ask Jesus to open up the proper pathway and give you peace about the course you see. Be committed to pray until you receive an answer. Don’t give up if God doesn’t tell you everything in the first five minutes. He’s God He doesn’t have to talk fast.

Finally breathing through involves responding not reacting:

1. Get yourself to a place where you can control your emotions before you deal with the change even if you cannot feel good about what you have to do.

2. Don’t go with your first thoughts. They are almost never right. Responding involves weighing out your options and going with the one that is right and best rather than the first thing that comes to mind.

3. Responding involves being spirit-led. Scripture says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ” Gal. 5:22,23 NIV

When we are responding the fruit of the Spirit will be evident.

    Change can be jarring. I know it brings the worst out in me sometimes. It certainly brings out the fear in me. Breathing through helps me to make sure the results of change are beneficial.

How is your breathing going these days?