Wearing our sin like a badge of honor....

I've been thinking about this post for almost a week.  God and I have been talking about what He's laid on my heart.  I've been trying to wrap my brain and my heart around it.

Once I finally got it, I started having this argument with myself as to whether I should write about it here.  You see I didn't want to seem confrontational or offend anyone.  I spend a lot of time thinking about what I say and how I say it.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I frankly, take it to far.  So far, in fact, that I lose myself so that I can please other people. 

Then I discovered this is about what God has laid on MY heart.  This is about how I'M feeling.  This isn't about anyone else.  So in an attempt to live honestly I'm going to just lay it out there.

I know an awful lot of Christians, myself included, who wear a particular sin like a badge of honor. When we look through the Ten Commandments I realized that there are some that we look at as the big "SINS" and others that we look at as merely suggestions.

Here are the big "SINS":  lying, murder, adultery, stealing, coveting.  Those are the big ones that we know are absolutely wrong and we become convicted of quickly.  But what about the first 5.  Are they just suggestions?

The one that I've become particularly convicted of is #4:  "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work.  But the seventh day is a sabbath day to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work..." Exodus 20:8-10a

I am a Salvation Army officer and there is ALWAYS a lot to do.  There are always people who need prayers or a listing ear, programs to be done, sermons to be written, meetings to go to, etc, etc.  It is possible that you can work 24/7 and there will still be more work to do.  And to top off this massive problem we Salvationists are doers.  I think that it's somewhere in our DNA that we like to do stuff. 

In conversation with our peers there's usually a lot of talk about what we have going in our individual appointments and usually there's a lot of talk about how busy we are.  If I had a nickel for every time I've heard, or said myself, "We haven't taken a day of or vacation in (insert a large amount of time here)..."  I think in some cases that has become a badge of honor.  "Look at how hard I'm working for God, I don't even have time to take a day off!"  When really what we're saying is:

"I'm working so hard for God, I don't have time for Him...I don't have time to follow His command, because I''m just too busy...I love Him so much and want to serve Him so much that I will sacrifice MY sabbath."

When I began to see it in context I realized the lie that I, and many others, have been feeding ourselves.  The sabbath rest is a COMMAND not a suggestion.  It is not our sabbath.  It is His sabbath, it is a day for us to rest and honor him. 

Suddenly my pride that I used to wear my busyness badge of honor has turned to shame and repentance.  Thank you Lord, for convicting me and bringing me back to where I need to be, at your feet. 

Busy, Busy Dreadfully Busy....

 

 

Archibald (Mayor): I'm busy, busy, dreadfully busy
You've no idea what I have to do.
Busy, busy, shockingly busy
Much, much too busy for you.
Larry: Oh, I see.

Archibald and Doctor: We're busy, busy, dreadfully busy
You've no idea what we have to do.
Busy, busy, shockingly busy
Much, much too busy for you.

'Cause we're busy, busy, frightfully busy
More than a bumblebee, more than an ant.
Busy, busy, horribly busy
We'd love to help, but we can't!

Archibald: Ta ta!

I really hate days like today.  So many things to do that, I know, not everything will be completed or done as well as I'd like it to be.

Praying that today I am able to give myself a break and accept that even though things aren't the way I'd like them to be, I've done the very best that I can with the time I've been given.

Introducing Tacky...

For those of you who don't know Tacky, let me be the first to introduce him.  This is Tacky...

Tacky is...well...tacky.  He tries to be like the other penguins who all look and act the same, very dignified in their formal attire but it really just doesn't work for him.  He's loud and anything but dignified and, no matter how hard he tries he just cannot be like the other penguins.  He's not a bad penguin.  On the contrary, he's very sweet.  He just doesn't seem to fit in with his penguin peers.  

This blog is about me embracing my inner Tacky.  I live in a world where we all look the same and sometimes, I think people expect that because we look the same we should all be the same.  At least I struggle with that expectation for myself.  This blog is a place for me to figure out how to live honestly and embrace who God has created me to be,  This is where I'll share some of the things I like, some things I don't like, things I laugh and cry about, and things I'm just trying to understand.  Sometimes I'll share practical ideas, sometimes I'll be silly, and sometimes I may get deep and philosophical.  But whatever I post, I promise that I will always be honest.  

So here it is, my first inaugural blog post.  Thanks for being interested enough to join me on this crazy adventure.  

For those of you who've never read about Tacky, grab a friend and run don't walk to your public library and read Tacky The Penguin by Helen Lester.  I promise you will not be disappointed.