Category: Growth

The Big Uglies

By Paula Marolewski, February 3, 2010 9:47 am

Have you ever prayed – with despair wrenching your gut, doubt tearing at your mind, discouragement dragging you down, desperation clutching at your chest?

I have, too.

Then, after some indeterminate time on your knees, you drag yourself to your feet … with the same despair, the same doubt, the same discouragement, the same desperation?

I have, too.

You may wonder if you have lost your faith. If you ever knew God at all. If you can go on another step. If this whole Christianity thing is worth it.

I have, too.

You’ve read through the promises in Scripture – promises of hope, of purpose, of comfort, of God’s presence, his love, his Spirit. And it all seems empty.

I have, too.

The hard truth is, being a Christian doesn’t exempt us from the big uglies of despair, doubt, discouragement, desperation … or any of the other nasties out there. You can believe in God with all your heart, love him with all your soul, and follow him with all your strength – and still get jumped, and jumped badly, by the big uglies.

Are the promises of God true? Is his presence always with us?

Yes, and yes.

Perhaps part of our quandary is that we forget that we have to “wait on the Lord” before he will indeed renew our strength.

Sometimes, it can be a very, very long wait.

I know.

I’ve been there, too.

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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A Theology of Everything

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By Paula Marolewski, January 20, 2010 8:04 pm

Does your theology take everything into account?

Now, let me be clear here: the Bible’s theology takes everything into account … but what we believe and what the Bible says don’t always completely tally. We, quite frankly, often believe what we want to believe, regardless of what God has revealed in his Word.

For instance, many people believe that everything in life should be good because they are Christians. After all, aren’t Christians supposed to live blessed lives? Then a spouse dies, a child develops cancer, or their finances collapse … and suddenly their faith goes out the window. Why? Because life no longer correlates to what they believe.

But God’s Word says that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, italics mine). Those few words “to work together for good” make quite a difference in meaning. The promise isn’t that everything that happens is going to be good, even if we are living completely within the will of God. The promise is that God will redeem the good, the bad, and the ugly and use it for our good and his glory.

Or take this one: I have heard many people say that they believe everyone should have a job that matches the deepest passion of your heart. That if you aren’t wildly excited about what you do, if it doesn’t make your spirit throb with energy, then you haven’t found the right job yet – keep looking.

Nice thought. Let’s look at the extreme position for a moment: there are millions if not billions of people scratching out a living in subsistence farming or horrific factory conditions – both in the U.S. and abroad. I really don’t think they feel particularly fulfilled or satisfied, but there may literally be no other alternative for them. They may never be able to receive the education, the opportunity, or the financing to pursue their deepest goals, dreams, and desires. All they can hope for is to make enough money to survive.

Has God abandoned them? Has he said, “Oops! I forgot about you all … I guess you’re outside of my scope”? Not at all. The fact is, the Bible nowhere promises that we will have fulfilling jobs if we follow God. The closest it comes is in Ecclesiastes 5:18, where it is written “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.”

Do you notice something about the verse? First, it’s not a promise of God – it’s an observation of a very wise man. It says that it’s great if you can enjoy and be contented in what you do … not that what you do will always be perfectly fulfilling in and of itself. There’s a big difference there. Also note the words: “labor” and “toil.” That should give us a hint that work is … well … work. After all, as my father often said, “If it was fun, they’d call it ‘play’!”

Here’s the vital takeaway: If (and when!) you come to the place where life isn’t meeting up to your expectations, don’t take it out on God and make him out to be a liar. Take a good look at yourself instead, and figure out if you’ve been believing a lie of your own making.

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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Do We Insult God?

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By Paula Marolewski, January 13, 2010 9:51 am

“Oh, I’m nothing.”

“I have no spiritual gifts.”

“God could never use me to do that.”

You know, humility is good and right in its place. But Paul calls us to “sober judgment” about ourselves (Romans 12:3). He then goes on to talk about the spiritual gifts God has given to each of us in the church – gifts, as he says in Ephesians 4:12-13, that are to be used “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Hardly an inconsequential task!

So I have a simple question today:

Do we insult God by calling ourselves “nothing” and thinking we are worthless when he has redeemed us by his blood, sealed us by his Spirit, called us to his purpose, granted us his gifts, and destined us for his kingdom?

 

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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Seedling: Are You Zoning Out, Or Zoning In?

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By Paula Marolewski, January 11, 2010 1:10 pm

“For his lovingkindness is everlasting.” – Psalm 136:1

Psalm 136 is composed of 26 verses, with the second half of each and every verse repeating the phrase “for his lovingkindness is everlasting.”

Repetition is a funny thing – it can either make you zone out, or zone in. If I read this psalm quickly, the second half of each verse begins to blur, and I find myself racing through it. I’ve even skipped the repeated phrase entirely on occasion, and just read the first portion of each verse! After all, why should I re-read a single phrase 26 times??

Or, I can zone in. There is a reason this psalm, with its 26-fold repetition, was included in the holy Scripture. And maybe – just maybe – it’s because the phrase is so incredibly important that God wants to draw our attention to it. Help us focus on it. Encourage us to plumb the depths of this wonderful truth.

Are we going to zone out, or zone in?

  • Read Psalm 136 out loud. Don’t rush. Savor each word, and every repetition of the phrase “for his lovingkindess is everlasting.”
  • Consider: God’s lovingkindness is everlasting … in your past, in your present, in your future, in your troubles, in your joys … in every circumstance of your life.
  • What difference does it make to know that God’s steadfast love is supporting you every moment of the day?
  • What can help you remember – every day – God’s eternal love for you?

 

Copyright © 2010, Paula J. Marolewski. All rights reserved.

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“Just As I Am”?

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By Paula Marolewski, January 6, 2010 1:12 pm

“I’m not going to change – this is the way I am. Take it or leave it.”

You’ve heard that before? Perhaps you’ve said that before?

A few thoughts:

No, we cannot change another person. People are people – self-determining individuals – not projects.

And yes, God accepts us “just as I am, without one plea.”

But here’s the kicker: God doesn’t expect me to stay “just as I am.” He expects, demands, and requires change. It’s called “sanctification.”

And likewise, while those around us do not have the right to try to change us, they do have the right to expect that we will take action to change ourselves when we are living an unhealthy lifestyle, have a serious area of weakness, or are acting outside of God’s will.

Don’t change the words of the song: it’s “Just as I am, without one plea.” Not “Just as I am, now leave me be.”

 

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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The Power of Obedience

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By Paula Marolewski, December 16, 2009 5:01 pm

We’re very big about control in our culture … namely, we want to be in control of our lives. Master of our fate. Captain of the ship. But true power comes from handing over that control to God and becoming obedient.

It’s interesting to think of obedience as a powerful position. Typically, we think of it in terms of subordination or even as inferiority. Slaves obey. Servants obey. Employees obey. But God says that obedience is the key to victory and power over sin. And that is because we are obeying the one who has a divine strategy for winning – and who has the power to back it up.

Perhaps if we thought of obedience in military terms, it could help. If each soldier did his own thing and what he thought was best, the battlefield would be chaotic. Ammunition would be spent uselessly. Soldiers would be out-flanked. Dangers that would be apparent from a higher vantage point would be walked into blindly. They would lose their lives and the war.

However, if each soldier in the army obeys his commanding officer, the army will win as long as the commander knows what is best to do and has the firepower to rout the enemy. And that is what our Commander has – knowledge and power. In that context, obedience makes perfect sense if we want to win. Obedience puts us in a position of power over the enemy.

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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Open Your Eyes!

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By Paula Marolewski, December 10, 2009 9:23 am

Just a short comment today: sometimes I hear people talk dreamily about how wonderful heaven will be, and how amazing it will be to see all that God has for us there. But all too often, those same people never stop to admire the flowers or pause to drink in a sunset.

You know, the creation we are living in is not God’s “factory second.” It’s not like God made this universe as a trial run. Genesis 1 doesn’t read, “And God said, ‘Oops! I’ll do better the next time around!’”

God said this creation was very, very good. Have you stopped lately to really see it? Considered the beauties of the trees and flowers, the wonder of the night sky, the miracles of modern technology (remember, God made everything that makes your computer, iPhone, and iPod work!), the intricacies of the human body, the splendor of the sciences like mathematics or chemistry?

Will heaven be even better? Yes – because it will be without sin.

But the best way to prepare yourself to appreciate the new heaven and new earth is to fall in love with all he has given us – right here.

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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Easy vs. Simple

By Paula Marolewski, November 16, 2009 3:39 pm

The older I get, the more I see a peculiar dichotomy:

Life becomes more and more complicated, because:

  • Pat answers don’t fit anymore.
  • People are more complex than I’d ever imagined.
  • Situations are more tangled than I could even believe possible.

Yet life also becomes more and more simple, because as my understanding of God expands, I see that:

  • His knowledge is deeper than all the pat answers in the world – he is Wisdom.
  • His salvation extends to every soul in need – he is Love.
  • His power is sovereign over all the mess we make of our lives – he is Grace.

Perhaps a part of maturity is to come to the realization that life will never be easy – but that as we trust God more and more, it can become simple again.

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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What Are You Doing Here?

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By Paula Marolewski, November 9, 2009 5:50 pm

Elijah had beaten the priests of Baal at Mount Carmel and outrun Ahab to Jezreel – but when Jezebel tacked up a “Most Wanted” poster, he tucked his tail between his legs and ran.

You know the story – the wind, the fire, the earthquake. Then the still, small voice of God.

Remember what God said first?

He asked a question (I Kings 19:13):

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

I don’t think the question was reproachful or demanding. In the previous verses, God had provided angelic cookery for his weary prophet, and comforted him with gentle words. Perhaps God even asked his question with a hint of a smile:

“Elijah, you’ve seen me stop the rain for three years, provide for you by the stream at Cherith, supply flour and oil for you and the widow and her son, raise the boy from the dead, bring down fire from heaven, and restore water to the earth. Yet here you are, living in a place of fear and doubt and depression. What are you doing here?”

Does God sometimes ask that of us? I think so. When I consider everything God has done for me over the decades in which I have trusted him, I am astonished and overwhelmed. He has never failed me. Never forsaken me. Yet all too easily, I fall into fear and doubt and depression. It is then that I hear his still, small voice asking me the same question: “What are you doing here?”

And here’s the key: I have a choice about where I am going to live. I can live in fear and doubt and depression, looking only at the problems that surround me. Or, I can live in confidence and faith and strength, looking only at my God who is sovereign over all.

Where are you living today? And is God perhaps asking you, gently inquiring,

“What are you doing here?”

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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How Strong Are Your Convictions?

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By Paula Marolewski, October 29, 2009 2:38 pm

Just a question for you today: How strong are your Christian convictions?

In the face of …

  • Passion. When the heat of the moment is lighting every fire inside you but you aren’t married to the person you’re with … what will you do?
  • Pressure. When the people around you – perhaps people whom you respect, perhaps people whom you fear, perhaps people whom you love – are encouraging you down a path Scripture forbids … what will you do?
  • Persecution. When threatened with ridicule, loss, slander, pain, isolation – even death – because of what you believe … what will you do?

Be honest. And if you don’t like your answer, then answer this:

What will you do about it?

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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