Ambitions

Do you ever sit back and contemplate what you want to be like? I usually do this when I do or say something stupid and I realize that I am not the person that I want to be. So what qualities do you aspire to have, what are your ambitions?

I was reading Matthew 5:1-12 this week and I have to admit, my ambitions don't typically look like those found in the Beatitudes. I am pretty sure that I have never sat and thought, "I sure would like to be poor in spirit, I would like to mourn, I want to be meek, I would like to be persecuted." Yet, these are the things that Jesus talks about in beginning of his Sermon on the Mount.

Why is it that I don't desire these things for myself? I was thinking about that question this week as thought about the passage. I determined that it is because those things are contrary to what the world teaches us about successful people. These things are also contrary to the selfishness inside of me. As a Christ follower though, I am not called to be like the world, I am called to be a new creation and to put aside my flesh. That is why my ambition, my desire is now to be like the qualities in the Beatitudes. As I pursue those qualities, I can't help becoming more like Jesus as well as a better husband, father, friend and pastor.

Rebuild

Have you ever watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition? It used to be one of my favorite shows and in it, a crew of designers and a huge team of builders show up at someone's house and completely rebuild the house. The first thing they have to do (other than getting the family packed up and out of the house) is to demolish the existing house. The team brings in the heavy equipment and literally rips out the house all the way down to the foundation. It is only after that very important first step that they are then able to build the beautiful house that is presented to the owners at the end. Most of the time, the existing houses are in such bad shape that simply adding on or renovating wouldn't work.

I think that God works this way too. In order to be close to Him, we must let Him come in and destroy and remove the things that weren't built by him. We need to allow Him to get down to the foundation and then rebuild. The things that we have built are rotten and are not suitable to build on. But, if we allow God to come in and build, the results are far more amazing and beautiful than any house you have seen on Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Ask God to show you the areas of your life that need to be cleaned out and destroyed so He can come in and build you back up.

Doormat?

Have you read the book of Hosea lately (or ever)? I have read it before but usually as part of a bible reading plan where I read a little Old Testament and a little New Testament each day, I've never really spent much time in the book or given it a whole lot of thought. I am spending some time in Hosea right now though; thinking about it, trying to draw application from it and praying about what God may be showing me.

Hosea had it rough! God asked him to marry a woman that would cheat on him (multiple times) and have kids with other dudes. I don't know about you, but if I knew prior to getting married that my wife would be unfaithful, I highly doubt that I would get married. Hosea obeyed God and married Gomer anyway. Do you know what happened? Yep, she cheated on him and had kids with other guys. Then God asked him to take her back and Hosea did.

In our society, Hosea would be considered a doormat, he would be considered stupid or foolish. But, if that is the criteria, we would have to consider God to be stupid or foolish too. Hosea's life is a picture of God's relationship with His people. We, like Gomer (Hosea's wife), cheat on God, we turn our backs on Him, we leave Him for others. God, on the other hand, remains faithful. He loves us so much that He takes us back over and over again.

I have only read through chapter 3 of Hosea so far, but so far, I have found a few applications.

1. God may ask me to do something that is hard or even seems impossible. When He does, I need to be obedient to Him, trust Him and rely on His strength.
2. I need to stop being like Gomer and Israel. I need to stop cheating and let God be enough for me.
3. God never stops loving me even though I continually turn my back on Him through my actions, yet, how often do I limit my love for others because they hurt me. I need to be like Hosea who was willing to take his wife back and even literally paid to do so because that was what God called him to do. I need to obey God and love others, even if it means I will be opening myself up to more pain and hurt.