#God's timing

[ae-cha08]

We can trust in God, knowing He will align our heart’s desire with His and ultimately give us His very best blessings – all in His perfect timing. 💙

[shutterandsentence]

Everything happens in God's timing!

Photo: Illinois

[momentsbeforemass]

Too small

(for someone who is struggling with who God really is)

For many of us, most of us, our God is too small.

Not that God Himself actually is too small.

But our concept of God? The version of God that we have created for ourselves?

Whether we have drifted into worshipping some lesser version of God that did miracles back in Bible times. But not today.

Or treat God like an impersonal life force that makes existence possible. But doesn’t do much of anything else.

Or any other of the myriad of ways that we create limited, weak versions of God. Small enough that we can put whatever’s left in a box of our own design.

But whatever way we shrink God down, what we end up with isn’t God. 

If we’ve got God down to something that we can control, something that we’re comfortable with, then what we’re dealing with? Isn’t God.

The truth about God? It’s in today’s Gospel.

From the mouth of a leper comes one of the deepest understandings of God in the Bible.

In six words. “Lord, if you will, you can.”

To unpack, God is the God who can. Whatever it is. God can.

And God will. Whatever it is.

God will. In God’s perfect judgment. And in God’s good time.

None of which may have anything to do with our ideas of what God should do.

Which is why J.B. Phillips nailed it when he said,

“God will inevitably disappoint the man who is attempting to use God as a convenience, a prop, or for his own plans. God has never been known to disappoint the man who sincerely wants to co-operate with God’s own purpose.”

Today’s Readings

[mymusicbias]

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Cast not away your confidence because God defers his performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in his time, which is always the more convenient season.

Matthew Henry

[yeslordmyking]

Psalm 90:12 — Today's Verse for Monday, September 4, 2023

[oasisr]

God's plan is so much higher than you trying to manifest something into your life that may not be right for you at all!

God's timing is always perfect. The Law of Attraction is a form of witchcraft because it involves using the power of the mind to draw in something that may go against God's intentions for your life.

[golden-gospel-poet]

🌴 Golden Monday 🌅

For more Golden words follow or click the link🔗 🌅🌊🌅🌊🌅🌊🌅🌊🌅🌊🌅

[queer-as-used-by-tolkien]

Hi, I see your addition to that post on porn and I half agree with you: it takes a relationship with Christ to combat an addiction, we can’t win on our own. But, and hear me out, I do unfortunately have personal experience with this: my dad stopped trying at all, and it got him deeper and deeper, justifying himself saying God’s grace covered all, until this man, who accepted Christ at the age of 17, later cursed his family cursed God, and left us for a stripper. And then another. And then another. So far as I know he has not repented. God willing, he will one day.  Meanwhile I had my own dirty little secret: I struggled with masturbation from a young age, almost the same age that I accepted Christ. I can’t say I never struggle with the thoughts, or that I’ve won completely, but I am having significantly less trouble fleeing temptation these days and I refuse to let the sin define me. 

The only difference between us that I can see is that I kept fighting, while knowing it was only the grace of God that made a difference. God does call us to flee temptation and that’s a battle that requires some effort on our parts even though it is God who gives the victory. And that is, I believe, the intent of the original post. 

On Porn and Addictions

First, thank you so, so, SO much for this ask, Anon. It raises important points that I didn't have time to discuss with my reblog. I'm sorry I didn't get to this sooner, but the site blocker I use to limit my time on Tumblr has been acting up.

For clarity: I was rebuking that OP for telling people to 'just try,' because so many people are told to 'just try' when that isn't what actually fixes you.

Yes, Anon, it's VITALLY important that you do keep trying, and giving up and citing God's grace is the absolute worst way to solve an addiction. In fact, in the fight against sin, that is the one time a person has truly lost.

But telling people to just try harder when they are already trying with all their ability 1) tells them there is no other answer and that all their current trying is not enough, which leads to depression and a return to denial or full-on loss of faith, 2) makes them feel at fault for their addiction, which multiplies guilt and blame and leads to further sin, which leads to more guilt, and so on, 3) implies they can actually solve it by trying harder, which leads to impatience and frustration with God's perfect timing, and 4) communicates a lack of support, understanding, and empathy, which makes their struggle much, much harder than it needs to be.

When a person is suffering from an addiction, they need the community of believers to gather around them and encourage them, uplift them, and remind them that they are forgiven, accepted, redeemed by his blood. We are the body of Christ; if one member is injured, we all are in pain. (1 Corinthians 12:25-26)

This support makes the suffering many times more bearable. Seeing this kind of support means others who suffer in the same way will be encouraged to share the burdens they carry and receive help.

The current culture of hiding our faults and sins and struggles so we appear holy and perfect and blameless is direct disobedience to the command we are given in James 5:16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

If you are struggling with sin or addiction, tell someone! Tell someone you trust! Tell as many people as you feel comfortable telling. We will pray for you, and we will tell you our struggles so you can pray for us. Prayer is a powerful thing in all its aspects. And this process also builds strong bonds of community and friendship - the ties that hold the body of Christ together.

Everyone struggles with something, so do your utmost to be a safe person in a safe community - or the only safe person in an unsafe community - where people will comfortable confessing and asking for help.

When someone says 'just try harder' or 'do better' or 'if you had more/enough faith' or in any way conveys disdain, judgment, condemnation, or a negative shift of opinion toward the person struggling, that shows a lack of understanding that will immediately put a wall between that person and the one struggling. He will not approach that person again to confess and will not look to them for comfort, encouragement, acceptance, or prayer. He may also be reluctant to open up to anyone else for fear of the same reaction.

We are told in Galatians 6:1-2, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

This is to help people out of denial; but it also commands us to bear each other's burdens. We are to be the whole, and united, body of Christ, without division, supporting each other in our struggles and temptations.

Without these vital things - feeling free to confess to each other, praying for each other, bearing each other's burdens - the struggle to healing is far longer, far more arduous, and far more miserable than God ever intended.

Aside from these verses on the value of the church in this struggle, there is one other thing that the Bible guarantees will result in a cessation of sin (in God's timing): walking after the Spirit.

The promises granted to the believer walking after the Spirit are, among other verses, outlined in Romans 8:4, Galatians 5:16 and Galatians 6:7-9.

Walking in the Spirit is three things: 1) obeying the commands in the Bible, 2) following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and 3) giving thanks in all things, rejoicing in sufferings (including temptation), and counting it joy to be tempted. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, 1 Peter 4:13, James 1:2ff)

Technically that third thing is part of the first (obeying the Bible's commands), but it's vitally important. The reasons for doing so are outlined in Proverbs 23:7, Romans 12:2, Matthew 6:19-24 and Luke 11:33-36. Even secular science has caught on, after a few thousand years: due to how your brain interprets thoughts as commands and the activity of brain chemicals such as dopamine, the things you think about are things you are more likely to act on. Including sin.

Philippians 4:8 instructs us this way: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things 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, if there be any PRAISE, think on these things.

Beating yourself up over having fallen into sin, or promising you'll never do it again, or lamenting yet another failure, or asking how it got you this time: is it TRUE? Has not Christ cleansed and forgiven you? Are you not clean and holy? Is it HONEST? Are you really not going to do it again? Are you being realistic about your own ability? Is it JUST, seeing that you do not deserve any punishment, even the mild sort you inflict on yourself, since Christ took it all and paid in full? Is it a PURE line of thought, filling your mind with bitterness? Is dwelling on sin LOVELY in any way whatsoever? Is it OF GOOD REPORT - are these things you would be telling others about? Is it worth sharing? Is there any PRAISE in the matter - are you praising the comission of sin? Are you praiseworthy for having committed sin?

I think the answer to all of these questions is no. So don't think about that.

If you think on bad things like that sin you just committed, you will act on those bad things. If you think of good things, you will act on those good things.

Certainly, continuing to try not to sin is vital to recovery; you always need to return to the fight, get back on the horse, and go to God. But do not expect results right away! God's timing is incomprehensible to us, and it's restated in the context of walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:5 and 6:7-9, and 1 Peter 5:7-11). It is difficult for me when I fall, thinking that I haven't spent enough time thinking good things: but all in God's timing. It is hard sitting back, remembering we have done all we can, and it is God who works in us to will and to act.

It may take a day or it may take a lifetime, and if it only takes a day there is always a new sin or temptation waiting: but this is the struggle and calling of every believer. If you are fighting, you are winning.

It is when you are not fighting, when you have given in or given up and decided not to try - that is when you have lost, for even if God works in your life and makes the temptation easier to bear, you wouldn't know it.

Keep trying. Don't give up. But trying your hardest is not what ultimately works righteousness within you. When you succeed, remember it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

Thank you deeply, Anon, for sharing your story. I have felt led to respond quickly, so no doubt you or others need to hear what I've said, despite its length.

Here are some resources for the person struggling with sin or addiction:

Celebraterecovery.com - this has a map for you to find a Celebrate Recovery group at a local church. It's a Christ-centered twelve-step recovery group, run by others who struggle or have recovered from struggling with sin or addiction. They focus on the positive, and every other week they have a testimony of someone's successful recovery. They also focus on sharing and supporting each other. They've been around for 30+ years and it works. The one I'm going to gets new members every week, and a different person shares their testimony every other week. It's truly glorious to watch.

Specifically for people who struggle with porn and/or masturbation on Reddit.com itself: see the subreddits r/NoFap, r/NoFapChristians, r/pornfree, r/pornfreewomen (women only!), r/PornFreeChristians, and more.

[sagekjs21]

This is all I want out of my life on earth. The only thing that comes above this is doing the will of God.

together we will create a home with no loud anger, no explosive rage, no slamming doors or breaking glass, no holes punched into the walls so hard that the foundation rocks and cracks. our home will be gentle, it will be warm. i will keep you safe and you will keep me still. no fear, no hurt, no worry. we come from broken and twisted places but together we will build something whole and safe. we will curl around each other like a pair of quotation marks at night, warm and comforted. in the mornings, you’ll sing in the shower again. we will heal, and we will raise a family that doesn’t need to heal.

[demadogs]

this happened months ago. i cannot keep it in any longer. a while ago i went on a porn site ive never been to and it asked if i was over 18 and i misclicked and said no and it automatically sent me to google images of puppies and kittens. i still cannot get over how funny this is.

[mias-back-from-the-dead]

tbh i think the funniest phenomena that's been happening in the last couple years is "youtuber, having gone too deep into the research hole, has been made an investigative journalist against their will"

[kochei0]

I turn to Ares.

Thanks to Tyler Miles Lockett who allowed me to draw inspiration from his ARES piece for page 2! Look at his etsy page it's SICK

⚔️ If you want to read some queer retelling of arturian legends have a look at my webtoon

[sagekjs21]

When this no longer applies, I have fully healed and moved on. In the beginning it was 100% applicable. Now, it vacillates between 20% and 30%. Progress... I'll take it. ❤️

@pinestripe37 @titaniumpeony God told me what to do, I did it, and you both followed His Will in this situation too. All of this started on August 14, so for that much progress to be made in less than a month considering the rest of my story? I'm not just taking it. I'm thankful for it. And for both of you. ❤️

— rhythmicrhinoceros