Joy in Weakness

Tonight's lesson at the Bible study is about joy in weakness. It's based on 2 Corinthians where Paul talks about his thorn, given to him to keep him from becoming conceited.

2 Corinthians 12
7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

For when I am weak, then I am strong? Or when I am weak, God is strong. The Bible is filled with examples of people who appeared too weak to do what they accomplished. Only God could be responsible. It's easy to pray to remove the thorn. In fact, it seems natural to me to desperately desire to get rid of the thorn, to blame the thorn for preventing me from reaching success. It also makes sense that God uses the thorn and our weakness to work on others, to reach others who might not connect with a religious superstar. Of course, there's also hope for all of us mere mortals. Paul started out as only a mortal, maybe worse than your average dude. And he became a religious superstar because God could work through him and his weakness.

This was a great study. My favorite, Peter, pops back up. I'll come back to him tomorrow.

So Long Self (the song's title)

In this area, I could only say "Do as I say, not as I do" if I were to throw around advice. One of the hardest parts of being a Christian...learning to be selfless. In a world filled with authorities and bosses and requirements, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and underappreciated. It's not so easy to remember "Believe it or not but life is not apparently about me anyways" every day.

MercyMe - So Long Self
From the album Coming Up To Breathe

Well if I come across a little bit distant
It's just because I am
Things just seem to feel a little bit different
You understand

Believe it or not but life is not apparently
About me anyways
But I have met the One who really is worthy
So let me say

Chorus:
So long self
Well it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me farewell
Oh well, Goodbye, don't cry
So Long Self

Stop right there because I know what your thinking
But no we can't be friends
And even though I know your heart is breaking
This has to end

And come to think of it the blame for all of this
Simply falls on me
For wanting something more in life than all of this

Friday again

Why couldn't anyone on the ark play cards?
Because Noah was standing on the deck.

And the photo's from Cute Overload. If you aren't visiting C.O. daily, you're missing out on some serious joy!

The joy of the Lord is our strength

Since we've been working on this study of joy, this Chris Tomlin song keeps running through my head. It's called "Holy is the Lord God Almighty" but the part that keeps playing for me is "the joy of the Lord is our strength."

A Living Hope

This is one of my favorite passages and it came up in the first lesson in our study of joy. I've read this twice at funerals. That doesn't seem very joyous, right? But there is definitely joy in the idea that these trials lead to lasting reward. And that at both of those funerals, I knew that someone I loved had already had that "new birth into a living hope" and now their trials were over. Time for the inheritance! Where does joy come from? A new birth into a living hope.

1 Peter (New International Version)
Praise to God for a Living Hope
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

It is Well with my Soul

This song and the story behind it was part of my Bible study lesson. It's one of my favorite hymns (mainly because it was easy to sing for my short stint in choir, good for altos). Still, it's also applicable to the study of true joy.

It Is Well with My Soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Is Koi a Scrabble word?

You know how you feel when you're with people that you just feel comfortable with? Like you're OK no matter what form of dorky you are today? I have a few friends like that. Maybe that's just me. For some reason, even with people who I'm firmly convinced usually like me, I'm waiting for them to not like me, to think I'm just too...whatever it is that day...to hang with. And when I have to walk into a "party" with new people, I spend most of the day leading up to it in a pep talk..."You're good enough, You're smart enough, and, dog gone it, people like you." And then I usually do my best not to attract notice.

So, I'm trying a new church because I want to get involved with a group of people who believe what I believe and have similar lives...single Christians seem a good place to start. Cut to game night...me, driving over...I'll just see who's there and if I don't like it, I don't have to stay. Right, God? God says sure, while rolling his eyes probably. And as I'm parking, the girls in my Bible study drive up. No escape. And they don't allow me to hang back. And it was fine. It was good. So, I think none of us are cool...the heated Scrabble conversation over the word "koi" was my first clue. But they fit and I fit. And they already know about my weird New Year's resolution and my odd Pride and Prejudice obsession. How much worse could it get? Pretending to be cool takes too much out of me. I think I'll let that go. Maybe I'll just try to be real.