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ZMI Today’s Dose

Hiding in Plain Sight

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“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” 

Hebrews 4:13, NLT

White_Bird_in_Tree“Where?” I asked. “What bird? I don’t see any bird? Stop playing with me little girl!

“It’s right there, Mommy! Really! I’m not kidding, it’s right in front of you! Daddy sees it, right, Daddy?”

“Look right in the center of that tree, Ri”, my hubby said.

“Oh, I see it now”, I said! Sure enough, right in front of my face, sat a white bird, in the middle of a tree! I’d looked at that tree earlier and didn’t even see the bird sitting there, nearly camouflaged. I’d looked right past it even though it was hiding in plain sight. Seeing or not seeing that bird in the tree wouldn’t make a significant difference in my life or anyone else’s. But, what do we look past that can make a difference in a life?

Sometimes we look past our shortcomings; after all, it is easier to deny them or refuse to address them altogether, than to face them. I struggled for years to come to a place of real forgiveness towards someone that I’d decided did me wrong. I didn’t want to forgive this person at all. In my view, all about the situation that promoted my refusal to forgive was laid squarely at their feet. They did everything wrong and I did everything right. So, why should I forgive them? I looked right past any evidence of my lack of character. I couldn’t see it at all, because it was their fault entirely! Although I tried to camouflage my resentment through self-justification, it was hiding in plain sight (with every reference to this person and the situation) through my lack of forgiveness.

Today, I’ve forgiven the person and repented of my wrongdoing but I’m left to wonder how much my life or the life of that person would have been different had I let go of my resentment and chosen to forgive them earlier.

We might get resentful and toughen our hearts to the reality about ourselves but the Word of God is powerful enough to cut through our innermost denial. God sees everything about us, including those things we attempt to hide from ourselves. When we trust in him and follow his Word, he exposes our hidden things so we can change and grow more like him.

How different our lives would be if we saw, confessed, and corrected our shortcomings, instead of allowing them to hide in plain sight.

By grace through faith,

Rita

Hidden Motives

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“So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery. For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.” 

1 Thessalonians 2:3-4, NLT

Hidden_Agenda_Pic“I invited five ladies to our Bible group, this month. I got them all saved, had them join the church, and even got them to sign-up for donations to our new Reach-a-Sister-Fund! I’m pretty sure I’ll be moved up to group leader and featured in the church bulletin soon! Go God!”

“We need to pray about all those sad, poor people I visited on our recent missions trip! Honestly, having to live like that! They are so blessed that we could come to them! How else would they know the love of Christ, without us? We’re all they have to hold onto, you know! Bless their little hearts! God is good!”

“Ladies, we want to thank our sister for inviting three new ladies to our Bible study group, and encourage them each to keep coming back! Let’s all give God the praise and our sister a round of applause!”

Which scenario reminds you of godly women carrying the Good News to others with pure motives? I hope it wasn’t the first two!

Sometimes, the people we attempt to reach with the Gospel message suspect our motives. They’ve literally and figuratively shut doors in my face and the faces of countless number of Christians, believing our motives to be those of Sister Self-Promoting and Sister Self-Righteous, above!

The truth is we really can have hidden motives when we reach out to others in sharing the message of Jesus Christ. When we place importance upon anything (how many; people we’ve impressed with our “sainthood”, people “we’ve gotten saved”, people we’ve invited to church, or financial pledges we’ve secured) above our genuine compassion and love for unsaved people, we are operating out of hidden motives.

Each time we profess to have saved someone, we misrepresent the power of God, whose message we claim to spread! We don’t have the power to save anybody; only God does.

“For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.” (John 6:44)

Before we connect with others, let’s examine our motives, and ask God, the Holy Spirit, who guides us, to empower us to make the necessary corrections that will keep our motives godly.

To effectively reach others with the Good News, we must share it from godly, loving, open motives, rather than from loveless, hidden ones.  This pleases God.

By grace through faith,

Rita

The Paint Box

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“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

1 Thessalonians 4:7, NIV

Paint_Box-2I tore into the plain, brown paper wrapping and squealed with delight. A box filled with fresh, watercolor paints just begged to be placed in the hands of a young artist. Quickly, I found some paper and immersed myself in my creation.

I loved to spend time at my father’s art studio where there was always an abundant supply of paper, pencils, paints, and paternal praise―everything a young Rembrandt would need. It was only natural for me to follow in my father’s footsteps.

Once in fourth-grade art class, our assignment was to copy a picture of a bird on a flowered tree limb. I set about my work with resolve, only this time I was unable to measure up to the high standard I laid out for myself. Thus, I resorted to plagiarism. I discreetly laid my paper on top of the pattern and traced the image with meticulous strokes. Later, as my teacher held up each work before the class, he politely asked me if I had traced mine. Of course I answered, “No.”  In my naivety, I believed I had fooled him.

Today, there are still times when I am unwilling to invest the effort required to achieve the optimal result. My desire for immediate results applies not only to my life’s artistic expression but its spiritual expression as well. My impatience produces halfhearted efforts and a sprint to a premature finish.

Developing artistic skill takes a lifetime of dedicated study and hard work. The same is true of maturing in Christ and living out his purpose. Fulfilling God’s vision requires prayerful time in his presence, intensive study, obedience to his Word, and an earnest resolve to follow the leading of his Holy Spirit. Our approach must be intentional. There are no shortcuts, no patterns to trace―simply his footsteps to follow.

I still have my childhood paint box. The wells once filled with fresh, vibrant, and varied colors now all contain the same dull shade of dirty brown. The result, I am sure, of a young child artist in such a hurry to paint her masterpiece that she didn’t take the time to rinse out her brush.

More than a generation later, I wonder, “Am I still impatiently tracing an image other than my own, or am I willing to follow the unique pattern my Father has marked out for me?”

Spend time with your Father today. Then, go and paint a Masterpiece!

Happy painting,

Starr