"1 My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God.
Pray About Everything 2I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges.
3And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans—worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the Book of Life.
4-5Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. "
MAN I love the Message version! The verbiage is so so good!
Anyhow, this is, once again, perfect and exactly what I needed to read this morning. I'm going to be so bold as to mention something here, without any names, but just something I'm going through and that God is showing me, and not worry or fear that a certain someone or few might read this and get offended. The truth is I've chosen my path and guess what, everyone... It's going to offend a lot of people. Why? Because when the truth is spoken, it forces one to put their spirit in check and if the feeling they get from that is a tinge of- dare I say- uncomfortably- most try to rationalize to figure out why, and instead of addressing the issue at hand, they place the blame on the person speaking the truth. So here it is, in it's rawest (as possible) form:
I've been having a bit of an issue lately. With what? Well... with friends. And it's blatantly obvious to me what is going on in the Spiritual realm. The spirit in them REAAAALLLLY doesn't like the Spirit that's now in me. So as I've said before, when truth is spoken and uncomfortably hits, they have a choice to make. Either face it head on and tackle it like a bull, or create an offense against it (or the person, aka me) so they don't have to deal with the real TRUTH at hand.
These people who I've always considered my best friends... I'm seeing now that's not the case. And no, they haven't been replaced with a "new best friend" so they no longer hold their place, or anything like that. It's more like... My standards for what a friend is and how their supposed to act has been revitalized, the dust has been wiped off the windows, and now I see everything
clearly: They were the old Desiree's best friends. Allow me to explain even further.
I have always felt that I go out of my way time and time again, more often than not, when a friend is in need. I will drive the hour it takes to get to their house just because they've called and said "I'm bored, can you come over?" I will spend day after day with them when something important is coming up in their lives and I will be with them to encourage, keep excited, remind, everything I believe a friend is to do for a friend. But then the day comes when it's my turn. I am the one who has something very important come up in my life. Probably the most important thing that will ever happen... I receive a true revelation of the Cross of Christ. I ask for nothing more than my friends to come take part in this joyous day with me, the day I get off of the Encounter and I share my testimony... None show up. I offer up another chance, the important day I get baptized (today by the way)... And my friends either don't respond back to me at all, or suddenly respond back with hateful words, turning our friendship into a contest-"Well YOU never did THIS for me and YOU don't care about MY important day, and YOU, YOU, YOU-" And I would completely understand if these things were truth, but the truth of it is, they're absolutely not! So much so, in fact, that it hurt to hear my "best friend" say these things about me when I've done nothing but try to be at her side when I physically can, and even when I can't physically, I let her know that I'm there for her emotionally if she needs someone to talk to.
It's like, for one second, could you not think of yourself- and realize that your way of thinking is damaging to a friendship that means a lot to the both of us? For a single second could you look this whole situation in the face and realize, and be honest with yourself that you expect this amazing friendship out of me, but you never offer it in return?
And then I finally realized... These people are not to be my best friends any longer. The new Desiree has chosen her path, the new Desiree sees it clearly with no more dust in the windows, the new Desiree will not waver on the things that are most important, and quite frankly, the new Desiree says "Either you're with me or you're against me, but if you're against me, I've got no time for it. I'll always be your friend, I'll always be there for you if you need me, I'll always be praying for you, but we can no longer reside together side by side. We're walking down two separate paths and I can't afford to let you tie me down. I can't afford to keep taking offense every time you don't give two shits what's going on in my life..." (excuse the bluntness, but it's the only way to get the point across the way it's meant to be understood) The new Desiree's real, true friends that care about her and want to REALLY see the best for her and are there in her triumphs to celebrate with her and are there in her failures to help her back up again- are her brothers and sisters in Christ. Those who have the Spirit understand the Spirit and respond to the Spirit. Those who have a different spirit see my Spirit and get offended, they pick up offenses as to why this, why that- They'll find any excuse and any reason to get away from the topic. They suddenly have all these plans when the last time you talked to them, they were bored out of their mind with nothing to do. They accuse you of shoving your church down their throat. "I'm sorry, and that's not what I'm doing, but how do you shut up about something that excites you?" I respond back, and all they have left to say is "I'm done talking to you tonight." And once again, something I was excited about was suddenly looked over and left on the side of the road for the snakes and the bugs. My dear, how many times did I have the chance to say, "If you do not stop talking about your wedding, I swear I'm going to..." or "I swear, if you do not stop shoving what your cute little puppy did today down my throat..." but did I EVER do that? No. Not once. Why? Because friends- REAL friends get excited with their friends... no matter how much they have to hear about it, over and over and over again, sometimes- a REAL friend is there to rejoice with you ....But I know what's important to me, and I can't let anything, or anyone continue to drag me down.
So it was great to read this, this morning. It was exactly what I needed to hear from my perfect Father. Don' waver, stay on track. Work out my differences with these "friends", don't hold grudges. Work out my differences in the sense of figuring out why it is that there are differences, and I've certainly done that. And I'll be honest, a grudge was forming against them. It was like "I don't understand! WHY are they suddenly being such SUCKY friends, when all I've ever offered is love and support and friendship back to them, always! I just don't get it!" But it's all now starting to make sense. I'm starting to understand, clear as day, what it is that's going on in the Spiritual. Clear and plain as day. There's no denying it. And I've chosen to take a stand.
They're not denying me, they're denying Christ IN me... and that's something I'm not going to get in the way of... I'll just continue to pray for them and let God sort them out as he sees fit.
Lord,
Please forgive me for the grudge what was beginning to form against the Old Desiree's friends. I pray for them, I pray that you bless them with your Holy Spirit and with their own revelations of the Cross. You know I don't want to lose them, I enjoy their company, but the New Desiree can't afford to keep them in her life if they're not willing to make some changes in theirs, put plain and simply. I come against that spirit of offense in the name of Jesus and speak your love on the situation, your peace, your understanding. I pray for my girls. I pray healing on them. I pray your spirit on them. I pray you reveal yourself to them in a new and fresh way and instead of feeling condemned, they feel peace, they feel Truth. Lord, I thank you that I don't need them at my "important days". If you're there, that's all I need. I ask you be with me this morning when I get baptized at church. I pray, holy spirit, you give me the right, short amount of words, to say that will speak directly to people's hearts as they watch. I thank you in advance for the victory already being mine, being ours. I praise your name. Thank you so much for your wide open arms ready to receive me back no matter what I've done, how long I did it, and my consequences for doing it. You are a good God. You are a great Daddy. You are my Daddy and I'm proud. I love you.
Amen.
Pray About Everything 2I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges.
3And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans—worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the Book of Life.
4-5Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. "
MAN I love the Message version! The verbiage is so so good!
Anyhow, this is, once again, perfect and exactly what I needed to read this morning. I'm going to be so bold as to mention something here, without any names, but just something I'm going through and that God is showing me, and not worry or fear that a certain someone or few might read this and get offended. The truth is I've chosen my path and guess what, everyone... It's going to offend a lot of people. Why? Because when the truth is spoken, it forces one to put their spirit in check and if the feeling they get from that is a tinge of- dare I say- uncomfortably- most try to rationalize to figure out why, and instead of addressing the issue at hand, they place the blame on the person speaking the truth. So here it is, in it's rawest (as possible) form:
I've been having a bit of an issue lately. With what? Well... with friends. And it's blatantly obvious to me what is going on in the Spiritual realm. The spirit in them REAAAALLLLY doesn't like the Spirit that's now in me. So as I've said before, when truth is spoken and uncomfortably hits, they have a choice to make. Either face it head on and tackle it like a bull, or create an offense against it (or the person, aka me) so they don't have to deal with the real TRUTH at hand.
These people who I've always considered my best friends... I'm seeing now that's not the case. And no, they haven't been replaced with a "new best friend" so they no longer hold their place, or anything like that. It's more like... My standards for what a friend is and how their supposed to act has been revitalized, the dust has been wiped off the windows, and now I see everything
clearly: They were the old Desiree's best friends. Allow me to explain even further.
I have always felt that I go out of my way time and time again, more often than not, when a friend is in need. I will drive the hour it takes to get to their house just because they've called and said "I'm bored, can you come over?" I will spend day after day with them when something important is coming up in their lives and I will be with them to encourage, keep excited, remind, everything I believe a friend is to do for a friend. But then the day comes when it's my turn. I am the one who has something very important come up in my life. Probably the most important thing that will ever happen... I receive a true revelation of the Cross of Christ. I ask for nothing more than my friends to come take part in this joyous day with me, the day I get off of the Encounter and I share my testimony... None show up. I offer up another chance, the important day I get baptized (today by the way)... And my friends either don't respond back to me at all, or suddenly respond back with hateful words, turning our friendship into a contest-"Well YOU never did THIS for me and YOU don't care about MY important day, and YOU, YOU, YOU-" And I would completely understand if these things were truth, but the truth of it is, they're absolutely not! So much so, in fact, that it hurt to hear my "best friend" say these things about me when I've done nothing but try to be at her side when I physically can, and even when I can't physically, I let her know that I'm there for her emotionally if she needs someone to talk to.
It's like, for one second, could you not think of yourself- and realize that your way of thinking is damaging to a friendship that means a lot to the both of us? For a single second could you look this whole situation in the face and realize, and be honest with yourself that you expect this amazing friendship out of me, but you never offer it in return?
And then I finally realized... These people are not to be my best friends any longer. The new Desiree has chosen her path, the new Desiree sees it clearly with no more dust in the windows, the new Desiree will not waver on the things that are most important, and quite frankly, the new Desiree says "Either you're with me or you're against me, but if you're against me, I've got no time for it. I'll always be your friend, I'll always be there for you if you need me, I'll always be praying for you, but we can no longer reside together side by side. We're walking down two separate paths and I can't afford to let you tie me down. I can't afford to keep taking offense every time you don't give two shits what's going on in my life..." (excuse the bluntness, but it's the only way to get the point across the way it's meant to be understood) The new Desiree's real, true friends that care about her and want to REALLY see the best for her and are there in her triumphs to celebrate with her and are there in her failures to help her back up again- are her brothers and sisters in Christ. Those who have the Spirit understand the Spirit and respond to the Spirit. Those who have a different spirit see my Spirit and get offended, they pick up offenses as to why this, why that- They'll find any excuse and any reason to get away from the topic. They suddenly have all these plans when the last time you talked to them, they were bored out of their mind with nothing to do. They accuse you of shoving your church down their throat. "I'm sorry, and that's not what I'm doing, but how do you shut up about something that excites you?" I respond back, and all they have left to say is "I'm done talking to you tonight." And once again, something I was excited about was suddenly looked over and left on the side of the road for the snakes and the bugs. My dear, how many times did I have the chance to say, "If you do not stop talking about your wedding, I swear I'm going to..." or "I swear, if you do not stop shoving what your cute little puppy did today down my throat..." but did I EVER do that? No. Not once. Why? Because friends- REAL friends get excited with their friends... no matter how much they have to hear about it, over and over and over again, sometimes- a REAL friend is there to rejoice with you ....But I know what's important to me, and I can't let anything, or anyone continue to drag me down.
So it was great to read this, this morning. It was exactly what I needed to hear from my perfect Father. Don' waver, stay on track. Work out my differences with these "friends", don't hold grudges. Work out my differences in the sense of figuring out why it is that there are differences, and I've certainly done that. And I'll be honest, a grudge was forming against them. It was like "I don't understand! WHY are they suddenly being such SUCKY friends, when all I've ever offered is love and support and friendship back to them, always! I just don't get it!" But it's all now starting to make sense. I'm starting to understand, clear as day, what it is that's going on in the Spiritual. Clear and plain as day. There's no denying it. And I've chosen to take a stand.
They're not denying me, they're denying Christ IN me... and that's something I'm not going to get in the way of... I'll just continue to pray for them and let God sort them out as he sees fit.
Lord,
Please forgive me for the grudge what was beginning to form against the Old Desiree's friends. I pray for them, I pray that you bless them with your Holy Spirit and with their own revelations of the Cross. You know I don't want to lose them, I enjoy their company, but the New Desiree can't afford to keep them in her life if they're not willing to make some changes in theirs, put plain and simply. I come against that spirit of offense in the name of Jesus and speak your love on the situation, your peace, your understanding. I pray for my girls. I pray healing on them. I pray your spirit on them. I pray you reveal yourself to them in a new and fresh way and instead of feeling condemned, they feel peace, they feel Truth. Lord, I thank you that I don't need them at my "important days". If you're there, that's all I need. I ask you be with me this morning when I get baptized at church. I pray, holy spirit, you give me the right, short amount of words, to say that will speak directly to people's hearts as they watch. I thank you in advance for the victory already being mine, being ours. I praise your name. Thank you so much for your wide open arms ready to receive me back no matter what I've done, how long I did it, and my consequences for doing it. You are a good God. You are a great Daddy. You are my Daddy and I'm proud. I love you.
Amen.
Brings tears to my eyes. I love you, Des. I'm so proud of you!
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