Avoid Landing on Your Rear!

Good day to you!

Before diving into the meat of this writing, appease me as I share a few birthday pictures from today (Sunday).....

Bonded brothers forever!

I am forever humbled to have

been given these TREASURES by God!

There are moments to be serious....

THIS is not one of them!  CAKE!

Fun times!

As dear daughter wrote on her Facebook page,

"Happy birthday to these crazy young men. Kirby is 21 today, and Vic Vic is 16 (whattt?!)

It will be a cold day in hell when y'all don't have my back.

So excited to see where y'all take life,

and where God takes y'all. Love you both to death.  "

The forever bond between them is God-formed

and mama-nurtured.....just sayin'. ;o)

So, sitting today in church, God interjected a series of pictures into my head. As of late, I had been pondering contention.... more specific, my determination to not participate in "unsanctioned contention," and the deliberation of situations being either sanctioned or unsanctioned.

In my early years, I would (unfortunately) all-to-willingly step into the "ring of contention" when ANYONE else stepped into said ring. I truly cannot quantify just how much time and energy was expended on nonsense, but through it all -- God did grow me.

A piece of wisdom I taught my children as they began to navigate convictions walked out in the adult world was something God shared with me years ago that stuck.... and stuck at the top of my list of remembrances concerning His personalized instructions.....

"Deborah," He said one fine day as I was about to answer the temptation to step into the ring of contention, "You must learn to discern if the bull is minding his business in his space or charging you. From here on out, unless the bull is coming at you, don't waste time on it."

Point well-taken, God.

I truly cannot quantify just how much time and energy has been saved by forsaking nonsense since His instruction was spoken and followed, and through it all -- God did grow me.

That said, back to the pictures God interjected into my being this morning. The pictures began with a fuzzy picture of a person.... not representing anyone in particular.... just a person.....on one end of a tug-of-war rope. On the other end of the rope was another person. Suddenly, one of them let go of the rope, and the other one landed on their rear.

Immediately, I knew God's pleasure.... you see, I hadn't picked up the rope.... yet. Not in real life, and He was graciously ....with a bit of humor.... confirming that this was His continued will for me in the particular situation(s) I was weighing.

But don't miss this point: there WAS another person on the other end of the rope ready to contend.

A contention requires an opponent. This is where the lesson gets good.

Jesus knew all too well about being "baited" to contend. And let me just be candid.... many of the "baiting sessions" were ones I would have been all to ready to tackle in my youth....."righteous ones"... if you will.

Take Pilate baiting Jesus, "Are you not the King of the Judeans?" When Jesus did not answer, Pilate became even angrier, "Are you not going to answer me?"

It's taken many.... MANY....years for me to learn silence is best when these baiting sessions rear their nasty heads.

Emotions are NOT a valid measurement for justifying contention....even righteous contention!

Do you hear me?  (No, selective hearing here!)

Which brings me to the point of great import..... determine to grow in discernment. To discern sanctioned from unsanctioned engagement.

Jesus did ONLY the will of the Father. Period. He healed ONLY when Father prompted. He went ONLY where Father prompted. He spoke ONLY when Father prompted. He contended ONLY when Father prompted.

As a member of this culture.....as a Christian.... we all must grow in this skill. Too often, we rush the bull. We pick up the end of the rope that is being waved "under our noses". And then we act surprised when we land on our rear.... or worse yet..... we act utterly shocked when we get the horns!

If there is a rope at my feet, I want to know HIS heart on the matter FIRST.

If He calls me to pick up the rope.... I'm going to know without any doubt He is The Anchor.

If He calls me to walk away...and the individual is still begging for a tug-of-war, I figure God Himself will pick up the rope.....and it's not going to end well for the individual......

Let's be found doing life as Jesus did it.... doing ONLY the will of the Father.....in thought AND deed.

Be discerning. 

Be obedient. 

Be sanctioned. 

Be at peace. 

Period. 

 ♡Godspeed♡