Peculiar or Familiar?

peculiar – strange, unusual, uncharacteristic, atypical, distinctive, individual, special

familiar – common, customary, typical, regular, traditional, usual

Wow – what CONVICTION came over me upon the reminder and realization that “there’s no way you can be peculiar when you’re familiar.” My heart was pricked from the time I left work, and I went straight to repenting (yes, again) – during my entire commute home.  How could I continue to feed myself the enemy’s fare from a smorgasbord of heist getaways, lust, and deceit – and expect to walk in righteousness?  I was setting myself up for a fall.

So with resolute intention, I deleted more shows from my DVR: “In Plain Sight” for taking the Lord’s name in vain – repeatedly and remorselessly (along with unapologetic fornication – yeah, I’m married, but I don’t need that seed planted in my spirit); “White Collar” for two women kissing as if there’s nothing wrong with it; and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” for repeated variations of murderous plots – I don’t need to be desensitized. In and of themselves, I didn’t think the programs were bad.  I took issue with the no-longer-subtle but now painfully obvious, overt, blatantly antichrist agenda that has become so prevalent in the story lines.  If it’s not originating from the heart of God, do I need to partake of it?  How can I expect any good thing to come from a sewer or cesspool?  It’s a collecting place for filth!  Should I be surprised with any of the base depravity and vile wickedness the world presents these days?  They’re just showing evidence of their “anything goes; if it feels good, do it” philosophy.  But that is utterly CONTRARY to God’s Word.

I’d set these programs to record for the entire season, but with a QUICKNESS, I deleted any episode that had already been recorded, and cancelled the “record the season” command.  I have to vigilantly protect the treasure God has placed in my earthen vessel – and so do you!  As we grow closer in our walk with the Lord, He shows us more areas we can yield to His sovereignty.  He won’t force us, but He invites us into closer relationship and deeper intimacy with Him.  Because God is holy and there is no unrighteousness in Him, He desires for us to be holy like Him.

I willingly surrendered the TV programs because I don’t want anything to impede, obstruct, hamper, or impair my relationship with my Creator – or become an idol that takes precedence over the true and living God.  A TV show – or ANYTHING else, for that matter – is NOT worth forfeiting my eternity with Christ. Asking God to cleanse me while rolling around in a mud hole (or playing near one while wearing a white outfit) is ludicrous.  So my walk increases as the heat intensifies and He seeks His Bride without spot, wrinkle, or blemish.  Find me hidden in You, Lord – beneath the shadow of Your cross, I pray.  Amen.

Where do you stand?  Are you peculiar, consecrated, and set apart unto God – or are you familiar, comfortable, and cozy with the world and its carnal mindset?

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?
whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

(James 4:4)

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

(I Peter 1:15-16)

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”

(I Peter 2:9)

© Copyright 2011 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Desensitized, Numb, Oblivious – or Just Callous: What Are YOU Crying Out Against?

I wonder how you can effectively speak against something that still has a grip on you?  It’s virtually impossible – without being a hypocrite.  Selah.  It’s time to let God deal with the real, hidden matters of our hearts…

 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

(Ezekiel 36:26)

 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”

(Ephesians 3:16)

I recently experienced an abysmal descent into self-destructive behavior that lasted for a few days.  What did it start with?  One simple (unwise) decision that caused me to let my guard down.  I knew it didn’t even look innocent, but I took the plunge anyway…starting with a single faltering step.

For me, the trigger was eating some food items – in larger quantities – during some “free” business meals – over several consecutive days – that opened the door to me getting reacquainted with my old “comfortable” (over)eating habits so quickly it made my head spin.  I went from desensitized to numb to oblivious in a matter of minutes.  Three days later, I found myself reluctantly (yet giddily) buying 2 tubs of ice cream (because it was Buy One – Get One FREE, of course…no other reason…yeah, right!).  I convinced myself that I was disciplined enough to portion it out throughout the week…with it in the house with me…over a weekend…who was I fooling?  Only myself.  Within 3 days, I could see the bottom of the Rocky Road container.  At that point, it felt like a downhill slide, so I polished off the 2 remaining cones “to get rid of them” (yeah, right!)…and last night, I just went ahead and polished off the rest of the tub – in what amounted to one bowl.  Oh, for shame!

At any point, did exercise cross my mind?  Not for one exhilarating, chocolate-filled moment.  Not beyond opening the drawer to get yet another spoon…but I guess that doesn’t count, eh?  I got so sedentary by having a “day off” (which rapidly snowballed into several “days off”) of my routine and rigorous healthy regimen that I looked forward to watching my TV shows on DVR – for hours.  But that activity (or inactivity) opened a door that I obviously didn’t need to walk through, because the next day, I was feeling downright cruddy.

Only when I was asked to pray for two separate situations of serious need did I break outta my self-induced funk and see the stealthy trap of the enemy for what it was – a snare intended to get me out of position with Christ.  Before those “calls to intercession,” I was so sluggish I could hardly hear the voices of my family members, let alone the Lord.  I was just caught up in the euphoria of “doing what I was big and bad enough to do.”  In this case, it was eating what my flesh desired without regard to consequences.  And yes, the scale creeping up instead of down provides irrefutable evidence of my indiscretions…sigh.

What finally snapped me back to the reality of being who Christ called me to be (24/7/365 – not just when convenient or when I feel like it) was 1) a web search showing the link between glutton and idolatry (which I’d been putting off, but gee, is it undeniable!), and 2) a web search that turned up the base, depraved status of people who call themselves the Lord’s church but are far from it.  So I was reminded of the critical importance of remaining steadfast and prepared – a vessel of honor fit for the Lord’s use whenever He calls.

I felt the cloud of heaviness lift as I called on the power of God to help me walk in obedience.  I confessed my struggle to my husband, who graciously covered me in prayer and reaffirmed his commitment to support me (including help with slowing down my ice cream intake – thanks a lot, dude – no, really, I mean it).  After reminding me of last week’s Sunday School title (“Get Back on Track”), he even brought in some fresh cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden and presented them to me with gentle (yet firm) encouragement, “Go ahead and enjoy these today!” 

Whether you’re desensitized, numb, or oblivious in the midst of your own situation or struggle, there’s hope, friends!  Jesus came that we might reach out to Him and accept the lavish gifts of salvation, forgiveness, redemption, and restoration through His blood when we repent and receive Him – and of course, choose to turn from our sin.  When we receive Him, we are immersed in His extravagant, all-consuming presence.  Like a dry, brittle sponge getting saturated by the Holy Spirit, we are transformed and rejuvenated by His infinite power.  He is so refreshing.  Necessary.  Vital.  Imperative. 

Stay connected to your Source – your very life depends upon it.  I know mine does.

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”

(Isaiah 58:1)

© Copyright 2011 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Solitary Confinement: Confessions on Kicking a Bad Habit

You know, the flesh can talk really loud.  When you try to ignore it, it starts yelling.  Put it into withdrawal from its appetite of choice, and it launches into a full-blown temper tantrum.  Maybe that’s why Paul said, “I die DAILY” in I Corinthians 15:31.  Being “crucified with Christ” is the only way to keep the flesh in check!  The flesh must be starved; otherwise, the more you feed it, the more it wants.  They say that confession is good for the soul, so here goes…

I recently rediscovered how competitive I am…with myself.  A couple of weeks ago, I pulled up a computer Solitaire game to wind down one evening before bedtime instead of doing a crossword puzzle.  Harmless, right?  So I thought…

Forty minutes later, I had gotten the hang of the scoring mechanism, and I learned how time figured into my score.  And I wanted to beat it.  So I said to myself, “Just one more game…”  But that “one more game” wasn’t enough.  Ten games later (can you say compulsive personality?), I’d won several games, but I still hadn’t beaten my “best score.”  I was giving myself the gift of bags under my eyes, but I was fixed (more like fixated) on my goal.  I’m sure God would appreciate me having that same laser-like focus on His Word.  Imagine – having an addiction to the Word of God; we’d be unstoppable, saints! 

A few days later, my hubby came in to bowl a couple of games on the Wii. He must’ve seen my eyes glazed over as I peered intently at the computer screen, concentrating on winning.  He laughed and said, “You’ve got a Solitaire “jones,” girl!”  As much as I wanted to disagree, I knew he was right.  And I had to break that preoccupation – unproductive “idle” time was was creeping into “idol” territory.  He “sentenced” me to “no Solitaire games at night” for a couple of days straight.  I began to itch.  But I knew it was for my good, since I’d been mega-sleepy the mornings after my private Solitaire tournaments.

One night I was just waiting for him to fall asleep so I could – yep, you guessed it – go play Solitaire.  He put the brakes on that and told me to stay in the bed and channel surf until I got sleepy.  Now I KNOW channel surfing is a waste of time, but here I was stuck with the “lesser of two evils.”  I wasn’t at obsession level with this game (yet), but this seemingly harmless way to spend time had captivated my affections.  I was actually plotting and scheming when I could have my Solitaire time (making provision for the flesh)!  I don’t think the game itself is bad – it just became bad for me because I wasn’t disciplined enough to read my Word first or stop playing after 15 minutes and finish my other evening tasks (making lunches, laying out children’s outfits, loading the dishwasher) like I had some sense.

On yet another evening (I hadn’t learned my lesson yet – this went on about 2 weeks), I tried to circumvent the process of breaking my habit and “having just a li’l bit.”  Yeah right.  Actually, I was just planning to “do my own thing” (Did I really say that?  Yes.  It’s the truth – and that makes us free).  I figured that since I’d be sitting under the hair dryer for an hour, I could play Solitaire (multi-tasking – LOL) – after all, it wasn’t extra time I was spending on the game…it was just time I’d already be awake that I’d be using for personal recreation…right?  WRONG!  Time is God’s gift to me, and if I’m going to be a wise steward over it, I have to use it as HE directs.  Though I’d already set the laptop next to the hair dryer, I said ALOUD, “Flesh, you are NOT going to get what you want this time!.  You are going to read this Sunday School lesson and meditate on the Word of God for the hour you’re under the hair dryer.  This is what we’re gonna eat for the next hour.  You are starving from Solitaire.”  Do you see a theme here?  I had to actively choose righteousness and building up my spirit man.

I could’ve been content that I’d “given up” my spy TV program a couple of months ago.  I could’ve continued to rationalize that I “deserved” some time for a comparably innocuous relaxing activity.  But I was setting myself up for a fall.  When God points something out, He wants us to take action right then.  Nothing should have “beloved” status in our lives but Jesus.  However, is that really the case?  We’re in an information-driven society; would you go through withdrawal if someone took away access to your e-mail, iPod music downloads, cell phone, online social networking, text messages, novels, games, favorite TV programs, etc. for a week?  Be honest…with yourself!

Now I KNOW I’m not the only one who needs to use the invaluable resource of time more productively for God’s glory!  Today, I challenge you to solitary confinement with His Word.  Declare war on a time-waster that has usurped your single-minded attention on and devotion to your First Love!   Deny yourself something that you enjoy and instead, spend that time with your Creator.  You just might be surprised at what He shows you during your time of communing.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

(Galatians 2:20)

“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

(Galatians 5:24)

“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.”

(James 5:16)

© Copyright 2011 by Kayren J. Cathcart