Tag: Pride

JUST A SIP

Are You the Prodigal Son’s Elder Brother?

taylorjamesalbert

“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

~~~Luke 15:25-32 (ESV)~~~

“If the elder son had shown love, he would have been both a wonderful son and a wonderful brother. But he got angry, felt more important, and he didn’t show any love and that’s why we don’t ever remember how good of a son he really was. Love is the right thing to do. If it feels wrong, it’s usually just because our flesh wants to be more important, like was the case with the elder son. The flesh is prideful and self-serving. It wants to take instead of give and it wants all the credit all the time. It is greedy and never satisfied. But, when we sow to the spirit and put our faith in God, we don’t live according to the flesh. When we live by the spirit, we understand that God loves us and is going to take care of us regardless of what others around us do. That’s when our faith in God calms our flesh to the point that we don’t feel the need to cut others down in order to lift ourselves up. That faith in God literally helps us to show love.” Excerpt taken from “DISTORTION: The Vanity of Genetically Altered Christianity” by Jesse Duplantis.

Image by wendy CORNIQUET from Pixabay

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JUST A SIP

What Does God Ask of Me?

taylorjamesalbert

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”.

~~~Psalm 51:17 (ESV)~~~

 “My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise”. My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise”.

~~~Psalm 51:17 (AMPC)~~~

“The fountain of your pleasure is found in the sacrifice of my shattered heart before you. You will not despise my tenderness as I bow down humbly at your feet”.

~~~Psalm 51:17 (TPT)~~~

“Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice”.

~~~Psalm 51:17 (MSG)~~~

Image by Ulrike Mai from Pixabay

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Blessings!

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INSPIRATIONAL

Evolution vs Creationism: Both a Matter of Faith

taylorjamesalbert

I recall being in elementary school and one of our textbooks covering the concept of the theory of the evolution of man. Surely you too, have seen as I vaguely recall, the sketches of an ape as he gradually morphs into a human being. Whether I shook my head and chuckled out loud I can’t say for sure. What I do recall is how my instant and dismissive thought was just how ridiculous this sounded to me, even as a child. Yes, I grew up in a Christian home. Yes, I believed and still believe in creationism as taught in Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

~~~Genesis 1:27 (ESV)~~~

A Matter of Faith is a well written movie, which entertains just this concept at the university level as a professor who teaches evolution is challenged by the father of one of his freshmen students. A debate is held for the purpose of creating dialogue, thus opening minds. During the debate the father hands his microphone over to a long ago fired professor who adamantly taught creationism only. “To me the most troubling aspect about this issue is that in our society today evolution is being taught in our schools and universities across this land as a matter of fact. But no one can scientifically prove evolution just as no one can scientifically prove that God created the world since none of us were present to witness it. Both these teachings then become a matter of faith. The evolutionist has nothing but vast periods of time, random chance events and the ever-changing ideas of man to base his world view upon, while the one who holds to creation has his beliefs firmly rooted in the truths contained in the Bible and a personal God who created everything….and my pride, I was the one who was at fault,….not in what I was teaching, but in how I went about it. I should have taught my students to look at both sides of the evidence, realizing that everyone, individually has to make their own choice. Either you are going to look at life through men’s ideas or God’s Word. So, if evolution, follow where that leads. If God, then serve the Lord. We can’t prove anything here tonight. We can only present theories. You can chance your eternity on the views of Freud and Darwin if you want. I’m putting my trust in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sin, was buried and rose again on the third day. I know some of you will call that stupidity. I am calling it humility. And I will trust and I will follow Christ and wait on the hope of eternal life that He offers. May you find that same hope.”

I recall being a young and very naïve college student attending a university where several of my professors most assuredly believed in the theory of evolution while openly dismissing my faith in God as being a bit foolish and simpleminded. And that’s okay. College should be a place where we are encouraged to develop our minds, to be challenged to think for ourselves. College should be a place where we are NOT taught what to think but HOW to think. So, by all means don’t allow pride to prevent the teaching of the theory of evolution, but also don’t allow pride to prevent the teaching of creationism.

Jesus Christ went to the cross for all of us, but it’s a choice each individual must make for themselves, whether to believe in creationism and ultimately choose to receive His forgiveness, or not. God doesn’t push Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection on anyone. It’s simply a matter of faith, which then becomes a matter of choice. Choose well.

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

~~~Romans 10:9 (ESV)~~~

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JUST A SIP

What Is Really More Important to You?

taylorjamesalbert

Too often we find ourselves unknowingly holding on to our sins at the sacrifice of our relationships with our spouse, family, friends, and most especially our relationship with God.

Why?

Because at the root of every single sin is PRIDE.

And PRIDE is all about me.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

~~~Philippians 2:3 (ESV)~~~

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

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Blessings!

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MARRIAGE STANDING

Selfish, Emotional, Nonsensical Crazy-Making, Yep! It Surprised Me, Too!

taylorjamesalbert

When a couple goes through marital issues, poor decisions are often made, strike that, poor decisions are always made. While I did not divorce my husband, my crazy-making, in word and deed, led my amazing husband to want to run away from home, far, far away. I get it, yes,…now I get it. We have both apologized to each other and to our precious son, and healing is slowly but surely happening.

“It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house” Proverbs 21:9 (KJV).

Once I let go of my selfish, bitter, revengeful, angry, blaming, prideful,…pity me and poor me attitudes, I was finally able to love my husband in a deeper way, allowing me to see him as a tender, hurting, and severely damaged soul. You see, we fell head over heels in love way back, well I recorded in my journal that I had met the man of my dreams, was in love, and yes, ready to marry my future husband back on January 17th of 1982. It’s seems like just yesterday. I still feel the joy, excitement, and yes, the love.

What’s so difficult when it comes to marital issues is that it always looks like your better half has all the problems. Your emotions get the best of you causing you to begin seeing them as selfish and so, let the games begin. Funny, truth be told, you, yourself, are being selfish.

No, I’m not going to discount your or my spouse’s part to play in all of this nonsense, just pointing out how it wasn’t just my husband, but Moi as well who needed to get my head examined, my eyes check, and my heart cleansed of all selfishness.

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (KJV).

We absolutely must stay on guard, watching out for those moments when we find ourselves thinking more about ourselves than about the relationship, the marriage. Marriage is about two people coming together, two people who have vowed to forsake all others and to commit to the bond, the unity created before God and family.

“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” Matthew 12:25 (KJV).

I can still hear that still small voice whispering in my ear of how a house divided cannot stand. Of course I couldn’t see how I was creating division in our marriage by becoming selfish. What I convinced myself of was how I was doing everything I possibly could to prevent such a division from occurring. I was on a mission, a mission commissioned by God no less. Crazy huh? This is how selfishness works and ultimately how selfishness causes us to lose every single time.

Thank God He does not quit on us. Thank God He is a God who forgives, forgets, heals and restores. I like to say God is a God of second-second chances. And for this I will forever be grateful.

Image by Josch13 from Pixabay

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Blessings!

MARRIAGE STANDING

Why I Am Standing For My Marriage

taylorjamesalbert

Despite all the ups and downs of marriage, family and life, I have always felt so secure, trusting my husband then as I still do now. It was such a shock when he seemingly and simply just walked away from our marriage and family. I spent months and months, and months in a daze.

 I was working in the Deans Office at the university. We were only weeks away from our wedding date. An older woman working with me suggested I have a secret financial nest egg, should the need arise. I remember thinking, I don’t think so. My mother and my grandmothers had not done so, and neither would I. Besides, this young man who held my heart, was simply not the type.

While, at the time of my husband’s leaving, I had not heard about standing for marriage, I just knew I needed to remain committed to our marriage and family. I had no idea the process or the time frame. My brother-in-law asked me if I really thought my husband would come home. I responded most definitely, but it would take time.

As children we tend to wish to quickly grow up, to be unaware of all that is required in order to develop into a responsible adult with solid character traits. We innocently count the days until Christmas as if pushing time were possible. Time becomes an issue to us. God doesn’t require time, yet with our impatience we tend to think time is the problem, never realizing it is us and not God, slowing the process.

Whenever a couple has marital issues, one spouse tends to selfishly believe the other spouse is the problem. The other spouse is the one who needs fixing. We simply cannot see our need to change. We pridefully tend to think we have God’s permission to manipulate our spouse, never considering how we too, are not as we should be. It’s not about getting even, revenge, fixing them or proving I’m right and you are wrong.

We simply cannot see how God wants to work on us first, cleansing our hearts of all selfish nonsense. Standing is not about fixing your spouse. Standing is first and foremost about an intimate, up close and personal relationship with God. It is then and only then, as we come to realize just how much love, grace, and forgiveness He has for us, that we too, can offer our better half the same love, grace, and forgiveness.

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“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” Matthew 7:1-2 (KJV).

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” Matthew 7:3-5 (KJV).

Family Photos: “Mr & Mrs”

Hope you enjoyed reading this post and will consider sharing your thoughts, following me on social media and subscribing to my blog. Blessings! Taylor