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What to Do When You Wake Up A Ghost of Your Former Self

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What to Do When You Wake Up A Ghost of Your Former Self

You must lose yourself to find your true self.

This is the holy path of the downward ascent.

Following Jesus is a wretched journey as He pries the lesser loves from our grasp one finger at a time.

That was so important to me.

That was the glue that held me together.

That’s what I’d been taught since childhood.

That’s what seems to be working for everyone else.

In today’s reading for the #LentChallenge, we embark on the Sermon on the Mount—a teaching which dismantles us atom by atom that we may be a people who orbit around God.

Jesus’ teaching is both breath taking and life giving.

Colored pens danced and doodled as I read.

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Jesus went up to sit down. He ascended only to lower Himself among the people. Then He preaches the way of happiness, teaching us how to fight back with joy.

Jesus declares, “How blessed.” The Greek makarios often translated “blessed” in the New Testament corresponds to the Hebrew word asher in the Hebrew Scripture, meaning happy or fortunate.

“How blessed/happy/fortunate are the people whose God is Adonai.” –Psalm 144:15

Even in spiritual poverty and persecution, we are a people to rejoice, take joy, and plumb the depths gladness. Fighting back with joy is one of the distinguishing marks of the children of God.

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We are the sodium. The radiance. The living reminders that Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to accomplish it. We do this by living in right relationship with others and God.

The way of Jesus is higher and harder than any other. We are to drip with love, forgiveness, grace, holiness, generosity, trust. Much of what we do and is done in us will happen in the shadows, in the secret place, as we hear and see, act and respond.

This is where the hardy fruit finds its nourishment.

And this is what the #LentChallenge is all about. Carving out time to connect to the Creator, to press into the words of our Savior, to press our cheeks against the chest of Jesus.

As I read, I struggled with the core question of the #LentChallenge:

What do I most need to read but least want to hear?

IMOSTNEED

Jesus instruction from the mountainside whispered:

Tend to your inner soul.

Allow me to expose your sin, your broken bones, your cracked spirit that I may cleanse, heal, restore, redeem, and scoop you up closer to the Father’s heart.

This famed sermon of Jesus is the stuff souls are made of. This teaching asks us to tend to our inner life with God. Jesus isn’t preaching behavior modification or give so you can get, but a way of living that yields transformation, freedom, and delectable fruit.

Jesus teaches: Tend to your inner life and goodness will bleed out.

Religious leaders teach: Tend to your outer life, then you’ll become holy.

IMG_2986

This is revealed throughout the prose. Jesus begins by speaking to “those” who are gentle, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers.

Then He transitions, “you” are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Remember who you are.

He transitions again to exposes our false beliefs. As long as we don’t bludgeon someone or sleep around, and as long as we find a legal loophole and express kindness to our immediate neighbors, we’re fine, right?

Again, the way of Jesus is higher and harder than any other.

Then Jesus transitions again, to expose the Father’s heart. If you’re a fellow doodler, circle all the places where Jesus speaks of our heavenly Father. Here are a few:

Our Father who is in heaven.

Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (2X)

For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Your heavenly Father feeds them.

Your heavenly Father knows that you need all things.

So what to do when you wake up a ghost of your former self? What do you do when you’ve lost yourself, your illusions have been shattered, and you find yourself irrevocably on the downward ascent?

Reground yourself in Matthew 5-7. Invite Jesus to speak to you. Ask Jesus to reveal the heart of the Father to you. Invite him to tend your inner soul.

MOSTNEEDTOREAD

What do you most need to read but least want to hear from today’s reading? Share in the comments below.

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82 Comments

  1. Sharron White
    Sharron White on February 20, 2015 at 7:19 am

    Powerful!!!!

  2. Songs of Joy
    Songs of Joy on February 20, 2015 at 7:25 am

    My challenge this morning was…
    “You have heard, you have heard, you have heard”…how many times have I staked my faith on what I’ve heard or been taught by someone else…and not sought after wisdom and discernment from Him? So, many…so, so, many times. I need to seek the “I tell you” from Jesus.

  3. Margaret
    Margaret on February 20, 2015 at 9:14 am

    Thanks, Sharron!

  4. Ro elliott
    Ro elliott on February 20, 2015 at 9:50 am

    Being a recovering performer….I always read this as something to strive for…to do …be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect…this is spoken to us at the end of speaking about love…a love that can only be walked out through Christ…now I to see this encouragement as a place to be…we are perfected in Christ…and in Christ alone can we love our enemies… Christ fulfilled the letter of the Law…so we can now be free to love…love Him…and love others!!!!

  5. Pam Berry
    Pam Berry on February 20, 2015 at 10:41 am

    Got “hit” with the same verse (Matt.7:2) twice this morning. I always glossed over the second part of the verse until today…how and what we measure. It’s something I understand in the day to day – it’s what I DO! Measurement and Regulatory in the oil and gas industry…when someone in our company isn’t compliant with standards then it’s me they hear from. Today I realized I have been the one in a “state of non-compliance”. Think I’m going to chewing on this verse for a bit longer!

  6. Janee Ackermann
    Janee Ackermann on February 20, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    I memorized The Sermon on the Mount 2 years ago. I have often pondered it. I loved reading it in the message translation, which I had never done before, and color coding it, which has been truly eye opening! So many verbs and imperatives reminded me this morning that I am called to DO. To be a woman of action rather than complacency! So so thankful for His Words!

  7. Margaret
    Margaret on February 20, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    You’re right– those action verbs really stood out to me as I read, Janee! Thrilled you’re joining us.

  8. Margaret
    Margaret on February 20, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    Wow! Sounds like a sacred echo, Pam. Love what God’s teaching you.

  9. Margaret
    Margaret on February 20, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    What a great reminder, Ro.

  10. Margaret
    Margaret on February 20, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    Yes.Yes.Yes. Me, too!

  11. AnnMarie Dixon
    AnnMarie Dixon on February 20, 2015 at 4:28 pm

    Your perspective is spot on Margaret. We are living in a world where if we are not careful we will slip down the slope of spiritual decay and drudgery. Reading the Gospels will help us see where we need the tender words of Jesus to soothe, massage and heal the rawness/bitterness that we may have. Righteousness is the reason Jesus came.

    Question for Craig – Why did god allow Jesus to be tempted? Thinking about all the probably reasons but cannot come up with an answer.

  12. Pam Berry
    Pam Berry on February 20, 2015 at 4:30 pm

    Can you explain sacred echo?

  13. Laura
    Laura on February 20, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    Good question AnnMarie. Would like to hear more on this

  14. Dana Cooper
    Dana Cooper on February 21, 2015 at 4:16 am

    Margaret – I am so happy to be joining you in this Lent Challenge! I have picked JOY for my word this year and it is proving to be eye-opening. I love reading your thoughts and observations on God’s word. I have a question for you or Craig – in Matthew 5:20, I don’t understand the meaning of being righteous enough to enter the kingdom of Heaven. It sounds like our salvation is not enough….how can we ever be righteous enough? Is it because He makes us righteous enough? I’m sure I am missing something…..

  15. AnnMarie Dixon
    AnnMarie Dixon on February 21, 2015 at 9:18 am

    4 of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen, what is the significance of this to His ministry? Was it because of their daily interaction with people? Was it because they were successful businessmen?

    I noticed that they immediately left everything behind without hesitation to follow Jesus. Would I be eager/willing to go as they were? Only God knows. The Gospel is certainly teaching me some poignant truths.

  16. Kathy
    Kathy on February 21, 2015 at 7:42 pm

    Beautiful, very thought-provoking piece, Sharon! I’ve been playing ‘catch-up’ on this Lent Challenge and it’s the first one I’ve ever done with the color codes. I love it because, in looking for the different verbs/names/numbers/etc., I find myself reading through the same Scripture 3 or 4 times—and I am getting much MORE out of it this way than ‘reading through’! I am AMAZED also that, so far, there are more VERBS than anything else! ACTION VERBS! We are to be DOERS of The Word!

  17. Margaret
    Margaret on February 23, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    AnnMarie– Such a great question. I have sent it to Craig. He’ll post his answer on Friday.

  18. Margaret
    Margaret on February 23, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Answer from Dr. Blomberg coming on Friday!

  19. Margaret
    Margaret on February 23, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    Yes! Those action verbs are striking me, too!

  20. Margaret
    Margaret on February 23, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    Great questions, AnnMarie. And yes– that immediate response of the disciples is so challenging. Would I do the same?

  21. Margaret
    Margaret on February 23, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    Great question, Dana! I’ll pass it along!

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    Write something down — Did you have any good ideas or dreams while you were asleep?

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