What’s your reaction when you are accused of misbehavior?
You’ve been accused, and you may not even know it.
Revelation 12:10 (CEV)
Satan accused our people
in the presence of God
day and night.
Yep, somebody’s spreading rumors about you in heaven. It’s sad when the rumors aren’t true. And even sadder when they are.
But God is truth, and God is merciful.
If Christ had stayed in his comfort zone, he would have never left heaven to become the helpless babe in the manger and the suffering Savior on the cross.
Philippians 2:6-8 (NIV)
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
“Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, nor even to profit by it, but to cause it.”
Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)
Which describes you–endure, profit or cause?
A meeting opened with prayer, and I had a problem: the person praying did so in his native language. I impatiently crossed my arms and tapped my toe (spiritually, not literally), waiting for the real action to begin.
I sensed God’s disapproval.
The next time, I listened carefully and recognized a few words: dios, padre, casa. I found myself asking my heavenly Father to fill the house with his presence.
I sensed God’s Atta girl!
Since then, I’ve not only learned to pray alongside words I don’t understand, I’ve learned to like it.
Worship isn’t about our level of comfort. Worship is about God. We tend to think that “our way” is the way God likes best. But whenever the focus of my worship drifts to me instead of God, it ceases to be worship.
Revelation 7:9 (NIV)
Before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.
Now might be the time for you to step out of your comfort zone and into someone else’s style of worship. You may well be standing next to them in eternity.
Change is uncomfortable. How do you react?
A very wise woman I know explained that when it comes to worship, people want to re-create for others the experience that brought them to Christ. The motive is honorable.
The outcome, however, places people in uncomfortable situations. The music, the order of the service and the styles of worship that are uplifting to some people make others uncomfortable.
Worship is about God, not comfort. Perhaps it is time to enlarge your zone.
Change worship style? Fear not.
Here in North Jersey, many people long for a snowless winter. I tell them that I like snow (in modest amounts), and that I wouldn’t want to live where there was no snow. I would miss the quiet transforming beauty of snow.
We all need spiritual snow seasons, seasons when we experience the quiet transforming beauty of the Spirit. 
“This is my Father’s world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.”
Maltbie D. Babcock (1858-1901)
“All nature sings.” I wonder . . . does each snowflake sing a different melody?
It snowed last Saturday. Serious snow, snow that shut us in for the day.
Most years, we get one or two snow days like that. A few years ago, I decided to count such a day as a respite, a day to restore my soul. It is tempting to see it as an opportunity to attack the to-do list. But the necessary work will somehow get done, and the combination of fresh snow and quiet pleasures renews my spirit.
Thank you, Lord, for your bounteous gift of a snow day.
There are people whose full time job is to study global weather patterns and tell us what to expect. They tend to be both right and wrong—yes, it snowed last weekend, but our 3-5 inches turned into 8-15 inches. Weather forecasting is improved, but imperfect.
Some say that the science of weather forecasting proves that God’s not in charge. It’s all just a natural sequence of events.
I think that it reveals the glorious complexity of God’s plan.
Job 12:10 (ESV)
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.
