by donyadunlap | Jun 29, 2012 | Guest Posts
Author Mary DeMuth is a godly woman and author that encourages her readers to live uncaged from fear, doubt, worry, past regrets and more. I have been following her writing for some time now, but today she has given me the honor of guest posting on her website on “Escaping the Cage of Opinion.”
I would be so grateful if you would stop by and read today’s post, but I know you would be even more blessed to stay a while and read some of her posts as well. Maybe even purchase one of her books!
Click here to read my guest post on MaryDeMuth.com.
Author Mary DeMuth
by donyadunlap | Jun 25, 2012 | The Spiritual Life
“Masquerade! Paper faces on parade . . .Masquerade! Hide your face, so the world will never find you!”
Perhaps not one of the most well-known songs from the Phantom of the Opera, but when someone brings up this musical favorite of mine, “Masquerade” is invariably the first song to come to my mind. The artist in me loves the swirling colors of the costumes and masks in the scene, the musician in me loves the energy and spirit of the song, but the writer in me is rather fascinated by the underlying message of the lyrics.
It seems as though society encourages, and almost demands, that we all wear a mask to hide our true selves.
“How are you?” “Fine. Thank you. And you? I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
As my grandmother would say, “Hogwash!” On many days, that reply is nothing more than a polite lie.
Recently a friend shared that there was no one in her church that she could be real with and pour her heart out to without being judged, or without that person turning around and sharing her secret feelings with anyone that would listen. What a shame! Sometimes things are just too personal to share, but I have to wonder…
How many people would be willing to share if they knew that there was someone that could be trusted to help them, pray with them, or just listen to them in confidence?
It has been said that church is for sinners, but do we church-going people really believe that? We modern American churches have dressed ourselves up in our Sunday dresses and our suits and ties, painted our faces with our Sunday-go-to-meeting masks and convinced ourselves that we are better than those around us. Shame on us!
1 Peter 5:5 says,
All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Rather than walking around with our Christian facades firmly in place, we are to be clothed with humility.
We are to submit ourselves to each other, just as Christ showed us by example when He washed the disciples feet.
Only one time in my life have I witnessed a pastor not only preach on this passage, but physically demonstrate it by choosing a complete stranger from the crowd and kneeling before him with a towel and a basin of water, remove the strangers shoes and wash his feet while speaking over him the love of Christ. It was a powerful moment and many eyes in the room that day were moist with tears of understanding how Christ truly loves and serves us despite of our sinfulness.
I can’t imagine humbling myself enough to bow before a person that I loved, much less a total stranger, and take their foot in my hand to cleanse it. But that is exactly what Christ has called us to do. He wants each of us to submit ourselves to each other, and in humility realize that unlike Christ, we are no better than the person before standing before us.
The second part of that verse is equally as powerful as the first, if not more so. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, that word “resist” is incredibly sobering. It means He “sets Himself against” those that are proud. He wants nothing to do with our pious, church facades. God gives grace to the humble.
Those that are willing to look at someone of a different social class or education status or religion right in the eyes, take them by the hand and show them the love of Christ receive a “well done” from our Lord. Maybe they aren’t dressed very nice, maybe they don’t smell that good and maybe they just got out of jail…these are the ones Christ walked with day by day as He ministered on this earth. What makes us any better than Him?
When you pass someone in the hall that has an obvious look of pain or grief on their face, do you stop and talk to them? Do you even notice them? Jesus left the comforts of Heaven to spend 33 years on this sin-ridden planet to get torn to shreds and nailed on a cross for us. The least we can do is show a little of that love to one of His beloved. Don’t you agree?
I’m preaching to myself as much as to any of you that are gracious enough to read my spoutings. My favorite excuse is “I don’t know what to say.” I am the queen of awkward social moments. Truly. But my introverted awkwardness is not an excuse to look the other way when someone is in need. To do that is to invite the wrath of God upon my life, and that terrifies me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. – Matthew 25:37-40
This was personal to Jesus and it should be personal to us too. What one thing can you do today or this week to extend Christ’s love to someone in need?
Photo Credit: Venetian Mask photo taken by Sorina Bindea, Romania
Masquerade lyrics source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/p/thephantomoftheoperalyrics/masqueradelyrics.html
by donyadunlap | Jun 22, 2012 | Making a Difference, Modern Day Slavery, The Spiritual Life
I am a closet super hero. And by that I don’t mean that I have a cape, a belt full of super-secret weapons, and a bat cave. Bats are cute and all, but I’m not all that excited about the idea of shacking up with them. Nor am I a fan of tights.
Photo Credit: GregW (creative commons – http://www.flickr.com/people/gregw)
What I mean is that by day I am a church secretary and by night I work towards and dream about being the kind of person that helps people change their lives and connect with God. My secret identity involves writing best-selling books, speaking at women’s conferences, helping single women find love and security in Jesus, and helping sex trafficking victims escape the life and build a new one in the freedom and safety of God’s grace. I want so badly to make a difference in this evil world and to bring God glory by my actions. But like the dashing Clark Kent, I spend the majority of my time “pushing paper.” Not that church bulletins and prayer sheets aren’t important, but they aren’t the things that get my heart racing and my mind spinning with possibilities. Those things are tucked safely in the depths of my heart and soul. The thing is…it’s getting stuffy in there.
Dreams are scary things. I’m not talking about the pizza induced nightmares that wake you up at 4am. I’m talking about the passion that rattles around in your chest and makes it hard for you to breathe sometimes. When God starts to shake you out of your comfort zone and stir up a passion in your heart for His glory it can be terrifying. It is for me. When I think of what I envision for my future, my insecurities and fears come at me like a tidal wave. What if I fail? What if I’m not good enough? What if no one buys my book? What if I try to help someone and I say the wrong thing? Where will I get the money I need? What if I can’t get these ideas off the ground? What if no one supports this? When will I have the time to do everything that needs to be done? Why would anyone want to listen to what I have to say? What if, what if, what if?
These are the thoughts that make me want to hide in my closet and never come out. The best way to ensure that you won’t fail is not to try, right? But then I remember 1 Thessalonians 5:24. I can’t help but remember it because I have it written on a sticky note on the bottom of my computer screen.
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Just like Moses and David and Peter and everyone else in the Bible that God used to do great things, my dreams have very little to do with me. God placed them into my heart, God stirs them up when I try to hide from them, God gives me the courage to pray about them and God will bring them about in His way and in His time. All I have to do is baby-step-it in the right direction. Sometimes that looks like a desperate prayer for wisdom and direction. Sometimes that looks like an email seeking information. Sometimes it looks like late-night research. Sometimes it looks like getting up, going to work and doing what God has given me to do for that day.
Maybe someday I will find myself on a stage in front of 2,000 single ladies or hugging the shoulders of a women that I’ve helped get out from under the control of her pimp…but today is not that day. Today I have to do my best where God has me and take whatever baby step He prompts my heart to take.
Sometimes just doing the everyday stuff is overwhelming. When you wake up with this giant, chest-pounding, adrenaline pumping vision in your mind and you have to set that aside to work on a spreadsheet and answer a phone you can get pretty discouraged. The Enemy knows that and uses it against me to get me to believe that I’m never going to be “successful,” I’m never going to make a difference and my dreams are never going to happen. But then the Holy Spirit whispers into my soul the truth of 1 Thessalonians 5:24. It isn’t up to me. It’s up to God.
Several weeks ago author Jon Acuff wrote a statement that has found its home on a sticky note adjacent to the one I mentioned previously. It says,
“The success of God’s plans are not dependent on my ability to execute them. He will not be handcuffed by my failures or unleashed by my accomplishments. He is bigger than that.”
That statement was such an encouragement to me. God is bigger than my to-do list. God is bigger than my shortcomings. God is bigger than my fears. And whether or not all the visions of my heart come true, He will still be glorified as long as I remain obedient to Him in the little things.
Do you have a passion stirring in your heart? Do you have a special quote or verse that gets you through your doubt-filled days? I’d love to hear from you!
