From Ashes to Beauty

From the “for what it’s worth” department, Wikipedia defines ash as the end product of incomplete combustion. In other words, ashes are the solid remains of fires;residues that remain after something is burned.

Did that get your attention?

Honestly, I am just avoiding the true subject of this blog, which is; here we go: sin. Yep, the elephant in the room. It is one of the few things each one of us shares and finds it extremely difficult to speak of or acknowledge. We tend to view it as something out there somewhere, not touching our own lives. It is those “other” people that have such pitiful struggles. So sorry everyone, this malady does not only belong to those we read about on news sites or hear about on our favorite Podcast. We all suffer from its curse. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” -Romans 3:2. Let us face this together brothers and sisters. All means ALL.

We are instructed by God’s word that sin is sin; there isn’t one worse than the other. One does not carry more weight or is considered by our Father more punishment worthy than the next. Whether foul language, gossip, or a plethora of other succulent choices on a “should not” list, they are all sins. If we have broken one of God’s laws, we have broken them all. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” -James 2:10

The Lord has been kind to me recently.

(Correction, the Lord is always kind to me) However, today he has drawn back the curtain on the reality of my sins. He has painted a colorful picture demonstrating the distraction and consequences that follow so many of them. It has been painful, and at the same time very kind. I find that this proverb holds an even deeper truth when I see Jesus as my friend. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. ” -Proverbs 27:6, or in other words, consider the truth communicated in love versus those whispers that tickle our ears.

Historically, I perceived sin as an insult to God and His presence in my life; an act of disregarding His sacrifice and flipping my nose at His kindness. In reality, it is much more pervasive. The ripple effect is unnoticeable at first. It can tiptoe through and hide in the corner of our hearts. But the nagging effects can be like an eyelash that falls from the beauty of its home to the unwelcoming cornea, where it stabs until it’s finally washed out with tears.

When I sin, which is so much more often than my heart wants to confess, there begins a cascading downward spiral. Each part leads to the next in quite an orderly fashion. It is recurrent and follows an obvious trajectory. Each sequence leads to the next. This makes me curious. As a fellow sojourner; does the scenario I am about to describe happen to you as well?

First, the thought of a particular sin slimes its way into my mind.

That isn’t the sin. As believers, filled with the Holy Spirit, we have His power to choose those ideas, things, or behaviors to dwell on. We have a choice to act out those thoughts, words, and activities or leave them in the sewer where they belong. Again, nowhere in the scripture can I find that temptation is equivalent to sin. Paul warns us that our enemy is busy looking for and at our weaknesses. “Be alert and of a sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith because the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of suffering”. – I Peter 5:8-9

The second is acting out the sin.

The sin is in that whisp of a moment when we say “yes” to wrongdoing and “no” to the saving grace of our Father. The timing is random. Sometimes, it may be a sin that takes days to wear us down into saying yes to it. Other temptations or sins give us a millisecond to decide between a battle won or lost. Regardless, it is an act of our will. We decide between living in the light or darkness, life or death, hope or despair. Can you relate to any of these? Choosing to take a pass on a kind deed in favor of physical or financial comfort? Speaking a harsh word or holding our tongue when encouragement would have soothed a broken heart? Does over or under-eating sound familiar? You pick the sin de jour; all are destructively brought on by our choices and our enemy’s taunting.

Third: A time of regret, we feel far from our Father.

We have regrets because we know better; we know better because of what He has taught us in His Word and by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The gift of conviction, as opposed to guilt, is a built-in perk for the believer at no extra charge. Guilt is presented by our enemy directly following the sin. It offers no hope, no light, no redemption. Conviction, on the other hand, presents us with the opportunity to receive grace and love that cleanses us. “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins”. – I Peter 4:7-8

We tend to hide from the presence of our Father as we may be embarrassed that failure has visited us (again). Precious time is wasted spinning our wheels trying to pay penance for the most recent sin. We may even withdraw from those around us because the shame is unbearable. Somehow we are tricked into believing that if we hide from fellow servants of God, the pain will magically become tolerable, or our shortcomings less real. Can the enemy possibly be a greater liar than to whisper thoughts that lead us to isolation at the time we need fellowship with our God and our siblings the most?

Our God has given us what we need to defeat the enemy.

As the “Chosen” we are gifted with the presence of the Holy Spirit; He dwells in us. He gives us the mind of Christ, the Heart of God, and the power to live a life that honors Our Father. Our part is to follow the guidelines written in His word. We must spend time with Him, His book of truth, and with those that share a heart of love and devotion to the only Creator. He reminds us through His teachings and tools to put on God’s armor.

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. And pray in the spirit at all times with all types of requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” – Ephesians 6: 11-1

We can say “no” when “yes” is easier, more enjoyable, satisfying, or appealing.

He directs us to think about good things. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8. He reminds us that the Holy Spirit resides in us. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”. – I Corinthians 6:19. He instructs us to be honest. “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is Christ.” – Ephesians 4:15. There is so much more written in His map of life!

Our God has the last word.

Our Father powerfully and unimaginably still reigns overall. He reigns over our regret, guilt, and conviction. He reigns over missed opportunities and failures. He reigns overall because we are his creation; we are his children, we have been bought with a price that is unrepayable. That is called grace. He is our redemption. He made himself nothing so we could be everything to Him and for Him. Sin does not win. Yes, there are consequences, costs. But God makes “beauty from ashes”. “He has come to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness.” – Isaiah 61:3

I pray together we will continue to run the race of faith. Place our hope in the power, faithfulness, and indescribable grace of our Lord and Savior. Let the scars of our failures remind us of the grace of the One who loves us most.

So, to my fellow sojourners, sinners, and reprobates. There is joy in the morning! “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgression from us”. – Psalm 103:12. “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”. – Lamentations 3:21-23

Shalom and Shalom,

Karen

P.S.

Thank you to my niece, Jamie who reminded me to dust off my laptop. To my daughter Lisa who encouraged me to take breaks when I am writing and my husband who faithfully edits my works and makes them palatable for all of you! I am forever grateful!

For more of my thoughts visit:https://storiesfromaservant.com/the-meadow-of-grace

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