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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Transforming my Mess

Lately, I have felt like such a mess! My house has been a mess, and so has my attitude! I've been having some pity parties too. My daughter had an accident and peed on the bathroom floor. I was doing the dishes (one of my least favorite household chores, second only to cleaning showers) and how to stop and attend to the more urgent matter at hand: the wet floor.

I thought to myself, "Man, I really don't feel like I ever get to have fun!"

The truth was, I was just overwhelmed. We had a busy weekend with a birthday party and our town festival. It seemed like we were always just home long enough to make a quick mess and then leave. I never had any time to clean up the little messes because we were always moving to the next event. I really don't like to be left out of fun because I'm busy cleaning up after everyone. One of my least favorite times of the day is when I have to clean up after supper, and my husband gets to play with the kids.

I know. I'm being a tiny bit dramatic. But sometimes, it just stinks to be an adult! If I had not let everything accumulate, the house would not have looked like an abandoned, disgusting, foreclosed upon house! And my attitude would have been a little sweeter too!

 

Our God can take a life in shambles and piece it back together. Our God can transform a heart black with sin into one that is whiter than snow. Our God can modify a bad attitude into a joyous disposition. We just have to be willing to let Him do the changing.

So, how do we allow God to makeover the mess of our lives?
  1. Admit that we need Him. We must tell God that we are a mess. (He already knows anyway.) God is patient with us, never pushy. He will not step in unless we ask Him to. In 1 Peter 5:7, we are invited to "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you." We can go to God with anything that we are struggling with. Anything. Big or small. This is part of the beauty of the relationship God wants with each of us. He wants us to communicate our need to Him. He always wants to hear.
  2. Pray to be filled with the Spirit. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we immediately receive the Holy Spirit as our helper through this life. When we are filled with the Spirit, God can work in us and remove those messy, ugly attitudes. "The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). When I pray, especially if I'm having a bad day, I ask for the Spirit to help me be more patient and loving and kind. (That tends to be the areas I struggle the most.) All we have to do is ask for the Spirit to fill us, to fill in the gaps of where we are weak.
  3. Be obedient and allow God to work. When that Spirit does start to move in our lives, we need to be open and obedient. We all want to be better, less of a mess. Better moms, wives, dads, husbands, etc. God is the only one who can make us better. We cannot do it on our own. I know I fail daily if I try to do life without inviting God to work in me. "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Phil. 2:12-13). Thank God for the truth of these verses! When we work to obey Him, He works in us! He gives us the power and the desire to obey Him and please Him more. I just love this verse. It is kind of my "mommy support verse."
Yes, God is in the business of cleaning up messes. He is so many things, isn't He? He is our Rock. He is our Shield. He is our Refuge. He is our Savior. He is our Father. And for me today, He is my Transformer, the Re-maker of my Mess.

Linking up this week at:  #intentionalTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, #threewordWednesday, #livefreeThursday, #belovedbrews, #dancewithJesus, #fellowshipFriday, #graceandtruth, #coffeeforyourheart, #TellHisStory

12 comments:

  1. Hi Kristen,
    It's so true, we can't fulfill our roles in the way we want, unless we are filling ourselves with Him. Especially for the small things, I want to 'admit, pray and be obedient'. Blessings! (#RaRalinkup)

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    1. Sounds good, Jessica! Thanks for visiting!

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  2. I sure get the messy house feeling (I've been struggling with it, too). I love your picture of God as one who can do a "makeover on our lives" I just need to ask Him in! Great post! Joining you from Jennifer Dukes Lee's site.

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    1. Glad I'm not alone, Sandra! It must be the summer! Thanks for visiting!

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  3. Great tips for keeping our eyes on the Lord amidst the mess. I know what that "fun-free zone" feels like. Some days the ordinary just creeps up on you and steals your breath. But, you are so right - asking God to give us what we need to get through, makes our mess holy ground. He can turn our attitudes so quickly and I'm so grateful for that. Blessings to you!

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    1. Thanks for your comments, Tiffany! I'm glad he helps my attitude too!

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  4. Hi Kristen,
    He truly is in the business of cleaning up messes - like no other! :-) I love your first to-do in the process. Admitting I need Him. It is so simple, but yet so difficult. I think I find myself easily saying, "Oh, I need Jesus", however truly making the submission with my heart, soul, and mind is tough stuff! I have to dig deep and empty out the places within me resisting. So glad I stopped by from #coffeeforyourheart!
    Blessings and smiles,
    Lori

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    1. Yep, submission to him and his ways is the key to getting help. Good point, Lori!

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  5. "...it stinks to be an adult"... Oh yes it does!!! And I am 67! My childhood is a long way back there somewhere.
    Your words of ways to look beyond those messes are filled with God's wisdom and love for us. Oh, that we would listen and know His ways.
    Caring through Christ, ~ linda

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    1. Shoot! It doesn't get better, Linda? Thanks for visiting!

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  6. Kristen, I love that God loves us in the middle of our messes. Even when we feel like nothing but a big old mess, He comes in and transforms us as we seek Him. Thank you, Kristen, for sharing your heart at #IntentionalTuesday on Intentionally Pursuing. : )

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