fire and water?
drinking and driving?
white t-shirts and kool-aid?
diesel gas in an unleaded engine?
tires and nails?
metal and microwave?
laxatives and sleeping pills? (That's my personal favorite.)
What started this rampage was a wonderful quote from dear ol' Scotty: "Fear and Faith are like oil and water. They just don't mix." I think my pastor's example was the most appropriate, but the others sure are funny!As I sat OBEDIENTLY through the sermon regarding submission, God floored me with this statement. I was more than content to trudge through Titus, or Ephesians, or any other wonderful passage about wives when I heard the introduction. I love a good beating. I need a regular reminder of WHY bossing, nagging, yelling, controlling and haranguing my husband doesn't seem to be very effective. Letting God do the "bossing" of my husband is so much nicer, and it always works out so well. But as I settled into the pew and expected the routine...BAM.
The absolutely unexpected, but very needed reminder. Fear and faith just don't mix. "What does that have to do with submission?!" God knew I couldn't fully submit my will and heart to anything as long as I had fear as my main motivator. I had spent the weeks prior being reminded how much I had to fear, because I keep making a hideous mess of my life, because the world is a terrible, uncertain place...because I am the mother of teenagers- God help me!
And then all in a weekend, God used instance after instance to right my world. My dear cyber/pedicure/horse buddy told me to quite worrying and "look up". My sweet patient who is dying of mouth cancer reminded me that death holds no fear when life has been lived FULL by sending a hilarious card to me. And my pastor totally twists sound submission theology and throws in a "fear and faith" message. ;) Oh, how I love it!
What a weapon we have, to know that when our knees are knocking and we can't sleep for all the fear in our heart- all we have to do is remember who God is and what He has said He would do. When my heart is breaking because I screwed up again- I can remember that "He remembers my sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25) When I am terrified that my kids are wrecking their future, I can remember that "your comfort brought me joy." (Psalm 94:19) And even when I am blowing this whole marriage thing like no one else before me, I can remember that "Your compassion is new every morning." (Lamentations 3:23) If I could just remember JESUS when the fear tries to steal my faith, I would find that "Nothing will be impossible." (Matthew 17:20)
Thank you, Lord, for your timing and your grace. This rotten flu bug is finally going away. The snow is melting and the sun was shining today. The heather is blooming and my Camille bush is trying to. All is right in Your World, Papa. Help me to always remember that and to "not give way to fear".
(And just so you know, I am trying to work on the submission thing too. Reading 1 Peter 3:1-6, I am pretty sure Sarah wouldn't have posted Proverbs 18:22 for Abraham on his side of the bathroom mirror. "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD." Maybe I need to take that down now...;)
