Creator Soul

Where is your allegiance?

When you recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the U.S.A., you’re pledging your allegiance to the flag, “and to the country for which it stands.” Which is all well and good, if you mean it. But what about other allegiances? We pledge allegiance to much more in our lives than we usually consider (or admit to ourselves). Not always verbally, but with our choices and our resulting actions.

Let’s think about what allegiance means. It means you are an ally with that thing, concept, or entity. It means that wherever your allegiance lies, you are choosing to place something or someone above other choices you could make. You are aligning yourself with the object of your allegiance. Put another way, you are giving your self (time, money, energy) in the service of your allegiance. The object of your allegiance controls your responses, your decisions, and your finances.

How can you identify the object of your allegiance? Look at your checkbook. Where does the money go? Does it go to food and shelter? Does it go to transportation? These are necessary things for most of us (particularly the food and shelter - no one likes to be hungry, and most of us enjoy the simple pleasure of a roof over our heads). What about beyond that? Where you spend your money shows you where your allegiance lies. You might find your allegiance is to brand-name clothing, or an IPod, or a Harley-Davidson, or to antiques, or to new release DVD’s, or poker websites, or the cutest little black dress you ever saw, or that one more thing you’ve got to have because you saw one the other day and just knew you had to have one too…the list goes on.

Another way to ID your allegiance is looking at your time. Do you spend your nights in front of the TV? You might find an allegiance there. Do you spend your time on the phone or the ‘net? Then that is important to you. These things are not bad in and of themselves. It’s just that they occupy space in your life, and that can be a problem if you are giving them space that maybe should be given to something else…like your spouse, your kids, your partner, your friendships, or your dreams, to name a few.

Your allegiances rule you. Try this experiment. Try doing without and see what happens. You’ll learn more than you might think about who you are and where you are aligning yourself. Are you ruled by TV? Try not watching the news with your morning coffee as is your routine. Are you ruled by fashion? Try buying perfectly good clothes at Goodwill instead of Lord and Taylor or Macy’s like you normally would. Are you ruled by having a few glasses of wine to relax in the evening? Try drinking tea instead. If you find doing without these or anything else makes you uncomfortable, you’re discovering an allegiance in your life.

What about your allegiance to God? How much of your resources of time, money, and thought do you give to your Creator? Examining that will tell you a lot about who you’re really in allegiance with here on earth. Think about it, and be honest with yourself. It might not be pretty, it might be downright scary, it might be something you’d rather not think about.

It might change your life.

His Kingdom is here, now, and waiting for you to step up and step into being who He created you to be. To paraphrase the second Adam, pledge your allegiance to God, and all these things will be added to you. But remember, the pledge comes first…

It’s been a while…John Lennon said, life is what happens to you when you are making other plans. I’d paraphrase that as, life is what’s happening to you when you leave your blog unposted for months.

 The journey since I left my job has been interesting, rewarding, and necessary. All of those adjectives describe my life, but mostly my spiritual life. God has been faithful to supply all my needs. I have grown closer to Him, in trust and in faith. Indeed, He has changed my life.

 Details? Well, my passion is writing, so I’ll start there. I’ve continued writing for the ministry I left behind, writing newsletter copy. I’ve also been blessed to freelance for Cox Ohio Publishing, which publishes a few weeklies and a couple of dailies. That’s about it for the paying freelance gigs. However, one other interest has paid very well, though not in earthly currency…it’s the writers group I began at my church. God has blessed that immensely, a community is growing there, and so am I. Earlier I told the story about ‘my passion is your destiny’ in a previous post. The greatest evidence of the truth of that phrase is what is happening through the writers’ group.

Financially, well as I said, God is supplying my needs. Last October I went back to work full time as a seasonal clerk in the donor services department of the ministry I left, handling the ‘back end’ of the same ‘front end’ mailings and campaigns I used to create and coordinate when I worked there previously.

 Humbling and good for me. I learned, among other things, that I can live on much less than I imagined. I learned greater appreciation for working in a ministry. I learned I have developed wonderful relationships during the seven years I was there. And I learned I am not my job.

Current update: the CEO left at the end of January (actually, he told me my move last year inspired him to start his own ministry, helping smaller organizations with their fundraising and administrative plans and policies. He’s also beginning a ministry that involves using the outdoors to help people connect to God in deep and powerful ways. I’m thrilled to think God may have used my obedience in leaving to prompt him to get out and go after something he’s passionate about.

Before he left, the CEO decided he needed to make a change in Donor Services (letting go of the one full time employee) and asked me to step into the position temporarily. So, my temp position has been extended, with a nice raise. I’m in charge of the department, I’m working directly with donors and processing the gifts they’ve given to God’s work, and I’m grateful to be back. After 60 days (late March) the new guy (VP of Development) and I will meet to discuss whether or not the position is a good fit for me, and vice versa. I don’t know what God will do with this, but I do know that whatever happens, His purposes will be accomplished.

 Woo hoo!

In the meantime, I’m working on co-writing a book and continuing to learn more about myself and my God. By changing me, he has changed and is still changing my life. A truth so beautiful and so real, I want to cry with joy. Excuse me while I do that for a moment. On my knees, of course.

Which reminds me…I recently read a post on another site where someone said, “Stand on your feet so you won’t die on your knees.” Very Braveheart, I think. I revised it this way

More to come. And thanks to Mark for the email that prompted me to write this little update. I’m grateful for your encouragement.

This year has been a glorious reawakening for me. God is showing me who he created me to be, how to celebrate, and now He has me in a season of healing and growth. My new perspective amazes me; my renewed life in Him astounds me as He continues to provide wonder and adventure to my soul. I love my Lord. He is restoring my heart. He is using me and fixing me at the same time. Woo Hoo!

This poem says much about what He has revealed to me about myself. It’s about creativity, it’s about love, it’s about who we are in Christ. It’s your choice to believe it or not. Believe it, live it, and love it, brothers and sisters.

Who We Are

We know who we are. 

We dare to release 

The love inside us 

We unleash our gifts 

And present wonder 

We stand in witness 

To Beauty and Pain 

We break loose the chains 

Holding back our hearts 

We open our souls 

To live in freedom 

We choose to accept 

Life as more alive 

We reach to embrace 

The truth of our path

We believe we are

Among kings and queens 

We hold the promise 

Of inheritance 

We are sons of truth 

And daughters of truth 

We are a treasure 

We sought and have found 

We are living work 

We are amazing 

We are living worlds 

Beloved creations 

We know who we are.

 

 

Wes Gilbert (c) 2006 

 

Whoo boy. A friend sent this to me and it fired me up. She asked what I thought of it. I had a few quick thoughts for her, which I’ve posted at the end. It was a great spiritual exercise, probing my gray matter by thinking about how I really feel concerning this topic. I’d love to know: What do YOU think about it?

The article that started it:

Can two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? - Amos 3:3

What does it mean to “Walk with Jesus?”

One paraphrased version of this verse from Amos says, “How can we walk together with your sins between us?”

A. W. Tozer once wrote regarding spiritual perfection, “Is there anyone for spiritual perfection?”

This theme of the possibility of being spiritually mature, or “perfect” as Paul puts it, makes many nervous. Many see Christianity as partly religion, partly social fun, partly group therapy. Is it fanaticism to want to press on until you can perfectly love God, perfectly praise Him, and perfectly love other people? Is it fanaticism to want to live daily in the perfect will of God?

Throughout the Old and New Testaments we see those with a hunger to know God and to follow Him. In the New Testament we see that in the life of Paul, and the disciples throughout the book of Acts. Why are we so distracted today?

Many Christians today are not joyful because they are living sub-Christian lives. They are not joyful because they are not Holy persons, and they are not Holy persons because they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. They are not filled with the Holy Spirit because they still want to live with one foot, or both feet, planted in the World. What is even worse is that many Christians living in this condition will defend their choices, their flaws, their weaknesses, and their defeats. They will defend with great emotion their “right” to cling to the world.

Many people followed Jesus. At times the crowds numbered in the thousands.

At times, the crowds even wanted to make Him their King. However, when Jesus declared that it was necessary to turn away from sin, to make Him the Lord in their lives, and to give their very life for Him, the crowds left Jesus as fast as they could, leaving only a few remaining. Not many are actually willing to follow Jesus.

The truth is that among those who are saved, not just pretending to be saved, or wishing they were saved, but among those who are actually followers of Christ, not many are willing to “sell their soul to Jesus,” to give themselves 100% to Him.

Can two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? - Amos 3:3

What does it mean to “Walk with Jesus?”

In order to walk with Jesus, you must agree with Him. You must agree with Him about where you are going, and about how to get there. You must agree with Him about where to walk, and about how fast to walk. You must walk with Him. He will not compromise with you.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library’s family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Cowan,_Psy.D.

My response to my friend:

Wow. This guy seems legalistic to the core. This is good for me right now. God keeps showing how legalistic I can be, and my reaction in reading this shows me I’m making progress in killing that beast.

I agree that the goal is to live 100% for Jesus. I disagree with the notion that if we don’t, we can’t walk with Him. While I think we can do worldly things that keep us from living in and having full access to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit is still in us as Christ-followers. It is not fanaticism to want to live daily in the perfect will of God, but it is unlikely if not impossible. That’s why we have to ‘die to the flesh’ every single day. I agree with you about grace, without Jesus and God’s grace available to us through His son, we cannot have access to God. Without the Spirit in us, I believe we will never have joy in our hearts.

My question to you? What do you think about this article?

Lately I’ve been praying about money. I’m down to my last few bucks after having left my job at the end of June. Ever since I made the call to follow God in leaving my job (see ‘Make People Call You Crazy’ a previous post), I’ve been learning what a god money has been to me.

And sadly, I think it continues to be. But I’m learning, ever so slowly, to appreciate what God has blessed me with. A house, a car, clothes, food, friends, my cat, this laptop, gifts of the Spirit, etc. make me realize I have much to be thankful for in my life. Oh, yeah, my daughter, good health, a mom who loves to cook and give away the blessings of her culinary talent, books, music, creativity, and more than I can count. Unlike my monies. I can count that, and I do more often than I’d like.

I’ve been waiting for my 401(K) to be converted to an IRA, so I’ll have enough money (by my reckoning) to pay off credit debt, get insurance for a year, make some restitution to some people who’ve been on my mind as needing such from me, get some car repair done, continue to build my new freelance writing business, pay my bills along with gas and grocery money until the end of the year. My plans for the IRA money I’m thinking God has given me to use for these things.

Then at church last Saturday, someone shared with me that I needed to pray more specifically after I mentioned my IRA plan. I said, “Well, God better show up with it in the next four days, or I’m going to have to do the IRA thing,” which now sounds to me like some kind of threat to God. Silly man.

Though I’ve prayed for God to remove my credit debt before I thought I could, for general financial blessings, and other general money-related prayers, this specificity encouragement seemed to be a message I needed to heed. So I seized this idea, made another list, and began praying like crazy for dollars for specific things. $XX for this, $XXX for that, and even $XXXX dollars to be granted to be by the sheer force of His power to do anything.

Nothing has happened. No appearance of angels bearing a check or money order for $22,298 (I told you I was being specific). Which I see as a good thing. Sure, that check would be great, but what I think He may be giving in its place might be better. Not giving me the money like He’s my personal bank account could be the best thing for me right now, as it makes me think, wow, money’s still got me, got me bad, got me treating my Lord like some kind of Magic 8-Ball. “It is certain” is the little triangle I want to see when I shake Him up and turn Him upside down. I feel humble and ridiculous. I think I need to pray for forgiveness and ask him (again)to fulfill  Psalm 119:36, “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.”

Praying that verse and getting a ‘yes’ would be far better than money in the bank.