Filter out the Noise

 There is just so much noise out there in the world isn't there.  I can personally name at least 3 noisy areas in my life right now:

1. What do I eat for health?
2. How should I be looking after my mom?
3. Grace vs suffering?

I want to eat healthily, make good choices.  Sure, like everyone else out there dealing with menopause (urgh) I want to lose weight (or not put it on), I want a healthy eating lifestyle as apposed to a diet.  But THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY CONFLICTING OPINIONS OUT THERE.  One source says eat like this, the next 3 sources contradict an aspect of that way, the next one completely blows all the other options right out of the water.  All, in some small way have a morsel of truth, practicality, some sense in them.  But WHAT DO I DO?

My mom needs a lot of care right now.  I feel that as a Christian I should look after her.  Added to that she is petrified of hospitals (her husband went in for something minor and never came back - can you blame her?).  It is really really hard.  One set of family says "get fulltime care, don't worry about the expense, we'll pay towards it".  Others say,  "Try half day care! Give yourself a break!  You need to look after you too!"   My heart says God is my strength.  He will give me strength for each day, and grace, and patience (Lord please).  Is it hard?  Absolutely!  Have I done this before?  No, but we are figuring it out as we go along.  My girls have come through for me too, seeing how taxing this is on me, and they are stepping in to help, to give me a couple of hours here and there.  

Grace vs Suffering?  How can any Christian question whether we are going to go through tough times?  How can people truly believe that once saved everything is going to be smooth sailing?  How can a Christian believe that just because you tithe, or serve, or preach, or whatever, that God's grace is going to take away all the hardships?  James says we WILL suffer hardship, we will go through tough things.  The grace of God comes in to carry us through, not save us from.  Ultimately, He will save us from this wicked and twisted world we live in (I mean the wickedness in the world we live in and not the earth) and take us to be with Him in heaven for all eternity.  But grace is not a "get out of jail free" card.  Does Jesus make a way where there seems to be no way? Absolutely!  Does He sometimes make the suitable consequences not as hard as they should have been?  Thank the Lord, yes!  God gives us grace to soldier through, to make it to the finish line as Paul says, to win the race.  His mercies are new EVERY MORNING!!  Why is that?  BECAUSE WE NEED THEM!!!  We most certainly do not deserve either God's grace or His mercy, but He gives both abundantly anyway.  Why?  Because He is faithful even when we are not.

Now, about that noise... The only way to eliminate the "noise" of the world is to read God's word.  Praise Him and worship Him, Pray to Him all the time.  His path for you becomes clearer as you do this, ONE DAY AT A TIME!  Sometimes, one hour at a time.  Heb 4 vs 12:  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

For me, 

1. The way to eat is to ignore alllll those many sources and remember what normal was.  Get rid of the obvious junk food and say grace over the rest.  Gluttony is a sin, that part of the mission is sorted.  In whatever you do, whether you eat or drink or whatever, give glory to God (1 Corinth 10 vs 31) , another aspect of the mission sorted.  Now, strive to eat normally without pigging out and make good choices (banana over crisps right?!), and make sure that as and when you do, you give glory to God.  It does not bring glory to God to stuff your face with junk food, burp, and shove some more in followed by 3 cans of cola.  God's word helps sharpen the intent and settle the boundaries of how and what we should eat!
2. Caring for my mom?  Its biblical.  Easy as that.  1 Tim 5 vs 8:  But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.  Looking after one's family could look like a million different things, different for each family's needs.  Does that mean the way we are doing this works for everyone?  No!  Maybe being in a home or whatever is available in your circumstances that works for you is what is right for you.  For me, looking after my mom ourselves feels right, there is peace in it, even though it is very VERY hard, on all of us.  I know God is in it, and I know He is using this for the refining of us in many ways.
3. Grace vs Suffering!  Look up scriptures with these words in them.  Then read them in context, that is, a few verse above and below.  Don't lose heart when times are tough and you feel attacked and beaten down by life.  Jesus said He is there with us every step of the way.  Going through tough stuff does not mean you haven't tithed enough or offered enough or "done" enough for Jesus.  He is not about the doing.  He is about obedience to His word.  Love one another, sacrifice, stay faithful in the tough times, etc.  I would rather go through what I am going through WITH CHRIST, than without.  The option is not with or without suffering!  Its with or without Jesus and that is a choice He lets us make.  Therein lies the grace!  With Him always, brings grace.  Refining is grace.  His grace is sufficient!  2 Corinth 12 vs 9:  But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

So, how noisy is your world right now?  The only way to get rid of all the noise and radio interference is to unilaterally seek the Word and see what Jesus says about the issues you face! And then... act in faith and obedience on God's word!

God bless

Tracy