Ethical?

The Ethics professor at one of my schools is giving his students the option of donating money to UNICEF in lieu of taking the final exam. If students donate $100, their grade stays the same. $200 means an entire letter grade increase. My question is this: is it ethical to base a grade on the ability to donate a significant amount of money? Certainly, students can still take the exam, but doesn’t this give a huge advantage to students who have extra money just sitting around? Any thoughts?

Becoming a Woman of God

God is molding me. He’s preparing me for something. If only I knew what that something is. Over the course of time, I’ve made some changes in how I think and in who I am. In the past, being different was a main goal in life. You could see it in the way I dressed, in my interests, and in my behavior. Growing up, I also wasn’t a fan of femininity. I wanted to do everything that the guys did, to wear what the guys wear, and to be one of the guys. I’m still a little rough around the edges, and I still need my guy time (guys are great, and I love hanging with them), but I certainly don’t want to be one of them. God, I believe, is in the process of knocking off some of those rough edges.

I don’t dwell much on singleness, unlike every Christian bookstore, single Christian blogger, Christian website, and Christian dating service. However, I’ve realized that if God wants me to be married, I’d better be ready for it. God alone knows what will happen in the future, and His plans are different for everyone. So, if marriage is part of me bringing glory to God, I need be a person who is marriageable. If I can better serve God as a single person, I need to be ready for that, too. I want to be fully surrendered to Him, and that includes my marital status.

Transformation

I’m sick of having parts of my life that aren’t for the purpose of bringing God glory. I’m tired of doing things just because that’s the way I’ve always done them, and I hate living for myself when God has done so much for me. Jesus deserves every part of me, and yet I keep some things back. I want to live radically for Christ, but there are things that I do that prevent from submitting to Him completely. Yes, I will always have to deal with sin. But, I think part of sanctification is identifying things that don’t glorify God and turning from them. As I’ve heard from multiple sources this week, I can’t do it on my own, and it’s not just about trying harder. It’s about growing closer to Jesus, and letting Him transform me.

Is Your God Too small?

Also titled, “Are You So Weak That God Can’t Use You?”

Have you ever dwelt so much on your own inadequacy that it made you question how God could work through you? This could seem at first like a good dose of humility. Well, here is another revelation for you. I believe this thinking can come from selfcenteredness. It comes from viewing yourself as too powerful and your God too weak. How does that make sense? Let me explain.

Everything flawed and inadequate, everything weak and sinful in this world cannot overcome the power of the living God. Are we sinful? Yes. Weak? Absolutely. Inadequate? Desperately so. But, guess what? God can do whatever He wants with whomever He chooses. It’s not your own strength and “awesomeness” that bring glory to God. God doesn’t need you. Instead, it’s God working in you and through you, making you a new creation in Jesus Christ. I’m guilty of this mindset as much as anyone. In the past, I’ve questioned my abilities and my calling. I did all of this because I’d forgotten (or hadn’t ever learned) the glory, majesty, sovereignty, and breath-taking power of God. Don’t make the same mistake as Moses did when He refused to be God’s insrument (God made him do it anyway). If God can speak through a donkey, He can speak through us. His strength is made perfect in weakness. It’s okay to feel inadequate, because we are. But instead of feeling limited by it, rejoice that such a loving God decides to use such useless people to bring Him glory.

A Little Conversation

God: Becky, do you trust me?

Me: Of course I do.

God: Then, why are you worrying?

Me: But, I…

God: (interrupts) No excuses. Do you really trust me?

Me: Not as much as I should.

God: Trust me. I can handle this.

Me: Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.

Giving it all away…

I recently had a revelation that God’s dreams are bigger than mine. Since I’m a dreamer, that’s saying something. Since I’m a mere human, that’s not surprising at all. He has a glorious plan, and He puts radical dreams and desires in the hearts of His people. If I am dilligently seeking the will of God, my dreams are not my own. They’re God’s. But, here’s where the rubber meets the road. What if what I think God has for me really isn’t what He has for me? What if obstacles in my life rise up and postpone or prevent me from accomplishing what I feel called to do? Well, since my dreams are not my own, who am I to insist on the timing of them? Who am I to tell God what to do? His glory should be my dream (and in spite of all my sinfulness, God has made that my dream). If, for the sake of bringing Him more glory, I must struggle a little bit to get to where He wants me to be, so be it. If, for the sake of bringing Him more glory, I must abandon the path that I thought I should travel, so be it. God is in control. May He work in me and through me in whatever fashion He chooses.

Creature of Habit

I clicked on my wordpress dashboard, and my mind went into meltdown. The problem? I was met with a new color scheme and a slightly different layout. I’m still adjusting to the view as I write this. This makes me wonder why such little variations in routine appear to be a big deal. Our habits are things that we do so much that they become part of us. Habits are things that we do without thinking. Where do these habits come from? They come from the core of who we are. Sometimes they’re harmful. For instance, at CVS, I have people come and buy the same two 40 ounce bottles of beer twice a night. I have people who always come and buy the same Cashword lottery tickets. Neither of which are necessarily bad in moderation, but every night? Not what I would call a healthy habit. 

The question then becomes how to break free from bad habits. You can change outside behaviors, but they won’t last. Or, the changes will last, but the habit will resurface in a different form. A person who eats too much might decide to lose weight, and subsequently develop an exercise addiction. If a habit comes from who we are, then the best way to change a habit is not to focus on the behavior. The change must be in the person. When I think about the ways I’ve tried to change my behaviors, I realize that it’s always been based on willpower. Instead, I need to focus on Jesus. Give Jesus the worship He deserves, and the things of this world begin to crumble. He can transorm the deepest desires of people. For more on habits, I heartily recommend Praise Habit by David Crowder. Oh, and don’t forget to read the publisher info on the first page. He’s stinkin’ hilarious.