Psalm 51:10-12
Walking on Water-The Impulsitivity of “the Rock”
When Jesus called his first Disciples (Matt. 4:18), he knew without a doubt what each would do. He was God, after all. He was omniscient. He knew the fisherman, Simon (soon to have his name changed), was as impulsive as it gets. Jesus also knew Simon’s heart. Simon had a heart that was pure and true. He was the most loyal friend you could find. He was the kind of friend Forest Gump called “Peas and Carrots.” I think of Simon Peter; I Imagine him to have the build of the Brawny Man. He would have been one of the “bouncers” of the Disciple Group. Hauling in fishing nets for work every day is no easy task; it takes strength and muscles, ladies and gentlemen! Plus, that lovely Mediterranean complexion being out in a boat on the water every day. Yup, he was possibly what some would call all brawn and no brain… maybe this is why Jesus renamed him “Peter’ which means “rock.” Jesus then goes on to say, “On this Rock, I will build my church. Wait…what?
When you read all of the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you get a pretty good picture of what Peter was like. He was loud. He was quick to speak without thinking. He was also someone who acted rashly, like cutting off someone’s ear with a sword trying to protect his best friend and Lord from being arrested and put to death (I mean, wouldn’t you?) (John 18:10) He was also the only one who recognized Jesus during the most gigantic storm on the Sea of Galilee when all the other Disciples were quaking in fear that they were going to die from drowning, he not only forgets what’s happening but STEPS OUTSIDE THE BOAT when Jesus calls to him and WALKS on water. (Matt. 14:22-32) This guy is supposed to be the “rock” on which Jesus wants His church to be built. Jesus even knew Peter would deny Him multiple times while He was dying just to preserve himself out of fear. Jesus also knew that soon, Peter would change and become the Rock he prophesied He would be. On the contrary, Peter was also the only Disciple who answered correctly when Jesus asked them who everyone said he was. The others started guessing random people, prophets-even dead ones!
Then Jesus, point blank, asks them, “Whom do you say I am?” Peter is the first to boldly and bravely with faith respond, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” This moment is when Jesus changes a name: “And on this ‘Rock’ I will build my church.” Ahhh. Now, it makes sense. Yes, Peter did all those things. He was rash and impulsive, but he never wavered in his faith. His heart grew into one of the most amazing apostles ever in history. He helped spread the gospel of Jesus and became a martyr for his faith. According to Britannica.com, Peter was crucified in Rome, Italy, in 64 AD, upside down because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus Christ.
Impulsivity and Faith … The Time We Walked On Water
Every time I read about Peter, I relate. If I had been born a boy, I would be named Peter. Ironic, right? I’m super impulsive. I love to shop! I have a rule: if I buy an item of clothing, I must get rid of one; otherwise, my closet will overflow. My husband and I have struggled with spending since the beginning of our marriage; we have just spent money on different things. We have gone through various financial studies and seminars. We have used different techniques to try and control our spending, but the number one area that I believe made a difference was when we gave God control of our finances and became obedient when he told us to give.
Giving God control wasn’t an overnight thing. One way when the Holy Spirit prompted us to give, we did. God loves a cheerful giver. Paul discusses this in 2 Corinthians 9, encouraging generosity among the church. The church is the people. Plain and simple. When we decided to do our giving, I was a full-time mom, we were in a recession, Brian was working for a company at the time, and they just announced they were cutting pay. We were thousands of dollars in debt, with school loans to pay, a house mortgage, vehicles, and medical debt. Yet, we trusted God enough to see us through and believed He was bigger than any financial difficulties we would face. The money we brought in was His, to begin with, and it deserved to be brought to Him first in thanks. As we started to do this, we noticed a shift… not only did we begin to become frugal because we had to, but something formulated within us. That formulation was a desire God planted to start our Engineering firm that would eventually make our family financially stable…
We started our Engineering business in the fall of 2009 (the wrong time of year for a construction company) with very little cash. We cashed in everything we had to get started, including our retirement accounts from our previous companies. We lived on a lot of eggs and hashbrowns that first winter! When we were in need, God would provide for us. We squeezed out enough and made it through Christmas. Little by little, we were surviving through the winter. We just had to get to spring and the start of construction season…
Now, it was February, and the phone was quiet. The pantry was pretty empty, and the bank account was down to a terrifying number. One day, I was in prayer in my kitchen, and I just started having a David in the Psalms moment, and then it got REAL. My "Peter" came out. I started very bluntly shouting, “God, where are you? We have been doing everything you have said to do! You put this dream in our hearts. You told us to start this business! We have placed you at the center of it! We have kept our word and given when you said to give. Now it’s your turn to keep YOUR promises and SHOW up. I know all your promises are Yes and AMEN! You are JEHOVAH JIRAH, our PROVIDER. And I know you Never forsake your children or leave them begging for bread, so here I am! You tell us to ask, and you will receive! So I AM ASKING!!! God, I AM ASKING!!! You NEED to SHOW UP!!!”
With big, fat tears rolling down my face, I paced my kitchen for 2 hours as I screamed and shouted prayer and scripture at the top of my lungs until I didn’t have much left in me; I felt a peace wash over me and weird anticipation. When my husband came home. I told him what I did, and he got scared. (Having grown up in a different church background, he wasn’t used to praying to God like this and was afraid it would make God angry…little did He know, it’s just what God wanted from us.) You see, this is me, walking on water. This was me, getting out of the boat during the storm, seeing Jesus when all was raging around us. I went to the source, and I beseeched the Throne of Grace. This is what gets God’s attention. We can do all the right things, but His word says, ASK. So I did!
The next day, Brian got a call for the largest project he’d ever worked on in his career, which paid off four months of expenses! We not only became stable, but we could also go above and beyond the “American dream” of entrepreneurship. We have been able to bless others in ways I could only have dreamed of before. But it wasn’t an overnight success, and it was something we couldn't have done without having God at the center. I can say this because I am only the “behind the scenes” of the business. It takes Integrity and a steadfast heart like my husband to be as successful as we have been. I am the dreamer. I am the one that says, “Let’s leap!” Without a clue to what we’re in for! And boy, have there been times when it has been challenging. Shortcuts could have been made and integrity compromised, but Brian has always maintained his heart and kept his morals in check.
I believe God has blessed that. Do we always constantly give? No. Do we ever give under compulsion or obligation? No.
When the Holy Spirit speaks and prompts us to give, we act in OBEDIENCE and give, which brings blessings. Obedience. We'll talk more about this word, too, in future tea talks!
Psalm 51:10-12 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
I believe this “walking on water” miracle happened for two reasons. First, we were faithful in giving when God told us to—obedience. Second, our hearts were pure. We were seeking His face and direction in our lives; Brian especially was running the business as a man of integrity. We have been in business for over 15 years and have seen God’s handiwork.
Going back to Websters 1828 Dictionary again…
Steadfast, Stedfast- adjective [stead and fast]
1. Fast fixed: firm; firmly fixed or established; as the STEDFAST globe of the earth.
2. Constant; firm; resolute; not fickle or wavering. Abide STEDFAST to thy neighbor in the time of his trouble. Whom resist stedfast in faith (1 Peter 5:9)
3. Steady; as STEDFAST sight.
Fixed. Firm. Resolute. I can think of just a few verses with these words off the top of my head…How I long to keep my emotional being like this and my heart at all times. I haven’t always been this way. If you read previous tea talk blogs, I went through a period where I shut God out, yet my husband remained steadfast if it wasn’t for grace…yes! God’s amazing grace! I am in awe of it daily! Maybe that is why I can relate to Peter, too. He also shut God out. Denied even knowing him after eating, sleeping, and walking on water with him for three years. Yet, all was forgiven, and he became a fantastic evangelist for the kingdom of God. It is beautiful to know that even if we make mistakes, God is ready and waiting for us! He never is watching in condemnation. He wants all his lost sheep to come home. We will discuss my heart with Peter and so many other imperfect people of the Bible in future blogs. I can't wait. I hope you're ready, too! So, when it comes to Simplicity… how do I remain steadfast and not let my emotions control me when I see something I must have? That option of just one click to buy is so easy you don’t have a chance to consult your brain at all!
"He Who Buys What He Does Not Need Steals From Himself."
~ Swedish Proverb
According to the Swedish, I have done much stealing from myself! I have bought many superfluous things I didn’t need, but in the emotional high of shopping, I thought I did. It was all about the high. Now, I am practicing my fruit of self-control and finding steadfastness and contentment. My friends, I can't wait to share this journey with you. We will discuss shopping and the pitfalls and how to avoid them in the next Tea Talk, but for now, let’s focus on decluttering all that we accumulate in our homes from over-buying.
Liz’s Classy Questions for Decluttering…
Does this item bring me joy or happiness? Anyone who knows me well knows that I love Christmas; I mean, I LOVE Christmas. My birthday is right before the big day. I celebrate all month. I have multiple Christmas trees. I have themes for each tree and decor in each room. I was a designer. I LOVE DECORATING in general. I have a 9-foot mantle in my living room. Each season, the decor and art change out, and starting in September, it gets changed out monthly. Extreme? Yes. OCD? Just a little! This brings me JOY. I have a whole storage room full of totes of decor. Everything is used every year. Everything in them I find value in. It goes in the donation pile if I don’t like it anymore. There are a few things I especially love. One is my collection of Santas and vintage glass tree toppers. I love to go antique shopping and look for these one-of-a-kind items. I find great joy in doing so. My collection has gotten big enough that I have had to create rules. If I have one like it, no. The item needs to be “unique”: a particular color or design as a tree topper or the Santa must be doing something extraordinary, be out of special material or play music, etc. I thoroughly enjoy showing my collection to my friends and little kids when they arrive! My family loves it when the Santas come out every year. Now, someday, as I age or have to downsize, my body says, “Liz, this isn’t fun anymore.” I might think differently about all the decorating, and I will have to let go of a lot of it, or my kids and grandkids will have to come and help! Life can change instantly; you never know, but keeping it is okay as long as it brings joy and happiness. It’s all about the attitude of the heart.