Thoughts on Becoming 30-10 ;)
Today I am 40. Yup. I don’t want to talk about it. 🙂
This morning I was praying and thanking God for giving me 40 years of life which, to date has been a relatively easy. When I realize what others have endured in their lifetime, I wonder why I have had it so easy. (I have never buried a child. I have never gone hungry. We have all we need.We know the truth.)
And, being the reflective type, I was thinking on some things I have learned in my short life. 🙂 (denial, I know.)
1. Life is NOT supposed to work without God. If you are looking for happiness or satisfaction elsewhere, your life will be futile. A relationship with God is the end all. Some people look for peace and joy, so they look to God to find those ends…but this is all backwards. God is the end, the rest is a byproduct.
2. You cannot live a Christian life without the Spirit. You cannot be walking in the Spirit and still hanging on to the law. Not man’s laws, not God’s laws, not self imposed rules and regulations, or other peoples ideas about what your life should look like. When you are walking in the Spirit, all these things fall into place. But going about it the other way around is futile and unbiblical.
3. When God says no to your plans, He is usually redirecting you. We all have plans and goals, and sometimes God says NO so that you will actually go the way He wants you to go. I realized this when my 39th year was spent mostly sick with mono. The “Why Lord?” attitude started. I can see now that God was leading me in a new direction, showing me His plans, opening doors and pushing me out of my comfort zone.
4. Relationships with people are a good indicator of your relationship with God. When you are right with God, your relationships with others will reflect that. When we realize how much God has done for us, we will minimize differences and strive for unity. If you say you love God, and hate your brother, how does the love of God dwell in you? It is a litmus test, whether we want to believe it or not. When you are angry with someone and punishing them, or giving someone the silent treatment, or gossiping about them behind their back, how much must you really hate them? Don’t ruin your testimony and hinder your own relationship with God by not forgiving others.
5. God is love…because He is holy. I am tired of the God is love so do whatever you want junk that floats around today. God’s love is not in a vacuum. Gods love and His holiness are not mutually exclusive. God’s love is directly related to His holiness, and without that holiness there could not be His perfect character. He calls us to be holy. Not weird, not the Amish of Fundamentalism, but separated in heart, mind, calling and lifestyle. We cannot meld into this world and expect to change it. We cannot emphasize one aspect of His character and diminish the other or we are presenting another “god” to the world.
So, that’s it. Nothing too deep. 🙂 I am so thankful for all of you, who read here. I think of you and pray for you and thank God for you. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Happy Belated Birthday 🙂 What a sweet blessing to have one of your daughters have such wonderful wisdom from God that she shared with us on your blog and just to see how faithfully you are discipling all your children as an example to us. I think if that’s what I have when I turn 30+10 or even 30+20, it will definitely make it worth it! 🙂 Thank you for sharing with us through your blog!
Thank you, Kim! Emily is a sweet girl. She is a blessing to me. Thanks for visiting here and for your encouragement to me.
On #2, I was just reading the other day about the Spirit-Filled life. The author of the book was using Peter as an illustration. He said that when Peter was with Jesus, he had power to do things that he wouldn’t normally have done; and that made him want to be with Him. He did a lot of awesome things that he couldn’t have done when he wasn’t with Jesus (one was cutting off Malcus’s ear, which he probably wouldnt have had enough courage to do if he hadn’t been with Jesus; another was walking on the water, and there are many other examples). But when he wasnt with Jesus, he denied him three times. So pretty much as soon as Jesus wasn’t with him (He had been taken away for his trial), he lost all his courage and messed up. When he was separated from Jesus, he was a failure. But later on in the Bible, we read about Peter (afer Christ’s ascension) healing a lame man, and being persecuted for preaching the gospel because he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
YES, good, my little Emmy. I love you and am proud of you. Thanks for commenting on your old mother’s blog. 🙂
What is the name of the book you were reading? Thanks!
I am in the middle of reading Found: God’s Will, written by Dr. John MacArthur. It’s a small book (only about 60 pages) and he writes very clearly. What he said about Peter made a lot more sense than it did when I wrote it up there 🙂
Thanks so much. I was trying to pick a favorite one from your list and I can’t. They are all so true and so great! What a mighty God we serve.
Such wisdom for one so young!! 🙂 Wonderful reflections here, Sarah…hope you have a wonderful birthday. And seriously, you and your daughters could be sisters…so 30+10 looks great on you 😉
Thanks, Ashlie. 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH !
You are wise beyond your 30+10 years.
May the Lord Bless you as you grow and minister for another 30+10+++. You’ve only just begun ! Love You, Auntie B.
Thanks Auntie B. I can’t WAIT to see you all in a few weeks!! We are going to have a blast!
Happy Birthday, Sarah! I wasn’t sure I wanted to turn 30+10 either when it happened, but now that I’m 30+22 and I’ve wrestled through mid-life (where you don’t want to admit that you are older), I am quite happy and content to be my exact age. I can share things with some younger women in my life that I would not be able to share if I was younger. They respect me and listen to me because they have seen the fruit in my life (my children, my works) and they respect me as that older Titus 2 woman. I would not trade that for anything. Also, I want my daughters to grow old “gracefully”…and that is really the only way any of us can grow older. 😀 Have a wonderful celebration of having yet another year of experience to share with others! <3
I do want to grow old gracefully, without the growing old part. 🙂 he,he. No, I am kidding. Thank you, friend!
I know what you mean!:D Thank you, for being such a faithful and graceful woman of God. I love coming here. I know that it will be encouraging and real. <3
Happy Birthday !!! Using your new and very nice I might add number system…I will be turning 35-10 this November !!!
Thanks, Lynda. I had a great day. Don’t you love that number system? It is fabulous.
Thank you for your thoughts today. My life has been relatively easy as well. I have always wondered why. I suspect that the Lord has different plans for me in the future. I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I will keep you in my prayers, and thank you for remembering us in your prayers! 🙂
THank you. Yes, I often wonder if I have had it easy because I would have crumbled otherwise? Not sure, but God knows what He is doing, and I am good with that. 🙂
30-10 is a lovely number. You got me thinking, Sarah, on my birthday this coming September I will be 30-38. George just turned 30-51 last week. Isn’t is a blessing that God has given us that second number? So many wonderful experiences God places before us as we travel those + miles. I have many things that I have learned, special people I have met and precious memories tucked away fom mine. <3
“Isn’t it great that God has given us that second number?” Great way to look at age!
YES, yes! I love that number system! ha,ha
Moni,yes, we have had many wonderful times and met many wonderful people. So many blessings in the is life. Imagine how heaven will be?? xo
Happy Birthday!
Thank you, Amy!