It is a hard thing to come out of bad habits, and it is even harder to stay out of bad habits. On a spiritual note, God takes us out of sin in a moment but taking sin out of our lives takes a lifetime. Daily we need God's grace in ample supply to keep us on the narrow and disciplined path. We need JESUS to help us clean our hands and feet daily even when we have had a bath. That is why JESUS told Peter, "Those who have had baths don't need another shower but they just need to get rid of the dust that settles in every day."
There is a story that Dr. Erwin Lutzer, the senior pastor at Moody Church reminds us from time to time about a Sculptor who was sculpting an art piece of an elephant's figure. Someone asked him what he was doing; he replied, "I am chipping away all that is not an elephant and keeping all that is an elephant." Similarly, God is chipping away all that is not Jesus from our lives and keeping all that is Jesus-like. We are being conformed to the likeness of the One who alone is perfect, clean, and pure.
John 13: 5-11 "He (Jesus) riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself. After that, he poureth water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all."
It is a good practice to continually introspect and ask God what do I need to get rid of today? Maybe thought life, some speech issues, attitude, ungodly living, addictions? materialism? physically, spiritually, mentally, financially, relational, or deep within? and then request in faith: "I want to be clean, cleanse me, Lord!"
Kalpana Christian Sharma, © copyright kcswritings
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Staying Connected - Learning Through Kids' Games
In 2008 I was teaching a Vacation Bible School in one of the churches in the Chicago Suburbs. I want to briefly share something that I learned on the 1st day that I saw kids playing games.
It was about friendship knots. We form a circle of 4 or 5 people. Hold the hand of the person not next to you but one after the next, i.e. of every other person. The fun part is then to twist in and out of the circle, up and down within the radii of hands, jump, and come out without letting go of anyone's hands - that way untangling is easy!
This is how at times, in life we hold on, and how in turn need to reach out to one another. The thing that I learned as they played the game was: Holding on, not letting go, and yet the goal is to sort out the tangles within. We did a great job many times again and again, and I thought if only we as adults could learn to untangle our messes with each other and our friends without letting go of our hands -without losing our connections with each other, by our love the world will know that we belong to Christ. Biblically speaking..isn't this what we are called to? Relationships will improve our communities and the world because while being connected we choose to untangle the messes...sort out differences as they come.
It was about friendship knots. We form a circle of 4 or 5 people. Hold the hand of the person not next to you but one after the next, i.e. of every other person. The fun part is then to twist in and out of the circle, up and down within the radii of hands, jump, and come out without letting go of anyone's hands - that way untangling is easy!
This is how at times, in life we hold on, and how in turn need to reach out to one another. The thing that I learned as they played the game was: Holding on, not letting go, and yet the goal is to sort out the tangles within. We did a great job many times again and again, and I thought if only we as adults could learn to untangle our messes with each other and our friends without letting go of our hands -without losing our connections with each other, by our love the world will know that we belong to Christ. Biblically speaking..isn't this what we are called to? Relationships will improve our communities and the world because while being connected we choose to untangle the messes...sort out differences as they come.
Please note this does not mean that we put up with the abuses in any relationship. In manipulative, abusive relationships, and where powerplay is present distancing is a safe and healthy thing to do. No one is to impose any forgiveness, reconnection, or reconciliation aspect on anyone. We need time to heal and be safe.
The connection and untangling are meant for a non-abusive and mutually beneficial relationship where talking about differences in a healthy way is possible and there is an understanding that we can agree to disagree and mean no harm.
Stay connected,
Kalpana Christian Sharma(Mrs.) Copyright © KC's Writings 2010
Stay connected,
Kalpana Christian Sharma(Mrs.) Copyright © KC's Writings 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
What Can We Do Without? Simple living.
Having lived in Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa, for many years, and having worked in the air travel industry, camping was a part of life that we all enjoyed. Camping experience reminds us of the things that are temporal.
Few months back, I was pondering on this thought even as I saw my daughters' backpacks; from time to time they go for their youth camp trips. I learned that for preparing to go on a camping trip, we usually make a list of what we must carry with us and quite rightly so; but when you flip the coin and see the other side of it, at times, a thought crosses my mind, its not "what I must take with me but what can I really do without?" matters. Have you ever made a list of what can we do without? it would be a great checklist. Authentically speaking, there is a lot of stuff that we can really do without.
So now if we focus on that thought and did the same thing with our daily living, and while making a list of what we must buy, what if we make a list of things that we really don't need and can do without? I guess in these days of hard economy that would be a great way to live life with contentment, look at life, and praise GOD in ALL circumstances..always rejoicing as Paul says.
So where is our identity? is it in the stuff that we own? or the cars we drive? the homes we live in, the latest electronic device that we possess? or the community we associate with?
Someone has said, 'We buy things we don't need to with the money that we don't have, to impress the people we don't know." May I dare to add, "and we incur debts that we sometimes seldom recover from?" One kids' song from A Kiddie-Viddie video song series says, "Little is much if God is in it" and 1 Timothy 6:6 reminds us. "Godliness with contentment is a great gain."
I dare to add to this quote from a great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore that was reiterated in one of the Hindi movies, "Bawarchi: "It is so simple to be happy but it is so very difficult to be simple."
Would you give simple living a try?
Kalpana Christian Sharma (Mrs.)
Copyright © KC's Writings 2010
Few months back, I was pondering on this thought even as I saw my daughters' backpacks; from time to time they go for their youth camp trips. I learned that for preparing to go on a camping trip, we usually make a list of what we must carry with us and quite rightly so; but when you flip the coin and see the other side of it, at times, a thought crosses my mind, its not "what I must take with me but what can I really do without?" matters. Have you ever made a list of what can we do without? it would be a great checklist. Authentically speaking, there is a lot of stuff that we can really do without.
So now if we focus on that thought and did the same thing with our daily living, and while making a list of what we must buy, what if we make a list of things that we really don't need and can do without? I guess in these days of hard economy that would be a great way to live life with contentment, look at life, and praise GOD in ALL circumstances..always rejoicing as Paul says.
So where is our identity? is it in the stuff that we own? or the cars we drive? the homes we live in, the latest electronic device that we possess? or the community we associate with?
Someone has said, 'We buy things we don't need to with the money that we don't have, to impress the people we don't know." May I dare to add, "and we incur debts that we sometimes seldom recover from?" One kids' song from A Kiddie-Viddie video song series says, "Little is much if God is in it" and 1 Timothy 6:6 reminds us. "Godliness with contentment is a great gain."
I dare to add to this quote from a great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore that was reiterated in one of the Hindi movies, "Bawarchi: "It is so simple to be happy but it is so very difficult to be simple."
Would you give simple living a try?
Kalpana Christian Sharma (Mrs.)
Copyright © KC's Writings 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Love - from a perspective
This writing is from the year 2006
Wish you a very Happy Valentine's Day... a day that the world celebrates as what it knows as love..
I read that "In the game of tennis, 'love' means nothing, in a relationship, love means everything."(Harold Sala)
I am amazed as I read the 1st Corinthians chapter 13, "the love chapter", saying, so profoundly that if you have all knowledge and are all in all, and are full of power, and all that you can think of, and if we give up our bodies to be burnt up for what we stand up for, and even if we are so kind even to give all our goods to the poor, but IF we have no love... WE ARE NOTHING...
ouch!!!! that is so powerful.
and in the end, it says, now abide these three, faith, hope, and love but the greatest of these is love...
I am also learning that love is a CHOICE rather than a feeling...we choose to love.
I am glad that there is one day we can celebrate (though it should be an everyday event) but just one day set aside to acknowledge and express Love.
so, we need to "LOVE THE LORD OUR GOD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS, WITH ALL OUR SOULS, WITH ALL OUR MIGHT AND WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH AND LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS OUR SELVES!"
"Beloved, let us love one another, for the love is of GOD and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God, he that loveth NOT, knoweth not God for God is love"...1st John four seven and eight...
Kalpana Christian Sharma (Mrs.)
Copyright © KC's Writings 2010
Wish you a very Happy Valentine's Day... a day that the world celebrates as what it knows as love..
I read that "In the game of tennis, 'love' means nothing, in a relationship, love means everything."(Harold Sala)
I am amazed as I read the 1st Corinthians chapter 13, "the love chapter", saying, so profoundly that if you have all knowledge and are all in all, and are full of power, and all that you can think of, and if we give up our bodies to be burnt up for what we stand up for, and even if we are so kind even to give all our goods to the poor, but IF we have no love... WE ARE NOTHING...
ouch!!!! that is so powerful.
and in the end, it says, now abide these three, faith, hope, and love but the greatest of these is love...
I am also learning that love is a CHOICE rather than a feeling...we choose to love.
I am glad that there is one day we can celebrate (though it should be an everyday event) but just one day set aside to acknowledge and express Love.
so, we need to "LOVE THE LORD OUR GOD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS, WITH ALL OUR SOULS, WITH ALL OUR MIGHT AND WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH AND LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS OUR SELVES!"
"Beloved, let us love one another, for the love is of GOD and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God, he that loveth NOT, knoweth not God for God is love"...1st John four seven and eight...
Kalpana Christian Sharma (Mrs.)
Copyright © KC's Writings 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Humbling before God and learning from HIM..
These are some of my old writings that lift me up at times when I read, and I want to encourage readers as well. This was written on October 15th, 2005---
The Bible says, "Humble Yourselves under the mighty hand of God that in due time, he may lift us up." (higher and higher and he will lift us up) You and I have sung this chorus many times but recently I understood that in today's fast-paced world where success counts and being aggressive and being numero uno/#1 is the deal, the self that is so glorified comes in between us and God, as that self is so much against God! Even pride dresses up as false humility.
While with God, humility is what counts. The Bible says God inhabits eternity, (can you imagine that? eternity?) and yet, (watch this) He lives in the hearts of those who are humble!
I also learned that it says to humble Yourself. God expects us to humble ourselves before He brings circumstances to humble us.
The qualification to come to Jesus is "all who are weary and with heavy burden...come to me and I will give you rest..." Isn't this qualification different? I mean the world looks at your resume, your success, your ability what you can boast about 'you'!! while Jesus says, come as you are, with your inadequacy...with your heavy yoke..' As I heard someone preach, "Ground is always leveled at the foot of the cross!"
It has been a long since I played my guitar. This week, after many years, I picked up my guitar, and in the quietness of hours, I played this chorus. I have sung it many times but singing it alone, not to anyone but to GOD, tears rolled down my cheeks as I sang with the meaning, humbling myself before God....that led me to sing this lovely hymn, I know it will bring tears to your eyes as you sing alone before God! Please take a few moments to sing and ponder upon the words written by Benjamin M Ramsey in 1919 as follows:
"Teach me Thy way O Lord! Teach me thy way, Thy gracious aid afford, teach me thy way, help me to walk aright, MORE BY FAITH, less by sight, lead me with heavenly light, teach me thy way.
When doubts and fear arise, teach me thy way, when storms overspread the skies, teach me thy way.
Shine through the clouds and rain, through sorrow, toil, and pain, make thou my pathway plain, teach me thy way.
When I am sad at heart, teach me thy way, when earthy joys depart, teach me thy way,
In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress, in failure or success, teach me thy way...
Long as my life shall last, teach me thy way, where ever my lot be cast, teach me thy way..
until the race is run, until the journey is done, until the crown is won... TEACH ME THY WAY..."
Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow!
Kalpana
Copyright © KC's Writings 2010
The Bible says, "Humble Yourselves under the mighty hand of God that in due time, he may lift us up." (higher and higher and he will lift us up) You and I have sung this chorus many times but recently I understood that in today's fast-paced world where success counts and being aggressive and being numero uno/#1 is the deal, the self that is so glorified comes in between us and God, as that self is so much against God! Even pride dresses up as false humility.
While with God, humility is what counts. The Bible says God inhabits eternity, (can you imagine that? eternity?) and yet, (watch this) He lives in the hearts of those who are humble!
I also learned that it says to humble Yourself. God expects us to humble ourselves before He brings circumstances to humble us.
The qualification to come to Jesus is "all who are weary and with heavy burden...come to me and I will give you rest..." Isn't this qualification different? I mean the world looks at your resume, your success, your ability what you can boast about 'you'!! while Jesus says, come as you are, with your inadequacy...with your heavy yoke..' As I heard someone preach, "Ground is always leveled at the foot of the cross!"
It has been a long since I played my guitar. This week, after many years, I picked up my guitar, and in the quietness of hours, I played this chorus. I have sung it many times but singing it alone, not to anyone but to GOD, tears rolled down my cheeks as I sang with the meaning, humbling myself before God....that led me to sing this lovely hymn, I know it will bring tears to your eyes as you sing alone before God! Please take a few moments to sing and ponder upon the words written by Benjamin M Ramsey in 1919 as follows:
"Teach me Thy way O Lord! Teach me thy way, Thy gracious aid afford, teach me thy way, help me to walk aright, MORE BY FAITH, less by sight, lead me with heavenly light, teach me thy way.
When doubts and fear arise, teach me thy way, when storms overspread the skies, teach me thy way.
Shine through the clouds and rain, through sorrow, toil, and pain, make thou my pathway plain, teach me thy way.
When I am sad at heart, teach me thy way, when earthy joys depart, teach me thy way,
In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress, in failure or success, teach me thy way...
Long as my life shall last, teach me thy way, where ever my lot be cast, teach me thy way..
until the race is run, until the journey is done, until the crown is won... TEACH ME THY WAY..."
Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow!
Kalpana
Copyright © KC's Writings 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Cross of Christ - 2
While I ponder about the Cross of Christ, 'the sacrificing pole' that we are commanded to carry daily and follow Jesus, I am reminded of a great truth learned from a gentle, Brahmin, Hindu family in Nairobi, Kenya, who owned a confectionery (an Indian sweet shop); we would talk about religion when we visited their shop.
This was in the 1980s when Dad used to tutor their ready-to-go-to-college son in Physics and Mathematics. Dad and I used to witness to this family about Christ. One day they shared with Dad, saying "Do you know why we really adore the Cross of Christ so much? The reason being - the Cross of Christ shows you to deny the 'I' and self." They so simply showed the crossing out of the vertical line from top to bottom by the horizontal line from left to right! That means he said, No to the big 'I', the selfish I... without making it an idol, have you tried to draw a cross and see how much of I and selfishness we are called to cancel out?
I know some theologians will disagree with me that Christ did not die on the cross but on the pole, on a tree, yes that is true, but the Cross is widely known today as the symbol of Christianity. Without making it an idol or a statue, or like fascinating stuff that most movie stars and singers wear on their necks and ears, can we use the available resources, anything and everything to talk of his torturous death.
This was in the 1980s when Dad used to tutor their ready-to-go-to-college son in Physics and Mathematics. Dad and I used to witness to this family about Christ. One day they shared with Dad, saying "Do you know why we really adore the Cross of Christ so much? The reason being - the Cross of Christ shows you to deny the 'I' and self." They so simply showed the crossing out of the vertical line from top to bottom by the horizontal line from left to right! That means he said, No to the big 'I', the selfish I... without making it an idol, have you tried to draw a cross and see how much of I and selfishness we are called to cancel out?
I know some theologians will disagree with me that Christ did not die on the cross but on the pole, on a tree, yes that is true, but the Cross is widely known today as the symbol of Christianity. Without making it an idol or a statue, or like fascinating stuff that most movie stars and singers wear on their necks and ears, can we use the available resources, anything and everything to talk of his torturous death.
Lord, help me to love you with ALL my heart, all my soul, all my strength, and all my mind...to crucify me, my self, and 'I' daily, on the sacrificing pole that I am to carry and to let the beauty of Jesus shine through me...
Kalpana Christian Sharma
Copyright © KC's Writings, 2010
Kalpana Christian Sharma
Copyright © KC's Writings, 2010
Cross of Christ- 1
Have you ever wondered, if the word 'cross' has different meanings in the English language? There is a crossing cross, a plus sign cross, an x letter cross, a cross of Lorraine, or a term used as cross my heart (promise to give) or someone being cross with us. Here I am talking about the Cross of JESUS Christ that the Bible talks about. Recently a lady belonging to a Jehova's Witnesses denomination pointed out to me the real meaning of that cross translated into my own mother tongue, Gujarati language from the State of Gujarat in India. The cross means 'Vadh-Stumbh' the literal meaning 'The Pole of Sacrifice' - the Cross of Jesus as used in the holy Bible in Gujarati language. I was surprised with joy even though it is my mother tongue and I grew up with it, little had I paid attention to that. The reason? At this grown-up stage, I am trying to comprehend that Jesus calls us to carry our Pole of Sacrifice and follow him...to put it in easier terms like the famous Indian movie would have its heroes and brave folks say in lines such as..."Sir pey Kafan bandh key chaltey hey"(we walk carrying the coffin cloth on our head, meaning we are ever-ready to die).
I asked myself, Do I carry my Cross, my pole of Sacrifice, and live like that for CHRIST every day? It is a big question! We are called by Him to do that. Denying self and following him; being a living sacrifice as Romans 12 says!
Vadh-stumbh (Vadh no Stumbh) the pole of Sacrifice! To die to selfishness and sin, to comforts that call my name, the fun and cultural values, TV and movies that allure us; to die to that, to die to be the person who is totally in charge and in control, and let God be the King and in charge of our lives, and help us handle all aspects of our life HIS way! To die to prestige, fame, and what more than a line from one of Issac Watts' songs that goes like, "When I survey the wondrous cross on which the price of Glory died...Forbid it LORD that I should boast, save in the cross of Christ my LORD, all the VAIN THINGS THAT CHARM ME MOST, I SACRIFICE THEM TO HIS BLOOD...(carry our vadh-stumbhs and follow him...) like Paul says, I must decrease and HE must increase in me!!
LORD Jesus, Help us carry our vadh-stumbhs (poles of sacrifice) and follow you.
Kalpana Christian Sharma
Copyright © KC's Writings, 2010
I asked myself, Do I carry my Cross, my pole of Sacrifice, and live like that for CHRIST every day? It is a big question! We are called by Him to do that. Denying self and following him; being a living sacrifice as Romans 12 says!
Vadh-stumbh (Vadh no Stumbh) the pole of Sacrifice! To die to selfishness and sin, to comforts that call my name, the fun and cultural values, TV and movies that allure us; to die to that, to die to be the person who is totally in charge and in control, and let God be the King and in charge of our lives, and help us handle all aspects of our life HIS way! To die to prestige, fame, and what more than a line from one of Issac Watts' songs that goes like, "When I survey the wondrous cross on which the price of Glory died...Forbid it LORD that I should boast, save in the cross of Christ my LORD, all the VAIN THINGS THAT CHARM ME MOST, I SACRIFICE THEM TO HIS BLOOD...(carry our vadh-stumbhs and follow him...) like Paul says, I must decrease and HE must increase in me!!
LORD Jesus, Help us carry our vadh-stumbhs (poles of sacrifice) and follow you.
Kalpana Christian Sharma
Copyright © KC's Writings, 2010
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