Hidden Baggage

“Apology goes here!” my husband said as he tapped his cheek for me to give him a little kissy on the jaw. 

Chuckling I said, “I never blamed you.”  Then I thought, well, I guess I did and relinquished a kiss affirming what he said in the first place … him being right. 

This all started almost six years ago when traveling home from my sister’s wedding, but ended with the cleaning out of a closet.  It’s funny how a little “dirt” can reveal a mountain of stones collected through denial. Hidden Baggage - Confessions of A Soul.

Welcome new friends this week from:

See if your city/state/country made the list. 

New on DFB – Avondale, Auckland Region, New Zealand; Mannersdorf am Leithagebirge, Lower Austria, Austria; Irbid, Irbid Governorate, Jordan; Hastings, England, United Kingdom; Maseru, Maseru District, Lesotho; Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia; Ankara, Ankara Province, Turkey; Sabadell, Cataluña, Granada, Andalucía, Spain; Palestine; Jamaica; Nicaragua; Wateringen, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands; Kikinda, Serbia; Como, Lombardia, Italy; Trivandrum, Kerala, India; Yemen.  

USA – Tuscaloosa, AL; Altus, AR; Marion Oaks, FL; Phillipsburg, KS; Columbia, MD; Fairmont & Warba, MN; Brick Township, Marlton & Brotmanville, NJ; Chautauqua, NY; Chester; Hermitage & New Castle, PA; Bristol, RI; Whitney, TX; Visalia, CA; Bonita Springs, FL; Warner Robins, GA; Batesville, IN; Terrytown, LA; Clarkston, MI; Chautauqua, NY; Blount Beach, TN; Bon Air & Harrisonburg, VA; Morgantown, WV; Mount Vernon & Yakima, WA. 

I am so happy for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.  God has been faithful and we expect His favor to abound in the lives of those who chose to Journey with Jesus on Daily Favor Blog.

You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.  All are private. I would love to hear from you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.  Contact me by leaving a message in the box at the bottom of this week’s post.  

Don't miss out on this week's challenge (below).

Read Messages, updates on Hubby’s Heart and visit the Q & A or other sections.

Let the Blames Begin 

We were half way to our destination and the car was loaded after gathering our things from the hotel.  It wasn’t until we were home a few weeks that I realized my cosmetic case was missing. 

 

Usually the things in that case are set aside for traveling and not my everyday products, that way it is ready all the time. When I prepare for the next trip I restock what I need. 

I couldn’t find it anywhere and therefore thought it must have been left behind at our last stopping point.  Since hubby is the one who loads the car, I quickly blamed him for not loading “all” my luggage even though we both give the room a final once over before leaving any place.  He claimed that he did, but how could that be if it were missing? 

Fast Forward – January 16^th, 2016 

It was on a Saturday that I decided to clean out the bottom of the hall closet, and vacuum it to put away some holiday dishes.  Removing things one by one, I noticed a pink Sterilite show-offs container that I couldn’t remember owning.  I picked it up and decided to check out the contents.  Lifting it into position for opening I couldn’t believe what I found inside.

Yep, you guessed it … my cosmetic case!  For all its worth I couldn’t imagine why it was inside there, especially when I didn’t even remember the container. 

I had made some bridal things for my sister’s wedding like the tissue holder (view it here) and I bought it so the items wouldn’t get messed up during travel.  After the wedding the container was empty so I must have consolidated things for the trip home.

 

Never having the container before that, I didn’t know where to put it when we got home and stuck it in the closet.  Every time I cleaned there I moved that bugger, but thought it was the one for the pets outfits (yes, I’m one of those people). I didn’t take notice of what was inside and simply put it back after I cleaned. 

I believe it was the Holy Spirit who had me open the box this time to get rid of some “excess” baggage of blame I didn’t realize I had stored up for years. 

False Evidence 

Pulling out all the products in the cosmetic case I saw that there wasn’t anything of value in it except $10 from the budget envelope for that particular trip.  Why the cash was in there I don’t know either. 

The “missing” case made its way into a few conversations over the years when I used it for ammunition against my husband to argue a case for me being right about something.  When that happened we’d both laugh insisting that the other person was in the wrong. 

So this may be the only time I confess openly for the benefit of fellow husbands … “I was wrong.” (and there isn’t a “but” clause either!) 

I WAS WRONG! 

While hubby vacuumed (he won’t let me do it), I sat on the couch and knew what I had to do while waiting for him to finish.  Take a nap!  Kidding … 

I confessed my sin to the Lord and unloaded another piece of hidden baggage that had been stored up in my spirit.  You may have thought I was delighted and did a shout of joy when I discovered my beauty bag.  It didn’t happen that way. There was no drama and my attitude was anything but beautiful in this situation.   

I felt worse about judging then blaming my husband for something he confessed he didn’t do and not believing him at his word.  The whole thing reminds me of how God must feel when we don’t believe His Word and blame Him when things go wrong. 

The Bible says that your sins will (always) find you out; it doesn’t say when, but it is a surety. (Numbers 32:23) 

Truth Changes Scientific Facts 

I really believed hubby was to blame based on past evidence and “routine” of how we do things when we travel.  We have it down to a science, because of how much we have journeyed. 

Even though I was wrong that wasn’t the real sin; that was my own stupidity.  Being wrong about something isn’t a sin; it’s how you act when you "think you are right" that people fall into the sin of arrogance. 

After the event I forgave him right away (how generous of me!), because I knew the Bible tells us not to hold anything against anyone and to forgive.  I thought I had done that.  When I discovered he wasn’t to blame is where the sin fell. 

If I didn’t give my spouse an apology and repent before the Lord that is where sin would have fallen.  Praise God for those who have taught me to study the scriptures and learn what to do when I have hurt anyone, especially God. (There must be some sort of disclaimer in there though that applies to family, right?)

When Saying You’re Sorry Counts 

King David in the Old Testament of the Bible was loved by God and was said to be the “Apple of His Eyes.”  If you know the history behind David’s reign, you know he wasn’t a boy scout.  What got the Heavenly Father’s attention is that David was quick to repent and sought not to do that sin again.  

To repent means to turn, do a complete opposite of a certain behavior.  Sometimes we say we’re sorry but don’t truly repent, and then repeat the same sin over and over. David learned to repent as soon as he sinned, and God blessed him with much favor when he did. 

Stones of Blame, Guilt & Shame

There are times when we think we know the answers and quickly pick up stones to cast them at those we feel are guilty and need to be punished.  Having what we think is evidence doesn’t give us the right to judge others or pronounce them guilty. Jesus reminds us of that in John chapter 8.  

The Pharisees thought they could trip-up Jesus into sinning when they presented a woman who was caught in adultery. They knew the Law of Moses said that this kind of sin called for her to be stoned.  Testing Jesus they asked Him what He thought should be done.  I love, love, love what the Lord did!   

Without answering them He bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger.  At first it doesn’t look like much and the people thought perhaps Jesus didn’t hear them … oh, but He did! 

Standing up he posed a question to them by putting out His own challenge.

“He who is without sin among you,

let him throw a stone at her first.” 

As soon as He made that statement Jesus bent down again and continued to write in the dirt.  We aren’t told what He wrote, but as soon as the onlookers glanced at what He was writing they dispersed like rabbits on a chase.   

When Jesus stood up, He and the woman remained in the area.  Looking at her He asked, “Where are the people who accused you? Didn’t anyone condemn you?” 

Noticing they were alone she answered, “No one, Lord.”  Immediately Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” 

Christ isn’t looking for ways to pass guilt, blame or condemn us – we do that on our own.  He is giving us the opportunity to receive forgiveness and in return do the same for others without condemnation. 

On that day Jesus showed the woman who committed adultery tremendous grace and favor.  Not only did He offer forgiveness, He restored life to her by not allowing her to be murdered.  The Bible doesn’t tell us what happened, but I can imagine everything changed after that event. 

Repenting quickly allows favor to be restored in our lives!

If we are to build a relationship with Jesus along our journey, we can’t hold back when we’ve messed up; He already knows it anyway so why keep it a secret? 

No More Stones 

Something my husband and I have done as we’ve set out on our adventures is to collect stones (with permission) from each place we’ve traveled.  Over time it turned into a pretty cool rock assortment.  

When we first began gathering these treasures we sought out big rocks for our garden. As time went by they got a whole lot smaller and fit in the palm of my hand.  Rocks or stones are heavy to lug around and we soon learned we didn’t want to haul that kind of weight. 

It’s the same when it comes to stone throwing with the words of our mouth in tossing about accusations.  Blame, judging and being the accuser is what satan does, not God. We are to have no part of it, and when we do our lives become loaded down with hidden stones and baggage of another kind. (Revelation 12:10)

Now that the burden of blame stone throwing is resolved, my journeying will be more restful. The next time we trek out to worlds unknown I won’t have to do without my trusty traveling companion that I love so much (my cosmetic case … sorry Honey), that is if I remember where I stashed it! 

One more thing that is great about walking with Jesus is that He won’t dump guilt along the way, even in jesting.  The Holy Spirit reveals piece-by-piece things we need to correct so we can take care of the matter immediately.  It may not have been that big of a deal to some, but a load has certainly been lifted and I feel relationships have been mended. 

This Week’s Challenge:

Put Down the Stones 

There are things that we will find out about ourselves when we spend time with the Lord, some we may not be so proud of either.  May I remind you that Jesus wasn’t there to point fingers at my sins or cast stones for what I had done.  He was ready to forgive as soon as I confessed my sin of judgment and blame.   

Jesus isn’t looking for a place to blame, but to lighten our burden load and set us free to follow Him with joy.  Along our journey with Jesus we are to do the same for others as He did for us.

Our challenge this week has two parts.

 

First, ask God to show you hidden blame sins (baggage) that you may not have been aware of and still hold people accountable for something they may or may not have done (like in my case). 

Second, write down on a piece of paper or in the margin of your Bible at John 8:11 these things:

 

The date, the “blame crime”, the person you accused and that forgiveness was given by God’s grace and favor. 

Learn to be quick to repent and you’ll see how quickly favor is restored in your Journey with Jesus. 

 

 

Andy Stanley — Let the Blames Begin

If this article has encouraged or helped you please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post.

Until next time, repentance opens doors to God’s favor!

“I quickly give My favor to a clean heart.”

Jesus Christ

 

*The names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy.

Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.

What’s New This Week: Click on book or link.

 

Let the Blames Begin – Download Video

by Andy Stanley

Favored1 on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest and Hub Pages Articles. 

 
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.

Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Gateway Bible
Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  Chess Game  Stone Throwing
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.

Mind Buddies

“I wish you would rethink about what you write each week, because we have to live it.” ... my husband said as he leaned over the kitchen sink while I was washing dishes. 

He’s right, at least when it comes to the weekly challenges on Daily Favor. 

I don’t know how your week went, but did you find the spirit of offense was more visible than usual?

There’s something else that became a constant companion to offense this week, can you guess what it was?

Welcome new friends this week from:

Belgium, Sweden, Mexico, Serbia, Montenegro, Taiwan, Thailand, Brazil, Pakistan, China, Botswana; USA: Delaware, West Virginia, Tennessee, Hawaii, New Jersey (22 cities with Vineland at 45 this week).  Glad to see you all here.

Keep our friends in South Korea in prayer this week as you pray for all the followers of Daily Favor.

If I’ve missed anyone forgive me. Please share this challenge and invite more friends to join us.  

"But he's over the line!"

I have been blessed to have met in person and online some really terrific people over the past seven days. 

They have shared some things they’re experiencing on their Inner Journey, and of course one of those encounters was when I was in the middle of a challenging situation with my husband over a parking space at Walmart. 

My spouse realized we were about to say something that would open a door to offense, so what did we do? We went somewhere else.

From the time we left that store and went to another, some lady took over my voice box, because surely I wouldn't say a thing like this.

Dropping me off at a flower shop, as I stepped out of the car words came out of  my mouth I’ve never spoken in my life … “I’m going to spend your money so you can say what all husbands say about their wives!”  I closed the door and he drove off to a hardware store.  Do you think I was upset?

Fifteen minutes later he was outside the flower shop door waiting for me.  After I got in the car he looked at me and said something like this, “Who were those people?  Sounds like they have offense issues.”  We kissed then laughed and that was the end of the incident.

Do you know what really happened?  My husband expressed his opinion in the parking lot and raised his voice to me in public because he was frustrated.  I was embarrassed and didn’t let it go, even though he apologized to me before he got in the car.  Something else emerged that day besides being offended.

We were on guard the whole weekend until Monday.  A new ingredient was added to the mix and my husband was the one who pointed it out to me.

My Dog’s Better

View the commercial here.

Do you remember the old commercial for Ken-L Ration Dog food where the kids debate over who has the better pet?  It’s a cute advertisement, but the main issue is overlooked.  Pride.

It’s easy for pride to creep into our thinking and actions without us realizing it. 

Actually, I wasn’t sure how it would go over, but I wanted to plant a seed in your minds that would be a good lead to this teaching.  Did it work?  Could you sense an underlying bit of offense in the response?  My writing was under attack, so pride stepped in attempting to counteract the comment.

So many things popped into my head that could have offended me, but thankfully the Holy Spirit kept reminding me not to give into those insecure feelings (which are prideful).

Proverbs 16:18 gives us a clear description of what happens when we give into pride.  “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  In other words, something is going down and it is a result of our prideful actions.  

God hates the spirit of pride that exalts itself over Him.  The Amplified Bible says it like this in Proverbs 16:17, giving a definition to what sinful pride is:

 “the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others.” (like satan thinks)

The reference isn’t referring to the pride we feel with family or being honored for an accomplishment. 

 

This brings me to an example that I asked my husband if I could share with you, which happened to him this week. Remember, he’s taking this journey with all of us as well.  Here’s what he “confessed” to me when he got home from work. 

 

Freeze Proof?  I don’t think so.

He was hardly in the door when my husband sat on the edge of the couch and made this statement.

“I’ve got a confession to make.  I knew what was happening and did it anyway." 

You can imagine how my thoughts went wild about then as I eagerly listened to what he was about to admit. Giant warning signals and stop lights came into my head not being sure I wanted to hear what he was about to unburden. This is what happened.

The outside freeze proof water hydrant did not live up to its name.  It had been leaking for at least six years despite several people trying to fix it.  If you positioned the handle a certain way, the leak would stop, but only for a short time.  

One man in particular (who is considered the “Mr. Fix-it-all” by some) had worked on it and it still leaked.

My hubby was told that “If Mr. Fix-it-all couldn’t repair the hydrant, I doubt it can be done, but you can give it a try.”  Well, that didn’t go over well with him. 

The challenge had been issued and his pride took over; he had to stop the leak. In less than an hour he repaired the hydrant.  It was just about the same amount of time that he realized how prideful he had been.

What man wants to be made to look small in front of another man?  He told me that his mindset was, “I’ll show them I can fix this.”

That was only part of the problem.  Recognizing pride was on the scene was one thing, but he told me that he knew it and still wanted to prove the other man wrong.  His actions were intentional, because his feelings were hurt.  Once offense is present, it doesn’t take long for pride to join in on the situation.

 

At the Foot of the Cross … Where forgiveness begins.

 

Now don’t judge my husband, his actions are no different than some of our own.  Yes, the leak was fixed and I was relieved it wasn’t something else. However, the good thing is that he took this situation to the Lord before sharing it with me, getting back on track in his journey.

Today is Good Friday and a perfect time for us to remember why Jesus died on the cross for us.  He loved us while we were still sinners and is always willing to forgive. (Romans 5:8 NKJV)  It’s where we lay everything at His feet of mercy.

Although we have to meet Christ at the foot of the cross to of repent our sins, we don’t need to stay there.  Jesus rose from the dead and conquered everything we will ever encounter in life including our pride. 

Being able to overcome our sinful nature through Christ is part of the “forget not all His benefits” in Psalm 103 that Jesus provided for those who will faithfully seek and love Him. 

Being forgiven of sin is another way the Lord gives grace, mercy and favor to those who follow after Him (like on this Inner Journey).

This Week’s Challenge:  

De-friend sinful mind buddies.

We’re going to do a reality inspection to see who our mind has been making friends with lately.

Check to see if you are boasting about anything other than the cross (Galatians 6:14 NIV), and if a critical spirit of pride has entered your journey.  (See example list below.)

Make sure your actions are not validating prideful behavior.  Have you said or done something to trigger a prideful response in your words or deeds? 

Don’t let offense get comfortable with pride in your thinking.  You not only want to keep these mind buddies apart, you want them totally gone from your life.

Recognize you’re on a journey of favor in God’s heart as you lay down every burden of pride at the foot of the Cross.

At the Foot of the Cross by Don Moen

 

Until next time, remember pride cancels favor.

 

Recognizing Pride:  De-friend these feelings

- Are you judgmental or critical of others?
- Look down on less educated people?
- Do you judge people by their lifestyle?
- Don't admit when you are wrong?
- Talk too much about yourself?   
- Argue or comment on everything?
- Think you are more spiritual than others?
- Spend too much time on your appearance?
- Seek approval from others and not God?
- Think you are above following rules and regulations?
- Have a hard time giving a compliment to others?
- Poor listener  because you think others are boring?
- Find it difficult to give your testimony or pray in public?

What's New this Week:  Songs of Resurrection & Life

At the Foot of the Cross

Follow Favored1 on Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest.

Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.

 
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. A.N.A. logo by J.C.Penney, Inc.
Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provide by Bible Gateway
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified.
Image: Kitchen sink  Car parked  Ken-L ration Galatians 6:14 NIV