Hi. My name is Katie. And when it comes to games I am an insanely competitive person. :)
The game Settlers of Catan? Yeah, it caused one of the first major fights Ryan and I ever had in our marriage. No. Embarrassingly enough, I am not joking.
So after that fiasco I had to take a step back and get a little perspective on where my head goes to when I'm playing board games. I honestly had to give myself a little pep talk and realize I was gonna have to get this thing in check if Ryan and I were ever going to be able to enjoy game nights with friends and not end up fighting at the end of the night.
Don't judge..you all have your own bits of crazy..this is just mine. :)
So here's what I did; novel as it was. When I could feel myself start to get a little too wrapped up in a game, care a little too much about what someone just did to mess up my plan, get a little too anxious about whether I could win...I would literally stop, take a breath and remind myself of ...oh, I dont know ...REALITY?! That this was JUST a game. That it DIDN'T MATTER.
And then this amazing thing would happen, as soon as I'd remind myself of those truths, almost instantly I could relax and sit back and enjoy the game, I could breath and let go!
Perspective goes a long way.
Now game playing and competition is a very silly example. But the concept; the idea of perspective and the way we can be literally set free by truth seen clearly. Is a powerful one that has been rocking my world for months now.
It's called the 4 G's, a series of teachings and truths we first learned of at a Soma conference this summer and now Ryan just finished teaching at Creekside the past 5 weeks. It goes a little something like this...
God is GREAT...so I don't have to be in control.
God is GOOD...so I don't have to look elsewhere.
God is GLORIOUS...so I don't have to fear others.
God is GRACIOUS...so I don't have to prove myself.
There's a funny thing about words, as soon as you take something powerfully complex and hone it down into something simple enough to digest in words and phrases, most of the power and complexity seems lost. But if you were to take the time, to really dig into the truths behind each of these attributes of God and what they in turn mean for each and every one of our lives, well, they dramatically change everything.
I could spend this whole post telling you how the perspective that God is GREAT allows me to breath deep sighs of relief knowing I can entrust my children to His very capable hands. I could talk for hours about my constant struggle to believe that God alone is GOOD. So good, that He will completely satisfy every thirst I have for the things in this world and that as I trust Him in faith more and more I will taste that deep satisfaction and be filled with that which is truly satisfying LIFE. I could write about God's GLORY and utmost importance in my life being the thing that sets me FREE from the worry and anxiety of living life boldly, speaking and writing the things of my heart with passion; and living life quietly, knowing I am I SEEN by Him and I don't need anything else in this world to make me feel important or valuable. And finally I could shout from the rooftops how the Truth that God is GRACIOUS washes soothing calm over my heart as I learn I can SIT in the approving gaze of Him who sees me as He sees Jesus, righteous, forgiven and incredibly loved. And because I didn't earn that approval I don't need to work to keep it or demand that others earn it either. I am FREE to be generous with my own approval and love of others.
Oh..friends, this is good good stuff!
But instead of talking anymore about the explanation of these Truths about my God I will just tell any of you interested that you can listen to Ryan teaching on them in the sermon series linked here.
And then I will simply spend one more minute telling you all about the FREEDOM that comes when your belief in God grows bigger and bigger. It's really as simple as my little Settler's analogy.
When for a moment our eyes become locked on a false reality, when we forget the larger story and perspective and we begin to believe things that aren't true like, I have to create my OWN security and my OWN happiness and my OWN value and self worth...well, we can all of the sudden find ourselves trapped in panicky, pressure-filled, fear-filled lives.
Alot like the silly emotions that would wrack me in a ridiculous board game where I wanted, no NEEDED to win.
We don't often identify these emotions with being bound, or enslaved, but really what else can you call it when you NEED something in order to survive? I would say if there is something you absolutely NEED in order to feel like you matter in this world, like you are satisfied and happy and safe. Then that thing in a strange way owns you. You work to keep it, to attain and then maintain it... I know, trust me. I have danced many a dance working for the things that held me captive because I believed they provided happiness and significance. And can I tell you how incredibly exhausting it is? It does not ever end, and it does not ever permanently calm the rising panic that at any moment it may all suddenly slip through your fingers.
Oh, but my friends. The FREEDOM! The relief that comes when you let it all go. When you entrust it to Hands much bigger. Much more GREAT. When you believe that life with Him really will be GOOD and all that you could ever need. When you let His opinion of you be GLORIOUS and put everyone else's below it, and when you stop trying to be good enough to earn His favor and accept it instead as a free gift of GRACE... oh it's rich.
It's life giving. It's incredibly, unbelievably FREEING.
And then the most amazing miracle is, you can give your whole life away and still have everything you could ever possibly need.
God is real my friends. And He changes lives. I believe it.
The game Settlers of Catan? Yeah, it caused one of the first major fights Ryan and I ever had in our marriage. No. Embarrassingly enough, I am not joking.
So after that fiasco I had to take a step back and get a little perspective on where my head goes to when I'm playing board games. I honestly had to give myself a little pep talk and realize I was gonna have to get this thing in check if Ryan and I were ever going to be able to enjoy game nights with friends and not end up fighting at the end of the night.
Don't judge..you all have your own bits of crazy..this is just mine. :)
So here's what I did; novel as it was. When I could feel myself start to get a little too wrapped up in a game, care a little too much about what someone just did to mess up my plan, get a little too anxious about whether I could win...I would literally stop, take a breath and remind myself of ...oh, I dont know ...REALITY?! That this was JUST a game. That it DIDN'T MATTER.
And then this amazing thing would happen, as soon as I'd remind myself of those truths, almost instantly I could relax and sit back and enjoy the game, I could breath and let go!
Perspective goes a long way.
Now game playing and competition is a very silly example. But the concept; the idea of perspective and the way we can be literally set free by truth seen clearly. Is a powerful one that has been rocking my world for months now.
It's called the 4 G's, a series of teachings and truths we first learned of at a Soma conference this summer and now Ryan just finished teaching at Creekside the past 5 weeks. It goes a little something like this...
God is GREAT...so I don't have to be in control.
God is GOOD...so I don't have to look elsewhere.
God is GLORIOUS...so I don't have to fear others.
God is GRACIOUS...so I don't have to prove myself.
There's a funny thing about words, as soon as you take something powerfully complex and hone it down into something simple enough to digest in words and phrases, most of the power and complexity seems lost. But if you were to take the time, to really dig into the truths behind each of these attributes of God and what they in turn mean for each and every one of our lives, well, they dramatically change everything.
I could spend this whole post telling you how the perspective that God is GREAT allows me to breath deep sighs of relief knowing I can entrust my children to His very capable hands. I could talk for hours about my constant struggle to believe that God alone is GOOD. So good, that He will completely satisfy every thirst I have for the things in this world and that as I trust Him in faith more and more I will taste that deep satisfaction and be filled with that which is truly satisfying LIFE. I could write about God's GLORY and utmost importance in my life being the thing that sets me FREE from the worry and anxiety of living life boldly, speaking and writing the things of my heart with passion; and living life quietly, knowing I am I SEEN by Him and I don't need anything else in this world to make me feel important or valuable. And finally I could shout from the rooftops how the Truth that God is GRACIOUS washes soothing calm over my heart as I learn I can SIT in the approving gaze of Him who sees me as He sees Jesus, righteous, forgiven and incredibly loved. And because I didn't earn that approval I don't need to work to keep it or demand that others earn it either. I am FREE to be generous with my own approval and love of others.
Oh..friends, this is good good stuff!
But instead of talking anymore about the explanation of these Truths about my God I will just tell any of you interested that you can listen to Ryan teaching on them in the sermon series linked here.
And then I will simply spend one more minute telling you all about the FREEDOM that comes when your belief in God grows bigger and bigger. It's really as simple as my little Settler's analogy.
When for a moment our eyes become locked on a false reality, when we forget the larger story and perspective and we begin to believe things that aren't true like, I have to create my OWN security and my OWN happiness and my OWN value and self worth...well, we can all of the sudden find ourselves trapped in panicky, pressure-filled, fear-filled lives.
Alot like the silly emotions that would wrack me in a ridiculous board game where I wanted, no NEEDED to win.
We don't often identify these emotions with being bound, or enslaved, but really what else can you call it when you NEED something in order to survive? I would say if there is something you absolutely NEED in order to feel like you matter in this world, like you are satisfied and happy and safe. Then that thing in a strange way owns you. You work to keep it, to attain and then maintain it... I know, trust me. I have danced many a dance working for the things that held me captive because I believed they provided happiness and significance. And can I tell you how incredibly exhausting it is? It does not ever end, and it does not ever permanently calm the rising panic that at any moment it may all suddenly slip through your fingers.
Oh, but my friends. The FREEDOM! The relief that comes when you let it all go. When you entrust it to Hands much bigger. Much more GREAT. When you believe that life with Him really will be GOOD and all that you could ever need. When you let His opinion of you be GLORIOUS and put everyone else's below it, and when you stop trying to be good enough to earn His favor and accept it instead as a free gift of GRACE... oh it's rich.
It's life giving. It's incredibly, unbelievably FREEING.
And then the most amazing miracle is, you can give your whole life away and still have everything you could ever possibly need.
God is real my friends. And He changes lives. I believe it.
4 comments:
Thanks for sharing friend. Sounds like an incredible series. Might get some time to listen in. Thank you for the insights.
I love your board game story I can relate a bit to that. You spoke the Truth so beautifully and thanks for sharing! The 4G's bring such depth to who God is and it literally changed your life. It is nothing we do on our own it's a huge step in faith believing and trusting God for who He is and then the outflow reflects our faith. It's like walking the talk..... And our behaviors tell so much. Thanks for sharing your heart and love for God. He radiates through you!
Amen! I loved this post. SO many tangible truths and you were so honest.
and i believe everything you wrote. some days i still slip and am tempted to believe a lie, but in the end there is no greater joy than snuggling up with my bible, sitting at the feet of my glorious master.
thanks for sharing!
Your mom & Melody sent me the link to your blog last night, and I'm so glad they did!!! I spent a lot of time scrolling thru posts last night catching up. I love the 4 Gs. :)
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